Ginny hadn't seen Hermione since this morning, so when she entered Harry's classroom, it was with some trepidation. She sat down at a desk near the back of the room and removed some parchment and a quill from her knapsack. As the other students filed in, some began to stare at her and whisper. She couldn't hear what they were saying no matter how hard she tried, so she gave up and stared at the blank parchment in front of her. When someone sat down next to her, she looked up to see who it was. A pretty girl with braided blonde hair stared back at her.

  "Hi," she said, holding out her hand for Ginny to shake. "My name is Violet, and I'm in Hufflepuff. You're Ginny Weasley, aren't you?" It was more of a question than a statement. Ginny nodded.

  "How do you know who I am?"

  "I've been in your brothers' joke shop this summer." She shrugged and pulled her quill out of her bookbag. Ginny stared as Rowena whispered something to Gemma, then looked at her and laughed. She sighed and rolled her eyes, and Violet noticed where she had been looking. "They're talking about you, you know," she said bluntly.

  "I know, I just wish I knew what they were saying."

  "They're talking about what Professor Potter told them this morning." Ginny's head snapped around quickly.

  "What? They talked to him? What did he tell them?"

  "They've been telling people how he said he almost dated you, and that he likes redheads. They're quite jealous, I think." Violet stared at them, and Rowena stuck her tongue out before turning back to her desk.

  "He s-said that? R-really?" Ginny stammered in disbelief. She would have to thank him for pretending for her. At that moment, he walked in in a flurry of robes, and Ginny noticed several girls staring longingly at him. She stifled a laugh.

  "Good afternoon, everyone," he said.

  "Good afternoon, Professor," they chorused. He grinned, and Ginny felt her stomach flip-flop. Why did he have this effect on girls?

  "Before we get started, I'd like to learn everyone's name," he glanced down at a list in front of him. "Who is Gemma Anderson?"

  "I am," she raised her hand and smiled. Harry nodded back.

"Rowena Barrett?" Rowena looked pleased and raised her hand.

  "Here, Professor," she said breathlessly. He nodded without looking up, and Rowena slowly lowered her hand, obviously disappointed that he hadn't looked at her. Harry continued on through the rest of the list, and as she had expected, Ginny's name was called last.

  "And. . .Ginny Weasley," he grinned and looked up at her. She blushed and smiled at him as she raised her hand. "Excellent," he said. "Everyone's here. Let's begin."

  The class passed much too quickly for Ginny. She was so caught up in Harry's lesson that, when the bell rang signaling the end of class, she let out a groan of disappointment. She noticed that several other students did as well.

  "Alright then," he said loudly, as they gathered their things to leave. "See you next class." When Rowena and her friends had stomped out, Ginny grabbed her knapsack and went to speak to Harry.

  "Professor," she breathed. He turned and grinned at her.

"Don't call me that, Ginny," he said pleasantly. "You can still call me Harry."

  "Harry, then," she said. "I just wanted to say thanks - I heard that you told Rowena that we'd almost dated, and I really appreciate it."

  "Is that all you heard?" He asked, an odd look on his face. She nodded.

  "That girl Violet, she told me that that's what they've been saying, and really, thanks loads! I suppose sometimes my mouth just runs away from me."

  "No problem," he said, his voice sounding strange. "I'm happy to have helped."

  "Alright then," she said, backing towards the door. "I'll see you around." She quickly turned and left, and Harry stood there, staring after her.

**

Hermione sat at her desk, staring at the blank piece of parchment that loomed in front of her. Ron loved her, had she heard Harry right? She felt her heart flutter, and dipped her quill in ink. She began to write.

  "Dear Ron," was as far as she got before she sat the quill back down with a heavy sigh. She rubbed her eyes and slumped her shoulders. What should she say? What could she say? They had gotten in a huge fight the last time they spoke, and she remembered his angry face clearly.

"Then don't bother ever speaking to me again!" He had shouted, before he stormed away. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what had started the fight. She winced as the memory came flooding back.

  It was their last day at Hogwarts, and Hermione had been looking for Ron and Harry to see how they'd done on their last N.E.W.T. When she found them, Harry out was comforting Ron near the lake.

  "What happened?" She asked. Harry grimaced, and Ron looked green in the face.

  "I just failed my last exam, that's what!" Ron snapped. Hermione blinked, stung by the tone of his voice.

  "Maybe we ought to come back later," Harry said, standing up. Hermione nodded, and she began to walk away.

  "I expect you'll probably be gloating," Ron said to Hermione's back. She whirled around to face him, and Harry, sensing danger approaching, tried to pull her away.

  "Come on, Hermione, he's just upset, we'll talk to him when he's calmed down." Hermione didn't budge.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, eyes blazing.

  "Miss perfect, little miss perfect," Ron said angrily. "Bet you've never gotten lower than an A on any test in your life! You wouldn't know what it feels like to fail!" Hermione's jaw dropped, and she felt Harry tugging on her arm again.

  "Ron, what is the matter with you? Why are you being like this to me? I haven't done anything!"

  "Of course not," he said, his face crimson with anger. "You never do anything wrong, do you?"

  "Ron, if you're going to treat me like this, I'm just not going to talk to you again until you've calmed down!"

  "Then don't bother ever speaking to me again!" He screamed, before stomping away. Hermione stood there, dumbfounded, until Harry spoke.

  "He doesn't mean it, Mione. He's just upset over his exam." He rubbed her shoulder gently. "He'll apologize in no time." But the apology never came. Weeks passed, and finally she had had enough. She went to the Burrow and asked for Ron.

  "I'm sorry dear," Molly Weasley had told her, "But he isn't here. He hasn't been here in a week." She wrung her hands worriedly. Hermione, feeling dejected, had stopped looking for him.

  She stared down at the parchment, and knew exactly what she wanted to say now. She began scribbling madly, and when she was finished, inspected her letter with satisfaction.It read:

    Dear Ron,
I want to apologize for whatever I did to you that hurt you so much, and I just want you to know that I miss you. I miss your company, and I want my friend back. Please, write to me soon.
With love,
Your Hermione

  She sighed. She did miss him. She missed everything about him - his red hair, his startling eyes, his wit, the way he always had a comeback when she said something to him. She rolled the parchment up and made her way to the school owlery. A small white owl with brown spots descended, and she told him where to go. She watched with bated breath as he flew through the open window with her letter, wondering if Ron would answer.

**

Ginny was eating breakfast alone at the Gryffindor table, reading over her Potions essay. She sighed and dropped it into her knapsack. She hated Snape's class; she always had. She didn't know anyone who liked it, except for the Slytherins.

  "Working hard?" Ginny turned with a start, and accidentally knocked over her glass of pumpkin juice.

  "Oh," She dabbed at it with her napkin and Harry grinned. She was always doing something clumsy or stupid when he was around! He must think I'm a total idiot, she thought angrily.

  "How was your first day?" He straddled the bench next to her, and her heart started doing somersaults inside her chest. He was so near she could smell him.

  "Horrible," she said. He grinned.

  "Come on, it can't have been that bad," he said. She rolled her eyes.

  "It was," she said darkly.

  "Has Rowena been giving you that much trouble already?" His voice was full of concern. She blinked. How did he know?

"She is the biggest prat in this school," she mumbled, drumming her fingers on the table. "And I have every single class with her!" People had started filing in for breakfast, and they were shooting odd glances at her and Harry. It was unusual to see a teacher sitting with a student during mealtime. Harry didn't seem to notice, or he didn't care - she didn't know which. She was glad to have company, and even better, it was Harry. He laughed.

  "I haven't seen you talking to many people," he looked around. All the seats around her were vacant. She felt the heat rising in her face.

"Well, Hermione was my best friend, and she's not a student anymore," she explained slowly. "Most of my friends were a year ahead of me."

  "I'm your friend, and I'm here," he said softly. Ginny thought she saw something in his eyes, then it was gone again.

  "Yes, but you're a teacher," she said. She relaxed and took a bite of toast. Harry grinned.

  "And?"

  "And that means you're not supposed to fraternize with me." He laughed so loud that several people turned to stare.

"Says who?"

  "I just thought. . . I mean, I suppose I thought you wouldn't want to hang around with me, now that you've finished school." She said miserably. "You've probably got loads of things to do now."

  "Are you kidding? I have tons of free time, when I'm not teaching. You guys are the ones that have to do all the work." He grinned, and she couldn't help but smile back. He looked at his watch, and stood up.

  "Speaking of teaching, I better get going, or I'm going to be late. Why don't you stop by my office after your classes are over? I could use some company."

"O-okay," She stammered in surprise. "That'd be nice." He put his hand briefly on her shoulder and grinned.

"See you later," he said. He walked away, leaving Ginny with a warm feeling on her shoulder where his hand had been. After a moment, she realized she was still staring, and went back to her breakfast.

  "What was that about?" Rowena sneered at her.

  "Wouldn't you like to know," Ginny snapped. She grabbed her knapsack and stormed out of the Great Hall.

**

Hermione was sitting in Harry's office, telling him about the letter she had sent to Ron. He sat with his feet propped up lazily on his desk, and his hands folded loosely in his lap.

  "I sent the owl yesterday," she said nervously. "I don't expect him to answer." Harry sighed.

"Hermione, it's only been a day," he said. "You can't expect him to owl you back the moment he gets the letter!" She nodded.

  "You're right, I suppose." There was a knock on Harry's door, and he tried to stand up so quickly that he fell out of his chair. Hermione laughed and watched him stand up.

"Expecting someone?" She asked teasingly. His face began to turn pink as he walked around his desk.

  "Just Ginny," he said, running his fingers through his hair. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

  "Ginny?" She asked curiously. "Harry, what are you playing at?" He stared at her as he opened the door.

  "Nothing." He pulled the door open, and Ginny was standing there, looking nervous. She seemed to relax when she saw Hermione.

  "Hi!" She said, dumping her knapsack on the floor and sitting in the chair next to Hermione's. Harry grinned and sat back down behind his desk.

"So, was your second day any better than the first?" He asked. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  "Snape was just awful!" She exclaimed. "He gave us an essay already!" Hemione smiled, then turned to Harry.

"How is he handling you being a teacher here?"

"He ignores me, and I ignore him," he said, as he examined a piece of parchment on his desk. "And that's just fine by me, since I know he wants my job."

"He ignores me, as well." Hermione said. She turned back to Ginny.

  "How has Rowena been towards you today?" Harry looked up from his paper with interest.

  "Horrid," Ginny complained. "She keeps . . ." she glanced quickly at Harry, and then looked back at Hermione. "She keeps asking me about Harry." She blushed and looked down.

"She's got a crush on him, then?" Hermione sniggered, and Harry's face went pink.

  "I think most of the girls in the school do," she said softly. The pink on Harry's face deepened to red.

"Come on," he said, laughing. Ginny looked up at him.

"I mean it," she said seriously. His smile faded, and Hermione glanced between them. She stood and moved to the door.

  "I need to go help Hagrid prepare for tomorrow's lesson," she said. "See you tomorrow in class, Ginny. Harry, I'll see you at dinner." He nodded, and she left. When the door had shut, he looked back at Ginny.

  "If those girls are giving you a hard time because I sat with you this morning, I won't do it anymore," he said softly. She shook her head.

"No, I don't care what they say, I'm glad you did it." She blushed furiously and looked at her feet again.

"Why do you keep looking away?" He asked curiously.

"I-I don't know," she admitted. "I suppose I'm nervous around you."

  "Around me? Why?" He waited expectantly, and she gulped. "Are you alright?"

  "Fine," she lied. She was nowhere near being fine. She could smell him again - his whole office smelled like him. Musky and sweet, she thought she might drown in his scent.  

"Ginny," he said. She looked up and her stomach twisted into a knot. He had gotten up and was now kneeling in front of her, so he could look up into her eyes. "There's no need to be nervous around me."

"I know," she said shakily. His nearness was making her heady. Why did he have that effect on her? He put a gentle hand on her knee, and she gasped when a shock of electricity went through her. Her eyes met his, and she began to tremble. She had never seen his eyes so dark before.

Without warning, he kissed her. She felt his hand behind her head, drawing her closer, and she relaxed. He pulled away quickly and stood up. his eyes wide.

"I'm sorry," he said throatily. She blinked in confusion.

"Why?" She asked. He turned and looked at her.

  "I didn't mean to take advantage of you like that." He sounded upset. She stood up and walked to him. He had turned his back to her, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly, his face inches from hers.

"You didn't," she said softly. "I could have pushed you away." He stared at her, and she leaned forward, wanting him to kiss her again. She closed her eyes, and felt his arms around her waist before his lips touched hers. Her hands snaked up behind his neck, and he pulled her closer. She was still trembling, but now she felt him trembling, too. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and they jumped apart. Ginny sat down quickly, and Harry ran his fingers through his hair before speaking.

  "Come in," he said. The door swung open, and Rowena was standing there. She smiled until she saw Ginny, and her smile faded into a frown.

  "I'm sorry, Professor, I didn't know you had someone in here." She said, still frowning. Ginny stood and grabbed her knapsack.

  "It's all right, Harry, I was just leaving," she said, when he started to protest. Rowena raised her eyebrows.

  "No, stay, Ginny," he motioned for her to sit back down, and she lowered herself slowly back into the chair. Rowena crossed her arms over her chest.

  "What did you need, miss Barrett?" Rowena turned her dazzling smile back on, and sat down in the chair next to Ginny's.

  "Well, Professor, I was wondering if I could get some help with my homework," she purred. Ginny had the strongest urge to smack her.

  "Miss Barrett, I haven't given you any homework yet," he said sternly. Ginny stifled a giggle by coughing, and Harry winked at her when Rowena turned to glare at her. She turned back to Harry and sniffed in disdain.

  "I know that," she purred again. "I meant that I needed help with my potions essay." Harry leaned back in his chair, and Ginny watched Rowena stare at him.

  "Then I suggest you seek out Professor Granger," he said calmly. "As anyone who knows me can tell you that I never received very high marks in Potions myself." Rowena looked stricken, and fumbled for a response.

  "I'm s-sorry, Professor," she stood up and walked to the door. "Thank you," she said, and left hurriedly. Ginny let out a small giggle, and Harry grinned at her.

  "I can't believe how much you just sounded like McGonagall!" He laughed.

  "Thanks," he said sarcastically. Ginny's laugh died away, and they sat in silence.

  "Look, Ginny," he said, running his fingers through his hair again. "About me kissing you . . ."

  "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," she said quickly, standing up. "It never happened." He stood up and rounded his desk.

  "It did happen," he said emphatically. "I wanted it to happen. I've done nothing but think of you all summer." Her eyes widened.

  "You have?" She asked incredulously. He nodded.

  "I didn't want to take advantage of you, but you looked so. . .anyway," he shook his head. "I'd like to see you again."

  "You'll see me tomorrow in class," she stammered.

  "I meant outside of class," he said. "Like I did tonight." Her heart leapt inside her chest.

  "Oh," she breathed. "Okay." His face relaxed into a wide grin.

  "Although it might be a good idea not to tell the other students, since they'll think I'm favoring you!" She smiled.

  "I won't tell," she promised. He leaned forward and kissed her again softly. She felt her insides melting. When he pulled away, her eyes were still closed.

  "Was it that bad?" he joked. She opened her eyes quickly and shook her head.

  "No, I liked it!" She blushed at her own forwardness and grabbed her knapsack. "Bye, Harry," she whispered as she walked out of his office.