FIC: A New Hope
Title: A New Hope
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~920
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape; Harry/Ginny, implied Ron/Hermione
Continuity: Set at some point in the vague future after the war in Book 7 but before the Epilogue.
Summery: A bit of heavy pillow talk as Harry realizes that much of his life is not unlike that of a Jedi from a galaxy far, far away.
Disclaimer: Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of J.K. Rowling/Warner Bros. Studios (or, in the case of Star Wars, George Lucas). I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.
Thanks to my amazing beta quintessmiley! :)
"I really like that one scene in Star Wars." It's barely a whisper as it floats to her ears, breaking the stillness of the night; shattering the silence between them. "Heh, you probably don't even know what Star Wars is." She feels him shaking his head beside her. In her mind, she can even imagine his exact expression. "It's a Muggle thing..."
She rolls over finally, cupping the side of his face. "Tell me about it," she encourages quietly. There was a time when she wouldn't have said a word. That time had long since passed.
He runs a hand through her hair. "It's at the end of the film series. The hero, Luke Skywalker-- he's celebrating their victory with his friends. And these three ghosts of characters that died during his journey-- they appear to him. Well, actually, I'm can't remember if he can see them or not but..." his voice trails off again, like he's lost the words in his throat.
"But?" she prompts, curling closer to him. He needs to feel her there, she's sure of it.
A small sigh escapes his lips. "But they're there. Whether he knows it or not, they're with him. Even though they're dead, they're still watching over him."
She hasn't moved her hand from his face. "And these ghosts?" she questions patiently. "Who are they?"
"They're the people who showed him the way. They were his teachers. They showed him what his destiny could be; they made him a-a hero." She feels him rest his cheek on her forehead. "He was always heroic; he had it inside of him. But they taught him how to... to use it."
Understanding dawns. "Dumbledore," she whispers. "Dumbledore and Sirius."
He stiffens and she's sure he's remembering. "And Snape," he says the name like it hurts him just a little, still.
This surprises her but, somehow, she manages to rub comforting circles on his back as she regains her bearings. "Really? Why?"
"See, in Star Wars there's a bad guy called Darth Vader. But, in the end, he saves the hero Luke from the real bad guy. Because... because he's Luke's father. And before he was this big evil guy, he was Anakin Skywalker. One of the good guys."
She furrows her brows. "But Snape--"
"I know." He interrupts her in that same calm sort of whisper and she can feel a blossom of irritation inside of her. She doesn't like being interrupted, not even by Harry. "But Darth Vader did things-- terrible things. Like Snape. He still held some good in his heart, though."
Gobsmacked, she gapes at him for a moment. This is the man who killed Dumbledore, the man who made her sixth year a living hell. Some nights she wasn't convinced he didn't die a hero purely by accident. "And you think that Snape had good inside him, too?"
He waits a moment before responding. "I'm not sure," he says slowly. "All I know is, Dumbledore was my Yoda and Sirius was my Obi-Wan... or was Dumbledore my Obi-Wan? Well, they were my teachers, at any rate. They showed me the path and had faith in me to walk it."
She can't help but frown, feeling more lost than before. That he never answered her question doesn't escape her, though, and she's not ready to let him off the hook. "So Snape was like your actual father?" she questions, voice ringing with alarm. She's heard a lot of odd things come out of his mouth over the years but that would top them all.
"No!" His voice is aghast and the loudest it's been during their conversation. She lets out a small sigh of relief despite herself. "No," he repeats more calmly, "but Snape... he was my Darth Vadar. For so long I thought he was evil-- that everything he did was shrouded in it, but, in the end, he died protecting me. He was no father to me but I wouldn't have been able to do what I did without him."
That makes sense, it does. But she's still reeling a bit. "I suppose I see your point," she agrees hesitantly, her words clipped by the reluctance she still can't completely shake when it comes to believing in Snape.
That concession is apparently enough encouragement for him to finish his sentiment. "And for all that he did against us over the years, I like to think he did it for the greater good."
There's something decidedly hopeful in the way he says it-- something that reminds her of the young Boy Who Lived and she feels the remainder of her trepidation dissipating. He still has hope. Even with all the memories, the battles fought, the lives lost. Even with everything done by Voldemort and his followers. She's sure that's why he won. "You know, so do I." And she's vaguely confident she doesn't even say it with the hope that that would somehow irritate him in the afterlife, too.
She thinks he's probably smiling as he kisses her forehead. "Still, I think I'd prefer my real dad watching. Mum, too."
"They are," she tells him as she snuggles against him. "I'm sure of it." She likes to think he's certain, too. Just before they both drift off, she tilts her head up again. "Hey, Harry?"
His chest rumbles as he speaks. "Yeah, Ginny?"
She rests her head again. "Let's watch your Star Wars tomorrow."
"Sure, Ginny." He's smiling now, she's certain. "Just wait until you see who they've got for Hermione and Ron..."