Disclaimer: I do not own JK Rowling's masterpiece. This is my take on her words.
Just One Chance
Ginny paced around her room, nervous. She could hear her family downstairs talking and laughing as they gave Harry his birthday presents and wished him a happy seventeenth. She should have been down there, giving him a present, eating breakfast, like his friends.
His friend.
That's all she was now, she knew it. She knew why he had broken up with her, she knew he still loved her, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. For two shining, perfect months, he had been hers, only hers. The memories of their walks around the lakes and days spent just talking in the common room hadn't left her alone all summer.
And then it was over.
Ginny stopped pacing and sat down on her bed, her head in her hands. She knew this was crazy, but it felt like she had one chance to get Harry back. One more chance to show him that she didn't care that it would put her in danger, didn't care that Voldemort would use her. It didn't matter to her. Only Harry did.
The noises from downstairs died down a little and she heard three sets of feet marching up the creaky staircase. She heard Hermione's voice and opened the door.
"Harry, will you come in here a moment?"
Hermione dragged Ron away (bless that girl, she could always take a hint) and Harry followed her into her room.
Ginny's heart pounded as he looked around. She couldn't decide if she was nervous or excited but either way, she had made her decision. This was her one chance to change his mind.
She took a deep breath to steady herself and looked at Harry.
"Happy seventeenth."
"Yeah… thanks." He replied. Ginny looked into his eyes. She stared at his face. He looked nervous and he kept looking around. As always, the thought that she made The Boy Who Lived nervous made her stomach clench with happiness.
"Nice view," Harry said.
Ginny resisted the temptation to tease him about this. She took another deep breath.
"I couldn't think what to get you," she said.
"You didn't have to get me anything."
This hurt a little too. As a girlfriend, she would have had to get him something. As a friend? Not so much.
"I didn't know what would be useful," she explained, "Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you."
He voice caught a little on the last line. The trip. She couldn't go, she couldn't follow, she didn't know if she would ever see him again.
His green eyes met her brown and she took a step forward.
"So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing."
"I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest." Harry replied. Her heart swelled at the thought that he could be hers again, if only she could show him-
"That's the silver lining I've been looking for," she whispered, and kissed him. He held her in his arms and she was his, whole and complete. His hand was on her back and her hands were on his chest and she buried herself in the kiss, throwing caution to the winds. He was the only thing in her world and she knew she was the only thing in his. She knew it, she could take him back-
A loud slam behind them made them jump apart. Furious, she looked into her brother's face as Hermione came up behind him.
"Oh. Sorry."
"Ron!" Hermione was exasperated and although Ginny knew it wasn't her fault, she was still mad at Hermione. She wanted to push them away, to shut the door, to close out the harsh reality that she wasn't Harry's anymore. And he wasn't hers.
"Well, happy birthday anyway, Harry." She managed. Then she turned away. Her eyes burned and she knew she couldn't face them again.
Come back come back come back come back she begged him silently as tears started to fall. She didn't cry, ever. Not in front of anyone, anyway. But she knew he wouldn't. She knew he would not come over and hold her and wouldn't tell Ron and Hermione to go away. Come back come back come back-
"I'll see you later." Ginny heard the door close.
She had failed.
It was stupid to think like that, she knew, but as she came apart at the seams and the tears flowed faster, she knew also that he wouldn't come back for her. She knew he was protecting her and nothing could change that. She loved him for it and she hated him for it. So she knelt on the floor and cried until she could cry no more.
Then she picked herself up, wiped off her face, and looked at herself in the mirror.
Her eyes were blotchy and red and her hair was a little tangled, but Ginny stood tall. She could be strong. She would fight for all she was worth in this war so that one day she wouldn't have to be protected. She closed off part of her heart and put it away for now. She wouldn't distract him anymore. He had his job to do and she had hers. Hogwarts would be her fight, and she refused to fail this time.