Fanfiction- Learning Never Ends
A/N: This is my first fic, so I hope you like it. Please read and review and let me know what you think
I have the first 5 chapters planned but I'm really busy with school and extra-curricular clubs and stuff, so I'll try to upload as soon as possible but I can't guarantee anything. I'll do my best though
Enjoy!
This chapter (well, the whole story really) is dedicated to my wonderful friend Loads Of Randomness. Actually check her out, her work is AMAZING! Without her, this would never have been uploaded lol. So thanks, this one's for you =)
Chapter 1- Reflecting
The early evening sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the grounds of Hogwarts. Hermione sighed deeply as she watched it sink lower over the lake.
It was two days after the final battle and she, Harry and Ron were preparing to go down to the memorial service. In the short time since they had arrived in the castle on the day of the battle and gone to bed after it, the house elves had spared no expense in making up their beds and leaving out pyjamas so that it was if they had never left. Now, in the final hours before they left Hogwarts for good, they finally had some time alone, away from the swarms of people wanting to shake their hand or pat their back or hear first hand accounts of what they had done and were able to reflect on the events of the past few days.
"It feels strange being back, doesn't it?" said Hermione, "I never thought we'd spend another night here."
"Hermione, there were times I thought we'd never spend another night anywhere, let alone here," Ron replied, pulling on a shoe.
"I know, it's just… it's good to be back." She turned round and smiled at him and Harry. "You ready then?"
"Almost," Ron replied as Harry nodded, "Just have to-" He was cut off by the door to the dormitory being opened as Ginny came in. She was wearing a simple black dress and was tucking a lock of long red hair behind her ear. She smiled at Ron and Hermione, then her eyes flicked to Harry, who cleared his throat.
"Um… hi…" he said, then looked away, awkwardly.
"We'll leave you to it," Hermione said, taking Ron by the arm and marching firmly towards the door. "Come on Ron, let's go."
"What? But! But I-I'm not ready yet, I-I-" he babbled.
"Of course you are Ronald, you look lovely," she said, lightly patting his chest and dragging him out the door, oblivious to his protests. Harry stood up from his bed, listening to Ron's retreating protests. The slam of the door was magnified in the small room, leaving a ringing silence.
Simultaneously, he and Ginny walked slowly towards each other. They met at the foot of Neville's bed, where his trunk lay open with the remains of his possessions thrown hastily on top in preparation for leaving. Neither of them spoke as they stood there, carefully measuring the other's mood. Harry struggled to think of what to say- where do you start when you have a years worth of explaining to do?
"Ginny," he began but before he could continue…
WHAM!
Harry gasped in shock as Neville's thick herbology textbook made impact with his arm.
"THAT was for running off at the wedding without telling us!" Ginny shouted, ignoring Harry's feeble protests.
WHAM!
"THAT was for not keeping in contact this past year!"
WHAM!
"THAT was for going to Tom during the battle!"
WHAM!
"THAT was for pure IDIOCY! And that," WHAM! "Was for making-me-think-you-were-DEAD!"
Each word of this sentence was punctuated with a hit, so that Harry stood cowering with his hands over his head. He looked up at her through his makeshift shield. She was breathing heavily and her eyes danced with irritation and… amusement?
"Are you done?" he asked quietly, looking up at her.
"No," she said. WHAM! She grinned at him, "NOW I'm done."
"What was that one for?"
"Good measure," she sighed, shaking her head. She lowered her hands and Harry, taking that as meaning it was safe again, cautiously stood up. As they stood facing each other, Harry became acutely aware that this was the first time they had been alone together since he got back. Come to think of it, this was the first time they had been alone together since his 17th birthday. Since that kiss.
Suddenly they were kissing again and nothing else mattered. The events of the past year- leaving Privet Drive, the wedding, the horcruxes, the battle- none of it mattered any more. All that mattered was that right here, right now, they were together and they were safe.
After what felt like a lifetime, they pulled apart. Harry looked once again in to her eyes and saw with concern that they were filled with tears.
"Ginny, what's wrong?" He asked, holding her hands tight. She gulped and blinked hard.
"It's just, for a minute there, everything so good. It was like the war didn't even happen. I could just be happy." She sniffed and a tear rolled down her cheek. "But it did. It did happen and people died Harry. Colin and Remus and Tonks… and Fred. And if mum hadn't stepped in, it would have been me! And-"
"No!" Harry cut her off fiercely. Her tears were falling hard now but he pulled back and put her hands on her shoulders looking deep in to her eyes. "I wouldn't let that happen Ginny, no matter what. The whole time I was under the cloak, I tried to look out for everybody, but I kept going back to you. How else do you think I was able to cast the shield charm so fast?"
He reached up and wiped away her tears. She turned her back and looked out the window at the groups of people starting to assemble.
"I was so worried about you Harry," she whispered. "This past year when you were off who knows where? And when you were fighting him. And before that, when I thought he had killed you. It was almost more than I could bear."
"I know, Ginny. I know. But I had to do it. It was the only way I could defeat him. But I promise you, I will never hurt you like that again. I-" Harry closed his eyes and swallowed, before telling her, "I love you Gin."
Ginny gave a small gasp and her eyes widened. She whipped round to face him again.
CRASH!
The door to the dorm burst open and Ron burst in, panting.
"Great Merlin it's hard to get away from Hermione! She dragged me all the way to the staircase with the trip-stair in it before I could get away!"
At that moment, a very flustered looking Hermione puffed in, glaring at Ron in a way that would make Mrs Weasley proud.
"Ronald Billius Weasley, you could not take a hint if a talking hippogriff wearing a neon sign slapped you over the head with it!"
Ron spluttered incoherently and looked around wildly, trying to figure out the hint. Hermione gave a cough and looked pointedly at Hermione and Ginny, standing awkwardly by the window.
"Blimey you two are cutting it fine, aren't you? I mean, you've got your speech and all mate. Come to think of it, you at least have a reserved seat- we don't! We'd better go!"
With that, he grabbed his tie quickly off his bed and ran out of the room and down the stairs. Hermione shot an exasperated look at his back and sighed.
"Sorry," she said to Harry and Ginny, "Everything OK?" she asked diplomatically. Ginny glanced at Harry, who muttered something about Ron being right and quickly left the dorm, door swinging shut behind him. Hermione gave Ginny a questioning look and opened her mouth but Ginny just shook her head.
"I'll tell you later." With that, the two girls headed down to the common room. At the portrait hole, they stopped and looked back around the hastily repaired common room, reflecting on all the times they had spent there. Hermione took a deep breath and Ginny put an arm around her as they left. As the Fat Lady swung shut, she smiled proudly at the two girls. She seemed to struggle for words, then she sniffed and gave a heartfelt, "Well done. For everything. I'm so proud of you two!" With that, she dissolved in to tears. The girls smiled at her then linked arms.
"Come on," Hermione said, "Let's see where that idiot brother of yours has got to." They smiled sadly and headed to the memorial service, where they could say goodbye to all the people they had lost and finally try to move on.
So what'd you guys think? Please drop me a review to let me know, I'd really appreciate your time
The next chapter is pretty much finished, so should hopefully be up soon. Until then….
~Curly~