Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K Rowling's stuff

Dedication: To my friends who annoyed me until I agreed to do this. Where would I be without you? I love you all!

Tying up the wrong strings

Chapter 1

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry resides in England. Where is anyone's guess, but it had been there for centuries. And through those centuries it seemed to maintain its beauty. When the founders chose the area and built the castle they made the right decision. The landscape held everything needed for an education of magic.

To the far side of the grounds the forest looked dark and foreboding. The trees were thin and lean on the edge of the forest. As you walked further in they became thicker and denser. The sunlight rays barely made it past the canopy and hardly ever reached the forest floor. The ground was littered with dry crispy leaves of different colours that crunched underneath your feet. The forest housed an abundance of magical creatures ranging from incredibly dangerous to loveable pets. It was the perfect place to practice defending yourself and learning about the creatures in the magical world.

The lake was stretched across the majority of the grounds. It was a delightful blue and shimmered in the light. During the winter it sometimes froze over and became a white bed of ice. During the summer students would usually spend most of the time relaxing by the lake watching the giant squid and its tentacles. Sometimes if they were lucky enough they got a glimpse of the mermaids and grindylows swim.

Apart from the lake and the forest there wasn't much else around so it served as the best flying place. The quidditch pitch was always a welcoming sight and every day you could see students training or just having fun. The grass covered rolling hills. It was a vibrant green and rustled in the wind. The Whomping Willow stirred now and then as a bird flew by and everything was tranquil.

The castle towered over the grounds, its magnificence radiating over everything. It was old in age but it still had secrets that nobody knew. It was a mystery in itself. It was amazing, every nook and cranny detailed and defined. Its surface was smooth but hard. The great hall was always decorated in the colours of the school. The corridors were covered in portraits that spoke to you as you passed. Every way you turn there was something different to learn and someone different to meet.

On one particularly wet winter's night two boys walked into the entrance hall, it was way past curfew and they were covered in mud. The boy on the left was of average height and a little over average build. He was smaller than the other boy and had an unruly mop of charcoal black hair. He had shining emerald green eyes and an amazing smile.

The boy on the right was taller and much lankier than the other boy. His fiery red hair fell down his face and his sky blue eyes twinkled in the light. Freckles covered his rosy cheeks. His jaw bone was defined and his lips were red and slightly parted. The two boys chatted like the old mates that they were.

"We're not going have time to finish our essays for McGonagall."

"I know, but I'm not going to do anything while I'm like this. I need a shower, can't you see all this mud." Both boys were carrying a layer of mud that they had picked up at quidditch training. If Filch caught them walking around leaving muddy footprints in the castle they were as sure as dead.

"Even if we work all night, we're still going to need Hermione's help."

"Yeah well that's a given, we always need Hermione's help. She's probably fallen asleep by the fire again. Ron, are you listening to me?"

"What did you say Harry?"

"You were thinking about Hermione again weren't you?" Ron's face went a bright tomato red, showing off the famous Weasley blush. Harry said it so casually like it happened every day, which it did. But that wasn't the point, it was a big issue. Hermione was one of Ron's best friends and he couldn't keep thinking of her more then that. Imagine what she would say. She would be furious and he couldn't have that, not for his Hermione.

"No…I…err was just thinking of the essay."

"Sure mate. Listen, for your sake I suggest you stop staring at her, she's getting a little…well she thinks something's up."

"She was talking about me, what else did she say?"

"Ron, she didn't say anything I just observed what she was feeling."

"Oh."

They continued walking and chatting about quidditch among other things. They were walking around the long way to procrastinate because they knew an essay was waiting for them. Behind them was a trail of muddy footprints that led to the dark night outside. It seemed like any other night when they had quidditch until they heard a sound coming from behind them. It was a purr or a meow, coming from a cat. They turned and saw Mrs. Norris glaring up at them with her yellow gleaming eyes. They boys were rooted to the spot, in fear of Filch's cat. They knew that when Filch's cat would come Filch would be right behind. They heard footsteps coming around the corner and bolted.

"WHAT'S THIS MESS, I'LL GET YOU KIDS!"

"Harry move faster we have to beat Filch back to the portrait hole."

"It's not my fault you have longer legs."

They reached the portrait hole and practically screamed the password.

"Hiccupping hippogriffs!"

They ran inside the portrait hole and took deep breaths, glad they escaped Filch.

"Who would make up a password like that?"

"I'm pretty sure Peeves said he would hit the Fat Lady with a water balloon if she didn't change the password."

As they looked around the common room they saw the usual sights. The walls were covered in red and gold and there wasn't much light. The table in the middle of the room was covered with books students had left out after going to bed. Over by the fire were two large chairs which were occupied. Ginny was lying on one and Hermione was on the other. They each had woolen blankets thrown over them and they were both sleeping peacefully.

Harry walked over to where Ginny was lying and caressed her soft skin. Ron strolled over and sat near Hermione's feet.

"Mate, just tell her."

"You're one to talk." Harry turned on his red headed friend with fire in his eyes. He looked terrifying.

"Wow relax, I didn't mean anything. It's just tough seeing my best friend and my little sister pine for each other but skirting around the issue and neither having the courage to ask the other one out." Ron said this is a melodramatic tone and added a heavy sigh at the end.

"She doesn't pine for me, she got over me. Besides imagine how I feel seeing my two best friends perform an intricate dance of flirting and avoiding that has been going on ever since they met each other."

"We're both pathetic aren't we?"

"Pretty much."

They looked at the girls who they had fallen for, but were much too afraid to say anything. Little did they know that the girls they so fondly watched waited hours for them to return.

Hermione watched a tall, strong boy walk out of the portrait hole with his best mate. She sighed knowing that it would again be a long night waiting for the end of quidditch practice. She didn't exactly know why but she always waited until they returned. She usually fell asleep doing homework so the boys usually assumed she had overworked. Harry would wake her up, even though she wanted Ron to. He would then help her to the girls' staircase where she would make her way to bed. She didn't know why she did this but she did.

Staying up all night questioning her motives was really draining. After a while she got a little lonely. Lately Ginny had been coming down to accompany her. She just said that Hermione needed someone with her on these long nights. Hermione thought that she had other motives though. Just like her she had fallen for someone she thought didn't like her in that way. Just like her she held on to the possibility that maybe one day they would.

"Should we wake them."

"They look so…peaceful, tranquil, like nothing could ever go wrong."

"I know, I don't want to be the one to ruin that but I think if we didn't they might be a bit angry and sore tomorrow."

"I know they do look a tad uncomfortable. Ron, wake up Hermione."

"What, me? You usually do it. I…err…can't."

"I know I usually do it but I think I have Ginny to take care of tonight and what do you mean you can't do it."

"Take…care…of…Ginny? TONIGHT? She's my little sister?!"

"I didn't mean it that way. I just meant I would wake her up and take her to bed. Nothing more, besides she wouldn't allow it even if I wanted to." Ron shot Harry a dirty look. "Not that I would want to."

"Sure Harry whatever."

Harry brushed a wild hair out of Ginny's face and got ready to wake her up. He leant down to whisper in her ear.

"Ginny. Ginny wake up."

"Ron?"

"No it's Harry, come on I'll take you upstairs." Ginny was confused. Harry, Harry never did anything like this. She felt two strong arms lift her off the comfortable couch and support her weight. She was too tired to think any more about why Harry was doing this. Instead she just enjoyed being in his grasp. She breathed in his scent and snuggled against his shoulder. She was pretty sure he didn't feel the same way as she did but she was too tired about to worry about that.

Harry carried her to the foot of the girls' staircase. Usually in Hogwarts boys weren't allowed access to the girls' staircase or dormitories. There are exceptions if given consent. The staircase somehow knew your motives for going up, so no funny business. Harry looked down at Ginny with a questioning glance unsure of what to do. He had always stopped here for Hermione and as much as he wanted to go up he wasn't entirely sure how. Besides he didn't think Ginny actually want him to go up.

"You can go up Harry, I give my consent."

"Err…thanks Gin." She loved it when he said her nickname he made up, he didn't know it though.

Ginny was thinking about what this meant. Did it mean that he wanted something or that they were just good friends. She thought it was because Ron wanted to wake up Hermione so he asked Harry to look after her. That's all that she was to Harry, his mate's little sister that he had to look after. She sighed and wriggled closer to Harry, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck. She thought that this was the only time she could be in his arms.

As Harry looked down at the girl in his arms he smiled. He finally had her in his grasp, but how long until she leaves and he is cold and lonely again. When he got to her door he quietly opened it scared of what he would find. All the girls that shared a room with Ginny were asleep. Harry crossed the room with cautious, tentative steps. Ginny took one last breath of his sweet scent before he placed her carefully down on the bed. She smiled up at him and he smiled back down. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"Good night Gin, sleep well."

"Night, Harry. Oh and thank you."

Harry turned scared of what he was getting himself into. Ginny was tired so she didn't know what he was doing. She had gotten over him ages ago and they were just friends. So where had these thoughts came from. When had Harry ever started thinking of her as more than a friend. He didn't want to feel the pain of being rejected so he left with one last smile.

He closed the door on Ginny and walked down the stairs expecting to pass Ron on the way down. He entered an empty common room wondering what had happened and half hoping that Ron and Hermione had confessed their feelings for each other and gone to make out in some broom cupboard. He chuckled at this thought and went to sit in front of the fire for a while. As he sat down he looked at the blanket that was wrapped around Hermione.

There were three spots of blood on the gold material.