Our Diary

Chapter 2 -- The Meeting


Having survived her mother's over-enthusiastic farewell, Ginny climbed aboard the train to Hogwarts and found a compartment. After a moment's hesitance, she opened the diary and began to write...

September 1

Tom, are you there?

I'll always be here.

I think we discussed this already. Oh well. Maybe I'm being insecure, but...

You have a right to be.

Do I? Why?

Why not?

I dunno. It seems you've out-logicked me, with that clever "why not " response of yours.

Ha. Well, thank you, I suppose. So what are you up to?

I'm on the train, going to Hogwarts.

September 1st at Kings Cross. Of course, how silly of me. That date and location have to be written in stone somewhere, always the same...

It was the same in your day?

Yes. How did you know I went to Hogwarts?

Logic.

Now I'm the one who has been barraged with logic. You're really quite a clever person to have worked that out, Ginny.

Thanks. I thought it was rather obvious, but...

Well, obvious to you, perhaps. Anyhow, what are you doing now on this train ride of yours?

I'm sitting alone in an empty compartment on the train.

As opposed to sitting alone in a crowded compartment? Or sitting with a host of other people in an empty compartment?

Oh, shut up.

Sorry. Couldn't resist. So why are you alone?

Everybody else had gone somewhere. I seem to have completely lost Ron and Harry. I didn't see them get on the train, at any rate. I didn't even see them at Platform 9 3/4...

Ron?

My brother. Or one of them.

Ah. Do you like him?

Sure, he's not that bad. He's only a year older, so we have maybe more in common than I do with, say, Percy or somebody.

Percy?

Another brother. Disturbingly studious and ambitious. He's five years older.

Sounds like an interesting person.

Not at all, really, no. Let's just say... he likes making speeches. And once he told me enjoyed studying. Who in their right mind enjoys studying?

Nobody in their right mind. Only ones in... their left mind? I don't know.

Their wrong mind, maybe.

Maybe. Tell me, do you have any friends at Hogwarts yet?

Not yet. I'm sure I'll meet people soon.

Well, if people know you like I know you from only these two days' conversation, then I imagine you'd never be left alone. You have... personality.

Thanks.

I bet you're pretty, too.

Er, I don't know...

I'm sure you are. Tell me, what would you consider your best feature?

Hm. Maybe, I don't know. My hair...

Why?

It's unusual. Bright red. Just because... not everybody has bright red hair.

Nice. I told you you're pretty.

You don't know that I am.

I think you are.

Thanks... I guess. And what about you? What do you look like?

I've got black hair, green eyes...

That's what Harry is like, too.

Really?

Yeah.

Ginny, is there any chance we could meet?

Yes, but how in seven hells would we do that?

If you're willing...

I am.

Look into the square.


A square appeared on the page. Ginny stared at it, and suddenly she felt it grow much larger, or perhaps she grew much smaller. Twirling like a leaf on the wind, she was flung into it. She landed heavily on a soft carpet of leaves. Looking around her, she saw she was surrounded by trees. A soft mellow light seemed to come from all around, faint shadows arcing across the ground in a fascinating pattern. By the look of the green buds covering all the trees, it was early spring.

"Wh-where am I?" she asked confusedly.

A boy stepped out from behind a tree. He was quite tall and very handsome. He resembled Harry Potter, in some way Ginny couldn't quite put her finger on. But he was many times more attractive than Harry, she thought.

He walked towards Ginny, and held out his hand. "Hello, dear," he said. His voice echoed in her head.

She took his hand. It was warm, and much larger than her own. "Tom?"

"Yes, it's me. And I was right, Ginny -- you are exceedingly fair."

"Th-thanks. And you, Tom... you're quite good-looking yourself." He smiled.

Then, a slight breeze blew around him, and the smile turned into a sadder expression. He said,"I feel in the air-- where we currently are can only be occupied for a limited amount of time, what we called an 'unstable semi-dimension.' So I fear I must send you back, dear, sadly short as this meeting has been. But there can be others. And you'll continue to write with me?"

"Of course, Tom, of course!"

He smiled at her and held out his hand, again, in a gesture of farewell. She, again, took his hand, but this time he spun her in, slowly, as if they were dancing. Finally he was embracing her from behind. She sighed, and then, looking conflicted, turned and kissed him.

After a short pause, she embarrassedly turned to flee, before realizing that she didn't know how to get out of the forest.

"Er, Tom? How do I...?"

He smiled sweetly at her. "Ginny, you silly one. I'll show you how. In a moment."

He walked over to where she stood, and, pressing her against a tree, returned her kiss, and gave her about seven hundred surplus in addition to that.

Once they were done, he stepped back, his eyes shining oddly. "Don't ever leave me, Ginny," he said.

"I... I wouldn't. I won't." She made as if to turn, but he caught her shoulder.

"Ginny, I love you, with all my heart and soul."

"I-- I--" She blushed.

"Don't rush it," he said. "But now-- I must let you return..." He snapped his fingers, and the scene began to shrink. Or maybe Ginny grew larger. And then she landed on the soft cushions in the train compartment. She paused, and then wrote.

That was interesting.

Yes, it was.

Nice to meet you.

And you as well.

I should go now...

If so, then goodbye, Ginny.

Tom...

Yes?

I think I love you.

She snapped the diary shut, feeling an odd fluttering in her stomach. What would he say, next time they spoke? She felt... almost guilty, or trapped, somehow, and she didn't know why. But she also felt a great longing to be with him again...