Update! Thank you guys so much for all of the reviews! God, they're so amazing! :D

Chapter 8

Harry trudged back to the common room by himself. He knew that Ron and Hermione wouldn't have a chance to follow him because they had prefect duties. Good, he thought to himself.

He had given the 'usual spots' another look before finally retiring to the common room. He gave it a hopeful look around before the Fat Lady told him off for waiting in the doorway for too long.

So, he decided to wait it out, naturally.

Come on, you can't leave it until tomorrow... that truly would be stupid.

He sat down in front of the fire and replayed his great mistake with Ron in his head again. But then he realized that that wasn't fun, so he closed his eyes and forced himself to think about something else.

So, since his eyes were closed, it was natural for him to be surprised when he felt a force hit him in the stomach.

He gasped and recoiled in surprise.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Ginny Weasley standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, looking frighteningly like Mrs Weasley.

"Ginny," he managed to gasp, clutching onto his stomach, wondering what she had hit him with. His eyes fell on the Transfiguration book she was holding.

"What is wrong with you?" Ginny demanded, throwing the book on the sofa next to him.

"What's wrong with me?" Harry asked, confused. He looked around the common room - the students there were staring at them - he silently thanked god or Merlin or whoever he had to thank that there were only about six people there.

"You don't just kiss a girl and walk away!"

Harry blinked and jumped up, ignoring the staring.

"Er... yeah," he said, heart beating against his chest furiously. Why had he been looking for her again? Oh, yeah... "I wanted to apologize for that-"

"Apologize?" Ginny asked loudly. "It's a little too late for that-"

"I looked for you, I swear I did! I just couldn't find you anywhere!"

"Like that's a believable excuse!"

Harry wondered what she meant, and then realized that if his heart had been into finding her, he would have just brought out his map...

He scratched his head subconsciously.

"Oh, yeah..." he said awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah," Ginny mimicked.

They stood there for a seconds, in which Ginny stared at him.

"So?" she asked impatiently.

"So what?" he asked absently.

"Your apology," she reminded him through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, um..." He cleared his throat. "I'm... sorry?"

It had sounded painfully like a question, but Ginny calmed down and folded her arms.

"Apology not accepted."

There was a collective gasp from around the common room, and Harry squirmed uncomfortably. He saw that Ginny was trying to hide a smirk.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Why yes, yes I am."

"Fine," Harry said, swallowing. "Apology taken back!"

Ginny's smirk faded.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard it! Apology taken back!"

Ginny scowled.

"Then apology accepted!" she said, annoyed.

Harry frowned. "You can't accept it because I took it back!"

"Yes I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"I can!"

"Fine then! Apology accepted accepted!"

"But...!"

Ginny's face contorted, and she was turning as red as Ron did when he accidentally made an inappropriate comment about Hermione with Hermione in the same room. Harry tried to work out whether Ginny's red face was a good thing or a bad thing. He decided on bad.

"I'm not speaking to you anymore," she finally decided.

"Oh, yeah, real mature!"

"You want mature? I'll give you mature!" she said, bringing out her wand. But then she stopped and looked thoughtful. She looked at her wand, she looked at Harry, and laughed. Harry blinked, and started to laugh too. He was rather concerned because he had no idea at what he was laughing at.

He decided that this was his chance and he skillfully steered Ginny towards the window and spoke quietly, so that the common room onlookers couldn't hear.

"I really am sorry, though," he told her. She nodded.

"I know. But it was still really rude of you."

Harry nodded. "I know." He paused. "But I still apologized."

Ginny raised her eyebrows at him, but said nothing.

Harry decided to look out of the window and hoped that Ginny might leave. He had apologized; mission accomplished.

Now what?

"Did it work?" Ginny asked quietly. Harry snapped out of it and looked back at her, confused.

"What work? I mean, what did - did what work?" he finally managed to ask.

Ginny shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"The hug. You know, to prove no romantic feelings."

Harry's eyes widened. She honestly wanted him to answer that?

"I want you to answer that," Ginny pointed out.

"Yeah, um... thanks," Harry said, scratching the back of his head absentmindedly. "I, uh... Please don't make me want to kiss you again," he blurted out. Ginny blinked and her eyes widened as she looked at Harry, who was wearing an extremely awkward expression. She obviously hadn't been expecting that.

"Oh..." she said, and Harry's insides squirmed uncomfortably.

"Sorry, that was incredibly awkward and uncomfortable," he said, laughing nervously, "It's my turn..." he joked, but Ginny just blinked again. "I'll be leaving now," he said, swallowing and stepping back so as to get away, just wishing that he could die or something. Or shut up - yeah, that would pretty much settle things.

"Harry..." Ginny tried.

"No, it's fine. Really, it is. I'm tired, and I'm going to just... lie on my bed and do nothing..." And hope desperately for a time-turner.

He turned around and looked at the common room - everyone immediately looked away from him - they had obviously been listening to every word.

"Great," he muttered to himself sarcastically. "Just wonderful."

Ginny was standing behind him, a hand on her head.

"I can't believe that I'm going to do this," Harry heard her say. He turned to see what she was talking about and she said, "Now it's my turn."

He frowned, confused, and looked behind him - Ron and Hermione had just walked through the portrait hole, and Ron looked in a vile mood. He turned back to Ginny, so as to excuse himself but she kissed him lightly on the lips and ran up to her dorm.

Harry froze for a second, unable to move. When he finally gained movement he turned around to see the entire common room staring at him - including Ron and Hermione.

"Hi guys," he said weakly, barely audible.