Time After Time. *Complete*

Chapter Twenty One - I Need To Say This

Hermione wasn't sure where to start. She wasn't sure when she stopped being angry at the red head, she once thought of as a sister. She just knew that, although Ginny had said some nasty things to her, she was fed up. Fed up with not having Harry or Ginny in her life and fed up with holding onto grudges or anger. So the girls sat out by the fountain in the courtyard, both simply looking up at the castle, neither knowing quite what to say.

Ginny however was the first to speak. She turned her whole body towards Hermione and took a deep breath. "Hermione, I know that I said some unforgivable things to you last night. In all honesty I don't even know where they came from. I was angry for my brother and defending him and that's not an excuse but I sort of snapped. It didn't help that I had quite a few glasses of champagne at that point. I was foolish and wreckless -"

"Ginny," Hermione said shaking her head, but Ginny stopped her.

"No, Hermione, I need to say this." She took a deep breath. "I was a bitch! I was a hateful cow! Truth of the matter is that my whole family were a little lost without you. I had lost you, my sister and my best friend Luna in one evening, and I was angry. So angry for years at being left behind. You didn't tell me you were leaving or that you were unhappy, and I felt like the one who was forgotten.
I never imagined that you left because of Ron. He told us that you left as you developed feelings for someone, and we believed him. He never told us before about you cheating. He just said you met someone else and couldn't go through with the wedding." She rubbed her hands through her hair. "I knew he was lying. Harry knew he was lying, even George did. But we never knew the full story. Hermione I am so sorry that he did that to you. So sorry. I had no idea. I hate him for breaking your heart. And then yesterday, I think all my emotions bubbled up, and I believed Ron's lies because I was already angry, does that make sense?"

Hermione was staring at her in a little bit of shock. Ginny clearly had a lot of pent-up emotions about her and Luna leaving that she never dealt with and Hermione at that moment did feel bad for her. She reached over and took Ginny's hand, holding in between her own. "Ginny, I am sorry that we left. I am sorry that you felt abandoned. But you were with your family, with Harry. We could never ask you to come with us because the two of you had just got together, and we didn't want to spoil your time. Ron was your brother, you shouldn't have to be asked to take sides, but I knew it would come down to it if I stayed, and I couldn't bare the thought of you and your family rejecting me. You meant too much to me."

Ginny raised her free hand to wipe a tear from her eye. "I am so sorry Hermione. I wish I had been a better friend to you. I wish you didn't feel like you needed a clean break. But I can completely understand you wanting to move on. I would do the exact same, if it were myself and Harry. And I would never have rejected you. My family love you. If anything right now, I would say they would be more inclined to reject Ron." She sighed.

"He does seem to be a bit of a -"

"Mess?" Ginny offered. "He is. And he is blaming everyone but himself. He refuses to accept responsibility for his actions. First it was you for breaking his heart, then it was Susan for trapping him into marriage by getting pregnant. Then it was Susan for leaving him and taking the kids, and now he is back to you. I am so sorry."

Hermione shook her head. "He is not your responsibility Ginny. He may be your brother, but he is a grown, fully capable man. You shouldn't feel bad for the poor decisions he makes." Ginny was biting her lip, something she always did when she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to. "What is it Ginny? What's wrong?"

Ginny sighed. "I love my brother. I honestly to do, and I would do anything for him. I would do anything for any of my brothers." She took a deep breath. "But I do not trust him. I don't know what he is up to Hermione, but you need to be careful. He...he...is....he is a drunk. Spends most of his days lying face down in his living room in his flat nursing a hangover and when he does wake up he simply starts drinking again. My family had an intervention about two years ago, and he went to rehab. He got better for a few weeks, and then he went back to his old way, but got better at hiding it. He doesn't drink as much any more, and he had my mother and father convinced that he has changed, but I know better." She sniffed.