Hermione turned beet red, but Harry didn't notice, being right behind her and his view blocked by her hair. "R-Ride me?"
"Yeah! You know, I could climb on your back and... then... uh..." Harry suddenly realized what he was saying, and blushed furiously himself. They finished the flying lesson that day in silence.
The last day before they were set to leave was a day off for the children. Percy finally came home from his job at the ministry, giving only a short, formal hello to Harry and Hermione. In fact, he brought some of his work home with him, continued to toil away in his room. The twins, of course, wasted no time in their attempts to ruin his productivity and force him to take a day off. Hermione, ever the organized one, was already carefully packing and getting ready for the trip, which would begin early in the morning the next day. Harry followed her lead and packed his trunk, while Ron continued to listen to the last semi-final match on the Wireless, Bulgaria vs. Luxembourg.
Ginny watched Hermione pack her trunk while sitting on her bed. Like last year, Ginny shared her room with Hermione during the last week of summer and had become fast friends. This year, however, she had remained relatively quiet. She was silent for several minutes, but suddenly said, "Hermione? Can I ask you a question?"
Without slowing down her packing, Hermione said nonchalantly, "Sure, Ginny. What do you want to know?"
Ginny got up from the bed and closed the door to her room. "Hermione... do you like Harry?"
Oh no, thought Hermione, as she froze. Ginny's had a thing for Harry for years... what do I tell her? Slowly turning to face Ginny, she asked cautiously, "Um... why do you ask?"
"You know why," Ginny replied with a hint of pain in her voice. "I've always loved Harry, ever since I was little, but these past few days I've seen you with him... even though you said you weren't going out with him..."
"I'm not!" said Hermione defensively. "There's nothing going on... at least, not yet..." Not yet? Do I really want this? Harry's so sweet to me even though he doesn't seem to realize it... maybe I should tell him after the World Cup is over, she thought.
"So you do want him, don't you? How could you, Hermione? I told you last summer how much he means to me! I've loved him for so much longer than you!" cried Ginny.
"What? You've barely talked to him! I don't think you exchanged more than a few words ever since you met. How could you possibly love him?" Hermione shot back.
"But I do! I grew up with all the stories about him..." answered Ginny.
Hermione grabbed Ginny and looked at her, face to face. "Ginny! Those were just stories! If you haven't talked to him in person, how could you possibly know? You barely know him better than any of the other thousands of girls who grew up with stories of the Boy-Who-Lived!"
"But... But..." Ginny stammered, searching for an explanation. "But Harry saved be in first year! He rescued me from the Chamber of Secrets! He's so special to me... and he must care for me more than the other girls..."
"Ginny, this is exactly what I mean," said Hermione. "You don't understand Harry... you don't realize how he grew up never knowing his parents. Or how hard it is for him to make a real friend in the wizarding world. Or how he would have risked his life to save anyone without thinking twice." Or how he can be so romantic without even realizing it, she said to herself.
"Anyone? What do you... how do you know that? He saved me!" she asked, nearly in tears.
"Ginny... Harry went to stop the basilisk to save everyone in school. He didn't even realize you were the one who was captured until he got down there. He told me the whole story when I was cured of the petrification."
Ginny started bawling as she understood. "I c-can't believe it. I-I always thought I w-was special to hi-him." She sniffed loudly. "Now it's like... like I've lost him... he doesn't even no-notice me." She cried harder with that thought.
Hermione sat beside her and patted her back. "Ginny... you've never lost Harry. You've lost the Boy-Who-Lived. He's just a fantasy, and he always has been. You can still talk to Harry and be his friend." Hermione continued to comfort her friend until it was time for dinner.
After dinner was over, Hermione actually led Harry outside, excited for another flying lesson with him. Ginny's conversation had stirred her feelings and forced her to admit, to herself at least, that Harry was a very sweet, brave, and kind boy. She could hardly wait for another flight with his arms wrapped around her. He would whisper some advice in her ear, and she'd perform admirably, and he'd hug her a little tighter in congratulations... She snapped out of her little daydream to see Harry standing in front of her with a wide grin. He was holding two brooms. He held one out to Hermione. "Hermione! You've been learning so quickly! I knew you could learn things without having to read about it. Since today's the last day we can have these little lessons, I thought you could try riding a broom yourself!"
Hermione's jaw dropped. "But... But..." But I want to ride the broom with you! I want you to be right there with me pressed against my back!, she thought furiously, but she didn't dare embarrass herself by saying it out loud.
Harry tilted his head to the side. "What's wrong? Oh, don't be nervous. You'll do fine, don't worry. I'll be right there with you. Come on." Without waiting for any more protests from Hermione, he hopped on his own broom and began floating up. "Just stay close, and we'll fly beside each other, and I can keep giving you advice."
Hermione, to her own dismay, flew admirably. Her desire to fly tandem with Harry again was outweighed by her fear of actually falling off her broom if she "pretended" to make mistakes. It was the most unsatisfying flight ever since Madam Hooch's broom-riding lesson.
Around midnight, while everyone in the house was sleeping, Ginny crept downstairs and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace with her favourite books. She opened the first one.
Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived
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