Chapter IV
Ginny spun around her room like a madwoman. She felt like her mind was being tugged into four separate directions.
One part was still relishing her recent trouncing of the Magpies. The stadium was positively bursting with her fans (home game for the Harpies and what not), and she had scored the majority of the goals that evening. They gave a good fight; it was a very exciting game really. They were tied 160 to 160 when Ginny saw the Holyhead seeker dive for the snitch. The Magpie seeker was unluckily 40 yards away when it happened. In her mind, everything was happening in slow motion. She tucked the quaffle under her left arm – beaters would automatically think she would hold it under her right arm. A bludger was sent hurling at her, but she managed to turn her broom upside down at the last possible moment, unfortunately for their other beater. The bludger made a sickening contact with his left arm. Ginny could still hear the bones protesting as the bludger easily broke his arm. Ginny righted her broom and quickened to the rings. The keeper had not taken his eyes off of her yet. She went in for an obvious, straight forward toss, but faked him out at the last moment, dropping upside down yet again and tossing the quaffle directly into the bottom ring. The stadium erupted into cheers. Ginny thought the noise was rewarding but had to do a double take when the noise tripled in sound. Gemma Holloway, the Harpie seeker, was a small, but muscular girl without fear. She had dived for the snitch and taken a bludger for it. Gemma lay on the ground, her broomstick in pieces yards away from her, half propped up by one arm and victoriously grasping the snitch in her other outstretched arm. It was a close victory, but a glorious one.
The second direction her mind was going was to preparing for her date. She had showered off the smell of the pitch and was now trying to select a dress to wear for her four year anniversary with Harry Potter. She wanted to look ridiculously tempting without dressing like an outright slag.
The third direction her mind was pulling was a search for her earrings. She had a nasty habit of taking them off in different places around her room. She never lost them exactly, it would just take her a week or so to come across them later. She had found some hot pink lily stud earrings but that was the sort of thing she would wear for…well she couldn't think of the last time she wore those. Perhaps they were left over from her childhood when she had questionable taste. In her left hand, she held one white gold drop earring and was trying to find its mate.
The fourth direction her mind was pulling was at a knock at her door. Must be Hermione. She's the only one with enough manners to knock.
"Come in!"
Hermione opened the door and quickly shut the door and averted her eyes. "Ginny! What if I had been Ron! Cover yourself up!"
Ginny glanced down at herself. Bugger. I forgot I put an invisibility charm on my bra.
Ginny was wearing a pair of lacy black knickers and a bra, but Hermione couldn't see the bra. Ginny grabbed her robe from her floor, unearthing a silver peep toe pump with a ridiculously high heel.
"Sorry about the mess. It's usually not this bad."
Hermione nodded in agreement, "I know, it only gets really messy when you're getting ready to go somewhere important. I'm the same way. Have you figured out what you're going to wear yet?"
Ginny sighed, "I was getting to that. Can't find my bloody earring." She stepped into her large wardrobe. It had long ago been enchanted to the size of a large walk-in closet. Ginny emerged holding three different dresses. She held each dress up for Hermione to inspect.
"Here's outfit A," Ginny announced as she held up a blush pink strapless dress. It was satin and came to Ginny's knees.
"Outfit B," Ginny held up a dark blue dress with a wide deep V neck line. The back was a work of art in drapery form. The fabric pulled together at the small of the back, clasped by a silver phoenix broach. The back had the same deep V as the front. It fell to a little past Ginny's knees.
"And last, outfit C," Ginny held up a dark purple dress with spaghetti straps. It had a black lace trim under the bust line, which would make Ginny's waist look even smaller than it all ready was. The dress' length fell in between outfits "A" and "B."
Hermione studies the choices carefully, as if she was trying to memorize a spell. "Has Harry seen you in all of these?"
Ginny scoffed, "No, my shopping habits are too absurd for that!" Ginny had been fairly good with her money. She saved at least half of her Harpies paycheck each month, but as for the other half, it probably was invested in her wardrobe.
Hermione just nodded. She had accompanied Ginny on some shopping excursions, but only bought a fraction of what Ginny purchased. "How about you try on options 'A' and 'B,' option 'C' looks like a dress you would wear to a wedding or a dinner party, it's not seductive enough."
Ginny snorted with laughter. "Well said, Hermione, well said."
Hermione blushed slightly and busied herself with finding some heels for Ginny to wear as Ginny changed into option 'A.'
Ginny studied herself in the wardrobe mirror's reflection. She turned and looked at her bum, then back at her hair, which was emphasized whenever she wore pink, then back at her bum again. Before she could say it Hermione called from across the room, "I don't think that's it. Let's see outfit 'B.'"
Ginny threw the dress over her head and ignored the gasp of shock that Hermione emitted. Forgot about the damn bra again. I wonder if all only-children are so modest!
She pulled on dress 'B' and was instantly glad that her bra was invisible. The deep V would have shown her bra, but instead, it just showed a tasteful amount of cleavage. At least that is what she would try to convince Ron if he saw her.
Ginny turned to study her back in the mirror and instantly decided on this dress. The deep V showed her lovely back. Ginny mentally counted her blessings that she had not fallen off her broom in the last game. The fabric pulled together at the small of her back. Her silver phoenix broach sparkled slightly when the light hit it in the right way.
Hermione seemed to be of a similar opinion, "Look at your bum!"
Ginny burst out laughing at Hermione's outburst. She then stole a glance at a clock and wished she hadn't. "Look at the time!"
Hermione coaxed Ginny's wavy mane into a lovely French twist while Ginny applied her makeup, hurriedly, yet carefully. Foundation, powder, blush, lip gloss, eye shadow, mascara. She performed a mental checklist. She slipped on a few silver bangles on her right wrist and stuck her wand in a small silver clutch handbag after enchanting her silver heels with a generous cushioning charm. Ginny twirled for inspection. Hermione nodded approvingly before they both raced downstairs.
Ron and George were in the kitchen. Ron was just starting on an apple while George seemed to be devouring a large amount of left-overs. George let out a long wolf-whistle as his little sister came into the kitchen looking like she could beat Fleur in a beauty pageant.
Ginny paused distractedly and sighed in defeat. "I never found my bloody earrings!"
Ron looked up at Ginny and was instantly angry. "Where are you going painted up like that?"
"To snog your best mate. It's our anniversary."
"Ron's right you know, Ginny. Wearing that dress, your nipples would show straight through if a cool breeze came along."
Ginny smirked. It was a game that they secretly played during the past few years, see how uncomfortable they could make Ron. He had a normally high tolerance but it was just pure fun to see how far they could push him.
"Not to worry, George."
"You're changing?" Ron wished against all hope.
"No, I'm wearing an invisible bra so I won't nip through. I accidentally flashed Hermione upstairs actually."
Ron choked on a mouthful of apple and started coughing furiously.
Ginny exchanged glances with George and winked at her mischievous brother.
Hermione caught on to the exchange and decided to join in on the fun. "Twice actually."
When Ron had managed to clear his windpipe, George picked up on it again, "Smart thing, invisible bras. But how do you find it the morning after when you're –"
George was drowned out by Ron exiting the kitchen yelling an off-pitch and terribly botched rendition of "Green sleeves," which he somehow amusingly thought was called, "Green Steve."
"ALAS MY STEVE YOU DO ME WRONG,
TO CAST ME OFF SOMETHING SOMETHING…."
George and Ginny burst into laughter, while Hermione fought with herself, trying not to laugh. George leaned towards Ginny, "So is Harry going to pop the question and make an honest woman of you tonight?" He waggled his eyebrows annoyingly at Ginny.
"There's nothing not honest about me!" She hotly retorted. "And actually he just might." A grin spread over her face.
George looked a little surprised. "About time."
Ron had wondered back into the kitchen, hoping that the embarrassing talk was finished. Ginny noticed, and said to George, "What are even harder to find are invisible knickers."
Ron turned pink and started up on the chorus…or what he thought was the chorus.
"GREEN STEVE WAS ALL MY JOY,
GREEN STEVE WAS MY DELIGHT!"
George rolled his eyes at his little brother and looked at Hermione. "Watch out there, Granger. This little git is going to leave you for an alien named Steve."
Hermione couldn't hold back and burst out into side-splitting laughter along with Ginny. Ron stopped singing and flung his half eaten apple at George's face with an excessive amount of force. George dodged the apple at just the right moment, which was unfortunate for Bill, who had just come in through the floo. The piece of fruit hit Bill straight in the crotch.
Hermione and Ginny laughed even harder. Both Ron and George's chairs made large screeching noises as both men tried to exit the kitchen before Bill regained his capacity to walk.
"BLOODY HELL! GEORGE, RONALD, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Ginny managed to walk over to the back door, still clutching her side with laughter. "Right, Hermione, I'm leaving before I get hit with some produce."
Hermione wiped some tears from her eyes and stopped laughing long enough to say, "See you later."
Ginny arrive at number 12 Grimmauld Place and stepped into the foyer. She was immediately greeted by Kreacher and Sootie.
"Master Harry is upstairs shaving. Would you care to wait in the sitting room?"
"I hurried for nothing! Yes, I will wait there." She climbed up the first set of stairs and went into the sitting room off the first landing. She was too nervous to sit, it felt like a snitch was in her stomach, buzzing around and making her less calm than she usually was. She walked the length of the room a couple of times, listening to the sound her silver heels made on the wood floors.
She turned when she heard Harry enter the room. He had stopped abruptly in his tracks. His eyes darkened as he drank in her appearance.
"Merlin, Ginny. You look amazing."
She smiled in response and quickly looked away as he tried to discretely adjust his trousers. Harry was wearing a pair of dark grey trousers with a grey sports coat. He wore a blue button up shirt underneath which made his eyes look like a mixture of blue and green.
She crossed the room and hugged him tightly. His arms folded around her easily. His hands then began to explore the exposed back of the dress. She pushed him away lightly and teasingly said, "You're not even going to buy me dinner first?"
Harry blushed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Of course I was. It's a nice posh restaurant in downtown London."
"I was only teasing you know," she threw over her shoulder as she exited the room and started down the stairs. Seeing Harry's confused expression as he held her hand to apparate together, she said, "I am the one buying you dinner."
With a soft pop they arrived in a dodgy alley. Harry pulled her close and exited the alley quickly. He practically growled, "Over my dead body are you paying for this."
Ginny giggled in reply. She loved getting him riled up like this.
Author's Note: Next chapter will be up in a few days! The actual date had to go in the next chapter, I couldn't pass up the scene with the Weasley brothers. My beta reader edited these chapters really quickly, so thanks, Lu!
