AN/ Howdie strangers, felt sorry for you all so I decided to give you a double dose! No particular reason apart from I've read this so many time and want to get onto part six and seven which are A LOT better (if I do say so myself!)

Enjoy…

*

My courage failed me the next day and them the next day and even the day after that, and my Firebolt idea had more drawbacks than I'd previously thought. Hermione walked around with a superior smile on my face, and looked in my direction every time Ginny was mentioned or was in the area. She wasn't really helping very much as this only aroused Ron's suspicion, but a run of bad luck in potions meant he was to occupied to notice much.

While Hermione was walking around the school with a permanent smile, Ginny seemed to be walking around with a cloud above her head. She looked slightly ill, and I began to wonder whether it was something I'd done as she'd taken to avoiding me lately.

Hermione had dragged Ron off to the library and I was gloomily searching my room for the textbook I needed desperately. It wasn't there and I kicked the dustbin across the room in frustration, realising I'd have to make a trip to the library if this essay was going to get done in time.

I set off down the empty corridors, which I noticed were dark and gloomy as my thoughts. Occasionally a torch would be hanging off a bracket on the wall, casting a small sphere of light onto the cold flagstone floors. I was just about to round a corner when I heard an angry group of voices talking and laughing in one empty classroom My natural curiosity got the better of me and I paused to listen to what was going on.

"Don't think your going to be able to beat her" hissed one voice.

"Yeah, if it was a contest between you and me, we all know who would come out on top" said another, followed by high pitched laughter.

My stomach dropped as I realised that those annoying, shrieking voices were becoming very familiar to me.

"Well you don't need to worry, I'm not entering" came a small voice from inside.

"I didn't think you would. See everyone, she knows when she's beaten. It's just another one of your failings Weasley"

I gave a growl of anger, and stepped closer to the door. It was happening again, but this time I could do something about it.

"Yeah she's not good enough for the competition, just likes she not good enough for-" started one giggling voice, before I pushed the door open.

"-Harry?" finished Ginny small voice, as I strode into the room angrily.

Ginny was stood against the far wall, with the crowd of girls stood around her, who looked not in the least bit sheepish at being caught. I glared at the girls as I went and stood next to Ginny, who was pale and avoiding my eye contact.

"Ginny are you ok?" I asked steadily.

"I'm fine" replied Ginny in a small voice,

"We were just talking to Ginny about the Christmas concert" said one girl sweetly, smiling up at me.

"I heard" I said dryly, noticing with some satisfaction that the innocent smiles dropped off the faces somewhat and they regarded me unsteadily.

Ginny seemed to come out of her daze slightly, and she looked across to me, before gulping slightly nervously. I held out my hand to her, and she took it before I turned to the girls and gave them one last glare.

The girls mouths all dropped open and stared at Ginny in a very unflattering way as I pulled her past the girls and towards the door. As we reached the doorway I paused and turned round to the gaggle of girls.

"And by the way, if I ever hear that you've said anything to Ginny that I don't like, you'll be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say 'bullying' got it?"

I grinned at them and pulled Ginny out, walking down the corridor in silence.

"Thank you" said Ginny eventually, showing me a little bit of her former self, as she blushed furiously.

"I should have done that a long time ago" I said simply, "So what's all this about a Christmas concert?"

"Oh" said Ginny, laughing slightly, "My Magical Arts class, Dumbledore's decided to put on a big show with a play and music and all that"

"Sounds cool" I said as we walked towards the library.

"Definitely not though," said Ginny frowning, "My teacher wants me to audition to do a solo"

Her face was the very picture of terror at that moment and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Ginny shot me a smirk and slapped me upside the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" I asked in mock irritation as I rubbed the back of my head.

"That," she said menacingly, or as best as she could manage, "Is for laughing at me"

"Oohhhh, I'm sorry," I said laughing even harder, "I didn't know you were so violent!"

"I'm a redhead, were notorious it" she said simply, shooting me another evil grin.

"And that's your excuse?"

"Of course"

Our laughter echoed against the stone walls as we approached the library, and I wished the moment would never end, that I could just spend my days laughing with Ginny instead of working.

"Harry, do you know your still holding my hand?" she asked a few seconds later.

"Yeah"

"Are you going to let go?" she asked, giggling slightly.

"Nope"

"Well I really think you should" she said, as I turned to her questioningly.

"And why's that?"

"Well, its just I think Ron might rip you limb from limb if he saw you" she said, pointing over to another redhead bent over his work.

I dropped her hand like a hot potato, and grinned apologetically at her as we approached the table.

"Smooth Potter, very smooth" she muttered under her breath, which caused me to burst out laughing again.

"What's up with you two?" asked Ron suspiciously as he glanced between Ginny and me.

"Nothing" laughed Ginny as she sat down next to Ron.

I decided now was the time to find the renegade book, and swallowed my laughter as I roamed the shelved. I glanced over and saw Ginny talking to her brother hurriedly, and I smiled. Ginny and Ron never spent that much time together at school, but he was always ready to listen to what she had to say – unless he was in a mood.

"Your very lucky you didn't get caught then" came a voice from the gloom which caused me to drop the stack of books I had been precariously balancing against my chest onto the floor.

I looked around and my eyes finally rested on a pair of chocolate brown ones, staring at me through the gaps in the bookshelf.

"Hermione, you nearly gave me a heart attack" I whispered anxiously.

"That's nothing compared to what Ron would have done to you if he'd seen you just then, he'd rip you-" started Hermione before I cut her off.

"-Limb from limb. Yes I know, but I can't help it Hermione!"

"Ah, no one chooses who they're going to fall in love with I suppose" said Hermione sagely as she disappeared from the gap between the books and rounded the corner.

I gaped at Hermione, who walked towards me with a dreamy expression on her face, and a pile of books in her arms.

"I'm not in love" I stammered out, not really sure what the word meant anyway.

Hermione gave me a funny look I couldn't quite interpret, before grinning at me serenely.

"I think you are. Honestly Harry, your on cloud number 9 every time she's around. Anyway, you can see it in your eyes"

I trailed after Hermione as she walked back to the table, deep in thought. Was I in love? What was love anyway? I love my parents, but it's not like that. That's kind of an aching love that almost hurts because I want to see them so much. I love Ron and Hermione, even though I try not to admit and especially not out loud. But it's not like that either, I worry about them getting hurt or loosing them.

What was it about Ginny? I couldn't wait till I saw her everyday, and if I didn't my day didn't feel complete. I could sit there hours, just watching her, was that what love was? What gooey thoughts I'm having I thought as I approached the table, trying to put my finger on what I felt.

It's a shame there isn't a list of symptoms in my textbooks somewhere, which I could check off the find out I mused silently – how are you supposed to know anyway? How did other people know?

I heard Ron's voice ask me a question from somewhere, and I looked around in surprise to find I was standing by the table and everyone's expectant faces were turned to me.

"Er, I'm doing my homework" I said, hazarding a guess at what the question was.

"Well that's brill Harry, really, congratulations" said Ron as the other two burst out laughing, obviously my answer wasn't quite right.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said the first time" I said sheepishly, still standing awkwardly by the table.

"I just asked you if you were going to be standing there all day" said Ron cracking a grin, "Honestly Harry, you've been in a really weird mood this week"

I gave a false laugh and caught Ginny's eye, who was torn between laughing at my state and anxiety at Ron's sudden perceptiveness. I'd hoped he hadn't realised. I smiled slightly at her, and lowered myself down into my chair, or at least where I thought my chair was.

I fell onto the floor with a loud thump and groaned as three heads appeared in my line of vision from the floor, all howling with laughter. I turned bright red and mumbled something incoherent as I clambered to my feet. Ginny and Hermione where beside themselves with laughter and both had tears rolling down their faces and Ron was pounding the table with his fists.

I glared mutinously at the three, waiting for them to stop laughing and for my cheeks to cool down a bit when Madam Pince came hurrying over, wearing a huge scowl.

"Right out! The library is a place for study not laughter!" she shrieked, nearly pushing us all out of the door.

They carried on laughing at me all the way down the corridor, and for once Hermione didn't seem to mind being chucked out of the library. I ignored them and walked ahead, suddenly realising why Ginny used to be such a nervous wreck around me when we were younger. I felt a pang of sympathy as I imagined spending four years in the state I'd been in for just one week.

This is getting ridiculous, I thought as I walked, quite painfully, straight into the portrait of the Fat Lady, who glared at me evilly amid the gales of laughter from the others.

*

For once, I thought I might just be able to like Snape for a millisecond. Ron had a detention with him for spilling some of the notorious camouflage potion on his robes, and was currently scrubbing the dungeons. I'm only saying this is a good thing because I could finally spend some time around Ginny without being constantly under the watch of someone.

Fred and George were doing a detention themselves somewhere in the castle, and I got the sneaking suspicion that they didn't know for what prank it was. Hermione was down in the common room, studying for a change, and I was currently sat on Ginny's bed cross-legged as she did her homework.

Technically I shouldn't be in the girls dormitory, but I thought since rule breaking seemed to be running high today it as my duty to contribute. Ginny didn't seem to mind as she was going through some kind of personal crisis, throwing papers across her bed in frustration every now and again.

She had finally been twisted into auditioning for the Christmas Concert by nearly the whole of her family and Hermione. I hadn't said anything, she was stressed enough as it was without the thought of having to sing in front of 1000 students and teachers.

"Oh I don't know what to do" she said sighing deeply, as she looked over to me.

"What's a matter?" I asked, leaning against the tall oak poster of her bed.

"I need to find a song to do, for the audition" she said grimacing, "But all my old favourites don't really seem that appropriate"

My mind wandered back to Ginny's music collection, back to all those sad songs she loved so much and I couldn't really see the Slytherin's being too impressed with them. I reached out a grabbed a sheaf of parchments, flicking through them, trying to look studious.

"How do you know all these muggle songs?" I asked eventually, breaking the comfortable silence.

"One word for you: Dad" said Ginny simply as I gave a small laugh, I should have known, "He bought me a muggle radio once, charmed it to work without electricity and everything"

"Sounds like him. I've never really listened to much music" I said awkwardly, the Dursley's never allowed me to use any of Dudley's things, and music didn't really interest me anyway.

"I would sit for hours just listening to all the new songs, and the lyrics – they're so beautiful and meaningful" she said wistfully.

"You should get a radio for in here" I said, looking around the small den we'd created by pulling the curtains around the bed.

"You never listen to Hermione do you?" asked Ginny smiling.

"Not if I can help it" I answered immediately, sounding suspiciously like Ron.

"I mean, muggle things don't work at Hogwarts, too much magic around" she laughed.

"Oh yeah" I said sheepishly as I found a likely looking song.

It was a piece of well-worn parchment, torn slightly at the sides and covered in her very Ron-looking scrawl. I could tell it was her favourite, and my mind wandered back to when I'd heard her singing it only a few days ago.

"How about this one?" I asked, handing her the parchment.

Her face lit up as she recognised the song and I saw her get truly excited for the first time since we'd started searching. She ran a loving hand across the parchment and I watched as she smiled dreamily – I sighed contentedly.

"You like that song don't you?"

"It's my very favourite. It's the first muggle song I ever heard – it was on when I turned on my radio. I love it because it reminds me of y…things" she finished awkwardly, blushing furiously.

I smiled and looked down at my hands, I knew what she was going to say. I picked my fraying hem, my favourite pastime it seemed, and let my mind wander again. I can't imagine what it must have been like for Ginny, knowing for all those years that she liked me, only to have me completely ignore her. To know that you loved somebody and they didn't even see you.

I frowned sadly, I wonder what it would be like if I were in love with Ginny, and she completely ignored me, walking around pretending I was furniture. I'd feel crushed. I wonder how she knew she loved me since she was so young, when I couldn't even figure out if I did now? I wonder how she knew me so much to know.

"I think I will do this one" said Ginny slowly, folding the parchment in half and pushing it inside her robes.

I felt an incredible guilt settle on my shoulders and I looked over to her open, sincere face.

"Ginny, do you want to go to the Halloween Ball with me?" my voice asked, surprising both of us I think.

Ginny gaped at me slightly, before turning red again. I gave her a hopeful smile and shrugged my shoulders slightly.

"If you want to" I added nervously, she seemed lost for words.

"I'd love to!" she said, scrambling across the bed to give me a hug.

I patted her awkwardly, not really used to hugs, unless you counted Mrs. Weasley's and Hermione's rib cracking ones. Ginny sat down next to me, and clapped her hands excitedly. I smiled as I watched her, all excited and happy.

"Sorry" she laughed, "I'm just a little excited"

"I can tell" I said dryly, finding myself looking forward to the dance more than I wanted to let on.

She gave a contented smile and leaned her head against my shoulder. We talked for a while about the Ball, the Christmas concert, and placing on bets on how long it would take Ron to ask Hermione. I was sure I was going to win, with my bet of Ron leaving it to the last possible second, or not at all. Ginny seemed a little more confidant, which I found extremely laughable.

I told her about my plan involving the Firebolt, slightly modified to when I would have to tell him who I was going to the Ball with. We laughed for a while, coming up with more a more ridiculous ways until we were gasping for breath.

Finally we settled down and Ginny was nearly asleep on my shoulders when I took a look at my watch and realized Ron would be back in five minutes.

"Come on Gin, you better get to bed" I said, climbing stiffly off the bed and stretching.

My foot had gone to sleep and I limped across the room to the door, making sure Ginny was actually awake before staggering down the stairs. I was met on the way down by a nervous looking fourth year, who took in my disheveled appearance in silent disdain before scurrying up the stairs. I laughed to myself and emerged into the common room to see Ron come through the portrait, face like thunder.

Oh well, better get this over with I thought to myself and walked over to him, with what I hoped was a friendly, please-don't-punch-me face.

"Er Ron, can I talk to you for a second?"

"What?" he asked as he flopped down into the comfy couch.

The look on his face told me that Snape's detention was as unpleasant as I imagined it would be, and I found myself wondering why I'd chosen this exact moment in time to tell him, he obviously wasn't in the best of moods…

"Er, I was just wondering if you'd thought about who you're going to the Halloween Ball with?" I asked eventually, in another hopefully casual voice.

"Oh, I've got sort of an idea I suppose, but I'm not really sure" he said cagily, before looking at me suspiciously, "Why?"

"Well you know the trouble we had last year" I said shrugging casually.

Ron frowned, no doubt recollecting about what happened last year. He hadn't been able to find a partner, and when he did completely ignored her and spent the whole time watching Hermione and Viktor Krum. That was really the first time that I had my suspicions, and the fight at the end of the night only proved it for me.

"Are you going to ask anyone?" Ron asked.

"Well, I sort of already have" I said uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot as I surveyed the door, it wasn't really that far away, with a standing start I could beat Ron, it's just a matter of what to do after that…

"Who is it then?" asked Ron grinning at me, obviously mistaking my nervousness for embarrassment.

"Well, actually it's someone who you suggested" I said, trying to buy some time.

"Really?" asked Ron, whose eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he tried to remember, "Well come on, who is it?"

"Its... er, Ginny" I said eventually, flinching slightly.

Ron remained seated for a few seconds, then jumped to his feet, much to my alarm. His expression was unreadable as he walked towards me and I took a hasty step back, spreading my hands out in a pacifying way. Ron paused and seemed to be doing some serious thinking, a sign I did not like. He's probably thinking of the best way to kill me I thought, dismemberment or disembowelment.

"That'll be a nice birthday present for her" he said eventually, throwing me completely off-guard. I was expecting shouting maybe a bit of fist work, but not an appreciative smile.

"What?" I managed to choke out.

"I said it'll be a nice birthday present for her, Halloweens her birthday, didn't you know?" asked Ron simply, confusing me even more.

"No…I didn't know" I said slowly, watching him warily.

I became convinced Ron was merely putting on an act, and was about to pounce. There was something in the smile I didn't understand though, so I decided to use of bit of my so-called Gryffindor bravery.

"Er, Ron are you ok? You seem a little…" I trailed off, as Ron sat back down and picked up his pen to work on his essay.

"I'm fine, I just think that's a really nice thing to do Harry. I know you were always a little uncomfortable about Ginny's attention to you, but really, that'll make her day" explained Ron.

I stood open mouthed for a few seconds, looking down at a completely normal, happy Ron. I had been so worried that he would go mental on me, and now he was actually thanking me? It threw me off-balance to say the least.

"Oh, great" I said, still slightly confused.

"You don't mind do you though?" asked Ron.

"…No" I managed to splutter out, trying to hide my laughter from him as best as possible, this was just too good.

"Thanks Harry, I really owe you one" said pleasantly as he got back to work and I was left to hurry to my dorm before the laughter that was threatening to escape my lips did within earshot of him.

I had a huge smile plastered over my face as I drifted off to sleep, silently thanking whatever had caused Ron to go into such a mental state of mind, and deciding just on the edge of sleep – it must have been Snape

*

"Ohhhh you're not going to believe this" I said in an excited singsong voice the next morning.

Ginny merely turned and regarded me through bleary eyes, frowning at my apparent enthusiasm as I flopped down into the wooden bench next to her at breakfast.

"You've found a way to eradicate all forms of happiness, cheerfulness and most of all chirpyness from anytime before 1 p.m.?" she asked in a half-grumbling, half-hopeful voice.

"Er…No" I said slowly, as Ginny continued to stare at her surroundings as if she'd never seen them before, "Something better"

Ginny merely shrugged and continued to pour milk into her glass of pumpkin juice instead of her cereals that sidetracked me momentarily and I gave her a sly grin.

"You're not a morning person are you?" I asked after a few minutes of bemused entertainment.

"What gave it away? Was it the sarcasm?" she grumbled again, perking up slightly as she took a taste of her new and improved breakfast drink.

"Well actually, it was the way you was holding the knife as if you wanted to gauge out my eyes for daring to speak" I laughed.

Some form of laughter escaped her lips, but I couldn't really tell if it was the funny sort of laughter, or the you've-just-given-me-a-brilliant-idea sort of laughter.

"Anyway…" I said hastily, trying to change the subject, "Like I said, you'll never guess what happened to me last night?"

"I don't know, what happened to you last night?" she repeated dully.

"I spoke to Ron, about Halloween for starters" I said happily.

The effect of Ginny was instantaneous. She sat bolt upright and the usual sparkle returned to her eyes and she turned to regard me critically.

"But, I don't understand…I fundamentally don't understand" she said, looking at me in wonder.

"Understand what?" I said, slightly worried for Ginny's sanity.

"Your arms and legs" she whispered vaguely swinging her arms about, "They're all still attached…"

I looked at her for a moment before realizing she was joking and I burst out laughing, much to the annoyance of other morning-people such as Ginny who had been using breakfast as an opportunity to inspect the inside of their eyelids. Ginny giggled a little before looking at me in eager confusion.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Well, I told him you know, that I had asked you to the ball right? And he sort of jumped up and I was sure he was about to do a bit of face-rearranging before he sat back down, cool as cucumber and thanked me!"

"Thanked you?" she asked, brows knitting in confusion again.

"Yeah! He said that he really appreciated me taking you, said it would be a nice treat for you and asked if I minded! He actually asked me if I minded" I said laughing at the look of Ginny's face.

"No way!" she said incredulously, before looking across the room at nothing, obviously having been sent into a trance from this new and strange revelation.

Just at that moment Ron and Hermione strolled in, and sat across the table from us, and began shoveling food. Ron I noticed had a completely normal look about him that told me he'd either forgot last night, or had been to high of whatever fumes Snape had him cleaning to remember. Hermione however was beaming into her porridge, which meant that Ron must have told her…How strange.

Ginny had gone back to her usual early morning stupor, and I amused myself watching her force Cornflakes into her hair, until a kick in the shins from Hermione's direction tore me away.

"What?" I mouthed across the table innocently.

Hermione merely rolled her eyes at me, and I smiled down into my own cereal happily thinking about the next few weeks of school until another thought invaded my mind.

What was I going to get Ginny for her birthday?