Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they are from the brilliant mind of J.K Rowling.
It was a hot summer day at the burrow when Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny decided to take a trip to Ottery St. Catchpole for some cold drinks. They had just had a long day playing two on two quidditch at the burrow; Ron and Ginny had beat Harry and Hermione 200 points to 0 points.
"Come on Hermione! You weren't too dreadful! You did beat the quaffle near one of the hoops with the end of your broom," said Ron as they made the short trek on the dirt road to Ottery St. Catchpole.
Ginny snorted, "That's because she saw a bee, and she was trying to whip away from it as fast as possible," casting a friendly smirk at Hermione.
Harry laughed as Hermione kicked rocks in the sibling's direction. She missed her target and ended up tripping over her own feet, but she managed to catch herself before she began the quick descent to the ground.
She grumbled as the other three nearly fell over with laughter, "How far are we from the town now anyway?"
"It's just over this hill. The wards against the muggles seeing the burrow start at that curly stump over there," Ron pointed towards an oddly curled tree stump near a stream a few yards away from them.
"What happens when they walk into this area then? Is it just a large empty field?" Harry asked.
Ginny turned a smile to Harry, "You would think so, but Fred and George asked dad to make it so that the muggles would see endless rainbows with short stocky leprechauns at the ends of them searching for gold. They convinced mum and dad that it was a common occurrence in the muggle world. The poor souls probably think they're going crazy when they cross the boundary."
"Thankfully not may muggles come hiking this way. Well, here we are," Ron added glancing fondly around the tiny village.
The gravel streets were surprisingly crowded for a Thursday afternoon. The town consisted of one main street with many little bars, shops, and novelty stores. The street reminded Harry of a bunch of Keebler elf houses strung together on either side of the street. There was a book shop to the left where a graying man was on a ladder hanging up a sign above the store announcing the new bestsellers. A pair of young, blonde twin girls came giggling out of a candy shop carrying identical large lollipops. When Harry veered to the right he almost collided with a young woman about their age hurdling out of one of the bars cursing at whom Harry assumed was her boyfriend as he ran after her begging his apologies.
"Bloody Hell, I don't mind not having a girlfriend if she's gonna be as loony as that one. Poor bloke," Ron looked back at the retreating couple shaking his head.
"Honestly Ronald you can be so insensitive sometimes! You have no idea what that guy did! He could've cheated on her, or he could've abused her in some way. I really should have asked her if she was okay," Hermione looked worriedly down to where the couple vanished. She then quickly remembered her anger at Ron, and turned a glare in his direction.
Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance, and Ginny rolled her eyes. As he was staring, all the sudden Harry noticed a spark of mischief light up her eyes. Quicker than Harry could process, she pulled him out of the street into a deserted alley between the candy shop and a pub.
"Ginny, wha-," Harry started.
"Shhhh! Be quiet!" Ginny pushed Harry against the stone wall of the alley and put a hand over his mouth. "I'm just curious to see how long the love birds can go at it without realizing we're missing."
While Ginny turned to observe the clueless pair in the street, Harry took the time to actually look at Ginny's eyes. He had always thought that all brown eyes were the same, but there was something different about hers. They were lighter somehow. He noticed her eyes somehow had a goldish hue that made them sparkle even when she wasn't plotting a prank or telling a funny joke.
"Umm, Harry? What is it? Is there something on my face?" Harry realized that while he'd been ogling her, those eyes had made their way back to him without his notice. He also realized that her hand was still on his mouth, and she was still pressing her body against his on the wall of the alley. She seemed to come to the same realization seconds after he did; Ginny quickly released Harry and pushed away from the wall.
As soon as she backed off, Harry started, "It's not- I wasn't- It's just that while you we-," Ginny put her hand back over his mouth.
"Shut it! You want to get us caught before the game has even started?" although Ginny sounded angry, Harry couldn't help but notice that her smile was warm and slightly sheepish as her eyes drifted to his once again. She removed her hand from his mouth the second time of the night.
Their eyes held for what seemed like hours, but in a way, it wasn't long enough. Harry shook his head to break the moment.
"I suppose you're right then. We best head into one of these pubs if we want to really do them the slip. My vote is for the joint called, The Slippery Toadstool. Seems like they would have the most quality pint."
Ginny threw her head back and laughed deep in her throat exposing her neck to the breeze that the alley was offering. Harry couldn't help but look at her again. He started to feel something. He wasn't sure what is was, but he blamed it on the nostalgia of the little game they were playing.
"After you Mr. Chosen One. You are the expert at sneaking around after all," Ginny bent in a feign bow and gestured out of the alley way. At this point Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione had both ventured off presumedly to find them, but they were nowhere in sight.
"Maybe if you play your cards right I can show you a thing or two about sneaking around. I may even throw in a complimentary autograph." Harry smiled walking slyly to the Slippery Toadstool.
"If I had realized that you were giving out autographs for Hogwarts least eligible bachelor I would've asked you sooner. You're practically a hero around those halls. It's like you single handedly saved the wizarding world or something," Ginny winked and opened the door to the pub, "Lady's first."
An hour later Harry and Ginny were sitting at a table in the back corner of the Slippery Toadstool laughing so hard they were crying. Harry was now four pints in and Ginny was on her second.
"-and then Charlie came racing down the hall shouting for mum with his underwear on fire while Fred and George tried using dad's wand to put it out. They only ended up making his eyebrows catch fire too. It took Charlie two years to fully grow them back. Truth be told it was me that accidently cast the spell on his underpants. It was an honest mistake." Ginny gasped out between giggles.
"Stop it Gin-," Harry had to stop speaking as once again, a violent fit of laughter attacked him.
Ginny reached over to grab her beer off the table, and almost falling on the floor, reached for Harry's arm to steady her. Once she had regained her balance, she noticed that Harry had gotten really quiet. Ginny looked down at her hand, and she realized that her hand had landed on his upper thigh. She quickly retracted her hand.
"Harry I am so sorry! I'm so bloody drunk. I'm an idiot-,"
"Ginny-,"
"Really, I'm such a cl-,"
"Ginny!" Harry yelled, "It's really fine. It was an accident. I'm just glad I could lend a hand… or get a hand I guess if you look at the situation literally," he laughed.
She groaned and put her face in her hands, "Oh my gosh. I hate you."
"I also hate me," Harry winked.
Ginny lifter her head out of her hands and looked at Harry curiously. Meanwhile, Harry all the sudden had the urge to ask a question that he probably never would've asked in a million years hadn't been slightly tipsy.
"Ginny, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, but it'll cost you," Ginny smirked and leaned her elbows in on the table towards Harry.
"What exactly will it cost me," Harry copied Ginny's movement.
"Not much," she glanced sideways at Harry, "I just get to play a game of quidditch on your broom."
Harry pretended to contemplate this thoroughly as Ginny watched him expectantly. The truth was he would've let her ride his broom even if it wasn't a stipulation, but he wasn't about to tell her that.
Harry scratched his chin, "Deal."
Looking triumphant, Ginny responded, "ask away," as she leaned back in her chair.
"What's so special about Dean?"
Ginny's eyes shot open wide like a deer in headlights and her eyes slowly migrated to meet his.
"Special about Dean? Are you trying to ask me why I'm dating him?"
Harry met her eyes this time, and he didn't look away.
"Yes. I mean- I don't know," Harry leaned his head back running his fingers through his unruly hair. Out of his peripherals he could see Ginny eyeing him cautiously, "I guess what I'm asking is, how do you know if he's worth it? What did you see in him? Hell, I've only had one relationship, and we both know how that turned out.
Harry watched Ginny's face slowly change from contemplative and curious to that mischievous and playful face that he'd grown so accustomed to over the summer. She actually started to laugh at him, but Harry didn't quite understand what the joke was.
"Harry, I'm fifteen years old. I don't know what I want in a boyfriend. The way I see it right now is that we should date who we find interesting and enjoyable. Things may go well with that person, but they may not. That's okay. But… I suppose if I had to put a label on what I'm looking for… It would be someone who was funny, loyal, decently smart. Goodness knows Dean and Michael don't quite meet the criteria as far as brains is concerned, and of course a good quidditch player," she added with a wink, "As for you and Cho. I know you're not cut up about her, but you need to understand that you'll find someone who makes you feel millions of times better than she made you feel. Just give it time."
Harry looked away out the window of the pub as he thought about her words. Why was he thinking about this? What spurred him to go this deep with Ginny about relationships of all things? He had to admit these thoughts plaguing him were far more enjoyable than the thoughts of Voldemort and the possibilities of what was to come. His future was full of darkness. His end may be nearer than he would care to admit. He can't afford to think of a time for sappy romance and a future with a woman. The thought seemed so silly all of the sudden that he almost started laughing. Harry could sense a tense vibe coming from both his and Ginny's end of the table. Perhaps they could journey back to this conversation another time, but for now, he needed to lighten the mood.
Harry cast Ginny a grateful smile, but quickly switched it to a smirk to diffuse the tension, "Well if Quidditch talent is something you're looking for then you might should look a little further than Dean," He took a big gulp of his beer as Ginny kicked his shin under the table.
"You're such a prat," she scowled at him while working to get her other foot involved in the action on his other shin. Harry was cackling and just about to grab her other foot when a voice practically squealed through the pub.
"There you are!" Hermione came rushing over with Ron only a couple steps behind her, "We were terrified something had happened! You can't just up and vanish like that especially in these times!"
Harry started to form an apology when Ginny cut him off, "I'm surprised the two of you noticed we were missing at all with the way you two were going at it," she leaned back languidly eyeing Hermione and her brother.
Hermione colored a light pink as she started spluttering, "Why I- It wasn't that-Ron is just impossible at times! I don't know how you can stand to live with him."
"Oi! Really? Why are our little fights always my fault? Do you not ever think that we get into it because you're a know it all who always has to be right about everything?" Ron retorted with a slightly hurt expression.
Harry's eyebrows raised as he realized Hermione actually looked slightly guilty about her previous statement, but not enough to actually admit she had been in the wrong.
"Well, I suppose it may be my fault that we argue-," Ron started to look as if he had just won the lottery, "on the very rare occasion! It doesn't change the fact that it was your fault we almost had to buy a half a dozen candy canes when you knocked into that poor woman when we were in the candy store," Hermione added hastily.
"For the last time, she bumped into me! I mean really! How many times do I have to tell you!"
Harry and Ginny, both very exasperated, glanced at each other in a mutual agreement.
"You ready for round two of 'how long does it take the two twats to notice we're missing?'?" Harry asked as he finished gulping down his fifth beer.
"Only if this time we go to the Golden Spit next. I hear the record for the longest spit is 20 yards," Ginny glided her sparkling eyes back to him, as she grabbed his arm and tried to discretely guide them to the back exit.
Once they reached the door they looked back. Hermione and Ron still seemed to be nose deep in their argument.
Harry glanced back at Ginny's eyes again, "I bet I'll spit mine 40 yards."
Ginny giggled and walked out into the lightly lit street, "You've got yourself a bet Mr. Potter."
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please comment, and let me know what you would like to read next!