Authors Note

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Chapter 8 – Let's Talk

The ball was 3 days away and Harry hadn't seen much of Ginny lately as she was spending more time with Michael studying and hanging out, he was unaware of what had transpired between the pair in the corridor the other day and that's how it was going to stay.

Harry was on his way to the library to start his Transfiguration assignment he needed to complete before the end of the week. The library was quiet when he arrived as he weaved in and out of the tall book cases and old mahogany tables till he found a deserted one right at the back of the room, he dropped his bag onto the table unloading his parchment, ink and quill.

He was just about to start work when Hermione popped her head round the corner of the nearest bookcase.

"Hey." She said as she dropped in the seat opposite him.

"Oh hi, you ok? I thought Ron was with you? He replied uncertainly, as she had this look in her eyes that looked familiar to the ones he'd seen lately when Ginny was about.

"Yeah fine, Ron got in a strop with his essay and stormed back to the common room not long ago. He'll be back soon after he's calmed down again." She revealed.

Harry laughed "Sounds like our Ron."

"Yeah it does." She breathed.

Harry then put his head down and started scratching his quill across the parchment, however he could feel Hermione's eyes on him and it made him squirm in his chair. He made to stand up to retrieve a book off a nearby book case when Hermione breathed a heavy sign, which made Harry automatically look up into her face.

"What?" he stated.

"I think you know what." She responded.

"Yeah I need help looking for the wand movements for transforming furniture into worms." He said innocently making to get out of his seat again.

"Sit down Harry." She ordered rather loudly.

Harry followed her order and knew she was going to talk about Ginny and he had been waiting for this confrontation for weeks, but she had waited and now she had decided enough was enough.

"What are you going to do?" she asked

"About what!" he said becoming frustrated.

"Ginny." She replied bluntly.

He knew it was coming but it still hit him like a tidal wave, he leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath contemplating how to start this conversation.

"What do you want to know? She's my best mate." He said.

"It's turned into more than that though, hasn't it?" She asked.

"Yeah we're really close." Harry admitted running his fingers through is hair.

"You like her more than a best friend!" She stated.

Harry looked down into her eyes, and slowly nodded his head. He knew there was no use in denying it.

"You have since before Christmas," she continued. "Does anyone else know?"

"Just Mrs Weasley." He admitted.

"Oh." She responded surprisingly. "How did she find out, why hasn't she said anything...why..."

"Slow down, she just knew and we talked it over." He answered.

"And?"

"She helped me to make some must needed decisions." He said while looking around the library to make sure nobody was close by.

"And what decisions did you make?" She asked again.

"You're full of the questions today mate...she told me that Voldemort would want me to bottle up my feelings and I was letting him win by doing so."

"She's right about that Harry, but are you going to tell Ginny?"

"So direct today aren't we, I was going to..." He spoke.

"But..." She asked raising her eyebrows.

"You and Ron interrupted me on the train after the prefect meeting...and..."

Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth and looked at Harry with apologetic eyes. "I'm so...sorry!"

"No...no don't be Hermione...you weren't to know." He explained taking her hands in his and removing them from her mouth and stroked them gentle trying to reassure her.

Realisation dawned on her, "But you never got the chance to tell her...because she had dinner with Michael the next day, and that's why you went mental."

"Yeah...got it in one!" He complimented her feeling so much better relieving some of the tension that had built on his shoulders.

"Oh...Harry when did you know your feelings changed?" She moved her hands to caress his.

"The end of summer break...she was upset and we talked in the oak tree. I then walked her back to her room...and...she asked me to lie with her in her...bed...until she fell asleep. I stared at her for ages, running my hands through her hair and stroking her cheek. When she was sleeping deeply I got up and walked to leave her room and when I looked back at her sleeping, I began to understand all these feelings I had for her. I knew then that I loved her." He explained.

"LOVE!" Exclaimed Hermione rather loudly slapping her hands back over her month.

"Well yeah, I do...I love her." He admitted.

"I just thought you liked her, I didn't know you loved her. But she doesn't know you feel like this?" said Hermione.

"I think...she knows I like her but...I don't think she knows how much. She must know my attraction to her surely...especially from the night at the Burrow and with what happened last..." He stopped suddenly realising he had just slipped up.

"Last...night? What happened last night?" She looked at him with the same shocked eyes as the night in the Burrows kitchen.

Harry signed again knowing he was going to have to tell her what had happened. He told her the story of them walking back to the common room, about the first year and Peeves and how Ginny had asked him to kiss her and how they got carried away.

Hermione listened intently thinking of the mess; her two best friends had getting into.

Harry desperately deserved to be happy, and knew it must have been hard for him to try and reveal all this to Ginny knowing the danger that would put her in.

"I don't know what to say." She said looking confused.

"That's a first." He laughed trying to ease the tension that hung in the air around them. "She's with Michael and I want her to be happy...so...we're just staying friends."

"But that's not fair!" Outburst Hermione throwing her arms into the air.

"But it's the way it's going to be...for now." He said bluntly, as Hermione was about to open her mouth in protest.

"Don't push me...I need time. Will you keep this to yourself...I want to tell Ron, but I'm not ready for that."

"Ok Harry...but please don't bottle things up." As she looked him squarely in the eyes.

"Thanks Hermione, by the way how did you know I liked Ginny more in the summer?" He asked trying to think if he had behaved differently.

"Your eyes Harry, you have wandering eyes and they reveal all your secrets." She explained as Harry looked on in shock, as she rose out of her seat and moved towards the bookcase.

"What information did you need again Harry?"