The Slimmest, Wildest Chance

In The Three Broomsticks

Ginny leaned hard against the door of the Three Broomsticks, and managed to open it with a clatter. She pulled one glove off with her teeth as she made her way through the crowded pub. She couldn't see anything through the crowd. She managed to pull her coat off and folded it over her arm as she scanned the pub for Harry. It took her a while, but she finally found him -sitting in one of the booths and peering out one of the steamed-up windows.

She forced her way through the crowd toward him, her shopping bags making her passage somewhat awkward. She sat down beside him with a 'fwump' and attempted to find space for everything. Brushing her hair out of her face, she adjusted to the steamy atmosphere of the pub, praying that her nose and ears weren't pink from the cold.

She had a nice, lilac, jumper on, and dark blue jeans that Hermione had persuaded her to buy, and all in all she thought she looked quite well (not that it mattered what she looked like - not that she wanted Harry to find her attractive or anything.) Harry was grinning at her, and he pushed a Butterbeer towards her, which she accepted gratefully. Warmth rose through her from her toes, and she sighed with pleasure.

Harry leaned back in his seat, one arm resting just behind Ginny's head--he looked odd, all relaxed and strung out like that. It took her a moment, for all that she watched him carefully, to realise what was so strange about him. He looked happy.

She smiled back at him, and an odd silence fell between them--she wasn't uncomfortable or anything, but the air between her and Harry felt charged, and sparkling. She couldn't look away from him, and only snapped out of her trance when he said, "So did you get Ron's present?"

She nodded. "Oh, wait till you see it, Harry, it's perfect...I have had the most successful day. I got the best presents for everyone..." She ducked into her bags and retrieved Ron's present--when she turned back to show it to Harry, he was shining at her. There was no other way to describe it. She wished he could always look this beautiful--this happy. Having all his attention focused on her when he was like this was like flying on the fastest broom in the world, soaring and plummeting all at once.

She held the box out to him, and he took it from her, his fingers slipping against her hands. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a new chessboard. His old one is all battered, and this one is really nice, you see." She opened the box and showed it to him. "And there's space for his chess pieces as well, so..." The box was made of a rich red-brown wood and lined with a wonderful, soft black material. Ginny almost wanted to keep it for herself--but knowing how much Ron would like it, she had restrained her urge for possession.

Harry smiled at her again, and he seemed so purely happy that she had to take a sip of her Butterbeer or risk falling to the floor in a pile of slush. His hand was resting on the top of the booth again, almost touching her shoulder. "What did you get Hermione?" he asked.

"Oh, that was easy. I got her some magic make-up, and chocolate frogs and a couple of little things; no one ever gets her anything girly except me."

"Does she like girly things?" Harry seemed doubtful.

"Of course she does, Harry! I mean, she's not like Parvati but she likes the odd thing, just like everyone."

He was smiling again, but didn't say anything, and finally Ginny had to say, "What is up with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're all smiley and happy and...where's the Incredible Angst Monster I know and love?"

He leaned a little closer. "Could you really love an Incredible Angst Monster, Ginny?"

She was about to make some sharp retort, but caught herself--what exactly could she say. His eyes were boring into her face, and she settled for poking him in the chest--she didn't expect him to catch her hand.

"Well...Afraid to tell me?"

She could see something flash in his eyes, something almost like...fear, so she immediately moved to soothe him. "Harry, you know I love and adore you--we all do."

He was glowing again. Ginny knew she should ask what exactly all this was about, but he was sitting so close to her, and his hand was nearly on her shoulder, and he had bought her a Butterbeer....

A strand of hair fell into her face--seemingly without thinking, Harry brushed it away. And she couldn't help it: a tiny gasp escaped her, and she saw his eyes widen and then become darker. He shifted in his seat a little, moving closer to her, with his right hand slipping down on to her shoulder. Ginny saw him surreptitiously lick his lips; she guessed she knew what was coming and she felt so joyful it was beyond words...

And then Ron sat down across from them, swearing copiously. Ginny was going to kill him -- and leave him dead for the ghosts to find...

Harry moved back towards the window, and Ginny sprang away from him (fortunately Ron didn't notice), managing to look almost normal by the time Hermione had sat down.

Remembering something, Ginny dove under the table, and shoved Ron's present back into its bag. She sat back up to receive curious stares from Ron and Hermione. (Harry was simply laughing behind his hand.) Panting slightly, she brushed hair from her face and said, "So, see anything interesting out there..."

"Well..." Ron looked as though he was on the verge of revealing a wonderful secret. "I saw Neville with a girl."

Ginny stared at him. "Really? Who? It wasn't Luna was it? Because she said they had one trip to Hogsmeade and that was it--she didn't seem to mind too much really...."

"Ginny, shut up and I'll tell you!"

Ginny subsided, and clamped a hand over her mouth. She looked pleadingly at Ron, who eventually said, "He's with Susan Bones, up at the bar."

"Really?"

"Ginny!" Hermione made frantic shushing noises. "Honestly--do you want everyone to know you're spying on them?"

"I'm not spying! I'm just happy for him."

"What about Luna? Do you think she'll be upset?"

"No. It was my idea really--and, well, she likes him, but she's hardly going to pine away, is she? She told me she thinks Justin is rather dashing."

Ginny could feel Harry staring at her, and Hermione said, "Are you sure? Luna and Justin--I can't imagine it."

"Neither can I, really, but then...well, it's hard to tell half the time if she's joking or not. Anyway, I don't think Luna really wants to go out with any one at the moment."

Harry was still staring at her, and she muttered, "What?" to him. She could have been knocked down with a feather (especially one of those weight-enhanced feathers Flitwick used for teaching the first years Wingardium Leviosa) when he brushed her hair off her face, again, and said, "You might want to do something about that you know. I mightn't always be around to get it for you."

She stared at him and continued to stare at him after he looked away to continue talk to Ron. He was the strangest boy in the world.

She felt Hermione nudge her ankle with one foot and looked up to see the other girl smiling at her broadly. Later, they would talk about it and Hermione would suggest that she make the first move-- "Show the dense prat what you're made of...."

And perhaps she could, and perhaps she would...but it had been so sweet, so wondrously sweet, to see that look in Harry's eyes that she rather wished he would chase her.

As she went to sleep that night, thinking of him, it struck her that he'd never shown any of the Christmas presents he had supposedly bought.