When Harry had first left Ginny, she hadn't questioned his decision. She knew Harry well enough to know that he'd never intentionally hurt anyone, and right after Dumbledore had died Ginny had watched as Harry had become just a little more unfeeling, just a little more defensive. She had watched as he had hidden his emotions just a little bit more each day.
By the time Harry had actually left her, Ginny had already known and accepted what was coming, and wasn't surprised or even hurt because he left her.
No, she was hurt because he kept Ron and Hermione close to him.
He had pushed everyone else, including her, away, but he, Hermione, and her brother only seemed to grow closer. Ron, too, became just a little more detached, just a little more quiet and dark. Hermione no longer sprouted useless information, and no longer picked fights with Ron. The trio had become even closer to each other, and in doing so they had closed themselves off to everyone else.
She hadn't noticed it, really, until Bill's wedding. Throughout the service and the reception, the trio had kept to themselves, and had only spoken to someone if they had been spoken to first. Their answers were always quiet and simple, and Ginny realized that they were afraid to say too much about whatever it was they were up to.
Then, Ron announced that he, Harry, and Hermione were missing their last year at school to aid in the war. They couldn't actually say what they were doing, just that it was important and something that needed to be done.
Ginny's mother had not been happy with Ron, and Ginny couldn't imagine quitting Hogwarts. It was the only place she had ever wanted to go, and over the years that had hardly changed. Hogwarts had become her second home, and she couldn't imagine missing out on her last year there to walk into a battle.
None of this seemed to faze Hermione though, and Ginny watched through slightly teary eyes as her friend packed her bags. A few hours later, they were gone.
Then, several months later, they showed up again for Christmas. They hadn't sent ahead to say that they planned on visiting the Burrow, but that was understandable. The snow would've made it difficult for any owl to find them anyways.
Ginny was shocked to find Hermione limping, her stomach and torso bandaged heavily. She had read in the paper about Hermione being in the hospital, and had visited while Hermione had been unconscious, but the injury seemed even worse than before.
"Didn't you get that healed?" She asked Hermione curiously later on that night as the two girls got ready for bed, eyeing the thick strips of fabric circling the girl's waist. Hermione shrugged.
"Sort of, but something came up, and we had to leave the hospital before they could fully heal." She replied, pulling on a nightshirt. Like they had every other time they had stayed at the Burrow, Hermione and Ginny were sharing a room. Unlike every other time, they didn't talk about boys and clothing. Instead, Hermione kept as quiet as possible and went to bed early, falling asleep right away.
The next day when Ginny woke up, Hermione was already wide-awake and changing her bandages. Ginny gasped aloud as she saw bloody and torn open skin, and the large blisters that covered her friend's stomach.
"Oh…Hermione…"
Hermione looked up at this, then sighed and continued to wrap bandages around the wound, covering it back up again. "They don't really hurt that bad anymore." She replied half-heartedly, now moving to leave the room. "If they do, I don't really notice."
"You were limping last night." Ginny pointed out, slightly irritated. Hermione used to complain to her all the time, and all three members of the trio knew that they could trust her, so why were they all acting like this?
"It was nothing a night of sleeping in a comfortable bed couldn't cure." Hermione replied evenly before shutting the bedroom door so that Ginny could get dressed.
Ginny looked in disbelief at the small, plain white cot that had been set up for Hermione right beside her own bed. If that was a comfortable bed in Hermione's eyes, she'd hate to have to sleep in an uncomfortable one.
After two days of Ron, Hermione, and Harry behaving this way, Ginny had lost her patience. They were treating her just like the adults in the Order did, not telling her things!
"Why did you three leave Hogwarts this year?" She asked, no longer beating around the bush, as soon as she had them all together and alone with her in the room. The trio had obviously been meeting in her room, and she had just as obviously interrupted one of their quiet little conversations about things not even her mother knew about.
"To finish what I started." Harry replied. At this point, Ginny lost the little amount of control she had left. This answer was just as vague as the last one they'd given her.
"Harry, you and I spent a lot of time together and really got to know each other last year. Hermione, we've shared a room together for several nights every year, and we used to talk about silly little things like boys and gossip. You know almost every secret I have. Ron, you're my brother! I mean, you know you can trust me, and you know I've seen more and played a bigger part in this than most adults do, so why can't you tell me something more than that? I thought you trusted me!"
As she raged, she carefully watched their reactions. Harry looked hurt, and Ron and Hermione looked…angry?
With a cold tone she had never expected to come from her brother, Ron walked slowly closer to her, his blue eyes hard and bright. "Ginny, you know we trust you."
"Then why won't you tell me anything?" She asked, almost shouting, as she stepped forward. "Why can't I come with you?"
"I hate what this war has done to me." Hermione replied, her voice soft and sad. "I'd hate to see that happen to you." The anger appeared to have disappeared, but from the look Hermione gave her, Ginny knew better. She'd hear all about whatever it was she had done wrong later.
"I'm not a little kid, Hermione! I'm only one year younger than you, and I came close to death because of him in my first year! I can handle it." Ginny argued, stepping closer.
There was a moment of silence in the room, and then Harry muttered, "She has a point," quietly, almost to himself. "Let her come. If she thinks she can handle it, then let her. At least we'll know that she's safe with us."
Ron and Hermione fought with Harry over his decision for hours, but his mind had been made up and wouldn't be changed. Ginny, satisfied with herself, headed back to her room to pack and left the trio to their argument.
Hermione came in quietly a few hours later, looking exhausted and upset. "How could you do that to him?" She asked, her voice heavy with fatigue. "How could you guilt him into letting you come along?"
For a moment, Ginny felt bad, knowing that she was causing Harry pain. Then, she remembered where she was going and the guilt subsided slightly. "Hermione, I'm telling you, I can handle it."
"I'm sure you can." Hermione snapped, her voice cold and unforgiving.
"Besides, why should you get to go with him and leave my behind?" Ginny asked, feeling a small stab of jealousy. Why had Hermione been able to go with Harry when she had been forced to stay at Hogwarts.
"Because Harry's just doing his best to protect you!" Hermione shouted, losing her temper for the first time Ginny could remember. She knew it had happened to Ron before, and Malfoy too, but never had she seen Hermione in this state.
"And why isn't he doing his best to protect you?" Ginny snapped.
"Because we're doing our best to protect him." Hermione answered quietly.
"From You-Know-Who?" Ginny asked incredulously. "How do you plan to do that? Harry's the one that's faced him all those times, and Harry's the only one that can beat him. It was all over the papers last year, everyone knows. How're you supposed to protect Harry from that?"
"Not from that…" Hermione replied sadly, turning away. "From someone much more powerful…himself." Ginny just rolled her eyes at the melodramatic way Hermione said this.
"Right."
"Well, think about this. Harry already has his fate, his future, laid out for him. He could either triumph, save the world, and grow old, or he could die at the hands of his parent's murderer. But even if he wins, unless he's happy it doesn't mean very much, now does it?"
Ginny thought about this all night, while Hermione slept, and the next morning when the trio left Ginny gave them a hug goodbye.
In Hermione's mind, the world was important but Harry was even more so. In that moment that Hermione had been trying to reason with her, she had seen a determination and loyalty that scared her, and in an instant she knew that she could never give Harry that. It was just too much.
And nothing was too much for Hermione. That was why she and Ron were leaving with Harry when they knew what they were giving up. They were giving up their dreams, their families, and their lives for their friend. Harry just meant that much to them.
Ginny could imagine leaving everything she had just for one person. Just to keep one person happy and comfortable. She wondered if she'd ever understand that sort of loyalty. She didn't think so.
To Hermione, school and family and life was important. But Harry, Harry was much more important.
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