Happy Birthday, Amelia Letter! This story is for your birthday. I hope you like it!

This includes: extracts from the song 'Six Degrees of Separation' by The Script, extracts from various Harry Potter. books (see below) and, of course, the bits I wrote myself.

Fighting Against a Broken Heart

First, it's if the worst is a broken heart.

"Ginny, listen … " he said very quietly, as the buzz of conversation grew louder around them and people began to get to their feet. "I can't be involved with you anymore. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together."

She did not cry, she simply looked at him.

She'd always known it. And now he'd told her, it wasn't that bad. She'd felt worse under her mask of carelessness. Anyway, there was still the hope that they would get back together once it was all over – that was the last thread she was clinging onto. They would get back together in the end. If he survived, that was.

What's gonna kill you is the second part.

Ginny looked at Harry's face, took a deep breath and said, "Happy seventeenth."

"Yeah … thanks."

She took a step closer to him and then she was kissing him as she had never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was blissful oblivion, better than Firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweet-smelling hair –

The door banged open behind them and they jumped apart. "Oh," said Ron pointedly. "Sorry."

Why? Why had she put herself through all of that pain, just for a kiss? It was a bit of a stupid birthday present anyway. But even so, it had been amazing, just for that second, when no-one else mattered. As they kissed she felt a warmth she'd never felt before spread through her, making her tingle. Until Ron slammed open the door, ruining her moment of bliss; what could be her last moment with Harry. Ron always had to wreck everything.

And the third is when your world splits down the middle.

"Ron! Ron!" Hermione called, half sobbing as she and Harry were buffeted by terrified guests. And then Ron was there. He caught hold of Hermione's free arm and Harry felt her turn on the spot; sight and sound were extinguished as darkness pressed in upon him; all he could feel was Hermione's hand as he was squeezed through space and time.

Ginny noticed them leaving, even amongst the chaos that surrounded her. She so desperately wanted to go with them, but reality told her otherwise. To begin with, she was underage – she didn't even know how to apparate. There she stood, unaware of the noise, lost in her own world. It wasn't until someone tugged on her wrist that she was awoken from her thoughts. With one last look at where he had disappeared, she ran.

It was all just a faded memory now, shrouded by a haze that had almost gotten her killed as she stood unaware in her own back garden. Death Eaters apparated around her.

And fourth, your gonna think that you've fixed yourself.

"Come on!" Harry shouted at Hermione; he seized her hand and they jumped into the fireplace together as Yaxley's curse sailed over Harry's head. They spun for a few seconds before shooting up out of a toilet into a cubicle.

"LET'S GO!" Harry yelled. He seized Hermione by the hand and Ron by the arm and turned on the spot.

The news had spread like wildfire around the school. Ginny herself had seen the headlines. But instead of feeling a pang of sadness when she saw his face, she just felt glad that he was alive. It meant less worry. Maybe there was even a chance that what happened between them to continue, to flourish … no. She was over him, she told herself. Well and truly over him. Now was not the time to be lovesick.

Fifth, you see them round with someone else.

"But where have you been then?" asked Hermione, surprised.

"Bill and Fleur's new place. Shell Cottage. None of the rest of the family knew I was there. Bill told Mum he and Fleur weren't going home for Christmas because they wanted to spend it alone. You know, first holiday after they were married."

Harry, Ron and Hermione, travelling the wilderness together, without Ginny, on their adventures. Except it wasn't a holiday. It was more of a fight for survival. And then she remembered. Harry and Hermione. They wouldn't, would they? No. Harry often said how Hermione was like a sister, not a bloody girlfriend, for God's sake. And she knew that Hermione liked Ron. Ron liked Hermione. That was right, wasn't it?

And the sixth is when you admit …

"Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand me now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him! He was killed whilst trying to sneak out of the grounds," said Voldemort. "Killed while trying to save himself -"

That wasn't right, Ginny was screaming inside as she began to comprehend Voldemort's words, surrounded by a harsh early morning chill that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Harry wouldn't do that – run away. He was brave, and noble, and … Ginny Weasley was in love with him. There. She'd said it. Even if it was only in her head.

But now it was too late. Harry Potter was dead.

But she didn't believe it.

"NO!" she screamed.

You may have fucked up a little.

I hope you liked that! I enjoyed writing it. It just hit my like inspiration, and I had to write it down.

Happy Birthday to Amelia Letter on the 23rd December!

This was for the Birthday Fic Exchange at the HPFC Forum and my amazing beta Ami helped me incorporate these prompts: morning chill, hazy memory, and warmth. Thanks for that!

Disclaimer: you've probably noticed that there were some extracts … well, quite a lot. They are slightly edited down from the original versions, but, in order, this is their sources: HBP30 The White Tomb, DH8 The Wedding, DH9 A Place To Hide, DH13 Magic Is Might, DH20 Xenophilius Lovegood and DH36 The Flaw in the Plan.

I also used the song 'Six Degrees of Separation' by The Script.

This was also for multiple competitions and challenges:

The Pairing Love Competition by WeasleySeeker – the pairing Harry/Ginny

We Are Never, Ever Getting Together Challenge – Harry/Ginny (I know, my first of this pairing … why has it taken me so long?)

Pairing Diversity Boot Camp Challenge by Ralinde – Pairing: Harry/Ginny, Prompt #14: Love hurts.

Song Fic Boot Camp Challenge by UnicornsAndRainbows20089 – Song: Six Degrees of Seperation by The Script, Prompt #17: Harry

And last but most definitely not least, the amazing Ami (AlwaysPadfoot) my beta, who somehow manages to beta everything, no matter how obscure!