Chapter 13
Ginny raced down the stairs into the common room that night, excitement pulsing through her. After what Harry had told her before dinner about what had happened during Herbiology, she was sure that what they would do next was going to be the best part of the entire plan, or at least this far into it. The school year had only just started, but it had already been pretty eventful.
She stumbled down the last few stairs, falling into Harry at the bottom. They landed in a heap upon the floor.
"Ouch, Gin. That hurt!" Harry exclaimed as he rubbed his head. She saw his glasses were next to her face on the floor. She grabbed them and she put them back upon his face.
"Hi Harry!" She said enthusiastically.
"Hi Gin," Harry replied with a laugh. They got up and dusted themselves off.
"You okay?" She asked him with a smile. Harry shrugged.
"As good as can be expected for someone that was just knocked down to the ground," he replied. Ginny laughed.
"That's pretty good then!" She teased.
"How exactly did you fall down the stairs?" He asked her. She looked at him sheepishly.
"Um, I was excited so I was running."
"You fell over your own self!"
"Yeah."
"That's hilarious, Gin."
"Thank you! Thank you! I will be here all year!" Ginny said as he started bowing in front of Harry acting as if she had just done some sort of great performance.
At that moment Hermione and Ron walked in as if on cue. Ginny winked at Harry before she threw herself into the armchair.
"Hey guys," Ginny said. Hermione sat down on the couch, Ron on the other end.
"Hey. What are you two doing?" Hermonie asked.
"Gin just fell down the stairs," Harry announced. Hermione laughed.
"Again?" She asked.
"You fall down the steps on a regular basis?" Harry asked her. Ginny nodded.
"Of course!"
"You should see her at home," Ron said with a snort. Ginny threw her pillow at him.
"I've seen her at home. She never falls down the steps," Harry said as he sat down on the ground in front of the fire.
"Sure she doesn't when you're there. She LIKES you. But when you're away she falls down the steps all the time," Ron announced. Another pillow flew through the air and connected with Ron's face.
"GIN THAT WAS MEAN!"
"I see what Hermione means. You are an insensitive prat."
"Why? Because I told Harry that you have a crush on him. He already knows that you do. He's known since like what second year?" Ron answered. Ginny's eyes turned into round little pools.
"You told him?"
"Yeah. He didn't understand why you were acting so weird around him all the time."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"
"That really was a mean thing for you to do, Ron," Hermione interjected. Ron shot her a glare.
"Oh come on. How many times have you said that you wish Harry and Ginny got together?" Hermione's face flushed a deep red.
"I told you that in confidence that you would never say a word."
"Wait a second you want me and Harry to. . ." Ginny started.
"You never told me that I wasn't suppose to tell," Ron said. Hermione glared, got up, and stalked out of the room.
"I am sorry that I thought that you had enough brain cells to realize when you shouldn't say stuff like that! Especially to the two people that we were talking about!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Yeah I don't have brain cells. Didn't you know?"
"I should have."
"Wow, that is something you didn't know for once!" Ron exclaimed in a mock surprised voice. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and threw the pillow that had been resting behind her.
"As Ginny said, you are an insensitive prat."
"Wait. . . You two weren't trying to get us together or something?" Harry asked, as if suddenly realizing what had been said.
"NO!" Ron and Hermione yelled at him as they resumed their own bickering.
"I thought we were the only ones to scheme against our friends," Ginny said softly. Harry looked over at her a blushed deeply.
Truth be told, Harry had liked Ginny since his fifth year. He hadn't really through the others. In second she was just Ron's little sister that had an immense crush on him. Third year he had been too preoccupied with Sirius to even notice any girl. He had seen Ginny. She had grown up over the short time he was away from her. Yes, he had had a twinge of feelings for her, but at the time he had believed that Sirius was out to get him and that he had to be careful. That year had been too full of other emotions to really focus on anything. Except when he saw Cho Chang and all thoughts of Ginny flew out of his head.
He hadn't meant to like to Cho. It had just happened. After the TriWizard Tournament when Cedric had died he had thought that he would never have a chance with Cho and had slightly given up hope. He wasn't sure that he could remember if Ginny had been there or not. He was sure that she had been there, but that entire year had been one large whirlpool of memories.
Then fifth year had come and Cho was paying more attention to Harry. There was Umbridge and all the other things too. Yes he had liked the kiss that Cho had given to him, but over time he realized that she was replacing him for Cedric. That thought alone had turned him away from her. That was the year that he and Ginny really started to hang out as a group thanks to the DA. Then there was a spark of interest. He had not wanted to admit it. He shoved it back, rationalizing that there was more important things to do at the moment then focus on Ginny.
Yet, it was this summer that he couldn't stop thinking about her. All his excuses had been used. He saw her even more now then last year. They were together nonstop. It was all thanks to Ginny's plan that they should get Hermione and Ron together. He had agreed to it for two reasons. One, because it meant that perhaps the larger fights that Hermione and Ron were having as of late. Two, because it meant being alone with Ginny a whole lot more.
He glanced over to her. She was hiding her face in her hands, her shoulders rocked with sobs. He got up, oblivious of the raging fight that was still going on between Hermione and Ron, and placed his hand upon her shoulder. Ginny's face jolted upward, tears still hanging upon her eyelids. Her eyes widened as she hid her face again. Harry took her hand and took her out of her seat.
"I need to talk to you," he whispered. She sighed and allowed Harry to pull her uneventfully out of the common room and outside. The loud argument was not drowned out until the portal hole fell shut. He held her hand and took her to the Room of Requirement. What he had to say he didn't want anyone to overhear. Or rather what he hoped that he was going to say. His heart was beating much too fast in his chest. He wasn't sure he was going to survive this encounter.
Ginny followed him wordlessly, sniffing every once and a while. Finally they reached the hallway where the Room of Requirement was. I need a secure place to talk to my friend. Harry thought. A door appeared and he opened it, leading Ginny in. Once they were both inside he closed the door and turned around. He took a deep breath. Now that he was here he wasn't sure of what he wanted to say.
"Why are you crying?" Was the only intelligent thing that came out of Harry's mouth. He kicked himself mentally. She looked at him and shook her head.
"You weren't suppose to know," she answered softly.
"I wasn't suppose to know that you liked me. Okay, but why are you crying if you don't like me anymore?"
"Harry," she started, but drifted off. He realized that she wouldn't answer him willingly. There was only way. He had already known her secret for a while. It was time for her to know his.
"I have to tell you a secret, Ginny. You have to promise not to tell anyone," Harry began. She looked at him in confusion.
"Of course I won't tell."
"Okay. Here it is, Ginny. Yes I have known that you have liked me. But you want to know something. You are the only girl that likes me for who I am. Not because I'm Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived, but Harry Potter just regular guy that goes to Hogwarts. You like me because I am who I am. You don't realize how nice that is for me. I never get treated like a just a normal guy. But when I met you you never asked about my scar. You never flicked your eyes up at it. You never asked what it was like. You never gaped at me as if I'm some sort of hero. What happened was heroic."
"The only reason why I was saved that night was because my mother died for me. Her love saved my life. That is the only reason why. Now I have to defeat Voldermort without getting myself killed. Did you know that the prophecy said that neither of us can survive while the other one is alive? Yes. That means either I die or he dies and I am all for him dying, because I have a purpose for living."
"I have known that you liked me. I have liked you on and off for several years. But I really didn't start like like liking you until last year. Yes I know that I went out with Cho, but that meant nothing. She was replacing me for Cedric. The thought sickened me. Then I saw you. I was with you more then ever. Yet you were taken and I understand why. Why in the bloody hell you would wait for someone that wasn't going to return your undying love? Anyway, I like you. You make me happy. I like it when I'm with you. I like your laugh. I like your red hair. I like your eyes. Golly, Ginny, I like everything about you. And if Hermione and Ron's fight brought us together then I'll personally condone their fighting for a hundred millions years."
Harry stopped, breathless. He had just poured out everything that he had wanted to tell her. Everything that he wanted to get out of his head. He was sure that she probably didn't like him in that way, but why would she cry? It made no sense. He had taken a risk, a risk that most likely would cost him their friendship. Ginny just stood there staring at him. He swallowed nervously. He wished she would just say something.
"I have a secret too, Harry. I have liked you since I first saw you in your first year on the platform. Even when I dated Michael, I liked you. But I think you already know that," Ginny answered softly. Harry smiled.
"Ginny Weasley, would you be my girlfriend?" Harry asked with a smile, taking up her hand again. Ginny smiled and blushed.
"Yes. I would love being your girlfriend, Harry."