Chapter 25
It was a long week. A very long week. Each day it felt like Harry was waking up a little farther underwater, a little farther from the shore. Each day he spent either in the Room of Requirement or in his DADA class; each night he drove the DA members harder and harder.
And tonight, he looked over the panting, exhausted and bleeding students and just felt weary. With a wave of his wand, he sent some sparks up in the air and brought people to a halt. Harry waited a moment until he had everyone's attention, then spoke. "Everyone, quit early tonight. You need sleep, and you need to get healed up. I'll see you tomorrow night."
There was a ragged cheer from one corner, where some fifth-year Ravenclaws were bent over, chests heaving. Hah. Guess they were a little on the tired side, Harry thought. People began to chatter and murmur as they headed for the door, and Harry turned away. He wasn't up to talking with the twenty different students who would be sure to have some question or another. Instead he leaned against the window frame and stared out at the dark grounds. There were no stars tonight, he thought. The moon was a dark sliver hanging in the sky. Remus would be counting down the days soon.
There was a light touch on his arm, and Harry looked over his shoulder to see Hermione standing there. "Are you ok?" she asked, looking concerned.
Harry thought for a moment about telling her of the foreboding feeling he couldn't escape from, even when he slept. Then he looked down and saw the dark shadows under his friend's eyes, and the small cut on her cheek. He gave a strained smile. "Yeah," he said, trying to be convincing. "Go to bed, Hermione. No homework tonight."
He looked over her head and raised an eyebrow at Ron. His best mate gave a short nod, shoving his hands in his pockets. Ron'd take care of her, probably in a way Harry didn't want to think about.
"Come on, 'Mione," Ron said, holding out his hand. "Let's go." The Head Boy's voice was weary as well, and the two walked slowly out of the room.
Harry watched the door swing shut, and when it all was quiet and still, he finally let himself slump. He dropped down to sit on the window seat, rubbing his temples tiredly. He couldn't shake the low-grade headache that had been dogging him the last two days. That and the dreams... he hadn't slept properly for a week.
There was a sound from the other side of the room and Harry's head whipped up, eyes narrowing. "Lumos," he hissed, and the room brightened enough to see a familiar red head leaning back against the wall. He sighed. "Gin," he said. "Go to bed."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You're getting too far into that teacher mode, aren't you, Harry?" Those lovely lips of hers twisted in a smirk as she heaved herself up from her spot on the floor. "Seems to me you need taking down a notch."
Something hot stirred deep inside Harry. He leaned back, planting his hands on the seat behind him. "Oh?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. His heart was starting to beat a little faster, and he was beginning to forget his headache.
She was stalking him now, hips moving and that little smirk on her face. "Yes, 'oh'," she murmured. She was close to him now, very close. He could see the sheen of sweat on her skin, smell the faint fragrance that lingered from her shampoo. Ginny casually lifted a leg and seated herself on his lap, straddling his legs. She leaned forward, planting her hands next to his.
"How about another 'oh'?" she said softly, and then she kissed him. Harry had a brief second of sanity, just enough to think that this girlfriend thing was really a pretty damn good deal, before the only thing he could think of that hot mouth moving against his. He resisted the urge to lift a hand and tangle it in his girl's hair. Ginny was in charge, and damned if he didn't like it.
She kissed him, and kissed him some more. Wet, deep kisses that had tongues and teeth tangling. Then she lifted her hands and gave a wicked grin. "Hi," she said and then yanked. The two of them went tumbling to the floor and Harry found himself laughing as they rolled over. Of course, the laughter stopped pretty quickly as her mouth latched onto his again, and as her hands started to slide around buttons and fasteners. He kissed her hungrily, wanting more and more. His own fingers hunted out the buttons on her pants, her shirt, slipping inside to stroke skin. He felt like his skin was on fire, that there was a urgency that couldn't wait.
Ginny was breathing hard as she wrenched her head away and reared up over him. "Hi," she said again and then dived back down. Harry found his hand tangled in his shirt, and ripped it in his impatience. Ginny was everywhere, her mouth, her hands... Harry gave a strangled gasp as her teeth nipped unexpectedly. Merlin, she was going to kill him and he wasn't going to mind a bit.
He fumbled a bit, trying to get her out of her clothing, until she pulled back and helped. And then there was soft, warm female flesh in his hands, and he really did loose it. Mouths and hands and bodies moved and twisted and they both gasped, and then the world spun and blurred until it was just the two of them in their own little passionate place.
Later, he didn't know how much later, Harry drifted back down to earth. If he'd been tired before, he was really tired now. But this time it wasn't that soul-deep weariness. This felt more like the kind where he just slept and savored.
"Don't leave," Ginny mumbled into his chest, her hair spilling over his arm. Harry thought about stroking it away from her face, but didn't have the energy.
"I don't think I can move," he whispered back, closing his eyes. Drawing up all his energy, he peered toward the window seat and summoned a cushion. Somewhat to his surprise, a blanket came with it. Apparently the Room was already compensating for the change in needs. He barely managed to get the blanket spread over their two tired bodies before sinking back down. Tomorrow was coming too soon. He'd get them up, but right now he was just so comfortable and Ginny felt so good cuddled against him...
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Ron was the one who woke them, damn it all. Ginny had been warm and comfortable and sleeping better than she'd done the whole last stupid week when Big Brother decided to make an appearance.
"Dammit, Potter," she heard in a pissed-off growl and cracked an eyelid.
"Fuck off, Ronnie," she mumbled, not lifting her head. She wasn't loosing her spot.
She felt Harry's chest lift in a sigh. "Go away, Ron," the love of her life said above her head. "Or I'll ask where Hermione was last night."
There was silence, then a low muttering and the sound of footsteps stalking away and the door closing. "I'm going back to sleep," Ginny sleepily informed her pillow.
Arms hugged her closer. "Ok," Harry's voice said. And she yawned and did exactly that.
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Cara watched Harry carefully at breakfast. He'd been looking pretty tight yesterday, she thought, and then to send them all to bed early? Not that she'd minded, she'd been beat and it'd let her cuddle with Draco for a while.
Judging from Ginny's relaxed state, she smirked silently, Harry'd gotten some 'cuddling' himself.
Cara was just reaching for the butter when Harry gave a hiss of pain and clutched at his forehead.
"Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked, alarmed.
Harry was gritting his teeth as he answered. "Get everyone in place. Now. We're out of time." They all sat and stared at him, eyes wide. Cara didn't know what to think. Now? Was he saying that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was here? Now?
"Go!" Harry snapped, bringing his hand away from his face, eyes tight and drawn. He shoved away from the table and headed for the teacher's table.
Ron shoved to his own feet and shouted to get everyone's attention. "Oi, shut up!" It did get quieter as people turned to stare at him. "Right, then, this is it. DA members, you know what to do."
"First through third years, to your common rooms!" Hermione called. She was pale, very pale. And Ginny... a hand slid into her own and squeezed. Cara looked sideways at her white-faced friend. None of them were really ready for this. And Draco...
With a feeling of panic, Cara realized that Draco wasn't there. Where was he? Did he know? How was she supposed to keep him safe if he wasn't there...
"Draco just went out the door," Ginny's voice said low in her ear as students started to babble and slowly follow instructions, DA members moving them along as quickly as possible. "He's got his part to do, you know."
Cara swallowed hard and nodded sharply. "So do we," she said. Draco would find her. He'd be all right, all he had to do was separate out the Slytherins they could trust... She swallowed again and squeezed back. "Let's go."
She looked over her shoulder and saw Harry leaning over the table, speaking rapidly to a huddle of teachers. Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had started getting everyone moving along faster, and... her eyes darted about. There were noticeably few Slytherins around.
Cara took a deep breath and dropping Ginny's hand, headed for the exit of the Great Hall. It was time, this was it. Her hand dropped to her pocket and she took out her wand. She just hoped they all made it out alive.
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AN: Yes, yes, I'm terrible. But I do have good excuses that I won't bore you with... job issues and junior high musicals and second-graders that are penguins... And I did give you a Harry/Ginny scene! Anywhoo...
I'm too bloody tired to do individual reviews. Just know that I read each and every one, I love all of you, and that's the only reason I dragged myself over to the computer tonight instead of to bed. : - )