Author's Note: All credit belongs to JK Rowling for coming up with the characters and places. I am a no one writing what I think happens next.
I want to thank all of you guys for reviewing- it's really supportive and it's so awesome that so many of you are following the story. The next two weeks things are kind of slow for me, so I'm hoping to get a chapter up every other day (yay spring break!), because you guys are demanding updates :) I'll try and comply! Thanks again! Enjoy Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Testing New Waters
The first day that Ron and Hermione were gone, Harry and Ginny relished in their uninterrupted alone time. Mrs. Weasley had prepared breakfast for Harry, Ginny, Percy and Mr. Weasley and they all sat around talking about Ron and Hermione's trip.
"I just wish that they'd write saying that they got there or that they found her parents or something," Mrs. Weasley said rather anxiously.
"Molly, I'm sure that they are fine," Mr. Weasley said soothingly, "I mean after all the both of them and Harry were gone the entire year and were fine."
Harry gave Mrs. Weasley a reassuring nod and returned to his breakfast.
"Well, they're all the way in Australia"
"Molly- they have Ministry officials with them and Hermione had a good idea where they were to begin with."
"Arthur, I'm just worried, is that alright? It's been a very long year and I'm worried about my children."
Mr. Weasley dropped the subject immediately. Any time that Mrs. Weasley mentioned worrying about her children they knew to let her be, otherwise she would get extremely emotional, since the loss of Fred. Mr. Weasley, Harry, and Ginny knew that Percy had been toying with the idea of moving back to his flat, but he really didn't want to upset his mother even more so he stayed at the Burrow.
After Mr. Weasley and Percy left for work, Harry and Ginny decided to go for a walk. Harry held Ginny's hand and they left the Burrow. Ginny led them to a pond that the Weasley's used to swim in when they were younger. It was surrounded by tall grass and wild flowers. The color of the water kind of reminded Harry of the Black Lake and he remembered the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament.
"You want to go in?" she asked coyly.
Harry was a little nervous. He hated swimming. Then he remembered something, "Ginny, we don't have any bathing suits."
"And we don't need them," she informed him.
Harry grew red and Ginny pulled off her shorts and shirt. Harry turned around attempting to give her a little bit of privacy. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her pink underwear. He grinned. Harry folded his clothes and left them on a stump.
"Are you coming in?" she shouted," Or are you just shy?"
Harry grew even more nervous as he waded into the waters of the pond; he didn't even notice that he still had his boxers on. He swam out towards her and she swam towards him. Ginny wrapped her legs around Harry's waist and he rubbed his hands down her back. Harry was taken a back when he realized that Ginny was still wearing her bra. He was a little relieved; he didn't want to be completely caught naked.
Harry pulled Ginny closer to him and he kissed her. She returned the kiss. He ran his hands through her hair and gazed into her chocolate brown eyes. Ginny submerged herself and swam away from Harry.
"HEY!" he called out, "Not fair, you know I don't like swimming!"
There was still no sign of Ginny after a minute; Harry swam around anxiously searching for her. He spun around in circles looking around the small pond. All of the sudden Harry felt something on top of him and he went under the water. He kicked to the water's surface and came face to face with Ginny.
"Gotcha!" she cried.
Harry let out a small laugh but was quite scared by what Ginny had done to him. She kissed him and giggled when Harry started to cough. "Harry, did you happen to swallow any water?"
Harry coughed some more and spit up some water. "This is exactly why I don't go swimming, besides the fact that I never learned."
She kissed him and they swam towards their clothes. Harry climbed out of the pond first and held out his hand for Ginny. "Why thank you sir," she said as she grabbed his hand.
Ginny ran towards Harry's clothes and grabbed them; she started running laps around Harry trying to get him to chase her. "C'mon Harry, you gonna get me?" she called.
Harry was dumbstruck. He didn't know what to do, so he chased her. It didn't take him long to catch her though, they collapsed and breathless. They laid in the high grass. Ginny climbed on top of Harry and kissed him. It was one of the nicest kisses that they had shared. It was soft and filled with love. When their lips parted, Ginny smiled at Harry and whispered, "I love you, Harry".
Harry was in ecstasy, "I love you too, Ginny," and he kissed her on the cheek. Ginny gave Harry his clothes back and they walked back to the Burrow holding hands.
Later after supper, Ginny asked Harry if he wanted to go flying. Harry agreed and they ran out of the Burrow to the broom shed, however, when Ginny opened the door Harry remembered that he lost his Firebolt. Ginny handed him Ron's broom and she took George's. "No, Ginny, use Ron's broom. It's newer and I know you're a shoe-in for the Gryffindor captain, you need to use a good broom," he told her.
"Fine, but don't tell Ron, he'll kill me," she informed him.
"I think you could take him with your bat-bogey hex. He doesn't stand a chance against either of us. Hermione on the other hand, now we better watch out for her."
Ginny laughed and kicked off the ground and Harry followed. Harry's broom shook and Harry gripped the handle harder. He didn't feel comfortable on it and the broom could tell. Harry worked hard to control the broom and after Ginny took off towards the orchard he flew after her. Harry didn't feel too comfortable on the broom even after an hour of flying. "Hey Gin! I'm gonna head down," he called after Ginny who was doing tricks on the other side of the orchard.
"Oh wait, I'm coming!" she called.
When they landed Harry dismounted and waited for Ginny to get off of her broom. "I'm sorry that broom wasn't good. Next time, I'll use one of the other one's and you can use Ron's," she told him.
"No, it's fine don't worry about it. I've been thinking about getting another broom and I guess now's the time." Harry kissed Ginny's forehead and they walked up to the broom shed.
The next few days they fell into a similar routine of going to the pond and going flying. On the fourth day of Ron and Hermione's Australian absence, Harry was sitting across from Ginny during breakfast and they were playing footsie when Mr. Weasley slumped down into his chair.
"Haven't heard from them yet, have you?" he asked. Ginny straightened up and Harry informed him that they hadn't.
"Well you know Molly is getting anxious. I wish that brother of yours had the common sense to at least send a quick message."
Ginny went back to her toast and tapping Harry under the table with her foot, when a small white and grey owl tapped at the window; tied to its foot was a small envelope. Mr. Weasley untied the letter and fed the owl a treat and it flew off.
Harry and Ginny leaned over Mr. Weasley to try and read the letter. A picture of Ron and Hermione fell out; they were at the beach and they were smiling and waving to the camera. Mr. Weasley read the letter out loud:
"Dear Mum and Dad (Harry and Ginny, too)
Look at that Ron didn't even want to write to you two," Mr. Weasley said with a chuckle, "Hermione and I got to Australia just fine. It took us about a day to get to her parents, without frightening them. The Ministry officials and Hermione did a spectacular job getting their memory restored. At first they were really happy to see Hermione, but then they realized they weren't in England- that took some time to explain. We're going to help them pack up and go home with them in a few days. We're going to take an aeroplane (?). Hermione said that would be the best way for her parents to travel, better than a portkey or by floo-powder. Sorry that we didn't write sooner, it's been absolutely insane here. We'll be arriving at Heathrow on the 18th."
"The 18th? That's two weeks from now!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.
"Well, at least they wrote and now they're with Hermione's parents. We know that they're safe and let them enjoy their time in Australia, after all Hermione is going back to Hogwarts in September," Mr. Weasley reasoned.
"Dad, what's the rest of the letter say?" Ginny asked.
Mr. Weasley continued reading:
"I was wondering if it would be possible to get a Ministry car to pick us up, because the officials we came with already left and the Grangers don't have their car anymore. We'll see you soon. Love, Ron and Hermione."
"Well, at least they seem to be having a good time," Harry said. Ginny and Mr. Weasley nodded in agreement, while Mrs. Weasley shook her head and walked back into the sitting room.
Harry and Ginny continued their ritual of spending the day at the pond, snogging, lying together and watching the clouds, snogging, chasing after each other, snogging, flying after dinner, snogging, Harry sneaking into Ginny's room, snogging, Harry sneaking out of Ginny's room, snogging, and repeat each and every day. On a few occasions Harry and Ginny would go to Andromeda Tonks' house and play with Teddy for the afternoon, but they stuck with their routine.
Early the next week during the afternoon Harry and Ginny took a break from the normal routine. Harry ran into Ginny's room to grab her copy of Which Broomstick and some of her Quidditch magazines, so he could study up on the latest models. He wanted a new broomstick after flying the last few days. Towards the back of the magazine, he found an ad for a broom. It was the new Firebolt model; the Firebolt Z. Harry noticed that the corner of the page had been bent. There were also some scribbles on the page that read 'For Harry's Birthday'.
"Hey Gin!" Harry called.
Harry heard her flying up the stairs, "Yeah," she said breathlessly.
"Were you going to get this for me for my birthday?" he asked pointing to the magazine.
"Yeah," she said sheepishly, "Wait! Where did you get that?"
"It was on your nightstand. I was just researching some new brooms and I saw the magazine so I grabbed it too."
"Oh. Well, yeah I guess the surprise is finished. I'm going to have to figure something else out for your birthday."
"Gin- I don't want you spending all of your money on me. I would rather you got things for yourself."
"Harry held out his hand and pulled Ginny onto her bed with him. He kissed her cheek and she kissed him back on the lips.
"Oi! You two! What was the deal?" Ron called.
"You're back!" Harry and Ginny yelled in unison.
"I literally just got home. I ended up leaving early, I had a few things I need to do before Hermione and her parents get home. And you know I wanted to be back before your birthday, Harry," he explained.
"Thanks, Mate," Harry said.
"You two didn't get into a fight, did you?" Ginny asked.
"No, Mum. Hermione asked if I could come home and go over to her house and make sure everything's all straightened out before she brings them back."
"Good, Big Brother. I really didn't want you messing things up with Hermione. I don't think any of us could forgive you," she told him.
"Thanks, Gin. I'm going upstairs to clean up- no funny business."
Ginny threw one of the pillows off her bed at Ron after he turned around.
"Hey!"
"It's really good to have you back home, Ron," she said.
Ron tossed the pillow back towards Ginny and Harry, "It's good to be back."