All's Fair in Love and Magic

Chapter One - Two of a Kind

[The following year...]

The Gryffindor Common was quite deserted. The older students were taking full advantage of the first Hogsmeade weekend, while the younger students were out on the grounds, enjoying a beautiful, surprisingly warm, November day.

Harry had decided to stay in the tower that Saturday. After serving a nasty detention for Snape (scraping dried bile off the desks with a muggle toothbrush), he didn't much feel like celebrating. Ginny, of course, chose to stay inside with Harry. While Ron was busy getting practice N.E.W.T.s from Hermione ("We need to start early, Ron, if we want to earn Os on our exams."), Ginny would have the rare treat of being alone with her beau.

Ginny sighed dreamily as she caught herself staring at Harry. He was putting he finishing touches on a Potions Essay, his face screwed up with intense concentration. The firelight played off his glasses, illuminating his shocking green eyes. His messy black framed the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. He was terribly handsome.

Harry and Ginny had been together for well over a year, since the summer before last, yet she still found herself acting like a first year around him. Harry was not her first boyfriend - there had been that awful ball with Neville third year, her relationship with Michael fourth year, and the peculiar, but memorable summer she spent with Dean before her fifth year. This was different though. Harry was...Harry. He was brave and heroic, kind, compassionate, brilliantly handsome, athletic...famous. Harry Potter who had saved her life and the lives of everyone. "The boy who lived." "The hero who conquered the Dark Lord..."

Ginny was torn from her reverie as the portrait hole burst open and Ron came storming in, swearing profusely. "Unbelievable," he muttered, "Un-bloody-believable!"

Ginny laughed as Harry questioned innocently, "How did things go with Hermione?"

Ron scowled, his muscular shoulders tighter than McGonagall's bun. "She 'completely forgot!' Since when does Hermione ruddy well forget anything? Said she 'promised Justin' and he 'needed help with curses.' Bloody bunch of rubbish! Unless there's some 'lip-locker curse' no one's told me about!"

Ron was seething and didn't seem to notice the peal of laughter that Ginny was attempting (but failing) to suppress or the knowing smirk displayed on Harry's face.

"Wish she'd taught that one to you, eh Ron?" Harry casually observed. Ron's ears were suddenly indistinguishable from his flaming red hair.

"She might've," Ginny interjected, "if Ron has asked her to the last ball instead of taking Susan."

"Shut it Virginia!" Ron demanded, his face now matching his ears, "I have no interest in Hermione beyond passing my N.E.W.T.s. She's with Finch-Fletchley, and that's her business. Besides, what have you got against Susan Bones?"

"Nothing," Ginny replied, "She's obviously quite bright - she dumped you after all."

"Who could blame her when this git spent the whole evening shooting daggers at Hermione and Justin?"

"I AM NOT ROMANTICALLY INTERESTED IN HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed. "I'm just angry that she cancelled another study da--session," he corrected hurriedly, "to have a snog-fest with Finch-Fletchley." He spat the name as though saying it were a heinous crime. "The Hermione I know would never desert her friend for some brainles git. When did that prat become more important to her than me - I mean, the N.E.W.T.s?"

Ron stromed upk the stairs to the dormitory before either of them could say one word a about his 'Freudian Slip.'

Harry and Ginny barely had time to share a silent laugh before the portrait opened again and Hermione came stomping into the room. She looked a bit disheveled, and Harry was quite tempted to ask her about the "lip-locker curse." One look from Ginny quashed this idea, and Hermione began to rant.

"Absolutely NO respect for people's privacy!" she huffed. "Like he's never forgotten a study d--session. When did studying become so important to Ron? Last year, he would always try to get out of studying, and I never made a scene out of it! The nerve of that prat! 'Do you think you can detach your mouth from Justin's long enough to tell me that you're cancelling?' I'm sure it crushed him to put-off studying for a day. The great prat! Oh I'd like to curse him from here to Ottery-St. Catchpole!" She seemed to finally notice that she wasn't alone and her cheeks flushed a little. "Oh...Hello Harry. Hullo Ginny." Without another word to either of them, she continued up to the girls' dormitory, mumbling about inconsiderate men.

The room was silent for a moment before Harry and Ginny began to laugh.

"That's my brother," Ginny giggled as she joined Harry at his armchair. "The Weasley men are such charmers."

"Those two," Harrry responded, as he pulled Ginny onto his lap, "are meant for each other."

Ch. 2 - Lightbulb Moment