To the Future
A HariPo fanfic
by mew-tsubaki
Note: Nothing much to say except for the usual "these characters belong to JK Rowling." Sigh… I saw the fifth movie. If you've read the book, don't see it. Otherwise, go see it. Sigh…
P.S. REVIEW! & don't kill me for the pairing. :)
P.P.S. If you've read any of my other stories, you know I like to create my own characters. Sorry if you hate that, because I'm doing it again. I can't help it! I need someone to bounce lines off of and the already existing characters from Ginny's year that could repeat with her were very few. Here's to OC's!!!
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The First Blossom (& the Eleventh Telling)
Happy that she had confessed her love to him (and snogged him some more), Ginny felt too giddy to sleep. So she, of course, slept like a log. :)
The next morning was quiet and brought lucky omens with its golden weather. Ginny was glad it was the weekend and changed into her dark denim jeans and a velvet green turtleneck. Hey, the weather was perfect, but it was already December. December in the mountains in a castle with no heating system is fucking COLD, people.
She grabbed her Creatures homework, plucked a large bran muffin from her house table, and went outside to enjoy the weather. Ginny sat under an oak on the green, benefiting from the frigid, but sunny, conditions. The tip of her quill made a ticking sound as she tapped it on her parchment, rooting around in her brain for the right words to finish her essay on Wurgle characteristics. Who the hell cares about Wurgles?
"Look…"
Ginny's ears heard hoarseness Sirius usual smooth and mischievous voice. She craned her neck so she could look out around the tree. Sirius was standing with one of the Ravenclaw failures from Defense Against the Dark Arts and was shaking his head, looking exasperated.
"I've been nice and haven't made you stay after," Sirius told the girl. "But you won't be getting a N.E.W.T. from me if you don't shape up. I want a seventeen-inch essay from you explaining the proper defensive tactics we've been going over in class, what you've been doing wrong, and why that could mean a win or loss. Do you hear me?"
The girl merely nodded.
Sirius's shoulders sagged a bit. "Hey, just make sure it's seventeen inches. No more, no less. Deal?"
The Ravenclaw nodded again and trudged her way back to the castle. The D.A.D.A. professor grimaced, but turned and continued down the green in Ginny's direction. The redhead hid behind the oak again and waited, expecting him to come over and bug her. She gave it a minute, but Sirius wasn't stopping at the tree. In fact, he was passing it. Eh, Ginny pondered with a shrug, maybe he didn't see me. She returned her attention to her homework, but found that she could no longer concentrate. Sirius was ahead of her, his cloak billowing out a bit from him, his hair caught in the mild breeze; damn, he was so sexy. The witch's fingers gripped her quill so tightly it almost broke, they wanted to wind themselves in his smoky tendrils of hair so badly. Ginny looked around; other students were out on the grass, too –many of them couples. Some were snuggling, some were simply holding hands. She frowned. She wanted to hold his hand, too…
Acting on an impulse more than her right mind, Ginny gathered her parchment, quill, and ink –she had finished the muffin –and stood. Then she called out in an innocent manner ( quite un-Ginny-like): "Professor Black! Professor!!" And sped after him.
Sirius's face was priceless when Ginny reached him. "How did I suddenly become 'Professor Black' with you?"
Ginny rolled her eyes and nodded in the direction of witnesses –I mean, students. "Do you think you could help me with my homework?" she asked.
He actually looked at her essay. "What-? This is for Care for-" Sirius bit his tongue when Ginny's foot rammed down on his.
She glared at him and mouthed, 'keep moving.' The redhead followed him as he sulked further down the path to Charlie's hut. When they were a good distance away, Ginny sighed. "You're not very good at reading the obvious, are you?"
"What do you mean, 'obvious'? How was I supposed to know you weren't actually working on one of my assignments?!" he asked incredulously.
"Because you didn't give us one, you dolt."
Sirius sobered up. "Oh. Heh. Quite right, you are."
"So what do you need from Charlie?" Ginny inquired.
"Minerva asked me to give him something. I also figured I could ask him for some tips on handling your classmates," Sirius said with a chuckle. "Oh, that reminds me. She had something for you, as well." He withdrew a roll of parchment and passed it to her. "Aren't you going to look at it?" he asked when Ginny simply tucked it into her pocket.
She shook her head. "Nah. I'll read it later." There was a quiet moment between the two and Ginny looked away, uncomfortable. Sirius's face was also distorted with an uncomfortable blush across his cheeks. "Hey, Sirius? Can I hold your hand?"
"Do you want to get caught?" As soon as it had left his mouth, he wanted to take it back. Of course he wanted her to, but he also didn't want her suddenly kicked out of Hogwarts or be the topic for gossip. She had had a hard enough time as it was…
"Well, we can fix it that way my hand is hidden beneath your sleeve." Ginny's eyes lit u and she turned to him, her face pleading. "I'll walk a little ahead of you, that way if anyone up the hill near the castle sees us, we won't appear to be touching at all."
Sirius smiled; he didn't need to hear anymore. "You know what? Screw whoever sees." He reached forward and took her hand, and they walked side-by-side, deciding not to go to Charlie's at once, but spend some extra time together hidden in the safe cover of the Forbidden Forest's shadows. His small, yet intimate gesture made Ginny's heart beat faster, but it also greatly relaxed her. It was something she was bound to remember for the rest of her life.
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Things were like that for Ginny and Sirius during the following week, too, where the y would have their little 'moments' (but were careful not to push it) and would meet in the Room of Requirement when the opportunity allowed it. It was one such night in the Room of Requirement when Ginny was working on homework for Herbology and Divination and Sirius was reading a book that a question nagged Ginny to no extent. The end of this week, students and staff would be leaving for Christmas break and Ginny knew she'd be expected to visit home; she wondered if anyone had noticed she'd taken nearly all of her belonging from her room yet… The witch shook her head and returned her mind to the matter at hand. "What are you doing for Christmas, Sirius?"
The sound of her voice surprised him, as they had only been relaxing in each other's presence. "Well, I'm going home for the break. There is Christmas Eve, where I've been invited to your folks' house for a bash, and I was thinking of going." He smiled. "Guess I'll see you there."
On the other hand, Ginny frowned. "Actually, I don't want to spend my break at the Burrow. I was wondering…could I stay at Grimmauld Place? With you?"
Sirius's eyes widened, but then he thought about it. "I'm not sure… I mean, your parents just might have a heart-attack if you disappear, Ginny."
"Oh, I've thought of an alibi. I'll just get you to say I'm staying at the school." Her eyes were big and sparkling and reminded him of when he'd turn into a dog to get something from James or Remus. "Please?"
"Well, I know Charlie, Remus, and Neville will be at the party. I'm vaguely sure Charlie's staying at the Burrow, and I know for a fact that Remus and Neville will be going back to their homes afterward, so that takes care of the people to tell you're staying here."
Ginny clapped her hands together in triumph. "That's perfect!! Dumbledore and McGonagall usually assume that the kids go home anyway, so that takes care of them, as well. Besides, I don't think those two would worry that much about me. I'm eighteen, can do magic legally, and can take care of myself." Speaking of the deputy headmistress reminded Ginny of the note she had never looked at. She searched her rucksack, sure she had tossed it in there after getting back from her stroll with Sirius last week… Her fingers closed around the flattened roll of parchment and she retrieved it, tearing the ribbon off it and skimming it over. Her face drained of all color.
Sirius saw her mood abruptly darken. "What's wrong? Wait. Isn't that the note from Minerva? Why didn't you read it? That's from last week, Ginny!"
But she remained pale as she turned to look at Sirius. "Sh-She's put me back on the Quidditch team, and my first practice with the others was three days ago."
He knew immediately what she was getting at. Of course, being Sirius, he just whistled and picked up again. "I wouldn't want to be you right now," he said nonchalantly.
Neither did she.
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Get the Blossom? It's the little things that count, you know. Besides, Sirius is just so fucking cool. :)
Since the previous two chapters were a little long, I wanted this one to be a tad on the short side. BUT! A heads-up: ch12 is going to be the background chapter for Minerva and Albus, as I've had a haggling request to explain Albus's comeback since this story uses a lot of what had already happened in the books up to HBP, so it'll definitely be long. PLEASE READ (& REVIEW) IT!
Before I go, I have one last request: PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY OTHER HARIPO STORIES!!! Trifecta is brand-new and POOF! needs some love. Also REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thankx!
-mew-tsubaki
P.S. –is it just me, or Ginny really good at thinking up plans from beginning to end, even considering any variables? Hmmm………………………….. :)