Disclaimer: Same as before, still don't own anything…oh wait, I am the proud owner of a $25 parking ticket. If you want it you can gladly have that.
A/N: I know it's taking a while to get these chapters out, and I really do have the rest of the story in my head. It's just taking me an absurdly long time to type them out. I apologize and give you a slightly longer chapter this time…can you forgive me?
*My Happy Place*
Ginny walked up to her room to grab a coat before she had to go out back. Remembering that it had just snowed, she also kicked off her shoes in favor of a heavy pair of boots. She walked down the steps and walked through the living room to the front door, effectively avoiding the rest of her family; they were still talking in the kitchen. She grabbed her scarf and hat and walked out the door.
Going around the back of her house, she started out to the edge of the woods, periodically checking behind her to make sure no one had followed her out of the house. Once she had reached the trees she paused and pulled out her wand.
Okay, now what was that spell Hermonie taught me…setting a trail for others to follow? It was based on some muggle story, the one where the candy house and the little kids getting eaten? Ginny racked her brain trying to think of the right words.
"Oh that's right. Trailius Crumbulus." She said, pointing her wand at the ground. She took a few steps forward and looked back to make sure it had worked. Sure enough, a small trail of bread crumbs was beginning to form after her. Ginny continued walking along the path besides the trees until she reached her old tree house.
Her parents had been warning her about the state of the tree house for years. It had been built for Bill when he was young, and after going though six older brothers, the wear and tear made it a pretty sore sight. Regardless of the looming threat of possibly falling and being trapped by the collapsing structure, Ginny visited the tree house quite regularly. It was nice and quiet, away from all the commotion of the Burrow. Plus, no one ever thought to look for her out here, so she never had to worry about anyone startling her.
The small wooden platform-just a floor because there were no walls left-had seen many different moods from Ginny. She'd been there crying because she felt left out when her brothers would organize and game of Quiddich and not let her play. She had lain out in the sun, deliriously happy after the first time Harry had come to the Burrow. After her ordeal in her first year, she'd spent many hours out here wondering why she was so weak and why she had kept writing in that stupid journal. She'd considered bringing Harry out to her little hideaway when he came to visit the Burrow after the Triwizard Tournament, since she felt that he would probably appreciate a little peace and quiet, away from all the questions about Voldermort and Cedric.
I wonder why he was all weird at breakfast, all "let's talk 'somewhere private'". What does he have to tell me that is so secretive? Merlin…what if he wants to tell me he loves me!!! That would explain why he doesn't want my brothers around. No, no, no, it can't be that...well, he was acting pretty cozy with me last night. Oh gods, what am I going to do? I'll just explain to him…if that is what he's going to say. Ginny thought nervously.
Wait, I don't want to upset him though. I know he's probably feeling pretty down now.
This was Harry's first Christmas without Sirius, and Ginny knew that even though they had only spent one together before, it was still probably tearing him up inside.
I wish the stupid prat would just open up his eyes and realize that even though Sirius is gone he still has us. I know he tries to put on a 'happy face' for everyone, but sometimes I see him. The real him…he's got a smile on, but his eyes give him away. They look so sad and lonely. Hell, I should know, I've seen the look a hundred times; looking in the mirror.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand grab her ankle, causing her to jump and kick out with her foot.
"Bloody hell Gin, what a way to welcome someone. That's quite a kick you got there." Harry pulled himself up the rest of the ladder and sat down, rubbing the spot where Ginny's foot had connected with his shoulder.
"Oh god, Harry, I'm so sorry! I was kinda spacing out and then felt someone grab my foot…are you okay?" She leaned over him and began fussing over his injured arm.
"It's fine Ginny. I've suffered much worse than that on the Quiddich pitch, well, maybe not much worse." He said, laughing when he saw the look of embarrassment on Ginny's face. She punched him lightly on his other arm before turning back around with a huff, which only made Harry laugh more.
"You know, I think you've got some violence issues to work out. You seem to have a lot of pent up anger, we need to get you back on a broom for some Quiddich practice girl."
Ginny had to agree with him there and she began to laugh too. The Gryffindor team, on which Ginny become a Chaser in the beginning of her fifth year, hadn't had practice since the end of October.
"Sounds like a good idea. Maybe we can organize a game later, if it's not too cold." Harry nodded in agreement and pulled his legs up closer to his body. Unlike Ginny, he had forgotten to change into his boots and his shoes were now thoroughly soaked from walking through the snow. Ginny noticed this and pulled out her wand.
"Here, let me dry those off for you. It's my fault. How were you to know that I was going to drag you all the way out here." She aimed her wand at his feet and said the drying spell.
"Thanks Gin. It's my fault for forgetting my wand. I…uh…kinda knew you were gonna come out here." He said sheepishly, giving her a little grin.
"What do you mean? Nobody knows about this place. Or at least nobody remembers it. How do you know about it?"
"Oh, I…um…Hermonie and I were trying to teach Ron this muggle game called football this past summer. Evidently that leg you've got runs in the family, 'cause Ron kept kicking the ball back into the woods. Hermonie started shouting at Ron, saying he wasn't concentrating enough on direction or some asinine thing, you know how they are." Ginny smiled and nodded her head.
"Anyway, I went off to try and find the ball when I saw you walking back from this clearing. After you left I came over here…and I found the tree house. I figured that's where you always came when you disappeared from the Burrow. I never followed you though; I didn't want to disturb you. It's nice and quiet out here, seems like a good place to sit and just get away from it all." He ended quietly.
Ginny looked over at the handsome young man sitting beside her and felt the overwhelming need to comfort him. She reached out and placed her hand on top of his.
"You wouldn't have bothered me Harry. It would have been nice, you know, to be out here alone but not really alone? Does that make any sense?" She shook her head in her self-induced confusion.
The two sat in silence for a few moments before Ginny finally spoke again.
"So what are we doing out here anyway?" She asked him.
"Oh right. I wanted to talk to you about last night actually." Harry saw an odd combination of embarrassment, uncertainty…and…hope?
She is over me, isn't she? I mean…she couldn't still have feelings for me. Wasn't she seeing Seamus over the summer? No, no, we're just friends. What happened last night was just one friend comforting another…right?
Harry hesitated before speaking again. "Yeah, last night…I just wanted to make sure you know…"
"Does this have something to do with what Charlie said to you this morning?" Ginny cut him off. He could see the flame of anger that Ron always talked about start to boil behind her eyes.
"That stupid prat should stay the hell out of other people's business. What does he care if he found me in bed with some guy? I thought he knew me better than that. I'm not some whore who just goes falling into random guys' beds...." she made a move towards to the ladder, but Harry caught her arm before she could descend.
"Hey, calm down, Charlie's just looking out for you. He knows how you used to feel about me, and you've become such a beautiful girl…he just wants to make sure you don't get hurt. I told him that was a long time ago; that you're over me and that we're just friends now. He just wanted to make sure everything was okay between us."
A couple of deep breaths later Ginny's face returned to its normal color and she scooted back away from the edge.
"I know he's just playing the 'protective older brother' role, but it really pisses me off…the entire family knows we're just good friends. If anything they should be worrying about what'll happen between Hermonie and Ron when she gets here tomorrow. It's only a matter of time before we find those two snogging in a closet somewhere." Even with her heavy coat and scarf on, the winter air was beginning to work its way through the layers, making Ginny shiver.
"Well, if that's all you wanted, can we head in now? I'm starting to get cold." She said, moving to the ladder.
"Yea, it is pretty cold out here. Do you think it'll snow again?" He asked her as he climbed down the ladder.
"I hope so. I love snow; I'm such a little kid though. I still love to go out back, make snow angels, try to catch the flakes on my tongue, have a snowball fight with the twins." Ginny laughed as she jumped off the last rung and hit the ground. They worked their way through the trees and eventually the Burrow came into view.
"We should walk around to the front. Who knows what Charlie will think if he sees us walking out of the woods together. Probably that we were romping around out in the forest…" She said when they reached the edge of the yard.
Ginny started walking towards the house, but Harry stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"Who cares what Charlie thinks? Or any of your other brothers for that matter. We're friends; we should be able to spend time alone together without worrying what anyone is gonna say." With that, Harry reached out and took Ginny's small mittened hand in his large gloved one. They headed for the kitchen door with the heads up and eyes facing forward; neither could see the smile that had spread across the other ones face.