Author's Notes- Ah, my favourite chapter :D. This isn't the end.
I went to find her straight away. The common room was empty except for Ginny. Her small frame was curled up in an oversized chair in the soft golden light that always seemed to cling to her. Ginny was all fire to Blaise's ice. But ice could burn just as intensely as fire, and it was Blaise who had branded my heart so deeply. I would always love Ginny for the sweet-natured girl she was. But I could never live a lie.
"Ginny?" I whispered softly. Her eyes were closed.
"Harry!" Her eyelids flickered open instantly at my voice and I watched a smile light up her face. My heart twisted within me. She was so lovely, so luminous. I hated to see her hurt. But it had to be done. I pulled away as she reached up with her small hands. She looked puzzled. "I was waiting for you.." She said softly.
"Ginny... I need to speak to you," I saw the first flicker of doubt in her chestnut eyes.
"I think we should break up,"
No words had ever sounded so final and I watched the light fade from her face. She looked like a small, scared child.
"Harry.. why?" She asked slowly. I touched my hand to hers gently.
"I've fallen for someone else. Ginny, I'm sorry. I really am. I will always love you for the person you are, but he needs me.." I turned half-away and stared into the shadows of the common room. There was a long silence. When I turned back, her pain-filled eyes cut straight through me but I had to persist. Blaise's ultimatum ringing in my head.
"...Who is it?" She asked quietly.
"Blaise Zabini,"
A flicker of recognition and she nodded slowly. "Harry.. I would never tell you who to be with. But even I know what Blaise is like.. he's not the type to fall in love with. He'll break your heart, Harry. You don't deserve that. You're too good, too-"
I stopped her gently. "Ginny, *you* are too good to ever be hurt by anyone. I'm really sorry about all of this. You're the sweetest person anyone could ever hope to be with. But Blaise.. I need him as much as he needs someone to love him. I think he genuinely thinks he is worthless and it's not true. I love him. I barely know him, but I think we have something together,"
Tears shone in her wide eyes but did not spill. A faint smile touched her lips and she nodded slowly.
"Then I wish you well. I won't lie.. I am sorry we had to break up, but if he is that important to you, then.. I wish you both well,"
"Thank you Ginny," I wrapped my arms around her and tasted the faint, cinnamon scent of her clouds of fiery hair. I prayed fiercely that no-one else would ever hurt her as I had had to. She deserved so much better. But now I had other things to do. I felt her draw back and smile bravely. "Night," she whispered and padded quietly off to bed.
I collected my invisibility cloak and left the room. I had to find Blaise by midnight and make him mine.
- - - - - - -
Blaise was there in the tower already, lounging against a wall in a pool of silver moonlight. Candlelight kept respectfully away, casting him into darkness. My heart leapt.
"Potter," He acknowledged me neutrally and stood up straight. Waiting for my answer. I smiled. Hopefully this would persuade him he was more than a slut.
I took a deep breath. "I did it, Blaise. I've left Ginny,"
He turned away from me. I waited expectantly for his response and...
Blaise was... laughing.
I didn't understand, but his thin shoulders shook with laughter. He had never laughed before and he sounded.. malicious. A thin trickle of icy water seemed to slither through my euphoria. "Blaise?" I asked him uncertainly.
"You're pathetic, Potter"
He turned to face me and I saw a cold smile dance across his pale features. A sick sense of dread sank through me as I saw him. Blaise's eyes were darkened with smouldering hatred as he spat ice-cold venom.
"I know you love me. I knew all along that you'd crawl a thousand miles over broken glass to watch me undress before you. I knew you'd drop the Weasley bitch in a heartbeat for me, if I asked you to. I knew that you'd climb the highest mountain just to masturbate in my shadow. And what a fool you've made of yourself. You gave up the *best thing that ever happened to you*, all over me. Gave up someone like Ginny Weasley for a quick-fuck slut! Potter, you amaze me,"
The pure hatred in his usually sweet voice hit me like cyanide-spiked pink lemonade. Could he possibly be serious? I tried to speak, but the words choked and died before they left my throat. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I stumbled over the simplest words "Blaise.. why... what are you saying?"
"You don't get it, do you?" His eyes shone bright and I saw a tiny swirl of purple dance deep in there, the only colour I had ever seen in Blaise. "I *used* you, Potter. You lost Ginny all because of me. You seriously thought that I would ever want to be with a Gryffindor. Did you think we'd settle down and have a nice little house? I could bake cookies while you were out capturing my former house members? Forget it, Potter. You lost everything- your friends, Ginny, your dignity.. all because of me,"
Blaise's voice was as cold as ice, as cold as *life*, and it pierced me to my core. He swept his black sheet of hair back gracefully. His too-thin frame was straight and steady beneath his loose robes. "That's what happens when you fall in love with a whore," He said coolly and with that parting shot, swept from the room. The candles dipped in salute and then the tiny flames died and I was left alone.
I went to find her straight away. The common room was empty except for Ginny. Her small frame was curled up in an oversized chair in the soft golden light that always seemed to cling to her. Ginny was all fire to Blaise's ice. But ice could burn just as intensely as fire, and it was Blaise who had branded my heart so deeply. I would always love Ginny for the sweet-natured girl she was. But I could never live a lie.
"Ginny?" I whispered softly. Her eyes were closed.
"Harry!" Her eyelids flickered open instantly at my voice and I watched a smile light up her face. My heart twisted within me. She was so lovely, so luminous. I hated to see her hurt. But it had to be done. I pulled away as she reached up with her small hands. She looked puzzled. "I was waiting for you.." She said softly.
"Ginny... I need to speak to you," I saw the first flicker of doubt in her chestnut eyes.
"I think we should break up,"
No words had ever sounded so final and I watched the light fade from her face. She looked like a small, scared child.
"Harry.. why?" She asked slowly. I touched my hand to hers gently.
"I've fallen for someone else. Ginny, I'm sorry. I really am. I will always love you for the person you are, but he needs me.." I turned half-away and stared into the shadows of the common room. There was a long silence. When I turned back, her pain-filled eyes cut straight through me but I had to persist. Blaise's ultimatum ringing in my head.
"...Who is it?" She asked quietly.
"Blaise Zabini,"
A flicker of recognition and she nodded slowly. "Harry.. I would never tell you who to be with. But even I know what Blaise is like.. he's not the type to fall in love with. He'll break your heart, Harry. You don't deserve that. You're too good, too-"
I stopped her gently. "Ginny, *you* are too good to ever be hurt by anyone. I'm really sorry about all of this. You're the sweetest person anyone could ever hope to be with. But Blaise.. I need him as much as he needs someone to love him. I think he genuinely thinks he is worthless and it's not true. I love him. I barely know him, but I think we have something together,"
Tears shone in her wide eyes but did not spill. A faint smile touched her lips and she nodded slowly.
"Then I wish you well. I won't lie.. I am sorry we had to break up, but if he is that important to you, then.. I wish you both well,"
"Thank you Ginny," I wrapped my arms around her and tasted the faint, cinnamon scent of her clouds of fiery hair. I prayed fiercely that no-one else would ever hurt her as I had had to. She deserved so much better. But now I had other things to do. I felt her draw back and smile bravely. "Night," she whispered and padded quietly off to bed.
I collected my invisibility cloak and left the room. I had to find Blaise by midnight and make him mine.
- - - - - - -
Blaise was there in the tower already, lounging against a wall in a pool of silver moonlight. Candlelight kept respectfully away, casting him into darkness. My heart leapt.
"Potter," He acknowledged me neutrally and stood up straight. Waiting for my answer. I smiled. Hopefully this would persuade him he was more than a slut.
I took a deep breath. "I did it, Blaise. I've left Ginny,"
He turned away from me. I waited expectantly for his response and...
Blaise was... laughing.
I didn't understand, but his thin shoulders shook with laughter. He had never laughed before and he sounded.. malicious. A thin trickle of icy water seemed to slither through my euphoria. "Blaise?" I asked him uncertainly.
"You're pathetic, Potter"
He turned to face me and I saw a cold smile dance across his pale features. A sick sense of dread sank through me as I saw him. Blaise's eyes were darkened with smouldering hatred as he spat ice-cold venom.
"I know you love me. I knew all along that you'd crawl a thousand miles over broken glass to watch me undress before you. I knew you'd drop the Weasley bitch in a heartbeat for me, if I asked you to. I knew that you'd climb the highest mountain just to masturbate in my shadow. And what a fool you've made of yourself. You gave up the *best thing that ever happened to you*, all over me. Gave up someone like Ginny Weasley for a quick-fuck slut! Potter, you amaze me,"
The pure hatred in his usually sweet voice hit me like cyanide-spiked pink lemonade. Could he possibly be serious? I tried to speak, but the words choked and died before they left my throat. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I stumbled over the simplest words "Blaise.. why... what are you saying?"
"You don't get it, do you?" His eyes shone bright and I saw a tiny swirl of purple dance deep in there, the only colour I had ever seen in Blaise. "I *used* you, Potter. You lost Ginny all because of me. You seriously thought that I would ever want to be with a Gryffindor. Did you think we'd settle down and have a nice little house? I could bake cookies while you were out capturing my former house members? Forget it, Potter. You lost everything- your friends, Ginny, your dignity.. all because of me,"
Blaise's voice was as cold as ice, as cold as *life*, and it pierced me to my core. He swept his black sheet of hair back gracefully. His too-thin frame was straight and steady beneath his loose robes. "That's what happens when you fall in love with a whore," He said coolly and with that parting shot, swept from the room. The candles dipped in salute and then the tiny flames died and I was left alone.