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| Starring: Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley - Ginny is as confused as ever with her feelings for the Boy Who Lived and their sorted relationship. |
| It was not the first time Ginny was left alone during the holidays. With the ongoing threat of war, she should spend as much time with her family as possible. In her fifth year at Hogwarts, she knew what the weight of the world was like. It was more than just because of the war, and the Order, and the ordeal that had happened at the end of her fourth year.
She was not the only one who returned home that year, but she was the only person choosing to stay in the house. She had a lot of thinking to do, and she couldn�t do it among her brothers, Hermione, and Harry. It was about Harry. Never knew I could feel like this Like I�ve never seen the sky before Want to vanish inside your kiss She had decided in her third year that enough was enough. She�d liked Harry for too long and he�d shown no sign of returning the sentiment. The only thing she received was cold, cruel neglect. Nothing hurt more. She�d rather he yelled at her and told her she was a silly sod for liking him and that he�d never in a million years return her affections. Yet he hadn�t. All he�d done in return was ignore her like she meant absolutely nothing. It hurt more than she could think of. He was the only boy in her entire world that made her feel the way she felt. She had to give it up. No matter how much she loved him, he would never love her back. She decided that it all had to end. She was over Harry and she�d even met someone quite interesting, someone who was interested in her as well. Michael hadn�t been a mistake. He just wasn�t Harry. Every day I love you more and more Staring out the window, she watched Ron and Hermione throw great snowballs at each other. They�d been dating a good portion of their sixth year and it made Ginny happy to see them together finally. She frowned. Harry was nowhere to be seen. She had seen him walk out the door with Ron and Hermione, but now he was missing. She assumed that going to ask Ron and Hermione would be a complete waste of time. She decided to go out and search for him. They�d had absolutely no time to talk during winter vacation. Seasons may change winter to spring It was at the end of summer when Harry had come back to the Burrow. He was a complete recluse and Ginny knew that he wanted his privacy. The last thing he needed was everyone trying to get him to open up. She left him alone, but couldn�t help but smile sympathetically when he was looking particularly down. It seemed to give him strength. He�d meet her eyes for a second or two and he�d straighten a little. Ginny was proud to say that she had done that, only with her quiet kindness. It had paid off. That�s what Harry told her several months later at Hogwarts. Ginny walked downstairs and stopped at the door. Everything with Harry was so sorted and she couldn�t tell anyone about it. All she had was Harry. It was frustrating to have no one else. But I love you Until the end of time Ron and Hermione, like Ginny had expected, knew nothing of Harry�s whereabouts. She only waved them off and trudged toward the back of the property. There was a huge pond that froze over quite thickly in the winter, a place she loved going to during the snowy season. The leafless trees, falling snowflakes, and shimmering ice were truly sights to behold. Apparently, Harry knew of it as well. He was sitting by the edge of the lake, his knees drawn forward into his chest and his chin resting on his knees. He looked very thoughtful and as much as she didn�t want to disturb him, she couldn�t help but stare. Harry looked up suddenly and spotted her. Come what may Come what may I will love you Until my dying day Ginny�s cheeks flushed and she knew it was not because of the icy wind. She stayed tucked behind a tree for a few seconds before Harry smiled warmly and invited her to come and sit. She did. Harry had cleared out a patch of snow and was sitting on the cold, frozen grass. Harry was silent as she settled in. He took his glasses off and set them next to his feet. He then proceeded to rub his eyes and look up at the sky. �It looks much more natural like this,� he said in a soft whisper. She looked up as well. The sky was a perfect white. There was no sign of the sun, but it was hidden somewhere within the pallid vastness of the heavens. She couldn�t see what he could, as she had almost perfect vision and guessed whatever he could see through his blurred sight was special only to him. Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace �I�ve been out here for nearly an hour,� he said, �and I�m not cold. Is that odd?� Ginny shook her head, not saying anything. A chill crept up her back and she shuddered. He peered down at her and smiled that warm smile again. �Are you very cold?� �Of course not,� she lied. �I�ll be all right.� He smirked at her and shrugged his cloak off. �Here, take this.� She glanced at it suddenly and couldn�t believe his obvious display of affection, right there at the pond. Anyone could have seen. �Oh, no, I�m not cold.� He said nothing and only leaned over to throw it around her shoulders before she could object. He had a firm way of doing things, but it was one of the many things about him Ginny loved with all her heart. �Thank you,� she mumbled, wrapping it tightly around herself. She couldn�t help but notice how much it smelled like him. He looked back up at the sky, still without his glasses, and sighed contentedly. It sounded like heaven to Ginny�s ears. He was so rarely happy. He leaned back on his elbows then and smiled. �I love the way the moves so gracefully. It�s amazing.� Ginny smiled to herself. He was the truly amazing one. The war was crippling everything around them, and he was the hope of the entire wizarding world. Yet here he was, sitting on the bank of a frozen pond, marveling at the moving clouds in the winter sky. �What are you thinking?� he whispered to her, moving his eyes back to the ground. Suddenly my life doesn�t seem such a waste It all revolves around you She sighed as well. �I�m just thinking,� she started, �about how wonderful you are.� Her cheeks flushed. Oh no, did I just say that? That was so blatantly affectionate� I hope Ron and Hermione weren�t close enough to hear it. He looked up in surprise and then shook his head, still with that smile. Ginny was beginning to recognize that smile as hers. �It�s all right for you to say that, you know. I did give you my cloak. We both slipped.� Ginny�s eyes filled with tears and she looked away quickly so he couldn�t see them. She was getting sick of the war and always living in fear. She was constantly afraid that she would lose one or more of her family members, she was always terrified she would lose a friend, and she was scared for her own life. For being in love with Harry Potter was a dangerous thing. He had told her so. And there�s no mountain too high No river too wide It had been in November that Harry came to her in desperation. He needed some sound advice. Sirius was gone, Remus was unavailable, and Ron and Hermione were too busy to sit down and listen to Harry�s problems. He had no one to cry to. Ginny was open and willing. She sat down that night in the common room and listened to everything he had to say. She said nothing as he went on and on about his fears, his worries, all of his anger and frustration, and he let all of his feelings spill out. When he was through, both he and Ginny were crying. He�d been gripping her hand so tightly that afterward she thought it would break off. She hadn�t noticed as he�d spoken. She�d been watching his eyes far too intently to perceive anything else. She couldn�t speak when he was finished. For during the last part of his speech, he�d blurted out everything he felt for her. �Ginny, I don�t know what to do. You�ve been there for me, without question, for so long and I took advantage of it. I was completely blind. I thought I was all alone, and I never realized you were there. You�re the only other person in my world who�s faced the same kind of fear as me, and I didn�t even talk to you about it. I can�t believe that you�re still willing to talk to me after how terribly I treated you. I don�t even know how you can stand to look me in the eye. I just can�t help it, Ginny. When I heard you had a boyfriend last year, I don�t know where the jealousy came from. I didn�t even realize I felt that way. You were suddenly approaching me and talking to me like you were my friend instead of avoiding me. I really liked it and now I realize how much I want it. I don�t know what happened with Cho, but I know why I could never make it work. She wasn�t you.� Sing out this song and I�ll be there by your side Storm clouds may gather And stars may collide Michael had kissed her plenty. Ginny had been kissed enough to lose count, but never had Michael kissed her with such passion and love as Harry had that night. And then he�d cried. He sobbed into her shoulder until she was sobbing as well. He looked up at her, his eyes stunningly green from the mist of the tears, and he placed his hands on her face. �I don�t know if I can be without you anymore, Ginny.� �Harry, you don�t have to be.� �Ginny, we can�t be together. I don�t want you to get targeted by Voldemort just because you�re my girlfriend. I can�t let it happen. I�d rather love you secretly than mourn your death, Ginny. Do you understand?� �Yes, Harry. I understand. I don�t want to make it easier for you to get killed or for anyone else. I understand.� But I love you (I love you) Until the end of time �Ginny, are you crying?� She looked up suddenly, pulled from her memories. She was indeed crying. It was the winter, and she was sitting in the snow, next to the man she loved more than anything but couldn�t touch. Harry pulled himself up to look at her. �Ginny,� he whispered, touching her on the arm lightly. �Ginny, talk to me. Please, tell me what�s wrong.� She threw her arms around him then, not caring who saw or didn�t, and she cried into his shoulder, much the way he�d done to her a month before. He obviously didn�t care either. They�d gone two weeks without hugging, kissing, or even sharing a romantic word. Being around the family for the holidays had taken its toll on both of them. �Ginny,� he whispered into her hair, closing his eyes and allowing his tears to run down his cheeks. �Ginny, please don�t cry.� �Harry, how can I pretend I don�t love you as much as I do?� He sighed, pulling her in tightly and kissing the top of her head. �You have to be strong. You have to be. Some day, I promise you, we will be together, and the whole world will know. I just can�t let you get hurt. I�d never be able to live with myself. How could I go on without you, Gin?� Come what may Come what may Ginny picked her head up and looked Harry in the eye. She saw the pain in his face and couldn�t help herself. He was already leaning in to kiss her, so she closed her eyes and waited. His lips landed on hers. He kissed her with such fervor that she was afraid if it went too long it could get out of hand. He pulled away slowly and placed his forehead on hers. �I love you, Ginny. I don�t want you to ever think I don�t.� �I won�t,� she promised through her tears, shaking her head. He lifted his head up and placed his hand on her cheek. He smiled at her and she smiled back. �Some day, we�re going to just run away together.� She laughed in spite of her sorrow and peered up at him lovingly. �I�d love nothing more than to fly off into the sunset with you and your Firebolt.� This time, he laughed. �You�d just like a free ride on that broom, wouldn�t you?� �Of course.� He moved his thumb and placed it under her chin. He wanted to kiss her again, but Ginny noticed that Ron and Hermione were near by. Their voices were getting closer and Harry stared imploringly into Ginny�s face. She was waiting for something, anything. I will love you Until my dying day �I�ll love you forever, Virginia,� he whispered. He then turned away from her, put his glasses on, and stood up quickly. He offered his hand to her, and left something in her hand as he backed away. Ginny watched him leave. He paused at the tree he had spotted her at and turned to look back at her. He mouthed the words, �I love you� and ran off quickly. Ginny looked down at the item in her hand. She gasped out loud and then covered her mouth. It was a ring. It was a gold ring with a small diamond on it. What had he meant by giving this to her? Would she ever know? Standing up, Ginny slipped the ring onto her left hand and knew all along what it meant. Harry Potter loved her and would always love her. Until the day he died, and beyond. |