A Matchless Match

By: Lady Lithe

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Naru-chan: Chapter seven! Yay! Thank you all that reviewed before. I hope you like it.

Chapter Seven: Take Two

People lie because they're afraid of what will happen if they tell the truth. –Bruce Johnson

Harry was perfect for her.

How had he not seen it before? The way they fit in each other's arms. The way they were both gifted at Quidditch. The way they threw glances at each other and laughed at inside jokes that only they understood. The way their heights complimented each other. The way his black hair matched perfectly with her scarlet tresses. And the Weasley family absolutely loved him. It all just clicked.

But then again, that was only in his point of view. All the reasons that Hermione had told him that were comprised of what Ginny's prince should be like weren't…they weren't her reasons. They were Harry's. He had made them up, and perhaps, unconsciously he now admitted guiltily, he had probably been biased. Ginny hadn't agreed that that had been what she wanted – that he had been what she wanted. But try as hard as he might, he simply could not picture her with anyone else. He didn't want to even try.

How could he have not known his own feelings?

All those times when he wanted to strangle any bloke that, in his opinion, was being a bit too friendly to her. And all the carping he did when he was going through his list of guys. He had labeled it as just normal brotherly affection, but it actually had been anything but that.

All those times that he had lain on the couch in the common room or in the Burrow with her curled comfortably on the floor reading, sometimes silently and sometimes aloud to him – she would always just know what he was in the mood for…he would always reach out and touch her hair. There would be such a sense of serenity in the air and inside of Harry. He would often fall asleep with the sound of her soothing voice whispering over him and he would sleep with more peace than any other time.

All those times they had exchanged words. Even the smallest exchange seemed to brighten his day. And when they really spoke – they spoke like there was no tomorrow. Her jokes and imitations always left him rolling on the ground, clutching his splitting sides as he laughed without abandon. And she would watch him with an amused glint in her eye. Then there were times when he would tell her things he never told anyone, not even Ron or Hermione, and she would listen and take in what he said, never showing him pity. She would accept him.

All those times when he would unconsciously reach out for her. His emerald eyes always automatically searched the room for a glimpse of scarlet hair, and when he saw it the whole room seemed brighter. If she were in the room, his eyes would follow her every movement. When he caught the scent of flowers in the air, his mind would unknowingly reel back to times when he was with her. When she was jabbing him in his ribs. When she was pushing back a stray lock of hair. When she was smiling at him as if he was the only one she ever smiled at.

And in the end he knew that it wasn't that he was perfect for her. Oh no. It was that she was perfect for him.

Harry sighed deeply as he watched the fireplace roar from his lying position on the common room red sofa. He was keenly aware of the missing presence by his side, and his emerald eyes kept darting toward he portrait hole in hopes that the person on his mind would suddenly materialize.

He didn't know what to do now that he had realized all of this. He wasn't sure if he should hide from her until he had completely sorted his emotions or if he should just jump into the mess and confront her – or just do something. He half hoped that if he tried hard enough, he would be able to quell these new feelings. But the other part of him struggled so deeply against that prospect that it surprised himself. He didn't want to just lose these feelings. They weren't something he could just throw away.

Harry shoved himself up from his comfortable arrangement with determination. He couldn't just sit here and mope around! He had to find her and then–! Well…he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Where was she? There was something in him that was tugging him toward the library, so he went with it. He had learned over years of experience to trust his gut.

He traveled down the corridors in an almost dream-like haze. He ignored the people that walked past him. He didn't even notice the group of girls that squealed at the sight of him. He felt the change in the air. And he couldn't help but wonder…what would happen if he told her how he felt?

Three words had never seemed to carry such a heavy weight before. They were all seemingly harmless words when separated. But when combined…the whole world was in chaos.

When he stopped at the door of the library, he found that he had been correct. She was sitting at a long desk, and miraculously, she was alone. Her long, crimson hair spilled over her shoulders as she tilted her head, her eyes concentrating on whatever she was writing. She took a moment to pause and scan the parchment again as she absently stroked her quill against her face. She looked as she always did, but somehow his eyes remained solely focused on her. She smiled absently to herself and he felt his heart clench. He wiped his clammy hands against his black robes and prayed that his hair looked somewhat normal. He took a deep breath and tried to take a step toward her.

He wanted to turn and run away.

But he swallowed hard. Brave. He had to be brave. He lifted his right foot and placed it down a foot away from where it had been.

Okay, good. Very good so far, he encouraged himself with a grin.

Then it went right back.

No! he scolded himself, resisting the urge to punch his own leg. Wrong way!

Hesitantly, his leg stepped forward again. He took a moment to calm himself down and anxiously glanced up. Good, Ginny hadn't seen him do that.

Finally in control of his legs again, he marched stiffly up to her. She glanced up and a smiled bloomed on her lovely face.

"Hi Harry."

It wasn't too late to run.

No, I'm not running away! But…she's looking at me strangely. Why? Shoot, is there something on my face? Something stuck between my teeth? Maybe I smell! I should have showered!

No, you idiot, she's staring at you because you've been gaping at her for the past minute!

"H-Hi Ginny," Harry laughed uneasily, rubbing the base of his neck. "D-Do you mind if I sit h-here?"

She raised an eyebrow with a small baffled smile and said, "Of course. As you can see, Harry," she turned her head slowly from left to right, "no one else is sitting at this table but me."

"I-I knew that of course," he laughed a bit too loudly, causing Madam Pince, the vicious librarian, to glare at him warningly. This was so strange! Usually, Ginny was the one that he could speak to so naturally, but in a way, he wasn't sure how to act anymore with his new realization. "I just didn't want to bother you, that's all."

"You never bother me, Harry," she replied with a wide grin. He felt his heart soar, and with a wide grin on his face, he took a seat. They both waited a beat for something to happen, and finally, Ginny spoke.

"So…what are you in the library for?"

"I…" he faltered, his brain kicking into overdrive. He couldn't very well tell her that it was because he had been looking for her! He had to say something that would…impress her. "Sutdyign."

"What?" she blinked.

"S-Studying," he amended nervously while smiling with a bit too much teeth as his face instantly turned a deep hue. Not only was that incredibly stupid of him, but studying? He didn't want her to think of him as another Hermione. And at this rate, with all this stuttering, another Neville.

His emerald eyes strayed to her red hair. Usually, it would feel completely ordinary to reach out and touch it. Nothing would have felt strange about the affectionate gesture. Now the simple thought of touching her at all caused his entire stomach to twist into knots.

Shoot, she said something.

"Sorry?" he cleared his throat, praying that she hadn't realized that he had been staring at her hair.

"What subject?" Then he flushed deeper. He didn't have any books with him! He fumbled for a moment to get his bag, which he was extremely glad now that he brought with him.

"U-Um," he dallied as he plunged his hand into his bag, grabbed the first thing he felt, and practically slammed it onto the table. "This!"

Then his mouth dropped in pure horror as his wide emerald eyes lay onto the photo.

"You're studying a picture…of Cho Chang?" she asked in a quiet voice, her eyes staring unwaveringly at the nervously smiling raven-haired girl in the photo.

"N-No, t-that's not - !" Harry stuttered helplessly, trying to shove away the panic that bubbled up his throat. How in Merlin's Beard had that gotten in his bag? Granted, he had never removed it, but that – that had simply been because he hadn't remembered that he had had it in the first place. "Don't get the wrong idea, Ginny!"

"Someone's defensive," she said in a playful tone, but her gaze remained locked on the picture, which she had picked up. "You still have a crush on her, don't you?"

"S-She – no, I don't!" he wailed in distress.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhh!" Madam Pince hissed, shoving her thin glasses closer to her narrowed eyes.

"You don't have to hide it from me, Harry," she said in a lowered voice that bordered hurt as she shoved the photo back to him. But he truly and desperately didn't want it. Just how could he convey this to her? "You can tell me. We're friends, right?"

That hurt.

"Listen to me!" he said urgently in a low voice. "I don't like Cho!"

"Then who do you like?" she hissed back, blowing a stray lock of scarlet hair out of her golden-brown eyes, which were now dangerously narrow.

Harry opened his mouth several times before he shut it firmly as heat flooded up his face.

"I knew it," she huffed, shoving her hair out of her face several times before she let out a hiss of frustration and forcefully grabbed it and pulled it back into a high ponytail. "The least you could do is be honest about it!"

"I'm not lying to you Ginny!"

"Mr. Potter!" Madam Pince screeched. Several other students had turned to look at the furious pair. "One more time…!"

"Look, Ginny," he ignored Madam Pince, though he once again hushed his voice. He took her hand in his and gazed intensely into her eyes. He could hear his heart drumming in his ears, and he could feel the embarrassing heat on his cheeks, but he continued nonetheless. "When I don't want to talk to anyone, I can still talk to you. I mean, you're the one that I…" he stopped. He could tell her now. He could just let her know. But…what would happen if he did? What if he not only was rejected, but lost her as a friend as well? "The one that I can tell anything to. You know that."

For a moment there was nothing but his wildly beating heart before she finally closed her eyes and sighed a little. Then she opened her eyes and smiled a small smile while she gave his hand a light squeeze. "Right, because I'm such a great friend."

His throat closed over. "Right."

Her hand left his and rose in the air to a wave and her face broke out into a happy grin. She whispered eagerly, "Dean!"

Harry slowly turned around to see Dean, Seamus, Justin, Zacharias, and Terry fervently rushing over to join them – to join Ginny. He grounded his teeth against each other as he watched them flood beside her.

"Harry," Justin greeted him with a wink. Harry resisted vomiting.

"Finch-Fletchley," he acknowledged with a growl.

"What are you studying, Ginny?" Seamus asked and proceeded to casually lean over her shoulder. Harry could have sworn he was sniffing her! He really didn't need to take that deep of a breath to say that.

"Oh, just Transfigurations," she replied.

"Is Harry helping you?" Dean asked, placing a hand on her other shoulder. Harry barely resisted whipping out his wand and making sure Dean wouldn't be able to draw anytime soon. But he glared ferociously at the boy. Oh, how he glared…

"No, Harry's…studying," answered Ginny, her eyes flickering to the photo of Cho once again.

"Oh ho!" Terry Boot chuckled, grabbing the picture to scrutinize it. "Cho Chang, eh, Harry? Still not over your old flame? Getting some sisterly advice from Ginny?"

"I'M NOT HER BROTHER!" he burst out furiously, but was drowned out by Madam Pince's howls.

"THAT IS IT, POTTER! GET OUT! OUT, OUT, OUT"

Suddenly Harry's things were pelting him with great force, leaving him no choice but to dash from the scene. Ginny rose from her seat, but at the same moment Seamus simultaneously wrapped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her toward him. All Harry could hear through the pain of having his bag slamming into his face was the awful laughter of all the boys.

The door slammed in front of his face and imprecations flew from his mouth foully. Not caring about saving any last shred of dignity, he dove to his knees and glared through the keyhole. He could still barely see Ginny and the others as his glasses were pushed closer to his eyes. Apparently they were still laughing and having a jolly old time. Harry growled noisily as he rose to his feet and swiftly kicked the great door with all his might. He instantly regretted this rash action as sharp pain ran up his foot and leg, leaving him hopping about, clutching his foot.

"What are you looking at?" he barked at the second years that had stopped to watch, point, and whisper. They quickly scurried away and he let out a groan and ran his two hands through his disheveled black hair. He looked at the floor to see Cho's uncomfortable smile flash at him. Well…he thought bitterly to himself. That was a success.

All he had succeeded in doing as firmly establishing how great friends they were. And he had only helped the seed of his liking Cho grow in her. While, in a way, he was relieved that she didn't suspect his feelings for her, he had such a foreboding feeling about the whole situation.

With one last wistful glance at the door, he gathered his scattered belongings and began to head back to the common room. He shoved his hand into his bag to pull out his list because he thought finding faults in all the other blokes might improve his mood. He even wondered nastily for a moment if he should go find Ron and inform the overprotective brother of the secret society. That would teach them to get too close to her! But then again…that was a bit too cruel… He frowned for a moment as he dug even deeper and deeper, but remained empty-handed. And then he stopped just as his blood ran cold.

Where was the list?

He couldn't have misplaced it, right? He would have noticed for sure! It was close to sixty pages! But with his mental state as it had been… He frantically shoved his arm into his bag again, feeling his blood pound in his head. The common room – the library – the boy's dorm! There were so many places that he could have simply just left it for any passerby could have offhandedly picked it up and if it had fallen into the hands of the –! His train of thought halted abruptly as his gaze slowly moved down to the floor. He could feel it. The ground was trembling in the same way it had before, just as his heart trembled now. Harry squeezed his eyes shut before he reopened them and raised them upward.

Not again.

Naru-chan: Ha. In case you didn't get it, the title is refering to Chapter four. "Take Two of 'Oh, Brother.'" And what did you expect - him to just get the girl? No fun... heh. But don't worry, poor Harry will eventually do that. I particularly like when he yells mentally at his legs. Anyway...review please!