Author's Note: Written for the 'Harry Potter Fanfiction—Writing World Cup (2013)
This is my entry for Round One.
I am represting Switzerland for this competition, and the prompts I chose for this story were: Distance by Christina Perry (some lyrics used), and the word hummingbird.
The characters I chose out of my pool for this first story were Ginny and Neville.
Word Count: 471 Words
Disclaimer: The idea for this competition and the prompts go to .petal. The characters and setting go to JK Rowling.
Enjoy, and please review!
God Bless~Sarah
It was perched in the tree just above her and distracting her work. No Herbology had gotten done, nor would it ever get done if her thoughts continued straying to Neville; to the hummingbird. Ginny turned back to the dirty book's pages, flipping them absentmindedly as she looked for the definition of monkshood. She thought over her homework as the leaves of the tree next to her fell and fluttered to the ground at her feet. One fell in the lake before her and its rippling affect reminded her of him once again. He had made those small ripples in her heart for two years now; he had completely affected and changed her life.
Heaving a long sigh, Ginny shut her Herbology book and stowed it away with her homework in her book bag. She wasn't sure she would ever truly stop caring for Neville. It hadn't worked when she tried, and she was sure that it never would, but it was impossible to stop caring. The love she had held for him at one time was deep and it sat in the depths of her soul, waiting to be released. He had never wanted it, though. Every word he spoke had to do with another girl; her best friend. Ginny clutched the strap of her book bag and pulled the large sac into her lap. Hugging it tightly to her, she began to hum in tune with the bird whose melody brought her to a safer place. Mentally, she was somewhere different; emotionally, even, she was somewhere different. Her thoughts diminished as the bird's song played out softly and regarded the pain in her heart.
Gently, and ever so slowly, the pain inside of her drifted away. Far, far away was the pain she felt over never having her chance with Neville. Far away was the anger she had felt for him not returning her so deeply rooted feelings. They had been friends for years; they would always be just friends.
She sung quietly as she sat there, enjoying the cool brush of the wind on her skin.
"I will make sure to keep my distance; say 'I love you' when you're not listening," the words fell from her lips and she embraced them head on, holding them near and dear to her heart.
It was true.
There would always be distance, but she no longer had to hurt over it.
"I'll be sure to love you," she whispered. "I'll tell you I love you when you aren't around. I'll watch you from afar."
The hummingbird flitted away quickly when its song was finished and Ginny's lips broke into a gentle smile for the first time in months since entering her fifth year at Hogwarts.
Perhaps it wouldn't be that difficult anymore.
Perhaps she really could love him from afar.