He looked at him seriously for a long minute and gave him a nod. "I'd be more surprised if you did go down without a fight, Malfoy." Harry had known Draco Malfoy longer (and better) than anyone else. He had no doubt to Draco Malfoy's survival instincts - especially five years on the lam.
Harry leaned into Draco's touch and looked at him seriously. "Between the two of us, I'm hoping it won't come to that," he said. "I'll talk to you soon."
He didn't want to leave it there but he had to make it back home before Ginny arrived.
Harry pulled himself together, put his cloak back on before stepping out of Draco Malfoy's room. He waited until he left the Inn before apparating back to his flat. He'd gotten cleaned up and changed as the floo chimed, alerting him of Ginny coming through. When she did, he had wonder why he didn't feel that strong surge of love and want. Truth be told, he hadn't in a while. It had become comfortable, if that was the term for it.
"Harry," she said with a smile, one that didn't reach her eyes. She stepped forward and embraced him, giving him a small kiss.
"Ginny," Harry said and wrapped her up in a hug before leading her over to the couch. "Sit - what did you need to talk to me about?" He had always been a fan of getting straight to the point when it came to Gryffindors.
He watched as she sat on the couch and visibly gathered herself together - taking a long, slow breath. "I think we need to call the wedding off."
There, it was out. She watched his expression as her words sunk in. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she said and reached for a hand. "I - I can't do this. I love you. I have for years. But, I've realized it's not - it's not that passionate and all consuming kind of love. It's a - I love you as my best friend and like my brother."
Harry sat there in shock as Ginny's words registered and blinked. He had been prepared for a number of things - she had found out about Draco, she simply just wanted to see him and be there with him -- a number of things. But, this? He hadn't factored in. He couldn't exactly figure out why he didn't feel as hurt as he expected to feel.
He actually felt... relieved?
"- I think you feel it too, don't you? Harry?"
He shook his head coming from his thoughts and looked at her. He could tell this had been weighing on her mind for a while. He should be trying to change her mind, right? "No - no, you... you're right. I feel the same way, Ginny," he said, looking at her. It was almost as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
For years, Ginny had dreamt of being the girlfriend and future wife of Harry Potter, as every school girl does with their celebrity crush. They had been happy for years now - being friends and then dating and becoming engaged. She'd been thrilled when he finally asked her. The closer the date came to tie the knot, the more upset she was starting to feel. She was sure that wasn't normal. She had talked to Luna and it was there she had finally decided to get up the nerve to confront Harry. She didn't want to hurt him - that was the last thing she wanted. Now that she had done it, she felt... right, with her decision. She felt happier for it.
She visibly relaxed and leaned in to embrace him. "You will always be one of my best friends, Harry and don't worry - I'll talk to Mum and Dad."
He embraced her and realized, in that way that you do with something that's been right in front of you for years, that they wouldn't have last. In another time and place, perhaps they would have. But that wasn't them now. "And you'll be one of mine. Always," he said and tightened his arms around her gently then slowly let go.
"I better be, you prat," she said with a smile and stood from the couch. She lifted a hand up to her eyes and rubbed them, not even realizing that she was crying. It was sad, of course - this was a man she had been with longer than anyone else. This had been the right thing to do though. She wasn't ready and Harry wasn't the right one. After some time and some more conversation about who was going to do what, she stood from the couch and gave Harry one final hug. "I'll be by soon to get my things, ok? I'll start letting everyone know."
"Of course, let me know when. I'll let everyone know on my side," he said and watched her as he walked to the floo and left - calling out The Burrow on her way. He stood there for a long minute before exhaling a slow breath. In all the conversation took a little over an hour.
He'd need to owl Zabini but first, he needed to talk to Draco. He was sure the man was on guard for people to come and arrest him.
Harry grabbed his cloak, a good bottle of scotch and apparated back to the Inn Draco was staying at and headed up to the room. Using the knock they had perfected years ago, he waited for Malfoy to open the door.
no subject
Harry leaned into Draco's touch and looked at him seriously. "Between the two of us, I'm hoping it won't come to that," he said. "I'll talk to you soon."
He didn't want to leave it there but he had to make it back home before Ginny arrived.
Harry pulled himself together, put his cloak back on before stepping out of Draco Malfoy's room. He waited until he left the Inn before apparating back to his flat. He'd gotten cleaned up and changed as the floo chimed, alerting him of Ginny coming through. When she did, he had wonder why he didn't feel that strong surge of love and want. Truth be told, he hadn't in a while. It had become comfortable, if that was the term for it.
"Harry," she said with a smile, one that didn't reach her eyes. She stepped forward and embraced him, giving him a small kiss.
"Ginny," Harry said and wrapped her up in a hug before leading her over to the couch. "Sit - what did you need to talk to me about?" He had always been a fan of getting straight to the point when it came to Gryffindors.
He watched as she sat on the couch and visibly gathered herself together - taking a long, slow breath. "I think we need to call the wedding off."
There, it was out. She watched his expression as her words sunk in. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she said and reached for a hand. "I - I can't do this. I love you. I have for years. But, I've realized it's not - it's not that passionate and all consuming kind of love. It's a - I love you as my best friend and like my brother."
Harry sat there in shock as Ginny's words registered and blinked. He had been prepared for a number of things - she had found out about Draco, she simply just wanted to see him and be there with him -- a number of things. But, this? He hadn't factored in. He couldn't exactly figure out why he didn't feel as hurt as he expected to feel.
He actually felt... relieved?
"- I think you feel it too, don't you? Harry?"
He shook his head coming from his thoughts and looked at her. He could tell this had been weighing on her mind for a while. He should be trying to change her mind, right? "No - no, you... you're right. I feel the same way, Ginny," he said, looking at her. It was almost as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
For years, Ginny had dreamt of being the girlfriend and future wife of Harry Potter, as every school girl does with their celebrity crush. They had been happy for years now - being friends and then dating and becoming engaged. She'd been thrilled when he finally asked her. The closer the date came to tie the knot, the more upset she was starting to feel. She was sure that wasn't normal. She had talked to Luna and it was there she had finally decided to get up the nerve to confront Harry. She didn't want to hurt him - that was the last thing she wanted. Now that she had done it, she felt... right, with her decision. She felt happier for it.
She visibly relaxed and leaned in to embrace him. "You will always be one of my best friends, Harry and don't worry - I'll talk to Mum and Dad."
He embraced her and realized, in that way that you do with something that's been right in front of you for years, that they wouldn't have last. In another time and place, perhaps they would have. But that wasn't them now. "And you'll be one of mine. Always," he said and tightened his arms around her gently then slowly let go.
"I better be, you prat," she said with a smile and stood from the couch. She lifted a hand up to her eyes and rubbed them, not even realizing that she was crying. It was sad, of course - this was a man she had been with longer than anyone else. This had been the right thing to do though. She wasn't ready and Harry wasn't the right one. After some time and some more conversation about who was going to do what, she stood from the couch and gave Harry one final hug. "I'll be by soon to get my things, ok? I'll start letting everyone know."
"Of course, let me know when. I'll let everyone know on my side," he said and watched her as he walked to the floo and left - calling out The Burrow on her way. He stood there for a long minute before exhaling a slow breath. In all the conversation took a little over an hour.
He'd need to owl Zabini but first, he needed to talk to Draco. He was sure the man was on guard for people to come and arrest him.
Harry grabbed his cloak, a good bottle of scotch and apparated back to the Inn Draco was staying at and headed up to the room. Using the knock they had perfected years ago, he waited for Malfoy to open the door.