Disclaimer: Let me check . . . nope I still don't own any of this (except
my plot).
A/N: I was tempted to title this chapter Lots of Fluffiness, or, It's About Time, but somehow that just didn't seem to work, although, it might actually be more descriptive.
Chapter 8
Until Dawn
Harry and Ginny walked down to the Common Room, but since it wasn't that late, many of the older students were still there. Trying not to be noticed, they snuck out of Gryffindor tower and started looking for another place in the castle. Unfortunately, it seemed that it was a popular night for private talks, as the few classrooms left unlocked were occupied and so were all the other secluded spots. Both Harry and Ginny were getting quite frustrated.
That was when Harry remembered the map that had been in the box Sirius had given him. It wasn't as elaborate as the Marauder's Map her already had, but there were a few things that Harry had noticed on it that he hadn't seen on the other map. One of the things he'd found was that there was still a way to get to the old Gryffindor Common Room. Part of the old tower had been destroyed in some war and the new one had been built right where the old one had been. However, the map showed that the old Common Room had remained in tact. With that sudden burst of inspiration, Harry took Ginny's hand and led her down a dark, winding staircase that seemed to lead under Gryffindor Tower.
"Really Harry, how do you find these remote places in the castle?"
"Well, lucky for me, my dad and his friends had about as much of a knack for trouble as Fred and George."
When they had reached the place that was supposed to be the entrance, all there was was a large picture. The resident of the picture seemed to have long abandoned it. Clearly, the Fat Lady must have replaced it when the new tower had been built. Harry was reluctant to drop Ginny's hand, which was now interlaced with his own, but they did have to move the picture. It didn't take much to move the old painting out of the way; it was barely hanging on as it was. As Harry and Ginny stepped into the room, it looked oddly familiar. There was still a fireplace and deep comfortable sofas and red and gold drapes.
"Wow," was all Ginny could say.
Harry settled down on one of the sofas and Ginny sat next to him, but tried to maintain a reasonable distance between them. Both of them looked uncomfortably around the room for a minute. Harry muttered a word in the direction of the fireplace, and soon there was a blazing fire.
"So, er, how much of that . . . the fight with Ron . . . did you hear?"
Ginny turned bright red and looked down at her hands. "Um, I, uh, pretty much heard everything from when you asked Ron if it would bother him if you, uh . . ."
She didn't finish, but Harry knew exactly what she meant. He reached out for her hand. Taking it he barely managed to ask, "And, would it bother you?"
Ginny looked up at him, her eyes shining. "I can hardly believe your asking me this. I mean, I don't really know why you would ever like me. I . . . I don't really know what to say."
Harry smiled and moved ever so slightly closer to her. "You still haven't said how you feel about it."
"I . . . um," now Ginny was moving closer, "you know that I like you Harry," she practically whispered.
Slowly, they leaned toward each other. They were only inches apart when Harry managed to ask:
"Then . . . do you want . . . to . . . be . . . my girlfriend?"
Just as Harry went to kiss her, Ginny looked down again. He leaned forward and they ended up bumping heads instead of kissing. Both of them opened their eyes and looked up in astonishment. After the split second of shock, they both burst out laughing at the awkwardness of the moment. The laughter broke all the remaining tension and uneasiness between them.
Harry watched Ginny, laughing in the firelight and decided that she really was too irresistible. He reached out turned her face toward him and kissed her properly. Ginny froze momentarily from the unexpected kiss, but quickly eased into it. Their first kiss was brief and sweet, exactly as they both had imagined it would be. Backing away from it, Harry and Ginny sighed simultaneously. Harry settled back into the sofa and drew his new girlfriend into his lap. Ginny rested easily against him as he wrapped both of his arms around her. Harry kissed the top of her head before resting his head on top of her red curls.
They sat quietly like that, adjusting to the feel of each other. It wasn't for quite some time that they started to talk.
"Harry?" Ginny asked tentatively.
"Hmmmm?" he murmured, bringing himself out of a trance like state.
"That was my first kiss."
"It was mine to."
"Are you serious? I thought that . . . well, there had to be somebody else."
Harry smiled. No, there hadn't been anyone else, and as far as he was concerned at that moment, there never needed to be anyone else. After that, conversation started to flow naturally. They talked much like they had the nights leading up to this one, the only difference being that they wouldn't let go of each other.
After another period of silence, Harry leaned down to kiss Ginny again. She'd had the same idea and met him halfway there. This time, the kiss was deeper and more intense. As Harry's arms tightened around her waist, Ginny mover her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. They carefully explored each other's mouths, breaking only briefly for air. It was if some magnetic force kept drawing them closer together and made it increasingly difficult to pull apart. Harry slid his hands up Ginny's back as he leaned her back onto the sofa. Her hands slid seductively across his chest until she broke the kiss to inspect something she found odd.
"What?" Harry asked, still a bit dazed.
Ginny pulled out the chain with the ring. She looked up into his eyes smiling. "I didn't know that you actually wore this."
"Well, actually, I just put it on today. It was what prompted me to write the letter."
"What letter?"
"Oh, you didn't hear that part," he said teasingly.
Harry reached into the pocket of his robes. He had managed to grab the letter before he and Ginny left.
"This letter," he said handing it to her.
Ginny threw him a questioning look but took it anyway. They were now sitting up again, Harry relaxed out on the sofa and Ginny curled up in his lap. Several times, as she read, Ginny gasped and blushed. Finally, she set it down and looked back to Harry. She studied his face carefully, especially his brilliant green eyes that had always made her feel numb all over.
Ginny,
I can't even begin to describe exactly what I am feeling now. As I turn over this gift you gave me in my hand, I can think of nothing but you. I think of our talks and how much they have come to mean to me. I think of the way your hair looks in the firelight. I think of the way you laugh, smile, and try to hide your smiles. I think of the way you've been there for me constantly, even when I didn't realize it. I remember when you tried on those dress robes in Diagon Alley this summer and all I could think of was how beautiful you are. I can't imagine why I never saw it before because you really are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I don't know why I find myself turning to you, lately more often than to Ron and Hermione, but I do. I thought you only wanted to be my friend because I'm the famous Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, but you've proven to be such a true friend. To tell you the truth, I can't remember what my life was like before. I don't know why you are the first person I think of in the morning and the last person I think of at night. These past few weeks have changed my life and it's mostly because of you. I have no idea how you feel now, but I would really like to try and see if we could be more than friends. I can't imagine anything better than being with you.
Yours Ever,
Harry
"I had no idea that you felt that way," she said.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't either. Until today. I mean, the thought had crossed my mind . . . over the summer."
Ginny leaned up to him and gave him a lingering kiss. "When were you planning on giving me this letter?"
"Well, certainly not tonight. If you hadn't been listening to that fight, I don't know when I would have told you."
"Ah. Well, I guess eavesdropping does pay off every now and then," she said giving him another kiss.
Pulling back a few minutes later, Harry suddenly realized that they had been gone a VERY long time.
"Um, Ginny? As much as I'm enjoying this, it must be really late, and Ron is already going to kill me. I think we'd better go back upstairs."
Ginny nodded in agreement. She got up and then helped Harry up. Hands entwined, the two made their way back upstairs. Light was already starting to creep across the floors of the hall. When they spoke the password to the Fat Lady, she raised her eyebrows, but let them in anyway. Before sending her upstairs to the girls' dormitory, Harry squeezed Ginny's hand and gave her a couple quick kisses. He watched her disappear from sight completely before bounding triumphantly up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.
Trying to stay quiet, he slipped into the 6th year room and quickly into his bed. Ron opened one eye and watched him.
"Harry!" Ron hissed. "Do you realize what time it is?"
"Don't tell me you were waiting up for me," Harry whispered back.
"Now I really don't want to know what you were doing with my sister until dawn, but . . . but . . . I guess it worked out then?"
"Yes Ron, it worked out just fine."
"So you're officially dating then?"
"I guess so."
"Well, I guess I can manage to be happy for you, but don't even think about kissing her when I'm around."
"Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think you can keep it down? I need to get some sleep."
A/N: Alright, well if that isn't fluffiness enough for you all, I don't know what is. Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 7: Moira-Angela Darling, Leeann, may, and Steffi. Oh, and if anyone else wants me to e- mail them when I update, just leave your e-mail in a review. Like I said before, I'm trying to update everyday, but things are going to get a little crazy after this. I'm moving out of where I live right now on Friday, but can't move into my apartment until the 22nd , and I still have to pack everything. Plus, my birthday is next week, so I'm just going to go stay with my parents for a couple weeks. I'll try to update while I'm there, but it won't be as often. Then when I get back, my life will become a lot busier. Anyway, the point is, I'll do my best and update as often as I can. Please please review, it only takes a couple seconds to make me really happy. Your reviews have all been so sweet and encouraging, I'm glad you all have liked my writing. Until next time (hopefully tomorrow.)
~~butterflystarr
A/N: I was tempted to title this chapter Lots of Fluffiness, or, It's About Time, but somehow that just didn't seem to work, although, it might actually be more descriptive.
Chapter 8
Until Dawn
Harry and Ginny walked down to the Common Room, but since it wasn't that late, many of the older students were still there. Trying not to be noticed, they snuck out of Gryffindor tower and started looking for another place in the castle. Unfortunately, it seemed that it was a popular night for private talks, as the few classrooms left unlocked were occupied and so were all the other secluded spots. Both Harry and Ginny were getting quite frustrated.
That was when Harry remembered the map that had been in the box Sirius had given him. It wasn't as elaborate as the Marauder's Map her already had, but there were a few things that Harry had noticed on it that he hadn't seen on the other map. One of the things he'd found was that there was still a way to get to the old Gryffindor Common Room. Part of the old tower had been destroyed in some war and the new one had been built right where the old one had been. However, the map showed that the old Common Room had remained in tact. With that sudden burst of inspiration, Harry took Ginny's hand and led her down a dark, winding staircase that seemed to lead under Gryffindor Tower.
"Really Harry, how do you find these remote places in the castle?"
"Well, lucky for me, my dad and his friends had about as much of a knack for trouble as Fred and George."
When they had reached the place that was supposed to be the entrance, all there was was a large picture. The resident of the picture seemed to have long abandoned it. Clearly, the Fat Lady must have replaced it when the new tower had been built. Harry was reluctant to drop Ginny's hand, which was now interlaced with his own, but they did have to move the picture. It didn't take much to move the old painting out of the way; it was barely hanging on as it was. As Harry and Ginny stepped into the room, it looked oddly familiar. There was still a fireplace and deep comfortable sofas and red and gold drapes.
"Wow," was all Ginny could say.
Harry settled down on one of the sofas and Ginny sat next to him, but tried to maintain a reasonable distance between them. Both of them looked uncomfortably around the room for a minute. Harry muttered a word in the direction of the fireplace, and soon there was a blazing fire.
"So, er, how much of that . . . the fight with Ron . . . did you hear?"
Ginny turned bright red and looked down at her hands. "Um, I, uh, pretty much heard everything from when you asked Ron if it would bother him if you, uh . . ."
She didn't finish, but Harry knew exactly what she meant. He reached out for her hand. Taking it he barely managed to ask, "And, would it bother you?"
Ginny looked up at him, her eyes shining. "I can hardly believe your asking me this. I mean, I don't really know why you would ever like me. I . . . I don't really know what to say."
Harry smiled and moved ever so slightly closer to her. "You still haven't said how you feel about it."
"I . . . um," now Ginny was moving closer, "you know that I like you Harry," she practically whispered.
Slowly, they leaned toward each other. They were only inches apart when Harry managed to ask:
"Then . . . do you want . . . to . . . be . . . my girlfriend?"
Just as Harry went to kiss her, Ginny looked down again. He leaned forward and they ended up bumping heads instead of kissing. Both of them opened their eyes and looked up in astonishment. After the split second of shock, they both burst out laughing at the awkwardness of the moment. The laughter broke all the remaining tension and uneasiness between them.
Harry watched Ginny, laughing in the firelight and decided that she really was too irresistible. He reached out turned her face toward him and kissed her properly. Ginny froze momentarily from the unexpected kiss, but quickly eased into it. Their first kiss was brief and sweet, exactly as they both had imagined it would be. Backing away from it, Harry and Ginny sighed simultaneously. Harry settled back into the sofa and drew his new girlfriend into his lap. Ginny rested easily against him as he wrapped both of his arms around her. Harry kissed the top of her head before resting his head on top of her red curls.
They sat quietly like that, adjusting to the feel of each other. It wasn't for quite some time that they started to talk.
"Harry?" Ginny asked tentatively.
"Hmmmm?" he murmured, bringing himself out of a trance like state.
"That was my first kiss."
"It was mine to."
"Are you serious? I thought that . . . well, there had to be somebody else."
Harry smiled. No, there hadn't been anyone else, and as far as he was concerned at that moment, there never needed to be anyone else. After that, conversation started to flow naturally. They talked much like they had the nights leading up to this one, the only difference being that they wouldn't let go of each other.
After another period of silence, Harry leaned down to kiss Ginny again. She'd had the same idea and met him halfway there. This time, the kiss was deeper and more intense. As Harry's arms tightened around her waist, Ginny mover her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. They carefully explored each other's mouths, breaking only briefly for air. It was if some magnetic force kept drawing them closer together and made it increasingly difficult to pull apart. Harry slid his hands up Ginny's back as he leaned her back onto the sofa. Her hands slid seductively across his chest until she broke the kiss to inspect something she found odd.
"What?" Harry asked, still a bit dazed.
Ginny pulled out the chain with the ring. She looked up into his eyes smiling. "I didn't know that you actually wore this."
"Well, actually, I just put it on today. It was what prompted me to write the letter."
"What letter?"
"Oh, you didn't hear that part," he said teasingly.
Harry reached into the pocket of his robes. He had managed to grab the letter before he and Ginny left.
"This letter," he said handing it to her.
Ginny threw him a questioning look but took it anyway. They were now sitting up again, Harry relaxed out on the sofa and Ginny curled up in his lap. Several times, as she read, Ginny gasped and blushed. Finally, she set it down and looked back to Harry. She studied his face carefully, especially his brilliant green eyes that had always made her feel numb all over.
Ginny,
I can't even begin to describe exactly what I am feeling now. As I turn over this gift you gave me in my hand, I can think of nothing but you. I think of our talks and how much they have come to mean to me. I think of the way your hair looks in the firelight. I think of the way you laugh, smile, and try to hide your smiles. I think of the way you've been there for me constantly, even when I didn't realize it. I remember when you tried on those dress robes in Diagon Alley this summer and all I could think of was how beautiful you are. I can't imagine why I never saw it before because you really are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I don't know why I find myself turning to you, lately more often than to Ron and Hermione, but I do. I thought you only wanted to be my friend because I'm the famous Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, but you've proven to be such a true friend. To tell you the truth, I can't remember what my life was like before. I don't know why you are the first person I think of in the morning and the last person I think of at night. These past few weeks have changed my life and it's mostly because of you. I have no idea how you feel now, but I would really like to try and see if we could be more than friends. I can't imagine anything better than being with you.
Yours Ever,
Harry
"I had no idea that you felt that way," she said.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't either. Until today. I mean, the thought had crossed my mind . . . over the summer."
Ginny leaned up to him and gave him a lingering kiss. "When were you planning on giving me this letter?"
"Well, certainly not tonight. If you hadn't been listening to that fight, I don't know when I would have told you."
"Ah. Well, I guess eavesdropping does pay off every now and then," she said giving him another kiss.
Pulling back a few minutes later, Harry suddenly realized that they had been gone a VERY long time.
"Um, Ginny? As much as I'm enjoying this, it must be really late, and Ron is already going to kill me. I think we'd better go back upstairs."
Ginny nodded in agreement. She got up and then helped Harry up. Hands entwined, the two made their way back upstairs. Light was already starting to creep across the floors of the hall. When they spoke the password to the Fat Lady, she raised her eyebrows, but let them in anyway. Before sending her upstairs to the girls' dormitory, Harry squeezed Ginny's hand and gave her a couple quick kisses. He watched her disappear from sight completely before bounding triumphantly up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.
Trying to stay quiet, he slipped into the 6th year room and quickly into his bed. Ron opened one eye and watched him.
"Harry!" Ron hissed. "Do you realize what time it is?"
"Don't tell me you were waiting up for me," Harry whispered back.
"Now I really don't want to know what you were doing with my sister until dawn, but . . . but . . . I guess it worked out then?"
"Yes Ron, it worked out just fine."
"So you're officially dating then?"
"I guess so."
"Well, I guess I can manage to be happy for you, but don't even think about kissing her when I'm around."
"Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think you can keep it down? I need to get some sleep."
A/N: Alright, well if that isn't fluffiness enough for you all, I don't know what is. Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 7: Moira-Angela Darling, Leeann, may, and Steffi. Oh, and if anyone else wants me to e- mail them when I update, just leave your e-mail in a review. Like I said before, I'm trying to update everyday, but things are going to get a little crazy after this. I'm moving out of where I live right now on Friday, but can't move into my apartment until the 22nd , and I still have to pack everything. Plus, my birthday is next week, so I'm just going to go stay with my parents for a couple weeks. I'll try to update while I'm there, but it won't be as often. Then when I get back, my life will become a lot busier. Anyway, the point is, I'll do my best and update as often as I can. Please please review, it only takes a couple seconds to make me really happy. Your reviews have all been so sweet and encouraging, I'm glad you all have liked my writing. Until next time (hopefully tomorrow.)
~~butterflystarr