Edit 02-03-03—thanks to amulder and everpresent (or are you one in the same? Your reviews were frighteningly similar) for pointing out the color of Ginny's eyes! This problem has been fixed!

Hey guys…this is the second chapter (of what now seems to be a few more ^_^) of "I Saw You Cry." I hope you enjoy, it's in Harry's POV now.

Harry Potter slowly opened the door to his dormitory. He winced as the door creaked, and he peered in to make sure that it was empty. The emerald eye boy released a sigh of relief as he noticed that his best friend's sheets were still freshly pressed, his normal mess on the side of his bed. Harry quickly made it over to his dresser, where he kicked off his shoes and got ready to change into his pajamas.

On top of his bureau was memorabilia from his time at Hogwarts, and in the light of the moon that shone through the window adjacent to his bed he admired them. His Chudley Cannon's hat, a model Snitch, and rolls of parchment that contained various pictures the boys had drawn one night (Dean especially). There was also a picture tree that Hermione had given him for his birthday. It was basically a small metal tree, and at the end of the branches were places for photos. The other boys had snickered when Harry had put it up, but he didn't want to hurt Hermione's feelings and leave it in the box.

The top picture was one of the trio all laughing at what seemed to be a joke Fred and George must've been playing, explaining the Filibuster fireworks that were shooting around in the background. It had been that previous summer, and the Weasleys had made sure Harry laughed so much that he couldn't remember this exact occasion.

Another picture, one that Harry now stared at with utter amazement after the night's events, was one of just Ginny and himself, sitting on a large swing the Weasleys had just added to their backyard garden. They both smiled at the camera awkwardly, both blushing brightly.

Harry chuckled softly at the memory. It came flashing back to him, as picture Harry darted his eyes towards picture Ginny. George (or was it Fred?) had told Ginny that she and Harry needed to christen the swing…he had offered some ideas that had made the two turn dark shades of red. The part that made picture Harry blush, though, was the fact that he had actually liked some of Fred's (or George's!) ideas. Even in his cool dormitory, Harry's face heated up at the thoughts.

His feelings for Ginny had developed quite rapidly, catching the raven-haired boy by surprise. It seemed, to Harry at least, that Ginny had blossomed into an intelligent, witty, charismatic young woman just as quickly as he lost sight of the Snitch during Quidditch games. He could remember the precise moment where he noticed his sudden change in view of her, and now that he looked back on it, he wondered why it had taken him so long to realize what a beautiful woman she was.

It had been the Saturday Harry was going to leave for The Burrow. He had been absolutely thrilled to get away from the Dursleys, especially with his new reason to hate them (hiding the letter that explained his parents' deaths had caused him to skip numerous meals and scare Dudley with even more with threats of his murderous Godfather). This year, like the last, Harry traveled through Floo Powder with Mr. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny (Mr. Weasley had decided that it was far too risky to bring the twins again).

Harry led Ron and Ginny upstairs to gather the rest of his belongings while Mr. Weasley tried to strike a conversation with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Before the three got too far up the stairs, they distinctively heard Mr. Weasley ask if he could try to fit his plug into an outlet of theirs, preferably Aunt Petunia's, because he had a very small plug and she seemed to be a dainty lady. The three had to sit down on the top steps to try and contain their laughter as they heard a very indignant gasp escape from Aunt Petunia's 'dainty' mouth.

Hearing their laughter, Dudley Dursley peeked out of his room, glaring at the three. Harry ceased his chuckles immediately, and Ron, noticing his friend's abrupt stop, controlled himself as well. He followed Harry's gaze, and glowered at the portly boy.

Ginny, however, continued to giggle madly, covering her mouth in a pointless attempt to stop her self. Harry curiously noticed that Dudley did not shut his door immediately at the sight of Harry and his 'freaky' friends. He noticed that the 'pig in a wig' was staring rather intensely at the still laughing red head, a single eyebrow raised in interest.

The green eye boy didn't understand Dudley's captivation with Ginny until he actually turned to look at the laughing redhead himself. She looked like the Ginny he had known for the past three years, except…he noticed that she as she put her hands into her lap, her smile seemed to glow in the dim hallway.

The redhead's hair was pulled into a low ponytail that rested on her neck, and it wasn't straight like he was used to seeing; it consisted of loose curls, with one that swirled down in front of her face. Ginny's chocolate brown eyes shone with delight, still recalling her father's comments, and she darted them towards Harry, sending him a personal smile that reached her drops of chocolate and made them shimmer even more.

Her clothing was simple enough as well, a small periwinkle t-shirt under a pair of faded denim overalls; he could tell they were worn out because of the weariness of the clasps. She stared oddly at Harry, and he quickly snapped his gaze away from her, feeling an immense blush grow on his cheeks. Ron was also eyeing him strangely, but he shrugged and clambered up the last step into Harry's room.

He and Ginny stood up as well, and she peeked over at Dudley, sending him a small wave. Harry watched as his cousin's face blushed furiously in the light that was coming from his room, and Dudley quickly disappeared, shutting the door behind him. Ginny turned to Harry, a confused look plastered on her face. He just shrugged, and being the noble person he was, Harry held the door for her, and she curtseyed graciously while he bowed in response.

She never looked like the little first year he had rescued from the Chamber of Secrets again. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but he did notice these new feelings he had for Miss. Virginia Weasley. At first, he thought it was the simple fact that Dudley had noticed her, but after shaking his head in disgust, Harry realized that there was perfectly good reason for a teenage boy to be attracted to Ginny. She was gorgeous in the most non-cliché ways.

The fact that she could make Harry smile even when he was in the foulest of moods was an absolute clincher for him, making him want to get to know her more than he had anyone before. She had the perfect comment for every situation, the right joke for the darkest of days, and a bright smile that could make a Dementor blush. Harry found himself staring at her more than once (also being knocked to his senses by one of her brothers, who often sent glares at him once he came back to his senses), and he had dreamt about her quite often since the day he left Four Privet Drive.

The fact that the two both wandered around the school together while Hermione and Ron went off for some 'private conversations' also helped Harry's crush grow, letting him get to know her better, and watching their relationship develop into something that seemed like a bit more than friendship.

It was funny to recall the memories of their trips to Hogsmeade and down the long empty hallways of Hogwarts. Numerous times, Harry had been too engrossed in the fact that Ginny was standing so close to him, that he wouldn't speak. He feared that his already red cheeks (he had blamed them on the cold every time Ginny asked) would grow a darker shade at any sort of touch, or he would stutter and reveal his nervousness. The long periods of silence occurred numerous times, and Ginny had become accustomed to finding new topics of conversation ("So Harry, I hear you play Quidditch?"). After she made her comment, Harry would relax, laugh, and begin to talk as if she were Ron or Hermione (not exactly, though).

He had no idea why he kissed her tonight. It had just seemed like the right thing to do, like it was out of some script of a movie. She had said everything he had ever wanted to hear, and…he guessed that's what sealed his true feelings for her. Harry knew that she cared about him just as much as he cared about her, and to the emerald eyed boy, that meant everything.

Stretching his arms and yawning, Harry pulled the top dresser open and searched through his clumps of clothing. The Boy Who Lived was not known for keeping a tidy room. Living with four other boys for this long had helped him get rid of any need of organization he ever had (which was never much). The only things that were in any sort of order were the objects in his chest, and those were never touched by anyone other than him.

Harry pulled out a pair of light blue pajama pants and quickly, so he could get to sleep, he flung off his jumper and pulled his jeans off with a little help from his feet. Carefully, he laid his glasses on the dresser; he didn't want to have to get another pair from Madame Pomfrey anytime soon. After he was changed, Harry pulled his curtains open and crawled into his bed, pulling up the blankets as he arranged his pillow. He could never find the perfect position for it.

It was then that he heard soft breathing that wasn't his own. Harry froze, with one leg under his covers and the other still touching the floor. Squinting his eyes towards the foot of his bed, Harry noticed that there was a gangly figure standing there. Without thinking, he pulled his wand out from under his pillow, and pointed it straight at the figure,

"Don't do anything stupid!" The figure screamed right before Harry sent a curse at it. The emerald eye boy sighed with relief and frustration; he recognized the voice.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Harry shot some sparks towards his friend, who was now sitting cross-legged on his bed.

"Lumos." Ron muttered, and Harry could now see that his best friend's face was one of seriousness. "Come on Potter, I would think you'd have noticed my sneakers and clothes dumped on the side of my bed, don't you remember anything Moody said? CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Ron roared, punching his left open palm with his right fist.

"Again, what are you doing?" Harry asked, not intimidated by Ron's accurate impression of their former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but annoyed at himself for not realizing that Ron's pile of clothes had been composed of the clothes he was wearing that day. Harry shivered slightly, worried about the fact that he wasn't able to pick up that little piece of information.

"You really thought I'd let you live happily ever after once I saw you were with my sister?"

The raven-haired boy groaned and covered his face with his hands. Ron snickered slightly, leaning back on his hands. He too had changed into his pajamas, consisting of orange shorts and a Chudley Cannons shirt. The one thing in the back of Harry's mind that night (because it was definitely occupied by something else, namely another red head) was the fact that he would have to deal with Ron, and five other Weasley brothers because of his current status with their 'baby' sister. The thought of them all ganging up on him scared Harry as much as the dragon he had faced the year before. And that was a very scary experience.

"I knew it was too good to be true." Harry mumbled. "Just get it over with, I can take it."

They sat in silence for a few moments, and the green-eyed boy grew anxious, thinking that Ron was powering up his wand with a very strong hex. Instead, Harry's red haired friend just sighed. He peeked through his hands and was startled to see that Ron was smiling in a very defeated sort of way.

"What?" was all Harry could say. Ron shrugged and darted his eyes away from Harry's. "What Ron?"

Ron seemed to growl, and Harry stopped his questions. Whatever his friend was thinking, Harry did not want to make it worse.

"I can't find anything wrong with it." Ron mumbled, crossing his arms. The green eye boy sat upright very quickly, staring at Ron with a very concerned and confused look.

"Really?" Harry asked, his voice barely a whisper. Ron groaned loudly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I mean, I'll literally kill you if you break her heart," He forced a laugh; Harry did not. "Hey, no worries, I know that you would never lead her on, you're too noble for something like that…but…" The glint in Ron's eyes reminded his friend of the twins. "Harry…this isn't some crazy hormone thing, right? Cause there are other methods of relief for that…" The red head grinned widely at his friend, whose jaw had dropped in disbelief.

Harry sputtered something incoherent, and Ron laughed, grabbing his sides. The green eye boy took this as an opening and quickly snatched his pillow and swung it against Ron's head. The red head tumbled through the curtains and landed with a thud onto the ground, making Harry laugh just as hard as Ron had. The red head still had both of his legs on Harry's bed, and Harry saw this as an opportunity to really get Ron back. The raven-haired boy pulled his wand back out and pointed it at Ron's shaking legs (he was still convulsing of laughter, even after the fall).

"Locomotor Mortis!" Harry shouted, and Ron's legs immediately went stiff.

"HEY!" Ron screamed, sliding his legs off in an odd fashion, having them clunk on the ground. "You piece of…" He was drowned out by Harry's laughter, and Ron now had to fight his way out of the curtains.

Harry jumped out of his bed and stood over Ron, watching his friend wriggle out of the mass of curtains. Somehow, the red head had managed to bring Harry's quilt down with him, making this mess of material even thicker.

"Help me out! I spare your life and this is how you thank me?!" Ron roared, pulling his head out from under the blanket. His shaggy hair stuck straight up, causing Harry to laugh even harder. "I could murder you because of what you're planning on doing with my baby sister!"

"I'm not planning on doing anything to Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, his laughter dying immediately. He broke the leg-lock off of Ron and the red head was standing up within seconds. He clearly towered over Harry, as he did the rest of the fifth years and some sixth and seventh years, but Harry did not drop his stance, he was determined to tell Ron how he felt.

"I care a lot about her, and I just want to…" He sighed, letting his shoulders drop. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I've never felt like this before, my crush on Cho never made my stomach feel like this. Like…like…"

"Like it hurts not to be with her?" Ron answered for him, his ears burning red. Harry eyed his friend carefully, and then smiled,

"Yeah. Exactly. Is that how it is for you and Hermione?" He asked carefully, not sure if Ron was still ready to wallop him. Though, Harry was sure that it was exactly how Ron felt about Hermione, because Harry and pretty much everyone else in the school had seen how much the two cared about each other before they had. He just wanted to see if Ron would spill his true feelings for their bushy haired housemate.

Their relationship had only begun this past summer, the second Hermione arrived at The Burrow and told Ron that she was not going to Bulgaria to visit Viktor Krum. In an act only a true Gryffindor could have accomplished, Ron kissed her dead on the lips in front of his entire family once she had revealed her information. True, he almost choked from lack of air because he was so shocked by his own actions, but it was quite romantic, and Hermione seemed to enjoy his quick actions.

"I've felt like this since first year, I just thought it was because I liked to annoy her." Ron chuckled at the thought. "Now that I look back at all the stuff I used to do to her, I feel like such a moron, I was really mean to her sometimes!"

"And she still likes you? Maybe she's had one too many glasses of Butterbeer." Harry joked, dodging Ron's jabs.

The red head cuffed him in the stomach before either spoke again. Ron managed to grab Harry's arms and twist them around his back. Pushing him forward, Ron pinned the green eye boy on the bed, and Harry decided to stop struggling, because there was no point wasting energy against Ron's brute strength.

"She more than likes me, I'll have you know!" Ron growled jokingly (at least Harry hoped). Harry turned his head slightly to look at his friend's now flushed face.

"Oh really?" Harry asked. "What do you mean more than likes you?"

Ron released Harry, and the raven-haired boy quickly sat on his bed, rubbing his shoulders. He watched as his best friend paced in front of him, both hands on the back of his neck. Ron looked utterly flustered, and a silly grin kept trying to creep onto his face though he kept suppressing it. Harry stared at him in disbelief, and he figured since Ron always had a problem expressing feelings, that he would start off the conversation,

"Have you two…you know…" He winked, and grinned at Ron's horrified face. Though, the thing that Harry was implying made him cringe with the image of his two best friends engaged in such activities…ew.

"No! Are you insane?" His face burned red and he turned away from Harry, his arms crossed. "Honestly." He muttered. Harry snorted softly; Hermione was notably having quite an affect on his beanstalk of a friend.

Ron's temper had nearly diminished, proving that by using the fact he hadn't cursed at Malfoy all year. His grades were actually going up and he hadn't slept through one History of Magic lesson the entire year. His attitude some times reminded the others of Hermione's, especially when he used some of her patented quotes.

"Merlin, I was joking! So?" Harry continued, pushing all of Ron's buttons. "What did you mean?"

Ron stopped pacing and rolled his eyes at his friend; as if that was the stupidest question he'd ever heard (Another Hermione-related trait).

"Shetoldmeshelovedme." He mumbled quickly, keeping his eyes away from Harry's. The raven-haired boy's mouth hung open, and he stared at his friend in pure disbelief.

"No!" He said, as if he couldn't imagine it actually happening. Ron shot him a look that showed he was hurt by the comment.

"Thanks, that's the last time I tell you anything…" And he began to shuffle towards his bed, mumbling incoherent words, but Harry knew they weren't suitable for young children's ears.

"Wait Ron, I didn't mean it in a bad way, its just…Hermione said it first?" Harry had to run his hand through his semi-dry hair so his hands would stop shaking. Why was this bothering him so much? He already knew that the two loved each other, why was it such a shock?

The fact that his friends were that serious with each other might be the reason. Harry saw how they giggled and smiled and looked into each other's eyes, but…how did they know? He wasn't even sure about what Quidditch play he should tell the team to perform, even though he had been playing for almost five years. How could they be so sure after just a few months?

Ron turned around quickly, a broad grin on his face,

"I know! I couldn't believe it either! I mean; I wanted to tell her, but I thought she'd give me this whole lecture about how we're too young, and that we've only been dating for a few months, and yadda yadda yadda! But, one night in the common room, oh, by the way, thanks for noticing I didn't come back until past midnight, mate, I really appreciate your concern," Harry shrugged slightly at the sarcasm in Ron's voice (he had been sleeping rather deeply since the end of last year, the fact that he never really wanted to wake up might have been the cause).

"Just shut up and continue." Harry pressed on. Ron rolled his eyes again in a very Hermione-like way and started up his story again,

"Well, we were just talking…seriously! Don't give me that look!" Harry snorted, but motioned for Ron to continue, which he did with a huff. "And she started talking about all the things she thought was great about me, and then, she said… 'Ron, I…I think I love you,' just like that, in a voice just a bit higher than her normal one." Ron smiled a silly grin, and nodded towards Harry, his eyes glazed with emotion

"Wow." Harry said simply. "And…you said it back?" Ron nodded, very proud of his accomplishment.

"Sure, I was in shock for a good thirty seconds until she kissed me to get out of my trance, but, yeah, I did. And it felt great, it's like something that's been sitting on my shoulders for the past four years has finally been lifted off." Ron tilted his head slightly, biting his tongue. "Will you listen to me? I sound like Hermione, good night, and be warned now, you will have five other brothers to deal with that aren't as nice as me."

And with that, he turned and strode to his bed, climbing through the curtains and shutting them quickly.

Harry watched Ron's curtains swish for a few moments before he tore his gaze away, and he looked around the room, towards the window on the opposite side of the room. He could've sworn he saw a tiny flick of an owl fly by, but no one would be sending letters at this time. Though, it could have been Pigwidgeon, the Weasley's tiny owl. Ginny might be sending a letter. Ginny…he might as well think about her, because the second he put his head on his lopsided pillow and closed his eyes, his thoughts would drift to her.

The raven-haired boy slid back into his bed, pulling his quilt up off the floor and shutting his curtains in a swift motion. He laid his head on his pillow and stared up at the top of his canopy.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought of her. She had said all the right words, touched him in the right places, and smiled like she didn't care about missing the Halloween party (at that moment, his other roommates had come in, making a racket of noise).

Oh no…Harry slowly brought his hand to his forehead, and massaged the scar that rested upon it.

He'd forgotten about them, just like the rest of the world had. She had helped him He had finally taken some time to grieve over his parents, and he just forgot about them in less than five minutes! How horrible of him!

"Breath Harry…just breath…" He whispered to himself, hoping that the other boys wouldn't hear him.

Ginny had helped him through his little…breakdown. Harry flinched at the thought. He broke down. What would happen to him if he had to face Voldemort again? Would he just start crying because of the pain his scar was causing? What had changed him? He had never cried before about any of this, even when Rita Skeeter was writing those awful articles!

Maybe it was the fact that he never knew the truth, the entire truth. Their deaths had just been…a story to him. A very true and depressing story, but a story nonetheless. The fact that James and Lily Potter actually had a date on their tombstones…well, Harry couldn't truly believe it until he saw it, right? That's how the saying goes, isn't it?

He rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to make them go to sleep. Harry figured he would just not think about it, that tomorrow, he would go back to how it used to be, when he didn't know.

Ginny knows. She knows exactly how you feel about everything.

Argh. If he walked into the Great Hall tomorrow looking upset, there was no way he could lie to her about how he was feeling. She knew. The moment she looked into his eyes, she would be able to tell exactly what was wrong with him. There was no hiding from it anymore.

Hiding. Wow, he pretty much told Ginny that he didn't want to hide their relationship. And, if the world were a safe and happy place, they wouldn't have to. If Harry didn't have a scar shaped as a lightening bolt in the middle of his forehead, then he and Ginny could walk the halls hand in hand without a second thought (except of her brothers, of course). He wouldn't have to worry about the wrong people finding out and Ginny wouldn't have to be under careful watch, like he was. There was no way Harry was going to allow her to get hurt, not because of him, or for any reason. She has nothing to do with what's going on in the world, she's innocent…she's so innocent…

Harry sat up abruptly in his bed, his hand shooting up not to its common resting spot upon his forehead, but to his chest, right above his heart. It hurt, his heart literally hurt. The pain was excruciating, and when he opened his mouth to scream, nothing came out except some very painful croaks. He found it hard to breath, and he shut his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the fact that his head was spinning extremely fast.

"What's that noise?" He heard Dean call. More voices began to murmur, and he vaguely remembered that Harry had other roommates.

"Sounds like it's coming from Harry's bed…" Seamus Finnegan said from the bed on the other side of Ron. Harry heard the shuffling of footsteps, but he was too occupied in breathing than he was trying to figure out who was coming. Each breath he took was raspy, and it seemed to take so much more effort than in normally did…he felt so heavy...

Light shone on his face in the form of a few wands, and his roommates stared on in shock. Ron was the first to react by shaking Harry's shoulders, though it didn't knock the dazed look in the boy's emerald eyes.

"Harry?" Ron called frantically. "What's wrong? Is your scar hurting?"

With each shake that Ron thrust upon him, Harry's head pounded with intense pain. Dean shouted that he was going to go and find some help, Ron continued to call Harry's name (because he was not responding to anything he said), and Seamus rushed to turn on all the lights in the room, just to feel more secure. It was Neville ironically, that spoke with the calmest voice,

"Let go of him Ron, let him lie down." The short boy said softly. The pounding in Harry's head ceased as soon as Ron let him go, and he fell back onto his back, eyes still wide and his lungs still gasping for air.

"What Neville? Do you know what's wrong?" Ron asked nervously, stepping away from the bed rubbing his neck with one of his large hands.

Their voices seemed extremely loud to Harry, and no matter how hard he tried to divert his eyes from the canopy of his bed, his emerald jewels did not deter.

"I think I do…Alito Giusto!" Neville exclaimed, pointing his wand at Harry's chest. Ron released a distressed yelp, obviously not fully trusting Neville's magic with his best friend's life. A stream of sky blue light shot out of Neville's wand and burst onto Harry's chest, then spreading all around his body until The Boy Who Lived glowed the mysterious color. It grew brighter, and then faded with Ron and Neville (and now Seamus, who was timidly watching from behind Ron) holding their breath.

Harry took in a very large wheeze of air, his back arching in the process. He gripped the sheets beneath him firmly, his knuckles glowing white, and he shut his eyes tightly.

With a relieved moan, Harry fell back onto his bed, beads of sweat falling down his forehead. Ron was immediately looking down upon him, and for a moment, all Harry could see was the red of his friend's hair.

"Harry?" He asked quietly. The green eye boy blinked a few times, and then wiped some of his hair out of his eyes (hair that was now sopping wet again because of the sweat he had perspired).

"What happened?" Harry croaked, using his elbows to prop himself up. He squinted his eyes as the three figures that stood in front of him went in and out of focus.

"Accio Harry's Glasses." Neville said calmly, and through the curtains, a pair of round spectacles shot into the boy's hand. "Here you go, Harry." He said nicely.

"Thanks." He whispered, not trusting his voice. Ron looked very bewildered by the entire event, and Seamus was extremely pale.

"Was your scar hurting?" The Irish boy asked, his voice gravely low. Harry shook his head immediately, wrapping his arms around himself because the pain he had been feeling was still resonating throughout his body.

He could care less if his roommates thought he was some sort of wimp. He had shown them more than once the amount of pain he could endure…but then again, he can't let them know he was scared, because if Harry Potter was scared, then they had a lot of problems to deal with. Harry's arms quickly found themselves at his sides.

"No…I…I just couldn't breath…what was that spell, Neville?"

He watched as his friend blushed and squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Oh, well…over the summer, my Grandmother was having some respiratory problems, so I had to learn that spell…it helps the lungs get more air, it unblocks whatever was blocking the air."

"So Harry was choking?" Ron asked incredulously. "I thought you couldn't make sounds when you choke?"

Harry gulped. It had felt like he was choking, but, Ron was right. Maybe he should tell them about how his heart had throbbed painfully…he shook his head slightly; there was no need to worry them any more.

Neville nodded, staring at Harry with a perplexed look.

"You're right, Ron. I mean, when I performed the spell on my Grandmother, all it did was make her torso blue…but on Harry…it surrounded him." Harry began to sweat more profusely, not because of the prior experience, but because of Neville's words. Of course the spell worked differently on him, why wouldn't it? Of course Harry Potter would react differently to simple spells like that, nothing normal ever happened to him.

"So we should get him to the Hospital Wing, then." Seamus said, rushing to the other side of Harry's bed to look for his cloak. "Come on, curfew isn't until eleven today, we can still make it without getting in trouble."

"No, I'm fine!" Harry protested in a weak voice. Ron rolled his eyes immediately, and pulled Harry's arm, dragging him out of bed.

"Stop being so righteous, come on." He said in a commanding voice. Seamus returned with Harry's cloak and shoes, and the green eye boy could not recall a time his Irish friend ever looked so scared. Maybe he knew the significance of Halloween Night to Harry and was hoping that the same events were not going to occur like they had fourteen years ago.

Ron pulled Harry up, and Seamus flung Harry's cloak across his shoulders, much to the dismay of the raven-haired boy.

"I'm not dying!" Harry said hoarsely, his voice cracking. The other three boys eyed him suspiciously and then rolled their eyes, not buying Harry's brave face.

"Just put on your shoes, you dumb prat." Ron shoved him in the shoulder as Harry reluctantly sat down on the bed to put on his sneakers. The red head made his way over to his bed, and Harry realized that Ron was not going to walk down to the Hospital Wing in his current attire as well.

As Harry watched Ron search under his bed for his sneakers, the door to their dorm swung open, and he leaned across his bed to peer through his curtains to see who had entered.

Dean Thomas held his hand to his chest, breathing heavily and looking rather bewildered. Behind him stood a gaggle of Gryffindor boys, and directly behind Dean was this year's Head Boy, Dominick Marino.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Dominick said with a loud voice of authority. He had slick black hair that fell in front of his eyes, and a rather distinct mustache that was very neat and trimmed. He towered over Dean, and with his broad shoulders and deep brown eyes he intimidated most of the students at Hogwarts. He was a very popular Head Boy (mostly with the females).

Harry rolled his eyes at Dominick's authority and slid off his bed, putting his arms through the sleeves of his cloak. Seamus approached the Head Boy cautiously, darting his eyes back towards Harry as if he was worried that his friend would get angry with him.

"Er…Harry was having trouble breathing, but Neville helped him out. We were just going to bring him down to the Hospital Wing." He explained. Dominick raised his eyebrows questioningly, and peered into the room to see if he could get a glimpse of Harry. Ron, who found his cloak and sneakers, now joined Harry by his bed, and the two walked towards the door.

"He's okay now, it's just to make sure, right Harry?" Ron nudged his best friend roughly in the shoulders, and Harry forced a smile.

"Yes, just to make sure." He said through gritted teeth. Dominick stared at the two skeptically, his arms crossed tightly in front of his chest. Neville backed away to his bed as the other Gryffindor boys in the hallway began to disperse. Only Fred and George Weasley remained, and they looked genuinely concerned as Dominick moved away to let Harry and Ron through.

"You want us to come with you, Harry?" Fred asked, already following them. The green eye boy wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, why did everyone have to worry about him? He was walking, wasn't he? He was alive, wasn't that enough?

"No, I don't want anymore Gryffindors out at all hours, except…Longbottom, you accompany them, since you know the spell, just in case." Dominick said with a voice that reminded all four boys in the stairwell of Percy Weasley. Fred and George made faces at their roommate, but they obeyed his command and trudged up the stairs to the Seventh Years' dorm. Neville shuffled quickly around to find his cloak, and then smiled meekly at Harry and Ron as he joined them.

Dominick watched as the three made their way down the stairs before he turned up towards his dorms. He trusted that Harry and Ron had been around the castle at night so many times that they didn't need an escort.

They passed a few Gryffindors still lingering in the common room, and were greeted with odd looks as they headed out of the portrait hole.

"You boys shouldn't be out at this hour!" The Fat Lady reprimanded. They continued to walk without paying second thought to her ("Well! After all the times I've kept my mouth shut about them!").

The three walked in silence, past some stragglers who were rushing back into their common rooms. The windows that lined the hallways created strips of light, making the halls seem very mysterious. Ghosts popped in and out of the walls, greeting the boys with cheery hellos.

They approached a group of sixth year Ravenclaw girls who were giggling madly with Cho Chang slowly following them. She was staring out the windows, her long hair hanging loosely around her face and her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her expression filled with sadness, and Harry wondered what could have happened at the party that would make her so gloomy.

The reason hit him with such force that he had to stop dead in his tracks. Ron and Neville stopped abruptly and looked back him, full of concern. Halloween was also a horrible day for Cho. It was the day that Cedric was chosen as Hogwarts' Champion. The day it all began.

As the girls passed, Cho turned her head slightly and her eyes caught Harry's. He still thought that she was immensely beautiful, even if he didn't think of her the same way he used to. Over the summer, all romantic dreams of Cho had been thrown out the window; he was never going to betray Cedric like that. Plus, Ginny had occupied his mind so much, that he hadn't even had time to think of her.

She stopped and smiled weakly at Harry, who returned the smile. By the glazing of her eyes, he was sure that she was aware that he knew what was wrong. Ron and Neville shared a confused look, but they continued down the hallway stopping at the corner; something in the air between Harry and Cho had told them to stay away.

He didn't know what to say, he had never had a full conversation with the girl before, but now they shared so much, that horrible sense of loss...

"Shitty night, no?" She said softly, and Harry looked up with a solemn smile, a bit surprised at her language.

"Very. How are you?" He asked, not knowing what else to say. Cho simply shrugged and sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulders.

"Just trying to get by. There are some times when I just want to scream and hurt something, but…it's getting better." Her voice much more bitter than he had ever heard it.

Harry nodded slightly, biting his tongue. How do you consol a girl about the boyfriend you basically led to his death? She knew it wasn't his fault, and since she had not sent him one glare this entire time back at Hogwarts, he also knew that she didn't hate him. That was nice of her.

"That's good." He whispered, shuffling on his feet. It was odd to talk to Cho and not feel the familiar rush of blood heading towards his face. Maybe, as a fellow Quidditch player, they could form a friendship from their awkward but very similar situation.

"There's going to be a Christmas Ball," She said quickly, "since last year's went so well." Her voice cracked faintly. Harry's eyes narrowed slightly, full of concern for the tiny Ravenclaw that stood in front of him.

She was still about a head shorter than him in sneakers, but tonight, she was wearing heeled shoes, and her eyes were almost at the same level as his. He watched as her eyes watered and she rolled them towards the ceiling as if to keep her tears from falling. Cho forced a smile and blew out a sad puff of air,

"Dumbledore just told me, he knew I was going to miss the Prefect meeting tomorrow because of Quidditch tryouts, Captain can't miss that, right?" Harry nodded, and noticing for the first time since the beginning of the year a small badge that sparkled on her cloak. "Sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Not particularly, though Ginny would probably enjoy it…" His voice trailed off as Cho looked away. He felt so stupid for mentioning his potential (probable) date. How could he have been so inconsiderate? After all, he knew why she had mentioned the ball in the first place: to add the fact that she would have to go through more things without Cedric.

"I have to go to it, Prefect duties. Dumbledore sent me a sympathetic smile after he told me." Cho spat, her face growing red from anger. "And I know they only gave me this position because they feel sorry for me. And my teammates chose me as Captain for the same reason; they all pity me. They all think I'm just the poor little girl that lost her boyfriend. That's it."

Tears leaked out of her eyes as she stared into Harry's emeralds. He said nothing though; just by staring at her anguished expression he knew that this rant had been inside of her for a long time. "Why do they feel so sorry for me when all I did was love him? Was loving him a mistake?"

Harry caught his breath at her question, but he shook his head rapidly as her tears fell more freely,

"No, Cho! What's the phrase? Er…'It's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all'? Would you rather have not experienced all the great things you did with him, just so they wouldn't feel bad for you now that he's gone?" Harry's voice cracked as he told her that Cedric was gone. The thought of never seeing Hufflepuff still panged his heart; thought he knew that it always would.

He put a hand on her shoulder as tears slowly streamed down her cheeks,

"You should go back up to your dorm, find your best friend, and tell her…or him, all of your feelings." A blush rose on his cheeks as he thought of his conversation with Ginny. "It helps so much, believe me."

Cho nodded and looked back up at Harry. Her eyes were puffy from the tears, but he was sure that she knew a charm to clean it up, so he wasn't worried about that. She smiled softly, and slightly shook Harry's hand off of her shoulders to wipe her tears away. Not sure what to do, he backed away, but Cho had embraced him around the neck so quickly that he didn't go far. She hugged him tightly, and all Harry could think of doing was to hug her back.

"Thanks." She whispered in his ear. As she pulled away, she placed a soft kiss on his cheeks, and Harry was sure that he didn't feel a blush growing. Cho smiled and clasped her hands together. "Good night Harry, and, save me a dance, will you?"

He smiled brightly and nodded his head to her as she began to walk away,

"Of course!" He called to her retreating back. Cho sent a wave over her shoulder, and disappeared towards the Ravenclaw dormitories.

Feeling quite proud of him self, Harry trotted towards Ron and Neville, who were engrossed in a conversation about the Cannons.

"I heard they were trying to get Gaudio, you know, that Italian Keeper? He'd be a God-sent if they do." Ron exclaimed, tossing Hermione's prefect badge back and forth between his two hands. As Harry approached them, he wondered how long it would be until she noticed it was gone.

"Gaudio? Do you think he'd actually play for the Cannons? He's led Rome to nine division championships!" Neville said, throwing his hands up and eyes wide.

Harry was very impressed by his roommate's new attitude. Neville had noticeably become bolder since the beginning of the year, and the raven-haired boy now realized that the responsibility of taking care of his grandmother was probably a big factor. He was more adamant about everything he was involved in, especially his new obsession with Quidditch (Ron had lent him his copy of Flying With The Cannons and he was now just as obsessed as the red head).

Potion lessons were becoming much more bearable because of his avid focus, and Professor Snape had not taken any points away from him this entire year. The sneer on the Potions Master's face every time Neville went through a lesson without blowing something up was absolutely priceless to all the Gryffindors.

"I think Neville's got a point there." Harry added, when he reached them. Ron glared at his friend, clenching the Prefect badge tightly in his fist.

"There's always a chance." The red head mumbled, and Harry and Neville shared a smile as Ron trudged off towards the Hospital Wing.

They spoke very little as they walked to the Hospital Wing. Ron had taken Harry's comment as an insult, and when they reached the doors, he had stormed in without waiting for the others to join him.

Madam Pomfrey was standing in front of one a bed that was hidden behind a curtain. All the boys could see were the very thin and wrinkly legs of what had to be Headmaster Dumbledore, swinging slowly. The nurse had his hand in hers, and she was muttering some charms as she pointed her wand at his index finger. Her face held a very irritated expression, and she darted her eyes towards from his hand to Dumbledore's eyes every so often.

"My word Albus! You are the greatest wizard of our time, and you can't pull a simple splinter from your finger? Good gracious…"

"Poppy, dear, it just hurts so much." The hint of sarcasm in his voice made Madame Pomfrey smirk slightly, and she rolled her eyes and smiled. Letting his hand drop, she placed her hands on her hips to stare at the Headmaster with a fake glare.

"There you go, Headmaster, off to bed with you!" She turned to lead him out the door, and gasped as she saw the three boys staring at her with confusion. "What are you doing here?" She asked in a shrilly voice. Dumbledore leaned forward to look past the curtains with a smile on his face that showed he wasn't surprised to see the boys.

"Er." Ron started, his anger dissipating. They shivered from the cold breeze that swept through the Hospital Wing. "Harry here was having some problems breathing. Neville helped him out though, we just brought him down for…er…safety measures?"

Madame Pomfrey's glare of contempt turned into one of concern, and she rushed towards the boys, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him to the nearest bed. He grumbled a bit as she conjured up a hospital robe for him and shut the curtain, giving him some privacy. When he was done (all he had to do was slip them over his head), he pulled the curtain and peeked outside.

"What seems to be the matter?" Dumbledore asked quietly, approaching Harry's bed. He was in his sleeping robes, long and white with dark blue pinstripes. His slippers were dark blue as well, and little golden Snitches fluttered around with each step he took.

Harry tried to explain, but Madame Pomfrey brushed through the curtains and pushed him back onto the bed.

"If Mr. Potter has asthma, I will have to be taking some tests, and then I'll have to check the entire Gryffindor dorms for something that he could be allergic to--"

"No!" Harry exclaimed before she continue. She sent him a glare and crossed her arms, indicating that he should give her a reason for his shout. "It's not asthma…" He said in a much softer voice, cowering slightly under her gaze. Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes at him, and then turned quickly on Neville,

"Mr. Longbottom, what exactly did you do to Mr. Potter?" She asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Neville's head snapped up and his eyes widened at Madame Pomfrey; he had always been a bit scared of the neurotic nurse.

"Er…I performed a spell…Alito Giusto, Madame." He said quietly. Madame Pomfrey's eyes took upon a look of surprise,

"Well, Mr. Longbottom, I am very impressed, ten points to Gryffindor." Neville's face burned red and he tried to suppress his bright smile,

"Th-thank you, Madame. Er…the thing is, with Harry, instead of just turning his torso blue, it engulfed his entire body…is that…bad?" Neville asked timidly.

Harry noticed that Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened slightly, but she did nothing more; it was almost as if she was hiding her true reaction. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him, and the wise wizard winked at Harry, relaxing the emerald-eyed boy a little.

"No Mr. Longbottom, it is not bad." She said quietly. Ron sent a very puzzled look towards Harry; the two had never heard the nurse's voice so soft, and quite frankly, it sent chills down their spines. Neville, on the other hand, seemed quite relieved at her comment.

"Oh well, that's good! You're okay Harry!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. Harry forced a smile for Neville, and nodded slightly as he slipped under the covers of the bed.

"You two should get back up to the dormitory," Dumbledore said, speaking to them in a similarly quite voice. "If you run into any trouble, just come to me tomorrow and I'll take care of it."

Ron and Neville nodded and turned to leave, but not before they each sent a weak wave towards Harry. He waved back and watched the door swing shut after they had gone. Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore approached Harry slowly, and he noticed the cautious look in their eyes.

"It is bad, isn't it?" He asked, looking down at his hands. Madame Pomfrey sighed in an annoyed fashion,

"Dear boy! Why would I lie to you? It's not dangerous…it's just…odd." She explained, causing Harry to look up at her with questioning eyes. The nurse was smiling brightly, in almost a giddy manner. This cause Harry to become extremely worried, and he blushed under her gaze.

"Why, why is it odd? Does it happen often?" He asked quickly, darting his eyes between the two elders. Dumbledore shook his head slightly, but the small smile on his face still remained,

"No, Harry. Like Madame Pomfrey said, it is odd, because we've only seen one other student react that way to that particular charm, not a spell, like Neville had thought." His eyes sparkled behind his half moon glasses. "It hasn't been performed here in so many years, it's ironic that it happened tonight…"

"Yes, Lily was amazing at Charms, wasn't she Albus?" Madame Pomfrey said; batting her finger tips at her eyes. Harry shot his head towards the nurse in remarkable speed, astounded that she had said his mother's name.

"Wait," Harry said, struggling to find his voice, "My mother last performed it?" He gripped his blanket tightly between his clasped hands. Madame Pomfrey nodded, turning away to hide the tears that had formed in her eyes. Dumbledore, on the other hand, sat on the end of the bed nodding.

"Yes, on your father, I remember it quite well, don't you, Poppy?" Dumbledore turned to the now very tearful nurse. She nodded, wiping her tears away and smiling at Harry.

"Oh yes, it was so adorable, there was no way I could forget."

Harry's anxiousness immediately drifted away at her words, and he dropped his blanket and his mouth slacked.

"Adorable?" He asked simply. His wide eyes caused Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey to chuckle slightly, and she smoothed out some of his sheets,

"It was exactly that, Albus, why don't you tell him, I have some other patients that need to be taken care of." And she left the area with a swish of the curtains. Harry turned to Dumbledore with an amazed look in his eyes. He anxiously awaited the Headmaster to tell him this story about his parents, and Dumbledore seemed very eager to tell it,

"Well, Harry, it was Halloween night of their…fifth year, I believe." Harry's raised a single eyebrow; another ironic twist, it was his fifth year as well. "And your father was having a bit of…fun with his friends." Dumbledore laughed softly at the memory Harry was fervent to hear. "As I recall, from what Mr. Lupin had told me after the incident, Mr. Black had dared your father to ask your mother on a date."

Harry tried to contain his laughter, so he put his fist to his mouth and bit one of his fingers. The images of his parents and friends as teenagers was more than amusing, but even more so was the fact that Harry could actually picture Sirius doing something like that. Dumbledore chuckled as well, and cleared his throat with a cough.

"And, as Mr. Lupin said, James got all the way up to Lily, standing right behind her and everything, his hand stretched out to tap her on the shoulder…but…James seemed to go into shock, like he was completely frozen with fright."

The emerald eye boy squinted his eyes at the Headmaster, very curious at where this story was going. If Harry was right, his father had felt the exact same way he had tonight…when he was thinking about his relationship with Ginny…that's when he stopped breathing correctly…

"He began to gasp, and he grabbed his chest. The noises he was making made Lily turn around, and James' friends ran over to see what was wrong. They were clearly panicked, but Lily shooed them away and pointed her wand directly at James' heart. With an expertise only Lily Evans had, she performed the charm, and just like you, your father was enveloped in the blue light. From what I know, which isn't much, (Harry had to contain a laugh of disbelief at this) that was the day your parents started dating. He asked her right in front of everyone as Madame Pomfrey handed him the Sleeping Potion, which, he didn't take, I might add."

Harry knew he had a very silly grin on his face, but at that moment, he didn't care. The story was exactly what Madame Pomfrey had said, adorable. Though, his father choking couldn't have been that cute, but its repercussions were nice nonetheless. He could just picture the relief on his father's face, and how he blushed at his mother…

"That's so great." Harry whispered, letting his gaze drop from Dumbledore to his bed. Dumbledore nodded, standing up,

"It is. Now, get some sleep Harry, your father was perfectly fine after a night in the Hospital Wing. It's seemed to be just a bit of a stress attack, that's why Madame Pomfrey didn't panic like she normally does."

"I noticed that." Harry said with a bit of relief. "So, it was just us Potters stressing over our girl—lives?" He blushed furious as he almost slipped the information that he was worrying about Ginny.

Dumbledore eyed Harry with a bit of suspicion, but a small smile crept onto the old wizard's face. The raven-haired boy felt like his face was going to burn off because of the immense heat the blood in his cheeks was producing, but, he was able to wave a good bye to Dumbledore without exploding.

The lights in the already dim Hospital Wing faded to almost nothing, and Madame Pomfrey popped in to offer Harry a Sleeping Potion, which he politely denied.

Sleeping Potions kept a person from having dreams, to keep them calm as they absorbed their needed rest. Harry, a boy who often dreamt of the terrors of his pass, wanted to see and remember his dreams tonight, because he would be dreaming about a lot of wonderful things. Also, his father hadn't taken one, so Harry thought he didn't need it either.

He thought about his parents being young and in love, smiling and giggling at each other with rosy cheeks. The image of a young Sirius and Remus popped into his head, and Harry had to chuckle at the thought of them being so involved in his parents' love life. Before he finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Ginny's face appeared, smiling as lovingly at him as she had in real life, just an hour or two before he laid his head down for its final rest of the day.

^_^ I'm finally happy with it, lol. There are more chapters, for those of you wondering about Ginny's letter (I have it all planned out). So…I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! I love plot bunnies too, hehe :)