Disclaimer: Once again, these are not characters of my creation.

Chapter Two

"Rochester, Jane"

Ginny felt a sense of empathy for the nervous looking first years as they awaited the fate of their housing. She remembered perfectly how it felt to be standing in the middle of the Great Hall, small and shivering after the trip across the lake with Hagrid. Ginny remembered feeling excited, and yet coming close to tears as she waited for herself to be called from that long list of names. And, to think she had been one of the lucky ones! At least she had had some idea of the house she would be sorted into.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Jane Rochester jumped off the stool as soon as her house had been announced, and quickly made her way to the cheering students. Her cheeks were flushed as she took her seat at the end of the long table.

Ginny began to trace the knotholes in the wooden table with her finger as she waited for the end of the ceremonial sorting. She felt her eyelids grow heavier and heavier, and soon she began to nod off-until someone shoved her shoulder lightly.

"What happened?" asked Ginny rather loudly. The shove had caught her by surprise, and startled her so that she felt her heart jump into her throat. When she turned she saw an annoyed looking Hermione glaring at her.

"Ginny! You were about to fall asleep; you can't do that at a sorting! It's disrespectful! Besides, it's ending right now- ("Zapra, Frederick- HUFFLEPUFF!") - Dumbledore is about to speak!"

Ginny was slightly annoyed with her friend at that moment. While, yes, Hermione was right that it was disrespectful, she was exhausted! Her eyes were burning from attempting to keep them open.

She sighed and looked up, waiting for Dumbledore to speak. She reasoned that the Headmasters opening words of the year were probably more important than an extra five minutes of sleep.

Dumbledore rose from his chair and raised his hands to the chattering students to signify silence.

"Welcome students, old and new, for a New Year at Hogwarts. I will start by saying that you are all probably aware of the unsafe times we are living in. For the few who may still be misinformed, it is true that the Dark Lord has indeed risen once again. You can be sure that it is true-even the Ministry has confirmed it."

Dumbledore paused for a moment after that comment, briefly reflecting on his quarrel with the Ministry the year before on the subject.

"Because of this, Hogsmeade weekends here have been limited, and even during one of those days I ask that everyone stays in a group for safety. I cannot emphasize on how important your well being is to me, and the rest of the Hogwarts staff. Also, I must again ask that no one enter the Forbidden Forest. This means no one." Dumbledores eyes drifted the Gryffindor table at his last word. "There are all the old threats lurking there, but now there is always the chance of meeting one of his servants, and I trust that is no ones wish."

'No ones except Draco Malfoy' thought Ginny.

Again, Dumbledore paused, and the Hall was completely silent as everyone absorbed the severity of the Headmasters warnings.

Just then, Ginny's stomach growled. Loudly. Ginny stiffened as she heard it, and for a second thought that she could perhaps pretend that it had not been her. She saw Neville turn towards her with a questioning expression.

She shrunk her body very low in her seat until Dumbledore resumed his speech.

"Why don't I just die now?" she asked herself aloud.

She suddenly heard a soft chuckle and looked up. Harry had seen it all, and it seemed that he had found her humiliation quite amusing.

"Don't worry Gin, I'm quite starved myself" said Harry nicely. He then winked at her turned his attention back to the Headmaster.

Ginny's heart fluttered.

'Way to go. You really know how to reel the guys in.'

"On a lighter note, we will be having a Halloween Ball this year. Dress robes will be required. Ahbefore I forget. Argus Filch now has 457 items and actions that are forbidden in the hallways. If you dare, you can go to his office to read it. Now, all I have left to say is Welcome back, and try the Apple Pie; quite scrumptious."

So then appeared the gargantuan amounts of food on all the house tables. Ginny gathered all of her food and ate her meal in relative silence, occasionally listening to one conversation or another. As she was picking through a piece of the indeed scrumptious pie, Hermione started a conversation with her.

"So Ginny, what do you think about the Halloween Ball?"

Ginny sighed in response. She liked the idea of going to the ballbut of course, her idea consisted of being asked by Harry and wearing a beautiful set of robes; instead of standing in the corner, stag, holding a butterbear in one hand while picking the loose threads of her robes out with the other, which was her sad reality.

"I'm not too sure. I don't think I'd have a good timebesides, no one is going to ask me."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and looked at Ginny mischievously, as if she knew a secret.

"Don't say that. Besides, what if Harry asked you?"

Ginny smiled ironically at that comment.

"Who knows Hermione? Maybe I'll get lucky and Cho Chang and the Patil twins will be taken. After that, perhaps with help of the Gods I'll sport some chance" replied Ginny sarcastically.

'If only he really would ask me'

Eager to take the focus away from herself, Ginny asked Hermione if she had a fancy to go.

"Perhapsonly if, well you know" Hermiones eyes were downcast, as she tried to form a response.

"Don't worry, I'm positive that Ron will ask you this time. He'll pounce at the chance of taking you."

'How funny. Hermione at a lost for words about Ron' thought Ginny.

Hermione smiled and said a small thanks to Ginny for her reassurance. When Ginny turned away, she yet again made eye contact with Harry. 'Was he looking at me?' she thought hopefully.

Harry motioned to Hermiones scarlet cheeks, and then shrugged his shoulders in question. 'ahhjust wants to know whats up with Hermione.' Ginny nodded towards Ron and then smiled for connection. Harry put the situation together and then, he too smiled before shoving a whole Treacle Tart into his mouth. The young Weasleys grin grew wider. He was brilliant.

*****

Ginny staggered behind the crowd as they made their way to the Gryffindor Tower. Watching Ron and Hermione "accidentally" brush hands together as they walked was half-delightful, half-depressing. As much as she wanted her friend and her brother to finally admit their feelings for one another and get together, she could not help but feel a bit jealous.

'How would it feel to know that some one had feelings for you?' Ginny pondered in a daze.

'Micheal and I were togetherbut it was never like Ron and Hermione. It was never anything special like that; our relationship was almost as if we just needed something to do.'

Ginny was feeling really low as she thought over her past. She realized that she could not name one boy who she thought had ever really liked her in a romantic context.

'There was Tom; he made me feel special. I thought he liked me anyway. I shouldn't dwell on that; after all look at what that led to.'

Ginny's mind had journeyed far from her body at the present moment. She was pulled out of her reverie when she found herself sprawled out on the stair case; because she had not been paying attention she had tripped over one of the trick steps that led to the Gryffindor tower.

"Bloody Hell!" she exclaimed as she noticed a rip in the sleeve of her robe.

"You okay there?"

A hand reached down to help her up; as she reached up for it she replied that indeed, she was.

"Thank you uhhh." said Ginny as she saw that her rescuer was none other than he who bared the shocking green eyes. "Harry, uh Harry!" she said nervously.

"Good. Come on then, the portrait hole is right up there."

She followed him into the portrait hole ("Faerie Dust"); as she was scrambling through Harry again extended his hand to her. "You seem a bit unsteady today" he said as he motioned to his hand and added "So you don't trip."

She gently took his hand, and kept her eyes downcast as she stepped through the hole, into the common room. Her hand in his made her skin tingle, and her face seemed to be set aflame. When he finally released it, she could not help but be disappointed.

"Well, goodnight Ginny."

"Sweet Dreams, Harry." 'Sweet Dreams? Why did I say that to him?'

Harry nodded at her blessing. Whether she knew it or not, that was something he could have used.

As Ginny lay in bed that night, she reflected on her extremely brief time spent with Harry. The hand he had touched felt more alive than the rest of her body; while her body longed for sleep that hand wished to find the owner of the one who had gave it life.

"It was quite nice of him" whispered Ginny aloud as she thought of Harry helping her up. She knew that she was focusing way too much on that event. 'What can I say? When you're as hopeless as I am, this is a cause for celebration' she rationalized.

She did not remember it in the morning, but before she fell asleep a small part of her mind had been wracked with guilt, and subconsciously she knew why.

Authors Note: Does anyone out there want me to write more?