Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

Chapter Four

Fifth Year

Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts was filled with teenage drama and horrible tragedy.

Just like Ginny thought, things were serious with Michael as soon as the new year started. She started spending more time with Michael, that's not to say that she wasn't there for Harry and Ron too, but she spent most of her time with her boyfriend. It only took two weeks before Ron figured out that something was going on with Ginny, and demanded to know what it was, only to be horrified and appalled when he heard that his 'baby' sister was going out with someone. If Ron wasn't acting like the biggest git in the world, Ginny might have notice Harry's keen interested in this and the way his face fell when she mentioned it.

Harry had been very conflicted this past summer. When he first saw her at Grimmauld Place, he couldn't help but think about how beautiful she had truly become. She was starting to pop into his thoughts (and dreams) more regularly and yet he was still able to talk to her like he had for the last two years. He was even thinking about asking her out at the start of term, but that was before he saw Cho, and felt all the familiar feelings there too. He sighed at that realization, knowing that he couldn't really risk anything with Ginny as long as he had feelings for another girl too, their friendship meant too much to him. Not to mention, now that he has seen how crazy Ron could get about his sister's dating life, he was in no hurry to cross his friend like that.

So, seeing that Ginny was happy with Michael (which made him both happy and want to punch the other boy in the face), Harry decided to try to pursue Cho, knowing that the other girl at least liked him a little, seeing as she was always trying to talk to him. It wasn't until Christmas time, Harry was just finishing a study session with Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna Lovegood (who was an odd girl that was friends with Ginny) and Dean. Seamus, Ron and Harry's other dormmate, was mad at Harry because he thought he was lying about Voldemort being back, but Dean saw the advantages of being in the group. Michael sometimes came to these study sessions but found it uncomfortable being around Ron's glare. Though it wasn't official in any way everyone seemed to turn to Harry for help so they could understand the Defense spells they were working on (their professor, Umbridge, was the worst Defense teacher they ever had and that was saying something). To Harry's surprise he was actually able to help them, he could even see an improvement in everyone's spell work, especially Neville's. So, it was after one of these sessions that he ran into Cho (she had been waiting for him).

"Harry," she smiled at him as soon as she saw him. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Harry smiled back, his heart beating in his chest, not able to see the look of pain and jealousy that crossed Ginny's face as she stalked off back to the Gryffindor common room. Cho had led them to an abandoned classroom, where she told him that she liked him and kissed him before he even knew what hit him. Harry was feeling giddy about that as he got back to the common room, though he really wished she hadn't talked about Cedric (he was still haunted by his death) and that she hadn't cried. But still he just had his first kiss, snog really, and he was feeling pretty good about himself.

However, that good feeling didn't last long because that night he had a vision of a snake (that he was the snake) attacking Mr. Weasley. He quickly sounded the alarm and thankfully he was able to get to Dumbledore in time to save him. When they got to his godfather's kitchen, and he saw how devastated and scare Ginny looked, all thoughts of what happened earlier that day fell out of his head. It didn't matter that just a few hours ago he kissed another girl that he really liked, or that he was surrounded by her brothers that could easily kick his arse … or even the fact that right now he felt to disgusted and tainted just having that dream. No, all that mattered was that she needed someone at the moment, and he was going to be it.

He sat down next to her, wrapped his arms around her shoulder, and she just leaned into him. It felt wonderful and right for both of them, just sitting there drawing strength from each other like that. And it wasn't until Mrs. Weasley showed up and told them the good news that Arthur was okay that either one allowed themselves to think about this. How they wished that they could have just stayed like that, but they were both convinced that the other was happy with someone else.

So, when school started again Ginny stayed with Michael, even though she knew what she really wanted. However, things weren't as simple with him as they used to be, she found that every little thing about him was starting to bother her. And though she still enjoyed kissing him, she didn't feel that squirm anymore. It was just turning into one big pain in the neck, but she was determined to see this through to the end.

Harry on the other hand decided to take Cho out during a Hogsmeade weekend. For the most part everything was nice, but he had to work hard on trying to even talk to her. Basically, they talked about Quidditch or how horrible Umbridge was, but even with that he found that his thoughts would often wonder to what Ginny was up to (and if she was somewhere off with Michael Conner). By the end of this, Harry was sure that he didn't really want to be with Cho, she was still beautiful to him, he just didn't want to be there … he knew who he really wanted to be with.

Ginny tried to make things work with Michael until after she had, in his words, 'stolen the victory' from Cho. She just couldn't take his sullen attitude anymore and she really didn't want to deal with it, all she really wanted to do was hang out with her friends, she felt like she had to force herself to see her own boyfriend and knew that wasn't right.

During the few weeks that neither one of them had a significant other Harry and Ginny grew even closer than they were before. Harry wasn't sure how Ginny felt about him anymore, part of him thought that he had already lost his chance because he didn't realize his feelings sooner, but there were other times when he was sure that Ginny liked him as much as he liked her. It was the night before one of the worst days of his life (and it really showed how crappy his life was that this wasn't his worst day) that he really knew he had a chance with her.

They were just sitting in the common room (Ron was in the library with most of the other Gryffindors fifth years going over Astronomy, Ron was actually pretty good at that and was helping most people out) and they were just talking. Somehow their talk turned into joking around and then that turned into him tickling her until (after a very long time seeing as how stubborn Ginny can be) she gave in. As he laid over her he could see everything that he was feeling reflected in her eyes and he so desperately wanted to kiss her. He even leaned in, and she closed her eyes until …

"Oi!" Ron said glaring at the two of them and then said pointedly. "Are you planning on going to the Astronomy final or not?"

"Yeah," Harry said blushing hard as he ran upstairs to get his supplies and left with Ron without giving Ginny a second glance (though he knew that she had been glaring at her brother).

"So," Ron said frowning, not looking at his friend. "What was that?"

"I think you know what that was," Harry sighed, he'd been meaning to tell Ron about this for a while, but he never got around to it (he was too afraid that Ron would hate him for this).

"I don't want you messing around with my sister," Ron said frowning. "She deserves more than a half arse relationship."

"That's not what I want … I care about her," Harry said shocked and angry at what Ron said.

"Yeah, and last week you were drooling all over Cho," Ron snapped.

"That was months ago and …" Harry shouted back but stopped himself, not sure if he wanted to tell his best mate this. However, he thought that it might be beneficial if Ron knew this. "Ginny's the reason why that didn't work … I've liked her for a while now …"

"Argh!" Ron groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was hoping it wasn't this … this is a whole lot worse." Harry raised an eyebrow at that. "Now I have to deal with my sister and best mate dating. Argh … with my two best mates dating. This is going to be bloody awful."

"So, you're okay with this," Harry let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I have to be, don't I?" Ron sighed, honestly, he couldn't think of anyone he would rather be with his sister than Harry.

"Good, now all I have to do is ask Ginny and everything will be perfect," Harry smiled.

Perfect isn't one of the words that Harry would use at the moment. Horrible, painful, gut wrenching … those were more like the words that he'd use now. It was three days later and his whole world had changed disastrously since that time. He had gone to save his godfather, bringing along Ron and Ginny, as well as Neville and Luna, only to lose Sirius anyways, except this time it was Harry's fault. If he hadn't gone to the stupid Ministry Sirius would be alive right now and Ron wouldn't have been in the hospital after being hit by some unknown but highly dangerous curse. Luckily Ginny, Neville and Luna (who he would never have expected to go there with him but was still grateful for it) hadn't been hurt.

"Harry," Ginny said walking up to him as he sat by a tree looking at the lake. Harry looked at her warily, he'd been avoiding her since the incident, a fact that hadn't gone unnoticed by Ginny. "How have you been?" she said sitting down next to him; never being one to shy away from things.

"Hmph," Harry huffed and looked at her for a second before looking down again.

"I'm here … if you want to talk about it … or you just need someone nearby … whatever," Ginny said softly.

"Thanks," He smiled and then looked at her again, knowing exactly how he wanted to take comfort from her, so he quickly looked away.

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" Ginny said almost smiling, she was imagining something worse. She then grabbed his head and made him look at her. "I don't mind if you want to do that."

Harry looked at her, she was smiling at him with almost an evil grin, but he could see her shyness too. He could see that her eyes were blood shot and he really hoped that his behavior hadn't contributed to any of those tear (though he was pretty sure she would cry more than enough for Sirius knowing how close the two were). He smiled back at her; she had never been more beautiful to him than she was at that moment; which was why he wasn't going to kiss her and why he'd been avoiding her.

"I can't Gin," Harry said gravely and hoped she wouldn't take this the wrong way (which he already knew she wouldn't … she understood him, better than anyone). "You mean too much to me to do that."

"Harry," Ginny said furrowing her eyebrows, not sure what he meant.

"I could so easily lose myself in you," Harry said and looked away. "And that wouldn't be good for either of us," he added under his breath.

She turned his head back to face her and leaned in to brush her lips against his. His breath caught, and his heart pounded against his chest, and a large part of him wanted to pull her back to his lips so he could enjoy her more. But he didn't, he could see it in her eyes that she understood what he was trying to say, and she picked the option that he didn't even know was there.

"That means you're my boyfriend now," she smiled at him and moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist. "And I'm going to be here for you."

"Thanks," he sighed as he rested his head on hers. The hole in his chest that had been there the last two and a half days seemed a little more manageable at the moment, though he knew that he was nowhere near close to being okay.