Chapter 5: Christmas

By the time Ginny got to the party it was in full swing already. She had lost Dean in the crowd so she picked up Arnold, her pygmy puff and wandered around the party on her own. She walked around a corner to see Ron kissing Lavender, hard. They looked glued together and she couldn't tell whose arms were whose. She walked past them and hit Ron on her way by on purpose and gagged in disgust. She turned another corner and ran head long into Harry.

"Looking for Ron?" said Ginny disgustedly. Harry looked lost and bewildered.

"No, I've seen him already," he said also disgustedly. Both turned to look at Ron and Lavender and turned back toward each other.

"They look like they're eating each others faces," said Ginny and sneered at them. "Anyway, good game Harry," she said and patted him on the arm. Harry smiled at her as she walked away. Ginny got tired of the party so she went to bed early and fell asleep quickly.

Christmas was approaching quickly and Ginny was planning on going home with her entire family for Christmas. Even Harry was coming with them. Snow swirled around the castle and covered the grounds with snow and another one of Slughorn's parties was coming up. Ginny was going with Dean but had secretly been wishing that Dean wouldn't want to go and she could go with someone else…like Harry. She had been thinking that he liked her, but she wasn't sure, but she was still going with Dean. Then she heard that Harry had asked Luna to the party and Ginny felt crushed and she tried to at happy. But Ron was not very pleased with his decision.

"I can't believe you asked Loony Lovegood when you could have asked anyone," he practically shouted at him.

"Don't call her Loony Ron, her name is Luna," she snapped at her brother. "I'm glad you're going with her Harry, she's really excited," she lied. She was not happy. She got up and sat with Dean but they didn't talk, and they sat in an awkward silence once again. She couldn't take anymore of this so she got up and ran to the common room looking for Hermione. She found her sitting on a couch by the fire reading a book. Ginny stumbled over to her and sat by her on the couch with tears rolling down her face. Hermione put her book down and moved closer to Ginny.

"What's wrong?" she asked her.

"I don't know," Ginny said forcing back the tears, "I got so upset about Harry asking Luna to the party and…I don't know. Things are not going so well with Dean right now and I'm just really confused about him." Hermione smiled at her and hugged her again.

"You're just not over Harry yet are you?" she said, "and I think he likes you too. He got so mad when he and Ron saw you and Dean kissing in the hall, it was a bit frightening. When I asked him why he was so upset about it he just mumbled something about you being his friend and then left. I didn't realize it at first but then he was talking to you and hanging out with you more and he cannot stop talking about you. You're leading Dean on by still going out with him you know? Dean really likes you and you don't like him as much."

Ginny wiped the tears from her face and looked at Hermione, "I think I'll have to think about it for a while," she said, "I'll keep you posted though."

"Hey," said a voice from behind them, "everything okay Ginny?" It was Harry ad Ginny wiped the tears from her face quickly.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she said and she stood up and turned to face him, "I'm fine, yeah…um, I'm just going to go now." She ran off toward the portrait hole and out.

"What was that about?" Harry asked as he sat on the couch next to Hermione.

"Nothing. Just girl stuff," Hermione answered and waved her hand at him and went back to her book avoiding Harry's suspicious look.

Slughorn's party came at last and Ginny never felt more depressed in her life. She tried to act happy for Dean's sake but it was hard and the party was dull. She barely said anything to Dean or any of her friends but just watched Harry talking to Luna. She wondered if maybe he liked Luna, maybe she and Hermione were wrong about him liking her and he really liked Luna.

"Ginny," said Dean, "are you okay?" Ginny turned to him and felt like she was going to cry. She shook her head.

"I don't feel well," she said and ran from the room with Dean close behind her. She ran down the hall but as she neared the corner, she heard Malfoy's voice and stopped just before she turned the corner. She peered around the corner to see Snape talking to Malfoy. She leaned back against the wall and listened to them. Dean came up next to her but before he could say anything she covered his mouth and held him next to the wall and they both listened.

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from HIM," snapped Malfoy. Ginny and Dean knew he was talking about Voldemort, "I don't need your help, I can take care of it myself."

"Your mother made me promise to help you. I made and an unbreakable vow," said Snape.

"It seems like you're going to break it then doesn't it," snapped Malfoy, "I don't need your help or your protection. I can take care of the task and it will be done by the time he wants it done." With this, Malfoy stormed down the hall and Snape chased after him. Ginny released Dean and stood there leaning against the wall. Dean tried to ignore the conversation and tried to change the subject.

"So anyway," said Dean clearly confused about what was going on, "are you ok?"

Ginny shook her head again, "I don't feel very well." Dean felt her forehead.

"You do feel a little warm," he said sounding concerned, "do you want me to take you to the hospital wing?"

"No," she said and smiled weakly, "I think I'll just go to bed and rest." She quickly hugged Dean goodnight and ran back to the common room and went to bed. She fell asleep as soon as she laid down on her bed.

Dean went back into the party and sat by himself but Harry and Luna soon joined him.

"Where did Ginny go?" Luna asked him.

"She doesn't feel well," Dean said, "she decided to go to bed."

"Is she okay?" Harry asked concerned, "Is she sick?"

Dean smiled, "She'll be fine. Don't worry. She's just a little tired." They sat in awkward silence for a little while. Then Dean asked awkwardly, "Are you two…going out?" and gestured toward Harry and Luna.

Harry looked surprised, "Us? No, we're here as friends," said Harry and he and Luna laughed. Dean loosened up afterwards and had fun with Harry and Luna. Harry seemed distracted and Dean kept thinking about what he had overheard Malfoy and Snape talking about.

Ginny, Ron and Harry left for the burrow the next day. Ginny was happy to be going home although she would have to see Fleur again, she was still excited. When they arrived at the burrow it was late Christmas Eve and Mrs. Weasley sent all of the kids to bed as soon as they arrived. Ginny lay awake in her room for hours listening to Fleur breathing lightly. Her mother had made her share her room with her and she despised her for it. She rolled over and over in her bed until she got tangled up in her blankets. She wiggled out of them and snuck downstairs. Presents were piled under the tree and she sat next to the fire. She could smell the cinnamon and the pine from the tree and smiled.

The house was quiet while everyone slept. She started looking at the presents piled under the tree. There were presents for all of her brothers, Harry and Fleur. She wondered who had gotten Fleur presents but realized that only Bill must have gotten her a present. She now felt bad about not getting Fleur a present while she had gotten everyone else gifts. She got up and ran back upstairs to her room. She walked quietly across her room, careful not to wake Fleur and grabbed the first perfume bottle she could find. She threw it into a box, tied a ribbon on it and threw it under the tree. She smiled and felt good and suddenly tired. She climbed onto the couch and fell asleep to the quiet sounds of her house.

"Ginny," someone whispered, "Ginny, wake up." Ginny opened her eyes to see Harry shaking her on the couch. Ginny rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"It's six in the morning," said Harry.

"Is everyone still asleep?" Ginny asked.

"Not everyone," Harry answered, "Ron and I woke up pretty early. How did you get down here?"

"I couldn't sleep with Phlegm in my room," said Ginny with a disgusted tone in her voice. Harry laughed and looked under the tree and saw the present that Ginny had thrown together in the middle of the night.

"If you hate her that much you wouldn't have gotten her a present," said Harry picking it up and holding it toward her. Ginny took it from him and threw it back under the tree.

"I felt bad last night because she only has two presents and she got everyone else a present, even you and you're not even being forced to be related to her because of your stupid brother," Ginny smirked but Harry merely laughed and Ginny laughed along with him. Ginny's eyes met Harry's and Harry's eyes lingered on hers. Ginny felt suddenly happy and much more awake. It was like Harry's eyes had lit a spark inside her.

"What are you two doing in here?" Ron said from the door suspiciously.

"Nothing," said Ginny quickly and breaking her gaze from Harry's eyes and getting up off the couch. She turned to Harry, "come on," she said and waved her hand toward the kitchen, "lets make breakfast." Harry smiled and got up off the floor and ran after her and Ron into the kitchen where they spent the next hour goofing around and by the time everyone had gotten up, they still hadn't made breakfast and the kitchen was a mess. Harry, Ginny and Ron were covered in flour along with the rest of the kitchen.

"What have you three been doing down here?" Mrs. Weasley asked when she walked into the room for breakfast.

"Making breakfast," sniggered Ginny. Harry and Ron choked down laughter.

"Clean this up and really make breakfast please," snapped Mrs. Weasley and she marched out of the room. Ginny, Harry and Ron glanced at each other and broke out in laughter and Ginny threw another handful of flour at Harry and Ron who threw flour on top of her head, making her red hair look white. They laughed so hard their faces hurt and they continued to play around until Mrs. Weasley threw them out screaming that she would make breakfast from now on.