Okay, so I kind of have some explaining to do...sorry. Basically, I posted Smiles and Schemes For Two a little over a year ago as a sort of weird experiment; I only ever write in my free time as a hobby, and I wanted to see what it was like to share my writing with a larger audience and what people might think of it, but I had very little experience. In any case, I posted it and it was encouraging! There were a few people who seemed to genuinely enjoy it, and it made me feel great. Then...life kind of intervened and I never wrote a second chapter (it was meant to be a one-shot, so when people started asking for a second chapter I had no idea what to do, and then I got distracted by all the chaos of life and I never got back to it). All that to say, I'M BACK (insert evil villain cackle here). I decided to write a second chapter for fun, and here it is! I should probably warn you that my writing style has changed a LOT in the past year, and honestly it feels weird - the first chapter is written with such a different style that it seems odd to say that these come in succession. Regardless, I figured I would give this a shot just in case anyone was still interested. I felt EXTREMELY scatterbrained while writing it because I had literally no idea what to do with the story, so it's just kind of a modge-podge of random scenes that I felt like writing, and it's not very well put together because, again, I don't have a beta! Yaaaaaay...also...I wrote it during the space between 2 and 3 am because I have a great understanding of the concept of a sleep schedule and I'm really, really good at going to bed at the right time. Ah, sarcasm, my best friend.

The usual disclaimer: I don't own the HP universe or any of the characters, concepts, creations, etc. within it. I'm just a lowly amateur fanfic writer taking advantage of someone else's work, but that's life, huh? Enjoy (hopefully)!

Boxing Day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had always been a lazy time, often full of yawns and the crinkle of wrapping paper, and not much else. It was very unusual to find any students awake before 11 in the morning, much less laying in bed, contemplating Christmas with a frown at the crack of dawn. Alas, Harry Potter had always been an anomaly, and he found himself doing just that as he listened to the content snores of his roommates. He hadn't slept well at all. He had fallen asleep easily enough, but as soon as his dreams began, all he could see was the shine of crimson hair, and all he could hear was a tinkling laugh, playing over and over and over again in his unconscious state.

He wasn't thick enough to not recognize whom the hair and laugh belonged to; Ginny Weasley, his best mate's little sister, and the girl he'd had a wonderful dance with the night before. He could vividly remember every moment of it: the feel of her hand in his, the flowery scent of her hair, and the smile that rested on her face as they'd talked. He'd enjoyed himself far more than he'd anticipated he would, and it unsettled him.

Harry sighed as he stared up at the embroidered canopy of his four-poster bed, tracing the golden-stitched constellations as his mind wandered to the previous night. They'd left the ball, then gone on a long trek around the castle, taking as detour-y of a route as possible back up to Gryffindor Tower. Harry hadn't even realized he'd been doing it, but he knew now that he'd just wanted to spend more with her. They'd chatted and laughed, and he remembered staring at her for longer than he normally would've.

This was weird. He shouldn't be making such a big deal out of their night; it was just two friends having fun. Firstly, she was Ron's little sister. Secondly, they'd hung out for maybe an hour at most. Thirdly, she was Ron's little sister! It was nothing more or less than friendship. She was pretty and witty and charming and fun; she was intelligent and playful, and her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. But that was just…Ginny. That had always been Ginny: he just hadn't really paid attention before. Right? Right.

He slapped his hand to his forehead, dragging it over his face with a heavy exhale. Stumbling out of bed with a groan, he traipsed towards the staircase, nearly tripping down it as the cold stone shocked his bare feet. He slugged into the Common Room, glancing around to find it deserted, as expected. The golden fire was crackling in the hearth, casting a warm glow around the room, and Harry smiled. This was exactly what Boxing Day should be. He trudged over to the chairs in front of the fire, preparing to collapse onto the sofa, when he froze.

Ginny lay there, curled like a cat, snoozing on the rickety couch in her snitch-patterned pajamas. His heart thudded as he looked at her, waiting for her to wake up, but she didn't. Cautiously, Harry made his way around the front of the couch, crouching down next to her and examining her face. She slept peacefully, eyelashes casting long shadows on her cheeks, her chest rising and falling in a smooth rhythm, the sound of her breathing floating around the room like a gentle breeze. Harry suppressed a smile at her pajamas - clearly handmade by Mrs. Weasely - and spun to face the fire, gently placing his back against the arm of the sofa as he stared into the flames.

It was peaceful.

An hour passed like that, the lone figure of a still boy settled by the fire, a girl perched next to him, the two in harmony. Harry occasionally glanced at her, taking in the glow of her cheeks and the slight smile on her lips. She looked more beautiful than she ever had before. Nope! Nope, nope, nope. Absolutely not.

As he argued with himself, trying to sort out just what was going on in his own head, she shifted, groaning slightly. His gaze snapped to her as she pushed herself up on her elbows, expression adorably groggy as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She looked around at the still-deserted Common Room, then at the couch beneath her, then at Harry staring at her. Then she shrieked.

"Bloody hell, Ginny!" Harry jumped, falling over onto the carpet.

"Sorry!" She exclaimed, slapping a hand to her mouth.

She reached out to him, grasping his hands and hoisting him back to an upright position. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders, glowing in the early morning light, and Harry swallowed thickly. What was happening to him?

"What was that about?" Harry asked, rubbing his side grumpily. She raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms.

"Oh, sorry, Harry, I'm used to waking up on a couch with you staring at me. It's totally a normal occurrence." She snarked, and he sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, okay," he conceded, raising his hands in a surrendering gesture, "I get your point."

"So…" Ginny murmured, glancing everywhere but at Harry, "how exactly did this happen?" He shrugged, flailing his hands around.

"I just came down to chill and you were laying on the couch! I've been sitting here for a while now." He avoided her gaze, feeling guilty. Should he have just gone back upstairs? Was it weird of him to sit around while she was sleeping? Everything with her seemed to have gotten 10 times more complicated in just a few hours.

"Hey," she murmured, "what's going on in that head of yours? You look stressed." She reached up to set her hand on his cheek, her thumb stroking the dark circles under his eyes, and he shivered involuntarily. "Are you cold?" She asked, alarmed, and Harry shook his head quickly, holding back a blush. What was wrong with him?

"No, I'm fine!" he reassured her, turning away with a loud clearing of his throat.

"You seem weird, Harry," Ginny deadpanned, and he twitched uncomfortably.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he protested, and she raised her eyebrows incredulously.

"Listen, if this is about last night…" Ginny started, and Harry looked up at her sharply, "if you feel weird about us dancing, we can just pretend it didn't happen," She looked slightly hurt, and Harry's eyes widened.

"No, it's not that!" He exclaimed, setting a hand on her arm. She looked at it, then glanced back up at him. "I had a wonderful time with you last night," Harry said earnestly, flushing. He blamed it on the heat of the fire.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" She breathed, and Harry laughed. "It would've sucked if you'd done something nice for me and totally regretted it," Ginny cracked a grin at him, and Harry chuckled.

"No, it was - I was - it was really nice," He whispered, and Ginny smiled.

"I had fun too," She mumbled, flashing him a playful wink, "and I suppose I owe you a thank-you for braving the dance floor with me."

"Oh, hardly!" Harry snorted, and she giggled, the sound ringing like a bell. "I'm sure I was a less-than-adequate dance partner, but I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," He grinned at her, and she ruffled his hair, laughing at his disgruntled expression.

"You were a perfectly adequate partner, Harry - you need to give yourself more credit! You can really break out some moves when you want to!" She giggled, and he faked an aggrieved frown at her.

"I know you're making fun of me, but I'll let it slide." He grumped, and her eyes softened.

"Seriously, though, Harry," Ginny said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking away from him, "I really had a fantastic time. Thank you." Her eyes flickered to him, and he sat there immobile for a second, caught in her gaze.

"Of course!" Harry croaked, coughing a bit. This was not normal.

. . .

A week passed, and Harry was beginning to seriously worry about himself. He would blush whenever Ginny was around - which inspired ridiculous rumors about his love life to spread like wildfire - and couldn't seem to string together an intelligent sentence for her. He'd caught himself thinking at least a dozen times about how this feature or that feature of hers was really nice, and he didn't quite know why; he was really starting to question his sanity.

Hermione, being the observant friend that she was, had picked up on it almost immediately. And so, on a rainy Saturday morning only a week into the new term, she plopped herself down next to him in the Common Room, ready to enlighten him. He had been sitting there for the past hour, still trying to solve the mystery of the golden egg, which, admittedly, had been bothering her, too. Alas, that was certainly not the most important conversation to be had right now.

"Harry," Hermione began. He didn't look up. "Harry," she repeated, frowning. Still no response. He just stared and stared at the stupid egg. "Harry Potter!" she screeched, and he jumped, snapping his gaze up to her.

"Wha-what do you-" Harry sputtered, and Hermione sighed.

"We need to talk, Harry," Hermione frowned, staring him down. Harry shifted uncomfortably.

"What about? I'm a little busy right now," He mumbled, gesturing lamely at the gleaming enigma sitting between them.

"Oh please," Hermione snorted, "we both know you're not making any progress with that, so let's chat about something else," Harry raised his eyebrows, preparing an argument, but thought better of it and slumped back.

"Fine. What's up?" He sighed, scrutinizing her fidgeting hands. Hermione lowered her voice, leaning in towards him, and he instinctively mimicked her.

"Harry, what's going on with you and Ginny?" Hermione whispered, and Harry shot back in his seat, raising his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" he sputtered, "Nothing's going on, why would anything be going on?" Harry tried for innocence, but Hermione just gave him the most exasperated expression she had, and he covered his face with his hands. "Fine. I've been acting weird around her, but I can't explain it," He mumbled defeatedly.

"And why can't you explain it?" Hermione prompted patiently.

"Because I don't know why!" Harry exclaimed, dragging his hands down his face and sliding further down his armchair.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed, shaking her head, "you are absolutely clueless, aren't you?" He frowned at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about - I hardly think you know what's going through my head better than I do," Harry grumped, and Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I know exactly what's happening in your subconscious right now, and here's what it is: you have a crush on Ginny Weasley," Hermione said with satisfaction, and Harry froze, looking up at her.

"What?" he asked, suddenly anxious. "What do you mean?" Hermione snorted.

"Well, a crush is when-" Harry glared at her, cutting her off.

"I know what a crush is. What I don't know is why you think I have one on Ginny Weasley." Harry frowned, and Hermione stared at him, exasperated.

"Tell me, Harry," Hermione began, "what happens these days when you're around her? Do you like chatting with her?" Harry looked at Hermione, baffled.

"Well of course I like chatting with her, she's Ginny! I've always liked chatting with her." He frowned.

"Do you find yourself getting distracted while you're chatting with her?" Hermione prodded wearily, "She's very pretty, you know."

"No, I-" Harry froze, eyes widening. "Well, yes," he mumbled, "I do sometimes get distracted, but that's normal, right?" Harry looked at Hermione urgently.

"Well, did you ever get distracted while talking to Cho?" Hermione asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"It was more panic than distraction, really," Harry sighed, then sat up, "But there's still no way I have a crush on Ginny. I mean, she's Ron's sister; I can't have a crush on her!" Harry exclaimed, carding a hand through his tangled hair.

"Can't have a crush on who?" A voice sounded from behind him, and he froze yet again, looking at Hermione, who shrugged helplessly. Ginny walked over to them, collapsing into the chair next to Harry with a smile. He stiffened.

"Sorry, should I go?" Ginny asked, concerned, "I didn't mean to interrupt anything important," she mumbled.

"No, it's fine!" Harry insisted, flapping his hands at her vehemently, "You weren't interrupting, I promise: we were just trying to figure out this egg," Ginny raised her eyebrows at him, and he shrank back.

"Right…" Ginny drawled doubtfully, "well, anything I can do to help?" She offered, reaching for the egg, and Harry smiled at her. Hermione grinned.

"Unless you know how to open it, there's nothing any of us can do." Harry sighed, gesturing again at the egg, "but be my guest, I guess." She picked it up, examining the carvings with rapt attention. Harry noticed how the light reflected off of it, making her face glow and her eyes sparkle. A terrible blush spread across his face, and he cursed himself. Hermione looked like she was struggling to refrain from laughter.

"Hold on," Ginny murmured, and he snapped his attention to her, "these look familiar. I'm not quite sure where I've seen them, but…" She passed her hand over the engravings, tracing one with her finger. "I think…holy Merlin, that's it!" She exclaimed, startling them.

"What?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"You said the egg screamed when you opened it, right? Kind of like a warble?" Ginny questioned excitedly, and Hermione and Harry nodded, exchanging glances.

"I think it was Mersong! We're learning about Merpeople in Care of Magical Creatures, and this looks exactly like writing from their language. Also, their song doesn't work above water - at least, not how it's supposed to." Ginny rambled, and Harry watched a strand of hair fall out of her messy bun, framing her face. Shit. He was screwed.

"So, what do you propose we do?" Harry asked, ignoring the sudden lump in his throat as he looked at Ginny.

"Put it in the water!" Hermione exclaimed, slapping her forehead, "Of course! Ginny, you're a genius - why didn't I think of that?" Ginny grinned at her, and they high-fived enthusiastically.

"So, I'll put it in the water and the Mersong will translate to something understandable?" Harry asked, and Ginny and Hermione nodded, excited.

"Exactly," Ginny beamed.

"Alright, well what are we waiting for?" Harry asked, standing from his seat and stretching quickly. Ginny and Hermione rose with him, and Ginny handed him the egg, smiling. Together, they ran up the stairs to the boys' dorm, running straight through the room and into the adjacent bathroom. They gathered around the marble bathtub, and Harry turned the tabs, watching impatiently as water slowly began to fill it up. Ginny laughed at him, tugging her wand out of her pocket and directing it at the bathtub.

"Aguamenti!" She proclaimed, and a heavy stream of water shot from her wand to the tub, filling it twice as fast. Hermione gaped at her.

"Ginny, that's a sixth-level spell!" Hermione goggled, and Ginny laughed.

"Yeah, I've been working with Professor Flitwick for months on that one. Charms isn't my best subject for nothing!" Ginny shrugged, and Harry just shook his head, impressed. Within a minute, the tub was filled, and Harry held the egg in his arms, lowering it gently into the water. Carefully, as Hermione and Ginny covered their ears, he cracked it open, waiting for the telltale scream. Instead, there was a song, a chorus of ethereal, eerie voices echoing from the depths of the tub:

Come seek us where our voices sound

We cannot sing above the ground

And while you're searching, ponder this:

We've taken what you'll sorely miss

An hour long you'll have to look

And to recover what we took

But past an hour - the prospect's black

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.

Hermione and Ginny had cautiously unplugged their ears as they heard the song and now stood in identical confusion, arms crossed and lips pursed. Harry shut the egg and lifted it out of the tub, fumbling it slightly from the slippery surface.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, nonplussed. The girls looked at him, shaking their heads in unison. They listened again.

"Okay, so the mermaids are going to steal something important from you," Hermione mused, and Ginny leaned against the wall, tilting her head.

"You'll only have an hour to get it back from them, or you won't get it back," Ginny considered, brow furrowed, "There are quite a few issues here, but I'd say the most pressing is how in the name of Merlin you're supposed to breathe underwater for an hour." Harry looked at her, mouth dropping open.

"I'd say that's high on the list of priorities, yes," Hermione mumbled. They all sat there, staring into space, heads empty of every possible helpful thought. After a good five minutes, Ginny removed herself from her station on the wall, twisting a stray strand of carmine hair between her fingers. Harry tried not to get distracted.

"Well, this isn't helping at all," Ginny frowned, walking over to harry and offering him a hand up. He gazed up at her, looking between her hand and her face, and hesitantly took her hand. She hoisted him up with no trouble, and he almost crashed into her, stumbling forward. She set her hands on his shoulders to right him, laughing, and he couldn't suppress another blush - Hermione smirked at him knowingly. This was getting ridiculous.

"Ginny's right," Hermione said, still smiling as she stood, "we'll worry about this later - I can't believe I'm saying it, but we do have time. Let's not focus on it right now, we'll just get unnecessarily stressed." Harry and Ginny stared at her, amazed, and she shrugged, still smirking.

"I didn't know you had that in you, Hermione!" Ginny laughed, ruffling Hermione's hair excitedly. Hermione grinned. Together, they made their way back out of the bathroom with the egg. Harry placed it carefully in his trunk, curled in a little nest of cloaks and gloves, and they headed back down the stairs, following the sound of happy chatter into the Common Room, where they resettled in their seats.

The rain pounded the windows but the Gryffindors were cozy, huddled around rickety tables and well-loved couches, playing card games and writing essays, talking and laughing with each other. Ginny sighed happily, looking around, and Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Everything good, Gin?" He asked, not noticing the nickname slip out until she raised her eyebrows at him - it just felt natural. He was about to apologize when Ginny smiled. Harry noticed Hermione rise from her seat out of the corner of his eye, murmuring something about getting a book from the library, but it barely even registered.

"Everything's great, Harry," Ginny grinned, "I'm having a great day." She seemed to hesitate before she continued, fidgeting, "I don't get to spend much time with you, but I always enjoy it when I do," Harry felt a sharp pang of guilt, and he looked down at his lap.

"I'm sorry, Gin, I know that's at least partially my fault. I need to make more time to hang out with you-" he began to apologize, but Ginny cut him off.

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" She insisted, laughing a little, and Harry swallowed heavily as she smiled at him. "I only meant to say that I rarely have a bad time with you; in fact, I can't remember ever having a bad time while I'm with you. Well, except in life-threatening situations, and that's never your fault." Harry spluttered out a laugh, and she scoffed at him, patting him supportively on the back.

"Nice one, Gin, way to bring up past trauma," Harry laughed, and Ginny shrugged innocently.

"Hey, I'd rather laugh than cry when I think about it," Ginny shrugged nonchalantly, and Harry nodded in understanding. That was certainly a feeling he could relate to.

"Anyway," Ginny murmured, "I don't want to think about that right now. I'm just glad to be here with you right now. It means a lot, especially with all the craziness in your life, that you're taking time to hang out with me." She smiled at him so kindly, so sweetly, so beautifully, and he knew he was wonderfully, terribly screwed.

. . .

From across the room, Hermione grinned. This was going to be a fun year.

Okay, here we are! Like I said, it feels odd to me, but maybe that's just me! You know how I can be sure if it's just me? REVIEWS (aggressive winking)! Please don't feel any obligation to write one, but if you have some time and you feel like it, let me know what you think! Did you like it? Did you hate it? Please be kind - constructive criticism is more than welcome, but please don't be cruel: if there's something I can improve at (and I'm SURE there is), let me know in a kind way. Thank you SO SO much for reading, and with that, I bid you adieu!

Have fun reading/writing, and make healthy choices (unlike me)!

-BatBogey7