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: I know this took me a while to update, and I apologize for that. Since the beginning of August my life's taken a different turn -- I suddenly got busy and I am currently juggling two jobs so it's kinda hard for me to sit down in front of my computer and TYPE. Also, I finished reading HBP so SPOILERS from the book are afoot in this chapter. I will try to keep certain events from HBP intertwined with this fic of mine since that'll only make sense in a way. As always suggestions, reviews, opinions are always welcome. Enjoy!
IV. I Said I'm Sorry Already!
RON'S COLD-SHOULDER TREATMENT of his sister and best mate was fast becoming an annoyance as far as Harry and Ginny were concerned. Even Hermione was getting fed-up with Ron's stubbornness. It has caused a rift between the four of them, but Ron doesn't seem to mind.
"I already explained to him what really happened, but he still won't listen!" An irritated Ginny stomped angrily on the ground after Gryffindor's first Quidditch practice. "I swear I'd like to wring his neck with my bare hands and shake some sense into him."
Harry knew what Ginny meant. Ron was being too damn difficult he was starting to have second thoughts about giving him the Keeper position. His mood was affecting his game performance (in the worse possible way too!).
"I guess we'll just have to let him cool off a bit," shrugged Harry as he stepped aside to let her pass first through the Entrance Hall threshold.
"Cool off?" echoed Ginny incredulously. "How much longer will we have to wait for that to happen?"
"Hopefully not too long," he muttered, following her up the stairs, taking the shortcut to get to Gryffindor tower.
They reached the Fat Lady's portrait while deep in conversation still about Ron and his increasing animosity towards them. Ginny was debating on whether she should hex her brother so he'd lay off glaring a hole on the skulls or just give him a good uppercut to really knock some sense to him. Harry, on the other hand, preferred to avoid his best mate until his head's finally cleared. Causing some bodily harm towards Ron wouldn't be the answer even if it does sound appealing at the moment. After a while (more like after the Fat Lady let out an annoyed snort for being kept from her much anticipated rest time) Ginny gave her the password and stepped through the portrait hole. Inside the Common Room was nearly deserted, except for Hermione and a few other students finishing their homework. She sat near the fireplace and stood up the moment she saw the two walked in.
"About damn time you two decided to show up!" she scolded.
Harry and Ginny stopped their talking and turned, wide-eyed, to Hermione. What has gotten her knickers in a knot?
"Do you two have any idea how close to insanity Ron was when you two didn't return with the rest of the team?" she pressed on, her hands on her waist as she glared at the two. "I didn't think Ron would have as much of a vivid imagination until he started spitting out his theories on where and what you two were doing since you weren't back yet."
Ginny merely cocked an eyebrow at that. Harry was too stunned to say anything. Hermione was still fuming as she recounted what Ron was obsessing about. First he figured Harry and Ginny decided to stay behind in the change room and do Merlin knows whatnot with each other ("They'd probably be snogging each other senseless by now, and all over the change room!"), then when fifteen minutes elapsed and still no sign of them entering the Common Room, Ron's temper flared and he was pacing back and forth thinking up ways to make Harry pay for whatever he might be doing to his sister ("She's my baby sister!").
Ginny listened to Hermione's explanation for another minute before she held up her hand and stopped her from continuing. She has heard enough to make her fists ball up tightly and wanted to punch the lights out of her brother.
"That git," she hissed angrily her nostril flaring too. "I say he needs a good snogging to get him out of this crazy idea of thinking the worse of me!"
"You can't really blame your brother, Gin. He's just worried about you, you know?"
"I appreciate him being worried and all. He's entitled to it 'coz after all he is my big brother. But him starting to think that low of me?" Ginny cocked an eyebrow and met Hermione's gaze, "Don't you think that's going a bit overboard?"
"Where is Ron now?" asked Harry who finally decided to join the two girls' conversation.
Hermione broke eye contact with Ginny and addressed her other best mate. "He went upstairs about two minutes before you and Ginny walked in. I don't know if he's already asleep or not, but he was in a right mood to bite anyone's head off that crossed his path," she warned.
"Great," mumbled Harry. "Now I have to be careful otherwise I'm going to lose my head the moment I entered our dorm room." He looked around the nearly empty Common Room and wondered if it would be alright to just sleep out here instead of upstairs in his nice, comfy bed.
"Don't even think about whimping out, Harry Potter," came Ginny's stern voice. "Don't let Ron's temper scare the bejeepers out of you. Most of the time my brother's all bark and no bite, I don't think he'll try and hex you in bed."
"Easy for you to say 'coz he's your brother and he has your parents to answer to when he does something bad to you."
Ginny cocked an eyebrow at that. "Excuse me? You'd think Mom and Dad wouldn't skin him alive if he did so much as harm a hair on your messy-haired head?"
"Ginny's right," agreed Hermione. "And I don't really think Ron would go as far as literally killing you. He'll probably try to punch you or something just to let off steam, but to out and out do you in? He would have to be under the Imperius Curse to do that!"
GINNY CORNERED HARRY THE next morning before they went downstairs to breakfast. According to Harry, Ron was already gone when he woke up.
"He's probably in the Great Hall already stuffing his face with food," muttered Ginny. "Anyway, Harry, I know Ron's been giving us the cold shoulder since a few weeks ago when he caught us wrestling on the floor. He already made up his mind then that we are indeed together and that we lied to him about, you know, us going out," she shrugged.
"I explained to him over and over again that we are not seeing each other. Heck, I even pointed out to him that you said you fancied Dean Thomas on our train ride home last year, but he wouldn't want to listen to me."
"I know. I told him that I like Dean," Ginny bit her tongue as soon as she let the lie out, but she'd given it a lot of thought since last night's discussion and she did fancy Dean Thomas, but not as much as she fancied Harry Potter. Oh stop that, Ginevra! She mentally scolded herself, Think here, THINK! You need to get your brother off yours and Harry's back. Dean sought you out already and asked for a Hogsmeade date next weekend that you agreed to, so better not screw it up by fancying your former crush.
"You do?" Harry looked shocked at her admission, his green eyes widen. "You really fancy Dean?"
Ginny couldn't help but be surprised at his reaction. Didn't he take her seriously last year when she let it slip she was considering Dean Thomas for her next boyfriend?
"What is so unbelievable about that?" she asked.
"N-nothing," he stammered. "Anyway, so you told Ron that there's nothing going on between us and that you like Dean. Did he believe you?"
"No. So I figured if he doesn't want to listen to us when we talk to him separately, why not talk to him at the same time. I'm thinking he should be done eating by now and as soon as he steps out of the Great Hall we grab him to the side and give him a piece of our mind," she suggested.
"Do you think he'll listen then?" he asked.
"He has to," Ginny answered smugly, jutting her chin high and a slow, mischievous grin forming on her lips. "I'm going on a date with Dean next weekend at Hogsmeade. Ron can confirm that with Dean if he wanted to, and besides, he'll see for himself that Dean and I will be spending a lot of time together next weekend."
HARRY DIDN'T KNOW WHY HE FELT like someone just sucker-punched him in the gut. He watched Ginny from where he was hanging out with Hermione and Ron (yes, Ron finally conceded to believing that what he saw was nothing but just two friends playing around and nothing more) at Hogsmeade at the Three Broomstick. She was seated with the sixth year inside one of the booths at the establishment having a merry good time.
Ginny was all smiles and giggly as she cozied up next to her date. They were sharing a large glass of Butterbeer and she didn't seem to mind having Dean's arm around her. He had to admit they made a good couple, but something inside Harry, some deep-seethed monster roaring to be unleashed, kept on making him see green whenever Dean affectionately bestow a kiss on either Ginny's cheek or forehead.
He and Ginny cornered Ron last weekend during breakfast. Ron put up a fight, but after Ginny threatened her brother to be given her famous Bat Bogey Hex, the redhead boy finally conceded to talking to them. They both explained to him why they were caught on top of each other right in the middle of the Common Room floor that morning a few weeks ago.
"It was my fault, Ron," Ginny admitted. "I wanted to take a peek at who made the team and grabbed the roster list from Harry," she explained.
"I chased her around the Common Room, of course, because I wanted her to hand the list back to me. But you're sister's one stubborn witch, so I was forced to take drastic measures just so I can get the list back from her," he added.
Harry didn't think Ron would ease-up after that explanation, but it was the truth. He could give them both Veriteserum and they'd still say the same thing. After what seemed like forever, Ron took a deep breath, hung his head forward and nodded.
"Sorry for acting like a complete prat," he apologized lifting his head up and meeting his sister and friend's gaze. "But c'mon, anybody who saw you two that morning would assume that you two are together," he insisted.
Harry couldn't fault him on that account. If he were in his best mate's shoes and he caught his kid sister on the floor practically on top of his best made, he'd probably jump to Merlin knows how many conclusions as well.
Now seated at one of the tables inside the Three Broomstick with his two best mates, Harry's attention kept on wandering off to the couple over yonder who were having a gay old time. He didn't believe Ginny at first when she told him she fancied Dean, but now…well, action spoke louder than words and he couldn't help from clenching and unclenching his fist.
"What's wrong with you, Harry? You don't seem to be focusing on what we're talking about here," nudged Hermione who was seated beside him.
"Yeah. What are you so interested about?" asked Ron who then started craning his neck here and there in search of the reason why Harry wasn't giving them his hundred percent.
Harry slowly pulled himself back together, gave Dean and Ginny one last look before he met his friends' gaze.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I'm just thinking about what Malfoy's up to these days."
Hermione and Ron both raised an eyebrow at his lame excuse.
"Come again?" asked Hermione.
Harry made a face at her and explained, "He hasn't bothered any of us in a while. He keeps on disappearing and often seen flocked by a lot of people. Do you think he's plotting something to help aide Voldemort?" He caught Hermione giving him a look that said she wasn't buying this excuse he provided them with, but whether she believed him or not she didn't voice it out loud. She sat there and listened to him intently giving all the possible excuses he could think of to account for the blond-haired Slytherin Prefect's lack of presence in school lately.
He was right in the middle of a somewhat colourful explanation when an ear-piercing scream from outside the pub was heard. A moment's silence engulfed the students inside before one by one chair legs scratching the floor was heard and each student came rushing out of the Three Broomsticks.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were the first three on the scene. They were momentarily rooted on the spot they were standing on as they watched, in awed disbelief, the scene before them. Katie Bell, the seventh year Gryffindor Chaser, was suspended in the air screaming as if someone (or something) was ripping her insides out; on the ground at her feet stood her close friend, Leanne, who was also screaming.
"Help her! Somebody help her!" Leanne kept on screaming, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked from the growing crowd around them back to her best friend who was still screaming. "Anybody…do something!"
"Call Professor McGonagall!" Hermione ordered one of the second years who was hovering nearby. "Hurry!"
"What's going on?" Ginny elbowed her way and materialized beside Harry with Dean right behind her. "What's all the screaming about?"
"It's Katie. She's cursed or something," Harry answered.
"Oh my God!" she gasped as she looked up and saw the blonde Chaser hovering overhead. "Did anybody call for help?"
"Hermione ordered one of the second years to call Professor McGonagall," answered Ron.
Within minutes Professor McGonagall, followed by Filch and Hagrid, arrived with a harrid (terror-stricken even) look on her face. She stared wide-eyed at the seventh year Chaser still hovering in the air. She waved her wand around, calling out all possible spells to break the curse that took over the poor student, but it was to no avail. Katie was screaming to the top of her lungs in pain; Harry watched her face contort as she too tried to battle the curse, but she was slowly losing the battle. He couldn't help watch one of his dear friends, albeit not close, but he has spent quite a lot of time with Katie on the pitch during practices and games as well as off the pitch to care for her, go through this and he was just standing there doing nothing!
He wracked his brains for any possible spells he learned or read that might've come in handy right now, but he couldn't think of any. Katie's shrieks pierced his ears, making him clench his fists tightly and slowly hating himself for not doing something. Just when he thought it was too late to do something, everyone watched and gasped as one when Katie's shrieking stopped and she was momentarily frozen in the air before her limp, nearly lifeless body, fell with a loud thud on the ground. It was a good thing Hagrid was around and he caught her just in the nick of time before she pummeled to the ground and possible broke her neck.
"Take her to the infirmary, Hagrid," ordered McGongall at once, shooing the giant back to the castle before she turned to address the rest of the crowd gathered around. "Who was with Ms. Bell when this happened?"
"I-I was," answered Katie's friend meekly, stepping up before their Head of House.
McGonagall turned to face her then and proceeded to question her about the events leading to Katie being cursed. Leanne explained, as best as she could in-between hiccups and sobs, exactly what happened. McGonagall listened intently then told the girl to go back to the castle as well and go see Madam Pomfrey for something to take to help ease off the shock she just received. She remained to question everybody else who witnessed what happened. Not a lot of witnesses came forward mainly because most of them were inside the Three Broomstick when they heard Katie and Leanne's screams.
KATIE WAS SENT TO ST MUNGO'S to be properly treated. According to Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey; she sustained quite a blow with whatever curse she was hit with. It would take a while for her to recover back to full her full health.
"Damn," muttered Harry slumping on the armchair near the fireplace. "With Katie out of commission we're a Chaser short."
Ron and Hermione joined him in the Common Room. Hermione took the seat across from him while Ron sat on the area rug and leaned his elbow on the coffee table.
"You should consider replacing Katie for the meantime," suggested Hermione.
"She should be out of St Mungo's before the first match of the season," Harry said confidently.
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks. Even though they both wanted Katie to be back in commission before the first game of the season, they both knew after what they just witnessed today that it would be close to impossible to have their Chaser back.
"We know she'll pull through, Harry, but be realistic here, mate," chided Ron. "That wasn't just some prank curse that hit her. It was the real thing."
"Luckily Katie's made of stronger stuff and she survived it," added Hermione.
Harry was still contemplating Hermione's suggestion when the portrait door opened and in came Ginny arm-in-arm with Dean Thomas. The two of them were in deep discussion over something (probably what happened earlier to Katie). He couldn't help his gaze from wandering to where the couple stood, still deep in discussion. His forehead creased to a deep V. He didn't like seeing Ginny all cozied up with Dean.
Hermione, who noticed Harry's lack of interest in their on-going conversation once again, followed her friend's gaze and it zeroed in on the couple standing a few feet away from them. Cocking an eyebrow, Hermione looked back and forth from Harry to Ginny and Dean then back to Harry again.
Could it be? No, it can't be! But Harry looked like he was close to clobbering Dean with a Beater's club right at that very moment!
Hermione was having a hard time processing what she just witnessed. If it had been Ginny she saw in Harry's shoes at this very moment she wouldn't be thinking twice about it, but this was Harry she was talking about. Her best friend since their first year at Hogwarts; the one boy who was every so clumsily in love with Cho Chang since third year was now…
"Hoooo-boy," Hermione whistled under her breath and quickly averted her gaze.
Ron only gave her a puzzled look. Clearly he hadn't noticed anything amiss with their friend and she was glad he was clueless otherwise he'd ensue case of 'cold war' with Harry. She made a mental note to talk to Harry about this recent discovery of hers – without Ron within earshot. She just wasn't sure how their friend would handle finding out that his bTBC