chapter one

"So, Gin, what are you going to do this summer?" Harry asked her.

Ginny looked up from the glass of wine she'd been pouring herself and looked at Harry. "Well, I think I'll mostly be doing some research, you know. I'm due for a project of my own, but I need to figure out what I'd like to research."

"You get to go solo on your own project?" Harry asked.

Ginny looked around for a bottle stopper and nodded at him for a moment once she'd placed it. She took a sip of her wine and smiled. "Yeah. The big bosses say my work has been exemplary and they'd like to put me in a leadership role."

"That's great!" Harry told her.

"Thanks!" Ginny replied. She was a bit nervous about it, to tell the truth. She knew once she found a good subject matter to explore, she'd be fine, though. "Once my research is done I have to apply for funds, so I think that may happen after the summer."

Harry nodded along and flipped some of the veg on the frying pan in front of him.

Ginny could hear Ron and Hermione discussing something in hushed whispers in the other room. "What's up with them?" she asked.

"Oh, who knows?" said Harry. "Could be anything. I think it's foreplay for them to bicker."

Ginny shuddered. "Gross. If that's what counts as foreplay for them, I think I'd like them to stop doing it in front of us singles."

Harry chuckled. "Does it make you feel lonely?"

She gave it some thought. "I don't think lonely is the word. Maybe disgusted. Or aggravated."

Harry laughed again. "I know what you mean. I've dealt with it since the three of us were eleven, but I think since they started shagging there was something, er, dirtier about it than before."

Ginny could almost picture Ron's ears turning red and the way Hermione's hair was probably crackling with the electricity between the two. "You're not wrong at all," she told him. "Think I should go interrupt?"

"At your own risk."

Ginny shrugged in his direction and went into the living room, only to find Hermione and Ron were no longer arguing—instead, the two were locked in a kiss.

"Eugh, you two need to put a sock on the door or something!" Ginny told them, miming a gag.

"You didn't have to come in," Ron told her, freckled face red as he pulled away from Hermione's face.

"I came in to offer you wine," Ginny lied. "Not to be subjected to pornographic materials."

"Now you're exaggerating," Hermione told her, straightening her blouse a bit.

Ginny shrugged. "Am I?"

Her brother's face got even more red, somehow.

"Anyway, I should penalize you two for subjecting me to such a sight. Since I'm the best sister ever, however, I will still offer you wine."

"I'll take a glass," Hermione said, cheeks only slightly pink.

"Me too," Ron said. Something sounded a little strangled about his voice, but Ginny decided to ignore it this time.

She smiled and nodded and walked back into the kitchen, where Harry was plating their food.

"I heard you walking in on them," he told her.

"Ick," Ginny shuddered.

"I could have warned you," Harry said.

"Then why didn't you, Potter?" she asked, turning her ire toward him.

He set down the spatula and raised his hands up in a defensive gesture. "I honestly didn't think they'd get to it so fast when they were at someone else's house."

"That doesn't appear to have stopped them," Ginny muttered. She threw back her glass of wine and finished it off before pouring herself another. "I think this wine will help me with my trauma."

"You poor thing," Harry sympathized. "I've got stronger drinks if you need help erasing the images from your brain."

"Thanks, but I'll make do with the wine," she grinned. Ginny poured Ron and Hermione's glasses, making sure to fill them extra high.

Harry began to carry their plates out and Ginny brought out the wine, making sure to bring an extra bottle to the table. As she settled in her seat next to Harry, she noticed that Ron and Hermione were avoiding eye contact with her.

"You can stop being embarrassed," Ginny told them after several moments. "I only gave you shite because I caught you in the act, but I'm over it. I'm sure that was payback for all the times you've caught me snogging someone, anyway, Ron."

Ron frowned. "You're right. I've seen you snogging way too many times! There was that time with Dean, and all those times with Harry…"

Ginny felt her neck heating up and she and Harry made awkward eye contact.

"Well yes," Hermione interrupted Ron. "Now we're all even, right Ron? No need for anymore payback. Or stories."

Ron looked at Hermione, confusion clear on his face.

"What stories?"

"You know… stories, that it seemed like you were about to tell. Even though we've all lived through them."

Ron still looked confused as Hermione went to take a sip of her wine. He scratched at his head.

Ginny looked down at her own glass of wine, beginning to regret that she'd turned down Harry's offer of stronger liquor. How was she to have known that their monthly get-together would have continued to become even more awkward than it had already been when she'd walked in on Ron and Hermione's kiss?

There had been no way to know, she consoled herself. She knew Harry was avoiding looking in her direction as well.

They'd gotten together shortly after the war had ended, but due to a series of stupid events and miscommunications, they'd decided that it would have been better to just be friends. They were great friends, and sometimes Ginny would say she considered Harry to be her best friend, now.

They tended to avoid the subject of their past relationship, however.

It just wasn't something that got brought up. It had been lovely while it had lasted, and at one point, Ginny would have sworn that she and Harry were going to get married and live happily-ever-after, as the stories went, but they had just been too young. At least, that's what she told herself now.

"Well, Harry," Ginny said pointedly. "I can't wait to eat this food! It looks delicious!"

"Thanks," Harry grinned. He looked relieved at the change of subject.

Ginny began to eat, and everyone else soon followed suit. Soon enough, they were all laughing and telling stories about their weeks. Ginny was glad to be able to put the awkwardness behind them.

Towards the end of the meal, Hermione began to ask Ginny about her upcoming research. Ginny repeated what she'd been telling Harry while they'd been preparing dinner.

"Oh, that is so exciting, Ginny!" Hermione gushed. "Please let me know if you need any help with research, or even getting ideas."

"I definitely will," Ginny promised.

She noticed that Hermione's cheeks were flushed pink, and she knew that this time it was not from embarrassment, but from the wine she'd consumed. As she glanced at the clock, Ginny realized that it had gotten quite late.

A cool spring breeze ruffled through the room from the open balcony door, and Ginny closed her eyes in contentment. She loved these moments with her favourite people.

"Wow look at the time, Hermione," Ron said. His voice sounded rather stilted, and Ginny wondered if he was hinting at Hermione about something.

Ginny watched as Hermione looked at Ron in confusion for a moment, and then at the clock. "Oh my, it is quite late," she said. "I'm sorry to have kept you, Harry," Hermione said.

Ron smiled and stood up. "Thanks for the meal, mate. I'll host next time, and we'll have some pasta."

"Sounds good, mate," Harry smiled at Ron, standing up and pulling him into one of their "masculine hugs" as Ginny and Hermione had begun to call them.

"We'll just get out of your hair," Hermione said.

"Have a good night, you two," Ginny called as they hurried out the door, giggling.

She shook her head. "Those two," she said. She looked down at the table, laden with dirty dishes and the bottle of wine, now empty. "I'll help you clear," she told Harry.

"Thanks," Harry grinned. "Do you think they honestly believed that they were fooling us with that routine?"

"No telling," Ginny answered, pointing her wand at the dishes. As they began to float into the kitchen she said, "We must have kept them too late. I think they've got a Saturday night at nine pm shag scheduled every week."

Harry laughed. Ginny grinned at the sound. She put the scrub brush to work, spelling it to wash the dishes before she set to throwing away the wine bottle.

"Nightcap before you go?" Harry asked.

Ginny thought about it for a moment. It was Saturday night, and she didn't have anything better to do with her time. "Sure," she agreed.

Harry pulled down some sort of Muggle liquor and Scotch glasses.

"Feeling fancy, hmm, Potter?" she asked, grinning.

He shrugged, smiling back. "It's just something I thought might look interesting to try."

He poured a small amount into each of their glasses and handed one to Ginny.

"Let's go out onto the balcony," she suggested.

Harry lived far enough into the country that they'd be able to see the stars from the balcony, and Ginny missed seeing them. Her own home was too close to the city to see anything but what she'd learned was called "smog" by the Muggles.

"Sure," Harry agreed.

They headed out onto the balcony with their glasses and sat down on Harry's iron patio furniture.

"Ooh," Ginny shivered. "That was colder than I expected!"

"Should have warned you," Harry said. "These chairs are always freezing cold or burning hot."

"I think you like to see me suffer," Ginny joked.

Harry shook his head. "Me? Never."

Ginny laughed, rubbing the gooseflesh that was prickling on her bare arms.

"It helps if you take a drink," Harry informed her. "The Scotch will warm you right up."

Ginny nodded and took a large gulp, then spluttered. "That'll warm me up, alright," she said. Her taste buds were on fire, and not in a good way. The liquor burned its way down her throat and into her belly.

"I told you so," Harry grinned, taking a slow sip of his own drink. There was something about the way he was looking at Ginny that made her want to scoot closer to him.

"Harry," she began. "Do you ever think what life would have been like if we hadn't broken up?"

Harry looked thoughtful. "Once in a while I do, yeah. We were so happy together, and we've always had this great friendship."

"We were happy until we weren't anymore, anyway," Ginny said. She could almost picture it in her head, the life they could be leading together. She wasn't sure why she was even thinking about it—it wasn't something that she often allowed herself to ponder. It was one of those things that she'd locked away within her mind, in that forbidden area that she kept tightly under wraps and away from the surface of her thoughts.

But tonight, she'd thought about it many times. She supposed she could blame Ron.

"But we were very happy," Harry reminded her.

"It helped that the sex was amazing," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. She looked at the remnant of her drink, a small amount that she thought might be better off in her belly, warming her up.

"That it was," Harry agreed. He was giving her that look, the one that had always made her melt when they'd been together. She'd always been able to decipher what each of his looks had meant, but now she only felt a knot of tension inside of her at the sight.

It brought a feeling of attraction to Harry up to the surface that she'd buried long ago. She could remember, so very vividly now, the way his bare body had felt against hers. How he had felt buried within her walls.

She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, no longer cold at all.

Harry set his glass on the table next to them. His green eyes were shining brilliantly in the lamp light, sparkling in that way she'd always found so exhilarating…

Unconsciously, Ginny began to lean forward. Harry was leaning toward her, too. And she knew she should stop what was about to happen between them, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She desperately wanted to feel his lips against her own, and the way he would slant his mouth against hers as they kissed.

She didn't just want his kiss—she wanted the whole thing. His hands on her waist, his nude body on top of hers, his length buried deep within her.

Finally, after several excruciating moments, their lips met. Harry's hand immediately caressed Ginny's cheek. Something within Ginny's brain seemed to go ablaze as they continued to kiss. He opened his lips up to her and she slipped her tongue inside, playfully teasing his tongue for a moment before she receded and kissed her way down his jaw and neck, to that spot she knew that he liked.

Her body still knew his, after all this time.

Harry's body seemed to know hers, as well, she realized as he slid the hand that had been cupping her cheek down to her breast.

Merlin, it had been so long since she'd felt anyone touch her there, Ginny thought. It felt so bloody good. She felt her core clench in desire at Harry's touch and she ached to straddle him.

They continued to kiss, hands wandering, lips teasing and nipping at various points.

She wanted so much more—she wanted everything, but their seats at the balcony table made any other movements inconvenient and awkward. "Sofa?" she asked against Harry's mouth.

She could feel him nod, and as he stood up, Harry swept his hands beneath her bum and pulled her up to wrap her legs around his waist. Each of his hands found purchase on her bottom, holding on firmly as he continued to kiss her as he carried her inside to his sofa.

As they stepped inside, Ginny the warmth of his flat envelope her.

She hadn't realized how chilly she had been.

Harry walked them over to the sofa and then threw her down before straddling her hips. Ginny flashed back to all the other times they'd been in such a position when they'd been together. She pushed the memories away (Those memories didn't matter right now. All that mattered was this moment) and focused on what Harry was doing with her body.

She bit her lip as he ground his hips against hers, erection so hard against her pelvis. Of their own volition, Ginny's hips bucked up against his. Harry's darkened considerably from their usual emerald green and he hissed in that way of his.

"Tell me you want me inside you," Harry pleaded.

"I want you inside of me, Harry," Ginny answered instantly, meeting his eyes meaningfully. He nodded and brought one of his hands down to her trousers. He was able to unsnap the button on her waistband rather quickly, and Ginny felt breathless as his hand snaked its way into her knickers and slid through her slick folds.

He played with her until she could hardly stand it, and then finally inserted two fingers into her opening. Ginny gasped, finding a small amount of relief with his digits moving carefully inside of her. He was watching her, teasing her—she could tell, even through her haze of desire, that he enjoyed the way she squirmed from his ministrations.

She ran of her own hands over his erection, taking satisfaction in the way he hissed and seemed to harden even more against her hand.

Ginny decided she needed to take matters into her own hands—quite literally—and began to unbutton Harry's trousers. With him positioned over her, it was easy for Ginny to pull them down his hips and legs. She'd pulled his pants down with the trousers, and now Harry's erection was free and standing at attention for her.

Grinning, Ginny wrapped a hand around his length and began to stroke up and down. Harry's hips were bucking wildly now, and Ginny was eager to disrobe her own trousers.

"Undress me," she ordered.

Harry nodded eagerly and did what she said without question. Now, they were both starkers.

"Is this what you really want, Gin?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Now get inside of me, already, Potter," she told him breathlessly.

Harry complied, guiding his cock into her opening.

As he slid inside of her, Ginny couldn't help but moan at the way he stretched her out.

"Oh, fuck," Ginny cursed as Harry thrust deep within her.

He brought his hand to her clit, toying with it as he moved in and out of Ginny. The coil within her belly was slowly tightening, driving her closer and closer to the edge. They continued like this, Harry occasionally removing his thumb from her clit—Ginny suspected this was just to torture her—and licking and nipping his way down her neck.

When Harry brought his thumb back to her clit and thrust in at the same time, the coil within her belly snapped and Ginny fell over the edge. Her whole body trembled around Harry and as she came down, she felt him twitch within her, warm liquid spilling into her.

Panting, Harry fell on top of her, barely taking care not to squish her.

"Wow," Harry said. "Didn't think we'd ever do that again."

"Me neither," Ginny admitted, feeling satisfied for the first time since the last time they had met like this. They'd shagged once or twice since they'd broken up, and every time it had made things awkward between them, even though she always felt amazing afterwards.

She didn't want things to be awkward between them again—she enjoyed their friendship too much for that, now—but Ginny didn't know how to avoid the awkwardness.

Once upon a time, this had been their routine every time they'd reunited.

No one else had ever been able to make her finish with the same type of explosive effect, either. It was honestly such a pity.

She looked at him, feeling his chest contract and expand as he laid on top of her. Her mind was whirling, trying to figure out where they would go from there. She didn't want this to ruin their friendship. On the other hand, she didn't think it was realistic for them to continue to ignore their lust.

"Can you get up?" she asked, not unkindly. "I've got to use the loo."

Harry grunted and nodded as he heaved himself up and off of her. Ginny waddled to the loo and nearly blanched at the chill of the toilet against her heated skin. She sat there longer than necessary, ideas swirling about in her mind.

As she washed and headed back, she gathered her knickers and trousers and pulled them both back on. Harry was still lying on the couch, bottom half bare.

"Harry, put on your pants, at least," she chided. "We need to talk."

He opened one eye behind his glasses, peering at her somewhat sleepily. When he saw the serious look on her face, both of his eyes opened and he nodded, standing up and finding both his pants and trousers.

When he was finally dressed, she sat next to him on the sofa. Looking him in the eye, Ginny told him seriously, "I don't want this to ruin our friendship."

His eyebrows furrowed and he said, "Me neither!"

"With that said, I've got a bit of an idea."

"What's that?" he asked.

"We can't seem to stop shagging each other occasionally, right?" She waited for Harry to agree before she continued on. "What if we do that thing, where we, er, shag. That is—we shag, but in a friendly way."

Harry was looking at her as if he thought she were crazy. She probably was, for suggesting such a ludicrous idea. "You mean, like fuck buddies?"

"Or, we could use a less crass term—friends with benefits."

Harry seemed like he might be thinking it over. "What's the catch?"

"We'll need to have rules for it to work," she told him, making it up as she went.

"Makes sense," he agreed. "So, just so I'm clear. We can continue to shag—as friends? And only as friends? No romantic shite?"

She nodded. "None."

"Okay, so what kind of rules are you thinking?"

"Erm," Ginny thought about it. "No sleepovers together—that's pretty relationship-py. And no cuddling." Ginny liked cuddling too much and she still cherished those moments when she and Harry had been together and they had snuggled into each other's arms; she didn't want her brain to get the two relationships with him confused, and she thought that cuddling had been a hallmark of her relationship with Harry at the time.

"Good call," Harry agreed. "Erm, and if, on the off chance we meet someone new, we'll let the other know and we'll call things off if needed."

Ginny nodded eagerly. "Yes, that's a good one. I can't think of anything else, can you?"

Harry shook his head. "Can we revise the rules if we need to? Or add them as needed?"

"Sure," Ginny acquiesced. "And, on that note, I think I'll head home."

She stood up from the sofa and straightened out her hair, feeling more relaxed than she had in quite a while. "See you when I see you, I guess," she said. Grabbing her bag, she helped herself to some floo powder.

"'Night, Ginny," Harry called as she threw the powder into the grate.

She waved as she called out her floo address, and in a swirl of green flames, Ginny was rushed away from Harry's house, and into a new, exciting chapter of her life.