10 Past 12

Chapter One

At 11o'clock Ginny Weasley yawned and started to climb the girl's staircase. Just before she was out of sight, Harry Potter caught her eye as she gave him one of her secret smiles. They had been dating secretly ever since Harry had stayed at the Weasley's house over the summer. They had been meeting at 10 past 12 every night. That had been a month ago. Ginny was desperate to tell her brothers about them, but Harry was convinced that they would beat him to a pulp if they ever found out about them.

One hour later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were still sitting in the three best seats by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. "I'm tired, I might go to bed," Harry lied.

"Snape is going to kill me if I don't finish my potions essay!" Whined Ron.

"You still haven't finished that! I finished mine a week ago!" Said the stunned Hermione.

"Just cause you're super fast at homework doesn't mean we all are!" Snarled Ron.

Hermione, looking a little hurt by this said "Well, I'm going to bed then. Goodnight."

"Fine! I will too! Coming Harry?" Growled the angry Ron.

"Be up in a minute." Lied Harry.

Harry sighed. He was tired of lying to Ron and Hermione, but when Ginny came down in a few minutes it would all be worth it.

About ten minutes later, Ginny crept down the girl's staircase and into Harry's arms. Harry had been waiting for this moment all day; he gently kissed her full on the lips. When she pulled back, she smiled and looked deep into his eyes. "Shall we go outside?" Harry questioned.

"Harry! If we get caught…" Ginny wondered.

"Don't worry, I've got my invisibility cloak ready," and he pulled it out from behind the sofa. He threw it round both their shoulders and they hurried down to the lake. There, he kissed her and ran his hands threw her hair for what seemed like hours. When they finally broke apart, Ginny asked "Harry, do you think you could tell Ron about us?"

Even though Harry felt as if he was about to throw up in the lake at the very mention of his name, but he still replied, "Yeh…. I think so…. probably…."

"Really? When?" She replied already getting excited. "Oh! What about at that party thing Fred and George are planning?" She said immediately after.

It took all his concentration not to throw up, but eventually he replied, "Yeh. I'll do it then."

Fred and George were planning an event for the residents of the Gryffindor common room. The girls and boys were going to have a kind of sleepover down in the common room instead of the dormitories. There was going to be food and lots of sleepover games. It was going to be in two evenings time.

The next evening at ten past twelve when everyone one had gone to bed, Harry and Ginny were trying to get some privacy. The first interruption was when they were having a romantic time on the couch and heard voices and footsteps out side the portrait hole. They immediately jumped behind the couch when people came through the portrait hole. George Weasley and Katie Bell came giggling through. "Night George." Katie whispered. George grabbed her round the waist and snogged her passionately.

Katie was half way up her staircase when George said: "Katie?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want this back?"

George pulled out Katie's bra from his pocket. Katie went bright red, ran down the stairs, grabbed the bra and kissed the sniggering George. Half way up the stairs for the second time she said, "You know, I never knew you even got that off." He replied

"I wouldn't mind taking it off again, when are you available?" She threw him a cheeky smile and ran off.

Ginny and Harry were about to explode with laughter by the time George finally went up to his dormitory. They sat back down on the couch and Harry learned forward and gently brushed Ginny's lips with his. They stretched out heir legs along the couch and Harry shifted so that he was on top of her. They lay there kissing until the next interruption.

The second interruption was when they were lying side by side on the couch and Harry was nuzzling her neck gently. He started to tickle her behind he left ear, in her favourite spot. She was softly giggling when she pushed Harry off behind the couch and pulled a near by book up to her face. Harry was about to ask what he'd done wrong, when a rushed Hermione Granger ran down the stairs franticly. "Ginny is that you?"

"Oh Hermione! I couldn't sleep so… so… so I was reading down here." She lied.

"Really? You couldn't sleep either? I was just looking for my book, for some night time reading." Hermione said. "Oh, here it is!" She exclaimed. "Well, night Ginny."

"Night."

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"Has Ron… urm…well…said anything about me lately?"

"Just ask him out! Everyone knows that he's crazy about you, he's just got a funny way of showing it!" said the frustrated Ginny. It seemed as if they had had this conversation many times before.

"Okay, calm down. I am not going to ask him out till I'm sure he likes me."

"Hermione, you're being stupid!"

"No I'm not! If he says no, I'll never be able to face him again! It will ruin our friendship!"

"I suppose. Night Hermione."

"Night Ginny."

Ginny pulled Harry back onto the couch. "What do you think of this Hermione and Ron business?"

"I'm alright about it I suppose. I just wish Ron would ask Hermione out though. He's taking his time isn't he?"

"Yes he is, but that's just how Ron is isn't it?"

"I suppose. But if he doesn't ask her out soon, I'm gonna do it for him."

"I'm tired. Night Harry."

"Night Ginny."

Harry gave her a swift kiss and watched her climb the girl's staircase.

By the time he was in bed Harry realised that at this time tomorrow, he and Ginny would no longer be secretly dating. By thinking this thought, he drifted off to sleep easily.

Harry woke up with a start on Saturday morning. Someone had quickly opened the curtains letting all the light fill the room. Then he heard Ron's voice "Rise and shine Harry!" Harry sat up. He put his hand to his head. What time was it? It was 8 o'clock. He fell back onto his pillows. He had had five hours sleep. Ron drew the curtains of his four-poster and Harry groaned. "What's the matter with you? You look as if you've had no sleep again!" Said a confused Ron. Why was Ron so cheerful anyway? Then he remembered. Ron was so cheerful because today was the morning of the mass sleepover. This is why Harry woken up with a feeling of dread. Today he was to tell Ron about himself and Ginny. He gave an even louder groan and turned over. "Fine. If that's the way you feel, see you later." And Ron left.

It was around midday and Harry and Ron were sitting by the lake in the grounds. Okay, I'll do it now thought Harry. "Ron?"

"Yes mate?"

"Could I ask you something – well more tell you something?"

"Yeh…. What's wrong mate?" Harry started to stutter.

"Urm…Well… the thing is… well…urm…"

"Spit it out mate."

"Could I borrow a quill?"

"Yeh…sure. Are you sure that's all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yeh… I'm sure." Lied Harry.

Why hadn't he told him then? It would of made everything so much easier. Now when he told him, Ron will know that Harry had lied to him before. Why did love have to be so complicated?

It was nine o'clock. Everyone was getting into their pyjamas for the sleepover and heading down to the common room. Harry sighed and fell backwards onto his bed. Everyone in his dorm had gone down to the common room. There was a knock on the door. "Come in." He heard himself say. It was Ginny. He jumped up and went over to her. "Hey you." She said in her cutest voice.

"Hey." He replied.

"Did you tell him?"

"Who?"

"Ron of course! About us?"

" I couldn't! I'm sorry, I was about to, but then I just kind of stopped and asked him for a quill instead." He ended hopelessly.

"Well… you'll have to do it tonight."

"Fine." I few minutes later she said:

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." He took her in his arms and gave her a quick kiss. When he started to pull away, she didn't so he learned forward and started to give her a long deep kiss… The door opened "Oh! Sorry HarWHAT HE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

Harry and Ginny pulled away immediately, but it was too late. He'd already seen them. "Ron…listen, it's not what you think,"

"OH I THINK IT IS!"

"We didn't want you to find out like this…" Ron had his wand out and it was pointed straight at Harry. "Ron, don't do anything stupid," whined Ginny.

"DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?"

At this moment everyone who had been in the common room came running from the noise. The people leading this mob were Fred and George. "What's going on? Ron why have you got your wand out?" They asked.

"WHY HAVE I GOT MY WAND OUT? I JUST WALKED IN ON THEM" he gestured at Harry and Ginny with his wand, "KISSING AND…AND…AND STUFF LIKE THAT."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING POTTER?" The twins yelled simultaneously and drawing their wands.

"FANCIED A SNOG AND GRABBED THE NEAREST VULNERABLE LITTLE GIRL YOU COULD FIND?" This time it was Ginny's turn to shout.

"I AM NOT A LITTLE VULNERABLE GIRL I AM ONLY A YEAR YOUNGER THAN RON!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS GINNY" Fred yelled.

"THIS HAS MORE TO DO WITH ME THAN IT HAS WITH ANY OF YOU!" She said, gesturing at Fred, George and Ron.

"This is my decision and I have decided to go out with Harry."

"Wha… wha… what?"

"Me and Ginny aren't just messing about. I really like her. We're going out now." Harry said suddenly and he put his arm around her.

"You're go… go… going out?" Ron said. George said:

"So… so… you're like a couple now?"

"Yeh. I guess we are." Although Harry was used to having a … girlfriend, he still found it hard saying the word… 'Couple.' Fred however was not convinced. He still had his wand raised and as soon as Harry put his arm around Ginny, he shouted: "HANDS OFF MY SISTER POTTER!" Harry, looking slightly annoyed at this resentfully removed his arm. Suddenly Ginny grabbed his arm and slung it round her shoulders once more. "My BOYFRIEND can put his arm around me if he likes." She said very loudly and confidently to Fred.

"Don't talk to me like that young lady!"

"You can't call me that!"

"I THINK YOU'LL FIND I JUST DID!"

"YOU NEVER CARED WHEN IT WAS MICHAEL OR DEAN, WHY THE SUDDEN INTEREST HARRY?" When she said this she said it with a stare very similar to Mc Gonagal's it frightened Harry.

"BECAUSE… BECAUSE… because… it's well… It's Harry." He finished hopelessly.

"So you're going to stop you're sister's and mine's happiness because it's Harry? This isn't fair. Ginny shouldn't have to get your permission on who she dates just because she's slightly younger! It's our choice!" Said the frustrated Harry. Everyone was silent for a few minutes until:

"How do I know that you won't break her heart or-"

"I WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HURT YOUR FAMILY OR GINNY AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"PROVE IT!"

"I SHOULDN'T NEED TO PROVE IT 'CAUSE I LOVE HER!" The room was silent for five minutes, but then from Ron: "You… you love her?"

"Urm…yes."

"I love him too." Ginny added.

Later That Night

Everyone was sitting round a bottle in the Gryffindor common room.

"Truth or dare Ginny?"

"Truth. I'm I little tired for a dare actually."

"Okay, how long have you and Harry been secretly dating?" She paused for a minute, but then: "Since Harry came to stay at the Burrow which would have been about a… month ago." Ginny span the bottle and it landed on Ron.

"Truth or dare Ron?"

"Truth."

"Excellent. I got a great one for you. Do you fancy Hermione?" Neville shrieked with excitement and fell over whereas most people just gasped. Ron however went bright red. It was about five minutes before he answered:

"Yes." Now it was Hermione's turn to go red.

"Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her!" Came the chants from everyone around the circle until Ron leaned right over and snoged her full in the face. Everyone was 'ahhhhing' or cheering when they broke apart and they had the biggest grins on their faces Harry had ever seen them have.

The games seemed to go on forever until people started to drift off to sleep. Harry and Ginny however stayed whispering for the whole night.

The Next Morning

By morning the news of Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione had passed around the school. On the way to potions they were stopped by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. "So is it true? The mudblood and the weasel have hooked up?"

"Shut your mouth Malfoy!" Harry yelled.

"Oh and you Potter. I wouldn't of expected you to go for a Weasley. Now that you're with one don't you agree that they're rather pathetic?" Hermione and Harry had to hold back Ron from pouncing of Malfoy at this point.

"What do you think of the new boy then? He arrived here this morning. He's come all the way from Durmstrang, his name is Joseph Krum."

"Krum?" Asked Hermione weakly.

"Yes mudblood, Victor Krum's little brother has just been transferred to Hogwarts and is in Slytherin house." At this Malfoy wandered off to potions.