A/n: Thanx a lot for all the wonderful reviews. My promise today is to try to have a new chapter up at least by every weekend. I may be able to update faster during the summer, but now, I have to focus on surviving the remaining month of school, Groan
Disclaimer: JK's got it all, and me, I at least own the plot in this story.
Ginny continued to walk with Luna as they passed Harry's compartment and into another one. Pulling her heavy trunk behind her, she heaved it up and into an empty seat. Luna followed and as soon as she sat down, pulled out the newest copy of the Witch Weekly.
Looking at the passing fields, Ginny sighed in boredom. When Harry, Ron and Hermione had been here, she had at least had someone interesting to talk to or even topics to talk about. Now, there was just. . . nothing.
She turned to look at Luna. Her eyes moved across the page as she read some sort of article in the paper. She seemed to find it amusing because she laughed and glanced at Ginny.
"What?" Ginny asked. "It's this article in the paper. It's about Harry." Ginny stopped for a moment. What was there to write about Harry now? "Can I see it Luna?" Luna nodded absent mindedly as she handed Ginny the paper.
As Ginny took it, her eyes fell on a picture of Harry from last year. It was the week after he had beaten Voldemort and he had this new sort of confidence look in his eyes. The Ministry of Magic had insisted on doing some glamor shots to announce to the world that the dark lord was gone forever.
Ginny gasped as she read the headline and continued to read the article as fast as she could.
The Boy Who Lived's New Job
Many wizards thought that Mr. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, would go off to Auror training after he completed his seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, the many people who thought this, I am astounded to say are completely wrong. Mr. Potter is now surprisingly enrolling as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts ths very year. How do local wizards and witches feel about this? Here is what they say:
It is absolutely fine by me whatever the kid does. Don't you people think he's had enough of fighting the dark arts, questioned Milli Oxford of Hogsmead
He should be doing his job and help to conquer the dark wizards. Isn't that what he was born for, states Goberth Poler of Diagon alley
Whatever it is that people think, Mr. Potter is indeed teaching at The Defense Against the Dark Arts classes this year, and will be leaving for Hogwarts shortly.
Article by Vanessa Jones, Reporter for Witch Weekly
She finished the article silently. Could this all be true, or could Witch Weekly be pulling another lie for publicity?
"It does make sense though. . .I mean, it's true that you can't tell others that you are the new teacher until you get to Hogwarts. It's the security thing that Dumbledore sets so that no dark wizard would sabotage and get into Hogwarts by using the new teacher. Why didn't I see it before?" Ginny thought, feeling stupid.
Just as Ginny was getting deep into her thoughts, the glass door of the compartment slid open and Colin walked in. "Hi Ginny. Listen, sorry to interrupt, but we've got to go up into the front compartment." Ginny was brought back to Earth.
"What do you mean we?" she asked confused. "I'm the new head boy." Colin said, puffing his chest out proudly. "Oh! Are they all waiting for me?" she asked sheepishly. "No, you don't have to worry. About half of the prefects are missing too. We just have to go up and tell the new prefects what their job is and then we do our patrols every now and then."
Ginny grinned. "Okay, let's go. See you later Luna." Luna waved goodbye from behind the paper to show she had heard. Getting up, they started to walk down towards the front of the train, when Ginny stopped and turned. "Ginny? Anything wrong?" Colin asked curiously.
"No, it's nothing. I just thought I saw something. Really, everything's fine" she said as Colin looked at her uncertainly. When Colin started to walk again, Ginny turned her head around one last time, but there was still nothing, or no one, there.
She shook her head as she caught up with Colin. The truth was, was that she really thought that she had seen Harry in a compartment that they had passed. But as she double took, the compartment was empty.
"I must be going mental!" Ginny thought." Everywhere I look, I think I see Harry, and all because of that Bloody article. Get it through your head! Harry, or even Ron and Hermione for that matter, are not here!" She forced herself to keep walking and not to look back, even though she still had a feeling that someone was watching her. . .or so she thought.
Harry Potter pulled off an invisibility cloak, and cast a charm around the compartment so that people would see it as empty. "Merlin!" he thought. "I really thought she saw me. Why is it I always get into these situations anyway? Why didn't I just become a Quidittch player and date Ginny in the first place.?"
A small voice in the back of his head answered his question. "Because you are doing this as a favor for Dumbledore and you wanted to get away for a while until the Chudley Cannons could let you into the team." Harry sighed deeply. Ginny certainly was not making this any easier with her new look either. It was hard before, but now? It's called mission impossible.
It's not like he wouldn't ask her out if he could. It wasn't his fault that there was a stupid rule that says "Teachers can't date students" He could see why this rule stands. This rule was here so bastards like Snape wouldn't turn completely mental and go out with seventeen year olds. It was a completely sensible rule, but why should it apply to him? He was eighteen, not sixty, and the seventh years were only one year younger then he was.
Harry groaned out in frustration. "This is going to be a long year. A long, agonizing, heartbreaking year." he said at last as he leaned against the shaking window of the train.
Meanwhile, Ginny and Colin were giving the new prefects a lecture on what to do and how to do it at Hogwarts. While doing so, Ginny noticed that Colin was staring at her practically the whole speech. It was annoying really, to glance to your right and find Colin's eyes on you. Not that Colin wasn't good looking, he had thick hair, a little bit of muscle, and okay eyes, it was just that he wasn't a Harry.
Ginny was more than relieved when they finished up and dismissed the prefects off to do their first patrols. Telling Colin to start down the other direction, she exited the Prefect compartment and walked down the lane and right up to the compartment she thought she saw Harry in. She placed a hand on the glass door. What if she hadn't been seeing things? After all, Harry was a mystery. He could of been under an invisibility cloak. . .
Harry sat inside the compartment completely frozen. As soon as Ginny opened the door, she would probably see him sitting right there. He didn't even know why he was hiding. After all, he was allowed to tell Ginny that he was the new Defense teacher. It was just that he wasn't ready yet. In fact, he wasn't even sure he had chosen the right job. All that was on his mind at the moment was the hand on the sliding glass door of the compartment.
Ginny placed her hand on the handle and pulled. It looked just like an empty compartment . . though looks can be deceiving. Reaching out an arm, her and touched something solid. Now it was Ginny's turn to freeze. Slowly and carefully, she grabbed a handful of the material and pulled. There in front of her was Harry .
"Hi there Ginny" Harry said weakly. Ginny stood there, rooted on the spot. "Harry,"she asked quietly. "What are you doing here?" Harry stood up, letting the cloak fall to the floor. 'I should of told you before Gin. . .I'm the new defense teacher this year. Dumbledore just hired me."
Ginny felt the wheels in her head spinning. She should be mad at Harry for not telling her. Should, but couldn't. It wasn't Harry's fault that he couldn't tell her. Besides, a small part of Ginny was happy that Harry was going to be the new teacher. So she gathered up her courage and spoke.
"Harry, a part of me wants to be mad at you,"she paused letting the words sink in. " But the majority of me wants to do this." She got up and wrapped Harry in a tight hug. It was so nice having his arms around her. She felt like nothing bad could ever happen to her. Like she wanted to stay that way for the rest of her life.
Harry stood there with his arms wrapped around Ginny. He didn't want this moment to end. He wanted it to last forever and never stop. But good things never last long and always end. Colin walked in looking for Ginny and stepped back startled.
"Um, sorry, I didn't mean too, uh-"he stuttered clearly embarrassed. Ginny and harry sprang apart. "No Colin, it's not what you think," Ginny stated awkwardly. "I was just greeting Harry and congratulating him on becoming the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Harry just nodded, mad at himself for forgetting the rules of what he agreed to. He was a teacher, and this sort of behavior was not to be tolerated. If he wanted to keep his job. "Hullo Colin." he responded for about the hundredth time in his life.
"Hiya Harry. It's good to see you again," then said as he turned to Ginny,"I'll see you later." and then he stalked off. "Well, that was awkward." Harry said dully. And then on a brighter tone, "By the way Ginny. I think he likes you."
"Well spotted Mr. Potter. I would never have noticed if you hadn't told me."Ginny replied sarcastically. Harry smiled, happy to still be on good terms with Ginny. "You'd better go you know. You have head girl patrols to do." Ginny put a hand across her head dramatically. "If I must." she laughed. "Bye Harry, I'll see you later tonight." She finished with a flip of her hair.
When she had gone, Harry slumped against the window. "That girl is going to be the death of me." he said aloud. Then he leaned his head against the cool glass of the window, patently waiting for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts to be over.
Ginny smiled as she slid the compartment door shut. She always felt so comfortable around Harry. He would make her last year of Hogwarts as special as it could be. There was, in her opinion, no reason to not spend all of her breaks and free time with Harry. Hold it! Maybe just one.
Colin was waiting for her right outside the compartment. Ginny's smile flickered when she saw him. Was he going to be trailing her the entire year? "Hi Ginny, are you done with Harry then?" Ginny knew that the real smile she had worn only seconds before was gone, and in it's place was a huge fake smile.
"Yeah, why?" Colin started to walk. "Because we have to do our patrols." Ginny took a second to think. "Colin, didn't you already finish your patrols a while ago before you found Harry and I?"
"Yes I finished those, but I want to walk with you while you finish up yours." Ginny grimaced as she felt Colin slide a sweaty hand into hers. The next few moments were spent with Ginny trying hard to think up an excuse to get away from him.
Finally, she just pulled her hand out and crossed her arms. The fifteen minutes spent walking down the trains telling kids to quiet down felt more like fifteen hours to Ginny. Neither of them said anything the whole time and Ginny was once again glad when the driver announced that Hogwarts was only five minutes away and they should put on the school uniform. "I'll meet you outside okay?" Colin said as he headed back to his compartment.
"Uh, sorry, I promised Luna I'd meet her," Ginny lied. Colin shrugged and walked down the Isle. Sighing in relief when he was gone, Ginny made her way to her and Luna's compartment to change her own robe before arriving at Hogwarts.
She had just smoothed down her robes when there was a knock on the door. There had been a lot of noise outside lately, and Ginny supposed it was probably some annoying second year playing a joke.
"Come in," she said irritably. However, it wasn't some annoying second year. It wasn't even Colin. It was Harry, levitating a large trunk. "Hi Gin," he said as he slumped into an empty seat. "What's going on out there?"
Harry frowned slightly as he took out an article from some sort of newspaper. It was the same one that Ginny had read earlier. He held it up for her to see and sniffed. "Seems somebody found out about my job and wrote about in Witch Weekly. Now everybody knows, including all of the friggin teenage girl fans who supposedly want to kiss me." Harry shuddered. "I figured I'd come in her until I could get refuge at Hogwarts."
Ginny grinned mischievously. "Who says I don't want to kiss you too?" Harry stiffened. "Did Ginny just say what he thought she just did? Stop Potter! You have a job to keep remember?" Harry pulled out of his thoughts. "Really Ginevra. What would your brothers say? Can't have them beating me to a pulp before my first job."
The train slowed to a stop before Ginny could reply. "Well, we should go before the crowds start. As they both were hopping off the train, Harry ducked around so no one would see him. "I go this way," he said pointing to the opposite direction Ginny had to go. Ginny nodded and said, "I'll see you at dinner."
It was a relief to walk inside of the warm castle as it had started to rain when she was leaving Harry. She followed the line of students into the Great Hall and sat down in an empty seat next to a girl who was in her dorm last year.
Looking up at the table of teachers, she spotted Harry in a conversation with Professor McGonagall. He looked happy to be there and to be a teacher instead of an Auror like Ron had chosen. Harry turned and spotted her looking up at him. He smiled and gave a little wave. Ginny grinned back and then stared at her plate. She only looked up when she felt someone squeeze in next to her.
"Have the first years come in yet," Colin asked as he stretched his arms. "Nope. I hope they hurry though, cause I'm starving." Ginny glanced at Colin and sighed. This was never going to end was it? She looked up again at the sound of the first years coming in. They looked so small in their little uniforms, and Ginny could hardly believe that it had been six years ago when she too looked like that.
For the next forty-five minutes, Ginny clapped along with the other Gryffindors when new students were added to her house. Even though the ceremony seemed special when she was eleven, now it just seemed boring after six years of watching it. So instead, she just watched Harry.
He looked just as bored as she did, if not more. This was his eighth time seeing it and the only thing he looked interested in was his plate. She watched as his hand traced the side of it, occasionally clapping against his other when a student had been sorted. Before she knew it, Dumbledore was standing up to say his usual words. "Let the feast, begin."
"Music to my ears,"Ginny stated, when the plates in front of them filled up with food. As she loaded her plate with chicken, potatoes and peas, she noticed that there was a hand on her thigh. Ginny turned to look at Colin, but he continued to cut his steak one handed as if nothing had happened at all.
Ginny shifted her legs so that she was sitting on her knees and started to talk to the girl next to her, completely ignoring Colin. She knew it was mean, but what the hell was going on? She liked Colin as a friend, and a friend only. Pouring herself some pumpkin juice, Ginny glanced up at the high table again.
Harry looked much happier now that there was food and was having a conversation with Madam Hooch, which with no doubt, was probably about Quidditch. She watched as Harry laughed at something she had said and began to feel jealous that she couldn't be up there with Harry instead of down here with Colin.
Shifting her feet which were now asleep, Ginny grabbed some of the Chocolate Eclairs that had just appeared. Colin offered her a jam tart as she finished the Eclair, though she refused. "This is getting annoying," she thought as the desserts finally disappeared.
Dumbledore stood up when the last crumbs were gone. "Welcome to another Fantastic year of Hogwarts. First off, I would like to introduce you to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Please give a hand to Professor Harry Potter!
Ginny clapped enthusiastically with everyone else until Harry stood up. "Thank you. Um, I really don't know what to say, but that I hope I can fulfill the job to everyone's likings." He sat down crossing his arms and looking at Dumbledore to show that he was finished.
Dumbledore nodded his approval and continued to talk about the Forrest being forbidden and the other qualities of Hogwarts, specifically for the first years. Ginny was glad when he was done and dismissed everyone to go to their common rooms.
As the prefects stood up to show the first years where the common room was for their house, Ginny looked up at Harry. He had a strange lump in his pocket that she hadn't noticed before. He was also walking in a different direction then the teacher's lounge. She had nothing better to do, so she decided on following him.
Sneaking past the teachers which were coming her way, she ducked behind a wall only to have Colin follow her. Ginny inwardly groaned when she noticed. "Where are you going Ginny?" She thought fast, not wanting to lose Harry.
"Bathroom," she found herself saying. "I was going to go and take a bath because I have a huge headache." Colin looked at her concerned. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the hospital wing?" he asked calmly.
"No, it's okay. I just want to take a bath." Colin looked into her eyes in a very uncomfortable way for Ginny. "Alright then. I hope you feel better." Colin said as he walked up the marble staircases.
"Finally, he's gone." Ginny whispered as she began to jog quietly to the direction Harry had gone. Luckily, she caught a glimpse of a faint light that looked like a Lumos spell go around the corner.
She stepped into the shadows so Harry wouldn't see her and walked along the bend. Ginny appeared just in time to see Harry pull out the invisibility cloak from his Pocket, look both ways as if to make sure no one was there, and disappear beneath it.
"So that's what was in his pocket." Ginny thought as she tried hard to listen for Harry's footsteps. Fortunately, Ginny saw a door open and close as Harry stepped outside of the castle through a door Ginny had never been through before.
Carefully following him, Ginny stepped out into the pouring rain and watched as the soaked grass dented when Harry trod on it. She was dripping wet within seconds, though a was glad to see Harry pull off the cloak and lean against a tree looking out towards the lake. Ginny stopped, hiding behind a bush. "Should I follow go up to him?" she thought.
Harry leaned against the tree, letting the water that swept through the leaves fall all over him. It was good to get outside after being inside the Great Hall for so long. Truth be told, Harry was out here to get away from the sight of Colin Being all mushy to Ginny. It was really hard to watch as someone fawned over someone you liked very much and not being able to do anything about it.
It reminded him of the time he felt when Cho had been asked to the Yule Ball by Cedric. The only difference was that now he was being outclassed by someone as low as Colin. It was just wrong. Harry shook his head letting the water spray out in all directions. He was about to turn in to the castle when he heard a stick crack behind him.
Ginny was just creeping up to Harry when she stepped on a stick that she hadn't seen in the dim light. "Shit!" she mouthed as she looked up at Harry who had just spun around. She couldn't help but think how hot he looked at the moment with his robes soaking wet. The funny thing about Harry, is that most guys' hair gets flat and sopping in the rain while Harry's didn't. In fact, it looked the same as it always had.
Taking a silent though deep breath, Ginny sprang out behind Harry who jumped in surprise. "Ginny?" he asked. "What the hell are you doing out here. I have half a mind to take points of Gryffindor for this ya know." he finished grinning. "But you won't will you?" Ginny replied, stepping up to him.
Harry didn't answer. He had just noticed how tight Ginny's robes were wrapped around her body and how her stomach curved inward at her waist. He looked up to see Ginny's face inches away from his own. He wanted to step back but couldn't. His feet refused to move.
He found his face moving forward in spite of himself. She was so close now that he could see every drop of rain water on her face. Count every one of the freckles on her nose . . .
To Be Continued
a/n: Ha, Ha! I am so evil, that I left you with a cliffhanger. I actually planned on finishing it with something else, but decided against it. By the way, Please R&R for a fast update :P