A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fic (though I've written in other fandoms), I first posted this on SIYE and I'm trying to work on the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. I'm just a Harry/Ginny shipper.

A Long Overdue Confession

ONE

Straight From the Hippogriff's Mouth

Ginny watched as Harry's eyes lingered on Cho Chang as she left the room of requirement with her friend, his gaze then reluctantly looked away from the doors she had disappeared through. She knew how it felt when you couldn't take your eyes off of someone, she had watched Harry leave many rooms through the years but had he ever watched her leave a room—no, she very much doubted that. Harry chatted with Ron and Hermione and then said he wanted to check something out and would catch up with them soon.

"Don't take too long Harry, remember curfew!" said Hermione over her shoulder and then walked with Ron towards the doors.

"Great first lesson mate!" Ron called out, he and Hermione then noticed her standing by the entrance.

"Hello, Ginny!" said Hermione. "Are you coming?"

Ginny glanced over to where Harry was standing thumbing through a book. "No, I wanted to ask Harry a question."

Hermione glanced over at Harry then she glanced at Ginny her eyebrows knitting together. Ginny could practically see the wheels turning around in her head as her eyes lit up as they always did when she was trying to figure something out. "Okay," she said slowly, a curious smile twitching on her lips. "But remember—"

"Curfew," said Ron interrupting her, rolling his eyes. "Yes, we know Hermione you've said it enough already," he then turned his gaze sharply to his sister. "What do you need to ask Harry? He doesn't need you pestering him Ginny!"

Ginny glared at him then her lips twitched upward into an innocent smile. "Ron?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Yeah?"

"Would you like me to Bat-Bogey hex you now or sometime later as a lovely wakeup call?"

Ron took a step back. "You wouldn't," he shook his head giving a nervous chuckle. "You can't enter the boys' dormitory there's an enchantment."

Ginny shook her head still smiling innocently. "There's an enchantment on the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory, but there's no such enchantment on the boys' dormitory, dear brother."

Ron's eyes widened then he turned to Hermione. "Is that true?" he choked out.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, as stated in Hogwarts: A History the founders of Hogwarts believed girls to be more trustworthy than boys so they never put an enchantment on the boys' dormitory."

"So girls can just come and leave the boys' dormitory wherever they please?" said Ron flabbergasted.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way but yes," she paused. "I came up there once to get you and Harry, remember?"

"But that's not fair!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione's eyes hardened as her lips tightened together. "You know what's not fair? How people treat house-elves! It is simply unjust and barbaric how they treat those poor creatures who kill themselves doing their whims—"

Ron put his hands up in the air. "Oh, not this again, Hermione!" he groaned, quickly making his way towards the door trying to get away from her. They both instantly forgot about Ginny as they left the room of requirements in another lover's quarrel of theirs.

Ginny turned her attention back to Harry and started slowly approaching him. As she did she couldn't help but remember the first time she had ever saw him when he shyly approached her family asking how to get on platform nine and three quarters. That boy had changed a lot through the years, no longer was he a scrawny boy with his shirt falling off his shoulder, he was a very fit boy with beautiful unruly hair. His eyes were still that same heart pounding shade of green but they had changed as well. Though they still lit up after a quidditch game or glistened when he smiled, they held more pain in them and at times looked haunted with worries no teenage mind should have to dwell upon.

But some things in that boy looking for platform nine and three quarters had never changed. His modestly, his generosity, his saving people complex and his never-ending obliviousness at his ability to produce somersaulting Cornish pixies in her stomach every single time she saw him.

She had made a decision to finally put something out in the open that would certainly change things between them, if only for a moment or maybe even longer. She didn't know if this change would make him acknowledge her as more of an individual than just Ron's baby sister or just completely alienate him—most likely it would be the latter. But she couldn't take it anymore, she refused to be the girl blushing running out of the room! She had worked hard to get herself to talk around him finally and talk she would. She wanted to move forward and possibly develop a deeper friendship with him like Ron and Hermione. She knew it was very slim that he would want to pursuit a romantic relationship with her, no matter how much she wanted it. But she would never be able to do either if she didn't get rid of the unspoken pink hippogriff in the room.

Oh, she knew he knew about it, but he had never seemed to really acknowledge it and it was not fair she had to acknowledge it every single day! She knew it was no secret, she hadn't been subtle at hiding it, everyone knew. Bloody hell, probably even the Minister for Magic knew—no scratch that—he didn't know anything he was lost in his imaginary Voldemort free world.

Harry had probably heard about it from her brothers as they joked around, or in an insult made by Malfoy or by girls gossiping in the corridors. She took a deep breath as she now stood by him. It was about time he heard it from the hippogriff's mouth.

He didn't seem to notice her as he continued thumbing through a book about defensive spells. Well, she was tired of not being noticed by him. "Hem, hem."

Harry immediately tensed up, his hands gripping the book tightly, his eyes snapped up to her face and quickly relaxed at seeing her. He sighed in relief, his shoulders loosening as he let out a small chuckle. "Oh, Ginny it's just you," he shook his head. "You're really good at that," he glanced down at the book in his hands. "Did you need something?" he smiled at her. "You know, you did really well with the Expelliarmus spell today."

Ginny just stared at him being left temporary speechless by his smile. Stupid oblivious prat always being nice and helpful. It was his fault she felt this way.

Harry glanced at his watch. "You know, we both should be heading towards the Common Room," he took a step to put the book away," we can just talk while we walk and—"

"No," she said standing her ground. "I want to talk to you alone."

Harry halted not taking another step with the book still in his hand. He seemed taken aback for a moment by her forwardness. "O-okay," he said uncertain, then his eyebrows started knitting together as he stared at her in concern. "Ginny, is anything wrong? Because you know you can tell me, whatever it is."

And tell him, she did.

"Harry, I fancy you."

The book fell out of his hand making a loud thump as it hit the floor. If she didn't have his attention before she certainly had it now. He just stared at her, in fact it was the longest he'd ever looked at her—unfortunately it was in shock and not in the lovesick manner she often dreamed about—she surprised herself by not looking away and keeping her blushing to a minimum under that beautiful green gobsmacked stare.

Finally, Harry blinked and continued blinking several times and then he opened his mouth and closed it wordlessly, he seemed to be having a hard time forming words but then he managed to utter, "W-what?"

Ginny straightened her shoulders trying to keep a grip on her Gryffindor courage. "I know this isn't a newsflash to you, those gits who call themselves my brothers made sure of that."

"Well, yes…they've mentioned…how you had…," he reached behind sheepishly rubbing his neck,"…how you had…err…a c-crush…but I um….,"he trailed off as he lost some color in his face. "Blimey."

The boy could face dementors, a dragon, a basilisk, Tom Riddle, even teach a classroom full of teenagers but he looked terrified of a girl confessing to him. Oh, why did that have to make him even more adorable to her?

Ginny started fidgeting slightly. "Yes, well that's all I wanted to say," she paused. "So would you like to go out on a date?" she gasped, her eyes widening as her brain caught up with her mouth. She did not just say that. She looked at Harry to see him in a newfound state of shock staring back at her with wide eyes. Oh, yes, yes she did just say that. Great Merlin's socks!

Harry blinked. "I…um…yes?" he blurted out looking wholly confused.

"Okay, well I'll talk to you later! I have to go, bye!" she said in a rush and speed walked towards the stone doors. Once she was out in the hallway she quickly made her way to a secret spot she knew of that was near Gryffindor Tower.

"Silencio," she mumbled with a flick of her wand and then promptly screamed. "I just asked out Harry Potter! I just asked out freakin' Harry Potter! The boy I've fancied forever! What is wrong with me? What possessed me to ask him out on a date? That wasn't part of my decision at all! I just wanted to finally tell him from my own mouth that I fancy him to get it off my chest, which I did…but that other part wasn't part of my plan!" she slid to the ground against the wall, burying her face in her hands. "I know he doesn't fancy me, he fancies Cho Chang…..." she trailed off as she felt a twinge in her heart.

But then suddenly her head snapped up, her eyebrows knitting together as she recalled what he had said before she had left the room in a rush. "Wait a minute….did he say yes?"

Harry walked out of the room of requirements in a stunned trance, only vaguely aware of his surroundings as his feet made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room out of habit. He didn't really notice people giving him strange looks, or the people that said hi to him as they hurried towards their common rooms or even Malfoy making a crude remark at him and continuing to insult him as he became infuriated at how he was ignoring him.

"Password?"

Harry blinked shaking his head, he looked up finally noticing the portrait of the Fat Lady as she arched an eyebrow at him. "Huh, what?" he uttered.

The Fat Lady looked down at him. "You've been standing there for a whole minute just staring off into space, deary. You're cutting your curfew close. Are you getting over the effects of a Stupefy spell or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," he mumbled.

"Password," repeated the Fat Lady.

"Ginny—," he shook his head, blinking as his cheeks turned slightly pink,"—I..I mean ginger nut!"

The Fat Lady giggled as she swung open to grant him entrance. "Have a lady friend on the brain?" she asked.

"You have no idea," he groaned as he walked through the portal into the Gryffindor Common Room. He didn't say anything when Ron and Hermione greeted him asking him what took him so long, he just plopped down in his usual spot.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a curious look. "What's up with you mate?" Ron said trying to get his attention. "You look like someone just bludgered you."

"Your sister just asked me out on a date," Harry blurted out in disbelief.

Ron's eyes widened to the size of galleons. "W-what?" he choked out. He got closer to Harry studying his face to see his wasn't kidding. "Bloody hell, she's gone mental!"

"Ron, language!" said Hermione as she sat in a chair peeking over her book for once looking more interested in something else than reading. "So what did you say, Harry?"

Ron turned his head to her sharply. "He said no, of course!" he turned back to Harry looking unsure of his own declaration. "You did say no, right mate?"

Harry just stared off, not saying anything immediately as he tried to recall what he had said. His eyebrows started knitting together. "I…I think I said…yes?"

"What? You said yes!" Ron choked out.

"You said yes!" Hermione cried out excitedly putting down her book in her lap.

Harry's eyes widened as the full truth of his words finally hit him. "I said yes!" he choked out.

Ron stuck his hands in his hair making it stand up. "What were you thinking?"

"That's just it, I wasn't thinking!" Harry retorted. "I thought she had a question about today's lesson, not that she was going to confess that…confess that…I was just completely taken off guard, okay? So I blurted out yes before I could even think about what I was saying!"

"Well, I think it's great that you're going on a date, whether you meant to or not," said Hermione stating her opinion.

"Wait a minute Hermione," Ron said pointing to Harry," Harry's not actually going on a date with my sister. He didn't even mean to say yes!"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron. "Well, that would be awfully rude. A gentleman does not go back on his word and Harry is a gentleman," she turned her gaze to Harry as if daring him to say otherwise," aren't you Harry?"

"I..um..I guess," Harry stuttered.

Hermione turned back to Ron. "Honestly Ron what could one date hurt, it's not like he's going to marry her."

Harry choked out a cough while Ron made a disgusted face. "Eww…Hermione don't put bad images into my mind."

"Ron, Ginny maybe your sister but she's not Harry's," she turned to Harry with a smile. "I bet he finds Ginny to be very pretty."

Harry's eyes widened as he stared at Hermione dumbfounded. "I…um…I don't know," he shook his head," I mean she's nice looking…but I don't fancy her…I don't even really know her that well—"

Hermione snapped her book shut. "Excatly, you don't know Ginny very well, so how do you know that you don't fancy her?"

Harry started fidgeting. "Well…um…I fancy well," he looked down lowering his voice," you know Cho Chang."

"And yet you don't know her at all either besides the fact that she's the Ravenclaw seeker," Hermione said, then looked at Harry with somewhat of a motherly gaze. "Listen Harry, I want things to work out between you and Cho if you really fancy her and she fancies you back, but maybe there's a better girl out there for you," her gaze changed as it turned sharply to Ron," someone you've overlooked, someone who still doesn't understand why she fancies such an obnoxious prat who doesn't even notice what she does for him or how she feels although she's practically been standing right in front of him for years!"

Ron raised an eyebrow at her. "Um….Hermione, what you going on about?"

Hermione suddenly stood up from her seat holding her book close to her chest. "Something you obviously wouldn't understand, Ronald!" she snapped then hurried off in a huff towards the girls' dormitory.

Ron and Harry stared off dumbfounded by her outburst.

"Mental, every single one of them," said Ron in bewilderment. He then let out a yawn. "Well, I'm tired going hit the bed, are you coming Harry?"

"Yeah, I just want to sit down here for a minute," said Harry.

Ron patted Harry on the shoulder. "Don't worry mate, we'll get this whole mess straighten out tomorrow," he said then when up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

Harry sat in the Gryffindor Common Room alone just staring into the fire.

Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister who had just begun to talk in front of him had just told him she fancied him. Oh, of course he knew about it, her…her…crush on him. He remembered Ron mentioning it and it was kind of obvious with the whole butter dish incident among other things. But he never really paid that much attention to it. It was something he had put in the back of his mind but now it was front and center—it was all he could think about.

He couldn't believe that Ron's sister who had spend most of her time around him mute, had just flat-out said that she fancied him. He had noticed somewhat that she acted less shy, but since when had she become so blunt?

Harry buried his face into his hands letting out a groan.

He couldn't believe she had just asked him out on a date—and that he had apparently said yes.

A/N: Please review! Thank you, writetress