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Deep Inside

Chapter Five

Twelve Years Old: Thanks For Helping

Ginny batted off Madam Pomfrey's hands. "I'm fine! This is ridiculous. I'm tired is all! I don't need a stretcher to get to the Hospital Wing, and I don't need you hovering around me like I'm about to die!"

Harry laid a hand on her arm to save Madam Pomfrey's neck. "Gin, hush. Madam Pomfrey, why don't you go on back to the Hospital Wing to get it ready for us? I will escort Ms. Weasley and be sure she takes it easy. Don't worry, I can handle her," he said, putting on his most wining smile. Ginny watched as the kindly matron relented, bustling around gathering her things before exiting through the portrait hole.

Ginny jumped as she felt a hand around her waist. Harry whispered in her ear, "Lean on me, walk slowly, and act a little weak." She nodded and they started out of the Common Room. She expected the hand to move as soon as they were out of the portrait hole, because she knew Harry didn't like her like that. He was only looking out for his best mate's little sister, his friend. He had gone through this before, he said, and he wanted her to have someone to talk to.

When the portrait closed, Harry's hand remained where it was. With a gentle push, he increased their speed, but headed for an empty classroom rather than the Hospital Wing they were supposed to go to.

He steered them in it, unaware of the thoughts his hand sent her to. She loved him so much, but he didn't return it... She recalled her second year at Hogwarts, and her brothers' 'help'...

The four youngest Weasleys took a detour on the way to The Leaky Cauldron during their stay in Diagon Alley. Ginny was kind of nervous, mostly because the twins were being serious. What was so important and so secret that they had to go this way?

"Ginny," began Fred, "We have noticed that seem to be attracted to our friend."

"That's not going to turn out good for you," continued George.

"Because," Ron added, "I know he isn't ready for anything like that. He's only thirteen!"

"What we're trying to say is that..." George trailed off, hopeless.

"Harry is not the person for you to, uh," Fred helped.

"Fancy." George looked pleased for coming up with the missing word. "Yet. Ever, maybe. Mum..."

"Would be ever so pleased to marry her little girl off to Harry Potter"

"But he's not ready"

"For you"

"Yet."

Ro jumped in. "So the point is, we're going to help you. We've decided that if you..."

"Have no chance to be around him"

"Then you might hopefully not like him"

"Shut up you two!" said Ron, looking affronted. Two years with Hermione had taught him what this meant, so he used the look as often as possible. Even when he meant annoyed. "Point is, we're going to keep you away from him for a while. To help you. Maybe in the future we'll set you up with him, but not yet, okay?"

They took her wordless mouthing as agreement.

"Ginny? You dropped this." Harry put her Publishing Book in her hand. She flipped to the next page and silently read the words she had written that year.

Have you ever loved so much it made you hurt?

Have you ever hurt so much your insides crumpled?

Have you ever been denied a chance with your love?

This is how I feel.

She was suddenly aware of Harry's hand still residing quite comfortably on her waist. He sat her down in a chair as she snapped her book closed, striving to put the memories behind her and concentrate on Harry, who was removing his hand finally. He sat on a desk across from her.

"Gin, Can I ask you something?" he asked hesitantly.

She wondered what was up, but nodded for him to go on.

"Have you given up on me?" He looked at the floor, at he walls, anywhere but at her.

Whatever she had expected, it certainly hadn't been this. "Oh, Harry," she tried to explain, "you can't really give up on love. One day, you think, one day he might come around. One day, he might love you back. One day..." She sighed. "Why?"

He ignored her question. "But what about Michael Corner, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Colin, even Dennis Creevey and Euan Abercrombie? If you hadn't given up on me then..."

"To distract myself," she cut in. "To distract myself form the painful reality that was you. So I could get to know you as a friend without you feeling pressured. So Gred and Forge would stop bothering me. That's why. So why do you ask?" She was determined to make him say what was on his mind. If he had finally noticed her...he had to say it.

"Because, well, I reckon I love you, Gin. Ever since last year...I love you. But I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable about it, so I waited. It just felt right now." He finally looked at her, his eyes full of love and pleading with her to understand.

She nodded and reached out to him. "Oh, Harry, I love you too."

Hugging, they eventually rose to continue towards the Hospital wing.