8

"Fantastic Memory"

"I've got things to do alone now."

Ginny couldn't get those words or the heroic voice that had said them out of her mind. They haunted her dreams and caught her off guard when she'd find silence at the Burrow; which was always a rare occasion. Something about the way she had heard those words made her believe he somehow regretted them; that maybe now, he was possibly wishing to take every word back. But, she'd just shake her head at her foolish wishing; knowing for certain that he had meant every word…no matter how much the truth tore at her heart. She could only go about her summer as if nothing had broken her spirit; that no one had left her crushed and bleeding.

"He won't get near you again if he's hurt you this much, Ginny!" Ron exclaimed. "I know that that's the reason you're always so quiet; he's the reason! I promise, I won't let him break your heart!"

"Ron, it's already broken." She said, walking away from Ron with a fake smile, trying to hide the pain that Ron had obviously seen.

She couldn't tell whether her mother had noticed her silence, only that she didn't know if she should let her know about her school year romance with Harry Potter. She could just hear her mother's voice rising in surprise and motherly affection.

"Ginny dear, he was your first crush. You had fancied him since the moment you set eyes on him. But dear, not all first glances are worth a lifetime!"

And in all truth, she had fancied him since the first moment she saw him, although, she didn't realize it until she turned eleven and knew she'd be attending Hogwarts where she'd undoubtedly bump into him more than once. That possibility was a dream in itself. The possibility became greater when she had been Sorted and as usual, a Weasley was placed in Gryffindor. Every morning as she sat at the long table of Gryffindor students, she'd catch a glimpse of Harry at the end of the table with Ron and Hermione. Something inside her then eleven year old self hoped he'd look over at her and flash that insecure smile in her direction, but that hope was continuously dashed.

"Ginny!" called a voice from down below. She did not answer it, only sprawled on her bed with a lonely sigh.

"Ginny! Breakfast!" called her mother's voice again, and then added, "Wake Ron!"

Ginny rolled her eyes in annoyance, staring up at the dusty ceiling with a slight smile forming on her lips. Hermione would arrive within hours. With that thought, Ginny rolled off the bed and ran up to Ron's attic room; banging on the door before opening it swiftly.

Ron's snoring wouldn't cease, and as she looked around for something to toss at his head, she caught sight of a gold book on the table next to his bed. She retrieved it with curiosity and instantly started laughing as she read the title out loud.

"'Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches'!" she choked between laughter. "No doubt he'll use these new 'fail-safe' techniques on an unsuspecting Hermione!"

She finally gave up her search and tugged on the blanket that had been covering Ron's head and then strode to the window. She pulled the shabby curtains apart to let in the morning sun.

"Breakfast Ron! I know your stomach can snore just as loud as your mouth, now get up!" she chuckled, as Ron stirred slightly but not making an effort to rise. "Fine then, I'll tell Mum to let Fred and George have your plate!"

And with a groan of panic, Ron jumped out of bed and started pulling on a knitted sweater. Ginny left the room laughing.

She came to the bottom of the stairs and smiled at her mother, who was placing plates on the table with graceful flicks of her wand. A skillet was sizzling over the stove's flame and a warm fire danced with crackling comfort in the fireplace.

"Is your brother coming, dear?" her mother asked as she caught sight of her.

"I believe so. When was the last time he cleaned that room of his? And with Hermione coming today? He-"

"Don't worry about your brother's room dear! Worry about how we are going to get Harry here safely in a few months!"

Ginny looked out the window at the mention of Harry. "Can we please not talk about Harry, Mum?"

"What's wrong, Ginny?" her mother had turned, her eyebrows furrowed up onto her forehead. "Why wouldn't I talk about Harry?"

"I'm just asking- Oh never mind…just forget it!" she frowned, knowing that her mother would've had some sort of advice to give; a way to mend her broken heart.

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, Mum. So, what's for breakfast?"

XXX

Ginny spent the rest of the day cleaning her bedroom and getting things ready for Hermione's arrival. She rarely saw Ron, but for a few glances here and there; she guessed he was scanning the pages of "Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches" just to make sure he had every technique memorized in time to work their magic on Hermione.

After getting everything moderately clean, she ran out to the garden, waiting for Hermione to come walking from amongst the trees in the distance.

She waited for what seemed an eternity, her thoughts drifting to the past. Her eyes closed to reveal a torch-lit corridor and the sounds of footsteps from around the corner, drawing closer and closer. And then she saw herself, hand in hand with Harry, a bright smile on her face. She saw herself lean in and whisper something into Harry's ear.

She tried to think of what she had whispered to him in that corridor, but all she knew was that it had made her blush and he had stopped walking. He stood there gazing at her with a twinkle in his eye. He grinned confidently and then…

"Ginny!" came Hermione's voice from reality, making Ginny reluctantly open her eyes.

"Hermione! You're here!" Ginny exclaimed, running to meet Hermione. "How have you been?"

"Great, just excited about coming back here! And you? What have you been up to?" Hermione asked, pulling her suitcase up and carrying it to the door.

"Not much." she replied. "You only woke me up from a fantastic memory."