Authors note

Thanks for continuing the story, remember if you get a chance to review. Let me know if you like the way the stories heading, I know a few things that I want to happen but it's mostly a spontaneous plot.

Chapter 6 - Too late

They arrived at back at Hogwarts and Ginny hadn't told anyone about her encounter with Michael Corner on the train, as they went straight to the common room to drop off their trunks and belongings and decided to go straight down to the great hall for supper as it was late when they arrived back.

Ron and Hermione sat together happily chatting to one another filling their plates with food, Harry and Ginny sat across them again chattering while Ginny pilled her plate and occasionally placing food onto Harry's. No one found this an unusual occurrence as they behaved like this all the time, Ginny and Harry would help themselves to food of each of their plates and fill them together.

They always sat together for their meals and did the same for homework, especially over the last 6 months. They had grown so close that people had asked them together and separately if they were dating and they both had said no.

Even Ron would corner Harry and ask him what his intentions were with his sister, he would always reply that they were just really close. However Ron didn't believe this at times when Ginny would lean against Harry's legs, chest, side or whatever while studying or talking, especially if one of them got up to leave for bed and kissed the other on the forehead when saying goodbye.

Hermione had never told Ron what had happened at the Burrow throughout the Christmas break, she had promised Ginny she wouldn't. Ginny knew how badly Ron could behave when it involved her, his baby sister and didn't want to give him ammunition.

After their meal, they all returned to the common room and Harry and Ginny decided to go straight to bed while Ron and Hermione sat in front of the fire talking. Realising they wouldn't have a chance to continue their conversation off the train tonight.

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The next morning was such a rush and all four hurriedly went for breakfast and had to practically run to their classes to ensure they weren't late. Lie in at the Burrow had had a bad effect on them. Before they knew it, it was dinnertime and Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to the great hall to meet Ginny as usual. Although they didn't know Ginny was meeting Michael for dinner instead, which was very unfortunate as Harry was going to ask Ginny this dinnertime to meet him in the library later after lessons to continue their discussion.

Harry again sat across from Ron and Hermione, and began filling his plate along with pouring pumpkin juice for himself and a cup for Ginny when she arrived. He was running the conversation to Ginny through his head again about how he was going to tell her how he felt, would she feel the same or would she say she would not jeopardise their friendship. He just didn't know what her reaction would be and hoped everything would work out ok.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?" yelled Ron causing everyone to look at him.

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and told him to shush, while looking in the same direction as him over Harry's shoulder. While stirring in her seat uncomfortably.

"What?" Harry added with a smirk at Hermione as he slowly turned round to see what had set Ron off.

The smirk quickly fell from his face as he saw Ginny sat at the Ravenclaw's table laughing and chatting with Michael Corner, she kept throwing her head back laughing exposing her cream neck as she placed her hand on his forearm, while he slowly placed his other on the small of Ginny's back.

Harry's body began to tremble in anger for the boy touching his Ginny, he felt he had to go over there and show him no one touches her apart from him. But the anger slowly dissipated as he realised that Ginny was not his, and she was free to do as she pleased because he hadn't given her any reason not to. His heart felt like it was being twisted inside his body, he dropped his knife and fork and took one last glance at Ginny before he strode out of the great hall leaving a very confused Ron and Hermione in his wake.

He walked straight to the Gryffindor tower and slammed the portrait door behind him, ignoring the complaints coming from the fat lady about how rude he was.

He flew up the stairs to the boy's dormitory and into his room and slammed his fist into the closed door he just came through. He pulled his fist back and slammed the other one into the door just as hard and again and again, he fisted his hair with his injured hands. His blood was still bubbling as he fell back on his bed and lay there for the rest of that day, skipping all of his afternoon lessons.

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Ginny hadn't heard Ron's protests that dinnertime in the great hall, she had forced herself not to look over at her three friends while she ate with Michael; she knew she'd feel guilty even though she shouldn't. She also didn't see the look on Harry's face when he saw her or the way he stormed out of the great hall, she was completely oblivious.

She had enjoyed her dinner with Michael, she hadn't realised how funny he had been, and she was starting to like him. After they had finished their food he had offered to walk her to her next lesson that was potions in the dungeons. She accepted and they talked all the way until they got outside the classroom and Michael had leaned in to kiss her on the lips, but Ginny turned her head so he caught her cheek instead.

She wasn't ready for that yet, she had barely been ready to start dating/meeting other boys, that guilty feeling had not left her either but she just tried to ignore the pain inside her.

She wondered if Harry had seen her having dinner with Michael. Of course he had she thought while listening to Professor Snape waffle on about the properties of wolfsbane, he must have as they always sit with each other for meals.

Then she knew that abit of her guilt was that she hadn't told Harry that she wouldn't be sitting with him for dinner, that wasn't being a good friend. She'd have to explain to him next time she saw him and apologise for her absence, she was pretty sure he'll be fine.

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Ron couldn't understand Harry's actions from dinnertime as he walked back to Gryffindor tower after lessons that day, he was rather annoyed he'd been abandoned in his potions lesson where Harry was his lab partner and Hermione worked with Neville Longbottom. Snape had took advantage of Harry absence and given Ron extra homework and told him that "Potter better have a good excuse to miss my lesson!"

Yes Ron was annoyed that Ginny was all over another boy even though Hermione had disagreed that touching his arm is not all over someone, but Ginny was his little sister and didn't want anyone touching her. But Harry had stormed off after seeing Ginny with Michael and hadn't been seen since, he assumed he'd been in the common room and wanted to know what was going on.

Ron was right he found Harry lying on his bed staring up into the canopy with his hands behind his head, his face totally blank.

"Mate?" Ron questioned.

Harry didn't respond, just sat up and winced when he removed his hands from behind his head and looked at his knuckles.

"How've you done that?" asked Ron as he moved closer to the side of Harry's bed and saw that there were drops of blood on the floor that trailed to the dormitory door and stopped.

"Fell into...the..." Harry replied.

"You mean you fisted the door... quite abit I'd say!" Ron corrected.

Harry put his head down and began rubbing each hand trying to stop the pain, not really knowing if he wanted it to stop because then he'd have to acknowledge the pain in his heart.

"Why the hell did you do that for?" Ron asked.

Harry jumped up and walked to the window putting his back to Ron, "I was angry ok!"

"Why? Cos of Ginny? I know your close and everything but its not brotherly love is it?" Ron said as he plopped himself down onto his bed.

"It's not Ginny!" Harry lied.

"Bollocks Harry, don't lie to me! I saw your face remember, so did half of our table." Ron replied jumping of his bed and walking closer to Harry.

"Well what do you want me to say mate?" he replied putting extra emphasis on the word 'mate.'

"The truth wouldn't go a miss, why you acting like this? This isn't you, what's getting into you?" Ron asked getting cross with his best mate.

"You want the truth?" he asked

"Yes, I want the truth! Especially if it's got to do with my sister!" Ron practically yelled.

"I...I...I...well you see....I...think...that...I'm...I don't want him touching her like that!" he grounded out throwing his hands into his messy hair.

"What?" replied Ron frowning at his best mate. "What do you mean you don't him touching her why would that bother you? It bothers me cos I'm her brother, but you?"

Harry didn't reply he was so confused, Ron was getting so close to finding out his secret and it was becoming increasingly hard to hide.

"I can't explain it, he'll hurt her I know it...Well I don't know it...but...I feel protective of her too!" he replied.

"Harry mate, you need to calm down! Your getting as bad as me, we'll keep watch on them ok."

"Ok." He replied pleased that he'd satisfied Ron's questions for now.

But he had other problems he thought, I know Hermione must know about my feelings for Ginny. Especially now after the way I reacted today and it'll just back up what she saw in the Burrows kitchen.

He knew he needed to talk to her and explain. No offense to Ron but he was really gullible and believed what Harry had told him, even though it was half the truth. However Hermione would be difficult, especially since Ginny confided in her anyway.

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