IMPORTANT: I need to clarify a few aspects of this story that may have been a bit vague. First of all, when Harry apparated into Ron's bedroom in the second chapter he did not catch Hermione and Ron having sex. They were strictly making out, though clothing was a bit undone. They had only been dating for four days at that point and, although they had been friends for many years, Hermione didn't want to move that fast. Not to say she won't change her mind toward the end of the summer…

Also, I think people were confused when I said that I'm not English. What I should have said was that I'm not British. I'm from the US, so I was referring to any British lingo that I might be missing in the conversations between the characters. Sorry about the confusion.

I'm so glad that more people are finally reviewing this story! It definitely makes me want to write more (and more quickly). Thank you SOOOOO much for all the feedback. Please keep it coming!

Chapter 5: Diagon Alley

Ginny was glad to have escaped from Ron and Hermione, not only because their bickering was irritating, but because this left her alone with Harry. Which was all she had ever really wanted. For the first time in her life reality had surpassed her dreams. Here she was, after all, walking hand-in-hand with Harry down the busy streets of Diagon Alley. He was saying something to her, probably about Quidditch, but she couldn't seem to grasp onto his words because his closeness was overwhelming her senses. She wanted nothing more than to drag him into the nearest alley and snog him senseless. But that would probably be considered unladylike. And might possibly scare him off. Though he had seemed quite content during their previous 'alone time' together. If she could only get him to stop being so damn noble and not pull away every time things started getting heavy. That would be satisfying. In more than one way, she reckoned.

She was shocked at this thought. Well, actually, shocked wasn't the word. Something more like 'intrigued' or 'mildly surprised' would have sufficed. For, though she had never seriously considered going very far with her previous boyfriends, she had just come to realize the reason behind that fact. She had, in effect, been saving herself for Harry Potter. She knew that it was childish and silly for her to hold out for her brother's best friend when he had barely talked to her in all their years of knowing (well, more like being aware of) each other. Still, something inside of her wouldn't let her fall out of love with the older boy, and she knew she would never be able to go 'all the way' with just anybody. She would have to be completely and utterly committed to the boy in question with all of her heart, body, and soul.

Harry satisfied all of her requirements, making the fact that he refused to let physical encounters get too, well, physical even harder to bear.

She had first discovered that her little-girl crush on Harry Potter had become love when, the year before, she had been checked into the hospital wing after yet another sadistic plot of Voldemort's had nearly been successful. Harry had been on the cot next to her sleeping, for it was close to midnight. She had only just regained consciousness and her ragged and beaten body was seized up in pain and stiffness. She remembered lying there in the darkness with tears leaking out of her eyes as she relived the terrors of the attack.

Ever since fifth year Ginny had been included in Ron's circle of friends which, of course, included Harry. She had mastered her feelings for him as best she could and forced them to lie dormant. It was the only way for her to be in a platonic relationship with him, and if she couldn't convince him to see her romantically, she would have to settle with friendship. They had grown rather close, well, at least in terms of what they had been previously, which was nothing at all. It had therefore been a given, to her if to no one else, that when the time came for Harry to face down more than twenty Death Eaters on a visit to Hogsmeade, her place was at his side.

Ron and Hermione had been at the castle, having been detained by prefect duties, and had sent Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville ahead with plans to meet up at The Three Broomsticks. They had never gotten the opportunity.

Harry had sensed it first, though not because of his scar. To this day Ginny didn't know what had alerted him to the fact that they were being watched, but when he had stopped suddenly in the middle of the street and grabbed her hand to silently relate to her that something wasn't right, she too had felt it. It wasn't a tangible presence so much as a bitter taste in her mouth. Like blood and metal. She could feel her skin crawl and her heart slow in its pumping. It was as if time was standing still and she and Harry alone were able to move.

And that's exactly what it was. Everyone around them was frozen in time, some with one foot in the air, in an eternal stepping motion, others with their mouths hanging slightly open, caught mid-sentence. But she and Harry had been unaffected.

Looking back on it, Ginny knew that her immunity to the spell was only because she was grasping Harry's hand at the time of its casting, not because the Death Eaters had singled her out as especially important to Harry or to the Order of the Phoenix. Exactly why she was still able to move was not important at the time, however, as her immediate endangerment was preoccupying her thoughts.

Harry had pulled her to the side of a building and jerked her down behind a big cauldron filled with bewitched flowers. She was too caught up in the moment to be scared, though the tears after the event were sign enough that the experience had been extremely trying, both emotionally and physically.

The Death Eaters had appeared moments later, spilling into the streets from seemingly nowhere. She and Harry had shared one look, forcing determination and support into their gazes to suffuse the other with hope, before casting any spell that came to mind at the men and women in black. It had been dizzying. Harry had been struck early on, as it was he they were primarily after and she just a nuisance, but had managed to drag himself and his wounded leg out of the way and give Ginny enough time to throw a shield over them. He had been badly hurt, his leg rapidly losing blood, but he had not really seemed to notice. Instead, he quickly attempted to clot the wound and then stood shakily.

She supposed he had noticed that her power was rapidly failing her, as she had been struck with a leeching spell, and that that was why he had pushed her back and broken her concentration, forcing her to drop the protection charm so that she wasn't wasting her energy on him. She had fought the blackness off for as long as possible, managing to help Harry stop all but about five of their attackers before collapsing.

Ginny had awoken, frightened and unaware of the outcome of the battle, in the hospital wing. At first she had been consumed by panic, but upon spotting the sleeping form of Harry on the bed beside her, she had calmed a little. Though not enough to prevent the full weight of what had happened from crashing down on her. A sob had escaped her lips, try as she might to repress it, and erupted like an enormous hiccup into the stillness. After that she couldn't keep the emotions from spilling out of her in the form of burning tears and uncontrollable sniffles. Her eyes were squeezed shut to stop the flow and her body was shaking with suppressed sobs when she felt the hand on her shoulder.

Harry didn't have to say anything; she could see it all in his eyes as he gathered her into his arms. It was the first real hug she had received from him since her awakening in the Chamber of Secrets, and surprise more than anything else was what finally put an end to her tears. She clung to him even after she had calmed, and not because of her crush, but because it was comforting to know she wasn't alone, that she had a person to share the trauma with who understood what the experience had been like. It was a while before she realized that it was no longer she who was shaking and bitterly wishing away the tears, but Harry. And it was at that moment, when she hid her blotchy and tear-stained face in the folds of Harry's shirt as he cried silently into her hair, it was then that she knew she loved him.

It had been doubly hard to keep her true feelings repressed, but Ginny knew it was the only way to keep Harry in her life. And so, as their friendship thickened in the wake of the attack, she suffered her heartache silently and behind a smiling façade. As it became obvious, to everyone accept those directly involved, that is, that Ron and Hermione were mad for each other, Harry became more and more attached to her. They spent many an-evening together, playing wizarding chess, talking amiably of nothing in particular, discussing quietly dark turns of events, and sometimes, her favorite times, in companionable silence. It was then that she could pretend that they were more than just friends, and Harry would often catch her staring into the fire with a happily glazed expression on her face. Then came the summer, the renewed rush of her feelings for him, and, finally, his return of at least some of her affection. And—

"Sorry, what?" Ginny was startled to ascertain that Harry had just asked her a question.

"I asked you if you wanted any ice cream." Harry was giving her an odd look, as if trying to figure out whether she had been paying even the slightest bit of attention to him at any point of their one-sided conversation. He finally decided that it didn't matter either way, as he was happy just to be with her. Especially in a place where there was no chance of his becoming lost in temptation and doing…well, ungodly things to the girl standing next to him.

"Oh, yeah, that sounds great!"

Ginny ordered Witch's Cauldron, which turned out to be mint ice cream in a black waffle-type cone topped with an odd assortment of, gulp, moving candy pieces. Harry, with the more conventional taste of the two, decided to play it safe and order Moose Tracks, momentarily forgetting that the vaguely familiar Muggle brand would probably be a little different in the wizarding world. He was so shocked to find upon taking a bite that the contents of his mouth were moving that he accidentally dropped his cone on the ground. Ginny only laughed merrily and licked her dripping ice cream, making overly-dramatic groaning sounds and squeezing hers shut as though experiencing the most delicious treat of her life. Harry eyed her cone wearily, knowing that her toppings were moving just as much as his had been.

"This is bloody delicious, Harry! Thank you so much." Ginny grinned wickedly at him, daring him with her eyes to try to get a bite. Well, if it was a game she wanted to play…

Harry stooped to steal a lick of her ice cream, but Ginny was far too quick, having expected him to do just this. She jerked her hand up just as he made his attempt, getting the gooey mess all around his lips in the process. She grinned with joy, backed him up against the brick wall next to which they were standing, and proceeded to kiss the ice cream away from around his mouth. She let her cone drop to the ground as she wrapped her arms around his neck and attacked his lips, having cleaned his face proficiently. Harry laughed into her mouth and lifted her slightly off the ground as he kissed her back.

"Ah, well if it isn't the great Harry Potter. Looks like you've got the littlest Weasel with you, too. What, has the whore-house run out of all respectable candidates already? Or have you just gone through all the others and only this rot was left?" Malfoy sneered at the two teens, who had immediately broken away at the sound of his obnoxious drawl.

Harry advanced a step toward the offending blonde boy but was stayed by Ginny's gentle yet insistent hold on his arm.

"Oh, Draco, what a lovely surprise! I wasn't aware you were so knowledgeable on the subject of prostitutes. Though, with looks like that I should have guessed. You must have been forced to go to the local brothel for your Triwizard Ball date, after all. Is that where you found that Parkinson girl, too? Or did you just pick her up from off the streets. I honestly thought you had better taste than that, but appearances can be most deceiving." Ginny spat the words at Malfoy and shot daggers with her eyes, hand positioned over her wand. She hoped it wouldn't progress from insults, however, as she was still an under-aged witch and therefore not allowed to cast spells outside of school.

"How dare you address me! As if to insinuate that we are equal, when it is obvious who is of more worthy blood. You filthy slut!"

This time a stampede of raging rhinos wouldn't have been able to stop Harry from taking a swing at Malfoy.

"You arrogant son-of-a-bitch! You're not worth the mud on the sole of any one of the Weasley's shoes!" With a resounding crack Harry's fist met Draco's jaw, quite obviously breaking it.

To the surprise of both Harry and Ginny, Malfoy didn't attempt to fight back, magically or otherwise, and instead gently rubbed his jaw and spat blood at their feet.

"Touchy, aren't we, Potter. I know someone who will be very interested in knowing that you protect the female Weasley with such vigor. Information such as this is…priceless. I'd watch myself if I were you. You have no idea the kind of power the Dark Lord possesses. But you'll find out soon. Very soon." Draco narrowed his eyes with his last words, spit again, and turned on his heel, a smirk playing on his lips as well as a broken jaw would allow.

Harry was breathing heavily with rage, his fists clenched at his sides, face red. Ginny, angered that Malfoy had upset their day together, wrenched his thoughts off of a rather detailed play-by-play of what he would like to do to the Slytherin if he could act without repercussions. She turned him bodily around to face her, hands firmly on his soldiers, and looked him straight in the eye.

"Forget him, Harry. He's not worth your time. All those things he says are just to get you angry, so by getting worked up over his juvenile insults you are letting him win. And he definitely doesn't deserve to win. Now, this day can still be salvaged. It is sunny, we are in Diagon Alley and, most importantly, we are with each other. I can think of at least one way in which to spend our time together, and I do plan on having my way. Alright?" Her wide, muddy-brown eyes bored through the callous exterior that Malfoy's presence had invocated in Harry.

He smiled gently and shook his mind clear of everything the Slytherin had said, knowing full well that the words would occupy his thoughts that night and prevent him from sleeping.

Ten minutes later the couple could be found sitting at a picnic table outside of Honeydukes with two piles of candy, equally distributed, and a deck of cards (the royals were moving and making indignant remarks and there were witch hats, cauldrons, wands, and potion vials in place of Muggle suits).

"Alright, then," Harry began as he dealt, "the name of the game is candy poker. You know the rules, right?" At the exasperated look she was giving him he figured that, since it had been her idea, she probably did know.

Ginny surveyed her hand with seeming indifference and bet five Bertie Botts Beans. Harry, feeling pretty good about his pair of sevens, raised her a chocolate frog. Ginny raised her eyebrows at him, but said nothing and complied with the terms. They each traded in two cards and alternatively studied their hands and the face of their opponent.

Glancing down, Ginny was slightly irked to see she was only ace high. Rather than fold she decided to try her luck at bluffing and so allowed a small grin to dance across her lips. She didn't want to overdo her pretend excitement, but she certainly wanted Harry to notice. Which, of course, he did. After all, how was he supposed not to watch her face when there was the dual benefit of her beauty and of deciphering her hand by her expression.

"One cauldron cake and three jawbreakers," Ginny announced, pushing the mentioned sweets into the pile in the middle of the table and laughing softly at the memory of Malfoy's jaw, well, breaking.

"I fold. You know, Ginny, you should work on your poker face. That little smile gave your hand away."

"You mean, this hand," she replied innocently, allowing Harry to see her none-too impressive cards. She laughed lightly at the expression on his face, reveling in her victory. "You know, Harry," she continued, mimicking his tone of voice, "you should really work on reading your opponent's face. It might help you in your game."

Harry tried to look severe at her jest, but was unable to resist her infectious smile and joking mannerisms. He chuckled good-naturedly and started re-shuffling the deck.

"Harry, Ginny! There you are. We've been looking all over for you both." Hermione was forcing her way through the crowds toward them, Ron hot on her heels. "Ron and I have just come from Flourish and Blotts. Did you know that the author of Hogwarts: A History has added an installment to his series? Now it includes all sorts of wonderful information on every headmaster and what each added to the school. I've bought it, so if either of you two are interested…Harry! What happened to your hand?" Her face, flushed with the exertion of navigating through the busy streets and with the excitement of her discovery, had suddenly darkened with concern as she gently reached out to examine his slightly bloody knuckles. In the aftermath of the Malfoy incident he had completely forgotten about what damage the punch might have caused himself.

"Oh, I didn't even notice. A few minutes ago Ginny and I ran into Malfoy. He said…well, it doesn't matter exactly what his comments were, but, as you can imagine, he was completely deserving of what he got."

"Harry broke Malfoy's jaw," Ginny said matter-of-factly with more than a hint of pride in the dark-haired boy's accomplishment.

"Bloody brilliant!" As always, Ron was far from concerned about the reasons behind any bodily injury to Malfoy and was just glad to know that he had received some. "I can't believe I missed that. Too busy walking through that ruddy bookstore."

"Ronald, how could you say that? Bookshops are wonderful places full of knowledge. Don't even begin to say otherwise. You know very well that, without all that research I've done over the years, we probably would have gotten ourselves killed by now!" All thought of Harry's injury, it seemed, had momentarily slipped Hermione's mind as she reprimanded her boyfriend in earnest.

Hurriedly trying to avoid a full-blown argument between his two best friends, Harry cleared his throat and attempted to distract them. "You two want to join us in a game of candy poker?" He wriggled his eyebrows comically and was rewarded with responses in the affirmative.

The four friends had exhausted their candy supply about twenty minutes later (though they all denied having eaten even a single piece) and so were just sitting and enjoying each other's company. Ron, compliments of his lack of tact, managed to ruin the relaxed conversation and create friction all in one go.

"So, Harry, exactly what are your intentions with my baby sister? You two haven't…you know, done anything I wouldn't approve of?"

"First of all," Ginny was quick to cut in, "I'm only a year younger than you and in the same grade, so you really can't call me a 'baby'. Secondly, not that it's any of your business, Harry's too much of a gentleman to allow any situations to…get out of hand. And thirdly, what we do together is none of your concern. If we wanted to the polka in our knickers it really wouldn't make a difference what you had to say about it."

Ron's face had turned bright red as he looked from his sister to his best mate. "Pok-poka in your…WHAT! Ginevra Weasley, don't you dare ever do anything that involves you, Harry, and knickers! I just, really disturbing, never in my…" He was spluttering slightly and, had it been any other situation, Ginny might have found this endearing. Unfortunately for her brother, the fiery redhead didn't like having people tell her what to do.

Ginny glared daggers at the boy sitting beside a decidedly pink Harry, collecting her most potent language for the telling off to come. Hermione, knowing from experience when a terrible feud was about to ensue, quickly stepped in.

Putting a hand on the small girl fuming next to her, Hermione fixed her eyes on her boyfriend. "Ronald, Ginny has some very valid points. Now, I'm not taking sides, just hear me out. I know that you feel the need to protect your sister but, honestly, this is Harry we're talking about. He would never intentionally hurt anyone and he knows how to appreciate those who truly care about him. He may act rashly at time ("Thanks, Hermione") but his heart is always in the right place. And Ginny is no little girl. She is practically my age, after all. How would you feel if, say, Harry acted the way you are now when he first saw us together? What if he got all worked up and demanded you not touch me again?" Hermione could see her logic was slowly making sense in Ron's head.

"Well, er…okay, I see your point. I won't tell you two what you can and can't do. Just, spare me the details. I am honestly happy for you, don't get me wrong, it's just…Ginny, you're my sister and I don't want to see you get hurt. I know you'll do right by her, Harry. You will, won't you? ("Ronald!") Yes, er, of course you will. Right, then…" Ron trailed off and gave them all an apologetic shrug.

"Oh, Ron, it's alright. Just don't act all weird every time I do this," Ginny said, leaning across the table and giving Harry a quick kiss on the lips.

"Arg, Ginny!" Ron blanched slightly and pretended to be stricken blind by the sight.

"Oh, come off it, you prat. I was just lightening the mood!"

The atmosphere relaxed once again as conversation drifted on to other things. They walked aimlessly around, occasionally stopping to buy needed items or just to browse through the stores. When they finally met Mrs. Weasley at the appointed time it was dark and hunger had set in.

They obediently entered the fireplace and took the floo back the Burrow where they all rushed up to their respective rooms to drop off their purchases and get ready for dinner. As they all rejoined in the kitchen, an owl swept in through the open window and stuck out its leg after landing on the table.

Hermione carefully untied the letters and offered the regal bird a nibble of bread before it took flight once again, exiting the way it had come. She diligently passed each envelope to the proper recipient and tore open her own.

"Oh! I've made Head Girl," Hermione squealed with delight. "I'll have to memorize this list of duties and…Ron, what is it?"

Ron, his face twisted into a slightly queasy expression, stared unblinkingly down at the letter in his hands. "It, er, it says that…I'm Head Boy."

"That's magnificent! We will be sharing duties, then. I bet that we will be able to work wonders for the S.P.E.W organization now that we have more authority. Just think of the difference we can make!"

Ron, still wearing an expression of dread, read and re-read the words before him. He couldn't fathom the reasons behind his being appointed Head Boy. And the grief he would receive from Fred and George was sure to be unprecedented. At the moment he could think of no way in which this news was good.

"Oh, Ronald, doesn't this mean that you and Hermione will be sharing your own common room? Whole separate living situation, I believe. I guess you two will have plenty of peace and quiet," Ginny said slyly, smirking at her brother and a rather pink Hermione.

"Yes, well…" Hermione began, trying to appear as though mention of their sleeping arrangements were of no importance. A blush was darkening her complexion, however, as she fully comprehended the fact that she and Ron would be all alone in their own apartment, essentially.

"Should be just perfect for studying," Harry added, sounding entirely too innocent.

"That will be nice, don't you think?" Mrs. Weasley, obviously unaware of any inferred reference to illicit behavior, said with a smile. "That way maybe you can crack down on Ron this year and make him raise his grades. Don't be afraid to ride him hard, the boy can take it. He's just not used to actually applying himself, but with your help, Hermione, I'm sure he can become a new man."

Ron and Hermione both sat very rigidly, not daring to glance anywhere other than their empty plates lest a suggestive look from Harry or Ginny further embarrass them.

"What does you letter say, dear," Mrs. Weasley continued, gesturing toward the unopened envelope in front of Ginny.

The red-head tore open the parchment and read with hungry eyes the words scrawled across it in green ink.

"Merlin," she breathed, a curious look of delight and disbelief on her face. "Mum, I got co-Quidditch captain! Doesn't say who the other one is, though." With that, Ginny turned an expectant gaze on Harry, who had just finished skimming his own letter.

"Yeah, me too. Says here that McGonagall thinks that my experience and ability as seeker to survey the whole game combined with your techniques and natural leadership capabilities will help us train the team. That should be fun." Harry grinned widely and folded his letter back up, reaching for a second envelope that bore his name in iridescent ink. He stopped abruptly, however, when he saw written quite clearly on the backside of the letter: Open privately; Content is confidential.

Harry frowned slightly, feeling his stomach clench in nervous anticipation of what the parchment might contain. He quickly slid it into the pocket of his jeans and tried not to draw attention to his actions. Only Ginny noticed his sudden change in mood and the fact that he had hidden something from sight. With suspicious eyes, she watched him intently as he forced a smile on his face and joined in Ron and Hermione's conversation about the pros and cons of being Head Boy and Girl.

Harry, sensing someone's gaze, turned to see Ginny giving him a worried look. He leaned in close to her and, in the pretense of giving her a kiss on the cheek, whispered: "Later". She nodded her head curtly and then giggled so as to keep up the charade of their flirting. Both couldn't wait to escape the dinner table.

That part with the ice cream is from a movie…can anybody guess which one? Anyways, please review. Feedback keeps me going!