It is recommended you read my story Hide and Seek before reading this story to fully appreciate what's happening in this one. If you don't want to, then keep in mind that they all played hide and seek and Harry and Ginny found themselves accidentally hiding together in the same cupboard.

"Raillery"

Ginny Weasley's breath hitched in her throat as Harry's hand pressed firmly against her lips, his chest pressed up pleasantly against her body, his hip digging into her. She blinked, her heart hammering in her chest to be so close to Harry. The game at hand seemed so insignificant, the prospect of being caught nonexistent. There was only the two of them alone in a dark cupboard hiding from the rest of the world.

His hand slowly slid off her mouth, his head ducking slowly down closer and closer and closer. His lips brushed against hers, so soft and gentle. She parted her lips, her hand reaching up to tangle in his unruly black hair. Their lips glided over one another like they were puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.

Time seemed to slow to a complete stop with only an odd buzzing noise sounding in the small cupboard at Grimmauld Place. A fluttering in her chest rose in intensity. She felt feather-light, as though her entire body would soon begin to float away. Never in a million years did she think she would be kissing Harry Potter.

Her legs shook beneath her, so weak and trembling. When his tongue peeked through her lips, she thought she would die right on the spot. His tongue tasted sweet like treacle tart and he smelled woodsy with a hint of some kind of new aftershave that Sirius introduced him to a few days prior.

Ginny felt the heat rise from her stomach up her neck and to her face as Harry pushed her against the wall and deepened their kiss. She wanted him, wanted the moment to never end, wanted to be forever squished between his hard chest and a wall. She squirmed underneath him, needing more than just his kisses to satisfy the ache in her chest.

Kissing Michael had never had her so hot and bothered before. They were sweet and innocent kisses, not wrought with passion and desire. Harry made her feel things that she had never felt before. She felt warm in his arms, felt safe like nothing in the world could possibly ever touch her. When his lips left her swollen lips to press against her neck, she moaned out his name.

"Ginny!" Hermione's voice called out.

Ginny screwed her eyes shut. No, Hermione had to disappear and go away. She had been encouraging her to be herself around Harry and promised her he would notice her. He finally noticed her and she was going to ruin their moment together?

"Ginny! Merlin, Ginny, wake up!"

Ginny's eyes snapped open and the slightly yellowed ceiling of Grimmauld Place came into view. She blinked, her chest heaving and an uncomfortable heat building between her legs. Her hazy mind pieced together that her steamy snog with Harry was nothing more than a dream as reality crashed into her.

She gulped, tears burning her eyes. Quickly, she wiped away tears that clung her eyelashes and felt disappointment settle deep within her. Letting out a shaky breath, she turned her head towards Hermione.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"You were moaning Harry's name," Hermione pointed out, her eyes twinkling.

Fuck. Ginny winced. She hoped she hadn't been too loud, but it was the first time she had actually ever dreamt something so intimate between the two of them. Being trapped in a cupboard with Harry during a game of hide and seek earlier that day had done nothing to ease her crush on him.

"I'm going to go have some tea," Ginny announced and pushed the cover off her.

"Ginny, you don't have to go," Hermione said. "I wasn't teasing you."

"No, no, I think I'd rather not sleep right now."

Before Hermione could protest, Ginny bolted from their shared room and crept down the dark and empty hallways of Grimmauld Place. She tried to regulate her breathing, trying to push back the feeling of pure ecstasy that the dream had whirling around inside of her. Letting out a shuddering sigh, she pushed open the door to the kitchen to see Sirius Black lounging back in one of the chairs with his feet kicked up onto the table. He smiled at her.

"Ah, you can't simply stay away," Sirius greeted her. "Back for another late-night chat?"

Ginny forced a smile on her face as she crossed the room to the kettle on the stove and poured herself a cup of tea.

"Milk and honey are on the table," Sirius added.

Ginny sucked in a breath as she held the hot mug in her hands and made her way over to the table. She took her normal spot across from Sirius and reached for the honey and milk. He smiled into his teacup at her as he watched her carefully, swinging his legs off the table and sitting up straight.

"Thanks," she said as she splashed some milk and a dollop of honey into the dark liquid before swirling it around.

"Anytime," Sirius replied. "Are you all right? You look a bit flushed."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm fine."

"You were fine today," Sirius said nonchalantly as he placed his cup onto the table. "You woke up, you had breakfast, you cleaned out the spare bedroom with Fred and George, you played a game of hide and seek, you had dinner, you and Hermione did homework together, and then you went to bed. There was no missing time."

Ginny's eyes slid closed. For the first time all summer, she wasn't up late at night because she was panicking about losing time.

"It's not that," Ginny said, her eyes dropping to her tea.

"So not a bad dream then?"

Ginny let out a small chuckle. "Definitely not. Unless you count the disappointment that it will never happen… it was great."

"Ahh, let me guess, you were dreaming of my godson then," Sirius said with a smile.

Ginny scowled but didn't say anything.

"I did hear the two of you were hiding together in a broom cupboard earlier," Sirius continued.

Ginny let out a huff of air. "Merlin, you're as bad as Hermione."

"She's a smart witch," Sirius replied before taking another sip of his tea. "So… what happened?"

"Nothing!" Ginny said, her voice slightly high and squeaky. "We were just playing hide and seek."

"Playing hide and seek like Remus and Dora were playing hide and seek or just playing hide and seek?"

Ginny bit back a groan. "We just hid and talked and nothing happened."

"I heard there was hand holding."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Sirius. "Do you and Hermione just gossip about Harry and me?"

"I think everyone gossips about Harry and you. Just like everyone gossips about Remus and Dora," Sirius supplied.

Ginny rolled her head back and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe she should have stayed in bed.

"Harry fancies Cho Chang," Ginny told him. "Tall, willowy, shiny black hair. That's his type. Not a short redhead covered in freckles."

"You know, Harry's grandmother was a redhead. His great-grandmother was also a redhead," Sirius supplied. "Potter men have a thing for redheads."

Ginny sucked in a breath at that information. She slowly lowered her head to look over at a grinning Sirius. He looked youthful in that moment, a bit of happiness shining on his face. It wasn't often he looked truly happy, except talking about Harry always seemed to put a smile on his face.

"I guess Harry is breaking with tradition," Ginny said with a sigh. "Cho Chang looks nothing like me."

"Nah, he's just like his mother," Sirius said. "You know, everyone in the bloody Order always says how like James he is, except I never saw it past his looks. He's more like Lily than anything. Him being blind to what's right in front of him is classic Lily Evans."

Ginny blinked, curiosity getting the best of her. "How so?"

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Well, James fancied Lily something awful. Completely lovesick around her for the longest time. She wouldn't give him the time of day, wasn't wooed in the slightest by him. Except she always found a reason to talk to him – or scream at him more like it. Even when they were at each other's throats, it looked like they were going to ravish each other right then and there. Reminds me a bit of you two. Not the at each other's throats bit, but you're completely lovesick over him and he's completely oblivious to what's right in front of him. He'll see it eventually. I know he will."

Ginny sighed. "I don't think it will ever happen."

Sirius shrugged. "You sound like James."

The door to the kitchen opened. Ginny snapped back to see Professor Lupin entering the kitchen looking exhausted with his hair rumpled on top of his head. He nodded at Ginny in greeting before making his way towards the kettle.

"What did I miss?" Professor Lupin asked as he poured himself a cup of tea.

"Just talking about how Ginny and Harry hid in a cupboard together during the game earlier," Sirius replied with a smirk. "Much like you and my cousin."

"Sirius," Professor Lupin said in a low tone.

"What? She knows," Sirius argued. "She opened the bloody cupboard and saw the two of you. You're welcome, by the way. I shut the door and stopped anyone else from opening it."

Professor Lupin rolled his eyes as he took his normal spot next to Sirius. He reached for a cut lemon and squirted it into his tea.

"You're a meddler, you know that, don't you?" Professor Lupin said.

"We could be family, Remus," Sirius pointed out. "You'd be my little cousin."

Professor Lupin scowled and Ginny couldn't help but smile. She took a sip of her tea, leaning back in her chair.

"Let's get back to Harry and Ginny," Professor Lupin said with a sigh.

"There's nothing to say about Harry and me. We're barely even friends," Ginny pointed out.

"Tonks was saying that the two of you seem rather comfortable together," Professor Lupin pointed out.

"Oh, is she only Dora when nobody else is around then?" Sirius asked, his tone light.

Professor Lupin licked his bottom lip. "I will not hesitate to hex you."

"Quick question, what would I be to your child? Would they just be my cousin or would you name me godfather?" Sirius asked.

Professor Lupin reached out and slapped Sirius on the back of the head. "Nothing. There will be no children."

"Hypothetically speaking…" Sirius trailed off, leaning off to the side and away from Professor Lupin's reach.

"You would not be godfather. Your hands are full with Harry."

Sirius furrowed his brow. "Who would be godfather then?"

"Snape, of course."

Sirius roared with laughter. "Snivellus? You jest!"

Professor Lupin forced a smile on his face. "In this completely hypothetical scenario which would never happen since Tonks and I will never be together let alone have a child together, I would probably name Harry godfather."

"So, that would make me a great-godfather?" Sirius asked. "I'll take it."

Professor Lupin rolled his eyes. "Of course, you would."

Sirius turned his attention back to Ginny. "All right, so in the future I'm a great-godfather and you are my future goddaughter-in-law. What a lovely picture."

Ginny choked on her tea. "What?"

"I want to see Harry happy. I want to watch him get married and look as madly happy as James did," Sirius replied. "I know that Harry will get there with you. I see it in the way he looks at you. He just doesn't see it himself yet. He has too much other shit on his mind to even notice you."

"Then, you'd get to be a grandfather," Professor Lupin said. "That's really what you want. Little Harrys and Ginnys running around, asking you to turn into Padfoot."

Sirius winced. "I'm way too young and good-looking to be a grandfather, Remus."

"You'd be a brilliant grandfather to Harry's kids," Ginny said, conveniently leaving herself out of this hypothetical scenario.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I am not grandfather material."

"You love kids," Professor Lupin said, his lips twitching. "I remember the way you were with Harry when he was a baby. Nobody else mattered when he was with you. Remember how he used to hiss when he saw you?"

"Harry used to hiss?" Ginny asked, her brows furrowing.

"It was the only syllable he could successfully say in my name," Sirius supplied. "He'd just hiss and reach for me anytime I came around."

"Sadly, Harry's kids wouldn't hiss when you come around. Grandpa doesn't really have an S sound in it," Professor Lupin said as he smirked into his tea.

"He better not make me a grandfather anytime soon! Look at me! Not a gray hair in sight."

"You have enough wrinkles for one though," Professor Lupin teased.

"Oi! You try living in prison for twelve years and have a godson who gives you mini heart attacks a couple of times a year."

"Premature wrinkles are very grandfatherly," Professor Lupin continued.

Ginny laughed out loud. Sirius slammed his teacup down onto the table and turned towards Professor Lupin, his eyes wide and crazed looking. He opened his mouth when the door sounded. Ginny twisted around and felt the smile fall from her face at the sight of a very pale and sweaty Harry Potter. He trembled in the doorway, his arms crossed tightly in front of his chest.

"Are you all right?" Sirius asked, his voice suddenly very serious and paternal.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry replied, his eyes wandering around the table. "What's so funny?"

Ginny blushed, turning away from Harry and burying her face into her tea.

"Oh, nothing," Professor Lupin answered. "Sirius is worried he's too young to be a grandfather."

Ginny took a chance to steal a glance over at Harry to see him looking more than just a little confused. He crossed the room towards the table and sat down next to Ginny. She held her breath as his chair moved slightly closer to hers when he scooted it closer to the table. Professor Lupin waved his wand and the kettle levitated off the stove to pour a cup of tea before it soared through the air towards Harry.

Harry grabbed the cup mid-air and held it in his hands. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Professor Lupin replied.

Harry took a sip of his tea, drinking it black. "I'm sorry, I'm confused. You don't have kids, do you, Sirius?"

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Just you, Harry."

Ginny stole a glance over at Harry. It took him several moments to comprehend the words. He blinked up at Sirius, his body suddenly tense and still.

"What?" Harry asked, his voice hoarse.

Sirius surveyed Harry thoughtfully for a few moments. "If you'd rather I not, I don't have to take on that role for any future kids you may have."

"No, no, I just… me? Kids? I don't… I don't really think that's on the cards for me," Harry said, a huff of disbelief escaping his lips.

Ginny couldn't stop the frown that slipped onto her face. She peered at him curiously. She always pegged him as someone who would want a large family with a bunch of kids. Her heart sank a bit at the admission. Maybe he wasn't the one for her. She knew she wanted a large family.

"Harry, don't," Sirius whispered. "I know what you're thinking."

"I have a murderous maniac after me," Harry whispered back. "I'll be lucky if I live to see next year now that he has a body. He can… he can touch me now."

Realization hit Ginny all at once, causing ice to flow through her veins. She reached out before she could stop herself and placed a hand over his. He snapped his attention to her, his green eyes burning a hole in her.

"No," Ginny whispered. "He doesn't get to win. You don't get to just accept some inevitable death."

Harry blinked at her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he shook his shaggy head. "I live in reality, Gin, not some kind of fantasy."

Ginny squeezed his hand. "I don't live in a fantasy either. I know what he's capable of. I know how twisted and evil he is. But that doesn't mean we lose."

Sirius cleared his throat. "Ginny's right. Nobody is dying. Not anytime soon at least. I'm not letting any of you kids die. You are all going to grow up and have your dream jobs and get married and have kids if it's the last thing that I do."

"Sirius," Harry said, his voice cracking slightly.

"We were young and stupid the first time around," Sirius continued. "We're smarter now. We know the lengths that Voldemort and his followers will go to better than we did the last time. We were arrogant fools." Sirius let out a snort. "We thought we were untouchable. We were arrogant little berks. We were so fucking wrong."

"I think what Sirius is saying is that we are better equipped this time than we were last time," Professor Lupin said calmly. "We understand a lot better than we did before."

Sirius turned towards Harry. "Do you need to talk about anything?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Was it another dream?" Sirius pressed.

"I'm used to them. I just wanted some water."

Ginny tensed and she suddenly realized her fingers were still tight around Harry's hand. She gulped, not knowing if she should let go or not. He wasn't looking at her, maybe he didn't even feel her hand on his anymore.

Sirius nodded. "I'm here. All right?"

"I know," Harry whispered, his neck flushing.

"Why don't you two run off to bed? Try to get some sleep?" Professor Lupin suggested. "Molly will have a full list of chores in the morning. I'm hearing whispers from Fred and George about some kind of game night they're working on."

Harry nodded and turned towards Ginny. She offered him a smile and finally withdrew her hand from his. She rose from the table first and bid Professor Lupin and Sirius goodnight. Harry followed suit, but paused briefly from following her when Sirius rose from his chair. He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder and whispered something in his ear that Ginny couldn't make out. She lingered by the doorway, her eyes glued on the pair as Harry nodded and offered Sirius a small smile. After a quick side hug, Harry made his way over to Ginny.

The two of them climbed up the stairs in silence, their shoulders brushing together with every step they took. She snuck a quick glance his way to see him looking as though he were deep in thought, a million miles away.

When it came time to part ways to their separate bedrooms, Ginny lingered with her eyes on Harry. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Night, Ginny."

Ginny made a move to head towards her and Hermione's shared bedroom when Harry reached out and grabbed her wrist. She turned around, her heart thumping in her chest. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't get the words to cooperate.

"Are you all right, Harry?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just…" Harry licked his lips and his fingers gently brushed the underside of her wrist in the same way they had in the cupboard. He stared at where his thumb brushed her skin.

"Harry?" Ginny repeated.

The sound of his name seemed to jolt him back out of whatever trance he'd been in.

"Harry, for the record, I think Sirius would be a wicked grandpa to your future kids. Can you imagine how much he would spoil them?"

Harry's lips curved. "With how much he's already spoiled me in a short time, I'd be afraid to. It's… it's a nice thought, isn't it?"

His thumb brushed her wrist again and she trembled. "What is?"

"A future," he said, the dim light reflecting in his green eyes.

"You'll have it one day, Harry. You just have to believe in it. You and Cho would make lovely babies one day."

Ginny ignored the pain that sentence had caused her, because this wasn't about her or her feelings. This was about Harry and making sure he understood that he deserved the world and everyone would make damn certain he got to have a future.

He snorted. "Right."

She let out a slow breath. "I should turn in. Goodnight, Harry."

"Yeah," he said, his thumb leaving her wrist and making her feel cold. "Goodnight."

She had just turned to her door when he spoke behind her.

"Hey, Gin?"

"Yes?" she asked, turning to face him once more.

Harry's fingers brushed her wrist again before he stepped back. "Nothing. Never mind. I'll see you tomorrow."

She watched him turn around and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared into his room. Ginny couldn't help but smile at the door he disappeared through, her mind pleasantly on a future Harry as an Auror with kids and a wife and happy with Sirius by his side. Sucking in a breath, she couldn't help but insert herself in as his wife and laughing as a giant black dog chased little black-haired and redheaded children. With a content sigh, she made her way towards her bedroom and then collapsed on the bed.

Potter men have a thing for redheads, Sirius' voice echoed in her mind and when her eyes finally closed, she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her cheeks. Maybe her dreams weren't so silly after all.

Don't forget to leave a review if you want more one-shots while I work on my chaptered story Legerdemain. All stories take place in the same universe. A link in my profile lists all the order of the stories and which stories are in the series.

Special thanks to Bell for editing. Special thanks to Brie for bouncing around ideas with me.