Harry Potter and the Mind Mage
By James Milamber
A/N: Bloody ff.net is playing silly buggers with my word count…this story actually has about a thousand more words than it says it does. Bah.
Monday couldn't come fast enough in Harry's opinion. His initial euphoria at buying Ginny's birthday present had worn off very quickly when they had walked past the Magical Menagerie. He noticed a snowy owl perched in the window, and his heart turned to lead in his chest as he thought of his own beloved owl, Hedwig. For the second time that day, tears welled in his eyes, and also for the second time, Ginny wound herself into that peculiar half embrace to comfort him.
Their final stop that day had been St. Mungo's. There they had visited Charlie, who looked rather like he'd tried to swim the English Channel through a school of sharks. He was covered in bandages, even after two weeks in hospital, and his face had a deathly pale hue. Nevertheless, he was alert and rational, and the Mediwitch on duty assured them that he would make a full recovery.
They couldn't stay long, and soon Harry found himself herding a teary eyed Ginny from the room, amid promises to visit again before term started. Harry felt strangely awkward about Ginny's tears. When she comforted him it seemed like the most natural thing in the world, but he wasn't sure how she would take it if he tried to do the same for her. He eventually settled for wrapping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a light squeeze. She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide with mute gratitude, then buried her face in his shoulder.
Harry had never considered just how much her brother's injuries had affected Ginny. He himself was not very close to Charlie, and so could look at his injury from an outsider's perspective. For Ginny, however, this was not some vague acquaintance; this was her brother, and Harry felt a little ashamed for being so self absorbed that he had not noticed Ginny's own grief.
Monday dawned bright and warm and was, in Harry's opinion, a perfect day for flying. He glanced down at Ginny, once again sleeping with her head pillowed on his chest, to find her eyes wide open and her lips moving soundlessly.
'Ginny?' he asked quietly, but she ignored him. He waved his hand in front of her face, but she continued to stare unseeingly at nothing, her lips moving as if she were speaking. This continued for a few minutes, then she let out a soft sigh and her eyes drifted closed. Harry stared at her in confusion, for she was quite obviously still asleep. He mentally shrugged; for all he knew, this was a normal occurrence that happened to everyone. He wouldn't mention it unless it happened again.
It wasn't long before her eyes fluttered open again, this time as she properly awoke. She stretched out, arching her back like a cat and then settled back down with a soft sigh of contentment.
'Happy birthday,' Harry said quietly, causing her to jump slightly; she obviously hadn't realised that he was awake.
'How did you know?' she asked in a whisper.
Harry just grinned at her. 'Secret,' he told her. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he tapped her on the nose with a finger. Surprise sparked in her eyes briefly, then she growled.
'I'll get you for that, Potter,' she threatened.
'No you won't,' Harry said angelically. 'Because if you try…I'll do this!'
And with that he attacked her ribs unmercifully with his fingertips. He had discovered early in her stay at Privet Drive that Ginny was horribly ticklish. Her squeals pierced the silence of the common room, and Harry was distracted briefly when Ron started in surprise, toppling off his couch and pulling Hermione after him. The latter's indignant snort of protest was drowned out by Ginny, who had by now herself fallen off the couch. Harry launched himself after her as she tried to crawl away, flipping her over and pinning her beneath him, arms held above her head. Harry's triumphant grin faltered when he saw Ginny's face. She was breathing hard, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her face was tinged red, and her eyes were wide. There was an inherent question in those brown orbs, and Harry found himself drowning in their depths.
'Oi!' Ron's voice shattered the moment, and Harry looked away from Ginny quickly. Ron was standing next to Hermione now, wearing a smirk from ear to ear. Hermione also had a pleased smile.
'When you two are done playing,' Harry felt his face going red at the not-so-subtle innuendo implicit in Ron's choice of words, 'we have presents to give and some missing students to find.' He indicated the couch where Neville and Luna usually slept, and Harry was somewhat surprised to see it empty. He couldn't help but match Ron's smirk.
'Do you mind?' Ginny asked playfully, bringing her leg up and kicking Harry lightly in the back. He realised with a start that he still had her pinned to the floor, and leapt off her so fast he tripped and fell flat on his face in front of the fire.
Ron and Ginny burst out laughing, and Hermione was trying very hard not to smile as she helped him up. Harry's face was by now the colour of a ripe tomato, and he was extremely grateful to Ginny when she changed the subject.
'So, what was this you mentioned about presents?' she asked casually, a playful smirk crossing her lips.
'Oh, I didn't mean from me,' he assured her innocently. 'I just thought your boyfriend would have bought you something.' That little comment earned him a cushion to the face from Harry.
'Seriously though,' Hermione handed Ginny a carefully wrapped present that was obviously a book. 'Happy Birthday, Ginny.'
'Thanks, Hermione,' she said gratefully.
'Yeah, Harry…I mean, Happy Birthday,' Ron grinned, ducking a second cushion from Harry's direction.
'Oh, I got you a present,' Harry assured her when her gaze turned to him. 'But you'll have to find it first.'
That turned out to be a mistake. Harry's friends immediately began tearing the common room apart looking for the present. Hermione eventually found it, hidden under a table (which she had just blown in two with a well placed Reductor Curse).
Harry blinked at the wholesale destruction of the common room. 'Remind me not to do that again,' he muttered.
Ginny took the unmarked box containing her new broom from Hermione, glancing curiously at Harry.
'Go on,' he urged her as Hermione magically repaired the table.
Slowly, Ginny opened the box. As she caught a glimpse of it's contents her face went pale.
'Harry…' she breathed, reverently drawing the Lightningbolt from its box. Ron gaped at it, his jaw almost hitting the floor.
'That's an international standard broom,' he said in awe, obviously overlooking that Harry's own Firebolt was also an international standard broom. Hermione just beamed at Harry.
'I can't accept this,' Ginny said, making to slide the broom back into the box.
'You can and you will,' Harry said firmly, taking hold of her wrist and pulling the broom from the box, which he threw into a corner. 'I want you to have it.'
'Harry –'
'No buts,' he said, quirking a smile. 'If you're going to make the team this year, you'll need a good broom.'
Her eyes filled with tears suddenly, and she enveloped Harry in a hug. She tried to speak several times, but no words would come out. Harry stroked her hair softly, his heart strangely uplifted as she clung to him.
'You're welcome,' he whispered into her ear. She pulled away from him, a massive smile on her face.
'You shouldn't have,' she said firmly.
'I did anyway,' he said, his own smile almost as wide as hers.
Ron cleared his throat pointedly, and Harry stepped away from her, raising his wand and saying, 'Accio Firebolt!' His own broom came flying down the dorm stairs, coming to a stop in front of Harry.
'Care for a quick morning fly?' he asked, gripping the handle of his Firebolt with his right hand and extending his left to Ginny.
'I'd love to,' Ginny took his hand in her own, and the two made their way from Gryffindor Tower, completely ignoring Ron and Hermione, who watched them leave with expressions of amusement and happiness, respectively.
'They're very good for each other,' Hermione said after they had vanished through the portrait hole.
'Yeah,' Ron agreed. 'I know. Harry's barely been thinking about Sirius at all. I thought he'd be really broody again, like he was after Cedric last year. But he hasn't been, has he? I figure if Ginny can distract him enough that he doesn't spend all his time moping, that's got to be a good thing.'
Hermione looked at Ron affectionately. 'You know, that may be one of the most mature things I've heard you say.'
Ron flushed at the compliment, and offered his hand to Hermione as Harry had done to Ginny. Smiling, she took it, and they also left the common room, although not headed for the Quidditch pitch.
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As soon as Harry and Ginny reached the Quidditch stadium, Ginny was in the air. She let out a whoop of delight as she tore from one end of the pitch to the other at insane speeds, only to loop around the goal posts and blow back past Harry in the other direction. For a few moments, Harry just admired her from the ground. Her hair flowed loosely behind her as she ripped up and down the pitch, and her face wore an exultant expression not unlike the look Harry himself wore in the few photographs he had seen of himself flying. She did a loop the loop of sheer joy and came to rest up side down in front of Harry, their noses almost touching.
'Coming?' she asked cheekily. Harry smirked and launched himself into the air, his broom carrying him effortlessly high above the pitch. Ginny followed, now wearing a dreamy smile.
'Now this is what flying is supposed to be like,' she said, doing a slow horizontal twirl in the air as she pulled alongside him.
'Absolutely,' Harry agreed. He squinted speculatively towards the castle. 'Race you to Greenhouse 3!' He flipped his broom around and tore off, leaving Ginny to turn and chase him. He beat her to the greenhouse by a good few metres, but then she raced off towards Hagrid's cabin, laughing as he rocketed after her. Harry's Firebolt was marginally faster, but Ginny's Lightningbolt could turn better, owing to the need for Chasers to be able to intercept other players.
They flew for a couple of hours, eventually just gliding side by side over the castle. Neither spoke much, just enjoyed each other's company. It was something Harry couldn't really do with either of his best friends; Ron was always looking for something to do, and Hermione was usually reading or studying. To just spend time with someone, without actually doing anything, was very pleasant.
As they did a lazy spiral of the Astronomy Tower, Ginny broke the silence. 'You shouldn't have done this,' she murmured so quietly that Harry almost didn't hear her. 'It must have cost a fortune.'
'Yes,' Harry said sadly. 'The Black family fortune.'
Ginny wisely chose not to comment. She knew the pain of Sirius' death was still fresh on his mind, and also knew that the broom was Harry's way of thanking her for what she had done to help him forget. It wasn't really necessary, but if it made Harry feel better, who was she to complain?
A/N: I wanted to include a Weasley Party for Ginny, but the chapter kind of ran away from me a bit. Review and tell me if you want one in the next chapter, and if enough people want it, I'll write one. Otherwise, the next chapter will be the start of term. Either way.
Ye gads, this chapter was fun to write, and is probably my favorite so far. No idea where that bit with Ginny talking in her sleep came from…I swear, this story is writing itself. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens as much as you are! So much for my plan… JM
