Ginny Weasley sat in a back corner of the library, working on her Charms essay. She would have rather worked in the common room but Dean was getting a bit clingy lately and, seeing as this essay was due tomorrow, she had already put it off as long as possible. On top of that, Ron would probably be there, either glaring at her or sucking Lavender Brown's face off, the hypocrite. Not to mention, Harry had been giving her odd looks as well since the run-in behind the tapestry. All in all, the library was a very nice refuge for tonight. Or, it was until Hermione suddenly plopped into the seat opposite her.

"You're brother," she huffed indignantly, brushing the hair out of her face. "I mean, he is just so infuriating!"

Ginny sighed. How Harry put up with the two of them dancing around each other and arguing all the time, she would never know. "Yep, he's a piece of work," Ginny mumbled, not looking up from her essay. She only had two inches to go.

"Ginny?" Hermione ventured.

"Hmmm?" Ginny responded, still not looking up.

"Could you help me with something?"

"Well, Hermione, I'm busy at the moment but I'll quiz you on things you already know anyway in ten minutes."

"No, Ginny, it's not schoolwork."

"Then what is it?" she asked, beginning to craft her conclusion.

"I…I think something's going on with Harry."

That got Ginny's attention. Her head snapped up, essay forgotten, and looked at Hermione for the first time. She had a confused, calculating look on her face, like she was trying to work out a particularly difficult logic puzzle.

"Is he alright?"

"What? Oh, yes. He's fine. He's just been acting rather odd this past week."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, he's probably under a fair amount of strain given that his two best friends are fighting. Plus, he has been spending far too much time with Lavender and Won-Won."

"No, that's not it. I mean…yes, that's true, but I think this has something to do with…you."

Ginny gaped at her. "Why would it have anything to do with me?"

"Well, he seems to take more notice of you. He even asked you to join us in Hogsmeade."

"Yeah, well, we're friends now," Ginny said, her stomach clenching.

"I know, but this past week he's been…I don't know. Ron seems pretty hacked off at you as well. And Dean, now that I think about it."

"Oh," Ginny said, her face heating up and going red. Angry as she had been at the time, having Ron and Harry walk in on her and Dean snogging had been mortifying.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Well, the day before that Quidditch match, um, Harry and Ron walked in on me and Dean…snogging," she said, embarrassedly.

"When was this?"

"Right after Quidditch practice two weeks ago."

"Well, that certainly explains Ron's moodiness. How did they react?"

Ginny had tried so hard to forget what had happened but now that Hermione asked, it all came rushing back. "Well, Ron started shouting and Harry intervened to keep us from killing each other."

"Hmm." Hermione looked suddenly deep in thought. "But what was Harry's reaction to seeing you and Dean?"

Ginny had to think back, she had been so focused on screaming at Ron she hadn't thought about Harry's reaction. "Well, he…he looked…furious?" she said hesitantly. "And a little hurt. And he was glaring at Dean in a way I've never seen him look at anyone else before. Like he wanted to tear him to bits." Saying it felt wrong but she knew it was the truth; Harry had been livid. But, why?

She looked back up at Hermione and was surprised to see a look of sudden understanding cross the older witch's face. "Of course," Hermione muttered to herself.

"What?" Ginny asked. Clearly something had clicked into place in Hermione's head.

Hermione looked at her, a small smile playing with the corners of her mouth. "Would you say Harry was angrier than Ron?" she asked.

Ginny was, by this point, becoming even more confused. "I dunno," she said slowly. "He didn't really seem mad at me, per say…"

Hermione was definitely smiling now and Ginny found it infuriating.

"Will you just tell me what it is you've worked out?!" Ginny burst, earning her a glare from Madam Pince.

"Ginny, don't you see? He was jealous. It all makes sense!"

Ginny didn't think so. She failed to see how jealousy explained anything. "What? You're saying Harry wishes he was the one caught snogging?" She wished she hadn't made that joke, her stomach clenched at the thought of Harry in that same corridor, locked in a heated embrace with some floozy like Cho Chang.

"Well, sort of. Except for the 'caught' part," Hermione said, a sort of giddiness evident in her voice.

"You're not making any sense, Hermione," Ginny told her bluntly. "Why would Harry be jealous of me and Dean snogging?"

"You're misunderstanding me, Ginny. I think he was jealous of Dean."

Ginny frowned. What on earth is she on about? Why would Harry be jealous of Dean?

"It all makes sense," Hermione said again, more to herself than to Ginny. "He's been paying more attention to you all year, you said it yourself. He got to know you better last year and over the summer. I told you he'd take more notice if you were more yourself around him! Oh, Ginny, don't you see?! He fancies you!"

Ginny stared at her. Her stomach did an odd sort of jump at Hermione's suggestion but Ginny refused to let herself get her hopes up. She had finally convinced herself she didn't want to be anything more than Harry's friend.

"You've lost your marbles," Ginny told Hermione, ignoring the giddy butterflies fluttering around her stomach.

"No, no, Ginny, think about it!"

"No, Hermione. You're wrong. Harry and I are just friends!"

"Then why would he have been so mad at Dean?"

"He's always just seen me as Ron's little sister," she insisted, ignoring Hermione's previous question.

"Well, you used to be. Now you're Ginny who so happens to be Ron's sister."

"This is the craziest idea I've ever heard and I grew up with Fred and George."

"Come on, Ginny! Just think. He invited you to Hosmeade, —"

"As friends!"

"— he got jealous when he saw you and Dean, you always seem to be able to cheer him up…He fancies you!" By the look on her face you would have thought she was making some sort of royal proclamation.

"Hermione, we're just friends," Ginny said with a note of finality in her voice. "Besides," she said in a somewhat put-out tone as she turned back to her essay, "I'm with Dean now."

This point seemed to stump Hermione. She gave a huff and stood abruptly, stuffing her book into her bag. "Deny it all you like Ginny, but Harry fancies you. And I know you still fancy him." With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked swiftly out of the library.

Ginny tried to focus on Charms again, but she couldn't. A small bubble of hope seemed to have settled in her stomach and it was slowly inflating like a balloon.

She began to think back over all of their interactions that past summer and the beginning of the school year. She had noticed him looking at her and talking to her more. He'd seemed to enjoy her company just as much as Ron and Hermione's while staying at the Burrow that summer and had even asked her to join him in the search for a compartment on the train. And, he'd hugged her after the Quidditch game. She didn't think she'd ever seen him be the one to actually initiate a hug with anyone.

Ginny's mind was racing. Could Hermione be right? And if she was, what did that mean moving forward? Could Harry possibly want a…a relationship with her?

"Hey, Ginny."

She jumped violently, looking around. Dean had joined her in the library.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. The balloon that had expanded to fill her chest cavity sank past her knees and down to the floor.

Dean. She was dating Dean.

Perhaps she'd been a bit harsh. Hurt flashed across Dean's face. "Well, you said you'd be back by half past eight."

Ginny looked at her watch. Damn! It was a quarter till nine. She looked up into her boyfriend's face. "I'm so sorry, Dean! Hermione came in a little while ago and she distracted me. I'm nearly done," she apologized, turning back to scribble down a sloppy conclusion.

"That's okay," Dean said, though he still sounded put-out.

Ginny hastened to gather her things and got to her feet. "Come on," she said, reaching for his hand. "We've only got thirteen minutes to make it back to the common room before curfew," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the exit..

Dean smiled. They left the library and Ginny soon found herself being pulled into a suitable broom cupboard for snogging; Dean had been wary of passageways ever since the run-in with Harry and Ron.

Dean leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against hers. He was a good kisser. Much better than Michael. But, as he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, the unbidden image of Harry's furious and hurt face burst into her mind. Quite abruptly, she pulled back.

"Is something wrong?" Dean asked, looking concernedly at her.

Ginny shook her head to clear it and looked back up at him. She genuinely liked Dean. He was smart, funny, tall, and a good boyfriend. Why then did this suddenly feel so disloyal? "I… I thought I heard something but…I must have imagined it," she lied quickly.

She was about to lean in and start kissing him again when she did hear footsteps approaching their broom cupboard. Someone was sniggering heartily and a painfully familiar voice that made her stomach swoop excitedly rang out in the corridor.

"It's not funny, Ron! Bloody mistletoe."

Ginny heard her brother roar with laughter at Harry's expense. "Oh come on, Harry! You know it's funny!"

"Maybe to you," Harry grumbled. "You don't have to find a whole new route just to get to class un-kissed and on time."

Ron fell into another fit of laughter and Ginny could just barely hear Harry grumbling to himself.

"I'm sorry mate, you're just so hopeless!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" It sounded as though he stopped just a few feet from Ginny and Dean's hiding spot and turned to face Ron.

"You run away from girls like they're blast-ended skrewts! Why don't you just pick one and get some good experience?"

"I think I'm good, thanks."

The two began walking away, continuing their banter.

Above her head, Dean let out a frustrated sigh and Ginny looked up at him. "They always manage to interrupt us, don't they?"

Ginny felt a prick of annoyance she couldn't quite explain. She should be annoyed that Ron and Harry had interrupted yet another snogging session, but she wasn't. In fact she felt something oddly akin to relief. "At least they didn't walk in on us this time," she pointed out, moving to open the door.

"Hey, where're you going," Dean said, pulling her back into him by possessively grabbing at her waist. "They're gone now and I think we were right about here." He leaned in as he spoke and was now pressing Ginny against the door and his lips were a breath away.

Ginny pushed on his chest, forcing him to back away a few steps.

"Let's just go back to the common room," she said tersely. She was starting to feel annoyed by his dominating demeanor.

"But, Ginny!" he whined, grabbing at her again. "We never get any alone time."

Ginny cringed inwardly when he stressed the word "alone." She knew very well what he was implying. Ever since she let him fondle her arse two weeks ago he had been eager to move forward in their physical relationship.

"I'm kind of tired from my essay, Dean."

"Alright," he sighed.

Once they stepped out into the corridor, Dean took Ginny's hand and started to lead the way back to Gryffindor Tower. Part of her wanted to pull away from the possessive, controlling gesture. It felt oddly similar to when her brothers belittled and protected her because she was the youngest and the only girl. She had noticed Dean liked having control and taking the traditional "male role" in their relationship, but it was starting to get old. She felt almost smothered by the attention.

"After you." Dean's voice cut through her thoughts. They had reached the portrait hole and Dean was gesturing for her to go in first. Ginny forced a smile and climbed in. As she did, Dean placed a hand on her back as if to help her.

"I can get through the portrait hole just fine on my own, thanks," she said scathingly, finally snapping.

Dean looked taken aback. "Sorry. I was just trying to do the courteous thing," he said.

Ginny sighed. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I think I'm just gonna go to bed."

"Are you sure? We can just go sit by the fire if you —"

"No, I'm just going to turn in."

Before Dean could try and persuade her anymore, she had kissed him on the cheek and headed off to the girls' staircase. On the way, she noticed Harry was watching her intently. She gave him a small smile. When he returned it, butterflies erupted in her stomach and she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from his.

Her stride only faltered slightly and she continued up to her dormitory, changing quickly and drawing the curtains around her bed to reflect.

She hadn't reacted to Harry that way for a long time. Ginny had tried to get over Harry, she really had. But the more she'd gotten to know him, the more she liked him. She was definitely over her silly schoolgirl crush on The-Boy-Who-Lived, but rather than going away, her infatuation had simply matured into something more heartfelt. She knew he was far from perfect. His raging temper and foul moods of the previous year had been proof enough of that. But he was also sweet, witty, brave to a fault, and loyal.

Ginny had seen Harry at his best and at his worst over the past years, but getting to know the real Harry Potter had only made her fancy him more completely. She'd been able to ignore those feelings, but now she was forced to confront them again.

If only Hermione hadn't said anything.