MetaFic

Ginny Potter made her way quickly down the corridor to the rooms she shared with her husband. She had just finished the last of her O.W.L.s and was giddy with relief. She knew Harry had Quidditch practice this evening, so she planned to spend the night in with her daughter.

As she entered the front room she found not Katie Bell, but Jeren, gently rocking her child as he softly sang a muggle lullaby called Rock-a-bye Baby.

"Kind of an odd song to use as a lullaby, don't you think?" she asked in low whisper.

"Naw. She doesn't understand the words, just the soothing voice." Jeren gently offered Ginny her sleeping daughter.

After Ginny took Melinda and tucked her into her crib she returned to where her guest was sitting. "So where's Katie?" she asked.

"I gave her a few hours off."

Ginny noticed Jeren's guitar case setting on the floor by the chair he was in. She also noticed a letter addressed to Harry on top of the guitar case. She looked up at him.

"What's going on?" she asked

Jeren shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "How much do you remember of my conversation with Dumbledore?"

"This is the part I'm not going to like, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Please, just be aware I agreed to do this."

"You're not making me feel better." Ginny looked at him uneasily

"You remember when I told Dumbledore this was a temporary measure? That I'd have to go when they called me? Well, I have to go."

"I don't understand. Who's called you?"

Jeren gave her a sad smile. "You see, when I agreed to become mortal to protect Harry, there was a price. I could be mortal and protect Harry for as long as the Powers Above thought Harry needed my protection. Harry doesn't need my protection anymore. I have to give up my mortality."

"What do you mean Harry doesn't need your protection!" Ginny tried not to shriek. "Riddle's still out there trying to kill him!"

"I know that, but there are other, better ways to protect Harry now."

"So you're leaving?"

"Yes. I've explained everything in this letter to Harry." He handed her the envelope.

"So what now?" she asked. "You go back to being an angel again?"

When he didn't answer right away she became alarmed. "What are you not telling me, Jeren?"

"I can't go back," he whispered to the floor.

It took a moment for his statement to sink in. Ginny looked at him in horror. "What do you mean you can't go back? If you can't go back and you can't stay mortal--"

"When I leave the mortal realm I'll cease to exist."

"Why?" Ginny wailed.

Jeren continued to look down. "I broke the rules. I interfered with someone's life destiny."

Ginny had started to cry. She threw her arms around him. "Please, you can't just leave."

He patted her on the back, trying to soothe her. "I don't have any choice."

She continued to cry into his shoulder. "When do you have to go?"

"Soon. The Powers let me choose my own means of leaving, but I have to go soon."

Ginny let go of him and stepped back. "Why did you do it?"

Jeren stood and hugged her. "For the same reason you did. To protect someone I care about." Jeren gave her a little smile. "You know, there's a bit of truth in what I told Harry. In life I was distantly related to him. That's why I got the job as his angel in the first place."

She sniffed and tried to wipe her eyes on her sleeve. "So who's going to be his angel now?"

Jeren kissed her forehead. "Trust me, Miss Ginny, Harry has the only angel he needs at his side." He gave her another small squeeze. "I have to go."

"Jeren."

"Yes?"

"It was you that night. You fought those Dementors, didn't you?"

"Yes."

With that word Jeren Sawyer walked out of the door.

Ginny knew he wasn't coming back.

*****
When Ginny gave the letter to Harry she made sure that Dumbledore was there to explain everything.

Harry was understandably upset. Dumbledore explained to Harry about Jeren's true nature. Harry had come to care for his "cousin" and didn't understand why he wouldn't at least say good-bye in person. Ginny was careful to leave out the details of what was going to happen to Jeren. She didn't think it would help Harry to know.

The next morning Ginny and Harry took their breakfast in the Great Hall with the rest of the school. Melinda had woken up early for her feeding, so after she had been fed Ginny left her with Katie while she and Harry spent some time with the other Gryffindors. Ginny thought it very important that Harry be with his friends after last night.

As they ate and chatted with Ron and Hermione, the school owls swarmed in to deliver the morning mail. One dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet in Ron's plate.

Ron started to simply put the paper away to read later when the Great Hall began to buzz with excitement. Looking around, they could tell that whatever it was that had the students so worked up was in the paper. Ron read the first few lines, and his eyes grew large.

"Bloody hell, it says here that last night there was an attack by an unknown party on a Death Eater meeting. It says, ’Several known Death Eaters, including prominent wizard Lucius Malfoy, were killed last night in a surprise attack on their secret meeting.’ Wow, I wonder who had the guts to pull that one off."

Ginny looked down at her plate. It didn't take a great leap to realize who had attacked the meeting. As the students at her table took great cheer in the apparent defeat of so many Death Eaters, Ginny Potter looked up to the Head Table. Professor Dumbledore looked back at her, sadness in his eyes. He nodded to her.

Ginny lowered her eyes. She started to look back down at her plate, but something stopped her. She found herself locking eyes with a student at another table.

The cold, hate-filled eyes of Draco Malfoy.