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Author: valeriean Story: Follow Your Heart Rating: Everyone Setting: Pre-DH Status: WIP Reviews: 13 Words: 81,835
“Ginny! He’s here!” Ginny Weasley shuffled into the kitchen, trying not to look too excited, five days after she had last seen Harry. He was coming home today, and her mum just couldn’t contain herself. Mrs. Weasley had been up at dawn getting the house ready for Harry’s arrival. Ginny considered it was absolutely unnecessary: Harry had been at the Burrow before, and he loved every inched of it, from the ghoul in the attic to the creaking staircase. What really worried Ginny, was the fact that she would be seeing Harry again. And this time, he would be conscious and probably full to bursting with that unconscious charm that she found irresistible. Well, she would just have to double her efforts. There he was, standing in the doorway, Ron and Hermione on his right and Professor Lupin at his left as her mother fussed over him. Fred and George brought up the rear as they carried the things which had accumulated during Harry’s stay at St. Mungo’s, including letters from grateful people who had wanted to thank Harry personally for ridding the world of Lord Voldemort. The gifts, Harry had given away to the other patients at the hospital. He looks so handsome. The thought sprang unbidden into her traitorous mind, and she found herself blushing. Weasley! She berated herself. He hasn’t even looked at you and you’re drooling over his messy hair and the new muscles he’s acquired during his training...Stop that! Harry’s eyes immediately found hers when she entered the room. He extracted himself from Mrs. Weasley and walked over to her. “Hi, Ginny,” his voice was so soft, like a caress. “Hi,” she replied, averting her gaze from his, completely missing the disappointed look that passed Harry’s face. “Harry, you must be so hungry, dear,” Mrs. Weasley said, breaking the silence that ensued from Harry and Ginny’s exchange. “Come here.” She led Harry to the table, and pushed him into a chair. “I’ve prepared all your favorite meals. You need some fattening up.” “But I’m okay, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry managed to say to Mrs. Weasley’s back. She had already turned to her stove and was piling food high onto a plate. She set it down in front of Harry. “There you go! Eat up!” Ron and the twins were struggling to hold their laughter in, and Remus Lupin had a look on his face that suggested he really had been a Marauder. “Mum, we’re hungry, too,” said Fred. “Right you are, Fred,” George agreed. “We need some fattening up, too.” Mrs. Weasley pressed her lips in a way that told everyone she knew that the twins were having one on her. But she indicated the empty spaces on the table. “Well, you can find your seats, I suppose?” Soon enough, the Weasleys, Lupin and Harry were sitting at the kitchen table having their lunch. Ginny deliberately took a seat at the far end of the table on the same side as Harry so that she didn’t have to look at him. She kept silent so as to not draw attention, and contented herself to listening to the conversation. “So, Harry,” Remus began, after wiping his chin with his napkin, and folding it properly back on his lap. “What are your plans?” “Yeah, Harry,” George said enthusiastically. “We’ve been thinking, Harry,” Fred’s tone was as excited as his twin’s. “We want you to be an active partner in our business!” George finished. “Er -–,” Harry really hadn’t thought about what he was going to do now that Voldemort was gone. He had not ever thought that far into the future. “Active…business…partner?” Ginny could practically see the wheels inside Mrs. Weasley’s head turning. She still didn’t know it had been Harry’s money that had financed the capital needed to start Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes. Fred and George both paled, and Ginny felt a grin come on to her face. Even Harry started to turn white, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he just come from the hospital. “Er…Mum,” George smiled weakly at his mother. “Harry…er…Harry…” Fred was unable to finish his sentence, and looked at helplessly at George. “Yes, what about Harry?” Mrs. Weasley frowned, her gaze resting on the Boy-Who-Lived, who was busily shoveling food into his mouth. Voldemort, he could deal with, but the Weasley temper? He’d rather face another Dark Lord. “Hello, Weasleys!” Fred and George were saved by their father’s arrival. -.-.-.-.-.- “Ginny, can we talk?” Ginny stiffened at the sound of Harry’s voice. She had escaped Harry’s presence after lunch by disappearing into the safety of the woods behind her home. How had he found her? “There’s nothing to talk about, Harry,” she replied, her voice emotionless. She nodded in the general direction of the Burrow, avoiding Harry’s eyes. “You should be resting.” “I’ve been resting for the past five days,” Harry said softly. “Can we please talk?” Ginny didn’t reply, but turned her back on him instead. She didn’t want to talk to him. Merlin, please let him leave me alone. She didn’t think she could hold her own in this conversation. Of course, the powers that be wouldn’t deign to listen to her pleas. Harry walked forward until he was beside the tree stump she was sitting on. The clearing had been the one in which she sealed her fate with Harry; she came here to try to remember the pain she felt when Harry chose to leave her, to strengthen her resolve not to love him. Why did he have to come? “I saw you in my dreams,” Harry started speaking when it became clear to him that Ginny wasn’t going to say anything. “When I was still in St. Mungo’s,” he cleared his throat, took a deep breath and plunged on, “everything was confusing. Chaos. Darkness. It was like Tom Riddle messing with my mind again. And I couldn’t feel anything but the hate and despair. But then, suddenly, everything went away. A red-haired girl appeared, and drew away all the anger and desperation, and filled me with light and love,” he knelt down at her feet. “You came, Ginny. You saved me.” He took her hands into his. “Please talk to me again, Ginny.” “What do you want me to say, Harry?” Ginny was struggling to keep her emotions under control. Honestly, what could she say to that? It was the closest Harry had come to confessing his feelings for her. And even then, after everything, he still couldn’t say that he loved her. Of course he couldn’t say it. Harry’s honest to a fault. He’d never say he loves me, because he doesn’t. Harry didn’t answer her. “I’m glad you’re all right, Harry. I really am,” Ginny said truthfully. “But I have to tell you that I only did what I had to do.” She pulled her hands away from his grasp. “I owed you a Life Debt. And now, it’s repaid.” “Is that what it was to you?” Harry blurted out, sounding incredulous. He turned to face her, his eyes wide. “Repayment of a bloody Life Debt?” Ginny knew she was going to hate herself for this later, but she had to say it. She had to get him out of her life. “Of course it was, Harry! What did you think it was?” Harry stood up abruptly, spun on his heel, and stalked over to the trees, saying nothing. “Maybe you were hoping for something more?” she continued. “Yes,” Ginny barely heard Harry’s voice. Ginny took a deep breath. “Do you remember what happened in this very clearing, Harry?” “Of course, I do,” Harry bit out. “How can I forget?” “Do you remember what you told me that day?” “I told you to forget about me.” “And what do you think I did?” Harry spun around to face her again. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a bloody child, Ginny! You know very well what I chose to do that day. And I know what you might probably have done.” He took a deep, calming breath. “I saw you with Dean.” “I saw you with Romilda,” Ginny countered. A confused look flashed across Harry’s face for a moment, before he remembered. “But she slipped me a love potion!” Ginny remembered that she had tried the same tactic on Harry on her fifth-year, but failed when Ron ingested it instead. Shaking her head, she rounded on Harry again. “It doesn’t matter. Dean and Romilda don’t change what happened here.” Harry didn’t answer, his expression stony. Ginny stared back at him defiantly. “Look, Ginny,” Harry began. “That day…I was willing to do anything to keep you safe.” “Well, it’s too late to take it back now.” “Yes, but, I…I had hoped it wasn’t too late.” “It is,” Ginny replied, her voice shaky from all the lying she was doing. What she needed was time. Time and distance from him. After that, she’d be fine. Harry regarded her for a moment, his head cocked to the side. He walked over to stand in front of her. “Have you truly moved on?” His voice was just above a whisper. Ginny took her time in answering. “Yes.” The light went out from Harry’s glorious eyes. Ginny suddenly had the urge to fling her arms around him and tell him that she was lying. She suppressed the urge. Suddenly, she found herself on the receiving end of a passionate kiss from Harry. His lips were pressed insistently against hers, and his arms were on her back, pushing her against his body. Ginny’s defenses grew weak at the assault. The urge to wrap her arms around him won over, as they snaked their way up around his neck. She pressed her body voluntarily against his, and opened her mouth for him. His tongue found hers. Merlin! This feels so wonderful. With what was left of her faculties, Ginny pushed Harry away from her. “Harry, stop.” Harry dropped his arms to his sides. “Tell me again, Ginny. Have you truly moved on?” Ginny desperately tried to clear her head. “Yes,” she repeated. “Yes.” She nodded her head for emphasis. “You didn’t kiss like you have moved on.” “So? I happen to like kissing.” Ginny mentally gave herself a kick for giving in to her desires. She didn’t need that. “Harry, please,” Ginny ventured. “I meant what I said before. I trusted you to make the decision for us, and you made your choice. I’ll admit, what you said hurt me terribly, but afterwards, when the pain became easier to bear, it was easier to move on.” “I love you, Ginny.” Ginny took a deep breath. Harry wasn’t making this any easier for her. Summoning her Gryffindor bravery and Weasley stubbornness, Ginny faced him. “Thank you, Harry. And I love you, too. Just like I love Ron.” “Ron!” Harry closed his eyes, and his shoulders sagged in defeat. “Just when I got up the courage to tell you how I feel, you had to be over me already,” .” He lifted his eyes to her. They were incredibly lonely, like he had already destined himself to being alone for the rest of his life. “How ironic.” “There’ll be other girls.” Ginny’s heart twisted at the thought of Harry kissing another girl like he just kissed her. “I don’t want other girls, Gin,” Harry told her. “I want you.” Ginny prayed for the strength to resist him. “You can’t always get what you want.” “I know.” They were quiet for a while. And then Harry broke the silence. “So, who’s the lucky bloke, then?” “There is no-one else,” Ginny told him. “I’m trying out the single life for a while.” “Oh,” Harry turned to her, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “I suppose I still have a chance with you?” “Stubborn, aren’t you?” The flicker died down. “Like you.” Ginny shook her head. “No, Harry. I meant what I said. I’m over that chapter of my life. Now that Voldemort’s gone, I can finally look forward to the future.” -.-.-.-.-.-
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