Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling
Simply Irresistible
She's a natural law, and she leaves me in awe
She deserves the applause, I surrender because
She used to look good to me, but now I find her
Simply irresistible
-Simply Irresistible-
-Robert Palmer-
Harry walked into the Great Hall with a yawn on his lips and a shuffle to his step. He definitely hadn't been sleeping well lately, and it was all her fault. He glanced around carefully, trying to catch a glimpse of the object of his thoughts.
She was there alright, in her usual spot at the Gryffindor table. A ripple of fear gripped Harry's heart as he spotted her. What was he going to do? It was really getting to be hard to ignore her. She was starting to suspect something was up, he was sure. The problem was that she was right. He was avoiding her like the plague.
The funny thing about it was that Harry used to avoid her because of how she felt about him. Now he avoided her because of the way he felt about her. If it wasn't so bloody stupid it would have been hilarious.
Not so long ago Ginny Weasley had had a crush on him. Now that she was over him, he found that it was the other way around. He, Harry Potter, had a huge crush on her.
He wasn't quite sure how it had developed. It might have started in his fifth year when she was the only one that could reach him through all his misery. She was the only one that could shake his mood and make him see reason. She was the only one that really knew how he felt.
Maybe it was in his sixth year when she was the only one that stuck by him through thick and thin. They seemed to develop a bond then. As his two best friends spent the year discovering their feelings for each other, Harry was left behind to fend for himself. Ginny was there to help him pick up the pieces of his life as he tried to recover from both the loss of his Godfather, and the idea that he had to either kill Voldemort or be killed by him.
It's not an easy thing to have a death mark, knowing that someone is tracking you down and trying to kill you. It's even harder when that someone has already succeeded in killing your parents. Then add in the idea that you are the only one that could possibly defeat him, and well, it becomes a pressure packed situation.
Harry really didn't know what he would have done if she hadn't been there. He probably would have gone completely starkers if not for her support. He still smiled when he thought of some of the things that she had done for him. She was the one that had finally stood up to Snape when his taunting finally got to be too much.
It was a glorious thing actually. She had come upon them in the hall, and Snape was really letting Harry have it, reminding Harry that it was because of his own incompetence that Sirius had been killed. Harry had been trembling with barely suppressed rage, itching to duel once and for all with the insufferable git right there in the hall.
He was reaching for his wand when a small hand on his arm stopped him. Somehow she had done the one thing that would calm him. She stepped in front of him and glared at Snape.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THOSE THINGS TO HIM?!!!!!" she had screamed at him. "IF YOU EVER SO MUCH AS SAY ONE MORE THING TO HIM LIKE THAT I SWEAR TO WHATEVER GODS EXIST I WILL PERSONALLY TRACK YOU DOWN AND RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!"
Snape had been taken aback from the sheer vehemence in her voice. He stepped backwards a couple of paces and seemed to be summoning his courage to speak. He opened his mouth to say something to her when he stopped. His eyes started to get wide. It was then that Harry noticed that something was happening, something very powerful.
Snape pulled his arm out of his sleeve and looked down at his forearm. There, standing out in stark relief from his sallow skin was the dark mark. It was actually pulsing with barely contained power.
Harry looked from Snape to Ginny. She was glowing with a bright light, and her hair was cascading out behind her as if it were being blown by a wind that Harry couldn't feel. He could however, feel the raw power emanating from her. Her face was contorted with what Harry could only describe as righteous indignation.
He was distracted away from him as a blood curdling scream was ripped from Snape. He looked back at the cruel professor, and saw that the mark on his forearm had caught fire. He shook his arm in horror.
"YOU THINK YOU HAVE SEEN HORRORS AT VOLDEMORT'S HANDS? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HORROR REALLY IS! I HAVE SUFFURED BEYOND ANYTHING YOU COULD EVEN IMAGINE AT HIS HANDS IN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS! I WAS MARKED AS YOU CAN NEVER REALIZE THERE! ONLY ONE MAN CAN KNOW WHAT I CARRY! ONLY ONE MAN HAS BEEN MARKED AS I HAVE, AND YOU HAVE THE UNMITIGATED GALL TO TAUNT HIM? I CALL YOUR BLUFF PROFESSOR! SLINK BACK TO THE PITS THAT SPAWNED YOU AND NEVER FACE ME AGAIN, LEST YOU PERISH!"
With that the fire on Snape's arm extinguished itself and he gazed down in disbelief. Gone was the mark that had haunted him for years. He seemed to sink down inside of himself for a moment, and then Harry saw the strangest thing that he had ever seen. Snape actually looked both cowed and, of all things, grateful. He beat a hasty retreat. To date he hadn't said a thing to Harry since.
Harry had looked back at Ginny and saw that she had returned to normal. She was looking at him in an embarrassed expression on her face. "Thank you," he murmured.
"You're welcome," came her soft reply. They had walked to the library in companionable silence after that.
Harry was broken out of his reverie by a very familiar laugh. He looked over at the Gryffindor table, catching sight of Ginny throwing her head back and laughing at something one of her classmates was saying. He couldn't believe how absolutely incredible she looked at that moment. He had always thought that she was pretty, but this was beyond that.
He sucked in a desperate breath, praying to whatever gods blessed the halls of the school to keep his courage going. Steeling his reserve he walked over to the table.
As he approached Ginny looked up and watched him coming towards her. The look on her face spoke volumes to Harry. There was at once an amusement as well as a sadness about her, all overlaid with a flash of the Weasley temper that she was so famous for.
Harry almost lost his nerve right there, but just as he was ready to bolt she must have seen something in his eyes. "Going somewhere Harry?" she asked in an innocent voice.
"Erm, look Ginny, I… er… need to talk with you. Could you go for a walk with me? Please?"
Something in his look must have told her how important this was to him, for her expression softened and she nodded her head slightly. She gathered her things and stuffed them in her bag. Standing, she looked at him and said "Lead the way Harry."
He shook his head. "No, I need you to be next to me, not behind," he said, surprising himself with his boldness."
"Okay," she said a little uncertainly, obviously wondering what this was all about. She fell into step beside him and they left the hall, oblivious to all the stairs their interplay had garnered from the rest of the students there.
Harry took her out of the castle and down next to the lake. They had been here many times before of course. Over the last few months they had had a lot of time together. This had become their favorite spot to go to, once it became evident that Ron and Hermione were too wrapped up in each other to spend a lot of time with them.
"Just what did you want Harry? You haven't exactly been hanging around very much lately. Did I do something to hurt you? Or did you just get tired of spending time with me? It must be tough and all to lose your best friends to each other and then be forced to spend time with the little sister. I imagine it must remind you of them a lot." The words just started tumbling out. She couldn't help herself. All of her insecurities were coming to the surface.
"Whoa Ginny. Slow down. That's not it at all." Harry was taken aback by the raw emotion in her voice. "I, erm, wanted to apologize for that."
"Oh, well, okay then," she said, not sure where this was going.
"Somewhere along the line things changed Gin," he said, using the diminutive that only he had permission to use.
"Oh Merlin, did you meet someone Harry? I wouldn't dream of standing in your way. I understand if you want to spend time with someone else."
"No no no, it's nothing like that Gin. It's me is all. I've changed."
"Oh, you don't like to be around me anymore because you've changed?"
"No," he said in an exasperated voice. "That's not it at all."
"Then just what is it Harry?" she said, a hint of danger in her voice.
"Why do you have to make this so damned hard?!" he said as his voice started to rise.
"Because you've frustrated me an awful lot lately you prat!"
"Yeah? Well how do you think I feel? I'm the one that's in love with you!" he screamed at her before placing his hands over his mouth and staring at her wide eyed for a moment. He turned tail and ran as fast as he could away from her. He couldn't believe he had just said that to her.
He kept running right through the castle and up the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady. He was winded by this point, but it didn't matter as she swung open at his approach and he wasn't about to argue with it. He plunged through the opening only to run head long into Colin Creevey.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Colin asked as he tried to stand up, but Harry had already scrambled to his feet and had fled up the stairs towards his dormitory.
Colin stood there for a second contemplating what had just happened. Harry had had a wild, almost crazed look in his eyes. Something had obviously upset him very much. To Colin's knowledge there could only be one person who could be behind such a reaction. He decided to go and have a little chat with his favorite redhead. Colin was far from stupid. While he loved Ginny dearly, he knew that she and Harry were made for each other. He had long ago contented himself to have her as his best friend.
He found her in a crumpled heap next to her favorite tree down by the lake. As he approached he realized that her shoulders were shaking and that she was crying. He sat down next to her and whispered to her. "Ginny, it's Colin, talk to me. What happened to you and Harry?"
She looked up at him, her cheeks tear stained and her eyes puffy. Colin pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, and then held it to her noise to allow her to gently blow it. When she was finished he placed it back in a pocket and pulled her into a gentle hug.
"So what's going on Ginny?" he asked when he finally pulled back and held her at arm's length.
"We got into this huge row, and he screamed at me that he was in love with me and then ran off. What did I do Colin? Did I hurt him so much that he won't come back? What if I've messed it up for good? I don't know what to do." She looked like she was once again on the verge of tears.
"Look, I just ran into him up at the common room, literally," he said as he winced and rubbed his tender shoulder. "He looked really scared Ginny. I think he's scared that he wrecked it with you. You really need to go to him."
"But what if I just screw it up more?"
"Then I'll be here to help you pick up the pieces, but I don't think that will happen. Look, you know how much I care about you right?" She nodded. "And you also know that you're my best friend and I want you to be happy. I understood a long time ago that you were meant to be with Harry. Now go and be with him. If he told you he loves you, you've got to try. You won't be happy otherwise."
"Thanks Colin. I really needed that. I'll let you know how it went later, okay?"
"Sure thing Ginny," he said as she headed off. He stood up and shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. "My work here is done," he whispered and set off himself. After all, there was no reason why he shouldn't be happy as well, and there were plenty of available girls out there. He could think of a couple of Ravenclaws that were available, and he always did like them smart and quirky. Luna Lovegood and Su Li were bound to see the light eventually. He walked quietly back to the castle, whistling a happy melody to himself.
Ginny found him in the astronomy tower. Not that he was revealing himself. He was obviously cloaked. "Harry, I know you're in here, please come and talk with me."
He sighed and pulled his cloak over the top of his head. His eyes were extremely puffy, and his hair was even messier than normal. "How did you find me?" he asked.
"It wasn't hard," she answered, holding out the Marauder's Map for him to see. "You didn't take this with you, but you did take your cloak." She walked over and crouched down next to him. "Harry I'm sorry that I hurt you this morning," she started.
"No Gin, it was me that did the hurting. I've been scared half to death the last few weeks that I would slip and blurt out how I felt about you."
"Good Heavens, why Harry?"
"Because I know that you don't feel the same way about me. I know that you used to get so embarrassed about it, and I didn't want you to go through any more embarrassment because of me. I guess I just didn't think it through carefully enough though."
She let out a little giggle. Harry thought it was the most wonderful sound he had ever heard. She must have seen it in his eyes.
"You really do have it bad, don't you?"
"You don't know the half of it," he muttered under his breath. It must have been a little louder than he intended though, for she raised an eyebrow. He let out a low groan.
"Why don't you tell me about it Potter?" Her face was impassive, but her eyes held a twinkle in them that told him she was enjoying this.
Harry let a long sigh. "I always thought that you were pretty you know." He looked at her and could see the shock register on her face. "I did, I swear it. You were so adorable when you were little. I never had a girl that I could call a friend before though, so I didn't really understand how to handle you. Hermione taught me a lot though.
"I think the first time that I felt anything though was in my fourth year at the Yule Ball. You looked so pretty in your dress robes. I couldn't tell you that though, you were going to the ball with Neville.
"In my fifth year you started to really impact my life though. You did something for me that no-one else could. You made me see that there was a silver lining to what was happening to me. You made me understand that I wasn't alone in what I was going through. You made me see that you had already had experience with what Voldemort was doing to me."
"I was glad to help Harry."
"And I appreciated it more than I could express to you. It meant so much to me to have someone who understood, especially when the rest of my friends didn't, and Dumbledore was ignoring me.
"Anyway, you were dating Michael at the time though, and I figured you were over me. Then after Sirius died you were there for me, even when I tried to push everyone away again. You were there for me when Ron and Hermione discovered that they had feelings for each other. I was really cast aside then, and not ready emotionally to handle it. I tried to act tough, but it was tearing me up inside.
"Through all of this you were there, but you never gave me any clue that you might have anything more than friendship in mind, so I didn't want to admit that things were growing inside of me."
"I didn't think you would accept it if I wanted more than friendship Harry. I felt that you would reject me if I showed interest in any more."
"You're probably right Gin, I wasn't really ready. But it did hurt. Then there was the Snape incident. You showed such protectiveness of me, and then you were embarrassed by it. I wasn't sure what to think. By then, it was becoming pretty obvious to me that I had feelings for you, but I was getting scared to tell you for fear that you would reject me. I'm sorry." He hung his head.
"I've been trying to fight what I feel for weeks now Gin, and I've found out something. I can't resist anymore. You're irresistible. I want to be with you. I can't help it. I've fallen in love with you, I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Don't you ever be sorry for loving someone Harry. Don't you ever be sorry for loving me. I've waited forever to hear those words." The tears were streaming freely down her face now. "I've wanted you to love me for years. I just never thought that you would. After all, I'm just Ron's little sister."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you, you're so much more than that. Please accept me Gin. You're the only one that's given me a reason to do more than just survive. You're my reason to live. You're my reason to succeed when everyone tells me that I should fail. You're the reason that I can defeat Voldemort once and for all. If you can accept that your boyfriend will have to be a killer…"
"Boyfriend?" she gulped and looked at him. She started to tremble ever so slightly.
"I'd like to be, if you'd have me," he answered, somewhat amazed at his boldness.
His answer was Ginny leaping into his arms and knocking the two of them to the floor. As her lips gently found his, he found his senses exploding with sensation. This was the most incredible feeling in his life. She loved him! He felt a joy that he had never felt in his short life. Somebody actually loved him and wanted to be with him. He found himself matching her passion stride for stride. Seventeen years of pent up emotion poured out of him and into that kiss, literally taking both of their breaths away. When at last they separated, more due to oxygen deprivation than any desire to break the embrace, they were both panting from the experience.
"It's about time Potter," she purred. "Stick with me and you'll never have to wonder about being loved again."
"Don't worry Gin, I've finally found you. I'm not going to ever let you go."