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Long Story Short | 21

Ginny was so mentally drained. All this drama made her feel like she was trapped inside a dark room with no door to the outside world. The sense that things were getting better was nothing more than a mere hallucination. She wasn't even close to the root of the problem, and at this point she wasn't even sure if she would ever get that far. She was exhausted.

It had been half an hour since Harry had found her crying at her own doorstep. It hadn't been her proudest moment, but she was glad he had shown up. The young man had been an unexpected yet welcomed comforting presence, despite everything that was going on between them. He definitely was right about talking to someone close to her who had a better understanding of the situation. Ginny followed Harry's advice and owled Caroline as soon as he left.Caroline showed up to her doorstep in fifteen minutes. Her friend wasn't exactly known for her punctuality, but she was quick to respond when there was trouble.

"I was at my mum's," Caroline explained breathlessly when Ginny answered the door. "I would have been here sooner."

"It's alright," Ginny reassured her. "Come in."

The two of them occupied the living room, sitting across each other. Ginny was aware she looked like a mess, judging by Caroline's worried expression. Merlin, she didn't even know where to start from.

"Ginny, what exactly happened? I'm seriously worried." Caroline asked eventually.

Ginny inhaled sharply. "You do know that I went over to my parents' last week to talk to them," she said and Caroline nodded. "My mum invited us to spend Christmas at the Burrow, which I accepted. I thought it would be alright... But when I told Dean today, he just snapped. He started shouting nonsense about me not taking him into consideration and always taking decisions on my own."

Caroline pressed her lips into a thin line, but didn't say anything on the matter. Right now it was hard to read her expression. She probably wanted to wait for Ginny to recite the event before she offered any commentary.

"I asked him why he was so upset about it. He then told me that he had already promised his mother we would spend Christmas there," Ginny continued. "How was I supposed to know that? He didn't tell me he would even go visit his family that very same day! I returned from the Burrow and just found a note from him. He didn't tell me anything until I brought it up! I'm not a Legiliments, for crying out loud!"

Ginny had to stop. She hadn't realized that she shouted again. She needed to take a breath. After a moment, she continued explaining how Dean repeatedly claimed that her family didn't like him and couldn't spend Christmas in such a toxic environment. He accused her of choosing her family over him and called her a liar for talking to Harry behind his back.

"The reason why I didn't tell him is because I know how jealous he is of Harry for no reason," Ginny rolled her eyes. "A literal baby."

"And what did you tell him, Gin?" Caroline asked.

"I basically called him out. For as long as we've been engaged, he hasn't made any efforts whatsoever to approach my family, which is understandable, considering the circumstances. But he didn't even want me to try and create a bridge. He wasn't even happy when I told him that my family has finally come around to the idea of us getting married. I called him out for his obsession with Harry. Instead of being happy with the fact that I finally made amends with my past, he makes me feel worse... I don't know what he wants from me anymore," she said, tears threatening to spill. "He literally made an entire scene in front of the entire neighborhood. I've never been more embarrassed in my life. Even Harry came over to see if I was okay."

"Ginny, I really don't know what to say. That's so fucked up," Caroline said.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Carol. I thought I was doing alright, that we could get through this, but I was wrong," Ginny confessed. "We're stuck in this vicious cycle where we fight, then make up, then fight again. It's just a loop."