Beginnings

Beginnings

The next day

Ginny woke up, and was going through her regular morning routine before she remembered what she'd done to Harry the night before. She stopped, blushing furiously. She had never done anything so forward before. It was only the feelings she'd had for Harry since the first time she'd heard about him that had made her act that way.

She remembered the story vividly. Her mother had been telling her about the Boy that Lived, and Ginny had always thought that no amount of fame would make up for not having a family.

Being from a large family, she couldn't imagine any worse fate than not having one, and her seven-year-old heart had gone out to the baby in the story. It had not become a crush though, until the day she saw him standing in the kitchen at the Burrow.

It wasn't his build, which to be honest, wasn't all that good, or his looks that had caught her eyes and heart, but the vivid green eyes that had seen so much misery and still looked at each new person as a potential friend.

A year later, she had doubted him, as the trio had ignored her, but he had saved her, and the faith she held in Harry had come back, and redoubled. He had fought a Basilisk to save her, and won.

She had watched him after that, using care not to be too obvious, and had soon figured out that when the three friends were up to something, Harry got this little wrinkle in his forehead that didn't quite touch his scar.

She knew about the Marauder's Map, and Harry's Cloak of Invisibility, having been asleep in the Gryffindor common room late one night when the trio had come back from somewhere under it. They had woken her, but she didn't let them know she was there, and she had learned so much that night.

In her third year, she watched Harry during the Tri-Wizard's tournament, and been impressed all over again. She had tried dating a boy or two, but none of them evoked nearly the feeling Harry did. They seemed to sense that, and soon drifted away.

She had joined the DA because she did believe in Harry, and she wanted to be able to defend herself and her family from Voldemort's forces. That she counted Harry as a very special part of that family was her business. She had given up on making him see her, finally growing up enough to understand that he had more important things on his mind, and that he would always see her as he'd first seen her, Ron's little sister.

Then had come that terrible night at the Ministry. Harry had lost the most important person in his world, and she had realized that people would die in this fight against Voldemort. She had counted the number of people that she cared about, that were involved in this fight, and that number was too high. There was simply no way she wasn't going to lose somebody she cared about.

Dealing with that had taken her mind off Harry for more than two months, until last night. Between the memories of the nightmare, her worries about her family, and the stress of the OWLs, she had not been happy to hear Harry call her a little girl.

She blushed again, as she remembered taking all her emotional overload out on Harry, brazenly teasing him in a way that she would never have thought she was capable of doing.

Her only hope this morning, was that Harry wouldn't say anything about her actions.

Harry woke up and stretched. He was mildly surprised to hear the other boys in the dorm getting ready for the day. It had been a long time since he was the last one up.

He put on his glasses, and opened his trunk to get some clothes for the day. The disorder startled him, until he remembered the events of last night.

He stopped, a smile crossing his face. He would never have believed the little girl that had put her elbow in the butter dish would have grown up so. He still wouldn't believe it, if she had not made it so plain.

Harry could still feel the soft curves that had rubbed him, and he shook his head. That was Ron's little sister. Not so little anymore said a little voice in the back of his head.

He shook that thought off and got dressed, deciding that he'd see what she did this morning before he made a fool of himself, like he had over Cho.

Ron looked at Harry from the other side of the room. "Hurry up, Harry or we'll be late for breakfast."

Harry got his things, and shut his trunk on the mess, reminding himself to clean it later.

In the common room, Harry noticed that Ginny's things were gone, including the lollipop.

Ginny had gotten dressed in a rush, and gone down to retrieve her books. She had found the lollipop, and recognized it for the apology it was. She smiled, and tucked it safely away in her robes.

She had gone to breakfast, and been surprised to find that Harry was not there. He had been sleeping poorly since that night at the Ministry, and was usually one of the first to breakfast. She sat down across from Hermione, and said good morning.

Hermione had nodded, her attention on the book she was reading. Ginny had merely smiled, and served herself, well aware of Hermione's habits after all these years. The only thing that would bring her out of that book was an argument with Ron.

Ginny smiled at that thought. Love was so easy to see, when you were not involved. She wondered idly what it would take for Hermione and Ron to figure out how they felt.

She was looking forward to that day, if only so they wouldn't have to listen to as many arguments.

She looked up from her food as two people sat down across the table, and was not surprised to see that Ron and Harry were now sitting on each side of Hermione.

She ducked her head, pretending to be involved in her food as Harry looked at her. Ron mumbled something about mornings through the mouthful of food he already had.

Hermione looked up at his greeting. "You could wait to eat until after you're done talking, you know."

Ron looked her way, and was about to reply, when he reconsidered. He finished the food in his mouth, and then looked at Ginny. "Good morning, Ginny. Did you sleep well?"

Ginny just shook her head, realizing that his eyes might be on her, but his attention was on Hermione.

Hermione sniffed, and went back to her book. Ron raised the edge of it, and read the title. "Goblin wars of the twelfth century. Crikey, Hermione, couldn't you find anything else to read? Or are you just looking for something to put you to sleep?"

With that comment, the first argument of the morning was joined.

Harry looked at Ginny, and sighed. "Almost three minutes," he said with a smile. "They're getting better."

Ginny smiled, her eyes alight with humour. "At least they are predictable. It's nice to have something you can count on."

Harry laughed quietly. "True. We'd have to have Madame Pomfrey look at them if they weren't arguing."

Ginny smiled, and went back to eating. She was surprised she'd managed to talk to Harry that long without saying the wrong thing, and was not going to push her luck. So many things depressed him these days that talking to Harry was like walking through a dragon's den. You never knew when you'd say the wrong thing and remind Harry of Sirius or Voldemort.

Harry, though, was not done with her. "Ginny," he said, lowering his voice slightly, "about last night. I owe you an apology."

Ginny looked at him, her cheeks flaming as she remembered her actions again. "No, you don't, I owe you one for what I did."

Harry had smiled and blushed at the same time, a sight Ginny found charming. "No you don't," he muttered, throwing a look toward Ron, "you were right."

He actually grinned then, an expression Ginny had not seen on Harry in months. "I hope you'll forgive me for being so thick witted."

Hermione turned away from Ron. Unlike Ron, who never heard anything when he was arguing with Hermione, she could pay attention to what other people were saying, and now her interest stirred. She hadn't seen Harry in such a good mood in months either, and she was very curious to find out just what had happened. In typical Hermione fashion, she came straight out and asked. "What are you two talking about?"

Harry looked at her for a second, and then smiled. "You might say I had my eyes opened." He thought for a minute, and grinned at Ginny again. "You might even say I was stunned."

Hermione looked at him, not understanding, and then at Ginny, who had her head down, and was eating. Hermione could have sworn though, that Ginny was laughing.

She turned back to Harry, and was about to say something else, but Ron distracted her with another comment.

Harry looked up as the verbal fight began again, and his eyes were oddly intent. "Actually, I was stunned twice."

Ginny choked on her food at his words, and then looked up. "Funny, I only remember doing it once."

Harry shook his head. "No, you stunned me twice. I remember the second time."

Ginny looked at Harry, and couldn't find any words. Harry was still looking at her with that strange expression on his face, and Ginny had the strangest feeling, as if Harry was seeing her for the first time.

Harry shrugged again, and spoke quietly. "I've known you for five years, and you've always been Ron's little sister. That is what I owe you an apology for. You're a person, not just a little sister." Harry finished eating, and stood up. "See you at the DA meeting, Ginny?"

Ginny nodded, and Harry smiled at her before walking away.

Hermione was looking at Ginny, and Ginny could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Ginny smiled, and fled before Hermione had a chance to ask the questions that were starting to form.

Ginny thought about what Harry had been saying, and smiled. Suddenly, the thought of Harry and her didn't seem nearly as impossible as it had two days ago.