Chapter 2: Ginny

Author's Note: Well here it is, the second chapter of Soundly Asleep. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and gave me advice, as I had no clue what to do! I actually counted up the votes; there were several who wanted me to leave it as it was, as a one-shot. But most preferred another two chapters or so, so here it is! I hope it's good; I did refer back to my first chapter constantly to ensure I had everything right. This is Ginny's point-of-view now! I thought it might be rather amusing to see what she thinks of everything. The next chapter will be about what happens the next day. Teehee! :) Please review this chapter as well! Thanks!

Ginny Weasley couldn't sleep. The maroon sheets were much too heavy, she wasn't remotely tired (though it was about one thirty in the morning), and, to top it all, she was direly thirsty. Thinking of the Transfiguration test she had to be fresh for in the morning, she tossed and turned a few more times before finally giving up, thrusting aside the covers, and rising. The sixth year girls' dormitory was murky and silent, save for the light, uniform breathing of her classmates. Quietly she padded out, dreamily thinking how good hot chocolate sounded.

Trotting down the staircase into the common room, she half-expected Harry to be there, hunched in one of the armchairs and staring broodingly into the dying fire. Over the past year they had been meeting quite frequently in the common room, discussing this and that. Ginny cherished the meetings, although she wondered what Harry thought of them. He was probably annoyed that she kept him up so late into the night.

It wasn't Harry that was in the common room, she discovered a moment later, but Dobby the house-elf. In the midst of dusting off a table, he had found one of Hermione's knitted elf hats and was just putting it on with a grin of utmost glee. At the noise from the stairs he turned toward her; his smile grew when he spotted Ginny, his ears waggling happily and nearly overbalancing the stack of hats atop his head.

"Why it is Harry Potter's other Wheezy!" he cried squeakily, running over to greet her. "What is you doing up so late? How can Dobby accomodate you, miss?"

"Hi, Dobby, how are you?" she said, smiling. She liked Dobby; Harry had introduced them last year.

"Good, miss, very good! Dobby was just cleaning up the common room, and he hoped he would find one of Hermione Granger's hats, miss, and he did, he did!" He pointed excitedly at the cap on the very top of his collection, which was yellow with purple polka dots - Hermione had recently begun adding decoration to them.

"That's great, Dobby! Listen, d'you think you could get me some hot chocolate? I'm dying of thirst."

Dobby clapped his hands together as though he had just been given a wonderful treat. "Why, miss, Dobby would be honored! Would miss like some eclairs or muffins too? Or Dobby could make a whole roast chicken for miss, he wouldn't mind, he'd -"

"No, thanks, Dobby, I'm fine," said Ginny, laughing, and Dobby bowed carefully and zipped out. With a yawn Ginny sank onto the couch in front of the fireplace. Dobby was back in a minute, offering her a huge, steaming mug of hot chocolate deferentially.

"Thanks, Dobby! It's great," she praised, taking a sip of the delicious drink.

"Of course, miss! Dobby is always glad to serve, and especially Harry Potter's girl Wheezy! But now Dobby must go. Goodbye, miss!" With that he left the common room.

"Bye, Dobby!"

Ginny had only finished half her cocoa before exhaustion caught up with her. Yawning again, she set her mug down and lay down on the couch. She had just closed her eyes when loud footfalls sounded, coming from the staircase to the boys' dormitories. Cracking them open, she was just in time to see none other than Harry Potter himself stumble down, his hair sticking up in absurd directions, the sure signs of a sleepless night. For a second she was tempted to sit up and wave; but then the mischievous side - admittedly the side of her that spoke in Fred and George's voices - took over.

Suppressing a smile, she shut her eyes again quickly and feigned slumber. She would trick him into believing she was asleep, and the moment he got too close - she would jump up screaming. Ginny had to quash a giggle as she imagined the horrified look on Harry's face at this unexpected turn of events.

Thus she remained perfectly still as Harry approached, ensuring her breathing was even and full, as though she were soundly asleep.

To her surprise he knelt right in front of her, carefully at first, then a bit more casually, as though he figured it didn't matter if he was loud or not. He clearly knew that when Ginny Weasley was asleep, Ginny Weasley stayed asleep, no matter what disturbances rang out.

Too bad Ginny Weasley wasn't actually asleep.

"Ginny. Ginny. Ginny!" he said, half yelling on the last word.

She started slightly at the sudden call, but he didn't notice. Against the temptation to flutter open her eyes and look at him, she remained motionless. She wasn't about to jump out at him yet - he was expecting it.

But then Harry did something she didn't expect - he reached up and pushed aside two strands of red hair that had fallen over her face. A funny feeling of warmth flowed up through her; goose bumps rose on her arms. Briefly she considered giving up the charade and letting him know she was awake; but then he started talking, and she was entranced.

His voice was soft and hushed, and rather awkward at first; then it grew strength with every word. She couldn't believe he was talking to her - why in the world would someone yak away to a sleeping person? . . .

"Ginny, you and I have known each other for a long time. Your family has taken me in, given me a lot, done so much for me. And . . . Ginny, you have too. So much. More than you could ever know, probably. And I know I'm a prat for not having realized it before, but you've been here all the time, haven't you? You've been a constant in my life since day one, since that first time I saw you at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. You've always been there for me. In fifth year when I was being a certifiable git almost all the time . . . you were there to put me in my place. Not even Ron and Hermione dared to do that. You comforted me when no one else could, and you helped me without question, always. . . ."

Ginny had to stop her brow from crinkling. Her resolve not to let him know she was conscious was rapidly withering. In fact, she realized, the only reason he was talking like this was because she was asleep - or appeared to be, rather. He can't tell me this during the day, she thought, amazed. He's too embarrassed.

Harry continued, talking on and on - about Sirius, about sixth year, about Quidditch, about their late-night encounters, about everything. She listened intently, battling the impulse to open her eyes, to sweep him up in a hug, and exclaim, "You git, you can tell me this when I'm awake, you know!" But something held her back - perhaps it was the knowledge that if she did the latter, Harry would be embarrassed beyond all belief; or the fact that she was desperate to hear what he had to say, and he plainly wasn't keen on conversing to an awake Ginny. So she stayed as she was, curled up, exhaling and inhaling rhythmically, seemingly comatose. . . .

The most rigorous test of her resolve came several minutes later, when Harry said, in a somewhat strangled voice, "Ginny, I don't know if you like me anymore like that . . . I know you once did . . ."

Ginny's body tensed up completely, but Harry's eyes were averted to his lap, and he didn't see. Her jaw clenched. Are you kidding me? How can you doubt it?! I am entirely in love you, you blind prat . . . arrrrgh! The urge to reveal her wakefulness was now almost too powerful to fight; but, after gritting her teeth until her gums ached, the desire abated a bit. Enough to hear his next words, at any rate.

" . . . But then in fifth year you - what did Hermione say? - gave up on me? And you started going with 'that Corner git,' as Ron would call him. Then in sixth year it was Dean for a few months . . . but you haven't dated anybody in a while now. . . ."

Oh good, you've bloody realized it, Ginny thought irritably. And I wonder why that is, that I've turned down every dating offer I get? I don't know . . . starts with an H, see if you can't guess it . . .

Harry's voice continued haltingly. "And you and I have been doing quite a bit together for some time . . . we even went to Hogsmeade together a few weeks ago, when Hermione and Ron wanted to spend the day alone with each other -"

To snog, Ginny added mentally.

"- That was one of the best Hogsmeade visits I've ever been on. Much better than with Cho Chang, or, as I now like to think of her, the Human Hosepipe. What was the name you came up with for her again?"

Waterworks Woman, thought Ginny, inwardly snickering.

" . . . Oh yeah, Waterworks Woman. I like that. It certainly fits."

You said it. Dumbledore could employ her to create a second lake for Hogwarts . . .

"Ha, that reminds me of that time Ron told me I needed someone 'a bit more cheerful.' Which leads me to the point of this useless rambling. Because you are a bit more cheerful - I mean a lot more cheerful - I mean . . . well, you're the person that I need. I, er . . . I'd meant to word it more eloquently, but I guess that doesn't matter, as you're dead asleep and I'm basically talking to myself."

That's what you think, Ginny chuckled to herself. But his next words stopped her dead.

"But I love you, Ginny Weasley. I really, really do. I have for a long time now. And that . . . well, that's . . . that's just what I wanted to say."

Ginny's heart stopped mid-beat. Had she misheard? No, she couldn't have heard correctly . . . that was a mistake . . . it . . .

But then Harry leaned forward and whispered tenderly, "Goodnight, Gin," and he kissed her on the nose. And that, in Ginny's mind, settled the matter.

Employing all the self-control she possessed, she waited until Harry had trudged across the common room and up the stairs - before thrusting her face into the couch cushion and grinning with every morsel of delight within her. She doubted she would ever stop grinning, to tell the truth.

She couldn't believe it - Harry loved her, he loved her. She grabbed the cushion and squeezed it to her, grinning and grinning.

But then she realized it . . . she wasn't technically supposed to know. Harry certainly thought she had no idea. The poor boy believed he had been jabbering on to an unconscious person.

Then her face split into a new grin, an evil grin, a Fred and George-like grin. She was going to have a lot of fun with Harry tomorrow. . . .

Author's Note: Don't worry, Chapter 3 won't be long in coming! :)