Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, JK Rowling does. Good for her. *clap clap*
***
Keepsake
Leaving
Ginny sent the last garden gnome flying with the slightest flick of her fingers. Midnight was approaching, yet all the lights in the Burrow were illuminated in preparation for the morning departure. She took this time to sneak out to the backyard to collect her thoughts and bask in the relaxing moonlight.
“You didn’t even need a wand for that,” Hermione Granger whispered, amused, as she came outside to join her friend.
“Mum’s been teaching me ever since I got out of Hogwarts,” Ginny deadpanned. “It only comes useful in gardening.”
Hermione sat beside Ginny on the stone bench. It didn’t take a great philosopher to see that Ginny was in turmoil with her thoughts. Only one person could cause her so much grief.
“Harry…” Hermione started softly, “Harry hasn’t looked for you yet. Maybe you should get back in before he realizes that you’re gone.”
“And already he doesn’t notice that I’m gone,” Ginny sighed. “It doesn’t matter; before long, we’ll all have forgotten that he’s left us.”
“Ginny, don’t play so hard on yourself,” Hermione said. “It isn’t only a difficult time for you, but for all of us as well.” But she knew that she was lying. Of course it was difficult for Ginny. The pain was extremely magnified for her.
“Are you…going with him?” Ginny whispered shakily.
Hermione shook her head. “I’m not quite sure,” she replied sincerely. “It’s all literally up to Ron. Harry won’t let us go; he says it’s time he needs to himself. But if Ron can get through that thick skull of his, then yes, we will go with him.”
Ginny scoffed, a little too angrily.
“Don’t blame us,” Hermione refuted. “We’re his friends. You can’t punish us for having to go with him. He needs us; he just hasn’t realized it yet.”
“I’m not blaming you,” Ginny replied. “I’m just venting. I’ve already rid the garden of all the garden gnomes, a job that would usually take all day that only took me an hour. And that still hasn’t done it for me.”
“You’re in pain,” Hermione said obviously. “But it’s because you love him so much. And he’s in pain too, if you’ll believe me, for the same reason.”
“And it still isn’t stopping him from leaving!” Ginny exclaimed hotly. “Despite everything that has happened, despite all the good that we’ve done for each other, he’s still leaving me! I mean…us.”
“No, you’re right,” Hermione softly admitted. “He is leaving you. And Ron and I have been trying our hardest to convince him that his home is here. But you have to understand how much Harry is feeling right now, too. He failed his Auror test, and now, without that, he certainly needs the time alone, in spite of what we think.”
Ginny stood up. Pulling her wand out, she unexpectedly waved it around in a slow circle. Hermione saw that she was giving the unruly grass a nice, even trim. She was thankful that Ginny was finally out of Hogwarts. Legally permitted to use magic was helpful to her young, fiery-headed friend. It was the only thing that kept her from pushing over the edge. She needed magic to vent.
Once Ginny finished, Hermione walked up to her tentatively.
“Ginny…if you want Harry to stay, you’ll have to do it yourself. We’re only his friends, as absurd as it sounds, and we can’t entirely influence his decision. But he loves you, so it should be easier for you to convince him…if you’re up to the task.”
“I am,” Ginny said truthfully. “Maybe you’re right Hermione, maybe I can do it. In fact, I think I should go up there right now and confront him, face to face.”
“Wait a minute first,” Hermione told her.
“Why?”
“Ron’s in there right now, trying to convince him…for all of us.”
***
Inside the Burrow, things were slowing down. Mrs. Weasley, always the polite host, threw an impromptu party to celebrate Harry’s sudden decision to leave instead of weeping for it. However, all that had happened so far was nothing short of boring. Fred and George surprisingly engaged Mr. Weasley in a business conversation, gaining useful tips and pointers for their business, which was now branching off into two other stores. And since Mrs. Weasley didn’t have enough time to make a good dinner, despite her culinary expertise, there was no food to speak of other than a few blocks of cheese and a few biscuits gone stale.
Upstairs, in Ron’s bedroom, Harry was busy packing the last of his effects into his second overstuffed bag. At the same time, he was dodging Ron’s questions, avoiding having to answer them.
“Mum will have a fit once you leave, you know,” Ron told his friend blatantly. “Do you honestly have the heart to allow us, your friends, to be left with that kind of monstrosity?”
Harry smiled widely, shoving a shirt into his bag. “I wouldn’t mind.”
Ron grumbled. “Everything’s a damn mess right now Harry, and you know that. We’re still cleaning up after everything that’s happened over the year and we can’t afford to have you leave right now.”
“Trust me, Ron,” Harry said, zipping his bag with a sense of finality. “You’ll do fine. The only people I’m truly concerned about are you and Hermione and with the two of you finally together, I feel no guilt leaving you two. Things are different now.”
“We’re still the same!” Ron insisted, an uncanny similarity to a stubborn child begging for sweets. “Nothing has changed!”
“It’s safe now,” Harry said. “That changes everything. And now you and Hermione are together. That changes things even more. I can finally do things at my own pace without having to worry about anyone.”
“So you felt obligated to protect us?” Ron interrogated, arms now folded.
“You know that’s not what I mean, Ron. I’m merely saying that I want to take this time to myself. I failed the Auror test, so there’s nothing left for me here right now. And the three of us have spent so much time together that I think we could afford to use a break. Wouldn’t you and Hermione like to have some private time to yourselves as well?”
Ron remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
“A year or so,” Harry continued. “If things go smoothly for me during this…’vacation,’ then I’ll be back in one year’s time.”
“What about Ginny?”
“What about her?” Harry asked ignorantly.
“You know exactly what I mean, Harry. If you won’t stay for me and Hermione, then why can’t you stay for Ginny? The girl loves you and I know for a fact that you love her, too.”
“It’s difficult, Ron,” Harry sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Ron sat beside him.
“How is it difficult?”
“Ron, with everything that has been going on between me and your sister, the space between us grows and grows with every time we avoid talking or even looking at each other. And after spending a year trying my hardest to keep away from her to keep her safe, all that time without each other is hard to make up for. Between you and me, it’s hard to reciprocate what she feels when I feel that anything I do could hurt her.”
“That’s pure rubbish,” Ron said, unabashed. “You’re always playing the hero, always trying to save everyone. You don’t have to do that anymore, Harry. And I don’t know why you’re doing this right now, or who you’re leaving for, but I know you’re trying to do something noble. For Merlin’s sake, you won’t even let me and Hermione come along.”
“Ron,” Harry said, standing up. “The idea of me leaving is in everyone’s mind now. And I’m pretty sure that when I return, you’ll be the fearless Auror, you and Hermione will be nauseatingly in love, and Ginny will have found someone else to make her happy. Looking at the situation, everybody wins.”
“How the hell-”
A knock on the door interrupted them.
“Who is it?” Ron hotly asked.
“Is Harry in there, Ron?” the voice replied.
The two froze; it was Ginny. Ron knew Harry would try to avoid her at all costs, but Ron was faster.
“Yes, he is, Ginny,” Ron replied quickly while Harry gave him a scornful look.
Ron opened to door and the two of them saw Ginny standing in the doorway with a sad, hopeful look in her eyes.
“I’ll just leave the two of you alone, then,” Ron said proudly, feeling brilliant. He shut the door behind him.
For a few long, dragging moments, Harry and Ginny said nothing to each other. They didn’t even look at each other. While he finished packing, Ginny sat on the opposite edge of Ron’s bed, cautiously looking around.
Finally, Harry spoke first.
“Look, if you’ve come here to tell me not to leave, then I’d better tell you-”
“That’s not why I’m here,” Ginny said sincerely. She still avoided eye contact, keeping her eyes on the ceiling.
“Then why are you here?”
“As foolish as it sounds,” Ginny said slowly, “I’ve come to say goodbye. You’re leaving, so I thought it would be appropriate. And despite what we’ve been through and all, I thought you deserved at least that.”
Harry said nothing, only taking in every wonderful sensation of having Ginny in his room. It had been quite a while since any of them had ever been this close to each other.
“Well…thank you,” Harry responded.
Ginny stood up, ready to leave Harry in solitude. But Harry stopped her.
“Wait,” he said softly. “Do you…not want to talk?”
“About what?” Ginny dropped her shoulders and looked surprisingly weary in front of Harry.
“I know that we haven’t been talking lately,” Harry said sheepishly, feeling foolish.
“I’m aware of that,” Ginny replied coolly. “After all, it was me that you weren’t talking to.”
“Look, Ginny,” Harry said, approaching her. “I never meant for things to get so horrible between us that we can’t even talk to each other. That was one of the best parts of our relationship, I’ll have to admit.”
Ginny sighed, exasperated. But she said nothing.
“Do you love me?” Harry asked her plainly without a slight trace of dread in his emerald eyes. He would have taken her hand in his, but he waited.
Ginny averted her eyesight from Harry. She wanted to tell him exactly how she felt, but she felt that it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t keep him from leaving.
“You’re leaving…” Ginny said weakly, nearly and desperately wanting to fall into his arms. “You’re leaving, Harry, and you’ve made it clear that nothing is going to change that, not even magic.”
Harry shook his head. “That isn’t answering the question, Ginny.”
She only nodded, feeling it was more than the answer he needed.
He moved increasingly closer to her, taking his hands and placing them gently on her arms. He felt Ginny shiver but he wasn’t sure why. Fear? Nevertheless, he slid his hands down until he took hers in his own. Harry smiled softly and Ginny reciprocated. Once the tension reached a high, Harry leaned in, giving Ginny a long-awaited kiss.
The two broke apart, sharing a brief glance. Taking a breath, the two continued, making up for time lost.
But the kiss wasn’t as sweet as she hoped it to be. In the back of her mind, like an acid seeping into her every pore, she knew that tomorrow, Harry would be gone. She knew that this time tomorrow, she would be feeling depressed about how not even her love would be enough to keep Harry home. She knew that at this time tomorrow, all she would have left of Harry was the memory of tonight.
So she would have to make this night count for all she was worth.
***
Ron walked down, appearing incredibly tired.
Hermione and Mrs. Weasley both approached him as he went down the stairs. They both had the same question on their faces.
But Ron’s worn out and hopeless appearance gave them both the answer they were dreading.
“We best say good-bye then,” Mrs. Weasley said as Hermione felt the tears welling up.