One Look ~ Harry/Ginny (COMPLETED)

Timing is Everything

Harry stood in the shower, letting the water run over him. Beth is coming today he kept telling himself. Everything will be easier when she gets here - better. He got out and dried off. He brushed his teeth and dried his hair with his wand before pulling on his clothes. He didn’t bother trying to bring his hair under control anymore, but it was a little longer than it had been last year and he liked it. He tried not to think about what he was going to say to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when he saw them later. And if I’m lucky, he thought, I will be able to avoid Ginny completely.

He opened the bathroom door slowly and looked out, thankful that no one was in the hall. He started walking back to Ron’s room when Ginny’s open door caught his eye. He paused and glanced inside. She’s up early he thought as his eyes made their way around her walls, noting the eclectic mixture of Quiddich posters and muggle movie stars. You could see where she had pasted things on her wall to cover the bright pink paint she had loved when she was young, before she realized it clashed with her hair. Harry started to move on when his eyes caught her bed. It was covered with what looked like letters.

He knew it was none of his business, and he certainly knew that the last place he needed to be after last night was her bedroom, but even so he couldn’t help walking over to her bed. He picked up a letter and skimmed it. He froze as he read it and his eyes opened in shock. He picked up the next one, and the next, his mind racing as the words jumped out at him.

“…I’m sorry but I just can’t do this…”

“…I don’t love you…”

“…I wish you would stop writing, I don’t know what else to say…”

“…You need to grow up…”

“…Move on…”

They were all from him. Well no, there’s one from Ron here too he thought, continuing to read them…

Downstairs Ginny was finishing her toast. She had gotten up extra early to shower and get dressed, trying to avoid her parents - she wasn’t ready to face them yet. She took a last drink of juice and headed back upstairs, eager to get her shoes and head out of the house for the day. She climbed the stairs slowly, listening for movement. Not hearing anything she ran quickly to her room but stopped short when she saw him. What is he doing in here? she thought, her eyes narrowing. He was standing next to her bed, holding her letters — his letters. He seemed to be reading them, shuffling through them as though looking for something. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice dripping with ice, “If you want those back you can have them.”

Harry turned at her voice, staring at her. She looked angrier than he had ever seen her. She dropped her eyes to the letters in his hands as he walked towards her. “What are these?” Harry demanded, thrusting the letters towards her. She didn’t take them, but raised her eyes back to his, the anger in them shifting slightly to confusion…

“What are these Ginny? Where did you get them?” he asked again, his voice shaking with anger.

“You sent them to me,” she replied with a hard voice. What is he playing at?… Harry’s stomach dropped clear out of his body. What?

“I don’t know what you mean Harry, you know where I -” But Harry interrupted her.

“I didn’t write these,” he said in a soft fury.

“What?” she replied, startled…

“I didn’t send you these letters Ginny,” his voice rising — “Where did you get them!?!?” he demanded.

For a second Ginny couldn’t make sound as her body tensed… a feeling of foreboding flooding through her, unable to believe him. “I don’t understand Harry… you sent them… Hedwig brought them…” her chin was beginning to tremble as he stared at her, as though trying to read her thoughts. He thrust the letters into her hands and stormed out of the room. Ginny stood there in shock, looking at the letters in her hands. Ginny felt the room begin to spin a little.