Hey guys! It's here, the last chapter! Yes yes, sad, I know. But the sequel's in the works as we speak! Meaning I'll probably post the first chapter sometime tomorrow. Yay! Anyway, sorry I didn't post this last night-something always happens when I say I'll post the bonus one! Well, last night, I got tired and was about to finish, but everything I was writing was just, well, crappy. And I didn't want to give you guys a crappy finale, so I had to do it today and make it all nice and better. So I hope you forgive me, and enjoy the chapter! And the next story's going to be called 'Take It or Leave It' . I know, random at first, but you'll understand later, alright? And I'll post an a/n to give you guys the link, okay?? Hope you like it! I'm out!

Lauren

Disclaimer: Yo, I don't own Harry Potter, so lay off me! (heehee)

Chapter thirty-five

Distressing Denouement

"Harry, stop it! You've got to get your head together before you do anything irrational!" Ron yelled, grabbing Harry's tense wrist and spinning him around.

Harry sighed and relaxed a little. Ron was right. This was completely unlike him. He took a deep breath, sat down in one of the chairs, and watched the fire.

"I just…I just don't understand why she did that…I know she was upset, but…" he couldn't find a way to voice what he was thinking. Hell, he didn't even know what he was thinking in the first place.

"Harry, I'm sure that it meant nothing to her, nothing at all. You know how much she loves you Harry. Come on, admit it! You know it, and I know it. Hermione knows it…bloody hell Harry, my whole family knows! The whole school knows! Even Trelawney could tell you that! I mean, you can't possibly think that she would actually give you up for Malfoy, can you?" Ron said, easing Harry's mind. He was right. She had told him she loved him. He had almost given up on them, and she chased him down and made the first move, something neither of them believed she could ever do. She put up with the fact that he took forever to realize how he felt about her. And she still loved him. All this time she had dealt with his issues, and she hadn't complained one bit. She really did love him, didn't she... This sudden realization really took Harry by surprise. The idea that someone could love another person without them even knowing it. It was a very strange concept indeed, but it put a smile on his face.

"See? There you go! You know it's true! I think you guys should talk to each other, you know, apologize and all that. You guys will be just fine! Now do you wanna go get her, or shall I?" he asked cheerfully. Harry stood up determinedly.

"I think I'll go get her," he said as he headed up the stairs.

He knocked on the door and slowly pushed it open. He peeked in and saw Ginny walking around and Hermione sitting in her chair.

"Ginny, I was wondering if I could talk to you…" he asked pointedly, and Hermione got the hint. She stood up, smiled faintly at the two of them, and slid past Harry and down the stairs.

Harry walked inside and sat in the now vacant chair, facing Ginny.

"Ginny, I wanted to apologize about today, I was really out of line, and mean, and we shouldn't have been spying on you…" he started, hoping she would jump in any time and forgive him. But she stayed silent, still pacing around the room.

After a few moments of discerning silence, she stopped and sat on the end of the bed next to his chair.

"Harry, there's something I have to tell you…" she said wearily.

"If it's about Malfoy, I already know!" he said cheerfully, hoping it would fix the situation.

"I know what happened, it's okay! I mean, at first I was mad, but I thought about it, and I understood why, and it's okay!"

Ginny looked at him suspiciously.

"Wait-how do you know?"

"Erm, well, see, I uh…" he stalled. Crap, what do I tell her?? He sighed.

"Ginny, I heard through the door…Ron and I, we were listening," he whispered. Ginny dropped her shoulders and closed her eyes, lowering her head.

Harry watched her as she began to pace the length of the room again. I wonder what she's thinking right now…it can't be good, whatever it is…

Finally, she stood still and leaned against the bedpost away from Harry.

"Harry, I care about you a whole lot. In fact, of all the people I know, I may care about you the most. Which is why what I'm about to say may seem very… unexpected. And I'm not quite sure how to say it, so um, bear with me, alright?" Harry nodded slowly. Ginny looked down at the floor as she spoke.

"It's really hard to be in a relationship when you don't trust each other. And even though you might try to deny it, you don't trust me Harry." Harry opened his mouth to rebut her statement, but she held her hand up to stop him. Harry reluctantly closed his mouth and looked at the floor.

"Let's face it Harry, you've spied on me twice now. Twice, in one day! Harry, what am I supposed to think? People don't spy on each other when they trust each other! This isn't right; we can't just keep going on like this…" Harry kept shaking his head, he couldn't understand what she was saying. "Just admit it! Please, it would make this so much easier…" she said, fighting back the tears she could feel building up behind her eyes. Don't cry, whatever you do, don't cry…

She began pacing around the room again, as Harry watched her wring her hands. He wondered when she would stop.

"Today, when I left the field, and I was following Malfoy, all I could think about was how much I wanted to get away from you, and how angry I with you. And I didn't even realize it until he kissed me, but I wanted so much to do anything I could to upset you. Harry, you know that's not normal. No one should think that about anyone. Especially not someone they love. And I love you Harry. I really love you. But--"

"But what?" he asked weakly.

"But we can't do this. Not now. I can't take it. You don't trust me, and I subconsciously want to hurt you. That's just how it is. And even if we keep trying, I can't convince you to trust me, and you cant not express yourself just so that I won't get upset and start this all over again. Which is why I think its best if-"

She couldn't do it. The tears were threatening to burst through at any moment. She felt her hands trembling behind her back. She stuffed them in her robe pockets and tried her best to look at Harry.

"I think we shouldn't be together. We should stop. Now, before we hurt each other any more," she said finally.

Harry stared at her blankly. We're breaking up? But-but-I love you! he shouted inside his mind.

"Yes, I guess so…" was all he could say.

He's not even going to try and deny it? Wow, I guess I was right, she thought sadly.

"Well then, I suppose it's settled then. We shouldn't be together…right?" she asked, giving him one more chance.

"No, I suppose you're right…we uh, shouldn't be together," he said emotionlessly as he stood up to leave. Ginny's heart sank, but she didn't show it. He moved towards the door, walked out, and headed downstairs, throwing Ginny one last weak smile. She closed the door and collapsed on the bed, buried her head in her pillow and sobbed.

Harry sat in a chair next to Ron and Hermione and didn't say a word. He just gazed into the fire, watching the flames flicker up and down, like the waves of the ocean. The fire hypnotized him, and for a moment, everything was lifted from his mind and thrown into the flames…and along with it went his heart.