Inspired by Michelle Branch's "One of these days"

One of these days

"Ginny, listen... I can't be involved with you any more. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together."

The words rang louder in head today than it had done over the summer. They had always been there when she went to sleep, and they were the first thing she heard once she woke up. Now she heard them louder and louder by each minute that went by. She knew exactly why; today was the first day in a month she would see Harry Potter again. A month after their break up.

She adjusted the long blue dress robe she was wearing. No, she was not going to be sad, not to mention cry in front of him. First of all she was Ginny Weasley, and Ginny Weasley does not cry in front of anyone. Second of all her brother was getting married, so this was a happy day.

As she stood there in front of the mirror in the middle of her room, with only her own reflection staring at her, she couldn't help thinking about it once again. She had tried explaining him that she didn't care if something happened to her. Did she really not care? Would she give up everything to be with him? After all he was just a childhood crush. The explanation she had given him had been short, and she had not even been able to convince herself.

Again, the day at Dumbledore's funeral replayed in her head. Why had she been so understanding, when she had ended up understanding absolutely nothing? He wished to save her life, but wasn't it really her decision to make? Was she not the one to decide how to spend her life?

The same day, she had watched him leave King's Cross. His uncle had run late as usual, but he had eventually showed up where he got Harry into the car and they drove away. She had watched the episode, and over the summer she had come to admit that a part of her left with him. Was she going to get that part back some day? This afternoon maybe, where she was going to see him again? Thousands of questions kept popping into her head.

Had he only left her because of Voldemort? Had she made him nervous? Or asked too many questions? She shook her head to get them of mind. If she had been asking half as many questions then as she did now, it was no wonder he had broken up with her. She sat down on her bed still staring into the mirror in front of her.

Suddenly she heard noises from the other side of her door. She went up there and pressed her ear against the wooden door. Another door opened and voices filled the small hallway she knew was behind the door she was standing against. "Just remember, Harry," she recognised her brother, Ron's, voice perfectly, "Ginny grew up as the younger sister of five boys; she is not going to let her feelings show easily."

This was followed by the footsteps of Harry and Ron going downstairs. Ginny threw herself on her bed. How could he say that? How could her very own brother say something like that to Harry Potter, her ex-boyfriend? She wanted nothing more than to creep into a dark corner of her room and stay there all day, instead of going to the wedding.

Finally she got up and stood in front of the mirror once again. Ron had been right. Ginny Weasley did not show feelings easily. She knew it. The person staring back at her had a non-readable expression on her pale face. The long red hair hugged the face perfectly, going perfectly with the blue dress. She knew, however, that the person was feeling angry, because her brother had just told Harry Potter something that was partly true. She also knew she was feeling lonely and slightly nervous.

With a final look in the mirror she opened her door and walked downstairs. The living room and kitchen were both empty. She opened the front door and walked outside. "Good, you are here, Ginny," Her mother came up to her. "Now all we need is Fleur. You go take your seat in the front." Ginny nodded and started walking towards the front row.

It had of course been Fleur's idea to have the wedding in the garden and in the evening. Actually Fleur had decided most things at the wedding, like the fact that her little sister was going to be the only bridesmaid, because Gabrielle should get all the attention, instead of sharing it with other girls. Ginny didn't mind at all. She would rather sit in the front looking up at her brother, than standing up there with him and having all the guest staring at her.

Ginny glanced at the people she walked past. She didn't know half of them. She recognised some people from the ministry and Gringotts Bank. More and more people turned around and studied her closely. Most of them send her a smile, but she didn't return them. She kept her focus straight forward. When she finally reached the front row, she noticed Harry sitting next to Ron. She took a deep breath before walking over there and taking the seat next to Hermione.

The ceremony began, but Ginny caught herself not listening to a word the priest was saying. She glanced slightly to her left and saw Harry, who - unlike her - seemed to catch every word. This didn't help her turn her attention towards the priest. It only caused more questions to pop up into her head. What would he do if she could have him? Would he let her back in? Or would he think he had missed his chance?

Would she give him another chance? Well duh - she would never be able to let go of him again. She obviously couldn't get him out of her head either. She was angry with herself because of this.

Before she knew it the ceremony was over and the reception started. She stayed as far away from everyone as possible. She didn't want to be asked to dance by some greasy teenager, she was distantly related too. Her parents, for once, didn't seem to have an eye on her. Her mother was too busy keeping Fred and George from using one of their products on some of the younger children.

Without anyone noticing she snuck out of the house and walked into the garden. She knew she wasn't supposed to be out on her own, when a Death Eater could show up any second. She didn't care. She just wanted to be alone for a while. She glanced back at the house and sighed. She wished it would just end soon, and everyone would go back home. She sat down on a giant rock and looked up at the stars. She didn't care if her dress got dirty.

As she sat there thinking she heard a branch crack somewhere. She did not turn her head thinking it might be a Death Eater. She rolled her eyes slightly – they should know to be more silent when sneaking up on someone. She reached down and lifted the bottom of her dress slowly. She had attached her wand to her leg just in case something like this would happen. These days you could never be certain what could happen. Once she had it in her hand she quickly stood up and spun around to face the person, holding her wand out. "Whoa," she heard a familiar voice say. "Lower that, will you?"

"What are you doing out here?" she said angrily still with her wand pointing towards the person. The person took a step closer to her, coming out from the bushes and revealing himself in the moonlight. She dropped her wand immediately. "Harry?" she asked, not meaning it as a question, but mostly to convince herself it was him. "I thought it was Ron, who had followed me," she explained.

"I guess that explains, why you would put a spell on your own brother," Harry said. She knew he was trying to be sarcastic. Ginny raised her eyebrows tiredly. "Sorry," he continued. It wasn't exactly what she had expected him to say. Then again, she hadn't expected to see him out here either.

"What are you doing here?" She asked again, but not as angrily as before.

"You disappeared quickly," Harry said slowly, looking at the ground. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

She believed him. If he didn't want to see for himself, then Ron had probably send him. "Thanks," Ginny answered simply. She sat back down on the rock and looked towards the sky, expecting Harry to leave again, now that he knew she was alright.

"It's not safe out here," Harry spoke up again. He hadn't moved an inch and didn't look like he was planning on leaving any time soon.

"Nowhere really is these days." Ginny didn't turn her head, but kept looking at the dark sky above her.

"I guess you're right about that one." He took a seat next to her. While she looked at the sky, he looked at her. The nervousness around him and in his voice seemed to have disappeared. As he continued talking, he didn't once look at the ground. "How have you been?"

"Great," Ginny said. She wasn't sure if Harry knew whether she was being sarcastic or not, but in her heart she knew she had felt terrible the past month.

"Oh," Harry said calmly. "Listen I'm sorry about what happened the last time we saw each other – I never got to explain the situation to you."

"You explained it perfectly," Ginny said turning her head to face the ground. "I get the reasons why we can't be together. You don't have to explain it any further."

"There is one thing though – one thing I never want you to doubt." Ginny looked at him for the first time in a while. "I still care about very much, Ginny Weasley, and it really was against my will to break up with you."

Ginny nodded but didn't say anything. She bit her tongue hoping that would help the tears stay back. She wasn't going to cry. How was she ever going to prove to him that it was right for her to be with him, when she wasn't strong enough to have this conversation with him?

"I'm not trying to heroic in any way, Ginny," Harry continued, "I just… I couldn't bear to see you get hurt. Especially, if someone tried to hurt you just to get to me. You've already been dragged into this once," Ginny knew he was talking about what had happened in her first year at Hogwarts, when Voldemort had used her to open the chamber of secrets. "And I won't be responsible for bringing you into this mess once again. It's a dangerous path to take."

"Why don't you let me be the responsible then?"

"What?"

"I'm not a kid anymore Harry," Ginny said though she had probably told him that before, and he was probably well aware of it. "I don't want you to protect me from the real world because you will not see me hurt. Let me make my own decisions."

"But Ginny, I…"

"No buts, Harry. Most of my family is probably going to be, or already is involved in this war one way or another, so I'm going to be dragged into it any day now anyway. I'm not afraid of it either."

Harry let out a sigh. "Ginny that doesn't really change much."

"You just said you care about me," Ginny said confused.

"I do," Harry stood up and walked a few steps away from her. "And that's just it – like I tried to explain before, Voldemort will use that against me if he ever finds out, which he will if we stay together. You deserve much better than living in constant fear of Death Eaters."

Ginny felt anger rise to her cheeks, making them turn red. She felt the tears come to her eyes again, and she knew that she wasn't going to be able to hold them back. "Then I suppose we will have to stay apart. It won't change how I feel though." She didn't care that she just told him that. Usually she would never admit something like that, but her anger wouldn't let her hold it back. Harry turned and looked at her. She was not able to read his expression and before she knew it she closed the space between them that he had created earlier. As their eyes met, she leaned up and kissed him on the lips. She felt him kissing her back and wrapping his arms around her.

She couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes anymore. Once she felt the first tear run down her cheek she pulled away from Harry and walked back towards the house. No footsteps followed her as she got closer and closer to the party in the backyard. Ginny snuck into the house and hurried upstairs. Once she was safe in her room she locked the door and threw herself on the bed. Someday – soon hopefully – she wasn't going be afraid of being with him or living in his world.

A/N: so this has been lying around on my computer for the longest time. Hope you like it.

Michelle Branch – One of these days

I didn't notice
But I didn't care
I tried being honest
But that left me nowhere

I watched the station
Saw the bus pulling through
And I don't mind saying
A part of me left with you

So one of these days
chorus
I won't be afraid of staying with you
I hope and I pray
Waiting to find a way back to you
'Cause that's where I'm home…oh

Did I make you nervous?
Did I ask for too much?
Was I not deserving?
One second of your touch

And one of these days
chorus

What would you do if I could have you?
What if I could
And left you feel everything and think yeah
One thought denies
Wouldn't that be nice

And one of these days
I won't be afraid of staying with you