Interlude: Ron and Harry in the garden, Hermione and Ginny in Ginny's room
Ron and Harry in the garden
Ron walked through the garden until he found Harry, he was poking at a Gnome hole.
"Are you alright Harry?" he asked, sitting down next to him.
"I don't know Ron," Harry looked over at his best friend. "I think that I'm falling in love." He turned his head back toward the Gnome hole.
Ron stared at him, "It's not Hermione, is it?" he asked, looking at Harry like he had two heads.
"No Ron, it's not Hermione," he looked up. "It's Ginny."
Ron clapped him on the back, "If she's going to have a boyfriend, there's no one that I would rather it be."
"I'm not going to put her in danger, Ron. Until Voldemort is destroyed, I can only be her friend," Harry told him. "If Voldemort found out that I cared for Ginny, he would use her to get to me. I already put you and Hermione in danger because you are my friends, but I will not allow him to get to Ginny."
Ron leaned back on the grass, "Harry, Hermione and I know the danger of being your friend. We accept it, because we feel that you are worth the risk. Ginny knows the risk and if you ask her, I'm sure that she would be willing to take it."
Harry sighed, "I don't want her in danger. It's bad enough that he can use you and Hermione, I couldn't stand it if he had more people to use against me."
"Harry, do you think that Vol---- Voldemort wouldn't use my family to get to you. He knows that I am your friend, and that my family stands against him, he would use any of us. You're not protecting her by pushing her away, you're just going to make her mad. I would suggest that you talk to her. She has the Weasley temper, and you don't want to be on the receiving end of it." Ron said, laughing.
Harry looked at Ron, "I guess that I have to talk to her."
Hermione and Ginny in Ginny's room
Ginny sat down on her bed, trying to stem the flow of tears.
"Its okay, Ginny," Hermione told her. "Don't cry."
Ginny wiped her eyes, "I thought that I was over him, Hermione. Then he looked at me like I was beautiful, and told me that he would die for me."
Hermione put her arm around Ginny, "I knew that it was only a matter of time before he realized that you were wonderful," she told the younger girl. "How could he not, you're a beautiful young woman. He would be lucky to have you."
Ginny looked at Hermione, "I don't want to be a distraction to him. Voldemort could use me against him, and I wouldn't be able to stop him. I don't want Harry to get hurt protecting me."
Hermione turned Ginny toward her, "Even if you and Harry aren't together, he could still use you. He had his Death Eaters do it in Diagon Alley," she said. "Your parents stand against him, that makes your whole family targets." Hermione told her. "I'm sure that Harry doesn't want anything to happen to you. He worries about Ron and I getting hurt because we're his friends."
"That's all I can be to him for now, Hermione, his friend. I won't let him risk himself to protect me," Ginny stated, pulling the unicorn necklace out of her top. "Maybe when Voldemort is gone, when there is peace, I won't need to worry."
Hermione was looking at the unicorn pendant that Ginny had pulled out, "Ginny, where did you get that necklace?" she asked.
Ginny looked up from the unicorn, "At a shop in Diagon Alley called magical jewelry, Harry bought it for me."
She reached in her bag and pulled out a small gift wrapped package, "Let me tell you about the jewelry from that shop."
"Who is that for, Hermione?" Ginny asked, watching Hermione gently unwrap the gift and pull out the pendant.
"I bought this for Harry's birthday. It's a soul mate pendant. When the wearer gets near their soul mate, the pendant warms up. If they are around them a lot, it gently nudges them toward the other. If you resist the pull of the pendant, it causes your thoughts to dwell on your soul mate," she explained. "Let's go find Harry and Ron and see if your pendant heats up."
Ron and Harry in the garden
Ron walked through the garden until he found Harry, he was poking at a Gnome hole.
"Are you alright Harry?" he asked, sitting down next to him.
"I don't know Ron," Harry looked over at his best friend. "I think that I'm falling in love." He turned his head back toward the Gnome hole.
Ron stared at him, "It's not Hermione, is it?" he asked, looking at Harry like he had two heads.
"No Ron, it's not Hermione," he looked up. "It's Ginny."
Ron clapped him on the back, "If she's going to have a boyfriend, there's no one that I would rather it be."
"I'm not going to put her in danger, Ron. Until Voldemort is destroyed, I can only be her friend," Harry told him. "If Voldemort found out that I cared for Ginny, he would use her to get to me. I already put you and Hermione in danger because you are my friends, but I will not allow him to get to Ginny."
Ron leaned back on the grass, "Harry, Hermione and I know the danger of being your friend. We accept it, because we feel that you are worth the risk. Ginny knows the risk and if you ask her, I'm sure that she would be willing to take it."
Harry sighed, "I don't want her in danger. It's bad enough that he can use you and Hermione, I couldn't stand it if he had more people to use against me."
"Harry, do you think that Vol---- Voldemort wouldn't use my family to get to you. He knows that I am your friend, and that my family stands against him, he would use any of us. You're not protecting her by pushing her away, you're just going to make her mad. I would suggest that you talk to her. She has the Weasley temper, and you don't want to be on the receiving end of it." Ron said, laughing.
Harry looked at Ron, "I guess that I have to talk to her."
Hermione and Ginny in Ginny's room
Ginny sat down on her bed, trying to stem the flow of tears.
"Its okay, Ginny," Hermione told her. "Don't cry."
Ginny wiped her eyes, "I thought that I was over him, Hermione. Then he looked at me like I was beautiful, and told me that he would die for me."
Hermione put her arm around Ginny, "I knew that it was only a matter of time before he realized that you were wonderful," she told the younger girl. "How could he not, you're a beautiful young woman. He would be lucky to have you."
Ginny looked at Hermione, "I don't want to be a distraction to him. Voldemort could use me against him, and I wouldn't be able to stop him. I don't want Harry to get hurt protecting me."
Hermione turned Ginny toward her, "Even if you and Harry aren't together, he could still use you. He had his Death Eaters do it in Diagon Alley," she said. "Your parents stand against him, that makes your whole family targets." Hermione told her. "I'm sure that Harry doesn't want anything to happen to you. He worries about Ron and I getting hurt because we're his friends."
"That's all I can be to him for now, Hermione, his friend. I won't let him risk himself to protect me," Ginny stated, pulling the unicorn necklace out of her top. "Maybe when Voldemort is gone, when there is peace, I won't need to worry."
Hermione was looking at the unicorn pendant that Ginny had pulled out, "Ginny, where did you get that necklace?" she asked.
Ginny looked up from the unicorn, "At a shop in Diagon Alley called magical jewelry, Harry bought it for me."
She reached in her bag and pulled out a small gift wrapped package, "Let me tell you about the jewelry from that shop."
"Who is that for, Hermione?" Ginny asked, watching Hermione gently unwrap the gift and pull out the pendant.
"I bought this for Harry's birthday. It's a soul mate pendant. When the wearer gets near their soul mate, the pendant warms up. If they are around them a lot, it gently nudges them toward the other. If you resist the pull of the pendant, it causes your thoughts to dwell on your soul mate," she explained. "Let's go find Harry and Ron and see if your pendant heats up."