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"Harry?" a quiet female voice said from behind him.
"What do you WANT?!?!?!" Harry threw his book on the ground and turned to find himself nose to nose with Ginny Weasley. ________________________________________
Ginny's big brown eyes were at their fullest. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you!" she started backing away, embarrassed. Harry would've kicked himself, if he could. He sat up quickly.
"Ginny no! I'm sorry, I thought you were Hermione, she and Ron are running on my last nerve lately and I thought she was interrupting me again," Harry called out.
"Oh," Ginny said, "that's why I came down here actually, looking for some quiet from them as well." She spied his book on the floor. "Oh, I'll let you read, I can go to the library or something..." She started to walk away again.
"Oh no it's okay Ginny, it's a boring book anyway. You can stay in here," Harry insisted. He tried to give her a confident smile, but it ended up being small and crooked.
"Alright," she said timidly and sat down next to Harry on the couch, as far away as possible. **I must've scared her to death,** Harry thought. **Way to go Potter, you're really great with the ladies.** And this lady, this lady was different.
Harry was sick of the girls at school; the few that actually went for him were always in it for his fame. They all huddled with their friends, looking at him and giggling, getting excited over him even when they barely knew him. But Ginny was different. She wasn't bold like the other girls, far from it, as he could tell by the way she stared at the floor and didn't even look up at him now. She was always kind to him, always eager to smile at him or make room for him no matter who was around. He wondered if she still had that little crush on him that he had been so oblivious to in second year. Oblivious until she sent him that singing valentine...he had been so mortified at the time, but thinking of it now made him want to laugh. She was good at that..making him laugh.
"So, Hermione giving you trouble up there?" Harry asked Ginny, trying to make some conversation. Ginny looked up and pushed her silky red hair out of her eyes.
"Blimey yes, I was trying to take a nap and she barged in, sobbing and babbling. I couldn't understand a word," Ginny seemed more comfortable now that she was talking. "She curled up on her bed and cried and cried, and when I asked her what was wrong, I got only one word out of her: 'Ron.' Then she shoved her face into her pillow and I thought it was best to leave her alone. When she gets really emotional, it's best not to be around. She has a nasty habit of chucking large objects across the room." Harry laughed, even though it bothered him to know how much Ron upset Hermione.
"That brother of mine," Ginny shook her head. "He'll never learn." Harry nodded in agreement.
"I wish they would just stop bickering," Harry said, "and realize how crazy they are about each other."
"You see it too?" Ginny exclaimed. She scooted closer to Harry, unconsciously.
Harry smiled and wished that Ginny would look at him like this more often. Her cheeks were flushed from sitting so close to the fire, and she was smiling at him in anticipation to what he had to say.
"Of course, they were made for each other. They're just both so thick- headed and proud that they won't admit it," he said.
"I've thought that forEVER! Ron is so jealous of any guy who sets his eyes on Hermione," Ginny replied. "He just needs someone to knock some sense into him." Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He looked up at Ginny.
"I suppose I'm the man for the job," he grinned.
"Well, if you could handle Ron, I'm sure I could make Hermione realize what she's missing out on in that dashing, Prince Charming," Ginny giggled.
"When we get through with them, they won't know what hit them," Harry joked. Ginny drummed her thumbs on the back of the couch, innocently looking around while humming "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match". She and Harry made eye contact and they laughed. Harry loved her when she was like this. Comfortable, mischievous, smiling. It made him feel like the luckiest wizard in the world to be able to make this shy girl come out of her shell.
Their laughter died off, and Ginny stared into the fire again.
"Must be hard for them," she said in a drawling voice.
"To what?" Harry asked.
"Hold in all those feelings, shoving them down, and denying them," she said sarcastically. It was meant to be a joke, but she looked up into Harry's eyes and the tone of her voice changed. "To not be honest with anyone, not even themselves, about how they feel." Harry's heart started beating quickly, a lot faster than it ever did even when You-Know-Who was around.
"To pretend they don't feel anything day after day," he said, staring into Ginny's huge eyes. He realized just how close they were sitting and swallowed. He slipped his hand over her soft, small, cold one.
(The show's not over yet folks!)
"What do you WANT?!?!?!" Harry threw his book on the ground and turned to find himself nose to nose with Ginny Weasley. ________________________________________
Ginny's big brown eyes were at their fullest. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you!" she started backing away, embarrassed. Harry would've kicked himself, if he could. He sat up quickly.
"Ginny no! I'm sorry, I thought you were Hermione, she and Ron are running on my last nerve lately and I thought she was interrupting me again," Harry called out.
"Oh," Ginny said, "that's why I came down here actually, looking for some quiet from them as well." She spied his book on the floor. "Oh, I'll let you read, I can go to the library or something..." She started to walk away again.
"Oh no it's okay Ginny, it's a boring book anyway. You can stay in here," Harry insisted. He tried to give her a confident smile, but it ended up being small and crooked.
"Alright," she said timidly and sat down next to Harry on the couch, as far away as possible. **I must've scared her to death,** Harry thought. **Way to go Potter, you're really great with the ladies.** And this lady, this lady was different.
Harry was sick of the girls at school; the few that actually went for him were always in it for his fame. They all huddled with their friends, looking at him and giggling, getting excited over him even when they barely knew him. But Ginny was different. She wasn't bold like the other girls, far from it, as he could tell by the way she stared at the floor and didn't even look up at him now. She was always kind to him, always eager to smile at him or make room for him no matter who was around. He wondered if she still had that little crush on him that he had been so oblivious to in second year. Oblivious until she sent him that singing valentine...he had been so mortified at the time, but thinking of it now made him want to laugh. She was good at that..making him laugh.
"So, Hermione giving you trouble up there?" Harry asked Ginny, trying to make some conversation. Ginny looked up and pushed her silky red hair out of her eyes.
"Blimey yes, I was trying to take a nap and she barged in, sobbing and babbling. I couldn't understand a word," Ginny seemed more comfortable now that she was talking. "She curled up on her bed and cried and cried, and when I asked her what was wrong, I got only one word out of her: 'Ron.' Then she shoved her face into her pillow and I thought it was best to leave her alone. When she gets really emotional, it's best not to be around. She has a nasty habit of chucking large objects across the room." Harry laughed, even though it bothered him to know how much Ron upset Hermione.
"That brother of mine," Ginny shook her head. "He'll never learn." Harry nodded in agreement.
"I wish they would just stop bickering," Harry said, "and realize how crazy they are about each other."
"You see it too?" Ginny exclaimed. She scooted closer to Harry, unconsciously.
Harry smiled and wished that Ginny would look at him like this more often. Her cheeks were flushed from sitting so close to the fire, and she was smiling at him in anticipation to what he had to say.
"Of course, they were made for each other. They're just both so thick- headed and proud that they won't admit it," he said.
"I've thought that forEVER! Ron is so jealous of any guy who sets his eyes on Hermione," Ginny replied. "He just needs someone to knock some sense into him." Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He looked up at Ginny.
"I suppose I'm the man for the job," he grinned.
"Well, if you could handle Ron, I'm sure I could make Hermione realize what she's missing out on in that dashing, Prince Charming," Ginny giggled.
"When we get through with them, they won't know what hit them," Harry joked. Ginny drummed her thumbs on the back of the couch, innocently looking around while humming "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match". She and Harry made eye contact and they laughed. Harry loved her when she was like this. Comfortable, mischievous, smiling. It made him feel like the luckiest wizard in the world to be able to make this shy girl come out of her shell.
Their laughter died off, and Ginny stared into the fire again.
"Must be hard for them," she said in a drawling voice.
"To what?" Harry asked.
"Hold in all those feelings, shoving them down, and denying them," she said sarcastically. It was meant to be a joke, but she looked up into Harry's eyes and the tone of her voice changed. "To not be honest with anyone, not even themselves, about how they feel." Harry's heart started beating quickly, a lot faster than it ever did even when You-Know-Who was around.
"To pretend they don't feel anything day after day," he said, staring into Ginny's huge eyes. He realized just how close they were sitting and swallowed. He slipped his hand over her soft, small, cold one.
(The show's not over yet folks!)