***
Right Under His Nose
Chapter Ten: Easier Said Than Done
***
A/N:All right, all you patient readers out there. Here’s a summary of my past few weeks.
- Two Advanced Placement ( = college level class taken in high school) tests.
- The SATs (Scholastic Aptitude Tests. A major standardized test that most students take in their junior or senior years of high school. This test plays a large role in where you go to college. Needless to say, a little stressful.)
- Literary Criticism (Read up a bunch of critical essays on a novel and then summarize those essays. Difficult? No. It just takes forever. And you all know me well enough by now to know that I don’t always exactly get things done when I say I’m going to get them done (the last three chapters, for instance? :) )
So, one day after I turned in my 45-page literary criticism, shining with my sweat and blood... I collapsed in a bout of flu. So please don't make me feel any more guilty than I already do about not updating... because this whole flu business is already driving me up a bloody wall.
So… there you go. Excuse after excuse after excuse. But you’ll still read… won’t you? :)
***
At breakfast two days later, Harry was seriously regretting the decision to keep his relationship with Ginny a secret. At least then he would be able to stand up to all the gossip.
Why’d you even bother coming down if you know you won’t be able to eat a thing?
As promised, Malfoy had wasted no time in spreading the story that Harry and Ginny were together. Rumors, especially rumors about Harry, always spread through Hogwarts like wildfire, and this one was no exception. During the whole of yesterday, Harry encountered even more whispers than usual. Normally, he was used to people staring, pointing, and talking behind their hands whenever he passed. But today they seemed more prevalent than ever.
“You think there’s any better gossip than Harry Potter finally working up the nerve to kiss Ginny Weasley?”
Harry remembered Ginny’s words and grimaced as he heard whispers buzz up and down the Great Hall.
“I heard he’s with that Weasley girl…”
“Jenny, is her name?”
“No, Ginny””
“Oh, the one with red hair.”
“Gryffindor fifth year, right?”
“Yeah. I heard she sent him a singing valentine her first year.”
“I heard he goes over to her house every summer.”
“I heard he saved her life.”
Normally the rumors going around the castle were ludicrous and completely preposterous. Harry was distinctly uncomfortable with the fact that this time, they weren’t ludicrous at all. He tried to pretend that he had no idea what they were talking about, but the whisperers were everywhere”down every corridor, in every classroom, and of course at all the meals. Harry sat beside Ron in the Great Hall, picking at his eggs, wanting to look at Ginny but not daring to even steal a glance. He wished he could do something, anything, to make her feel better, because if she was feeling as uncomfortable as he was then he wanted to change it. Harry was somewhat used to this kind of attention, but he knew Ginny wasn’t. She was bothered by people giggling and whispering about her”he could tell, even though he hadn’t spoken to and barely even looked at her all day. It bothered him that Ginny was annoyed and there was nothing he could do about it.
He was distinctly, almost painfully aware of her presence. Just because Harry understood why he had to stay away from her didn’t make the actual staying away any easier. It took a concentrated effort not to speak to her or even look at her. This wasn’t like before, when he knew he was in love with Ginny but hadn’t admitted it to her yet. Before, Harry could only have imagined what it was like to kiss her. He now knew exactly what it was like to be with her, to hold her waist and kiss her mouth and let her complete him in the way that only she could. Harry felt the loss of Ginny acutely in every one of his nerves… even if he hadn’t had her for very long. But he had to be careful. The eyes and ears of Hogwarts never stopped looking and listening. This morning, they were all in the Great Hall… he could almost feel dozens of eyes on him, watching him, following his every move to figure out if what they had heard was true. He wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction.
“Bloody git,” said Ron darkly, throwing a glare over to the Slytherin table where Malfoy sat with Crabbe and Goyle, looking immensely pleased with himself. “He thinks he can just come up with lies.”
“Hmm,” Harry hummed in purported agreement. Hermione sent him a withering glare. She widened her eyes and tilted her head towards Ron, who was busy forking a sausage over to his plate. Her meaning was clear, and Harry had a feeling it had something to do with the hurried, whispered conversation they had had the night before.
“Are you planning on telling him anytime soon?”
“Well””
“You have to, Harry! You’re his best friend, and she’s his sister, and he’s going to be hurt if you keep lying to him.”
“I know. I know.”
“Tell him soon, Harry.”
“I will.”
Harry shifted another glance to Ron, who was now cutting the sausage and sending another glare to the Slytherin table.
“Can’t believe we have to spend all morning in the dungeons with that slime,” he growled, angrily shoving a piece of the sausage into his mouth. Harry nearly choked on his pumpkin juice.
Double Potions… of all the classes to have this very morning, he had to have Double Potions…
So, what, Potter, you’re forgetting your class schedule now, too?
Harry groaned. “I’m not looking forward to that.”
“Like any of us ever are,” Ron reasoned, now eating a piece of bacon.
Malfoy suddenly stood from the Slytherin table and began walking out of the Hall in what he must have assumed was a sweeping, debonaire manner. He raised a hand to his perfectly parted hair and shot a nasty smirk at Harry. Forever in Malfoy’s wake, Crabbe and Goyle attempted smirks as well. But theirs couldn’t top Malfoy’s… no one’s ever could. Suddenly Harry needed something to concentrate on and decided that he really wanted some more pumpkin juice. He pretended not to notice the buzz that rose during Malfoy’s departure and the brand new sets of eyes that were currently determining what he, Harry, was doing.
“Did you see that?”
“What?”
“Malfoy leaving the Great Hall!”
“Yeah, so?”
“He’s the one who caught Potter and Weasley!”
“Wait… which Weasley?”
“The girl, stupid.”
“Oh, yeah. I remember now.”
Tuning out the whisperers, Harry turned to Hermione. “Any idea what we’ll be doing in Potions today?”
Both Ron and Hermione raised eyebrows at him, apparently surprised at the unlikely change of subject. Sighing, Harry leaned in and whispered “They’re all talking again.”
Nodding sympathetically, Hermione said “Well, we’ve been working with potions having to do with birth and regeneration for a while now, haven’t we? We’re probably due to begin potions having to do with death today.”
“Great,” Harry muttered darkly. “It’s not like Snape wants to poison me or anything, right?”
Ron chuckled, but Hermione sniffed and turned to her Daily Prophet. Seeing it made Harry’s stomach jolt slightly.
“Er… Hermione?” he asked, in a would-be casual voice. She turned to him, eyebrows raised.
“Hmm?”
“Can I, er… can I see that paper?”
Hermione’s look shifted from somewhat shocked to pleased, and she folded the paper over and handed it to Harry with a smile. He plucked it from her hands and opened it to the front page, ignoring Ron’s snicker.
“I thought you had given up on the Prophet,” said Ron, still grinning. He shifted so he could see the paper as well.
“I just… feel like looking at it today, that’s all,” Harry said uncomfortably, feeling heat rising in his cheeks.
He knew perfectly well that they knew perfectly well that he never read the newspaper. But today there was the possibility of a certain article… an article Harry really didn’t want to see in print. Malfoy had proved he could move quickly by managing to make the whole school buzz with the rumor that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were together within one day of stumbling upon them. Harry wasn’t sure if he had been serious in his threat of telling the Prophet, but he still had to check, just to make sure.
Quickly, Harry scanned the pages, searching for headlines like ‘Harry Potter in Love,’ or ‘Harry Potter Finds Himself a Girlfriend.’ Thankfully, none were there. Sighing gratefully, folded the paper back up. Hermione gave him an arch look.
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
“No.”
Hermione grinned and stuck her hand back out for her paper. “That’s too bad,” she said, a twinkle in her eye. Harry couldn’t help but grin.
Ten minutes later, they made their way down to the dungeons, Hermione in the lead with her head held high. Harry and Ron trailed behind her, dragging their feet. Every so often she would toss her hair and let out a “Tut!” but Harry and Ron didn’t bother to listen. Nothing, not even Hermione’s scoldings, could make the prospect of Double Advanced Potions with the Slytherins seem like anything less than sheer torture.
Harry slowed his pace even more as they approached the classroom. He heard a twittering giggle up ahead and cringed when he heard Pansy Parkinson say “Oh, Draco, you’re so funny!” Imagining the smug smirk that must be spread across Malfoy’s face and then immediately wishing he hadn’t, Harry turned his head away.
“Well look who’s here,” said Malfoy in his sarcastic drawl. Harry didn’t look at him. “Oh, ho!” he said, taking a step forward. “What’s the matter, Potter? Are we a little… angry today?”
“Shut it, Malfoy,” said Ron. Harry saw his hand move to his left pocket. So, apparently, did Malfoy.
“Ah, ah, ah, Weasley. I wouldn’t if I were you. Wouldn’t want to get that nice little prefect badge taken away.” Malfoy paused, and when he spoke again, Harry could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Then again… aren’t we all glad that I’m not you? You see, Weasley, I’m rather attached to having things of my own… and not to mention I’d look dreadful with freckles.”
The dungeon rang with Slytherin laughter, but the Gryffindors remained silent. Harry could almost hear Hermione’s little chant of “Ignore them, ignore them, ignore them," echoing off the damp stone walls.
Malfoy continued. “Ah, yes, who wouldn’t want to be Weasley? Just imagine… living in that pigsty… with all those, oh, what do you call them… oh, yes, gnomes running around…”
Harry saw Ron’s fists clench as Malfoy continued spouting insults, laughing the whole time.
“Of course, if I was a Weasley, I’m not sure anybody would ever know who I was… there are so many children, you know, and there’s only so much time Weasley’s mum can spend waddling around after them all. Who can tell them apart, anyway? They all look the same… talk the same...” Malfoy’s eyes glittered maliciously. “They even act the same… all fawning over Potter… especially the little girl””
“Ten points.”
Ron’s voice was shaking, as were his hands. Harry fought the anger boiling underneath his skin.
“Weasley, you forget that you have to have a reason for taking off points,” he said in cruel falsetto, mimicking Hermione’s words from the other night.
Come on, Potter. What are you doing, keeping your eyes on the ground?
Shaking himself slightly, Harry raised his eyes and glared at Malfoy”but for once, Malfoy wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at Ron with a dangerous glint in his eye behind his trademark smirk.
“Oh, Malfoy, I have a reason,” growled Ron. “Deliberately spreading lies is slander””
“That would indicate that what I’ve spread is a lie,” Malfoy interrupted. For the first time, his eyes landed on Harry as he stepped forward and cocked his head. “But we all know that what’s going around isn’t a lie, is it, Potter?”
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off again.
“Ginny wouldn’t,” said a quiet voice from across the dungeon. “She wouldn’t.”
Everyone turned simultaneously to look in the corner. As his eyes fell on Dean Thomas, Harry felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Dean’s eyes were blazing and refusing to meet Harry’s. Behind him, Seamus looked wary, ready to grab onto Dean’s robes if necessary.
“Shut up, Mudblood, this doesn’t concern”” Malfoy abruptly cut himself off and his smirk grew wider than ever. “Oh, but it does concern you, doesn’t it? The little Weaselette is your girlfriend. Tell me, Mudblood, how does it feel to lose your harlot to Potter?”
At once, the dungeons exploded with angry shouts. Harry, Ron, and Dean each struggled to pounce on Malfoy. Eyes flashing, Malfoy ran and ducked behind Pansy Parkinson and another Slytherin boy Harry didn’t know.
“Bet you’re wishing Crabbe and Goyle were here now, don’t you, Malfoy?” growled Ron, who was being held back by both Hermione and Lavender. Harry felt resistance on the back of his own robes and turned his head, only to see Parvati gripping them, eyes wide. Dean was being restrained by Seamus and did not look happy about it.
“What is going on here?” Snape’s cool, slick whisper came from the top of the stairs. He surveyed the scene with disgust and began descending the stone steps, each movement echoing ominously.
“Potter, Weasley, and Thomas all tried to attack me, sir,” said Malfoy in his smooth voice, coming out from his hiding spot.
“He called my sister a””
“He insulted””
“Malfoy said””
“Enough.” Snape swept his appraising gaze over them all, lingering at Parvati’s hands holding Harry’s robes. She released them with an audible gasp.
“Three against one? Tut, tut,” he said, a malicious grin spreading over his face. “And I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave.”
The Slytherins laughed heartily.
“Let’s see… I think it shall be ten from each attacker… and how about twenty more for good measure. So it stands at fifty points from Gryffindor.” The Slytherins laughed again as Harry and the other Gryffindors gathered their bags and stormed into the classroom.
Double Potions turned out to be even more absolutely tortuous than usual. Harry spent the entire lesson fighting down a fierce blush that threatened to rise whenever Malfoy leaned over his cauldron and made some scathing remark. He also had to spend a lot of time holding back a furious Ron, who was not reacting well at all to Malfoy’s insults. The only way he avoided certain disaster was Hermione, who spent her entire lesson whispering directions out of the corner of her mouth at Harry and Ron. This caused Harry to feel a little bit ashamed, because he hadn’t needed Hermione to do that ever since first year. He felt a bit like Neville.
At least Longbottom got to give Malfoy a black eye without getting into trouble.
Harry suppressed a growl and tried to be reasonable. That had been a long time ago… and, now that he was thinking about it, he wasn’t even sure anymore if that had been Neville…
“They even act the same… all fawning over Potter… especially the little girl””
Harry very nearly growled again; he grabbed the nearest flask, put a bit of his potion into it and marked it with his name. Snape’s eyes glittered evilly as he strode forward and dropped the flask on his desk, not even staying to hear the grade. He didn’t care.
Alone, he began pounding away from the dungeons. He knew he was leaving Ron and Hermione behind but somehow couldn’t care. His insides were writhing with guilt and anger.
“Tell him soon, Harry.”
“Hey, Potter!”
Instinctively, Harry turned around. He immediately wished he hadn’t. Dean Thomas was behind him, taking the stairs two at a time. Harry felt the blood drain from his face. He wasn’t scared or even angry… he was guilty. A little fear rose inside him… what if Thomas could see it on his face?
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come. Dean looked like he was having the same problem. They stood in the stairwell, mouths open, looking at each other. A sort of unspoken conversation was happening, and Harry couldn’t stop it. Dean’s questioning gaze was searching Harry’s guilty one, and Harry had no idea how to stop it. He knew his eyes probably betrayed him, but that was difficult to stop. Words he could lie with… but eyes? Impossible. A dull flush began rising in his cheeks that he knew he couldn’t fight.
“Right,” Dean whispered in a sad voice, nodding his head. “Right.” Suddenly he turned and pounded up the stairs. His absence left Harry feeling even more horribly guilty than ever.
“What was that about?” came Ron’s voice from behind him. Turning around, Harry saw Ron and Hermione climbing the stairs toward him.
Harry shrugged. The guilt increased even more.
“He’s your best friend, Harry…”
Every fiber in Harry’s body was screaming at him to tell Ron, tell Ron, tell Ron!, but he couldn’t.
Maybe you should have been sorted into Slytherin, you coward.
“Come on, let’s go upstairs,” Ron said, starting to climb. “I hate it down here.”
***
Harry grabbed his wand from his bedside table and shoved it into his pocket, a rather interesting feeling of both excitement and dread churning in his stomach. He was excited because he was finally going to get out of Hogwarts to have nice, long holiday. However, nothing could change the fact that he was going to have to go to Grimmauld Place… thus the dread in his stomach.
Fortunately, the benefits of getting out of the castle far outweighed Harry’s hatred for Grimmauld Place. There would be no rumors… no whisperers… no Dean… no Malfoy…
Not to mention who will be there.
Harry’s hands were nearly shaking. He was going to see her today.
He was going to see her.
Grinning broadly, Harry glanced under his bed to see if he had accidentally left anything under there. Just as he was grabbing an extremely dusty sweatshirt, Ron walked in.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“Almost,” said Harry, shaking the sweatshirt and coughing from the clouds of dust that rose from it. Ron laughed.
“Don’t show that to Mum, she’ll have kittens.” He paused, tilting his head as though contemplating something. “On second thought, she’ll probably want to wash all our clothes once we get to the Burrow, so she probably won’t even notice””
“What?” Harry dropped the sweatshirt and stared at Ron, whose eyes had gone wide. “What do you mean, ‘once we get to the Burrow’?”
Ron’s eyes widened even more. “Didn’t you know?” he asked incredulously.
Shaking his head, Harry responded “No. I thought we were still going to Grimmauld Place.”
Ron looked distinctly uncomfortable. He shifted his eyes away from Harry’s and picked at a thread in his jeans. “I… guess I forgot to mention that letter from Mum.”
Yeah, guess so.
Harry ignored all the sarcastic remarks fighting to get out and opted instead to feel the excitement rising in his chest like a flame. “We’re… we’re really going to the Burrow? Not… not Grimmauld Place?”
Ron shook his head. “Mum owled me a few days ago. I guess I just told Hermione.”
Judging by Ron’s flamingly pink ears, Harry decided he really didn’t want to know the circumstances during which this conversation had taken place between Ron and Hermione.
“Oh,” he said genially, turning away to give Ron time to compose himself. “That’s great.”
“Yeah. You need help with your trunk?”
Harry grinned. “No, thanks. I’ve got it.”
“All right.”
Together Harry and Ron walked down the stairs and out of the Gryffindor common room. Harry cast a hopeful glance around for Ginny but didn’t see her. She must have already gone. Chatting amiably about what they wanted to do once they got to the Burrow, they made their way outside to the queue waiting for the carriages to be pulled by the thestrals. Deliberately positioning himself so that he wouldn’t have to look at the thestrals as they arrived, Harry had a lively conversation with Ron about the dirty playing tactics of the Falmouth Falcons and the slim hope that the Chudley Cannons might actually do something with themselves this year.
“They’ve really got to change their motto,” said Ron energetically. “Honestly, ‘Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best’? Bit of a defeatist attitude, if you ask me.”
It’s not exactly hard to see how much Hermione’s rubbed off on him, is it?
“Wonder where Hermione is,” Harry said absently.
“Oh, she’s off with Ginny somewhere. Something about “girl stuff,” I didn’t want to bother.”
Harry’s stomach gave a slight twinge. “Yeah,” he said in the same absent voice.
All right, Potter, here’s your chance.
“I never did understand that,” said Ron, scanning the crowd as well. “Girl stuff. Just what makes it so different from all the… you know, regular stuff?”
“So, Ron, speaking of girl stuff…”
“And they have to get all secretive about it, too””
“I’ve actually been meaning to tell you a secret of mine, Ron…”
“Bloody irritating, it is. I think they half do it just to annoy us.”
Come on, Potter! Spit it out!
“Yeah, that’s it. They know it gets to us and so they do it just to drive us mad.” Ron’s eyes stopped searching and his head dropped. He nudged Harry and grinned. “Women, eh?”
“Yeah… women.”
Women? Don’t you mean teenagers? I know you’ve been through a lot, Potter, but you aren’t nearly an adult yet”
“Ah, here’s one.” Ron stepped forward, said “Wingardium Leviosa!” and floated his trunk into the carriage. Harry did the same. On the ride down to the Hogsmeade train station, he switched the topic back to Quidditch.
“I’m telling you, Ron,” Harry said as they stepped out of the carriage and onto the train platform, “half of the Cannons’ problem is their Seeker. If he could catch the Snitch even half of the time””
“Galvin Gudgeon is just fine, I’ll have you know””
“Oh, please, Ron. You’ve seen his record, you know how horrible””
“Why is it…” said an amused voice from behind him. Harry whirled around. Ginny was standing with Hermione, their trunks on top of one another. “… that you teenage boys only ever talk about Quidditch?” She was grinning from ear to ear.
Every sound seemed to fade away as he looked at her. She was smiling widely. Her eyes flicked to his just briefly before going back to Ron’s.
She’s beautiful.
A nagging worry in the back of Harry’s mind told him it probably wasn’t a good idea to openly gape at Ginny on a crowded train platform where everyone could see, but the voice was diminishing into the far recesses of his brain. Ginny was right here… right here… she was smiling and her eyes were bright and he was close enough to touch her…. Let the others be damned. Let them talk all they wanted. None of it mattered… nothing they said mattered… all that mattered was her. And if he wanted to look at her, then he could damn well look at her.
Ginny had worn her hair down around her shoulders today instead of up in her usual ponytail. With every shift of her body, the color changed slightly… the sun caught it and made it shine… how was it possible for someone to have hair like that? Her eyes were shining as well, and her lips were curved upward in a teasing grin… they opened and formed words… though what she was saying, he couldn’t have told. She was wearing Muggle clothes, as most everyone was… she even had on the sweater that she had worn for their detention…
You know she probably did that on purpose, right? Just to drive you mad.
Well, Harry reasoned, if this was being driven mad, he didn’t want her to do anything else. Ginny’s mouth was now twitching at the corners as she looked at Ron, the tips of her ears growing steadily pinker as he, Harry, continued to gaze at her.”
“… right, Harry?”
Harry felt a nudge in his ribs and jumped. Ron was staring at him with an expectant look on his face. Hermione was trying to look disapproving and Ginny was trying not to laugh. Quickly Harry shifted his attention to Ron.
“What?”
“Tell Ginny that we don’t talk just about Quidditch,” said Ron slowly, causing Harry to believe that he’d already said this once. Harry turned to Ginny, glad for the opportunity to meet her eyes.
They were sparkling at him. She raised one eyebrow mockingly, as if daring him to say what Ron had told him to say.
What a little minx.
She’s bloody fantastic.
Harry opened his mouth. It suddenly took a monumental effort to speak. “We don’t just… talk about Quidditch,” he said slowly.
She smiled, slowly and broadly. Harry wanted to grab her and kiss her.
“All right, I believe you,” she said, in a voice that clearly said she didn’t believe them for a second. Harry didn’t care.
“We don’t,” said Ron huffily, swishing and flicking his wand to retrieve his trunk from the carriage.
“Oh, and what else do you talk about?” Ginny said in a deceptively innocent voice. “Girls?” she taunted, eyes twinkling. Harry was shocked that she remembered their conversation and was now using their words to tease Ron. It was... strangely… exciting. Almost… daring. Ginny’s eyes flicked to his again. They remained there for the briefest second…
“Oh, no you don’t,” said Ron triumphantly. “How is me and Harry talking about girls any different from you and Hermione talking about “girl stuff”?”
Both Ginny and Hermione went red.
“Harry, help us with our trunks, won’t you?” said Hermione, quickly changing the subject and snapping him out of his reverie. Ron looked pleased.
“Oh, yeah,” said Harry, reaching for his wand. “Sure.”
“That’s all right,” said Ginny, holding out her hand to stop him. She let her hand rest on his for the briefest second before drawing it back and raising it up to her hair. Slowly and deliberately, she flicked it off her shoulder. Harry stared, mesmerized. “I’ll see you all later, okay?” she said, using words that sounded like they were for everyone but were really only for him.
Don’t go.
“What, you won’t sit with us?” said Ron, trying to sound hurt. “Guess you’ve got to find your boyfriend.”
Shut up, Ron.
Harry had to work not to flinch when he heard the word ‘boyfriend.’ He concentrated on Ginny’s face instead. She was currently rolling her eyes at Ron.
“I’ll come find you later,” she said, using her wand to float her trunk up into the train. At the last second, she looked over her shoulder and shot Harry a grin. “Bye,” she said, waving a little. She then turned around and tossed her hair. Her hips swung as she walked up the two steps into the train.
Harry put a hand on the carriage for balance. Hermione looked at him in a shrewd sort of way before her face broke out into a huge smile.
“Look,” she said, pointing at her watch. “It’s almost time. Let’s find a compartment.”
***
Two hours and several riotous games of Exploding Snap later, Harry was starting to worry. He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Ginny since she had said goodbye on the platform. Had she forgotten her promise? What if she wasn’t coming? What if… Harry’s stomach fell even more at the thought… what if she chose Dean over him?
Probably should have known better, Potter. After all, he is taller… and he’s an artist, girls always like artists…
“Harry, watch out!”
BAM.
Harry jerked his face away before his eyebrows and the top of his fringe caught fire. They were already singed, as it were. Exploding Snap was not a game that could be played while letting one’s mind wander.
So stop letting it wander, then.
Harry tapped his cards with his wand to restore them to their original state. “You win again,” he told Ron, with a somewhat forced laugh. Ron didn’t seem to notice.
Harry handed the cards over to Ron, who had stuck his hand out with a grimace. The interesting thing about Exploding Snap was that preparing to play the game was almost as dangerous as actually playing. The cards threatened to explode at any moment… thus Ron’s hesitation.
“You sure it’s not your turn?”
Harry laughed again, and this time it wasn’t forced. “Positive. Last time I shuffled, this happened, remember?” He pointed to his singed eyebrows and Ron grinned.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Ron…” said Hermione, looking up from her book. “You’ve really only got time for one more game. Remember, we’ve got patrols in ten minutes.”
Ron forgot the cards and shot an annoyed glance at Harry, rolling his eyes. Harry shrugged.
“Hermione,” said Ron in a whiny voice. “Can’t we just make the fifth years do it? We’re older… and they’re bloody annoying, anyway.”
“Oh, thanks, Ron,” said a voice in the door frame. Harry didn’t even have to turn around to know who it belonged to.
She came.
“Ginny!” said Ron, sounding delighted. “You’ve finally decided to abandon lousy what’s-his-name and come spend quality time with your favorite big brother?”
Harry whirled around to look at her. She was currently rolling her eyes at Ron… but she was grinning as well.
“I guess you could put it that way,” she said deliberately, looking at Harry. He gulped. Ginny then shifted her glance to Ron. “Yes, Ron, I’ve come to spend some quality time with you all. Dean was…” Ginny’s face darkened slightly. “Dean was being weird,” she concluded, stepping fully into the compartment and dragging her trunk along behind her. Harry and Ron both jumped up at the same time to help her, but Harry was closer. He caught Ginny’s eye as he helped her move her trunk into the luggage rack overhead, taking care not to knock down Pigwidgeon’s cage.
“Thanks,” she said in a soft, almost breathless voice. Harry opened his mouth to say “You’re welcome,” but found he couldn’t have spoken even if he tried.
Does she even know how bloody gorgeous she is?
Hermione was looking from Harry to Ginny very quickly. Abruptly she stood up and snapped her book shut. “Ginny, you’ve got wonderful timing,” she said, straightening her robes and making sure her Prefect badge was secure. “You can keep Harry company while Ron and I do our patrols.”
“Oh, really?” said Ginny, smiling. “That’s great.”
“Here, Gin”take my cards,” said Ron, standing up. “You can play for me while I’m gone.”
For one fleeting second, Harry saw a look pass Ginny’s face that said there was no way in hell she was going to play Exploding Snap. A moment later, however, the look passed and she grinned at Ron. “Sounds great.”
As if you’re going to let her do anything but”
“We’ll be back in a bit,” said Ron, stepping out into the corridor.
“Yeah, bye,” said Hermione. “Oh, Ron, I’ve forgotten something… hang on…” Hermione quickly reappeared back in the compartment.
“I probably can’t give you any more than half an hour,” she whispered quickly. “All right?”
“Mmm hmm,” Harry hummed in affirmation, not taking his eyes off Ginny’s face. Hermione gave a little giggle.
“Honestly,” she said. “You two.” She stepped outside and the compartment door slid shut behind her.
Finally.
They were alone.
Alone.
“Hi,” said Ginny, somewhat timidly, after a long period of silence. “How… how are you?”
“Fine,” said Harry, sounding like he had something stuck in his throat.
“That’s good,” said Ginny.
“And… and you?” he tried, his voice again sounding strangely constricted.
“Oh, I’m fine,” said Ginny. “Just fine,” she whispered.
Harry felt his gaze move instinctively down to her mouth. Ginny’s tongue came out quickly to wet her lips.
It’s now or never, Potter.
As though they had come to the decision simultaneously, Harry and Ginny rushed toward each other. At first, he just wrapped his arms around her and brought her flush against him, gripping her tightly. She made a fantastic little noise and buried her face in his neck. Harry kept one hand moving on her back, rediscovering places he hadn’t touched in what felt like forever… there was her spine… and her shoulder blades…. Ginny giggled when he ran his fingers along the small of her back and Harry gasped when he felt her mimic his touch with her own hands. Harry used his other hand to reach up and stroke her hair… her hair, her incredible hair… he had missed it. He had missed looking at it, missed touching it… Harry knew he was being irrational but couldn’t help it. This slow reintroduction was the most fantastic thing he had ever felt, even if his mind told him he hadn’t been separated from it for very long. His body told him something much different.
And right now, his body was screaming at him to kiss the living daylights out of Ginny Weasley.
Harry pulled back slightly so he could look her in the eye. Ginny pulled back as well, grinning broadly at him.
“Hi,” he said, not caring that his voice was raspy.
“Yes, hello,” she said, laughter in her voice.
Harry couldn’t stand it any longer. The past three days or however bloody long it had been had not gone well for him. He needed to kiss her right now.
Harry pulled Ginny close to him again and spun her around so quickly that she let out a gasp when he pressed her against the door.
“Maybe I shouldn’t make fun of Quidditch,” she said, laughing, “if it makes you move like that.”
Harry smiled at her. She tugged her arms out from beneath his chest and wrapped them around his back, bringing him closer to her than he would have dared gone himself.
He could feel everything…
Best not to dwell on that right now, Potter.
Ginny’s eyes dropped to his mouth. She wet her lips again. Harry wondered if the action was involuntary, and then figured it probably was.
But suddenly all manner of rational thought left him. Suddenly there was no train, there was no Hogwarts, and there was no Voldemort. There was only Ginny, who he currently had pinned to a door… and who was moving her lips toward his in far too slow a fashion.
Harry bent his head at the same time as she lifted hers. And, for the first time in what seemed like forever, their lips met.
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A/N: It's not exactly a cliffhanger... is it? :)
Hope you liked it. If you did... review! Tell me what you liked. If you didn't... review! Tell me what you didn't like.
One quick disclaimer:
I got the name Galvin Gudgeon from the Harry Potter Lexicon, and I assume they got it from Quidditch Through the Ages.
Just to let all of you know, I'm going to be buried in makeup work because of this whole flu thing, so fanfiction will probably be low on my list in the next week or two. Sorry, but... I'm a junior in high school. And I gotta go to college somewhere. :)
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