Ginny laughed at Harry's statement and whispered, "You can't be serious." Hermione nodded in agreement and said smugly, "Told you so," to Harry. Harry glared at the both of them before storming into the shop again. Ginny raised her eyebrows and whispered, "Is he being serious? I thought he was joking." Ron nodded and replied, "Yeah! We just followed Malfoy and he looked like he was doing suspicious activity in Borgin and Burkes, and Fenrir Greyback was there, but that doesn't mean he's a Death Eater." Hermione shook her head at Harry's assumption, "Agreed, Ron. We all know how much he hates Malfoy. It's the same as Snape. Harry acts too much on instinct sometimes." Ginny nodded, "Agreed. I'll go and talk to him-see if I can snap him out of it." They both thanked him as she headed back inside.
Ginny spotted Harry beside the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Fred was telling him all about it, and she waited until they were finished before she said, "Harry, mind if I have a word?" He shook his head and then Ginny suddenly had an unnerving feeling that they were being watched. She turned her head to find a girl with big, bushy black hair checking Harry out from the Love Potions display.
She quickly turned her back on the girl and said to Harry quietly, "Why do you think Malfoy is a Death Eater?" Harry sighed irritably, "Because I saw him in Borgin and Burkes with Death Eater pals. Looked like they were doing business together." Ginny bit her lip and Harry nearly barked at her, "WHAT?" Ginny shrugged her shoulders, "It's just a suspicion, Harry." He seemed as if he was trying to refrain from saying something as he grumbled, "Whatever. It's not important," and he walked up the till in order to pay for something. Ginny sighed and went to tell Ron and Hermione, "He's still adamant." Hermione nodded, "Of course he is. This is Harry we're talking about here."
That's when Ginny heard her mother approach them and say, "Come on, let's get going! It's getting crowded in here. I need to go to Madame Milkin's and I'm sure you lot want to go to Florish and Blotts for your books? I'll meet you there." They nodded and went inside. They walked inside and Ginny couldn't help but laugh. The three of them looked at her and she shrugged her shoulders, "Just remembered when Malfoy accused me of being Harry's girlfriend all those years ago. It's kind of ironic."
They all laughed and finally a smile crossed Harry's somber face and Hermione giggled, "Those were the days." They all got what they needed and her mum came in to pay for herself and Ron. Harry and Hermione paid for their own books.
When they were finished, they went to say goodbye to Fred and George. There was now a women in her twenties attending the till. Ginny had heard that they'd hired someone because it got too crazy sometimes. The twins gave Harry a bunch of free items and Ginny hugged each of them separately in farewell. George commented, "So Ron, I heard you have an admirer. Is there something wrong with her?" Ron frowned and muttered, "Huh?" unintelligibly. Fred chuckled, "I think we'll leave it up to you, dear brother, to figure out who it is." Ron shook his head and murmured, "I hate you guys," before huffing out of the door.
The rest of them laughed at his childish display and Hermione shook her head, "Typical Ron. Anyway thanks guys, and good luck with everyone. It will be weird without you this year." The twins raised their eyebrows and smirked at each other, "Is Hermione Granger getting emotional about our departure?" Hermione shook her head thoroughly, "Uh, no. I'm not going to miss the trouble you caused." Fred draped an arm around Hermione's shoulders, "Oh you will, Miss Prefect, you will." She rolled her eyes again before their mother interrupted and hugged the twins tightly. Her mum inquired as to whether or not they would be at dinner that evening and they reassured her that they would. Luckily for them, two girls approached them. One was particularly pretty with long, blonde hair down to her waist and fluttered her big, brown eyes at the twins before asking how reliable their love potions were. The twins launched into discussion with the Veela-looking girl and her friend before they left the shop and joined Ron outside.
That evening, they had a big dinner as it was the night before school started. They were going on the train tomorrow and they'd been packing for the rest of the day in between helping her mum make the roast chicken for dinner. Bill, Hagrid, Tonks and Lupin were in attendance and the dinner was a cheery affair. However, Ginny realized that Harry kept very much to himself and didn't make much effort to socialize. When they finished, her mum asked her and Harry if they could clean up and do the dishes because they were the ones who were finished with their packing.
Ginny nodded in agreement and they walked in silence inside. Her mother had levitated the cutlery so that it now sat by the sink, waiting to be cleaned. Ginny began filling the sink as she asked Harry, "What's wrong?" He blinked, as if snapped out of a reverie and murmured, "Er, nothing." She rolled her eyes and snapped, "Oh come on, Harry! I know you too well to know that whatever you is bothering you it's not nothing!" Harry grumbled under his breath but otherwise remained silent. She rolled her eyes and murmured, "Fine. We can wash the dishes in silence then." Harry groaned and turned to her, "Ginny! Don't you get it? It's…it's Sirius." She put the dish she just picked up back down immediately and pulled him over to a seat at the table.
She sat down at the head and said softly, "Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" He shrugged and replied, "I guess because…I'm used to keeping stuff in." Ginny sighed and shook her head, "See, that's the great thing about having a girlfriend, Harry. You don't need to keep stuff in." Harry smiled at her sadly and nodded, "Thanks Gin. I know. It's just going to take some time getting used to." She nodded and sighed, "I'm always here for you Harry. I want you to know that." He forced a smile again and nodded, "I will learn that you do. I'm just…so used to people leaving me that it's sometimes difficult for me to believe."
Ginny sighed and leant in for a kiss when one of the twins cleared his throat. She turned to see Fred smirking in the doorway and she rolled her eyes as he murmured, "Can you two love birds not do that in public please?" Ginny rolled her eyes and retorted, "You know full well that this was not a room filled with people until you walked in." He chuckled and smiled happily, "Don't worry, little sis, disputing that. But this is a public area nonetheless." Ginny felt Harry slip his hand into hers and Harry asked Fred, "So, why don't I see Angelina here, Fred? Or have you two broken up?" Ginny squeezed Harry's hand in thanks for backing her up. The smile disappeared off Fred's face and he muttered, "She's in France with her family." Harry glanced on to the floor and murmured, "Uh…sorry I was just joking." Fred grinned and shook his head, "You worry too much, Harry. Anyway, I just came to say goodbye. We're heading off back to the flat now."
Ginny went and hugged him tightly and she whispered, "Take care of yourselves." He nodded just as George walked in and she gave him a hug too. George grinned as she released him and nodded to Harry, "See ya, mate. Look after our little sis for us, will you? Make sure she doesn't get into as much trouble as she did last year?" Harry grinned as little at that and nodded, "Will do, mate. Take care." The twins nodded and they left.
She turned to Harry and wrapped her hands around his neck and whispered, "You here that? They want you to take care of me." He chuckled and kissed her cheek, "I'd be more than happy to do that." She giggled as he leant closer and kissed her lips softly. She sighed happily and seconds later there was a knock on the door. Ginny broke away from him and turned to see Hagrid standing there, grinning from ear to ear, "Aw, so it's true then? You two are finally together!" He looked like he had just seen proof of love at first sight right in front of his eyes with the way he was beaming.
Harry blushed and Ginny nodded, not being able to contain herself due to Hagrid's infectious smile and she replied, "Yeah we are. But please don't tell anyone, Hagrid. We want to keep this a secret as long as possible." Hagrid chuckled, "Of course, o' course Ginny. I couldn't be happier for ya both! I hope you two last a lot longer than 'arry and Cho. She was a right nasty piece of work. Although, strictly speaking I shouldn't be sayin' that."
Ginny grinned but said, "Shame Hagrid, she had a lot on her plate." Hagrid shrugged, "Still shouldn't 'ave betrayed Dumbledore. Or 'arry. Anyway I know for a fact that you wouldn't do that. I'm really happy for the both of ya! See ya in school, you two." They waved goodbye and Harry laughed, "Never thought Hagrid had such a strong opinion about Cho." Ginny laughed, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's also because he's always supported Gryffindor though."
Harry nodded and they turned back to the dishes. They fell into a comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts until Bill came in to say goodnight. He knocked on the door and they turned to seem him rubbing his eyes, "I'm turning in for the night, guys. Thanks for doing the dishes," he said with a yawn. Harry murmured, "Yeah, no problem." Bill came in and hugged Ginny before giving Harry a handshake and saying, "I know Fred and George probably said this, but it's my duty as the oldest brother to…" Harry interrupted, "Look after her and make sure she doesn't get into as much trouble as she did last year?" Harry raised his eyebrow with a bit of a smirk on his face which caused both Bill and Ginny to laugh. Bill chuckled, "You're dating my sister, Harry. She has six elder brothers. You should be expecting this a lot." Harry sighed, "I know. But when it comes to Gin's safety…I'm probably not the best person for the job. I let her come to the ministry with me. That was a mistake."
Ginny interrupted then, "Excuse me, I'm here, and seriously Harry I CAN'T BELIEVE you're blaming yourself for that! Is this what you've been moping about all evening?!" Silence fell upon them and Ginny glared at him angrily. Harry suddenly shouted back, "And you know what I got for it?! BELLATRIX had you in headlock and I couldn't do ANYTHING but sit back and watch! You heard what she said! I was nearly the cause of your death in second year! And then nearly again at the ministry! And here, your brothers keep telling me to look after you, when I am quite clearly the WORST person for the job, Ginny!"
She felt like she'd been slapped in the face. She was done being treated like this by Harry. She had thought that he understood that it didn't matter to her how much danger she was in by dating him. She knew the risk and she truly didn't care. It was her choice. But he was acting like it wasn't. She whispered icily, "If you won't let me make my own decisions then I'm through, Harry." Shock crossed his face and everything had gone quiet outside and inside the house. She realized that everyone must be listening to their conversation.
Angry tears filled her eyes and she didn't know what else to do, so she fled up the stairs. She slammed the door with as much force as she could muster and she slid down against the back of it, curling up in a ball and sobbing her heart out. She got the fright of her life when she felt a gentle hand on Ginny's should and she jumped, her heart pounding in surprise.
Hermione was standing before her, holding a tissue out. She grabbed it hastily and dabbed the tears out of her eyes. She murmured, "Thanks, Hermione. Sorry, I didn't see you there." Hermione smiled in sympathy and whispered, "It's okay, Gin. I'm here for you. What did he do?" She hiccoughed and dried the last of her tears. Ginny shook her head, "I…I need to sort this out with him before I can speak about it, Hermione. I just need time. He needs to understand…" she trailed off as her friend enveloped her in a hug. She sighed and whispered, "I'll speak to him, Gin. I'll make him see some sense." Ginny nodded gratefully as Hermione went to go and speak to Harry.
Just as she was leaving, Bill knocked on the door and Hermione said, "Just in time. I'm going to talk some sense into Harry." Bill nodded and whispered, "Thanks," before Hermione closed the door behind him. Bill sighed and sat beside her, pulling her close like he used to do when they were younger and she rested her head against his shoulder. Bill shook his head and whispered, "You've got a handful with that one." Ginny hiccoughed a laugh and she whispered, "I'd say. I can't keep arguing with him over my safety. I suppose it doesn't help if you guys keep teasing him that way. It's not something he can joke about." Bill frowned and asked, "Why?"
Ginny tensed and she said, "You've got to promise to not tell anyone, ok?" Bill nodded and she looked at him and heaved, "I told Harry I loved him in the ministry." Bill's eyes widened to sources but otherwise he didn't comment. She took this as a sign to continue as she sighed, "Harry was being possessed by Voldemort. I couldn't just sit and watch him suffer. Dumbledore implied that I could do something to help and that was the only thing that came to my mind. So I told Harry, while Voldemort was possessing him." Bill seemed to be in thoughtful silence as he finished for her, "So Voldemort knows you love Harry and Harry's scared Voldemort will use you as a weapon against Harry, like he did in the chamber?"
Ginny nodded and sighed, "Exactly. Harry could break up with me at any moment when he decides my safety is at risk. I couldn't bare it."
Bill was silent again and he shook his head, "It seems almost inevitable that that will happen while Voldemort is still around, doesn't it?" Ginny nodded silently and Bill sighed, "I'm sorry, Gin. I truly am. I know how happy you are with him, most of the time. By the sounds of it, Harry needs to get his priorities straight." Ginny nodded and sighed, "It's alright. Thanks for just being there, Bill. I'll miss you at Hogwarts." He grinned and said, "To be honest, I miss the place. A lot more than I thought I would. Kinda wish I could be back there."
At that moment, Hermione walked back in and she said softly, "Alright Gin, I spoke to him. I think you should sort this out for once and for all." Ginny sighed, "Thanks, Hermione." She gave Bill a last hug before he apparated and she headed towards the garden.
Harry was pacing around by her dads shed and he stopped immediately when he heard her. Ginny bit the inside of her lip and Harry took a step towards her. She could see resolve in his eyes as she whispered, "Harry, stop. You decided you love me. Isn't that more important than protecting me?" Ginny could see an internal battle raging inside Harry's head. This is why he'd make a good Auror. His natural instinct was to serve the greater good, no matter what personal sacrifice he had to make. But the decision was hurting her and he had to realize it. He murmured softly, "I don't know what to do!" She could see the pain this choice was causing him too. It had come much sooner than she had anticipated it-for she had anticipated it, the moment he told her he'd wanted to become an Auror down by the lake at Hogwarts. She knew it would come down to a break up eventually, but she really thought she had more time with him.
He searched her eyes with his own panic-stricken ones and she sighed, "Harry, I'm going to tell you something Dumbledore told me." Harry raised his eyebrows but otherwise didn't comment as she continued, "He asked me to look after you. And in my dream I had at Grimmauld Place, your parents asked me much of the same thing too. You don't always have to be the one protecting others, Harry. It's my chance now, to prove to you, how much I love you-that is, if you give me the chance."
Harry closed his eyes and she knew he needed a moment to think. She just knew him too well. Harry choked out finally, "But Gin…you saw what happened to Sirius! I blame myself entirely for his death! I'm such a mess! Imagine…" here, his face twisted in pain and he continued, "And if it was my fault that something should ever happen to you….Gin…I…I couldn't live with myself. I couldn't."
Ginny smiled as best she could and pushed his messy hair out of his eyes and sighed, "Harry, nothing can happen to me while I'm at Hogwarts and while Dumbledore is there. You know it. Even Voldemort knows it. Your fears are irrational." His brow creased into an uncertain line and she shook her head, "Fine, but then if I decide I want to date someone else you can't get jealous. Or mad. Or anything else. If you're breaking up with me, we both suffer the consequences of whatever may happen after." His face contorted in pain then and she bit her lip as he shook his head, "Alright then, no. We don't have to be over. I can't lose you. But Ginny…if these circumstances change then…" She nodded and smiled, "Then things will change. I understand Harry. So we're good?" He nodded and murmured, "For now," before they walked back inside and continued the dishes in silence.
Author's note: This love is good, this love is bad, this love is alive back from the dead. These hands have to let it go free and, this love came back to me…You kiss, my cheek, I watched you leave. And your smile, my ghost, I fell to my knees. When you're young, you just run, but you come back to what you need. –This Love by Taylor Swift.
This song inspired me to write this chapter. It's off the album 1989. I'm a massive Taylor fan (have been since Fearless) and recently I've been listening to this song on repeat. I think it fits the situation perfectly. Harry's natural instinct is to fight evil and it's interfering in his relationship with Ginny. Even in the books I feel like Ginny knew that they would have to break up so Harry could kill Voldemort, even before Harry mentioned it. It would explain why she didn't cry at the funeral because of the break up. Also I don't know about anyone else but I'm really irritated that they didn't add that scene into the movie! My word it was one I read like a billion times because it's so bitter sweet! I love the scene where Harry accidentally let slip that they were going after Voldemort. I really wish they'd kept that in the movie too!
Anyway, speaking of the seventh book (in this case Ginny's sixth year), I want to know what you guys would like me to do? Do you want me to keep Ginny at Hogwarts and see what happens there? Or do you want Harry's worst fear to come true and she gets kidnapped by Voldemort and held hostage? What do you guys want to happen? I'm in two minds about it and have been for a while now.
Sorry for taking so long to post! Life has been a little crazy recently (I write an exam on Friday and then I have an assignment due on that day too, and on Wednesday I got a nine month old puppy so he's been taking up a lot of my time. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and as always thank you to my lovely reviewers!
P.S HARRY AND GINNY HAVE NOT BROKEN UP! Just thought I'd make that clear haha-they are both extremely stubborn people so there will be arguments. No relationship in the history of mankind is smooth sailing! Just thought I'd let you guys know!