Disclaimer: I don't own any of the properties herein nor have any knowledge of proper grammar.

Title: Chapter 37 - The Red String of Fate

Synopsis: I rooted for Ginny till JKR introduced Luna and had Harry admit he had even forgotten Ginny was in the chamber in OotP. Still, she could have tried to convince me.

The first thing Harry noticed or felt was the draft around his foot. Slowly, as consciousness began to take hold he noticed how warm the rest of him was by comparison. He felt a rumble in his stomach as the half of the sandwich Kreacher made him last night had done all it could. Thinking to polish it off he opened his eyes to darkness and discovered his bed curtains were drawn. The source of his warmth let out a small snort and he realized he was not alone. He pulled the curtain aside just to let in enough light to see Ginny fast asleep beside him. Quickly closing the curtain so as not to wake her, he took stock of what he knew happened last night after his defeat of Voldemort. 'Nope', he thought there was no recollection of seeing Ginny after the battle. Just him slinking away cowardly leaving Ron and Hermione to whatever questions might have been posed as he made a break for Gryffindor tower. Kreacher had provided a mountainous sandwich and a fine mug of butterbeer and soon sleep had took him. She must have joined me afterwards he decided and as this was not an unpleasant surprise, he was prepared to stay as was.

His stomach rumbled again and his thoughts turned back to the sandwich. Her head seamed firmly installed on him as he couldn't extricate himself from her without possibly waking her. "Are you a wizard or not?" A voice in the back of his mind which sounded suspiciously like Snape's asked. He moved his right arm with which he had held her with only to see her left arm move in time with his. The little bit of light still coming between the curtains revealed what appeared to be red yarn tying his and Ginny's wrists. Hunger still controlling his mind he made no great note of this and pressed on tossing his wand to his left hand and thought with all his might "Accio Sandwich!". A crescent shaped remnant quickly flew to him barely any of the turkey remaining. Ginny's smile seemed to tell him his sandwich's fate. He finished the leftover in two bites and thought to wash it down but intuited the fate of his drink as well.

Unwilling to leave her side as the realization of what might soon lay ahead the wheels of his mind began to turn as to how to get food without leaving the comfort of his bed. Before the voice in his head could even remark he whispered as softly as he could "Kreacher, but quiet". The house elf appeared almost instantly though without the usual "POP" that accompanied his apparition. Kreacher pulled back the curtain slightly and stood there in his pillow case silently smiling. He bowed his head silently to Harry. Harry wordlessly began to write in the air "Food and drink". The house elf held a piece of parchment in the air that soon read "Mrs. Weasley has prepared your breakfast for you in the common room". Harry held his bound wrist to the elf and wrote in the air "Nick some for me?" Kreacher seamed to understand and saluted and with the same silence, left.

With the curtain opened he could see they were alone on this floor and for some reason that delighted him. Only the bed that would traditionally have been Neville's seemed it had been slept in. Food soon arrived as eggs, sausage and potatoes in a bowl and a tumbler of pumpkin juice seemed the breakfast of champions. Harry inquired if Mrs. Weasley was looking for them and was encouraged by the reply that she wasn't even in the Gryffindor tower at the moment. At that Kreacher took his leave as Harry wrote "Thanks" in the air. He tipped the bowl as spoons seemed to take too long and gobbled what he could. Now satiated he decided this was a good as life for him was going to get and thought to rejoin Ginny in sleep. Which he accomplished quickly enough.

Ron sat on the couch watching as Kreacher left with Harry's breakfast somewhat sorely. His eldest two brothers sat with him as well as his Father. Every few seconds he glanced towards the stairs to the sleeping quarters and fidgeted. His father would pat his knee as though to say "steady" and go back to the mountain of owl post which kept growing on the floor. Bill and Charlie were reading the "Prophet" and eating from their own bowls.

"I love her but I miss a good fry-up"

"Don't let her hear you say that"

"It's true she puts a garnish and two sauces on EVERYTHING"

"Yeah, I'm sorry you been getting three squares a day" Ron added. He looked back at the stairs. This was not unnoticed by anyone. No one seemed put out by it though.

"Let it go Ron, they're passed out, well drugged out really, if he touched any of it he's gone cold too. "

"Yeah well he better not have touched any of it…" Ron was not about to let logic ruin his mania.

"Did you see though? She put the Red String on him!"

"Poor Harry, he's a goner, and so young too"

At that the mood darkened considerably as they were all taken to the memory of Fred who lost his life in the battle the night previous. It had been this way since the last evening, elation at surviving or the death of Voldemort and the defeat of his death-eaters followed by sorrow at the cost. Finally Mr. Weasley spoke.

"I can't say the idea of my baby girl in a room with a boy delights me any, but it is Harry, and they are only asleep"

"For tonight" Ron grumped. His father smiled again.

"String or no string they shall be parted by life again" He seemed to be speaking as though from clairvoyance. "The wizarding world is not yet done with Harry Potter"

Bill and Charlie sat upright at this and asked what he knew.

"Only what I have always known about the Ministry, people and Harry himself. Do you think he will stay behind if they ask him to help capture any of the remaining death-eaters? With Kingsley at the helm will he finally endorse the actions of the Ministry? And what about all these funerals and events? His time will be in great demand. No, Ginny is bound to be disappointed at some point but she is strong like her Mother. I have no doubt if Harry is The One they will get through it"

"That string was on tight though…" Charlie couldn't help but remark.

Kreacher apparated in the main kitchen in front of Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Prof. McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Andromeda Tonks and Neville's grandmother, Augusta. He turned to Hermione and gave his report. "Master Harry ate it all and drank deeply from his cup, he should remain in slumber for a while, as will Miss Ginny who drank almost all his butterbeer the night previous." Hermione didn't smile but thanked Kreacher for his service and told him Harry would be thankful for this soon. The old elf just smiled and said "Yes, Miss" and left them to rejoin the others busy cleaning. Hermione turned to the other witches and picked up their conversation where it had been interrupted.

"No, that simply won't do it's too many funerals for Harry to deal with and so quickly"

"People can't be blamed for wanting to bury their dead"

"Not at all, but they all want Harry at their service and he won't survive that"

"Each of them feels like their loved one should be honored for their sacrifice protecting Harry and this school it makes sense they would all want him there"

"Fifty, we are speaking of fifty people who died defending the wizarding world from Voldemort and his death eaters, and all their funerals shall be within two weeks, I agree with the girl, it is too much for anyone"

"Potter is much stronger than you give him credit, I think"

"Well then, will you be attending them all Minerva?"

"For the students? Yes, as timing allows, and with their respective heads of house"

"Your presence will have to suffice some of them"

"They are grieving and what they might understand normally won't make sense now"

"He isn't going to all of them, he will barely endure the ones he must for himself attend"

"You seem sure dear, this will short of kill him"

"I have known Harry since my first year here and spent more time with him than anyone else. I love him so dearly for all his strengths but I am not unaware of his faults. This will undo him. Their deaths are abstract to him now, this process and the grief of the families will make it real. He will take personal responsibility for their deaths even though he did not in fact kill them nor ask them to fight"

"But surely, he knows…?"

"That Mrs. Weasley, is the miracle of Harry Potter, In his heart he doesn't. This is how a 17 year old wizard without a full education just defeated the greatest dark wizard ever. How he persevered all year on the run searching for hallows and horcruxes in order to save people from dying. He won't see their choices, their faults, only his failure to do it fast enough to save their lives."

"It seems then for all this debate we are decided. We shall have one service for everyone and they shall be memorialized and if their families choose, buried here." They all silently nodded in agreement with Neville's grandmother.

They stood silently for a moment and then with Mrs. Weasley in tears Hermione spoke again.

"There is still more to decide and it must be decided now before they wake, before Ginny wakes. If it is settled I believe I can get Harry to go along and Ginny will be silent. If she feels there is even an option she will move to protect Harry from all of this and there will damage done we cannot undo"

"My Ginny… and Harry? It seems so strange and yet so right. I knew her feelings….They weren't a secret, were they? And that she might have so much power over him already…"

"Your girl seems more Prewett than Weasley, Molly"

"I too have noticed that, Molly"

"Whoever she takes after….as he is so guilty for pushing her away this year as he did…"

"And I thank God for it, kept her safe"

"Yes, and now that they are reunited he will not be likely to go against her wishes"

"The greatest wizard of the day under the spell of a sixth-year…" Mrs. Tonks said looking down at a mirror which showed Teddy fast asleep. "The ridiculousness of it almost gives me faith that we are worth saving."

"You had Ted trussed up by the end of fourth year, Andromeda." Mrs. Tonks just smiled at the mirror.

Mrs. Weasley interrupted "We had better hurry girls, I shall lose it soon" and she blew her nose and wiped her tears. She would stand firm and speak as she felt she needed to for her daughter and her almost adopted son who it seemed would also be a son-in-law soon enough. She also looked with pride on the young woman she felt would be her next daughter-in-law with pride. Neville's grandmother brought up the subject of N.E.W.T.s, O.W.L.s and Hogwarts future. With that their deliberations continued.

The sun had reached its peak and pored all it could into the topmost dormitory in Gryffindor tower. The light came through the still closed curtains and lit the hideaway a bright red. Ginny awoke from a dreamless slumber to find Harry still there and still snoring. She stayed still and looked up at his calm repose. She nestled against his shoulder and raised her left arm from under her the string held tightly connecting her wrist to Harry's. He was still there and all was right in her world. Though she immediately felt some shame for having forgotten Fred's death even if it was just a second. She had decided last night however as she watched Harry gain his first nights sleep post-Voldemort that the time of her sacrificing her happiness was over. Harry had done what everyone had needed him to do, what to hear Ron and Hermione tell, only he could have done, and defeated finally Riddle. She was going to spend the rest of their lives making that hard-work, struggle, worth it.

She looked back up at his face and cleared the hair from his brow. His scar remained. She had half expected it to vanish with the dark lord. He smiled in his sleep and she wondered what he was dreaming, possibly about his parents, or their friends who now were all gone. Remus had been the last of the Marauders, and most of the original Order of the Phoenix was gone as well. Now was the time of the D.A.. Ginny thought a picture should be taken like the one she saw at 12 Grimauld Place. Her and Harry, Neville, Luna, Ron, Hermione and the others who had fought though they were still just students to end the reign of darkness.

Ginny had been so angry at him. How could he let them believe he was dead? Hermione had tried to explain but when she got to that part she would start crying. How could he have ignored her for almost a whole year? How could he have not come straight to see her? Yet, all that left her as she saw him asleep, so still. A half-eaten sandwich and a mug of butterbeer by his bedside. Despite everything else she still loved him and he was alive and breathing right now. Ginny just let go of the anger to get to the important business of living their lives.

The first order of business was to be certain they would not be parted. She had overheard her Aunt and Mother reminiscing many times and the one topic that caught her attention had been the Red String. The first story it featured in was actually sad as the girl discovered the one she loved did not return her feelings. If you weren't exactly sure it seemed the Red String caused more heartbreak than it prevented. Ginny had been sure though and the charm was easy to perform. If you loved that person the String would appear around your wrist almost unbreakable. If they returned your love the string would attach to them as well. The string was as tough as the feelings shared between the two. It was also foolproof. It couldn't be tricked, not by a love potion or an imperius curse, if the other person didn't actually love you it wouldn't work. This had caused the heartbreak in its heyday and why it was not generally taught anymore. The truth can be unkind. "Like" or "care" were not enough, it was "Sydney or the bush" as she heard her Aunt say.

She had not considered the logistics of being permanently attached to Harry and his smell now caused her to realize she may have been hasty. Obviously hygiene was not a priority when fighting the dark lord. She had been at many points prepared to see him naked and for him to see her so. That had been though in the fog of war. In the light of a clear day there was something to be said for taking your time. The string though would be seen by everyone it make a statement and one she wanted heard. She would just have to find a way to deal with the rest.

"Ahem" Hermione hated to interrupt this moment for Ginny and Harry. Ginny had confided in her from the beginning about her feelings for Harry and it seemed strange to Hermione that a eleven-year-old could have been so sure. She had done her best to help guide Ginny through it all, the hopes and heartbreaks. Harry was a truly dense young man when it came to the womenfolk. Hermione considered it his least annoying flaw. It had taken them six years to figure it out but time was not stopping just for them. The world was closing in on them and she thought they might want to face it on their feet.

"Hey" was all Ginny could get out at first. She looked her best girlfriend over and was not pleased . Once again it seemed the job of taking care of Harry had fallen to Hermione, though Ginny expected to relieve her soon. She had at one point thought Hermione a rival for Harry's affections. The two of them seemed so close and easy with each other it was an honest mistake for Ginny to make. The first time she brought it up, Hermione had laughed at the thought. But seeing how serious the younger girl was, she straightened up and told Ginny the truth. She loved Harry, just not in a romantic way. The two lonely children's hearts had other needs at eleven years old. Common ground having been found, the two girls spent a lot of time together. Ginny had a habit of sticking up for others, as she had with Luna. This often put her on the outs with the other girls. Hermione had never really made friends with the other girls. Doing what you thought was right and sometimes just being yourself had a price, they both understood this. They also commiserated about Ginny's brother Ron. Ron lacked what could be called emotional depth.

The two girls looked at each other for a moment and then both at Harry. Ginny spoke first. "How long do we have?"

"Till the sleep draught in his breakfast wears off, then the world will want its say"

"I could take him away, far away. I've waited and he's mine now and I'm not in a mood to share."

"Ginny….."

"Don't "Ginny" me. I lent him to them to save their backs and now it's our turn. For our lives."

"He is still needed."

"Don't give me that rubbish Hermione. All those adults should have done something. Tom Riddle should have been dealt with years ago. It's criminal how they all put this on a 17 year old boy."

"I don't disagree with anything you said, But…."

"But, what?"

"Give me this summer, I promise if you're patient a little more and help me convince Harry that what we decided is best, come September first he's all yours. You could return to school and take your seventh years together, you could get married and start your own family. Whatever in the wizarding world you want, is yours."

"Who's "we"?"

"Me, your Mum, Neville's Gran, Madam Pomfrey, Mrs. Tonks, and Prof. McGonagall."

"And my Mum agreed? Whatever we want? And the Ministry?"

"Kingsley asked us to sort it out. He needed to know what he could expect from Harry. As for your mother though, don't expect to not take any flak for certain decisions… but she agrees too. They still need him Ginny. They need to see him helping rebuild and bringing the war to an end, They need to hear his voice on where we go from here. He will never have more influence than now. And then…Yes… they need to see him get on with his life."

"You already promised, didn't you?"

"I told them if we could have you on our side, Harry would go along. We haven't told Kingsley anything yet. I've done the best that could be given the circumstances."

Ginny saw the hope and worry on Hermione's face and knew in her heart Hermione was telling the truth. Ginny ran in her mind what people would want from Harry in the next few weeks and decided simply to trust in her best friend. Hermione for her part had become a little distracted by the string on Ginny's wrist. The younger girl saw her looking at it and held up her left wrist to show the connection between her and Harry. Harry's right wrist raised as well. Ginny gave Hermione a mischievous smile.

"What is that?"

"A message."

"To whom?"

"Everyone."

"And what? Pray tell, does it say?"

Ginny smiled at her friend and then gave Harry a loving nod and simply replied "Mine".