MetaFic

The young man walked down the platform as far as he could and waited. After twenty minutes his wait was rewarded as the giant crimson steam engine roared around the corner and started to decelerate, slowly easing to its destination.

The young man spotted her waving to him out of a window. He turned and ran after the train as it went by, laughing and grabbing at her hand, which she kept just out of reach. Finally the train stopped and he stood among the anxious parents who waited to see their children again after a long year at school.

Ginny Weasley stepped off the Hogwarts Express and found herself being bodily picked up and spun around. The recent ex-Head Girl placed her hands on Harry's shoulders and laughed aloud.

"Harry! Put me down, I still need to get my trunk!"

Harry smiled at her. "Dobby's taking care of it for you."

"Harry, you can't make Dobby lug my trunk all the way to Tintagel, Hermione will have a fit."

"Dobby insisted. And Hermione's too busy planning for the new baby," Harry chuckled as they queued up to move through the barrier that separated the Magical part of King's Cross station form the Muggle part.

Ginny giggled. "And how is Hermione?"

"Fine, though I think she keeps over explaining about the new baby to Meira."

Harry Potter thought of the pretty little girl his two friends were raising. Precocious for her age, Meira seemed to have Luna's mystical temperament, which sometimes vexed the more logical Hermione, but she and Ron had provided the child of Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood a warm, loving home. She was Ron and Hermione's daughter, no matter what the circumstances of her conception. Great-grandmother Longbottom and Grandfather Lovegood spoiled her rotten every chance they got, but the actual raising of the child had been left to his friends. As Mrs. Longbottom had said, Neville and Luna had chosen them for a reason, and that reason was that they could provide Meira with all the love she needed.

"Earth to Harry," Ginny tugged on his sleeve.

"Sorry love, you were saying?"

"It's our turn through."

"Oh." Harry gave the wizard at the barrier an apologetic smile, and then took Ginny's hand and they stepped through.

They walked through the press of people, working their way to the parking lot.

"So how about those Cannons?" Ginny teased.

Harry frowned, "The Keeper is useless, and those two Beaters don't know which end of the club's which."

"But they've got a brilliant Seeker," Ginny teased.

"True," Harry agreed. "Of course Gryffindor had a pretty fine Seeker this year also.

"And don't forget Quidditch Captain and Head Girl."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You mean Big Head Girl," he said playfully, then set off at a run across the parking lot.

"You monster!" she shrieked and gave chase.

She pulled up as she found Harry standing next to a motorbike.

"What is this," she said, walking around the bike and running a hand over it in appreciation.
"Sirius' old motorbike. Hagrid had it hidden away. He'd forgotten about it until he was cleaning out the groundskeeper's shed, and there it was."

"Sirius had damn fine taste in transportation," Ginny said.

Harry smirked. "Sirius probably bought it to pick up women."

"It works. Take me home, Potter," she said, smiling and climbing up behind Harry.

Harry carefully worked the bike out of the city, then once on the road west toward Tintagel he laid on the throttle. Ginny whooped with joy as they raced down the lightly traveled highway toward the sunset, then turned down the dirt road just past the castle's village. Harry raced up the coast and past the castle, which Dumbledore had left to the Weasley family in his will. Arthur and Molly lived there, with Bill, Fleur, and the twins as regular houseguests. Ginny had spent the last two summers living there also, as had Harry when he wasn't traveling with the Cannons. After their wedding, Ron and Hermione had built a snug cottage in Ottery St. Catchpole where The Burrow once stood.

Harry felt Ginny tense in confusion as he blew past the castle and continued up the long unpaved road that ran north along the coastline. She probably thought he had missed it in the dark, he mused. Finally he turned away from the water and toward a small stand of trees. Nestled amongst them was a large Edwardian manor house, its inside and outside lights blazing merrily.

Ginny climbed off the back of the bike, "And what's this?" she whispered softly.

"I bought it over Christmas," Harry said.

"Mighty big place to live in all alone, Harry," Ginny teased.

"Well, I do have Dobby and Fawkes. But I was thinking about filling it up a bit. You know, maybe a wife and nine kids."

"Three," she reminded him.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe nine wouldn't be that bad."

"You're not the one who has to birth that lot."

"Your mum had seven," Harry pointed out.

"She's nutters though," Ginny pointed out as they walked toward the door.

Dobby appeared at the front door, dressed in a tiny cutaway tuxedo. He bowed and opened the door. "Welcome home, sir," he said to Harry.

"Thank you, Dobby."

Dobby smiled at Ginny and pointed toward the entryway. "You'll find your bags in the entry foyer. If Lady Weasley would be good enough to tell Dobby where she would like them?"

Ginny turned to Harry, "Um, I think mum was expecting me to–"

"She knows where you are," Harry reassured her. "I told her I wanted to bring you here and show you the house."

"But did she realize you were moving me in?"

Harry smiled broadly and rocked on his heels. "She was practically giddy when she packed your bags. Got the wedding all planned, she does."

"I see," Ginny said, quirking an eyebrow. She turned to Dobby. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, please put my things in the master suite."

Dobby smiled broadly, and with a snap of his finger Ginny's trunk and other luggage vanished along with the House Elf.

Ginny looked around appreciatively. The house was bright and friendly, though a bit sparse on furnishings "It beats Grimmauld Place for a fair shot."

"Did you know Tonks gave Grimmauld Place to the Ministry?" Harry asked taking her by the hand and walking up the stairs.

Ginny looked at him, "No, when did this happen?"

"Last month. She's been living in a flat in London anyway. Madam Bones is planning a museum dedicated to the war to be housed in the mansion."

"How is she?" Ginny asked after her friend Tonks.

Harry shrugged. "She could be better. At least she's stopped wearing mourning clothes all the time. She still works too much for my taste."

Ginny nodded. She knew that Tonks still had not completely recovered form losing Remus Lupin. But Ginny also knew that her friend would, someday. And Ginny would help make sure that happened. She would be apprenticing with Tonks starting in September, training to become an Auror. It would give her a chance to work on the older woman, to make her return to the world of the living, and heal.

Harry showed Ginny the large master bath, and left her alone to allow her time to clean up after her long trip down from Hogwarts and Scotland.

Ginny changed into comfortable clothes and found Harry in the kitchen. The small table was laid out with a simple meal of baked fish, garlic seasoned potatoes, peas, and a delicate white wine. Harry smiled up at her.

"It seems silly to use the formal dining room for just us," he said.

Ginny nodded agreement. Harry pulled out her chair, and she sat down.

"I should go up tomorrow and see how mum's doing," Ginny said after a few minutes.

Harry nodded his agreement. "I think Meira and Jacquelyn have been a blessing."

Ginny smiled. "She always wanted grandchildren."

"It was good of Ron and Bill of oblige."

"I think Hermione and Fleur had something to do with it, too."

Molly Weasley had not been herself after the war. Losing two sons had been hard on the Weasley matriarch. When Ron and Hermione told the family about the child she was carrying, Molly Weasley had emerged from her grief over her sons to swing into action, doing whatever was needed to make sure Hermione could finish Hogwarts while helping make plans for the arrival of the child. When Fleur had announced her pregnancy the day before Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts started, it was icing on the cake. Molly Weasley would never forget her losses, but she had something more important to focus on now; the new lives of her grandchildren.

"So how are all the Professor's?" Harry asked over his fish.

Ginny took a sip of wine. "It seems strange without McGonagall."

"She's enjoying her retirement up in Scotland," Harry told her. "She's got a wonderful little place overlooking the North Sea, complete with a workshop and library."

Ginny nodded. The last war had taken too much energy from the old Transfiguration Professor. McGonagall had retired and returned to the wild, isolated home of her family in the Scottish Highlands.

"Well, Snape certainly isn't McGonagall, but he isn't a bad Headmaster either. He actually washes his hair now."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Some of the girls think he's sexy."

"You're kidding!"

Ginny shook her head. "No, dead serious."

"It's the end of the world," Harry mumbled.

Ginny laughed aloud, then gathered herself. "Professor Vance is slowly getting her powers back. She can cast most fourth year charms now. Flitwick thinks she'll make a full recovery in about five more years."

"Good thing you don't really need a lot of spells to teach Astronomy."

"No, but rebuilding the Tower was another matter," Ginny said.

It had taken Deputy-Headmaster Flitwick a full term to raise and stabilize the Astronomy Tower after the battle.

Ginny finished her food and daintily dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "What I'm not looking forward to is working in Dad's Department."

"At least you'll be mentored by Tonks."

"True," Ginny agreed. "I just don't want him to worry when I go out chasing dark wizards"

"Honey, I'm going to worry when you go out chasing dark wizards, so of course your father will."

"But neither of you has tried to change my mind about my career choice."

Harry laughed. "We're too wise for that."

They finished dinner and moved out on the couch in the living room, snuggling together. Harry ran an idle hand down her arm as she wiggled closer to him and remembered how he had proposed to her before she had gone off to finish her last term of school.

They had been cuddling together in Tintagel's main room, listening to WWN. Finally Harry had reached over and turned off the wireless. Ginny had sat up, sensing something was different.

Harry ran a hand through his always-messy hair and looked at her. "Ginny, someday somebody is going to ask you a question that you should say yes to once in your life." Harry reached in his pocket and produced an engagement ring. "I have a question for you."

"Yes," she had said.

The memory of that night still made him smile.

"Come on, let's go to bed early tonight," Ginny stood. "We can unpack in the morning."

Harry smiled. They had played this little game before.

"It's still pretty early, Gin." Harry said.

Ginny started up the marble stairs to the bedroom, then turned and smiled at Harry over her shoulder, "Come to bed, Harry."

Harry laughed and followed the flash of red hair up the stairs.

He found Ginny standing by the bed, chewing her lower lip.

"What?" Harry asked her.

"You know that rule we've always had? How one of us has to keep that one strategic article of clothing on so things don't go too far?"

"Yes."

"I think we should skip that tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure in my life, Harry."

There in the room they would share for over a hundred and fifty years, Harry and Ginny took the next step, allowing their love for each other to manifest in the most physically intimate of ways.

As Ginny cried out his name and dug her nails into Harry's back, they both felt a small, almost imperceptible tremor in their bodies, as something unwanted finally left them. A soft glow filled the room.

It took then a full minute to notice the third being in the room because of their exhausted state, but finally they did.

"Harry!" Ginny pointed at the softly glowing man.

Harry pulled his wand from the nightstand and pointed it.

"Who are you?" Harry challenged as Ginny scrambled into Harry's discarded shirt. She picked up her wand and pointed it also.

"I–I am, I think my name is Tom Riddle," the glowing, wavering form said. "Where am I?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look and realized what had happened. Their final act of commitment had exorcised the last bit of Tom's soul from them. This thing before them was Tom's final echo, a tiny last piece of him, lost and confused.

"Please, I don't understand what's happening to me."

Harry sighed and reached for his pants. "You're dead, sir. You need to move on."

"I'm–dead?"

"Yes, Tom, I'm afraid so," Ginny told him.

The glowing shape lost its form for an instant, then phased back into a blurry view. "Do I know you?"

Harry zipped his pants and stood. "I'm Harry Potter. This is Ginny Weasley. Our fates were intertwined with yours once. But it's time for you to go."

There was a moment of silence. "I do not know the way," the shade said sadly.

Ginny pointed with her wand. "I think that's what they're here for."

On the wall of the bedroom a portal had opened. On the other side, standing in a beautiful field of heather and rowan, was Albus Dumbledore, flanked by several others, including those who had helped to take Tom Riddle away once before.

The shade looked at the portal, his form wavering. "Who are those people to me?"

Harry stood beside the shade. "Those are the spirits of the people you wronged in life, Tom."

The shade was silent for a moment, and then spoke softly, "I am afraid."

Ginny stood on the other side of the shadowy spirit. "It's okay to be afraid. But you have to let go of this existence."

"What do I do when I reach them?" the rapidly fading shade of Tom asked.

"Ask forgiveness, Tom. That's all you can do," Harry told him

The spirit drifted forward as Albus Dumbledore held out a welcoming hand. The shade of Tom Riddle stopped at the portal mouth and turned back to the young couple. "Did I wrong you in life also?"

They both nodded.

The shade was silent for a moment. "Please, forgive me."

"Of course, Tom," Harry said.

Ginny nodded. "Find peace."

The last bit of Tom Riddle seemed to nod, and then he passed beyond the portal, and was gone forever as it closed behind him.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other. Neither wanted to go back to bed, so they went downstairs. Ginny laid her head in Harry's lap, and he sat playing with her hair and occasionally ran a loving hand up and down her arm.

When the dawn came, Dobby brought them tea and, still dressed in the clothing from the night before, they walked out onto the back patio. The day was shaping up to be beautiful, filled with sunshine and singing birds. In the distance they could hear the ocean.

Ginny pointed at Harry's forehead. "Your scar, it vanished."

Harry felt his forehead. The jagged lightning bolt was indeed gone. "It must be because Tom's finally passed on."

"I really do hope he finds some kind of peace," Ginny leaned into him and held her cup in both hands.

Harry sipped his tea and looked at the woman he would soon marry. "What shall we do today?"

Ginny smiled up at him. "Anything we want."

Fin