Maybe This Time

CHAPTER TWELVE: OVERJOYED

'Harry!'

He felt people rushing to his side. He wasn't sure whom, though, but that doesn't matter.

'Wake up!' said Ron.

'Harry!' said Draco.

'Will you two stop yelling at him?' said Hermione, looking very worried. 'Harry?'

'What did you do?' asked Ron.

'Why would he bloody faint,' asked Draco, looking as if this is the most ridiculous thing that he had ever seen but at the same time looking very worried.

'Don't say that about the poor boy, young man,' scolded Narcissa.

'What happened? Is he OK?' said Molly, looking very worried.

'Nothing, Mum. He just fainted.'

'He just fainted? He just fainted?!'

'What happened? Molly, calm down,' said Arthur.

'He fainted, Mr. Weasley,' replied Draco.

Ginny was sitting on the ground and holding Harry in her arms. She looked at him intently and then started rubbing his cheeks gently.

'Harry,' she whispered, ignoring everybody. 'Harry, wake up.'

Harry started to mumble and his eyes started to move.

'Harry,' she said once again.

He, still in her arms, opened his eyes slowly and saw the most beautiful girl that he has ever seen, looking down to him. He couldn't help but smile. She looked so beautiful with the sun shining down to her and her hair flowing with the wind.

'Ginny,' he said dreamily, reaching out to stroke her cheek, which caused all the people to look at each other. 'I love you, Ginny.'

'He must be really mad,' said Ron, fighting back a laugh.

'I can't believe he is doing this,' said Draco, looking away.

'Leave him alone, you two,' snapped Hermione.

'Don't you dare faint again, Harry Potter,' said Ginny seriously, looking down to him but smiling a little.

Harry's eyes widened and then immediately rolled off her arms, looking like a completely ripe tomato. Harry felt a rock on his back. 'Awww,' he grumbled.

'Thank heavens you are awake,' said Ron. 'I almost thought of bringing you to the hospital...'

'Imagine what we will tell the nurse,' said Draco, fighting back a laugh. 'He fainted because he saw a girl---What a joke!'

'It's not bloody funny, Malfoy,' snapped Harry, still blushing like mad. Did he just really tell Ginny that he loved her? Did he? 'Sod off!'

Ron snickered but forced himself to stop. 'Are you all right now?'

'No,' he snapped. 'I'm not fine. What were you two---'

'Are you OK now, dear? Do you want anything?' asked Molly, storming to his side with a worried expression on her face.

'No, thank you Mrs. Weasley,' he forced himself to say. 'I'm fine---'

'Mum,' said Ron, 'Harry's fine now.'

'It's just a lack of sleep, I guess,' interrupted Draco.

'Are you sure?' she asked once again.

'Yes,' said Harry politely. 'There's nothing to worry about Mrs. Weasley. Thanks.'

'OK,' she said, looking not very convinced. 'You know where to find me in case he faints again. I'll be in the kitchen with Narcissa.'

Harry smiled and then glared at Ron and Draco once she was gone. 'I'm going to kill you two!'

'Oh,' mocked Draco. 'I'm so bloody scared. Maybe I should go into hiding---'

'Shut up,' he mumbled again. 'You didn't even warn me... Awww... my head hurts a little---Ron---'

'Look, mate,' he said, 'I know you weren't expecting this but we had to do this---speaking of hiding, Malfoy, can I come?'

Draco nodded and then grinned at Ginny and Harry who were two meters apart.

'I hate you,' he groaned. 'I hate you two. You don't even care about my feelings---'

'Whoah,' said Ron, 'you sound like Hermione---'

'I heard that,' said Hermione. 'Are you feeling better?'

'No,' he grumbled, massaging his head slightly. 'Did I fall on the ground or something?'

'No,' interrupted Ginny.

Harry felt a huge jolt on his stomach once again. He swallowed hard.

'I caught you,' she continued, walking towards him, her arms crossed over her chest.

He didn't know where to look. He didn't know whether he should look at her or not. He just sat there looking like a stupid statue. Bloody hell! Ron and Draco are once again laughing silently at him. He is going to bloody kill those two!

'You don't have a problem with me being in my own house,' interrupted Ginny, looking at him intently. 'Do you?'

'I never said that I have a problem with that,' he said weakly, still not looking at her because of intense embarrassment.

'Well it kind of looks like you do---'

'No.'

'Excuse us,' said Hermione and then practically dragged Ron and Draco into the house to leave Harry and Ginny alone. They joined the others by the window to see what's happening.

'Can we talk?' she asked.

'I guess so,' said Harry awkwardly, silently praying that he doesn't upset her.

She sat two feet away from him and then an odd silence followed.

'So,' he said, breaking the silence. 'How's Ian?'

'Do you really want to talk about Ian?' she said, frowning a little.

'Well, he better be treating you right. If he isn't, I'll---'

'You'll what?' she asked playfully.

'I don't know,' he said, shrugging. 'I'll do something bad to him, that's all.'

'Well I just want to let you know that I'm upset with you, but not angry anymore---'

'Great Merlin,' sighed Harry, 'what did I bloody do this time? I was away in Bulgaria for quite a long time and I still managed to upset you? I might as well change my name into Harry Potter, the boy who upsets Ginny...'

'You didn't even say goodbye,' she said softly, ignoring him. 'That was completely nasty.'

'Nasty?' he asked desperately.

'Imagine what I felt when you suddenly disappeared---'

'You wouldn't talk to me, remember?' he said, still not looking at her.

'That's an absurd excuse, Mister,' she said, looking at him.

'Well, not to me,' he mumbled, avoiding her face.

'Are you angry with me?' said Ginny her eyes becoming a little watery.

'No.'

'Then why wouldn't you look at me?' she said irritably.

'Because---'

'That's the least that you can do for treating me badly!' she said stubbornly.

'Treating you badly?' said Harry, not believing his ears. 'I said I was sorry! What do you want me to do?'

'Imagine all the years that I've waited for you to say those words? Suddenly, I came into the library and Draco and Ron told me that you loved me but you are gone. You didn't even tell me yourself! That's not very brave of you...'

'Well, then I guess I'm sorry and I'm a bloody coward. Do you think that I liked feeling this? I felt stupid, OK? And oh by the way, I said that I'd go out with you, remember? You didn't even believe me...'

'Pardon me?' she said, glaring at him. 'Stupid?'

'I said I felt stupid, not because of you but because of me. Imagine how stupid I felt when I started to realize how stupid I have been for treating you badly. I made you a bridge to the girls that I liked. I---'

Ginny just fixed her eyes at Harry's blushing and tensed face.

'I---I used your knowledge in Potions and what else---All those years that I had your affection and I dismissed it. I took you for granted! Now, it's too late.'

'Too late?'

'Urgh! I know I know, I'm an insufferable prat with bad timing---'

Ginny smiled and then placed a hand over his hand.

Harry finally looked at her and then down to her hand that was on his. 'I guess we are even now,' he said softly and forcing a smile.

'Even?'

'Yeah,' he said. 'You liked me, but I didn't like you. Now I love you---and you don't even like me.' He took his hand away from her hand gently.

'Well---'

'Ginny,' said Harry. 'You have nothing to worry about. I was a prat and I definitely deserve this. Don't mind me. Just continue whatever you have with Ian. As what I've told Ron and Draco, I just wanted you to know. I completely understand. A taste of your own medicine is really bad...'

'Is it?'

'Oh yes,' said Harry, smiling awkwardly at her. 'Tell Ian that if he treats you badly, I'll bloody kill him and I don't even care if I get brought to Azkaban for slaughtering him... really slowly.'

Ginny couldn't help but smile at the sight of Harry acting awkwardly towards her. This is how he exactly looked like when he still fancied Cho Chang.

'So are we still friends then?' said Ginny.

'Of course,' said Harry. 'I'll always be here for you, Ginny. Please believe that.'

Ginny flung her arms around Harry's neck. 'That's great,' she said.

Harry took this moment as an opportunity to hold her close, who knows when he could hug her again? He closed his eyes and then savoured the moment. A few seconds later, they broke apart.

Harry eyed her up and down. 'You look really good,' he said.

'I'm glad that you liked it,' she said. 'I'm so sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it.'

'Oh, no problem,' he said. 'I'd probably say the same thing if I was in your place. I'm sorry too.'

'Say it again, Harry,' she said affectionately, her eyes twinkling a little.

'Say what again?' he asked frowning.

'Your feelings for me,' she said.

Harry sighed. 'Are you having too much fun with my misery?'

'Please say it?' she said and Harry couldn't refuse.

'I love you, Ginny,' he said shyly and then looked away, blushing.

Ginny made him face her again. 'Harry, look at me,' she said.

Harry slowly raised his gaze from the ground.

'I love you too,' she said, grinning.

Harry couldn't believe his ears. 'Is this a joke? Ginny when I said I loved you, I wasn't joking. If you are joking this joke is not nice. Your amusement is going too far---'

'I'm not joking,' she said. 'Unless you don't love me anymore---'

'No no no!' he said, throwing his head back and laughing. 'You really do?'

'I love you, I love you, and I love you!' said Ginny.

'Great Merlin,' said Harry, 'you have no idea how happy I am right now!'

'Hey, I said I love you three times...'

'I love you, I love you, I love you, and I love you infinitely!' Harry grabbed her and then placed her in a fierce hug.

Suddenly, all Ginny's brothers came out and they were staring at Harry.

'I see you two are fine now,' said Percy, looking at their intertwined hands.

'Potter,' said Bill, grinning. 'Just remember that if you break her heart---'

'We will break your neck,' said the twins in unison sweetly.

'Really really slowly,' said Ron, 'it would be excruciating.'

'So take good care of her, mate,' said Charlie.

'Or else,' said all her brothers in unison while crunching their knuckles.

'May we have your word?' said Percy, finally.

'Yes,' squeaked Harry. 'Absolutely.'

'Now, once you are done, please come in because dinner is almost ready.' All Ginny's brother's turned to their heels and walked off.

They looked at each other.

'I wonder what daddy would do to you if you break my heart,' said Ginny, looking up to the sky and pretending to think.

'You don't have to worry about that,' said Harry, leaning down so that his forehead touches hers and taking her hand into his. 'I'll never break your heart.'

'Never?'

'Never.'

'Promise?'

'Promise,' said Harry, placing an arm around Ginny's shoulders. 'About that name changing, maybe I should change my name to Harry Potter, the boy who loves Ginny. What do you think?'

Ginny looked up to him. 'I have no problem with that,' she said, looking up to him as Harry closed the gap between them with a kiss.

THE END ====================