Fragile Part II

-- Fragile --

Winter, Snow and Ice

Ginny leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes with a resigned sigh. She really didn't want to go back to the common room to face a bunch of students that thought her an arrogant little bitch right now. The corridors were deserted at this time of the day anyway--or night, more like. It was already gone eleven o'clock, and she really shouldn't be wandering around the castle anymore. If a teacher caught her out of bed now, she could count on at least one detention. Or more, if it was Snape.

But she was exhausted, her back was sore from sitting in the library all afternoon, the wall was nice and cool, and, most of all, it was calm there, in the lonely corridor. If she went back to Gryffindor tower, of course all students would fall silent as soon as she entered the room. But it would be a tense silence, and as soon as she would have closed the door of her dormitory behind herself, they would all start talking again, about her, in her back. Except for Ron, Hermione and Harry. And Colin. But even Ron wasn't very happy with her these days. Breaking up with Dean Thomas had made sense at the time, a week ago, but never had she imagined the amount of rumours, spreading like wildfire, that followed her action. Nobody understood. What is the point in going out with Dean Thomas if I feel nothing for him? What is the point in it? And anyway, she thought angrily, if Ron hadn't set us up in the beginning, none of this would have happened!

"Well, well, Miss Weasley. Why are you not in bed where you belong?" a voice startled her and Ginny's eyes snapped open. She relaxed again quickly though, realizing that it was not a teacher, but Harry Potter who was facing her. His emerald green eyes were twinkling in a rather bemused way behind his glasses that reminded her of Professor Dumbledore, and he managed to make her smile for the first time the whole day.

"Mr Potter," Ginny said, matter-of-factly, as if she didn't know him at all--a little game they liked to play. "Still wandering around the corridors at this time?" She checked her watch and let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Now, if I were a prefect, I would be taking points off your house straight away..."

"Is that so, Miss Weasley?" Harry asked back, a smile playing around his lips. He put his hand on the wall near her head and leaned forward, making her shiver in delight. "I'd better be off to my dormitory then. But what are you doing here at this time of the day?"

"Me, Mr Potter?" Ginny answered. "Nothing really. Just--just not quite feeling up to face the people in the common room, that's all," she replied rather lamely and turned her gaze to the stone floor.

Harry looked at her in a concerned way for a few seconds. "The rumours about Dean are getting to you, aren't they?" he asked. "But it's late, Gin. Most people are already in bed."

"Most. But not all," Ginny said wearily, "not all are in bed."

"Probably not," Harry replied and took her hand, pulling her down the corridor with him, "but you're not staying here on your own. You've taught me that lesson well enough."

"Perhaps I should have left you on your own this summer. Then I'd have me peace now," Ginny said, catching up with Harry instead of being pulled onwards behind him. "But I know I was right in doing what I did then."

"You were. And that means that I'm right in not leaving you alone now. You know what, Ginny? There's one thing you have to learn. You and your brother, as a fact. It must run in the family."

"And what would that be?"

"You need to ignore those who are not worth it," Harry replied seriously. "I didn't use to be able to do it, but I think I've got the hang of it now."

"I am ignoring them!"

"Not really, Ginny. You tell yourself that you don't need to listen to them and that they are not worth it. But you don't put it into practice properly. It's still getting to you, I can see by the way you stay out of large crowds, by the way you keep to yourself."

"Fine," Ginny mumbled, "so it is getting to me--and why should it not? I really don't understand why so many rumours spread just because I broke up with Dean."

"Well, if you really want to know, I can explain," Harry said. "It's easy, actually. Have you any idea how many people were jealous of you going out with Dean?"

"Oh, come on, Harry. Don't tell me this school is that pathetic. I wasn't going out with you after all, but with Dean Thomas," Ginny smirked. Not that she would have minded going out with Harry. Not that Harry was the actual reason she broke up with every single boy.

"Yeah, but Dean Thomas hasn't got the reputation of being a mad, attention-seeking dark wizard," Harry laughed. "He's just normal and girls consider him good-looking, right? Well, I don't know if he is, I'm not a girl. But then he's two things that I am not."

"Stop talking nonsense, Harry. If I went out with you, I'd be getting a Howler a day."

"I just wanted to say that a lot of people were jealous of you."

"Well, you'd expect them to be happy that I broke up with Dean and he's free again!"

"I don't know, Ginny," Harry shrugged. "I think people are mad at you because you broke his heart. He won't go out with anybody else, you know. Said so himself yesterday evening in our dormitory."

"Oh, so the point is that I've ruined him for the rest of the female population," Ginny said thoughtfully. "Ah. That could make sense, if it weren't such utter rubbish. Buttercup Bubbles."

The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Harry and Ginny stepped through into the common room together. Indeed, complete silence filled Gryffindor tower, but it wasn't because all students had fallen quiet when they had entered; there simply was nobody around. It was late and most of the students had already disappeared to bed.

"There you are!" Hermione's voice called from a table near the window. "I've been wondering were you have been, both of you."

"Hermione," Harry said exasperatedly, "we weren't about to be eaten up by Fluffy, you know. There's no need to worry. Hogwarts is pretty safe now."

Hermione ignored him, finished the last sentence of her Ancient Runes translation, rolled up the parchment and started putting her things away, before continuing her rant. "It's half past eleven and you both should have been in the common room at ten at the latest. Your Occlumency lessons with Dumbledore finish at half past nine, Harry. And I haven't seen you all day, Ginny."

"Sorry," Ginny mumbled, falling into a seat by the fireplace. "I just wanted some peace."

"She would still be gone if I hadn't found her by chance," Harry explained. "Where's Ron?"

"Ron," Hermione said somewhat angrily, "is not here. He went to bed."

"Err... and what's the problem with that?" Harry asked, exchanging confused glances with Ginny.

"The problem is, Harry, that Ron is being influenced by stupid rumours once again, the way it has happened a fair few times before!" Hermione exclaimed, slamming her books shut. "It's disgusting. Both things, I mean. Ron's behaviour and the rumours. The newest one I've heard is that Ginny is a lesbian."

Ginny laughed. "That's pathetic. But we all know that people here will believe anything. Look at all the stuff that was written in the Daily Prophet about you or Harry," she said, checking her watch. "I'm tried as hell. Thank god it's Saturday tomorrow; I'm going to bed now. Oh, and tell Ron to get himself a life if you see him," Ginny added as she got up from her seat, stretching and grinning. "Don't fret about him, Hermione. He'll come back down. Night."

"Night, Ginny," Hermione said. "I'll be up soon."

"Night, Ginny. And don't listen to what people say," Harry said, hugging her. "They are really not worth it."

"I won't," Ginny nodded and went up the staircase to her dormitory, smiling and wondering at the same time if Harry knew why she had really ended the relationship between herself and Dean Thomas.

The reason she had broken up with Dean was because she found herself having more fun even being 'just' friends with Harry then with him, her boyfriend. She sensed that Dean would soon start asking awkward questions or picking fights with Harry because he was jealous. She hadn't told Dean those things, though. They had just sat together in peace (contrary to what rumours said) and she had explained that it wasn't working out between them, because she wasn't really in love with him and because setting people up, the way Ron had done with the two of them, never was a very good idea. Dean hadn't been happy about it, of course not, but he had understood all the same and thanked her for telling him now before they both got in too deep. Ginny wasn't very concerned about what Harry had said about Dean, telling them that he didn't want to go out with anybody. It was just... normal. She had just broken up with him. He wanted to have his peace or a while. It was perfectly normal.

Ginny yawned and pulled her covers over her head. And Ron? He would calm down again soon. He was disappointed because Dean was the first boyfriend Ginny had had that he was actually okay with. Well, he had set them up after all.

And what would Ron say about Harry? Ginny wondered, grinning into her sheets. Perhaps he wouldn't mind him either. Well, if he did, she surely couldn't care less. But the fact remained that Harry considered her as friend. And as a friend only.

~

"Ginny! You have to get up, it's gone half past ten!" Hermione called, shaking her.

Ginny opened one eye sleepily and groaned. "Go 'way, Mione," she mumbled, turning away from her friend, "I'm tired."

"Fine," Hermione said. "I just thought you ought to know it was quite late."

"Mmmm..."

"Listen, I probably won't see you again until this evening. Ron and I are helping Professor Flitwick decorate the Christmas trees, just so you know."

"Mmmm," Ginny mumbled again, "Jolly good. Have fun."

"See you later, Ginny. And don't say it was my fault if you sleep through the whole day and don't get anything done," Hermione said and closed the door behind her.

Since there only were three sixth year girls (Hermione, Parvati and Lavender) and merely two fifth year girls (Ginny and Amilia O'Hara), they shared a dorm, which wasn't bad. Amilia was a cousin of Lavender's and Ginny didn't have that much to do with her, although she was nice enough. She had just become better friends with Hermione over the years since she hung out with Ron a lot.

Half an hour later, still nearly asleep, Ginny got up sleepily. It was too late for breakfast at gone eleven; lunch would be served at twelve o'clock. Ginny decided to go and have a nice long bath in the prefects' bathroom (she had managed to get Ron to tell her the password last week, since Hermione never would) before heading to lunch.

After a extensive, relaxing bath, Ginny made her way to the Great Hall. It was just before twelve o'clock and she was now definitely getting hungry. She sat down next to Colin Creevey, but hardly listened to his rather boring conversation, eating in silence, throwing in a small comment every now and then. Scanning the tables, she noted that many people started whispering when they thought she was not looking and it made her laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Colin asked at once, looking in the same direction as Ginny.

"Oh," Ginny smiled, sobering up, "Nothing. Certain students, you know. They just are a laughing matter, whispering about me, thinking I would not notice. Anyway, I'll be on my way, Colin. See you later."

Ginny got up from her seat at Gryffindor table and left the hall without a further look around. When she arrived in the Entrance Hall however, she stopped dead in her tracks, a confused look on her face. The place was flooded with students lingering about for no apparent reason. Still glancing back over her shoulder, she started climbing the marble staircase, on her way to Gryffindor common room, when she bumped right into somebody.

"Oh, sorry," Ginny mumbled distractedly, turning away from the Entrance Hall to see whom she had run into.

"So we meet again, Miss Weasley," Harry laughed.

"Morning, Harry," Ginny said.

"Morning? It's early afternoon, Ginny," he grinned. "Are you coming?" he then asked, nodding down at the students standing around in the Entrance Hall.

"Hmm?" Ginny asked, confused. "Where to?"

Harry laughed and ruffled her hair. "Hogsmeade weekend, silly. You really seem to be a little preoccupied these days."

"Hogsmeade weekend? I totally forget about that!" Ginny exclaimed, trying to scowl at the same time and patting her hair back down.

"Come on, get your cloak," Harry said. "We can go together."

"Oh...of course," Ginny smiled, her face brightening up immediately, "I'll be right back."

She hurried off up to Gryffindor tower quickly, feeling a slight stinging sensation on her cheeks and realizing that she had obviously blushed. Damn. After knowing Harry for over six years, he still managed to do that to her.

She sighed as she grabbed her cloak from her dormitory, thinking about Harry. Six years! Six bloody years! And still, no sign--because there simply was no interest coming from his side. Well, it wasn't really a surprise. Harry liked girls like Cho Chang.

And the thing was, they liked him back.

Thank god Cho turned out not to be quite his type. Cho, the human hosepipe, as she was called now amongst Hogwarts boys and girls alike; but Michael Corner did not seem to mind her moping all over him. Ginny wasn't really bothered about that issue anymore, though. Cho was history for her. But she couldn't deny that she had always been mad with envy every single time she had seen Cho Chang talking or just looking at Harry. But those days were gone, luckily enough.

Not that it made much of a difference. Harry had girls like Lavender and Parvati in his year. They were the new Cho Changs.

Sure, Ginny knew she would not have too many problems concerning boys if she really wanted a boyfriend. But, so what, if some boys fell for her? They only did because she was, well, a little different. Because she had quite a strong mind of her own. Perhaps because she was funny sometimes. Like a mate, you could have a laugh with her; boys liked that. Cute? No, not really. At least she didn't think so.

Ginny hurried down the corridors and suddenly found herself actually skipping in joy. She was going to Hogsmeade with Harry! Okay, now she was being stupid. He had only asked her to go with him because Ron and Hermione were helping with Flitwick's Christmas decorations. Buttoning her cloak up while jumping down a flight of steps, Ginny remembered that she hadn't checked if she had taken her purse; she reached inside the pocket of her cloak when she saw Harry, standing in the Entrance Hall, nearly on his own. He shook his head at something Lavender asked him, looking somewhat nervous. Ginny laughed silently. Perhaps Lavender had asked him to go to Hogsmeade with her. Ginny slept in the same dormitory as her after all, and she had heard a few interesting conversations, to say the least.

"I'm ready," Ginny said, a little breathless, as she jumped down the last few steps, causing Harry to smile.

"Let's go then," he said and they left the castle, while the caretaker Filch wrote their names down grumpily.

The scenery outside looked as if it had been sprinkled with a thin layer of sugar, shining in the light of the early afternoon while Ginny and Harry made their way down to Hogsmeade, laughing and joking and completely oblivious to anybody else around them.

They spent an enjoyable afternoon, walking around the snow-covered village and going to Honeydukes, Zonko's and the newly opened Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes shop. They had hoped to see one of the twins there, but were deceived; Fred and George spent most of their time working in the shop in Diagon Alley.

"What now?" Harry asked. They had done all the shops in the meantime and were standing at the edge of the village. "Three Broomsticks?"

"The Three Broomsticks will be packed with students," Ginny said carefully, avoiding his gaze. "I don't think I want to go there."

"Sure," Harry said, "I understand. Why don't we walk up to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Okay," Ginny replied, smiling.

"I know what," Harry suggested, pointing to the little hill near the Shrieking Shack, "Race you to the top, Ginny! Three--two--one! Go!"

"Hey!"

And with that, Harry tore away, Ginny running just behind him, but not able to catch him. The snow crunched under their shoes and soaked the hems of their cloaks as they laughed their way up to the little hill, earning reproachful glares from older people and students that thought themselves to be 'mature'. Ginny arrived at the top a little after Harry, cheeks flushed and clutching a stitch on her side.

"Unfair," she spluttered, "Unfair!"

"What's unfair?" Harry asked, laughing, hands on his knees, supporting him because he was doubled up and out of breath as well. "I'm going to have to make you work more in Quidditch practice to get you in shape."

"Hey!" Ginny exclaimed and punched his arm playfully. "I am in shape!"

"'Course you are," Harry grinned.

Ginny didn't reply to his comment but looked out over the hill, a magnificent view of Hogwarts and the lake spreading out in front of her, the snow whirling around them, falling heavier than before. She risked a glance at Harry and was startled to see him already looking at her. Ginny blushed again and smiled, feeling very insecure as Harry suddenly reached up and pushed a strand of her red hair aside slowly. At once, she tensed up, a tingling sensation racing down her spine to the very tip of her fingers and found herself hoping against hope that something was going to happen between her and Harry, because everything was so...so perfect, somehow.

"I'm not very good at this," Harry said nervously.

"At what?"

"Finding the right words."

"Then...then don't say anything," she proposed carefully.

Now, like in her dreams, Harry should slowly be coming closer and closer... Ginny nearly jumped as she felt both Harry's hands on her waist, pulling her nearer to him. If it hadn't been for the snow that was falling on her face, sprinkling her with cold flakes, she would have believed it to be a dream. But it wasn't...his face was approaching, closer and closer...she could nearly touch his nose with her own. And then--he kissed her. His lips touched hers, so softly, so lightly, so...so sweetly. Ginny's hands were pressed against his chest, soon wrapped around his neck as their kiss deepened. She had always known it. This was the way a true kiss should be. Not like any of the ones she had ever shared before that felt like beating some kind of record in holding your breath. A real kiss was different. It was like this. It made her catch her breath although their lips barely touched. It made her nearly whimper as Harry pulled away and kissed her forehead, hugging her even closer to him. Ginny laid her head against Harry's chest as he played with her hair. This was different. So different. And somehow, she had always known it would be.

~

Ginny twirled her wand in her fingers idly, watching the log in the fireplace crumble to ashes, sitting on her own in Gryffindor common room. All around her, other students were talking in low voices and exchanging significant glances when Ginny barely as much as moved. She found she didn't care; she was thinking about yesterday, about the time she had spent in Hogsmeade with Harry and most of all, about the kiss. She hardly noticed the smile playing around her lips, as she laid her wand onto the table in front of her, finally taking out her homework. Potions. The smile vanished. If she had got up earlier yesterday morning, she might have already have done it. Why did Hermione always have to be right?

Sighing, Ginny packed her books into her bag, as well as her quill, ink and a few sheets of parchment, then snatched her wand and stowed it away in a pocket of her robes. She needed to get another textbook for this essay. And for that, she would have to go to the library.

Making her way towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, accompanied by a lot of dark looks, Ginny was about to push it open, when it swung aside and Harry jumped in, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw her.

"Ginny," he said happily and kissed her cheek, causing her to blush furiously. "Nice to see you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Harry," Ginny answered, smiling up at him.

"I haven't seen you all day," Harry said, his bright green eyes searching hers.

"I shouldn't have got up so late yesterday--I didn't get any of my homework done, and so I have to spend my whole Sunday working," Ginny sighed. "And right now, I'm on my way out. I have to go to the library."

"Oh," Harry said and Ginny was glad to hear a note of disappointment in his voice. "Okay, then. I'll see you around."

Ginny nodded with a soft smile. "See you later, Harry."

She left the common room with decidedly higher spirits than she had thought she would, walking down the corridors on her own for a while until Colin crossed her path.

"Where are you off to?" he wanted to know, stepping away from a portrait of some famous wizard, whom he had just taken a picture of.

"Library," Ginny replied, pulling a face. "Potions essay."

"I haven't done it yet either," Colin said. "D'you mind if I come?"

"No, of course not," Ginny said. "I really have no idea where to start with the Forgetfulness Potion and you probably paid more attention in class than me."

With Colin's help, she had finished her homework for Snape in no time. He had left the library as soon as they had finished because of a prefects' meeting and Ginny was now gazing out of the window, sitting at her favourite table, a little wooden one, which was well hidden from sight, ensuring her peace at last.

"Hey."

Ginny tore her eyes from a Doxy flying around the white gardens, looking up to a familiar face. "Harry," she replied.

"Finished your work?" he asked, sitting down opposite her.

"What does it look like?" she asked, bemused. "I'm staring out of the window and have packed my books away."

"Well, knowing Miss Weasley, she might not have even started at all," Harry laughed.

"How dare you say something like that, Mr Potter!" Ginny exclaimed. "I am a very responsible person. And I have finished my work."

"With a little help from Colin," Harry added, eyes twinkling.

"Perhaps," Ginny replied. "How do you know anyway?"

"I heard him. He was waiting for Amilia before going to a prefects' meeting and mentioned it."

"Eavesdropping, Mr Potter?"

Harry smiled. "Perhaps. But only to save you from working too much."

"Ah, of course," Ginny laughed, putting away her quill carefully so she didn't crush the feather. "Believe me, I never work too much. I've made it a rule of mine."

"A good rule, but don't tell Hermione. And what do you do in your free time then? You must have a lot of it if you don't work too much."

"Oh, don't you know?" Ginny asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. "I thought you had already heard! I go around and break young men's hearts all day. At least that's what I've heard about myself."

"Really? Why?"

"Why?" Ginny repeated, caught unawares by his question. Because I actually want to go out with you? The reason was sitting opposite her, but she couldn't say it now, could she? "Why? That's a secret. I can't tell anybody."

"In case you do it again? Break somebody's heart, I mean?"

"I...I wasn't--planning on it," Ginny said carefully, feeling as if Harry was luring her into something she had never really admitted openly for six years.

"You weren't? That's good to know," Harry said, smiling. "So you've finished your homework?"

"Yes."

"And do you think you have a little time for me?"

Ginny grinned. "Sure," she answered, "why not?"

~*~