Ordinary: Part Three of…?
It was six months later, and he hadn't gotten over it. Hadn't forgiven himself for letting her go like that.
So what he did was throw himself into looking for her.
It would be no use to ask Ron. Harry doubted that the two had even spoken to each other since the break-up. The Golden Trio had finally diminished into Harry in the Middle, as always.
This troubled Ginny, greatly.
"Obviously she's trying to move on without you," she told him. "You should do the same."
"I have to at least apologize!" Harry would say, every time. "I was so horrible to her!"
"Maybe you were right," Ginny said, her tone a little softer. "I mean… you two have done nothing but grown apart, gradually, since sixth year."
"We were still close in sixth year," Harry frowned. Really, though, they only started growing apart…
… since he started to fancy Ginny and she Ron.
Well, that was natural, wasn't it? Spending more time with their lovers than friends?
Somehow, now analyzing it, Harry didn't like what they had done. At all.
Upon that thought, Harry also realized why he was so obsessed with finding Hermione: it gave him something to do in his life… his life that he rather disliked at the moment. Don't get him wrong, his life was exactly what he had wanted…
It was quiet.
It was peaceful.
It was ordinary.
But good god, was it boring.
Harry understood grimly why he was mad at Hermione. It was for the same reason as it always had been: he was mad because he knew (subconsciously) that she was right. And he realized (as always) too late that she was right and was reduced to being (and feeling like) a jackass.
Harry sighed.
She knew him too well.
Now, how to break it to Ginny?
(We all forgot about Ginny for a moment, didn't we? I mean, really, it's not that hard seeing as she is quite forgettable. Of course, not to JKR… [ahem] sorry. Off topic. Bitterness seeping through.)
"Ginny?" Harry said one morning. "I think… I think I'm going to quit."
"Quit scouting?" Ginny frowned. Harry was helping rebuild the wizarding world… when it came to quidditch. Many good players had been killed, and quidditch was reestablished to give others something to distract themselves from the war. Harry went around looking for quidditch players in local areas.
"Yeah," Harry said. "I think… I'm going to pursue being an auror again."
Ginny narrowed her eyes. "I thought you wanted an ordinary life."
Harry sighed. "I thought I did too. But… I miss it. Helping people. I mean, Hermione did say I have a hero complex, and I think she's right…"
Ginny snickered. "It's Hermione-of course she's right."
Harry frowned. "What's gotten into you? I'm just suggesting an idea."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Sounds like you've already went ahead and done it."
"It was just an idea," Harry snapped. "I want to do something productive again. Quidditch just seems so… trivial. Stupid."
"You love quidditch!" Ginny said, disbelieving.
"I do," Harry said, "but there are more important things."
Ginny was disgusted. "It was all Hermione, wasn't it? She gave you another guilt trip, didn't she?"
Harry was astonished. "No. I did this all of my own accord. Hermione has nothing to do with this!" Which was a lie. At night, for example, he'd have dreams where her words would haunt him.
"Why are you doing this though?" He asked, exasperated.
She looked at him and said simply, "Because it's the right thing to do."
It was. His duty wasn't over yet. He had defeated Voldemort and left others to pick up the pieces while he played quidditch and snogged his girlfriend. No wonder Hermione was disappointed in him.
He made up his mind. "I'm going to become an auror, though," he told her. "I want to help again."
Glaring, Ginny growled (huh-alliteration! Whaddya know?) "It's Hermione, damn her. Even when she's not here, she's a nuisance!"
Harry's eyes flashed dangerously. Obviously Ginny resented Hermione for many things (just how Ron resents Harry sometimes…) but really, she was going too far.
"Stop." He said quietly. "Hermione Granger is one of the most kindest, strongest people I know, not to mention, one of my best friends. I love you, Gin, I do, but stop talking shit about the most important person in my life."
He hadn't intended it to come out like that. He really hadn't. It was supposed to be "one of the most important people in my life". But when it slipped out wrong, Harry was surprised to not feel regret or embarrassment, but… well… It felt right, actually. It felt like the truth.
Ginny's eyes widened. "If that's how you feel…" she huffed. Throwing some floo powder into Harry's fireplace, she cried, "We're through!" She next shouted her destination and was gone.
After she was gone, Harry could only think, My god, what is it with me and dramatic girls?
It still hadn't processed that he and Ginny were over… but now that he thought about it, he felt nothing. Ginny was good for helping him live a normal life for a while, and he did genuinely care for her, but now that he thought about it, every time he said he loved her, his heart meant as a friend even if his words meant like a lover.
Harry wrinkled his nose. Fine time to find this out now. But there was no time for that. He still had Hermione to find and auror training to do.
Which, he could only hope, would both be accomplished quite soon.
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A/N: Yay! HG is out the window!
I've decided that while I can stomach RHr (we all knew it was going to happen, so I braced myself beforehand), if Harry ends up with Ginny in the last book, I think I will seriously hurl.
I think I hated Ginny the moment she said to Hermione, "Don't talk about quidditch, you'll only embarrass yourself."
What was JKR thinking, making Ginny Super!Ginny???
(Sigh) HG just disgusted me.
Okay, well, now that I'm done ranting (again), thank you to everyone who reviewed! I realllllllly appreciate it!
I believe I have one more chapter to go, but I'm not sure.
`Til then!
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