Title: Letting Her Down
Author: gildedsunshine
Genre: Angst / General
Main Character: Ginny
Timeframe: Post-7th year - Ginny's 7th year
Rating: K+
Warnings: angst, little language
Pairing: Harry/Ginny - mentions Ron/Hermione
Comments: Much appreciated. Any and all will be delighted in! Edited: 7th June 2005.
Summary: The week before Ginny's Graduation, Harry Potter set out on a routine run, promising her that he would be back. She finds some promises are broken after all.
Sitting at the table early, even before breakfast had arrived, Ginny Weasley scrambles to finish her Potions. She's done her exams, she's taken her N.E.W.T.S., but this project lingers - her extension work, and her pass into the Healing Courses.
Several unexpected events had prevented her from completely finishing it last night. She doubts that Professor Snape would accept the fact that Cornish pixies had escaped in the Gryffindor Common Room as an adequate excuse, even if it is (surprisingly) the truth. Though her writing is now at least as large as her thumb's width, she still has to write a foot, and is running out of coherent babble.
An unexpected presence behind her goes undetected, until arms wrap around her waist and swing her into the air, her homework tumbling to the floor. Whatever her attacker's original intention, it is forgotten as Ginny kicks out her feet into the bench she has been sitting on. It too crashes to the floor, or it would have, if her attacker's feet had not been in the way.
Her attacker swears, and nearly drops her.
She freezes; she knows that voice.
"Harry?"
"Hey Gin," he says, laughing. "Do you always treat your fiance like this?"
She turns in his arms to kiss him, ignoring the scruff that covers his chin and scratches her face.
"Why are you here?" she asks as they sit, righting the bench. "I thought you would have to stay at the Aurors' camp for now?"
"Mm, they let us out occasionally," he replies, wrapping a possessive arm around her shoulders and she leans into his side.
"But I actually came to say goodbye. Me and Ron…."
"Ron and I," she interrupts. He makes a face.
"You sound like Hermione. Ron and I have been reassigned to France, so we'll be gone for a while."
"But I'm graduating in a week!" she exclaims. "You said you'd be here!"
Last time they were reassigned from Scotland, they were gone for more than a month. She does not want to be alone, not on the day when she should have the world at her feet. With her family gone, bar Ron, she needs Harry more than ever.
"I'll come back in time." He swears, looking into brown eyes that shine like that for only him. "I will be here when you graduate, I promise."
She believes him.
Ginny Weasley woke with a heavy feeling hanging over her head, the last lingering threads of her dream hanging on, though she cannot remember the events. She scrambled from the claustrophobic covers, making a break for the over large window which looked out over the surrounding garden, throwing it open and taking a deep breath. She had gotten used to sleeping with the window open due to the event of the past few years, and while her room mates were only trying to help, Ginny wished they would keep their hands to their own window.
Especially today of all days…
Though dawn had only just arrived, Ginny could not bear the thought of returning to her now cold bed, and instead headed out of the room and down the stairs to the grand sized kitchen. Each room glowed with a bulb of magic floating by the ceiling, producing just enough light to see by, and only touched the walls slightly, casting shadows that Ginny knew well.
The kitchen by contrast was still dark, as the other occupants of the modified manor preferred the absence of light. The kitchen and its included dining room was the only room in the manor which was properly shared, otherwise the large house was separated into two distinct sides. Ginny lived on one, and her brother and his fiancee lived on the other.
The red-haired girl poured herself a glass of water with shaking hands, as she tried to take a sip, it clattered on her teeth. Blindly she held it out to place on the counter, as she did so, her eyes fell on the Wizarding Calender hanging by the door. The day was clearly glowing through the night. The last fog of sleep washed from Ginny's mind as she heedlessly dropped her drink. The liquid spiralled out, and the container smashed against the tiles. Unable to pretend to herself even now, she buried her face in her hands and sunk to her knees amid the broken glass.
It had been a year…
"You prat!" She swore, looking at the ceiling, eyes blurred. "You said you would come back! I can't do this alone. I needed you.
"But you thought the world needed you more."
She awakes to the sound of cheers.
She has slept on the windowsill, but her dormmatesappear to have left without waking her. After the events of her first year, none of them were truely close friends, so it doesn't really surprise her that they left her to sleep. The window next to her stands open, and a chill wind blows, making the curtains ruffle, despite it being the onset of summer. Sleepily she sits up, looking down on to the mass of people so far below, a bright mass of colours when compared to the normal sombre black of a Hogwarts' robes.
She dresses, and walks down the stairs. People rush past, it seems they already know what the celebrations are for, and don't want to be late. She wishes she knew, so she could celebrate also. She has just realised that she is graduating today.
She is halfway to the Hall, and someone cries her name. She turns and perceives a bright flash.
"It's her…" They all whisper around the confused girl. "It's her…."
Pushing back masses of red hair, she looks at the reporters.
"What do you want?" she asks.
She knows she should not talk to them but not being able to be rude so early in the morning, on what seems to be such a happy day.
"Are you proud of him?" they ask and she wonders, proud of who?
She walks away without answering; let them make their own answer, for it would be no different from usual. She cannot seem to find her cheer today.
She pauses at the doors to the Great Hall. She knows these doors; she has passed them so many times in the last seven years. They are part of her home. Light catches on her left hand, and she looks down to smile. She has a future; there lies the comfort.
No one's in the great hall, bar a single soul.
"Professor?" she asks quizzically, for her Headmaster is sad. "Why is everyone celebrating?"
"My dear girl," he replies, "we were searching for you. Come with me."
It does not escape her notice that he has not answered her question. The early morning sunlight is dim in the Hospital Wing, and she fears what the Headmaster will show her. There is a bright splash of red on a pillow and she runs forward.
"Ron?"
"Hey, Gin," he says, his deep voice now weak. He is crying, and her heart catches. "He did it, Gin. Voldemort's gone."
She wonders why that is making him cry, making her strong brother cry, who hasn't cried since her family's funeral.
"Where's Harry?" She asks, fearing the answer. "He said he would come back today. He said he'd be here."
Ron shakes his head and Ginny Weasley begins to fall.
She hasn't stopped since.
It's a bit draft-y still, but that's my one-time one-shot.
Please review! gs