Disclaimer: All characters, settings, and familiar objects belong to Warner Bros. and JK Rowling. I'm merely borrowing them and promise to return them in good condition.

Kisses in the Rain

Ginny abandoned her homework and left it on one of the large tables in the Common Room. She was trying to study for her O.W.L.S. that were coming up in two weeks, but her mind wandered off. Hermione had made a study schedule for her, but Ginny had been studying for two months straight and decided it was time to take a break. A well-deserved break it was in her opinion.

She looked outside, and it was sunnier than it had been in ages. So happy she was almost skipping, she ran through the Portrait Hole and down to the grounds. Once outside, she threw her arms out and her head up towards the bright blue sky and spun in circles, enjoying the fresh air and the warm sun shining on her freckled face.

She became so dizzy she fell but was soon up turning cartwheels all over the place. Shortly, she hit a rather large ash tree on the bank of the lake. She plopped down at its roots to catch her breath, not the least bit tired by her antics.

"If only we had some fairy dust. You'd be flying to the moon in record time!" a voice above her laughed.

"Harry?" she asked surprisingly.

"The one and only," he replied, still laughing at her.

"Well, if that's what it takes to make you laugh, I'd do it anytime," Ginny said, climbing up the tree. Harry stopped laughing.

"Hmm...I like the laughing better than moping," Ginny said suggestively.

"Sorry, I just...oh, I don't know. I miss Sirius," he said somberly.

"Harry, you need to move on now. It's been a year, exactly. Now, that's enough to mope about it," Ginny said persistently.

"I know, but-"

"No buts, Harry," Ginny cut him off. "Sirius is not the serious type, despite his name. Sirius is the kind of guy that would want you to have fun for him since he can't. It looks like you haven't lived up to his expectations."

Harry's face brightened, "You're right. One year is long enough." He started to laugh silently, his shoulders shaking up and down.

"What's so funny?" Ginny insisted.

"You have dirt all over your face," he managed to gasp out.

"Where?" Ginny asked frantically, rubbing her face.

"Wait, you missed a spot," Harry reached out to her cheek and gently wiped away the dirt. Silence. His hand was still stroking her cheek, even though the dirt was long gone.

"Er, Harry?" she said uncertainly.

"Oh right," he said, pulling his hand away quickly.

"You know," Ginny said, "I love it when you laugh."

"Really? What else do you love?" Harry asked.

"Stealing socks from other people, Fred and George's jokes, and Bill."

"I see."

"What do you love?" she asked back.

"Spending as much time as possible with your family, Quidditch, and when you blush," he said, receiving a spectacular Weasley blush from her.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. She always thought it looked rather horribly on her. He nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

"Do you want to get down and walk around? This tree limb isn't very comfortable," he asked. She nodded.

Harry jumped down and held his hand up to assist her. They began walking around the edge of the lake in silence. It was not an uncomfortable silence but a friendly silence.

"Look," Ginny whispered, pointing over to a small patch of sand on the shore of the lake. Harry turned his head and saw, much to his surprise, Hermione and Ron feeding each other grapes.

"Well, they didn't even have the decency to tell me," he said, pretending to be hurt. "This calls for a little Sirius action." He grinned mischievously.

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked, peering at him uncertainly. Harry didn't reply; he just waited.

Ron was kissing Hermione when Harry yelled out, "Hermione, you've got something on your face!" Ron and Hermione pulled apart, and both blushed beet red. "Ron! What are you doing? Hermione is practically my sister! I can't believe you!" He started to walk quickly towards them, Ron's face getting paler by the moment. Ginny ran to catch up with him.

"Ron, could I talk to you?" he asked menacingly. Ron stood up, shaking slightly, and walked towards Harry. Harry leaned in to whisper into Ron's ear.

Instead, he yelled, "It's about time, mate!" Ginny and Harry laughed as Ron sighed and blushed profusely.

"Harry, mate, it's good to see you laughing," Ron said, slapping him on the back.

"So?" Ginny asked the new couple.

"Ron finally came to his senses this morning when I was talking to Dean. Apparently, he thought I was flirting. We got into a big row in front of everyone! Then he ended it halfway through by kissing me firmly on the mouth and declaring his love for me. Down on his knees and everything! I thought he was going to propose or something," Hermione said happily.

"Well, that's one way to do it, Ron."

"Why did you ask? He did it at breakfast," Hermione asked them curiously.

"I was studying, again," Ginny said accusingly to her friend.

"And I, in Ginny's words, was moping," Harry said lightheartedly.

"We'll just continue our stroll and leave you two alone," Ginny said suggestive and winked at the two. Two equally red blushes appeared on their faces.

The were walking in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch, once in again in friendly silence. The sun was still shining as bright as ever, but gray clouds were building up.

"I love the sun!" Ginny said suddenly, throwing back her head and soaking in its rays.

"Why don't you love?"

"Warm chocolate, Christmases without snow, and people named Harry that don't mope."

"I'm sorry, but that last one will have to be taken off your list, because it won't happen again," Harry grinned.

"Good! Well, in that case, I'd have to replace it with old people that smell bad," she said with a straight face. Harry, however, laughed.

"Well, you certainly won't like-" Harry stopped mid-sentence because of the rain that started to fall.

"Oh, I just love rain!" Ginny said, dancing around in circles in the rain that was getting heavier.

"I can't say that I love rain, but I don't hate it," Harry commented, watching Ginny spin.

"Oh, every time it would rain when I was little, I would go outside and play in the rain. Mum didn't like it, but she wouldn't know until I came in soaked to the bone," Ginny giggled happily. There was a bright flash and a loud roar of thunder.

"Do you want to go inside?" Harry asked. "It's starting to get really heavy."

"Okay," Ginny yelled over a loud boom of thunder that shook the earth. They began to run towards the castle, which was quite a ways off. They had only gone a few steps when Harry's feet slid out from under him, and he landed on his bottom in a puddle of muddy water.

"Ouch," he commented, using Ginny's outstretched hand to help him up. They began to run again when Ginny fell, but Harry caught her just in time.

"Hold my hand, that way we can steady each other," he yelled to her above the noise of the thunderstorm. She grasped his warm hand and felt a tingle pass through her.

They had reached the stone steps after five more almost falls. They were soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Ginny ran up the steps with Harry right behind her. On the top step, she slipped on the wet stone and went backwards. Harry managed to catch her before she fell all the way down using his quick reflexes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his face inches from hers. Ginny looked up into his concerned green eyes. Water was dripping of his lashes and jet black hair. Her heart jumped to her throat, and all she could manage was a nod. They didn't move. They just stared into each others eyes, brown reflecting out of green and green reflecting out of brown. Ginny couldn't move even if she wanted to; it was all she could do to remember to breathe.

Suddenly but slowly, Harry leaned in. Ginny instinctively closed her eyes. Their lips met, and Ginny's knees buckled and her heart surely failed.

"Ginny! You've got something on your face!" Ron yelled at them. Ginny and Harry sprang apart and glared furiously at Ron.

Even Hermione was mad, "Ron! You idiot prat! Couldn't you see they were having a romantic moment! Argh! You are such an idiot!" She punctuated her sentence by smacking him hard on the cheek. "Inside," she commanded. Ron went faster than he'd ever gone somewhere before, holding his hand to his red cheek.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered before disappearing inside after Ron.

"We were we?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"Here, I think." Ginny leaned in and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

A/N: Well, did you like it? Please review. I know it was fluffy, but I was bored and it popped right into my head. I know someone had probably had this plot before, but I don't know anyone who does, so I didn't copy off of anyone's idea.

Review!

Devine Bovine