Ginny's heart shattered as Michael walked away. He told me he would understand! He told me he loved me unconditionally!
"He lied," purred an all too familiar voice. Ginny gasped aloud at Tom's words. "It's been a while, love."
I am not your love, she thought furiously. Leave me alone!
"Nonsense," he said. "You're the one who let me in. I'm just trying to help you out."
She cringed and put her hands over her ears as she walked away, praying that he would go away.
He didn't.
She watched Michael as he ate breakfast the next morning. He met her eyes only once, and they were full of such malice that her heart broke again, and then the pieces were utterly dismantled as he turned to talk with Cho Chang. The Asian beauty smiled and twirled her hair, her dark eyes fluttering as she grinned.
"You alright, Gin?" She nodded briefly at Neville's question, and her friend laid a hand on her arm. She pulled it away without even looking at him. "What's wrong?"
"Michael's a big git, that's what," she sighed. "Nothing new."
Neville might have said something else, but her hearing was interrupted by Tom. "He's not the git, Ginevra. You are. You're the one who tried to kill all of those Mudbloods, remember?"
You did that, not me!
"Don't kid yourself. You didn't have to go along with what I told you. Some people might even say you're evil. Or wicked. And we all know that when you're wicked you're left only on your own."
That isn't true! I'm not evil!
Neville's impatient sigh interrupted her argument, and before she could turn to apologize for ignoring him he had stood and left.
"Only on your own."
As usual, Tom was right.
