Shoreline 2, Back Again

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny took his hand, looking at it as she stood. She let go of his hand and hugged herself.

[Zack]

Fighting the urge to run off screaming and plunge himself into the water close behind, and forcefully drown himself in the cold waters, Zack reached out, and hugged Ginny, a friendly, reassuring motion, concerned about her, more than he was himself. It felt awkward, to him, to be hugging someone after such a long time. And someone who probably wanted little to do with him anymore, anyway. He rested his chin upon her head, unnerved at her closeness to crying. He had seen Ginny cry only once. He couldn't even remember when that had been. Too long ago. Everybody deserved to cry.
Zack was a walking hypocrite. Never in mathematical years, would he let himself cry. Though he kind of wanted to, then.

"If looking at me is impossible," he said, backing away slowly, a hand on each of her shoulders, "then am I allowed to know, why?"

[Ginny Weasly]

Finally she looked at him.
"I'm afraid of how much I've changed."

[Zack]

"Everybody changes. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. We can't stop things from happening. People change for various reasons. People react in.. different ways. Why are you afraid?"

Zack met her eyes directly, through the few strips of his dark hair that dangled before his face, the greys of his eyes cold and swirling with hurt, and loss, and confusion, and emotions he couldn't control, such as the rising steel chill he every day feared, rising up and plating his grip on his sanity, and ability to feel at all. There was so much he didn't want to face; he feared it would one day collapse in on him. His firm barriers began to splinter, then. He understood, why she was afraid...

[Ginny Weasly]

She watched his emotions through his eyes. She didn't say anything for a long moment, ebfore she opened her mouth again.
"I don't...I don't like how I've changed. I wish I could say I've become a better person, but I havn't." She lowered her eyes. "I'm afraid, you'll see how much I've changed and not want to be my friend anymore."

[Zack]

Zack had been thinking the same thing about himself. Dam* near exactly the same thing. A literal shiver spiked through his body. He tried to smile, to reassure her, failed miserably, and simply brought her close again, she, Ginny, one of the oldest friends he'd missed the most, into another hug.

"I saw a lot of people, watched how they interacted with each other, fought, talked, and died together, when I was gone from here. Human nature, I s'pose, for everyone to change in ways according to who they will turn out to be, and for some people to split apart because of their differences. I saw these people out there, alone. Those people who couldn't adjust themselves to the turning cycle of life lived alone, and died alone."
He spoke in a low tone, quietly, gentle, unnerved more by her sadness then anything else. He backed away slowly, just slightly, to meet her eyes.
"Don't go on thinking that you've changed so much that I would abandon you. You're one of my oldest friends, Ginny. It doesn't matter to me. I'll still be there, though maybe not always in person."

Zack's insides went from a numb ice, to an exploding pain, his head swimming with questions and worries and sadness, his heart weighed down with a dozen bricks of solid lead. How would she, how would anybody, react to the amount he, had changed? For the first time since the day he had left, he felt that cool, sinking nervousness...

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny heard all she said, but one phrase repeated.
"Died together...." She said softly. She blinked, stopping the tears and shaking her head. Something bothered her about that. She looked up, her mind sliding back to the last thing he said.

"But if your not here in person...what does it matter?" She looked at him again. She shut her mouth suddenly. 'Why do I keep talking? I want to beleive him...but with everything happening, and the fact Conan's changed since that night...and...' She thought, hoping he wasn't peeking into her thoughts.

[Zack]

He wasn't listening on purpose...it was by habit that Zack listened to her thoughts, clear as if she'd said them aloud. It was only when she began to worry if he was listening in that he realized, and shut away his mind, sealing off any permeability.

" 'Cause I'll probably still be here in mentality. And hey, I'm back.. I'll try not to be gone from Hogwarts too much this year. And after, I'll find a way, no matter, for us to stay in touch. You're one of my oldest friends, Gin, I can't loose ya."

He gently patted her shoulder, unsure of how to move, though the motion came out quite smooth.

[Ginny Weasly]

Slowly, Ginny nodded.
"Okay....." She looked up, still nodding.

"I'm sorry about that." She said sighing softly. "I'm sorry."

[Zack]

Zack attepted a grin. Failed.

"Don't apologize anymore, Gin. I've been gone too long. You deserve to run me over a few times."
He smiled at her, but then faltered.

"Dumbledore is really gone, though?..."

[Ginny Weasly]

She nodded sadly.
"Yes. He's gone. McGonagll is the headmistress now. The School Board won't think or changing that. At first, they wanted to, but then alot of people told them not to."

[Zack]

"In other words, you and McGonnagal run the place. Got it. I must be on my best behavior... I must figure out how to do that, then. Check."

Zack grinned, framing his old light humored self, hiding sucessfully what other thoughts there might have been.

[Ginny Weasly]

She smiled.
"Sorta. I don't teach, but I am in charge of students." She said, nodding.

[Josh Weasley]

He walked up to them and looked at Ginny and smiled."Some things never change."