This Brilliant Dance
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Author's Note: Just a story I've been wanting to write for a while about my favorite couple in the series. If you're looking for a story where Harry and Ginny get together sweet and fast, this really isn't for you. It's going to be a pretty gradual development for these two with a lot of work on both parts. On a lighter note, if that's what you're looking for, enjoy! (Or at least, I hope you will). Please, please read and review, and remember that constructive criticism is always welcome.
Ginny Weasley was miserable.
Not a common feeling for her, she would assure anybody in a heartbeat because, in fact, it wasn't.
But in light of recent events, how could she not feel this way? How could anyone not feel this way? After her journey down into the Department of Mysteries last year, which had been fouled up smartly when Sirius, Harry Potter's godfather, died, nothing had ever felt the same.
Ginny had thought she was ready to face Voldemort. She really had. All her training with the D.A., a club she herself had thought up the name of, her better-than-average marks in school, and not the least to mention her previous encounter with the memory of Voldemort in her first year…she hadn't once presumed she wasn't justified to tag along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, bringing Neville and Luna along with her.
But she had been wrong.
All that so-called training had meant nothing. Demonstrations in the classroom were nothing compared to what she had faced that night. What they all had faced.
Ginny herself had proved to be little more than useless. Not only had she nearly been taken by the Death Eaters (and would have been if had not for Harry stepping in and saving her once again), but not fifteen minutes into the race for their lives had she been forced to curl into a corner, struck down with a broken ankle. Moments later, she had allowed herself to be stupefied.
Fat lot of good she had done for their cause.
Ginny buried her face in her hands. And then there was Harry to think about. Poor, poor Harry. He had lost what could have very well been the person he cared most about in the world. Even Neville, one of her best friends, refused to give many details about what had happened. Apparently, Harry's reaction had just been that bad.
How she wished she could talk to him about it! But it wasn't her place. It never would be. She knew how Harry saw her, and it wasn't as a close confidante or any of the other things she wished she could be to him. She was still, and probably always would be, Ron Weasley's little sister.
It wasn't a glamorous position to hold, to say the least. And with Harry barely opening up to Ron and Hermione when they were his best friends, she had absolutely no chance of him ever coming to her.
Not that it should bother her this much, Ginny reprimanded herself sternly. Last year at about this point in time, Ginny had made herself a promise. She was in no way to have any sort of interest in Harry romantically speaking.
But her being concerned, it fell under the friendly category, right?
Ginny shook her head. Perhaps, she should just stop thinking about Harry Potter period. For the moment anyway.
In hopes of distracting herself, Ginny made her way down from her bedroom to the kitchen, where excitement was guaranteed to be found at any given point in the day.
Sure enough, there was an energized buzz about when she stepped through the doorway.
Her mother was scurrying about in the kitchen, while Fred, George, and Ron sat at the table wolfing down the sandwiches in front of them. Ginny sent a surprised glance at the clock to see that it was already lunch time. For all the appetite she had, she might as well have just eaten a large breakfast ten minutes ago.
"Oh, dear," her mother was saying as she bustled around, "so much to do, so much to do."
Ginny took a tentative step closer. If she wasn't careful, she might find herself put to work. "What's going on, Mum?" she asked curiously.
However, it was Ron who answered her. "Harry's coming today," he mumbled with a mouthful of bread and ham. Ginny made a face. "Oh," Ron continued, either ignoring her or just simply not noticing, "and Hermione too." His tone was casual, as if he didn't care either way, but Ginny could pick up on the blush creeping up on the back of his neck. She had always suspected Ron had had somewhat of a crush on the best friend he claimed (falsely) to be a "sister."
Ginny knew he sure as hell didn't treat Hermione the same way he treated her.
But her older brother's thickness was not something she bothered to dwell on. She had done it enough times already, and it always led her to a headache. To think that such a dunderhead was related to her…
He's not so bad, Ginny admonished herself, a small smile coming to her lips as she eyed her older brother fondly, A little overprotective, and yes, he's thick as porridge, but overall, I could have made off worse as far as brothers go.
"Ginny?" Suddenly she was aware of her name being called by the same brother in question.
"Yeah, Ron?" she asked sweetly.
He recoiled. It wasn't often Ginny talked to him in such a sickening tone. "Could you stop staring at me that way? It's sort of hard to eat when you've got that glazed, St. Mungo's look going on."
Ginny's smile faded immediately, a scowl replacing it. Her cheeks colored, and her fists clenched. Of all the pigheaded things… "If anybody deserved St. Mungo's it'd be you, you complete, utter…prat!" she snapped as she stormed out of the room.
To hell with Ron, Ginny fumed, Malfoy would make a better brother! At least he's got some wits about him.
Meanwhile, Ron sat in the kitchen, bemused, as the twins sniggered. "Girls," he muttered disgustedly before shrugging it off and taking another bite of his sandwich.
Luckily for him, Ginny took no notice of his typical inanity as she continued to storm out the door. By the time she had reached the old, enchanted swing her dad had made for her in the backyard when she was very little, most of her anger had dissipated, supplanted by a sense of both excitement and dismay, if that were possible.
Harry Potter was coming here.
Harry Potter was coming here, to the Burrow, today.
Ginny tugged on her hair, agitated. She couldn't see him. Not now. Not when her emotions were spinning out from underneath her and all the newfound self-control she had possessed last year was in danger of deserting her. At the beginning of last year, when she had completely given up hope of ever even having a real conversation with Harry Potter, let alone battle (if you could call it that) beside him, it had seemed so much easier. And then there had been Michael Corner.
Ginny wouldn't lie to herself. She had used the poor boy in the beginning. Grabbing him by the shirt collar when she sensed Harry's presence and snogging him senseless. But over time, she had truly begun to care for the boy a bit.
Another brilliant move, Ginny thought bitterly.
In the end, Michael had behaved like an utter prat, even worse than her brother, which up until then Ginny had not thought it possible, and then ran off to Cho Chang.
Ginny sighed. And now she had Dean. Dean was a nice boy, but he just didn't invoke any (Ginny's ears turned red as she thought this) passion in her. It wasn't that he wasn't handsome, because she had to admit he was one of the better looking fifth years at Hogwarts, his form lean and hard from what he described as a muggle sport that went by the name of football. It was just, well, she wasn't attracted to him. There was no spark she felt when she was around him. They had visited each other a couple times in Diagon Alley over the summer, seeing as he lived in the adjacent block to the entrance, and all she had to do was use Floo Powder, but each time felt more friendly than anything.
As far as distractions went, he failed miserably.
And she knew it wasn't fair to Dean to regard him as such. Her mother had told her time and time again never to lead a boy on, but Ginny couldn't help it. She needed to keep him around. Especially when Harry Potter was coming this very day, and she hadn't been able to get her mind off him for the past month, despite all her resolutions.
Ginny's thoughts were interrupted by the high-pitched call of her mother. "Ginny, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, "Harry and Hermione have arrived."
"Shit!" Ginny muttered under her breath, tightening her grasp against the rope of the swing. She hadn't realized she had so little time to prepare herself. She hadn't even brushed her hair that day!
And Harry…she needed a chance to compose herself, to brace herself against him. She couldn't just go in as the stammering, idiot fool she had been for so many years. Not after all the headway she had made last year.
Think of Dean, she instructed herself, think of Dean and how nice he is and how it makes you feel when he kisses you.
Ginny made a face. Oh, bugger it, he's not that good.
"Ginny!" her mom called again, her tone a bit more shrill. "Come and welcome our guests!"
Reluctantly, Ginny stood and smoothed out her robes. She combed her hands frantically through her hair as she walked up to the house, hoping to smooth out the kinks and tangles.
"You can do this, Gin," she murmured. "He's Harry bloody Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, savior of the wizarding world, but you can still do this. He's got no power over you anymore."
She paused a moment and shook her head. "Besides," she continued in a rather desperate attempt, "his scar really isn't all that attractive anyway."
Nevertheless, she found herself wiping her sweaty palms on her robes before she opened the door. She took one last calming breath, letting her eyes flutter shut. But when she opened them, she came face-to-face with…
"Harry," she breathed, despite herself.
Harry seemed rather shocked to find her at the doorway as well. "Err, hullo, Gin," he greeted awkwardly as he looked down at her. "Sorry about that, I was just about to fetch my trunk."
Ginny's confusion must have shown on her face because Harry began to elaborate. "Me and Hermione came on the Knight Bus, and your mum wanted us to have lunch before we had to drag our trunks up."
"Oh," Ginny replied, for lack of anything better to say. She shifted her weight uncomfortably and tried to think of something clever. It wasn't easy. It should have been. Around anyone else it would have been, but Ginny's heart sunk as she came to the conclusion that she did not regard Harry Potter as just anyone else.
She must have been thinking longer that she thought she had because she was soon broken out of her thoughts by Harry awkwardly trying to sidestep her. "Sorry," he mumbled, "I'll just be a moment."
"Oh, right," Ginny said hastily, a flush rising on the back of her neck as she gave him room to pass by. "I'm sorry."
Harry nodded in acknowledgment, and Ginny bit her lip as he walked away. She had made a terrible impression already. If she wasn't careful, all of her hard work last year would be worthless.
But Ginny didn't have the time to dwell as a newcomer appeared in the doorway. "Ginny!" Hermione squealed, wrapping the younger girl in a hug, "I thought I heard you out here. I'm sorry I didn't get to reply to your last letter, but Professor Dumbledore had just mailed me with the news that I could come here, and I was so busy packing, and it's really no excuse but…"
"Calm down," Ginny laughed, effectively cutting off Hermione's babbling. "It's all right. Really."
Hermione took a step back and eyed the girl, almost as if she didn't trust what Ginny was saying. When she found no reason to doubt Ginny's reassurances however, she drew the girl back into a tight hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"
Ginny smiled. Hermione could be bossy, and when she was in her first and second year, Ginny had found her outright annoying, but over time she had gotten used to Hermione's mannerisms, and they had become great friends, owling each other regularly. Hermione knew more about Ginny than anyone, although Ginny would not deny that she had chosen to keep a few secrets to herself.
"So I trust things are going well with you and Dean?" Hermione said with her eyes twinkling as she pulled back again.
Her real purpose for Dean was one of those secrets Ginny chose to keep to herself. "Wonderfully," Ginny nodded, forcing a smile to her face. "He's just so terrific to me, Hermione. You have no idea."
Over the years as pretty much a requirement for a girl growing up with six older brothers, Ginny had perfected the art of lying. Not a respectable talent, but a useful one all the same. Ginny was especially glad for it now when Hermione didn't catch her fib.
"Lucky girl," Hermione said enviously. Ginny only nodded in agreement.
But Hermione was not so easily deterred. "So have you seen him at all lately?"
"Not since the last letter I sent you," Ginny replied truthfully. "We've both been rather busy lately. He's sent me a note to meet him in Diagon Alley this weekend, but I haven't even gotten the chance to respond."
Hermione clapped her hands. "But that will be perfect! We should have our book lists by then, so you'll be able to have your date with Dean and pick up your school supplies with us all in one day. We can all have a chance to catch up with each other."
"Yeah," Ginny said glumly. "Because I really want to give Ron the chance to catch up with Dean."
Hermione's face fell, and she nodded at her friend sympathetically. "I'll try to keep Ron under control."
"Since you're the one he'll listen to," Ginny grumbled. It seemed as if Hermione went pink around the ears when she said this, and Ginny suspected that perhaps Hermione had a thing for her brother as well. There had been massive amounts of hinting in the letters this summer ("So I don't suppose Ron has found a girl yet back there, has he? He was rather short in the last letter he sent me…"). Ginny suppressed her laughter at the idea.
Poor girl doesn't know what she's getting herself into, Ginny thought with a shake of her head. You'd think the girl at the top of her class would be clever enough to steer clear of Ron.
Ron was Ginny's brother, and she loved him dearly, but the boy could drive a person nutters.
"Yes, well," Hermione said, breaking the abrupt silence, "we can get all the details sorted out later. I'm sure Ron won't behave too badly."
"Underestimating our dear little brother, eh Hermione?" Fred spoke up as he suddenly appeared at the doorway.
"An outrage," George agreed. "He's only learned from the best."
"Not the model student we expected him to be," Fred admitted.
"But we feel he's made sufficient progress," George said. "He knows all the basic commands."
Fred nodded in agreement. "Watch." He turned back towards Ron, who apparently was still sitting at the table and stuffing his face. "Oi! Ronniekins! Sit!"
Ron shot him a dirty glare but continued eating.
"See?" George said. "He catches on quickly."
"He was already sitting," Hermione pointed out dryly.
The twins' faces fell in unison. Fred gave her a truly sullen look. "Bit of a wet blanket, aren't you?" Before Hermione could defend herself, both of them shot their noses in the air and turned away.
"Pffft," George grunted haughtily. "We pfft on you."
"And on you, sir," Fred turned to his twin.
"Me?" George asked, affronted.
"Yes, you," Fred said sagely. "The lady says you haven't trained the boy properly."
George harrumphed and crossed his arms. "We have trained him properly in all matters that concern her."
"Complete with visuals," Fred added, waggling his eyebrows at Hermione suggestively, before he and George ran off, cackling.
This time, Ginny was certain she saw the flush rising on Hermione's cheeks.
Ginny suppressed a giggle and placed a sympathetic hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Come on then," she said, "Let's get your trunk then, shall we?"
Hermione nodded mutely, and this time Ginny did laugh as she shook her head and linked her arm through her friend's. Hermione seemed to snap back to her senses and frowned. "Your brothers, Ginny. Of all the nerve…"
"They're right gits, aren't they?" Ginny agreed. "I fancy myself lucky that Mum didn't find out just how bad they were before she had me."
Hermione laughed, and Ginny readily joined in, and the two continued to joke and tease the rest of the way down the hill.
"…don't suppose you've completed all your essays and the extra credit," Ginny was saying with a roll of her eyes, when suddenly she bumped into something, or rather someone, that had strayed across her path. She had nearly lost her balance when a strong hand grabbed her round the wrist and another came in to steady her.
Harry Potter was sporting a rather endearing red blush across his face when Ginny looked up. "Err, sorry, Gin," he said sheepishly while adjusting his glasses, "Having a little trouble with the latch on my trunk, and I wasn't really paying attention."
"Neither of us have been it seems," Ginny agreed amicably, well-aware that her cheeks were the same shade of crimson. "This is the second time in less than fifteen minutes!"
Harry nodded mutely, giving her a somewhat odd look, and Ginny chastised herself. A bit obvious, don't you think? She groaned mentally. Just keep reminding him that you're a clumsy little girl. That'll really make you attractive.
Not that she cared whether or not she was attractive to Harry Potter, of course.
"See you guys up at the house then," Harry said rather abruptly. He took a few steps forward before pausing. "Unless you need help with your trunk, Hermione?" he inquired. Hermione shook her head, and Harry gave a quick nod. "Right then. See you."
"Bye, Harry," Ginny and Hermione said in unison.
As soon as Harry was out of earshot, Hermione was quick to round on Ginny. "And here I was thinking you were smitten with Dean!" she cried accusatorially.
Ginny was careful to keep her face blank. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I don't know. Green eyes, insanely messy hair, an inexplicably frustrating hero complex…Ring any bells?"
"I do not fancy Harry Potter," Ginny said peevishly.
"Bullocks," Hermione challenged. At Ginny's shocked expression, she continued. "Don't even give me that face, Ginny Weasley. I saw the way you looked at him."
"So I'm not allowed to look at him?" Ginny cried. "You're starting to sound like the gossipy Hufflepuffs in my year!"
"You know very well I wasn't referring simply to the fact that you looked at him," Hermione said. "But I know you don't look at Ron the same way you look at Harry."
"And how do I look at Harry?" Ginny questioned. "The way you look at Ron?"
Hermione's mouth snapped shut.
Ginny laughed bitterly. "Exactly what I thought. I'll keep your secret if you keep mine."
The pair didn't speak until they had collected Hermione's trunk and had almost reached the top of the hill. Somewhat hesitantly, Hermione was the first to break the silence. "But what about Dean?"
"What about Dean?" Ginny said. "He's a sweet boy, and I like him a lot."
Hermione looked conflicted. "But…"
"But nothing," Ginny cut her off. "Harry's just a childhood crush. Puppy love, I guess you could call it. I won't forget him, but I refuse to pine after him anymore. Dean's the real thing. He treats me right and generally seems to enjoy me being around. I'd rather have that than whatever I have with Harry."
"I suppose so," Hermione said uncertainly. "If that's what you really want."
Ginny nodded firmly. "It is."
Hermione only nodded back and averted her gaze, her eyes somewhat unfocused, and Ginny began to feel the first stirrings of guilt concerning how short she'd been. Biting her lip, she quickened her pace and linked what she hoped was a comforting arm through Hermione's.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to come off so rude."
Wordlessly, Hermione extracted her arm from Ginny, and when she looked back up, Ginny could see her eyes were full of regret. "I suppose I am too then. I shouldn't have doubted your intentions with Dean."
"Oh, go ahead and doubt them," Ginny tried to lighten the mood with a joke. "All my brothers do."
A slow smile spread over Hermione's features as she shook her head. "I'm going to go inside now," she chose her words carefully, "but I'm afraid I'm going to have to tell your brother that you are a naughty girl, Ginny Weasley."
"Don't do that!" Ginny cried mockingly, "I'll be locked in the shed until I'm thirty."
Hermione grinned but didn't disagree, and she gave Ginny a small wave before entering the house. "Maybe being in the dark for so long will help your freckles fade," Hermione called loftily as the door shut behind her.
Ginny shot a reproachful glare at where she had last seen the other girl. "Mean," she muttered under her breath before laughing. It wasn't till moments later that she realized that she had just been deserted for Harry and Ron, and this had probably been the last time she would talk to any of the trio this summer.
Of course, this only set her in a foul mood, and she stomped back over to her swing, only slightly comforted as it automatically began to sway beneath her. She hated being faced with the prospect of another joyless summer, in which she, Ginny Weasley, was forced to disappear in the wake of the terrific trio, lest she appear to be some sort of tag-along.
"Bugger," she said mournfully.