* *Ginny’s POV* *
She beamed at him like a small child waiting eagerly for Christmas morning.
“Everything set?” he asked.
She smiled even wider. “Oh yeah…this is going to be fun…”
He grinned back, and then composing himself, disappeared through the Portrait Hole. She stood happily, watching his retreating form; Oh! Reality caught up with her and she turned and dashed down the corridor. As she reached the hallway she looked around quickly and slipped into a deserted classroom. Waiting impatiently, she paced until she finally heard her brother’s voice and then pressed her ear to the door eagerly.
“The Room of Requirement?”
“Yeah… it’s the only place I know we won’t be interrupted,” replied Harry’s voice.
She pressed her ear harder against the door. More footsteps, a door opening, and… After a sharp click she came out of hiding as he chuckled silently to himself.
“Well done Harry!”
He bowed jokingly in consent and she giggled. “So now what?” he asked.
She scowled and looked at him dejectedly. “We wait…”
With a disappointed half smile he followed her back to the common room. They had hours before the room would unlock itself, and they sat impatiently checking the clock every five minutes. Ginny suggested a game of exploding snap, at which Harry won. They both looked at the clock eagerly, 8:03.
“We’ve only been here an hour?” she asked exasperatedly.
He nodded. “How about a nice, long game of chess?”
She nodded in consent; however, with many more years of experience playing against Ron she beat him easily.
8:24
“Merlin!” he exclaimed. frustrated.
She gave him a tired smile. “Any more ideas?” His stomach answered growling softly and she laughed as he rubbed it embarrassed. “How about a trip to visit Dobby? I’m sure he’d love to see you!”
Harry smiled brightly. “Let’s go!” he said, and he and Ginny chatted happily about their soon to be success as they made their way down to the kitchen.
* ~ *
“Harry Potter is here! Dobby has been hoping Harry would come visit us!” exclaimed the excited house elf as they sat at a table in the middle of the room. A group of other elves hurried over with two large mugs of Butterbeer and set some sandwiches in front of them.
“Thank you,” said Ginny as they backed away bowing.
They enjoyed their snacks, laughing a great deal and enjoying Dobby’s constant enthusiasm, until deciding they really had better get back to the common room since neither had thought to bring Harry’s invisibility cloak. With many thanks and three ‘last hugs’ from Dobby, they finally made it out of the kitchen, chuckling as they walked the distance back with arms full of pastries and treats.
“Well, I’m stuffed!” exclaimed Harry as they collapsed on the couch.
“Me too,” she agreed, “and look how much time we spent “ it’s nearly 10:30!”
“Three and a half hours! How do you think Ron and Hermione are doing?”
She smiled shrugging. Hopefully sitting as close as us, and feeling tingles every time they brush hands just like that…she thought blushing slightly as he readjusted on the couch.
“Well they must be on stage three by now so…hopefully not still hating us…” she joked.
He laughed and resting comfortably they sat in silence watching the fire.
It was a few months into school. Since the day she had found Sirius’ letter, she and Harry had become increasingly comfortable with one another. They spent much time together over the remaining summer days exploring the woods, talking and planning their scheme, or simply sitting together, enjoying each other’s presence. Harry had improved immensely in that time. Ginny could tell when he still had bad days, when he was filled with regret and mourning of Sirius, but he nearly always seemed to calm some as she sat with him, willing him to feel her love. They had planned their attack on Ron and Hermione down to every last detail, and that had taken Harry’s mind off his grief for hours a day. She yawned. “Getting sleepy?” he asked, looking at her with an amused expression.
“Nooooooooooo!” she tried to exclaim defensively, but smiled sheepishly as she was interrupted by another yawn. He laughed and she tried urgently to stay awake, but with a full tummy and the warmth of the fire (and Harry sitting closely next to her), her eyelids became heavy and she felt them repeatedly flutter closed as she desperately forced them open again. Stay awake…She yawned again… Are my eyes open? No!... She opened them again, but they stubbornly pressed closed yet again…she finally gave in with one picture in her mind…Harry.
* * Harry’s POV * *
Summer was now over and they were finally back at Hogwarts. Harry was glad to be away from Grimmauld Place; even if it had become less melancholy towards the end, it was still Sirius’ house, and would always be filled with memories of him. Since coming out of his depression he had generally been content. He of course still had days where it seemed the pain for his godfather would consume him, but somehow Ginny always seemed to know how he was feeling, and would simply sit next to him as he stared angrily at the fire, slowly soothing his burning rage. At this particular moment however, he was feeling anything but miserable. He cast Ginny a furtive glance.
“Everything set?”
She grinned at him. “Oh yeah…this is going to be fun…”
He smiled back and taking a deep breath so as not to give away that something was up, set his face and marched through the Portrait Hole as Ginny scampered into hiding.
As he entered the common room he saw Ron and Hermione in front of the fire and strode purposefully over.
“Hey Harry…what’s up?” asked Hermione.
“I need to tell you both something,” he whispered hurriedly and then looked at the other students around them convincingly, “but not here…”
The two exchanged glances and Harry pinched his leg to keep himself from smiling. Ow! he thought, annoyed, but it did the trick and soon they were following him down the deserted corridor.
“The Room of Requirement?” asked Ron as he realized where they were.
“Yeah…it’s the only place I know we won’t be interrupted.”
They nodded understandingly and as a door appeared he held it open for them, and then instead of following them in, shut it with a satisfying click as it locked the two unsuspecting victims in. Ginny came out from behind a door and they shared a smile…it was going to be a long and interesting night.
“Well done Harry!”
He gave a small bow and she laughed. “So now what?”
Ginny shrugged. “We wait…”
* ~ *
Harry looked up as the clock on the wall quietly chimed. It was midnight, time to go, but as he looked at Ginny’s peaceful form resting under his arm he couldn’t bring himself to move her: Ron and Hermione would just have to wait. It was ironic after how anxiously they had been counting down the minutes, but as he felt Ginny’s chest rise and fall as she serenely breathed in and out, a strange realization came to him.
There is absolutely no place I would rather be… I could sit like this forever.
He studied every curve of her face, her smooth complexion, the light freckles splashed across her nose, and the slight pink in her cheeks. Her lips were curved into a small smile, and he gently brushed a few loose strands from her face. Without thinking he leaned down instinctively, softly kissing her on the top of her head; as his tired mind comprehended what he’d just done he stared down at her in astonishment blinking rapidly before slowly smiling himself. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek lightly on her head.
* ~ *
Hermione entered the common room slowly followed by Ron. Upon seeing the two slumbering on the couch she smiled knowingly to herself, and then held up a finger to silence Ron before he woke them up.
“Let them sleep… we’ll deal with them tomorrow,” she whispered.
Ron was still staring at his little sister and best friend as his overwhelmed brain tried to process yet another thing after such a long night. Hermione gently tugged at his hand and as they walked to the bottom of the girls’ staircase he slowly looked up at her with a strangely satisfied smile on his face.
“Finally…”
She pulled him towards her playfully, “You’re one to talk Ronald Weasley!”
He laughed softly and then became serious as he looked deeply into her eyes, and leaned in kissing her softly. Hermione smiled with her eyes still closed and then slowly opened them. “Goodnight Ron.”
“Goodnight Hermione.”
Alright, things are starting to heat up! Yay! Next chapter we find out exactly what happened in the room of requirement…
Oh, and part of this chapter was supposed to confuse you, like ‘stage three’, everything will make sense soon!
Leave me a review and I'll post the next chapter soon!
Thanks to my beta Harry Luvs Ginny