Harry looked around; there was Ginny running toward him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Interrogations of Intestines.
Ron Weasley leapt to his feet and ran towards the entwined duo. Hermione instantaneously rose herself, but Ron was taller and faster, and reached the pair as they broke apart. Shoving Ginny aside, Ron gazed into Harry's eyes.
"Mate, are you okay?" Ron's voice was one of concern, not fury, and he held a steady bead on Harry's eyes.
Hermione froze on the spot, staring from a fuming Ginny to an apprehensive Harry to Ron, who was wearing an unreadable expression.
Hermione's heart hitched when she realised that she did not understand what Ron was thinking.
"So…" Ron asked dangerously. "You like Ginny?"
Parvarti giggled as she whispered to Lavender. "Obviously."
Ron's blue eyes glinted dangerously at the gossiping duo.
Ron turned back to Harry.
"As I was asking Harry, do you like my sister." Ron growled. Ron looked extremely dangerous. The look of anger he gave Dean when he caught Ginny and Dean together was nothing compared to this.
This was potent.
Harry, though, wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. He kept his eyes locked on Ron's when he responded.
"Yes, I do, Ron."
Ron backed away, and Hermione let out a sigh of relief. It didn't last long, as Ron whipped his wand out.
Harry barely had time to yell "Don'tcursehim!" at Ginny who had drawn her own wand and was aiming it at her livid brother.
Harry flew backwards and his body froze, leaning against the wall.
Ginny, heeding Harry's request, watched her brother's next move as Hermione ran up to him and tugged his arm.
"Please, Ron!" Hermione begged. "Sit down, give yourself time to think."
Ron shook her off.
"Don't hurt him!" Hermione begged.
"I won't hurt him, Hermione." Ron reassured her, waving his wand delicately in front of him. "But..." Ron said, grinning at the immobilised Harry. "I think Ginny will."
"Why the bloody hell would I do that?" Ginny demanded.
Ron waved his wand and a small, silver object whizzed through the air. It was his Prefect's badge. Ron grimly pinned it to his chest.
"Sort of gives me authority, wouldn't you say, Potter?"
Harry, being frozen, couldn't move to respond. Clearly Ron didn't need an answer.
He turned to Ginny, who looked as if she was teetering on the edge of an explosion.
"Ginny, I know this is hard for you, but I have to do it. I ask you not to raise your wand against me. I assure you that I will not harm Harry Potter."
Ginny kept her wand out, but lowered her hand.
"Thank you." Ron told her sincerely.
Ron turned back to Harry, and advanced towards him.
"So, Potter." Ron said, as the eyes of the whole tower lay upon him and Harry. "You like Ginny..." Ron gave a mocking chuckle as he turned his head around to survey the crowd.
Romilda Vane tittered.
Ron spun his head back around to stare Harry in the face. "A LIKELY STORY!"
"It's true!" Hermione said, than instantly wished she hadn't when the whole house held her with inquiring gazes. "I – I mean, he never said anything to me, but I saw it… Harry fancied Ginny for ages."
Ron turned to face Hermione.
"No, he didn't Hermione. Harry doesn't fancy Ginny at all." Ron raised his hand above Ginny's irate mutterings. "And I will prove it."
Ron smiled as the house hung on his every word.
"Remember Cho Chang…" Ron began, as if he were a bard recounting an epic tale.
Harry noticed with a sinking feeling that Colin Creevey was taking pictures of the event.
'And this is where Uncle Ron went beserk when I kissed your mother for the first time.' Harry thought to himself. 'Whoa, children…Hold on there!'
Ron allowed a few moments for his words to sink in.
"Harry, great guy though he is, is absolutely, positively, incredibly hopeless with girls."
The feminine gossiping started up right away.
"Parvarti!" Ron barked. The olive-skinned sixth year straightened up. "Remember the Yule Ball. Harry rathered facing a fire-breathing reptillian monster than dance with a girl. Yes, Harry Potter, master of Defence Against the Dark Arts, wished he could face a dragon than ask a girl to a ball."
Neville shook his head lightly. Ron shouldn't be spilling that kind of stuff. Neville quietly spoke up, but his voice had a tinkle of authority laced within it.
"Ron, be careful mate."
Ron nodded at Neville before continuing.
"As the picture I am painting shows, Harry is not very confident when it comes to girls. With Cho he'd always be blushing and nervous and would space out at times-"
"But he was doing all that!"
"Hermione, please?" Ron asked. Hermione feel silent. "He made the dreadful mistake of inviting Cho along when he met with a fetching young witch who was a close friend of his. Of course, Harry was completely innocent, but Waterworks Woman didn't think so. She thought Harry had…less than honourable intentions."
Ron turned to face Ginny. "Of course he hadn't, but it proves that Harry is absolutely hopeless with members of the fair gender."
Ron allowed his his words to permeate his audience. Harry was glaring at him with a 'thanks a lot, mate!' look.
"Ginny, you are aware that Harry kissed Cho Chang. What you are not aware of is Cho cried. Yes, ladies." Ron stared at Romilda and her gaggle. "Harry Potter's kisses are so bad that they will bring you to tears!"
Neville facepalmed.
Ron turned back to Ginny. "I noticed that you were not weeping when Harry kissed you. I gather you enjoyed it."
Ginny snorted. "Of course I enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed it so much I am going to do it again, right now."
"I wouldn't do that Ginny." Ron warned her casually. "If you want to snog anyone EVER again."
Ginny spun around in front of Harry. "And what," she asked, her voice dangerously low, "does that mean, Ronald?"
"I shall explain Ginny." Ron told her. "Hermione, I am well aware of the attention Harry paid to Ginny and Dean."
Dean smirked at Harry's predicament.
"I'm not as thick as some of you think. What you fail to understand, Hermione, is the intricate relations and sacred duties of best mate-ship. Though I cannot blame you for coming to the wrong conclusion, you wisely used your logic and came to an answer. I regret to disappoint you, but the answer was wrong, Hermione. Harry never fancied Ginny. Nor did he paticularly dislike Dean. He would have probably gone on with his life like normal, but for me… Yes. It was my disapproval of the relationship which caused Harry to react in such a manner. Harry was simply being a loyal friend follwing the immortal code of best mateship. I was unsupportive and suspicious, therefore, he was too."
"Well, then, Ron, why did Harry kiss Ginny?" Hermione asked, satisfied with her logic.
"I think I've built up the image enough." Ron said. Shifting his gaze away from Hermione, he turned to Harry. "It's quite simple, Hermione. This is not Harry. Isn't that right, Severus Snape?"