Harry Potter lay in bed trying to get to sleep but was just too hungry. Eventually he crawled out of bed and crept out of his dormitory as quietly as he could.
When he climbed the stairs down to the common room he saw the fire burning low and that the house elves have not come to clean yet.
He climbed out of the portrait hole and made his way for the kitchens.
Once he reached them the elves immediately swarmed him ready to take orders.
"What is you wanting, sir?" One asked.
"Err. I'm not sure just… bring me something." The house elves stared nervously at him. "Well go on. I'm not sure what you want. Guess."
The elves nervously dispersed muttering about how he could at least give them a bit of a clue which was very uncharacteristic of them because it's not like them to talk bad about their masters. A/N: Even though Harry's not exactly their master, but still.
He made his way to an empty table and sat down waiting to be served.
"Harry?" a voice called and he looked up.
"Ginny, what are you doing here?"
"Eating," she replied before scooping pudding into her mouth.
"Well yea, but why aren't you in bed?" he asked her.
"I could ask you the same." Harry opened his mouth to question her further but knew he wouldn't get the answer he wanted so he gave up.
They sat in for a few moments without any conversation and only the sound of clicking pots and pans to tell them they haven't gone deaf.
"Your first dish sir," a house elf squeaked. Harry took the plate of mashed potatoes and brought the spoon to his mouth but stopped when he realized the house elf was staring at him with wide, sparkling eyes.
Harry nervously stared back then looked to Ginny for an answer. She looked amused and motioned for him to take a bite of the potatoes. Apparently the elf wanted to see if he was satisfied.
He took a bite and found that it was indeed good and told the elf so with a moan of satisfaction. The house elf positively beamed at him and ran off.
"That was weird," Harry said to Ginny after swallowing She nodded and Harry frowned at her silence and continued eating. When he was finished, he found he was still hungry.
The next elf came up and offered him pumpkin pie. He too waited for approval. The pie was even better than the potatoes and the elf ran off squeaking happily. After Harry finished his pie he noticed that Ginny was staying in the kitchens, though she didn't have any food.
She must have read his mind because she said, "You have your invisibility cloak, yea?"
Harry frowned again. "Yea," he muttered. The rest of the house elves came bearing delicious treats but after every dish he found he was still quite hungry. It was like his stomach was bottomless.
"I miss the D.A. meetings," Ginny said suddenly.
"Yea, they were fun last year. But I think we're all better off with a real teacher."
"You mean Snape?" She said with her eyebrows raised. Harry laughed.
"Yea, I guess you're right." There was a lull in the conversation then:
"You were the best teacher I ever had, Harry," she said. Harry stared at her and studied her face and saw that she wasn't joking around.
"Thanks."
"I wish," she got up and sat next to him, "that we could do it all over again."
Harry looked straight forward and swallowed. He had a feeling he might like Ginny, but he didn't expect it to be dumped on him like this. She was making him sweat. "Yea," he said, his voice cracking.
"You know I never stopped liking you, Harry," she said getting closer to him.
Harry sat rigid. "Oh?" was all he got out and he mentally scolded himself. Oh? OH? Come on, man you can do better than that!
"And I was wondering if you fancied me back," she whispered in his ear, her lips almost touching it. Without waiting for an answer turned him to face her and kissed him fiercely.
When Harry went down to the kitchens that night he did not expect anyone to be there and he did not expect to be kissed by someone he'd been fancied quite some time. These things did, however, happen. What he did expect happened in the most unlikely way. His hunger was satisfied.