Long-Distance
A Harry/Ginny One-shot
By Phaerie
"Gin, maybe we should take a break."
Yes, let's take a break from reality.
"I mean, you're going to be studying for you NEWTs this year, and I'm starting my Auror training, so we'll hardly be able to write to each other often, much less see each other."
I don't like where this is headed.
"When you say break, Harry, you mean a break from each other? Like we should see other people?"
Please say no. Please say this is all some awful joke.
"Not necessarily. I mean, if you fall for someone at school, then by all means..."
I don't want to fall for someone at school! I love you, Harry! No one else. I thought you felt the same.
"Are we breaking up, Harry?"
I knew it was too good to be true. I knew this could never last.
"No! We're just...taking a break..."
I don't want to take a break.
"Harry, if we're taking a break and seeing other people, then we've broken up."
I feel cold and numb. Can't we just kiss and forget this whole wretched thing ever happened?
"Then I guess we're breaking up..."
Ginerva Weasley stood on Platform 9 3/4, waiting for the crowd of students to thin out before she attempted to board the Hogwarts Express. Her parents had already departed, with rib-breaking hugs and the promise of a letter every week. It felt odd, being the only Weasley attending Hogwarts this year. She was so used to at least one of her brothers being there with her. She'd also be without one of her best friends, Hermione Granger. At least Hermione hadn't suggested that they break off their friendship. It was hard enough dealing with a painful break-up with her boyfriend of over a year, Harry Potter. She doubted she could have survived if Hermione hadn't promised to write her every day.
Ginny set her jaw and scrunched her nose to keep herself from crying. She had decided that she wouldn't cry anymore, at least not over that stupid wanker of an ex-boyfriend. If he had fallen for someone else, he should have just said so instead of making up ridiculous excuses about 'taking a break.' She'd have understood, though reluctantly. She just wanted Harry to be happy, it was just too bad that he couldn't be happy with her.
'Maybe he's discovered he's gay,' a little voice inside her head mused.
'Great, I turned Harry Potter off women,' she thought back cynically.
'You know that's not what I meant,' the voice whined back. 'I was only trying to make you feel better.'
'How would that make me feel any better?' Ginny sighed, 'Nevermind, it doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts anyway, right?'
Ginny snorted at her odd conversation with herself and looked over to the train. The platform was still occupied by many students either reuniting with their friends or saying their good-byes to their parents, though a good majority had already boarded the train. She smiled sadly as a girl she recognized from her Herbology class last year flung herself into her boyfriend's waiting arms and snogged him right there in front of everyone, including her own parents. Her father looked quite flustered.
Grabbing ahold of her trolley, Ginny made her way over to one of the cars near the back of the train, where some of her friends usually sat. She waved with a small smile when one of them jumped off the train to help her with her luggage. Her trunk safely stowed away, she quickly snatched up her rucksack and purse from her trolley and turned to board the train.
'This would be the perfect time for Harry to rush forward stop me from getting on the train,' she thought dazily.
'Yeah, he'd wrap his arms around you and beg you not to go,' the little voice sighed dreamily.
'Too bad life isn't a sappy romance novel,' Ginny thought back, 'If it were, we could kiss passionatly, too lost in each other's love to notice the world surrounding us.'
'Oh! And then he could explore the caverns of your mouth with his tongue and gently caress your - '
'I thought sappy, not trashy, you great git,' Ginny interuppted irately. 'What do you think you're doing? Plaguing my innocent mind with such atrocious imagery.'
The little voice snorted derisivley back at her.
"Gin! Ginny, wait!" someone shouted from behind her as she grabbed hold of the metal railing to step onto the train.
'Pinch me. I think I'm dreaming.'
'Pinch yourself. I'm just a disembodied voice.'
Pulling her hand away from the railing, she pinched the skin on the back of her hand. "Ow."
"Are you alright?" came a concerned voice from just behind her. Turning slowly on the step, Ginny came face-to-face with a worried and out-of-breath ex-boyfriend.
"Harry?" she whispered in astonishment. Could he possibly...?
"Er, hi. I just, you know, wanted to see you off," he muttered, trying to catch his breath.
'Of course he didn't come here to beg you to stay, you silly girl. This is reality.'
"Oh, um, goodbye then," Ginny said, her head drooping in disappointment as she turned back around.
"Ginny, wait," Harry exclaimed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back around to face him. "I just, I needed to ask you something before you left."
Ginny raised an eyebrow expectantly, schooling the rest of her features to stay blank.
"Could you - do you think - " Harry broke off; shook his head.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked politely.
"Could you live with a long-distance relationship?" Harry blurted out earnestly.
Ginny's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "What do you mean?" she gaped.
"I mean, would it be alright if we had a long-distance realtionship, just until you're done with school? I thought it would be better if we just broke things off for a while, but I don't want to. I don't want you to go fall for some bloke at school."
Ginny's vision blurred and she bit her lip as she broke out in a gigantic grin. Jumping off the train step, she pratically tackled Harry as she latched her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him soundly.
Harry broke out in a grin of his own, "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"
Relief bubbling up and lifting a heavy weight off of her shoulders, Ginny laughed and burried her face in his chest.
"Sorry to interrupt, Ginny dear, but the train's about to leave," one of her friends remarked amusedly as she poked her head out of her compartment window.
Ginny reluctantly pulled away from Harry and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'll write you every chance I get," she promised.
"Me too. And it's only a few months until Christmas break," he reasoned.
"Yeah," she replied with a nod and a small smile.
"Ginny?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Harry."
"Long distance, huh?" one of Ginny's friends asked once she finally boarded the train after a rather lengthy good-bye kiss.
"Are you sure you can live with that, Gin?" Another friend asked her worriedly.
Ginny nodded, "We'll make it work." She looked out the compartment window at the messy-haired wizard standing on the platform with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a lopsided grin plastered on his face. And as the train's whistle sounded shrilly, the wheels slowly starting to turn and inch along the tracks, she blew him a long-distance kiss.
A/N: The drama! The angst! The sugary-sweet ending! That was fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and tell me what you think!
-Phaerie