After Dumbledore and McGonagall left Ginny scurried away to get her broom and then flew up onto the school roof. She missed several classes, but that hardly seemed important anymore. She sat alone all day and evening, thinking. She was listing her arguments in her head--listing the reasons that Harry belonged in the real world, with her. Eventually she flew down, put away her broom, and walked up to the Gryffindor girls' dormitory. Hermione asked where she had been and Ginny answered "thinking." Hermione seemed to accept this and left the room. She wasn't quite sure where Hermione went, but it didn't seem like she was coming back so Ginny crawled under her covers. Ginny closed her eyes, however she didn't go to sleep. She carefully listened to the other girls until she was sure they were fast asleep. When they were, Ginny crept out of bed and tiptoed down into the Gryffindor common room, where she found Ron and Hermione sleeping in eachother's arms on one of the couches. She imagined how angry her mother would be if she knew. 'Well, I'm not going to tell her!' Ginny thought with a smile.
Ginny was surprised at how easy it was to sneak down to the infirmary, especially since she didn't even have Harry's invisibility cloak or the marauder's map! When she reached her destination, Ginny took a long moment to look at Harry. He didn't look like he was in danger. He was just lying there. In fact, he appeared to be snoring a bit. Ginny pulled the hair away from his forehead to look at his scar. She stared at him for a few seconds longer and then gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"I may never get to do that again--even if this works," she whispered. "After all, you've always wanted Cho-" Ginny scowled "-despite the fact that she's a boring, stupid, stuck-up, little--but that's just the jealousy talking. I suppose you did tell her you don't like her...but that doesn't help me. After all, if you liked me you would've just told me. After all, I've fancied you forever and you know it. I think. I suppose now I'm just stalling for time, huh? Pretty pathetic... talking to the unconcious."
Ginny stopped talking and stared into the gem.
---
She was in a clearing. The forest around the edge was so dense that it resembled a wall, preventing escape. The were no stars or clouds in the sky, only a bloated orange moon. Harry was standing in the middle of the clearing, next to a pond that shone in iridescent waves as if there were a film of oil on it. He was staring at her. Ginny cleared her throat.
"Harry, you know I think you're wonderful, but you're a bloody brainless fool. You keep beating yourself up for things that aren't your fault. If I was in your position, you would be telling me the same thing! Actually, you would probably find some way to say it was your fault! And I don't ever want to hear you say you wish Voldemort had killed you! Do you think that would have helped Sirius? No, he would prbably have had his soul sucked out by a dementor! Voldemort would be in power--my whole family would probably be dead! So don't you dare say you wish Voldemort had killed you!"
Harry stared at her.
"You give people hope. You are a symbol that Voldemort can be defeated. You... you belong in the real world Harry."
And the he smiled... but it was the terrible smile Ron had mentioned. Harry wasn't really happy and Ginny felt like the world was breaking.
"Harry..."
"I don't, Ginny. I don't belong there." He turned away.
"But you-"
Harry interrupted her, changing the subject: "why didn't you come when Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore all came?"
"They wouldn't have let me. Harry... if you don't go back, I won't either. I won't be able to. You-"
"Nonsense," Harry interrupted again, "none of the others had any trouble. You all belong there. You all have people who care about you... family..."
"But we all care about you! What about Professor Lupin? He's like family, or at least he should be!" She paused and watched him for a moment. "Harry... why wouldn't you talk to him? Why were you burning his letters?"
He still wouldn't look at her. "He... he might be angry... about Sirius."
"What? That's ridiculous! We've talked to him--you've talked to him--he's not mad at you! He knows it wasn't your fault! He needs someone to talk to just as much as you do!"
"No one needs a fool like me."
Ginny had scripted her response to such a statement, but found herself wildly throwing this plan into the abyss. Instead, she somehow began running towards him. As he turned around to face her, she knocked him onto the ground. She was sitting on him just like on the night she had caught him with the knife.
"You really are a moron, Harry Potter. I need you. I need you just like Hermione needs Ron and Ron needs Hermione. I love you."
---
Ginny suddenly found herself lying on the infirmary floor, next to Harry's bed. To her immense relief, he opened his eyes and looked around. When he spotted her he got out of bed, stood up, and then bent down to grab her hands. Harry pulled her up from the floor and put a hand on either side of her head, forcing her to face him.
"Is it true? It wasn't... it wasn't just some trick to get me out of... wherever I was?
"Of course it's true!"
"But... you said you were over me..."
"I was over that stupid crush. That wasn't even love. It was... I don't know! Hero worship! Now I know you, and I--I," Ginny took a deep breath, "I love you."
Harry's arms wrapped around Ginny and pulled her to him. He buried his face in her hair.
"Harry...?
"I love you too, Ginny."
Ginny was surprised at how easy it was to sneak down to the infirmary, especially since she didn't even have Harry's invisibility cloak or the marauder's map! When she reached her destination, Ginny took a long moment to look at Harry. He didn't look like he was in danger. He was just lying there. In fact, he appeared to be snoring a bit. Ginny pulled the hair away from his forehead to look at his scar. She stared at him for a few seconds longer and then gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"I may never get to do that again--even if this works," she whispered. "After all, you've always wanted Cho-" Ginny scowled "-despite the fact that she's a boring, stupid, stuck-up, little--but that's just the jealousy talking. I suppose you did tell her you don't like her...but that doesn't help me. After all, if you liked me you would've just told me. After all, I've fancied you forever and you know it. I think. I suppose now I'm just stalling for time, huh? Pretty pathetic... talking to the unconcious."
Ginny stopped talking and stared into the gem.
---
She was in a clearing. The forest around the edge was so dense that it resembled a wall, preventing escape. The were no stars or clouds in the sky, only a bloated orange moon. Harry was standing in the middle of the clearing, next to a pond that shone in iridescent waves as if there were a film of oil on it. He was staring at her. Ginny cleared her throat.
"Harry, you know I think you're wonderful, but you're a bloody brainless fool. You keep beating yourself up for things that aren't your fault. If I was in your position, you would be telling me the same thing! Actually, you would probably find some way to say it was your fault! And I don't ever want to hear you say you wish Voldemort had killed you! Do you think that would have helped Sirius? No, he would prbably have had his soul sucked out by a dementor! Voldemort would be in power--my whole family would probably be dead! So don't you dare say you wish Voldemort had killed you!"
Harry stared at her.
"You give people hope. You are a symbol that Voldemort can be defeated. You... you belong in the real world Harry."
And the he smiled... but it was the terrible smile Ron had mentioned. Harry wasn't really happy and Ginny felt like the world was breaking.
"Harry..."
"I don't, Ginny. I don't belong there." He turned away.
"But you-"
Harry interrupted her, changing the subject: "why didn't you come when Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore all came?"
"They wouldn't have let me. Harry... if you don't go back, I won't either. I won't be able to. You-"
"Nonsense," Harry interrupted again, "none of the others had any trouble. You all belong there. You all have people who care about you... family..."
"But we all care about you! What about Professor Lupin? He's like family, or at least he should be!" She paused and watched him for a moment. "Harry... why wouldn't you talk to him? Why were you burning his letters?"
He still wouldn't look at her. "He... he might be angry... about Sirius."
"What? That's ridiculous! We've talked to him--you've talked to him--he's not mad at you! He knows it wasn't your fault! He needs someone to talk to just as much as you do!"
"No one needs a fool like me."
Ginny had scripted her response to such a statement, but found herself wildly throwing this plan into the abyss. Instead, she somehow began running towards him. As he turned around to face her, she knocked him onto the ground. She was sitting on him just like on the night she had caught him with the knife.
"You really are a moron, Harry Potter. I need you. I need you just like Hermione needs Ron and Ron needs Hermione. I love you."
---
Ginny suddenly found herself lying on the infirmary floor, next to Harry's bed. To her immense relief, he opened his eyes and looked around. When he spotted her he got out of bed, stood up, and then bent down to grab her hands. Harry pulled her up from the floor and put a hand on either side of her head, forcing her to face him.
"Is it true? It wasn't... it wasn't just some trick to get me out of... wherever I was?
"Of course it's true!"
"But... you said you were over me..."
"I was over that stupid crush. That wasn't even love. It was... I don't know! Hero worship! Now I know you, and I--I," Ginny took a deep breath, "I love you."
Harry's arms wrapped around Ginny and pulled her to him. He buried his face in her hair.
"Harry...?
"I love you too, Ginny."