Heart of Yours | Harry Potter

XII.

Lalia planned to meet with Ginny the weekend after Snape had prevented their date. Ginny and Lalia had planned to spend one day of said weekend together on Hogwarts ground. They had left the Great Hall and stopped near the entrance of the school. 

"What did you want to do?" Lalia asked smiling at Ginny. Her eyes wandered as she watched Harry leave the Great Hall with Hermione and Ron. 

Ginny moved to assert herself back into the girl's field of vision.

"Let's go on a walk?" Ginny said, frowning at Lalia.

Lalia nodded, furrowed her brow at the saddened look on Ginny's face.

The two walked silently and aimlessly through the outer paths of Hogswarts.

"Gin, what's wrong? Lalia asked her softly.

Ginny sighed and stoppped to face the girl.

"Do you love me?" she asked Lalia.

"What? Of course I do!"

"Okay... but you also love Harry," Ginny said.

Lalia gaped at the girl unsure of what to say. Did she love Harry? Yes, she certainly did. But was it the way she loved Ginny? She thought of the eagerness she had felt in her heart when she saw the vision of her and Harry at Grimmauld Place. 

Lalia scrunched up her face as the answer settled heavily into her heart.

"It's okay. I've known that you loved him for a long time. I've been okay with it."

"So... what's changed?" Lalia asked, shakily.

"I can't keep competing with Harry for your attention. It isn't healthy for me. I need to know, do you love Harry more than me?"

Lalia opened her mouth to immediately disagree with the question. She didn't know how to respond. She also didn't trust herself to truly know the answer.

"See that's the issue, Lalia."

"But I don't know if I love him more. I'm not sure if I love either of you more..." Lalia's voice was so quiet. She wasn't sure if Ginny had even been able to hear her at first.

"I know. It's okay, Lalia."

The girls stared at each other quietly. Tears were pricking at Lalia's eyes as she saw the determined look on Ginny's face.

"It really is okay. I don't know who I was kidding. You and Harry have clearly been smitten with each other since you met. Not to mention you're an Amatory Seer," Ginny paused when she saw the confusion on the girl's face. She gave a harsh snort as reality sunk in. "Oh God, you don't even know. Lalia, you should really do some research on your abilities. It's ridiculous that you haven't yet."

"Dad did it for me," the girl muttered.

" 'Course. Look Lalia, we need to break up. I don't want to be someone's second choice." She held up her hand to stop Lalia's protest before it started. "I might not be your second choice now, but I know that eventually I would be."

"Gin..."

"It's okay. We're okay. I just need to stop this before we become not okay. I'll see you later." Ginny kissed Lalia's cheek and left the girl standing on a path on Hogwart's grounds.

Lalia gasped for breath as she tried to hold her tears in. She messily rushed down the path towards Hogwarts, stumbling vaguely past students. She stopped and looked up when she heard her name called.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared at the girl worriedly.

"Lalia, are you okay?" Hermione repeated.