Wash Away (Harry/Ginny)
Title: Wash Away
Author: cantinera
Rating: PG
Content: Harry/Ginny
Setting: Post-Hogwarts
Disclaimer: These are JK Rowling's characters and she is he ruler of them all. I'm just playing with them, so no profit is being made, and no harm intended.
Summary: Even rain won't wash away lies.
A/N: For the Angst Ficathon topazangel ran. This is for verucawerewolf. Her requirements were Post-Hogwarts and rain. I know I wrote one with Harry and Ginny in the rain awhile ago, so if you read it, sorry! I didn't realize I'd get Syn's assignment and I tried not to be repetitive. Also, Paul doesn't have Word on his computer (wtf?) so I had to type this here. I hope this is okay.
He stood there, quietly watching them. Even from the distance he could see everyone walking around the small, crowded kitchen. Even now they radiated warmth. He realized that only a family like the Weasleys could find the Christmas spirit in times like these. A smile formed on his lips.
"Go on, Charlie -- bring that to the other room," Mrs. Weasley said, handing her son a platter. "They are probably waiting for this."
"Yes, mum," he responded, disappearing into another room after he took it from her.
Harry watched Mrs. Weasley smiling as she prepared more dishes, calling upon each child to help her. Still, there was no sign of him or her.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "Go bring this to Ron." Harry flinched when he heard that. He thought enough time had passed, but all the pain re-surfaced.
He saw Hermione walk into the kitchen with Ginny. He knew there was a chance that Ginny would eventually show up, but he was still in shock when he finally saw her. He didn't even realize he moved a bit closer, no longer lurking where he was hidden.
"Mum, do you need me to help with anything?" Ginny asked.
"Erm... I think I have it covered, dear."
"Okay," Ginny said, walking over to the window to look outside. "It might rain tonight." She studied the clouds in the sky, scanning the atmosphere. As she looked around, she spotted Harry who was now visible. He tried to hide, but it was too late.
"I'll be right back!" Ginny ran out of the kitchen before Mrs. Weasley could say a word.
Harry turned around and tried to walk away, but he couldn't. He should've Apparated, but didn't. He was frozen in that spot because--deep down--he wanted to talk to her, even if he shouldn't.
"Harry!" Ginny yelled, rushing towards him. "Wait there!"
He did. He already decided he'd stay, but he kept his back towards her. He couldn't face her.
"I haven't seen you for awhile," she said.
"I know."
"Why don't you come in." It wasn't a question or command, but barely a whisper.
"I don't belong here."
"Of course you do! Mum invited you. She wants you in there, with us. She regards you as being part of the family."
"But I'm not. I don't have any family. Not even horrible relatives anymore."
"I'm sorry about the Dursleys, Harry. I never had the chance to tell you."
"It's okay."
"Listen, come in. Everybody is in there. Hermione's there. Ron too."
Harry flinched at the sound of his name again.
"He doesn't blame you, Harry. Nobody does."
"I do."
"It's not your fault."
"Yeah?" Harry was beginning to shout now. "It is. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have been there. He wouldn't have felt the need to jump in front me like that and try to save my life."
"Nobody can stop my pigheaded brother -- it was his choice! He would do that sort of thing again, in a heartbeat. You know he would die for you!"
"He almost did."
"But he didn't." Both of them allowed silence to take over, before Ginny started speaking again. "He'd like to see you."
"I don't think I can. I'm not ready. Not yet," Harry said. Not ever, he thought.
"What about me?" Ginny asked.
"What about you?" The words made Harry turn around and face her.
"Are you going to avoid me too?"
"Not now, Ginny."
"YES NOW!" she shouted, her voice loud and shaking. "WE AREN'T GOING TO AVOID THIS ANY LONGER!"
"Ginny--"
"No. It's my turn to talk. I have something to tell you." Her face looked determined.
Harry stood there, letting her think for a moment. He did owe it to her to allow her to talk. Standing there, waiting for her to find the words, the clouds finally cracked. It started to rain.
"You know, I was over you. I was over my schoolgirl crush on you." She paused, water running down her cheeks. Harry didn't know if it was tears or rain. Probably both. "After Sirius died, I wanted to be there for you. We all did."
"You were," Harry said. The rain was light, but it was starting to get him wet.
"For some reason you felt like talking to me about it, so I was with you all the time. You weren't talking to anyone else, and I wanted you to let it out, so I was always there. You opened up to me. And I got to know you. I saw who you really were." She stopped, sighing before she continued. "And I fell for you. The real you. This time it wasn't just a crush."
"Ginny--"
"No. I need to talk about this, Harry. Get it out in the open. I fell for you, and at times I thought felt the same, but I didn't push it. I knew you were fragile. I knew you had so much on your plate."
"Yeah, I was going through a rough time," Harry said, but the thoughts racing through his mind said so much more. She was right. He did care about her that way, but he didn't let on. He couldn't let on. After Sirius, he vowed never to get close to anybody again. Ever. He already had to worry about Ron and Hermione; everyone knew they were his weak spot already. Ron was hurt because of Harry. Ron almost died because of him. He couldn't let anyone else mean anything to him.
He didn't say a word about this to Ginny.
"Harry, did you feel the same?" Ginny asked, her brown eyes locking with his.
"No," Harry said, his voice hoarse from the lie.
Ginny looked crushed.
"I can't feel that way, Ginny. Even if I wanted to."
"You can't or won't?" Ginny asked.
"Doesn't matter. I will never be close to anyone again."
"Harry, the war ended two years ago. It's in the past. We aren't at Hogwarts anymore."
"It doesn't matter anymore. Lord Voldemort will always have his followers, coming after me. Even if they don't intend to start a war, they will come after me because I destroyed him." Harry's voice was weak. "I should get going before we get drenched. It's raining, Ginny."
"So it is."
"I'm sorry."
"You can't control the weather," Ginny said, smiling at her poor attempt to crack a joke. "Please stay. For tonight. It's Christmas. Even if you don't return my feelings I want you to stay."
Harry was silent.
"It's okay, Harry. I can handle it. You are always welcome here. My mum thinks of you as one of her own."
Those words cut deep and hurt Harry, but he couldn't stay.
"I should really go," he said.
"Will I see you again sometime?"
"Of course," Harry said, lying again. Harry wasn't sure when he became such a good liar, but he was convincing. But it still burned his lips whenever he spat a lie out. "See you, Ginny."
"See you, Harry."
And they never saw each other again.
The End
Author: cantinera
Rating: PG
Content: Harry/Ginny
Setting: Post-Hogwarts
Disclaimer: These are JK Rowling's characters and she is he ruler of them all. I'm just playing with them, so no profit is being made, and no harm intended.
Summary: Even rain won't wash away lies.
A/N: For the Angst Ficathon topazangel ran. This is for verucawerewolf. Her requirements were Post-Hogwarts and rain. I know I wrote one with Harry and Ginny in the rain awhile ago, so if you read it, sorry! I didn't realize I'd get Syn's assignment and I tried not to be repetitive. Also, Paul doesn't have Word on his computer (wtf?) so I had to type this here. I hope this is okay.
He stood there, quietly watching them. Even from the distance he could see everyone walking around the small, crowded kitchen. Even now they radiated warmth. He realized that only a family like the Weasleys could find the Christmas spirit in times like these. A smile formed on his lips.
"Go on, Charlie -- bring that to the other room," Mrs. Weasley said, handing her son a platter. "They are probably waiting for this."
"Yes, mum," he responded, disappearing into another room after he took it from her.
Harry watched Mrs. Weasley smiling as she prepared more dishes, calling upon each child to help her. Still, there was no sign of him or her.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "Go bring this to Ron." Harry flinched when he heard that. He thought enough time had passed, but all the pain re-surfaced.
He saw Hermione walk into the kitchen with Ginny. He knew there was a chance that Ginny would eventually show up, but he was still in shock when he finally saw her. He didn't even realize he moved a bit closer, no longer lurking where he was hidden.
"Mum, do you need me to help with anything?" Ginny asked.
"Erm... I think I have it covered, dear."
"Okay," Ginny said, walking over to the window to look outside. "It might rain tonight." She studied the clouds in the sky, scanning the atmosphere. As she looked around, she spotted Harry who was now visible. He tried to hide, but it was too late.
"I'll be right back!" Ginny ran out of the kitchen before Mrs. Weasley could say a word.
Harry turned around and tried to walk away, but he couldn't. He should've Apparated, but didn't. He was frozen in that spot because--deep down--he wanted to talk to her, even if he shouldn't.
"Harry!" Ginny yelled, rushing towards him. "Wait there!"
He did. He already decided he'd stay, but he kept his back towards her. He couldn't face her.
"I haven't seen you for awhile," she said.
"I know."
"Why don't you come in." It wasn't a question or command, but barely a whisper.
"I don't belong here."
"Of course you do! Mum invited you. She wants you in there, with us. She regards you as being part of the family."
"But I'm not. I don't have any family. Not even horrible relatives anymore."
"I'm sorry about the Dursleys, Harry. I never had the chance to tell you."
"It's okay."
"Listen, come in. Everybody is in there. Hermione's there. Ron too."
Harry flinched at the sound of his name again.
"He doesn't blame you, Harry. Nobody does."
"I do."
"It's not your fault."
"Yeah?" Harry was beginning to shout now. "It is. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have been there. He wouldn't have felt the need to jump in front me like that and try to save my life."
"Nobody can stop my pigheaded brother -- it was his choice! He would do that sort of thing again, in a heartbeat. You know he would die for you!"
"He almost did."
"But he didn't." Both of them allowed silence to take over, before Ginny started speaking again. "He'd like to see you."
"I don't think I can. I'm not ready. Not yet," Harry said. Not ever, he thought.
"What about me?" Ginny asked.
"What about you?" The words made Harry turn around and face her.
"Are you going to avoid me too?"
"Not now, Ginny."
"YES NOW!" she shouted, her voice loud and shaking. "WE AREN'T GOING TO AVOID THIS ANY LONGER!"
"Ginny--"
"No. It's my turn to talk. I have something to tell you." Her face looked determined.
Harry stood there, letting her think for a moment. He did owe it to her to allow her to talk. Standing there, waiting for her to find the words, the clouds finally cracked. It started to rain.
"You know, I was over you. I was over my schoolgirl crush on you." She paused, water running down her cheeks. Harry didn't know if it was tears or rain. Probably both. "After Sirius died, I wanted to be there for you. We all did."
"You were," Harry said. The rain was light, but it was starting to get him wet.
"For some reason you felt like talking to me about it, so I was with you all the time. You weren't talking to anyone else, and I wanted you to let it out, so I was always there. You opened up to me. And I got to know you. I saw who you really were." She stopped, sighing before she continued. "And I fell for you. The real you. This time it wasn't just a crush."
"Ginny--"
"No. I need to talk about this, Harry. Get it out in the open. I fell for you, and at times I thought felt the same, but I didn't push it. I knew you were fragile. I knew you had so much on your plate."
"Yeah, I was going through a rough time," Harry said, but the thoughts racing through his mind said so much more. She was right. He did care about her that way, but he didn't let on. He couldn't let on. After Sirius, he vowed never to get close to anybody again. Ever. He already had to worry about Ron and Hermione; everyone knew they were his weak spot already. Ron was hurt because of Harry. Ron almost died because of him. He couldn't let anyone else mean anything to him.
He didn't say a word about this to Ginny.
"Harry, did you feel the same?" Ginny asked, her brown eyes locking with his.
"No," Harry said, his voice hoarse from the lie.
Ginny looked crushed.
"I can't feel that way, Ginny. Even if I wanted to."
"You can't or won't?" Ginny asked.
"Doesn't matter. I will never be close to anyone again."
"Harry, the war ended two years ago. It's in the past. We aren't at Hogwarts anymore."
"It doesn't matter anymore. Lord Voldemort will always have his followers, coming after me. Even if they don't intend to start a war, they will come after me because I destroyed him." Harry's voice was weak. "I should get going before we get drenched. It's raining, Ginny."
"So it is."
"I'm sorry."
"You can't control the weather," Ginny said, smiling at her poor attempt to crack a joke. "Please stay. For tonight. It's Christmas. Even if you don't return my feelings I want you to stay."
Harry was silent.
"It's okay, Harry. I can handle it. You are always welcome here. My mum thinks of you as one of her own."
Those words cut deep and hurt Harry, but he couldn't stay.
"I should really go," he said.
"Will I see you again sometime?"
"Of course," Harry said, lying again. Harry wasn't sure when he became such a good liar, but he was convincing. But it still burned his lips whenever he spat a lie out. "See you, Ginny."
"See you, Harry."
And they never saw each other again.
The End