Chapter 11 or Spontaneous Combustion
Six days and an equal number of fantasies later, and Ginny had yet to effectively punch even one of Harry's hot buttons. She was beginning to wonder if he had any.
She had not only undressed in front of her dormitory window for him when he practiced Quidditch, but the following night she had fashioned a mask out of the lace off one of her robes and met him in the Owlry in a very obvious number 4 – The Faceless Stranger – and promptly found herself abandoned on a sack of owl treats.
The night after that had been even more humiliating. She had cornered him the common room, after everyone else had gone to bed, with her wand, and ordered him to undress. It was the classic Force Fantasy and number 5 of the Naughty Nine. Before she'd been able to blink, he had disarmed her, tossed her over his shoulder and toted her back to her dorm. There, he'd left her with strict orders to behave or else.
Yesterday, she'd actually approached him, yet again, in the Owlry while he was finishing up a letter to send with Hedwig – for a little number 6 – The Audience Fantasy. Okay, so owls didn't really qualify as a roomful of people, but at least they had looked when she'd undressed for Harry, which was more than she could say for the young wizard. He'd busied himself doing anything and everything but looking at her.
She had all of three fantasies left and she was beginning to lose hope. Something was wrong, and Ginny could not shake the feeling that it was her; that she wasn't sexy or desirable or daring enough, and he just wasn't turned on by her.
Maybe.
Then again, it took two to tango. Maybe it was Harry himself who was causing the problem.
"Harry, does like girls?" She asked Hermione when she arrived for their nightly study session.
"Sure." Hermione settled in at the table. "Harry likes everybody."
"I mean like like, as in romantically."
Hermione stared at her blankly for a moment, and then her face reddened. "Course he does." She nodded. "He loves girls."
"Of course." So much for salving her bruised ego. Harry was as straight as an arrow, which meant that he just wasn't interested in her. That was the only explanation for the way he'd brushed her off for the past week. She sighed.
Oh well, tomorrow was a Hogsmeade weekend. The thought of a break the next day eased the disappointment she felt. She was not going to worry over Harry or wrack her brain trying to figure out what she was doing wrong. It was time to retreat and regroup and treat herself and her efforts to a little shopping extravaganza. Then she could jump back on the broomstick and fly out the three remaining fantasies she had not yet tried.
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Where the hell was she?
It was past ten. A full quarter past. Harry stood at the entrance of the common room and scanned the dim interior for the tenth time. There was no sign of Ginny. No flame red hair peeking out from the stairwell. No lush lips blowing kisses at him from a chair. Nothing.
Not that he cared.
It was just that he had gotten quite used to seeing her these past few nights. Gotten used to wondering what she would come up with to tempt him. Worrying over whether he would have the strength to resist.
Each night grew harder and harder – he grew harder and harder. Like tonight. He glanced down at the prominent bulge stretching the crotch of his pants. And that was just from anticipation!
He hadn't even seen her yet!
Maybe something was wrong. Maybe she had gotten sick, and was at this very moment, lying in bed with a raging fever and no one to hear her delirious cries for help.
The minute the thought came to him, he turned, his feet pounding up the stairs. That was it. She was too sick to get out of bed and play her wicked female games.
Or she was too busy.
This thought hit him, along with a rush of jealousy and he halted in mid-stride. That was probably what was going on. She was probably too busy snogging some boy in the Astronomy Tower.
This idea sent him stomping back down the stairs and into the common room. Not that he minded one bit who she was snogging. He forced his legs to carry him into his dorm and to the quiet solitude of his bed. He didn't care.
The only thing he cared about tonight was getting some real sleep. Not the tossing and turning he'd been doing the past week thanks to Ginny and her bedtime seduction attempts. Lying awake wanting a girl was no way to get rest.
But not tonight. There had been no seduction attempt, which meant he might even be able to get some actual quality REM's in.
No sirree. He didn't give a rat's ass if she and some other poor sot were too busy to come up for air.
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"Severus. Have you been successful in your search for an antidote for Madame Hooch?" Albus Dumbledore turned his twinkling blue eyes towards the impenetrable black gaze of Severus Snape.
"I have been able to trace what potion the girls had by taking a sample from the floor where the accident happened." He turned and scowled at the older wizard. "Albus. Those two foolish girls had gotten their hands on the Iuventusutis Potion that I have been working on perfecting in my spare time." Albus turned worried eyes towards the Potions Professor.
"What you are telling me, is that Miss Patil and Miss Brown got hold of an experimental potion that has no antidote yet. Is that correct Severus?" The professor sighed and scowled some more.
"I had not yet even perfected that potion, Albus. Let alone thought of the antidote for it." Albus watched as the younger man paced back and forth in front of his desk. "It may very well take me months to find the actual antidote to my creation." The Headmaster sighed tiredly.
"So be it, Severus. You go and work on the antidote. We cannot be without a Flying Instructor for that long, so I am going to have to see what I can do." With that dismissal, Severus Snape swept out of the Headmaster's office and the white haired wizard picked up parchment and quill.
"I hope I am not making a mistake in doing this." He stated out loud and Fawkes answered with a sweet trill of understanding.
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"I'll take this one."
The clerk smiled and wrapped the robe in tissue paper before carefully placing it in the bag for her. Ginny and the rest of the students at Hogwarts were at Hogsmeade this weekend and most were shopping for dress robes for the end of term dance that Dumbledore had announced a few days ago. Ginny had bought the beautiful emerald green silk dress robe on a whim in hopes that Harry would come around and ask her to go with him. Ginny returned the clerk's smile, grabbed the bag and exited the shop.
Her gaze snagged on the boy standing several yards away in front of Zonko's Joke Shop with Ron and Hermione in tow. The sun outlined Harry's broad frame, making him seem even more dark and sexy than he already was in her mind.
A pang of longing shot through her and she stiffened.
No, she wouldn't allow that! No longing. No lusting. Not for the next forty-five minutes. No matter how good he looked standing there. Or would how his deep gaze snagged on her affect her, how he stared through her and smiled at her for a heart-stopping second that made her think he actually did want her.
Right. Six-count them, six. She had gone through six of the Naughty nine and she was no closer to uncovering his fantasy and seducing him.
Reality check! She had to face the truth. She sucked at this inner vixen business. Attention everyone. Virginia Weasley is destined to die an old shriveled up prune. There would be no living life or walking on the wild side or tasting the forbidden. It just wasn't in the wizarding cards for her.
"Hey Gin." The smiling voice of Neville Longbottom drew her attention. She returned Neville's smile and picked up her packages and started across the street to join Harry, Hermione and her brother. They had agreed to meet up when they were through with their shopping and go for a Butterbeer before going back to the school.
Five Hufflefpuffs and an equal number of smiles – including a few winks and a full fledged stare – later, she reached the other side of the street.
Okay, apparently she didn't suck. She definitely had it going on.
Sort of. Her gaze shifted once again to Harry who was busying himself looking through his purchases. He seemed to sense her, though. He turned and his gaze caught hers, but she got no smile or lustful stare. Sure, she thought she had glimpsed lust on a few occasions, but she was fast coming to realize that it was more wishful thinking on her part rather than actual feeling on his part. Harry Potter was immune to her.
He wasn't just immune. He was turned off by her.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked. She had come up beside her as they started to walk towards the Three Broomsticks.
"Fine. So how did it go? Did you find your dress?" Ginny smiled and listened as Hermione told her about the gown she had purchased for the dance. They were interrupted by Seamus and Dean running up to the two girls to join them in their journey. Ginny flirtatiously slid a hand around each boy's arm on the way - all the while feeling Harry's gaze burn into her backside. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn he might actually be a little put out that she was walking down the street with two handsome and funny young men.
Of course, she knew better. Harry Potter was not the jealous type – and if he had been, he certainly would not be jealous over her. He barely spared her a glance and had repelled all her advances. No, the jealous theory was too much to hope for.
That's what she told herself, but after the long walk to the small hang-out, she wasn't so certain.
She could still feel Harry's gaze drilling into her, hear the stomp of his feet, and there was no mistaking his growl of anger when she laughed at something one of her escorts said.
He was jealous all right, and Ginny loved every minute of it. Particularly when he pushed Dean and Seamus aside to help her into her chair. His hand closed around her wrist and his gaze caught hers; fire leapt deep in the bright green depths.
Harry wanted her. He really wanted her.
Number seven, here I come.
But first, she had to make it back to Hogwarts without spontaneously combusting. That was going to be harder than it should have been as Harry kept sitting very close to her and brushing his thigh against hers.
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(A/N) Sorry for taking so long to update, but I have made it up to you with 2 chapters this time around. This chapter is a little tame, but the next chapter has a very heavy R Rating to it. If you are too young to read R Rated stories, please do not read the next chapter. I got a little wild, but still stayed within tasteful boundaries.
Thanks to John, NengSki and Frankie. I really appreciate the reviews. It lets me know what I am doing wrong and what I am doing right. And thanks to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are all great!!
Love Lisa