AUTHOR'S NOTE

Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! They mean a great deal to me that you like the story well enough to keep reading and anticipate the next chapters! Well, here's the next bit. And I hope it solves the 'cliffy' that everyone said I left *winks*. Once again, Thank You.

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"Hi yah Ginny!"

Ginny looked towards the house and her mouth dropped when she saw Seamus Finnegan walking towards her with a big smile on his face. She then turned to look at Harry awkwardly and noticed a scowl on his face. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Seamus. They did not have the best of times last term and it was obvious that Harry still felt some resentment about that. Ron and Hermione threw worried glances at each other, and then back at Seamus, Ginny, and Harry.

"Uh, hi, Seamus," Ginny greeted perplexed. She wondered why he was there in the first place. She hardly ever talked to him, or any of the older students, so his presence there at that moment was a complete surprise.

Seamus, still smiling, gave her a hug that surprised everyone. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry and noticed that his face was set as if trying to control showing his anger rising.

Ginny hugged Seamus back awkwardly making her more confused about his behavior. What was he doing there in the first place?

"Fancy going for a walk with me, Ginny?" Seamus asked when he pulled away, smiling charmingly at him. Harry reached his boiling point.

"She can't be walking too much Finnegan," he answered for her scathingly. He had a look of fury in his eyes that stunned Seamus. "She got hurt and still not quite recuperated and she needs to rest."

Ginny was squealing internally when she heard Harry.

"He sounded jealous!" she thought hopefully to herself.

Seamus looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"I asked her, Potter," he said through gritted teeth. The two boys looked at each other hatefully as Ron, Hermione, and Ginny watched and listened to the confrontation.

"Right," Ron said nervously. "Uh, Seamus? What brings you here anyway?"

He was obviously trying to break the tension. Hermione caught onto to what Ron was doing and followed suit.

"But it's good to see you again, though," she said looking at Harry warily. She hoped that they wouldn't end up fighting again.

"Er…um, I am a bit tired Seamus," Ginny said finally. She threw Harry a quick glance. "Maybe some other time, okay?"

Seamus looked at her disappointed but nodded.

"Oh okay," he said sighing. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that you were hurt. Otherwise I would've come by sooner."

Harry tried his best to not lunge at Seamus, but was grateful that Ginny declined his invitation. He quickly turned his attention to Ginny and put a hand on her elbow.

"Ginny, you really need to get your rest," he said to her gently, looking at her concerned. "Let's go have supper and I'll help you up to your room."

Seamus threw another hateful glare at Harry. He finally realized that maybe he was jealous and made a mental note of it.

"Well, Potter. We'll see who gets the girl," he thought to himself smiling inwardly.

"Well, I guess I'll come back by another time then," he said turning back to Ginny. He gave her another hug before turning to leave. Harry was just livid but was glad that he left.

Ginny, on the other hand, was confused.

Dinner was very quiet that night. The call from Seamus to Ginny had most undoubtedly caused puzzlement and apprehension to everyone. No one dared to say anything about it for fear that Harry might blow up. Ron and Hermione, who both witnessed the exchange of pleasantries between Harry and Seamus, looked at Harry circumspectly. They knew that Harry did not welcome the unforeseen visit. Ginny, however, was both shocked and puzzled by it. She kept playing the scene in her head. She thought that Harry had sounded jealous but did not want to hold onto that thought, fearing that it was only her imagination playing cruel tricks on her.

Harry tried to look as if he wasn't bothered by what had happened, but everyone was watching how he kept looking at Ginny with question. Thoughts in his heads were driving him insane. He was concerned that Ginny might have thought that Seamus' visit, though unexpected, very flattering. He was playing with his food more than he was eating it. Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she saw her husband look at her and shook his head no. She sighed and went back to her dinner. Fred and George looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny and were thinking about when they were up in the air on Harry's Firebolt. They looked at each other and smiled wickedly. They had wanted to tell everyone what they saw but Seamus' arrival stalled that moment.

When Ginny had announced that she was ready to go to bed, Harry immediately got up and took her hand. He had been doing this since she got hurt, but everytime Mrs. Weasley wanted to cry from happiness. She had seen how gentle Harry had been with Ginny, and knew that Ginny was grateful. However, she also knew that it was tearing her daughter apart. Harry still had not said anything to Ginny about his feelings, and she, along with everyone else, were anxious for him to finally open up.

Everyone watched cautiously as Harry helped Ginny up the stairs. Hermione was smiling broadly. She had noticed how Harry had seemed to hold Ginny closer to him this time. She looked at Ron, who winked at her. Apparently, he had seen it too. When they had disappeared around the corner of the stairs, everyone looked at each other and let out sighs. Both of frustration and disappointment.

"I wished he'd stop being so darned obstinate and just tell Ginny!" Hermione blurted out, putting her fork down a bit aggressively than she had intended.

"I know, Hermione," Ron sighed. He reached for her hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "But he has to be the one to do it. We can't make him."

"Well, maybe he already has," Fred said thoughtfully. Everyone looked at him with open mouths.

"What do you mean, Fred?" Mrs. Weasley asked anxiously.

"Well Mum, when we went to get them earlier? Well, we noticed that they were very close to each other," he answered with a hint of mischievousness in his voice.

"Very close!" George interjected, raising his eyebrows up and down grinning.

Everyone smiled and tried not to let out their excitements as to not let Harry nor Ginny know that they were talking about them.

"But," Hermione said, her eyebrows furrowing. "How come he didn't just tell Seamus earlier that Ginny's his girlfriend?"

"Oy! I didn't think about that!" Fred exclaimed, slapping himself on the forehead.

"Well, maybe he was about to when we, er…interrupted them," George said dropping his head in his hands.

"Bugger!" Ron groaned slamming his fist on the table. "Curse that Finnegan for coming!"

"Ron, it's not his fault!" Hermione said raising an eyebrow.

"Nooo! But I just know that he's going to do something!" Ron said defensively. "Didn't you hear how he was talking to Harry?!"

"Well, maybe that's the boost that Harry needs to make his move!" Hermione blurted out elatedly. "I mean, if Seamus was here to call on Ginny, then Harry has ino/i choice but to make sure that Ginny finally knows his true feelings for her!"

Everyone nodded their heads in concurrence and hoped that that would be what would come about soon.

Harry had waited in Ginny's room while she changed into her pajamas in the bathroom. He took the time to look around while he did. She had many teddy bears in her room. In addition, she kept it clean, unlike Ron, who was a bit of a slob. He was looking at the bedside table and noticed that the drawer was ajar with something sticking slightly out of it. He was about to reach for it when he heard the knob on the door turn. He stopped himself and looked at the doorway as Ginny walked in. He smiled at her warmly.

Ginny walked over to her bed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Harry had been tucking her in to bed over the past week and she was getting a bit fond of it. But the kissed their shared earlier was still fresh on her mind. Moreover, she was still wondering about what Harry was about to tell her. She pulled the covers out on the bed and climbed in. Harry bent over and pulled them on her as she laid down and then sat on the bed next to her.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry was looking at her affectionately, trying to control himself from kissing her again.

"You were going to tell me something earlier," Ginny answered shifting her eyes a bit. "What was it?"

"Er…nothing. Just don't worry about it right now," he said blushing. Then he bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "Get some rest Ginny. I know that you've got to be tired."

Ginny just nodded her head and smiled. She was disappointed that Harry wouldn't tell her then, but she hoped that he would soon.

"Goodnight, Harry," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Ginny," Harry said getting up. But before he did, he gave her hand a squeeze. Then he smiled and walked out of the room. Ginny watched as once again, the boy she loved had kept his feelings bottled up, walked out of her room.

Harry closed the door to Ginny's room softly and put his forehead on it. He let out a frustrated as he again realized that he cowered from telling her his feelings. He knew that she had to tell her soon. Especially now that Seamus had come into the picture. The thought of Seamus had put a sour taste in his mouth.

"What if he likes her?" he asked himself. He turned around and leaned his back on the door. "What if he gets to Ginny before I do?"

He put his hands on his head and ran them through his forever-messy hair. He then pushed himself off the door and headed up to the third floor to Ron's room.

"I'll tell her tomorrow," he decided determinedly. "I hope that she'll accept me!"

Ginny laid in her bed staring at the door. She let out a sigh when it closed; leaving her to ponder what was going on in Harry's head. He seemed to be bothered by something, but he once again bottled it up inside, as he usually did. There was something he wanted to tell her, but he did not. She wished that she could break down the walls that Harry had built up around his heart.

That wall seemed to have gone higher ever since Sirius fell behind the Veil. She could understand that he Harry was grieving, but she wanted so much to help him. To let him know that he can use her shoulder to cry on. But she also knew that he was too thick headed for that. And proud.

Since Harry had arrived, Ginny felt her emotions grow stronger, more alive. And when he took care of her when she was incapacitated, it seemed to have not faltered one bit. And she hoped that he was feeling the same way. She thought he was when he kissed her. That kiss though short, was sweet and gentle. Passionate. Something that she wished would happen again.

"What can I do to make him see that I love him?!" she thought exasperatedly. "Why can't he see that!?"

She fell asleep thinking about the kiss that led to another dream.

Summer was different that year. For a girl that finally found the one true love of her life, had been swept off her feet. This boy had expressed his feelings for her, letting the whole world in on it. He apologized for not noticing her before and, had promised to make up for all those times. She was in the clouds and no one could bring her down.

They spent all their waking moments together and gave each other kisses and hugs before parting at night. Leaving her to sleep the most sound sleep every night.

She awoke the next morning to find herself not in her room anymore. She was somewhere else. Somewhere cold and damp. Somewhere where Harry was nowhere to be found.

"Where am I?" she had asked out loud, getting up and looking about to see if she recognized her new surroundings. "More importantly, how did I get here?!"

She walked over to a door and leaned her ear against it. She could her faint but audible voices on the other side. She gasped at what she heard.

"Potter will surely come for the girl," said a cold drawly voice. "And when he does, we'll be ready for him. The Dark Lord will have his victory!"

"It was stupid of him to fall for a girl," said another voice, gruff this time. "He should know by now that whoever he becomes close to will be the easiest bait to lure him in!"

The voices became icy laughter, which made the girl cringe. Then another voice made her jump.

"Where's the Weasley girl?!"

Ginny sat upright on her bed covered in sweat and shivering.

"Harry!"

She jumped out of bed that made her double over in pain momentarily but ignored it. She wanted to make sure that Harry was safe.

He was walking along an unfamiliar cold, musky, and dark corridor. He did not know how he got there but he was. He had a great sense of foreboding running through his veins that was telling him that his presence there was necessary. Although for what, he did not know. He pulled out his wand and put a hand on the wall, skimming it for any signs of a door or an outlet of some kind. Why was he here?

"Lumos!" he whispered holding his wand out. A small flame appeared on the tip of his wand, illuminating the dark hallway. Something inside him was telling him that he had been there before. At least, close to that area.

He reached the end of the hallway only to find a staircase in front of it leading down. He took a deep breath and descended the stairs as quietly as he could. He had a bad feeling about this but there was also something that was pushing him to go on.

When he reached the end of the stairway, he found himself facing a huge and heavy mahogany door, with a brass door handle. He reached out for it and turned it and pushed with all his might. It let out a small but echoing squeak that startled him. He walked into the room only to find another cold and damp hallway ahead of him. He let out a frustrated groan and was about to turn around when he heard a cold shrill voice call out a very familiar name.

"Where is the Weasley girl?!"

Harry stiffened. He shook his head hoping that he had heard wrong but when the voice spoke again, his suspicion was confirmed.

"The Master has plans for our little damsel!" said the voice cruelly that sent shivers down Harry's spine and made his neck hairs stand on end. "She had helped him before, but this time, she will not escape!"

Harry woke with a start panting heavily. He clutched his scar that was tingling faintly. Then he remembered his dream.

"Ginny!"

He jumped out of bed and ran out of Ron's bedroom heading to the second floor. He had to stop abruptly on the last step when someone collided with him from the corner, sending him to fall backwards.

"Ow!"

"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed when he recognized her voice. He scrambled to his feet to help her up. She had held on to the banister but was on the top stair, her face contorted in pain.

"Oh gosh! Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. But before Ginny could answer, he engulfed her in a gentle but tight hug, putting his face in her hair.

Ginny, although in a bit of pain, hugged him back and was in tears when she saw him.

"Oh Harry! I had the most horrible nightmare!" she cried in his shoulder. "I'm so glad that you're alright!"

"Shhh! Ginny, it's okay," he whispered in her ear, running one hand on her back. He was looking at the wall though and was pondering what she had just told him. But surely they could not have had the same dream.

"Let's go get a cup of tea," he said to her pulling away slightly, and forcing a smile on his face. Ginny sniffed and wiped her face before smiling back weakly and nodding her head.

Harry kept his arm around her shoulder as if protecting her. Ginny, happy that Harry was safe, put her head on his shoulder as they climbed down the stairs. Harry got her settled in a chair while he busied himself making a pot of tea.

Ginny was watching his every movement and smiled.

"Er…what where you doing up, Harry?" she asked finally when it dawned on her that he was there with her. Harry stiffened and looked at her. But he tried to hide his concern and worry by smiling sweetly at her. He walked over and sat down next to her giving her a kiss on the forehead. Ginny closed her eyes as his lips touched her skin.

"I couldn't sleep Ginny," he lied caressing her cheek and looking her in the eyes. "I had too many things running through my mind."

"Oh?" was all she could say. His touch made her heart beat so fast that she was certain that he could see it beating against her chest. "Er…like what?"

This time, Harry put his hand behind her head and pulled her face close to his, their lips brushing against each other.

"Like…you," he answered his voice barely above a whisper before kissing her gently. Ginny thought her heart was going to burst from happiness. She kissed him back and put her arms around his neck. When they pulled away, they sat there just looking at each other's eyes lovingly.

"Harry? Do you have any idea what you're doing to me right now?" Ginny asked, her voice breathless from the kiss. She was looking at him deep in his emerald green eyes, that were looking back at her with love. Love that she wished she could claim as hers.

"Ginny, I've got something to tell you," Harry said running his fingers through her hair. He was looking in her light brown eyes so deep that he could see his reflection on them. "I've wanted to tell you for so long but I didn't want to scare you away."

Ginny's heart was suddenly racing, her pulse beating so quickly that she was starting to feel lightheaded.

"W-what is it, Harry?"

"First, I want to apologize to you."

"Apologize?" she asked blinking her eyes. "Whatever for?"

She hoped that he was not going to say sorry for the kisses.

"For not seeing you before," was the reply that she heard. She was taken aback by this but was touched. She felt her eyes brimming with tears again.

"I've wasted too many years, Ginny," Harry continued wiping a stray tear that escaped with his thumb. "Years that I could've spent having you as my girl."

Ginny thought her heart was going to explode. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Harry Potter? Wants her as his girl?

"Harry, I-" but she was cut off when Harry put a finger on her lips.

"Shhh. Let me finish," he said smiling warmly at her and kissing the tip of her nose. "Ginny, I'll admit it. I only thought of you as a sister, nothing more. Last year, for some reason, my thoughts changed. And so did my emotions. When I found out that you were going out with Michael, I felt jealous. Angry even. However, I shrugged it off. I thought I was in love with Cho. But when I was with her, I never felt anything like what I feel with you now. And earlier when Finnegan came to call on you, I wanted to beat him to a pulp!"

Ginny let out a small chuckle, and Harry smiled. He loved it when she smiled, laughed, or giggled. It just made her seem more radiant, more beautiful.

"So what are you trying to tell me now, Potter?" she teased smiling coyly. "Are you saying that you fancy your best friend's little sister now?"

"No Ginny. I don't fancy my best friend's little sister at all," he said trying to keep a straight face. Ginny turned a deep shade of red when he said that. She turned away as so he would not see the hurt in her eyes.

But Harry did see. But that was the reaction he was hoping for.

"Ginny," he said softly turning her face towards him by her chin when she would not look at him. "I love you, Virginia Weasley."

Ginny's mouth dropped open and her eyes went as wide as they could go. Harry was trying hard not to laugh at her reaction to this.

"Y-y-ou d-d-do?" Ginny managed to say, tears now falling on her face freely. Harry leaned in again and kissed her on the lips his hands cupping her face. Ginny once again wrapped her arms around his neck with her hands running through his unruly jet-black hair.

When they pulled from the kiss, she hugged him tightly and cried.

"Oh Harry! I love you too!" she said in between sobs. Harry could not keep the tears from flowing at that moment even though he was smiling from ear to ear. He did it. He told the girl he really loved his true feelings for her and she accepted by declaring her love for him. Nothing can dampen the happiness that they were sharing right then.

"Well it's about time you two!"

Harry and Ginny pulled from the embrace and turned towards the stairway. It looked like the whole house was awake. They looked at each other and laughed for they both blushed. Ginny hid her face on his chest while he wrapped his arms around her burying his face in her hair.

"Well it took you long enough!" Mrs. Weasley said as she approached the new young couple, her hands on her hips. She had a big smile on her lips and her eyes were red, obviously from crying.

"Yeah! We thought we were going to have to go through some drastic measures to get you to say anything to her Harry!" Fred added, clapping Harry on the shoulder as he walked past him and sat on the chair next to him.

Ginny sat upright but stayed in Harry's arms. Now that she was in it, she didn't want to not have them around her again.

"And you lot were spying on us?" she asked irritably but with a smile on her face. A smile that she felt would never be taken off her face again.

"Well, I heard you get out of bed Ginny," Hermione confessed as she sat on the table across from her. I just thought that maybe you needed to use the loo so I didn't get up and fell back to bed."

"Yeah and I heard Harry get up too," Ron said stifling a yawn. "I heard some commotion right outside the bedroom door but when I finally got up, you two had gone down here. That's when I went and woke everyone up!"

"Oh and I suppose that you all found that entertaining now did you?" Harry said chuckling although he could feel the heat from his cheeks burning from embarrassment.

Everyone reassured the couple that they were happy for them, which made Harry and Ginny happier. Especially now that they won't have to hide their feelings for one another anymore. Nobody else went back to bed and so Mrs. Weasley had decided to make a special breakfast to celebrate Harry's and Ginny's new relationship.

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There you go. No cliffy this time. But you never know in the next ones *winks* Please review.