July 26: Wake Up Calls On The Off Day



Her arm was draped across my stomach and she was fluttering light kisses on my shoulder when I opened my eyes.

"Are you awake?" she asked quietly, in between kisses.

"I don't know," I answered honestly.

I could feel her smile, "What do you mean you don't know?"

"You're here. I must be dreaming."

"If you're dreaming, then I am."

"Is it a good dream?" I wondered.

"Oh, very," was her reply.

"This is definitely a dream."

She laughed and snuggled closer, wrapping a leg around mine and moving her kisses to my chest.

"These past couple years have been a blur for you haven't they?" Ginny inquired and I looked at the top of her head.

"How so?"

"When was the last time you had a chocolate frog?"

I furrowed my brow, slightly confused.

"Er, uh, it's been awhile."

"I can tell."

"How?"

She stopped kissing and rested her chin on my chest to look up at me.

"You used to eat sweets all the time when we were younger and you tasted like chocolate."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I used to taste like chocolate? You mean my mouth?"

"I mean everywhere."

"Ah."

"But you don't anymore," she said, returning to her kisses.

"What do I taste like now?"

"Firewhiskey. It's like it's burned into your skin."

"Does that bother you?"

"Oh, no," she breathed. "It's quite nice actually, but you must have spent two years in a drunken stupor."

I nodded, "I did."

I nudged her gently, asking her to move so I could roll up on my side. She quirked an eyebrow at me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can't I just want to sleep next to you?"

"No," I smiled. "Especially not after leaving in such a hurry last night. What about Draco?"

She sighed a little and seemed to be figuring out how to say what was on her mind.

"He wants to leave again."

My heart, which had been soaring for the past couple of days, plummeted.

"You're leaving?"

"Draco wants me to. What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should do what you think is best."

"What do you want me to do, Harry?"

She just had to say my name.

"I want you to do whatever you want to do."

Ginny bit her lip and looked away.

"What if I told you I wanted to stay here?" she whispered.

My heart gathered a glimmer of hope and struggled to hold on to it.

"Here in town?" I tried.

"I was thinking more along the lines of here in this apartment; together like we used to be."

My heart rocketed into my throat and I kissed her.

Ginny smiled at me and I moved to cover her body with mine. She winced a little.

"What is it?" I asked, pulling back and observing her.

"I twisted my back when I was here last night and the crick reminds me of it's presence every now and then," she told me.

"Lay on your stomach," I commanded and she shook her head.

"You don't have to do that, Harry."

"You can't have all the fun. Roll over, baby."

She did and I maneuvered so that I was resting lightly on her backside, my knees on either side. Folding her arms under her head she laid her cheek on her forearms, eyes closed as my fingertips danced up the length of her spine.

"I meant to ask; when did you start wearing boxers to bed?" she queried, with a playful smile.

"When it became evident that I wasn't going to wake up and need to be without them," I replied, using my palms to massage just below her shoulder blades.

"Lower."

I adjusted.

"To the right," she added.

"Here?"

"There."

"I haven't done this in awhile. I'll apologize now if I'm a little rusty."

"You're doing wonderfully," she cooed, squirming a little. "With hands like those, I could very easily fall in love with you, Mr. Potter."

I smiled and continued my ministrations.

"You're already in love with me, Miss Weasley," I ventured.

"This is true."

My heart seized up and I found breathing to be difficult, but this didn't affect my work.

"You need to speed up this little rub-down," she said, catching my attention again.

"Why would I do that?"

She rolled so she was on her back and took my hands.

"I'm no longer interested in your hands."



I held her close to me, not wanting to let go for fear she might leave again. Though, I knew she wouldn't. Ginny had come home like I always hoped she would.

"I do love you, Harry," she had whispered into my ear only moments ago and I never wanted to be without her again.

"I love you, too, Ginny," I said quietly and she leaned her head back to look at me.

"I'm glad it's Sunday," she remarked. "You don't have to go anywhere."

"And I don't get visitors."

As if on cue, someone pounded on the door.

"Don't answer it. They'll leave."

"I wasn't planning on it," I murmured, kissing her cheek.

"POTTER!"

The voice was very familiar, and we both tensed.

"What's he doing here?" Ginny asked me quietly.

"I don't know," I answered, still not letting go. "Don't worry, Gin, no magic can break that door."

There was the sound of more pounding and then the recognizable noise of my door being kicked in.

"But there is that," I grumbled, letting her go and pulling my pants on. "Under the covers with you."

Ginny hid from view and I stumbled out into the living room, shutting the door behind me, hoping I looked drunk and disheveled.

"I think there's been miscommunication somewhere," Draco said, stretching his neck a little and motioning for his henchmen to wait for him outside.

"So nice of you to come in," I greeted, sitting down behind my desk. "Tea?"

"No, thanks."

"Have a seat," I offered but he declined, moving to stand in front of my desk. "What's this miscommunication then?"

"You're not even going to put a shirt on for this meeting?"

"No, I plan on going back to bed. Make it quick, if you could."

"What? Potter's got a girlfriend?"

"We're not here to talk about my personal life."

"Can I see?" he prodded, moving toward the bedroom.

I bolted out of my seat and grabbed his arm.

"No, you can't see. If you want to peep at random girls, talk to your old man."

Draco held up his hands and I let him go. He sneered and straightened his black jacket.

"Don't worry, Potter. I wasn't going to try to steal another one."

Why I resisted the urge to kill him right then and there, I'll never know.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Where was Longbottom?"

"I don't know."

"He's supposed to be following my father. Why wasn't he at Serpensmordre last night like you were?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. I never saw him."

"It's his job to be invisible, Malfoy! You're not supposed to see him."

"Has he reported to you yet?"

"No. It's only …" I glanced at the clock on my desk, "Wow, it's noon. I slept in."

"I'm not paying you to sleep in!"

"It's Sunday. I don't work Sundays."

"I thought private eyes were always on call. What if something pertinent to an investigation happens on a Sunday?"

"Rarely happens."

Draco made a pitiful face.

"I even work Sundays and all I do is bottle bubbly pop."

I shrugged, wishing desperately that I was still under the covers with Ginny.

"Schedule a day off; are we done here?"

"Do tell me when you hear something, won't you?" he said, starting for the door.

"You'll be the first to know," I lied.

"Oh, and here's this," he said, taking a jingling money bag from each of his men and dropping them to the floor inside the doorway. "Your 5000 galleons."

"Thanks," I muttered, watching them stroll to the stairwell.

"See you around, Potter."

I went back into my apartment and retrieved my wand to repair my door before returning to my bedroom. Ginny was sitting against the headboard, watching me apprehensively.

"You're working for Draco?"

"Kind of," I told her, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I thought you were working for me."

I reclined over the blankets and rested my head on her leg.

"The jobs go together nicely."

She began to pet my hair and I smiled up at her.

"What are you doing for Draco?"

"He thinks Lucius is trying to kill him. Neville's following him and I'm supposed to make my presence known at Serpensmordre so Lucius isn't the wiser," I informed her, taking her hand and holding it to my chest. "Oh, and he's just paid me a large sum of money to never see you again."

"How large?"

"5000 galleons."

Ginny shook her head in exasperation.

"When did he make those arrangements?"

"Yesterday, but he just now dropped off the money."

"Are you going to stop seeing me?" she asked, pouting her lip playfully.

I flipped over onto my belly, propping my head in my hands.

"I never gave it a second thought. When are you moving your things back?"

"Dad's going to take me in the car."

I grinned remembering Mr. Weasley's uncanny infatuation with muggle vehicles.

"When, though?" I traced shapes into the blanket over her thigh with my finger.

"Hopefully, this afternoon. I told Draco I was staying with them last night and that I'd be spending the day with Mom."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," I mumbled, smiling.

"Look who's talking. At least I'm not stealing the man's money."

I shrugged and sat up next to her.

"I don't see you complaining."

"Well, no."

"Especially when I buy you a new ring," I whispered, taking her left hand.

She looked at me in disbelief and I kissed her.

"Go get your things and meet me for dinner tonight."

Ginny smiled and kissed my cheek.



Cloud nine was a nice ride as I floated into the Forge and saw Ron sitting at the bar.

"Harry!" he greeted as I took the barstool beside him

"Whaddaya hear …" Fred started.

"… Whaddaya say?" George finished pulling out four shot glasses and lining them up. I put up a hand.

"Not today, boys. Liquor can do nothing for me. Do you have a chocolate frog?"

All three Weasley's gaped at me and I grinned.

"Alright, maybe one."

Ron watched me closely, smiling a little as George filled one of the shot glasses.

"What have you been doing?" he inquired.

"Slept in," I shrugged, "Go figure."

Ron smirked and made sure Fred and George were out of earshot.

"She came back, then?"

"Even your temper couldn't make me lie to you right now."

"This feels so wrong to say, but …"

"Oh, Ron, she is that good."

He grimaced but patted me on the back and mumbled, "Good for you. I'm happy."

"Heya, Harry," Neville announced as he took the empty seat next to me.

"If it isn't my favorite Neville in the whole world," I proclaimed, turning to my friend.

Neville looked past me to Ron with a funny look.

"Is he drunk?"

"No, but he's intoxicated."

"With what?"

"Ginny," I cut in, still smiling. Neville chuckled and nodded. Noticing I had an untouched shot of firewhiskey and remembering that this was blasphemy in the Forge, I quickly remedied the situation. "But I'm sure Luna and Hermione gave you both the special treatment."

Ron frowned, "No, her mother called last night and she went to help decorate for some party this week."

I made a pained face, "That's rough, Ron."

"Nor me," Neville spoke up. "Malfoy just now went to bed. I was trailing him all night."

"That's my fault, and I really am sorry."

Neville shook his head.

"Don't be. I love my job."

"Surely you heard something then?" Ron said.

"Oh yeah, lots of things. They're unsure about you, Harry."

"Unsure? They are? How?"

"Lucius saw you making eyes with Ginny, but he missed your exchange with Draco."

"You saw that?"

"I see everything. I saw you go into the peep show and come back. You looked straight at me at one point when you were glancing around the room. Then you left and I stuck around."

"You went to a peep show?" Ron asked.

"I have to do something other than drink while I'm on the job. I didn't watch. Loose-lipped attendant started talking about Seamus."

"Fudge?" Neville said. "He always talks during the shows."

Ron and I looked at him expectantly.

"I spend most of my life sneaking around shady places trying to get information. I don't go for the view," he explained, waving the twins over so he could get a drink.

I turned an incredulous look on him and he shook his head.

"Why would I go to Serpensmordre when I've got Luna? She's all the peep show I need," he added, asking for a muggle single-malt scotch.

Ron made a face at me and went back to his butterbeer.

"Back to Lucius, then, eh?" I tried and Neville swallowed quickly and went on.

"He told Flint that he believes you to be an easy sway to his ranks if he needed you. He thinks your working on reclaiming your stake in Ginny and that you wouldn't mind working against Draco if it came to it."

"So he is really out to get his son," Ron commented.

"Seems that way, but! Lucius then, after you left, called a meeting with Draco, at which time I also saw Ginny leave. The agenda was all over the place, but he capped it off by telling him about the eye-contact and silent conversation between you and yours. Draco reacted hotly at the meeting, but didn't seem so bothered by it when he left. Ginny was back in the suite when he returned, and I don't know where she went, though I'm sure you could tell me."

"The meeting?" I prodded.

"First, let me tell you that Draco went ahead and took his father's heed and made arrangements for he and Ginny to leave in a couple of days."

"Ginny's leaving?" Ron asked.

"No," I said, "I'll explain later. The meeting, Neville."

"Draco told him he was working on making a few breakthroughs with a new flavor, though he never let on what it was; that he had an inside guy with a major chocolate drink company."

"Seamus," Ron put in.

"We knew that, though," I told him, but Ron shook his head and pointed to a dark corner. Seamus was talking in hushed tones to someone in the shadows. "Who's he with, can you tell?"

"Want me to go?" Neville inquired.

"No, stay here and continue. Keep an eye on him Ron."

"Sure thing, Harry," Ron muttered, asking his brothers for another butterbeer.

"Lucius feigned impression at this, and Draco went on to talk about a small shipment of the first formula for the new flavor. Lucius seemed very interested and asked a few questions, but Draco was mum from then on. That's when Lucius brought up the other about you and Ginny."

"Interesting," I thought aloud.

"After I left Ginny and Draco upstairs and went back to Lucius, he was once again speaking to Flint. He was talking about a shipment and I thought he was referring to the same one as before."

"But no?"

"Nope. This one's supposed to be huge and Lucius seems to know the dirty details, but he wasn't letting on anything to the barman. He left and went to the unfrequented alleyway between the Candied Cauldron and here."

I began to think that the unfrequented alleyway was ineptly titled as such.

"You'll never guess who he was talking to there."

"The Russian in the corner," Ron piped up.

"How'd you know?" Neville asked.

"No, 'in' the corner, look," my partner motioned vaguely towards the dark corner. "That's who Seamus is talking to."

"I am so lost, I don't know what I'm looking for anymore," I remarked, turning back to the bar. "Two more," I said, jabbing the bar with my forefinger.

"Wondering when …" Fred said, pulling up another shot glass.

"… You'd come around," George added, filling both glasses.

"Did you hear what they were talking about in the alley?" I asked, throwing back a drink.

"Harry, I'm hurt. When have I ever not heard what they were talking about?" Neville whimpered, feigning offense. George brought him a second single-malt scotch and he smiled. "They talked about the shipment in cryptic detail."

"How so?"

"They'd never refer specifically to the contents. Several units of the 'it' and some cases of the 'things' and money exchanged hands. I really am quite clueless as to what the 'it' and the 'things' are. I was never a skilled code-breaker," Neville finished with a frown.

"What did he do today?"

"Got yelled at by his wife and slept around with half of his women. I got bored and followed Draco for awhile, but he was doing much of the same."

"Bastard," Ron spat, slamming his bottle on the bar. "Cheating on our Ginny."

I laughed once and he shrugged.

"I don't care if she cheats on him. It's different."

We heard the door open behind us and the twins whistled low in unison.

"I'd ask you not to acknowledge my presence in the future, if you please," said a familiar voice. Neville, Ron and I spun in our barstools to face him.

"Lucius, old man, what brings you here?" I queried. "Certainly not the firewhiskey."

"No, no, Mr. Potter, merely my express desire to request your presence at the gala tomorrow night."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm inviting you," he motioned at my friends, "and your coworkers to a gala at Serpensmordre tomorrow night."

"Me?" Ron asked, pointing at himself.

"And Mr. Longbottom," Lucius added and Neville gulped audibly, "As well as your escorts … if you don't have an escort, one may be provided for a small fee."

"What's the celebration?"

"Bubbly pop," came the bitter reply, "My son believes he has stumbled upon greatness and has requested your presence."

"I thought it was your express desire to request my presence?"

"I lied. Eight o'clock. I shall hope to see you all there."

With that, Lucius Malfoy strolled out of the Forge.

"Draco's small fortune in carbonation doesn't seem to rank high on Lucius' list of favorite things," Ron commented as we spun forward again.

"No, I take that it's not," Neville added.

I sighed and pushed the empty glasses away from me.

"Today is our day off. We shouldn't have to deal with anybody at all. It should be relaxing and/or exhausting depending on who we spend it with, but there is no way that we should be thinking this much."

"So what did you mean earlier when you said Ginny's not leaving?" Ron wanted to know. Neville looked up from his third scotch and rested his head in his hand.

"She wants to move back in with me."

"She …"

"…what?" the twins asked. I hadn't noticed that they were standing in front of us.

"You're dad is taking her to get her things from Malfoy's today and she's coming home."

"That's great!" Ron exclaimed, grinning and slapping me on the back.

"So she broke up with Malfoy today then?" Neville inquired.

"I don't think so. As you know, she came for a moment and then went back and I went to bed. When I woke up, she was with me and we talked …"

"Sure," Ron interrupted.

"We did talk and she said she wanted to move back in. Draco then shows up and drops off the 5000 he's paying me to never see her again, all the while she's hiding in my room. After he left I had to explain everything to her, because I hadn't gotten the chance yet."

"Busy morning," Neville stated, finishing his scotch and placing his hand over the top when George tried to fill it again. "No more for me. I do have people to do and things to see."

"Sounds like you've had a bit too much already," Ron laughed.

Neville stopped for a moment as he stood and his mouth moved slightly as he seemed to be replaying his words over in his head.

"No, that's what I meant," he smiled, waggling his eyebrows. "You guys aren't going into the office today are you? Luna wants to … er … see the desk."

Ron and I held up our hands.

"Consider the office off my potential places to go today," I replied.

"Mine as well," Ron agreed.