Thanks to:

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LucySkywalker for the follow

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Mrs. Mandy Black for the follow, favorite, and review! Please don't apologize for the long review! I'm so glad that you took the time to tell me how you saw my story. Thank you so much for your insight :)) I look forward to hearing more from you!


The walk down to Hogsmead had never felt so long. As Ginny stepped on the cobbled streets, she squared her shoulders. I can do this, she told herself. The Three Broomsticks was only a few shops away, though it felt like miles. She forced her feet to move forward.

In her hand was the box she had found at the bottom of Harry's envelope. It had taken all her willpower not to toss it away. Deep down, she was afraid of what she would find inside, regardless of Harry's assurances.

What am I going to tell him? Ginny suddenly wondered. Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do. Even if it was not in the way he wished, she still cared about him.

If she said what she truly felt, then she would hurt him anyway, though. No way could she do that. Her only other option was to let Harry think she still loved him the way he loved her. The thought of leading him on made her sick to her stomach.

Tell the truth and hurt Harry. Lie and still hurt Harry.

Nobody ever said love was simple—or painless.

The Three Broomsticks loomed in front of her all of a sudden. Swallowing hard, her throat painfully dry, Ginny pulled the door open. Once she stepped inside, memories of the last time she was here crashed down on her.

Fearful that Draco would hurt her brother, she had stepped between them. The thought had never crossed her mind then that Ron could have hurt Draco even worse.

Now, after seeing the person Draco could be if he so chose, she realized she really did care about him. He meant something to her—as a friend, of course. For some reason, a fluttery, tickling feeling crawled up her stomach. The awareness made the memories even harder to bear. Angry words, stemming from her fear, had stained the air between them, and she wished she could go back in time to change her reaction.

"You'd like that wouldn't you, Voldy-wannabe? You might enjoy hurting people, but I don't."

Had she imagined the stricken, fearful look in his eyes after she said that? Was that was he truly thought of himself? That he was like Voldemort? The skin around her eyes tightened. Oh, Draco. I'm so sorry.

A sudden warmth at her side made Ginny clench her free hand. "Hey Ginny," he greeted her with forced easiness.

As she turned towards him, the breath whooshed out of her lungs. The shy, crooked grin and messy black hair were all too familiar. Tears stung the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them show. Her tongue ached from biting it to hold back the words she would have said before.

In spite of the pain, she forced a smile on her face. "Hey Harry."

"I guess we have a lot to talk about, huh?" Harry asked nervously as he brushed a hand through his hair. It was such a boyish gesture that her lips curled upwards involuntarily. Reassured by her expression, he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her towards an unoccupied table at the back of the pub.

The other patrons openly stared at them as they passed. It was disconcerting for Ginny, especially when she knew they were wondering if she and Harry were getting back together or not. She beat down the urge to correct their assumptions.

When Harry saw the look on her face, he laughed, mistakenly taking her embarrassment for self-consciousness.

"You kind of get used to it after a while," he assured her, giving the crowd a wry scan.

It was too easy to sink back into their routine, laughing and joking with him as if nothing was amiss. Ginny had to remind herself of the reason she was here. I have to tell him—but how? Immediately, her smile died. Guilt gnawed relentlessly at her stomach. If Harry noticed the abrupt stiffness of her movements, he made no comment.

Once they sat down, Ginny smoothed the creases from her skirt uncomfortably. Though she normally dressed modestly casual, today she had decided to wear something more feminine than just jeans and a knitted sweater. She owed it to Harry to make an effort. However, she knew she would have felt more at ease in her usual clothes.

"Yes, we do have a lot to talk about," Ginny replied carefully. Harry smiled, reaching across the table to take her free hand in his. His green eyes sparkled with boyish excitement. He really loves me. The realization felt like a punch to her stomach.

How could she destroy his dreams this way? So much had already been taken away from him; he deserved some happiness in his life. Nevertheless, she had to tell him how she felt. It was unfair to lead him on. Doing so would only cause him more pain.

When she placed his envelope between them, his smile faded, the light dimmed. "Let's start with this."

Harry released her hand, leaning back against the chair with a sigh. "Alright. I assume you read the letter. I said it wasn't what you thought, and we both know what that was."

"Alright, so if it's not that, then what is it?" she demanded, swatting at the strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes. The gesture brought another smile to Harry's face. Slowly, searching her eyes for any signs of unease, he reached over to tuck the strand behind her ear. His fingers trailed down her cheek and left a blaze of heat.

"Open it and see," he whispered, gazing at her tenderly.

The Gryffindor lifted her chin. She could do this. Without taking her eyes off Harry, she reached inside the envelope, grabbed the box, and flipped the lid open. His smile grew into a grin as he waited for her to look down. When she finally did, her hand flew to her mouth.

"Harry, I...I can't accept this. I really can't," she insisted, staring at the beautiful gold charm bracelet cushioned by the velvet cloth. Unconsciously, her fingers traced the various charms, lingering on the engraved heart. With You Always. Why did he have to make this harder than it already was? Her eyes stung, and she angrily rubbed at them.

Her father's gentle, understanding voice spoke up from her memories as he wiped away her six-year-old self's tears after a skinned knee. Weasleys don't stop to cry when there's still stuff to do. So chin up, pumpkin. You can do it.

He had always encouraged her to do the right thing, even if it was not easy. Now, she could not help but wonder what he would think if he saw her rejecting the supposed love of her life. Would he approve, or would he quietly sigh his Disappointed Father sigh that was somehow worse than her mother's hysterics?

"Ginny, I bought it for you. Please. I want you to have it even if... Well, it's yours no matter what happens here today," Harry declared, running his hand down his face wearily.

"Okay," Ginny surrendered with a sigh. "I'll keep it. But you need to listen to me. I can't keep doing this. We...us... I just can't. I'll always love you, Harry—just not like that. I love you, but I'm not in love with you. I... I'm sorry," she murmured, standing to hurry away.

The hand on her arm made her pause. "Is there somebody else?"

Taken aback, she stared at him speechlessly. How could he think that? After losing her brother, along with so many of her friends and classmates, how could he ask her such a question? Her heart was too heavy to get involved in a relationship at the moment.

He took her silence as an answer. "There is, isn't there? Who? Just tell me who it is," he pleaded, rising to his feet. Anxiously he grasped her shoulders, his fingers unconsciously playing in her hair as he awaited her reply.

Her mind finally cleared, and she shrugged off his hands. "There's no one, Harry," she insisted firmly.

Unexpectedly, Draco's smirking face bobbled to the surface of her thoughts. It shocked her how terrible she felt about keeping her relationship with him from Harry. There had been so much jealousy in his voice, however hard he had tried to hide it, when she told him about Harry's letter. Did he... Could he... Godric Gryffindor, did Draco Malfoy have feelings for her? Her eyes widened at the possibility.

After taking a deep breath, she decided to admit the truth and forge ahead without thinking about it any further.

"Actually, there is someone," she began slowly, a peculiar mixture of pleasure and bewilderment swirling inside her head. Draco liked her? A week ago, he had barely tolerated her!

"I knew it! Who is it? Tell me!" Harry angrily demanded as hurt filled his eyes.

"First of all, it's none of your business," Ginny replied coolly, ignoring his protests. "Secondly, he's only a friend. I care about him, a lot in fact, but only as a friend. Even if he did think of me like that, it would never work out."

Seeing less than convinced glare, she changed her tactics. "Harry, I just wanted some time to clear my head. I still need that time. Someday, I'll move on, but for now, I'm not ready for a steady relationship with you or Dra—"

Frowning at the near slip-up, Ginny carefully rephrased. The last thing she needed was for Harry the Hero to defend her honor by going after Draco. "What I mean is that I'm not ready to commit to anyone."

Who said anything about commitment? a coy voice in the back of her mind asked. And Draco is hardly just 'anyone.' She quickly shoved it away but could not dismiss the seed of possibility it had planted.

The hurt in Harry's eyes softened as he dragged a hand through his hair. He knew what she wanted to hear and knew it would do no good to argue with her now. If she wanted more time, then he would give it to her.

Besides, later he could always build upon the friendship cornerstone. Many couples started as friends and afterward fell in love. Why not him and Ginny? They had done it once before, and they could do it again. New conviction flared in his mind, and hope resettled around his heart.

"I don't want to lose you, Ginny. Your friendship means too much to me, and I don't want anything, even us, to ruin that. So... Still friends?" he asked hesitantly, sticking his hand out for a handshake.

Relieved at his understanding, Ginny ignored his hand, instead pulling him into a hug. Her face pressed against his neck, and she frowned when the familiar half-vanilla, half-woodsy scent did not fill her nose. It had always reminded her of a warm, inviting home echoing with the thumping of little feet against the floor.

"Harry, did you... Did you change your cologne?" she asked, pulling back to look up into his eyes. He laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I thought it was time for a change. Do you like this one? It's something called 'Fame and Family.' Crazy name, huh? Ron recommended it, if that tells you anything."

Her frown slowly turned into a genuine smile. "I like it. It suits you."


Quidditch tryouts next chapter. Also, Ron confronts Draco ;)) for Suspense Button Presser!

Anyone know the significance of Harry's change in colonge? *wink wink* Vanillaaaaaa!