Feelings Detained by snarky24



Summary: Harry and Ginny struggle with their complicated feelings for each other as Ginny takes her first steps to pursuing a Quidditch career. A series of detentions, a lucky adventure, and a new invention from Fred and George help them cut through the tension and find their way to each other. Set alongside the events of HBP and sequel to “Secrets and Slugs.”
Rating: PG-13 starstarstarstarstar
Categories: Alternate Universe, Post-HBP
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: Secrets and Luck
Published: 2017.12.30
Updated: 2018.01.28


Feelings Detained by snarky24
Chapter 7: A Muggle Valentine's Date
Author's Notes:

Ginny woke early the next morning, feeling refreshed and invigorated. She silently thanked Aberforth, convinced that she’d have been feeling much worse this morning if she hadn’t drank the Sobering Solution last night.

She dressed quickly, grabbed her school bag, and settled down in the common room next to her favorite window overlooking the school grounds. The soft morning light made the freshly fallen snow look bright and crisp.

She set her school bag on her lap and pulled out her development school applications. For what seemed like the hundredth time, she read through all of her essays and double-checked that she had collected all of the required documentation.

Once she was confident that everything was in order, she paged through the Highlands application packet, looking for the sponsor form. She needed Harry to send the form to Gwenog, so that she could sign it and send it to Highlands, verifying that she had indeed seen Ginny play and felt she was good enough for a tryout.

She would submit her applications by owl post today and indicate on her Highlands application that a sponsor form from Gwenog would be arriving later.

Ginny easily found the sponsor form and set it aside with a blank piece of parchment and a quill. She sealed the rest of her applications in their respective return envelopes and carefully placed them in her school bag.

She checked her watch. It was eight o’clock. Dean would be awake, but she wasn’t sure if her brother would be. Ginny felt uncharacteristically awkward about asking Harry to send the sponsor form to Gwenog after her flirtatious behavior last night. She was both impatient to take care of the sponsor form and unwilling to talk to Harry alone lest he bring up the fact that she was nearly sitting in his lap when Slughorn arrived. She decided she would visit the boys’ dormitory under the pretense of talking to Dean or Ron, and then casually “notice” Harry and give him the sponsor form.

She shuddered as she thought back to last night. It seemed that alcohol and lucky potion were a terrible combination. The alcohol inhibited her ability to sense the lucky potion wearing off, and the lucky potion made her think she’d be immune to the effects of the alcohol.

But on the whole, it had been a very good night–except for those problematic moments in which she’d run her hands over Harry’s thighs and asked him if he “liked it rough.”

Her face burned again at the memory of her brazenness. What if Harry hadn’t noticed Slughorn? What would she have done next? Did the lucky potion, on its last legs, actually prevent her from cheating on her boyfriend?

The Sobering Solution had seared every detail of the night into her mind. She was fairly certain that she would have kissed Harry if they’d gone on for much longer. She’d had the overwhelming sense that he was flirting with her, too.

But now she didn’t know if that sense came from her liquid luck or liquid courage. Was it Felix that told her that Harry wanted her, too? Or, was it the Firewhisky that caused her to misread Harry’s intentions and gave her the courage to act on her latent feelings?

Ginny might never know, and she reminded herself that she should not care. She was with Dean, and they would be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special date tonight.

***

Ginny slowly opened the door to the sixth year boys’ dormitory, not wanting to wake anyone. Dean, Seamus, and Neville’s hangings were open, but their beds were empty. Neville was an early riser, so Ginny knew he would be at breakfast already. She assumed Dean and Seamus were getting ready in the loo.

To Ginny’s dismay, both Ron and Harry’s hangings were drawn. After a moment of hesitation, Ginny decided she was too anxious to wait for them to wake up. She carefully pulled back the hangings on Ron’s four poster bed and stuck her head inside.

Ron was sprawled flat on his back with his mouth wide open, taking slow and deep breaths as he slept. Ginny poked him in the side.

“Ron!” she whispered.

Ron flinched at the contact and turned over with his back to her. She poked him again.

Ron!” she whispered a bit louder this time.

Ron didn’t budge, so she kicked off her shoes and jumped into bed next to him. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug and whispered in his ear, “Ron, I need you to wake up!”

Ron turned toward her abruptly. “Wassamatter?” he choked groggily as he rubbed his eyes.

He started when he saw Ginny.

“What are you doing? Get out of my bed!” he said, giving her a push.

“Shh! You’re going to wake people up!” snapped Ginny, knowing that Harry was the only person still asleep at this point.

“You don’t seem to mind waking me up,” hissed Ron sourly. “What do you want?”

Ginny gave him a pouty look, unable to resist the urge to tease him. “Why do I have to want something? Can’t I just want to come see my brother?”

Ron glowered at her, indicating that she would need to stop playing games if she was going to get anything from him.

“I need to borrow Pig,” she said lightly. She knew she could use a school owl to send her applications, but she had hoped that Harry would’ve been awake when she asked to borrow an owl so that she could casually remind him about the sponsor form. Her poorly conceived plan was not working out very well.

“That’s it? This couldn’t wait?” he asked, confused.

“And I need you to wake up Harry,” she added, trying to keep her tone light and casual. Her rational brain was telling her it was time to abandon the plan. But her impulsive brain had prevailed. Maybe if she could get Ron to wake Harry up, she could still give him the form without appearing too eager.

Ron motioned toward Harry’s bed. “Please, go right ahead,” he said irritably. “But you’d better not be jumping into bed with him, too.”

Ginny felt the blood run out of her face as she imagined slipping into bed with Harry. Even the idea of poking her head through his hangings felt inappropriate after last night’s flirting. She could not bear to approach him right now. He would either think that her silly crush was back or that she was using him to get to Gwenog.

Suddenly feeling irrationally shy and desperate, she grasped Ron’s hand in both of hers.

“No, Ron, I need you to do it,” she whispered, slightly frantic. “Please! But don’t tell him I asked you to.”

It was not lost on Ginny how ridiculous and immature this sounded, but the embarrassment from last night was just too much for her at the moment. She knew she could move past this in a few days, but she didn’t want to wait to give him the sponsor form. It felt as if Gwenog could change her mind if they sat on this for too long.

Ron sat up, narrowing his eyes at her. “What’s going on? Have you got another crush on Harry?” he asked suspiciously, no longer whispering.

No! I’m with Dean!” she hissed defensively. “And keep your voice down! You’re going to wake Harry!”

“I thought you wanted me to wake him up!” he snapped, more loudly this time.

“Yes, but I don’t want him to hear us talking about him!” she said in her best attempt at a yelling whisper.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” said Ron, putting up his hands in exasperation. “Why is it that you suddenly can’t talk to Harry yourself?”

“Because I–he–oh, Ron!” she stammered, casting around for a plausible explanation.

And then the real answer came to her. She didn’t want to talk to Harry alone because she didn’t trust herself around him. The embarrassment from last night would wear off in a few days, but that didn’t change the fact that it is entirely possible that Ginny could have cheated on Dean last night. And that ugly truth made her feel sick.

For the time being, she just couldn’t trust herself to be alone with Harry until she’d sorted out her feelings about both boys.

But now was not the time for plumbing the depths of her heart and soul. Her anxiety about her applications had her utterly convinced that she needed to get Gwenog to sign this sponsor form as soon as possible.

“Ron, I just need you to wake him up,” she whispered, trying to quell her desperation with a calmer tone.

“It’s not a good idea,” said Ron, not bothering to keep his voice down. “He was out late last night on a date.”

Ginny sat bolt upright. “How do you know? Did he tell you that?” she demanded.

“Tell me what?” asked Ron, in a tone that suggested he was feigning ignorance. Ginny realized he might be goading her, but if he wasn’t, she wanted to know.

“Did Harry say he was on a date?” she hissed angrily, wanting to throttle her brother for toying with her.

“No, but he came back in a really good mood. I haven’t seen him that happy in a long time,” he replied, shrugging. Ginny thought he was telling the truth now.

Ginny’s heart was beating so fast that she thought it would burst out of her chest. Had she been the reason for Harry’s good mood last night? Or, had he simply been a little drunk from the Firewhisky? She needed to know more.

“That doesn’t mean he was on a date,” she said, hoping Ron would tell her more.

“You seem awfully interested in Harry’s dating life,” said Ron, sounding amused. “Are you sure you don’t have just a little crush?”

“Ron!” she huffed, giving him a quick jab in the ribs. Perhaps Ron had made up everything just to see if she’d show interest. She silently kicked herself for falling into his trap.

“Ouch! What was that for?” he whined. Ginny rolled her eyes. As if he didn’t know what he was doing!

“Ron, please, just wake him up! It’s urgent!” she pleaded.

She pushed him roughly, urging him to get out of bed. Ron groaned, but stopped protesting. He pulled back his hangings and rolled out of bed.

“Oi! Harry!” he shouted. He walked over to Harry’s bed and tore open his hangings. Harry was lying on his stomach, hugging his pillow, looking up at Ron blearily.

“Wha’s wrong?” he slurred, slowly sitting up. He was wearing a pair of dark blue pajamas, the same ones he’d worn over the holidays at the Burrow. His hair was even messier than usual, and his eyes looked even more brilliant without his glasses.

“Ginny wants you,” said Ron bluntly.

Ginny felt the bottom drop out of her stomach and jumped out of Ron’s bed like she’d been burned. This was far more mortifying than anything she’d said or done last night. She didn’t dare say a word lest she embarrass herself more. She would throttle Ron later…

Harry perked up at Ron’s words. “She what?”

Ron motioned to Ginny, and Harry’s eyes found her immediately. He stood up so fast that he stumbled a bit. He groped for his glasses on the nightstand with one hand as he tried to flatten his messy hair with the other, his eyes not leaving Ginny.

Ginny felt her face heat up, racking her brain for something calm and witty to say. But nothing came to mind. She was paralyzed with embarrassment.

“Hi, Ginny,” said Harry warmly, adjusting his glasses and giving her a lopsided smile. “It’s nice to see you.”

Ron pulled a face, but said nothing. He went to his trunk and started to shovel rumpled clothes out of it, presumably looking for something to wear.

Harry’s words somehow put Ginny at ease. He was happy to see her, even though she’d nearly thrown herself at him the night before. There was no embarrassment, judgement, pity, or revulsion in his voice. She realized that nothing had changed between them. Perhaps she could come to trust herself around him again soon.

“Hi, Harry,” she said tentatively, walking around Ron’s bed to get closer to him. “I’m sorry that Ron woke you–”

“She asked me to wake you,” interjected Ron.

Ginny glowered at him. How silly to think that Ron would go along with this!

“It’s okay,” said Harry, still smiling and ignoring Ron. “I’m glad he woke me.”

Ron stopped rummaging in his trunk and stood up straight. “What’s wrong with you? You hate it when I wake you up,” he said in a confused tone. Ginny wondered if Ron was being deliberately obtuse.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, looking uncomfortable. Feeling awkward again, Ginny held out the sponsor form and blank parchment.

“This is for you to send to Gwenog,” she said quickly. “It’s the sponsor form and some parchment to write her a note.”

“Oh, right,” said Harry, sounding surprised and taking the papers from her. “I’ll do this right away–”

“No rush, I just wanted to make sure you had it,” she said quickly, not wanting him to think she was pressuring him. With a pang of dread, it suddenly occurred to her that Harry might not want to help her anymore.

“Bollocks! She said it was urgent,” smirked Ron.

“What’s urgent?” asked Dean, who had been walking through the door when Ron spoke. Ginny’s face was burning. She was sure she looked as red as a tomato.

Looking down at the ground, she said loudly, “Nothing! Ron is just exaggerating, like he always does.”

“Ginny? Why are you here?” Dean asked, sounding surprised.

Feeling her face cool down a bit, she looked up at Dean and flashed him a smile as she threw her hair over her shoulder, turning her back to Harry and Ron. She knew Dean loved it when she flipped her hair like that.

“I was looking for you!” she said with a giggle that she hoped didn’t sound forced. Ron was thankfully silent. He was either unwilling to make fun of her in front of Dean or Harry had silenced him. She inexplicably could not bring herself to look at Harry with Dean in the room, so she kept her back to him.

She bounded over to Dean with as much energy as she could muster and threw her arms around him. “Happy Valentine’s Day, love,” she said sweetly, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Dean smiled broadly, returning her hug with enthusiasm. As they broke apart, he winked and said in a low voice that Ginny was sure Harry and Ron could hear, “Couldn’t wait for our special date tonight, huh?”

“You know me so well!” she giggled, silently hating herself for lying and feeling inexplicably guilty for being so affectionate with Dean in front of Harry.

Ginny knew there was no need to lie to Dean. Yet, she was acting like she’d jumped into Harry’s bed this morning instead of Ron’s. Intellectually, she knew there was nothing inappropriate about accepting Harry’s help to get a tryout at the Highlands Academy. But emotionally she felt like she was violating Dean’s trust because of her history with Harry and all of the complicated feelings she had for him.

And what about Harry? He wasn’t her boyfriend. She wasn’t even certain that he fancied her. She could admit that there were strong indicators that he may indeed have feelings for her, but Ginny refused to believe it until he told her himself.

“Ginny, I think you’ve gone mental,” said Ron seriously. Ginny glared at him, willing him to shut it. Her behavior was certainly erratic (and possibly irrational), but he didn’t need to air this out with Dean and Harry in the room.

She decided that she did not owe him a response, partly because this was none of his business, but mostly because she didn’t think she’d come out looking very good if she engaged with him.

“Let’s go get some breakfast, Dean,” she said, clutching his arm and leading him out of the dormitory.

***

Harry and Ron left Gryffindor Tower shortly after Ginny departed the dormitory with Dean. Harry knew Hedwig would be in the Great Hall to meet him, so he would give her the letter and form for Gwenog during breakfast.

They were barely to out of earshot of the Fat Lady when Ron rounded on Harry.

“What was that all about?” he asked abruptly.

“Huh?” asked Harry, feigning ignorance. He knew Ron had picked up on the awkwardness between Harry and Ginny this morning.

At that moment, it was taking all of Harry’s energy to keep his face impassive as his insides raged.

This morning, he was sure that Ginny had come to tell him that she still had feelings for him, that she’d never given up on him, and that she’d dumped Dean as soon as they got back from Hogsmeade last night. He’d thought that the letter for Gwenog was just an excuse to come see him, and she was only waiting for Ron to leave so they could finally be alone together.

But Harry’s heart had plummeted when Dean walked in, and she’d melted into his arms. Only Ginny could make Harry feel impossibly happy one moment and hopelessly dejected the next.

“Why are you sending letters for my sister? And why are you two acting so weird around each other?” demanded Ron.

Harry couldn’t deny that Ginny was behaving erratically. It had felt like they were flirting last night. If Ginny wasn’t with Dean, he’d have told her how he felt and kissed her at the Three Broomsticks, even if it meant Slughorn would have seen them.

But this morning he felt like he’d seen a completely different Ginny–the old Ginny, who used to turn red at the sight of him. Did she regret their adventure? How could she, when the potion ensured it would be her lucky night?

Or, had Harry misread her intentions? Nonetheless, it was strange that Ginny had lied to Dean about why she was visiting Harry.

“Harry?” Ron’s voice yanked Harry away from his thoughts.

“Huh?” said Harry again, trying to recall what Ron had said.

“Why are you two acting so weird?” he asked again, looking annoyed.

“I wasn’t acting any differently than I normally do,” said Harry in what he hoped was a casual tone. He didn’t think it needed to be a secret that he was helping her with the sponsor form, but Ginny’s behavior this morning suggested that she didn’t want others to know. For that reason, he decided it would be best to avoid Ron’s questions on the subject.

Regardless of how Ginny felt about him, he would respect her wishes and follow her lead. Even if he was sure that she had feelings for him, he couldn’t make a move until she’d ended her relationship with Dean. He didn’t want to start a relationship that way.

“Harry, you nearly jumped out of your skin when I told you she was there,” said Ron, rolling his eyes.

“I was startled because you woke me up!” said Harry defensively. “You didn’t need to bellow at me like that!”

“So now you’re annoyed? You said told her you were ‘glad’ that I woke you up,” retorted Ron. “Which is it?”

“I was being polite to Ginny,” lied Harry, hoping to end this conversation with Ron. The truth was that he would let Ron wake him every morning if it meant he could see Ginny.

Ron was silent for a moment, seeming to accept Harry’s answer. Harry quickened his pace, hoping that Ron would forget about this as soon as he got some food in front of him.

But he was back at by the time they reached the entrance hall. “Why is she suddenly so shy around you again?” he asked.

“She seemed normal to me,” said Harry, avoiding Ron’s eyes. He did not want to analyze her behavior anymore, especially with Ron.

They’d finally reached the Great Hall and were making their way to the Gryffindor table.

“But–” started Ron. Harry cut him off.

“Is that McLaggen with Hermione?” he asked in a surprised tone, pointing at their house table to no one in particular. He immediately felt guilty for exploiting Ron like this, but it was the only way he could distract him.

Ron jerked his head so hard that Harry was surprised he didn’t pull a muscle. “Where? I don’t see them,” he said quickly.

They took a seat, and Ron craned his neck to see further down the table.

“Hmm, maybe I imagined it,” said Harry lightly as he slopped some eggs and sausage onto Ron’s plate. “Let’s eat.”

Ron aggressively stabbed his sausage with a fork, his eyes still looking down the table, as he slowly began to eat. Harry tucked into his breakfast as well, keeping one eye on the crowd, searching for a glimpse of a long mane of flaming red hair.

***

Ginny sent off her development school applications with Pig shortly after breakfast, happy to finally be done with them. Dean had seemed irritated that she’d followed through with her plan to go to Hogsmeade the night before, but thankfully he didn’t dwell on it, presumably deciding he didn’t want to row.

Ginny spent the rest of the day catching up on homework and trying not to think about how silly she’d behaved in front of Harry that morning.

She decided it was best to take a little time away from him, so that she could get some perspective on what had led her to nearly blow up her perfectly good relationship with Dean. She couldn’t avoid seeing Harry at Quidditch practice, but she could make sure she didn’t spend any time alone with him for a little while.

Besides, she had a very kind and thoughtful boyfriend who planned a very special Valentine’s Day date for her tonight. All she had to do was show up at the Muggle Studies classroom at seven o’clock tonight. The rest was a surprise. She was not going to ruin it for herself by ruminating about Harry.

At ten minutes to seven, Ginny was ready for her date. She was wearing a floaty, periwinkle-colored dress with ballet flats and her hair was tied in an elegant knot, thanks to Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion and her dorm mate’s wand skills. Grabbing her gift for Dean, she hurried out of her dormitory, determined not to be late.

But she was halfway through the portrait hole when she narrowly missed running headlong into Harry.

“Oh, my!” she gasped, stopping dead in her tracks. Harry had been climbing into the portrait hole just as she was about to exit.

Harry stepped back, holding the portrait open for her. “After you,” he said politely.

Ginny carefully climbed out of the portrait hole, looking around to see if Ron or Hermione were with him. But to her dismay, Harry was alone.

“You look really nice, Ginny,” he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“Thanks, Harry,” she replied, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach. She swallowed hard, willing herself to keep moving. She was supposed to be avoiding Harry right now.

“Have fun tonight,” he called out to her as she left. Ginny shot him a smile and a wave before she turned the corner, her heart pounding in her chest.

***

Dean was waiting for Ginny outside the Muggle Studies classroom when she arrived, slightly out of breath. Her greeted her with a strong hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“You look beautiful,” he said, looking her up and down with a broad grin on his face.

The compliment felt good, but Ginny couldn’t help noticing that it didn’t make her heart flutter like Harry’s did. She kicked herself for even thinking about it. This was her big night with Dean. Harry had no place in her thoughts tonight.

When they entered the classroom, Ginny saw a very large, white panel standing in front of the blackboard. It appeared to be made from some type of fabric and was hanging from a metal frame. There was a large metal tube with smaller round coils hanging from the ceiling in front of the panel. Just in front of the tube was a small, comfy-looking loveseat.

“What’s that?” asked Ginny, confused. Was this a blank white canvas for some sort of art project? Ginny wasn’t dressed for painting tonight. And what was the metal device on the desk? It looked like a Muggle object.

“It’s a Muggle movie projector and movie screen,” said Dean excitedly. Ginny smiled. Dean loved sharing Muggle culture with her, and she loved learning new things.

He explained that they would be having a typical Muggle date, which was called “dinner and a movie.” Ginny learned that movies were like plays that Muggles recorded with cameras that captured motion and sound.

Ginny realized that her father had mentioned this before, but he’d called them “films.” She laughed to herself as she thought of her father. He would have loved to watch a Muggle movie.

In the corner, Dean had set up a small table set for two with a white tablecloth and a single rose in a vase. He’d asked the house elves to prepare a shepherd’s pie and chocolate cake for them to share–two of Ginny’s favorite foods. He’d even brought her a Muggle box of chocolates in a red, heart-shaped box, while Ginny had given him an enchanted paintbrush that would allow him to paint moving portraits.

“They’re all different flavors,” said Dean, as she examined the chocolates. They were sitting at the table, having just finished their chocolate cake.

“But how do you know which is which?” she asked curiously.

“You don’t! That’s part of the fun,” he said cheerfully.

Ginny nodded knowingly. “Ah, like Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans!”

Dean laughed. “Not quite. There are only a few flavors, and they all taste good.”

“You don’t think Bertie Bott’s taste good?” asked Ginny, in mock surprise.

“You’re right, they’re all delicious. Especially the bogey-flavored one,” said Dean, deadpanning.

“Hmm, really? I thought it’d be better if it were a bit stickier, like real bogeys,” replied Ginny seriously.

Dean laughed. “I don’t want to think about how you know that!”

“Here, have a taste for yourself. I just had some,” she teased, leaning in for a kiss. She kissed Dean on the lips. As she moved to pull back, Dean put his hand on her cheek, deepening the kiss. His lips felt hot against hers and sent a shiver down her spine.

When they finally broke apart, Ginny felt slightly breathless. Sometimes she forgot what a good kisser Dean was.

“Why don’t we move onto the movie?” said Dean huskily. Ginny could tell from his tone that he had more on his mind than just watching a movie.

She let him lead her to the loveseat, and they sank into the soft, luxurious cushions. Ginny wondered if he’d bewitched it to be smaller than it looked. Ginny could not sit down without draping a leg over Dean’s.

Dean slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her even closer to him as he kissed her again. Ginny reciprocated with enthusiasm, their passion escalating quickly.

After a few minutes of heavy kissing, Ginny felt Dean’s hand drift from her waist to her upper thigh, his fingers just under the hem of her dress. His touch sent a shock of panic through her body. She was not ready to go further than kissing.

They broke apart, and Ginny slid her leg out from under Dean’s hand and back over to her side of the loveseat.

“Let’s start the movie,” she said, breathing heavily.

“We can watch it later,” replied Dean thickly. He put his hands on her head, slipping his fingers in her hair as he kissed her again.

Ginny gently pulled back, feeling her elegant updo coming down. “No, I really want to see it,” she insisted, looking for a way to cool things down. “I’ve never seen one before.”

Dean took a deep breath as he leaned back with great effort. She could tell he did not want to stop, but she was afraid of where things might go if they didn’t.

She reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “Everything has been so lovely tonight,” she said with a smile. “I can’t wait to see my first movie with you.”

Dean returned her smile and seemed to understand. “Anything you want.”

As Dean set up the projector, he explained that they would be watching a romantic comedy called “Notting Hill.”

“Romantic comedies are typically funny stories centered around a romantic ideal,” he said. “It’s a popular genre for Muggle dates.”

“What kind of romantic ideals?” asked Ginny, interested.

“Usually something like the idea that ‘love conquers all,’” he said. “The characters might fall in love, but have to overcome many obstacles to finally be together.”

“Like Lancelot and Guinevere!” said Ginny excitedly.

“Right, but with more humor and a happy ending,” replied Dean with a smile.

“That sounds even better,” giggled Ginny, realizing from Dean’s tone that romantic comedies were nothing like the story of Lancelot and Guinevere, but he was too kind to say so.

Once Dean had set up the projector, he turned down the lamps and they snuggled on the loveseat.

Ginny was amazed by how real the movie looked. It was astounding what Muggles were capable of without magic. The images were so sharp, the motion was so smooth, and the sound was so real. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

The movie was a soppy but endearing love story about a London bookseller and the fabulous film star who falls in love with him. It was light-hearted and funny, but, as the movie went on, Ginny couldn’t help but see uncomfortable parallels with her own life.

Was she not like the shy bookseller, hopelessly in love with a celebrity? He was lovably awkward, but Ginny supposed that her awkwardness had been more embarrassing than lovable.

They had never talked about it, but Ginny was sure that Dean had been aware of Ginny’s crush on Harry from many years ago. It was common knowledge all over the school after the singing Valentine incident.

Was there a reason why Dean chose this movie? Was he trying to tell her something? Perhaps he was warning her that a relationship with Harry would be doomed to relentless tabloid gossip and the pressures of fame.

Or, did he just choose it because it was popular with Muggles? She supposed it wasn’t very unusual for ordinary people to have crushes on celebrities, and this movie was an escapist fantasy of what it might be like to have a celebrity love them back.

She doubted very much Dean meant anything by it, but it still made her uncomfortable nonetheless. It seemed that she could never escape Harry–even on her dates.

But Ginny enjoyed the movie on the whole. So much so that they returned to the Muggle Studies classroom several times for the rest of the month. Dean chose a wide variety of movies, confirming that Ginny was being paranoid and he was not, in fact, trying to send her a subtle message about Harry.

Ginny found it blissfully relaxing to just escape into a movie after Quidditch practice and homework, setting all of her worries and complicated feelings aside.

A little time was the best medicine for her sudden bout of shyness around Harry. After just a couple of weeks of limiting contact with him, she was able to let go of her embarrassment and get some perspective on the situation.

She’d mixed alcohol with lucky potion, and it had led her to act out of character. Ginny would never cheat on Dean. And she would never mix alcohol and potions again.


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