Chapter 2
Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Nothing out of the ordinary, she thought. Now, with a full stomach, she was sitting in front of the common room fire alone. She sighed contently, watching the flames dance inside the hearth. Her thoughts wavered to Harry. If only there was something she could do to help him feel better. He was very antisocial at dinner, keeping to himself, and not saying a word. She knew, along with Ron and Hermione that he still blamed himself for Sirius's death. No one could tell him otherwise; he wouldn't listen. There was little anyone could say. She knew, somewhere in her heart, that she was going to make a difference to him. She was going to set him straight, and get him out of the slump that he was in.
Rolling her eyes at herself, she sat up straighter on the couch and picked up her novel from the seat next to her. Reading was her get away. It would get her mind off things she didn't want to think about. And she could think of little else than Harry, and she knew it was dangerous, so she decided to distract herself.
She was contently reading by the fire, not knowing how much time had past, when she was thrown violently from the wonderful world the book had drawn her into.
"Why are you up so late?" A sleepy voice drawled from behind her. She had jumped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, It's quite alright." Since Ginny had been lying down while she was reading she sat up. Harry came around the couch and sat by her. "Why are *you* up so late?" It was a simple question, but something lingered in his green eyes.
"Thinking." He replied softly, staring into the dying flames of the fire.
"Oh? What about?" She knew exactly what about, but felt it rude to assume.
"Stuff."
"Oh come on Harry, you can tell me." She pried, scooting a little closer to him.
"Of coarse I can. Doesn't mean I want to." He didn't take his eyes from the flickering flames, but she didn't need to look him in the eye to see that he was in a mood, a bad one. She didn't say anything, only because she didn't know what to say. She was slightly hurt by the tone of his voice. Finally, she found her voice.
"Then why did you come down here?" It another simple question. No tone, no attitude, it was just a question.
"I don't know." He still held his tone. He was acting like a parent was disciplining him. How childish, she thought bitterly. Then she rose, hugging her book to her chest.
"I'm going to bed. If you ever want to talk, just let me know. Good Night." And she started for the girls' dormitory. She had no idea why she offered him that. It was spur of the moment, and it wasn't like she regretted offering him her friendship, it was something she'd wanted to do for a while.
She heard a faint, "Night." From behind her, then opened the girls' dorm door and headed up the stairs.
Harry sat alone for several minutes before he realized he made a mistake by letting her go to bed. He *did* want to talk to her, but he also didn't at the same time. He had no idea why he'd wandered down the dorm stairs; it was a mystery to him as well. Emotions ran amok in inside him, making him very confused. Putting his face his in hands he sighed. Why had he treated her so rudely? It wasn't her fault he was in a bad mood. She was only trying to help. Getting up slowly from the couch he decided he'd apologize tomorrow for his rudeness, but for now, all he wanted was sleep.
~*~
The next morning Ginny awoke early to a dazzling sunrise. She sat at the dorm window for a few minutes just to watch the golden sun rise above the mountains that surrounded the grounds. Pink and orange swirled with yellow; it made her smile to see such a beautiful sight. Smiling, she dressed quietly as not to disturb the late sleepers in her dorm. She had always been an early riser, and had always loved it. Watching a sunrise was just the way to start the day.
She entered the common room to find Harry exactly where she left him last night, but he was dressed.
"Why are you up so early?" She asked politely, walking over to him.
"Ginny." He stood, obviously startled. "Oh, um." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Listen, I wanted to apologize to you."
"Oh?" She stood right by the hearth, feeling the heat the fire gave.
"Yeah, about last night. I was a little sharp with you." He stood across from her now, looking at her.
"It's okay Harry, really. I understand what you're going through." She took a step forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Everything will be okay. Just cheer up would you?"
"It's not that easy." Their eyes locked and held. Grief was still in his eyes, and she had a feeling it would be there forever. Unsure of what to say, she just drew him into a hug, snaking her arms around his neck. He took a minute to respond, but wrapped his arms around her. He was instantly aware of how wonderful she smelled and felt against him. He squeezed her tight. When she drew back he was surprised to see her smiling. "I didn't know a hug could make me feel better." He smiled down at her.
She raised her brows at him, "You'd be surprised."
She continued to smile up at him, her arms draped over his shoulders. After a moment he bent and put his lips torturously close to her ear.
"Thank you Ginny." He whispered. His breath on her ear and cheek sent wild shivers down her spine. When he brushed his lips against her cheek, she actually felt her knees weaken. Before she knew it he'd moved away and out of the portrait hole, without looking back. She sank onto an armchair and lightly ran her fingertips along her cheek. She could still feel the warmth of his lips. She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow, willing the knots in her stomach to untie.
'I shouldn't be feeling this,' she thought madly. 'This can't be happening. Not now.'
"Ginny?" She heard Hermione's voice and her head snapped up.
"Morning Hermione." She stood. "I was just heading off to breakfast."
"Oh no you don't." Hermione had her hands on her hips, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm going to breakfast." She was half way to the hole, when Hermione called her back.
"Ginny Weasley! Get back here!" There was laughter in her voice.
"I'm starving can't I just go-"
"Uh, nope." Hermione shook her head. "Sit." Ginny again sank into an armchair. "What are you hiding?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ginny crossed her arms and tried her best to look innocent and not to smile up at her friend.
"Do I look stupid Ginny?"
"No, of course not."
"Then spill it!" Hermione threw herself onto a couch next to her. Ginny turned her head away from Hermione. She didn't want to tell her. Ginny wanted to keep it to herself, something she can only know. Well, she hand Harry. Though she couldn't see Harry bragging about a silly kiss on the cheek.
"I still have no idea what you're talking about."
"Ginny. . ." She could almost hear the glare Hermione was throwing at her. Ginny turned her head back to her bushy haired friend. Then Ginny was saved. Ron came down from the boys' dorms and Ginny sprang up from her seat and ran at her older brother. She threw her arms around his neck, knocking him backwards a few feet.
"Whoa Ginny! What's up?" Ron asked, concerned.
"Oh nothing, you just saved me that's all." Ginny said, smiling at her brother. She gave him one big sloppy kiss on the cheek and ran out of the portrait hole.
"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked.
Hermione just shrugged.
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Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Nothing out of the ordinary, she thought. Now, with a full stomach, she was sitting in front of the common room fire alone. She sighed contently, watching the flames dance inside the hearth. Her thoughts wavered to Harry. If only there was something she could do to help him feel better. He was very antisocial at dinner, keeping to himself, and not saying a word. She knew, along with Ron and Hermione that he still blamed himself for Sirius's death. No one could tell him otherwise; he wouldn't listen. There was little anyone could say. She knew, somewhere in her heart, that she was going to make a difference to him. She was going to set him straight, and get him out of the slump that he was in.
Rolling her eyes at herself, she sat up straighter on the couch and picked up her novel from the seat next to her. Reading was her get away. It would get her mind off things she didn't want to think about. And she could think of little else than Harry, and she knew it was dangerous, so she decided to distract herself.
She was contently reading by the fire, not knowing how much time had past, when she was thrown violently from the wonderful world the book had drawn her into.
"Why are you up so late?" A sleepy voice drawled from behind her. She had jumped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, It's quite alright." Since Ginny had been lying down while she was reading she sat up. Harry came around the couch and sat by her. "Why are *you* up so late?" It was a simple question, but something lingered in his green eyes.
"Thinking." He replied softly, staring into the dying flames of the fire.
"Oh? What about?" She knew exactly what about, but felt it rude to assume.
"Stuff."
"Oh come on Harry, you can tell me." She pried, scooting a little closer to him.
"Of coarse I can. Doesn't mean I want to." He didn't take his eyes from the flickering flames, but she didn't need to look him in the eye to see that he was in a mood, a bad one. She didn't say anything, only because she didn't know what to say. She was slightly hurt by the tone of his voice. Finally, she found her voice.
"Then why did you come down here?" It another simple question. No tone, no attitude, it was just a question.
"I don't know." He still held his tone. He was acting like a parent was disciplining him. How childish, she thought bitterly. Then she rose, hugging her book to her chest.
"I'm going to bed. If you ever want to talk, just let me know. Good Night." And she started for the girls' dormitory. She had no idea why she offered him that. It was spur of the moment, and it wasn't like she regretted offering him her friendship, it was something she'd wanted to do for a while.
She heard a faint, "Night." From behind her, then opened the girls' dorm door and headed up the stairs.
Harry sat alone for several minutes before he realized he made a mistake by letting her go to bed. He *did* want to talk to her, but he also didn't at the same time. He had no idea why he'd wandered down the dorm stairs; it was a mystery to him as well. Emotions ran amok in inside him, making him very confused. Putting his face his in hands he sighed. Why had he treated her so rudely? It wasn't her fault he was in a bad mood. She was only trying to help. Getting up slowly from the couch he decided he'd apologize tomorrow for his rudeness, but for now, all he wanted was sleep.
~*~
The next morning Ginny awoke early to a dazzling sunrise. She sat at the dorm window for a few minutes just to watch the golden sun rise above the mountains that surrounded the grounds. Pink and orange swirled with yellow; it made her smile to see such a beautiful sight. Smiling, she dressed quietly as not to disturb the late sleepers in her dorm. She had always been an early riser, and had always loved it. Watching a sunrise was just the way to start the day.
She entered the common room to find Harry exactly where she left him last night, but he was dressed.
"Why are you up so early?" She asked politely, walking over to him.
"Ginny." He stood, obviously startled. "Oh, um." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Listen, I wanted to apologize to you."
"Oh?" She stood right by the hearth, feeling the heat the fire gave.
"Yeah, about last night. I was a little sharp with you." He stood across from her now, looking at her.
"It's okay Harry, really. I understand what you're going through." She took a step forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Everything will be okay. Just cheer up would you?"
"It's not that easy." Their eyes locked and held. Grief was still in his eyes, and she had a feeling it would be there forever. Unsure of what to say, she just drew him into a hug, snaking her arms around his neck. He took a minute to respond, but wrapped his arms around her. He was instantly aware of how wonderful she smelled and felt against him. He squeezed her tight. When she drew back he was surprised to see her smiling. "I didn't know a hug could make me feel better." He smiled down at her.
She raised her brows at him, "You'd be surprised."
She continued to smile up at him, her arms draped over his shoulders. After a moment he bent and put his lips torturously close to her ear.
"Thank you Ginny." He whispered. His breath on her ear and cheek sent wild shivers down her spine. When he brushed his lips against her cheek, she actually felt her knees weaken. Before she knew it he'd moved away and out of the portrait hole, without looking back. She sank onto an armchair and lightly ran her fingertips along her cheek. She could still feel the warmth of his lips. She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow, willing the knots in her stomach to untie.
'I shouldn't be feeling this,' she thought madly. 'This can't be happening. Not now.'
"Ginny?" She heard Hermione's voice and her head snapped up.
"Morning Hermione." She stood. "I was just heading off to breakfast."
"Oh no you don't." Hermione had her hands on her hips, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm going to breakfast." She was half way to the hole, when Hermione called her back.
"Ginny Weasley! Get back here!" There was laughter in her voice.
"I'm starving can't I just go-"
"Uh, nope." Hermione shook her head. "Sit." Ginny again sank into an armchair. "What are you hiding?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ginny crossed her arms and tried her best to look innocent and not to smile up at her friend.
"Do I look stupid Ginny?"
"No, of course not."
"Then spill it!" Hermione threw herself onto a couch next to her. Ginny turned her head away from Hermione. She didn't want to tell her. Ginny wanted to keep it to herself, something she can only know. Well, she hand Harry. Though she couldn't see Harry bragging about a silly kiss on the cheek.
"I still have no idea what you're talking about."
"Ginny. . ." She could almost hear the glare Hermione was throwing at her. Ginny turned her head back to her bushy haired friend. Then Ginny was saved. Ron came down from the boys' dorms and Ginny sprang up from her seat and ran at her older brother. She threw her arms around his neck, knocking him backwards a few feet.
"Whoa Ginny! What's up?" Ron asked, concerned.
"Oh nothing, you just saved me that's all." Ginny said, smiling at her brother. She gave him one big sloppy kiss on the cheek and ran out of the portrait hole.
"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked.
Hermione just shrugged.
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