A/N- Thanks for all the reviews everyone, they are really helpful! I found a mistake in my story- when Harry gets that letter for the Annual Ball, it says the ball will be on June 23, but I meant September 23rd, because as far as dates go when Harry and Ron are in New York it is the last week of August. Sorry about that! Enjoy this chapter and keep REVIEWING! mwa
GinnyPotter8: Thanks lol! I'm planning to tie up all of the loose ends...soon, but I'm not sure whether I'll keep on with the story or let it end with a 'happily ever after' lol. Thanks for the review and keep at it!
Chapter 5-
OUTTAKE
It had started in Harry's sixth year, Ginny's fifth. Ron and Hermione had just figured out the feelings between them and were in the 'broom closet' stage of their relationship. It had been early November when Harry and Ginny's romance had begun.
Harry had been sitting in the common room next to a blazing fire, his eyes dark and jewel-like as he stared into the dancing flames. His NEWT revision papers lay scattered around his armchair.
Ginny had run down the stairs, ready to go out to a snowball fight with Luna, Colin, and Dennis. She had stopped short when she saw Harry's tense figure beside the fireplace. It hadn't been hard to figure out what was bothering him.
Ever since the end of fifth year, after Harry learned about the prophecy, he had changed. To most people, even to his friends in Gryffindor, Harry was the same cheerful, caring, mischievous boy he had ever been. But Ginny, having fully gotten over her crush on the Boy-Who-Lived, could understand the real mind of the boy, Harry Potter. She knew he hours he spent agonizing over his real powers and doubting himself; she knew the waking dreams he had. She had been one of the few to notice the hours he would spend in places noone knew- later she had discovered that he was having special training done.
This one afternoon, Ginny sat across from Harry. He immediately snapped out of his reverie and smiled lopsidedly at her, a smile that caused even her disinterested heart to ache. She had refused point-blank to accept his cheerful mood.
She had induced Harry to talk about his thoughts and feelings. And even after a few minutes, Harry had marveled over how absolutely comfortable he felt with Ginny, talking to Ginny, sitting with Ginny, eating with Ginny. It was at that point that their friendship became cemented- where the Trio became the Four-Musketeers, with Ron and Hermione as a pair and Harry and Ginny as another. And it had all been very innocent- until the Christmas Ball.
Harry had gone looking like his usual, well-looking self. He had invited Ginny to go with him as a friend, not having the heart to take a girl whom he would simply dump like he had Parvati. He had seen Ginny walking down the stairs of the Girl's common room, dressed in light, thin gold silk robes that fell down her back and exposed her creamy white skin. Her hair had captivated him in its curling wildness piled on top of her head. It was that night Harry noticed that Ginny was beautiful- that she was more to him than just his best friend's little sister, but a necessary part of his life. He couldn't do without her.
They had walked out into the Great Hall, the night sky twinkling its stars upon them. And just as the first dance ended, Harry had lowered his head and kissed Ginny full on the mouth.
Ginny, by this time, had realized that her crush on him had simply given way to a deeper and fuller love, a love that had tenderness and passion and caring in it. And at the moment Harry had kissed her, that love had been sealed in her heart.
The rest of their year passed in confidences and comfort, camaraderie between the four close friends causing them to have a fun-filled, almost stress-free sixth year.
Seventh year had been tense. Harry had known that Voldemort would try to finish him off that year. Harry's powers were now that of extraordinary strength, stronger than Dumbledore's and even stronger than Voldemort's. He had just needed one thing to unleash it- love.
The year had been spent in agony, attacks on Muggles and Muggle-borns rising, disappearances, the Wizarding world becoming unsafe and pretty unprotected. There were no happy pranks pulled, no sneaking into the kitchens, no fun beyond the common room and the Quidditch Pitch.
The day before Harry's graduation, Voldemort had broken through Hogwart's defenses. Harry would be going out to fight him, to finally end the battle between him and the Dark Lord that had ruled his life for seven years. On the eve of the final battle, Ginny had given herself to Harry- completely abandoned herself to him. Harry went into the battle with Ginny's love fresh in his mind and so he had managed to conquer the Dark Lord. But he had come back to no reward- Ginny had left the day of his graduation, throwing away two years of strong love and bonds, friendship and trust.
Harry had searched for Ginny for two years. Every chance or break he could take from his busy life as a Quidditch star, Auror, and socialite, he had traveled around the world, searching for any sign of the woman he loved. After two years of fruitless searching, he had given up and determined to live his life happily, in spite of Ginny's desertion.
Ginny had moved to New York straight away, taking an airplane. She knew no one would have expected her to ever use this sort of Muggle transportation, but she had made use of her knowledge from her Muggle Studies class. She had gone to New York and found an artist's loft in the Village for a cheap price. She immediately performed a prolonged disguise spell that left her virtually unrecognizable. Even her children recognized her with blond hair and gray eyes, not the red hair and warm brown eyes Harry lad loved so much. Since she had not finished school, there were no Wizarding professions to take u, and since the United States had so little wizards, she had never had a chance to make Galleons any way she knew how. She took up waitressing, living like a Muggle for two years while raising her children. She had been surprised and a little dismayed to find out there were twins- two more mouths to feed and look after. She had nearly gone out of her mind those first two years with work, daycare, as well as the kids.
Occasionally she would manage to get a Wizarding magazine or a newspaper, usually with Harry Potter somewhere on the first page, or in the Society pages. She saw Harry, handsome and grown-up, on covers with beautiful girls from prominent Wizarding families. It hurt her almost unendurably. She had never wanted to tell Harry about his children- for she had realized that at the young age of seventeen, a famous and wealthy young wizard would not want the ties of a wife and child to hold him down. These magazine covers sealed that into her mind, making her determined never to intrude on Harry's life that way.
And so the two of them had been estranged, because of mutual misunderstandings, and although both of them desperately wanted the other, neither of them thought the other wanted them.
GinnyPotter8: Thanks lol! I'm planning to tie up all of the loose ends...soon, but I'm not sure whether I'll keep on with the story or let it end with a 'happily ever after' lol. Thanks for the review and keep at it!
Chapter 5-
OUTTAKE
It had started in Harry's sixth year, Ginny's fifth. Ron and Hermione had just figured out the feelings between them and were in the 'broom closet' stage of their relationship. It had been early November when Harry and Ginny's romance had begun.
Harry had been sitting in the common room next to a blazing fire, his eyes dark and jewel-like as he stared into the dancing flames. His NEWT revision papers lay scattered around his armchair.
Ginny had run down the stairs, ready to go out to a snowball fight with Luna, Colin, and Dennis. She had stopped short when she saw Harry's tense figure beside the fireplace. It hadn't been hard to figure out what was bothering him.
Ever since the end of fifth year, after Harry learned about the prophecy, he had changed. To most people, even to his friends in Gryffindor, Harry was the same cheerful, caring, mischievous boy he had ever been. But Ginny, having fully gotten over her crush on the Boy-Who-Lived, could understand the real mind of the boy, Harry Potter. She knew he hours he spent agonizing over his real powers and doubting himself; she knew the waking dreams he had. She had been one of the few to notice the hours he would spend in places noone knew- later she had discovered that he was having special training done.
This one afternoon, Ginny sat across from Harry. He immediately snapped out of his reverie and smiled lopsidedly at her, a smile that caused even her disinterested heart to ache. She had refused point-blank to accept his cheerful mood.
She had induced Harry to talk about his thoughts and feelings. And even after a few minutes, Harry had marveled over how absolutely comfortable he felt with Ginny, talking to Ginny, sitting with Ginny, eating with Ginny. It was at that point that their friendship became cemented- where the Trio became the Four-Musketeers, with Ron and Hermione as a pair and Harry and Ginny as another. And it had all been very innocent- until the Christmas Ball.
Harry had gone looking like his usual, well-looking self. He had invited Ginny to go with him as a friend, not having the heart to take a girl whom he would simply dump like he had Parvati. He had seen Ginny walking down the stairs of the Girl's common room, dressed in light, thin gold silk robes that fell down her back and exposed her creamy white skin. Her hair had captivated him in its curling wildness piled on top of her head. It was that night Harry noticed that Ginny was beautiful- that she was more to him than just his best friend's little sister, but a necessary part of his life. He couldn't do without her.
They had walked out into the Great Hall, the night sky twinkling its stars upon them. And just as the first dance ended, Harry had lowered his head and kissed Ginny full on the mouth.
Ginny, by this time, had realized that her crush on him had simply given way to a deeper and fuller love, a love that had tenderness and passion and caring in it. And at the moment Harry had kissed her, that love had been sealed in her heart.
The rest of their year passed in confidences and comfort, camaraderie between the four close friends causing them to have a fun-filled, almost stress-free sixth year.
Seventh year had been tense. Harry had known that Voldemort would try to finish him off that year. Harry's powers were now that of extraordinary strength, stronger than Dumbledore's and even stronger than Voldemort's. He had just needed one thing to unleash it- love.
The year had been spent in agony, attacks on Muggles and Muggle-borns rising, disappearances, the Wizarding world becoming unsafe and pretty unprotected. There were no happy pranks pulled, no sneaking into the kitchens, no fun beyond the common room and the Quidditch Pitch.
The day before Harry's graduation, Voldemort had broken through Hogwart's defenses. Harry would be going out to fight him, to finally end the battle between him and the Dark Lord that had ruled his life for seven years. On the eve of the final battle, Ginny had given herself to Harry- completely abandoned herself to him. Harry went into the battle with Ginny's love fresh in his mind and so he had managed to conquer the Dark Lord. But he had come back to no reward- Ginny had left the day of his graduation, throwing away two years of strong love and bonds, friendship and trust.
Harry had searched for Ginny for two years. Every chance or break he could take from his busy life as a Quidditch star, Auror, and socialite, he had traveled around the world, searching for any sign of the woman he loved. After two years of fruitless searching, he had given up and determined to live his life happily, in spite of Ginny's desertion.
Ginny had moved to New York straight away, taking an airplane. She knew no one would have expected her to ever use this sort of Muggle transportation, but she had made use of her knowledge from her Muggle Studies class. She had gone to New York and found an artist's loft in the Village for a cheap price. She immediately performed a prolonged disguise spell that left her virtually unrecognizable. Even her children recognized her with blond hair and gray eyes, not the red hair and warm brown eyes Harry lad loved so much. Since she had not finished school, there were no Wizarding professions to take u, and since the United States had so little wizards, she had never had a chance to make Galleons any way she knew how. She took up waitressing, living like a Muggle for two years while raising her children. She had been surprised and a little dismayed to find out there were twins- two more mouths to feed and look after. She had nearly gone out of her mind those first two years with work, daycare, as well as the kids.
Occasionally she would manage to get a Wizarding magazine or a newspaper, usually with Harry Potter somewhere on the first page, or in the Society pages. She saw Harry, handsome and grown-up, on covers with beautiful girls from prominent Wizarding families. It hurt her almost unendurably. She had never wanted to tell Harry about his children- for she had realized that at the young age of seventeen, a famous and wealthy young wizard would not want the ties of a wife and child to hold him down. These magazine covers sealed that into her mind, making her determined never to intrude on Harry's life that way.
And so the two of them had been estranged, because of mutual misunderstandings, and although both of them desperately wanted the other, neither of them thought the other wanted them.
