Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

In response to the reviews:

Starsmiles: You think the plot in the first chapter was interesting? Just wait 'til you read this one and the next one. J

Kwndnl: I know they couldn't be, but it's fiction, so I can bend the rules a little.

Anonymus and missknowitallfan: Thanks.

"Speech"

Thoughts

Change of scene/time

Chapter Two: Nagging, Death Eaters, and Boyfriends

"No, Ron, you're doing it all wrong."

"Oh, nag, nag, nag. That's all you do."

Harry and Ginny watched bemusedly as Hermione tried unsuccessfully to teach Ron a curse they had perfected half an hour ago.

"It's Intruderia. Stress the 'e,'" Hermione said, once again showing Ron the proper wand movement once again.

Why does this remind me of our first year? Harry though, chuckling.

"I'm not gonna get it, 'Mione! You might as well stop trying," Ron reasoned.

"No! You may be a nearly hopeless cause, but you have to learn this!" Hermione said.

"Oh, thanks for that vote of confidence," Ron said dryly.

The next day, in Charms class

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in the back of the Professor Flitwick's classroom, talking as they practiced the Levitation Charm. With N.E.W.T.s coming up all too soon, the short teacher was having them start over from the beginning, making sure they knew the basics before moving onto the complicated things.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" they said simultaneously, each trying to float their feathers to the ceiling first.

"Yeah!" Ron said, pumping his fist into the air as he won.

"I still don't get why you can't learn the Intruderia Charm. It was because of me that you learned this successfully," Hermione pointed out, gesturing to the feathers as they fell back down.

"Figure out why he can't learn it, fast, because we're setting the defenses tonight," Harry said. Making sure to keep it out of sight, Harry pulled out his Marauder's Map and checked the school for names he didn't recognize as he did every half hour.

"Hey, you guys," Harry said. They didn't hear him over their arguing, though.

"Hey, guys!" he said loudly. Ron and Hermione both shut up, looking over at him.

"Do you guys recognize this guy's name?" Harry asked, keeping his voice low. The other two leaned over, looking at the map.

"Where?" Ron asked.

"The fourth floor! I think there's a Death Eater!"

They looked at a dot on the fourth floor. A small dot labeled Mulciber was moving slowly through the hall.

"Mulciber...I remember that name," Hermione said, in deep thought.

"Lucius Malfoy, when we were in the Department of Mysteries, he talked to someone named Mulciber," Ron said. Harry nodded in agreement.

"He's near a lot of people. What if Lupin or one of the others haven't noticed him?" Hermione asked.

"I'd better go tell someone, then," Harry said. He told Flitwick he had a headache and asked to go to the hospital wing. He walked down the hall toward Lupin's classroom.

He knocked on the door before sticking his head in. Lupin was teaching some first years about Doxies. He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Harry.

"Professor, can I talk to you for a second? I have a question about...er...Augrey cries," Harry lied.

"Of course, Harry," Lupin replied, knowing by Harry's tone that it was important.

"What is it, Harry?" Lupin asked once they were alone in the hallway.

Harry pointed out the Death Eater on the Map.

Lupin nodded and in a quiet voice said, "Go tell Professor McGonagall. She's free this period."

Great Hall, lunch

"So, what happened to the you-know-what?" Ron asked in a whisper as Harry sat down at the table.

"What 'you-know-what?' What happened?" Ginny asked, sitting down at the table as she arrived from Potions class.

Looking around to make sure no one was within hearing distance, Hermione explained, "There was a Death Eater in the school. Harry saw it on the Map during Charms, and left to tell Lupin."

"Oh. So, what happened, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"McGonagall and Dumbledore took care of it," Harry said simply.

"Oh," Ron said disappointedly. All of them had to admit that with all of the trouble they had gotten into over the years, they almost wanted Mulciber to cause more trouble, even Harry.

That night

"Intruderia!"

Harry, Ginny, Lupin, and Moody were casting the curse on the front entrance; they had already taken care of two hidden entrances. This was all they had to do before their group was done.

A thin, opaque sheet of white momentarily covered the entire door before disappearing.

"You two had better get back to bed. You're already out past your curfew," Lupin said.

"Okay, good night," Ginny said, heading down the hall. Harry said his good-byes and followed Ginny. By the time he caught up, they were halfway to their common room.

"Hey, Ginny, don't go ahead like that. You never know who could've snuck into the castle..." Harry trailed off as he noticed Ginny wasn't listening to him. She was staring at something a little ways away.

"Ginny what-?" he began. He followed her gaze and his jaw dropped open. Dean was standing, almost completely hidden, in a small alcove in the wall with a girl neither of them recognized, and they were kissing.

Harry's shock was replaced by anger as he made to march over to Dean and punch his lights out, but Ginny beat him to it.

"Dean, you bastard!" Ginny shouted as she went over to him. She ripped him away from the other girl, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. She pulled back a fist, but before she could hit Dean, Harry grabbed it.

"Ginny, no. He's not worth it," Harry said. Ginny let out a snarl before dropping her hand to her side. She started walking back toward the common room, grumbling under her breath.

"You're lucky I don't want another detention at the moment, or I'd be beating the shit out of you, you son of a bitch," Harry said menacingly before hurrying after Ginny.

"Ginny, wait up!" he said. She slowed down just enough so that Harry didn't have to run to catch up to her.

"Ginny, are you okay?" he asked, but Ginny just ignored her. When they got back to the common room, Ron and Hermione were already there. They saw the enraged look on the youngest Weasley's face as she stormed up to the girls' dormitories.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Dean is cheating on her," Harry said. Hermione gasped and Ron began insulting Dean with quite a few words he wouldn't want his mother to hear.

Later that night, Harry lay in his bed, wide awake. He couldn't be in the same room with the person that did that to his Ginny...

He left the room quietly, going down to the common room, surprised to find Ginny sitting on the floor in front of the dying fire. As he got closer, he realized that she was crying.

Without a word, he walked over to her, pulling her into his lap and hugging her close.

"Harry," she murmured, burying her face into his chest and letting out a sob.

"I'm here, Ginny. Just let it out. It's okay," he said quietly, rubbing her back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered why he knew what to do when Ginny cried, but not Cho.

Because we're comfortable together. We pretty much always have been, he thought.

"Harry...how could he do that to me? I though he loved me," Ginny said.

"He's just a git. He doesn't deserve you. You're better off without him, if you ask me," Harry said, being rewarded with the smallest of smiles from Ginny as she looked up at him.

"You really think so?" she asked quietly.

"I know so," Harry replied. Seeing her yawn, he said, "Hey, you should get to bed. It's late."

Shaking her head, she said, "I don't wanna. I want to stay with you." Realizing what she said, she blushed along with Harry.

"Er...okay..." Harry said nervously. He stood up, pulling Ginny up with him. He led her to a couch close to the fire. He went back to the fire, throwing on some extra wood.

"I'll be right back, alright?" he said, waiting for Ginny to nod before heading to his dormitory. Glaring at Dean's bed, he got his blanket off of his own bed and brought it back down to the common room.

"Here ya go," he said, draping his blanket over Ginny, who was stretched out across two of the three couch cushions.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. Harry flopped down onto the end of the couch.

"So...how are you feeling?" he asked tentatively.

"Better, actually. And mostly because of you," Ginny replied. Harry blushed again. Ginny sat up, scooting over next to Harry.

"Ginny...I don't know if this is the best time for you, but I can't keep it to myself anymore...now that you don't have a boyfriend, I have to tell you," Harry began. He took a deep breath, gathering courage, and went on. "Ginny...whenever I'm with you, I feel really...good; content. I'm sad when you're sad, and when you're happy, I'm happy...You being happy is what I want more than anything...Ginny, what I'm trying to say is that I really, really, like you, and I would be the happiest person in the world if you would be my girlfriend."

"Harry, I..." Ginny began, but faltered. Harry took her hesitance as a rejection, so he said, "I understand," and turned his gaze to the fire.

"No, Harry," Ginny said, clasping his hand tightly in hers, making him look at her. "I would love to be your girlfriend."

"Really?" Harry asked in amazement.

"Really. But you have to promise me something," Ginny said.

"Anything."

"You have to promise to be honest. Not about everything, but you have to be honest about your feelings for me. If you like another girl, you have to tell me. Or, if you're just plain tired of me, tell me," Ginny said.

"I promise," Harry said. Ginny smiled and kissed his cheek. Harry grinned at her.

"You want me to be honest, right?" Harry asked. Ginny nodded. "Then I have to be honest about this. I would really like to kiss you right now," he said.

"You know, Harry, I don't think I would mind that one bit," Ginny replied, mirroring his grin.

Harry leaned over, brushing his lips against Ginny's. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in Harry's thick hair. Harry placed his hands on Ginny's hips, holding her gently but firmly. They kissed each other deeply for a few moments, until air was desperately needed and they broke apart.

"Wow," Ginny said.

"My thoughts exactly," Harry said before kissing her again.

The next morning

"HEY! Harry, what do you think you're doing with my sister?" Ron shouted as he entered the common room the same time as Hermione had. They were the only ones there, aside from Harry and Ginny, asleep together on the couch.

Ginny was sitting next to Harry with her head resting on his shoulder. Harry had an arm wrapped around her, his own head resting on top of hers. They were both jolted awake with Ron's yell.

Upon seeing their 'audience,' Harry blushed and began stuttering while Ginny just glared at her brother for interrupting the best sleep she had ever had.

"Why the hell were you sleeping with Ginny?" Ron questioned, pulling Harry off the couch by the collar of his shirt.

"Ron!" "Stop it!" Hermione and Ginny exclaimed.

Ron let go of Harry reluctantly. "Why were you sleeping with my sister? Tell me before I curse you," Ron threatened, pulling his wand out of his pocket.

"I er...um...I don't know?" Harry said, scratching the top of his head.

Ginny gave him a look that said 'you're such a chicken' and said, "Harry and I were talking last night, and we fell asleep. That's all."

"And what were you talking about?" Ron asked accusingly.

"Harry...asked me to be his girlfriend," Ginny replied, somewhat reluctantly.

"And what did you answer?" Ron asked, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"I said yes..."

"You WHAT?!?"

"I said yes, okay? I'm 15 and I can make my own choices!"

"But...think about what Dean just did to you," Ron said quietly.

"Harry would never hurt me like that. Besides, I'm happy with him. How could you call yourself my caring big brother if you won't let me be happy?" Ginny questioned.

"I...um..." Ron managed. He recovered, though, and said, "I don't want you seeing him!"

"Ron, come here," Hermione said, dragging Ron a few feet away.

"What?" Ron said.

"You remember a couple of days ago when you said that you didn't think Ginny was as happy as she could be with Dean?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, you were right. She's happier with Harry. You can see it in her eyes. Look at them, Ron. Both of them are happy. And that's not an emotion you see on Harry's face very often, since Sirius..." Hermione trailed off. Ron turned to look at his sister and his best friend. While they looked slightly miffed that Ron wasn't accepting the fact that they were dating, they both looked cheerful just talking to each other.

"I guess you're right," Ron admitted. He walked back over to them. "Harry, I know you'll treat her well," he said. Ginny hugged Ron and then kissed Harry's cheek.

Saturday, in the Great Hall

Harry and Ron were playing chess while Ginny and Hermione were watching. Ron had just checkmated Harry when he heard something that made him want to die on the spot.

"Viktor, it's you! I've missed you."

End of Chapter Two.

Next time on NTYFW:

"Where's Hermione?"

"With her boyfriend."

"There haven't been any security spells cast on the grounds, just the castle."

His voice dropped to a mere whisper as he said, "I love you, Hermione. I love you."