Chapter 36 – Ginny's Solution

Walking down to the ground floor of the Burrow, Harry again was reminded of all the changes that had happened to him since his birthday. Remembering the birthday cake he hadn't received, Harry laughed at the memory of his cousin Dudley running around that lighthouse with his hands trying to cover his tail.

Mrs. Weasley caught him smiling when he came to the bottom of the stairs. Considering the forlorn look of her daughter when she left the room earlier, Mrs. Weasley thought that maybe Harry had found a way out of the dilemma the youngsters were in.

Harry sobered up as he caught Mrs. Weasley looking at him. Hoping to have a small talk with her before he went to find Ginny, Harry sat at the kitchen table. Mrs. Weasley came over with two cups of tea and sat them down.

"How are you feeling Harry?" she started.

"I'm not sure there are enough words in the Hogwarts library to describe how I'm feeling right now. Embarrassed, flattered, scared, anxious, relieved, and sad come to mind first of all. I'm not mad at Ginny if that was one of your worries."

"She is real scared of being rejected and having her heart broken Harry" Mrs. Weasley said slowly. "She's so young."

"I think she's one of a kind and I would feel very privileged if I could ask you and Mr. Weasley in a couple of years if you wouldn't mind me being her boyfriend. But we're way too young to be that serious now. I hope I can convince Ginny of that."

"I think she knows that deep down but a first love is not one anybody could easily forget."

"From what we talked about upstairs, Ginny has been in love with that 'Boy-Who-Lived' junk. I think she realizes now that was just an image. Can I ask you a few questions about this whole mess, if you don't mind?"

"Of course, what can I help you with Harry?"

"When was the last time that Ginny told you that she wanted to …uh, marry me, uhh… Harry Potter?"

Mrs. Weasley thought for a couple of moments. "I guess it's been about three years now. The last time she said it so people could hear, the twins and Ron just teased her unmercifully. The boys just don't know when to quit sometimes. They made her cry if I remember right. Ron said that if Ginny ever even met Harry Potter, he would eat a slug."

"Can we enforce that when Ron gets home?" Harry asked with a smile.

"We could at least have the twins make up something that looks like a slug Harry. Oh, don't look at me like that! I like a good prank just as much as the next person but I'm the mother so I'm supposed to be all serious. Don't give my secret away Harry. Only Arthur and Ginny know so far."

"I'd never betray your secret Mrs. Weasley" Harry said seriously. "Did you know right away that Mr. Weasley was the right 'one'?"

"Good gracious no. Let's see. I've told this story before but you haven't heard it. Arthur was horrible at potions the first couple of years at Hogwarts. Sad but true. His fourth year he decided to do something about it. He bribed one of my girlfriends to switch places with him so he would be my partner in potions class. We became friends over a cauldron mixing and portioning herbs and potions. We started liking one another too. We started hanging out together outside of the potions class and Arthur finally worked his courage up to ask me out on a Hogsmeade date just before school let out that year. It took a while to get further than friendship but it happened because we became friends first and really got to know each other."

"On the other hand, I have a friend who found the boy she ended up marrying on the train ride to Hogwarts her first year. They were totally inseparable all through school. I'm not saying it doesn't happen suddenly but it wasn't the case for Arthur and me."

"Professor Lupin said my Mum and Dad were totally a different story. He liked her right off but she hated him because he was an 'arrogant git'. They didn't get together until 7th year started when he changed his tune. I guess everybody has their own circumstances."

"As well as it should be. Have you figured out what you are going to say to Ginny yet?"

"Not yet but I don't want to delay much longer in case she thinks I've taken a hike. We talked pretty well about all the other things she had to discuss with me but this one is so different, so personal. I don't want to end up sounding like a twit rambling all over the place either."

"Well Harry, I'm going to send you out with a bribe to help things get started." Mrs. Weasley went to one of the cupboard drawers and brought back a small tin. When Harry opened it he found four pieces of fudge inside. "Grab the canteen on the way out. I just filled it with water. Ginny is probably up in the tree house. Second row in the orchard, fourth tree to the right. She might not want to be talked down so you'll probably have to climb up. Good luck."

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley", Harry said, "but have some plasters and potions ready in case I don't make it back in one piece."

"I won't speak badly about my daughter, but she'll respect you a lot more if you stick to your guns in a good cause."

"Then I've a very good cause," said Harry, "because it involves a very good friend of mine!" Mrs. Weasley smiled at the look of determination on Harry's face and went back to planning her supper.

Harry had little trouble following the directions to the right tree in the orchard. He found the tree house to be a few boards laid horizontally across the biggest branches with a small lean-to on one side to protect it from the elements. It was hard to spot unless you were very close to it. Undecided how to start the conversation Harry tried to see if humor would work.

"Ahoy the castle" he called from the base of the tree. He estimated that it was about an 8 foot climb to get up to the tree house.

"Har.. Harry is that really you?" came a surprised voice from above.

"Well, of course it is, but don't I have to give the password to get up there?"

"What's the password then? Spies do get shot without it."

"I brought fudge!" Harry said with a laugh.

"Got it in one!" Ginny's face appeared over the side of the floor of the tree house. She was smiling but Harry thought she might have been crying as her eyes were all red.

"Here, catch the rest of the provisions then." Harry tossed the canteen of water up for Ginny to catch. Putting the tin in his pocket, Harry found handholds to climb up to the tree house. He pulled himself up and found he had room to sit side by side or facing Ginny. He waited and let Ginny set the pace for this. When she just patted the seat beside her, Harry moved next to her.

Ginny held out her hand and closed her eyes. Harry looked at her puzzled for a second but then reached into his pocket and placed the tin of fudge in her hand. "Right response", Ginny said opening the tin. She gave Harry a piece before taking one herself and putting the tin away in her pocket.

"Do bribes always work this well?" Harry asked.

"It depends on what the bribe is, of course." Ginny replied as if that was just too simple to explain.

"So if I showed up with a new broom over my shoulder…?"

"I would have tackled you to get it." Ginny replied and then they were both laughing.

"I'm glad you aren't mad at me Harry" Ginny continued shyly.

"I can't fault you for having feelings" Harry started. "That would be incredibly stupid on my part and I try not to be stupid. Considering the education I've got here today, I feel like I should be paying you."

"Oh, you'll pay Mr. Potter" Ginny said. "That is if… do you still want to stay around here?"

"Yes I do Ginny. Let me say this as plainly as I can without hopefully offending you. We're too young to really get serious now but I also have to admit there's something between us that's a little bit more than normal. I think that's why those symbols floated out of you when Madame Pomfrey did that disclosure spell. Somehow we got linked when that accident happened. I've been thinking that we exchanged something somehow and it lets us do this mental thing. If Pomfrey did the spell on you, I'd probably have a few runes floating out of me instead of the other way around. Does that make sense?"

"I think so Harry. I seem to be able to know exactly where you are if I think about it. The question seems to be if we can be around each other."

"Let's try this then" said Harry. He took a deep breath and stuck out his hand, "Hi, my name is Harry Potter and I'm not the unbelievable 'Boy-Who-Lived'.

Ginny smiled back at him and shook his hand. "Glad to meet you. My name is Ginny Weasley and I no longer love the 'Boy-Who-Lived'.

"I like you."

"I like you back."

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment. "May I propose something for more than friends and less than going together?"

"I guess so" Harry replied.

"Hug buddies and I'm never your sister"

"OK. Hug buddies as long as I'm not your brother."

"Future possible?"

"Future possible!"

"But not certain!"

"Not certain!"

"Agreed!"

"And agreed back!"

The two laughed with each other and fell into a mutual hug. Harry felt something else pass between him and Ginny and wondered if it was their mental link settling down. Harry broke the hug first and leaned back to grab the water. He took a look around from his vantage point just enjoying the breeze and the view.

Ginny was still looking at him with a strange smile. "Something wrong Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Just glad my idea worked at getting everything out in the open with you Harry. I was so stressed out that everything I needed to tell you would make you hate me."

"The funny thing is I never got the least bit angry with you over the last bit. What we discussed before with the other piles kind of led into it. I was surprised but not really. It was.. Oh, hang it! Would seeing my memory explain this better for you?"

"I wouldn't want to if you don't want me to, Harry." Ginny still looked a little confused at Harry's stumbling.

"Let's start on this mental thing a little at a time. If I offer to let you see something, then it's ok by me if you see that. If you go beyond what I give you permission for, you back off voluntarily or I shut off the connection. Hopefully that's one rule that lets us both have some privacy while sharing at the same time. Sound ok?"

"Yes that sounds about right. You really don't mind?"

"Ginny," Harry said, "you just let me read your diary! Even I know how secret and guarded those are for most girls. I know I'll want to try explaining things by talking to you sometimes but I also know this mind sharing is a better way to let you see things in detail without me stumbling over myself. Especially about emotional stuff! That last pile was especially a jumble and I'm not sure how to give it justice with words."

'OK. Show Me.' Harry went back in his memory to where Ginny had walked out of her room. He felt a small observer in his head going over the events that took place from there on. Ginny was silent for a minute afterward before reaching out for Harry's hand.

"Thanks for that, Harry. Nice to know I wasn't the only one with a lot of crazy emotions and confusions. I feel better now that I know were kind of going through this together. But I'm not that pretty! I'm all arms and legs and I've got these freckles that go everywhere. And I'm may get … like Mum eventually. You are going to meet much prettier girls than me Harry."

"Sorry Ginny," Harry exclaimed, "I'm sticking with my opinion. I like your freckles! If my green eyes are gorgeous, then your brown eyes are breathtaking! I love the way the sun makes your hair shine with all those colors; it matches your personality. And there's nothing wrong if you get a few curves along the way. I really think the starved stick figure girls aren't attractive anyway."

Ginny was blushing and hiding her face in her hands by the time Harry had finished his opinion of her. He nudged her a few times until she looked at him. "I'll never say any of that where anybody else can hear it. Just so you know. We're not going to go all mushy on each other, ok? None of that kissy stuff until we are a lot older? If we end up getting to that point."

"For Merlin's sake, no! My brothers would beat you up if we did that.

I think we can get away with that hug buddy stuff and that's fine with me. Let's grow up a lot more before we get all tangled up in that."

"Speaking of tangling up, I guess it's time to tell you about the cupboard under the stairs."

"Are you sure you want to do that now? You've had a pretty full day so far. I can wait until another day."

Harry gave a little sigh. "Perhaps you're right. But you have given me so much today that I thought I should tell you a little bit more about me. It can hold till another day. When we're both a little less wrung out."

Draining the canteen, Harry turned to his new hug buddy. "How about we get to that cooking lesson and find something to snack on while we're doing it?"

Ginny smiled back at him. "I think that's a great idea. Especially when we can use this mental thing to prank up the twins!"

Harry laughed and jumped down to the ground. He waited for Ginny to clamber down from the tree house and they walked back to the Burrow together.

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