Awkward Moments

The sound of banging on her front door awoke Ginny. She had fallen asleep on her couch and now had a very bad crick in her neck. Massaging the offending body part, she rose from the couch and walked over to the door.

Opening it, she saw Hermione standing there, looking bright and chipper in a way that nauseated Ginny, who was still rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"Hey, Ginny!" Hermione said, walking in the door. "You look terrible, what happened to you?"

"Fell asleep on the couch earlier," Ginny said. She frowned as she remembered her troubling thoughts.

"I'll make you some coffee," Hermione offered, as if she were in her own house. She made her way into the kitchen, Ginny following more slowly.

Shaking her head to clear it of the last remaining vestiges of drowsiness, Ginny sat down at the table.

"How was Quidditch practice?" Hermione asked as she set a cup of coffee in front of Ginny.

"Fine," Ginny said dully.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Fine? Just fine? Not a two-minute lecture on the proper execution of the Porkshead Ploy?"

Ginny smiled wryly. "Porskoff Ploy. And no, I'm not really in the mood to talk about Quidditch."

"Now I know something's wrong," Hermione said, taking a seat opposite Ginny.

"Not wrong, I'd say," Ginny mused. "Just confusing."

"In what way?" Hermione asked, watching her friend closely.

Ginny just shook her head. "A confusing way, and I'd rather not talk about it."

"So, you don't want to talk about Quidditch, and you don't want to talk about Harry, what do you want to talk about?" Hermione asked.

"Who said it was Harry that was confusing me?!" Ginny asked defensively.

Hermione smiled knowingly. "No one, dear heart."

"Why are you smiling like that?" Ginny asked.

"You remind me of someone I knew once," Hermione answered.

"Who is that?" Ginny asked.

"Me," Hermione said.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "You? I'm nothing like you, Hermione."

"Yes you are," Hermione contradicted. "You're funny, and smart, and interesting."

"And modest, too," Ginny teased.

"And you're also in love with your best friend," Hermione said, effectively stopping Ginny's teasing.

"I am not!" Ginny exclaimed.

"That's what I said, if you'll remember," Hermione said.

"I...it's different for me..." Ginny faltered.

"Sure, Ginny," Hermione said. "You know you love him, but you don't want to ruin your friendship. Every time you see him, you want to throw your arms around him. Either to thank him for being such a great friend, or to snog him senseless, you're not sure which one."

Ginny put her head in her arms. When she spoke next, her voice was slightly muffled. "You're annoying when you're right, Hermione."

"Then I am right," Hermione said smugly.

"No, you're not," Ginny persisted.

"Oh, deny it all you want, Miss Weasley," Hermione said. "That doesn't change the fact that it's true."

Ginny's only answer was a muffled groan.

*

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," came Ron's voice from the doorway of Harry's room.

"Who gave you a key?" Harry asked, throwing a pillow at his best friend, who ducked it expertly.

"Ginny," Ron answered, throwing the pillow back to Harry, who threw it on the floor in exasperation.

"I must admit, though," Ron continued, "it is rather disconcerting that my little sister has a key to your apartment."

"I've told you, Ron," Harry said, "it's not like that."

"Sure," Ron said, in a disbelieving tone. "That's why you two were sitting on her couch staring at each other yesterday."

"That was a fluke," Harry said, almost fully awake by now.

"A fluke?" Ron said, shaking his head. "This is my little sister we're talking about."

"I promise not to do anything you wouldn't do," Harry said, completely straight-faced.

"Somehow, my friend, this does not comfort me," Ron said.

"You know," Harry said accusingly, "it wasn't very comforting to find you snogging my best friend during seventh year."

Ron turned around and walked towards the living room. "You still hold that against me?"

Harry got out of bed and followed him. "I don't think you understand how mentally scarring a thing like that is!"

"Yeah, when my daughter comes into the kitchen to tell me that her uncle and aunt are just staring at each other!" Ron retorted, flopping down in a chair.

"We weren't just staring at each other," Harry exclaimed, sitting in another chair.

"Then what were you doing?" Ron asked.

"We were having a very intellectual telepathic conversation!" Harry said.

"Yeah, a conversation along the lines of, 'Hey, you wanna snog?' 'Sure, why not?'"

"I told you, Ginny and I aren't like that," Harry said. "We're-"

"Just friends," Ron finished with him. "And, if you may recall, I said the exact same thing about Hermione."

"So?" Harry said.

"I'm married to the girl!" Ron said impatiently.

"That doesn't mean that Ginny and I will automatically get married!" Harry said heatedly. "There are plenty of people who, despite being of the opposite sex, are just friends."

"Name one," Ron challenged.

Harry searched his mind. Dean and Parvati, no, dang it, they ran off for a friendly trip to Italy two months ago and hadn't been seen since. Who else?

"Malcolm Baddock and Blaise Zabini," Harry said.

"Blaise is a guy, Harry," Ron said.

"Really?" Harry asked. "I could never tell...Neville and Luna!"

Ron snorted. "You idiot, even I can tell that Neville and Luna like each other."

"There has to be someone," Harry said.

"No one I can think of," Ron said.

"Well, Ginny and I are different," Harry said.

"What you're telling me is, you have never, not once, had the urge to do unspeakable things to Ginny?" Ron said disbelievingly.

Seeing the look on Harry's face, Ron put his hands over his ears. "No, forget I asked! Really, Harry, I don't want to know!"

Harry laughed. "That's what you get for asking."

"So, you admit that you're attracted to Ginny? That you're not just content to be friends?"

"I never said that," Harry denied.

"You implied it," Ron pointed out.

"Implying something and coming right out and saying something are two different things," Harry said.

*

"Any luck with Ginny?" Ron asked Hermione later that night, as they got ready for bed.

"Nope," Hermione sighed, pausing in the middle of brushing her hair. "She just denied everything, came out and said it, then denied that she said anything. What about Harry?"

"Same thing," Ron answered. "They really are more alike than they think."

"We're going to have to do something about this," Ron said.

"Like what?" Hermione asked.

"We could lock them in a closet until they either confess their love or kill each other," Ron suggested.

"Ron!" Hermione looked affronted. "That's completely barbaric!"

"Well, we have to do something!" Ron insisted.

"We will," Hermione said, a particularly calculating look on her face.

"Love, it scares me when you make that face," Ron said, coming over to kiss the top of her head.

"Sorry, Ron," Hermione said. "I know I can think of something."

"I know you can, too," Ron said. "You're brilliant."

"Of course I am," Hermione said, turning and wrapping her arms around him. "I married you, didn't I?"

"Oh, don't I feel special now," Ron said teasingly, although he returned her embrace.

"If only they could see what we see," Hermione said dreamily.

"That's what everyone said about us," Ron reminded her.

Hermione laughed. "And look how well we turned out."

*

RIIIING.

Ginny groaned. The phone was ringing. That was never good. Usually, when someone wanted to talk to her, they just apparated over. Calling on the phone implied avoidance, which meant that it could only be one person.

"Hello, Harry," Ginny said into the phone.

"How'd you know it was me?" Harry asked.

"I'm psychic," Ginny said.

"I should have never taught you how to use the phone," Harry muttered.

Ginny laughed. "What did you call me for, then?"

"To ask you a question," Harry said.

Ginny felt a small bit of apprehension. "What question?"

"Whether or not you've talked to Hermione today," Harry said.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because, I had a chat with Ron today," Harry said. "I was just wondering what you and Hermione talked about."

"What did you talk to Ron about?" Ginny countered.

"I asked you first!"

"Something private, okay?" Ginny sighed. "Besides, it was nothing we haven't talked about before."

"When?"

When? What kind of question was that?

"Um, after Ron and Hermione got married, then when they moved into their house, and then when I joined the Quidditch team."

"Oh." Harry sounded relieved. "I thought so."

What? He thought what? Ginny was dying to ask, but didn't dare. Or did she? Harry was her best friend, she could ask him anything.

"You thought what?" she asked, curiosity beating out caution.

"I just thought that...well...I talked to Ron today," Harry sounded slightly confused.

"You mentioned that, actually," Ginny informed him. "Listen, Harry, could you just come over? This whole telephone thing is creeping me out, I can't see you."

There was a pause so small that Ginny was sure she'd imagined it. Harry gave a little sigh. "Sure," he said. "See you in a second."

There was a click as Harry's line disconnected. Ginny had just hung up the phone when Harry appeared in the middle of her living room.

"I never got how you could apparate without making a noise," Ginny said. "It's quite scary to turn around, when you're all alone in your house, and have someone standing there. Best friend or not."

"Sorry," Harry said, smiling rakishly. "Next time I'll yell at the top of my lungs, okay?"

"That would be even worse," Ginny said. "Then, not only would my peace and quiet be disturbed, I'd think someone was murdering you four blocks away, and it was so loud I could hear it."

"This is a lose-lose situation," Harry said. "You'll just have to get used to it."

"Fine, be that way," Ginny huffed.

Harry reached out and tweaked a strand of her hair. "I'll just apparate at your door next time."

"That's what you said last time," Ginny reminded him.

"I'm forgetful," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I hate you," Ginny said without rancor.

"I love you, too," Harry said, smiling slightly as he sat down on her couch. Ginny's heart fluttered slightly as she smiled back. If only he meant that in a different way. If only he was more than just her best friend. She remembered Hermione's words. Either to thank him for being such a good friend, or to snog him senseless.

Ginny was definitely in the snogging senseless mood right now. He was sitting on her couch. The couch where she had almost kissed him yesterday. She really couldn't help herself. It was all Harry's fault.

Or at least, that's what she told herself.

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to go sit down beside him.

"Harry," she said softly. "I think you should leave."

She could tell without opening her eyes that he was looking at her in concern.

"What's up, Ginny?" Harry asked, standing up and grabbing her arms gently.

"Nothing, just...It's not a good idea for you to be here," she said helplessly.

She heard his breath catch. "Ginny, I..."

"Just go, Harry," she said urgently. She opened her eyes to gaze into his. "Just go."

He backed up and nodded his head. "See you at practice tomorrow, Ginny."

"See you, Harry," Ginny replied.

Harry disappeared without a sound.

Ginny sank onto her couch, feeling depressed, confused, and all around miserable. It was going to be a long night.