Disclaimer: Still wishing it was mine...

Chapter 4: A long train ride

Harry woke up early the day they were supposed to leave. Usually he wasn't an early riser but he couldn't sleep so he finally gave up on it. Downstairs in the kitchen sat Ginny. She was quietly eating her breakfast. Harry took a seat beside her after getting some breakfast. "Ready for the ride back?" He said quietly.

"I can't wait. I miss being there."

"Where are your parents?"

"Father got an urgent call from Amos and left in a hurry I wasn't quite clear on what happened. Bill, Charlie, and Mum are going to be taking us to King's Cross."

Harry nodded his head and continued to eat. "Sleep any?"

"A little bit," she said dryly.

"What's wrong?"

"I just have a bad feeling something is about to happen, something I am not really going to like," she said looking up at him. When he met her eyes he knew it had something to do with him. Without thinking he reached out to hold her hand. It was so warm in his.

"Everything will be fine."

She squeezed his hand back her gaze never faltering. "Promise me you'll be safe. Please promise me."

Harry kept his gaze level with hers seeing the worry in her chocolate brown eyes. "I promise," his voice was barely over a whisper. The look in her eyes worried him and he didn't like seeing it there. Slowly he reached up with his other hand resting his hand on her cheek. The look in her eyes dimmed down a bit.

A loud thunk made Harry pull back. Ron, George, and Fred came stumbling down the stairs. "Where's mum?" Fred asked.

"She's getting ready to leave," Hermione said as she headed down the stairs holding Crookshanks.

"Where's Dad?"

"He had to leave to get to work, something urgent came up. So he won't be coming with us," Mrs. Weasley said. Harry took this moment to glance at Ginny, she looked up and smiled at him.

Bill, Charlie, and Mrs. Weasley stood on platform 9 and 3/4 telling everyone goodbye.

"Don't worry I will be seeing you all soon," Charlie said as he hugged Ginny.

"What are you talking about?" Fred said exasperated.

"Oh you will find out soon enough," Mrs. Weasley said with a grin. "Now take care everyone and don't forget to write."

"We won't," George said as they all climbed onto the train.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione headed down the cars looking for a free compartment. They were lucky to find an empty compartment to sit in. "I wonder what is going to happen," Ron said out loud.

"Well I heard Mum and Dad discussing it earlier. So I already know," Ginny said with a wicked grin.

"Tell!" Hermione and Ron said at once.

"It has something to do with some sort of tournament. There is supposed to be two other schools competing-"

"Beauxbatons and Durmstrang," Harry put in. The three of them turned to stare wide-eyed at Harry. "What?"

"How did you know?" Ginny demanded.

"Hey you aren't the only one who eavesdrops."

Ginny laughed and a smile appeared on her face. "You are very sneaky."

"Why thank you."

"So you are telling me that there is supposed to be a contest against two other schools?" Ron said.

"You bet, though you have to be like seventeen to enter. So there is no way any of us will be able to enter, you know how Dumbledore is."

The compartment door suddenly swung open to reveal Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Well if it isn't the Weasleys, Potter, and Granger. I heard you had to sell your house just to go to the Cup."

"Shove off Malfoy," Ron spat out.

"Oh and what is the little Weasley going to do about it."

"Back off Malfoy!" Hermione and Ginny shot out.

"Why you little brat. How dare you talk to someone like me you worthless little-" Malfoy never finished for he slammed into the wall behind him. Harry stood holding out his wand.

"Watch your mouth Malfoy," Harry said in a very calm voice. Grabbe and Goyle picked up Malfoy and dragged him down the hall out of sight. Harry slammed the door shut and returned to his seat. His gaze was turned out the window and the rest of the trip was spent in silence.

Somewhere along the train ride Ginny had managed to fall asleep. "She sleeps way too much," Ron mumbled quietly.

"I don't think she has been getting much rest Ron. I woke up the other night and she was tossing and turning, be glad she is sleeping now."

"Well she is going to miss the feast if she stays asleep."

"Don't worry we can wake her when we get there."

"If you want to," Ron said quietly.

As they neared the castle Hermione went to wake Ginny. She mumbled something incoherent but didn't wake up. "This is just great she won't wake up at all!"

"I'll take her to the common room at least," Harry offered. "No use in all of us missing the feast."

"Are you sure mate? I say we just leave her here."

"Ronald!"

"What?"

"No its fine guys I can take her," Harry said quickly. Hermione watched him closely but Ron just nodded his head. "I'll get a carriage, Ron can go ahead just save me a seat."

"That's fine but I don't see why you guys are making such a big deal about it."

"It's not a big deal Ron," Hermione snapped.

Once the train stopped Hermione and Ron left the compartment and headed off. Harry waited a few minutes before lifting Ginny up and exiting the train. Once he got off he saw the carriages leaving and Hermione standing outside of one. "Come on Harry."

Inside the carriage he laid Ginny down on one side and he and Hermione sat on the other. "Thanks Hermione."

"I should be thanking you. What's going on Harry?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since you got here you have been spending a lot of time with Ginny. We talked about this the other day please tell me you are just her friend."

"I am her friend Hermione what am I doing wrong? I am just making sure she doesn't get left on the train."

"Then why are you skipping the feast?"

"Because I already know what Dumbledore will say. It's not going to kill me if I miss a meal."

"Harry..."

"Look Hermione if things begin to change I will tell you and Ginny will as well so what are you worried about?"

"This is the first time you've looked at her twice since you met her four years ago. Its a bit of a change for you. I thought you had a crush on Cho."

"How did you know that?"

"Ron has a big mouth, what do you expect. Cho is a great girl to be sure Harry."

Harry nodded his head. Ginny rolled onto her side and almost crashed to the floor. Hermione and Harry moved her further back in the seat. Just as Harry was about to pull his hand back her hand fell on his. Slowly he tried to pull back but she wouldn't let his hand go. "Oh great."

"It's not that bad Harry be nice."

Harry looked at Hermione, who was trying to suppress her laughter. "Tell me how the feast goes." He told her just as the carriage came to a stop.

Hermione stuck her head out making sure that no one was left. Harry managed to free his hand and picked her up. Outside it was cool and it was beginning to sprinkle. "Alright the password is Balderdash, the twins told me. See you later Harry."

"Bye Hermione," Harry called as he made his way up to the common room.

"Password?"

"Balderdash."

"Correct," the fat lady said as the portrait opened. Inside the fire crackled warming the room. Harry set Ginny down on the couch and headed up to his room. He moved to where his trunk lay and opened the lid. Shoving things aside, he found what he was looking for at the bottom of the trunk. He pulled out an old photo album and headed back downstairs.

It was about two hours later when Harry woke up. Instantly he noticed his photo album wasn't in his hands. Frowning he wondered why everyone had not returned from dinner yet. Ginny sat on the couch flipping through his photo album.

"Glad to see you are awake."

"Sorry, I just haven't been able to sleep a lot lately. I keep waking up from nightmares."

Harry rose to his feet and moved to sit beside Ginny. "I see you took my photo album."

"Oh not at all you dropped it that's what woke me up. Your mother is very beautiful."

Smiling he nodded his head. "She reminds me of you, only without all those freckles."

Ginny laughed. "Well it's a family thing, I don't much like them. You do look just like your father by the way. Even the unruly hair of yours."

"Yes I know it's a mess all the time. I don't think I will be able to get it to settle."

"It's not that bad, well I mean it can be but not really," Ginny said with a grin. "Why didn't you go to the feast?"

"I'm not really hungry besides Dumbledore seems to have kept them for a while. I wonder what could be so important that he is keeping them that long."

"Well there is the tournament and then of course we got a new defense against the dark arts teacher."

"I wonder who he is."

"Dad says his name is Mad-Eye Moody, he was one of the best Aurors ever, though he's retired now. I wonder why they want him to be our new teacher."

"I agree but he seems like he might be very good at his job."

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Helping me. I'm probably being a pain. This is the third time you've had to carry me somewhere."

"Don't worry about it. Did you get some sleep?"

She nodded her head quickly. "Probably the only sleep I have been able to get since the summer started. I just have such a bad feeling about this year. You weren't planning on doing anything stupid were you?"

"I don't plan them they just happen or do you not remember?" Harry said turning to face the fire.

"You are going to keep your promise aren't you?"

"Of course I will, I promised didn't I?"

Ginny sighed and closed the photo album. "Are you planning to put some new pictures in there?"

"When I get a camera I plan to but I really haven't had the time."

"Oh hold on!" Ginny said jumping to her feet. She ran up to her room and grabbed her old camera out of her trunk. "Look what I found at a shop, works like a charm!" Ginny said as she came down holding the camera. "It was pretty cheap too."

She handed the camera to Harry who looked it over. "That's really cool."

"Here you can have it."

"Oh no I couldn't. It's yours after all."

"Its alright you can take pictures to put in it. Actually I have a few of Ron and Hermione on it already from the summer at the match. I got everyone in there, well except for me of course."

"Well then I'll have to get one of you then," he said as he stood up. Quickly he snapped a picture of her.

"Harry!" She cried. "I wasn't ready for a picture!"

"Oops," he said with a laugh. Ginny snatched the camera from him. "Give that back."

"No its mine and I don't plan to let you have that picture! I can't believe you just did that!" Ginny said as she turned to go upstairs. Harry grabbed her arm and reached for the camera. She turned trying to free her arm. Laughing Harry pulled her back and managed to grab the camera from her arm but as he moved he snapped a picture of them. "Harry!"

"I didn't mean to do that," he said letting go of her arm. Checking the camera he saw it was out of film. "Well looks like they can be developed now."

Ginny stuck out her tongue and took the camera back. "Fine then I will have to send it off; it should be back in a couple days." Just then Hedwig flew into the room.

"Hello girl," he said as he stroked his owl. "What are you doing here? You should be in the owlery."

"Well while she is here do you think she will mind taking the film?" Hedwig flew to Ginny and stuck her leg out. "Thank you Hedwig," Ginny said as she tied the note onto her leg. She flew out of the window and into the night.

Harry picked up his photo album and sat back down on the couch. Ginny flopped down beside him and looked at the pictures for a while.