Chapter 8 – The Talk
Next day, everyone was up at the crack of dawn to get the chance to eat breakfast and visit with one another before they got their schedules and started their first day of classes. Leon and Harry's talk with each other yesterday was still replaying in Leon's head.
'How in the Goddess's name am I going to talk to that girl? I seem to get all tongue tied when I'm around her. What am I saying? I'm one of the most powerful men in my family.' Leon thought that as he was walking to the Great Hall to get some breakfast before that no good for nothing redheaded boy ate all the food. 'That boy better not be there at all if he knows what is good for him. But then again maybe I shouldn't do anything that would make Ginny upset.' he thought a little bit more calmly.
"Good morning, L-Leon!" Ginny slightly stuttered as she walked up beside him as he was entering the Great Hall. "D-do you f-feel any better?"
"Y-yes, I do," Leon said uncomfortably. He cleared his throat as he steadied his resolve and continued in a stronger voice. "I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. I did not mean for that to happen. Are you sure that you are feeling okay?"
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After Harry was done talking to Leon yesterday and they joined Ginny and Liliana under the tree, Leon seemed a bit nervous about something. He would not even look her straight in the eyes as he tried to talk to her. So they all ended up sitting in a circle under the tree chatting about how peaceful and beautiful it was at Hogwarts.
Leon was sitting in-between Harry and Liliana, across from her. She noticed that he seemed to be so enthralled in whatever Harry had to say about Quidditch and about his adventures over the last couple of years, since he started to attend Hogwarts.
Ginny couldn't help but smile at him, looking like a little boy who found his role model. Then there was Liliana who was listening to every word that Harry was saying. She was starting to star at Harry's toned biceps and green eyes that seemed to make her melt. Ginny couldn't help, but smile at Liliana's admiring look that she was giving Harry.
Once it was time for lunch, Harry stood up, helped Liliana stand up, and walked her back to the main entrance of the school. That left Leon to help her get up and escort her back. But with him being nervous around her all of sudden he didn't watch exactly how he got up causing him trip and landed on top of her. His right hand landed on her left breast, while his left side landed on the ground next to her covering her right side body with his. His right leg landed in-between her legs as they fell back from the force of the fall. As they fell their foreheads had collided with each other causing them to be slightly dazed before they realized a very angry Ron was standing above them.
Ron had roughly grabbed Leon by the neck of his shirt when he was able to stand and punched him in the gut showing no mercy whatsoever at seeing Leon laying on top of his sister like that. Leon was still trying to recover from the blow as Hermione started to glare at Ginny for getting into any kind of position like that with Leon.
Ron kneed Leon in the stomach as Ginny got up and yelled for him to stop hurting Leon anymore that he already was. Ron just looked at her in disbelief as she grabbed a hold of Leon and tried to soothe his pains. Ron cursed at his sister's behavior towards Leon. He then stopped and grabbed a hold of Ginny's hand. After glaring at Leon he stormed off, trailing Ginny after him and Hermione trying to keep up.
Ginny's forehead still stung as she was being pulled along and was starting to develop a headache from trying to process everything that had just happened in those few precious moments that she and Leon were laying together. Poor Leon was in a bad state as she was being dragged against her will back into the halls of Hogwarts.
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Ginny took a huge gulp of air and steadied herself to answer him back before she made a fool of herself even more than she already did. "It is okay, Leon. It wasn't really your fault. It was just something that happened that could not be avoided. And, yes, I'm fine. Can we go eat some breakfast now? I'm starving!"
Leon chuckled as he bowed and gestured for her to go ahead of him. "You first, milady." The smile that he was wearing grew as he noticed how flustered Ginny became from his comment as she quickly walked by him.
Harry and Liliana were sitting across from each other talking quietly as they were eating their breakfast. "So how exactly are we going to get those together?" Liliana inquired.
Harry raised an eyebrow to what she said. "We? Who are WE getting together?" Harry remarked slyly.
Liliana slightly blushed at his comment. "You know perfectly well who I'm talking about Harry. And yes I mean WE." she replied a little bit more harshly than she intended. She spoke in a much softer and gentler tone, "Come on, Harry! How are we going to get them together?"
"I asked Leon to have a little chat with her about something for me. He promised..." Harry stated with an amused sparkle in his eyes. "...and I have a feeling that he always keeps his promises."
Liliana giggled as she thought, 'Yes he always keeps his promises no matter what has to be done to keep them. I wonder what Harry asked Leon to talk to Ginny about? Oh, well, as long as they talk to each other.'
Harry smiled at the sound of Liliana's giggling. 'I don't know why, but her giggling is so comforting. It feels good to know that I can make her giggle. I'd have to say that she seems to be more beautiful when she is laughing like that.'
'I wonder what it is like for those two to be so comfortable around each other? Wait a minute, those two look like they are up to something.' Leon thought as he walked up with Ginny to where Harry and Liliana were eating their breakfast.
"Good Morning, Harry, Liliana." Ginny said still a little bit flustered by Leon's comment.
"Good Morning!" they exclaimed at the same time. Being a little nervous like they just got caught doing something that they were not suppose to.
"What is going on here? Are you two up to something?" Leon suspiciously asked letting Ginny sit next to Liliana.
Harry and Liliana looked at each other and nodded before they both said at the same time, "We don't know what you are talking about."
Both Leon and Ginny gave them puzzled looks and were a little surprised that they were already able to know what the other was thinking to be able to say things at the same time. "Whatever you two say." Leon said as he began to go sit next to Harry across from Ginny. Their schedules were magically sent to them where they sat, before anybody could see what classes they had with each other.
"So where are Ron and Hermione?" Ginny asked with a slightly nervous tone. She frowned slightly as Leon tensed up at the mention of Ron's name. 'I hope that he is not scared of my stupid git of a brother for yesterday. What am I saying he would never be afraid of anything. I just hope that he will be able to forgive my brother for being such a git.' she thought anxiously.
"I believe that they had some rounds to do since it is the first day of classes and help all the first years' to find them." Liliana bubbly replied.
"Oh! I keep forgetting that those two are prefects. It seems that all those two do is go on rounds to keep others out of mischief. I wonder if they are really doing rounds or making out in a broom closet." Ginny giggled after she voiced her opinion on the matter.
Liliana giggled at Ginny's comment. "Maybe that is true! Do you really think that they would do that?" she questioned Ginny with a little curious twinkle in her eye.
Both Leon and Harry chuckled at the girls' conversation. "And what pretell are you two laughing at?" Liliana asked with a slightly annoyed tone.
Harry just out right laughed at her trying to scowl at them. Leon on the other hand sobered up real quick with the look that Liliana was giving them, knowing what would happen if you didn't. 'Poor Harry, he is a goner. It was nice to have known the boyo.' Leon thought sadly.
'How dare he laugh at me! And not answer my question. But he looks so handsome when he is laughing like that.' Liliana thought as she watched him with a smile spreading over his face. "I don't think that there is anything funny here, Mr. Potter. So you better stop acting like a fool who is about to laugh his head off." Liliana try to say in an angry tone but failed as she too was overcome by her own bouts of laughter. She laughed even louder when she saw the shocked looks on both Leon and Ginny's faces.
After the initial shock of Liliana just laughing both Leon and Ginny started to laugh along with them. I got to the point that they were laughing at the thought of 'what are we laughing at again?'
People were starting to stare at the Gryffindor table where all the laughing was coming from. Other Gryffindors were starting to look down the table at the four laughing their heads off. Liliana and Ginny started to calm down and stop laughing all together, as Leon was calming down and Harry was still laughing like a crazy man.
'What the hell is going on over there?' Draco thought. With his curiosity overwhelming him he got up and walked over to the Gryffindor table up to the blundering, jolly Harry. "What's wrong, Potter, finally found out why you are a..." Draco trailed off once he noticed Liliana for the first time up close and personal. 'She's beautiful.' He thought as he continued to stare at her until Harry said something to distract him long enough to look away from her beauty.
Harry had sobered up completely when he heard Draco's voice and turned around with a blank expression on his face along with Leon.
'I should strangle Malfoy for as much as looking at her! The ferret will just have to learn his place when he is around her.' Harry thought as he realized why Draco trailed off.
"What's wrong, Malfoy? Don't know how to act around a lady?" Harry said with venom in his voice.
Leon grew angry when he noticed the Draco was staring straight at Liliana. 'Why the audacity of that little maggot to be looking at her that way! Ha! Good one Harry.' Leon thought as he smirked at an angry Draco.
Draco was giving Harry a murderous glare that would have frightened anyone, but not Harry. "What's wrong, Lion got your tongue, Malfoy?" Harry said in an amuse tone when Draco did not reply back quickly as he usually did.
That set all the Gryffindors' in bouts of laughter as Draco's face became beet red from the fact that he could not think of one thing to bite back at Harry. In the end, Draco actually left the Gryffindor table without throwing a complete insult at the famous Harry Potter and headed out for his first day of class.
Liliana sat across from Harry with her arms crossed and really giving him an angry glare. "Why were you so mean to that boy, Harry? What did he ever do to you?"
Harry wiped the smug look off his face as he noticed that Liliana actually was angry this time. "He has always been a git to me and my friends the moment we met. He has never been nice to one person in his life, so don't ask me 'what did he ever do to you' again." Harry said in a dead even tone and in an even deadlier look in his eyes as he got up and set off to go to his first class of the day.
Liliana's face paled at how and what Harry had just told her. 'What happened that he is so hateful towards that boy?' she thought a little afraid to even bring up the matter again with Harry in the state of mind that he was in.
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Leon and Liliana had some of the same classes as Harry, Ron, and Hermione did. So they sat next to Harry with Leon sitting as far away as possible from Ron. Harry and Leon would talk in-between classes about how to talk to Ginny about how she really doing. While Liliana decided to walk quietly with Ron and Hermione to the next class.
"Maybe you should just get her to talk about something before you ask her about how she is really feeling." Harry said an amused tone at Leon's nervousness of having to talk to Ginny all by himself.
"I don't know Harry. I feel like you should be talking to her and not me." Leon pleaded.
Harry chuckled, "Leon you would be better talking to her than me because she still seems to be not exactly talking to me due to the train station incident." That was when Harry realized what could be bothering Ginny and told Leon, "Why don't you have her tell you what exactly happened at the train station. And if she is going to be okay?"
Leon stopped walking and looked Harry in the eye realizing what might be bothering Ginny. "She must feel awfully, scared if what I heard about that incident is true."
Harry nodded his head in agreement as he returned to walking to the Great Hall for lunch leaving Leon there to come to terms of what had just been revealed to him. He turned away from the Great Hall and headed towards the greenhouses where Ginny was about to be released from Herbology.
Once he reached the greenhouses he didn't have to wait long for Ginny to get out of class. He walked up to her, "Ginny, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a few minutes?" he asked then said when he noticed that her friends were hanging around to see what he had to say, "Alone."
"Huh? Oh! Yes, of course. I'll see you girls later, Kay?" Ginny said with a slightly nervous tone to see what Leon could possibly say to her. Her friends agreed to see her later to 'chat'. "Okay, Leon. What is it that you want to talk to me about?" she asked now curious because why would Leon be talking to her right now and not later with Liliana and Harry around.
"Well...," he said awkwardly and scratched the back of his head and continued, "...I was wondering how you've been lately?"
"Huh? Is that 'why' you came 'all' the way out here to talk to me about?" Ginny said a little angrily at Leon.
Leon nodded in answer to her question, with a slight frown at how defensive she became at his simple question. 'She must really be bothered by what happened that day at the train station,' he thought as he walked along side her towards the Great Hall for lunch.
"Why do you want to know anyways?" Ginny suspiciously asked him. "Why are you interested in me all of a sudden?"
"I was just wondering because you seem to yell at Harry and ...your brother...for no reason, since that incident at the train station." Leon replied gently. "Plus, I have heard that you usually never hold a grudge against those two, but here you are holding one. So I just wanted to see if you were feeling fine."
"Oh...but why do you want to know how I'm feeling, in the first place?" Ginny said sweetly as she batted her eyes gently at Leon.
Leon could feel himself blushing at Ginny for asking such an intimate question like that. 'What am I going to say? Do I tell her the truth that Harry asked me to see if she was alright or should I tell her now that I really care about her? What should I do?' Leon thought as he started to feel dizzy at the look that Ginny was giving him.
"And I want the truth Leon. No lies." Ginny said when Leon didn't answer right away. She stopped right outside of the main entrance into Hogwarts as she waited for him to answer her truthfully.
"Umm...well the truth is that Harry...and I...have been worried about you. It just seems like you have not been yourself according to Harry and I feel like I should be the one to be here for you if you need anything. Even if it is talking or just walking quietly together." Leon replied as he looked Ginny directly in her eyes not blinking once as he spoke.
Ginny felt as if she was walking barefoot on the richest soil in the middle a forest. 'Wow! Why have I never seen how beautiful his eyes were before?' Ginny thought as she continued to get lost in the depths of his eyes.
"...Ginny...Ginny?" Ginny heard as she came out of her daze. She closes her eyes and shakes her head from side to side before asking, "Huh? What happened?"
"I was talking to you and you seemed to be in another world. Are you okay?" Leon asked with a concern look on his face.
"Huh? Yes, I'm fine." Ginny said as she started to sway gently.
"Are you sure you are okay?" Leon asked again with worry plainly showing on his face and especially in his eyes. Ginny blushed as Leon put his arm around her waist to steady her from falling. She looked down to look at her feet but instead was she was looking at his chest. She blushed even more when she realized that his shirt was partially unbuttoned showing his muscle defined chest. "Wow." Ginny said quietly to herself.
"Wow? Wow, what?" Leon confusedly asked Ginny. Ginny just blushed even more and then buried her face in his chest to try to hide from his gaze, but only made herself even more embarrassed as her forehead touched his bare chest.
"Ginny? Are you really okay?" Leon asked gently as he began to blush realizing why she had been blushing. 'She was looking at me. Wow! I don't know what to do.' He thought as she started to mumble something to him.
"What? I didn't catch that?" Leon told Ginny.
'Man, could this get any worst than it already has? No! It can't! I'll just tell him that I feel okay.' Ginny thought as she calmed down. 'I feel so safe right now, in his arms.'
"I said that I'm okay." Ginny quietly said as she lifted her head and finally look him straight in the eyes.
"I don't think that you will be for long, if we don't go get some food soon." Leon said with a chuckle as her stomach growled.
Ginny just blushed and nodded her head. "But first you have to..." she gestured to his arm around her waist, "...let go of me."
"Huh? Oh!" Leon said as he blushed himself and dropped his arm from her waist. He cleared his throat after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Then shall we go and have lunch, milady?" he asked bowing slightly and holding out his arm to escort her to lunch.
"Yes. Milord." Ginny said. She felt silly for saying 'milord' but it seemed just right to say it to him for some reason.
As Leon escorted Ginny to the Great Hall, he felt proud for being able to make her smile and laugh. 'She is so beautiful when she smiles.' he thought to himself. Then he noticed that she started to become sad all of a sudden. "What is wrong?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"It is just that, I feel guilty for being here right now, especially for being able to enjoy your company." Ginny said sadly.
"What do you mean? What reason do you have for feeling guilty?" Leon asked as he stopped and pulled her aside form all the hustle and bustle of the students walking from and to the Great Hall for lunch.
"It is just that...well...at the train station...both my dad and Ron got hurt trying to protect me and my mom, along with Professor Snape. I feel like I should have been able to do something. I should have at least been able to disarm one of those wizards before they did anything to Ron or my dad." Ginny said in a shaky voice as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Even though they got hurt trying to protect me I still ended up getting hurt so it seemed pointless for them to go through all of that trouble of trying to protect me. And now that it is over I feel useless."
"Ginny, you are not useless. You are here for a reason, plus I do believe that you were able to disarm at least one wizard before he was able to attack Harry from behind and if you had not done that then you and the others might not be here at all." Leon said in a gentle, comforting tone.
Ginny smiled, she was feeling a little bit better for finally telling someone how she felt, but she felt even better when she thought about what Leon had said.
'He's right. The others would probably have been in a much worst state than they were in, but I still feel useless.' she thought to herself.
Leon seemed to be able to sense that she still felt useless, so he said, "Plus who would want to talk to me if you weren't around? I would probably be talking to myself right now. Or Liliana who probably be picking on me if she didn't have you to talk to. So see, if you weren't around then my life would be a living hell."
Both Ginny and Leon were surprised by what Leon had just said. Had he just implied that his life would be made a living hell if Liliana was picking on her or did he just confess his love for her? Neither of them would be able to voice their questions as Harry and Liliana decided to walk up to them. Liliana exclaimed, "Leon! What did you do to Ginny?"
Liliana walked over to Ginny and said as she gave her a handkerchief, "Was he being mean to you? I'm sure Harry here wouldn't mind having a chat with him? Won't you Harry?" She sent a 'you will do it whether you want to or not' glare at him.
"Y-yes." Harry stammered, because he was not expecting that glare from her.
"NO!" Ginny yelled, which shocked all of them including herself. "It wasn't Leon's fault why I was crying. He was actually making me feel better." Ginny said with a slight blush. 'Just how many times have I blushed today as it is?' she thought to herself.
Harry's eyebrow rose as he turned to Leon and said, "Really, now?"
Leon just nodded his head and turned before any of them could see him blush. "We better go get something to eat before our next class." With that he started to walk into the Great Hall.
Liliana said, "I wonder what has gotten into him?"
"Who knows?" Harry said as he offered Ginny his right arm and Liliana his left.
"Good question?" Liliana said as she took his arm and looked over at Ginny.
Ginny took Harry's arm, feeling weird for doing so, but strangely it felt like she had done it all her life. "I don't know, but I know that I'm hungry. So let's eat." she said to the two of them.
Harry chuckled at Liliana's slightly frustrated face as Ginny just got out of having to answer the question. So he walked the girls into the Great Hall with stomachs to fill before their next class of the day.