Life is not fair. Harry thought he had figured that out earlier, with the death of his parents, being stuck with the Dursleys, then when Sirius died, but no, that hadn't even come close to the quagmire confusion he found himself in now. He stood in the corridor, a distraught Hermione in tears next to him, listening as Ginny's footsteps slowly faded away.

"Harry..." Hermione said softly, her breathing slowly returning to normal. "Harry, please, just look at me."

He couldn't. Simply couldn't. "Hermione, I'm sorry..." he said quietly. "I don't know what came over me."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked shakily.

"I shouldn't have kissed you."

Silence fell over the two. Finally, Hermione opted to say, "But did it tell you anything? I mean, did you feel anything?"

"Yes," Harry told her truthfully, finally turning his head, so that their eyes met. For a few moments, his emeralds and her chocolates stayed connection, emotions flying high. "It told me... it told me I don't know what to think anymore."

"Maybe we should just forget it ever happened," Hermione said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "That way, if it happens again, we can figure it out then..."

Harry attempted to smile. "If it happens again, then we know for sure, then, don't we?" he asked.

"Well... yes, I suppose that's logical," Hermione replied.

Nodding, Harry pulled the prefect in for a hug. When they broke apart, Hermione said, "I'll go back in there then."

"Right. I should probably go after Ginny."

"Most likely." Hermione began to do the steps so the door to the Room would reappear. As she had her hand on the knob, she turned back to him. "Oh, and Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For keeping this whole thing quiet, I mean."

Harry nodded. "No problem, 'Mione."

- - -

Upon his return to the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry found Ginny in hysterics. Her shrieks echoed through the empty room, as Neville stood at the foot of the stairs, wide-eyed. When Harry clambered through the portrait hole, Neville said, "I don't know what's gotten into her, Harry, I really don't! I came down to get Trevor, and I found her crying."

Harry nodded. "Go on, Neville. I've got it under control." Not.

As soon as the door to the boys dormitories clicked shut, Harry went over to Ginny. He kneeled down next to her armchair, stroking her firey red hair gently. "Ginny..." he said softly, tenderly. "Ginerva..."

Ginny looked up at the use of her whole name. Her forehead was sweaty and her eyes were red, her cheeks tearstained. "G-go aw-away," she choked.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm not leaving until we get things sorted out."

"Y-you've got you're p-precious Her-hermione," Ginny replied, tears falling.

"Precious? Hardly. You and I both know that Hermione can take care of herself," Harry said. "It's you I'm worried about."

"Wh-why bother?"

"Because, Ginny, I care about you. A lot." Harry took in a deep breath before continuing. "For a long time, I thought of you as Ron's little sister, which was reason enough to care about you. But recently, you've changed. I've changed. And..." Ginny looked at him, her puppy-dog brown eyes filled with hope. "... And I just don't know anymore, Gin. But there's something about you, something I can't explain." He sighed. "Not with words, anyway."

"Then how can you ex-explain it?" she hiccuped.

Once more, Harry's instinct took over. He leaned in and gave her a kiss so gentle, so tender, it was almost as if it had never happened. He broke away, leaving his face about an inch from hers, their eyes locked.

"That was nothing like how you kissed me earlier."

He smiled, and leaned in for another kiss, this one longer, harder, more passionete. As Ginny began to kiss him back, footsteps were heard in the portrait hole.

"You get your hands off my little sister."