Just One Of Those Things...

It was just one of those things....

'And then, the guy looks at himself and goes off like a barmy banshee, only, its more like a SQUAWK!!!"

The common room erupted in gales of laughter as Seamus Finnigan finished with a flourish and an exaggerated bird-call one of the successes of the Weasley twins' Canary Creams. Apparently, a couple of the stock that the ingenious twosome had oh-so-astutely left off at the castle to pave the way for worthy successors had been devoured by a very unsuspecting Slytherin. Which was not altogether unfortunate, agreed the gathered Gryffindors.

"If only the moulting had waited till Mrs. Norris came for dinner!" piped a laughing voice setting vehement assent ringing all around.

"And it seemed like my astounding gift of humour would die unbequeathed!" teased Ron, slapping his kid sister on the back and shrinking in mock horror as she punched his shoulder, bright brown eyes twinkling.

Harry laughed as Ginny and Ron engaged in a mock duel which finally concluded with Ginny pelting a pillow across the top of her big brother's head. "I may be naive but remain undefeated!"

Ron might be a terrible pain in a certain nether region half the time but it was more than obvious that he didn't seem to mind losing to his kid sister. He swept her a bow to acknowledge surrender which the victor conceded with a swish of her fiery mane. Ron loved his sister. Perhaps more than he ever loved anybody else. Harry watched them laugh together and deep inside him, he felt that pang. He had learnt to recognize it as the missing of a real family, someone to laugh that way with together.

It had been a long year....

Hermione laid down her quill and went to join the other two. Harry could have sworn he saw Ron's ears turn a faint shade of beetroot as she settled beside him and began chattering animatedly. He smiled.

Well, he might not show it the entire time but he wasn't completely clueless.

He watched the snow fall into darkness outside. A very long year....

It had been snowing that evening too. He had been ecstatic then. But now, Cho Chang and the mistletoe seemed very far away. And he didn't seem to mind. It had been a different time then. It was different now. He couldn't let himself into all that again. He just didn't feel that way anymore. He didn't know why. Maybe, it was just one of those things.

He had been through it and it had hurt him too. He didn't think he could risk the pain again.

"Harry?..."

He looked up to see Ginny in front of him, a little line across her brow. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," he tore his eyes away from the snow "Just watching the weather. No more duels?"

She smiled mischievously, her eyes lighting up as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. Ron and Hermione were squabbling, completely oblivious to the absence of their third companion.

"Thought I'd leave them to it," she winked, "I can't imagine why those two won't finally admit they are going crazy for each other."

Harry did a mock grimace. "The later the better. I don't want my two best friends getting it on senseless in the Dorm, for Merlin's sake! I'd rather watch Malfoy snog Snape!"

And Ginny made a gagging motion, causing them both to convulse into uncontrollable laughter.

And then Harry fell silent as he paused for breath and couldn't laugh any more. The cold hollow within him was back...it seemed laughter only made it seem worse.

Ginny sat down on the carpeted floor beside him, looking out the window too and turned her face towards him. "Harry, what's up?"

"Just one of those things..." He didn't know how much he could tell her yet.

And she seemed to sense it.

"I know I am just Ron's little sister to you, Harry but..."

"No, no.." Harry tried, startled. She looked at him and he looked away, "Its just....you won't understand, that's all."

He felt small. Really, really small.

Ginny looked into the fire for a long moment. Harry could see the firelight flit across her face. He wondered if he had hurt her, if she hated his guts then...

"Its true. Maybe I won't." She turned from the fire to look straight into his eyes. "But I just want you to know, if you ever need to talk, I'm here to listen."

And Harry saw little speckles of gold in the brown of her eyes before she suddenly looked away.

"Give me a chance, Harry," she said.

Harry couldn't understand what those words meant nor that look in her eyes. Already she had gone, giving his hand a quick squeeze, running upstairs to bed.

Harry watched the red hair fly to disappear behind the door, missing something. He thought of Ginny's face by the firelight, the way the warmth played across her freckles. And her eyes that crinkled into smiles.

For a moment, he wanted to risk that pain again....

His eyes flew open in shock. Could he?....

"Hey, Harry!" Ron called, "Up for a round of chess, mate?"

Harry rose from the window, watching the silent space of darkness outside.

"Give me a chance..."

It had been snowing a moment before.

Nothing would last...

Did he really?...

Nah, he answered himself, It couldn't be possible...Of course not. It had just been one of those things."

He tore his away from the door.

Just one of those things.

-----------------

Ginny closed the door and leaned against it, thinking of the look in Harry's eyes...

Could she have imagined it?....

Did he really.....

She searched the Common Room through the crack in the door.

She saw Harry laugh as he moved the pawn- laugh and slap Ron's hand...

Maybe there had been some joke, she thought, as Hermione laughed too. She would never know...

It looked like any other evening, Harry looked like any other evening. Nothing would change...

Nah, she told herself, It had just been one of those things.

Ginny quietly shut the door.

One of those things...