a/n: I have this love/hate relationship with Harry/Ginny. Sometimes I think it's the cutest thing in the world and then other times I think it's just so... canon.
Anyway, here you go. It's my first Harry/Ginny written for ReillyJade's After the Battle Challenge.
disclaimer; I'm not J.K Rowling, babe.(;
While the rest of the magical world cheers, the Burrow remains silent. It's odd to not hear the sounds of Fred and George's voices and the laughter their jokes always created. It's strange not to have Tonks with them, either. She'd spent a lot of time at the Burrow a long with Remus, changing her nose back and forth and fretting over her husband's special condition. Ginny thinks of little Teddy Lupin who is probably being coddled in the arms of Andromeda. He will never meet his parents. He will never fully understand how brave they had been. He will probably resent them for leaving him so alone.
Ginny cries. She can't bring herself to care about anyone seeing.
Maybe it's because a good portion of the people she loves are gone, or maybe it's because she hasn't even spoken a word to Harry in the past week. She's barely spoken to anyone. They've all chosen to ignore her existence, locking themselves in their rooms to grieve while everyone else cheers at the death of the stereotypical villain to their story.
Then she thinks of how beautiful Tom Riddle was and starts to cry even more. She's pretty sure that no story could be more tragic than his own. He was literally unable to love do to being conceived under a love potion. No matter how much he wanted to – no matter how hard he tried – he could not grow close to anyone.
Ginny quietly weeps for everyone as she stands alone in the kitchen, clutching her stomach. She weeps for Voldemort because no one should have their death celebrated by millions. She cries for Tonks and Remus because they never got to have a family with their beautiful baby boy and love him like he deserves. She weeps for Fred and she weeps for George because he's good as dead without his other half. She weeps for Dobby and Hedwig and even the Death Eaters who killed them without a second thought. She even finds herself crying for Bellatrix, perhaps the only person who doesn't deserve her tears.
She feels her legs collapse beneath her but she's rescued by the two warm and supporting arms that wrap around her waist. She's missed those arms but she's too preoccupied thinking about how hideous she must look. She can practically see the mascara trails on her cheeks and the drool dripping down her chin. She probably looks like a dramatic, blubbering mess.
She lets herself melt into his chest, once again allowing herself not to give a fuck.
"It's okay, Gin. I'm here."
Then she's angry. She's just an emotional whirlwind today; isn't she? She comes at him with fists flying, clenched hands beating at his chest but not even fazing him. He looks more shocked than in pain which makes Ginny just want to scream, so that's exactly what she does.
"I hate you, Harry Potter! 'I'm here for you'? That's bullshit! Where have you been, Harry? Where have you been this past week while I have been holding in my tears? Where have you been while I have been busting my ass trying to get this family to just smile? Where. Have. You. Been?"
"Contrary to popular belief, not everything is about you." Harry says, the airy coolness in his voice throwing her off.
"Harry, I -"
The tough, angry part of Harry is gone, replaced with a lonely looking little boy, "I had to watch so many people die, Gin. So many people. All those deaths were my fault. I'm a murderer."
Instead of Ginny collapsing into Harry's arms, he collapses into hers. He's crying on her shoulder, his tears staining the cotton fabric of her shirt. She's spent the last week thinking about herself when she should have been thinking about how much this would affect him. She should have known how much it would hurt someone like Harry with all his bravery. She should have been there for him.
"You're not a murderer, Harry. You're a hero." She whispers in his ear, her breath tickling his skin.
"Don't say that." He hisses, "Please just don't say that. I'm so tired of hearing that."
She tries to put herself in Harry's shoes again and quickly realizes her mistake. She couldn't imagine a life like his. She couldn't imagine having this heroic, godly image to live up to. Harry spent his whole life being told that he was going to defeat Voldemort and save the world. Could you imagine the weight that would put on your shoulders?
"Do you want to know a secret?"
She doesn't wait for Harry to respond.
"I would love you no matter who you were." She whispers, "You could have been a Slytherin and I would still look into those eyes of yours and feel my heart melt. You could have been a muggle and my brain would fry whenever you flashed a smile at me. You could be your average, everyday Gryffindor boy and you know what? I would still give my life to see you happy."
She can feel herself crying and she can see the tears rolling down his cheeks. There both messes, but at least they can be messes together.
She kisses his lips and hugs him close. He's the most stable thing she's had all year and she isn't sure if she'll ever be able to let him go.
"I love you, Ginny." He whispers it so softly that she's not sure if she's just hearing things or not. It still makes her heart flutter.
"I love you, too."