Author's Note: Not exactly the stuff originality is defined by, but you see, this plot bunny attacked me while I was in the shower (no, I do not sing like Percy), and the rest is fluffy history. Half-Blood Prince spoilers abound, so don't read this if you don't want it to be spoiled should you not have the book.

Disclaimer: It all belongs to her. You know her.

"So- " Harry started, feeling a sudden upswelling of motion sickness- or perhaps it was vertigo- as he eyed Ginny, trying to gauge her reaction to their kiss.

"So," Ginny said, looking sideways at him from where she was seated next to him on the stone bench.

"I- " Harry tried again, wondering what was the matter with him; had he not, approximately five minutes ago, kissed Ginny Weasley? He wasn't too shy to kiss her- and in front of the entire common-room to boot- but this disconcerting, awkward moment to which they had now progressed seemed quite ridiculous in light of what had just happened.

"Harry, I... I won't interrupt, you wanted to say something," Ginny said, giving him that sideways look again. Harry felt his heart drop and settle hesitantly somewhere around the region of his cramped stomach. He wanted nothing more than to run from this discussion, but at the same time felt held quite fast to the bench.

"Yes. Er. Ginny, I..." Harry trailed off.

"... 'Kissed you'?" Ginny suggested, offering him a half-smile.

Harry nodded and turned away from her so that he wouldn't have to look at her bright brown eyes, or watch the strand of hair fall into her eyes, as he knew it did. He knew also how Ginny impatiently brushed it out of the way. He was surprised that he knew all these things about Ginny, because maybe he wasn't supposed to know them? Maybe he noticed things and it was wrong to notice them until a certain point in the relationship? Harry shook his head violently, then stopped abruptly. He wasn't saying 'no' to Ginny, was he? Was that what she was thinking?

"Harry, stop it," Ginny said shortly. He turned to look at her in alarm. His heart sank further. Of course she would be angry, he'd kissed her out of the blue and prior to that had given her no indication of how he really felt about her. She must be feeling so misled, thought Harry.

"Why did you kiss me, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry looked up in surprise. She didn't sound angry. Harry didn't want to think on how she sounded, because thinking wasn't really doing much for him at this point.

"Why do you think?" he muttered, with slightly more impatience than he had intended to say it with. Ginny looked taken aback.

"Sorry," he said, staring at his feet. He felt Ginny slide across the bench and settle down again. He felt, rather than saw, that there was a tiny amount of space to indicate that they were still two people, rather than a conglomerate.

"You kissed me because you were happy about the Cup, then?" she suggested. "Or perhaps you meant to kiss me on the cheek and you missed?"

"I didn't miss," said Harry quietly.

"Oh," said Ginny, shifting slightly. Knowing that she, too, was now uncomfortable, he felt slightly less isolated. He turned to look at her, and she looked back at him, but Harry couldn't help noticing that her eyes were not focused on his, but rather were staring fixedly at a spot somewhere past his left shoulder.

"Ginny," Harry said. Her head jerked slightly.

"Yes?"

"Why did you kiss me back?" Harry asked.

Ginny flushed slightly pink. "Why do you think?"

They sat in silence, processing the information. He liked her. She liked him. They, well, fancied each other, didn't they? What happened next?

"I really like you, Ginny," Harry said. They were, verbatim, (well, apart from Ginny's name) the words Cho Chang had graced him with the previous year, and he couldn't think of a simpler way to get the point across.

When his revelation garnered no reaction from Ginny except a slight flinch, Harry cringed; had he read her wrong? Had she kissed him back so that he wouldn't look like a lovesick idiot in front of the common-room and then agreed to accompany him on this walk so she could 'let him down easily'? Harry's mind spun with possibilities, each more horrific than the last. She obviously hated him: she was just too polite to say so.

"Your silence tells me enough," Harry pronounced dully, standing up to leave. "I'm sorry, Ginny." He took a few steps away from the humiliation of the stone bench, then broke into a sprint, leaving Ginny behind. Even when he heard her hurried footfalls he didn't stop running.

"Don't –" gasp "- run" pant "- away!" Ginny shouted. "Wait!" Harry paid her no mind; all he could think of was getting away from Ginny Weasley and his feelings as quickly as possible.

This proved to be impossible when Ginny caught him by the hood of his robes, which slowed him down considerably.

"I let you think for that whole time we were sitting, Harry, and I think you ought to listen to what I've been thinking ever since you ki- I mean, we, kissed," Ginny began calmly. Harry couldn't bear to look at her. "Do I have your attention?"

"Yeah," Harry muttered, not looking at her. Was she trying to drag out this torture, or was it just his paranoia?

"Okay. I've been thinking something, since that," Ginny said.

"What was that?" Harry asked, trying to stay as calm as possible; not a mean feat, since his insides seemed to be doing a particularly strenuous gymnastics routine and his brain was going into meltdown.

Ginny stepped up to him and looked up.

"Would you mind kissing me again?" she asked quietly.

"Kiss- kiss you… again?" Harry repeated hesitantly.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, Harry," she said tiredly, "Kiss me again, please."

"D'you mean to say that… I wasn't terrible… I mean…"

Ginny sighed, the impatience in it clearly audible to Harry.

"D'you really want me to kiss you again?" stammered Harry.

Ginny exhaled. "Actually, no, Harry," she said disgustedly, "I don't."

"Well, then, I don't… that is, I would, but –"

Harry never got to finish that sentence, because in a flash, Ginny had tipped her face up, placed her hands either side of Harry's face, and brought her mouth up to his in a passionate kiss.

Ginny broke away from Harry, flushed, but smiling all the same.

"I want you to kiss me again, Harry. I just wanted to get the chance to kiss you first," Ginny said. Harry smiled back at her.

"D'you still want me to give you that kiss?" he asked. Ginny's smile turned into a full-blown grin, and in lieu of reply, tipped her face upwards in silent consent.

"I guess that means yes," grinned Harry, kissing her again.