Later that same night
“You never told me that,” Eric laughed.
Ginny wore a painfully embarrassed look about her. “Well, it’s not something that I pride myself on.”
“I don’t quite think that you were as embarrassed as Harry was,” Ron chuckled heartily.
“Ron,” Harry whispered as he shook his head, trying to stop him.
Ginny swallowed her bite of treacle tart drowning out the laughs from her brother and her boyfriend. Hermione caught her friend’s attempt to avoid the humiliating memory and quickly spoke up.
“Ron, what time are we meeting everyone?”
“In about fifteen minutes. Why?”
“Well…shouldn’t we be getting ready?”
“Hermione,” Ron said frowning, “it takes us five seconds to get there-”
“You two are coming aren’t you?” she turned to ask Ginny and Eric, cutting Ron short. Ginny’s brow furrowed as she looked up at Hermione.
“Oh…er, well... We sort of have other plans for the evening.”
“What?” Ron shouted. “Oh, come on! You two can do whatever you were going to do some other night.”
“If they already have plans, it’s okay,” Harry interjected.
“Bloody hell. It’s most certainly not okay. Stuff the plans.” Ron wasn’t about to let his sister skip out on this. “Besides, this is a good chance to get together with the old gang. We hardly ever get to do that anymore. And you know that you’ll regret it if you don’t go.”
“Honey, we can do what we’d planned some other time. Moreover, it’s Harry’s welcome home party.” Eric was slowly trying to coax her into going. “Ron’s right; you will regret it if you don’t go.”
Ginny felt the heavy weight fall on her chest as she gave in. “Fine,” she said putting on her best fake smile. “We’ll be there.”
“Terrific,” Hermione grinned excitedly. “How about we go on to The Leaky Cauldron and see if we can’t sway Tom into giving us a proper treat for Harry’s welcome back? Eric, why don’t you come with us? Let’s give these two a chance to catch up for a few more minutes,” she said, nodding to Ron and Harry as she pulled Ginny up from her chair.
“Sure, Hermione.” Eric waved back to the two men at the table. “See you guys in a few.”
Moments later, all three of them were gone, leaving Harry and Ron to talk.
“Who’s this Eric, fellow?” Harry asked immediately, catching Ron slightly off guard.
“Oh, I guess we didn’t really properly introduce the two of you, did we? That’s Eric Summerby…you remember? He was the Seeker for Hufflepuff after Cedric was…killed.”
Harry sucked in a sharp breath as realization set in on him. “Oh. Yeah…I remember.” His brow furrowed in question.
“What’s on your mind, mate?” Ron asked, noticing Harry’s quizzical state.
“How long have they been dating?”
“Oh…I’d say almost a year now.”
Harry thought that it was a little strange that Ginny would wait so long after her last year at Hogwarts to begin dating a fellow student.
“How’d they end up getting together after such a long time out of Hogwarts?” Harry asked, trying to appear nonchalant.
“I think they actually bumped into each other at the World Cup last year. She went with Fred, Angelina and George. I think she told us that he was there to see the game with some of his old mates from Hufflepuff.” Ron finally stopped and gave his friend a seemingly knowing look. “Why do you seem so interested in them, mate?”
“Oh…no reason. Just curious,” he answered. “It’s just that…three years is a while. Did she date anyone before him?”
Ron didn’t really like where this was going. Admittedly, he’d prefer that Harry was the one that his sister would finally settle down with but, his best mate had left her under harsh circumstances. How could he expect to make things right with her after leaving the way he did?
“Look, Harry. I understand that you might still have feelings for Ginny, but I will not let her be just another notch on your belt,” he said seriously.
“No, Ron…you’ve got it all wrong. I’d never-”
“Because, I know you see plenty of other women… She’s more than just some fling. Besides,” he continued despite Harry’s protests, “Ginny’s got a good thing going with Eric. It took her a long time before she finally moved on with her life and I want her to keep the happiness that she finally has.”
Harry hung his head, feeling his friend’s eyes on him. “All I want is for her to be happy too,” he spoke softly.
“Good, at least we agree on that.” Ron glanced over at the clock on the wall. “We’d better be going. Looks like the guest of honor will be fashionably late. Ah, well…like it really matters.”
Harry didn’t really realize just how much he’d missed his old mates until that evening. He’d forgotten about all of the good times that he used to have with Dean, Seamus, Neville and Ron, when it was just the five of them in their dormitory.
However, in the midst of the laughter with his friends, Fred and George included, it all had seemed to fade in and out over the course of the evening as his eyes followed Ginny each time she moved around the room.
You’ve got to stop this, man. She’s with him now, he thought.
But, I just can’t believe that she’s actually given up hope on me, his mind countered.
You left her for five years…and told Ron that you saw other women. You can’t honestly expect her to have held herself back just for you, especially when you never wrote to her.
Harry knew that his chances of renewing things with Ginny would be difficult, but for some reason, he never considered the possibility that she would have met someone else…and moved on.
“Yeah, I’ll never forget that,” Fred laughed heartily, cutting through his thoughts.
“Merlin, we had such a great time giving Umbridge pure hell. Remember those times, Harry?” George asked, forcing Harry to pay attention to someone else other than Ginny.
He looked at George, slightly dazed. “Yeah, mate. Who can ever forget her face when you two flew out of the school yelling at Peeves to ‘give her hell’.” Harry chuckled lightly as he looked at his friends. He really had missed this.
Seamus started talking about some incident that happened at a pub a few weeks ago that he and a bloke that he worked with witnessed and Harry found himself drifting out of the conversation again.
His eyes scanned the room for Ginny’s small frame and fiery red hair but he didn’t see her anywhere. Bugger, I lost her again, he thought.
“Excuse me, mates,” Harry interrupted Seamus’s story. “I’m going to mingle around a bit.” He absentmindedly heard the guys mutter their ‘see you in a bit’ as he made his way through the crowd, searching for her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her as she descended the stairs slowly. I have to talk to her, he thought as his mind continued to try and win the argument.
“Ginny!” he called out, startling her as she grabbed the stair rail to catch her balance.
“Merlin, Harry! Must you keep doing that?” she asked, slightly annoyed.
“Sorry. Er…listen, I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes…over here maybe?” Harry motioned to a nearby table that was empty.
“Erm…actually, I was just going back to join Eric,” Ginny fidgeted. Truth was, she didn’t trust being alone with him. She wasn't sure if it was Harry that she couldn't trust or if it was herself. Either way, it wasn’t going to work.
He looked back at Eric with silent jealousy and noticed him drifting in to talk with Fred and George where Harry had been merely a minute ago.
“Well…” he said turning back to Ginny, “it looks like he’ll be caught up in conversation for a little while. Shall we?” Harry nodded back to the table as he started to walk over and pull out a chair for her. However, she didn’t move from the step that she was on.
“What do you want Harry?” she asked with a slightly harsh tone. He looked back to see that she hadn’t followed him and sighed as he walked back toward her.
Fine…we’ll do this her way then, he thought. “Erm…well…I know that we haven’t had much of a chance to catch up yet but, er…there’s something else that’s a bit more pressing right now.”
“And that would be?” she said, pushing her nervousness away.
“I- …Ginny, I just wanted to apologize. I mean really apologize for the way that I’ve been these last five years. I know that you’re angry with me and I can certainly understand why…” Harry’s voice trailed off as she stood there without saying a word to him.
If he wants to apologize, that’s fine, Ginny thought. But if he thinks that he’s just going to pop right back into my life…he’s got another thing coming.
He watched her fold her arms across her chest and braced himself for a rough road ahead.
“I know that there’s nothing I can do or say that will make up for the things that I’ve done…but I was hoping that there was some way that we could put these things behind us and just move on with our lives. Do you think that there might be any chance that you could forgive me?” Harry stood there silently and waited for her reaction with a questioning but hopeful expression on his face.
She laughed to herself, throwing him off a bit. He definitely hadn’t expected her to laugh about this.
“That’s very amusing, Harry.”
He was puzzled now. “I’m sorry, I don’t quite follow. What’s so funny?”
“You see, none of this really matters now, does it? Because you’ve already put the past behind you and moved on. Obviously, this little ‘kind’ gesture of yours is just a way to help soothe your guilty conscience,” Ginny huffed. “Well, I’m sorry that I can’t help you there because I’ve moved on with my life as well. But as far as forgiveness, I don’t quite know that I can give you that.”
She began to try to push her way past him, but he stuck out his arm, blocking her way down the remaining steps. Harry was hurt by her remark, but more upset at the way she was acting.
It was his turn, now, to behave like a jealous child. “Yeah, I can see that you’ve moved on. Eric…he’s quite a nice bloke, if you like that shallow sort.”
“You’ve been gone for five years and you feel that you can pass judgment on him after knowing him for five hours?” Ginny glared at him angrily. He’d hit far below the belt and now she was ready to come out fighting. “I’ll have you know,” she said spitefully, “that Eric is not shallow. He’s actually very kind, sweet, gentle, loyal-”
“…playful, easy-going…yes, all characteristics of a dog,” Harry snipped smartly.
She was beyond angry with him now. He’d pushed far too many wrong buttons. Even he knew he’d gone too far with that last comment, but once he got started, it was really hard to hold his envy back.
So this is the game that we’re playing then? “At least when he said that he loved me, he didn’t run away from me for years without so much as a single word.”
I didn’t run away from you, Harry thought regrettably as he dropped his head. He swallowed the lump that suddenly rose in his throat. This can’t be possible…he can’t…
“He can’t love you…” he began to say, looking into the empty space next to her. Ginny’s burning gaze was too much for him to bear, but somehow he brought his eyes back to meet hers.
“What?” She scoffed at him. “And why exactly is it that he can’t love me, Harry? Please, tell me. Do I not have the capability of being loved by someone else?” Her eyes were glistening with tears but she refused to let a single drop fall. She hated this more than he knew. How has it come to us having a row?
Harry’s stuttering became prominent as he tried to continue on. “He can’t love you…the way,” he stopped and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Don’t do it; she’ll never forgive you, his mind called out.
But, I have to let her know how I really feel, his heart countered and his eyes snapped open.
“He can’t love you the way that I love you, Gin.”
“Don’t,” her voice quivered. His gaze stayed on hers, refusing to show the heartbreak that he was beginning to feel. “I’m not your Gin anymore…” she said with a disappointed look in her eyes. This time, he couldn’t stop the hurt from shining through.
“Harry, things haven’t been the same between us in a very long time. What makes you think that I would still feel the same way?”
“I know that it hasn’t been the same. But I had hoped that…maybe…” his voice trailed off, full of regret.
“You thought I’d wait for you?” Ginny asked, finding his assumption unsurprising.
“No…I…” Harry stuttered.
“Don’t act like you didn’t think that. I knew you more than you ever understood.”
“Knew me?”
“I’m not starting this here, Harry.” She pushed her way around him until he turned to stop her again.
“Gin…Ginny,” he corrected himself. “I know that I’ve made a mess of things between us…and I’m sorry for behaving the way that I did. I have no right to ask to have you back, but I’m doing it anyway. Please…be my Gin again.”
“You’re damn right. You have no right to ask to have me back in your life,” Ginny bit back. “How dare you even ask me that! For five years, I never heard a word from you! I got one letter before you defeated Voldemort and after that …I thought that you would have come back to me. Instead, you ran away… Ran to another place that wasn’t London, ran to another life that wasn’t yours, ran to another woman…that wasn’t me.”
Harry tried to speak, to even form some sort of coherent thought, but his body was frozen by her words.
“I knew even though you didn’t want me to. Ron didn’t know that I read the letters that you sent to him,” Ginny said as she saw Harry glance in Ron’s direction. “He tried to keep your new life hidden from me, only ever saying that you’d taken a new job away from England.”
She smiled sorrowfully, tears still beaming in her eyes. “I did wait for you. For four years, I waited for you…until I overheard Ron telling Hermione that people were talking about you dating certain…women. And then your letter came telling Ron that you had been dating around. Of course, he didn’t dare mention it to me…but I knew.”
“Ginny…please,” he was at a loss for words. “Let…let me explain.”
“I think you explained enough in your letters, Harry. So, let me explain something to you now. Eric and I are together. We have been for almost a year. I have him and you have…your women friends to keep you company.”
“You can’t tell me that you love him.” Harry’s accusation escaped before he could stop himself.
“I most certainly do,” she said as he saw the anger flash in her eyes.
“Say it then; tell me that you love him. Tell me that you don’t still need me.” He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he sucked in each painful breath.
The heat from her gaze was becoming unbearable but the hurt that was shining through her deep brown eyes matched the darkness that filled his once emerald depths. Harry felt as if his heart was being wrenched out every second that he looked at her. How can I do this to her?
She drew a deep breath willing her voice not to break, “I- I love him.”
“But you can’t tell me that you don’t need me, that you don’t still want me,” he said. “…That you don’t still love me…”
Her chest was heaving with each heavy breath and Ginny felt as though she was beginning to lose her control. She couldn’t say it; how could she possibly tell him that?
“Please,” he begged, holding himself back from reaching out to caress her cheek. “Tell me that you still need me. Tell me that you still love me.”
She looked away before saying anything, finding Eric across the room talking with her brothers. He waved at her, mouthing ‘I love you’ and she smiled back, having to force the very expression.
Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she slowly opened them as her vision turned to focus on Harry again. This time, nothing held back the tears that she finally shed.
“I don’t,” Ginny whispered. “You loved me once, as I loved you. But it wasn’t enough, was it? I wasn’t enough…” She reached out and took his hand one last time, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You have to let me go. Just let me go on…”
Before Harry could even fully comprehend what she’d just said, the touch of her warm skin against his was gone again. She was gone. He watched her cross the room, interrupting Hermione’s conversation with Neville as Ginny whispered something into her friend’s ear.
Harry cursed under his breath. She was going to tell Hermione what had just happened and he knew that if she found out, he’d never hear the end of it. But instead of getting the upset stare from across the room, Hermione smiled and laughed just before she and Ginny both turned back to Neville, resuming their chat.
“Are you all right mate?” Ron asked as he walked over toward Harry.
“Wha- er…yeah. I’m fine. Why do you ask?” he asked with his eyes still fixed on Ginny.
“…Because ever since you arrived this morning, you’ve been acting strange.”
“What do you mean I’ve been acting strange? I’ve been perfectly fine,” Harry said unconvincingly.
“Yeah, you said that already.” Ron watched him a little longer in silence. Harry didn’t seem to notice that they weren’t talking any longer, allowing Ron to observe him closer.
Ron found his friend’s gaze attached to the sight of his sister. Every move she made, his eyes stayed on her. Ron only noticed a change when they both saw Eric walk over to where Ginny was standing. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. Harry nearly turned green with envy when she smiled as he leaned in to whisper something in her ear before dragging her away to a secluded corner.
“Harry?” Ron asked. Harry did nothing but incline his head slightly. “This has got something to do with Ginny, doesn’t it?”
“I didn’t say anything about Ginny. Who said I did?” he answered nervously, turning to look at the ginger-haired young man next to him.
“No one had to say anything, mate. All they’ve got to do is look at you. I mean, really…” Ron said pointing to him, “…just look at yourself. You’re anxious and fumbling all over the place…not to mention the fact that if looks could kill, Eric would already be cursed.”
“Ron?” Harry asked, hearing him make a small sound in response. “Did you say anything to Ginny about me dating other people?” Ron’s brow furrowed, carefully thinking before answering his friend’s question.
“No, not directly. Actually, I wasn’t going to say anything about it unless it came up, but I reckon it has now,” Ron said, biting the inside of his cheek out of nervous habit. “I’m sorry, mate. I didn’t mean for her to find out. Matter of fact, I had absolutely no intentions of her ever knowing, unless the news came directly from you. But the day that I received your letter…you know, the one where you told me you were seeing other witches, she overhead Hermione and I talking about it in the kitchen.” Harry dropped his head shaking it slightly as he felt his eyes begin to sting with tears.
“Honestly, mate, I didn’t want this kind of thing coming from me. Mione and I…we were just worried about you and the type of women that you’ve been with.” Ron was attempting to tread on the subject as lightly as possible, not really knowing how his friend would react.
“What of them?” he asked, keeping his head down.
“I- well…there’s nothing wrong with them. It just seems that most are only looking to shag the Boy-Who-Lived instead of knowing the real you. None of them really know you, except…” Ron’s voice trailed off.
“…Except for Ginny,” Harry said, looking up at Ron with regretful eyes. “I know. Ron, what am I going to do?”
“I don’t think there’s much you can do now, Harry. I’m afraid you’re too late.”
“I know I am,” he whispered with his voice full of remorse.
“I wish that things had worked out differently for the two of you. But Harry, you didn’t see her when we realized she’d found out about you. If we hadn’t been at The Burrow when she found out, I don’t know what she would’ve done. It was beyond painful for her. I swear, she wasn’t breathing for a few moments. She just sort of stood there frozen in shock. Hermione decided to stay with her that night to make sure that she didn’t do something stupid like Obliviate her mind.” Ron heard him curse under his breath and spoke softly, “It was bad, Harry.”
“What have I done?” Harry muttered to himself. “God, I am such an arse. I- I just tried to get her back. I tried to tell her that he couldn’t love her…like I did. I even told her that I wouldn’t believe her unless she told me that she didn’t need me.”
“Bloody hell,” Ron groaned. Without warning, he soundly planted a hard punch to Harry’s arm. “What in Merlin’s name is the matter with you? How dare you make her say that!”
He rubbed his arm, hissing, “I know! I couldn’t believe my own voice when it left my lips. I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t let her go…I can’t-” Harry had continued until Eric’s voice broke through all conversation in the room.
“Ladies and Gentlemen…I know that we’re all here for another celebration”please pardon my brief intrusion, Harry--but I have an announcement to make.” Harry, who was busy glaring daggers at the young man who was speaking, took notice of the small-framed, ginger-haired witch that was tugging on his arm, seemingly begging him to stop speaking. Clearly, he was embarrassing her but Eric did nothing but smile and chuckle, starting again.
“I have just asked this beautiful woman, Miss Ginny Weasley…” at this she stopped protesting him and hung her head, “…to marry me.”
Harry could do nothing but stare at her, looking as if his heart had now been officially ripped out of his chest.
“And I’m proud to say,” Eric continued, “that she said yes!”
As the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers, Ginny’s gaze drifted up, meeting Harry’s. He didn’t find the happiness in her eyes as he would have expected to see, not even contentment. Instead, he found his very same emotions reflected in her.
A/N: I hope you like what I've done with this story so far. In all actuality, it was originally supposed to be a one-shot...but it became far too long for that. That's why I decided to split it up into three smaller chapters.
Anywho....do me a favor and drop me a line letting me know what you think about the story so far. I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks for reading!