A/N: H/G shippers will especially enjoy this chapter...R/Hr, you'll just have to wait...
Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never.*
Disclaimer: None of places/characters are mine, I'm sure you all know who owns them...
3. Me, Myself and…Ginny
Harry woke to the sound of Hedwig and Pigwidgeon hooting loudly. He rubbed his eyes, put on his glasses, and went to feed them, a faint smile playing around his face. He was at The Burrow “ where all his friends were. He hadn’t felt so happy all holiday.
“Harry, mate, what are you doing? It’s only…” Ron peered, blurry-eyed, at his watch. “…ten o'clock! Maybe we should get up!” he gasped.
Harry dressed and proceeded downstairs, attempting to flatten his hair and smooth the creases out of his top. He tried out different ways of greeting everyone in his head, but none sounded good enough. Full of nerves, Harry entered the kitchen.
“Harry!” screamed Hermione. “You’re here!”
“Uh, yeah…” grinned Harry.
“Hello Harry dear, how are you?” inquired Mrs Weasley.
“I’m fine, er “ great, in fact, do you know where Ginny is?”
“Oh yes, of course dear, you’ll want to speak to her, she’s in the garden,” replied Mrs Weasley.
Harry smiled gratefully at her and headed out of the back door into the garden. He immediately spotted a tuft of flaming red in amongst the greenery of the plants. Creeping up to Ginny, Harry could see her hair glimmering in the sunlight. When he reached her, he placed his hands over her eyes. She jumped in shock.
“Guess who,” teased Harry.
“W-what? Harry?!” Ginny’s voice rose in excitement.
Harry peeled his hands away from her face, and turned her head towards him. He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful her eyes were, and how warm he felt when she smiled at him.
“Harry!” Ginny flung her arms around him.
“Ginny…” he murmured longingly as he held her close to his body.
*
Harry spent the rest of the day chatting and playing Quidditch with the others in the orchard. Fred and George joined them in the late afternoon, and they played some memorable matches in which Harry managed to thrash the opposing team every time, no matter who he was with. They eventually trouped into the house, cold and exhausted, but still laughing about the events of that day. Everyone was very glad to see supper waiting for them on the table, so they all sat down to excellent and filling meal.
After eating all they could, everybody left to get changed into warmer clothes, then congregated around the fire, reading, playing chess, knitting and talking happily. Harry was sat in a squashy, comfortable armchair, reading ‘Quidditch: The Supreme Sport’, his birthday present from Hermione. He looked over to where Ginny was, playing with Crookshanks and chatting casually to Hermione, who was curled up with ‘The Standard Book of Spells Grade Seven’. Ginny’s eyes sparkled in the firelight, her delicate fingers running repeatedly down Crookshank’s back. Harry shook his head and returned to reading, not knowing that Ron had been watching him while his Queen bashed Fred’s Bishop to the ground.
Hours later, people began heading up to bed. Harry left shortly after Ginny, and as he was walking upstairs, Ginny called out to him.
“Harry! Harry! Come in here! I need to talk to you!”
Harry looked around and saw Ginny beckoning him into a room he had never noticed before. As he hastily entered, he saw that the room was completely bare, though there was a strong smell of wet paint.
“I’ve never seen this room before,” remarked Harry.
“It’s never really been used,” admitted Ginny. “Mum and Dad just decided to paint it recently. Look, Harry this is not why I asked you to come in here.”
“I know,” he replied. “You said you wanted to talk to me.”
“Yes, about - about us, Harry.”
“No “ Ginny, we can’t -”
“Why not?” she asked fiercely. “Harry, I don’t care what you think is best for me! I want to be with you!”
“Yes, but I can’t put you in danger like that! You - you wouldn’t understand…”
“Oh wouldn’t I? Fine then, explain to me!”
Harry stared at her for a long time, her eyes full of a steely, determined glint. He looked away and strode to the window on the opposite wall. “I can’t bare the thought of you getting hurt, all because of me, because I couldn’t stop myself…”
“Harry,” said Ginny, more gently. “Don’t you understand? I don’t care! Not being with you is what will destroy me, more than any physical harm.”
“But Voldemort is sure to attack you if you’re my girlfriend!” protested Harry.
“Harry, Voldemort came after me in your second year even when all I was to you was your best friend’s little sister! Why will it make a difference now?” Ginny pointed out.
Harry walked over to Ginny, his heart aching for her. “But Ginny-”
Before he could finish, Ginny had pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately. Harry felt an electricity pulse through his body. He wrapped his arms around Ginny’s back, feeling as though every fibre of his being was in this very kiss. They broke apart, and from the smile in Ginny’s eyes, Harry knew this was the only way it should be.
*Charles Caleb Colton