The fire in the common room had burned down to a few gleaming pieces of ash. It was mostly dark, the elves had already snuffed out most of the candles around the room. It was still warm, but hte room started cooling noticably. There was a single person left in there, when Harry climbed through the portrait hole. She lowered her book on ancient runes when she heard him come through the hole.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked, closing the book entirely. There was the familiar frown on her forehead, while she looked at her best friend who almost jumped out of his skin when he was spoken too.

"Damn Hermione you scared me." He breathed out, holding his hand over his heart. He took a calming breath, while Hermione put down the book, standing up.

"Not as much as you scared me, Neville and Susan. Where have you been all day Harry?" She asked stepping closer to her best friend. Harry frowned in return.

"Jezz Hermione get off my back. I was outside, thinking." He said. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"All day?" She questioned. Harry now scowled at her.

"Yes. Do I need your permission to do that? I thought you of all people understood the need to be sometimes alone with your thoughts."

Hermione softened her gaze a little, unfolding her arms.

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry Harry, I just got worried that's all. Do you want to talk about it?" She stepped closer, her hand lying on Harry's forearm. The boy pulled back, glaring at her.

"No! Do you think I would keep to myself the entire day if I wanted to talk about it?" He said, gritting his teeth. He had no idea where this anger came from but it was bubbling inside of him. Hermione frowned, unsure what to say.

"Harry, I just want to help you. Maybe if you let me-"

"Help me? You can't help me! Maybe you should mind your own business for once." Harry spat, walking towards the stairs of his dorm. Hermione stared at him for a moment shocked at the sudden anger of her friend and then scowled.

"You want to be that way? Fine." She huffed storming up the stone stairs to the girl's dorm. Harry stopped for a moment and flinched then when he heard a door slamming. He then turned again, stomping towards his own dorm.

He muttered a little under his breath while he climbed the hard stone stairs. Reaching the door he pulled it open, seeing the crimson drapes closed on every bed but his own. The other guys from his dorm were already in bed, judging by the light snoring he could hear even more likely to be sleeping already. Harry walked over to his trunk quietly, but more out of reflex than restrain. Years of living with relatives who would yell at him for hours if he woke them up made him a quiet roommate. His hand brushed over the Black-Peverell coat of arms on the cover, unlocking the security charms around his personal space. He opened it up descending into the small room. Dawn got off his hands, flying over to the footrest of his bed. The small black bird chirped with vigour at him, battering her wings. Her head was tilted to the side. Harry grumbled while he stripped from his clothes.

"Yeah yeah I know." He growled at his familiar. Dawn was still just starring at him. Emerald eyes were fixed on pools of molten gold.

"She is so pushy! I didn't want to talk about it, why didn't she understand?" He yelled, throwing his shirt into a corner of his small room. Dawn once chirped at him, fluttering her wings slightly. Harry shook his head.

"No! I don't need to talk about it. What is there to talk about? Like I said and even though I wanted to, I can't tell her. The whole Polar thing has to be kept under wraps, so no I can't tell her that I am all that fucking Tom needs to get total domination!" The last part was yelled loudly, louder than he had ever raised his voice in Dawn's presence. The small black bird batted her wings and fluttered over, landing in his arms. Just now Harry noticed the sweat on his neck, the heavy breathing, hi feeling of being light-headed. He rubbed Dawn's small head.

"Sorry, didn't mean to yell at you girl. Come let's...let's just go to bed." He carried her back to the large bed, raising the sheets. Dawn landed on the soft surface, turning her head, so she would look at him and chirp once. Following her with a soft smile, Harry placed his glasses on the nightstand and with a wave of his wand cancelled the lights. He snuggled closer to the cooing bird, pulling her to his chest, so her warmth seeped into his core, sighing for a moment. The feathered head rubbed under his chin and a small smile appeared on his face. Still, his mind turned back to the thoughts that have hunted him all day now. He wished he hadn't been told by Dumbledore. For once the old headmaster had been right by keeping something from him, Harry would have been more than happy being ignorant about that little fact, the one that changed everything.

He was the reason his parent had died. If he hadn't been born, if he hadn't been in their life his parents would have been still alive. With them there, Sirius would never have been in Azkaban, without him, Ginny would never have been targeted, the troll would have never come to the school, no one would have been petrified and many many things more. So many lives would have been a lot easier if it wasn't for him being the thing Tom wanted to possess so badly. So many people wouldn't have got hurt, their lives so much safer. If only he and Tom wouldn't have been polar.

Harry twisted and turned, the sheets feeling uncomfortable and clingy, the bed was unnerving. He tried to not think about it, but the thoughts came crawling back into his mind like small colonies of ants, that would find their way through the smallest crack and creavy. It took him almost an hour to finally fall into a fitful, restless sleep.

"MOM!" Harry shot upright, crying out. His hand was raised, trying to grasp the red-haired form that had just been there right in front of him. But only darkness greeted him. Breathing fast and deep Harry blinked, confused, staring out, trying to find the woman he had tried catching before she fell away over and over and over again. A movement on in his lap made him look down, seeing two glowing golden eyes. On instinct, his hand brushed through black feathers. Worry came rushing through their bond, while Harry still looked out, trying to find his mother. Slowly, in agonising breaths, reality returned to him for real. It had been a dream. A nightmare to be more correct. His mother, he had tried to reach her but every time she would fall into deep red eyes disappearing, only to reappear far away and he would run again towards those. The entire time cold and evil laughter was echoing through his mind and ears, taunting and making fun of him. Harry's hand reached for the pillow next to his own, ready to brush his fingers over the back scales of a certain small snake that would rest there. But his palm only found an empty and cold piece of fabric, making his stomach crunch. Yes, right, he remembered, dropping his hand. A little shake went through his body, while he forced back the sob that would come out once again, but he got it just in time. Still, he had to fight for a few moments. Harry was still panting, while his hand searched for his glasses. His clothes and sheets were soaked in cold sweat and smelled. With a sigh he pulled himself from the bed, Dawn hopping to the footrest again.

Harry cast a tempus charm, not knowing what time it was. Two in the morning. He sighed again. He knew he wouldn't be able to go to bed again. Even if he tried, he knew himself well enough to know that he wouldn't find any sleep and even if he did it would be the same way. Sighing moved to the shower turning up the heat. It felt like heaven stepping under the hot spray. It runs through his body like waves and shortly after he had begun, Dawn joined him, landing on his shoulder, enjoying the hot spray herself. The raven-haired boy rested his forehead against the tiles, letting the out his breath in a slow pace. Life sucked so god damn much right now.

For a few minutes, he just stood under the hot stream, his mind moving back and forth. Slowly the cold faded from his bones, only staying there a little bit. The shacking stopped gradually, the shivering too. His green eyes were closed, water dripping from the tip of his nose. Even the tenseness of his shoulders faded after a little bit of time. Harry opened his eyes and took Dawn from his shoulder. He raised her into the splashing warm water and laughed slightly when she turned her head in a gleeful manner, trying to get as much of her surface under as possible. The creature emitted soft cooing sounds, her eyes closed in bliss. After a while she shook herself like a dog or a cat and Harry chuckled, turning off the shower. He took up the task of first drying her feathers with a drying spell and then worked off the wetness from his own body with a towel. Old scars and healed bruises covered him like a patchwork, but he didn't really notice. It were old wounds, of a life of hardship and nothing new to him. He just dropped his towel onto the ground leaving it behind. Kreacher would take care of that. That wasn't his usual way of doing things but he felt like a shift had gone through his life.

His whole good mood disappeared like a bubble that suddenly popped, when he returned to his bedroom and saw his twisted tangled bedsheets in the low light, the spots of clammy sweat still plastering the surface. But worse of all the small pillow that was lying next to his own, taunting him, agonizing him. He opened his mouth, ready to call Kreacher when he stopped himself. Kreacher would report to Sirius and that would mean new questions and he didn't want any questions. He sighed, then took a deep breath again.

"Dobby!" He called out. The overexcited elf popped into view right in front of him. He bowed deeply. Dobby looked weird, like every time Harry had seen him. He wore a strange collection of clothing, nothing fitting in form, shape or colour in with the other. If anything it was more impressive that nothing matched at all, it should have by coincidence been at least once. A large Hogwarts coat of arms was on the front of his shirt, looking like the elf had painted it himself.

"The Great Harry Potter called Dobby!" His eyes were large and adoring, even more, almost worship was shining from those. Harry quickly looked away. He often was uncomfortable with the perks of his fame but right now, with everything that happened and he learn, it felt even worse. It felt like a taunt, like mocking him and his feeling. He knew Dobby didn't mean it that way, but still, he felt his anger rise slowly inside of him. He pointed at the bed.

"Take that small pillow away. I don't care what you do with it, but I don't want to see it again."

The elf looked over. "Great Master Harry Potter wants Dobby to take Snake's pillow?" The elf asked carefully. Harry nodded, gritting his teeth at the word snake.

"Yes. Take it."

The elf bowed again, snapping his finger and the pillow popped away. Still, Harry didn't feel much better after that. Dobby looked up at him in a careful way.

"Can Dobby do anything else for the Great Harry Potter?"

Harry shook his head, looking away from the large adoring eyes once again.

"No, leave."

With a final bow, the small colourfull figure vanished from his bedroom.

Harry stared at his bed for a while, before he turned to the drawer beside his closet. Pulling it open, he shuffled a little through it, before he pulled out a simple bag. This was Fred's and Georges birthday present from all these months ago and while he never had thought he could use it, he took it out. Putting on some sweatpants and other wide clothes, he grabbed the bag and with Dawn on his shoulder, climbed the stairs again.

The dorm room was still dark and quiet. Everybody was sleeping, light and stronger snoring all around the room. Moonlight lid the room in a pale bluish way, while Harry tippy-toed over the cold stone floor. His eyes were looking around, not wanting to wake any of the others. Once Ron grunted and Harry froze like a deer in headlights. But Ron only turned to the side, snoring on. Finally, he reached the door, carefully opening it. He slips out of the dorm and slowly, really slowly closed the door behind himself. He quickly moved down the stairs, away from the doors of the Prefect rooms, the once most probably making a fuss about him being awake at three in the morning. The common room was totally quiet. The fire had gone out by now and none of the candles was lid. Like in the dorm, the moonlight was falling through the window, giving the room a little bit of a ghosty look. Harry moved quickly across the room, before stopping. He wasn't sure where he wanted to go really.

"Harry?" A voice asked from the darkness, making him jump almost a meter in height in surprise. He barely managed to keep hold of the bag with Fred and George's present, before turning to the source of the voice.

Sitting on one of the couches, her red hair in a messy bun, wearing one of her mother's jumpers, was Ginny. When she sat up more straight, moonlight fell onto her face, revealing dark rings under her eyes. She tilted her head slightly.

Harry clutched his chest with his free hand, while Dawn fluttered her wings slightly. Like always she understood what Harry wanted and stayed quiet.

"Ginny! You scared me half to death!" Harry said, taking deep breaths and trying to calm his puls. She shrugged, tilting her head to the other side.

"Sorry, didn't mean to. What are you doing Harry?" She asked, standing up. A blanket had been wrapped around her legs, showing now she was wearing old sweatpants and faded trainers. A slight frown appeared on her forehead and she placed down the book she seemed to have read in the moonlight.

Harry shrugged, moving the bag behind his back.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said defensively.

Ginny frowned more, leaning closer, trying to get a look into the bag he tried to hide. She pointed her finger.

"That's the present Fred and George gave you. You go outside to drink?" She asked. Harry groaned inward. Of course, she would know what the twins had given him. A full bottle of fire whiskey of very good quality. He had no idea where the two devils got it from and never thought he would want to drink it but right now the idea of just drink seemed rather great. Harry raised his free hand toward her.

"Ginny, please, don't tell me. I just...I need this tonight." He mumbled, feeling embarrassed as he said it. Ginny stepped even closer, staring up into his eyes, squinting slightly. Then she nodded.

"Okay."

Harry blinked surprised.

"Okay?" He blurted out.

She nodded again. "Okay. But I want something in return." She said her brown eyes staring into his. Harry frowned slightly and took a step back involuntarily. Ginny raised her hand in a calming way.

"Don't worry, nothing bad. I want you to share the booze with me."

Harry's frown deepened. "Ginny, I don't think that is a good idea. You are way too young and if your mother finds out I gave you-"

Ginny waved his concerns away. "Oh pish-posh, Harry. You are only a year older than me and really what do you think mum will do when she finds out you were drinking. For her, you are one of us after all. Don't you think mum wouldn't kill you for underaged drinking."

Harry dugged his head like Mrs Weasley would hide behind one of the couches and jump out any second to give him a dressing down. She was right, the matriarch of the Weasley family would probably have his hide for this. But he just needed some time to shut down for a while. He stepped towards the portrait hole.

"Okay fine. But I have said that I don't like you drinking."

Ginny smirked, nodding. "Of course, Mister Goody-Two shoes. If Mum finds out I tell her I pressured you into this. Now let's go, I always wanted to try fire-whiskey." With that, she walked past him, close enough so he could smell a wif of apple from her shampoo. Both of them excited the portrait, even though the Fat Lady wasn't really amused about it. They had to talk her down in a hasty manner.

Luckily the Fat Lady seemed to be dead set on the notion that they were a love-struck couple that only wanted to kiss under the moonlight, which did more to persuade her into silence then the actual words Harry used at the moment. Still, he was flushed when they reached the empty classroom about two corridors down. What would he have given for the Marauders Map at the moment. It would have made a lot easier right now. The room was simple, an unused Transfiguration Classroom, with dusty chairs and desks.

Ginny raised her wand and a few of the chairs jumped into the air, joining and moulding together until a large couch settled down. It was orange and a few thick blankets and pillows joined in. Harry closed the door and ignited the candles around the room, making it look comfy. He sighed, rubbing Dawns belly, before the small phoenix shot from his shoulder, hunting some small bug in the corner. Ginny in the meantime settled down in one corner of the couch, placing her blanket over her legs.

It felt so crazy. She would never have believed it if someone would have told her this morning she would sit with Harry by candlelight under the moonlight and share a couch this night. Her heart was beating like a drum, hammering against her ribcage. She took a deep breath. Calm down girl, slow, slow and careful. This isn't anything romantic. It was clear by the rings under Harry's eyes and the way he slugged over the floor, that he was tired and had about as good of asleep as she did. Her stomach crunched, thinking about her bed and what Professor McGonagall told the Gryffindors this morning. She quickly turned her head towards Harry smirking, hiding her troubled mind.

"Come on Harry, get the stuff out." She beckoned him closer with her index finger. Harry walked over to the couch and slumped into the opposite corner of it. Pulling out the bottle, he looked it over once more. It was a square glass container, with an old gilded label. The whiskey inside was dark, like swirling copper and wood, yet it looked really clear. Harry stared at the bottle for a moment, then he pulled the cork, smelling the contend. His face scrunched and he pushed the bottle away. Ginny sat up more straight.

"That bad?" She asked reaching out with her hand. Harry handed her the bottle, shaking his head.

"It smells...sharp, stings in the nose. But not bad, just very intense."

The girl held the bottle to her nose and took a sniff. It felt like fire raced through her nose, a fire made from wood and cinnamon. Flames of oak and spices run down her throat into her lungs, warming her slightly. Her eyes watered slightly and she pushed it back too.

"I see what you mean, god that is strong." She held the bottle back at him. Harry looked at her with a slight smirk.

"I thought you always wanted to try." He said with a lopsided smile, that unknown to him made Ginny swoon and lose the feeling in her legs. Her mouth was very dry all the sudden and she quickly shook her head, hiding the blush.

"Nononono. This is your birthday present and I already freeload, so of course, the honour is yours of course." Her smirk matched his. Harry grinned, nodding and took the bottle back from her. Once more he looked at it like you would look at an animal you weren't sure it would bite you or lick your hand. He then raised the bottle towards her.

"Well...to good health." He said, placing the bottle to his lips and tilting it back.

Harry felt the liquid brush through his mouth and it felt like a fire was set off in his mouth. He gulped it down, and the flames went down his throat, burning and feeling like acid in his flesh. He felt like he was hit in every angle at the moment. Sharp fumes and biting spices filled his mouth and he started coughing at the instant, holding the bottle away from himself so he wouldn't spill the whiskey all over himself. Harry coughed a little more, blinking tears from his eyes. His stomach was still on fire. He held the bottle out to Ginny, trying to get the coughing under control.

"Her - cough- here you g- cough- go." He said with a slight smirk. Ginny blinked at the bottle, carefully taking it.

"How is it?" She asked, holding the bottle against the light.

Harry coughed a final time. "Not so bad. Looks worse than it is." And he meant it. Yes, it felt like a kick to the chest but after the first burn, a warm feeling settled into his stomach and loosened somewhat the knot that had been there the entire night and previous day ever so slightly.

Ginny raised the bottle to her lips and also took a mouthful. She almost spits it out when it burned her tongue but she forced it down her throat coughing as Harry had. Her eyes were watering and she thrusts the bottle again towards Harry.

"Liar." She bit out between coughs and Harry laughed slightly, taking the bottle from her again. He carefully placed it against his lips taking another sip. This time a lot smaller and to his surprise, it actually was a lot better the second time he tried it. He could actually taste something this time, even though the taste was still rough there was honey and cinnamon and herbs. If there wasn't this biting sharp taste under it would taste pretty nice actually. He stretched out his hand to Ginny who had finally controlled her breathing.

"Here, try again, the second one isn't half as bad as the first." He raised the bottle slightly, light being caught in the edge of the square glass object. Ginny eyed him carefully.

"You are not taking the piss on me right?" She asked, her hand slowly stretching out.

Harry shook his head. "No, of course not. And language." There again the lopsided grin that made it impossible for her to say no. Ginny took the bottle from him, eyeing him again.

"I set Fred and George on you if you lie about this." She stated. Harry grinned, nodding.

"That seems fair. But it's true." Dawn took that moment to settle into his lap, a bug in her beak. Ginny nodded, steeling herself and took another mouthful. It did burn and pushed tears in her eyes, but by far it was a lot less agonizing than before. Only a single cough escaped her lips this time. She took a moment to collect herself, then she handed the bottle back with a smile.

"You live, Potter. For today." Harry took the bottle back, smiling, even bowing a little while sitting.

"Oh thank you mylady."

For a while, the bottle went back and forth between the two of them. None said a word anymore, just passing the bottle. At one point, Ginny felt already a little light-headed, she had pulled her legs onto the couch and placed her blanket-covered feet in Harry's lap. Dawn had settled on her legs, rolled into a ball and was sleeping. The exhaustion of flaming still lingered with her and Harry was more than happy to see her relax and sleep. Ginny was currently holding the bottle, but not drinking, her fingertip slowly circled around the opening in a mindless pattern. None of them knew what time it was right now, but neither cared really.

"What was your dream about?" Ginny suddenly asked into the silence, her eyes still looking at the bottle. Harry raised his head.

"Huh?" He made a questioning sound, not really a question in itself.

Ginny raised her eyes, looking at him.

"Your nightmare."

Harry looked over for a moment, his fingers stopping in Dawn's feathers.

"Why do you think I had a nightmare?" The raven-haired boy looked away, he didn't want his eyes to betray his thoughts. The empty classroom had nothing that could be counted as a distraction.

Ginny snorted a little bit. "Oh please Harry, I grew up with six brothers, I know when someone didn't sleep. The rings under the eyes, being awake late at night, refusing to go to bed,...this." She pointed at the bottle in her hands.

Harry frowned too. "These things are also true for you." He mumbled, trying to stir away from the topic. He felt Ginny stiffen slightly and for a moment she said nothing, then she placed down the bottle beside her on the floor, sighing.

"Yeah, that's true. Tell you what. I tell you mine. Maybe you tell me yours afterwards. Maybe it helps to talk about it. I for one think you are the only one who would probably get my dream at all."

Harry stared ahead for a while, saying nothing. The girl was sure he would decline but then slowly his head bobbed down, nodding.

"All right." He said turning towards the red-head. Ginny also nodded but didn't say anything. She fought in her inside, wrestling the emotions. Then she took a deep breath folding her hands.

"It was about the chamber." She stated, eyeing up at Harry. The black-haired boy looked ahead, but he nodded slowly again, giving her the strength to continue.

"You disappearing, it just brought it back you know? Someone missing, no one knowing what is going on. Yesterday night was the same. I'm down there again. He is looming over me, like a creepy ghost, taunting and laughing. And every time I look down, there is blood all over my hands, dripping to the floor." Tears welled in her eyes. "I mean I only vaguely remember the c-chamber, but in my mind, it is all so vivid. Like I can remember every corner of every stone, the way the light reflects the surface. And the snake." She trembled a little.

Harry reached out, taking Ginny'S hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. Ginny sniffed slightly.

"I...I feel s-so helpless when that happens and...it...I feel so bad. It is my fault all these people got hurt, I was so dumb."

Harry shook his head slowly. "Ginny that wasn't your fault." He whispered, but the girl shook her head.

"No, it is. I could have done so much, I could have said it might be me, I could have thrown the boo away when I noticed. Like I told you Dad always says, don't trust anything which brain you can't see."

Harry opened his mouth, then he closed it again. He wasn't sure what to say. Everything he could say would feel like an empty phrase. So he just kept on rubbing her hand, slowly. They sat there in quiet for quite some time while the sobs died down.

"I'm sorry you got sucked into this Ginny." He mumbled. The red-haired girl sniffed once more rubbing her cheeks. Then she shook her head.

"It's fine. I will get over it. Thank you for listening." She said with a weak smile. Harry smirked slightly, nodding.

"No problem Gin" He said. The younger girl nodded too, then tilted her head.

"Do you want to tell me yours?" She asked and Harry flinched slightly.

For one he really really didn't want to tell her what is his dream was about. This was his problem and it was embarrassing. Being weak just because of a bad dream, that wasn't what a man would do, a voice in the back of his mind said. Stop whining. Also Ginny had enough on her plate after being sucked into the whole Tom-affair because of him, she didn't need any more on it. He shook his head.

"Not tonight, no." He said brushing against though the feathers of a purring Dawn. Ginny nodded.

"Whenever you want Harry." She said with a smile. Harry nodded. Then the girl pulled up the bottle.

"Okay enough of that, more drinking." And with that, her sadness seemed to disappear.

So a new chapter and we start on the Ginny/Harry part of this story. That this will happen I already told you. First things first. Like I told you guys, this is NOT a Ginny/Harry story. This coupling is only a stepping stone, so sorry for all the Ginny fans out there. Still I don't want to bash Ginny here. She is not Harry's dream princess, but not a Harpy either. She is just not the right one for him. She has a lot of issues, like most characters in this story, but I don't want her to be a whore or a bitch or something like that. She is the babygirl of a large family, wanting to spread her own wings. She will make mistakes, like Harry does and will do, and it will end ugly, that I can promise. But maybe not the way you think it will. And yes it is purpose that they don't really help each other in this scene. Harry is too fixed on his own problems to really see Ginny's and Ginny...well too starstruck and wanting to be liked by Harry to really help him with his problems.

Not a lot to say about this really, since we are in the beginning of it.

Do you like Ginny/Harry stories, do you have ideas about these, do you want something to happen or are afraid something would happen? Tell me all about it I love comments and reviews. I try to answer to everyone.

Next up, Sneaking around