The Quetzal's Fire

Harry Potter

I'm trying to start a Harry Potter fanfiction message board. Email me or go to and sign up for my totally subjective admittance process. As always: idiots need not apply. Fools, of course, are more than welcome.

A/N: Well, I'd like to give a shout out to Shadow's Overcast, my new beta reader. We've started working on ironing out the plot- having someone in pre production is very, very nice. Hopefully we'll both be working on our own stories and swapping them for editing. Also, the quidditch talk is a manifestation of my borderline-obsessive following of baseball and the arguments I get into talking about it. Pitchers and catchers report in about two months…

Part Nine: So What

Harry returned the kiss.

And that was all, because neither of them was confident enough to say anything. Ginny went at an unnaturally fast pace to the girls' dormitories. He sat there, shellshocked. Then he realized what had happened. The single living person he had thought about the most for a month or more had just done exactly what he wanted.

A smile found its way across Harry's lips. Perhaps this year wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Only until after dinner did Harry realize that he'd have to tell everyone to get a stable relationship going. Ron probably wouldn't notice, but when he did eventually find out, he'd be outraged at Harry and Ginny for keeping it under wraps. Despite his bumbling demeanor, Ron was a very loyal and protective friend and brother. Harry could see when it might come to conflict. That's the problem with falling for your best friend's sister.

It was convenient, then, that the realization hit Harry while returning to Gryffindor Tower with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Ginny had been obviously silent throughout the whole evening, but she kept shooting glances at Harry.

Ron, of course, was oblivious to the tension. Hermione, however, had picked up on the weirdness and shot Harry a meaningful look while they were eating the roast beef. She had pulled Harry aside as they were leaving.

"Are you and Ginny together now?" Harry shrugged.

"I think so. She, ah, kissed me this afternoon,"

"That's great, Harry!" Hermione whispered. "You've got to tell Ron, though,"

"Yeah…" said Harry, his voice trailing off. The beginning was going to be the worst part.

It was with that conversation in mind that Harry stopped in front of his three companions just a few feet away from the door that had housed Fluffy, the bloodthirsty tricapitated dog.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron. "Stomachache or something?"

"Well, Ron," said Ginny, with a nervous look at Harry. He nodded, swallowing. "Harry and I are going out,"

Ron turned to his sister and looked at her for awhile. Then he started laughing.

"Ruddy brilliant!" He thought it was a joke.

"No, Ron, she's serious," Harry said. He went over to Ginny and put an arm over her shoulders.

As always, a rather awkward silence ensued as a thunderstruck Ron looked between Harry and Ginny. He looked at Hermione in desperation.

"Don't look at me, Ron," said Hermione, obviously enjoying the whole business.

"I, uh, think it's brilliant," Ron finally said, with a rather forced grin.

All was as well as it could have been.

The next morning, Harry stumbled downstairs and saw his girl sitting on one of the couches in the common room.

"Hi, Harry," she said. Harry grunted and sat down next to her. He stared at the floor and blinked, then turned his head towards Ginny.

"Eaten yet?" he inquired.

"No. I just woke up," Ginny said sheepishly. Harry smiled. They got up and went for the Great Hall, hand in hand.

"Harry, I think we ought to keep it kind of low key until people get used to the idea of us being together," Ginny said.

"I don't know," Harry said mischievously. "Are you sure you can contain your all consuming passion for me?"

Ginny snorted. "If anything, I'll have to contain your growing ego,"

"Really? Well, we'll see about that." Harry reeled her in and they shared a long kiss.

Alas…

"Eugh," Ginny said, her face wrinkling with revolt. "Morning taste, Harry,"

"Yeah…"

Ginny lost a battle with laughter and gave Harry a peck on the cheek.

"It's the thought that counts, anyway," she noted as they entered the Hall.

"So it has been said, Ms. Weasley!" exclaimed an energetic Professor Dumbledore from the head table. Harry realized he hadn't seen him since his conference. "I suppose the two of you deserve some congratulations?"

"I, er, don't think so, sir," said Harry nervously.

"Nonsense! Please, don't begrudge me what little pleasant excitement we can produce at the moment," Dumbledore said without an ounce of apparent depression.

"My dear Professor, certainly such ill omens are not a fortuitous manner in which to begin the day," said Abd al Rahman, entering through the Great Hall doors with Remus Lupin. "Remus is responsible for that,"

"Why, thank you, Abd," replied Lupin. "Congratulations, you two, though I foresee a large anvil will fall upon one of you." The werewolf winked and sat across from Harry.

"So, what quidditch news, Professor?" asked Abd, nodding towards Dumbledore's pile of newspapers.

"Nothing on the transfer market, I'm afraid, just another Wimbourne victory. They are quite a team, aren't they?" said the headmaster.

"Yes, indeed. Yadovich, Johansen and Rodriguez is the best chaser tandem since the Smoking Barrels on the 1890s Cannons," Abd said in agreement.

"I still don't like them to win the cup. They can't seek or defend," Lupin said dismissively.

"Vladimir Ivanovich has the most KO's out of any beater in the league," Abd countered.

"Those KO's are the only time he actually hits the other team. His bludgeoning percentage is awful," Lupin said. "Consistency is worth more than flash during league play."

"The chasers are enough to carry them, I think. They're usually at 290 within five minutes," said Harry. "They can just outscore the opponent and give their seeker days if they have to,"

"A fair point, Harry. Certainly that is why they have yet to lose a match so far," Dumbledore said. "We must remember that Viktor Krum intends to join a Premiership team next month when his Bulgarian League contract expires— and his favorite team here has always been the Wasps."

"I still think he'll have the heart to sign the poor old Cannons. We've waited long enough for a cup," Ginny said wistfully. The Chudley Cannons had been without a title since 1918. "What's it like, having your team win?"

Harry realized that Ginny wasn't joking— the Cannons fan has a natural inferiority complex in regard to their beloved team. Not only that, but he was relieved that he didn't have to worry about getting passionate about quidditch. Ginny loved the sport as much as he did. Not only that, but she'd probably be one of his wing chasers when the season started.

"Kind of like last year, I'd think," Harry said.

"That's one thing. It's different as a fan," Ginny shot back.

"It's better as a player," said Abd fondly. "I chased for Gryffindor. That was a good time, especially since we didn't have to do anything."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, totally confused.

"James usually got the snitch within ten minutes. That was good, because our defense was as bad as the Wasps'," al Rahman laughed. "I'll be interested to watch you play, Harry."

"You won't be disappointed," Remus said.

Disappointment was absent from Harry's life for some time, except for his daily visits with Snape. Snape seemed to have realized that Harry was going to get into NEWT potions whether he earned it or not and laid off the insults. He even helped every once in awhile:

"Potter. Remember to add wormwood next. I need to attend to more important business. I shall be here in case you find yourself more lost and pathetic than usual."

Such as it was.

Harry and Ginny went to Hogsmeade with great regularity, hitting up the Three Broomsticks for butterbeer. No type of encouragement would convince either of them to go anywhere near Madam Pudifoot's Teashop.

The village was actually quaint and relaxing without the constant influx of students from the school, except for the blast-ridden walls of Zonko's. They were still recovering from Fred and George's dirty dealings. Harry and Ginny were walking past the storefront when Ginny stopped.

"I didn't think they'd go to that extreme," she said, shaking her head.

"I don't know. The way they describe Zonko himself, he'd probably just do the same," Harry said. Ginny shrugged.

"I guess they get some credit for putting us together, though," she said. Harry realized how over the top that would have sounded if it weren't for the fact he was the one being addressed. He reeled Ginny in and they kissed for awhile. Passersby stared.

"Ah, PDA's are so great," Harry said with a grin.

"I thought you were trying to attract less attention?" Ginny asked deviously.

"Oh, shove it," Harry said, cuffing her gently on the back of her head.