Down with Love

Ginny yawned. She was sitting in the Great Hall finishing her Potions essay. She had gotten so caught up in thinking about her feelings that she completely forgot about her homework. She was just rolling her essay up when Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in. Ron and Hermione were in a deep conversation and Harry was stumbling in, obviously still half-asleep.

Harry collapsed clumsily next to Ginny and looked down at her paper as he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. "What's that for?"

Ginny sighed. "Potions."

"And you didn't finish it last night?" Harry and Hermione asked in unison, not hiding the surprise in their voices.

"Nope. I was busy opening up to someone I haven't civilly spoken to for ages." Ginny glanced at Ron, who smiled.

Hermione looked between the two of them and whistled. "Sure looks like you two cleared things up."

Ron nodded. "It's amazing what one little secret can do to a relationship."

"Especially one that was fairly strong to begin with," Ginny added.

Harry looked completely dumbstruck and Hermione had a faint smile on her face, as though she was pleased by their responses.

Ginny saw Colin wave from the doorway of the Great Hall to her and she waved in return. He continued out of the double doors and Ginny arose. Ron looked at her. "Another walk?"

Ginny nodded as she picked up her bag. "Yup."

"Have fun."

Ginny looked at her brother. "All right. Thanks."

She left the Great Hall, pulling her cloak out of her bag. She left the castle, slipping slightly on a bit of ice causing her to slide into Colin, who caught her and said, "Good morning, milady."

She giggled softly. "Hullo, Colin."

"How are you?" he asked once they began walking.

Ginny paused to consider. "Not bad and yourself?"

"Truly, madly, deeply," Colin replied.

"What?"

"It's a Muggle movie with that actor Hermione adores, Alan Rickman, and I'm feeling truly madly, and deeply."

"About what?"

"About you."

Ginny felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "You're getting corny, Creevy."

He smiled. "But I made you feel special, so my mission is complete."

They sat down on the cold snow by the lake. Ginny brushed a stray hair away from her face. "Why me, Colin?"

"Why you what?"

"Why me? Why are you in love with me? Out of every girl in this school, I cannot possibly be the best one."

Colin paused. "There really are not nearly enough words in this language to explain why..."

"You are truly one of a kind."

Colin smiled. "As are you."

Ginny looked at him and smiled in return. Colin leaned forward and kissed her ever so softly on her lips, before deepening it.

Harry had just walked out to join Ginny, but stopped abruptly when he saw Colin lean in towards Ginny. Harry blinked back the tears that were filling his eyes as he turned on his heel and stormed back into the castle muttering, "It figures."

Ginny pulled back and Colin's closed eyes quickly fluttered open when she pushed him away. He cleared his throat as Ginny looked at the ground. "Ginny, you have to tell me you felt something. Even if you didn't, just tell me that you did. It's what I need to hear right now."

"Colin..." Ginny started.

"Just say it, Ginny, please?"

Ginny stood up and shook her head. "I-I'm sorry, Colin. I just can't."

She turned around and strode into the castle. She ran into Hermione who looked at her with concern in her eyes. "Ginny?"

She looked up at Hermione with pleading eyes. "Where's Harry?"

"In the common room."

Ginny bolted for the common room, yelling a quick, "Thanks!" over her shoulder.

She banged through the portrait and hurriedly glanced around the common room. Her eyes finally rested on him. He was at a table, his head down. "Sleeping, no doubt," Ginny thought, a faint smile on her face.

She approached him and lightly touched his shoulder. He jumped slightly and looked up. He smiled at first, but then his face slipped into a small frown, as though he were remembering a horrible memory. He said (rather sadly), "What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Er...had another dream about my parents."

Ginny moved to put a comforting arm around Harry, but he moved slightly, avoiding her touch. Ginny's eyes wrinkled in confusion. "What is up?"

"Nothing. I have to get to class. See you later, though, Ginny."

Ginny watched him leave, pure stupor on her face. Was this the same Harry that she had just joked with earlier? The same that she nearly kissed? What could she have done to make him so angry?

She wiped away the tears forming in her eyes and began walking to Care of Magical Creatures.

"Hullo there, Ginny!" Hagrid smiled.

Ginny looked up. "Hiya, Hagrid."

Hagrid looked puzzled, but didn't question her, considering the rest of the class filed in. Hagrid had them follow him around back.

"Unicorns!" he said, grinning broadly.

The class gasped and Ginny said, in awe, "Where did you get them, Hagrid?"

"The forest. Ain't they beautiful? Now we can' be spendin' that much time with 'em, they need ter get back ter their regular environment."

The class was still in awe as they were separated into pairs for a unicorn. Ginny shared with Hagrid and Hagrid looked at her. "Now, what's wrong?"

Ginny looked up at him. "What?"

"What's wrong? Did something happen between you and Harry?"

"I dunno. I really need to talk to him, like I needed him to comfort me, but he was extremely distant and it started this morning."

Hagrid paused. "What did you need him ter comfort you about?"

Ginny lowered her voice. "Colin kissed me."

Hagrid's eyes widened. "Colin Creevy?"

Ginny nodded. Hagrid seemed in shock. "Didn' know the little guy had it in him..."

Ginny sighed. "I dunno what to do."

"I wish I could help you, but I dunno what ter tell you ter do!"

Ginny sighed again and glanced at Colin, who was watching her talk to Hagrid. He smiled softly at her before going back to paying attention to his unicorn.

Ginny sighed for a third time. "Things are so complicated, Hagrid."

***

"Harry, what is your problem?" Ron asked as they made their way to Transfiguration.

"What do you mean?"

"You're acting just like my sister did when Terry broke up with her," Ron continued as they passed Ginny.

She had caught Harry's eye, and Harry looked at her before turning away.

Ron and Hermione saw the entire thing and Ron noticed that it looked like Ginny's little heart broke when Harry turned away without really acknowledging her.

Harry shrugged. "I saw something happen today, involving a person I really love."

Hermione's eyes widened and Ron looked puzzled. "Who do you love?"

Hermione glared at Harry and he shook his head. "No one, Ron."

"Ron, sweetheart, will you excuse Harry and myself for just one moment?" Hermione asked sweetly, still glaring at Harry.

Ron knew better then to disagree with Hermione when she had that look on her face. He nodded and entered the classroom as Harry and Hermione stopped outside of the door. Hermione surveyed Harry, shaking her head. "You have to tell Ron, Harry! This is ridiculous!"

Harry was studying the ground. "I can't."

"Yes, you can! I am sick of all this sneaking around, I'm lying to the one person in this school that I really love and I'm sick of it! Tell him! You can trust Ron!"

Harry shook his head. "No, I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because I saw Ginny and Colin kiss, all right!"

"What?"

Harry nodded.

Hermione gave Harry a light hug. "You should still tell him."

Harry sighed. "Fine, fine, fine."

They walked in; gaining disapproving looks from Professor McGonagall, having the bell just rang. Ron looked at the two of them. "What was that about?"

"Harry has something to tell you," Hermione said.

Ron looked at Harry who cleared his throat. "Well, you see..."

"Professor, may I borrow Ronald Weasley for a moment?" asked Professor Dumbledore, who was standing in front of the doorway with Ginny not too far behind him.

Professor McGonagall did not look too happy about this, but let him go.

Ron looked confused between Ginny and Dumbledore. "What's this about?"

Dumbledore put his index finger to his mouth and led the two of them to his office. He ushered for them to sit down, before sitting across from them, behind his desk. He peered at Ron behind his half-moon glasses and said, "Ron, you have no idea what this is about?"

Ron shook his head and Dumbledore sighed. "Ginny broke down today in the middle of Professor Binns's class. Everyone tried to calm her down, but she just kept on wailing that she wanted you."

Dumbledore barely got the entire sentence out before Ron turned into an overprotective older brother. "What's wrong Ginny? Will you be all right?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "I'll leave you two alone for a while."

Ginny watched Dumbledore leave and as soon as the door closed, she broke down again. Ron put a protective arm around his baby sister and she cried into his shirt. He lightly patted her back. "Ginny, sweetie, what's wrong?"

Her response was muffled. "Colin kissed me."

Ron pulled back quickly. "He did what?"

Ginny looked up at him. "Ron..."

He nodded. "Right, right, of course. Now, what else is bothering you?"

"Harry's avoiding me and I dunno why." She sniffled.

"Harry's avoiding you and you dunno why..." Ron repeated slowly. Then suddenly, it all made sense. Ginny had seen Colin in the doorway this morning and followed him, then Hermione kept giving Harry evil glares until he got up and followed Ginny, where he saw Colin kiss Ginny, but he must've thought that Ginny liked Colin. That's why he stormed past the Great Hall again a moment after her left. And Hermione must know that Harry likes Ginny, which explained what they were talking about minutes before. Was that what Harry was going to tell Ron when he got called here?

"Hey Ginny, I think I know why Harry was avoiding you, but I'll get him to stop."

"Really?" she sounded hopeful.

Ron nodded. "Trust me."

***

"Potter!" shouted a voice behind Harry during lunch. Harry turned around and saw Ron running towards him.

He chuckled and slid down a bit. "Hullo, Ron."

"Hey. So, how long have you been in love with my sister?"

"A whil--hey! Wait a minute! How do you know?"

Ron chuckled. "I only pretend to be dumb, and you just admitted it, so explain."

Harry launched into the long explanation of how he had liked her since the end of last year, how he thought she may have liked him, but he wasn't sure, how Seamus and Hermione found out, why he didn't tell Ron, everything. "...So then, I did what Hermione told me to do and followed her outside just in time to see Colin kiss her."

Ron smiled. "You were scared of me?"

"After I saw everything you did to Terry I was!"

Ron chuckled. "Well, it's my baby sister! However, why don't you tell her?

"You won't hurt me?"

Ron snorted. "No. I still need a best friend."

Harry laughed. "Gee. Thanks."

Ron grinned. "So, do you know where 'Mione is?"

"Probably in the library."

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Anyway, where are you going to be?"

"Hagrid's, he's not here."

Ron nodded. "Okay."

They split up and Ron made his way to the library. Sure enough, there was Hermione, surrounded by a pile of books.

Ron sat down next to her and pushed a pile aside and lightly pecked her cheek. "What're you doing?"

"Ancient Runes essay that's due later this afternoon."

"You didn't do it last night?"

Hermione shook her head. "It slipped my mind. What're you doing here?"

Ron quickly whispered everything to Hermione, whose eyes widened. Once he finished Hermione giggled softly. "He finally told you then?"

Ron sighed. "That's not the point I'm attempting to make right now, Hermione, dear."

She cleared her throat. "Right. Now, Ron, you aren't thinking about getting involved, are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Ron, it's not just a teenage girl's love life you're about to get into, it's your sister's. You have to live with her."

Ron paused a moment. "I'm moving to a flat after the summer."

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "I want to see her end up with Harry just as much as you do, Ron, but if it's meant to happen it will."

"And how do you know it will happen?"

"Well, apparently, loads of people asked both Harry and Ginny to the ball tomorrow night and they rejected them all."

"What about Creevy?" Ron asked, uncomfortably.

Hermione nodded. "Someone was talking about him getting rejected by her in Arithmancy."

Ron couldn't hide the relief in his face and Hermione chuckled. "Just promise me you're not going to get involved and instead just let things run their course."

Ron sighed. "All right."

***

Ginny rubbed her eyes and sighed. She had gotten Professor Flitwick to let her sit in the back of class so she could think.

Ron knew something about Harry that Ginny didn't. He wouldn't say he'd be able to get him to stop avoiding her if he really couldn't, right?

She began drawing on the side of her parchment. Lunch had been extremely boring. She sat at the end of the Gryffindor table with Melissa Bell, Katie's little sister. Hermione, Ron, and Harry weren't there and neither was Hagrid, so she just assumed that that was where they were.

Colin was three seats away from her in Charms and kept looking at her, shaking his head. I really screwed up, he thought sadly.

Ginny sighed and continued drawing on the side of her paper, wondering how different things were going to be between Harry and she after Ron talked to him.

***

"So, are you going to talk to her again?" Ron asked Harry as they made their way to dinner.

Harry shrugged. "Remind me why I should again."

Ron looked about ready to slap Harry. "Well, aside from the fact that you're madly in love with her, she's your best friend, Potter!"

"No, she's not! Ginny is one of them, but you are my best friend."

"Okay, fine. If you don't, I'm going to beat you up, or snap my wand again and attempt to curse you."

"Then you'd hurt yourself. Remember?"

"Fine, then I'll try to help you."

Harry got slightly paler. "All right, all right. No need to get so violent."

Ron smiled triumphantly, as they walked into the Great Hall.

Ginny was sitting by herself, towards the end of the Gryffindor table, leaning to the side, her elbow on the table, placing her head on her hand.

Hermione nudged Harry and he started walking towards Ginny. He plopped down and she started. She looked over at and he smiled. "How are you doing, Gin?"

Ginny broke into a full-fledged grin. "Better, you?"

"Not bad. Hey, if I ask you something, promise you won't let anyone know about it until Friday night?"

Ginny nodded.

***

"I think it worked," Ron muttered.

Hermione shushed him. "Give them a few more moments before we join them."

Ron nodded.

***

Ginny stared blankly at Harry. "Why do you ask?"

"You'll see, but do you have a date for tomorrow night?"

Ginny smiled, debating on what to answer it with. Her flirty side faltered as she looked into his eyes. "No."

Harry's eyes twinkled with something Ginny didn't recognize. "Do you want to go with me?"

Ginny's eyes glinted. "Let me get this straight. You ignore me for the entire day, and then ask me to go on a 'date' with you and you expect me to say yes?"

Harry looked down. "I'm sorry, I just misread something and I was having a bad day."

"So? You didn't have to ignore me."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Please, Ginny?"

She sighed. "I hate it when you do that. Fine, yes, I will."

"You will what?" Ron asked as he and Hermione approached them.

"Nothing!" they answered in unison.

Ron looked at them, suspiciously, but Hermione nudged him and said, "Whatever you say."

Ginny smiled. "Whatever I say? I love the sound of that."

Ron smacked himself in the forehead. "Look what you did, Hermione! She's going to have a huge head now."

"Ahh. Like you don't have one," Harry muttered, stretching.

"Hey!"

They laughed, despite a small tension that they all noticed.

***

Ginny yawned. "I'm tired."

"Yeah, so am I." Harry agreed, shutting his textbook. Ginny was helping him study for his N.E.W.T.s and no one else was awake. Hermione and Ron had trumped up to bed ages ago. Also, Ginny was the only person, excluding Hermione (who was far too strict), who wanted to help him. Everyone else was preparing for their own exams. Ginny felt she needed a break from all of her studying.

"So, we're done, then?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded, yawning. "Want me to walk you up?"

Ginny shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Sure, if you want."

They both rose and Harry grabbed her hand. "I want."

She smiled faintly and they began walking up the steps to her dormitory.

"So, um, when are we gonna meet up tomorrow night?" Ginny asked, stopping by her dormitory door.

"Uhh...well, it starts at 8:00 so, well, we should be late." Harry and Ginny both chuckled. "So, maybe, half past in the Astronomy Tower?"

Ginny paused a moment. "Sounds good."

Harry smiled. "Great." He kissed her on the cheek. "See you tomorrow."

Ginny lightly touched her cheek and smiled as Harry trotted down the steps. "Good night."

She slipped into her dormitory and closed the door before leaning against it and running her fingers through her hair, a smile plastered on her face.