Welcome to a new adventure.
This starts at Dumbledore's funeral and will go throughout Ginny's resistance year at Hogwarts.
It's a Oliver/Ginny story and will fit mostly into the canon (with a few exceptions).
ENJOY.
"Ginny listen…" "I can't be involved with you anymore. We can't be together." The harsh lines of Harry's face stood out in the contrast of the morning sun. Hundreds of people roamed the Hogwarts grounds, having just laid their friend and headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to rest. Soft crying and words of consolation murmured throughout the masses. Through the haze of shattered hope chortles of laughter was also present. Witches and wizards from all across the world stood in circles, regaling each other of fond memories of the divinely curious headmaster.
Ginny smiled to herself, fighting back her own feeling of dread. The lake in front of them stood a mass of absolute calm and serenity. If she stared hard enough, she could imagine her world was just as peaceful as those slate-colored depths. Voldemort was still defeated, her family was safe and Dumbledore was still alive. She wasn't at risk of loosing the people she loved most. No, she was just another Weasley, the only female in six generations, a sixth year more worried about Quidditch and boys than death and destruction.
A throat cleared awkwardly next to her. Ginny pulled herself out of the thoughts, trying to focus on what Harry had just said. As the words sunk in, he dropped her hand. The dread ate through her innards. She managed to hold back a hysterical chuckle.
"It's for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?"
He nodded.
This is it, she thought, he's chucking me. She had expected Harry's insistence on this the moment she'd seen Dumbledore's crumbled body beneath the astronomy tower. He had lost someone he loved and now he was pulling away, trying to spare more pain. And despite telling herself over and over that it would surely come, Ginny was not ready to loose him.
She flinched as Harry spoke memories from the chamber of secrets and lectured on how dangerous it was to stay together, as if she hadn't already knew.
"-nd you could get hurt-"
Because you can't protect yourself, were the words left unspoken. Words of argument flew to her lips comparing herself to Ron and Hermionie. The thoughts quickly dissipated as another unspoken sentiment clicked into place- Because you're too young "-to get to me through you."
"What if I don't care?"
Harry frowned and dragged a hand through his already disarrayed hair. The cobalt tips stood straight on end. "I care….how do you think I would feel if this was your funeral... and it was my fault?" –
Ginny was about to tell him that it didn't matter how he sodding felt. Merlin forbid, this was her funeral it would be her sacrifice; no blame would lie with him. It wasn't Harry's job to keep her safe. Ginny was more than capable of doing so herself. She wasn't that same ignorant second year; she was no longer helpless. Just as she opened her mouth to tell him this, she froze.
Some foreign expression played across his face, and Ginny realized she saw relief. Harry was relieved. A fire tore through her, pain ate away at her heart. Hiding the hurt, she turned, commanding herself as calm as the grey waters.
A part of Harry, no matter how small, was relieved to be chucking her. Ginny couldn't ignore it, just as she couldn't ignore what she'd always known.
She'd had always felt more strongly about Harry than he about her. When they'd first met she had turned such a violent shade of purple that mum had accused Fred and George of disfiguring her. From then on she had mooned over him while he all but saw her as a pest. In fact, it had taken Harry ages to even entertain the idea to fancy her. And all that time, Ginny had waited. She had waited for him to see her as more than Ron's sister. When a friendship grew she had waited further for his feelings to deepen.
GInny had deluded herself into believing these past months, snogging in dark corridors and making eachother smile had counted toward something. She'd thought it had meant he no longer saw her as that helpless girl.
Starring into the calm waters, listening to Harry prattle on about dangers and whats was best for her, Ginny was finally honest with herself. Nothing had changed during their relationship. He had still treated her as incapable, refusing to divulge even a sliver of information about Voldemort and yet telling every intricate detail to her brother.
"-could have had ages…months…years, maybe"
She laughed, almost bitterly. "You'll be busy saving the wizarding world…and I can't say I'm surprised."
And she wasn't surprised. He hadn't needed to tell her the details for her to realize it would come to this...Dumbledore's death had made his departure more immediate, but either way it was inevitable. Chosen one or not, Harry felt responsible for the war and because of this, he felt it was his duty to end it. Whispers and shared looks between the Trio had only confirmed what she'd already known. Harry was leaving...and he was going after Voldemort.
But just as Ginny knew what he had to do, she also knew he wouldn't do it alone. The two most important people in Harry's life would be there with him. And she was not one of them. A small, stupid part of her, admitted she'd expected him to ask her as well, or, at the very least tell her where they were going. But, she supposed, Harry would never risk her in such a way- Because you cant protect yourself... Because you're too young
"I knew you wouldn't be happy unless you were hunting Voldemort."
He smiled sadly at her, and she wanted to tell him how much she'd miss that smile. How much she'd miss seeing his eyes light up as he laughed. Ginny said nothing, fighting some mix of despair, defiance and above all anger- anger that he was leaving, anger that he wouldn't trust her, anger at his relief to be done with her.
Ginny fought the tears as the only boy she'd ever loved gently squeezed her arm and walked away. She watched as he disappeared within the castle walls and Ginny felt empty and she couldn't help but realize the irony that the boy who lived, had just killed something inside her.
Big disclaimer on this chapter: Some of this initial breakup is J.K.'s dialogue! not mine.
Review please. I'm interested in what you thought.
