Saving Hermione - Ch. 4: Permanent Bodyguards and Christmas
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked back to the castle at a good distance behind the blonde.
Ron was seething, Hermione was silent, and Harry was thinking deeply.
Both boys had instinctively taken sides on Hermione. Noticing that she was being squished, and nearly asphyxiated, she mentioned it to them.
"Oh, sorry Hermione," apologized Harry absent-mindedly.
"Yeah," chorused Ron, obviously in deep thought.
As they made their way into the castle, they were silent, each trying to fathom what they had just heard.
As they slipped into the common room, and let the cloak slide off their heads, they all looked to one another.
"What do we do now?" Hermione sounded more than afraid.
"We could go to Dumbledore," Harry tried, but Ron put a stop to this.
"We don't want to cause a big uproar about this now, he is already heading up the Order, and the school, maybe we should keep quite until Malfoy actually tries something."
"He already has. Remember yesterday?"
"Yes, but I stopped him then. And Harry and I can protect ourselves against the little ferret, one of us will just have to stay with you and Ginny wherever you go."
"No you won't! I do not need permanent bodyguards! I can protect myself!"
"Oh, yeah, just like you did yesterday, hmmm?"
"Oh, don't give me that. I just couldn't reach my wand. That's all."
"And what happens if he gets you without a wand, or takes it away while you aren't looking? We already know you can't bring him down for that long, as you proved yesterday, and that you can't outrun him. And what if he has Crabbe and Goyle with him?"
Hermione just stood there looking very angry at the fact that he was right and that she would indeed need their help.
"Fine, do whatever makes you feel better." Then Hermione suddenly remembered Ron's hate for the library.
Grinning, she stated, "That just means that you'll have to spend all the time that I do in the library."
"That's quite alright. I've come to enjoy reading over the summer and am sure I could find something to do."
"Good, then. You can follow her to the library, cause I can only handle so much of that," Harry took this opportunity to put his say in.
"Actually, maybe you should stay with Ginny." Ron only said this because he realized that Harry was noticing Ginny a lot more and thought that it might be good for them to get to know each other better.
"That's fine," Harry said, a little too quickly, causing Ron to look suspiciously at him, but grin from ear to ear as he turned back to Hermione.
Hermione was sitting on the couch staring into the fire, much like she had last night. Only now you could see the fear in her chocolate eyes.
Ron motioned for Harry to go to up and that he would be there in a minute. He then sat down besides his best friend.
She looked at him and gave him a command that he knew neither he, nor Harry, could obey.
"If Malfoy gets me, don't come after me."
Ron stared at her like she had gone insane, and asked incredulously, "What?!?! You can't be serious."
"I am. If they manage to kidnap me, send Dumbledore and the Aurors, but you and Harry stay here. I cannot have you die on my account. If I get kidnapped, it is my fault and neither of you should not have to pay for that."
"Hermione, don't be ridiculous! How could we not come get you? How would I live if I knew that I could have done something and didn't! Harry, too!" He added this last part very quickly.
"I don't care. Just don't do it."
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I can't promise that." Ron was as stubborn as ever when saying this to her brown eyes.
Her eyes started to well up. She knew exactly how he felt, she would do the same thing. She would do everything within her power to save him. The tears that fell down her cheeks were of fear, but also of gratitude.
"Thank you, Ron." Ron just smiled.
They turned their heads back to the fire. Ron very slowly put his hand over hers. they sat like that for a long time, until finally saying goodnight.
The next day, Ginny heard about what had happened and proceeded to do what Ginny did in these situations: freak out. She stuck by Hermione every second she could spare and when she was not being dragged away by her friends. Ron and Harry did the same; only Harry stuck with Ginny when she went somewhere.
This gave Hermione a lot of time in the library with Ron. He certainly had changed over the holidays. When he finished his homework he would pick up a book and read. He still liked to annoy Hermione almost every chance he was given, but he also talked to her a lot more. And not about Quidditch or anything like that, but he just talked. She got to know a lot more about him than she ever had in her seven-year friendship with him.
More often than not, Malfoy would show up in the library also. He wouldn't do homework or read. He would just sit there and occasionally eye Hermione and glare at Ron. He hadn't said anything to them since the first morning back. Now, whenever he saw Hermione, or even Ginny, for that matter, he would grin at them. It unnerved them all to no end.
Hermione and Ginny were never without Ron or Harry. Every waking moment was spent in their presence. Not that anyone complained, of course.
Once Quidditch had started up though, there were problems to take of. Before all of this, Ron had so badly wanted to play Keeper for the third time this year, and with Harry as the captain, they made a wonderful team with the other players. But now, Ron all but downright refused to play, for fear of leaving Hermione and Ginny by themselves. Hermione argued all the time on this point an even tried to compromise with him on it.
"You can't just give this up because you are scared that we'll get hurt! That's just not a good enough reason to ruin something you're good at!"
"Really, because I think that it's an excellent reason," he retorted.
"Well, you're wrong. Here how about a compromise?"
"Go on."
"While you're both at Quidditch practice, Ginny and I will not leave the common room."
"And what about games?"
"One: no one is going to try to kidnap us in the middle of the a Quidditch game with professors and students swarming the place, and two: we will sit with Seamus and Dean. Plus you'll both be up high and on brooms able to come down to where we are at any second."
Ron seemed to consider this and finally agreed. "I still don't like this. And you both have to promise not to leave the tower while we're gone. Understand?" He spoke to them as if they were five-year-olds. Hermione was about to point this out when she thought better of it and promised along with Ginny. Not even then did Ron look satisfied.
They first few weeks of Quidditch practice rattled Ron's nerves very severely. He couldn't concentrate until Hermione heard what was happening from Harry and sat Ron down for a talk.
"Now, I know you are worried, but you can't keep doing this. Ginny and I are safe within the walls of the tower and the school. If you don't stop this, I'll have to suspend your bodyguard duties." She said the last part jokingly, but meant it.
"I won't allow you to rack yourself just for the sake of me, understand?" she said in the same tone he used with her about a month ago.
"Yes, I guess."
After that, Ron got better. He was doing much better in Quidditch and his marks on homework never looked better. Hermione could proudly say she had rubbed off on him, or so she liked to think.
Soon enough the Christmas holidays were upon them and the castle was a cold and drafty as ever.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were the only Gryffindors left for the two weeks they had been given off. This was thought to be a very relaxing occasion. Fortunately, Malfoy and his goons had left along with Pansy Parkinson and a lot of other Slytherins. Only a few remained out of all the houses. Everyone wanted their children home as much as possible with You-Know-Who still on the rampage.
The holidays were spent sitting idly in front of the fire and playing games, with a few snowball fights, of course.
On Christmas morning, they all awoke to present at the pile of their beds. For the first time, Hermione had not given Ron something Quidditch or candy, but for his newfound love for reading, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. He said he had read some of his plays over the summer and like his writing a lot.
Harry, on the other hand, got book full of new spells that could be used on your broom to make it perform better.
Ginny had received a necklace with a lightning bolt on in which she hurriedly proceeded to put on but stuff under her shirt. She quietly, but profusely, thanked Hermione for her much-liked gift.
Hermione had received the usual books from her parents, a lovely pair of earrings from Ginny, and another book from Harry on the newest defense spells. She was most amazed by Ron's present though.
He had given her a silver ring with a sapphire in the center. She put it on and picked up the note she had neglected to marvel at the ring. It read:
Dear Hermione,
Merry Christmas! I cannot assume whether or not you have opened you're gift yet, but if you haven't, you're about to know what it was.
It's called a protection ring. I have an identical one, while Harry gave one to Ginny, only theirs' are emerald and gold. All you have to do for it to work is be wearing it (mine is on a chain around my neck), and whenever you are in trouble, the other ring will give off a brilliant light, in which you can see where that person is and what is happening to them. It's the only thing that makes me feel remotely better when I'm away. For the sake of my sanity, please wear it. I know blue is your favorite colour, so the sapphire seemed appropriate.
Always,
Ron Not only his gift, but his words as well, brought tears to her eyes and a sense of security to her heart. She knew as long as Ron had a single breath in him that he would protect her. And that was an indescribable feeling in itself.
As she finished throwing the wrappings away and getting dressed, she walked downstairs wearing her new dark blue Weasley sweater that was a bit form fitting itself. Hermione just figured Mrs. Weasley used the measurements from last year to make this one. But no matter, it looked good on her with her faded blue jeans and leather boots.
When she emerged from the staircase, only one other person was inside the common room. Ron stood leaning on the mantle gazing into the fire. He looked up at her and smiled to see that she had the ring on her finger. She looked beautiful. Her sweater and blue jeans accented her figure. Her hair was as curly as ever and her eyes sparkled with appreciation.
"Merry Christmas, Ron." She smiled right back at his own Weasley sweater (maroon, of course) clad body.
"Likewise," he grinned.
Hermione rolled her eyes and walked over to him.
"Thank you for your gift," he said pompously, just he had when they had met on the platform.
"Your are very welcome, and I also thank you for yours," she said in the same tone. It had become somewhat of a joke for all of the Wealsey's to make fun of Percy's very formal attitude towards everything, and Harry and Hermione had just picked up on it themselves.
Then, just as they had when they had finished their very elegant greeting on the platform, Ron reached over and picked Hermione up in his arms. Only this time was different. He didn't swing her around causing her to shriek, but held her closely and gently, as if she were a dainty glass object that could shatter at any moment. She liked this hug a lot.
When he put her down, he did not let go, but looked into her eyes for a moment until she asked, "Let me see your ring."
He reached into his sweater and brought out an identical, but bigger silver ring. "It still wouldn't fit on my finger and it was the largest size they had, too," he said sheepishly.
Hermione leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Thank you." She then kissed his cheek. Ron realizing what happened blushed a furious red and was thankful that Harry came down at that moment in an emerald green sweater (no doubt to bring out the colour in his eyes).
The two quickly pulled away, and Harry, having a pretty good idea of what had just happened, grinned widely. They said the required 'thank you' and 'Merry Christmas' and when Ginny emerged in her own purple sweater, they did it all over again, only with a longer hug on Harry and Ginny's part than any of the others that they had shared. They walked slowly down to the Great Hall for Christmas breakfast.
The rest of the holiday went by quickly, but the end was welcomed quickly. For Hermione, it school was an escape from everything. But for Ron, it was a better way to keep an eye on Malfoy.
Never was Hermione without Ron or Ginny without Harry. It was actually not really annoying for either girls (except when they insisted on staying outside the bathroom door!). It provided company for Hermione and Ginny got to spend all the time she wanted with Harry.
Ginny and Harry were very close now. She had told him all her secrets, much like she did with Riddle's diary in her first year. She also told Harry of the diary and what had happened, and that was something that she had never told anyone. Harry brought out the best in Ginny. Ever since the encounter with Riddle, she had been introverted from all her friends, and that was five years ago! With Harry, she laughed, and talked, and sometimes cried on his shoulder when she needed to.
Ginny also brought out the best in Harry. He told her about his parent's voices with the Dementors in his third year and what had happened in his fourth year, something's that only Ron, Hermione, Sirius, and Dumbledore knew. He had also told her about Sirius, and surprisingly, she didn't question him and believed him fully. This made Harry trust her even more. There was something he felt for her, different than Ron or Hermione. Something that felt similar to how he felt with Cho in fourth year. But with Ginny, it was different from Cho, too. He felt the constant need to protect her from anything. He knew she had had a crush on him in his first through fourth years. After that, he never knew what she thought. He couldn't act on his new feelings if he didn't know how she felt.
Ginny felt the same as she did about Harry as she had when she was ten, if not stronger. She knew he was her, as sappy as this was, 'one and only.' She was sure she loved him, but has settled with adoring him from afar. After her third year, she realized that he had a crush on Cho and would never notice her. It had hurt immensely, but she eventually got used to it. She wished more than ever that he would notice, even if just the tiniest bit. She wasn't about to tell him about her crush on him. No, he never has, and never would, feel the same way.
They were having one of their long talks again in the common room after everyone was asleep when he asked a question that startled her.
"So, been eyeing anyone lately?" He asked this playfully, but desperately wanted to know the truth.
Ginny looked at him appraisingly, as though sizing him up. She seemed to have come to a conclusion, when she simply said, "Yes."
"Well, who?" he pushed.
She gazed at him again. "I'm not telling you."
"And why not?"
"Because, you know him, and would probably would tell him, and then he'd freak out and never talk to me again." She spoke very quickly. At this, he felt his heart drop.
"I'm sure he'd love to have a girl like you like him," he muttered.
"Oh really? I don't think so. I've liked him for a while and he had never noticed me."
"And how long have you liked him exactly?" He didn't know why kept asking about this other boy. All it did was wretch his heart out, for himself and for Ginny. How could someone not notice this gorgeous young red head before him? Then he remembered. He had never noticed her, either. He felt a sharp pang of guilt in his heart.
"For about.. six years." She said this hesitantly.
Upon hearing this, Harry's heart leapt. She was talking about him. He knew she was before this, deep down, but now he was sure!
"And how old is he?"
"Seventeen"
"And is his hair black?" He whispered very slowly.
"Yes." You could barely hear her.
"And his eyes?" His voice was almost as inaudible.
"Emerald green." She said this as she looked into the eyes.
"Really," he said breathlessly.
"Yes," she barely squeaked out.
Just then, Harry leaned over from his chair that sat directly across from Ginny's, and tilted her chin up with his hand. He looked into her hazel eyes and saw what shone in them. It was fear... of rejection, from him. This scared him for some reason. He leaned forward even more and closed his eyes. She did the same as she felt his soft lip meet hers. It was a gentle, but full of the passion Ginny has held for Harry for six years. They sat like that for a while, until they both pulled away for air. Harry smiled at the serene, content look on Ginny's face. Her eyes gleamed with adoration and love. This intrigued him to continue. He stood up, as did she. He took her hand and led her to the couch where he placed a hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer to his body, and another on her soft cheek. He pulled her face up to meet his and again captured her lips with his. She did not object, but let out a small whimper. He smiled and made what sounded like a growl from deep within his throat. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She willingly obliged. His tongue searched her mouth as hers did the same. They kissed like that for a good five minutes, until they heard the stairs in the girl's dormitory creak. They pulled away quickly just as Ginny's fellow roommate, and prefect, Anna, walked out of the dark stairwell.
She saw Harry and Ginny standing quite flushed about a foot away from each other.
"Sorry Anna, we were just talking and must have to much noise." She said that realizing what Anna had told her what prefects where to do if they heard a noise in the common room too late at night.
"That's okay, Gin, but maybe you should come up and get some sleep."
"Okay, I'll be up in a minute." Anna nodded and Ginny received a wink from her as she headed back to their dorm.
Ginny slightly smiled and turned to Harry. "Well, I better go back up."
"Yeah, me too."
"Well, goodnight." Ginny started for the stairs when a large hand grabbed her small arm and whirled her back around. Harry crushed his lips back on hers for the last time that night. He let go and said, "Goodnight."
Ginny turned around and walked clumsily to the stairwell, but not before turning back to flash a genuine smile of happiness before she finally started up the stairs.
Harry turned around and head back to his dormitory. He quickly got ready for bed and lied down to sleep. He couldn't help but grin as he fell into a sleep full of dreams of a certain beautiful red head.
A/N - This is my longest chapter yet. I just didn't know where to stop! Hoped all my H/G shippers liked this. Don't worry, R/H to come and some action and maybe even another Malfoy attack, but not to Hermione. Review, and let me now how I'm doing. Thanks!
Jitterbelle - I can see your point in how Harry would be just as ticked, but from reading the books, I thought that Harry had less of a problem
controlling his temper than Ron, and if you were Harry, would you would you want to get in the way of Ron's warpath? And besides, had to give Ron the hero status. Don't worry though, Harry's turn to go after Malfoy just might turn up soon.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked back to the castle at a good distance behind the blonde.
Ron was seething, Hermione was silent, and Harry was thinking deeply.
Both boys had instinctively taken sides on Hermione. Noticing that she was being squished, and nearly asphyxiated, she mentioned it to them.
"Oh, sorry Hermione," apologized Harry absent-mindedly.
"Yeah," chorused Ron, obviously in deep thought.
As they made their way into the castle, they were silent, each trying to fathom what they had just heard.
As they slipped into the common room, and let the cloak slide off their heads, they all looked to one another.
"What do we do now?" Hermione sounded more than afraid.
"We could go to Dumbledore," Harry tried, but Ron put a stop to this.
"We don't want to cause a big uproar about this now, he is already heading up the Order, and the school, maybe we should keep quite until Malfoy actually tries something."
"He already has. Remember yesterday?"
"Yes, but I stopped him then. And Harry and I can protect ourselves against the little ferret, one of us will just have to stay with you and Ginny wherever you go."
"No you won't! I do not need permanent bodyguards! I can protect myself!"
"Oh, yeah, just like you did yesterday, hmmm?"
"Oh, don't give me that. I just couldn't reach my wand. That's all."
"And what happens if he gets you without a wand, or takes it away while you aren't looking? We already know you can't bring him down for that long, as you proved yesterday, and that you can't outrun him. And what if he has Crabbe and Goyle with him?"
Hermione just stood there looking very angry at the fact that he was right and that she would indeed need their help.
"Fine, do whatever makes you feel better." Then Hermione suddenly remembered Ron's hate for the library.
Grinning, she stated, "That just means that you'll have to spend all the time that I do in the library."
"That's quite alright. I've come to enjoy reading over the summer and am sure I could find something to do."
"Good, then. You can follow her to the library, cause I can only handle so much of that," Harry took this opportunity to put his say in.
"Actually, maybe you should stay with Ginny." Ron only said this because he realized that Harry was noticing Ginny a lot more and thought that it might be good for them to get to know each other better.
"That's fine," Harry said, a little too quickly, causing Ron to look suspiciously at him, but grin from ear to ear as he turned back to Hermione.
Hermione was sitting on the couch staring into the fire, much like she had last night. Only now you could see the fear in her chocolate eyes.
Ron motioned for Harry to go to up and that he would be there in a minute. He then sat down besides his best friend.
She looked at him and gave him a command that he knew neither he, nor Harry, could obey.
"If Malfoy gets me, don't come after me."
Ron stared at her like she had gone insane, and asked incredulously, "What?!?! You can't be serious."
"I am. If they manage to kidnap me, send Dumbledore and the Aurors, but you and Harry stay here. I cannot have you die on my account. If I get kidnapped, it is my fault and neither of you should not have to pay for that."
"Hermione, don't be ridiculous! How could we not come get you? How would I live if I knew that I could have done something and didn't! Harry, too!" He added this last part very quickly.
"I don't care. Just don't do it."
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I can't promise that." Ron was as stubborn as ever when saying this to her brown eyes.
Her eyes started to well up. She knew exactly how he felt, she would do the same thing. She would do everything within her power to save him. The tears that fell down her cheeks were of fear, but also of gratitude.
"Thank you, Ron." Ron just smiled.
They turned their heads back to the fire. Ron very slowly put his hand over hers. they sat like that for a long time, until finally saying goodnight.
The next day, Ginny heard about what had happened and proceeded to do what Ginny did in these situations: freak out. She stuck by Hermione every second she could spare and when she was not being dragged away by her friends. Ron and Harry did the same; only Harry stuck with Ginny when she went somewhere.
This gave Hermione a lot of time in the library with Ron. He certainly had changed over the holidays. When he finished his homework he would pick up a book and read. He still liked to annoy Hermione almost every chance he was given, but he also talked to her a lot more. And not about Quidditch or anything like that, but he just talked. She got to know a lot more about him than she ever had in her seven-year friendship with him.
More often than not, Malfoy would show up in the library also. He wouldn't do homework or read. He would just sit there and occasionally eye Hermione and glare at Ron. He hadn't said anything to them since the first morning back. Now, whenever he saw Hermione, or even Ginny, for that matter, he would grin at them. It unnerved them all to no end.
Hermione and Ginny were never without Ron or Harry. Every waking moment was spent in their presence. Not that anyone complained, of course.
Once Quidditch had started up though, there were problems to take of. Before all of this, Ron had so badly wanted to play Keeper for the third time this year, and with Harry as the captain, they made a wonderful team with the other players. But now, Ron all but downright refused to play, for fear of leaving Hermione and Ginny by themselves. Hermione argued all the time on this point an even tried to compromise with him on it.
"You can't just give this up because you are scared that we'll get hurt! That's just not a good enough reason to ruin something you're good at!"
"Really, because I think that it's an excellent reason," he retorted.
"Well, you're wrong. Here how about a compromise?"
"Go on."
"While you're both at Quidditch practice, Ginny and I will not leave the common room."
"And what about games?"
"One: no one is going to try to kidnap us in the middle of the a Quidditch game with professors and students swarming the place, and two: we will sit with Seamus and Dean. Plus you'll both be up high and on brooms able to come down to where we are at any second."
Ron seemed to consider this and finally agreed. "I still don't like this. And you both have to promise not to leave the tower while we're gone. Understand?" He spoke to them as if they were five-year-olds. Hermione was about to point this out when she thought better of it and promised along with Ginny. Not even then did Ron look satisfied.
They first few weeks of Quidditch practice rattled Ron's nerves very severely. He couldn't concentrate until Hermione heard what was happening from Harry and sat Ron down for a talk.
"Now, I know you are worried, but you can't keep doing this. Ginny and I are safe within the walls of the tower and the school. If you don't stop this, I'll have to suspend your bodyguard duties." She said the last part jokingly, but meant it.
"I won't allow you to rack yourself just for the sake of me, understand?" she said in the same tone he used with her about a month ago.
"Yes, I guess."
After that, Ron got better. He was doing much better in Quidditch and his marks on homework never looked better. Hermione could proudly say she had rubbed off on him, or so she liked to think.
Soon enough the Christmas holidays were upon them and the castle was a cold and drafty as ever.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were the only Gryffindors left for the two weeks they had been given off. This was thought to be a very relaxing occasion. Fortunately, Malfoy and his goons had left along with Pansy Parkinson and a lot of other Slytherins. Only a few remained out of all the houses. Everyone wanted their children home as much as possible with You-Know-Who still on the rampage.
The holidays were spent sitting idly in front of the fire and playing games, with a few snowball fights, of course.
On Christmas morning, they all awoke to present at the pile of their beds. For the first time, Hermione had not given Ron something Quidditch or candy, but for his newfound love for reading, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. He said he had read some of his plays over the summer and like his writing a lot.
Harry, on the other hand, got book full of new spells that could be used on your broom to make it perform better.
Ginny had received a necklace with a lightning bolt on in which she hurriedly proceeded to put on but stuff under her shirt. She quietly, but profusely, thanked Hermione for her much-liked gift.
Hermione had received the usual books from her parents, a lovely pair of earrings from Ginny, and another book from Harry on the newest defense spells. She was most amazed by Ron's present though.
He had given her a silver ring with a sapphire in the center. She put it on and picked up the note she had neglected to marvel at the ring. It read:
Dear Hermione,
Merry Christmas! I cannot assume whether or not you have opened you're gift yet, but if you haven't, you're about to know what it was.
It's called a protection ring. I have an identical one, while Harry gave one to Ginny, only theirs' are emerald and gold. All you have to do for it to work is be wearing it (mine is on a chain around my neck), and whenever you are in trouble, the other ring will give off a brilliant light, in which you can see where that person is and what is happening to them. It's the only thing that makes me feel remotely better when I'm away. For the sake of my sanity, please wear it. I know blue is your favorite colour, so the sapphire seemed appropriate.
Always,
Ron Not only his gift, but his words as well, brought tears to her eyes and a sense of security to her heart. She knew as long as Ron had a single breath in him that he would protect her. And that was an indescribable feeling in itself.
As she finished throwing the wrappings away and getting dressed, she walked downstairs wearing her new dark blue Weasley sweater that was a bit form fitting itself. Hermione just figured Mrs. Weasley used the measurements from last year to make this one. But no matter, it looked good on her with her faded blue jeans and leather boots.
When she emerged from the staircase, only one other person was inside the common room. Ron stood leaning on the mantle gazing into the fire. He looked up at her and smiled to see that she had the ring on her finger. She looked beautiful. Her sweater and blue jeans accented her figure. Her hair was as curly as ever and her eyes sparkled with appreciation.
"Merry Christmas, Ron." She smiled right back at his own Weasley sweater (maroon, of course) clad body.
"Likewise," he grinned.
Hermione rolled her eyes and walked over to him.
"Thank you for your gift," he said pompously, just he had when they had met on the platform.
"Your are very welcome, and I also thank you for yours," she said in the same tone. It had become somewhat of a joke for all of the Wealsey's to make fun of Percy's very formal attitude towards everything, and Harry and Hermione had just picked up on it themselves.
Then, just as they had when they had finished their very elegant greeting on the platform, Ron reached over and picked Hermione up in his arms. Only this time was different. He didn't swing her around causing her to shriek, but held her closely and gently, as if she were a dainty glass object that could shatter at any moment. She liked this hug a lot.
When he put her down, he did not let go, but looked into her eyes for a moment until she asked, "Let me see your ring."
He reached into his sweater and brought out an identical, but bigger silver ring. "It still wouldn't fit on my finger and it was the largest size they had, too," he said sheepishly.
Hermione leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Thank you." She then kissed his cheek. Ron realizing what happened blushed a furious red and was thankful that Harry came down at that moment in an emerald green sweater (no doubt to bring out the colour in his eyes).
The two quickly pulled away, and Harry, having a pretty good idea of what had just happened, grinned widely. They said the required 'thank you' and 'Merry Christmas' and when Ginny emerged in her own purple sweater, they did it all over again, only with a longer hug on Harry and Ginny's part than any of the others that they had shared. They walked slowly down to the Great Hall for Christmas breakfast.
The rest of the holiday went by quickly, but the end was welcomed quickly. For Hermione, it school was an escape from everything. But for Ron, it was a better way to keep an eye on Malfoy.
Never was Hermione without Ron or Ginny without Harry. It was actually not really annoying for either girls (except when they insisted on staying outside the bathroom door!). It provided company for Hermione and Ginny got to spend all the time she wanted with Harry.
Ginny and Harry were very close now. She had told him all her secrets, much like she did with Riddle's diary in her first year. She also told Harry of the diary and what had happened, and that was something that she had never told anyone. Harry brought out the best in Ginny. Ever since the encounter with Riddle, she had been introverted from all her friends, and that was five years ago! With Harry, she laughed, and talked, and sometimes cried on his shoulder when she needed to.
Ginny also brought out the best in Harry. He told her about his parent's voices with the Dementors in his third year and what had happened in his fourth year, something's that only Ron, Hermione, Sirius, and Dumbledore knew. He had also told her about Sirius, and surprisingly, she didn't question him and believed him fully. This made Harry trust her even more. There was something he felt for her, different than Ron or Hermione. Something that felt similar to how he felt with Cho in fourth year. But with Ginny, it was different from Cho, too. He felt the constant need to protect her from anything. He knew she had had a crush on him in his first through fourth years. After that, he never knew what she thought. He couldn't act on his new feelings if he didn't know how she felt.
Ginny felt the same as she did about Harry as she had when she was ten, if not stronger. She knew he was her, as sappy as this was, 'one and only.' She was sure she loved him, but has settled with adoring him from afar. After her third year, she realized that he had a crush on Cho and would never notice her. It had hurt immensely, but she eventually got used to it. She wished more than ever that he would notice, even if just the tiniest bit. She wasn't about to tell him about her crush on him. No, he never has, and never would, feel the same way.
They were having one of their long talks again in the common room after everyone was asleep when he asked a question that startled her.
"So, been eyeing anyone lately?" He asked this playfully, but desperately wanted to know the truth.
Ginny looked at him appraisingly, as though sizing him up. She seemed to have come to a conclusion, when she simply said, "Yes."
"Well, who?" he pushed.
She gazed at him again. "I'm not telling you."
"And why not?"
"Because, you know him, and would probably would tell him, and then he'd freak out and never talk to me again." She spoke very quickly. At this, he felt his heart drop.
"I'm sure he'd love to have a girl like you like him," he muttered.
"Oh really? I don't think so. I've liked him for a while and he had never noticed me."
"And how long have you liked him exactly?" He didn't know why kept asking about this other boy. All it did was wretch his heart out, for himself and for Ginny. How could someone not notice this gorgeous young red head before him? Then he remembered. He had never noticed her, either. He felt a sharp pang of guilt in his heart.
"For about.. six years." She said this hesitantly.
Upon hearing this, Harry's heart leapt. She was talking about him. He knew she was before this, deep down, but now he was sure!
"And how old is he?"
"Seventeen"
"And is his hair black?" He whispered very slowly.
"Yes." You could barely hear her.
"And his eyes?" His voice was almost as inaudible.
"Emerald green." She said this as she looked into the eyes.
"Really," he said breathlessly.
"Yes," she barely squeaked out.
Just then, Harry leaned over from his chair that sat directly across from Ginny's, and tilted her chin up with his hand. He looked into her hazel eyes and saw what shone in them. It was fear... of rejection, from him. This scared him for some reason. He leaned forward even more and closed his eyes. She did the same as she felt his soft lip meet hers. It was a gentle, but full of the passion Ginny has held for Harry for six years. They sat like that for a while, until they both pulled away for air. Harry smiled at the serene, content look on Ginny's face. Her eyes gleamed with adoration and love. This intrigued him to continue. He stood up, as did she. He took her hand and led her to the couch where he placed a hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer to his body, and another on her soft cheek. He pulled her face up to meet his and again captured her lips with his. She did not object, but let out a small whimper. He smiled and made what sounded like a growl from deep within his throat. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She willingly obliged. His tongue searched her mouth as hers did the same. They kissed like that for a good five minutes, until they heard the stairs in the girl's dormitory creak. They pulled away quickly just as Ginny's fellow roommate, and prefect, Anna, walked out of the dark stairwell.
She saw Harry and Ginny standing quite flushed about a foot away from each other.
"Sorry Anna, we were just talking and must have to much noise." She said that realizing what Anna had told her what prefects where to do if they heard a noise in the common room too late at night.
"That's okay, Gin, but maybe you should come up and get some sleep."
"Okay, I'll be up in a minute." Anna nodded and Ginny received a wink from her as she headed back to their dorm.
Ginny slightly smiled and turned to Harry. "Well, I better go back up."
"Yeah, me too."
"Well, goodnight." Ginny started for the stairs when a large hand grabbed her small arm and whirled her back around. Harry crushed his lips back on hers for the last time that night. He let go and said, "Goodnight."
Ginny turned around and walked clumsily to the stairwell, but not before turning back to flash a genuine smile of happiness before she finally started up the stairs.
Harry turned around and head back to his dormitory. He quickly got ready for bed and lied down to sleep. He couldn't help but grin as he fell into a sleep full of dreams of a certain beautiful red head.
A/N - This is my longest chapter yet. I just didn't know where to stop! Hoped all my H/G shippers liked this. Don't worry, R/H to come and some action and maybe even another Malfoy attack, but not to Hermione. Review, and let me now how I'm doing. Thanks!
Jitterbelle - I can see your point in how Harry would be just as ticked, but from reading the books, I thought that Harry had less of a problem
controlling his temper than Ron, and if you were Harry, would you would you want to get in the way of Ron's warpath? And besides, had to give Ron the hero status. Don't worry though, Harry's turn to go after Malfoy just might turn up soon.