A/N: All the characters contained herein belong to Ms. Rowling.
Harry awoke in the grey half-light before dawn smiling as he felt Ginny snuggled up to him. He gently eased his arm out from underneath her and slid out of bed. He grabbed his invisibility cloak from the chair where he had left it the night before and threw it around himself. After checking to make sure that he was completely covered, he bent down and gave Ginny a quick peck on the cheek and then silently headed for Gryffindor Tower.
He gave the password to the Fat Lady and stealthily made his way to the sixth year dormitories. Once there, it only took him a moment to stow his cloak away and climb into his four poster. Sighing, he snuggled into the covers and closed his eyes, wanting to get some more sleep before his morning classes.
"So how's my sister doing Harry?" Ron asked from his behind the curtains of his bed.
"Uh... I...we..." Harry stuttered. He heard Ron chuckle.
"I saw you sneek out. I know you spent the night in the hospital wing mate, so you might as well give it up. After staying up half the night, I have decided not to hurt you, but only because I know you would never take advantage of her like that. Now how is she?"
Harry smiled, relieved. "She's fine Ron. She was sleeping when I left."
"Good. I'm going back to sleep. Night," Ron said and the room grew quiet once again. Harry snuggled back into his blankets and was starting to drift off, when he was interrupted once again.
"Hey Harry?" This time the voice belonged to Neville Longbottom.
"Yes Nev?" Harry answered, trying to stifle a yawn.
"I'm glad Ginny's ok. If anyone had done something like that to Luna, I don't know what I would do," Neville said quietly.
"Thanks Neville. Hopefully, you'll never have to find out," Harry said. Silence once again settled on the room, and Harry let his eyes start to drift close.
"Hey Harry?" Seamus' said, jolting Harry from his near slumber.
"Yes Seamus?"
"How'd you do that yesterday? You know, with Malfoy?" Seamus asked. "You didn't even have your wand out."
"Shut up Finnegan!" Ron said.
"No, it's ok Ron. I have no idea how I did it actually. All I remember is being more angry than I have ever been in my life and then it sort of just happened," Harry answered really wishing he had stayed in the hospital wing now.
"Remind me never to make you mad," Seamus murmured. Harry heard Ron throw something, probably a pillow, in Seamus' direction. Everyone settled back down, and Harry was almost asleep when the final occupant of the room spoke.
"Hey Harry?"
"Yes Dean?" said Harry sighing in exasperation.
"Nothing. I was just feeling left out," Dean said grinning.
"I give up!" Harry groaned. "I'm going back to the hospital wing. You coming Ron?"
"Yeah might as well. We're obviously not going to get any sleep with this lot," Ron replied, looking decidedly grumpy.
"Hey!" Seamus protested. "You two are the ones who woke us up. Remember?" This time it was Harry who threw the pillow at him.
Ron and Harry, making as much noise as they could, got dressed. They headed down to the common room and out the portrait hole to the hospital wing, narrowly avoiding Mrs. Norris along the way. They arrived to find Ginny not only awake, but up and dressed.
"What in the bloody hell do you think you are doing Ginevra Weasley? You have been through a traumatic experience. You should be in bed resting," Ron shouted as his overprotective brother instincts kicked in. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"For your information Ronald, I'm fine. Madame Pomfrey checked on me a minute ago. My bones are all mended and my lungs have healed. I've been cleared for classes, so quit shouting at me," Ginny said firmly. Ron looked like he wanted to protest more, but his sister shot him a look which would have done Mrs. Weasley proud.
While the siblings had been arguing, Harry had been staring, stricken at Ginny. All of the bandages had been removed, and he could see her scar. It looked nearly identical to his. It was bit odd, seeing his scar on her face. He felt the guilt welling up again.
"Harry?" Ginny questioned, seeing the look on his face. "Are you allright?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine. I was just.. You look beautiful this morning," Harry blurted, realizing it was true. She did. He was determined not to let her have the same self conscious feelings about her scar that he did his.
Ginny blushed furiously. Harry saw her hand go up and touch her scar, trying to adjust her hair to cover it. He gently, but firmly pulled her hand away and brushed her hair aside. Leaning forward, he lightly kissed the mark. Ginny smiled up at him.
"There you two are. Thanks so much for waiting on me," Hermione said dryly from the doorway.
"Sorry Hermione," Harry said.
"We wanted to let you sleep," Ron added, as Hermione walked over to them. She smiled at Ron before turning to his sister.
"You look wonderful Ginny. Madame Pomfrey has cleared you then?" Hermione asked. At Ginny's nod, Hermione hugged her friend. "I'm so glad you're allright."
"Me too," Ginny said grinning. "I'm also starving. Let's go to breakfast."
They went through the halls laughing and talking. As they approached the Great Hall, Harry could feel Ginny tense up, although he could tell that she was trying to hide it.
"It'll be ok," he whispered reassuringly. Ginny smiled greatfully and, taking a deep breath, they entered the crowded hall.
Immediately, the group felt all eyes focused on them and heard the usual early morning chatter lull, before an explosion of whispering began. Ginny paled and looked down, uncharacteristically shy. She would have probably backed out of the room were it not for Harry. He'd had enough experience to know that the only way to deal with the gossip running through the room was to face it, no matter how unpleasant that may be. Straightening to his full height, he put his arm around Ginny, glaring ferociously around him, as if daring anyone to say anything to offend her. As the last time most of the people present had seen Harry he was covered in green flame and dangling Malfoy from the ceiling, this worked very effectively and people hastily returned to their breafasts.
At the Gryffindor table, Ginny was greeted enthusiastically by her housemates. Although she could tell many of them wanted to ask her what had happened, no one did. She was fairly certain it was only the presence of Ron and Harry which put them off. She was dreading classtime, when she would have to deal with things alone. Not long after they had sat down, Colin Creevey very hesitantly came up to them.
"Ginny?" he said tentatively. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I mean if I had stayed behind and helped you clean up, you wouldn't have been alone and this might never have happened."
"Colin, this is not your fault. I told you to go on. Remember? Even if I hadn't, they probably still would've attacked, only then both of us would have been hurt," Ginny said.
"But still... You're not walking to anymore classes alone," he said.
"Trying to steal my girlfiend Creevey?" Harry asked. Colin gave a frightened squeak. Ron snorted into the cereal he was busily shoveling in.
"N-no Harry. I'd never... I just..." Colin stuttered. Harry couldn't help it. He laughed.
"I'm sorry Colin. I was only teasing you. I know that you would never do that. I appreciate you keeping an eye on Ginny for me," Harry said smiling at Colin. The younger boy had always been rather annoying to Harry, but he seemed to have matured some finally.
"Keeping an eye on me?" Ginny said dangerously. "Who said I need anyone to keep an eye on me?"
"Uh... well... I..." It was Harry's turn to stutter now. Hermione decided to take pity on him.
"I'm sure that he just meant that it is obviously not safe for any of us to wander the halls alone, and he appreciates Colin's willingness to accompany you. Isn't that right Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded hastily, thanking his lucky stars for Hermione.
The familiar woosh of wings overhead announed the arrival of the owls with the morning post. Hedwig landed gracefully in front of Harry with a note from Remus rescheduling their meeting about the D.A. Hermione had received her usual Daily Prophet, which she was quickly immersed in. A rather non-descript owl had landed next to Ginny and held out it's leg. With a puzzled frown, she removed the letter and turned it over to see who it was from. Harry saw her eyes widen in shock.
"Ginny?" he asked in concern. "What is it? Who is it from?"
"Percy. It's a letter from Percy," she said exchanging a look with Ron, whose ears had already gone a brght Weasley red.
Once again, I hope you all enjoyed this one. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks as always go out to Danielle for moderating, my son Will for being my beta, and all of you for reading and reviewing.