Tears of the Flame

2

When you looked at it objectively, five months was actually a rather long time for Ginny to be in a relationship. In fact, it was her second longest relationship to date.

It wasn't that there was something horribly wrong about Ben, or that he treated her badly. No, it was more the painful awareness Ginny held in her heart that she'd never quite gotten over one Harry Potter.

After the disastrous events of her fifth year resulting in the death of one of the most powerful wizards ever known to wizard-kind, it seemed that fate really had it in for them and things only got worse. More and more prominent witches and wizards were murdered or captured: Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Amos Diggory. Harry treated each death as his own fault and withdrew into himself even more than ever, refusing to show any sense of emotion and distancing himself from loved ones. He remained strong on his determination to keep those close to him safe and despite Ginny's pleas, refused to become involved in any sort of relationship until the war's end. He allowed only Ron and Hermione to see him, and together the three traveled the world looking for the remaining horcruxes and systematically destroying them.

When the final battle with Voldemort was played out, Harry stood tall, his eyes hard, and his right hand clenching his wand so tightly he was sure it would break. Despite the burning pain emanating from his scar, he lifted his head high and stared his nemesis right in the eye. Later, Harry would recall how the world seemed to disappear and all he could see and hear were Voldemort's victims – screaming, pleading and begging for mercy. It took every ounce of his strength to fight the now horcrux-less, but still powerful creature who had wreaked so much havoc upon the wizarding world.

When Ginny had crept from the burrow to sneak into Harry's hospital room much, much later that night, she had simply held his hand as he wept tears of relief, exhaustion, and pain. "I don't remember how to feel anymore," he had whispered, his voice hoarse. "It's like I'm not even human anymore. I just am."

Ginny had wept too as she clung desperately to him. "I can help you Harry. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you."

Harry had lifted their entwined fingers and brought them gently to his lips

"Let me find myself again," he pleaded tears choking his words. Let me become who I once was. I can't do it here, not with the press following my every move and recording my every action. It's suffocating me. I need time out, away from it all. I promise I'll be back for you."

And so Ginny had done just that. Watched despairingly as he had accepted the seekers position with the Chudley Cannons and headed off for places unknown to participate in the rejuvenated team's secret, three-month training program.

Ginny had waited as the days past and weeks turned into months. Three days before the program's supposed end, a letter had arrived from Harry, fifteen inches long; apologizing profusely with the news that he was needed for a few more weeks. Another month passed; another letter. The months had melted into each other and Ginny's hopes of Harry's promised return began to diminish as she continued to receive the same excuses – "Trainings really starting to get intense, if I leave now I'll miss too much," "Games start soon, everything's really heating up," "It's not that I don't want to come back, but coach says its not the right time."

Eventually, she'd noticed the envelopes becoming lighter, and, ten and a half months after Harry had first left, she'd received her fifteenth excuse, written on a single sheet of parchment, barely five inches long. She'd known then that he was never coming back.

The day she'd left the Burrow to travel to France, Ginny had never felt more alone. Harry hadn't dumped her as such; it was simply more that he hadn't really bothered with her at all. His reaction to the news that she was going away had been apathetic at best. "Oh really? That sounds nice."

Even after she'd fled to Paris though, she'd harbored illusions of Harry appearing on the doorstep, apologizing and professing his undying love for her. It had taken the cold, but well-meant words from Fleur: "Honey, if 'e was going to come, 'e would 'ave by now," to shake her back into reality. Three weeks later, she had met Amber Jones, and the night before her first big assignment, she'd carefully collected all the letters he had ever sent her and systematically burned them all.

It hadn't worked to purge him from her life, however, and from that day on, despite repeated attempts at new relationships, Ginny simply couldn't get one to last. Nick Greene had been sweet, but a little too passive; Paul Jennat had been loud and boisterous, but much too headstrong. Andy Michaels made no time for her, William Hamilton made too much time, and the list went on. Businessmen, actors, labourers, athletes, wizards or muggles; no matter who they were, Ginny could find fault with them all.

As she sat with Hermione on her and Ron's creaky back porch which faced onto a field of wildflowers and was encased by a huge brick fence, to maintain their privacy, Ginny couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly jealous of the life the two now led. Having finally admitted after Dumbledore's death that they had feelings for each other, they had become absolutely inseparable and, almost ten years on, they were now expecting their second child.

"It's ridiculous," Ginny ranted, "just how much of an interest everyone has in my life. I mean, you'd think people would have better things to do than read about my love-life in every magazine they pick up."

"It's the life that comes with fame Ginny, you know that," Hermione told her gently. "After all, you've seen what effect it can have on…other people."

Both women paused, the unspoken message of Hermione's words weighing heavily on them

"You can say his name you know," Ginny said finally, taking a sip from her tea while resolutely ignoring Hermione's probing gaze. "It's not like I care anymore."

"Ginny – are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure Hermione," Ginny replied crossly, placing her tea back down with a loud thunk. "I've moved on haven't I?"

"Yes…but here you are, having just broken up with your boyfriend, and you hardly seem at all upset."

"Oh, so just because I'm not upset, that automatically means I'm in love with Harry does it?"

"You don't understand, that's not what I'm trying to–"

"Then what exactly are you trying to say?" Ginny demanded angrily.

"Ginny," Hermione began with a sigh, "I'm not trying to insinuate anything, not at all. It's just…I mean, your relationship with Ben was hardly ideal, you barely ever saw each other and you were constantly telling me how there was really nothing between you. Maybe you should take a break from relationships for a while I mean, you've spent almost the last eight years constantly jumping from guy to guy, maybe its time for some 'you time'."

Ginny didn't say anything for a long while, and Hermione wondered nervously if maybe she had gone too far. All the Weasley's had long worried over Ginny's serial dating, but none had ever said anything to her for fear of incurring her wrath.

The seconds seem to stretch into hours, as Hermione watched Ginny stare down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. Finally, after what seemed an age, she looked up.

"Maybe you're right." It was a barely audible whisper, but Hermione took Ginny's small concession as a sign of encouragement and decided to push a little further.

"I think – I think perhaps you should try being on your own for a while."

There was another silence which Hermione endured with baited breath before Ginny began to speak.

"I've always had a guy around. I don't know why, but I just, I just don't feel complete as a person without someone to share dinner with, someone to cuddle up with at night or someone to spend Sunday afternoons with. I'm so used to being a part of a couple that I've even started to introduce myself as Ginny Weasley, blah blah's girlfriend," Ginny gave a shrill laugh and shook her head, her voice getting higher as she began to speak with more agitation. "I mean, how ridiculous is that? To only ever see myself as an extension of someone else? It's like I don't even care who it is, as long as there is someone there, do you know what I mean?"

Hermione nodded, but didn't speak, not wanting to stop Ginny from getting this all off her chest.

"And as if the guys have any deep feelings about me anyway! Half of them are probably just trying to cash in on my fame, get their pictures in the social pages. Jerry Ashfield could never understand why I got upset over being stalked by photographers. Neither did James Martin or Peter Brinsky. And I just let these guys use me because of my ridiculous insecurities about being alone! I mean for gods sake Hermione! I've been with more guys than Ron's made attempts on Malfoy's life during Hogwarts!"

At this, Hermione let out a small giggle, but stopped when she saw Ginny's determined face.

"That's it. I'm done. I'm not doing relationships. I'm not doing movie dates or picnics in the park, no more guys at family dinners, or having to put down the toilet seat. From now on, no dating!"

The last model glided gracefully down the catwalk to thunderous applause. She paused at the end and raised her chin slightly, lifting one of her eyebrows to match her sultry smile before performing a perfect pirouette, allowing the audience to appreciate the full beauty of her evening dress – an amazing chiffon creation with plunging neckline and tiers of material cascading from the waistline, specially designed with Ginny's signature non-slip, heat-proof and cold-proof spells.

As the model slid back down the runway, Belinda Fanning, Witch Weekly's hated but all-powerful editor-in-chief took to the stage and presented the audience with a wide, toothy smile – once panned by a rival newspaper as nothing more than a teeth-baring grimace.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" she boomed, her authoritative voice reaching every crevice of the hall in which they sat, "It has been my pleasure tonight to host the 3rd annual Princess Fashion Show! I hope you have all enjoyed yourself immensely! And I now have the great privilege in inviting up the genius creator of Princess herself, Miss Ginny Weasley!"

Ginny rose gracefully from her chair in one languid movement and moved towards the stage with the elegance and poise that had stayed with her after her four year modeling stint. She accepted the stage graciously from Belinda, smiling politely and hiding the fact that she hated this woman with a passion. After all, Belinda Fanning was the woman who had single-handedly ensured that every one of Ginny's personal misfortunes were chronicled on double page spreads, front cover if she could manage it, and who Ginny only associated with because her support of Princess had led to a triple in sales over the past few years.

Now accustomed to such events, Ginny thanked the audience courteously for their appearance at the show and asked that they please take a complementary piece from Princess' new accessories range home to enjoy. She then allowed herself to be cornered by various members of the press, answering their questions about her range with ease and skillfully deflecting from any questions about her personal life before excusing herself to join her personal assistant Anne on the other side of the room.

"Well, that went well," Anne said, pushing her thin, wire-framed glasses up her nose and consulting a small diary. "And it's all done for another six months. Next up is some meetings with the accounts department to ensure turnover is going well, and then we can start manufacturing next season's stock. But that's not till next week," she added quickly, noting Ginny's stifled yawn. "Tonight you go home and rest."

Ginny couldn't agree more. The beginning of a new season was always the busiest time for Ginny, when she had to design a completely new range and be available for all promotional events which included parties, dances, shows and informal lunches with important members of the wizarding community in order to convince them to wear her designs. It had also been three months since her 'talk' with Hermione and Ginny had immersed herself in activities she had long forgotten about. She'd started reading, for instance, usually going through a book a week, enjoying the chance to become absorbed in another's life, to read of their strengths and weaknesses, their falls from grace and the hard path back. It somehow made her life seem that much more normal. As well, she had taken to having lunch with her mother once a week, much to Molly's pleasure and had regained contact with school friends she had long ignored while sitting at home cooking dinner for her boyfriend. All in all, she had to think that this 'no dating' rule was going quite well for her.

She was humming happily to herself as she packed her bag and imagined herself ensconced in the warm comfort of her bed with her newest novel by her favourite wizarding author, Joely Kaye Rowe for company when Lenny Brinks, her head of advertising ran up to her.

"Ginny! Thank god you're still here! I've got a guy for you to meet, he's one of the richest men in England, owns about 80 of advertising space on the wizarding wireless and he wants to talk to you about some possible ad campaigns!"

Ginny sighed; her hopes for an early evening dashed, but straightened her back and adjusted her outfit slightly. Opportunities like this didn't come often, and she wasn't about to turn it down. If talking to some old coot about her line would bring in more advertising, then Joely Kaye would just have to wait. "Lead me to him," she instructed Lenny, who hurriedly shepherded her across the room.

"What's the old guy's name, anyway?" she asked, mentally rehearsing her speech on the great benefits of non-stick heels.

"His name," came a cool voice, causing her stop in her tracks, "is Draco Malfoy."

Next: More Malfoy…

Thanks for reading! Please be an absolute angel and review! And thank you HEAPS to those who reviewed the first chapter! The beginning of this story is all a bit of background information, which I know can be a bit tedious, but I promise the story will be getting more underway in the next few chapters!