Authors Note: I do not own Ginny, Colin, Harry, Hogwarts or anything else in the story. The only thing that I own is the plot. This is for Fire The Canon's 1 pairing, 1 prompt challenge. Enjoy and please review! If you don't like it flames are purrfectly welcome!
It was eleven on a Tuesday night in the silent and dimly lit Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ginny were the only two remaining up at such a late hour on a school night. Harry was pacing in front of the fire while Ginny sat comfortably on the couch in front of him. Out of the blue, Harry broke the silence and asked, "Ginny could you do me a favor?"
A sly smile appeared on Ginny's face, "Maybe, but only if you tell what it is first."
"I need you to get Colin Creevey off my back."
"Ok, why?" The puzzled expression on Ginny's face would almost have been comical if she had not had so much puzzlement in her voice. Colin Creevey, although reminding Ginny of a slightly hyperactive squirrel, was not anyone she would imagine getting Harry annoyed in the midst of war.
"He is driving me bonkers is why! If I have to put up with one more week of Colin's picture-happy behavior, I assure you I am going to land in Azkaban for murder!" Harry's pacing quickened. At this rate, he was going to make a hole in the floor of the Gryffindor common room.
"Yes, I get that Harry, but why does he drive you crazy?" Ginny was still highly confused.
"In his first year here, he always followed me with around with that stupid camera! It got better after that, but I still feel like he still follows me!" Harry was definitely getting way to worked up over this insignificant issue, and Ginny decided to put a stop to it.
"So all you are worked up about is that your ex-stalker may still be stalking you?" asked Ginny in disbelief.
"Yes!" Harry flailed his arms in frustration.
"I will help you. Just don't get yourself worked up over this. Go back to worrying about more important things like the war. I will deal with Creevey. Now go get some rest. You have been pacing for the the last hour." said Ginny. At this, Harry stopped pacing, turned to Ginny, and grinned like the Cheshire Cat.
With a quick thank you, Harry quickly kissed Ginny on the cheek and ascended up the stairs. Ginny, deep in thought, did not notice. Many hours later though, Ginny would wake up on that same couch in the very wee hours of the morning with a mischievous smile on her face; one that could rival Fred Weasley's.
Ginny Weasley has all the attributes being a Gryffindor. The red-haired girl is bold and brave, always ready to do the right thing, although slightly headstrong and rash. She has a loyalty for Harry that never falters, although it leads her into sticky situations. It is this brash loyalty that brings her it the direction of Colin.
"Hi, Colin." says Ginny as she sits next to him in the still sleepy Great Hall.
"Hello Ginny," says Colin in his usual overly happy voice, "How are you this fine morning?"
"Great",responds the Weasley girl as she begins to pile food on to her plate, "You?"
"Fantastic! I was able to get a picture of a Hufflepuff beating a Slytherin in a duel!" he says as his leg starts to bounce up and down.
"Is that even possible?" asks Ginny wide-eyed as she pretends to be completely enthralled in the conversation at hand.
"I know! Right? How is Quidditch? I know it is early in the season, but do you think you have a great team this year?" questions Colin.
"Definitely," the fiery red-head replies between mouthfuls of food,"the Slytherins won't know what hit them."
"How's Harry?" asks the short boy.
"In Quidditch, or in general?" asks Ginny.
"In general. How is he doing with he who must not be named on the rise? How does feel about a possible upcoming war? Nervous? Scared? Confident?," Creevey now looked like a squirrel on overdrive, yet the vibrating lad did not deter Ginny from answering the question.
"I cannot answer that question for him." says the girl slowly. Careful now not to say anything that could lead to any bad gossip or rumors, yet with scenes from Harry's almost mental break down flashing in her mind, she was slightly worried about the direction of the conversation.
"Ok that's fine. I will ask him later."
"No!," says the panicked Gryffindor, "You want to hear about the fight that happened between my brother, Ron and Hermione in the Corridor the other day?"
"Really a fight between those two?" Colin said. Now forgetting all about Harry as Ginny told the story.
-
Ginny's plan, although so far successful to get Colin to stop stalking Harry, did not come without it's faults. In order to have Colin stop stalking Harry, she had to give Colin other people's secrets, both teachers and students alike. Many students were searching for the dishonorable person giving away their faults. One day Ginny knew they would find out.
"Ginny can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Hermione asked as the Weasley girl and her roommates were about to head to breakfast.
"Sure." replied a curious Ginny.
"I have noticed you have been spending a lot of time with Colin these past few months," said the brightest witch of her age,"Do you have feelings for him?"
"Merlin, no!" replied a disgusted red-haired girl,"How could you even assume that?"
"It was the only thing that made sense considering what I have been able to learn from all your time spent with Colin." responded the once bushy-haired girl.
"What do you mean by that?" questioned the younger Gyffindor, and even as she asked the question, her blood turned slightly colder as the realization dawned on her.
"You liking Colin is the only reason that telling him everyone's secrets would make any sense at all." said Hermione in a calm, if not annoyed, tone.
"So you know," responded a worried Ginny, "that I am the one telling Colin everyone's secrets."
"Yes," she replied in the same tone, "I came to ask why and to give you a word of advice."
"I won't tell you why," said Ginny her loyalty to Harry flaring up, "What is your advice?"
"I recommend you stop giving people's secrets to Colin," said Hermione continuing before the stubborn girl could protest, "If you don't stop, someone else will surely find out, and they will not be as nice as me about not telling the whole school that you have been the one to tell Colin of their faults."
"You don't get it!" yelled Ginny while storming out of the room.
-
While walking to breakfast Ginny assimilated Hermione's words albeit frustrated, Ginny knew what she had to do. After breakfast on the way to Potions, Ginny pulls Colin aside into an abandoned class room.
"Colin, I can't do this anymore. I have to tell you the truth." says Ginny.
"What do you mean?" asked a confused Colin.
"I never meant to make you think I was your friend all this time," rushed the blunt girl, "I only did this because of him."
"Him?" asked a confused Colin a sudden chill of slight understanding coming over the short boy, "Do you mean Harry? What did you do for Harry?"
"I only pretended to be your friend so you would stop obsessing over Harry," exclaimed the girl, "I never meant to hurt you. I am sorry."
Now, as Ginny stopped her frantic and fragmented explanation, the truth completely dawned on Colin and the cold blood in his veins turned to fire as he started to yell.
"For once, I thought someone actually wanted to be my friend! For once, I thought I could finally enjoy my life because someone did not want to avoid me like the flu! I thought that person was you, Ginny Weasley! I guess I was wrong!" fumed the red faced boy.
"Col..." started the sad girl.
"Save it," spat Colin as he started to run out of the room into the deserted corridor, "I hope you and Potter are happy together!"
At that moment Ginny sat on an abandoned desk and let the tears fall. She had betrayed Colin, and now her heart was heavy with guilt. Ginevra Weasley did not just let a few tears slide down her face in that dark abandoned class room. She cried with all her soul.