This is for The InfamousDollface's "My Inspiration Challenge" I chose to write

I waited the tables patiently, correcting some of our more elderly customers about the drink names, and what we offered, as far as the food went.

My attention was drawn from a particularly old couple to the door, where someone had just walked in, squeaking his designer trainers loudly.

The messy dark hair was enough to send shivers down my spine. It was him, Dean Thomas, auror, but most of all my first love.

A bad case of the nerves had me in the ladies room faster than one could say frightful, and I splashed some water on my face, before straightening the large blue bow fastened to the side of my auburn locks.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself before leaving the loo. "Ginny, your needed in the booth's, number four I believe." Rosmerta said to me in a passing glance.

I wondered briefly, why she'd send me to him, knowing full well about what happened between us before approaching the booth wearily.

"W-Welcome to the Three Broomsticks, may I get you anything?" I asked hesitantly to a more clean cut version of the Dean I had known.

"I'll just have a butterbeer, thanks." Dean replied almost dismissively towards me, when suddenly he looked up and met my brown eyes with his dark onyx ones.

"Ginny?" he asked me his eyes almost wide enough to send the moon running for it's money, "Yeah Dean, it's me." I replied, mentally chastising myself for the glum tone I was sporting.

"You work here now?" he asked, and I wasn't surprised that Dean had, a year away leaves room for detail.

"Just on the weekends, during the week I go to school, but I needed some extra shickles and Rosemertta offered me a job," I answered dutifully, willing my heart not to pound out of my chest.

"Oh," Dean said obviously shocked, before continuing, "Ginny, I'll be leaving to Bulgaria today, could you sit with me and talk for a while, I'm feeling a little lonely." His voice was inviting, but with a slight bitterness.

"I'm off in an hour, and I know where we can go," I said, before I could even register what he asked me.

Dean smiled and nodded, a message meaning he would wait.

I bussed tables and took orders for an hour, all the while watching the ever so patient, Dean Thomas wait for a Weasley to finish up with work.

I still had five minutes left of work, when Rosmerta finally took pity on my sad frame and told me I could leave. Her exact words where, "To catch up with that fine mister Thomas."

I smiled at Dean, and he followed me out of the pub, all the way back to Hogwarts, specifically to the Black Lake. I took a seat on the edge of the pier, and within five seconds, Dean was next to me.

"Look Ginny," he began his voice shaking with a dread I had never heard before, "I bet you probably have a boyfriend, but I don't care. I don't have anyone to send a letter too, would you mind it I sent one back here to you?"

I felt tears welling up in my eyes before I finally replied with a stiff nod, as my mind was reeling.

He beamed at me his teeth bright against his dark skin. I smiled back; thoughts of what could happen to him in Bulgaria clouded my train of thought.

It had been a week since Dean and I had sat on the dock and I waited every morning for the post, it never came, until this morning when I had a feeling, it would finally come.

The letters came delivered by Dean's trusty owl "Romulus" addressed from an auror training camp in Welsh, which didn't say much other than he missed me terribly and wished he was home with me.

I slept that night with the letter held tightly to my chest in an attempt to bring Dean back to me.

The next morning I awoke to another letter from another auror camp, this time in Bulgaria. It said:

Dear Ginny,

I think just maybe I might have fallen in love with you. I'm so scared that something will happen and we'll never be together, but I try desperately to keep those thoughts out of my head. When it's getting kind, of rough over here, I think of that day sitting down on the pier and I close my eyes and see your pretty smile. Don't worry love, but I won't be able to write for a while.

With All Of My Heart,

Dean Thomas

After that letter, Dean never left my thoughts. I waited a long while, but he never wrote again.

All during my period of wait my school mates constantly beat me down saying that I was too young to be waiting for the love of a traveling soldier, including my teammates on the Quidditch team.

In those few weeks, I vowed that I would never hold the hand of another man, as I silently wished I wouldn't have to.

One Friday night at a Slytherin –vs- Ravenclaw Quidditch game Dumbledore came onto the field directly after Ravenclaw, and said ''Students, teachers would you bow your heads for a list of Hogwarts graduates found in Bulgaria, dead." Dean's name was the seventh on a long list of many.

I got the vibe from the other students that they really didn't care, as I cried all alone beneath the stands I was just a chaser on the Quidditch team, but somehow I felt that I should have been more.

I should have saved the life of the soldier that I loved so very much.

Once again, this was written with inspiration from the Dixie Chicks, I'd love to think my beta Essie (EveryShiningStar) for beta-ing my piece.