Forgive And Forget - Chapter Two: Moving On
Title: Forgive And Forget - Chapter Two: Moving On
Author: ginnyweasley777 hannah_ward
Pairing: Harry/Ginny (main), Ron/Hermione
Word Count: approx 2580 words
Genre: Fluff, General, Angst, Romance
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Setting: Post HBP, Alternate Universe
Summary: DH disregarded for the most part. The final battle has been fought, and now Harry, Ron and Hermione are joining Ginny at Hogwarts for her seventh year. Ginny vowed not to let Harry break her heart again and is determined to keep her distance from him, but can Harry win her back?
Author's Notes: Thanks to Erik for the excellent beta work.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling. I own nothing and receive no profit from this. This is for entertainment purposes only.
“What do you mean, Harry’s going back to Hogwarts this year?” asked Ginny angrily.
“I’ve just told you, Ginny, Professor McGonagall is allowing Harry, Ron and me back to Hogwarts this year so that we can finish our NEWTs,” replied Hermione calmly.
“So you’ll all be in my year?” asked Ginny.
“Yes,” replied Hermione, becoming exasperated with the younger girl.
“Absolutely bloody great. This is just perfect, Hermione,” ranted Ginny.
“Ginny, what’s the problem?” asked Hermione.
“The problem, Hermione, is that I was planning on being able to get away from Harry next month,” replied Ginny, sitting down on her bed.
“Ginny, that’s stupid. I know that you’ve been avoiding each other for some reason, but why are you so desperate to get away from Harry all the time?”
Ginny was taken aback by Hermione’s words. She had honestly thought that at some point in the last year, Harry must have told Ron and Hermione what had happened between them. “You mean that you don’t know why we’re avoiding each other?” she asked
“No, I know that you argued at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, but Harry would never say what it was about whenever I asked him. Ron doesn’t know either,” replied Hermione. “What was it about, then?” she asked.
“I wanted Harry to reconsider breaking up with me, and I asked him to allow me to go with you three after the wedding,” replied Ginny.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak.
“Let me finish before you say anything,” said Ginny quickly. She waited for Hermione to nod before continuing, “I told him that I loved him. Harry said that he loved me, too, but he couldn’t keep me hanging on in case he didn’t survive the war. We argued about it and I, I wanted to wait for him, but Harry said that we couldn’t be together anymore,” finished Ginny as her voice shook and she gave a little sob.
“What happened then?” asked Hermione, putting her arm around Ginny.
“I told Harry that I wouldn’t be waiting for him when he got back, and then I left him and went inside. I promised myself that I wouldn’t allow Harry to break my heart again. I couldn’t just forget about him completely this last year, because you and Ron were both out fighting with him. I’ve got to stay away from Harry so that I can move on. Harry made it clear that day that he wanted nothing more to do with me. Now that the war is over, I’ve got to forget about him and I can’t do that if I’m around him all the time.”
“Ginny, you can’t stop Harry from going back to Hogwarts,” said Hermione quietly.
“I know, but it doesn’t mean that I have to be happy about it or like it,” said Ginny miserably. “I tried really hard last year to move on and forget about what Harry and I had. I even went out with Dean again for a bit.”
“What happened?” asked Hermione.
“We were okay for a while but I was always really worried about my family, and you… and Harry,” she added as an afterthought. “My mind was always on other things and Dean got tired of it. In the end I broke up with him again, because he just couldn’t understand how worried I was all the time. It wasn’t fair to him for us to be together when I was still in love with Harry at the time.”
“Do you still love him now?” asked Hermione carefully. “Do you still want to be with Harry?”
“I don’t know,” replied Ginny truthfully. “I just want to get on with my life now that the war is over. He hurt me, Hermione, and I can’t let that happen again. I would have waited for him if he’d have let me, but Harry made it clear that he didn’t want me to do that. He’s been avoiding me just as much as I have him. Perhaps it’s better to just stay that way.”
“I’m sure that if you just talked to him…”
“No, Hermione, what happened last year has got to stay there. There’s no going back now,” said Ginny firmly.
“Can I tell Ron what happened?” asked Hermione.
Ginny thought hard for a moment. “I suppose so. He’s going to find out eventually.”
***
Hermione told Ron in private that afternoon and although he wasn’t pleased with Harry and Ginny, he agreed not to cause an argument with either of them. They both wanted to see Harry and Ginny together again, but they decided that perhaps it was better to allow old wounds to heal for the time being.
Ron and Hermione had been a couple for six months now. Right in the middle of the war, Ron had finally acted on his feelings for Hermione and kissed her. For Hermione it was a huge relief; she had had feelings for Ron for several years but hadn’t had the courage to tell him. She had almost given up hope when Ron had finally admitted his feelings for her and had been quick to tell him her own.
Hermione was feeling very comfortable, wrapped protectively in Ron’s arms on the sofa in the sitting room, and she leaned in to kiss him. Just then, they were interrupted by Mrs Weasley walking into the room.
“Hermione, would you go and tell Ginny that dinner is ready please? Ron, you can go and get Harry in from the garden,” she said. Not waiting for an answer, she turned and left the room briskly.
Hermione gave Ron a quick kiss on the lips before she stood up to follow Mrs Weasley out of the room.
***
The next morning Harry decided to go and fly in the Weasleys’ orchard while Ron and Hermione were spending some time together somewhere in the Burrow. He had been flying for about ten minutes when Ginny came walking towards him, intending to fly on her own. Noticing Harry in the air, Ginny started to turn around but stopped when Harry quickly landed in front of her.
“Ginny, don’t go.”
“I’ll fly later,” said Ginny.
“No, you can fly, I’ll go back in,” said Harry, looking anywhere but Ginny.
“Really, it’s okay,” replied Ginny, watching Harry steadfastly avoiding her gaze.
“Why do you always have to argue with me, Ginny?” asked Harry, now finally looking at her, his eyes not giving anything away.
“I’m not!” retorted Ginny, her eyes flashing angrily. “You’re the one who won’t look at me.”
“Yes, you are, you‘re arguing now,” replied Harry. “What is the point in us avoiding each other all the time, anyway? I thought that we could move past this.”
“You avoid me just as much as I avoid you. Obviously you‘re not putting it behind you,” replied Ginny acidly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Harry.
“Work it out for yourself,” replied Ginny, flinging herself onto her broom and taking off into the air.
Taking a deep breath as she twisted and turned high above the trees, Ginny looked down. She saw Harry walking away from the orchard with his broomstick slung over his shoulder, looking dejected.
Right then, she felt at a loss as to what to do. The whole time while she flew, Ginny’s mind was on Harry. It was the first time that they had even spoken in a whole year, and they had argued. She didn’t want to keep fighting with Harry; it made her feel as though she was losing the slim grip that she had regained on her life after Harry had left at the wedding. Ginny just wanted to be able to put Harry out of her mind and get on with her life, but it was hard to do when she saw him every day.
***
Harry didn’t know what to do. He and Ginny just couldn’t see eye to eye on anything. He had been avoiding Ginny because he hadn’t known what to say to her to apologize for what he had said at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, but now it was obvious to him why Ginny was avoiding him at all costs. She had truly moved on from him. He knew that he should be glad that she had done what he had told her to do, but it still didn’t feel right.
Harry had known as soon as Ginny had walked away from him at the wedding that he should have gone after her. Not that it mattered now, because it had worked. Ginny had remained safe during the midst of the war, but he was sure now that he had ruined any chance at all of having a relationship with her.
During the war Harry had had to finally master Occlumency just so that he could keep Lord Voldemort from finding out how much he loved Ginny. He had kept his feelings a secret from Ron and Hermione because it made it easier for him to ignore them that way.
Now that he had blown his chance with Ginny, Harry supposed that he should try to forget what they had once had and focus instead on finishing his NEWTs. He was still toying with the idea of becoming an Auror, and for that he needed top marks on all of his exams. After Hogwarts, he supposed that he would find himself a flat; he couldn’t stay with the Weasleys forever.
***
One morning, a week and a half before the new term at Hogwarts was due to start, Ginny walked downstairs into the kitchen to find Hermione excitedly ripping open her Hogwarts letter.
“The letters have come from school. Here’s yours, Ginny,” said Hermione in a rush as she handed Ginny her letter.
Ginny opened it to find the usual list of school books for the coming year, behind her she heard a moan of disappointment from Hermione.
“What’s wrong?” asked Ginny.
“Ron and I are aren’t prefects this year,” replied Hermione unhappily.
“Thank Merlin,” whispered Ron into Ginny’s ear as he walked into the kitchen with Harry.
“It looks like you and Hermione will have to find a different excuse to go and snog in private then,” laughed Harry, ducking out of the way as Ron tried to punch him on the arm.
“We’ll all go to Diagon Alley today, now that the school lists have come,” said Mrs Weasley, ignoring Ron.
***
Later that morning Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione stood by the fireplace in the living room to Floo to Diagon Alley with Mrs Weasley; Mr Weasley was at work at the Ministry.
Stepping into the fireplace after Hermione, Ginny took a handful of Floo powder and said clearly, “Diagon Alley!” There was a minute of whirling and spinning, in which Ginny glimpsed other Wizarding rooms before she stumbled out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron.
After waiting for Harry, Ron and her mother to come through the Floo, they went outside and through the magical archway into Diagon Alley. It was the first time that Ginny had been back to the street since the summer before her fifth year, and the difference was remarkable. Where before people had all grouped together and rushed through their shopping, adults and children mingled together, stopping to chat to friends here and there as they strolled along the street.
“Can we go to Fred and George’s shop, Mum?” asked Ron.
“Yes, I suppose you can. Why don’t you all give me your booklists and I’ll go to Flourish & Blotts, and then I’ll meet you in the shop,” replied Mrs Weasley.
So, as Mrs Weasley headed towards the bookshop, the foursome strolled down Diagon Alley towards the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. They were about halfway down the street when Dean Thomas came up to them.
Smiling, he spoke to Harry, Ron and Hermione first. “Hi, I heard that you were all going back to Hogwarts this year to finish your NEWTs,” he said. Without waiting for a reply, he turned to Ginny. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked.
Ginny bit her bottom lip nervously before she nodded; she had a feeling that she knew what this was about. “You three go on, I’ll catch you up,” she said quietly.
Ron was looking from Ginny to Dean suspiciously. “I’ll tell you what, we’ll go and get some ice creams before we go to see Fred and George. You want strawberry, don’t you?” asked Ron, an edge creeping into his voice.
Ginny nodded again as she watched them walk across the street. She turned to Dean. “What do you want to talk about?” she asked.
“Ginny, I know things weren’t easy for you last year with all your family fighting in the war. You were pretty stressed all the time and I didn’t make it any easier for you. Can we give it another go? Us, I mean,” replied Dean.
Ginny was silent for a moment while she thought. Finally, she said slowly, “I don’t think so, I meant it when I broke up with you.
“Can’t you at least think about it?” asked Dean forcefully.
“No, I’m sorry, Dean, but it’s over between us,” replied Ginny.
“Ginny, please, I’ve said I’m sorry.”
“She’s told you no already, Dean, so leave Ginny alone,” said Harry firmly, appearing suddenly at Ginny’s side.
“So that’s why you’re not interested; you’re back with Harry,” said Dean bitterly.
“No, I’m not!” replied Ginny fiercely.
Dean opened his mouth to argue but Harry stopped him. “Just go, Dean, and leave Ginny alone,” said Harry coldly.
Ron and Hermione came back, clutching large ice creams just as Dean walked off quickly.
“What happened?” asked Ron.
Ignoring him, Ginny rounded on Harry. “I can fight my own battles, Harry!” she said angrily.
“I know you can, but he wouldn’t leave you alone,” replied Harry calmly.
“I don’t need your help, Harry. Why don’t you just stop trying to protect me all the time? I didn’t need you to protect me last year, and I certainly don’t need it now,” exclaimed Ginny, stalking towards Fred and George’s shop.
When they reached the shop, Ginny browsed the shelves with Hermione while Harry and Ron talked to the twins. Hermione whispered quietly to her, “He was only trying to help, you know.”
“Hermione, he was being overprotective. I’ve already got six brothers who do that and I don’t need another one,” replied Ginny.
“No, you don‘t,” agreed Hermione, “You need a boyfriend. Not Dean though,” she added.
“Don’t start, Hermione, you know how I feel about him.”
“Who?” asked Hermione mischievously.
“Very funny. It’s not going to work though,” replied Ginny. She picked something up off the shelf and laughed. “It looks like Fred and George have finally managed to perfect the punching telescopes,” she said.
“Don’t bring that anywhere near me,” said Hermione, laughing too as she backed quickly away.