Joy Comes in the Morning
By libbysmom
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Jo.
"Oh, a bludger to the head would be so good right about now," thought Ginny Weasley as she flopped back onto her bed. Between dealing with Fleur and her mum and wedding preparations and Harry's aversion to staying in the same room as her, Ginny was about to go round the twist.
She was happy for Bill and Fleur's marriage. She truly was. Sure, Fleur would always be arrogant and conceited, but she loved Ginny's brother and that was good enough for Ginny. The wedding planning was just getting to be too much. Dress fittings (Ginny had to admit the pale gold bridesmaid gown was beautiful), invitations, house cleaning, yard work, and food preparation were all Ginny had known since returning to the Burrow.
The past month had been among the most difficult times in her life. She had experienced grief over the death of Dumbledore, worry over the effects of Bill's mauling by Greyback, and heartache over her break-up with Harry. But she refused to let it bring her low. She was Ginny "Sodding" Weasley and she had a will of iron. She would make it through this. She had to make it through this.
When Ginny was young, every Sunday, Molly and Arthur Weasley would take Ginny and her brothers to the small church in Ottery St. Catchpole. Ginny mainly remembered getting to wear a pretty dress and having to sit still while the vicar droned on and on. But one Sunday, Vicar Jenkins preached a sermon from the Psalms and Ginny never forgot the Scripture passage, "Weeping may endure the night, but joy cometh in the morning." Why that sermon preached to a restless seven year old stuck with her Ginny could not say, but that verse had became her mantra ever since Harry had broken up with her.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had returned to the Burrow following his final sojourn to Privet Drive last week. Ginny had no idea what happened during that time because Harry was avoiding her and Hermione and Ron said it wasn't their information to share. Ginny could almost laugh at Harry's reaction whenever she entered a room. Almost. She was reminded of two magnets that were fighting to stay apart. She walked into the room and Harry shot out of it.
She thought of her mantra and how she had not been able to weep during the night because Hermione was once again sharing a room with her. "But she's not in here right now," thought Ginny as she let the tears well in her eyes and roll down her cheeks.
Things had seemed so perfect with her and Harry. She had waited so long for him, and when he turned her world on its axis with one heart-stopping kiss she thought her life was complete. She had finally won the heart of Harry James Potter. Then it all ended next to a white tomb. Since that fateful day there had been many nights of weeping, but joy had yet to come in the morning. Ginny tried her best to hide her feelings from her parents and they had not had much to say. She knew this would not have been possible if it had been a normal summer holiday. But between Dumbledore's death and Bill's wedding, Ginevra's broken heart seemed to go unnoticed.
"Hey Ginny, I just came in here to…Oh Ginny! Are you okay?" Hermione asked as she threw open the door to Ginny's bedroom.
"Please close the door Hermione," Ginny asked, wanting to shield herself from the prying eyes of family members. "And no, I am not okay. I am about as far from okay as it is possible to be. If you had a map saying 'okay is here,' I would be at the farthest possible point." Ginny wailed as she finally broke down.
Hermione sat on the bed and held her arms out to Ginny, She didn't say anything for a while, just holding her friend until Ginny's sobs had subsided into hiccups. Once Ginny had calmed down a bit, Hermione reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a tissue for Ginny.
"Do you think you can talk now?" Hermione asked. Ginny swallowed hard and shook her head. "Am I to assume these tears are about Harry?" This time Ginny nodded. "You know he never wanted to hurt you," Hermione said softly.
Ginny's temper blazed like a flame set to kindling at Hermione's words. "What?! He never meant to hurt me? Are you daft? He turned my world upside down. He said that he loved me. He made me think that we had a future. But then, on one of the hardest days of my life, he dumps me to go chasing down Tom Riddle! Don't think I don't know what the three of you are doing! And now that he's here, he won't look at me, he won't talk to me, he won't even stay in the same bloody room as me! How is that not supposed to hurt? I'd like to know, because it's bloody killing me."
"How do you know what we're doing? We haven't said anything to anyone."
"Don't I know it? But the three of you are awfully blasé about your strategy sessions considering you're staying in a house filled with Extendable Ears," Ginny retorted.
"Does anyone else know?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"No, just me. I'm just trying to find out what's going on with Harry. I'm trying to understand why Harry is doing this to me. I know I told him at the funeral that I understood, but I don't. How can he do this? Why doesn't he love me? Why couldn't I make him love me?" Ginny wailed.
Hermione grasped Ginny's arms and forced Ginny to look her in the eye. "Now I'm only going to say this once Ginny, so you had better listen, and listen good. Harry loves you. He loves you more than he has ever loved any human being. You are his raison d'etre. You are the reason he is doing all of this. He doesn't talk to you because he can't stay in the same room with you without breaking down. You think you hurt? He's the one who walked away to protect you."
"That being said, I absolutely disagree with what he is doing. I've told him he's being a daft, noble prat and that he needs to be with you. I've seen him with you and I have seen him without you, and I'll tell you right now, he's better with you."
Ginny stared at Hermione with her mouth open. Hermione reached out and tucked Ginny's hair behind her ears. "Now we just need to make the daft, noble prat see that he's better with you."
More tears ran down Ginny's cheeks as she looked at the older girl. "Hermione, I'm sorry for just now. It just hurts so much. I've been crying myself to sleep every night. It's like even my bones miss Harry. I didn't mean to take it out on you. You're the best friend I've ever had. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. That's what best friends are for. Now we need to just get you and Harry alone together.
As it turned out the execution of their plan was quite easy. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of poor Ron, but Hermione assured Ginny she would make it up to him. Their plan was simple. Ginny would slip out after dinner and Hermione would start a very loud argument with Ron that would follow Harry from room to room until he went outside to escape.
Ginny sat waiting on the bank of the pond knowing that was where Harry would go to take refuge from the fight. She did not have long to wait. Harry was at the pond within ten minutes. Hermione was good.
"Hello Harry," said Ginny from her spot on the bank. Harry jumped at hearing her soft voice in the darkness.
"Oh, I didn't know you were here. I'll go back to the house." Harry started to turn.
Ginny jumped immediately to her feet and grasped his wrist. "Please don't go Harry. We need to talk."
"Ginny, I won't say anything you want me to say."
"Can you say you love me?"
Harry groaned. "Oh my God, Ginny. How can you even ask something like that? You know that I do."
"Really, Harry, what was the big clue? You dumping me, avoiding me, refusing to speak to me? It's a wonder I haven't been completely swept off my feet," Ginny spat sarcastically.
"Ginny, please…"
"Don't you 'Ginny, please' me, Harry James Potter! You say you want to protect me. But what you're doing is killing me by inches! I lie in my bed drowning in tears because of your 'protection.' You think you're protecting me by pushing me away. You're not. Have you even looked at Mum's clock? My hand, as well as everyone else's has been on 'mortal peril' for a whole sodding year. Me being your girlfriend didn't put it there. I'm a Weasley, a blood traitor. That's what puts me in mortal peril! You're saying that you're worried about what will happen if Voldemort finds out I'm your girlfriend. Two Death Eaters were at Hogwarts while we were dating, and we weren't exactly discreet. Snape and Malfoy were gone by the time you dumped me. Who do you think is going to tell Voldemort we broke up?" Ginny had to stop and catch her breath and wipe her eyes.
Harry stared at her in amazement. "Ginny, I hadn't even thought about th…" Harry started, but was cut off again by Ginny.
"And here's another thought for you, you stupid git; I'm a hell of a fighter. I'm a better jinxer than you, Ron, and Hermione, and you know it! You need my skills. I've been eavesdropping on the three of you. I know what you're planning. I'm going on the hunt with you!"
"No, you are not!" shouted Harry. "You are not going to go with us. It's too dangerous! What if you were hurt? What if you were killed? Damn it Ginny, I would die if something happened to you. You are my life." Harry now had tears running down his face. "I can't let anything happen to you."
Ginny looked steadily at him, her brown eyes blazing. "I'm going. You can take me with you, or I can follow you. I'll be safer if I go with you, but we can do this the hard way if you want."
Letting go of Harry's wrist, Ginny moved her hand up to cup his cheek, and wiped away a tear with her thumb. "Please, Harry, let me go with you. Please." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. "Please," she whispered again against his lips.
Harry finally broke down and pulled her so tightly to him that she felt like a part of his body. "I need you, Gin. I do love you, so much. I'm just afraid of losing you."
"I won't be lost if I'm with you. I'm only lost without you." Ginny kissed him again and again.
The next morning dawned with Harry and Ginny lying in each other's arms. Ginny stared down at Harry as he slept. She thought of all the tears they had endured last night. But as Harry's gorgeous green eyes fluttered open, she knew that joy had indeed come in the morning.
Fin