FAN FICTION          

NOT SO YOUNG

Ginny sat at the back of the church, snuggled in a soft black velvet cloak. Her flame-like hair spread across the dark material, seeming to flicker as shafts of coloured light flowed to it from the stained glass windows. Her face was barely visible, buried as it was under the cloak, but two large brown eyes peeped over the top, watching.

'Do you, Ronald Weasley, take Hermione Granger as your lawful wedded wife?' The Ministry wizard looked up from his page to glare owl-like at Ron, as if daring him to say no.
'I do.'
'And do you, Hermione Granger, take Ronald Weasley to be your lawful wedded husband?' The same glare, but Hermione turned to Ron, a slight smile crossing her face before she answered.
'I do.' She pushed the golden ring onto Ron's finger, and Ginny caught a glimpse of the large grin that covered her brother's face.
A small sob issued from the large purple hat that covered the back of Molly Weasley's head as Ron and Hermione crossed their wands. Silver sparks shot out or their wand ends and surrounded them with glittering stars.
'I know pronounce you man and wife,' the grudging voice droned, and added as if an after-thought, 'You may kiss the bride, you know.'
Ron and Hermione kissed, but broke apart as the congregation in the church applauded loudly, sending more brightly coloured stars and floating confetti into the air, until the church was air was thick with dancing shapes. Through this Ron and Hermione walked, out into the warm summer air.
The rest of the witches and wizards in the pews stood up and started to make their way towards the large oak double doors at the back. A few pushed past Ginny, but she sat still, not wanting to be part of the happiness that chatted happily as they walked back to the Burrow for the reception.
She just sat and stared, snuggled deep in her velvet cloak. And waited.
After two hours, when everyone had long gone and the church was silent, she heard him. She heard his heavy footsteps crunching on the gravel path, getting louder as he got closer. She knew they would send him too look for her, when they finally noticed she wasn’t with them.
He reached the door and pushed it, the creaking hinges screaming out in pain as they grated against the rust of five hundred years. She saw him step into the gloom of the church, searching it as his eyes became accustomed to the dark.
'Ginny?'
'Yes?'
Her voice shook slightly, as she tried to control the internal struggle that was telling her not to answer. But it died as Harry walked towards her, his hair glinting blue where moonlight shafts had replaced the sun. She shivered slightly, even though the church air was still quite warm after the evenings stifling heat.
'Why aren’t you at the party?' he whispered as he settled down next to her.

'Oh, I just thought it would be nice sit here for a bit.' Harry chuckled. 'Come on, the band's here now, and Molly's got all the food out…you've never seen more cucumber sandwiches in your life.' He leaned closer, and whispered, 'You don't want to miss Ron and Hermione in the first dance do you?' Ginny looked over at Harry, her eyes, suddenly cold, giving him the answer at once. He sat back, startled by the viciousness of the sudden stare. 'How dare you?' Ginny spat, shrugging away from Harry's comforting hand.
'How dare I what?'
Ginny glared at him more fiercely than ever, before turning away. 'Like you don't know.'
Harry genuinely didn't. Ever since he had arrived at the burrow this morning, doing his duties as best man, Ginny had been icy towards him. She hadn't talked to him at all since he had come back. Not once. That hurt, and so did her cat-like remarks now.
'What have I done? Tell me Ginny.'
She turned to face him; her face screwed up in anger as she prepared to berate him with untrue answers. But she softened at the look of complete bewilderment that was on Harry's bespectacled face. Something stirred deep in her. 'Just leave me alone, ok?' She sat back in the creaking pew; not wanting to look at the one who would dig at deeply buried feelings.
Harry slumped back. He glanced sideways at the hunched figure, the red hair not so bright in the gloom of the church. Little Ginny had grown up so much since he had left school, was three years really so long? So long that she had shut him out completely? He turned away the thought.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Ginny sought to fill the uncomfortable silence.
'Sorry.'
Harry shook his head. 'What have you got to be sorry about?'
'For snapping at you.'
Harry just chuckled, and put an arm around her. 'It's been along time hasn't it?'
Ginny shivered under his touch. Not too long.
'Not long enough.'
Harry felt her soft hair under his fingers. It really was like fire, the way it moved flickering like flames as it caught the light. Like copper wire, but more like flames in the way that it was so fine, the way it shivered. His heart jumped slightly as he teased the hair between his fingers.
'Harry?'
'Mmm?'
'You know when you went away, after Dumbledore died, I mean?'
Harry flinched slightly, and when he spoke his voice was more bitter than she had ever heard it. 'I'm sorry Ginny, I just needed time. And phoenix tears.'

She nodded slightly, and leaned on him slightly. 'Where did you go?'
'All over. First to Azkaban, then to France, then Belgium. China. India. Bulgaria,' He gave a dry laugh. 'Then back here, to this wedding.' He took a long look around the church, before his eyes rested on Ginny.
'A long way then?'
'Yes.'
More silence.
'Do you want to go back to the party?'
'No.'
As they sat, the moon slowly crawled up the night sky, casting deep shadows through the church. Finally, Ginny turned to Harry, a small smile on her face.
'You want to go for a walk?'
'It's dark.'
'So?'
Harry sat for a second, before a smile crossed his face and he laughed. 'Why not?'
Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him up from the seat. 'Hang on!' he gasped as she pilled him out into the cool night air.
Down in the valley, they could see the Burrows brightly-lit windows, and hear laughter and music float lazily out into the night air.
'Come on!'
'I'm coming!'
They rushed along the gravel path, and out the wicker gate onto a small country lane. Instead of going down to the Burrow, Ginny pulled Harry up the lane to a field gate. She jumped over it, giggling madly, her long velvet cloak snagging on brambles. Harry followed quickly, captivated as he saw Ginny dancing ahead of him, light glinting of her hair. She danced through the long grass and meadow flowers, flinging her arms out and throwing her head up to the pinpoints of stars above.
Finally she fell down, completely breathless, her face glowing. 'I used to come up here as a kid,' she said, when Harry flopped down next to her. 'It was really gorgeous in the evenings. The sun set right over those hills, and all of this was purple and gold and pink.' She waved her hand encompassing the velvety sky above them, and the hills that were directly opposite them.
'I wish I had been there.' Harry said quietly.
Ginny tilted her face towards him, so that Harry could see the moonlight glinting off her dark eyes. 'I wish you had been here too.'
They lay in silence for a long time, staring at the scattered stars that winked down on them. Harry glanced at Ginny every now and again, hardly able to keep his eyes off the beauty of the scene. The silvery light catching Ginny's face, highlighting stray strands her hair that fell over it. Her body, tilted towards him slightly, glowed in the silver robes she was wearing under her cloak, which was now lying a couple of feet away, tossed off by her mad spinning.
Not so young, and definitely not so innocent.
She felt his glances, and turned to catch his eye. She no longer fought her buried secret, the thing that had tortured her for so long. For now it filled her, causing her to heart to skip every time she looked at the man that was lying on the grass next to her. Harry held out a hand and she took it.
'I'm sorry I hurt you, Ginny.'
'You didn't know.'
'Yes I did. And me being my pigheaded self I travelled the world so I wouldn't have to face it. Because then I'd have to face myself too.' He held her hand even more tightly than before.
'I ran away when I knew I loved you, Ginny.'
She gasped. Her head seemed to cloud up as he put a hand round her waste and pulled her over to him. She pressed her lips against his, feeling his hair between her fingers. She held him tightly, afraid that if she let go she would lose him. His hands rapped around her sending shivers of pleasure up he spine, her skin tingling to his every touch.

Harry had been amazed how Ginny had handled the next morning with such ease. During the party, everybody had been having far too much fun to notice that Harry had not come back. But the next morning, when Hermione had sorted through the hungover relatives that were moaning from their camp beds, she noticed Harry was not among them.
Very inquisitive stares greeted Harry and Ginny when they returned to the burrow, both looking rather ruffled, and pulling stalks of grass out of their hair.
'Sorry we're late!' Ginny said brightly, as they wandered into the kitchen. 'Is there any nibbles left? I'm starving…'
'I'm sure you are!' said Ron's Uncle Albert, to which Auntie Bettie stepped on his foot very hard, and steered him out of the kitchen, giving Ginny a very patronising look.
'Well, I am!' said Ginny, turning to Harry. 'And I've got to eat for two now, so where are the cucumber sandwiches?' She left Harry standing in the kitchen, a look of horror on his face.
'Two???!!!'

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