Title: "Fortune Favors the Shy"

Classification: H/G, Multiple POV

Summary: Malfoy’s attempt to humiliate Harry results in a curse...and a lot of confusion.

Spoilers: None

Rating: PG

Notes: Ah...my first standalone in ages. This was a nice little break from Crossroads...J

~~~

“I just don’t see the point, that’s all,” Ron finished his statement around a mouthful of eggs. Harry leaned back slightly in his seat to avoid getting food bits sprayed all over his front and sighed. He felt as though he had been having the same argument with Ron all week about their having to stop in the potions classroom every morning before their first class.

“I keep telling you,” Harry replied with forced patience, setting his goblet down on the table, “If we don’t go in to stir it every twelve hours at least, it’ll go bad...and you can’t expect Snape to do it for us.”

“Well he’s the bloody potions master, isn’t he!?” Ron burst out, almost choking on his pumpkin juice. Harry rubbed his eyes under his glasses and yawned...they were practically the only ones in the Hall so early. It was only he and Ron making this particular potion, a penalty for messing up their last assignment. Snape had said it was extra credit so they wouldn’t fail the course, but Harry had a feeling he had been waiting for an opportunity to make them do this. It wasn’t pleasant...the concoction smelled like a rotten potato, and had the consistency of pea soup.

“Yes, but if you left it up to him, we’d fail...and you know it.”

Ron shrugged, conceeding the point, and continued with his breakfast. Harry glanced up as the Great Hall doors opened and Hermione came bustling towards them, an armful of books threatening to spill over onto the floor. She set them down with a loud thump on the table, earning her a grumpy look from Ron.

“Shouldn’t you two be going?” she asked, sitting down and grabbing a piece of toast.

“What, here to babysit us are you?” Ron asked testily. Hermione merely rolled her eyes and opened one of her books.

“No...I just wouldn’t want you two to have to take double potions next term to make up for failing this one.”

Ron grumbled something unintellegible, but Harry started gathering his things together. “She’s right...we ought to get going.”

“I’ll come with you,” Hermione said suddenly, standing up and shoving the remainder of her toast in her mouth as she gathered her own books. Ron frowned up at her and commented,

“You just got here, didn’t you?”

“Yes...well, I’m not really hungry, and I thought I might as well check to see...er, how you’re getting on with that potion.”

Harry knew that Hermione wanted to make sure they weren’t making a disaster out of it, and to tell the truth he was relieved. Snape had given them absolutely no instructions on how to do it, only a page out of an old manual...and it wasn’t very detailed. He was sure Hermione must have read something about it at some point in her life.

“Whatever you say,” Ron mumbled, setting his fork down on his plate. Harry was slightly impressed at his restraint in not hurling it across the room. Ron wasn’t a very good riser anyway, but combine having to wake up early with having to go straight to Snape’s classroom and the results weren’t pretty. Harry led the way to the doors, and by this time other students had started arriving for breakfast. They were the only ones going out of the Hall this early, and as they were fighting the crowd Harry’s thoughts were interrupted by a cold, drawling voice from behind him.

“Where are you going in such a hurry, Potter?”

He turned and regarded Draco Malfoy with cold eyes. In the last couple of years, the animosity he had felt for Malfoy since their first day at Hogwarts had grown into pure hatred. He could barely stand to look at him for long without wanting to curse him, and so generally he preferred to simply stay as far away from him as possible. Unfortunately, Malfoy also sensed this...and took advantage of it to provoke Harry at every opportunity.

“Do you have a problem?” Harry bit out. He would have just continued walking and ignored him, but Crabbe and Goyle were now blocking his way. Harry’s hand was itching for his wand, but he never pulled it out anymore during confrontations with Malfoy. Frankly, he didn’t trust himself. Malfoy’s eyes sparkled evilly at the scene he was causing...a bunch of students had stopped on their way to their various tables to watch the drama unfold. Harry thought he’d like to curse them as well for unwittingly egging things on, but refrained from saying anything as usual. He was making a supreme effort to hold his temper these days. Instead, he stepped in front of Ron and Hermione...mostly to keep Ron from doing something he’d regret later.

Ginny stopped short as she walked into the Great Hall and almost ran right into an apparent confrontation between her brother, his friends, and Draco Malfoy. Her brows snapped together immediately...what was the problem this time? She didn’t understand what it was about that family that made them take pleasure in inflicting misery on others...particularly, it seemed, members of her own family. She hesitated, wondering whether or not she should make her presence known, and then decided against it. Best to just keep back for now...it looked like it was almost over, anyway.

“I think, actually, that you’re the one with the problem,” Malfoy spat, his pale eyes alight with malice, “Only you won’t admit it.”

“What are you talking about?” Harry spat back, and Ginny could see that he was struggling a bit with the fact that Ron was literally crowding his back. Hermione put her hand on Ron’s arm, although it didn’t do much good. Ginny started to think maybe she should help.

“I just mean that you must get frustrated,” Malfoy laughed, “No...release. After the novelty of being with the great Harry Potter wears off, girls start worrying for their safety...I mean, we all know what happens to people who spend too much time with you.”

Ginny felt her anger flare at this unwarranted insult. She could see from her years of experience watching Harry that although Malfoy might never have noticed, the comment struck home. His eyes changed slightly. Ginny didn’t know what really went on as far as that aspect of Harry’s personal life...she tried to stay as far away from the rumor mill as possible. However, she did know that it was something that didn’t bring Harry much comfort. Her heart went out to him even though he didn’t need it or particularly want it.

Deciding she wasn’t simply going to stand there doing nothing, she took a breath and pushed her way through the wall of people to where Hermione was standing.

“I’ll ask one more time,” Harry said in a steady voice, “What do you want?”

But Malfoy was no longer looking at Harry...he was regarding Hermione, who had her hand on Ron’s arm. Smiling maliciously, he drawled, “It must bother you, Potter...letting Weasley get ahead of you like this. That is,” he chuckled to himself, “If you can call that ahead.”

“What are you talking about, Malfoy?” Ron spat, and Harry could feel him pushing slightly on his back. He mentally ordered Ron to back down, but knew if he were goaded too far it wouldn’t do any good. Malfoy smiled again and said,

“Well, here the Weasel has a girlfriend...and the great Harry Potter has nothing. Why don’t you just take the Mudblood for yourself, Potter? She already seems to have a death wish…you might as well take advantage of it.”

Harry stood firm against Ron’s continued pushing, and he suspected Hermione was also holding him back although he didn’t turn to look. He kept his eyes trained on Malfoy’s face as he replied in a chilly voice,

“I’d stop there if I were you.”

“What...don’t like her? Well, we’ll find you someone...”

Just as Harry was about to turn and force Ron out of the Hall, he saw Malfoy turn his head to look at something on Harry’s right. His ice blue eyes lit up malevolently, and Harry suddenly felt a forboding sickness in his stomach. Before he could turn to look for himself, Malfoy’s wand was out. Harry grabbed for his own, thinking he was about to be cursed, when he realized that the spell was being directed at whoever had caught Malfoy’s attention beforehand. Dreading what he would see, Harry turned his head and glanced over his shoulder...

...and came face to face with a very uncharactaristically dazed-looking Ginny Weasley. Before anyone could react, Ginny strode over to Harry and grabbed his face between her hands. Bringing his head down to hers, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the mouth. Harry was too stunned to do much of anything, and he suspected everyone else was in a similar predicament. His eyes were wide open, and he stared at whatever he could to keep from looking at the thunderstruck crowd standing around them. He let his eyes wander from the bright red curls which tickled her neck to the small blue earrings she wore, to the light dusting of freckles on her face as her mouth moved purposefully over his. Without truly thinking about what he was doing, he put up his hands and grabbed her arms, intending to push her away from him. Instead, he merely stood there like a daft fool...and resisted the insanely powerful urge to let his eyes drift closed.

Ginny felt like she was alternating between a dream and a horrible nightmare. She couldn’t get control of herself...literally. Suddenly, it was as though there was another person residing in her body with her, and this other person had control of all her motor skills...and was making her kiss Harry. She was frozen with shock...or, she would be, if she could freeze at that moment. Thankfully the force controlling her body had at least had the sense to jam her eyes shut so that she wouldn’t have to look at him through this. She felt like she was going to be sick as she thought about what he must be thinking right then.

Even through all this, she could feel everything very clearly. She knew she’d be thinking about this moment for many nights to come, and she didn’t know how she was going to deal with it. Try as she might, she couldn’t completely block out the feel of his lips on hers...slightly wet, lax with what she suspected was complete shock, and soft beyond anything she might have imagined. In an instant, she could feel herself regressing two years...back to when she used to wish for this. Back before she’d gotten over Harry. This was just what she had spent many a lazy summer afternoon daydreaming about, lying in her bed at the Burrow...and it was happening in a way that she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy. Well, maybe her worst. The entire situation was beginning to fog her mind and dilute her reasoning power...

...because she could swear it almost felt like he was starting to kiss her back.

After what seemed to Harry like ten or so hours, Ginny let him go and stepped back. As she strode back to where she had been standing before, Harry was left to stare after her in shock and straighten his glasses, which had been knocked askew. The only sound coming from anyone in the Hall were the snickers of the Slytherins, who predictably found the entire episode to be the epitome of hilarity. The other students were looking nervously from Harry to Ginny to Ron.

After a moment, Ginny blinked once, and then her eyes widened in a perfect expression of complete and utter horror. Her eyes shot from Harry’s face to Ron’s, as though looking for some kind of escape. Ron opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He glanced quickly at Harry as if also to find some sort of direction, but Harry himself was at a complete loss. Ginny gaped at her brother, then turned to look at Harry once more...and the force of her eyes on him nearly caused him to have a heart attack. He had no idea what he could possibly say to her after this. Her eyes flickered about and her face turned bright pink as she took in the rest of the scene – the laughing Slytherins, the flabbergasted Hufflepuffs, the stunned Ravenclaws, and the somewhat irritated Gryffindors. Harry was just grateful that at least the whole school wasn’t standing there...only about three people from each house.

Harry cast a quick glance at Malfoy and saw that any moment he was going to open his mouth and make the situation worse for all of them. Before he could say anything, though, Ron’s voice broke the awkward stillness.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Ron reached out and grabbed Ginny’s arm, ushering her out of the Hall, and later Harry would barely be able to remember following...he was completely stunned. All he could recall noticing at that point was Ginny walking in front of him...her flaming red hair flowing down her back.

As Ron pulled her a tad forcefully out of the Great Hall, Ginny was just waiting for her heart to simply stop beating so she could keel over and be done with it. She’d never felt so humiliated in her entire life...and considering some of the things that had happened to her, that was saying something pretty big. Steeling herself against the tears that were threatening to well up in her eyes, she vowed not to make things worse for herself by crying...especially as she could feel Harry’s eyes boring into the back of her head. She hadn’t felt like crying in years, either...and this only made her feel worse. Once they were out of earshot, Ron turned to her and asked,

“Are you alright?”

She wouldn’t have believed it possible, but she actually let out a disbelieving huff of laughter at this. “Am I alright? What do you think?”

Ron looked slightly uncomfortable as he clarified, “I mean...physically. He didn’t do anything else to you besides...you know, besides...”

“No,” she interrupted, cringing at the thought of Ron actually saying it out loud, “Other than my severely bruised pride, I’m fine.”

Ron nodded, and then Hermione spoke up from beside her. “Ginny...it wasn’t your fault. Honestly, no one with a brain in their head is going to make fun of you for this.”

Ginny quirked a brow at Hermione...and to her slight dismay, so did Ron. Shooting her a disbelieving look, she asked sarcastically, “You do attend this school, don’t you, Hermione? You have met the people here, right?”

Hermione tutted and rolled her eyes, but Ginny couldn’t help noticing that she looked a little worried herself. Shaking her head, Ginny continued, “Sorry, Hermione. Look, thanks anyway...but I really couldn’t care less what anyone says about this. It’s over and done, and that’s all there is to it. I think I’m just gonna head up to class now and forget the whole thing ever happened.”

“But...it’s so early,” Ron protested, glancing at his watch. Ginny sighed silently and replied,

“Yeah...but I’m not really hungry anymore.”

With that, her cheeks burning, she turned and walked up the stairs to the fourth floor. She didn’t turn back and look, but she could hear nothing except dead silence as she went...they were probably all just staring, watching her go. She suddenly felt very glad she hadn’t chanced so much as a glance at Harry...she probably wouldn’t have been able to bear the look of pity in his eyes.

She’d thought she was beyond his pity.

“I’ll be right back,” Ron said in a low voice as he bounded up the stairs after Ginny.

Harry felt like he should be the one to go, to say something to her...but the very thought made him feel odd things in the pit of his stomach. He wouldn’t have any idea what to say to her even if he did go...and he somehow doubted she had any wish to speak with him. She hadn’t so much as glanced at him since they left the Great Hall. He shook his head, trying to gain back his ability to think as he started off toward the potions classroom. He felt like he’d been hit over the head with something, and there was an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Hermione, Harry then realized suddenly, was talking to him.

“Malfoy is a prat! I can’t believe even HE could sink so low! Why would he DO such a thing?”

“I don’t know,” he replied in monotone. How should he know why Malfoy did the things he did?

“Oh, my goodness. Poor Ginny...she’s probably so humiliated...”

He tuned out at that point, thinking that Hermione wasn’t helping matters much. He was starting to feel somehow guilty for what had happened, even though he wasn’t the one who cast the spell in the first place. Why had he simply stood there and let it happen? He supposed it wouldn’t have looked much better to anyone had he pushed her away from him...in fact, it probably would have made matters worse. Still, he couldn’t help thinking that there must be something else he could have done to make it less embarrassing for them both. All he had been able to do was to stand there, stunned...and stare at the milky-white skin at the curve of her neck.

Shaking his head, he thought he must be going mad as he pushed the door to the dark Potions classroom open. Hermione followed him and immediately took up Ron’s cauldron...Harry scowled, thinking it wasn’t fair that Ron got his work checked by the ever-studious Hermione, while he had to do his all by himself. Damn Malfoy.

“I mean, perhaps he just wanted to get to you...yes, that’s probably it. I mean, he doesn’t care about Ginny...and the fact that it would rankle Ron was probably a plus,” Hermione began again as she wrinkled her nose at the smell of the potion she was stirring. Harry didn’t say anything in reply, and he was barely noticing the stench of his own mixture as he thought. Suddenly, Hermione’s voice broke into his thoughts once more.

“What do you think, Harry?”

He sighed and didn’t look up at her as he replied in an exasperated voice, “I don’t know, okay? Would you please shut up for a minute while I do this?”

Hermione tutted, but didn’t say anything else for the remainder of the time spent in the classroom. Harry would have felt badly for snapping at her like that, but he knew that over the course of the past six years with he and Ron, Hermione had developed a very thick skin for that sort of thing. Besides, talking about the incident was the last thing he wanted right now...and he was even more annoyed with the fact that he now had to run all the way up to Professor Trelawney’s tower for Divination. They had her this month instead of Firenze. Bidding farewell to Hermione at the staircase, he got to class just in time to see Ron take his usual seat in the back of the room. Walking swiftly over to the seat next to him, Harry laid his books down and asked,

“Well?”

Ron didn’t look at him as he replied, “Well, what?”

Harry was in no mood for evasive answers, and so he whispered harshly, “What did you say to her?”

Ron shrugged. “There wasn’t really anything I could say. That git...he knew it was the worst possible thing he could have done. Why couldn’t it have been any other girl standing there?”

“You didn’t say anything?” Harry asked incredulously, not caring in the least that Trelawney was beginning class, “What did she say, then?”

Ron shrugged again, making Harry want to hit him. “I dunno...nothing. Look, she’s just upset right now...she’ll be alright by the end of the day.”

Harry shook his head and tried very hard for once to throw himself into transfiguration...and for the first time in his life, he actually wished he was in Potions. At least Snape would have been able to distract him somewhat from this strange, sick feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach. In Potions, he wouldn’t have had the time to wonder why Ron and Hermione both seemed to think that this was the worst thing Malfoy could have done to Ginny when he, Harry, had been told years ago that she didn’t like him anymore.

Oddly, that thought only made him feel worse, and so he pushed it from his mind as best he could...instead choosing to ponder the exact shades of red in Ginny’s hair.

She knew right from the start that it was going to be a horrible, horrible day. The moment she walked into class, she received alternating stares of pity, sympathetic encouragement, hilarity, and envy from the other girls in the class. Inwardly preparing herself for a bombardment, she sat down at her usual place...and wanted immediately to get back up and run screaming from the room.

“Oh, Ginny!” Tilda Reed gushed into her ear, “I can’t believe you actually kissed him! How did it feel?”

Ginny frowned at her and replied, “It isn’t really something I want to talk about right now, alright? In fact...I want to forget it ever happened.”

“What?” another girl behind her said disbelievingly. “Why would you ever want that? Didn’t you once fancy him in...?”

“That’s enough,” came another quiet voice from beside Ginny, and she turned and was grateful to see her friend Sarah taking her seat beside her. She was looking at her in a way none of the others were...because she understood, truly understood, what this meant. The girls shut their mouths and fell silent at Sarah’s quiet request, and Ginny thought maybe that’d been the worst of it...until the Slytherins walked in.

“Oh, Harry!” they cooed laughingly as they saw her, making kissing noises as they did. Ginny turned red, more with anger than embarrassment at this point, and let her narrowed eyes wander the room. Most people were either shooting them dirty looks or pretending not to hear it, but there were a few who seemed to be struggling to keep from laughing.

Ginny knew for certain then that this was going to be a long, long day.

It had probably been the longest day of Harry’s life. It seemed he was fixed with a permanent scowl on his face, as everywhere he looked there were people whispering about what had happened that morning. Or, at least that’s what it seemed like...he admitted to himself that he might just be paranoid. Still, he had no problem with scowling at Slytherins...whether there was a valid reason or not. As they walked down to the Great Hall for dinner, some Ravenclaws began to giggle as he and Ron passed them in the corridor. Fuming, Harry turned to them and demanded,

“What’s so bloody funny?”

The girls’ heads whipped around, and they went pale at the realization that they’d been overheard. “Er...nothing. Nothing.”

“Yeah, well...” Harry began, but he was cut off by Ron.

“Well why don’t you get where you’re going and quit wandering around out here!”

The girls hurried off, and Harry sighed angrily. Ron shook his head and said, “You have got to relax. Everyone’s not out to get you.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Harry muttered.

Ron wisely didn’t say anything else, and before long they were taking their seats at the Gryffindor table...but only after Harry had come an inch from cursing the entire Slytherin table to pieces. Hermione was there waiting for them, and the minute they sat down she asked Ron,

“Where’s Ginny?”

Ron looked around and replied, “I dunno...I haven’t seen her since this morning.”

“She’s probably hiding, the poor thing,” Parvati Patil broke in from a few seats away, and Harry wondered who had invited her to join the conversation even as the sick feeling in his stomach grew at the realization that she was probably right. He didn’t want her to hide from him...and the disconcerting part of this was that he wanted it even less so now that he had the day before. Logically, he supposed he should be ecstatic that she wasn’t in the same room with him as it would spare him many embarrassing comments and looks...but all that somehow didn’t cancel out the fact that in a disturbing way, he wanted to see her right then. The thought made him angry, so he stabbed his fork into his pork roast harder than was neccesary. What in bloody hell was going on with him?

“Harry?”

He looked up to find Ron staring at him oddly. “What?”

Ron glanced sidelong at Hermione, which only soured Harry’s mood more, and then asked, “Er...I asked if you wanted some potatoes.”

Harry glanced grumpily at the bowl and replied, “No.”

Ron fell silent, and didn’t say anything more until about ten minutes later...and when he did speak, his words nearly made Harry jump clean off the bench.

“Oh...here comes Ginny.”

Ginny could feel her face burning as she walked the semingly endless aisle toward where her brother was sitting at the Gryffindor table...and she tried hard not to turn and run away as she caught sight of Harry sitting next to him. She’d known he was going to be there, after all. Sighing with some relief, she saw that Ron had saved a seat for her...and then her heart dropped into her stomach as the girl on the other side of the empty seat smiled wickedly and slid over. Hermione’s eyebrows snapped together, and Ron frowned as he said testily,

“Oy, I’m saving this seat.”

The girl shot him a haughty look and glanced almost conspiratorially at Ginny before replying, “You can’t...sorry. We need the room.”

“She was just going to sit there,” Hermione broke in, obviously put out as she nodded in Ginny’s direction. The girl turned her head to look at Ginny straight on, and then smiled.

“Well...there’s space over there.”

No sooner had she said this than the girl who was sitting beside Harry seemingly caught on and moved over to make room between them...and Ginny thought she might drop dead right there. No, no, no...this was all wrong. She was trapped in some bad nightmare leftover from her third year. This wasn’t how things were anymore, she felt like screaming. Hermione was scowling harder at the first girl than she’d ever done before, and Ron was shooting the other girl a look of utter disgust. Meanwhile, Harry was trying very hard not to look at anybody...his eyes were glued to his plate, and he looked like he wanted to be sick. Ginny felt her heart sink even more at his obvious embarrasment on account of her...when would she stop doing that to him? Maybe it was hopeless to think she ever could.

Glancing around, she found that half the school was watching the scene with great interest...and that the Slytherins were having a good chuckle over it. Pressing her lips together and deciding that she would not give them the satisfaction of watching her stand there any longer, she gathered her courage and her stomach together and sat in the empty space beside Harry.

He could smell Ginny’s scented lotion as she slid silently into the seat beside him, and it caused a pang of strange familiarity in his chest. It smelled like lime, or coconut...or maybe both. Or neither...he didn’t know, he wasn’t good at that kind of thing. He only knew it was nice...he remembered smelling it that morning, and it hadn’t left his mind all day long. Clutching his fork so tightly his knuckles were white, he tried very hard not to make a complete fool of himself even though all the eyes in the common room that weren’t on Ginny were trained on him. It was as if they all expected something to bloody happen.

“Um...so,” Ron said after a very tense and very pained silence, “Harry? Potatoes?”

Harry glanced up to find Ron looking meaningfully at him. It was as though he was trying to pull Harry out of his stupor...and Harry knew that it was for the sake of Ginny’s pride. Shaking his head to clear it slightly, Harry replied, “Er...yeah, alright. I mean, no...thanks.”

Ron nodded and set the spoon back in the bowl, then glanced nervously at Hermione. Hermione tutted and, not being one to avoid a problem, declared, “Honestly...you’d think someone died or something with the way everyone’s acting! Ridiculous.”

Harry shot her a look that was meant to silence her, but she didn’t seem to catch it. Instead, she turned her attention to Ginny and asked, “Gin...did you ever find that book you were looking for in the library?”

As Ginny finished chewing whatever was in her mouth, Harry imagined he could feel the heat radiating off her body as she sat beside him. He had never been so aware of anything in his life, and he felt like the hairs on his arms was electrified. When she spoke, he could feel her voice vibrating in his chest...what the hell was the matter with him?

“Oh...no, I never did. Someone had checked it out already.”

“Well,” Hermione continued, “I found something in one of my own books that might help you write that essay...I came across it last night while I was reading before bed.”

“You read schoolbooks before bed?” Harry asked, hoping to get his mind off the buzzing in his ears and the fact that everyone was still waiting for something to happen. Hermione shook her head and shoved a forkful of dressing in her mouth, but before she could say anything Ron interrupted,

“Well...it’d put me to sleep.”

Harry smiled at this...and apparently the lessening of the tension disappointed the people around them who were listening intently to the conversation. Before he could say anything else, the girl on the other side of Ginny spoke up.

“Ginny, could you scoot down a bit? It’s a little crowded over here.”

Ginny turned her head to glare at the impudent idiot, and found that everyone down the row was looking at her in excited anticipation. She sighed...she’d find out where this girl had class in the morning and curse her in the corridor. She couldn’t refuse...it would end up being even more awkward for both she and Harry. She had felt his arm freeze beside her when the request had been made, and now it seemed as though this entire section of the Gryffindor table was quieting. Narrowing her eyes dangerously as she could manage and enjoying the slight look of alarm that suddenly tinted the girl’s eyes, she replied,

“Fine.”

Swallowing the bile that threatened to rise in her throat, she made to move slightly closer to Harry...and the girl beside her apparently lost her apprehension because she promptly crowded Ginny’s side so roughly that she was practically shoved right into Harry’s lap. He, for his part, tried to move as far over as he could – as did Ron on his other side – but apparently the people on the other side of Ron had caught on to the plan and refused to budge. Ginny felt suddenly like she was going to be sick, and the sight of the food in front of her didn’t help much. Nor did the fact that her own plate was now resting to her left, and she was practically right in front of Harry’s...this was absolutely mortifying. Harry’s solid arm was the only thing that kept her from being pushed right over on top of him, and she found she had no choice but to lean on it...and she couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach as she did. As always…those damn things always came back. Bloody bugs.

Before she could stop it, her eyes began to well up and her throat closed...she couldn’t. She couldn’t cry...not here. Not ever again because of him. Why were they doing this to her? Deciding she couldn’t sit there another minute and that it would be worse if she were to cry than if she were to simply leave, she wriggled her way out from between Harry and the girl and said,

“I’m going back to the dorms.”

She didn’t look at anyone’s face as she left, but she could practically feel everyone staring. She didn’t know what they were thinking and she didn’t care...she just had to get out of there. Right away.

Harry felt like his arm was on fire as Ginny’s whole weight was pushed up against it...she was warm and soft, and he shouldn’t be thinking anything remotely close to these things right now. Glancing furitively at Ron as though afraid he could read minds, Harry found him glaring furiously at the girl on the other side of Ginny. Hermione was just about to open her mouth and let them have it...and Harry got the insane urge to shut her up. He didn’t...mind this. He didn’t want Ginny to move...he liked feeling her this close, as absurd and astonishing as it was.

Before anyone could say anything, though, Ginny managed to disentangle herself from the table. “I’m going back to the dorms.”

With that, she turned and walked straight out of the Great Hall...and Harry didn’t think. He didn’t care what it looked like to the Slytherins, to the Gryffindors...even to Ron. He had to clear this up...he had to go after her. Standing purposefully and keeping his eyes trained intensely on the door, he strode out after Ginny and ignored the tittering of voices that heralded his exit. She was just about to go up the stairs as he got out into the corridor.

“Ginny, wait!” he called, not missing a step as he walked towards her. She turned...and her eyes seemed bright. He realized with a jolt that she was on the verge of tears, and it was so unexpected that he slowed down momentarily. For the first time since he’d stood up, he faltered in his resolve. He didn’t quite know what to make of this...this wasn’t the Ginny he’d played Quidditch with for the past year. This was a Ginny he hadn’t seen in a long time...one he’d missed, even though he hadn’t realized it until that second. She sighed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Harry, it’s okay...I’m just...”

“Don’t cry,” he said quietly as he approached her, trying to overcome the insane urge to pull her into his arms, “Please...it’s not worth it. Look, who cares what they think. It doesn’t matter.”

Instead of agreeing with him, which was what he half-expected, she let out a humorless laugh and replied, “I’ll bet you’re tired of being embarassed by me, huh?”

He frowned and took a step closer, intending to tell her everything he’d been feeling all day...when he was rudenly interrupted.

“What is this, then? A lover’s quarrel?”

Harry felt his guts go cold as he recognized Malfoy’s insolent voice. Turning, he regarded him with hard eyes. Malfoy seemed to relish the look on Harry’s face...but he also seemed to be more pleased by the look on Ginny’s. As he watched Malfoy’s eyes light up as he too noticed her sparkling eyes, something inside Harry snapped.

“Go to hell, you bloody bastard.”

The Slytherins who were standing around Malfoy watching the show shot their eyes to his slightly shocked face. Harry could feel Ginny at his side...and he could see some of the Gryffindors coming to stand behind him, Ron and Hermione leading them.

“Well, maybe,” Malfoy continued as Ginny felt her stomach knot in anger that almost matched Harry’s, “We can help you two work things out.”

With that, he reached for his wand...but Ginny was quicker. She got her own out even before Harry could reach his, and she didn’t care in the least if she got in trouble. Pointing it directly between Malfoy’s eyes, she shouted the same curse he had used on her earlier that day...and then found herself smiling in satisfaction as he reached over and dazedly kissed Millicent Bulstrode right on the mouth. He had to stand on his tiptoes to do it. The Gryffindors were all laughing hysterically, and Harry turned to her in amazed admiration, a slight smile playing on his handsome face. Her heart skipped...it always did when he looked right at her, as much as she’d tried to deny it to herself for the past couple of years.

However, she didn’t have much time to enjoy it. Not two seconds after Malfoy had released Millicent, Pansy Parkinson turned furious eyes to Ginny. “Why, you little...”

Pointing her own wand, she intended to curse Ginny, but Ginny ducked her head...and the curse hit Hermione instead. As Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindors watched in horror, Hermione turned and grabbed Seamus Finnegan by the ears, planting her mouth firmly on his. Harry made a disgusted noise, and Ginny looked nervously at Ron...who was glaring harder than Ginny had ever seen him do before. The one they should have been worried about, however, was Lavendar...who turned beet red and raised her own wand to curse Pansy...who in turn kissed Goyle passionately as Ginny had ever seen in any film of her father’s.

It was complete chaos after that. Malfoy cursed Lavendar, who kissed Ron, which made Hermione and Seamus both lose it. Hermione cursed Malfoy while Seamus began yelling obscenities, and Malfoy turned and actually kissed Crabbe. Some people were laughing riotously, and some were yelling angrily. Kissing curses were flying everywhere, and Ginny found herself completely confused as to who was cursing whom. Dean Thomas, incidentally, was making his rounds amongst the Gryffindor girls...although Ginny was sure she hadn’t seen anyone curse him at all. He kissed Parvati, then Lavendar, then Hermione...no one paid him any mind, because they were all completely disoriented and wrapped up in the battle that was being waged. Just as Dean got to Ginny, she held up a hand.

“Don’t you dare, Dean Thomas!” she exclaimed threateningly, and he held up his hands and moved on to the next girl. Just as Ginny was about to retreat from the mob, she felt herself grabbed gently around the shoulders...and then she was being kissed by Harry again. This time, the kiss was much slower and deeper than before...and she could feel herself getting lost in the sensation. His hands moved from her shoulders to her face, and then moved to rest on her back as he put his arms around her waist. It seemed to last forever, and for a moment she was convinced that the little war raging around them was going to end before they were finished. She was just thinking about how good it felt to be held to his chest when he let her go and pulled back, the dazed look on his face mingling with a slight frown. Remembering at last what was going on around them, she glared around and wondered who had cast that curse. Deciding she wasn’t going to stay for the intervention of some professor and needing to be alone to recooperate from the feel of Harry’s mouth on hers for the second time that day, she turned and ran up the stairs.

Just as she was disappearing around the corner on the first landing, she heard the angry voice of Professor McGonagall screaming, “What in HEAVEN’S name is going on here!?”

Harry watched as Ginny bounded up the stairs to the dorms...he knew she didn’t know. He still wasn’t sure what had made him do it, as he hadn’t really even given it much thought beforehand. All he’d known was that he had to touch her again...had to see how it would feel without everyone paying attention, when he wasn’t shocked out of his senses.

He was half dismayed and half delighted that the strange pressure in his chest was even stronger now than it had been a moment ago, and it seemed to be doubling with each moment he stood there thinking about her. It had been even better than before...even sweeter.

“What in HEAVEN’S name is going on here!?”

McGonagall’s shrill cry stilled most of the people in the throng of students...all those that weren’t kissing, anyway. Her gaze snapped back and forth from the group of Slytherins to the group of Gryffindors, and she didn’t look to be too pleased with either. Everyone started indignantly explaining their side of the story at once, and McGonagall held her hand up to silence the outcry of voices, her lips pressed into a very thin line.

“I’ll have you all know that I’m taking fifty points from both Gryffindor AND Slytherin for illegaly practicing magic in the corridors, and if I see as much as one wand out for the rest of the evening, I’ll start giving detentions. Now...all of you, back to dinner. Immediately...or else go on back to your common rooms.”

Harry was relieved to see that most of the students turned and headed, disgruntled, back into the Great Hall...including Ron and Hermione. He had never seen people act this awkward around each other – avoiding each others’ eyes, conspicuously striving not to touch as they jostled through the doorway. Harry caught several glares – both from the boys and the girls – directed at Dean, and he couldn’t help wanting to shoot him one of his own. Still, he didn’t have time for that...it wouldn’t be long before Ron and Hermione got to the table and noticed he wasn’t back at dinner with them, and then they’d surely rush through their own. Turning, he bounded stealthily up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower, not really sure what he was going to say when he got there but determined nonetheless.

Upon entering, out of breath with his heart beating harder than it ever had before, he was somewhat surprised to find that Ginny wasn’t in the common room at all. Letting out a heavy breath, he felt his determination slip as he realized that she must be in her dorm...of course she was, he thought angrily. That’s exactly where she’d said she was going. Before he could think about what he wanted to do next, the portrait hole slid open again and in walked Ron and Hermione.

“Harry...are you alright?”

“What?” he asked a bit more testily that he’d intended.

“I mean,” Hermione clarified, a bit testy herself, “Where did you get to? When we sat back down, you weren’t there.”

“Well, obviously he came here!” Ron said to Hermione, who frowned in return. Things were apparently more strained than Harry had originally thought. Hermione tutted impatiently and declared,

“Well...I’m going to get some reading done.”

With that, she spun on her heel and went up to the girl’s dorms...leaving Ron scowling and Harry wishing crazily that he could follow her up there. After a moment, Ron said,

“Can you believe this? Malfoy is a complete...”

“I know what he is,” Harry cut in, moving automatically to the chess table with Ron, “I know better than anyone.”

Ron raised an eyebrow at him and replied, “I dunno about that. I think I’ve got you beat. But anyway...Harry, listen...”

Harry didn’t like the sound of this, but he merely continued arranging his chess pieces as he didn’t see any way to forstall anything Ron might want to say to him. After clearing his throat once, Ron continued, “I saw you kiss Ginny.”

Harry’s hand froze, and he slowly raised his eyes to Ron’s. “You did?”

“Yeah,” Ron replied, looking significantly uncomfortable, “I did. I just wanted to tell you...well, you don’t have to be embarrassed about it, Harry. Everyone was acting crazy, and I don’t hold it against you or anything. Give Ginny a couple days, and she won’t, either. Truth is, I’m oddly relieved that no one else snogged Ginny in that whole mess. I mean, at least you...”

“I did it on purpose,” Harry blurted before he could stop himself. It was as though the words had been forced right out of him...he didn’t even remember thinking it before he said it. His eyes widened in much the same manner Ron’s were doing at that moment, and he had the urge to clap his hand over his mouth.

Ginny wanted to smother herself with her pillow...it was the only conceivable way she could think of to make herself forget that she’d just been kissed for the second time in one day by Harry Potter. She couldn’t seem to bring herself to believe it, even if it had only been because of some stupid spell. One moment that morning he wouldn’t have noticed her had she dropped in an unconscious heap right at his feet, and then next he was kissing her. Well...she was kissing him, but it would hardly do to mince words like that at this point. Not only that, but it had happened again...and it wasn’t even that kiss that had tickeled her imagination so infuriatingly, although she thought she might die of an intense fever if she thought about it for more than two minutes at a time.

It was the fact that he’d followed her out of the Great Hall of his own free will. He’d braved the stares and whispers of everyone in the school and had gone after her when she left. She closed her eyes and hugged her pillow to her chest as she remembered the tone of voice he’d used as he spoke to her...she didn’t think she’d ever heard his voice come out sounding so soft and gentle. Certainly not with her...and she didn’t bother to recall that she’d barely ever heard him use any tone of voice with her at all. Again...why mince words.

Sitting up with some difficulty as she was beginning to get a headache, she pulled her knees to her chest and stared at her bedspread. She’d never get over this...she could tell already. Closing her eyes again, she sighed...it wasn’t as though this type of suffering was new to her, as she’d liked Harry for ages. Expelling a breath, she conceeded to herself that ‘like’ just didn’t seem strong enough to describe a feeling that made her stomach ache on a regular basis...she just didn’t know what word to use. At least before all this, though, she hadn’t known what she was missing. Now that she knew how it felt to be held in his arms, to feel him touch her as though she meant something important to him...she didn’t know how she would ever sleep again.

Laughing a bit to herself even as her eyes became a tad misty, she blinked and looked around the room at nothing in particular as she said out loud, “Silly...so overdramatic. Just like Ron and Mum always say.”

Still...it wsn’t a slight matter as far as she was concerned. She’d been kissed by Harry, and now she’d have to live with the fact that it never would have happened if it weren’t for some stupid spell cast by some faceless assailent. She didn’t even know who to thank for it...

...or curse because of it. Falling back on her pillows, she resigned herself to a life of solitude in her dorm, because she was never coming out of that room again.

“What?”

Now that he’d said it, he could hardly take it back. Swallowing, he steadily held Ron’s gaze as he repeated, “I kissed her on purpose. I wasn’t hit by any spell.”

Ron’s brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed a bit as they scanned Harry’s solemn face. “What do you mean? Why...why would you do that?”

Harry shrugged, finally losing his nerve and casting his eyes down to rest on his bishop...who was impatiently looking from him to Ron and back again, tapping his foot. Harry shot him a glare, which did nothing to still him, and then replied, “I don’t know, alright? I just...wanted to do it. I mean, I’ve had the inclination ever since this morning...with that whole incident at breakfast.”

“Oh, yeah,” Ron groaned as though he’d forgotten that had happened at all, “That’s right.”

“I’m bloody confused about it,” Harry continued, suddenly wanting desperately for Ron’s advice in the area...which was ridiculous, “What the hell is the matter with me?”

Ron didn’t say anything for a moment, instead rubbing his forehead thoughtfully. Harry watched him closely for any sign that he should get up and run, but didn’t see any. Finally, Ron sighed and said, “Well...don’t worry, Harry. You don’t like her, or anything.”

Harry blinked. “I...I don’t?”

“Naw,” Ron replied, shaking his head as though this was obvious, “It’s just a trick of the mind, that’s all. I mean, brought about by extraordinary circumstances...it could have happened to anyone.”

Harry frowned...somehow, he didn’t completely buy into this. “But, Ron...that’s what I thought at first, and...”

“It’s the truth, Harry,” Ron nodded encouragingly, “I mean, it’s only been one day. It’s a normal reaction to have...but we’ll get you over it.”

“We will?” Harry asked dubiously, and Ron nodded vigorously once again.

“Oh, sure...it’ll be easy. There’s not much to like about her, anyway...I mean, that sounds bad. I just...I mean, you know her...she has good qualities, but she’s really hard to live with and all.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to...”

“Right, right,” Ron cut him off, waving his hand in Harry’s face and putting on a repulsed sort of expression, “It’s fine. Just give it a week.”

Harry went back to the game, much to the satisfaction of his pieces and much to his own disappointment. Frankly, he had been hoping for something a bit more helpful from Ron...like advance forgiveness for having to kiss Ginny again sometime soon. He mentally slapped himself as the thought popped randomly into his head, and he decided that maybe Ron was right...he was just under the influence of too much drama. Resolving to take Ron’s advice and just give it time, he settled more comfortably into his chair and glanced over at the still-burning fire.

It looked the color of Ginny’s hair.

His hands froze as he reached for a pawn, and he expelled a frustrated breath as he finally made his move. Ron didn’t know what he was talking about...it wasn’t that simple. He couldn’t even reason it out properly in his head, but it was almost as though he had been harboring all these thoughts and emotions for quite some time...and was only now coming to fully realize them. Glancing nervously at Ron, who was contemplating his next move, he decided that he’d simply have to wait and see how things progressed. If the feelings went away, then fine...he didn’t have anything to decide. If they didn’t...

“Hey, Ron...I always kind of thought that you...”

Ron waited a minute before prompting, “That I what?”

Harry shrugged, not making eye-contact, and finished, “That you sort of wanted Ginny to...er...like me.”

Ron frowned and replied, “Huh? Oh, well...yeah, I did. If she likes you, she doesn’t go around snogging other blokes that I can’t trust. If she likes you...well then, she doesn’t snog anyone. See?”

Harry did see...the only reason Ron had wanted Ginny to fancy him was because Ron had been comfortable in the assurance that Harry had no feelings of that kind whatsoever towards Ginny. Suddenly Harry felt a bit constricted.

Ron made his move and took the pawn Harry had just played, and then shot him a cocky glance. If the feelings didn’t go away...then Harry didn’t intend on ignoring them for much longer, as much as the thought of persuing this caused a lump of anxiety to form in his throat. Nevertheless, he was feeling a bit more confident now that he had a short-term course of action - regardless of how he would feel about it in the morning – and hesitantly he took his turn.

He ended up winning the game.

Ginny felt as though she had been petrified as she tried again to talk herself out of her conviction that she’d heard what she’d just heard. Why hadn’t she done what she’d said she was going to do and kept to her room forever? Then this never would have happened, and she didn’t think she could handle it. She didn’t know if she’d heard correctly, and there was no way to find out for sure. She thought she’d just heard Harry say that he’d meant to kiss her in the corridor before, but she couldn’t allow herself to believe it. He and Ron were talking so softly and she was a good twenty feet away from them, so she couldn’t exactly say for sure...plus the fact that she’d somehow assumed everyone else would be in bed and wasn’t prepared to overhear anything when she’d come to the bottom of the stone staircase leading from the dorms.

As the implications of what it would mean had she really heard what she thought she had struck her, a small smile broke out on her face...and then she turned and ran back up the stairs before she did anything stupid to ruin her little moment, like faint or throw up.

She didn’t analyze what this meant – she was too scared to draw any conclusions of her own, as obvious as they might have seemed – and she didn’t think about what might happen when she saw him at breakfast the following morning. The hopelessness she had been feeling when she’d last lain down in her bed, however, had been replaced by a feeling of excited anticipation...and she found herself reveling in the idea that Harry might fancy her. She couldn’t do anything to affect the situation, as she was too stunned to help anything along. Plus the fact that she wasn’t supposed to know anything about this.

As she drifted off, she decided that she would simply allow fate and circumstance to take over...at least for the moment. After all, it had certainly worked for her thus far. She probably never would have been given the opportunity to experience all these things if she hadn’t walked into the Great Hall that morning when she had, by complete chance.

As she fell asleep, she reminded herself to one day thank Draco Malfoy, and then went on to dream about something she would never have thought possible...the day she’d been given her first kiss by Harry Potter.

FINIS

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