Ginny's so absorbed in the football match playing out on her phone that the hustle and bustle of the coffee shop around her is little more than a distant hum. So much so that she almost doesn't notice at first when someone stops by her table and deposits a fresh mug of coffee on the table in front of her. The hand responsible hovers for a moment, before nudging it closer like they're waiting for it to be acknowledged. Ginny glances at it and notices that the coffee is adorned with a familiar foam heart.
"I didn't order that," she mumbles, rewinding a section of the video to watch over again, frown furrowing her brow.
"Is that how the kids say thank you these days?"
The slow amused voice of her flatmate - not to mention her brother's best friend - has Ginny sighing and pausing the video with her thumb, before glancing up at him.
"You're barely a year older than me," she reminds Harry, pushing the mug back towards him. "And seriously, I didn't order this."
He just gestures for her to take it, and slides into the seat opposite, smiling a bit. "I know, but it looked like you needed it. On me."
Ginny tries to pretend like her heart doesn't swoop at both the sight of the dimples brought forth by his smile, and the kindness of the gesture and busies herself reaching for the mug. Her tongue protests vehemently as it comes into contact with the still steaming liquid but she forces herself to swallow anyway. Harry's smile deepens as he leans back in his chair and watches her every movement, like he knows exactly what just happened, but Ginny jumps in before he can tease her about it.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"I'm on my break, and besides…" Harry trails off and gestures lazily at the other tables.
Surprised, Ginny turns to see that the place has all but cleared out in the last few minutes that she's been distracted by her phone. Besides the two of them, there's only her brother left, where he's leaning against the counter and flirting with Hermione, who, uncharacteristic for her, is blushing and playing with a stray curl that's escaped her bun.
"So Ron sent you over here to check on me? Or has he completely forgotten he was the one who dragged me here in the first place?"
Harry crosses his arms over his chest and Ginny tries her best not to notice the way it makes his tattoos flex and move. He's spent enough time at her house, a great deal of it playing shirts and skins football matches in the yard with her brothers, that she knows each of them intimately. An artistic rendering of a stag's head on his left forearm, a swirling, raging lightning storm on the other shoulder, raining down on a single lily blossom, an entwined silver wolf and black dog on his ribs, snapping and snarling at each other playfully.
"First of all," Harry says, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I don't need Ron to tell me when you need a pick-me-up."
Ginny feels herself blush at the implication that not only had he noticed her bad mood but also that he'd come over to cheer her up of his own volition.
"Second of all," he continues obliviously. "You needed to be dragged out, Gin. You've been hiding in the flat for a week now."
Her giddiness fading a bit, Ginny scowls at her coffee.
"It's only a loss."
"Two in a row. And that's rich of the uni footy legend who sulks for a month every time he misses a goal to say."
"Hey, that's Mister uni-footy-legend-who-sulks-for-a-month-every-time-he-misses-a-goal to you."
Ginny rolls her eyes but despite herself, feels a smile tug at her mouth. Harry's eyes, which had been scanning her face, drop to her lips for a split second before flicking away. Thrown by the movement, Ginny feels her face heat further, and she resists the urge to curse her fair skin soundly for no doubt giving her feelings away. She turns her head, hiding her face in her shoulder, eyes catching on her brother and his girlfriend.
"Why is Ron harassing Hermione with a football jersey?"
Harry allows the blatant subject change graciously, and follows her gaze over to where Ron is indeed enthusiastically brandishing a jersey in the university's red and gold at Hermione, who's looking distinctly unsure about it all.
"Ah," Harry says, nodding in understanding. "Well, Ron wants Hermione to come to our next match wearing a 'Weasley' jersey."
"Wow," Ginny says, watching as Hermione takes the jersey and holds it up against her chest. "Isn't that kind of…"
"Cheesy?"
Ginny snorts, something that would make her mother cluck her tongue in disapproval if she was here, and says, "Well yeah. But I was going to say couple-y."
"I know, it didn't take long for that to happen, did it?" Despite the sarcasm in his voice, there's a faint smile on his face as he watches that tells Ginny he's happy, truly happy for them.
"Speaking of couples," Ginny says, before she can stop herself. "Romilda Vane's planning on asking you out."
She watches carefully as his eyes slide back to her, and she hates the triumphant stab in her chest when his expression remains blank, clearly having no idea who she's talking about.
Finally an eyebrow arches from behind his glasses as he asks, "Who?"
"Romilda on my football team. Studying psychology, thick dark hair, more confidence than you can poke a stick at."
Harry looks torn between laughing at her description and grimacing as memories of the girl surface. "Oh," he says finally. "Her."
"Yeah." Ginny grins openly at his discomfort and he rolls his eyes at her. "You're a lucky guy. But if she's not to your fancy, Lavender Brown likes to tell me every chance she gets how she's single and looking for a fit footy lad. I think she's hoping I'll pass it on to you."
"That explains why she tried to corner me at the twin's party last month." A noise of vague protest emerges from Ginny's throat before she has a chance to stop it, and Harry cocks his head and regards her curiously as he continues, "She seemed very put out when I declined to join her in the broom cupboard."
"Oh." Ginny hides her smile in her coffee as she takes another sip. "Well, if not them, you should ask someone out. It's been ages since you dated anyone and you're turning into quite the sad little git."
Harry pulls a face before squinting at her across the table. "Have you been talking to Hermione? Anyway, I don't want to date Lavender or Romilda. Maybe," he continues, face growing thoughtful. "I just need someone to come to a game wearing my jersey and they'll back off."
His gaze sharpens on her, something familiar and mischievous in his eyes, and she barks out a startled laugh.
"Absolutely not."
"Awww, come on, Gin. You said yourself that it's a very couple-y thing to do."
Ginny scoffs and blusters for a moment before finally getting out, "Because it is. But we- " She gestures between them. "-are not a couple."
Harry doesn't answer immediately, but he doesn't look away either. There's still a slight smile on his face, but the amusement has faded, replaced with something deep and intense that has Ginny's heart thudding in her chest. Something heavy hangs in the air between them as they gaze at each other, and Harry's mouth opens, to say what Ginny isn't sure, because in that moment they're interrupted by a clatter and a laugh.
Ginny's arm jerks, jostling her coffee and spilling dark liquid all over the table, while Harry leans back in his chair, ruffling his hair subconsciously. They both glance over to see Ron swinging Hermione, now wearing the jersey thrown over her work shirt, around the counter, tucking her under his arm.
"Hey, Harry, mind if I head out early?" she asks through a laugh as Ron grins and presses a kiss to her temple. "There's only an hour late and it's pretty dead."
Harry nods, smiling wryly and tossing her a salute, while Ginny ducks her head and busies herself by mopping up the spilt coffee with a serviette.
"No worries."
"I'll see you at training tomorrow, mate?"
"You got it."
"See you, guys."
"Bye Ginny."
They go, giggling and chattering with their heads close, and Harry glances back at Ginny. But whatever easiness that had been between them has vanished and whatever he'd been about to say has been lost to the moment.
"You hungry?" Harry asks, standing from the table and scratching the back of his neck. "I think I've got a few buns left. Or maybe a pasty."
She tries to tell him she's fine, but he's already stepping away, distracted by the couple who's wandering in through the door. Ginny sighs and reaches for her phone, figuring she can either torture herself thinking about the opportunity she just missed, or torture herself rewatching the football match she lost the weekend before. Neither are particularly desirable, but at least she has a chance to redeem her footy skills in the next few days.
With the person technically responsible for her own presence in the coffee shop gone, Ginny is surprised that she doesn't feel like slinking back to her flat and crawling back into bed. Instead she finds herself barely moving for the next hour, alternating between rewinding the clip of herself missing a goal in the second half, and watching Harry over the rim of her mug as he keeps himself busy by wiping down the already spotless counters.
Her feelings for Harry have been growing for almost the entire year that they've lived together; transforming from a largely innocent and ignorable crush into something deeper and more intense than she's ever felt for any of her past boyfriends. So she doesn't know why she thought that tonight was going to be the night she and Harry finally talked about this thing between them, whatever it is. Something that she knows he must feel as well. The thing that makes her heart flutter every time he hands her a coffee decorated with a heart. The thing that has her blood running hot when she runs into him coming out of the shower in their flat, chest wet, and only a towel slung around his waist. The thing where he's the only one who can make her feel better on her worst days.
So Ginny sits and she waits and she thinks maybe it's time for her to make her own opportunities.
They're near silent as Harry closes up, the shop dark and quiet as he locks the front door, Ginny shivering beside him in the night's breeze.
"I might drop by the pub, some of the guys were talking about getting a drink tonight. Do you want me to drop you home first-?"
Ginny isn't sure what makes her say it, but she doesn't want him to go off to the pub, where some girl will doubtlessly walk up to him with a smile, putting a hand on his arm while tossing her hair. She doesn't want that to happen without her finally saying how she feels first, so she opens her mouth, and what comes out is, "So are you going to get me a 'Potter' jersey or what?"
Harry's eyes go wide behind his glasses. "Gin?" he says uncertainly, not sure if she's being serious, or if this is just more of their usual banter falling somewhere between flirtatious and teasing. If she's just agreeing to the idea he'd jokingly proposed to her before.
"To be clear, I don't do the whole pretend girlfriend thing. Not with a guy I actually like. So tonight can count as our first date, you did buy me coffee after all. But I'm telling you now, Potter, I expect a little more effort next time."
Harry must be able to tell how absolutely terrified she is under all her brazenness, because some of his surprise melts away, and satisfaction curves his mouth into a grin.
"Is that right?"
Ginny swallows, her mouth dry and her heart hopeful. "That's right. Emboldened, she takes a step closer, catching either side of Harry's open jacket in her hands and pulling him close.
Eyes bright, Harry cups her face, fingers achingly gently against her skin. "Noted," he says quietly, and they're both smiling as he ducks his head and brings his mouth down to hers.
Yo yo yo,
As mentioned in the summary this fic is special for a lot of reasons:
A). It's the first time I've written a Hinny fic in a looooooong time so apologies if it's trash.
B). I never thought I would ever write a coffee shop AU and yet here we are.
And finally C). This is my contribution to the Harry and Ginuary Gift Exchange.
This fic is gifted to Happyhouriwhiskeysouri! Their list of prompts were: "First times, second times, first dates, coffeeshop AU." And I decided to fill "First dates" and "coffeeshop AU".
If you like it please please please hit that kudos button and consider leaving a comment, I love to hear from my readers. Just be kind, because like I said it's been a hot minute since I wrote a Hinny fic.