Chapter 20: Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Ginny entered the Common Room sobbing, Luna and Tuesday looked up, as she ran through, Luna followed Ginny into her room and Tuesday ran into the library to get Hermione. "'Mione come on, it's Ginny, she just came into the common room sobbing."

Hermione felt a sharp tug at her heart she had known this was coming but, she still felt awful, even though she knew in the long run, Ginny would be much happier for it. She jumped up and followed Tuesday.

The girls spent the better part of the day locked in Ginny's room. The entire house missed lunch; everyone was too worried about Ginny to notice. Draco was unusually silent, as he struggled with his conscience; he knew that Ginny and Harry were meant to be together and that the sooner she broke up with Dean, the better, that way neither of them would be hurt anymore than they were hurting now, but he felt rotten for causing their pain.

While Malfoy sat stewing in his guilt, the girls had locked the door and cast an imperturbable charm on the room. Ginny started telling them about what happened between herself and Dean.

"I was down by the lake, waiting for Dean, then he comes storming up to me, tosses his bag down and accused me of cheating on him with Harry." It was a mark of how upset she was that she didn't see the look that the other girls exchanged.

"I told him that Harry and I were just friends and that nothing like that ever happened between us and he didn't believe me," she sniffled before continuing. "He said that the House meeting that Harry called wasn't real and that I spent our anniversary in bed with Harry."

"That Bastard!" Hermione said, in an indignant tone, Luna and Tuesday nodded their agreement.

"And then he asked me if I was in love with Harry and I couldn't say no, so Dean said I had to choose between being friends with Harry and him. And if I didn't go to the Headmaster and ask for a change of house, then I could just go back to being Harry's whore."

"Oh, Gin, I'm so sorry," Luna said giving her a quick hug.

When Ginny finally stopped crying she said quietly but in a firm tone, "It's for the best I suppose, I don't want to be with someone who thinks things like that about me. But, I do wonder how he knew I have been sleeping in Harry's room."

"Uh, Gin, we're gonna need more of an explanation than that." Tuesday said, unsure what to think, she really didn't think Ginny had cheated but this didn't sound good.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Hermione said quickly.

"You know Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry told me."

"Why?"

"Gin, I can't tell you that, it wouldn't be fair to him, after all I don't tell him your secrets."

"Will you explain it to those of us who are still, not getting what's going on?"

Ginny sighed, "After our first day of defense class, I had a nightmare about the Chamber of Secrets, I've had them before, and my parents or my brothers would come and sit with me but it didn't make the fear go away. That one was the worst nightmare I had ever had, so I went to Harry, because he saved me in real life, so I thought he might be able to save me from my dreams as well. And then after a couple of nights the nightmares stopped but I was sleeping well for the first time in years, I wasn't afraid to sleep, so I kept sleeping in his room." She looked slightly ashamed as she admitted all of this to them. "It's not like we where sleeping in the same bed or anything he always slept on the couch and let me have his bed." She looked up at them tears in her eyes again, "Does that make me a bad person?"

Tuesday was the first to speak, "No, sweetie, of course it doesn't, you just turned to a friend for comfort. Come on, no more tears. If you really want to know how he found out then maybe we have one of the boys ask Dean."

Ginny thought about this for a second, "I don't think so, for one I can't see any of the boys finding out what he said and not wanting to pound the life out of him, they all treat me like a little sister, even Draco. Any way I don't think Dean would talk to them, he doesn't trust Draco, he'll be afraid to talk to Ron, and Harry is what started the fight in the first place." They all laughed to that last remark before she continued, "He might talk to Neville, but I think I'd rather just keep as much of the details between the girls as possible. I don't think Dean will tell anyone, so at least I don't have to worry about that."

Luna looked at her uncertainly, "Why wouldn't he tell anyone?"

"Well, first, he would have to admit that he wasn't 'satisfying' me, which would be a devastating blow to his ego. And more importantly, I think he is a little scared of Harry, soo…"

Hermione let out a snort of laughter and finished Ginny's sentence, "and so he'll be afraid that Harry wouldn't look kindly on someone badmouthing his girlfriend. Come on, let's go get dinner, we all missed lunch already."

None of the boys were sure of how to react during the long absence of the girls. Only Harry and Draco knew what had happened, and neither of them was willing to admit what they knew. When Harry came in from the quidditch pitch he found Ron, Neville and Draco sitting on the couches staring at the door to Hermione and Ginny's room. He paused and frown looking at them, "Hey, guys what's going on?"

Ron looked at him, his face full of concern, "We don't know what's going on, Ginny came running in crying, then all four girls disappeared in there, and we haven't heard anything, since. I tried to listen in on the extendable ears, but they put an imperturbable charm on the door."

"Is Ginny alright, was she hurt?"

"Not physically as far as I could see, mate." Ron looked at Harry suspiciously for several seconds causing Harry to shift from foot to foot, but he did not say anything else.

Harry went and put his broom away, and returned to join the other boys in guarding the door. The only noise in the room was the sound of the logs shifting in the fire, even Ron's stomach which should have been growling like made by now, was silent. The boys all jumped when the door finally opened and Hermione stepped out, she shut it behind her, and surveyed them before speaking, "I think you all should know, that Ginny and Dean have just broken up. It was a rather nasty fight, and the odds of them getting back together are pretty much nonexistent. Ginny would like to come out know and go to dinner with all of us, but she is not ready to discuss this further and will remain in her room if you can't all promise not to question her about it."

Hermione bit her nervously watching them consider what she had said, she gave Draco a pleading look, hoping he would understand her meaning. He did apparently because the next instant he spoke, "If that's what Ginny thinks, is best, then I'm sure we can all respect her wishes, right guys?"

They all muttered agreement, and Hermione went back in to relay the message. "Okay, Gin, they all agreed, but you should have seen their faces the curiosity is killing them!"

The Merlin House members descended to the Great Hall all starving, to find that dinner had not been served yet. They glanced around the room, curious as to what was going on. As they took their seats, the Headmaster rose, "Now, that we are all here, I have several announcements which will greatly interest our older students. Unfortunately, do to events this summer, we feel that it would be too risky to allow you to visit Hogsmeade." He paused while they all groaned. "However, to make up for this, we will be having a ball for students third year and above. Of course, a younger student may attend, if specifically invited, by an older student."

Ginny groaned even louder at this announcement than she had when he cancelled the Hogsmeade Weekend, "Wouldn't you know it, the day I break up with my boyfriend, they announce a ball." She dropped her head onto the table and hit it a couple of times. They spent the rest of the evening discussing the canceled trip to the village, and soon it was time for bed. It seemed to be a normal night, until Ginny came into Harry's room, and she was visibly shaken, even without looking at her aura, Harry could tell.