That night after brushing their teeth and transfiguring their clothes into pyjamas they got back into bed and Harry prepared for another sleepless night. He lay on his back with his left hand out to the side and rolled his eyes when Ginny immediately started squirming to get into a comfortable position. An hour and a half later Harry still lay staring at the ceiling and Ginny still had not found a comfortable spot. He sighed tragically.

"Oh don't start that again," Ginny snapped in a whisper. Harry turned to her with a flat stare. The moon light was coming in through a window at the end of the room and reflecting off of her hair.

"Why can't you just stay still and go to sleep?"

"Because I can't get comfortable with you on the end of my arm… I like to sleep on my left side, and it bends my arm up behind my back."

Harry glanced at their hands. He saw a solution… but he was not sure he was brave enough to suggest it. He swallowed and dug deep. "If you er – roll over, onto my arm… well… that might work…"

Her dark eyes flitted from Harry's face to his hand. She made to move then stopped. "I'll squash your arm."

"Don't be stupid of course you won't."

"I will."

Harry grimaced. "Well then that's a price I'm willing to pay for a night's sleep."

Ginny swallowed and in a quiet voice said, "Ok." She pushed back her sheets and Harry drew his down from the corner. Ginny rolled towards Harry and settled facing away from him, pushing her back against his chest. He felt her shiver and pulled the sheets up over her quickly. Harry's left forearm rested underneath the hollow of Ginny's waist and Ginny clasped his left hand with her right. She did not seem to notice his sweaty palms. Now what was he supposed to do with his right hand? He rested it on his hip… that would have to do.

With his face right behind Ginny's head every breath he took filled his nostrils with the fragrance of her hair. His heart felt like a bird trapped in a cage.

It soon became apparent that Harry's right hand to move, he could not keep it on his hip, it was just too uncomfortable… There was only one thing for it. He wanted to swallow but his mouth had gone completely dry. Taking a steadying breath he reached his right arm around Ginny's stomach. He planned on resting his hands together but forgot that Ginny had taken his left hand in her own, and he succeeded in trapping her hand between both of his. Rather than pull away from him as he had been expecting Ginny snuggled back more firmly against his chest.

Suddenly instead of feeling nervous Harry felt remarkably content. He let out a breath he did not know he had been holding and found his whole body relaxing. He even found enough saliva in his mouth to swallow.

Light stabbed at Harry's eyes and he squinted into the morning sunshine.

"WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"Argh," Harry clapped his hands over his ears… or at least he tried. His right hand found the side of his head easily enough but his left hand seemed to have left his body some time during the night. He could not feel it. And then he remembered why, and he jerked away from Ginny as Madam Pomfrey waved her wand and sent Ginny back into her own bed. She landed with a thud and a groan.

"We couldn't sleep otherwise," complained Ginny.

"And next you'll be saying that you can't breathe unless your lips are sealed together… what would your mother say?" Harry pressed his eyes tightly shut and tried not to imagine how red his face had become. Oh what would Mrs Weasley say?

But Ginny just laughed, "She'd just love it."

"I cannot believe you know your mother so badly," said Madam Pomfrey with her hands on her hips.

"Oh please, it's Harry, Mum wouldn't care… what time is it anyway?"

They got up and Madam Pomfrey supervised while they took turns inside a curtain so that they could charm their night clothes off and charm their uniform on for their first day of lessons.

The rest of the school had not yet seen the predicament they were in and Harry and Ginny were stared at the whole way to the great hall. Ginny sat them down opposite one of her friends, who looked at her like she'd grown another head…

"Harry, this is Anushka. Anushka, Harry," Ginny said. Anushka had dirty blonde coloured hair and a slightly pointed face, she had on small blue earrings that matched her eyes and her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows revealing skinny arms and wrists.

"Yeah," said Anushka slowly lowering a still loaded fork back to her plate, "I know who he is Ginny… but why is he handcuffed to you?"

"Wouldn't we all like to know," said Harry.

Ginny pulled Harry's hand under the table and sat close to him so that unless you looked under the table from the other side, the handcuffs could not be seen. Although he put up the pretence of hating the burden of being attached to someone he could not think of anyone better to be attached to.

"I'm almost certain it was my twin brothers," said Ginny. "But they completely deny it… and they ended up handcuffed together too."

"Regardless, I think it was them," agreed Harry. "They probably went home and had it off quick as you like."

"Yeah… it's not like they don't know how to lie… would you mind giving me a hand cutting up my sausages Harry?"

"Sure." Ginny held the sausages still with her fork while Harry cut them with his knife… Harry glanced up to see Anushka frowning at them with one eye brow raised and a quirked mouth… it was an expression he saw on Ginny quite often and he wondered whether Anushka had got the habit from Ginny or if Ginny had got the habit from Anushka.

"That's really weird, you know," she said.

"Would it look better if I ate the sausage whole?" Ginny asked. "I could try if you like?"

"You do and I'll never sit with you at breakfast again." Ginny laughed.

"So what have you got first?" Harry asked.

"We've got potions," replied Ginny.

"Well that shouldn't be too bad, Slughorn like's us at least."

"What?" said Anushka, her eyes and finger moved back and forth between Harry and Ginny. "You've got to come to all of our lessons?"

"Well one of us had to go to the others lesson and Dumbledore thought that Ginny's lessons were more important because she's got her O.W.L's this year."

Potions went perfectly for Harry. He had been a little worried because he would not be able to perform any miraculous potion feats without his potion book, but Slughorn gave him a scapegoat by jovially warning him not to help Ginny with his overwhelming potions knowledge because she had to learn for herself.

"Please?" Ginny drew out, "just a little help?"

"It just wouldn't be fair on everyone else who doesn't have my over whelming potions knowledge attached to their wrist Ginny."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, just give me your potions book for my birthday or something."

"What and give up getting an O in my potion N.E.W.T's… come on, really?"

"Well hopefully giving up the book will get rid of the ego too."

"Ooo, you're getting no help now."

The staring they received through the lesson was not nearly as bad as Harry had feared.

Transfiguration was very similar except Harry did help, mainly because Ginny couldn't move her right hand properly so her wand motions were always wrong.



Lunch came around quickly and they sat close together again, but by this time word seemed to be out and people from other houses were craning their necks to try and get a good look at them.

Dean sat down next to Anushka on the other side of the table. "Word has it," he said to Harry, "that you've handcuffed yourself to my girlfriend."

Harry puffed out his cheeks and lifted his encumbered hand. "Ok then… Why have you handcuffed yourself to my girlfriend?"

"Your girlfriend has a name," muttered Ginny rolling her eyes.

"It was Fred and George," Harry told him, "…we think."

Dean spoke to Ginny, "Your brothers handcuffed you to Harry… Why?"

"I don't know," she said irritably, "but they attached Ron to Hermione too and not even Dumbledore undo it."

"Ron's been handcuffed to Hermione?" came a voice from behind them. Harry and Ginny both turned around to see Lavender. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Well not really handcuffed, I mean, he is attached to her," said Ginny, "but not by the wrist."

Lavender scowled at her. "What's that supposed to mean? Where's he attached to her?"

Ginny made a kissing noise and pouted her lips extravagantly. Lavender's eyes narrowed suspiciously, Ginny returned the look with a suit-your-self raise of the eyebrows and turned back to choose a sandwich. Lavender stormed away.

"That was cruel," Harry said. Ginny shrugged.

"I'm guessing Ron and Hermione aren't really sealed at the lips," Dean said.

"Nope," said Ginny, "but Lavender is so paranoid about Hermione it's just too easy, and I mean, who wouldn't be in Lavenders position, Hermione's far better suited for Ron."

Harry looked up in a moment of inspiration. "Oh I see." He laughed. "Oh, you hypocrite."

"What?"

"You're just as bad as your brothers really, aren't you. You always tell them off when they try and interfere with your love life but you're just as bad as they are."

"Don't be ridiculous."

She turned to Dean but before she could appeal for help he said, "I'm with Harry on this one."

"Fine then," she said and she went to stand up.

"Don't try and storm off Ginny," Harry said condescendingly, "it just won't work."

She settled back down and glared daggers at him. "Don't forget, that I'm with you, every second of your day, and displeasing me might not be in your best interests."

Harry smiled patronisingly. "Don't worry, I'll watch my back." He almost patted her cheek but thought he might be taking it a bit far, but Ginny seemed to think he had gone too far already.

Ginny raised her voice. "No Harry I WONT sleep with you I don't care how horny you are or how much you need the experience. I've got a boyfriend and you are not him!"

People as far away as the Ravenclaw table stood up to stare at him, conversation stopped and was replaced by excited whispers and Ginny simply picked up her salad sandwich and angrily took a bite.

Harry stared silently at his plate willing himself not to go red as he felt judging eyes fall on him. He felt a heaviness press against his chest, the last comment had hurt, oh how much he wanted to be her boyfriend.

Her actual boyfriend sat opposite him with his fist in his mouth and his eyes closed holding back explosive laughter. His whole body vibrated with the effort. "I'm sorry I've got to go," he choked out and Harry was sure that he was going to find an empty passage way to let out his mirth.

Harry was glad that there were only two professors at lunch yet and that neither of them was Snape… and as a bonus one of them was Hagrid, and he would not believe Ginny over himself.

"Call it even?" asked Ginny.

"Even?" demanded Harry through gritted teeth. "I cannot begin to describe just how uneven we are."

There was a pause… "You're right," she said. "What you said was far worse."

Harry stared with an open mouth. He did not really feel hungry anymore. Instead of eating he pushed his plate away with his left hand while he stealthily pushing his wand up his right sleeve. While Ginny finished her sandwich, trying to be as nonchalant as possible even with people looking their way every couple of seconds, Harry very quietly levitated a cup of pumpkin juice and floated it underneath the table until it was right in front of Ginny's knees. He was thoroughly chuffed with himself for managing it without being able to see it. He held it there while Ginny finished and then leant on her elbow to talk to Anushka, she laughed as though there was nothing in the world to worry about… she'd have something to worry about soon.

"Come on Harry, we're going back to the common room," she said eventually.

"Ok…" and then just as Ginny started to rise Harry flicked his wand and the pumpkin juice he had been holding tipped into Ginny's lap. She stopped, half way up and slowly turned to glare at Harry.

"Everything alright?" he asked with a straight face. She looked carefully downwards and then furtively around at the nearby people.

"Are you ok Ginny?" asked Anushka who was standing on the other side of the table with her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Just dandy," she growled through gritted teeth. She turned to Harry. "On three, we get up and we leave as fast as we can."

"Er… ok."

"Three," she said and stood up. Harry did not move. Ginny tugged frantically at his arm. Harry stared pointedly at Ginny's crotch and shook his head tragically. "Ok, I suppose you'll want to go and get cleaned up."

Harry heard a snigger from Anushka across the table with a big grin on her face. As she hurried out of the hall Harry really hoped she had gone to find Dean and that they were right now laughing their heads off with each other.

Other people began to notice Ginny's quandary and laughed and told others. Ginny went bright red. Harry thought she had probably had enough and allowed her to lead him away. She took her dark green bag and held it in front of her but it just served to draw more attention to the front of her robes.

"Now," he said once they were in the entrance hall, "now we're even."

"Now," she replied, "we are going back to the common room so that I can get changed."

Harry took them mostly through secret passages so that Ginny did not have to pass people looking like she had wet herself. Only three people saw them on their way. They climbed awkwardly through the portrait hole and Ginny led them to the girls' staircase. "I can't go up there," said Harry.

Ginny stopped and turned to him, still holding her bag in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed once without any sound coming out… "But… how am I meant to get my clothes?"

"Just summon them."

"They're in a closed trunk in a closed room."

Harry looked around the common room and could not believe that there were no other girls in the common room. "Well… well, you can borrow a set of my robes," Harry offered. Ginny groaned.

"And your underwear too?" she asked sarcastically.

"Underwear?"

"Yes… you've completely soaked my knicke –" Harry put his hand over her mouth very conscious of the group of fourth year boys all quite obviously listening but pretending not to and not wanting them thinking of Ginny's knickers.



Harry led her quickly up into his dormitory. It was empty, all of the curtains around the four poster beds were open wide and a trunk sat closed at the end of each bed. The house elves had cleaned and tidied the room since the boys had left that morning and they had refilled the jug of water that always sat on the windowsill. He opened the trunk at the end of his bed and pulled out a spare, slightly too small set of robes, and a hand towel. He passed them to Ginny, but she just gave him a contemptuous stare. "You can turn your nose up all you like but this is the best I can do."

"Underwear?"

"Er… well you can borrow a pair if you want, b-"

"Urgh," she shrieked, "I am not wearing your underwear, Harry."

"Well I don't know what you want me to do then? You can either stay wet or go commando."

"What on earth is 'go commando'?"

Harry shuffled his feet and leant his free shoulder against the corner post of his bed. "Well… you know… go without…"

Ginny stared blankly at him. "I suppose that would give you an excellent opportunity to get me back wouldn't it… wait until we're in a busy corridor and then shout, Ginny's not wearing any underwear."

"No Ginny," Harry said guiltily, "I'm sorry, ok, for getting you wet."

Ginny took the robes and towel from him. "It's ok… I'm sorry for shouting out that you – well, you know - I over reacted a little."

"Yeah," Harry scratched behind his ear. "It was quite funny though."

"It was wasn't it?" Ginny laughed, and her face broke out into one of her cheeky grins. "You went soo red," she crowed.

"Says the girl who just turned the same colour as her hair and hid behind her bag."

Ginny stroked one hand through her hair self consciously. "No one actually believed I'd wet myself though. They all knew it was you, or that I'd just spilt something down myself."

"Oh of course, of course."

"Of course… although I think that boy we passed on the fifth floor thought I had. He looked like he'd just smelt a dungbomb. People actually believed you wanted to sleep with me though."

"You know I cannot believe you said that… and what makes you think anyone would believe that." Even though it was completely and utterly true and Harry wished with all his heart that it was true for Ginny too, but instead he said, "It was far too ridiculous."



Ginny's smile fixed itself to her face, but her eyes had stopped smiling. "Ridiculous," she said strangely. "Of course… Turn around and make sure nobody comes in," she commanded. So she stood right next to his bed and he stood between her and the door while she charmed off her wet robes and towelled herself dry.

Harry's left hand was being yanked about behind his back. Harry started to watch the door. But all he could think about was that there was a mirror to his left and that if he were to just take a quick peek…

There was a rattle at the door handle. "Don't come in!" shouted Harry. "Quickly," he whispered to Ginny completely forgetting himself and turned around. In that one quick instant, while Ginny was rubbing her legs dry with his hand towel standing on her crumpled robe discarded on the floor, before he turned back to face the door, he thought his heart had stopped… or exploded… or stopped and then exploded. All he knew was that as he was now looking at the door he was unsteady on his feet and felt like every drop of blood had left his head.

"Why not?" came Dean's voice from outside. Why did it have to be Dean?

"Stall him," hissed Ginny quietly.

"I'm er… I've… I've made a mess," Harry called.

"A mess?" Ginny hissed again. "What sort of an excuse is that?"

Harry waved his arm panicked. "I'm just cleaning it up."

"You've… What?" said Dean sounding thoroughly confused. "Harry we've all left the room untidy before I'm sure I won't –"

"No – no - you're - ah – not allowed in until I've cleaned up this mess I've made… er..."

"Harry, you suck at this," whispered Ginny.

"Just what type of mess? Do you mean – do you mean – you know... a mess on the sheets mess?" he said confidingly. "'Cause it's alright... just draw the curtains and I'll pretend I never saw anything."

"Eww," Harry heard Ginny moan behind him. "Ew, ew, ew."

"I'm coming in Harry."

The handle turned and the door cracked open. "NO!" shrieked Ginny.

"Hey," shouted Dean throwing open the door. "Just what's going on here? Are you making a mess with Ginny?"

Ginny shrieked again and tried to make herself as small as she could behind Harry screaming, "GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT."

Dean took one look at Ginny's clothes on the floor and then fled, slamming the door behind him.

"Oh, Merlin," Ginny moaned. "That was just awful."

A minute later Harry heard Ginny charm his old robes on. "You can turn around now," she said morosely. Ginny groaned and sat on the edge of Harry's bed. She put her free hand over her eyes for a second and then lifted it and pushed her hair back. "Right, we should go now. We can tell Dean the dormitory is free."

Dean was waiting outside the door with Seamus a sandy haired boy who shared the dormitory, who stuck his head through the door as soon as it started opening. Harry could not help but feel that Seamus was a little disappointed when he realised that Ginny had finished changing.

Seamus grabbed a book from his trunk and left before Ginny had even bundled up her wet clothes.

"You know," said Dean as soon as Seamus was gone, "I thought it was a bit of a laugh with the handcuffs at first. But I'm not sure I'm happy with you two like that anymore…"

Harry stood there like a rabbit caught in headlights… what on earth was he meant to say to that?

"We're not exactly happy about it either," said Ginny irritably, "but we're stuck. I could always cut my arm off, I suppose. Would you prefer a girlfriend stuck to another man or a girlfriend with only one arm?"

Dean's lips narrowed and he shook his head and walked off angrily towards the door. He stopped as he opened it and turned back to Ginny, who was sat on Harry's bed staring at Dean angrily. "Maybe it'd just be better if I don't see you while you're…" He gestured at their wrists and then slammed the door shut behind him. When Harry and Ginny left, she slammed the door too.

The afternoon was much quieter, and Ginny did not seem particularly upset about Dean, although she did occasionally yank rather viciously at Harry's wrist when he was not allowing her wand hand enough freedom.

Harry helped Ginny with spells and theory that he had already covered, and then they had a quiet dinner, not counting the continuing staring, although Harry was quite used to it, and then they returned to the hospital wing for the night. Ron and Hermione were still there, Hermione of course, was unable to leave while Ron had to stay in the hospital wing, and Hermione had a big grin on her face, and no matter how many times she tried to contain it, it still managed to fight its way out.

Eventually Ron told them that Lavender had broken up with him earlier. Ginny turned to Harry smugly. Harry whispered, "Hypocrite," and her smug face fell sullenly.

A/N : I'm afraid to say this is probably the penultimate chapter. The response i got from these first two chapters was great. Thanks to you all