Title: Being Nice Doesn't Always Pay Off…
Author: Cactuskitty
Chapter: Seven
Summary: Ginny gets mad at a friend and decides that it's time for her to change. In this chapter, Ginny is depressed and ashamed of her actions…

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Harry Potter book series, they belong to J. K. Rowling, so please don't sue. All I own is the little plot there is and Ryan… But that's not muck to brag about. I also do not own "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel, no matter how much I wish I did….

Chapter Seven: Love Lies Bleeding

Memories are just where you laid them

Drag the waters 'till the depths give up their dead

What did you expect to find?

Was there something you left behind?

Don't you remember anything I said when I said

Don't fall away, and leave me to myself

Don't fall away and leave love bleeding

In my hands, in my hands again

Leave love bleeding

In my hands, in my hands

Love lies bleeding

-Hemorrhage (In My Hands)

Fuel

Virginia quickly calmed herself as she stared at the tall, attractive, auburn haired boy who she had just stunned and hastily did what she knew was inevitable.

"Ennervate." She sighed and whipped the shocked expression from her face and quickly replaced it with a cold one. He once again became conscious and she immediately greeted him warmly, "What the hell do you think you are doing here? Let alone following me?"

"Is that how you welcome all of your old boyfriends? Or am I just special?" He said with a sly grin on his very handsome tan face, and a small French accent hidden in his lite voice.

           "What did you think I would do? Run up and give you a hug, tell you all was forgiven, and start ravishing you on the spot? You broke up with me! Don't you remember? Of course you did, it was only yesterday you sent me a letter saying that our relationship was too hard and it would be better if we just broke it off. Leaving me, helpless, and wondering how gullible I am to even think that you ever cared for me! You should be glad that I only stunned you, a few days ago I might have done something more violent." Ginny glared at him, and crossed her arms over her chest.

           "You are absolutely right Gin. I'm sorry I snuck up on you like that, but…" Ryan looked her with his brilliant gold colored eyes that glisten like the sun. She had to look away or she would loose this battle faster than Rita Seeker could spread a rumor.

           "But what? You had to come bother me some more?" Her voice was dubious, and she had to try hard to fight from crying or running into his arms.

"No, you are actually no part of the reason why I came back in the middle of the year. Dumbledore sent for me, I don't know why, but he said it was important." Ryan stared timidly at his shoes, obviously ashamed for his previous actions.

           "So what does that have to do with you stalking me?" She looked at him with eyebrows furrowed.

He blushed as he continued, "I don't know, I just kind of wanted to talk to you… I was sort of surprised that you moved on so quickly…"

"What the hell are you. . ." She raised an eyebrow, "Oh you mean Draco?" She asked before shooting death glares at the stone floor once again damning that blond din to hell.

"Yes, if that is the name of the guy you were almost sucking face with…" Ryan mumbled angrily, while shuffling his feet.

           "Almost sucking face with? I was not almost sucking face with him, and even if I were, it sure as hell wouldn't be any of your bloody business. We are no longer together; I thought we already went over that. " Virginia said with an icy tone.

"I know we aren't together anymore, I just thought it would take you longer than a day to get over me…"

           "I never knew you were that conceited, Ryan." Her glare was once again fixed on the boy in front of her.

           "I'm not conceited I'm just disappointed" his voice was still angry and prideful.

           "Disappointed that I'm not in a total depression, pining, and asking for death, because my first boyfriend broke up with me? Well I'm sorry, my hurt isn't obvious enough for you, Ryan, but our relationship wasn't strong enough. We couldn't even last a month apart without breaking up. And you, yourself don't seem that damaged, but then again you were the one who called it off." Virginia bit the inside of her lip, she would not cry, but that was when she noticed that there were no tears in her eyes. It was just the knotting pain in her stomach.

"Look Ginny I wanted this relationship to last, as much as I had hoped you had . . ." He said earnestly, gold eyes pleading with her.

"What a load of . . ." She mumbled; she refused to take any of it.

"Just hear me out, you used to be so good at listening, but I guess that's what you changed." He shot her a disappointed glare, that caused her to feel ashamed but she surely didn't show it, and he continued, "Anyway, I never said I didn't want to go out with you anymore, I said I thought it would be best. I was really missing you and the pain was becoming excruciating and I thought if I could break things off then it would go away. But it didn't, because I knew I was probably causing you more grief than the distance was. Thought I suppose I was wrong because the agony really does seem to be one sided here . . ."

"Oh Ryan! Who in bloody hell are you to tell me what I'm feeling? " Her chocolate brown eyes were lustrous with rage, but she continued with the same composed attitude that she used with everyone else. "Yesterday was the worst day of my life. My relationship with you was the one thing that helped me get out of bed in the morning, and when you broke it off I wished for death. However, I refuse to mope. Why should I? I'm young, and as my mum always said, there'll be other fish in the sea. But right now the pain is excruciating, moving on is ten billion times more painful than showing it. And talking to you right now really isn't helping . . ."

Ryan cut her off by pulling her in to a quick, but passionate kiss. His warm vanilla scent engulfed her, and it took all of her self-restraint to push away, even if she didn't really want to. It didn't matter that she still had feelings for him; he had no right to kiss her anymore. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to allow herself to be used anymore, even if she wanted to be.  . .

Ryan looked ashamed, but most of all hurt, and he took a step away from her and rubbed the back of his neck numbly, "I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have done that; I just couldn't help myself . . .I am so sorry Gin; I never meant to cause you any pain. I just missed you so badly, and when I saw you with that bas – I mean – guy, I couldn't help feeling jealous . . . I never should have confronted you; what you do now is you business. Good luck with your life Virginia, I won't be bothering you anymore. I'm going to go see what Dumbledore want and then I promise to never speak to you again. If that's what you really want."

He turned to leave began to walk slowly down the hall; praying that Ginny would stop him. Tell him that she didn't want him out of her life, and that everything would be all right. However she never did.

She just stood there numbly watching him walk away, wondering what the hell she had just done. A voice in her head was telling her that she had done the right thing and that that part of her life was done; that page of her life was filed and she need to stop worrying about it and start another. While another was calling her a fool and telling her how no one in their right mind would ever let the boy they loved walk away, no matter how much they had hurt her. And since the second voice was loudest she chose to listen to that one as she collapsed on the floor in a puddle of tears.

*           *           *          *

In that state she remained until three people she really didn't want to see came along on their way to transfiguration.

"Ginny, what's wrong? What happened? Did someone hurt you? Who was it? Tell me so I can make them wish they never were born!" Ron raved as he wrapped his arms around his sobbing sister. His two friends soon joined them on the floor as they tried to console the poor crying girl.

            "Ron let her breathe!" Hermione said while gently helping Ginny sit up, "Now Ginny, do you want to tell us what happened?"

            "I saw. . . Ryan . . ." She managed to say between sobs.

           "Ryan?" Harry said with a sympathetic look, "Wasn't he your boyfriend?" Ginny nodded.

"You poor thing, bottling up your emotions is never a good thing to do. Go a head and cry, you deserve it." Hermione whispered in a soothing voice, while involuntarily rubbing her back as she sobbed on Ron's shoulder.

"That slimy git? What did he do to you? Did he insult you?" Ron stated through clenched teeth, "Wait till I get my hands on that little" His threats sober her slightly, and she tried to stifle her tears as she start to try explaining her emotional breakdown.

"No you don't understand . . . I saw him. . . Dumbledore sent for him. . ." She sniffed and slowly regained her ability to talk,  she began filling them in on most of it. The censored version, that excluded the kiss, because of Harry and her brother.

"…Then I just let him walk away. I can't believe how stupid I am." And she began sobbing in conclusion, causing Ron's long arms to warm around her again.

When she was nearly done Harry started, "Don't beat yourself up over it, Gin. If he really loved you he never would have broken up with you, I know I wouldn't have." Harry blushed slightly, but no one seemed to notice so he continued. "You should just move on, like you have with everything else. . ."

"Harry's right, Ginny love, you can't let this get to you. What happened to the overly confident no feelings Ginny who chews me out all the time?" Ron said sarcastically. "I actually think I am getting use to her."

"Good, because I'm not going back. You are stuck with the new me until I say otherwise." Ginny stated more firmly then she thought she could manage with a  quivering lip.

". . .Damn reverse psychology. . . " Ron scowled, causing the three others to start laughing.

"Well I'll disregard that last comment and thank you guys anyway." Ginny sniveled and rubbed her eyes on the back of her robes.

"No problem Ginny, just remember that we're your friends not your enemies. We'd never do anything to hurt you on purpose." Hermione said as she helped Ginny to her feet, and started walking towards their class.

"I never forgot; I just need to be reminded. I'll see you at lunch." With that she turned shakily headed toward her charms class. She still wasn't sure if she made the right choice or not, but she was glad she was once again on speaking terms with the "dream team."

A/N: Sorry if this chapter sucked, but I needed to pick someone none of you would expect and I hope none of you guessed him…. I at least thought it was unexpected counting the fact that he goes to another school… Oh well, I hope you liked it anyway and you can show me how much you did by reviewing. Sorry it is taking me so long to write, but school and play practice aren't really helping. I will try really hard to update at least once a week, but I'm not making any promises.

Next review is number 50, remember to request a song!!!