CHAPTER SIX

When he awoke the next morning, Harry did not know where he was or if the dreams he had had that night were dreams or reality. He felt around on the nightstand for his glasses; when he found them and put them on, Ginny's room came into view and all that had transpired the day before came flooding back into his mind.

Before Harry even attempted to get out of bed there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Harry asked, getting out of bed.

"Ginny," was the response from the other side of the door.

Harry quickly walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hi," Ginny said.

"Hi," Harry said breathlessly. Ginny looked beautiful in the mornings just after she had woken up and before she had brushed her hair and put on day clothes and makeup.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course. It's your room," Harry said, moving aside to grant Ginny entrance to the bedroom.

Ginny entered.

"Did you sleep well?" Harry asked.

"Yes. You?"

"Not really. Too many dreams."

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, walking to stare out the window.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." Harry took notice of the awkwardness that was in the air. He remembered the tension that had surrounded his last visit to Ginny's room; it felt, now, the way it had then.

"Did you want something?" Harry asked, walking over to where Ginny stood at the window. As he stood looking at Ginny, her hair reflected beautifully in the early morning sunlight, it took all of Harry's willpower to not kiss her.

Ginny looked at Harry. He could see that she was not taken aback or offended by his question. He saw in her eyes that she was contemplating whether she should ask him the one question she so wanted to ask him.

After a minute of silence Ginny said,

"Were we happy?"

It was not the question that Harry had been expecting and he could tell from Ginny's expression that surprise had shown on his face.

"Yes," Harry responded.

Ginny turned her face away from Harry's at his response and Harry noticed a frown cross her beautiful face.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked. "Were you expecting me to say that we weren't?"

"Define happy for me. Tell me what it was like. Start from the beginning. From when we first met until you messed up your timeline. Please," Ginny said, still looking out into the backyard of the Burrow.

Though confused by Ginny's odd request, Harry sat down on the bed and told Ginny about their life together.

"We met at King's Cross Station on September 1st of mine and Ron's first year of Hogwarts. I didn't know where Platform 9 ¾ was so I asked your mom. You got all excited when the twins told you who I was but you weren't allowed to talk to me. The summer before your first year of school I came to stay here and you couldn't be in the same room as me without getting flustered and certainly wouldn't talk in front of me. You got taken in by Tom Riddle's Horcrux diary and taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Ron and I rescued you and I destroyed the Horcrux in the process. After that you seemed a little better around me but we didn't interact much except when I stayed here. In my fifth year, when Dolores Umbridge was Defense teacher, you joined Dumbledore's Army with me, Ron, and Hermione. In my sixth year, when I was over my stupid crush on Cho Chang, I fell in love with you. I kissed you after Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup in my absence and we dated until I broke it off at Dumbledore's funeral. When I visited that summer you kissed me right here in this room on my seventeenth birthday as you never had before. I was dying inside on my search for the Horcruxes because I had no idea if you were alive or if I would ever see you again. After defeating Voldemort we got back together and we got engaged a year ago. Our wedding was supposed to be in two weeks," Harry finished. Ginny had walked over to her desk while he was talking and he looked her in the eyes for the first time since he had begun his story. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes; Ginny hardly ever cried.

"Why are you crying?" Harry asked, concerned that something was truly wrong.

"You have a wonderful story," Ginny answered, her voice trembling.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, now panicking at how emotional Ginny was.

"It sounds like a fairytale. The girl idolizes the hero, he saves her, and they end up living happily ever after."

"I'm not sure there will be a happily ever after, but happiness, yes. Why are you so surprised at the story? Didn't you live it?" Harry was confused.

"No."

Harry gave Ginny a very confused look.

"It sounds like your story involves love."

"It does. You are the love of my life," Harry said. "What do you mean by my story?"

"Your story. Your life. It has love in it," Ginny said, tears running down her cheeks now.

"Are – Aren't you in love with Neville?" Harry asked.

Ginny remained quiet for a few minutes before looking Harry straight in the eyes and saying,

"No. I don't love Neville. And he doesn't love me. He is in love with Luna."

"Then why are you marrying him," Harry asked becoming more confused by the second.

"I have to," Ginny responded sadly.

"What do you mean? Why are you marrying someone you don't love? Why is he marrying you if he loves Luna?" Harry was really confused now.

"Because our parents arranged it," Ginny said simply.

"Your parents arranged it? But you weren't born when Neville was born."

"But when I was born our parents agreed that we would marry each other when we turned twenty. Dumbledore said it was a good idea."

"Why? Why arrange the marriage? And why would Dumbledore condone it?"

"I don't know. But the point is that I don't know what it is to love the person I am marrying. To truly love the way you say you do in your story. I love Neville like a brother but I don't love him the way a wife should love her husband," Ginny said, avoiding Harry's eyes.

"Are you in love with someone else?" Harry asked, not sure whether or not he wanted to hear the answer.

"Yes," Ginny said, turning her head back to Harry.

Harry's heart sank.

"Who?"

"I need you to promise that you will take the name to your grave," Ginny said looking Harry in the eyes.

Harry looked straight back at Ginny and saw in her eyes that she was taking a huge risk in telling a person she had mistrusted for years her deepest, darkest secret he was sure she had not even told Hermione.

"I swear I won't tell a soul. I will take it to the grave."

"Draco Snape."

Ginny looked at Harry for a reaction and he knew that she had seen in his eyes the surprise he had felt when she said Draco's name.

"Malfoy?"

"Who?" Ginny asked.

"His name is Draco Malfoy in my world. Does Neville know? Does Draco know?"

"No. No one knows. Harry you promised you wouldn't tell anyone. Tell me you won't tell anyone!" Ginny said, her voice cracking with emotion as she jumped up from the chair in which she had been sitting.

Ginny began to panic in a way Harry had never seen her panic before; she was usually so calm and collected. Harry began to see and understand that Ginny was not as secure with herself in this world and certainly not as strong-willed as the Ginny to which he was accustomed.

"I promise, Ginny! I wouldn't do that to you. I was just curious if anyone else knew how you felt."

"Oh," Ginny said, sitting down again.

"How long have you been in love with Mal – Draco?"

"Since I first saw him. And it's been killing me inside to be in love with him and to not be able to be with him," Ginny said, tears streaming down her face again.

"I know what you mean," Harry said quietly.

"Why haven't you told anyone? I mean you know that Neville loves Luna? Why doesn't he know that you love Draco?" Harry asked.

"No one else can ever know what my heart feels. I would be disowned and ostracized by my family and friends if they knew that I loved a mortal enemy."

"Then they wouldn't be very good friends and a very nice family. If someone is truly your friend and they truly love you it shouldn't matter who you are in love with," Harry said, amazed at himself for sounding like Hermione.

"That may be true in your perfect little world, Harry, but not here," Ginny said, a slight bitterness in her voice.

"My world isn't perfect, Ginny. It should just be common sense that true friends and family should accept you for who you are – even if you love your worst enemy. If you had loved Malfoy in my world your family would have been surprised and disappointed, maybe, but they certainly would have still loved you and accepted that you were in love with him because he made you happy."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And why should the change in my timeline have affected your family other than me not being a part of it?" Harry asked, not sure that Ginny would know the answer.

"I don't know," Ginny said.

"Well then, let's get ready and find out," Harry said, standing up and motioning towards the door.