This Thing Called Love

I came back to get Ginny a week later and I have never been so edgy in my entire life. I was so horribly scared. If I only walked in a straight line and not in circles in front of The Burrow's door, I would have reached Scotland! I took a million deep breaths before I finally had the courage to knock on the door. Ron opened it for me. He smiled and then we went to the kitchen where we found Fred and George cooking dinner.

'Listen Harry,' said George while washing the dirty dishes, 'we really appreciate you doing this.'

'Thanks so much, mate,' said Fred.

'You are really my best friend,' said Ron.

I smiled to them and then said, 'I don't think that I would risk eating dinner which is made by the two of you.' To brighten up the mood a little, since they were all getting so emotional. We all chuckled.

'Mum and dad are too busy with Ginny,' said George.

Ron sat down beside the sink. 'Don't worry,' he said, tasting the soup. 'Mum made me stay here the whole time to watch the two of them make it.'

'All right then,' I finally said, tasting the soup as well and sitting on the kitchen table. 'Mmmmm... Good.'

'BANG!' Fred suddenly said, raising his cooking spoon as if it is a trophy. 'Dinner's ready!'

'I'll get them,' I offered, jumping off the table. Don't ask me why I did that. I felt that I just had to see Ginny.

'All right then. Ron, you prepare the table,' said George.

I went upstairs and I was about to knock on Ginny's partly open door when I heard Mr. Weasley speak.

'The sooner you start,' he said, 'the sooner you'll get pregnant, Ginny.'

'Dad,' she breathed out. Her face was flustered, I could tell. She gets embarrassed quite easily. 'Can't---can't---can't---'

I just know that she did not approve of this idea. She sounded like she was obliged to do it. I began to feel really terrified.

'I thought we talked about this already sweetheart,' he said soothingly. 'Do you---'

'No dad,' she said, 'No. I don't want to die and leave you, mum, Ron, Fred and George, Percy, Charlie and Bill but---'

'Then finish your packing immediately because we would not want Harry to wait,' he said, looking away.

'I'm done,' she said weakly. 'But dad? Didn't you say that the Muggles have this---'

'Non-sense,' said Mrs. Weasley. 'I---'

'It might work,' she said forcefully but eagerly. 'That way, I wouldn't have to---'

I winced and then swallowed.

'I will not take the risk of using some inane Muggle technology. You are not a Muggle. You are a witch and you only have three years to live if we don't do this right,' Mrs. Weasley snapped.

Mr. Weasley went to Mrs. Weasley and then rubbed her back. 'Ginny, dear, I only said that because we couldn't find someone to do it,' he said softly. 'But we are not Muggles. Naturally, we can't really rely on Muggle knowledge. They are still different from us---'

Mrs. Weasley began to cry. 'I am so sorry that you have to go through this darling,' she said. 'They did not have anything to prevent it then---'

'It's all right mummy. I'll be fine,' she said, nervously. 'I'll be fine.'

I could tell that she knew that getting pregnant is still not a guarantee that she'll live because only five out of ten women who conceives gets better. I couldn't help but wonder why the Weasleys would go through all these trouble to get Ginny pregnant when her recovery is not at all assured. And then I remembered Mr. Weasley saying that there is still no cure on it. Someone has invented a potion that could prevent it, but someone has yet to find a cure for it. It is either she dies without trying to get pregnant or get pregnant and have a fifty/fifty chance of getting better. There is absolutely no way that they would give up without a fight. They were practically... gambling. They were testing their luck. Since all they could do is pray and believe that she is indeed included in the "lucky ones".

It is certainly an awful situation to be in...

'Ginny, look at me,' said Mrs. Weasley, sniffing a little. 'I want you to be nice to Harry. We just asked him to do this, all right? He's shy. Don't make it too hard for him.'

She's shy too, I grumbled to myself.

She swallowed hard and then forced herself to say, 'Yes, mummy.'

I winced. I can't believe it. They were telling Ginny to be nice to me? They were telling her to not make it too hard for me? Aren't they supposed to be saying that to me? This was really a big deal for them. But then again, I was as a matter of fact saving her life...

I was saving Virginia Weasley's life again.

Again.

I started to think why I appear all the time when Ginny's in need. How on earth do I manage to be always in the scene when older Slytherin girls are bullying her? When Susan Bones started speaking ill of her? And, of course, I was there for her during her first year. I started to think why I was always there to help her, but we never got really close. I hardly talk to her. We were barely friends but somehow, I manage to be there for her. A lot of questions began whirling into my mind when I heard someone call my name.

'Harry, have you told them that dinner is ready?' asked Ron.

'No, no, not yet,' I said, brushing away the questions that I had a while ago. 'I had to, er, tie my shoe.'

'Oh, I see,' he said. 'Mum, Dad, Ginny! Dinner is ready! And oh, Ginny? Fred and George made your favourite Cheese Coated Porkchops. And Percy and I went to the store to get you your ice cream.'

'Brilliant!' I heard her say excitedly. 'I'm coming out!'

'We have to take your things downstairs,' said Mrs. Weasley.

'Let's do it later, mum,' she said, before storming out of her bedroom. 'Besides, I don't think Harry's here yet---Oh.'

'Hello,' I said awkwardly. I began to look at the ceiling and tap my feet nervously. 'Dinner's ready. Are you ready? So are your things ready?'

How redundant can I get?

'Ah, yes,' she said, looking down and walking back to her bedroom.

'Ah, Harry!' greeted Mr. Weasley while Mrs. Weasley gave me a hug. I smiled at them and then looked at Ginny again.

I looked at Ginny. 'Could I put your stuffs in the car?'

'Yes, but we have to eat dinner.'

I looked at Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. 'I'll be exceedingly quick.'

'If that is what you want,' he replied.

Ginny showed me her things. There was an amazingly huge trunk, a rucksack and two handbags. I made her trunk float all the way to my car while I carried the rucksack and two handbags with my hand. Once I was done, I went to the dining room to join them. I usually sit beside Ron, but this time, the vacant seat is beside Ginny.

'So, how's Quidditch going? You are a professional now,' said Percy after we said grace.

'No, no, not yet,' I said, reaching for the mash. 'I'm only traini---' Suddenly, I felt my insides crumble.

'Sorry,' said Ginny, blushing hard when our hands brushed.

'It's all right, you go ahead,' I said to her, praying hard that I am not blushing.

'No, you go first,' she insisted tensely. 'You are the guest.'

'A guest?' I said, grinning at her to make her calm down. 'You see me here almost everyday, Ginny.'

I had to calm her down. I was getting apprehensive about the situation myself. I took a deep breath. I have to make everything as natural as possible.

'Here,' I said, giving her mash and trying my best to remain my composure. 'Is this enough?'

'Yes, yes,' she said, taking a deep breath. 'Thank you.'

'No problem,' I said, leaning back and grinning at all the Weasleys. I hope not awkwardly. 'So how's the Ministry, Percy?'

It was just our hands that touched but I felt this tingling sensation already... what more if... Oh, no...

And, what is that feeling? What the hell was that?!

After dinner, Mr. Weasley suggested that it was time for us to leave.

'Can't we stay a little longer,' said Ginny hopefully but timidly, as I grabbed my glass of water and drank it in one gulp, spilling some of it in the process.

'It's late darling,' said Mrs. Weasley.

I choked.

'Harry, you all right?' asked Ron.

'Ye-es,' I replied, coughing. Of course I am all right. I'm just about to take your sister home with me... I looked away and then rolled my eyes. I then faced the table once again. 'Well, I guess you are right,' I said, standing up from my chair and helping Ginny. 'Maybe I---we should go, Ginny.'

She looked at all her brothers as if making an appeal but they did not say anything. 'OK,' she squeaked finally, standing up from her chair.

Everyone walked with us to the car, us walking ahead with a twelve-inch gap between us, and the rest of the Weasleys tailing us nearby. It felt nothing but awkward. When we reached the car, I waited patiently as they all kissed her cheek and hugged her, before I escorted her to the door. And then, I walked to them to say goodbye. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both hugged me. Fred, George and Percy tapped my shoulder and it was Ron's turn.

He took my arm. 'Harry,' he whispered, taking me far away from his family. 'Please, er, be, er---'

I was getting a little impatient. 'What is it?' I hissed.

'Be gentle and careful,' he said quickly. 'Please be really gentle and slow. It's her, well---she's, er, inexperienced...'

'Oh,' I said, swallowing hard. I gritted my teeth. I didn't bother to say more.

I waved at them and then we flew and left. There was complete silence in the car. I tried breaking the ice more than a million times but she would only answer with a Yes, No, or Uh-huh. I sighed. I have never tried this hard to make a conversation with a girl... and so far there has been no success. She wouldn't even look at me. Finally, we reached my house and I could tell that she was really impressed and surprised by the look of my parent's luxurious Muggle manor.

'Like it?' I said as I landed in front of the enormous entrance.

'Uh-huh,' she said, looking around as I began driving by the driveway surrounded by trees as soon as the gates opened.

I stopped the car and the servants came to greet me. 'This is Ginny,' I told them after greeting them back, 'and she is my guest here.'

'Good evening, Miss Ginny,' they all said.

'Good evening,' she said politely, looking a little surprised.

'All her things are inside the car,' I told them. 'Please bring it all upstairs to her room.' They all nodded and I asked Ginny to follow me.

'Um, may I know where we are going?' she asked me uncertainly.

'To your room.' I smiled, once I turned my back on her, after hearing her give a sigh of relief. We walked silently with her a few steps behind me. When we reached her room, I faced her again. 'This will be your room,' I told her as I opened the door. 'Ron told me that your favourite colour is baby pink so I asked them to make it baby pink and white. I hope you like it.'

'Yes,' she said, stepping in and looking around.

'Well I am so glad that you like it,' I said truthfully. 'Anyway, that is your bathroom over there. The closet is along the way to the bathroom. If you need anything else, feel free to ask someone for help. Forgive me. I know that you want to rest. I should go. Goodnight.'

'Goodnight,' she said, closing the door after I stepped out.

We did not do anything that night and the next few nights, even talk or see each other. I made it a point to leave very early in the morning and return very late at night. So that when I asked the servants where she is, they would either say, 'She is in her bedroom, sleeping.' or 'She is in her bedroom, still sleeping.'

I intentionally avoided her...

One morning though, while on my way to take a shower before going to training, I suddenly heard a shout. Noticing that the sound came from Ginny's bedroom, I immediately went to her. Not bothered with the fact that I was only in my underpants. 'Ginny!' I said, kicking the bathroom door open because it was locked. 'Gin---'

My jaw dropped.

'Ahhhhh,' she shrieked, immediately jumping into the bathtub, which caused water to splash all over the place.

I am certain that I was blushing that very moment. I turned around at once. 'I---I---I---,' I stuttered. 'I, er, heard you, er, scream---I was, er, just---'

'I slipped while getting out of the bathtub,' she said softly. 'I hurt my shin.'

'I see,' I breathed out. 'Are you all right?'

'Um, yes.'

I was about to turn around again but I stopped myself. 'I'm sorry,' I said, before walking out of her bedroom and back to my bedroom. I closed the door and then shut my eyes as I leaned on it, sliding down gradually.

Good heavens...

She looked... lovely.