Chocolate ♕ Ginny Weasley

twelve

Chapter Twelve;

The end of a school year was normally marked with people comparing exam scores, arranging times to see each other during the holidays, and cries of relief from being released for another tiring year at school. It was a time of euphoria as bright as summer.

But this year was different. A heaviness hung over the crowds as students filed on to the trains. Faces were set, and the good weather seemed to be mocking the school. Patricia's stomach twisted as she thought back to the memorial speech for Cedric Diggory given by Dumbledore the previous night.

She hadn't known Cedric, but she had heard things. She had seen the way he tried to call of the match with Gryffindor the previous year when the Dementors caused Harry Potter to fall from his broom. She remembered the stories of his kind nature, of the way he sought to help his friends, how he was so hardworking and an inspiration to his friends. Her throat tightened. He sounded like the kind of person she could have been friends with.

And now he had been taken from them. By You-Know-Who.

At the thought of the name, the temperature suddenly seemed to drop. Patricia bit her lip and hugged her arms across her chest as she and Ginny entered a compartment.

In the wake of the end of the third task, she and Ginny had been spending more time together than usual. Many other students didn't believe You-Know-Who had returned, and Patricia could already feel a divide growing between all the students. She wanted to avoid that environment, so she and Ginny had spent many hours outsides on the far side of the lake, just talking.

She remembered one of their conversations. Ginny had been skipping stones across the lake, and Patricia had her head buried in a book. Often, she found, she and Ginny only had to be next to each other to feel better. They understood each other on a level where they didn't need words to communicate, and just being next to each other was more comfort that words from any other person could provide.

"Everything is going to change now, isn't it?" Patricia had asked suddenly. She'd had trouble focusing on her book – too many horrible things had been happening, and they captured the focus of her mind.

The last stone Ginny threw sunk with a splash. She paused momentarily. The dull sun caught the strands of her red hair; in the light, every strand glowed.

Ginny turned. "Yes," she murmured. Her smile was sad. "In more ways than one."

Patricia dragged her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes. "I've read a lot about what it was like during the first war. I can't imagine going through that myself. I – I didn't think You-Know-Who was gone. But I didn't think he'd be back while we were still in school."

Ginny lowered herself to the ground beside Patricia. "As long as we have Dumbledore, and Harry, we'll be fine," she reassured, wrapping her arms around the brunette. Patricia leaned her head in closer toward Ginny so their heads – brunette, and red – rested against each other.

"I guess so. It's just... strange, almost. Knowing that we're on the brink of a second war. That we'll soon be living what we read about." She bit her lip. "It's slightly terrifying, to be honest."

Ginny pulled Patricia even closer. "Everything will change," she agreed. "The way we live, how we treat others, how we will never truly feel safe. But you know what won't change?"

"Enlighten me."

At this, Ginny smiled, and suddenly it was like the sun was shining and nothing was wrong with the world.

"We'll have each other," Ginny said, and winked. "As long we have each other, I'm pretty sure we'll be able to get through anything."

She was right, Patricia thought, stealing a glance at her friend as she stowed her trunk away. Whenever she was with Ginny, she felt like she could take on the world. With Ginny, she was stronger. They knew each other, covered for each other when they needed it. They balanced each other perfectly.

That was why when they sat down and the world was falling around them, Patricia suddenly realised that she was not afraid. She could take on anything life threw at her, on the condition that Ginny was by her side with a witty comment and a grin as bright, wild, and warm as the flames of a fire.

"Do you have a pack of exploding snap?" Patricia asked as the train lurched beneath them. "That might take our mind off things."

Ginny smiled. "Sounds good."

She produced a deck from her bag and set about shuffling the cards. They sat on the floor in the middle of the compartment, the cards resting on the ground between them. They were just about to commence the game when the door opened behind them.

Patricia looked up eagerly, thinking perhaps it would be Luna. She froze when instead of their blonde friend, a boy stood in the doorway.

She had seen him in corridors, but didn't know his name. His hair was dark and he stood, leaning slightly against the door. The corners of his lips were tilted up; Patricia had noticed this about him. It was like he permanently wore a small smirk.

This stretched out into a genuine smile. "Hey, Ginny."

Before Ginny could reply Patricia interrupted. "Who's this?"

For some reason the way he said Ginny's name and the fondness in his smile made Patricia's stomach clench and she wanted to slam the door in his face.

Ginny cleared her throat. Her cheeks were bright red and matched her hair. "Oh... Patricia. This is Michael Corner... My boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

Patricia winced at her own voice. It sounded like nails down a chalkboard.

Ginny nodded. "We made it official yesterday."

Michael smiled easily and offered his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Patricia. Ginny has talked of you a lot."

"How long have you been seeing him?" Patricia asked Ginny, as she took Michael's outstretched hand.

"Since the Yule Ball." Ginny rested a hand on Patricia's leg. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but -"

"Don't worry, Gin," Patricia said with forced brightness. She plastered a smile onto her face – it almost hurt to do so. "It's fine, I understand. So, Michael, huh?" She turned to the boy and raised an eyebrow. "It'd say treat Ginny well or I'll be after you with a Bat-Bogey Hex, but I know Ginny is more that capable with cursing you with a dozen hexes should you break her heart."

That wasn't true. She knew Ginny could handle herself – but if Patricia heard one instant where Michael did not put Ginny first, did not treat her like royalty, she would be marching to Ravenclaw tower and performing every hex she knew on him.

Michael laughed. "I know." He smiled at Ginny again, who returned the smile, and Patricia could tell – he loved her.

Patricia couldn't help but notice Ginny's smile didn't meet her eyes, and hope once more blossomed in her chest.

**********

Ok don't shoot me, please!!!! But remember this is the 1990s, and from a generally conservative wizarding world, neither Ginny nor Patricia have had much exposure to lgbt themes – they need time to explore their sexualities and understand how they feel! But Ginny/Patricia forever!! (Does anyone have good ship names to suggest by any chance??)