Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels"

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

PART TWO

He didn't know what had made him do it.

It wasn't something he had planned, or something he was particularly proud of having done in front of the entire school. He reckoned that at least no one had noticed as he glanced a tad nervously in Ron's direction. Ron, for his part, paid Harry no heed as he animatedly explained some Quidditch term to a very disinterested Hermione. Satisfied that Ron's attentions were clearly fixed elsewhere, he turned his gaze as subtly as he could to Ginny, who was gazing out the window as the carriage swept along the road leading to Hogwarts.

He wondered briefly what she was thinking before retreating to his own thoughts.

There was absolutely no justification for the way he had just acted toward Justin. It was bad enough that he had felt it necessary to interrupt a conversation he was having with someone - with Ginny - to beckon her to the coach he was holding, but Harry knew that he had been rather unpleasant about it as well. The worst part about it was that it was completely uncalled for, and he wasn't referring only to the hostile way he had acted - Ginny would have been just as happy to ride with her own friends . In fact, she had probably been planning on it, and for Harry to have made the assumption that she would be riding with the three of them was rather presumptuous.

Sighing, he leaned his head back on the seat, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes as he did so. Memories began to drift into his mind of the summer that had just passed, and couldn't help wishing once again that it hadn't ended.

LATE JULY

He heard a twig snap, and his head shot up.

Ginny Weasley was standing not ten feet away, her hands behind her back and her red hair glowing in the sunlight. He squinted into the bright afternoon sun, trying to make out her expression. The leaves on the trees were casting shadows on her face, which was to his great surprise showing no signs of shyness. She was unsure if her presence was wanted, obviously...but she was smiling warmly at him as she approached.

"Hi, Harry. What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

He looked down at the book in his lap and then smiled back at her, "Oh...well, reading, but the ulterior motive was actually..."

"To let Ron and Hermione spend some time together?" she finished, raising her eyebrows knowingly.

He nodded, a tad surprised that she guessed. He knew that Ron and Hermione, having just become a couple at the end of last term, would be wanting some time alone. However, they would never in a million years ask him to give them that opportunity, and so he made himself scarce of his own accord.

She laughed a little and walked over to sit beside him, leaning up against the tree. She wasn't close enough to be touching him at all, but she was close enough that he could smell the gardenias she was holding in one hand. He found himself marveling at how much she had changed over the past couple of years - she was no longer the timid little girl he had once known.

"Yes, I know. I've been trying to keep out of their way a bit more than usual as well. I would imagine it's quite hard to find time alone in a house you're sharing with six other people, wouldn't you?"

He nodded in response, thinking that apparently he and Ginny weren't having any trouble. Probably because they were not seeking solitude...things always seemed to work out that way. He considered this mutely for a moment, remotely aware that he should say something to keep the conversation flowing, but unable to think of anything. As it turned out, she saved him the trouble.

"It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" she commented lightly, her brown eyes squinting in the bright sunlight.

He looked at her, and she returned his gaze with a spark of humor in her glance. She continued,

"It's much too nice to be reading a book, Harry. I'm a fan of books as well, but...not on a day like this."

He looked stupidly down at his open page, thinking as the sun's reflection on the white paper nearly blinded him that she was right. He laughed slightly at himself, thinking that Hermione would be proud if she could see him now. He finally looked at Ginny once again, as she was now waiting for him to say something.

"Well then...what do you suggest I do?"

She smiled, and replied, "Well...I was just about to take a walk into the village to pick up some groceries for Mum, and I thought maybe you could provide me with some company."

Her voice faltered a bit nervously as she finished the sentence, or perhaps Harry's mind was allowing him to see things that weren't really there. Either way, he stared at her for a moment, completely taken aback by her forward behavior. Well, it wasn't forward in itself...just friendly. For Ginny Weasley, however - at least the Ginny he knew - it was practically brazen. Nevertheless, he could see his scrutiny was making her uncomfortable and attempted to lighten the tone again.

"What's in it for me, then?" he asked in mock seriousness. She leaned slightly towards him and, with a straight face, replied solemnly,

"If we do the shopping...we get to decide what Mum's to make for dinner all week."

He smiled genuinely now, and she returned it happily. He closed his book and said,

"Deal."

They walked the relatively short way into the town, talking about this and that. Harry was a bit shocked to realize, in the little dose of quality time he was fortunate enough to be spending with her that afternoon, that he hadn't really known Ginny Weasley at all. In fact, all this behavior which he had deemed uncharacteristic was, quite possibly, completely within character for her...he had simply not been aware enough of who she really was to be able to judge. This thought made him strangely depressed, and he realized then that he wouldn't mind getting to know Ginny a bit better over this summer - as long as Ron and Hermione were unknowingly providing them with ample opportunity.

It was nearly twilight when they got back to the cottage, and Harry felt inexplicably sorry that they had to rejoin the others. That night, the family ate on the beach, and when they had all decided it was time for bed and he had said his goodnights, Harry did something he had never done before - in addition to saying goodnight to the room in general, he had given a quiet goodnight to Ginny as well.

Just Ginny.

"Harry?"

He started and opened his eyes to find the blurry face of Hermione staring back at him. He donned his glasses once more, and found that she was looking at him with a concerned expression on her face. What else was new, he thought ruefully.

"Are you alright? You look...stressed," she ventured carefully. As she spoke, Ron studied his face carefully and Ginny turned from her observation of the dark landscape to look at him as well. Why was it that whenever he tried to withdraw into himself for a moment, people had to call attention to it? Wasn't everyone allowed an opportunity to think every once in awhile?

"I'm fine," he said shortly. Hermione didn't look convinced, but apparently decided not to press the matter any further and went back to arguing with Ron. Ginny, however, didn't return to what she had been doing. Harry didn't look at her, but he could see her out of the corner of his eye still studying him. He could feel his face getting hotter by the second under the scrutiny, and turned to stare out the window in hopes that she would lose interest.

No one said anything else until they got to Hogwarts and stepped out of the carriages into the midst of the crowd of students heading for the castle. Harry walked slightly behind Ron and Hermione, glancing over at Ginny every once in awhile to see her laughing with her friends. He shook his head at himself...he didn't know what to do, and wished there was a potion that would make these feelings go away so that he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.

After all, Ginny wasn't his...well, she wasn't his. That was all.

To Be Continued in Chapter Three

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