A/N: Be nice now, this was my first one-shot, and my first completed non-marauder-related romance…I'm not in love with it, but I can't bring myself to back down from challenges...lol but hopefully you'll like it.
He Will Prevail
Ginny Weasley stirred her drink absently with her straw as she watched the celebration in the Leaky Cauldron. It was a quiet, somber affair. People gathered around tables, sat at every stool in the bar, stood in every corner of the pub, recounting the events of the previous night.
"Knew that boy would come through for us," an old gray haired wizard said to his friend, who sat at the stool next to Ginny. "Knew all along…ever since he defeated you-know-who the first time around…knew he'd come through for us again…"
"Shame he hadda go down wi' him…" the friend replied. "Twas a real 'ero, 'e was…"
"Real 'ero…" the old wizard repeated. "Good always prevails, you know…Oy, Tom, 'ow bout another round of firewhiskeys, eh mate?"
Ginny bit hard on her straw as she sipped at her butterbeer. They had no right to talk about it, like that…Not reflecting on his life, not feeling the pain and remorse they ought to feel…
Ginny tossed a galleon on the counter as she got up to leave. She had to get away…She couldn't watch any more people raising their glasses to victory…What did they know about victory anyway? They didn't sweat for it…they never bled for it. She couldn't stand to hear any more people discuss the death of 'the boy who lived', shaking their heads sadly, going "real hero, he was…he came through for us…" They weren't there…they hadn't fought. They didn't see him…
Ginny raced into the department of mysteries, following after Hermione and Ron. As they ran along the long dark corridor, Ginny felt her body go cold. She had been there once before, a little over two years ago, fighting the first of the many bloody battles of the Second War. And now it was finally over…Tears blurred Ginny's eyes as she followed her brother and friend into the familiar circular room with many doors. She hadalready lost Bill and on several occasions came close to losing Ron. Now it was finally over…But who had brought it to an end but the person who had to sacrifice himself in return?
They entered the all too familiar amphitheatre-style room and stopped at the entrance, looking onto the stone archway that stood many feet ahead of them. There, laying at the foot of the arch was Harry…
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked. She had torn away from the group and ran down the stone steps. "Oh Harry…" She fell onto all fours beside her friend and cried. "No, no…you can't be…"
They quickly followed and knelt by Hermione at the dais. Ron took Hermione in his arms and hugged her tightly, trying to pacify her. Ginny absently ran her hand over Hermione's hair as she stayed knelt in her place. She had never seen anything quite like it…He lay there, motionless on the ground. His glasses had been thrown askew and lay a few inches away from his pale, white face. Ginny crept closer. She reached out and paused, retracted her hand slightly, but then reached out again. She touched his soft black hair that had always been unkempt and ran her fingers through it. Just as she pulled her hand away, her eyes fell on his torso. Long and sinewy, it curved back, almost elegantly, against the dais. His white Hogwarts shirt was un-tucked and torn, stained with a bit of blood at his chest, right on the front pocket, where a bit of parchment peaked out from it…
"You guys!"
Ron, Hermione and Ginny immediately turned their attention to the door from which they entered. It was Tonks; running down the stairs, followed by a squad from the ministry's department of magical law enforcement. Instinctively, Ginny reached forward and retrieved the parchment and stuck it in her own pocket.
"Tonks…Tonks…it's over…" Ron said, "It's all over…" But his voice faded into the background as squad members came rushing onto the scene, pushing Ginny aside. Resting her hand against her pocket, she slowly backed away from the scene and headed up the stairs.
Now alone in the long empty corridor, Ginny leaned back against the wall and slid to the ground. She pulled out the parchment and unfolded it, but stopped to gape as she looked at the note…it was her handwriting…it was her letter…
10 May 1998
Harry,
I thought the best way to express myself would be through this letter, as it's easier to keep my temper at bay when I'm writing as opposed to talking. No doubt you've got an idea as to what this letter's about…us, of course…and impossibility of us. Harry, I've told you once, and I'm telling you again, we're not to be...and I'm perfectly sensible in what I'm saying. I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm not the shy little kid with a school girl crush on you. Not anymore, and you need to realize that and quit treating me like I am that, thinking you know better than me, because you don't. I know what I want, and it's not you. Please understand that. I have no feelings for you, nor will I ever. I've come to like you and respect you as a person now, but that is it. Let's just settle with what we have right now…
Sincerely,
Ginny Weasley
She had been so unkind to him…even in her writing she couldn't refrain from being harsh… Sure, he had been getting on her last nerves with all his angst and moodiness…but he was an adolescent carrying the burden of the world on him…he had a right, hadn't he? And now…now it was too late…too late to take her words back…too late to offer an apology…
"Ginny!"
Ginny looked up to see Ron coming towards her. She immediately stuffed the note back into her pocket and got up.
"Hey" she said quietly, avoiding eye contact with her brother.
"You alright?" he asked.
Ginny shrugged, determined not to speak. Bad idea, she thought, as tears filled in her eyes. Before she knew what was happening, Ginny was embracing her older brother.
"Hey, it's over now…" Ron said quietly. "He…Voldemort's gone…"
Ginny paused in her remorse. That had been the first time he had ever said the name…
Ron forced a smile. "The aurors are going to town today…capturing all the death eaters…I reckon we ought to go…it's going to get pretty crazy here tonight…"
"Where's Hermione?"
"She left…wanted to be alone…she'll be alright though…" Ron added, reading the concerned look in Ginny's eyes.
Ginny nodded. "Do you mind if I…?" she said, her voice trailing off as she pointed back to the room with the archway.
Ron looked at her somberly. "They uh…they took Harry away…" he said quietly. It sounded almost as though the words pained him.
"Oh…" Ginny said slowly. She nodded again. It seemed as if that was one of the few things she could do. She could hardly think of anything to say. "Um…mind if I go anyway? I just…"
Ron nodded. "Yea…I'll wait out here for you…"
And with that, Ginny headed back to the mysterious room. She stood at the highest tier, looking down at the archway and the ragged veil that it bore. It was completely empty down there…No sound could be heard save for the fluttering of the veil.
Ginny glanced back at the door, through which she heard commotion from further down the hall, towards the main corridors of the ministry.
"We won!"
"It's all over"—
"You-know-who…he's gone!"
Ginny slammed the door shut. People were already out there celebrating…forgetting the one who had brought this occasion… Ginny turned her attention back to the archway. Only the tattered veil seemed to be in remembrance…quivering in the air so sorrowfully…
"Ginny"—
Ginny turned around, to see Ron peering in through the doorway.
"Oh…hey…" she said. "Sorry…I"—
"It's alright…let's just go home…"
Ginny nodded and followed her brother out to the corridor.
"Listen…" Ron started again as they made their way to the London underground, "you know when you were out earlier today, a letter came for you…" he said, withdrawing a folded piece of parchment from his pocket.
Ginny took the letter and glanced down at it. It was still sealed. She opened it up and as she looked down at the handwriting, Ginny felt as though the air had been sucked out of her. Oh, she knew that writing…she had known it since she was twelve, when she first went through Ron's mail…
Dear Ginny,
I know I've been a prick these last few years, totally consumed by my own worries…I know I've been insensitive to a lot of people around me…particularly to my closest friends, and I'm really sorry. I'm also sorry that I can't change my feelings for you. I can't settle, but I can wait., so I'll wait for you.
Harry
Ginny stared blankly at the letter for several moments. No…this wasn't fair…he was gone now…she couldn't write back…she couldn't tell him that he didn't have to wait anymore…
"Ginny"—
"He's gone!" she screamed. "He's gone! Forever! I CAN'T WRITE HIM BACK"—
"Shh…" Ron hugged his sister once more, allowing her to cry freely. "I know…I know…"
He had grown up to be known as 'The Boy Who Lived'…but how many people, Ginny wondered as she walked down the cold wet streets of Diagon Alley, knew he was the boy who endured…the boy who triumphed... The old man at the pub had said good always prevails… She smiled slightly for the first time in two days. Good always did prevail. There was a famous quote, swimming in the back of her mind that seemed so pertinent… "Man will not merely endure, he will prevail"…that was it. Harry didn't just endure, he had prevailed.