A/N: This is up so much quicker than I thought it would be. Sorry, it's a bit shorter than the last couple of chapters. Chapter 10 should be longer, though. Also, I'm still amazed at how quickly the reviews come in. I love reading them and I really appreciate getting them. Thanks everyone!

About an hour had passed and Ginny was still hiding under her duvet. Harry had spent a good half an hour of that time, knocking on her door and trying to convince her to come out, but Ginny wouldn't budge. This caused Harry to storm outside, ignoring Ron and Hermione when they asked what was up as he passed them by.

'I'm going to get to the bottom of this.' Hermione told Ron, before running after Harry. 'Harry, what happened?'

'She won't talk to me Hermione!' Harry growled, still storming across the garden. 'I bet she hates me now.'

'Ginny?' Hermione asked.

'Yes, Ginny!' Harry snapped. 'She won't come out of her room because of me and when I tried to get her to come out, she just ignored me!'

'Well, do know why?' Hermione asked him, calmly. 'There must be a reason. Ginny really likes you, so she wouldn't just stop talking to you for no reason at all.'

'She does?' Harry asked, feeling slightly happier.

'Yes.' Hermione replied, with a smile. 'So did anything happen that caused her to hide in her room and ignore you?'

'I umm…I accidentally saw her…in…her underwear.' Harry stammered, cheeks growing hot. 'But only for a split second because I turned away!'

'Oh.' Hermione said. 'That makes sense. She's probably just embarrassed. I can try and talk to her, if you'd like.'

'If she won't talk to me, then I doubt she'll talk to you.' Harry sighed.

'Well, she might because I wasn't there to see what you saw.' Hermione replied.

'Okay, give it a go then.' Harry said. 'Hopefully she'll come out and talk to me.'

'I'll try and convince her too.' Hermione said, before turning away and heading back into the Burrow.

'Where you going now?' Ron asked her, as he swung a gnome around before throwing it over the hedge.

'To talk to Ginny.' Hermione answered, as she entered the Burrow.

Hermione then continued up the stairs and stopped outside Ginny's door.

'Ginny?' she called, as she knocked on the door. 'It's Hermione. Can I come in?'

On the other side of the door, Ginny sighed and kicked off her duvet.

'If it's just you…I guess.' she answered.

Hermione then opened the door and entered the room.

'Ginny, Harry's worried.' Hermione told her, as she closed the door.

'I can't face him right now.' Ginny said, feeling herself beginning to blush again. 'I don't think I ever will.'

'Yes, you can.' Hermione said. 'Yes, I know what happened was embarrassing-'

'Wait, you know?' Ginny asked.

'Yes I asked Harry what happened.' Hermione replied. 'Anyway, I know it was embarrassing, but you can't hide from him forever. Especially now that you are growing close to each other!'

'That's easy for you to say, it didn't happen to you!' Ginny cried.

'I know, but you still need to come out of here.' Hermione told her. 'What's the worst that could happen?'

'He will probably laugh at me or something similar!' Ginny said.

'He won't.' Hermione said, reassuringly. 'He seems pretty embarrassed about it too and he swears he only saw for a split second because he turned away.'

'He turned away at the last minute!' Ginny cried. 'The door was open long before he turned away.'

'Even so, he still wouldn't have seen you like that for very long.' Hermione said. 'Now, come on, let's go outside. Harry's out there…and in a bit of a mood. You're probably the only person who can make him feel better.'

'He's in a mood because of me.' Ginny muttered.

'Yes, because he's convinced you hate him.' Hermione told her. 'So to reassure him that you don't, you need to come outside and talk to him.'

Ginny sighed before saying, 'Fine.'

Hermione smiled at her before leading Ginny out into the garden and over to where Harry was sitting.

Ginny sighed and sat down beside him.

'Hi.' she said, quietly.

'Hi.' Harry said back.

'I think I'll go and give Ron a hand with the gnomes.' Hermione said, giving the two of them a knowing smile, before walking away.

'I'm sorry.' Harry and Ginny ended up saying at the same time.

'What are you sorry for?' they asked at the same time again. This caused them to laugh slightly.

'You first.' Harry said.

'No, you.' Ginny said.

'Alright.' Harry said. 'I'm sorry for making you feel embarrassed.'

'And I'm sorry for ignoring you.' Ginny said.

'Well, I forgive you.'

'I forgive you too.' Ginny said. 'This has been the worst day ever. First being kicked out of my own room, then finding out I'm going to have Phlegm as a sister in law and then you seeing me in my…well uh...you know.'

'Gin?'

'Yeah?'

'Come here.'

'Wh-'

Before Ginny could ask, Harry had pulled her into a tight embrace.

'What's this for?' Ginny found herself asking, as she hugged back.

'I just felt like it.' Harry told her, before pressing his lips onto the top of her head, inhaling the sweet smell of her hair as he did this. Ginny's breath caught in her throat at that moment. Did he really just do that?

'Ginny I…' Harry began, but was cut short as he, as well as Ginny heard an odd sound that seemed to be getting slightly louder by the second. They let go of each other and looked over in the direction the sound was coming from and they saw a gnome hurtling towards them at great speed.

'Argh!' Ginny screamed, as she and Harry ducked just in time, to prevent the gnome from hitting them.

Once the gnome had gone past, Harry and Ginny raised their heads back up again and looked in the direction of where the gnome had come from, to see Ron standing there, arms folded, looking very annoyed.

'What the hell did you do that for?' Ginny shouted across the garden.

'What do you think?' Ron shouted back. 'Harry, how dare you!'

'What did I do?' Harry asked him. 'I'm not the one who threw a gnome at someone, that could have injured them.'

'You had your hands all over my sister!' Ron yelled.

'Hands all over? I was only hugging her, Ron!' Harry shouted back.

'Yeah and did I ever kick off about you snogging Hermione the other night? No! So why do you have to kick off every time a boy so much as looks at me?!' Ginny snapped.

'Spying on us now, were you?' Ron quizzed. 'And because you're my little sister! You're too young to be around boys!'

'Oh, like you don't spy on us, Ron.' Ginny hissed.

'I-'

'Oh, will you all just be quiet, I cannot 'ere myself think.' Fleur said, as she stuck her head out the backdoor.

'Fine, I'm done having a pointless argument anyway.' Ginny muttered, glaring at Ron. She then got up and said to Harry 'I'll see you later,' before heading inside.


-About a week later-

Harry paced around Ron's room, wondering how he could get to Diagon Alley un-noticed. It was Ginny's birthday tomorrow and he needed to purchase Arnold the Pygmy Puff for her present, as well as a card. Even though he could have signed the joint card from Ron and Hermione, he wanted to give her a card just from him.

'What's up with you?' Hermione asked, as she walked into the room.

Harry decided to be honest with Hermione, for she was the only person he could probably turn to for help in this situation.

'I need to go to Diagon Alley to get Ginny's present without her, or Ron for that matter noticing.' Harry told her. 'Could you possibly distract them or something?'

'I can try.' Hermione said. 'But what about the adults?'

'I don't care about them noticing me going.' Harry replied. 'Just Ron and Ginny. Ron because he'll get really annoyed if he finds out I'm getting Ginny a present and Ginny because well…it's her present I'm going to get.'

'Okay…I'll umm…I'll pretend I lost my book in the garden and get Ron and Ginny to help me look for it.' Hermione said. 'You wait here until we are outside.'

'But how will I know when you are?' Harry asked.

'Well you still have the invisibility cloak on you, don't you?'

'Oh yeah, of course.' Harry said, quickly dashing over to his trunk and rummaging through it, before pulling out the cloak. 'But where will I leave it?'

'Just leave it by the fireplace and I'll bring it back up here once you've gone. You're going by Floo I take it?'

'Yeah.'

'So yeah, leave it by the fireplace.' Hermione said. 'Well, let's go then.'

Harry nodded before putting on the cloak and following Hermione out of door.

He followed her all the way down to the first floor, where they stopped so that Hermione could knock on Ginny's door.

'Ginny?' Hermione called.

'Yeah?' Ginny replied, before the door opened and she stepped out of it. 'What's up?'

'I left my book outside somewhere, could you help me look for it?' Hermione asked her.

'Uh, sure, why not?' Ginny answered.

'Thanks.' Hermione said, with a smile, before the two began making their way down the last flight of stairs, Harry still following behind them, under the cloak.

'Ron.' Hermione said, upon seeing Ron, who was sat at the table eating something. 'Ron can you help us look for my book? I lost it outside.'

'Why do you need me to help as well?' Ron asked.

'Because the more of us there are, the more chance there is of finding it, now come on!'

'Fine.' Ron grumbled. 'Why couldn't you get Harry to do it as well, though?'

'Because he's umm… about to take a shower.' Hermione told him, as she, Ron and Ginny reached the back door.

Harry waited until they'd walked a reasonable distance away from the Burrow, before walking over to the fireplace and removing the cloak. He placed it on the floor by the fireplace, before taking some Floo Powder and stepping into the fireplace.

'Diagon Alley!' he shouted, clearly. The kitchen then vanished and after a few seconds, he found himself in Diagon Alley.

Harry brushed the soot off his clothes, before quickly making his way to Fred and George's shop.

'Oh, hiya Harry.' Fred said, almost as soon as Harry had stepped through the door.

'What have you come in for today?' George asked him, from behind the counter.

'I've come to buy a Pygmy Puff.' Harry told them, walking over to the Pygmy Puff cage. He examined all of them carefully before picking up one of the purple ones, he was certain was Arnold.

'A Pygmy Puff?' Fred asked. 'Bit weird for a bloke, don't you think?'

'It's not for me.' Harry said, before quickly asking. 'How much?'

'Well, for you, it's free.' George answered. 'As well as everything else in the shop.'

'No, I'm paying just like everyone else has to.' Harry said. 'So, how much?'

'Harry, you're the one who gave us the funds to set up the shop.' Fred said. 'So it's free of charge.'

'But-'

'No, buts.' said George, walking over to Harry and handing him a cage for Arnold.

'Fine…thanks.' Harry said, placing Arnold inside the cage.

He was about to leave, when Fred stopped in.

'Harry, can you take Ginny's present back with you?' he asked.

'Sure.' Harry said.

'Cheers, mate.'

Harry waited until Fred had handed him Ginny's present from him and George, before leaving the shop, also making sure to say goodbye to the twins as he did this. He quickly picked up a card for Ginny before returning to the Burrow.

He noticed that his cloak was no longer by the fireplace, so he knew Hermione must have put it back in Ron's room. Harry then quickly sprinted upstairs and once in Ron's room, hid Arnold and the present from Fred and George under the cloak.

He then picked up a quill that was lying on Ron's beside table and began filling in the card he'd brought for Ginny.

It took him awhile to finish , for he'd never written any letter or card to Ginny before and had no idea what to say to her, even though they'd become quite close over the past week and a bit. Harry had considered asking her out in the card, but decided he'd much rather do that in person, when the time was right, which he hoped would be soon. He eventually ended up writing her quite a long message inside the card, but was quite satisfied with what he'd written.

Dear Ginny,

Happy Birthday! I believe this is the first time I've ever written a card/letter to you – sorry. I honestly don't know why I haven't before. Getting to know you and becoming your friend over these past few days has been amazing. I feel like I have this strong connection and bond with you that I don't have with anyone else, even Ron and Hermione. You're the person I love to be around the most and you always make my day. I love being around you, Gin. I realise now I'm making the message inside your card really cheesy. Sorry. But it's the truth. Anyway, moving on from that, I hope you have a brilliant day and get everything you want because that's what you deserve.

From Harry x

Harry put the card inside the envelope and placed it under the cloak. He then headed downstairs and bumped into Ron on the staircase.

'Where have you been, mate?' Ron asked. 'Hermione said you were about to take a shower, but no one's been in there.'

'Oh, I was sorting out some of my things.' Harry fibbed. 'I got distracted.'

'Oh, well be thankful 'Mione didn't make you look for the bloody book in the garden.' Ron said. 'It turns out she left it on the sofa.'

'Oh.' Harry said. 'What are you lot doing now?'

'Well Hermione is Ginny's room and the two of them are talking about something.' Ron answered. 'So I thought I'd come up and keep you company. Don't really want to listen to their girl talk.'

'Fair enough.' Harry replied.

'So, Harry, I have to ask you and answer me honestly, what is going on between you and my sister?' Ron asked.

'Nothing important.' Harry said, quickly, before adding. 'We're just friends.'

'Well, then why were you all cuddled up in that tent the other night and why did you hug her earlier and urgh kiss her head then?'

'The tent thing was accidental and the hug was just friendly because she was upset….and I didn't kiss her on the head … I just um buried my head in her hair.' Harry lied.

'But, still!' Ron cried. 'Harry, look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have any feelings for Ginny.'

'No!' Harry said.

'That means you do have feelings for her.' Ron said. 'I feel sick…'

'I never said that.' Harry said, quietly, feeling his cheeks grow warm.

'Then if you don't, look me in the eyes and tell me.'

'I can't do that, Ron.'

'Well, why not?'

'Because…' Harry began, before confessing. 'I do have feelings for her, whether you like it or not.'

'What?' Ron cried. 'Oh, bloody hell! Why my sister, of all people? Why, Harry?'

'Because she's beautiful, kind, smart, funny, amazing…the list goes on.'

'Bloody hell, bloody hell, bloody hell.' Ron said, turning red. 'Don't tell me you're dating her.'

'You'll be happy to know I'm not…yet.'

'Harry, don't you dare!' Ron cried.

'Try and stop me, Ron.' Harry said. 'I am definitely going to ask her one day, and you're going to have to learn to accept it.'

'Never.' Ron said, before storming out of the room.

Harry shrugged and sat down on his bed. He didn't need Ron's – or anyone else's for that matter- approval anyway. He was determined to ask her out by the time they went back to school, not caring at all what anyone was going to think.