A/N: Just so you all know the chapters in this alternate between Harmony Harry's perspective and 'canon' Harry's perspective. Each Harry thinks of his counterpart as 'the other Harry', so it's best to keep in mind whose chapter it is. This one is a chapter from a canon point of view.
Also, while we all know that the RoR won't provide food, this is set during HBP so Harry doesn't know that ye; that's just so I don't get hexed for not remembering :P
Chapter Two: Chocoland
Harry had just finished yet another interminable detention with Snape. Now more than ever he regretted the impulse that had caused him to use the damnable spell on Malfoy. These detentions were getting longer and cutting into the too precious time he shared with Ginny. She was waiting, as he knew she would be, right outside the door to the detention hall. She threw her arms around him, mindless of the people watching and Snape's sneers, and kissed him enthusiastically. Grinning happily he reciprocated, both taking advantage of the small amount of time they had available for these embraces, making up in fire what they lacked in time together.
'Come on Ginny, I want to see if my theory works.'
'You don't want any lunch?' she asked.
'I don't need food, Gin. I have you.' She rolled her eyes at his cliché, and he laughed and added 'besides, I'm going to the Room of Requirement. Surely it can provide me with food if I need it.'
Harry tugged on her hand and drew her towards the stairs. As they neared the seventh floor they met Ron.
'How's it going?' asked Harry.
'Good. I think I got a flicker this time. The world definitely went shimmery for a few seconds in there.'
'Brilliant!' crowed Harry. 'I think we're nearly there. I can feel it's going to happen.'
Ron carried on downstairs to the library where he knew Hermione would be, and Harry and Ginny rushed up the rest of the stairs breathless with laughter at the knowledge of their success.
Harry's frenzied attempts to open the Room of Requirement worked better now that he wasn't stalking Malfoy's every move, and they opened the Room on their first try. When they entered he was so excited he grabbed Ginny in a tight hug as if he never wanted to let her go. His hands buried themselves in her hair and they kissed again, relishing the time together. They broke apart and she smiled up at him, one hand caressing his face. He thought he could stand here forever and lose himself in just being with her. Her presence made him feel calm and at ease, even after he learned about the horcruxes from Dumbledore and what he faced when he went after Voldemort. She was his rock, his anchor in the uncertainty that stood in front of him.
'What the hell are you doing kissing Ron's sister?' a familiar voice demanded, breaking into his thoughts and startling him.
Ginny gasped and spun round.
'Harry?' she looked from one shocked Harry to the other. 'What's going on?'
The Harry who still had his arms around her said 'I think he must have been working on the same spell as we have.' His eyes were wide and excited as he saw the shimmer behind Harry. The other Harry didn't seem to care about the shimmer or the success of their experiment, however. His eyes were fixed on Harry's hands which still encircled Ginny and tangled in her hair. Harry looked puzzled, and asked 'why are you so weirded out by me and Ginny? We've been together for weeks now; surely you have too.'
'You and Ginny? Ginny? Ron's little sister? No, it's me and Hermione.'
'Hermione?' Harry gaped at his other self.
'Hermione?' Ginny gasped out, and shook her head. 'No. Ron …'
'Yeah, Ron,' agreed the other Harry. 'But he got over it pretty quickly. He seems pretty keen on Luna.'
Ginny fisted her hand in her mouth as she processed this idea. Harry was more interested in the success of the spell.
'How did you get it to work?' he asked eagerly. 'The spell?'
'What spell?' asked the other Harry, still glowering at them. 'Ron and Ginny were just talking about the possibility of other realities in the Room of Requirement, and this shimmer opened up. I came through and you were here. Snogging.' He still looked stunned.
'Hermione? Really?' asked Ginny, going back to what she felt was the important issue.
'Yes really,' he said impatiently. 'Why wouldn't I? She's the most amazing girl I know.'
Tears sprung up in Ginny's eyes from hearing Harry, any Harry, say those words in that tone. As he noticed her tense, her Harry squeezed his arms around her tighter, promising that he still cared. Ginny shook her head to get rid of the tears and gently disengaged herself from Harry.
'I hope your Ginny didn't take it too hard' she said coolly looking directly at the other Harry. 'She's been longing for you for years. I know.'
'No, she never … she didn't care. I think.'
Ginny gave him a pitying look, touched her Harry gently on the shoulder and gave him a watery smile as she turned and left the room.
'What did you have to go and do that for?' asked Harry indignantly, watching as the door swung gently closed behind her.
'What? I can't praise my girlfriend?' the other Harry said.
'Not in front of your … my … girlfriend, who isn't your girlfriend.' Harry stopped, looking confused. 'I don't understand; I really don't.'
'I don't understand it either. Why did you have to open it with a spell, while we just had to talk about it?'
'No, I mean you and Hermione. In my world, she and Ron have been skirting each other almost our whole time at Hogwarts. And Ginny …' he smiled. 'Ginny's been growing on me without me realising ever since I saved her from the Chamber. That did happen for you, right?' he asked anxiously.
'Yep, second year. I saved her because she was Ron's sister, no more.'
'Me too' said Harry. 'But we grew closer after that. There's a bond we share that I can't quite define, but it started down there in the Chamber. Her strength, her courage and her vulnerability touched something in me. I didn't really notice it til this summer, but that's where it started.'
'Mphmmmm' said the other Harry, unconvinced.
'And Ginny's right you know. Your Ginny will be hurting; Ginny told me that ever since the Chamber she's felt that pull too. She hid it while I was being obtuse, but it's there and it's strong. Think about it. Are you sure you haven't noticed it?'
The other Harry began to shake his head, but then memories began to surface. He had taken notice of Ginny since the Chamber of Secrets, but he had attributed it to a natural concern for someone whose life he had saved. Now that he thought about it though,it did seem very … peculiar, the way he wanted to be sure she was OK sooner than anyone else.
'Maybe,' he conceded. 'But that's irrelevant. I'm with Hermione. Ginny is … well, she's just there. Ron's little sister. Hermione is the one who's stayed with me through everything. She never once flinched from me because I was a danger to her or because things got difficult. Even Ron …'
'Yes, I know all that. But the idea of kissing Hermione, of being with her…' Harry shuddered. 'It'd be like kissing my sister, if I had one. Not like Ginny …' he trailed off with a reminiscent smile.
The other Harry looked affronted. 'Kissing your sister? No mate, she's wonderful and it feels so natural just being with her. It grew out of our friendship. We have a pure love.'
Harry rolled his eyes. 'Yes I'm sure it's very pure and lovely, but it can't be as good as being with Ginny. She has fire and passion, but Hermione only seems to come really alive around Ron.' He looked at his 'twin' quizzically. 'Didn't it feel weird getting in between that … that … weird bickery passion?'
The other Harry snorted. 'At first, maybe. But Ron didn't seem to mind at all.'
'I can't imagine our Ron not caring. He's so wrapped up in her, even if he did snog the hell out of Lavender Brown all those times.'
'Yeah, Lavender was … not the best time I had with Ron. Do you remember the 'my sweetheart' necklace?'
'How could I forget?'
The two Harrys shared an understanding, sympathetic look. Both remembered how incredibly annoying 'Won-won' had been during the Lavender phase, or rather how annoying Lavender had been.
'Anyway, fighting about our girlfriends isn't going to help us get you back where you need to be,' said Harry.
'What do you mean?' said the other Harry.
Harry indicated the room around them. 'Shimmer's gone. We have to get it open again to get you back home,' he said.
The other Harry spun around, mouth wide open in horror. 'Oh no!' he cried. 'How will I ever get back to the normal world where Hermione is waiting for me and there's no weird Ginny thing?'
Harry chuckled and clapped him on the back. 'Don't worry, we'll figure it out. In the meantime try to enjoy yourself here. Just don't go after our Hermione. She really is focussed on Ron and you'd just confuse her. Well, more than having two of me around will confuse her, anyway.'
'OK' said the other Harry uncertainly. 'I'll try.'
Harry gave him a concerned look. 'You'd better do more than try,' he said, 'unless you want Ron, Ginny and Hermione all on our backs. Anyway, let's go. You can stay in my dormitory while we figure this thing out.'