The Potter Tradition of Red by Riku11

I really hope you like this story, it's my first one, and I really hope I did a good job!

Harry sat in his room, looking at the picture album Hagrid had given him. His Godfather had just died, and he had just stood there, while Sirius fell through the veil. He would never forget the look of surprise on his almost-father's face as he realized that he had lost his life due to his cousin. It was enough to make a bloke want to cry. But Harry couldn't, it seemed like he was dead to the world. He couldn't feel anything. Not anger, not sadness, only...numbness.

The Boy-Who-Lived looked up and stared at his desk. He sat there, staring at nothing until his eyes suddenly focused on an unopened stack of letters from his friends. He picked one up at random, and saw that it was from Ginny. Strange, I’ve never gotten a letter from Ginny before.

Dear Harry,

I know I don’t write to you often, but I feel like I should tell you the truth about what I said about Dean. I’m not really going out with him; I just said that because my thick-headed brother was acting smug about me breaking up with Michael. I can’t believe Ron believed me anyways, I have never even spoken to Dean! So I’m perfectly single right now

And you better start answering your bloody letters, Harry! Ron’s been complaining incessantly about that, and it really is very rude! I know it’s tough to lose your godfather, I completely understand. But please, don’t shove away your friends. Stop beating yourself up about the Department of Ministries fiasco, it wasn’t your fault that all of us got hurt!

Love always,

Ginny Weasley

Harry sat there and gaped for a second at the letter. He felt like Ginny had slapped him again, just like last time at Grimmuald Place. Ginny is right! She does understand me! Wow, I never knew how smart and caring she is!

He grinned, the one true smile he had on his face since Sirius fell through the veil. He finally had someone to talk to that understood his pain and misery. He took out a quill and some parchment from his trunk and started to write his letter to the one girl that knew his suffering.

Harry glared at his uncle as Vernon threw his trunk out of the trunk, smiling in delight as the trunk tipped over on its side.

“Well, see you in a year, boy! That is, if you don’t die.” He said the last sentence with a hopeful glint in his eye.

Suddenly, a red streak flew past Harry and slapped Vernon across the face.

“How dare you treat Harry like that, you disgusting muggle! He’s done more for both the wizarding world and the muggle world in the past five years than you could imagine! He kept us from war with Dark wizards for 4 years! And here you treat him like a dog. Lower than a dog, even! At least a dog gets hugs and love, all you ever gave him was a tiny cupboard under the stairs! You – you – fat man!” With that said, Ginny kicked Vernon’s shin and whirled around. “Come on, Harry, let’s go!”

Harry watched this whole scene with wide eyes and a jaw to the ground. He numbly walked away as Ginny held his hand. Ron had taken his trunk and was walking by his side, grinning. “Never make a Weasley mad, Harry, or else you’ll get kicked in the shins too.”

Harry nodded absently as he stared at the girl – no, woman – next to him. He could no longer call her a girl anymore because of the way she had filled out over the summer. Her breasts had definitely gotten larger, and though she had grown a little, she had not gotten a change of robes. Harry didn’t mind, she filled the robes out nicely. All he could do was stare at her behind the entire time as she walked with a fetching sway.

Ron, of course, was too busy chatting away about how well the Chudley Cannons were doing this season, and had not noticed his best friend checking his little sister out. “They’re 2 – 7, Harry! Isn’t that great, they won two games!”

Harry stared at Ron, not sure if he was being serious or not. It could even be a test of friendship. Harry settled for an ambiguous smile and hoped it would make Ron happy. It did.

“Oh Ron, stop bothering Harry about that stupid team,” said Ginny as they got into their compartment. “You should know by now that that team will never amount to anything. Unless Harry plays as their seeker, they have no chance of winning.” She said the last part with a big smile for the Boy-Who-Lived.

Ron had been scowling at Ginny, but as he realized what Ginny said, he looked at Harry hopefully. Harry just rolled his eyes and said hello to Hermione, who was sitting curled up in a corner with her nose in a book. “What’s that you’re reading, Hermione?”

“Oh, hello, Harry!” said Hermione as she closed the book. “This is the NEWT Transfiguration book – I’m just getting a bit of a head start so I won’t be overwhelmed this year. I’m just glad our NEWT’s are next year, do you realize the amount of material we need –”

Harry tuned her out as she prattled on, choosing instead to stare at Ginny out of the corner of his eye. It was such a pleasant surprise to see the cute little Ginny he had known to grow into such a beautiful woman. Not only was she beautiful, she had also helped him get over Sirius with her infallible logic. Through the many letters they had exchanged during the summer, his pain had slowly gone away. If only she hadn’t gotten over me last year. Oh well, if I can’t be her boyfriend, I’ll just be her friend.

“Oh, bugger. We should get going, Hermione, Ginny. We have to go meet up with the other prefects and the Heads now.” said Ron.

Harry gave a start. He hadn’t known that Ginny had gotten the prefect badge! “Ginny, why didn’t you tell me! Congratulations!”

Spots of red appeared on Ginny’s cheeks as she said, “Oh, I didn’t think it was that important.”

They all left, leaving Harry alone in the compartment with his thoughts of the redhead.

Harry sat in the common room, watching Ginny and the other prefect (for the life of him, he couldn’t remember the guys name) tell the new first years about the rules.

They finished, and the first years went to their respective set of stairs. Ginny walked to Harry and flopped down next to him on the couch. “I can’t believe I was ever that wide-eyed and immature, Harry. It was just so long ago!”

Harry grinned at her. “Look, imagine this pillow as a butter dish.” Harry motioned to a pillow on the couch, and then proceeded to put his elbow on it. “Oh, no! My elbow is covered with butter now!”

Harry fell backward as said pillow/butter dish hit his head with a dull thud. He sat upright slowly and said in a grim voice, “You do realize…this means war.” He took another pillow and attacked Ginny with all he had.

They had an all out pillow fight for the next five minutes, which ended when Harry tackled Ginny to the ground in a desperation move. They wrestled on the ground for a few minutes, but eventually Harry’s greater weight decided the match.

He lay on top of Ginny, his hands holding hers down on the rug below. They were both breathing heavily, and their faces were mere inches away from each other. “I should probably get to bed.” said Harry.

“Yeah, I should go too.” said Ginny.

Neither moved from their position.

Slowly, inch by inch, their faces came closer and closer together, the motion stopped by their lips touching. It was as if fireworks exploded in Harry’s head. If asked, he could not put in words the sheer ecstasy he felt the moment he kissed Ginny Weasley.

They finally went to bed at midnight.

A/N: Well, here's my first ever Harry Potter fanfiction, and my first ever fanfiction as well! I hope you liked it! I just love H/G as a couple, it just seems so right! squee