Chapter 23 - The Journey of Two and To Let Go

Ginny couldn't believe how these few days left of Hogwarts had gone by so fast. She couldn't believe that next year she would be in her seventh year. When she finished packing she looked around the room and left walking downstairs. She walked silently and alone the whole way to the carriages and even during the carriage rides to the train. Once the carriage stopped, she finally felt the pain inside her heart. She looked around and found not one of her friends around. No Clara, or Luna. Ginny took a deep breath and put her things onto the train and went to find a seat. As she was walking down the train she held some yelling coming from one of the compartments. She stopped walking and peered inside.

"Neville give up," Hermione said. " Harry isn't coming back, you see him on this train."

"So, just because he isn't on the train doesn't mean he isn't coming back," Neville said.

"Yes, it does," Hermione said. " It shows he isn't a good friend, a friend at all."

"He betrayed us," Ron said.

"No," Neville said standing up. " Your the ones who betrayed him."

"Neville's right," Luna said standing up." I don't know why I didn't just go with Ginny."

"Luna," Ron began.

"I believe in him," Luna said. " If you can't except what I believe in then...then maybe we shouldn't be together."

"What are you saying?" Ron asked.

"I..I think we should take a break," Luna said. " Take the summer away from each other, see other people. Till you can except my beliefs and opinions."

Ginny turned away from them and walked as fast as she could down the train. She found an empty compartment and sat down in it. She stared outside when she heard the door open to her compartment. When she turned she found Luna, Clara, and Neville standing in the doorway.

"Can we sit with you?" Clara asked.

"Of course," Ginny said smiling.

"I'm sorry," Luna said. " For not coming here in the first place. I just wanted Ron to believe so bad."

"I know," Ginny said. " It's okay, both of you."

"I can't believe them," Neville said sitting down beside Ginny.

"I know," Ginny said.

"He'd never betray us," Luna said. " Not in a million years."

"So, what are you guys going to do this summer?" Clara asked.

"Nothing," Ginny said.

"Same," Neville said.

"What about you?" Luna asked Clara.

"Well, as soon as this train stops," Clara began but stopped and looked at Neville.

"It's okay," Ginny said. " You can trust him."

"As soon as this train stops," Clara went on. " I'll be going to find Draco. Then we have to wait for everyone to leave and Snape is suppose to come get us."

"Your really going?" Ginny asked her.

"Yes, there's something I have to do," Clara said. " Something I have to tell Harry."

"So what after Snape?" Luna asked.

"Well, then me and Draco take a port key with him," Clara said fear evident in her voice. "Then...then we go to him. Then we bow are allegiance and take the death eater mark. Then we can see Harry."

"That's awful," Neville said.

"Yes, but its for Harry," Clara said. " I don't care what happens to me, as long as he is alright in the end."

"Aren't you worried?" Luna asked.

"Of course I am," Clara said. " What if he laughs at me and kills me right on the spot. What if he asks me why I didn't join him in the first place?"

"What about Draco?" Ginny asked. " You guys talking?"

"Yes, and no," Clara said with a laugh. " I told him that I'd be nice and talk to him. That I'd still be his friend if he just accepted that fact that I trust Harry."

"And," Ginny asked.

"He said okay," Clara said. " Just like that, okay."

"He still is unsure," Ginny said. " Hermione and Ron have their minds made up though."

"Yeah," Luna said. " I hurt Ron a lot. There wasn't any other thing I could do. He needs to believe in me before I can be with him. I just hope he can accept my beliefs and me. I hope he can trust me, when I trust Harry."

"It kind of sucks now," Neville said. " Everyone, and I mean everyone is torn apart."

"Yeah," Ginny said. " I hope that Hermione will come to her senses and help Ron to his senses."

"We all do," Clara said.

"Next year is going to be so different," Neville said. " No one trusts one another. Our houses have begun to break and form friendships with other's leaving other friends in the dust. Seamus and Dean, they don't talk to me anymore."

"Don't worry about it," Ginny said. " Everything will work out fine."

"But, they were my friends," Neville said.

"You have us Neville," Luna said. " You have Harry too."

"Thanks," Neville said smiling at her.

"Anytime," Luna said laughing. " I'm always glad to cheer up a friend."

Neville smiled at her again and then they all went silent. Ginny watched Clara play chess with Neville. She then turned to Luna and found her looking out the window, Ginny did the same. The sky wasn't like how it used to be going home. It was somehow more depressing. It was all dark, and clouds were floating around. Once they arrived at King's Cross they found it pouring rain out. Ginny gathered her things and said by to Neville, watching him walk off to his grandmother. Then she turned to Luna and Clara. She felt as if this was going to be the last time they were all together as three. She watched Luna hugged Clara.

"Be careful," Luna said. " Don't let anything happen to yourself. I'd never stop crying for you."

"I'll be fine," Clara said.

Luna smiling sadly, Ginny felt as if Luna felt the same thing she did. Ginny noticed Luna had tears in her eyes. Then she turned to Ginny and hugged her, and then pulled away whispering something.

"He'll come back to you," Luna said. " Don't forget that."

Ginny nodded and watched her walk off towards her dad where she hugged him and then they started walking away. Ginny felt as though she should ask her to stay for the summer and yelled at Luna.

"Luna wait," Ginny asked as Luna turned to her. " If you want you can come to my house over the summer."

"Thank you," Luna said smiling wiping some tears off her face.

Ginny then watched her dad put his arm on her shoulder and lead her away from the train station. Finally Ginny turned back to Clara. She had tears in her eyes as well, and Ginny felt her tears coming. Clara then hugged Ginny, and then pulled away.

"I'll miss you," Clara said. " You and Luna."

"I'll miss you too," Ginny said. "Just as Luna will."

"I'm afraid Ginny," Clara said. " I'm afraid to see him."

"I know," Ginny said. " Just don't let him get the best of you."

"I won't," Clara said.

"You have to come back," Ginny said. " It just wouldn't be the same."

"I got you a birthday present," Clara said. " Your birthday's soon is it not?"

"Yes, it is," Ginny said.

She then watched Clara pulled out a larger gift from her trunk before turning back to Ginny. Ginny took the red wrapped gift and hugged Clara once more. When they let go, Clara closed her trunk and looked around for Draco. Seeing him standing by himself staring at her.

"I'd better go," Clara said.

"Please be careful," Ginny said.

"I will," Clara said smiling. " I want you to know something Ginny. I know we weren't very good friends, and now we are. It was such a short time but I'll never stop thinking about you. I care for you a lot, and I love so much. Promise me you'll do everything you can to stay alive, to help Harry stay alive as well."

"I promise Clara," Ginny said. " Come back to us."

"I will," Clara said.

With that Ginny watched her walk over to Draco and then the two off them walked off to a corner and stood talking, and waiting for Snape. Ginny took a deep breath and turned around and started walking towards her family. She found them with Hermione's family. She walked up to them and her mother gave her a hug. Ginny hugged her back before turning with her family to leave. She watched Hermione walk away with her parents, as she walked away with her parents. Then she saw Clara and Draco again. The same pain hit her in the stomach. She felt and somehow knew after this summer nothing would ever be the same. She waved a bye to Clara and she waved back, before looking down at her present and climbing the stairs out of the station. Once outside she stopped and opened her trunk, putting her gift safely inside before helping her dad put the trunks into the back of the car and getting in. She knew in a couple of weeks she be standing with her family at Charlie's funeral, ands that she would be crying her eyes out. She looked one last time at the station and found Snape standing with Clara and Draco, and then they were gone. Ginny held her breathe for a moment, before letting it go and turning to look out the front of the car. The sky was indeed very dark, and sulky. Maybe it was a sign. A sign that something dark was about to happen.

As she stared at the sky she wondered how Harry was doing was he all right. Would he keep his promise and come back to her. To them all, and defeat Voldemort. Would Clara, and Draco come back with him? Would Hermione, Ron, and her get over their differences. She sighed and then looked out her window. What would happen if Harry never came back? Would she go after him, would she join the dark side? All she knew was at this moment she was letting him go. She was letting her saviour, her best friend, the love of her life go. She felt tears prickling in her eyes and closed her eyes. Letting him go, on his own. It was all right wasn't it? It was only for a while though. Not like she was giving up on him, or saying bye to him like he was dead. She was just letting go, letting him do what he wanted, by himself. To let go of something you loved, to make them happy. You always do what's best for those you love, right. This was just one of those things.

To Let Go

To Let Her Saviour Go

To Let Her Best Friend Go

To Let Her Love Go

To Let Go

To let him go to the dark. We all carry darkness in us, of us. We hurt; we cause pain, why, we don't know. That darkness within us is what helps us move on with things, helps us evolve, and helps us grow. If we didn't have a dark side then everything would just be boring. We are all normal. No one really is normal to begin with so how can you call yourself normal. Like if we where to tell muggles of our world. We all would be abnormal, not normal, but abnormal. They would see us as dark people. Hunt us down, kill us. So we could never tell them about us.

Why do people seek the dark? For power, for victory, for courage. If a man can give you that, all you want, why not go to him. A death eater really doesn't have a cause. He just fights, and well if he dies he dies, and that's it. Why would you put yourself through pain and torment, just to die? One reason is because they seek the dark, as others seek the light. They have faith in the dark. The darkness in them that they can't get rid of. Darkness they can't fight. They really aren't enemies, but just wizards and witches who can't get dark thoughts, or things out of their mind. We all carry darkness within us. Darkness we fight, something that just is there. Something everyone has to go through, whether they fight it or go with it. Either way the darkness is there. The darkness we all seek, and darkness we fight.

The Darkness Within Us