Chapter 6- Your Eyes Open
Harry, Ron and Ginny were going over the notes for the Chasers. Ron wasn't much help, he just stared at Hermione who was talking to a bubbly blonde on the other side of the common room.
"How about Castillo?" Harry said. Ginny glared at him. "What? You're not jealous are you?"
"Why would I be jealous? She's just nice, funny, and drop dead gorgeous."
"Not to mention a total airhead. Do you have any idea how boring she was compared to you?"
"If she was so boring how come you went with her for six months? And slept with her?"
"Can we not talk about this now? We need a Chaser. From what I've seen, Castillo's our best choice."
"Fine."
"You're mad."
"Yeah, because you're right." Ginny sighed. "She is the best-"
"Next to you," Harry added, trying to save some face.
"I just wish we had some other choice, like…"
"Like you?"
"Yes."
"Me, too."
Hermione had disappeared upstairs, so Ron had no other choice but to pay attention to Harry and Ginny. "So, what are our choices?"
"We've already picked someone," Harry said, clearing away their notes.
"Who?"
"Anna Castillo."
**
Harry paced the change room. Having Anna on the team shouldn't be that much of a problem, should it? Sure, she was pretty, but that was it. She hadn't even spoken to Harry since they broke up, unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Nervous?" Castillo was standing very, very close to Harry.
"Anna!" Harry jumped. "What are you doing here?"
"We've got practice, haven't we?"
"Right, practice." His hands were shaking.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's… it's the game. We haven't played without Ginny for years…" Great, insult her right out of the gate, he thought.
"Hi Harry." Ginny bounced in and gave Harry a great big kiss.
"Hey. Come to watch?"
"You bet." She glared at Castillo.
"Harry! Get your arse out here!" Ron called from the pitch. "Practice was supposed to start twenty minutes ago!"
Harry and Ginny walked out onto the pitch, hand in hand, followed by a slightly disgruntled Castillo. "Keep your eyes open," she whispered to him, "she still wants you."
**
From the first goal of the game, Castillo shadowed Harry. Harry went up, Castillo went up. Harry went down, Castillo went down. Gryffindor was loosing, 60-10.
"Get your head in the game, Castillo!" Harry called behind him. For a brief second, he thought she had listened. Castillo dove towards a Slytherin Chaser and followed him for about thirty seconds, then swooped back up to Harry. This was the only game he was thankful the school brooms were outdated, he was able to speed off, fast enough to strip the varnish from any broomstick, and did a series of complicated dives and turns. The rather pleasant side effect, Malfoy thought he had seen the Snitch and followed him.
In the stands, Hermione's eyes were darting all over the pitch, trying to figure out what Harry was doing. Ginny was complaining about Castillo, the girl who was supposed to be as good a Chaser as herself, the one who was tailing her boyfriend instead of scoring points.
"Harry better find that Snitch. She's not doing anything to help, she's just slowing him down. If there's one thing Harry doesn't need, it's an idiot like her slowing him down on the pitch."
"He's got it! Harry caught the Snitch!" Hermione squealed.
"It's not like they would have won any other way, especially with that bimbo on the team." Ginny crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. Today was not going well for her. First, she wasn't playing in the most anticipated game of the year, and second, her replacement was after her man. She didn't join in the cheering.
Down on the pitch, Harry threw the Snitch back to Madam Hooch and marched up to Castillo. "What the bloody hell was that? When I tell you to get your head in the game, you better bloody well do it! You play your position, Castillo! That's it, nothing else!" He was out of breath from flying so hard and trying to control his temper. He spotted Ginny sitting in the front row. "Ginny! Get down here! I don't give a damn about what Madam Pomfrey says! You're back on the team! Castillo, get out of my sight!"
"That was a little harsh, don't you think, Harry?" Ron asked.
"I have no tolerance for that sort of playing. You give it your all or you're off the team." Harry didn't care anyway, he was too mad to feel guilty.
"We've all had bad days, mate-"
"But we all stayed focused on the game." Ever since Harry's first game, he knew that no matter how bad your day was, how angry you were, or how nervous, you left your troubles in the change room. There wasn't room for distraction on the pitch. Once he became captain, he drilled this philosophy into the team's skulls.
"We should celebrate!" Dennis said, raising his bat in the air.
"Celebrate what?" Harry barked. The Creeveys, talented Beaters or not, were not Harry's favourite people.
"Ginny's return, and our victory," Collin said, clapping Ginny on the back.
"Party in the Common Room!" Dennis called over the crowd.
"I don't think so. Anna will be there and didn't Harry just say he never wanted to see her again?"
"How about the Room of Requirement? Invitation only?" Marty suggested.
**
Everyone was enjoying themselves at the party. About fifty students crowded into the Room of Requirement, most from Gryffindor, some from Ravenclaw, and some from Hufflepuff. The Gryffindor team was huddled together, laughing and dancing. Harry sat on the other side of the room, watching them. They had just won their second game in a row against Slytherin and he wasn't happy about it. That's twice he had been able to gloat about it in front of Malfoy, and this time, since no one had been hurt, he could describe the spectacular plays of the rest of the team and how pathetic the Slytherins were.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Hermione had separated herself from Parvati, Padma, and Lavender and joined Harry in the corner.
"I don't know," Harry said truthfully. "Maybe I was a little harsh on Castillo."
"Maybe," Hermione agreed. Harry glared at her. "But, there isn't room for that sort of playing on the Gryffindor team," she added, "and Anna knew that. But, even you have had your bad days."
"I didn't play like that!" He said indignantly. "I still caught the snitch and we won."
"I know, Harry, but maybe you should lighten up a bit. This is our last year and we should be having fun, not hell-bent on winning or grades."
"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked. Now that he thought of it, Hermione had been acting a little odd, for her anyway.
"I'm perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well, Ron's worried about you. He thinks you're acting differently and Ginny and I have noticed it, too."
"There's no reason to worry about me, Harry. We're adults now and we can take care of ourselves," she said pleasantly.
"You're avoiding the issue, Hermione. Something's changed about you."
"I've just relaxed, Harry. I've decided that I shouldn't do all that extra credit work because it takes away from my time with my friends, plus, it's not like I need those marks. Like I said, this year should be fun. I don't want to burn myself out before NEWTs."
"You haven't eaten anything that looks as though Fred and George invented it in the '80s? Or any messed up potions?"
"No," she said with a laugh.
"As long as that's all there is to it."
"That's all, Harry, I promise."
"Will you tell Ron then? He's gone nutters about this."
"Oi! Hermione!" Ron yelled, looking all over the room for her. He was heads taller than anyone else.
"Over here!" She called back.
"Where are you?"
"With Harry!" She stood on her chair so he could see her.
"Come over here!"
"Coming!" She hopped off the chair and said to Harry, "cheer up. People are going to think you're mentally disturbed again, especially after today." She made her way across the room to Ron and the rest of the team. Bored and tired, Harry decided he would go to bed.
There was only one person in the common room, Anna Castillo, and she was crying. Harry felt a pang of guilt. "Anna?"
"No, don't worry Harry, I'm leaving," she sniffed.
"Anna, wait. I'm sorry." He sat in the chair across from her. "I meant what I said, but I'm sorry for how I said it. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"Yes you should have. You have every right to hate me."
"You always were a drama queen. Anna, when you play Quidditch on my team, you need to be serious about it. I know you're good, Ginny even says so, but you need to focus on the game, not the other players. And especially not the Seeker."
"Because I was replacing the Seeker's girlfriend."
"Not just that. I know you understand Quidditch. You know that the Beaters work together, and the Keeper and Chasers work together, but the Seeker can't be distracted by anything, not even Bludgers. That could lose the game."
"Why do you always lecture me?"
"I do not." He stopped himself from saying more, maybe it would be best to just agree with her right now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lecture you." Harry didn't want to spend any more time with Anna than he had to. He stood up and said, "Look, I'm really sorry I upset you, I'm sorry I yelled at you, I'm sorry I lectured you, but I did mean what I said. Goodnight."
**
All through Sunday, the sixth- and seventh-years sat in groups around the coffee tables and struggled to finish their homework due the next day. Every so often, someone would pose a question to the whole common room and Hermione would give them a brief answer.
"What in hell is Polyjuice Potion?" A sixth-year asked.
"It's in Potent Potions in the library," Hermione said. She put down her quill and stole one of Ron's chocolate frogs.
"That's it? That's all you're going to say?" Harry asked.
"I can't very well do their work for them," She said, wrestling with Ron over the squirming chocolate.
"What about them?" Ginny asked, indicating Harry and Ron.
"Well, they were hopeless. I couldn't let them fail."
By supper, a good portion of the workload had been lifted and the mood in the common room lightened. Now, everyone was discussing their holiday plans.
The younger students were excited to get letters from their parents, apologizing for not being able to have them home for the holidays because they had to work.
"I don't mind, really," one girl said to Hermione. "Mum and Dad always work through the holidays. Christmas day was usually just me and my governess eating whatever we found in the refrigerator."
"At least you had a governess," a second-year boy told her. "All I had was a twitchy little house elf that was afraid of me. I had to spend Christmas with my aunt and uncle. Horrible people, each one of their kids are in Slytherin."
"Makes you glad to be an orphan," Harry said after Hermione told him these stories. "So, 'Mione, what are you doing for the holidays? Not reading, I hope?"
"No, I'm taking Ron home to meet my parents." She blushed a little. "They were so thrilled when I suggested it. They always thought I spent too much time on my schoolwork and avoided a social life. How about you?"
"Ginny and I are staying at Grimmauld Place and inviting everyone for Christmas Day."
"Everyone?"
"Yeah. You, your parents, the Weasleys, the Order, Dean, Seamus, all of our friends, everyone but Snape. Even Neville's grandmother if she wants to come."
**
Christmas break couldn't come soon enough. Friday night, when they should have been packing, the seventh-years and some sixth-years from all houses except Slytherin, took part in a massive snowball fight. Colin's aim was so horrible, he hit a second year building a snowman.
"And he's your star Beater?" Ernie Macmillan laughed. Harry picked up the nearest snowball and, though Ernie was on the same team, threw it in his face. The Gryffindors who had already been ousted cheered.
Not surprisingly, Harry and Ron were the only two left. They were the captains of each team. Judging by their attacks, Harry could probably play Quidditch without a broom and Ron would have made a fair Beater. After hitting Ron square in the jaw with a giant snowball, Harry was victorious. His team mates who had remained outside in the bitter cold to see the outcome, cheered their fearless leader. Hermione (who had been on Harry's team) consoled Ron.
Harry was kissing Ginny when Ron picked up a giant snowball, left over from the second-years' snowman, and dropped it on their heads before running inside.
Ginny smiled. Harry looked so cute like that. He had snow piled on his head, his glasses were slightly fogged, his cheeks rosy pink with matching lips. His eyes were sparkling like she had never seen. He really was as drool worthy as Teen Witch made him out to be.
Harry dusted the snow off Ginny's head. He couldn't remember when she looked so irresistible. the melted snow in her hair twinkled in the moonlight, her cheeks were flushed, and her lips slightly purple from the cold. She was shivering. "Ginny-"
"Sh," she said, tilting her head up to kiss him. It was like drinking a whole pitcher of butter beer in one go. Harry's mouth was so inviting and warm, she felt like melted butter.
Harry felt his temperature rise, among other things, as Ginny pressed her body against his, kissing him gently. "Wow," he said when Ginny broke the kiss. She was grinning ear to ear, which Harry had learned meant she was taking great pleasure in torturing him like that and making him squirm. It was a talent that he, too, possessed. He could make Ginny squirm with a look, or a strategically placed kiss.
"We should go in before we freeze to death," Ginny suggested. Harry nodded slowly, trying to calm himself down.
Once inside, his glasses fogged up instantly. He took them off and placed them in his pocket.
"Wow, Harry, I've never seen you without your glasses," Ginny said breathlessly.
"Do I look that bad?" He said self-consciously.
"Just the opposite, you're incredibly sexy." Harry smiled. "God, you're too gorgeous for words," she groaned, causing Harry to smile wider. "Stop that. Now I won't be able to get to sleep tonight."
"Then don't. Meet me in the common room at one."
"That late?"
"By then, everyone will be in bed and Ron and Hermione will be back from their rounds. And I can be sure that Ron will be sound asleep by then."
"That's five hours from now. What am I supposed to do until then?"
"Pack?"
**
At five to one, Harry went down to the common room to make sure it was empty. He had to tiptoe across his room and be careful of the creaky door. Ron was snoring, but not loud enough that Harry could be sure he was dead to the world.
"Hermione? What are you doing down here?" Harry asked quietly.
"I couldn’t sleep."
"Would you mind not sleeping in your room? Ginny-" Hermione nodded and ran up the stairs, meeting Ginny coming down.
"Harry?" Harry jumped out of his seat and gave Ginny the most passionate kiss he could. "Hermione just-" Harry kissed her again. "What about- Ron?"
"Asleep."
"Good." After that, no words were spoken. They let their love and passion take over, they were incapable of thinking.
Somewhere around 4:30, Ginny had the good sense to suggest they go back to their rooms before they lost control.
Harry was relieved, to say the least, to find Ron still sound asleep, snoring as loud as ever, when he opened the door.
At 8:00, Harry woke to sun shining through the windows. He was surprised that he wasn't tired.
**
Ginny and Hermione were waiting at the bottom of the marble staircase outside the Great Hall. Judging by Hermione's expression, Ginny was recounting the events of last night. The both blushed when they saw Harry on the stairs.
"What's with them?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Harry said.
"Good morning," Ginny sang, kissing Harry.
"Sleep well?"
"Very well, thank you." Her cheeks reddened even more, but her tone was pleasant and even. Ron eyed them suspiciously. Hermione noticed and kissed him good morning.
"Let's eat," Harry suggested.
The Great Hall was chaotic. Everyone was laughing and yelling, going from table to table to find their friends and talk about their plans for Christmas. Others were standing on the benches, trying to grab the floating decorations.
A large Barn owl dropped two magazines, one on Hermione's plate, and one on Ginny's, and flew off.
"Teen Witch? You're kidding!"
"You'd be surprised what you can learn from this magazine."
"Like what?" Ron asked doubtfully. Hermione whispered something in his ear. "You learned THAT from that magazine?" Turning red, he ran his fingers through his hair. "Blimey."
"Look, Harry, it's you again." Ginny showed him the cover. "I don't believe it, it's a special Harry Potter issue. Look at this: Ten Things you Never Knew About The Boy Who Lived; Quiz- Are you Harry's Type?; and exclusive photos of Harry at Hogwarts! What's so exclusive about them? Everyone who reads this magazine goes to Hogwarts and sees you every day."
"I'm intrigued," Harry said, taking the magazine from Ginny. He found the list of ten things no one knew about him.
Ten Things You Never Knew About Harry Potter
Everyone knows that Harry's middle name is "James" and that he was born July 31, 1980. But, how many people know what he's really like?
"I'd said about a thousand," Ginny said.
1. Harry's favourite colour: With his bright, emerald eyes, you would expect his favourite colour to be green. In fact, in true Gryffindor spirit, his favourite colour is actually red. That's good news for his girlfriend, fellow Gryffindor and Quidditch player, Ginny Weasley.
"That's not true. Your favourite colour's green, isn't it?" Ginny asked.
"That's what I thought," Harry said.
2. Harry's favourite band: Growing up in the Muggle word, our favourite hottie enjoys U2. Sexy Irish Muggle, Bono is an A-list musician definitely worthy of Harry's ears.
"Bono? What kind of name is that?"
"One that's synonymous with fame, sex appeal, and social justice," Hermione said. She had grown up listening to U2 records.
"I hardly ever listen to U2," Harry said. "I prefer John Lennon."
3. Harry's Love Life: We've searched far and wide to find Harry's past love interests. Rumours of a relationship with his good friend, Hermione Granger, were squashed back in '94 when Granger was seen repeatedly with Bulgarian Quidditch star, Viktor Krum. That same year, Harry attended the Yule Ball at Hogwarts with Parvati Patil, also of Gryffindor. In Harry's fifth year, he courted Cho Chang, who now plays for the Tornadoes. 1996 was the year of Anna Castillo. Now, in his seventh and final year of Hogwarts, Harry is in what appears a serious and long-term relationship with Ginny Weasley.
"I wonder who told them all that," Hermione looked around the Great Hall.
"It certainly wasn't Malfoy, he would have taken every opportunity to destroy me. It might not be accurate, but it's not far off," Harry admitted.
"What's number four?" Ginny asked.
4.Skeletons in the Closet: We all know the story of how Harry, only a baby, survived the attack of You-Know-Who. With his parents dead, and no other family than three miserable Muggles Harry was forced to live with, his childhood was not pleasant. Once at Hogwarts, Harry battled You-Know-Who and other Dark Wizards, such as Sirius Black.
In his second year at Hogwarts, Harry, believed to be the Heir to Slytherin, saved the life of a fellow student while causing the destruction of Gilderoy Lockhart's memory. Lockhart has been in St Mungo's ever since.
"Where'd they dig that up?" Harry stared at the magazine. "And it wasn't my fault he lost his memory, that was you," he said to Ron. "I can't read anymore, this is just too ridiculous." He handed the magazine back to Ginny, who continued reading.
5. Even More Skeletons: There have been several single mothers, young and old, claiming that Harry is the father of their child. Many of the cases are outrageously false, for example: Marjorie Kendall, 72, claims that her son, now 50 and a father of four, was the child of our deliciously handsome heartthrob. However, a more realistic case has recently been unearthed. A recent Hogwarts graduate, who wishes to remain anonymous, has recently given birth to a boy with black hair and green eyes. Her fiancé was so furious, he threatened to leave her and the baby without a Knut if she didn't stop telling these lies. The mother rescinded her tale and is now happily married.
"Why, Harry, I had no idea."
"'Deliciously handsome'?" Harry said in disbelief. "These people are crazy!"
"They're girls," Ron said. Ginny and Hermione threw hot cross buns at his head.
"What's the rest?"
"I don't think you want to know."
"Tell me," Harry said, trying to grab the magazine.
"No!" Ginny squealed, keeping it out of reach. Harry gave up the struggle when he made eye contact with a Hufflepuff girl, who blushed and giggled, turning away to whisper excitedly to her friend.
"That was strange." He noticed the girls were reading Teen Witch, like almost every girl in the school, even some of the Slytherins.
"They're just being silly," Hermione said.
"You're blushing," Harry pointed out.
"Well, er… it's quite warm in here, don't you think, Ginny?" Ginny shrugged. "We'll wait for you in the Entrance Hall," she said, pulling Ginny out of the Great Hall, taking both copies of the magazine with them.
"Now, that was strange."
**
"What was that all about?" Ginny hissed.
"Well, I couldn't think of anything else," Hermione said lamely. "You know I can't lie on the spot."
"You're not embarrassed, are you? Because it isn't true."
"I didn't think it was," she said defensively.
"Then how come you got all hot and bothered?"
"Can we just forget about it? Please?"
"Alright, alright. But, #7 is true." Hermione turned scarlet.
"What's #7?" Harry asked, making both girls jump.
"Nothing important."
"If we go now, we'd have time for a couple of butter beers in the Three Broomsticks," Ron said gruffly, changing the subject. Knowing that his girlfriend was attracted to his best friend was not helping his holiday spirit.
They walked behind the floating trolleys loaded with trunks that Hagrid was guiding into the village. The wind was starting to pick up just as they entered the pub. Madam Rosemerta was nailing a cluster of mistletoe to one of the beams.
"Happy Christmas, Rosemerta," Harry said cheerfully, rubbing Ginny's hands between his over the fire.
"Happy Christmas, dear," she said blushing.
"Good Lord, they've all gone mental!" Ron said, picking up a copy of Teen Witch.
"You're not reading that rubbish, are you Rosemerta?" Hermione asked, as if it were totally absurd for anyone to even consider reading such a silly magazine.
"Of course not! A student must have left it here on the last visit."
"That was three weeks ago, this is from today."
"Did you come here to grill me or to drink?"
**
A/N: Don't ask me what #7 is, I don't know, but if you have some suggestions, suggest them so this article coudl possibly resurface. And why is Harry a John Lennon fan? Simple, the same reason Hermione is a U2 fan: I am!