The Cerebral Coordination of Ginny Weasley

Author: ValorOrgulloso

Rating: T

Chapter IX: In Which Eating is Awkward

"Could you pass the salt, Harry?" I asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. This was the seventh time I'd made a sickeningly sweet or biting comment to Harry. During our exchanges he didn't say much, but he did sit there and look sullen.

The rest of my family and some of the Order were beyond confused; Ron, Fred, George, and Sirius especially, who thought we were together. Which, I suppose, we still were. We were just in a fight.

Everyone kept sending confused, wary glances in between Harry and me. Once during the meal, my mother seemed to open her mouth to ask what was going on, but apparently thought better of it and closed her mouth. Smart move.

"Oh, thank you, Harry," I sang as I accepted the salt.

And, for the first time since the start of dinner, Harry said something. Through gritted teeth he replied, "You're. Welcome. Ginny."

I smiled mockingly at him and sprinkled a generous portion of salt on my potato.

I ate my food for another five minutes without anymore snipes between Harry and I. As I took a last sip of milk, I asked my mother, "May I be excused, please?"

She looked at me curiously. "Yes. Clean up your spot." I nodded once and stood up quickly and rinsed off my plate, placing it into the sink. Then, as fast as I could, I disappeared upstairs into an empty room that didn't have any decorations or furniature. No, it only had yellow wallpaper and an awesome view. It looked over London. The summer before I came up here to think when we visited here for a few days – mostly about what was to come.

Not many people knew about this room – the door blended into the wall, and I had only found it by chance. It was a good place when solitude was sought.

I sighed and slid down the wall across from the large window. I wrapped my arms around my legs and rested my chin upon my knee.

Harry – yes, he had a hard life, but I did too. It wasn't the easiest thing ever to live with Tom Riddle in your head. And especially not afterwards. If only he understood the self-loathing that accompanied the Chamber. I felt myself choke up a bit when I started thinking of the Chamber. During my first year, although no one ever knew, I had been close to suicidal. Afterwards, feelings of death slowly resided from me, and I was able to think clearly. But, if people knew just how close I was to death when I was eleven and not just at the hands of that monster…

I sighed, thinking of my new persona. Last summer was when I wanted to really let loose and just tried my hardest to be funny and live my life and be a goofball. And I met all of those goals.

And then I made a goal to get Harry to notice me. And he did. And the past few months had been some of my happiest since the Chamber.

But I was hurt. I was hurt that Harry thought I wouldn't be able to understand. Because, although I might not be able to relate to his parents' deaths, his childhood… I could relate to his nightmares. I sighed, thinking back to what Sirius had said under twenty-four hours ago. Be kind to him.

Well, I was trying. But he was so bloody ridiculous sometimes!

Eventually I fell asleep on that hard ground and against that hard wall as the lights of the city illuminated the room.

But I was woken up. "Ginny," my name was whispered. I opened my eyes. It was still dark outside.

"Harry," I breathed. He sat beside me cautiously, and in silence we looked out at the city's lights.

I broke the silence. "How did you find this room?"

"Sirius told me it was here."

It was a long while before he said anything else. When he did, though, I don't recall him ever sounding more sincere. "Ginny," he started. "Ginny, I know you're mad at me. I know you think I'm a prat. I am a prat. A big one."

I snorted lightly. "Not as big as you think," I disagreed. I looked at him and grinned. He smiled shyly back before averting his gaze.

"I didn't mean to say that, you know. I didn't think," he explained. "I know you probably could understand me more than anyone else. I know. I realize that now."

He paused, and opened his mouth again when I didn't say anything. But he was already forgiven. So I cut him off by kissing him lightly.

I pulled away, and he seemed to be in shock. Then a grin grew on his face. I leaned against him, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"So what'd you get me for Christmas?" I asked, hopeful.

He laughed. "You'll find out."

"Aw…," I pouted. "Please?"

"No. You're just going to have to find out with everyone else," Harry ordered.

I sighed loudly and said dramatically, "Fine." Harry giggled beside me. Giggled? Well, that was new. Harry never giggled.

"You know, as much as I hate to break up our little romantic excursion in this hidden room, we really need to go to bed soon. What time is it?"

"Erm…" Harry checked his watch. "One o'clock."

So, sadly, we left the room, but I felt much happier than I had in a while.

---

The next morning, breakfast was a much more pleasant affair. Harry and I sat next to each other, and there was no sniping. Everyone seemed relieved in the change in atmosphere.

And now Fred and George wouldn't shut up.

"So, what was with before?" Fred asked.

"Did you guys have a lovers' tiff?" George added.

"Are you guys going to be all gross in front of us now?" Fred made a childish look of disgust.

"Yeah, kissing and touching and hugging and drooling?"

I kicked George in the shin, glaring at him over my eggs. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

Beside me, Harry's red face seemed to radiate heat. "Stop it!" I ordered, looking at Fred and George in anger.

They knew not to push me much more, so they ashamedly hid their faces. I knew they were kidding, but I couldn't help but be irritated.

My mum was bustling around the kitchen in excitement. And, although she hadn't said anything to me since my relationship with Harry went kind-of-public, I could tell she was ecstatic. She kept sending me suggestive looks that I carefully avoided – I mean, ew, my mum shouldn't be making those faces in the first place!

Even Harry was acting different! Whenever Sirius looked at him, he became quieter than usual and blushed whenever I looked at him. I huffed. He never blushed just for the heck of it before!

The only one acting normal was, surprisingly, Ron. During that awkward hour, I felt thankful my youngest brother was there. He would sit there and shovel mouthfuls of food into his mouth, as usual, and I was glad for the reliable consistency of Ron.

Thankfully, the uncomfortable breakfast was over when my mother announced, "We're going to visit your father in the hospital at eleven, so go upstairs to get ready."

Relieved, I rushed out of the kitchen at top speed.

*This is a repost because I forgot to look over it, and there were like a million mistakes.

A/N: Aren't you proud of me? Three chapters in the span of 2 days! I actually like writing this story, unlike my others. I wrote this chapter rocking out hard to Taylor Swift's "I'm Only Me When I'm With You". And yesterday I bought a pink pea coat from the GAP and brown moccasins from Payless. They're so pretty! So review! And read my short story Sanitarium (it isn't a fan fiction, but I put it in Misc. Books). I wrote it for school, and now my teacher probably thinks I'm mentally disturbed, because all I write about for school is death and crazy people.

Thanks and leave a little comment!