"Will you please just tell us what's wrong Harry!" Hermione snapped at breakfast next morning. "Is it Snape? Has he been giving you more trouble? Or has Dumbledore said something" Hermione droned on listing endless possibilities of things which could have upset Harry and although he wasn't listening properly Harry watched her mouth movements and soon caught on to when to shake his head and dismiss another possible problem.

However, suddenly when Ron interrupted Hermione's endless questioning Ron chirped up.

"It's good, you know, about Ginny and Dean?"

"What?" Harry suddenly brought his attention to Ron and felt his stomach churn inside.

"You know, that she's finally moved on from you. I mean, it can't have done her any good having to see you day after day especially when you were with Cho, as much as I'd rather her stay single at least she's given up on you falling head over heels in love with you."

Harry's mind unfocused from the conversation after at least she's given up on you and the words repeated themselves in his head. Day after day… especially when you were with Cho…She's finally moved on from you..

Harry felt his insides twist and he jumped up from the table to leave the Great Hall, leave the bitter truth alone as if it had never left Ron's mouth, leave it all..

"Woah, mate where you going?" Ron called out.. "I didn't mean it like that, I mean.. Yeah I'd rather her be with you than Dean but..but.." He trailed off. Harry was already out of the giant doors and was disappearing out of sight.

As Harry briskly walked down the corridor leading to the Gryffindor common room two figures came into sight, laughing and talking quickly.

"Fred! George!" Harry called out as an idea sparked in his mind. "You wouldn't happen to have some puking pastilles, would you?"

"Well, actually.." Fred started.

"As it happens, we do." George finished.

"Er, right. Mind if I buy some?"

"On us. We're only hear on some quick business, but as we wouldn't have been able to buy the premises without you, I think you deserve some puking pastilles for free, right?" Fred said whilst pulling out a box and thrusting it into Harry's hands.

"Oh and Fred, George? Mind keeping it to yourselves that I've got these?"

"Alright Harry" George called and winked and with that, they set off down the corridor leaving Harry to contemplate what to do next.

He had Potions next with Professor Slughorn who would be sure to believe him if he begun to feel sick, and, if he decided to tell Harry to stick with it until the end of lesson he now had the puking pastilles to make Slughorn regret his decision and send him straight back to the Gryffindor common room for some rest.

Professor Slughorn immediately bought Harry's story of feeling ill and left the room after glancing at Ron and Hermione, Ron had a thoroughly confused look on her face whilst Hermione seemed to be infuriated that Harry was missing perfectly important lesson time.

Harry counted on being alone when he reached the common room, he could sit by the fire and think things through. After all, he didn't love Ginny, right? No. He didn't even like her.. Not in that way, anyway. But Harry felt he was trying to convince himself the last fact was true more than make it clear to anyone else. And so Harry mumbled the password to the fat lady ("Oooh, getting out of lessons are we? Tut. I was looking forward to being able to doze.." had been her greeting.) and clambered into the common room. No matter how frustrated he was about the current situation Harry still found comfort in the rich red furnishing of the familiar common room he had spent his first proper Christmas at and the first place he had felt at home at. Smiling he sat down on an arm chair by the fire which crackled to life and sunk back into the chair.

"Aren't you supposed to be in potions?" A soft, familiar voice floated into the air.

Harry jerked in his seat and sat up. Stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to the girls dormitory was Ginny. Harry's heart did a back flip as he hastily opened his mouth.

"I wasn't.. I wasn't feel-"

"Puking pastilles?" Ginny cut him off, glancing at the box he had dropped down at his feet.

"I was going to use them if Slughorn didn't believe me" Harry muttered.

"Right." Ginny said and paused for a moment, unsure of whether she should carry on the conversation or just leave Harry to be. But it turned out she did not have to make the decision for Harry spoke up.

"So, why aren't you in lessons?"

"Couldn't face it, I'm thinking about breaking up with Dean."

A few days ago Harry would have felt pity for his fellow Gryffindor if he had heard Ginny say this, but now a rush of hope ran through him.

"Why?" he asked, trying to sound concerned though inside he was jumping with glee.

"We've been fighting."

"He..he hasn't hurt you, has he!" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Oh! No, nothing like that!" she paused "we've just been having a lot of arguments and I think it's best that we finish it off."

"I.. right. And there's no one else your breaking up with him for?"

"No Harry. And if you're worried, I gave up on you a long time ago."

Harry felt broke, like a thousand dementors were surrounding him, like he had just seen a terrible future…

"Harry? Harry, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I waited for you, for years. I waited but I've accepted it now.."

All senses left Harry's body and he felt himself leave the comfort of his arm chair and within moments he had pressed his lips upon a pair of soft, rose pink ones. Electrifying bolts coursed through his body from his lips and he felt like he could stay like this forever and that he would be content, that he would be happy and that the world would be right. However he felt reality rush over him like a bucket of icy water and he realised the truth of the situation and in doing so pulled himself away from the soft lips that were almost like a velvet shield, a moment of bliss amongst a terrifying reality.

"Harry" Ginny whispered, struggling to form words.

"I- I'm sorry!" Harry stammered and without waiting for a word of response Harry dashed to the boys dormitory.

"No, Harry, wait!" Ginny called out and Harry slowly stopped in his tracks.

Ginny dashed up the stairs and they stood together by the door and faced each other, their faces merely inches apart.

They stared into each others eyes for a few moments, the soft, hazel and milky staring into the bright, striking emerald ones.

When Ginny spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "I never stopped loving you Harry. I just told myself you weren't going to come around, that I was always going to be Ron's little sister who had a little crush on you. And I convinced myself that going to bed to sleep and not being able to because you'd spoke to me and there could be love hidden in your words wasn't worth it anymore. And I convinced myself that feeling like every single flaw was being scrutinised constantly when I saw you, like my defences were crumbling and I was being magnified into a penetrable person who didn't even know herself wasn't worth it. And I forced myself to believe Dean was."

"You still love me?"

Ginny leaned in and softly placed a kiss on Harry's lips, and as they kissed they were in a sweet oblivion and it was their own world, no one else existed and they were cloaked in a velvet sheet of bliss. And it was because of the velvet sheet in their minds that they didn't notice the Fat Lady's portrait swing open or anyone enter the room until..

"WHAT THE HELL!" Dean yelled and Ginny and Harry jerked apart as though suddenly burned by each other's touch.

"I.. Dean! I'm, I'm sorry Dean.. I, It's over." Ginny stuttered.

"I knew it. I knew you still loved him."

"No, no. Dean it's not like that!"

"What, so 'I never stopped loving you Harry' was a lie!" Harry interjected without thinking, though he immediately regretted it.

Ginny bit her lip. "Harry. Of course it wasn't a lie! I mean, I never meant for this though. Dean I'd already told Harry I was breaking up with you when he kissed me!"

"But you hadn't broken up with me!" Dean retorted.

"I love Harry. I'm sorry Dean."

"Harry, I thought you were a mate! She chased after you for years and finally-"

However the rest of Dean's sentence was cut off as the portrait hole swung open and Ron charged in with Hermione behind him.

"What the bloody hell's going on here!"