Ginny woke up on Saturday morning to a quiet room with just a strand
of the morning sun coming in. She rolled over to look at her clock and was
astonished that it read 10:05. She'd been living on her own for almost
three months now and still wasn't used to not having the loud but
comforting noises of The Burrow. Also being a healer didn't help the whole
sleeping in thing.
She took a few minutes to wake up and then got up to jump in the shower. She was just to the door when she heard a light tap at the window. She turned to see Laddie, Neville's barn owl there with a note tied to his leg.
"Hello Laddie," she told the placid owl as she untied the letter and showed him to her owl, Lassie's empty cage. "Sorry Laddie, but I'm afraid that you're lovely Lassie is out hunting," she told him as he flew to the empty cage.
Ginny unfolded the letter and read:
Dear Love,
I'm sorry but I won't be able to make it ice skating later because they're keeping me late at work. I'm truly sorry and I'll make it up to you somehow. I love you and I'll see you later.
Your boyfriend,
Gordon
"Hmm," she thought to herself, "that's odd, we usually don't exchange 'I love you's,' especially after that mixed up evening at his parents house," but she quickly shook the thought and went to finish getting ready after sending a reply with Laddie telling Neville that it was fine and she'd see him later.
Ginny looked down at her watch. The luminous numbers read 12:35.
"Damn, I'm already late," she said to herself before grabbing her cloak and quickly apparating to Hogsmeade's skating rink.
Ginny looked nervously around for her brother and his wife, but she didn't see them, and Weasley hair was not easily overlooked.
"Oh, well. I am forty minutes late, I guess they must have left." she reassuringly told herself.
She turned around to leave when behind her she heard a voice that gave her goose bumps. There was only one voice that could give her goose bumps like that.
"Hey Gin, we thought you weren't going to come," said the husky male voice behind her.
"Harry!?" It took her a second to regain her composure as she hadn't seen Harry in almost three years. In fact their parting had been quit unpleasant. Ginny had finally come to realize that she couldn't love the "boy who lived" if he couldn't first love himself. She had tried to tell him this, make him understand but he would have none of it. He stormed out of her flat and was gone to New Zealand by sunrise. He wrote to her two days later telling her how sorry he was to having reacted in such a way and that she was right, how could he deserve her love when he wasn't sure of his feelings about anything. To be honest he had been virtually numb to almost all feeling since the lose of Hagrid six months prior. He told her that when he found whatever it was he needed he would come back to her with open arms and an open heart. He had sent letters almost everyday for the first month or so and then they just started to fade out. Lately the only news she heard of him came from Ron. She and Gordon had started dating almost a year ago. "If I'd have known that you'd be here I wouldn't have," she replied saucily.
Recognizing the playfulness in her voice Harry decided to play along. "Well if you want I'll leave," he told her giving his best attempt at looking disappointed.
Ginny's lips went into a flirty pout causing Harry to smile slightly.
Not being able to last any longer Ginny ran to her old friend.
"Oh Harry I missed you so much!" she told him as she wrapped her arms around him. Locking him in a fierce bear hug.
"I missed you to Gin," he told her slightly out of breath. He too wrapped his arms around her, placing his weathered hands on her slim waist. Catching a smell of her hair, he began to drift away into a world of what could have been. What could have been if he hadn't been so selfish about wanting to keep her safe. To selfish to realize that she needed and could take care of herself.
Suddenly realizing where they were and who they were now, Ginny pulled slightly away. She looked up to find those startling green eyes locking on to her clear blue ones.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" she asked once she regained her senses.
"They went to get some butterbeer... about thirty minutes ago," he added with a wink.
Just then they heard stealth footsteps coming slowly behind them. They reached for their wands. Then glanced at each other quickly before turning slowly.
"Now is that anyway to greet your favorite big brother and best friend?" came a masculine voice from the freckled red-head.
Realizing who it was, Harry and Ginny quickly put their wands away.
"Sorry Ron," Ginny told her brother.
"Yeah sorry Ron," Harry replied sheepishly.
"Um, excuse me," piped Hermione, "but does anybody care about raising wands at a pregnant woman?" she said with a glowing smile.
Ginny's eyes grew in astonishment as she ran towards her sister-in- law.
"Oh Hermione that's great, it really is. I'm so happy for you!" Ginny said as she hugged her loosely.
"Yeah Hermione, Ron congratulations," Harry told his two best friends while clapping Ron on the back.
Looking at them, Harry suddenly noticed that they were empty handed, Hermione's hair was more wild than usual, and Ron had a mischievous look on his face. He was about to say something but then decided against it. After all he hadn't seen his two best friends since their brief visit almost two years ago.
"Well shall we skate then?" Ginny asked as she pulled away from the embrace.
They all nodded in agreement, all but Ron who looked around quizzically.
"Don't you want to wait for Gordon" he asked his baby sister.
In return he received an evil glare he knew none to well from Hermione, Ginny turned her face away, and Harry looked first confused and then surprised. Suddenly it dawned on him.
"Gosh guys, I'm such a prat. I'm sorry," he mumbled turning a deep shade of red.
"No, it's okay," Ginny said. "He's working late that's all," she quickly finished, avoiding eye contact with Harry.
Desperate to change the subject, Hermione started to herd them to the rink.
After getting their skates on the group began to skate, but after about fifteen minutes the boys began to get bored and started a race. This suited the girls just fine as they dropped back and began discussing baby names. All of a sudden Ginny was struck from behind by a little silver haired girl who was skating at full speed.
Harry saw Ginny lose her balance in slow motion. He heard a blood curdling crack as her ankle broke, but he just couldn't seem to reach her in time.
The pain was just to much for Ginny. She was passed out before she hit the ice.
Harry was the first to reach her. He bent down and cupped her face in his hands. He didn't know how hard she had hit her head, what he did know was that he needed to see if he could wake her up. He gently slapped her cheek.
Ginny was back in her flat three years prior. She was sitting in her favourite armchair by the fire. The WWN was on but she wasn't paying any attention to it. She was trying to find a way to tell the famous Harry Potter that she didn't love him, that she couldn't love him. Deep down she knew she was lying to her self. She knew that she could make it work if she tried, but at that time she didn't realize how much it would effect her's and everyone around her's life. She just knew that staring at Harry day after day as he sat emotionless in front of her, beside her, anywhere near her would eventually lead her to insanity. She had to lie to him, she couldn't risk telling him the truth, and it wasn't really a lie it just wasn't the reason. How could she possibly tell the man she thought she loved that she was responsible to his first friend's death. She heard someone calling her name and the world around her started to spin.
"Ginny, Ginny, wake up Ginny, please,' he asked pleadingly using his old nickname for her. "Please wake up Pepper."
Ginny began to move slightly at these last words. Slowly she opened her eyes and gazed into the glowing emerald eyes in front of her.
"Harry, I have to tell you something. It's really important." she told him
"Not now Gin, you need to save your strength." he replied as a great ball of tension slowly began to release from his chest.
"No Harry it's important." she told him. "I, I lied to you, to everyone, to myself," she said. She then took a deep breath and said, "I love you Harry James Potter and I'm sorry."
Before Harry could reply she had again fallen unconscious. Harry scooped her up and went to floo to St. Mungos. Ron and Hermione followed in suit.
She took a few minutes to wake up and then got up to jump in the shower. She was just to the door when she heard a light tap at the window. She turned to see Laddie, Neville's barn owl there with a note tied to his leg.
"Hello Laddie," she told the placid owl as she untied the letter and showed him to her owl, Lassie's empty cage. "Sorry Laddie, but I'm afraid that you're lovely Lassie is out hunting," she told him as he flew to the empty cage.
Ginny unfolded the letter and read:
Dear Love,
I'm sorry but I won't be able to make it ice skating later because they're keeping me late at work. I'm truly sorry and I'll make it up to you somehow. I love you and I'll see you later.
Your boyfriend,
Gordon
"Hmm," she thought to herself, "that's odd, we usually don't exchange 'I love you's,' especially after that mixed up evening at his parents house," but she quickly shook the thought and went to finish getting ready after sending a reply with Laddie telling Neville that it was fine and she'd see him later.
Ginny looked down at her watch. The luminous numbers read 12:35.
"Damn, I'm already late," she said to herself before grabbing her cloak and quickly apparating to Hogsmeade's skating rink.
Ginny looked nervously around for her brother and his wife, but she didn't see them, and Weasley hair was not easily overlooked.
"Oh, well. I am forty minutes late, I guess they must have left." she reassuringly told herself.
She turned around to leave when behind her she heard a voice that gave her goose bumps. There was only one voice that could give her goose bumps like that.
"Hey Gin, we thought you weren't going to come," said the husky male voice behind her.
"Harry!?" It took her a second to regain her composure as she hadn't seen Harry in almost three years. In fact their parting had been quit unpleasant. Ginny had finally come to realize that she couldn't love the "boy who lived" if he couldn't first love himself. She had tried to tell him this, make him understand but he would have none of it. He stormed out of her flat and was gone to New Zealand by sunrise. He wrote to her two days later telling her how sorry he was to having reacted in such a way and that she was right, how could he deserve her love when he wasn't sure of his feelings about anything. To be honest he had been virtually numb to almost all feeling since the lose of Hagrid six months prior. He told her that when he found whatever it was he needed he would come back to her with open arms and an open heart. He had sent letters almost everyday for the first month or so and then they just started to fade out. Lately the only news she heard of him came from Ron. She and Gordon had started dating almost a year ago. "If I'd have known that you'd be here I wouldn't have," she replied saucily.
Recognizing the playfulness in her voice Harry decided to play along. "Well if you want I'll leave," he told her giving his best attempt at looking disappointed.
Ginny's lips went into a flirty pout causing Harry to smile slightly.
Not being able to last any longer Ginny ran to her old friend.
"Oh Harry I missed you so much!" she told him as she wrapped her arms around him. Locking him in a fierce bear hug.
"I missed you to Gin," he told her slightly out of breath. He too wrapped his arms around her, placing his weathered hands on her slim waist. Catching a smell of her hair, he began to drift away into a world of what could have been. What could have been if he hadn't been so selfish about wanting to keep her safe. To selfish to realize that she needed and could take care of herself.
Suddenly realizing where they were and who they were now, Ginny pulled slightly away. She looked up to find those startling green eyes locking on to her clear blue ones.
"Where are Ron and Hermione?" she asked once she regained her senses.
"They went to get some butterbeer... about thirty minutes ago," he added with a wink.
Just then they heard stealth footsteps coming slowly behind them. They reached for their wands. Then glanced at each other quickly before turning slowly.
"Now is that anyway to greet your favorite big brother and best friend?" came a masculine voice from the freckled red-head.
Realizing who it was, Harry and Ginny quickly put their wands away.
"Sorry Ron," Ginny told her brother.
"Yeah sorry Ron," Harry replied sheepishly.
"Um, excuse me," piped Hermione, "but does anybody care about raising wands at a pregnant woman?" she said with a glowing smile.
Ginny's eyes grew in astonishment as she ran towards her sister-in- law.
"Oh Hermione that's great, it really is. I'm so happy for you!" Ginny said as she hugged her loosely.
"Yeah Hermione, Ron congratulations," Harry told his two best friends while clapping Ron on the back.
Looking at them, Harry suddenly noticed that they were empty handed, Hermione's hair was more wild than usual, and Ron had a mischievous look on his face. He was about to say something but then decided against it. After all he hadn't seen his two best friends since their brief visit almost two years ago.
"Well shall we skate then?" Ginny asked as she pulled away from the embrace.
They all nodded in agreement, all but Ron who looked around quizzically.
"Don't you want to wait for Gordon" he asked his baby sister.
In return he received an evil glare he knew none to well from Hermione, Ginny turned her face away, and Harry looked first confused and then surprised. Suddenly it dawned on him.
"Gosh guys, I'm such a prat. I'm sorry," he mumbled turning a deep shade of red.
"No, it's okay," Ginny said. "He's working late that's all," she quickly finished, avoiding eye contact with Harry.
Desperate to change the subject, Hermione started to herd them to the rink.
After getting their skates on the group began to skate, but after about fifteen minutes the boys began to get bored and started a race. This suited the girls just fine as they dropped back and began discussing baby names. All of a sudden Ginny was struck from behind by a little silver haired girl who was skating at full speed.
Harry saw Ginny lose her balance in slow motion. He heard a blood curdling crack as her ankle broke, but he just couldn't seem to reach her in time.
The pain was just to much for Ginny. She was passed out before she hit the ice.
Harry was the first to reach her. He bent down and cupped her face in his hands. He didn't know how hard she had hit her head, what he did know was that he needed to see if he could wake her up. He gently slapped her cheek.
Ginny was back in her flat three years prior. She was sitting in her favourite armchair by the fire. The WWN was on but she wasn't paying any attention to it. She was trying to find a way to tell the famous Harry Potter that she didn't love him, that she couldn't love him. Deep down she knew she was lying to her self. She knew that she could make it work if she tried, but at that time she didn't realize how much it would effect her's and everyone around her's life. She just knew that staring at Harry day after day as he sat emotionless in front of her, beside her, anywhere near her would eventually lead her to insanity. She had to lie to him, she couldn't risk telling him the truth, and it wasn't really a lie it just wasn't the reason. How could she possibly tell the man she thought she loved that she was responsible to his first friend's death. She heard someone calling her name and the world around her started to spin.
"Ginny, Ginny, wake up Ginny, please,' he asked pleadingly using his old nickname for her. "Please wake up Pepper."
Ginny began to move slightly at these last words. Slowly she opened her eyes and gazed into the glowing emerald eyes in front of her.
"Harry, I have to tell you something. It's really important." she told him
"Not now Gin, you need to save your strength." he replied as a great ball of tension slowly began to release from his chest.
"No Harry it's important." she told him. "I, I lied to you, to everyone, to myself," she said. She then took a deep breath and said, "I love you Harry James Potter and I'm sorry."
Before Harry could reply she had again fallen unconscious. Harry scooped her up and went to floo to St. Mungos. Ron and Hermione followed in suit.