Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to JKR. That makes me sad. I suppose I'll get over it someday.
A/N: This is a sequel to my one-shot "Lifeline". You should read Lifeline before you read this. Unless you like to be confused. Then, be my guest. Please note that Lifeline is for Mature readers only. Thanks, and happy reading!
To play a game well, you need wit, cunning, dedication, and a good deal of courage. Sometimes these traits are balanced, and sometimes they are sporadic and unpredictable.
In the game I'm speaking of, the game I've been playing for over a year, is love. Let's start where we left off.
Just days after that get together at the Burrow, all hell broke loose between Harry and Ginny. And it all started with one talk.
"Hermione, can I talk to you? It's important." Ginny asked me as I entered the Burrow's kitchen, intent on making a large cup of tea.
"Absolutely." I replied, setting the kettle on the fire. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, I just wanted to talk to you about Harry." She said, and I was immediately grateful that my head was in the cupboard, searching for the tin of biscuits Mrs. Weasley reserved for serious conversations. For if my face had not been hidden, Ginny would have seen a mix of panic and guilt flash across my face. "You spend a lot more time with him than I can lately, with my quidditch training in full force," Ginny was training in hopes to make it on to her favorite team, the Hollyhead Harpies, and was either training or going out dancing with the other girls. "I was just wondering if he said anything about all the fights we've been getting into."
I wondered where my quick thinking went to. Being the brain of the Golden Trio, I should have been expecting this. I saw my silence let Ginny draw conclusions of her own. "He's told me a little, but didn't give me details. He thought it would betray your trust to tell me your business." There we go, a neutral statement. She didn't need to know it was a complete lie. The truth is that Ginny had been getting pretty close to a bloke she met on one of the clubs she visited last month. She would talk about him a lot to Harry, and meet up with him a couple times a week. It was obvious that she was infatuated with him. It had been the center of all of their arguments.
"Harry and I have been fighting over a lot of things lately, and it's centered around this one guy, Michael, that I met at The Knotted Wand a couple weeks ago. He's a great guy really; he's outgoing, ambitious, and totally open to anything." Ginny's eyes lit up while she spoke about Michael, and I almost pitied her.
"It sounds like he's a really nice guy," I remarked, "but I imagine that isn't the issue here. What's the problem?"
The whistle on the kettle went off, and I turned to fix my tea. Ginny grabbed a biscuit and fiddled with it nervously. "I just, I've been thinking about my relationship with Harry. He's great and all, but I feel like he's holding me back." Ginny was undoubtedly referring to Harry's need to take care of everyone around him, not just her, and his post-war jitters. It was still a dangerous time to be the Boy Who Lived Again, with Death Eaters still unaccounted for. It seemed that what seemed tragic and necessary to Harry's survival was a bother to Ginny. "And Michael, he's everywhere. He's always onto something new, and that's how I want to live my life. I guess I just wanted to hear what you thought about it."
I made my way to the table and sat down. Weighing my words carefully, I questioned, "You want to break up with Harry?" Ginny nodded. "Well, it seems that your mind is made up. Michael seems like a great guy, and I'm sure you'll be happy with him. You have to be absolutely sure, though. You can't just come back into his life after this. He can't handle this type of strain. If you do choose to do this, I'll be there for you. Let me clarify, I'll be there for both of you. I won't play favorites. Okay?"
Ginny seemed to brighten up at this. "I was so afraid that you'd forget all about me. I know you we're friends with Harry first, and that you and Ron don't get along anymore, so I was worried you wouldn't come by anymore."
I smiled indulgently at her, "Why would you think that? Our friendship is stronger than that."
Ginny left the room so that she could figure out how to break the heart of the man I loved. I looked down at my cold tea and sighed. I regretfully got up and poured it into the sink, and as I watched it swirl down the drain, I smiled. It seemed that all hope was not lost after all.
The break up was extremely messy. There was a lot of screaming from Ginny, and far too many tears from Harry. I packed up everything Ginny had at Harry's place, and brought it over to her. She, in turn, handed me a box of Harry's things with tears in her eyes. As I drove home, I felt unsure of myself. Harry was hurting so badly, even though he accepted that he and Ginny wouldn't ever be happy together a long time ago. When I got to Harry's flat, the scene that greeted me broke my strength that I displayed for Harry though all of this. As soon as I opened the door, I heard him sobbing. I went to his room, to find him sitting up on his bed crying, in his substantially emptier room. I vowed at that moment that I would do my best to heal his broken heart and try my best to never make him cry again. I sat on his bed and pulled him into my arms. We sat like that for hours. Time didn't matter. During the first month, I held him like that a lot. He'd break down at random times, and I'd gather him up in my arms and wait until he didn't have any tears left. Eventually, the tears stopped coming, and our kisses would become more natural. As soon as we got the news that Ginny and Michael were official, we let everyone know we were dating.
It's been seven months since we started dating, and we've never been happier. The beginning was rough, and I'm glad we pulled though. We're barely apart, and I love it that way. We have so many plans for the future, and we can't wait for that future to start.
We see Ginny and Michael occasionally, and I smile because I know that I won the game. Every time I look into her eyes I think to myself, "Checkmate."
A/N: I do so love reviews. But I understand if you don't have time. Don't let the fact that I love you sway your opinion.