Harry Potter and Love's Changes by ScubaDoc3



Summary: After Harry is injured protecting the philosopher's stone, Minerva McGonnagall promises herself that she will do a better job looking after him. That promise will eventually lead to large changes in Harry's life. This will ultimately be Harry/Ginny, but since it starts at the end of Harry's first year, it will take a while for any romantic relationships to develop.

This is my first fanfic and I have no idea how long it will be or how long it will take me to post.
Rating: PG-13 starstarstarstarstar
Categories: Pre-OotP
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 2017.06.24
Updated: 2017.08.08


Harry Potter and Love's Changes by ScubaDoc3
Chapter 4: Chapter 4: August 31
Author's Notes:

Chapter 4: August 31st


Ginny Weasley was frantically pacing around her room trying to make sure she had everything packed. It was August 31st and Ginny was extremely excited about the fact that she was finally getting to go to Hogwarts. For as long as she could remember, she had gone to King’s Cross station on September 1st and been forced to stay behind as she watched one or more of her brothers board the Hogwart’s Express and leave without her. Last year had been the hardest of all because she was the only one left behind since Ron left too.

It was also a difficult year for her because of the mysterious boy she had seen on the platform. When she first caught sight of him, Ginny felt concerned because he seemed so scared and alone. His emerald green eyes had met hers only for a moment, but Ginny had felt something that she really couldn’t describe or explain when they did. When her brothers came back from putting their trunks on the train and told her that the boy she had seen was in fact Harry Potter, Ginny was nearly overcome with her desire to go speak with him. Unfortunately, she was not allowed to do so.

Ginny had always loved having her dad tell her the story of the boy-who-lived. No one really knew what happened to Harry Potter after his parents died. She thought it was sad he had to lose his parents, but she always imagined he had overcome those tragic circumstances and lived a great life. She had imaged what Harry might look like and after seeing Harry in person, she couldn’t help but laugh at herself when she realized how different the boy she imagined was from the boy who currently inhabited her house. After listening to Ron and the twins talk about what it was like at Harry’s house, Ginny realized that her dream Harry with his dream life never existed. At first, Ginny had thought Ron, Fred, and George had exaggerated about Harry being locked up and starved in order to try to keep themselves out of trouble, but when Ginny overheard the twins in their room still talking about it, she knew it must be true. Ginny became enraged at the idea of someone being mistreated, but since she knew the boys had already told her mom about it, there didn’t seem to be anything else for her to do.

As Ginny sat on her bed, she realized that her thoughts of Harry Potter had once again completely derailed her from the task she was trying to achieve. She felt her face burn as she recalled the way she had acted around him the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, things with Harry had started off badly because no one had told her that he had arrived so she came down to breakfast in her pajamas. It was one thing for her family to see her looking disheveled and sleepy in the morning, but she was mortified when Harry saw her that way.

Much as she would like to, Ginny really couldn’t blame her actions around Harry on being surprised because things didn’t improve after their initial encounter. She had never before felt so shy and out of control of her actions. Ginny’s desire to be near Harry and stare into his eyes confused her so much that she found it best just to avoid him. She could observe him from a distance, but every time circumstances forced them together and their eyes met Ginny felt a flutter in her stomach and a nearly overwhelming draw towards him. She just couldn’t figure out how she could have opposite feelings at exactly the same time. Ginny wanted to be near Harry, but she also wanted to run away from him. She honestly wasn’t sure which she feared more - being close or being distant. When she learned that whenever she was in close proximity to Harry her mouth would dry out and her vocal cords would freeze, she decided that keeping her distance was the best option.

It depressed Ginny to think about what Harry must think of her. He must think her completely barmy the way she acted around him. Why did he have to see that she put her elbow in the butter dish? Why did she have to blush so profusely that her face matched her hair anytime he was close to her? Why couldn’t she just talk to him? Ginny was amazed by the fact that Harry had never once laughed at her despite the fact that she must have appeared to be completely crazy and skittish. Sure, he would looked puzzled whenever she caught him looking at her, but he didn’t make fun of her or say anything negative at all. Ginny was sure that any other 12 year old boy would have at least taken the mickey by now, but Harry was different. In her extensive observation of Harry (from a distance), Ginny had learned a lot about him over the last couple of weeks and she was even more impressed by Harry than by the boy-who-lived she created in her mind all those years ago.

Shaking her head to try to clear it of her thoughts of Harry Potter, Ginny noticed the diary her mom had gotten her lying on her desk. She went over and picked it up intending to place it in her trunk to pack for school; however, as soon as she grabbed it, she felt an overwhelming compulsion to write in it. An hour later, she put her quill down and crawled into bed.

Lying on the cot that he occupied in Ron’s room at the Burrow, Harry felt like he was floating on a cloud. Harry knew he should really be sleeping like Ron was, but his brain refused to turn off and allow him to rest. The last couple of weeks since Fred, George, and Ron had rescued him from the Dursleys had been the best of Harry’s life. He had greatly enjoyed Mrs. Weasley mothering him and making sure that he always had enough food. He also appreciated the conversations he had with Mr. Weasley about muggles. Spending time with Ron and the twins had been so brilliant that he almost wished the summer holiday would last a little while longer.

Smiling to himself, Harry thought about everything that had happened over the last couple of weeks. He almost couldn’t believe that he had flown all the way from Surrey in a Ford Anglia and chuckled to himself as he thought about the look on the Dursleys faces when they saw him leaving. Harry was grateful that Mrs. Weasley mistook his initial weakness from lack of food for weariness from sleep deprivation and travel. Harry had nearly panicked when his rescuers told Mrs. Weasley about the bars on his windows and him being starved, but thankfully Mrs. Weasley only acknowledged that he was way too skinny. To Harry’s great relief she had refrained from asking him any potentially embarrassing questions so he didn’t have to come up with an answer she might accept. Harry was deeply ashamed by his life at home and was grateful that he at least had managed to keep the Weasley family fooled that he was worthwhile as company. He wondered how long it would be before Mr. and Mrs. Weasley realized that Harry was a freak and wasn’t a worthy houseguest. After all, his aunt and uncle made it very clear over the years that they had been forced to take him in because no one else would possible want him. Harry was pretty sure he had managed to keep all the Weasleys fooled that he wasn’t a freak - all of them except Ginny of course.

While they had only made brief eye contact a couple of times, Harry knew instinctively that when her warm brown eyes locked onto his that Ginny saw the real him. Harry felt his stomach plummet to his feet when he thought about Ginny’s reactions to him. She had been rigorously avoiding him so it was obvious she knew the truth. Ginny didn’t even bother to pretend that he was normal and try to speak to him. Instead, he would see her watching him from a distance. When she was forced to be near him, she acted like she wanted nothing more than to run away.

Harry was completely bewildered by Ginny Weasley. How had she figured him out so quickly? What had he done that she could see his freakishness in just a single glance? Harry realized that since Ginny was able to figure it out so quickly it was likely only a matter of time before others realized it too. In fact, Harry wondered why Ginny hadn’t said anything to her family. After all, it would only take a few words from her and the others would know and ask him to leave. He imaged that the Weasleys would all be angry at him for tricking them into letting him come visit and spend time at their house, but he decided that even temporary happiness was worth risking their anger. They would hate him once they really knew him anyway so why not allow himself to enjoy this while he could?

Sighing Harry concentrated on trying to relax and go to sleep. He turned to look at the clock and saw it was officially September 1st. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as he thought about Ginny Weasley and his upcoming term at Hogwarts.

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