Chapter 2: The match begins

Harry woke up expecting to face lots of teasing from each and every Gryffindor, but he quickly found out that he was wrong. He wasn't required with explanations either, as once had happened to him thanks to Rita Seeker, when many people thought that Hermione, Viktor Krum and him had a love triangle. Ron was the only one who spoke of the "poem incident", just as an answer to Harry's questions about Hogsmeade.

At Thursday night Harry was seating in the Great Hall waiting for dinner, when Ginny sat by his side saying "Hi Harry!". She looked at the two empty spaces in front of Harry, and smiled playfully. Harry blinked twice : how did he not notice it? Hermione and Ron hadn't arrived yet, and dinner was about to be served. And it was not the first time in the week that they were late.

"So" began Harry, trying to sound natural, "do you reckon your plan has worked out successfully?".

Ginny's eyes shinned in a way that made him think of Fred and George.

"I must admit that it was partially successful", she answered.

"Partially?"

She looked at him thoughtfully.

"You know..."

Harry nodded automatically, just to realize that, in fact, he didn't know at all.

Ron and Hermione arrived a second before dinner was served, suspiciously silent.

After dessert, Ron faced Ginny.

"Do you know who sent you that poem thing?".

Judging by Ron's twitched mouth, Harry knew that the poet should remain anonymous for his own sake. Ginny's ears turned to the color of her hair when she answered: "Even if I knew it, I would never tell it to you".

Ron's face frowned.

"So, you don't know, do you?"

Ginny's cheeks were also turning red.

"No", she said defiantly.

"There's a way you can fin it out", said Hermione, who had been very quiet. Ron jumped in his place but said nothing. Ginny sighed and left to join her 5th year friends.

When Harry was leaving the Great Hall, he heard a girl saying to Ginny:

"Why would you want to find it out? He is a coward, for not speaking directly to you... and probably quite stupid if he thinks that Harry and you...". The girl saw Harry watching her, and hid her face behind her hair.

Harry walked to the Common Room feeling very troubled. Why did someone had to be stupid to believe that Ginny and him... whatever? Harry knew that he wasn't exactly a heart breaker, but now and then some girl turned red when he was looking at her. Besides, Ginny had spent her firsts years at Hogwarts being his first admirer. Even Cho Chang had asked him out...

He sat down in the couch next to the fire, thinking that it was not really his problem, he had much bigger things to worry about, like...His mind returned to Ginny, she looked so pretty while she was eating, the way she moved her mouth... Yes, very pretty, but that didn't mean anything else, Padma Parvatti was also very pretty, and he positively didn't... "But Padma´s eyes don't shine when she smiles", said a voice in his mind. "And so what", thought Harry, and the voice disappeared.

Ron and Hermione sat by his side arguing.

"You shouldn't give her those ideas" grunted Ron.

"You shouldn't be so jealous" Hermione replied.

"She is MY sister, and I don't want her going out with any guy".

"All boys are any guy to you".

"Not everyone", said Ron looking not very concealingly at Harry.

Harry chose to change the subject.

"Have you finished the essay for Potions?".

And the talk turned to criticizing Snape.

The next day, before lunch, a tall boy approached Harry outside the Great Hall.

"Harry, could I have a word with you?".

"See you later" said Hermione, and she and Ron left, after throwing him two inquisitive looks.

Harry recognized Ravenclaw´s Keeper, Calvin Caesar.

"What?" asked Harry, trying not to sound as surprised as he was.

He noticed that the boy was turning slightly red, and recalled him of someone, though he could not exactly tell.

"I... want to tell you that I respect you a lot... for everything... you know... and I'd like to know if... if it would be OK if I ask Ginny Weasley out".

Harry's eyes opened completely. Was Calvin asking for his permission to date Ginny? That was Ron's matter.

"I didn't mean to interfere... if there's something between you two." Calvin added.

And then Harry understood the deja vu he was feeling. Two years ago Viktor Krum had faced him, demanding to know what was happening between Harry and Hermione. That time he had felt amused and even flattered. Now it was different. Something deep inside him was strongly opposing to the idea of that handsome boy asking Ginny out. Harry felt that he was blushing too. "I don't know" Harry babbled.

Calvin tried to smile gently, and said "It's OK... I understand it", and left.

Harry stood still trying to process what had just happened. A boy had ask for his permission to date Ginny, and he said that he didn't know. "That's a NO" Harry told himself.

When Harry sat next to Hermione and Ron, he was still confused.

"What did he want?" asked Ron.

"Calvin?" said Harry trying to think quickly. "About the Quidditch Pitch reservations"

Later that day Harry began to feel guilty for the lye he told. Well, he couldn't tell the truth to Ron... because he would end hating poor Calvin Caesar... and because he would be admitting that he probably fancied his sister. So Harry decided to talk to Hermione, while Ron was having a shower.

"There's something I need to tell you, but first you must promise me that you will not tell it to Ron, or to Ginny, to NO ONE".

"You know you can trust me, Harry"

"It's about Calvin Caesar"

"What is it?"

"We didn't talk about Quidditch... we talked about Ginny. He asked me if ...I would mind if he asked Ginny out".

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Oh that Hogsmeade day!... I was suspecting of Calvin always appearing in Ginny's way... " she stopped when she saw Harry's guilty face.

"What did you said?".

Harry breathed deeply and very low said "That I don't know".

"Oh" exclaimed Hermione, as if she was needing more air. "Do you not know?".

Harry stood in silence, and realized that, in fact, he did know. Hermione looked at his eyes, and realized it too.

"What will you do, Harry?"

"Do you think that if ... if I talk to Ginny... she...?"

For a very short instant, Hermione smiled, but then her face turned very sad.

"I don't know...She hasn't talked about you ... that way... for a long time". It seemed that Hermione was making an effort to speak, like she was afraid of hurting him.

"There's something you are not telling me".

Hermione ´s face was a strange mix of pity and shame.

"I think that she might fancy Calvin", she said slowly, taking time to choose the words.

So fast. He realized that he fancied a girl, and hope vanished so fast.

"May be it's better this way... it's nice to be friends", Harry said, more to himself than to Hermione.

Harry sat in a couch, and the familiar voice in his head said: "So... you are just giving up? So fast? Are you planning to defeat Voldemort with this attitude?... The great Harry Potter... he faced the Dark Lord, but couldn't ask a girl out.

"If my father had given up on my mother when they were 15, I wouldn't be here" thought Harry.

"Do you see?" continued the voice." You have an advantage: Ginny doesn't hate you.".

"OK" Harry said to himself. "This will be quite a challenge".