When Harry met Ginny, she was just the awkward little sister of his best friend, and another person that he had to protect. Second year, he saved her life- for Ron's sake, for Mrs. Weasley's sake, and because it was the right thing to do. He saw her in passing often; he spent summers with her family and came to be her friend, but she was never the first thing on his mind.

He's known her for a long time.

So it comes as a shock to him when he really starts to learn her, over time in Dumbledore's Army.

First, she's a friend. He learns that her patronus is a horse, her favourite colours are pale purple, gold, and a deep green, and she's always so very strong that sometimes he forgets that she's younger than he is (and he is so very, very young).

("How do you do it?" is a common question, and she just shrugs, sighs, and the lines under her eyes deepen and curl up as she says,

"I have six brothers," like it's assurance that she can do anything, really.)

He learns that her hair smells like spice and lemon, and she is patient with the younger kids, and her lips do this cute twitch every time she's trying to hold in a smile.

("What's that look mean?" he asks her.

"What?" she says, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," he chuckles, and pokes her in the ribs (gently) so that she squawks and punches him in the arm, lips quirking up around the edges.)

And he learns, somewhere in the midst of all this detail, that it matters. That he likes the curve of her lips and the way the light falls on her hair, that the way she rolls her eyes at her brothers is endearing, that she burns so fiercely and brightly that it is no doubt to anyone that she belongs in Gryffindor on nobody's merit but her own.

It matters.

("Is something wrong, Harry? You look like you've sat on a bee.")

Why does it matter?

Why does his heart start to pound whenever she's near, when she absently flips her hair or bends over to pick up a quill?

Why does he instantly feel ill when she smiles at Dean Thomas or Neville or anyone, anywhere, really, who is blessed with her beautiful smile?

Why, after all this time?

("I'd like to play Quidditch professionally one day."

"You'd be brilliant at it, Ginny. You're amazing."

"Not as good as you."

"No, better.")

And now, really, he has two options. Leave it be, suffer in silence, let her kiss Dean and stay safe. He can leave Hogwarts without a backwards glance, and hope for better things in the future.

But if he's learned anything in the last year, it's that there are no better things.

So that leaves him with no other option but to do his best to get what he wants.

("I don't know how to achieve my goals. There's something I really want, but I don't know how to achieve it. It's a big risk."

She twirls her hair absently, and he is mesmerized.

"Is it worth the risk?"

His eyes are on her lips. "Absolutely.")

First there is pain, as he tries and fails and is nervous and scared.

But then, when he's nearly given up, when he thinks that all the signs and signals he's been trying to give off haven't made themselves clear, he opens the common room door, and there is screaming and light and noise-

And then there is her, only her, streaking towards him in a blaze of glory, and there's no thought in his head but white noise and his heartbeat when her lips finally, finally connect with his.

("Then you'll succeed, Harry. I have no doubt.)