Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters are property of JK Rowling in association with Warner Brothers. I'm merely trying to play around with them.
The Burrow had never been quieter. Although it was evening and Harry Potter had just arrived at The Burrow for Bill's wedding, he had a feeling things wouldn’t be like before. He hadn't met anyone yet, nor did he wish to face any of them, especially Ginny. Ever since his return to the Dursley’s a sinking feeling had overtaken him. Every part of him was either raging at Voldemort or sinking because of his last words to Ginny on the day of Dumbledore's funeral. He had never dreamt that such a day would arrive when he would have to leave behind someone he loved dearly.
Love? This question, along with many others, had been popping up in Harry's mind and he couldn’t find a single comforting answer. As he made his way to the living room, Harry only hoped that during the week ahead he would at least find one answer that would be able to lessen the guilt and the sinking feeling. Harry couldn’t take it anymore. Everyone that had been close to him had lost their lives. Harry didn’t want to lose Ginny; but the way things were going, Harry felt it had gone from bad to worse. True that he didn’t want her to die but he really loved her and he couldn’t stay away from her. Fighting his thoughts, Harry entered the living room where most of the Weasleys were sitting.
Ginny who had been reading "The Quibbler" shifted in her seat. Harry was determined to avoid her eyes. He couldn’t face her; not after what he had done to her. Harry knew that she had understood his reason for why he couldn’t see her anymore, but somewhere deep down, she was terribly hurt. He half wished he could seize her and tell her what he had been impatiently intending all along. He wanted to scream, to let out that he hadn’t intended to hurt her. He just wanted her to be safe. Hermione seemed to have read Harry's mind and was eyeing him with increased suspicion though she didn’t utter a word.
Later, when they were in Ron’s room, she cornered him. Hermione kept popping questions out of nowhere that involved people starting from Dumbledore to Kreacher. She was determined to find out what was bothering Harry.
“Give it a rest, Hermione,” said Ron seeing how awkward Harry’s face looked and how Hermione was out of breath.
Harry couldn't stop himself and told Ron and Hermione everything about his feelings after his decision of not seeing Ginny.
“I really don’t want her to be hurt,” said Harry, as a strong jolt of guilt took over his insides. “I just want her to be safe and secure. I can just feel it in her eyes; I’ve hurt her terribly, Hermione. I can’t face her anymore.”
Ron remained silent on the subject deliberately. He cast Harry looks that explained he was half-happy with the decision though he seemed to understand it was all for Ginny’s good. Hermione kept on saying the same thing, "Harry, you should still talk to her before we leave. You should express yourself clearly."
Harry was quite glad that Hermione took this view. He was willing to do it. "Maybe, I’ll talk to her some time during Bill’s wedding."
Ron was now looking thoughtful. "Well... mate, it would be better if you did it while you're alone," he said, sounding serious.
"Yeah, I'll do that," Harry told them. Harry’s insides sank at the thought of Ginny’s reaction.
This had become another topic to talk about given that they already had Horcruxes and Voldemort to discuss. Harry kept on wondering whether or not to talk to Ginny. In the end, he satisfied himself with the thought that he still had a lot of time.
Meanwhile, preparations for Bill's wedding ceremony had been going on. Things were getting worse as Harry, too, was given some responsibilities. Everywhere Harry went he bumped into Ginny. She gave him a faint smile every time that seemed to sink his insides even more. Harry wanted to talk to her. The sinking and raging in his insides was growing day by day.
One day, when they bumped into each other rather harder than usual, Ginny hurt her left hand.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, Ginny" said Harry, feeling guilty.
"It's all right, Harry," Ginny replied calmly. She winced while rubbing her hand.
Harry grabbed her hand and looked it with his guilty eyes. How many times more was he going to hurt her? Harry came out of his thoughtful state. He tapped his wand and muttered a Healing Charm. "There you go. Does it feel better?" he asked her.
"Yeah, it's fine now. Harry, could you help me put up these laces" Ginny asked him. She had been holding a stack of purple laces before but now they were scattered on the floor.
"Yeah sure." he said, picking up the stack from the floor. Harry felt better that he was going to help her rather than make her unhappy.
Harry grabbed a stool, held them across the wall and looked down towards Ginny. “Are they straight, Gin?” he asked.
“No, Harry, move them a little bit to the right,” she said, focusing on the wall.
After several tries when they were finally in the right places, Harry put up the laces and pinned them across the walls.
Ginny was making sure they were straight. "Yeah, that's fine. Thank you, Harry!" she said, finally when they were done. She left the room hurriedly. And Harry was left behind, deeply immersed in thoughts.
Since his return to The Burrow, Harry had been having sleepless nights wondering what Ginny must be thinking about him. He wondered if he could go ahead without her and whether she would move on and forget about him. He knew that if he did move on, he wouldn’t be able to bear it. It was so hard not to talk to her or hold her hands.
Ginny had been quite normal with him in the past few days. Although Harry couldn't help noticing how very quiet she had gone. In his fifth year, she seemed a little mischievous. In the past week, she had been joking and teasing others but not as much as usual.
The day of Bill's wedding ceremony arrived. It was going to take place at The Burrow and very few people were invited given that it was not safe, what with the war going on. Harry, the Weasleys and Hermione all took their seats and waited for Fleur's arrival along with the others. After a few minutes, Fleur arrived, dressed in a beautiful wedding robe. The ceremony started rather hastily.
But Harry’s mind had gone quite blank for he had seen Ginny, who was one of the bridesmaids. She was dressed in a gold dress robe. Her long red hair hung shining behind her. She was looking very pretty. She looked very different as though Harry had never seen her before. Ginny was walking behind Fleur, carrying the train of her dress robe along with Gabrielle. Throughout the ceremony Harry couldn’t help but stare at Ginny. At one point Ginny was standing right beside him, looking cheerfully at Bill and Fleur. For a minute she came up close beside him.
"You're looking nice, Ginny" he said, unable to refrain himself. She turned slowly and when she saw that the compliment had come from Harry, she looked a little surprised.
"Oh! Thank you, Harry," she replied, blushing slightly. "You're looking nice too."
At one point, their eyes met and both turned away abruptly.
"Harry, I need to go now. See you around!" she said, waving and hurrying towards Gabrielle.
Hermione, who noticed this spoke suddenly, "You're hiding yourself, Harry! You're hiding your feelings." She gave Harry the impression that she wanted to continue the conversation they’d had in Ron’s room a few days ago. "Why don't you talk it out?" Harry tried to ignore her as best as he could. Ron was right; Hermione should write a book on girls and their feelings.
Soon after the ceremony, the feast and celebration took place. A few people were eating and enjoying themselves inside, though many others were outside. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were outside. They had managed to procure two small benches to sit and eat. Harry grabbed the smallest piece of the turkey and reluctantly took a bite out of it. He noticed that Ginny hadn't eaten anything although she was sipping Pumpkin Juice. The day passed away in a festive mood, leaving Harry to gaze at Ginny all the time.
Later that day, after dinner, which had been noisy and delicious, Harry decided that he should talk to Ginny. "I'm going to find Ginny and talk to her," he told Ron and Hermione as he got up from his chair.
He would be leaving the next day and he couldn’t go without saying goodbye. Harry headed off to find Ginny.
After searching for a while, he found her sitting in the kitchen, fiddling with teaspoons. He went to the table and sat down with a thump. Harry's sudden arrival had startled Ginny.
"Oh, it's you!" she said, smiling. Harry was relieved to see that it wasn't the same faint smile but a cheerful one.
"Ginny, I'm leaving tomorrow," he said to Ginny looking straight into her eyes. It seemed to decrease the heaviness in his insides. "I … I wanted to talk to you before I go,” Harry hesitated and wondered if she would understand.
It seemed that Ginny was not the shy girl who had been avoiding his eyes throughout the week. When their eyes met, the discomfort seemed to have lifted, and the strong, confident girl he knew reappeared. She probably had forgotten all that happened in the past weeks.
She looked at Harry with a very warm expression. "Harry, I'm glad you're here," she said consolingly. "All these days, avoiding your eyes has been very hard for me. It feels so good to be on speaking terms again."
Harry, who had not expecting anything like that, was taken aback. "Ginny, you're a very clever girl and you understand me very well," he said, grabbing one of her hands. "I don’t think it would be the same without you. It's just that I’ve got to do stuff and that stuff is dangerous.” Harry felt his voice become hoarse as a lump formed in his throat. He tried hard to continue. “All through the summer only one thought has haunted me. If I go away, I don't think I'll ever get you back. I know that you have to move on … but I won’t be able to bear it, Ginny!"
Ginny had been listening quietly. It seemed that every word that Harry said gave her immense comfort. "Harry, I'm not going to move on!" she said, resting her head on his shoulders. “I’ll wait for you, I've always wanted to be with you. Now that I know you like me too, I won’t be able to move on, Harry."
It was as though these words had some kind of enchantment. The sinking feeling inside Harry died away. Instead the raging had increased. He hated Voldemort more than ever. He put his arm around her shoulders. "I'll fight him and fight him with everything I have. I'll destroy him and his Horcruxes," he said quietly, wondering whether she knew what Horcruxes were. "Six years at Hogwarts…and all Dumbledore's told me is the only way to destroy Voldemort is by love. Now that I look at it, I think the only way I'll be able to destroy Voldemort is by thinking of you. And I’ll come back … if I…" Harry had wanted to say 'If I survive' but couldn't get those words out. And on the other hand, he almost had said that he loved Ginny.
Ginny looked into his eyes again, with a warm expression. She had gone silent. She seemed to have realized what Harry had meant. "Harry?" she said, sounding perplexed. However, when she spoke next, she sounded perfectly normal. "I love you, too, Harry! And I know that you'll survive and you'll kill him too. And after you've done that, you'll come back to me."
Ginny had closed her hands around his face and was stating that he should come back to her. Ginny was telling him that he would survive. Nothing could have made Harry feel better. And then, Harry realized how well Ginny understood him and how much they loved each other. Ginny's support really meant alot to him.
He looked up at Ginny. And then slowly, the same tingling sensation rose inside him. And several moments after they broke apart, it seemed to have been their best kiss yet. They continued to talk about other things during the night, joking and teasing Ron, Fred or George. Harry seemed to have been having his best time in weeks. However, when he went to Ron's room to sleep, he felt it was the best and sweetest 'Goodbye' he had said to anyone.
~The End.
a/n: I hope everyone enjoyed reading. Don't forget to review. Special thanks to my wonderful beta readers, Tesgirl123(SU) and bobin221.