Chapter 8

The next couple of weeks passed quietly. Dean had pretty much ignored Ginny since she'd seen him in the hospital wing, aside from a few glares. Ron and Hermione were outside, sitting under a shady tree and looking out on the lake. They were working on homework, which was quite lengthy that day.

Books were spread out around them. Hermione was scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. She was filling out a table for Herbology, and only paused to dip her quill in the ink. Ron was sitting back against the trunk of the tree, taking peeks at Hermione's table. His was much emptier than Hermione's.

Ron threw his head back and sighed. "'Mione, this is so boring." He closed his book and tossed his parchment aside.

"Well, Ron, homework's not exactly meant to be fun," she said while twirling the quill in her hand.

Ron took Hermione's parchment and quill and neatly laid them on top of her book. He pushed everything aside and scooted next to Hermione. He held her face to his and kissed her lightly.

"Ronald…" Hermione said, breaking away.

"C'mon, 'Mione, we've been doing homework all week. I deserve a break."

"Ron, it's our final year at Hogwarts. We really need to start working to get ready for jobs and things."

Ron sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know." He pulled his book back toward him. Hermione gazed at him and breathed a smile. He looked so disappointed, and Hermione couldn't resist a sad Ron. She rolled her eyes and pushed Ron's book away. She leaned Ron on his back and pressed her lips onto his. He raised his eyebrows and smiled.

They kissed each other gently. Ron ran his finger over Hermione's cheek, and moved it up to Hermione's ear. He tucked a curly strand behind it, and sighed. Hermione played with the cuff of Ron's shirt. They were hidden behind the tree and weren't noticed by the other students.

Ron pressed his lips more tightly against Hermione's. He sat up a little and moved Hermione onto her back, and twisted his fingers in her hair, keeping his lips on hers. She ran her fingers on his broad shoulders.

"You two really need to start being more private about your snogging."

Hermione's eyes popped open at this and saw Harry, standing by the tree and grinning. Ron heard his voice and quickly tore his lips from Hermione's, sitting up. Ginny was also standing by Harry, looking quite amused.

"Harry! Ginny!" Ron said nervously. "Uhm…"

"S'okay, Ron." Harry took a seat. "I thought you two were going to be doing homework out here, y'know, like you told me, so I thought I'd join you. Sorry for…erm, interrupting."

Hermione's cheeks were turning a bright shade of red. "Um, Ginny…didn't you say you going to go watch Hufflepuff Quidditch practice with your friends today?"

"Yeah, but it was canceled, and I met Harry on the way back to the common room, so he invited me to come." She shrugged and sat down. Harry dropped his books and sat down next to her.

"Oh, really?" Ron asked Harry, raising his eyebrows. After the weekend at Hogsmeade, Harry had started to show an interest in Ginny, and he wasn't too great at keeping it a secret.

Harry cleared his throat. "Shut it, Ron." Ginny blushed.

Ron looked at the two of them, who were obviously avoiding each other, and decided that it was time to play matchmaker.

"So, Harry! What are you doing next Saturday?" he asked.

"Um…I dunno. I'll probably just hang around in the common room, maybe do some homework."

"Really? That sounds…fun. What about you, Ginny?" Ron turned his gaze to her.

"Um, probably the same. I'm not sure yet." Ginny picked at a piece of grass.

"What a coincidence!" Ron said, smiling slightly. "Both of you are going to be free that day, and it just so happens that Hogsmeade is that weekend. Instead of lying around in the common room, I think you two should go. Together."

Harry's head shot up. "What?" he asked, glancing at Ginny. Her eyes were wide open. Her face was frozen, and she was unable to form words.

Ron smiled. "So, what do you say?"

Harry stammered. "Um…" He kept sneaking glances at Ginny, trying to figure out how she felt about this.

Ginny looked around. She swallowed. "Er…"

Ron sat up. "Great! It's a date. Now you two can go off and finally stop hiding these dreadfully obvious crushes you have on each other."

Hermione giggled while she watched them. They both were extremely uncomfortable, looking as if they wanted to melt and disappear.

Harry cleared his throat. "Ok…well. I've got to…uh…go in the castle." He picked his things up and walked away rather quickly.

Ginny waited for him to disappear behind the doors, and stood up. "I better go too." She ran off as well, leaving Hermione and Ron alone again.

Hermione laughed. "That was great, Ron. Terribly mean, but great."

Ron shook out his hair. "Well, she's better off with Harry than with that ugly Dean git."

----------

Harry sighed. After attempting to flatten out his hair for the millionth time, he gave up. He was waiting by a tall tree, looking around for Ginny.

Harry was on his way to the Hogsmeade trip Ron had set him and Ginny up for. He took a couple of extra minutes in the bathroom, trying to look nice for what Harry hoped was a date. He picked out a nice, dark green shirt with a pair of tan trousers.

Harry blew his bangs out of his face. It was ten minutes past the time Ginny was supposed to be here. I knew it, he thought. I knew she wouldn't want to be with me. She didn't show up.

They had been to Hogsmeade together before, but they were not alone, and neither of them considered it a date. This time, it was just Harry and Ginny. He bit his lip and decided to stick around for a few minutes longer.

Back in the girl's dormitory, Ginny looked at herself in the mirror. She had changed her pants and jeans for the third time, and was trying to decide which of her two jackets to wear. Choosing the light blue one to go with her soft striped yellow shirt, she threw back her hair and looked back at her reflection.

Ginny was extremely excited and nervous about the Hogsmeade date. She had been thinking about it all week, both eager and worried. She and Harry used to be able to talk all the time, but after Ron had set them up to go, they had avoided each other all week.

She was running a little behind and didn't have much more time to spend on her wardrobe. Ginny picked out an ordinary, white pair of sneakers she always wore. She tried to tie them quickly, but her fingers wouldn't cooperate and it took her longer to tie than usual. Standing up straight, she pulled down on her jacket and tossed her ginger hair behind her shoulders. Tilting her head at her reflection, she tucked her hair behind her ears.

Oh, who cares, she thought to herself. Harry won't mind. Why am I so nervous? She took a deep breath and grabbed her purse. Biting her lip, she left the room and started towards Hogsmeade.

Harry saw Ginny coming out the doors. His heart quickened. She looked very nice today. He hoped his hair was at least a little less messy than how it usually was as she moved closer.

"Um, hi, Harry," she said quietly. She smiled.

"Hi, Ginny." He took a deep breath. They stood around for a bit in an awkward silence.

"Well," Harry said. "Shall we go, then?"

"Yes," Ginny said quickly, eager to break the silence.

Over time, they started to warm up and feel more comfortable. They mostly walked around Hogsmeade, admiring broomsticks and games in the windows or laughing and making fun of the things they didn't like. Occasionally, they stopped to talk to friends of Ginny or Harry, but they spent a lot of the time alone.

After briefly checking Zonko's Joke Shop, they started down the street. Ginny was talking to Harry about the Quidditch match, but he seemed rather distracted and deep in thought.

"But Draco's a horribly weak seeker, everyone knows that, so if you just beat…" Ginny stopped as she realized that she wasn't talking to Harry anymore. She turned around and saw Harry looking into the window of a door.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Ginny walked back toward him.

Harry's eyes flickered, and he seemed to have a lot of trouble saying what he wanted to say. "Um…d'you wanna go in here…?" he mumbled.

Ginny looked into the window Harry had stopped in front of and lost her breath for a moment. They had stopped in front of Madam Puddifoot's, Hogsmeade's most romantic café. Ginny had been having so much fun, she had forgotten that she was on a date.

"Oh, um…" Ginny stumbled on her words.

"If you don't want to, I understand," Harry said, starting to walk away.

Ginny grabbed his sleeve. "No, it's just…yeah, I'd love to."

Taking a deep breath, they headed into the tea shop. Their hearts started to beat rapidly as they looked around. Everything was pink and frilly, and everyone in there was a couple that was either holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes or kissing. Harry had been in here once before, but he still didn't feel right about the place and wondered if he'd made a mistake bringing Ginny here on the first date.

"Hello, m'dears!" Madam Puddifoot walked up to them with a big smile. "A new couple, eh? No need to be nervous, just go on and take a table!" She smiled again and walked away. Harry took a deep breath and tried to look less uncomfortable, as did Ginny.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, where shall we sit?"

"Um…I don't mind." The whole kissy-romantic atmosphere of the tea shop was making her quite nervous.

Harry started towards a small, two-person booth and sat down. Ginny took the other side, setting her bag beside her. She looked around at the other couples and wondered what Harry had expected them to do.

"All right, what can I get for you two?" Madam Puddifoot walked up to their table and slipped a small notebook out of her pocket.

"Erm…what would you like, Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Just a warm tea, thanks," Ginny said politely.

"A warm tea! Sounds absolutely lovely, especially with the weather cooling down right about now!" She scribbled in her notebook, then turned to Harry. "And you, m'dear?"

"I'll have the same, thanks."

Madame Puddifoot wrote it down and walked away. Harry kept glancing at the other tables, making out in the booths. It was almost as if they were pressuring him. Now he definitely knew it was a mistake to come in here.

He set his hands on the table and glanced at Ginny's, who were also on the table. Ginny smiled at him. "Well, this is a nice place," Ginny said cheerfully. "Very…pretty looking." She sighed.

Harry nodded his head. "Yeah." He watched Ginny's hands. The café made him want to hold her hand, but he was too scared too. Just do it, Harry thought. What could happen…?

He started to reach across the table, when Madam Puddifoot came up with a floating tray of tea. Quickly, he drew his hand back, and she placed their teas on the table.

"You can pay when you're ready, dears." She smiled and left them alone.

Harry sighed. "So, have you ever been here before?"

Ginny shook her head. "It's quite nice, though."

Harry nodded. He took a large drink out of his little tea cup, wanting to finish up with it as soon as soon as possible.

Ginny took a sip too, and said, "You know, Harry, we don't have to…" She tilted her head towards the other tables. "We can just talk."

"Yeah, of course." Harry smiled and took another sip. "Um, so hwat are you planning to do today?"

"Well, other than this, I was going to meet with Luna later to talk to Professor McGonagall. She's rather shy around teachers, and she wants me to go with her. You know how she is."

Harry laughed. "Yeah."

"What about you?"

"Oh, I dunno. Nothing, I guess."

They both laughed, and started to relax. Some of the other people in the café looked at them in an odd way, as if no one ever went in there just to talk, but they had fun talking and taking sips out of their teas. When they were done, they got up and headed out the door. Harry dropped a handful of change on the desk.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Harry put his hands in his pockets.

"I dunno, just walk around for a bit, I guess."

Harry was itching to hold Ginny's hand. He wanted to do something, because they were only walking, and not talking.

Ginny suddenly stopped walking. Harry stopped with her.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

"Um…"

Harry saw Dean coming out of the shop opposite them. He stopped and looked at them, and walked up to them.

Harry bit his lip. "Just ignore him, Ginny."

Dean stopped in front of them. He looked from Harry to Ginny. "You and Potter?" he asked. He looked disgusted. "You've sunk so low…"

Harry wrinkled his brow. "Dean…"

"Harry, let's just go," Ginny whispered in his ear. She pulled on his sleeve, and they started to walk off.

"I thought you guys were friends…" Ginny started.

"So did I."

They walked for a few minutes longer. It was starting to get cold outside, and Ginny pulled her sweater tighter over her.

"Do you know what time it is?" Ginny asked.

"Erm, half past five."

Ginny gasped. "Are you kidding me? I was supposed to meet Luna ten minutes ago! I'm sorry Harry, I've got to go!" She started off.

Harry took a deep breath. "Wait, Ginny!" He pulled her back and gave her a short kiss on the lips.

Ginny stopped. They were both blushing, but Harry was turning red.

"Um, thanks Harry." She smiled. "Well, I better be going."

"Alright." Harry's heart was beating rapidly again."See you."

"Bye." Ginny ran off, and she couldn't help grinning.

A/N: Again, I'm sorry for the long breaks between updates. Finals are in a week, and my teachers are practically pouring homework on us. I've had to study for them, too, but I promise that as soon as they're over, I'll start updating more. Sorry for any mistakes, and please, REVIEW!!! I love it when you guys review. Thank you!