For Your Love

Chapter 14 - Awakenings

"Colin..." Ginny sighed exasperatedly, "take that thing off your head."

"Why, don't you think it makes me look dashing?" he asked, gesturing grandly to the top hat he had just managed to conjure in Transfiguration. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Handsome?" he continued, walking backwards in front of her down the corridor. She pressed her lips into a smirk.

"Cheeky?" he asked, falling into step beside her again and reaching around to tickle her ribs.

She laughed and swatted his hand away. "Oh, you're cheeky all right."

They climbed the stairs to the third floor, pinching and poking each other along the way, drawing curious stares and smiles from the students around them, when Ginny grabbed Colin's arm and pulled him through a nearby door into the Trophy Room. The glass cases shimmered in the late afternoon sun, but Colin was focused not on the golden cups or highly polished awards, but on the gleam in Ginny's eye.

"Stop it," Colin laughed. "Someone will see us."

"Who cares if they do?" Ginny smiled, pulling him down by the collar of his robes into a long kiss.

A breeze blew through an open window and slammed the door shut, closing them off from the bustle of people in the corridors. But they hardly noticed, lost as they were in each other.

"Are you always this impulsive?" Colin asked several minutes later, his top hat lying forgotten on the floor.

"Usually," she breathed. "Is that bad?"

"No," he smiled, brushing his fingers through her hair. "It's what I love most about you. You aren't afraid of anything."

Ginny's heart caught in her throat at the look on his face. "Aren't I?" she whispered.

He shook his head and lowered his lips to hers once more, kissing her more slowly now.

"I do, you know," he murmured.

She smiled against his lips. "Do what?"

He kissed her again before pulling back to look into her eyes. "Love you."

It was a moment before she remembered to breathe. She shook her head, not sure what to say. "Oh, Colin..."

"I do, Gin, I've loved you for ages. Maybe you think it's too soon to be saying this, but I can't hold it in any more. I need you to know."

And suddenly, she was afraid. Very afraid.

Love? He doesn't love you. He doesn't even know you, doesn't know what you're capable of. Doesn't he know that you are mine?

Ginny was blindsided by feelings of anger and jealousy being hurled at her.

No, she thought, he can't be here. He wouldn't dare.

"Harry?" she breathed, looking around.

"What?" asked Colin, startled by the way Ginny was now looking frantically around the empty room.

"Harry, stop it! Stop it! You have to leave us alone, I told you. Don't do this!"

Colin, who was beginning to panic himself, grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Ginny!" he demanded. "There's no one here. Harry's not here. It's just you and me."

"No," she shook her head. "I know he's here, I can feel him." She drew out her wand and held it in front of her with a shaking hand. "Accio cloak!"

The door flew open and in floated Peeves, cackling in delight as he always did when he found a couple snogging in secret.

"Naughty, naughty, you got caughty!" he chimed, but Ginny was already out of the room, flying up the stairs to the seventh floor.

"Peeves!" Colin yelled in a most uncharacteristic voice, "Leave it!"

He dashed out after her, his mind racing in a million directions. He was hurt and angry, but mostly afraid of what he had just witnessed. Something was terribly wrong.

Ginny hurtled down the seventh floor corridor toward the portrait of the Fat Lady.

That's it, Harry, her mind screamed. No more. You can't do this to me; I won't let you.

But she was brought to a full stop by the sight of Harry and Ron, chatting amiably, walking toward her from the other direction.

"Hey, Gin, what's up?" Ron asked, stopping when they reached the place where she was standing. But Ginny only had eyes for Harry.

"You. How dare you..." she began before it dawned on her exactly what she was looking at. "Why are you carrying broomsticks? Why are you dressed in Quidditch gear?" she demanded.

Harry's eyes went wide. "We were outside practicing," he said.

"Practicing?" Her brows knit together in confusion, and she turned to Ron for confirmation.

"Yeah," he nodded, "extra Keeper practice. You knew about that. Gin, what's wrong?"

She turned back to Harry, her mind spinning. "You were outside? You weren't just... in the Trophy Room?"

Harry shook his head, becoming increasingly concerned at Ginny's behavior.

She looked between them once more and covered her mouth, her own eyes growing wide.

"Ginny!" Colin had reached the top of the stairs and came running toward them.

"Oh no, no..." Ginny turned and fled in the opposite direction, disappearing around a corner. Ron put out an arm to stop Colin from following her.

"Someone had better tell me what's going on with my sister," he growled, blocking Colin's path.

"Ron, something's wrong. We were in the Trophy Room and all of a sudden she starts going on about Harry and she was frantic. She ran out of the room and I followed her up here. Please let me go after her."

He tried to push past, but Ron refused to budge. "What were you doing in the Trophy Room?"

Colin's face reddened. "We were... um..."

"Well?" Ron pushed.

"We were... snogging."

"That better have been all you were doing." Ron made to grab Colin's shirt, but Harry stepped in quickly.

"Ron, go and find Ginny. Go!"

Ron let out a sigh of frustration and pointed at Colin. "You. Stay here."

When Ron had disappeared around the corner, Harry took over where he'd left off.

"What did you do to her?" he asked angrily.

Colin's eyes narrowed. "Nothing. But I think it's interesting that every time we start to get close she goes haring off after you. So maybe I should be asking what you did to her?"

Harry stared in stunned silence. "Me? I've never done anything to her except be her friend."

"Exactly."

Harry was beginning to feel very irritated. Was Colin Creevey actually fighting with him over Ginny? Was he actually questioning Harry's intentions toward her? Where was the little boy who worshipped the ground Harry walked on, and who was this annoying bloke now glaring at him eye to eye?

"You don't know anything about my relationship with Ginny," he said coldly.

"Grow up, Harry. If you're not going to give her what she wants, then let her go. She's not a starstruck child anymore. And neither am I."

Colin pushed past him and through the portrait hole, leaving Harry utterly baffled.

A few corridors away, Ron had finally found his sister, crouched in the corner of an empty classroom, staring blankly into space. She looked up, startled, as he rushed to her side.

"What the hell was that all about? Are you okay? Did Colin do something to you?"

She shook her head, fixing her eyes on her brother's face. "What's happening to me? One minute I'm kissing my boyfriend and the next I'm like a raving lunatic. Ron, I'm scared." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I feel like he's back. But he can't be, can he? Harry killed him, he's gone."

Ron had both hands on her shoulders now, trying to steady her, willing her to make sense. "Colin said you were upset about Harry. Harry hasn't killed anyone, Gin. It's okay, you're okay."

"Ron, don't let Harry find me. Please. You can't tell him about this. He only makes it worse and I need to think. I need to breathe. Promise you won't tell him."

"Tell him what?"

"Ron..." she said firmly.

"Okay, I promise."

She drew up her knees and buried her head in them, taking deep, calming breaths.

They heard footsteps in the corridor and Harry stuck his head into the room, exhaling in relief and hurrying to the corner, dropping on his knees in front of Ginny. He reached out to touch her, but she shrank from him.

He looked to Ron. "What happened?"

Ron shrugged helplessly in reply.

"Ron, please..." came Ginny's muffled voice, her arms covering her buried head.

"Harry, you need to go."

"But I didn't do anything, I swear."

"I know, but you need to go, mate. She'll be alright. I'll stay with her." Ron gave Harry a meaningful look and gestured to the door.

Harry looked once more at Ginny, but she had shut him out completely and wouldn't even look at him. He stood and walked slowly out of the room, looking back to see Ron rubbing her arm in a comforting gesture before he slipped out into the corridor.

* * *

Later that evening, Hermione rushed into the common room to find Harry sitting alone on the sofa, staring into the fire. She dropped her books onto the floor and sat beside him.

"There you are! Have you seen Ron? Why weren't you at dinner?"

Harry tore himself away from his thoughts and looked at her. "Hi."

"Hi? That's it? Ron was supposed to meet me in the library an hour ago! Is he down in the kitchen nicking food? Because if he is I'm going to..."

"Hermione," Harry croaked, his voice gravelly from sitting silent so long. "Ron's not here. He's with Ginny. He may have taken her to the hospital wing, I don't know."

Hermione stared at him blankly. "Ginny? What happened, is she hurt?"

"No," he said quietly.

Hermione took in his demeanor for the first time, his sagging shoulders, his worried eyes, and her voice softened. She touched his arm. "Harry, are you okay? What happened?"

"I... I don't really know." Harry relayed what had happened the best he could. "It was like she didn't want anything to do with me. She wouldn't let me near her."

"Did you want to be near her?" Hermione asked gently.

"I wanted to help her. I care about her; I wanted to make sure she was okay. But why would Colin say that I should give her what she wants or let her go? What's that supposed to mean? The prat."

"Harry," she said, resting her hand on his thigh, "I know you think you've worked out this whole 'just friends' thing with Ginny, but you have to try to see things from her point of view."

"What do you mean?"

"I think she's feeling very conflicted right now. You and she became really close over the summer. I noticed it when I was at the Burrow, and even Ron told me how well you two were getting on. It started dredging up all those old feelings she used to have for you, but you didn't feel the same way, did you?"

"How did you know about that?"

Hermione shrugged. "A little from Ginny, a little from Ron. He may be slower than the rest of us, but he notices things in his own way. Especially where she is concerned. But we agreed that we would stay out of it. We didn't want to push either of you.

"And then along comes Colin. He's a good friend to her, he likes her, he wants to be with her. And she thinks maybe she can be happy with him. But because of this friendship the two of you have, you're always there, aren't you? You're always in the background, always part of the equation. You're not giving her what she wants, but you can't let her go."

"Do I have to choose one or the other?"

"Harry, what is it that's keeping you from choosing? I don't believe you when you say you don't have real feelings for her. I see the way you look for her when you walk into the common room, or the Great Hall. I see the way your shoulders relax when you finally spot her."

"I do?"

Hermione chuckled. "Yes, you do. So, what is it?"

Harry sighed. "She's Ron's sister; she's like family to me. And whatever I might feel for her, and I'm not saying what those feelings are, it's just not fair to ask her to be with me that way. You know me, Hermione, you know what I'm facing, where my life is heading. I can't put that burden on her."

"But you already have. All of us have taken it willingly. It's part of loving you and being your friend."

"No, that's not what I mean. I know that she'll always be with me, supporting me. I can't change that. But you and Ron have been with me from the beginning. You know what's at stake, you've seen it. She deserves better, someone who can really be with her and make her feel safe and loved. And right now, I'm not it. She's better off with Colin."

"Harry, that's daft. She knows what you're facing and she wants all of you, the good and the bad. But if you really believe that she's better off without you, then you have to let her go. Because what you're doing with her now, it's tearing her up inside. I don't know what this thing with Colin tonight was all about, but I wouldn't be surprised if the stress of it all is starting to cave in on her."

Harry looked at her in silent contemplation. "Why do you have to be so smart all the time?"

She smiled and shrugged. "It's what I do."

The portrait hole opened and Ron stepped through, alone and looking tired.

"Hi," he said, falling into the seat beside Hermione and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Did Harry tell you?"

She nodded. "How is she?"

"I finally convinced her to go to Madam Pomfrey for a Calming Draught. She's up there now, Pomfrey wants her to sleep for a few hours. But she'll be alright."

"Did you ever find out what set her off?" Harry asked. "Was it something to do with me?"

Ron shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to betray Ginny's trust. "I think, maybe, yeah, you were part of it. But it was more than just you. Pomfrey thinks it's just stress, says she sees it all the time in sixth years who are starting their NEWT courses, extra work, you know."

Harry didn't believe for a moment that schoolwork was the cause of Ginny's outburst, but kept silent.

Ron rubbed his eyes. "I've got to go find Colin. Ginny asked me to tell him where she is."

He started to rise, but Hermione caught his arm. "And then you'll come back down?"

"No, I think I'll just go to bed. I'm knackered."

"But we were supposed to revise for our History of Magic exam. I waited for you in the library; I've made up revision sheets and everything."

Ron groaned. "I forgot. I'll just have to do it tomorrow morning." He shrugged. "It's not like I would have passed it anyway."

"You would if you'd go over these notes with me," Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, drop it," he said tersely. "It's not important." He turned away and disappeared up the boys' staircase.

"Yes it is," she whispered, looking defeated as she shuffled through the parchments on her lap.

Harry knew it was his turn to be sympathetic. He took the papers from her. "Here, I'll revise with you."

Hermione gave a dry laugh. "You're not even in the class."

"I know, but I could still quiz you."

"No thanks, it's not me who needs the help."

His heart went out to her. For all her faults, she did put up with an awful lot from him and Ron. He reached over and gently tugged a stray curl of her hair.

"Thanks for talking," he said.

She gave him a small smile. "You're welcome."

* * *

Colin rested his head on his hand at Ginny's bedside, waiting for her to wake up. Madam Pomfrey assured him it wouldn't be long. Her eyelids fluttered and she opened them slowly, blinking in the dim light as Colin's face grew clearer.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Colin moved his chair closer and rested his arms on the edge of the bed, fingering the sheet nervously.

"Feel better?"

She nodded, but her words caught in her throat. "Colin, I'm so sorry. I'm the worst girlfriend in the world."

"Shh. No you're not. It was too soon. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it wasn't that. I loved hearing you say that. Please don't think that's what this is about."

"Well then?"

She held his eyes, but Colin saw that she was holding back. She bit her lip.

"Ginny, you need to talk to me. I'm here and I want to help you. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I don't think I can."

"It's okay, just try." He took her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"No, I mean I can't. I can't explain it so that you would understand."

How could she possibly explain to him that Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort, the one who had forced her to do those terrible things to her friends, to Colin, to the entire school was back? Back in her mind, back in her thoughts, threatening to take control of her again, threatening her very sanity? And that possibly, it was because of Colin and his feelings for her that this was even happening?

Because it had begun to dawn on Ginny, in the hours since she had run from Colin, that there was only one thing that had changed since that summer after her first year, when she had last felt Tom's presence. She had loved Harry almost from the moment she saw him, had denied love, had embraced love, had hoped for love. But now, for the first time in her life, someone actually loved her.

When Harry had told her about the prophecy, he said that love was Voldemort's greatest weakness. It was the power that Harry had that Voldemort knew not. Love. Whatever this vestige of Tom's soul was that still lived inside her had been reawakened not by a desire to control her, but by love, the thing he found most abhorrent in the world. The thing that threatened his very existence.

Colin let out a frustrated sigh and withdrew his hand.

"But," Ginny interjected, sitting up, "I'm not going to let this come between us anymore. I can handle it."

He looked at her skeptically. "You can handle it? Seems more like it's been handling you. I hate feeling like every time I try to get close to you, you fly off in all these different directions. If you don't want to be with me, just tell me."

"Colin Creevey, listen to me." She leaned forward and took his hands in hers. Ginny didn't know if she could ever love him the way he loved her, but she was damned if she would give him up just because the ghost of Tom Riddle wanted her to.

"I want to be with you," she said deliberately. "You can't get rid of me that easily. Now kiss me and let's go home."

A laugh of relief escaped him. He reached out and brought her forehead to his, gazing into her eyes for a long moment before saying, "Okay," and bringing his lips to meet hers.

* * *

It had been four days since Harry's encounter with Ellie in the forest, and in that time he had been doing some hard thinking. What she had asked, it just seemed wrong somehow. And yet... so harmless. Who would say no to the offer of a beautiful girl with no strings attached, to an escape from reality which, if he was honest, couldn't have come at a better time? Still, it felt like a betrayal. Of what, exactly, he wasn't sure.

It wasn't until the episode with Ginny - and Hermione's admonition that he should let go of her - that he made up his mind.

He gathered his things slowly after double potions on Wednesday morning, hoping that Ellie would take his cue and do the same, and motioned for Hermione to go ahead without him. When the room was all but cleared, he whispered, "Can I talk to you?"

Ellie nodded and they hurried out before Snape could take points from them for dawdling, turning right outside the classroom rather than left toward the stairs with the other students. Dungeon Three was empty and a safe distance away from Snape's office. They ducked inside and closed the door.

"I've been thinking about what you said the other day in the forest," Harry began with no pretense.

Ellie's eyebrows shot up. "And?"

"And... okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes."

Ellie's look was one of unbelieving surprise, and she was rendered speechless for a moment. "Okay," she finally said.

"So, how does this work then?" Harry asked, setting his bag on the floor and clearing his throat nervously. It all felt very clandestine now that he had agreed to it out loud.

"Well," she grinned, leaning slightly closer, "I was thinking you could put your lips right here," she teased, fingering her bottom lip, "and then I could..."

Harry flushed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know that," he grinned, shaking his head. "I meant, you said you didn't want a relationship. So what does that mean exactly?"

"It means that I'm not your girlfriend and you're not my boyfriend. That we're here for the sole purpose of shutting out all that life is dishing us and just being selfish for once."

"So I don't have to walk you to classes, or wait for you in the Great Hall, or send you little poems by owl?"

She chuckled. "No. And I'm not going to nag you or insist that you carry my bag or uphold my honor in front of other boys."

Harry frowned in thought. "And how long are we going to do this for?"

Ellie shrugged, amused by the seriousness in his face. "I don't know. It's kind of a moment by moment thing."

"So basically, we're just going to snog each other senseless until something better comes along?"

Ellie wrinkled her nose, "Well, when you put it like that..." she said. "Although it might be nice if we could treat each other as a sort of punching bag as well."

"Sorry?"

"Metaphorically, of course. Like if I feel I just really need to let off some steam, but I can't confide in any of my friends, I could vent to you instead. And vice versa."

Harry hadn't considered this, but there were plenty of times he'd wished he had some way to blow off steam without worrying that his friends might think he was falling apart again.

"That might come in useful, actually," he agreed. "So, are we telling other people about this little... arrangement?"

"Well, I can't tell you what to do..."

"Not being my girlfriend and all..." he filled in.

She inclined her head in acknowledgement. "But I think for me, I'd rather we just kept this between us. It sort of ruins the whole 'shutting out the world' thing if everyone knows, don't you think?"

"Sounds good to me."

Ellie cocked her head to the side and folded her arms. "So, did I pass?"

"What?"

"This little interview you've been conducting here. Did I pass?"

Her candidness caught him off-guard, and he smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry. That was a bit overbearing, wasn't it. I just wasn't sure. It's not exactly like I've ever done this before."

She shook her head and smiled. "It's alright."

But then a serious look came over her face. "Harry, I just want you to know that I've never done this before either." When he gave her a questioning look, she continued. "I wouldn't want you to think that I make it a habit of casually snogging any boy who comes along." She seemed suddenly unsure of herself, and Harry felt oddly protective toward her.

"I didn't think that," he reassured her. He reached out and grasped her arm, pulling her closer. His voice went quiet. "Shall we start now then?"

She smiled. "Oh, please, after you," she murmured.

He bent his head to hers, pausing just at her lips. She breathed out in anticipation and her scent washed over him, shutting out everything else, just as she had promised it would. He pressed his mouth gently to hers, much like the kiss they had shared in the forest. But he soon felt her hands wrapping around his waist, pressing into his back, and it sent shivers up his spine. She'd already had a boyfriend, he realized, it only made sense that she would be better at this than he was. He was unsure of what to do with his hands, so he kept them on her upper arms, squeezing lightly. But he needn't have worried, because when they finally broke apart, they looked at each other for a heartbeat before she broke into a smile.

"Yeah," she whispered. "This is good."

* * *

October slipped into November, the Halloween Feast ushering in shorter days and colder nights. Darkness shrouded the castle, causing an unsettling heaviness in some while providing discreet cover for others.

Harry reveled in the newfound warmth he had discovered with Ellie. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced. It was like being on holiday... at least for the few precious moments they were able to snatch every now and again.

Harry put the Marauder's Map and his knowledge of Hogwarts' secrets to good use, finding an endless supply of places in which to hide themselves away. Often their kisses were enough to make words unnecessary, and unspoken boundaries were laid down as they were needed. But sometimes they sat side by side and joked or made up fanciful stories, rendering themselves speechless with silent laughter. And occasionally they sought comfort, venting and shouting until there was nothing left but to hold each other and whisper soothing words. Afterwards, they went their separate ways, each going on with life until one needed the other again.

It was on such an evening after one of their encounters that Harry sat at a table in the library, a smile unknowingly creeping onto his face as he finished his homework.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice asked.

He looked up into the face of Ginny, who was regarding him with a peculiar expression as he closed his book. "Hey, Gin. I'm just finished actually."

"Oh," she said, somewhat disappointed. "I haven't seen you in a while. Just... wanted to say hi, I guess."

Harry felt a pang, but quickly pushed it down. "How've you been?" he asked, gathering his things.

"Good. You?"

"Good."

Ginny watched him, opening and closing her mouth a few times before blurting out, "Harry, did I do something..."

"I really have to go, Gin. Meeting with Dumbledore. I'll see you later, okay?"

She closed her mouth and forced a smile, nodding her head. He touched her arm briefly before slinging his bag over his shoulder and disappearing around the corner, leaving her with a slight frown as she sat down at the empty table and opened her books.

Harry pushed through the library's oak doors and into the corridor. But once out, he stopped and looked half over his shoulder, chastising his feet for wanting to turn around. He shook his head, clenched his jaw, and headed toward Dumbledore's office.

* * *

Ginny's breath misted in the cold air as she emerged onto the Quidditch pitch. It was mid-November, and the grass crunched with frost under their feet as the team walked onto the field behind Harry for their second match against Slytherin.

She matched his determined stride, running through the new plays in her head that she, Sean and Sophie had been drilling tirelessly while Harry had yelled at them, pushed them, encouraged them. She thought about the way he would pat her on the back after practice and say "Good job today," and then turn away before she could even say thanks.

She stopped behind him when they reached the center of the pitch and thought about the relief that she sometimes felt when he wasn't around to occupy her attention, and the anger and sadness she felt when he was around, but failed to pay her any attention at all.

But there was no time for that right now. This was Quidditch.

Forty minutes into the match, Ginny's fingers were frozen. Gryffindor had managed to hold Slytherin to a more respectable pace, though the green and silver were still up by twenty points. If she hadn't been so focused on not letting the Quaffle slip out of her numb fingers, she might have seen them. Might have seen Malfoy and Harry in a desperate struggle for the Snitch directly above her. Might have seen Malfoy feint to the left, cutting in front of Harry unexpectedly and knocking him off balance for only a fraction of a second, but long enough for Harry not to right himself before he crashed headlong into the Ravenclaw stands, rendering himself unconscious as he slid down the blue banner into a heap on the cold ground.

The Slytherin stands erupted into raucous applause as Draco held the Snitch triumphant, turning to rub his long awaited victory in his rival's face, before he noticed that Harry was not behind him, but on the ground, a swarm of red and gold already surrounding him.

"Bloody hell, Potter, can't you lose gracefully even just once?" he growled under his breath, tightening his grip on the Snitch and heading for the ground.

Madam Pomfrey had already conjured a stretcher to carry Harry to the hospital wing before Malfoy could get close enough to see him. Madam Hooch, ready for the fight that inevitably followed every Gryffindor-Slytherin match, stood in front of Draco and handed out her judgment.

"It was a fair move! I've seen Potter do the same feint a hundred times," she called, holding up her hand to the advancing Gryffindor team. "Slytherin has won this match fair and square. For once," she added under her breath, looking over her shoulder at Malfoy with a look that clearly suggested that, winner or no, he would be wise to clear the field.

* * *

"Everyone, everyone!" Madam Pomfrey called, pushing through the team to reach Harry's bedside. "This is a hospital room, not a circus! Although sometimes I wonder. Miss Granger, you are the Head Girl, could you please..."

"What?" Hermione looked up from Harry's bloodstained face, her face strained with worry. "Oh yes. Yes. Listen all of you," she said, mustering a commanding voice. "Clear off. Madam Pomfrey will have him fixed up in a trice, but you need to give her some room."

She moved around the bed, pushing the boys back. She had spent enough time at Harry's bedside in this hospital wing to know how things worked, and Madam Pomfrey would not stand for any nonsense.

Ginny stood at the back, comforting Sophie, who had begun to go into hysterics.

"Soph, it's alright. This happens all the time with Harry. Madam Pomfrey will fix him right up."

"B-but, he's so... look at him! You didn't see him, Ginny. I was right behind him when he hit that pillar. I heard it. It was so awful."

Ginny faltered, but she would not allow herself to crumble in front of the team. She looked at the bed, Madam Pomfrey waving her wand over him furiously, Hermione ordering everyone about. But she knew he would be just fine. He always was. He would be fine.

"Sean," Ginny spoke in a shaky voice. "Could you take Sophie? Get her downstairs for some dinner?"

"Of course." Sean took Sophie's shoulders, but paused next to Ginny for a moment. "He'll be fine, Gin, don't worry."

"I know," she nodded numbly. "I know he will."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! A note for any Quidditch purists out there: It was pointed out to me recently that in canon, it appears that each Quidditch team only plays the other houses once in any given year. I realize that I've now had two Gryffindor-Slytherin matches, but it is merely a plot device and not intended to flout the rules of canon. I hope you won't hold it against me : )

See you next week!