What We Require

Ch6: Projects

Harry had managed to sleep late, so when he stumbled down the stairs into the Entrance Hall the next morning, he was alone. This made it easy for Ginny, who it seemed had been waiting for him to make an appearance. As soon as he set foot in the Entrance Hall, Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him off to an empty side corridor.

"Harry, we need to talk."

Harry felt a sudden stab of anxiety. If he was honest with himself, he'd been doing his best to avoid talking to Ginny alone. Many things had been lost over the last year, and it seemed that the spark Harry once felt when near the fierce red-headed girl was one of those things. Ginny must have seen something of his nerves on Harry's face, because she rolled her eyes and drew him into a quick, tight hug, before hitting him gently upside the head as she pulled back.

"No, you idiot, not about that. I knew when you left me behind that we never really had any hope of making it out of the war with what we had intact. It's okay, Harry. Really." She smiled gently at him, like he was a deer about to startle. "We're different people now, and that's okay."

Harry felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest, and he felt a twinge of regret that his love for the wonderful girl in front of him had swung back around to friendly rather than the – admittedly, a little awkward at times – passion they had shared for some of his sixth year.

"Thank you, Ginny. I'm really glad to hear you say that. You'll find someone who loves you with everything he has, I know it."

Ginny blushed prettily and shot Harry a sly smile.

"Yes, well. I might have my eye on someone, but he's being a little bit... obtuse, about the whole thing, honestly. But my love life, or current lack of, is not what I wanted to talk about. Harry, this is about Zabini."

Harry frowned.

"What about him?"

Ginny's eyebrows drew together.

"Look, I know you and Ron don't trust him, but I need you two to back off, okay? Just... try to avoid arguing with the Slytherins this year. For me."

Harry met Ginny's gaze and couldn't quite put his finger on the emotion that filled the hazel eyes of his friend. Well, other than the usual stubbornness that was a common feature among Weasleys.

"Yeah, okay. Alright, I'll ask Ron to hold back. I don't know why you've suddenly become the Slytherin's protector or whatever, but I'll ask."

Ginny sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not their protector, I'm just... Merlin, Harry, I'm just so tired. I'm so tired of hating people just because they wear green rather than red. I'm tired of judging people I don't even really know. I'm tired of living up to every bloody thing we tell ourselves the other side is evil for doing – for judging someone based on House, or their family. I'm tired of there being another side. Aren't you?"

Harry didn't say anything, but a piece of him that had become numb and dulled over the last few years raised its head in recognition at Ginny's words. He huffed out a breath but nodded once, and Ginny smiled tiredly.

"Thank you. Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

Harry followed the ginger into the Great Hall, waving a quick goodbye as Ginny headed towards the Seventh Year table and Harry turned to go sit with Hermione and Ron at the new Eighth Year's table. Ron was half asleep in his sausages, and Hermione was chatting excitedly with Padma Patil about what elective class they would each end up deciding on.