14As she watched, Harry and Ron pulled out some parchment and started scribbling furiously. Every once in a while, one of the tow would pause, look thoughtful, then grin at their own brilliance and write it down. A smile pulled at Ginny's lips when she realized she had thought of her brother as thoughtful.
Harry leaned back; quill tucked behind his ear, and read something aloud to Ron and Hermione. When he was done, Ron burst out laughing. Hermione glared at them and lectured them for a few minutes. Her companions rolled their eyes and turned back to their work. But none of them fooled Ginny: she saw them all smiling into their work.
The common room was emptying around them, but none of our four noticed. Hermione had finished her homework and was sitting with Crookshanks on her lap. She absently stroked his fur, staring off into space. At one point, Harry seemed to feel her eyes on him. He looked around the near-empty common room, puzzled, until his eyes found Ginny. He smiled uncertainly at her. She smiled back, not looking away or blushing at being caught watching, as she would have a few years ago. Soon, his attention was called away by Ron, and hers shifted to the lake outside her window, but still she was thinking of him.
She had once liked him as more than a friend. She had liked him so much it hurt. Everyone had known about it, too. She had been stupid and had embarrassed herself. They'd both gotten over it eventually. Moved on. She'd liked other people, and so had he. They'd become friends again.
Somehow, though, something was always different with Harry. He had a way of making her feel..special when they talked. They didn't talk often, but their short conversations left her feeling different. She knew she loved him as a friend. As a hero, even. But was there something more?
Ginny thought of all of this while she was staring out the window. She shivered, and hugged her knees closer to her chest. It had gotten late, and the moon was high in the sky, but she didn't feel tired. She shivered once again, and decided to move nearer to the fire. She looked into the common room in time to see Ron heading up the stairs, leaving Harry in one of the chairs near the fire. Ginny walked over to the other chair facing the fire. Without a word she curled up into it. Harry looked away from the fire and smiled at her, just as he had earlier. She smiled back, and they both looked into the fire.
After a while, Ginny grew tired. She said goodnight to Harry, kissed the top of his head, as she would have done to any of her brothers. She was walking towards the girl's staircase when she heard Harry say her name.
"Ginny?" she turned. Harry was no longer looking into the fire. His eyes seemed to be searching her face.
"Stay here with me?"
Ginny smiled gently, and moved back to her chair.
The two talked all night. Mostly, Ginny just listened. He talked about things she knew he hadn't even told Ron.
Morning found the two in the same chairs. Harry seemed to have talked himself out, and had fallen asleep in his chair. Ginny watched him sleep for some time.
Eventually, Hermione came down. "You two are up early for a Saturday," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"One of us is, in any case."
Ginny and Hermione talked for a while, and then Ron came down and prodded Harry awake.
Seeing that he was in good hands, Ginny once again moved for the stairs, planning on taking a nice, hot shower. But once again, she heard Harry's voice calling her back.
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Thanks," he replied, a bit shyly. "Ya know, for last night."
"Anytime." She said, really meaning it.
And then Harry leaned down and kissed her. It was short, Ginny barely had time to close her eyes, but when she looked back up at Harry, he was as happy as she'd ever seen him. She grinned, and headed upstairs. About halfway up, she heard Ron's voice.
"What, exactly, happened last night?"
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Not mine. JKR's. One-shot, most likely. Please Review! Flames are good for roasting marshmallows. =D