"Shh!" Someone whispered. "She's right over there!"
"How long has it been now?" another voice asked, "two months? Or has it been more?"
Ginny shut her book with a snap. She was in her sixth year at Hogwarts and her third month re-dating famous Harry Potter. She was used to the whispers by now; they generally didn't annoy her, but today she was in a bad mood and was fed up with the constant flow of comments about her and Harry's supposed love life.
"Why do they always think I can't hear?" She asked loudly. She heard scraping of chairs behind her as the whispering girls ran for it; Ginny was known for her temper.
Her friend Lauren looked at her, her dirty blonde hair swinging in front of her face. Pushing it back she said, "At least they're getting more civil. Well, it's not like they could get any less, seeing as they had you and Harry in bed the first week." Ginny glared at her. "What?" She asked indignantly. "It's the truth! It's not like you don't know."
Leaning back in her chair, Ginny sighed. She did know, all too well. She looked at her friends sitting around the table. These four girls were great; she really didn't know what she would do without them.
Jackie looked up from her potions essay. "Are you done with your potions?" She asked.
Ginny shook her head. "No, but I don't think I can concentrate right now. I think I might go try to get some sleep."
Des grinned. "Wow, Potter must have kept you up late if you're going to bed at noon on a Saturday! What was it, the room of requirement?"
Ginny glared and sighed again. "Yes," she said, "but he actually wanted to talk. Unusual for him; I'm normally the one who wants to talk."
Lauren groaned in sympathy. "Let me guess, he was being noble again."
"Yes! I'm so sick of it! I get it from him and my family! 'Ginny, you should stay home; I don't want you to get hurt.' 'Ginny, I can't date you because you'll get hurt.' 'Ginny, you can't come, you're not old enough!' I'm sick of being protected! I'm plenty able to take care of myself!" Ginny hissed, mimicking her father's, Harry's, and her brother's voices.
Lizzy reached out and took Ginny's hand, trying to sooth her friend. Sharing a meaningful look with the other three girls, she whispered, "I'm sure they'll see that soon."
"No they won't. It's been that way my entire life." She stuffed her books in her bag and walked out of the library.
When she reached the common room, she noticed Harry in a deep conversation with Ron and Hermione. Sighing, she walked over. As she approached Hermione looked up but didn't seem to see her; Ginny noticed extra lines in her face and something in her eyes that normally only existed the week before exams and she realized how stressful this Voldemort thing had been on her. Hermione looked back down at the map Harry was studying.
"But we have found the one at the cave!" Harry was saying, frustrated. "Don't you think he would hide the other horcr-," he broke off. "Ginny, I thought you were studying in the library."
"That was three hours ago," she pointed out, "I'm done now."
"Wha-," he looked at his watch, "oh. Well, we're kind of busy here." He commented, a bit taken aback that it was already noon.
"It's alright." Ginny said, sitting on the couch next to him. "I won't bug you."
"Ginny." He muttered. "Really, we're busy here."
"I'm just going to go to sleep. Don't mind me." She murmured.
"Ginny," Harry said, looking at his friends for help. They looked down or away. "Please Ginny, this is private. Could you please leave?"
Ginny felt her throat constrict. She was not normally one for crying, but every time she heard those words, her heart broke a little crack. If this kept up, it would be broken clean in half by next week. "Fine," She whispered, "But when you actually want to talk to me, like actually talk, not just warn me about staying safe, maybe I won't feel so inclined to listen. I'm sick of being the last resort. You only talk to me if you need something, an excuse to get out of class, or a distraction while you sneak away to do whatever you do in Hogsmead; that, or if you want to tell me to stay safe. You have no time for me anymore." Ginny felt the tears coming. She took off for her dormitory, leaving the three sitting there in shock. She collapsed on her bed and let them come, and for the first time in a long, long while, allowed herself to feel.