Long Moments

CHAPTER 3: Quidditch Practice and Chocolate Frogs

Harry Potter streaked through the air, one arm gripping his broomstick tight and the other outstretched with rigid determination. Buzzing about in front of him was a bright golden ball the size of a walnut. It's wings flapping in the air, the golden snitch danced its merry jig, totally and completely uncaring of Harry's muttered cursing. With a grunt, Harry made to swipe at the snitch only to miss it by a matter of centimeters.

Harry lost his balance for a moment and swore under his breath. What was wrong with him today? Quidditch training had been going on for an hour and he had only caught the snitch twice! It was as if there was something there, in the back of his mind, bothering him with incessant twinges.

Twinge. There it was again.

And even more annoying was that he couldn't figure out what it was.

The snitch suddenly dove for the grass twenty meters below. Harry gripped his Firebolt broomstick tight and swooped down after it. As he passed the small crowd that had gathered to watch the training session, he noticed with great annoyance that Cormac McLaggen had come to watch them again. He was there just at the edge of the field whispering to Dean Thomas.

Feeling that annoying twinge in his brain again, he refocused on his task. Seeker and Captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team, he had to learn to set a good example. Dodging past a streaking Katie Bell, he lunged after the golden snitch hoping to be able to call a quick break and clear his head.

As the snitch neared the ground, it suddenly pulled level and zoomed forward again. Relying on sheer natural talent, Harry pulled up from his sharp dive and raced on after it. Finally, just as the snitch was about to veer away again, Harry snatched at it. This time, there would be no escape. As Harry's fingers closed around the snitch, the bright golden ball shivered for a moment and reluctantly surrendered.

Smiling, Harry skidded his broomstick to a halt before gently setting down in front of the stands. As he disembarked, he caught a glimpse of McLaggen and Dean watching him. McLaggen wore an inscrutable expression that did not flatter him and Dean gave him a noncommittal smile.

Twinge.

Harry turned to look at the rest of his team still flying their routines. He managed to catch the end of a particularly daring move which saw Katie Bell fly straight at a bludger, duck underneath it, flip the quaffle over her shoulder to a trailing Ginny Weasley who then proceeded to swerve to follow the path of the bludger. Demelza Robbins, playing the role of an opposing chaser, had no choice but to get out of the way as both Ginny and the bludger barreled down at her. Coote, one of the beaters, lashed out at the bludger, smacking it way downfield and Ginny easily rounded Ron Weasley before tossing the quaffle goal bound.

Harry watched as Ginny smirked at Ron before giving Katie a thumbs up. She then turned to give him the briefest of looks before zooming off to give Demelza some tips.

"Go Ginny!" Harry winced at Dean's shout. The guy hadn't shut up all day...

"Time out guys! Bring it in! Let's take a break!" Harry yelled at his team. Katie, Ginny, and Coote nodded and began to round up all the balls. Ron, who had so far let in five goals that day, sank to the ground with palpable relief. His shoulders sagged as he approached Harry.

"That was rubbish," he muttered. "I should be kicked off the team!"

"Nonsense," Harry said trying to be cheerful. "You're good, I tell you. You just have to..."

"That was great Ron!" A high feminine voice rang out from behind them. Harry turned to see a girl with long blond hair wave at them. Lavender Brown sat on one of the higher benches with her best friend Parvati who looked faintly bored. She had a bright smile on her pretty face. "Go Ron!"

Harry raised an eyebrow as he saw Hermione Granger, who sat just below her, whip out a book and begin to mutter.

Ron meanwhile raised his head and gave a rather loopy grin. He nudged Harry with a sharp elbow. "Hey Harry," he whispered. "You reckon she..."

"Harry!" Ginny ran up to them, broomstick in hand. She pulled up before Harry and wiped her forehead with the bright scarlet sleeve of her robe. "Whew, it's hot out here."

Harry smiled. He noticed that Ginny had pulled her hair back into a rather fetching ponytail, but one errant lock managed to slip free during the training. It dangled down the side of her face, gently nudging her cheek as she spoke.

"Hi Ron. What's wrong Harry?" She raised an eyebrow and tucked the lock of hair behind her ear. Harry noticed that her face flushed charmingly red, probably from the sun, and began to realize that it really was a pretty hot day.

"What do you mean?"

"You know..."

"Er, Harry?" Ron nudged him again, still looking at Lavender. "Do you think I could go..."

"Yeah, yeah." Harry gestured casually and Ron rushed up the stairs.

"Anyway," Ginny continued scowling after her brother. "The snitch Harry! You usually catch it, what, ten times every thirty minutes. And you look... I dunno... distracted?" She squinted at him.

"Oi! Ginny! Come over here!"

Harry glanced in annoyance at Dean's voice. He had stood up beside McLaggen, who was still seated, and was gesturing for Ginny to sit with them.

Twinge.

Ginny waved them off. "Later! Just going over tactics."

Harry smiled as Dean shrugged and sat down again. He turned back to Ginny who was gazing at him cautiously. He cleared his throat.

"Anyway," he continued. "It's nothing Ginny. Just... I dunno, I guess I'm nervous."

She smirked. "Harry Potter? Nervous? No... he NEVER gets nervous..."

"Oh stop."

"No you stop!"

"No you..."

CRASH!

Harry spun around and gaped at the scene unfurling above him. Hermione stood with her arms folded crossly, glaring down at Ron who was sprawled out across two levels of seats. His arms were pin-wheeling wildly, trying to give him momentum to get up.

"Fine Ronald!" Hermione shrieked. "If you don't want me here... then... FINE!"

"But..." his voice came.

"Just let her go Ron," Lavender said smirking.

Hermione hurumphed, grabbed her book-bag, and stalked off. When Ron finally righted himself, she was gone. He stood there, red faced and sputtering, and turning a bright shade of red. He noticed everyone looking at him. "What?" He shouted. Beside him, Lavender giggled and urged him to sit.

"Oi," Ginny said softly.

Harry turned back to her. "What do you reckon..."

"Leave them be Harry," Ginny said crossly as she looked at them. "If Ron wants to be a prat then let him be a prat." She shifted her gaze to look at him. "So... are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Harry swallowed. "Well, you know, it's my first captaincy. And I don't want to lose."

He shrugged. "The team is good, I think. I mean, Coote and Peakes are alright, and Demelza's getting better, and of course Katie's as good as ever..."

He coughed.

"And you're pretty amazing...."

She blushed.

"But Ron..." He sighed. "Ron's my best mate, but there's got to be a way to get his confidence up! If he keeps putting himself down... and we got Slytherin coming up! I won't ever live it down if Malfoy beats us."

"He won't," Ginny said softly. She bit her lip for a moment and gave a small shrug. "We got an amazing seeker, you know."

Harry tried not to sputter. "Uh... if you say so..."

"Seeker? I meant chaser. We got an amazing chaser. With flowing red locks and ravishing beauty..." She smirked at him. He reached over and swatted her head. She dodged him effortlessly and aimed a sharp, but not too hard, kick at his shin. "Hey, you said it yourself."

"I didn't say the beauty part!"

"Oh, so I'm ugly?" She had a dangerous twinkle in her eyes.

"No! You're..." He struggled.

"Pretty? Ugly? Pretty ugly?" She arched an eyebrow and stifled her laughter.

"Yes! No! I mean... You... I mean," he sputtered.

"Cool it, Potter." She laughed finally, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Just playing."

"Har, har," Harry said. "You wound me with your wicked weasel tongue." He smiled at her.

"Anyway," Ginny said when she stopped laughing. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"Are you going to get yourself thrown out of the team somewhere down the line?"

Harry started to laugh but caught himself when he saw her expression. Composing himself, he shrugged. "Uh, no. I don't plan too. Why?"

Her intense brown eyes bored into him. "Harry," she sighed. "You have a track record. I know you. One of these days, some teacher is going to give you detention and you're going to have to miss a match. What do we do then?"

Harry shrugged. "You play seeker. You're great!"

Ginny smiled and waggled a finger at him. "You're supposed to say 'No Ginny! I'll never miss another match!'."

Harry grinned. "Well okay. No Ginny, I'll never miss another match." He laughed. "But you have a point. I probably will. So..."

"What?"

"Maybe you should practice a few times as seeker, just in case. Here, break time is almost up. When we restart, let's switch. I'll play chaser, and you seek."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Ginny grinned wickedly. "Can I use your Firebolt?"

His eyes widened. "Uh..."

"Nah, that's ok." She smiled. "I'll make do."

She glanced around at the rest of the team.

"Hey, why don't we get started then? Here..." She reached over and gently took his hand. Her fingers were soft and warm. With a slight smile, she pried his fingers away from the trapped golden snitch.

The snitch, delighted to be free from its captivity, sped away in a frenzied burst of energy. Ginny laughed and stared after it with predatory hunger in her eyes. She squeezed Harry's hand one more time, leapt onto her broomstick, and soared off after it. Left in her wake, Harry puzzled over the sudden scent of flowers that lingered in the air.

"Just warn me when we start, ok?" She called back over her shoulder.

Harry watched her as she flew. He loved watching her as she flew. He thought back to the world cup match he had watched between Ireland and Bulgaria. Those, he thought, were flyers. They flew with power and skill, pulsing through the air like wingless hawks. But Ginny...

Flying was one thing. Ginny didn't so much fly as soar. She had a grace he had never seen anywhere before. She rode air currents like they were cushions, pulled out of dives with the greatest of ease, and performed loops with a smile on her face. Given time, she could even beat Harry someday.

As Ginny followed the snitch with whoops of joy, the snitch rose quickly into a low hanging bank of clouds. Gripping her broomstick, she zoomed in after and disappeared into a cloud.

Harry smiled. With a sigh, he turned and got ready to call his team back together.

"OI! GET AWAY FROM THERE," Katie Bell suddenly shouted as she pushed past. As she ran downfield, Harry glanced at whom she was screaming at. Cormac, Dean, and Seamus Finnegan stood hunched over the violently shaking trunk that held the violently shaking bludgers. As Dean was flipping it open, Cormac stood and leered at her.

"It's ok, Katie dear," he said while waving a small bat around. "I was just telling Dean and Seamus here that, aside from being a great keeper, I'm a fantastic beater." He jerked his head at the Peakes and Coote. "Hey fellows! See if you can learn something!"

"Cormac you prat!" Katie screamed. She was just about to reach them when Dean finally flipped the lid open.

"Oho!" Shouted Cormac. "Here we go!"

Two black round balls shot up high in the air, hungrily seeking targets. They swooped around overhead for a moment before storming back down. By the time they were halfway down, Katie had made it to Cormac and began wrestling him for the bat.

"Get off me you stupid girl!" He roared.

"Let go, you git!"

With a jerk, Cormac shoved Katie out of the way. She went sprawling over the quidditch ball box and landed in a very undignified heap. The bludgers just about reached him when he drew the bat back.

"Watch this!" He snarled. For a moment, just a moment, he glanced over at where Harry stood. The first bludger reached Cormac then, who swung the bat with a ferocious roar. But the second bludger surprised him, and he had to whip the bat around quickly to ward it off. It bounced of the end of the bat flying up and away.

The first bludger screamed through the air as it hurtled towards Harry. Harry, who had been reaching for his wand when Cormac had struck Katie, quickly pulled it out of his pocket and set his feet. Bludgers were enchanted to maul players indiscriminately. All he needed to do was to cancel out the enchantment with a simple spell. Easy... if he could hit it.

As the bludger sped towards him, it zigged and zagged, dodging imaginary beaters. Harry held his wand out at the ready for a moment, squinted, and flicked it.

"Finite Incantatem!" A jet of bright sparkly light shot out from the tip of his wand. It met the bludger head on, striking it with a loud bang. The spell animating the bludger stopped, but its momentum still carried it towards Harry.

Harry's eyes flew open.

"Oh no..."

He dove to one side as the bludger passed inches from his head. Rolling as he landed, he quickly sprung up again just in time to watch the bludger smash harmlessly into the stands behind him. As the students watching scattered, Harry was relieved to see that nobody was struck.

"Is everyone alright?"

When everyone nodded their assent, he turned to Cormac, a furious expression locked in.

"How dare you..."

Then he froze. The other bludger.

He whirled around quickly, scanning the area where Cormac had hit it. If he remembered correctly, Cormac had hit it so it rocketed top the sky. Following its enchantment, the bludger should have come down right away when it didn't detect any players up there...

Ginny. She didn't know.

"GINNY!" He screamed. Beside Cormac, Dean's dark face drained of color.

Harry ran to where his Firebolt had fallen and snatched it up. "Katie," he called. "The other bludger..."

"Right Harry," she said. "Alright guys, eyes up and wands out. Peakes, Coote..."

Harry left her to it. He straddled his Firebolt and leapt up into the sky. Under his breath, he cursed Cormac and Dean for their stupidity. One would think that Dean would know better than to endanger his girlfriend.

"Ginny!" He called. "Where are you?" He scanned the horizon quickly. No sign of her.

"Harry! I got it! I got it!"

Her voice came down at him from a nearby cloudbank. She sounded elated. Harry sighed, relieved. So she hadn't been hit. Now if he could just find the last bludger...

And suddenly, Ginny burst out from the cloud. She held aloft the struggling snitch in one small, gloved hand, a smile plastered on her face. When she caught sight of Harry, she grinned and swerved towards him.

"Hah!" She called out as she approached. "And I got it in less time than you!"

"Bludger!" He shouted. But with Ginny being some distance upwind, she apparently could barely hear him.

"What?"

He turned his broomstick to face her. He cupped his hands around his mouth and flew towards her.

"BLUDGER!"

"WHAT?"

And then he saw it. It was right behind her.

"GINNY!" He pointed frantically and tried to will his broomstick to reach her.

She looked at him, confused, and shrugged.

"CAN'T HEAR..."

No time. He jabbed his hand in his pocket and whipped out his wand. It would be risky but...

"Finite Incantatem!"

The spell zipped past Ginny's head at the bludger. It missed her by inches.

It missed the bludger too.

Ginny whipped her head around to follow the path of the spell, and gasped when she saw the bludger.

"GINNY!" Harry roared.

But it was too late.

Time seemed to compress for Harry Potter. As his hand reached out, his broom seemed to slow down at an infinite rate until he seemed caught up in that one moment that lingers between sleeping and waking. Conversely, the bludger sped up. Inexorably, inescapably, the bludger hurtled towards Ginny at an incredible speed, giving the young woman no chance at all.

The bludger smashed into Ginny's body with a sickening crack.

"No!" Harry screamed.

Ginny made no sound at all.

The bludger had hit her in her chest, throwing her back off of her broom before careening off. She slid off slowly, almost gently, her eyes grown wide from the shock. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly. Her right arm, triumphantly raised just a moment ago and holding the snitch, lingered for one long a moment. Then, slowly, her limp fingers blossomed open. And the snitch, unfurling its golden wings, fluttered off and danced in the sunlight.

And Ginny, dear sweet Ginny, plummeted.

"Finite Incantatem!" Harry shouted as he flicked his wand in the direction of the bludger. Without waiting to see if the spell had hit, he jabbed the wand back into his robe and sped off after Ginny.

"C'mon," he muttered. He briefly ran through all the spells he knew. He couldn't think of any that worked for stopping a falling person. He gritted his teeth and gripped the handle of his broom, drew himself down against it, and urged it onward.

He could see Ginny's eyes close.

"C'mon..." He sped closer. He couldn't lose her.

Her mouth hung loosely open.

"C'mon..." Closer. He had to save her.

Blood trickled from the corner of her lips.

"C'mon..." He was right there. Just reach out and...

And he had her.

Harry swooped down below Ginny's limp form and gathered her into his arms. He staggered on his broom from the impact of her weight and fought to retain his balance.

"Harry!" Ron was shouting from the ground just meters away.

Harry struggled a bit and steadied himself, Ginny sagging in his arms. He stared at her for a moment, taking in her ashen skin, closed eyes, and oozing blood. One slender arm was gathered on her chest while the other hung loosely by his side.

"Call Madam Pomfrey!" He shouted at the waiting crowd.

Ginny...

"No... wait... I'll take her to the hospital wing."

Without waiting for a reply, he adjusted his grip on her and sped off toward Hogwarts. His heart pounded in his ears and he felt a nauseating feeling wrench his gut. Tears began to sting his eyes and he angrily blinked them away. He had to focus. Flying without holding the handle...

But no. This was his only chance.

This was her only chance.

"Hold on, Ginny," He whispered. "Just hold on."

She moaned and began trembling.

He could feel her slipping.

Finally, as the sun began to dip beyond the horizon and cast long shadows across the campus, Harry touched down in the castle courtyard.

"Help!" He screamed as he fell off the broom. Ditching his Firebolt, he redoubled his grip on Ginny and staggered off into the castle. "Help!"

His cry echoed in the strangely empty entrance hall. His arms grew numb.

"HELP!"

"Harry, what...?" Hermione's voice came from behind him. She ran into view and gaped at Ginny.

"Harry, what happened?" She demanded. She brought out her wand, pointed it at Ginny, and mumbled, "Mobili-corpus."

All at once, Ginny's weight lifted off of Harry. He stumbled to the cold, hard stone and gasped for breath.

"Hu... hurry," he panted. "Madam..."

Hermione nodded. "C'mon," she said.

Together, with Hermione levitating Ginny's still form, they made their way up the long flight of stairs to the Hospital Wing.

"Hold on, Ginny," Harry whispered. "Hold on."

When they threw open the door to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey received them immediately. She gestured calmly to the closest bed.

"Here, dears. Easy now, that's it." Her voice was steady and strong. "Let me have a look at her."

Hermione gently laid Ginny down on the bed and began to sob. Madam Pomfrey ushered them aside and bent over to examine her. When Harry refused to move, Hermione gripped him by the arm and dragged him to one side.

"What happened Harry?" She asked urgently.

"A bludger." He wiped back tears of his own. "Cormac... and Dean..."

Madam Pomfrey clicked her tongue. "Oh dear."

Harry felt fear grip his heart and his blood turned cold.

"You can fix her, right?"

She sighed. "She has three broken ribs... those I can fix right away. But she also has internal injuries... bleeding... those will be trickier."

"BUT YOU CAN FIX HER, RIGHT?" Harry shouted.

Madam Pomfrey looked at him pointedly. "Yes. But it will be painful. And difficult. Now I need you two to go. I can have no distractions. You can send Mr. Weasley around later, but that's it. Family only."

With one last lingering look at Ginny, Harry stormed out of the room followed closely by Hermione. He stopped just outside the door and slammed his fist against the wall. The pain in his knuckles brought the world back into focus, and his breath caught in his throat.

If only he had lent her the Firebolt. If only he hadn't suggested that she seek. Maybe she wouldn't have been...

Hermione's soft hand touched his shoulder. "Harry," she whispered.

Harry turned slowly. Hermione stood before him, fear etched in her face. "Harry..." She reached out to him, sobbing.

Harry took her in his arms then and buried his face in her bushy hair. He felt a great wracking sob heave up from his stomach, unfettered by shame or propriety or even fear. It exploded out of him and his sobs mingled with the tiny hiccupping sounds Hermione was making.

Their sobs echoed in the dark, deserted hall. All was silent but for them for a little while, but footsteps soon clambered towards them. Harry glanced up through a sheen of tears and angrily wiped his eyes. The torches lining the halls of Hogwarts created a mass of shadows along the wall, and Harry could see figures running towards them Getting himself under control, he patted Hermione gently on the top of her head and pulled away.

"Harry!" Ron called out as he ran. Cormac, Lavender, Dean, and a few others trailed him. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

Ron staggered to a halt beside Hermione and bent over to catch his breath. Hi pale, white face was red, and his breath came in wheezes.

"Where... where is she?"

Hermione took Ron gently by the arm and guided him into the room. Lavender sniffed, then walked off.

Harry stared after them and waited for the door to close before rounding on the rest of the group. When he saw Cormac McLaggen lounging easily against the wall, he felt something stir in his chest. Something angry. Something startling.

"Cormac," he said through gritted teeth. "That was the stupidest, most irresponsible..."

Dean carefully stepped between them.

"Harry," he said soothingly. "It was an accident... we were just playing..."

Harry stared at Dean incredulously.

"She's your girlfriend!" He roared. "What's wrong with you!"

"That's right, Potter! She's my girlfriend... NOT YOURS!" He screamed back, anger flashing in his eyes. "If anyone has a right to be so concerned and angry, it's me!"

Harry stared at him coldly.

"Then why aren't you?"

For a long moment, Dean and Harry glared at each other. Harry tried to keep his face calm while Dean's raged with a myriad of expressions. Harry kept his hand on his wand... just in case.

And then Dean's face fell.

"I'm... yeah, I'm sorry. I am concerned... I'm..."

And to Harry's surprise, Dean began to cry.

"That was... that was stupid Harry. I shouldn't have... and I should've put her first... and... what... what do I do... what..."

Harry shifted uncomfortably.

"Go ahead to the common room, Dean." He said, trying to keep his voice gentle. The thing in his chest grunted in annoyance. "I'll wait for Hermione and Ron... we'll come by later and tell you when you can see her."

Dean nodded, started to walk, and gestured to Cormac. Cormac, gazing idly at his fingernails, shrugged and pushed off after him. As he passed Harry, he sneered.

"Too close, Potter... too close. You know, you should keep a tighter grip on your team. Fine captain you are... letting a teammate get killed..."

Harry gritted his teeth and whipped out his wand.

Just then, the door to the hospital swung open and Hermione stepped out. Cormac laughed and headed down the hall after Dean. Hermione glanced after them and started dragging Harry the other way.

"C'mon Harry," she said. "We have to tell Professor McGonagall."

Harry glanced anxiously at the door.

"How is she?"

Hermione gave a small smile. "Awake. Asking for you."

Harry's eyes widened. "Can we...?"

"No, Harry." Hermione's voice caught in her throat. "She's in... well, she's in a lot of pain. Madam Pomfrey is trying to..."

She coughed.

"No. She'll be fine though Harry. Madam Pomfrey fixed her ribs and gave her something for the bleeding. She should be fine in a few hours, but Madam Pomfrey wants her to stay overnight for observation." She sighed. "Ron passed out on a bed beside her. All the blood I guess..."

But Harry had stopped listening. He balled his hand into a fist. She was going to be fine. She was going to be fine.

No thanks to him.

"Okay... okay."

As Harry let Hermione guide him to Professor McGonagall's office, he knew that he had to see Ginny. After hours or not, no visitors or not, he would find a way to see her... to apologize to...

To do something.

That night...

Harry lay under the covers of his bed, his eyes closed in a good approximation of sleep. He heard Ron shuffling around beside him and briefly debated including him in his plan. But... no. He had to do this alone.

Finally, the light in the room dimmed and Harry heard Ron drop noisily onto his bed. He waited for the characteristic snores to come before throwing back the covers and leaping out onto the floor.

Ron snorted and turned over in his sleep. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "I'm a ninny."

Harry shrugged and grabbed his invisibility cloak from where it lay under his bed. Snatching up his book bag, he eased out of the room silently and made his way down to the common room.

When he reached the exit of Gryffindor tower, he stopped and pulled out an old scrap of parchment from his bag. Spreading it out before him, he tapped it lightly with his wand and whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Within moments, the marauder's map took shape and he peered intently at it. The halls were surprisingly empty. Mr. Filch was holed up in his room, Snape was in his office, Hermione was in her room...

All well and good.

Slipping on his invisibility cloak, he pushed the portrait of the fat lady open and stepped out.

"Who's there?" The fat lady demanded. Harry didn't bother answering and just walked on.

Walking through the deserted halls of Hogwarts was nothing new to Harry. Ever since he first stepped foot in the school, midnight strolls became a regular occurrence for him. He just wished that they were all for as good a reason as to see Ginny. But, even with all those sleepless nights, he still never ceased to be amazed at the grandeur of Hogwarts by night.

Light and shadows battled in the deserted halls. Giant windows saw shafts of silvery moonlight stream in, bathing specific areas with a soothing, gentle light. But there, just beyond the edge of the moonlight, lingered dark shadows of deepest black, seeming to hide secrets within them that would never be discovered.

As his footsteps echoed along the stone corridors, Harry heard other sounds as well; the creaking of the wooden beams, the settling of thousand-year old rocks, and a quiet, almost unnoticeable sound of laughter. He never found out just what kept laughing in the night... but he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

He walked on; through the darkness, through the creaking, through the mystery...

Finally, he reached the Hospital wing. He tried the door after checking the map to make sure Madam Pomfrey was still in her office. It was locked.

"Alohamora!" Harry waved his wand. With a quiet click, the door unlatched and swung open.

Still clutching the invisibility cloak around him, he glanced at Madam Pomfrey's office before waving his wand again.

"Muffliato!" There. That should stop her from hearing them.

He looked around. There she was, in the bed by the window at the end of the room.

All of a sudden, he felt nervous and didn't know why. He swallowed, his tongue suddenly feeling like lead, and slowly walked towards her. As he neared her bed, he winced at the sound of his heart beating stronger and harder in his ears.

And then he was with her. He stood over her and stared.

She looked quite gentle in her sleep. A bright shaft of moonlight fell lightly on her bed, illuminating her with an incandescent glow. Her head rested lightly on a white pillow that contrasted sharply with the bright red hair fanned out around her. Her face was ashen, which made the freckles splayed out across her little nose stand out even more. He followed the soft line of her neck down her body and smiled at the little fist curled up gently against her chest. Her other arm was flung wildly off to the side, dangling over the edge of the bed. She was a fighter, this girl. The blanket that had probably been wrapped tightly around her was pulled out now, exposing just the barest hint of the porcelain skin of her leg.

He looked up tenderly at her face.

Her lips, usually a vibrant shade of pink, were pale and looked little dry. If he looked hard, he thought he could see just a trace of blood still smudged on her lip.

As he felt a sharp pain lance through his heart, he reached out with one trembling thumb and gently wiped at the smudge.

Her lips weren't dry. They were soft and warm and her breath was moist...

She snorted.

He pulled his hand back as if he was electrocuted. What was he doing?

He shook his head violently. No way was he going to wake her up. She needed her rest. He sighed. Might as well leave his little present...

He reached into his book-bag again and pulled out a small box of chocolate frogs which were, if he remembered correctly, her favorite. He gently placed the box beside her bed and turned to leave.

"Are those for me, Potter?"

He whipped around in shock. Ginny was sitting up now, her brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight. She was slowly moving her gaze around the room.

"What...?"

"Oh good grief, Harry, take off that silly cloak so I can see you."

"Oh... yeah..." Harry whipped off the cloak and let it fall to the floor. He stood before her sheepishly for a moment before grabbing a chair and pulling it close.

"There you are," she whispered softly.

"Uh," he said, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry I woke you."

She waved him off as she greedily opened the box of chocolate. "No, no... it's ok." She flipped the lid open and gave a small cry of joy when a dark chocolate frog leapt into the air. She swiped at it, weakly, and scrunched up her face when she missed. Luckily, the frog landed on her chin with a splat, and she eagerly snatched it up before promptly massacring it.

"Yum," she gave a long moan of delight. Harry twitched. "You have no idea what Pomfrey is making me drink..."

She looked up at Harry. "Thanks."

He smiled. "Welcome. But how did you know I was here?"

She cocked her head as she chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm... I don't... know really. I just... did." She shrugged. "Weird, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"So," she said through a mouthful of chocolate. "How's Ron? I heard he fainted..."

Harry snorted. "Yeah...Hermione said he just keeled over when he saw all the... all the..."

He reached out and grabbed her chocolate covered hand. "I'm so sorry Ginny."

"For what?" She looked utterly bewildered.

"For... for everything. For making you be seeker... for making you fly that stupid old broomstick... for making..."

"Shut it you stupid, stupid git." She said fondly. "You didn't make me do anything. And from what Professor McGonagall says, it wasn't even your fault."

Her eyes darkened. "She didn't say whose, though..." She looked at Harry intensely. "Who did it?"

Harry shifted his thoughts to Dean and Cormac. It was more Cormac's fault than Dean's... but the two were getting to be pretty close. And if Ginny got pissed off at Cormac, things might go sour between she and Dean. And even though the thought of that made him happy for some reason, he couldn't stand the thought of Ginny being unhappy.

"Er," he said uncomfortably. "Nobody's fault really..."

She licked the chocolate off her moist lips.

"Nobody?"

"Er..."

"McLaggen?"

"..."

She sighed and squeezed his hand. "It's okay Harry. McLaggen's a git, and Dean's a git for hanging with him. But forget about them for now..."

She shoved the box of chocolate in his face.

"Have one."

"No, they're for you..."

"Trying to make me fat, Potter? Have one."

"No, you have one."

"No, you!"

"No..." and suddenly, with speed belying her weakened state, she snatched at a frog and shoved it into his mouth. Her fingers lingered there for a second before darting out again. "Good, eh?"

Harry didn't quite know what to say, so he just blushed and nodded and chewed. She smiled at him.

"Thanks for coming down Harry. I know nobody's allowed... I guess that's why Dean didn't come. I got lonely..."

Harry swallowed. "Yeah, you're welcome. I tried to smuggle Arnold out of your room... but Hermione caught me sneaking into the girls' dormitory and shrieked at me."

Ginny laughed. "Well, you better be glad you didn't Harry. You'd have been sorry."

"Why?"

"When Arnold gets picked up by anyone who isn't me... well... he poops."

"Poops?"

"Wetly."

Harry scrunched up his face. "Eww...."

Ginny laughed again. It was a sweet sound to Harry's ears, like the tinkling of two crystal goblets clinking together. "And it looks awfully like that chocolate you've got smushed on your chin!"

Harry stood up in mock indignation. "You're so evil!"

"You got that right, Potter." She happily popped another chocolate and grinned ruthlessly through messy brown teeth.

For the first time since Ginny's accident, Harry felt happy. He gave out a great big laugh, feeling tons of tension lift slowly from his shoulders. Ginny glanced nervously at Madam Pomfrey's office before joining in.

"So," he asked. "How are you feeling now?"

"Bored out of my mind," she muttered. "I'm actually fine, you know. I can walk! But Madam Pomfrey says I should..."

"Well you should, you know."

"No, I'm fine!" She punched him lightly on the knee. "A little woozy, but I bet I could still beat you in a footrace."

Harry nodded slowly. "Sure... sure."

She arched an eyebrow. "That a challenge? C'mon, I'll race you down the hall..."

"Next time, Ginny. You really do have to rest."

For a moment, she stared longingly at the door. She turned to gaze at him slowly, and Harry could have sworn the longing didn't fade.

"Get me out of here Harry," she pleaded silently.

"What?"

"Just an hour... just a walk. I can't... I can't stand it here. I don't like..."

Harry was horrified to see tears begin to form in her stark brown eyes. "When I lie here... I can't forget... I can't forget..."

She buried her face in her chocolate covered hands. "I can still hear his voice, Harry..."

And then he understood. This was the same bed, after all, that Ginny stayed in when she came back from the chamber of secrets. She looked up at him. "I'm not weak... and I hate feeling like I am."

He nodded slowly. "Okay... okay. One hour, then we're coming back. No arguments."

Gently, he took her arm and helped her up. She swung her long legs to the floor and slid her feet into her furry bunny slippers. She stood up slowly, letting the end of her nightgown drop to her ankles. She swayed for a moment and coughed.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked. She nodded.

"Let's go."

"Wait," he said as he looked at her. She had fine brown smudges on her cheek. "You have..."

He reached over and slowly wiped at the smudges, completely forgetting that he too had been eating chocolate. "Oops," he said as he made it worse.

"What?" She frowned.

"Nothing," he tried to suppress a laugh. She frowned and looked at him, but he saw a sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "You're weird, Potter."

"No, you are." He grinned. He grabbed the invisibility cloak and threw it over them.

"No, you are." She pressed herself against him, tucking under the cloak.

"No, you are." He grabbed her hand.

"Oh, shut up." She said as they began to walk.

"No, you shut up..."

And they continued their lighthearted bickering as they stepped through the door. As they walked down the deserted halls, they talked of quidditch and Ron and quidditch and Hermione and quidditch and Dean and quidditch and Cho... and as they talked, as they laughed, as they mischievously sneaked about, Harry forgot everything for a while. He forgot about Malfoy, he forgot about Snape, and he even forgot about Voldemort. He forgot about the Dursley's, he forgot about Sirius, and he forgot about McLaggen. He forgot about everything except for the little red headed girl beside him, smiling at him her chocolate smile.

And later, as they made their way back to her bed, he noticed that sleep was finally beginning to claim her.

"No, no..." she yawned as she stepped through the door. "I'm fine..."

"No, Ginny, you just walked into a bed."

"Oh... yeah..."

He bent down and scooped her legs up.

"Harry, what are you..."

"Carrying you."

"Oh..."

And she, shyly, or perhaps sleepily, wrapped her arms around his neck and settled against his chest. "I almost forgot," she muttered sleepily. "Thanks for... for saving me."

"Anytime."

"No... next time I get to save you..." and her voice trailed off.

"Sure..."

He carried her the rest of the way in silence, barely feeling her weight against him. She shifted softly in his arms, and he felt his head might burst. He was only doing this so she wouldn't trip... that's all...

And finally he reached her bed. He lay her down gently, ever so gently, and pulled the sheets up to her neck. He lingered there over her for a moment, taking in her freckles and her eyebrows and her nose and her lips...

He bent down slowly and gently kissed her forehead.

"Good night, Ginny," he whispered.

"No," she muttered, her voice soft and low. "Stay..."

"I can't," he said even though he very much wanted to. "I have to go..."

She grabbed sleepily for his hand and drew it up to her cheek. "Just... just until I fall asleep." She opened her eyes for a moment. "Please?"

He smiled and sat down beside her. "Sure."

Content, she snuggled against his suddenly very warm hand and kissed it.

"Goodnight..."

"Goodnight."

And there, with his arm pressed warmly against her cheek, is where Harry stayed. He stayed not until she fell asleep; not until the moon said goodbye and gave way to the sun; not until Madam Pomfrey stepped out of her office in the morning...

He stayed until she stopped groaning in the dark. He stayed until she stopped trembling in fear. He stayed until she stopped whimpering in the cold.

He stayed until she smiled serenely in her sleep. He stayed until she twitched, not in fear, but in dreams. He stayed until, by the light of the moon, her face set in a look of utmost peace.

He stayed until he no longer had to.