Chapter 3

"Oi, Ginny!" She heard echo around the pitch. Her head spun in the direction of the call. Her teammates beckoned her to them. Ginny floated to them curiously and once she was hovering before them she looked from face to face. The looks on the two girls' faces made Ginny's insides turn cold.

"So…" her fellow chaser and friend, Natalie Raven, began with a coy smirk, "Rumor has it. That while the team was on break you and Mr. Cannon's Captain over there stayed together at your parent's. Is this true?"

Ginny froze, then nodded. The other girls' faces lit up at the opportunity to make Ginny squirm.

"We thought that was most likely true since your parents have all but adopted him." The other girl, the team's keeper, Kiera Ember, flew to the other side of Ginny while stating the last comment. Ginny's eyes darkened slightly, she was waiting for the blow. These two were up to something.

Natalie kept up the pace of the jabs to keep Ginny's attention on her. "Weeelllllll… we also heard another rumor. And it's just a littttlllleee bit more interesting." She held her thumb and index finger an inch apart, holding then in front of her face. Keira wrapped her hand firmly around Ginny's broom in preparation for the blow yet to come. Kiera then spoke up, "My dear…is there anything you would like to share about you and our dear captain Harry, with the rest of your wonderful teammates?"

What little color that was left in Ginny's face instantly drained. The two girls cackled loudly, attracting the attention of the four boys lazing around the pitch during their 15-minute break.

Ginny opened her mouth to comment but she was interrupted by Harry's voice calling out, "Aye, what's so blasted funny over there. You sound like a bunch of hens!" Ginny's breath caught.

In a quiet voice, Natalie asked Kiera, "Should we ask Mr. Potter about it Ki?" Kiera smirked evilly but then called back, "Nothing. Just talking!" her voice sounding amused.

"Now Ginny. Dear. What has been going on with you and Harry? We all know you leave together and I have even seen you two at Diagon Alley together."

"We're friends Nat. Is that a crime?"

"No…"

Ki cut in, "but from what we hear y'all are defiantly friends……with benefits."

Ginny's eyes widened.

"Yes Gin. We have heard from a reliable source that you and Mr. Potter had quite a time over break. Saaaayyyyy…A midnight swim?…Among other things of course."

Inwardly Ginny was relieved. That was all they knew about. Thank God. She had been on edge ever since that morning at the Burrow, when her and Harry had made the announcement. No one was supposed to know yet.

"Yeah so maybe we did go swimming one night. So?" Ginny had decided that this would be the easy way out for her.

"Among other things."

"Yeah. We know that's not all you did. Y'all got a little close that night too."

"So?' The two girls' eyes bugged out. Ginny was the most private person they knew. She was fiercely protective of her personal life. She never joined in on locker room gossip. Her openly admitting that something more than just swimming had happened completely threw the girls.

Once she had shut Mat and Ki up, Ginny dropped her broom into a steep dive and then flew off looping and twirling. The two girls could only watch and stare.

Harry called practice to resume. The team flew hard for another two hours until Harry signaled them to the ground.

As the team walked to the entrance of the pitch Harry fell into step with Ginny, their hand brushing each other discreetly. As they approached the main gate they all stopped and formed a circle, looking expectantly at Harry.

Clapping his hands Harry stated, "Okay. Great practice. Ginny, Natalie, Tim. You three did great with everything but you still need to get the timing down of that last play. Jordan and Dylan. What can I say our human beaters. Kiera good job on your blocking, but you need to make sure you watch all the hoops not just one. Okay that's all I have to say. No meet tomorrow. Have fun. Be here at 8 A.M. Friday. We have to get ready for the match Saturday. Off with you now. Go."

Tim Carter disapperated immediately. The beaters Jordan Taylor and Dylan Nickols were soon to follow. Natalie and Kiera waited, they were whispering excitedly and glancing at Harry and Ginny. Harry looked at Ginny for and explanation but Ginny only shook her head in response.

"Come on harry, lets get going. We have to be at the Burrow in a couple of hours." Ginny pulled on Harry's arm and the two were gone with two 'Pops." Ginny, a moment after Harry, so she could send a glare at the girls. Natalie and Kiera burst out laughing before they too disappeared.

Harry arrived seconds before Ginny and looked around waiting. He didn't have to wait long. Before he knew it he was on the floor. Looking up, he saw the surprised brown eyes of Ginny. Looking down, she noticed their position. She was sitting on top of Harry, straddling his hips, his hands were at her hips. Ginny blushed.

Finding his voice, Harry asked amused, "Well I didn't think you would miss me that much in like 3 seconds." Ginny playfully batted his arm.

Harry reached up and pulled her face down to meet his for a quick kiss. "So what was all the giggling about?"

Looking lost for a moment, it clicked in her head what he meant. "Oh. Evidently someone was spying on us that night at the stream over break. Because they told those two. When they started talking I nearly fell off my broom. I thought they had found out."

Harry nodded smiling, accepting her description, before pulling her in again. Heating up, the two were completely lost in each other. The passion grew and hands began to roam. They had some how taken each other's Quidditch pads off. Ginny's robs and shirt soon followed, leaving her in her practice pants and thin tank top. Ginny worked her hands under Harry's undershirt (The only thing he had on top) and began to work her hands upward taking the shirt with them. Harry shivered at her touch and their lips parted only to allow the shirt to come off. They became lost in each other's kisses and touches. So lost that they nearly jumped ten feet apart when someone cleared their throat very loudly followed by a cry of "Bloody Hell!"

They both looked up into the…hair of two people who were obviously Ron and Hermione. The two stood with their backs to the two on the floor. Hermione was shaking with laughter and Ron's neck was bright red.

Ginny scrambled to her robes and pulled in on over her tank top, while Harry did the same. Harry stood and held out his hand to help Ginny up. They were both an equal shade of bright red.

"Harry. I'm trying really hard here." Ron's strained voice whispered, "I only found out about you and my sister a few weeks ago. I would prefer to never, ever, see that again. EVER!"

"Ron." Hermione warned, "It's their flat. We shouldn't have apparated without letting them know."
Harry sighed, "It's okay to turn around."

Ron turned, eyes tightly shut. Hermione noticed it and cuffed his head causing Ron to open his eyes.

His eyes flashed at the rumpled people in front of his. Ginny's robes were buttoned wrong and Harry's were hanging from one shoulder. Their faces were nearly the color of their robes.

Ginny stepped forward, daring Ron with her eyes to start something. Ron opened his mouth but Ginny cut him off.

"Ronald Weasley, don't you dare. You know what I told you. I have enough on you to have Mum sending you howlers for a year straight. You even utter one word about this and I'll hex you so gab you won't recognize your own face." Her eyes flashed dangerously.

Ron's fury slipped as he stepped back from her. She was at the beginning of a major row if he didn't stop her.

But she saw his defeat and stopped. She then took in the way they were dressed.

"Wha..?"

"Ginny didn't you two get the owl? Your mum and dad asked everyone to dress nice."
Ginny and Harry groaned together and bolted for their bedroom.

Ron yelled after them, "You've only got 30 minutes left. Get a move on. And I really didn't want to see you both run into the same bedroom for your clothes. And for a couple of people who don't want it to get out that they are together, and not to mention LIVING together, you sure don't act like it!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry then smiled when they heard a loud smack followed by Hermione's irritated voice yelling at him.

Harry settled on a smartly cut dress robe in his typical dark green color.

Ginny pulled out a set of white robes with a mid-evil style neck (think very low , with a squarish shape, cut). The sleeves fit tight down to just below her elbows and then they flared out ending in a point several inches past her middle finger. They had a loop sewed into the sleeve that slipped over her finger to hold the sleeves in place. The robes were cinched tight under her breast, and fit tight along her flat stomach and hips. The robes then flared out slightly near the floor.

Ginny then piled her hair in curls on top of her head, and then applied her make-up quickly.

Harry grinned and took her hand. Together they went back to the living room. Ron glared at Ginny's robes but kept his mouth shut.

Harry cleared his throat, "Right then. Let's go. Dinner starts in 10 minutes.

All four of them disappeared at the same time. When they appeared at the Burrow it was completely dark. Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny and drew her near. Suddenly the light turned on all around them, temporarily blinding the two. In his blindness Harry drew Ginny against him to protect her. But many people jumped from every corner and just as their eyes adjusted to the light they heard…….