I can't believe how I used to be back then. So bouncy, so happy, so enthusiastic about everything. So incredibly naive.
I was protected; my brothers shielded me from everything. Just because I was the baby of the family, I got almost everything I wanted. The world couldn't hurt me.
Oh how wrong I was.
I had the hugest crush on Harry Potter. He was my hero. Everyone figured I would get over it, it was just a phase, or something like that. But it wasn't. I loved him.
And he broke my heart.
I used to remember my friends telling me about their dating escapades. They all got dumped at one time or another. And when they did, they would run crying to the dorm we all shared and tell me their troubles. Tell me to never fall in love, that it would hurt more than anything else. How I had comforted them, and playfully assured them that I wouldn't.
But I did.
I never thought that it would happen to me.
It was the summer after my third year at Hogwarts, right after the Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore had let Harry come over a week earlier than usual, I suppose the Dursleys were being even more horrid to him.
And me, I flitted around him, like some sort of insect. He had been quite nice to me that year, and stupid me took it as a sign that he liked me back. I followed him and Ron everywhere all summer, and finally my brother lost his temper.
Looking back, I'm surprised it took him that long.
"Ginny, bugger off!" he shouted at me, his face as red as a tomato. "Stop following us around, it's really annoying! Harry doesn't like you, okay? So just go away!"
I could feel my bottom lip quivering as I turned to Harry. I guess I was hoping that he would say it wasn't true, that Ron was just being an idiot, that he really did like me.
I was wrong.
"I'm sorry Ginny, but he's right. I just don't like you...I guess I don't know you well enough...you're just Ron's little sister, you know?" He couldn't bring himself to look at me while he said this. "Sorry" he said, again and again. He was trying to let me down gently, and it wasn't working.
I could feel my heart shatter into a thousand pieces. "Okay" I mumbled, while trying to keep myself composed. I pushed past them, and broke into a run. No matter what, I wouldn't let them see me cry.
I was drowning. I couldn't breathe. I pushed the hot, humid air through my burning throat, trying to be calm. It didn't work at all. Storming through the house, I flew up the stairs and into my room.
Luckily for me, Hermione wasn't there.
I threw myself on my bed and let the tears flow. Wet salty drops landed on my homework, making the ink flow. I pushed the scattered pieces of paper onto the floor, and rolled over, staring at the ceiling.
They didn't know how bad it hurt. I'd loved him, ever since I was old enough to read. I remember flipping through the few pictures they had of him in the books, happily declaring to my mum that I would marry him some day. She had laughed, thinking it was cute.
But I meant it. And when Ron went off to Hogwarts and I seen a glimpse of him on the train. I had been so excited over it. Jumping around my mother, asking if I could go see him, I had seemed so much younger than I was.
The next summer, he visited, and I was so excited to see him there, I stuck my elbow in the butter dish. I don't think many people saw, luckily. And then I went to Hogwarts. I couldn't find him on the train, and I got worried. But he came with a bang, along with my brother, while the rest of us were getting sorted.
I got in Gryffindor, and I could feel a huge grin on my face as I walked to our table. I was in the same house as Harry Potter!
I messed up yet again that year, writing in Tom Riddle's enchanted diary. It made me go around, telling the Basilisk to Petrify all the Muggle Borns. I tried to tell Harry about it, but Percy thought I was going to say something else, and didn't give me a chance to say anything.
He saved my life later that year. Tom Riddle basically sucked my soul out of me and gave it to himself. I had lost all hope of being rescued as I lay on that cold stone floor, waiting to die. Then out of nowhere, he came, my hero, and took me back to safety. It only made me love him more.
I paid Colin 5 Galleons for that signed picture he took of Harry. And I didn't have 5 Galleons, so I had to do extra work around the house to earn them.
Basically the same thing happened every year after that. Especially fourth year. He almost asked me to the ball. I could hear him and Ron talking about it.
But I had already agreed to go with Neville, and I couldn't break my promise, even if it did mean going to the ball with him.
So I went with Neville, and winced every time he stepped on my toes.
He won the Triwizard Tournament, and I was so proud of him. Unfortunately, Cedric died, at the hands of You Know Who. As I watched Harry stagger onto the field, his face pale and sweaty, Cedric sprawled in his arms.
He looked so pathetic, it made me want to run up and hug him.
I can't believe myself. Actually thinking that he's pathetic while I'm here in my room, crying my eyes out over nothing. How could he do that me?
I cried all afternoon. By the time I went down to eat, I was so depressed, I couldn't taste the food. I went back up to my room, to think.
By now, some of the depression had gone away, and anger had sunk in. How dare he do that to me? Stupid Ron. And Harry too. They would pay.
My tears dried as I started my plans for revenge.
Ron was easy enough. Everyone in the family knew he liked Hermione. All I needed to do was wait until school started.
I didn't have to wait long. Not even a week later, we were all boarded on the Hogwarts Express, speeding across the countryside. I avoided them the whole ride, and went to sit in another compartment with my friends.
I waited until the Sorting was over. As everyone sat down and filled their plates to eat, I pointed my wand at Ron and whispered a spell.
With a glassy look in his eyes, he stood up, and climbed on the table. Several people glared at him as he stepped on their plates, flinging food all over the place.
By now, the whole Hall was staring at him, interested in what he was going to do next. Snape had an especially nasty look in his eyes, and a smirk on his eyes.
Spreading his arms out wide, Ron opened his mouth. Even people who didn't have any idea who he was were looking at him. Everyone was waiting to see what he would say.
"I have an announcement to make" he boomed loudly. "I just wanted to tell everyone that I love Hermione Granger"
You could have heard a pin drop just then. And then, just as suddenly, a wave of laughter spread over the room. Ron woke up from the spell, a dazed look on his face.
"What am I doing on the table?" he asked Fred and George.
They were red in the face from laughing so hard. Ron, still confused, turned to Harry.
"What happened?" he asked.
Harry managed to stop laughing long enough to tell him. As Ron heard what he just did, his face turned as red as a tomato from embarrassment.
Even the teachers were laughing. I couldn't breathe; I was laughing so hard. I didn't think it would be this effective. But Ron deserved it after what he did to me.
He slinked out of the Hall, without eating his dinner. I smirked. Revenge was sweet.
Now Harry was a bit harder. I needed to think of something that would really hurt him, but wasn't too mean. I didn't care about Ron, since he was my brother, and this was just payback for all the awful things he did to me over the years.
Finally, an idea came to me. I would make him like me, and break his heart, just as he had done to me. It would be a bit hard, but I figured I could manage it.
I put my plan into action the next year. I only had two years to make him fall in love with me, and I wanted to give him a bit of space after what happened that summer.
It was easier than I thought. I guess he felt bad about what happened, because he was all nice to me. We started to talk, a lot, and soon, he completely opened up to me.
And things just developed from there. I remember the summer before his last year at Hogwarts, when he came to stay at the Burrow. Hermione took one look at him, and told me, "He likes you."
I agreed with her.
Too bad it wouldn't last long.
At school, I made myself there, but unattainable. Whenever he would come over to talk to me, I would be suddenly whisked off by my laughing friends. And when I looked back, he was standing there looking desolate.
Somehow, I managed to keep this up all year. And when he came to ask me to the Graduation Ball, I said I was already going with someone else.
I was actually. I had a deal with Seamus. He would ask me to the ball, but once we were there, he wouldn't have to dance with me or anything. He could ask someone else, but he had to pretend to be my date at first, since sixth years weren't allowed in, unless they were going with someone who was graduating.
I made myself up just for the occasion. I bought a new dress at Hogsmeade. It was a baby blue colour, and all gauzy and sparkly, and yet it still had a certain elegance. They said I looked like a faerie in it.
So, off I went to the dance, and just like he said he would, Seamus went off to dance with Lavender, leaving me alone on the bench. I didn't care.
And Harry came over, just as I predicted he would.
"You look beautiful. Did your date ditch you?" he asked.
I didn't answer.
"I'll fill in for him then" he offered. "Wanna dance?"
I looked at him. He was so cute in his green dress robes that I fell in love with him all over again. But then I remembered how I had felt, and hardened my heart.
"No" I answered, all traces of happiness gone from my face.
His face fell.
I got confidence from that. "You know why, Harry? Because I don't like you. I guess I just don't know you well enough. You're just Ron's best friend, you know?"
I threw the words he had told me those years ago right back in his face.
By then, a crowd had gathered around us. I leaned in, and whispered something in his ear.
"I hate you, Harry Potter"
And I pushed my way through the crowd, and flounced away. When I took a peek behind me, I could see tears flowing down his cheeks. He was trying desperately to hide them from the crowd that was there, but not succeeding at all.
I smirked.
Revenge was definitely sweet.
Disclaimer: All HP characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling.
AN: I haven't written things in forever. That's okay though. Isn't it? Hope this is up to my regular level. Review? =)