Secret Love

Secret Love III: Shattered Hearts

"Harry, how could you?" Ginny asked faintly. Harry, his heart pounding in his chest, disentangled himself from Laine Parrish's legs.

"Ginny, wait!" Harry called after her. He was talking to himself, though, because Ginny had turned her back on Harry and fled for the girls' dormitory.

Harry sat there in disbelief. How could he have allowed himself to let Laine, the American girl with lush brown hair and cold black eyes, entice him into betraying Ginny, the love of his life? He glared into her eyes, trying to convey with his scowl the emotions he had no way of expressing with words. Instead of saying anything, Laine simply wrapped her legs around Harry's waist and leaned down to kiss him again.

"Stop it, Laine!" Harry yelled. He could hardly believe her audacity. He pushed her off of his lap with all of his might, but instead of falling, she grabbed is neck and pulled him down with her. Harry remembered bitterly that the last time that had happened, Laine had tried to undress him.

"Harry, please stop squirming. You're making this much harder than it has to be, you know. Why don't you give into your feelings...I can do things for you that Janice, or whatever her name is-" she started, but Harry interrupted her.

"Her name is Ginny and I love her. I know I was wrong to kiss you even once, but I'm not going to do it again. If you don't leave me and Ginny be, I swear I'll..." Harry wanted to threaten her, to scare her away, but the way she was looking at him drove him crazy. She had her head tilted at an alluring angle, one eyebrow arched in waiting. A curtain of hair shielded half of her face, casting shadows over her sculped cheekbones, and a subtle pout crossed her lips. She was beautiful, but in a way Ginny could never be. Ginny was Harry's sunshine; she exuded happiness and light. Laine, on the other hand, was like midnight: dark and tempting, forbidden and desirable. Harry, as much as he hated her for tearing his life apart, couldn't help feeling drawn and attracted to her sensuality.

"Does she even matter anymore, Harry? I know you like me; I can see it in the way you're looking at me. I've seen that look before, like you're undressing me in your imagination," she said matter-of-factly. Harry's mouth dropped open, and he started to protest, but Laine rose gracefully from the ground and put a finger to his lips. "Shhh, I don't mind. I look at you the same way," she informed him with a wolfish smile.

Harry, without saying a word, stood up and left, heading for his dorm. He needed some sleep.

Laine sat on the floor of the common room, cursing herself quietly. She couldn't believe Harry wasn't ripping off her robes, much less that he had walked away from her! She stared into the flames in the fireplace, flames that were growing dimmer by the second. She watched the fire die down, until it was nothing but a few glowing embers in the hearth. Laine stood up and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She needed to make a note of today in her diary.

Dear Diary,

I never thought that Harry Potter would be so hard to win over. He's got a weakness; I know that. Obviously Ginny isn't satisfying his needs, because the second laid a hand on his chest, he's knees went all wobbly and he couldn't say no. But he won't give up on that ridiculous guilt he's obviously feeling now! It's so frustrating! I think I'll have to hit a little harder next time... That Draco Malfoy does seem rather interesting. I wonder how Harry would like losing me to his enemy...I guess we'll find out soon enough. Harry doesn't know who he's messing with!

Laine

Harry tossed and turned all night, trying to get the images of the day out of his mind. In the bed next to his, he heard the light snores of Ron, his best friend and Ginny's brother. With a gut-wrenching shock, he realized that by breakfast the next morning, the whole of Gryffindor would know what he had done.

"I'll be a dead man by noon," he thought to himself. Surely Ron would stand up to Harry in his sister's defense. He remembered last year's Yule Ball, when he had promised Ron that he would never hurt Ginny. Now he'd done just that, and he would have to face the consequences.

Ginny turned and ran as soon as she saw that horrible sight in the common room. Tears pouring down her face, she tried to wipe the images from her mind, but somehow this made things worse. As she reached the door to her bedroom, she willed herself to calm down a little, so she wouldn't wake any of the other girls. As she pushed the door open, she heard Harry's voice drift up from downstairs.

"- If you don't leave me and Ginny be..." Ginny snorted. It was too late for that!

Ginny crept over to her bedside table and pulled out a small flask and a flashlight. She studied the label on the little bottle, her face set. She looked grim and determined. Yes, this was the right thing to do...she knew it. With the knowledge of what was to come for her, Harry, and especially for Laine, she fell into a troubled sleep.