It was finally Saturday and Ginny couldn't be happier! The week was excruciatingly long and drawn out. She barely spoke to Harry much and they continued to side step each other. Hermione complained about how annoying it was because it made Harry in a foul mood, and Ginny shrugged, "I just don't know what to say to him if he feels like he confide in me. What kind of trust does that this build in a relationship? None at all…" They were walking down to the Quidditch pitch with Ron, who was dead silent and looking particularly pale and nervous. Usually he would comment on their relationship issues, but today he was quiet.
Hermione sighed, "You know its Dumbledore asking him not to. He's not doing it because he wants to, and you're making it that much harder for him by not being supportive and understanding." Ginny shrugged her shoulders carelessly, "We're drifting, and he's causing the rift not me. Besides, I know Romilda Vane is interested in him. Maybe he should have her. I'm sure she wouldn't care so much." Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "I told Harry about that. I warned him also that she's trying to sneak him a love potion. I overheard her discussing it with Rebecca and Julia in the common room last night."
Ginny cringed. Suddenly, she knew how Harry felt, about other guys looking at her. She wanted to let people know as soon as possible that they were dating, so that other girls wouldn't get any ideas…She pondered that as she reached the changing rooms. There were already loads of people milling about, even people in different houses were dressed and ready to fly. She spotted Harry outside the changing room, looking stressed. When she reached him, she asked, "Did you asked curiously Hufflepuff's to join the team?" He shook his head distractedly, "No! I don't know why they're here!" he sounded particularly annoyed.
She nodded in understanding, "I'll go and get changed and see if I can find out." She kissed him on the cheek and he looked at her curiously before she headed into the changing room. When she got to the girls lockers, she saw Hannah Abbott standing there with one of her girl friends who was pulling on shin guards and saying, "I'm here for Harry. That's the only reason. I feel so sorry for him with everything he went through last year in the ministry and the year before and the prophet making him look like a liar and everything…" Ginny raised her eyebrows in surprise, because the girl even starting powdering her face in the mirror.
Ginny got dressed quickly and hurried out of the changing rooms. There was no way she was telling Harry that they were here because they fancied him. The idea made her stomach turn uncomfortably. She ran onto the pitch, broom in hand and finally at five o clock, everyone assembled on the pitch. Harry tried to grab the crowd's attention, as they were all busy talking but no-one was paying him any attention, so instead Ginny yelled, "SHUT IT!" and they all turned to face her instead. Harry thanked her and continued, "Firstly, anybody who is not a Gryffindor, please get off the pitch! This is a Gryffindor tryout only!" Some disappointed Hufflepuff girls pulled themselves off the pitch and went to go and sit in the stands. Harry continued, "Right, just because you had a spot on the team last year, does not guarantee that you will have a spot this year, understand?" They all nodded and Harry explained what they would do: "Right! Let's split into groups according to our age and in groups of ten! First years, over there." He indicated where they should stand and they followed obediently. He did the same with every age group. He then suggested, "Each group flies once around the pitch! Let's get going!" Some of the first years could barely get their brooms off the ground, let alone around the stadium, so Ginny watched as they morbidly took their brooms off to the stands. These were tryouts like Ginny had never seen before. With over two hundred people there, it was no wonder he was stressing!
The next group consisted Romilda, Julia and Rebecca and a bunch of other giggling Gryffindor girls. This silently infuriated Ginny and she whispered to Dean, "I will literally pay you to go and snog each of them right now! They're getting on my last nerve and not being serious!" Dean chuckled, "No thanks, Gin, not my type." Another group ascended and they all collided with each other, the back person going far too fast. At this point, Zacharias Smith, who was holding a broomstick proudly in his hand walked up to Ginny and said arrogantly, "You know, Ginny, the only reason you'd ever get on this team is because you're friends with Potter and he's the captain. It's the only reason you made the team last year, isn't it? I bet you bribed your brother or Potter to put in a good word for you." Ginny had had just about enough of his taunting so she said, "Smith, how about you go and tryout for your own team, or did they not want you either? Quite frankly I sympathize with them…" Dean chuckled and she smirked quite happily. That's when Smith smirked right back at her and said, "Oh yeah? Well how would you like it if I told everyone here that Potter, is in actual fact, your boyfriend?" Ginny froze and she glared at him with anger in her eyes as she snapped, "Who told you that? Whoever did is talking bollix!" Smith chuckled, "I have my sources." He winked at her and walked away as Dean whispered, "Is that true?" She shook her head and said, curtly, "Don't listen to him, Dean. He's just always been jealous of Harry." Dean didn't look to certain but he shrugged and Harry finally said, "Right, Ginny, Dean, your group, it's your turn to fly."
He nodded at them and Ginny kicked off the ground on Charlie's old broom he used when he was Seeker. She flew effortlessly around the pitch beside Dean and another girl named Demelza Robin's, as well as seven other people she didn't know by name who weren't in her age group. Most of them flew quite well around the pitch and she finished first before all of them. Harry grinned at her and then nodded seriously, "Well done! The first group to have successfully flown around the pitch! The people trying out for Chasers then had to score goals past different Seeker's. Ginny was unlucky to get Cormac and he laughed when she appeared in front of him, a few miles away, and he commented, "Oh please! This should be a breeze!"
Ginny scowled and when Harry released the Quaffle, she grabbed it effortlessly with one arm and dogged two Bludger's before aiming the Quffle through the middle hoop, and nearly knocking McLaggen out in the process. She smirked and said cheerfully, "A breeze, you said McLaggen? I'll give you a breeze!" She was purely motivated to prove him wrong. It wasn't even about getting on the team anymore. For the next seven goals she managed to dodge each Bludger aimed at her by people trying out for Beater's, and she got one from up above, which was most unusual. She heard the crowd in the stands cheering for her and she raised her eyebrows as McLaggen grumbled, "Okay, I think you've proved your point. NEXT!" He shouted. Harry sprang onto his broom and said angrily, "McLaggen, I'm the one giving orders here! Just because you can't face the competition, doesn't mean you should back down from it. I don't like a defeatist attitude in my team!" McLaggen grumbled something under his breath as Harry smiled at her, "Good one, Ginny, you can go and clean up. You're in." She smiled gratefully and said thank you, before going to change.
When she came out of the changing room, she ran into Katie who looked rather happy as she told her, "Harry kept me! I thought he might not." Ginny frowned, "Why ever not, Katie? You're brilliant!" She blushed and grinned, "I don't know. I just thought maybe he'd want someone new on the team." Ginny shook her head, "No, I'm pretty sure he wants the best." Katie hugged her gratefully and went to go and get changed.
Ginny made her way onto the pitch and watched the last of the tryouts. In the end, Harry found replacements for Fred and George, who were fairly decent, as well as another Chaser (Demelza Robin's, who Ginny had flown with earlier and who Ginny had a few classes with.) Ron was made Keeper again, outsmarting Cormac, much to Ginny's pleasure.
When Harry flew down and yelled at some people who had been rejected from the team, Ginny frowned. This behavior was not at all like him. She approached him gingerly and he sighed when he saw her, "Hey, Gin. Good flying today." She smiled half heartedly, "Thanks Harry. What was going on there?" She asked curiously. He shrugged his shoulders tiredly, "They were saying I only put you and Ron on the team because we're friends and that it was unfair and that I should let them try out again. Anyway, I can't talk very long. I've got detention with Snape this evening…" Ginny frowned and asked, "Why would you have detention?" Harry grumbled, "I back chatted Snape during the week." Ginny rolled her eyes and walked back to the changing room with him, "And what did you say exactly?" She asked.
Harry shrugged his shoulders, "I answered a question saying 'Yes,' rather curtly, and then Snape said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' and I told him, 'There's no need to call me Sir, professor.' It was hilarious and Hermione nearly had kittens over it!" Ginny smirked a bit but said, "Harry…You've got to be careful. You can't really afford to have detentions again this year." He rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Look who's talking." She sighed as they reached the changing rooms and said, "Look, I better get back to the castle. I was hoping we could spend some time together tonight after practice and discuss everything but clearly not." Ginny wouldn't admit to him that she felt a little disappointed. She had thought becoming Harry's girlfriend would give them more time together, but apparently not. She hadn't taken into account their busy schedules and how they would clash. He sighed and said, "Look I'm sorry, Gin. If it were up to me…" She rolled her eyes irritably and she finished his sentence for him, "You would?" He looked at her with sad eyes and she could feel the tension between them as she shook her head and asked, "When is the first practice?" He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I haven't figured it out yet. I'll let you know." She nodded, and walked away, not saying another word.
The following Friday, they still hadn't spoken except during their Quidditch Practice which had been yesterday and had been a complete disaster-the first reason being because the tension between herself and Harry was palpable. The second, was because Ron's confidence seemed to have deteriorated since the last Quidditch match, even though they'd spent most of the time playing in the holiday, and he'd been pretty good at it. The most predominant, reason however for the lack of quality playing was because the team didn't know how to work together yet. At the end of the practice, Ron had successfully failed to save any goals, Peaks and Coote were hopeless at working together as they didn't know each other for toffee, and this only worsened Harry's already bad mood he was in.
Ginny had kept to herself a lot and Harry had somehow managed to avoid her, in between work and the secret lessons with Dumbledore. The following day was a Friday and Hermione approached Ginny in the common room as she wrote out an essay for Snape on defensive magic and how to block it. She sat down purposefully beside Ginny and said seriously, "Ginny, can I have a word, please?" Ginny glanced up and nodded as she put her pen down and sighed, "What's wrong, Hermione?" Hermione shook her head, "What's going on with you and Harry? Are you still moping about him not telling you things?" Ginny felt her eyes tense at Hermione's tone and she said softly, "I don't like having a secretive boyfriend, Hermione. I thought he knew what getting in a relationship meant. You know why he only saved our relationship in the first place?" Hermione shook her head and Ginny continued, "Because he didn't like the idea of me being with someone else. If that's all that's keeping this thing going then I'm going to leave him soon enough." Hermione's eyes widened, "You don't really mean that? Surely?" Ginny shrugged her shoulders, "I Do. I'm all or nothing, Hermione."
Hermione sighed and shook her head, "Fine. I hope that's not an empty threat though?" She raised her eyebrows and Ginny shook her head, "Not at all. I love him, but I don't feel like I deserve this secrecy and avoidance. I thought he knew what he was getting into when he decided to give us a shot." Hermione grimaced and nodded, "Okay, I understand your reasoning. I just thought maybe you had changed your mind and didn't want to say anything." Ginny shook her head, "Nope. That's not the case." Hermione nodded, "Alright." She nodded as Hermione went back to sit next to Ron.
After that, Ginny had a shower, washed her hair and got dressed for bed. Then she remembered she had left some of her books downstairs. She tiptoed into a mostly empty common room where she saw Harry and Hermione sitting not a table away from her. He was explaining to her, "Merope gave Riddle a love potion to keep him in love with her…" Hermione had an awestruck look on his face. Someone else had loved Riddle. Or found him attractive? Thank goodness Harry's back was facing her, otherwise he would have seen her immediately. He was talking just loud enough for her to hear. Hermione was too immersed in Harry's story to actually notice Ginny leaning against the wall of the stairs, the table just to the left of where she stood.
Harry continued cautiously, "Eventually Merope stopped giving Riddle the love potion on their honeymoon. Voldemort's father ran back to England and tried to explain that he was kidnapped. Dumbledore suspects that Riddle killed his own father." Hermione shook her head in dismay and whispered, "And…and his father was a muggle? And Merope a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin? And she fell in love with a muggle? I remember you said that at the ministry, but for some reason I would have thought Riddle's mother would be the mother." Hermione sounded just as amazed as Ginny felt. Harry nodded and continued, "Yeah. Marvolo couldn't stand her. He despised her. The memory was quite clear about that…" He'd seen it through a memory? So this is what his secret lessons were about.
Hermione glanced up in front of her and she saw Ginny peeking around the corner. Her glance shifted from Harry to Ginny, causing Harry to turn around and glare at Ginny. She froze and she'd never seen him look so angry with her, his emerald eyes tightened together and tense. Hermione whispered through the tension, "Oh for goodness sake, the two of you need to talk this out! I'm tired of being a go-between. I'm going to bed. Harry, talk to Ginny. Goodnight."
She got up, stashed her books into her bag and headed up the stairs. Ginny stayed where she was before Harry sighed and got up before he stood in front of her, "Gin…let's talk." He looked tired, beyond exhausted and like he really needed a good few hours sleep. She grimaced and walked slowly down the stairs before she sat down in Hermione's vacated place at the table. Harry was silent for a second before he continued, "Dumbledore asked me to tell nobody any of this, except Ron and Hermione. He trusts them." Ginny sat in silence, fidgeting with her hands and not knowing what to say. Harry inhaled sharply and continued, "He doesn't know about us. I didn't think you'd want him to since you're so intent on keeping us a secret." Ginny glanced up then and said firmly, "I'm only intent on it because I wanted to prove my worthiness on the team. You know that." Harry nodded understandingly, "I know. And now you have so I don't understand why you're still keeping it a secret." Ginny shook her head, "I haven't, Harry. I haven't proved to people that I have a right to be on the team." Harry sighed, "Well, the only thing from keeping me from telling Dumbledore about us is you."
She stared into his eyes which she had missed after the last few days without him and then she nodded, "I…I didn't know that. Do you think Dumbledore would let me know what's going on if he knew about us?" Harry nodded sincerely, "I do. I think he'd be…very understanding." Ginny nodded and sighed, "If it's what you've got to do to tell me then I don't mind." She smiled half-heartedly and he asked, "Gin, I know that everything between us right now is not perfect. Not by far. But…" here his voice dropped to a whisper. Ginny noticed Romilda Vane watching them intently and Harry seemed to as well as he said, "…I still love you, Gin, and I will do anything to make this work." Ginny couldn't help but smile a little bit, "I love you too, Harry. I just don't like secrecy." He nodded and whispered, "Neither do I and it's coming from both sides." She nodded, "As soon as we win the first match, we can tell everybody then." Harry nodded, "I'll send a letter to Dumbledore now and ask him. By the way, it's a Hogsmeade trip tomorrow. Are you going with anyone?"
Ginny shook her head, and replied questioningly, "We should go together?" He nodded and she blushed a little. Harry was literally the only person in the world who could make her blush. She smiled and nodded, "Alright. I think it's a good idea. What time should I meet you?" Harry smiled slightly, "Down here in the common room at ten? Ron and Hermione are coming too." Ginny nodded and said, "Sounds like a plan," before getting up and almost kissing him on the cheek. He pulled her into a hug instead and then she hurried up the stairs, embarrassed and acutely aware of the fact that some people were watching her.
Author's Note: Hello guys! I know it's been really long and I deeply apologize! I had a bit of block writing this chapter and I couldn't really think of where it was going! Anyway I just want to say I'm sorry again and also that this year is going to go a lot quicker than other previous two. There might be a couple of time jumps along the way as this book focuses mainly on Harry finding out about the Horcruxes and etc. Therefore, it won't be as long as the other two years but I will still include most of the important stuff.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been keeping tabs on this story and reviewing regularly and for your enthusiasm! It really means a lot! Special thanks to the regular reviewers and Secrets, being a new reviewer! Your comment made my day the other day! Also I've got one more exam left so that will be on the ninth of June! I can't believe we're in June already! Once again thank you all for you kinds support!