DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter, other characters, and places in this fanfic are from JK Rowling's brilliant mind. I don't own them, okay?
Chapter 14: Ginny's Dilemma
After Flooing in from Three Broomsticks, Ginny decided to get her Nimbus 2500 and fly around to get her mind off things. After flying for more than an hour, she landed carefully on Harry's apartment rooftop to visit Ron. With just to days till the big day, the apartment must be in some kind of mess.
She knocked three times and Harry opened the door.
"Hi." She greeted.
"Hi." He stood there for a while, looking at Ginny disbelievingly. "C-come in…"
She smiled. "Where's Ron?"
"He's out with Hermione, as usual." Harry smiled back and stepped aside to let her in. "Can I make you anything? Tea?"
"That would be nice." She said and settled herself on the kitchen table.
"What are you up to?" Harry asked as he poured tea for Ginny.
"Just flying around, you know…" She answered.
"What do you plan now, after Hogwarts, I mean. Do you plan to into the Ministry?" Harry sat down across her.
"I don't know yet. I might but really, I want to take some time off. Have fun before getting into something." She answered. Then there was an uncomfortable silence.
"I see that most of Ron's things are in Godric's Hollow already." She broke the silence.
Harry glanced at the living room. "Yeah. The apartment seemed so empty now that Ron's moving out."
"Most of Hermione's are there already, too." She said.
Harry nodded then looked at his teacup as if something interesting is going on inside it.
"I think I better go." Ginny got up. "Just tell Ron I dropped by." She said.
"O-okay." Harry got up, too and walked her to the door. "I'll see you then."
"Yeah." Ginny said when she reached the door. Then another awkward silence. "I better go." Ginny was about to turn the knob when –
"Do you want to stay for dinner? I can cook something out of the fridge or maybe conjure something up." Harry asked hopefully.
Ginny's face slowly broke into a smile but quickly got rid of it as soon as she faced Harry. "O-okay."
And they went back into the kitchen to cook up dinner.
It wasn't as sumptuous as the feasts in Hogwarts but that was one of the best dinners Harry had in a long time. He and Ginny managed to mash potatoes and make a salad without magic but their roast beef needed some help as well as the chocolate pudding he attempted to make. The two of them dropped on the couch, side by side, both clutching teacups.
"That was one heck of a dinner." Harry said.
"Yeah. I don't know how I'll manage to fit in my gown." She chuckled. "Funny those Muggle gowns are. Shows very many flesh."
Harry shrugged. Hermione's parents wanted the entourage to wear Muggle clothing at the wedding, so that Hermione can wear her mother's old wedding gown, which she really saved for that occasion.
"Don't worry, you would still look beautiful." Harry said.
Ginny turned to him and smiled. "Really?"
"Really." Harry looked at her face, into her eyes. They haven't been this close before. Ginny's eyes were mesmerizing. Her ruby red lips are inviting his to come and kiss it. He slowly leaned forward to touch his lips to hers. She felt her warm breath on his face, any moment now he'll feel those lips on his –
"Harry, I'm home!"
As if suddenly awaken from a spell, the two sprang away from each other. Ginny, turning red all over and Harry felt heat creeping to his cheeks.
"Did I disturb you or anything?" Ron asked, his eyes sparkling.
"N-no." Harry stood up quickly. He knew he was blushing furiously and he hated Ron for barging in that way. It could have been the moment he'd been waiting for in a long time but thanks to his best friend, the moment disappeared into thin air.
"I was just checking if you needed any more of my help." Ginny asked shyly.
"No, think all's well. We all have to rest tomorrow for the big day." Ron let himself fall on the lounge chair. "And then this will all be over."
Harry looked at Ron and then his eyes met Ginny's. Over? After the wedding, his life would never be the same again.
It seemed as if her feet isn't touching the ground as she crossed the alley to her apartment. Judging from the dim lights glowing under Hermione's bedroom, Hermione hit the sack early tonight to get ready for the day after tomorrow. She quietly entered her room and glanced on the gown that is hanging in front of her closet. It is in a very light shade of lilac accented with pink, purple and yellow flowers on the hem and the neckline. Her lilac stilettos are on the floor beside it.
She touched the delicate fabric and looked at herself on the mirror hanging on her wall. Her cheeks are still flushed. She can't believe at what almost happened between her and Harry. If it happened, it sure wasn't her first kiss but she never felt her heart pounding that way when Harry was so close to her. Oh well, thanks to her wonderful brother, the kiss never took place. At least it almost did.
She changed into her pajamas and jumped into bed, her lips still in a smile, which has been plastered on her face since she left Harry's apartment. She closed her and let her other senses feel the environment around her. She never felt her bed this soft or the wind so warm or the smell of lilacs and chamomile though she never placed flowers in her bedroom.
Her mind wandered off to the apartment across the alley. To the guy with a lightning scar on his forehead and eyes as green as grass on springtime morning. To feeling she felt when he was oh so near and the anticipation on their almost kiss.
But suddenly a voice in the back of her mind seems to pull her back to reality. She tried to fight that force and go back to dreaming of the boy whom she truly loves. But the force of her conscience is stronger. She came back spiraling into reality and a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes replaced the boy with green eyes and black hair.
She quickly opened her eyes and picked her and Colin's picture from her side table. She needs to be fair with Colin. She needed to talk to him.
She was about to get up from her bed when she heard an owl tapping on her window. It was the Creevey's owl. She has a letter from Colin.
Ginny mounted her Nimbus 2500 early the next morning. Colin asked her to meet him at the meadow behind Hogsmeade. He said it was urgent. She answered his letter thinking that this could be the opportunity to tell Colin what she had in mind.
She arrived at the meadow a few minutes past eight in the morning. She saw Colin's familiar figure sitting on a blue checked blanket.
She landed a few feet away from his blanket. "Hey, Colin, why do you want me this early?"
Colin smiled at her and asked her to sit down beside him, which she did.
"I wanted to ask you something." Colin said just as she said. "I need to tell you something."
"Oh okay, go ahead then." Colin said, still smiling.
"No, Colin, go ahead, you first." She insisted.
"Okay." Colin drew a deep breath. "I've been thinking, Ginny and during the time I spent at home, I have decided to finally get this over with."
Ginny's eyes followed his hands as it dipped into his robes. She had a very bad feeling about this. And when he pulled out a black velvet box, she knew her intuition was right.
Colin opened the box before her and a diamond solitaire ring came into view. "Will you marry me, Ginny?"
Ginny looked at the ring first then at Colin, whose face displayed both excitement and anxiety. She hated breaking anybody's heart or turning anybody down. She knew how much Colin loved her, maybe enough love for the two of them, but she knew that if she accepted Colin's offer, she would end up hurting them both. Better break his heart now than later.
"Oh, Colin," She said, her stomach lurching at every syllable she muttered. "I can't accept that." She closed the box and shoved it to him. "I just can't"
Colin looked gloomy at what she said; it was as if he would suddenly burst in tears. "It's him, isn't it?"
"Who?"
"Harry. It's Harry, isn't it? You still love him, don't you?" He demanded.
A single tear fell down from her eye and she nodded slowly.
Colin threw his head over his knees. She knew he was fighting his sobs. "I'm sorry Colin, believe me I loved you but…"
"But you love him more." He finished her sentence.
She fell silent. She tried to put her hand on his shoulders but he won't let her. "I'm sorry Colin." Tears flowed steadily. She quickly got up and mounted her broomstick. She quickly kicked and flew without looking back.
Harry was looking out in the lanai when he saw Ginny land there. She gave them a muttered "Morning" as she came in.
"Where have you been this early in the morning?" Ron demanded.
Ginny looked at him and Harry saw that she's been crying.
"Oh, Ginny, are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"Yeah," She turned and dragged her broomstick towards her room. "I'll be fine." And she shut the door behind her.
"I'll see what that's about." Hermione got up and followed Ginny.
Harry just looked after them, half wanting to follow them to comfort Ginny and half wanting to find out who made her cry to him (or her) a good beating.
"So, what time will you be checking in Three Broomsticks later?" Ron asked, disrupting his thoughts.
"Yeah, I was thinking sometime after lunch." He answered, biting on a toast and following it with hot chocolate.
"Good, good." Ron said. Harry could feel a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Are you okay, Ron?" Harry asked though Ron wasn't able to answer because Hermione burst into the room.
"I don't know if this is good news or bad news." She started. "Colin proposed to Ginny this morning."
Harry could almost feel the earth shake and open up to eat him, suddenly he felt dizzy so he rested his back on the couch and caught some breath.
"And?" Ron stood up at Hermione's news.
"She turned him down."
Harry felt air suddenly filling his lungs and as if the couch was a cloud. "Does that mean…"
"They're through." If what he said was a question, Hermione answered it.
The three fell silent then Ron looked at him meaningfully. "You'll be a fool if you let her slip away this time."
Before Harry could remark, they heard someone knocking on the door. Hermione rushed to open it. Ron looked surprised and Harry was speechless.
It was Cho Chang.
Harry chose to fly to Three Broomsticks immediately after lunch to get the inn ready for the wedding the next day. Before he left Ginny's apartment, he overheard Ginny telling Hermione that she'll check in before four in the afternoon.
Cho Chang was sitting on one of the lounge chairs in the lobby when he arrived that afternoon. He went to the front desk to get his keys and went over to sit with her.
"Hey, Cho. How are you?" He asked.
"Okay." She answered. "And you, Harry?"
"I'm okay. How's China this time of the year?" Harry fumbled with his keys. Cho was offered a teaching job in the Chinese Wizarding School and she quickly took the offer.
"We're okay. I flew in just to attend the wedding. I have to be back as soon as possible. We have lots of things to do because the Ministry of Magic there wants to change the curriculum in accordance to the new International Ministry." She said. "I heard you're one of Britain's ambassadors."
"Me and Ron." He said. "But our work will be finished in a month's time. Dumbledore has yet to assign us to a new designation."
Cho nodded. Harry looked at her. She was still very beautiful He knew that she was really affected by Cedric Diggory's death some four years ago. She hasn't recovered till her last year in Hogwarts. Now, she seemed perfectly well. Though he can still see some sadness in her black eyes.
"Hey, I think I better go upstairs to rest." She stood up.
"Okay." Harry just followed her with his gaze then he shouted, "How about tea around three later?"
Cho looked back at him and flashed him one of her incredible smiles. "Okay." And she went up to the rooms.
Ginny walked in the lobby of Three Broomsticks Inn at fifteen past four in the afternoon. She was walking to the front desk when she saw Harry's figure flash from afar. He was walking towards the small café in the lobby with a girl with black hair in blue robes. She thought it was Angela at first but when they sat down on a table, she got better view of the girl which made her drop her bag. It was Cho Chang. The girl Harry's been chasing around Hogwarts a few years back.
"Anything I can do for you, miss?" The front desk clerk stole her attention from the two.
"Y-yes. I'm Virginia Weasley. I have reservations." She said.
"Oh, yes. For the wedding." The clerk smiled and gave her a key. "Room 240."
"Thank you." She said curtly and went up, not throwing a glace at the café to avoid seeing Harry and Cho talking animatedly.
Her was quite nice with white furnishings and curtains. The only colors in the room were the paintings of flowers in the walls. But despite the beauty of her room, she felt gloomy.
What Angela told her yesterday made her feel somewhat happy but seeing Cho Chang again and how Harry used to go head over heels with her then, now, she felt very helpless again.
That's the fourteenth chapter… the end is near my friends…. Hehe. Please R/R.