Disclaimer--Nothing here belongs to me--It's for the love of the craft and intended only as flattery. Most of this scene is from PoA and belongs to JKR, who is a MUCH more accomplished writer than me.
Author's Notes--
Strawberries and Blueberries--It's so nice to have a reader for whom every chapter is a cliff-hanger! :-) Hope this satisfies you for a bit...but not too long! *winks*
Legacy(FD)x--You might not see this note for a while, but I'm looking forward to your review!
Bee11--Ginny did react to the dementors a lot more strongly than the rest of the crowd, but JKR had established Ginny and Neville (who had probably collapsed in the stands) as having very strong reactions to the dementors (probably due to the traumatic experiences they've had in the past most students don't share), so it seemed conceivable she might react the way she did. As for anyone noticing her absence...I think we'll find out soon. *winks* I'll definitely keep Ron's sock revenge in mind, but I can't promise I can fit it in...besides, it seems selfish to steal Bill's thunder. *winks* Thanks for the continued reviews!
Adrienne--Such extravagant praise! Thanks!! You're insight into Ginny's self-awareness shows how wise and grown-up you are--you should be proud of yourself. :-) I'm glad you like Ginny's view of the stands...I thought it was a interesting twist on Harry's VP. As for Ginny approaching Lupin...you never know...*winks* *hugs*
EEDOE--I'm always happy to hear from you, but I hope I'm not a bad influence. *hugs* Ginny DOES have it good with the men, doesn't she? *shakes head* Some women just don't know how good they have it. *winks* Yeah...amazing isn't it...some people would say she's just too young and idealistic. Grown-ups are a little more...protective of themselves. On the other hand, we all need that kind of dedication to the things we love. Ginny's pain is terrible, but in a way, it's also redemptive. Take care of yourself! *hugs*
Bill--I was toying around with that thought about Ginny and Lupin as well...I wasn't sure I should steal Hermione's thunder... What would Ginny ever do without you to sing her praises and shower her with affection? *hugs*
*******
Ginny would have stayed there for the rest of her life, but Lee wouldn't let her. He herded her back to the Common Room and into the cozy armchair closest to the fire everyone always vied for. Now, though, no one protested. Ginny sat there, hardly aware of her own rocking motion, staring into the flames.
The waving plumes of red and gold looked like Fawkes' tail. She had read about the phoenix, in the infirmary...when it was time for them to die, they caught fire and were reborn from the ashes...her soul was in ashes...but she wasn't a phoenix, and neither was Harry...
Crookshooks hopped up into her lap. Hardly aware of what she was doing, Ginny let her hand drop so her fingers barely grazed the top of his head. His spiky ginger fur made her skin tingle, reminding her of his presence in a way that was vaguely reassuring. The two of them were all that remained of the world for a hundred years.
Fred and George sat on either arm of her chair. She could feel their shoulders brushing hers, the warmth and weight of them. Maybe they had sat here like this when they thought she was lost forever in the Chamber.
Only Harry had saved her.
She wasn't dead...she just felt like it.
" 'Sokay, Gin," George said at last.
"How--" Ginny stopped, her own voice nearly strangling her. "Can you even-say that?"
"Harry's fine," Fred said quietly.
Ginny jerked her head up to look at him, eyes wide.
"Doesn't have a scratch on him," George confirmed.
The twins waited, shifting uncomfortably as the silence wore on and she continued staring blankly. "Gin?"
"Harry's...okay?" She managed.
"Right as rain," Fred said. In perfect sync, he and George glanced at the storm still crashing against the windows and snickered.
Fred hugged her, George ruffled her hair, and they left-probably to go upstairs and change out of the sodden Quidditch robes they were still wearing.
Ginny remained where she was, watching the fire and feeling sick to her stomach with too much emotion. Crookshanks rubbed his head against her arm, purring comfort. She smiled weakly and scratched his head.
At some point in the middle of the night, she wondered what Harry thought when she wasn't there in the infirmary with the others...she hoped he hadn't thought it was because he wasn't important. Suddenly, she saw the one and only time she had ever tried to let him know just how important she thought him-and found herself laughing faintly. Crookshanks, still in her lap, tipped his head to look up at her and mew questioningly.
"I just had the most outrageous idea," she explained, grinning. Crookshanks kneaded her leg, purring again. She tightened her arms carefully around him. "You're such an adorable kitty," she whispered. "Thanks for keeping me company." Crookshanks blinked topaz-colored eyes, as if implying she ought to know thanks wasn't necessary-they understood one another perfectly.
She caught Lee after breakfast the next morning and let him know what she wanted. He assured her it wasn't a problem as soon as he stopped laughing, patted her quickly on the shoulder, and hurried away before anyone saw them.
Lee gave her back her parchment as they met one another filing into the Great Hall for lunch.
The others went to lunch, but Ginny snuck off to the Common Room to make a get well card from the parchment Lee had given her. It was very slow work, as she could barely stop laughing long enough to get anything done as Percy's singing-as recorded in the shower by Lee-was even more ghastly than she remembered. And very reminiscent of a certain singing dwarf...
"Can I help you?" Madam Pomfrey asked cheerfully, making Ginny jump nearly a mile. She hadn't realized she was visible to the nurse, as she'd stopped several feet from the infirmary, suddenly wondering whether or not her visit was really such a good idea. Once she'd landed, she reluctantly stepped closer to tell Madam Pomfrey she'd changed her mind.
To her discomfiture, the nurse seemed uncommonly pleased at the sight of her. "Oh! Of course." Ginny tried to ask what she was talking about, but Madam Pomfrey was already bustling away, and she could hear her proclaiming, "Mr. Potter, someone's here to see you," as if Ginny were the Minister of Magic himself. Or...uh...something like that.
"Well," Madam Pomfrey added suddenly, looking back at Ginny. "What are you waiting for? Come along."
Face already burning, Ginny lurched forward, embarrassment gnawing its way up her throat from her suddenly hollow stomach. As she walked toward him, she saw Harry pull himself listlessly upward, and glance dully in her direction. The sight of her seemed to jolt him somewhat, and he sat up briefly straighter, and slumped as if the effort were too much for him. She'd only wanted to cheer him up, and instead she seemed to be adding to his discomfort. Guilt roiled through embarrassment.
"Ginny!" Harry said in an energetic tone strangely at variance with his appearance. The tone comforted her a little...she could almost believe he hadn't been hurt that badly...but she had seen him fall.
If she could have spoken through the tangles of her own reaction to her visit, she might have asked him whom he was expecting, but she already knew. Ron. And Hermione. Jealousy bubbled through the emotional morass in her stomach.
Slowly, she became uncomfortably aware she had been standing at the foot of his bed without saying anything for quite a while...Just looking at him, drinking him in...and trying to deal with her own feelings. It took several tries to force words between suddenly tight lips. "Brought you this," she finally managed, in a tone barely above a breath. Those impossible green eyes flicked to her hands at her sides, almost inquiringly. Belatedly, she thrust the handmade parchment card at him.
"Oh...um...thanks," Harry said. If only she could have laughed at how he was nearly as awkward as she was. Ginny swallowed hard and wiped her hands down the front of her robes wondering if they'd been unpleasantly clammy or sweaty when she'd handed him the card.
Maybe it was her imagination, but Ginny could have sworn he was shooting curious glances at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking...he seemed focused on the card, but...he read the front, opened it, and winced as Percy's shrill, cracking voice rang off the rafters.
"What on earth!" shouted Madam Pomfrey from her resumed position in the front of the room.
Harry had dropped the card in his surprise, and it lay in his lap, singing energetically up at him.
Ginny didn't know what she had been thinking...this wasn't funny or cute, or even a reminder of how important he was to her...it was nothing but painful.
She dived hastily at the card, slamming it shut.
She would have taken it and run from the room, but Harry held his hand out, as if asking her to return it.
She hesitated, weighing the card in her hand, ensnared in the forest of his eyes.
She didn't know she'd made a decision until the card slipped from her hand. Ginny would never be able to explain it to her own satisfaction, let alone anyone else's, but the sight of that awful parchment card grasped in Harry's long, liquid fingers seemed unbearably beautiful with significance. She swallowed hard, looking hastily away.
"Please..." Harry said, still awkward. "Sit."
Ginny deflated into the chair he'd gestured in the direction of, casting around in desperate search for a subject as Harry watched her in calm and unyielding silence.
"Nice flowers," she said at last.
"What?" Harry started in surprise, then looked over at the table next to the bed, as if belatedly remembering the yellow blooms which seemed to resemble nothing quite so much as ornamental cabbage. "Oh, yeah," he agreed, "Hagrid gave them to me."
Even if he didn't mean so much to her, Ginny would have loved him for the pride in his voice then.
"He's very talented isn't he?" Ginny said. "I mean...I knew Hagrid grew a vegetable garden, but I didn't know he grew flowers."
"Me either," Harry admitted.
After nearly half an hour of such stilted attempts at conversation, Ginny was almost thrilled when Madam Pomfrey decided Harry had had enough excitement and chased her away.
She barely understood it, but suddenly the awful embarrassment of her crush seemed like a blessing and a relief...It meant they were both alive and kicking. She was beginning to realize that was enough to ask.
Author's Notes--
Strawberries and Blueberries--It's so nice to have a reader for whom every chapter is a cliff-hanger! :-) Hope this satisfies you for a bit...but not too long! *winks*
Legacy(FD)x--You might not see this note for a while, but I'm looking forward to your review!
Bee11--Ginny did react to the dementors a lot more strongly than the rest of the crowd, but JKR had established Ginny and Neville (who had probably collapsed in the stands) as having very strong reactions to the dementors (probably due to the traumatic experiences they've had in the past most students don't share), so it seemed conceivable she might react the way she did. As for anyone noticing her absence...I think we'll find out soon. *winks* I'll definitely keep Ron's sock revenge in mind, but I can't promise I can fit it in...besides, it seems selfish to steal Bill's thunder. *winks* Thanks for the continued reviews!
Adrienne--Such extravagant praise! Thanks!! You're insight into Ginny's self-awareness shows how wise and grown-up you are--you should be proud of yourself. :-) I'm glad you like Ginny's view of the stands...I thought it was a interesting twist on Harry's VP. As for Ginny approaching Lupin...you never know...*winks* *hugs*
EEDOE--I'm always happy to hear from you, but I hope I'm not a bad influence. *hugs* Ginny DOES have it good with the men, doesn't she? *shakes head* Some women just don't know how good they have it. *winks* Yeah...amazing isn't it...some people would say she's just too young and idealistic. Grown-ups are a little more...protective of themselves. On the other hand, we all need that kind of dedication to the things we love. Ginny's pain is terrible, but in a way, it's also redemptive. Take care of yourself! *hugs*
Bill--I was toying around with that thought about Ginny and Lupin as well...I wasn't sure I should steal Hermione's thunder... What would Ginny ever do without you to sing her praises and shower her with affection? *hugs*
*******
Ginny would have stayed there for the rest of her life, but Lee wouldn't let her. He herded her back to the Common Room and into the cozy armchair closest to the fire everyone always vied for. Now, though, no one protested. Ginny sat there, hardly aware of her own rocking motion, staring into the flames.
The waving plumes of red and gold looked like Fawkes' tail. She had read about the phoenix, in the infirmary...when it was time for them to die, they caught fire and were reborn from the ashes...her soul was in ashes...but she wasn't a phoenix, and neither was Harry...
Crookshooks hopped up into her lap. Hardly aware of what she was doing, Ginny let her hand drop so her fingers barely grazed the top of his head. His spiky ginger fur made her skin tingle, reminding her of his presence in a way that was vaguely reassuring. The two of them were all that remained of the world for a hundred years.
Fred and George sat on either arm of her chair. She could feel their shoulders brushing hers, the warmth and weight of them. Maybe they had sat here like this when they thought she was lost forever in the Chamber.
Only Harry had saved her.
She wasn't dead...she just felt like it.
" 'Sokay, Gin," George said at last.
"How--" Ginny stopped, her own voice nearly strangling her. "Can you even-say that?"
"Harry's fine," Fred said quietly.
Ginny jerked her head up to look at him, eyes wide.
"Doesn't have a scratch on him," George confirmed.
The twins waited, shifting uncomfortably as the silence wore on and she continued staring blankly. "Gin?"
"Harry's...okay?" She managed.
"Right as rain," Fred said. In perfect sync, he and George glanced at the storm still crashing against the windows and snickered.
Fred hugged her, George ruffled her hair, and they left-probably to go upstairs and change out of the sodden Quidditch robes they were still wearing.
Ginny remained where she was, watching the fire and feeling sick to her stomach with too much emotion. Crookshanks rubbed his head against her arm, purring comfort. She smiled weakly and scratched his head.
At some point in the middle of the night, she wondered what Harry thought when she wasn't there in the infirmary with the others...she hoped he hadn't thought it was because he wasn't important. Suddenly, she saw the one and only time she had ever tried to let him know just how important she thought him-and found herself laughing faintly. Crookshanks, still in her lap, tipped his head to look up at her and mew questioningly.
"I just had the most outrageous idea," she explained, grinning. Crookshanks kneaded her leg, purring again. She tightened her arms carefully around him. "You're such an adorable kitty," she whispered. "Thanks for keeping me company." Crookshanks blinked topaz-colored eyes, as if implying she ought to know thanks wasn't necessary-they understood one another perfectly.
She caught Lee after breakfast the next morning and let him know what she wanted. He assured her it wasn't a problem as soon as he stopped laughing, patted her quickly on the shoulder, and hurried away before anyone saw them.
Lee gave her back her parchment as they met one another filing into the Great Hall for lunch.
The others went to lunch, but Ginny snuck off to the Common Room to make a get well card from the parchment Lee had given her. It was very slow work, as she could barely stop laughing long enough to get anything done as Percy's singing-as recorded in the shower by Lee-was even more ghastly than she remembered. And very reminiscent of a certain singing dwarf...
"Can I help you?" Madam Pomfrey asked cheerfully, making Ginny jump nearly a mile. She hadn't realized she was visible to the nurse, as she'd stopped several feet from the infirmary, suddenly wondering whether or not her visit was really such a good idea. Once she'd landed, she reluctantly stepped closer to tell Madam Pomfrey she'd changed her mind.
To her discomfiture, the nurse seemed uncommonly pleased at the sight of her. "Oh! Of course." Ginny tried to ask what she was talking about, but Madam Pomfrey was already bustling away, and she could hear her proclaiming, "Mr. Potter, someone's here to see you," as if Ginny were the Minister of Magic himself. Or...uh...something like that.
"Well," Madam Pomfrey added suddenly, looking back at Ginny. "What are you waiting for? Come along."
Face already burning, Ginny lurched forward, embarrassment gnawing its way up her throat from her suddenly hollow stomach. As she walked toward him, she saw Harry pull himself listlessly upward, and glance dully in her direction. The sight of her seemed to jolt him somewhat, and he sat up briefly straighter, and slumped as if the effort were too much for him. She'd only wanted to cheer him up, and instead she seemed to be adding to his discomfort. Guilt roiled through embarrassment.
"Ginny!" Harry said in an energetic tone strangely at variance with his appearance. The tone comforted her a little...she could almost believe he hadn't been hurt that badly...but she had seen him fall.
If she could have spoken through the tangles of her own reaction to her visit, she might have asked him whom he was expecting, but she already knew. Ron. And Hermione. Jealousy bubbled through the emotional morass in her stomach.
Slowly, she became uncomfortably aware she had been standing at the foot of his bed without saying anything for quite a while...Just looking at him, drinking him in...and trying to deal with her own feelings. It took several tries to force words between suddenly tight lips. "Brought you this," she finally managed, in a tone barely above a breath. Those impossible green eyes flicked to her hands at her sides, almost inquiringly. Belatedly, she thrust the handmade parchment card at him.
"Oh...um...thanks," Harry said. If only she could have laughed at how he was nearly as awkward as she was. Ginny swallowed hard and wiped her hands down the front of her robes wondering if they'd been unpleasantly clammy or sweaty when she'd handed him the card.
Maybe it was her imagination, but Ginny could have sworn he was shooting curious glances at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking...he seemed focused on the card, but...he read the front, opened it, and winced as Percy's shrill, cracking voice rang off the rafters.
"What on earth!" shouted Madam Pomfrey from her resumed position in the front of the room.
Harry had dropped the card in his surprise, and it lay in his lap, singing energetically up at him.
Ginny didn't know what she had been thinking...this wasn't funny or cute, or even a reminder of how important he was to her...it was nothing but painful.
She dived hastily at the card, slamming it shut.
She would have taken it and run from the room, but Harry held his hand out, as if asking her to return it.
She hesitated, weighing the card in her hand, ensnared in the forest of his eyes.
She didn't know she'd made a decision until the card slipped from her hand. Ginny would never be able to explain it to her own satisfaction, let alone anyone else's, but the sight of that awful parchment card grasped in Harry's long, liquid fingers seemed unbearably beautiful with significance. She swallowed hard, looking hastily away.
"Please..." Harry said, still awkward. "Sit."
Ginny deflated into the chair he'd gestured in the direction of, casting around in desperate search for a subject as Harry watched her in calm and unyielding silence.
"Nice flowers," she said at last.
"What?" Harry started in surprise, then looked over at the table next to the bed, as if belatedly remembering the yellow blooms which seemed to resemble nothing quite so much as ornamental cabbage. "Oh, yeah," he agreed, "Hagrid gave them to me."
Even if he didn't mean so much to her, Ginny would have loved him for the pride in his voice then.
"He's very talented isn't he?" Ginny said. "I mean...I knew Hagrid grew a vegetable garden, but I didn't know he grew flowers."
"Me either," Harry admitted.
After nearly half an hour of such stilted attempts at conversation, Ginny was almost thrilled when Madam Pomfrey decided Harry had had enough excitement and chased her away.
She barely understood it, but suddenly the awful embarrassment of her crush seemed like a blessing and a relief...It meant they were both alive and kicking. She was beginning to realize that was enough to ask.