FOOLISH GAMES by Jubilation Lee
"You took your coat off... and stood in the rain, you're always crazy like that."
Hair disheveled as always, Harry Potter walked in through the great doorway of Hogwarts, muddied and dirtied from another victorious Quidditch game. He won again, despite the torrents of relentless rain, the un-heroic efforts of the Slytherin team and their seeker, Malfoy... and Ginny Weasley watched from the grand staircase, wanting to congratulate him. The Gryffindor team had stayed behind, lost in the flurry of celebration and congratulations, and Ginny Weasley had wanted to give him her own congratulatory speech personally. Well, it technically wasn't supposed to be a speech, but Ginny decided it was finally the time for her to confess her feelings for him, which had begun to grow deeper and more desperate in the six years since she got to know him. Six long years. Of wanting, watching, pining. Now that she was in her fifth year, she realized it was high time to unburden herself of this wretchedness and muster all her might and main to tell him everything. Whatever the consequences were, so be it.
"You were always the mysterious one, with dark eyes and careless hair..."
As Ginny watched him approach, she found it odd that Harry had a forlorn, distant look on his angelic face. Wanting to cheer him up and lighten the mood brought about by the tension she was feeling, she called out to him, thinking to herself /no stammering now, keep cool, you can handle this/ voice elated, "Harry! Harry! That must have been your finest hour. You were absolutely wonderful!" and she moved to give him a huge embrace but, noting the look on his face, settled for a pat on the back instead. He gave her a tired smile that didn't reach his eyes and said, "Thanks Ginny," patting her on the head, and moved to walk past her and straight up to the common room.
"Ey Harry, I need to talk to you about something, could you spare me a moment first?" Ginny asked, halfway between hesitant and insistent. Ginny was surprised at how her words managed to not sound like a squeak. Harry turned around with a minute sigh, resigned, he nodded. "Sure, Ginny." Leading him to a corner just past the great stair case, Ginny began the little speech she'd tried to prepare for so long.
"Harry... I... I can't believe I'm finally going to tell you this... I've been waiting... wanting to tell you for so long... ever since that first time we met, er... I... Harry, I..."
"Ginny, wait."
Ginny could feel the blush raging in her cheeks, reaching up to the very roots of her hair. She was kind of looking down the whole time, and when she finally looked up to him, she found a faint blush mirrored on Harry's stained cheeks. But this time, he had a small, sad smile, his eyes searching hers.
"Ginny, you've always been like a sister to me. I mean, your brother Ron, we've been best friends since first year, right, and, er..." Harry scratched the back of his head, leaving his hair even more disheveled, if that were possible. He then held her lightly by the shoulders so as to look her straight in the eye. "Ginny, I am sure you'll get over this... this phase in good time. Blimey, there are a lot of good looking, nice blokes out there. And I can't deal with things like this, I can't put you in danger, it's too dangerous with Voldemort out there, anyone who gets associated with me is put in danger, and well... you're like a sister to me... I'm sure you'll find the right one soon enough. All right?" With an affectionate squeeze and kind smile, Harry turned and left.
It was a miracle how Ginny managed to look at him straight in the face the whole time. No matter how she psyched herself to prepare for a potential rejection, the real thing just proved to be too much. Fighting the tears and the sobs threatening to burst out without a moment longer, she ran from the hallway, unmindful of the gray eyes that followed her from the depths of the great staircase.
"You took your coat off... and stood in the rain, you're always crazy like that."
Hair disheveled as always, Harry Potter walked in through the great doorway of Hogwarts, muddied and dirtied from another victorious Quidditch game. He won again, despite the torrents of relentless rain, the un-heroic efforts of the Slytherin team and their seeker, Malfoy... and Ginny Weasley watched from the grand staircase, wanting to congratulate him. The Gryffindor team had stayed behind, lost in the flurry of celebration and congratulations, and Ginny Weasley had wanted to give him her own congratulatory speech personally. Well, it technically wasn't supposed to be a speech, but Ginny decided it was finally the time for her to confess her feelings for him, which had begun to grow deeper and more desperate in the six years since she got to know him. Six long years. Of wanting, watching, pining. Now that she was in her fifth year, she realized it was high time to unburden herself of this wretchedness and muster all her might and main to tell him everything. Whatever the consequences were, so be it.
"You were always the mysterious one, with dark eyes and careless hair..."
As Ginny watched him approach, she found it odd that Harry had a forlorn, distant look on his angelic face. Wanting to cheer him up and lighten the mood brought about by the tension she was feeling, she called out to him, thinking to herself /no stammering now, keep cool, you can handle this/ voice elated, "Harry! Harry! That must have been your finest hour. You were absolutely wonderful!" and she moved to give him a huge embrace but, noting the look on his face, settled for a pat on the back instead. He gave her a tired smile that didn't reach his eyes and said, "Thanks Ginny," patting her on the head, and moved to walk past her and straight up to the common room.
"Ey Harry, I need to talk to you about something, could you spare me a moment first?" Ginny asked, halfway between hesitant and insistent. Ginny was surprised at how her words managed to not sound like a squeak. Harry turned around with a minute sigh, resigned, he nodded. "Sure, Ginny." Leading him to a corner just past the great stair case, Ginny began the little speech she'd tried to prepare for so long.
"Harry... I... I can't believe I'm finally going to tell you this... I've been waiting... wanting to tell you for so long... ever since that first time we met, er... I... Harry, I..."
"Ginny, wait."
Ginny could feel the blush raging in her cheeks, reaching up to the very roots of her hair. She was kind of looking down the whole time, and when she finally looked up to him, she found a faint blush mirrored on Harry's stained cheeks. But this time, he had a small, sad smile, his eyes searching hers.
"Ginny, you've always been like a sister to me. I mean, your brother Ron, we've been best friends since first year, right, and, er..." Harry scratched the back of his head, leaving his hair even more disheveled, if that were possible. He then held her lightly by the shoulders so as to look her straight in the eye. "Ginny, I am sure you'll get over this... this phase in good time. Blimey, there are a lot of good looking, nice blokes out there. And I can't deal with things like this, I can't put you in danger, it's too dangerous with Voldemort out there, anyone who gets associated with me is put in danger, and well... you're like a sister to me... I'm sure you'll find the right one soon enough. All right?" With an affectionate squeeze and kind smile, Harry turned and left.
It was a miracle how Ginny managed to look at him straight in the face the whole time. No matter how she psyched herself to prepare for a potential rejection, the real thing just proved to be too much. Fighting the tears and the sobs threatening to burst out without a moment longer, she ran from the hallway, unmindful of the gray eyes that followed her from the depths of the great staircase.