On my own
Ginny Weasley sat staring into the fire in the Gryffindor common room, the flames illuminating the otherwise dark room and playing tricks with her hair, making it look as though it was almost alive. It was almost two in the morning and nothing she had tried could make her sleep. The past afternoon had been one of the worst of her life. Dumbledore, believing the students all needed some light-hearted entertainment to take their minds off what was happening outside the castle grounds, decided that a muggle style talent contest would be held at the end of the month. Ginny had laughed along with the rest of her class until her former best friend Amy told the whole class her little secret. Ginny loved singing and wasn't half bad at it. Ginny couldn't believe Amy had done that to her, she had sang to Amy once but made her promise that no one else would ever find out, she wasn't the type of person who could handle singing in front of people. To be truly honest, she would rather face a mountain troll with only one of Fred and George's joke wands for protection. But professor Flitwick had insisted and somehow she had been roped into singing in front of the whole school at the talent contest.
Ginny was contemplating her escape from Hogwarts when she heard someone coming down stairs from the boys' dorms. It was Harry Potter, the boy she had loved since the age of ten. To the outside world, she had gotten over her crush and she was happily content with hanging out with her friends, but only she, and for some reason, Hermione knew that she was still as in love with him as she had ever been. She was just better at hiding it now. Harry walked up to the couch she was sitting on and flopped down beside her. "Hey Gin, what are you doing up so late?" Harry looked at her with those piercing green eyes. She hated the way he looked at her, every time she looked into those eyes her breath caught and it was almost impossible for her to turn away from his gaze. "I'm in hell Harry, I suppose you heard what happened today?" Harry laughed softly, "yeah I heard, it gets worse though Gin. Fred and George have threatened to curse anyone who doesn't show up to hear you sing" Ginny moaned in mortification. Her only hope had been that everyone would think this talent show was so stupid that no one would show up. "Harry I'm going to bed, I need to go upstairs and them figure out how to fake my death" She said goodnight and went to her dorm, only realising when she was drifting off to sleep that she never asked Harry why he was up so late.
At six o'clock the next morning Hermione popped her head into Ginny's dorm to wake her up. "I've had four hours sleep Hermione, I'm not getting out of this bed until someone curses me out of it" Ginny mumbled, only realising her mistake when her bed tipped her out of it, closing the drapes around itself and not opening them despite Ginny's efforts to get back in. Ginny stared and Hermione mutinously while Hermione popped her wand back into her robes. "Ginny we need to talk, have you thought about what song you're going to sing at the talent show, because think I have the perfect one." Ginny's heart fell when she thought about the talent show. "Oh God!" she moaned. Hermione dragged her out of the dorm and down into the common room, where she had set up a muggle record player. Ginny had seen one in her muggle studies book but had no idea how Hermione was going to power it, seeing as electricity couldn't be used on hogwarts grounds. After Hermione had put a silencing charm on the common room so no one would be able to hear them, she turned to Ginny. "The song I think you should sing is a muggle one, it's from a musical show called Les Miserables and I think it would suit you perfectly. Its called On My Own." Hermione then turned her wand on the record player and muttered a few words. The record player began to play one of the most beautiful songs Ginny had ever heard, but when she listened to the words, she looked at Hermione in horror. "Hermione, I can't sing this, I know what you're trying to do and I'm grateful for it, but we both know what this is about. If I sing that song, I'll be baring my soul to everyone and I just can't do that." "Ginny, its just a song, I know it would mean a lot, but Harry has to know how you feel. If he did, I know he'd admit to feeling the same way. I've seen how he looks at you." Ginny's heart leapt for a moment, imaging the impossible. Maybe it would work, maybe he'd fall in love with when he heard her sing. She came back to earth with a thud. "That would never happen" she thought sadly, "he will never love me. But it is a beautiful song, and I don't have to live my life around how I think Harry will react". "I'll do it!" she told Hermione who squealed and hugged Ginny, who felt good for the first time since yesterday morning.
For the next four weeks Hermione made Ginny practise relentlessly, making Ginny understand why Ron sometimes got so irritated with his new girlfriend. She truly was a slave driver. But on the night of the talent show, she was glad of Hermione's help and almost forgave her for talking non-stop about her brother or "the love of Hermione's life" as she had now taken to calling him. She looked at herself in the mirror one last time, appraising herself critically. She looked good, she decided. Hermione had lent her one of her muggle dresses and it fit her perfectly, the green fabric perfectly complimenting her fiery red hair that was now twisted on top of her head. "Do I really have the strength to do this?" she asked herself. "Harry will know that I'm singing this song to him, and so will everyone else." She took a deep breath and told herself not to be so weak. She was a Gryffindor for God's sake, and nothing was going to stop her from doing this. With a look of determination in her eyes, Ginny walked out of Gryffindor Tower and down to the charms classroom that was being used as "backstage" for the evening. She had a feeling it was going to be a good night.
An: I know this is slightly on the crap side, but I felt the need to write fluff, and it will be! ch 2 will be up in the next day or so.
Ginny Weasley sat staring into the fire in the Gryffindor common room, the flames illuminating the otherwise dark room and playing tricks with her hair, making it look as though it was almost alive. It was almost two in the morning and nothing she had tried could make her sleep. The past afternoon had been one of the worst of her life. Dumbledore, believing the students all needed some light-hearted entertainment to take their minds off what was happening outside the castle grounds, decided that a muggle style talent contest would be held at the end of the month. Ginny had laughed along with the rest of her class until her former best friend Amy told the whole class her little secret. Ginny loved singing and wasn't half bad at it. Ginny couldn't believe Amy had done that to her, she had sang to Amy once but made her promise that no one else would ever find out, she wasn't the type of person who could handle singing in front of people. To be truly honest, she would rather face a mountain troll with only one of Fred and George's joke wands for protection. But professor Flitwick had insisted and somehow she had been roped into singing in front of the whole school at the talent contest.
Ginny was contemplating her escape from Hogwarts when she heard someone coming down stairs from the boys' dorms. It was Harry Potter, the boy she had loved since the age of ten. To the outside world, she had gotten over her crush and she was happily content with hanging out with her friends, but only she, and for some reason, Hermione knew that she was still as in love with him as she had ever been. She was just better at hiding it now. Harry walked up to the couch she was sitting on and flopped down beside her. "Hey Gin, what are you doing up so late?" Harry looked at her with those piercing green eyes. She hated the way he looked at her, every time she looked into those eyes her breath caught and it was almost impossible for her to turn away from his gaze. "I'm in hell Harry, I suppose you heard what happened today?" Harry laughed softly, "yeah I heard, it gets worse though Gin. Fred and George have threatened to curse anyone who doesn't show up to hear you sing" Ginny moaned in mortification. Her only hope had been that everyone would think this talent show was so stupid that no one would show up. "Harry I'm going to bed, I need to go upstairs and them figure out how to fake my death" She said goodnight and went to her dorm, only realising when she was drifting off to sleep that she never asked Harry why he was up so late.
At six o'clock the next morning Hermione popped her head into Ginny's dorm to wake her up. "I've had four hours sleep Hermione, I'm not getting out of this bed until someone curses me out of it" Ginny mumbled, only realising her mistake when her bed tipped her out of it, closing the drapes around itself and not opening them despite Ginny's efforts to get back in. Ginny stared and Hermione mutinously while Hermione popped her wand back into her robes. "Ginny we need to talk, have you thought about what song you're going to sing at the talent show, because think I have the perfect one." Ginny's heart fell when she thought about the talent show. "Oh God!" she moaned. Hermione dragged her out of the dorm and down into the common room, where she had set up a muggle record player. Ginny had seen one in her muggle studies book but had no idea how Hermione was going to power it, seeing as electricity couldn't be used on hogwarts grounds. After Hermione had put a silencing charm on the common room so no one would be able to hear them, she turned to Ginny. "The song I think you should sing is a muggle one, it's from a musical show called Les Miserables and I think it would suit you perfectly. Its called On My Own." Hermione then turned her wand on the record player and muttered a few words. The record player began to play one of the most beautiful songs Ginny had ever heard, but when she listened to the words, she looked at Hermione in horror. "Hermione, I can't sing this, I know what you're trying to do and I'm grateful for it, but we both know what this is about. If I sing that song, I'll be baring my soul to everyone and I just can't do that." "Ginny, its just a song, I know it would mean a lot, but Harry has to know how you feel. If he did, I know he'd admit to feeling the same way. I've seen how he looks at you." Ginny's heart leapt for a moment, imaging the impossible. Maybe it would work, maybe he'd fall in love with when he heard her sing. She came back to earth with a thud. "That would never happen" she thought sadly, "he will never love me. But it is a beautiful song, and I don't have to live my life around how I think Harry will react". "I'll do it!" she told Hermione who squealed and hugged Ginny, who felt good for the first time since yesterday morning.
For the next four weeks Hermione made Ginny practise relentlessly, making Ginny understand why Ron sometimes got so irritated with his new girlfriend. She truly was a slave driver. But on the night of the talent show, she was glad of Hermione's help and almost forgave her for talking non-stop about her brother or "the love of Hermione's life" as she had now taken to calling him. She looked at herself in the mirror one last time, appraising herself critically. She looked good, she decided. Hermione had lent her one of her muggle dresses and it fit her perfectly, the green fabric perfectly complimenting her fiery red hair that was now twisted on top of her head. "Do I really have the strength to do this?" she asked herself. "Harry will know that I'm singing this song to him, and so will everyone else." She took a deep breath and told herself not to be so weak. She was a Gryffindor for God's sake, and nothing was going to stop her from doing this. With a look of determination in her eyes, Ginny walked out of Gryffindor Tower and down to the charms classroom that was being used as "backstage" for the evening. She had a feeling it was going to be a good night.
An: I know this is slightly on the crap side, but I felt the need to write fluff, and it will be! ch 2 will be up in the next day or so.