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| Starring: Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley - Harry contemplates his life during a bad storm and must try not to show his feelings for Ginny. |
| It�s just one more day
No one said there would be rain again Won�t blame it on myself, yeah I�ll blame it on the weatherman Harry watched the end of his pen quietly scratch across the surface of his grueling Potions essay. It was a pain being in an advanced potions class just because he decided to pursue the life of an Auror. It was a surprise that he had passed that O.W.L. to begin with. He looked up at Ron quickly and then back at his essay. Ron was happier than ever, which was an odd occurrence when he was doing work. However, there was a reason for his happiness and Harry knew all too well what it was. Harry glanced up once again to see if Hermione was just as happy as Ron, and sure enough, she was. A small smile played on her lips while she wrote and her eyes were bright. It had been a long time coming, but Ron and Hermione were finally an official couple and had been since September. It�d happened in the midst of a passionate argument, which Harry had unfortunately witnessed half of. He escaped during the gruesome part and didn�t find out until later how it ended. Get away for a while Here I am out on my own again Won�t blame it on myself, yeah I�ll blame it on the weatherman Ron set his quill down and sighed. �Done.� �Finished,� Hermione corrected, glancing up at him to see his reaction. He rolled his eyes. �Well excuse me!� She set her quill down and closed her book. She turned and looked at Ron imploringly, subtly raising her eyebrows, as if daring him to tease her. �Finished, my dear?� �Yes, as a matter of fact. Now I�m ready for a spot of dinner. Are you?� �Hermione, honestly, you know me better than that. Do I ever turn down food?� She only smiled at him, a smile Harry noticed Hermione only gave to Ron. It always made Ron a completely submissive sod, but it did the trick. He strolled right to her, took her hand and made his way out of the portrait hole with her. Harry smiled in spite of his friends and set down his quill, sick of his essay. It was funny to him that his best friend could become so weak in the hands of the girl he loved the most, but then again, he had no room to criticize. Except, unlike his best friend, he couldn�t do it openly. He had to conceal it. No one knew he was in love. Standing on the shore Calling out your name I was here before I could see your face Harry slouched in his chair and rubbed his face. He wasn�t going to let this get on his mind. Whenever he thought about it, it depressed him. He didn�t want to be down for the rest of the night. He had enough going on without the thought of his private love for another. He turned to gaze out the window and noticed that the sky had gone completely white, as it did in the winter. He took his glasses off and set them on his essay and stared at the clouds. For some reason, whenever he removed his glasses, he could see cloud outlines better in the winter sky and everything seemed clearer. Only clouds will see Tears are in my eyes Empty like my heart Why�d you say goodbye? His sixth year at Hogwarts had been no easier than his first five, if not harder. He thought in his third year that a certain fourth year Ravenclaw named Cho Chang was exactly what he wanted. In his fourth year, he thought it had been hard watching her from a distance, knowing he�d never be able to have her. But it was in his fifth year that he realized Cho was all wrong for him. Kissing Cho hadn�t been a mistake. She just wasn�t Ginny. He finally recognized his love for Ginny as he sat and thought about her over the course of the summer. He didn�t know why he�d become so jealous when Hermione informed him of Ginny�s attachment to Michael Corner. He wasn�t sure why he�d completely overlooked the fact that she was probably the only other person close to his age that had faced Voldemort. He spent three months wandering around, unaware of his feelings. He remembered feeling numb until he found Ginny one cold night in November by herself in the common room. It was then he had to tell her. He had to pour out his heart to her or she�d never understand. She probably wanted nothing to do with him. He�d spent five years completely ignoring her and all of a sudden he was ready to love her? So he said it, and she loved him too. The rain goes on (on and on again) The rain goes on (on and on again) The rain goes on (on and on again) Harry watched in his blurred view out the window. It was starting to snow. The flakes were gently hitting the glass. He reached over and grabbed his glasses so he could get back to work. The essay was due in a week and he knew it was Hermione�s influence that inspired him to continue his work. Bloody women, he thought bitterly. Just as his quill touched the paper, Hedwig landed on the windowpane, scaring him to death. He opened the window quickly so as not to leave her out for too long. She was carrying a large, lumpy package. He frowned. The only people who ever gave him Christmas presents were already at the school. Alone I can hear Hear our song playing for me again Won�t blame it on myself, oh no Just blame it on the weatherman He took the package from Hedwig, offered her a piece of his Chocolate Frog, and sat down again. The package was from Remus, the last person he had expected to hear from. He ripped it open quickly, wondering what it could possibly be. The first thing that fell out was a letter. Harry bent down to read it as he pulled out the contents and set them in front of him. �Merry Christmas, Harry! I hope this letter finds you well. I am still working and am very happy to be doing so.� Harry knew by �working,� Remus was referring to the Order. �I decided this year that sending you a gift was probably in both of our best interest. Not that this in any way can make up for what you�ve lost,� Harry didn�t miss how he wrote �you�ve� instead of �we�ve�, �but I thought it might cheer you a bit. I found these in the attic of the Black manor. They used to belong to your father. Have good holidays, Harry. Remus� Harry set the letter down and felt tears threaten his eyes. He couldn�t let himself cry, not with so many people in the common room around him. He leaned over and yanked the gift out of its protective covering. The biggest thing he�d pulled out was a soft, scarlet sweater. It was hand knit and reminded him of the sweaters Mrs. Weasley always made him. He unfolded it and saw, to his delight, the word �Seeker� sewn in gold on the front. He turned it around and saw �Potter� knit onto the back in large gold lettering. He smiled, but it only broadened when he caught a glimpse of the inside. To James, with love from Lily. His mother had made it for his father. He once again felt the tears in his eyes but something else caught his eye. Standing on the shore Calling out your name I was here before I could see your face A small object had flown across the table and in his zeal, he�d overlooked it. He reached over and picked it up. Upon seeing what it was, he almost dropped it. A diamond ring. A very small, diamond ring. It had obviously been his mother�s, and Harry couldn�t believe it. Remus had sent him the ring as if he knew. But how could Remus, of all people, know? Harry and Ginny were the only two who knew. As Harry gazed at it longer and longer, Ginny kept returning to his thoughts. This ring would look so perfect on her small, delicate fingers. The portrait hole opened and Harry jumped. Those who had been occupying the common room were leaving for dinner. He knew he wasn�t hungry and had no intention of moving from that spot. He was lost in thought. How was he going to give this to Ginny without it becoming common knowledge that they were together? The door opened again and Harry looked up to see a familiar head of bright red hair making its way in. He clumsily shoved the ring in his pocket and pretended to get back to work. It was too late, because the common room was empty and both he and Ginny had noticed each other. Only clouds will see Tears are in my eyes Empty like my heart Why�d you say goodbye? �Good evening,� she said politely, as if they were only acquaintances. Harry�s heart ached. If only she could just run into my arms and kiss me. If only I could just grab her and put this ring on her finger. �Done with dinner?� �Finished. And yes I am.� Harry looked up at her, dropping his quill. Ginny and Hermione spent far too much time together. �That was quick.� �Aren�t you going to go eat?� They were both saying this at the same time and they stopped, looking at each other warily. Harry cast a glance around the common room. There was absolutely no one in there. Maybe he had a chance. He wanted to take it. He stood up just as Ginny took a step toward him. Harry had never realized how big the common room was or how fast his legs could carry him when he was really looking to get at something. The rain goes on (on and on again) The rain goes on (on and on again) The rain goes on (on and on again) Ginny jumped into Harry�s arms and buried her face in his neck. He squeezed her so tightly he was sure she�d soon be complaining that she couldn�t breathe. She did nothing of the sort. Now the tears flowed down his cheeks freely. He�d been so close to crying all night and there was absolutely no one he felt comfortable crying in front of except for the woman he loved, the woman in his arms. He saw that she too was crying when she lifted her head up to look at him. He placed his hand on her cheek and brought her in to kiss. He couldn�t get enough of her sweet, yearning lips. They were all his, and at the same time, they weren�t. She pulled from the kiss and touched his face desperately. �How long has it been since we�ve kissed?� �Five days,� he whispered a second later. It had been five agonizing days since he had been able to taste her. It was almost too much to love her and not express it openly. �I don�t know how I�m supposed to do this anymore, Harry. I love you too much,� she said, resting her forehead on his. �I know, love,� he said. He felt in his pockets for the ring. Now was the time to give it to her. Maybe it�s too late Maybe it�s too late To try again Maybe I can�t blame Maybe I can�t blame The weatherman �Ginny.� �Harry.� There was silence again, for Ginny had placed her lips on Harry�s and kissed him with determination. She acted as though she was trying to make the kiss last for the rest of her life. When she had finally pulled away, Harry took his chance. �Ginny, I want you to know�� But he couldn�t finish the sentence. The door to the common room burst open. Ginny and Harry jumped apart. Ron and Hermione found their way into the common room. Hermione stopped and looked up. Her smile faded and she asked, �What are you two doing in here? Did either of you go to dinner?� �Yes.� �No.� They answered in unison once again. They cast a dark glance at each other and quickly looked back to Ron and Hermione. Ron was gazing at them suspiciously and Hermione was only frowning. Harry looked at Ginny briefly, but it was long enough for Harry to assure her that he had meant every word he�d spoken to her. She smiled at him tenderly (a smile he wanted to be his) and looked away. The rain goes on (on and on again) The rain goes on (on and on again) The rain goes on (on and on again) �I�m ready to retire, Hermione. What about you?� Ginny asked, stretching into a fake yawn. �Yes. I�m tired as well,� Hermione replied. She looked back and forth at Ginny and Harry. Harry innocently glanced back at her. Hermione only walked toward Ginny, took her gently by the arm, and steered her to the stairs. Harry walked over to his essay and sat down, Ron following him. He eyed Harry carefully. Harry tried his hardest to act like Ron wasn�t staring at him, but it didn�t work. After a few minutes, he threw down his quill and demanded, �What?� �You look different.� Harry frowned. Of all the things for Ron to say, he had not been expecting that. �Come again?� he asked. �You look different,� Ron repeated. �You looked really stressed out when Hermione and I left, but now you look like� I don�t know�� Ron rambled. Harry pretended not to know what Ron was talking about. Instead, he looked away and closed his books. There was no way he was going to get his Potions essay finished. He couldn�t focus. Not after Ginny kissed him the way she did. �Well?� Harry looked up and frowned at Ron for the second time. �Well what?� �What�s that?� Ron said, nodding toward the sweater. �Oh!� Harry handed the sweater to Ron and explained it. Obviously, Ron had changed subjects completely while Harry had tuned him out. It didn�t matter, after all, he was too tired to care. The boys gathered their things and made their way to the dorms to rest for the night. Ron left Harry alone while he changed into his pajamas. Harry was inside the poster hangings, thinking about the ring in his pocket. He had no idea when to give it to Ginny and how he was going to explain it. Would he ask her to marry him? No, she was only fifteen. It was a love ring. A promise ring. Something that would let Ginny know that he would love her no matter how much they couldn�t be together. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone. And he wanted her to love him the same, no matter how much rain poured down those windows. Oh, blame it on the weatherman |