The Secret Admirer

Chapter 1: A Dream and a Second Letter

"Would you like to dance?" The boy offered Ginny his hand. Ginny looked up at him.

"I'd love to," she replied and took his hand. The two headed towards the dance floor where the band, Gloria's Glory Singers, had started to play a slow song. Ginny leaned her head against the shoulder of her dance partner, her heart thumping madly in her chest. Her hand quivered with slight excitement.

Many other students had paired up and began dancing themselves, but some were still too embarrassed to dance and remained seated.

Ginny could feel Hermione's eyes on her from the table and lifted her head up and looked into the eyes of her dance partner. It was...

****

Ginny reluctantly opened her eyes. She had never gotten a chance to see whom she had danced with in her dream. She rubbed her eyes and noticed the letter that was still on her beside table. She took it in her hands once again, unfolded it, and read it again, for maybe the hundredth time. As she read the letter over, she felt her heart tingle. She felt like an actual teenager, a little girl with a crush, which she hadn't felt like in a long time.

A sigh escaped her lips. She just had to find out who wrote this letter; she had a mental list of people, but it wasn't much help. She climbed out bed and shivered. It was freezing outside the warmth of her blankets. It definitely felt like winter.

She went to go get dressed.

****

Ginny walked into the Great Hall, mentally going over her list of possible secret admirers. As she passed people in the hallways, she added some of them to her list. Michael Corner from Hufflepuff, probably not. Warrington from Slytherin, no.

Hermione waved Ginny over to the Gryffindor table, and Ginny prepared herself for another breakfast of Hermione playing matchmaker.

"Morning, Ginny," Harry recited, as if from a play, when Ginny sat down.

"Morning."

Hermione stared at the two of them when neither of them spoke, urging them to make more conversation.

"So," Harry cleared his throat. "Nice weather."

"Yes," Ginny agreed. "Nice and cold."

Hermione groaned and went on to her breakfast, forgetting about fixing up Ginny and Harry for a moment. But, later she would be back at it again.

As Ginny ate, she continued to review her list. Right now she was on Gryffindor boys. Neville, Colin, or Colin's little brother, Dennis. She supposed that it was someone in her year; she had only included Neville since they had gone to the Yule Ball together two years ago and because Neville seemed the kind to send letters rather than actually tell the person.

Colin seemed like the person because they spent much time in their classes together, being that they sat near each other in Potions, Muggle Studies, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. She had also included his little brother from when he had told her that Dennis had a small crush on her, and now, from what she knew, he still had it.

She could easily omit some names since some people couldn't write poetry for beans. Even though that it wasn't likely that Colin, Dennis, or Neville could write poetry, Ginny supposed that they might be able to, but hadn't told anyone about it.

"GINNY!" Ron shouted.

"What?" Ginny jerked away from her thoughts.

"Just saying that mum sent a package and she included the dress robes she picked out for you that you 'accidentally' left at home."

"Great, Ron. Just give them to me." He handed Ginny a package covered in paper.

"Thank you."

"Aren't you going to open them?" Hermione asked, leaning over her plate to see Ginny.

"Why would I?"

"I don't know, maybe just to look at them?" Ginny stared blankly at Hermione. "Just open it!"

Ginny removed the paper covering and took out the dress, letting it unfold itself and fall to the ground.

The dress was velvet green with a radiant golden trim around the neck and the cuffs. The neck was cut partly low, but not too low. "Your hair goes so perfectly with it Ginny," Ms. Weasley had said. Ginny had scowled and told her to hurry up with hemming it. Everyone had said that it was a very dazzling dress, but she had a hard time believing them.

"It is cut too low," Ron said automatically even though he had seen the dress before. Hermione and Ginny both rolled their eyes.

"Ron," Hermione started the lecture again. "Ginny is a young adult now and-" Everyone finished it for her,

"She knows how to act and should be able to do things without her older brother sticking his nose in."

"Anyways Ron, don't worry. I won't be going to the Winter Ball, so I won't be able to wear this 'low cut' dress." Ginny began to fold the dress back up.

"Ginny, come on!"

"Hermione," Ginny said as she rewrapped the dress. "I would love to 'come on', but I have to get to Herbology. I'll see you all."

****

"I can't believe even Hagrid is giving us extra homework! A ten-page essay on the Glumbumble? This will take a good weekend at least," Ron complained as he walked towards dinner.

"Maybe if you had listened to Hagrid's explanation on them you would have an easier time writing that paper," Hermione replied.

"Hermione," Harry said. "Not all of us listen in class. Poor Ronnie here has a short attention span and we must respect that."

Hermione smiled.

"Fine, you two make fun of me."

"Well Ron," Hermione said. "It's just that we thought you would be used to homework by now. Having an essay due isn't something new that has just begun."

"Hermione!" Ginny came running up behind the trio.

"Hi, Ginny."

"Hermione, I have to talk to you," she said, bending down to catch her breath slightly. "Alone." Ron opened his mouth to protest about this, but Harry pulled him into the Great Hall.

"What is it Ginny?"

"Okay," Ginny said hurriedly, watching the people pass them and making sure they weren't listening. "I wasn't going to tell you, but I got an owl last night."

Hermione gave a confused expression as if to say, "You got an owl, so what?".

"And I read it," Ginny said shortly. Hermione wore the same expression, wondering where this was going

"And what did the letter say?" she asked, imitating Ginny by being short.

"Here, go ahead and read it."

Ginny handed Hermione the letter, her hand trembling slightly, but she fought to keep it firm..

Hermione took the letter and read over it, her eyebrows rising higher, threatening to disappear into her bushy brown hair by the time she was finished. She looked up from the letter, a huge grin on her face.

"Oh, God, Hermione. Don't look at me like that," Ginny mumbled.

"Ginny! Do you know what this means?"

"No, but now I do know that I regret ever showing you that."

"Ginny!" Hermione shook her arm. "You have a secret admirer!"

"Yeah, I got that Hermione," Ginny said. "I don't think anyone can be that stupid."

"Ginny, you aren't getting the big picture!"

"Then enlighten me, Hermione."

"Well, this person is obviously going to tell you who he is and then you have a date for the Christmas Ball!"

"How many times do I have to tell you: I DON'T WANT TO GO THE CHRISTMAS BALL!" Ginny's voice rose and she grew angrier, causing some first years to hurry by them

An owl swooped down the Entrance Hall and headed for Ginny and Hermione. Ginny hid her face and started to mutter,

"Oh great. Another." Hermione snatched the letter from the owl and read:

There's a love that's burning in my heart,
That would love to come out of the door.
A love that wants to come out to love you,
Like you've never been loved before.

This love of mine is yearning for you,
Wants to come out and capture your heart.
Is longing to whisper these words to you,
'I will love you till death do us part.'

This love is waiting to kiss your lips,
Wants to share every bodily pleasure.
I know the love this love can give,
Your heart will forever treasure.

Please tell me I can release this love,
And send it right out to you.
Tell me you'll cherish it thru the years,
And always keep it so shiny new.

"Ginny, you should write him back!"

"What?" Ginny snapped her head up and looked at Hermione as if she was insane.

"Come on! Just scribble down a letter, tie it back to the owl's leg, and it will take it back to your secret admirer! It will work for sure!"

"Hermione, I am not sure about anything in this entire mess and nothing will work out for sure. I just don't really know. I have no clue what I am going to do." Ginny headed into the Great Hall for dinner.

****

During dinner, Ron and Harry mainly chatted about Quidditch. And Ginny, for once, tried to concentrate on what the two were saying, but she couldn't. Her mind kept drifting to the secret admirer.

Ginny was thankful that Hermione hadn't told Harry or Ron about the secret admirer. It was bad enough to have her brother tell her how to spend her romantic life, if she were to have one, but if he found out who the secret admirer actually was he would kill them probably. And Harry.

It just hit Ginny. Harry could be her secret admirer. Harry Potter could be in love with her. Harry Potter could be sending her these owls! She had another person to add to her list.

She smiled secretly to herself and then moved her glance to Harry.

Hermione noticed Ginny's glance at Harry and thought to herself,

I'm almost there.