Secrets

Harry looked at his bowl of porridge with sullen dislike. She hadn't come to breakfast-again.

If only he could use the Marauder's Map. But Harry had learned his lesson in his sixth year. He had once used the map to figure out what Ginny was up to, and Ginny had found out. It had almost ruined their friendship; she had felt completely betrayed. Harry had promised he would never do it again.

This was killing him. He had to talk to her. He got up to find her.

"Harry? Where are you going?" Ron looked up from the homework he had been frantically trying to get done - with Hermione's help.

"Er-" There was no way Harry could say anything remotely truthful without explaining far too much to Ron. He sighed and sat down. "Nowhere. I'm going nowhere."

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Harry's heart leapt when he saw Ginny walking toward the Quidditch field that night. She was late, she wasn't in her practice robes, but for the first time in three days, she was there.

Harry didn't even call a time-out for the training session. He dived and dismounted when he was still two feet off the ground. He had to keep himself from running towards her in his excitement. When she reached him, however, his joy died at the sight of her.

Her eyes were red-rimmed and shadowed. It looked like she'd been crying. There were dark circles under her eyes, but it looked like she'd been trying to cover them up with some sort of make-up. And her expression made Harry's heart hurt.

"Ginny? What happened? What's wrong?" She avoided looking in his eyes.

"Nothing." Ginny's voice was barely above a whisper. "I just came to tell you that-" She paused.

"You came to tell me what?" Harry asked, concerned.

"I'm quitting Quidditch." It took a moment for her statement to register in Harry's mind.

"What? Are you joking? Why?" She still wouldn't meet his gaze.

"I have to go now." Ginny turned and walked slowly away. Harry watched her, somewhat dazed.

"Harry?" Ron's voice startled Harry. Harry turned to look at him and saw that Hermione was there too. She must have been watching the practice.

"Is everything ok?" Hermione's brow furrowed.

"She just quit." Harry's voice held a note of disbelief.

"What?" Ron asked, shocked. "She quit Quidditch? Why?"

"I don't know." Harry shook his head. "But I've had enough of this. I'm going to find out."

He handed his broom to Ron and walked briskly towards the doors Ginny had disappeared through.

He ignored Hermione and Ron as they called for him to wait and slow down. He opened the doors and stepped inside.

The hall was empty. Nearly everyone was in their dormitories by now. Harry had no idea which way to go.

While he was pondering this, Ron and Hermione caught up with him.

"Where is she?" Harry looked accusingly at Hermione. "You said you knew what was wrong with her. Where is she?"

"What do you mean, what's wrong with her?" Ron asked, confused. "There's something wrong with Ginny?"

"Oh Ron, don't be thick." Hermione said, irritated. "Harry, please calm down."

"Tell me what's going on!" Harry raked one hand through his already messy hair.

"Harry, please, I can't-"

"Just tell me where she is!" Harry's voice reached the point of desperation. Hermione sighed in defeat.

"I don't know if you'll find her there, but she might be down in the dungeons near Potions but-"

Harry didn't wait to hear the rest of Hermione's sentence. He could hear Ron and Hermione following him but he didn't pay attention. He felt like a caged animal that had finally been set free. He had to get to Ginny.

Just as Harry reached the heavy wooden door that led to the dungeons, he found he suddenly couldn't move.

"Sorry mate, we had to." Ron shook his head. "You were out of control. You walked right through Nearly Headless Nick, but I don't think you noticed."

"Could you let me go please?" Harry asked angrily, trying to struggle against the spell, and remaining firmly frozen in place.

"Harry, please calm down and think. If you go in there, and you find her - just be sure you want to do this," Hermione said softly. Harry seemed to stop struggling as much, although it was hard to tell.

"Hermione - It's killing me. I have to figure out what's wrong," Harry pleaded. Hermione looked at him carefully for a moment, and then Harry felt himself be released.

Slowly, and under more control, Harry opened the door.

At first, he couldn't hear anything down the dimly lit passageways. Then, he thought he heard some murmured conversation.

The sounds led them down the left corridor. As they began to get closer to the corner of the passage, Harry began to make out what the voices were saying.

"Stop babbling about how you're feeling and just answer me - did you do it?" an irritated and eerily familiar voice said.

"Of course I did, I told you I would," a softer voice replied. Harry knew almost immediately that it was Ginny. He couldn't quite place the other person.

"It sure took you long enough. Girls have no place playing Quidditch in the first place. Especially girls I associate with. Now come here." Next to Harry, Ron stiffened. They were quite close now; the voices were coming from right around the other side of the bend.

"I'm not really in the mood right now-" Ginny's quiet voice was interrupted.

"I don't give a -" Hermione flinched, "what you're in the mood for, Weasley. Now get over here, it's the only thing you're good for-"

"Ron!" Hermione cried as Ron surged forward in blind anger. Harry was right behind him. Whoever this creep was, he was about to get a rude awakening.

In the few short seconds it had taken for Harry to turn the corner, Ron had already pinned whoever it was against the stone wall. But for some reason, he hadn't started pummeling the person. Ron seemed frozen with a look of utter disbelief and shock on his face.

About the time Harry was starting to wonder if Hermione had magically immobilized him, Harry realized exactly who the person was that Ron had pinned to the wall.

And as he took in the slicked back blonde hair, the cold as steel eyes, and the angry smirk, Harry's world seemed to come to a complete halt.

Because there, less than a foot away from the person he had been dreaming about for so long, was Draco Malfoy.