Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I claim to. JKR is amazing and I wouldn't even dream of taking credit for her work!
A/N: Another chapter is up! Yay! Two in the span of a week! I really love this story and I think I am going to do either a sequel, a Ginny diary/missing moments fic for THIS story, or both. I'm not sure yet. Now, enough babble, enjoy!
Chapter 7- Flowers and Quidditch Players
Present
Ron and Hermione walked down the stairs, intending to go into the kitchen. Ron was walking ahead of Hermione, as they had passed the sitting room. Hermione ran right into Ron's back, because he had stopped abruptly.
"Oomph! Ron--" Hermione started, but stopped when she saw Ron's expression.
Ron was standing in the doorway leading into the sitting room, mouth agape, staring at the sofa with wide eyes. Hermione followed his gaze and found Harry and Ginny asleep on the couch. Hermione almost squealed wit delight as she saw how sweet and adorable they looked.
Ginny's head was resting in Harry's dark black locks. Harry had his face buried in Ginny's shoulder, and their arms were wrapped protectively around one another. But what made Ron squirm was the fact that Ginny was sitting in Harry's lap.
"Bloody he--" Ron started, but Hermione cut him off with a hushed, "Ronald!" before she clapped her hand to his mouth. Hermione grabbed him and dragged him off into the kitchen.
"What the--" Ron quickly stopped when he saw the look on Hermione's face, "heck, Hermione?!" he added and Hermione had an approving look on her face at his choice of words. "What were they doing?!"
"Well, they… um…" Hermione stuttered, unsure if she should tell Ron about the happenings of the previous night, "They um-- I'm sure nothing happened, Ronald! They just slept together! Oh-- wait, no… that came out wrong!" Hermione said quickly when she saw Ron's horrified, yet furious expression.
"What did you mean to say, Hermione?!" Ron spat at her.
"I meant that they just fell asleep on the couch together, and they slept all night like that!" Hermione ground out, through gritted teeth.
"Oh-- well, I'm still going to kill Potter! Even if he didn't do anything to me sister!" Ron said, clasping his wand and starting towards the door.
"Ronald Weasley! You will not do anything to Harry! He is your best mate and will you listen to yourself?! He and Ginny didn't do anything! Harry just needed somebody to be with him last night! He was well… distressed…" Hermione murmured, sure that that was the wrong thing to say at the moment.
"What?! What's wrong with Harry?!" Ron asked, alarmed.
"You wont get anything out of me, so stop trying," Hermione said coolly. Ron's face fell. "But if you really want to know, you should just ask Harry yourself."
Ro nodded and headed towards the door. Hermione grabbed his arm.
"Not now!" Hermione screeched, "Wait until they at least wake up!"
'I swear, men can be so thick at times.' Hermione thought to herself. 'But how can you not love it?'
Harry opened his eyes slowly. It took him a moment to realize where he was and why he was there. He looked up to see Ginny's peaceful face lying on her shoulder. Harry just looked at her for a moment, then felt extremely foolish. Why had he broken down so abruptly last night? He was sure he had made a fool out of himself. Ginny probably thought he was acting childish.
"Morning, Harry," Ginny mumbled, waking up and stretching. She settled herself back down next to him, and scooting closer so that her head was almost resting on his chest.
"Morning, Gin," Harry replied sweetly, looking into her eyes.
"It's nice, isn't it?" at Harry's puzzled expression, she went on, "Waking up like this."
Harry smiled at her and took her hand, intertwining their fingers. Ginny gave him a quick kiss before she ran her free hand through his hair.
"I love your hair… and its messiness," she said, giggling at the look on Harry's face.
"What?" Harry asked, confused as to why she was laughing.
"Oh, nothing. It's just I love the way you look whenever someone says something about your hair," she said, and laid her head on the back of the couch. She was sitting sideways, one leg crossed on the sofa, one leg off.
Harry smiled. "Well, that makes me feel better," he said, before mimicking Ginny's actions, and sitting sideways on the sofa. He then tilted her chin up and kissed her.
A few minutes later, George walked in and sat down on the couch opposite the couple, an amused look on his face. Harry and Ginny broke apart.
"Oh, no-- please don't stop on my account!" he said mockingly. What a George thing to say.
"Git," Ginny mumbled. Harry's cheeks were a deep red colour.
"What did you say, dear sister?" George asked sweetly.
"I'm going to take a shower!" Ginny announced, standing up and flipping her long, fiery hair over her shoulder in anger. She stomped up the stairs, but not before giving Harry a quick kiss and a pointed look in George's direction.
Harry felt extremely embarrassed. He was never one for public displays of affection; and definitely not in front of a Weasley. (Except for that one time in the common room, but that's beside the point.)
Just as Harry was about to exit the room, George cleared his throat, making him sit back down on the sofa.
"Harry-- I'm glad to see that you are dating my little sister again, but please, for the sake of my health and well-being; Don't ever let me see you snogging on the sofa-- or anywhere else for that matter-- ever again!"
"Er… right," Harry replied. He had taken great interest in his shoes at the moment.
George grinned. "Good! Now that that's settled, I need your help."
"What for?" Harry asked, relieved by the subject change.
"Where have you been? Hermione is going to Australia, remember? Ickle Ronnie is going to pitch a fit!" George said.
"And that requires my help how?" Harry asked.
George rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Well… I thought that you could Confund and Stun him, and I could stuff him into the closet until she gets back…"
"Erm… I don't think that that's the best idea, George," Harry advised.
"Well! Do you have a better plan, then?" George inquired.
"Good point…"
Future
"James! Albus! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR SISTER?!"
"Ginny, calm d--" Harry broke off when he saw the glare Ginny was giving him.
"JAMES! ALBUS!" Ginny screeched, turning back towards the stairs leading up to the Boys' rooms.
"We're sorry!" Albus came bounding down the stairs, waving a white flag fashioned from a pillowcase. "It's was ALL James' idea! I swear!"
"We've told you a thousand times, Albus. You need to learn to say no to your brother," Harry cut in.
"But he threatens me!" Albus said in an urgent whisper. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"JAMES! IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW, YOUR FATHER IS COMING UP TO GET YOU!" Ginny screamed.
"Oooooh! I'm trembling!" James' sarcastic voice was heard from somewhere upstairs.
Albus snorted, receiving a mock glare from Harry.
"That's it. NEVER MIND! I'M COMING UPSTAIRS!" Ginny yelled.
Harry heard a very girlish scream, a loud thump, and in 5 seconds, James was standing in front of them.
"Whatever is wrong, Mummy?" James asked with an innocent look on his face.
"Don't pull that with us, James!" Harry advised him. James dropped the act and looked at his sneakers.
"Tell Lily you are sorry and put her back to normal!" Ginny said in an attempt to calm down.
"It's her fault! She's the one who walked in when we were working on our newest product!" James's head snapped up.
"We? What do you mean, WE? You dragged me into this! I told youthat I don't want to help run Uncle George's joke shop! I want to be a Quidditch player like Dad!" Albus shot back at James from his hiding spot behind Harry.
"Glad to have you on my side, Albus!" James said.
"Mummy?"
Ginny whirled around to face Lily, who was watching this scene from the couch.
"James made me do it," Lily said with a satisfied grin on her face.
"Thank you very much, Lils," Ginny turned back to face James. "You are grounded from your room for two weeks, James. You have to sleep in the spare room; you have too many things that you can get into more trouble with in your bedroom. And Albus?"
"Yes, Mum?" Albus asked tentatively.
"You have to train with Harry out in the yard and at the pitch so you can toughen up a little," Ginny announced. Albus' face lit up at this suggestion. He loved training with Harry at the Quidditch pitch. Ginny's mouth twitched into a small smile that only Harry and Albus saw. She couldn't punish Albus; he didn't do anything wrong, but she made it seem like she was punishing him in front of James.
"Daddy…" Lily whined. Harry turned around and went to Lily.
"Yes?" He whispered to her.
"Get these things off of me…" she whined. Harry nodded and pulled out his wand. He flicked it and the large, vibrant-coloured flowers that were covering her body disappeared.
Later that day, Harry went to the Quidditch pitch for practice before the big game against the Holyhead Harpies.
"Ginny!" Harry called across the Pitch to where Ginny was stretching with her team. Ginny looked up and waved at him. Harry jogged over to where she was seated.
"Everything okay?" Ginny asked, standing up.
"Yeah. I just remembered, though. I don't think we told Al to keep James out of the ice cream…" Harry replied. Ginny's eyes widened.
"I'll just… erm… I think we can trust Al to keep his older brother in check, right?" Ginny asked.
"I hope so," Harry said, "Well, good luck in the game, you'll need it."
"You listen here, Potter, you are the one who needs the luck! You are playing against the best team in the league!" Ginny teased. Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Really? Well, Potter, I hope you don't injure that big head of yours tonight. That would be a shame," Harry kidded.
Ginny smiled and was just about to reply when she heard a screech from behind her. Ginny scowled.
"Ginny! Why on earth are you talking to a member of the Cannons?!" Gwenog yelled.
"Well, considering he is my husband, I thought it would be acceptable," Ginny said, turning around.
"I thought I told you two not to talk to each other during the games!"
"But it isn't during the game-- the game hasn't even started yet," Harry cut in.
"Wh--uh--Well! Why is he even over here?" Gwenog asked.
"We forgot to tell Al to tell James that the ice cream is off limits," Harry supplied.
Gwenog softened at once. "Oh. Well, that makes sense. James can be a handful from what I understand."
Ginny and Harry nodded and Gwenog walked away, but not before telling them to not be too long; Ginny was her best player and she needed to stretch properly. Ginny turned back to Harry.
"Well, Potter, it looks as though your fan club has arrived," Ginny sighed, pointing to the only section of the stands that was filled; it was two hours before the game was scheduled to start. Harry barely even spared them a glance. "Why do they always come so early?"
"I don't know. I think they want me to come up and announce my love for them or something," Harry said and Ginny laughed.
"I won't allow it!" she teased.
"Of course not," Harry said before kissing her nose.
Ginny looked back up at the Harry Potter Fan Club and laughed when she saw they were all staring intently at them. Ginny nudged Harry.
"Why don't you just wave at them?" she suggested. Harry sighed.
"Fine… but only because you asked me too," Harry turned to face the giggling group of girls in the first row section and gave them a quick wave and a smile. They squealed and clutched each other, gazing at Harry. Ginny laughed.
"Well, Potter, I have to go before Gwen throws up from worrying too much about me possibly dying from not stretching," Ginny said.
"Good luck, Potter," Harry said before kissing her.
"Same for you, Potter," Ginny said before walking away, giving Harry a wave. He waved back at her, then looked up at the fan club girls, who had tears in their eyes as they jealously watched Ginny walk away.
Harry jogged back to his team. He stood next to Ron, who was glaring at Ginny.
"What's wrong, mate?" Harry asked him.
"Nothing… nothing…" He said. Harry stifled a laugh. Ron hated public displays of affection between Harry and Ginny.
The Chudley Cannons lined up and shook hands with the Holyhead Harpies. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand as hard as she could.
"Ow! That's my snitch-catching hand, Ginny!" Harry teased. Ginny smiled innocently.
"Whoops, sorry," she said, before mounting her broom and soaring high into the air.
Present:
Harry awoke the next morning and smiled at what he had just witnessed. He suddenly thought that the idea of becoming a professional Quidditch player sounded a lot more appealing than everything else he had in mind for his future.
Harry got out of bed in a great mood. He grabbed some clothes out of his dresser and made his way to the bathroom. He passed Ginny's room on the way down and saw he writing in a black, Muggle composition notebook by her window. 'I wonder what she's writing…' he thought to himself. Ginny looked up when she saw Harry looking at her. She smiled at him. Harry blushed a little at being caught looking at her, but returned the smile nonetheless.
Harry ducked under the hot spray of the shower and thought about his last Glimpse. He realized that he didn't care what he had to face in that challenge he had to do. As long as he got to remember the last couple of weeks, that was enough for him.
Harry towel dried his hair after pulling on is clothes. He was wearing a black zip-up jacket and dark blue jeans. Harry put on his glasses and stepped into the hallway. He started down the stairs, only to find Ron sitting, staring off into space, his head leaning against the wall. 'He must be depressed because Hermione is in Australia…' Harry decided, and continued down the stairs.
Harry walked into the kitchen and sat down next to where Ginny was seated, eating toast.
"'Morning, Ginny," He said happily, taking the piece of toast Ginny offered him.
"What are you so happy about?" Ginny asked amusedly. Harry checked to make sure nobody heard him.
"I had another Glimpse last night," he said with a smile.
"Oh yeah?" Ginny said.
"Yeah. We were both professional Quidditch players. I played for the Cannons, and you played for the Harpies. Isn't that cool?" He asked.
Ginny nodded, buttering another piece of toast. "So you liked that job, then?"
"Yeah! It was amazing!" Harry said.
"That does sound like a good job for us both," Ginny said, obviously daydreaming about playing for the Harpies.
"Hey Ginny?" Harry asked, bringing her back to reality, "We should do something today."
"Like what?" Ginny inquired.
Harry thought for a moment. "Let's just go for a walk or something," he said.
"Sounds good to me," Ginny said.
Harry stood up from the table and extended his arm to her. She took his hand and stood up. Mrs. Weasley turned around from where she was preparing bacon and sausages and saw them stand up.
"Where are you going dears?" She asked.
"We're going for a walk, Mum," Ginny said.
Mrs. Weasley was about to argue that Harry was much too skinny and that he needed a real breakfast, but she stopped when she was their interlocked hands.
'Oh-- well-- Have fun," She said, turning back around and beaming to herself.
"So, where are we walking to?" Ginny asked when they were in the back garden.
Harry shrugged. "I don't know, you live here. You tell me," he said.
They walked hand-in-hand up the lane as Ginny pondered this question.
A/N:
Okay, so just to clear things up, Ron was an Auror when Harry was an Auror, but he is a Quidditch player when Harry is a Quidditch player. I figured it was best if they went into work together since they spent so much time together throughout Hogwarts and such. This chapter is approx. 2 pages longer than the rest. R/R! -allylovesjonas
