Living Someone Else's Life

By: lbfan

A/N: This is a one-shot I exclusively wrote for another site. It has been enough time, I feel that I can share it with you. I hope you enjoy it.

I origininally wrote this as background for The List.

Time started again as he reluctantly broke the kiss. Shocked and amazed, Ginny's bright brown eyes gazed back at him. A heart-felt smile spread across her face.

Broken glass and clearing throats started to pull Harry out of his trance.

They were in the Gryffindor common room after the last Quidditch match of the season. The room was packed in celebration as they had just won the match and the Quidditch cup.

Harry had just entered the common room when he saw her running towards him. Not even thinking, he allowed his heart to take over. Instead of greeting her with a friendly congratulatory hug, he drew her into his arms and kissed her. It was not just a simple kiss. It was deep and passionate. The amazing thing was she kissed him back.

Harry remembered kissing Cho. The exciting and intimate feeling he could never forget, but it was nothing compared to Ginny. With Ginny, it was a mixture of intense emotions, happiness and peace. All of a sudden, his life felt complete. It felt like she belonged forever in his arms.

After searching and finding the approving looks from his friend and more importantly her brother, he offered her his hand and led her out of the room of spectators. They found some privacy in one of the many secret passages in the castle.

Without saying a word, he pulled her close with urgency. They kissed again and realized that it was no fluke. It was there again.

Ginny broke the silence when she sighed. "Wow." She had a silly grin on her face that she was sure would not come off for days.

He could not believe it. It was almost as if he was living someone else's life. Desiring a little more air, Harry asked her, "Would you care for a walk by the lake?"

She wordlessly nodded in reply.

The stood still for a few minutes, gazing into each other's eyes. Reluctantly, he broke himself from her bewitching eyes and guided her down the stairs to a shortcut to the entrance hall. Holding her hand, he could tell that his life would never be the same again.

The shortcut opened up into a passageway near the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. As they walked towards the entrance hall, they passed some of the defeated Ravenclaw Quidditch team members making their way back to their dorms. Harry managed to catch Cho's eyes. Cho glanced from Harry to Ginny and then to their joined hands. She settled on glaring at Ginny as they passed.

Dreamily, Luna commented, "Cho, it looks like the snitch isn't the only thing Ginny caught today."

Cho turned her glare on Luna before stomping off to the Ravenclaw common room.

Innocently, Luna smile and waved to Harry and Ginny as she passed by them.

Harry asked Ginny, "What was that about?"

In nervous apprehension, Ginny responded, "What?… Oh that."

After a moment to decide what to say, she answered, "Let's just say that she still fancies you."

He cringed. "Like Romilda?"

It was her turn to cringe as she replied, "Well at least she knows you more than that hussy." Distain dripped off the last word.

He was confused. "I thought that she was seeing Michael Corner."

"No, they broke up. It was probably the same problem I had with him." Ginny seemed relieved that he did not inquire more on Cho's interest in him.

Noticing her discomfort of the subject, he squeezed her hand and pulled her closer. "What problem was that?"

Trying to be discrete about her ex-boyfriend, she answered, "He's a prat."

Sensing that she was purposely being vague with her answer, he did not press her for additional details. They continued to walk in silence, hand-in-hand out the door to the castle.

When they seemed to be away from prying ears, Ginny asked Harry, "Speaking of Cho, who have you been kissing? And when did you learn to kiss like that?" She glared at him with suspicion.

Surprised, Harry answered, "I haven't been practicing. Only Cho. And now that I know what a real kiss is like, I can't really count that either." Thinking back, he recalled, "I don't really think she was kissing me. Behind her tears, I think she was imagining that I was Cedric at the time."

Looking back at her, he suddenly became self-conscious. "Was I that bad?" With a smirk, he added, "I'm willing to practice."

Ginny's look melted as she wrapped her arms around him. "No, you were perfect. I should have figured you to be a natural." After a moment of thought, she added, "I should be the one who needs practice."

Harry flushed as his mind filled with the image of Dean and her kissing. "So long as it is only me you are kissing." He surprised himself by the possessive words he blurted out.

Smiling, Ginny capitalized on the situation. "It would be easier for me to promise you that if we had a relationship."

He was scared of what to say. The image of her and Dean together kept forcing its way to the forefront of his mind. How hard can it be? "Ginny, would you be my girlfriend?"

She looked content as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes. "Yes, nothing would make me happier." She leaned in and kissed him again.

In a natural response, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her right back.

Earlier, he felt that his world would never be the same. After knowing that she belonged to him, the kiss filled him with warmth and peace he never experience in his life. She belonged to him in an intimate way. It scared him, and yet he felt extremely happy.

In realization of his new predicament, he asked, "What about your bothers? They'll kill me."

She shook her head in amusement. "No, Harry. You don't have to worry about my brothers. They have always compared my boyfriends to you. They all love you, all except Percy, of course. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't count.

"Besides, if any of them have a problem with you, I'll hex them into next year."

They spent the rest of the afternoon together. Sometimes it was holding each other close while sitting under a birch tree near the lakeshore. Other times, it was walking along the lake, hand-in-hand.

The beast in Harry's chest seemed to revel as he enjoyed the comforts of being with the most beautiful girl in school. He held her so close, he could feel the warmth and softness of her body against his. The intoxicating floral aroma of her red hair seemed to chase his worries away and allowed him to loose himself in the tranquility that only her presence could bring.

When it came time for dinner, Harry and Ginny walked into the Great Hall holding hands. Harry became conscious that most everyone's attention was directed at the two of them and conversations suddenly became hushed. Not again. Now I'm the target of more gossip.

He looked over at his girlfriend and noticed that she was having an entirely different reaction to their greeting. She had her shoulders back and head held high. Her tight grip on his hand and defiant look in her eyes spoke of her possessive nature towards him. She glared at any girl who showed any sign of jealousy.

He also noticed her countenance change suddenly as she caught Cho Chang's glare. Ginny leaned a bit closer to him and eyes seemed to sparkle as smugness stretched across her face.

The most puzzling reaction was that of Professor Dumbledore. Instead of being irritated at their public display of affection like the other professors, he seemed pleased, almost amused even.

Harry relented to his girlfriend's wishes and allowed himself to be paraded down the isle in front of the whole school. It was apparent that she felt it was necessary to make it clear that they were a couple. He knew her well enough to know that she was not being boastful, but instead she was making it clear to the rest of the female population that he was off the market. It was also clear that she was not going to share.

Harry steered her over to the table across from where Hermione and Ron were sitting. They quietly sat down. Hermione seemed to not notice, but she clearly had a smirk on her face. Ron on the other hand looked irritated at the entrance they made.

Ginny made one last glare over her shoulder at Cho and kissed Harry lightly on the cheek. She allowed herself to look guilty and as she heard Professor McGonagall loudly clear her throat. However, it did not stop her from sitting close and holding his hand under the table.

It really did not bother Harry in the least. He was still figuratively walking on air. It seemed like nothing could break his happiness that evening. For once in his life, he was actually looking forward to meeting another Dementor. At that moment, he could create the perfect Patronus.

In the Gryffindor common room later that evening, Hermione asked Ginny to join her up in her dorm to talk. It seemed like Ron and her were conspiring because as soon as they left, Ron leaned over. "We need to talk.

"You'd better not hurt her. She is the only sister I've got and her happiness means more to me than our friendship. Besides, I'm not the only brother that you will have to deal with."

Rolling his eyes, Harry reassured him. "Don't worry, Ron. I would rather die than to see her hurt. I l… I l…like her very much." Harry could not believe that he could confess feelings of love that easily. He was not even sure if that was really what it was. What he did know was this must have been the closest thing to love that he had ever experienced in his whole life.
Harry blankly stared at his homework as he sorted out his feelings. When he did look up at Ron, he was met with a conciliatory look. Did Ron actually know what he was feeling at the time?

Ron allowed his eyes to fall back down at his work. "I know you wouldn't do anything to harm her. I just feel that it is my duty to give you 'the talk'. Besides, there's no other bloke out there that I would rather my sister be with than you. I hope it works out between to two of you. I know that she had fancied you for years."

Confused, yet slightly comforted, Harry replied, "Thanks."

The awkward moment was interrupted as Hermione and Ginny returned from the girl's staircase. Hermione casually returned back to the table, but Ginny seemed slightly red. Slowly as if she was caught up in thought, she walked over and sat next to Harry.

Harry asked, "Are you alright?"

Ginny replied, "Oh… Yeah, I'm fine. Well, I better get back to my revisions." She busied herself by flipping through her astronomy text. Harry was not convinced that she was actually reading.

As the weeks pressed on, Harry lost himself in the comfort and peace that he experience when ever he was around her. He had to remind himself constantly that he had important things that needed to be done. It was really like he was living someone else's life.