When Ginny returned after the Christmas break, she felt far more relaxed than she had the previous year. She was sitting on the train to Hogwarts and reminiscing about the holidays. She had played loads of Quidditch with Fred and George, but Ron hadn't joined them. He sulked about her being suggested for the team over him.
She'd also spent a lot of time thinking over her predicament about Harry. Ginny felt as if he had only told her what she wanted to hear, and it was more for comfort than anything else. She just couldn't bring herself to feel anything for him, because when she tried, her stomach twisted in an angry knot and it made her lose her appetite completely. It stressed her out, even when he wasn't around and she didn't think she could bear seeing him again. After their last conversation in the hospital wing, she had done everything she could to actively avoid him, and this time he was letting her.
Ginny dreaded going back to Hogwarts because she dreaded having to be around Harry, even if it means for-fitting being on the team, she was willing to do that. She felt like she couldn't speak to him, and it would be like first year all over again-when she couldn't mutter three syllables to him without putting her elbow in the butter dish-literally. However this silence was a mixture of ignorance and complete embarrassment on such a display of her emotions.
When Hermione had arrived, it made life a little bit easier. Ginny found that Hermione could distract her thoughts from endless self doubt and over-thinking. Ginny had discovered she could over-think to the point where her brain wanted to explode from a gigantic headache. One evening, when they had been getting ready for bed, Hermione had asked Ginny, "So, have you thought a little more about dating other people?" Ginny sat up properly against the wall beside her bed and replied, "Uh…yeah I suppose I wouldn't mind it. I'm not in a rush though. I just need time to myself." Hermione nodded and sighed, "Alright. But I really think it would be the best way to end this…this moping over Harry." Ginny sat up straighter and protested, "I do not mope over Harry!" Hermione raised an eyebrow at her and laughed, "You definitely are! And you're the one who turned him down! How messed up is that?" Ginny groaned and threw a pillow at her best friend forcefully, "I know! But I feel so guilty every time he looks at me. I can't stand it." Hermione shook her head disagreeably, "I don't understand, Gin." Ginny sighed and grimaced, "I don't understand either, Hermione. When understanding dawns on me, trust me you will be the first to know."
Ginny kept preoccupying her thoughts with other things than Harry now on the way back, but it wasn't working too well. Her mind kept going back to that conversation with him in the hospital wing. Every time she tried to distract herself, she was fighting a losing battle. Harry had, as usual, decided to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, and Ginny often wondered if it was to give Ginny the space she so desperately craved. Ron had invited him, but Harry had turned the offer down politely and had said he'd prefer to be at home. His home was always Hogwarts.
After feeling restless for far too long, Ginny jumped off her seat and went to find the trolley lady. Before she left she asked, "Anyone want anything?" They all shook their heads but Colin jumped up and grinned, "I'll come with you!" Ginny sighed internally because she couldn't catch a break from him. When she arrived at the cart, she saw two guys there. One was a Ravenclaw, about a head taller than herself with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, and the other was Wood. Wood grinned at her and asked, "Hey Gin! You're looking fit! I hope Fred and George listened to my instructions about training you!" Ginny nodded and squeezed passed the blue eyed boy, who was on the other side of the trolley to reach Wood.
She reached him and murmured, "Yeah, I'd like to speak to you about that, if that's alright?" Wood nodded seriously and bought some pumpkin pasties. They moved further back into the hallway and into an empty compartment as Ginny said, "I'm not sure I'm going to be reserve but I'm grateful for the offer."
Wood frowned and asked seriously, "Ginny, this is about Harry, isn't it?" Ginny refrained from commenting because she didn't want to say too much before Wood said irritably, "Listen, I know you think that you were given this position just because of Harry, but I can tell you that you're assumptions are incorrect. We were looking for a second reserve anyway in case two people ever needed to fill in. The Slytherin's have three, so you see, we were really one reserve short!"
Ginny didn't feel convince, but she continued, "It's not just that, Wood. A lot's gone down between myself and Harry and I just don't feel like being around him. The weird thing is, it's got nothing to do with him at all. But it's not something I can explain to you, or even myself. I hope you understand." Wood frowned and shrugged his shoulders, "Okay, here's my deal-if you still feel the same way about Harry in the lead up to the next match which is against Ravenclaw, then you're off the hook." Ginny frowned now and asked, "Why the ultimatum?" Wood grinned and replied, "Because in the lead up to the match there is always a hype, and I am convinced that if anything will get you to fly it will be the hype. Deal?" Ginny held out her hand and shook his as she grinned, "Deal. Thanks for being objective." He nodded, "I have faith in your skills. You should too."
Ginny left the apartment feeling like a weight was off her shoulders. Colin was still waiting in the hallway, a safe distance away. Ginny couldn't deny one thing about Colin- he had the unconditional loyalty of a puppy. The other thing she couldn't deny was that he had somehow gotten better looking over the holidays. He had lost some of his baby fat and had grown at least a head taller than her, whereas before they had been the same height. Colin asked softly, "What did you talk about?" Ginny shrugged her shoulders as they headed back to Ron and Hermione, "Just Quidditch." Considering Colin was her best friend in her year, Ginny felt guilty for keeping things from him, when he told her so much. But she knew if she had to tell him about Harry that he'd get jealous and it wasn't worth all of that drama. The only person she could tell was Hermione. But she just couldn't figure out how to get Harry out of her mind after she'd been struggling to all this time.
Ginny shook herself out of her thoughts. If she intended the remainder of her year to be a Harry-free year, she was going to have to start acting like it.
Author's Note: Yay! Finally another chapter up! Sorry for the wait, classes are really tiring me and I want to make sure I have enough energy to write. It's really difficult to concentrate when you don't. Thank you to all of the amazing visitors and reviews once again! You guys make my day! And you make writing worth while! Also, second year is nearly, nearly done! Please continue reviewing and suggesting! Thank you in particular to CastielLunaWinchester and GinnyPotter6891 for your constant support! It means the world!