taking control

Chapter 17:Playing With Fire

A/N: Well, it has certainly been a long wait, but it's finally here. I hope you find it to be worth the wait. Thank you for all the reviews you've all given me. I know I haven't responded to everybody, and I really do apologize for that. I've made it one of my resolutions to get on top of that right away, so hopefully more of you will be hearing back from me this time around. But if you don't hear from me, just know that I really do appreciate the time and effort taken to write a review. It means the world to me.

I also want to take a moment to thank Ruby and Christine for all their help on the chapter. They are both quite wonderful.

Chapter 17:Playing With Fire

"Of course it's bloody-well worth the risk, you dolt!" Sirius shouted. He paced back and forth for a moment before calming himself and turning to face his godson. "Harry, I'm serious."

A wicked grin lit up Harry's face, and he held his hand out to his godfather. "Sirius, I'm Harry," he said, as if introducing himself for the first time.

He was surprised when Sirius batted his hand away and pulled him in for a rough embrace. "You really are your father's son," he whispered into Harry's ear. "He used to make that same stupid joke all the time." Sirius released Harry from the hug but caught him by the shoulders to force Harry to look him straight in the eyes. "You want to know the difference between you and your dad?" He did not give Harry a chance to respond. "James had the courage to ask Lily out. He wasn't too much of a coward to put himself out there and take the risk."

Harry felt like he had just taken a blow to the stomach. Was he being cowardly? And what would his father say? Sirius was not done yet, however. He began pacing again as he ranted, "And when Lily turned him down, he had the stones to keep asking. He pursued her relentlessly, and when Lily told James he needed to grow up if he ever wanted a chance with her, that's exactly what he did. Your father knew Lily was the one for him, and he wasn't about to let anything or anyone get in his way. I used to think he was barmy. That was until Lily finally gave in and the two of them got together. That was when I realised that James was the smartest of us all."

Sirius stopped his pacing and turned to fully face Harry. When he spoke again, his voice was soft yet passionate. "I never saw James so happy as when he was with Lily, and we had some really great times together before that. I thought your dad was crazy for pursuing Lily so much. I didn't think life could get any better than what we had. I was wrong. If there's one thing you should learn from your father, let it be this: Love is and always will be worth the risk."

"Yes, and if I knew it was love this would be a whole lot easier," Harry groaned in frustration. "I mean, I like Ginny; I fancy her. I enjoy spending time with her, and I'm attracted to her. But does that mean I love her?"

"You'll never know that until you give it a chance," Sirius replied evenly. "Your father was sure that Lily was the one for him. How he was so certain, I will never know, but he would never have forgiven himself if he didn't at least take the chance. I don't know if Ginny is really the one for you, but don't let your chance pass you by. You may regret it for the rest of your life."

OoOoO

Harry awoke Friday morning with Sirius's words ringing in his head. As he got dressed for his morning workout, he replayed the conversation over and over. He could not dispute his godfather's words, nor could he deny how much he fancied Ginny. As he waited in the common room, he resolved to give the matter some serious thought.

Watching as Ginny descended her dormitory steps, a tired smile on her face, his resolve almost crumbled right then and there. She was still adjusting to the early mornings, and Harry thought she looked downright cute when she was grumpy. Despite the desire he felt for her, he held back, knowing that this was not something to enter into lightly. He had to be sure this was what he wanted before he made a move.