Fred and George decided that the family was in need of a break from cleaning, so they introduced Grimmauld Game Night!
"Grimmauld Game Night"
"Chapter One: Game Night"
Ginny blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. Her hands were covered in wood polish, dust, and some very questionable other substances that she didn't even want to think about what it may be. Cornish Pixie dung, perhaps? Ginny shuddered before glancing up at the stray lock of hair. She blew again. The strand wobbled feebly before it fell right back in her eyes.
Someone laughed at her.
She turned to see Harry standing there looking better than she did. A soft grin graced his features, a rarity as of late. There was a smudge of dirt on his left cheek, but he otherwise looked clean. He must have washed up after whatever job he had been doing, before joining her in the hell that was yet another bedroom.
"Do you need some help?" Harry asked.
"Are your hands clean?"
Harry's brow furrowed as he looked down at his hands, turning them over and inspecting them. Ginny's heart fluttered a little at the innocent look on his face. He held them up, palms facing her, to show her they were impeccably clean.
"Pass your standards?" Harry questioned.
"Merlin, yes! Can you fix my hair?"
"Err…" Harry shifted uncomfortably, shoving his hands into his short pockets. "What do you want me to do with it?"
She smiled awkwardly at his grimace. "Would it be too much to ask you to redo my ponytail?"
"Uh… I don't, I mean, I've never…"
Ginny sighed. "Never mind. It's all right. I'll just be doomed to be annoyed by this bloody strand until I wash my hands. You don't think this is dung on my hands do you?"
Harry chuckled awkwardly as he took a step forward. He peered down at her hands, his glasses sliding down his nose just a fraction. He glanced up at her and shrugged his shoulders. There was a hint of mischief sparkling in his eyes as they glided to look at the elastic in her hair. He appraised it for a few moments before he reached up and grabbed the offending strand of hair. He tugged it back and, being as gentle as humanly possible, shoved it under a loop of the elastic.
He grinned as though he had performed a great feat of magic. "There. That's fixing it, right?"
Ginny smiled softly up at him, her heart beating into overdrive. "Bloody perfect!"
Harry ducked his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. He rubbed the back of his neck with the hand that had just been touching her hair. It was nice not to see him yelling or angry for a change. With the trial behind him, he seemed a little lighter than he had been. Laughing a little easier and talking a little more. He wasn't sullen and moping twenty-four seven like he had been, but he still wasn't his normal cheerful self.
"Oi!"
Both Ginny and Harry jumped at the voice coming from the doorway to the bedroom. George leaned against the doorjamb, a goofy smirk dancing across his features as his eyes darted between the two teens. Ginny scowled partly because of George's knowing look and partly because they had been so rudely interrupted. It wasn't often when Ginny was alone with Harry.
"Dinner is ready. Get cleaned up and then…" George banged his palms against the wooden frame, "GET READY FOR GAME NIGHT!"
"Game night?" Ginny's brow furrowed as she took a step forward until her shoulder brushed against Harry's.
"Yeah, so, Fred and I decided we were sick of cleaning and needed a night of fun. Tonks brought a few Muggle party games and we've been working on orchestrating a game night."
"What kind of games?" Harry frowned.
Ginny glanced over at him, wondering what he was all sullen about. She thought it sounded like a nice break from their otherwise monotonous, predictable summer. They had all had fun playing hide and seek a few weeks ago.
"You'll see! It's going to be teams based."
"So, we have to find a partner?" Ginny inquired.
"No, we already picked the partners." George shook his head, his eyes sparkling. "You're standing next to your partner for the night already!"
Ginny and Harry caught each other's gaze. He shifted awkwardly, and Ginny couldn't help but think he wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of teaming up with her.
"Can't I be on Hermione's team?" Ginny turned back to George. "You know Harry and Ron want to be together, being as codependent as they are."
"Hey!" Harry said, giving her a sideways look. "Codependent seems a little much. We're just…"
"Codependent works," George said. "But don't worry, we understand the need for brothers to stick together. However, we need you to partner with Ginny because we want to make Ron squirm tonight. We all know he got his knickers all in a twist when Hermione went to the Yule Ball with Krum. Well, he's going to wish he never let his romantic feelings for Miss Granger be so obvious if he didn't want us to mess with him. Don't you agree, Harry?"
Harry shook his head, a snort escaping his lips. "I'd be happy if they'd just stop their bickering and snog already. It would probably do them both some good."
"Excellent! So, you don't mind being partners with the littlest Weasley?"
Harry looked down at her and shrugged. "For the greater good?"
"I'd shake your hand right now and say deal, but you know." Ginny held up her dirty hands and Harry let out a small laugh.
"I'll take the symbolic gesture."
Harry walked towards the door, his head bowed. Ginny bit her bottom lip as she watched him go.
"Oi, Potter!" Ginny called out before she could stop herself.
He turned around, amusement clear on his face. "Yeah, Weasley?"
"Be warned, I'm very competitive. I'll hex you if you're the least bit apathetic or not trying hard enough, yeah?"
Harry grinned. "You don't think I'll be competitive right back? We'll bury Ron and Hermione."
"We'll make them cry for mercy."
"We won't give them any mercy, though."
"No, we'll squash them like the dung beetles they are."
"Oh, for fuck's sake, what have we done?" George interrupted.
"You and Fred are going down, too," Ginny said pleasantly as she skipped out of the room. "Prepare your losing speech now, boys, because Harry and I are going to make you cry in defeat!"
She had never taken a shower so fast in her life. She scrubbed quickly and washed her long mane of hair as fast as she possibly could. She took the time to brush it out though, making it look nice enough for Harry to hopefully notice. She glided a bit of tinted lip balm across her lips before bounding out of the room.
She was the last to arrive in the kitchen. Harry was seated in his normal spot between Ron and Sirius. He looked more somber than he had earlier, his head nodding and lips tugging downward as he listened to Sirius and Remus complain about the latest Daily Prophet article. Ginny took a seat across from them next to Tonks.
"Wotcher, Ginny!"
"Hi, are you staying for game night?" Ginny brushed her hair behind her shoulder as she accepted the platter of jacket potatoes from Bill.
"Did you really think I'd miss that? I've been assigned Remus as a partner." Tonks grinned. "Think I can get him to loosen up a bit and have some fun?"
"Hopefully." Ginny shrugged before she cast a quick glance at Harry. "I'm teamed up with Harry."
"Oh, that will be interesting." Tonks kicked her calf gently under the table, knowing full well that Ginny still had feelings for him. "You seem to be the only one who can break him out of his melancholy."
Ginny glanced up at Tonks. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I don't know, Ginny," Tonks whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "I think he's smitten."
"He doesn't even know I'm a girl, let alone that I exist."
"Boys can be a bit dense like that. They don't notice what's right in front of them half the time. He probably doesn't even realize it himself yet, but he's definitely smitten."
Ginny chose not to respond. She couldn't help but glance over at Harry once more. Her heart beat a little faster every time she looked in his direction. Luckily, she was no longer a blushing and blubbering mess around him. They could hold a conversation now, which made her heart somersault. She found it was quite easy to talk to him, like they were friends even though they weren't really friends.
Harry didn't look in Ginny's direction even once during dinner, let alone talk to her. She wondered why Tonks would ever think that Harry had some unknown, buried feelings for her. He was polite enough to her, friendly even. They joked and chatted now, but that didn't mean anything. Harry was generally nice to everyone and often made friendly small talk when someone engaged him in it.
After dinner, nearly everyone jumped at the chance to clean up. Ron and Harry cleared the table. Fred, George, and Bill scrubbed the plates and put them away. Hermione and Ginny cleaned the table and wiped down the countertops. Remus and Sirius distracted Tonks from helping so they could finish quicker.
When they walked into the parlor, Ginny couldn't help but laugh. There was a large banner that read Grimmauld Game Night that hung along the top of the fireplace. There was a huge chalkboard in the corner with neat columns with each team and each game written on it.
The teams were as followed: Gred/Forge, Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Remus/Tonks, Bill/Arthur. The games were: Charades, Twister, and Pictionary.
"All right, you lot, we've split everyone up into teams already, so deal with it. After each game, the teams will be awarded points on how well they did by the referees. As you can see, two names are missing from the board," explained George.
"Yes, the lovely and beautiful, best cook in the world, my mother, Molly Weasley, will be one of the judges. The other judge is the ruggedly handsome, hilarious prankster extraordinaire, Sirius Black," Fred added, winking at the two judges. "They'll decide who wins each game and assign points to each team based on their performance."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Sirius commented with a grin.
"That's right! I want nice, clean games, do you all understand?" Molly said sternly. "No cheating, no rough housing, and no cussing."
"We're not just contestants tonight either," George continued. "We are also your gracious hosts and will explain the rules of each game before we start."
"First up, CHARADES!" Fred clapped his hands together loudly before explaining briefly the rules of charades. "Don't forget, Mum and Sirius were the ones who made the cards up. So, keep that in mind while you make your guesses. Team up!"
Ginny crossed the room to meet up with Harry, who looked more than a little overwhelmed. He probably had never played charades in his life. His brows were furrowed, a little line of concentration appearing between his brows, as he was most likely trying to remember all the rules. She grabbed his wrist, drawing him out of his thoughts. He smiled tightly down at her and turned around to find a spot to sit.
All the sofas were occupied. There was only a lone chair off to the side of the room. Ginny ducked her head to hide her blush as she tugged him along towards the chair. They would just have to share. It shouldn't be awkward. They were friends, right? Well, they were becoming friends at the very least.
They paused in front of the chair, neither one knowing how to proceed. Harry gestured for her to sit down, so she did. He perched himself onto the arm of the chair, hands in his lap, and looking adorably awkward.
First up were Fred and George. They high-fived each other and decided Fred should be the one to act out the cards and George would be the one to guess. Fred squatted down and looked intensely at George, who leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and nodded. Ginny rolled her eyes and elbowed Harry on his thigh.
"They're doing their weird twin connection thing," Ginny murmured.
"Their what?" Harry's eyebrows raised.
"It's some stupid thing they do when they make a psychic twin connection. Merlin, those prats haven't done it in years."
"Timer starts in three, two, one," Sirius announced as Fred picked up the cards. "Go!"
Fred stood up straight and held his hand in front of his mouth like it was a microphone. He puffed out his chest and pointed at Molly.
"Celestina Warback!"
Fred did a fist pump and tossed the card over to where Sirius and Molly were seated together on a sofa. He then stretched his arms out on either side of him, his head jutting back to the ceiling and closing his eyes.
"A bat!"
Fred tossed the card over to Sirius and Molly and struck his next pose. Over and over again, the twins dominated the round. Ginny huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in the chair. There was no way that she and Harry could be that in sync and dominate the game. Then, something spectacular happened. On card five, George stumbled.
"Hagrid!" George shouted.
Fred paled. He froze for several seconds. He bent his knees to make himself shorter and puffed out his stomach at an alarming rate. He rose his hands over his head and attempted to contort his hands into something on top of his head.
"Err… uh…" George shook his head. "A Mandrake? A hat? A turkey!"
"A turkey?" Ron burst out laughing.
"Uh… uh…!"
"Time's up, dears!" Molly announced as a faint beeping noise filled the room.
"FUDGE! I WAS BLOODY FUDGE, YOU PONCE! THE HAT, THE POT BELLY, THE SHORT STATURE!" Fred shouted.
"Honestly, Fred, if we can't play nicely, we won't play at all!" Molly scolded as Sirius roared with laughter.
"Nobody is going to get five, Freddie. It's just not possible," George said in a calming tone. "We have this in the bag."
Next up were Ron and Hermione. Ron sat on the sofa, his knees bouncing. Hermione frowned as she fingered the cards in her hands. She glanced around the room like she didn't want to be the one acting out. She waited for Sirius to give her the go-ahead before she flipped the first card over.
She paused for several seconds, her head nodding as though she were psyching herself up to perform. She held both fists in front of her, one on top of the other. She made a sweeping motion.
"Parchment! Snow! A ghost!" Ron shouted.
Hermione scowled. Ginny couldn't help the giggles that erupted in her throat and escaped her lips. She hid her mouth behind her hand.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione lowered her fists down. She swung her leg like she was getting onto something. Surely, Ron wasn't so stupid that he couldn't figure it out by now.
"A dragon! Homework! A ghost!"
Ginny couldn't take it anymore, her lips spluttered and laughter escaped. Ron's ears turned red as Hermione's scowl deepened. Ginny wheezed as she leaned into Harry's side, her free hand hitting his thigh. Harry let out a small chuckle as he nearly fell off the arm of the chair. He slung his arm around the back of the chair to hold on, his body pushing against hers.
Hermione started darting around the room on her fake broom. Her eyes pleaded with Ron just to make the correct guess, to put her out of her misery. Except, Ron was far too dense and an idiot for that.
"A bird! An owl! A ghost!"
"Time's up!" Molly announced.
"A BROOM! I'M A BROOM!" Hermione screeched.
The room erupted into laughter. Ron buried his head into his hands. Hermione plopped down on the sofa next to him, her eyes wild as she glanced at him. Fred and George high-fived before they announced it was Harry and Ginny's turn.
"Err… you want to act out and I'll guess?" Harry suggested.
Ginny nodded, brushing her long hair behind her shoulder as she marched over to Sirius to grab her stack of cards before making her way in front of everyone. Harry slid down so he was sitting in the chair that she had just vacated. The corner of his mouth twitched, his gaze intensely boring into her. She took a deep breath before nodding in Sirius' direction. He counted down and Ginny flipped the first card.
She squatted down and placed her curled fists on her hips. She flapped her elbows and took a slow step forward.
"A Hippogriff!"
Ginny's insides burst with joy. "YES!"
She tossed the card over towards the judge's sofa before flipping over the next. She straightened her back, pulled a sneer on her face, and brought one hand up to her face. She cupped her fingers in front of her nose and heard Harry yell, "SNAPE!"
Ginny thought she was going to split in half. She shot Harry a grin as she tossed the card to the side and quickly picked up the next one. She crouched down to the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs, making herself into the smallest ball possible. Then she sprung up and stretched her arms on either side of her. She fluttered her arms up and down as fast as she could as she darted around the room.
"A Snitch!" Harry shouted.
Ginny tossed another card, sending a grumpy Fred and George a sly smile. She flipped the next card. She paused for a few seconds, her lip sliding between her teeth. She held one hand out in front of her and her other hand she poised above. She pretended to eat a few bites before she rubbed her stomach.
"Eating! A feast!"
Ginny rolled her eyes behind her head and continued to rub her stomach. Her plate hand pointed at Harry.
"Treacle tart?" Harry laughed.
"YES!" Ginny tossed the card aside.
It was the moment of truth. She knew their minute was dwindling to an end. They just needed this one card to beat Fred and George. She flipped the card, her heart beating fast. She blinked at the word. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hands until they were near her chest. She bared back her lips and tried to jut out her top teeth. She slinked around the room, taking small steps and looking from side to side.
"A vampire!"
"YES!" Ginny shouted and whooped.
"NO!" Fred and George screamed.
Ginny flipped the card. She pulled her long red mane in front of her face to give herself a beard when a beeping could be heard. Molly called time. Harry shouted, "Dumbledore!" and the twins immediately protested that the last one didn't count.
Ginny didn't even care about the last card. She rushed over to Harry who stood up from the chair. They high-fived before turning to face Fred and George. Ginny bumped her hip against Harry's and stuck her tongue out at the twins. They slid down in their spot on the sofa, scowling at the pair. Harry grinned sheepishly at her as he gestured for her to take a seat.
He perched himself next to her, his arm slinging across the back of the chair with ease. His hand brushed along her shoulder, his fingers twirling a piece of her hair between his fingertips. She vaguely wondered if he knew what he was even doing.
"Were you Dumbledore?" he questioned as Bill took his cards and walked to the front of the room.
"I was. My hair is good for something, I suppose. Did I look good with a beard?" Ginny tugged her hair in front of her face again and looked up at him.
Harry laughed. "Not as impressive as Dumbledore's, but you shouldn't give up hope quite yet."
Ginny grinned. "We made a pretty good team."
"We did, actually. You were pretty spot on with your impressions," Harry complimented, his eyes tearing away from hers to see Bill giving Arthur an exasperated look. "You made guessing easy."
While Bill and Arthur only gained one point, Remus and Tonks were oddly in sync with each other. Tonks acted out the cards while Remus guessed, tying with Fred and George. They high-fived one another before they took a seat. Sirius muttered something that caused Tonks to blush while Remus hit him hard in the arm and sent him a glare.
"Honestly, did Sirius say something that wasn't true?" Molly asked with a smile as she and Sirius shared a knowing look.
The next game happened to be Twister. Ginny looked at the multicolored dots on the floor and chewed on her bottom lip as Fred and George explained how the game worked. They were going to score based off who lasted the longest on the board without toppling over. Ginny gestured for Harry to stand next to her, reasoning that if they stuck together, they could help each other switch positions.
"So, I'll block you," Harry whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against her earrings. "I'll make sure no one gets near you."
"Okay," Ginny whispered back, her chest heaving.
"I've never played but this looks like a modified board," Harry continued and she swore she felt his lips brush against her earlobe. "It looks too big."
Ginny only nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She squinted at the large dots, willing herself not to blush or react to how close Harry was to her. Whatever shyness he had around her at the beginning of game night seemed to have vanished by this point as his chest pressed against her arm and his breath tickled the side of her face. She dared to look over at the other pairs to see them in similar positions.
Fred and George stood with their heads together as they shot looks towards Harry and Ginny like they were their fiercest competitors. Ginny just knew they would be coming for them to try to get them out early. Ron and Hermione stood very close together, Ron bent over Hermione to talk to her in hushed whispers. Hermione blushed as her eyes focused in on his lips as he talked. Tonks and Remus stood off in the shadows. Ginny was under the distinct impression they weren't really talking about the game at hand when her hand slid under the waistband of his trousers towards his arse. Ginny snapped her eyes away quickly and looked up at Harry.
"Well?" Harry asked.
"Hmm?"
Harry frowned. "Were you even listening to me?"
"I, uh, I'm sorry," Ginny admitted. "Fred and George are shooting us nasty looks so I think they're coming for blood. Tonks and Professor Lupin may just get out early to… well, have some fun on their own."
Harry's brows furrowed. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm sorry, Harry, what were you saying?" Ginny gave him a small smile.
"I said I think we should start in the corner," he said, carding a hand through his unruly hair. "I'll try my best to head off anyone who comes near you to try to trip you up."
Ginny nodded. "All right. We can do this."
George called for everyone to take their positions. Harry grabbed Ginny by the wrist and pulled her over towards the green and yellow corner. His thumb brushed against the inside of her wrist as Fred and George stood across from them. Ginny sucked in a breath as the players surrounded the board.
"Right foot green," Sirius called.
Harry let go of Ginny's hand as he stepped in front of her and positioned himself directly between Ginny and the twins. Ginny stood behind him, putting a foot on green. Her eyes wandered down Harry's body, her head tilting to the side to look at his backside.
"Arthur! Right foot! Not left!" Molly called.
"Oh Merlin! I'm sorry! I'm just so excited I momentarily forgot my left and my right," Arthur called and shifted feet.
"Make L's with your hands, Dad," Ron said, holding up his hands in front of him and making L-shapes out of them.
"Aw, Ronniekins, do you still get your left and your right mixed up?" Fred asked. "Maybe Hermione can tutor you."
"Oi, shut it!" Ron hissed and shot a rude gesture in the twins' direction.
"Ronald!" their mother called, a warning in her voice.
"Left hand blue!" Sirius called.
Ginny bent down, reaching out her hand past the yellow dot to the blue one. Harry turned and bent down, facing the twins. She cocked her head to the right see the muscles in his arms tighten underneath his thin t-shirt. She sucked in a breath.
"Left foot red!" Molly called. "Oh, Arthur, don't pull anything!"
"I'll be fine, Molly! Don't worry!" Arthur called back happily.
Ginny shot out her left leg and inched it closer to the red until she landed where she needed to be. She, Harry, Fred, and George were all lined up in exactly the same way.
"Right hand yellow," Sirius called.
Ginny placed her right hand between her two legs, crossing her arms.
"Oh! Look at you, Harry, you coming for the big wands?" Fred asked. "You think you're going to trip us up, huh?"
Ginny craned her neck to see that Harry had placed his hand on the yellow in front of him, positioning himself to get closer to the twins while they were forced to stay in a straight line like Ginny.
"It's just comfortable there," Harry said with a shrug, but she swore she could hear the crinkle of a smile.
"Right foot blue… oh dear, how is that even going to be possible?" Molly called.
Ginny sucked in a breath, bearing her weight on her left foot and hands. She quickly swiped her right leg back behind her, missing the blue dot. She pushed her body weight up before she inched her foot over until it was in the circle. Letting out a huff of air, she blew a piece of hair out of her eyes.
"Fuck! Fuck!" Fred cried.
Ginny looked up to see Fred wobbling but he managed to stay steady. Harry was already in position, his entire body tense.
"I can't do this!" Tonks cried from the other side of the board. "Remus, move my leg for me."
"That's cheating!" Ron shouted. "He can't just move your leg! How about I just adjust into a more comfortable position if we're going to bloody cheat!"
"I can't move!" Tonks cried. "If I move, I will fall!"
"Oh! Oh!" Arthur cried before there was a thump.
Ginny looked over to see her father had not successfully made the transfer. He stood up, chuckling and adjusting his glasses. It looked like everyone else had made the transfer except for Tonks.
"Just inch it closer, Dora," Professor Lupin whispered. "Don't lift it off the mat, just slowly maneuver it."
Tonks inched her foot closer and closer to the blue dot. A few cuss words escaped her lips in the process. Ginny waited patiently until Tonks had successfully placed her right foot on blue. She bounced her body as she cheered for herself. Professor Lupin chuckled.
"Right foot red," Sirius called.
"Oh for bloody fucking sakes!" Tonks cried. "I just got it on blue!"
Ginny stepped back easily. Limbs and colors continued to be shouted out. Tonks was the next one out and, suspiciously, Professor Lupin fell after making a successful move and the two disappeared out of the room to grab some snacks. Hermione was near tears as her legs were so far apart but she refused to give up and lose. Fred had advanced on Harry, the two of them like pretzels with their limbs intertwined.
"Oh, hello there, Mr. Potter," Fred whispered. "We're only playing with four limbs so can you put your fifth one away?"
"Shut it," Harry hissed as he twisted his hips away from Fred's arm between his legs.
Ginny blushed and hid her face into her arm at the implication behind Fred's words. George had abandoned them all together and had made his way over to Ron and Hermione. Ron looked up at the ceiling as he was forced to place his arm underneath Hermione's chest and her breasts quite clearly brushed against him. George only laughed as he pushed the two closer together.
Bill didn't have a yellow spot open to place his foot on so he grumpily left the board. Harry looked sheepishly at Ginny as he slid his right leg between her arms. She tried to lift herself up higher but her arms were fatigued. She felt her own breasts lying on top of his calf and blushed the color of her hair. She couldn't shift without falling.
Hermione fell to the ground in a mess of tears. She rubbed her thighs and complained that her legs hurt. Sirius helped her hobble off the mat. More colors, a blur of limbs, and somehow Harry and Ginny had managed to not even be bothered with how close they were physically after a while. Harry practically growled at Fred as Harry and Ginny had somehow wound up nearly on top of one another. Ginny rested her cheek against Harry's shoulder as she inched her leg overtop his to make it to a yellow spot.
"Can you even see, Harry?" Fred asked. "Ginny's hair is in your face."
"Sorry," Ginny said as she shook her head against his shoulder, her entire body wiggling on top of his, to try to get her hair out of his face.
"It's fine, don't move!" Harry said in a panicked tone for reasons she couldn't explain.
"Oi, family game here, Harry and Ginny!" George hollered with a smirk.
Ginny narrowed her eyes before she realized that her knee was pressed up against Harry's trousers. She attempted to move her leg back a tad to relieve some of the pressure she had placed on him while keeping her foot on the damn yellow dot. She didn't know she had been pressing against him in such a way as it seemed too big to be what it actually was.
"Left hand blue!" Molly called. "Let's get moving!"
A loud thump sounded and George cursed loudly while Ron laughed hysterical. Ginny squinted as she moved her hand towards the blue, having to press her upper body tight against Harry's back just to reach an open spot. Once she was successful, she glanced over to see George muttering as he left the board. Ron bounced in his contorted shape as he was alone in one corner of the board now.
After two more turns, Ginny felt the limitations of her short stature become problematic. She and Harry had become so twisted that it was impossible to move away from one another. Her entire body weight was mostly on top of him and he was holding himself and her up as she stretched herself to the limits. His arms gave out and he fell onto the mat, Ginny crashing down on top of him.
"Sorry!" Ginny squeaked as she tried to roll off of him but found her limbs not cooperating.
Harry's chest heaved underneath her as he pressed his cheek against the plastic mat. She took in a deep breath and pressed her palm between his shoulder blades and rolled off him. He grunted in the process and the two just stared at each other, too exhausted to even move.
"Oi, can you get off the board?" Fred hollered. "Some of us are still trying to win."
"I'm dead," Ginny said. "My arms and legs don't have feeling anymore."
Harry smiled softly before he somehow managed to force himself up on all fours. He sat back on his knees and shook out his arms before standing up. He reached down to offer Ginny a helping hand. She took it and he helped her up. Her legs wobbled and she leaned into his side. He wrapped an arm around her waist and the two of them hobbled off the board together.
They took a spot on an open sofa. Harry broke contact with her, his hands clasping together in his lap. She watched as he tried to discreetly adjust himself before he pressed his thighs together. Ginny curled up against Harry's side, her head resting against his shoulder. She was too exhausted to even care that it may not be totally socially acceptable to cuddle against her brother's best mate.
Fred and Ron battled it out on the game board before Ron came out on top based purely on his sheer height advantage. Fred grumbled as he left the board while Ron performed a rather embarrassing dance.
When George announced the next game was Pictionary, Ginny noted that Professor Lupin and Tonks were nowhere to be seen and had not returned with snacks. Her father had fallen asleep in an armchair. Her mother and Sirius were whispering in soft tones to one another. Ginny only sighed as she snuggled closer to Harry. He was so warm and comfy that she couldn't help but think of themselves curled together by a fire in the dead of winter and how nice that would be.
"Ron and Hermione, you're up first since Ron cheated and won Twister," George said bitterly.
"Oi! I didn't cheat!" Ron said. "It's not my fault that you're shorter than a broom!"
"You're drawing," Hermione whispered. "Please."
Ron nodded before shooting Fred and George a rude gesture when Molly wasn't looking. He grabbed the quill and picked up the first card and shook his head. He waited for the go ahead and started drawing stick figures… a lot of stick figures.
Ginny drew her legs up onto the sofa, her knees resting on top of Harry's thighs as she listened to Hermione make guesses. Harry placed a hand on her knee and she tried her best not to stiffen. It was nice being so close to him, to be so comfortable together. She had never felt more comfortable with anyone else. Michael certainly didn't make her feel at ease in the same way that Harry did.
"A Quidditch team?" Hermione guessed.
Ron nodded as he circled one of the stick figures.
"Oi! Cheater! You can't just nod to let her know she's on the right path!" Fred shouted.
"I didn't say anything!" Ron protested as he drew a very long oval in the stick figure's one hand.
"Can we keep the pictures suitable for all ages?" George said with a smirk. "Ginny's only fourteen!"
"What are you going on about?" Ron snapped. "That's a bloody Beater's bat!"
"Looks like someone is very happy," Fred muttered.
"Boys!" Molly shrieked. "Enough! Honestly, I said to keep it clean!"
"It looks like a bat to me," Harry commented.
Ginny picked her head off his shoulder to look at him. When he realized he must have said it out loud, his face flushed and he quickly removed his hand from Ginny's knee.
"It's err… really thick," Harry said. "The bat! Not the… I mean the bat in the picture is too thick to be… I'm going to shut up now."
Ginny let out a small chuckle. "No, please, go on and educate me."
Harry cleared his throat. "I need to use the loo."
He was gone in a flash. Ginny felt her heart sink as she turned her attention to Fred, George, and Ron who were all bickering about the rules of Pictionary. Ginny just felt miserable as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I think we've had enough games for tonight!" Molly declared. "It's late and you lot should all be off to bed!"
"Remus and Dora certainly went off to bed a good hour ago," Sirius commented with a smirk.
"Mum!" George whined. "Ron should just be disqualified for being inappropriate!"
"It. Is. A. BAT!" Ron shouted. "A bat! Look, the card says Beater, you bloody wanker!"
"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" Molly huffed.
The sofa dipped beside Ginny. She turned to see Sirius sitting next to her, his eyes alight with amusement.
"What's wrong with you?" Sirius asked.
"I think I made Harry uncomfortable," she mumbled.
Sirius nodded. "I think he'll be fine."
"I asked him to educate me on…" Ginny gulped. "The bat situation."
Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Merlin, Ginny, you're not shy, are you?"
Ginny buried her head in her hands. "We were getting along so well and I just mucked it all up."
"Well, I'm sure you've given him a lot to think about," Sirius replied, his head shaking. "Just let it go. Don't bring it up again. Don't apologize. Don't make it uncomfortable. Just go on like you didn't just ask him about… Merlin, this is awkward. I think I'm going to bed, yeah?"
"You're not being helpful," Ginny hissed.
"I gave the talk to my godson, but I will not give it to his potential future girlfriend," Sirius said.
"I'm not his potential future anything," Ginny said through gritted teeth. "He left because he was mortified!"
Sirius patted her on the shoulder. "You'll laugh about this one day."
With that, Sirius rose from the sofa and left her alone to sulk.
"Who won, though?" George demanded.
"I don't know! There are no winners or losers!" Molly replied.
"You didn't have a point system?" Fred shrieked. "What was the point of all this then?"
"To have fun?" Molly snapped back. "Harry and Ginny won Charades and Ron won Twister!"
"You were supposed to have a points system!" George said.
"It seemed like too much work," Sirius interrupted. "We were really just watching for fun."
"This bloody family!" George shrieked. "You all ruined game night!"
Molly rolled her eyes, her hands on her hips. "It was about having fun as a family! For Merlin's sake. If you're pushing to find out who won, then it was Harry and Ginny! They received first place at Charades and were high up in Twister. They'll find out their prize tomorrow!"
"Ginny and Harry?" Fred and George exclaimed at the same time.
"Yes! Harry and Ginny. Congratulations!" Molly said in a huff in her daughter's direction. "Tell Harry you two don't have to clean tomorrow but I have a special surprise for you."
Fred, George, and Ron sulked off out of the parlor. Hermione sighed before she left, shaking her head on her way out. When Ginny stood up, Molly called her over. She suppressed a groan as she watched Bill and Sirius leaving the room laughing and chatting.
"We should have a chat," Molly started.
"About what?" Ginny challenged, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Your brothers were in the wrong to talk about such topics in front of you," Molly started.
"I know what sex is, Mum," Ginny replied. "I know how girls and boys are fundamentally different."
Molly huffed. "You were very cozy with Harry tonight. Is there something you want to tell me?"
"No, because there's nothing to tell," Ginny replied. "We're just friends."
"Ginevra, I've seen the way you two have been behaving lately."
It took all of Ginny's willpower not to roll her eyes at her mother. "Trust me, I wish there was something to report to you, but there isn't. He likes some sixth-year girl in Ravenclaw who has shiny black hair and perfect skin and plays Seeker."
Molly's face softened. "Oh, Ginny!"
"It's fine," Ginny lied. "We're becoming friends which is grand and fun and I have a boyfriend anyway."
Molly sucked in a breath. "You have a boyfriend?"
"Yes, Michael Corner. Remember I told you about how we chatted and danced at the Yule Ball last year?" Ginny replied.
"Oh, I didn't know you two were dating."
Ginny shrugged. "It's not like I should hold my breath for Harry to ever ask me out. I might as well date and have fun."
"Ginny, darling, I see the way he looks at you," Molly said.
"Please, Mum, just don't," Ginny said in a miserable tone. "Between you, Sirius, Tonks, and Hermione, you're all just giving me false hope. I'm just trying to get over him. How do you get over someone who was never under you? It just doesn't make sense."
"I don't know, dear, I truly don't."
"I think I just want to go to bed," Ginny said.
Molly nodded. "For what it's worth, I hope he realizes just how special you are one day. I think you two would make a very lovely couple."
Ginny offered a sad smile before she hugged her mother goodnight. She sulked out of the parlor and made her way upstairs. She froze on the staircase when she heard Fred, George, and Harry talking in the hall.
"So, Harry, something you want to tell us?" Fred asked.
"No?" Harry replied.
"Are you sure?" George teased. "Because from what Fred tells me you got a bit excited during Twister. It's okay, we understand. Fred and I are really sexy. It happens."
"We adore you," Fred continued. "Really, we do. Our awesome and brilliant benefactor who we love like our own brother, but we just don't feel that way about you."
"Ha. Ha," Harry replied dryly.
"Ginny on the other hand…" George trailed off.
"Ginny doesn't like me like that anymore," Harry said. "We're just friends. Plus, she's your little sister."
Ginny felt her heart drop to her stomach.
"Yes, and we approve if you wanted to date our sister," Fred said.
"I don't," Harry replied. "She's your sister."
"Too bad," George said. "Little Harry seemed excited when she was practically on top of you earlier."
"You mean Big Little Harry," Fred replied.
"Piss off," Harry hissed. "You're both annoying."
"She's way more fun than Cho Chang," George continued. "I heard she's rather emotional. You don't strike me as a bloke who could put up with an emotional girl."
"I heard she cried when Cedric stepped on her dress and ripped it at the Yule Ball," Fred continued. "Ginny wouldn't cry over a ripped dress."
"You're taking the piss," Harry concluded.
"Hmm, no, we're really not," George replied.
"Honest," Fred added. "Angelina said she heard from Isla Shaw that Cedric was thinking of breaking up with her before he, you know…"
"Right," Harry said.
"Just something to think about," George said. "You seemed very comfortable with Ginny tonight."
"And cozy," added Fred.
"I'm comfortable around you two yet I don't want to date you," Harry replied.
"Pity. I've been told I'm an absolute gem between the sheets," Fred replied.
"Night, Harry!" George called.
Ginny sank down onto the stairs. She didn't know exactly how she was ever going to look Harry in the eye again. She had been stupid and silly to think that he had seen her as anything other than his friend's little sister. Everyone had been wrong. She worried her bottom lip and waited for a few moments to ensure everyone was settled in their rooms before she dared finish going up the stairs.
"Hey."
Ginny looked up to see Harry standing at the top of the stairs. He made his way towards her and sat down next to her. He looked uncomfortable, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"How long have you been here?" he asked.
"Two seconds," she lied. "I got a cramp and decided to sit down for a moment. Twister was brutal. I felt like I was doing an intense workout."
Harry chuckled. "It was a very long and intense game."
"It was worth it because we won," Ginny commented.
"Yeah?" Harry asked.
"Mum said we don't have to clean tomorrow and we get a surprise. I wonder what the surprise will be."
Harry shrugged. "Guess we will find out tomorrow, won't we?"
Ginny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We will. I'm sorry about earlier if I made you uncomfortable. I was just joking around. I thought…" Ginny let out a huff.
Harry shifted. "You thought what?"
"I thought we were friends and joking around," Ginny concluded.
"We are friends," Harry said, his brows disappearing under his glasses.
"Right. Sure," Ginny replied. "It's all right. I know I'm just your mate's little sister."
Harry frowned. "Gin, I didn't mean to… make you feel like we weren't friends. I thought we were having fun this summer."
"Yeah, I suppose we were," Ginny said quietly.
"I…" Harry's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't understand what's going on," Harry admitted, his neck flushing. "I can't tell if you're upset or not."
Ginny blinked at him. "No, I'm not upset with you, Harry."
"You're sure? You'd tell me if you were, right?" Harry pressed. "I don't… Hermione says I have issues."
"Issues?" Ginny asked, her brows raising. "That's a bit rude."
Harry smiled tightly. "Issues with reading emotions and such. I sort of need it spelled out or else I'm lost."
Ginny reached out and grasped his hand in hers. "This is me spelling it out for you. I'm not upset with you. Promise. I'd tell you if I was."
Harry visibly relaxed. "Thanks."
"You don't have issues, Harry," Ginny said. "I think you just need to get to know people and you won't have trouble."
"No, I definitely have issues," Harry said with a small chuckle. "Hermione confuses me a lot and we're pretty close."
"Maybe Hermione has the issues," Ginny replied, leaning in to bump her shoulder against his.
His thumb brushed across her wrist. "I'm glad we're friends, Gin. You make things easy."
"You're not so bad yourself, Potter."
Harry snorted. "Now, I just know you're lying. I've been a moody git all summer."
"You've had a lot on your mind. I get it, you know. Sometimes you just want to shut off your brain but you can't. You think about things you don't want to think about. You close your eyes and you see things you don't want to see. You try to be normal and feel normal but you feel anything but normal," Ginny rambled. "Why is it so hard to feel normal?"
"I don't know," Harry whispered, his tongue peeking out to lick his bottom lip. "I felt pretty normal earlier though, if that's worth anything. You made me feel normal. It was fun, you know, being your partner and just playing silly games."
"I had fun too, Harry."
Harry grinned. "I'm glad. I was worried I'd be a terrible partner since I've never played any of those games before."
"You did really well! You were a great protector in Twister," Ginny commented. "I mean, you bloody well held me up the last ten minutes or so. I was like dead weight on your back because my arms were so tired."
Harry laughed. "You weigh next to nothing. You're so small."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Don't make me hurt you."
Harry grinned as he let go of her hand in favor of wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Please, don't."
Ginny daringly wrapped her arms around his midsection and squeezed, hugging him for a few moments. "Goodnight, Harry."
"Night, Gin."
Harry gave her a small squeeze before pulling away. He stood up, holding his hand out for her. She took it with a smile.
"Your cramp feel better?" he asked.
Ginny almost asked him what he was talking about when she remembered her excuse so he wouldn't know she had overheard his conversation with the twins. Her heart twisted in her chest again, her spirits dampening slightly. He wasn't treating her like he liked her. He was treating her like she was a little sister to him, wasn't he?
"Oh, yeah, loads."
"Good, because I wouldn't want your day off from cleaning to be ruined," Harry said as they made their way up the stairs. "Let me know if you need any help. You know, in case you're sore."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. You let me know if you need help tomorrow, yeah?"
"Deal," Harry said. "Night."
"Goodnight."
She crept into her shared bedroom with Hermione and quietly changed into her nightgown before sliding underneath the covers of her bed. She stared up at the canopy above her bed and wondered what exactly her relationship with Harry Potter actually was. Her brothers certainly didn't treat her the way Harry did but he had admitted he didn't want to date her. While he said they were friends, he certainly treated her differently than he treated Hermione. Maybe her mum and Sirius had a point, maybe he was starting to notice her and didn't realize it yet. No, she thought, punching her pillow. They were becoming friends and nothing more. The last thing she needed to do was to get her hopes up only to get her heart broken again. Being friends with Harry was enough for her. It had to be.
But when she finally drifted off to sleep it was to dreams of Harry's arms around her, his fingers massaging the inside of her wrist, and his lips locked on hers.
I hope you enjoyed chapter one of this little two-shot! Don't forget to take a moment and drop a review. They inspire new ideas, they motivate me to write more, and they just plain make my day.
Special thanks to Bell for editing. Special thanks to Brie for always being my sounding board. You can thank her for chapter two, because there wasn't originally going to be a chapter two.