Author's note: This should have been chapter one. It takes place in January, right after they get back from Christmas Holiday. Harry is trying to get the memory from Slughorn, who has been dodging him. He goes to find Hermione AND GINNY to ask if they have heard about any upcoming Slug Club meetings. I think Harry would take the opportunity to spend a bit more time with Ginny.
...
"Hey Gin!" Harry called down the long corridor, finding the exact person he'd been looking for. Ginny Weasley was chatting with a few girls between classes. She turned to the sound of his voice, and gave him an inquisitive smile. Waving off from her friends, who had begun giggling, Ginny made her way over to him. It was hard for Harry to not enjoy that Ginny seemed fine leaving the giggling girls behind for him. Ginny seemed to notice Harry's attention on the girls left behind, and when she approached him she gave a quick, "Don't pay any attention. They are a bunch of silly girls."
"Sure," Harry agreed uneasily. He never understood why girls had to travel in those ridiculous packs. "What's going on Harry?" Ginny asked him, a pretty pink smile on her lips.
Which Harry was currently staring at...
"Yes," Harry pulled his gaze and mind back to their present conversation. "I was just, ah curious if you've gotten a Slug Club invite or anything recently?" He finished, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh, no I haven't," Ginny explained with a shake of her head, that caused the current curls in her red hair to bounce. "Okay," and Harry couldn't keep the disappointment from his voice. Ginny gave him a curious look, "Don't tell me you are suddenly wanting to go. I'm counting on you to schedule practices so we can get out of them."
Harry smiled, glad that Ginny appreciated his extra practices, but he really needed to get that memory. "It's uh..." Harry fumbled, trying to think of a believable excuse to give to Ginny.
But Ginny just gave him an exasperated look, and held up a hand to stop his obvious attempt to lie to her, "Harry, just call it a personal matter. I think I've known you long enough that I can understand that."
Harry let out a long sigh, "Yeah, it's one of those. Sorry Gin," He apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. Harry felt foolish for not trusting Ginny to understand. She'd been at the Ministry with them.
"It's fine-" Ginny began to say, but was interrupted when a group of Slytherin boys walked by. Led by Blaise Zabini, who walked much closer to Ginny when the passed than necessary.
"You're looking particularly lovely today blood traitor," Blaise told Ginny, with a look in his eyes, that made the beast in Harry's chest fire. What the hell was going on?
The look of disgust on Ginny's face matched the tone in her voice when she yelled, "Shove off Blaise! And keep your slimey hands off of me." Harry's wand arm was twitching to act.
"Feisty. I like that." Blaise told her causing his gang of Slytherin boys to cackle, but all the while Blaise had been looking directly at Harry. Harry was surely seeing red. He might actually breathe fire.
Ginny, obviously tired of this, took a step away from from the tall dark skinned boy. Blaise noticed this and started to close the distance. Harry was in motion before he realized it, quickly putting himself between Ginny and Blaise. "Back off Blaise," Harry warned his wand in hand, standing eye to eye with the Slytherin. And Harry thought Draco was the worst of them.
Blaise halted, looking down at Harry's wand. A crowd was starting to gather around the 6th year boys. Blaise had never really been one for trouble. His breeding and high society upbringing giving him a cool indifference to the petty goings on at Hogwarts. Harassing Ginny seemed like a tactful move some how. Although Harry couldn't help but remember Pansy Parkinson accusing Blaise of finding Ginny attractive, which he then admitted.
Blaise laughed, cool and derisive, "Always the hero, Potter?" he asked, an amused look on his face. "See you around Ginny." Blaise added looking over Harry's shoulder to the girl behind him, his words dripped with intention. Harry thought it would be a cold day in hell when that happened.
Harry felt himself start, his wand forgotten, the idea of using his fists much more appealing. But the group of Slytherin boys had already retreated down the corridor, and the disappointed crowd had dispersed. Harry took a moment to collect himself. After a few steadying breaths he turned back to Ginny. "So, how long has that been happening," Harry asked the her tensely.
Ginny gave him a tired look, shaking her head, "About a week, I guess. He only does it if I'm around Ron or Dean. Now you too," she finished, giving Harry a nonchalant shrug.
"I don't like it," Harry replied sharply, eyeing the tall Blaise and his friends as they continued down the corridor. So Ron knew about this? Why hadn't Ron told him?
"Yeah, I'm not too fond myself," Ginny agreed, glancing over her shoulder in the same direction Harry's eyes were trained. With a sigh, she brought her attention back to Harry. "Just forget about them. I think they're just trying to throw us off before the next quidditch match. But why he's doing that in front of you, doesn't really make sense." she added dismissively.
"You didn't think that would bother me?" Harry asked her, almost offended.
His tone caused Ginny to whip her eyes back to his. Her eyebrows were raised, and look that was difficult for Harry to read played at her lips. "Of course it would. I'm sorry," she told him soothingly. Ginny breathed out a long exhale and added, "Well, I better get to class."
"Charms?" Harry asked realizing what Ginny had just before him. The Charm's classroom was located back down the corridor, past where Blaise and the group of Slytherins stood leering at 1st years as they passed. Ginny gave him a sidelong look, as she hitched her satchel higher on her shoulders, before staring irritably down the hall. "That's right."
"Where's Dean?" Harry asked, curious as to why her boyfriend was leaving her to fend for herself. The protective beast in Harry's chest roared.
Ginny rolled her eyes, and her jaw seem to set tighter when she replied, "Who knows?" Harry shouldn't have felt pleased about her terse remark at the mention of her boyfriend.
With a long exhale of his own, Harry told her, "Come on. I've got a free hour. I'll walk you to class."
Ginny sighed, "You don't have to do that. Blaise won't actually do anything. I'm a filthy blood traitor. And worse, I'm friends with Harry Potter," Ginny teased, and Harry had the sense that she was trying to distract the both of them.
"It's my job to protect my team," He replied with a smile.
"Whatever you say, Captain," she laughed out with a salute, as they took off down the hall together. Harry was happy to see Ginny smile at his words, but the likelihood that she was right in Blaise's intentions, didn't stop him from putting himself in between the group of Slytherins and Ginny as they passed in the corridor.
"It's the oddest thing," Ginny broke through the silence, as the lewd voices of the Slytherins died away behind them. Harry perked to her words. "For four years no one knows I exist at this school, and then this year I can't walk to class without some bloke bothering me," she finished, exasperated but laughing.
"That's not true," Harry countered, feeling a bit hot under the collar about the "other blokes" Ginny mentioned. Harry saw Ginny shoot him a doubtful look. "I knew you existed!" He defended.
To this Ginny did laugh, "No you didn't!" Harry opened his mouth to defend himself, although he couldn't quite find the words. "I was only Ron's little sister to you." She told with a defiant look. "But that's alright. It's probably for the best anyhow. I was completely mad for you," She admitted grinning, a rather attractive blush appearing on her cheeks. Harry felt his pulse pick up, and he mentally kicked himself for not taking more time to get to know Ginny.
"I remember," Harry agreed quickly.
"Although you really can't judge me too harshly, I was only eleven," Ginny defended with a laugh. "I barely knew you, anyway…" Ginny trailed off for a moment, and Harry glanced over at her, and wondered if she still felt like they didn't know each other well.
Harry certainly felt like he knew a lot about Ginny. How she liked her eggs. That she could outwit Fred and George any day. She could out fly Ron. She did not like being treated like a child. She had impeccable grades. Harry had actually gleaned this from the big hugs Ginny received from Mrs. Weasley every time grades came in the summer. She chewed on her quills when she was revising. She hummed in the shower…Harry was sure Ron didn't know he was aware of that. Harry knew that she had one particularly dark freckle that sat at the juncture of her shoulder and neck.
Ginny's seemed to come back from wherever her mind had taken her. With a smile and wink, she added, "But now that we've gotten to know each other, we're pretty good mates. I think."
"Yeah," Harry agreed soberly. He didn't much care for the turn of their conversation. "Just took us a few extra years," the redhead added with a shrug. Her pleasant mood returned. Harry nodded in agreement, not feeling the carefree indifference that Ginny was sporting. "And to think, I could have gotten over my childhood crush if I would have just gotten to know you." Ginny teased, nudging Harry playfully.
Harry felt his face crack a smile. "Ha. Ha. Gin," He teased back, giving her a playful shove back. They both laughed at their complicated, yet simple history.
"You know, you're the only person who calls me Gin," Ginny told him, tossing her long red hair over her shoulder.
"Oh," Harry stammered. Ginny didn't sound displeased, but the look she was giving him made him uneasy. "I just kind of picked it up this summer. Would you like me to stop?" Harry explained, suddenly feeling like he was doing a terrible job at 'acting natural.'
"No, it's fine. I always know its you," she explained, as she shifted her books in her arms. They came to stop as the stairs started shifting. Harry suddenly felt rather awkward.
"So are you ready for your O.W.L.s?" He asked, grasping for some sort of neutral ground to tread on.
Ginny laughed, "It's January, Harry. Did Hermione put you up to asking me?" "No. Not yet at least," Harry chuckled back. He remembered last year, when Hermione had made them all schedules to best use their time in preparing for the important exams at the end of 5th year.
"Well, I have not. I want to do well, but I'm not sure what I want to do yet. You'll be going for an Auror, right?" Ginny asked, and Harry didn't remember ever telling her this.
"Yeah," He affirmed. "I just can't see myself doing anything else." The stairs swung back to them, and they started to descend.
"Yeah, I can't really see you doing anything else either. I know these exams kind of set us up for the rest of our lives, but I can't seem to care," Ginny explained as they turned they reached the second floor. "Maybe I'm more like Fred and George than I realize, but do you know what I think every time someone asks me what I see myself doing in the future?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders, following her towards the East Wing.
"The only thing I am certain I'm going to do tomorrow is get my broom and fly," Ginny explained staring off ahead of them. Harry could feel the attraction he felt for Ginny Weasley increase at her words.
Harry felt his mouth draw into a smile at the corners. "I like that plan." Ginny gave out a most attractive giggle through her closed lips, and looked up at Harry. Harry felt that were a few words at the tip of his tongue dying to come out. But as he smiled down at those light brown eyes, he seemed to have forgotten...most everything.
As they rounded the last corner to the Charms classroom, Ginny gaze moved down the corridor, and her face fell. "Oh great," she muttered under her breath, and purposefully slowed her pace.
Harry eyes shot up the corridor to see Dean Thomas leaning against the wall next to the door of the classroom with a sheepish look on his face. Harry suddenly felt like he was caught doing something he oughtn't. But the memory of the predatory look on Blaise Zabini's face, quickly replaced Harry's feeling of guilt, to frustration. Harry watched as Dean shot an apologetic look down the hall at Ginny, who had come to a halt at the end of the corridor.
"I can walk you all the way to your seat if you need me to," Harry offered, looking down at Ginny who was looking back at Dean with a rather tense expression on her face.
Ginny's eyes closed and she gave a rather tired shake of her head, "No, that would probably make everything worse." Harry nodded, and took a step back from her.
"What's going on between you two? What did he do?" Harry couldn't stop himself from asking, and even he noticed the bite on his last words.
Ginny pulled her brown eyes open and looked up at Harry. Her expression carried a tired smile, "Oh, just a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. Better just get this over with," she muttered, as she hitched up her satchel again. Taking off down the hall alone. After a few steps she turned back round to face Harry. "Did you know all boys are complete arses?" She asked him as she backed her way down the hall.
Harry stood there watching her retreat. "Yeah, Gin. I think we all are at some point or another," Harry agreed with a shake of his head. Ginny gave him a friendly shrug, and mouthed a "thank you," to him before she turned round. Dean was already moving towards her. The tall dark skinned boy's gaze flicking back and forth between Ginny and Harry curiously. Harry took this as his cue to leave.
...
Discussion: So the Blaise harassment was an idea I kind of expected JK to use. Especially after what Harry overheard in the train car on their trip to Hogwarts. My idea is that it did not involve Draco at all. He was far too distracted with Voldemort's wishes. It was the Slytherin Quidditch captain who put Blaise up to it. (He'd be getting in the head of over half the team: Ginny, Ron, Dean and Harry). After a while Blaise would get bored and stop. I just wanted to see Harry and Ginny actually have an honest to goodness conversation! We see some more Dean/Ginny turmoil. And Ginny and Harry can put the awkward adolescent crush behind them. I wanted to show that Ginny is so over it, and confident in the woman she's become that she can talk and joke about her crush without worry or self consciousness.
Do tell me what you thought.