Silent Hero

Something happened

A few weeks later, Harry found himself back in the Great Hall. It was the start of his sixth year and he honestly didn't know how to survive another two years trapped in this school. He just acted and tried to survive. Sirius. He didn't know how to cope with his feelings. He got the feeling that he couldn't breathe any more.
He needed to go away from them. Malfoy. He destroyed everything. Again. Just like in his third year when he lost Ron, Hermione and Ginny as friends.

Finally he got out of the castle, heading for the Black Lake. Sirius told him once that his parents used to meet under a certain tree and left their initials at its trunk. He wanted to find this tree. He needed a place to grieve. To remember. To be all alone. Far away from all this trouble. A place where he could just be himself.

And he found it. This place was beautiful. It was hidden but allowed a great view over the lake. The sun made the water sparkle and the bright blue sky brought a little smile to his face.

He came every evening after dinner. Days went by and he finally managed to feel a little bit better.
He didn't tell anybody where he was going and fortunately nobody asked either. It felt good to be alone. Not to be bothered by anyone. He didn't know what Malfoy and his gang planned for their 'enemies' and honestly- it was a relief.

One day, everything changed. Suddenly he saw Ginny stumbling to the lake and breaking down in front of him, facing the lake. Perhaps he played his role too well over the last few years and therefore acted without thinking: “What is it, Weaslette, did you see a ghost?”

Ginny spun around and Harrys heart sunk. Her red and puffy eyes widened with fear and pain. Something must have had happened, something really bad.
And for the first time in weeks he felt something else than grief or hatred. He was worried.
What could have happened? Suddenly she wasn't Ginny the badass any more. She was just Ginny, the little broken girl he saved all those years ago.

“What do you want, Potter!?”
Harry was taken aback for a moment, but he knew better. She was broken and he felt the urge to help her. Save her, again.

“Ginny, what happened?” His voice was soft.

Ginny swallowed. Here he was. Harry Potter, her childhood crush. She never really gave up on him although she hated herself for this. He was a real bad guy now and moreover friends with Malfoy.
How could he, after all what had happened back then? It was his father that slipped Riddle's diary into her cauldron in Diagon Alley. And now it was a Malfoy again. How could she trust Potter? They are enemies. She didn't know what to do. Afraid to be trapped by him. Would he really bring her back to Malfoy? She looked in his eyes. These eyes. Emerald green and so very deep with great concern in it. Concern? Maybe… Maybe she could trust him. She couln't go to Ron or Hermione and tell them what just happened, it was way too embarrassing.

“Ginny? Please, tell me what's wrong…”

With this, Ginny snapped back to reality. “Nothing…” She couldn't tell him. In the end Malfoy and Potter were friends. No, she needed to cope with this alone. She didn't want to talk about this. But she didn't want to be alone either.

As if Harry could read her mind he offered her to sit beside him. “You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just sit down so you're not alone.”

She did as he told her. Nobody said anything. Both were lost in their thoughts and yet glad not to be alone. For Harry, it was the first time in months that he felt alright in someone's company. Realizing this, he couldn't help but smile a bit.