AN: Hey guys, hope you're all well. Hope you enjoy this and sorry for any mistakes in advance.
/
Harry and Ginny:
Harry couldn't wait until his fourth year at Hogwarts was officially over. It had only gone downhill since his name had been pulled out of the Goblet of Fire.
Harry was sitting by himself down by the lake, stone skipping. He had taken to doing this particular activity for the last few weeks now. He needed the space. Nearly everyone at Hogwarts was becoming unbearable. He felt like he could not talk to anyone.
It didn't matter where he turned there was something or someone that would make him miserable.
Nearly the entire school had turned on him for something he hadn't done, nor did he want to do. The Slytherins were becoming even more merciless in their constant snide remarks and of course their stupid badges. If Harry could, he'd hex the lot of them and pin their stupid badges into their foreheads.
Then of course there was his supposed best friend Ron.
When he had come back from the trophy room on the night he had been chosen as a Tri-Wizard champion he had expected Ron and Hermione to know that he was obviously not the guilty culprit. Hermione had come through but Ron had not.
The bumbling idiot had actually believed that he could have somehow hoodwinked the Goblet of Fire just like most of the stupid school.
He wondered to himself how any of the students of Hogwarts had even passed their tests, O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S when they couldn't tell the difference between an act of rebellion and an act of attempted murder because that's what it had to be.
Someone was setting him up to get killed. He was sure of it. With signs of the World Cup, his dreams and scar it was undoubtedly a plot against him but who's he wasn't sure of yet.
His first thought of course was Voldemort as his dreams had told him that Voldemort was trying to kill him but the plot didn't make sense. His dreams suggested that Voldemort wanted to kill Harry himself but entering Harry into the competition would most likely kill him first.
Why would Voldemort enter him in a dangerous tournament if he wanted to off him, himself?
Harry had no idea what the first task would entail and the only person who he wanted to talk too, about all of it was on the run. Of course he had sent a letter to his Godfather but his reply if he had even received the letter yet was taking its time to find its way back to him.
He knew he should be patient. Sirius was in a dangerous stage of his life. He was flying around on an escaped Hippogriff as an escaped prisoner of Azkaban. He knew Sirius would risk his life for Harry but he didn't want him to get caught, not on his account. So he would wait. He would wait until Sirius could send a message back.
Neville who was one of the few people Harry had been spending time with other than Hermione was currently not at the lake.
Neville in recent weeks had been going down to the lake frequently to find new magical plants from some book he had been given by someone that Harry couldn't really remember whom Neville had spoke of, for when Neville tended to get into one of his moments, Harry tended to shut him out and just wait out his passionate rants for the plants.
Neville in that sense was like Hermione.
Neville had found Harry one day sitting by himself in the shade and had asked him if he wanted to help him chart his findings.
Harry didn't particularly want to do anything of the sort but he had found himself saying yes, realising he was eager for Nevilles company. Neville was one of the few people in Hogwarts who gave him no grief over the tournament. He'd told him that he looked like he could use the distraction.
Harry was honestly so grateful for Neville in that moment, that he jumped at the chance and the two had taken to this little routine for a few hours just after class and before dinner and for several hours on the weekend. He'd spend the rest of his time with Hermione when she wasn't in the Library or trying to coerce Ron into speaking with him.
Hermione had been trying to get the two to talk for weeks now but both were too proud.
It was a Saturday afternoon and lunch had just finished. Harry had asked Hermione if she wanted to come to the lake with her and Neville but Hermione said that she needed to go to the Library first but would come and join them later and left. Harry proceeded to go down to the lake and was currently waiting for Neville. He had forgotten to bring his book down and had told Harry that he would meet him down there.
Harry was sitting in a well shaded spot that obscured any view of him from the castle and even the tree line behind him. For anyone to spot him they would have to walk right into the Shrubbery. Harry only had his bag with some quills and some spare parchment on him so he put it aside not eager to write about plants before Neville came.
He decided to do what he usually did and grabbed some stones and began skipping them on the lake. After a short while he became bored and put the stones beside him.
He tried to think about something positive but found that nothing was coming to mind. Not even quidditch could take his mind off of the constant abuse that he had been receiving for the last few weeks.
He didn't so much care that the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were upset with him. As far as he was aware they were complete idiots especially the "Logical Ravenclaws" if they truly thought that he had put his name in the cup. Then there was the Hufflepuffs who were just being plane petty and childish.
How could you be Jealous over attention of an event that would probably get him killed?
If Harry wanted to take anything from the Hufflepuffs then it would be the Quidditch House Cup which he couldn't even do this year but if he lived to see next year then he would definitely work hard to win it next year just to rub it in their faces.
He knew in his head that statement sounded bad but he couldn't be arsed to care. A whole house was hating on him for something he didn't ask for.
His fellow Gryffindors were of course rooting for him but it didn't make him feel any better because they all believed that he had put his name in the Goblet of Fire. It didn't matter that they supported him, it mattered that they didn't believe him, so he couldn't stand to be in the company of the Gryffindors either.
Finally there was the Slytherins who would be mocking him, whether he was in the competition or not.
"Oh look, scarhead wants attention again. Wanted to be even more famous did you Pottah?" He said out loud imitating his nemesis Draco Malfoy's whiney, drawling voice. Whilst wearing an evident sneer on his face and swinging his head side to side rather sardonically.
He gave a dark chuckle at the thought that ran through his head.
Harry thrice now had been a target of people at Hogwarts turning on him. He had experienced it in his first and second year at Hogwarts by all the houses. Twice, that Gryffindor had turned on him and now thrice that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had. In the end he had saved the school twice and three out four of the houses went back to loving him again.
It was truly sad to know that the only reliable house he could count on to not flip flop with their opinion on him was the Slytherins.
"Pathetic little trolls." He cursed out aloud.
"Harry?"
Harry jerked in surprise at the mention of his name. He instantly knew that the voice did not belong to Neville but another familiar person.
He spun around to find Ginny Weasley eying him curiously. He also noticed the slight blush that crept on her cheeks as he looked at her.
"Oh hi Ginny, I didn't see you there." He said slightly embarrassed at how anxious his voice had become from her creeping up on him.
He had been in such deep thought he hadn't even heard her.
"So I noticed." She said with a warm smile.
He blushed.
"How long have you been standing there?" He asked looking rather abashed.
"Long enough to know that you refer to yourself in the third person Potter." She said giggling.
Harry looked away.
'Oh great.'
"I don't. I was imitating…someone." He said hastily but not wanting to mention Malfoy for some reason.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you were pretending to be Malfoy. It would go to his fat greasy head." She said grinning.
"How did you…."
"I think it's safe to say I know no one else in this school who refers to you as scarhead and PotTAh instead of Potter." She said shaking her head.
Harry let out a small chuckle.
"So who exactly are pathetic little trolls anyway?" She asked amused.
"Oh, currently just a lot of people in Hogwarts right now." He said unapologetic.
"Well I hope I'm not one of those people?" She said casually.
Harry looked at Ginny for a moment.
Ginny had never talked this much in his presence before. He noticed how she didn't seem to be muttering either as she usually did when speaking to him. He was pleased.
He had not had a proper conversation with Ginny since second year when he had saved her life in the chamber of secrets. He decided to engage with her in a light tone hoping she wouldn't revert once he started conversing with her.
"Well that depends Miss Weasley, on whether or not you think I put my name in the goblet of fire." He said; his tone emanating a posh solemn mockery as he lifted his chin high in the air.
"Oh come now Mr Potter, you'd have to be pretty foolish to think that a fourteen year old boy could possibly trick a powerful magical artefact created over two hundred years ago. You are an extraordinary wizard good sir but you're not that good." Said Ginny matching Harry's tone.
The two stared at one another for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Since when did you know so much about the Goblet of fire?" Harry asked in between laughs.
"I don't. Hermione does. She was going on about how even if an older student did put your name in, it wouldn't matter because the goblet would know your underage so the goblet had to clearly be tampered with and it would have to be extremely powerful magic that no student of Hogwarts could possibly achieve and blah blah blah. She went on for a while." Said Ginny whilst suppressing the urge to shiver at the thought of the long conversation she had, had with Hermione.
"She usually does." Harry said chuckling before continuing. "Well I'm glad you're not one of them." He said sincerely.
At least one Weasley believed him.
"You'd actually have to be pretty stupid if you seriously did believe with or without Hermione's knowledge of the Goblet that you put your name in it. I mean how? How? Hermione says you just about pay attention in charms. There's no way you could have, not to mention Hermione says that the goblet is only supposed to spit out one name from each school before it's fire goes out and you and Dumbledore looked pretty shocked if you asked me. So no I definitely don't believe that you did it not to mention you hate extra attention on you." She said firmly.
"I didn't know you knew that." Harry said a little shocked.
"Oh come off it Harry I've known you for three years now. I know how you are." She said with another small blush.
"Well now I'm definitely glad you're not one of those people." Harry said elated.
He was beginning to see Ginny in a whole new light. There was much more to the youngest Weasley than he had initially given credit for.
Ginny gave another warm smile but let it drop and adopted an enquiring look on her face.
"Is one of those people my brother?" She asked curiously.
There seemed to be no hostile tone while she had asked the question but it made Harry feel uncomfortable nevertheless.
"Ginny…"
"It's ok Harry. If you want to curse him out you go right ahead. He's an idiot. He ditches his best friend because he's jealous and It's so obvious he wants to talk to you but he's being a total dung beetle. Honestly if mum knew how he was behaving she'd have him for breakfast or least give him a good smack round the head but I'm not a perfect Percy so unfortunately I won't be telling her unless you want me too. It will certainly show him." She said laughing at the idea.
"He might be an idiot but I don't want to get him in trouble at least not with Mrs Weasley. It's a fate worse than death. The wrath of Molly Weasley is far too dangerous a power to exploit for my own petty needs." He said sighing heavy.
"You're too kind for your own good Harry." She said stepping a little closer to him.
"What can I say? So what are you doing here anyway?" He asked casually.
He noted that it was really nice and easy to talk to Ginny.
"I'm going to go meet my friend Luna in the forbidden forest. Some people in our year were giving her a hard time so I dealt with them. So she invited me to go see some creatures with her. She's really unique." Ginny said firmly as if Challenging Harry to say otherwise even without knowing the girl she spoke of.
"Cool." He stated.
He was a little disappointed that she was probably going to leave in a minute.
"What about you? What are you doing here?" She asked curiously.
"Charting plants with Neville. Although he should've been here by now." He said looking around.
"Oh you know Neville always one step away from losing his head. I can wait with you if you like until he gets here?" She offered.
Harry was surprised. Not only was Ginny talking to him but offering to keep him company. He wondered what was going on with her.
"I don't mind." He said a little nervous, all of a sudden. He wasn't used to a confident Ginny.
Ginny walked over to him and sat down next to him. She then noticed the pile of rocks that sat to the left of him.
"Hey you're stone skipping. I love stone skipping. Fred and George used to do it with me all the time when I was younger. Can I have a go?" She asked excitedly.
"Sure go for it." He said passing her a large rock.
"No, no." She said refusing the rock.
"What?" He asked confused.
"Watch and learn Potter." She said with a grin on her face. She leaned over him to look at the selection of rocks beside his legs. Harry couldn't help but get a whiff of Ginny's hair. Her long luscious locks smelled like sweet strawberries.
'Woah. Stop that.' He thought to himself sternly.
Ginny leaned back over. She had grabbed a stone not too big but big enough to fit the size of her hand. The rock seemed to be triangular. She stood up and walked to the bank of the lake and turned at a slight angle so that her right side was facing the lake and her left was facing Harry. She gripped the stone with her thumb, index, and middle finger. She pulled her arm back twice rather slowly, then in a flash released the stone. It soared for seconds in the air before it hit the water with four large bounces before sinking far out into the lake.
Harry's jaw dropped open.
"Ginny that was…..that was brilliant." Harry said whilst still looking out into the lake where the stone had been flung.
"No it wasn't." Said Ginny blushing slightly.
"I'm serious. It was. That was Hagrid Level skipping. I'm terrible at it." Said Harry with a massive grin on his face.
"Thanks, although I can usually do better but either way It's all about the technique. Don't throw it hard, throw it fast and it flies. Why don't you give it a go?" Ginny said matter of factly while still being a little red in the face.
Harry stood up and picked up a rock with a flat surface that wasn't too big. He then got up and moved over to where Ginny was standing and turned at an angle. He pulled his arm back and released the stone. It flew in the air for a few seconds and then hit the water with two pitiful bounces and sunk.
"Well if you didn't know me, I would say that pretty much sums up my life. One bad shot and it all goes downhill from there." Said Harry slightly discouraged.
"You just have to try again." She said with a slight giggle.
She then turned around and retrieved a few more rocks and came back over. She picked one similar to the first one she had thrown and put the rest down. She then took Harry's hand and put the stone in his. She turned him just a little more to the side and made him spread his legs a bit. She then lowered his arm and took his hand again and positioned his thumb, index and middle finger how she had on hers.
Harry couldn't help but notice that her hands were incredibly warm and soft.
'I said stop it.' Said the little voice inside his head. He was very glad that Ginny was behind him and couldn't see the blush that was forming on his cheeks.
"Ok keep your arm low. Swing fast." She said encouragingly.
Harry took a deep breath and then flung the stone fast.
Harry expected the stone to bounce twice again, instead his jaw dropped for the second time when the stone bounced an impressive six times before sinking in the lake.
He spun and saw Ginny's jaw also dropped but she looked ecstatic.
"Harry. That was amazing." She said looking where the stone had settled which surpassed her throw.
"Thanks but I won't take credit for something you just taught me." He said with a sheepish grin.
"Please. Teaching is just showing the way, acting upon the lesson is all you." She said with a toothy smile.
"Are you sure you're not a Ravenclaw?" He asked teasingly.
"No, but at least we know I'm smarter than you." She said raising her head high like previously in their conversation.
Harry tried to scoff indignantly but found himself bursting out with laughter and Ginny joined in too.
When the two stopped and looked at one another Harry felt a strange feeling buzzing inside him.
"It's really nice talking to you Ginny. I'm just sorry we don't talk more but I aim to rectify that." Harry said assertively.
Ginny couldn't help but let a bright pink blush form on her cheeks and looked down almost embarrassedly but decided to speak.
"Well you are Rons best friend or used to be at least so I never wanted to impose, but you did save my life Harry, so if you ever need to talk I'll always be here." She said kindly.
She had looked up for that last part and Harry saw her bright brown eyes glistening so intensely it caused him to involuntarily shiver, but he could tell that the feeling swelling inside his chest was a good feeling. It meant he could trust her words. He wasn't completely alone.
"Thank you Ginny. Firstly Hermione is Rons friend and yours so hopefully I can be too. Also I know I have Hermione but I think I needed to hear that from someone else. I'm really glad it's you. It means a lot coming from a Weasley." He said with a heartfelt smile.
Ginny in that moment felt two different types of tingles in her body. One in her chest and the other in her head. Ginny did everything in her power to not go completely red.
"Well I'm glad to be there even if Ron isn't but the idiot will come around eventually." She said; her voice starting to become timid.
Harry was about to say something when he was interrupted by a loud rustling thud.
"Ow." Said Neville loudly.
"Are you alright Neville?" Said Hermione concerned.
"I think I tripped on your foot by accident." Neville said painfully.
"Oh I'm completely sorry." Hermione said loudly.
"It's alright. Nothings broken." Neville said.
"Here let me get that for you." Hermione offered. Neville must have dropped his stuff.
Harry and Ginny smiled. They couldn't see Neville or Hermione but could tell they were not too far away in the tree line making their way.
Ginny decided It was time to leave.
"I better go Harry, Luna will be waiting. Have fun and try not to let everyone get you down. You know the truth and that's what's important." She said in a small voice with a final smile. She gave a comforting rub on his arm and began to turn around.
"Ginny." Harry said stepping forward quickly and grabbing her arm. He decided to kiss her on her cheek before she left to thank her for being a great friend but as Ginny turned quickly back to face him his lips ended up on hers before he could stop himself.
It only lasted for a moment but it had happened.
Harry stepped back horrified.
Ginny's face now matched the colour of her hair.
They looked at each other not knowing what to say. What surprised Harry most was how much he had liked the moment.
"I-I- I'm so sorry Ginny. I-I -I was going for your cheek and, and I'm really sorry." Harry said breathlessly.
"It's ok…." She muttered but just as she was trying to form a logical sentence to truly comprehend what had just happened, Neville and Hermione came through the shrubbery.
Harry and Ginny both looked like deer's caught in headlights and jumped back in fright.
"Sorry Harry I bumped into Hermione on my way back from the common room and we were having an interesting conversation that took a while. She said that you invited her anyway so we made our way here together. Sorry to leave you hanging Harry. Oh hey Ginny you gonna stay and find some plants with us?" Neville said unaware of the awkward tension in the air.
Ginny seemed to recover much quicker than Harry and turned away from him and gave a big smile towards Neville and Hermione.
"I would love too Neville but I'm actually meeting a friend to go see some creatures instead but let me know on another date?" She said her voice less timid than it had been during the last few minutes of hers and Harry's conversation.
"Definitely." Neville said with a wide grin.
Hermione said nothing but had a very inquisitive look on her face as she looked from Ginny to Harry. Harry noticed this and tried to remove the embarrassed look he must've had.
"Right I better go. Have fun guys. Bye Harry." Ginny said walking towards the shrubbery.
"Bye Ginny." Harry said quietly.
Neville said bye to Ginny and began walking towards Harry who was still looking after Ginny who was hugging Hermione.
"You alright Harry?" He asked putting a hand on his shoulder.
Harry looked towards Neville who he could see was concerned.
"Yeah. Are you?" He said looking at Neville who he could see was covered in dirt.
"Yeah I fell over Hermione's foot but I'll live. You ready?" He asked smiling.
Harry just nodded as he saw Ginny disappear through the shrubbery.
"Neville, Harry I think I dropped my wand but go ahead and start without me, I'll be back in a moment." Hermione said and walked through the shrubbery.
Harry had a suspicious feeling that Hermione had not dropped her wand at all but found himself saying "ok." Because he wasn't sure if he would be able to say anything else. So he walked over to where his parchment was, picked it up and said "Ready when you are Nev."
He knew however that his mind would not be focused on plants but that of the soft lips of Ginny Weasley.
'What've you gone and got yourself into this time Potter?' He thought to himself but he couldn't stop the giant grin that had formed on his face.
He knew full well there would be some repercussions of the thoughts and feelings that were swimming around in him if in particular any other Weasley were to find out but he knew right now that his thoughts and feelings were all very confusing.
Did he have a crush on Ginny?
No he had a crush on Cho.
Was the feeling just a spur of the moment thing?
It had to be. She was being nice and supportive and who doesn't like kissing?
Would he be over it by tomorrow?
Absolutely. He had just decided he would be a friend to Ginny rather then her brothers friend that was occasionally around her house and the kiss was an accident. A really nice accident but an accident nevertheless and he definitely had a crush on Cho.
Harry was unaware of just how wrong he truly was but decided he would still be Ginny's friend and forget the moment as much as he could, not knowing that the moment had sealed their fate as true loves first kiss.
On the other side of the shrubbery Hermione Granger was interrogating a very red Ginny Weasley.
"Ok so you talked, skipped stones, he told you he wanted to be your friend. So what happened after he thanked you?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"He kissed me." Ginny blurted out before thinking. She covered her mouth and looked around but could see no one in the tree line.
Whatever Hermione had been expecting it had not been that and very unladylike dropped her jaw open wide before uttering a surprised "What?"
"It was an accident mind you but it happened just before you and Neville came. He went to kiss my cheek but I turned around and he kissed my lips." She rushed, her head feeling light and dazed.
"Oh my god." Hermione said astonished.
"I know." Ginny said in a tone that was between giddy and panicked.
"Well that wasn't exactly apart of the plan but I'm sure we can work with it." Hermione said lightly.
"The plan was for me to stop being a hopeless fan girl and be his friend so that I could try and move on. No part of the plan was an accidental kiss supposed to happen and I should have never done it anyway. You had to give me confidence potion to comfort him which was wearing off. I thought it was supposed to last up to an hour?" Ginny asked slightly annoyed.
"Sorry I must have not put enough toad legs in there but look either way it's a good thing. He knows he has a friend in you now and he'll most definitely appreciate your company especially as Ron is not talking to him and slowly as you get more comfortable you'll find your awkwardness fading away." Hermione said encouragingly.
"Yes but it was so that I could try and get rid of my awkward crush and just be good friends. I know Harry will never see me the way I do him so I'd rather be able to just be his friend and since half the school is being stupid towards him I wanted to be there for him but if anything the kiss has made it worse. He'll probably never talk to me again." Ginny said crestfallen.
"I wouldn't be so sure." Said Hermione with a glint in her eye.
"What do you mean?" Asked Ginny looking up at Hermione.
"I have a feeling Harry's going to talk to you soon." Hermione said in a subtle voice with a smile to add.
"What are you talking about." Asked Ginny confused.
"I'm gonna find out when Neville is gonna go down to the lake again and I'll make sure you have a better batch of confidence potion until you don't need it." Hermione said firmly.
"Hermione…."
"You better go meet Luna otherwise she'll think that you're not coming. I'll see you later at dinner." Hermione said rather innocently.
Ginny just stared at her for a few moments before begrudgingly leaving to go meet Luna.
Hermione let a massive smile grace her lips as she watched Ginny walk further up the path before disappearing into the tree line just like Harry had done rather longingly.
"Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all." She said out aloud delighted that her plan had taken a different turn. Ginny had wanted to get rid of her feelings but Hermione had an inkling that Harry might just be starting to share them.
With that thought she went to go and join Harry and Neville and find some new plants, feeling extremely proud and gleeful. Now she just had to work on Ron to make him stop being a complete idiot.
/