Ginny decided to return to the castle. She needed to see Neville and get away from Harry, Ron and Hermione who were all treating her like she would break at any given time of day. She also missed Luna and even though the castle pained her to visit due to those memories, she needed a break from home. She hated being cooped up.
So she accompanied Harry, Ron and Hermione to the castle on the Wednesday afternoon. However she approached Luna and Neville as soon as she go the opportunity to chat with them. They seemed to much closer to each other physically in terms of space. Luna was also staring at Neville with big, wide eyes with a look Ginny had never seen on her face before: admiration and want.
When they went on lunch break, Ginny sat with them, as well as Dean and Seamus. Neville asked her curiously, "So I hear you went Colin's uh…funeral." Ginny glanced up, hoping to avoid this topic. She nodded stiffly, "Yeah…I did. Why do you ask?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "I suppose cause no-one else from school was invited. And you guys were pretty close." Ginny didn't realize that this had been his impression of her and Colin. Did everyone think the same way? That she knew so much about him?
She whispered under her breath, "You're wrong there, Neville." He stared at her in surprise and waited for her to continue. Ginny sighed under her breath, "I thought I knew him, even a little bit. It turns out I was entirely wrong. He never told me anything about himself. I was the worst friend to him." Neville grimaced and replied, "I'm sure that's not tru…" but Ginny interrupted him swiftly, "Do you remember telling him to leave me alone? Was that not horrible?" Neville replied, "Well, I think you just needed space. It was one time, Gin." Ginny shook her head, "No it wasn't. It was all the time. I was nasty to him. And I don't want your sympathy, Neville. I want you to agree with me."
By now, all of their friends were listening in on their conversation. Neville grew silent and shrugged his shoulders before picking up his cup of tea, "It's in the past, Ginny. You have to live for the here and now." Ginny sighed and glanced down the Gryffindor table at Harry. He was busy watching them while Ron and Hermione were yammering away about something. When Ginny looked at him, he tried to smile, but she couldn't force it. She glanced away again.
XXX
Five o clock came around and the rebuild for the day was finished. McGonagall came up to Ginny and asked her concernedly about her mother. Ginny told her that her mom was fine and she was getting better. It wasn't entirely untrue. She did come downstairs for dinner the previous evening and she had showered and brushed her hair.
Then Harry, Ron and Hermione approached her and the Professor. Hermione said casually, "We're heading now, Gin. You coming with us?" Ginny nodded and McGonagall said suddenly, "Oh Miss Granger! That reminds me! Kinsley said that he may have a lead on how to find your parents. He requested you to head to his office as soon as possible!"
Hermione practically squealed with joy and she hugged professor McGonagall while thanking her profusely. Ron muttered to Harry, "If it were for any other reason I would be completely mortified by this." Harry smiled amicably and Hermione turned to them, "I'm gonna head to Kingsley now. I'll meet you guys back home." Ron asked immediately, "Do you want me to come with?" Hermione smiled shyly, "That would be great! Thanks Ron.
They walked down to the grounds and let themselves out of the castle. Ron and Hermione said goodbye and Ginny realized she had to rely on Harry to apparate. She gingerly let him take her hand in his they went back to the Burrow. They hadn't spoken much since she'd gotten upset with him and she liked to keep her distance.
As soon as they stepped at the gate, Ginny made to go inside. Harry reached out and held her arm tightly, "Ginny, please don't…" Ginny glanced down at his arm and whispered, "Let go of me Harry." Harry shook his head and took the opportunity to move closer to her, "No. Not until we talk, Ginny."
Ginny snapped, "Talk about what, Harry?!" He watched her carefully with his vibrant green eyes, "About you being angry with me and Colin." He said it with determination but also with tact. Ginny nodded slowly, "You're right. I'm angry with both of you. Colin never told me things that happened in his life and you did the same." Harry waited a moment while she fumed at him. Then he said patiently, "Maybe we're trying to protect you from some things, Ginny. Maybe there are some things you don't need to know."
Ginny flung her arms in the air, "I am not a little kid anymore, Harry! I've seen death and I've seen war. I've lived through it. What could I possibly need protecting from?!' He walked closer to her and tried to close the gap between them, "You're right You're not a child anymore, an neither am I. So you deserve the truth." Ginny frowned and stared at him confusedly. She thought he had given her the whole truth? Harry continued, "There's something that happened when I died and it's not something I've ever told anyone about before. No Ron, nor Hermione."
Ginny watched him disbelievingly. He reached out and took her hand in his, then led her towards the forest She whispered, "Why are we going there?" Harry smiled slowly, "Because…I want to show and tell you why I don't like being touched. Ginny nodded mutely and allowed him to pull her into the forest.
She whispered, "Why now?" He stopped when the reached the small lake area and he turned to her, "Because I can't bare to see you beating yourself up about Colin and distancing yourself from me. It's horrible Ginny, knowing you're hurting and there's nothing I can do to help you. But maybe this one thing will help relieve some of the pain."
He said it all in one breath, like he had been thinking it through carefully and finally decided on this conclusion. Ginny waited and watched him as he whispered, "When I died, I told you that the last person I thought of was you right?" She nodded carefully and he slowly revealed his flat stomach, lifting his shirt up and over his head.
Ginny gasped with what she saw there. She couldn't help her reaction. There, right over where his heart would be, was a small, black hole the size and shape of a wand. It looked like a burn mark and she blinked furiously, trying to not cry. The physical appearance of the burn only served to remind her that Harry had really died to try and save them all.
She moved closer to him and she whispered, "Was it painful? Dying?" Harry looked like he wanted to move away but he held his pace, "Not as much as you might think. I was thinking of you, so that helped a lot." Ginny shook her head in bewilderment. She wanted to touch his chest, so she glanced up to his eyes which were shining with nothing but love for her. Ginny whispered, "Can I…can I touch…?"
She trailed off, unable to finish her question. Harry whispered, "Of course. Why do you think I'm showing you?" Ginny nodded and gently placed her hand over the mark. The strange thing was it didn't feel burnt. It was just that it looked like burnt skin. It was perfectly smooth and flat.
Ginny glanced up at him to see him watching her intently. He whispered tightly, "Now you know why." She nodded and replied seriously, "Thank you Harry, for opening up to me." He nodded and then made to put his shirt back on, but Ginny stopped him. She leant her head against his chest. She only came up to just underneath his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
He whispered softly, "I hope you can stop feeling angry at yourself now. You never once did anything wrong." Ginny shrugged and whispered, "Maybe. At least now I know about you. Thank you." Harry kissed the top of her head and replied, "Now you know how much I love you." She still felt a shiver go down her back at the words. He didn't say them often, but when he said them he meant them with all of his heart. Ginny whispered back, "I love you too."
A/N: Hey guys! Here's a Christmas special for you all! Merry Christmas! I hope it's a great one spent with family and friends. Also shout out to Davinus for such a cool review!