Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. But as an insane fan, I am entitled to play with the characters.

Title: A date with a dementor

Pairing: Harry × Ginny

Read on! And review if you feel like it. I'd appreciate some comment.

It all started with a stupid dare. Ugh! If only she had not acted like a stuttering idiot whenever he was around, her friends would have remained oblivious to her 'infatuation' with the Boy-Who-Lived. Sure, she had a crush on the image of him that had been projected by the wizarding world in general, but after hearing about him from her brothers and also his rescue of her in her 1st year, she truly realized the selfless, modest, and caring nature of Harry Potter.

She was in her 5th year now. She did not realize when but somewhere along the way, she had truly fallen for him. Hard. Even though most people may dismiss it as puppy love, or some other rot, she knew better. Every damn time he got into a life threatening situation, which happened in almost a daily basis, she was a nervous wreck who lived with her heart in her mouth.

She knew it was a fat chance that he will return her feelings, but she could not help but hope. Later on, realizing that pining for him would only result in further heart break, and so with a little help from one Hermione Granger, she had become her usual boisterous, bold, cheerful self.

Finally, it appeared as though her efforts had paid off. At least a little bit. Ginny had caught him staring at her a couple of times whenever he thought she wasn't watching. The look on his face when she kissed Dean Thomas was enough to warm her from head to toe. She had finally broken up with Dean because she truly felt bad to lead him on when her very soul was captivated by a certain dark haired, 'Avada kedavra' green eyed wizard. She decided to give him time and space. She could wait, after all isn't that what she had been doing all these years?

But now, a very stupid Romilda Vane had heard of her 'crush' and decided to humiliate her by daring Ginny to either kiss Harry bloody Potter in the Great hall or go on a date with a totally pompous prat Zacharias Smith to Hogsmeade. Even though she would rather do the former, she had accepted the latter with much cursing and hexing on her part. Poor Romilda was admitted in the infirmary for four days.

A date with Zacharias Smith couldn't possibly bad, right? Wrong! Ginny decided that she'd rather spend the day with Draco Malfoy than be in that god forsaken date. Ginny had heard about the disastrous party of the Slug Club for Hermione with Cormac McLaggen. She was experiencing it firsthand now, only with a different…person, if you could call him that.

At the beginning, Smith had been chivalrous enough. But she had started talking ten to dozen about himself, his freaking accomplishments and had tried to kiss her about fifteen times. And it wasn't even noon yet! Her patience, which was wearing thin, finally snapped when he crossed a line by commenting on how much of a self-centric, arrogant prat Harry was.

The glass of Butterbeer in his hand exploded and he was knocked off his chair. Ginny got up from her seat, her red hair whipping around her head, her normally warm chocolate brown eyes turning into dark brown ice chips. There were two bright red spots on her cheeks, standing out on her face which was pale in her fury. She did not notice her brothers, the twins, and her friends crowding around them in concern. She dragged a shocked Smith to his feet.

Taking out her wand, she pointed it at his face.

"Never ever insult Harry Potter in front of me again, you good-for-nothing, egotistical, puffed up tapeworm!" she snarled.

For the first time in his life, Smith found himself in the receiving end of the famous Bat Bogey hex of an enraged Ginny Weasley. Even as he was shrieking in agony, she dragged him along with her, out of the Three Broomsticks, through the village of Hogsmeade, up to the castle and into the Great Hall. A crowd of curious students, including the twins and her friends, followed her.

Only a few students were there having their lunch. In the Gryffindor table, the Golden Trio (as they were fondly dubbed) was seated. For some weird reason known only to them they had not gone to Hogsmeade that day. Ron and Hermione were bickering as usual and Harry was looking on with a disarming smile on his face. When the group of students entered everyone's attention was drawn to them due to the pathetic cries of Smith.

Leaving him at the entrance, she strode purposefully towards the Trio. The three of them stood up warily on seeing the look on her face.

"What happened, Ginny?" asked Hermione, concerned.

"Did that slug hurt you?" demanded Ron, angrily.

She did not acknowledge them. She stood facing Harry who was watching her with an inscrutable expression. He raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

That finally pushed her over the edge. With a low growl, she pulled Harry to her by his collar and met his lips with her own. At that moment, her sanity came back, pushing back the red mist of anger. What had she done? Before she could pull away in her panic, a hand came to rest on the small of her back while another entangled itself in her long hair. She froze but gradually relaxed into the kiss as Harry deepened it. They did not see the shocked expressions on the students, the joy on Hermione's face, nor did they hear Ron's sputtering or the delighted whoops from the twins as they were absorbed in their full blown make out session.

When, at last, they came up for air, literally, they leaned their foreheads against each other with their arms wrapped around the other.

"What brought this on?" whispered Harry, out of breath. He looked pleased, awed and shocked.

Ginny leaned forward and kissed him again, lightly, savoring the feel and smell of him. She looked up at him and said simply, "I decided that I'd rather kiss the guy who can produce a corporeal patronus rather than go out with a dementor. Of course, it is an added bonus that this guy happened to be the one whom I have fancied for a long time," she added slyly.

Harry got a thoughtful expression on his face and pulled away from her. She immediately felt bereft and vulnerable without his warmth. She wondered whether she should not have confessed her feelings to him. It appeared to have pushed him away. Her doubts were washed away when Harry, after taking a deep breath, asked her while looking deep into her eyes, "Will you, Ginerva Weasley, be my girlfriend and spend the rest of this wonderful day with me?"

The whole student population gasped. Ginny felt as though she had been struck with lightning while Harry was waiting with bated breath. She did not notice that she was the focus of everyone's attention since she was in the danger of hyperventilation. Finally, she realized that she still had not answered him and that he was starting to look worried.

"I will," she choked out, happiness coursing through her like a highly intoxicating drug.

With a wide smile on her face, she surged forward to engulf him in a hug that could have easily rivaled her mother's. Amidst the roar from the students, that shook the very foundations of the castle, Ron turned to an ecstatic Hermione. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.

"Ron, are you alright?" asked Hermione, a tiny bit concerned but more than a bit amused.

"Blimey, they are going to date!" said Ron, in a daze, and promptly fainted.