Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.
Author's Note: Written in the spirit of Valentine's Day! Hope you all enjoy. Peace out, Peeps. Love Ninja. Btw, check out my profile for a poll about house-elves.
Written for the IWSC Round 3 Grammar challenge. Commas was the focus!
School and Year: Mahoutokoro, Year 2
Word count: 977. (Barely. the word limit is 990!)
x_
It was October 31st, Harry and Ginny's wedding anniversary. When they were planning their wedding, Harry and Ginny contemplated greatly on what the date should be, and with such horrific things happening on past Hallowe'ens, they had decided that it would be the perfect night for a celebration. Something happy, which would distract Harry from the memories of his parents' deaths and Ginny from her memories of the Basilisk and Tom Riddle, for it had been on Hallowe'en when these terrible events and others had occurred.
Nowadays however, Hallowe'en was a celebratory night for Harry and Ginny. They had been married for 8 years now, and they had two beautiful children. James Sirius who was 3, and Albus Severus who was 1. The two boys were currently over at the Burrow with their grandparents, while Harry prepared a secret, romantic evening for Ginny. Ginny knew from experience, that Harry would not disappoint with romantic plans, but she did not know how spectacular the evening would be. As she showered and slid herself into a slim, blue dress, she wondered what Harry could be planning downstairs.
Only when she stepped out of their bedroom and wandered downstairs, did she realize how romantic the evening would be. An array of candles hung just below the ceiling, reminding her of Hogwarts, and there Harry stood, at the end of the banister, a single pink rose in hand. He was dressed in sleek, black pants and a navy button-down shirt. The lights had been magically dimmed, and soft music played from the Muggle record player on the coffee table.
"Oh, Harry! It's beautiful!" Ginny exclaimed, as she walked down the stairs toward him.
"Do you like it?" Harry asked, handing her the rose.
"Like it?" Ginny cried indignantly. "Oh, Harry, I love it! It's so wonderful! You do too much for me."
"Well, you know me, I just can't -" Harry was cut off by the sensation of Ginny's lips meeting his in the form of a soft and loving kiss. When they broke apart, she was smiling broadly.
"-resist," Harry finished slowly, looking into her chocolate brown eyes with admiration.
"So, what's the plan for tonight, Mr. Romance?" Ginny asked quietly, with a chuckle.
"Well, considering we are not the best cooks," Harry grinned, and Ginny knew all too well why, "I asked Kreacher to cook dinner for us."
"Oh, how nice of him," said Ginny. "I dare say, we've grown on that house-elf." Harry chuckled.
"And after dinner," Harry continued, a small smile playing across his face. "I thought we could dance a little bit. I bought a new record at the shop yesterday that I think you'll like. It's really good for dancing apparently, and I know how much you like to dance. Then, maybe we could just enjoy each other's company," Harry finished, a twinkle in his eyes.
"That sounds fantastic," said Ginny. "Now, what did Kreacher make for us? I'm starved." Harry and Ginny traipsed into the kitchen and towards the table, upon which sat the food.
"Well, it wasn't very fancy," Harry said. "I hope that's okay. Kreacher's getting pretty old and, well, I thought he might not be up to making a extravagant meal. He was very adamant about in what order we eat the food though," he continued, laughing. "He told me to eat the beef stew first, then the sandwiches and fruit, then he made us one of his famous chocolate cakes for dessert. Oh, and I bought this." Harry pointed at a bottle of red wine next to the food.
"It looks delicious," Ginny said, having followed him to the kitchen. "How about we eat this picnic style?" she asked, excitedly.
"Sounds great," Harry replied. He pulled out his wand and summoned a fur blanket from the sofa in the living room. As Harry lowered the blanket onto the floor, Ginny poured two glasses of red wine and handed one to Harry, proceeding to dish out the food.
After they had eaten their fill of stew, sandwiches, and fruit, Harry changed the record in the player. The music changed from soft and slow sounds to happier jazz music. Ginny loved jazz, and her eyes lit up when she heard it. The couple walked into the spacious living room and let the music wash over them. They danced happily, perhaps not gracefully, but they spun, swayed, and smiled. They talked about a few small things, but mostly they just took the chance to be with each other. No obligations, no responsibilities, and no problems.
Finally, when they had danced to three songs, Harry and Ginny broke out of their trance.
"Do you want some cake?" Harry asked, taking care to be extremely quiet, not wanting to cut the fragile thread of tranquility they could so rarely grasp.
"Yes," Ginny whispered back. They cut the cake and sat down on the warm blanket.
After they had eaten two slices of cake each, Ginny and Harry exchanged glances. They scooted closer to each other on the blanket and kissed. Harry's hand raked through Ginny's flaming hair, while his other hand was at her back. Ginny's arms wrapped around Harry, but she briefly took them off his shoulders to brush her hair out of her face and undo the top button of Harry's shirt.
Later that night, as Harry and Ginny lay on the blanket on the kitchen floor, they cuddled next to each other, and their arms held each other as if the world might end tomorrow. They stared up at the ceiling, upon which Harry had placed a transparent charm. They stared through at the black, starry sky, and all they knew, in that moment, was that they were the happiest married couple in the world, and though Hallowe'en would sometimes evoke some sad memories, it would always evoke stronger, happier ones.