Epilogue-
Harry yawned and sat up in bed, stretching his arms. His view was hazy and quickly put on his glasses to see clearly. It was dawn, he realized as he looked at the bluish light filtering through the windows into the room. Harry yawned again…but felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as his eyes fell on his Firebolt, leaning against the wall. He remembered the last night. He'd spent quite some time, looking for the perfect rosebud in the darkness.
His smile faltered slightly when he wondered if Ginny had found the rosebud – well, he thought, it was only dawn.
Harry felt restless and nervous, all at the same time. Now that he had done it…made up his mind, strange thoughts came to him. He could not understand how he was feeling. Happy because it felt like the best decision he had ever made? Scared because he had no idea of what to expect next? Or what?
Harry leapt out of bed. He had no idea how long it would take before Ginny found the rosebud…he had laid it right next to her pillow, hiding under the Invisibility cloak. Pulling on clean clothes and his casual robes, Harry grabbed is Firebolt and left his dormitory.
~*~
'Ginny! You can't stay in here forever! Even your friends are concerned!'
A muffled voice came from beneath the pillows.
'I didn't hear you.'
Ginny raised her head from under the pillows, her red hair all mussed up.
'I can't, Hermione!'
Hermione grinned. 'You got what you wanted and here you are, with your face hidden in your pillows!'
Ginny did not smile. 'What do I do? I can't go down there – and – and face him!' Her head disappeared under the pillows again.
'Well, you can't keep him waiting forever. I had to take him some breakfast from the Great Hall. He won't come back from the grounds and he's taken his Firebolt too.'
Ginny emerged from her pillows quickly at this, the rosebud Harry had given her, in her hands. She looked extremely troubled – nervous and scared. She regarded Hermione silently for a moment. Hermione was now fiddling with a ring on her finger, smiling slightly. Ginny noticed it but could not keep her troubling thoughts out of her mind long enough to ask Hermione about the ring.
'But how can I just…go there?'
'Well,' said Hermione, smiling slightly. 'You'd have to walk, I guess. Now go, before he falls off his broom altogether!'
Ginny glanced at the tiny rosebud and the little note Harry had left. She got out of bed and walked over to her dormitory window. Pulling back the thin curtains slightly, she peeped outside. Harry was there, sitting on a bench by the lakeside, staring out at the water. His Firebolt lay on the grass beside him. With one last, final look, Ginny let go of the curtain and hurried to dress, an excited but nervous smile on her face.
~*~
Harry crumbled the dry leaves of winter in his palm and the powdered remains of the leaf blew away in the chilly wind of mid-February.
Maybe everything was just a stupid dream…the conversations he had overheard, Ginny blushing, Hermione's talk with him…everything, he thought miserably. He had been outside for hours. Hermione had brought him a sandwich from breakfast and had surprisingly, kept Ron from questioning him.
He wondered how much longer he'd stay out there and wonder how in the world he as going to face her – and when.
There was the sound of fallen leaves crunching; the sound was coming closer. Harry felt a strange lump form in his throat. He gripped his bench. He knew who it was.
'Harry?'
Harry got up, turning to face her. Ginny stood there, two or three feet away, wrapped in her cloak, smiling and blushing at the same time. Her hair blew in the wind and she nervously tucked one strand behind her ear. It was an awkward silence that followed. Harry racked his brains for something to say. This girl was here for answers and he didn't think he could say a word.
'I…uh…'
Ginny, surprisingly grinned.
'Thanks for the…rose…' she said, haltingly and looked at the ground. Harry felt some of his tension evaporate and he took a slow step closer to her, smiling.
'Happy Valentine's Day.'
He walked up to her, gaining confidence as her blush deepened. She smiled up at him, shyly.
'Happy Valentine's Day…' she returned. Harry held out his and gently, not knowing what else to do.
'D'you want to take a walk around…the lake…or something?'
Ginny nodded and reached out to take Harry's hand, blushing madly. But just then, the rosebud, which she had stuck in her hair on Hermione's insistence, flew away and fell onto the surface of the crystal-clear waters of the lake. Harry retrieved it quickly and stuck it into her hair, hoping he was doing everything right. She seemed to be pretty happy so far.
Without thinking, he slid her hand into his and she smiled at him.
'Thank you,' she said, her teeth chattering slightly in the cold wind. Harry grinned, feeling better than ever, as they walked by the lake and Ginny's warm fingers slowly entwined with his.
Ginny felt her hand had become totally numb ever since Harry had held it in his. As they gave the Fat Lady the password and ambled in, he let go of her hand and helped her in through the portrait. A strange scene met their eyes.
Fred and George stood towering over an irritated, beetroot red, angry- looking Ron. Hermione was standing behind him, looking quite flushed but giggling too.
'…you should ask Harry! We really did do it,' Fred was saying, chuckling.
'Do what?' Ginny demanded. All four standing by the fire turned to Ginny and Hermione smiled at the sight of a happy looking Harry and Ginny.
'You should ask Mr. Potter there really. He was the brains behind it,' said George. Ginny turned to Harry, feeling slightly scared. There was some…prank involved. Not…with her? She felt a ripple of rage pass through her at the thought.
'What?' she asked Harry, hr rage hidden well by the fright she was experiencing. But Harry was chuckling.
'You managed it, then?' Harry asked George.
'I demand to know what has been happening!' Ginny exclaimed. Most of the people in the Commonroom were interested in what was happening.
'Poor Ron,' Fred. 'His own friend did this to him. Harry here…our innocent Harry paid us to get a picture of your first kiss!'
'Harry WHAT?!' Ron bellowed.
Harry ducked as Ron bounded after him and both disappeared up the stairs of the boys' dormitory.
'Oh dear…' Hermione sighed, still flushed red.
'Don't worry, Hermione,' said Fred, grinning wickedly. 'We won't blackmail you. We'll only show it to Ronny and your little kiddies!'
Hermione blushed redder. 'I…'
Ginny tutted, quite amused and pushed Fred slightly.
'Leave her, it's difficult enough for her and then you two prats come along!'
Fred and George left, snickering.
'Now how much do you think Ron will pay us for getting a photograph of Harry and Ginny's first kiss?' George could be heard saying as the twins went up the boys' staircase.
Hermione giggled. Ginny burned red but smiling slightly, she dragged Hermione off to the girls' dormitory for some much needed "Girl Talk".
Harry yawned and sat up in bed, stretching his arms. His view was hazy and quickly put on his glasses to see clearly. It was dawn, he realized as he looked at the bluish light filtering through the windows into the room. Harry yawned again…but felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as his eyes fell on his Firebolt, leaning against the wall. He remembered the last night. He'd spent quite some time, looking for the perfect rosebud in the darkness.
His smile faltered slightly when he wondered if Ginny had found the rosebud – well, he thought, it was only dawn.
Harry felt restless and nervous, all at the same time. Now that he had done it…made up his mind, strange thoughts came to him. He could not understand how he was feeling. Happy because it felt like the best decision he had ever made? Scared because he had no idea of what to expect next? Or what?
Harry leapt out of bed. He had no idea how long it would take before Ginny found the rosebud…he had laid it right next to her pillow, hiding under the Invisibility cloak. Pulling on clean clothes and his casual robes, Harry grabbed is Firebolt and left his dormitory.
~*~
'Ginny! You can't stay in here forever! Even your friends are concerned!'
A muffled voice came from beneath the pillows.
'I didn't hear you.'
Ginny raised her head from under the pillows, her red hair all mussed up.
'I can't, Hermione!'
Hermione grinned. 'You got what you wanted and here you are, with your face hidden in your pillows!'
Ginny did not smile. 'What do I do? I can't go down there – and – and face him!' Her head disappeared under the pillows again.
'Well, you can't keep him waiting forever. I had to take him some breakfast from the Great Hall. He won't come back from the grounds and he's taken his Firebolt too.'
Ginny emerged from her pillows quickly at this, the rosebud Harry had given her, in her hands. She looked extremely troubled – nervous and scared. She regarded Hermione silently for a moment. Hermione was now fiddling with a ring on her finger, smiling slightly. Ginny noticed it but could not keep her troubling thoughts out of her mind long enough to ask Hermione about the ring.
'But how can I just…go there?'
'Well,' said Hermione, smiling slightly. 'You'd have to walk, I guess. Now go, before he falls off his broom altogether!'
Ginny glanced at the tiny rosebud and the little note Harry had left. She got out of bed and walked over to her dormitory window. Pulling back the thin curtains slightly, she peeped outside. Harry was there, sitting on a bench by the lakeside, staring out at the water. His Firebolt lay on the grass beside him. With one last, final look, Ginny let go of the curtain and hurried to dress, an excited but nervous smile on her face.
~*~
Harry crumbled the dry leaves of winter in his palm and the powdered remains of the leaf blew away in the chilly wind of mid-February.
Maybe everything was just a stupid dream…the conversations he had overheard, Ginny blushing, Hermione's talk with him…everything, he thought miserably. He had been outside for hours. Hermione had brought him a sandwich from breakfast and had surprisingly, kept Ron from questioning him.
He wondered how much longer he'd stay out there and wonder how in the world he as going to face her – and when.
There was the sound of fallen leaves crunching; the sound was coming closer. Harry felt a strange lump form in his throat. He gripped his bench. He knew who it was.
'Harry?'
Harry got up, turning to face her. Ginny stood there, two or three feet away, wrapped in her cloak, smiling and blushing at the same time. Her hair blew in the wind and she nervously tucked one strand behind her ear. It was an awkward silence that followed. Harry racked his brains for something to say. This girl was here for answers and he didn't think he could say a word.
'I…uh…'
Ginny, surprisingly grinned.
'Thanks for the…rose…' she said, haltingly and looked at the ground. Harry felt some of his tension evaporate and he took a slow step closer to her, smiling.
'Happy Valentine's Day.'
He walked up to her, gaining confidence as her blush deepened. She smiled up at him, shyly.
'Happy Valentine's Day…' she returned. Harry held out his and gently, not knowing what else to do.
'D'you want to take a walk around…the lake…or something?'
Ginny nodded and reached out to take Harry's hand, blushing madly. But just then, the rosebud, which she had stuck in her hair on Hermione's insistence, flew away and fell onto the surface of the crystal-clear waters of the lake. Harry retrieved it quickly and stuck it into her hair, hoping he was doing everything right. She seemed to be pretty happy so far.
Without thinking, he slid her hand into his and she smiled at him.
'Thank you,' she said, her teeth chattering slightly in the cold wind. Harry grinned, feeling better than ever, as they walked by the lake and Ginny's warm fingers slowly entwined with his.
Ginny felt her hand had become totally numb ever since Harry had held it in his. As they gave the Fat Lady the password and ambled in, he let go of her hand and helped her in through the portrait. A strange scene met their eyes.
Fred and George stood towering over an irritated, beetroot red, angry- looking Ron. Hermione was standing behind him, looking quite flushed but giggling too.
'…you should ask Harry! We really did do it,' Fred was saying, chuckling.
'Do what?' Ginny demanded. All four standing by the fire turned to Ginny and Hermione smiled at the sight of a happy looking Harry and Ginny.
'You should ask Mr. Potter there really. He was the brains behind it,' said George. Ginny turned to Harry, feeling slightly scared. There was some…prank involved. Not…with her? She felt a ripple of rage pass through her at the thought.
'What?' she asked Harry, hr rage hidden well by the fright she was experiencing. But Harry was chuckling.
'You managed it, then?' Harry asked George.
'I demand to know what has been happening!' Ginny exclaimed. Most of the people in the Commonroom were interested in what was happening.
'Poor Ron,' Fred. 'His own friend did this to him. Harry here…our innocent Harry paid us to get a picture of your first kiss!'
'Harry WHAT?!' Ron bellowed.
Harry ducked as Ron bounded after him and both disappeared up the stairs of the boys' dormitory.
'Oh dear…' Hermione sighed, still flushed red.
'Don't worry, Hermione,' said Fred, grinning wickedly. 'We won't blackmail you. We'll only show it to Ronny and your little kiddies!'
Hermione blushed redder. 'I…'
Ginny tutted, quite amused and pushed Fred slightly.
'Leave her, it's difficult enough for her and then you two prats come along!'
Fred and George left, snickering.
'Now how much do you think Ron will pay us for getting a photograph of Harry and Ginny's first kiss?' George could be heard saying as the twins went up the boys' staircase.
Hermione giggled. Ginny burned red but smiling slightly, she dragged Hermione off to the girls' dormitory for some much needed "Girl Talk".