You Set Me Free
By Duck Goddess
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter bla bla bla.
basketball15 – Yeah, the epilogue should be the last chapter unless you don't want an epilogue…
blackfox360 – Well, you don't have to feel sorry for them any longer. As much as I want some drama, they're going to have some happy endings.
eatingmania – Typical of you to say that the battle scenes need to be more violent. rolls eyes Yeah, I need to work on them, though. No one is going to die.
superspunky7 – Yeah, Ginny's going to visit him in this chapter.
Chapter Nine
Ginny woke up next to Harry's bed. She checked on him quickly. He was still unconscious. She found Ron and Hermione there too, Hermione's head on Ron's chest. They were both fast asleep.
She walked over to Colin's bed and sighed. Leah was asleep as well.
"I wish you were here, Col," Ginny said softly, "You have no idea how much Leah needs you. We both need you. Well, Leah needs you more considering the fact that – okay I'm blabbering.
Hermione told me last night that Harry defeated Voldemort because Harry loved me. I wish I could love him but I don't. I don't know why. I wish I could but I don't. Instead, I love a guy that I'm supposed to hate. It sucks."
Ginny looked over at him. She gasped and fell off her chair. Ow! her mind screamed. She quickly got up and rushed over to him.
"Nice to see that you've been talking to yourself, Gin," Colin said, smiling weakly.
She didn't know what to say. All she could say scream, "LEAH! HE'S AWAKE!"
Leah jumped and looked around. She did what Ginny did – she fell off the chair.
"Oh, Colin!" Leah cried, sobbing again. She kissed him and Ginny soon felt too embarrassed to keep standing there. She walked out of the ward quickly and visited Charlie.
He was already awake.
"Hey, Gin-Gin!" Charlie said brightly.
"How many times do I have to say stop calling me that!" Ginny said, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, I was unconscious, alright? I'm really glad you're alive," he said, grinning.
"Me too," she replied, with a grin on her face as well.
"Dad told me what happened. Poor Bill – now he has even MORE scars on his face. And that you killed Lucius Malfoy," Charlie said, looking at her closely.
Ginny sighed. She knew he would get to that part.
"I was just so pissed off at him," Ginny said wearily, "I mean – he was the one who gave me that damn diary. If I didn't, I would be normal."
"Ginny," Charlie said in his big-brother-tone, "You ARE normal. No, wait, you're not.," She glared at him, "You're unique."
Ginny's glare vanished and she smiled.
"Thanks, Charlie. But that doesn't mean I forgive you for calling me Gin-Gin. Once you get better, I'll Bat-Bogey-Hex you," she said, with a smirk on her face.
Charlie held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Geez, woman, you never get enough of hexing people," he mumbled. Ginny laughed and stopped, smiling. She hadn't laughed in a week.
"But, seriously, are you alright?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine – just got a few hexes and stuns. I'm going to be let out tomorrow!" Charlie said excitedly.
"That's great!" Ginny exclaimed. She threw her arms around her brother and inwardly smiled.
"So…Mum told me that you're going out with Harry," Charlie said casually.
"Oh…that," Ginny said quietly, averting her eyes.
"He's a good guy. I'm happy for you, Gin," Charlie said, oblivious to her answer.
"He is a good guy," she said quietly.
Suddenly, a breathless Hermione burst in through the door.
"Hi Charlie! Ginny, Harry's awake!" she said, panting.
"Great! I better get going. I'll see you later," Ginny said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
She followed Hermione back to Harry's and Colin's ward. Sure enough, Harry was chatting animatedly with Ron.
"Ginny!" he cried as soon as he saw her.
Ginny rushed over to him and hugged him. He kissed the top of her head, missing the glances that Ron gave him. You have to talk to him Ginny thought.
I can't! He just woke up!
So?
You're evil. Harry just killed Voldemort and he wakes up to me breaking up with him!
She pulled out of the hug. Ron, Colin and Leah were giving her looks that said 'you can't keep stringing him along!'
Okay, I can do this.
"You guys, I have to talk to Harry for a second," Ginny said, wincing at her words.
"Oh, okay," Ron said hurriedly, pushing Hermione out of the room.
She drew the curtains around them so Leah and Colin wouldn't hear.
"Hey, what's up?" Harry asked. He still had a big grin on his face and he put his arm around her.
Ginny couldn't help but feel guilty. Harry was finally happy and she was about to dump him.
"Er, you see, I, um, I can't be with you," Ginny said, rushing the last words.
Harry gaped at her. Then, he seemed to realize what he was doing and closed his mouth quickly.
"Why?" was all he said.
Ginny felt tears welling in her eyes. She brushed them away, careful not to look at Harry.
"Well, it's not working out for me. I'm really sorry to say this but you're like a brother to me. And, yeah," Ginny explained, blushing.
"Why did you go out with me, then?" Harry asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I thought I had feelings for you. But I don't. I'm really, really sorry," Ginny said, averting her eyes.
Suddenly, Harry laughed. She looked up, hardly believing it.
"I just realized how stupid I was," Harry managed to say in between laughs.
"Er, yeah," Ginny said, checking his forehead.
"Ginny, I'm fine," he said, gently brushing her hand away, "I think I know what's going on. There's someone else."
Ginny could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. She nodded.
"I think I know who it is. It's Draco, isn't it?" Harry asked.
"Since when have you been on first-name terms with Malfoy?" Ginny replied, avoiding the answer.
"Just answer the question. To answer yours, I realized that he's a pretty good guy and I'm extremely grateful for that. Besides, we're partners," Harry said, grinning. Ginny looked at him carefully.
"Yes, he's the 'someone else'," she finally said, "How did you know it was him?"
"Well, I've been noticing a lot of things. He always stared at you in the Great Hall. When I told him that I was going to ask you out, he immediately tensed. And of course, yesterday when Voldemort was torturing you – he looked like he was in pain himself," Harry explained.
"Oh," Ginny said.
"Well, what's really been going on with you two?" Harry asked.
"Remember, he saved me at the Quidditch match about two months ago?" Harry nodded. "Well, we were partners in Potions and we got pretty close. He started sending me love letters and we began to go out. Then, we got in a fight and I dumped him. I started going out with you and that's it."
Harry stared at her. Then, he grinned.
"You'd better go see him. From what I heard, he's awake. Oh, yeah, don't worry about your family. After what he's done yesterday, they'd probably be happy to accept him," Harry said.
Ginny grinned as well and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"You're welcome," Harry replied.
Ginny walked into Draco's ward. He was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. No one was sitting beside him.
"Draco," she said, sitting next to him.
He looked at her for a moment but went back to staring at the ceiling.
"What are you doing here, Ginny?" he asked.
"I came to see you," she replied, "Isn't it obvious?"
"How come you're not with Precious Potter?" Draco spat, ignoring her last remark.
"Because I don't love him," Ginny replied coolly.
Draco finally tore his eyes away from the ceiling and looked at her.
"What do you mean?" he asked, pretending not to know.
Ginny snapped.
"For Merlin's sake, Draco! Stop acting so bloody thick! You know exactly what the hell I mean!" Ginny shouted.
He stared at her. Then, he kissed her.
It was a strange feeling. Over time, Ginny had gotten used to Harry's kisses. They were safe and comfortable. Draco's kisses made her shiver and weak in the knees.
Ginny moved on to his bed but ended up hurting Draco.
"OW! I was just tortured, you know?" he yelled in pain.
"Sorry," she said meekly.
"I've missed your shouting, though," Draco said, smiling.
"I've missed you," Ginny replied. Draco grinned. It was like he was a totally different person now.
"Seriously, how come you're not with Potter?" he teased.
"Well, I dumped him for you. That should be a stroke to your ego. Except he did save the world because he loved me," Ginny said, shuddering at the thought of Draco becoming even MORE arrogant and egotistical.
Draco looked pleased.
"Well, he'll know that he can't have you. Now, Harry will be the one who's the best man at the wedding. He'll be the one who'll stick pins into a voodoo doll of me that doesn't work!" Draco said excitedly.
Ginny looked at him and laughed. She threw her arms around him (he winced) and breathed in the scent of him.
"I love you," she whispered.
There was a pause. Then, "I love you too."
Ginny grinned and was about to kiss him again when someone walked into the room.
"Ginny, Har – oh!" a very surprised voice said. Ginny turned around quickly. It was her dad.
"Dad!" she said, panicking.
"Mr. Weasley," Draco said, nodding.
"Hello, Draco. What are you doing with my daughter?" Mr. Weasley asked. There was a dangerous tone in his voice that Ginny didn't like at all.
Then, Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George and Ron joined him. Ginny quickly got off Draco and stood up. She tried to look innocent.
"What's going on?" Fred asked with a wicked smirk on his face.
Draco looked positively scared.
"Molly, maybe you should go back to Harry. The boys and I have to deal with someone," Mr. Weasley said with a manic glint in his eye.
A/N: NOT the last chapter! I've written an epilogue!