Hello and welcome to this small collection of one-shots that I will be adding to in the near future. If you have read my Daydream Believer story, these one-shots will be similar, but they will be more focused on moments that are loosely based on the book canon events, rather than what-if scenarios. I have been reading through all of the books and just finished the sixth one. I never realized how good it is.

That being said, this first one-shot is my take on what the conversation would be like immediately after Ginny and Harry's first kiss during chapter 24 of the Half-Blood Prince. If you haven't read it before, or if you need a refresher, the chapter ends with Harry and Ginny kissing and then going to take a walk and talk about things. Chapter 25 then picks up a few weeks later, completely skipping over their first few weeks of seeing each other. Therefore this is my attempt to kind of bridge that gap by writing an immediate follow up to chapter 24. I'm sure many have had a go at this before, but this is my attempt at it.

I have a few more ideas for more one-shots that I would like to throw in here, all of them being Harry-and-Ginny-centric and loosely related to canon as I said before. For this one-shot, there is a very minor change that I made to J.K. Rowling's version of things, but I don't think anybody reading this will really care too much about it. I will touch on it at the end of this chapter though, if anyone is interested.

Anyway, enough of that. Thanks for clicking, and I hope you enjoy :)


They walked together, each stride taking them further and further from the common room, yet the common room was where Harry Potter's mind still lingered. Thoughts raced across his mind, all relating to the girl walking in tandem with him right now. It had all happened so fast. He had been mentally drained from his detention with Snape when he walked into the common room to find the Gryffindors celebrating their victory. His eyes had naturally been drawn to the flaming red hair of one Ginny Weasley as she rushed over to greet him. Then he had acted on pure instinct, kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

Here they were now, Harry's heart still pumping, his face still flushed, and his brain buzzing wildly. When he invited Ginny out of the common room with him, he really had no plan. Thus, the desperation to come up with one was setting in. Despite that, they were still walking down the corridor, neither with a clue as to where they were headed.

"You know, you continue to amaze me, Harry."

The large grin that was plastered to Harry's face fell a little as he looked toward Ginny quizzically. She was walking quite fast, and he had to make an effort to keep up.

"At first I was pissed. I couldn't believe that you would be so reckless and get yourself detention right before our most important match of the year… throwing spells around from some git in a stupid book. But Malfoy wasn't playing around either. I was proud of the way you defended yourself. But, of course, I was still upset because I had to play with Dean again. But, we won. And then, um..."

She trailed off, forming her own grin.

"Yeah," Harry smiled.

"You really know how to stir up the emotions. You know, I didn't think you had it in you."

"What, to kiss you?"

"Yeah."

"Why's that?"

"Well, this year it just seemed like… like I was running into you more often. Talking to you more often… making eye contact… that sort of thing. I was beginning to think it was my imagination, but then Dean and I split. And, I don't know, I just felt… closer to you." She stopped walking. "That probably doesn't even make any sense."

"No… no, I get it—I've felt the same way." Harry immediately felt the heat rising to his face, but Ginny smiled widely in return.

"Sometimes I'd catch you staring. Now I know why," she laughed.

"You noticed that, did you?" he mumbled.

"Kinda hard not to. But it was very flattering."

Harry met her eyes, and he took a second to appreciate her beauty. It wasn't as noticeable on Ginny, but her cheeks had been tinged a little red as well. It clashed beautifully with her hair, and something in her face evoked memories of a young Ginny hiding on sight whenever he would come near her. He smiled warmly.

"Still is very flattering, I should say." she broke her gaze and faced forward, blushing even more.

Harry felt weird. Part of him still couldn't believe this conversation was happening—still couldn't believe the last ten minutes had actually happened. After all of those times he had forced himself to ignore his feelings, to accept Ginny and Dean's relationship, to forget the idea of Ron being okay with him and Ginny… It had all worked out in the end. He had done it. What now?

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked.

They had unknowingly, or perhaps subconsciously, ended up at the Entrance Hall as they had walked and talked. Perhaps it was to make up for his lack of quidditch time or to make up for the abysmal dungeon he had spent hours in this morning, but it seemed that the open air was calling him. Whatever the reason, it seemed like a good enough destination. "Outside," he said.

So with a renewed invigoration, Harry led Ginny out of the castle and across the grounds.

After a short while, the pair approached the lake and walked around the bank before settling for a spot under a shady tree a short distance from Hagrid's house. Harry really didn't know what he was doing, but he had seen couples hanging out under trees before, and he and Ron and Hermione liked studying under trees. He had also seen his dad and Sirius under a tree in one of Snape's memories, so he hoped it was a good spot.

"This is a good spot," Ginny said as she sat down.

And Harry smiled. Stop overthinking things, he told himself.

"So, tell me about the match." He looked to his left, where one of the goal posts was barely visible above the view of the clock tower and its covered bridge.

"We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to."

"I want to. I had to sort through old punishment cards for Snape, I would very much like to know what I missed."

"That sounds dreadful. Honestly, you sort of picked a convenient game to miss. Cho and I never really came close to the snitch until the last minute obviously, which gave our team plenty chances to score." Then Ginny answered his next question before he could even ask it. "Eventually we both saw it floating in and out of the cheering sections. We both went after it but I think Cho got distracted a little by Luna's hat. I accidentally banged the end of my broom on the edge of the stands and rolled over into the crowd. Then I just looked down and it was in my hand." she laughed. "I don't know how you do it, Harry."

"I don't know, just loads of practice I suppose."

"Well, I think I'll stick to chaser next year please, Mr. Captain."

Harry didn't know why, but he quite liked Ginny calling him Mr. Captain. She smiled slyly, but Harry only grinned back.

"Who says you'll make the team next year? I can't be biased, you know."

"Come on, Harry, like anyone else can take my place." she rolled her eyes.

"Well if our strategy is to have the prettiest chaser in the school, then nobody could ever take your place." He grinned and Ginny giggled. "But who knows, we might get the next Viktor Krum in our house next year… born with a broom in his hand… poised to bring 7 house cups to Gryffindor."

Ginny snorted. "In your dreams. Besides, Katie will be gone. You'd need two new chasers to replace me."

"I'll just be chaser… Hermione can be the seeker."

They stared at each other for two whole seconds before they both burst out laughing.

"Alright, maybe—just maybe—I'll let you stay on."

"Oh, whatever!"


Their little section of land by the lake was their home for the next hour or so as they continued to simply enjoy each other's presence. Time had seemed such a meaningless concept to the two of them today, and after a long while passed, Harry and Ginny could no longer be restrained to sitting and talking. They decided to abandon the tree and walk again. Ginny led the way this time as they strolled along the edge of the lake.

Harry could see Ginny was deep in thought, and he had a feeling that they would soon get into some deeper topics. He was not opposed to it though—it was actually something he welcomed. He didn't want a superficial relationship. He wanted to be there for Ginny. His only experience with this kind of thing had been with Cho, as she would often cry about Cedric. But this was way different. He and Ginny had been through so much together, so he was determined to continue to share that intimacy.

A few minutes later, Ginny spoke up and only confirmed his suspicions.

"Can I ask, Harry… what changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Ginny looked out over the shimmering lake surface, glowing in the light of the descending sun. "I'm sure you know how I used to be."

Harry smiled, but she didn't continue. "You mean young and shy?" he said.

"Well… yeah, but I mean—"

"How you fancied me?"

Ginny stopped walking. She gazed at him helplessly, and he offered an encouraging smile. "Yeah," she said, smiling back softly.

She kept walking. "I was obsessed. But I didn't even know you, you know? I heard stories like everyone else…"

Harry followed as he listened intently, not daring to interrupt.

"Then I got to actually meet you. You were nothing like I expected but I was still obsessed even more. The way Ron talked about you made it sound like you really were the boy from all the stories and legends. I was scared when I found that diary—scared of what I had become, scared of what everyone would think. And after the stuff that happened with… with the Chamber of Secrets." she steeled herself. "I thought you'd hate me."

"But I didn't," he said firmly.

"No. No, you didn't. And that made me fall for you even more. It wasn't really until after third year that I began to realize how much of an idiot I was… and how unrealistic it was for you and me to be together."

Harry opened his mouth, but Ginny kept going.

"Hermione told me to be more myself, and then maybe you'd notice me. So I tried. I only dated Michael to distract myself. But he was a prat. And I still couldn't stop thinking of you instead." she paused. "Then Dean—I actually liked Dean. But he never understood me. Not like you could anyways," she trailed off.

Harry looked over the lake at the beautiful landscape of Hogwarts surrounded by the beautiful hills. He could almost see the whole grounds from here. They had walked so much today, but his legs showed no sign of tiring. All of his focus was on Ginny. He had never heard Ginny share this much with him, and he was determined to listen and be there for her. But whatever words he wanted to say all seemed to fall short. He had so many things he felt like needed to be said, but he was still at a loss for words.

"I should've known not to date a football fan," she mumbled. They were still walking as another silence covered them.

Then Harry opened his mouth.

"I was jealous." Harry didn't know why he was telling her this. Perhaps he felt compelled to shed some truth after her display of honesty, or maybe he just really wanted her to know how he felt. His words had an immediate effect, grabbing her attention. "Of you and Dean, I mean.

"Every time I would see you two together, I felt like throwing up. It was hard to be around you and control myself. I tried to tell myself that it was a brotherly sense of protection. But I couldn't lie to myself. There was no denying it."

Her eyes were unmoving, piercing his own with longing. He kept going. "Do you know how Amortentia works?"

Ginny shook her head.

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world," he said. "You smell the things you're attracted to… In our first potions class with Slughorn, he had a cauldron of the stuff. Well, I smelled this… this kind of flowery smell, and all I could think of was the Burrow. Throughout the school year, I would smell it again every now and then. It always made me happy. It took me longer than it should've to realize… that smell was you."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. My nose was trying to tell me all along." he grinned.

As they stood in place, their eyes connected once again. Harry had never seen Ginny cry, but for the first time, it seemed as if she might. Before he could find out though, she launched herself upon him. Harry was once again overwhelmed with the same floral scent that he had come to love. He didn't know how long they stood there, in each other's arms, but it ended far too soon. Ginny broke from their hug, showing no sign of the emotional display from before, but she still smiled at Harry all the more.


By the time they had finished walking around the lake, the sun was making its way down the sky, and it was now closer to dinner than it was to lunch. Neither Harry or Ginny had eaten since breakfast, and their hunger was now catching up to them.

They were walking up the hill to the main gates when Ginny suddenly grabbed Harry's hand, engulfing him with a warmth he had never felt before. He was startled, but upon seeing Ginny's sly smile, he smiled back and squeezed her hand as well.

It seemed unreal that he had been in Snape's office just this morning, counting the minutes, all hope gone, missing out on the quidditch match. Yet, in the very same day, he was now holding hands with the girl of his dreams, having spent a perfect afternoon with her.

They walked together in a peaceful silence until they approached the front gates. Slowly, Ginny freed her hand from his. It had been a few minutes, but it felt way too short to Harry.

"What's that for?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, I just figured you wouldn't wanna make a scene or anything as soon as you walked in. We'd have the whole Great Hall talking."

Harry grabbed her hand again and looked straight into her eyes. "Ginny, they're gonna be talking anyway. I'm sure the news has spread already. No matter what I do, they're always gossiping and speculating. Why not make it easy for them so there's nothing to speculate?" he smiled. "I want everyone to know you're mine."

Ginny blushed, yet a fierce resolve steeled over her face. She grabbed Harry by the shoulders and aggressively planted a kiss on his lips. "If that's the case, then there won't be a doubt in anyone's mind," she said.

Hand-in-hand, they walked into the Great Hall. To say that all the attention in the room was on them was an understatement. They made their way to the Gryffindor table without a care in the world, ignoring the dropped jaws and wide eyes. Ron shifted awkwardly but smiled at Harry as he sat down. Hermione gave them both a massive hug. "Have a nice day?" she asked, glancing between the two of them.

Harry smiled. "Yes, I did," he said while Ginny nodded. Hermione was practically beaming. "Now what's for dinner?"

As the group began tucking in, Harry allowed his eyes to roam around the room. Despite what he told Ginny, he couldn't help himself from gauging the opinions of those around him. It seemed that everyone at the Slytherin table had quickly disregarded his entrance into the Hall and now showed no interest, which was honestly a relief. A few people from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were still giving him lingering looks however—most notably, Cho, who saw Harry's eyes meet hers and hastily turned to her friends whilst choking on her juice.

At their own table, he could see Romilda sulking towards the opposite end, and a few others looked his way, smiling and chatting amongst themselves. He glanced over and saw Hagrid smile, to which he smiled back, but no other teacher looked his way except Dumbledore. Dumbledore, Harry could've sworn, carried the slightest hint of annoyance in his expression, but it was gone a moment later as he smiled down at Harry and winked.

Harry pondered this, but whatever questions he could raise concerning the headmaster were quickly flushed out as Hermione started bombarding him and Ginny with questions about their day. Ron tried to change the subject multiple times, which only resulted in a fresh bout of arguments between him and Hermione and more laughs from Harry and Ginny.

Eventually though, dinner came to a close, bringing with it the end of the day. After a final trip to the common room and the intervention of several nosy Gryffindors, Harry and Ginny decided to part ways and turn in for the night. Ginny showed no shame in kissing him once again in front of everyone before they went to their respective rooms. Now that Harry lay in bed, he found himself replaying the day in his head.

Even though he had shared a kiss with Cho before, today had been different. When Ginny kissed him, it just felt… right. At the risk of sounding cheesy (not that he would ever say this out loud), Harry was starting to think that He and Ginny were made for each other. Only time would tell, but for now, he was content to enjoy every moment he could with his new girlfriend.

Wow… Harry involuntarily smiled. The thought of Ginny being his girlfriend was a spectacular one. As more thoughts of Ginny fluttered through his brain, he tossed and turned in his bed, trying to find sleep. But it came as no surprise that sleep was particularly evasive that night.

After what could have been minutes or hours, his brain finally did yield to slumber. And it was also no surprise that he dreamed the most wonderful dream.


Hope you enjoyed this first one-shot. Let me know what you think and what else you would like to see.

As I mentioned at the start, I tweaked something just a tiny bit. In the Half-Blood Prince book, at Dumbledore's funeral, when Harry breaks up with Ginny, she tells him about how she never got over him and how she tried to date other people and be more herself in order to get Harry to notice her.

Personally, I found it kind of unrealistic that she waited until that long into their relationship (and right after Harry cuts things off) to tell him something like that. Don't get me wrong, I like that she said that, but I feel like it would have realistically been something they talked about before. That's why I incorporated that into this one-shot a little bit, but like I said, it's really not a big deal. Unfortunately, that means this one-shot doesn't really line up with that canon scene now, but it's a worthy sacrifice. Besides, that just gives me an opportunity to rewrite that scene too... ¯\_()_/¯

Anyway, Thanks for reading :)