Disclaimer: Not mine!
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10. The 'Boy' Who Wouldn't Die
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" - His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad - "
Ginny struggled to wake up - not that she really wanted to, but she had to stop whoever was doing that awful warbling, or her ears would surely start bleeding.
At last her eyes blinked open, and she groaned slightly. Was that stupid poem going to haunt her for the rest of her life?
"A - ha! Knew that would wake you up!"
"Harry?" Ginny frowned, and stared fuzzily up at the dark haired young man standing over her.
"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"
"Well enough to strangle the next person who dares mention your eyes," she muttered threateningly to the 'Boy' Who Lived.
"Point taken! It's good to see you, Gin. It's been too long. I didn't like it."
"I didn't either." Ginny reached out a slightly unsteady hand and squeezed his tightly.
Harry grinned down at her and squeezed back.
"You know, it's very flattering, you still blushing and all when I come around, the famous 'Professor Weasley' - "
"I'm not blushing, it's fever, you git." Ginny muttered blusteringly, fumbling with her blankets. Harry was just her friend, but he did look terribly good looking in his simple black robes.
"Still hiding behind that 'Malaria' excuse, I see," he said teasingly.
"Still spending way too much time with the twins, I see," she shot back rather weakly. Ever since his defeat over Voldemort, Harry had seemed to become intent on living the childhood he'd never had.
"Laughter is good therapy," Harry shrugged.
"Ron should try it," Ginny mumbled.
"He still misses Hermione."
"Who doesn't? She was the only thing that made him act like a sane human being." She paused, and asked, "Is he still insisting on the divorce?"
Harry was quiet for a long moment, and then he smiled. "Last I heard, Hermione had beat him to the punch, and had already sent the necessary papers ahead for him to sign - he was too busy getting pissed to bother talking when I saw him last."
Ginny managed to shake her head. Ron and Hermione had been separated for almost two years, and Ron had always been going on about a divorce - but to her knowledge, he'd been blowing a lot of hot air - he'd never actually had papers drawn up, for all his ranting and raving.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"Ministry stuff - very boring," announced Harry in his gravelly voice.
Ginny nodded sagely, her brown eyes suddenly sharp. "As in 'sorry, Gin, can't tell you anything.'"
"Well, you were the one who chose to put it that way." Harry winked from behind his round glasses.
"Right."
"Wow, never thought I'd have to see this place again." He looked around the Infirmary with a heavy sigh.
Ginny rolled her eyes and relaxed fully against her pillows. "Sometimes I feel like I grew up in here," she commented in commiseration.
"I guess I'll have to be especially quick in getting up and about, now that you're here."
Harry brow wrinkled. "Why's that?"
"I can't have the female students running you to ground, now can I?"
His cheeks turned a ruddy red. "Stop it,"
"That's my humble, unpretentious Harry - modest to the end."
He narrowed his eyes threateningly.
"Speaking of - have you been seeing anyone of interest lately?"
"Ginny - "
"Don't give me that, 'Oh, I've been too busy working,' bit, either!"
"Why is it every time we see each other you suddenly become little Miss Matchmaker?" Harry groaned and looked up at the ceiling.
Ginny hid a grin, and shrugged slightly. "Just be glad you're spending the Holiday's here instead of at the Burrow. Mum was threatening to lock us up in a room together last year, if we each didn't soon find significant others, remember?"
Harry blushed again, and reached up to rub the back of his neck nervously in an endearingly boyish gesture.
"Well, what about you? Have you been seeing anyone?" He asked this defensively.
Ginny snorted. "All I've been doing is 'seeing'," she muttered with a frustrated sigh.
Harry looked at her in confusion.
She waved her hand. "Forget it."
"Well," he said with a slight smile, "I'm sure you'll be happy to know Dumbledore has decided to let yours truly take over your classes for a few days until you are back up and about."
"I thought you had 'Ministry business'," she said, lowering her voice to a gruff, serious tone.
"I'm always available to help a friend."
Ginny laughed at his affected, injured look.
"Well, thanks - but don't go getting too comfortable, Potter. I'm never down for long. I had better warn the others. Next thing you know, you'll be refereeing a Quidditch match."
Harry winked and moved away toward the door. "Hey, not a bad idea, that. It'd give me an excuse to get back out on the old pitch."
"As if you didn't already have over a hundred young reasons just under your nose - the students are going to be begging to see Hogwarts greatest Seeker in action."
He shook his head. He'd been famous nearly from birth, but he never had been comfortable with his celebrity status at all. "Right. Anyway, I have to go - seems some students need teaching how to duel properly this evening."
Ginny groaned. "Didn't Severus tell you he could take care of it? He's been, er - assisting me."
"Severus?" Harry turned around to face her, one brow arched questioningly.
"Don't you dare say a word, Harry Potter! It's a professional courtesy. Everyone calls him that."
"Whatever you say, Professor!" He cut her a stiff salute and abruptly disappeared.
Ginny closed her eyes. "I think I liked him better before he grew up," she mumbled around a yawn.
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Snape was in the great hall after dinner that evening, waiting impatiently with a crowd of students when Harry strolled in, purposely a good ten minutes late, his wand clenched between his teeth as he hurriedly clasped the hold on his black robes.
He flashed an unrepentant look at Snape, who seemed to be gnashing his own teeth.
His old professor looked as if he were itching to give him a detention, and take points off - but the man no longer had any power over him, and he knew it.
Itching. Hmm.
Harry found himself trying to conceal a wicked grin as he stepped up onto the dais to address the students.
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Severus had fought side by side with Harry Potter, nearly sacrificed his life for the boy's more than once - but that didn't mean he liked him. Or, even trusted him for that matter.
It didn't help any that he'd been keeping company with the Weasley twins of late, either. Just remembering what those two had put him through made his temples pound.
He watched the energetic young man direct a pair of students, and correct their positions with a suspicious eye.
Potter was in far too good of a mood to be trusted.
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To be continued
A/N: More A.S.A.P., promise! Haven't had a lot of time - sooooooo sorry!!!!! ::looks around nervously for anyone in possession of a hatchet:: : D
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10. The 'Boy' Who Wouldn't Die
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" - His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad - "
Ginny struggled to wake up - not that she really wanted to, but she had to stop whoever was doing that awful warbling, or her ears would surely start bleeding.
At last her eyes blinked open, and she groaned slightly. Was that stupid poem going to haunt her for the rest of her life?
"A - ha! Knew that would wake you up!"
"Harry?" Ginny frowned, and stared fuzzily up at the dark haired young man standing over her.
"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"
"Well enough to strangle the next person who dares mention your eyes," she muttered threateningly to the 'Boy' Who Lived.
"Point taken! It's good to see you, Gin. It's been too long. I didn't like it."
"I didn't either." Ginny reached out a slightly unsteady hand and squeezed his tightly.
Harry grinned down at her and squeezed back.
"You know, it's very flattering, you still blushing and all when I come around, the famous 'Professor Weasley' - "
"I'm not blushing, it's fever, you git." Ginny muttered blusteringly, fumbling with her blankets. Harry was just her friend, but he did look terribly good looking in his simple black robes.
"Still hiding behind that 'Malaria' excuse, I see," he said teasingly.
"Still spending way too much time with the twins, I see," she shot back rather weakly. Ever since his defeat over Voldemort, Harry had seemed to become intent on living the childhood he'd never had.
"Laughter is good therapy," Harry shrugged.
"Ron should try it," Ginny mumbled.
"He still misses Hermione."
"Who doesn't? She was the only thing that made him act like a sane human being." She paused, and asked, "Is he still insisting on the divorce?"
Harry was quiet for a long moment, and then he smiled. "Last I heard, Hermione had beat him to the punch, and had already sent the necessary papers ahead for him to sign - he was too busy getting pissed to bother talking when I saw him last."
Ginny managed to shake her head. Ron and Hermione had been separated for almost two years, and Ron had always been going on about a divorce - but to her knowledge, he'd been blowing a lot of hot air - he'd never actually had papers drawn up, for all his ranting and raving.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"Ministry stuff - very boring," announced Harry in his gravelly voice.
Ginny nodded sagely, her brown eyes suddenly sharp. "As in 'sorry, Gin, can't tell you anything.'"
"Well, you were the one who chose to put it that way." Harry winked from behind his round glasses.
"Right."
"Wow, never thought I'd have to see this place again." He looked around the Infirmary with a heavy sigh.
Ginny rolled her eyes and relaxed fully against her pillows. "Sometimes I feel like I grew up in here," she commented in commiseration.
"I guess I'll have to be especially quick in getting up and about, now that you're here."
Harry brow wrinkled. "Why's that?"
"I can't have the female students running you to ground, now can I?"
His cheeks turned a ruddy red. "Stop it,"
"That's my humble, unpretentious Harry - modest to the end."
He narrowed his eyes threateningly.
"Speaking of - have you been seeing anyone of interest lately?"
"Ginny - "
"Don't give me that, 'Oh, I've been too busy working,' bit, either!"
"Why is it every time we see each other you suddenly become little Miss Matchmaker?" Harry groaned and looked up at the ceiling.
Ginny hid a grin, and shrugged slightly. "Just be glad you're spending the Holiday's here instead of at the Burrow. Mum was threatening to lock us up in a room together last year, if we each didn't soon find significant others, remember?"
Harry blushed again, and reached up to rub the back of his neck nervously in an endearingly boyish gesture.
"Well, what about you? Have you been seeing anyone?" He asked this defensively.
Ginny snorted. "All I've been doing is 'seeing'," she muttered with a frustrated sigh.
Harry looked at her in confusion.
She waved her hand. "Forget it."
"Well," he said with a slight smile, "I'm sure you'll be happy to know Dumbledore has decided to let yours truly take over your classes for a few days until you are back up and about."
"I thought you had 'Ministry business'," she said, lowering her voice to a gruff, serious tone.
"I'm always available to help a friend."
Ginny laughed at his affected, injured look.
"Well, thanks - but don't go getting too comfortable, Potter. I'm never down for long. I had better warn the others. Next thing you know, you'll be refereeing a Quidditch match."
Harry winked and moved away toward the door. "Hey, not a bad idea, that. It'd give me an excuse to get back out on the old pitch."
"As if you didn't already have over a hundred young reasons just under your nose - the students are going to be begging to see Hogwarts greatest Seeker in action."
He shook his head. He'd been famous nearly from birth, but he never had been comfortable with his celebrity status at all. "Right. Anyway, I have to go - seems some students need teaching how to duel properly this evening."
Ginny groaned. "Didn't Severus tell you he could take care of it? He's been, er - assisting me."
"Severus?" Harry turned around to face her, one brow arched questioningly.
"Don't you dare say a word, Harry Potter! It's a professional courtesy. Everyone calls him that."
"Whatever you say, Professor!" He cut her a stiff salute and abruptly disappeared.
Ginny closed her eyes. "I think I liked him better before he grew up," she mumbled around a yawn.
********************
Snape was in the great hall after dinner that evening, waiting impatiently with a crowd of students when Harry strolled in, purposely a good ten minutes late, his wand clenched between his teeth as he hurriedly clasped the hold on his black robes.
He flashed an unrepentant look at Snape, who seemed to be gnashing his own teeth.
His old professor looked as if he were itching to give him a detention, and take points off - but the man no longer had any power over him, and he knew it.
Itching. Hmm.
Harry found himself trying to conceal a wicked grin as he stepped up onto the dais to address the students.
*******************
Severus had fought side by side with Harry Potter, nearly sacrificed his life for the boy's more than once - but that didn't mean he liked him. Or, even trusted him for that matter.
It didn't help any that he'd been keeping company with the Weasley twins of late, either. Just remembering what those two had put him through made his temples pound.
He watched the energetic young man direct a pair of students, and correct their positions with a suspicious eye.
Potter was in far too good of a mood to be trusted.
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To be continued
A/N: More A.S.A.P., promise! Haven't had a lot of time - sooooooo sorry!!!!! ::looks around nervously for anyone in possession of a hatchet:: : D