Chapter 11

Gryffindor had thrown a party that lasted well into the morning light. Professor McGonagall had joined for a moment or two and then disappeared until three o'clock in the morning when she angrily forced them all to go to bed.

Ginny's head was reeling. She wasn't sure what had happened between her and Harry, but she definitely knew what the kiss had meant. She'd felt it down into her heart. He loved her, he really did.

It had been unbelievably awkward that entire week. She only blushed when she looked at him. She was suddenly beginning to feel like an eleven-year-old again. She wasn't sure exactly what to do or say at that point. She wanted Harry to initiate the contact. He was obviously very good at it.

Valentine's Day was at their heels. Harry was uncomfortably aware that he had not spoken to Ginny since the match. Everything had happened so quickly that his head was still swimming. Because of their winning the Quidditch Cup, he had become unbelievably busy with plans for his final year. He wasn't going to let the Gryffindor Quidditch team ever miss out on an opportunity again.

Ron and Hermione had settled their differences and were on speaking terms. They weren't as close as they had been, mostly because of the intensity of their previous fight, which was still a mystery to Ginny. Hermione wouldn't tell her.

February 14 had arrived so suddenly that Ginny wasn't sure what to do with herself. She had visited Hogsmeade the weekend before and bought something for Harry, but she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to get him. After all, they weren't technically a couple.

She found herself alone with Hermione on Valentine's Day in the common room. She had asked for help with her Potions essay, and was certainly aware that Harry had made no move to speak to her on that day. She was starting to lose hope again.

However, an hour into their studying session, Hermione and Ginny were interrupted when a loud bang came from the hallway outside the common room. Hermione, frowning, got up to investigate. She pushed the door open and saw only two small gifts on the floor, wrapped in bright red paper. She picked them up and walked back to the couch. The top one was addressed to Hermione, the other to Ginny.

Hermione looked around quickly for any signs of Ron or Harry, and then looked back at her present. She opened it eagerly and saw, to her great surprise, a black velvet box. Ginny 'oohed' beside her as she looked at the tag on the side. Written in Ron's scrawled handwriting, it read:

'I'm sorry for lying to you. I'd never do anything to hurt you. Maybe this will remind you of that.'

Hermione opened the box and both she and Ginny gasped. It was the golden heart she always saw Ron carrying around. She pulled it out of the box and to her surprise, a golden chain shot out of it and Ron's voice filled the common room.

'I love the way you're always the first person with your hand in the air in class. I love the way you give me that look when I'm not studying. I love the way you walk into a room and have that air of pure confidence. I love the way you complain about your hair but gently play with it while you're thinking. I love the look on your face when we're playing chess. I love the way you nag me about getting my work done and being more efficient during exam time… I love your eyes, Hermione. I love your hair, I love your smile… I love everything about you. I love the way you told me first you loved me, too. I love your stubborn will to make me a better person and make me say all of this out loud.'

Hermione's eyes flooded with tears. The golden heart had turned into a necklace and she put it on instantly, touching it and staring at it. "Oh, Ron," she whispered.

Ginny was now crying. Her brother really surprised her sometimes. She stared at her gift and Hermione encouraged her through a hoarse voice, "Go on. Open it."

Ginny smiled sheepishly, putting her present on her lap. Hers was a small, square box. It looked like it held a notepad of some kind. She pulled the black ribbon off of it (smirking to herself all the while) and unwrapped the red paper. She opened the box and saw a piece of parchment, just like the ones on which the poems had been written, but it was red. She reached to open it but it flew out of her grasp before she could touch it.

It opened, sprinkling the girls with gold and scarlet sparks. Hermione smiled happily. "Is this what happened every time?"

"S-Something like it," she answered unsteadily. The sparks fused together and formed a very small model of a Quaffle. It dropped into her lap and she could see that there was a picture frame on one side of the Quaffle, in which it showed her and Harry on the field, nudging arms and punching shoulders.

Hermione grabbed the ball, examining it in awe. Ginny, however, saw that the piece of paper had begun to quiver slightly. It was now Harry's voice that filled the common room.

'So many times I thought I held it in my hands

But just like grains of sand

Love slipped through my fingers

And so many nights I asked the Lord above

Please make me lucky enough

To find a love that lingers

Something keeps telling me that you could be

My answered prayer

You must be heaven sent I swear cause

Something happens when you look at me

I forget to speak

Something happens when you kiss my mouth

My knees get so weak

Could it be true that this is what is meant for me?

Because, Ginny I can't believe

That something like you could happen to me

It's something magical

Something spiritual

Something stronger than the two of us alone

Something physical

Something undeniable

Nothing like anything that I've ever known.'

Ginny couldn't speak suddenly. She was staring at the poem as it floated back into her hands and all she could do was let tears pour down her cheeks. "Oh, Harry," she whispered.

She then noticed something she had not seen before. It was a smaller piece of paper with Harry's handwriting on it. 'I mean every word of it, J. I finally get to say I love you. What do I mean by that? You've always wanted to know what J means. Ask Hermione what the phrase 'je t'aime' means. You'll figure it out from there. Love - Me.'

Hermione looked over at the note and gasped. "Gin, that's not Latin, that's French," she said, smiling widely. "How long as he been calling you J?"

"Almost two years."

"Oh, and Gin, didn't you say that you've been in love with him for two years?"

"Yes. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything." She stared at the note, smiling. "I went to France the summer before third year so I studied hard to learn some French. Oh… Gin… je t'aime is French for 'I love you.' "

Ginny's jaw dropped. "So-so for two years… two years he's been saying… oh my gosh. Hermione…"

The door to the common room burst open at that moment and Hermione was out of her seat before she had another second to think. She flung herself at Ron, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tightly. She lifted her head up and kissed him passionately. "Oh, Ron… Ron… oh…" she couldn't find words to speak. Her sobbing told the whole story. "It's so… it's just…"

Ron was watching her with a dreamy amusement. "Whenever you need to hear me say those words, you just put your hand around it," he told her, demonstrating with his hand clasped over hers. "And you say 'quietus' or 'sonorous' and the message will either whisper to you or yell at you."

She couldn't hold back another kiss for one more second. She reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out the black sachet she had been carrying the day before. She opened it and took Ron's left hand in her own. She sighed, looking into his eyes. She pulled out two gold rings and Ron's eyes widened.

"Oh, stop it," she said jokingly. "Let me explain." She took out the other ring, which matched Ron's but was much more feminine. She put it on her left hand. "It's called a Reflective Ring. These are just normal Muggle rings, but I charmed them with the Pensive Spell. Whenever you're in doubt, look at your ring and think of me. My ring will glow and then I'll think of you and yours will. Go ahead, try it out."

Ron did as he was told after having been shocked into silence. He closed his eyes and thought happily of her, and then when he opened his eyes, he saw that her ring was glowing blue, his brown. He frowned.

"Why are they these colors?" he wondered.

"That's another part of the Charm. You can make them any color you want. I charmed them to be the colors of our eyes… You said you loved my eyes and I've always loved yours."

Again, Ron was speechless. He took her in his arms and kissed her yet again, and whispered, "If it works the way I think it does, then this ring will always be brown."

Hermione burst into a fresh wave of tears.

Ginny had wandered toward the portrait hole, anxiously awaiting Harry's arrival. She thought he had been right behind Ron. Watching the happy pair exchange kisses and wonderful looks got to her after a while, and she stepped out of the common room. She wasn't sure where she was headed, but her journey ended after two steps.

"J?"

Ginny looked up and saw Harry standing right in front of her. There was a hopeful look on his face. All she wanted to do was throw her arms around him. She refrained.

"Happy Valentines Day," he whispered. Harry wasn't exactly sure what to do with himself. He looked behind her and then back into her eyes. "Did you get my poem?"

She nodded, not taking her eyes off of him for a second. They stood in silence. Ginny finally made herself move. She stepped closer to him and felt his breath quicken. She let her fingers slowly drift up and touch his face softly. He instinctively covered her hand with his. He brought it slowly to his lips and kissed her delicate fingers.

"Harry…"

He put a finger to her mouth gently and then let his hand move to her cheek. His thumb traced the curve of her lips as he bent his head in to kiss her. Before he made the contact, he whispered softly, "Je t'aime."