Harry's sudden interest in her well-being certainly played on Ginny's mind all the way to King's Cross, which wasn't an overly long walk from Grimmauld Place. Twice, she had almost knocked into muggles in her dazed stupor, who didn't help matters as they were too busy staring at their mismatched group, which made Hermione giggle and Ron look at his sister with serious concern for her mental state.
Harry was up front with Tonks and Animagus form Sirius. She watched him laugh at something Tonks told him. Ginny scowled. She loved Tonks, she was like the older sister Ginny had never had. The woman had made the summer cooped up in Grimmauld place bearable, but something territorial stirred inside her as Harry laughed at the other girls joke.
Ginny shook the lunacy from her head. Tonks was already in her mid-twenties, she wouldn't have an interest in a school boy like Harry. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Hermione; the brunette bookworm was probably her most likely competition but, again, that didn't seem very likely, especially with the glances she was throwing Ginny's youngest big brother. Yes, she was more in line for 'sister-in-law' than 'Harry-Stealer'.
There wasn't anybody at school she could think of, as she turned to say goodbye to her mother. Harry was extremely insular, he didn't really interact outside his little group of friends and his quidditch team. Even at the Yule Ball, an event that had been designed for mingling, he had sat in the corner with Ron, looking as though he would rather be anywhere else in the world, instead of that room. Not that Ginny had been paying him any attention, of course, she grimaced and followed him on to the train.
Ron and Hermione were saying something to him, guilty expressions apparent on their faces.
"Well I - I might see you later then?" Harry said to Ron.
They were leaving him? Oh, of course, they were prefects now.
"Yeah, definitely!" Ron told him.
Harry was watching them go, it looked a bit pathetic really.
"Come on!" Ginny said, getting his attention, "If we get a move on, we'll be able to save them places!"
"Right," Harry agreed.
Ginny's heart was pumping a little more furiously now. She hadn't really considered this turn of events; travelling alone on the Hogwarts Express with Harry Potter. She had told Michael in a letter she might come and find him later, but she wouldn't leave Harry alone, Michael would just have to wait until Ron or Hermione showed up, that's if, they ever would.
She pretended not to see the stares Harry was receiving from other students. He sighed heavily behind her. She had the urge to turn around and tell him everyone was an idiot, but her trunk was rather heavy and they needed seats.
Hogwarts was a long way off, hours and hours. What would they talk about? He hadn't exactly been the most chipper person that summer, for a good reason of course, but there were only so many games of exploding snap two people could play.
Salvation came in the form of Neville Longbottom and, surprisingly, Luna Lovegood.
Taking seats in Luna's otherwise empty compartment, the four got introductions out of the way and Ginny sat back, listening to Harry and Neville discuss the coming year.
Her mind started to wander again.
He was sat directly opposite her, watching Neville chatter animatedly. He listened more than inputted, smiled and laughed. A couple of times she saw him glance at her and she smiled warmly, which he returned, making the butterflies viciously attack her insides. For the first time she felt hope, rather than dread, when it came to Harry.
Michael who?
Ginny came back to the conversation when Neville presented a rather lumpy and ugly looking plant.
"Mimbulus Mimbletonia!" He told them proudly, gazing lovingly at it.
Even Luna Lovegood had peeked over her Quibbler to watch.
Harry looked from the plant to Ginny, and they both looked away hurriedly, avoiding grins and smirks. They were not about to hurt Neville's feelings.
"Does it-er-do anything?" Harry asked.
"Loads of stuff!" Neville beamed, "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism! Here, hold Trevor for me."
The toad was thrust into Harry's hands. Defence mechanism? Ginny pondered as Neville took a quill out of his bag. Oh, no. He wasn't going to anger it, was he?
As he prodded the plant, Ginny flung her arms over her face and Luna ducked behind her magazine. Ginny felt her legs become drenched in a warm liquid and heard whatever it was splatter the room. It smelled disgusting.
Ginny peered between her fingers. Everything was covered in dark green, slightly smoking fluid, that unfortunately looked like some form of pus. She looked at Harry. He was drenched from head to toe, and was hurriedly trying to wipe his glasses clean on the arm of his jumper so he could see, while still clutching Trevor. He retched slightly and spat a mouthful of the stuff on the floor of the compartment.
She didn't hear what Neville was saying as her face broke into a grin and she was starting to laugh.
The compartment door opened, this would be the perfect time for Ron and Hermione to find them, she chuckled.
Her face dropped its grin the moment she looked at Harry's face, and her heart plummeted at lightning speed into her stomach.
"Oh, hello Harry, um, bad time?" Ravenclaw seeker Cho Chang spoke from the doorway.
Harry's face was turning pink under the splatters of stink sap, as Neville had called it.
"Oh, hi." he told her, his eyes roving hungrily, over the older girl's face.
"Um, well I just thought I'd say hello. Bye then."
She disappeared and Harry watched her go, a longing expression gracing his features. She had been wrong, so completely wrong. Hermione Granger was not a threat in the slightest, nor was Nymphadora Tonks. The same could not be said, however, for the stupidly pretty Cho Chang.
Harry groaned, dropping Trevor and covering his face.
Ginny felt her eyes burn and she felt slightly nauseous. Although some of that could have been due to the stench of the compartment.
She drew her wand; she didn't really fancy vomiting in front of everyone.
"Never mind!" she told Harry's covered face, trying to control her shaking voice. Luna glanced at her curiously.
"Look, we can easily get rid of all of this. Scourgify!" she repeated one of her mum's most well used spells. The compartment and its occupants were clean again.
She sat back down and gazed out the window, at the luggage rack, at Trevor, at the Quibbler's front cover. Anywhere but Harry Potter. She could feel the burn in her throat and tear ducts, but she fought it. Oh, how she fought! How could she have been so stupid to get her hopes up like that, especially after all this time? Disappointment was a very cruel emotion.
She was brought back to the compartment from the raging sea of emotions and humiliated thoughts, by a soft hand brushing the top of hers.
Luna Lovegood was offering her a cauldron cake; a small, knowing smile on her face.
Ginny accepted it gratefully. It seemed that she might have made a new friend on this journey. The boys were now swapping chocolate frog cards, oblivious to the girls opposite them. Her new friend gave her a nudge and Ginny smiled, grabbing her own out of her trunk, feeling a rush of gratitude for Luna's presence.