Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, thought that would be obvious by now.
Author's Note: I wrote this during my lunch break, so I am not sure how good it'll be. It may seem rushed, because it was.This is a scene between Harry and Ginny before Ginny starts dating Dean. Any thoughts and comments are welcome. I am not quite sure if I will continue with this story with the other four stories that I am currently working on but you never know there may be another boring lunch hour tomorrow! eNJOY!
What I Wouldn't Do
I was in a good mood until I entered the Gryffindor Common room. I had the best Quidditch practice so far this season and was feeling confident in our game against Hufflepuff on Saturday. When I opened the Fat Lady's portrait I felt my cheerfulness drain out faster as if a dementor was standing right behind me.
Over to my right I spot Hermione and Ron huddled in the good chairs by the fireplace, doing what seemed to be the newest Transfiguration assignment. It's hard to know for sure due to all the books piled up around them.
"Hi Harry," Hermione causally said, not looking up from her parchment.
"Are there any books left in the library?" I greet them both. Ron laughs and Hermione gives me an amused look.
"Harry," Ron said looking up from his book. "How was Quidditch practice?" He attempts to close his book, but Hermione taps her finger on it meaningfully as she picks up her own and he leaves it open on his lap.
"Fine." I answer lamely as I place my Firebolt against Ron's chair.
"Get your things Harry, you've got a lot work to do if you want to catch up with Ron and me."
"No offense Hermione, but I don't think we'll ever be able to catch up to you," Ron teased, randomly flipping through pages in the textbook.
"Well if you'd only study more I am sure that you could," Hermione blushed furiously behind her book.
I turned my head to get a look at which books to get out of my trunk. Aaaargh, I think to myself. Maybe I could pretend that I didn't hear or fake a cramp and take a nap instead.
I hear the door to the common room swing open and Ginny steps through. She is accompanied by three fourth year girls I didn't know by name. This is my chance to get out of this. "Hi Ginny." I say practicly jogging over to her.
"Oh, hi Harry." Ginny said picking up Crookshanks by the waist. He struggles for a bit, but there's no escape in Ginny's iron grip and soon he just hangs there. His flat face turns up to look at I as if asking for help, but I am not looking at him.
"Um. . . say could I talk to you for moment?"
"Yeah."
The three girls behind Ginny giggle suddenly.
"Um. . . somewhere private?"
"Ok."
The three girls giggle knowingly. Did I say something strange?
"Just let me lock up my firebolt and then we can. . .uh."
"Take a walk?" Ginny suggests.
"Yeah."
"Okay, in that case I am going to put my stuff upstairs too."
"Meet back in five minutes?"
"Okay." Ginny puts Crookshanks on an armchair were the "cat" stretches, circles the seat of the chair, then lays down and falls asleep.
I don't look over to Ron and Hermione as I head upstairs. I know they know that I only want to get out of studying.
I put on a jacket since it was windy today making the drafts in the walls draftier the usual. The price of living in between mountains, I smile. I lock my broomstick in my trunk and turn around to see Ron standing right behind me.
"What is it that you have to talk to Ginny about?" There is something accusatory about the way Ron speaks.
"Nothing." I admit.
"Nothing?" Ron said crossing his arms and leaning against the footboard of my bed.
"Yeah, I just wanted to. . . take a walk with her, that's all." I don't want to tell him I was using his sister as a scapegoat out of homework.
"Nothing else?"
"No Ron I plan to snog her in the Gryffindor locker room." I say with a laugh, but I knew immediately that is the wrong thing to say to Ron.
He stands up straight and stomps to the door. As he opens it, he turns back at me. "Fine, but best mate or not if you break her heart, I'll break your head." He said in a dangerously low voice and closed the door.
"Right," I say lamely. "What the bloody hell was that all about?" I, of course, had been joking when I made that comment about snogging Ginny in the locker room. She is like a sister to me in a way, but that thought made me pause. What was she expecting on our walk? I'd known for years Ginny fancied me but we never really talked about it, but that might be because Ginny wasn't one for conversation whenever I was around. Though that had changed once she started dating Michael, which was another reason why Ron's comment was confusing. She is dating someone else. Even if I had those types of feelings for her, she had a boyfriend now, therefore off limits.
I jump at the sound of a soft rapping noise on the door.
"Harry?" Ginny asks from the other side of the door. "Are you in there?"
"Yeah."
"Can I come in?"
"No," I say quickly.
"Why not?"
I open the door the rest of the way. "I meant it's not necessary. I'm ready." I step outside and face her. "After you," I say, giving her a small bow.
She smiles brightly and heads to the staircase and closing the door I follow behind her. "Oh, by the way do you think we could stop by the library? Hermione asked me to return these books, they're due today and thinks she'll won't have the time to return them before the end of the day."
"Sure." I nod and we walk down the stairs together. I wave over at Ron and Hermione. Hermione waves back, but Ron. . . Did he just scowl at me?
As we walk to the library we talk about the things we were studying, what places we're going to visit and what joke products we are planning to buy at the next Hogsmeade visit. We just started talking about Quidditch when we walk down the last corridor to the library.
"I think there is going to be another Cup sitting in McGonagall's bookcase at the end of the . . ." Ginny broke off as we turn the corner. There by the entrance was a sixth fifth year Ravenclaw girl and Michael Corner kissing passionately. Then I saw the familiar jet-black hair I froze too. The girl was Cho Chang! Cho and Michael were making out in front of their ex-partners! Though Cho and I were never officially dating.
I look at Ginny. She is watching them without an expression. I can't tell if she's mad or about to cry. I suddenly feel like transfigurating both of them into beetles, putting them into a jar and waiting for Hedwig to come home so that I could feed them to her. Whoa! Where did THAT idea come from?
"Come on." Ginny starts to walk to the library.
"Ginny wait!" I say trying to grab her arm.
But she is already at the entrance. The two lovers don't pay the slightest bit of attention as Ginny slams the Hermione's books on the counter.
"I'M RETURNING THESE BOOKS!" She yelled at a stunned Madam Pince and before the librarian could say anything Ginny is already back in the hallway walking straight at me.
She walks pass me and I have to jog in order to keep up with her. "Ginny!" I call after her, but she keeps walking. As we approach the Entrance to the Grounds she takes out her wand and points it to the door.
"Alohomora!"
They don't budge.
"Alohomora!"
Nothing.
I finally catch up with her. Her actions are really starting to freak me out.
She starts to push against them, throwing her small weight at the massive doors. She cries out in pain and frustration when nothing happens. She backs up and braces herself for another go.
"GINNY!" I scream. I grab her from behind and wrap my arms around her.
"Let me go!" She struggles in my arms but I hold her firmly. "I want to go outside!"
"Ginny stop. That's not going to work."
"I want to go outside!"
"I know, but it's after dark now and students aren't allowed outside." I say in a calm voice which sound hypocritical. "I know a better way." I added.
She stops resisting and goes silent. I notice that in our struggle we had fallen to the floor. I am now sitting in front of the door. Ginny was half-sitting, half-laying in my lap my arms still around her. The silence grows for a long moment.
"Ginny?"
"I broke up with him because he didn't believe you about what you said in The Quibbler and . . . well because he was jealous of you."
"What?"
She laughed bitterly. "Everyone knows how I feel about you. What I felt about you." She corrected herself. "No matter how many times I told him that I was over you, he never believed me."
"So you broke up with him?" There is a sudden tug in my stomach. I am not sure if it was gratitude that she stuck up for me against her boyfriend or something else. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"Believing in me. I can't tell how good that makes me feel." God what the Hell am I saying, this is so cheesy.
Ginny blushed. "There were other things, but after awhile it was no longer fun being with him.
"Well whatever reason I am glad to have your support."
"Yeah well good riddance, but now his with her." Ginny's balled her hands into fists. "He knew how much don't like her. The way she treated you . . ."
"I think it best if we leave that alone." I interrupted.
"Right sorry."
I look up at the massive castle doors. "Do you still want to go outside? 'Cause if you do, we have to move before Filch or a Prefect finds us."
"No." Ginny sighed. "I feel much better now."
"Well could you at least move over? My leg's going numb."
"Oh sorry!" Ginny said laughing. She stands and brushes imaginary dust off her school robe. "I didn't think I was that heavy."
"Well you are." I say rubbing my leg to help the blood flow.
"Shut up." Ginny hits me on the head with a fist.
"Oww! What the hell? I was kidding." I yell, getting to my feet.
"I know, so was I."
"So you were just banging my head to get a laugh, uh?"
"Yep!" She surprises me by giving me a hug. "Thank you Harry."
I look at her unbelievingly as she just smiles at me and just like that it doesn't bother me anymore. Ginny is in a better mood and that's all that mattered at the moment. "Er. . .you're welcome." I said hugging her back. As we broke apart there is a new understanding between the two of us.
"We should head back to the Common Room before a Prefect or Filch finds us."
"I already said . . .fine. Lead the way."
Ginny laughs as she takes my hand in hers and we head for the Grand Staircase. It is then that I realize if there was one thing I would never do, it would be to break this woman's heart. Never.
End.
If you think of ways to make this story better, tell me I have no problems with rewriting this story.
