A/N: Here is chapter 4, happy reading and I hope you like it! Let me know what you think by posting a review I'd love to hear your oppinion! Thanks to Brett my Beta.

Chapter 4

The next two weeks went well. Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff and were favored to win the school championship. Legilimancey lessons were going well and Ginny had not has a vision yet, which she was grateful for. She was ready though. She knew the difference between a common dream and a dream state vision. She also knew techniques to keep her from reliving the visions as she had been doing with her first.

The weekend of the Hogsmead visit rolled around. Ginny decided that staying at the castle would be best. She knew she would be the forth wheel on a tricycle if she went along. She did not mind so much, due to the coming war quite a few restrictions were put on students who went off grounds. She set herself up in the Common Room with a cozy blanket and a book on Legilimancey. She no reason to move all day.

"Gin! Does this mean you aren't going?"

"Sorry Harry, no. I just want to stay here."

"But…how come?"

"I just don't feel like tagging along, that's all."

"You wouldn't be."

"Yes I would and you know it."

"Well if you would be tagging along then I would be too."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked, disbelievingly.

"Hermione didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what? I haven't seen her all morning."

"Ron finally got around to asking her to be his girlfriend and believe it or not she said yes."

"Well it's about time. They act like my mum and dad, it's only natural," she laughed.

Harry sat down beside her on the couch. He looked, to her, as if he had no intention of going anywhere either. He pulled at her blanket until it gave and set that part over his lap just as she had done. Ginny watched, amused by the determined look on her face.

"What are you doing?"

"If you're not going I'm certainly not going. I don't need to be witness to their first snogging session."

"Fair enough."

At that moment Ron and Hermione made their appearance.

"Are you two coming?" Ron inquired, blind to how settled Ginny and Harry were on the couch.

"No, you to go ahead we're staying here."

"Harry come on!"

"No, you to go find a nice private booth at the Three Broomsticks and snog, we are staying here to do some homework."

It was as if the mention of kissing had woken Ron's senses and he then noticed that both Harry and Ginny were under the same blanket.

"Homework my eye! What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh come off it Ronald! You were just saying how you wished Harry would get his act together and ask her out. Uh…did I just say that out loud?"

"Yes you did," Harry answered, blushing profusely.

"I don't care, asking someone out and getting frisky under a blanket on a comfortable couch are two totally different things!"

"For goodness sake Ronald get a grip! You don't really think I am that kind of girl do you?" Ginny retorted, embarrassed by her brothers display.

"Here Ron, if this makes you happy, I won't even touch her, ever!" Harry yelled, throwing the blanket off himself as Ginny's heart sank. "I'm your best friend and you don't even trust me? I can understand Dean or Seamus and especially Malfoy but come on! You know I'd never do anything to hurt Ginny!"

Ron settled down. He nodded at Harry in apology and walked out of the Common Room after Hermione who was fuming almost as much as Harry. Harry just sat there with his arms crossed over his chest. Ginny could see the muscle in his jaw twitch because he had his teeth clenched so tightly. She couldn't help think he was cute when he was mad but she needed to lighten the mood. If she didn't she might be sitting next to the grouchiest man at Hogwarts for the rest of the day.

"So Harry if Ron can get a girlfriend how come you don't have one?" She asked in her most playful, teasing voice.

His crooked smile peaked through and he grabbed his end of the blanket and wrapped himself in it once again.

"The perfect girl hasn't asked me to to be her boyfriend yet," he teased back. "Seriously though, after the whole thing with Cho and…I just don't think it would be wise."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that all the people I have really loved have ended up getting hurt or killed. It's better I not get involved is all."

"What are you talking about?" She asked gently peering into his brilliant green eyes.

"Sirius, my parents, your dad…you."

She could not break his defenses. Like so many times before he had used Occlumency to keep her at a distance. He was much better at it than she was at Legilimancey. She wanted so badly to delve into his emotions, to know what he really felt and to show him how she felt. It seemed like it would be so much easier than trying to tell him.

"Do you ever let that wall down?" She asked with a surge of bold emotion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Occlumency, you are always at it!"

"I have to be, you know that."

"Not with me!"

"Yes, especially with you," he answered calmly.

"Why? Tell me why!" She demanded, angry now.

"Because the last person I loved got killed! Because he knew and used it against me!"

She looked at him stunned. Could it be, could he really love her? He pulled her close. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his mid section. He slid his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. They just sat, pondering what had just been said.

"Harry I don't want you to protect me anymore."

"What do you mean?" He pulled away from her, looking her square in the eye.

There it was, a weak spot. She pried at it with all her might. There he was. She could feel him crashing in on her. All his emotion was flooding her mind. She did not break eye contact and neither did he. For once he had let his defenses down and she could sense his feelings; dread, worry, hate, anger, sadness, love all jumbled together. As suddenly as it he had let his guard down he pulled it back up, pushing her out of his mind.

"How is stuffing all that down going to protect me?"

"It's complicated Gin,"

"We have all day so explain it to me," she insisted firmly.

"I don't think I have it in me to tell you everything but I'll show you."

He opened his mind to her, this time purposely. He was showing her a memory. It was of him in Dumbledore's office at the end of last school year. It was immediately after the fight at the Ministry of Magic. She saw the conversation and felt his angst over it. She

Saw the pensive and the thought Dumbledore showed Harry, then the conversation afterward. She pulled away. She could no longer handle what she was seeing inside his head and the emotions it drudged up for him.

"Harry I…I had no idea," she said quietly as she hugged him

"It's okay Gin, no one does."

"But shutting people out won't solve the problem. Besides I know Occlumency now, I'll be safe."

"Why do you think Dumbledore agreed so quickly to teach you?"

"Because of the diary and all that."

"That was part of it. He also discovered very quickly how I felt about you. He saw what happened to Sirius and feared Voldemort would use you in the same way."

"Well he can't so quit trying to be the knight in shining armor and just kiss me!"

He contemplated it for a moment and throwing caution to the wind he pulled her close. He kissed her gently. Ginny felt as if she were in heaven. She had dreamt of this very moment since she was ten years of age. It ended as Harry pulled away screaming and clutching his forehead.

"Harry what…what did I do?"

"It's not you. Ahhh the pain! I forgot how much it hurt, the connection. It seems as if he is in pain and I can feel it."

"Here lie down."

She gently moved him to a comfortable position. Brushing the hair away she kissed his forehead. The scare felt hot against her soft, cool lips. She watched him as he closed his eyes, face still grimacing from the pain. She pulled herself up and crawled onto the couch. Lying under her blanket they fell asleep. They did not wake until Hermione shook them both and told them it was time for dinner.