Author's Note: Well, as promised here I am trying to finish up typing the next chapter. I'm sorry for the long delay of the previous chapter, but I'll do my best to get this chapter out this weekend!

Disclaimer: I must've written this numerous times as it is and you know what? NOT MINE!!!

Summary: Ginny Weasley received the shocker of a lifetime when she entered her sixth year at Hogwarts. She fell in love with the last person on earth she thought she'd fall for. Now she has to do everything in her power to grab his attention and make him hers--even if she have to face the wrath of her six brothers and her parents, not to mention the wrath of Hermione and Harry when they find out what she was planning to do.

Setting: Ginny is in her 6th year; Draco is in his 7th year

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XVIII. the Talk; a Confession

"Ginny, mind if I have a word with you?" Harry barred Ginny's way back to the Gryffindor tower.

Ginny knew what Harry wanted to talk to her about. She has been avoiding him since yesterday during lunch. She knew he has been itching to find out what exactly happened between her and Draco, but what was there to tell? She and Draco made out then later on fell asleep without doing anything else.

"I'm kind of in a hurry, Harry." she lied, looking impatiently at him.

"Just a couple of minutes of your time, that's all I ask."

"Harry--"

"Would you rather I talk to you inside our dormitory with Ron within hearing range or would you rather we talk out here and away from your brother?"

Good point, but still Ginny wasn't in any mood to talk to him right now. Granted she already forgive him for ratting on her in front of Ron and Hermione, but she just couldn't talk to Harry right now, especially when it concerned Draco Malfoy!

"Look, can't this wait until later? I'm really in a hurry."

"Ginny, you know you could always tell me everything. We used to be friends. Well, we're still friends, but somehow I noticed over the course of the last few days we've somehow drifted apart." Harry began, looking at her with solemn green eyes.

"Harry--" she started again, but Harry raised his hand and placed his index finger against her lips to silence her.

"I know it's none of my business to pry into your private life, but there was a time, not too long ago, when you shared everything with me. I know I made a bad judgment call by telling on you on Ron, but I was pissed right off that night when you came back crying." his hands balled into tight fists as he recalled the night Ginny came back to their dormitory crying, he wanted to ram his fist down Malfoy's throat for making her cry! "I told Malfoy he will answer to me if anything bad happens to you, then you came back crying that night and when asked what happened, you chose to cover for the damn prat!"

"I wasn't covering for Draco, Harry." she pointed out, "And that night...that night when I came back to our dorm crying, Draco didn't do anything to me, except maybe kiss me, but I wanted him to kiss me too so it shouldn't have mattered anyway. He kissed me. I kissed him. We kissed then my stupid brain started to tell me something which upset me, so I came back running to our dorm." she paused for breath, holding her friend's gaze and forced a smile on her face. "It was stupid, really, for me to get upset over something I thought about, but it happened. I wasn't expecting you three to still be up when I got back, but you were and I was in no proper state of mind that night to tell you what happened without either you or Ron making a run towards the Slytherin dormitory and beat Draco to a pulp!"

"So it's Draco now, huh?" Harry sneered.

"Oh Harry..." she tiled her head to the side and on its own accord her hand reached out and cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing it gently before she let her hand slide down to rest between his neck and shoulder, his cheek his resting on the palm of her hand. "So much has been happening to me this past few days and...well, since we were in a somewhat 'cold war' with each other I don't really have anybody else to talk to. Sure I could talk about girl stuff with my roommates and other friends, but you're the only person I could share personal stuff with, you know? And I missed having to talk to you about everything that's been going on in my life since that night when Draco and I first kissed."

Harry put his hand over her hand that was cupping his cheek, his thumb caressing it ever so gently as his gaze remained locked with hers. God she was beautiful! He wasn't a blind man, he sure noticed how the once painfully shy and quiet Ginny Weasley transformed into a sexy siren who has haunted his dreams since...hell, since his second year at Hogwarts and her first. He tried his best to ignore his attraction to the youngest and only Weasley offspring, but every year he was around her. Being his best friend's sister made it impossible for Harry to just forget about her. How many times has he contemplated on asking her out? If it hadn't been for Ron going bonkers on him for dating his kid sister he would've asked Ginny out years ago!

"Ginny--" this time it was Ginny who cut him off, placing her index finger against his lips.

"Harry, I think I'm falling in love." she admitted, her green eyes still staring right into the depth of Harry's own green ones.

Against his better judgment Harry pulled Ginny closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and whispered, whilst his lips hovered just a breath away from hers, "I know the feeling, Gin, I know the feeling." he admitted before covering her mouth with his, the first touch of his lips against hers felt like heaven.

~*~

Draco stopped dead on his tracks when he heard two people talking in the hallway on his way to meet with Ginny. He quickly ducked behind one of large pillars just a couple of feet away from the couple talking. Somehow their voices sounded oddly familiar, and then she spoke:

"Harry, I think I'm falling in love."

That was Ginny's voice! And she was talking to Potter.

"Harry, I think I'm falling in love."

Her words echoed in his head. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Did she just admit to Potter that she was falling in love? With Potter?! a voice at the back of his head questioned, She was falling in love with Potter after spending the night with me? somehow he could not believe it, but what he saw next confirmed his suspicion.

Peering from the pillar he was hiding at, his gray eyes nearly bulged-out from their sockets when he saw Ginny wrapped in Potters arms, her lips sealed with his in a kiss that was far from being brotherly nor friendly!

Ginny's in love with Potter. the realization finally sunk in to his skull, making him weak in the knees as he continued to watch the couple make out in the deserted hallway. That damn Weasley just played you for a fool, Malfoy! a nagging voice hissed inside his head.

Clenching his fists tightly, his gray eyes turned as cold as steel. Straightening he cast one last look at the obviously in love couple and muttered under his breath, "Damn you, Ginny Weasley. Damn you!" then he strode off, back towards the Slytherin dungeons.

~*~

For a brief moment Ginny allowed herself to enjoy the touch, the feel of Harry Potter's lips against hers, sighing and responding to his kiss. God, how many times did she dream of kissing Harry Potter like this? She must've dreamt about it a million times, but that was all before she came to accept him as a friend, a very dear, close friend whom she sometimes looked up to as one of her brothers.

One of her brothers!

Ginny's whole body stiffen. She felt like somebody just doused her with a bucketful of iced water when she realized who she was kissing! Oh God, this was Harry she was locking lips with. Harry Potter, one of her closest friends. She quickly pressed her hands against his chest and yanked her lips from his, pulling away from his embrace and stared wild-eyed at him.

"Harry..." she said his name in a tone that warned him they just crossed an invisible line.

"Oh God, Gin, I'm sorry!" he stared wild-eyed back at her, his hands resting on her tiny waist. "I--I don't know what possessed...I'm sorry." he repeatedly apologized to her, not knowing what else to say after what just happened.

Ginny gnawed on her lower lip, letting her hands drop on top of Harry's hands that were resting on her waist and gingerly removed them.

"I--uhm...let's not let that happen again, alright?" she managed to think coherently, but her eyes were still avoiding his.

"For sure. I mean...hell, Gin." he breathed, his shoulders sagging and his head dropping. He took a couple of deep, calming breaths, squared his shoulders and lifted his head to meet her gaze once more, "I love you, Gin."

"Oh Harry..." she looked crestfallen. Oh why did he have to admit this to her now? Why? He knew damn well she couldn't return his love, not in the way he wanted her to return it anyway. She love him, of course she does, but she love him like she love Ron, George, Fred, Percy, Bill and Charlie.

She loves him like a brother.

"I know you can't return my love back, Gin, but I know you still love me like one of your pesky, annoying brothers." he managed to put a brave smile on, "I guess...I guess I just wanted to let you know that I do care for you so much. I always have, actually, but I'm just afraid of what Ron and your other brothers would do to me if ever I pursued my feelings for you, so I just became your best friend. Silly me. I thought I'd be able to stand just being your friend, but seeing you with Malfoy...it just eats me up inside, Gin. I can't stand the fact that you're with him and not with me when all along I could have had you." he confessed.

At a loss for words, Ginny did the only thing she knew how. She stepped up to him and engulfed her heartbroken best friend in her embrace. It took him a couple of seconds before he returned her embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her small waist and hauled her close to him.

"You know I'll always love you, Harry Potter. You're the brother I never had." she pulled away from his embrace and smiled, "Well, technically anyway." she added to lighten up the mood.

Harry chuckled, "I'll love you forever, Ginny Weasley. I know I can't have your heart now, but remember, if anybody dares to mess with you they'll have to answer to me as well as to the rest of your older brothers." he reminded her.

"Then I suggest those guys better watch out then." she smiled.

"Yeah. Especially Malfoy."

"Oh, don't worry too much about Draco, Harry. He's a sweetie, really. I doubt he'll ever hurt me." she answered confidently.

"For his sake I hope you're right, Gin, I hope you're right."

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to be continued...

A/N: OMG!!! I was so inspired after ending the previous chapter that I can't wait to start and finish writing this chapter. Well, I hope you all like this one. I'll try and get the next chapter out this weekend, if not, well, just read, review & enjoy!

MYSTIQUE: uhm...I don't think Ginny's got the Blonde for long, sweetie :::grins::: based on current events, uhm...hehehe, well, you go figure :p

kellyanne: I know you hate cliffies, and so do I, but then cliffies ain't bad if the next chapter is uploaded right away, like this one, right? :::grins:::

Lady Godiva: I dunno if Snape will be getting some action in this one...I'm concentrating more on the students' lives than the teachers. I just needed and excuse for Snape to get all moody and stuff :::laughs:::

demented weesil: QUICKISHLIKE...hmmm...hey, I kinda like the sound of that! :::laughs::: mind if I use it? admidst your babble in your review I think I managed to decipher that it's okay for people to use your word, is that right? and look, I updated QUICKISHLIKE :::laughs:::

hasapi: in response to your response from my response to your response in one of your reviews [jeez! what a doozey that one is! :::laughs:::] after the events of this chapter I think they won't be any way close to being acquaintances! :::winks::: and yeah, poor Harry, but at least Ginny knows that he has feelings for her

Angel-Hiragizawa32: uhm...not too scary that he knows? hehehehe :::winks:::

Sharlene: I think Harry did something stupid in this chapter...well, maybe not, but the poor lad just couldn't help himself! And as for Ron...I want him to remain so damn clueless about everything!!! :::laughs::: But we'll see what unfolds next...

Arlyta: sorry for that MAJOR mistake...I already explained in my a/n's inserted within the story, it has been pointed out to me that Ginny's eyes are brown, but since I often think link redheads with green eyes, I just automatically wrote it down as such