"You should have seen it, Ron it was amazing! He fought like, well I don't know, I've never seen anyone fight like that. She was out in less than a minute. They fought several times and he won every time!" Ginny was beaming and she talked animatedly to her brother and Hermione that night in the common. It was almost midnight and the common room was empty except for the four friends. Hermione was leaning against Ron in the couch across from Harry and Ginny. Ginny was also sitting right next to Harry, who once again had his arm around her shoulder. The first time Ron saw him do this, he had questioned them, but Ginny explained that she was just teaching Harry to not be a prat around women. Ron had laughed and not brought it up again.

"Ginny, come on, we don't need to go over this. Besides, she still made me look stupid when we started karate. You even flipped me over and I'm a foot taller than you are." Harry said.

"Size does not mean anything in karate and I've been fighting my brothers since I was three. But please quit being modest! This is what we have been waiting for." She looked sad for a moment, probably remembering that she had lost two of her brothers and Harry wanted to interrupt her thought pattern before she became more upset.

"What do you mean about 'what we have been waiting for?'" Harry asked.

Hermione made a noise of impatience. "Honestly Harry, we have been waiting for your powers to emerge. You have said it yourself, it is almost like you have a block of some sort but some how you must have gotten past that block. Your powers needed to increase for you to defeat Voldemort. What did you do differently today or in the past few days?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I haven't done anything differently. The only thing that was different was that Ginny was there today. But it's not like Ginny could affect my powers."

Hermione sat up straight, her eyes going wide. "Oh Harry, that's… but… NO! If we would have known!" She stood up abruptly and grabbed her bag, and Ron's hand, pulling him to his feet. "We're going to the library and maybe to see the Headmaster, you two stay here and do your homework or go to bed and we'll talk tomorrow. What's the password for Dumbledore's office Harry?" She asked as she walked towards the portrait hole, pulling a dumbfounded Ron.

Harry was bewildered. "Uh, Everlasting Gobstopper."

Hermione paused and turned to look at him. "Figures." And with that, she was out the portrait hole.

"Why couldn't we go with them?" Harry pondered aloud.

"Well, as Head Boy and Girl they are permitted to wander around at any time they like. Anyway, Harry we're never going to figure out what Hermione was talking about so let's work on more affection lessons." She looked into the fire and then continued. "It's really a good thing we have her, or else we would not know half the stuff we know now. She really has to be the smartest person I know. I bet when she is Dumbledore's age, she'll have him beat."

"I'm sure you are right. Okay, so what is my next lesson?"

"Cuddling."

"Huh?" Harry was pretty sure that what they were doing right now was cuddling.

Ginny grinned at him and stood up. "You know, you're cute when you're clueless." And with that pronouncement she sat herself on his lap. Harry was stunned and unsure of what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, put his arms around her, but he thought it prudent to ask. Before he could though, she gave him instructions. "Now, put your arms around my waist, maybe with your hands on my sides and I'll put my arms around you and I'll rest my head on your shoulder." After doing as he was told, she wound her arms around his neck and rested against him. It felt amazing to hold her. This was not like the times before though, he felt different although he did not know how to label it. Ginny spoke again, her breath tickling him on his neck. "You are doing really well Harry."

Harry shivered slightly. "So you think I'll be ready for a girlfriend soon?"

Ginny stiffened slightly and then Harry felt her relax but it felt like she had to force herself to speak her next words. "I think that any time you want to look Harry, that you are ready. I'll always help you but I think you will make a great boyfriend for some lucky girl. I just… I want to do one more thing with you and then you are done with lessons from me."

Harry was amazed but also slightly panicked. If he was ready for a girlfriend, did that mean that Ginny wasn't going to cuddle with him anymore? This thought left him feeling oddly bereft. "So do we still get to do this... I mean do we still get to cuddle some, as friends?"

Ginny had an expression on her face that he could not understand. "Harry," she said cautiously, "your girlfriend might not like it if you put your arm around me or appreciate it if I sit in your lap."

"Oh." He had not thought about that part. "Well, it doesn't matter. I'm not interested in anyone at the moment anyway, so we can cross that bridge later. I like being able to hug you and stuff." He felt her nod and she rose out of his lap to stand in front of him.

"Grab that pillow for under your head and lay down on your side on the couch… no facing outwards… right. Put your right arm out along your head and keep the other on top of you along your side. You know, this is like instructing someone how to do a complicated dance." She smiled at him but he saw that it didn't quite meet her eyes. Before he got the chance to ask what was wrong, she sat down and stretched out on the couch along side him, with her back to him and resting her head on his arm. "Now, put your arm around my waist and pull me in close to you." He did, pulling her slight frame towards him. She helped by scooting herself towards him, fitting herself perfectly against him. Harry's heart soared. This felt amazing. She was worm and soft. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, over her left arm, which was curled up by her face, and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. On impulse, he kissed the top of her head. He wanted to stay like this forever but as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he pushed it to the side. Ginny was one of his best friends. He couldn't go falling for her. She had given up on him years ago and besides that, she deserved someone better than him. Ginny interrupted his inner monologue. "See Harry, you don't need me anymore, you are a pro at this." She sounded slightly distressed as she said that.

"What are you talking about? You are one of my best friends, I'm always going to need you!"

Ginny made no comment on this, but instead asked, "Is your arm going numb?" Indicating the arm that was under her head.

"No, I'm quite comfortable."

"All right, well let's try and get some sleep. Ron will yell at us when we get back so that we can get up to bed. Maybe we'll learn what it was that Hermione figured out."

"You have it all wrong. Ron won't yell... he'll just beat the stuffing out of me."

"It's a good thing Tonks is teaching you how to trip people."