A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I've written anything. This story follows Ginny from her second year to her fourth and her feelings for Harry and the transformation she goes through. It is loosely based on actual events from the book, partially AU. Please enjoy.

I dedicate this story to frizzyfro12 and mustardgirl, my editees, who have had to put up with waiting for me to edit their stories while I ran myself ragged with my busy schedule. I WILL get your stories to you!

Disclaimer: Is anything ever mine? No. Characters, setting, and most events belong to the creative mind of J.K.R., but I am proud to say I put them together into a new plot

Glow

I watched him watch her. It hurt, I won't lie. His eyes locked on her, studying her with a playful, lustful interest. She never glanced his way, but he was still infatuated with her. Her eyes sparkled, she laughed a musical tune, she held herself high when she walked, her smile tempted any boy, she was popular, and she had his heart. I hated her.

There was just something about Cho that captivated Harry, and I wanted to know what it was. For weeks, perhaps months, I tried to study her like Harry did, as strange and disgusting and painful it was for me. Though I detested her, even I could tell there was something about Cho that was different from everyone around her, especially me. I just needed to figure out what.

Harry held that special look in his eyes every time he saw Cho. This look he never shared with me, and it tore me up inside. He ever even knew how much I longed for him. If it's possible to love someone you've hardly gotten to know, I think that's what I felt for Harry Potter. I would never say it out loud, however. I was saving those words to say to the first boy I could truly share love with; I would not waste them on deaf ears.

One day, it became suddenly clear what was so different about her. I felt stupid for never noticing it before, it was that obvious. Cho glowed, if that makes sense. She was so self-confident, beautiful, smart, and independent that it radiated off of her. If I could be like that, I thought, maybe Harry would like me.

That day I took a good look at myself in the mirror. I locked myself in the girl's dorm's bathroom, put a hand on either side of the faucet, and looked my reflection in the eyes. I stood there for a long time, seeing all my flaws, for hours. It was a Hogsmeade visit day, so no one would have been looking for me. Tears of realization fell down my cheeks in uneven tracks, and my knuckles turned white with my tightened grip on the stone sink. I fought to keep eye contact with myself. I saw for the first time what an annoying, selfish, quiet, lonely, naïve, mundane, and uninteresting child I was. No wonder Harry didn't like me. I wasn't strong. I was a weak little girl no one would take notice in because there was nothing to notice. I wasn't special, I wasn't my own person.

When I could stand it no longer, I allowed my grip on the sink to slacken and fell to the floor. I sank to my knees, dirty tear tracks across my pale, freckled face. Slowly shaking my head, I collected myself and rose to my feet. I avoided looking into the mirror as I filled the sink with cold water. When the water reached the brim, I plunged my head into it. Underwater, fire red hair swirled around me. The initial shock of the icy water making contact with my skin wore off, and the cold felt soothing. I let all my previous thoughts of myself float out of my mind. I thought about what I could be, who I knew I was but was never bold enough to make real. How could I have allowed myself to live in a hollow shell of the person I was? I was self-conscience of everything I did, and I wasn't sure how I'd come to be that way.

In one quick motion, I wrenched my head from the sink, my hair following suit, flipping in a high arch above me and slapping against my back. I filled my lungs with gulps of air while looking at the air, my chest rising and falling in quick succession, my eyes closed. I wasn't quite sure why, but my heart had a painful, dull ache in every beat, but at the same time, I felt suddenly free. It was as though I'd dropped a part of me I'd been carrying around and no longer needed. I smiled.

Keeping my eyes firmly shut, I shook my head wildly, sending my hair whipping around me. I stopped abruptly, hair in my face, and thrust my hands forward to catch the edges of the sink. I took a step forward and finally opened my eyes to meet my counterpart in the mirror. My breath hitched; I could barely recognize who I saw in the reflection. I had suddenly become a woman, it seemed. Untamed, twisted, half-dry red locks curled around and in front of my face, my eyes were determined, and my features no longer seemed childish in the least. My lips looked red and full, my cheekbones defined, my eyelashes curled. But the eyes…the eyes were the biggest difference.

There was something new about them. I was enthralled by them, as if I'd never seem them before. You see brown eyes everywhere you turn, but mine…mine were suddenly…spectacular. There were flecks of gold mixed with bright, varying shades of chocolate, caramel brown. I wasn't sure if they'd always been that way or…I'd changed out of the blue. There was something else about them, too—something I know wasn't there before. I just couldn't quite place it, but I was blown away by it. Overall, I seemed…suddenly mature.

I left the bathroom feeling more confident in myself than I ever had in my life. My thoughts drifted to Harry. I till held a place for him—and only him—in my heart. Feelings like I had for him could not go away so easily, if at all. But I had more freedom now, I was not bound by my emotions any longer, though they still existed. I felt like I could finally live a little, for the first time in a long time.

Those last few months of the school year passed with great transformation. I think even my friends noticed a difference in my personality as I became a leader instead of a follower. I'm pretty sure Ron detected something new, also, but he never said anything. Then summer came. I was back with my brothers, but things were starting to change, My brothers all seemed to see I was no longer the child I'd always been, though they probably thought it was because I'd had my first period or something of the sort, which had in fact happened the year before.

When Harry came to stay, I found it was bearable. We even took him to the World Cup with us. This was when things really started to change. Disastrous things began to happen involving Harry and Voldemort (yes, I could say the name). As if Harry's nightmares and pains weren't enough, Harry was thrust into the Tri Wizard Tournament head first, the most dangerous thing to happen at Hogwarts in centuries (not counting Harry's other adventures).

I had developed a sort of outer shell as a shield to help with all the news concerning Harry. Somehow, I was becoming a strong, confident young lady, and I couldn't let Harry phase me. I was moving on, successfully, mind you, without him in every thought. But this was becoming increasingly difficult the farther into the Tournament he got. Not to mention the Ball.

I went to the Ball with bloody Neville, while Harry went with some girl he barely knew. I handled it surprisingly well, though I could have gotten a better date. This wasn't even the worst of it. The final task…

Seeing Harry spontaneously appear out of nowhere by port key, face down, with a dead body clasped in his hand, I nearly broke. My shield cracked and threatened to shatter. My poor heart split down the middle, held together by a single thread of independence, hope, and pride. But, even though I wouldn't say it, this is what happens when you love someone…and I still did 'love' him.

He healed, because he's Harry, and I healed, because I was the new, improved, strong Ginny Weasley. Nothing, and no one, would get me permanently down, especially not Harry Potter. And now that a year had passed since my transformation, I had learned to live as me, for me.

Another summer came, and life became claustrophobic. With Voldemort on the rise, my entire family was thrust into the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. As powerful as my shield was, I had a soft spot for Harry that struck at my heart very often. The worst of it was when I found out about Sirius. Any person would have been afraid upon meeting the serial killer who was after you lifelong crush for a whole year, and I most definitely was. But when I heard the story…the whole story…my heart burst. Poor Harry…he met his godfather for the first time, and when a new home was offered to him, it was just as quickly wrenched away. Now he was continually forced to live with that awful family of his. And even besides that, Harry was being left in the dark this entire summer and Ron, Hermione, and I were not allowed to say a word of Order business to Harry.

I wrote to him anyway…though my heart couldn't bear to do so too often. I feared I'd grow too fond of Harry…again…and I couldn't handle that, since he would not return the feelings, and I was sure he wouldn't. I had realized some time ago that Harry would probably never love me, and I swore I would no longer chase after him. If we were meant to be, Harry would be the one doing the chasing, as unlikely as that seems.

When he finally came to say, his anger was tangible. Maybe it was this attitude that made it easier for me to be around him, but I felt I was almost a part of their Trio sometimes. It was a good feeling. They didn't tell me everything, I didn't expect them to. But I was included sometimes. I even think Harry started to notice me as a person, not just the youngest Weasley.

School started, and I gave Harry his space as he dealt with all his issues. Then, shockingly, I dated other guys. It felt strange, because they weren't Harry, but I liked the company. I kept out of Harry and Trio's hair, but I cannot say they returned the favor. While I snogged with my boyfriends—which isn't wrong, all couples do!—Ron and Harry kept popping in on us and breaking it up.

When this happened, I thought Harry looked furious. Not with me, but with whomever I was with at the time. This might have had something to do with his late night detentions with Umbridge, which I knew for a fact were no cup of tea (not for the detentionee, anyway. Umbridge is another story). It was around the time that Harry was returning from these detentions that he usually found me, in secret passageways or the like. He definitely wasn't happy with it, and I found this a little unnerving. I really liked my boyfriends, but when Harry walked in on us…well, I really liked it, despite myself. I couldn't take it anymore, and I broke it off with my latest boyfriend.

That brings us to now. I'm currently at the Gryffindor victory party. Harry got a marvelous win for us in the Quidditch match. I stand here now, though in the midst of jubilee, single and alone. Of course I'm happy for my team, but I have no one to talk to presently. I didn't see Harry around, either, and I thought it'd be nice to chat with him. Just when I think of joining Ron and Hermione's conversation and seeing if they know where Harry is, the portrait hole bursts open. Who should be standing there but Harry Potter himself. He's a little battered, but that's average for him after a game. His eyes travel around the room and catch mine. I look at him inquisitively, wondering where he was, as a cheer goes up around the common room for the hero of the match. He ignores the shouts and calls and makes a bee line for me, walking purposefully. Without knowing what else to do, I wait for him.

My heart's beating ferociously, and I will it to calm down. I'm no longer the weak little girl with a huge crush on Harry Potter. I can have a conversation with him without being awkward and silly. But he comes and stands before me, and I look into those emerald eyes of his, the ones I've tried not to get lost in for two years now. I tell myself I'm independent and strong…I'm a mature lady…I'm…I…all I know right now is that I want to kiss him. As fast as my heart was beating before, its speed doubles now as I feel Harry's hands slip around my waist. I don't know what to do, so I look into his deep eyes (almost in fright, for this could not be happening). He's looking into my eyes with a look…a look I melt into. I have half a mind to turn and make sure he's not looking through me to Cho, because he has never given me this look before. But this look is better than any one he ever gave Cho, and I give myself a silent cheer for that. So much passion is in his eyes that it's making me want to cry. I'm not even sure how the room is reacting to this as Harry and I stand there together. I finally get enough sense and think that I should do something with my hands when I realize that somehow they had already floated up to close around Harry's neck. I play my fingers through a few pieces of his hair. And he does something I had never even dared to imagine Harry would do to me (well, maybe once…).

He's leaning forward and I can hardly breathe. I've done this plenty of times, as I've mentioned before, but this is different. This is more than I've ever dreamed. I close my eyes slowly, seeing his lips closing in on mine between the slits of my eyes. I shut them completely as Harry's lips meet mine, tenderly. I think my heart stopped beating for a second or two. I part my lips slightly and give a light tug at his top lip, and he responds passionately. This moment lasts forever to me, and I'm sure Harry also. I feel all my built up love for him escape through my lips, and somehow I know he knows, and I feel the same coming from him. My hands migrate of their own accord, up through his hair and down his face, which is warm, defined, and soft. It's blissful, sweet, and beautiful—unlike anything I have ever experienced.

After awhile, I feel Harry pulling away, reluctantly, and I open my eyes. He is staring at me with that same, wonderful look I could just die for. Then I hear him speaking.

"Did you know your eyes glow? They're so beautiful."

It is just a whisper, and only I could hear it, but it means the world to me. Is that the quality of my eyes I couldn't place? Is this the change that made me so different. Did Harry really just say this to me? My bandaged heart is finally fully healed and new, and I know for a fact, and am willing to admit, that I love him.

"Say it again…Please…"

It is a quiet, timid request that is quite unlike the transformed Ginny to ask, but Harry smiles and obliges without hesitation.

"Your eyes glow—it's absolutely beautiful."

My heart soars, and I am compelled to kiss him again, reaching up and popping one foot into the air.

Take that Cho Chang.

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