{ 1 ~ As We Fall ~ 1 }

{ Sometimes when I say I'm fine, I want someone to look at me and say, 'Tell the truth.' }

{ ~ }

The sun clashes with the mountains and creates the beginning of what is sure to be a blaze of bright oranges and pale purples and soft pinks, made even better by being turned upside-down in the glassy surface of the lake. Only a few feet away from the tallest peak, shaded by a stooping beech tree, she sits in between his legs, resting back against his chest. Hugging her tightly to him, it's perfect; it's perfect, for just this moment, and they can sit in it and believe that it always will be.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he says, breaking the silence; not too far away, a giant tentacle shatters the illusion reflected in the water. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ginny remains quiet for some time before turning around to look at his face, her own cheeks slightly pink. She notices suddenly that he looks tired, and he has dark circles under his eyes, which are darkened, yet nearly glowing with intensity. They glitter in the golden light - glitter with worry, glitter with fear, glitter with sincerity.

"You had a nightmare." It isn't a question. "What about?"

Harry's mouth stays shut, but he searches her face, pulling her body still closer against his. He has to be sure the dream isn't real; that this is what's real, the two of them, because being with her is too good to be true.

"You didn't sleep at all last night," she guesses, half-prodding.

"I'm fine," he insists, in that quietly forceful way of his that tends to leave him abandoned.

Ginny's face shows no change. Their gazes connect for the briefest second - in that brief second, the world is gone; they are no longer on a mountaintop; any kind of surroundings vanish around them; sparks fly as an electric charge locks them together - and break just as quickly. Harry looks away, suddenly irritated with her concern.

"I don't want your pity," he snaps. It's a lesson he's had to learn in his cupboard.

"Then what do you want?" she asks, no exasperation in her voice or expression.

"Not much," he says honestly. Then, after some hesitation - and Ginny just knows he's going to say something that makes her heart wrench - he continues, "But sometimes when I say I'm fine, I - I want someone to look at me and say... and say, 'Tell the truth.'"

Ginny turns completely around, letting her hands come to rest on Harry's shoulders.

"Tell the truth."

Soft and pleading, it reaches into him and withdraws that terrible dream; that dream where she left him, left him, and she didn't come back. She ran into the black of the forest without looking over her shoulder, without waiting for him, to be swallowed whole by the darkness. And when he's done, he can say, "I'm fine," and she doesn't have to tell him to be truthful. She knows he's fine.

And when he's not, she'll always be there to make him fine again.

{ ~ }

A/N: Welcome to the story! It'll be updated daily over the next two weeks, with seventeen chapters in all. So you can be happy about that. :) These are all unconnected one-shots, all set in canon - Canon Missing Moments Comp - and all based on the quotes/phrases at the top of the page - Cyaniide's Love Quotes - and all HarryGinny.

Anyway, this chapter is set in HBP, of course. It's been tweaked and changed around bunches and I like how it turned out. :D

Thanks to the awesome echoing noise for beta-ing this story. I owe you so. Freaking. Much.

If you read or favorited, please review. Even if you didn't, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it and hope you'll enjoy the rest!

See you tomorrow!

~whispered touches

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.