For Pinky Green's Quotes/Sentences Challenge in the HPFC Forum
( *~ 2 ~* )
( I want you. )
( *~* )
The evening is a nice one: Through the windows, a tree line is glowing orange in the slowly sinking sun, making the place feel even more like home than usual to the residents of Gryffindor Tower. Many of them have gone down to dinner, but some – a large majority of the fifth and seventh years – remain to work on the multitude of homework they have for the next day (and the next one, and the next one…). Most work silently, with their heads down, but a few use teamwork, and one fifth year is using her boyfriend.
"And what's the incantation again?"
"Evanesco."
"Right, thanks."
In anyone else's case, Harry minds enormously if they ask directly for answers on homework, but for Ginny, he doesn't mind in the slightest – especially if the result is more of her to himself. He's been doing a lot of this lately, helping her with her O.W.L. work, but with his help comes certain rewards that make it more than worth the long periods of time where all that's heard in the common room is the scratching of quills and the occasional low mutter. It was slightly unnerving the first few days he volunteered his knowledge, but he's used to it now.
"And… done!" Ginny announces, setting her quill down with a flourish. She grabs her essay and snaps it behind her to where Harry is laying on one of the many couches, propped up on his elbow.
Harry scans through it quickly, searching only for the key points he knows the work needs.
"Perfect," he says with a grin, and hands the parchment back to its owner. Ginny rolls it up and stows it away in her bag before giving Harry a quick peck on the lips.
"I owe you one," she tells him gratefully.
"Actually, you owe me about fifteen, but who's counting?"
"Prat," says Ginny, smacking him playfully on the arm. "Now scoot, the floor isn't exactly comfortable, you know."
Harry starts to reposition himself so that he's sitting up, but before he's even halfway there a heavy weight plops itself down onto his middle – a heavy weight that just happens to be his girlfriend.
"Uh, Ginny?" he chokes out.
"Yes?" asks Ginny pleasantly, looking down at him.
"Can you, uh, move? I can't… you know… breathe."
Ginny laughs; the sound alone makes Harry's nearly permanently low spirits lift a little. "I didn't know Harry Potter the Great needed to breathe," she teases.
"Yeah, well, he does," says Harry, "so any day now would be nice."
"Fine, fine," mutters Ginny lightly as she hops off him, and at last he is able to get himself upright. This time, Ginny settles herself on top of his lap, an arrangement he's not in the least upset about. She wiggles around a bit.
"Better?"
"Much," says Harry. He waits for a fraction of a second, then kisses her deeply and sweetly. The kiss does not escalate much further: The two aren't in the relationship for the snogging, they're in it because they make each other happy, hold each other together. Their kisses are words that they can't say, are afraid to say, in the middle of a war – I love you, Don't leave me, Stay safe, I'm scared.
When they break apart, they press their foreheads together.
"There's still one thing I don't understand," says Ginny, breathing only slightly heavier than normal.
Harry raises his eyebrows. "And that is…?"
"Why did you pick me? You have the entire female population of Hogwarts at your fingertips. You can have anybody you want."
Harry laughs quietly, enjoying the cluelessness of the question.
"Well, I would think that would be obvious, Miss Weasley," he says in a professor-like tone.
"Oh? And what would that oh-so-obvious answer be, Mr. Potter?" asks Ginny, feigning child-like curiosity.
"Ginny," says Harry – he gives another short laugh – "I could have anybody I want, yes. But I want you."
Ginny's cheeks turn faintly pink, but then she shoots back inquiringly, "And exactly how much do you want me?"
"I'll show you."
And with that, Harry pulls her to her feet and out of the common room, headed for the nearest deserted classroom.
( *~* )
I really liked this one, even though I ended it differently than I thought I would when I started. Ah, whatever, it's supposed to be short. I'm just used to writing a lot longer stuff. Whatever.
tO_iNfInItY_aNd_BeYoNd!
- XAPY-TZINY-IIOZEINTON-NOAT