I do not own Harry Potter and co. I am just a fan that does not want the magic to end!
Just One of the Guys
Chapter twenty-five
Have You Heard?
The moment he stepped through the barrier he felt them. It seemed like every person on the platform stopped to stare at the young wizard, watching his every move, secretly weighing up his chances against the most evil person the wizarding world has ever known. To Harry, at least, it seemed like it was a losing battle, but the eyes of a few people that he had unintentionally focused on seemed to have the opposite opinion.
Harry kept his head down, a vain attempt to blend in and not be noticed. Silly really, what with the army of red heads and Aurors, who else could it have been? Harry caught a movement from the corner of his eyes. There was a sound of a woman's shriek and an over-exuberant movement from a young Auror stationed on the platform.
A small girl had noticed Harry, and managed to squeeze out of her mother's hand, turning quickly in the opposite direction she had been walking with her family, and promptly ran full speed in his direction. Harry didn't think: his reaction was instinctive and one hundred percent Harry Potter.
His wand was out so quickly that it was as if he had carried it at the ready from the start. Later, during the retelling of the story from the witnesses, it would be described as faster then light, faster then the wind even.
Harry shot off an Expelliarmus spell towards the fast acting Auror with one hand, as his other easily scooped up the excited child, instantly holding her in such away to protect against any wayward spells. An audible gasp echoed loudly through the platform, Harry groaned out loud as he recognized the bright flash of a camera or two.
Mad Eye limped across to the young Auror, his facial expression set in its usual scowl. Ron watched the younger man shake in his boots, and a fleeting feeling of pity ran through his body with a shudder.
Harry smiled at the small girl he held in his arm to which she responded with a small shaky grin. He could see water pooling in her pretty blue eyes. This was not a good sign. Harry smiled warmly in hopes to calm the little girl, hoping her mother would get there faster, or at least before she began to cry. He really hated crying girls, no matter what the age.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked in a soft carful voice, not wanting to further upset the girl.
"Y-y-yes." Her reply so soft it was barely a whisper. "Are you really him," she asked in awe, her fear suddenly lost to the idea of meeting Harry Potter.
"That depends," smirked Harry. "Who do you want me to be?" The laughter in his beautiful green eyes and the soft comforting way he spoke to the little girl had every female heart melting.
"You are him aren't you?" questioned the girl excitedly. "You're Harry Potter!"
Harry groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh him," He said laughingly. "Yeah, that's me. I thought you might have wanted me to be someone exciting." His fake disappointment had the young girl giggling, and the not-so-young girls sighing.
"Thank you, thank you so much," gushed the girl's mother as she gathered her daughter toward her body for a fierce hug. Molly shared a knowing glace with the woman; she understood the emotions running through the other woman more than she would have liked to admit.
Harry smiled and ruffled the young girl's hair. Life was getting back to order on the platform. After all, the train would depart at precisely eleven o'clock, with or without Harry James Potter. For this small normalcy, Harry was deeply thankful.
Mrs. Weasley busied her self with the business of hugging every last breath from each returning child, making sure they had the first four months worth of hugs before they left for school. Orders to take care and mind the rules were issued. Pleas for the four of them to please stay out of trouble were stated. Even though she knew they would fall on deaf ears, she still held out a glimmer of hope that this simple request would be heeded.
With the final goodbyes, hugs, and kisses, the children boarded the train and set off once again to Hogwarts and another year of learning, laughing, and with a bit of luck, loving. No one wanted to dwell on anything sinister that may be in the works, but back in their minds they knew something was bound to happen, as something always did
"Harry, Ron and I have to go to the top car. We shouldn't be long, just the prefect meeting to deal with, and then we will be right back." Hermione was fussing around him like a mother hen.
"Alright Hermione." Ron snickered and rolled his eyes in commiseration with Harry. "He's a big boy now, I'm sure he can handle finding a seat on his own"
"I only wanted him to know where we would be Ronald." Hermione sniffed and turned swiftly down the corridor grumbling about thick headed boys.
Ron smirked and raised his eyes once again to the heavens. He waved his farewell and took off after Hermione, shaking his head and trying unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. Harry was having the same problem as he hurried down the corridor to catch up with Ginny.
Harry felt the eyes on his back and tried to ignore the heads popping out of the compartment doors to get a good look at him. It did not bode well for a normal year if they hadn't even reached the school and he was already ready to return to the Burrow.
The stares weren't like last year. Last year, the eyes were curious but with caution. Almost as if they wanted to catch him doing something crazy, but didn't want to get to close, in case it was catching. This year, the stares were one of three things: either they were stares of wanting (as in wanting his undivided attention), or stares of jealously (as in wanting to be him – but only for the bird pulling affect), or stares of complete and total awe. They were the ones he had the most problem with, the others were easy to ignore.
There was another category of stares that was the smallest of them all. They were the stares of total disgust and dislike. They were the ones he was most used to, and had never allowed to bother him. They were put in the same category as life at 4 Privet Dr.
Swallowing down his unease, Harry hurried off to find his girlfriend and an unoccupied car in order to spend some very much needed 'alone' time.
Ginny was half in a car and half in the corridor, her body swaying with the train motion. She was talking animatedly with her friends, sharing the news of the summer. She felt, rather than saw, Harry's impending arrival. She could feel the excitement from the students around her.
A satisfied smile formed on her face. She had yet to inform anyone that she was the new official girlfriend of one Harry James Potter, and she couldn't wait to see the reaction on Rhonda Thorsten's face. She had the misfortune of having to share her dorm, and she was the one girl that never let Ginny forget, never shied away from letting Ginny know, that she was not good enough, smart enough or pretty enough. She really pissed her off!
"Hey love." Harry slipped his arm around Ginny's waist and whispered in her ear. "Let's find an empty cart." He trailed a few small kisses down her neck, just in case she needed a hint as to what his intentions were.
Ginny's satisfied smirk at the disbelieving face of one Rhonda Thorsten was most femininely sublime. She turned her beaming face towards Harry and kissed him gently on the very corner of his mouth.
"Ok, I think I see one empty up there." Her hand waved towards the general direction of the front of the train.
The two headed off as Ginny waved her goodbyes to the shocked filth years. They had only taken a few steps away when an explosion of voices echoed at an alarming speed. The gossip mills were pressing feverishly with the news.
Harry opened the car door and motioned for Ginny to precede him. He closed the door gently and took his seat, very close to his girlfriend. A sly smirk danced across his face and sparkled clearly in his emerald green eyes.
"You enjoyed that, Miss Weasley?" Harry laughed.
Ginny smiled coyly and shrugged her shoulders casually. She had taken a lot of ribbing over the years regarding her obvious crush, and not to mention that horrid poem. The temptation to rub it in a little now that he was hers was the icing on the delectable cake. Surely he wouldn't begrudge her a few bragging rights?
"You're not angry with me are you?" Ginny asked hesitantly. If it was going to make him uncomfortable, she would never do it again, even though it felt so good to get her own back for once.
"No, she did look rather surprised." Harry shook his head. If anyone was to be surprised by this new development it should be the other way around, in Harrys opinion, Ginny was far too good for him.
Ginny smiled sweetly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's not waste time talking about the likes of Rhonda Thorsten." And with that, she leaned in and kissed him. The kiss quickly deepened, and the rest of the train was lost to them as the exquisite world of passion took over their senses.
Thanks again to my beta! (justloony) she is a wonderful, brilliant writer in her own right. I will always be thankful for the shine and polish she brings to this story. Also, thanks to all my readers and reviewers, your kind words of encouragement thrill me to no end.
I am amazed at the following for this little story. I have always loved Ginny as a character. I know some people did not see her as the 'right' one for Harry, but I honestly can not see him with anyone else. To the point where I can not read stories that don't have them together in the end, they just simply belong.
I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. I try to make them longer, however sometimes I honestly feel to force the length, the chapter would loose its quality. So, this story is fated to be made up with many small ones rather than a few larger ones.
Remember to review, and I will remember to send a hint for the next one. Happy days!