Interlude
By Kat
Harry Potter was sitting on a branch in his swimming trunks looking morosely below him into the Weasley's pond. He was, once again, contemplating his fate. He had just told Hermione and Ron about the prophecy and had left them to mull it all over with the excuse that he fancied a swim in the pond. He didn't. But still, swimming might clear his mind, and sitting on a branch doing nothing wasn't going to help him get the never-ending chant of "murder or be murdered" out of his head. It had been like this all summer. He'd been looking so depressed that he felt he had to tell his two best friends for fear that they would force Prozac on him. Or a cheering charm. Whichever. Actually, Hermione might try to administer a cheering charm on him anyways. That was one reason why he was at the pond.
Harry stared down at its blue depths once again. At least it looked blue to him. Blue and kind of fuzzy. He knew however, that if he had had his glasses it would be reflecting the clear blue sky like a mirror.
Harry sighed.
"Murder.or be murdered." his brain said, "Take Voldemort out of this world yourself or leave it behind." Harry closed his eyes, sighed again and jumped off the branch.
He was almost under water when he heard someone yell his name.
"Wha-What?!" Harry spluttered as he came up again, "GINNY?!"
Ginny, treading water a few feet away, blushed the characteristic Weasley red. Harry stared at her incredulously, and in inquiry.
"I um.well, I . uh." Ginny began.
"You.?" Harry prompted. He wished she'd hurry up, he was getting tired of treading water.
"Well.uh, you just," she took a breath, "You just look so sad, and you've been so depressed lately, I just thought-"
"You thought," Harry said, cottoning on "I was trying to commit SUICIDE?!"
Ginny looked down. Harry sighed, again, but this time in exasperation.
"Look," he said, "I just went for a swim ok? Would I be wearing swimming trunks and not wearing my glasses if I was planning on ending my life?"
"No, I'm sorry, I just.I'm a Gryffindor." she added by way of explanation, "Ahh, Harry, could we talk about this on dry land? I'm getting kind of tired.and I'm still fully clothed so." She blushed again. Harry nodded and they both swam to the edge of the pond. They sat down in the patch of sun where Harry had left his towel and glasses. For some reason, he started to snicker and then started to giggle. And suddenly burst out laughing; much to Ginny's chagrin.
"SHUTUP!" She snapped, "IT'S NOT FUNNY!"
"Yes it is!" Harry laughed. Ginny got up angrily. She looked like she was going to punch him.
"No!! No! Wait a sec!" Harry said holding up his hands. With an effort of will he stopped laughing, "Ok, I'm calm now, don't hit me!" he added as Ginny eyed him angrily. She sat back down, but continued to glare.
"Ok, well, it's not really funny. I mean.it's ironic."
"Ironic?" Ginny asked with raised eyebrows, "how?"
"Well, I was thinking about the prophecy before I jumped. That's probably why you thought." Harry trailed off.
"The prophecy? But I thought it was destroyed."
"It was," Harry said, "But Dumbledore knew what it was. He told me."
"What?! What is it? Why didn't he you tell you before?!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Heh. That's part of the irony. You see, he thought it would depress me."
"What-?" Ginny prompted.
"I either will get killed by Voldemort or I'll kill him."
There was a pause.
"Oh Harry! I am so sorry." Harry stared at her. She meant it too. And she wasn't sorry for him having to know it, like Dumbledore had been, she was sorry for HIM! For the choice he would have to make, and for how it wasn't fair that he had to make it.
He must have had a funny look on his face because Ginny asked him if he was okay.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine." And for the first time that summer, he wasn't lying.
"You looked like you'd tasted a lemon and couldn't decide whether you liked it or not." Ginny said smiling.
"That's a pretty weird metaphor."
"Simile."
"Whatever." Harry smiled back, "Who likes raw lemons?"
"I do." Ginny said defensively.
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. I don't know why."
"You're strange." Harry declared mildly.
"Says the boy who stuck his wand up a troll's nose." She retorted.
"How'd you know about that?!" Harry asked.
"Fred and George."
"Ahh."
They smiled at each other.
"You have a nice smile, you should smile more often." Ginny said. Harry smiled more broadly.
"I don't often have something to smile about."
"Well how about this?" Ginny asked mischievously. She leaned closer to him and, much to his surprise, kissed him.
"Well?" She asked archly when they had broke apart a moment later.
Harry Grinned.
THE END!
By Kat
Harry Potter was sitting on a branch in his swimming trunks looking morosely below him into the Weasley's pond. He was, once again, contemplating his fate. He had just told Hermione and Ron about the prophecy and had left them to mull it all over with the excuse that he fancied a swim in the pond. He didn't. But still, swimming might clear his mind, and sitting on a branch doing nothing wasn't going to help him get the never-ending chant of "murder or be murdered" out of his head. It had been like this all summer. He'd been looking so depressed that he felt he had to tell his two best friends for fear that they would force Prozac on him. Or a cheering charm. Whichever. Actually, Hermione might try to administer a cheering charm on him anyways. That was one reason why he was at the pond.
Harry stared down at its blue depths once again. At least it looked blue to him. Blue and kind of fuzzy. He knew however, that if he had had his glasses it would be reflecting the clear blue sky like a mirror.
Harry sighed.
"Murder.or be murdered." his brain said, "Take Voldemort out of this world yourself or leave it behind." Harry closed his eyes, sighed again and jumped off the branch.
He was almost under water when he heard someone yell his name.
"Wha-What?!" Harry spluttered as he came up again, "GINNY?!"
Ginny, treading water a few feet away, blushed the characteristic Weasley red. Harry stared at her incredulously, and in inquiry.
"I um.well, I . uh." Ginny began.
"You.?" Harry prompted. He wished she'd hurry up, he was getting tired of treading water.
"Well.uh, you just," she took a breath, "You just look so sad, and you've been so depressed lately, I just thought-"
"You thought," Harry said, cottoning on "I was trying to commit SUICIDE?!"
Ginny looked down. Harry sighed, again, but this time in exasperation.
"Look," he said, "I just went for a swim ok? Would I be wearing swimming trunks and not wearing my glasses if I was planning on ending my life?"
"No, I'm sorry, I just.I'm a Gryffindor." she added by way of explanation, "Ahh, Harry, could we talk about this on dry land? I'm getting kind of tired.and I'm still fully clothed so." She blushed again. Harry nodded and they both swam to the edge of the pond. They sat down in the patch of sun where Harry had left his towel and glasses. For some reason, he started to snicker and then started to giggle. And suddenly burst out laughing; much to Ginny's chagrin.
"SHUTUP!" She snapped, "IT'S NOT FUNNY!"
"Yes it is!" Harry laughed. Ginny got up angrily. She looked like she was going to punch him.
"No!! No! Wait a sec!" Harry said holding up his hands. With an effort of will he stopped laughing, "Ok, I'm calm now, don't hit me!" he added as Ginny eyed him angrily. She sat back down, but continued to glare.
"Ok, well, it's not really funny. I mean.it's ironic."
"Ironic?" Ginny asked with raised eyebrows, "how?"
"Well, I was thinking about the prophecy before I jumped. That's probably why you thought." Harry trailed off.
"The prophecy? But I thought it was destroyed."
"It was," Harry said, "But Dumbledore knew what it was. He told me."
"What?! What is it? Why didn't he you tell you before?!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Heh. That's part of the irony. You see, he thought it would depress me."
"What-?" Ginny prompted.
"I either will get killed by Voldemort or I'll kill him."
There was a pause.
"Oh Harry! I am so sorry." Harry stared at her. She meant it too. And she wasn't sorry for him having to know it, like Dumbledore had been, she was sorry for HIM! For the choice he would have to make, and for how it wasn't fair that he had to make it.
He must have had a funny look on his face because Ginny asked him if he was okay.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine." And for the first time that summer, he wasn't lying.
"You looked like you'd tasted a lemon and couldn't decide whether you liked it or not." Ginny said smiling.
"That's a pretty weird metaphor."
"Simile."
"Whatever." Harry smiled back, "Who likes raw lemons?"
"I do." Ginny said defensively.
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. I don't know why."
"You're strange." Harry declared mildly.
"Says the boy who stuck his wand up a troll's nose." She retorted.
"How'd you know about that?!" Harry asked.
"Fred and George."
"Ahh."
They smiled at each other.
"You have a nice smile, you should smile more often." Ginny said. Harry smiled more broadly.
"I don't often have something to smile about."
"Well how about this?" Ginny asked mischievously. She leaned closer to him and, much to his surprise, kissed him.
"Well?" She asked archly when they had broke apart a moment later.
Harry Grinned.
THE END!