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Author: Gowdie Story: Bewitched and Bewildered Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 16 Words: 30,619
Author's note for my own protection: I would just like to take this opportunity to restate that this story was written prior to HBP. I think you'll see why when we get to the end of the chapter. Let's just say Ginny's reaction is a little different.
Ever since Ginny had brushed him off that morning, Harry had spent the rest of his day in utter turmoil. He was still extremely happy with how the whole Dean thing had turned out. He had been granted a second chance, and he knew he had to take it. Now. Before Ginny decided to choose someone else. The problem was he had absolutely no idea what to do. And the very idea of doing anything had him virtually immobilized with fear. Asking Cho to the ball had been frightening enough, and he didn't even have to see her every day if he didn't want to. This was Ginny. He lived in the same house as Ginny. He played Quidditch several times a week with Ginny. He was best friends with her brother, business partner to the twins and practically an honorary son to her parents. He was friends with Ginny. At the same time, he was still muddled over the fact that the turn of events that was filling him with such relief was causing her pain. Worst of all, apparently some of that pain was being directed towards him. And despite the fact he wanted to tell himself he had no idea why, the truth was he had a vague idea. Although she had apologized for snapping at him, and he was fairly certain she wouldn't have bothered if she didn't mean it. Harry really wished he could just have a chance to chat with her as they did normally, so that he could have some clue as to where they stood. That opportunity was what he was looking forward to when he went to the Great Hall for supper. Problem was, Ginny never showed. Not asking about her nearly drove him mad. Fortunately, when it started to get late, Ron actually took the time to question one of the other girls from Ginny's year. It was strange, Harry thought, a couple of years ago, Ron probably wouldn't have even noticed her absence. Now she was a part of the group. In response to Ron's inquiry, the girl said, "Oh, she um, had a bit of an incident in Potions this morning." "An incident?" The girl looked a bit nervous. "I don't think she was paying as close attention as she usually does. She stirred counter-clockwise instead of clockwise and the whole thing exploded in her face. She's been in the hospital wing ever since." "Huh," Ron said after he returned to his pudding. "I suppose I ought to go check on her." Hermione glared at him from over her book. "You suppose?" Harry and Hermione went back to the common room to start on homework while Ron went to make his visit. When Ron joined them half an hour later, he brought the news that Ginny was covered from head to toe in rather painful-looking blisters. "Madam Pomfrey said they wouldn't be permanent," Ron explained, "but she'll probably be in there for a day or two until they go away. I think she's feeling a little self-conscious. She kept looking at herself in a hand mirror and moaning." "Hmmm," Hermione said thoughtfully, "someone ought to do something to cheer her up." Harry had never been so happy for prefect rounds in his entire life. After a few minutes of staring into the fire, he had come up with the most excellent plan. A couple of hours with his Charms textbook - and he was ready. It was perfect. Something that would cheer her up and would also give him a chance to let her know at least a little of what he was feeling. Best of all, he hoped it would be sort of funny. He was a genius, really. Still with an hour to go before curfew, he made his way to the hospital wing. When he walked in, Ginny was poking at her face while looking in the mirror Ron had mentioned. "You know," he kidded. "You're probably not supposed to scratch. We're not going to have to get you gloves, are we?" Embarrassed at having been caught, Ginny slammed the mirror down with an exaggerated groan. Then she gave him an adorable mock-frown. "They're really bad, aren't they?" Harry shrugged. "I've seen worse. You never did get to see Hermione during her week of being a cat person." He tried to swallow down his nerves. It was now or never. Or possibly now or next week. No, no, he had come this far. "I - ah - I brought this for you." Ginny took the card from him curiously. "What is this?" Harry beamed. He was brilliant. "It's a singing get-well-card." Ginny opened it and was immediately blasted in the face by a screeching noise that could only be considered singing in the very loosest terms. "It's a bit off-key." Harry's smile became impossibly larger. "I know. Here." He grabbed the card from her and placed it under an enormous fruit bowl he assumed came from her family. "It's the only way to keep them quiet." Ginny gazed at the now muffled card dubiously. "Are you making fun of me?" Harry's mouth dropped. "No!" When Ginny finally met his eyes she looked almost hurt. "No. You gave one to me after I fell during Quidditch and I figured it must have been embarrassing for you, so I thought... I just wanted to show..." "I wasn't embarrassed," she said flatly. "What?" "I wasn't embarrassed by the card I gave you," she repeated. Harry was stunned. "You weren't?" Ginny looked down into her hands. "I was proud of it. It's a rather complicated charm. Though not for a sixth-year, I suppose. George sat with me for three hours teaching me how to get it right." All of this was shocking news, to say the least. Especially the part about Ginny going to one of her brothers for help. From what Harry had seen, they had been a little merciless about her crush. "George helped you? And he didn't - didn't tease you?" "I think it was my one free pass owing to you saving my life the year before. That, and both he and Fred were nearly sick after watching you hurtle to the ground." This wasn't going well. Ginny seemed almost angry. In all the years he had known her, Ginny had never mentioned him saving her life, except for that one conversation the past summer, and that had the air of a special allowance. Here she was almost hurling it like a weapon. "Oh." It was all he could manage. Ginny looked back at the muffled card and sniffed, "Did you put my card under a fruit bowl?"
Harry took his time on his way back to the common room. Of all the reactions he had imagined, hers hadn't been anywhere close. He sat in front of the fire and tried to concentrate on an essay; but really, he mostly just sulked. When Ron and Hermione returned from rounds, he used all his powers of concentration to try to freeze Hermione to her chair. He desperately needed to talk to her. Finally, mercifully, Ron headed off to bed. Harry leaned forward in his chair. "I went to visit Ginny." Hermione gave him a broad smile. "So how did it go?" "Awful." He flopped backwards. "I gave her a singing get-well-card like the one she gave me in third year, and she thinks I'm making fun of her. Apparently I've insulted her twelve-year-old self." "Oh," Hermione said wrinkling her nose. "Well, that's not good." Harry pointed madly towards the boys' dorm. "You know, I still have that card in my trunk, and it is excessively loud. I'm not wrong about this." Hermione's eyes went wide. "You kept the card?" "Yes." "Do you keep all the cards you get?" she asked innocently. "Are you mad?" Harry exclaimed. "Of course not." "So why did you keep the one from Ginny?" Hermione asked, sounding as though she were his therapist. Harry shrugged. "Just didn't feel right throwing it away. I have all the letters from you and Ron, too, you know. It's not a big deal." "It is a big deal, Harry. You should have shown her that instead." For a moment her eyes went disturbingly dreamy. "That would have been romantic."
Harry had no choice. He had to go back and see Ginny that night. He couldn't leave it alone. He donned his Invisibility Cloak and made his way slowly through the halls. When he reached her bed, he stayed under the Cloak for a minute, watching her. She was holding the card. She opened it for a moment, letting it sing its horrible tune, and then, frowning, slammed it back under the fruit bowl. Harry waited a full minute before revealing himself, so as not to let on that he had seen. When he pulled off the cloak, Ginny nearly leapt off her bed. "Blimey, Harry! Are you trying to scare me to death?" she asked, taking a deep breath. "Sorry about that, Gin, but I had to talk to you..." "Look, I've been thinking," Ginny cut him off, sounding highly agitated. "I might be overreacting because I feel deeply ugly right now and I am insecure enough at the moment, but I just don't think I can take being teased about the fact that you never liked me. I realize we're friends, and maybe it is something we should be able to joke about, but I just can't. Not yet. You've never thrown it in my face before; I don't understand why you are choosing to now." Harry tried to remain calm. "I'm not throwing anything in your face." Ginny pointed at the infamous signing card, still floundering under the fruit bowl. "Then what the bloody hell do you call that?!" Harry forged ahead. It had to be done. "You gave me a card because you liked me. I am sorry I said it embarrassed you when it didn't. But I assumed it did, and I was trying to do something embarrassing for you." "Why?" she asked, flabbergasted. "I was trying to..." Harry waved a hand around at a loss. "I don't know, to prostrate myself or something. To try and make up for whatever I must have put you through then." "What are you talking about?" "I guess I was hoping it was obvious." Harry rubbed his hands through his hair furiously. This was it. He was just going to have to spell it out. "Look, I kept the card you gave me. Hermione said I would have to do something to convince you. Something good. She said you might not want to like me again. I kept the card. I might not have liked you the way you wanted then, but I also couldn't throw away something you gave me. I'm hoping that says something." He stopped and lowered his voice. "Because I am noticing you now." Ginny looked terrified. Great, now she thought he had gone absolutely nutters. Why did he have to be such complete and total rubbish when it came to everything to do with girls? He felt like an idiot. Perhaps the biggest idiot ever to walk the earth. And then she quietly said something that made him feel even worse. "I'm not sure I do want to like you again, Harry."
The next day Harry felt terrible. He must have looked it, too, because Hermione kept shooting him concerned glances. Finally, after lunch, she actually sent Ron off on a false errand to the library to find a book for her. Harry appreciated how worried she must be to use such a tactic. Once they were alone, she immediately asked, "You went to see Ginny again, didn't you?" Harry thumped his head against the table. "Yeah." "And?" she asked eagerly. "She's not sure she wants to like me." "Well, that's good news," Hermione said, sounding rather matter-of-fact. Harry was gobsmacked. His head shot up. "How is THAT good news?" "Because it means she hasn't absolutely decided against it," Hermione said helpfully. "You could still convince her." "Maybe I'm not sure I want to," Harry grumbled. "Last night was one of the most humiliating episodes of my life. Sorry if I'm not keen to endure a repeat performance." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she said, "For my birthday Ron and I had a picnic by the lake." "What are you going on about?" Her eyes glazed over a bit as she remembered. "It was sunny and warm, and it had been a really stressful week, and somehow I fell asleep. When I woke up, Ron was curled around me, playing with my hair. The way he was gazing down at me, it seemed as though he would always love me, always take care of me and watch over me. Then he kissed me - and I knew it was true. We spent the rest of the afternoon out there. I can still remember every detail: what the air smelled like, how scratchy the blanket was..." Harry decided to interrupt before the image of his two best friends together became really disturbing. "Hermione, I really don't want to know this." "I know you don't. But do you want to feel it, with Ginny?" The image changed, and that was it: clarity. To feel that cared for, that close to someone. It was something Harry had never felt. A simple sunny afternoon on a blanket with a girl. He wanted it. So terribly his mouth went dry. Apparently reacting to his dream-like expression, Hermione's voice suddenly rose severely. "Then for crying out loud, act like the wizard I know you are and fight for her!"
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