Harry Potter and the Final Attempt

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance

Rating: PG-13…for now?

Spoilers: some from all of the books probably, sorry

Pairings: Hermione/George, Harry/Ginny, mentions Fred/Angelina

Summary: Basically this is the summer after the 6th book and what happens from there; their love, their fear, their pain, their adventure. Hr/Gr, H/G, F/A

AN: Also, not to be a bitch or anything, but it's kind of discouraging to see that this story has had 100 hits, yet I only have one comment. How am I supposed to know if I should continue? So pleeeeaaaase comment, even to say that you don't like it and why, because at least that's something I can work with. Thanks!

And thank you sooo much to the one reviewer, Knifethrowastarr! It means a lot to me!

Chapter 2

Dinner that night was very quiet. The silence was almost unbearable. Ron refused to so much as look at Hermione and George, Harry avoided Ginny's gaze, and everyone seemed afraid to talk to Harry, as if one wrong word might make him relive that terrible night one month ago. Strangely Harry didn't mind. He was just happy to be with them, in a place he felt safe. He also ate in silence, staring determinedly at his plate.

After dinner Harry watched as George and Hermione disappeared down the path to the lake, noting how Ron was suddenly stacking plates rather loudly. Harry sighed and brought his hand down on the plates. "Let me get these," he volunteered.

Ron looked up, embarrassed. "Oh. No, Harry, you don't have to, I just…er, well…I…" Harry shook his head and gave it a jerk toward the house. Ron gave in and slumped toward the house, giving a gnome a good kick along the way. Harry examined the plates in front of him. Carrying them all at one time was going to be a challenge, but he didn't fancy making two trips, and scooped them all into his arms.

Nervously he made his way to the house, trying to balance the wobbling stack of plates. Just when he was sure the top few were going to go, a pair of hands reached out and removed half of the stack. "That's a near impossible task," said the voice belonging to the hands. "Who do you think you are, Harry Potter or something?"

Harry turned and was surprised to see Ginny's grinning face next to his, looking as beautiful as ever. "Something like that, I guess." He smiled back, somewhat apprehensively, as an overwhelming urge to drop the plates and take her into his arms washed over him. He briefly wondered what he had been thinking in breaking up with her. 'You did it for her own safety, to spare her feelings!' a voice in his head chastised him, and he quickly looked away from her. "So…George and Hermione…what do you think about that?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm happy for them. It's obvious how much they care about each other and, even though there's no good reason for them to be together, even though they probably know it won't last forever, they're willing to try and give it a chance…because, maybe, fate will prove them wrong." Ginny's pace had slowed considerably as she gazed at the place where George and Hermione had just disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Harry said as he pushed his way into the house, "but fate has got us beat this time." And he walked inside, feeling like dirt, and left her standing outside, staring at the door.

As he went upstairs, Harry could hear Ron's frenzied pacing so he headed back downstairs. He passed Ginny's closed door on his way; she was also pacing. With a guilty sinking feeling in his stomach, Harry made his way back outside. Bill and Fleur were sitting on the wall, murmuring things quietly to each other. Bill's face was still stitched up, the torn flesh carefully pinched back together. Harry felt another stab of guilt. It was all his fault.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat together on the patio, sipping tea and not speaking. Harry turned and walked the other way around the house so as not to be seen, feeling more alone and out of place than he had in a long time, and nearly ran into Fred near the broom shed walking in the opposite direction. Fred grinned. "Nice night, Harry, you reckon?"

Harry nodded. "I suppose so. Where have you been?"

"Oh, strolling about the grounds, taking in the scenery, spying on George and Hermione…you know, classy things like that." Harry laughed and Fred continued, "I'm off to owl Angelina now, but should you be in need of some entertainment our resident lovebirds are in the clearing in the woods." He winked, giving Harry a thump on the back, and was off.

Harry didn't feel much like spying, so he pulled an old Comet 260 from the shed and kicked off. He felt suddenly light and carefree as he soared above the trees; or at least he puttered along above them after finally coaxing the broom to rise high enough. After fifteen or twenty minutes he landed on one of the thicker branches of the weeping willow, which sat on the bank of the lake.

He rested contentedly in the tree, his mind farther from the nightmare he's lived through as Hogwarts than it had been all summer, until he heard voices nearing. Desperately he tried to get himself up as he recognized the voices to be Hermione's and George's, but hadn't even managed to stand up before they suddenly appeared below him. He sat very still and hoped they wouldn't have the urge to look up. Or go tree climbing.

They sat down on the grassy bank of the lake and George wrapped an arm over Hermione's shoulders as she pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned into him. "What are we going to do, George?" Hermione asked, staring out at the lake, taking in the placid water and twinkling sky. "Soon we won't have this anymore."

George sighed. "I don't know. But do we have to think about that now? Let's just be happy with the way things are now. Let's just be happy together, no matter how long this lasts."

Hermione smiled slightly and closed her eyes. "We could sit here like this forever." It was more of a question than a statement, it sounded to Harry.

George snorted quietly. "Oh, Hermione. You know I'd give anything for that…I wish we'd done this sooner."

Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Well, I guess…everything happens for a reason."

George reached up and brushed his fingers over her cheek. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to change his mind and kissed her instead. "No matter what happens, Hermione, I'm not going to let you go. And, I know you don't need it, but I wish you'd let me protect you. Times are about to get even worse, we need to be with the people we care about the most, forget the consequences, because it would be worse to live without them."

A tear slid down Hermione's cheek as he kissed her again.

Harry sat up in the tree, a realization dawning on him. As he watched the scene unfolding between George and Hermione below him, all he could do was think about how much he wanted that with Ginny. George had it right, not him. He sat and waited for about another half hour until George and Hermione had walked back to the Burrow before flying off himself. They had just entered the house when Ron came bursting out and yelled, "THE NERVE OF THOSE TWO! ALWAYS…TOUCHING AND-"

"RON!" Harry yelled back. "They're happy and they're staying together so GET OVER IT!" He stormed past a confounded looking Ron and into the house where he didn't stop, or notice the grateful looks George and Hermione were giving him, until he reached Ginny's room. He knocked and she promptly opened the door, her eyes widening when she saw who the perpetrator was.

"Ginny…I- I can't…I didn't- don't…you…" Harry shook his head in frustration. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean it. You- you're one of the most important people in the world to me. If I don't have you, I-" but he was suddenly cut off as she pressed her lips to his. Harry felt a weight lift and kissed her back. Now he was home.