Written for the Ultimate OTP Competition on HPFC.
Prompt:- Action: Affectionate hair pulling
A/N: Don't let the genres 'Romance' and 'Humour' confuse you; there are still some elements of Angst in here.
•••
•
•
C×G
•
•
•••
Creating Headlines
On the morning of 11th June 2002, Ginny Weasley was a busy woman and she was nervous as anything. And why wouldn't she have been, she was about to record the biggest wedding in the British Wizarding World! And furthermore, it was the first time she was covering a front page event for The Daily Prophet.
She had not planned on attending it when she had got the invitation in the first place, but now she had a job she couldn't refuse. She was mad at a bespectacled man and even more madder at a sensual brunette, but that was an other matter.
"Okay, now... Quill? Check. Parchment? Check. Photogr—"
"You are bouncy when you fly here straight from the shower, aren't you?" the photographer in front of her remarked rather mischievously.
Ugh. Here she was all nervous and trying to prep herself up, and her assistant/photographer, Colin Creevey was being his usual, cool as cucumber self, unterrified of anything except a Basilisk and flying on a broomstick.
"Bouncy? I am not bouncy! What are you going on about?" she replied, utterly aghast.
He reached a hand behind her head and gently tugged at her barely wet, wild ponytail, making it straighter in the process.
"I am a bit of an expert, am I not?" he said cheekily with the spark of a faint smirk dancing upon his lips. She had to agree that he was a little bit right and before she knew, his sly expression was dangerously close to force a smile to break from the corners of her lips, which in turn succeeded in breaking up a little of her nervousness. How can he do that so easily?, she wondered for a fleeting second.
With great difficulty, Ginny managed to hide her huge, toothy grin from escaping out. Running a hand through her fiery hair for not the last time that morning she said, "Enough of your jokes, Colin Alec Creevey. Let's go now; grab your satchel."
"Okay, Ginevra." he sighed sheepishly in reply and motioned for her to walk. She glared at him for a short time before turning her face forward and moving ahead.
If he had expected her to lead him to the Apparition Point or the Floo Fireplace, he was wrong, very wrong. When Ginny, who unlike his expectations went right out of the office and onto the sunny sidewalk, he could only panic. His terror only increased when she started walking towards the parking lot present behind the office building.
"We are going to fly?" His voice was very shaky and low.
"Yes, my darling." she replied sarcastically, looking for her broom among the crowd of vehicles. All her nervousness had gone now; the possibility of flying on a broom always did that for her. It made her feel relaxed, but not the wizard trembling beside her.
"But your hair will get ruined, Ms. Weasley!" he said lamely in an effort to stop his nightmare from coming true.
"It's not like did anything special to it, Mr. Creevey." she replied back nonchalantly.
"I get it now...that's why— that's why you had asked me to put an Extension Charm on my satchel to store our formal clothes and told me that we would be changing our clothes at the hotel... You— you had planned it all along, hadn't you? You witch."
"Are you done now? And by the way, even you must agree that making you fly is the best way to keep your cheekiness at bay." she informed him, thoroughly smirking.
He grumbled something along the lines of: "I can always Apparate."
"And risk getting splinched because of not being good enough to have a license?"
Oops, he had forgotten about that. He looked down at his feet.
"Then the Floo."
"Oh Merlin, you are so forgetful! Didn't they announce last week that the Floo would be down due to maintenance issues for this week? Now come on, we are getting late!"
"This world is a cruel, cruel place and you are the cruelest of them all Ginny."
She didn't pay attention to what he had just said, already making her way towards her Firebolt. He trudged behind her, muttering various profanities under his breath.
•••
When the Editor of The Daily Prophet had contacted the Saviour of the Wizarding World asking for permission to send some reporters for recording his communion with Pansy Parkinson, he had meant to decline his request, but when he had learnt that the said reporters were his ex-girlfriend and former fan, Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevey respectively, he had agreed (at his fiancée's insistence).
"They are already invited, like everyone who was in Gryffindor and Slytherin in our year, and the years just before and after it, dear. If they are here, they might just as well record it." she had said with a smile.
Pansy had never been the one to not show off.
But flying up above in the cloudy English skies, Colin Creevey couldn't have ever fathomed that the real reason behind his absolutely miserable, nauseated state was none other than the bride of the wedding he was about to attend. For all he knew, a certain redhead whose waist he was clutching furiously was the one who had led him into this torturous journey.
Before he had been assigned the job, he had thought of attending with the girl he had met at the Leaky last week. He had planned on taking her along just for Side Apparition purposes, but now all those dreams were lost; he was stuck with Ginny, the girl who didn't pay him even a pinch of attention when he was well behaved.
He stopped thinking all these things when the woman he had been sitting behind, zapped the Firebolt in a rapid, downward fall, increasing the speed as she did this.
"Aaaaahhhhh," he yelled loudly over the sound of the rushing wind. "You're going to get us killed. You're going to get me killed and fuck this! Stop it bloody right now or I'll murder you in the afterlife. Stop!" he screamed.
"Relax Colin," she yelled back. "And anyway, we're going to land."
His meaningless (and pointless) screaming did not stop at her statement.
She sighed noiselessly as he tightened his hold on her and buried his head in the crook of her neck, closing his eyes simultaneously.
•••
When he had spent some one and half hours on solid ground that the green colour from his face had disappeared and his earlier, cheerful disposition had reappeared. As soon as they landed, they had booked a small room, decided to split up and then agreed to meet two hours later to compare notes and photographs and begin the actual work.
The quaint, old hotel and the open, grassy field surrounding it was still empty of guests because they had arrived way too early. The ceremony was to begin at six 'o' clock and it had been three-thirty when they had arrived.
She roamed around aimlessly. The decorations had been planned to last detail; she couldn't have expected anything less from the pureblooded Pansy Parkinson.
A large tent, not unlike the one at Bill and Fleur's wedding had been set in the open field. It was a majestic colour with golden embellishments and inside, a lot of culinary arrangements had been done. She dutifully noted all this down on the parchment she had brought along with herself, adding some flattering adjectives in process, even if writing them hurt.
Ginny went inside the church. It was empty and the sound of her footsteps echoed back from the grey, stone walls. She sat on one of the benches, wondering what could Colin be doing right then. "Probably fooling around," she whispered out. Truth be told, she didn't mind his cheekiness or mischievous nature too much, until and unless it was in excess. In fact, his cheerful disposition had prevented her from thinking bad about the groom and bride till now.
Until now, her mind had been on tomorrow's report, but now that she was all alone, she remembered... She remembered each and every devastating moment clearly.
"Hey Gin, I am home!" he had said.
He hadn't even known what he was in for; she had exploded as soon as he had stepped into their shared apartment.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS THIS?" she had screamed loudly and put a letter on the dining table with an even louder thud.
"Uhh... I..."
"Don't 'uhh' with me! Just fucking answer what I am fucking asking. Are you or are you not bloody cheating on me with the pug face?"
She had already known the answer. She had already been heartbroken. She shouldn't have gotten attached permanently, she shouldn't have...
"Yes— yes," he had stuttered, "but what we are— were in was an open relationship, wasn't it? You had said so yourself and besides I love her."
She had caught her forehead tightly and slumped onto the ground in utter defeat. What had she gotten herself in? Couldn't Harry have told her earlier about him and Parkinson, couldn't he have...
"Go... Go away and never ever show your face here again. Pack up your things AND GO!"
"I am sorry Ginny, I really am—"
"GO and don't be sorry for me. I am sorry for YOU. Go now, just go away. Pack up and go."
He had obliged.
A sudden hand on her shoulder startled her and Ginny Weasley shot open her eyes. When had she closed them, she could not recall. A hand wiped away a stray tear whose presence she had not felt earlier. Someone sat beside her, taking extra measure to not to sit upon her and squished himself onto the edge of the bench. He was someone she knew, someone who cared.
Colin.
"We have talked about this earlier, haven't we? Remember, over a drunken christmas party at the office last year?"
She remembered all too well, well at least the part before she had drunk beyond her senses could handle. She had cried and cried and cried until her eyes had run dry. He had caught her in his arms and she had a faint memory that they had kissed but she couldn't be sure at all. She had been way too tipsy right then.
She nodded silently. "Yes. You had told me that Harry is a fool who loves bitches and being submissive."
"Yeah, that's what he is for choosing the brat over you." he said. Colin stood up and offered her his hand. "Now, shall we get ready? 'Cause it's high time." he added.
"Okay" she replied weakly with a smile and got up.
Fuck you, Harry and Pansy.
•••
Harry didn't look in her direction twice and whether Pansy was merely glancing too much in her direction or trying to sneer without disturbing her happy expression as she walked down the aisle, she didn't know. What she knew was that she was finally bidding goodbye to a very major part of her childhood: Harry Potter.
When the groom kissed his bride, she did not hear the sound of her heart breaking. It would have been too clichéd anyway. She was feeling bad though, standing amidst the crowd of the wedding of the man who had rejected her openly.
In the noise, her hand sought the hand of the one who stood beside her. Finding none, she turned her neck a little to see him taking a shot of the kiss. Frowning slightly, she turned forward to look at Pansy Potter when a hand clasped with her own.
And that was all Ginny Weasley needed Colin Creevey to do.
As soon as the ceremony was over, all the people moved to the tent pitched outside. A pleasant wind was blowing and it ruffled the fire of her hair and the lilac of her grown. All he could think was that he had never seen a more beautiful scene before. Once inside, she sat on one of the chairs and beckoned him to sit beside her.
A huge Orchestra was playing on and it was quite loud. Nearly everyone was dancing too.
"I am going to write the report right now in the room and send it over. Hand me over your roll." she yelled over the loud music.
He quickly produced the required object from one of his deep trouser pockets and gave it to her.
"I hope we are going to dance tonight?"
"I am not sure if we would be together," she said and winked. "But hell yes, we are! Might as well use the free Firewhiskey. Stay here and don't wander off."
"Yes ma'am!"
•••
When she returned back, she did not expect him to be sitting where she had left him. Instead of that she had been expecting him to dance with some girl.
"Mr. Creevey," she started playfully, "I thought you would have been dancing!"
"Well, Ms. Weasley, do you see that blonde lass standing right there?" He lifted his finger to point out the position.
"Uh-huh"
"She had asked me to dance, but as you know, I have a certain affinity for redheads."
"My, my are you flirting with me, mister?"
"Haven't you noticed? I have always flirted with you for the last two years, miss." he said and winked in that mischievous manner of his and her heart melted a little. "So Ms. Weasley, may I have the honour of this dance?" he added.
"You may." she whispered and laughed when he bowed down like pompous royalty to kiss her hand.
He took her hand and first led her to the place where Firewhiskey had been placed and each one of them took a shot. After that, they went to the dancing area and stood still. Slowly, carefully put his hands on her waist and she hers on his shoulders.
Ginny moved one step backward and Colin moved one step forward. They were soon swaying with the rhythm of the music. She was having the time of her life and she felt utterly happy. Little did she know that he was having the time of his life too. They did not change partners for the whole evening, not even once. What they did though was take shot after shot of Firewhiskey.
Unlike the last time at the Christmas office party, this time both of them were drunk, but she more than him because for some unknown reason, alcohols tended to have much more effect on her than anyone else.
When he bent down, she didn't back away; it was time she let go of Harry. As her lips met his, she was distinctly aware of the fact that his lips were not soft like it was described in clichéd romance novels that she had read as a teenager. In fact, they were as chapped as they could be and that was a bit ironical for someone who normally had a smooth way with his words. Anyway, this kiss was feeling much better than any that she had in memory.
"Get a room, you two!" someone shouted.
They broke away to see Hermione Malfoy smirking from one of the tables. Draco Malfoy was sitting there, just beside her and he was as usual, smirking too. Hermione had not danced; she was after all in the third trimester of her pregnancy. Both of them smirked right back at the Malfoys.
"I suppose they are right." Ginny whispered into his ear.
Colin was taken aback; he had never expected her to say that. "Well— " he had just said when he was cut off as she kissed him yet again.
They did not break apart on their way to their room. She pushed him roughly against the wooden door and he barely managed to open it.
Colin hastily registered the fact that they would be staying the night and that he should rightfully pay the bill next morning, but knowing Ginny, she would probably want them to go Dutch.
But he thought no more as soon as he fell on the bed along with her.
•••
When Ginny Weasley woke up, she was lying against a bare, sparsely haired chest and her hair was splayed all around her head like a halo. She was naked and so was the man lying beside her.
What had she done last night?
What. Had. She. Done?
She remembered dancing with Colin and then kissing him and now she was here, in bed with him.
"Oh, fuck." she said aloud.
"Funny, 'cause that was what you were moaning last night." he said from beside her with closed eyes and that peculiar but somewhat charming smirk of his.
"Really?"
"Yup"
"You have no proof, Mr. Creevey."
"But don't you know, in vino veritas, Ms. Weasley?"
"Okay, I give up, I give up. Now shut up and kiss me."
"Gladly."
They were just going in for another round when someone started knocking loudly at one of the windows. She wandlessly opened it and in flew two owls with their issues of The Daily Prophet and dropped them on the bed. They flew away as soon as they had come. Ginny opened hers.
Their work shone out on half of the front page and her eyes sparkled when she saw their names just beneath the headline. She read through the report in a flash and he read along with her. In the centre, a photo of Harry kissing Pansy had been published but she did not pay much attention to it. Besides, if Colin hadn't taken that shot, their article might have been image-less and they could have been highly reprimanded.
"Hey look," he said and put his finger where something had been printed in small, fine letters. "There's an editor's note in here."
The note went like this:
The creators behind this article are missing since last night. I hope they are having fun.
Her cheeks reddened like her hair, upon reading that.
"Looks like the boss has grown a funny bone." she remarked.
"Yeah... but now, no more talking. We're going to have fun like Boss hopes us to."
And before Ginny Weasley could say anything further, Colin Creevey kissed her.
-end-
•
•
'In vino veritas' - In wine there is truth.
I hope that wasn't half bad. Please review.