Ginny... Monday
Harry wouldn't stop staring at her! Last night, as soon as she had walked into the common room, her eyes met his. He had been sitting with her brother and Hermione, and as soon as she walked into the room, he had looked up as if he could sense her presence.
She had gone to a table of other fifth years and sat by Colin. She'd felt his eyes burning into the back of her neck, and when she'd finally had enough, she just turned in early.
Now she's trying to eat as fast as she can so she can leave his presence and lingering gazes. He's been telling Ron about the movie series he quoted last night at the feast. Apparently, Star Wars is a huge muggle thing. Every time he told a joke, he looked at Ginny like she was the reason he could laugh and smile. It's annoying.
"I'm off to potions," Ginny mutters. She gets up and leaves the Great Hall. People scatter and get out of her way. She'd changed over the summer, and everyone noticed. She didn't smile at everyone like she used to or move out of anyone's way. Now she kept her face in a neutral expression and her eyes and ears constantly open.
Ginny hears pounding feet behind her and turns to see what's making the noise. Ginny rolls her eyes when she sees Harry Potter running after her. She quickens her pace hoping to reach the potions classroom before he reaches her.
"Gin! Hey!" Harry calls. Ginny huffs and stops walking. Maybe a good telling-off will get him to leave her alone.
"How can I help you, my Lord?" Ginny asks sarcastically. Maybe he'll leave if she's rude?
"I smacked right into a suit of armor trying to catch up with you and bit my lip. Think you could kiss it better?" Harry asks with a small smirk. His smirk makes Ginny glower. She doesn't have time for this.
"How about you go ask your girlfriend from back home to kiss it better," Ginny says. She turns quickly and continues her walk to the dungeons. Harry falls in step with her and syncs their strides. Ginny rolls her eyes. Prat.
"I don't have a girlfriend back home," Harry says. He syncs their arm movements too, so Ginny stops moving hers to spite him.
"How about you? Do you have a boyfriend to kiss all of your small accidents?" Harry asks.
"Boys are an unnecessary distraction," Ginny answers, hoping he'll take the hint and leave.
"We are distractions, aren't we? Am I distracting you, Luv?" Harry asks, putting a British accent onto the word Luv. Ginny refuses to answer his question because, yes, he is distracting. His stupid messy hair, his green eyes, his American accent that has hints of a British accent underneath it. Probably a side effect of living with Lord Black.
Couldn't he just leave her alone so she can forget about all of this nonsense?
"If you're going to follow me around, can we please do it in silence?"
"I don't usually kiss on the first date, but if it's silence you want, feel free to shut me up," Harry grabs her hand and pulls her to a stop. He takes a step forward until he's right in her space. Ginny's breathing quickens, and she starts to panic.
He's not a Death Eater. Not a Death Eater. Not a Death Eater.
"Hey, it's okay. It's just me. Calm down, you can trust me," Harry says slowly, sensing her panic.
You're fine. Fine. Fine. Fine.
"How can I trust you? I don't know you!" Ginny shoves at his chest, hoping he'll get off of her. She needs some room to breathe.
He can't apparate in Hogwarts; you're fine! You're not going anywhere you don't want to. He won't do anything!
"We're going to be partners, so you need to trust me. Ask me any question you can think of. We'll be working with each other for the rest of the year," He pulls her into a gentle hug, and he surprisingly smells good. Death eaters don't smell good.
Ginny breathes in deeply and exhales with a small woosh. Death Eaters always smell awful. Ginny's never met a death Eater who didn't smell like liquor, rich cologne, or both. Harry smells like pine needles and broom polish.
"Can you get off of me?" Ginny asks, finally getting her panic and breathing under control. Instead of getting off of her, Harry pulls their bodies tighter together. Why does he have to make things so difficult?
"Look me in the eyes. You won't ever be able to trust me if you can't look me in the eyes," Harry shifts away from her, and Ginny can feel his gaze burning into her once again.
"I'll help teach you to be an animagus if you look at me," Harry says. His voice is low, and it tempts Ginny in so many different ways, it takes her a second to realize what he's offering her. She feels bipolar. At one second, she wants to punch him, and the next second, she wants to have her way with him. Or maybe just kiss him? Maybe not. Why is intimacy so terrifying all of the sudden?
She needs to get rid of any thoughts about him. She can't be distracted. I refuse to be distracted!
Ginny lifts her eyes until they meet Harry's, and suddenly, she can't breathe again. His eyes look into her soul, and they leave her bare. A shiver runs down her spine, and she drops her eyes again. She's been planning on becoming an animagus since she read a book on it this summer. She hoped Minerva would teach her, but maybe she can learn from Harry.
"We'll work on it," his lips press to her forehead briefly before he steps away. Why is he doing this? She needs to get away from him.
If any other person kissed her forehead, she would have cursed them into the next year, but it felt good. Ginny's stomach tightens, and she might throw up.
"I'm late for class," Ginny mutters. She steps away from him and turns so she can continue making her way to the dungeons.
"I'll walk with you," Harry says.
They walk in silence, finally. For the first time, Ginny is excited to get to potions. The silence, while better than talking, is charged, and Ginny knows they have a lot more to talk about.
She should have known better than to let him ask her questions last night. She would have broken Albus down eventually. Now she has to deal with him for the rest of the year. Maybe longer.
Ginny nods to Harry as she walks to her class door. He grabs her hand, and Ginny huffs. What's with all the physical contact?
"I don't want to only be ally's Gin," His eyes lock with hers, and Ginny knows he's being honest. Why can't he just work with her and let that be that?
"What do you want to be then? The most I can let us be is partners," Ginny regrets the words instantly. She should've just said it was his problem if he wanted to be more because she wouldn't do more.
"That'll work for now," He kisses her hand and then leaves her standing there. She'll deal with this later she's late.
Focus, focus, focus. Learn everything that could possibly help in a war. Start a small checklist of why you're going to a Potions class and not training instead.
Potions can be the difference between life and death. Her mom will kill her if she doesn't get an owl in the class. She loves seeing Snape's face when she makes a potion, right...
Ginny walks into potions, her face back in its neutral expression and ready to face the class. Snape sneers at her as she takes her seat.
"Five points from Gryffindor for being late and detention tonight with McGonagall."
If Harry is trying to make her like him, he needs to stop. Every step forward leads to two steps backward.
Harry Monday
Harry leaves Ginny standing there with a small skip in his step. The corridor is now empty, and the castle has a deserted feel to it. Ginny's obviously uncomfortable being close to him. It reminds him of this documentary he watched on rape victims. The victims would panic when they got close to people they didn't trust or when they feel trapped.
If he's going to be working with Ginny for the duration of this war, she needs to get over her fear. It would probably help if she could trust him.
How does one go about earning trust? Should he ease her into more physical contact, so she knows he won't hurt her? Should he tell her more about himself, so she knows he isn't tricking her? Should he stop flirting with her? No, then he'd physically combust, and then they'd have a real problem on their hands. He'll just have to slow his roll and ease her into how he does things.
Harry doesn't know why he's so attracted to her. It's like she cast an accio charm on him. There's this pull. Her magical signature is strong and gives him a tingly feeling when he studies it closely. She's undeniably beautiful, and she's a spitfire to boot.
She's the kind of girl he'd be willing to chase and wait for. His very own Lily Evans. Harry smiles at the thought.
Harry opens the door to where his transfiguration class is supposed to be and pauses in the entryway. There's a giant needle in the middle of the room; the point of said needle is facing the doorway. That looks a bit dangerous. He could have impaled himself.
"Mr. Potter, you're late," McGonagall says, stepping into Harry's line of vision. She looks frustrated. Great.
"It's a good thing I'm late, right? I probably would have been skewered by that needle if I were here any earlier! Doubt you could've saved me from that thing!"
"I don't need your cheek. That'll be detention with me tonight for your tardiness and disrespect," Harry groans. So much for seeing Dumbledore for tea tonight. Harry ducks under the needle and tries to find an open seat. When he sits down, McGonagall shrinks the needle and places it on Neville's desk.
"Focus on the size of the needle before you go casting spells! You could have impaled someone, Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall goes to the front of the class, and Harry just knows she's going to be a tough professor to break.
Still Harry...
Harry walks to McGonagall's classroom for the second time that day. He doesn't think it's quite fair that he got detention on the first day of classes. Harry doesn't mind, however, getting a good look at all the portraits again. They keep to themselves for the most part, but sometimes they'd talk to you. He'd had a fascinating conversation with a knight before lunch earlier about the round table and King Arthur.
Harry knocks on the door before he opens it. He takes a quick look around the classroom and realizes he's the only student there. That's tough.
"If you have any homework to do, then complete it. If not, then I have some transfiguration practice you can do," McGonagall says from her desk. Harry nods his head before he takes a seat at the desk closest to hers.
"I don't have any assignments, but is it okay if I do my own transfiguration practice?" Harry asks.
"As long as it isn't anything dark or dangerous," She replies without looking up.
Harry scowls. There are very few things that get on his nerves, but one of them is when people accuse him of dark magic. Elemental magic is light magic to its core.
"I'm not a dark wizard," Harry mumbles. He flicks his hand, summoning his wand, and swirls it around, conjuring some Hawaiian ferns and Hala leaves and flowers.
"I never implied you were," McGonagall says calmly. Harry doesn't look up from the Haku he starts weaving. He just conjures some white orchids and baby's breath.
"Then why would you imply I know dark magic?" Harry keeps his eye on his task while they speak, even while he feels her gaze on him. He doesn't want her to see his anger.
"Sometimes, the best way to defeat dark wizards is to understand the magic they use. I would have thought Dumbledore would tell you this?"
"He has, and I do study dark magic. I never practice it, though," Harry replaces his wand in its holster and starts weaving the flowers into the greenery.
"I'm sorry to have said something then," McGonagall apologizes. Harry nods his head in acceptance and keeps weaving the greenery together.
They sit in silence, and Harry wonders how long detention is supposed to last. He hopes not too long.
The door behind him crashes open, and Harry spins around in surprise.
"You're late, Miss Weasley," McGonagall says, not as surprised as Harry is to see Ginny flying through the door.
"Sorry, I was in the library, and I lost track of time!" Ginny sets her stuff next to Harry's and sits down. When her eyes catch his own, they widen.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Ginny mutters. Harry snorts. She has a foul mouth. Wonder what other quirks there are about her mouth.
"Miss Weasley!" McGonagall says, clearly aghast with her language.
"Sorry, Minerva, it's just... he's everywhere! Whenever I'm not in class, he's there! Are you following me?" Ginny turns to him with accusing eyes.
Harry looks down, hoping she doesn't notice his burning cheeks. He'd asked Colin Creevey what her schedule was so he could meet her after classes, but she always left him in the dust whenever he approached her!
"You are! Minerva, that's stalking!" Ginny exclaims loudly. She definitely saw my cheeks.
"That's enough. Reign in your emotions," Minerva says. Is that her first name? It's beautiful. Harry decides to tell her so.
"Minerva is a pretty name."
Minerva's cheeks go pink, and Harry grins. He is going to have his stern Head of House broken and used to his laid-back antics in no time des[ite his earlier mishaps!
"Ginny, if you have any work to do, go ahead and do it. If not, feel free to practice anything for your classes," Minerva says. Harry raises his eyebrows. She can work on any of her classes. Why did he have to work on transfiguration? Does Ginny have a special relationship with all her teachers?
Ginny pulls out a book and starts reading so Harry continues weaving his greenery. It's key to have long nimble fingers when doing any sort of weaving. Harry finishes weaving the greenery when he ties the two ends together, making a circle. He then starts weaving the orchids and baby's breath into the greenery.
"What are you making, Mr. Potter?" Minerva asks him curiously.
"It's called a Haku lei. You guys probably just call them flower crowns," Harry says. The stem of the baby's breath he was currently weaving breaks. Why does the baby's breath always have to be so difficult?
"I learned how to make them when I lived in Hawaii for a year," Harry loved living in Hawaii. The islands are beautiful.
"It's very pretty," Minerva compliments.
"It'll look even better when you're wearing it," Harry says. He smiles at her, and her cheeks go pink again. Score.
"It would look even better on Ginny, don't you think?" Minerva says slyly. Harry's cheeks go pink. Minerva one, Harry two. When Ginny looks over with a tilted head, Harry tries to think of a flirty response. How do I answer this without being too gushy?
"I'm sure Ginny looks pretty no matter what she wears," Harry mumbles. Not quite flirty, but maybe if I...
"Of course, I'm sure she'd look even more gorgeous not wearing anything, but that's just my opinion," Harry ducks his head when Ginny gasps and hits his arm forcefully, Minerva chokes, and Harry smiles. Harry 3 Minerva 1. Ginny 1,000.
"Don't make me take points away from my own house, Potter," Minerva threatens.
"Would you take points away if I jinxed him?" Ginny asks, glaring at him threateningly. Harry whips his head up in time to see Minerva shake her head. Thank goodness. I don't even want to know what jinxes and hexes are running through her mind.
Harry returns his attention to his Haku, and they sit in silence for a while.
"Minerva can you cast a patronus?" Ginny asks offhandedly. Harry lifts his head and turns to Ginny.
"I can. Why?" Minerva asks. Harry wants to know why too.
"I want to learn how to send messages with them and was wondering if you could teach me?" Ginny asks, looking hopefully at her professor.
"I'm working on some financial business for Dumbledore at the moment. I can help you another day if that works for you?" Minerva asks.
"I can teach you right now if you want," Harry cuts in quickly.
"You know how?" Ginny asks, seemingly surprised. Why is she so surprised?
"Of course I do. I learned how to make a Patronus in my third year and send messages in my fourth," Harry smiles proudly, and Ginny scowls.
"Can you show me how then?" She asks. It must take an effort to ask him because her face is red, and Harry is positive it's not from embarrassment.
"Of course," Harry flicks his hand, summoning his wand to his hand. He waves his wand in a circular motion. Thinking about his first girlfriend and how they came to be together, he exclaims, "Expecto Patronum!"
His stag comes flying from his wand, and Harry smiles. He beckons the stag to him and whispers, "Nuntius satus. After our detention, would you let me escort you back to the common room? Nuntius metam. Send this message to Ginerva Weasley."
Harry watches his Patronus turn into mist and float over to Ginny. His stag reemerges and speaks to Ginny.
"So, what do you say?" Ginny asks when his Patronus disappears.
"You cast your Patronus and say, nuntius satus, which means 'message start' in Latin. After that, you say your message. When you're finished, you say nuntius metam, which means 'message finish,' and then to send the Patronus away, you say, send to, and then their name," Harry watches her twirl her wand in-between her fingers. Her eyebrows are pulled together, causing little wrinkles to form on her forehead. The urge to smooth the wrinkles out with his thumb is almost too much to not act on.
"Expecto patronum," Ginny says firmly. Mist comes out of her wand and starts to form what looks like a bird. The almost formed mist sputters and loses its form, leaving a stream of white mist. Harry frowns. He thought she'd be able to form a corporeal Patronus. She'd asked how to send messages with a Patronus, not how to create one.
Harry watches Ginny's face crumble and quickly rushes to her side. He goes to pull her into a hug when she puts her hand out.
"I'm fine," Ginny says harshly. Harry drops his arms uselessly by his sides. Ginny breathes out slowly, and the tears in her eyes go away.
"What memory were you trying to use?" Harry asks quietly.
"My oldest brother, Bill, gave me a book on runes when we went to Egypt to see him a few summers ago. I had told him I wanted to be just like him, and he told me I already was like him, but an even better version. It made my year, my whole life, actually. I was so proud to be me.
"I've wanted to be a curse breaker, just like he is when I graduate. That is if I survive the war," Ginny's face is wistful and Harry, not for the first time, wishes he had siblings.
"Has that memory worked before?" Harry asks gently. He wants to understand the situation so he can fix it. If he's rude, she'll probably leave, and any plans he had for them being partners will be ancient history. There's also the fact she wouldn't learn how to send messages by Patronus, and it's a useful skill to have. He doesn't want to be the reason she's hurt, or worse killed.
"Yeah, it's worked since I was first able to do the charm," Ginny's twirling her wand in-between her fingers again.
"You can't let yourself think like that," Harry says quietly.
"Like what?" Ginny asks.
"You said, if you survive the war," Harry snatches her wand and holds it gently in both hands.
"Give me that!" Ginny says tersely. She makes a grab for it, but Harry holds it out of her reach.
Harry examines the wand and smiles once he gets a feel for it. It's brand new and yet it already has marks on it. She's been training on her own, it seems.
"This is brand new. I'm assuming you had to get it after you were kidnapped?" Ginny nods, and Harry hands it back to her reverently. Wands are to be treated with respect.
"You'll make it through this war, and I'll make sure of it. You'll become a curse breaker, get married, have lots of babies, and live a happy life. I promise," Harry says. He tries to catch her eye, but her head is down. Harry looks away and ruffles his hair with his hand. She doesn't look like she believes him, but he can't blame her. It's quite the promise he just made, and Harry prides himself in keeping his promises.
"Try a different memory like your first kiss or something, and we'll see if you get more mist, less mist, or an actual form," Harry steps away to give her some room.
"My first kiss?" Ginny asks, bewildered. Shit, what if she's never kissed, anyone?
"You have kissed someone, right? Or was it just not great? If it's the first thing, then I can quickly remedy that," Harry closes his mouth tightly, and his eyes widen. He hadn't planned to say that. What happened to slowing your roll, Potter?
Ginny laughs, and Harry smiles, relieved. She should laugh more often. It's a nice change.
"You should laugh more often," Harry omits quietly. Her smile disappears, and Harry sighs.
"I should get back to work," Ginny says firmly. Her face is back to its normal expression, and Harry rolls his eyes. Just as he was making some progress, he had to ruin it by opening his big fat mouth.
Ginny starts twirling her wand again and closes her eyes. Harry watches a small smile come on her face, and he doesn't know whether to be happy that she found another happy memory or jealous because it's from her first kiss. Don't be a hypocrite, Harry! Your first kiss is how you get your Patronus when sending messages!
"Expecto Patronum," Ginny says firmly. A white mist comes out of her wand and quickly transforms into a Phoenix. It flies around the ceiling before hovering in front of Ginny.
Ginny's Patronus is beautiful. She's beautiful. Her small smile as she looks at the Pheonix is enough to make Harry fall in love just a little bit more.
Ginny whispers to the Phoenix, and then suddenly, her Patronus is in front of him. In Ginny's voice, it says, "We might as well walk back together. We are going to the same place," the Phoenix bows and then returns to her wand.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for snapping at you today. You're right we'll need to know each other if we're going to work together," Ginny whispers. Harry beams.
"Love means never having to say you're sorry. Love Story," Harry says simply. Ginny rolls her eyes at him and she might as well have kissed him from the thrill it sends to his heart.
"Practice the charm some more. Doing it once doesn't mean you can do it. Also, I have a few tips on how to strengthen the charm..." Harry steps beside her so she can watch the motion he uses with his own wand.
Ginny
Ginny thanks Minerva before she closes the door behind her. Ginny turns to find Harry waiting for her with a smile on his face. He has dimples when he smiles, and it's kind of adorable. He'd been smiling at her all night. She never thought someone could be happy when they saw someone else laugh, but Harry had beamed when he had made her laugh. His pearl white teeth practically glowed in the torchlight, and Ginny was tempted to laugh at everything else he said just to see that smile again.
Of course, she won't because then he'll think she likes his presence or maybe even him, and that would be bad. He doesn't need to know she finds him attractive either. That would cause both of them to lose focus, and that would be even worse. Being around him is dangerous.
Ginny starts walking down the corridor, and Harry quickly falls beside her. The silence isn't awkward, but Ginny knows Harry is brimming with questions. When she had said sorry earlier, she meant it. She's been snapping at people since she landed back in Dumbledore's office this last summer, and all of the sudden, it's her third year all over again.
Ginny doesn't want that to happen, but she doesn't want to become distracted by things when she can be training. It's how she got taken in the first place. She should have seen the signs of an attack and been able to defend herself! But no, she was eating ice cream and telling jokes with her friends.
"Can I ask you a question?" Harry asks, cutting through her thoughts. Ginny wants to say he just did, ask a question, but refrains.
"As long as I have the right to not answer," Ginny says instead.
"Perfect. Who was your first kiss with?" Harry smiles at her, and Ginny snorts. This was one of his burning questions?
"Seamus Finnigan. He's a sixth year, so you've probably met him," Ginny smiles as the memory comes up. She'd had so much fun that night.
"Is there a story?" Harry asks, looking intrigued.
"Yeah. We had just beaten Slytherin at quidditch. I caught the snitch from right under Malfoy's nose; it was a fantastic catch, if I say so myself. My twin brothers snuck in some firewhisky to the after-party, and everyone either got drunk or tipsy. I only had one shot before I stuck with butterbeer, but Seamus was playing a drinking game with the twins.
"My brothers can hold their alcohol, but Seamus... Seamus outdrank them all! His family owns a pub in Ireland, and apparently, he's been sneaking drinks since he was thirteen. Anyways, we had all gotten in a circle to play spin the bottle. There were three rules. One, if someone was taken, they could only be kissed on the cheek unless their significant other was the one to spin. Two, if you land on someone you're related to, you get to re-spin, and the last rule, you had to snog for at least a minute," Harry chuckles, and Ginny bumps her hip against his.
Ginny loves telling this story. It reminds Ginny of simpler times.
"Seamus got to go first since he drank the twins under the table. He spun, and it landed on me. We snogged for what seemed like ages. I knew he was drunk out of his mind because he grabbed me, pulled me onto his lap, and snogged the life out of me in front of five of my brothers. Charlie, my second oldest brother, had come to the match and stayed for the party. They bring it up all the time. My brothers like to change up the amount of time we kissed every time they tell the story, but Hermione says we snogged for at least five minutes," Ginny smiles and turns to Harry. He's smiling again.
"What about you, Harry? Who was your first kiss with?" Ginny asks. Harry smiles wistfully, and Ginny's heart contracts for a second. I must be getting heartburn.
"Her name was Keira. I'd had a crush on her for ages. All of my fourth year, in fact. In my fifth year, I told myself to suck it up and kiss her," Harry laughs suddenly and it makes Ginny smile. He's such a happy guy considering his past and future life. She's slightly envious.
"I asked her out on a date the first night we got back to school my fifth year. She said yes, and I told her to meet me at the front gates bright and early Saturday morning. Ivermorny is an open campus, so we could explore the city on the weekends. Anyways, we met up that Saturday, and I took her on my broom and flew her to the top of Ivermorny so we could watch the sunrise. I had just learned how to conjure food and drink, so I conjured two cups of coffee.
"When the sun had risen above the city's skyline, I quoted one of her favorite books. I said to her, 'You've bewitched me body and soul, and I- I love- I love you," Harry sighs and turns so she can't see his face.
"She kissed me, and we dated for most of the beginning of my fifth year. When Voldemort started actively threatening me and the wizarding world publicly, I broke it off with her so I could focus on my training and prepare to come here," Harry looks at her, and she can see the pain etched on his face.
"I've been over her for a while now, but it still hurts to know Voldemort made me pause my life. When I came here, I told myself he wasn't going to control who I spent my time with and why. I won't stop living because he wants to kill me, Ginny. I won't let it happen, and neither should you," Harry looks into her eyes, and a shiver runs down her spine. His gaze is so intense, and it makes Ginny stop breathing.
"It hurts to live," Ginny whispers. She winces when the words leave her mouth. Great, now she's admitting things to him.
"Life is hard," Harry whispers. He shifts towards her, and she instantly steps back.
"That's not what I meant. I can't let myself be distracted and then get killed in battle. I survived, and Luna didn't it... it wouldn't be fair to her if I didn't survive to make the most of it," Ginny turns and continues their walk to the common room.
"That's what I mean, Ginny. You could die in battle whether you fell in love or not. You could train twenty-four seven and still end up dead. Wouldn't it be better to tell Luna that you died knowing what love is?" Harry asks. He stops advancing, and Ginny lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"I don't know. Luna should have had the chance to fall in love, you know? She would have made someone very happy. I think you would have liked her," Ginny smiles at the thought of Luna talking to Harry about all the wracklespurts and other weird animals she'd been obsessed with. Luna made everyone feel welcome, it was a talent she'd had from birth.
They fall silent, and she's grateful he let the topic drop.
"What was the book called?" Ginny asks when they stop in front of the Fat Lady.
"What book?" Harry asks, looking at Ginny weirdly. Ginny rolls her eyes again. What other book had they brought up in conversation?
"Keira's favorite," Ginny reminds him.
"Pride and Prejudice," Harry replies, the wistful smile back on his face. Ginny nods her head. She'll have to read it when she finds the time. Maybe after the war.
"Pigmy Puff," Ginny tells the fat lady.
The portrait swings open, and when Ginny takes the step to go through, Harry grabs her hand to help her. Is he joking? She can get through on her own. She's been doing it for five years now.
Ginny opens her mouth to tell him so, but he holds up a hand.
"I just wanted an excuse to do this," Harry lifts her hand and brushes his lips across her knuckles. Ginny rolls her eyes and pulls her hand away. Smooth, you idiot.
"We can be friends, but that's it, and I mean it," Ginny points her finger at him threateningly before turning to sit with Ron and Hermione.
So maybe she should spend a bit more time just living. But only a little bit!
Harry... Tuesday
"So, do you have a thing for my sister or what?" Ron asks after a small lull in their conversation.
Harry's eyes widen, and he opens his mouth to say no, but wouldn't that be a big fat lie? He shuts his mouth and reopens it to say yes. But won't he be mad? He doesn't want to make him mad. They'd just become friends. He closes his mouth again.
"Leave him alone, Ronald. Ginny's sworn off, boys, you know that," Hermione says, elbowing Ron in the ribs. Harry winces at Hermione's unconscious reminder. She's actually sworn off, boys? Out loud?
"That doesn't stop all the boys from staring at her, though," Ron grumbles. Harry gulps and looks for a way to change the subject. Maybe quidditch.
"Are you on the quidditch team Ron?" Harry asks. This does the trick. Ron's eyes light up, and Harry knows he's hit the jackpot. They had talked about their favorite teams before, but never Hogwarts quidditch.
"I'm the keeper now that Oliver Wood is gone. He was a good bloke, well, except for when he kissed my sister. Then he was the enemy," Ron says. Ron gives Harry a look, and he gets the message. Don't get with Ginny.
It would be easier if he asked me to take down an army of hippogriffs.
"How many boys has she kissed? And who were they?" Harry asks, trying to sound like he doesn't really care about the answer. Wait, wasn't the plan to not talk about Ginny with her brother? Ron raises his eyebrows, and Hermione snorts. Harry shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He needs to work on his filter.
"Why don't you just ask Ginny? You seem awfully close with her," Ron gives him a knowing look, and Harry shrugs. He can't help it. She's like a magnet. He gravitates to her.
"She's not the biggest fan of me asking questions..." Harry says slowly. Ron nods his head like he already knew that. He probably did.
(For my creative imagination, Oliver is the Twins' age, just bear with me, please)
"Ginny caught the snitch that won us the cup last year. Oliver was practically crying when he landed and Ginny, being Ginny, ran up to him to give him a hug. She used to hug everyone before this last summer. Anyways, Oliver was high off winning and well," Ron trails off, and Harry lets his mind wander. Ginny used to hug everyone? Maybe with time, she'll do that again?
His eyes wander over to where Ginny just entered the common room. Harry wonders if she has a class. Ron, Hermione, and he all had a free period which is why they were in the common room so early in the morning.
Harry's eyes follow her out of the common room. She had forgone her robes instead, carrying them on her arm. Her skirt is tight, and Harry wants to squeeze her ass so bad. Is he seriously this horny, or is it just Ginny? He turns back to find Ron glaring at him and Hermione smirking. Great.
"My sister is more than a piece of ass, you understand me, Potter?" Harry blushes guiltily. She has such a fine ass, though...
"So Oliver kissed her?" Harry prompts. Maybe Harry can shift Ron's anger from himself back over to this Oliver guy.
"Yeah. Since she was running towards him, she kind of threw herself in his arms. He spun her around and just kissed her. The twins and I almost pummeled him, but then he ran over and kissed both Fred and George's cheeks," Ron and Hermione laugh, and Harry quickly joins them. The people who just graduated sound like such great people. He wishes he could have met them.
"They were so embarrassed they forgot why they were going to pummel him in the first place, and I was too busy laughing," Ron wipes his eyes on the sleeve of his robes, and Hermione scolds him. Harry sits back in his chair and goes over the new information. So far, all of Ginny's kisses were from random boys and not an actual boyfriend. Interesting.
The air to Harry's left heats up suddenly, and a fire appears and brings Fawkes with it. Ron and Hermione jump, making Harry chuckle. He lost his jumpiness a long time ago.
"Hey, buddy, what ya got there?" Harry grabs the note from his beak, and the phoenix flashes away.
"Bloody hell! Fawkes scared me to death!" Ron exclaims.
"Language! Honestly, Ronald!" Hermione huffs, and Ron rolls his eyes. They seem to get mad at each other a lot but it somehow works for them. Maybe there's some hope for him and Ginny after all.
If you're not too busy, please come to my office. -Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
"Dumbledore wants to see me; I'll catch you guys later," Harry quickly grabs his bag and leaves the common room. Maybe they'll start some of Harry's training.
Harry walks to Albus's office quickly and finds him standing in the corridor waiting for him.
"Take a walk with me," Albus says, nodding his head to his office.
"We're going to take a walk in your office, sir?" Harry asks. This man is crazy.
"We're going to floo to Hogsmeade using the fireplace in my office," he says noncommittally.
"Sugar baby," Harry startles at the term of endearment until he realizes it isn't a term of endearment at all. He made his office's password sugar baby? This man is nuts. First, it was buttercup, and now this...
They floo to the three broomsticks and then quickly exit. They walk in silence, and Harry takes the time to familiarize himself with the village. The houses and shops are all made of wood and look like they haven't been updated since they were built. The scene is very rustic, and Harry can't wait to see it during Christmas. Magical Europe is so old-fashioned Harry marvels at the cultural difference between Europe and America.
He reckons that without any updates, the place just seems more magical. This place is more magical. Harry can feel it.
Dumbledore slows his pace when they reach a beaten path, and Harry matches his stride.
"I reckon Tom Riddle made seven Horcruxes. I've personally taken care of six of them," Harry's eyes widen. Seven Horcruxes? Harry glances around them, and while no one is around them, this isn't a conversation that should be overheard. Harry casts a silent muffilto only to find one already up. Dumbledore knows what he's doing.
"Seven of them, sir?" Harry asks, focusing back on the conversation.
"Seven is a magical number, and if you haven't noticed, he has an affinity for it. Take, for example, Ginny Weasley," Dumbledore's hands make large gestures around them while he speaks like he's giving a speech. He'd be great if he were in theatre, Harry thinks offhandedly. Where is Ginny anyways?
"Why isn't Ginny with us, sir?" Harry asks.
"She's in class. You will take her to the shrieking shack tonight and fill her in," Albus says, maybe commands?
"Tonight, sir? I think they have quidditch practice," Harry mumbles.
"Why are you calling me sir all of the sudden?" Albus asks, ignoring his question.
"Snape grilled me in my potions class earlier about showing proper respect to my professors. I guess it actually stuck," Harry chuckles. He never thought he'd actually take advice from that man. If Sirius heard, he'd give Harry a proper smackdown.
"Ah yes, Severus demands respect from everyone. You can call me Albus when we're working together, though. On a side note, why don't you try out for the quidditch team?" Albus asks. Quidditch? He doesn't have time for quidditch. What happened to talking about Horcruxes?
"I don't think quidditch is a good use of my time," Harry says slowly. He has a feeling it was a trick question.
"Did you play quidditch at Ivermorny?" Albus asks. Harry kicks a rock ahead of them in thought. How to explain?
"I was the youngest seeker to ever make the team. I played my first and second years of school. When I broke my arm and tried to fix it myself during my second year, causing all the bones in my arm to disappear, the school banned me from the sport.
"In America, the wizarding world has another sport called Impedimentum races where these huge obstacle courses are put up and people race through them. A group of ten people who have the same racing broom go through the obstacle course and try to finish first. I took third in nationals two years ago," Harry smiles at Albus and hopes he doesn't notice how red his cheeks are. The redness in his cheeks is partly in embarrassment at having to admit his foolish healing attempt and partly from the frigid Scotland air. It's still September; for Merlin's sake, why is it so cold?
"That's quite the feat, Harry. Why'd you stop?" Albus asks. Harry looks at him weirdly. Wasn't it obvious? Wormtail kidnapped him, and the next thing he knows, Voldemort is back, and he's fighting for his life! Why did Albus keep changing topics?
"Voldemort came back, and it didn't seem so important," Harry shrugs and stuffs his hands further into his pockets. It's freezing! In America, Harry would be sweating buckets in the September humidity.
"You shouldn't stop doing the things you love because of him. You'll still be training and fighting in battles. You need to find something to do when you're not doing these war-related things," Albus says with a knowing tone.
"Considering the British don't have Impedimentum races here, I think I'll stick with making new friends," Harry shrugs and kicks the rock again. Maybe he and Ginny can get something from the kitchens after he talks to her, and they can turn it into a date?
As if reading his mind, Dumbledore says, "Be careful with Ginny, please. I have every faith in your chances to defeat Tom Riddle, but I do not want her heart broken again," Dumbledore stops walking and looks Harry in the eyes. The blue of his eyes seems to flash like an oncoming storm. Harry wonders if Dumbledore can somehow control the way his eyes look. They're a beautiful color.
"I would never hurt her on purpose. Besides, don't I deserve the chance to love someone before I die? Other people might not have the same risk level as I do, but they get to love whomever they want, and they could die at war too..." Albus's eyes soften, and the old wizard sighs.
"You have the right to love Harry. You just seem to have chosen the most difficult person to love. Ginny is tough and stubborn, but you're exactly the kind of man she'd fall for, and I'm worried that if she does fall in love with you and something happens then, she'll break for good," Albus's eyes sheen with tears and suddenly his eyes become the ocean. How does one express so much with just their eyes?
Does he have a thing for Albus's eyes? Harry has never felt gayer in his life. Of course, there's nothing wrong with someone who's gay, but... Okay, maybe Harry's a bit gay for Albus's eyes. Nobody else will know.
Albus is pouring his heart out, and you're standing here thinking about the possibility of being gay for an old man's eyes. Get a grip. Harry, you are not this starved for love! Maybe for Ginny's love, but come on, who wouldn't be? She's freaking incredible!
Focus, Harry repeats in his head. Focus focus focus. Maybe he has ADHD? Oh yeah, Ginny.
"I can't make any promises, Albus. All I know is that, if Ginny gives me the opportunity to be with her, a day won't pass where she'll feel uncared for or unloved," Harry laughs at himself, "You must think I'm crazy talking about loving a girl I just met," Harry closes his eyes and sighs. For the past day and a half, his thoughts hadn't strayed from her. Every conversation he has reminds him of her, or he brings her up himself. That can't be a coincidence. Plus, there's just something about her that pulls him in like a summoning charm.
"In times of war, things like love come into perspective. It happened to your mother, actually. James had pined after Lily since the day he set eyes on her. All of us professors had bets on when they would get together. You might be surprised to hear that Minerva was the winner of that particular bet," Albus chuckles and Harry joins him. He loves hearing about his parents.
"When Lily's parents were killed, she went to James for comfort, and the rest is history," Albus kicks the stone that Harry had been kicking since they started up the trail, making it, so the rock lands back into Harry's path. Did anything get past Dumbledore? He hadn't even consciously realized he'd been kicking that stone.
"Do you guys do that often? Bet on your students' love lives?" Harry asks, kicking the stone again. It rolls a couple of meters ahead of him, still directly in his path. Perfect.
"It's our favorite pass time," Albus says confidently. Harry laughs. Hmmm, that might explain a certain comment from Minerva during detention last night.
"What bets are going right now?" Harry asks offhandedly.
"There's currently one for Dean and Seamus, Lavender and Justin, and of course, one for Neville and Hannah," Albus says with what can only be called, a jolly smile. Seamus and Dean are gay? I guess I shouldn't have assumed they were both straight. How sixteenth-century of me.
"Oh, I forgot there's also one for, Ginny and a one, Harry Potter," Albus gives him a look, and Harry smiles guiltily. He was hoping he'd say that.
"Let me guess, Minerva said we'd be together by Christmas, and you said it would take till Easter!" Harry wiggles his eyebrows, and Albus chuckles.
"Of course not! We're riskier betters than that! Plus, it's not just Minerva and me who are betting, it's most of the staff!" Albus says, chuckling at their antics.
"Please, please, please, tell me some of the wagers. I won't play favorites, I swear!" Harry asks pleadingly. To show how much he wants to know, Harry drops to his knees and puts his hands together as if he were praying.
"It's pretty obvious you were raised by Sirius Black. Did you know that?" Dumbledore chuckles again. Harry nods his head quickly. His knees are starting to hurt. How do some girls do this for so long? Get your head out of the gutter, Harry scolds himself.
"I'll tell you a few of them, but then we must get back on track with this meeting. I'm a sucker for romance and easily get sidetracked," Harry raises his left eyebrow. Albus is a romantic, huh? Interesting. Even more interesting is the fact that he's pretty sure Albus has been knowingly sidetracking Harry since he mentioned there being seven Horcruxes.
"Minerva said you'd be together within the month. I said It would happen around Halloween, and Poppy said a week and a half!" Albus claps his hands together as if preparing himself to focus again. A week and a half?
"I might have to visit Madam Pomfrey and show her my appreciation for her confidence in my wooing skills," Harry wiggles his eyebrows and then snorts. Wait till Sirius hears about this! Harry stands back up and brushes off the accumulated dirt on his robes.
"Back on track now. During your free periods, you will come to my office, and I will give you different assignments. Since it's Ginny's O.W.L year, she won't be joining these specific classes, but she will be joining your three-to-five training session that starts tomorrow evening. Ask Ginny to show you where the Room of Requirement is. That's where your training will be held," Dumbledore stops walking.
"I'm going to rip the bandaid off," Albus mutters, seemingly to himself. Harry stops walking and stares at Albus. What bandaid?
"Excuse me?" Harry asks. Albus bites his lip and gives him a sad look. Harry suddenly feels colder than any Scotland winter could ever make him.
"I think you might be a Horcrux, so I've bought some basilisk venom that I need to somehow insert into your scar without killing you. I want to try it this weekend," Albus says quickly. Albus bites his lip again when he finishes.
He's a Horcrux? Basilisk venom? This weekend?
"And how the hell do you plan on doing that?"
There's chapter two! Let me know what yall think!
-Ace