The Mess!
Life had Harry back in its arms.
It was probably squeezing him a tad too tightly. He was not sure how to feel.
"I'm sorry, Harry," said the red-haired girl, not meeting the eyes of the young man standing before her who was looking at her as though he were seeing her properly for the first time. "Really, I am. I know I said I'd wait for you, but…"
Harry did not reply. He glanced at the other male in the room, who was currently pretending, and failing to put up a good pretence, not to listen. The guy seemed like a much healthier-looking version of Draco Malfoy, with coloured cheeks, wavy blonde hair, and bright turquoise eyes. Harry had recognized him the moment he had laid eyes on him, even though he was different to when they had last met. And he had been entangled with - wrapped around - well, been in a position in relation to Harry's girlfriend that Harry would not have believed possible. Considering all angles, the whole thing was absurd.
An image of the situation Harry had found them in came drifting, unbidden, across his mind. Previously, it had been a sickly white, skull-like face that had kept intruding him so nastily. Harry had been longing to find something that would clear his mind from the memory of Voldemort. But to see Ginny and that - for the lack of a decent word to describe that guy, him - was definitely not what he had wanted.
Harry clenched his fists. "Just one question, Ginny."
She turned her pale face towards him, probably for the first time.
"I can understand that you couldn't bear waiting for me anymore, but really… why, of all people, did you choose HIM?"
Ginny swallowed hard. "Well, I certainly thought he was attractive the day we first met, but of course, I would never seriously have considered dating him… Well and I think he's so full of potential, and the mistakes he made in the past don't count anymore, because he's forgotten them anyway, and because of that Youth-Returning Elixir, which makes him your age, doesn't it. He's starting all over again, and I, I'll be with him, he's intelligent, he's charming, he's gifted, he's famous AND wealthy, so that's one full promise of happiness…"
"Unless he comes across another backfiring memory charm and forgets all about you, now that would be tragic", said Harry coldly. Lockhart chuckled in his armchair.
Ginny burst into tears. "Oh, don't be like that…"
Harry had barely any emotion left to spare for his former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and little more so for his ex-girlfriend. She wanted to be with THIS guy, which was quite sickening in itself. Her explanation revealed that she appreciated the looks, the fame, the money, which told him enough to see her in an entirely new light.
"Wish you well", he said coolly, and turned to leave.
As he stepped into the sunlight, Ginny's sobs no longer reached his ears, which did not make the sight that greeted him in the untamed garden of The Burrow any less disgusting. There was another pair born from out of nowhere, well, not really, but still, the sight of Krum kissing Hermione, or holding hands with her, was one he found hard to get used to. THIS was why Hermione had abandoned him on the eve of the final battle. Moreover, Harry had always seen Krum as someone out of Hermione's past. He had never pictured him to suddenly reappear on the scene, throwing everything into disorder. Women, he thought angrily. He was quite sick of them at the moment. Hermione pecked Krum on the cheek as Harry watched her sadly. First Ginny, now you.
Harry slouched over towards the hedge where Ron stood, watching the happy couple with a face that betrayed emotions quite similar to those Harry was experiencing. Ron's expression lit up slightly as Harry reached him.
"Can you believe this?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head. "I've been waiting for someone to shout 'April Fool' ever since I saw Lockhart…"
Ron did not reply, but again, the look on his face was telling enough.
"What a mess", said a voice behind the hedge, and they both jumped. "You could put it down to spring, but honestly, I'm not making stupid decisions like, hooking up with Umbridge, you'd think people are out of their minds…" Fred, wearing a tragic expression, had obviously overheard their conversation. And so had George, who went on, "With Fleur around, mind you, that was not an easy task, she's way too attractive…"
"Yeah, insufferably", said Fred in a serious tone as Harry raised an eyebrow.
"But there's no defence against Lockhart. He keeps strolling around as though he owned the place. Might even be the case in the future", George added darkly. "Who knows, our silly sister might end up marrying that git, and then she'll inherit The Burrow. Mum told us the other day…" He put on a comical expression. "'To think that we might have THE Lockhart in our family!'" he squealed in an attempt at Mrs Weasley. Fred heaved yet another tragic sigh.
A giggle, unasked for, followed these severe words. It took Harry thirty seconds longer than Ron and the twins to realize that the giggle had not come from the Ginny on his mind: Krum was tickling Hermione.
They all cast the bench in the sunlight where the pair was sitting dark looks.
"Never thought we'd see Krum again", Fred began, but Harry interjected, "Who else feels like a game of Quidditch?", which silenced any discussion of Krum.