Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Fifty-four: New Year's at Godric's Hollow

Chapter 54: New Year's at Godric's Hollow

Harry watched as Ginny stood up and faced him. She was blankly staring at him. He saw Draco touch her, heard him mention leaving. Harry thought of leaving too, but seeing Ginny there, he couldn't get himself to move. He didn't notice that everyone in the room had stopped moving and talking, even Draco. Everyone was watching them.

He'd barely looked at her over the last few months, let alone this closely. Yes, they had a few classes together, but she sat next to Draco as far away as possible from Harry; further, Harry preferred not to look at her as it caused him pain every time he did.

There were gray, bruised crescents under her eyes as though she hadn't slept for a month straight. She was thinner than she had been in a sickly sort of way. She stood in a hunched posture, as though she wanted to be smaller than she already was. It all looked so strange to Harry, who was used to looking at Ginny and seeing only marks of health and beauty.

"What... what's wrong with you?" Harry said shaking his head. And then Harry saw that she was reaching for her wand. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

He was quicker than her--he drew his wand.

"Protego," he bellowed as Ginny raised her wand, but then Draco wrenched it from her grasp and threw it across the room. Ron reflexively caught it.

Harry felt his heart crush in a vice as he watched Draco pull Ginny into his arms. "Ginny, Ginny... you're alright..." he was saying quietly. Hermione was covering her gaping mouth, Harry noticed at a glance.

"I'll be off," Harry said, breaking his Protego charm. "Happy Christmas everyone," he said. Everyone was still too stunned at what had just happened to say anything to him by the time he'd turned around and left.

He Apparated back to Godric's Hollow from the garden. Once inside his parents'--his--house, he shut the door, sat down on the bottom steps of the staircase and held his head in his hands.

Once it was back to a dull burning feeling, he wiped the tears from his eyes.

He couldn't stand seeing Draco touch Ginny. He wanted to ask why this had happened but he was afraid to. He didn't want to know why she'd chosen Draco over him. Any reason would ultimately be a painful one.

As Harry rummaged through the kitchen cupboards for Firewhiskey, he heard two loud cracks in the front yard. He was afraid for a minute that Draco and Ginny had followed him here. He opened the door.

It was Ron and Hermione. Ron's arms were laden with parcels, Hermione's with a basket of food and her beaded bag.

"We're gatecrashing your party. Hope you don't mind," Ron said as he followed Hermione into the house. Harry shut the door behind them.

"We brought your gifts," Hermione explained as Ron set the pile down in the living room. "We'll understand if you want us to leave, but Mrs. Weasley also made a quick basket of breakfast for the three of us if you let us stay."

"Or you could just have it and we'll leave," Ron said, "Though, she packed enough for me, so I don't think you'd be able to finish it all."

Harry cracked a smile. "Come on, of course I want you to stay. You could move in and I wouldn't mind."

"Good, I'll set up the table then," Hermione said, smiling at Harry before turning and heading into the dining room. Ron stepped forward and patted Harry's shoulder a few times.

"Yeah," Ron said, letting his arm fall again. "Mum wasn't very happy that Ginny was pulling her wand on you... she was quite worried. I had to stop her from coming over here..."