Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Changes and Realizations

Chapter 4

Ron stared at him. 'How much.. how, what..?' he said.

'Well, about from the part you telling Hermione it was OK that I was going out with Ginny,' said Harry smiling teasingly. 'And I saw that kiss of yours, pretty good was it?'

Ron had an expression of shock on his face. Then he smiled. 'So you knew, did you?'

'You could say so, yes. I mean maybe not at that moment on the train but you've always done something a little now and then that has shown you like each other,' said Harry. Ginny had gotten up and was now standing next to Harry.

'Some day uh,' said Ron. 'First you and...Ginny-'

'-and you the two of you,' said Harry.

Ron smiled. 'Yeah, the two of us,' he said. Hermione put her hand in his. Then Ron looked at Harry with a tiny smile escaping from his lips.

'Harry, you have my full permission to go out with Ginny,' said Ron.

'Well, thank you,' said Harry smiling. 'And you have my permission to go out with Hermione.' Ron looked surprised.

'Why would I need your permission for that?' he asked.

'Well, why would I need you permission? said Harry. 'And Hermione is my best friend and to tell the truth she is almost like my sister.' Hermione let go of Ron's hand, hugging Harry. 'Really?' she asked him.

'Yeah, really,' said Harry. Hermione let go and went back to Ron who welcomed her with a kiss. She kissed him back. Harry shivered, it was weird to the two of them doing that.

'So, should we head back to the castle or what?,' said Ron smiling.

Harry looked at Ginny and the others. It was almost as though he didn't know if he should do it. He closed his eyes for a second. He took a deep breath, this was it.

'I need to tell you guys something,' he said seriously. Ginny looked at him, as well as Ron and Hermione. All of them seemed to be startled by this.

'What?' asked Ginny. Harry took her hand, as doing this he noticed that Ron had changed the expression on his face. He didn't care, telling them this was going to be hard enough.

'OK, look. You know that prophecy that Voldemort wanted,' Harry began.

'Yeah, but Neville broke it. So what's there to say?' said Ron.

'Well, there is quite a lot to say. Dumbledore told what it was about-'

'What was it about then?' asked Ron. Harry took a deep breath.

'It was about why Voldemort killed my parents and why he tried to kill me. Dumbledore told me, and he also told me that-' he looked at the three of them standing in front of him. 'That the both of us-'

'Both of you?' asked Ron again.

'Both me and Voldemort,' said Harry. 'The both of us can't survive. Either I'm going to be killed or I'll have to kill.' As he finished this sentence he looked at his three friends. The expressions on their faces were expressions he would never forget. Ron looked as though he had been hit by a stunning spell and he was turning very pale. Hermione had tears in her eyes and her face was just as pale as Ron's. Ginny's face was white or almost grey. She looked shocked and stunned. Tears were streaming down her face. Harry closed his eyes.

'That's what I wanted to talk to you about,' he said. Ginny looked up at his face, her eyes were red and swollen.

'Are you saying that I might.. lose you?' she asked. Harry nodded. 'So practically we've been together for a few hours and now...' Ginny broke into silent sobs.

Harry hugged her tightly, his eyes closed. He could feel the tears burning behind his eyelids. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and looked at Ron. He could see that Ron's eyes were very shiny, it seemed as though he too was fighting back the tears. When Harry finally let go he looked into Ginny's eyes, knowing that it was the right thing to do, or to be doing.

'Ginny, I'll fight him. You won't have to lose me, I- I'll...' he stopped and looked at Ron, then at Hermione. He turned back to Ginny. 'But I think I'll need your help, if I'm going to manage to... kill him.'

'You'll get it,' said Ron. Harry was pretty startled about Ron's sudden reaction. 'You're the best friend I ever had and I'm not going to let V- Voldemort kill you.' As he finished he held out his hand. Harry shook it.

'Oh and by the way, don't you dare leaving Ginny,' said Ron, a tiny smiled flickered across his lips. Harry tried to smile back. He looked at Ginny for what must have been about ten seconds.

'That's the last thing I want to do,' said Harry.

And with that the four Gryffindor students walked back to the castle together. The wind flickering through their hair, the sun burning in their necks. But Harry's mind was drifting away, he was thinking about what might be his final battle. If you thought about it no one had ever managed to defeat Voldemort before and what if he wasn't able to do it either. While thinking about this the four of them reached the huge oak front door. Harry looked at his friends he noticed Ron take a deep breath.

'We will help you, you know,' he said, Harry nodded.

'Yeah, I know,' he muttered, looking down at ground.

Then the four of them stepped inside and walked up to the Gryffindor tower, inside the common room. Then they all sat down in different armchairs. Harry was gazing into the fire. At this moment he would have done anything to see Sirius's head appear in the flames, telling him how to.. How to kill Voldemort. Or telling him what to say to Ginny at this moment.

For maybe half an hour no one said anything at all. It was all an embarrassing silence in the area surrounding Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. It was as though Harry had cast a spell that made them all quiet, not able to say a word. But after half an hour of that embarrassing silence Harry got up, looking at his friends.

'I'm going to bed, I.. I need to think. I need to clear my mind,' he said. The other ones nodded and Ginny got up.

'Good night,' she said and kissed him. Harry felt his stomach flip as her lips touched his.

'Good night,' said Harry as they broke apart.

Then he glanced at Dean who had a shocked expression on his face. Harry didn't care, he went upstairs to the boys' dormitory. As he closed the door he was glad that Ron wasn't there with him, he really needed the time to think. Just then the door flung open and in the doorway stood Dean.

'What the hell to you think you're doing?' he yelled.

'What are you on about?' asked Harry, tying to stay calm.

'You kissed Ginny!' said Dean.

'Yeah, so?' asked Harry surprised.

'Well, I'm-'

'-not going out with her anymore. Isn't that right Dean?' said Harry. Dean was taken aback by this. 'You dumped her this morning-'

'-and you just took your chance, didn't you?' said Dean. Harry was surprised by Dean's reaction to the whole thing.

'Everyone's not like you Dean,' said Harry, putting on his pyjamas.

'What?' said Dean.

'I heard you and Seamus talking last night, I know all about it,' said Harry. 'And as I said, everyone's not like you. A difference between you and me is that you could have dumped Ginny right away if Parvati had said as much as a word to you. But I wouldn't, never.'

'Is that so?' asked Dean, trying to look as though this wasn't true at all.

'Yeah, I'm in love with Ginny,' said Harry making his bed ready.

'You..you´re...?' said Dean tickly.

'I- love- Ginny,' said Harrry clearly. At this Ron entered the room, and an evil grin flickered across Dean's lips. Ron walked up to his bed, got ready to put on his pyjamas. Dean seemed surprised by this.

'Didn't you hear him?' he asked Ron.

'Oh yeah I heard him, why?' said Ron.

'Well, Harry just said that he loves you sister,' said Dean.

'Yeah I know he does,' said Ron getting into bed. 'And for your information I'm glad he does and I'm glad Ginny found a much better boyfriend than you. Good night.'

And with that Harry smiled to Dean and he too got into bed.

'Good night,' he said and went into a dreamless sleep.

The next day when he woke up, Ron's bed was empty. Harry got dressed and went downstairs to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny sitting fully dressed in the common room, apparently waiting for him.

'Morning,' he yawned.

'Morning, didn't get much time to think last night did you?' said Ron. Harry shook his head.

'I don't get Dean, I really don't,' he said, heading for the portrait hole.

'I'm with you there,' said Ron. Harry looked at him, he noticed Ron's hand in Hermione's and reached for Ginny's hand. Ginny placed her hand in Harry's and then the two couples made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Harry caught many eyes looking at them as the entered the Great Hall. He knew most of them were looking at Ron and Hermione, probably glad that his two best friends had one something about their long lasting feelings for each other.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table. Ron and Hermione were sitting right across from Harry and Ginny. As eating his toast Harry could almost feel the eyes burning in his neck.

When the four of them had finished they started to head their way outside for some fresh air and no burning eyes. But they got a bit occupied. Dean had decided to, probably, show off. He stopped them right by the end of the staircase leading down to the Entrance Hall.

'So should I say congratulations, Ginny?' asked Dean.

'Maybe you should, I mean I did find a much better boyfriend than you ever was,' said Ginny coolly.

'At least I don't go fooling around with someone else the same day I break up with partner,' said Dean looking angry.

'No you fool around with someone else before you break up with your partner,' said Ginny coolly. Dean was taken aback by this and didn't say a back comment. He just stood there looking surprised.

'Come on, let's go,' said Ginny quietly to Harry. Harry nodded and all four of them went outside.

'Wow, that was...' said Ron.

'Was what?' asked Ginny.

'It was...' Ron stopped and looked at Harry. Harry looked at Ron and Ron seemed to have gotten the point.

'Just so true,' he said. Hermione and Harry nodded in agreement. Ginny smiled weakly.

'Yes but still, I didn't think that Dean was like that at all,' said Ginny.

'Well, Dean's a git, OK? You deserve someone who knows that you are worth so much. You deserve someone that, treasures you, you deserve someone that would... that would die for you,' said Harry. Ginny's blue eyes looked back into his green ones.

'That's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me,' said Ginny kissing him. As they broke apart Harry could hear Ron talking to Hermione.

'Hermione, tell me the truth now. What do you like the most, reading or me?' asked Ron. Harry looked at his two best friends in astonishment.

'Ron, I'm not sure you want to hear the truth,' said Hermione.

'What? Come one, hit me with it,' said Ron.

'OK, the truth about what I like most, you or reading. I would honestly say.. You,' said Hermione.

Ron smiled and placed a kiss on Hermione's lips. As Harry watched his two best friends he noticed that the kiss grew more passionate. Then he head foot steps behind him and then he heard a very familiar voice.

'Aha, what do we have here? Weasel and mudblood.'

Harry turned around to see Draco Malfoy looking at him, Ginny, Ron and Hermione, with a very familiar smirk on his face.