Golden Opportunity
For The "Colorful Phrases" Competition and for the Sell Me Your Ship Challenge.
A/N: I always thought Ginny and Fred had an amazing brother/sister connection and I wanted to play that out.
Ginny Weasley was sitting with her back against a willow tree in the Burrow's garden, trying to avoid her mother and Ron. Both of them were trying to understand why she would reject an offer to play second string seeker for the Holyhead Harpies.
The pitch had sounded great, she would be making her weight in galleons just for coming to practice and she could be first string in just a couple years. Being a part of the Holyhead Harpies had been one of her childhood dreams, but she was no longer a child and she knew who and what she wanted.
She was rapidly falling in love and no one knew that besides her and Fred. Her mother thought she and Harry were still a done deal, but she and Harry hadn't even spoken to each other since after the Battle of Hogwarts.
Fred had always known his baby sister wouldn't stay with Harry, he just never expected her to fall for her best friend. Ginny had finally recognized her feelings for one Hermione Granger the night before the trio had to flee from Bill and Fleur's wedding and she never got the chance to tell Hermione before the had to run.
Fred had seen how beat up she was when they disappeared and when he went to confront her, Ginny had spilled her guts. Fred had been slightly shocked, but he hid it when he saw just how much his baby sister needed him.
Fred helped her through the fear of losing three people who she was extremely close to by creating the radio station. He found out anything and everything through followers of Potter Watch and passed on what he could to her.
When she came back from Hogwarts during winter break covered in cuts and bruises, he was there for her when she finally broke down and stopped acting tough. Fred was always there for her, even when she cried over Percy, he was there.
Now Fred was there for her to rant as she complained about Ron and mum not understanding her choice.
"Hey Gin, what's wrong?" Fred asked.
"They just don't understand that maybe I don't want to be famous anymore! They don't get it that I could care less about money! How could they not when I grew up here? You have money and you're still the same, just with fancier clothes! She doesn't get that I don't love Harry and Ron doesn't get that Hermione doesn't want to be with him…" Ginny ranted until the last sentence became a whisper.
"Who does she want to be with?" Fred gently probed.
"Harry… but I have to tell her before she makes her move…" Ginny answered with her head down.
"Well, then you better tell her now cause she just pulled Harry outside… You don't want to miss the chance." Fred said as he pointed towards the Burrow.
"But I'm not ready!" She protested.
"You'll never be truly ready and if you don't do something now, you're screwed." Fred urged her on.
"Thanks Fred!" Ginny said as she ran towards Hermione, only to see her kiss Harry and to see Harry kiss back. Ginny stopped so suddenly, she fell over. She quickly got back to her feet and walked back to Fred.
"Gin…" Fred trailed off as she looked up at him and revealed a tear-streaked face. "It'll get better with time… It always does…" Fred said as he held his baby sister.
The next day she accepted the Holyhead Harpies offer and became their newest seeker.
Fred was wrong. It didn't get better with time; it just managed to get worse.
It was three years to the day since that first kiss between Harry and Hermione and today was their wedding day.
Ginny was the maid of honor.
Ginny plastered on a fake smile and tried to stay happy for Hermione, but she was starting to slip up. The ceremony was nearing the 'If you have any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace' and Ginny was becoming more and more tempted to scream out that she was, in fact, very much against this union, but when asked, she kept her silence.
She kept her tears at bay through everything and when she apparated to her apartment, she found a note from Fred.
Wait to breakdown, I'm bringing chocolate.
Love, Fred
Ginny tore off her dress and threw it to the floor before putting on sweats and a t-shirt and when she came out of her bedroom, Fred was there with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and a bar of her favorite chocolate from Honeydukes.
She sat down next to him on the couch and accepted the offered cup. She was even able to finish off her cup before the tears poured out.
The next two years brought more pain for Ginny and more happiness for Harry and Hermione with the birth of two children and another on the way.
Ginny had just brought the Holyhead Harpies to the World Cup and was celebrating her victory with her teammates when she received a tap on the shoulder from a frowning Fred.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked fearfully.
"Hermione." He whispered.
"Take me." She said before grabbing hid arm.
They arrived at St. Mungo's and Fred took Ginny to the delivery room. As they ran up the stairs, Fred explained what happened.
"Hermione was walking down the stairs at the Burrow when she tripped and fell down four flights. She started having contractions and we rushed her here. The baby's fine, it's a girl, but Hermione's bleeding badly. Harry's on a mission and we can't reach him, but she asked for you." Fred finished as he ran into Ginny.
"She asked for me?" Ginny asked in surprise. Fred just nodded and dragged her into one of the numerous rooms.
"Hermione…" Ginny breathed out when she saw her love and her friend looking weak and unconscious.
"Ginny?" Hermione said as she moved.
"Hermione, oh Hermione… What did you do?" Ginny choked out through her tears.
"I tripped." She answered weakly.
"Oh love… how could you be so silly?" Ginny asked as she grabbed Hermione's hand.
"Love?" Hermione asked in shock.
Ginny looked at her in shock at her slipup. She was about to deny it, when she felt Fred nudge her from behind. Ginny turned her head slightly and looked at Fred when he whispered in her ear, "This is your golden opportunity you missed out on all those years ago, make it right."
Fred backed out of the room and went to sit with the rest of the family, leaving Ginny and Hermione alone.
"Yes, love. I've loved you since I saw you in your dress on the day of Bill and Fleur's wedding. I've loved you every day since." Ginny answered with a fire that shocked her.
"You love me? Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Hermione choked out.
"I was going to tell you the day you first kissed Harry, I wanted to tell you so many times since then, but I loved you enough to let you be happy…" Ginny said in a voice filled with conviction.
"Look at me," Hermione commanded. "Ginny, I'm sorry you had to keep that hidden for so long. I wish you'd told me before I was on my death bed. Shhh, don't deny that I am about to die. Maybe if you had said something earlier, I could have grown to love you, but you let my love for Harry grow instead. I wish I could say I love you too, but I don't have it in me to give you false hope for what could have. I'm sorry Ginny…" Hermione said as Harry burst into the room.
Ginny watched as Harry embraced his wife for the last time before she left the room with a broken heart. Ginny sat next to Fred until the family heard Harry's shattering cry of grief. Ginny became numb and couldn't even shed a tear for the loss of the target of her unrequited love.
She had missed her shot at love through her own stupidity and fear and now was paying the price.
Fred took her back to her apartment and held her until she fell asleep. He tucked her into bed and whispered to her, "You're not the only one who missed out on a golden opportunity… I already miss her."
Her kissed her forehead and quietly shut the door before crying himself to sleep on Ginny's couch.