Title: You're My Bertie Botts
Summary: It's the fifth summer holiday for the trio and spending it with a distressed Ginny at The Burrow leaves Harry wondering about the littlest Red Head and Hermione about the next oldest. A light fluffy HG RH
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, otherwise I would be married with children, have blonde hair, and be pretty darn rich!
Chapter Eight: I'm Just So Confused
Author Notes: Attempting to update quickly again! Thank you all for your amazing reviews! I'm so glad you're still reading and I'm so glad you've found me to those new to the story. I admit Luna was a bit OOC and I'm not sure why I chose the new girlfriend to be her. It was just kinda the first person I thought of and looking back it didn't make much sense, but I'm not that bothered about changing it! So keep r&ring but most importantly…. Enjoy! Bex xxxx
..."Harry wait..." she whispered, moving a hand down to the top of his chest. Harry shushed her and leant forwards, pressing his lips against hers once more. Ginny tried to move away but Harry held her so tight she couldn't, she sobbed lightly, pushing him. A yell from behind them startled Harry and he broke away, he glanced quickly at Ginny who broke into tears, but before he could become confused, a hard tug at Harry's jumper sent him falling to the floor...
Everything suddenly went into fast forwards, Harry lay feeling rather stunned on the stone pavement and breathing quickly fumbled for his glasses that had disappeared as he fell. A large crunch next to his face let him know that they had been trodden on. Looking up all he could see was a blur of orange that grew larger as it moved in closer to him. Sitting up and squinting to see what was going on, two pairs of rough hands grabbed him by his collar and pulled him to his feet. His glasses were thrust in his hand and, shaking nervously, he put them on, the world was separated into several shards from the cracks in the lenses. It took several blinks for Harry to realise that he was not confronted with two dizzy versions of the same person, but in fact by the angry faces of the Weasley twins.
"We thought you ought to see..." Fred sneered sarcastically.
"...Who was about to beat the living crap out of you!" George finished. Harry reached into his pocket to defend himself but his wand was gone, as he turned back to the twins he was punched full-on in the face. Letting out a loud yell, Harry stumbled backwards into the nearest wall. Fighting back tears that stung his green eyes, he massaged his bruised nose. Ginny screamed again and Harry could hear her weeping uncontrollably at the twins to stop. George ran to comfort her and her sobs became muffled. Fred, meanwhile, strode up and pinned Harry against the wall that he was clutching to with his life.
"We trusted you Harry," he said, disgusted. "We trusted you and this is what we get in return. You're meant to be the good guy, the one kids across the country can look up to. If only they could see you now."
"But I didn't... I wasn't..." Harry stuttered, slightly annoyed that Fred wasn't hearing him out.
"I know what you did and didn't do; I was standing right by you!" Fred raised his voice.
"You don't understand!" said Harry.
"I understand perfectly well Potter." Fred growled. "We welcome you into our family with open arms and you treat us like... you treat Ginny like she's worth nothing. Just another addition to your fan base that you can use when you best please."
Harry swore loudly and pushed a flushed Fred away. Moving from the wall he spun to face the twin. "If you'd bothered to listen to the whole conversation, you'd know that I was, in fact, sticking up for your family!"
"I don't care what was happening earlier. I saw you sticking your tongue down my baby sister's throat when she didn't want it!"
Suddenly lost for words Harry glanced at a teary Ginny trying to get out of George's grip. She had kissed him back, he was sure. He had felt her pushing him slightly but he didn't think that meant she didn't want it.
"You know what Ginny's been through with that arse Michael Corner." Fred muttered; his voice low and face inches from Harry's.
"Exactly." Harry replied half-heartedly "that's why I was, you know, kissing her. She wanted to prove that she was doing fine without him."
"And you thought releasing your hormones on her, when you know how much she likes you, would be the best way to do that?" Fred snapped.
"I don't want to fall out with you Fred." Harry pleaded, without the Weasley's on his side, he had no one.
"Then apologise to Ginny." He looked across at his sister with love and motioned Harry towards her.
Harry could feel the Fred's eyes on the back of his head for the whole short walk to Ginny, where George eyed him suspiciously.
"What do you want?" he snarled.
"I...I've come to apologise." Harry replied in his bravest voice.
"It's a bit late for that." He shot back.
"George." Ginny exclaimed in a voice unnervingly like her mother's. Jumping a little, he spun round and obeyed Ginny's wishes for him to leave. Harry knew the twins were watching him with tempers brewing, but he didn't care, he had to know what had happened.
"Ginny look..." Harry started, his eyes meeting with hers.
"No Harry, it's my fault, I'm sorry." She smiled weakly, placing a cold finger on his red nose. Harry winced in pain violently and she pulled it away. Harry could hear the twins murmuring their disapprovals from the distance.
"It's not; I don't know what came over me. I never should have kissed you." Harry blushed, lowering his gaze.
"If that's the case, I never should have kissed you back." Ginny said, her words only just audible.
"But Fred, he said you didn't want it. I felt you push me and I saw you crying, you can't have kissed me back." Harry's insides churned and started to worry as he realised this was the second girl he's made cry by kissing them.
"It's not like that. I just... I can't...I don't know Harry, I'm just so confused, I can't deal with it right now. I'm sorry. I'll see you later." And leaving Harry dumbstruck, she ran off.
"Ginny wait!" Harry yelled, but she didn't return. He felt two hands clap his shoulders.
"What did you do this time?" A twin growled from behind him. Harry chose not to reply and shaking off their grip, ran in the same direction as Ginny. Following the mop of red hair swinging metres in front of him, he had just reached the Ice Cream Parlour again when he was stopped.
"Harry what's wrong?" A girl's voice rang out, grabbing his arm, forcing him to pause. He twisted round to come face to face with Hermione and Ron. Hermione looked pale and worried but there was a permanent grin in her eyes, the same with Ron. Harry glanced at their stance, their bodies were close and Hermione's head rested on Ron's chest whilst his hand lay comfortably on her hip. Harry's heart burned with jealousy, not over Hermione, but over the fact they both had someone to hold, someone to love them and give them the attention they deserved. Harry had never had this, growing up with the Dursley's, without his parents, he never received the kisses and cuddles most children did. It had affected him in the long term, though he never told anyone about it. He hoped to make up for lost childhood time with Sirius, but he had lost that opportunity as well. Which was why, he figured, he had jumped at the chance to kiss Ginny, because he hoped in result of it, he would have someone close, to catch up on his missing kisses and cuddles.
"Harry?" Hermione spoke again, she had separated herself from Ron and placed an arm around his shoulder. "What happened to you?" She flicked her wand and fixed his glasses, then touched his face softly. "Who did this to you?"
Harry didn't mean to let his temper get the better of him, but he couldn't stop it, "Ask him over there!" he gestured his head towards Ron, "It was his bloody brothers!"
Hermione gasped quietly, "Are you sure?"
"No I made it all up!" Harry snapped sarcastically.
"Hey!" Ron barked, "Don't shout at Hermione."
"Where did Ginny go?" Harry asked, his temper growing foul.
"What did you do to my sister?" said Ron.
"Not you as well!" Harry sighed, frustrated.
"I'm not letting you anywhere near Ginny in your temper." Ron stated, grabbing the back of his jumper.
"Fine!" Harry shouted. "I'm going back to The Burrow."
"I'll go with you," Hermione smiled politely.
Usually in such a foul mood Harry would have told her to 'sod off' but right now he felt like he needed her, just someone to be with him and if it couldn't be Ginny, Hermione was the next best thing.