Merry Christmas, Harry
A/N: This just came to me today. Sometimes I wonder if Harry will die in the seventh book. Well, this in response to that. This is how I think Ginny will react. I hope you enjoy it!
It was Christmas once again at Hogwarts. A white blanket of snow covered the ground and students bewitched snowballs to attack each other. The smell of Christmas trees and food filled the castle, but Ginny did not share the joy in any of it. She had come to Hogwarts for another reason.
Surrounded by a pile of snow, a large white statue stood between the lake and another tomb. The tomb was white and beautifully carved (by magic), and at the base, a memorial was carved upon it:
Harry James Potter
The Boy Who Lived
The Chosen One
Ginny knelt down in the snow, her warmth melting the snow beneath her and soaking her pants. Still, she sat there, staring at the statue. If someone had never seen Harry Potter for themselves, they would never have known that the boy had black hair or green eyes. However, the statue's hair was neatly combed, its stone eyes contained a sparkle, and held in its hand was a wand. In fact, the statue looked quite smug and confident.
Ginny smirked. Smug? Harry? "I'm sure you're devastated, Harry," she finally spoke, her voice quivering in the cold air. "You would have never wanted a statue. Ron and Hermione tried telling them that all you needed was a small tomb with your name on it, but the Ministry didn't believe them. Of course, the statue is fantastic. It's almost like I'm talking to you." Ginny stared intently at the statue as if it would magically jump to life and talk. However, the statue just stood staring out across the grounds. For a split second, a flash of disappointment came over Ginny, but soon it dissolved, followed by a small smile and a twinkle in her eyes.
"You know Hermione and Ron got married? I bet you're not surprised," Ginny mused. "I mean, what with everything that had happened. I'm a bit surprised myself, though. I didn't think they would have gotten married so soon after you…well, you know…died. How long has it been? Two years? I guess it doesn't feel like that long, does it?"
She paused, surveying the grounds. The sky was growing dim and the students she had seen early had already deserted their snowball fight for dinner. A small smile flickered on Ginny's pale, cold face as she remembered being a student at Hogwarts.
"I would do anything to have you back, Harry," she finally whispered, letting a small tear trickle and freeze midway on her cheek. "I would do anything to speak to you again instead of this stupid statue sitting here in the middle of Hogwarts! Really, it's an insult to your nature. It makes you appear as if you were full of yourself!" Ginny was reminded instantly of Snape: all of his taunts, jeers, and his smirk.
"I'm just glad Snape or Malfoy are not here to see this," she continued. "However, I do feel a small bit sorry for the both of them. It was You-Know-Who, Harry, that killed them. If it wasn't for him, they would have been alive, you would be alive, and your parents…I'm just glad he's gone, as well. You did the right thing, Harry. I was so proud of you."
Ginny shivered, watching the last bit of the sun hide behind the mountains to the west. "I guess you're wondering what became of me, aren't you?" she asked the statue. "Well, I work for the Ministry now- an Unspeakable. I got a chance to play Quidditch, but I didn't take it. The only reason why I played Quidditch was to compete with my brothers and to be with you. I'm pathetic, aren't I? But I love my job now. As for my romantic life…well, there's no one right now. I know you would have wanted me to move on, but part of me just can't. You have a big chunk of my heart buried with you and I'm still working to fill the void. Oh sure, I've dated a few people, but it's just not the same…"
Tears spilled out of her brown eyes and she continued to stare at the statue, at his eyes, at the way his hair would never have been that straight and neat. "I wish you were still here," she muttered again, holding back a sob. "Perhaps then Mum wouldn't be so edgy at times and Ron and Hermione wouldn't look at me as if I were some species of flubberworm. Everyone treats me like I'm this fragile, breakable doll that will explode if you look at it. I hate it, Harry!" the last few words echoed across the grounds, upsetting a few owls in a tree nearby.
"I guess I had better get going before I curse that stupid statue of yours. I just want you to know, Harry, that it does not look anything like you," Ginny stated as she got up and brushed the snow off her pants. Although the sun had set, the white grounds were now illuminated by the light from the castle as stormy, dark clouds took over the sky. In only a few moments, it began to snow again- lightly at first and then the wind picked up and the snow fell at a faster rate.
"Ginny?" a voice called out over the grounds. Ginny turned around to see Hermione jogging from the gate that led to the small village of Hogsmeade. "I thought I would find you here!" Hermione laughed, but it quickly subdued when she saw Ginny's gloomy face. "Saying 'Good-bye,' huh?"
Ginny nodded silently and looked at the statue fixedly. Finally, after a few moments of quietness, Ginny found the energy to speak again. "He's crying for me, Hermione," she said, her voice catching in her throat.
The other girl's eyebrows rose in question. "What are you talking about?"
"He's crying for me," Ginny repeated. "Harry's crying for me. Can't you see the snow?" She held out her hand and caught some flakes.
"Oh, right," Hermione answered, not entirely understanding what Ginny was saying. "Gin, I came to tell you that dinner is ready. If you're mum finds you standing out here in the freezing weather, she will have a heart attack."
"She would," Ginny grinned, her face retrieving its color. "I just needed to talk- that's all. You know, I have never been here by myself before. I can see why they put his tomb right here. It's so peaceful. Harry himself couldn't have picked a better spot."
"I know," Hermione replied quietly, lost in thought.
The two remained standing, staring out across the lake for what seemed like hours. Had it only been two years since they had seen his smile, heard his voice, and accompanied him on a venture that they both knew could have taken their lives? No, to Ginny and Hermione, it felt like ages had passed. So much had happened and only now, the world was beginning to mend.
"Harry wouldn't have wanted to see you so upset," Hermione broke the silence. "He always agreed with Dumbledore, you know? He would have wanted to see you happy, see your beautiful smile, and see you love again."
Ginny nodded while pulling back her long, red hair out of her eyes. "I know he would. Maybe in a few years, but I can't let him go just yet. What if I forget about him?"
"You? You would never forget about him!" Hermione laughed, but added seriously, "Ginny, you've loved him for a long time. There will always be a part of you that will be in love with him. Maybe you won't notice it after a while, but he will still be there."
Ginny smiled at Hermione and understood that the older girl was right- in some way, she had to keep going. "Thanks, Hermione."
"Come on, before your mother thinks we were killed in the snow," Hermione pulled on the red haired girl's arm.
"Just a minute, Hermione," Ginny declined. "Go on, I'll meet you in Hogsmeade. Just give me a minute." The two girls' eyes met in a gaze of understanding.
"Alright," Hermione agreed and she began to jog back to the village, eager to get out of the freezing weather.
Ginny turned her eyes back to Harry's stone ones. "Well, I better be going, Harry. Like I said, Mum hasn't entirely recovered yet," she sighed. "Well…I guess this is good-bye…" Carefully, Ginny pulled her wand out of her pocket and, with a gentle swish, deep red roses covered the ground around the statue. In another swish, holly and mistletoe decorated Harry's stone likeness. Ginny smiled: one that lit up her face and for a moment, she looked truly happy. Before turning around and following Hermione back to the Burrow, she sighed and whispered softly, "Merry Christmas, Harry."
Note: I want to thank all of you for the positive reviews! I really wasn't expecting any, but I'm glad that I have a few to make me smile :). For those of you who want me to continue, all I can say is that this was written in a one-shot form, so it would be hard to continue. However, I might write another fic spinning off of this, so keep your eyes out.
Thank you, Zen, for editing this for me!