Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Harry Potter and Company (characters, and all other inventions created by the masterful J.K. Rowling). If I did then you'd see my published works in your local bookstore and I wouldn't bother to write on a fan fiction site, now would I?
This was the day, the night, the hour, that Ginny was going to proclaim her love for The-Boy-Who-Lived. But to Ginevra Weasley, Harry was just The Boy.
Another victory for the Gryffindor team, Ginny concluded as the team members and the few loyal supporters who stayed for the entire five hour match filed into the common room and eventually separated, going into their rooms. It was late in the afternoon, but Hermione was ever so stubbornly insisting that she and the boys go to the Room of the Requirement to prepare for God only knew what, but of course, as usual Ginny wasn't included in their plans so she couldn't possibly tell you. Hermione, and Ron stayed behind to update Ginny while Harry left to get changed. Ginny, who complained of a cold, opted to sit out this game and avoid possibly getting pneumonia from playing in the rain that plagued the Hogwarts castle all day. So therefore, it was Ron's duty to rub into his sister's face the fact that Gryffindor once again, won another game. Ginny sat impatiently waiting for Ron to finish, she had things to do. Important things to say. And the wait was killing her. After going over the details of the game, Ron finally remembered that inquiring about his sister's welfare would have been the right thing to do from the start. But then again, tact was not the most well developed virtues of Ronald Weasley.
"Too bad about your cold." Ron said. "You sure you don't want to owl Mom?"
"Don't be ridiculous Ron, It's just a cold. I don't need to tell Mom of every little problem I have."
"Alright then." Ron didn't bother to argue any further because it wasn't a matter of mass importance and he was still in his drenched Quidditch uniform. "I'm going to change now. Bloody awesome match. Too bad you missed it. I'll be right back Hermione." and Ron disappeared up the staircase.
It was now only Hermione and Ginny and a few insignificant others - that have no extreme immediate importance - in the common room.
"Feeling any better?" Hermione asked sympathetically.
"Honestly? No." Ginny responded without looking up at the book on her lap. Too bad she wasn't actually reading it, and fortunately, Hermione didn't realize that the book was upside down. Further exemplifying my point that Ginny was extremely nervous about something. About what she was going to do. And that the whole "cold" excuse was merely a facade. So when Ginny said she wasn't feeling any better, it wasn't a complete lie, because she was still extremely distraught and nervous, knowing that she was about to do the most idiotic, most moronic thing she or any other Weasley had ever done, and when you can count Fred and George among your numbers, that is really saying something.
"Maybe you should go to Madame Pomfrey, have her help you. She can cure you in a fix."
"Maybe later." Ginny simply said, pretending to be absorbed in her "studying."
Hermione left their conversation at that, not bothering to make an effort to have Ginny talk more, assuming that the cold was merely getting to Ginny and that was all. After approximately five minutes of awkward silence, Ron came down.
"Harry's still changing. Don't know what's taking him so long. We'd better go and have him meet us there."
"Ron," Hermione inquired, "You did remind him that we're going to the Room of Requirement tonight. I told you to remind him, you know that he has a lot on his plate at the moment."
Ron's eyes widened, now remembering that he had never told Harry in the first place that they were meeting tonight.
Ginny laughed. "I'll take care of it Hermione. You two go ahead."
"Thanks Gin." Ron sighed. But Hermione did not look at all happy. She glared daggers at Ron. As they progressed to the door Ginny could hear the beginnings of a feud.
"Ron one little thing. I asked you to tell Harry one little thing and you couldn't even do that . . ."
"Oh 'Mione Ginny said that she's got it covered . . ."
"That doesn't matter! It was your responsibility!" At this point, Hermione and Ron exited the common room, blocking out the rest of their spat.
Ginny waited for a moment, then closed her book, and went on her way to Harry's room.
Ginny knocked on the door of the 7th year boy's dormitory. All the other 7th year boys had gone to their room hours ago, to tired to wait for the end of the match. Of course Harry would be the only one awake at this point so she wouldn't have to deal with the other boys. As anticipated, Harry answered the door. He smiled a small pathetic smile, obviously overcome with fatigue from the recent Quidditch match that the Gryffindor team oh so totally dominated.
Before Harry could emit a hello, or even a grunt, Ginny began her monologue, her declaration of all of her pent up feelings. What she had been waiting to do all night. What she skipped the match for in fear that she'd lose control mid-match and tell Harry exactly how she felt right their on the Quidditch pitch, in front of the whole entire student body and faculty of Hogwarts. No doubt it would be amusing to them all, but quite embarrassing for herself and she was in no mood to make a fool of herself in front of the entire school . . . again. (The first time being the Valentine's incident.)
"I love you. I know this is random, and, well, clearly unexpected considering the look on your face, but I do - love you, that is. I know what you're thinking, what everyone is thinking, that it's just an obsession, a crush, Well it's not. I love you Harry. And not in a friend way, or a brother and sister way. I'm in love with you Harry, and you're probably shocked because I've been acting like a friend to you for the past two years and I realize I'm jeopardizing the friendship that we've created but I can no longer hold up this pretense. I love you, and I don't know why. It's killing me, really. Not to say that it's unfathomable for someone to love you, I just can't understand why I've loved you for so long and how I've managed to remain so passive about it. And I love you, I know I keep saying that, I'm sorry. But when I see you, or when I hear your name, or when I see your picture, or read about you, or just think about you - I always think about you, I can't help it, my heart it seems to slow down. The beating it's like, it's like it's going in slow motion, and my breath catches. It's like an asphyxiation and I'm fighting to breath but then you go and smile at me, or say hi and well, it starts all over again. I know it's all so cliched, but it's funny, it's all true. You read those corny teen romance novels, and they say all of these things and you don't believe one damn word of it all but then when you fall in love, it feels, well just like that. This is creeping you out isn't it? It's probably scaring you off. Well let me tell you mister, I'm pretty damn creeped out to. See my hands, I can't stop shaking."
Ginny paused for a second, Harry thinking that she was done opened his mouth ready to respond, but Ginny was not finished and she plowed on. "At first I didn't like this at all. And I'm still scared. And I'm so confused, and no teen magazine or love advice book has helped at all. Let me tell you, I've tried it all. Well, you're probably wondering why I'm telling you this all now. I think it's because I've finally lost it. I guess I've reached my breaking point, and I'll check myself into the clinically insane ward of Saint Mungo's soon enough. I just needed you to know. Just first, say something, anything, preferably the truth. Even if it's 'I hate you.' But if you feel nothing at all, well then, I'd rather you lie I guess because I 'd rather you hate me then feel indifferent to me at all. Wow, I really do sound completely insane. And you look, well, you look utterly confused now. I guess you don't have to respond. This is a lot to put on you. I'm sorry, I'll go now."
With that Ginny ran down the stairs before Harry could react. He stood in the doorway stunned, not quite sure if he should follow Ginny, or if he should go back into his dormitory and put some clothes on first before venturing out to the common room, because throughout Ginny's entire proclamation Harry, attired in only his boxers and a pair of socks began to grow quite chilly. Both from the nippy fall weather and the loss of sensation throughout his entire body from the shock of Ginny's unexpected announcement. A matter of seconds after Ginny had disappeared, she reappeared and calmly stated, "By the way, Hermione and Ron are waiting for you in the Room of Requirement," as if her entire promulgation did not happen. But then she betrayed her true demeanor by shakily approaching Harry, and quite nervously continued on "And also, I need to do this, for me, to know, just to make sure...that well how I feel, is well, genuine, and if..." Ginny stuttered "Oh bother..." she finally resigned in her explanation, gave up speaking, and kissed Harry, on the lips. Only for a short period, but to Ginny it felt so much longer. That whole "slow motion" thing she attempted to explain before came into effect. It wasn't one of those romantic kisses seen in movies nowadays, because it is hardly romantic when one side of the kiss stands there petrified by shock, but it was special in it's own way.
Ginny eventually pulled away, "I suggest you wear some clothes if you plan on going to the Room of Requirement. Although there was never any formal announcement of the appropriate weekend attire, I'm sure that Hogwarts has some type of dress code. As in, you have to be, in order to go about the school."
Apparently his underdressed state did not escape Ginny's notice, as Harry had wished it had. Because before she admitted her undying affection for Harry, it was okay for Ginny to see him in this state, because it was just Ginny, but now, well now it was Ginny. And that made it an entirely different situation than before.
Ginny turned on her heel and left Harry standing there, almost, but not quite, naked.
After a quick change of clothes, Harry bolted down the staircase ready to confront Ginny about what she had just done. There sat Ginny, reading a transfiguration textbook. Although she was not alone in the common room (a few of those insignificant first years mentioned before sat around the fire gossiping), Harry did not care.
"What the hell was that about?" Harry demanded.
"Well you look wide awake now." Ginny smiled at Harry sweetly, innocently. Then returned to her reading.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Harry sputtered, "With the talking, and the kissing, and then...and then...and then you, you just left me there. It was rude and selfish, you just dumped all that stuff on me and then you left! What's going on?" The first years now abandoned their previous conversation, intrigued by certain current events.
"It think I made it quite clear what is going on. And as for what I said and did, you can just forget about it. I understand you have a lot to deal with right now and it was rather selfish and rude of me to do what I did. So just forget everything. Except what I said about Hermione and Ron, they're still in the Room of Requirement waiting for you. You should probably go there." Ginny responded without looking up. She turned a page, obviously she was not concentrating on the readings in front of her. But who could at a time like this?
"I don't want to!" Harry shouted, clearly irritated.
"Fine don't go, that's your own prerogative."
"No," Harry said."No, not about them. Forget about them. I meant that no, I don't want to forget about what happened. How can you be so nonchalant about this? Was this all a joke? Did you mean anything you said at all?" A desperately confused Harry began to pace around the common room, absentmindedly kicking books and such items that lay in his reckless path.
Ginny closed her book and finally looked up. She began to twirl a strand of her fiery red hair, pondering the most tactful way to respond. "Of course I mean it Harry. It's just that, the look on your face, and your reaction, well your lack of reaction, I just, I don't know, it made me think that maybe you don't reciprocate my feelings, so I freaked out. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
"Well how you feel . . .I mean, you said you love me? Are you sure?" Ginny was furious, how dare he question her feelings. Was this his way of trying to let her down gently? Of him trying to tell her that he did not love her. Maybe he was trying to convince her that she was the confused one, that she mistook her feelings. That way he wouldn't have to be the one to say that he did not love her in return.
Ginny jumped out the chair, throwing her book down on the soft red cushions and startling both the first year onlookers and Harry who stopped in his tracks directly in front of Ginny. "Of course I'm sure! Do you think I'm so naive as to proclaim affections for a boy if I was not completely sure of how I felt? Well Harry, I told you the honest to God truth, make of it what you will, I have said all that I've had to say." Ginny then turned to pick up her book from the chair and storm out when Harry took a step forward, causing her to take a step back.
Ginny looked into his eyes, misinterpreting his expression. "Oh, you pity me don't you. Well, I'll have none of that. Don't think 'Poor Ginny, I can't return her affections.' Because undoubtably I will be able to survive without your love. Don't be so self-centered as to think that my whole world revolves around you..." Ginny's incessant babbling came to an end once Harry took another step forward, and she took another one back, clutching the very large textbook defensively in front of her. They now stood inches away from the nosey first years that sat on the floor.
"Harry, what are you doing? Oh shoot, you're trying to kiss me aren't you? Oh dammit, I've just completely ruined the moment. I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this whole romantic subtlety thing. But I guess this means you love me, doesn't it?" Before Harry could get a word or nod in edge wise, Ginny continued. "Well that's a relief." Ginny stepped towards Harry who did not expect her to do so and in return he took a step backwards. "Oh will you stand still, I'm going to kiss you Harry, and I very well can't do it with you fidgeting about like..."
At this point, Harry finally realized that Ron was right when he concluded that his little sister was quite the talker, so Harry took control of the situation. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her in to kiss him, causing her to drop her textbook on the hand of one of the first years. But she didn't apologize, because that would mean she'd have to pull away from Harry's perfect, warm, tender, soft lips. And she very well did not want to do that.
And despite Harry's clumsy attempts at being suave, and the fact that Ginny did talk to much, all in all, it was one of the top five most romantic things that ever happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The End
Just a short sweet fluffy ficlet that I thought I wanted to expand into a longer work, but I realized that maybe it was fine just the way it was.