An unwilling damsel by Joy
A/N: 1) If you know I have updated but you can't get to the chapter go to the last bracket in the http line. This is the number of the chapter. Put in the new chapter number. Hit return and then hit the Refresh button if necessary.
2) Hermione character is about to take a much more blunt twist to her...be aware. Please don't write me that I'm writing her out of character...I know this already that is why I put these little notes at the beginning. You are welcome to tell me if it works or not. (This is a pet peeve I picked up writing in other sections.)
3) As to how I get these done so fast is...I have the base story done before I began. There are definite edits but for the most part its finished. This is necessary because I have far too many abandoned stories on I have one story that is missing its final chapter. One story that had maybe three chapters left. Then I have other stories that I had great ideas behind them but I just came to hate the series they were from so I stopped writing them. I have six partial Harry Potter stories right now. I refuse to put any of them up for fear of abandoning them later so this is how I do it now.
4) Thank you for the reviews I got on last chapter. I hope I handled the subject matter with the sensitivity it deserves.
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Embarrassing conversations about stress reduction
Harry had made quite a display of being overly affectionate with Ginny. He was quite proud of his firebrand and wanted there to be no question is anyone's mind that they were together. (In Hermione's opinion it was like watching a dog mark its territory. Harry wanted in known Ginny was off the market.) He was particularly demonstrative whenever they were anywhere near the girl that had insulted them both the night they got together and broke up... that was a very strange day. In the Common Room a few days later, Harry positioned himself on the coach closest to the infuriating girl. He pulled Ginny into his lap kissing her neck and lips repeatedly while murmuring loud enough for those around to hear. Everything he was saying was true so what did he care who heard him. "Ginny... You're so appealing and loving. I can't imagine being with anyone but you. No one compares. No one even comes close." Harry kissed at Ginny's neck some more while she gave little appreciative sounds.
Ron of course was attempting to be supportive of the couple but he found it rather difficult. Right then he couldn't take it. He knew it was staged but he still didn't want to see it. Ron went to bed because 'he had stayed awake the previous night to get a parchment done for class' in theory but Hermione knew better. She was quite amused and watched with glee, as the snobby girl in question got angrier and angrier.
Harry intertwined his fingers with Ginny's as he continued his taunt. "I'm not worthy of your affection," he was staring in her chocolate eyes as he said what he felt.
Ginny sighed playing with his fingers, "You don't want someone older...someone more experienced?"
The look in her eyes told Harry this was only partially an act. Both his hands came to cup her cheeks. "All I want is you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are the only thing that makes the pressures of my life and destiny worth anything. You give me a reason to fight." His audience was completely forgotten. "I haven't had a lot of normal in my life Gin. But I have you, and you don't look at me like a freak or hero. You see me. I don't want anybody else...I couldn't be with anybody else." A tear ran down Ginny's cheek before she pulled him to her again and kissed him actively.
Hermione smiled from one of the sofas in front of the hearth admiring how Harry's speech inspired many Gryffindors to leave to give the couple privacy while the annoying girl, the performance was originally for left, with her friends in a huff.
For an emotionally closed off male Harry had just articulated some much needed statements. After years of passive rejection Gin needed to have her ego stroked a little about his desire for her. At the same time, Ginny was turning out to be just what Harry said...his reason to fight. Even if it was to fight with himself to bring back some or the light he used to have.
Once the couple was alone in the Common Room (apart from Hermione) Harry tried to send Ginny to bed but they just kept kissing. Eventually he just pushed off and said, "GO... Please I beg of you."
Ginny smirked and went up the stairs. Harry stayed groaned at the bottom, before hitting his head repeatedly on the wall much to Hermione's amusement. "Okay there Harry?" she asked as he flopped down beside her.
"NO!" he said dramatically.
"Feel like sharing."
"NO...God no," he huffed.
Hermione began to laugh. "It can't be that bad."
"There is no way I am discussing this with a girl!" he murmured crossing his arms over his chest.
This only served to make Hermione laugh harder. "You would rather talk to Ron, perhaps?"
"OH god! There is no one to talk with!" Harry said frantically. "I would have normally talked with Sirius but..." They were both quiet a moment.
Hermione shrugged. "Okay. You can't talk to Ron about Ginny and I can't really talk to Ginny about Ron."
"So..." Harry said in question.
"So... no matter how embarrassing this may seem you are one of my best friends and Ginny is one of my best friends so you are in luck with me being able to give you advice and vice versa," she explained.
"Hermione...this is really personal. I mean REALLY personal." He couldn't fathom how she could be so flippant. Then again she didn't know the topic.
The brown haired witch began, "In other words it has something to do with sex or wanting to have sex or masturbating or..."
So maybe she did know the subject matter. "Stop with the ORs already I get the point, you know what its pertaining to... but Mione you don't really want to talk about..." Harry couldn't believe he was having this round about discussion even though they really hadn't said anything yet. It was just they were talking about discussing sex the way he did with the guys...or used to.
She smirked, "At some point there will come a time that Ron will do something or say something in this venue that I will not comprehend at all or even get mad over. If you and I establish now that we will talk about all of the embarrassing stuff in our relationships, then it will be easier for me to deal with and less likely Ron & I will break up over something stupid- which you know is always possible with our tempers."
Harry had to admire the strategy, "So this is a pre-emptive measure."
"Yes," Hermione nodded her head as she spoke.
"Ah..." Harry sighed, "Okay...Well...I like Ginny A LOT..."
"I know."
He shook his head, "No...I mean I physically like her a lot... but I want everything to be on her timetable. I don't want to remind her in any small way...and so when she leaves at the end of the night I'm normally 'uncomfortable' shall we say from liking her so much."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Harry, are going to keep talking that way? I know the subject matter is serious but really!"
"Let's see you try it?" Harry challenged.
Hermione set her book down staring him straight in the eye. "After spending time with Ginny you always have a hard on and you can't very well go upstairs where Ron will yell at you about it." Harry's eyes were huge. "That mainly it?" she asked.
How does she do that? "Mainly," he squeaked.
"What else," she pried. He said nothing. "Come on Harry. What else?"
Harry stared down at his hands, "Before we started dating if one of the other guys were to catch me..."
"...Jagging off..." she provided.
He stiffened, "Yeah...that... if they caught me, it was no big deal. I would get razed a bit like 'who ya thinking bout Potter?' Stuff like that. But now..."
The light bulb went off in Hermione's head, "And now everyone knows its Ginny, including Ron... who will want to pound you."
"Exactly."
"Do you always do it in bed?" Hermione asked very pragmatically. "And please tell me you shut the bed-curtains and use silence and locking spells.
Harry looked put out. "Of course I close the bed-curtains and use those spells. I'm not an exhibitionist you know! And where else would I do it, might I ask?"
She smirked, "Shower...like Ron does."
"How the hell do you know where Ron jags off?" he questioned becoming more at ease with the situation.
A mischievous smile spread across Hermione's face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Yes...as a matter of fact I would. I think its only fair since I'm laying myself out for torture over here."
Hermione shrugged, "Ginny." Harry looked shocked. "He's her brother...besides bathroom and closets are the only places with privacy in this place."
"Okay...so you are telling me to take care of business in the shower," he said out loud like he was convincing himself.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Harry guys are known for the sundial in their pants in the morning not in the middle of the night sitting with their best friend... that's just wrong."
"You scare me," he groaned.
She chuckled, "I've been scaring you since first year. Get over it."
Harry smirked at her, "Thanks Hermione. I guess with you acting like this isn't a huge deal that it helps me feel okay about talking about it with you."
"Good... Now can you explain to me why my lovely boyfriend is constantly having to drop his hands while we're kissing."
"Huh?"
Hermione began to fuss, "Its so unnerving. We'll be making out and then suddenly Ron's arm fall away from my body. Sometimes he will touch my face but normally we just keep kissing and then he is sitting on his hands!" Harry started laughing. "Why is that funny?"
Harry chuckled again, "Because two days ago he asked me what he should do to keep from taking a tempting treat. I thought he was talking about my chocolate so I told him to sit on his hands... He probably is trying to stop himself from feeling you up."
"That was crude," she announced.
"I call it like I see it," he replied.
Hermione smirked. "You really think that's it?" she asked biting her lip.
Harry chuckled, "Yeah. I think that's a safe assumption." He noticed she didn't look mad. "You kinda like that, don't ya?"
"Don't be absurd," she blustered.
"You do...You actually do. You enjoy the fact that Ron has trouble keeping his hands off you," Harry chuckled.
"So what? Its nice to feel wanted," she shrugged. Hermione bit her lip and made a decision. "You may want to think about that yourself."
"I want Ron keeping his hands to himself around me, thank you," he joked.
Mione hit him, "No I mean the way you are with Gin."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"You're treating Ginny like she's going to break or something. And before you ask, no she hasn't said anything but I can tell. It's there just below the surface."
"So what should I do? Grope her in the broomstick cupboard... I can't do that to her," Harry said with a bitter taste in his mouth.
Hermione shook her head, "No one is asking you to abuse her or scare her. Just don't be surprised if she gets frustrated."
Harry bit his lip. "I can do something special for her... would you help?"
"Of course... It has to be magical," Hermione stated in a cheesy girl way.
"Of course it will be magical...we're wizards," he said stupidly.
Hermione chuckled and punched Harry's arm. "You go have your 'alone time' and I'll start brainstorming."
"Got it sis." Harry saluted Hermione then hummed 'God save the Queen' as he went to reduce his stress.
Hermione smirked to herself. Now this will be fun.
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A/N: Here's a challenge- who can correctly identify why Harry's humming is slightly disturbing?
Now class for a lesson in manners: When asking for something always follow the request with the word Please. Lets practice- REVIEW please. REVIEW please. REVIEW please.