Men Love With Their Eyes

Blunder

Ginny tripped over her broomstick and Harry reached out a hand to help her, but she waved him away wearily. Their shadows stretched out behind them as they slowly made their way back to the castle. It had been a long training session, most of which Ron had spent muttering about Hermione's 'madness'. Harry had purposely spent a long time in the showers in order to avoid hearing any repetition of his complaints, and suspected Ginny had done the same.

She heaved a deep sigh and he looked over at her, saying, "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just tired that's all. You realise when I get back I'll have to listen to Hermione rant about my prat of a brother on top of an essay on the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and practising Vanishing spells."

Harry grinned at her. "It's a hard life," he said.

But Ginny was clearly in no mood for his jokes and looked at him crossly. Harry shook his head and hefted his Firebolt once more. He glanced at Ginny, and taking a deep breath, he said, "Well, if you want, I can help you with the Vanishing spells. I'm not as good as Hermione, but I think I can promise not to talk about Ron. And you can tell her you're comforting me about my terrible destiny or something."

Ginny looked at him for a moment and burst out laughing. "Harry, I love you," she said. "You're such a lifesaver!" Harry stopped dead in his tracks for a moment but collected himself and walked on.

Ginny hardly noticed that he had quickened his pace to catch up with her - she was so much smaller than him that she had to walk faster anyway. Her sleeves were pulled down over her hands and Harry could see her fingers were pink with cold. "You know," he said, trying to phrase it as carefully as possible, "I have an old pair of gloves, if you want them... if you need them."

Ginny looked at him suspiciously. "What's wrong with you?"

"What?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Harry held open the door for her as they entered the castle. "I'm always nice to you!" He protested.

"No you're not! I mean, not like this - what have you done? What do you want me to do?"

"I just thought your hands were cold that's all!"

Ginny giggled. "I think Ron and Hermione are having a bad influence on us."

Harry smiled at her, noticing, now there was better light, that there were dark circles under her eyes and she looked pale. It was rather unnerving.

"So," she said, pushing her out of her eyes, "there is life after the O.W.L.s? It's not something the teachers invented to keep us working?"

"Eventually," he said, "it just takes a long, long time. And did I mention you probably won't sleep between now and June?"

"Don't say things like that, Harry. It's bad enough as it is. I can't believe we've only been back a month."

"And on Saturday you get to play Ravenclaw."

"I take it back - you're not being nice at all."

"What?"

"Maybe you approach every game with complete confidence but I don't."

"Oh, you can't be too worried. We beat them last year, even with Kirke and Sloper."

Ginny's face brightened at the memory and she said, "Yeah. I made Cho cry."

"That makes two of us." Harry said dryly.

Ginny caught his elbow and said, "Harry, you didn't!"

"I didn't mean to! She'd keep talking about Cedric and that always upset her."

Ginny bit her lip and said, "I knew you could be an insensitive git but really..."

"I am not!" She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not. I just, I don't know how to deal with girls, with the crying and the arm waving."

Ginny laughed. "I happen to know for a fact that's not true."

They were standing outside the portrait hole as Harry said, "But you're not the same. You're not a girl girl."

Ginny was staring at him, and her voice was incredulous as she said, "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Looking at her Harry instantly realised his mistake. "I didn't mean it like that. It's not that you're not a girl, just that you're not like Cho, you know. You're sensible." Ginny did not look at all appeased and he stumbled on, "I mean you don't go crying all over boys."

Her voice was wry as she said, "Harry, I think you're finding it a little difficult to talk with that big fat foot in your mouth."

She was making her way over to the dormitory stairs when he caught up with her. "So you're not angry?"

Her voice was suddenly very tired as she said, "No, I'm not angry. You think I'm sensible... and I bet you think I'm sporty, too. Good night, Harry."

Harry stared after her, desperately trying to sort out what exactly had gone wrong. She was halfway up the stairs when he called out to her. "Ginny."

She turned around. "Yes?"

"I'm not Ron."

She smiled, but her mouth had an odd twist in it. "Believe me, Harry, I'm not likely to confuse you with my brother."

"I mean I'm not like him. I do know you're a girl, Ginny... So are you coming down to study?"

"Okay. Just let me get my books."

"I'll wait."

Harry sat down at their favourite table, thinking that girls really were quite mad.