Forever, Ginny

telling them

TW: SELF HARM TALK IN THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE DONT READ IF THAT IS TRIGGERING TO YOU

( Ginny POV: )

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"I- Harry's been cutting. Or he was. Well, I don't actually know anymore!" I spill, trying not to look Hermione in the eye in case she's mad.

"Oh." She whispers, squeezing the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes. " I knew it, I knew something was wrong when he kept flinching every time I accidentally touched his arm. It's been going on for weeks. How could I have not noticed?" She frowned, and I touched her shoulder comfortingly.

"No one noticed Hermione, take it easy on yourself." I say, trying to convince myself of the same thing. I'd been beating myself up for weeks for not noticing Harry struggling this much, I just needed to sympathize with someone else about it. " He said he was trying to stop, and that he was getting better but by bit - that it was just a relapse. I made him talk to me for a bit, and that's when he told me he loved me." Hermione smiled faintly and looked at her watch, tapping her foot on the carpet.

"We'd better find Harry, before class and before... if he hurts himself." I nodded and we both headed for the portrait door before I cursed myself. Hogwarts is huge! The Marauders Map.

"We need the Marauder's Map. We have to go to the boy's dormitory." I reasoned, and we both changed directions once again and rushed up the stairs, barging into the room quickly. In which we found Harry being yelled at by Ron.

"She's fifteen! You can't go an corrupt her like that! When I gave you guys permission it doesn't mean you can go and shag her-

I threw a silencing charm on Ron. Really, sometimes it was the only way to quiet him. (he looked quite pissed at that, and was scrambling for his wand with Hermione smirking at him).

I threw my arms around Harry, trying to read his mind or something because he looked troubled. He frowned, but looked away so I wouldn't ser. Ron was silent still, with Hermione pinching his ear and mouthing ow ow ow ow!

I ignored my brother and turned back to the problem at hand. I whispered in Harry's ear, scared for the answer.

"Have you been...hurting yourself again?" I tried to say it delicately, but how could you?

Harry blanched, and I could practically feel my heart drop to my stomach. He looked away again, and pulled away from the hug, looking ashamed.

"Tell me the truth Harry, please." I said gently, taking ahold of his hand.

Ron had gotten his voice back finally, and he looked over to me and Harry at the back of the room. "Oí! what've you done?" Hermione smacked him over the head, earning a "Bloody hell Hermione, that hurt!" He quieted down when he realized the situation was serious, and flushed, rubbing his neck. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Harry, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Harry?"

"Gin, I...I'm sorry." Harry stuttered, his eyes wide with some emotion I couldn't place, his eyes darting to the floor, face red as Weasley hair. "I know, I know I promised, and I swear on my life that I've been trying—it's hard..." Ron looked confused and looked to Hermione for clarification, who shook her head and frowned.

Not right now. She mouthed.

Ron cleared his throat. "You promised to stop what? What's going on?" Hermione kicked him in the shin and Harry shook as he looked his best mate in the eyes, his face ashamed. I looked at him sympathetically, encouraging him to go on and Ron looked a bit hesitant, worried for what he was going to say.

"It's alright, you don't have to tell them." I whispered, patting him on the shoulder and giving him some space. I knew he needed it.

"No, you're right." Harry sighed, shutting his eyes tight and opening them again. "It's about time I pull myself together and tell them." He took a deep, shaky breath and pulled up his cloak sleeve. He shivered, looking away and closing his eyes, as if he didn't want to see it and his best friend's reactions.

Ron gasped.

"Why?" He whispered, his eyes shining and sad, worry for his 'brother' evident.

Harry shook his head and Ron pulled him in for a hug, blinking quickly. "C'mere." The two hugged like brothers, and though Ron would surely never admit it, I swear there were tears.

*TIME SKIP TO FOUR WEEKS LATER*
( THIRD PERSON POV )

Harry had stopped. With the help of Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, he pulled himself through and was able to call himself four weeks clean. He even asked Ginny on a date to Hogsmeade, very shyly ( even though they're literally dating ) and Ron did the same to Hermione. Harry was hoping they'd get their senses straight, realize they both like each other and call it an official date.

They didn't.

Disappointing, but he wasn't going to push the relationship, god forbid Harry become a matchmaker. No, he'd leave that to Ginny. She knew what she was doing with that sort of stuff, or at least a lot more than Harry did.

He woke up that day feeling very accomplished, and smiled first thing i n the morning, trying to peel himself from around Ginny in order not to wake her. He slipped out of bed and creeped over to the bathroom and turned a freezing shower on.

Getting out feeling refreshed and awake, he grabbed his clothes and changed into simple muggle attire, some blue jeans and a large black hoodie Ginny usually liked to steal. Once he was done, he tiptoed back into the dorm, slipping the curtains open to reveal a still knocked out Ginny, he smiled down at her mischievously. Harry shook his wet hair all over her like a wet dog and laughed as she woke up and smacked him across the face ( playfully ).

" Fuck off, you great toddler!" She mumbled, brushing her fingers through her hair, yawning. " I'm up! I'm up! Let me go and change and I'll meet with you later."