A/N: 'ello 'ello. Welcome back to my little world that I have borrowed from J-Kizzle. My question from last chapter has been guessed: Natalia Wright comes from Natalia Tena and Bonnie Wright, who play Tonks and Ginny in the movies. Random note: Just finished a story called Never Alone, Never Again. Great story, but has a lot of very depressing and emotional times. I do recommend it though. No pairings, but focuses on Sirius and Harry's relationship. On a sidenote, today (the 11th) happens to be my 18th birthday, so leave me a review as a present! (wow that was a long authors note!)
The small girl's room was completely dark save for a small candle flickering by the door. Ginny rolled around in her bed, twisting the sheets and blankets around her lithe body. She sighed, and glanced at her bedside clock.
"Damn, 4:30. No sleep yet, and I have a Charms test tomorrow." Another sigh and Ginny finally accepted the fact that she wouldn't be getting back to sleep. Her stiff muscles protested as she slid and wormed her way out of her blankets, and rose, stretching to the ceiling.
"Can't sleep either Gin?" Ginny whirled around to see the silky black hair of Tonks poking out of the top of her blanket, along with her light blue eyes. Ginny had found it very amusing that Tonks usually slept completely covered in the blanket, even over her face. She said that it made her feel like she was in a cocoon, which didn't make it any less funny for Ginny.
"Yea 'Dora. Just keep rolling around." Ginny walked over and plopped on the bed next to Tonks, who had risen to a sitting position and was stretching her arms out, wincing each time the cracks in her neck echoed throughout the small room.
"Well Gin-Gin," Ginny rolled her eyes at the nickname, which caused Tonks to snigger in the middle of her sentence, "let's go down to the common room, and talk properly." Tonks finished her statement with a nod towards the other two girls, sleeping peacefully. Emma and Evanna were very light sleepers, and were quick to complain when awoken by one of Ginny and Tonks' late night conversations.
Both girls slipped on a nightgown, Tonks' being a bit more risqué being as it wasn't bought by Molly Weasley. As the girls quietly closed the door to their room, they stopped dead. A quiet grunting was coming up the staircase. It was a consistent grunting with a steady rhythm. With a shared glance, both girls slipped out their wands and made their way down the stairs. The sound was clearly coming from the common room and the girls finally reached the bottom and were floored at the sight.
Harry was suspended from the ceiling of the common room. His back was perfectly straight, and his right arm was tense but at his side. His left arm was in front of him, pulling his chin repeatedly and steadily up to a bar hung from the ceiling. The bar was slowly rotating and Harry's back was coming in to view. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal but the girls were struck dumb by the fact that he was shirtless. In fact, their friend was wearing nothing but a knee-length basketball jersey from some American team.
Both girls watched in fascination as Harry continued his workout, his arm muscles bulging as he seemed to effortlessly lift himself up to the bar. As his back slowly faced them, they plopped down on the step behind them. His back was covered in rippling muscles that gleamed with a layer of sweat. In the dark of the common room it was hard to tell, but some portions of his back seemed to be different than others.
His chest slowly came in view, and the girls were almost salivating as they saw his abs and chest muscles clearly defined, also shining in the little light available from the layer of sweat coating it. Finally, the rotation finished and Harry grinned as he saw the girls watching him. He knew they had been there the whole time, and had distinctly heard their sharp intakes of breath at seeing him. He lightly dropped down from the bar and with a snap, it disappeared and the fire rose up.
Both girls were startled at the sudden light, and the glaze that had formed over their adolescent teenage girl eyes disappeared. They turned to see Harry grinning at them, before running a hand through his hair.
Both girls walked over to him gaping at this body, and their stares began to make him feel uncomfortable. He self-consciously glanced down at his body and relaxed. The tattoos, people were always thrown off by the tattoos. Shaking his head slowly, he lightly tapped both of their heads, which shocked them out of their revelry.
"Ha-, Harry. You're so…" Ginny stopped and just gestured vaguely with her hands before falling silent. Tonks just nodded dumbly.
"Why thank you Gin." Harry laughed a bit and it seemed to wake Ginny and Tonks up a bit more. Harry leant over and they noticed a t-shirt pooled on the couch and he grabbed it. Right before he put it on, Tonks grabbed his arm.
"Wait. You MUST explain those." With her free hand, she pointed towards the tattoos on his body. He sighed and dropped the shirt.
"Okay to begin. The ones on my arms are just Greek runes. Good luck, health, the usual." He gestured to the unreadable symbols circling around his bicep, which Tonks and Ginny silently noted was quiet large.
"Here are the more personal ones, on my chest and back." On his chest were four separate drawings arranged in an almost perfect diamond. Over his hart was a white lily, with a tinge of red drawn in. Across from that was a stag, a brilliant white with antlers held high. Between and above them, just below the fleshy part of his neck was a steel gray wolf, silhouetted by a full moon. Below that one, just above his abs (which were wonderfully defined in the girls' minds) was a completely black dog, curled up but seemingly aware. "You can guess what they stand for. My mom over my heart, my dad across from her. I put Remus higher, because it was the closest I could go to my brain and I have always thought he was the most introspective and intellectual. I put Sirius lower down, over my stomach as a reminder to always trust your gut, and that appearances can be deceiving." Harry's eyes darkened for a second, and Ginny and Tonks immediately each put a hand on his arm in sympathy for the 12 years Sirius had been imprisoned, and the subsequent unfair punishment 2 years ago.
Harry shook his head and the look cleared. He turned around and resumed his explanation. "The one of my back is more complicated. Where I trained, you needed a nickname, a call name to be used during sessions. Guess what mine was?" Both girls took in every detail of the tattoo. A brilliant yellow lightning bolt began out off a dark cloud that sat across his shoulder blades, and then descended down his back, until reaching its tip inches above his waist. Without turning around, Harry kept speaking.
"Zeus. Hence my various additions being named after Greek Gods. Zeus' favorite weapon was a lightning bolt, and one guess where that came from." Both girls chuckled at his words.
"Did it hurt? Charlie got a dragon tattoo and he said it stung for days." Ginny asked softly, eyes fixed on the bolt down Harry's back.
His face darkened considerably. "It…it isn't a normal tattoo made of ink. It was….cut in to my skin." Both girls whitened. "After it was cut, the ink was left in and I had to remain on my stomach for days. Sometimes it will spike up every once in a while." Harry quickly reprimanded himself for telling them, not liking to burden them with his pain.
Harry waited with baited breath for their response. Suddenly, he felt a finger tip on the edge of the lightning bolt that seemed to both ignite his skin on fire and cool the sting at the same time. Harry closed his eyes at the feeling and leaned his head back unconsciously. The touch began to trace down the bolt, zigging and zagging its way around the sharp corners. Harry took another sudden breath as he felt another touch, this one on his chest, tracing the outline of the tattoos there. First, it settled on the dog on his stomach, tickling and caressing his abs lightly. As it moved on to the stag on his right side, the touch on his back had slid up and began to trace the dark cloud, curving around its sides. Harry stood there, eyes closed and head back, reveling in the feeling and sensations he was getting from the two simple gestures, and a small part of his mind smirked as he realized he didn't know who was in front and who was in back of him. The air seemed thick in the room, and Harry began to struggle to breathe smoothly. What these girls could do to him…
The touch on his back finished its tracing of the cloud and descended down the opposite side of the lightning bolt just as the second touch was beginning to trace the soft lily over his heart. Harry's mind was almost seizing with the sensations he was going through, his body a mix of pleasure at the touch and torment at the restraint. The touch on his chest was just finishing the outline of the howling wolf as the finger on his back reached the lowest point of the bolt, inches above the waistband of his shorts and Harry couldn't stop the feelings. He let out a low growl of satisfaction and was about to grab both girls in his arms when they both pulled away and he felt naked, cold and alone. He opened his eyes slowly and realized that he was breathing heavily and his face was streamed with sweat that hadn't resulted from his workout. He looked around to see both girls standing a few feet away from him, watching him with apprehension in their eyes, mixed with something else. It looked like desire, but more animalistic and primal.
Ginny and Tonks were also breathing quite heavily as they finished and backed away slowly before coming together. They saw Harry awaken from his mind's eye and they were astonished as they saw the absolute want and need in his expression. Both girls whitened and with a whispered goodnight, fled up the stairs to their room, climbed in to their beds and faced opposite directions of each other. Both girls fell in to a fitful sleep.
Harry groaned audibly when the girls left, and collapsed on the couch. His body ached, not from the workout but the need for release that he had been denied. No one had touched his body like that in ages. The simple care and feeling that they had conveyed with only a fingertip each had almost broken his resolve completely. He leaned back against the back of the couch and controlled his breathing. Whatever had just happened had only served to heighten and maddeningly increase the feelings that he felt so deeply for Ginny and Tonks.
After a few days of quiet awkwardness after the late night encounter, the three friends quickly fell in to their normal routine, though Harry would often miss the looks the girls sent his way when he wasn't aware, and the girls would miss the same looks he would send. But nothing happened to change their relationship and the encounter was put to the back of their minds as the Quidditch opener came upon them and soon the morning dawned, bright and sunny, with a slight wind. Tonks came down with Harry and Ginny to breakfast as they ate with the team, and all of them went out to the pitch.
Natalia helped Ron release the various practice and warm-up balls and sat back with a set of omniculars, recruited by Ron to record the game for strategy sessions afterward. The Slytherin team joined them on the pitch and began warming up as the stands started to fill. The day was great for Quidditch, and Harry enjoyed the wind whistling past him and he looped and spun through the air. The announcer blared out over the magical loudspeaker and Harry frowned as he realized that Lee Jordan had graduated and it was a Ravenclaw that he was unfamiliar with.
Madam Hooch's opening whistle brought him out of his thoughts and he instantly began watching the flight of every member of both teams, along with all three of the main balls put in play. The snitch was out of sight and Harry noticed Malfoy tailing him a dozen feet away. Much to Harry's satisfaction, he was still wearing a clearly visible white bandage over his right hand. Harry's eyes followed the action, as he grinned while watching Ginny swoop though the defense effortlessly and feint to the right goal before dropping the quaffle right in to Demelza's waiting hands and the young Gryffindor slipped the ball easily through the vacated left hoop.
10-0 GRYFFINDOR AS ROBBINS SCORE ON A FINE ASSIST BY WEASLEY. The announcer's voice grated over the microphone and Harry grimaced, promising himself to beg McGonagall to change announcers.
The score quickly got out of hand, as Gryffindor took the lead 90-10, over half their goals coming from penalties from fouls by various Slytherin players. Ginny had taken a bump to the side from a slight collision with Crabbe and both Creevey brothers had taken various knocks from Slytherin players. Finally, as Harry lazed over the Slytherin goalposts, Malfoy trailing behind and below him, Harry caught a glint of gold on the opposite side of the pitch and in a flash he was flat against his broom sailing shooting the Gryffindor hoops.
AND IT SEEMS POTTER HAS SEEN THE SNITCH. MALFOY HASN'T EVEN REACTED. PERHAPS IT'S A FEINT? Harry barely registered the announcer as he shot closer to the Snitch which was hovering just in front of the center hoop. Harry aimed directly at it before his eyes widened as he saw the Snitch dart up and behind one of the hoops. Harry realized that he didn't have time to adjust his broom and would soon be squeezed through the hoop, if he made it at all. He silently cursed his larger frame as he rose and set his feet flat atop his broom and, mere yards from the hoop, leapt from the broom as it sailed through the small circle.
AND POTTER HAS ABANDONED HIS BROOM! A STARTLING LEAP AND THE GRYFFINDOR SEEKER IS SAILING THROUGH THE AIR. HE REACHES AND GRABS THE SNITCH, JUST AS WEASLEY PUTS IN ANOTHER GOAL! GRYFFINDOR WINS 250-10!!
Harry smiled as he grabbed the Snitch and snapped his head down before reaching out a hand. He thankfully snagged his broom and swinging his body, used his downward momentum to land himself on the broom securely before going in to a vertical rise and finally leveling off high above the pitch. He turned to see the crowd screaming and the Gryffindor team rushing at him. He was screaming in happiness and his fist was tightly closed around the Snitch, fist raised in the air. But his eyes widened in shock as he saw Malfoy, an ugly sneer on his face, creep up behind Ginny's smiling form and with a chop of his hand, broke her broom easily in two. Her scream rent the air as all heads swiveled to look at her as she slid off the useless piece of wood and started to plummet towards the ground.
Harry yelled a primal roar before going in to a dive on his broom. He was lower than Ginny had been but had a full Quidditch pitch to make up in length. He sighed mentally and prepared to leave his broom once again. I wish this hadn't come out yet, but now is as good a time as any. Harry again leapt from his broom, this time pushing it away completely and he flattened his body as he shot through the air, arms at his sides as the gasps and screams of the crowd went unnoticed by him. He saw Ginny's form falling and he pushed himself faster and finally arched his back.
The crowd silenced as they watched two large bat-like wings spring from Harry's back. Harry finally flattened off a dozen feet above the ground and threw all his downward momentum in to speed as he raced to the point where Ginny was going to land. Harry grimaced, as he realized that it was going to be close and he strained his body, pushing his speed faster than he had ever flown before.
Ginny had been screaming from the moment that she had slid off the shards of her broom. The small rational part of her mind that told her that screaming wasn't helping her situation, but that part of her mind was ignored by the larger segment perfectly content with screaming. She managed to stop spinning and stabilize her body, and she could see Harry leave his broom and go in to a freefall across the pitch. Her screaming abruptly stopped as the wings seemed to blossom from his back like an opening flower. She simply gaped, wind whistling through her hair as her breath caught as Harry flew closer and finally enclosed her in his arms mere feet above the ground, forcing him to fly at grass level. They skimmed along the grass, Ginny's eyes shut tightly, clinging to Harry's arms and jersey. Finally Harry managed to lower their speed enough to gain some altitude and he curled around and landed her softly on the pitch.
When Ginny felt the ground beneath her feet, she opened her eyes, and took in the sight of Harry watching her, wings folded lightly behind him. She was dimly aware of the crowd still silent and suddenly, a silent signal was given and the entire student population flew on to the field, surrounding Harry and Ginny. Ginny just stared at him silently, trying to comprehend what he just did.
Harry was breathing quite heavily and watched as Ginny gaped at him. Finally he grinned and shook his slowly. "Gin, you okay? That was quite a fall." Ginny only nodded stiffly before Harry sighed and gently poked her forehead.
Harry watched as Ginny shook her head slowly, before looking at Harry again. He grinned at her and she jumped at him, holding him tightly to her. "Thank you Harry. Don't you ever scare me like that again. How could jump off your broom like that?" Ginny glared at him, as he watched in shock, until she grabbed him again.
Both Ginny and Harry nearly fell when Tonks hurtled forward and joined the hug. She kissed both of their heads and shook them. "Ginny are you alright? Harry, that was so brave. Ginny I was so scared. Harry you are so stupid." Her face back and forth between them as her hair flashed between red and black.
Finally the trio was pulled apart as Dumbledore approached. "Ms. Weasley, you are alright?" Ginny nodded, still hanging on to Harry. "Excellent. Mr. Potter that was quite the display. Perhaps you can meet me back in my office soon and we can discuss this new development." Harry nodded stiffly, before turning and leading Ginny and Tonks back to the changing rooms, and up to the castle. Dumbledore shook his head slowly, glancing at McGonagall's face which was still slightly white from the afternoon's events. Both teachers watched Harry pause, flex his back, and the wings seemed to slide back within him, leaving two small holes in his jersey.
As Harry, Ginny and Tonks made their way to the castle; they came upon Malfoy screaming at Hooch while she brought the balls back to the shed. "He obviously cheated. How can you expect me to compete when he has wings!? I demand he be kicked off the team and all Gryffindor Quidditch points be negated!" Hooch shook her head.
"Mr. Malfoy, clearly Mr. Potter only used his…ability when Ms. Weasley's life was in danger. However, we do still have to discuss the punishment for destroying another persons broom and causing her to fall to her near-death. You will be talking heavily with the Headmaster about this." She turned and stalked back to the shed, as Malfoy glared at her before whirling and screaming at Harry's back.
"I swear Potter; I will get you for this. This isn't over." Malfoy's face was bright red. He was about to launch in to another rant as Harry slowly turned around.
"Malfoy, I have bigger fish to fry than you. However, once I am done with your Dark Prat, I will come after you. For hurting Ginny, and for scaring Tonks, and for generally being a pest, I will punish you. And no amount of daddy's power will save you. I won't leave this to the Ministry. We have a score to settle." With that, Harry turned and wrapped his arms around Ginny and Tonks' shoulders, as they walked up to the castle. Malfoy stood stark white, before regaining his normal sneer and stalking back to change in the locker rooms.
Whispers of Harry's wings spread throughout the castle and Harry quickly grew tired of being approached in the hallway and asked if he could really turn in to a space-bat that could fly faster than sound. Dumbledore had requested that the questions be kept to a minimum, so of course, in Hogwarts logic, they only increased in fervor.
Soon after, Harry had found that Ginny and Tonks had taken pride in being his buffer from the general public. Both took great joy in scaring off the other students, threatening to send them to the Hospital Wing if they asked him anymore. Gradually, the questions died down and Harry managed to go back as normal a life as he could manage.
Harry was happy to see that Ginny, Tonks and he began to get even closer together, spending all of their time together that classes would allow. They would do all their studying together, curled on the couch with Harry's familiars lying around them, or perched behind them on the backrest. Ginny in particular seemed particularly opposed to leave Harry unless she absolutely had to.
One night Harry noticed it and decided to do something. Harry took her outside the common room and asked her about it. "Ginny, what's up? You seem different since the Quidditch game. You seem to always be with me. Not that I am complaining, just curious." Ginny glanced at him before responding. Her voice was perfectly normal, but Harry knew that she was an adept liar.
"Nothing Harry. Just like to hang around with you guys." She shrugged and tried to move away. Harry pulled her back.
"Don't nothing me. I know when you're lying. What's the real reason?" Ginny froze up, and paused, looking down at her shoes. Harry absentmindedly brushed a piece of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
Finally she spoke and it all seemed to pour out of her. "Oh Harry, I just feel like… you always put yourself in danger for me. First the Chamber, then this. And I don't want you to have to risk yourself like that ever again. So I thought that if I just stayed with you, nothing bad would happen. Because you wouldn't let it." Her voice was small as she finished and she looked away from him, red creeping across her face in shame. Her fingers self consciously fiddled with the hem of her jumper. Harry's heart almost broke inside and he lifted her face slowly.
Her chocolate brown eyes pierced his own, showing all of her trust and love for him. "Ginny. I would put myself in danger for you any day. I love that you want to hang out with me, and I would love to spend time with you, but not out of guilt or some miss-gotten sense of duty. Okay, so don't worry about it? Nothing is going to happen." Ginny looked at him tearfully and nodded furiously. He reached out and pulled her in to a tight hug, and he could feel her tears soaking his shirt. He rubbed her back, and whispered soothing words in to her ear.
Finally she stepped away and wiped her eyes in a futile attempt to clear the tears and redness. He put his arm around her and walked her back in to the room. They settled in and finished their homework.
A few hours later, Ginny gathered the girls' books and brought them back to their room. On her way down, Ron intercepted her and took her aside. She sat down and said hello to Hermione, who nodded at her stiffly. Ron sat down and nervously started.
"Um hey Ginny. I am just worried, because we haven't talked much lately. I just want to talk to you, because of what happened in your first year…" Ginny stiffened slightly.
"Oh…" Ginny wasn't sure how to respond and decided to opt for her trademark humor. "It's fine. Besides, Harry can always take care of me right? He takes care of everyone else." She laughed quietly, but noticed that Hermione remained quiet, while Ron's eyes narrowed.
"Well, speaking of Harry, I think that maybe you should think about spending time with some other people." Ron tried to smile at her, but it clearly failed miserably.
"Well for your information RONALD, I happen to care very little what you think. And the same goes for your silent partner here." She gestured sharply to Hermione, who had been about to speak, but fell silent with a frown on her face. "I trust Harry; he doesn't treat me like a little baby like some people I could mention." Ginny fumed inside, as she realized what this little talk was about.
"WellGinevra, as your older brother, I forbid you from hanging out with Harry. And if I hear that you and him are…well you know, snogging, then…" He left the threat there, trying to be intimidating. A voice broke the conversation.
"Oh that was stupid Ron." All three heads swung around to see Tonks holding Harry back, whose face was darkening and his eyes were mere slits. Tonks continued. "One thing about Ginny Weasley, the best way to make her do something is to absolutely forbid it, especially coming from someone who has no right to forbid anything." Tonks stayed between Harry and Ron, and shook her head sadly.
"Listen Nymphadora, butt out. This has nothing to do with you." Hermione silently fell back but Ron was too wrapped up in his words to notice. Tonks hissed at hearing her name. Ron was distracted by it, and didn't see the hit coming to his face. He crashed to the ground, mostly in surprise by the attack.
Ginny stood over him, glaring at him, before kicking him in the knee. "Don't ever speak to my friends again. Nothing is going on between me and Harry, we are just friends and unlike you, he seems to care about me and my happiness. Even if it was, it's no business of you." She turned around and took a few steps away, before turning back. "Next time, I won't aim for your knee." Ron and Harry both winced at that, Ron much more noticeably. Tonks and Ginny turned and stormed up the stairs, causing Ron to look fearfully to look at Harry, who was leaning against the back of the couch relaxed, with a grin on his face.
Harry shook his head and held his hands in front of his chest in a non-threatening manner. "Don't be afraid of me. Ginny is much more frightening than me. She already punished you for her actions. Don't be an arsehole Ron." Harry arched an eyebrow at Ron, before cheekily winking at Hermione and gathering his stuff, he headed up to his room.
The following night, Ginny, Harry and Tonks sat in the armchairs closer to the fire for a change, as some 7th years needed the couch to study for NEWTs. Ginny and Tonks each were in armchairs right next to each other. Harry sat on the arms of the chairs between them, legs swinging lazily in the front of the chair. They were chatting quietly when Harry noticed that both girls had quieted down. He glanced down and was surprised to see Apollo and Artemis each curled up in front of one of the girls. The wolves were awake, but resting against the legs of the girls who had stiffened. It was common knowledge that the animals would only intentionally touch Harry. Ginny and Tonks slowly looked at Harry, who was grinning. He pantomimed pet them, and indicated the wolves. Ginny and Tonks linked eyes fearfully, and then slowly reached down to their respective wolf.
The first touch was very slight but provoked no reaction from the animals. Ginny looked to Tonks, and mouthed you first. Tonks glared at her, then petted Artemis slowly, who growled in pleasure softly which delighted Tonks to no end. She began to enthusiastically scratch the female wolf behind the ears. Ginny, heartened by Artemis' reaction, repeated the actions on Apollo, who rolled over in happiness and let his tongue loll out of his mouth. Harry laughed as Ginny and Tonks both leant down and enthusiastically rubbed the canines up and down. Finally, Ginny and Tonks leaned back and smiled at Harry, who smiled at each of them. Suddenly, the two wolves rose up again. Apollo extended his neck and placed his head softly on Ginny's lap, who smiled at him and began to softly rub his neck in soft circles. Artemis repeated Apollo's actions on Tonks lap, who responded in much the same way.
Harry slid down and sat between his two wolves and started talking quietly to Ginny and Tonks. "Wow, this is the first time that these two has trusted someone besides me. They tend to be very protective of me because of what happened before I met them." Ginny and Tonks stopped rubbing but began quickly after Apollo and Artemis whined loudly. They sent Harry a questioning look.
"Before I met them, these two were raised by a bad wizard. He was training them to be fight wolves, which is quite the industry in Greece apparently. The local police managed to raid his house and I found these two huddled in a cage. They wouldn't let me touch them for months, they just followed me around. One day, I was walking around in a forest, and I was knocked down by a big bear. It was about to rip my head off, when these two flashed out and fended him off. We have been inseparable ever since."
Ginny and Tonks looked at the two animals with tears in their eyes and saw steady green eyes staring back at them. Both girls reached down and gave the animals a small hug and kiss atop the head. Both animals seemed to smile in the best way a dog can, and settled down to sleep in front the girl's chairs. Harry smiled at both of them and stood up and stretched. In his mind, he was smiling. Just more evidence of how much I feel…whatever I feel about these two, he thought. He smiled physically and helped the girls up and after a hug for both of them, he walked up the stairs, the wolves staying down with Ginny.
Harry woke up feeling cold and looked around his bed. The darkness was complete except for a small candle by Ron's bed, from which snores were echoing loudly. Similar snores came from Dean and Neville, while Seamus seemed to be having a very interesting dream about whipped cream and the Irish female Quidditch team. Harry realized the cold was coming from his feet, because Artemis, who normally slept there was absent. Apollo was missing from his normal spot beside Harry's bed as well. The little clock beside Harry's bed read 12:58. Harry quietly got out of bed, and crept silently down the stairs to the common room where he could hear soft voices speaking quietly.
Ginny and Tonks had stayed up late, and had eventually moved down to the floor, lying next to each other, flanked on the outside by the sleeping wolves. "Alright Dora, its pretty clear. Both of us like him and I don't know what he wants." Tonks nodded slowly, eyes sliding around the ceiling, her right hand grazing Artemis' fur softly.
"Yeah Gin. What are we going to do? I don't want to hurt either of our friendships with him, but he's so damn irresistible." Ginny chuckled softly and Tonks smiled, neither girl noticing the figure crouched on the boy's stairs.
"Both of us go for it. We stay friends, but whoever he picks, he picks. And he might not even pick one of us; he could have any girl in the school." Tonks nodded wistfully.
"Deal. Nothing between us though right? If something messed up our friendship, I couldn't handle it, I barely know anyone else." Ginny elbowed Tonks lightly, bringing a smile to the Metamorphmagus.
"Of course. So I am officially breaking up with Michael this week." Tonks nodded slowly, and again, neither girl noticed the dark figure slither back up the stairs.
After a few minutes of silence, Tonks spoke quietly. "So we both go after Mr. Potter." Ginny nodded and both girls rose up and headed to bed. The wolves got up and went up to Harry's room, climbing in to their normal positions, though they didn't fall asleep quickly.
Harry returned to his dorm quietly after Ginny's declaration of her breakup with Michael, and slipped back in to bed, managed to hold back the tears that surprised him. "Lost your chance now Harry. They clearly have their hearts on someone else." Harry murmured to himself, before slipping in to a fitful sleep, dreaming he watched Ginny and Tonks snogging lines of faceless guys, while Harry was tied down and forced to watch. He awoke the next day with dark under his eyes, but the rest of the boys in the dorm didn't mention it, though Ron had a curiously smug expression on his face.
A/N: Well there you have it. Next chapter should be the first sort of interlude chapter that has song mentions and I am looking forward to writing it!