A/N: Sorry I'm uploading after soooo long but I was on vacation and then school started… I didn't get time. But now I'm back on the story. Hope you like this one!
A Necklace
Ginny was in her dorm getting ready with Emma. This was the first big event Hogwarts had had after the Yule Ball and now that things were running smooth with Hermione, Ginny couldn't wait.
"Wow." Emma's jaw dropped when Ginny came out of the bathroom in her costume. Ginny had to admit; though it may not seem so, Hermione Granger had style.
She hadn't gotten a children's costume, with fake fabrics and witch hats. She had gotten real articles of clothing and put them together to make a witch costume. They were not robes but more like middle-aged witch costumes with a modern trendy twist.
The dress was low cut, brown and had a pleated skirt. A leathery black belt tied around her waist. She wore a brown corset with black laces and black net stockings that ended a little above her ankle. Black gladiator high heels (though she was not a huge fan) as foot wear and a small black witch hat you can get from any wizarding department store. She wore the hat a little crooked.
Her hair was a little messy and rougher than usual. She had put on magic hair spray to keep it a very little bushy.
She had used a dark-make-up beauty charm for her face. Her eye lids looked smoky with shades of brown. Thick black eyeliner and mascara making her eyes look bold. She wore dark brown lip stick and a very little bit of color on her cheeks, not hiding her freckles.
"Are you ready to go down stairs?" Ginny asked giggling at Emma's awed expression. Emma was going as a vampire. She wore a black cloak with a collar that spread out like a wine glass. Inside she wore a red maxi. Her messy raven hair helped with the 'dark and evil' pretence.
Hermione had helped her with a charm that allowed her to grow fangs and change her eye color to read. Emma would have looked scary to anyone, but it was the spirit of Halloween. Though looking at a vampire made Ginny feel uneasy, even if it weren't real. Memories of the St. Dragomir Cemetery came rushing back to her. She quickly pushed them aside. She was not going to let all that ruin her night.
"Yeah let's go." Emma said, bobbing her head towards the door. She was most definitely in a better mood today. Ginny was determined to keep her that way.
On their way down stairs they did receive a few nice compliments from acquainted witches, jealous looks from others.
Ginny had to admit, Emma was a very pretty witch, but she could see why Ernie had broken up with her. She was too timid and sensitive. And though Ginny did not mind that, she did know how it felt. And Ginny would have chosen her present self over her past self any day.
When they reached downstairs Hermione and Selena were waiting for them. Hermione looked a little annoyed as Selena kept blabbing on. Though Hermione liked Selena, Ginny could tell that they would never get along too well. Selena was all about fashion and beauty whereas Hermione was all about wisdom, humbleness and intellectualness. But of course those were only the very basic things about Hermione Granger. To her, there was more than what met the eye.
Hermione was looking quite stunning tonight. Her bushy brown hair was not so bushy anymore but they were in ringlets. She was wearing exactly what Ginny was wearing, only in midnight blue and black.
Usually, Ginny would not have been too pleased to see someone wearing the same thing as her at a party. However, with Hermione it felt like they were two twin witches, who of course, looked nothing alike.
"Oh my goodness, Hermione you look gorgeous!" Ginny yelped. She went up and hugged her friend.
"And thank you, thank you, thank you!" she added, squeezing Hermione tightly.
"If only Ron could see you now." Emma joked. Hermione and I giggled. She turned to me.
"Oh, Gin you look just as gorgeous! In fact, you look more gorgeous!" Hermione added smiling.
"Thank you." Ginny said appreciatively, scrunching her nose and shrugging her shoulders as she giggled.
Ahem, a sound came from where Selena was sitting. She really hated not getting attention, especially when other people were getting it.
"You look stunning Selena." Ginny assured her. Hermione and Emma added their agreements.
"Oh, absolutely!"
"I love the color!"
Selena smiled in a self satisfied manner.
She honestly did look very pretty. Her blond hair was tied up in a tight bun, only one strand let loose.
She wore a low cut lavender dress. It had a layered neck that was let down loose. A thin brown belt was tied around her waist and the dress was pulled up a bit from above the belt so that there was a loose gap of purple cloth around her waist. The dress ended mid-thigh. She wore pretty flats that looked a little like ballerina slippers. If she hadn't conjured the beautiful transparent pixie wings behind her, you wouldn't have guessed she was a pixie.
As a finishing touch, she wore a floral tiara with different flowers like Lilies, Roses, Tulips and Jasmines.
"Shall we get going to the great hall then?" Hermione asked.
Selena gasped, "Oh! I had to be there five minutes ago! See how long you kept me Hermione!" she ran out of the Gryffindor common room, pushing aside a boy dressed as the grim reaper.
Hermione just laughed hopelessly.
"I should stay with her." Emma said, rushing after her friend.
"Shall we?" I asked Hermione, holding out my arm.
"Yes we shall." She replied, crossing her arm through mine.
We walked down, arm in arm, laughing.
Down stairs, in the Great Hall, Hermione and Ginny had let go of each other.
Selena and the rest of the students who helped put this party together had done a tremendous job. The room was flashing with different colored lights and the best music by The Weird Sisters was playing. People were dancing and laughing. The food was amazing, just as it was every Halloween feast.
They walked around, receiving compliments and jealous looks once again. But in addition to those looks were the ones they received from the wizard population of the party.
Most of them had smirks on their faces as they looked at them and others just winked.
Some had the decency to come up and say, "You look very nice." And others just said "Sexy!" when Ginny and Hermione passed by.
Ginny ignored most of them. Hermione on the other hand shot them all dirty looks, and the minute they realized who she was they looked away in fear and hurried on.
The decent ones, of course, Hermione and Ginny thanked.
Soon Ginny found herself engulfed in a swarm of wizards and witches wanting to talk to her. She was mingling with everyone, occasionally dancing with some, and she was having a better time than she had ever had in a long time.
But of course, all her great times had to end in a horrible way, even if at first it didn't seem so horrible.
Someone pulled her aside as she walked towards the candy table.
Ginny turned around, ready to pull out the wand tied to her belt, when she saw a handsome pair of blue eyes looking at her.
"Luke?" Ginny said, completely taken aback by his appearance.
"Hey Gin." He smiled.
"Luke how…where…why…?" Ginny seemed at an utter loss for words. But he knew what she was trying to ask.
"How, you ask? Let's just say a friend of mine 'smuggled' me in. Where? I came from one of the secret entrances. Why? Simply because I needed to see you in a costume." Ginny couldn't help but laugh. He was so straight forward, and probably one of the funniest people Ginny had ever met besides Fred and George.
"Needed to see me in a costume, or simply me?" Ginny asked, playfully winking. She didn't know how but Luke was over what had happened with Harry and she was grateful. She decided not to ask him, or bring up anything related to the matter.
"Both I guess." He said shrugging and smirking.
"Hey Gin, I thought I should let you know tha-" Hermione had popped up out of nowhere. She caught her tongue in the middle of her sentence as she spotted Luke. Ginny wasn't sure whether it was just the lighting but Hermione blushed a little. She obviously thought she had interrupted something.
"Oh, Luke, hey…" Hermione said hesitantly. The small and curiously sympathetic smile that had been on her face while she had been addressing Ginny was gone.
"You know what; I think I'll leave you two to talk." She said, scurrying back into the crowd. She came back a moment later and added, "If I were you, I would stay in the corners."
And with that, she left.
"What was that about?" Luke asked, clearly bewildered by Hermione's peculiar behavior.
"I…You know what; It doesn't matter." Ginny said stubbornly. She wanted to have the best time possible with Luke tonight.
And so she did.
Ginny had been far away from the party, at the back of the Great Hall in a small corner, for over fifteen minutes.
She and Luke were having their own little party.
"So is it official?" he asked her.
"Oh please, don't start with 'are we officially boyfriend and girlfriend now?' It sounds so lame!" Ginny complained.
"Is it official?" Luke said, trying to sound stubborn and demanding, but only laughing as he said it.
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah."
Luke smiled brightly. Ginny had to return it. They were just about to go back to 'partying' when it happened.
"Hey!" someone shouted, and it seemed to be directed straight at them.
Ginny froze. The voice was awfully familiar. She didn't dare turn around to see who it was, but she didn't need to.
Next thing she knew she was being pulled away from Luke and shoved behind a tall, dark and handsome figure.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing here?" Harry said sternly and – if Ginny was not mistaken – there was a little bit of threat in his words. A few people around the back of the party had stopped to look.
Harry usually hated making scenes, but he had been doing that a lot lately.
"If you must know, Potter, this is what normal nineteen year olds do. You should try it some time." Luke said coldly.
"Well, unlike more 'normal' nineteen year olds like you, I actually take responsibility and make something of my life." Harry said. Harry's hand was creeping to the pocket where his wand was and Luke was doing the same.
When Luke didn't say anything, Harry went on.
"You think you can just sneak into a school, during a party, and then snogg one of the students as you please?" Harry said, and he threw a sinister glance at Ginny as he said the last words.
"Something tells me the only thing that bothers you is who I was snogging." Luke replied, an evil smirk playing on his face.
Harry's face turned red with anger. Ginny realized that a lot of people from the party were watching now, and the professors were rushing over, struggling through the crowd.
The music stopped.
"What is it Harry?" Professor McGonagall was the first to reach them. Her eyes went from a furious Harry, to an utterly stunned Ginny and a satisfied Luke. Her eyes wound up in confusion at the sight of Luke.
"He doesn't go here." She said in confusion.
"No, he doesn't." Harry said. If he was angry, he wasn't showing it. "I will escort him out of the castle."
"No, if the boy is here someone let him in! We must know who-" McGonagall started.
"Just trust me Professor," Harry cut in, "I'll escort him out."
This time Ginny understood why Harry was so eager to get him away from everyone's attention.
But, Harry never worked things out with violence – except in the case of Voldemort of course – and why would he even want to get into a fight with Luke?
Ginny knew she was only trying to convince herself of this. But it just didn't make sense to her. Why was Harry so furious about this and still not willing to figure out who let Luke inside in the first place?
What had Luke retorted about 'who he was snogging'?
What would bother Harry about her snogging another bloke?
I could tell you! But then, you've been shutting me up since you became friends with Hermione. That was when you first thought of me.
It was a voice, from the far back of her head. Not just a voice, an idea. The very idea she had been ignoring for days now.
It just was not possible. Harry didn't feel anything for her.
I could tell you he does, and why. I could answer all your questions, but will you listen? No.
Harry was starting to lead Luke out of the school, as the Professors were busy making all the students go back to the party.
The music started to play. Ginny seized her chance.
She quietly snuck out the oak doors of the Great Hall, making sure Harry or Luke didn't see her.
She wished she had learned the disillusion charm.
Ginny kept following as they quietly walked towards the grounds. For a moment she was half disappointed and half relieved that Harry didn't seem to doing anything.
Then, when they were still far away from the Hogwarts main gate, Harry pushed Luke up to a school wall behind him.
Ginny stopped and peeked from behind a wall around the corner.
Luke didn't struggle, he just smirked.
"Aw, that's so cute! You fancy my girlfriend! And now you're trying to come and save the day." Luke said, mockingly.
Ginny didn't know what she just heard but she knew one thing; Luke was crazy.
She could not see properly in the dark but, she saw a look of confusion cross Harry's face.
"That's right Potter. I have what you lost. I don't know how you could let go of her but-" Luke was talking rather sufficiently, but Harry broke it off with his fist.
He punched Luke hard in the face. Ginny had to try hard not to gasp and yell stop.
What was wrong with Harry?
Even when Ron wasn't around to cold shoulder the men she liked, Harry was there to beat them up.
Ginny tried hard to stay in her place but then Luke punched Harry back, and Harry shoved him hard against the wall.
"Stop it!" she yelled, looking at them both like they were mad. In this case, she was starting to believe it.
They both stopped immediately, stunned into silence as well.
Harry did not look hurt at all, but Luke's nose was bleeding and he was holding his head that had hit the wall, his face clearly showing his agony.
Ginny forgot everything she was about to say and ran up to him.
"Luke! Are you alright?" she asked, her concern clear in her voice. She stroked his hair as she looked at his bleeding nose and the back of his head.
"I'm fine." He muttered. But Ginny wasn't going to let Harry get away with this.
She turned to him; her insides were in flames due to her raging temper.
"What did you do to him?" Ginny demanded Harry. He was stunned, looking at Luke, and from the expression on his face, Ginny knew that that was exactly what he was wondering.
"I…" Harry began, but he trailed off.
"Gin, really it's nothing" Luke said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Ginny turned to him to tell him that Harry had no right to hurt him.
But then she saw that he was bleeding very badly. She quickly turned all her attention to Luke. She ripped off a piece of cloth from her dress and began cleaning the blood all over his face.
As Ginny did this, she chanced a glance at Harry. What she saw made her insides tingle, though she had no idea why.
The look on his face while she helped Luke with his bleeding nose, so carefully, was the same look he had given her the night she and Dean were kissing behind the tapestry.
And as she looked at his face, that simple idea crept up from the back of her mind.
Ginny – being a Weasley – was a bit too thick to realize what this meant. So despite the tickling in her stomach, she waved it off.
He was just disappointed that Ginny was aiding the 'bad guy'.
As Ginny cleaned Luke's bloody nose she had the sudden feeling of déjà vu. She had done this once before, looking into the very same blue eyes. But how could that be possible? She had never cleaned Luke's bloody nose before. And she did not want to make a habit out of it either. Why did he suddenly look so familiar? The Three Brook Sticks was not the first time she had seen him…
Then glint of something silver caught Ginny's eye. It was a necklace around Harry's neck. It was a silver chain with a single red gem hanging at the end of it. It must have been tucked under his shirt, because Ginny had not seen it before. She most definitely would have noticed.
When she saw the necklace she caught her breath. Her hands froze on Luke's face.
"What is it Gin?" Luke asked following her gaze.
"Nothing." She assured him, hastily looking away.
Harry looked just as confused as Luke. Ginny prayed that he didn't notice what she had been looking at.
He didn't. He took one last look at Ginny and Luke, shook his head disappointedly, and walked away.
Ginny knew it should make a difference to her, but as he walked away she felt a need to explain herself. She needed to make sure Harry was not disappointed in her. But what could she do? With Luke around, she would look like a fool.
No. She didn't need to explain herself to Harry.
"Come on Luke, Madam Pomfrey will fix you up. Then they can send you away." Ginny took his hand and started walking him back towards the castle.
She may not need to explain herself to Harry, but Headmistress McGonagall wasn't going to let her go without one.
Luke had been sent back to his home. Ginny was still curious of where he lived. It was funny how he was pretty much her boyfriend now and she knew nothing about him. Not even his last name…
Ginny pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind. Right now she had to think of a good enough reason to tell McGonagall about why she kept Luke getting into the school a secret when she knew it was breaking the rules.
Of course when she finally had to face McGonagall, nothing came out.
"Ms. Weasley, I am afraid I have no choice but to delay your quidditch practice." McGonagall said.
It took a moment for Ginny to realize what she meant.
"What?" Ginny exclaimed. "But I'm CAPTAIN! If you delay, my team won't get enough practice! We might as well quit!"
Yes, Ginny remembered the day she had found out she was Quidditch Captain. She had been so happy. Charlie and Bill had been extremely proud. So had Harry…
And now it was all tumbling down.
"I am sorry Ms. Weasley, but you will be detained this Saturday, meaning the quidditch practice must be delayed until next weekend." McGonagall said firmly. Ginny knew there was no arguing now.
Great going, Gin, She scolded herself.
Ginny started walking toward the Gryffindor Tower. She tried to hold back the tears that were daring to spill.
She was so frustrated and angry. She felt helpless, like all she could do was ruin her own life. She felt alone.
That is until she bumped into someone in while entering the portrait hole.
A handsome face with raven dark hair and amused grey eyes was looking down at her as she stumbled.
Chris caught her just a second before she fell over. He tries to hide his smile, because he had been trying very hard to stay mad at her.
Right now, Ginny didn't care whether he hated her or not.
She jumped on him and hugged him with such force they both fell back.
"Whoa, hey there Gin." He laughed, obviously unable to stay mad at her. He had probably heard what had happened.
Before she knew it, she and Chris were sitting (the only ones awake) alone in the common room and she ranting the way she had written in Tom Riddles diary. The difference was that Chris' advice was sincere and that he wasn't a memory sucking the life out of her.
She had forgotten how good it felt to talk to Chris. She had forgotten why he was one of her closest friends.
He listened. He always listened.
Soon Ginny found herself crying in Christian's arms, still ranting.
"And, I was s-so stupid t-to think that H-harry and I could have been f-friends at all. And I k-keep getting the feeling that I-I'm using Luke! B-but I really do like him. But everything Harry said was right! I think I- I am using him!" Ginny was gasping for breath but still continued.
"A-and the necklace! I told you about that, didn't I? And I-I keep thinking that H-harry might still h-have feelings for me but I'm O-only fooling myself! And now I'm probably the w-worst captain in history!" Ginny continued to cry hysterically. But she wasn't embarrassed in front of Chris.
He stroked her hair gently and held her in his arms.
"Ssh…its okay…It's okay…" He whispered so gently. His voice was so calming and relaxing…it felt like some sort of compulsion.
Soon Ginny's tears subsided and she started to feel sleepy.
Chris went up to his dorm after Ginny assured him that she would be fine.
When Ginny got to her dorm, she simply fell on her bed without changing or even taking her shoes off. She fell to sleep the minuet her head hit the pillow.
She dreamt of Harry's necklace that night. Another memory…
"Hey! Where have you been Gin? I've been looking everywhere for you!" Harry called as he ran up to Ginny and sat next to her by the water.
"Looking for me for what exactly?" Ginny asked teasingly. Harry didn't seem to catch on.
"Well, is wanting to be around you a good enough reason?" He asked matter-of-factly.
Ginny tried to hide the smile creeping up on her lips. Her insides gave a tiny jolt at his answer. She still wasn't used to the fact that she and Harry… Harry Potter and herself…
"I suppose…" She replied as nonchalantly as she could manage.
Harry held out his arms with a small smile on his face. Ginny could sense the nervousness vibrating off him. She did not hesitate to cuddle in to his arms.
She still couldn't figure out what it was about her that was so intimidating and made Harry nervous. The bloke could run right into Voldemort himself, battle him and escape, practically destroying the Dark Lords dignity, but he couldn't stand around Ginny Weasley without blushing.
Boys. Ginny thought. Honestly.
"Harry…" Ginny asked a little hesitantly. She had been wondering whether or not to go through with her idea. What if he thought it was stupid? What if he laughed? What if he took it off and threw it at her when they broke up? If, Ginny reminded herself, if you break up.
"Yes?" Harry asked, staring out into the horizon. His profile looked absolutely mesmerizing in the sunset. It made asking her question all the more intimidating.
Ginny decided that she do it now before she lost her courage. She took off a long silver chain from her neck, with a single red gem hanging from it.
"I wanted to give you this…For luck. I know that this is hardly the end of some heroic journey that is planned out for you and I figured you can't take me along everywhere like you did the department of mysteries… So I want you to have this. It was my mums. And now I am giving it to you. So that no matter where you are or what you and I go through, you'll always have a bit of me with you… I'll be your good luck charm." Ginny finished with a small nervous smile, not meeting Harry's eyes.
But his gentle fingers tilted her chin so that she was looking straight into those gorgeous lime green eyes. He took the hand with the necklace and laced his fingers through hers so that the gem was the only thing separating the center of their palms.
He gave her a sweet gentle peck on the lips that seemed to last forever.
He looked at her straight in the eye and said, "Ginevra, for as long as you are important to me, I will wear this." Then he took the necklace and put it around his neck.
It turned out to be the most wonderful evening Harry and Ginny had ever spent together by the lake.
Ginny woke with a start. The dream came rushing back. Only it wasn't just the dream, it was every important memory. She suddenly remembered the memory she had dreamed of the night she had seen harry in the common room.
Always have faith in me, love…
And the one sentence that rang through her head over and over again…
For as long as you are important to me, I will wear this…
That sentence echoed in Ginny's ear in Harry's sweet and loving voice.
And the simple idea now evolved into a theory…
A/N: So do you love it? Hate it? REVIEW! :D and BTW you will figure out what the "idea" was the whole time in the next chapter, If not then definitely the one after that.
