Heartbreak (James)

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

I don't know if I'm technically supposed to start posting yet, but, the idea's bouncing around my head now so I wanna get it out before I forget:


Ginny was scared. For only about the fourth time in her life she was genuinely and truly frightened. Today was the day she had been dreading for months. She and Harry had spent the past year practicing and perfecting Occlumency. It had gotten to where not even Dumbledore could crack either of their walls, even when they were focusing on other things. He would test her while she was with James and test Harry while he was with her. She had introduced herself to Voldemort a year ago as a prospective death eater. Although he did not want many younger death eaters, he welcomed the help she offered as well as the information she supplied about the school, the students, etc. Harry had begun to take the place Dumbledore began as the unnamed spy. He started revealing himself and now Voldemort knew who he was and was beginning to place a bit of trust in him. They were ready to go the next step and both focus all their time into spying. That meant that she had to do the unthinkable. She had to break up with James. She loved him. Yes, she made a mistake and she kissed Harry a long while back, but she stilled loved James. She dreaded his reaction. He knew it would have to happen sometime, but he didn't expect it to happen until the next year, when he had learned that he and Lily got together. But, Snape and Lily recently had their falling out, and now it was her time. If she was lucky, James and Lily would comfort one another, if not, she'd just have to hope they'd still end up together in the end. She gathered herself, took a deep breath, and sent her paper airplane a float with a note asking James to meet her in the astronomy tower... which, she remembered now, was the place they first began dating. She could feel a tear begin to form at the thought. This was gonna be harder than she hoped... at least she had Harry and Remus to help her feel better. And the rest of the year to devote to destroying Voldemort in hopes that she and Harry could save James and Lily.

[James Charlus Potter]

"Oh come on Jamsies! Don't tell me you still haven't shagged Ginny!" Sirius howled, the group of four Marauders relaxing at the Stone Circle.

"And you've shagged Stacy?" James shot back.

"Oh yeah, loads of time," Sirius replied with a cocky smile all over his face.

"Which means he hasn't," Remus interjected with a small smile, a book in front of him, reading it, but also paying attention to the conversation. He was usually good at that, reading and listening to his friends' bone headed conversations.

"Oi! Remus! That's not true! I tell you; I have," Sirius asserted with a glare towards Remus that quickly disappeared back into that cocky grin.

"How about you, Remus?" Peter interjected with a weird giggle like laugh, looking at them with wide eyes. Remus's face turned red.

"Yeah, what about you and Vulpe?" Sirius asked, being the only in the group that actually didn't know about the travelers in time, even Peter having confronted James and Remus about it, and them both admitting it, finding out that both Ginny and Vulpe were travelers (James finding out Vulpe/Tonks, and Remus finding out Ginny).

"Of course not! And anyways, I wouldn't tell you if I had," Remus said burying his head deeper into the book.

"Oh, he has!" James announced with a gleeful grin on his face, Sirius pulling the book away from Remus, the two teaming up on him, and right next to him.

"Oi! Belt up, you two," Remus replied grabbing his book back and continuing to read. He was just getting to the good part too, "Vulpe and I have not shagged. Alright?" At that moment something hit James lightly on the back of his head, causing him to turn around seeing the airplane.

"Just leave him alone," James said waving Sirius off, and Sirius grudgingly followed what James ordered him to do with a simple wave back. "Ginny. Huh... Wonder what she wants." James was just about to open the plane, when Sirius grabbed the plane away.

"Hold on, it might be trapped. You know how she likes to play pranks," Sirius said examining the plane with interest, like a chemist holding a bottle and looking close at a reaction.

"I'll open it!" Peter said happily, obviously wanting to make sure he had a purpose in the group, not being the brains or the funny ones of the group, being the pretty much normal one. Sirius handed the plane over to Peter, who opened it, and nothing happened. James snatched it away.

"Alright, what's wrong with her?" James wondered, "No prank?" He read the message, and frowned. "She wants to see me... in the Astronomy Tower." Sirius howled.

"I think she's ready for a good shag!" Sirius laughed, "Why else the place you two started?"

"I dunno," James sighed, feeling a bit odd, something didn't seem right. No prank, she wasn't here, and all day she didn't seem the best in the world today. He was worried about her. "I'll go now. You three, don't wait for me to get back..." He added with a twinkle in his eye the last part, "Just in case."

James made his way towards the tower, running through his head what she wanted to see him for. He knew that they couldn't last forever, but their breakup seemed so far away. He loved Ginny, cared for her deeply. The last two years went too quickly for him. He walked up the steps and made his way towards Ginny, seeing her from behind.

"Hey Ginny," James said softly.

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

"James..." she said turning around, her voice a mere whisper. All her fears, all her feelings, everything began to flow through her mind. As she saw him, her memories began to flip through her mind. They first met in a prank gone wrong. Their prank war. Becoming a couple after a well thought out prank. Spending time watching the stars and swimming in the lake. Him learning about the future and accepting it and who she was. Him helping her when she was missing her family. Him understanding when she accidentally kissed Harry. Everything just flashed through her mind in those few seconds after she said his name.

"It's time, James..." she whispered quietly, knowing he would know what she meant. Knowing that if the marauders were listening they'd think something completely different. Knowing that it would crush him and it would crush her, but it had to be done. James and Lily had to get together, Harry had to be born, or the world would be impossibly different. "It's time." She took a deep breath and glanced away, trying not to shed the tears that were rapidly forming, trying not to see the pain on his face. "I'm sorry."

[James Charlus Potter]

James's eyes went wide. It couldn't possibly be time yet. He checked his magical watch, and looked back up at her. "It's only 7pm, Ginny..." James said as a poor excuse for a joke, forcing back feelings, "It can't be time yet. We have... just begun." James knew the future. He knew that he and Lily were supposed to get together, but right now, he didn't care. He wanted to be with Ginny. Right now he didn't want to let her go. He knew he had to. He knew that for the sake of the future, he would have to. That they weren't meant to be. But... he just didn't want to. When would he get to be selfish? ... Other than all the time?

James wanted to be selfish, to hold onto her. To keep her by him, to love her, and no one else. James walked up closer, hugging her tightly. "I don't want to let go," James said, forcing tears back. He was a man. He couldn't cry. No, he was James Potter, hearthrob, and he couldn't cry. He had to stay tough, but the dams of his eyes were nearing full, and keeping them from breaking was a very hard task, and it was obvious in his voice now. "Please Ginny. Not yet. Next year, some other time. Please."

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

Ginny smiled slightly at the joke, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know, James, it’s been two years, longer than any relationship I’ve had, but it’s felt so short,” she sighed. Looking slightly into his eyes she saw his emotions, the sadness that hid understanding. She saw his conflicting emotions, knowing what had to happen, but wanting what he wanted. She had told him so long ago what was going to happen, he knew the truth, he knew it had to happen, but they both didn’t want it to be so.

She wrapped her arms around him when he hugged her and couldn’t stop the tears from flowing out of her eyes and onto his shoulder. “I don’t either, James,” she managed to get out, nearly choking on the words. “It has to be now, James, I don’t have much of a choice… I’m doing something for Dumbledore and I’m not even going to be able to visit more than once or twice in the next several weeks to months. It’ll be easier on both of us if we end it now. I don’t want us to have to worry about when or even if we’ll see each other again. Anyway, Severus and Lily had their falling out, eventually she’ll learn that you’ve changed and you two will fall madly in love and I’ll be somewhere else, happy that you’re happy.” The words were hard to force past her throat, but she had to get them out, he had to understand what she was doing. He had to understand why she had to go now.