A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters.
I can finally post this here on ! It's already posted on ao3 as part of the sing me a rare collection.
Word Count: 1149
Ginny slammed the door shut. She was living back at the Burrow. She hadn't expected to end up back here, she hadn't expected anything that had happened in her life. She hadn't planned on there being a war. She hadn't planned on falling in love with the so called 'Boy Who Lived' only to have her heart turn against her.
She should have seen that coming. He was too busy playing hero, pushing her aside, saying it was for her own good. She didn't believe it anymore. But when push came to shove, she'd done everything she could to help him, to save him. That had only ended up in her being thrown into the past, too far in the past. For too long she tried to find a way home, but finally giving in and starting a new life there. That was when everything fell into place.
This time, this place, she found someone. She hadn't been looking, she'd been trying to save the future, but life had a way of happening. She'd found someone who shared her heart, someone she wasn't second thought to. Alice was everything. Even now, sneaking out of her parents' house, her house, in the middle of the night, Alice was very much on her mind.
"You are so much more than you realize, Gin," Alice had promised, causing Ginny to laugh. They'd been headed to potions when Ginny had commented how she didn't belong.
"What am I then? I'm lost, Alice. I made a mistake, misused everything I knew, only for what?"
"For us to be together," Alice had answered, giving Ginny a kiss.
Ginny touched her cheek and sighed. This was her real time, where she was supposed to be. Tears pricked her eyes. She had wanted to stay there with Alice. She had done everything in her power to do just that. Could Alice ever forgive her for leaving? It hadn't been Ginny's choice, she'd been manipulated, been used. A small part of her knew Alice was here, in this time, older, but here. After all this time, could they reconcile what Ginny had done. She knew Alice had married Frank, that hadn't changed. Nothing had changed in the past, save for Ginny's broken heart.
The night air was cool as Ginny walked. She knew visiting hours wouldn't start for a bit, but she needed to figure out what she was going to say. Frank had died last year. She'd cried when she heard. She'd liked Frank alright and was glad Alice had found love with him. He was the right kind of guy for her, the same way Ginny had been the right kind of girl. She saw a lot of him in Neville, the same way her heart broke every time Neville smiled. It was Alice's smile, a smile she couldn't stop thinking about, a smile that pushed her from even trying to find love again.
"Another piece of gum?"
"What can I say, it's my favorite. Mum hates it when I chew at home. Want some?"
"Sure," Ginny answers as Alice hands her a piece. She unwraps it and chews thoughtfully.
"Knut for your thoughts, Gin?"
"Just thinking, what if, what if there is a war? It's looking like it."
"Then we'll fight, simple as that. We can fight by each other's sides. I can nurse you back to health after you take some wayward spell," Alice teased. Ginny laughed.
"You're going to make a wonderful healer," she answered, kissing Alice softly. The smell of bubble gum filling both their noses.
"Good. And you're going to make an amazing whatever you decide to be," Alice answered, giving Ginny another kiss.
Ginny stood outside the hospital. The war had come and gone, then come and gone again. She smiled slightly thinking about how she'd raised hell, but Alice hadn't been there to save her. Alice had been here, trapped in her own mind since the first war. Tears pricked Ginny's eyes again. She had wanted nothing more than to stay with Alice. She would have protected her, protected everyone.
Although, if she'd been there... Alice never would have been a target. Ginny shook that thought from her head. She couldn't blame Alice for moving on any more than she could blame herself for leaving. She hadn't made that choice. It had been made for her as Dumbledore had found out the truth and slung Ginny back to her own time.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside. There were people everywhere, healers, patients, family members visiting. She climbed the stairs two, three, at a time. She wondered if Alice would even be able to hear her. She had to tell her the truth, had to let her know she hadn't forgotten. Alice's room was quiet. The walls were painted white with a faded blue stripe. The beds were empty for the most part, separated by white curtains. Alice's was at the end. Ginny walked towards it, her heart pounding in her chest. Alice was sitting in a chair staring blankly out the window.
"Hey, Alice. It's Gin," Ginny said, putting a hand on Alice's shoulder. Alice didn't respond, but Ginny had figured that would be the case.
"I know I made some mistakes, with you, with us. I mean, I didn't even get to say 'good-bye'. I'm sorry I left, I regret letting him send me back, for not fighting for us. I loved you, Alice. I still do, honestly. I keep dreaming of waking up next to you, the whole room smelling like bubble gum," Ginny laughed, sitting down next to Alice. She put her hand on hers. For a moment, Alice's fingers curled around Ginny's hand.
"Maybe you can hear me then? I came here to say... I don't know what I came here to say honestly. I know we can't have what we had. You've grown up to be someone, I grew up too I guess. I mean, age doesn't make much of a difference anymore," Ginny prattled. She stopped when she felt Alice move. Suddenly Ginny found herself looking into Alice's chocolate brown eyes, one little spark of something shining in the back. Ginny felt Alice's lips pressing against hers, hard. The kiss only lasted a minute before Alice pulled back, her eyes blank again. Ginny smiled, tears falling from her eyes. Alice was still in there, somewhere.
"I love you, I've loved you all along, and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I've been away," Ginny whispered, holding Alice's hand in her own. "I'll find a way to bring you back. You're never going to be too far away from me," she promised. Alice didn't speak, but she curled her fingers around Ginny's hand. For just an instant, it seemed like the room filled with the smell of bubble gum as Ginny and Alice stared out the window, together but still so far away.