Disclaimer: The characters in this story that are from Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, if they aren't from Harry Potter, they belong to me. (Obviously)
If anyone has any questions on this story, email me at acisseji@hotmail.com
Chapter 8
Ginny tiredly made her way through the empty Gryffindor common room, her hands clutched tightly around Tales of the Goblin Wars. As she reached the stairs, she found that someone was blocking her way.
"Hermione," she said dully. "Get out of the way, I'm going to bed."
Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously.
"I don't think so, whore," Hermione spat viciously. "I want to know what's between you and Harry and I want to know now."
"Hermione, there's nothing between Harry and I anymore. Nothing."
Hermione stared unbelievingly at her. Ginny shook her head and made to push past Hermione.
"No!" Hermione yelled, pushing her back into the common room. "Tell me! Tell me what you and Harry are doing!"
"Nothing," Ginny said in a hissed whisper.
"You're lying!" Hermione shouted.
"I hate Harry!" Ginny said forcefully. "He's a mindless wanker and I don't want to have anything to do with him. You're free to have him. Although you aren't. What about Ron, huh? Event though you don't deserve to breathe the same air as him."
Ginny finished her tirade and breathed in heavily, glaring darkly at Hermione. Hermione stared at her with shock. Ginny was so incensed she didn't even notice Hermione reach into her robes and pull out her wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
Ginny flew backwards, colliding with a large armchair, which, despite having a comfortable, cushioned seat, was unbearable hard on the back. Snarling, she stumbled to her feet and ran at Hermione before she could utter another word. Ginny slammed her fist into Hermione's stomach, while the older girl clawed at her hair, tugging tufts of it out of her head. With a high-pitched shriek, Ginny tore herself from Hermione's grasp and slapped her across the face. Hermione retaliated by spitting in the red head's scowling face.
"Stop it! Both of you!"
"Come on, Ron. This is intensely interesting."
Ginny and Hermione whirled around. Ron standing awkwardly in the doorway, while Harry was leaning back into the wall, completely at ease. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Ginny chanced a glance at Hermione. Hermione was staring fixedly at Harry, her face frozen in fear. Ginny's brow wrinkled in confusion. Surely Hermione, couldn't still be defending him…
Ron turned to Harry, a sad expression on his face.
"Listen, Harry, Hermione," he said softly. Hermione's gaze snapped to him, as if she hadn't realised he was there. Ginny looked at her brother's crestfallen expression and her heart ached for him.
"I know," Ron continued. "I know about the train, and everything."
Hermione's gaze swept accusingly to Ginny, but Ron walked to her and took her hand.
"Ginny didn't tell me, sweetheart, I knew. I saw. And I watched her see. I know you love each other and you can be together. I won't stand in your way anymore."
"They don't deserve that, Ron!" Ginny said in protest. He glanced at her, and the sadness in his eyes made her gasp.
A snort broke into the moment.
"I don't love Hermione," Harry said scornfully. "I wouldn't do that to you, mate," he said to Ron.
"But sleeping with her is fine and won't hurt him at all," Ginny sneered.
"She came onto me, Ron," Harry explained. "Same as your sister."
"I did not come on to you, you unfeeling git," Ginny shouted, outraged.
Hermione, meanwhile, was standing stock still, a stricken expression on her face. A single tear spilled over her cheek. Absently, Ron wiped it away tenderly. Hermione turned her devastated eyes to his.
"I- I'm sorry," she whispered, then turned and ran upstairs to the girl's dormitories.
"Wow, Harry that wasn't very nice," Ron said, torn between Hermione and his best friend.
"Ron," Harry said, matter-of-factedly. "At least now you know she's a slut."
"Don't talk about her that way, Harry," Ron said, deathly quiet.
"Why are you such a prick, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"You shut up," he snarled at her. "You nothing better than a whore either."
"Don't talk about her that way, Harry," Ron said, his voice was still deceptively quiet.
Ginny ignored both of them.
"You've been like this ever since Sirius died, Harry."
"You, shut up!" Harry yelled. "Don't talk about him!"
"It's true," Ron said, as if it had just dawned on him. "Do you miss him so much that you have to treat everyone else like they aren't worthy of your time? There are so many people…"
"SHUT UP!" Harry roared.
Ron raised his voice to match Harry's.
"JUST LISTEN, HARRY!" Ron dropped his voice to normal level. "There are so many people that love you… Why can't you see that we're only trying to help. You aren't Sirius, Harry. Sirius is gone. Dead. Pretending to be him won't bring him back."
For a moment Ginny thought that Harry was going to explode. Instead he stood, frozen to the spot, he fists clenched and slightly quivering. Ginny was even more shocked when a single tear slipped from his eye and over his cheek. It wrenched Harry from his stupor. He angrily wiped it away, dragging his fist across his face. He glared at Ron and Ginny and turned away, storming out of the common room.
Silence reigned. Ron shifted his feet about uneasily, then cleared his throat.
"Ginny, I should go to Hermione," he said quietly.
Ginny looked sharply at him.
"After all she's done to you, you're still going to forgive her?" she aid, shocked.
"Gin, you don't understand. I love her. I have to go."
Ron turned towards the stairs to the girl's dormitories. Ginny placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I understand better than you think, Ron. Listen, I'll go to her. You can't get up those stairs anyway."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ron asked worriedly.
Ginny nodded and smiled reassuringly at her brother. He murmured his thanks and ambled over to an overturned armchair. After placing it right side up, he sank heavily into the cushioned seat and cradled his head in his hands. Ginny turned away and made her way up the steps.
She reached the heavy mahogany door that led to the private room of the Head Girl and knocked on it reluctantly. She got no answer. Pressing her ear against the door she could hear the faint sounds of sobbing. Sighing, she pushed open the door. A red-eyed Hermione looked up at her in surprise then narrowed her swollen eyes.
"Get. Out," she whispered harshly.
Ginny shook her head and walked over to the bed and sat down. Hermione glared at her, wet tears still escaping from her narrowed eyes to make wetter paths across her tear-streaked cheeks. Ginny raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. Then she leant back and waited.
"I suppose you came up here to gloat," Hermione hiccupped. All in all, she looked rather pathetic.
Slowly Ginny shook her head.
"Well, you should," Hermione said pitifully. "Harry obviously loves you. Well done. You win. I lose. Now go away."
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Come off it, Hermione," Ginny said. "Harry doesn't love anyone but himself. He's changed, Hermione. He's not the Harry we all knew. He just as much admitted it downstairs. You don't love him."
"You have no idea how I feel!" Hermione sobbed.
"Yes, I do!" Ginny said harshly. "You love him. And I know how that feels because I love Harry too. Only it doesn't count, for either of us, because Harry isn't Harry anymore."
Hermione looked at her, wide eyed.
"I don't want to believe that," the older girl bit out, her eyes shining with fear.
"Neither did I. You see. We're more alike than we realised."
Hermione hiccupped again and smiled slightly.
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
Ginny shrugged. "Because I don't want Ron to see you so worked up over Harry, I guess. It kills him to see that you don't love him."
"Don't you see?" Hermione said shaking her head. "I do. I do love him. I love Harry, too. Well at least I thought I did," she said quickly. "Ron will never forgive me."
"Oh, Hermione. He already has."
Hermione's eyes widened. "I don't deserve him."
"No. You don't," Ginny said truthfully, turning to leave.
"All this time, I've been in love with him," Hermione said in a tiny voice. "And I never saw past Harry. For so long Harry was what I wanted, it never occurred to me that Ron's feelings could be any different to Harry's. It never occurred to me that he was different. Ron isn't Harry."
Ginny turned around, her brown eyes bewildered. Hermione was staring fixedly at her hands and it seemed as if she was talking to herself.
"What did you say?" Ginny whispered.
Hermione looked up, startled.
"He isn't Harry?"
"Of course," realisation dawned. "He isn't Harry."
Ginny whirled around and shot out the door.
"Ginny?" Hermione called, getting to her feet and following the younger girl. She made her way down the stairs to the common room and came face to face with Ron. Ron flushed red and look at a spot on the wall just above her shoulder.
"Ron…"
* * *
Ginny ran through the halls of Hogwarts a single thought echoing in her mind.
"He's not Harry."
* * *
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