Dedicated to Kate, who always knows why.
for your appreciation
of your innocent world
and naïve imagination..."
Typical 2.4 - Diversity
He grunted, and flopped into a chair next to Seamus. It was true - Harry had massive black circles under his eyes and he was paler than usual. He refrained from telling Hermione that it was because he'd had little to no sleep that night.
"Going into Hogsmeade today?" Ron enquired. "We..." - he gestured to
the small bunch of Gryffindor fifth-years sitting nearby - "...are."
"Not today," he mumbled. "I've got some work to do."
Standing up and ignoring this, he walked over to the window and stared down at the Hogwarts grounds. The snow was still thick on the
ground despite it being early March; and early as it was, there were quite a few first and second-year students already up and flinging snowballs at each other. Harry smiled as their vague yells floated up to the window.
He returned to a chair in a private corner of the common room and brooded. Tossing and turning sleeplessly in bed last night, he'd come to a decision regarding what to do about the whole Malfoy issue. The events of the previous evening had
indicated what he had been wondering for a while - Malfoy didn't care. It was all a big game. In the days and weeks after what had happened before Christmas, Harry had wondered exactly why Malfoy had done what he did. An awful thought at the back of his mind was that Malfoy really did have gay tendencies and really did like him.
But Harry was Malfoy's sworn enemy; always had been. Malfoy had skilfully managed to annoy Harry within five minutes of their first meeting; ever since then it had been a state of warfare between them. So the likelihood of Malfoy having a raging physical desire for Harry seemed most unlikely.
It being a practical joke seemed the most useful solution. If that, it didn't
involve real desires from both parties. Probably the Slytherins had a bet on to see whether Harry was a poof or not. He had always received jibes about the relationship between Hermione and he; fitfully proclaiming they were
not together had changed some people's opinions of him. But Harry had a hard time believing that Draco Malfoy would be willing to seduce him, even if it might drag Harry's name through the mud.
Worrying him even more was the fact that he had, for a fleeting second, enjoyed it. Malfoy was right; there had been no mistaking that.
His hatred for Malfoy had, for a moment, been bypassed, as he had kissed Harry
so gently, reducing him to a flushed, panting and highly aroused mess. But
Malfoy seemed to swing from one extreme to the other, acting as normal toward
Harry and then cornering him and behaving entirely differently.
Perhaps playing Malfoy's own game back at him would work, Harry thought. Flaunting your heterosexuality. Get a girlfriend. But who could help him? Hermione wasn't an option; Cho was way out of his league; Lavender and Parvati were... Lavender and Parvati. Harry closed his eyes and tried to make female forms float across his mind. There were hundreds of girls at Hogwarts, and to Harry's major embarrassment he seemed to be accumulating quite a fanclub amongst the younger school. He cringed as he recalled the singing Valentine he had received from Ginny a year or two ago. Malfoy had laughed scathingly, and Harry had wanted the ground to swallow him up.
Then it hit him. Ginny. She'd grown a lot since Harry had first met her, and had developed a somewhat mature air about her. She was sitting over by Ron, Seamus and Hermione, flicking idly through a magazine. Harry sat up to get a better look at her. Her shoulder-length feathered hair framed her face prettily, setting off her bright brown eyes and pale skin very nicely. Harry couldn't believe he hadn't noticed her subdued prettiness before now. He must've been walking around with his eyes closed. She'd always been Ron's little sister; Harry had never really seen her as her own person. But now...
Looking up from her magazine, Ginny stole a quick glance at Harry, expecting to see him staring moodily at the wall as he had been doing for the past 10 minutes or so. Seeing him staring at her intently, she blushed furiously and dropped her eyes. After a few seconds she dared another look; finding him still watching her, she swallowed nervously and managed a tiny smile back.
Harry felt a small jolt in his stomach; something he'd only previously experienced when speaking to Cho. He grinned back, feeling a slight flush rise up his neck. He noticed Ginny's eyes widen slightly, then return to her magazine.
Sighing heavily, Harry got up and pushed open the portrait hole. As he made his way toward the Great Hall, his mind was working overtime. The ball was in his court now. Malfoy's cryptic "This'll just be our little secret then, Potter" was obviously meant as some kind of threat. Harry would show him he didn't care.
* * * * * * * *
Later that day, Harry was making his way down to the owlery to visit Hedwig. As he stepped through the door and walked carefully amongst the rows of owls, searching for Hedwig's snowy plumage, his eyes fell on Ginny standing at the far end of the room. She was grasping a crumpled piece of parchment in her hand and was making vain attempts to catch Pig with her free hand. Unlike most of the other owls who were fast asleep, Pig was whizzing around in ever-decreasing circles, like an out-of control balloon. Seeing Harry, Ginny shrugged her shoulders and laughed. "He's useless," she grinned.
Finally Pig was caught, more by good luck than anything else. He flew straight into Harry's midriff like a grey feathery cannonball, almost knocking himself out. Ginny picked up the dazed owl and shook him gently. Tying the parchment to his leg, she picked him up and chucked him out of the window. Harry watched, a small smile playing on his lips. "I thought Pig belonged to Ron," he said playfully.
Ginny grinned shrewdly. "He does. But Ron doesn't have to know." She caught Harry's eye and gave a tiny smile, flushing slightly.
Harry smiled back. "Listen, Ginny... erm, there's - something I wanted to talk to you about..." he began, but was stopped in his tracks by a voice coming from the corridor outside the owlery.
"Crabbe! Go to the common room, I'll be back in a minute, I just have to send an owl to Father..."
It was Draco. And by the sounds of things, he was heading this way. Harry's mouth went dry. Ginny, noticing his expression, frowned slightly.
"Harry - what's wr-"
But she didn't have time to finish. Hearing Malfoy's footsteps draw closer, Harry had made a spur-of-the moment decision. Drawing Ginny closer to him, he reached out for her and kissed her softly on the lips. He felt Ginny's body go rigid, then she relaxed into the kiss with a small moan just as Draco's slender form appeared through the door.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Potter. I didn't realise you were in here," said Malfoy in mock-surprise. Giving Ginny one last peck, Harry broke from the kiss and glanced over at Malfoy. He searched the other boy's face for any trace of envy; to his dismay, Draco appeared to look absolutely delighted. His grey eyes were sparkling.
"I guess I'll leave you two alone then," he said maliciously, spitting the words out. Grabbing one of the school owls from its perch and shoving it under his arm, he backed out and slammed the door.
Harry turned to face Ginny. She was trembling, and seemed to be having slight trouble breathing. Harry still had his arms wrapped around her, and he could feel her heart thudding madly in her chest. Harry felt a wave of guilt wash over him. It was all wrong. He didn't feel about Ginny the same way he felt about... well, about Cho, or any other girl. He was using Ginny in an attempt to prove himself to Malfoy. But what was he trying to prove? And what could possibly be achieved?
"Sorry, Ginny," he mumbled. He untangled himself from her and, without a backward glance, walked quickly down the room and through the door. Ginny stared after him, a look of utter bewilderment on her face.
* * *