Ginny's P.O.V.
Valentine's Day came, and still Ginny was with Dean. She was also trying her best to stay away from Harry, but as Ron and Hermione became more and more involved in each other, she often found herself sitting with him, or in the library studying by his side.
He was just so easy to talk to. And it wasn't uncommon that Ginny would be reading a book or writing an essay and her gaze would just wonder automatically to Harry. More than often, she found he was looking back at her and both blushed furiously before returning to their work.
It was also at times like this that Ginny realised how often Dean was missing. Sure, they spent a significant time together, but when it came to it Ginny could count more hours spent with Harry than Dean. Which was ironic, considering what she had chosen to do.
On the morning of February the fourteenth, Ginny woke indifferent. Dean hadn't mentioned that they'd be doing anything for the day, not to mention Ginny herself didn't really celebrate Valentine's Day. To her it was a very insignificant holiday, if not for the amusement she got out of it every year to see people like Draco Malfoy mooning over some girl.
Dressing casually, Ginny headed out of the Gryffindor common room, meeting no one on her way to the Great Hall.
Inside the hall, she spotted Ron and Hermione (who were giving each other a rather silent, yet passionate greeting) and strode towards them, sitting across from the couple. At least her brother finally got something out of the holiday.
She took a fried egg and a piece of toast and was just about to start eating when Harry arrived, taking the seat next to Ginny and sniggering loudly when he saw Ron and Hermione.
'Well I can see they're making the most of the day,' he said subtly but not subtly enough. Ron and Hermione pulled away rather audibly and looked at them.
Ginny had never seen Hermione look so red and Ron was glaring at both Harry and Ginny. Laughing slightly Ginny turned to her breakfast.
'You seen Dean yet this morning?' asked Harry in a would-be-casual voice, but as Ginny looked up at him, she could see anger and anxiety pooling in his emerald eyes.
'Er, no actually,' replied Ginny, deciding to ignore what she had thought was in Harry's eyes and instead scanning the table for any sign of her boyfriend. Nothing at all.
Slightly irate, Ginny glared down at her breakfast.
Sure, she might not put much thought into Valentine's Day, but it would be nice if her boyfriend would actually care enough to say good morning to her. Apparently not.
'Don't be mad, Ginny. I'm sure he's just sleeping in,' reassured Hermione, but Ginny wasn't convinced. Dean hardly ever slept later than nine thirty and even that was late by his standards.
Half an hour later, at exactly ten thirty, Ginny found herself sitting alone, under the big beech tree by the lake and trying very hard not to feel hurt and annoyed.
Footsteps sounded from behind her and for a moment Ginny felt hopeful. Until she turned and saw that it was Harry who had approached her.
'Sorry. It's just me,' he said, coming to sit next to her. 'What are you doing out here anyway?'
Ginny shrugged, looking out onto the lake to where the Giant Squid was playing happily near them.
'I like sitting here. It helps me clear my mind. I used to come here in my first year, too. I like to think I made friends with the Giant Squid that year,' she said absentmindedly, not even realising what she had said.
Harry looked at her in mild shock. She had never mentioned anything about her first year before.
'Was it horrible?' asked Harry quietly.
Ginny turned to him.
'What? What do you mean?' she asked.
'Was it horrible? Your first year, I mean,' clarified Harry.
Ginny's eyes widened. She hadn't realised she had said anything about the year she was possessed by Tom Riddle. It had kind of just come out, she was so comfortable now with talking to Harry.
'Oh… um… ' Ginny didn't know how to answer. No one had ever asked her about her experiences that year, assuming she didn't want to talk about it. Or maybe that she just wanted to forget about it. But things like that were hard to forget.
'Would you like to talk about it?' asked Harry softly.
As she looked deeply into his shining eyes, Ginny found that she felt there was nothing she couldn't tell Harry. Maybe it was because a part of her (quite a big part, actually) was still in love with him. Or maybe because of the way he had been acting lately. So friendly and open. Like he really truly wanted to be her friend.
'If you'll listen,' replied Ginny, bowing her head.
'You could tell me that the world's about to end, and I'd still listen. Of course,' Harry told her gently.
There was something about this sentence that reassured Ginny of Harry's friendship.
She looked back up at him.
'Thank you.'
At she started out hesitantly, telling Harry about how she found the diary in her school books and started writing to it. She was rather reluctant to tell him just what she wrote to Tom about, as most of it included him. But as she got further and further into the year, she found it easier to talk to Harry than she had originally thought. What made it better was that all through this Harry just stayed silent, really listening to everything that she had to say and not interrupting once.
She got to the point where she told him how she was conscious when he was controlling her and how Harry had somehow received the diary from the girls' bathroom. She told him how scared she was that he'd find out about all that she had said about him, not to mention how it had been her opening the Chamber. So she took it back, and after that the visits to the Chamber were more frequent. Ginny could also feel herself growing weaker.
Finally, she reached the time where Tom had taken her down to the Chamber, but this time never returned her to the surface. A sick feeling rose in her stomach at the memory of trying desperately to hold onto her life, knowing it was being slowly tugged away from her by Tom. Ginny told Harry that she was near to giving up when he arrived. Thinking of how she was the cause of Harry being down there in the first place, sent a small shudder down Ginny's spine and Harry, moving on instinct, came closer and brought his arm around her, trying to give her some comfort with his touch.
Leaning in slightly to his embrace, Ginny continued to tell him how all the while through his battle with the Basilisk, Tom was taunting her, telling her that it was all her fault he was going to die. Simply the thought was enough to bring Ginny to tears and soon she was sobbing quietly.
Harry tightened his hold on her, bringing her gently to rest on his shoulder and letting her cry herself out, all the time whispering small words of comfort to her.
'Ginny, it wasn't your fault. At all. I went down there willingly because I knew you were in trouble. But it was in no way your fault,' he assured her once her sobs had subsided.
Ginny didn't look convinced, but continued with her story.
'The last thing I remember before slipping into unconsciousness was Tom's laughter at me for being so stupid as to allow myself to be lured into believing he could help me. And I agreed.
'I thought I was done for. I thought for sure that I would die. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that you would come through in the end, because that's what you do. You're Harry Potter. But most of me was just concerned that I had never gotten to really know you, like I said I would. And now I was going to die without truly confirming whether what I felt for you was real, or just because I liked your story.
'But then… I was awake. And you were there. Alive and truly there. I still remember the feel of triumph as you told me that Riddle was finished. And you had saved me. I suppose that was the moment I realised that you were so much different to what the stories and tales described. You were… so much better than that. A real, very unassuming, hero and not at all like those stupid clichés I had grown up hearing. You were… just Harry.'
After Ginny had finished, she felt more emotionally drained than she had been for at least five years. But she felt better for telling someone. It gave her great comfort to let it all out.
Harry, however, had gone silent. He had no idea just how much Ginny had gone through that year. He was very much regretting not asking her about it earlier.
'Ginny… I'm so sorry,' he mumbled.
'For what?' Ginny asked.
'For not asking you about that sooner. I mean, have you ever talked to your family about it?' he asked.
Ginny shook her head.
'No. They… they never really asked and I think they just thought I didn't want to talk about it. But I suppose it only made it worse. So… thank you Harry,' she said, smiling up at him.
'For what?' Harry asked.
'Well, for one, for saving my life five years ago. I realise now that I-I never really thanked you for it. So thank you. And also, for listening to me. For caring when no one else really seemed bothered,' she replied.
Harry blushed slightly.
'Oh, er… it's my pleasure. I guess,' he murmured and Ginny chuckled slightly, knowing he didn't accept praise or thanks very well.
It know became apparent that Ginny was still wrapped tightly in Harry's arms, but if either of them minded, they didn't say anything.
Giving a small sigh, however, Ginny soon had to very carefully extract herself from Harry who looked questioningly at him, his expression tinged with sadness.
'I'm sorry. But I should… I should probably go and see if I can find Dean,' she said softly.
Harry's shoulders sagged.
'Of course,' he said, giving out a sigh. 'I'll see you around Ginny.'
Ginny nodded. ''Bye.'
She turned and walked back up the hill to the castle, all the time wishing she was back with Harry.