This chapter begins to heat up the relationship between Harry and Ginny and I'd like to remind everyone that this fic is rate R for a reason. You've been warned.

CQ


Chapter Six: Agreements

Harry had called for a meeting of the DA club the following night. They had continued the club, with Dumbledore's encouragement, and now it was accepted as a regular extra-curricular activity of the school. Harry and Ginny left directly from the Great Hall after dinner to ready the Room of Requirement before anyone else arrived.

Harry had thought they had rather a lot of time to prepare, but had been unprepared for the sudden change of direction and intent when, walking through the third floor corridor, Ginny had grabbed him by his robes and pulled him bodily into a broom cupboard.

"You're very attractive, Harry, did you know that?" Ginny grinned, wrapping her arms around him once the door was safely closed behind them and she had muttered a locking and privacy spell.

"No..."

"Well... you're certainly..."

"Ginny... what are you doing?"

"Me?" she tried to look confused, but came off with a bit of a smirk that told Harry that she knew exactly what he was talking about. But he decided to play along.

"Pulling me into a broom closet... your mother would be shocked," he said virtuously.

"My mother doesn' t need to know everything, Harry," she growled as her hand slid down to his collar and tugged on his tie. He was still wearing his school uniform, as she was.

"Ginny, sometimes I think your mother has some kind of telepathy when it comes to her kids," Harry sighed, holding her close, and knowing full well that Molly Weasley would know by looking at him if he did what his traitorous brain was telling him to do right now to her one and only daughter.

"What?"

"I don't want to get caught doing this..." his hand roved up and over a breast in the darkness. "Oops, sorry."

"No, you're not," she whispered, pressing closer to him. Harry groaned as her hips made contact.

"No... I'm not. But just in case your mother is listening..."

"She's not, Harry... really, she's not..." Ginny's lips wandered across from his throat to just under his ear. He shuddered.

"Ginny..."

"Harry, kiss me," she said, lifting her face to his.

Harry could barely make out the curve of her cheek in the darkness, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. Dipping low, he kissed her, one hand pressed into her lower back and keeping her tight against him as he moved her back against the wall. Ginny moaned as his lips moved down over her jaw and into the curve of her neck, and her hands came up, tugging his shirt up.

When Harry felt the first touch of her hands against the bare skin of his back, he thought he'd faint. When her hands came around to the front, skating over his tense stomach muscles and moving up over his chest, he nearly did. Instead, he edged the bottom of her own blouse out of the waistband of her skirt and tentatively touched one finger to the skin at her waist.

She was like silk. Not able to stop himself, he let his hand move higher, over her back. It was utterly amazing. Her skin was warm, but cool at the same time. It felt like satin under his fingers and...

What on earth was that...? Oh.

The band across her back led to her front. Her bra was made out of some soft material, and Harry couldn't believe she was letting him...

"Harry..." she said softly.

This is where she draws the line, Potter, the little voice in Harry's brain said sharply. You didn't really think...

"The clasp is in the front..." she muttered.

It was some minutes later when Ginny pulled away from the exploration of Harry's lips and moaned that he realized things had changed and pulled back.

"We really should go..." Ginny said.

"Go?" Harry was confused, still trying to clear his brain.

"DA club, Harry..." she kissed him lightly. "We'll be late."

She quickly righted her clothes and then took his hand. Harry resisted for a moment.

"Harry...?"

"Give me a minute, Gin... It's not exactly easy to..."

"Oh..." he thought he heard her giggle.

Dear Merlin, she'd better not be giggling.

"Okay... I'm okay now," he took a deep breath and reached for the door handle and opened it, glancing in the corridor to make sure it was clear before leading her out into the light.

They were late for the DA meeting, of course. Harry's tie was askew and Ginny had missed a button on her blouse... and Ron's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw this. Harry was nervous of his reaction for a moment, but then realized that Ron would do whatever it was that Ron would do... but he wouldn't trade those moments in the broom cupboard with Ginny for anything.

"Okay, everyone!" Harry called out, the room quieting around him. "First DA club meeting... has everyone signed in?"

There were voices from around the room, nods in Harry's direction and a few people moved to the parchment placed on the wall just inside the door to sign in.

As they did, the door opened, banging against the wall, and Harry turned to see a smirking Malfoy and his two goons standing there.

"I was told everyone was welcome," Malfoy sneered.

Harry took a deep breath and was about to respond when Ron jumped in.

"What are you doing here, Ferretface?"

"Like I said, Weasley... I was told that everyone was welcome here... even blood traitors, apparently."

Ron stepped forward, about to make something of it, when Harry stepped in front of him and held him back.

"Everyone, Ron, remember?" Harry said, his eyes not leaving those of his best friend.

Ron swallowed, then nodded. "Everyone, Harry."

Harry turned to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle and nodded to the parchment on the wall. "You have to sign in."

"What?"

"Rule of the Club. You have to sign in."

With a huff, Malfoy picked up the quill hanging there and swiftly signed his name. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit, snickering at one another as they did.

Harry nodded, then turned to the class.

"Everyone is welcome here. We teach and learn from each other to defend ourselves, and everyone has the right to protect themselves," Harry turned back to the three Slytherins. He didn't trust them, but he didn't have to.

He'd had several Slytherins in the club for some time, and if the truth were known, he had learned a lot from them. Slytherin purebloods had the benefit of familial knowledge of some rather... obscure... defence spells.

"As you all know, signing in to this class is required if you want to take part. We're here to learn advanced defence. Anyone who comes with intentions other than that will suffer the consequences."

"And I suppose that you're the one who deals with any problems, Potter?" Malfoy sneered.

"I don't have to," Harry said softly. "It takes care of itself, really."

"Oh? Should I be scared now?" Malfoy glanced at Crabbe and Goyle, making a mocking face of terror.

"No, not at all, Draco. At least, not if you entered the room with good intentions."

"What?" Malfoy paused, looking back to Harry. Perhaps it was something in Harry's voice, but the mocking Slytherin had stilled suddenly.

"Security, Draco. Everyone who enters through that door and signs their name on the attendance sheet enters into a magical contract, designed to protect the others here. If your intentions were just that, then you have nothing to worry about."

Harry tried not to smile as he watched Draco's eyes widen.

"Now, if your intentions weren't pure..."

Malfoy swallowed nervously.

"Well, it's amazing what parts you can live without. Things tend to... wither and die... in the face of traitorous activity." Harry smiled pleasantly at the platinum blonde. Rumor had it that he used copious amounts of peroxide to keep his hair that color. Harry wondered for a moment if it were true.

But he didn't have long to think about this, as a strangely pale Malfoy turned and strode from the room, his two sidekicks following close behind.

Harry shrugged and turned back to the class. "I guess they didn't like the rules."


"Bloody hell, Harry, that was brilliant!" Ron was nearly dancing beside him as the four found their way back to the Gryffindor tower after class.

"What?"

"Ferretface!" Ron cried gleefully. "Did you see the way he ran?"

Harry smiled.

"I'd bet he headed straight for the lavoratory to check..."

"Ron!" Hermione flushed, glancing at Ginny, who grinned cheekily back at her brother.

"Speaking of which..." Ron's voice lowered. "Just what in bloody hell were you doing with my sister, Potter?"

"What?"

"Before class," Ron's face flushed and his voice lowered further. "Don't think I don't know, Harry, it was written all over your face..."

Harry stopped suddenly, turning to Ginny and Hermione. "We'll meet you in the Common Room... Ron and I need to have a talk."

Hermione's eyebrows rose practically into her hairline, and for a moment, Harry thought that Ginny was going to object, but with a smothered cough, Hermione grabbed the younger witch's arm and pulled her along.

"Listen, Ron..."

"Harry..."

"Ron... listen to me," Harry faced his best friend and stared into his eyes, hard. "I know she's your sister... you have no idea of how aware of that I am."

"Harry..."

"But I've got to tell you... I won't have you embarrassing her... or calling her down for... for..."

"Harry..."

"Ginny and I and what we do..."

"Harry! Would you shut up for a minute?" Ron looked at him, exasperated.

Harry stopped, stunned.

"Harry... it's okay, mate. I was just teasing you."

"Ron?"

"Look, I know I've been... uncomfortable... in past with Ginny's other... boyfriends. But you... I know you won't hurt her. I know that. I also know..."

"Ron?"

"Look, there's a very good reason why my parents ended up with seven kids, Harry... I mean... we're not exactly..." Ron flushed wildly.

"Ron!" Harry really didn't want to know this.

"I mean, you've got to realize that we Weasleys are... well, Bill and Charlie had a reputation for it here, and the twins... well, you know... and even Percy..."

"I don't want to hear this... I'm not hearing this..."

"Ginny and I aren't any different, really... just... I didn't want her with Dean-bloody-Thomas or that idjit Michael Corner when she finally... well..."

Harry's eyes glazed over. Maybe if I hum?

"I'm saying... I know what's going to happen... probably already bloody has... but... I'm glad it's you and not... well..." Ron flushed. "Just treat her right, Harry... like she deserves. Be good to her and..."

"Ron..." Harry took a deep breath and looked his friend straight in the eye. "I'm going to say this once, then I'm going to pretend I never had this conversation with you, okay?"

"Okay," Ron nodded.

"What happens between your sister and I, unless she chooses to share it with you, which I suspect would be on a cold day in hell, will stay between your sister and I. I love her, Ron... you knew that. I'm probably going to end up having a much closer relationship with her than I already do, and when and if that time comes, and you discover that the relationship has... progressed... you're going to have to deal with it, because I will not give Ginny up. For anything, at any time. Understand?"

"Understood, Harry... I..."

"And, just as I expect to never have to share details with you about her, I fully expect to never hear more details than you would be comfortable hearing about me and Ginny about you and Hermione. Agreed?"

Ron's eyebrows knitted for a minute, then he nodded decisively. "Agreed."

"Good." Harry nodded. "I really care about her, Ron. I think she cares about me, too..."

Ron snorted.

"... but you're my best friend, and I don't want this stuff..."

"I know, Harry!" Ron said. "It's just... she's my sister. You've got to understand that when you two walk into class and... well, she's all... undone... and..."

"I understand, Ron. Really, I do, and I'm sorry for that... but I'm not going to change my relationship with her, or hide it, because it makes you uncomfortable."

"Fine. One question."

"Okay."

"What was that crack about Hermione?"

Harry shook his head and turned, heading back to the Gryffindor Tower.

"You need to pry your eyes open and see what is staring you in the face, Ron."

"What?"

He stopped again, turning to look Ron in the eye. "Have you kissed her?"

"Hermione?"

"No, bloody Millicent Bulstrode... of course, Hermione!"

"Well... no... not really."

"'Not really'?"

"Well, technically..."

"Technically?"

"Technically, she kissed me," Ron muttered.

"And what, exactly, have you done about it?" Harry asked.

"Me?"

"Ron..." Harry looked at his friend. He had sworn he wouldn't but... "Ron, if you don't hurry up and do something, you're going to lose her."

"Lose...?"

"Hermione cares a lot about you, Ron, and you care a lot about her. But she won't wait for you to get your thumb out forever, you know."

Ron looked at him, looking more disturbed than Harry had ever seen him. Harry held his eye and stared back, waiting for him to understand. Hoping he would.

"You think that she..."

"No, Ron, I know she does. Do something about it before you lose your chance."

Silently, they returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.