Het: Harry/Ginny

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Treasure Hunt – "Just go to sleep, he's not thinking of you,"

A Red Rose

"I wonder what he's thinking of," Ginny murmured, leaning out her dorm window. The quidditch pitch was lit only from the light of the moon, but she could clearly see someone gracefully zooming about. It was Harry, of course, because she'd never seen anyone as fearless, or free when flying.

"Just go to sleep, he's not thinking of you," Jessica growled. "You're keeping the rest of us up."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's not like he's thinking of you either." Jessica had greasy brown hair and a monobrow. She wasn't competition, at least not to Ginny's mind.

Jessica huffed, even as Evie snorted with laughter.

"I thought you were dating Dean now, anyway," Evie said.

Ginny sighed as she watched Harry dive, his feet skimming the grass before he pulled up, barrel-rolling away. If she closed her eyes and listened closely, she thought she could hear his delighted laughter.

"Dean's nice enough." She turned back to them, pulling a face.

Evie scoffed, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Nice enough? Ginny – he's the hottest boy in their year."

"That's Blaise Zabini," Patricia argued, poking her head out from under the duvet. "Or maybe even Ernie?"

"They're both a damn sight better than anyone our age," Maria piped up.

"Hear, hear," Ginny agreed, before turning back to the window. Harry had disappeared, and she frowned. Then, a blurred shape rocketed toward her, pulling sharply to a stop just before the window.

It was Harry. His hair was windswept, a bird's nest if she'd ever seen once, and his breath fogged with the cold outside of the castle. In his hand was a red rose.

"I thought that was you, up here," Harry said, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses. "And I don't know what came over me, but I just – here – it's for you."

She took the rose. It smelled sweet, and she thought she might faint, her heart beat so quickly. Seized with perhaps the same impulse that had drawn him up here, she leaned forward and yanked him close, pressing her lips to his. They kissed, and she forget thoughts of Dean, or Blaise or Ernie, so enthralled was she by the minty cool taste of him, and the feel of his mouth against hers.

Eventually, he pulled back, licking his lips before grinning. "See you tomorrow, Gin," he said, and blew away on his broomstick.

Ginny turned back to a silent room. Every single girl was staring at her in awe.

"I guess he was thinking of me, after all," she said, and smirked, before finally getting into bed.

The rose, she placed on her nightstand, and it was the last thing she saw before she fell asleep.