My name is Ginny Weasley and I do not love Harry Potter.

Okay, that sounds a little harsh. It's not like I don't like him or anything-he's a nice enough person and obviously a brave wizard-but I am not, nor have I been, in love with him. Sure, I had a big crush on him when I was eleven years old, but who didn't? I mean, he is one of the biggest celebrities in the Wizarding World and he was around my age and, being completely honest, he is not all that bad to look at. And besides, that was almost four years ago. I have moved on. I am over it.

That's not what my brothers think though. They, especially Ron, were on the receiving end of a lot of my endless blubbering about Harry when I was younger and they always made fun of me for it. And they still do – to this very day. They go on about it so much that the whole school is aware of the giant crush that I used to have on Harry and they all join in on the fun whenever they get the chance. The other girls from my dorm always giggle when Harry and I are in the same room and even basic strangers give me a look when they see me anywhere near his vicinity. Listen, I'm not one to get easily offended, but when you hear the same jokes about how much you're in love with a guy you just had a silly crush on four years ago, it gets old.

And it's not like they even acknowledge that I've moved on. They still act like I'm pining away for Harry, just waiting for the day when he'll finally notice me and sweep me off my feet. It's disgusting. And it makes me seem so pathetic that I have started to really get angry that that's what they think of me. Not to be cliché, but I am a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to have a full life. I have friends and schoolwork and hobbies and interests that have nothing to do with Harry Potter, thank you very much.

Okay, I really need to stop ranting, but what just happened was like the final nail in the coffin.

I was just inside the Gryffindor Common Room. We had just won a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff and everyone was celebrating and I think Fred and George had even snuck in some Firewhisky. Harry was standing to give a toast about how great everyone did and how Gryffindor was definitely going to make it to the House Cup this year-you know, same old thing-when Ron came up behind me.

"Oy, be careful Gin. You don't want to look directly at Harry otherwise you might faint from excitement!" He laughed.

And then everyone within earshot laughed along with him. Some of them even had a little pity in their eyes and I could tell they were thinking, "Oh, poor Ginny, that sad little girl just can't get over the great Harry Potter." Okay, they might not have actually been thinking that and I don't know why that one comment was the thing that set me off, but it just really sucks when the only two things you're known for are being the girl that was possessed by Voldemort and the girl with the massive crush on Harry Potter. Ron quickly became engrossed in Harry's speech and I walked away. I made my way through the crowd and past the stairway to the dormitories and out here to the balcony. It always surprises me how few people know about this place or ever come out here. It has become my special peaceful place that I go to whenever I need to think. And that's what I've been doing. Well, not so much thinking as…

"Hey, I thought you came out here."

I whipped around, surprised at the sudden intruder, and came to face the last person I wanted to see at that moment…Harry Freakin' Potter. I just sort of stared at him for a second. I mean, it's not every day that the person you're thinking about comes to find you on a secluded balcony.

"What are you doing out here?" I managed to get out after at least ten seconds of awkward staring.

"I needed some fresh air after that speech and I saw you walk this way and thought you might have come out on the balcony."

I was a little taken a back that he had noticed where I was going, but I chose to ignore it. "I come out here a lot actually, it's my thinking spot."

"Mine too," he said, "it's so relaxing and the view really can't be beat. Why'd you come out here tonight? We just won, there shouldn't be a lot to think about."

"I just…" I struggled to find the right words. I had never been a good liar, but there was no way I could just come out and say "Oh, I came out here because I'm sick and tired of everyone giving me shit for having a crush on you forever ago when I don't even like you now." That would be too mean and besides, it wasn't Harry's fault that everyone teased me. So I just settled for, "It was just something Ron said."

"What'd he say?" he asked. It was weird that he was being so inquisitive about my life, or really that he was talking to me at all. We weren't really that close, I mean we had definitely gotten to know each other more over the past year playing on the team together, but I could still probably count the number of times that we had had a one-on-one conversation using just one hand.

"Uhh, I mean…I don't really want to talk about it." I replied, looking away trying to imply that I was done with this conversation.

"Come on, tell me. It's just us out here." He was not getting the message. "Tell me, tell me, come on Ginny." At all.

I had never heard Harry talk like this, his voice was so light and I could tell that he was kind of teasing me, but at the same time it really seemed like he wanted to know. His tone and the little smile on his face made me laugh for a second. It was the most relaxed I had felt at the party so far and he just kind of gave out this aura that I could tell him anything.

"Alright, fine. Do you really want to know? I think it'd probably be better if you didn't, but if you really want to know…"

"Oh, well now I'm really interested. Tell me." He said and his smile grew.

"Okay, he just made a comment about how I shouldn't faint from excitement when you gave your speech." I put my head down and looked away, embarrassed for him and myself.

"That's all?" He said with that same smile still on his face. And that's when I started to get a little frustrated. We had been having a good time and now he seemed so self-centered, as if he thought that comment was completely understandable because I still liked him because why would anyone stop liking him? I had always known my brothers could be thick when it came to my feelings, but I never thought that Harry would honestly be so egotistical.

"Yes that's all." I spit back. "Contrary to popular belief I am not obsessed or in love with you or something. I was eleven when I had a crush on you and I didn't even know you then. Everyone always acts like that crush is a permanent part of my personality and it's not. I got over that years ago and I'm an actual person with other interests besides the amazing Harry Potter."

After I finished my mini-rant, he was silent. I looked over and I could see his face had changed from that smile to confusion and hurt. "I didn't mean it like that." He said softly. "I know you're not obsessed with me or anything."

I felt horrible. The look on his face made it clear that he had been making a joke but I had just been so tightly wound about the whole situation that I hadn't gotten it at all and had lashed out at him instead.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "It's really nothing against you it's just that my brothers joke about it a lot and I feel like that's all that people think about me sometimes. I'm not some pathetic girl who has an unrealistic crush on a guy for over four years. You're a nice person and everything, but I got over that crush a long time ago."

"I know. I'm sorry. They joke about your crush on me to me as well and even I am sick of it and I'm not the one they're making fun of." He said with his little smirk coming back.

I couldn't help but snicker, "Yeah that sounds really hard for you." I looked at him and did the most overdramatic eye roll and we both laughed for a minute.

"But honestly," I said, "I'm sorry too…again. I was being a little harsh I think. It just makes me feel like some pitiful girl."

"I don't think of you that way at all. I am really just a phenomenal human being so it's not pathetic to be entranced by me." He said with such a serious tone, but when I looked up at his face he had the biggest smile that told me he was joking. It was the first time I think I had heard him be so sarcastic, especially at his own expense, and I couldn't stop myself from bursting out into laughter. He joined me and soon we were both cracking ourselves up way too much. We kept looking at each other and just the look of the other person laughing would make us laugh even more. It was a while until we finally got ourselves under control. We stood there for a few minutes more in an amiable silence just looking out at the lake.

"I really don't think you're pathetic or pitiful or whatever though." He said again. "And I can talk to Ron about not making any more comments to you about me."

I smiled at him, "That's a nice gesture, but I can handle my brother. Thanks though."

At that moment, someone from inside the party started yelling Harry's name. When the party is in your honor, people tend to notice when you're not there for a while. He looked inside and then back at me, almost like he was debating on what he wanted to do.

"I'm glad we talked." He said "And for the record, I know you're not the one out here that has an unrealistic crush on someone who doesn't like them." He looked directly into my eyes as he said that last part and something about the combination of the possible meaning of those words and the striking color of his eyes even in the darkness made my heart flutter.

Someone called his name from inside again and he broke his gaze to look at the door again.

"Well, I better get back in there." He said before he moved his head down right next to my face. It was the closest I think I had ever been to someone's face and I could see every fleck of color in his eyes. He moved slightly to the right and gave me a kiss on the cheek, pulled back slowly and added, "See you around, yeah?"

"Yeah." I replied, much more breathlessly than I had hoped. He walked back inside and I turned around trying to process what had just happened. My heart was well past fluttering and was beating fast in my chest. I couldn't even process my own thoughts for a few seconds. Did that comment mean what I thought it meant? Did Harry have a crush on me? Or was he referring to some other girl? All I knew for sure was that that kiss on the cheek and the fact that Harry might have possibly just said he had a crush on me affected me more than I would have predicted. I had been so adamant about being over Harry and not caring about him in that way anymore. I had told him that to his face just a moment ago. I shook my head and told myself that I was just overreacting and that it was just the surprise that had gotten me all flustered, but a little part of me wondered if it was something more. Maybe my brothers had been partially right. Maybe I wasn't really over my crush yet. I sighed and went back inside with a multitude of thoughts running around inside my head, the biggest being the question of what was going to happen next?