As usual, nothing belongs to me.
Please R/R
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Chapter Twelve
All Secrets Revealed
"…Nick?!"
Nick grinned and pecked Ginny on the cheek. "Surprise!"
Ginny was in total, complete, absolute shock.
"W-what are you doing here?" She managed to ask.
Nick's grinned. "I managed to convince them to let me come home early. You know, give you a surprise."
Ginny opened her mouth, and then closed it again. She didn't know what to say.
Nick, however, didn't seem to notice her uneasiness. "And I have to say, Gin," he said, twirling her around. "You look absolutely gorgeous! That dress looks fabulous on you! And to think I almost missed this! You have no idea how much I missed you while I was away, I thought I would go crazy!"
Ginny was trying desperately to detangle herself from Nick's arms when Bill's magnified voice rang out.
"Come on peoples! Everybody inside! There is exactly 30 seconds until Arthur and Molly Weasley have officially been married for 30 years!"
Nick grinned and grabbed Ginny's hand. "Come on." He said, leading her inside.
***
Harry was involved in a rather intense debate with Ron and Dean about defence tactics in quidditch when Hermione came bustling over, her face twisted in anxiety.
"Harry!" She said breathlessly, "Thank god I've found you, I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Ron gave her an amused smile. "What looking for Harry but not me? I'm hurt."
Harry laughed. "Can I help it mate, if your wife finds me irresistible? What's up Hermione?"
Hermione bit her lip and began to wring her hands together nervously.
Now Harry was nervous. Hermione was rarely ever a lip-biter or a hand wringer. She was always supremely confident in her abilities and never had any reason to doubt herself.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked uneasily, not sure he would like the answer.
"Well," Hermione began, "I was telling Lavender and Parvati about how you and Ginny got together the second time, and so of course I was telling them about how we all helped you."
"Yes…" Harry said slowly, starting to see where she was going.
"Well, then I turned around and Ginny was standing behind me, and she looked absolutely furious. I called out to her but she stormed off, I assume to confront you."
Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"I'm so sorry Harry!" Hermione said, anxiously.
Harry sighed. "It's alright. She would've found out anyway."
Ron gave Harry a reassuring pat on the back. "Hey, she'll understand. Come on, I'll help you look for her then you can explain."
Harry nodded and he, Ron and Hermione headed for the doors leading outside. They were about halfway there when Bill suddenly stepped in front of them.
"And where do you think you're going? There's only about a minute left until the toast! We can't have people leaving!" He asked, hustling them back towards the centre of the room. He took out his wand and muttered "Sonorus!" and soon his voice was booming out.
"Come on peoples! Everybody inside! There is exactly 30 seconds until Arthur and Molly Weasley have officially been married for 30 years!"
Harry looked hopelessly at Ron and Hermione. "I guess I'll have find her later."
Hermione shook her head. "Don't be silly Harry, Bill isn't about to let her miss his big toast. She'll be here in a second, wait…I think she's coming in now…"
Harry looked over. Sure enough, he could see Ginny, being hustled in by her brother. She looked slightly distressed, but then he'd expected that. He made to move towards her then stopped.
Slowly, he turned back to Ron and Hermione, as if looking for confirmation of what he saw. Ron's shock and Hermione's horrified expression were enough.
As he looked back over at Ginny, with Nick's arm slung possessively over her shoulder, he almost felt sick.
He was vaguely aware of Bill shouting "3, 2, 1, and would you please raise your glasses to Mr and Mrs Arthur Weasley as they celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary!"
People around him were cheering and jostling, but Harry was still staring at Ginny. He saw her glance up and meet his gaze before quickly looking away. He started to walk towards them, but was stopped when Colin Creevey greeted him excitedly. Trying to politely excuse himself, Harry looked back up to see that they were gone.
***
Nick pulled Ginny back inside just in time for her to hear her brother shouting, "3, 2, 1, and would you please raise your glasses to Mr and Mrs Arthur Weasley as they celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary!"
As Nick cheered loudly beside her, Ginny looked up to see Harry staring at her. She could read the hurt expression in his eyes and the guilt started to build inside her. She nudged Nick and motioned for him to follow her. She led him into a large room at the back where the children had eaten dinner. It was now empty, as the children had been taken outside to celebrate.
Nick smiled at her. "That desperate to get me alone huh?" He teased.
Ginny smiled weakly, and said, "Nick, I need to talk to you."
Nick nodded slowly and sat down in a chair. Ginny sat beside him.
She moved forward slightly, causing the light to flash against her silver pendant.
Nick noticed, and reached forward.
"This is nice." He said, admiring the silver heart. "It looks good on you." He flipped it over and Ginny froze as she remembered the message on the other side.
She moved out of Nicks reach, pulling the pendant away from him. She wasn't sure if he'd managed to read the inscription on the back or not. She looked up at him nervously, trying to discern his thoughts.
But Nick wasn't looking at her anymore, and nor was he looking at her pendant. His piercing gaze was instead focused somewhere else. Before Ginny knew what was happening, Nick had grabbed her left hand and held it up to the light.
"Where's your ring Gin?"
"Uh…it's…" Ginny muttered, trying desperately to pull her hand back.
"Gin?" He asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
"The ring, it's in…the ring is at home."
Nick raised an eyebrow but let go of Ginny's hand. "And why is the ring back at your flat and not on your finger?"
Ginny took a deep breath.
"Because. Because I have to give it back to you." She lifted her head and looked straight into Nick's eyes, trying desperately to stop herself from crying. "I'm sorry Nick." She whispered. "But I can't marry you."
Nick looked stunned for a moment before he stood and threw the chair he was sitting in against the wall.
"I…What…Gin…" He yelled incoherently, pacing around the room to vent his anger.
Finally he rounded on her. "Why the fuck not?!" He demanded, leaning forward and forcing her face upwards to look at him. "Well, why not?"
"Nick, I'm sorry…" Ginny said, the tears forming. "I don't want to hurt you but…"
"Don't want to hurt me?! What the fuck do you think you're doing right now? At least dignify me with a response! Why not?"
"Because I'm in love with someone else." Ginny whispered softly, hating herself.
Nick looked furious and for one second, Ginny thought he might hurt her but instead he turned around and punched the wall hard. "Fuck!" He swore, cradling his bloody fist in his hand.
Ginny stood. "Here, let me look at it." She murmured, moving towards him.
Nick jerked away violently from her touch. "Just stay away from me you worthless little slut! I don't need some tramp trying to take care of me!"
Ginny reeled back, hurt, but knowing she deserved it. She was about to reply when she heard another voice.
"Don't you dare speak to her like that!"
She turned around and saw Harry standing angrily in the doorway, his green eyes flashing dangerously. Hermione and Ron stood behind him, looking around worriedly.
Nick turned as well. "Oh the famous Harry Potter, here to rescue the damsel in distress." He said scornfully. "I'll just bet you're the one who stole my fiancé from me in the first place!"
He glanced towards Ginny, and on seeing Ginny's guilty look, his anger seemed to become more incensed. "You son of a bitch!" He roared, leaping towards him. Ron sprang forward from where he stood and tried quickly to restrain him.
Nick was tall with a strong build, but Ron had been working as an auror for the last few years and the training for that, mixed in with regular quidditch games meant he was no longer the tall skinny boy from school. He was still tall, but his frame was very muscular and well built. He managed to hold back Nick who eventually stopped struggling and let Ron lead him to the other side of the room. "You bastard!" He spat disdainfully. "It wasn't enough that you're the hero of the wizarding world, you just have to have any woman you want, even if she's already taken! Too pathetic to find your own woman Potter? Had to take someone else's?"
Ginny saw Harry's eyes flash again and he looked ready to pounce himself, but Hermione placed an arm on Harry's shoulder and he calmed down a bit.
"Look," Hermione said evenly. "Let's just calm down…"
"Fuck that!" Nick spat, releasing himself from Ron's grip. "I'm outta here." He stalked past Ginny, throwing a quick glare her way and sneered "Have a nice life" before exiting.
Everyone was quiet for a second before Hermione cleared her throat. "Uh, Ron, I think the kids need to be checked on." She said, nodding surreptitiously towards the door. Ron glanced at Harry and Ginny and muttered, "Yeah, I'm coming" and the two left quickly, Hermione closing the door gently on her way out.
Harry watched Ginny seat herself unsteadily in a chair and went over to her.
"Hey," he whispered gently, stroking her face. "It's alright, he's gone now."
Ginny jerked away from his touch and replied bitterly, still upset from Nick's words. "Get away from me Potter. Don't think I don't know what you've done."
Harry stood, hurt. "Gin, I'm sorry. But it was just getting a little help from your brothers and they were the ones who offered."
Ginny stood up angrily. "I'm not just talking about that Harry!" She yelled. "I'm talking about your 'donation' for Cho's quidditch school. You know, the one that sent Nick away from here I the first place!"
Harry looked slightly surprised that she knew. "How did you find out about that?"
Ginny shook her head at Harry. "Cho mentioned it to me. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
Harry sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't." He replied, before looking Ginny directly in the eyes. "But I'm not sorry about it."
"Not sorry about it?!" Ginny raged. "Harry, you messed around with my life! You- you planned all of this!"
"How did I mess around with your life Gin? I didn't force you to fall in love with me, you did that yourself!"
"Yes, but it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't of mucked around with things! All that stuff you did, you were toying with my emotions!"
"I wasn't toying with anything!" Harry yelled back. "I was just trying to make you see the obvious, that you didn't love Nick!"
"Well you shouldn't have!" Ginny retorted. "You should have just left things as they were!"
"Oh, and let you marry some guy who was completely wrong for you?!"
"How do you know that? Maybe he was right for me but then you came along and messed with my mind and suddenly I saw things differently! For all I know you could have slipped me a love potion or something!"
Harry shook his head. "Now you're just being ridiculous and stupid Ginny."
"Am I?" Ginny shouted, advancing on Harry. "How would I know since you've been conspiring with my family behind my back and using dirty tricks to get rid of my fiancé so you can make your move? I thought I knew you Harry, but maybe I was wrong!"
Harry looked murderous. "Well if that's how you feel Ginny, maybe I shouldn't have bothered!"
"Fine!" Ginny yelled.
"Fine!"
Both stared at each other for a second before Ginny stormed out. Harry watched her go, the anger and tension he felt seeping out of his body. Fuck. He thought. What had he done?
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Before you start yelling and throwing rotten tomatoes my way, don't worry!
I promise that this story will have a happy ending, but hey, what's a good romance without a few bumps along the way? (Although I suppose this story has had more than its fair share of bumps)
But hey, look on the bright side, I got rid of Nick didn't I? And I promise that is the last you will ever see of him!
Next chapter I am pretty sure will be the last, the quicker I get it out will depend on the amount of reviews and motivation I get!
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter:
Amyaggie: Hehe, I know, I love it. Ahhh! *runs from angry readers* I'm sorry! I'm updating!
Anna: Yes, Nick has gone far far away and WILL NEVER BE BACK!!! Yay!
Annie: Yep, sorry, couldn't help myself! I love Bella, she's one of my fav characters!
Artificially-flavoured: Thanks for the advice, I always spell-check my work but maybe it's cos I'm Australian and I spell some things differently. Anyway, keep reading and reviewing!
Blatant Discontent: Hehe, love the name. Thanks for the review, keep reading!
Brown*Pryde: Yes, Nick is gone! Keep reading cos next chap will probably be the last and then they can finally skip happily together into the sunset
BurningIce22: Don't worry; the next chapter will be all fine and dandy!
Cassialia: Thankyou! I can imagine it being hilarious and causing a lot of fun – typical Weasley stuff!
DMP: Never fear, I wouldn't do something that evil!
JuveFan: Don't worry; Harry's efforts have not been wasted! The next chapter will be better, I promise!
Monalex Potter: Do you really think I'm that evil that I wouldn't let this story have a happy ending? Don't worry; everything will turn out peachy keen!
Mugglenet27: Review and it will come out faster!
Pheonixgurl: Don't worry, happy endings will abound!
Phox445: It doesn't matter, because Nick is long gone now!
Sarahamanda: Hey, at least she didn't take Nick back! But don't worry, she and Harry will patch things up, I promise…
Sarah-mason19: Thanks, at least somebody else understands…
Sherry: I know! It's the best part of being an author, you can choose how much you want to torture your readers!
Silvercrystal77: Hmmm… I don't think you will be too pleased with this chapter then either…but I promise to try and redeem myself next time, don't worry!
Smile: Hehe, I love leaving people hanging!
Water-lily-113: I love the cliff hangers! Making people wait…mwah ha ha, I am so evil! Lol, thanks for the review
YankeeTorp: Hey, any review is a good review!