Lady in Red

a/n: this chapter is dedicated to hplovesme for taking the time to go through my stories and leave really awesome reviews! Thanks a lot!
CHAPTER THREE

Ron, who Harry was expecting to appear quite some time before, hustled over anxiously, knocking several couples apart in his haste.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" he demanded, eyeing them all beadily and giving off an almost Percy-like air.

"Hush, Ron," pacified Hermione, patting his arm. "It's alright."

"Alright? Alright! Michael—bloody—Corner getting hand-happy with my sister is alright with you?"

"Of course not, but Harry handled it…" Hermione's voice was soon lost amid the music as she and Ron drifted away, leaving Harry and Ginny standing rather stupidly in awkward silence.

"Hi," he said finally, for the sake of conversation.

"Hi," she replied shortly, folding her arms and focusing on a spot just beyond his shoulder.

"What's up with you?" Harry asked, surprised at her snippiness.

Ginny glared up at him with evident sarcasm. "Does saving the entire wizarding race just not do it for you, Potter? Now you have to pull the hero bit everywhere you go?"

"I wasn't trying to be a hero," said Harry, stung by the injustice of her words. "I saw Corner being a prat and set him straight. I was trying—" he put emphasis on the final words—"to be a friend."

"Yeah, well, I don't need a hero and I don't need a friend like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't ever recall sending out the damsel in distress signal!" snapped Ginny, frustrated. "I could've dealt with Michael on my own, and I would've done if you hadn't come gallivanting about—"

"What if I told you," interrupted Harry quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder, "there was another reason?"
"Which would be what, exactly?" Ginny asked, watching him curiously, a self-scolding softness in her gaze.
"That these eyes were living up to their reputation."

"You were…jealous?" Ginny said incredulously, "The famous Harry Potter, jealous of a drunk who tried to get frisky with the first thing in dress robes that moved?"
"If by 'drunk' you mean ex-boyfriend, and by 'thing in dress robes' you mean the most breath-taking girl in the room, then, yeah, that sounds about right."

A small blush tinged Ginny's cheeks and she reluctantly returned Harry's apologetic grin.
"So I suppose you're going to ask me to dance now, just to even the score?"
"If you allow me the pleasure," Harry said, bowing.
"Fine," Ginny mock-sighed. "But only if you do one thing."
"Name it," he agreed, taking her hand.
"Dance like nobody's watching."

---

...The lady in red is dancing with me cheek to cheek

There's nobody here, it's just you and me,

It's where I want to be

But I hardly know this beauty by my side

I'll never forget the way you look tonight...

---

After wearing out the bottoms of their shoes quite effectively, compliments of the dance floor, and doing quite a bit of catching up, Harry and Ginny took a stroll outside, along the shoulder of the lake, laughing fondly.

"And do you remember that one time Snape nearly caught us in the greenhouses?" She recalled, biting her lip in deceitful pleasure.

"He wouldn't have seen anything, the glass was all foggy…" he said, matching her roguish tone.

Their chuckles melted into a warm blanket of peacefulness around them as Ginny reached up to wrap her arms around Harry's neck.

"Thank you for coming, Harry," she said seriously, laying her head upon his chest.

"Thank you for making me want to," he replied, toying with her rebellious curls.

"How so?"

"Tonight I remembered—and you have unnecessarily re-proven—what a compassionate, wonderful, understanding, and independent person you are." Harry admitted, staring out at the lake wistfully. "I was blind to ignore it, stupid to forget it, and foolish to deny it."

Ginny pulled his face down to hers, both hands on his cheeks. "I can't believe I tried to forget about you, either. Merlin knows I tried, but the main reason I failed was because I never really wanted to. There was no way I could keep you out of my life."

"Maybe the ones that linger were never meant to go," Harry whispered, hearing Lupin's voice in his head as he looked into Ginny's eyes.
"What?" she asked, smiling.

"Lupin told me that."

"Smart man," she said, wondering if Harry was feeling the same way she was at the moment.

"Ginny," said Harry suddenly, causing Ginny's heart to jump, "The reason I ran was because I didn't want to lose you. But I'm tired of running. I want to start over—no more crazy games; just a new chance, a new legacy. And I want you to do it with me."

"Oh Harry, do you mean it?" Ginny sighed, ecstatic at the idea that they would be together again.

"Yeah," he said, feeling lighthearted, scooping her up in a fierce bear hug and swinging her around, "I really do."
He got down on one knee.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley…I want you to marry me."

Ginny felt her eyes widen, her hands at her mouth.

"Oh, Harry…"

"So…erm…will you?" he asked, aware of the fact he was very bad at this. Perhaps the reason she wasn't answering was because he had no ring. Harry mentally raged at himself, thinking that even girls as un-materialistic as Ginny still deserved to be proposed to with something circular and encrusted with diamonds…or would a simple golden band do? Where exactly does a wizard go to buy an engagement ring, anyway? Is it still considered essential to ask the father for permission for his daughter's hand? And how long are couples engaged for before the wedding? What about the church, and the wedding court? Well, Ron would be best man, that was a given—

"No." Ginny's gentle voice broke doused Harry's blazing thoughts like ice water.
"W…what?"
"No," she said again, a bit stronger. It looked as if it were causing her every ounce of courage she possessed to be this resilient.
"But…why? I thought you…loved me…"

Ginny could no longer bear to look at that face, spattered with confusion, those eyes, contorted with sorrow. Instead, she spoke to the stars; Millions, billions of stars—stars everywhere, stretched across the ebony sky like so many little glowing Snitches…

"I do, but…Harry, we love each other as friends, adore each other as lovers. We don't see each other as…as partners yet, and that's one of the most important things in marriage. I don't want you to have to be a hero forever. You have to learn to let someone care for you in return."

"Yeah…" said Harry heavily, getting to both feet. "Yeah, you're right. Besides, we're both still young, there are plenty of blokes you could be out chasing…"

Snape passed by then, fresh from escorting Michael Corner off the school grounds. He shot them a suspicious look.

Ginny snorted. "No one like that, I promise you," she said, once Snape was out of listening range. "But that's not what I mean, Harry," she continued, taking his hands. "We can still be together…you know, dating."

"Well…I'm not sure I want to anymore," he said, grinning slyly at her. "I just had my first ever marriage proposal rejected. I…am…inconsolable," he choked theatrically, flinging the back of his hand upon his forehead.

"In that case," said Ginny, playing along, "Perhaps I should go find my darling Snape. Oh, Sevviekins…"

Harry gave a tragic sigh. "Alas, I must save him—"

"Hey!"

"—and you, from that horrific fate. Ginny Weasley," he pleaded, placing both hands over his heart, "be mine."
"If you insist," she said, giggling and meshing his fingers with hers.

Harry swiftly pulled her into the crook of his arm, dipped her backwards, and kissed his girl, because the best stories are always sealed with a kiss.

a/n: come on… :prods reader: you know you weren't expecting that! come on, admit it. Aha, and fear not, for this is NOT the last chapter, no sir it is not. We still have the oh-so-wonderful Potter-Weasley Wedding!

Reviewers get a cookie! The BEST reviewer gets their way with Sevviekins:growl:

ahem. Please excuse the sugar rush. It can only be quelled by reviews.

un beso dulce,
HiPa