Men Love With Their Eyes

Traps

Harry watched mournfully as Ron's queen prepared to check his King; he didn't quite know how he had lost the match but his defence wouldn't hold for more than two moves. He sighed and looked at the clock, wanting to defer the inevitable. "Shouldn't Ginny be back by now?" he said.

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "She's been talking about jumping in the lake all week."

"You don't really think she would?"

"Who knows? She's nuts. It'd be better then what we did at the end of exams."

Harry nodded, but said nothing--it was still too painful to talk about.

Ron prodded his queen forward for the last move and before saying, "Harry, Hermione's got this idea..." His voice trailed off and Harry looked at him.

"Well," he said, "what is it?"

"Oh, well, the thing is, she thinks you--you fancy Ginny and you've got some weird idea that I'd have a problem with it or something." Ron's last words came out in a rush and he avoided meeting Harry eyes.

"Look, mate, you don't need to worry..."

"I'm not worried...I mean, it'd be weird, cause you know, that's my sister, but Ginny deserves the best and she likes you so..."

"Do you think she likes me?"

"I don't know. I haven't asked her and she wouldn't tell me but, you know, you two seem all...these days."

Harry stared at his friend. "Look it's not that...I mean, Ginny's great, you know, really great but, I don't fancy her."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Harry flushed and said, "Really...Why? Do you think I do?"

Ron burst out laughing. "Yeah. Harry, you're so obvious. What was that this morning about eggs being brain food?"

"You used to do that for Hermione all the time..." Ron burst out laughing and Harry realised what he'd said. "Okay, I know how it seems but I don't. I don't. I really don't."

"You don't what?"

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Ginny's voice. He stared at her, blushing and wondering if she'd heard them. "I don't want to play chess anymore. I'm tired of hearing him gloat."

Ginny nodded and sank into the nearest armchair. She leant her head back and sighed. Harry grinned and said, "No big jump into the lake?"

Ginny laughed slightly hysterically. "Sorry to disappoint you, Harry. I'll get all wet and dripping sometime when you're at the Burrow."

Harry laughed. "Do you promise?"

Ron was staring at him and Harry blinked. He was a little surprised when Ron stood up and said, "I've to drag Hermione out of the library. Meet us for dinner?" He gave Harry a look and made his way out of the portrait hole.

Ginny curled up in her chair, her head tucked onto her shoulder. She smiled at Harry and said, "Why is it you're always around when I'm about to die?"

"Just a talent of mine I suppose."

She giggled and said, "My bones feel like jelly. Think you could carry me down to the Great Hall?"

Harry said nothing but walked over and slipped a hand beneath her knee as she shrieked.

"Harry! What are you doing!"

"Carrying you to the Great Hall."

"What? Harry, that was a joke."

He eased his way out of the portrait hole as she beat him about the shoulders. "Put me down, Harry!"

"No."

"Please."

"You can barely walk; I'm just doing you a favour."

His hand spread easily over her back and she felt very warm in his arms. Her hair was falling all around her face and she giggled hysterically even as she begged him to put her down. He scratched his fingers against the material of her robes. "Are you sure you want me to put you down?" He asked.

Ginny wound her fingers in his hair and gently turned his head around to face her. "Potter," she said, "put me down now."

Harry stopped walking, his head still facing hers. "You know you have a freckle right under your left cheekbone."

"Harry, please, put me down. I don't want you to carry me in."

"Okay."

Carefully, he set her on her feet. His hands were splayed across her back and she was still standing quite close. Her long sleeves had pooled around her elbows and her pale skin was exposed from where her hands lay on his shoulders to the bend of her elbow. Ginny was staring at him, and he saw her bite her lip gently. "So," he said, "how was your History of Magic exam?"

She blinked. "History of Magic? Oh...it was fine."

"Well I'm sure you did better than I did."

"Not falling asleep in the middle of the exam would help I imagine."

"Thanks, Weasley. Rub my nose in my failures."

"You have so few-- I have to bring you down to my level somehow."

Harry laughed. "Surely there are more enjoyable ways."

Ginny started and was about to say something when he put a finger on her lips; he wasn't quite sure of what he was doing, but he never got the chance to find out as he was interrupted by Ron and Hermione. Ginny stared at him with wide eyes as he removed his finger hurriedly. She said nothing but, after a moment, walked quickly to join Hermione.

As the two girls walked away, Harry felt his best friend's eyes on him. He could feel his cheeks flaming as Ron said, "So you don't fancy her?"

"No. I don't. Ron. I don't. Really."

Ron stared at him and said, "Do you know what Hermione said? The lady doth protest too much."

"The lady? Ron, what?"

Ron gave him a long look and said, "Look, Harry, I don't know what you want or whatever, but, just don't hurt my sister."

He started to walk away and Harry followed him saying, "Look, mate, you know I'd never hurt Ginny--I like Ginny."

"You still could. You might not mean to, but you could."

They walked to the Great Hall together; Ron evidently had said his piece for he talked determinedly of less fraught subjects for the rest of the evening.