AM I TOO LATE
Desperation
Chapter Fifteen
Ginny cracked an eye open. Her heart pounded. Something had startled her. She looked at the alarm clock on her night stand. It was too early to be jolted awake. She listened and heard it again. Someone was pounding on her door.
Ginny rolled out of bed, cursed under her breath and wrenched open her bedroom door. The pounding continued. She gripped her wand in her hand, set her face in a frown and opened the door.
Harry rushed into her flat. Ginny barely registered who was storming into her living room. She closed the door and turned around.
"It's seven o'clock in the morning, Harry," Ginny grumbled.
"She's not home," he said.
"What?"
"Hermione," he said. "She's not home."
"You win," Ginny said. "I'm home. Game's over. Now leave."
Harry shoved his hands into his hair. "Ginny, this is serious. Where's Hermione?"
"Maybe she didn't answer the door," Ginny said as she shuffled into her kitchen. She pulled down a glass and filled it with water from the tap. She drank it down in one long gulp. "It is a bit early for house calls."
"I have a key," Harry said.
Ginny glanced at him. He looked like he hadn't slept in a while. His shirt was untucked and wrinkled. His eyes were bloodshot. "You have a key?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Hermione made it for me," he said. "A while back. Just in case."
"Just in case what?" Ginny wondered.
"Just in case, okay?" Harry snapped. "Merlin. Do you know where she is or not?"
Ginny rubbed her eyes and her memory returned. "Oh, that's right," she said.
"What?" Harry asked quickly.
"She's in Spain."
Harry's mouth dropped open. Ginny could tell he was trying to process the information but the ideas weren't cohering. "Spain?"
"Yes," Ginny said as she put her glass back in the cabinet.
Harry shook his head. "Why would Hermione be in Spain?"
"She took a holiday," Ginny said.
"Alone?" Harry asked, clearly shocked.
"No," Ginny answered. "With Ridley."
All the color that was left in Harry's face drained. He dropped down onto the couch. "You're kidding," he whispered.
"I wouldn't joke about such things," Ginny said. "She deserves it."
"Deserves what?" Harry asked. "A holiday? I agree."
"A man who adores her," Ginny said through narrowed eyes.
Harry looked accosted. "I adore her."
"You're too late," Ginny said. "Besides, you're getting married."
"Not anymore," he said.
Now it was Ginny's turn to stumble over a reply. "What-how-when-what do you mean not anymore?" She walked over to Harry.
"Beth," he said. He stared down at his shoelaces. "I went to see her in Paris."
"To break it off?" Ginny asked.
"To see her," Harry replied. He looked up at Ginny and sighed. "She wasn't alone."
Realization spread across Ginny's face. She sat down beside Harry. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Are you?" he asked.
"Of course," Ginny said. "I don't want you hurt. I can't believe she would do that to you."
"Makes it easy to leave," he said.
"It's never easy to leave," Ginny said.
Harry nodded his head and sighed again. "No, it's not."
"And the guy?" Ginny asked. "I'm almost afraid to ask."
"I didn't kill him if that's what you mean," Harry said.
Ginny sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."
"Not that I didn't think about it," Harry said. "But…I'm not sure it would be worth it. Two wasted years. Can you believe it? I feel like such a jackass, like I should have seen it. Two years. It makes me sick to my stomach."
Ginny nodded. "Why are you looking for Hermione?"
Harry looked at her. "You know why."
Ginny stood up and cocked her hands on her hips. "Oh, no you don't. I'm sorry to hear about Beth the Wonder Bitch, but I am not going to let you do this. No way, no how!"
"What?"
"You are not going to spoil Hermione's holiday because you were too stupid to know you loved her."
"I've always known I've loved her," Harry argued.
Ginny shook her head. "No, you didn't," she disagreed. "You only thought you loved her like a friend. But you were wrong, and now it's too late. Ridley is a great guy. He's not you, but at the moment, he's better than you because he's not too stupid to see how great Hermione is!"
"I see how great Hermione is!" Harry yelled and he stood up and glared at Ginny.
"Too late!"
"It's not too late!"
"Don't you dare spoil her holiday, Harry Potter!"
"I just want to talk to her!"
"Yeah right," Ginny scoffed. "Tell that lie to somebody else."
Harry groaned and stormed across the living room. He gripped the doorknob in his hand and paused. His head dropped. He turned around to look at Ginny. She had an expression as fierce as any he had ever seen on Molly Weasley's face.
"I screwed up, Ginny," he admitted.
"You sure did."
"I just need to tell her," Harry begged.
"You don't need to tell her anything."
"Don't you think she deserves to know the truth?"
"I think she deserves someone better than you."
Harry sighed. "Don't you think I know that?"
"I think Hermione has suffered enough," Ginny said. "You made her plan your freaking wedding, for chrissake."
"I didn't know she felt that way about me," Harry said.
"Because you're an idiot."
"Okay!" he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'm an idiot! Is that what you want me to say? That I'm a bloody idiot?!"
Ginny nodded. "It's definitely a start."
"Please, Ginny," Harry asked.
Ginny could see desperation in Harry's eyes. She sighed. "I told you she's in Spain."
"Where?" Harry asked. "I know she told you where."
"How do you know that?"
"Because Hermione would never go out of town without telling someone how to reach her."
Ginny scoffed. "You think you know her so well, don't you?" she asked sarcastically.
"I know she would have told you," Harry said. "She probably owled you when she got there, too."
"You're right," Ginny admitted. "What are you going to give me if I tell you?"
"Anything."
"Careful."
"Okay, anything within reason."
"If I tell you, you have to promise not to go," she said.
"Ginny."
"You have to promise."
"I can't promise that," he said.
"Then, I can't tell you."
"Okay," he said in exasperation. "Okay, I promise."
"They're staying at the Palace de la Mar in Valencia." Harry nodded his thanks and opened the door. "Tell her I said hello and to please don't be mad at me for telling you."
Harry looked at Ginny over his shoulder. "I'm not going," he said.
"Of course you aren't. You might want to shower and change your clothes first. You stink."
Harry grinned and walked out the door.
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