Denying Draco

26 - Potions Problems

'You've been hanging out with Ginny a lot,' Harry said to Poppy, as the pair sat together in Potions class several days after Poppy's encounter with Draco in the Astronomy tower. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about it and she had certainly told Ginny right away during a night of eating sweets together in the common room when everyone had gone to bed, to which Ginny had been overwhelmed with equal shock and amusement over it. 'Things must be better between you two now.'

'Yes, things are great!' Poppy replied. 'I honestly love her. She's a really great friend.'

'Yeah, she's an amazing girl,' Harry stated, nodding in agreement.

The Potions class was fairly quiet with Professor. Slughorn giving students the period to do some studying for the NEWTs and work on some areas they were struggling with. Most students were sitting with their heads in books while others did some work on potions they needed extra help with as Slughorn moved around the class to assist and guide them.

Poppy studied Harry carefully as he picked up his quill and returned his eyes to the parchment in front of him. 'Harry?'

'Yes?' He looked up at her and smiled.

'The Amortentia we all smelt in class,' Poppy began. 'Whose shampoo was it you could smell?'

Harry's eyes flickered away from her as he thought over her question and she could see he was becoming slightly uncomfortable. 'It wasn't anybody in particular. It's just what I could smell.'

'Was it Ginny?' Poppy forced herself to bring it up, as much as she knew it was risky.

'Umm...what makes you ask that?' Harry asked, warily.

'Ginny told me you two kissed a while back,' Poppy confessed. 'Also...I think I can see it between the two of you. I feel like you're maybe holding back but...do you have feelings for her?'

'Poppy, I have far too much going on to be thinking about stuff like that,' Harry replied.

'Of course you do,' Poppy agreed. 'But it doesn't mean you can't grow feelings for someone. Is there a reason you're holding back from her?'

Harry sighed softly and his eyes dropped down to his parchment as he thought to himself. He began to slowly shake his head and returned his eyes to Poppy. 'There's a lot more you don't know about, Poppy. There are dangerous things happening right now. Sitting here in Potions class, studying for exams that I may never even get to take, acting like everything is normal when it's not. I shouldn't even be here right now, I should be out there.'

'Finding the Horcruxes?' Poppy whispered.

Harry nodded quickly. 'I can't do anything until Professor. Dumbledore figures this out but when he does, I have to go and find this thing and destroy it. Then I have to do it again and again until they're all gone. It's dangerous and...I could die. I can't be involved with Ginny right now and she can't be involved with me. It's not safe for her.'

'I think she has feelings for you too though, Harry,' Poppy protested.

'She needs to go and find someone normal, someone who can give her the attention she deserves and someone who she isn't going to have to worry about day after day,' Harry sighed.

'She still worries for you regardless,' Poppy informed him. 'But I completely understand. I suppose I would be the same. You don't want that for her because that's how much you do care for her.'

'Exactly,' Harry replied. 'So if you can do anything for me, for her, you'll convince her to move on and find someone else.'

Poppy pitied Harry. He wasn't a normal boy living a normal life like the rest of them and he couldn't even be with the girl he liked because of it. She understood it was his way of protecting Ginny, but it just wasn't fair.