9.
Ginny
Ginny brushed her hair as she sat at the dressing table in her and Harry's bedroom at Grimmauld. She was watching him prepare for bed and she debated with herself for the umpteenth time that day.
In the two weeks since the confrontation at Spinner's End, her and the others mutually stopped trying to find Harry during the weekdays. They still met weekends at Snape's home, but Harry continued to vanish, more so.
She chewed the inside of her cheek and prepared herself for the inevitable. She hitched in her breath and tried to speak nonchalantly.
"I-I'm going to my parents tomorrow."
"Eh, what's that, love?"
"I said... I'm going to my parents tomorrow." Ginny turned to face the mirror, blocking her view of Harry. She viciously brushed her hair creating a maelstrom of static.
"Oh, give 'em my love. We'll be having the salmon for dinner?"
"Uh, no. Well, I don't know what you'll be having for dinner."
"Eh? Why's that?"
Ginny tried to make her voice sound cold, "I won't be returning for dinner."
"Aww, Ginny. I should a thought. Course we could eat dinner with your folks. I haven't seen 'em in so long. Hey, I'll leave the Ministry early, eh?"
"No, Harry. I-I don't want you to come."
"Oh?"
"No. And, Harry... I-I'll be taking my things." There, she'd said it. Ginny tamed her hair, catching it in a ribbon.
Harry stopped fiddling with his buttons and looked at Ginny carefully.
"What?"
"I said... I'm leaving. I won't return." Ginny used her fingertips to apply a cream to her face, massaging too roughly.
"Ginny?" Harry's voice so quiet she barely discerned the word.
In a flash Harry grabbed her arm and spun her up and out of her chair.
"What is this?! What are you doing?"
Ginny glared at Harry, "I told you. I'm leaving you."
Harry roared, "Who is he?! I'll kill him!!"
Ginny tried to wrench her wrist out of his grip. "There is no one else, but there's no point in us being together, is there?!"
Harry held onto her wrist with one hand and grabbed her shoulder with the other. He pulled her closer. "Why's that then?"
"Because YOU obviously are in love with someone else!" Ginny's anger matched his as she released her unspoken fear.
Harry nearly smiled, "Ginny, Ginny. There's no one else. I love you! You, you silly daft girl!"
"Then why do you keep leaving? There has to be someone else. Shacklebolt's covering for you. McGonagall won't tell me where you go. You won't even tell Ron or Hermione. So what else could it be?"
"Ginny, you have to believe me that there is no other girl, no woman. I only love you."
"If you loved me as you claim you do, you'd tell me where you go!" Ginny waited a beat, "How can you say you want to marry me and not tell me? What if you get injured or killed?! What would happen to me? How would I know?"
"Ginny, I-I won't get hurt," Harry spoke softly, his eyes thoughtful. "There's no possible way for me to get hurt."
"I don't know that!" She pulled out of Harry's grip and backed away from him. "And I certainly can't marry you if you're going to keep secrets from me!!" Ginny's hot tears cut streaks in her face cream.
"Ginny, you don't mean that?" Harry was shocked. He never considered his responsibility would affect Ginny. It was only a few hours a week...
"Don't I? I've always loved you, Harry. I think I always will. I waited while you flirted with Cho, but I cannot marry you if I doubt you. I won't be hurt any more by your evasiveness and lies. I'd rather go it alone!"
Having vented her anger and nearing exhaustion, Ginny slumped into the chair and buried her face in her hands weeping. "I don't want to look at you anymore, Harry Potter."
He was shocked at first by Ginny's accusations. He admitted he did flirt with Cho when he was younger. He slowly realized his evasiveness could look like he was meeting another woman.
Ginny wouldn't believe him. She would laugh in his face if she knew. And did he want her to know? Did he want any of them to know?
Harry fought the various possibilities of the situation over until he decided he must tell her. Once he'd fallen for the girl, his heart was hers. Watching her cry was making his chest ache.
It was all his fault, everything was his fault and he should have told her sooner.
Harry began slowly and carefully so she would not mistake his words, "Uh, Ginny. First, there is no other woman, but you. I love you." He paused to see how she was reacting. "Shacklebolt and McGonagall don't know where I go. Hagrid doesn't know either."
Ginny's sniffling continued.
Harry couldn't tell if she was listening. "Where I go has nothing to do with my Auror training and it is not dangerous." Harry waited again. "Uh, the only people that do know where I go is the Malfoys." That got her attention.
Ginny frowned as she looked at him. At least she was looking at him.
"I visit the Malfoy mansion," he paused, expecting her to ask, and she did.
"You visit the Malfoys? You could have told me that. I don't harbor ill will against them." Ginny's voice was raspy from crying.
"Uh, no. I don't visit the Malfoys exactly." Why was this so hard? "You see, Mr. Malfoy cordoned off part of the manor. Someone lives there and the Malfoys let me visit him."
Ginny stared at Harry trying to discern his meaning. What friend of Harry's would possibly be staying with the Malfoys of all people?
Ginny's eyes grew large. "Harry, It's Dumbledore, isn't it?! He's alive!"
Harry licked his lips. This was it. "Uh, no, Ginny. It's not Dumbledore. It's Snape, Ginny."
Ginny heard wrong. Her crying must have clogged-up her eustachian tube or something. Did he say Snape? And then it dawned on her. She smiled resignedly, stood and moved to the closet. She used the engorgio charm to enlarge her battered suitcase.
Harry's eyes got wide. "Ginny! What are you doing?"
When Ginny set the trunk on the bed and kept packing, Harry stomped over to her and grabbed her. "Ginny!" He shook her until her neck hurt.
"I never thought you would be cruel to me, Harry Potter," she stated sadly.
Harry pondered her reaction. "I'm not lying to you, Ginny. It's Snape. He's living at Malfoy mansion and I visit him several times a week."
Ginny gave him a weak smile, but her eyes were cold with regret. She drew herself as far away from him as she could in his grasp.
Harry would not lose this woman. He would have to show her. "I'll take you there. You'll see Snape and then you'll know." Harry didn't want to do it, but he saw no other way. He would not let Ginny walk out of his life.
She continued looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.
Harry realized his nails were digging into her skin. He relaxed and drew his wand. Ginny's eyes widened in fear which caused Harry's heart to break a little more.
