"Neville?" I asked as if seeing him for the first time. Merlin, I was making a right fool of myself today, and it wasn't even noon yet.
"Yes?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Well… I.. I.." Ok, spit it out, Gin. "You look great."
There ya go.
Neville flushed; rarely had any girl ever told him such a thing. "Thanks, Ginny. You er- look nice, yourself."
I smiled, recognizing more of the old Neville beneath that grown-up body of his.
"So you're out of Hogwarts now? How does it feel?" He asked.
"It feels great, but I'm gonna miss that place for sure." He nodded.
"But what about you? What're you doing now?" I asked.
"Well, I've spent the last eight months training for the Auror program."
I coughed back a gasp of surprise. Neville? An Auror? But then I wasn't so shocked at all; his mother and father were Aurors, afterall. I could see why he'd want to pursue the career.
"Training's pretty intense. I figured when I first applied, it'd be good of me to get in shape." Then he smiled slyly at me. I could only grin sheepishly.
Longbottom 1. Weasley -3.
"But recently I've had a change of heart. I've uh… I'm going to become a teacher instead."
My eyes widened. This boy was just full of surprises. "Auror to teacher? That's an interesting switch," I said politely.
"Well, I've always had an interest in Herbology, and Madame Sprout will be retiring from teaching soon, so Dumbledore's been keeping in touch and asked if I was interested in the position."
"That's fantastic, Neville! You'll make a wonderful teacher. I know it."
He mumbled a thank-you, but a sudden look of slight terror spread across his face. "This means I'll be on the same staff as Snape, doesn't it?"
He gulped, and I broke out into giggles. Neville was great, he really was, when he wasn't stepping on your toes.
A bit later, Ron and Hermione showed up. They were late because Hermione's skirt had snagged on a nail and ripped back at the Burrow. They knew they were terrible liars. A snagged skirt, honestly. Try snogged.
We all met up, so I invited Neville to come and have lunch with us. It was a great reunion for Ron, Hermione and Neville, catching up on each other's lives and careers. Ron had entered the Auror program with Neville, and was really surprised when Neville told him about the position at Hogwarts.
"Teaching? Really, Neville? You were doing so well in training! I dunno… I just can't see you teaching." That comment was followed by Hermione and I both stomping on his big feet. Identical grins broke out on our faces when Ron swore loudly.
Neville sniggered. "Yeah. I hadn't pictured myself teaching, either. But when Dumbledore offered, I was so happy to say yes. Besides, you and Harry'll tide things over at the Auror office."
I stiffened when Harry's name left Neville's mouth. No one noticed.
It was nearing sunset that evening in the Alley. Ron and Hermione went home to her flat, and before Neville left for his own flat (yes, he moved out of his gran's house), he asked me if I'd like to have lunch with him tomorrow. Of course I said yes; I ought to have some fun, haven't I?
I decided to hang around Diagon Alley for a bit longer to check out the new book I bought.
"Why can't you read it at home?" Ron asked me skeptically; Ron didn't like me staying out after dark. Hermione told him off in amazement. "Ginny's eighteen, Ron. Don't you think she can handle herself. You lot are known by half the folk here anyway." She bid me goodnight and left with Ron, hand in hand.
I found a cozy table in the square outside a restaurant to read.
A light breeze picked up as I was flipping through pages, blowing my hair all over the place. I furiously gathered it up and presumed reading. But now something else was distracting me from studying. It wasn't like I had the nose of a dog, but with the breeze came the sweet fragrance of pine and that freshness that one has after a shower or a bath. The smell of clean skin and soap. I almost sighed as the scent became stronger. Then I became alert and turned around in my chair, facing Harry.
He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a pair of tan trousers, whose pockets his hands were shoved in. His black hair, tousled and sticking up everywhere was damp. "Hullo Ginny," he said submissively.
I didn't say anything for a while. I should have told him to go away, to leave me, or at least turn around instead of being fixated on the piece of hair hanging in his face that my fingers itched to brush away. Instead, I pulled the chair next to me out a bit.
Harry's eyes lit up as he approached the table and sat down. I closed my book and sat straighter in my seat, still not saying a word. Ice Queen is my middle name. Yet wasn't I contradicting myself? Hadn't I just invited him to sit, no matter how inconspicuously? I mentally kicked myself.
"Hello, Harry." There. Simple. Courteous. Lord, I couldn't do this. I'd crumble any minute now.
Harry shifted in his seat and ran a hand through his wet hair. He looked me right in the eyes, and I could see he was more uncomfortable than I was. I raised my eyebrows in uncertainty. He scoffed.
"Bloody hell, Ginny. What do you want me to say. I'm sorry, ok?"
My mouth fell open slightly. Was he actually saying this? Was it not he who was cheating on me?
"No, I don't want you to say anything, Harry," I said, standing up and gathering my things. He quickly rose. I slung my bag onto my shoulder and looked up into his eyes.
"I want you to leave me alone."
"I can't leave you alone because I don't know what I did wrong! Fine! I'll do the talking. How was your graduation party? I guess I wasn't invited."
I shook my head in disbelief. "You know what? Ok, …ok. My party was fan-bloody-tastic; my real family and friends were there for me." I knew that hit him… hard, and I could not have cared less. I wanted to hurt him.
"Ginny, please, can we just talk about this before you beat me to a bloody pulp? Tomorrow. Can we meet tomorrow? Just… just give me a chance," he said. The green of his eyes completely destroyed my arctic wall. Ever wish you were color blind?
I wanted to say yes, to give him that chance, to believe in hope for love again, but I had already said yes… to someone else.
"I can't, Harry," I said quietly, hanging my head.
He stepped towards me and hesitantly brought his hand up to my chin. "Why not, Gin," he whispered.
I shivered at the touch of his skin and moved away. As quickly as I could, I pulled my wand out and said, "Goodbye, Harry," before disapperating.
