A Dozen Smiles
by The Black Quill
(Formerly Known as Flaming Water)
"Two weeks, three days, four hours, and nineteen and one-half minutes," Ron said as they finished their breakfast. Hermione and Ginny both rolled their eyes. Harry grinned.
"Thank you, Ronald, for the quidditch update," Hermione said with a bitter edge to her voice. "However, did it occur to you that on Valentine's Day, your girlfriend of almost a year wouldn't want to know when you are going to play against Ravenclaw?"
"Sorry," Ron said sheepishly. He kissed her quickly on the lips. "I love you dearly, oh great Book Goddess." Hermione sighed with a smile. Harry and Ginny exchanged looks. When Harry began to gag his two other best friends turned to give him the evil eye.
"Hello," he said cheerfully. Hermione glared at him.
"Do you have some unrequited desire to have this beautiful bowl of green, nasty, who-knows-what soup spilled over your head?" she asked sweetly. Harry smirked at her, feeling himself get ready for a playful battle.
Harry sighed. "Yes, I know it goes with my eyes," he muttered. "However," he continued loudly. "I would much prefer if I could simply gaze longingly at it, not have it dripping upon my freshly cleaned robes." Hermione rose her eyebrow.
"Clean? Those things are wrinkled!" Hermione said loftily. Harry looked down at himself and blinked.
"Okay," he agreed. "But my cloak is nice!" Hermione simply ignored him and put an apple into her own cloak's pocket.
It wasn't long before they were standing in the Entrance Hall, waiting to past Filch's list and get into a carriage. Harry smiled as he noticed Ron's arm slip casually around Hermione's waist. He nudged Ginny and pointedly slightly. He felt a little warmer as she, too, smiled.
The four walked by Filch, who eyed them with distaste as they passed.
Colin Creevey and Tony Moon, a Seventh Year Ravenclaw, motioned them into their carriage. It was a bit of a squeeze, but Colin seemed to take it upon himself to make more room and climbed into Tony's lap. Harry and Ginny exchanged a look as Ron and Hermione mimicked them.
"So," Hermione said brightly. "Are Dennis and Mara Voss still together?" Collin rolled his eyes.
"Didn't you hear yet? I'm amazed, really. Basically the whole school knows! Dennis 'broke her heart' yesterday afternoon when he told her she was too young for him," Collin said matter-of-factly.
"And the truth?" Ginny asked, a very interested look on her face. Collin grinned at her.
"You already know, Gin. You were there. Anyways, Dennis said 'immature,' not young, seeing as she's only a year younger than him," Collin finished.
"He's going to Hogsmeade today with Willow Rider, the Sixth Year Slytherin," Tony said. "It's always fun to witness a Gryffindor-Slytherin relationship."
Then the conversation turned to quidditch, which Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Tony talked animatedly about while Hermione questioned Collin on his new camera. Soon, the carriage stopped at Hogsmeade and the two couples left Ginny and Harry in favor of some quality Valentine time.
"What's on the agenda?" asked Ginny as she and Harry strolled down the street. "Mock all the cute couples and their silly lovey-dovey-ness on this stupid holiday?"
"In truth only covering up our great sorrow of being single?" Harry continued. "Sounds good. Same as we did last year."
"Excuse me, I was moping as well," Ginny said defiantly.
Harry wrinkled his nose. "What is that smell? Oh, yes, that's right! The smell of a young girl trying to cover up her true feelings for a handsome youth."
"I really do think that Fred and George permanently spiked your drinks," Ginny told him. "And what handsome youth are you speaking of?" Harry didn't say anything. Ginny turned to look at him. Only he wasn't there. "Harry?" Suddenly she broke into uncontrollable giggles. "Stop that!" Ginny laughed. "It tickles!"
"That, Gin, would be the point of tickling you," Harry said, rolling his eyes and falling in stride with her.
"Well then, I think you deserve a little bit of payback," Ginny said sweetly. Harry turned to give her a look. As soon as he saw her face, he took off in a fast sprint. Ginny gave an evil laugh and chased after the Head Boy. "Harry, you're going too fast!" Ginny yelled to him, out of breath.
Harry came back to her. She smiled and took his hand. Quickly, Harry drew back, looking at his hand with disgust. "Ginny, that's so sticky." His hand was covered in sticky green goo.
"You deserve it," Ginny said from her place on the ground.
"I told you that would happen if you didn't clean it up," Harry said, gesturing to her position.
"Clean what up?"
"Your act. Now you've been bit in the ass by your jokes."
"Help me up, Potter." Harry grasped her hand pulled her up. Once standing, her face was an inch away from his. He felt her breath on his lips as she looked up at him. Their hands dropped slowly away.
"Did you know that you have a dozen smiles?" asked Harry softly. Ginny looked surprised.
"W-what?" she stuttered. Harry swallowed but plowed on.
"You have a dozen smiles. One when you are talking about your family and friends, one for when you're trying to make Ron feel like his jokes are good, one when you and Hermione 'girl talk,' one for when you're really laughing, one when you're sad, one when you think someone's being stupid, one for ex-boyfriends and conning teachers, one for when you're frightened, one for when you laugh at yourself, one for when you comfort someone, and one when you think no one is looking and you talk to yourself."
There was silence. Ginny was mesmerized. Suddenly, she realized how close they were and how nice it felt to be near him. "That's only eleven," she whispered. Harry took a deep breath.
"One for when-"
"Don't push so hard... ow...." The moment shattered as Luna and Neville were thrown from Madame Puddifoot's. Harry and Ginny were surprised to find themselves in front of the shop.
"What did you two do?" asked Ginny after a moment. She and Harry moved apart, neither looking at the other. Luna looked between the two with her dreamy intensity.
"We told her she seemed to like love a lot," Neville said, bending to pick up an issue of The Quibbler that had fallen out of Luna's bag. Harry glimpsed his own face as Neville handed it to his girlfriend.
"For an old woman with no husband, boyfriend, child, or lover," Luna said, looking not at them but at something that seemed particularly fascinating about the bookstore, Script n Scroll, across the street. "See you. Neville, I think I saw a Dadderpat in that alleyway!" She dragged Neville off across the road, knocking over a woman's shopping bag in the process.
Harry watched them go. He suddenly realized something. They were all different, even Luna. Sure, she was still... interesting, but he had come to realize how smart she really was. Neville's Gran had passed away and with her, his 'baby fat' seemed to have diminished. Ginny had blossomed quite nicely in his opinion (Harry felt himself flush slightly). Ron wasn't as lanky anymore, Harry knew, and he had finally stopped growing an inch every few days. Hermione had taken to twisting her hair into a loose bun or braiding it every morning, making her seem more like a teenager.
But Harry had changed the most. His height was still on the short side, he still narrowed at the waist, his glasses were still in place, and his hair was still untamed, but he had changed inside. He had grown up very fast and he covered it up with jokes and fun.
"Come on," Harry said. He dragged Ginny away and up to Sirius's cave.
"So, what now?" asked Ginny.
"I was hoping to give you your present."
"Present?" Ginny blinked in bewilderment.
"Just don't Bat-Bogey me," Harry said, moving closer. He felt her shiver as his breath hit her face.
Harry pulled her closer and leaned down barely an inch, securing his lips over hers. His heart was beating extremely fast and the moments seemed to slow down"€ one second taking an hour"€ as he waited to see if she would react.
Ginny moved a little closer. Harry felt her move her lips a bit under his and cautiously prod his mouth with her tongue. It was odd, Ginny's tongue in his mouth. He couldn't ponder though, because Ginny's tongue retreated and she pulled away.
"Harry," Ginny said perplexed, "where on earth did you get that? You must tell me the store." Harry laughed a little nervously. It had been better than his kiss with Cho and better than the few he and Luna had shared. But it had been strange.
"Ginny?" he asked shyly, damning himself as he blushed.
"Yes?" she asked, blushing a bit herself, thereby making Harry feel a bit better.
"I, erm... well, I-I really like you-" Harry felt himself flush deeper. "But, um, that was a little awkward, wasn't it?"
Ginny's blush rose and she looked at her feet. She gave a sharp nod. Harry felt as if a great weight had been lifted. It wasn't only him.
"Do... do you want to try again, maybe?" Harry asked circumspectly. Ginny looked up, and smiled slightly.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I think I'd like that."
This time, Ginny moved forward as Harry leaned in. Ginny's arms twisted up around his neck. Tentatively, Harry rested his hands on her waist. As Ginny's arms tightened on him, Harry slipped his own all the way around her. Once again, Ginny slipped her tongue into his mouth. Now, however, she traced Harry's teeth with it. Harry moaned slightly as she ran her tongue over the roof of his mouth. He pulled away, panting ever so slightly.
It was Ginny who tugged him onto the floor.
"You never finished," Ginny said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Finished what?" asked Harry, confused.
"My smiles, silly." Harry swallowed hard.
"I... it may be a bit pompous I s'pose, but well, you, erm, you have one for when you look at me," he said softly. He ran his hand along her shoulder through her cloak.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah," Harry said, a bit more confidently. Ginny giggled and kissed him quickly on the lips. Harry smiled lopsidedly at her. With the air of someone who was sure of her actions, Ginny straddled Harry's waist and leaned down, kissing his neck.
Harry was frozen for a moment with shock, but all thoughts drained away as Ginny tentatively sucked the hollow of his neck.
"Make one move and you will regret it," said the dark, throaty voice from behind him. Harry felt Ginny freeze and he, himself, quickly opened his eyes. He wasn't sure when he'd closed them or when his hands had gotten tangled in Ginny's hair. He removed those quickly as well.
"R-ron," Harry stuttered.
"I told you not move," Ron said darkly. Harry felt as if someone had just cut open his stomach.
"Ron!" Ginny cried. Harry turned to look at her (seeing her mussed up hair and flushed skin did nothing to help matters), blushing at her next words. "We were in the middle of something!" Harry licked his lips, which had suddenly gone dry.
But Ron smiled suddenly and Harry felt his heart slow down. "We'll leave in a moment, Gin, just calm yourself down." She glared at her brother. "Just for the record, I couldn't have picked anyone better for either of you."
"That's just because you think Harry won't shag until he's married," Ginny muttered. Harry's jaw fell open as he stared at the girl seated in his lap.
"You did read that little black book in the back of the library, right Ginny?" Hermione asked, seemingly ignoring the boys. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Of course! Besides," Ginny added innocently. "I've raided your trunk before you know." Hermione blushed just ever so slightly. "I especially like the hand-written one."
"Ginevra!" Ginny smirked at her. Harry looked over at Ron and the exchanged the same confused gaze. "Well," Hermione said in a resigned defeat. "You'd best have put it back!"
"Of course I did," Ginny said. "After I'd copied it for myself." Both girls giggled at this point and Harry felt himself getting even more confused. Ron cleared his throat and jerked his thumb towards the exit of the cave.
"I think that the tunnel under Honeydukes is empty," Ron said, grinning evilly. "Care for a stroll?"
"Ew! Ronald!" Ron pointedly ignored his sister. Hermione nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh! Did we win the galleons?" asked Hermione. "Or was it Luna and Neville?"
"Might be Pavarti and Terry," Ron said as he looked at his watch. "No, no, we got it, I think. But Colin'll get fifteen sickles and eight knuts, he got the place. Well, relatively."
"You bet on us?" Harry asked incredulously. Ron shrugged, nonplussed. Hermione, however, did look a bit ashamed.
"You bet on us," Ron pointed out haughtily. Harry thought it best not to respond to that, and Ginny seemed to agree. Ron and Hermione turned and began leaving the cave.
"And how long until your match?" Hermione continued on with Ron as though they'd never been interrupted.
"Two weeks, three days, one hour, twenty minutes, and six seconds."
"Ah, then I've got that much more time of you all to myself," Hermione said seductively. Ron grinned.
"Yeah, you do."
Behind them, Ginny and Harry gagged.