I OWN NOTHING!
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Chapter 8: Finding comfort in Harry
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Ginny was sitting in the Great Hall again eating dinner. She glanced around. A sick, eerie feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach, almost as though she knew what was coming somehow. Harry sat on her right, chatting to her, apparently oblivious to what was on her mind. She turned a deaf ear on what Harry was saying and looked down at her hands, but couldn't quite feel them. Harry next to her looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to reply. She looked up with wide eyes, and saw Ron and Hermione staring at her like she was some kind of foreign object. The knot of eerie tension in her stomach began to tighten as she looked back into Harry's brilliant green eyes. She needed to warn them!
"Harry!" Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She reached up to her throat, panic rising as she tried to push air from her lungs. She began to wave her arms frantically for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to leave. They just looked at her, confused. They shook their heads at her.
"MOVE!" They stared at her. "MOVE! Please!"
The hall became frigidly cold, and the windows surrounding the Great Hall shattered inward. Dumbledore stood up; his eyes scanned the panic-stricken room. His penetrating eyes landed again on Harry.
Ginny watched in a panic as Harry leapt up, grabbing Ginny under her upper arm. She struggled to be released. She needed to get them out, to help them, but Harry was adamant. He pushed her under the tablecloth, and embraced her. She saw his mouth move, but no sound escaped his lips. It was driving her crazy! He kissed her forehead, and ran to face the Dark Lord. Ginny watched the familiar exchange between Voldemort and Harry with rising panic. She knew the tablecloth was soon going to fly off. Just as she'd imagined it the tablecloth flew off, and Ginny and Hermione shrieked in fright. She watched as Voldemort caught the offending material, and sneered evilly at Ginny. Harry shouted with no sound at Voldemort.
Then Ginny found herself right in front of Voldemort.
"Crucio!" She saw Voldemort's mouth move, as a blinding flash of light exploded from Voldemort's wand, right toward her chest.
~~~~
She gave a small shriek and woke up panting, sweat forming on her pale forehead. She looked over at Hermione's bed, thankful that she'd slept through Ginny's nightmare. Ginny didn't know what any of the dreams meant. Each time, little things would change, almost as if saying it was unsure of the future. Ginny picked up her wand on her nightstand, and muttered, "Lumos." The wand lit, illuminating her pale features in the darkened room. She sighed and reached under her mattress, groping until her fingers closed over the cold leather of her journal.
It looks like I'd better get used to this, she thought unhappily to herself. She picked up her quill from the bedside table and began to record the night's eventful dream.
Her pen poured her emotions into the journal; she wrote everything down. How she'd talked to Harry, and told him everything; how she was regretting telling him anything at all. As she wrote, the regret grew to a sickening bug eating at her stomach. She knew she hadn't done the wrong thing, but now she also knew that there was no going back. He was involved, and knowing him, he would make sure to remain involved.
She chewed on the tip of her quill and stared at the writing in the journal. The letters contorted, and looked like scribble, as she lost focus. She didn't want Harry to be obsessed over something as insignificant as this. He didn't need this in his life. She needed to make him forget she'd said anything. He had to forget.
Ginny snorted at the thought. Fat chance of that ever happening!
Her curtains fluttered in the early morning chilly breeze. She didn't realize that her bedroom door silently cracked open. Bright green eyes cautiously peered into the semi darkness.
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His wandering eyes landed on Ginny, and he smiled despite himself.
Her head was bent over a large leather bound book, her hair tumbling beautifully over the pages. Harry looked harder to see what book it was, but there was no writing on the cover.
He heard her sigh, watched as she bit the tip of her quill. He glanced over to Hermione's bed, and saw a sprout of bushy brown hair springing from beneath the covers. He chuckled silently; apparently the Sleekeasy's had worn off. Harry was somewhat surprised that Hermione slept through the light on Ginny's desk.
He bit his lip, and decided to take his chances.
"Ginny?" he asked quietly, hoping not to wake Hermione.
Ginny's head shot up, and she stared at him with wide eyes. Her auburn hair fell wildly over her shoulders in waves, giving the impression that she had been tossing and turning for the majority of the night. Harry looked closer, and could almost make out tear tracks on her porcelain face. He pushed the door open wider and stepped inside the small, purple room.
She looked at him, and clutched her hand to her chest. "Gosh, Harry!" She looked around the room for a minute before looking at him curiously. "Harry, what are you doing here?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Umm.er.."
He didn't want to tell her the truth; she'd said she didn't want people worrying about her. But how could he not, after what she told him? "Well, to tell you the truth, I wanted to see if you'd fallen asleep." He smiled at her.
She placed her quill in her journal and snapped it closed, tucking it back safely under her mattress.
"Yea, that'll happen soon," she said gloomily. She patted the covers next to her, and Harry crossed the room to sit down.
"Gin, I also wanted to ask you some things. For instance, how long has this been going on?"
"Harry, do we have to talk about this? I really don't want to," she sighed heavily, closing her eyes momentarily.
"I have to know," he persisted.
"So you can tell my brother? No, I should never have told you," she said, shaking her head. She pulled the covers up to her neck and lay down, cradled by the soft mattress.
Harry leaned over and pinned her shoulders to the bed. He stared down at her, his irritation growing stronger.
"Ginny! Do you understand how important this could be? At least tell Dumbledore! Please!" he pleaded quietly. His face was mere inches from hers.
He studied her pale face, looking for some kind of reaction, and found himself admiring her. There was a sprinkling of fading freckles surrounding her small nose, placed nicely in the center of her face. Her hair was fanned out around her shoulders, and standing out rather loudly from her white pillow. Her warm brown eyes were large in shock, and her full lips were quivering.
He continued to stare down at her, as she gazed steadily back. He momentarily forgot what he'd just said.
She's so beautiful. Why hadn't I noticed before? he thought to himself. He felt his cheeks begin to flush.
Hermione snuffled and flipped over, and Harry froze, jerked out of his thoughts. Standing up slowly, he glanced stiffly at Ginny.
The terror he felt, he saw mirrored in her eyes. He nervously looked to where Hermione was sleeping. He knew what was going through her head, because it was going through his too.
If Hermione or, god forbid, Ron, found him in Ginny's room at two in the morning, they would be in deep, deep trouble. And they would be subjected to Fred and George's teasing.
Harry backed away, and sighed with relief as Hermione settled back into the covers, oblivious of the fright she just caused in her two friends.
Harry reached down and flung the covers off of Ginny. "Up," he whispered. Ginny looked up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"What?"
"We can't talk here, we're going downstairs."
"Harry, can't this wait until tomorrow? I'm really tired." She yawned for effect.
"No, because you'll do everything in your power to make sure I don't find you alone. Let's go," he commanded.
Ginny glared at him, but swung her short legs over the side of the bed and stood up, making a show of stretching her muscles. She followed Harry out of her room, muttering curses at herself for getting him involved, that she didn't think Harry heard.
"I don't like this authoritative side of you, Harry," Ginny said, her voice laced with warning.
He shrugged, "I'm just trying to help."
When they entered the living room, the fire in the fireplace had gone out, and Harry, pointing his wand at the fireplace, whispered 'Incendio,' starting it up again. Ginny sat down on the far right of the fluffy couch, and rested her vibrant head on the armrest, her hair falling over the side. She waited while he tried to find his words.
He began to fidget and paced in front of her. What was he going to say? What was he in the position to say? He wanted to know about Ginny's dreams. He couldn't explain it, but he was beginning to feel violent protectiveness when it concerned the youngest Weasley.
"Harry.look, you caught me, I had the dream tonight, you came in right when I was recording it in my journal," she said weakly.
Harry stared at her now, open-mouthed.
"Tell me about it." He walked over and sat down on the couch facing her.
She shrugged, a tactic of hers, trying to get him to lose interest. "It was the same as usual, nothing to get all hot and bothered over."
Nothing doing. Harry rolled his eyes, "Tell me."
She sighed loudly. "Are you always going to be this persistent?"
"Yes, when it involves keeping my..friends..safe," he said.
~~~~
She glared a Harry a moment, irritated that he was pushing it, but the look in his eyes softened her slightly. She sighed heavily, and sat up straight, and pulled her legs to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees, and recalled the dream from memory.
She opened her mouth, but only an undistinguishable sound escaped her lips, and she hid her face in her knees, red-faced, before trying again.
"We were eating dinner.I tried to warn Ron, Hermione, and you, but you couldn't understand me," she stopped to take a deep breath, before looking up, and meeting his penetrating gaze. "You-Know-Who showed up like he always does, and.and.said Crucio, like always, and I wake up."
"Do you know whom he was cursing?" Harry asked placing his hand on her shoulder. She shook her head. "So, that's it?"
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"Yea, well the important stuff. Harry, I don't know what's wrong with me, but I want it to stop!" Harry watched helplessly as her warm brown eyes filled with tears.
Harry gently gave her shoulder a squeeze, before dropping his hand. He had the urge to just reach over and hug her, but he had to get his questions answered first. He sighed, and looked into her eyes.
"How long has this been going on?"
Ginny blushed.
"How long, Ginny?" he asked, eyeing the guilty expression that began to grow over her face.
"Well, off and on for two years. You know, since You-Know-Who's rebirth."
"Voldemort, call him by his name." He corrected her instinctively.
She gulped, "Voldemort. Anyway, random ones, involving the Chamber of Secrets, and the Triwizard Tournament. This one reoccurring dream started two or three weeks ago."
Harry looked at her, worry in every feature on his face. He had one more question that was bothering him. He was afraid to upset her, but he had to know. "Ginny, why did you run away?"
Ginny cried silently, but lifted her tear-stained face to meet Harry's eyes.
"No offense Harry, but I left because I didn't want you or Hermione to find out about my dreams. I didn't want to have to explain this, like I'm doing right now. I guess I was avoiding this," she smiled weakly at him.
Harry reached across the couch and pulled Ginny toward him. He gently rubbed her back. His fear for her ebbed slowly away as he held her close.
"There was no purpose to running away. Did you honestly think that running away would diminish your family's worry?"
"I know that now," she sniffed, and clung around Harry's waist.
He closed his eyes, just breathing in her intoxicating scent. He didn't know what any of this meant, he had no idea why he was feeling all these emotions for Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister, one of his best friends; all he knew was that it felt right, and it felt good to protect her. It had started sometime over the summer, when he found himself waiting for the letters from her, that he had never gotten. He'd never felt more disappointed.
He held her tighter savoring the feel of her wrapped snugly in his arms. He smiled, pulled away, and looked down into her face. He reached down, and tucked a strand of wayward red hair off her forehead and behind her ear. She looked up at him with wide questioning eyes, before a broad smile spread across her pink lips.
"You'll get through all this. You're strong, and remember, I'll be here the whole way through." And he truly meant what he'd said.
"Thank you, Harry, for everything," Ginny smiled at him, and he felt that pleasant tingling in his stomach.
"Oh Gin, how could I not care? You're one of my best friends." He reached over and ruffled her hair.
"Ok, well, I think I've heard enough, and I daresay you've had enough emotional trauma for one night. I wouldn't want Fred, George, or, god forbid, Ron to come down here and find me in this compromising position with their beloved sister." Harry grinned. Ginny chuckled, and playfully punched his arm.
They stood up and stretched. A thought must have struck Ginny then, because her eyes turned questioningly as she turned to a yawning Harry.
"Harry?"
Harry turned to regard her.
"Yea?"
"Did you sleep at all tonight?" she asked, tilting her head in a questioning manner.
"No," he grinned mischievously. "I was up getting my arse kicked in chess by Ron, for the bizillionth time." Ginny laughed quietly, and reached up and kissed Harry's cheek. She seemed to be as surprised as he was. Harry's stomach flopped pleasantly. He felt his cheeks flame up. Thank God the only light in the room was from the dim fire.
What he didn't see in the dark living room was Ginny Weasley's cheeks also turning a rosy pink.
There was a long silence, before Ginny broke it.
"Thanks Harry, for everything. It means a lot to me. Maybe I won't go mad now?" Ginny muttered, before turned toward the stairs.
Harry was glad that it was semi-dark in the living room to hide his now flaming face.
He just nodded silently. He stood in stunned silence and lifted a hand to his cheek. He couldn't help the grin that was forming in the corners of his mouth.
He glanced over at the Muggle clock above the fireplace, that Mr. Weasley had been so excited about mounting, and audibly gasped. It was already 2:45am. He turned on his heels, and ran up the rickety stairs toward Ron's lopsided room on the top floor. Please let Ron be asleep, please!
When he entered the room, he smiled broadly to himself. There was a soft snoring from Ron's bed. Harry silently thanked God for his good fortune that Ron had fallen asleep while waiting for him.
He crawled into his covers silently, and smiled happily to himself before falling into a dreamless sleep.
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Thanks so much to Trouble! My awesome beta!
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Chapter 8: Finding comfort in Harry
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Ginny was sitting in the Great Hall again eating dinner. She glanced around. A sick, eerie feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach, almost as though she knew what was coming somehow. Harry sat on her right, chatting to her, apparently oblivious to what was on her mind. She turned a deaf ear on what Harry was saying and looked down at her hands, but couldn't quite feel them. Harry next to her looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to reply. She looked up with wide eyes, and saw Ron and Hermione staring at her like she was some kind of foreign object. The knot of eerie tension in her stomach began to tighten as she looked back into Harry's brilliant green eyes. She needed to warn them!
"Harry!" Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She reached up to her throat, panic rising as she tried to push air from her lungs. She began to wave her arms frantically for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to leave. They just looked at her, confused. They shook their heads at her.
"MOVE!" They stared at her. "MOVE! Please!"
The hall became frigidly cold, and the windows surrounding the Great Hall shattered inward. Dumbledore stood up; his eyes scanned the panic-stricken room. His penetrating eyes landed again on Harry.
Ginny watched in a panic as Harry leapt up, grabbing Ginny under her upper arm. She struggled to be released. She needed to get them out, to help them, but Harry was adamant. He pushed her under the tablecloth, and embraced her. She saw his mouth move, but no sound escaped his lips. It was driving her crazy! He kissed her forehead, and ran to face the Dark Lord. Ginny watched the familiar exchange between Voldemort and Harry with rising panic. She knew the tablecloth was soon going to fly off. Just as she'd imagined it the tablecloth flew off, and Ginny and Hermione shrieked in fright. She watched as Voldemort caught the offending material, and sneered evilly at Ginny. Harry shouted with no sound at Voldemort.
Then Ginny found herself right in front of Voldemort.
"Crucio!" She saw Voldemort's mouth move, as a blinding flash of light exploded from Voldemort's wand, right toward her chest.
~~~~
She gave a small shriek and woke up panting, sweat forming on her pale forehead. She looked over at Hermione's bed, thankful that she'd slept through Ginny's nightmare. Ginny didn't know what any of the dreams meant. Each time, little things would change, almost as if saying it was unsure of the future. Ginny picked up her wand on her nightstand, and muttered, "Lumos." The wand lit, illuminating her pale features in the darkened room. She sighed and reached under her mattress, groping until her fingers closed over the cold leather of her journal.
It looks like I'd better get used to this, she thought unhappily to herself. She picked up her quill from the bedside table and began to record the night's eventful dream.
Her pen poured her emotions into the journal; she wrote everything down. How she'd talked to Harry, and told him everything; how she was regretting telling him anything at all. As she wrote, the regret grew to a sickening bug eating at her stomach. She knew she hadn't done the wrong thing, but now she also knew that there was no going back. He was involved, and knowing him, he would make sure to remain involved.
She chewed on the tip of her quill and stared at the writing in the journal. The letters contorted, and looked like scribble, as she lost focus. She didn't want Harry to be obsessed over something as insignificant as this. He didn't need this in his life. She needed to make him forget she'd said anything. He had to forget.
Ginny snorted at the thought. Fat chance of that ever happening!
Her curtains fluttered in the early morning chilly breeze. She didn't realize that her bedroom door silently cracked open. Bright green eyes cautiously peered into the semi darkness.
~~~~
His wandering eyes landed on Ginny, and he smiled despite himself.
Her head was bent over a large leather bound book, her hair tumbling beautifully over the pages. Harry looked harder to see what book it was, but there was no writing on the cover.
He heard her sigh, watched as she bit the tip of her quill. He glanced over to Hermione's bed, and saw a sprout of bushy brown hair springing from beneath the covers. He chuckled silently; apparently the Sleekeasy's had worn off. Harry was somewhat surprised that Hermione slept through the light on Ginny's desk.
He bit his lip, and decided to take his chances.
"Ginny?" he asked quietly, hoping not to wake Hermione.
Ginny's head shot up, and she stared at him with wide eyes. Her auburn hair fell wildly over her shoulders in waves, giving the impression that she had been tossing and turning for the majority of the night. Harry looked closer, and could almost make out tear tracks on her porcelain face. He pushed the door open wider and stepped inside the small, purple room.
She looked at him, and clutched her hand to her chest. "Gosh, Harry!" She looked around the room for a minute before looking at him curiously. "Harry, what are you doing here?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Umm.er.."
He didn't want to tell her the truth; she'd said she didn't want people worrying about her. But how could he not, after what she told him? "Well, to tell you the truth, I wanted to see if you'd fallen asleep." He smiled at her.
She placed her quill in her journal and snapped it closed, tucking it back safely under her mattress.
"Yea, that'll happen soon," she said gloomily. She patted the covers next to her, and Harry crossed the room to sit down.
"Gin, I also wanted to ask you some things. For instance, how long has this been going on?"
"Harry, do we have to talk about this? I really don't want to," she sighed heavily, closing her eyes momentarily.
"I have to know," he persisted.
"So you can tell my brother? No, I should never have told you," she said, shaking her head. She pulled the covers up to her neck and lay down, cradled by the soft mattress.
Harry leaned over and pinned her shoulders to the bed. He stared down at her, his irritation growing stronger.
"Ginny! Do you understand how important this could be? At least tell Dumbledore! Please!" he pleaded quietly. His face was mere inches from hers.
He studied her pale face, looking for some kind of reaction, and found himself admiring her. There was a sprinkling of fading freckles surrounding her small nose, placed nicely in the center of her face. Her hair was fanned out around her shoulders, and standing out rather loudly from her white pillow. Her warm brown eyes were large in shock, and her full lips were quivering.
He continued to stare down at her, as she gazed steadily back. He momentarily forgot what he'd just said.
She's so beautiful. Why hadn't I noticed before? he thought to himself. He felt his cheeks begin to flush.
Hermione snuffled and flipped over, and Harry froze, jerked out of his thoughts. Standing up slowly, he glanced stiffly at Ginny.
The terror he felt, he saw mirrored in her eyes. He nervously looked to where Hermione was sleeping. He knew what was going through her head, because it was going through his too.
If Hermione or, god forbid, Ron, found him in Ginny's room at two in the morning, they would be in deep, deep trouble. And they would be subjected to Fred and George's teasing.
Harry backed away, and sighed with relief as Hermione settled back into the covers, oblivious of the fright she just caused in her two friends.
Harry reached down and flung the covers off of Ginny. "Up," he whispered. Ginny looked up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"What?"
"We can't talk here, we're going downstairs."
"Harry, can't this wait until tomorrow? I'm really tired." She yawned for effect.
"No, because you'll do everything in your power to make sure I don't find you alone. Let's go," he commanded.
Ginny glared at him, but swung her short legs over the side of the bed and stood up, making a show of stretching her muscles. She followed Harry out of her room, muttering curses at herself for getting him involved, that she didn't think Harry heard.
"I don't like this authoritative side of you, Harry," Ginny said, her voice laced with warning.
He shrugged, "I'm just trying to help."
When they entered the living room, the fire in the fireplace had gone out, and Harry, pointing his wand at the fireplace, whispered 'Incendio,' starting it up again. Ginny sat down on the far right of the fluffy couch, and rested her vibrant head on the armrest, her hair falling over the side. She waited while he tried to find his words.
He began to fidget and paced in front of her. What was he going to say? What was he in the position to say? He wanted to know about Ginny's dreams. He couldn't explain it, but he was beginning to feel violent protectiveness when it concerned the youngest Weasley.
"Harry.look, you caught me, I had the dream tonight, you came in right when I was recording it in my journal," she said weakly.
Harry stared at her now, open-mouthed.
"Tell me about it." He walked over and sat down on the couch facing her.
She shrugged, a tactic of hers, trying to get him to lose interest. "It was the same as usual, nothing to get all hot and bothered over."
Nothing doing. Harry rolled his eyes, "Tell me."
She sighed loudly. "Are you always going to be this persistent?"
"Yes, when it involves keeping my..friends..safe," he said.
~~~~
She glared a Harry a moment, irritated that he was pushing it, but the look in his eyes softened her slightly. She sighed heavily, and sat up straight, and pulled her legs to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees, and recalled the dream from memory.
She opened her mouth, but only an undistinguishable sound escaped her lips, and she hid her face in her knees, red-faced, before trying again.
"We were eating dinner.I tried to warn Ron, Hermione, and you, but you couldn't understand me," she stopped to take a deep breath, before looking up, and meeting his penetrating gaze. "You-Know-Who showed up like he always does, and.and.said Crucio, like always, and I wake up."
"Do you know whom he was cursing?" Harry asked placing his hand on her shoulder. She shook her head. "So, that's it?"
~~~~
"Yea, well the important stuff. Harry, I don't know what's wrong with me, but I want it to stop!" Harry watched helplessly as her warm brown eyes filled with tears.
Harry gently gave her shoulder a squeeze, before dropping his hand. He had the urge to just reach over and hug her, but he had to get his questions answered first. He sighed, and looked into her eyes.
"How long has this been going on?"
Ginny blushed.
"How long, Ginny?" he asked, eyeing the guilty expression that began to grow over her face.
"Well, off and on for two years. You know, since You-Know-Who's rebirth."
"Voldemort, call him by his name." He corrected her instinctively.
She gulped, "Voldemort. Anyway, random ones, involving the Chamber of Secrets, and the Triwizard Tournament. This one reoccurring dream started two or three weeks ago."
Harry looked at her, worry in every feature on his face. He had one more question that was bothering him. He was afraid to upset her, but he had to know. "Ginny, why did you run away?"
Ginny cried silently, but lifted her tear-stained face to meet Harry's eyes.
"No offense Harry, but I left because I didn't want you or Hermione to find out about my dreams. I didn't want to have to explain this, like I'm doing right now. I guess I was avoiding this," she smiled weakly at him.
Harry reached across the couch and pulled Ginny toward him. He gently rubbed her back. His fear for her ebbed slowly away as he held her close.
"There was no purpose to running away. Did you honestly think that running away would diminish your family's worry?"
"I know that now," she sniffed, and clung around Harry's waist.
He closed his eyes, just breathing in her intoxicating scent. He didn't know what any of this meant, he had no idea why he was feeling all these emotions for Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister, one of his best friends; all he knew was that it felt right, and it felt good to protect her. It had started sometime over the summer, when he found himself waiting for the letters from her, that he had never gotten. He'd never felt more disappointed.
He held her tighter savoring the feel of her wrapped snugly in his arms. He smiled, pulled away, and looked down into her face. He reached down, and tucked a strand of wayward red hair off her forehead and behind her ear. She looked up at him with wide questioning eyes, before a broad smile spread across her pink lips.
"You'll get through all this. You're strong, and remember, I'll be here the whole way through." And he truly meant what he'd said.
"Thank you, Harry, for everything," Ginny smiled at him, and he felt that pleasant tingling in his stomach.
"Oh Gin, how could I not care? You're one of my best friends." He reached over and ruffled her hair.
"Ok, well, I think I've heard enough, and I daresay you've had enough emotional trauma for one night. I wouldn't want Fred, George, or, god forbid, Ron to come down here and find me in this compromising position with their beloved sister." Harry grinned. Ginny chuckled, and playfully punched his arm.
They stood up and stretched. A thought must have struck Ginny then, because her eyes turned questioningly as she turned to a yawning Harry.
"Harry?"
Harry turned to regard her.
"Yea?"
"Did you sleep at all tonight?" she asked, tilting her head in a questioning manner.
"No," he grinned mischievously. "I was up getting my arse kicked in chess by Ron, for the bizillionth time." Ginny laughed quietly, and reached up and kissed Harry's cheek. She seemed to be as surprised as he was. Harry's stomach flopped pleasantly. He felt his cheeks flame up. Thank God the only light in the room was from the dim fire.
What he didn't see in the dark living room was Ginny Weasley's cheeks also turning a rosy pink.
There was a long silence, before Ginny broke it.
"Thanks Harry, for everything. It means a lot to me. Maybe I won't go mad now?" Ginny muttered, before turned toward the stairs.
Harry was glad that it was semi-dark in the living room to hide his now flaming face.
He just nodded silently. He stood in stunned silence and lifted a hand to his cheek. He couldn't help the grin that was forming in the corners of his mouth.
He glanced over at the Muggle clock above the fireplace, that Mr. Weasley had been so excited about mounting, and audibly gasped. It was already 2:45am. He turned on his heels, and ran up the rickety stairs toward Ron's lopsided room on the top floor. Please let Ron be asleep, please!
When he entered the room, he smiled broadly to himself. There was a soft snoring from Ron's bed. Harry silently thanked God for his good fortune that Ron had fallen asleep while waiting for him.
He crawled into his covers silently, and smiled happily to himself before falling into a dreamless sleep.
~~~~
Thanks so much to Trouble! My awesome beta!