Of Magic and Men
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Harry found Ginny sitting with Alicia. He felt as if she had done this deliberately, knowing that Alicia would have some Quiditch related comment to distract him from his goal. Approaching her with caution, he gave Alicia his most 'please don't interrupt me this is important' look. Blissfully, Alicia managed to keep her mouth shut. Harry sat next to Ginny as if this were a typical morning. "G' morning" He mumbled in her direction. She was busying herself with chewing on dry toast.
"Morning" She spoke, the breath caught in her throat. "So Ron and Hermione are together?" She inquired, almost managing a smile for her brother. "Finally. Maybe he won't be so odd...though knowing Ron it will only get worse." She couldn't even chuckle.
"I wouldn't know" Harry said, eying Ron and Hermione as they took a seat at the end of the table "Hopefully it will stop their bickering for a time" He strained his own smile. "You should eat more than that" He added, eying her empty plate. "Have you been sleeping?" He added, noting the dark circles under her eyes.
"Crying" She explained "But no, not much." She turned to look at him for the first time in months. "Have you?" She asked. She wanted to touch him, but was afraid that gesture would be dangerous.
"Not much." Harry watched her fingers twitch. "You should talk to someone. A nurse or something, I mean. Ron told me you haven't told your mom. You tell her everything. It must be hard to keep secrets now." He whispered. Ginny nodded.
"Not here, Harry" She said, voice cracking when she said his name. "Perhaps outside? The commons were crowded when I left." She turned to bid goodbye to Alicia, who gave her an odd look before nodding. Harry followed her outside. Happily, it wasn't too cold out today, though he worried about her since she hadn't got her cloak on.
He pulled his cloak off and offered it to her, though she just brushed him off. "What'll we do, Ginny?" He asked, wrapping his cloak around his arm.
"Ron hit you yet? She threatened it all summer" Ginny said, still on the precipice of smiling.
"Not yet. I think he's keeping it for a surprise. He doesn't want me to see it coming" Harry attempted to joke.
"Typical Ron" Ginny said, thinking of the scars on Neville's arms. "How have you been?"
“Been better” Harry said, noting the slightly damp grass and the way the light reflected in her red hair, making it an almost shocking color. “Though I suppose that could be said for everyone” He added, hoping he didn’t sound vain. Ginny just nodded. “I don’t know what exactly needs to be said to make this right, Ginny. I couldn’t apologize enough to make it right.” Ginny shook her head then.
“Save your apologies. What happened is bad timing and even worse luck. No one should be blamed for that” She remembered what Neville had said about being happy to be alive. “Ron will be mad at you for a while. Just ignore him.” She looked up at him, with stray tears in her eyes. “You don’t owe me anything, Harry. You can stop thinking that you do.” She took a few steps back from him. “I don’t want to see anyone fight. We’re a team, Dumbledore’s army, right? We can’t let something silly change that” She added, trying to sound like more of an adult than she felt. In truth, she wanted to cling to Harry and cry but knew those days were passed.
“I don’t want you to fight, Ginny. Look at you!” Harry said, unable to keep from feeling protective of her. “What have you eaten, slept, Ron said you have been having nightmares. You aren’t strong enough right now.”
“That isn’t your call to make” She said, continuing to back away from him. “Not anymore.” She turned away, pausing only to add “His name is James, by the way. I’m sure Ron told you.” She said. She felt something close, like a book, deep inside of her. “See you in class” She said, before heading back to the castle.
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