Disclaimer: I own nothing. Can you guess the rest?

Author's note: thank you for all your reviews, I am really enjoying this fan fic, I think that I will probably go in hiding after this chapter many of you will probably want to kill me. This chapter is dedicated to my friend Mona, who I hope will enjoy this chapter just because she is purely a nice girl. Any way thanks a million to my sister for helping me proof read this…again, I probably wouldn't have done this fan fic were it not for her. Well enjoy…

Chapter 6

Harry was completely bombarded by homework for the past couple of months, life at Hogwarts was getting even more upside down than usual, the teachers didn't seem to care whether their students could manage all of the heavy work they had to do. Even Proffessor Bendlow, who half the school seemed to have a crush on gave them homework, however she seemed to bargain with them. Their Defense against the Dark Arts teacher listened to all of their complaining and understood that they needed to have a bit of a break, so she gave them less homework but she told them they would have to work harder in lessons.

Before Harry new it September had turned into a wilting October and not only was Halloween approaching but the Quidditch match was as well. Katie Bell had been made Quidditch captain and her attitude to winning the cup was more or less along the same lines as obsessive Oliver wood. She had the determination of Angelina Johnson and the power of Fred and George's bludgers, so being a little bit more lenient with Quidditch practices were out of the question for the team. 

Harry was putting on a dismally optimistic attitude on trying to finish his homework, the transfiguration essay which was due for the next day was lying half done on a shattered table, the Potions essay on ingredients for healing properties in a potion was lying on the table untouched, and Harry was trying to master a speeding spell for Charms and an itching spell for Defense Against the Dark Arts at the same time. 

'Hey' said a soft voice beside Harry which made him jump slightly, he turned to look at his right and found Ginny looking at him apprehensively.

'Hi, didn't see you there' said Harry awkwardly.

'How could you? I was having a huge fight with Katie Bell over tactics'. Ginny had joined the team as a chaser just as she had said she would last year.

'Well I am kinda busy, as you can see' Harry said depressingly, gesturing to the almost collapsing table.

'Well can I do anything to help?' asked Ginny, 'I've finished my homework, sort'a why I was fighting with Katie, however I find it against my will of kindness to leave you with all of this crap' she said the last bit aristocratically,

'You don't have to do anything' said Harry earnestly.

'Oh, come on, here, look, I'll just finish this Transfiguration for you'

'No, no… give that back!' said Harry half annoyed and half amused as she took his parchment.

'Fine' said Ginny matter of factly, instead of giving it back to him she stood up from the table curtly and went over to the cackling fire, 'if you won't let me do the essay you won't have an essay' she said firmly, the fire was blazing, her hair was blazing, oh no, Harry was falling into a stupor…again, the fire's light were reflecting off her hair, making the different shades of red vivid and clear, making Harry stare at her. Ginny had a fixed stare, her eyes were shining with the red fire's light making her look majestic, ethereal and mysterious which was Ginny, something fairy like, gentle and gracious but fiery and powerful. The corners of her mouth was itching to creep into a smile and Harry had to catch himself from his day dream which was something he was very used to doing for the past four months.

'Well? What's it gonna be?' said Ginny impatiently.

'Um…' said Harry, shaking his head slightly, forgetting the situation, 'alright, alright, you can do the bloody thing if you want to'

'Great!' and she sat down next to Harry for the next forty-five minutes doing his homework. Harry was finding it increasingly difficult to stay focused on his work, as he kept sneaking glances at Ginny. At the end he just wrote a few lines and that was an introduction copied out from a textbook for his potions essay.

'Oh dear,' said Ginny 'You haven't done much have you?'

'No' said Harry quietly, not wanting to escalate the subject lest it lead to questions he did not want to answer.

'Well let me do that, then you can practice those spells' she said firmly again. All the time Ginny was sitting down next to him and Harry was debating with himself whether he should tell her now. Half an hour passed by and Harry said nothing to her, his heart was beginning to race as he met a conclusion, adrenaline was pumping through his veins, his eyes looked up from the table and onto Ginny for the upteenth time, he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out and Ginny didn't notice that he had moved at all. Five minutes in this position Harry tried again with enormous effort to say something and instead a croaking, hoarse sound came out, this got Ginny's attention.

'Did you say something?' she asked nonchalantly.

'Um… no…no' said Harry, still in a croaky voice.

'I finished this so, you should be okay'

'Thanks' said Harry quietly not wanting to be heard with his hoarse voice. He was really touched by her act of kindness, she, who had better things to do than Harry's homework, waste her time helping him, she must have been made of something much more than just human flesh, he needed to tell her, this was the perfect moment, the common was nearly empty and no one could hear them, he needed to tell her…now. Harry opened his mouth again to say something.

'Well, it's really late, goodnight Harry' and she trumped up the girl's staircase to her dormitory. Harry shut his mouth, feeling utterly stupid and shameful for acting so cowardly.

There was only one week left until the first Quidditch match of the season and it was the traditional Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, Katie bell was making them work much harder which was saying something as they were having three practices a week, but Harry looked forward to those Quidditch matches as it was a time to see Ginny. She seemed to be disappearing around Hogwarts, Harry hadn't been around her much scince they left the Burrow, he was very busy with homework and that helped to keep his mind of things but he had this sort of feeling that he should be around her, as though a guardian for her, not that she didn't have enough of them (with six older brothers, including one who didn't care about her… Percy).

Subtle and normal things of daily routine at Hogwarts melted away into tension as the anticipated Quidditch match approached. Harry was pleased to notice that Malfoy was looking very apprehensive lately, as his "highly unlucky" duration was not yet over.

People that Harry new were changing drastically and he guessed that it had something to do with the Quidditch match, like when Ron was more jumpy and twitchy when ever he would pass a group or single Slytherin in the corridors, or when Colin Creevy was looking very somber and checking over his shoulder as if someone was about to attack him. Or when Harry spotted Aimi Spencer in one of the small corridors on the verge of tears. Harry obviously asked her why she looked so frightened and she stood quiet for a while but in the end she confessed to Harry through a shaking voice and trembling lips that some Slytherins didn't like her very much, being a Gryffindor, she had made immediate enemy's and they seemed to be taking their toll as the Quidditch game loomed by. Harry had a serious reaction to this, ever since he helped her in the Hogwarts express he always felt a sense of obligation towards her and felt that it was necessary that he would take care of her as though she was his little sister. Harry clearly stated that he would deal with those people harming Aimi, however she resolutely persisted that he must not do anything, even though it was against Harry's opinion and will, he had to agree to her wishes, but he did commit himself to her that day and he felt a lot more…whole, as though there were pieces in his life that needed to be fit in place and he had already possessed one.

All too soon, Harry's homework was piled to mountain height again, the Gryffindor points were decreasing drastically (thanks to the potions master who aided that very successfully) and the Quidditch match, after much waiting, arrived. That morning Harry forced himself to eat something and he didn't even know what he stuffed into his mouth, Ron was just staring unblinkingly at the table, Harry could guess what was running through his mind. He had a shrewd idea that Ron was very nervous about which turn his skills would take that day, he had been practicing hard but his confidence was still very shaky. Ginny too was not eating anything but she was trying to comfort Ron who was beyond the state of nerves and was in a plane which seemed to be much much worse than anxiety and to top it all off, Katie bell seemed more determined and tenacious than usual.

'You have to eat something Ron!' she practically screamed at him, he didn't say anything in return. 'Harry, you've eaten, haven't you?' she snapped. And Harry just had the chance to nod until she got up from the table and rushed to the end, where the new chaser Natalie McDonald (a third year) and the beaters were sitting, so she could press her irritation at.

'Well we better get to the changing rooms other wise we might never get there' said Ginny, 'Ron, Ron we need to get to the changing rooms' but Ron said nothing and continued to stare at the table his face screwed up in concentration as though trying to see through the solid wood. 'Uh… Harry can you help me, I think we'll need to hoist him up or something' said Ginny rather worriedly, and they both grabbed one arm of Ron and hoisted him up, he seemed to fall out of his stupor then.

'Good luck' called Hermione from the table.

'Thanks Hermione' said Harry. The three of them walked up to the door of the great hall and Harry notice that about three Slytherin's were hunched up together at the Slytherin table and Malfoy was one of them. Another Slytherin now joined the three and Harry had a large sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach, there was definitely something bad going to happen.

As Harry was throwing on his Quidditch robes he noticed that the misty stone that was the present that Lupin gave him was in his pocket, he searched his memory for when he put it there and couldn't remember anything, so he put it at the top of his locker behind his unfolded jumper at the top, to avoid it being broken.

In the changing rooms, Katie bell gave a short prep talk and she was rather poignantly profound, her words actually sunk into Harry's numb head and stirred a reaction within him.

Before Harry new it he mounted his broom with shaking hands and kicked hard off from the ground, almost immediately his nerves were left on the ground and what was only left was his love for flying, he zoomed around the pitch once and flew higher to have the sense of an ever watchful bird. Owen Cauldwell, a third year Hufflepuff, was the new commentator this year, and his loud and excited voice rang in Harry's ears.

'Here come the Gryffindor team, captain Bell, Weasley, Weasley, McDonald, Sloper, Kirke, and Potter!' there was a gale of cheers from the crowds and a gust of boos coming from the Slytherin goal posts. Harry saw Ron fly towards the goal posts with surprisingly slightly more confidence than he had shown in the great hall…at least he was blinking now. Harry took his place while the Slytherin team arrived; he caught sight of Ginny who was looking as if she was holding back a mountain of energy, which was about to burst in an explosion.

Malfoy on the other hand was looking as if he owned the pitch as usual however there was a glimmer of doubt in his cold gray eyes. They said nothing to each other just stared with maximum loathing.

'The quaffel is released and we're off!' There was a dangerous battle with the chasers once the whistle was blown and immediately Harry zoomed off around the pitch in search of the snitch, he couldn't get to see very well, even though it wasn't raining, the October clouds were thick, heavy and depressing, and without much clear light Harry couldn't distinguish gold from silver so there was a bit of confusion, Ron's anxiety seemed to get the better of him and there was a whiff of 'Weasley is our king' from the crowd, Ron had missed three goals but then he wore a very determined face and started to save, this brought his confidence back, the Gryffindor chasers were putting on a really good show, the three girls were using every tactic they knew and it got the team seventy points.

The score was 70:30 to Gryffindor and that was when Slytherin decided to turn nasty. One of the Beaters hit Katie accidentally on purpose with his bat and a Slytherin chaser nicked the Quaffel from her arms at the same time that she got hit by the bat. One of the Slytherin chasers noticed that Ginny was about to catch the Quaffel from Natalie McDonald so the chaser flew towards Ginny, grabbed her hair viciously and pulled her back, that earned Gryffindor a penalty and Ginny took it, she had obviously won it but still shook with anger, and so did Harry, he felt hot anger course through him, he was about to knock that chaser of their broom until they fall into an oblivion.

The discreet discussion that Harry saw in the great hall was revealed, twenty minutes into the game there were red beams shooting at the game from the Slytherin end of the pitch, Harry missed a few, Sloper got hit and a gash at his arm was the result, Natalie got hit at her face and blood splattered her scarlet robes, another one of the red beams jumped like lightning at Harry but he zoomed up into the air and the spell hit Malfoy instead who was tailing him closely, he looked livid.

There were so many risks, gambles and cheating that by half way through the match Katie Bell was in hysterics, screaming at anyone within a five-meter radius and nearly hurting Natalie when she missed a goal.

As the Slytherins carried on their tactics of cheating, Malfoy lived up to the name of being the unluckiest person ever to ride a broom. Twice the snitch was zooming towards him and twice Malfoy wasn't looking the right way and twice the snitch bounced off his head. As one of the Beaters were trying to cheat again as they swung their bat at Natalie, Harry was trying to warn her and she took the hint and ducked resulting in Malfoy being hit square in the eye with the bat. Madam Hooch seemed sick of the Slytherin's cheating so she thankfully acted as though she didn't notice and left Malfoy with a black eye.

After half an hour the two teams were becoming bloodthirsty and Harry was becoming increasingly tired of trying to catch the snitch, until he caught a flash of gold from his peripheral vision, he thought he was imagining it and then noticed something with wings fluttering gracefully at Ginny's left cheek, she was watching vigilantly at the goal posts as Ron nearly missed.

Harry hesitated, but then he found out that Malfoy had noticed the snitch as well, he was flying towards Ginny, Harry had no choice, he flew towards Ginny she turned her head still not noticing the snitch, she gasped and her eyes went round with shock Harry reluctantly extended his arm just as Malfoy was reaching towards his goal, Ginny was rooted to her spot and couldn't move. Malfoy was one foot away when Harry caught the snitch and realization dawned on Ginny's face, Malfoy couldn't stop himself and the speed of his broom couldn't stop and he ended up toppling over and falling onto the ground however Proffessor McGonagall had her wits about her as usual and conjured a floating stretcher just below Malfoy however magically Malfoy missed the stretcher and fell on his back on the ground right beside the stretcher.

Ginny gave a sigh of relief as Harry backed away from her.

'Potter's got the Snitch!' screamed the commentator and there was a huge force as sound hit Harry and nearly made him fall. The team touched down on the welcoming green grass Ron patted his back and the rest of the Gryffindor house came down onto the pitch from the stands and swamped the scarlet team with congratulations and cheers. S the team were back in the changing rooms, Harry noticed that his jumper was lying on the floor, but everything else was normal.

There was a party fit for a king that night in the common room. Colin Creevy and his brother Dennis had volunteered enthusiastically to go down to the kitchens and steal food. When they returned back to the common their heads could not be seen as they were carrying so much food they could barely walk, there were custard creams and pumpkin juice and even a whole roasted turkey. The entire Gryffindor house was happy, even Aimi Spencer who always looked nervous was laughing with her friends Parvati Patil was giggling with lavender brown like normal. Harry was taking a swig from his butterbeer and casting a glance at Ginny, when Hermione whispered to him.

'Harry what are you going to do about this?'

'About what?' asked Harry.

'About staring at Ginny all the time, you can just admit that you like her and move on with your life'

'I have'

'Have what?'

'Admitted it to myself'

'Really?' said Hermione astounded, she looked around.

'Ron's not anywhere near here… go… tell her' Harry's eyes widened like saucers

'What… no!'

'Come on, Harry, you'll have to tell her someday, this is a really good time and everyone's happy'

'No, no, no' said Harry shaking his head his eyes still wide.

'Look, Harry…did you ever consider that she might like you back?' this was news to Harry.

'She can't' said Harry shortly.

'Just go' and she pushed Harry forward, egging him on. He walked towards her, she was laughing and enjoying herself with her friends from her own year. Harry's mouth went dry…completely, his heart was racing and his feet seemed to be just carrying him to Ginny.

'Uh…' he said very shakily but thankfully his voice didn't crack.

'Yeah?' asked Ginny.

'Er… erm, c…c ' he couldn't take it any more and he just turned and walked away. He didn't think Ginny would've heard anything, as his voice was so low only a mouse wouldv'e known what he was stammering.

'What's gone into you?' snapped Hermione. 'Don't tell me it's that difficult to tell her one small thing'

'It might be easy for you Hermione but it's torture for me' said Harry rather annoyed.

'Just go and tell her now' she pushed him again, and again he dragged his feet to where Ginny was the road towards her seemed slightly eerie now, her friends were giggling and she was looking very annoyed. Harry's face was shiny with perspiration, he could feel heat radiating off of his face and he could feel a blush bursting from his face as well.

'Uh… erm…ahhh!' and yet again he turned from the girls and stormed back to Hermione she was now looking very irritated with him,

'Listen Harry this is for your own good, I am not going to rest until you tell Ginny!' For the third time that evening Hermione ushered him to Ginny and this time Harry was marinated in panic, he finally thought to himself that he would just get it over with so he would be finished with it, but his mind went completely blank as he reached Ginny, and this time she was looking very worried,

'Harry, are you alright?' Her friends rolled their eyes.

'Er…' what does he say? What does he say! 'Yeah' he said and most unfortunately his voice cracked.

'Sure' and Harry went out of the Portrait Hole and lead Ginny to and empty classroom, she seemed to take this as a normal thing, while Harry was racking his brain for how to put his words right. 

She sat on one of the tables and waited for him to say something. Harry was fixed there and he stood in silence for a few minutes until he had a grip on his senses.

'Well, erm… I wanted to tell you something' began Harry.

'I kinda got that already' said Ginny arching an eyebrow, this was not helping.

'Erm… scince the holiday, I've erm…'

'Yeah?' asked Ginny impatiently. Harry thought it best if he would just shut his eyes and spit it out.

'I like you… a lot' he said through a quavering voice, he spat it out but didn't shut his eyes and had to endure the discomfort of seeing her face turn into an extremely shocked expression. She seemed to have been stunned into silence, her mouth was hanging open and Harry had no idea how to act. He didn't know how long he stood there waiting for something he didn't know of to come. He just stood there, stood there like a statue. She did nothing, soon she closed her mouth and stared at the floor. She didn't seem to want to say anything, and it didn't look like she was going to say anything either.

Harry was, for some reason very, very frankly upset his face went pale and he suddenly felt very cold, this must have been the worst thing he had ever, ever done, he wished he had a time turner and could go back to an hour ago where he was happy that Gryffindor had won the game, that seemed like a decade ago, that seemed un important now, Harry was about to leave the empty, still classroom, when Ginny called out to him.

'Wait Harry,' her voice was hoarse from not saying anything for so long, Harry stopped, hope poured onto him, 'listen Harry, I have to be true to myself, so I am going to be doing something I didn't think that I ever would do, didn't think I ever needed to do… I used to like you, a lot, as well but I just… don't anymore… I am really, really sorry, Harry, I really am' said Ginny earnestly.

'It's okay' said Harry though he had to steady himself before his voice shook too vigorously.

'Your too good a friend to lose Harry, I hope we can still be…friends' she said slowly and saying the word 'friends' as though it were forbidden.

'Of course'

'Good' she said, but nothing was good, nothing at all, and Harry had the overwhelming need to just run out of the room and hide himself between the hangings of his four poster bed.

'Well bye, Harry' she said quietly, and she quiveringly walked to the door, opened it, cast Harry one last apologetic glance and left, leaving the door ajar. Harry thought that he ought to leave as well, but something was very inviting about the classroom, how it was dark, dusty, still and abandoned, it had been rejected and was never seen again. Harry just wanted to stay in this classroom; he had no idea how long he stayed there, by himself, thinking of nothing in particular. Just standing there.    

Author's Note: I want to kill myself now, but I have been really looking forward to this chapter (because of the Quidditch). Any way here are my notes:

Mira boo: thank god you liked the chapter, Ron was the one who said it was good to have new blood on the team which my sister wanted to tell you but was too lazy to, pg. 203 Chapter 12, Ootp.

Raiining: keep reading

Melvianna: very long review, hope you liked this chapter; I really didn't understand your last review at all, keep reading and enjoy.

HgandRhrforever: nice name, thanks for your review and thanks for reading.