The next morning, Harry and Ginny decided to make an appearance at breakfast, as Ginny was worried that the others might start to think that all she and Harry did was shag. Of course, she thought, smirking to herself, that is all we seem to be doing.She was starting to be troubled about it actually, not that she didn't enjoy it; she enjoyed it immensely truth be known, but because she was also starting to feel a bit...sore. She hadn't mentioned it to Harry, because he'd been so affected with her soreness the first time, but this was a different feeling - it was more like a tenderness she felt all over her body. She wondered briefly if they could perhaps be doing it toomuch, and she wished Hermione was around so that she could ask her. Not that she expected Hermione to actually know right off the broom, but she had no doubt her friend would definitely know which book to look in for the answer.
She watched as Harry talked with Mr Cosgrove and Angus about something and smiled to herself. It was amazing how close she'd grown to him in such a short time. She thought back to how she had been so scared at the start of the summer; how she'd convinced herself that a relationship between her and Harry was never going to happen. Now, she couldn't seem to think of a time that didn't include feeling Harry inside of her.
"It's impolite to drool, Ginny," Brogan whispered in her ear, and she jumped, almost spilling her pumpkin juice. She frowned and tried to give him a disapproving glare.
"I was not...well, really, I reckon I can do it if I want," she said stubbornly, deciding to ignore the teasing look on his face. He shrugged and sat down next to her.
"Does Harry realize how lucky he is?" Brogan asked after a moment, the serious look in his eyes seeming to betray his otherwise mocking behavior.
Ginny frowned again. "Not that it is any of your business really, but yes, Harry does know that."
"I know what?" Harry said from behind, as he slid into the seat on the opposite side of her. He cast a guarded glance at Brogan before raising his eyebrow at her.
"I was just wondering if you knew what a lucky blighter you are to have Ginny here as a companion, Harry. She assured me that you do." Brogan chuckled and started piling food onto his plate. Ginny watched him a moment, avoiding Harry's eyes, afraid of the glowering look she'd see in them as he watched Brogan. But when she did look at Harry, he was merely smiling to himself in a satisfied way. Boys, thought Ginny. I don't understand them at all sometimes.
"Good morning Ginny," Mr Cosgrove said, coming over them. "I was just telling Harry how good it is to see you two this morning. I have a few free hours today and thought I might help you out with your research, while Harry talks with Professor Lupin. Are you up for some company? I'm not an expert like Brogan, but I think I can answer some of the Muggle questions for you; my family is from the area in which she is still worshipped."
"Oh?" Ginny asked, surprised. "I have to admit, I haven't got that far in my reading. But what part of Ireland would that be? I'm assuming it's not around here then?"
"No, she has a hill named after her, actually; Cnoc Aine. Up in Munster, which is where the Cosgroves hail from. My uncle Fergus still lives in Knockainey, although at 105, he doesn't get out much. On the western end of Cnoc Aine, it is rumored that the cave that once stood there contained an entrance into the Tobar-na-Aine, or in English, the Well of Aine. Muggles believe it was destroyed around the turn of the century by a group of quarrymen blasting in the area, but in reality, it was closed off by our kind. Although no one has ever said why it was closed off."
"Why would wizards close off a well?" Harry asked in-between bites of toast.
"Well, it was thought, judging by the papers I've read from the period, to contain the very essence of Aine's power. A Well of such glorious magnitude and strength that it could restore life to anyone who drank from it," Mr Cosgrove said in a cheery voice.
"I can tell you don't believe in it though," Ginny said as she watched him. He smiled at her.
"Well, when I was a boy, I grew up believing in the religions of the past; my Muggle grandmother was a devout follower of the old ways, much to my father's chagrin. I think a bit of her taste for it transferred to me. But my indoctrination into all that is magical took away most of the belief, I have to admit. I soon realized that most of the odd things my grandmother thought were spirits or the wee folk, as she liked to call them, were just wizards having a lark or an upset beastie of some kind. The first time I saw a fairy up close, I was extremely disappointed they weren't more than what they are. I believed all the good Muggle press about them, you see."
"Well, I think it exists," Angus said as he joined in, smiling at them. "And I think they closed it off because they were frightened of it. Me Mam was always going on about it. 'The Great Cup, drawn from the Well of Aine', she used to say, 'was meant to bring back that which has died for love'. And that is a power that no one should have, not even wizards."
Brogan snorted into his juice and then shook his head. "Oh, not that old rubbish again. Angus, don't you think that's a bit...overly sentimental and dramatic?"
Angus shrugged. "A bit. But there is a touch of the terrible romantic in me, you know. What's so bad about thinking that someone, or something, would be able to bring back the person they loved? I mean, I've heard you talk about Aine enough, and I know you like to scoff, but you also know she lost her own true love, so it makes sense she'd spend her life trying to do something that would stop it from happening to other people - "
The discussion continued around her, but Ginny paid it no mind. Something Angus had said had seemed to light a spark inside of her, but she didn't know what exactly. There was something vaguely familiar about the whole story. Perhaps she had glanced at it in one of the books she'd been reading.
"So, Ginny, what do you say?" Ginny looked up at Harry, who was looking at her with concern.
"I'm sorry, Harry, what did you ask me?"
"Are you okay? You looked a bit dazed," he said as he reached under the table to give her hand a small squeeze. She smiled at him.
"I'm fine. Just trying to piece together what I read yesterday with what I'm learning now."
"Well, I asked if you wanted Mr Cosgrove to join you in the library while I use his Floo to contact Professor Lupin. Then he suggested that we go down to the lake with Brogan and the others later."
"Oh, yes, that sounds like fun," Ginny said as she glanced at Brogan, who seemed to be arguing with Angus about something. She realized that neither Sioda nor Kieran and the Bannings had joined them for breakfast. Garrett had spent the entire morning sitting by himself at the other end of the table.
They finished their breakfast and got up to go their separate ways. Harry paused and gave her hand another squeeze.
"Are you certain you're okay?" he asked her.
"I'm fine, Harry. Perhaps I am too well rested from our peaceful night; my body doesn't know what to do with all this liveliness now," she squeezed his hand back and released it. Harry raised his eyebrow and glanced around to see if anyone was watching them. He moved his head in close, his lips brushing hers.
"Maybe we ought to wear you out a bit more then, tonight," he whispered. He pulled back quickly, his skin turning pink as Mr Cosgrove approached them.
"Well, off to the office with you, Harry; the door's open. Just close it and lock it, no one will bother you. Ready for the library, Ginny?"
She nodded and made to follow after Mr Cosgrove. She turned to watch Harry head down the hallway, his rucksack hanging off his shoulder in a lazy fashion. He hadn't mentioned the fact that he would be telling Dumbledore about his power flare, yet she trusted him to do so. Trying to settle herself, Ginny put her mind to finding out more about Aine.
o-o-o-o-o-o
"Okay, so concentrate, Harry, yes...good...very good!"
Harry and Remus Lupin were running through their mental checks. Ever since Harry had mastered Occlumency, there really was not much more he could do except to prepare and keep his mind alert. Unlike Snape, Harry only succeeded at Legilemency when extremely pushed to do so. But he was able to block his mind better than most and that was worth a lot when dealing with Voldemort.
"You didn't catch anything that time?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.
"No. Just a soft blur of something, and then it was gone. You?"
"Yeah," Harry said, focusing his mind. He felt Professor Lupin in his head for a moment and then nothing.
After a long moment, they both released their breath, grinning at each other. Professor Lupin nodded to their chairs.
"Go on, let's rest, I think we can call it a day, for now. You're doing extremely well, Harry. Usually, you're complaining by this point." Professor Lupin winked at him, and Harry nodded. He couldn't tell his old professor that his desire to keep Voldemort out of his head was stronger than ever; he never wanted to feel him again while he with Ginny. Never.
Professor Lupin looked at him again and then looked around Cosgrove's office. "You know, I've never personally met Dylan Cosgrove, but Dumbledore speaks highly of him. How are you two getting on?"
Harry shrugged. "Fine. He seems nice enough. He's with Ginny now, in the library."
It was the first time either one of them had mentioned Ginny, and Harry knew it was a mistake by the look Professor Lupin gave him. Oh, well, here comes the talk, Harry thought grimly to himself.
"Right then, Harry -"
"Professor Lupin, honestly, if you're going to launch into a talk about things...well, it's okay; I've already discussed it with Professor Dumbledore and died of embarrassment enough, thanks."
Professor Lupin smiled gently at him. "I just thought you might feel a little bit more comfortable talking to me, Harry. But I understand if you don't want to live through the embarrassment. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds."
Professor Lupin looked down at the ground then, and Harry felt lousy at having interrupted him.
"It's just...this doesn't get any easier, the more I talk about it, so I'd rather not..." Harry sighed.
Professor Lupin smiled at him. "No, I understand completely, Harry. I am not so old as to not remember what it feels like to be seventeen. Your father was much the same way; Sirius and I had a hell of a time getting details out of him as well. Not that that was what I was going for; I simply wanted to let you know that I'm here if you need to...discuss anything that's been happening with you and Ginny."
"Dad and Mum were...well, I reckon they were, weren't they...when they were my age." Harry thought about it, wondering if his Dad had felt about his mum the way he felt about Ginny. Well, of course, he did, you dolt, he married her, didn't he?
"Oh, I think Lily kept him on the straight course most of the time, but after they were together a while, she couldn't fight him off any longer. At least that was James's part of the story. He claimed it was because she just couldn't fight off his raw animal magnetism any longer."
Professor Lupin smiled to himself in remembering, and Harry felt sad for him again. Really, after Sirius, Professor Lupin was his nearest connection to his father, wasn't he? He wondered if he could perhaps talk to Professor Lupin about what had happened when he'd released the Binding Spell.
"Well, I reckon...there is one thing, I think...I mean, it's sort of..." Harry paused, looking down at the floor instead of into his professor's eyes. "On the night that Voldemort...I mean, the night I felt him again, Ginny and I...something happened right beforehand. In fact, the more I think about it, I think that is what...sort of...alerted him to what was um...going on."
"Yes, Harry?" Professor Lupin said gently, and Harry glanced up at him, seeing a friendly look on his face. He glanced back down at the floor, feeling his skin heat.
"Well, er...I mean, I reckon...Professor Dumbledore told you we were...I mean, we are um..."
"Relaxing?"
Harry looked up quickly, to see if Professor Lupin was laughing at him, but he wasn't. His face was as serious as Harry had ever seen it.
"Yeah, um...relaxing," Harry paused, hearing Ginny's voice from last night admonishing him in his head. He took a deep breath. "Right, except of course we weren't relaxing, we were...you know, having sex, and Ginny put this spell around my hands to um...you know, sort of keep them together and out of the way... and during it, I broke the spell. By just thinking about it. One minute, I was thinking about holding her, and then the next moment I was, and I felt a warmth in my hands and a sort of bright light in my head and well, it upset Ginny. And then it upset me."
Harry stopped talking, feeling his heart beating fast in his chest, as though he'd just ran a racecourse. He realized he'd said everything very quickly. He glanced at Professor Lupin, expecting to see shock or worse, repugnance at what Harry had told him. But his professor had a very thoughtful look on his face.
"Do you know what sort of spell it was exactly, that Ginny used?" The older man asked after a moment.
Harry shook his head. "Just a regular Binding Spell, I reckon. It er... didn't hurt, really, it just um...sort of kept me at her mercy." Harry shut his mouth quickly, aware of how that sounded. His skin felt hotter than the fireplaces at Hogwarts in the winter. Surprisingly, Professor Lupin chuckled, and Harry frowned.
"I don't think...I...well, it's not funny, is it?" Harry realized he sounded indignant, despite himself. He didn't think he and Ginny were abnormal or anything for trying something different.
"No, Harry, it most certainly isn't, and I do sincerely apologize. It's just...sometimes I do forget how young you are -"
"Well, being young doesn't really matter, does it? I mean, I've faced death more times than most people ever will, I don't think -"
"Harry, please. I do apologize. I meant no disrespect towards you. What you and Ginny do is, of course, your business. However, this is an interesting turn of events. I take it you did not mention this to Professor Dumbledore yesterday?"
"No. I was having a hard enough time not dying on the spot," Harry mumbled morosely.
"And it was after this flare of power that you felt Voldemort, correct?"
Harry nodded and sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath.
"Have you felt him again since then or...have you and Ginny practiced any other forms of -"
"No!" Harry said quickly. "On both accounts. It's really odd, too. It's like...he was there, and I pushed him out, and now it's like he's gone away again. My head didn't even hurt the next day. It's a bit odd, really."
Professor Lupin nodded, deep in thought. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Well, at least he'd told someone about it; Ginny couldn't yell at him again. Next time, Harry thought to himself, I'm sending her in here to have one of these bloody talks.
"Well, I think I should probably discuss this with Professor Dumbledore. Wandless magic by itself is a rare thing; this instance of experiencing it while you were...well, let's just say, it does raise some questions. You will keep me informed in case it happens again, yes?"
Harry nodded, dreading the conversation he would now have to have with Dumbledore about all of this. Professor Lupin chuckled again.
"I'll be certain to let Albus know that I'll be the one to get back to you with any information or questions we have. You shouldn't have to go through the embarrassment more than once."
Harry smiled thankfully. "I'm sorry if I was...well, I don't want you to think I didn't appreciate you wanting to talk about...stuff with me. I..."
"It's okay, Harry. You're a private person, and I reckon you're a bit tired of everyone knowing your business, especially something as private as this."
Professor Lupin stood up and looked at the fireplace. "Well, I suppose I should Floo back now. Let's say I arrange to come a few days from now, so we can go through our practice again. Just keep doing the exercises in your mind, before you go to sleep. You haven't had any odd dreams, have you?"
Harry didn't want to tell him about the dream he'd had about future Ginny and him; that was the one thing no one was taking away from him. It was just his and his alone. He shook his head. "No, not any I remember. I've been pretty knackered when I finally get to bed." Harry heard the words coming out of his mouth and immediately groaned inwardly at what they implied. Professor Lupin merely smiled.
"Yes, well, tell Ginny I said hello, and that her mother is expecting a letter home soon. I think Hermione and Ron would like to know you two are alive as well."
"Oh yeah, we wanted you to give these to them," Harry looked for his bag and pulled out the two letters he and Ginny had composed before breakfast. "One is for Mr and Mrs Weasley, and the other is for Ron and Hermione."
Professor Lupin promised to deliver the letters, and Harry watched him step into the Floo, disappearing into a swirling burst of ash and green flame.
o-o-o-o-o-o
"So Muggles really do believe Aine will return, don't they?" Ginny was asking Mr Cosgrove as they sat in the library, going over a few points in her book. He nodded.
"Oh, most say it's codswallop, of course, but Ireland is a superstitious place, by nature. We tend to remember things here that most other places forget. Besides, most of the powers attributed to Aine are ones that most people wouldn't mind having access to. For whatever reasons."
"And Professor Dumbledore, he believes it as well?"
Mr Cosgrove paused and cast her a searching look. "Well, I can't speak for Albus, of course, but yes, I do believe he puts a certain amount of weight into the tales."
Ginny felt as though he wasn't telling her something, and it bothered her, but she didn't know how to make him tell her something he thought she shouldn't know. She frowned and looked down at the book in front of her.
"It says she could transform into a lot of different animals; a red mare, a rabbit, a swan...even a fairy. Isn't that rare for our kind to be able to transfigure themselves into so many different things?"
"Yes, and of course, we have no way of knowing if she really could do all that, which is also to say that we don't really know that she couldn't. I do believe she was reported as the red mare more times than not, although there is a story of her son being able to turn himself into a goose, and every time a goose and swan were seen together around Lough Gur, it was said to be Aine and her son spending time together. But I'm not certain how much of that is fact and how much is just folk-tale. Which unfortunately is what you get the most of when you're talking about Aine."
"But what about the Well you mentioned...do you think it could really restore life? Brogan told me she was extremely powerful...what if she discovered a way to make a potion that could do it?" Ginny asked. "I mean, are there any tales of it being used?"
Mr Cosgrove shook his head. "I'm afraid that's a bit too in-depth for me. I think Brogan has been researching it a little bit, but as you saw from this morning, he puts about as much stock in it as I do. I think the Well and its power may very well be just a bit of fancy."
Ginny nodded, frowning to herself. She didn't know why this part of the story seemed to pique her interest so much. Mr Cosgrove patted her hand.
"Well, I believe I will leave you to it; Harry and Professor Lupin should be about done with their session, I reckon. Just remember to focus on the earlier reports of Aine; I think that will help with separating fact from fiction. Do you need anything before I go?"
"No, sir. Thank you for talking about all of this with me. I'll read the passages you pointed out and share them with Harry."
Mr Cosgrove left her, and she turned her attention back to her book. She felt disagreeable, actually, and couldn't pinpoint why. Her back had started to ache, and that same lingering tenderness from before seemed to permeate her entire being. She wondered if she could get Harry to skive off going down to the lake with the others. She didn't feel like swimming; she didn't feel like doing much at all. Especially since it appeared she was really the one doing all the research, and Harry, well...Harry was just not doing it. At all. Well, that's an unfriendly thought, she mused to herself. She reminded herself that Harry had other things to deal with.
"It's not that bad, is it?"
Ginny glanced up and saw him coming towards her. She smiled. "Were your ears burning?"
Harry's brow furrowed as he sat down in front of her, dropping his bag unceremoniously on the table with a loud 'thud'. Ginny waited for the warning that never came; apparently, warnings were only issued when someone you were talking to laughed too loud.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked her, leaning forward.
"Nothing. I was just thinking of you, that's all. Did everything go all right with Professor Lupin? Did you have a good...time of it?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, that part was fine." He paused and then lowered his voice. "I told him...about the power flare. He uh...says he will look into it with Dumbledore and get back to us."
"Now Professor Lupin knows as well? Merlin, why don't we just take an ad out in The Quibbler or the Daily Prophet?" Ginny knew her voice sounded cross, and Harry frowned at her again.
"What's with you? You're the one who insisted we tell Dumbledore; in fact, I think you said if I didn't, you would."
"I said Dumbledore, Harry, not Remus Lupin. Oh, it doesn't matter. The whole bleeding world probably knows. Next, I'll be getting a Howler from Mum any second." Ginny closed her book with a snap and started picking up her notes. She suddenly felt as though the world was pressing down on her. It was an entirely irrational feeling, and she knew it.
"Gin, is something wrong?"
Ginny sighed, glancing at him. "No, Harry. Everything is fine. Look, I'm going back to the room -" she paused as she saw his face light up, and she suddenly felt very disagreeable indeed. "Why don't you stay here and actually do some research yourself? I'm tired of always being the one finding things out."
"Ginny, I've been busy with having all these bloody talks with everyone -"
"Yes, Harry, I know. I'm just...I'm just tired."
"But you said you got a good night's sleep -"
"Harry! Just let me go back to the room, okay?" Ginny realized her voice had carried, and she gulped, standing up quickly. Harry just looked at her, his mouth hanging open, slightly.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm just not feeling very well. I need to be alone for a while, okay?"
He had a hurt expression in his eyes, but he nodded at her, looking down at his shoes. She sighed inwardly and reached out to smooth his hair away from his eyes. She brought her head down to his forehead and kissed it, softly.
"I'm sorry, love. I'm just...disagreeable right now. I don't know why."
Harry met her eyes and then looked away. He nodded. "Okay, Ginny. Just er...feel better, okay? I'll come to check on you later, all right?"
Ginny sighed and then hung her bag over her shoulder, heading out of the library. She knew Harry was probably confused and upset with her, but she didn't care at the moment. She just had to get away from everything for a while and clear her head.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"The Lough Gur is believed to be thousands of years old; its association with Aine came to be through the sightings of her son, Gearoid Iarla, the 'crazy' Earl of Desmond. Muggles believed the Earl could be seen every seven years, riding around the lake on a giant white steed, its hooves clipping over the water as Gearoid cried out the song of the fairy-folk. Of course, the Muggles were merely witnessing a wizard experiencing a late night of debauchery and abused drink (the makers of Ogden's Firewhiskey have their distillery in Limerick, after all), and nothing extraordinary ever truly happened at Lough Gur. Although, it is believed that Aine herself formed the lake to help out a family of farmers that lived nearby. Consequently, because of her son's apparent fondness for drink and poetry, he came to be known as 'The Magician', a most ironic nickname."
Harry yawned and let his head drift down to rest on the table. He'd been reading for a good solid hour and still felt as clueless as ever. No wonder Ginny had been cross with him, she'd been stuck reading this muck since they'd arrived, and he'd been no help at all.
He wondered though, what was really bothering her; she'd seemed out of sorts all day. They hadn't made love this morning, either, although he knew that was perfectly fine and normal, and he hadn't even thought twice about it until now since it now seemed like a rejection. Sighing, he reckoned he was just being a prat. He tried to focus his mind back on the text in front of him.
"It is interesting to note, however, that there are many cairns within the surrounding area, and the lake also hosts a large ring-fort - the largest in Ireland, to be exact. The stones form a large circle and house a large set of burial mounds and tombs. Named after the infamous warlock, Peabody Grange, (Muggles knew him as a questionable geologist with bad habits, one of which included not bathing), the Grange circle, which is always surrounded by an ever-blooming canopy of Meadowsweet - the flower long associated with Aine - has been considered one of the last working, natural time-portals still in existence."
Harry blinked. Time-portal?What? He scanned the rest of the paragraph but saw no other mention of the stones, except how Peabody Grange had tried to scare the Muggles away by claiming ritual sacrifices had occurred there. He made a note of it on his parchment and frowned. There were so many rumors and stories regarding Aine, how was he supposed to separate the truth from the fiction? Who was he supposed to believe, Muggles or wizards?
He decided to pack it in for lunch, and take something back to the room for Ginny. Maybe he'd ask her if she'd ever heard of a time-portal. He was certain Hermione would probably know right from the start, but then she didn't fall asleep in History of Magic as he did.
Harry nodded at Garrett and Kieran at the front desk and then headed towards the dining room to grab some food. He hoped it would cheer Ginny up - she couldn't resist a boy with food, could she?
o-o-o-o-o-o
Ginny awoke, well, her stomach awoke for her, rumbling loudly as she inhaled the scent of the food Harry had set down on the table by the bed. She moved and felt him shift beside her. She turned over and looked at him.
"Hey," he said softly. He nodded towards the food. "I brought you a bite to eat, but you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you."
"Thanks, Harry," she said absentmindedly, trying to get her brain to wake up as well.
"Here, let me," Harry said as he got up off the bed, setting his book aside. He fluffed the pillows behind her head and then handed a plate to her, smiling. Ginny felt immediately terrible for snapping at him earlier.
"Harry, thank you. I'm sorry I was disagreeable earlier. I don't know what came over me."
Actually, Ginny did know, but she didn't feel like going into it yet, and so she tucked into her food, while Harry watched her, an amused look on his face. When she finished, he took away her plate, shaking his head.
"Well, I know things can't be too bad, you're eating like normal. Sorry, I didn't think to bring more. It will just have to hold you over till dinner."
"Yeah," she said, not meeting his eyes. She leaned back into the pillows and then looked at the book he'd been reading.
"Make any progress with that one?"
"A bit," Harry said, glancing at her. He moved it out of the way and sat down on the bed again, shyly looking at her. He patted the space on the bed next to him, and she moved closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her.
"Do you feel better since you ate?" he asked her softly.
"A bit."
"Good. Look, I'm sorry you've been doing all the work with this...stuff. It's dead tedious, and you had every right to be cross with me, and I'm just...I'm sorry."
Ginny felt like crying. He was being far too kind. She'd been horrible to him. She buried her head in his shoulder, sniffing.
"Ginny? What is going on? I apologized...I didn't know, I mean, why are you crying about it?"
"You stupid git, I'm not upset about the books. Oh, Harry, I am a horrible girlfriend," she half-sobbed into his shirt.
"Er, okay. Mind telling me why?" Harry asked, his voice sounding perplexed.
"Oh, you're a boy, you wouldn't understand."
"Um. Well, that seems a bit unfair but okay."
Harry didn't say anything else and awkwardly kept his arm around her. She finally pulled back and looked at him, wiping her eyes.
"I've been feeling out of sorts all day because...well, I'm a bit stupid really. I forgot that..." Ginny paused, uncertain of how to explain it. "Well, I mean, your talk with the Healer on your birthday, did they er...mention that um...you know, certain times of the month I might not be...er...well, myself, exactly?"
Harry stared at her bewildered, and she waited patiently for him to connect the points. She hoped the Healer had told him something about the female reproductive system, or they were going to have a very embarrassing discussion indeed.
"Certain time of the...wait, you mean? Oh...oh." Harry's eyes grew wide. As he looked at her, she was happy to note that he blushed as bright as her hair.
"So you know, then? Why I'm sort of not feeling too great?" she asked, nodding toward him with her head.
"Um...er...yeah," Harry said, looking anywhere but at her.
Oh, Merlin, I've scarred him for life or something, Ginny thought to herself.
"I must have just...forgotten. I'm not usually so out of sorts like this though; I was thinking before that it could have been because we were...you know, doing it so much. That maybe my body was sort of adjusting to there being someone new in the neighborhood."
Harry glanced at her and then back down again, his face still very pink. "Er...yeah."
Ginny felt her patience grow thin with his continued embarrassment. "Well, for Merlin's sake, Harry, it's a natural occurrence. Stop acting like I'm a freak of nature or something. All women go through it, you know; my mum always said it was an 'honor of womanhood'. I think you should grow up a bit." Ginny got up out of the bed and went to the loo, slamming the door behind her.
Honestly, you'd think I told him I turn into a troll once a month or something.
Ginny sat on the edge of the tub, feeling cold and unhappy. She couldn't help her body's natural inclinations, goodness sake. What was the big deal? Men are very silly creatures, she thought to herself, just as she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in, Harry, I'm not doing anything you'll get grossed out over," she called out smartly, knowing she sounded like a prat.
She didn't look up as he entered and, after standing in front of her for a moment, he dropped down to his knees, so that he was looking up at her.
"Sorry. I just...well, for pity sake, Ginny...it's just..."
"Embarrassing, yes, I get that, Harry. I'll go sleep in my room tonight so you don't have to be around me and my disgusting bodily actions."
"I didn't say you had to sleep in the other bed, and I didn't say it was disgusting -"
"Well, your reaction was quite enough, thank you -"
"Merlin! Are you going to be this disagreeable every month or is this just because you have nothing better to do than to make me feel as bad as you do?"
"Me? Make you feel bad? You couldn't even look at me in there, Harry!"
"Well, I'm a boy, Ginny...what did you want me to do? Sit back and empathize? I don't know anything about...about this stuff. How am I am supposed to react? Tell me, and I'll do it. But try to stop getting angry at me for every little thing I've done wrong today; it's getting really old."
Harry stared at her with anger in his eyes, and she could see his stubborn nature rearing its ugly head. It reminded her so much of her own. She sighed; he was right. What had she expected?
"You're absolutely right," she said after a moment, meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry, Harry. I really am."
Harry relaxed and then smiled faintly. He leaned forward and hugged her, and she actually did feel better after that.
"Come on," Harry said as he pulled away from her, standing up. He tugged on her hand, pulling her with him. "Let's go back to the bed; I'll read to you."
"You'll read to me?" Ginny said, raising her eyebrow at him. "Harry, I hate to break it to you, but I've been doing my own reading for years now."
"Funny. Look, this way I reckon we'll both be learning without you having to actually, you know...do anything. You can take a break."
Ginny felt herself soften, and she stopped moving, causing him to look back at her. She smiled and then pulled him to her, kissing him softly.
"What was that for?" he asked, brow furrowed.
"For being the sweetest boy in the world, of course."
Harry's skin turned pink, but he smiled. "I'm seventeen; I thought I was a man, now?"
Ginny laughed. "Okay, for being the sweetest man in the world. Merlin knows what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad you're mine." She rubbed her nose against his, teasing him.
"I'm the one who should be glad; I don't think anyone else would put up with me," Harry said lightly, leading her to the bed again.
"Well, that's certainly true," Ginny replied dryly, and Harry laughed as he sat down, pulling her down with him. She settled onto his lap, casting him a suspicious look. "Is this position that beneficial to reading, Harry?"
"Hmm, probably not, but it feels nice," he said, smiling widely. Suddenly, his face changed as he looked at her. "I mean, unless, you'd rather...I don't know, lie down? I mean, do you er...feel um...sick?"
"I'm fine here," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck. She nuzzled his neck with her mouth, teasing him with sharp little nips along his jaw. Harry moaned softly, and she felt his hands in her hair. She felt him move, falling backward onto the bed, and she went with him, rolling on top of him. Her mum had once given her a talk about 'the birds and the bees', and had always told her not to do anything while 'enjoying the honor of womanhood'. But now that she wasn't yelling or feeling put out, she actually felt a little...well...randy, really. She and Harry continued kissing, his hands caressing her back and arms as she pressed herself closer to him. Ginny wasn't certain that Harry would be altogether okay with making love in her current condition, but that didn't mean they had to act like a pair of innocents, did it?
Harry groaned as she ground herself against him. He pulled back to look at her, his eyes bright behind his glasses. "Ginny...we can't...I mean...oh," Harry sighed as her hands strayed under his shirt. She rubbed her nails against the softness of his skin and worked her way upwards, kissing a wet trail in the path of the shirt she was trying to remove.
"I may not be able to do everything, but that doesn't mean we still can't have fun, Harry," she said as she glanced up at him, surprised at how low and throaty her voice sounded. Harry didn't seem to mind her reasoning and lay back, letting her lift his shirt off of him. She drank in the sight of him, not seeing the slightly too thin arms or the pale, untanned skin; she only saw the beauty of the boy she loved, and she felt something hot flash through her. She wanted to kiss every part of him and drive him crazy with desire. For the first time since they had been together, Ginny finally understood the true meaning of lust, and everything about Harry stirred it inside of her. His heart, his sweetness, his anger, his stubbornness...everything. Ginny felt as though she had been dipped into a flame and eagerly put her mouth on his, willing it to engulf her. The idea that she couldn't really have him this time, that this would be all about her loving him seemed to be the catalyst her body had been waiting for. She felt wet inside and out and removed her own shirt, rubbing her skin against his. He started to say something, but she shushed him with a kiss, her tongue eagerly claiming his mouth. She raised his arms above his head and gazed at him, wanting him so bad that she felt as though she would break. She rubbed the lower part of her body against his, already aware of his hardness.
"Let me make love to you, Harry," she whispered and licked his jaw, moving slowly up to his ear. She felt him shudder underneath her, and his breathing quickened.
"But..." was all he managed to get out, as her hand slid down, slipping under the band of his jeans and boxers. She barely grazed him before pulling her hand back out. She moved lower and focused her attention on his jeans, slowly unzipping them. She tugged them off of him; they were just one more thing in the way, and she had no patience for them. She kneeled at the edge of the bed, looking up at him and smiled. She saw him swallow hard in response, his eyes were bright and full of the same lust she felt inside herself. She reached up, caressing his thighs and then lowered his boxers, licking her lips as he appeared before her. She stood back and looked down at him, not remembering a time when she had wanted anything so much as to feel him in her hand, her mouth...her body.
"Gin," he whispered, looking at her, a question on his face.
She met his eyes as she climbed forward onto the bed, propping herself up above him. "You have no idea how beautiful you look right now, Harry. Merlin, I want you; you have no idea."
She leaned down and kissed him, slowly thrusting her tongue into his mouth, feeling bold and sexy and hot and everything else that she'd only ever read about before in books. Harry wrapped his arms around her back, tugging on her bra straps, lowering them down her arms. She moved her mouth to his ear, licking gently, tugging on his earlobe with her teeth.
"Do you want to feel my breasts, Harry? Do you want me to rub myself against you as I take you into my mouth?" She whispered it playfully, her voice full of the heat she felt boiling inside of her.
Harry sucked in a breath and moaned as he gripped her roughly in his arms. Ginny pulled back and smirked. "Reckon that was a yes, Mr Potter."
She reached behind her and undid her bra as he watched her, his eyes hungry and his mouth parted slightly as though he was having problems breathing. She slipped the bra carelessly off and threw it behind her. "Or maybe you just want to lie back and enjoy the show?" Ginny whispered, letting her hands cup her breasts, teasing her nipples herself. She wasn't certain what had come over her, but she bit her lip as the warmth inside of her swelled. A moment later, she felt Harry's hands on top of her own and they both moved her hands down her body in slow motion, her skin burning under their combined touch.
Ginny moved forward and lay herself against him, their bodies becoming entwined. Harry rubbed against the jeans she still wore, cursing under his breath.
She realized she had momentarily given into the thought of pleasing herself and pushed the idea away; there were more important things at hand. She rocked forward slightly, causing Harry to roll back beneath her. She moved her head to his chest, finding one of his nipples and pulling it into her mouth, sucking on it. Harry jerked slightly underneath her, his hand straying to her hair. She nipped and sucked on his skin, moving her hand slowly down his middle. She let her hand get lost in the small trail of hair that led from his navel downwards. She kissed her way around his chest, licking at the side of his body, loving the sweet, tender taste of him.
"Ginny..." Harry said her name softly, and she glanced up at him. He sat up and pulled her into his arms, holding her head to his chest. "We don't have to do this just because of you..." Ginny slapped him lightly on the arm, and he released her. She shook her head at him and let a wicked smile fill her face.
"Harry, this has nothing to do with paying you back or anything to do with my current condition. This has everything to do with me pleasing myself by making you come so hard you forget your name."
Feeling like a woman possessed, she pushed him back forcefully and sat on top of him, keeping him between her legs. The roughness of her jeans proved an ally, and she reached down, moving her hand down his length, marveling at the part of him that was capable of making her feel so complete inside that she lost herself. She stroked him slowly, gently even, and he bit his lip as he watched her; she could tell he was torn between letting her have her way and trying to do what he thought was the right thing. She chuckled and switched speeds, making his mind up for him. Harry moaned her name and closed his eyes, and she knew she had him. As if there was any doubt of that, she thought smugly to herself. Trusting Harry not to pull away from her again, she shifted and lifted herself off of him, scooting downwards. She grabbed a pillow from the top of the bed and slipped it underneath her as she kneeled in front of him on the floor.
She parted his legs and began a slow wet journey to his center, licking his inner thighs as she traveled upward, moving her head in-between them. With painstakingly patient movements, she rubbed herself against him and teased him with her mouth, her tongue...her hair. Harry was breathing loudly, and she could see his hands fisted into the duvet on the bed. The sight turned her on, and she felt her body respond. She felt a dizzying force sweep through her as she reached his waist and wasn't surprised to find him slick with desire. She lifted him gently with her hand and decided to try licking from the bottom up; something she'd read about in that ever-trusty book of theirs. Harry shuddered and moaned, an unintelligible squeak coming out of his mouth. She smiled against his body and moved down again, repeating her movements. She worked her hands upwards so that they rested on his stomach. She caressed his skin as she took him into her mouth, deeper than she had ever tried before. She felt the automatic reflex of her body and tried to relax her throat. She pulled back slightly and then did it again, closing her eyes. She felt Harry slide into her mouth, and the sounds he was making were more than enough to make her keep going. She felt near release herself at the idea of what her mouth was doing to him and pushed forward again before pulling her mouth all the way off of him.
Harry twisted and bucked upwards. "Oh, fuck...don't...stop..." he moaned, his voice husky and full of need. Ginny stood up quickly and then climbed on top of the bed, lowering her head back down to him, taking him once again into her mouth. She teased his skin with her breasts, hearing him curse as she had never heard him before - if she hadn't had her mouth full, she would have laughed, but as it was, Ginny kept her mind on her task and her hand strayed closer to him, accidentally rubbing the underside of his body, which caused him to thrust upwards unexpectedly. She almost choked, but caught herself and moved her head faster, even as she reached out and teased the sensitive skin once again. Harry cried out as he came, his release exploding into her mouth like a wave of power, and she swallowed as much of it as she could, only pulling away when finally he was through, his body collapsing beneath her. The air around her felt as though it was charged, and she felt as though her body had come as well, even though she knew that probably wasn't possible.
Ginny leaned forward and fell onto the bed, rolling over to look at him: eyes closed, his skin a fresh pink color, his chest heaving. She felt dizzy and proud of herself. She reached out to touch him. He turned his head and looked at her, his eyes full of shock and amazement.
"You. Are. Effin. Brilliant." he said, his voice gruff, punctuating each word. He reached out his arm, and she moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. She breathed in the deep scent of his body, amazed to find that it was much like his taste - sweet, yet earthy, salty even. She wondered why she had never noticed before. Her senses felt heightened. She could almost smell flowers, actually. Something almond-like and sweet.
"You know, Gin," Harry said, his voice returning to normal. "I think I might like this 'honor of womanhood' thing quite a bit."
Ginny laughed and shifted so that she could meet his eyes. He traced her face with his hand, his expression one of utter peace, and Ginny was amazed. She'd never seen Harry look so...happy.
"What?" he asked.
"You just look incredibly happy right now, that's all," she said, and she kissed him, gently, her jaw feeling a little sore.
"Well, duh," he said when they broke apart, his eyes wondering at her. They lay in silence, just looking at each other, their breathing slowly returning to normal. Ginny felt her stomach rumble, finally causing Harry to chuckle.
"I reckon we should get something more for you to eat, although one would think you had just had enough."
Ginny felt herself blush. "Harry!"
"Oh, come on now, I don't think there's much left we can't say to each other, is there?"
"True," Ginny said slyly, looking at him. "You said a mouthful back there, you know. Even George and Fred would have blushed. Well, they would have been proud of you, but blushing just the same. What a mouth you have on you, Harry."
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing, myself...only about you," he said and traced her lips with his thumb.
"Glad you approve," she said saucily, causing him to grin widely at her.
"You know, now I'm hungry; I smell almonds, isn't that weird?" he said as he sniffed loudly.
"You mean, you smell it too?"
"Yeah, what is that? It's like...sweet but..."
"Nutty," Ginny said and they sat up together. She looked around for her bra and realized she must have tossed it on the floor. Leaning forward over the edge of the bed, she looked at the floor and gasped.
"Gin?" Harry said as he was pulling his shirt back over his head. He leaned forward and lay down next to her. "What are you looking at, did we -"
Harry stopped talking as he finally saw what had made her gasp. On the floor beneath them were flowers. Hundreds of tiny, creamy white blooms had somehow taken root in their floor while they were on the bed, and as far as Ginny could tell, they covered the entire bedroom.
What on earth was going on?
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Dylan Cosgrove was locking his office for the night, thinking of the note Albus Dumbledore had sent him earlier. Some Death Eaters had been reported in Dublin. They had no way to verify the fact of course, but the source was a trusted one. Albus warned him not to jump to conclusions. Just because two of Lord Voldemort's lackeys had been reported in his country didn't mean that they were on their way to the Abbey. Of course, that was not how his old friend had phrased it, but Dylan was concerned all the same. He knew his Abbey was safe for the most part, but still, it was a bit worrying to think that Voldemort might be coming after Harry under his watch. He wouldn't let anything happen to either Harry or Ginny if he could help it.
As he passed the stained glass window Harry had caught him at the night before, he glanced up and then stopped. He turned around and stood in front of it again, not quite believing his eyes. The red mare was missing. It just... wasn't in the scene. He frowned as he studied it; the swan swam back and forth, in front of the other animals, his neck craned upwards toward the moon. The unicorn pawed at the earth, and the rabbit hopped about hurriedly. In all his years, he had never seen so much activity within the glass. As Dylan looked up to check the progress of the moon, he was startled to find that the moon was no longer in the picture as well.
"But where is the light coming from?" he spoke aloud, and the animals hurried their motions. The stained glass should be dark without the white orb lighting its way across it, but everything still seemed to be basked in its pale and silver glow. The glass itself seemed to shiver, and he reached out a hand to touch it when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see Harry hurrying down the hallway toward him, his appearance rather rumpled, as though he'd taken a nap or thrown his clothes on hastily. Remembering what it was like to be young, Dylan knew it was probably the latter.
"Mr Cosgrove, er...um...I think you have to see this," Harry panted as he reached him, his skin flushed.
"Actually, Harry, I'm a bit intrigued by what's happened within this glass here. I've never known one of the animals -"
"We have flowers in our...well...my bedroom," Harry interrupted him, and Dylan stopped looking at the glass and stared at the boy.
"You have flowers in your bedroom?"
"Yeah, on the floor, I mean...they're everywhere...all over the floor. You step on them, and they just - bounce back. I tried pulling a few out so I could show you, but they won't budge. The Scourgify Spell didn't work either, Ginny tried it -"
Dylan put a hand to steady the boy. "All right, Harry. Let's go see these flowers of yours."
O-o-o-o-o-O
