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.”