Of Strawberry Aftershave
Chapter Four of Out of Place
A/N: Well, here's the rewrite. This chapter is for coolone007, for pointing out so many things I didn't notice before. Thanks. :)
Harry and Ginny made it back to his apartment by mid-morning, even though there was a terrible traffic jam. Tired, Ginny slumped down onto the black leather sofa. Harry plopped down next to her and turned on the television.
"So, You watch muggle television?" Ginny asked him.
"Yeah I do," Harry replied somewhat distractedly as he watched the weather forecast.
They sat in silence for a while, Ginny fingering the striped cushion cover, and Harry still watching the television. Finally, Harry turned off the television.
"Sorry- I ah. got a bit distracted, forgot you were here. I've been living alone for so long," Harry apologised.
Ginny suddenly remembered the documents. "But won't it take a month for my documents to be reprocessed?" she asked, worriedly. "I can't keep sleeping on your bed while you sleep on the sofa."
Harry shrugged. "I'll get another one. Aunt Claire will settle it."
"Oh." Ginny fell silent.
Harry straightened up and said, "So what do you want to do?"
Ginny shrugged. "Nothing in particular."
"What about a movie?" Harry asked.
"Which one?" Ginny asked.
"I have no idea. I did watch the Lord of the Rings before, but we can go again," Harry said.
Ginny blushed for no apparent reason. "Whatever."
"Okay, then we're going," Harry said, getting up. "But first you have to have a change of clothing. You've been wearing this since last night."
"Okay." said Ginny tentatively.
.
When Ginny first stepped into Harry's bathroom, she knew that it would be posh. But not as posh as it really was.
The whole place seemed to be made of some kind of polished marble. There was a fluffy red-and-gold towel hanging on a polished towel-rack, while the sink gleamed and the taps were so polished you could use them for mirrors. The scent of strawberry-flavoured aftershave was everywhere. The mirror had not a single fingerprint on it, and all of Harry's toiletry was meticulously colour-coded. (a/n: is this guy crazy, or what?) Harry looked at Ginny, as if to seek her opinion.
"Nice place," Ginny said. "All that velvet and marble and polish- it must have cost a lot of money. And the aftershave." she trailed off, half unable to hide her sniggers.
Harry grinned sheepishly. "I like it."
Ginny paused without going in. "What do I wear, then? I lost my luggage. I can't possibly watch a movie in red and gold towels, can I?"
Harry stopped, stumped. "Umn. You can wear mine for a while. I'll get Aunt Claire to get something for you. I don't stock women's clothing."
Ginny giggled a bit. "Okay."
.
Ten minutes later, Ginny stepped out of Harry's fancy bathroom dressed in his shirt and pants.
Harry sniggered audibly from the sofa. "So you got my pink shirt, huh?"
Ginny slapped him on the arm. "It's not my fault."
Harry started laughing again- this time, loudly.
Ginny pounced on Harry and they landed on the floor. Ginny's hair was hanging over Harry's face, and he briefly smelt the lingering fragrance of shampoo and bubble bath. A lock touched his cheek. It seemed like a caress. Ginny could smell the strawberry aftershave that had already filled Harry's bathroom, and yet other smells were pleasantly mixed with it. Their eyes met.
Harry suddenly realized the awkward position they were in, and he hurriedly stood up, blushing furiously.
Ginny, equally embarrassed, got up.
An uncomfortable silence followed. Harry turned a darker shade of red. Finally, Ginny said, despite herself, "I'm really sorry- I mean, we haven't met for a very long time and I don't really know you that well- you know, people change and stuff. Yeah."
Harry was stunned by Ginny's comment.
/She doesn't even want to know me better/
/Give up/
/No you shouldn't/
/You'll only embarrass yourself, you prat!/
/Come on, tell her!/
Harry shook his head as if to clear his senses.
"Maybe we- er, should get to know each other er, a bit, well, better. Yeah. Come to- er, think of it, I really want to, you know, know you. You seem like- umn- a really great person."
Ginny's eyes widened. "You think I'm great?" she asked.
Harry managed to smile- his heart was racing. "Yeah I do."
Ginny blushed even more. "Your accent's changed."
Harry looked at her. "It was that obvious?" he asked.
Ginny shook her head. "No. It's fine." /It's cute/ she added mentally.
Harry stared at her, taking in her long red hair, bright brown eyes, small red lips and perfectly positioned cheekbones. /She is just- beautiful. And I never noticed. Never. I just thought she was some silly little girl with a schoolgirl crush. I think the tables are now turned/ he told himself dazedly.
Ginny looked at Harry, whose green eyes seemed to be boring into her. She was filled with disbelief as Harry's jaw went slightly slack and his mouth was open just a tiny bit. She knew she wasn't a jaw-dropper, or drop-dead gorgeous, but Harry was making her feel like she was.
Without thinking, Ginny began, "Harry, I'm not-"
Harry looked at her, snapping out of his daze. "You're not what?"
Ginny grinned sheepishly. "Nothing."
/I'm not a jaw-dropper/
/I'm not drop-dead gorgeous/
"You're not what?" Harry persisted.
"Umn- I'm not going to the movies- yeah- to the movies in this," she hurriedly said, motioning to the clothes she was wearing. /Luckily, luckily/ she heaved an inward sigh of relief.
"Oh yeah. Aunt Claire should be coming up by now," Harry hurriedly said.
The security speaker on the wall beeped once and Aunt Claire's voice came through. "Mister Potter, I'm coming up."
Harry grinned at Ginny. "Speak of the devil!" he laughed.
.
Ten minutes later, Ginny stepped out of the bathroom in a beautiful blue dress. Aunt Claire handed her the expensive white coat and she put it on. From the way Harry was looking at her, Aunt Claire knew that something was going on.
"Now, Mister Potter, please stop staring at the young girl like she's a piece of well-seasoned steak, will you," Aunt Claire said reprovingly.
"I don't eat steak," Harry absent-mindedly said.
Ginny laughed, while Aunt Claire shook her head and tutted.
"You look great, Ginny," Harry finally said approvingly.
Ginny blushed for the tenth time that day.
Okay. This is as long as I can get without ruining my plot. Was this fluffy enough?? Anyway, Draco Malfoy will be appearing- but not in the next chapter (Plot Change), much to the dismay of some of my friends from school, and he will be bad. heheheheh. Looks like there's something coming for Harry and Ginny's already fragile relationship. Oh yeah, is Harry still too dirty, or what? He seems so gawky. I couldn't help it.
Please let the reviews hit at least thirty. If it hits that target, I'll make that next chapter of mine super-super long. there are a LOT of things you can say when someone is in the movies, especially since I've watched LOTR like, how many times?
Thirty-five? Please? Thirty-five? I would swoon if it hits thirty-five. And I would like to announce that coolone007 is now my beta reader.
Please review and make my day,
Arwen
Chapter Four of Out of Place
A/N: Well, here's the rewrite. This chapter is for coolone007, for pointing out so many things I didn't notice before. Thanks. :)
Harry and Ginny made it back to his apartment by mid-morning, even though there was a terrible traffic jam. Tired, Ginny slumped down onto the black leather sofa. Harry plopped down next to her and turned on the television.
"So, You watch muggle television?" Ginny asked him.
"Yeah I do," Harry replied somewhat distractedly as he watched the weather forecast.
They sat in silence for a while, Ginny fingering the striped cushion cover, and Harry still watching the television. Finally, Harry turned off the television.
"Sorry- I ah. got a bit distracted, forgot you were here. I've been living alone for so long," Harry apologised.
Ginny suddenly remembered the documents. "But won't it take a month for my documents to be reprocessed?" she asked, worriedly. "I can't keep sleeping on your bed while you sleep on the sofa."
Harry shrugged. "I'll get another one. Aunt Claire will settle it."
"Oh." Ginny fell silent.
Harry straightened up and said, "So what do you want to do?"
Ginny shrugged. "Nothing in particular."
"What about a movie?" Harry asked.
"Which one?" Ginny asked.
"I have no idea. I did watch the Lord of the Rings before, but we can go again," Harry said.
Ginny blushed for no apparent reason. "Whatever."
"Okay, then we're going," Harry said, getting up. "But first you have to have a change of clothing. You've been wearing this since last night."
"Okay." said Ginny tentatively.
.
When Ginny first stepped into Harry's bathroom, she knew that it would be posh. But not as posh as it really was.
The whole place seemed to be made of some kind of polished marble. There was a fluffy red-and-gold towel hanging on a polished towel-rack, while the sink gleamed and the taps were so polished you could use them for mirrors. The scent of strawberry-flavoured aftershave was everywhere. The mirror had not a single fingerprint on it, and all of Harry's toiletry was meticulously colour-coded. (a/n: is this guy crazy, or what?) Harry looked at Ginny, as if to seek her opinion.
"Nice place," Ginny said. "All that velvet and marble and polish- it must have cost a lot of money. And the aftershave." she trailed off, half unable to hide her sniggers.
Harry grinned sheepishly. "I like it."
Ginny paused without going in. "What do I wear, then? I lost my luggage. I can't possibly watch a movie in red and gold towels, can I?"
Harry stopped, stumped. "Umn. You can wear mine for a while. I'll get Aunt Claire to get something for you. I don't stock women's clothing."
Ginny giggled a bit. "Okay."
.
Ten minutes later, Ginny stepped out of Harry's fancy bathroom dressed in his shirt and pants.
Harry sniggered audibly from the sofa. "So you got my pink shirt, huh?"
Ginny slapped him on the arm. "It's not my fault."
Harry started laughing again- this time, loudly.
Ginny pounced on Harry and they landed on the floor. Ginny's hair was hanging over Harry's face, and he briefly smelt the lingering fragrance of shampoo and bubble bath. A lock touched his cheek. It seemed like a caress. Ginny could smell the strawberry aftershave that had already filled Harry's bathroom, and yet other smells were pleasantly mixed with it. Their eyes met.
Harry suddenly realized the awkward position they were in, and he hurriedly stood up, blushing furiously.
Ginny, equally embarrassed, got up.
An uncomfortable silence followed. Harry turned a darker shade of red. Finally, Ginny said, despite herself, "I'm really sorry- I mean, we haven't met for a very long time and I don't really know you that well- you know, people change and stuff. Yeah."
Harry was stunned by Ginny's comment.
/She doesn't even want to know me better/
/Give up/
/No you shouldn't/
/You'll only embarrass yourself, you prat!/
/Come on, tell her!/
Harry shook his head as if to clear his senses.
"Maybe we- er, should get to know each other er, a bit, well, better. Yeah. Come to- er, think of it, I really want to, you know, know you. You seem like- umn- a really great person."
Ginny's eyes widened. "You think I'm great?" she asked.
Harry managed to smile- his heart was racing. "Yeah I do."
Ginny blushed even more. "Your accent's changed."
Harry looked at her. "It was that obvious?" he asked.
Ginny shook her head. "No. It's fine." /It's cute/ she added mentally.
Harry stared at her, taking in her long red hair, bright brown eyes, small red lips and perfectly positioned cheekbones. /She is just- beautiful. And I never noticed. Never. I just thought she was some silly little girl with a schoolgirl crush. I think the tables are now turned/ he told himself dazedly.
Ginny looked at Harry, whose green eyes seemed to be boring into her. She was filled with disbelief as Harry's jaw went slightly slack and his mouth was open just a tiny bit. She knew she wasn't a jaw-dropper, or drop-dead gorgeous, but Harry was making her feel like she was.
Without thinking, Ginny began, "Harry, I'm not-"
Harry looked at her, snapping out of his daze. "You're not what?"
Ginny grinned sheepishly. "Nothing."
/I'm not a jaw-dropper/
/I'm not drop-dead gorgeous/
"You're not what?" Harry persisted.
"Umn- I'm not going to the movies- yeah- to the movies in this," she hurriedly said, motioning to the clothes she was wearing. /Luckily, luckily/ she heaved an inward sigh of relief.
"Oh yeah. Aunt Claire should be coming up by now," Harry hurriedly said.
The security speaker on the wall beeped once and Aunt Claire's voice came through. "Mister Potter, I'm coming up."
Harry grinned at Ginny. "Speak of the devil!" he laughed.
.
Ten minutes later, Ginny stepped out of the bathroom in a beautiful blue dress. Aunt Claire handed her the expensive white coat and she put it on. From the way Harry was looking at her, Aunt Claire knew that something was going on.
"Now, Mister Potter, please stop staring at the young girl like she's a piece of well-seasoned steak, will you," Aunt Claire said reprovingly.
"I don't eat steak," Harry absent-mindedly said.
Ginny laughed, while Aunt Claire shook her head and tutted.
"You look great, Ginny," Harry finally said approvingly.
Ginny blushed for the tenth time that day.
Okay. This is as long as I can get without ruining my plot. Was this fluffy enough?? Anyway, Draco Malfoy will be appearing- but not in the next chapter (Plot Change), much to the dismay of some of my friends from school, and he will be bad. heheheheh. Looks like there's something coming for Harry and Ginny's already fragile relationship. Oh yeah, is Harry still too dirty, or what? He seems so gawky. I couldn't help it.
Please let the reviews hit at least thirty. If it hits that target, I'll make that next chapter of mine super-super long. there are a LOT of things you can say when someone is in the movies, especially since I've watched LOTR like, how many times?
Thirty-five? Please? Thirty-five? I would swoon if it hits thirty-five. And I would like to announce that coolone007 is now my beta reader.
Please review and make my day,
Arwen
