Harry was walking down the street in Hogsmeade all alone with Ginny Weasley, and Hermione was to blame for it.

"Please come with us, Ginny. If there’s no other girl along, I’ll have to spend the entire day in Zonko’s. You can go ‘round with the other sixth years next Hogsmeade weekend."

So Ginny had joined them, and now Hermione and Ron were nowhere to be found. Oh, they had all gotten into town together, but about ten minutes after that, they completely disappeared. Harry was beginning to suspect a plot. Not from Ron, of course- Ron wasn’t even aware that Harry’s feelings for Ginny were more than platonic. Hermione, on the other hand, rarely missed anything and specialized in organized plans of attack. Consequently, Harry was simultaneously devising creative curses to test on Hermione and trying to hold a conversation without sounding like a complete prat. The strain was beginning to tell on him, but Ginny seemed completely oblivious to his discomfort. She was happily ambling along, as comfortable as if she was in the common room with a dozen-odd Gryffindors for a buffer.

In reality, they were about as far from alone as two people could be, as the streets were crowded with other Hogwarts students, but as far as Harry was concerned, they might as well have been stranded on a desert island for all use they were to him.

"Ooh, look!" Ginny grabbed his arm to catch his attention. Across the street, Harry spotted Draco Malfoy arm-in-arm with Pansy Parkinson. Pansy was leaning very close to him, and whispering in his ear. She was smiling, and clutching his arm. Malfoy, on the other hand, looked as if death would be a welcome escape.

He caught Ginny’s eye, and they burst into laughter. Suddenly, Harry felt as good as he ever had in his entire life. This was Ginny, and they were laughing. He ceased to care about the rest of it.

"She’s probably planning the guest list for their wedding," giggled Ginny.

"He’s probably planning his suicide. God knows I would." They laughed even harder.

Harry was seized by a sudden urge. "Hey, Malfoy!" he shouted across the busy street. Draco’s head turned in their direction. "Nice day for it!"

Ginny collapsed against him in uncontrollable giggles. Draco was not as amused, but for once, he simply turned away and walked on. "Well," said Harry, surprised. "Fancy that. For once Malfoy didn’t stay to have the last word. She must be a good influence on him."

"Stop it," panted Ginny. Tears were streaming down her face, and her cheeks were a brilliant pink. "I can’t…laugh…anymore." Instantly Harry was aware how close they were. Her entire upper body was resting against his left arm, which now felt as if it were the only part of his body with nerve endings. Her face was inches from his, and although he couldn’t see what one thing had to do with the other, this seemed to be constricting his breathing.

Harry had no idea what to do.

He did, however, know what he wanted to do. He wanted to lean over right now and kiss Ginny Weasley. Here, on the busiest street in Hogsmeade, surrounded by nearly everyone he knew in the world. If only he had the guts to do it, he didn’t think he cared who saw him. This is it, he thought. This is the decisive moment.

"Harry?" Ginny was now looking at him with a puzzled expression. He realized that he had been standing there, staring at her for some time without speaking. He opened his mouth- he didn’t know quite what he was going to say, but it was probably going to change everything. She must have sensed this- Harry could well believe that she could read his mind- for she suddenly turned and started walking again. He followed. It seemed like the logical thing to do.

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Draco Malfoy is a jerk." Ginny tossed this over her shoulder.

Harry was startled. He had almost entirely forgotten they had even seen Malfoy. "You’ll get no argument from me," he said in a tone that very nearly approximated his normal one.

"Why do people do that? I mean, pretend that they have feelings for other people when they don’t? He needn’t go anywhere with Pansy if he doesn’t want to- it makes me angry. It’s unkind."

Harry was confused. She didn’t think…did she? "Who knows why Draco Malfoy does anything?" he ventured, noncommittally. He was going to hang on and see where this was going.

"Maybe he doesn’t mean to hurt Pansy’s feelings. Maybe he even thinks he’s being kind. But he’s not. If he doesn’t really like her, he shouldn’t act like he does. It will just confuse her, and she’ll end up hurting more in the end than if he’d just been honest with her." Ginny was looking straight ahead, and walking so fast that Harry had to take several large bounds to catch up with her again.

He didn’t need to be hit over the head with a brick. Draco Malfoy, my ass, he thought admiringly. His heart had leapt up into his throat, and he knew the stakes had never been higher, but he couldn’t help but be amused at her ingenuity.

"Maybe he doesn’t know if she really likes him." He was beginning to hope, though.

"Well, then, he’s an idiot." Ginny was now walking so quickly it was difficult to maintain the conversation.

"Again, you’ll get no argument from me. Ginny! Stop!" said Harry. She didn’t even pause.

There was only one thing for it. He reached out and grabbed Ginny’s hand. "Stop, Ginny." His heart was beating at about twice its normal rate, and he looked down at their clasped hands. For a few moments, neither of them made a sound. Harry tightened his grip on her hand, and he heard a little hitch in her breath. He had no idea what to say now, but he thought it should sound important, and sincere. He felt both those things, but he was certain the moment he opened his mouth he would blow it.

He looked back up into her face, and found that her eyes were shut, and it looked like she was fighting something. "Harry, really. Just let me go. I should get back to the castle, anyway. I have loads of Transfiguration to do, and I don’t think Ron and Hermione are coming back."

"Well, that’s where you’re wrong." Harry heard Ron’s unmistakable voice from behind him. He quickly dropped Ginny’s hand and stepped back. "Although how Hermione managed to get us that lost in Hogsmeade, I’ll never know." He glared over at Hermione. "Remind me never to follow you anywhere ever again."

"Oh, Ron. It wasn’t that bad. We saw a lot of nice shops, didn’t we? And I daresay Harry and Ginny didn’t miss us too much." She spoke lightly, but she was looking quite intently at them both.

"No," said Ginny. "It was fine. I’m heading back to the castle now, though, so I’ll see you at dinner, all right?" She had spoken in a firm, clear tone that left no room for argument.

"But we haven’t even been to the Three Broomsticks, yet," Hermione protested.

"I’ll see you at dinner," she repeated.

"Ginny, don’t go. Come with us and have a butterbeer," said Harry, rather desperately. "Or- do you want some company on your way back?" He barely registered the pleased expression on Hermione’s face and the dawning comprehension on Ron’s.

"Hey, what’s going on here? Did we miss something?" inquired Ron, suspiciously.

"No," said Harry, crossly. Why couldn’t he just go away again so he could talk to Ginny?

Ginny’s resolve seemed to stiffen. "No, I just need to get back early. I told you that before we left, Hermione." Ginny shot her a significant look. "It’s no big deal. I’ve got a lot of work to do- and it’s better that I go alone."

"Okay…" Hermione drew out the two syllables doubtfully. "If you’re sure."

"I am," she said simply, and headed down the street.

Sugarquill Note: How could Honeychurch do this to us? Luckily, there is Penance....