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How Could Anyone Be That Thick? | ||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Fluff Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 14 Summary: Why did it take Harry so long to notice her? My version of what happened after the kiss in the common room. In response to most of the reviews I have added spaces between paragraphs. Hitcount: Story Total: 6113 |
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A/N: All chunks of text in italics are quotes from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling and the references (from the UK edition) are given at the end of my little effort. Thanks to Jo for allowing us to play in her universe. He hesitated outside the crowded Great Hall, then ran up the marble staircase; whether Gryffindor had won or lost, the team usually celebrated or commiserated in their own common room. “Quid agis?” he said tentatively to the Fat Lady, wondering what he would find inside. Her expression was unreadable as she replied, “You’ll see.” And she swung forwards. A roar of celebration erupted from the hole behind her. Harry gaped as people began to scream at the sight of him; several hands pulled him into the room. “We won!” yelled Ron, bounding into sight and brandishing the silver cup at Harry. “We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!” Harry looked around; there was Ginny running towards him; she had a hard blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her. After several long moments — or it might have been half an hour — or possibly several sunlit days — they broke apart. The room had gone very quiet. Then several people wolf-whistled and there was an outbreak of nervous giggling. Harry looked over the top of Ginny’s head to see Dean Thomas holding a shattered glass in his hand and Romilda Vane looking as though she might throw something. Hermione was beaming, but Harry’s eyes sought Ron. At last he found him, still clutching the Cup and wearing an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. For a fraction of a second they looked at each other, then Ron gave a tiny jerk of the head that Harry understood to mean, “Well — if you must.” The creature in his chest roaring in triumph, Harry grinned down at Ginny and gestured wordlessly out of the portrait hole. A long walk in the grounds seemed indicated, during which — if they had time — they might discuss the match.1 Out in the corridor, Harry held his hand out to Ginny who laced her fingers with his. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face as they walked down the stairs and out of the Entrance Hall into the sunlit grounds. He glanced over at her; she was grinning too. “Did that really just happen?” she asked as they walked towards the lake. Harry couldn’t resist teasing her. “Did what just happen?” Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. “You know perfectly well what I mean, Harry Potter.” “You know, I’m not sure that I do. I may need reminding.” Feeling daring, Harry stopped walking and turned to face her. She stood before him, looking up at him, and he was amazed that it had taken him this long to realise how beautiful she was. Ginny gently touched his cheek. “Did this just happen?” she whispered and reaching up she touched her lips to his, kissing him gently. “Oh, that,” Harry said when she pulled away. “Yeah, I think it did.” “Oh,” Ginny said. “I thought it was another one of my dreams.” “You have dreams about me?” Harry asked curiously. Pink flushed Ginny’s face, but she looked at him defiantly. “And what if I do?” “Are…are they…good dreams?” What if she had nightmares about him? What if she didn’t really want to be kissing him? Ginny looked down at her feet as her blush deepened. “What just happened was far better than any of my dreams,” she said quietly. Harry smiled as he realised what she’d said. He put his hand to her chin and pulled her head up. He gazed at her, taking in her bright brown eyes, her freckled nose, her glorious red mane of hair. He really wanted to kiss her again, but he didn’t seem to be able to do it. He hadn’t really thought about it back in the common room, but now that he was on his own with her, kissing her seemed a much more daunting task. His mind seemed to have caught up with what his body had done and frankly, it wasn’t quite so sure now. What if she’d decided it was a mistake? No, she’d just kissed him, a more alert part of his brain pointed out. Just do it, he told himself. You’ve done much worse things than this. At least you know you’re going to like it. Ginny was smiling shyly up at him. Trying hard not to think about what she could do with a Bat Bogey Hex he lowered his head and tentatively kissed her. Her lips were soft and warm beneath his. He felt Ginny’s hand move around to the back of his neck as she kissed him back. His heart soared with the feelings that were swelling inside him. Ginny Weasley was kissing him! He wasn’t going to be hexed. He was allowed the wonderful experience of kissing her. He reached his arms around her and pulled her in close, hugging her to him as if he was afraid she might disappear. It was some time before they pulled apart and continued their walk. “So when did you first decide you actually liked me?” “What... Sorry?” Harry’s mind was elsewhere; he couldn’t believe that one of his dreams had actually come true. Ginny Weasley had kissed him! “I’ve liked you for so long, Harry, but you never showed any interest. So, when did you first decide you actually liked me?” “It was never a case of didn’t like you. I’ve always liked you, Ginny.” Harry smiled at her. “I just didn’t get to know you all that well until last year. You were always embarrassed around me. Then, last year you were going out with Michael Corner, and then there was Dean…” He broke off, a frown crossing his face as they skirted some rocks on the shore of the lake. “What is it, Harry?” Ginny looked concerned. “Well, that’s when I realised I really liked you.” “When?” Ginny prompted. “When Ron and I caught you and Dean kissing in that corridor. When I saw him with you I wanted to hurt him!" Remembering the moment, Harry’s free hand balled into a fist. “Oh.” Ginny seemed lost for words. “Why did you break up with him? Not that I’m complaining or anything!” Harry smiled slightly as he looked at her. “Hermione said something about him helping you climb through the portrait hole…” “Well that was partly it,” Ginny said hesitantly. “So why else?” Harry needed to know that it was over between her and Dean. “He wasn’t right for me. Even when I was with him, I was always thinking about somebody else.” Harry’s heart sank. Had she been thinking about this other person when she was kissing him? “Who?” he asked carefully. “You, silly.” “Me!?” he asked incredulously. “Yes, you!” She shook her head. “Who did you think I meant?” “I don’t know. Hermione said you were over me.” He was feeling distinctly more hopeful. Ginny looked down at her feet. “I tried to forget you. But it didn’t work. You were always there: in the Great Hall, in the common room, at Quidditch practice, not to mention at home and Grimmauld Place. Even if I did convince myself for a few moments that you weren’t for me, that all changed as soon as I saw you again. Especially in your Quidditch robes!” She looked at him slyly out of the corner of her eye, a small smile on her face. Harry grinned back. “So you really do like me then?” he said. “How could I not like you, you’re funny and smart and brave; a true Gryffindor.” Ginny shifted so she was looking directly at him and crossed her arms. “Anyway, I could ask the same question of you. What about you and Cho?” Harry’s grin faded a little. “There’s nothing to tell. She and I weren’t… we didn’t…well you know…” “No I don’t Mr Potter; you’re going to have to tell me.” she said sternly. Was she teasing him? He looked down at his feet. He thought she was, but on the other hand she’d told him all about Dean. It was only fair he told her about Cho. “We kissed once,” he said after a pause. “Then all we seemed to do was argue, plus she kept crying over me. I didn’t know what to do when she did that. Then her sneak friend Marietta told on the DA. We just sort of stopped talking. That’s about it really.” Harry felt a pair of hands on his own and looked up into a pair of serious brown eyes. “So you really do like me then?” Ginny echoed his earlier question. Harry could answer this one without hesitation. “Of course I do. I don’t do this,” he kissed her slowly and carefully, “to just anyone you know!” “I should hope not!” Ginny retorted. “Listen Ginny. What’s not to like? You’re brave and clever, and you make me laugh, not to mention you’re beautiful…” He stopped, embarrassed. I can’t believe I just said that, he groaned inwardly. But it’s true, another, braver, part of him argued. Why not tell her? Ginny’s eyes widened. “Did…did you just say…beautiful?” she asked hesitantly. Harry looked at her shyly, a flush creeping up his ears. “Yes Miss Weasley, I do believe I did.” “Oh Harry!” Ginny threw her arms around him and kissed him thoroughly. Harry returned the kiss eagerly. He’d just told her she was beautiful and she wasn’t annoyed with him. In fact, it seemed as if she quite liked it, if the kiss he was getting was anything to go by. Not only that, she thought he was clever and brave. Could his life be any better? At that moment he didn’t think so. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long,” Harry said huskily when they finally pulled apart. “Not as long as I have,” Ginny whispered back. Harry thought back to the eleven year old Ginny who was too embarrassed to speak to him. “No, I guess not,” he said, grinning down at her. She lifted her head and pulled back slightly from him. “What are you grinning at?” she demanded. “I was just thinking about a certain incident with a butter dish,” he explained. Ginny looked confused, then mortification crossed her face as she realised what he was talking about. “That was soooo embarrassing!” she said. “I didn’t know where to look or what to say to you.” “I seem to remember a Valentine as well.” Harry was grinning from ear to ear now. “How did it go?” He thought for a moment. Ginny had her head in her hands and was shaking it gently. “Oh yes, I know. His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad, His hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he’s really divine, The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.”2 “I can’t believe I sent it!” Ginny groaned through her fingers. “I can’t believe it took me four years to respond!” Harry said, pulling her hands away from her face. He bent again to kiss her, then put his arm around her shoulders as they started walking again, heading once more around the lake. Ginny sneaked her arm around his waist and squeezed, bringing a smile to his face as he glanced down at her. They reached a rock under a willow tree on the far side of the lake and sat down together. There was a comfortable silence for a while then, as they gazed towards the castle, Ginny spoke. “That’s when I realised you had Riddle’s diary.” “When?” asked Harry. “Just after you got my Valentine, when Malfoy picked it up. I didn’t know what to do. What if you’d discovered what I’d been writing? What if you’d found out it was me opening the Chamber of Secrets?” “Well thanks to Malfoy I did discover what had been happening. If he hadn’t spilt ink all over it, I wouldn’t have realised how it worked and Ron and I wouldn’t have worked everything out and I wouldn’t have been there to defeat Riddle and the Basilisk.” “You know, I don’t think I ever really thanked you for saving me,” Ginny said. “Care to make up for it now?” Harry asked with a laugh. “Now how could I do that, I wonder?” Ginny said with mock puzzlement. “Like this,” Harry said as he put his arms around her and his lips to hers. When they pulled away from each other some time later Ginny snuggled into his chest and he hugged her to him. “I can’t believe this!” he said quietly. “Can’t believe what?” He could feel Ginny’s lips moving through his shirt. “You and me.” He paused. “Us. There’s something I never thought I’d say.” “Why not?” she said curiously. “Well I thought you’d gone off me. Plus you being Ron’s sister.” “What’s Ron got to do with it?” She pushed away from him and glared at him. “Well, he’s my best mate and you’re his sister. I thought he’d be furious, especially after his reaction when he saw you and Dean.” “As I said to him, it’s none of his business who I go out with and what I do with them.” Harry could see Ginny’s temper was rising. “Honestly, he can be such a prat at times. When I see him I’m going to hex him to Hogsmeade and back!” “Ginny, calm down!” Harry said anxiously. “I didn’t say he was furious, just that I thought he would be. I didn’t talk to him about how I felt about you because I didn’t want to upset our friendship. If I started going out with you and he didn’t like it…well let’s just say that I didn’t like the thought of that.” You considered it though, a small voice inside his head muttered. Harry smiled. “Not that I didn’t consider it, though,” he said. Ginny smiled at this. “I wonder what he thinks about it,” she mused, putting her head back on his chest. “Well he looked a bit shell-shocked but I think he’ll come round,” Harry said, relieved that she didn’t seem angry any more. “He has had a bit of an afternoon.” “Why? What else has happened?” Harry was intrigued. “Well, his goal keeping was brilliant today. O.K. he let some in, but he made some really spectacular saves. But he also looked a bit shell-shocked when Hermione kissed him after the game.” “Hermione what?” Harry was even more confused and leant back so that he could see Ginny’s face better. “After the game, she came down to the pitch to congratulate us and she kissed Ron. Just a quick kiss, but you should have seen his face!” She giggled. “And hers! You’d think that they’d tell each other how they feel really. It’s so obvious,” she mused. Harry laughed. “Hermione’s got too much pride to tell Ron how she feels about him. I think she thinks Ron should do the gentlemanly thing and talk about how he feels first. And I think perhaps Ron’s only just beginning to realise how much he really likes her.” “Let’s hope he doesn’t take as long as you took to realise you liked me, that wouldn’t be fair on Hermione!” Ginny said as she grinned up at him. “How could anyone be that thick?” “Oh be quiet!” Harry growled and lowered his lips to hers for another kiss. I could kiss her forever, he thought. He buried his nose in her soft red hair and breathed deeply. She smelled gorgeous, a flowery scent that suited her really well. It was familiar. You’ve smelt it at The Burrow of course, a voice said in his head. No, I’ve smelt it somewhere else, he thought, and wracked his brains to remember when it could have been. “Oh!” he breathed, as recollection dawned. First potions lesson this year. The potion he, Ron and Hermione had chosen to sit near with Ernie Macmillan. “Now this one here…yes my dear?” said Slughorn, now looking slightly bemused as Hermione’s hand punched the air again. “It’s Amortentia!” “It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask,” said Slughorn, who was looking mightily impressed, “but I assume you know what it does” “It’s the most powerful love potion in the world…it’s supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us…”3 And I could smell treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle and this wonderful flowery smell that I can smell right now, he thought with wonderment. “Oh, what?” Ginny twisted in his arms so she was looking up at him. Harry gazed at her. Did this mean that he was in love with Ginny? He thought about it for a moment. Should he tell her what he thought he’d just realised? What if it scared her off? He didn’t want to lose what he’d just found. On the other hand, what if he didn’t tell her? He didn’t want to start off keeping secrets from her. Ginny was still looking curiously at him. “Your hair,” he said, skirting around the truth. “What about my hair?” “It smells wonderful,” he said. He wasn’t ready to talk about that little revelation just yet. He needed some time to think about it by himself. “Why thank you, kind sir.” Ginny looked pleased. Harry jumped up from the rock and bowed low before her. Ginny giggled. “It was a pleasure, fair lady,” he said, straightening up and offering her his hand. She took it and he pulled her to him for another kiss. “We’d better be getting back. It’s getting late,” He put his arm around her again and pulled her close. Arm in arm and talking quietly they wandered back up to the castle. Their steps slowed as they got closer to the common room. Harry didn’t want this wonderful afternoon to end, but he had a pile of homework to do, and if Ginny’s O.W.L. year was anything like the one he’d had last year, she’d got a ton of work to do as well. In the corridor outside the common room, he stopped. “Ginny,” he said quietly. She turned to look at him. “Yes Harry?” “Thank you.” “For what?” “For a perfect afternoon. You really are something you know.” “You’re not that bad yourself.” Ginny moved closer to him and was smiling now. “I had a wonderful afternoon too.” He kissed her one last time before they both climbed through the portrait hole and Ginny went to get her books. Harry spotted Hermione working at a table near the window. He made his way over to her and she looked up as she heard him approach. She was beaming happily at him and Harry smiled crookedly back. “Well it’s about time,” she said. “I was beginning to think you were never going to come back.” “Yeah, well, I’m back now.” Harry looked around. “Where’s Ron?” “He’s upstairs.” Hermione looked exasperated. “He went up after you and Ginny left. I tried to talk to him, but he said he just wanted to be on his own. He said he had a lot to think about.” All the good feelings Harry had about the afternoon disappeared. “I suppose I’d better go and talk to him, hadn’t I.” he sighed. “Just go carefully with him, Harry. It’s a lot to take on board for him right now, what with everything else that’s been going on.” “Oh yes, that reminds me, that’s something I’ve got to talk to you about later,” Harry said, wagging his finger at her. “What are you’re talking about, Harry?” Hermione turned back to her books, but not before he saw a faint smile on her lips. Harry sighed and started towards the stairs to the dormitories. He’d obviously read Ron’s gesture wrong before. Why did he have to go and kiss Ginny for the first time in front of Ron? Ginny was coming down the girls’ staircase, her books and notes in her arms. She smiled at him, but her smile faded as she saw his face. “What’s the matter, Harry?” “Ron,” Harry said. “He’s been up in the dormitory since we left, won’t talk to Hermione…” “Oh, honestly!” Ginny seemed to swell and her colour rose. “I’m going up to see him right now, and tell him where to get off…” “Uh, Ginny,” Harry interrupted, laying a calming hand on her arm. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. Let me talk to him first.” “Oh, all right then,” she said huffily. “But if he keeps on trying to run my life, I’m really going to lose my temper.” Harry smiled. “If this isn’t losing your temper, then I’d hate to be on the wrong side of you when you do!” “Yeah, just pray you don’t make me, Potter.” “I wouldn’t dare!” he said, pressing a kiss on the end of her nose. “Good luck.” Ginny said with a smile. “I think I’m going to need it,” he said. He watched her as she went over to join Hermione, who greeted her with a big grin and a squeeze on the arm. Wonder what they’re going to talk about, he said to himself with a wry smile. Then he shook his head. This wasn’t getting things sorted out. Slowly he walked up the stairs and cautiously opened the door to their dormitory. Just as when he’d come back to the dormitory after finding out his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire, Ron was lying on his bed, fully dressed. He looked up as Harry came in slowly. “Hi Harry,” said Ron. “Ron, are you O.K.?” Harry asked tentatively. “Only Hermione said you disappeared and wouldn’t talk to her…” He trailed off. “You know, it might have been better if you’d talked to me first. It was a bit of a shock.” Ron said slowly. “I’m sorry Ron; I didn’t exactly plan it you know. It was a bit of a shock for me as well you know.” Ron sat up. He didn’t seem to be listening to Harry. “I didn’t even know you liked her like that. I’d always hoped, especially as she liked you so much, and I figured, better you than some idiot I don’t really know. But you never gave any sign, never showed any interest.” “Ron, I…” Harry started but Ron carried on without stopping. “Then she starts going out with other boys and I think she’s over you, and I figured that nothing was going to happen. Then you come in and start snogging her in front of me. What am I supposed to think?” Harry shrugged his shoulders. “If I were you, I’d be pretty mad, I suppose,” he said. “When?” Ron demanded. “When did this all start?” “When did I start liking her, or when did I first kiss her?” Harry said. Ron glared at him. “Both.” “I first realised I liked her when we came across her and Dean kissing,” Harry explained. “But I only kissed her for the first time today.” “I don’t believe you,” Ron said, his hands balling into fists. “You’ve been snogging my little sister for ages, and you haven’t even had the guts to come and tell me about it!” Harry’s temper flared at Ron’s accusation. “I haven’t!” he said hotly. “Today is the first time I have kissed Ginny, and if I’d known I was going to do it, I wouldn’t have done it in front of a common room full of people, including you!” Ron was still glaring at him. “All right, if you don’t believe me, I’ll get Ginny and you can ask her!” Ron looked alarmed at the thought of asking Ginny. “O.K., O.K., I’ll believe you.” He paused, still looking annoyed. “But why didn’t you tell me you liked her? I’d have been all right about it.” “Oh yeah?” Harry demanded. “What, like you are now, you mean? Or like when you saw her kissing Dean? Or like when you found out she was going out with…” “O.K, O.K, I get the idea!” Ron interrupted. He took a deep breath and then gave Harry a lopsided grin. “So you didn’t plan it, then?” “Nope.” Harry sighed. “It just sort of happened. She hugged me and then I was kissing her.” “You do really like her though?” Ron said with a warning note of anger in his voice. “Yeah, yeah I do.” Ron looked at Harry through narrowed eyes. “No, I really do, Ron. I don’t want to hurt her.” “Good, ‘cause if you ever hurt her, I might just do something to hurt you.” “Do you really think Ginny can’t take care of herself, Ron?” Harry asked. “Well no, but it doesn’t hurt to have a brotherly eye on things, does it?” “So you’re O.K. with me and Ginny?” “Yeah, I suppose so. Just promise me one thing, O.K.?” “What’s that?” Harry said carefully. “Don’t give me any more surprises; I’ve had enough for one day.” “Oh yes, I heard about your day.” Harry said, raising his eyebrows. “What did you hear?” Ron looked worried. “Ginny told me about all your saves in the game.” “Oh, that, I thought you were going to say…” “What?” Harry couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “Oh nothing. Yeah, I played really well. Couldn’t save all of them of course. And then…” He paused. “Then what?” Harry said with a smile. He thought he knew what was coming next. “Then…” Ron paused again, “then Ginny caught the Snitch.” That wasn’t what he was going to say, Harry chuckled to himself. If Ron couldn’t see what was in front of him, he wasn’t going to show him. “Yeah, she wasn’t as fast as you mate, but she was faster than Cho. Did a brilliant dive. Caught it before Cho even realised it was there!” Ron was babbling now, his ears flushed pink. “I know. She told me all about it while we were outside.” Harry said, now highly amused at Ron’s discomfort. “Yes, well, anyway.” Ron took a deep breath. “Shall we go and have some dinner? I’m…” “Starving!” Harry finished “Yeah, come on. We’ll get Ginny and Hermione on the way.” They clattered down to the common room, where two pairs of brown eyes watched for them. “Come on you two, let’s go and get some dinner,” said Ron. “Let me guess, you’re starving,” Hermione said dryly, putting down her quill and closing her book. “Yeah, well, it’s been ages since lunch and I worked hard at the match. Are you coming or not?” “Yes alright, I’m coming,” Hermione snapped, and she and Ron walked out of the portrait hole together, still bickering, leaving Harry and Ginny to follow slowly behind. Ginny wrapped her hand around Harry’s and he looked at her. Ginny raised her eyebrows and nodded her head towards Ron’s back. “Is he all right?” she asked. “Yeah, he is now. He was angry that I hadn’t told him about us, but then I pointed out that there hadn’t been anything to tell until today.” “What did he say to that?” “He didn’t believe me. Said we’d been together for ages and I hadn’t had the guts to tell him!” “Oh, he is the pits! I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.” Ginny started to storm after Ron but Harry pulled her back. “I already did that. He wasn’t going to believe me until I threatened to get you so he could ask you. He looked pretty scared when I said that.” Ginny’s mouth dropped and he grinned at her. “Yeah, he was quite ready to believe me then. Just warned me to take care of you.” “I can take care of myself just fine, thank you.” Ginny looked insulted. “That’s what I told him. But it’s only because he doesn’t want you to get hurt. He cares about you.” He squeezed her hand. “I know,” Ginny said wearily, “but it does get tiring having eight people worried about you all the time.” “Shouldn’t that be nine?” Harry said, trying to look offended as they descended the stairs to the Entrance Hall. “Nine?” Ginny looked puzzled; obviously he hadn’t succeeded in looking offended. “Well, aren’t I allowed to worry about you now? I would have thought that all those kisses entitled me to a little worry about you.” Ginny laughed. “Oh no Harry Potter,” she said as she waved her finger at him warningly. “You’re going to have to kiss me an awful lot more before you’re allowed to worry about me.” They reached the Great Hall and sat down with Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. Harry didn’t know if it was anything to do with the way he was feeling, but he couldn’t remember a better meal at Hogwarts ever. After they had all finished, they began to make their way back to the common room and their homework. “Go on then! Do it now!” Harry heard Hermione hiss to Ron as they left the Great Hall. “All right Hermione, stop nagging,” Ron snapped back irritably. He put out a hand to stop Ginny. “Can I have a word? In private?” Harry raised his eyes questioningly at Ginny. “Go on,” she said. “I’ll see you back at the common room.” Harry nodded and left with Hermione. Now was the time to ask her about Ron’s ‘surprise’ that afternoon. “Ginny told me Ron’s been having an afternoon of surprises,” he said blandly. Hermione glanced at him. “She mentioned something about you kissing Ron.” Hermione looked worried “Why? Has he said anything? He hasn’t mentioned it to me at all since. I went to kiss him on the cheek, just to say well done, you know, because he did play really well, and he turned his head just as I did it and well…” She stopped to take a breath. “So it was an accident then?” Harry said, smirking. “No, I mean yes, I don’t know.” She looked at Harry with a worried look in her eyes. “Don’t worry, he’ll realize eventually.” Harry said. “I mean, even Ron’s not that thick.” Hermione gave him a small smile of gratitude. “Why’d he want to talk to Ginny anyway?” “Oh, I told him he should apologise to Ginny for being such a big prat. He didn’t argue too much.” Hermione seemed relieved to be talking about something else. “I mean, honestly, he’s got to let her get on with her own life. Perhaps then he’ll sort his own out.” This last was said in a sort of mumble, so that Harry only just about heard what she said. He smiled to himself as they entered the common room. He and Hermione had been working for about five minutes when Ron and Ginny came through the portrait hole. Harry looked over worriedly, but both Ginny and Ron seemed to be fine. Ginny came and took the seat between Harry and Hermione, which left Ron the chair on the end next to Hermione. “Everything O.K.?” Harry said to Ginny. “Yeah,” Ginny replied in a quiet voice so that Ron couldn’t overhear. “He was quite sweet really. Told me he was sorry he’d been a git about my boyfriends and that he’d try hard not to interfere anymore.” Harry’s stomach lurched at the word ‘boyfriends’. That’s what he was now, Ginny’s boyfriend, he thought nervously. Does it make a difference to how I feel about what happened? He considered this and decided with a grin he could put up with the extras in their relationship. The four worked quietly for several hours, the silence only punctuated by the occasional question and answer about the work they were doing, or requests to pass a book. Finally, Ron slammed his book shut and stretched. “That’s it. I’m done. My brain is officially full up. I’m going to bed. Night Harry, Ginny; night Hermione.” He began to collect up his quill, parchment and books. Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ginny, then shut her book with a thud. “Me too. Night Ginny. See you in the morning, Harry.” She and Ron both smiled at Harry and Ginny. Harry smiled back. “Night,” he said. “Good night you two,” Ginny said absently as they left. Harry looked round the common room. He and Ginny were the last two up. The only sounds he could hear were the crackling of the fire and the scratching of Ginny’s quill on the parchment. He watched her for a moment as she tucked her hair behind her ear and checked a fact in the book she was using. Why had he taken so long to notice her? As if she could feel his gaze on her, she turned to look at him and smiled. “What?” she said. “Do I have ink on my nose or something?” The corners of Harry’s mouth tugged upwards. “I was just trying to work out why it took me so long to notice you.” “And have you come to any conclusion?” “Nope. Well, apart from the fact that I must have been blind or daft or both.” Ginny nodded. “Well I’ll agree with that. Think of all that time we’ve wasted. You’ve got some catching up to do.” She leant over and kissed him. “Now I’ve just got to finish this essay for Professor Sprout, then I’m done.” “Do you need any help? I’m just about done with mine.” Harry asked as he began to put his things away. “No it’s fine Harry, I know exactly how I’m going to finish this one off. I’ve only got another paragraph or so.” She began to write again, occasionally glancing up at the book in front of her. Harry piled his work up neatly ready for Monday and then went to sit in one of his favourite armchairs by the fire. He thought about the afternoon and his mouth curved up into a smile as he remembered the walk by the lake. He glanced over at Ginny. Her head was still bent over her work and her quill was moving rapidly. He returned his gaze to the fire, still thinking about the afternoon. He still couldn’t quite believe that Ginny had kissed him. Maybe I’ll wake up in the morning and find out it’s all a dream, he thought. A wonderful dream, but a dream nonetheless. Or worse, what if I wake up in the morning and it isn’t a dream, but Ginny’s changed her mind? The thoughts were so busy churning round in his mind that he was startled when a pair of arms came round him from behind and a kiss landed on his cheek. He turned his head to see Ginny’s face smiling at him. “A Knut for your thoughts,” she said as she came to sit on the arm of the chair. “I’m not dreaming all this, am I?” he asked as he snaked an arm around her waist. “Only everything that’s happened since Snape let me out of detention has been so wonderful, I can’t quite believe it.” Ginny stroked his cheek. “You’d better believe it,” she said softly. “You think I’m going to let you go that easily?” “I’m glad you said that,” Harry said. “Because I also thought perhaps I’d wake up tomorrow and it wasn’t a dream, but you’d changed your mind.” Ginny looked at him with a half smile on her face. “Do you think I’m crazy? I’m not changing my mind. My mind is quite made up and I’m happy, very happy, with the decision.” Harry pulled her off the arm of the chair and into his lap before kissing her. Ginny kissed him back, her arms twining round his neck as she moved closer to him. He wanted to stay like this forever, but eventually she pulled away. “We should go to bed. It’s one in the morning.” She got up slowly and pulled Harry reluctantly to his feet. They walked over to the stairs to the dormitories and Harry pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. “Good night Ginny.” “Good night Harry, pleasant dreams.” Ginny turned and climbed the stairs to the girls’ dormitories, pausing just before she rounded the corner to smile at him. Harry smiled back before climbing the stairs to his own dormitory. He could hear Neville’s loud snores and Ron’s quieter ones. Dean and Seamus seemed to be asleep as well. Harry got into his pyjamas and pulled the hangings shut around his bed. He lay back and reflected on the day. Not bad, all in all, he thought with a smile. His mind wandered back to the thoughts he’d had earlier about the flowery smell of Ginny’s hair and the love potion. “…it’s supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us…”3 Hermione had said. That smell meant I liked Ginny before I saw her and Dean kissing. Does it mean I love her? He pondered on that thought a long time before he fell asleep. Harry awoke reasonably early the next morning considering the late hour at which he had fallen asleep. Through the dormitory windows, the sky held all the promise of another glorious day of sunshine. He stretched and then grinned as thoughts of the previous afternoon bubbled to the surface of his mind. He jumped out of bed and washed and dressed hurriedly. Ron was still sound asleep. Harry bounded down the stairs and then stopped, uncertain, at the bottom. Sitting in the chair he had sat in the previous night (earlier that morning, really, he reminded himself) with her back to the stairs was Ginny. She turned as she heard him enter the common room and a smile lit up her face. “There you are. I thought you were going to sleep all day, and I was going to have breakfast on my own." Harry grinned back at her, relief flooding through him. “You haven’t changed your mind then?” he asked cheerfully. “Nope, told you I wouldn’t,” she said, getting out of the chair and coming over to him. “You’re stuck with me now!” “Oh dear, that’s such a shame. However am I going to put up with you?” Harry teased, putting his arm around her and hugging her to him. He planted a kiss on her cheek. “Is that all the good morning I get? I might have to change my mind if…” Harry covered her mouth with his lips, stopping her talking as effectively as a Silencing Charm. “Eurgh, that’s not what I want to see on an empty stomach!” Ron’s voice came from just behind them and Harry and Ginny jumped apart. “Just keep it to yourselves, will you? I’ve got a delicate constitution first thing in the morning.” Ginny burst into laughter at the expression of horror on Ron’s face and Harry grinned sheepishly. “What’s all the fuss about?” came Hermione’s voice from behind Ron. “They were kissing,” Ron complained, “and me with an empty stomach and all.” “Morning you two.” Hermione smiled at Harry and Ginny as she appeared from the girls’ dormitories and stood next to Ron. “Starving again are you Ron? We’d better go down to breakfast.” “Come on then,” Ginny said, linking one arm through Harry’s, the other through her older brother’s and following Hermione towards the portrait hole. “We’d better go and find some breakfast to fill Ron’s empty stomach.” The fact that Harry Potter was going out with Ginny Weasley seemed to interest a great number of people, most of them girls, yet Harry found himself newly and happily impervious to gossip over the next few weeks. After all, it made a very nice change to be talked about because of something that was making him happier than he could remember being for a very long time, rather than because he had been involved in horrific scenes of Dark magic. “You’d think people had better things to gossip about,” said Ginny, as she sat on the common-room floor, leaning against Harry’s legs and reading the Daily Prophet. “Three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it’s true you’ve got a Hippogriff tattooed across your chest.” Ron and Hermione both roared with laughter. Harry ignored them. “What did you tell her?” “I told her it’s a Hungarian Horntail,” said Ginny, turning a page of the newspaper idly. “Much more macho.” “Thanks,” said Harry, grinning. “And what did you tell her Ron’s got?” “A Pygmy Puff, but I didn’t say where.” Ron scowled as Hermione rolled around laughing. “Watch it,” he said, pointing warningly at Harry and Ginny. “Just because I’ve given my permission doesn’t mean I can’t withdraw it — “ “‘Your permission’,” scoffed Ginny. “Since when did you give me permission to do anything? Anyway, you said yourself you’d rather it was Harry than Michael or Dean.” “Yeah, I would,” said Ron grudgingly. “And just as long as you don’t start snogging each other in public —“ “You filthy hypocrite! What about you and Lavender, thrashing around like a pair of eels all over the place?” demanded Ginny. But Ron’s tolerance was not to be tested much as they moved into June, for Harry and Ginny’s time together was becoming increasingly restricted. Ginny’s O.W.L.s were approaching and she was therefore forced to revise for hours into the night. On one such evening, when Ginny had retired to the library and Harry was sitting beside the window in the common room, supposedly finishing his Herbology homework but in reality reliving a particularly happy hour he had spent down by the lake with Ginny at lunch-time…4 “What about here?” Ginny said, looking round at him questioningly. “Mmhmm,” Harry said, privately thinking that anywhere Ginny wanted to go was fine with him. Looking around though, he had to agree it was a nice spot. Away from the crowds by a group of tall pines, it had a stunning view over the lake back towards the castle. Ginny was already sitting down with her back against the trunk of one of the trees. She smiled invitingly and patted the ground next to her. Sitting down next to her, Harry breathed in deeply, inhaling the clean scent of pine from the trees above. Ginny handed him one of the sandwiches that they’d grabbed from the Great Hall before coming down to the lake and began to eat her own. They sat in companiable silence while they finished their food, then Harry slid down so that he was lying on his back with his head leaning against the tree trunk. Ginny pillowed her head on his stomach. She laced her fingers through his and sighed. Harry lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “What was that sigh for?” he asked. “I was just thinking how nice this is. I never seem to stop working at the moment.” “You’re doing great,” Harry said, squeezing her hand. “I’m really proud of you.” “Yeah, but it’s nice to have a break now and then, especially if I get to spend it with someone as wonderful as you.” She smiled up at him, then sobered “Besides, if Voldemort has his way, it won’t be this peaceful for long.” “You’re not wrong there,” Harry said, wondering if he should tell her about the prophecy. He decided to leave it for the moment; he was enjoying the time with her and telling her he was to be either victim or murderer would definitely spoil it. He would tell her some other time. “Don’t talk about that now, though,” he said. “Let’s talk about something more cheerful." They sat for some time, talking about this and that; Ginny’s classes, Harry’s classes, Quidditch, Ron and Hermione and a million other things. Eventually they fell into a comfortable silence again. Ginny’s eyes were closed. Harry was gazing at her with wonder. Even though it had been several weeks now, he still had trouble believing it was more than a dream. She was wonderful; so strong and sure of herself, yet there was a caring, softer side to her that showed itself more and more around him. He lifted a hand and stroked her silky red hair that pooled on the floor beside him. Ginny responded to his touch by opening her eyes. Brown and warm, Harry could feel himself getting lost in their depths. Slowly he sat up and bent to kiss her forehead. She tilted her head and their lips met, the kiss deepening as he put his arms around her and pulled her into them. Harry felt as if his heart would burst with happiness as he pulled away, then bent to kiss her nose, her cheeks, her eyelids. Without thinking, he spoke. “I love you, Ginny,” he said. What!? Where had that come from? She gasped and leant back to look at him. He didn’t know why he’d said it just then but, he realised, it didn’t matter because it was true; he loved Ginny! Wonder grew on his face as the realisation hit him. Ginny’s eyes searched his as he looked at her. “Did you just say what I thought you said?” she said, awed. Harry gulped and nodded, slightly unsure now. He lowered his eyes. What if she didn’t love him? He didn’t know if he could take that. But he had to know. He daringly raised his head, his eyes locked with hers. She had a fierce look in her eyes as she said, “I love you too, Harry!” His heart soared as she spoke the words and followed it with long kiss that felt as though it reached into his very soul. He closed his eyes and savoured the feel of her lips against his, her arms around him, her body pressed to his. She loved him, Ginny Weasley loved him! And he loved her! He didn’t ever want to let her go; he would remember this moment as long as he lived. Finally Ginny pulled away and lifted a hand to touch his cheek “You are wonderful, you know that don’t you?” she said softly. “You’re not too bad yourself Miss Weasley,” he replied softly, a smile on his face. Ginny dropped her head to his chest and they sat there gazing out over the lake until the bell rang, bringing their thoughts back to reality. Holding hands, the pair walked back to the castle. They stopped at the steps and Ginny kissed Harry gently before leaving him to go to Charms. She glanced back over her shoulder as she left and mouthed “I love you, Harry,” before turning the corner out of sight. Harry leaned back against the sun-warmed wall of the castle entrance, a huge smile on his face and feeling as though he could conjure a Patronus to fight off a thousand Dementors. Quotations 1. pp. 498-499, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Press, 2005. 2. p. 178, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Press, 1998. 3. pp. 175-176, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Press, 2005. 4. pp. 500-501, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Press, 2005. |
| Reviews 14 |
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