A/N I am the Grand High (Beautiful) Empress of the Potterverse! Bow down! Bow down before me and grovel for your next chapter. Bwahahah ha ha :evil grin: I can't hear you groveling, make it louder, LOUD… : SLAP : Whoa, that was reality slapping me in face again with the truth. I am not the Grand High (but I am beautiful, in my mind's eye) Empress of the Potterverse. So Sad. :sniff:

Chapter 4

Dragon Leather: Three reasons to NEVER wear it.

"Alright, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked. Harry nodded a little numbly and tried to get closer to the fire, all the while trying to act like his entire body wasn't frozen through. He felt he would never thaw out, damn stupid bike, damn stupid weather. Bah! What was winter good for anyway? As the heat from the fire defrosted his posterior, he heard Ginny laugh from the kitchen. That sound made his heart feel warm, so at least something was above negative Celsius. What in Merlin's name had he been thinking today? He should have listened to Hermione and not Ron. Really, he should have known by now that advice from Ron was dodgy at best. His thoughts took him back to earlier in the day.

4:00 A.M Friday 03 Dec. 1999, Ginny's ETA: One Hours and Fifteen Minutes.

"I don't look like an idiot though, right?" Harry asked Ron one more time, spreading his arms wide to give him a good look at his attire. He had his Dragon leather pants and riding jacket on. He was planning on showing off his motorcycling skills for Ginny when she came home today. And he'd learned through trial and error, that the leather offered the most protection from the wind.

"No, I told you, you look fine. Stop asking me. Next thing you'll be asking is if that outfit makes your arse look big! And I refuse to answer a question like that for Hermione, and she lets me snog her, so there's no chance I'll answer it for you." Ron stated firmly.

"I was not going to ask that!" Harry hotly denied.

"Yeah, then why'd ya just take a quick peak at your backside."

"Shut it." Harry said. "I wasn't going to ask." Although, he now wondered if it did look big.

"Three, two, one…"Ron counted down to himself quietly.

"It doesn't, right?"

"That's it! I'm going to my room till Hermione gets here." Ron said getting off the sofa, he was about to storm into his room when he heard the front door open.

"Hello? I hope you're all decent because I'm coming in!" shouted Hermione as she stepped through the front door of the flat, and placed her bags on the floor. Harry said a quick hello and walked back to his room. Ron walked over and gave Hermione a more personal welcome.

"Mmmm, you taste like Sugarquills, what have you been up to this morning?" Ron asked with a smile.

"Just picked up some little welcome back gifts for Ginny, she loves Honeyduke's Surgarquills." Hermione replied.

"And tasting the wares yourself, I see." Ron grinned as Hermione's cheeks went a lovely shade of pink.

"How's Harry doing? Nervous I would imagine." Hermione asked, switching topics.

"You got that right! He took about two hours in the bathroom. Rushed home from work at noon. Didn't want to go to the gym. Yelled at me to not 'muss'his hair when I bumped into him in the kitchen. He's driving me daft with his questions. 'Does my hair look okay?' 'Do you think the train will be late' 'Does this make my arse look fat?' I want my best mate back, not the insane-love-crazed-stranger that has invaded Harry body." Hermione laughed at Ron's rant. He looked quite dismayed.

"Did he really ask that last one?"

"Yes!"

"Did it?"

"Hermione! I didn't look!"

Harry walked back into the room to find Hermione sitting down clutching her stomach as she laughed uproariously.

"What's so funny?"

"Don't worry about it, mate. Let's go over the plan for today." Replied Ron quickly, not wanting to get into another conversation about the width of his best friends posterior.

"I'm going to ride the bike to the train station." Harry started.

"You can't ride the bike today, it's too cold out, you'll freeze." Hermione said with the patient air of a parent to a child.

"Sure he can, he's wearing the leather, and he'll just use a few warming charms and he'll be fine." Ron said.

"They'll wear off too quickly in the weather we're having, and I don't think that even dragon leather will protect you. I think you should take the car, with the rest of us." Hermione cajoled. Harry thought about that for a moment and was about to agree when Ron spoke up.

"Hermione, the bike is a better idea, it's cool, Ginny likes bikes, he'll look cool." Ron began his argument. Harry also thought it would look cool and was about to say so, but Hermione interrupted.

"He'll look so cool because he'll be frozen. Ginny is not going to want to ride it today, even with a warming charm."

"Yes, she will."

"No, she won't."

Harry sensed the budding argument and quickly interceded.

"I'll take the bike, it's what I'm dressed for and we have to get going or we'll miss the train." Harry said firmly.

"Fine, Harry, if you want to be a frozen wizard ice pop, then fine. Here are some gift's I picked up for you to give to Ginny, some Sugarquills and Ice Mice. Her favourites. Be careful not to squish them in the saddlebags. We'll see you, probably blue, at the train station. Come on Ron, let's floo over to the twins store. Your parents and Percy will meet us there and we'll drive from Diagon Alley." Hermione shoved the bag of treats at Harry and stomped over to the fireplace. She grabbed a handful of floo powder, tossed it into the fire, shouted "DIAGON ALLEY", and she was gone. Ron shrugged and began to follow.

"See you later, and Harry, your arse looks no fatter then before, DIAGON ALLEY!"

"Is that fat or not?" Harry yelled to the now empty fireplace.

5:00 A.M Friday 03 Dec. 1999, Ginny's ETA: Fifteen Minutes.

"I think I hear a train." Ron said. Harry whipped his head in the direction of the train entrance.

"Of course you do! It's a train station, what else would you hear?" Hermione said exasperatedly, "But it isn't Ginny's train."

Harry went back to waiting and feeling miserable. He was miserable because the heating charm he'd placed on the bike was a wee bit too strong. It had made him sweat, which wasn't a good thing to do in Dragon leather apparently because when the sweat had dried up it caused the pants to cling to him. Harry had taken his jacket off but he really wanted to peal the pants away from his legs and crotch, which he couldn't do with so many people around. He thought pacing would help to loosen them. So, he started strolling along the platform. Stop walking! Bad Idea, bad idea, stay still! Harry thought quickly to himself. Evidently sweaty dragon leather makes funny sounds. The people around him were giving him suspicious looks and sniffing the air.

He carefully walked back over to the Weasley family. Both the twins were whispering to Percy, which probably didn't bode well for Harry, but he was too nervous and miserable to care. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were looking around anxiously, awaiting the return of their youngest child. Hermione was busy glaring at Ron.

"I think I hear the train." Ron said, laughing at Harry as he quickly turned his head towards the entrance again.

"RON, quit it!" snapped Hermione.

5:15 A.M Friday 03 Dec. 1999, Ginny's ETA: Imminent

"I think I hear the train." Said Ron. He'd been saying that for the past fifteen minutes just to watch Harry's head whip around.

"Haven't we heard that enough Ron?" asked Harry sarcastically, but still turning to look towards the entrance.

"No, Harry this time he's right. Here it comes! Oh! Oh! Here it is!" Hermione was so excited that she latched onto Ron's arm with a surprisingly strong death grip. Ron grimaced but endured his girlfriend squeeze. Harry laughed at Hermione's reactions; you'd think she was the one who was working to gain Ginny's love.

"Harry, aren't you nervous! Merlin, I am." Hermione let go of Ron's arm and started to thwack Harry's shoulder.

"Hermione! I'd like to be able to greet Ginny with out a dead arm and that won't happen with you bruising them. Ron, help!"

"I'm so sorry Harry, I'm just so excited" Hermione went back to Ron's side, "Isn't this romantic? There's just something about trains stations."

After what felt to Harry was a rather long time to park a train, Ginny came into view. She was just as he remembered her, long vibrant hair, neatly clipped back from her face, with a few tendrils dancing around her face. She stepped off the train with a bounce and ran towards the group now waving wildly to her. She was quickly grabbed into a hug by her mother, and then passed around the family until she reached Ron. Ron, being the soul of subtly and not realizing his strength, practically threw Ginny into Harry's arms. Thank Merlin for quick reflexes, since Harry barely caught her and Ginny, who was not used to being treated like a quaffle, threw her arms around Harry's neck. Time stopped for Harry then, and the surroundings faded to nothing, this was the closest he had ever been to her. He could feel her breath on his cheek, her hands tangled a bit in his hair and most lovely of all, he could feel the firm impression of her breast through his shirt.

He was in heaven.

Then he went beyond, as he looked into her beautiful doe eyes and she slowly slid down his length until her feet touched the ground.

He was going to explode.

"And I Only Have Eyes for You" crooned Percy quietly, and the spell Harry was under broke. Ginny took a step back, beaming at her family as if nothing soul shifting had happened to her, and Harry had a brief despairing thought that for her, maybe nothing had shifted. Then she glance back at him, looked at him up and down, and Harry felt maybe, just maybe…

"Oh Ginny dear, it is so good to have you home! Come along now, we're going to have a lovely dinner and we want to hear all about your time north." Mrs. Weasley said.

"I have missed your cooking so much! But let me say good-bye to my flat-mate first." Ginny turned back towards the train and shouted "DREW!"

Harry looked and saw a tall man with impeccably tailored robes look over. His heart sank to the floor, he had thought that Drew was a girl, it was the impression that Ginny had given him. Why had she lied to him? Harry shot the man a menacing look. Before the wizard could do more than give a puzzled look, he was pushed to the side and almost trampled on by a short witch in bright orange robes and long frizzy black hair. Harry almost whooped with glee at the wizard stumbling in the orange witch's wake, until he realized that the witch, not the wizard, was Drew. Then he sighed with relief, Ginny hadn't lied to him.

"Every body, this is Drew. Drew, this is most of my family, minus Bill and Charley." Ginny gave a quick introduction, ending with Harry.

"Hm, heard of you, I did. Even in backwoods America, as most of the professor's claimed I came from. Nasty scar there, you have. I could take care of that if you like, I could. Like leather I see, don't myself much. Is it an alternative lifestyle your into? You know, M and S, I believe it's called. Don't care for it myself much but I could learn to like the chains and whips if you were wielding them, I could. Or are you the 'Bottom' in the relationship?'

Silence had descended upon the rowdy group. Even the Twins were struck mute by the unabashed rudeness. Harry simply stared at Drew with his mouth agape, he glanced at Ginny who was trying not to laugh and he felt himself begin to blush.

"Drew, behave. I'm sorry Harry, she is a bit outspoken, but without her I would have never survived my training." Ginny said apologetically.

"Outspoken, yup, that's me alright. Sorry if I offended you, I am. And really, it was Ginny who helped me survive; I'd have been chucked out my first week if not for her. Helped me understand the natives, she did." Drew looked down at her watch, "Well, I'm off on the next leg of my journey home, it was nice to have met you all, it was. I'll have a tale to tell when I get home, that's for sure. I met Harry Potter and insulted him and lived to tell, I did."

She turned and left, before anyone could say good-bye, (or good riddance, Harry thought), she went barreling off, nudging to the side any one too slow to move out of the way on their own.

"Oh My" Hermione said a bit in shock.

"Hrumph, I can't believe the nerve!" Mrs. Weasley sniffed with indignation.

"She does have a good heart, just a really, really, REALLY bad case of Foot in Mouth disease." Ginny said, half heartedly defending her flat-mate.

"Worse case I ever saw, I did", said George with a grin.

"Glad to see her go, I am." Fred said, echoing the thoughts of most everyone there.

"Well, let's go ourselves, then." Mr.Weasley announced, not bothering to hide his laughter at the Twins impersonation of Drew. Harry was about to ask Ginny if she'd like to ride back with him when he was interrupted by Ron.

"Ginny, would you like to ride on Harry's motorcycle?" Ron said.

"Um, Now?" Ginny glanced at Harry, who was seriously considering throttling Ron until he could no longer speak.

"Yeah. Now. Harry has Sirius's old bike up and running, you could ride home on it, it's cool..." Ron began persuasively.

"Ron, Ginny is not going on that death trap, especially in this weather." Molly Weasley snapped at Ron. Then she said in a much softer voice. "Sorry Harry dear, I don't think you should be riding that thing either. You'll freeze by the time you get to the Burrow."

"That's okay Mrs. Weasley, I'll be fine." Harry was supremely disappointed, but tried not to show it.

"Maybe another time?" Ginny said a bit timidly and smiled.

"Anytime you want." Harry said as casually as he could, he didn't want to seem too desperate. Inside he was doing a little jig that she wanted a rain check on the ride. "I'll see you at the Burrow."

Ginny broadened her smile and walked away with her mother. Harry walked behind them, as cautiously as he could, since his leather pants were still prone to the disturbing noises. He made a mental note to lighten up on the heating charms for the ride to the Burrow. All in all, Harry was feeling good and, minus the bumpy start, he felt he had made an impression on Ginny. The rest would go according to plan, he was sure of it.

The Burrow 8:00 Friday 03 Dec. 1999, Time it will take to defrost Harry's Arse: Days

Harry's thoughts slowly came back to the present as his body began to thaw out. He swore to himself that he was NEVER going to wear dragon leather again, no matter what the Twins or Ron thought on the matter. He had three good reasons why he came to this conclusion. One, dragon leather makes flatulence noises when you sweat in it. Two, dragon leather doesn't do much for you in the cold. Three, people think you're into S and M and want to know if you're the Top or Bottom. Before his thoughts could turn darker, Hermione came over to him with a nice mug of mulled pumpkin juice.

"How are you doing Harry?"

"Better, at least my teeth are no longer chattering. I think I'm never going to feel warm again in my entire life though," Harry said dismally.

"Let me pop in to the kitchen and make you a warming potion, I'll be discreet, Ginny won't find out." Hermione offered again, hoping this time his pride wouldn't make him say no.

"I'll be fine…Oh, who am I kidding, if you can do it discreetly, I beg you to make me a warming potion." Harry said desperately. Ginny came into the room and Harry smiled at her, she gave him a smile in return as she walked over, suddenly Harry felt quite warm.

"I hate to be a stick in the mud, but this is going to be my first chance to sleep for more than four hours in months. So I'm for bed. Hermione, we're on for lunch on Sunday right?"

"Yes, I'll meet you at Diagon Alley at 1:00," replied Hermione.

"Thank you for the gifts Harry, and coming to dinner." Ginny said brightly with a smile.

"Wouldn't have missed your home coming for anything." Harry said as suavely as he could. Most of the lessons he'd learned from Remus flying out of his head at the sight of Ginny's smile.

Ginny bade them all a goodnight and headed towards the stairs, Harry stepped back to let Ginny pass and felt her arm brush against his. He felt a tingling sensation start at the point of impact that traveled up his whole side. He watched her walk up the stairs.

"Harry? Harry? Harry?"

"Hm?" replied Harry vaguely to Hermione.

"Never mind."

Harry looked around at the smirking faces of the Weasley boys, all except Percy who looked worried.

"It'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!" Percy said urgently.

"What musical is that one from?" wondered Hermione. Harry was about to say he didn't know when he sniffed the air around him and looked down, he had stepped too close the fire and his shoes had melted to the floor. He quickly stepped out of his boots as Hermione used an extinguishing charm put out the fire.

"What else could possibly happen today?" Harry wondered aloud as he rubbed his over heated feet.

"I wouldn't ask that Harry, you've still got the ride back you know." Ron said with a guffaw.

A/N Sorry it took soooooo long for the new chapter, but, um, (thinking of a good excuse) My dog ate my computer! Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! I will try to update a bit more regularly.