|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Author: cwarbeck Story: Some Kind of Wonderful Rating: Teens Setting: AU Status: Completed Reviews: 13 Words: 26,059
Hermione pulled on his arm. “Come on, Harry. I’ll explain on the way to the hospital wing. Ginny’s awake and she’s asking for you.” Harry immediately set out at a run, his feet pumping frantically. Hermione tried to catch up with him, but his longer strides soon left her behind. “Harry! Wait! I can’t move as fast as you can!” Hermione called out, panting in exertion. Harry glanced back irritably but slowed his pace to a brisk trot when he saw how red Hermione’s face had become in her efforts to keep up with him. “What happened to Ginny, Hermione?” He fought to keep the panic from his voice. “Well, from what I could gather from Colin, Ginny told them that she was going to fly around a bit after their last class. She said she needed to think about some stuff before she met up with someone.” Hermione looked questioningly at Harry. “I’m assuming you were that someone she was supposed to see?” “Yes,” Harry said impatiently. “Why did she go near the Whomping Willow? She knows how dangerous it is, and it’s nowhere near the Quidditch pitch.” They hurtled through the castle and reached the fifth floor, eliciting curious looks from several Gryffindors who were making their way to the corridor leading back to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione shrugged as she ran beside Harry. “From what Ginny said, her broom started acting weird and she couldn’t control it. It kept bringing her nearer and nearer the Whomping Willow. I was a good thing that Colin and her other classmates heard her call out for help when she flew by the castle.” She gave a shiver of fear. “I don’t want to think what would have happened if no one knew where she had gone to.” Feeling nauseated at the thought of Ginny’s bruised body lying on the ground, Harry kept silent as they rushed to the fourth floor. They skidded to a halt outside the hospital wing. They stood there for a moment, catching their breath. “So, she’s awake at least?” Harry asked hopefully. “Yes. Ginny was able to tell us some of what happened. And she informed me that you were probably waiting for her in the seventh-floor corridor.” Hermione touched Harry’s arm in concern. “She’s still kind of weak, Harry. Madame Pomfrey said that she got a concussion and some bruising in her lungs when she fell from her broom.” Harry nodded, his face taut with anxiety. “But she’s going to be okay, right?” His voice came out as a croak. He noticed that the hand he was using to grasp the door handle was trembling. “I think so. Madam Pomfrey can fix anything.” Hermione said confidently, but her eyes were slightly troubled. He took a deep breath, opened the door and strode into the hospital wing. Harry saw that Ron and Mrs. Weasley were sitting beside Ginny’s bed. He hesitated, suddenly feeling shy; after all, he wasn’t family. Maybe he should come back later. Before he could make a decision, Mrs. Weasley spotted him. She gave him a tremulous smile and beckoned him over, giving him a hug when he did. “Are you all right, Mrs Weasley?” Harry asked quietly, not wanting to disturb Ginny. “Yes, dear.” Mrs Weasley answered in a low voice. “I was worried for a while but Madame Pomfrey said that Ginny’s going to be just fine.” Ron nodded sombrely at Harry. “She’s been asking for you, mate.” Hermione came to stand beside Ron and slipped her hand in his. Despite Mrs Weasley’s reassurances, Harry felt his chest tighten painfully as he took in Ginny’s appearance. She was pale and her breathing seemed to be a bit laboured. Her head was partially wrapped in bandages, reminding him of his old Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell. Harry tried not to recall the fate that had befallen his teacher. Harry sat down and took Ginny’s hand in his. He didn’t notice when Hermione, Ron and Mrs. Weasley exchanged glances and quietly slipped away, leaving him alone with Ginny. At his touch, her eyes fluttered open. “Harry?” she whispered, her brown eyes searching his face. “Hey, Ginny,” he whispered back, squeezing her hand. “How are you?” “Not so great.” She winced and touched her head with her other hand. “What happened? I heard you had a nasty encounter with a certain violent tree,” Harry joked, although seeing the condition Ginny was in, he felt like he was being torn apart. Ginny managed a wan smile. “Stupid Whomping Willow. I tried to avoid it, but my broom seemed to think that I needed to bond with that wonky tree.” Harry stroked her hand. It seemed very small to him. “What was wrong with your broom?” Ginny’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I don’t know, but it was acting like it was jinxed or something.” Harry was puzzled and alarmed. “Jinxed? D’you think that someone put a jinx on your broom? Who would do such a rotten thing?” His mind raced with possible suspects. He hoped there weren’t any Death Eaters that had got through the protective wards of Hogwarts. Ginny looked pensive. “I thought I saw Malfoy and his cronies on the Quidditch pitch right after I took off. Maybe he wanted to get back at me for humiliating him at breakfast.” Harry abruptly stood up and would have stormed out of the hospital wing to search for Malfoy and pound the living daylights out of the Slytherin boy had Ginny not called out to him. “Harry! I’m not sure about that!” She struggled to sit up but moaned in pain. “Please, don’t go do anything stupid.” She lay down on the bed again, gasping for breath. Harry quickly sat back down and worriedly touched her face. “Okay, Ginny. Please try to relax. I’m not going anywhere.” I’ll kill Malfoy later, he vowed silently. Ginny gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the Room of Requirement. I would have been there, you know. I just needed to clear my head a little before we talked.” She gave a huge, melancholy sigh. “This wasn’t how I wanted to do this. But seeing that I’m dying and all…” Harry gave a start. “You – what – you’re what? You’re dying?” He stared at her, horror-struck. Ginny gave a sad little laugh. “I heard Madam Pomfrey talking to Mum, Harry. When I fell, I broke some ribs and one of them punctured my lung. Madam Pomfrey performed a quick healing charm to stop the bleeding, but I know that it wasn’t enough. That’s why it’s kind of hard to breathe.” Harry didn’t want to believe it. Hermione had assured him that Madam Pomfrey could heal anything. Mrs. Weasley had said Ginny was going to be just fine. Were they both wrong? He started to panic. He couldn’t lose Ginny. It would be worse than facing Voldemort again. “Ginny, you can’t be dying. Hermione said that — Madam Pomfrey can heal — you just can’t be dying!” Harry protested, apprehensively scanning her face. Ginny lifted her hand to Harry’s arm. “No, Harry. I overheard Madame Pomfrey telling my mum that it was a hopeless case. So, please let me say something while I still have time.” She gazed at him intently, her eyes searching his face. “You know, these past few days have been really awful for me. I’ve been trying to stay away from you, concentrating on my schoolwork, hanging around other people.” She dropped her hand and fiddled with the bedclothes. “I suppose I was attempting to forget you, now that you and Cho are together.” She blinked back tears and lowered her gaze. “Ginny, I –” Harry tried to interrupt but Ginny didn’t seem to hear him. “Well, it wasn’t working, you see. I missed you so much that I couldn’t focus on anything. Even when I was talking with Dean or Colin or Neville, I wanted to be with you, but I couldn’t bear it, knowing you were dating Cho.” She smiled ruefully at him. “I desperately wanted us to be more than just friends, but I also wanted you to be happy. So I decided to distance myself. But now that I’m not going to be around much longer, I needed to tell you how I really feel about you, Harry.” “Who’s not going to be around for much longer?” A concerned voice interrupted their conversation. Harry glanced over his shoulder to see Madam Pomfrey, the school matron, bustle over with a large bottle in each hand and an enormous spoon under one arm. “Me, Madam Pomfrey,” Ginny said, putting on a brave face. “But it’s okay. I’ve accepted my fate. I’m not afraid of death.” “My dear girl, you may have to remain in this hospital bed for several days, but you are certainly not going to die. At least not on my watch.” Madam Pomfrey looked faintly amused as she put the bottles down on the bedside table. “I’m not?” Ginny squeaked out, her face slowly turning the colour of a ripe tomato. “I’m afraid not. Sorry to disappoint you, Miss Weasley.” She measured out a healthy dollop of some oily greenish liquid from one bottle onto the spoon. “But I overheard you tell Mum that there’s little hope for me to get better!” Ginny exclaimed, looking highly discomfited. Madam Pomfrey sniffed dismissively and held out the spoon. “I wasn’t talking about you, Miss Weasley; I was referring to the Ministry’s incompetence in dealing with You-Know-Who.” She waved the spoon under Ginny’s nose. “Now drink this so we can start your recovery. Your lung will heal quite nicely and your concussion isn’t that bad. I expect that you’ll be out of here in no time at all.” Harry was enormously relieved to hear that Ginny was not going to die. He watched as Ginny meekly swallowed her potion. Madam Pomfrey re-stoppered the bottle, and then poured a chalky white concoction from the other container. Ginny dutifully gulped this down too, then hastily pulled up the bedclothes to hide her flaming face. The nurse turned to address Harry, levelling a stern glance at him. “You have exactly fifteen minutes left, Mr. Potter. Then I’m afraid that you’ll have to leave our young charge here to get some rest.” She left the two of them, her heels tapping out a brisk rhythm on the stone floor. Harry grinned down at Ginny, who was still trying to bury herself under her blanket. He thought that she looked awfully cute, even with her head swathed in bandages. He gently tugged the bedclothes down and held her hand again. “Bloody buggering hell! Harry, can you please, please just forget everything I just said?” she wailed in a mortified voice. “Why can’t I even die properly? I have to make a complete fool of myself!” said Ginny plaintively while she attempted to wrestle the blanket away from Harry. “And quit grinning at me like that! It isn’t funny, you know.” But Harry couldn’t stop smiling at her. He couldn’t believe that she felt the same way about him. He impulsively brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He kissed the other one too, for good measure. Then he threw caution to the wind and kissed her full on the lips. Ginny stopped squirming and stared at him in astonishment. “Harry?” she said, bewildered at his actions. She touched her mouth with one hand. “Ginny, I’ve wanted to do that for ages.” Harry gently started caressing her face. “I’ve missed you too. You don’t know how miserable I’ve been these past few days, watching you talk to everybody but me.” She was still staring at him in wonder. “But what about Cho? I saw you with her this morning! You know, hugging and everything!” Harry shook his head, smiling at her. “She was just thanking me, that’s all. Apparently she went out with me to make Roger Davies jealous.” Ginny gasped in indignation and tried to sit up. “That ruddy cow! Who does she think she is, using you like that? Oooh, when I get out of here…” He gently pushed her back onto the bed. “Hey, I wasn’t such a good date either. I spent most of that day on the lookout for a certain red-headed girl and her non-existent date.” Seeing Ginny’s confusion, he laughed softly. “I reckoned you had gone to Hogsmeade with Dean, but I was so bothered by it and I didn’t know why. I only realized that I was jealous of him when I was looking at Cho over the tea service, and I found myself wishing that her eyes were brown instead of black and thinking how much better you look in pale blue.” “Why didn’t you ask me if I had gone with Dean?” Ginny asked. “Don’t you know that he’s dating Parvati and that they spent the entire Hogsmeade visit snogging in Madam Puddifoot’s? It was all Parvati could talk about afterwards.” Harry shrugged. “You didn’t seem to want to talk to me, remember? You all but disappeared the day after the Hogsmeade visit. Besides, I didn’t know how you felt about me, and I certainly wasn’t going to burden you with any unrequited feelings. But I couldn’t stand being away from you anymore. That’s why I asked you to meet me, to tell you how I felt about you.” Ginny smiled at him. “I was in the library all day that Sunday, trying not to torture myself with visions of what you and Cho had done on your date. I wasn’t very successful and I finally decided to go back to the common room after dinner.” She ducked her head and asked in a small voice, “Harry, did… did you kiss her?” “No,” Harry said firmly and lifted her chin with a finger. “No, I didn’t. I don’t think I can kiss anyone else. Not after that wonderful, magnificent, amazing, fabulous kiss in the Room of Requirement.” “Is that why you tried to snog me again in the hall? I’m that good a snogging coach, huh?” she asked pertly, a playful smile on her lips. “Well, I only expect the best from my girlfriend,” Harry declared, feeling extremely bold all of a sudden. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Your – your girlfriend?” Harry cleared his throat nervously. “Er… yeah? What do you say, Ginny? Would you be my girlfriend?” He gazed earnestly at her. “I know I’ve been really slow on the uptake and I can be astonishingly dim sometimes, but I really, really like you and –” “Shut up, silly, and kiss your girlfriend.” Ginny smiled and pulled his head down. As their mouths made contact, Harry again experienced the dizzying sensation that the world had dissolved into nothingness. It was even better than he remembered. There was only Ginny and the velvety softness of her lips moving under his. He slid one hand behind her nape and the other around her waist, pulling her tenderly to him. Ginny wound her arms around his neck and Harry deepened the kiss, willing Ginny to feel every ounce of yearning that he had felt for her while they were apart. This is what heaven must feel like, Harry dazedly thought, wishing the moment would never end. Ginny opened her mouth and when their tongues touched, a slow fire seemed to burn through Harry. She tasted like sweetness and light, like treacle tart and Christmas morning, like finally coming home. He couldn’t get enough of her. Ginny made a small whimper of longing, kissing him back just as fervently, and he answered with a deep groan of satisfaction. He only came to his senses when the sound of several throats clearing penetrated the magical cocoon that had enfolded him and Ginny in their own private world. He reluctantly pulled away and looked up to see Ron and Hermione grinning broadly. Mrs Weasley was dabbing at her eyes and beaming fondly at him. Harry flushed in embarrassment; nevertheless, he did not let go of Ginny’s waist. “I’d say Ginny’s almost fully recovered,” Ron said loudly, smirking at Harry. Ginny stuck her tongue out at her brother, even as Hermione gave Ron a hard nudge in the stomach with her elbow. Harry noticed that his two friends were holding hands once again. He raised his eyebrows at Hermione, who blushed slightly and wordlessly shook her head, a small smile on her lips. Harry looked at Mrs Weasley warily, but she just smiled warmly and patted his arm. She bent down to fuss over Ginny. Madam Pomfrey came back to announce that her patient needed to rest and started shooing them away. “But Mum, I want Harry to stay!” Ginny pouted and clutched at Harry’s hand. “Now, young lady, you know very well that we cannot let visitors stay here in the hospital wing,” Madam Pomfrey admonished. “Only family can remain with the patients.” “I’m sorry, dear, but I think Madam Pomfrey has a point,” Mrs Weasley agreed. “Not that you aren’t family, dear,” she hastened to assure Harry, again patting his arm. Ginny’s expression turned mulish. She was about to argue with her mother, but Harry gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Madam Pomfrey’s right, Ginny. You need to sleep now. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” He gave her a chaste peck on the cheek; however, Ginny apparently had other ideas. She flung her arms around him again and kissed him long and hard on the lips, leaving them both breathless and grinning foolishly at each other. “You’d better come by and visit me tomorrow, or I’m going to march up to your dormitory and kick your arse, Harry Potter, never mind what Madame Pomfrey says,” Ginny warned him, but her eyes were sparkling, full of love and laughter. “Hagrid’s Blast-Ended Skrewts couldn’t keep me away,” Harry promised solemnly. He gave her a final kiss and caress on the cheek, then straightened up and said good night to Mrs. Weasley, who beamed at him. He walked out with Ron and Hermione, feeling giddy, as if he was flying on his Firebolt. Ron clapped him on the back. “So, Potter – you and my little sister, huh?” Harry’s euphoria came crashing down on him. He had forgotten Ron’s penchant for playing the overprotective older brother. He eyed Ron carefully. “Yeah, well, you don’t mind, do you?” “Hmmm…I don’t know…” Ron looked at him gravely then laughed uproariously at the look of consternation on Harry’s face. “Mate, I’m just having a bit of fun with you. It’s fine with me, since it obviously makes Ginny and you happy. I don’t think I could stand the two of you moping any longer. Another week of that and you’d both be giving Moaning Myrtle a run for her money.” Harry let out a sigh of relief. If Ron hadn’t been all right with his relationship with Ginny, it probably wouldn’t have stopped Harry from asking her to be his girlfriend, but he was glad that his oldest and best friend was happy for him. “You should probably watch out for Bill and Charlie though,” Ron continued, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “Oh, and when the twins find out, you’re never going to hear the end of it.” Harry groaned as Hermione stifled her chuckle with her hand. He decided to turn the tables on them. “Huh, well, what will those brothers of yours have to say when they find out about you and Hermione?” he asked, staring pointedly at Ron, who was still grasping Hermione’s hand tightly. “When did this happen anyway?” It was Harry’s turn to laugh when both Hermione and Ron flushed crimson. “I’ll just make sure they don’t find out,” Ron muttered. Hermione frowned and let go of Ron’s hand. “And why are you going to do that, Ronald?” A dangerous note had crept into her voice, which had risen a full octave. “Are you ashamed of our relationship?” Ron shook his head vehemently. “No, it’s not that, Hermione! I just don’t want the twins to bombard us with pranks. So, we should keep it hushed up. I don’t fancy telling everyone we meet that I’ve finally agreed to go out with you.” Hermione screeched in indignation and launched into a lengthy diatribe on why Ron was an insensitive prat, growing more eloquent with each second that passed. Harry rolled his eyes and walked on ahead. “I’ll see you guys later,” he called over his shoulder, not bothering to see if Ron and Hermione had heard him. Harry wanted to reach Gryffindor Tower as soon as possible, so he could make plans on making Malfoy pay for his actions. He frowned as he realized that he didn’t have enough evidence against the other boy. Sod Malfoy, he thought, shrugging his shoulders. I’ll think about my revenge tomorrow. Ginny’s my girlfriend! Whistling happily, he climbed through the portrait hole. He smiled as he passed Neville and the Creevey brothers, and even waved magnanimously to Dean, who was sitting with Parvati Patil. Still in high spirits, he hummed as he proceeded up the stairs to his dormitory. Harry grinned contentedly while he prepared for bed. This was one night when he couldn’t wait to dream about kissing Ginny again. He lay down on his pillow and closed his eyes, pleasant images of Ginny’s chocolate brown eyes and gently smiling mouth filling his head. As he drifted off to sleep, Harry promised himself that he was going to make certain that the dream would pale in comparison to the actual thing. He would definitely make sure of that. *
|