A/N: Okay, guys, sorry about the delay. Real life, you know. If only my last name was Rowling and this was real life...
Anyway, I've gotten a few people asking me why I'm reposting this so, in case you didn't see the A/N in the prologue, I'll repeat it. I've completely revised this story and, while the overall plot doesn't change, there have been some major changes and some brand new chapters. I was trying to just insert the chapters into the existing story but that was proving to be too much work, trying to rearrange already posted chapters to get new ones into the middle and keep track of what I had already updated and what I still needed to do, so I decided to just delete the old chapters and repost them all. Sorry if you are getting alerts you don't want. Don't worry, I won't do this again but for this story, it was just easier. I've already updated The Joke Is On Us as well, although that one didn't require reposting anything :)
Thanks for reading! And now, without any further wait, here is the next chapter!
Chapter 7
Harry, The Prat
x-X-x
After storming from the Hospital Wing, Ginny hid in an unused classroom, hoping Harry didn't find her. She sat there for hours, crying, until her stomach reminded her that it was dinnertime and she was starving.
In the Great Hall, she saw Ron and Hermione sitting at the far end of the Gryffindor table. She headed towards them only to stop short when the crowd parted and she saw the tell-tale, messy, black hair across from them. Eager to avoid Harry, she quietly turned around and took a seat at the opposite end of the Gryffindor table. She quickly loaded her plate. She wanted to eat and get out of there quickly.
However, before she could get more than a single bite in her mouth, Neville showed up, sliding onto the bench across from her.
"Ginny, what are you doing down here, all alone?"
"Just looking for some quiet," Ginny said around a mouthful of food. She hated lying to Neville after everything they had gone through last year but she was still too raw from that afternoon to talk about it.
"Oh. I can leave you alone then. I just wanted to talk," Neville said, rising from the bench again.
"No, it's fine Neville. In fact, it's great. I miss our time together, you, me, and Luna. So, what did you want to talk about?" Neville lowered himself back down and began to dish up some food.
"Yeah, I miss our time last year, too. You know, not the terrible times. But there were some good times. It was an us-against-the-world kind of thing."
"It was, wasn't it? I wouldn't want to relive it for anything but we became good friends, even better than before. Made me really understand the relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione a little better."
"I know what you mean. This year's just been different. You're with Harry now and I'm kind of like the fifth wheel."
"Neville, we didn't mean to make you feel that way. You and I should hang out more, just us. And Luna too."
"Nah. I like seeing you and Harry together." Ginny quickly looked down at her plate but Neville didn't notice and kept talking. "I don't mind hanging out with all of you. Plus, I didn't want to talk about being the fifth wheel. I wanted to talk about Luna."
"Oh," Ginny said, curiously.
"Yeah. I see what you and Harry have and what Ron and Hermione have and I want it too. And I think I want it with Luna." Neville blushed before adding quietly, "At least, I want to give it a try with Luna."
"Oh, Neville, that's great!"
"Yeah. Thing is, I'm not really sure how to do it. I want to ask her to Hogsmeade next weekend. I don't even know if she would want to go with me."
"I'm sure she would love to go. I saw you guys last year. And then this summer, every time we got together, she only had eyes for you."
"But how do I ask her?"
"Just ask her. Don't beat around the bush. Go up to her and invite her. You've changed more than anyone else I know and you have more courage than the rest of Gryffindor put together. Use some of it and go ask her!"
Neville's blush spread at Ginny's compliment. "Thanks, Ginny. I don't know how true that is but I like to think I've finally figured out what the Sorting Hat saw in me."
"The Sorting Hat was spot on."
Neville smiled. "Thanks. You know, you're a great friend, Ginny."
Now, it was Ginny's turn to blush. "Thanks, Neville."
"Right, so I'm just gonna go ask her. Right now." Neville shoved the last bite of food from his plate into his mouth and stood up. Giving Ginny a confident glance, he headed over to Ravenclaw table, plopping down next to Luna. Ginny, despite all the turmoil in her own life, smiled. It was great to see Neville finally admit he liked Luna and even greater to see how much he had changed since that shy fourth year had asked her to the Yule Ball.
At the other end of the table, Harry was staring down at his plate as if it had personally offended him. He violently stabbed a piece of steak, taking out his frustrations on the innocent piece of meat. Around him, voices chattered as students went about their business, as if nothing was wrong in the world.
Unnoticed by Harry, Hermione carefully elbowed Ron, inclining her head towards Harry. Ron, catching on, shook his head, indicating he had no idea what was wrong. Glancing down the table, he spotted his sister as she pushed her plate away and stood up, quickly leaving the hall. He, in turn, then inclined his head and Hermione turned to look, catching sight of Ginny just as she left.
"Harry," Hermione asked quietly. Harry just glared at Hermione. Treading carefully, she asked, "Uh, did something happen between you and Ginny?"
"Why?" Harry asked, his tone icy.
"Because she was down there eating by herself, mate," Ron said, jerking his thumb in the direction in which he had seen the youngest Weasley.
"She was?" Harry asked, in spite of himself, forgetting he was mad. He whipped his head around, looking for her. When he didn't see her, he quickly reminded himself that she was the one who had pushed him away and looked back at Ron. However, his tone had lost most of its edge when he asked, "Where did she go?"
"She left," Hermione answered. "But Harry, you didn't answer us. Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, we, er, sorta had a row. I don't know what's going on right now. She told me to leave, said she didn't want me right now." Harry's face hardened again and his voice began to drip with frustration. "And if she's going to be like that, then I'm not staying where I'm not wanted."
"Bloody hell, mate! What did you do? I warned you. When I said you could be together, I warned you. If you hurt her, I'm gonna kill you. I took out a bloody horcrux – "
"Ronald, shush! We don't want that to become public knowledge!" Hermione hissed.
"Sorry. But seriously, Harry, you better not have hurt her. I'll get Charlie to help and he tamed dragons. A scrawny git, even if he is The Savior, shouldn't be any problem."
"I didn't do anything, Ron! She told me to go, not the other way around!" Harry fumed. Inside, though he knew he was lying. He had done something wrong. He had knocked up Ron's sister. He glanced at the staff table, secretly glad Charlie wasn't there, as if he could know what Harry had done just by looking at him. In reality, he was probably furious with himself but it was so much easier to take it out on Ginny. And right now, he was so mad and wasn't about to admit any of it could have been his fault. Instead, he pushed away from the table with so much force his pumpkin juice went flying and stormed from the hall, heading towards Gryffindor Tower.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked the bewildered brunette next to him. Hermione just shook her head in confusion.
Harry stormed through the empty halls, lashing out at all those in his life. He was furious with Ginny. He was honest with her and she had thrown it back in his face. It made him want to throttle her.
Ron and Hermione, too, were infuriating. Questioning his relationship with Ginny, completely ignorant of the situation. And Ron, threatening him, even throwing out the threat of Charlie.
Harry was impressed that his interaction with Charlie had been minimal. The young professor had been made head of Gryffidor with McGonagall's elevation to Headmistress. Normally, that would have meant Harry was a frequent fixture in Professor Weasley's office but this year had been different. Harry had really only seen Charlie in the Great Hall at meals or when he had finally broken up the party after Gryffindor beat Slytherin. Harry figured that would be changing soon, as he could only imagine the kind of trouble he would be in for impregnating another student. And in the irrational state Harry was in, he found himself mad at Charlie for nothing more than being his head of house.
Harry finally found himself standing in the doorway of the seventh/eighth year boys' dorm, with no memory of how he got there. Still seething, he threw himself on his bed, pulling his pillow against his face and screaming in rage, finding the only outlet for his anger that he could.
Because, at the heart of this, Harry was furious with no one but himself.
Not long later, Hermione climbed up the stairs to the seventh year girls' dorm. Unlike the boys, so few girls had returned that all of the so-called "seventh years" were housed in a single dormitory. However, when Hermione walked in, she found the room still empty, with the exception of Ginny, who was curled into a ball on her bed.
"Ginny?" There was no response, so Hermione tried again, although quieter in case the younger girl was sleeping. "Ginny? You awake?"
This time, Ginny rolled over to face Hermione. Her face was streaked with tears, causing Hermione to rush over and drop down on the bed next to her friend. "Oh, Ginny. I saw you at dinner. Harry said you two had a row. What happened?"
Ginny sat up and wrapped her arms around her middle, as if trying to hold herself together. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face a mask of sorrow. "Hermione, I think we're through." As the words left her lips, Ginny lost control and burst into tears.
Hermione pulled Ginny into a hug. "Why? What happened?" When Ginny didn't answer and continued to cry, Hermione tried a different approach. "I know he's a git sometimes, Ginny, but surely you'll get over it. Whatever he did wrong can't be that bad. You love him. And he loves you. I've seen you. I don't think either of you would have made it through this summer without each other."
Ginny let out a wet chuckle. "Apparently there are consequences for that."
Hermione pushed Ginny back so she could see her tear-stained face. "What do you mean? Ginny, what happened?"
Ginny looked around the room, ensuring that they were still alone. Then she closed her eyes and took a breath. Without opening them, she slowly released her breath and said, "Hermione, I'm pregnant."
At first, Hermione thought she had heard wrong. But when Ginny opened her eyes, she could see the truth written in their depths. Along with a whole host of emotions that Hermione didn't even want to begin to decipher. Suddenly, things began to make sense to Hermione and she cursed herself for not seeing it sooner.
"Oh, Ginny. That's why you were sick for so long. I can't believe I didn't realize it before. Although, to be honest, I didn't think you and Harry were, you know, doing that." Hermione mentally shook herself, eager to get the image out of her head. "Ginny, tell me what happened. All of it. You've been going through this alone for weeks. You need to talk to me."
Over the next hour, Ginny told Hermione the entire story, from getting carried away on her birthday to finding out and telling Harry, to the scene in the Hospital Wing that afternoon. "And Hermione, if he can't see that this baby is a gift, then I don't want him. I'm not stupid Hermione. This is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done and we are way too young. But I won't take that out on the baby. And I won't make Harry help. I won't. We have lost Fred, Tonks, Remus, and so many others. I realize how precious life is. This life," she said, putting her hands on her still-flat stomach, "it's my responsibility. I won't let him or her down, Hermione. But I also won't make Harry be a part of their life he doesn't want to be."
As she finished, Hermione pulled Ginny into another hug. "Don't give up on him, Ginny."
Ginny took a shaky breath and, still holding tight to Hermione, whispered, "I'm scared to death, Hermione, but I love this baby so much already."
"You're not alone, Ginny. I'll help. So will Ron. And your family, you know they will help." Hermione let go of Ginny and looked at her. "And I meant what I said. Don't give up on Harry. Sometimes he is a bit of a prat. I know that better than pretty much anyone, growing up with those two idiots. But give him some time. Remember how he flew off the handle the year after Sirius died. He went off at the drop of a hat. But eventually, he did let us back in. Boys are slow like that. Harry especially. Not that Ron is much better…" Hermione trailed off smiling. Ginny returned the smile, appreciating Hermione's attempts to make her feel better.
A second later, Ginny gasped, her eyes going wide. "Oh no, we have to tell Ron! He's going to kill Harry!"
Hermione put a hand on her shoulder, chuckling. "We can tell Ron tomorrow, together. But don't worry. He won't kill Harry. I'll make sure of that.
"Thanks."
"What about Charlie, though? He's here too and he's head of Gryffindor. Shouldn't we tell him?"
Ginny shook her head. "Not yet. I'm not showing yet and no one else knows. One brother at a time."
The two girls lapsed into a comfortable silence. After a few minutes, Ginny decided to change the subject. "So, guess what Neville told me today at dinner."
