The Beauty and The Beast

Chapter 23: Stood up

Harry's P.O.V
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She saw me before i saw her. I felt time freeze as I took slow steps towards her. She stared at me, smiling in the lone hallway as she glanced behind me. I finally reached in front of her, caressing her soft cheeks with my finger.

"You did it" she said, grinning as she leaned into my touch. "You didn't touch a girl for more than two minutes" she joked and I chuckled.

"Yeah well why would I want to touch anyone else when I have the best right here" I whispered despite no one being near us. The corner of her lips twitched upward.

"Thank you" she said quietly and i gently pulled her against my body, leaning my forehead against her own.

"For what?" I asked hoarsely, her closeness and natural scent stripping my mind of any common sense or logic.

"For changing. For becoming a better person. For trying to prove yourself, even though you didn't have to. I-I...can't believe that you out of all people would...change" she said smiling.

"Everyone does something bold for the people we love the most" I whispered and she smiled sadly, probably remembering Fred's brave sacrifice.

"I'm sorry too. I was too harsh on you" she said, looking guilty and I shook my head.

"No, no, no Gin. You didn't do anything" i protested and she sighed.

"Acknowledging one's mistakes is  the key to forgiveness. Look at you. You realised what you did wrong and you fixed it. And now it's my turn" she said, smiling and I grinned.

"Thank you" I said, still grinning like mad.

We leaned toward each other slowly, trying not to scare each other away.

After what seemed like a few years, I gently pressed my lips to hers. They moulded perfectly and I smiled. It was a gentle, light, passionate kiss. I tilted her head to deepen the kiss and she put her hand in my hair.

I gently bit down on her bottom lip, trying to gain entrance and she didn't let me. I kept trying but her lips stayed closed.

Groaning, I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed her tenderly. She jumped a little and I laughed. We both heard distant voices in the hallway and I smiled.

"Be ready after dinner" I said quietly.

"Why and when?" She said and I chuckled.

"When? Tomorrow. Why? I'm taking you out on a date" I said, pecking her before leaving.

***

I waited quietly in the hall, wondering where Ginny was. Did she bail on me? It's been thirty minutes. I was starting to get nervous. What if something happened to her?

Deciding to go check up on her, I started walking toward her dorm when I saw Mione.

"Hey" she said softly and I smiled.

"Sup. What are you doing out here now?" I asked curiously.

"Head girl duties" she said, shrugging.

"What about you?" She asked and I blushed.

"I'm uhhh going on a date...with Ginny" I said gulping and she grinned.

"How did you ask her out?" She asked.

"I uhhh, I took a break first. For two months. Since the incident with Draco and what happened at the lake. We had a fight, I messed up. At the lake, I couldn't control my emotions. Pansy did something, I don't know what" I said and she frowned deeply.

"It's like she sprayed a mist on me, and all of a sudden I just, listened to her. I was drawn to her. She did something. Anyway so we got into and argument about me being a player and what not. And she told me something I still remember. That changed me i guess. I changed." I continued and she smiled.

"So I cut myself off from every girl for two months" I said and she smiled mischievously.

"What about guys?" She asked and I stared at her until we cracked up laughing.

"Anyway, we talked and she thanked me for changing for her and we kissed. And now, here we are" I said, blushing deeply.

"Aww look at you blushing!" She said, pinching my cheeks like I was a baby.

"Whipped" I heard her mutter.

I swatted her hands away before going to check up on Ginny with Hermione.

"Uhh she's not here yet and it's been half an hour" I said and she frowned.

"It'll be fine, she's on her period so she's probably freshening up"

I walked into Gryffindor common room, expecting to see Ginny getting ready. Maybe she lost track of time? Maybe she was sick? Stuck? Something. Anything. Well, anything but what we walked into.

Ginny was on the couch, half naked, with someone else. They were making out heavily and I felt my heart break into pieces. My head raged as I saw them. I couldn't make out the other figure because his back was to me.

I had changed for her. I spent two months away from any girl just to prove to her how committed I was to making us work. Two months of no kissing, touching or dates. I had become a different person, just to show her that I could be. I waited thirty minutes, feeling like an idiot just standing there, waiting for a girl too busy with another man. 

The girl I loved. The one I gave my heart to.

I opened my mouth and closed it several time's before shutting it. Hermione wrapped her arms around me and I almost cried.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" she chanted. But what was she sorry for. It didn't help.

Hermione took her arms off me and cleared her throat. Both people froze.

Their heads snapped to us. It was kinda dark so i couldn't make out either of them fully but I know it was Ginny. Her hair stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Ginny?" I asked softly and she got up, struggling as they both put on their clothes. I still could not see the guy.

"Harry it's not what it looks like" she said and I gulped angrily.

"How is that not what it looks like!" I said angrily and she looked down.

"I-I" she stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse but failed.

"I what? Huh? I what!" I yelled and she sighed.

"I put my heart out there. I changed for you. The least you could do was not fuck another guy before our date." I said and her eyes widened visibly. My heart broke as I realised. She forgot. She fucking forgot.

"You forgot!" I said and she looked embarrassed. I glanced next to me and noticed tears in Hermione's eyes as she looked ahead.

"Hermione i don't even care anymore, let's go" I said and she shook her head.

"Harry-" she started but I cut her off.

"I know, she's your best friend. But just don't cry because of her" I said but she continued.

"No Harry, look" she whispered and I traced her line of sight until it fell on the guy who I could now clearly see. Whose blonde to and almost white hair was messy. Whose eyes were now trained on Hermione.

"Sweetheart..." Draco started.