Chapter 2- Separate Ways
Mrs. Weasley was still crying, and Ginny was beginning to think that the tears would never stop. It had been this way for the past week, ever since they'd returned, but Ron and Hermione hadn't. She walked past her mother's bedroom and down the hall. She paused in front of the door that had once belonged to Fred and George; it was a door that she knew well. She knocked quietly.
"Come in Ginny."
How he knew it was her she didn't know, he just did. Ginny opened the door, and her heart dropped.
His things were packed in bags, as though he was planning on leaving soon. Harry was lying on the bed with his arms behind his head. Ginny could see the sun setting through the window that was situated above the bed. One look at his face told her that he was upset about something.
"What's wrong love?"
He looked up at her, not wanting to do this, but knowing her had to.
"I can't stay here anymore Ginny."
She nodded.
"That's understandable. I wouldn't want to stay here either, not with Mum crying constantly."
Harry shook his head.
"No Gin. You're not understanding me. I- I think we should go our separate ways."
His voice was low and he wasn't looking at her. If he had been looking at her, he would have seen that she was looking at him like he was crazy.
"Harry… what are you talking about? We need each other, now more than ever. We don't have anyone else. Not anymore."
He sighed again.
"I'm sorry Gin, but I have to do this. I love you Ginny, but I think it'll be better for the both of us if we go separate ways."
She glared at him, struggling not to cry.
"How will it be better? If you love me, how is it better for us to be apart?"
He took her hands into his.
"Gin… there's too much drama, too many painful memories between us. I'm sorry Ginny, really."
She looked away, still battling the tears. He wanted to leave, he wanted to leave her, to forget about her to leave The Burrow, his second home, behind… Suddenly, she understood what this was about.
"I know why you're doing this."
She was looking at him again, before he could reply she stood up and turned on the light. Night had fallen, but neither of them had noticed. She returned to her spot next to him and she spoke, his eyes flickering to her lips every few seconds.
"Oh really? Tell me then."
She smiled, but it was a twisted, contorted smile.
"You want to forget. You want to forget about your past, about Ron and Hermione. That's why. You want to forget and you can't do that if you're with me. You can't do that if you're in this house. I'm a living reminder of them, so is this house. Leaving won't help you Harry. You'll never forget."
He stared at her, knowing she was right about why he was leaving, well half-right. He stood up, letting go of her hands and picking up his bags.
"You may be right Ginny. I probably won't ever forget them, but I can try."
He kissed her once, and then left the room. Ginny stared at the door, then jumped up and followed him, catching up in the garden.
"So that's it then? You're just going to leave? You don't love me enough to stay?"
He dropped his bags and pulled her into a hug.
"You know that's not true love. I love you Ginny, I always will. I know you don't understand it, but I have to leave you, at least for now."
Ginny buried her head in his shoulder.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way. You promised me that we'd be together after the war. You promised you wouldn't leave me again after he was gone. You promised."
Harry sighed, holding her tighter and stroking her hair.
"I know I did love, but I have to break that promise."
The tears that she'd been holding back finally escaped, falling onto his shoulder as he told her that.
"I love you, you know that right? I will always love you."
His heart was breaking just listening to her. He hated to hear her say those things, knowing that she was trying to draw him back in, trying to get him to reconsider; he hated to see her this way. He hated hurting her, and he didn't want her to cry.
"I know baby, I love you too. That will never change."
Ginny pulled away and looked at him.
"Where will you go?"
He offered her a half-smile.
"I can't tell you Ginny. If I do you'll follow me. I've already learned that."
He kissed her; it was a soft, gentle kiss. He was trying to assure her that he loved her, trying to tell her that he always would, he was trying to do so many things with that one kiss, but none of the messages made it through to Ginny. In her mind he was just trying to torture her, leave her longing for more before he left, and it was working.
He pulled away and picked up his bags again.
"Don't forget that I love you."
He didn't give her a chance to reply. He turned on the spot and vanished, leaving a heart-broken Ginny behind.
