"Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in this story. They are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling only, this story is simply my own flights of fancy inspired by my imagination combined with that of my friends and family who have helped me in creating our own private RPG set in the Harry Potter universe, years after the series ended. This fanfic partially describes how our own characters in our RPG came to be."
PLEASE Review, every review helps me make the next chapter better. I am a new writer and I welcome any advice on how I may become a better writer.
"You know I love you, and I'll never love another woman after you, but every minute we are together raises the chances you'll be killed to get to me. I'm sorry, but this has to end now." says Harry with tears pouring down his cheeks.
"But Harry, isn't it my choice whether or not to take that chance? Shouldn't I have a say in what danger I'm willing to face to be with the man I love?" wailed Ginny.
"No, I couldn't live with myself if they killed you because of me. This is the last time you will see me until you can accept that we are over, at least until the threat is gone." and with that statement he pulled his father's cloak around his shoulders and walked out of the room, practically running because he knew he would not be able to hold his resolve in the face of Ginny crying.
He had always hated to see her cry, and to be the cause of it was even worse than he had imagined it might be. He ran all the way to his room and collapsed on his bed, unable to bear it any longer. He didn't know how long he lay there crying, unaware of the world around him, until he finally noticed there was someone there stroking his hair, gently shushing him and trying to comfort him. He looked up through his tear-streaked glasses to see Neville's face, twisted in sorrow, trying to comfort him.
"Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to, but I'm here if you need someone."
And without knowing why, Harry told him everything, about how he and Ginny had started dating, how she had been his first, how much he loved Ginny and how he had been forced to break her heart to save her life.
"Can you imagine how it feels to know you were the cause of that much pain to someone you love so much?" asked Harry as he finshed explaining it all.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't been through it yet but I expect I will before too long."
"What? With who? I didn't know you were even dating anyone yet!" exclaimed Harry. "Come on, who is it?"
Neville mumbled something indistinguishable.
"What? I couldn't hear you!"
"I said Luna Lovegood, OK?" said Neville softly but fiercely.
Harry was a bit taken aback, not only by his choice of girls, but by the vehemence in Neville's voice.
"Oh, ok. She's always seemed really nice, is she good to you?"
"The best. We've bonded on so many levels, I just know she's my soulmate."
Harry was a bit taken aback. He hadn't expected that level of feeling between Neville and Luna so soon, but he wasn't about to comment on that considering the depths of his own feelings for Ginny.
"So what are you going to do now?" asked Neville.
"I have to leave. Tonight." Harry explained decisively.
"WHAT?! Where are you going? Why do you have to leave tonight?" Neville exclaimed.
"Because every minute I stay brings that much more danger to everyone that I care about here, and I can't bear to see any more deaths on my behalf. I'm going to hunt down the rest of HIS horcruxes" Harry explained hurriedly as he packed the few meager belongings he felt might be of use in hunting down the items that kept Voldemort from dying for good.
"And you think you're going alone, to face down the greatest dark wizard of our time again and again. Who do you think you're kidding? The whole DA will come with you and we'll nail...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named... to the wall, and then put him into a permanent grave. Together." said Neville with that stubborn look that said he would not be swayed.
"Yea, right. I'm going traipsing around the country, hiding from everyone, trying to find and destroy artifacts that have been kept hidden and safe for years, and I'm going to accomplish this while being followed around by fifty underage witches and wizards who havent even finished school, some of whom can't even perform a simple cushioning charm. Right, that'll work great." Harry sniped sarcastically.
"Well, at least I'm coming with you, and you can't stop me either, not since you taught me how to deflect hexes in the DA. You need SOMEONE with you to watch your back and make sure you come back in one piece - How else will you be able to get any sleep at night?"
Harry thought about this for a minute as he finished packing. Unfortunately, he did have a point. Harry DID need someone with him, if only to stand guard while he slept and keep him company so he didn't go insane from loneliness.
"Alright, you can come with me, but only if you pack fast, and don't tell anyone a thing. Noone can know where we are going or what we are doing, and you won't be able to talk to hardly anyone till we are done. Those are my conditions, take it or leave it."
With barely a word Neville started packing as fast as his wand could move.
"Fine, I'm almost ready."