"I'll leave you to it mate." Ron clapped him on the back and then diplomatically slunk back towards the people by the tent. Of all the moments Ron could choose to learn about tact, he picks the worst Harry thought furiously as Ginny approached him. The closer she got the more his brain seemed to jam. What should he say to her? What do you say to someone you've dumped but who also happens to be your best friend's sister? What could he say that he hadn't already?
It seemed, however, that Ginny wasn't even going to let him speak. "Harry, where have you been? We were starting to get worried about you." She grabbed his arm, "come on, I want you to meet some of my friends."
Still trying to think of the right way to approach this, Harry patiently detached his arm. "Ginny -"
"Or would you rather it was just us for a while?" She wound her arms around his neck and raised her eyebrows suggestively.
Suddenly exasperated at her, Harry pushed her away and growled, "for goodness sake Ginny, there is no us anymore. When are you going to see that?"
Her face dropped. "But you don't really mean that, " she whined. "You only said that because I was leaving and everyone was still upset about everything. You only thought you were doing what was right, just like you always do. But we belong together Harry, you know we do. Everyone expects it. You're the hero that gets the girl. My hero." She tried to reach for his face but he caught her wrist and held it.
"No Ginny, we don't belong together. And I'm not a hero, I'm not anybody's hero. I'm just me; just Harry. And I just want you to leave me alone. We're finished and the sooner you realise that the better it'll be for everyone."
"But - but you love me!" Huge tears were starting to gather in her eyes.
"Ginny," he sighed, "I thought I did, maybe I did once, but everything's changed now. We've all been through so much it would be impossible to go back."
Ginny stepped back from him as though she'd been slapped. Her wide eyes searched his she wrenched her arm out of his grip and without warning a scarlet handprint was blooming on his cheek as the resounding slap echoed across the empty lake.
"Damn you Harry Potter, you can't do this to me!" she screamed at him. Suddenly she thought of something and her eyes narrowed dangerously all trace of tears gone. "There's someone else isn't there? You're seeing someone else."
"No." It wasn't exactly a lie.
"Liar!" she screeched. Bursting into tears again she fled across the lawn, pushing people out of her way as she ran. It was only then that he realised that everyone was staring at them. Well mostly at him. Looking around at all the shocked faces he suddenly spotted Rita Skeeter looking highly smug, her Quick Quotes Quill frantically scribbling. Her malicious grin widened as she saw his horrified expression.
"Oh God," he muttered, turning away. Trying not to look as though he was running, Harry walked quickly towards the nearest tree and sat underneath - using the trunk to shield himself from his unwanted audience.
Tired, he ran his fingers through his hair and sank back against the tree with his eyes shut. Why did life have to be so complicated - they'd won the war, beaten the bad guys, everything should fall into place now. Shouldn't it? Instead Hermione was in Australia, probably with some bronzed surfer, Ginny was behaving like a spoilt three year old and Harry was struggling to work out what he had ever seen in her. To top it all off, the Weasley's, especially Ron, were most likely all mad at him for making her cry.
Now Ginny suspected that he loved someone else, she'd probably make his life a misery until she found out who. But she couldn't, not ever, because then Hermione would be told - as strongly as Harry had once felt for her, he had always known that Ginny had a spiteful streak - and Hermione couldn't find out. He valued their friendship far too much to throw it away for unrequited feelings. He would just have to learn not to feel it.
Hearing someone collapse onto the grass next to him, Harry opened his eyes a crack, then winced involuntarily. It was Ron, looking distinctly pink. Before Harry could even open his mouth to speak, he began.
"Look Harry, I know she's my sister and on a couple of occasions I may have threatened to kill you if you hurt her, but I also know how annoying she can be." He took a deep breath, still avoiding looking directly at Harry. "Which is why I don't blame you for breaking up with her - or what just happened. Although, you certainly know how to pick your moments. And," he hesitated, "and if you really want my honest opinion then I think that deep down I knew it would never work out between the two of you anyway." He finally shot Harry a nervous glance.
"You did?" Harry was stunned, he'd always been given the impression that the only person Ron would tolerate his sister dating was Harry.
"Yeah, well you know… I wanted it to work out for you, I really did, but I suppose… Well, Ginny's always been the centre of attention, being the youngest and a girl and everything, and she loves it. If she was with you she'd never have that because everyone would be paying more attention to you than to her. I know," he rushed on, "I know you don't want that, but it's the way it is and I don't think Ginny would have been able to cope with it long term."
"Ron, I -"
"I know this is a bit unlike me, saying all this stuff, but I guess it took me long enough to admit it to myself, never mind to you. Ginny would probably kill me if she caught me saying this. I'm sorry I walked away and left you to it, but I thought it would be for the best. She probably needed to hear it anyway, and I wouldn't worry about her crying, she always was a bit of a drama queen. She really whacked you one -"
"Ron! Are you going to let me get a word in edgeways?"
"Oh." Ron gave an embarrassed chuckle as his ears turned redder, "Sorry Harry, I'm still in speech mode."
"It's ok. Really, I'm glad you said what you did. It makes me feel slightly better; I thought you wouldn't speak to me at all, and now I can't get you to stop!" The two of them laughed, before Harry quickly sobered again. "Do you think she'll be ok though? I mean, I haven't ruined her life have I?"
"Nah. Ginny'll bounce back, she always does. Besides from what Luna was telling me, she hasn't had a shortage of male admirers, despite the fact that she's been telling everyone the two of you are practically engaged."
"She has?"
"Yeah, but I wouldn't worry about it. Like I said - drama queen."
Harry sat for a moment, mulling over what Ron had said. If he was right then he shouldn't overly concern himself with Ginny. In time he hoped that they might be able to be friends again, or at least civil for the Weasley's sake. At least Ron understood why he couldn't continue going out with Ginny; at least it hadn't spoilt their friendship.
Picking up on the last thing Ron had said, he looked sideways at him. "So. I take it you've been speaking to Luna a lot then?"
Ron's cheeks flamed scarlet. "Erm… yeah… a fair bit I suppose. I mean we're friends it's normal to talk to your friends right?"
For a moment Ron was silent and Harry turned back to look out over the lake, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Ron seemed to struggle with himself for a while, before finally he could stand the silence no longer and suddenly burst out, "Harry, do you think she likes me?"
Harry grinned evilly, "Yeah of course she does, I mean, like you said, you're friends."
"Well - no, I mean likes me likes me?"
"Oh you mean as in likes likes, as in really likes?" He pretended to think about it for a second as Ron stared at him anxiously. "Well, yeah, I think she might actually."
Beside him Ron visibly relaxed and his face brightened. "Oh. Good."
The two of them sat there for a while longer, idly chatting about irrelevant things, just enjoying sitting in the sunshine, being back at Hogwarts, and having a laugh. It was like old times. In fact Harry couldn't count how many times he, Ron and Hermione had sat under this very tree and done the same thing.
AS though he read his mind, Ron spoke. "It was a shame Hermione couldn't make it to the ceremony. She should have been here."
"Yeah, but I mean she needs to stay with her parents until the after effects of the charm wear off. If they suddenly forget who they are, and she's not there to fix it then she might lose them all over again."
"I suppose, and Dad said the Ministry would have had a problem setting up a Floo from Australia anyway. Something to do with distance and magical disturbances. Besides I don't think her Mum's feeling too great at the moment and Hermione wanted to stay with her."
"Either that or she can't tear herself away from Joey." Harry hadn't meant to say it, hadn't meant to sound so bitter, but it had sort of slipped out. Ron, however, didn't say anything, he just looked at him thoughtfully then changed the subject.
"I was thinking of moving out, of home that is. Getting a place of my own, away from Mum, what do you think? Want to get a place together?"
It was the third time that day that Ron had surprised him, he must be growing up at last. "To be honest I hadn't really thought about it, I mean I know that I couldn't stay at the Burrow forever, it's not my home. I suppose we could get a place if you want, although I don't know where we could…" Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Hey what about Grimmauld Place?"
"What about it?"
Well I own it, and now Bellatrix is dead she can't claim it, so if you wanted, not that it's any good, even if it was just until you find somewhere else - I mean it's not great obviously -"
"Harry, what are you on about?"
"Grimmauld Place, we could do the place up, move in there."
"Move in? I thought that you hated the place? That was why I never suggested it in the first place."
Harry took a deep breath, thinking the idea over. "Well I do - I did. I don't know. It just seems daft not to do something with the place if it's just sitting there, and it means we wouldn't need to buy somewhere. I mean it's not as bad as it used to be; Kreacher's cleaned the place up loads so we could just redecorate it. What do you say?"
Ron considered it for a moment, pulling up tufts of grass as he did. Finally he looked up at Harry and grinned. "Yeah, why not? Mum'll hate it."
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