Part 21

Oh look! I'm alive! In case you didn't know, while I was away, I was working on a different story and a chapter or two are up right now. I know some of you have a soft spot for Draco, and now you can read about your love story, starting in first year. "Everything Changes (Draco x Reader)", Is up on my page now. So finish up this chapter, and go give my other story a try. <3 

In the great hall, Harry, Hermione and Ron sat quietly. Hermione kept stealing awkward glances at Ron who seemed too preoccupied with his nerves surrounding the upcoming quidditch game.

Harry cleared his throat in an attempt to clear the tension. "Where's Ginny, then?"

"In the dormitories." Hermione said. "Right." Harry replied, as Luna Lovegood skipped up to the table wearing a large lion-themed headdress. "Hello everyone! You look dreadful Ron..." She looked at Harry. "Is that why you've put something in his drink? Is it a tonic?"

Hermione and Ron both glanced at Harry, who not-so-discreetly slipped his vile of liquid luck into his pocket. "Harry!" Hermione cried. "That's illegal!" Harry shrugged, smirking playfully. "I don't know what you're talking about." She scoffed, and turned to Ron. "Don't drink it!"

Ron looked at her, then back at Harry, and with a determined look on his face, downed the goblet. As he finished, Ginny sat at the table, slightly short of breath. "Alright then, what's going on?" She said, grabbing a piece of toast.

Hermione scowled at the boys. "Foul play." She growled. Escaping Hermione's notice, Ginny glanced at Harry inquiringly, who replied with a nod. She grinned as he smacked her hand under the table. "Well that's the only way to play, isn't it boys? Come on, eat up. We've got a game to win."

-

Harry was enjoying being able to freely fancy Ginny without putting up with the jealousy of her being with Dean. He had no idea why they had broken up, but he wasn't complaining, and in his opinion, she seemed happier.

The game was fun. With it being only the first game of the year, the pressure to win was absent for Harry, and during slower parts of the game he found himself looking over at Ginny or joking around with her.

Ron was doing unbelievably well, and when Harry and Ginny were discussing Ron's quidditch issue, it ended up being her idea to pretend to slip the Felix into his drink to help out with his confidence. And clearly, it had worked.

Harry, for once, was perfectly contented. But even he was smart enough to know that with his luck so far, that wouldn't last long. The dark lord was still out there, and Dumbledore was prepping Harry to kill him. Kill him. The idea had still barely sunk in, that he, Harry Potter, would have to be the one to kill the most powerful dark lord of all time.

Harry was slipping deeper into his train of thought when- "Oi! Harry! If you would quit daydreaming about me, snitch at 7 o'clock!" Ginny winked and bolted after the quaffle as Harry shook his head, chuckling, and steered his broom the other way.

-

The game was won, by Gryffindor, of course and the after party was a success. Everybody was laughing, drinking and celebrating. Eventually, Ron was right in the middle of it, soaking in the glory as the rest of Gryffindor house praised his performance. They chanted his name, shook his hand and clapped his back. That was when Lavender Brown snuck up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and his lips were immediately caught in a passionate snog. Ron wrapped his arms around the girl as the crowd cheered loudly. 

Harry grinned at his friend and turned to look at Hermione, but found her with a hurt expression on her face, as she stormed out of the room with warm tears escaping her eyes. Harry looked to Ginny, but she seemed to be silently fuming at Ron, so Harry left the common room to find her. 

Later with Ginny and Ron.

"You liked Hermione, Ron. I know you did. So what the bloody hell was that for?" Ron rolled his eyes and plopped onto the couch next to his sister, then swiveled around and placed his head in her lap, stretching his legs out. 

"Alright, maybe I did. Maybe I do... I don't know. The only thing that matters is that 'Mione hasn't said anything. I'm single, a free agent." He sighed contently, and Ginny rolled her eyes. "Plus, it can't hurt for her to be a bit jealous for once. Where was I when she was off frolicking with Victor Krum at the ball?" 

The name rolled off Ron's tongue like venom. "This is cruel, Ron. Hermione's heartbroken and Lavender Brown thinks you like her. I've no idea why Hermione's still interested when you pull stuff like this. Bloody twat." With her last words, she shoved Ron's head off of her. 

Ron rubbed the back of his scalp. "Oi, you're one to talk! Snogging Dean out and about while Harry watched." Ginny looked up at him. "What are you talking about?" She snapped. "We all know Harry fancies you, you'd have to be blind as a bat not to see it! The way he sulked around while you two were together..."

"Now you're fibbing..." Ginny said, casually. But her wide eyes didn't stray from Ron. "He's my best friend, Gin. And he's bloody awful with girls; remember Cho? That was a nightmare." 

"Nightmare?"

"Well he was falling all over her. He wouldn't stop staring at her, it was quite obvious, really. I suppose he's done a better job at hiding it now but still... Every time you two hang out- well every time he talks to you, actually just whenever he's with you..." He paused. "It's actually whenever he looks at you if I'm being perfectly honest. It's like bloody Christmastime, the way he lights up."

"Oh." Ginny replied, softly. She stared at her hands quietly. "Ginny?" 

"Hm." 

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed loudly. Ginny jumped. "What? What!?" "Why'd you go all quiet like that?" He accused, pointing at her. She exhaled. "You don't have to yell like that, Merlin's beard..." She said, dodging the question. Ron looked at her for another moment with a comically disgusted look on his face, like a child eating broccoli. He then looked away, shuddered a bit, and rose from the couch. "Just don't go dating him.." He called, before muttering: "That's just gross..." 

Ginny blinked a few times as Ron ducked out of the portrait hole, then looked back down at her lap and tried to process the thought. Harry liking her... 

Many moments earlier, but with Harry and Hermione. 

"'Mione? Hermione?" Harry wandered the halls in search of the girl. At last he heard sniffling in in an empty classroom. Harry smiled sadly as he peered at her through the crack in the door, then stepped in and knocked. "Delivery for a Miss Hermione Granger?" Hermione whipped around and hiccuped, then let out a small chuckle. "And what have you brought me?" Harry tilted his head. "Just a hug." 

He walked over to her and embraced his friend. She let out another wet chuckle, one smaller one, then broke into sobs. Harry sighed and held her closer as she cried into his shoulder. Once she'd finished and Harry was only quietly rocking her back and forth, she pulled away. "Blimey." She remarked. 

They sat on some desks. "Bloody idiot, that Ron is." Harry said. Hermione shrugged. "Not worth crying over." It was quiet for a moment. "You know he-" Harry started. "No, no, no. I don't want to talk about Ronald." Harry nodded. "On the bright side, at least one of our love lives are working out." Harry looked at her. "What are you talking about?" 

"You and Ginny." Harry blushed slightly and Hermione burst into giggles. "Alright, shove it." 

"It's true!" She exclaimed. "You know... the way she looks at you..." 

"Stop." 

"Or how she laughs at your jokes..." 

"'Mioneee..." 

"Or how she smiles and blushes whenever you touch her. Kind of like you're doing right now." 

"Hermione!" Harry shoved her playfully and Hermione laughed loudly again, Harry couldn't help but grin, at least glad that she wasn't crying anymore. "I'm serious, Harry. Ginny likes you!" Harry shook his head. "No way. She's only ever had a silly little crush. That was when she was younger, not anymore." Hermione nodded. "No... yes, you're absolutely right. This isn't just a silly little crush. This is love. She's in love." 

"Hermione Granger." She smirked. "What? Am I getting your hopes up?" Harry shook his head. "No just... Don't joke like that so loudly... Me and the Fat Lady... We- we've had a bit of a thing going for a while I don't want to mess it up." At the end of his sentence, Harry couldn't keep in his laughter, causing Hermione to cackle as well.

They continued until their stomachs hurt and it was hard to breathe. Little did they know, further down the hall Ron was strolling, and decided to find the source of the laughter. Ron crept down the corridor and peeked into the room to find his two best friends doubled over, without him. Ron frowned. He knew that he shouldn't have kissed Lavender, of course he liked Hermione. He just wasn't sure how to tell "Lav-Lav" that it was a heat of the moment mistake. He bit his lip sadly as he watched them. Had he messed up? 

Soon, Hermione left Harry in the empty room. Their banter had drowned out any thoughts beyond surface level that might have come to his head, but now that he was alone and the room was quiet, his doubt got louder and louder. He had other things to worry about... Dumbledore was asking him to lure out Profesor Slughorn's deepest secret, and he'd already messed it up more than once. Hermione wouldn't stop badgering him about his potions book, and his pride wouldn't possibly let him admit it to her, but he had a bad feeling about it too. Oh, and he had to kill Voldemort, of course... But he just couldn't ignore the thought. Ginny liking him... 

Later. 

Harry couldn't sleep after his conversation with Hermione, so he figured he'd take a walk. It was relatively late, so nobody was around the castle, meaning he was free to roam the corridors in solitude. Of course, just his luck, he ran into a redhead on the way. 

"Harry! Bloody hell, you scared me. What are you doing up this late?" Ginny was never usually this jumpy, and something seemed to be bothering her. Harry fell into step with the girl. "Just thinking." Ginny nodded. "About what?" 

"Hermione told me earlier that you were in love with me." He joked. Ginny faltered for a millisecond, but gained composure. "Merlin, what a coincidence. Ron had just told me the exact same thing about you!" 

"Really?" 

"Mhm." 

The two of them cleared their throats quietly and looked away from each other. "Is she okay? Hermione?" Ginny said. "Yeah... Yeah, she's fine. What's up with Ron?" Ginny rolled her eyes. "He's such a prat. I wish the two of them would stop dancing around each other and get together already." 

"Yeah." Harry replied quietly, looking away from Ginny. "If only." Ginny clenched her jaw discreetly and quickly stole a glance at him. "They're oblivious, really. The both of them." 

"That they are..."