A/N: Sorry this took so long, my muse was on vacation. Right, now that that's out of the way, on with the..
Disclaimer: You know I don't own this. All these wonderful characters belong to JK Rowling, who was kind enough to grace us with their creation! Yay JK!
Worth Waiting For
Chapter 4- Debates While Degnoming
An HP fanfiction by Vira Xyn
Harry had woken to the sound of the shower running. He didn't really think anyone else would be up as early as he would, but he figured maybe Mr. or Mrs. Weasley had gotten up early. Never a late sleeper, as it wasn't allowed at the Dursley's, he lie in bed until he heard the shower turn off. The raven haired youth put his glasses on, then grabbed a pair of clean boxers, and pulled on some loose grey sweatpants before pulling open his door. He was about to step out, when a red blur shot by him. A red blur with a rather lacy looking streak of blue on her top, he realized with a blush. They hadn't really been dating long enough to get very far, and in fact had only even kissed a few times. It was hard to sneak away for a good snog when you're Harry Potter, and your girlfriend is the little sister of Ron Weasley. So needless to say, the sight of Ginny in her underwear was something that Harry wasn't expecting, nor used to.
He slowly shook himself out of his stupor, and continued on for the bathroom, praying that Ginny hadn't noticed him. If she had.. Oh, that would be trouble. He had to think of something, some excuse, or he was a dead man. It wouldn't really do to have the famous Weasley temper aimed at him because he'd accidentally seen his ex in her knickers.
"I was still blurry from lack of sleep, yeah that's it! Couldn't see a bloody thing," he said aloud, quite proud of himself and his lie. It was perfect, hell he could even say that his glasses hadn't quite been on right. That was even better! He smiled, confident in his safety now, and headed for the shower. Within minutes he had finished and was attempting to tame his hair. As usual his dark locks would have none of it, and he finished with the same unruly mess he's started with. "Stupid bloody hair.. Ah well, not like I'm not used to it by now. Best get down to breakfast or Ron won't leave me with anything to eat."
"Good morning Harry, dear," said Mrs. Weasley as she set a plate of bacon on the table. She smiled and turned back toward the kitchen without really waiting for his reply.
"Morning Mrs. Weasley," he said as he took in the dining room. Amazingly, Harry was the first one down to the table. He plopped down in a seat and quickly filled his plate, knowing that he'd be very lucky to get seconds. At that moment Ginny and Hermione came bounding down the stairs. Well, Ginny bounded, Hermione came down at more of a leisurely stroll, but that wasn't the point. The point was that, for the second time in as many days, Harry's breath caught in his throat. He sputtered for a moment, then finally managed to breathe again right as Ginny said good morning.
"Morning mum, morning Harry," the lithe redhead greeted as she sat down. Harry was still having trouble believing that she was actually speaking to him, let alone being so nice. Maybe they'd be able to salvage a friendship out of this after all. He knew it would be more than he deserved, but a guy can hope, right?
"Good morning dears!" Mrs. Weasley's voice called from the kitchen. Ginny had, by this time, finished loading her plate. She tucked in with an appetite that might well put even Ron to shame. He just smiled, and grabbed an extra piece of bacon.
"Good morning Mrs. Weasley," called Hermione as she too shoveled eggs and bacon onto her plate. For the first time this summer Harry got a good look at Hermione. The girl was really coming into her own, and was actually looking like a girl for a change. Not that his self-proclaimed sister had ever looked bad, but he was surprised to see that the girl was actually wearing a bit of makeup! Between that and a white blouse that just barely hugged her sides, even Ron would be hard pressed not to notice the normally mousy girl. "Good morning Harry, sleep well?"
"Sure did 'Mione, I always sleep better here," he replied, smiling at her. Finally, and more than a bit awkwardly, he turned to the table's other occupant. "Morning Ginny."
"So what are you girls going to do today?" asked Mrs. Weasley as she set two glasses of juice in front of the two girls, as Harry already had one. Right now, the Boy-Who-Lived was just glad that Mrs. Weasley seemed blissfully ignorant of his awkwardness where her only daughter was concerned. Whatever hard feelings the Weasley matriarch had concerning their breakup seemed to have been forgotten.
"Well, Hermione and I were thinking of having a bit of a girl's day, you know, to catch up with each other," came Ginny's reply, between bites of bacon and biscuits. That was interesting, and a good idea, thought the dark haired soon to be seventeen year-old. He hoped that their breakup wouldn't hurt Ginny's friendship with his bushy haired pseudo-sister. It would be just like Hermione to try and make everyone happy at the expense of being happy herself. Of course, it would be just like him too, but Harry wasn't thinking about that.
"That sounds lovely Ginny. I'll tell you what, don't tell Ron and Harry, but I'll make sure to keep them busy with chores today," said Mrs. Weasley, as she winked at them. She turned and smiled sheepishly at Harry. "Sorry Harry dear."
"Its okay Mrs. Weasley, you know I like to help out. Just don't tell Ron," he said with a smile. He really didn't mind helping. It was so much better than slaving for his aunt and uncle, or avoiding his idiot cousin. Just then a voice came from the steps.
"Don't tell Ron what?" his best friend asked with a yawn. Harry groaned inwardly, only Ron could have timed his entrance that perfectly without ever meaning to. His mind was whirling, trying to come up with an excuse. He really wanted for Ginny to have a good day, and he knew Ron would ruin it if the boy knew she would be relaxing while he was outside working. Ron was a good friend, but sometimes he could be extraordinarily thick. Finally he locked onto a good excuse.
"Oh, well.. They didn't want me to tell you that Ginny and Hermione would be getting to stay inside and clean, while you and I had to do chores outside," he answered quickly, looking to Mrs. Weasley for support. He missed Ginny's look as he hoped his best mate wouldn't catch the lie.
"Well.. I suppose we can let it go this time mate," said Ron, giving him a conspiratorial wink when he thought that they weren't looking. Everyone knew he hated to clean indoors when he could be outside instead. Only he didn't know that everyone knew that. "What all do you need us to do mum?"
"Well, I need you to degnome the garden, the broom shed needs to be painted, and if you have time there are some Horsnaps in the western patty. I could really use two or three, I'm nearly out," she said. Horsnap added a great kick to food when it was dried and ground. They were notoriously difficult to catch though.
"Guess you'll get to put those Seeker skills to work this summer," Harry was trying desperately not to laugh at the triumphant look on Ron's face as he turned toward him to speak. It was lucky that his friend was so thick sometimes. As he snickered a bit at this, Ron finally noticed that something was up. "What's so blood funny?"
"Ronald, language!" snapped Mrs. Weasley. This just made Harry laugh harder. Ginny was smiling softly as well, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Harry did his best not to shiver as she looked at him. That twinkle made all the work he'd be doing this afternoon worth it to him.
"Well, I suppose we should get started," he said to Ron as he picked up his plate. Though he was the last one down, the youngest Weasley boy had been the first one finished with his breakfast. Not that anyone was surprised. They deposited their dished in the kitchen, then went up to change. "So what should we do first mate?"
"I think the shed first, then the garden. It'll be fun catching the little bastards after how boring the shed will be," his friend said with a grin. They'd both put on tattered old jeans and while Ron had pulled out a faded Chudley Cannons t-shirt, Harry himself had simply taken off his t-shirt in favor of the muscle shirt he had on under it.
"Finish it out with the Horsnaps then?" he asked with a grin as he already knew the answer. Of course Ron would think that anything that got him on a broom would be the best part and should be saved for last. Not that Harry disagreed of course.
"Definitely finish with the Horsnaps," he smiled and headed for the door. As soon as they got to the broom shed, he had an idea. Grinning he spun toward Ron. "Hey, you wanna try out my Firebolt when we go after the Horsnaps?"
"W-w-what? Yeah! Are you sure you trust me with it?" his red haired friend sputtered, not sure if he believed him.
"Of course I trust you with it Ron, besides you'd kill yourself if anything happened to it and save me the trouble," he grinned as his friend turned green, but slapped him on the shoulder. "I'm just messing with you mate."
"Yeah, yeah of course you are. Bloody hell," he muttered, rubbing his shoulder where he'd been hit. Harry pulled several buckets of paint from the shed, as well as a couple brushes. Soon they were painting and laughing, telling jokes and comparing notes on the girls at school. Just like normal teenage boys. For a few blissful hours, both boys managed to forget the coming battle, and the hardships they would soon be facing. Before they knew it they were finishing up the shed, and Mrs. Weasley was calling them in for lunch.
"You know, this would be so much easier if we were allowed to use magic," Ron whined, wiping sweat from his brow as the trudged inside.
"Yeah, but what fun would that be?" said Harry sarcastically as he too tried to cool off and clean up a bit before they ate. He had been sweating heavily in the summer sun. Even his usually untamable hair was damp enough that it stayed down, nearly clinging to his head. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and gave a toothy grin. "Besides, this'll just make getting on our brooms later that much more worth it!"
Ron just rolled his eyes at the bespectacled youth and dried his hands, heading for the table. A moment later Mrs. Weasley joined them, informing them that the girls had already eaten.
"I didn't want you boys to have to stop in the middle of painting," she said with a small smile, giving Harry a conspiratorial wink when Ron wasn't looking.
"Oh, well thank you Mrs. Weasley," he replied with a smile. The girls just didn't want to get caught out by Ron. Well that was fine with him, and he hoped they were having a good time. Soon enough lunch was finished, sooner still for Ron who had practically inhaled three sandwiches, and they were headed back outside.
"I hate gnomes," muttered Ron as they approached the garden. The gnomes had heard them coming, and had apparently decided to make it a battle, because as they approached they were bombarded with tiny rocks and a few berries. "Bloody hell!"
"Cheeky little bastards, aren't they?" asked Harry, laughing as Ron took a berry in the nose, turning it a bright red. He was about to make a smart remark, when a trio of rocks hit his nose, causing him to swear in pain.
"Not so funny now, are they?" asked Ron, his voice smug. He ducked as a pointed twig flew his way, and began looking for a stick of his own.
"Let's get the little tossers!" said Harry, waving a branch over his head in mock rage. The two boys began a grueling war of attrition against the gnomes, dodging most of the things thrown at them, although they both took several more hits before the afternoon was over. They soon fell into a steady rhythm as Ron would smack a gnome into the air, where Harry would either grab it, or smack it across the yard with his own stick. Soon the two were laughing again and had made something of a game of it, seeing which could hit the poor creatures further. At one point, Harry looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of red in one of the windows. He pondered this for a moment, then grinned and waved as he realized it was Ginny. Ron rolled his eyes, but took the opportunity to ask a question that had been bothering him for a while now.
"So, what's up with you and my sister mate?" he said, trying to keep his voice casual, though he knew it wasn't a casual subject. Harry visibly winced and tried to cover it with a laugh.
"What do you mean? There's nothing up with us Ron, we broke up remember?" he said, attempting to will away the blush that was threatening to overtake him. Just what he didn't need was Ron playing overprotective brother right now. He was still hanging on the hope that maybe he and Ginny could still be friends, but if Ron decided that he was only going to hurt her again, he'd never have that chance.
"Don't give me that, I know I'm a bit thick when it comes to girls, but I'm not stupid Harry," the youngest Weasley boy said, the humor dropping from his voice. "I've seen you looking at her. It's the same way I look at Herm.. Uh.. A really good sandwich?"
"A really good.. What?!" Harry nearly fell over laughing, and the gnome that had just been launched at him took its chance, snapping at his shoulder. The raven-haired boy recovered, tossing the gnome across the yard, then turned back to his friend. "Tell me you did not just compare the way I look at Ginny to you looking at food. Better yet, why don't you just own up and admit that you were going to say Hermione!"
"What! I wasn't going to say anything of the sort! And don't try to change the subject, you just admitted you're looking at my sister!" He cried, pointed at Harry. The supposedly 'Chosen One' just shook his head, torn between laughing at his friend, and screaming at his own bad luck.
"I'll tell you what's going on, not that I'm saying anything is, but I'll tell you when you admit that you fancy 'Mione!" The other boy replied, trying to get Ron to let him off the hook. It nearly worked too, except that after gaping like a fish for a few moments, his red haired friend looked down and muttered something. "What was that Ron? I didn't catch that."
"I said I fancy Hermione. There, you happy now?" His friend snapped, turning away from him.
"No mate, I'll be happy when you tell here that," Harry said softly, standing next to his friend. He smiled a little. "At least you've admitted it to yourself though. Now you just have to tell her."
"I will mate. I will. I'm not going to let what happened at the Yule Ball happen again. She's not second choice, she's never been. I just don't have the stones to admit it to her. What if she doesn't like me? I mean, I know we're friends, but she's always been closer to you. Then there's that bastard Krum," he trailed off, kicking at a gnome who'd gotten brave and tried to stab his foot with a makeshift trident.
"First of all, don't worry about Viktor. She just went with him to make you jealous," Harry replied, a small smile on his face. It was about damn time Ron did something about his crush on Hermione. "Second, 'Mione is like my sister Ron, and I know she feels the same way. Hell, we don't do it in front of people 'cause it's a little odd, but when we owl each other she even calls me her brother. I do the same, call her my sister I mean. Face it mate, the girl fancies you. Now you just need to tell her that you feel the same."
"Yeah, I know I do. Sooner better than later, right?" he smiled at last, looking at his best friend.
"Damn right mate!" Harry said, cuffing his shoulder again, a large grin on his face.
"Don't think you're off the hook just because I've spilled my heart out all over the lawn," Harry's grin suddenly faltered and he nearly tripped over a gnome that was stumbling back to the garden, knocking the abused creature back across the yard.
"Of course not, why would I think that? Ginny, and me what's going on? To be honest mate, I don't bloody well know. I thought I'd done the right thing, getting away from her. I thought I'd be keeping her safe," he said, all humor gone from his face. Ron had turned on him, a scowl cutting across his features, then softening as Harry finished.
"I know mate, she means a lot to you, doesn't she?" he said, the anger wasn't gone, but it was softer now. He understood his friend's plight (he really wasn't as thick as he seemed sometimes) though that didn't mean he had liked him hurting his sister.
"Yeah Ron, she does. I'd die if she got hurt because of me. She can hate me, scream at me, hit me, curse me, hell I'd take one of her famous Bat Bogey hexes if it would keep her safe. The problem is now I'm here, and she's here, and I just want to hold her again," his voice was barely a whisper by the time he'd finished.
"C'mon mate, that's my sister you're talking about getting cuddly with. I don't want to hear about it," his friend said, though there was humor rather than malice in his voice. Something about Harry's words had forced him to reevaluate his position on the boy's relationship with his sister. Not that Ron wanted anyone to be getting cuddly with Ginny, or (Merlin forbid) snogging her! But if it had to be someone, he was starting to realize that Harry might be the best choice. "I suppose I know the feeling though. Not for my sister, get your damn mind out of the gutter Potter!"
"It can't happen though. I don't even know if I'll survive the next year, and I can't risk Voldeshorts coming down on her because of me," he said, a hard determination crossing his eyes. "I can't stop you and 'Mione from coming with you, you've both made that clear. But if we're not together, then Ginny has no reason to go with us, so she'll be safe."
"'No reason to go'? So she's not your friend then? She's just another quick snog for the great Boy-Who-Lived?" Ron's voice was cold as he said it, and even though he was expecting the reaction, he still took a step back as Harry turned on him. His green eyes were burning as they locked on his best friend. Ron smiled nervously as he backed up a pace trying to get away from the vehemence in that emerald gaze. "See Harry, that's the reaction I knew I'd get. She is your friend; even someone as daft as me can see it. You two are almost as close as you and Hermione, though I don't think you'll ever be seeing Ginny as a sister."
"You're right Ron, she is my friend, and she would try to come with us. Which is why we can't tell her when we go," he said, the sudden cold rage that had filled him upon hearing his friend's words leaving him. He knew Ron was right, she would want to go, and he wouldn't be able to say no to her. That was the other reason he'd broken up with her. If Ginny had asked him to stay, to not leave to look for the last Horcruxes, and to instead go back to Hogwarts for his seventh year, there was no way he could say no to her. "I just hope she'll forgive me someday."
"You and me both mate," said Ron as he pulled the last of the gnomes from the garden. It was getting on in the afternoon, though it was still hot, and both boys were ready to get onto something more fun. Both physically and mentally. "So, you still want to let me ride you're Firebolt?"
"You're impossible mate!" Harry laughed as they headed for the shed. He suddenly realized that his broom wasn't in the shed yet, and turned to Ron. "My Firebolt's still in the house, how about I meet you back on the Pitch?"
"Sounds good," came the muffled reply as Ron dug through the disaster of the broom shed, looking for his Cleansweep. Harry smiled and took off at a run, quickly reaching the door to the Burrow. He passed through the dining room and headed up the stairs to his room. His broom was resting lovingly on its stand (a gift from Remus for his last birthday) as he entered the room. He grabbed it along with a t-shirt, knowing that he'd get cold quickly as they flew, and headed back into the hall. He was almost to the stairs, taking a much more leisurely pace now, when something pushed him against the wall. Before he knew what was happening, a pair of small arms had wrapped themselves around his neck, and a pair of lips had pressed themselves against his own.
It took only a moment for Harry to realize what was going on, as he took in the lithe form pressed against him, the fiery red hair that filled his vision, and the perfect full lips that always made his heart skip a beat. Ginny was kissing him! Had hell just frozen over? Was he hallucinating? Was this some kind of horrible/wonderful dream? After what seemed like forever, but was probably less than a second, he decided that he didn't care if it was a dream. But as fate would have it (Harry wasn't sure what he'd done to piss fate off, but he was sure it must have been awful) just as he began to kiss her back, she pulled away. She slipped away from him, flashing an impish grin at him as she did.
"Welcome back Harry," she whispered, then turned and slipped into her room, leaving a gaping and entirely dumbstruck last of the Potters in her wake. After several minutes Harry finally managed to form a coherent thought. The first of which happened to be what the bloody hell?!
"What the bloody hell?!" he vocalized, his brain and mouth seeming to be in complete agreement. Ginny had just kissed him, or at least he was pretty sure that's what had happened. He recapped events in his head. Got Firebolt, pushed into wall by red haired beauty, snogged senseless. Yep, that was the chain of events all right. Well, one could hardly call one kiss being 'snogged senseless' but when that one kiss is the one thing you want more than anything else in the world, it doesn't take much to leave one senseless. Shaking his head in an effort to clear it, Harry finally turned to go back outside, only to stumble and proceed to roll down the stairs. "Ow."
Finally outside (and having decided that the Weasleys have too many stairs) Harry mounted his broom and took off for the Pitch, where Ron was waiting. The fall down the stairs had cleared his head a bit, well that or he was concussed and not thinking clearly, either way he'd managed to come to the conclusion that what had happened couldn't possibly have happened and that he must have been hallucinating. The fact that he could still feel Ginny's lips pressed against his own not withstanding. He waved at Ron as he approached the Pitch, dismounting from his broom as he got closer to the ground.
"Here you go mate, treat her right," he said, ignoring the fact that it had taken him much longer than it should have to run in and get his broom.
"I-I will!" Ron replied, awestruck enough by the Firebolt that he didn't even seem to notice his friend's tardiness. He mounted the broom cautiously, as if it might buck out from under him if he moved wrong. Once settled he looked at Harry as if for permission. Green eyes twinkling a bit, Harry nodded, laughing aloud when his friend shot off giving a yelp of surprise at the unexpected acceleration. Shaking his head, he too took off.
The Cleansweep wasn't anywhere near his Firebolt, but it still wasn't a bad broom, coming in close to his old Nimbus 2000. Before long the two boys where circling and diving, whooping and laughing as they chased the Horsnaps around the patty. After a little more than an hour they'd managed to catch three, and decided it was time to head in. Mrs. Weasley would be calling for dinner soon. As they landed Ron reluctantly handed the Firebolt back to Harry.
"That broom is bloody amazing," he said, awe filling his voice. He took his Cleansweep back with only a bit of a sorrowful look. "Don't know what I'd do with it though, I'm rubbish at Seeking, and not much better as a Chaser. Keeper doesn't really need the speed, though a bit of that amazing handling would be alright."
"Yeah, it's a great broom," Harry agreed proudly. A thought crossed his mind, and he wondered if his friend had heard the news yet. "You about that Japanese broom maker though? Um, I forget what the company name is, but they've got a new broom! I think it was called the Kurokaze? They claim it'll put even the Firebolt to shame."
"Oh! I did hear about that, can't wait to see one. I think Quality Quidditch Supplies was going to be getting some in later this week, we should go see. Who knows, maybe the famous Gryffindor Seeker could even arrange to try one out," he said with a wink.
"Might finally get some good out of all this stupid fame," muttered Harry, but smiling as he did so. They'd reached the Burrow just as Mrs. Weasley was finishing dinner. She smiled at the boys, but quickly ushered them upstairs to clean up. Ginny and Hermione were already in the living room, cleaned up and waiting to be called to the table. Well, Ron assumed they were already cleaned up, Harry knew better. His heart had skipped a beat when he'd seen Ginny, and he'd tripped over the rug when she winked at him, running into Ron's backside.
"Whoa, you okay Harry? Watch your step mate," the taller boy said, helping his friend up, oblivious to the reason for his fall.
"Yeah, I-I'm okay," Harry said, casting a nervous glance at the small redheaded girl, who was now talking to Hermione as if nothing had happened. He gave his head a shake, and continued upstairs. He was trying hard to pretend that he couldn't still feel her lips on his own.
A/N: And there it is! Harry's first day at the Burrow, and what a day it was. Hopefully my next chapter will be along soon. My mused is back to kicking my arse as usual, so maybe it won't take as long this time. If you'd like to give me some incentive, I'd love it if you could take just a moment and review this story. It's a little disheartening to see that with over 800 hits I've only had 9 reviews.. Show your love, tell me what you'd like different, or just say 'Hi.' Reviews let me know you're there!
Anyway, 'til next time!
Lots of Love!
Vira Xyn
