A/N: I'm not going to be responding to reviews this chapter because I was sitting around reading other fics and suddenly decided to write the next chapter here. It's the middle of the night and I don't think I can deal with it right now. But thanks to each and every one of you who reviewed, from the bottom of my heart.

And HEY! To those of you new to my story, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review for each chapter instead of just one at the end. I would love that. Giving your authors love is a good deed, and good deeds get you into heaven. THANKS!

Chapter 4: The Aftermath

Harry didn't know what to do. He needed to cry on someone's shoulder, and have someone to be there for him. He was in so much pain he couldn't even stand up to go anywhere.

It was four days after the letter Ginny had sent him, and he still hadn't been able to get up from his bed, he was so ashamed of what he had done, and really didn't know why he had even done it in the first place. He couldn't live with himself after this. It was too much guilt.

Coincidentally, Ginny hadn't moved from her bed either. She could do nothing but stare at the ceiling and wonder through her sobs why he had done this. She had been so in love with him, and she had honestly thought he had reciprocated her feelings. She wondered if he loved the other girl too. She wondered what the other girl was like. She wondered if people would blame her if she murdered the woman who had taken Harry from her.

In their separate homes both Harry and Ginny lay on their respective beds crying and thinking on their terrible situations.

Eventually Harry got fed up. He was tired of sulking. Slowly, he rose from his bed and padded across the floor of his flat to his bathroom. His first plan of action was to take a shower, because he couldn't do anything smelling this bad.

After his shower, Harry cooked himself a large meal of comfort food and tried to think of where he was going to go, and what he was going to go.

Ariana was sitting around her flat wondering when she was going to see Harry next. It had been over a week, and she figured he was off with the other woman. She didn't need to be told this. He was obviously in love with someone else, but she loved him so completely she would do anything to see him happy. She was contented to just be near him; she knew he loved her, but she suspected this was only platonically, and that he had been deceiving her, and himself, for a long time.

Lost in thought, Ariana didn't hear the customary pop that announced a person in her home. So when Harry whispered "hello" in a broken voice she almost jumped out her skin in fright.

She looked up and gasped audibly. He looked a wreck. Although she could tell he had showered and eaten, he looked as though previous to that he hadn't eaten in days, and that he had been crying very hard for a very long time.

She jumped out of her chair and ran over to hug him. "Harry, do you want to talk to me about it?" Ariana and Harry had always had an innate understanding of each other, so she that was all that needed to be said.

"I have things to tell you," he whispered, not able to look her in the eye. They sat down at her table and Ariana put some tea on while Harry stared at his hands. When they both had tea cups sitting in front of them, Harry began to tell her all about Ginny and his entire situation. Ariana stared at him. It hurt more than she expected to finally be told about this other person. But that was wrong, she was the other person. She had to accept that.

Harry looked at her, wide eyed, expecting the worst, but hoping she would understand that he had made a human error, and that he was truly sorry.

"I always knew" Ariana began, holding up a hand as Harry opened his mouth to say something "that your heart belonged to someone else. Harry, I love you so much. I will do anything to see you happy again, to see that spark return to your eyes. Even help you get Ginny back. As long as you promise me we can still be friends. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but I'll do it for you." She squared her jaw and stood up.

"Now, where to begin… First, let's get you cleaned up properly." She pulled him out of his chair and began to grab something for a portkey to his flat.

"Thank you, but you really don't have to…" Harry began, but Ariana put her hand to his mouth, and looked deeply into his eyes.

"This is hard for me, but I am going to do it if it will make you happy. Please, my resolve is weak, don't test it. I want to help you, and I will," Ariana whispered to him, pleading him with her eyes as well.

Harry nodded slowly, not breaking the eye contact. "I know this hurts you, thank you," he said sincerely. And with that he felt that familiar pull behind his navel as he was transported back to his flat where Ariana turned into a whirlwind looking for something nice for Harry to wear and throwing him a towel, saying "go shower again, and take your time this time!"

Ginny ate the food her mother left on her bedside table only because her mother wouldn't leave the room until she did. Oh, how she wanted Harry back, how she wished he had never done this to her. All she wanted was the good times back again.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the next installment of my lovely story. Sorry if some of the sentences are a little grammatically incorrect. I wanted to get this out immediately and it was a total spur of the moment thing. Like, I'm finishing the chapter right now, and it's 11:00 PM on a tuesday night. Random, aint it? Oh, and again, to those of you who haven't, please leave a review for each chapter, I'll give you some brownies, and a lot of love. Even some updates… Thanks guys!