"So what you're telling me is that you didn't break up with him? You're staying" Harry asked looking baffled & hurt. They were back in the imitation HoneyDukes that night.
"I just couldn't do it but you're the one I want" Ginny said in a pleading voice.
"So let me understand your logic here. You think staying with him longer will soften the blow for when you eventually break up with him? Does that make any sense to you because it doesn't to me" Harry said, exasperated. When he put it like that, Ginny thought to herself, it didn't make sense.
"Harry I'm sorry. What can I do?" Ginny asked.
"You can do what you said you were going to do last night" Harry said simply.
"I just can't. Not right now" Ginny replied.
Harry just mouthed the word "wow" & walked towards the door.
"Please don't leave Harry" Ginny begged. When Harry reached the door, he turned & said "I don't know what else I can do" and walked out.
That night, Ginny cried herself to sleep. She was mourning the loss of what could have been. She knew she made a stupid decision but she still couldn't break up with Dean. She didn't want Dean to feel one ounce of the pain she was feeling right now. The only thing that made her able to finally fall asleep was the hope that not all was lost between her & Harry.
For the rest of the week, Harry didn't pay Ginny any attention. That really hurt her feelings but she understood why. She couldn't blame him. Her relationship with Dean felt forced. At times, she felt like Dean knew that it wasn't working but didn't say anything. The walk they took around the lake didn't solve the lack of passion she felt. There walk around the lake was an unspoken understanding that they would stay together and try to make it work.
Every time Ginny walked hand & hand with Dean down the halls and Harry was around, he seemed to deliberately ignore looking at them. Ginny actually felt guilty holding Dean's hand.
A month later, Ginny was finishing up a Potion's essay in her four poster bed when Hedwig came through the window and landed on her bed. She had a note tied to her leg. There was only one person that this note could be from.
"Hi Sweetie" Ginny said to Hedwig, patting her head then removing the note. She always loved Hedwig because she was so snowy white & faithful to Harry.
Unfurling the note with bated breath, Ginny read "I miss you." That's all it said. Those three little words made her heart pound. Ginny quickly grabbed her quill and wrote on the other side of paper "I miss you too. I'm sorry." Ginny tied the note back on Hedwig's foot. Hedwig hooted and flew back the way she came.
Ginny tried to go back to writing her essay but the anticipation was too great. Twenty minutes later she eventually gave up on writing & waited for Harry's reply. She wondered if he would even reply. It wasn't like she started a conversation, she just said replied & said sorry. Ten minutes later, Hedwig flew back in.
The note read, "Don't be sorry, just meet me in the common room at midnight."