Golden Egged (and Won)

Golden Egged and won by the one

The Gryffindor Common room was nearly empty of students; the fire in the grate enchanted to last until the last student was in bed. There were only four people left in the room, all of them quiet and thoughtful, among them Ginny. She sat cross-legged on one of the comfortable sofas near the back of the room, and held her book. She knew it was late- and that it would do her more good to simply go to sleep, but she ignored the need. Greater, she thought, was the importance of talking to Harry. This time she would not shy away, and ask him how he felt about her. But it seemed impossible for her to do, even now.

He sat there quietly, playing chess with her brother Ron. How perfect he looked, her Harry. Not for the first time, Ginny wondered what it would feel like to be his friend instead of his friend's little, unimportant sister. How lucky Ron had been to personally know him!

Ginny wondered what it would be like to share her thoughts with someone that cared and understood, loved and listened. She thought abruptly of Tom Riddle's diary, and shuddered. A pity he had turned out to be the Dark Lord. Tom had been her first real friend. One of the reasons she had liked him was that he looked very much like Harry. She had felt guilty about it, but now Tom was gone.

Harry had saved her, it was true, but he had also disposed of the first real friend she'd ever known and left his uncaring self instead. She would have rather happily died with Tom that way if she had known that Harry still didn't like her. Tom was the only one who had ever cared, and although it was a well-hidden mask of caring, it was better than ignorance. And ignorance was the only thing she had ever received from Harry Potter. She liked him, but he didn't. It wasn't fair.

She looked up at him again, unable to help herself. Although he was drastically losing at his game, he still looked perfect to her. Nervously, she went back to her book about dragons that Charlie had given her for her birthday.

It was best to ignore him, she decided. She tried to interpret the words on the page, but realized that it was more difficult than she'd thought. Instead of reading, she was distractedly concentrating on hearing the faintest noises of Harry. All was silent but the crackling of the fire and Ron's triumphant laugh as he easily found a move closer and closer to winning again.

It was no use; her eyes wandered back to the warm profile of his face, dim in the firelight, a contented smile playing on his features. Suddenly he turned to face her, beaming at her although he'd just lost at his game. Ginny felt herself redden, and she lowered her gaze. After a while, her eyelids refused to stay open because of the lateness of the night, and she fell asleep, slumping to the floor.

* * *

Harry didn't know exactly what made him do it. After Ron had gone upstairs with his chessboard and Harry prepared to go to sleep after he'd taken up his things, he noticed Ginny lying sprawled on the floor. She just looked so poor and uncomfortable and exhausted, he decided to carry her up to her bed so she would be able to sleep properly.

He gently bent down and picked her off the ground, her head swaying on her shoulders, and cautiously stood up with her in his arms so that she would not wake.

What he hadn't realized was that she was already awake in his arms, smiling to herself.

Harry had finally won his prize, and he didn't even know it.