Another Heart Broken

Ginny walked away and she didn't look back, didn't even flinch. She couldn't look back. She just tossed her hair over her shoulder and continued as though nothing was wrong. She kept her face forward, knowing that it was only way to keep things from getting worse.

Why him? she thought miserably, she didn't let her face reflect her emotions, she kept her countenance haughty and cool. So many boys had fallen for her good looks, sense of humor, flirting, and overall charm over the last couple years, but why did he have to fall for her too? Colin Creevy. Dean Thomas. Michael. Even that prat Zacharias Smith. They were just a few of the hearts she'd broken. But why him? She didn't want to break his heart. Now it was too late.

He'd sent an anonymous note to her at breakfast today saying to meet out by the lake right after dinner. She'd gone to meet whomever it was. And she did.

She stood there while he told her everything.

"Look, Gin, I don't how you feel about me but I can't keep this a secret anymore. Not that I even know if it was a secret. I mean you might have already known this," he babbled. "But the thing is, I'm crazy about you. I love you, Ginny Weasley. Ron would probably kill me if he knew. Heck, all your brothers might. But I don't care. I just had to tell you. You don't know how much it's hurt me to see you going out with all those guys. I love you, Ginny. I love you."

She saw the look in his eyes. He meant every word he'd said. His eyes looked haunted, as though he'd been search for something for a long time and been unable to find it.

He leaned in for a kiss that he looked like he desperately needed and wanted.

But instead, she did what she always did.

And now, she was walking back to the castle as though nothing was wrong. Walking back as though he was any other guy who she had teased and who had tried to kiss her.

He was the hero she'd been waiting for. He was brave if he had to be, certainly loyal, a good friend, cute, and he had a kind, sensitive soul. But she wasn't ready to give up her life yet. Not yet. The lifestyle she had still called to her. She didn't want to settle down. She liked being a tease, a flirt. Making all the boys want her and knowing that she wouldn't let them have her. It was her game. If they tried to put an arm around her waist, she'd spin away as though dancing, and giggle, leaving them as though stunned. If they leaned in for a kiss she'd let them get as close as they could, then at the last second she'd turn her head and walk away laughing, never looking back. It was easy. She didn't really like them after all. They'd walk away acting broken hearted. But she knew they weren't really in love with her and that they'd get over it.

But he was different. When she walked away from him he just fell to his knees and cried. Real tears. She could tell the difference even without looking back.

She hadn't wanted to hurt him. She didn't care if she broke the heart of every boy in school, but he was different.

It took all her will power to keep walking forward, but she reached the doors.

"GINNY!" he shouted desperately.

She knew now that he had followed and was only about 9 feet behind her. She reached for the door handle and just as she touched it, he had sprinted up past her. He leaned against the door, panting. Their eyes locked.

She whispered, "I'm sorry, Neville." Tears, the tears she'd been holding back as she walked away, sprang to her eyes.

She let her mask fall away and did what felt right. She closed the one-foot gap between them and hugged him, sobbing. She let her head droop on his shoulder and she let her long held tears flow.

He put his arms around her and they sat down (Ginny hardly aware). He whispered words of comfort into her hair. "Don't worry, Ginny. Don't worry."

She cried more. He cared so much. Eventually she was only sniffling. She was embarrassed as she sat up, realizing that she'd soaked his shoulder with her tears.

"What's the matter, Gin? You can tell me anything." His eyes were wide and honest.

"I, I, I . . ." She was afraid she might cry again. "I'm not ready, Neville."

"Not ready for what, Gin? I'd never ever force you to do anything. You know that." He looked hurt that she'd ever think such a thing.

"It's not you. I love you too. You're the only guy I ever want to be with. The only one I want to date. I think...the one I want to marry when I leave Hogwarts. But I'm not ready to settle down yet. I like being the way I am. I like teasing and flirting. I'd never actually do anything but I like being noticed. You noticing me is what I wanted most to happen. But it's also what I was most afraid of. I was never crazy about the guys I went out with. They were cute, or they made me laugh, but I knew they liked me back and that's what mattered. You, you were the only one I actually cared about and I didn't know if you liked me. The other guys, they were upset when I broke up with them and I never cared. But you, I knew that it'd hurt me if I had to treat you the same way I treated all of them. And it did. My heart was breaking when I turned away and laughed." She started to cry again, leaning on his shoulder and forgetting all of her games.

"Don't worry, Gin. If you want, I can go away and pretend this never happened."

She looked up at him.

"I can go back to being ignored and you can go back to being the tease and flirt that haunts a lot of the boys at this school."

She still looked up at him. His eyes said that his heart was breaking, but he meant every word. Taking a deep breath, she leaned toward him and kissed him. Her first kiss. It was quick, but then she kissed him again, longer. Their faces parted and she said, "I don't want to forget. I don't want to go after the other boys anymore. I'm yours and you're stuck with me, Neville Longbottom." She was crying happy tears.

"Thanks, Gin. I think I can live with that."

She hugged him.

They went back to the common room after Ginny dried her eyes and kissed him a few more times.

Neville went and sat down by Ron and Harry and Ginny went to seek out Hermione.

"Nev, don't take this the wrong way, but you look all funny. Kind of like Harry did last year after he and Cho kissed under the mistletoe . . ." Realization dawned on Ron's face and he snorted. "Harry, Neville just had his first kiss." Ron didn't connect this with the fact that Ginny had walked in just behind Neville.

Neville grinned sheepishly, knowing that if Ron found out who it was, he was in big trouble.

"So how was it?" asked Ron.

Neville thought about it a minute. "Wet."

"Was she crying?" asked Harry, glancing in the direction of the girls' dormitory. He had noticed Ginny's red eyes and made the connection Ron hadn't.

"Yeah," said Neville, slightly surprised and hoping Harry wouldn't give him away to Ron.

"So? Who was it?" asked Ron.

At that moment, Ginny came downstairs with Hermione and, sensing the situation, put her arms around Neville. She smiled at her brother.

Ron finally understood. "LONGBOTTOM!" He snatched his wand. "WHEN I GET THROUGH WITH YOU . . .!" The threat remained unfinished.

Hermione snatched Ron's wand from his hand and Ron proceeded to run through the common room chasing Neville, much to everyone's amusement.

~*~THE END~*~