Prompt: we're taking shelter during a big storm and you're really close to me and I'm just going to casually move closer and cuddle with you… (N 37)
This drabble is an A/U of HBP where Harry and Ginny get together months earlier than in the book. This drabble is rated T.
Note: this prompt is not on my bingo card.
The sky overhead was an ominous shade of light grey, the threat of rain palatable in the air as Harry walked down to the Quidditch pitch with his broom slung over his shoulder. Birds were flying noisily overhead towards the forest, looking for shelter from the rain they knew was coming.
A storm system was supposed to be moving in later that night, but it looked as if the storm had other ideas and was coming in earlier than expected. Harry just hoped that the rain held off until practice was done.
The sky continued to darken as the rest of his team made their way out of the locker room and onto the pitch. Harry could see the fat, heavy clouds moving quickly across the sky; the storm was moving in faster than anyone thought it would.
An hour later Harry called practice over for the day. In the far distance, he thought he heard the faint sounds of thunder. The storm was going to be upon them soon.
He encouraged everyone to just head back up to the castle before the rain hit and that he'd take care of securing the game balls. Harry watched as the team headed for the locker rooms. He spied Dean trying to get Ginny to come with him, and Harry couldn't help but notice that the boy looked rather upset about something. A couple seconds later, the monster in his chest roared in excitement as Ginny rebuffed Dean, shrugging his hand off her upper arm.
Harry was surprised when Ginny came over to him while a sullen-looking Dean entered the locker room.
"Let me give you a hand with this." Ginny offered, picking the Quaffle up and putting it back into the trunk.
"You don't have to help..." Harry tried to insist, but was silenced by Ginny.
"Do you want to be caught out in that incoming storm?" Harry shook his head no. "Then let me help you. Two hands will make quick work of this."
With Ginny's help, they were able to wrangle the Bludgers into the trunk without issue. Harry had just latched the trunk shut when a loud BOOM shook the ground around them. Rain slowly started to spit down on them.
"Come on!" Ginny grabbed a handle on one side of the trunk with Harry grabbing the other. The two bolted for the locker room door, the rain starting to pick up speed, a bolt of lightning streaking its way across the sky.
They made it inside just in time for the skies to really open up, a deluge of rain now coming down. Another loud BOOM reverberated around the locker room.
Harry set his side of the trunk down and looked around the locker room. He and Ginny were the only ones in here. The rest of the team must have already left before the rain had started.
He took a seat on one of the benches and removed his wet Quidditch robes, letting them drop to the floor beside him.
"How long do you think it's going to downpour for?" Ginny asked, letting go of her side of the trunk. She shrugged out of her wet robes and took a seat next to him on the bench.
"Not sure." Harry shrugged. Another BOOM shook the locker room. "Glad we made it in in time, I'd hate to be stuck outside in this."
"Well, I can think of a couple people who I hope got stuck in this storm." Ginny joked, shifting slightly closer to Harry on the bench. The monster in his chest perked its head up at her move.
"Malfoy?" Harry guessed.
Ginny smiled. "Well, that's just a given. I was thinking more of a certain ex-boyfriend of mine."
"Michael?"
"Nope."
Harry felt confused. "But don't you only have one ex?"
"If it's not Michael, and I said it's an ex-boyfriend, who do you think I'm talking about, Harry?"
Harry's brow furrowed in thought. If it wasn't Michael, and Ginny only had one other boyfriend…
"You and Dean broke up!" Harry exclaimed, hoping that he didn't sound too excited about Ginny ditching Dean.
"Took you long enough to figure it out," Ginny joked. "We broke up after the match Saturday. The git was trying to lecture me that I should have given him the Quaffle more. He thought I was playing too recklessly and actually had the gall to say I was making him look bad."
"He actually said that?" Harry asked incredulously. Ginny nodded yes. "I mean I know people say I can be thick at times, but I'm sure as hell not stupid enough to tell a girl who plays Chaser better than anyone else I know that she's playing too recklessly or that she's making me look bad."
Harry thought he saw Ginny blush slightly, but it might have been a trick of the light.
"You really think I play Chaser better than anyone else?"
"Well yeah, you have such a natural talent for flying that I've never seen anyone else have."
"You have a natural talent for flying too." Ginny countered.
Harry chuckled. "But I've never watched myself fly so that doesn't count."
"I guess that's true."
BOOM!
The loudest clap of thunder yet erupted right above them, causing both of them to jump at the sound. The storm was directly overhead now.
Harry only noticed just then how close he and Ginny were next to each other on the bench, an inch of space separating them. If he leaned in that little bit…
'No! She just broke up with Dean!'
She's not exactly broken hearted over it.
'But she just broke up with him, isn't there some unspoken rule you're supposed to wait a certain amount of time?'
You really want to wait just to watch another bloke make a move?
'You really think someone else will try something?'
You've seen the way blokes look at her, even a few girls, of course someone else will make a move!
'But what if she doesn't feel that way about me?'
Oh for the love of… are you a Gryffindor or not?!
Bucking up the courage, Harry leaned into Ginny's shoulder that last inch, not daring to breathe as he did so.
Several heartbeats passed before he felt her cuddle into him and rest her head against his shoulder. He instinctively rested his head against hers, enjoying the feeling of how natural and comforting the move felt. It felt like she was always meant to be cuddled up next to him.
The monster in his chest purred in delight.
"This feels nice." Ginny whispered.
"Yeah, yeah it does."
They remained cuddled close to each other as the rain kept coming down hard. Harry felt Ginny cuddle further into him, readjusting her head on his shoulder. Her flowery scent filled his nostrils at her movement, making him feel a bit punch drunk.
BOOM!
Another very loud clap of thunder caused them to jump again, their heads turning to face each other's. Harry felt his breath catch in his throat as he found himself gazing into Ginny's brown eyes. There was a mere wisp of space between their lips, he could almost feel them against his.
"Harry." Ginny whispered hoarsely. She licked her lips, her eyes meeting his before her gaze shifted down to his lips.
Without thinking, without caring what Ron might possibly say, and with the roaring approval of the monster inside his chest, Harry captured her lips in a searing kiss.
The thunderstorm continued to howl and rage on outside, but inside the warmth of the locker room, Harry and Ginny were too lost in the feel of one another to pay the storm anymore attention. They had something more important to pay attention too.