Look, before I get started with this chapter, I want to make two things clear. Yes, Harry and I did break up that night and yes, I also ended up marrying Harry and having kids with him. Obviously. How? Well, keep reading if you want to find out. This is not a time in my life that I like to relive, but it is part of my story, so I have to tell it.
I stared around the common room for a few seconds, taking in everyone looking at me, then I tore off after Harry, or at least I tried to, but Ron and Hermione blocked my path.
"Leave him" said Ron
"No, I need to speak to him-" I began
"Clearly, he doesn't want to speak to you" Hermione said "you'd think him saying it would make that obvious"
"Are you two on his side here?" I said
"Yes we are. You've made mistakes, you need to suffer the consequences" said Ron
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Come on mate, let's go upstairs" said Demelza, gesturing to the girls staircase, Amy alongside her.
I bit my lip. I really wanted to just barge past them and get to Harry, but then I realised I'd already caused enough problems tonight, so I reluctantly let Demelza steer me towards our dormitory. Once we were up there, I sat down on my bed, buried my face in my hands and just started crying. I let it all out, and I felt Demelza and Amy sit down next to me. For what felt like hours, we sat there, with the 2 of them having an arm wrapped around me.
I'd lost my dream guy, the love of my life, and it was all my fault. I'd used his two most prized possessions for something utterly ridiculous and stupid, and had paid the price. And all this was before the inevitable revenge from the dark trio, especially Lillian Avery, who I was sure would attack me for making her lose her boyfriend and become the laughing stock of Slytherin House. I didn't know what on earth I had been thinking, agreeing to Amy's plan, but as she was now here, being the sister that she was, giving me such comfort in a terrible moment, I didn't dare criticise her for it.
Eventually I had quietened, and I laid down on my bed properly. Amy and Demelza gave me the space.
"Well, that's my life ruined" I said
"No it's not" said Amy
"Yes it is. Where am I supposed to go from here?"
"You keep your head held high, and carry on. That's what you do" said Demelza
"How am I supposed to do that?" I said "Without Harry, things will never be satisfactory"
Demelza sighed "Look, Ginny" she said "Most school relationships never last longer than a couple years anyway. I'm very happy with Stefan at the moment, but I'm well aware that it will more than likely end before adulthood. As they grow older, most people tend to figure out their ambitions in life, and more often than not, those are very different, and it makes staying together much more difficult"
"Yeah" Amy agreed "Demelza's right. I love Andrew, no doubt about it, and I've enjoyed my time with him massively, but I won't be surprised if we don't end up spending the rest of our lives together"
"This isn't like that though" I said "Harry and I haven't naturally drifted apart. This is just Harry overreacting. Yeah, I fucked up, I know, but I really don't think it's a good enough reason for him to break up with me"
"Maybe it's just a temporary thing then" Amy said "Maybe he'll realise in a few days that he misses you and that he was mistaken to end things so suddenly"
"In the meantime, it's probably best that you just give him some space" Demelza said "Trying to engage with him will probably only make things worse. And if this really is the end, it's not a disaster. You know as well as we do that pretty much every boy in Gryffindor would kill to have a chance to be with you. You're super attractive Gin, let's not beat around the bush. You can pick any boy you want and get them without any effort"
"I don't want anyone other than Harry though!" I said "I love him, and I always will, that's never going to change! If I'm with anyone else, I just won't be satisfied, no matter who they are!"
"Is there not anyone else that even slightly takes your fancy?" Amy asked
I tried to think "Well, maybe Dean Thomas" I admitted "He does like a lot of the same stuff as we do, and he is a good guy. But I have to be honest, if I start dating him, I will never be truly 100 percent happy. He is not Harry, as great as he is. I don't want to give him any false ideas. No, I'm gonna just stay single for now I think. Hopefully Harry will think the same, if he doesn't regret this decision. Seeing him with anyone else will utterly crush me, I'm not sure if I would recover to be honest"
"You can't let Harry define you" Demelza said "Ginny, it's hard, I know, we both do, but you can move on from this. You're a Gryffindor, and a Weasley. Would either of those two want you to let this destroy you?"
I thought long and hard. Gryffindor, the home of the brave and strong. That's right. I was here for a reason. I was brave, I was strong, both physically and mentally. I could not let this define me. And every Weasley had always been raised on one mantra, be yourself. Be independent, do not let anyone else define your existence. We were considered blood traitors by many, but we were proud of it. We didn't care what bigots thought, we always struck to our principles and fought for what was right. I had to keep going, even if that meant being on my own, and if Harry found someone else. Briefly, I wondered if Ron and Hermione were giving him this same pep talk at the moment.
I sat up. "Yeah, you're right" I said "I'm Ginny Weasley, I'm more than just this. I can't pretend I won't always desire Harry, but I can live my life without him, as much as those words fucking pain me to say" (Thankfully that didn't prove to be true!) "Thanks for having my back you two"
"Always, bud" Demelza said, and the 3 of us bumped fists together.
