An: Sorry for the delay. I've had this chapter written but I just needed to find time to read over it again. I'm hoping I caught everything, but my apologies if I haven't. Anyway, this is the chapter with the idea that sparked the idea for the story. Obviously watching the Bachelorette with my mom paid off. Enjoy the chapter. There are two more to go. Expect to see them in the next week or two as long as things go as planned. Once I finish with this I'm going to start work on a different story. Thank you for all of your feedback in every form!


Unorthodox


Chapter 7:

"How was the date?" India asked as I walked back into the common room on my may to my room.

"It was… spectacular." I said a little surprised by my answer. After our discussion at the museum Harry and I went to dinner and continued talking like we had every time we had spent time together so far.

"Really?" She replied sitting the book she had been reading to the side. "I think all of the girls have really been enjoying this week's dates, well except Scarlett, so I suppose it's still any girl's game, don't you think?"

It wasn't my place to tell her. I couldn't tell her. India, while a genuinely nice girl was also pretty head over arse for Harry and I didn't want to be the one to tell her the game was over. "I'm sure he is bound to pick soon."

"Well according to our contracts we still have two more weeks, unless he said something to you tonight about ending it early?" She asked. I needed to excuse myself before I said something I shouldn't. "He did, didn't he?"

"No, not really." I said before faking a yawn.

"He must have, and he must have asked you not to say. So come on, who is it?" She said starting to look excited. Did she think it was her? What had Harry said on their most recent date? From what India had said, they had gone for a picnic in a park and gone rowing. Harry hadn't given her the same speech he had given me, had he?

I needed out of the conversation before I could doubt myself, and more importantly Harry any more.

"I'm off to bed." I said before immediately walking into my room and closing the door. I whispered a quick locking charm just in case as well.


"Looks like you are going to get the extra money you were hoping for." I whispered in Dora's ear as I hugged her hello as she and Remus arrived for dinner the following evening. Tonight would be the third, and last, group dinner in the castle and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Everyone could leave tonight or tomorrow or when ever, but I was already planning my first real date with Ginny the following day.

"What… how do you…" Dora looked confused for a brief moment before letting what I said sink in. "When are you going to tell her?"

"I already did, last night. I couldn't not tell her." I replied trying to keep the smile off my face.

"Then why are we here if everything is over?" She asked. "Shouldn't the two of you be off doing… well I don't want to think of that since you are almost my brother, I'll just think about her brothers finding out, that's more fun for me." She smiled at this image as I shifted from one foot to the other.

"I haven't told Sirius yet. He was too excited about tonight and really what could it change?" I replied. I had even snuck into the dining room and made sure her name card was in the seat beside me. I then applied a sticking charm in case any of the other women got their first, they couldn't move it.

"I think you should have talked to him. He has invited ex-boyfriends of each of the remaining girls to dinner." Dora pulled me quickly from my thoughts.


If I closed my eyes long enough before opening them the scene before me would go away. I tried for the fifth time and it didn't work. I was still there sitting in the formal dining room with Harry sitting at the front of the table and me to his right. On my right, however, was the problem.

Joshua Bryant and I had broken up a year ago when he decided he was ready for a family and I decided I wasn't ready to give up quidditch to become bare foot and pregnant. I love my mum, but I wasn't ready to be her and that is what Josh wanted. It didn't help that I hadn't been happy in the relationship for a few months and was getting ready to have enough nerve to break up with him.

I suspect that my father knew about the would-be-proposal. Joshua is a traditional guy and must have gone to my father to ask his permission. Luckily, he never said anything to my mother and so afterwards, I simply told her we decided to go our separate ways. My father sat beside her and gave me a knowing look.

It was after one of my last games of the season during my second season. We had just lost against the Montrose Magpies and instead of going out to dinner; Josh suggested we go back to his flat for a quite dinner. I agreed. Losing always put me in a bad mood and if I had the option, I'd rather spend nights after a loss wrapped up in a warm duvet reading a book in my flat, far away from everyone.

As soon as we walked through his front door I knew some planning had gone into the evening and I felt my stomach give a sickening flip. Next thing I knew, Josh was on one knee with my hand in his and was trying to push a too small ring onto my oh-so-important finger.

I then insisted he sand up and take the ring back before explaining that this, him and I, wasn't what I wanted at all. I told him I needed to focus more on my career and at 19 I wasn't anywhere close to being ready for marriage. There was no way I could marry someone, who the day before I had been considering breaking up with.

My mother's reaction had flashed through my mind. My mother is addicted to planning weddings and grandchildren. She would insist on helping every step of the way when planning the wedding and then not a week after would start asking when her next grandbaby would be due. I would have one (which of course would never be enough, she is addicted after all) and so would end my career.

This was what went through my head as I explained to Josh why I couldn't marry him. I left the flat as quickly as possible and have only seen him twice since then. The first time was so that we could exchange things the other had left behind. He tried to convince me to reconsider, but I held strong and left as soon as he handed me my box of things. The second time had been in Diagon Alley with Hermione. We had both quickly ducked into a store before he saw either of us.

Now sitting beside him, I could see from the corner of my eye that he was still giving me the same lovesick look he had given me before.

This wouldn't end well.


I couldn't stop glancing at the man sitting beside Ginny. Any chance he thought she was looking in his direction; he would try to catch her eye and draw her attention to him. Presently, she was talking with Jeremy Jefferson, India's ex-boyfriend who happened to be an avid fan of the Harpies. From time to time she would ask for my opinion or just give me a smile as she continued her conversation.

In a way I couldn't help but feel bad for the poor sod, Joshua I think it was, sitting beside Ginny. She barely glanced his way and if she did, she quickly averted her eyes to something, anything else. The longer dinner went on the more she began to squirm in her seat. I desperately wanted to reach over and place a comforting hand on her arm. It wasn't the only thing I wanted to do, but at this point it was the most decent thing in my mind.

I also began to notice the cheerful tone of her voice was a show and I was astonished how much I had gotten to know this woman in such a short time. Could she tell these small things about me?


As dinner ended I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced to my side to see that the hand belong to Joshua, who against all of my wishing and hoping, had not disappeared.

"Ginny, please, can we talk?" He asked. His eyes were pleading and I began to wonder, not for the first time what I had originally seen in him. When we first met he was out going and exciting, and yet comforting and encouraging all at once. We had met in a pub after a game during the beginning of my second season and while we didn't hit it off instantly, I agreed to go on a date with him on my next night off. From there I thought we were both interested in the same thing, a causal relationship that wouldn't really lead anywhere but was fun while it lasted. But then it wasn't fun for me anymore and he obviously wanted and expected more.

"Please." He repeated bring me back to the present. I glanced at Harry's now empty seat and noticed that he and Sirius were now walking towards the door leading to the kitchen. Maybe Harry was going to tell Sirius right away and I wouldn't have to keep trying to not look at him.

"Fine," I heard myself reply and before I knew it was being pulled from my chair and out one of the doors leading into the hallway.

"You have half a minute." I said. The words were barely out of my mouth before he started with his pleading.

"Ginevra, dearest, is it really necessary for you to be here?" he asked as I gritted my teeth at the mention of my full first name. Even the press typically knew better than to use my full name. "I'm still in love with you and I'm positive you must still have feelings for me. Stop playing this game with my heart and let's get married. It is obviously what you want to do since you are here. Why else would you be in a dating competition? Did you think that I had given up on you and this was your only option? I haven't. I still want you as my wife." He said this and then pulled an all too familiar ring out of his pocket. What type of nut kept a rejected engagement ring for more than a year?

Maybe he thought my lack of talking was a yes because before I could blink I had his lips pressed tightly against mine.

As a door slammed somewhere behind me I roughly pushed Joshua off of me.

"No!" I said. "Honestly Josh, what we had was nice, but it wasn't meant to last. It was just a bit of fun. I was 19 and not ready to get married. I'm not even certain if I am now, but I know Harry won't push me towards the alter until I'm ready. And I don't love you. I can't marry someone I'm not in love with."

"And you think you love Harry?" He asked. "Ginny, how do you even know he will pick you? What if he doesn't? What then?"

"Ginny, I think you need to come with me." Dora said walking out of the door I had heard slamming.

"Joshua, we're done. We have been for a long time. No matter what, I need you to accept that." I said before turning in Tonks.

She silently led me down a hall I hadn't been in before towards where I assumed Harry and Sirius's rooms were. She stopped as we neared the end of the hall and turned to me with concern shining in her eyes.

"Ginny, Harry saw you kissing Joshua." She said before raising her hand as I prepared to protest. "I know you. I know you wouldn't lead Harry on, but he saw what he saw and he tends to take things at face value. I think he was about to announce the end of the competition when he noticed you were missing. Betty pointed him in your direction and before I could blink he came storming back in and out a different door. I don't know what else he saw or heard, but I haven't seen him this upset in ages. I need to know that what he saw was false."

"Of course it was!" I replied as unnoticed tears began to flood my eyes. "I broke up with Joshua over a year ago because I didn't want to get marry, not just to him but in general. it's not what I wanted at that point. And I suppose he thought I just wasn't ready but it could never be him for me. Ever."

Tonks gave a nod of her head before turning to the door and opening it. She silently led me into a sitting room where Sirius was pacing in front of a door.

"Oh no, I think you have done enough!" Sirius said as he noticed me standing behind Tonks. "I think it would be best if you just returned to your room and packed your things to leave."

"Sirius, give her a chance." Tonks demanded stepping to the side.

"Where is Harry?" I asked pushing gently in front of Tonks. "I need to talk to him, to make this right. He has it all wrong."

"You're right he has it all wrong. He was ready to call everything off for you and how do you show your appreciation? You go and kiss your ex-boyfriend! Or is he your fiancé now?" Sirius accused. It was then that I noticed that Joshua had once again shoved the too small ring onto my finger. I quickly pulled it off and tossed it to the ground. I've never really gotten a good look at it and right now wasn't the time either.

"I don't need to explain myself to you! I need to explain this to Harry. Now move aside so I can." I wasn't even sure how my wand had found its way to my hand, but it was there and I was ready to hex anyone who got in between me and telling Harry the truth.

"You think you can threaten me?" Sirius asked. "My dear, I've faced death eaters, hideous magical creatures, you don't really stand a chance."

"Never under estimate a Weasley woman with a temper." I replied. "Now please, I don't want to do this. I want to talk to Harry."

"Sirius, let her." Tonks said from beside me. "You can't keep fighting his battles for him."

With a glare Sirius stood to the side of the door he had been pacing in front of and allowed me to pass by him.

"What do you want, Ginevra." Harry asked as I walked into his room. Was it just earlier today I had thought of coming in here for a very different reason?

"Don't be like that." I said. My anger at the situation was still very present but I also wanted to resolve things.

"Oh, so only your fiancé can call you that then?" He replied.

"I'm not engaged to him."

"But you were just kissing him."

"He kissed me. There is a difference and had you stayed around for a few extra seconds maybe you would have seen me push him off me."

"Because you heard the door slam and knew you were caught." He fired back.

"Or because I'm an idiot and thought you could be falling in love with me like I am with you." I roared back. "I don't love Joshua, I'm not engaged to him and I've now turned him down three times. If he is what I wanted, I could already be bare foot and pregnant somewhere married to him. But that isn't what I want."

"Are you certain, because maybe you just decided to come here to enhance your profile and sell a few stories to Witch Daily?" he shot back at me.

"So now I'm the leak as well?" I asked him. "Wonderful. Just bloody wonderful you are. What next, am I a secret death eater? Perhaps I'm you-know-who reincarnated come back from the dead to ruin your life."

"Don't you dare make jokes like that." He yelled.

"Well maybe you should give me a chance to explain myself than!" I yelled back. "Do you know what, never mind. I'm done. Believe what you like, but know that I never did anything to hurt you. I'm just as much a victim as you are in all of this. Maybe you are feeling too self-important to realize it, but it's the truth. Have a nice life."

I then quickly retreated out of his room through the sitting room and back towards the stairs and my own room. I had my things packed in record time before shrinking them to fit into my pocket and then raced to the main hall and the fire place.

"Ginny, maybe you should wait for him to cool off." Tonk said standing beside the fireplace.

"No. I'm done here. He doesn't want me here, he made that clear. This was a mistake." I said before throwing floo powder into the fire and shouting the name of my flat. In seconds I was landing in my own living room.