When Wednesday morning came Harry would have been more than happy to curl up in bed but Hermione came darting into the dormitory at eight o’clock complaining very loudly about how lazy they were. They dragged themselves out of bed more to silence her than anything else. “I just don’t get why she has to moan so much,” Ron muttered as her cloak whipped out of the room.
“I don’t know but I’m glad she’s your girlfriend and not mine!” Harry chuckled. The only result was that Ron threw a pillow at his head with impressive strength. Over breakfast it was Harry and Ron’s turn to complain, they grumbled at length about having to take Potions for another two years with Ron commenting several times on what a ‘greasy git’ Snape was. But they couldn’t avoid their fate much longer, Hermione pulled them in the direction of the dungeons ten minutes before they were due to start.
The NEWT level Potions class was tiny; there were only twelve students in total. Four Gryffindors, four Slytherins, three Ravenclaws and a sole Hufflepuff. Unfortunately Draco was also in this class, along with Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott. He kept smirking at Harry across the dungeon, “What’s the matter Potter? You don’t look so happy now, where’s your new bodyguard?” he leered.
“What are you talking about?” Ron snapped on Harry’s behalf, Harry could hear Hermione on Ron’s other side whispering about not rising to him.
“Dumbledore of course, given her the morning off have you?”
“Harry doesn’t need a bodyguard unlike some people,” Ron threatened menacingly.
“That’ll be ten points from Gryffindor Weasley. You will not threaten other students,” Professor Snape had slipped into the dungeon unnoticed in the midst of the argument. Ron was about to protest when Hermione clamped her hand over his mouth. “A further twenty points from Gryffindor for Ms. Granger’s attempted suffocation of Mr. Weasley,” his voice was tainted with amusement. “I had hoped I would not be seeing some of you again,” he looked pointedly at Harry.
“However moving on, over the next two years we will be looking at increasingly complicated potions, it will require great skill and intellect and I warn you all that failure will not be tolerated. Anyone who fails more than one task will be removed from this class,” this time he sneered at Ron. “Today we will be making the venenum nex . Otherwise known as the Potion of Death, it does not kill but does make the drinker unconscious to such a degree that they will never wake. Brewed wrongly it will make you violently ill. Instructions on the board. Begin.” he then sat at his desk for the remainder of the lesson. Twenty minutes from the end he began to pace among his students, typically he praised the efforts of the Slytherins, taunted the Hufflepuff to within an inch of her sanity and completely berated the Ravenclaws. The Gryffindors knew that they were next.
“Mr. Potter, the steam emitting from your cauldron should be black, would you call this steam black?”
“No sir, it’s definitely dark grey.”
“It certainly is. Read the seventh line of instructions again,” Harry drew his eyes away from the steam floating above his cauldron to squint at the instructions. He realised his mistake immediately, “Did you do everything on the seventh line?”
“No sir. I only stirred it clockwise twice,” he grimaced.
“I know. Once again Potter your inability to read properly gains you zero. That is one task failed. If you fail another I will take great pleasure in expelling you from my class,” he slowly moved on to Ron’s cauldron. He eyed it suspiciously.
“Ten points from Gryffindor for undoubtedly getting instructions from Ms. Granger,” he passed by the last two cauldrons without comment. “Turn in a flask of your potion before you leave,” he then swept back to his desk.
They fumed the whole way back to their tower, it was only their second day back and they had already managed to lose forty points. They then made their way to double charms. After that it was off to the hall for lunch.
Dean, Neville and Seamus were all sat together so their fellow Gryffindors joined them. Harry looked up just in time to see Ginny entering the hall; once again his stomach did another nervous back flip. She was just so pretty.
Have you been sitting with your eyes shut?
He felt so stupid for not seeing her properly for so long. He could have sworn he saw her frown when she looked at them. Ginny joined them at the table she sat down next to Hermione and the two girls began whispering feverishly. Harry noticed out the corner of his eye that Dean was scowling at her. Suddenly the little cogs inside his head slid into place Dean had told Ginny not to make any rash decisions and that they would talk when they got back to school. They must have had a chance to talk. He felt hopeful, maybe soon he would be able to ask her out. He smiled at Ginny who instead of smiling shyly, grinned back at him openly.
With the days classes expended Harry, Ron and Hermione trudged back up to Gryffindor Tower tired and weighed down with homework. Hermione was insistent that they make a start straight away and Harry and Ron were, quite frankly, too tired to argue. So Ron and Harry plonked themselves in their favourite chairs by the fire with their Charms textbooks and parchment and began making notes on the charm that they had practiced in class. Ginny joined them an hour or so later and they all sat in silence working away only speaking to ask each other questions about something written in the books. The only noise that was to be heard was Snuffles’ gentle purring from her cosy corner where she was curled up at Ginny’s feet.
After several hours of note-making neither Harry or Ron were properly focused. Ron was sitting in his chair staring at Hermione with a dreamy expression on his face. Harry found this most amusing and instead of concentrating on his notes he was too busy trying to hold in the snort of laughter that threatened to escape him. Ginny was watching him with interest as he battled with himself. He decided just to go up to bed and spare himself having to endure Ron’s adoration any longer. “Well, I’m knackered,” he pronounced. “I’m off to bed, I’ll see you all in the morning,” he picked up his things and wandered off toward the stairs.
“That sounds like a good idea, me too. Night,” he heard Ginny saying to the others.
He climbed the stairs to his dormitory wearily; Neville, Dean and Seamus were still downstairs so thankfully the room was empty and quiet. When the door squeaked open Harry turned around to find Ginny standing there looking at him. She took several steps towards him with her eyes never leaving his face, “Harry… I wanted to ask you something,” she was whispering.
“Ask away…” he found himself whispering as well.
“Did you mean what you said during the summer?”
“About liking you?”
“Yes. Did you mean it?” her eyes were silently pleading with him.
“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it… I’m really sorry Gin… It’s taken me forever to see what’s right in front of me, I’d give Ron a run for his money in the oblivious stakes,” she was grinning at him, her eyes sparkling with tears.
“Oh Harry!” she rushed towards him wrapping her arms around his neck, he held her like that for a moment, she felt warm against his chest, and it was a nice feeling. She pulled away from him and stared up into his eyes, when he looked down into hers he felt the urge to kiss her. So he did.
He pressed his lips against hers and felt her reciprocate; it felt like electricity was seeping through his veins awaking every nerve. They had their arms wrapped around each other and their lips still pressed together in a more passionate kiss when Ron walked in on them. He stared at them open mouthed for several minutes before he could speak.
“Harry that’s my little sister that you’re snogging the face off. I don’t need to see that. I think I need counselling, I’m scarred for life,” he covered his eyes and grimaced in their general direction.
“Grow up Ron,” Ginny barked at him before running from the room. Ron removed his hand and searched the room for his sister before shrugging his shoulders and turning back to Harry.
“Just make sure that snogging is all you do,” for a moment Harry was genuinely frightened, Ron was taller than him and much more physically imposing when he drew himself up properly.
“Ron I would never…you know that I would never… I wouldn’t do that!” he began to protest but Ron held his hand up to stop him.
“I know Harry, it was a joke. A J-O-K-E,” he explained slowly as if Harry was hard of hearing.
“I thought joke’s were supposed to be funny?” Harry threw a pillow at him.
“Ha, Ha!” Ron grabbed the pillow which had smacked him square in the face and began to beat Harry repeatedly about the head and body with it, in defence Harry picked up his other pillow and began a counter attack, after ten minutes they were worn out.
“Bed?” Ron struggled to say through his staggered breathing. Harry just nodded in return, they changed for bed and quickly fell asleep with thoughts of Ginny and Hermione to provide them with pleasant dreams.