Harry Potter One Shots

War Wounds

All rights belong to the author, ChoCedric

As Harry Potter walked up the stairs to Gryffindor tower and the quiet and safety of the common room, he reflected on all that had happened. It was hard to believe the war was over; it hadn't all sunk in yet. He had seen countless people die, walked willingly to his death himself, come back, seen his Ginny almost die, seen Molly practically kill for her, and faced Voldemort all in a matter of hours.

And now, he thought to himself as the Fat Lady silently let him into the common room, it's all over. The burden had been lifted from his shoulders; the prophecy had finally been fulfilled. The fact that he could now have a normal life circulated around his brain, and it was a hard thought to chew on.

Harry had just sat down on one of the fluffy couches, remembering all the times that he and his faithful friends had spent here, when the portrait hole opened again. Harry really didn't want company; he wanted to spend some time in solitude, to just think about the ramifications of the war. But his heart constricted when he saw who it was that had entered the common room. It was her.

What he expected was for Ginny to run to him and embrace him, for that was what it had looked like she wanted to do when they were both in the Room of Requirement. But instead of doing so, she didn't even look at him, and proceeded to go to the couch which was the furthest possible distance from him.

Wondering if Ginny was somehow angry with him, Harry's heart grew heavy. Did she blame him for Fred's death? Because Harry definitely blamed himself. If only he'd gone to the forest earlier, given himself up earlier, Fred would not be inert and lifeless, the vestiges of his last laugh displayed on his face. There wouldn't be a horde of grief-stricken Weasleys gathered around him. It was all Harry's fault.

Knowing that he had to face Ginny's wrath sooner or later, he quietly walked over to the couch she was sitting on. "Gin?" he said gently.

Ginny didn't answer, but continued to stare into space, her eyes glazed over.

"Gin?" Harry repeated a little louder, putting a hand on Ginny's shoulder. To his horror, Ginny pulled away from him, and the briefest flicker of something played across her face.

"Gin, I'm so sorry ... for everything. Please talk to me," Harry begged, knowing for certain that the girl he loved was angry with him.

This was proved true when Ginny suddenly blanched, her face going a tomato red. "You want me to talk to you?" she said in a low, dangerous voice. "When you wouldn't bloody talk to me all year?"

"Gin, I ..." Harry started.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Ginny shrieked. "MY NAME IS GINNY, NOT "GIN!" I'm not just some alcoholic drink you can get your jollies from and then just leave!"

"Ginny, what are you on about?" asked Harry, shock coursing through him.

"I'll bloody tell you what I'm on about, you big wanker," Ginny yelled. "You wait till now to say you're sorry, when practically my whole family's been waiting for you to pay your respects to someone who thought of you like a brother, but instead you just walked away from the battle like it was nothing! You don't care, do you, that Fred's gone? All you care about is coming back here to brood! You are a selfish, egotistical prat, that's what you are!"

"Ginny, I ..." Harry tried again, feeling a lead weight settle in his heart. He honestly had no idea that this was how Ginny felt.

"LET ME FINISH, POTTER!" Ginny spat. "I've had it with you! I know you don't like crying girls, is that why you didn't come over to even offer me one iota of comfort? Just because I wasn't snogging material right then? Just because I was mourning my freaking brother?"