...breathe your life into me, I'm falling, falling faster...

In the end, he finds her.

In the end, he saves her.

In the end, he never lets her go.

Or that's how Ginny would liked it to have gone. She wishes Severus would have broken down her door and saved her life, wishes he would have held her and kissed her and thanked God that she didn't really die.

She doesn't die, at least not physically. Her heart pumps blood through her (scarred) veins and her reflexes are as good as they ever were. It was Harry that found her in a puddle of her own blood, murmuring the name "Severus" over and over again.

They keep her here--at St. Mungo's--now. Her room is lovely, with a large window and fresh plants every day. None of them, her family or her friends, trust her to be alone anymore. He comes often, but Ginny sometimes pretends he isn't there. It's easier that way, and harder too, but harder still is to watch him leave because shouldn't he take her away from here, save her? He is her prince, after all, and isn't that what princes do?

She explained this to Harry, but he doesn't understand. He hasn't understood her since she was ten and crying into her mother's apron as the Hogwarts Express chugged away from them. But she is grateful for Harry nonetheless because he never told a soul about Severus.

Ginny thinks back on her years, on Hogwarts and the war and Voldemort and Death Eaters, and she can't believe she's come this far. Admittedly a lock down ward in a hospital isn't what most people consider progression, but for herself, for her life, this is where she needs to be.

She is standing in front of her window, and outside she can see a park. It is green and it has tall trees and colorful flower beds and little children running around with their dogs, and people are jogging and laughing and some are eating ice cream. She takes it in, really takes it in, and she thinks that yes, maybe life is grand. She's spent so many years trying to be something she isn't, trying to regain lost innocence and pride, but she knows now that she doesn't get to be any body but herself, flaws, spilt blood and shed tears and all.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" Severus has come up behind her, and he gently wraps his arms around her waist.

She doesn't respond, because she is falling. Falling into him, and she needs him to breathe life back into her. Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but for now, Ginny is content to be in the arms of the one she loves.

Well, that's the end! I don't know, maybe you hated it, maybe you loved it. Regardless, thanks for reading. Also, if you haven't listened to the song Breathe Into Me by RED, now is the time. It's amazing and was the complete inspiration for this story.