Moonlight

Ginny put on her nightgown and finally decided to get up. Tonight was one of those nights. The nightmares after the Chamber had become less frequent, but every now and then they still surprised her and took her back a year and a half. Much had changed since then, and it was no longer the time to dwell on the past. With a determined frown, she descended the stairs of the girls' dormitory and headed for the common room. She had expected to find it empty at this time of night, but she was wrong.

The moonlight illuminated a lone figure perched on the windowsill. A white-blue hue fell on his black hair and reflected in his green eyes, lost in the grounds and the Quidditch pitch. Even from a distance, Ginny could see a vein of sadness in them. Harry was sitting there, alone, in the middle of the night. He was probably brooding over the fact that no one believed he had not entered the Triwizard Tournament. It had been a few weeks since the Goblet had chosen him as the fourth champion, and there was still no sign of a thaw between Harry and her brother. Ginny gathered her courage:

"He's a prat, you know?"

Harry turned his head, visibly startled. For a moment, the moonlight painted an expression of surprise, then his lips curled into a faint smile.

Harry saw Ginny come forward. Even in the moonlight, he could see that her eyes were a little puffy. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. He had no idea if he would be indiscreet, but then he reasoned that Ginny was a Weasley, and after all they had done for him, the least he could do was make sure she was okay.

"Nightmares?"

"Sometimes, you know..."

"I know."

Ginny climbed onto the windowsill beside him, without touching him. Their eyes did not meet, but they both looked out at Hagrid's hut and the forest. Everything seemed asleep in the moonlight, oblivious to their nightmares and fears.

They talked for a long time. Or rather, Ginny talked, telling Harry about all the times she had argued with Ron, and they had stopped talking to each other. The longest had lasted most of the summer between Harry's first and second year. Ginny had been furious that Ron had not answered her letters all year, and the two had only started talking again after Ron had come to rescue Harry from the Dursleys. Harry smiled as he remembered how Ron saving him. They both laughed.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a comfortable silence had fallen over them. Ginny yawned and Harry was leaning heavily against the window frame. It was Ginny who moved first.

"Well, I guess it's time to call it a night".

Before heading back to her dormitory, she turned back to Harry:

"He'll come to his senses, I'm sure. Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Ginny."

Harry watched as the last ray of moonlight created a strange play of colors on Ginny's hair, like a fire immersed in deep, dark water.

Harry smiled. Maybe he was not alone after all.