分卷阅读15（1 / 2）

But it’s not any of his business.

It doesn’t have anything to do with him.

Nothing at all.

He goes about his every day, studying for tests, avoiding photographs, and laughing with friends, resolutely pretending that it doesn’t hurt.

“Harry,” Ginny pleads, a day after all the Halloween festivities. It is late in the afternoon, and the sky is an overcast grey. In an hour, it will be dinnerti. They’re sitting together in one of the stone benches in the clock tower courtyard, where Ginny had cornered him in a last ditch effort. “The Ravenclaws are decimating us. We need you.”

Harry grins at her sheepishly. They’ve had this conversation before, nurous tis in the Burrow, and he thinks Ginny’s still trying just for the sake of it. “I’m sorry, Ginny. I just don’t feel like it. I just want to finish the school year in peace.”

Ginny sighs exasperatedly, crossing her arms like a petulant child. “Don’t you miss flying?”

“I do,” Harry says, laughing at her reaction. “Just not the attention, I guess? Besides, you’re doing well. I watch all your matches and you haven’t let anyone score yet.”

Ginny preens at the praise. Then, she narrows her eyes at him. “Is it…because of…you know…”

Harry’s eyes widens, waving his hands, the denial imdiately on his lips. “Oh, no! No, no, no. It’s fine, Gin, I’m not avoiding you, if that’s what you’re thinking. That’s not it at all.”

Ginny smiles, shoulders relaxing. “Okay. Good.” Then, she looks around the courtyard, sees no one else, and then leans in to whisper. “Well, is it because of…?”

“Of…?”

“Well, uhm.” She smiles, almost apologetically. “Malfoy?”

Harry’s gobsmacked expression just makes her laugh. “I’m sorry. Ron’s been telling about it. I an, he doesn’t an bad, he’s just worried.”

Harry feels his face burning. It’s one thing to know that his friends know, and quite another to talk about it with them. He’s gotten used to it being this open secret, the big elephant in the room that nobody is allowed to talk about. “I know he is. And. No. It’s not about him. I think. I’m just really tired, I guess? I just want everyone to stop…I don’t know, treating like I’m, err, Harry Potter.”

Ginny laughs, as she did before, before everything happened, as if she honestly finds him endearing. Her face is as bright as ever, her bright red hair flying as she throws her head back and laughs openly. Harry thinks he could fall in love with her again, if he tried. He thinks they could make it work.

“Okay, I’ll lay off.” She grins, eyes twinkling. “But could you maybe sit in on so practices? Beat so skills into our Seeker? He’s good, really good, but he just doesn’t have the sa sense for the Snitch like you did.”

Harry grins back at her. “Why don’t you be the Seeker? Ravenclaw won’t stand a chance.”

And then, as always, he is the first to spot that blond hair.