Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition
Finals

Chaser 2: Your character must assume something must always be the same

Optional Prompts:

4. (setting) Flourish and Blotts

6. (word) immature

13. (dialogue) "Tell me how to make this right."

Word Count: 2611

"Well, you only need the light when it's burning low.

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow.

Only know you love her when you let her go."

Let Her Go, Passenger.

Always Have (Always Will)

It always looked different at night. Even without the glasses, everything had an unfamiliar slant to it. Shadows danced across the room, disappearing as light coming through the cracks and crevices touched them. The occasional barking of faraway dogs broke through the silence of the night, dying down soon after.

Harry stood in the shadows, leaning against the wall as he watched Ginny cradling Teddy, gently coaxing him to sleep. Moonlight trickled in through the windows, lighting up her face as she smiled faintly, moving across the room and placing Teddy in his cradle.

Teddy gently cooed in his sleep and turned onto his side, clutching his blanket. Harry smiled as he watched Ginny reach out and brush his hair away from his face, before bending down and kissing his forehead gently.

Harry wanted to talk to her. The war was over now, he could finally be with her again. His mind wandered to their first kiss in the Gryffindor Common Room. It felt as if it had been forever ago, yet the memories of him breaking the relationship off soon after was still fresh in his mind.

Ginny had looked at him with such pride back then, with an expression that conveyed her love, yet told him that she understood.

He had been wanting to talk to her since the battle, but it never seemed as if she was ever alone; and when she was, there was never a right moment.

Harry took in a deep breath and stepped forward, determined to finally get a chance to speak to her. Ask her if she wanted him back. Because, for him, he and Ginny were always meant to be.

He stopped in his tracks, as Ginny turned briefly, and light fell on her face again. A stray tear made its way down her cheek, and she hastily brushed it off before more started falling.

Harry felt his hand shaking. He was such an idiot. The funeral was tomorrow, and he couldn't believe he had thought of having such a conversation on its eve.

He choked back a sob. All reserve had worn off; he simply couldn't make himself reach forward and comfort Ginny. He slowly inched back, his hand shaking as his own eyes teared up.

Harry stepped out of the room, his glasses brimming with tears. It was not only Fred who had died; there were so many others. And it felt as if it was on him.

How could Ginny possibly take him back when he was responsible for her brother's death?

Two months had passed since the funeral, two months since that night. Harry had lost all resolve ever since, forever looking for the right moment, but there never seemed to be one. Until now. Even so, he probably would have never found the nerve, hadn't Hermione told him of Ginny's whereabouts and pushed him to meet her there.

The wind chimes tinkled as the door swung open, and a cold gust of wind rushed into the shop. Harry raised his head briefly and met with soft, brown eyes, which averted as soon as he met their gaze.

Ginny looked around the shop nervously, hesitating to move forward as she brushed back a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Hey, Gin." Harry put the book he had been holding back to its place and offered a half-hearted smile.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny replied.

Both of them looked at each other, yearning to break the silence, yet afraid to do so.

"Bit awkward, isn't it?"

"Blame the situation," Ginny muttered before taking in a sharp breath. "So, what're you doing here, Harry?

"I was umm... looking around," Harry replied. "For books." He smiled as Ginny chuckled and for what was the millionth time, he marveled at how beautiful she was. Deep inside, he knew this was right. Even if his guilt over what happened still lingered, Ginny had to be with him after all of it.

"This is a bookshop, Harry. See, Flourish and Blotts, written in big letters on the door." Ginny pointed at the doorway.

"I know," Harry replied hurriedly. "Ginny, can we… can we talk?"

Ginny froze, and gulped, a discernable look of uncertainty on her face. "Talk… yes, yes we can talk. Just… wh-where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere," Harry replied. "Sorry, umm… can we—"

"We can talk here if you want," Ginny offered, hastily brushing back her hair again. "I need to pick up something and I'm sure no one will disturb us."

Harry nodded, and opened his mouth, shutting it again. Ginny looked at him intently before walking past him toward the back corner of the room where a few shelves were arranged diagonally. It would give them the needed privacy to talk.

Harry breathed in, following at a steady pace. He had no idea how to approach her. His sole intent on entering the shop was to see her again, talk to her face to face. Now that he had the chance, Harry didn't know how to broach the subject. Would she still be interested? Did she want things between them to go back to how they were?

Ginny had been the best source of comfort he had had in a long time. She was one of the few people who made him happy, a feeling almost no one had ever given him before. He liked her a lot, more than he could ever think possible.

"I still love you," Ginny suddenly said, breaking Harry out of his trance. He gaped at her, unable to form coherent words.

"I know love is a strong word and everything, but I do. I love you," Ginny continued, her eyes refusing to meet his. "I'm just unsure whether you still do."

"I do! I lo…. I like you a lot, Ginny. I just want everything between us to go back to how they were."

Ginny smiled, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't think you do. It's normal to feel like that, Harry, to wish that everything could be the same again, but things change with time and—"

"This is real Gin, for me. I swear."

Ginny shook her head dejectedly. "It's all I've ever wished for. Us being together. I don't think it's going to work out now."

"Why?" Harry asked, desperately trying to grasp the situation. He didn't understand; he was so sure they'd be together once they talked it through.

"You went through a war, Harry. Your feelings are all over the place. We… we won't work out, and then I'll be devastated, you'll… you'll blame yourself, try to pull yourself together. It's not fair to both of us." Ginny looked away, brushing off tears, her hand shaking as she let it fall to the side.

Harry reached out, his hands also shaking as his eyes bored into Ginny's, glowing with emotions that reflected hers. "Tell me how to make this right, Gin. Please." His voice shook, his shoulders already sagging in defeat.

"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered and stepped back, tears trickling out of her eyes as she rushed out of the store.

Harry stood in the shop, his feet fixated to the floor, unable to move.

She was wrong. She was. Ginny was the last thing in his mind before the killing curse. The last lingering thought before his momentous death. He loved her, why would she ever think otherwise?

He rushed towards the shop door, yanking it open as he ran towards her petite figure rushing past an alley. The cold wind pricked his face, but nothing seemed to matter anymore. He caught Ginny's hand and whirled her around, making her look right into his eyes.

"You don't get to walk away like that, Ginny, okay? I already let you do it once, I'm not letting you do it again."

"No."

Harry recoiled as if he had been slapped, his eyes searching for a feasible answer.

"Listen to yourself, Harry! You're doing the same thing you did back in your fifth year. Acting like everything was perfectly fine when it's not. You're hiding your emotions, trying to cover them up with things like this!" Ginny yelled.

"Things like this? I am trying to fix our relationship, Ginny! I'm trying to mend something special we had back then," Harry yelled back, frustrated.

"You can't fix everything! If you have to fix something, then it means it's broken. And you're not trying to fix this; this is your way of hiding all the trauma you're feeling right now. You're using me as a cover-up and frankly, that's a little immature of you!"

"I'm not using you, Ginny. I love you—"

"Then prove it! Tell me you don't feel guilty, tell me you're not blaming yourself right now for every bloody thing in the world!" Ginny broke off, chest heaving, hair flying wildly across the face. "I know you do. And even though people keep telling you that it's not your fault, you refuse to believe it."

It was petrifying hearing Ginny's words, for they were painstakingly true. They were the same ones he had been telling himself for the past two months, even though he never wanted to admit it.

Harry glanced at Ginny and then turned away, his heart constricting at the look of pity on Ginny's face. He couldn't blame her. He was exhausted, defeated. His hair was disheveled, he had dark circles under his eyes. He knew he looked pathetic. He felt pathetic.

"For once in your life, Harry, be selfish. Let yourself face what you're feeling." Ginny reached forward, her hand cupping his chin. "You've done enough."

"Ginny, I—"

"We have forever to think of us. Don't... don't ruin this... don't ruin what we have just because you think you know your feelings right now. You've gone through hell and back. Don't… please don't project them in the form of love for me."

She stepped back, smiling sadly. "I'll wait; don't worry."

Harry watched as she turned, slowly moving away from him.

"None of this is your fault, Harry. Please keep that in mind, if not for you, then for me." Her voice floated over to him, and for what was the first time in a long time, Harry felt as if he agreed with her. At least a small, miniscule part of him did.

That would be enough for now.

Ginny sat on the floor, sorting through her books, the only things left for her to pack. Seventh year at Hogwarts had a heavy curriculum, one she was not looking forward to, especially after everything that had happened.

She perked up as she heard a knock, and the door opened softly, thudding against the books by the door.

"Ginny, hey can I come in?" a familiar voice asked and Ginny hurriedly got off the floor, yanking the door open. She smiled as she saw the boy in front of her. Tousled hair, green eyes that reminded her of the sea on a stormy day; it had been a long time since she had seen the sparkle in them.

"Hey, Harry," she greeted as she ushered him in.

Harry stepped inside the room, careful as to not tread on the books lying around. "I see you've almost packed," he observed, an innocent smirk on his face.

Ginny groaned. "I wish! I can't get myself to sort out all these books and the list seems to be endless."

Harry chuckled, and settled down on the ground, picking out a rather large book from the bunch. It felt good, talking to Ginny with such ease, without worrying about anything around them. He cleared his throat before wondering out loud. "Miranda Goshawk's Standard Book of Spells, Part Seven? You think they'd stop making us learn this."

"McGonagall's headmistress. If it was up to her, she'd add a few more on the list."

The two shared a glance, before bursting into laughter. Ginny looked at Harry from the corner of her eye, smiling as she saw the change he had gone through; he no longer had the dull, sunken look in his eyes, nor the impression of carrying an unexplainable burden.

"Well, now that you're here, you should very well help me with this," she blurted out.

Harry paused and looked at Ginny for a few seconds, weighing his response carefully.
"Where do you want to start?"

"Just help me find the books, I'll put them in later."

Harry leaned forward, fishing out the parchment and scanning it, his glasses slightly slipping down his nose. Ginny smiled, and hastily looked down as Harry glanced at her over the top of the paper.

"Advanced Transfiguration, have you got that?"

Ginny looked around the room, getting up and sorting through the bundle. "Yes, got it."

Harry nodded, before going to the next item, helping Ginny look through the mound. He glanced at her, his mind straying towards the conversation they had had in front of Flourish and Blotts. It had been four months since, but Ginny's words had jerked him out of his trance and for the first time, he had gladly taken the chance to escape from everything around him.

He thought it'd be impossible, finding closure, finding relief from the guilt he carried over all those who had died in the war. But he had, and it had been worth it when he came back from Grimmauld Place, only to be enveloped in Ginny's arms.

They hadn't attempted to rekindle their relationship; both of them afraid to approach the other. And Harry missed it. Short lived though it had been, being with Ginny had been one of the best feelings in the world. Those four months by himself had proved that. They had proved that he needed Ginny in his life, he needed her small fire that kept him going, that comforted him yet wasn't hesitant in criticizing. He loved her, and though love was a strong word, it felt as if it wasn't strong enough.

Harry took in a deep breath, before gently placing his hand over Ginny's. "I'll miss you," he said as Ginny looked at him.

Ginny smiled, her fingers entwining with his as if it was second nature. "I'll miss you too."

They looked at each other for a few moments, before Ginny shifted, looking around nervously.

"Gin, I love you," Harry blurted out, pulling her closer to him. He hesitated before continuing. "I know the last time I said it, it didn't seem to be true, but I swear that this time it is. I… I love you, Ginny."

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Ginny let out a breathless laugh, leaning forward impulsively, Harry's arms slipping around her waist as she kissed him.

The kiss was long and passionate, conveying the emotions that had been buried inside for so long. And it was one that had been long overdue.

Ginny broke off seconds later, pulling back slightly before resting her forehead on Harry's. She smiled, softly laughing as a few tears trickled down her face, brushed away by his nimble fingers.

"I love you, too, Harry. I always have."

Harry took in a deep breath, smiling as he pressed his lips against Ginny's forehead. Things had changed after all, and he couldn't be more grateful. For the first time after the war, he felt he was right where he belonged, and he wouldn't want it to be anywhere else.

Thanks to Resa, Ashleigh and Autumn for beta-ing. It's been wonderful being a part of this team, and I am so thankful I chose to be a part of it.

Go Cannons!