Disclaimer: Only the plot belongs to me, the rest is JKR's. The song lyrics of course, belong to Dido and are from her song, White Flag.
Breaking Point
Chapter 6
White Flag
I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
Where's the sense in that?
I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
Ginny Weasley was barely visible between the vast stacks of paper sitting precariously atop her desk. She pulled down a sheet from one of the topmost piles and began to write, her quill scratching noisily along the heavy parchment. Ginny was so submerged in her work, that she didn't even notice another woman walk into the room, shifting papers aside to get through.
"Ginny?" said the woman, sitting down opposite her.
"Oh!" exclaimed Ginny, jumping up at the sound of the voice. "Hello Hermione, how are you?"
"Fine," answered Hermione, setting her purse down on the floor beside her and leaning back in her chair. "How are things here?"
"Busy," stated Ginny, not even bothering to look up from the report she was filling out.
"Yes, I surmised as much," continued Hermione, her eyes scanning around the room. Papers were stacked sky high and one of the many filing cabinets was open and brimming over with many sheafs of parchment, in danger of collapsing.
"I saw Harry the other day," Hermione mentioned quietly, not sure if that topic was up for discussion, "He seemed… Oh, I don't know… different," finished Hermione at a lack for a better word.
"We, er, met sometime last week," replied Ginny somewhat truthfully. She was in no mood for a lengthy account of their meeting. Hermione seemed to have discerned this and was now peering curiously across the desk at her friend. She was obviously interested in seeing if Ginny would divulge any more information concerning this touchy subject. Ginny however, seemed to have dismissed the subject as quickly as it had arisen. Dipping her quill into her inkpot, she continued to write as Hermione ducked under the desk, reaching for her purse. She emerged seconds later holding a paper bag from the corner café in her right hand.
"Look Ginny," said Hermione, thrusting the paper bag out in front of her, "I brought you lunch. I've already eaten but there's no denying you could use a break from all this work. You must be hungry," she added concernedly, "You've been looking so thin lately." At this Ginny's hand drifted unconsciously towards her neck where a tiny silver chain was half hidden under her blouse.
I know I left too much mess and
Destruction to come back again
And I cause nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of it's over
Then I'm sure that that makes sense
"Ginny?" questioned Hermione uncertainly for the second time since she had arrived.
Quickly snapping out of her reverie and dropping her hand back down to the desk, Ginny answered quickly, "Oh erm, I'm fine really. I have a lot of work to do." With that she gestured helplessly towards the stacks of parchment filling her room, cascading down from shelves and filling every nook and cranny of the small office.
"Oh come on, you can't possibly have to do all this work yourself! I mean, look, this report is not even due until two months from now. You're starting to scare me Ginny, you're working harder than I would!" teased Hermione, but Ginny did not smile at the remark.
"I have to get all this done Hermione," answered Ginny calmly. "I'm leaving for France in about a week's time and I might not be back for at least a year." This casual comment was met with silence from Hermione.
"But why didn't you tell me before?" she gushed, forgetting her hurt in not being told sooner.
"I didn't find out until just recently."
"But why weren't you informed earlier? That's a huge undertaking, moving to another country for the Ministry!"
"It comes with the job," answered Ginny simply.
"Well, even so," said Hermione, pulling herself together from the shock of hearing her best friend was moving to another country for an extended period of time, "you can at least make time for a decent lunch."
"Oh don't be such a worrywart 'Mione, "said Ginny managing a smile," I'll eat later, don't worry. You're beginning to sound like my mother."
Hermione looked affronted at this, but pushed it quickly aside and stared intently at Ginny before speaking again.
"Ginny, it's not something you can push aside without a second glance and call it a thing of the past."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," lied Ginny defiantly. As she spoke however, she felt herself shudder involuntarily, as though she was dowsed in icy water. This conversation was sailing into the same dangerous waters that their last one had.
Self-consciously tucking a stand of stray hair behind her ear, Ginny's hand trailed down to her throat and her fingers ran along the fine silver chain hanging there.
"Ginny," Hermione's voice was merely a whisper now; "You can't keep doing this to yourself. Don't brainwash yourself into thinking I haven't noticed. All this work," she gestured around the room, "No wonder you seem out of place, you're not yourself! It's beginning to take a toll on you and you at least need some sort of closing with him. Moving to another country isn't going to make you forget. If anything, it will only make the memories stronger." With that, Hermione picked up her purse and strode from the room.
Ginny stared blankly at the door before putting her hands to the nape of her neck and unclasping her silver chain. She laid it down on the desk in front of her with the utmost care. A small, shining, silver teardrop winked back at her, glinting in the slanting sunlight coming through the window.
If anything, it will only make the memories stronger.
God that girl was perceptive.
And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All that was there
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
A/N: Does this story seem like it's fallen into a lull? Well, the next chapter will really shake things up!
REVIEW PLEASE:)