A/N: I saw the most amazing picture of Bill at the Quill, and I wanted to write something to it. This is what came out of it. To look at the picture go to and the artist is Kate, I know you will like it! Otherwise, enjoy this chapter, and do comment! And by the way, you might recognise the "knight in shining armour" thing from both the Journal and Dear Harry. I just thought it was fun to put it in there. And I guess this should have been more angsty, but I wasn't in the mood for angst. Sorry.
---
"Oh my God, Ginny, your brother is hot!" Brianna was looking at the pictures of the Weasley family over Ginny's bed and had stopped at one of Bill. "I mean, wow! Those eyes. And that hair. And is that an ear ring?"
Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. Ever since she had received those dreaded pictures almost all the girls in her dormitory had been swooning over her brothers. It seemed to be Bill that was their favourite, though. Bill with his rugged sexiness and crooked smile. And of course the ear ring. The cursed ear ring that seemed to make every girl's knees go weak just at the sight.
"How old is he?" Brianna asked dreamily, and it was all Ginny could do not to snap a "too old for you!" at her. Instead she put on a fake smile and said "twenty-five".
"Well that's only ten years. Not too much, is it?"
She wanted to say "not if you want him to get arrested for being with a minor", but instead she said "I've heard of worse".
"Do you think I can meet him?" Brianna asked then, still not taking her eyes off the picture. He was waving at them now.
"I don't think so," Ginny said with gritted teeth, "he's in Egypt." Well sort of in Egypt anyway.
"Egypt?"
"Yes, Egypt. I'm sorry." But not really.
Brianna looked at the picture one last time and then sighed. "Well he must come home for Christmas at least?"
Ginny shrugged and put down her book. It was impossible to concentrate with all this sound. "I guess he'll be home. But you know, he does have a girlfriend. Her name is Fleur. Maybe you remember her?" She smiled innocently before directing the punch line. "She was the Beauxbatons champion at the TriWizard tournament. You know, the half Veela?"
Brianna's smile disappeared. "Fleur? He is dating Fleur?"
"Yup. Sorry 'bout that." Ginny got off the bed and was on her way out of the door when Brianna said "but I can still look right?"
"Right. I'm going downstairs. Enjoy." She left the dormitory as Brianna turned back to the picture. "God, what is it with girls?" Ginny muttered to herself as she walked down the stairs.
"Are there any problems?" Hermione was coming out of her room and looked at Ginny in concern.
"Not a problem, really, more an annoyance. Ever since those family pictures came yesterday just about every girl in my dormitory has been swooning over Bill."
Hermione laughed and Ginny glared at her. "I'm sorry," Hermione said with a badly hidden chuckle. "I really am. I just thought it was something bad. Besides, Bill is handsome, even I'll admit as much."
Ginny smirked. "Really? I thought you preferred the younger version."
Hermione blushed, and this time it was Ginny who laughed. But Hermione recovered quickly. "I guess you're more partial to the dark, green eyed type yourself, huh?"
Ginny couldn't help but blush, but looked at Hermione sternly. "I'm over him, remember? I have moved on, and I am not thinking about him anymore."
They entered the common room and stopped at the end of the stairs. At the other side of the room Ron was sitting all by himself immersed in a book.
Hermione smiled. "I'm going to go over there and see if he is really studying or if it is 'Quidditch Through the Ages' again. I swear he has read that book ten times, and that is in the last year alone! You coming?"
Ginny looked at Hermione and shook her head. "No, I'm going to the library. I have an essay due tomorrow and I really need to concentrate."
"Right," Hermione said with a sigh. "He does kind of ruin people's concentration."
Ginny looked at her with a half smile. "He'll come around," she said comfortingly. "I know he will."
"Right," Hermione replied, but she didn't sound too convinced. "I'll see you later then?"
"Later."
Hermione walked over to Ron and Ginny watched them as he looked up from his book with a huge grin. She sat down next to him and they started to talk about whatever it was Ron had been reading. Hermione looked pleased so chances were it was school related. Ginny smiled absently and walked away. It wasn't in her right to watch them, it just made her happy to know that at least one of her friends had found someone to be with, despite the fact that not all parties were really up to date on what was happening.
Ginny walked towards the library thinking about Bill's photograph. She wondered what it had been like when he was in school. If every girl he met swooned over him back then, as well. It wasn't that she minded the attention he got, it was more that every girl in her year seemed to be so childish about their crushes. They squealed and giggled and focused on how dreamy someone was, and they were more busy with someone's shoulders and eyes instead of their personalities. Of course, she admitted to herself, she was a little weak for nice eyes, herself.
"No Gin," she berated, "you're not going down that path again. You're over him!"
"Talking to yourself, dear?" one of the portraits outside the library asked, but Ginny ignored it. She just wished her feelings would cooperate with her mind sometimes. And she wished she could yell at Brianna and the others for being so stupid about everything. Being in love wasn't all about looks. Being in love was about knowing someone and loving them for the way they took care of their friends, for how they looked when they thought no one was watching, to love someone even though they were too thick headed to notice you even existed. And then looks would come as a second. All right, so maybe green eyes was a plus, not to mention the fact that years of flying finally was paying off, but that wasn't all. Being in love with someone meant you would love them even though they were gangly and short, and none of that mattered.
"Give over, Gin," she growled as she sat down at the table. "You can't think like this."
"Like how?" Suddenly she was not alone at her table and when she looked up she wondered she had all of a sudden gotten amazing materialising skills, because in front of her sat none other than the very person she had been thinking about.
"Hi Harry, and would you be offended if I told you that it was none of your business?"
Harry shrugged. "Not really offended, but I might not talk to you in a while." He smiled, and Ginny couldn't help but laugh. At the other side of the room Madam Pince were giving them an evil glare.
"Well, I guess I have to live with that," Ginny whispered, "because I won't tell you. And you better shut up. Madam Pince is glaring daggers at us."
Harry looked across his shoulder and then clamped his mouth shut. Instead he tore off a piece of parchment from his bag and wrote "She looks scary. I'm off anyway. Have to go see Ron."
Ginny read the note then shook her head violantly, causing Harry to arch an eyebrow at her. She turned the note around and wrote "Don't! He and Hermione are getting cozy in the common room and you shouldn't disturb them. Stick around, help me with my transfiguration essay instead."
Harry read the note and then snorted. "Ok, I'll help, but only if you promise not to talk about my friends 'getting cozy'. It's a mental image I can live without."
"That's a deal. (Don't think you'll be able to escape it for long, though. It's bound to happen and I'm just trying to prepare you.) Now help me?"
Harry underlined his previous note again and arched his eyebrows at her. Ginny rolled her eyes and mouthed "whatever".
"Good," Harry whispered. "Now then, what's the problem?"
---
They worked together on the essay for a couple of hours, and when they were done they were both all but asleep.
"I think we're the only ones left," Ginny said and looked around.
Harry yawned. "Oh this isn't too bad," he said and looked at his watch. "It's only ten. I've been through worse."
Ginny smiled. "Right, Hermione." They laughed together and Ginny packed away her books. "Well thank you so much for your help, Harry. I never would have been done in time had it not been for you."
Harry shrugged. "Don't worry about it. After all we did all that last year and so I pretty much know all of it."
"Yeah I guess. Listen, did you really not know that Ron and Hermione were an item?"
Harry made a face. "They're not an item."
"Yet," she added.
"Yet," he repeated. "And I guess it's bound to happen some time, I just don't want it to happen now."
"Why not?"
He looked pensive. "I don't know. It's…"
"But you have to see that they're meant for each other."
"Well yeah, but…" He was fingering a piece of parchment covered in charts. "I just like it as it is now, you know?"
She nodded. "I guess. But what will you say once it happens?"
"I'll say I'll face that bludger when it comes," he said resolutely and Ginny snorted. What was it with men and quidditch? It wasn't that she didn't like the sport, she was the Gryffindor Chaser after all, but not everything had to be a quidditch metaphore.
"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if it happened soon," she said and got to her feet. "I'm going to bed. You coming?"
He looked at her for a while, a smile playing on his lips. When she relised what she had said she blushed and punched him on the arm. "Don't be stupid, Potter. You know what I meant."
"Of course," Harry said with a grin, "I wasn't implying anything else."
"No of course you weren't," Ginny said ironically. "How could I be so wrong? Anyway, are you coming? And then I mean to the common room and no further. You'll go to your room, while I'll sleep on the sofa."
He arched his eyebrows at her. "Why? Don't you have a bed?"
Ginny made a face. "In a room full of girls that is giggling over Bill's picture. I swear, if I have to answer one more question about where he is and what he does I'll hex someone."
Harry looked disgusted. "If you need any help I know a few good ones that will definitely make them change their mind about him."
She laughed. "Thanks, Harry." She fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. "My knight in shining armour."
"Of course," Harry said and pretended to swing a sword, "Sir Harry to the rescue!"
"As long as you promise to be a bit more sane than Sir Cadogan."
Harry stopped walking and looked offended. "Are you telling me that you don't like Sir Cadogan? I'll have you know that he happened to help me on a very dangerous quest once."
Ginny looked dubious. "A dangerous quest?"
"Oh yes. The quest of a lost third year in search for Professor Trelawney's classroom. Of course, looking back on it I'd rather he never have found it. Imagine how much better my life would have been!"
Ginny threw back her head and laughed, causing several of the portraits to yell at her. She put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling, but everytime she looked at Harry her composure was completely ruined.
"I'm sorry," Harry said biting his lip to stop himself from laughing. "I'm very sorry."
"Don't be. It was a noble quest and if I ever find myself in the need of directions I'll be sure to ask."
They were outside of the portrait hole now, and they stopped before going in.
"Listen Ginny," Harry said seriously. "I've had a great time tonight. Thank you."
Ginny smiled. "You're welcome. And I've enjoyed it, myself. And thank you so much for helping me with my essay."
"Don't worry about it. Feel free to ask again."
"Watch what you're saying. I might take you up on that."
They walked through the portrait hole and found the common room almost empty. The only people there were Ron and Hermione, who looked as if they were all alone in the entire world. Ginny and Harry shared a look, before bursting into laughter again. At the noise the other two looked up.
"Hi," Hermione said and lifted her hand in greeting, "where have you been?"
"Library," Ginny explained. "Harry's been helping me with my essay."
"Oh has he," Ron said in a very suggestive tone. "I hear the library is full of dark and secret places. They say they are good for some alone time."
Hermione huffed. "Of course it is, Ron. But then I wouldn't expect you to know. After all, you haven't been there in a while have you?"
Ron gaped, and Ginny grinned at Harry. "I'm off to bed," she said then. "Good night."
"Night, Gin," Harry said and walked over to the sofa. "See you tomorrow."
"Good night, Sir Knight," she said with a wink, and giggled when Harry gave her a bow.
"Good night, my Lady."
Ginny waved and as she walked up the stairs she could hear Ron say "what was that all about?" She never got to hear Harry's answer, though, because the moment she walked into her room she was surrounded by her classmates, wanting to know everything there was to know about Bill, and was it really true that he was a curse breaker? She didn't answer but merely undressed and clamped shut the hangings on her bed. Once she was under the covers she let out a sigh of happiness. Tonight had been the greatest night in a long time, and for once her prospects were a little brighter. It wasn't that she was in love with him or anything, she just really liked spending time with him. And of course, his eyes did light up in a special way when he laughed. She closed her eyes and turned off the light. Her very own knight in shining armour.