A/N: If you're expecting Angry!Ginny or Ginny-bashing, I don't do that. I love her, and I hate that her only function was to be the hero's girl. I kind of think she wouldn't have spent a year pining. If you prefer to hate her, you'll want to read a different story.
VI
Harry knew he needed to talk to Ginny alone. He'd put it off for far too long already. She'd been eyeing him across the common room or from where she sat during meals. For the three day's they'd been back, he had busied himself with the spellwork and repairs and had thus managed to avoid any contact. He couldn't keep it up any longer, however, especially with Ron poking him in the side and Hermione giving him meaningful looks every time Ginny was within range.
At the end of the day on Thursday, he gave up and sought her out. She was definitely more clever than he had given her credit for; she was waiting for him.
"Gin, we need to—"
"Come on," she said, not waiting for him to finish. "I know where we can go."
Surprised, Harry let Ginny lead him out of the Great Hall and into one of the corridors. She dragged him into an empty classroom and closed the door. While she cast a locking charm, he muttered a hasty Muffliato. He was going to have to be honest—she deserved no less—but he didn't need anyone else listening in at the keyhole.
Ginny settled herself down on top of one of the tables, her long legs crossed underneath her. She shook her hair back over her shoulders and fixed her gaze on Harry. He shifted uncomfortably where he stood.
"It sounded like you were going to say we need to talk," she said, her tone rather business-like.
Harry suddenly felt as though he were being cross-examined by the entire Wizengamot. He scratched the back of his neck. "The thing is . . ." He cleared his throat. "I don't, er, want to start up where we left off last summer."
"So, you're breaking up with me. Officially, that is."
He nodded miserably, willing her to understand. He mentally prepared himself to explain.
"Oh, thank Merlin."
Harry's head snapped up in time to see Ginny grinning at him. "Wh-what?" he stammered.
"I was trying to figure out how to tell you that I don't want to, either," she said.
"Hang on . . . Why not?"
She sighed and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, Harry saw the determined glint and remembered so many of the things he'd liked about her, the things that had made him hope it was love. She said, "I lived without you for nearly a year. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. At first, I was angry. Angry that you didn't want to take me with you, angry that you left me to be tortured here." She shrugged. "But I figured out how to survive, and it made me realise some things. Like that I don't need my brothers or my boyfriend to protect me and that I don't need to be with someone to be whole."
Harry crossed the space between them and swung himself up to sit on the table next to Ginny. "Go on," he said.
"I love you—I do—but it's different. Being apart taught me that maybe I needed to let you go because I was more in love with the idea of you than I was in love with you." She took his hand. "Are you angry?"
Startled, Harry laughed a little. "Angry? No, of course not. I came up here to end things, and I was worried you'd be upset. But here you are, saying a lot of what I wanted to say."
Ginny laughed too, and the sound was freeing. "Perhaps we're just too young," she suggested.
Harry shook his head. "I don't think that's it," he said. "At least, not for me."
Ginny tilted her head to the side a little. "Then what is it?"
His palms were clammy and his chest felt tight. He hadn't even said anything to Hermione or Ron. He cleared his throat. "Er."
"Harry?" Ginny's voice shook a little, and he knew she thought that there had been someone else in her place.
"I'm gay," he blurted and promptly buried his head in his hands, realising that probably hadn't been the best way to tell her.
"Oh!" Ginny put a hand over her mouth. She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, then lowered her hand. "Warn me next time," she grouched.
Harry laughed, the tension pouring out of him. "I'm sorry. I don't have any practise. You're, er, the first person I've told, actually."
"I suppose I should be flattered, then." Ginny smiled. She reached out for Harry, and he put his arms around her and drew her close.
They stayed that way for some time, and he absorbed the warmth from her body. A small part of him ached; they had always fit together comfortably. He had supposed that they would go on this way forever—perhaps be married and have children he could name after all the loved ones he had lost. That dream had ended, and both of them would need to find new ones.
"Fred," Ginny whispered, breaking the silence.
Harry wasn't sure what to say. Ginny had never been one for sudden emotions, and he had never been good at dealing with them anyway. "I'm sorry," he said lamely.
Ginny pulled away. "No, I mean there's something—did you know Fred liked boys?"
"He—what?"
She frowned. "I mean, he liked girls, too, as far as I know. But…" She paused, seemingly trying to find the right words. "I think he had sort of a—sort of a crush on you, actually," she finished.
"That doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't he have said anything?"
"For the same reason that up until ten minutes ago, I was afraid you wanted to get back together. He assumed you were straight."
"Up until a month ago, I assumed the same thing," Harry admitted.
"Well, there you go, then."
"So, how did you know?"
"I wasn't sure, at first. He just kept talking about you. But I was suspicious because George never ribbed him about it. He teased him endlessly about Angelina, even though they were never really together—it was just the Yule ball. And he kept after him about Fleur's cousins, too. But he never said one word about the way Fred talked about you."
"Did you ever ask why?"
"I did, finally. George just told me to shut up and mind my own business But he said that if I ever told you that I knew anything, I would be sorry. That's nothing like his usual threats, so I knew I was right."
"God. I wish I'd known."
Ginny punched him lightly. "Why, so you could have gone after him instead of me?"
Harry glared at her, but there wasn't any heat behind it. "No. He really wasn't my type. But it might have sped up the process in figuring things out myself, you know?"
"Your type? Are you saying you have a type?"
Harry felt his face heat up at the memory of his recurring dreams. Yes, I think like blonds. A little on the thin side. Neither smooth nor hairy. "No," he said hastily. "I just meant that I couldn't have lived with the constant pranks." He thought for a moment. "It probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway. I didn't recognise that I had a crush on one of your other brothers."
"You did?" Ginny smirked, but it faded quickly. "Please tell me it wasn't Ron."
"No, not Ron. That's…creepy. And weird."
"Which one, then?"
"Er. Bill," he confessed. "The first time I met him, I thought he was really good-looking. But I convinced myself I just thought he was cool."
"Well, he is cool. And not gay." She giggled.
"Funny, I never would have thought it of Fred. Charlie, maybe, or Percy."
Ginny laughed harder. "Charlie says he's married to his work, but I'm pretty sure it's that likes having the freedom use the dragons to impress women into a shag. And Percy's just swotty."
Harry was laughing now as well, and he finally felt relaxed. Whatever tension there had been was long since gone. "Yeah, I can see that."
When they finally calmed down, Ginny said, "Are you going to tell Ron and Hermione? They deserve to know, I think. They've been your friends forever."
Harry shook his head. "I'm not ready yet. And no matter how I say it, Ron's going to think I broke your heart."
She looked at him, and Harry had the same sensation he'd always had with Dumbledore, the one where his very soul was exposed. "I can only cover for you for so long, Harry. You need to let them back in." She laid her hand on his chest, right over his heart.
"I know, and I will. Give me time."
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "All right. And don't worry about Ron protecting me. When you're ready, I'll do whatever you need me to." She hopped down from the table, gave his hand one last squeeze, and flicked her wand at the door to unlock it.
Harry, too, climbed down. He cancelled the spell he'd set and followed Ginny out of the classroom. One down, the entire rest of the Wizarding world to go.