Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Warnings: Hints of slash, muggle!AU
Note: Written for the Game of Life Challenge (family reunion) and A Demigod Wizard's Duel at the Hunger Games Competition (task 3 - write a fic about someone forgetting something important; prompts: valentine's day, diary, glue)
Dear Diary
Dear Diary,
Today I found the love of my life. We were meant to be together. He just doesn't know it yet.
A head of bright red hair popped up as the front door banged open, innocent brown eyes shining with curiosity. Scrambling up to her feet, Ginny watched as her older brother hopped in, followed closely by another boy she didn't recognize. Ron immediately led his friend into the kitchen. Ginny could hear her mother let out an exclamation of surprise.
Her socked feet padding softly against the hardwood floor, Ginny stopped short of the kitchen entrance and peeked her head in.
She was distantly aware of her mother bustling around to make some after-school snacks for them, but her eyes were latched onto the stranger. He was beautiful. His porcelain face was framed by raven dark hair tussled messily but suited his boyish looks. Even those ghastly wire framed glasses only seemed to accent his gorgeous green eyes.
Ginny sucked in a breath. He was just like those princes in the storybooks her mother used to read to her. Her fingers gripped the sides of the wall tightly.
"Mom, this is Harry. Harry, my mom," Ron said loudly, taking a seat in one of the chairs, swinging his legs expectantly.
Harry sat down as well, copying his friend's actions. As he did this, his eyes strayed to the side, catching a pair of brown ones unexpectedly.
Ginny squeaked as she was caught staring, hiding behind the wall. After a couple seconds, she hesitantly looked back in. When Harry smiled at her and waved slightly, Ginny blushed brightly and hid again, grinning happily to herself.
Dear Diary,
Today we were making Valentine's Day cards. I'm making mine for Harry. I hope he's making one for me.
Ginny snuck glances over at Harry every now and then as she worked on her card, gluing down a red heart on top of the pink construction paper. He seemed to be stuck, concentrating intensely on the blank paper glaring back at him, frowning with a colored pencil poised in his hand ready to start drawing though with no inspiration to start. His work area was clean and spotless, unlike hers which was decorated haphazardly with scraps of colored paper and glue marks staining the table.
"Who's it for?" Ron asked distractedly as he listlessly switched the channels on the television, blankly staring at the screen.
"I don't know," Harry muttered, placing the pencil down and sagging against the table. "Who are you going to make one for?"
Ron's cheeks suddenly flooded red as he became a stuttering mess.
"No one!" he managed to choke out, looking anywhere but the two pairs of eyes staring curiously at him.
"Really?"
"Really!"
Harry nodded though he knew Ron wasn't being entirely truthful.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Get off that couch right this instant and do your chores!"
Ron immediately let out a groan.
"But Mom!"
"No buts! Finish folding your clothes! How many times have I told you to not leave them lying around all over the place when guests are over!"
Ron reluctantly pushed himself off the couch, grumbling under his breath as he stomped over to his room.
There was a heavy silence after Ron left, leaving Ginny and Harry alone. Ginny was too shy to initiate any conversation, not daring to look up from her paper as her hand scribbled back and forth incessantly. Harry stared at the wall, contently ignoring the presence on his other side. Ginny sighed softly in disappointment, red hair blocking it from showing on her face as the silence continued on.
Dear Diary,
Bill and Uncles Gideon and Fabian were coming back from Egypt! I can't wait for them to get back! They usually bring pretty presents.
"Hey, Harry," Fred and George said in unison, both circling their arms around his neck. "You wanna hear a little secret?"
Ginny perked up in interest, turning her head to watch the exchange.
"Uh, sure?"
Even though she couldn't see his face, Ginny knew he had that curious yet unsure look on his face. She couldn't blame him for being hesitant though. That was the normal reaction everyone had toward the twins.
"Well, you see, our dear little sister might be harboring some feelings for you—,"
"—and we just want to know your intentions toward her."
At those words, they pulled out a familiar pink notebook. Ginny's mouth dropped in horror. In a blink of an eye, she was standing before them, face the same fiery shade of red as her hair. In that moment, Ginny looked more like an angry harpy than the ten-year-old girl she was.
"Give it back to me," she stated, voice tight, hands clenched into fists.
"What? You don't want us to tell him—," Fred started.
"—that his eyes were oh so dreamy," George continued, fluttering his eyelashes exaggeratedly
"—that his hair was just so boyishly messy," Fred placed his hand over his heart dramatically.
"—and that his smile makes you want to swoon?" The two pretended to do just that, bursting into loud laughter at their antics.
Ginny screamed, its shrillness making Harry wince and cover his ears on instinct. She launched herself at the twins, grabbing for the notebook.
Fred and George hurriedly raced up the stairs, Ginny hot on their heels.
I hate them I hate them I HATE THEM! Now Harry will NEVER love me.
Ginny refused to look up from her tear-stained diary, sniffling from her spot under the bed. Her parents have been her most frequent visitors, knocking on her door worriedly. Her mom had given the twins an earful after their little stunt and forced them to apologize to her. Ginny only listened as she blankly stared at them, not giving any response and making her brothers shift nervously. Serves them right. She will never, ever forgive them.
When she heard a knock on the door, Ginny didn't bother crawling out from under the bed, waiting for whoever it was to just go away. She didn't want to talk to anybody. Hearing the door open despite no verbal response, Ginny frowned in annoyance, wishing for the person to go away and leave her be. At least, that was until she found out who it was.
"Can I come in?" Harry asked, peering at the prone form of his best friend's sister.
Ginny's eyes widened in shock. She nodded slowly before scooting over slightly to make some room. Suddenly self-conscious of her appearance, hair a mess from not running a brush through it, tear stains running all over her face, Ginny turned her head and stared at the bottom of her mattress.
The air was filled with another one of those silences that was characteristic whenever the two were alone together.
Her heart was pounding restlessly. She had never been this close to Harry before. Just when Ginny thought she was going to burst from all this anxiety, Harry started speaking.
"Look, I don't want things to be anymore awkward between us. You're Ron's little sister, so I like you. How about we just pretend that that never happened?" Harry offered, turning his green eyes onto her.
And really, how could she say no to them?
Dear Diary (Fred and George don't touch this ever again or I'll sick Mom on you!),
Bill and Uncles Fabian and Gideon are back! And they brought back gifts, too!
Ginny rushed up to hug her uncles, smiling eagerly.
"How are you doing, kiddo?" Fabian asked, ruffling her hair affectionately.
"Good!" Ginny hopped in her spot. "Did you bring any presents?' she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"Fabian, I'm hurt! She only wants us for our gifts," Gideon fake-sobbed, leaning his weight onto his twin.
She giggled at his antics, shooting a glance over at Harry. With Ron, Harry was in the middle of introductions with Bill, but he gave her a smile when he noticed her looking.
Shyly returning one as well, Ginny turned back to her uncles.
"Oho! Did you see that Fabian?"
"Oh yes, I did, Gideon! It seems like our darling niece has a little crush!"
Ginny blushed under their scrutiny.
"Yes, we have to go talk to the little fella—," Gideon said.
"—to see where his intentions lie," Fabian nodded. The two took one step forward before their legs were seized in a tight embrace.
"No!" Ginny furiously shook her head, red hair flying in every direction. Never again.
Dear Diary,
Today I found the love of my life likes another person.
Ginny giggled to herself, clutching the card in her hands excitedly. Skipping down the hall, she rehearsed the words she was going to say in her head like a prayer, mouthing them religiously. Turning the corner she saw Harry do just moments before, Ginny stopped in her tracks, staring in disbelief.
Head ducked down shyly, Harry's cheeks were painted pink as he averted his eyes, presenting a red card to Bill.
Ginny watched as Bill got down on one knee, accepting the card with a smile, ruffling Harry's hair. She wasn't blind. She saw how Harry's face flushed a deeper red and the bright grin he returned to her brother.
Still staring at the scene in front of her, Ginny hid the card behind her back quickly and forced a smile on her face when the two finally noticed she was there. Her voice chirped a happy Valentine's Day to them, fingers crushing the card in her hands, crinkling it behind her.
With her back pressed firmly against the wall, Ginny maintained the smile as the two passed her on the way to the living room, Harry gazing admiringly at Bill the entire way, as if he completely forgot that she even existed, about her feelings for him.
When they were gone, Ginny pulled her card out from behind her back. The card that she had worked so hard on the past few days was creased and wrinkled beyond repair, the sole red heart in the center staring mockingly at her. She ripped off the heart, crumbling it in her hands before throwing it onto the ground.
Gathering up her strength and composure, Ginny began the trek back to the living room, leaving the small paper ball sitting in the corner unhappily.
