Minutes, though it could easily have been hours, passed before anybody spoke. Harry’s vivid green eyes were fixed on Ginny. Her big brown eyes were fixed on him. Everyone else’s eyes were flicking between the two of them.
It was Mrs Weasley who spoke first, “Oh, Harry how we’ve missed you!” she cried, pulling him into a motherly hug, then releasing him, “Where have you been? What do you think you’ve been doing? Working too hard to come and see us!” she scolded him, but had a beaming smile on her face as she did it.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. “Sorry, Mrs Weasley, its good to see you.”
No-one else had spoken; Hermione and Ron stared on in shock, Charlie looked on with interest, Mr Weasley seemed stuck for words, even Fred and George were too stunned to speak.
It was not until Bill moved towards Harry with a hand extended, that anyone spoke, “How are you doing, Harry? We haven’t seen you since the wedding.”
Harry shook Bill’s hand and replied, “I’m fine thanks, Bill, and yourself?”
“Fine, fine thanks, now that the scarring has cleared up. I still can’t seem to eat enough raw steak though,” Bill replied, licking his lips at the idea and smiling. Fleur looked on at her husband and beamed. She always did think that Mrs Weasley overcooked her meat anyway.
Slowly but surely, people were talking again, Fred and George began chatting to Harry about their plans for the joke shop, even though Harry was talking and joking with them, his eyes stayed locked on Ginny.
“Harry, how wonderful to see you. How are you getting on at the Auror office? Ron hasn’t told us much,” said Mr Weasley, shaking Harry’s hand enthusiastically.
“Its fine Mr Weasley, I’m really enjoying it.”
“’Arry! Eet ‘as been too long. I ‘ope you are not working too ‘ard?” said Fleur, as she swooped down on Harry and kissed him on the cheek.
Harry looked slightly uncomfortable at this and quickly backed away, “I’m fine, Fleur, thanks.”
“Gabrielle ‘as done nuzthing but speak about you since the wedding last year.”
“Give him some room Fleur, come on, out of the way.” Said Bill, smiling at Harry as he moved Fleur out of the way.
Lupin, Percy and Charlie all greeted Harry; Lupin was especially glad to see him, they talked like old friends, like brothers, and for the first time since he arrived, Harry’s eyes left Ginny.
Harry turned from Lupin and found himself face to face with Ron, Ginny knew things between them were strained, but as they approached each other, Harry’s face burst into a smile, the first time it had done so in a long time, Ginny suspected.
“Great to see you mate,” Ron said to Harry, pulling him into a one armed hug. Ginny could feel it in the air; all of the tension between the two friends disappeared, and they were once again Harry Potter and Ron Weasley - best friends.
“You too Ron, it’s been too long,” Harry said solemnly. “Where’s Hermione?”
Hermione had been standing next to Ginny. She was also too stunned to speak, but when Harry saw her and met her gaze, she ran towards him and embraced him. “Harry, it’s fantastic to see you. We didn’t think you’d come.” She pulled away from him, her eyes brimming with tears, and she turned to Ron and he took her in his arms and held her tight.
Then it happened, Harry broke away from Ron, and his eyes found Ginny again. “Sorry I’m late, Ginny.”
Silence rang through the room louder than anything else that night. Ginny continued to stare at Harry. She could not believe that he was standing in front of her, on her birthday. Mrs Weasley looked from Harry, to Ginny, and back again; understanding gradually dawned upon her face, “Maybe we should give you some space,” she said kindly “Everybody upstairs or outside…NOW!”
Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Charlie and Bill went into the garden and began to play Quidditch again, with Hermione taking Ginny’s place. Percy ran upstairs to his bedroom, muttering something about floo powder. Mr and Mrs Weasley headed upstairs. Lupin looked at them both and said his goodbyes, shaking Harry’s hand once again, and then he Disapparated. It was just the two of them now, alone together on her birthday.
They stood there in silence, staring at each other, neither saying anything; Harry shifted his gaze and seemed to become very interested in his feet. Ginny continued to stare at him, and then found her voice once more, “Harry?” she whispered softly, moving towards him. “Are you okay?”
He looked up, and to Ginny’s surprise she saw that there were tears falling silently down his face. “Harry what’s wrong?”
Harry wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked deep into her eyes, “I didn’t know whether to come here or not. I thought about it for hours.”
“It was you. You were going to come through the fire weren’t you?” asked Ginny.
Harry nodded, and continued talking, “I always wondered what would happen if I came here tonight, if I forgave you. I don’t think I can forgive you, but I still want to be in your life, I’d rather be your friend than nothing at all. But I need to know Ginny, why did you refuse to marry me?”
“Harry I…” Ginny trailed off, realising she didn’t have a proper reason. She’d always told herself that she said no because she didn’t want to be tied down at a young age, but this was Harry Potter, this wasn’t any old person. This was the man she had loved since she first saw him. The truth was, she was scared.
“I was scared, Harry, scared of losing you. I knew that the remaining Death Eaters would be hunting you. I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
“You broke my heart Ginny. I loved you, and you knew I loved you. I could have protected you. You would have been safe!” Harry was starting to get worked up now. Here he was, pouring out his soul to her, and she was giving him rubbish about being scared.
“Harry James Potter!” roared Ginny “I loved you from the moment I saw you! Did you never think that maybe I was just as upset as you were? I waited for you, I wished for you!”
“Why didn’t you answer any of my letters, I thought you wanted nothing to do with me!” Harry was getting angrier and angrier. Ginny knew she had to calm him down, he had a fierce temper, and she did not want it vented on her.
“You practically ignored me for the whole of last year, you talked to me when you had to. You took shortcuts at school to avoid me! So how dare you shout at me for not answering your letters! There were things I had to say that couldn’t be said in a letter, you must understand that Harry, I never meant to hurt you,” Ginny pleaded.
Harry paced back and forth, letting her words sink in, he turned and opened his mouth to reply when something caught his eye and his expression softened.
“You’re wearing the locket,” Harry murmured, noticing the chain around her neck. It suddenly struck Harry just how beautiful Ginny was; she seemed to have grown even more beautiful since he last saw her. Behind her veil of scarlet hair, was a kind, loving face and warmth seemed to radiate from her eyes. At that moment Harry wished more than anything to hold her in his arms and kiss her soft, full lips once again.
“Of course I am,” Ginny snapped, still angry that he was mad at her, but she couldn’t tell him that she had left the locket untouched and forgotten under her bed over a year because it hurt her too much to look at it. Now she wished she had worn it always, it offered her comfort.
Harry realised that he couldn’t be mad at Ginny, she had her reasons for turning him down, Harry was just glad to be around her again. “I’ve got something for you,” he reached inside his cloak and withdrew two packages; one small and flat, the other slighter larger and a little thicker. “Here, open them when I’ve gone.” And he passed the packages into Ginny’s hands.
Ginny was touched, she was not even expecting to see him here, let alone receive any gifts from him. It was only when she snapped out of her thoughts, that she saw Harry had walked to the fireplace and taken a handful of floo powder.
“Harry…wait!” She ran towards the fireplace, “You’re not going already?”
“Sorry, Ginny, I’ve got a lot of work to do. You take care of yourself.” he said, giving her a flicker of a smile.
Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, “I’ve missed you, Harry.”
“I’ve missed you too. I’ll see you soon, Ginny, I promise.” And he stepped into the fireplace and threw the floo powder to the floor, causing the familiar emerald flames to roar up around him. The last thing Ginny saw of him before he spun out of sight was a smile as he clearly spoke the words, “Grimmauld Place!”
Ginny slumped down to the floor as he disappeared; what was he doing to her? He showed up unannounced, took her heart, and then left with it. She felt utterly miserable as she looked down at the packages in her hands. She opened the larger of the two first, inside was an old notebook. Ginny opened the book, it seemed that the notebook was one of Harry’s, he had written down a number of spells that Ginny assumed he had created in it, and poetry he had written about Ginny; touched, she put the notebook to one side, and picked up the smaller package. There was a note attached to it. Ginny wiped the tears out of her eyes and began to read the note.
Ginny,
I’m sorry I can’t stay and celebrate your birthday. I said to myself beforehand that I would only pop in for a quick visit. It’s been too hectic with work and everything, that’s why I arrived late; I’ve just been too busy lately.
I hope this will make you think of happier times.
Love
Your friend
Harry.
Ginny felt her heart sink. She knew he was lying,
Ron got the time off of work, why couldn’t Harry? she thought to herself, her temper rising. She felt herself getting angrier and angrier as she thought about it; then she re-read the note, and felt her heart sink even further, for the words he had used at the end of the note were more upsetting than him not talking to her for a year. He had signed the note: ‘Your friend’.
’Your friend’ . Friend, is that all he thinks of me as now? thought Ginny. It’s better than nothing, at least he’s thinking of you, said another voice inside her head.
She took several deep breaths; at least he was thinking of her. She picked up the package, which had lain forgotten, while she contemplated the note and unwrapped it. An ornate silver frame fell out into her lap, she turned it over and the tears welled up in her eyes finally managed to escape when she saw the picture in the frame. It was a picture of Harry and Ginny together, taken on the night that Voldemort was vanquished, they were definitely happier times. Ginny smiled through her tears as the couple in picture hugged and kissed each other.
Ginny sat in silence, looking at the picture of her and Harry, and casting an eye over the notebook he had given her when she was rudely interrupted by the others returning from the garden, muddy from Quidditch. Ginny quickly said her goodbyes, before she headed upstairs to her room. As she pushed open her bedroom door, she saw Mrs Weasley waiting for her, arms outstretched, an understanding expression on her face. Ginny fell into her mother’s arms, and tears fell down her face again.
“I still love him, mum.”
“I know dear, I know.”
A/N - I really like this Chapter, Kind of how I percieve Harry. Chapter 4 should be on its way soon! Thanks to my Beta, Orlaith, for helping me out.