Christmas was approaching and Ginny was furiously working her way through mounds of paperwork. Sometimes she worked by the lake, and others she was forced to sit inside when it was cold and chilly. Either way it was draining and she couldn't wait until the year ended in some respects. Hermione was still insistent on researching about Prince and proving Harry and Ron wrong.
He returned from his meeting in the late hours, when most of the common room was up. Things were fairly normal between them now but they weren't one hundred percent. She guessed it was because he had a lot on his mind with whatever Dumbledore was conveying to him. She sometimes wished she could just be present in the meetings to find out what they spoke about. Harry came back looking tired and groggy, but as soon he appeared in her peripheral vision, she smiled up at him, "Hey you," she said softly. He leant down as if to kiss her but she glanced to the side. There were still some people around.
Harry sighed and sat down opposite her as she asked, "How did the meeting go?" He grimaced and said, "It was fine. Dumbledore wants me to do something though…" Ginny grimaced, "Nothing too dangerous I hope?" He shook his head as he stared almost past her, "No. No he wants me to get a memory from Slughorn." She raised her eyebrows sky high, "Really? So you can look at it?" Harry nodded and grimaced, "Apparently this memory can change everything we know about…about Riddle," he whispered the name. She raised her eyebrows even higher if that was possible and whispered, "Wow. It must be really important. How does Dumbledore want you to do that?" Harry shrugged, "He thinks Slughorn is more susceptible to me than him. He thinks he will give in more easily. Somehow I doubt it." Ginny sighed and shook her head and whispered, "As if you don't have enough on your plate…" Harry nodded, "Oh well it's got to be done hasn't it? By the way you flew brilliantly yesterday! I was so proud!" She couldn't help but blush furiously and she glanced at the desk and whispered, "Thanks Harry." Even though they'd been dating for a while it was still strange and foreign to hear those kind of things from him. Hermione had told her that he was so much happier than she'd ever seen him and that this was because of her. She didn't really believe it but he still had the ability to make her blush in embarrassment.
He chuckled and murmured, "I can see you're blushing. It's so beautiful." It was the first time he had called her beautiful. He always said that she was "pretty," or she looked "nice," but he had never said that word before. It was strange how reversed it all was when he said that he had loved her quite a while ago now.
She beamed and glanced up before laughing, "You're probably the first person in the world who has said my blushing is beautiful." He chuckled and whispered, "It's because you're perfect to me." She couldn't help but inch her feet slightly closer and she rubbed her foot against his under the table before he said, "I really wanted to kiss you in front of everyone after the way you flew, but I couldn't…" His voice sounded strained. She grimaced and sighed, "Harry…" It was two weeks until the first Quidditch match of the season against Slytherin and tension was high in their team. Ron had been improving slightly in terms of his performance abilities but at times his nerves still got to him.
Ginny took his hand and slid it under the table so that no-one could see that she was holding it as she whispered, "It's two weeks. You can survive, I promise." He grimaced and shook his head, "It's awful, watching Dean flirting with you and not being able to do anything about it." Ginny nodded in agreement, "I know. I don't like it either. But two weeks is nothing really…" he nodded and sighed as she whispered, "Let's meet at the lake tomorrow? After class? Most people won't be around and we can have some alone time?" Harry nodded enthusiastically, "Okay, sounds like a plan. Five o clock?" She nodded and he grinned happily, "I'll see you then!" he said before yawning, standing up and wishing her goodnight. Suddenly he turned around and said, "You know Slughorn is having a Christmas party and he's made Hermione check what times I'm free so I have to be there." Ginny giggled, "Oh, yes the chosen one has to be in attendance." He chuckled and shook his head before returning to her side and whispering, "Will you come with me? It's after the match so we should be public by then." Ginny stared into his deep green eyes and nodded, "Alright. How can I say no to that?" He grinned, kissed her on the cheek regardless of the fact that there were about five other students around and then went upstairs. Three of the students who were elder than her looked at her curiously at the table opposite, but otherwise didn't comment or say anything, to her relief.
The following day dragged until finally she had her last class of the day which was potions. Slughorn invited her to the party and she said she would definitely be there. She hurried to meet Harry at the lake but he caught her at the entrance hall and grinned, "Let's go somewhere more private?" She nodded and the raced up the stairs again and found a tapestry along the second floor corridor which was virtually empty. The tapestry was a cover for a secret passage shortcut and Harry pulled it aside and Ginny was pleasantly surprised when Harry pulled her to him and began kissing her fiercely. He'd been so tense recently and stressed because of the Qudditch and everything else going on so they'd hardly been able to spend time with each other, let alone do this. Ginny missed it and she knew how much the waiting was irritating him before they became public. She kissed him back passionately just to let him know how much she loved him. She felt him relax a little a she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and into his hair. She felt his hands tangling into her hair and she felt at peace again. Like the tension between them for the last little while hadn't been a problem.
Harry pulled back to look at her as he whispered hoarsely, "I love you Gin, no matter what happens I love you." She kissed him back even more furiously and he smiled against her lips. Just as they were about to take it further, the tapestry was pulled open and she only vaguely registered it because she heard a ripping noise and then Ron's indignant voice, "OI!" shout from beside them.
They both froze and jumped apart to find Ron glowering at them like he'd just witnessed the most disgusting thing in the world. To him, he probably had and to Ginny's horror, he was there was Dean, who's mouth was agog and staring at her in shock. She floundered around before Ron yelled, "How COULD you Harry! Snogging my sister in public! I mean seriously! I thought you knew better than that?" Dean turned to Ron, "Do you know about this?" Ron nodded and retorted angrily, "I know they've been dating, and I've been fine with it, up until now that is! I don't expect to see them snogging in a public space!" That's when Ginny got defensive and yelled, "It was a public space until you came and butted in Ronald!" He glared at her angrily and Harry murmured, "I'm sorry, Ron. I didn't think…" Ron cut him off with a look that could kill and Ginny smirked as she said frostily, "Just because the best kiss is the one you've gotten from Auntie Muriel…" Ron's look darkened now as he said icily, "Watch it!" She rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Hermione snogged Viktor Krum! The only reason you find it so terrible, Ron, is because you have had about as much experience as a thirteen year old! Come on Harry, let's go?" She was about to head down the staircase to dinner when Harry whispered, "I think I need to talk to Ron, Ginny." She shook her head in irritation before saying, "Fine, if that's what you want. I'm going for dinner."
She hurried out of the intensely silent atmosphere and hurried to the Great Hall, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Ginny found Hermione at the Gryffindor table, and she literally didn't see Malfoy walking into her on purpose as he smirked, "Watch it, Weaslette!" Ginny didn't even have the stamina to retort, so she just rolled her eyes and side stepped him. He made that difficult by blocking her path again. She growled irritably, "Malfoy, move out of my way if you know what's good for you! Didn't you hear about how I sent your girlfriend to the hospital wing?" She raised her eyebrows expectantly and he retorted, "Pansy is not my girlfriend," before moving along. She was surprised her threat had actually worked.
Ginny found Hermione at the far end of the table and hurried up to her. Hermione looked up immediately and asked, "Hey Gin, what's wrong?" She sighed and asked, "That obvious, huh?" As she loaded bangers and mash onto her plate. Hermione nodded and Ginny sighed as she explained, "Ron just caught Harry and I snogging behind the tapestry on the second floor." Hermione dropped her fork with a clatter and asked, "Seriously?" She nodded and added, "With Dean." Her eyes widened and she asked, "What did he say?" He asked Ron if he knew about us but that's pretty much it. Harry is peaking to him now-trying to reason with Ron I think."
Hermione nodded and shook her head, "Of course Ron would over react. I mean, he is the only one of us who hasn't dated or had any experience…" Ginny raised her eyebrows and grinned, "So that's true? He literally has had no experience? It must suck for him knowing that his younger sister has had more dating practice." Hermione grinned and nodded, "I think it's kind of cute how naïve he is. I mean he doesn't even know that I actually went out with Viktor or kissed him or anything and I plan on keeping it that way." Ginny frowned as she asked, "Why?" before tucking into her food. Hermione sighed, "I don't know. I just feel like he wouldn't handle it well or he would see me in a different light." Ginny bit her lip and said nervously, but continued eating. Hopefully Harry wouldn't tell her that she'd somewhat thrown her friend under the bus.
At this moment, Harry came into the room looking drained. He walked over to them and he sat down with a thud. The passionate look on his face from earlier when they were kissing diminished. He grimaced and told them, "Ron is sincerely upset." Ginny rolled her eyes, "Stating the obvious, Harry." He was silent before Ginny prodded, "And?" Harry shook his head, "He's not speaking to me right now." Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes simultaneously and then laughed at each other's reactions. Hermione commented, "He's so predictable." Ginny nodded in agreement, "Childish, really." Harry muttered, "I hope this doesn't affect his Quidditch performance." Hermione sighed, "You boys and your Quidditch. It's all you care about." Ginny interjected, "Hey! I'm a girl who loves Quidditch!" Hermione smirked, "Yeah, but it's not all you care about."
Harry retorted, "Oh come on Hermione, just leave Quidditch alone for once! Have you made any progress in the finding out who the Prince is?" Hermione nodded, "Yes. There is someone I'm looking into but I'll let you know when I I've got a solid argument." Harry smiled a little before finishing off the small amount of food he had put on his plate.
Later, when they returned to the common room, Ron was sitting in a corner with Dean and glaring at the three of them with aversion. Ginny headed straight for bed, not wanting to lurk around while Ron shot her death stares. She climbed into bed and thought about the upcoming match against Malfoy. How was the team going to work when they all couldn't get along? She didn't know the answer and she also couldn't find one. She drifted into an uneasy sleep, where she dreamt that Riddle had somehow captured her again, so she couldn't play the match. He was trying to steal her away from Harry, tearing them apart and as much as she fought and struggled, she could not resist. The dream came to an end when Riddle killed Harry in front of her, in the flash of a light, and Ginny woke up with a start, drenched in sweat and shaking from head to toe.
Author's Note: So I finally managed to get to another chapter! I finished my last exam yesterday and I'm so relieved they're over! I've been writing for a month and I got so sick of it. Cabin fever is a very real thing guys. It's horrible. Anyway it's not like I have much of a life now anyway because I'm still working hard until October but I'm going to keep on working on this story through it all!
First things first, I've twisted this scene around so that it comes earlier in my version of the story so that Harry and Ginny could be together publically for longer. I think that's what most of you guys want. What took me so long to write was thinking of a clever way to do this scene but with Harry instead of Dean. I didn't want Ginny to seem disloyal to Harry in anyway, because the other alternative would be Dean overstepping his mark and kissing Ginny anyway, as he did not know she was in a relationship with Harry. But that would only make Harry's trust in Ginny decrease, so I didn't want to go there. Anyway I finally found a way around it and then some time to write it. I also needed Ron to be angry for the game which is why I decided to keep it. So here we go! Hope you guys approve!
I also really didn't like in the movie how they turned Harry and Ginny's kiss from the book into Ron and Lavender's kiss in the movie. I mean why? It's not like Ron and Lavender were going to last right? At least Harry and Ginny should get their shining moment. It's also a good way to let everyone know what's going on!
I thought I'd just illustrate my thought processes behind this chapter so you guys understand! Thank you for the phenomenal reviews I've been getting recently! You guys really keep me writing and I'm not just saying it. If nobody reviewed or read, I truly wouldn't have gotten this far! Thank you particular to the new reviewers: Elizabeth Osborn, Kait, Fanfic101.95! I don't think I've had so many new reviewers ever! And to my regulars Anonymous, 123rachel123, Starrya47, and 123summer123! Wow I just can't thank you guys enough! Thank you to everyone for your endless patience and acceptance when it takes a little longer for me to write! It never goes unappreciated! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!