Chapter five

Meanwhile...

Ron and Hermione were headed up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower. Ron thought he was gonna get it for sure. He could only assume what angry thoughts were zooming through her mind at that moment. They reached the fat lady, and Hermione whispered 'snickerdoodles' and they walked in. Ron wondered why she had whispered.

Hermione turned sharply towards Ron and he flinched, but instead of the harsh, angry face he had expected to see, he was

met with a sweet, appreciative face instead.

"Ron, you did all you could. Now all you can do is wait and see what happens, okay? Harry's got to figure this one out on his own. But I'm really glad you said those things today. Even if Harry didn't appreciate them right away, he will soon enough."

She had been proud of him that entire day. Sure, she was a little upset when she heard that he had yelled at Harry the night before, but when Ron had decided to move past that and let it be, she was surprised. Ron had never shown such compassion before. She had wanted to say something all day, but she hadn't been quite sure how to say it. Plus, she didn't want to bring it up in front of Harry, he needed to be in his own thoughts.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Ginny caught up to Harry a few minute later. He had decided to go for a walk outside, seeing as how Ron and Hermione had gone upstairs and he didn't want to disturb whatever was going on at the moment...He had wandered all the way over to the edge of the forbidden forest when he stood still and looked up at the stars. He tried to slow the thoughts in his head and concentrate on one stream of thought at a time. He had given her the present. It seemed like a quick fix to his problem, as he hadn't really thought of what would happen afterwards. He was beginning to miss her smile, her laughter. But he had told himself that no matter how much Ron denied it, it would hurt him, and he couldn't do that to Ron. But how long could he last without Ginny in his life? He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

He turned around to find Ginny running towards him, only a few meters away. He felt his heart flutter and beat faster, but told himself off and tried to hide any sort of emotion. He had expected her to stop and say something, but instead she just kept running until she was right in front of him and pressed herself into him. She threw her arms around him and kissed him without even a second thought. Harry could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and a chill run through his body, and he pulled Ginny even closer to himself. As much as he tried to think of some excuse to stop, he couldn't find one good reason why, and put all of those thoughts out of his head. Harry was pleased at how passionately she kissed him, like she was so sure of everything she felt about him. They stood there for a few moments, unaware of time or space...

Finally Ginny pulled away slowly, so that there was only a breath of space between their lips. She looked into his piercingly green eyes, and she noticed a certain light in them that made her smile. They stood there, just looking at each other, at a complete loss for words, when finally...

"Thank you, for the gift..."

"You're welcome."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver case. She held it tight in her hand and smiled. Harry was so glad to see her smile again...

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Hermione was looking into Ron's eyes and seeing something she had never seen before. His eyes were blue as the sea as always, but this time a ring of fire danced on the surface of the water. She was deeply intrigued, but at the same time was deferred by his silence. He hadn't really talked to her in a long time it seemed, and she wondered if it was something she had done. That's how he always made her feel--excited and down at the same time. Ron's eyes seemed to be telling her something--but what that something was, she couldn't tell. She stepped away from him and sat down in a chair. Ron looked slightly put off by this, but he didn't read too much into it. What is she thinking? he wondered. He sat down in the chair next to hers and watched her. It seemed lately that she didn't have much to say to him he thought. Do I repel her? Does she see through me? His mind was once again reeling with thoughts that he just couldn't get a hold of. Ever since he could remember, she had been reluctant towards him, and he had always hoped that one day she would just open up to him. But it seemed that today was just not that day. He sighed as though coming to some conclusion is his head and relaxed into the chair.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Even though he hadn't really lost her, Harry was so glad to his Ginny back. They stood in the moonlight and held each other for what seemed like hours. Harry felt like he might lose her again if he chanced letting her go. Ginny loved the feeling that was rushing through her veins. She loved feeling his heart beat next to hers, his chest rising and falling when he breathed, his arms wrapped around her tightly. She loved everything around her. She loved Harry. She didn't even feel scared thinking about it, because she knew it was right. She was so sure about the existence of her love that she was ready to declare it right then and there...until-

"Ginny?"

"yes?" she whispered.

"I know this may seem really odd, and rather soon, because while I have known you for a long time, I'm not sure of how long I've felt this way, but is does seem like it might be too soon, and you might thing strangely of me, but-"

"Spit it out, Potter."she whispered teasingly.

"I-well, I think I love you."

Ginny was expecting something alright, but this far surpassed anything she he would have imagined him saying. She had just been thinking the same thing, which threw her off quite a bit. She looked up at him, her heart began pounding, and she couldn't help but wonder if he could feel her heart like she could. He noticed it as well, and he took this as a good sign.

"I think I love you too," she whispered.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Hermione decided that she couldn't really take the silence anymore, so she went upstairs and retrieved her Arithmancy book and started her homework. Ron watched, astonished...of, course, when in doubt, do homework, he thought to himself. He kept watching her as she began to read the assignment. She was trying her hardest to concentrate, but she kept sneaking glances at him out of the corner of her eye. Ron hadn't noticed this until he realized that she had been on the same page for half an hour.

"Hermione, do you need help reading that?" he teased.

She was startled. He had been watching her?

"Uh, um... no, I'm just rereading it so I don't miss anything."

She turned her head so he wouldn't see her blush. After a few minutes of watching her adoringly, he figured he may as well do his homework with her. The minute Ron left the room, Hermione felt the room grow lonely and cold, but she tried to keep on with her homework. She knew he would be coming back, so the next few minutes wouldn't be too unbearable. But ten minutes passed and he hadn't come down yet. Was he okay? She tried not to read too much into it until she realized at least 45 minutes had passed and he still hadn't come down...

Hermione rushed up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, her heart racing. Was he okay? She couldn't stand to think what she'd do if he wasn't alright. She didn't even think twice before opening the door.

"RON! Are you okay?" she yelled.

Ron was staring out the window into the gardens. He spun around, rattled by her sudden appearance.

"Yes! Why wouldn't I be okay?" he asked. He came off as sounding mad, but he couldn't help it, she had really scared him.

"Sheesh, don't do that again! You scared my half to death!" he gasped.

"I scared you?!? You have been up here for the past hour and I scared YOU? Explain that to me Ron Weasley!"

He looked at her with a shocked expression on his face. He had never seen her so angry before. He wasn't quite sure what to say, so instead he turned back to the window and looked out.

"What, you can't answer me? What have you been doing?" she said, this time with in a less severe tone.

He took her hand and pulled her next to him at the window. He looked pointedly in one direction at a spot all the way towards the edge of the grounds, and there were two people, walking with their arms around each other. Hermione quietly gasped and looked at Ron, but she was a little surprised to see a look of ease and contentment on his face. She was awfully relieved, she would have hated to see Ron mope around again. They continued watching the two of them slowly approach the castle, unaware, or so it seemed, of the fact that they too were holding hands.