Struggling Through New Beginnings

Chapter 23

It wasn’t until after dinner that Harry found out what had happened to make Draco leave the all-house common room earlier in the day. Greg had filled Pansy in afterward and then she had told Ginny at dinner. Ginny then shared it with Harry on their way back to her room after classes were over for the day.

“So, you’re really okay with this?” he asked her.

Ginny looked up at him and nodded as she shrugged, “Strange, huh?”

Harry nodded mutely, so she continued, “It’s just Hermione’s never been romanced, you know? She’s not as confident as you and Ron seem to think she is about, well, girl things. She needs to be pursued, to feel wanted.”

“Ron wanted her. And, what? You think Malfoy is going to be able to do that?!” Harry asked incredulously as he stopped walking and stared at his girlfriend as if he didn’t know her.

Ginny shrugged. “Well, yeah. He’s changed, too, Harry. He’s cute, smart, and now that he’s not being an ass all the time, rather funny.”

“Are we talking about the same person, here?” Harry asked around his clenched teeth. “The person who called her that horrid name over and over again. The person who made her teeth grow so long she ended up with Madame Pomphrey? The same person who…”

“The same person who changed, grew up and lost enough to know what’s really important now, Harry,” Ginny quietly interrupted. “Just like the rest of us. The same person who maybe, just maybe, will treat her especially nice to make up for all he’s done to her in the past. And, most importantly, the person she seems to be interested in right now.”

Harry pushed his hand through his hair in frustration and turned in a circle as if looking for an escape. When he faced her once again, Ginny stepped forward and placed her hands on his chest. “Harry, it’s not for us to interfere, no matter whether it’s Ron, Draco Malfoy, or even, I don’t know, Professor Snape. If she wants our help or advice, she’ll ask for it and we’ll be there for her. But, until then, we stay out of it. She can handle herself, even though she doesn’t think so; she’s a grown woman. It’s time to step back and just be there for her.”

“Okay, first, Snape? Really? Ewwww, Gin!” Harry laughed softly and then closed his eyes and pulled her in for a hug, “I know it’s stupid now, and pointless, but I dislike him so much, Gin. For all he’s done to everyone, to Professor Dumbledore, just everything. Why him? What is she thinking? What if she’s making a huge mistake? What if she’s setting herself up for a world of hurt? And, it’s only been three days, what if he hasn’t changed as much as he wants everyone to think?”

“And, what if he has and she decides she doesn’t want him after all?” Ginny asked softly. “What if Hermione hurts him instead? What if, what if, what if? There are no answers, Harry. All we can do is see what happens and react to reality. If it is a mistake, then it’s theirs to make.”

“I hate this,” he sighed into her hair. “I just want to save her from herself.”

“I know,” she giggled. “That’s part of why I love you.”

He pulled back to look down at her seriously, “Is it? I thought that was part of why we were fighting.”

“Oh Harry,” she smiled tenderly up at him, “believe me when I say I love you just as you are. You do have a bit of a save-the-world thing going on, but I find it kind of sexy, really.”

He smiled half-heartedly at her attempted joke, but asked, “Seriously, Gin, tell me what to do to fix whatever is wrong with us. Even though I know I shouldn’t try to fix it. But, I lost you once due to my own pride and stupidity; I don’t think I could take doing it again.”