"What did I do now?" asked a clueless Ron after he and Harry had left for Ron's room.
"You really don't know, do you?" laughed Harry.
"How should I know? I was just saying that I'm lucky I don't get an embarrasing hug from my mum…" Ron started thinking out loud.
Harry grinned. This is not what Ron said. He may have meant it, but surely he had not said it. "Think again, Ron…"
They sat down on their beds. "No… No, I don't get it" resigned Ron. Harry shook his Head at Ron's unknowledge. "Percy getting married, eh? That's a shock! I didn't think he had time getting to know someone while being posessed with doing ministry work…"
"You'd be surprised, Ronald, how much of a ladiesman our Percy is" came a mocking voice from the door. When Harry heard the voice his stomach felt heavy and his heart stopped, trying to shout. He turned his head toward the door and there she stood. A red-haired girl with a risen eyebrow looking at Ron.
"Hi, Ginny" Harry mouth started talking before his mind caught up with it. His lips formed a smile and he gazed upon the girl. Her eyes turned to meet Harry's and a small smile formed in her face.
"Have you been eavesdropping, Ginny?!" Ron said jumping from his bed and walking towards the door. "Never heard of privacy, have you?"
"If you don't want me to tell you why Hermione is mad at you… your choice, Ron" Ginny turned to face her brother again. Ron's ears turned red and he looked down at the floor. "Fine, tell me what I did wrong and then leave, okay?"
"I tell you what you did wrong with Hermione when you tell me what you did wrong with me right now" she mocked him with a wide grin on her face.
"With you?" he looked up again "What should I have done now?"
"You have a lot to learn about women… and sisters, Ronald" she said taking a look at Harry who was on the brink of laughing at Ron's misery. She smiled at him and left leaving the door for Ron to close.
"Can you believe those girls?" Ron asked incredulously.
"She's right you know? About the learning part…" Harry said. Ron looked at him agasp… "What?" asked Harry.
"I just had a brilliant idea" he said and took a case from under his bed. He opened it and searched for something.
"What are you looking for?" Harry wondered.
"Surefire Ways To Charm A Witch, of course! There has to be some clue how I could make a good excuse for whatever I did!"
"I think part of making a good excuse is actually knowing what you're saying sorry for, Ron" Harry laughed. Then it strucked Harry. He got up from his bed and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" asked Ron still searching desperately for his book "You're not going to talk to my sister, are you? I don't want to have to hit you" Ron warned him absently.
"No" Harry lied.
"So, where are you off to?" asked Ron lifting his head to look in Harrys direction.
Think, Harry, think! he thought. Still hungry? Na, Ron would probably get hungry once you say that. Flying on your broom? Ron would try to get some one-on-one… "Hermione" he said "I'll try to find out what bothers her"
"You sounded like you knew that already..." Ron pointed out suspiciously.
"Yeah, I think I do, but I might be wrong. And when I tell you and it's wrong you'll blame me" explained Harry hopefully convincing his friend.
"Right… Good luck trying to understand what she'll tell you" Ron said focussing on his case again.
"Er… Thanks, Ron" Harry said and left the room.
Harry searched for Ginny. At first in her room, but no one was there. The kitchen was empty except for a tear-struck Mrs Weasley hugging the soon-to-be-married Percy and Philine and Mr. Weasley looking proud of his son. He went out to the Quidditch field, but no one was there either. Where could she be? He looked at the field and remembered how he, Ron, Hermione and Ginny used to play Quidditch here two years ago. It seemed a lifetime ago. He took a deep breath as though trying to take in those memories.
"Hello, Mr. Potter" a female voice echoed from behind. It was Ginnys. Harry turned around to see her. She stood near the hut where the Weasleys stored their broomsticks. She smiled at him and went towards him when Harry realized that she held something in her hands. Two large objects… brooms. One of them was his firebolt.
"Figured you'd come here, Harry" she said throwing his Firebolt at him "Care for a ride?"
Harry got on his broom and lifted off, Ginny by his side. "How'd you figure I'd come here?" he asked.
"It's where I'd look for me…" she said firmly looking straight forward.
"I looked in your room at first… you could have just been in there, you know" he said smiling.
"Na" she said "Hermione could have stomped in any second and Ron would be too close… It's no good place to talk"
She's right Harry thought. He couldn't have talked to Ginny privately in HER room. He remembered his seventeenth birthday when Ron came stomping in on them kissing.
"Em, Harry. Before we talk… There's something I need you to do" Ginny said seriously. Harrys stomach seemed to turn at these words? What would she ask of him?
"Yeah…?" he looked uncertain at her.
"Race me! First one over the Burrow wins!" she yelled and flew off. Harry looked bewildered and was confused. Race h… oh. He closed his grip on his Firebolt and flew after her. It seemed hopeless given her lead on him, but when he came in sight of her she hovered a short way in front of the Burrow. He stopped next to her.
"Been waiting for you, Harry…" she turned to him. He understood that she inclined more than just this race. "You didn't have to, Ginny…" he said smiling sad. "I did anyway" she answered looking at Harry. She gripped her broom and flew further over the Burrow. "And it looks like I won though I waited" she grinned and returned to the Quidditch field.
A part of Harry was glad she waited for him the entire last year. But he couldn't help but feel guilty over it. Though he had wished to be with her, kiss her more times than he can remember, he did not want Ginny to feel that way. He wanted her to be happy. With the guilt in the back of his head, he followed Ginny back to the field.