Oh So Lonely

As Ginny Weasley made her way back to Gryffindor Tower after finishing the last of her end of term exams, she reflected on everything that had happened in the preceding year.

In an attempt to kidnap Harry as he was being escorted from the Dursleys to the Burrow, half a dozen Death Eaters, including Draco Malfoy, had been captured. Under a rather rigorous interrogation, the ferret had revealed where Voldemort was ensconced and in the ensuing battle, Harry had defeated Voldemort by, of all things, forcing him to trip on his robes and break his neck. It had taken the rest of the summer to convince Harry that the weight that had burdened his shoulders for so long was lifted. By the time he arrived at Hogwarts, everyone could tell that he was no longer The Boy Who Lived, but was just an ordinary seventh year student ready to take his N.E.W.T.s.

Life at Hogwarts was still strange, but strangely normal. Ron and Hermione had made peace with one another and started dating. Sometimes it was eerily quiet in the tower when they weren't quarreling. Of course when they weren't quarreling, that usually meant they were up to other 'heated' activities as Harry had once had the misfortune to discover. Harry had commented later that he was simply grateful that the two of them had apparently stuck to Ron's bed and not infringed upon anyone else's space. Thinking of Ron and Hermione getting 'heated' led Ginny to think of Harry and herself getting 'heated' Despite her best efforts, she still had unresolved feelings for Harry and she knew that they weren't going to go away anytime soon. It was times like this that led Ginny to take long, cold showers to cool herself off and 'fan her ardor'.

As Ginny stood there, daydreaming of Harry, she was brought out of her reverie by the sound of someone clearing their voice. She looked up to see she was standing in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, who seemed to be impatiently waiting for something.

"Are you going to stand there all night? Or do you want to come in?" the Fat Lady asked.

Ginny sighed and gave her the password. "Flying Sheep." With that she walked through the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. She was closing the portrait behind her when she felt something collide with her head. "Hey," she exclaimed.

"Sorry, Gin," she heard a familiar voice tell her.

Looking at the floor, Ginny identified the object that had struck her head as a crumpled up piece of paper. "Harry," she said, "if this is your attempt at origami, it's somewhat lacking."

"Ori-whassit?" Harry asked as he came up besides Ginny and deftly took the ball of paper from her hand.

"Origami. It's the art of folding pieces of paper into animals or people," Ginny told him, trying to figure out what, if anything, on the parchment Harry didn't want her to see.

"Oh," Harry said, "well, it's not that."

"Oh?" Ginny replied with an arched eyebrow. "Then what is it?"

For some reason, Harry seemed hesitant to answer, but Ginny didn't give him a chance to escape. "What's that, Harry?"

"Huh?" Harry asked in response.

"There, in your hand, what is it?" Ginny said slowly.

"This? Oh, just a stupid list," Harry muttered.

Intrigued, Ginny asked, "What kind of list?" Harry mumbled his response and Ginny had to ask him to repeat himself.

"I said, it's just a list of things I'm going to miss about Hogwarts," Harry told her.

"Oh? What's on it?" Ginny asked.

Harry seemed hesitant to tell her.

"Oh, come on, Harry! It can't be that embarrassing!" Ginny exclaimed and promptly grabbed the parchment out of Harry's grasp.

"Hey!" Harry protested as Ginny began unfolding the list.

"Oh, shush you! It's not like I'm going to post it on the bulletin board or anything," Ginny said soothingly. Finally unfolding the parchment, Ginny began to read.

Spending time with Ron and Hermione.

Playing Quiddich - Beating Malfoy at Quidditch.

Sneaking down to the kitchen for a late night snack.

"Harry," Ginny said, "this isn't anything to be embarrassed about."

"That's not all," Harry told her as he slid to the floor beside her and hung his head between his knees.

Looking forward to whatever new terror Hagrid has for us in Care of Magical Creatures.

Having classes with McGonagall and Flitwick.

Not having to spend time at the Dursley's.

"Harry, you prat!" Ginny exclaimed. "You don't think you'll have to spend time with the Muggles do you? I guarantee Mum will mount your head on the wall if you don't move in at the Burrow. You know that don't you?"

"I suppose," Harry agreed. "Keep reading."

Being around Ginny all the time and being able to spend time with her.

Ginny suddenly felt a blush rising up on her face as she read the final line on the parchment. She didn't dare look up at Harry to see if he was looking at her.

"Ginny," she heard him say, "I'm sorry. Look, if you want to pretend this never happened..."

"And why would I want to do that?" she whispered.

"Because I don't want to go through life with us feeling uncomfortable around one another," he said.

"Once again, why would I want to do that?" Ginny whispered.

"Because," Harry hesitantly began, "you don't feel that way about me anymore."

"Excuse me?" Ginny gasped, not quite certain she had heard correctly.

"Don't you?" Harry said, looking everywhere but directly at her.

"Don't I what?" Ginny demanded.

"Have feelings for me?" Harry told her.

"Of course I do, you enormous prat!" Ginny answered in a tone she hoped Harry understood to mean, 'Quit being such an enormous prat that I have to beat you senseless with a soggy loaf of French bread.'

"But...but...but..." was all Harry was able to sputter.

Reaching out to put a hand under Harry's chin so she could raise his face to look at her, Ginny continued, "Harry. The only reason I've gone out with so many blokes over the last two years was because I didn't want to be sitting around the common room languishing in love, waiting for you to notice me."

"Oh," Harry replied, a tint of sadness on his voice.

"Oh? Is that all you can say, Harry? Oh?" Ginny responded. "Please tell me you've been hit in the head by a bludger and that's the only reason you're speaking in monosyllables."

"It's not that, Ginny," Harry quickly reassured her, though the redhead could sense he was incredibly nervous. "It's just...well..."

"Just what, Harry?" Ginny asked when it seemed Harry was either unwilling or unable to continue.

"Well, don't you think it's rather lousy timing for us to be revealing our feelings to each other?" Harry managed to stammer out.

"All right, Potter, what are you on about now?" Ginny asked with a scowl.

"Well, I mean...what I mean is, here I am, getting ready to leave Hogwarts for good," Harry told her. "And you'll still be here for a year."

Ginny stifled an urge to scream and instead let loose with a shout of frustration, "All right, where's my wand? You better run, Potter, because I'm going to hit you with the Bat-Bogey Hex to end all Bat-Bogey Hexes!"

Sensing Ginny's sudden change in mood, Harry began to back away from the fiery redhead he had just revealed his feelings for, unsure of exactly what he had done to set her off.

Seeing the reaction she had brought out in Harry, Ginny softened her mood and endeavored to explain herself. "Harry, it doesn't matter that I still have a year left at Hogwarts. You don't honestly think that will keep us apart, do you? You don't think it matters if it does, do you?"

"Well..." Harry began before Ginny cut him off.

"Harry, even if we hardly see each other next year," Ginny continued, "we'll still have the rest of this year, plus all summer to spend time together."

"Oh," Harry said as he listened to Ginny speak and then a look of comprehension came across his face. "OH!"

"Yes," Ginny exclaimed as she saw Harry begin to grasp the obvious. "Plus, after I finish next year, we'll have the rest of our lives to spend together, however we want to."

This caused Harry to momentarily look pensieve before reaching out to take Ginny's hand in his and look her in the eye. Ginny felt she could melt right there from the effect of feeling her hand in Harry's, but struggled to listen nonetheless. "Do you think, Ginny," Harry began, "that we could get started on the rest of our lives right now?"

"That depends, Harry," Ginny replied.

"Depends on what?" Harry nervously asked.

"What did you have in mind?" Ginny asked in return, squeezing his hand while she scooted herself closer to where Harry was sitting on the floor.

"Well," Harry started anxiously, "I happen to know that Ron and Hermione are busy in the library right now, and that no one else is up in my dorm."

"Why, Mister Potter," Ginny said with feigned innocence, "are you asking me to become a scarlet woman?"

"Um..." Harry began.

Ginny cut him off before he could form a coherent response. "Let's go!" And with that, she jumped to her feet, pulled Harry to his and proceeded to drag him up the stairs to his dormitory.

Later that night, as Harry lay in bed, thinking of the wonderful day he had had, he heard Ron's raised voice through the curtains. "Harry, would please explain what my sister's shirt is doing on the floor?"