It was Hermione who got to him first, although Harry wasn't quite sure he understood the mechanics of how she had gotten from the very back of the Great Hall, across two tables, four benches and a Hufflepuff firstie before even Dumbledore had moved. Wrapped in her arms, he wasn't sure he cared.

"It's okay, Harry, it'll all be okay." She soothed him. He felt her right hand rise from his back, twitching in what was obviously a wand motion. "We're in a silencing bubble, Harry, they can't get to us for a little while, so you just get yourself together. It's all going to be okay, I promise."

"But it's not, Hermione!" Harry shuddered, and looked up at her, tears still streaking down his face. "You don't know what it asked for... You can't know..."

"You're right, Harry, I don't know what it asked for, but I do know that you're strong, and you'll get through whatever it is. And I know that you're my best friend, and I know that I'll do whatever I have to to help you, okay?"

"It... it showed me, you know? What I was giving up? It showed me everything, but I still gave it up. And it's- it was- it could have been the best thing in my life, Hermione! Oh Merlin, what have I done?"

"Harry, we've got less than a minute left on my silencing bubble, so I'll make this fast. There's no point crying over spilt milk, so calm down. What's done is done, if there's someone else involved in this – whatever you've agreed to – then you should tell them. Most important of all, remember that you don't owe anyone else any answers, not even Dumbledore or any of the judges. Got it?"

Harry managed only a mildly shaky nod as Dumbledore's hand came down heavily on his shoulder.

"Harry, my dear boy, I think you should wait for me in my office, we can discuss the repercussions of your actions there." He said gravely, frowning down at Harry. From the corner of his eye, Harry could see Hermione just begin to puff up in disapproval, but he squeezed her arm tightly in warning.

"What's the password, sir?" Harry asked quietly, receiving a pleased smile in return for his apparent obedience.

"Jellied eel," Dumbledore patted his shoulder, before turning to enter the side chamber with the other judges.

"Harry, what on earth are you doing?" Hermione hissed, eyes wide. "He wanted you in this tournament, he didn't want you to even know about the way to get out of it, and now you're going to his office?"

"I asked him the password, didn't say I was going. If he thinks I'm turning up, well he's misunderstood me, hasn't he?" Harry smiled up at her cheekily, half-expecting a disapproving glare, but was startled when she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Good on you Harry. Now, come on, where are we going to hide?" Hermione smiled at him warmly, but Harry shook his head.

"I... I can't. You're right, I should tell the person that's involved." He took a deep breath. "Merlin, this is going to be hard." Hermione squeezed him tighter.

"If you want me to, I could come with you, maybe wait outside while you talked?" She pulled away, just far enough to see Harry's soft smile as he pulled her back in.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." He whispered into her hair. "Can you bring Ginny to the place you, me and Ron had our first midnight adventure?" He felt, rather than heard her answer through the vibrations of her chest, tightly pressed against his, a hiccoughing gasp first and a stiffness so sharp he thought she might say no, but-

"Of course Harry." Now you head off as if you're going upstairs and I'll get her to you in about fifteen minutes. Do- do you want me to stay with you, while you talk, or...?"

"Stay." Harry whispered again. "Always stay."

- HBP – HBP – HBP – HBP – HBP -

It took a little less than fifteen minutes for Hermione to pull Ginny away from the crowd of Gryffindors all calling out questions as to what she and Harry had talked about at the front of the hall. Hermione even spotted the loudmouthed Hufflepuff Zacharius Smith in the group surrounding them.

"All Harry's said to me is that he accepted the sacrifice, Professor Dumbledore asked him to go to his office before we could say much more. Now, Ginny and I are going to the library to research the goblet of fire... I can't believe I hadn't heard of the option of a sacrifice before... You're all welcome to come, there're a lot of books we'll need to go through and-" Hermione inwardly smirked as the crowd instantly began to disperse. "Fat lot of good you lot are!" She rolled her eyes, taking hold of Ginny's arm and turning to leave the Great Hall. "Come on, Ginny, I know you won't let your friend down."

They reached the trophy room before Harry. Ginny idled over to the nearest plack and ran her fingers lightly over the burnished metal, leaning forward to ostensibly read the miniscule engravings.

"Funny how different the library looks today." She mused, throwing a wink at Hermione. "Is it-? are we-? Harry!"

Hermione turned to see her best friend amble into the room, lips twitching at the sight he made. His hands were safely ensconsced in his trouser pockets, his hair was even more of a mess than when he got up in the mornings (and she'd woken him more than once, so she'd know!) and his eyes were red-rimmed. More tears escaped him at the sight of Ginny.

"Oh, Gin!" He sobbed, one hand moving up to cover the lower half of his face. "I'm so sorry!" He seemed to curl into himself then, dropping to his knees, still crying. Both girls rushed to his side.

"It's okay, Harry, it's okay." Ginny hugged his head to her chest. "I promise you, we'll get through this together." Harry sobbed even harder at her words.

"But we can't, Ginny." His head snapped up, staring straight into her eyes. The hand that had covered his face reached out and softly stroked the side of her cheek, her red hair softly tugged. Ginny stayed still, not minding his hand probably covered in snot, and tears and boy-germs, because it's Harry. Her Harry, a small part of her mind adds – one day. "Ginny, I'm so, so, sorry. It – the goblet – it - it showed me – it showed me what would happen, in the future." He broke off, gasping for air between his sobs.

"It's okay, Harry, go on." Ginny hummed softly in his ear, feeling her throat catch even as she watched him try to calm himself. "What did the goblet show you?"

"It was – oh Merlin, it was perfect, Gin! You and me, I saw our wedding, and you were so beautiful, and our kids, all three of them – James and Albus Severus and Lily – and our house, our own little home in Hogsmeade." Harry took a deep breath, pressing a finger to Ginny's lips as she began to offer platitudes and promises for tomorrow, a smile curving her lips upwards. "And then it showed me what would happen if I stayed in the tournament. There was – there was Cedric, his body, he dies – would die – right in front of me, and then Wormtail was there, and he – he – he – he cut off his hand, his whole hand and he cut my arm open and then Voldemort was there, he was back, and he was alive again, he was back! And then, then it asked me to choose!"

"To choose what?" Ginny's face was white now, tears flowing freely down her face as her mind raced ahead. "No, no, no, Harry, please, no!"

"I-I- We – could be together, and all, all of that horrible horrible stuff would happen, or... or I could make it... not happen. But I had to give you up. I'm so sorry, Ginny, I'm so sorry! But, but I had to! We can't ever be together, and I'm so so sorry!"

Ginny's hands dropped from Harry's face, mouth spelling out silent words unsaid.

"We- Harry- Harry, we can- can still... It can't stop us, can it? It- it can't! I- Harry, oh Merlin, I love you, Harry. I love you. It can't take that away from us, it can't... I know, I know you don't love me yet, but that's okay. It- it just took away the love you've got now, but that- that doesn't mean that- that we can't- just- I won't leave you Harry, I can make you love me, can't I? I can make you love me. Please, let me love you?" She stood, as she spoke, hands dancing closer, and closer and closer still to Harry's upturned, tearstained face, but not touching him. At his slow headshake, she stepped back, away from him. Her arms folded in across her chest and stomach, almost as if she were trying to hold herself together. One shaky breath, another, and then, the plainative, "But why, Harry?"

"It- it didn't take my love for you, Gin. It changed it. I-I-I can't, not ever, feel anything for you, nothing romantic, but you'll always be family to me Gin. It couldn't get rid of my love for you, it just-just- changed it. I- Its- You- You're like a-a-a- sister to me now..." Harry shook as he said the words, eyes locked on Ginny's retreating form, the redhead now taking a step back at every fifth word.

"I-I- I don't know what to say to you right now. You could never- never be a brother to me. Harry James Potter, I love you! This, this isn't- fair! Merlin, I just- I need some space..." With that, Ginny turned and left the trophy room, still scrubbing at her face furiously with the sleeves of her robes.

Harry blearily watched her go, the finality of her exit sending him into another fit of tears. Hermione, who had been waiting a short distance away from them dropped to the floor next to him.

"Oh, Harry," she whispered, pulling his head onto her lap. "It'll be okay, I promise."

"Her-Herm-mione, do you think I did bad?" Harry choked out, turning to press his face into her stomach. Hermione let her hands gently rest on his head, teasing out the knots in his messy hair.

"No, Harry, I think you did good." Hermione told him softly. "I'm proud of you."

"Hermione?" Harry asked again, a short while later.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Please don't leave me!" He whispered with such ferocity that Hermione had to pull his head up to look him in the eyes as she answered.

"Harry, I could never leave you."