SURPRISE. For those of you who actually check if I've updated I left this surprise chappie for you. Hope you like. PLEASE REVIEW. MWA!

Chapter 11.

Flying Kisses

McGonagall stood in front of the quiet and crowded Gryffindor common room. It was just after lunch a week to the day after Harry's failed suicide attempt. After McGonagall finished her announcement she pursed he lips and left the common room. As soon as the portrait door swung shut, the common room exploded with cheers and murmurs.

"Can you believe it Harry?" Ron asked, looking like a child jumping up and down.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Yay. A flying tournament," he answered sarcastically.

"But you like flying Harry," Hermione pointed out.

"Not for competition. It seems like everything is competition these days."

"Oh." Her face fell.

"I'm going to go to lay down for a bit. I'll see you in Charms." Harry silently left the common room. Hermione pursed her lips in a very McGonagall like way.

"I wonder what his problem is now."

"Honestly Ron. He doesn't like attention or competition. You should know that."

"Yeah, but who will practice with me now?"

Hermione bit her lip at this. She closed her eyes and nodded quickly.

"Um, Ron. Could you teach me to fly? Like properly I mean."

Ron turned to face her, his eyes open wide and a grin forming in his face.

"You?"

Hermione frowned. "Yes. Me."

Ron stood back and looked her up and down. Hermione blushed at this and hoped to Merlin that Ron didn't notice. Ron nodded slowly, a frown now evident on his face.

"Okay. I'll go get my broom."

Hermione gaped at him.

"Now?" She gasped.

"Why not? Ill be right back."

"Oh but Ron." Hermione called after him, but he didn't hear her over the pounding of his feat on the stairs.

Hermione cried out and threw her hands up in the air.

Ron entered the dormitory. Running over to his trunk he called over to Harry.

"Hey mate, guess what I'm about to do?" Ron picked up his broom and looked over at Harry's empty bed. He turned towards the bathroom. The door was open a crack and he heard retching. He walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hey Harry. You ok mate?"

Harry stood from his position on the floor. Ron noticed then just how skinny Harry truelly was, and pale too. Harry nodded and headed over to the sink. He washed his mouth out with water then washed his face.

"Going flying?" Harry asked nodding to the broom.

"Um, yeah. I'm teaching Hermione."

"Oh really?" Harry grinned slyly at him.

"Oh shit. Harry oh god. I'm going to be alone with her."

Harry's grin widened.

"Harry what do I do?"

"Just what you normally would do around her. Blush and act like a crazy fool who's in love with one of his best friends. I'm just glad that I'm not that best friend."

Ron rolled his eyes. Harry grabbed hold of him at the shoulders. Ron noticed that Harry was shaking slightly.

"Look Ron. Just tell her how you feel. What's the worse that could happen?"

"She could laugh in my face."

"Exactly."

"Oh Merlin Harry, that's encouraging."

"Ron just relax and it'll be ok. Now I'm going to go lay down. I feel horrible."

Ron nodded. "You look horrible. And you're even shaking."

"I'll be ok. Have fun." Harry clapped Ron on the shoulder, and then crossed the room, sinking down onto his bed with a sigh.

Ron left the dormitory, quietly looking back at his friend who was lying on his bed, his eyes closed, a sweat on his brow and a pale complexion that would put Malfoy to shame.

"Harry, perhaps you should go see Madam Pomfrey."

"I'll be okay," came the mumbled reply.

Ron thundered down the stairs and arrived seconds later in the common room. He exited through the portrait hole with a very flustered and nervous Hermione in tow.

Harry Potter lay on his bed staring at the deep red canopy above him.

"Red like blood," he whispered to the empty room. He swallowed nervously. He had just vomited his lunch in the toilet, just like he had been doing all week. He was constantly losing weight and with hardly any sleep he had big heavy bags under his eyes and a pale, sickly looking face.

Harry pushed back the sleeve of his robe and looked upon the angry red scars that were now going to forever be a part of his body. He sighed. He really felt like cutting again, but he had no weapons. His teachers had taken them all away, including the knife Sirius gave him. Plus the mirror's had all been given unbreakable charms.

He scanned his brain in an attempt to find a place where he could get a weapon. He couldn't go to the kitchens as the house elves wouldn't hand him a weapon. Then he thought of the room that would give anyone what they require. The room of requirements. A moment later the door to the dormitory slammed shut.

Ginny Weasley sat upon her desk starring down at a moving picture she held in her lap. Christmas was only a few weeks away now and she had been searching through her trunk in the hopes to find some left over Christmas money. Instead she stumbled across this photo that had been taken last Christmas. Harry was in the picture, which was odd for his photographic self, but if you looked to Harry's left you would see why. Sirius Black was standing beside him, an arm draped around his shoulder. They both had huge grins plastered on their faces.

'If only Harry would smile like that again.' Ginny thought as she looked upon his handsome face. It was a rare smile that Harry was smiling in this picture. It was a true smile. One that reached his eyes. The fake one's didn't. The fake one's used to be common, but he smile at all it seemed anymore.

Ginny sighed. She placed the photo down and looked out the window. She gave a small smile when she saw Ron and Hermione walking over towards the Quidditch Pitch with a broom in tow. She stood up, stretched her arms above her head and left the room.

Walking gracefully down the stairs she could hear a slight murmur of voices in the common room.

"I wonder where he's off to?" Neville asked, sitting by the fire.

"Dunno, he's always very distant ever since he tried to off himself," Seamus replied shrugging his shoulders. Ginny who was now standing behind Seamus smacked him across the head at his comment.

"What?" He shouted as she sat down beside him.

"Oh honestly Seamus. Have some respect. If he fully contemplated doing that to himself don't you think that something must be terribly wrong?"

"I suppose," he shrugged.

Ginny growled then stood up and left the room. Traveling up the stairs she decided that she really wanted to see Harry, so she turned around and went up the boys staircase instead. She opened the door to find an empty room. She dropped on her knees in front of Harry's trunk and began rummaging through the contents.

"Aha," she cried out when she pulled out the parchment she needed. With a quick "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," the map of Hogwarts appeared.

"Where are you," she muttered as her eyes desperately scanned the map.

"Yes, mischief managed." Ginny put the map back in the trunk and ran down the stairs. She exited through the portrait hole just like Harry had done previously.

Hermione sat on the back of Ron's broom, with Ron in front of her. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Ready Hermione?" Hermione took a deep breath.

"Yes," she answered, nodding her head in an attempt to reassure herself.

"Okay, here we go," Ron kicked off from the ground. Staying within ten feet of the ground, Ron did a few laps around the stadium. They slowly descended to the ground, and landed softly.

"See that wasn't so bad was it Hermione?"

"I suppose not. I just don't like flying all that much."

"Well here," Ron said, pushing his broom into her hands.

"What do you want me to do with it? Sweep?"

Ron looked outraged. "No Hermione. Go for a ride. Just like I told ya."

"Okay. Fine. But if I crash its your fault."

"Okay."

Hermione nervously held the broom in front of her. Nodding to herself again she mounted it. She kicked off from the ground and sped around the pitch. She was a bit wonky on the broom and definitely wasn't a natural.

"Ron. How do you stop it?" She called out to him.

"Just descend to the ground."

She turned the broom down and went straight into a dive.

"Not like that," Ron called as she got closer to the ground. She landed with a crash and Ron opened his eyes wide.

"Shit," he muttered. He began running over to her, calling out her name as he went. He flung himself to the ground beside her now crumpled form and tried to pull her up.

"Ah, I'm ok Ron," she gasped out, sitting up with Ron's help.

"Are you sure? I mean, shit Hermione."

"Ron it's okay. I'm fine," Hermione said, grabbing Ron's hands with her own.

Ron nodded with a smile. He felt his heart rate quicken when Hermione grabbed his hands. His mouth went dry and his stomach filled with butterflies.

'Harry did say to just tell her how I feel. Maybe I should?' Ron thought to himself.

"Ron? Are you listening?"

"Huh?"

"I'm the one that crashed Ron. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Okay, help me up."

Ron stood and pulled Hermione to her feat. When she reached his level she fell forward.

"Whoa, a little dizzy," she muttered, letting go of Ron's hand and clutching her head.

Ron raised a hand and placed it on her cheek. She looked at him in the eyes and raised her eyebrows.

"Ron are you sure you're okay?" He raised a finger and put it gently on her lips, quieting her. He moved that hand so that both hands were cupping her face. He bit his lip then leant in to Hermione. He placed his mouth on hers and slowly opened his mouth, kissing her.

Pulling away he stared at the brunette in shock.

"Oh shit Hermione. I'm so sorry." Ron immediately let go of her face and went to walk away, but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Ron."

"Hermione please."

"I've been waiting for you to kiss me since fourth year."

"I know you don't feel like that, what?" Ron asked, flabbergasted.

Hermione nodded, then leant in, recapturing Ron's lips with her own.

Ginny Weasley stood outside the room of requirements. There was currently a large oak door blocking her way from the man she so desperately desired. She chewed on her lower lip nervously. She didn't even know why she was here. She simply couldn't burst in on Harry. What would he think?

But she had a bad feeling. Like he was going to do something stupid again. Why would he come to the room anyway? Then it clicked. To get what he required.

"Alohamora," she whispered. She leant forward and turned the handle. She slowly pushed the door open and blinked as she took in the room. The walls were completely black. There wasn't even a window. There was only one piece of furniture and that was a black couch in front of the roaring fire which was the only light source for the room. Sitting on the couch was Harry Potter. He had a razor blade in his hand, holding it above his now bleeding arm.

"Oh Harry," Ginny moaned from the doorway. Harry jumped, obviously oblivious to her before she spoke. He looked down at his hands and dropped the razor. He pushed the sleeve of his robe down in an attempt to cover his fresh wounds.

Ginny shut the door gently behind her and walked over to where Harry was sitting. She knelt in front of him. Cupping the bottom of his chin she turned his face to look at her own. She pulled him into a hug.

"It's okay Harry. I'm here for you."

Harry nodded against her neck. He pushed her away and motioned for her to sit beside him. She sat, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Gin do you ever question why we're here?"

"Mmm. Sometimes. But I never question my existence in particular."

"Hmm. Consider yourself lucky then."

Ginny turned so that she could see his face.

"You really are thoroughly depressed aren't you?"

Harry nodded glumly.

"I'm so sick of it Ginny. I just want it to end."

"Well like I said before. I'm here."

"I know Ginny." Harry sighed. He stood up and walked over to the fire.

"It's hard though, trying to talk to someone who doesn't fully understand what its like to be you."

"I know it would be."

He turned to face her.

"Want to go for a walk? Around the lake maybe? Or we could go visit Hagrid?"

"Okay Harry," Ginny stood up. She held out an elbow for him and he linked arms with her.

"Lets visit Hagrid. Haven't seen him for awhile." The two left the room and headed off to visit their old friend.