Disclaimer: I don't own anything :D
AN: thanks for all the excellent reviews I hope you'll like this chapter, I had a lot of difficulty with it. Colin will play a bit of a bigger part, but that doesn't mean he's the SS or anything…but I still haven't revealed him yet so you never know ;) Some of you are pretty sure you know who it is…well I can't say your wrong, but I can't say your right either.
Someone mentioned that the 12 days are supposed to be after Christmas (I would write names here but FF.net is down and I can't check my reviews lol) I was actually waiting for someone to point that out…hehehe…I just thought it would make a more effective story if it all comes to an end on Christmas day.
I have a feeling this will be a longer chapter than the others…but that's a good thing! So on with the story and enough of my pointless rambling.
THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
Ginny was going through her day in a state of complete bliss. Even the people that usually paid little attention to her were noticing this odd behavior. For one thing, she wouldn't stop smiling. Her eyes that were usually downcast were looking people straight in the face twinkling like mad, in a fashion that could rival Dumbledore himself.
Ginny, in her state of bliss, was completely unaware of the extra attention she was getting from the few who had stayed for the holidays at Hogwarts. While she was eating a peaceful lunch in the Great Hall, Colin decided it was his chance to get in some quality time in before the holidays ended.
"Hello Ginny!" He greeted her cheerfully, scooting into the seat beside her, setting his camera down on the table.
"Oh…hullo Colin," Ginny replied, startled out of her thoughts.
"I haven't seen you around in a while, what've you been doing with your time off?" He asked, trying desperately to come up with some good conversation. His attempts were quite obvious to Ginny, and being in such a good mood decided to go easy on the poor guy.
"Nothing much, you know. Just lazing around the castle and such…what about you? Have you…err…taken any interesting pictures?" Ginny asked the last part hesitantly, knowing it would set him off on a seemingly endless one sided conversation. She just hoped since it was the holidays and no one was around that it didn't last too long.
Colins eyes brightened at the question and he dove for his bag where he kept a lot of his photos handy. "I've got tons." He replied, taking out numerous folders with quickly scrawled titles on each. Since he was busy extracting more folders he didn't see Ginny wince.
Colin ended up having six folders in total, each folder having a different theme of photos in it. Ginny stifled laughter when she noticed the thickest folder marked Harry Potter. The other folders were labeled, Quidittch, (which Ginny suspected were mostly of Harry as well), Hogwarts grounds, Hagrids creatures, random, and memorable events.
Each envelope was filled, not all of the pictures being recent. Ginny sat at the Gryffindor house table for at least an hour before he had shown her every last one (some of which she had already seen). She had been horrified at some of the shots he had gotten of her in various situations in the common room, or out with Hagrid with his magical creatures. He shows these to everyone? She thought, hoping other people had cut him off before he got far enough to show them some of the unflattering ones. She was just about to leave when he pulled out one more folder. "Wait. You have to see these; I've just taken them in the last two weeks!"
Ginny sighed, thinking one more envelope wouldn't make that much of a difference; she couldn't get any more bored than she already was.
Ginny watched, and mechanically complimented each different shot, until she saw one that made her burst out laughing.
It was Draco Malfoy being hit with a snowball thrown by none other than her magical snowman. She had heard some people muttering about it when coming in from outside, but had yet to witness it in action.
Colin was laughing with her, "Yeah, that's one of my favorites, he had no idea I was there." Ginny was too busy admiring the photo to notice the odd look Colin's features took on.
"That's priceless Colin; can I have a copy of this?"
"No problem, maybe you'll get one for Christmas." Ginny smiled gratefully, anticipating the look of shear joy that would come over Ron's face when he saw it.
Colin cleared his throat, "I've got a few others being attacked by the same snowman…I also have a picture of you making it."
Ginny's grin broadened, and she looked at Colin innocently, "well, it did give you a few great pictures didn't it?"
Colin then proceeded to show her the shots of a few students she didn't recognized being ambushed by her ingenious creation. She started to laugh again when she came across one of Harry, glaring while wiping the snow from his cloak, though he didn't look really mad, seeing as how he had been around Fred and George for so long pranks didn't bother him too much. There was also a good shot of Ron and Hermione walking rather close together before they each got hit in the back of the head. Ron took turns glaring at the snowman, and at Colin (who he had obviously seen taking the picture).
"Do me a favor and don't tell my brother I was the one to make it?" Ginny asked him, setting the pictures back in the folder.
"I won't."
Ginny then took the opportunity to take her leave, grabbing her stuff and bolting out of the Great Hall. Colin stared after her, brows furrowed in concentration.
You see, being a photographer, Colin was a lot more aware of things than people gave him credit for. Contrary to popular belief, he was really very observant. Sure he could be annoying at times, and he was a bit eccentric, and didn't take the hint when people wanted some peace. That didn't mean he didn't understand what they were hinting at. He just…chose not to pay it any heed. That was just the way he was. He knew that he annoyed Harry, but Harry was too polite to tell him outright. He knew he was hopelessly infatuated with Ginny, but she would never feel the same way about him. He also recognized his feelings as just that, infatuation. They would fade, just as his crush on Susan Bones had, and Lavender Brown…and the Patil sisters.
Anyway, Colin cared about Ginny, even if he could only do so as a friend, and he had taken immediate notice of her out of character behavior lately. All of a sudden, she started adorning jewelry that would have cost him his house. He had seen her receiving things from a new, expensive looking owl, and she had been avoiding people for over a week, yet looked happier than he had ever seen her. He had even seen her in the library. That was usually a place she avoided even when she did have work.
He had almost had a heart attack when he had seen her enter the lake with a mermaid. He had been outside, taking his camera for a walk, when he had seen a flash of red not by the lake, but on the lake. She seemed to know what she was doing, so he had refrained from running back to the castle to inform a teacher. He didn't want to get her into any trouble, after all. He had sat down, nerves about to kill him for an hour, the whole time thinking, if she doesn't come back in one minute I'm going for help. He would have already if he hadn't seen the Gillyweed. He recognized it from the Triwizard tournament, so he knew she could stay alive under there. But if she's under one second more than an hour…
However to his immense relief, she had surfaced again, looking perfectly happy.
But why had she gone in the first place? He thought, worried.
Colin sighed, running a hand through his hair. He just hoped Ginny knew what she was doing.
That's when he saw someone get up and follow her out of the hall.
'On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…" Ginny sang as she made her way back to her dorm. She had seen Ron and Harry outside in the midst of a snowball fight on her way out of the Great Hall and decided to avoid them, hence the reason for going back to her dorm. Her footsteps echoed through the deserted corridors, as she looked appreciatively at the Hogwarts decorations. No suits of armor adorned this particular hallway, so it was free of any clanging and singing.
She had made it about half way to Gryffindor common room when she heard another pair of footsteps advancing on her. Her heartbeat picked up speed erratically, her mind going automatically to her secret Santa. Get a grip Ginny, it could be anybody. Her pace unconsciously slowed in anticipation of who was quickly gaining on her.
They'll be turning the corner any minute now, Ginny thought, bighting her lower lip, and looking over her shoulder.
Here he comes…
Oh my god it's…
"Hermione!" Ginny said out loud, trying not to sound disappointed and failing.
"Ginny, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Hermione answered breathlessly, shifting the long package she had under her arm.
Ginny caught sight of the green package and blanched. It's just a coincidence, she thought weakly. Probably her gift for Ron or something.
For a terrifying moment, the thought that Hermione was behind all this fluttered through her head. It was squashed just as quickly though, that's just impossible, the person that kissed me had short hair, and it's a boy I KNOW it is…
Her mind wandered back to that delightful day in the classroom, and she smiled with relief when her mind gave her a flawless playback. Ginny had wrapped her arms around said person's neck and there had only been nice short manly hair at the nape of their neck. Ginny sighed, while Hermione raised an eyebrow at the glazed over expression Ginny had on her face.
"This little first year Ravenclaw came up to me, asking for you." Hermione started, huffing exasperated when she realized Ginny wasn't listening.
"Ginny! Wake up." Hermione said, pinching her not too gently on the arm.
"Oooww," Ginny complained, rubbing the soar spot while glaring at Hermione.
Hermione cleared her throat before continuing. "A first year was looking for you today." She said, looking at Ginny as if she should know what she was talking about. "He wanted to deliver this package to you and was terrified that he's lost you."
"Why?" Ginny asked curiously, eyeing the package Hermione carried with sudden interest.
Glad that she finally had the red heads attention, Hermione continued with her story. "Well, that's what I asked, and he wouldn't really tell me anything. He just said he was supposed to give this to Ginny Weasley. So naturally I told the poor thing not to worry about it, I would see you eventually." Hermione frowned at the memory; first years shouldn't be taken advantage of by older students like that.
That was however the last thing on Ginny's mind. Hermione Granger was holding her tenth gift. She had talked to a kid who probably met the person responsible for everything.
"Did the kid tell you anything about the person that told him to give it to me?" Ginny asked eagerly. Sighing dejectedly when Hermione shook her head no.
"Well, either way, this is for you Gin." Hermione said, handing over the package. "Go on open it, I want to see what this person sent you." Hermione added, anticipation shining in her eyes. "They obviously went through a lot of trouble."
Did Hermione just wink at me? Ginny thought, looking at the older girl in bewilderment.
Thinking that it would be very rude to go off on her own, Ginny started to unwrap the present.
"Don't forget the card!" Hermione exclaimed as an after thought, taking the ever so familiar envelope out of her pocket.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
Your true love gave to you,
Ten forever flowers, and a bag of muggle candy
Hermione stared at Ginny after she read the card out loud. "Who sent this?" She asked softly, and Ginny could have sworn she heard a touch of envy in her voice.
Ginny looked guiltily at Hermione before saying in a quiet voice, "I don't know."
Ginny saw Hermione's eyes change suddenly into calculating mode. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and Ginny could tell she was going over all the facts she had picked up over the last week or so.
"So…correct me if I'm wrong. This is your tenth gift?" When Ginny nodded Hermione went on. "So the expensive looking jewelry, the owl, they were all gifts?"
"Yes." Ginny answered wearily, not knowing what to expect from Hermione's reaction, at the same time itching to tear open the green box held at her side.
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, making Ginny jump at the sudden noise. "Why have you been keeping this from everyone?"
"Well, my brother would go into a raging fit, and kill whoever was responsible when he found out." Hermione pursed her lips here, but nodded reluctantly in agreement. "And Harry…" Here Ginny's face turned crimson. "Well, I tried to drop hints once, to see how he reacted…I doubt it's him, but one never knows." Hermione looked at Ginny with sad, yet knowing eyes here, and Ginny went on explaining. "If it wasn't him, if he found out he would have gone right to Ron. And you, well I thought you would do the same thing." Ginny looked at Hermione pleadingly here, hoping she was wrong in her assumption.
Hermione sighed exasperatedly; she had been planning to tell Ron and Harry about Ginny's secret admirer. However, the girl did have logical reasons to keep them in the dark, and Hermione couldn't ignore logic…
"Fine, I'll keep my mouth shut. But I want to know everything! Come on, we'll go up to Gryffindor tower and you can show me everything you've gotten so far."
Ginny squealed in delight, not believing her ears. Hermione had always been nice to her, but she had thought it out of pity. Who knew she would still have a girly side left after spending years with her brother and Harry for confidents.
"Okay, but first I must open this…" Ginny trailed off excitedly, removing the paper from the gift. Inside was, just as the note said there would be, ten forever flowers, and a bag of muggle candy. (m&m's to be specific, who can live without those?) Passing the bag to Hermione, who told her M&M's were better than most wizard chocolate, minus the enchantments. She then extracted the beautiful bouquet of flowers. Looking at them, a muggle wouldn't know they were anything special. Each of them was in perfect bloom, and would stay that way for fifty years. They were expensive of course, and rare to come by in England. You needed a very specific climate, and soil consistency to grow them, one you wouldn't find in this country. Hermione of course, being a well of knowledge quickly informed Ginny of all this.
"This guy must really be carrying a torch for you Ginny." Hermione commented, her eyes twinkling. "And he must be rich to boot."
"Hermione!" Ginny cried, disbelievingly. "You know the money isn't important, I would have been just as floored if he had sent me a used quill or something."
Hermione smiled approvingly at Ginny, "I know, I was just joking. Come on, back to the tower, you have a lot to tell me."
Ginny smiled at Hermione, wondering how she would react to the snogging in the classroom. Smiling in anticipation, the two girls made their way back to Gryffindor tower.
When they had left, a dark figure immerged from the classroom they were standing by, a troubled and confused look on his face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
yay, I'm almost done, this is a big accomplishment for me, I've never completed something like this before. When I'm done this…I'm gonna go finish my other two stories : ) Two more chapters…it's weird knowing that it's almost complete. Don't worry, I won't stop now, this story WILL be finished.
Thanks for all the amazing reviews
Cheers
Imp