Summary: She thought she was over him; but one adventure-filled school year later, old feelings started to resurface...
Disclaimer: Not Mine. Never Was & Never Will. I just love playing around with these characters and give them a little something-something to get them out of the norm HP World stuff.
PhoenixRae's Notes: To those who reviewed so far, thanks so much. I know this is not really my usual ship. I have no idea why I started it to begin with, but for a long time now I've been plagued with plot idea to use for a Harry & Ginny pairing. I don't particularly like reading Harry/Ginny fics because a lot of them are filled with fluffiness that...well, let's just say that I don't like too much Harry/Ginny fluff so I'll try not to have too much of that on here. Actually, this is kinda my take on the whole Harry/Ginny relationship. I received a couple of suggestions on having a "jealous Harry" around. That may come into play later on, but we'll see where this plot idea of mine leads me. Maybe Draco will come into play later on in the story too, but please bear in mind that in as much as I love Draco/Ginny pairings, alas, my fave ship won't get together in this fic...
III. Tension's Afoot! Rumours Ablaze!
GINNY BOARDED the Hogwarts Express on the first of September ahead of her brother and his two best friends. She quickly looked around for an empty compartment, but was unlucky in finding one that hasn't been occupied yet. Near the end of the last carriage she found an almost deserted compartment with the exception of a blond girl seated by the window engrossed in reading the latest edition of Teen Witch Weekly.
"Hi Luna!" Ginny greeted after she entered the compartment. "You don't mind if I join you, do you? Everywhere else is full."
Luna Lovegood, a fifth year Ravenclaw, peered up from the magazine she was reading.
"Is Harry with you again this year?"
"No. I got on the train before he did," Ginny gave a careless shrug as she hoisted her bag on the overhead compartment. "Why'd you ask?" She didn't really want to know why Loony Lovegood wanted to know if Harry-Damn-Potter was with her or not, but something inside her was irked by Luna's interest in her brother's best friend that she couldn't help but satiate that interest.
"Just wondering," was Luna's non-committal reply.
Ginny wanted to strangle her then. Why the heck would she be asking her such question if it was nothing? And why was she getting so riled up over something as petty as Luna Lovegood asking about Harry Potter's whereabouts?
A few minutes later the subject of their earlier discussion manifested at the compartment's doorway. He looked out of breath and tired.
"Why'd you ignore me, Gin?" were Harry's first words to her as soon as he entered the compartment. "I was calling for you to wait up for me. You know Ron and Hermione were off with the Head Boy and Girl."
"Sorry. I didn't hear you calling me, and you looked far too busy discussing something with them so I just went ahead," she answered nonchalantly.
"My voice nearly got hoarse trying to get your attention." He looked mighty miffed at her. Now why in tarnation would he be pissed off? Who was she in his life anyway? Did she suddenly become a stand-in for Ron and Hermione in Harry's life now that his two best friends are Prefects?
"I said I didn't hear you. God, what more do you want me to do, grovel at your feet and beg?" Why was he being such a pain in the rectum?
Harry looked taken aback by her snippy remark. He gave her a funny look then hauled his things up on the overhead compartment. He took his seat across from hers; his eyebrows furrowed in the middle and crossed his arms over his chest. Ginny averted her face and pretended to sleep. She'd better get her feelings sorted out before they reached Hogwarts. She was acting like she was on permanent PMS high whenever Harry was around.
"Is there trouble in paradise?" came Luna's off the chart question.
Ginny's eyes pried open and stared wide-eyed at the blonde Ravenclaw. Even Harry, who didn't notice her presence in the compartment until she spoke, turned to stare at her wide-eyed.
"What are you talking about, Lovegood?" it was Harry who voiced out the question.
"I sense a great deal of tension between the two of you. Did you two, by any chance, hooked up over the summer and now you're having some lover's spat?" She eyed Ginny first then Harry before returning her gaze back to the flabbergasted redhead.
"Did you get your hands on some Firewhiskey by any chance before you boarded the train, Luna?" Ginny asked.
"No. But anybody would sense what I sensed with just one look at the two of you," she shrugged.
"I stayed at the Weasley's this summer, Lovegood, but Ginny and I didn't hook up over the summer," explained Harry.
"Sure, sure," Luna didn't sound like she believed them. "And I don't read The Quibbler."
Harry and Ginny both couldn't believe what Luna was implying.
"There you are Harry!" exclaimed Neville Longbottom cheerily and entered the compartment, but as soon as he set foot inside his smile faded and gave both Harry and Ginny a concerned look. "Whoa! Did you two have a fight? Weren't you nice to Ginny, Harry? I know you have a temper when you're miffed, and Ginny being a redhead," he sent Ginny an apologetic look, "I mean no disrespect here, Ginny, but most redheads I know have tempers that flares up and spreads like wild forest fires. And in relationships, it's only normal to get into an argument with the other person, you know?"
For the second time in the span of less than ten minutes, both Harry and Ginny were rendered speechless by another schoolmate. First Luna was implying they hooked up and had a lover's spat. Now Neville was saying pretty much the same thing Luna implied.
RUMOUR QUICKLY took off like wildfire all over the school, and by next day Ginny's mood turned from black to sinisterly dark. She was shooting sharp glares at anyone who dared ask her if she and Harry Potter were going out or went out or will be going out at some point in time, preferably sometime in the near future before the Boy Who Lived left Hogwarts. She already bit off quite a few of her housemates' heads when they dared asked her what was going on with her and Harry. Neville, who was one of the two people who first instigated that there was something was going on between her and Harry, was feeling sorrier than the sorriest person she knew.
"I didn't mean for things to go out of hand like this," Neville apologized when he finally mustered up the courage to walk up to a stewing Ginny Thursday morning of the following week after school started. They were the only two people in the common room and Neville seized his moment then.
Ginny knew it was pointless to get mad at Neville. After all, he wasn't the most likely suspect who started this outrageous rumour about her and Harry Potter. He was merely at the train compartment with them and made that assumption when he sensed something was amiss.
"It's alright, Neville. I know you wouldn't deliberately start something like this."
"Thanks Ginny!" For the first time in the last few days Neville looked relieved. "Don't worry, if I hear people talking about you and Harry I'll make sure to step in and put a stop to it," he promised.
"That's sweet of you, Nev," smiled Ginny. She was touched by the kindness in the usually klutzy Gryffindor. "But I don't want you getting into scraps defending us."
"Hey, we're Gryffindors! And we Gryffindors stick together, you know?" Neville puffed out his chest, jutted his chin in the air and smiled proudly at his housemate.
"Thanks," was all Ginny could say before making her excuse and headed for the Great Hall.
The rumours hadn't receded as the days went by. By the end of September the rumours escalated even more and now there were talks of a possible Harry-Ginny marriage in the future if both of them survived this new war with the Dark Lord. Ron, who had been hounding her from day one about the rumour, nearly hexed the pants off a cocky Slytherin fifth year that came up to him and ridiculed such pairing. Good thing Hermione was nearby and pulled Ron back from doing something that they knew would land him in detention (probably with Snape since he was the prat's head of house) and points docked off Gryffindor for causing some brutally major bodily harm to a fellow student.
Hermione managed to hold off the inevitable confrontation Ron had been itching to have with Harry at least until the first week of October, around the time Gryffindor was holding out tryouts for new Beaters and Chasers for their team.
"Harry, can I talk to you?" asked Ron before they left the sixth year boy's dorm room to head out to the pitch to watch potential new players tryout for the open positions.
Harry wondered when Ron would corner him and ask what he had a gut-feeling had been eating the lanky redhead alive practically since the rumours started flying a month ago.
"Sure. What's up?"
"Are you going out with my sister?"
Harry was surprised by Ron's straightforwardness. He knew at the back of his head his best mate would come up to him and ask him that, but he didn't expect Ron to not beat around the bush.
"What made you think that, Ron?"
Ron cocked an eyebrow, his arms firmly crossed over his chest. Harry knew he was serious and now wouldn't be a good time to joke around with the temperamental redhead.
"Look, those rumours are all crazy, alright? You were with us the entire summer!" He exclaimed. "If your sister and I hooked up, you'd know. There's no way I'd hide it from you and Hermione," he pointed out, which was true. Even if he tried to hide such relationship (if such relationship would exist between himself and Ginny Weasley), there was no way, no how he'd be able to keep it a secret this long from them!
"Are you sure?" Ron still didn't sound like he believed his best mate's claim.
Harry couldn't believe that Ron would believe those rumours than his best mate's word.
"Why don't you ask Ginny yourself if you don't want to believe me? Right now we need to get to the pitch. We have a huge list of people wanting to tryout for the open positions." Harry didn't wait for Ron to speak. He stepped around him and walked out of the Gryffindor Common Room without another word.
GINNY FELT LIKE HER WHOLE body was being crushed by a hundred ton boulder the day after the Gryffindor Quidditch Tryout. She did her best and showed her what she was made of last night. She went for either the Chaster or Beater position, but she found herself enjoying hitting the Bludgers more than catching and shooting the Quaffle. Although there was a moment last night while she had the orange Quaffle in her hands and was aiming for one of the three ring hoops that she was tempted to hit her brother smack on the face. Ever since Ron found out she wanted to try out for the team he had been close to impossible to get along with. Not to mention every time Harry and her were discussing something or when Harry was asking her to execute a certain move or dive she felt her brother's piercing glare on her. It was damn friggin' annoying!
Thankful that it was Sunday, Ginny had every intention of staying inside the Common Room or in her own dorm room and sleep the rest of the day away. Rounding down the steps, she nearly missed her footing when she ran into the last person she wanted to be seen within close proximities at the moment, especially when her brother was around.
Annoyed as she might be with these feelings of hers for him, Ginny knew staying mad at Harry when he hadn't done anything to her was simply stupid and childish. Besides, she knew with all this rumour buzzing around, Ron was doing his damnedest to make Harry's life miserable.
"G'morning," she greeted. "You're done eating breakfast already?" she asked when she noticed he was heading back upstairs.
"Good morning," Harry greeted back. "Actually I haven't eaten breakfast yet. I was up earlier than usual thinking of who to pick for the open positions for our team," he admitted.
Ginny's eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch. "You mean everyone who tried out were that good?" she teased.
"More or less," he shrugged.
"Well, have you made up your mind on who were the lucky ones picked?" She didn't know why, but her heart started to pound harder against her chest. Half of her wanted to make it to the team while the other half wanted her to be cut off the team entirely. It was the thought of spending countless hours practicing with Harry at the pitch, watching him fly, soar through the sky and hear him yell out orders to the rest of the team now that he was made Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team made her feel all warm and tingly inside.
Harry gave her that slow, uncertain smile of his and shrugged again. "You'll just have to wait along with the others to find out who made it in the team," he answered vaguely.
"And when will you be posting the new roster?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"What? You're going to make me wait twenty-four hours?"
"Yep. You'll just have to wait along with the rest of the Gryffindor household."
Ginny's eyebrow rose higher. "You are a big meanie," she accused.
"Why thank you," Harry smiled proudly and took an exaggerated bow before her. When he straightened up, his green eyes were twinkling with mischievous delight, his hand clutching the piece of parchment containing the names of the new members of Gryffindor Quidditch team. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm tired and sleepy. I want to get at least forty winks before everyone gets up and heads downstairs for breakfast." He stepped aside and climbed the stairs.
Ginny moved aside letting him pass, but just as he was passing her, she made a scoop for the parchment in his hands. Harry was caught off-guard by her action, by the time he realized what Ginny was up to it was already too late.
"Yes!" She exclaimed as she held the parchment in her hand.
"Hey!" Harry made a grab for the parchment, but Ginny moved it away from his grasp. "You give that back to me!" he demanded.
Ginny ran the last few steps and at the bottom turned to face him, an impish grin on her elfin, freckled face. "No." She answered simply and waved the parchment before her. "The others can find out about the roster tomorrow, but I will find out about it now."
"Oh no, you won't. Give me that!" Harry made a dive for her intent on snatching the parchment away. Ginny stepped aside quickly and all Harry grabbed was thin air. He was momentarily disoriented and tried to get his bearings straight.
Ginny giggled, catching his attention, before dashing off towards the portrait hole. Harry knew he had to move fast and was after her in a flash. He grabbed a handful of her shirt, which prevented her from taking another step unless she wanted to leave the Gryffindor Tower with a ripped top or worse, naked from the waist up.
"I got you now, Ginny Weasley," Harry said proudly. "Now, hand over the parchment, please?" He wriggled the fingers of his other free hand, waiting for her to hand over the parchment.
"Let go of me first," Ginny demanded.
"No. Not until I have the roster list in my hand."
"Why don't we do it at the same time? I hand you the parchment and you let go of me, how's that?" She bargained.
Harry's forehead creased at the center. Something about her suggestion didn't ring true to him. She was Fred and George Weasley's siblings after all; she took after her brothers so damn much. The twins' influence on her was evident since the previous year, he'd be daft to trust her word.
"Alright," he agreed, "On the count of three. One…two...three!" Ginny's hand hovered a few inches above his open palm, but she was taking her sweet old time dropping the parchment. When his palm felt her knuckles brushed against it his hold on her shirt slacked; that was a wrong move.
Ginny pulled back her hand bolted away from him. But Harry was prepared for her going back on her word. He quickly clamped his arm around her waist before she could bolt away and pulled the feisty redhead towards him. He wasn't expecting the sheer force of their impact and they were both thrown back on to the floor.
Ginny's surprised shrieked pierced the quiet Common Room, echoing off the walls of the tower and penetrating each student's dorm room. Harry's breath was momentarily knocked out of him when he hit the floor, but at incessant wriggling he tightened his arm around her waist, making her shriek louder and indeed attracted an audience for the two of them wrestling in the middle of the Common Room floor.
Harry's other hand clamped around Ginny's wrist where she held the roster list, adding some pressure on the wrist, but Ginny proved to be one tough cookie. She fought him for control and her grip never wavered. She managed to flip herself to her front and tried to push herself off Harry by digging the heel of her other free hand on his chest. Harry yelped and bucked, but his grip on her wrist remained tight.
They were locked in a somewhat compromising position by now; Harry on his back on the floor with Ginny sprawled on his chest. From the onlookers who were watching on the balcony, they looked like a pair of lovers having a tryst right in the middle of the Common Room floor. It certainly looked that way to Ron when he peered over the balcony and saw his best mate and sister wrestling with each other and having a gay old time on the floor.
"Oi!" He bellowed, his eyes glaring a hole at the couple causing such spectacle. "Get your hands off my sister! And get off my sister!"
Ginny and Harry froze from fighting over the roster list in her hand at the sound of Ron's scandalized voice.
"Oh bugger," groaned Ginny and hung her head forward, her arm supporting her weight off him gave.
Harry's grip on her wrist slackened as well as the fiery redhead's forehead touched his chest. He lifted his head six inches off the cool floor and squinted at the balcony where a lot of their housemates were gathered watching the spectacle the two of them created. He saw Ron, his nostrils flaring and smoke coming out of them as well as his ears, standing in the center of it all with Hermione behind him. From where Harry lay on the floor he knew if Ron was within arm's length (and if Hermione hadn't had a hand on his arm) he would've clobbered his best mate up or hexed him, whichever one was more convenient or he could do both to him.
TBC