The End for Some
Hermione detached herself from the crowd and managed to keep Ginny in her eye line. She followed her all the way to the Quidditch pitch and into the changing rooms. As Hermione went to enter Ginny came out holding a broom.
'Gin I-' began Hermione but she was pushed aside as Ginny mounted the broom and took off. Round and round the pitch she went. Hermione watched her for a few minutes and, realising that she wasn't coming down anytime soon found a second broom. She took it to the centre of the pitch and looked at it. Now, what to do next? She could remember very clearly the words of the textbook on flying but that wasn't the same as putting it into practise. 'Hover' she said tentatively. The broom didn't move. Come on Hermione thought to herself. It's like commanding a dog. Half the success is in the confidence. 'Hover' she said, with much more certainty. The broom leapt out of her hand and hovered at waist height. Hermione mounted and kicked off from the floor. Whoosh, she was away. But Ginny was much higher. Hermione flew up to join her, nearly knocking into her in trying to get close.
'Watch out' yelled Ginny as she had to swerve to avoid Hermione.
'If you came back down then I wouldn't have to do this' said Hermione through gritted teeth.
'I'm working off my frustration. Just leave me be, I'll come down when I'm ready.'
'Ginny there isn't time. We are to leave in an hour and you've still got three men who all think you are theirs. Now I don't care which one you choose, that's your decision, but you've got to make it soon.'
'I don't have to choose any, there isn't a rule is there?'
'No, but you are contracted to marry one of them.' Hermione's broom gave a wobble. It didn't like this unsure rider one bit.
'Well then there's the answer. I'll have to pick Neville. Go and tell them if you're worrying that much.' Ginny flew still higher.
'No, Gin. Just stop and listen for one moment. You don't have to marry Neville, I've found the loophole.' Hermione saw Ginny visibly stiffen.
'You can't be serious' relied Ginny. 'There can't really be a way to get out of marrying Neville.'
'There is if it's what you really want.'
'What do I have to do?'
'It's slightly more complicated than that. Come down Ginny, and I will explain it properly.' Hermione motioned to begin a descent but was surprised when Ginny shook her head.
'How do I know that what you're telling me is the truth? It could just be that you'll say anything to get me back onto the ground. If there really is an escape you can tell me up here.' She looked right into Hermione's eyes.
'Oh Ginny stop being such a pain. Why would I do that? I'm not a deceitful person; I'm only trying to help.'
'Help me then by telling me what you know.' Ginny flew still higher. Hermione sighed and, swallowing, matched Ginny's height.
'The way it works is quite simple, but you will have to make a decision.'
'About what?'
'Whether you're going to choose Harry or Malfoy. Because, according to ancient legend, if a pre-contract is made for marriage, then it can only be broken if one of the parties wants to marry another.'
'It's that simple.' Ginny was quite surprised that her if she elected someone else, she no longer had to marry Neville.
'Well, there is a slight catch. Your parents have to approve of the choice.'
'A slight catch. Hermione have you not heard yourself. A slight catch is that my parents have to approve. Who has ever wanted to marry someone their parents approved of? I couldn't have Draco then could I, so it would have to be Harry.' Hermione caught a glimpse of Ginny's face as she turned around.
'You don't want Harry? But I thought you loved him. I assumed that he would be the one you'd choose. You've liked him since the day you first met him. Who do you want?'
'NO ONE' screamed Ginny, rounding on Hermione. 'No one. I don't want to marry anyone, I want to be me, single free, living for the moment' she finished.
'But-'
'There are no buts. I've felt like this for a while. I don't want to be paired off with anyone. If there's one thing I learnt from living in the Muggle world it's that I can't cope with a partner who isn't interested in the job that I choose and one who restrains me. I want to succeed in life and when you have someone else to think about you it helps, but not if they suffocate you in the process. Neville wasn't interested in what I did and neither was Harry so long as I gave them the attention they deserved and so I remained stationery in the world of modelling. But Malfoy was. He was interested and promised me a life where he'd continue to be but wouldn't interfere if I didn't want him to. But I know that as soon as we leave school it won't be the same for any of them. They'll want to know where I am, what I'm doing and who I'm with. It's bad enough having parents who require that information. I just don't want to be at someone's beck and call always, home by six without fail to cook a proper meal. It just isn't me. I thought it was. I always thought I would love to have someone care for me and be concerned but, while in the Muggle world, I found it intolerable.' She ended her speech with a sigh. There was silence, broken only by the distant sounds of people making their way back to the school.
'There could be another option, if you really don't-'
'Hermione just shut up, I've had enough of your do gooding' shouted Ginny, grabbing Hermione's broom with a jolt. Hermione, whose grip who had loosened during Ginny outburst felt herself slip and went to hold the broom. But where Ginny had pulled it, the handle had swung slightly, and Hermione's hands found only thin air. It only took those few seconds in which Hermione hasn't holding onto anything for her top half to become unbalanced and slip over the edge of the broom. Too surprised to scream, Hermione found herself falling. She didn't know where she was going, but, by the sounds of Ginny's cry fading quickly, she was getting their fast.
'HERMIONE' screamed Ginny zooming down towards the falling mass that was her best friend. She hunted frantically in her robes for her wand but to no avail. 'SOMEONE HELP' she cried over and over again. It was no good. Hermione was falling quicker than she could fly. She'd never make it in time. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no'. Hermione was only meters from the ground. A fall from this height, would she survive? Heck no, you couldn't. 'HERMIONE' bellowed Ginny a final time as she saw her friend reach her destination, heard the bang, then the silence.
'Hermione.' Ron was the first to arrive at the scene. He grabbed his friend's hand. It was cold. 'Oh god, Hermione no' he wailed into her chest. He looked up and over at Ginny, her face white yet filthy. 'Summon some help, now!' His sister didn't move, didn't even acknowledge that he'd spoken. Quickly, Ron reached for his own wand and sent some sparks into the direction of the hospital wing. He then carefully picked up Hermione in his arms and began to make his way back towards the castle. He'd barely walked a few paces when Ginny caught him from behind. She was grappling for Hermione, her hands clawing at his sleeves. 'Ginny get off, she needs help now'.
'It's all my fault, I was a selfish cow. Give her to me Ron, I've got to take responsibility, I did this, I caused her to fall.'
'Ginny, you can't help, let me take Hermione to someone who can- before it's too late' he added as an afterthought. As he went to carry on walking, three figures approached. Seeing the scene, they began to run, Neville and Harry towards the limp figure that was Hermione and Draco towards Ginny. Carefully, Harry helped Ron carry Hermione between them while Neville waved his wand, muttering spells and charms. Draco stood next to Ginny, arms outstretched. She fell into his embrace. As her legs gave way he caught her in his powerful grip.
Madame Pomfrey came out of the hospital wing. Eleven people stood up. 'She's alive'.
'Thanks be to Merlin' cried McGonagall her face as white as a sheet.
'She's alive, but seriously injured' continued Madame Pomfrey. There was silence.
'How serious?' asked Molly Weasley, clutching Ginny towards her.
'Enough for her to require some level of care for the rest of her life. The injuries she sustained were severe. There are limits to what magic can do. I did my best but,' Madame Pomfrey's voice lowered 'not many people would even survive a fall from that height, let alone walk away without any scares.'
'What does that mean?' asked Ron looking directly at Madame Pomfrey.
'It means that Hermione has been paralysed from the legs down. One of the vital nerves in the spine was severed when she landed. Even I cannot repair damage as great as that. From this moment on, Hermione will require someone to her care for her. In time she will be able to continue living a full and enriched life, just with a few more limitations than before.'
Silence. Stunned silence, broken only by the sobs of Mrs Weasley and McGonagall.
'Can we see her?' enquired Harry.
'She has asked to see Ginny, but that I will only allow that for a few minutes and only because of the' she paused 'exceptional circumstances' she finished. Ginny looked at the floor. She knew what they all though, and she agreed. This was all her won fault. If she hadn't been so selfish Hermione would still be able to walk. She was tempted to turn and run, but look where that had got her so far. Taking a deep breathe Ginny pushed open the hospital wing doors. The whole place was empty apart from one bed. Hermione was lying in it, as white as she had been when Ginny had first landed next to her. Ginny ran over wailing
'Hermione, Hermione I'm so so sorry. I can't believe I did this to you. Oh god Hermione I understand if you never ever want to see me again, I'll leave right this moment. I just want you to know that I will do anything ANYHTING you ask of me, now and forever. You only need to mention it and I'll do it, no matter what.' Ginny's outpour was stalled by the tidal-wave of tears that erupted from her eyes. The tears that had refused to come all the hours they had been waiting in silence in the hallway started now.
'Shhh Ginny its ok, I don't blame you' came a small voice. Ginny lifted her head to see Hermione reaching her hand out to pat Ginny. Ginny pulled herself away.
'No. I don't deserve your sympathy. I'm a terrible person and I deserve to suffer as much as possible. I should rot in hell for this. Oh god Hermione I am so sorry, I cannot believe this has happened.'
'Gin it doesn't matter. What's done is done. It wasn't your fault, I'm the one that fell, I wasn't holding on properly. I shouldn't have flown that high when I knew that I couldn't handle the broom.'
'No,no,no I should never have flown that high, then you wouldn't have followed me. If I hadn't grabbed the broom then you'd still be standing.'
'No, you told me to stop following you, you said to leave you alone and I ignored you. I can only blame myself.'
'No, if I-wait Hermione, this is stupid we will be going round in circles and it's helping no one. Hermione, please, just tell me what I can do to start making amends. Please. Give me something to do, anything.'
Hermione looked into Ginny's eyes. 'Anything?' Ginny nodded sincerely. 'Then choose who you're going to be with. Is it Malfoy, Neville or Harry? It's that problem that contributed to my accident, so I'd like it resolved please.' Hermione spoke in a firm voice but the smile that curled her lips showed Ginny that she didn't blame her, not one bit.'
'Hermione. It's as I said before. I don't want any of them and if I'm honest, I'm not good enough for those boys; they could all do so much better. And even if I did love just one, I'd still not want to choose, I'm too young, I don't know much about anything anymore, I can't commit to one man on a whim. That's what it would be if I chose right now.'
'What will you do?'
'I wish I knew. They can't force me can they? I suppose I'll have to give up my magic or be cast out or something. But I'd rather have that than spend the rest of my life in misery.'
There is another way?' Hermione spoke very quietly.
'What!' Ginny's voice was so loud that Madame Pomfrey put her head round the door, a quizzical expression on her face. 'Sorry' apologised Ginny. She waited till the door had swung shut again before turning to Hermione 'tell me, what it is?'
'You can be excluded from the marriage contract, permanently, if you have responsibilities that you couldn't execute to the required standard if you were married.' Hermione's eyes were shinning but Ginny returned her look with a confused expression.
'I don't get it? I don't have any ''responsibilities'' that I couldn't execute with a husband. I don't have any little responsibilities let alone major ones. It's a lovely idea but I just can't use it, it doesn't apply, and I'm not lying any more. Enough people have been hurt by me telling them that I love them when I didn't.'
'Who said you'd need to lie? You've got the perfect excuse.'
'I have. What is it?'
'It's in this very room.'
'It is. Where?'
'You're looking right at it.'
'You!'
'Me' replied Hermione smiling.
Ok everyone the next chapter is the final one. I just couldn't make this one any longer. Thanks for all your suggestions as to who Ginny should choose, I love to here what you all think. Often what you say comes as a surprise, I suppose it's because I know what is in my head and where I'm going so nothing is a surprise.
If you haven't understood the last part of this chapter let me know and I'll explain it at the start of the next one.
Nearly there xx