TWO

"HARRY"

Harry followed Ginny through the straight path along the train toward the front of the Hogwart's Express, his eyes on the shock of red hair that hung down her back. He felt bad, leaving Ron like that. He knew he was sore about Ginny having such a crush on him. It was annoying at first to him as well, he had never really thought about Ginny that seriously before. But now...there was something different about her. She had gotten older, that was sure. She was sixteen and had definitely gotten out of her awkward stage. Yet he cared too much for Ron to want to hurt his feelings by going out with Ginny. And there were other things to think about besides Ginny, that was for sure.

Ginny slid open a door and motioned for Harry to go inside. He entered before her, finding a seat beside a girl he recognized a little. There was another boy sitting across from her and Ginny sat next to the boy.

"Harry, this is Alyxandra Peterson, she's in Ravenclaw. And this is Charlie Johansson. He's in Ravenclaw, too," Ginny said, gesturing to her friends.

Alyxandra shook Harry's hand with a smile and then quickly tucked a brown braid behind her ear, watching him with earnest. Harry turned to shake Charlie's hand and he flashed a smile, though his eyes remained on Ginny the most. It was obvious he felt for her.

"You know Harry, of course," Ginny said with a laugh to her friends.

They smiled and Ginny gestured to Alyxandra and the girl began fishing through a deep pocket in her burgundy sweater which made Harry think of Mrs. Weasley's famous hand knitted sweaters.

"You're all in Ravenclaw, then?" Harry asked.

"Better than Slytherin!" Ginny chimed in.

Harry laughed for a beat, and then waited as silence filled in. Ginny fiddled with a silver ring on her finger.

"You went to America?" Harry asked Alyxandra.

She nodded, her braid swinging above her shoulder. "On holiday. It was quite an experience! I went to New York City and everything!" She finally produced a small figurine from her pocket, a miniature of the Statue of Liberty. She handed it to Harry with a grin. "Look! It lights up, no magic!" She flipped a switch on its back and the little torch glowed with the dim light of a weak battery.

Harry, growing up with muggles, recognized this and looked at her for a moment before he realized this was new to them. Faking interest, he made a face as he peered at the little doll. "Yeah, that's a battery. Muggles use it to light things."

"I heard that was electricity. I learned that in my muggles class," Charlie said.

"Well, yes, they use electricity too. But batteries are for smaller things, like this figurine here."

Alyxandra laughed a bubbly laugh. "They're mad!"

Ginny and Charlie laughed with her as Harry put in a chuckle or too to add to the noise. After Alyxandra had put it away, she rose with Charlie and they moved to the door. "Sorry, Ginny, we've got to go find our friends from Ravenclaw." She said.

Ginny smiled and waved. "Thanks, Alyx. I'll see you when classes start."

The duo left through the door and when the glass door shut behind them, Ginny looked out the window away from Harry.

"Well," she said.

"Yes, um," Harry shuffled his feet, starting to feel uncomfortable.

"You know, Harry. I've liked you an awful long time and I know I'm Ron's baby sister and everything, but you mean a lot to me. But so does he and I'm not sure what you know, but I really do care a lot for you and when you saved me, well I never really did forget about that, and-"

"Ginny."

She looked up, her wide eyes wet and her mouth chewing her bottom lip.

"Yes?"

"I know all that. And I'm really flattered that you feel that way. It's just that Ron would really flip if I were to be with you."

"Oh, Harry. I know that," she sighed, leaning her forehead against the window. "I just needed to tell you myself, that's all. I need this weight off my chest."

Harry swallowed hard, watching Ginny sitting there, the condensation on the window plastering a few red strands of hair across her forehead. She was lovely, really. It was drizzling outside now, as they neared Hogwarts, and the clouds hid the sun, though setting nonetheless. He moved to sit beside her, keeping a small distance between them.

"It's alright."

She turned to look at him, her hands clutching two handfuls of her skirt in her lap. She gave a little smile, not moving her eyes from his.

Harry bent forward to brush her hair from her face. She was so beautiful like this, but she was Ron's sister and he was having a hard time forgetting that. Though as she sat there in silence it began to weigh down on him like the weight of the world. He pictured Ron and what he would think of them like this. And he thought of Hermione, and Cho. But as he leaned forward to brush his lips against her cheek he mostly thought of Ginny.