Falling Unexpectedly Hard

Perhaps she should have been nervous. She was, too, but only marginally. Of course she did still care about Harry and whether he lived or died. He was her friend, and Ron's, and – well, she didn't want anyone to die, did she? But it was hard to muster up so much fear now, when all he was facing was a maze where he had the opportunity to send up sparks for help if he needed to, the teachers right there, ready to step in. After the Horntail, everything else seemed a piece of cake for him. He could do it all, and he would in all likeliness win today. She would be happy for him, cheer with the rest. But she wasn't going to be biting her nails now, worrying when there really was nothing to worry about. That was irrational behaviour. She was done with that.

Besides, she was on a sort of date. Her first ever sort-of-date. It was something that deserved her full attention. He – Michael – did.

So she turned her eyes away from the maze, where you really could see nothing anyway and watched his eyes light up. At her simply looking at him. See, that's what you need, you moron. Not some bloke who barely knows you exist.

"So, who'd you reckon is gonna win this thing?" he questioned her lightly.

"Harry. No question." Okay, so some part of her loyalty was still intact. He was a Gryffindor, and her friend, after all.

Michael raised his eyebrows at her certainty. "Oh, I dunno. Cedric's been doing pretty well, too, hasn't he? And I wouldn't be surprised if that Delacour girl's got a bit more in her than she's laid on."

It was Ginny's turn to give him a questioning look. "Really? How surprisingly, that you boys should all agree on that…"

"What? That girl's hot. It's a fact," Terry Boot chimed in, grinning at her cheekily.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, she's also rather pathetically shallow and couldn't even get past a bunch of Grindylows. I mean, seriously. Most first years'd be able to do that."

"Woah. Sounds like someone's just a tiny bit jealous that Mike defended her," Terry smirked.

"Terr, don't you think you should give these two some privacy?" came Padma Patil's stern voice with a pointed look at him. Surprisingly, he didn't protest.

Ginny sent Padma a small smile of thanks. The other girl smiled back, before engaging Terry in a conversation with herself and Anthony Goldstein.

"So." Michael cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, just so you know, I don't think of her like that. The Delacour girl," he hurriedly explained, looking slightly anxious that she'd be upset.

"Okay," Ginny nodded, not quite believing him, but choosing to drop the issue. The girl was Veela-blooded, after all. He probably couldn't help it. Plus, she really shouldn't be talking about having some sort of lingering attraction to some other person. Moving on, Gin, you're moving on.

"Okay," Michael repeated, still looking at her apprehensively. It made her smile, how insecure she made him. From what she'd seen when she watched him around other people, it was really quite out of character for him.

She chose to change the subject, letting him off the hook. Even if it was amusing to watch him squirm. "But seriously, you think Diggory's got a chance? Isn't he kind of all looks, no brains?" she said, seeing Michael breath out in relief, before responding.

"Well, well, well, who's noticing a bloke's looks now?" he accused, playfully wiggling his finger at her.

"I also insulted his intelligence rather harshly, didn't I? That's the difference between us. I see when someone is a vain prat. You don't." And the fact that you're insulting Diggory has nothing to do with the fact that he's up against Harry. Absolutely nothing.

"Insulting my intelligence now too, are you? You do know that I am in Ravenclaw. We don't take kindly to that."

"Well…" She pretended to think carefully about it. "I'm saying you're smarter than Diggory," she offered.

"I choose to take that as a compliment," he grinned.

The time passed. Their conversation flowed more and more easily, Ginny still enjoyed making Michael nervous every now and then, and soon, she had almost completely forgotten that there was a game being played that she was supposed to be watching (but there wasn't anything to see, was there, so why should she bother – it wasn't as though it'd help Harry to have her staring at the bloody maze and give up her own chance to have a life).

Actually, at that particular moment, the Tournament was tucked so far behind dust and Michael's scent in her brain that if someone had asked her why she was here, she probably wouldn't have been able to answer them. Because after some joke from her side (if asked, she would not be able to recall that either), he had laughed, and she had laughed and then they had stopped laughing and they had just been staring at each other, realizing simultaneously how close their faces were, and somehow getting even closer…

Now, only a couple of breaths separated them and she could see his eyes sparkling with delight and excitement and she felt something similar spread down her stomach. And then their lips met.

There was a scream. Their teeth knocked together as she swirled around, suddenly remembering everything. She searched the ground, her heart actually stopping for a moment when she saw the two boys, lying so still…

"Harry!" His name was shrill on her lips while she was only half-aware that it was coming from her. There were so many other shrieks and sobs filling the air and she really did think - and then he moved, sitting up, alive, and her knees buckled. Arms caught her. Her brain felt fuzzy, there was more screaming, Cedric and dead and her head was still buried in Michael's shoulder, and she could feel him stiffening, but she didn't cry. She didn't let go. He didn't, either. He held her, and she let him, and she was frozen, but she'd stay here, where she didn't have to see, didn't have to face any of it.

A/N: Next chapter will be the day after this, and kind of short. I almost have it done, so it should be up soon.