A/N: Hey guys! I hope everyone is doing okay! I'm really sick at the moment, but I wanted to give you guys an update! So once again, I'm not going to post long reviews. Don't hurt me. Lol. But I do want to thank:
Maraudergrl99, Lily, Silk Gowns, Lily Dwarf, Harry/Ginnyfan4ever, JediPirateElfyDude, LillyGinnyEvans, gatoriris, Future Mrs. Radcliffe, Lavendar Brown, the-insufferable-know-it-all, Jomai, Darkflower2113, IndiaInk, Canadian Star, blink gurl017!
You guys are seriously amazing! Thank you so much for reviewing for last chapter! I will definitely try to write out long reviews next time. Hopefully I'll be feeling better!
The clock read exactly one minute before three. Ginny nearly fainted, but managed to maintain composure. Quickly, she sprinted up the stairs town at a time, grabbed her bag, and sprinted back down. Ginny ran over to the table and touched the mirror just in time to feel a jerk just below her navel.
Chapter Seventeen: Lips Like Sugar
Ginny landed with a loud thump on the mossy forest floor behind her apartment building. Her head ached, a dull pain spreading throughout. The sun was hidden behind a mass of ominous clouds that looked as if it were going to dump water on her head any moment. She grumbled and stood up, brushing the dirt and mud off her clothes best as she could.
"Thanks Dad." she muttered to herself before starting the long walk to her apartment.
A low rumble erupted from the sky above, and Ginny let out a loud sigh. With her luck, it would start raining any moment. Another deep noise echoed throughout the silence of the shaded woods. Sure enough, a moment later the sky opened up, and the rain began to come down in torrents. Ginny knew she still had a two-mile walk before she would step out of the woods.
"CAN IT GET ANY WORSE?" she screamed to no one.
She began to walk a little faster each step. Things were looking less grim when a loud cracking noise sounded beneath her feet. Ginny looked down to see that the heel had broken off her right shoe. A string of curses erupted from Ginny's mouth, but she pressed on. Now she was walking lopsided, the pace slowed even more.
"Dammit! I am soaked through, and my stuff is probably drenched as well!" She yelled to the empty forest.
Little animals skittered away nervously, afraid of her building temper. She glared at the ground, willing it to swallow her whole. Ginny had been walking for a while longer before an idea came to her.
"I can Apperate!" she exclaimed aloud.
"I just hope I don't splinch myself."
Ginny sat down and pulled open her duffel. The wand still lay on top, completely dry and unharmed. Ginny took in a deep breath and took the wand in her hands. She felt a surge of energy, just as she had before. Ginny grabbed her bag, and stood up, wand ready. She steeled herself for what she was about to do, and then disappeared with a pop.
Ginny reappeared in her room, collapsing onto the bed immediately after. Her whole body was damp, and shivers wracked her body. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling sleep start to overcome her. But then Ginny heard something that made her sit straight up. It was the sound of clinking dishes, as if someone was cooking dinner. Curious, Ginny opened her bedroom door noiselessly and peered out into the hall. No one was there, so she tiptoed onward. The chords of a familiar song were playing throughout the house, and suddenly Ginny heard an off key voice singing along.
"Lips like sugarrrrrr. Sugar kisses." They were singing at the top of their lungs.
Ginny stifled a laugh, and realized who the mystery noisemaker must be.
"Oh Harry. Harry, Harry, Harry." Ginny said to herself with a chuckle.
Ginny continued her slow progress down the hall, trying not to burst out laughing as Harry kept singing. When she finally reached the kitchen, Ginny hid behind the nearest wall. Carefully, she stretched her body, and peered around it. What she saw made her want to faint from embarrassment, hilarity, and sheer amazement. Harry was dancing around the kitchen, making dinner, in his boxers. Oh God. Ginny tried to pry her eyes from Harry's toned body, but found she could not. Oh well. He doesn't know I'm here. Might as well enjoy it, Ginny thought with mischevious smile. The kitchen smelled heavenly, and Ginny was extremely surprised that Harry hadn't blown himself up in the process. Ginny started to lean over to get a closer look, when she leaned to far and...
"Ouch!" she yelled while landing with a thud in the kitchen.
Harry looked properly shocked for a moment, and then turned crimson.
"I uh..um..I didn't..uh..expect you until later." Harry managed to stumble out.
"The family had to go into Diagon Alley, so they fixed me a Portkey and I ended up two miles in the woods behind the apartment. And then I walked over one of them before I realized that I could just try to Apperate. Which I did. Into my room. And then as I was laying there, I heard this incredibly off key voice singing, and I just had to know who it was." Ginny said with a grin.
Harry let out a loud laugh, and then turned even redder.
"I better go change." He muttered.
"Are you sure? Cause I quite fancy your current look." Ginny said with impish smile.
Harry turned as red as humanly possible, and quickly exited the room. Ginny then proceeded to flop down onto a kitchen chair, a permanent grin etched on her face.
I can't even believe I just said that.
Well that certainly took away the tension of your kiss. And replaced it with new tension.
Oh shut it!
But I have to say, nice job for being ballsy enough to say it.
Thank you very much!
The smile would not leave Ginny's face hard as she tried to erase it, so she stopped trying to suppress it. With a jolt, she shot up from the chair and raced back into her bedroom. Collapsing onto her bed, Ginny let out a sigh. Her stomach was twisted in knots, but somehow they were strangely pleasant. Like someone gently pushing on the inside of her stomach walls. Butterflies fluttered softly in Ginny's abdomen and her heart thumped rhythmically against her chest. The beat of a heart in sync, finally in tune with everything she had ever wanted. A newfound determination rose up inside of her, and suddenly anything seemed possible. Ginny felt as if she jumped off a craggy cliff overlooking the ever-stretching ocean, that she would fly. Glittering wings made of newfound hope and love would sprout effortlessly from her back, allowing her to soar through the sky. She felt better than she had in months, like a leaf was slowly turning in her. The ice that had frosted so thickly was finally melting away. A feeling of sheer infinity swept over her, and Ginny willed it to never go away.
With a flourish, Ginny jumped upright onto her bed, arms outstretched. A song filled her heart as she hesitatingly pointed her bare toes to dance. Within minutes, she had leapt from the bed, twirling about the room, never opening her eyes for a moment. And this time no one interrupted her moment of joy. So Ginny danced on in pure ecstasy until her feet were sore and her legs weak.
Around an hour later, Ginny emerged from her room with flushed cheeks and dancing eyes. Harry was nowhere to be seen, so she took it upon herself to peek around the kitchen. Water was boiling on the stove, and a lovely smelling sauce was simmering in an open pan. Uncooked shrimp lay untouched on the countertop, just waiting to be eaten. I suppose one couldn't hurt, Ginny thought with a glance around the kitchen. Just as she was popping the tasty snack into her mouth, Harry's voice filled the room.
"And what do you think you're doing Miss Weasley?" He asked with a smile on his face.
"Uh eating?" Ginny said through a mouthful of shrimp.
"Well you're eating part of the main course." He replied with a chuckle.
"Main course?"
"I was making us some dinner. Hope you don't mind."
"No not at all. I love a man who can cook."
Did I really just say that?
"That's good to know." Harry said with a smirk.
"So why are you making this wonderful dinner? Is there a special occasion?"
"I sort of thought it would be a nice way to start off living together as roommates. Because we haven't really yet."
"That's really sweet of you Harry."
"Well, you know..."
"Thank you." Ginny said genuinely.
Harry smiled and nodded his head. He gave Ginny one last glance before turning and resuming the cooking that had been going on before Ginny arrived home. He looked so at ease in the kitchen, and this set another enormous smile on Ginny's face. She watched him for a moment more before leaving the kitchen, and settling onto the living room couch. Music still played throughout the house, making the tension all but disappear. Before Ginny could stop herself, she had begun singing. The sound of a deep laugh rang out over the music, and Ginny momentarily stopped singing. Harry walked in with a massive grin on his face.
"And I thought my singing was off key." He said with a laugh.
"Oh shut it!" Ginny said while throwing a pillow at him.
He walked from the room, and Ginny felt a tremendous loss. She willed him to walk back into the living room, but much to her disappointment, he did not. Oh crimeny. Now I'm sad when he leaves the room. What next? Already antsy, Ginny left the living room and ventured back into the kitchen. Harry was nowhere to be seen. What the damn? Feeling nosy, Ginny tiptoed to the spare bedroom that she had finally cleared for Harry. The door was open the slightest bit, but Ginny could just make out Harry's naked back. He appeared to be looking out the window, at what she didn't know. But what Ginny did know, was that the mere sight of Harry's flexing back muscles was making her face flush with warmth. Tentatively, Ginny reached up and knocked on his door. She saw him visibly start, and heard his voice.
"Yes Ginny?"
She could hear the smile in his voice.
"Well it was getting quite lonely on the sofa. Would you like to join me?"
Harry walked over to the door and pulled it open, looking Ginny in the eyes.
"I'd love to."
Ginny smiled widely, and started to walk into the living room. Harry followed closely behind. So close in fact, that Ginny could feel his hot breath on her neck. Needless to say, she was finding it hard to walk. Once they had reached the inviting safety of the sofa, Ginny let out a sigh of relief. They both sat in silence for a moment, until Ginny decided to speak up.
"Things have been so crazy since we came back into each other lives, that I haven't had the chance to really talk to you."
"I know, I feel the same way. That was sort of what I was hoping we could do at dinner tonight."
"Well good. I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about."
Harry was about to reply, when a timer dinged loudly in the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready. I'm just going to set up, so I'll come and get you when it's all ready."
"Sounds good."
Harry left the room, leaving Ginny alone with her thoughts. She pondered how she could have fallen this fast for him, but then reminded herself that it wasn't that difficult. He was handsome, caring, and funny without trying to be. And it helped that they had shared an amazing romance while at school together. She wondered if he still smelled the same, that scent of cool evenings and burning fires. She wondered if he still tasted the same, like peppermint. Ginny had been so caught up in the moment when they had kissed in the leaves, that she hadn't paused to notice the little things she used to love about him. But Ginny had noticed that Harry still had that impish smile, along with that familiar mischievous twinkle in his eyes. She loved the way that he could be immersed in laughter one minute, and completely serious in the next. She loved the way his hair stood on end all day, everyday. She loved the way he was so loyal to all of his loved ones, the way he protected them and kept them close. Hell, she loved everything about him.
Ginny was snapped out of her reverie by the sound of Harry's warm voice.
"Gin? Everything's ready."
Ginny stood without a word, and followed Harry into the kitchen. She gasped in shock at what she found. Somehow, Harry had managed a way to dim the lights. Candles cast their glow about the entire room. The normally chipping, wood table was covered in an elegant white tablecloth. Their food awaited them in silver platters, shining brightly in the candlelight.
"Harry. This is amazing. Thank you." Ginny whispered, before standing on her toes and kissing his cheek.
Something twinkled in Harry's eyes, and he brushed a hand across Ginny's face.
"Your welcome." He said with a smile playing on his lips.
"My lady." He said in a mock chivalrous tone while pulling out her chair.
"Thank you kind sir." Ginny responded with a grin.
They both seated themselves, and lifted off the silver covers over their food. Steam rose up from the food, warming Ginny's already flushed face. She looked at Harry from under her lashes, to find him looking at her. She resisted the urge to jump on him, and began to eat.
"Harry this is absolutely delicious! What is it?"
"A salad, shrimp scampi, and fresh baked bread." He said with a smile.
"It's bloody fantastic!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Thanks Ginny." He said with a laugh.
It was silent for a moment, as the two looked at each other.
"What did you do all those years Harry?" Ginny asked quietly.
"After I graduated, I started to train to become an Auror. That alone took a year, and then I was accepted into the program. I traveled a lot, in the beginning. Eventually it slowed down as the years passed. Just two months ago I retired. The job was so draining, and I just didn't feel like I could continue with it much longer. By chance, a friend of mine recommended to come to this town for a vacation. I loved it, and ended up wanting to stay. And that's how we ended up here." He said with a smile.
"Wow Harry. I didn't realize. What was being an Auror like?"
"It was exciting at first. We'd be called at all hours of the day to go on missions. My team and I saved many people. But after a while it just got to be too much." He said, suddenly looking tired.
"I understand what you mean. Maybe not exactly, but I know what it feels like to have too much to cope with. After Ash died, I didn't know what to do with myself. Nothing seemed right; everything felt so out of place. It still feels like that sometimes. But lately I've been feeling somewhat better. I'll never fully get over her death. She was like a sister to me, we told each other everything, went through everything together. But I've come to understand that everything will heal with time." Ginny said with a watery smile.
Harry reached over and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. He didn't say a word, and Ginny was glad for it. She loved how he could say so much, without uttering a word.
"Ron told me some pretty hard things went on while I was gone. What happened?" asked Ginny, changing the subject.
"Your dad lost his job. He was fired from his high post out of the blue one day. Your family had no warning. He has a very low-income job at the very bottom of the Ministry now. A week after he was let go, your mum got sick. That too was a complete mystery. But I'd say it was the Muggle equivalent of having cancer." Harry said while squeezing her hand.
Ginny let out a gasp, and tears weld up in her eyes.
"Oh my god. I can't believe I wasn't there for all that. I feel like such a bitch. How could I have left?" Ginny asked with a sob.
"Shh Gin. It's okay. Your mom is fine now. The mediwizards at St. Mungos were able to treat her, and she's in great health now." he said soothingly.
"What about Hermione?" Ginny asked with shining eyes.
Harry's eyes clouded, and he looked down.
"She was driving to the Burrow from her house. I don't know why she didn't just Apperate. But on the way she got into an accident. Her car slammed into a tree. She was rushed to St. Mungos. She had badly wrecked her body. She was on a breathing machine for two weeks. The mediwizards managed to heal the outside of her, but the inside was so damaged. They took her off the breathing machine, and when they did, her heart stopped." He said with a choke.
Ginny's eyes were wide with shock, overflowing to the brim with tears.
"But by some miracle, a minute later she was breathing again. She healed slowly after that, but she eventually regained consciousness, and the ability to walk and talk. But it took a long time."
"Oh Harry. That's so terrible. How could I have missed all this? I let you down, I let Hermione down, I let Mum, Dad, Ron, I let them all down." She said with a cry.
"That's all in the past Gin. Everyone's so glad you're back." Harry said with a small smile.
"Me too." Ginny said, returning the squeeze Harry had earlier given her hand.
They finished eating their dinner, and began to clean up the small kitchen. Ginny had never cared for it much, but suddenly it was warm and cozy with Harry there by her side. The two began to exchange jokes and share laughter. The sad conversation seemed ages ago now, as they laughed by each other's side. Ginny flicked water in Harry's face, and he in turn tripped her.
"Very funny." Ginny said sarcastically.
"What can I say?" Harry said with a smirk.
"I say we make it even better." Ginny said with a mischievous smile.
"Oh and how are we going to do that?"
"Like this!" Ginny shouted, before dumping her leftover shrimp scampi all over his head.
"Oh I see. We're going to play dirty."
Without another word, he dumped his water down the back of her shirt. Ginny shrieked in surprise, and recoiled from the cold. Harry then proceeded to throw his soggy salad in her face. They both collapsed onto the floor, covered in food, laughing so hard they were crying.
"How about we cleanup, and then I'll take you out." Harry suggested.
"Sounds wonderful." Ginny said with a smile, before jumping up and heading for the bathroom.
"I've got the bathroom first!" She called from inside.
Harry let out a chuckle, and decided to clean up the kitchen as best he could. It looked like a tornado had blown through. After around a half an hour, he heard Ginny's voice call.
"Shower's open!"
Harry raced out of the kitchen as fast as his feet would carry him, and entered the bathroom. He was about to turn on the shower, when he noticed something black and lacy hanging from the door. He gulped as he realized what it was. Ginny's bra. His cheeks felt as if they were on fire, as he touched it. He tried with all his might not to think about it on Ginny. Something inside him was feeling extremely mischievous, so he grabbed it, and walked to Ginny's room. Harry lifted a hand and knocked on the door, while holding up the bra in the other. Ginny opened the door in her robe, looking beautiful, in Harry's opinion.
"Did you forget something?" Harry asked holding up the bra with a grin.
"Harry!" Ginny cried, before snatching the bra and slamming the door in his face.
Harry let out a laugh, and walked back into the bathroom to take his shower. After quickly washing off and shaving, Harry jumped out, dried off, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He ran into his room, shutting the door behind him.
Meanwhile, Ginny was in her room trying to figure out what to wear.
"No, that won't do!" she yelled in exasperation, while throwing clothes onto the floor.
Ginny was making an awful mess of her room, and was just about to give up, when she found it. A short, red dress, sexy enough to impress Harry, but just modest enough to make it unobvious to him that she was trying to impress him. Who said redheads could never wear red? Some mascara and red lipstick would be perfect. When she was finally ready, Ginny emerged from her room feeling quite confident. She strode into the living room in her heels, momentarily disappointed to find it empty. Must still be getting ready, Ginny thought with a roll of her eyes and a smile. A few minutes later, Harry appeared in Ginny's view. She had to remember to breathe. He was dressed in a pair of black pants, and a crisp white shirt that would have looked stuffy if it weren't for the opened buttons and his adorably messy hair. His eyes stood out even brighter than usual, drawing Ginny's gaze. But she was pleased to see he looked quite pleased with how she looked. Ginny suddenly felt extremely playful, and a little bad. This thought almost made her giggle, but she refrained, and got up from the couch, gliding over to Harry gracefully. Ginny looked him in the eyes, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You look great. Are you ready to have some fun?" she breathed into his ear.
Harry made something that sounded remotely like a gulping noise, and then replied.
"Yes."
"Well then let's go."
Ginny released her arms from his neck, and grabbed his hand leading him out the front door.
Thirty minutes later Ginny and Harry were walking into the newest club in the area. Loud, rich music was pouring out at volumes so loud it was extremely difficult to hear. Ginny flashed a smile at Harry as they walked in, and he returned it. The atmosphere inside was wild, chaotic, and utterly infectious. Black lights shone down everywhere, making everything glow in the dark. Multicolored drinks lined the bar, all looking delicious. Masses of people were dancing on the floor, letting all their inhibitions go. Ginny let out a laugh at the sight of one man's dancing. Harry let out a gulp as he watched Ginny's fiery hair bounce as she walked ahead of him. They both continued further into the club, until they had found two empty spaces at the bar. A tattooed and pierced bartender served them their drinks, and they sat there sipping for a while. Harry kept shooting glances at Ginny to find her staring back. She would smile and turn away, going back to watch the floor.
After a while, Ginny stood up and shouted.
"Harry! Come dance with me! I love this song!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh Ginny. I'm not much of a dancer." Harry said sheepishly.
"You will be when I'm done with you!" Ginny shouted, before grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him onto the floor.
Slow lazy, beats were blaring out of the massive speakers, the singers voice sounding hypnotic.
"Come on closer. Want to show you, what I'd like to do." the voice sang out.
Ginny ran her hands through her long red hair, and began to swivel her hips. Harry was starting to sweat. She pulled him closer, dancing against him. Oh bloody hell, Harry thought to himself as his mind began to shut down. Ginny ran her hands over his chest, and pulled him even closer.
"Hot temptations, sweet sensations, coming over you." the singer sang huskily.
Oh shit.
Meanwhile, as Harry was going through a meltdown, Ginny was thoroughly enjoying herself. As evil as it was, she sort of liked seeing Harry squirm. She could tell he quite liked having her so close. A smile played on Ginny's lips as she continued to press her body against Harry's. Feeling daring, Ginny took Harry's hands and placed them on the small of her back. After a few seconds, Harry's hands moved slowly down to her backside. Ginny had to restrain her laughter. He was so shy. Ginny leaned close to Harry's neck, so he could feel her hot breath on his neck. Something like passion flickered through Harry's eyes, and Ginny suddenly felt herself being drawn to his lips. But she pushed this away, and continued to dance.
After being on the floor for what seemed like hours, Ginny and Harry finally made their way back to the bar. Ginny was parched from the exertion and needed something to drink.
"Give me the strongest stuff you have!" Ginny yelled over the music, addressing the bartender.
"Sure thing." He replied.
Harry looked at her questioningly.
"Are you sure that's a good idea Gin?" Harry asked.
"Why not?" Ginny responded.
The bartender brought over a tiny shot glass filled with pink liquid.
"This little thing?" asked Ginny incredulously.
"Trust me." the bartender assured her.
"Okay."
Ginny tipped the shot to her mouth, and downed it in one gulp. Warmth immediately spread throughout her entire body. She felt as of all of her was humming an unfamiliar tune. She heard a deep, male voice speaking to her.
"Hey you, you just downed that pretty fast. But I don't think you could beat me." said a fairly attractive man with blond hair and warm brown eyes.
"I could kick your ass. You're talking to the girl who's won every single drinking game she's ever played." Ginny said with a grin.
"Oh really? You up for the challenge?" The man asked teasingly.
"Bring it on." said Ginny in a mock serious voice.
"Bring us a round of shots!" called the man.
"Coming right up." The bartender yelled back.
"Ginny, do you think this is such a good idea?" Harry asked again worriedly.
"Oh come on Harry! Have a little fun." Ginny replied with a laugh.
A tray of multicolored shots arrived in front of Ginny and the strange man. They both looked at each other and chuckled.
"Ready?" asked the man.
"Never been more." Ginny replied.
"On three. One...Two...THREE!" The man shouted.
An hour later, Ginny was completely smashed. Faces became blurry, and voices muffled. Ginny attempted to remove herself from the stool she was sitting on, but found herself on the floor in the next moment. Raucous laughter escaped her lips, as she tried and failed to stand back up. Finally, she stood up, though shakily. People spoke to her, everything they said making her hysterical. An out of focus face suddenly appeared in front of her. Black hair and green eyes swam in her vision.
"Ginny, I think we should go home." Harry said.
"But Harrrrrrryy. I'm having so much funnnn." Ginny whined.
"No I think we need to get you home." Harry said again.
"Okay." Ginny agreed with a giggle.
Harry propped her up on his shoulder, and led her out the door. She stumbled frequently, almost bringing Harry down with her. Suddenly she stopped walking, her eyes wide.
"Harry. I think I'm gonna..." she trailed off, before vomiting all over his shoes.
Harry smacked a hand to his forehead, and cringed in disgust. He kicked off his shoes, and wobbled over to a hose on the side of the building, dragging Ginny along with him. Harry picked up the hose and turned it on. Immediately water sprung from the hose, drenching Harry's entire body to the bone. He spewed out a few obscenities, before taking Ginny back to the car. He gently laid her body across the back seat, and climbed into the driver's.
Before long, they were back at the house. Harry took the now sleeping Ginny in his arms, and carried her into the house. The music was still playing softly in the background, as he took Ginny into her room and laid her down on her bed. She stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open. Harry leaned down towards her.
"Ginny?" Harry asked quietly.
"Lips like sugar." she muttered before bringing her lips to his.
A/N: Holy crap! That is the longest chapter I have ever written! I worked frickin hard on it too. Lol. Ten pages, woo hoo! I hope you liked it! And by the way, the two songs in there are: "Lips like Sugar" by Echo and the Bunnymen, and "Come on Closer" by Jem. There ya go! Read and Review.