You Left Me a Mixed Up Girl

The Green Eyed Monster

Three months had passed. Ginny and Colin were dating exclusively. She liked Colin very much, but they had not slept together yet. Ginny had decided holding out on this because she still wasn't sure if she loved him. She felt a great deal of affection for him, but she didn't know if it was love. She felt none of the passion she had for Harry or attraction. Ginny was still attracted to Harry and worried she might still be in love with him. So she focused on her feelings of respect and admiration for Colin. She decided that those were better than love. Especially since she had agreed to marry Colin.

Ginny sat in the Three Broomsticks with Hermione. Hermione was telling Ginny about the woes of being pregnant. Ginny found the whole idea of bearing Ron's child inconceivable and told Hermione so.

"Doesn't it feel wrong to you? I mean, you're continuing my brother's awful genes. Who knows what kind of beast you might have?" Ginny suppressed a laugh as she said this to Hermione.

Hermione was shocked. "Ginny! I can't believe you'd say that about one of your own brothers. Besides, you have some of those genes yourself."

"I know. It's something I have to live with everyday. It's my cross to bear." Ginny and Hermione burst out laughing at Ginny's joke.

Suddenly Hermione pulled something out from under the table. She held a small cardboard box with handles in her hands and offered it to Ginny. "Here. It's an early birthday gift. I saw it and I knew you'd love it."

"Thank you Hermione! What is it?" Ginny began to open the box. She looked inside and found a small black kitten sleeping in a corner of the box. "A kitten! How sweet!" Ginny gingerly picked the cat up. The kitten opened its large green eyes and mewed pitifully at her. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Hermione took a sip of her drink and said, "Girl."

Ginny brought the cat up to her face and stared into its eyes. "Hmmm. I think I'll call you Scarlett. She has black hair and green eyes like Scarlett O'Hara, that character from a Muggle novel I'm reading right now."

"Black hair and green eyes? Sounds like someone else I know." Hermione looked meaningfully at the door. Ginny turned her eyes away from her newest acquisition and looked at the door as well. Walking through the door, with Padma Patil on his arm, was Harry. He was wearing a v-neck green sweater and dark blue jeans. Ginny thought she had never seen him look handsomer. Padma was wearing a red silk Asian dress; it had a mandarin collar and went wonderfully with her coloring. Harry was leaning over whispering something in Padma's ear and Ginny jealously wondered if they were dating. It really shouldn't bother her so much, Ginny knew. She was dating Colin, a handsome and successful man. Still, she wanted Harry. It was an awful realization and Ginny felt ashamed of herself.

"What's he doing there with her?" Ginny whispered to Hermione.

"I dunno." Hermione looked the other way, avoiding Ginny's eyes. Ginny reached over and pinched the fleshy part of Hermione's upper arm. Hermione squealed in pain. "Alright, he's been dating her for a couple of weeks." Ginny reached over again to pinch her. "That's all I know!"

Ginny smiled sweetly at her best friend. "Thank you."

"You are so evil, pinching a pregnant lady like that!" Hermione was rubbing her arm. She reached over and pinched Ginny just as hard, causing Ginny to squeal in pain. "How do you like it?"

"I don't like it. Damn that hurt!" Ginny reached down into her lap and pet Scarlett to forget about her pain. Seeing how nice Harry and Padma looked Ginny felt like she must look like a soup sandwich. Ginny had pulled on a pair of tight blue jeans, a white oxford shirt and a maroon cardigan to go over it. Her hair was loose and fell in waves down her back. Ginny nervously pulled her hair into a loose bun at the nape of her neck to make herself look better. "I should really get going. Colin is coming tonight for my birthday. I want to get ready."

Just then an owl swooped into the room. It was carrying a small package. Ginny hastily untied the package from the owl's leg. She hoped it was a birthday present from her parents. Ginny had asked for a new watch. Hers had broken when she accidentally stepped on it a few days ago. Unwrapping the package, Ginny found herself holding a small jewelry box in her hand. Ginny opened the box and found a thick silver ring sitting on the velvet. She pulled the ring from the place it had been nestled into and held it up to the light. Ginny saw that embedded into the silver was a small ruby. It had been cut into a heart shape. The ring was the most gorgeous thing Ginny had ever seen. Hermione watched as Ginny exclaimed over it and placed it on her finger.

As soon as the ring went onto her finger, images rushed into her mind. Harry and Ginny's relationship passed before her eyes, as seen through Harry's point of view. Ginny took a deep breath. The ring was wonderful. It was also awful at the same time. This was exactly what Ginny did not need. It reminded her again that she did not love Colin, nor could she. This was Harry's way of reminding her that she would always belong to him. Ginny hastily pulled the ring off and looked at Hermione.

"Gin, that ring is beautiful. Ron gave me one like it when we were engaged. It's a promise ring. It promises the wearer that the giver will always love them. The giver infuses the memories of their love into it. Did Colin send that to you?"

Ginny hesitated before answering. "No."

"Who gave it to you then?" Hermione watched Ginny color slightly and knew her answer. "Harry?"

Ginny nodded and continued to hold the ring between her thumb and forefinger. Scarlett playfully batted at it.

"Ginny, you have to give it back to him. You're going to marry Colin. You cannot wear another man's promise ring when you're going to marry Colin. It isn't right."

"I know," Ginny whispered. "But I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't, Hermione. I won't. It's mine and I love it." Ginny placed the ring on her finger again and felt the rush of memories flow through her.

"Then you don't love Colin, Gin. You love Harry and you cannot marry Colin. It's not fair to him. He deserves to marry someone who loves him as much as he loves you." Hermione looked at Harry reproachfully. He was busy staring at Ginny, smiling as he watched her blissfully take in all the memories he had put into the ring.

"I won't wear. I'll just keep it. It's mine and I won't let it go." Ginny stood up as if in a daze. She placed Scarlett in her carrying box and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "I need to get ready to see Colin."

Hermione watched Ginny stumble out of the pub and into the night, unsure if she should or could stop her.

Many hours later, Colin had left Ginny's room. They had eaten dinner together and Colin had given Ginny her engagement ring. Colin had asked Ginny to marry him in a small ceremony the next week. Ginny had accepted, although she knew now that Colin was the man in her dreams that she did not love, but was agreeing to marry. Ginny had taken Harry's ring and placed it on a delicate silver chain. She wore it around her neck, placing it under he clothes so no one could see it. Now that Colin had left, Ginny took it out from under her blouse and fingered it lovingly. A knock on her door broke Ginny out of her reverie.

Ginny walked over and opened her door. Standing on the other side was Harry. "I'm marrying Colin next Saturday."

Without a word, Harry walked into her room. He took her hand and carefully slipped off her engagement ring. He placed it on the table where she had eaten dinner with Colin. Ginny looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He put his arms around her and guided her back to her bedroom. That night Ginny slept with Harry for a final time before her wedding.