The art of reaching out
by tabula rasa
Summary: It's the summer before Harry's 6th year and he's staying at the Burrow.
But things are far from perfect - why does Ginny suddenly despise him so much? Angst,
turmoil, fights, violence, revelations - H/G something with a hint of romance. This has
somewhat of an anti-fluff flavor to it...
Thanks: a big shout out to all the wonderful people that have commented on/reviewed my
very first story - WOW! What a nice welcome! :D
AN: This is just a little idea I've been juggling around in my twisted mind for some
time. The story is as of yet unfinished, so you could say that this is a trial run. You
might not agree with the way I chose to portray some of the characters here, since they
do act a bit OOC - but please give it a try anyway and let me take you on this ride. :)
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the wonderful creation of JKR. They're not
mine and never will be. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark
infringement is intended.
** Part 1 **
Not friends
"Oi, Harry, watch out! Ginny's in the kitchen, she might jump you again - shall we
shield your body with our own until she's left?"
Stepping through the entrance to the kitchen, Harry stopped himself from sighing.
The twins were at it again, and as per usual, their most recent comment was the worst
yet. After a week of this, he was close to exploding, but didn't want Ginny to feel any
worse than she already did by acknowledging the twin's joke, so he went on with his usual
routine of ignoring them. Which was hard, since they didn't seem inclined to stop their
teasing anytime soon.
"Of course, you didn't seem to terribly mind, and if you actually want Ginny to, errr,
express her innermost feelings that way... don't let our presence stop you!" Fred added
merrily. "I mean, we understand - rampaging teenage hormones, and all..."
They were impossible.
It had all started with Harry coming to the Burrow - and having a somewhat embarrassing
encounter with Ginny. He'd arrived a little earlier than expected and stumbled out of the
fire place (he had used Floo Powder) - and straight into Ginny. They had both fallen to
the floor in a heap of tangled limbs, Ginny on top, and before they'd had a chance to
right themselves and get up, the twins had burst into the room and had found them in
that compromising position. Their teasing from that day forth had been merciless and
unremitting.
Harry took it in stride and valiantly tried to fight down the blushes - he had caught
himself more and more frequently looking at Ginny and remembering how she had felt
pressed up to him for those few glorious moments.
Ginny herself stoically ignored the twins, and merely sent them icy glares of contempt
- as she did, in fact, with Harry. Apart from a few words she'd exchanged with him, their
interaction had been on a minimum, almost to the point of being non-existant. Harry found
that bothered him a bit, but didn't want to push her for an answer and make her feel even
more uncomfortable.
"You know, George, I really wish we'd had a camera to capture this glorious, wonderfully
poignant display of young, unadulterated love."
"Yes, it was indeed a sight for sore eyes. To see our little sis finally in the arms of
her one true love." George pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes.
That was one remark too many. Even Harry's patience had its limits, and he was just about
to reply sharply to that - when he was stopped by a loud slam.
Ginny had so far been silently sitting at the table, stock still, head bowed, enduring
Fred and George's teasing and pretending she didn't hear them or care about what they said.
But after that last comment, she had sprung up, making her chair topple over and fall to the
floor, and was now standing there, bristling with fury, her face pale with anger, her eyes
fierce as a dragon's.
"Oh right, because this is *so* funny. Stupid little Ginny and her crush on good, great,
unattainable Harry Potter, who'll never even give her a second glance, so she has to *jump*
him to get his attention - now there's a joke, haha. I'm so *fed up* with this!"
The sharpness in her voice made even Harry flinch.
"Yes, I've been very taken with him, and yes, I've been pretty obvious about it in the
past, but you know what? It doesn't matter. It's completely beside the point! I mean,
we're not even *friends*, for Merlin's sake! The most I'd call us is schoolmates and good
acquaintances, and the *only* thing connecting us is that I happen to be his best friend's
little sister, and that his other best friend happens to be my best friend, too. And that's
*all*. What gives you the right to act like such stupid, inconsiderate *prats* all the time?
This joke is really getting old by now, and I'm no longer willing to listen to your juvenile
comments, so would you please just *drop* it already! Get a life, get a girlfriend, blow up
the house, move to Mongolia, I don't care, but drop - it - already and grow up!"
And with that, she stormed off into the garden, slamming the door behind her, a sound that
made all the occupants in the kitchen (including Harry) jump.
A heavy, dumbstruck silence had settled over the room. Nobody dared say anything; Ginny's
outburst had rendered the twins speechless. Harry would have normally marveled at that fact,
since it was a rare accomplishment to shut them up, but he felt too bad for Ginny - and her
words had left him with an inexplicably heavy, nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.
How could she say they weren't friends? Sure, they never really talked that much, and come
to think of it, he didn't really know that much about her, but still - they'd been through
a lot together already.
'You've been through a lot together? When, pray tell, did this supposedly happen?' a tiny
voice in his head piped up. 'She was always on her own, if I remember correctly. You saving
her from the Chamber of Secrets and temporarily giving her some of your attention doesn't
change anything. I didn't quite see you seeking her company after the Chamber - she was
just as invisible to you after that as she was before." He tried to push this voice away,
but the bad feeling had gotten worse. He needed to talk to Ginny.
Without another word, he left the kitchen.
***
End Part 1
Like it? Don't like it? Let me know. :)
by tabula rasa
Summary: It's the summer before Harry's 6th year and he's staying at the Burrow.
But things are far from perfect - why does Ginny suddenly despise him so much? Angst,
turmoil, fights, violence, revelations - H/G something with a hint of romance. This has
somewhat of an anti-fluff flavor to it...
Thanks: a big shout out to all the wonderful people that have commented on/reviewed my
very first story - WOW! What a nice welcome! :D
AN: This is just a little idea I've been juggling around in my twisted mind for some
time. The story is as of yet unfinished, so you could say that this is a trial run. You
might not agree with the way I chose to portray some of the characters here, since they
do act a bit OOC - but please give it a try anyway and let me take you on this ride. :)
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the wonderful creation of JKR. They're not
mine and never will be. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark
infringement is intended.
** Part 1 **
Not friends
"Oi, Harry, watch out! Ginny's in the kitchen, she might jump you again - shall we
shield your body with our own until she's left?"
Stepping through the entrance to the kitchen, Harry stopped himself from sighing.
The twins were at it again, and as per usual, their most recent comment was the worst
yet. After a week of this, he was close to exploding, but didn't want Ginny to feel any
worse than she already did by acknowledging the twin's joke, so he went on with his usual
routine of ignoring them. Which was hard, since they didn't seem inclined to stop their
teasing anytime soon.
"Of course, you didn't seem to terribly mind, and if you actually want Ginny to, errr,
express her innermost feelings that way... don't let our presence stop you!" Fred added
merrily. "I mean, we understand - rampaging teenage hormones, and all..."
They were impossible.
It had all started with Harry coming to the Burrow - and having a somewhat embarrassing
encounter with Ginny. He'd arrived a little earlier than expected and stumbled out of the
fire place (he had used Floo Powder) - and straight into Ginny. They had both fallen to
the floor in a heap of tangled limbs, Ginny on top, and before they'd had a chance to
right themselves and get up, the twins had burst into the room and had found them in
that compromising position. Their teasing from that day forth had been merciless and
unremitting.
Harry took it in stride and valiantly tried to fight down the blushes - he had caught
himself more and more frequently looking at Ginny and remembering how she had felt
pressed up to him for those few glorious moments.
Ginny herself stoically ignored the twins, and merely sent them icy glares of contempt
- as she did, in fact, with Harry. Apart from a few words she'd exchanged with him, their
interaction had been on a minimum, almost to the point of being non-existant. Harry found
that bothered him a bit, but didn't want to push her for an answer and make her feel even
more uncomfortable.
"You know, George, I really wish we'd had a camera to capture this glorious, wonderfully
poignant display of young, unadulterated love."
"Yes, it was indeed a sight for sore eyes. To see our little sis finally in the arms of
her one true love." George pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes.
That was one remark too many. Even Harry's patience had its limits, and he was just about
to reply sharply to that - when he was stopped by a loud slam.
Ginny had so far been silently sitting at the table, stock still, head bowed, enduring
Fred and George's teasing and pretending she didn't hear them or care about what they said.
But after that last comment, she had sprung up, making her chair topple over and fall to the
floor, and was now standing there, bristling with fury, her face pale with anger, her eyes
fierce as a dragon's.
"Oh right, because this is *so* funny. Stupid little Ginny and her crush on good, great,
unattainable Harry Potter, who'll never even give her a second glance, so she has to *jump*
him to get his attention - now there's a joke, haha. I'm so *fed up* with this!"
The sharpness in her voice made even Harry flinch.
"Yes, I've been very taken with him, and yes, I've been pretty obvious about it in the
past, but you know what? It doesn't matter. It's completely beside the point! I mean,
we're not even *friends*, for Merlin's sake! The most I'd call us is schoolmates and good
acquaintances, and the *only* thing connecting us is that I happen to be his best friend's
little sister, and that his other best friend happens to be my best friend, too. And that's
*all*. What gives you the right to act like such stupid, inconsiderate *prats* all the time?
This joke is really getting old by now, and I'm no longer willing to listen to your juvenile
comments, so would you please just *drop* it already! Get a life, get a girlfriend, blow up
the house, move to Mongolia, I don't care, but drop - it - already and grow up!"
And with that, she stormed off into the garden, slamming the door behind her, a sound that
made all the occupants in the kitchen (including Harry) jump.
A heavy, dumbstruck silence had settled over the room. Nobody dared say anything; Ginny's
outburst had rendered the twins speechless. Harry would have normally marveled at that fact,
since it was a rare accomplishment to shut them up, but he felt too bad for Ginny - and her
words had left him with an inexplicably heavy, nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.
How could she say they weren't friends? Sure, they never really talked that much, and come
to think of it, he didn't really know that much about her, but still - they'd been through
a lot together already.
'You've been through a lot together? When, pray tell, did this supposedly happen?' a tiny
voice in his head piped up. 'She was always on her own, if I remember correctly. You saving
her from the Chamber of Secrets and temporarily giving her some of your attention doesn't
change anything. I didn't quite see you seeking her company after the Chamber - she was
just as invisible to you after that as she was before." He tried to push this voice away,
but the bad feeling had gotten worse. He needed to talk to Ginny.
Without another word, he left the kitchen.
***
End Part 1
Like it? Don't like it? Let me know. :)