Maybe This Time

CHAPTER EIGHT:LAST WORDS FOR HER

A WEEK LATER IN THE LIBRARY...

'Hey Malfoy,' said Ron, peeping over Draco's notes, 'Howdid you do number 5?'

'Aren't we helpless when our little girlfriends are nothere, Weasley?' he drawled, looking up from his notes. He smirked. 'I'll answeryou later. I don't feel like thinking right now.'

'Maybe you just don't know the answer,' said Ron, teasinglyand looking over Crabbe's parchment. 'How do you do number 5?'

'I don't know,' said Crabbe, 'I'm also waiting for mygirlfriend.'

'I admit it,' said Ron, 'girls are smarter than boys.'Draco chuckled.

'That rule doesn't apply to me, thank you,' said Draco. 'Wemen are just lazy.'

'Oh yeah! Right.' A few minutes later, Ginny joined them.

'Problem, Weasley?' said Draco, looking at Ginny.

'Hello,' she said tiredly. 'Draco? Aren't you supposed tobe in your weekly meeting with the teachers, Headmaster, prefects and the Headgirl? I saw Hermione---'

'Hush,' he said, 'I'd rather do homework than go to thatboring meeting. The same topic every week.' He looked at Ron and then rolledhis eyes. 'People there argue over the dumbest thing, such as garbage disposal.What do I care about that?'

'Unbelievable,' said Ginny, her eyes roaming around thelibrary. She looked at him again. 'How on earth did you become Headboy?'

'What kind of question is that?' he said lazily and thensmirked. 'Looking for someone?'

'Of course not,' she replied uneasily. 'Why would you thinkthat?'

'Cool it, Virginia,'said Draco, taking a sideways glance at Ron. 'I was just asking.' Ginny rolledher eyes and then sat beside Ron.

'Anyway, how come there's only two of you?' she asked.

'What do you mean?' asked Draco.

'I mean you know,' she continued, opening her book andstarting to write something down. 'You are always with the prat.'

'Ah, which one?' asked Ron. Ginny looked at him.

'You know pretty well who I'm referring to.'

'No. Actually, I don't little sister,' said Ron.

'Yes,' added Draco, 'Lavender considers Seamus a prat rightnow.'

'Hello?' said Ginny irritably, 'Of course, I'm talkingabout Harry.'

'Oh,' said both boys.

'Well, he's gone,' replied Draco nonchalantly.

'What do you mean?' said Ginny, dropping her quill on thetable. 'He's gone?'

'Are you still angry with Harry?' asked Ron.

'What do you mean he's gone?' she asked again.

'Well, he left two days after the "Have I told you that Ireally hate you right now?" line,' said Ron, looking at her.

'Where did he go?' she asked.

'Bulgaria,'said Draco, shoving a handful of Every Flavour Beans in Peppermint.

'Bulgaria?!'gasped Ginny. 'Are you serious?'

'Why would we lie?' said Draco, chewing on the Peppermintflavoured beans.

'He didn't even say goodbye---' Ron and Draco's jawdropped.

'You wouldn't talk to him, remember?' said Ron.

'I didn't know that he was leaving,' she said weakly,looking very upset. 'Besides, it was his fault. He shouldn't have done that.That was the harshest joke that I've ever had and getting it from him made iteven worse! What happened to him? He---'

'Girls,' drawled Draco, 'you are so confusing!' Ginnyfrowned at him.

'What do you mean?' asked Ginny, looking terrible. 'I'mconfusing? He's confusing! He began acting strange and I don't even---'

'Can't you read between the lines?' asked Draco. 'Why don'tyou ask yourself why he's acting strange?'

'How should I know?' snapped Ginny.

'The bloke wouldn't be acting like that if it wasn't foryou,' said Draco softly, 'or his feelings for you.' Ginny looked at himintently. 'He was right there, Ginny. He was giving you all the signs and allthese time you thought he was lying.'

'Wha---what are you---talking---about?' she asked,stuttering a little and not believing what she's hearing.

'Ginny,' said Ron, placing an arm around her. 'He wanted meto tell you something.'

'Hey Harry,' said Ron, leaning on the doorframe of theirdormitory. 'So, you are not going to change your mind anymore, I see.' Harrylooked up from his bed and then forced a smile.

'Yeah,' he said, folding his robe and then placing it inhis suitcase. 'I'm going to Durmstrang, can you believe that?' Ron walkedtowards him and then helped him fold his clothes.

'Will you owl us when you get there? If somebody's bullyingyou owl me, Malfoy or Neville and we'll go there and get you.' Harry chuckled.'Not to mention, kick their arse!'

'No need for that, mate,' said Harry, 'I'll be fine. I'llbe fine. Besides, I'm the boy who lived!' They both chuckled but Harry stoppedafter awhile. 'Ron.'

'Hmm?' said Ron, looking up.

'About that favour,' said Harry.

'Oh yes,' said Ron, 'Anything man, anything.'

'Once I'm gone and when you get a chance,' said Harry,sitting on the bed and looking at Ron. 'Will you tell Ginny that I love her?'

'Yeah,' said Ron, 'Of course. But Harry, why don't you tellher yourself?'

'I wanted to. So bad. But every time I get the chance to doit, I always seem to get her upset---very upset or I'll suddenly lose thewords. Besides, I also don't know where to start. I don't know how to tell her.Most of all, she wouldn't believe me.'

'Oh, that too.'

'Besides, I know that she fancy's Ian. Tell her that I justwanted her to know, anyway. So tell her to not worry about me. I understand thecircumstances and I know that her, liking me again is impossible. I totallyrespect that. I can't change the past anymore.' Ron was biting his lower lipbecause of pity towards his best friend.

'Oh Harry,' said Ron, 'I'm so sorry.'

'Don't be,' he replied, trying to look happy. 'I totallydeserve this.' Ron just swallowed hard. 'I was a prat, whose timing is bad.'

'Harry---'

'Wait, I know it's a lot, Ron, but I'm not done yet,' hecontinued, 'Lastly, please tell her to always take good care of herself and shedeserves all the best things in life.'

'I'll tell her that,' said Ron.

'And that she'll always be here,' continued Harry, placinghis hand over his heart. 'Phew. I feel so much better, getting all that stuffout of my chest!'

'I thought---I really thought---' said Ginny in a whisperlike voice, looking at the two of them.

'That he was lying?' continued Draco.

'Sorry but he wasn't, Ginny,' said Ron, placing a brotherlyarm around her sister. She looked so shocked and anxious.

'Hermione was telling the truth?' said Ginny, breathingdeeply. 'All along?'

'Hermione told you that he loves you?' asked Draco. Ronraised his eyebrows.

'I thought that she accidentally slipped and told Harry---'

'We---we--we---wait!' said Draco, raising his palms in asurrender look. 'What do you mean? What are you talking about?'

'Told Harry what?' asked Ron, frowning.

'That I love him,' gasped Ginny. Her lips were suddenlyvery dry. Ron and Draco looked at each other. 'I thought he was lying. Ithought that he was just using my feelings to make me cancel my date with Ian.I thought that---'

'Well, you thought wrong, miss,' said Draco. 'Hold on aminute, this is going too fast.'

'Do you love Harry?' asked Ron faintly.

'Never stopped,' replied Ginny, her eyes a bit watery.

'So what's the problem then?' interrupted Crabbe. 'He lovesher. She loves him. All they have to do is talk!' Ginny's face brightened up.

'I have to go to Bulgaria!' she was about to stand up whenRon grabbed her arm. 'Ron, it's a Friday. I'll probably be back tomorrow! I'lljust tell him that---'

'Ginny,' said Ron. 'I don't know how to tell you this.'Draco stood up and then guided her to a chair.

'This can't be good, can it?' sighed Ginny, closing hereyes and leaning on the chair.

'When he told me what he wanted to tell you,' said Ron veryslowly and wincing a little.

'Yes,' whispered Ginny, raising her eyebrows.

'He also said that he'll never ever bother you again,'continued Ron.

'Which means that?' sighed Ginny again, her eyes becomingeven wetter.

'He did a spell, Ginny,' said Draco uncomfortably.

'What kind of spell?' she asked with gritted teeth andshe's now crying a little.

'Fidelius Charm,' said Ron, 'so it's no use going toBulgaria. You'll never find him.'

'Fidelius Charm? Why?' said Ginny softly, closing her eyeswhich caused some tears to fall.

'But maybe we can find out who the Secret Keeper is,'interrupted Crabbe.

'Oh yeah,' said Draco, looking sideways at Ron.

'Do you have any idea on---' asked Ginny, looking up tothem.

'Well, why don't you ask him?' said Ron and Draco at thesame time. They looked at each other.

'It's not you?' said Draco.

'It's not you as well?!' said Ron. 'But I thought it wasyou.'

'So did I! But you are his best friend!'

'Who is it then?!' asked Ginny, desperately.