PROTECTION ♞ h.p.

22. Complicated

Ginny ran as hard as she could, her chest heaving and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her wedding dress was ruined, the once rich fabric now hanging in muddy, bloody tatters. Tree branches whipped across her face and body as she stumbled deeper into the forest. Everywhere she turned, her family, Voldemort and Malfoy were there too, grabbing for her in the darkness.

The ground rolled, sending her tumbling to the ground. Her cheek slammed into the dirt, blood flooding her mouth before she was rolled roughly her onto her back.

Harry knelt over her as the others crowded in behind him, their faces twisted into gruesome grins. Vines slithered up over her body, wrapping around her arms and chest and cutting off her breath. She was suffocating in her panic, the earth swallowing her up as she screamed.

Ginny woke up screaming, tangled in the sheets as she surged up, trying to escape. Choked sobs forced their way from her throat and she pressed her hands against her mouth to smother the sounds. Harry's arms were around her a second later, pulling her back against his chest.

The room was dark around them, a slash of silver cutting across the end of the bed.

"It's ok," Harry murmured gently, as he rocked with her. "You're ok," he assured her, his voice warm and soft against her hair.

Ginny turned toward him, curling up against him so she could press her face against his chest. Her body was shaking and she wrapped her arm around his back, trying to bring him closer.

"Try to relax, baby," he soothed. "Just let it go."

"I m-married you, right?" she asked, her chest still heaving.

"Yes, you did," he answered, his arms tightening around her.

"And everything's ok?"

"Everything's wonderful," he assured her.

Her hand moved to his, searching for the gold band she'd put on his finger the week before. Feeling the reassuring warmth of the metal under her fingers, she pulled his hand down to her chest and pressed it against her racing heart.

"Was it a memory?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"No," she shuddered swallowing thickly, "just...just nonsense again."

After a few more moments of rocking with her, he guided her back down to the sheets. He lifted the blankets up over their shoulders before wrapping his arms around her.

"Tell me something good," he whispered when shivers continued to run through her body. "Something you remember."

Ginny smiled weakly at his words. This game had become familiar and comforting over the past few weeks...something they did to help make their nightmares fade away. Shutting her eyes, she took a steadying breath, trying to think of something positive that had been hidden with her memories.

"I remember...the first time I kissed you," she breathed after a second.

"Mmm," he hummed, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Common room. Sixth year."

"No," she corrected, her cheeks heating as she began to truly smile. "Hospital wing. Third year."

"What?"

"You'd fallen off your broom, remember? You were sleeping when I brought you that stupid singing get well card, so..."

"You little sneak," he gasped before his chuckle rumbled from his chest to hers. "You never told me that."

Ginny snuggled closer, pressing a kiss against his chest.

~..~..~..~..~

Molly stared at the eggs she was making. She was holding the salt jar in her hand, but couldn't remember if she'd already poured it in or not. She couldn't even remember picking it up. Shutting her eyes, she tried to think back, but for some reason the only thing she could see was Ginny as a little girl, laughing in her highchair after having bounced her plate of scrambled eggs onto one of the boys' head.