Mistura d'Amore

by Casca

H/G R/Hrm. A group of fifth year girls, including Ginny Weasley, make a love potion and the results are disastrous!

2. Part 2

Title:  Mistura d'Amore

Author: Casca Casccara@yahoo.com

Classification: H/G

Summary:  A group of fifth year girls, including Ginny Weasely, make a love potion and the results are disastrous!

Spoilers: None

Rating: G

Disclaimer: All characters and names used in these fics are the

legal property and creative work of JK Rowling and/or Warner Bros. 

Except for Emma, Rebecca, Lana and my personal favorite, Sarah, —Potion Makers Extraordinaire. :D

Day Two, cont…

Hermione sat at the breakfast table eating her porridge and reading through her History of Magic notes when Ron joined her.  She smiled when she felt Ron's fingertips lightly touch her wrist and his knee nudge hers under the table—all while fixing his breakfast plate.  She loved the little affectionate gestures he showed her, especially when he didn't know he was doing them—as  was the case just then.  It often made her wonder when he would start to be, ahem, more affectionate. For the past two years, she and Ron had shared a somewhat silent agreement that they did, in fact, like each other. However, neither of them had taken to doing anything about it.

"Where's Harry?" she asked him, closing her notes.

Ron grunted incoherently. 

"What's the matter?"

"Well, he was acting weird this morning."

"Weird how?" Hermione asked, sipping her juice.

Ron huffed a sigh.  "I dunno… he was acting like this last night, too, after Quidditch practice.  He seems bad tempered."

"That's not weird.  He's been like that since last year, even more so this term," she said softly, wishing there was something she could do to ease Harry's mind about Voldemort. 

"No, that's not it," Ron said.  "This is different, he wasn't silent like he normally is when he's worried about all that.  He was cross and really disgusted.  Was going on about 'missing the boat,' or something or other."

"Missing the boat?" Hermione asked in confusion.  "What could that be about?"

Ron shrugged.  "Dunno, then just now, I came down and he was sitting on the sofa pouting and said that I took too long and now he wasn't hungry anymore. And when I asked him what the hell was wrong with him, he said that he was a dense idiot and that he was going for a walk around the lake and not to bother him."

Hermione frowned.  "Well, I don't like the sound of that at all. Ron, you should go after him."

"Why, me?"

"Because… If I go ask him what's wrong, he'll think we were talking about him behind his back."

"We are and I don't care if he thinks that. I'm hungry," Ron stated and began shoving food in his mouth.

"Ron," Hermione moaned. "Go talk to him.  Find out what's wrong; I hate thinking he's out there all alone and he's sad-"

Ron made a noise of disgust.  "He's not sad- he's a prat."

"Ron."

"Hermione, stop saying my name like that."

"Please?" she begged him. "For me?"

He turned to glare at her.  "That's not going to work this time."

Hermione bent her head and began picking at her food, mumbling a very hurt, "fine."

Ron sighed and threw down his fork.  "Fine.  Fine, I'll go, but just for the record, I know that you're pretending, right now. I know how you play your little games with me, and I'm going to start putting my foot down."  He spoke very firmly, but Hermione saw a reluctant grin at the corners of her mouth when she raised a brow at him.

She patted his hand.  "That's fine, you start putting your foot down then."

No sooner had Ron left than Ginny appeared at the table, out of breath and looking frantic.  "Hermione, I need to talk to you!"

"Ginny?" Hermione asked in surprise.  "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Hermione. It's awful."

"What is it?" she asked, very startled at Ginny's proclamation.

Hermione listened with wide eyes as Ginny told her what had transpired over the last two days.  When Ginny finished, Hermione gasped out loud.

"You mean… Harry didn't forget?"

Ginny shook her head.  "And he still has these feelings, Hermione.  I bumped into him again just now when I was walking outside and he just stared at me.  I mean, just like before, only really intense, and the curious thing is I think he's angry with me for being so bizarre lately.  I don't know what to do, tell me, what am I going to do?"

"You're going to the library!"

"What?" Ginny cried as Hermione pulled her out of the Great Hall. "Why?"

Ginny sat a round table in the back of the library and watched wearily as Hermione piled potion book after potion book in front of her.  Emma's ornate book where they had originally found the Mistura d'Amore lay open on the table and when Hermione sat down again, she began opening books and peering through them.

"What good is this going to do again?" Ginny moaned.

"I told you," Hermione said patiently as she calmly flipped pages.  "There's bound to be more to that potion than those two paragraphs.  A potion with all those ingredients has got to be more complex than that."

"What could be more complex than love for twenty-four hours?"

"Well, obviously it's not a twenty-four hour spell- we just need to figure out how to reverse it."

Ginny sighed and Hermione felt a pang of remorse for her.  "Bet you never thought you'd be looking for a spell that would make Harry fall out of love with you," she said, looking at her friend somberly.

"Nope."

"Ginny," Hermione squeezed her hand.  "I do believe he will start to notice you. For real."

"That makes one of us," Ginny mumbled and pulled Adoration and Desire: A Potion Making Guide to Love towards her.

They flipped through book after book on potions and after two hours, Ginny slammed her novel closed with a bang.  "This is hopeless! We're never going to-"

"Sshhhh!"

 "Sorry!" they both whispered to a furious looking Madam Pince.

"Ginny, don't give up," Hermione said in a hushed voice.  "There has to be something on Mistura d'Amore in one of these books, I know it- Wait!  Here, listen!"  Hermione smoothed the page and began to read.

"Special attention must be asserted while brewing certain love potions; for while it may be evident what each ingredient means to the specific characteristics of each potion, the elements used may have other effects that is not obvious to a brewer who has not fully researched how the ingredients act when brewed together.  For example, a common oversight is often made when a potion calls for natural ingredients ("natural" meaning "non-magical").  In this instance, careful consideration of the natural ingredient must be taken and thoroughly researched. 

"In a particularly common case, the use of sugar in the very old Italian-originated potion, Mistura d'Amore, is most commonly represented as the foundation for the drinker's "natural" behavior.  Indeed one of the most remarkable aspects of Mistura d'Amore is how the sugar blends with the other ingredients of the potion and causes the drinker to lose none of his/her persona and remain quite naturally in love—all within a twenty-four hour period.  After the twenty-four hour period has passed, the drinker is supposed to forget everything that happened to him/her while under the influence of the potion. However, the sugar ingredient in Mistura d'Amore, has another effect, an effect that no remedy or counter will cure.  In the event that the drinker has romantic feelings for the potion-brewer in a repressed sense, the use of sugar, a pure, non-magical ingredient, forces the feelings to surface on the drinker.  The potion will in fact wear off after twenty-four hours, however the drinker's feelings will remain the same given the fact that Mistura d'Amore did not create the feelings, it forced the drinker to recognize them.  In many cases, any events that happened while the potion was in effect had not been forgotten by the drinker, for he/she was not acting under the influence of the potion, and on their own free will."

Hermione broke off and looked up.  Ginny's mouth was hanging open and there was a crazed look in her eyes.

"So, you're saying," Ginny began slowly, eyeing Hermione very suspiciously.  "You're saying… your saying…"

Hermione nodded, unable to believe it herself.  "The potion's worn off, Ginny.  Harry's feelings are real, the potion only forced him to realize them!"

Ginny looked as though she'd been stunned.  "But- but-" she stammered incoherently.

"Don't you see? Harry had feelings for you before he drank the potion.  He never said anything because he probably didn't even know about them!"

"Hermione… it's impossible," Ginny said weakly.  "There has to be a counter-curse, there has to be!"

"Ginny, there is no counter curse because there is no curse! This is great news!"
            "No, it's not," Ginny said, now close to tears.  "Now he won't ever stop feeling this way.  It's not right, how it happened.  If Harry had feelings for me, this was certainly not the way things were supposed to work out!"

"Oh, Ginny, I know that.  But the potion didn't do anything horrible, it just brought out Harry's feelings."

"Exactly. Harry supposedly has real feelings for me-" she broke off and Hermione could see that Ginny would never truly be used to that idea. "-and I couldn't even bring them out.  It took some stupid potion and now it's all full of deceit.  Lana's right- I am pathetic."

Hermione's heart just about broke.  She wanted to say that she knew exactly how Ginny felt- unable to get a certain boy to look at her in a romantic way.  But this was Ginny's problem, not Hermione's.  "I know it feels like you failed. But, Ginny… they are true feelings, not the result of some potion, true feelings.  Isn't it… lovely, knowing that?"

Ginny's eyes filled with tears.  "It's a dream come true. For so long, I've wanted…  And now this means that everything that happened yesterday was…"

"Real," Hermione said smiling.  "It was all real."

 "I'm happy about that… but Harry will never be able to forgive me for this, Hermione. He won't understand."

Hermione sighed and transferred the two paragraphs she'd read from the book to a piece of parchment with her wand. "Then don't tell him."

Ginny looked appalled. "What?"

"Does he really need to know?" Hermione asked sensibly. 

Ginny looked shocked.  "Of course he needs to know.  Hermione, I could never lie to him. And I can't…" Ginny blushed.  "Well, what I mean to say is, if Harry continues to, I mean to say, I can't…"

Hermione smiled.  "You can't tell him your not interested."

Ginny shook her head, her eyes wide.  "Never," she whispered.

"Look, Ginny… I think what we need to do is think about this very calmly and rationally for a couple of days."

Ginny gave her a look.  "I cannot be calm or rational while Harry asks me to Quidditch practices and… swing on vines with me."

"Oh, yes you can, Virginia Weasley.  You are a strong woman," Hermione said sternly.

Ginny puffed out a breath. "I s'pose."

"I know. Let's give it a few days and when we've had time to think about this more clearly, we'll talk about it again.  Until then… you'll just have to suffer through Harry's affections."

"Ha, ha," Ginny muttered and the two of them cleaned up and headed up to Gryffindor Tower.

~Day Three~

After a very long day of contemplation, the solution was still quite clear to Hermione.  She just couldn't find a good, solid reason for Harry to know the truth.  His feelings for Ginny, if Hermione could relate them to her own feelings for Ron, would not go away even if he tried to ignore them.  Ginny would feel guilty about them and Harry himself would be ashamed of them.  He wouldn't trust Ginny or what he felt for her.  And it would worry him… Merlin knew that Harry didn't need another worry. 

No, it wouldn't do to tell him, Hermione realized.  It would cause more problems than it would solve.

Hermione had just vowed that she would force Ginny to realize this when Ron became the cause of a very sudden, very personal, disruption in her life.  She was seated in the Gryffindor Common Room that night, waiting for Ginny to come through so that they could talk when Ron marched over to Hermione and flung himself into the chair directly across from her.  He crossed his arms and sulked deliberately at her.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked, sitting up in surprise.  It was all she could do not to wince under his scrutinizing gaze.   "Ron…?  Is everything okay?"

Ron continued to stare at her, his eyes narrowed in thought as if trying to wager something in his mind.  Then he slowly unfolded his arms and extended a hand, which held a piece of parchment, towards her.  Lifting a brow, Hermione took the paper and glanced down at it. Her heart sank to her knees.  He handed her the parchment in which she had copied down the full description of Mistura d'Amore from that book in the library.  At the bottom was the complete recipe for the potion that she'd written from Emma Dashbrook's potion book. Very slowly, very cautiously, Hermione raised her eyes to meet his.  And she gasped involuntarily at his angry, but somehow passive, face.

"Where did you get this?" she asked him nonchalantly as if it were very common for a girl to have love potion recipes on hand. 

"Your History of Magic notebook," Ron said carefully, his eyes never leaving hers.  "Where did you get it?"

Hermione tried very hard to look indignant.  "What were you doing in my notebook?" she demanded.

"Copying your notes," he said without hesitation.

"Ron! I can't believe-"

"Hermione, don't change the subject," Ron said in a low voice that sent shivers of apprehension down her spine. 

"Um… oh, well, that's just… Ron, it isn't what it looks like."

"Did you… make this potion, Hermione?"

Something squeezed at her heart.  "No," she insisted, wide-eyed.  "I didn't."

"Then how come I-" Ron broke off. 

"Yes?" she pressed. "How come you what?"

Ron looked back at her, about to say something, but he abruptly changed his mind.  "If you didn't make it, then why do you have this? I don't remember Snape assigning us love potions."  His voice held a very clipped tone that suggested accusation.

Hermione let out a long breath.  "I- I can't tell you why I have that. I can tell you that it has nothing to do with me."

That did not appear to be good enough.  "I don't understand how you can have that when it doesn't have anything to do with you," Ron said, and Hermione was unbelievably hurt by his narrowed, suspicious gaze.

"Someone else made the potion, and gave it to someone, Ron.  I was just helping that person deal with the aftermath.  I didn't make it, I would never make something like that, at least to use it on anyone," her voice quivered.  

Ron bit his lip and Hermione knew he felt bad. But she didn't care—for once she'd thought that

Ron would tell her that he— 

"So, um… who did make the potion then?  Anyone I know?" he asked offhandedly.

Hermione sighed and knew the moment had passed.  "I can't tell you, Ron.  I've made a

promise." 

"I won't tell anyone," he said, all of a sudden indignant.  "And what's with keeping secrets? It's

just me."

            "It's not a secret from you, Ron.  The whole world does not revolve around you."

            "I never said that it did!"

            "You automatically assume that you're involved. Why?" she demanded, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Hermione, I don't get it, why can't you just tell me who's under the ruddy love spell?"

 "Ron, I can't break a confidence." Angry now at his insufferable stupidity, Hermione's eyes snapped down to the page of her book and she began to read, completely ignoring Ron's fury.

"Fine, then, if that's the way it is," Ron snapped.  "I'm going to bed."

"Fine, have it your way, then," she muttered under her breath as Ron took off towards the dormitory.

After five minutes of staring with blind anger at her Arithmancy text, Hermione turned as the portrait hole opened.  Sure enough Ginny was climbing through accompanied by her friend Sarah.  Hermione stood up as Ginny and Sarah dashed across the common room at top speed, passing Hermione and heading immediately towards the staircase leading to the girl's dormitories.  Several Gryffindor's glanced curiously their way. 

"Ginny, wait!" Hermione exclaimed as Ginny and Sarah reached the staircase and began to scramble up. 

They turned around.  "What?" Ginny whispered hurriedly, her eyes darting to the portrait hole and back.

Hermione was startled.  "I- I wanted to talk to you about-"

Much to Hermione's surprise, Ginny interrupted with a roll of her eyes.  "Hermione, I can't right now.  He's coming!"

"Who?" said Hermione, completely taken aback at Ginny's pale face and Sarah's frightened eyes.

"Who?! Harry, that's who," Ginny hissed.  "He's been following me all day, I almost had to talk to him at dinner just now, but thankfully, Sarah spotted him and we made a clean getaway."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the crazed look on Ginny's face.  "Ginny… this is ridiculous; you can't avoid him forever.  I was going to tell you that you don't have to tell him!  It makes no sense-" She stopped when a loud creak sounded through the room.  All three girls whipped around as the portrait opened and the unmistakable black-haired boy climbed through. 

Ginny gasped sharply and scrambled up the staircase to the dormitory pulling a very frightened Sarah with her. 

Hermione stood where she was. How horrible her night was turning out!  First Ron's strange accusations and incessant nagging, then Ginny's refusal to listen to reason and unfounded fear of being in the same room as Harry… Hermione was beginning to believe that she herself was the only sane one in the group.  She sat down again and opened her book, but didn't even bother to look down at the pages.  She stared into space very thoughtfully and her distraction on the idiocy of her friends was broken when Harry plopped down in the chair across from her.

He looked very much like Ron had, only he wasn't glaring at Hermione.  He was glaring at a spot on the rug, and so severely, that Hermione had to glance towards the floor to see if there was a horrid stain. 

"Harry?" she asked carefully.

"Huh?" he muttered, still staring at the floor.

Hermione suddenly realized that she didn't want to know.  "Nothing," she said and forced herself to read. 

After a few minutes, he asked, "Hermione?"

She looked up.  He looked as if he were undergoing some kind of mental torture.  "What is it, Harry?"

He hesitated.  "Hermione… I've been having thoughts."

Her brows snapped together.  "Thoughts?"

"Uh-huh," he said slowly, looking very uncomfortable.

Oh, no.  He wasn't about to tell her… oh, yes he was, she realized as she watched him squirm in his chair. He was going to tell her about his sudden feelings for Ginny.  Hermione felt herself getting sick. How could she talk to him about this without lying to him?  After all, she knew the truth… even listening to this would be a lie.

"Okay," she said weakly.

"About a girl."

"Harry, wait.  I… may not be the best person to talk to about this."

"You're the only person I can talk to Hermione. Ron-" he broke off and a look of fear came over his face.  "I can't tell Ron."

No, he certainly could not, Hermione realized with a start. Ron's discovery about the potion combined with learning of Harry's sudden feelings for Ginny would no doubt lead Ron to the truth- that Ginny made the potion and Harry drank it.  Resigned to the fact that she would have to listen to the details of Harry's love life, Hermione closed her book. "Alright, then.  Why can't you tell Ron?"

Harry hesitated again. "It's about Ginny."

"Ginny?" she pretended to look shocked and secretly vowed to kill Miss Ginny Weasley for leaving her alone with Harry.

"I can't explain how it happened, Hermione.  The other day, I left the Great Hall from breakfast and I saw her standing there.  And somehow I had to look at her… it was beyond my control.  And then I started having these… thoughts."

Hermione leaned forward.  "What kind of thoughts?"
            Harry squirmed in seat again and looked at her very uncomfortably.  "Do I have to-- ?"

"No," she blurted out.  "You don't. I got it."

He looked very relieved. 

"So you have feelings for Ginny," she said softly.  "Why are you so upset, Harry?"

"She's Ron's sister, Hermione!  And I-"

"You what?" she pressed when he broke off and looked away.

"I- I don't think she feels the same." He looked out the window, his eyes troubled.

Hermione's heart broke at the site of him.  Oh, yes, Ginny Weasley's murder was most definitely on her to-do list. "Have you asked her?"

He shook his head.  "I can't get her alone!  I invited her to Quidditch practice; she got sick.  I tried all day to catch her in the corridors to ask her for a walk, but she always seems to be in such a hurry.  Or she's with her friends.  Why was I so thick? Why didn't I notice her when I had the chance?"

"Harry, talk to her.  You'll have to catch up to her eventually.  And when you do, force her to listen.  That's the best I can tell you."

Harry looked at her sheepishly.  "Do you… know if she still, you know…"

"Oh, no," Hermione shook her head.  "I am not getting in the middle of this." Even as she said the words, Hermione laughed to herself.  She was exactly in the middle of this ordeal and she hadn't even made the stupid potion.  "Even if I did know, Harry, I wouldn't tell you.  I won't break anyone's confidence."

"I understand," he said gloomily.

"Oh, Harry, don't look so down! Just tell her how you feel, it'll all work out, trust me. Oh, and Harry, whatever you do, do not tell Ron. Not yet at least.  We'll need to come up with a way to tell him that would be best for everyone involved." Including his not-so-innocent little sister.

"Yeah, I suppose your right," Harry sighed.

~Day Four~

Ron and Harry were both bad-tempered when they awoke the next day.  They moped about the dorm getting dressed, grumbling moodily to each other, while Neville, Seamus and Dean wisely avoided speaking to them.

Hermione's infuriating attitude from the night before was plaguing Ron's mind and since he hadn't even been able to rant about it to his best friend, Ron was having a particularly bad time of it.  He had begun to tell Harry about Hermione's mysterious behavior and that someone around school had been cursed with a love potion when Harry had finally come into the dorm last night, but Harry had stopped him before he even got a chance to speak, mumbling something about needing to think and promptly going to bed.  Harry's peculiar behavior was bothering Ron as well.  They were best mates-- weren't they supposed to talk about their problems with each other? 

Obviously not, Ron thought sourly as he glanced over at Harry who was pulling on a pair of socks, a huge frown distorting his face.  What was with everybody lately?

Despite his anger, Ron waited for Harry at the door, watching impatiently as Harry pulled both his socks on, then his shoes, taking his time tying the laces.  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Harry that he could always call Dobby the House-Elf to tie his shoes for him—it may just be quicker. However, Ron didn't want to start the day with a fight so he merely raised a brow and said, "Ready?"

"Hang on a minute, will you?" Harry said irritably and missed the annoyed glare Ron shot at him.

When Ron and Harry walked into the common room, Harry stopped and said, "Wait."

"What now?" Ron asked.  "I'm hungry, Harry, I want to get down to breakfast."

But Harry didn't look angry at Ron's outburst—he looked rather uncomfortable about something.

"Shouldn't we wait…?"

"Why?" Ron demanded.

"Well… you know, for Hermione and… and, well, whoever else?"

Ron looked at Harry as if he were crazy.  "Hermione's already down there, you know she's always at breakfast before we are."

"Huh," Harry nodded dully, deep in thought.

Ron bloody well thought his own head was about to explode.  "What's the matter with you?" he exclaimed. 

"There's nothing the matter with me, what's the matter with you?" Harry shot back.

"Nothing! Can we go to breakfast now?"

Harry said nothing but shot Ron a disgusted look as they walked to the portrait hole. When they entered the Great Hall, Ron could see Ginny and Hermione sitting next to each other, huddled in a very secret looking conversation.  He felt a stab of annoyance—what was this about now?  Something else Hermione was keeping from him?  Worse of all, Ginny knew about it and he didn't? 

Harry slid into the seat on the other side of Ginny, forcing Ron to walk all the way around the table to sit on the other side, across from Hermione.  The two girls shut up really quickly and Ron watched his sister pick at her food with her eyes on her plate.  Hermione looked overly cheerful.

"Well, it's a beautiful day for a Quidditch game, isn't it?" she asked brightly. "All set, Harry?"

"Uh-huh," Harry muttered and Ron saw him glance at Ginny quickly.  Ginny kept her eyes on her plate, now spooning food into her mouth at an alarming rate.  Ron didn't have time to wonder about this strange occurrence because Hermione started talking very enthusiastically.  And very loudly.  So loudly, in fact, that several Ravelclaws from the next table looked over at her.

Ron didn't have the slightest idea what she was talking about—sometimes Hermione's rambling was just noise in his head. However, he did hear Harry and he was talking to Ginny.

"Are you coming to the game then?" Harry asked her.

Ginny continued to eat her cereal, apparently not having heard him.

Harry nudged her arm playfully.  "Hey."

Ginny looked up suddenly.  "Sorry, were you talking to me?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Harry said, and Ron heard a small note of hesitation in his friend's voice. 

"Oh… well, of course. I always come to the games."

Harry nodded.  "Good," he grinned at her and Ginny smiled back, then looked away quickly.

Ron stared very hard at Harry for a few minutes, some sort of unpleasant puzzle fitting together in his head.  Then, ever so slowly, Ron turned his narrowed eyes in Hermione's direction.

She was looking back at him very intently, ripping a napkin to shreds with nervous fingers.  Ron had his answer. 

Harry.  It was Harry who drank that potion… and … Ginny?  Oh, he would kill his sister for this, he would bloody well murder-

"Ron, I have to talk to you right now," Hermione said, standing up.  Ginny and Harry looked up.

"Not now, Hermione-"

"Now, Ron, right now.  It's an emergency." Her eyes were wide and deadly and Ron suddenly wanted to get her alone.

So he could murder her first.

"Okay, then," he snapped.  "Let's go."

Harry stood.  "What's going on?"

Just then, Dean Thomas, Gryffindor's captain, stood up and beckoned the team as Ron and Hermione positively flew out of the hall.

"Ron-" Hermione began as they stepped into the entrance hall.

Ron cut her off.  "Hermione, don't give me excuses.  She's dead… I think I may even write to tell mum about this."

"No, Ron, listen!  It wasn't her!"  Hermione dragged Ron up to Gryffindor Tower and she told him everything, including Ginny's lack of involvement and how Harry's feelings were not the result of the potion at all.  Ron sat dumbfounded for a few minutes after Hermione had finished.  He just couldn't fathom Harry even thinking about his sister in that way… it was gross to say the least.

"It's mad," he muttered at last.

"Yeah, well… it's happened.  And now there is nothing we can do about it."

"Harry is going to freak when he finds out, that's for sure," Ron stated.

"He's not going to find out," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"What? Hermione I am not going to sit back and let Harry be the butt of some prank-"

"Think about this sensibly, Ron.  What will telling him accomplish?  His feelings are real… he would have felt them eventually-"

"But-"

"It's not like Ginny did this to be deceitful—she's just as appalled as you are!"

"But-"

"And it'll only give him something else to worry about. Ron, Ginny's good for him.  He rarely smiles anymore what with everything going on outside of Hogwarts and did you see him today at breakfast?  There was something really… comfortable about him.  Even though he was nervous about talking to her, he seemed happy.  Like he wasn't thinking about anything else."

Ron sighed.  The fact that Harry was nervous about talking to Ginny—Ron's sister-- just didn't make sense in his mind.  But, as strange as this all was, Hermione was right. Harry didn't need something else to ruddy well be worried about.  And it was rare to see Harry joking around, even if it was with Ginny—Ron's little sister—he was doing the joking with. Even though Ron wasn't completely sure about lying to Harry, he didn't see any other choice—he would rather see Harry happy than give him one more thing to be upset about.  "Okay," he said slowly.  "Fine, I won't tell him.  But, what I can't believe is that Ginny doesn't want to tell him. She supposed to be like, you know, she's supposed to like him and everything, won't this bother her?"

"Well, she's only tentatively agreed not to tell him.  She insists that she needs more time to think it over, but I know she'll realize that it's all for the best."

~*~

Ginny sat in the high Quidditch stands, clenching and unclenching her fingers. The conversation with Hermione at breakfast this morning kept replaying in her mind and Ginny knew that it was now obsolete.

She had to tell Harry the truth.  There was no way around it.

It was fine for Hermione to see that it wouldn't do any good to tell Harry, that it would only be causing more anger and confusion than was necessary.  However it was Ginny who would have to look into those green eyes, which were so absorbed with her and feel the guilt about keeping this from him.  She would never be able to feel the things she wanted to feel when Harry looked at her like that—she would never get all giddy and be able to truly respond to him.  The fact that she was hiding something, especially the something that had pushed him to feel this way about her, would simply not do.

So when Hermione and Ron sat down next to her, Ginny glanced at Hermione and whispered to her that she needed to talk to her after the game. 

"You can talk now, Ginny, Hermione told me the whole thing," Ron said irritably.

Hermione sent him a very narrowed look and Ginny gasped.  "You told him?"

"He figured it out on his own—he found the potion description in my book."

"Wonderful. I suppose you have a lecture for me, then?" Ginny snapped at her brother.

Ron shot her a look.  "No," he barked.  "I bloody angry, but not at you.  Now I have to keep a secret from my best friend."

"Well… you don't have to worry about that, because I've decided I'm telling Harry the truth.  Today.  Right after the game.  Strike that, perhaps during a time-out."

"What? Ginny, I thought we'd-"

"I'm telling him, Hermione.  And that's that."

"Oh, no you're not!" Ron said resolutely

"Ron, you just said-"

"It's only going to make him upset."

"I have to tell him, I can't go on like this-"

"Not everything is about you, Ginny!" Ron said angrily.

"This is!"

"No, it's not.  It's about Harry's feelings, not yours, and you can't go around telling him it isn't real.  It's probably the only good feelings he's had and you're not taking them away from him!  How could you be so selfish?"

Ginny was torn between being truly grossed out at her brother talking about Harry's feelings for her and utterly crushed at his words.  "I'm not selfish… he'll understand."

"No, he won't.  You don't know him, Ginny, he won't understand, he'll stress over this.  He'll wind up feeling really guilty about it and that's not what he needs."

"I do know him," she said quietly.  And she knew that Ron was right.  Harry always did the noble thing, even if it meant feeling guilty about something he had no control over.  And this would be no different.

But how can I live like this? She thought madly.  At that moment the object of her thoughts performed a spectacular dive and held up his arm, the Golden Snitch caught in his hand.  The crowds erupted in cheers… but Ginny sat in her seat, positively miserable.

After the stands had emptied, and all the students and staff had gone up to the castle, Ginny paced slowly in front of the door which lead to the team pitch.  Most of the Gryffindor team members were emerging to walk up to the castle, but Harry hadn't   come out yet. Ginny was waiting for him in the hopes that seeing him and talking to him would give her the answer she was looking for.  After all, she hadn't really talked to the boy since the day by the willow.  She had to talk to him… she couldn't explain why.

Harry materialized through the door, his gear swung over his shoulder, clutching his Firebolt in his other hand.  Ginny's heart turned over at the sight of him, untidy black hair dripping wet and standing on end, his piercing green alighted with the thrill of the game.  She knew all too well she could get lost in those eyes.

Especially when they were grinning with surprise and pleasure into her own.  "Hey. What's up?"

"I was waiting for you," she said, wondering why she always choked up around him, why his gaze always left her breathless.  "I wanted to, um, well…" She took a deep breath.  "I wanted to say great catch."

He grinned.  "Thanks.  You sure that's all?" he asked watching her with amusement.  "You look… stressed."

Ginny grinned herself.  "I also want to apologize for not coming to the practice the other night."

He shrugged.  "Okay.  I mean, you weren't feeling well, right?"

Ginny noticed that his eyes didn't quite meet hers.  "Right," she said firmly, vowing this to be the very last lie she would ever tell him.  She tried desperately to ignore the fact that their entire relationship from this point would be based on a lie.

"Well, no harm done, I s'pose.  Hey, do you have any plans for Hogsmeade this weekend?" he asked as they started walking up to the castle.

"Uh…" Ginny's heart pounded in her ears.  "No… not really."

"You want to, er, meet me there, maybe?" he asked almost shyly, his eyes on the ground as they walked.  He's asking me because he likes me… he really likes me and this has nothing to do with the potion.

"Okay," she said and bit her lip hard.

He grinned at her and Ginny felt tears poking the back of her eyes.  His feelings were real, truly real, she had to tell herself.  It's not the potion, it's you.  She wondered if she would ever be able to sincerely believe that.

"Three Broomsticks… say around… three o'clock?"

Ginny nodded, forcing herself to believe it.  "Okay.  That sounds good. Thank you."

Harry stopped and turned to face her, his eyes looking into hers. "Thank you," he said softly.  He eyes took a slow dip down to her lips.

Her heart slid from her chest to her knees.  He wanted to kiss her…! Oh, no oh, no, oh, no… He couldn't kiss her, not yet-- she wasn't prepared.  "We should get back up to the castle," she blurted without thinking. 

Harry cast his eyes away from her, his face reddening.  "Yeah… there's probably a huge party in Gryffindor."

"Mmm," she nodded, her heart thudding in her ears.  "And the star player isn't even there! How terrible of you!"

Harry snorted. "So? The star player had other things to do." He nudged her shoulder with his.

Ginny giggled.  "Like what, ask girls to Hogsmeade? That's not very life threatening."

"Oh… I think it is," he grinned.

"Typical," she shot him a playful look.  Flirting with Harry… who'd've thought it would come so natural to her? "Come on," she said taking off at a run. "Race you!"

"Oh, now that's not fair," he shouted, running after her. "I've got all this holding me back!"

"It is fair—hey!" she yelled as he began to pass her.  She pulled the back of his shirt to slow him and darted ahead.

"Cheater!"  he yelled, laughing and caught up to her at the castle stairs. He passed her, taking three steps at a time, then blocked the huge wooden doors with a grin. "Now what are you going to do?"

Flustered from running, Ginny climbed the last step.  "Come on," she panted, her face splitting from her grin.  "I'm a girl, you're supposed to let me win."

He blew out a sarcastic breath and grinned even wider.  "That's not how I work."

"Oh, really?"

"Nope," he said, dropping his broom and gear and crossing his arms.  "How are you going to get in?"

"Harry, you have to move, everyone's wondering where you are—"

"So?"

"—and they'll start to notice that I'm missing too—"

"So?"

"—and they'll put two and two together—"

"And?  What are you insinuating, Ginny?" His eyes were sparkling with mischief.

She tutted and rolled her eyes—it was all she could do not to flirt back. "I'm just thinking my brother may not find it so amusing."  Harry's smile disappeared and Ginny took the opportunity to push past him and open the doors.  "Oh, how gullible you are!" she laughed, sending him a saucy smile. "I win!"

"Ohhh," he said, gathering his things and followed her inside.  "This is not over, Miss Weasley… you will pay dearly for that. If it's the last thing I do…" 

Ginny was halfway up the marble staircase when he stepped inside the entrance hall and she turned to him.  "I'm sure you'll have fun trying, at the very least."  Then she squealed and took off at a run when he darted up the stairs after her with a wicked look in his eyes. 

~ Hogsmeade Weakend ~

The Hogsmeade weekend arrived with much anticipation.  Ginny had virtually neglected all her studies during the potion fiasco and spent the days after the game working double time to catch up.  This meant that she barely had any time to converse with her friends… and Harry. 

Although he always found time to sit down next to her while she studied in the common room, or engaged her in conversation at meals.  At times he did look rather perturbed when she would leave dinner early, insisting she had homework to finish. Ginny supposed he was still a bit unconfident about her—after all she hadn't given him much to be sure of with standing him up and acting so strangely.  She knew that he still wondered about her sick excuse and Ginny couldn't blame him—she hadn't exactly been convincing at the time.

However, upset as she was about the reason for Harry's feelings, Ginny didn't have much time to reflect on it, with all the homework she was suddenly faced with.  She was secretly hoping that her insecurities about the whole thing would go away.

Ron, of course, made everything ten times more difficult.  He made it very clear that he was extremely uncomfortable when she and Harry were in the same room as he was, however, every time Ginny ended a conversation with Harry or stood up to leave the room, Ron would send her a warning look. For as strange as the prospect of his best friend and his little sister having feelings for each other was, he didn't want Ginny to do or say anything that might lead to Harry finding out the truth. Ginny felt like grabbing her wand and putting a Silencing Charm on him the day he told her she needed to be more affectionate to Harry, looking as if he was going to be sick as he spoke. 

Hermione did her best to calm Ron at times, but Ginny could tell she was entirely on Ron's side.  Everyone's main priority was Harry's well-being and it was starting to make Ginny a little crazy.  It seemed as if nobody understood her side of things- the fact that every time Harry looked at her or spoke to her, she could only think of one thing: the potion.  The walk they had shared after the Quidditch game and the invitation to Hogsmeade had plagued Ginny's mind the entire week.  She couldn't even allow herself to be happy that her dream had come true- for even though she was no longer guilt-ridden, she was entirely insecure about the whole thing. 

However, she had no room to think of herself… she had to spend her life tiptoeing around Harry. Not only was she upset about the length they were going to keeping this quiet, she knew that he would be furious if he found out what was transpiring behind his back.  He always hated being treated with kid gloves because of his connection to Voldemort- and here were his two best friends and the girl he liked doing that very thing. 

Ginny tried to point this out to Ron, but he got angry and said that what Harry didn't know wouldn't hurt him and that if she tried to tell him the truth, he would owl mum and tell her that she had made Harry upset. Ginny felt as though she were living some kind of nightmare. Indeed she did have a dream the night before Hogsmeade about herself and Harry ten years from now, happily married with children and Ron was peeking through the window of their house, making sure she was being properly affectionate to Harry.

Needless to say that when Ginny and Sarah arrived at Hogsmeade, Ginny's nerves were running high. 

"What time is it?" she asked Sarah for the fifth time as the two girls wandered around in Honeydukes. 

Sarah sent her friend a look.  "Five minutes past the last time you asked me.  It's 2:25, you have twenty minutes before you have to leave to meet Harry."

"I know, I know," Ginny said, wiping her sweaty hands on her robes.  Sarah seemed to be the only one who was truly on Ginny's side.  "Sorry, I'm still nervous."

Sarah grabbed Ginny's hand and looked at her imploringly.  "You need to start relaxing, Ginny.  This is your life now. You and Harry are well on your way to being a couple—this isn't going to go away."

            "I know, I know… I'm trying really hard, Sarah, I am."

            "Oh, Ginny," Sarah sighed.  "Just keep telling yourself that his feelings are real, very real."

            Ginny nodded jerkily as if she were agreeing to some battle plan. When a quarter to three rolled around, Ginny bade farewell to Sarah who reached out and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. Ginny walked solemnly down the street to the restaurant, taking her time, and when she reached the pub, she took a deep breath, opened the doors— and walked right into Lana Richmond.

            Ginny allowed her eyes to go cold before pushing past her. Lana grabbed her arm.  "Ginny, wait. Don't tell me your still angry about the whole potion thing.  Come on, it's ancient history already."

            Ginny let out a sarcastic laugh and tried to walk past her, but Lana blocked her again.

            "I don't believe your acting this way," Lana said scathingly.  "It's over, Ginny, no harm done."

            "Get out of my way," Ginny said coldly.  "I have nothing to say to you."

            "Don't act like I did something life shattering to you. Your precious Harry is back to normal again. If anything you should be thanking me for giving you a glimpse at what you'll never have."

            Ginny paled.  "Get out of my way, Lana.  I'm going to be late."

            "Late?  Are you meeting someone?" said Lana curiously.

            "None of your business," Ginny said coldly and her eyes fell on Harry sitting by himself at a table, looking at his watch as a waitress placed two butterbeers on his table.  To Ginny's horror, Lana glanced in the same direction and she let out an astonished laugh.

            "I don't believe it!  You're meeting Harry? Why Ginny, how nice for you!  I see the potion did more than we thought it would."

            "The potion," Ginny said, her face burning.  "Has worn off."

            "Yes, of course it has!  I'm glad to see you took advantage of it, then."
            Ginny's eyes flashed.  "I didn't take advantage of it.  Harry is there because of me, not because of some potion."

            Lana cast a disparaging glance down Ginny's second-hand robes and worn jeans.  "Nothing to be embarrassed about, Ginny.  You couldn't get him on your own, so you found another means.  I'm actually very impressed.  Have a nice lunch." And with that, Lana sauntered out of the pub.

            Ginny stood in the small lobby of the pub and watched Harry sit all alone at that table. The truth of Lana's words sank into her and Ginny suddenly couldn't see from the blur of tears in her eyes.  On an anguished sob, she turned from the pub and flew down the street towards Honeydukes. 

She found Sarah in the same aisle she'd been in when Ginny had left and when she saw Ginny rushing towards her, her mouth dropped open. "Ginny!  What- what happened?"

"Oh, Sarah, I couldn't do it!  I just can't do this, it's too hard!" she whispered, tears pouring down her face.

"Well, what happened?!" Sarah pushed a strand of hair back from Ginny's face.  "Oh, Ginny, don't cry," she said tearfully.

"Oh, Sarah," Ginny sobbed.  "We have to go now… he might come looking for me."

"Did you see Harry? What did he say?"

"I saw him, but he didn't see me.  Come on, Sarah, I can't stay here, we have to go back."

"Ginny, it's not as bad as all this, really!  The feelings are-"

"Real, yes, I know that. But Sarah, don't you see? He never would have looked at me if he hadn't taken the potion.  He never would have wanted to feel them. I could never have made him feel them—it had to be some… magic."

"That's not true, Ginny," Sarah whispered.  "He's stupid for not feeling them on his own."

"It's not him, Sarah.  It's me.  It has to be me."  Ginny squeezed her eyes shut as more tears fell and Sarah wrapped her arm around her shoulders.  Arm in arm, the two girls went back to school. 

To Be Finished in Part Three, coming very soon!