Disclaimer: I do not own Harry, Hermione, Ginny, or any of the other authentic HP characters that I have used in this. Nor do I own the song "The Lover After Me", which belongs to the band Savage Garden. So you can't sue me.

This songfic takes place when Harry and Hermione are twenty-three and Ginny is twenty-two. Harry and Ginny, who got back together after Harry destroyed the Dark Lord at age seventeen (remember that in the sixth book they split up at the end because Harry didn't want to put her in danger), broke up seven months before this. A month after they split, Harry and Hermione started seeing each other and believe that it was meant to be all along. This is Ginny's view as Harry and Hermione are dating. Enjoy!

Chapter One The Lover After Me Song by: Savage Garden

Ginny sat on the floor of her brand new apartment, boxes piled up all around her, knees pulled up to her chest. 'I gotta start unpacking,' she thought, but she couldn't move. Couldn't stop thinking about…him.

Here I go again I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today
It's been seven months and counting
You've moved on
I still feel exactly the same

She was staring at the ceiling, determinedly not picturing him and her. Small flashbacks of her time with him brought tears, along with a small smile, to her face. 'What am I thinking?' she thought, shaking her head as though that would get rid of the memories. 'That's over now. Things change, and I can't change them back.' She stood up, wiped her tears, and looked around helplessly. 'I just need to go for a walk. Yes, that'll keep my mind off him.'

She locked the door behind her and started walking up the snow-laden streets of London. She stopped at a corner to cross the street and her eyes fell upon the Leaky Cauldron. She could see his reflection wavering in the dusty window, and shook her head once more. The reflection disappeared.

It's just that everywhere I go all the buildings know your name
Like photographs and memories of love
Steel and granite reminders
The city calls your name and I can't move on

Ginny traced the spot where she saw the reflection before pushing open the door to the pub. She sat down at a two-person table and laid her head on her crossed arms on the tabletop. David, Tom's son, who had taken over the bar-keeping when his father became terminally ill, came over and sat next to her, drying a mug with his apron. She gave him a small smile before accepting some firewhisky. He went to get some and the door opened, letting two people in. It was them, and Ginny pulled down the lip of her hat so they wouldn't recognize her. They sat down a couple tables away, laughing like there was no one else in the world. David came back with the firewhisky and glanced piteously at Ginny when her recognized Harry and Hermione. He went up to them and took orders, continually glancing back at Ginny. Neither Harry nor Hermione noticed; they carried on talking in hushed, happy tones, laughing occasionally.

Ever since you've been gone
The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me

Ginny drained the rest of her firewhisky and got up to leave. Hermione just happened to look in her direction as she stood, recognizing her immediately.

"Ginny!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you come over and sit with us? Come on over!" How could she refuse? She and Hermione were still considered friends, so what was she to do?

"Thanks, Hermione, but I really have to get home and start unpacking; I've put it off too long already…" Ginny began, but Hermione cut in.

"Oh, come on, just one moment!" Hermione insisted. "Harry and I were just debating what color dresses we should get."

"Dresses?" Ginny questioned, unknowingly. Hermione looked at her incredulously.

"You don't know? But I thought Ron told you!" Ginny just looked at her, a blank expression on her face.

"Harry and I are getting married in six months!" Hermione looked at her expectantly, a broad smile on her face, waiting for a reaction. She didn't know what Ginny really felt. She didn't know how much all this hurt her, and if she did she would have certainly been more sensitive on the subject. She, however, didn't know; she thought that Ginny had gotten over Harry a long time ago, and that she was totally cool. Ginny wanted it to stay like that. She didn't want them to know that she wasn't happy for them, that she wanted to be the one in the wedding gown on that day.

"That- That's great news!" Ginny said with forced enthusiasm. "A bit quick, but- but definitely great news!" Hermione searched her face, as if checking to see if she was really alright with everything that had been going on. Ginny forced a bright smile onto her face, but it was good enough for Hermione.

"Yes! Great! Ok, now I thought some sort of red would be nice, you'll be my Maid of Honor, of course, but Harry thinks we should do soft gold. Now I told him that I didn't want it to be like Fleur and Bill's wedding, but…." Ginny sort of tuned her out. It was Harry's voice that brought her back with a jolt.

"I don't want her to be a bridesmaid." Hermione looked at him with shock on her face, and Ginny did not look at him at all.

"What?" Hermione asked. "But we talked all about who were to be ushers, groomsmen, et cetera. We agreed…"

"I don't want her to be a bridesmaid," he said softly, "I want her to sing." The two women were quiet, and Ginny actually looked at him for the first time since they broke up. "She has the most amazing voice." And he said no more.

"Alright," Hermione commented after a while. "The bridesmaids can wear something other than red then, if you'd like. Just not soft gold. We'll find Ginny a beautiful gold dress to wear." And that was that. Ginny gave them a half-smile before standing up and giving them an awkward wave. She hurried out of the pub and toward home.

Am I all alone in the universe?
There's no love on these streets
I have given mine away to a world
That didn't want it anyway

She got home to realize that she was supposed to be meeting up with the family at the Burrow. It was 7:30 pm and she was supposed to be there a half an hour ago. Cursing to herself she apparated home.

So this is my new freedom
It's funny
I don't remember being chained
But nothing seems to make sense anymore
Without you I'm always twenty minutes late

She appeared at her parents' front door, head bowed. The door opened, letting out streams of light. She looked up to see her elder brother, Ron, standing in the doorway. Her tearstained face told him all he needed to know, and he pulled her to him, holding her tightly. Leading her into the kitchen, he sat her down in front of a bowl of soup. Fred and George, after seeing her, looked at each other, 'Oops' spelled across their faces. Before she could start in on her soup George whisked it away.

"Sorry, this one's cold," he said briskly. Ginny could see that it was steaming. He set another bowl in front of her. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was the same bowl, just with some unwanted things removed. After all, her brothers were the owners of Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes joke shop. Around ten she asked her mum if she could spend the night.

"Of course!" Mrs. Weasley had exclaimed. "This is still your home, dear!"

Ginny spent the night in her old bedroom. Tucked under her old comforter, she looked out of the window. So many memories…games of Quidditch out on the lawn, watching fireworks as they lay on their backs on the cool grass, using his stomach as a pillow… She grabbed her wand from the bedside table and extinguished the candle's on the windowsill. She had almost hoped that this would help, that by getting rid of the light she could start over, that she could forget him. Sure, what they had had was beautiful, but forgetting would be so much easier…much less painful…

Ever since you've been gone
The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me

She pulled the covers up to her chin. She forgot how cold it was up there…

And time goes by so slowly
The nights are cold and lonely
I shouldn't be holding on
But I'm still holding on for you

As her eyes began to close, she prayed that when she woke up it would all be gone. Sometimes is just isn't that easy.

Well? Whaddaya think? R&R, if you don't like it don't be afraid to say so! If I get enough reviews I'll go another chapter!