I've waited for this day for months now. The air is clean and bright and we sit there, on the edge of the balcony, legs swinging over the wide green expanse, windy to take your breath away, high enough to make anyone dizzy. The sun begins to set and the sky, once clad soberly in grey and navy sable, gives way to the blossoming of a hundred blooming peach blossoms, slashing the grey monotony below with reds and yellows.

Tints of gold sparkle and catch in her hair.

The light, the land, the universe itself conspires with me to create this pocket of perfection. We float together, sufficient in our space for two. She turns and smiles a perfect dimpled grin.

He dragged me up to his old balcony and we're sitting over the edge. I'm pretending to look at the sky, but I know he's looking at me. Probably with that same dopey smile on his face he had on earlier today. This is getting awkward. Do I say something? He's caught me looking back. I grimace at him, hoping he'll get the hint.

"It's so high up here! This is a really cool place. I'm not too good with heights, though," She feigns dizziness, then laughs tightly. I smile at her. I know she isn't too keen on heights. When I invited her here on previous occasions, she always said no. It's heartening that she's growing, exploring, overcoming her phobias to be here. With me.

He's not taking the hint. Either he's being stubborn or he just isn't all that bright. Honestly, I should have seen this coming. He was so persistent that I come here that I actually agreed to add an extra 15 minutes to my usual route home. I figured there was something really cool up here, like a statue garden or some shit. Or, I don't know, maybe some good company.

"Ginny. I need to be real with you about something for a minute." I take her hand in mine and my brown hand easily covers her milk-white wrist. This feels so right.

This feels so wrong.

She's trembling, her hands are twitching almost imperceptibly and I've no doubt I'm doing the same. I try to speak a few times but each time it's like the butterflies in my stomach are choking me up. I start to cough. She giggles and puts her head on one side, an almost unconscious girlish action. That was the reason I noticed her all those years ago.

For no apparent reason, he just starts choking on something. I laugh nervously, a bit concerned and crane my neck to see if there's some kind of blockage in his throat. Nope. Just a random coughing fit. This is very strange. To be fair, he is a little strange. He's a bit like my puppy actually, the way he follows me around. Everyone told me, Ginny, a blind man would see that Harry has a thing for you. Apparently, I'm legally blind because I just didn't see it. The idea of dating Harry is like dating my little brother. It's just…wrong.

"I've wanted to tell you this for a while now." My voice shakes and I realize my heart is beating overtime. Be still, my beating heart. "Ginny Weasley, you are just the most special person I've ever known. Every day I get to know you, I learn something new and you never fail to surprise me. You're funny, cute, kind and you just get me. Do you- do you, um, want to be my girlfriend?"

Okay. Tread carefully.

"Um…"

Real smooth, Ginny. Let's try that again.

"I ummm…"

A bit better. "I'm sorry but I see you more as a friend than an…item. But I'm sure you'll find someone really nice, someone who can appreciate and care for you…romantically. I'm not that someone though, sorry about that."

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

"Also you realize we still have to take the bus home together, right? We should go." I'm contemplating letting him go first and walking 4 hours home by myself. Harry's just kind of sitting there. He's paler than a fish's belly. Is he okay? Is he having a heart attack? Wait, could that actually happen?

My heart is dying. I can feel it dying. Thousands of steel darts are ripping through my body but it's lodged in my throat, I can't breathe, I can't tell her, I can't-

This is awkward. "Okay, I'm going now." I offer him what I hope is an encouraging smile. "See you at Potions tomorrow!"

And with another of her enigmatic smiles, she walks out of my life, radiant and shining and elusive as the Golden Snitch. Someone like her is like a comet. Once in a lifetime. And I have missed my chance.

Well, that's done, then.