Draco and Crabbe were up in the hospital wing, and Draco of course, was
making a big show of how hurt and in pain he was, even after Madame Pomfrey
told him he could leave after his ointment had been applied. This, however,
did not stop Draco from ordering everyone about.
"Get me some more cold rags, Pomfrey and hurry up about it, my arse is burning here!"
"You wait a minute Mr. Malfoy, you're not that bad!" Madame Pomfrey scolded him. "Its your friend here Mr. Crabbe that I'm worried about- he's lost some of the skin on his face and hands. And where his hair has gone... Lord knows."
Draco rolled his eyes tapped his hand on his knee. What did he care that Crabbe lost his hair? He sniggered. He didn't care. Not one bit. "Pomfrey, I don't give a toss where his hair's gone," he told her pointedly. "Its his fault that I'm here in the first place. You should have seen him, cramming god-knows-what into the bloody couldron. It could have been anything! What the friggin' hell was he thinking?!"
"Oh, it wasn't just anything, it was fladriffe acid, combined with Gollieboil's marrow. Highly toxic. Where in Merlin's name did you get those ingredients? Snape shouldn't be letting you use ingredients such as those, they're very dangerous! You are very lucky to escape with minor injuries, Mr Malfoy. Acids such as these can burn to the bone in a matter of minutes!"
Madame Pomfrey told him. Malfoy scowled. If truth be told, he actually doubted that it was Crabbe's fault, but he had to blame someone, and Crabbe was the most likely idiot to do it. Potter had to be behind it all though, somehow. Him and that bloody redheaded loser friend of his, Weasley. They were a pair of shit-stirrers, if ever you saw 'em. Almosty as good as me, Draco thought to himself with a snigger. But not quite. At that moment Professor Snape swept in, had a quick chat to Madame Pomfrey and then spoke to Malfoy.
"This little episode had better not keep you from your Quidditch, studies or any other important events. You made a fool of yourself in my class Malfoy. Hope you're proud of your childish display." His expression didn't change in the slightest. "You are aware that it was Potter's doing?"
"Potter?" Malfoy spat disgustedly, "I thought so, that dickhead."
"He will be quite happy to scrub couldrons for a couple of hours, since he seems to have such a fond likeness for them. He and Miss Weasley will be working very hard friday night."
Malfoy could have kicked Snape's head in. "What, they'll be doing it together?? Nice one, Professor, they'll probably be trying to get it on in the store room the whole time. Wouldn't surprise me, that Weasley chick is a bit of a skank."
Snape, slightly annoyed replied back.
"Skank or not, she'll be working alongside Potter friday night, and it will be my responsibility to see that they do not get up to anything together. And may I ask why you care so much about Miss Weasley's lovelife?" Snape asked Malfoy coldly.
"I don't care!" Malfoy defended, "I just don't have much respect for any chick who would go for someone as wanked-up as Potter." She is pretty hot, though, for a Weasley, Malfoy thought to himself.
"Yes well, that's beyond me too, Malfoy," Snape replied sneeringly. "But student's sex lives have nothing to do with me, and, quite frankly, I don't particularly want to know about them either. Anyway, I have sent an owl to inform your Father of this incident. Think yourself lucky this time, it could have been worse." Then he added in a cool tone, "Get better and hurry up about it, Malfoy. If you dare let us lose against Gryffindor in Quidditch again, there'll be hell to pay for you."
As Snape left, Draco screwed up his face. Wanka. He could go out there and try to beat that bloody Potter then. No one else seemed to be able to, bugger him.
*****
And so friday afternoon came around. Harry and Ginny knew that they would be spending at least four hours-maybe more, cleaning up couldrons and washing glassware. Snape would be present throughout the entire time. This meant that they couldn't slack off or, quite frankly, have any fun at all.
Ron was glad that he had not been caught afterall. But he was sorry for Harry and Ginny's sake. Detention was never fun, but with Snape, it was hell. He certainly didn't envy them for it.
Harry had recieved a letter from Draco that afternoon. It was a single piece of green parchment written in silver ink. Ron had counted the swear words contained in it. Nine "F" words, three "dipshits", and two "wankas". Harry wasn't bothered by this. He and Ron both knew that blowing up Malfoy was worth everything they copped. Harry actually found the letter amusing- to think that they had made Draco so angry!
Lessons had finished for the day and the four of them were eating dinner together. Cho joined them during dessert, she had been gloating the whole day and during dinner that it was her boyfriend that had blown up Draco Malfoy!
Harry was loved by at least half the school. The other half were just a little pissed off with him. The Slytherin house was in that half. After all, Harry has almost killed their Prefect. Malfoy wasn't liked by many people, but in Slytherin, he was a god. The toughest, smartest, handsomest, richest guy, and the one with the most power. A Wizard to be looked up to as a role model- but never to be crossed.
The Gryffindors were in the same "hate Harry" half. 100 points was a lot to lose in one sitting and this now put them in third position for the House Cup. Ravenclaw were on the bottom, Hufflepuff had overtaken them during the week due to Susan Bones winning the Magical Me contest. Harry had not bothered to enter it then, but he thought that those points would have been handy right now. Slytherin, of course, were on top.
****
Ginny was just finishing up the last of her toffeeberry pudding when Ron reminded her of the detention. Just 10 minutes to go. Harry was over at the Ravenclaw table eating with Cho. Well, "eating" was a bit of a joke. They were sitting with their arms wrapped around each other, kissing, she noticed with a jolt of jealously. Ginny didn't particularly want to try to get his attention while he was pashing his girlfriend, so she decided to leave without him. As she got up and walked to the exit, Harry caught up with her. "Thought you'd get away with serving your detention without me did ya?!" He looked a little out of breath, and Ginny knew why. His exertions at the Dinner table had left him quite exhausted.
"Get lost Harry, YOU were the one not showing up!" She was about to add a biting remark about the Dinner table but decided not to look like a jealous cow in front of Harry. Instead, she added, "And to think, I may have had to spend the night alone with Snape!" She couldn't help but smile a little. Harry scoffed.
"Spend the night alone with Snape? Not likely! Someone has to protect you from that loser!"
"I'm glad." Ginny assured him honestly. "God knows how long we're going to be in there with him for"
"Probably until the sun comes up tomorrow- and I'm not joking!" He laughed, seeing her expression. "I would know, this certainly isn't the first time I've had a detention with Snape. Actually I've had about 500." Harry seemed quite pleased with himself and Ginny laughed at the self-satisfied look on his face. They began to walk together in the direction of the dungeons.
"Suppose this is all pretty new to you, Gin? You haven't ever had a detention before, have you?" Harry asked her as they walked. She looked up at him in surprise.
"This isn't my first detention, Harry! You've got to be kidding me! Trelawney gave me stacks of them before this one, because of a few laughs at her pitiful predictions. She's labelled me an "Ignornat little Upstart." And that's true, in her class anyway." Ginny finished smugly. Harry stared at her. Innocent, perfect little Ginny Weasley had recieved a detention before this! No, not just one, a lot of them by the sound of it! He started to laugh, imagining Ginny playing up in Divination. Well, she did have a temper, and her own opinion, to say the least!
"What are you smirking about, Harry Potter?" Ginny giggled, "I'm not making it up!"
"I know, I'm just picturing you being a little smart-arse and sniggering at Trelawney! I never thought you had it in you, Gin."
"Well, you can't tell me you've never gotten one from her! I bet you have! Heaps, right?!" Ginny laughed.
"Me?!" Harry cried innocently. "Never! Well, maybe one or two a long time ago, but-"
"When you two are quite finished" Snape snapped, cutting Harry short. They hadn't realised it because of all the laughing, but he and Ginny had already reached Snape's classroom. Ginny rolled her eyes and flounced past the Professor into the classroom.
"What do we have to clean first, Professor?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows a little mockingly. Snape caught her sarcasm.
"I'll have none of your cheek, Miss Weasley. You and Potter are both wasting my time. You can both start on the glassware..." he stopped and looked at them both before smugly adding, "And no wands."
"What!!?" Ginny almost shrieked, "No Wands!! We'll be here until next Christmas!"
"Mmmmmm, yes." Snape smiled nastily at both Ginny and Harry. Ginny, face white with indignation and anger, ripped her wand out of her pocket and practically threw it at Snape's outstretched hand. She stormed over to the table of dirty glassware, picking up a bottle and slamming a scourer into it. Harry absent-mindedly handed Snape his wand and went to work beside the livid Ginny. Snape, satisfied, glided over to his desk to mark some tests and proceded to fail the 1st graders.
"Bastard." Ginny hissed, "How dare he?! We'll be here forever! Look at all this crap we have to clean! And with no wands!" She thumped her now clean bottle down hard on the table, almost shattering it. Harry stifled a laugh.
"It was inevitbale, Gin. I knew he'd do it. He usually makes me clean up as much dirty crap as possible in my detentions, with no wand. He was bound to do the same thing this time." He picked up a test tube and began to scrub. "Snape just wants to see us suffer." Harry concluded. He watched as Ginny turned, glaring, to watch Snape as he got up from his desk and went into his store-room for supplies.
"I hate him," she stated passionately, not bothering to lower her voice, as Snape was out of the room. Harry nodded. "That sure as hell makes two of us." He grinned at her. Ginny smirked and picked up another glass bottle. It was stained black and looked as if the discolouring could never be scrubbed out. Harry glanced at her. She was staring at the bottle despairingly.
"Here, Gin," Harry told her, taking the bottle from her. "I'll do that one. I've had more experience in the art of cleaning shit-stained potion bottles." Ginny burst out laughing, quickly smothering it as she glanced at the door of the store-room.
"Hey, um, what are you going as to the Halloween Ball, Gin?" Harry tried to change the subject, struggling to keep from laughing. "Isn't it meant to be fancy dress or something?"
Ginny, wiping her tears of mirth out of her eyes, nodded. " Yep, fancy dress. And I'm going as the Lady of Shallot. She's one of the Camelot legends, what with Lancelot and all." Harry nodded, thinking.
"Yeah, I think I know who you mean. She died, right? Because of some curse? Harry asked her.
"Yep, that's her. She had a curse placed upon her and wasn't allowed to look out the window into the outside world. But she did, to see Lancelot riding by, and so she died." Harry screwed up his nose.
"That's crap. She was meant to be beautiful too, hey?" Ginny nodded in answer. "Well then, she suits you perfectly, Gin" Harry stated. Ginny stopped her scrubbing abrupty. Had he just called her beautiful? She frowned. No, he couldn't have. She shook her head slightly.
"What is it Gin?" Harry asked her. "You look troubled." Bugger. Ginny thought to herself. What do I say now? The truth?
"Um, did you just say you think I'm beautiful, Harry?" There! She'd said it! Now what?
Harry's eyes flew open at the question, and he gazed at her.
"Yes. I do think you're beautiful, Gin. Because you are," he told her tenderly. Gently, he reached out and brushed a loose strand of soft red hair out of her eyes, brushing her cheek. Ginny savoured the feel of his hand against her skin, then it slid down to her lips. She closed her eyes, praying he wouldn't remove his fingers. But he did remove them.
And replace them with his lips.
Ginny gasped in shock, her eyes flying open. Harry was holding tight to her, his hot lips kissing hers passionately, desperately. Ginny quickly got over the surprise and closed her eyes and kissed him back just as passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Harry crushed her possesively to his strong chest. She moaned in heated passion and he answered her with a groan of denied longing.
Suddenly (and much too soon for Ginny), Harry wrenched his lips away with a strangled cry of protest, and Ginny gave a small murmer of disappointment. Harry stared at her in shock. Slowly, he reached up and touched his lips, which were swollen slightly from their kissing. He glanced back at her, his eyes holding an expression of pain.
"I'm so sorry, Gin." He told her gently. "I-I, uh, I don't know what came over me. Please Gin, it meant nothing. No, I don't mean it like that, it's just, uh." Harry squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get his mind to work properly again. "It's just that, I didn't mean to do that. Gin, you're one of my best friends. But just a friend. And-and I have a girlfriend. Cho, I love Cho, and....."
"Harry, just shut up." Ginny snapped at him, hurt beyond words. She turned away from him so he wouldn't see her tears. It meant nothing to him? He had just kissed her passionately and it meant NOTHING to him? She choked on a sob and tried to pretend it was a cough. All Ginny's dreams had come true and then been lost again in an instant. A silent tear escaped her eyes and ran slowly down her cheek. She swallowed hard and turned back to her cleaning.
Harry's mind was in turmoil. He hadn't meant to hurt her so badly. He hadn't meant to tell her the kiss meant nothing to him. It did! It meant a lot to him, and that was what scared him the most. He shouldn't be kissing Ginny Weasley and enjoying it. Enjoying was a gently word, he had been about to throw her on the table and-NO! He wouldn't think of that. He had Cho, and he loved Cho. There was just something about the beautiful redhead that made his blood run hot. Oh, but now he'd stuffed it. She wouldn't even be his friend now, and he didn't blame her. He'd rejected her so cruelly, straight after a passionate kiss, without even meaning to. God, if anyone knew how to shit in their own nest, it was him. Well done, Harry Potter.
****
After four hours of cleaning, they were finally stopped by Snape. Ginny hadn't spoken a word to Harry since their kiss. Apart from a few accidental moments of contact, she hadn't even looked at him. Harry felt like a complete bastard.
"I hope you've learnt your lesson you two. Miss Weasley, don't you dare ever let me catch you throwing yourself at young wizards again. Especially not those as sad as Creevey." He finished nastily. But Ginny didn't take the bait. She was far too emotionally and physically drained to care. Snape ignored her and turned on Harry,
"And YOU, Potter. Don't you ever try a stupid prank like that again. Your ignorant, backward brain wouldn't even begin to comprehend just how dangerous those acids are." Harry nodded, not caring any more than Ginny did about what Snape said to him.
"Can we just go now?" He asked tiredly. Ginny jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. Snape narrowed his eyes at them both, then waved his hand at them.
"Very well. Here are your wands, get out of my sight now then, or I'll give you another date with your beloved cauldrons." He told them snidely.
Ginny, without a word, left the room. She had a headache and was feeling like she'd hit a bus. She was crying inside and had been doing so ever since Harry had told her that their kiss meant nothing to him. She hurried ahead, so as not to let Harry catch up and finally reached Gryffindor Tower. The time was 12:30, and she was utterly exhausted. She flopped down on her bed in her Dormitory and cried herself to sleep.
"Get me some more cold rags, Pomfrey and hurry up about it, my arse is burning here!"
"You wait a minute Mr. Malfoy, you're not that bad!" Madame Pomfrey scolded him. "Its your friend here Mr. Crabbe that I'm worried about- he's lost some of the skin on his face and hands. And where his hair has gone... Lord knows."
Draco rolled his eyes tapped his hand on his knee. What did he care that Crabbe lost his hair? He sniggered. He didn't care. Not one bit. "Pomfrey, I don't give a toss where his hair's gone," he told her pointedly. "Its his fault that I'm here in the first place. You should have seen him, cramming god-knows-what into the bloody couldron. It could have been anything! What the friggin' hell was he thinking?!"
"Oh, it wasn't just anything, it was fladriffe acid, combined with Gollieboil's marrow. Highly toxic. Where in Merlin's name did you get those ingredients? Snape shouldn't be letting you use ingredients such as those, they're very dangerous! You are very lucky to escape with minor injuries, Mr Malfoy. Acids such as these can burn to the bone in a matter of minutes!"
Madame Pomfrey told him. Malfoy scowled. If truth be told, he actually doubted that it was Crabbe's fault, but he had to blame someone, and Crabbe was the most likely idiot to do it. Potter had to be behind it all though, somehow. Him and that bloody redheaded loser friend of his, Weasley. They were a pair of shit-stirrers, if ever you saw 'em. Almosty as good as me, Draco thought to himself with a snigger. But not quite. At that moment Professor Snape swept in, had a quick chat to Madame Pomfrey and then spoke to Malfoy.
"This little episode had better not keep you from your Quidditch, studies or any other important events. You made a fool of yourself in my class Malfoy. Hope you're proud of your childish display." His expression didn't change in the slightest. "You are aware that it was Potter's doing?"
"Potter?" Malfoy spat disgustedly, "I thought so, that dickhead."
"He will be quite happy to scrub couldrons for a couple of hours, since he seems to have such a fond likeness for them. He and Miss Weasley will be working very hard friday night."
Malfoy could have kicked Snape's head in. "What, they'll be doing it together?? Nice one, Professor, they'll probably be trying to get it on in the store room the whole time. Wouldn't surprise me, that Weasley chick is a bit of a skank."
Snape, slightly annoyed replied back.
"Skank or not, she'll be working alongside Potter friday night, and it will be my responsibility to see that they do not get up to anything together. And may I ask why you care so much about Miss Weasley's lovelife?" Snape asked Malfoy coldly.
"I don't care!" Malfoy defended, "I just don't have much respect for any chick who would go for someone as wanked-up as Potter." She is pretty hot, though, for a Weasley, Malfoy thought to himself.
"Yes well, that's beyond me too, Malfoy," Snape replied sneeringly. "But student's sex lives have nothing to do with me, and, quite frankly, I don't particularly want to know about them either. Anyway, I have sent an owl to inform your Father of this incident. Think yourself lucky this time, it could have been worse." Then he added in a cool tone, "Get better and hurry up about it, Malfoy. If you dare let us lose against Gryffindor in Quidditch again, there'll be hell to pay for you."
As Snape left, Draco screwed up his face. Wanka. He could go out there and try to beat that bloody Potter then. No one else seemed to be able to, bugger him.
*****
And so friday afternoon came around. Harry and Ginny knew that they would be spending at least four hours-maybe more, cleaning up couldrons and washing glassware. Snape would be present throughout the entire time. This meant that they couldn't slack off or, quite frankly, have any fun at all.
Ron was glad that he had not been caught afterall. But he was sorry for Harry and Ginny's sake. Detention was never fun, but with Snape, it was hell. He certainly didn't envy them for it.
Harry had recieved a letter from Draco that afternoon. It was a single piece of green parchment written in silver ink. Ron had counted the swear words contained in it. Nine "F" words, three "dipshits", and two "wankas". Harry wasn't bothered by this. He and Ron both knew that blowing up Malfoy was worth everything they copped. Harry actually found the letter amusing- to think that they had made Draco so angry!
Lessons had finished for the day and the four of them were eating dinner together. Cho joined them during dessert, she had been gloating the whole day and during dinner that it was her boyfriend that had blown up Draco Malfoy!
Harry was loved by at least half the school. The other half were just a little pissed off with him. The Slytherin house was in that half. After all, Harry has almost killed their Prefect. Malfoy wasn't liked by many people, but in Slytherin, he was a god. The toughest, smartest, handsomest, richest guy, and the one with the most power. A Wizard to be looked up to as a role model- but never to be crossed.
The Gryffindors were in the same "hate Harry" half. 100 points was a lot to lose in one sitting and this now put them in third position for the House Cup. Ravenclaw were on the bottom, Hufflepuff had overtaken them during the week due to Susan Bones winning the Magical Me contest. Harry had not bothered to enter it then, but he thought that those points would have been handy right now. Slytherin, of course, were on top.
****
Ginny was just finishing up the last of her toffeeberry pudding when Ron reminded her of the detention. Just 10 minutes to go. Harry was over at the Ravenclaw table eating with Cho. Well, "eating" was a bit of a joke. They were sitting with their arms wrapped around each other, kissing, she noticed with a jolt of jealously. Ginny didn't particularly want to try to get his attention while he was pashing his girlfriend, so she decided to leave without him. As she got up and walked to the exit, Harry caught up with her. "Thought you'd get away with serving your detention without me did ya?!" He looked a little out of breath, and Ginny knew why. His exertions at the Dinner table had left him quite exhausted.
"Get lost Harry, YOU were the one not showing up!" She was about to add a biting remark about the Dinner table but decided not to look like a jealous cow in front of Harry. Instead, she added, "And to think, I may have had to spend the night alone with Snape!" She couldn't help but smile a little. Harry scoffed.
"Spend the night alone with Snape? Not likely! Someone has to protect you from that loser!"
"I'm glad." Ginny assured him honestly. "God knows how long we're going to be in there with him for"
"Probably until the sun comes up tomorrow- and I'm not joking!" He laughed, seeing her expression. "I would know, this certainly isn't the first time I've had a detention with Snape. Actually I've had about 500." Harry seemed quite pleased with himself and Ginny laughed at the self-satisfied look on his face. They began to walk together in the direction of the dungeons.
"Suppose this is all pretty new to you, Gin? You haven't ever had a detention before, have you?" Harry asked her as they walked. She looked up at him in surprise.
"This isn't my first detention, Harry! You've got to be kidding me! Trelawney gave me stacks of them before this one, because of a few laughs at her pitiful predictions. She's labelled me an "Ignornat little Upstart." And that's true, in her class anyway." Ginny finished smugly. Harry stared at her. Innocent, perfect little Ginny Weasley had recieved a detention before this! No, not just one, a lot of them by the sound of it! He started to laugh, imagining Ginny playing up in Divination. Well, she did have a temper, and her own opinion, to say the least!
"What are you smirking about, Harry Potter?" Ginny giggled, "I'm not making it up!"
"I know, I'm just picturing you being a little smart-arse and sniggering at Trelawney! I never thought you had it in you, Gin."
"Well, you can't tell me you've never gotten one from her! I bet you have! Heaps, right?!" Ginny laughed.
"Me?!" Harry cried innocently. "Never! Well, maybe one or two a long time ago, but-"
"When you two are quite finished" Snape snapped, cutting Harry short. They hadn't realised it because of all the laughing, but he and Ginny had already reached Snape's classroom. Ginny rolled her eyes and flounced past the Professor into the classroom.
"What do we have to clean first, Professor?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows a little mockingly. Snape caught her sarcasm.
"I'll have none of your cheek, Miss Weasley. You and Potter are both wasting my time. You can both start on the glassware..." he stopped and looked at them both before smugly adding, "And no wands."
"What!!?" Ginny almost shrieked, "No Wands!! We'll be here until next Christmas!"
"Mmmmmm, yes." Snape smiled nastily at both Ginny and Harry. Ginny, face white with indignation and anger, ripped her wand out of her pocket and practically threw it at Snape's outstretched hand. She stormed over to the table of dirty glassware, picking up a bottle and slamming a scourer into it. Harry absent-mindedly handed Snape his wand and went to work beside the livid Ginny. Snape, satisfied, glided over to his desk to mark some tests and proceded to fail the 1st graders.
"Bastard." Ginny hissed, "How dare he?! We'll be here forever! Look at all this crap we have to clean! And with no wands!" She thumped her now clean bottle down hard on the table, almost shattering it. Harry stifled a laugh.
"It was inevitbale, Gin. I knew he'd do it. He usually makes me clean up as much dirty crap as possible in my detentions, with no wand. He was bound to do the same thing this time." He picked up a test tube and began to scrub. "Snape just wants to see us suffer." Harry concluded. He watched as Ginny turned, glaring, to watch Snape as he got up from his desk and went into his store-room for supplies.
"I hate him," she stated passionately, not bothering to lower her voice, as Snape was out of the room. Harry nodded. "That sure as hell makes two of us." He grinned at her. Ginny smirked and picked up another glass bottle. It was stained black and looked as if the discolouring could never be scrubbed out. Harry glanced at her. She was staring at the bottle despairingly.
"Here, Gin," Harry told her, taking the bottle from her. "I'll do that one. I've had more experience in the art of cleaning shit-stained potion bottles." Ginny burst out laughing, quickly smothering it as she glanced at the door of the store-room.
"Hey, um, what are you going as to the Halloween Ball, Gin?" Harry tried to change the subject, struggling to keep from laughing. "Isn't it meant to be fancy dress or something?"
Ginny, wiping her tears of mirth out of her eyes, nodded. " Yep, fancy dress. And I'm going as the Lady of Shallot. She's one of the Camelot legends, what with Lancelot and all." Harry nodded, thinking.
"Yeah, I think I know who you mean. She died, right? Because of some curse? Harry asked her.
"Yep, that's her. She had a curse placed upon her and wasn't allowed to look out the window into the outside world. But she did, to see Lancelot riding by, and so she died." Harry screwed up his nose.
"That's crap. She was meant to be beautiful too, hey?" Ginny nodded in answer. "Well then, she suits you perfectly, Gin" Harry stated. Ginny stopped her scrubbing abrupty. Had he just called her beautiful? She frowned. No, he couldn't have. She shook her head slightly.
"What is it Gin?" Harry asked her. "You look troubled." Bugger. Ginny thought to herself. What do I say now? The truth?
"Um, did you just say you think I'm beautiful, Harry?" There! She'd said it! Now what?
Harry's eyes flew open at the question, and he gazed at her.
"Yes. I do think you're beautiful, Gin. Because you are," he told her tenderly. Gently, he reached out and brushed a loose strand of soft red hair out of her eyes, brushing her cheek. Ginny savoured the feel of his hand against her skin, then it slid down to her lips. She closed her eyes, praying he wouldn't remove his fingers. But he did remove them.
And replace them with his lips.
Ginny gasped in shock, her eyes flying open. Harry was holding tight to her, his hot lips kissing hers passionately, desperately. Ginny quickly got over the surprise and closed her eyes and kissed him back just as passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Harry crushed her possesively to his strong chest. She moaned in heated passion and he answered her with a groan of denied longing.
Suddenly (and much too soon for Ginny), Harry wrenched his lips away with a strangled cry of protest, and Ginny gave a small murmer of disappointment. Harry stared at her in shock. Slowly, he reached up and touched his lips, which were swollen slightly from their kissing. He glanced back at her, his eyes holding an expression of pain.
"I'm so sorry, Gin." He told her gently. "I-I, uh, I don't know what came over me. Please Gin, it meant nothing. No, I don't mean it like that, it's just, uh." Harry squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get his mind to work properly again. "It's just that, I didn't mean to do that. Gin, you're one of my best friends. But just a friend. And-and I have a girlfriend. Cho, I love Cho, and....."
"Harry, just shut up." Ginny snapped at him, hurt beyond words. She turned away from him so he wouldn't see her tears. It meant nothing to him? He had just kissed her passionately and it meant NOTHING to him? She choked on a sob and tried to pretend it was a cough. All Ginny's dreams had come true and then been lost again in an instant. A silent tear escaped her eyes and ran slowly down her cheek. She swallowed hard and turned back to her cleaning.
Harry's mind was in turmoil. He hadn't meant to hurt her so badly. He hadn't meant to tell her the kiss meant nothing to him. It did! It meant a lot to him, and that was what scared him the most. He shouldn't be kissing Ginny Weasley and enjoying it. Enjoying was a gently word, he had been about to throw her on the table and-NO! He wouldn't think of that. He had Cho, and he loved Cho. There was just something about the beautiful redhead that made his blood run hot. Oh, but now he'd stuffed it. She wouldn't even be his friend now, and he didn't blame her. He'd rejected her so cruelly, straight after a passionate kiss, without even meaning to. God, if anyone knew how to shit in their own nest, it was him. Well done, Harry Potter.
****
After four hours of cleaning, they were finally stopped by Snape. Ginny hadn't spoken a word to Harry since their kiss. Apart from a few accidental moments of contact, she hadn't even looked at him. Harry felt like a complete bastard.
"I hope you've learnt your lesson you two. Miss Weasley, don't you dare ever let me catch you throwing yourself at young wizards again. Especially not those as sad as Creevey." He finished nastily. But Ginny didn't take the bait. She was far too emotionally and physically drained to care. Snape ignored her and turned on Harry,
"And YOU, Potter. Don't you ever try a stupid prank like that again. Your ignorant, backward brain wouldn't even begin to comprehend just how dangerous those acids are." Harry nodded, not caring any more than Ginny did about what Snape said to him.
"Can we just go now?" He asked tiredly. Ginny jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. Snape narrowed his eyes at them both, then waved his hand at them.
"Very well. Here are your wands, get out of my sight now then, or I'll give you another date with your beloved cauldrons." He told them snidely.
Ginny, without a word, left the room. She had a headache and was feeling like she'd hit a bus. She was crying inside and had been doing so ever since Harry had told her that their kiss meant nothing to him. She hurried ahead, so as not to let Harry catch up and finally reached Gryffindor Tower. The time was 12:30, and she was utterly exhausted. She flopped down on her bed in her Dormitory and cried herself to sleep.