Dreams

"Let´s go find Ron and Hermione," Harry suggested, pausing to squeeze Ginny´s hand and wait for her response. She looked up at him and couldn´t seem to focus on anything but Harry´s eyes.

"Uh, sure. Ok," Ginny replied distractedly. As the two of them walked down the streets of Hogsmeade, curious glances were sent their way.

For the past five years, kissing Harry Potter was always on top of her list of things she would have liked to do. But never did she think that Harry himself would actually initiate it. Ginny´s head was spinning and her fingers were tingling from the warmth spreading through her hand from Harry´s own.

Ginny thought back to the first time she ever saw Harry. It was September 1st and they were about to get onto Platform 9 3/4. It was going to be Ron´s first year at Hogwarts and for the first time, Ginny was not going to have Ron with her during the school year to keep her company. For the previous two years it had just been her and Ron. And she realized, that she was going to be alone. The thought alone was making her upset. Even at such a young age, she knew the reality of it all. She was going to lose her best friend. Sure, he would always be her favorite brother, but never again her best friend.

She had been dreading having to get onto the platform and having to say goodbye to all her brothers when another boy appeared. He seemed so shy and quiet. He blushed as he asked her mother how to get onto the platform. After all of them had got through the platform, Ginny was able to get a good look at him.

He was tall, but not as tall as Ron, skinny, the clothes he wore seemed to be 10 sizes too big, his hair was extremely messy and covered his forehead, and then there were those eyes. Even under the glasses he wore, with tape holding them together, those bright green eyes would be something that she would dream about.

She stayed with her mother as her brothers disappeared onto the train to load their things. A few minutes later, Fred and George came back, obviously excited about something.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" Fred said excitedly.

"Who?" she replied, genuinely curious to know.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?" George asked. Ginny´s head turned and her ears seemed to start soaking up everything the twins were saying.

"Who?" their mother asked again, this time getting a bit aggravated with the two boys.

"Harry Potter," said Fred. Ginny had gotten excited about the news and had begged her mother to let her go and see him, but her mother had said no. So that one look-over was the last she would see of Harry Potter until the next summer.

That year, as she stayed at home alone, she could not help but constantly think about Harry. She knew about his past, but who in the wizarding world didn´t know about his past? But that wasn´t enough for Ginny. She always wanted to know more.

That summer came and so did Harry. She still remembered her first real encounter with him.

He spoke, she blushed, and then, she ran.

Then the time came when it was Ginny´s turn to get on the Hogwarts Express and go to Hogwarts. Her "crush" on Harry has became bigger, but even Ginny admitted that she went about it in the wrong way. Singing Valentines and cheesy Get Well cards? Ginny cringed at the memory of Tom´s diary. He had seemed so charming at first. But it was just a cover-up. Being so naive and trusting has led her down the wrong path.

And now, after almost six years of crushing on her part, he had kissed her. She recalled the look on his face as he had started leaning down towards her. He looked so nervous, yet, so determined.

Ginny wanted to keep that kiss in her memory forever. With all the adventures and dangerous things Harry had encountered in the past years, it had had put a toll on him physically. But his lips were soft and gentle. When he had pulled away, Ginny would taste the chocolate on her lips from a Chocolate Frog he had eaten earlier.

Ginny was shaken out of her thoughts when Harry had stopped in his tracks.

"Harry, what is wrong? Why did you..." Ginny spoke, but Harry quieted her by lifting his index finger to his lips. He then pointed across the street at a small crowd that was beginning to form. They both heard angry shouts and immediately recognized on of the voices as Ron´s.

The two of them quickly glanced at one another before running through the crowd.

"You heard me Malfoy. I won´t say this again, leave Ginny alone," Ron yelled. Ginny tensed when she saw the two guys in front of her.

"Weasley, your sister can take care of herself. Now why don´t you go back to snogging that disgusting Mudblood of yours?" Draco sneered. The crowd around them had hushed and Ron turned red with fury.

Ginny felt her hand being released and she watched as Harry went to go stand in front of Ron. Draco´s eyes turned to see where Harry had came from and he paused when he saw Ginny. The anger in his eyes flickered.

"Come on Crabbe. Come on Goyle. We´ve got better things to do that stand around here and watch Potter talk to his stupid friends," Draco said as the three of them turned and walked away.

The crowd slowly broke up, but Ron was still fuming.

"He has NO right...talking about Ginny...talking like that about Hermione..." Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Ron, calm down. It is ok. I really don´t take anything Malfoy says seriously. I don´t think anyone should. And I am sure that Ginny doesn´t either," Hermione spoke, and everyone´s eyes turned towards Ginny.

"Uh, of course not," Ginny replied, wondering if they had believed her. In the back of her head she was thinking about Hermione´s words.

`I don´t take anything Malfoy says seriously. I don´t think anyone should.´

Maybe Ginny should have never taken any of his words seriously. There was never any telling of then he was serious about something, or when he did and said things for his own benefit.

In the meantime, Harry hadn´t wasted a second in reaching over and grabbing Ginny´s hand again. Ron and Hermione didn´t miss a beat. While Hermione had the biggest grin on her face, Ron looked much less cheerful.

Shock was more like it.

She had a feeling that Harry would be questioned that night by Ron, and unfortunately, the same for her with Hermione.

*+:*+:*+:

"So Harry, what is going on with you and my sister?" Ron asked later that night in the boys´ dormitory, whilst everyone else was asleep. Harry was glad it was dark because he felt his cheeks flush.

"Well I don´t really know right now," Harry answered truthfully. Ron snorted.

"You two were holding hands today in Hogsmeade and you have absolutely no idea what is going on between the two of you?" Ron asked, as though the mere idea even sounded ridiculous to him.

"Well, yeah. I don´t know Ron. You and Hermione had went off to...um...oh you went off to snog with Hermione and don´t you deny it Ron Weasley!" Harry declared. And even though Harry couldn´t see, he know that Ron´s face was probably as red as his hair.

"Don´t change the subject Harry," Rod said, his voice showing his embarrassment. Harry chuckled.

"Yeah Ron, sure. Anyway, after we were alone, you know what Ginny did to me?" Harry asked Ron. Ron shifted uncomfortably in his bed.

"I don´t know if I want to hear this," Ron said more to himself than Harry.

"Ron...she opened up to me," Harry said, the amazement evident in his voice. "I mean, not just the whole crush thing, but she told me she was scared of being all alone next year. And then, I don´t know what came over me, but, I kissed her."

"She opened up to...wait a minute! You kissed my sister?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, initially, and then she started kissing back and it was really...nice," Harry said, not bothering to hold back his grin.

"Ugh, spare me the details Harry,´ Ron groaned. Harry just smiled.

"Just so you know Harry, Ginny is a very sensitive person and if you don´t know that is going on between the two of you yet, you better figure it out. Because ten Galleons says she´s worrying about it at this very moment. And you can´t let something like this nag at her for too long. Trust me. Goodnight Harry," Ron said before turning over and falling asleep.

Harry laid there in his bed and thought about everything Ron had said. Ron was right. He was going to have to figure out what was going on between Ginny and him for Ginny´s sake...and his own.

*+:*+:*+:

Ginny sat on the edge of Hermione´s bed as the two of them talked. Hermione hadn´t brought up Hogsmeade yet, but Ginny knew it was just a matter of time.

Hermione just sat there across from Ginny, beaming like she knew something that Ginny didn´t.

"Um, Hermione. It´s getting pretty late and I haven´t had much sleep," Ginny said, trying to hold back a yawn.

"Don´t worry. This won´t be much longer," Hermione said. "I just have to ask you something?"

"Ask away," Ginny mumbled absentmindedly, close to falling asleep.

"How was it?" Hermione asked, a sly grin crossing her features.

"How was what? Hermione, maybe you should get some sleep too. You seem to be pretty incoherent yourself," Ginny said, starting to yawn again.

"How was it like to finally kiss Harry?" Hermione asked. Ginny choked on air as she was trying to yawn. After a few seconds of coughing and gasping for air, she looked at Hermione with a red face.

"Excuse me?" Ginny exclaimed. "How did you...never mind that. Why do you care how it was to kiss Harry?"

Hermione reddened a bit, but brushed her embarrassment aside.

"Well I am sure that I am not the only girl in Hogwarts who was wondered what it was like to kiss Harry," she said. "And don´t you dare tell your brother I said that."

"I am not putting myself between you and Ron, that´s for sure. I will just ignore the fact that you were once curious to what it was like to kiss Harry," Ginny said. "And to answer your question...it was, nice."

"Nice? Ginny I know you better than that. You better give me better details then that," Hermione gushed. Ginny was taken aback. Hermione wasn´t usually one to get into details of other people´s love lives, or lack of actually.

"Well, what do you want me to say Hermione? You can´t expect me to put it into words do you?" Ginny asked.

"So you are saying it was indescribable?" Hermione asked. Ginny groaned and threw a pillow at Hermione.

"Ginny, I am so happy for you two, I really am," Hermione said happily.

"Well, don´t get too excited Hermione. It was just one kiss. I can´t even tell you if there is going to be a second one," Ginny said silently.

"Of course there is going to be a second kiss Gin," Hermione replied. Ginny just shrugged her shoulders.

"I hope so. Gosh, I really hope so. But I don´t want it to just be kissing," Ginny said. Hermione´s eyes widened. Ginny caught what she had said and hurried to correct herself.

"What I mean was, I don´t want him to think I will kiss him any time he pleases. Not until we establish what we are. I am not pushing the whole `boyfriend/girlfriend´ thing, but this morning we were just friends, and now, I don´t know what to think," Ginny explained. Hermione nodded, showing she understood.

"So that´s the general idea of what is going on right now. I am feeling pretty dead right now, so I am going to go to bed now if that´s alright," Ginny said, not bothering this time to hold back her deep yawn.

She stood up and started towards the door.

"Good Night Ginny," Hermione said. Ginny nodded her head and left the Head Girl´s room. She headed up to the 6th year girls´ dormitory and climbed into her bed.

Sleep hit her as soon as her head hit the pillow.

*+:*+:*+:

A loud scraping sound woke Ginny the next morning. She was thankful it was Sunday because she had definitely overslept.

She looked over at the window to see Errol desperately trying to keep flight until Ginny opened the window. Ginny rushed out of bed and opened the window to let the tired owl in.

"What do you have there Errol?" Ginny said, petting the owl. The owl just laid on her bed and panted for air. Ginny chuckled and took the letter from Errol´s weak grasp. She looked at the envelope and saw it was from her mom.

After giving Errol some water and a short rest she sat down on her bed to read her mom´s reply.

Dearest Ginny,

It was wonderful to hear from you dear. Quite honestly, I was beginning to get worried. I hadn´t received owls from you or your brother in a while. I am glad school is going good for you. Your schooling is very important. But of course, you are a prefect and you know that. Have I mentioned how proud your father and I are of you?

But I am sure you know. I know you didn´t write me for me to reply with an owl singing your praise. About this "situation" you are going through. Ginny don´t ever let what people think of you stop you from doing what´s in your heart. You are a smart girl and you can think for yourself. No matter what, we´ll always be proud of you.

Love,

Mom

Ginny folded the parchment and slipped it under her pillow. The reply had been simple, but very effective. She hoped her mother´s words would help.

*+:*+:*+:

Ginny walked in to the Hall to find Hermione and Ron sitting at the table. Ron was trying to teach Hermione how to play Wizard Chess.

"No! Hermione you can´t move the knight right there or the Queen will..." Ron started to explain, but stopped and flinched when his Queen beheaded Hermione´s knight.

"Oops, I didn´t know...oh, good morning Ginny," Hermione looked up. "Sleep well?"

"Decent enough. Why didn´t you guys wake me up sooner?" Ginny asked, sitting beside Ron.

"We saw that you were tired last night so we figured we wouldn´t bug you," Hermione said. Ginny nodded, yawned, and then rested her head on her brother´s shoulder. Ron looked questioningly at Hermione.

"Something wrong Ginny?" Ron asked.

"No. Why?" Ginny asked. Ron shrugged, making Ginny´s head bob up and down.

"No reason I guess," Ron replied. Ginny looked around and realized that Harry wasn´t there. She was about to ask where he was when the entrance door opened and her question was answered.

Harry came into the hall, sweaty and still wearing his full Quidditch uniform. He walked over to the group and stood beside them.

"How did practice go Harry?" Ron asked.

"It went very well. We are going to run Slytherin into the ground next weekend," he said, a smile on his face.

"Well, aren´t you going to sit down Harry?" Hermione inquired. Harry shook his head no.

"Actually, I was wanting to borrow Ginny here for a moment," Harry said, looking over at a shocked Ginny. "Want to join me outside for a walk?"

"Um sure," Ginny said meekly, standing up to follow Harry. He grabbed her hand and led her outside. She was silent until he stopped in front of the lake and sat on a patch of grass. She followed his lead and sat down beside him. He looked over at her and smiled. Ginny blushed at his direct gaze and started to look down, but he caught her chin in his hand and quickly leaned over to place a kiss on her lips.

Ginny´s head jerked up and she looked up at him.

"We need to talk," they both said at the same time.

*+:*+:*+: