Chapter 2
Harry, Hermione, and Ron all arrived back to the dormitory to find a party going on in the common room.
"Hey Potter, hey Weasley, hey Granger, how is my favorite group of three people in Hogwarts doing?" Seamus yelled to them from across the room. It looked like he had maybe had a beer or two. Maybe three.
"Hey Finnigan! We're great! Got any whiskey?" Ron yelled back.
Hermione elbowed Ron hard in the ribs. "RONALD! Don't be drinking WHISKEY! You know what that stuff does to you!"
Ron's ears turned a dark shade of pink.
"Yeah, you're right Hermione. Anything for you love." Hermione beamed at him.
"Nope Weasley, no whiskey. Just the butterbeer! Would you like a shot of it?"
"Sure would!"
Ron walked eagerly over to Seamus.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with him," Hermione said exasperatedly.
"You're doing just fine with him, Mione," Harry said to Hermione. Hermione looked at Harry and grinned.
"Thanks Harry. You're the greatest. Come here. Give me a hug," Hermione said, opening her arms to Harry.
Harry gladly put his arms around Hermione. They stood in their embrace, with everyone around them talking and dancing. This was their moment.
"It's not going to be the same without you, and Hogwarts. You know what I mean?" Hermione said to Harry.
"I know. I'm really going to miss you, Hermione. I'm moving to Ron's two weeks after term ends. You should come visit us," Harry said.
"Yeah, I will. That'll be fun."
"You're a great person too, Hermione. I'm really glad you said that in first year, about how to pronounce Wingardium Leviosa."
"What? Why?"
"Because if you hadn't, then Ron never would have made fun of you. Then you never would have gone and cried in the bathroom. Then Ron and I never would have tried to rescue you from that goblin. Then we never would have—"
"—Become friends," Hermione finished for Harry.
They pulled out of their embrace and looked at each other and laughed.
"Hermione! Over Here!" Called Parvati.
"I'll be right there Parvati, one minute," Hermione called.
Hermione looked up into Harry's eyes, and she noticed for the first time that his eyes had a certain spakle to them.
"Go on," Harry said jokingly, "Go with her."
"I love you Harry," Hermione said as she stood on her toes and kissed Harry on the cheek. "You know, like a brother," She smiled and winked.
"I love you too Hermione," Harry said as he bent down and kissed her on her forehead. "You know, like a sister." He winked at her. They both laughed. Hermione looked Harry in the eyes again and turned around to meet Parvati.
Harry got himself a can of butterbeer and sat down on the couch that was in front of the crackling fire.
Very shortly after he sat down, Ginny joined him on the couch.
"Hey Harry," She said. Harry couldn't help but notice how beautiful her face looked in the glowing light of the fire.
"Hey Ginny. How's it going?"
"Pretty good. How about you?"
"Its—er—all right."
"Why just all right?" Ginny said, looking concerned.
"Well, this is one of my last days at Hogwarts, and I'm really going to miss it." Harry said.
"Yeah? What are you going to miss?" Ginny asked, intrigued.
"A few of the teachers, the classes, the food, all the parties we have like this one, Seamus, Neville, and probably most of all—"Harry lost eye contact with Ginny "—You."
Ginny smiled at Harry, "I'm going to miss you too. A lot."
Harry noticed that Ginny was all the way on the other side of the couch. He patted the spot next to him, beckoning for Ginny to come closer.
Ginny happily scooted closer. She sat right next to him, close enough to "accidentally" touch legs with him.
Harry casually put his arm over Ginny's shoulders, and Ginny wrapped her arms around him.
"Harry, I don't think I've ever told you how funny I think you are," Ginny said, laughing.
"Oh really? What makes me so funny, Ginny?" Harry said laughing.
Right then Ron flopped down on the couch right next to Harry.
"Harry, I have to tell you: If you're going to be with my sister you're going to have to be nice to her. Be her friend like I'm your friend. I know you're a good bloke Harry, be a good bloke to her...And if you ever, you know, have a go with her, be gentle. I don't want you hurting her in any way. I know you'd never do that to anyone though. Just remember to be a good boy Harry, don't do anything bad," Ron said and looked Harry in the eyes. He was serious.
"Right. I'll do that, Ron. You know how much I love Ginny," Harry said to Ron.
"Great! I knew you'd understand," Ron said and patted Harry on the back.
"Hey, Ron boy! Come back to poker! We need you!" Seamus bellowed.
"Coming!" Ron said as he stood up. He looked at Harry and Ginny leaning against each other, "You two be good," Ron said and ruffled Ginny's hair, and he walked away humming the tune of that old Muggle tune by Tiffany, I Think We're Alone Now.
"Where were we?" Harry said to Ginny.
"Harry, you never told me you loved me," Ginny said, looking thrilled.
"I do. I love you, Ginny. Ever since two summers ago. Always have." Harry said as he stroked Ginny's hair.
"I love you too Harry. Ever since...you know...like forever."
Harry let out a loud laugh. "That's great Ginny. I knew you liked me once, but I didn't know it was for that long. That's hilarious."
Harry laughed some more and kissed Ginny on the top of her head.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron all arrived back to the dormitory to find a party going on in the common room.
"Hey Potter, hey Weasley, hey Granger, how is my favorite group of three people in Hogwarts doing?" Seamus yelled to them from across the room. It looked like he had maybe had a beer or two. Maybe three.
"Hey Finnigan! We're great! Got any whiskey?" Ron yelled back.
Hermione elbowed Ron hard in the ribs. "RONALD! Don't be drinking WHISKEY! You know what that stuff does to you!"
Ron's ears turned a dark shade of pink.
"Yeah, you're right Hermione. Anything for you love." Hermione beamed at him.
"Nope Weasley, no whiskey. Just the butterbeer! Would you like a shot of it?"
"Sure would!"
Ron walked eagerly over to Seamus.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with him," Hermione said exasperatedly.
"You're doing just fine with him, Mione," Harry said to Hermione. Hermione looked at Harry and grinned.
"Thanks Harry. You're the greatest. Come here. Give me a hug," Hermione said, opening her arms to Harry.
Harry gladly put his arms around Hermione. They stood in their embrace, with everyone around them talking and dancing. This was their moment.
"It's not going to be the same without you, and Hogwarts. You know what I mean?" Hermione said to Harry.
"I know. I'm really going to miss you, Hermione. I'm moving to Ron's two weeks after term ends. You should come visit us," Harry said.
"Yeah, I will. That'll be fun."
"You're a great person too, Hermione. I'm really glad you said that in first year, about how to pronounce Wingardium Leviosa."
"What? Why?"
"Because if you hadn't, then Ron never would have made fun of you. Then you never would have gone and cried in the bathroom. Then Ron and I never would have tried to rescue you from that goblin. Then we never would have—"
"—Become friends," Hermione finished for Harry.
They pulled out of their embrace and looked at each other and laughed.
"Hermione! Over Here!" Called Parvati.
"I'll be right there Parvati, one minute," Hermione called.
Hermione looked up into Harry's eyes, and she noticed for the first time that his eyes had a certain spakle to them.
"Go on," Harry said jokingly, "Go with her."
"I love you Harry," Hermione said as she stood on her toes and kissed Harry on the cheek. "You know, like a brother," She smiled and winked.
"I love you too Hermione," Harry said as he bent down and kissed her on her forehead. "You know, like a sister." He winked at her. They both laughed. Hermione looked Harry in the eyes again and turned around to meet Parvati.
Harry got himself a can of butterbeer and sat down on the couch that was in front of the crackling fire.
Very shortly after he sat down, Ginny joined him on the couch.
"Hey Harry," She said. Harry couldn't help but notice how beautiful her face looked in the glowing light of the fire.
"Hey Ginny. How's it going?"
"Pretty good. How about you?"
"Its—er—all right."
"Why just all right?" Ginny said, looking concerned.
"Well, this is one of my last days at Hogwarts, and I'm really going to miss it." Harry said.
"Yeah? What are you going to miss?" Ginny asked, intrigued.
"A few of the teachers, the classes, the food, all the parties we have like this one, Seamus, Neville, and probably most of all—"Harry lost eye contact with Ginny "—You."
Ginny smiled at Harry, "I'm going to miss you too. A lot."
Harry noticed that Ginny was all the way on the other side of the couch. He patted the spot next to him, beckoning for Ginny to come closer.
Ginny happily scooted closer. She sat right next to him, close enough to "accidentally" touch legs with him.
Harry casually put his arm over Ginny's shoulders, and Ginny wrapped her arms around him.
"Harry, I don't think I've ever told you how funny I think you are," Ginny said, laughing.
"Oh really? What makes me so funny, Ginny?" Harry said laughing.
Right then Ron flopped down on the couch right next to Harry.
"Harry, I have to tell you: If you're going to be with my sister you're going to have to be nice to her. Be her friend like I'm your friend. I know you're a good bloke Harry, be a good bloke to her...And if you ever, you know, have a go with her, be gentle. I don't want you hurting her in any way. I know you'd never do that to anyone though. Just remember to be a good boy Harry, don't do anything bad," Ron said and looked Harry in the eyes. He was serious.
"Right. I'll do that, Ron. You know how much I love Ginny," Harry said to Ron.
"Great! I knew you'd understand," Ron said and patted Harry on the back.
"Hey, Ron boy! Come back to poker! We need you!" Seamus bellowed.
"Coming!" Ron said as he stood up. He looked at Harry and Ginny leaning against each other, "You two be good," Ron said and ruffled Ginny's hair, and he walked away humming the tune of that old Muggle tune by Tiffany, I Think We're Alone Now.
"Where were we?" Harry said to Ginny.
"Harry, you never told me you loved me," Ginny said, looking thrilled.
"I do. I love you, Ginny. Ever since two summers ago. Always have." Harry said as he stroked Ginny's hair.
"I love you too Harry. Ever since...you know...like forever."
Harry let out a loud laugh. "That's great Ginny. I knew you liked me once, but I didn't know it was for that long. That's hilarious."
Harry laughed some more and kissed Ginny on the top of her head.