A/N: Ending
Two. It's almost over, guys…
Disclaimer: It was never mine, it's not mine now, and it probably will
never BE mine – but a girl can still write FanFiction, can't she? And hope. I
always hope. :-)
Mixed Messages
By Ariel Star
Ending Two
Harry and Ginny walked back to the castle, Harry's arm slung about
Ginny's shoulder and Ginny leaning into him contentedly. They walked through
the doors to the Great Hall still positioned like this, and were both appalled
and terrified to find Ron waiting for them right on the other side.
"So," he said. There was venom in his voice. Harry, for the first time
in perhaps his entire life, felt afraid of Ron. He'd never seen his best friend
like this. Ginny, on the other hand, had experienced Ron's rage before, and
knew it was no picnic. He was, hands down, one of the most temperamental
Weasleys.
"Ron," she began in a calm, soothing, pacifying voice. "Don't start
jumping to conclusions - "
"Oh," he said, an odd, suspicious grin on his face, "and what
conclusions are you implying I'd jump to?"
Ginny blushed. Harry tightened his arm around her shoulder. "Ron," he
said, "Ginny and I have to talk to you…"
Ron looked down at him. "So you've finally decided to let me in on it,
have you?" he asked.
Ginny looked confused, but Harry looked nothing short of ashamed. "I'm
– sorry," he said shortly. "Sorry. I wasn't honest with you at the beginning of
summer. I knew you wouldn't like it if I told you that I liked Ginny, and - "
"Did you honestly think," Ron said slowly, "that I wouldn't figure it
out?"
"It was too much to hope," Ginny quipped. Ron gave her a look that
clearly stated it was no time for jokes. Ginny fell silent.
"Ron," Harry started again. "I know that you watch out for Ginny, and
she's your little sister and everything, for goodness' sake, and I only wanted
to -"
" 'S all right," Ron said abruptly. Harry stuttered to a stop.
"What?"
"I guess – I reckon that if Ginny has to grow up sometime, I'd rather
have her going 'round with someone I know and trust than someone I don't," Ron
said slowly. Ginny looked up, hardly daring to believe her ears. Of course, she
and Harry would have spent time together regardless of Ron's opinion of their
relationship, but it was so much easier to have his blessing. He was her
brother and Harry's best friend, neither positions to be taken lightly.
Harry looked like he'd been severely shaken, spun around a few times,
and then pushed. "You – you mean it?" he asked Ron.
"Reckon so," Ron mumbled. Ginny smiled. They were so pathetic.
Hermione sailed over. "So it's all settled?" she asked brightly.
"Ginny and Harry are hooked up, and Ron's given the all clear?"
Harry and Ginny looked at her, stunned. "You made him do this?" Harry
asked.
"Oh, no," Hermione said quickly. "I only talked some sense into this
gangling, stubborn boy." She stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick peck on the
cheek.
"Hermione," Ron said, rubbing his cheek vigorously, "Gerroff." He
blushed. Ginny burst into laughter, leaning into Harry for support. Harry
looked at Hermione.
"You're a miracle worker," he said gratefully. "Thanks."
"It was nothing," Hermione stated with a sweep of her hand. "Now, what
about Justin and Cho?"
"Oh, I think – I think that's taken care of," Harry said distantly.
Ginny looked in the direction in which Harry was so fixedly gazing and saw
Justin dancing with Cho, was looked radiantly happy. Justin was gazing into her
eyes.
Ginny felt as though someone had stuck a large, spark-emitting wand
into the pit of her stomach. Harry looked remarkably similar. They glanced at
each other and Ginny felt her pain lessening. Why shouldn't Justin be dancing
with Cho? She had Harry, and that was enough. To be honest with herself, she
had liked Justin as a little more than a friend – at first. But now, she only
wanted to be friends, because she had Harry, and she did want Justin to be
happy. If he could be happy with Cho, then more power to him. Harry interrupted
her thoughts.
"Can you believe our dates ditched us for each other?" Harry
whispered.
"No," Ginny whispered back. (The reason for the whispering was that
Ron and Hermione seemed to be rather preoccupied with each other, and they
didn't give the impression that they wanted to be disturbed.)
"Come on," Ginny whispered. She took Harry's hand and dragged him over
towards where Cho and Justin had set up camp. Sidling up behind him, she said
loudly, "Hi there, Justin!"
Justin whirled around and saw Ginny. He had the decency to look
embarrassed, but at the same time his jaw was set. "Oh, hi, Ginny," he said.
"Listen, can I talk to you?"
"Sure," Ginny said agreeably. They walked off a little ways, and Ginny
glanced over her shoulder as she was leaving and saw Harry talking quietly to
Cho. Justin faced Ginny, took a deep breath, and a tirade of words began to
pour out of his mouth in explanation of what Ginny had just witnessed.
"Whoa," Ginny laughed, holding up a hand, "slow down. I came over her
to talk to you, to tell you that I was going out with Harry Potter, now." She
blushed a tiny bit. "You're not mad, are you?" she asked. It wouldn't have mattered,
but she still wanted him for a friend.
Justin's eyes looked abnormally large. "Mad?" he echoed faintly. "No –
no! I'm not mad. In fact…" he blinked, and looked at the floor. "What I started
out to tell you was – I only wanted to be friends, too. While you were gone, I
danced with Cho a few times, and - " he stopped. He looked unhappy, but
excitement shone through his blue eyes. "Well, I like her. As in…" he faded
off.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ginny said. She was fighting back a
laugh.
"Yeah." Justin looked relieved. "So – friends?"
"Friends," Ginny replied, smiling. They walked back over to where
Harry and Cho had been standing to find Cho giving Harry a hug, Harry's face on
fire but a smile on it as well. She broke away and grinned at Ginny.
"Everything seems to be working out, doesn't it?" She said.
"It sure does," Ginny agreed wholeheartedly, looking at Harry. He
slipped an arm around her waist. She leaned into his shoulder.
"You know," Justin chuckled, "Any other time, if some guy had walked
out of here with my date, I would have been boiling – but considering I walked
out with his…" They all laughed.
Dumbledore walked slowly up onto the stage and announced the last song
of the evening. Ginny smiled at Harry. As she slipped her arms around his neck,
she looked around the Hall at all her friends and family.
Hermione and Ron, on her left, gazing into each other's eyes without a
word passing between them as they danced;
Cho and Justin, on her right, both smiling contentedly as Cho laid her
head on Justin's shoulder, as Ginny had done only earlier that night;
Raven and Seamus, whom she could see over Harry's shoulder, swaying to
the music, and Ginny watched as Seamus leaned his head down and gave Raven a
soft kiss on the cheek. Raven closed her eyes.
Gwen and Robby, dancing down left of them, talking quietly as they
danced;
George and Alicia, laughing as they danced, along with Fred and
Angelina, who were right next to them.
Ginny smiled and closed her eyes. Harry spoke softly. "You okay?"
"Yes," Ginny said. "It all worked out, didn't it?" She looked up at
him, the smile in her eyes and her heart as well as on her face.
"I'll say," Harry said, leaning down to kiss her.
THE END (OF ENDING 2)
Author's Final Note: Well, are you guys happy, or do you want another
ending? I'm open for suggestions! Either way, I have enjoyed writing this story
very much, and I have enjoyed your reviews enormously. Thanks for being so nice
and I sincerely hope that if I post another story, you will be as supportive as
you have been this time around. Thanks again to TsukiKou for posting my story
for all of you to read. :-) ~Yours, Ariel Star
