第4节

ItwasGinny.Roncametoanabrupthalt，butHermionetookhimbytheelbowａｎｄtuggedhimonupthestairs.Feelingnervous，HarryfollowedGinnyintoherroom.Hehadneverbeeninsideitbefore.Itwassmall，butbright.TherewasalargeposteroftheWizardingbａｎｄtheWeirdSistersononewall，ａｎｄapictureofGwenogJones，Captainoftheall-witchQuidditchteamtheHolyheadHarpies，ontheother.Adeskstoodfacingtheopenwindow，whichlookedoutovertheorchardwhereheａｎｄGinnyhadonceplayedatwo-a-sideQuidditchwithRonａｎｄHermione，ａｎｄwhichnowhousedalarge，pearlywhitemarquee.ThegoldenflagontopwaslevelwithGinny’swindow.GinnylookedupintoHarry’sface，tookadeepbreath，ａｎｄsaid，"Happyseventeenth.""Yeahthanks."Shewaslookingathimsteadily;hehowever，founditdifficulttolookbackather;itwaslikegazingintoabrilliantlight."Niceview，"hesaidfeebly，pointingtowardwithwindow.Sheignoredthis.Hecouldnotblameher."Icouldn’tthinkwhattogetyou，"shesaid.

"Youdidn’thavetogetmeanything."Shedisregardedthistoo."Ididn’tknowwhatwouldbeuseful.Nothingtoobig，becauseyouwouldn’tbeabletotakeitwithyou."Hechancedaglanceather.Shewasnottearful;thatwasoneofthemanywonderfulthingsaboutGinny，shewasrarelyweepy.Hehadsometimesthoughtthathavingsixbrothersmusthavetoughenedherup.Shetookastepclosertohim."SothenIthought，I’dlikeyoutohavesomethingtoremembermeby，youknow，ifyoumeetsomeveelawhenyou’reoffdoingwhateveryou’redoing.""Ithinkdatingopportunitiesaregoingtobeprettythinontheground，tobehonest."

"There’sthesilverliningI’vebeenlookingfor，"shewhispered，ａｎｄthenshewaskissinghimasshehadneverkissedhimbefore，ａｎｄHarrywaskissingherback，ａｎｄitwasblissfuloblivionbetterthanfirewhisky;shewastheonlyrealthingintheworld，Ginny，thefeelofher，onehａｎｄatherbackａｎｄoneinherlong，sweet-smellinghair——Thedoorbangedopenbehindthemａｎｄtheyjumpedapart."Oh，"saidRonpointedly."Sorry.""Ron!"Hermionewasjustbehindhim，slightoutofbreath.Therewasastrainedsilence，thenGinnyhadsaidinaflatlittlevoice，"Well，happybirthdayanyway，Harry."Ron’searswerescarlet;Hermionelookednervous.Harrywantedtoslamthedoorintheirfaces，butitfeltasthoughacolddrafthadenteredtheroomwhenthedooropened，ａｎｄhisshiningmomenthadpoppedlikeasoapbubble.AllthereasonsforendinghisrelationshipwithGinny，forstayingwellawayfromher，seemedtohaveslunkinsidetheroomwithRon，ａｎｄallhappyforgetfulnesswasgone.HelookedatGinny，wantingtosaysomething，thoughhehardlyknewwhat，butshehadturnedherbackonhim.Hethoughtthatshemighthavesuccumbed，foronce，totears.HecouldnotdoanythingtocomfortherinfrontofRon."I’llseeyoulater，"hesaid，ａｎｄfollowedtheothertwooutofthebedroom.Ronmarcheddownstairs，thoughthestill-crowdedkitchenａｎｄintotheyard，ａｎｄHarrykeptpacewithhimalltheway，Hermionetrottingalongbehindthemlookingscared.Oncehereachedtheseclusionofthefreshlymownlawn，RonroundedonHarry."Youditchedher.Whatareyoudoingnow，messingheraround?""I’mnotmessingheraround，"saidHarry，asHermionecaughtupwiththem.

"Ron——"ButRonheldupahａｎｄtosilenceher."Shewasreallycutupwhenyouendedit——""SowasI.YouknowwhyIstoppedit，ａｎｄitwasn’tbecauseIwantedto.""Yeah，butyougosnogginghernowａｎｄshe’sjustgoingtogetherhopesupagain——""She’snotanidiot，sheknowsitcan’thappen，she’snotexpectingusto——toendupmarried，or——"Ashesaidit，avividpictureformedinHarry’smindofGinnyinawhitedress，marryingatall，faceless，ａｎｄunpleasantstranger.

Inonespiralingmomentitseemedtohithim:Herfuturewasfreeａｎｄunencumbered，whereashishecouldseenothingbutVoldemortahead."Ifyoukeepgropinghereverychanceyouget——""Itwon’thappenagain，"saidHarryharshly.Thedaywascloudless，buthefeltasthoughthesunhadgonein."Okay?"

Ronlookedhalfresentful，halfsheepish;herockedbackwardａｎｄforwardonhisfeetforamoment，thensaid，"Rightthen，well，that’syeah."Ginnydidnotseekanotherone-to-onemeetingwithHarryfortherestoftheday，norbyanylookorgesturedidsheshowthattheyhadsharedmorethanpoliteconversationinherroom.Nevertheless，Charlie’sarrivalcameasarelieftoHarry.Itprovidedadistraction，watchingMrs.WeasleyforceCharlieintoachair，raiseherwａｎｄthreateningly，ａｎｄannouncethathewasabouttogetaproperhaircut.AsHarry’sbirthdaydinnerwouldhavestretchedtheBurrow’skitchentobreakingpointevenbeforethearrivalofCharlie，Lupin，Tonks，ａｎｄHagrid，severaltableswereplacedendtoendinthegarden.FredａｎｄGeorgebewitchedanumberofpurplelanternsallemblazonedwithalargenumber17，tohanginmidairovertheguests.ThankstoMrs.Weasley’sministrations，George’swoundwasneatａｎｄclean，butHarrywasnotyetusedtothedarkholeinthesideofhishead，despitethetwins’manyjokesaboutit.Hermionemadepurpleａｎｄgoldstreamerseruptfromtheendofherwａｎｄａｎｄdrapethemselvesartisticallyoverthetreesａｎｄbushes."Nice，"saidRon，aswithonefinalflourishofherwａｎｄ，Hermioneturnedtheleavesonthecrabappletreetogold."You’vereallygotaneyeforthatsortofthing."