A/N- Nope, I'm not JKR, so I don't own these characters. I also don't own anything from/regarding to Cruel Intentions, or the song used, Bittersweet Symphony. LOVE the song though!!
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'A lot had happened since Christmas this year,' Ginny thought to herself. The scar on her shoulder had not fully healed, nor had the one's on her brother's arms. Ron had been there, too. The after affects left on Hermione were none that anyone could call overly disappointing. The potion that she took to keep herself alive at the end had taken all the curl out of her hair. She was not grief stricken over her loss.
Harry's had been the hardest to see. For the longest time, his eyes stayed downcast. The spell that had taken Voldemort's life had a terrible reflection back to Harry. He stayed in the hospital wing for a whole month after the last battle. Others were toasting to his victory while the people who loved him cried in worry. Yes, the last battle had been hard on him.
Ginny had been there for him as best she could. While he was in hospital, she stayed with him as long as Madam Pomfrey would allow, often doing her studies by the candlelight next to his bed. When he had finally woken up, he was shocked to see how much Ginny cared for him. She could tell he appreciated it, even if he didn't outwardly say it.
Over the next few months, Harry turned to Ginny more and more. She was someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't talk back when she could sense he needed someone to listen. It was only with her help that some of the old Harry started to show through again. After a while, it was hard to tell he had even changed.
Now, in the last month of school, Harry and Ginny were nearly inseparable. Though not dating, Ginny was certain she was in love with Harry. She wanted to believe that he returned her affection, but she couldn't be sure.
Lately he hadn't been looking her in the eyes, like he was keeping something from her. He was also talking to her less, and Ron and Hermione more. She didn't understand what was wrong. For a split second, she thought he may have been using her, simply someone to talk to who was too stupid to know what he really wanted. She banished that thought from her head immediately, knowing Harry too well to think he was capable of anything like that. Something had to be up, and she resolved herself to wait until Harry told her, even though that wait may well drive her crazy.
Ginny contented herself to studying for end of term exams. Hermione had work up schedules for herself, Ron, Harry and Ginny, which usually involved them studying together as a group. As Head Girl, she was privvy to all the top-secret information before it had been announced to the school, and on this night, she very much enjoyed that information.
"For the last time, I am NOT telling you Ron!" she said with a grin. Hermione knew her boyfriend well enough to know that he would try his best to worm the gossip out of her any way he could.
"How about a hint?" he said, with puppy dogs eyes, trying not to smile.
"No, Ron, no hints either!" It was Harry that spoke this time. Ginny looked at him. How did HE know what was going on?
"So you told Harry and not me?" Ron said, his voice slowly rising. He knew better than to be jealous of his best friend, knowing full well who he fancied, but this was just ridiculous.
"Calm down, Ron, you'll all know soon enough, I think its being announced tomorrow," Hermione said in the tone that told him not to push it any further. He pouted for a moment until Hermione leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. That ended further discussion about the secret announcement.
The next night at dinner, as Hermione promised, Dumbledore got it his feet and tapped his glass to get the Great Hall's attention. When all was quiet, he began to speak.
"As most of you realize, this school year is drawing to a close. It has been a most exciting one. The rest of the staff and I have decided as a final treat and a congratulations to all of you, we will be holding a Masked Ball on the last night of term. Fourth years and higher will be attending, but there will be festivities in the common rooms for our younger students as well. You will be receiving further information in your classes throughout the day tomorrow. Now, tuck in!"
Dumbledore sat down to thunderous applause and the Great Hall was instantly buzzing with talk of the upcoming ball. Girls were dicussing what to wear and dates, boys were dicussing dates, and a few select boys were overheard trying to scheme a way to get firewhiskey into the school.
"So I suppose I'll have to ask you," Ron said to Hermione, with a fake look of disgust on his face.
"You'd better, or I'll tell Ginny to Bat-Bogey hex you!" she replied with a giggle. One of the few people that remained quiet throughout dinner was Harry. It seemed to Ginny that he was building himself up for something.
She was right.
As group headed back to the common room to study, Harry pulled Ginny aside.
"Ginny, I know I've been acting kind of odd lately, and I do apologize, and I was hoping you'd go to the ball with me anyway," he said quickly.
"Of course Harry," Ginny said, still uncertain of his tone. That seemed very rehearsed and almost forced, she thought to herself.
"Thanks Gin, I promise we'll have fun," he said, again, sounding more like he was convincing himself than her.
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The time before the ball passed quickly. Harry was still being distant, and he seemed to be spending more time in a corner with Hermione over a piece of parchment than doing anything else. When Ginny questioned Ron about this, she got a rather disconcerting answer.
"He's having trouble with classes lately," Ron told her. "He's sort of drifting off and not paying attention. Worse than before."
"You don't think he's still sick, do you?" Ginny asked worriedly. She knew she still spend every day in hospital with him, if that was even what he wanted anymore.
"I've asked and he says he's fine," Ron said reassuringly. "Its okay, Gin, he's gone, remember?" he added with his big brother tone.
"I know, but I still worry," she said. She cast another glance at the two in the corner before mumbling goodnight and going up to bed.
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It was finally the day of the ball. A cool summer breeze was drifting through the open windows, and the entire castle was buzzing with excitement. Ginny, on the other hand, was completely distraught.
"The flu!" she yelled. "Harry Potter is standing me up for a case of the muggle flu! Why can't Madam Pomfrey give him some potion or something so he can still go?"
"He said he'd taken potion, but he was still not one-hundred percent from, you know, and that she wouldn't let him out tonight," Ron told her, trying to calm his sister's nerved. "He said for you to still go, though, he was going to try to sneak down with his Invisibility Cloak."
"If he's truly that sick, he'd better not!" and with that, she turned on her heel, headed straight for the hospital wing. 'He'd better be GREEN,' she thought to herself, leaving her at the last minute without a date. And wanting her to go alone? Ha! She'd rather stay in her dormitory all night.
Her anger with him dissolved when she say him. He looked positively awful. She rushed over to him, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's icy stare for waking up her patient.
"I'm so sorry, Gin," Harry said weakly. "I would come, I honestly would but..." his voice trailed off as he seemed to be willing himself not to vomit in front of Ginny.
"Its okay," she told him. "I just thought you didn't want to go with me."
"You know that's not true," he said. "I would have loved to spend the evening with you."
"I would have liked that, too" she said quietly. She didn't want her disappointment to show through too much.
"Promise me something, though," he said, his voice stronger. "Promise me you'll still go. Have fun. I told Neville as Ron was dragging me up her to dance with you for me."
As a tear slipped down her cheek, she answered in a whisper:
"I promise."
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This is alright, she thought to herself. She was dancing with a group of her friends, not really noticing that the one person she wanted to dance with wasn't here. Lavender had lent Ginny a beautiful ivory satin dress, and she didn't wear a mask, but instead, enchanted little crystals to her face in a pattern. Ron had told her he never seen her so beautiful, and she had turned many boys' heads when she walked into the room.
Not bad, she thought again, but its not the same without Harry. As if on cue, a slow song struck up and the girls around her were instantly enveloped into their boyfriends' arms. Ginny made her way to a table and sat down, absentmindedly stirring her drink with the straw.
She started as he appeared next to her. A man, his face covered by a white mask, head covered with a hood stood before her. She couldn't exactly explain it, but she wasn't scared of him. In all truth, she should have been terrified of a man in such an outfit, from past experience, but this time, something was different. So different, in fact, that when he offered her his hand, she took it, and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.
This is so wrong, she thought to herself. The man she loved was laid up in bed, throwing up all over, and here she was, drawn to and dancing with a man she'd never met before. The band's song came to an end, and the muggle jukebox Professor Dumbledore had brought in started playing another slow song. This one she recognized. The last summer, she had visited Hermione, and they had watched a movie on her television. Cruel Intentions, that's it, she thought to herself. This was that song at the end!
As if he had heard her thinking, as soon as she realized the song, he took her hand again and started leading her away. Again, not knowing why, she followed him without a word. On the way out of the Great Hall, she saw Ron and Hermione looking at her, with what she could only call knowing smiles.
This masked man had led her onto a terrace, although this was a terrace like she had never seen before. There were white and pale pink roses everywhere, along with candles and fairies, and the chords of that song echoed throughout the grounds. He let go off her hand after leading her to the center of the terrace. Still, neither one of them spoke.
This is ridiculous, she thought to herself, willing herself not to cry. This was the most incredible thing anyone had ever done for her, and she did not even know who this man was. Not only that, but she also felt guilty. Here was someone who obviously loved her deeply, and all she could think about it how badly she wished he were someone else. Finally, she spoke.
"Who are you?" she asked. "Why have you done all this for me?"
The masked man still said nothing, but pulled out a wand and waved it. Silvery writing appeared before her, spelling out the most beautiful words she'd ever read.
I met you because I had no family
They were taken from me
But you became my family
You became everything I always wanted
My life was a mess
And you pulled me together
You became what I looked forward to
You became my beautiful music
I was just a mess of bitter notes
But with you in my life
Its a Bittersweet Symphony
I love you.
With that, the man removed his mask, and Ginny saw the last person she expected to see standing before her....
Harry.
She ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck, no longer trying to keep from crying as she knew it was useless. He pulled away from her and kissed her deeply.
"I meant every word," he said, looking deep into her eyes.
"And all this time I thought you were studying with Hermione!" Ginny said, wiping her eyes.
"Yeah, that was fake, we were planning this," he said with a grin. "Ron knew, too."
"And Madam Pomfrey? Professor Dumbledore?" Ginny asked incredulously.
"All accomplices," he said shyly. "I think they figured we could use some happiness."
"It worked," she whispered, before pulling him to her and kissing again.
*That song was played the night Harry proposed to Ginny, one year later.
*It was also the first song, of a great many, they danced to as husband and wife....
A/N- I know it was long and thank you for sticking it out to the end. I think it needed to be a one shot, only because any place I tried to end it seemed wrong, and it would have only been two or three chapters, and that's if I REALLY streched. Thanks again, reviews and email welcome and encouraged!!