A/N: Sorry it took me a few days to write this. I've been working on a plan
for the plot. I wanted to make sure this story was going somewhere. I've
got it all figured out now, so I'll be sure to write whenever I can.
Thanks again to my reviewers. Review again if you'd like. I know I'd like that!
.....................................
The next few weeks passed in a blur for Harry. He followed the same general routine of: eat, attend classes, do homework, eat, do homework and finally sleep. Some nights his schedule was interrupted by Quidditch practice. Normally this was a relief, but in his final year it was crucial that he didn't fall behind.
When he was present at practices, he was always thrilled to be there. The sensation of cool breezes blowing through his hair, and the freedom he felt as he flew around the pitch were enough to make his worries disappear. In those moments, he felt disengaged from the world, cut loose from priorities and problems.
At the beginning of the year, Harry had been offered the position of Quidditch captain, but he had turned it down immediately. The members of the team were his friends, and he could not imagine lecturing them. The position had then been given to Ron, who had improved impeccably since their fifth year. He was certainly the best Keeper in the school, and being captain seemed to motivate him immensely.
Besides Quidditch, Harry didn't see Ginny very much. He had decided that it was for the best to temporarily avoid contact with her. He hoped to wait only until his feelings had subsided. He knew that it was too much to risk to take action on foolish emotions, especially when they concerned his best friend's sister.
Some evenings he spoke to her casually at dinner, surrounded by friends. Here he could adore her without worrying that his feelings could be detected. Ginny was his friend, and nobody would find it suspicious that he was speaking to her. Besides, Ron wasn't very perceptive when it came to other people's emotions. He certainly didn't deal with Hermione very well!
One evening in early November, Harry's plan failed. He was feeling overrun and exhausted from his busy homework schedule and decided to go up to bed early. As he reached the portrait of the fat lady he head footsteps and panting coming from behind him. He turned to see the angelic face of Ginny, who had obviously run all the way from the Great hall.
"H.Ha.Harry" she said, catching her breath. "C.Could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, looking terribly hopeful.
"Of course Ginny!" he replied enthusiastically. Oh why was she so bewitching! For a moment he felt willing to do anything she asked, until he remembered his plan. He must not fall for Ginny. She was Ron's sister.
They entered the common room and headed to the seats by the fire. As soon as Ginny caught her breath she rushed into conversation. "Harry, you never talk to me anymore! What's going on? I feel like you've been avoiding me all month! I thought we were friends, but you always have some excuse and then you leave and." she paused for a breath. "And I miss you".
Harry was completely taken aback. Her adorable eyes stared at him, and he could see that she was being completely serious. "I.I haven't meant to avoid you Ginny" he said slowly.
"You have Harry! You must have" she said, on the verge of tears. "What did I do? Please just tell me what I did so that I can change it. I didn't mean to make you mad."
"Ginny! I'm not mad at you! I could never be mad at you!" he said honestly. "I've just been so busy with homework. I haven't had much time to chat. I'm sorry I made you upset"
She sat quietly for a minute, obviously contemplating what he had said. Eventually she looked back up at him, appearing content with his explanation. "You promise that was all?" she asked.
"I promise." he lied.
"Wow" she said, her ears turning bright red. "I must seem like a real crazy person right about now" she laughed. "Sorry I reacted so much. I just.thought I'd done something wrong."
"No problem Ginny. I've missed you too" he said.
They sat in silence. Ginny gazed into the fire, deep in thought. Her eyes twinkled exquisitely. Harry could be mistaken, but she still seemed to be upset. He hoped he hadn't been too harsh in avoiding her. He certainly did not want to loose Ginny as a friend. Of course, he had been avoiding her because he didn't want to lose Ron as a friend either.
"I better go to bed now" said Ginny, breaking the silence. "Good night Harry. See you at breakfast" she added, with a somewhat artificial smile.
"Good night Ginny. Sorry, again" he replied.
"Don't be sorry Harry. Just forget this conversation ever happened" she said, still with that false smile. "Goodnight" she said again, and headed up the stairs.
Harry sat alone for only a minute, until Hermione crawled cautiously through the portrait hole. She glanced around before walking over to Harry.
"Has Ginny already gone to bed?" she asked.
"Yes." He replied. "Why? Should she still be awake?" he asked suspiciously.
"Did she talk to you Harry? Did she ask you about what you've been doing?" she inquired.
"Hermione! What do you have to do with this?" he asked, angrily. If girls weren't too busy giggling, they were gossiping!
"Oh Harry! If you don't want my help I won't offer it. Ginny is a girl, and I also happen to be one. You obviously don't know what to do about her, and maybe I could give you some.suggestions?" she responded, just as sharply as he had asked.
"Well.umm." Harry stumbled. Hermione was a girl, and she probably knew what she was talking about. Maybe she could help him get over this? She couldn't tell Ron though. She just couldn't. "Alright Hermione, suggest away."
"Well I was thinking you had better take action. How will she ever know you care about her if you don't let her know? Ask her on the next Hogsmeade trip. Yes, that would be great." Hermione started, enjoying every word.
"Hold on a second!" Harry interrupted. "How do you know that I care about Ginny? I mean, what on earth gave you that idea? Where is this all coming from!?" he asked, startled and annoyed. How could Hermione know so much?
"Oh Harry! I'm far more perceptive than you realize. Your little 'avoiding her' thing was incredibly obvious. Besides that, I can see the look in your eyes when you talk to her. You never used to look at her like that." Hermone said. "I knew I could be wrong.but, well."
"You're Hermione?" he interrupted. "You're never wrong are you? Well maybe this will be a first because I don't like Ginny" he said pointedly.
"Alright" she said, smiling. "You just keep up what you've been doing then. You obviously don't care if you're upsetting her."
"I do care! I don't want to hurt her anymore, just tell me how to make her happy again!" he begged.
"If you want her to be happy, ask her to Hogsmeade this week. That's all I can think of. Of course, since you don't like her, you wouldn't want to do that. I guess you can't make her happy! Tough luck Harry! G'night." she said, and headed up the stairs to the girls dormitory, grinning.
"Hermione!" he called out. It was useless. He had never seen Hermione acting so girly and immature. He hated everything about her in that moment, but as he crawled into bed 10 minutes later he couldn't help but wonder if she was right. Should he ask Ginny to go to Hogsmeade with him?
"I'd sure like that" he mumbled to himself, drifting again into a dream- filled sleep.
Thanks again to my reviewers. Review again if you'd like. I know I'd like that!
.....................................
The next few weeks passed in a blur for Harry. He followed the same general routine of: eat, attend classes, do homework, eat, do homework and finally sleep. Some nights his schedule was interrupted by Quidditch practice. Normally this was a relief, but in his final year it was crucial that he didn't fall behind.
When he was present at practices, he was always thrilled to be there. The sensation of cool breezes blowing through his hair, and the freedom he felt as he flew around the pitch were enough to make his worries disappear. In those moments, he felt disengaged from the world, cut loose from priorities and problems.
At the beginning of the year, Harry had been offered the position of Quidditch captain, but he had turned it down immediately. The members of the team were his friends, and he could not imagine lecturing them. The position had then been given to Ron, who had improved impeccably since their fifth year. He was certainly the best Keeper in the school, and being captain seemed to motivate him immensely.
Besides Quidditch, Harry didn't see Ginny very much. He had decided that it was for the best to temporarily avoid contact with her. He hoped to wait only until his feelings had subsided. He knew that it was too much to risk to take action on foolish emotions, especially when they concerned his best friend's sister.
Some evenings he spoke to her casually at dinner, surrounded by friends. Here he could adore her without worrying that his feelings could be detected. Ginny was his friend, and nobody would find it suspicious that he was speaking to her. Besides, Ron wasn't very perceptive when it came to other people's emotions. He certainly didn't deal with Hermione very well!
One evening in early November, Harry's plan failed. He was feeling overrun and exhausted from his busy homework schedule and decided to go up to bed early. As he reached the portrait of the fat lady he head footsteps and panting coming from behind him. He turned to see the angelic face of Ginny, who had obviously run all the way from the Great hall.
"H.Ha.Harry" she said, catching her breath. "C.Could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, looking terribly hopeful.
"Of course Ginny!" he replied enthusiastically. Oh why was she so bewitching! For a moment he felt willing to do anything she asked, until he remembered his plan. He must not fall for Ginny. She was Ron's sister.
They entered the common room and headed to the seats by the fire. As soon as Ginny caught her breath she rushed into conversation. "Harry, you never talk to me anymore! What's going on? I feel like you've been avoiding me all month! I thought we were friends, but you always have some excuse and then you leave and." she paused for a breath. "And I miss you".
Harry was completely taken aback. Her adorable eyes stared at him, and he could see that she was being completely serious. "I.I haven't meant to avoid you Ginny" he said slowly.
"You have Harry! You must have" she said, on the verge of tears. "What did I do? Please just tell me what I did so that I can change it. I didn't mean to make you mad."
"Ginny! I'm not mad at you! I could never be mad at you!" he said honestly. "I've just been so busy with homework. I haven't had much time to chat. I'm sorry I made you upset"
She sat quietly for a minute, obviously contemplating what he had said. Eventually she looked back up at him, appearing content with his explanation. "You promise that was all?" she asked.
"I promise." he lied.
"Wow" she said, her ears turning bright red. "I must seem like a real crazy person right about now" she laughed. "Sorry I reacted so much. I just.thought I'd done something wrong."
"No problem Ginny. I've missed you too" he said.
They sat in silence. Ginny gazed into the fire, deep in thought. Her eyes twinkled exquisitely. Harry could be mistaken, but she still seemed to be upset. He hoped he hadn't been too harsh in avoiding her. He certainly did not want to loose Ginny as a friend. Of course, he had been avoiding her because he didn't want to lose Ron as a friend either.
"I better go to bed now" said Ginny, breaking the silence. "Good night Harry. See you at breakfast" she added, with a somewhat artificial smile.
"Good night Ginny. Sorry, again" he replied.
"Don't be sorry Harry. Just forget this conversation ever happened" she said, still with that false smile. "Goodnight" she said again, and headed up the stairs.
Harry sat alone for only a minute, until Hermione crawled cautiously through the portrait hole. She glanced around before walking over to Harry.
"Has Ginny already gone to bed?" she asked.
"Yes." He replied. "Why? Should she still be awake?" he asked suspiciously.
"Did she talk to you Harry? Did she ask you about what you've been doing?" she inquired.
"Hermione! What do you have to do with this?" he asked, angrily. If girls weren't too busy giggling, they were gossiping!
"Oh Harry! If you don't want my help I won't offer it. Ginny is a girl, and I also happen to be one. You obviously don't know what to do about her, and maybe I could give you some.suggestions?" she responded, just as sharply as he had asked.
"Well.umm." Harry stumbled. Hermione was a girl, and she probably knew what she was talking about. Maybe she could help him get over this? She couldn't tell Ron though. She just couldn't. "Alright Hermione, suggest away."
"Well I was thinking you had better take action. How will she ever know you care about her if you don't let her know? Ask her on the next Hogsmeade trip. Yes, that would be great." Hermione started, enjoying every word.
"Hold on a second!" Harry interrupted. "How do you know that I care about Ginny? I mean, what on earth gave you that idea? Where is this all coming from!?" he asked, startled and annoyed. How could Hermione know so much?
"Oh Harry! I'm far more perceptive than you realize. Your little 'avoiding her' thing was incredibly obvious. Besides that, I can see the look in your eyes when you talk to her. You never used to look at her like that." Hermone said. "I knew I could be wrong.but, well."
"You're Hermione?" he interrupted. "You're never wrong are you? Well maybe this will be a first because I don't like Ginny" he said pointedly.
"Alright" she said, smiling. "You just keep up what you've been doing then. You obviously don't care if you're upsetting her."
"I do care! I don't want to hurt her anymore, just tell me how to make her happy again!" he begged.
"If you want her to be happy, ask her to Hogsmeade this week. That's all I can think of. Of course, since you don't like her, you wouldn't want to do that. I guess you can't make her happy! Tough luck Harry! G'night." she said, and headed up the stairs to the girls dormitory, grinning.
"Hermione!" he called out. It was useless. He had never seen Hermione acting so girly and immature. He hated everything about her in that moment, but as he crawled into bed 10 minutes later he couldn't help but wonder if she was right. Should he ask Ginny to go to Hogsmeade with him?
"I'd sure like that" he mumbled to himself, drifting again into a dream- filled sleep.