Chapter 2. Nothing to say really, but… TA-DA!
Tired and grumpy, Harry dragged himself out of the comforting folds of his bed early the next morning and did his usual routine of stretching his arms, legs, back and neck before he faced another day at the office. It was a ritual he had built during his sixth year before his Quidditch games, and it had evolved into something he did every morning without fail.
Dressed in only pajama bottoms, he ruffled his hair into an even messier array and padded out of his room and down the hall toward the bathroom. He had a severe case of morning breath and it required immediate attention.
As he entered, he found the room to already be occupied by steam, a running shower and someone humming under their breath. Harry smiled and crossed to the sink.
"Morning." He called.
"Morning!" came his female response. "How did you sleep?"
Harry laughed and pulled out his toothbrush and toothpaste. "Me? What about you?"
"What about me? I'm not the one whose mind is running a million miles an hour over some new case at the moment."
Harry snorted. "Id didn'd rook rike dat yeshterday." He said, his mouth full of paste as he brushed his teeth. It didn't bother him that he was in there while Hermione was in the shower. They had been in this situation heaps of times in the past for it to be awkward.
"Well, I'm trying to relax a little during my time off." She called. "Are you back to active duty again yet?"
Harry washed his mouth out and wiped his face with the towel. "I won't know until I get there. I hope so. Sitting at a desk is boring and uneventful and I could be doing far better things with my spare time than staring at the walls." He said, checking out his reflection.
She laughed and the water shut off. "Well, hopefully Tonks will show you mercy this morning. Pass me a towel will you?"
Harry grabbed the nearest one and held it out behind him. He heard the door slide open and felt a hand take it from him. "Well, she should. I'm her best field agent after all… and I'm likely to assign some trainee to canteen duty with all the paperwork skills I possess." He said, rolling his eyes.
"At least it's not as strenuous as NEWT's eh?" she laughed.
Harry suddenly froze. That was not Hermione's laugh…
"Ginny!" he cried, spinning around.
Ginny, who had been bending down on the floor to sort out her clothes, looked up in slight surprise. "Yeah, who did you think it was?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.
But Harry seemed temporarily incapable of speech. She was there in just a towel wrapped around her figure, hugging her in all the right places. Her hair was now a very dark shade of red as it hung drenched with water down her back.
He blinked, realizing that he was staring and smiled. "Sorry, I er… thought you were Hermione." He chuckled, ruffling his hair.
Ginny's eyebrows arched. "So, it's okay for you to stand in the bathroom with a married, pregnant woman in the shower, but not a single woman?" she asked, feeling confused at the logic.
Harry snorted. "Well, when you put it like that it does sound a little suss." He tried desperately not to stare at her cleavage, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. So instead, he clapped eyes on the thing on her right arm.
"You…you have a tattoo?" he croaked, feeling a little surprised. .
Ginny stood up and looked at the ink dragon on her upper arm with a smile. It was like a cartoon, and it was stretching its claws and breathing fire every few minutes. "Yeah, do you like it? I got it last year for my birthday. Mum totally flipped out when I told her." She chuckled.
Harry swallowed his heart back down and cracked a nervous smile. "Yeah. Its…nice." He said, not really knowing what else to say.
Ginny frowned and wrapped her towel tighter around herself. "You all right?"
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine." Harry said, acting a lot cooler than he felt.
Get out before you do something rash! His mind screamed. A beautiful woman standing in your bathroom wearing only a towel and dripping wet was a dangerous combination in itself, but when you threw one Ginerva Weasley in the mix…
"Well, er…" Harry stuttered, moving along the wall towards the door. "I'll just go now and… let you finish getting dressed." He said, giving her hips a glance.
Ginny's eyebrows rose at this abrupt suggestion. "You know, the way you're acting you'd think you've never seen a girl in a towel before." She said, folding her arms over her chest.
Bloody hell! Harry's mind screamed as he tried not to look down at her chest. "I have, but that's not really the point now is it?" he laughed. "So, I'm going to do the gentlemanly thing and let you finish getting ready in peace." He said.
Ginny nodded. "Okay, get out then."
Harry smiled; feeling very relieved and exited the room quick smart.
Ginny waited until she was sure he had left, before snorting and letting her self-satisfaction surge through her like an adrenaline fix.
"Oh yeah." She sighed, gazing fondly at her tattoo once again. "Gets them every time."
Harry scribbled on the parchment in front of him absentmindedly, his chin resting on the heel of his hand. His mind was meant on be on task; on the paperwork, witness reports and previous offences scattered around him… but his thoughts seemed inexplicably drawn to an image. And image of an ink dragon on white skin.
He had tried to banish such thoughts, but there they were, swirling around in his minds eye like a provocative dance. It shouldn't be such a big deal to see a girl in a towel. It wasn't like had never seen a girl in less before… he had. But those girls had not had a tattoo on their arms. Those girls had not had fiery red hair and chocolate brown eyes.
Those girls had not been Ginny Weasley.
"Potter!"
Harry jumped so much that he ruined the drawing beneath his quill. He quickly pulled some reports over the drawings and smiled hastily and innocently up at the woman on the other side of his desk.
"Hey Tonks."
Nymphadora Tonks looked down at Harry with her hands on her hips and one of her eyebrows quirked. She had not changed at all since he had met her when he was fifteen, or since he had become a part of her team. She still wore her hair in outrageous colours and her dress code was still containing tight jeans and rock-punk tops. But for the workplace, she covered it up with robes.
"Potter,' she sighed, giving his work a glance. 'What are you doing?"
"Doing?" Harry laughed nervously, leaning on his work heavily. "N-nothing."
"That is obvious." She said, giving him a look. "Have you read over the Peregriene case yet?"
"Oh er…" Harry said, looking around for the said file. "Bugger, I had it here just a minute ago…"
Tonks rolled her eyes. "Harry, making out you cant file your reports properly is not going to make me put you back on active duty any faster."
"I know that." Harry snapped, opening drawers and looking under books. "I swear, I read it just last night! Urgh, it's probably back home." He said, putting his head in his hands.
"You leave top secret information lying around your house!" Tonks cried, amazed.
"Hermione and Ron would no sooner snoop in my work than divorce, nor would they let anyone else." Harry said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.
Tonks frowned and looked at him for a moment. "Harry, is er… everything alright? You seem a little off target this morning."
Harry smiled and rubbed his face. "Nothing you need to worry yourself about I'm sure. You are my superior after all."
She laughed. "Okay, now you have to tell me." She said, pulling up a chair.
"Dora…" Harry groaned, feeling a headache coming on.
Tonks smiled. Harry was one of the few people in the world who was able to call her 'Dora' and get away with it. "Harry, just bloody tell me before you combust!"
Harry considered her for a moment, before sighing and putting his feet up on the desk. "Ginny's back." He said finally.
"Ah." Tonks sang knowingly, settling back in her seat. "I see."
Harry stared at her. He had been expecting her to be curious as to why this would be a problem, or to tell him to get his mind off visiting witches and back on his work. He had not been expecting her to say 'Ah, I see' like she knew exactly why this was a distraction for him.
"What's that meant to mean?" he asked.
"Getting you all hot and bothered is she?" Tonks laughed, ruffling her short, green hair.
Harry spluttered and looked around to make sure no-one was listening. "I… she isn't… what would make you think that?" he demanded softly.
Tonks looked at him blankly for a moment, before leaning over the desk and shifting his papers away from the parchment he had been drawing on. There, in the middle of the parchment, was a small dragon exactly the same as Ginny's tattoo.
Harry blinked and looked up at the woman across from him. "How did you…"
"Ginny sent me a photo of it the day she got it. She couldn't stand no-one knowing, and she thought I might be interested." Tonks said simply.
Harry sighed and gave the drawing a glare. He hadn't even realized what he had been drawing. "I don't know why I keep thinking about her." He admitted quietly.
Tonks looked like she wanted to say something about this comment, but instead said "How long has she been back?"
"A day."
"Well, maybe you're just happy to see her. The novelty will wear off in a few days and you'll get used to her being around again." Tonks said.
"Yeah. Maybe." Harry said absentmindedly.
Tonks sighed and stood up. "Well, just incase it doesn't I have something to take your mind off the pretty red-head." When he looked up at her, she smiled. "You're back on active duty as of tomorrow. I can't stand you sitting there looking as if your dog's just died any longer."
Harry grinned so wide he was showing nearly every one of his teeth. "Are you serious?"
"No, but I was his cousin of sorts. Now get back to work you pathetic war veteran!" she said, waving a hand and walking off.
Harry laughed and climbed on top of his desk. "Thank you Dora!" he called as she walked off down the hall. "You're the best!"
"Yes darling, I know!"
Ginny made her way out to the veranda out the back with a tray bearing two glasses and a pitcher of pumpkin juice levitated in front of her. Just beside the back door, Hermione was lounging on one of the banana chairs, her sunglasses resting snugly on her face as she read, yet again, another book.
"You know," Ginny said, placing the tray down on the small table beside Hermione 'it's a wonder you don't need glasses either with all the reading you do."
Hermione smiled as Ginny sat down on the chair beside her. "The same could be said about Ron and his Quidditch. I don't think I've met anyone as obsessed with it since Oliver Wood."
"Maybe his uniform was possessed." Ginny suggested, pouring them both a glass of juice.
The weather had been very pleasant over the past few days, and Hermione liked to be out in it, despite being slightly physically challenged. Today, the breeze was cool and comfortable and the sun was toasty, warming up the tips of her toes as they were the only part not shaded by the roof.
"So, what are our plans for tomorrow?" Ginny asked, putting on her own sunglasses and getting comfortable.
"Well, I was planning on sleeping in, then try and put on matching shoes, then pray to the 'Porcelain god' for about half an hour and then try and do some work. How about you?" Hermione said casually.
Ginny laughed. "Is being pregnant that bad?"
"Let me just say that Ron, not me, will be carrying the next one." Hermione said.
Ginny laughed and went to say something else, when the sound of the front door opening and closing grabbed her attention. The sound of heavy footfalls could be heard as someone shuffled around the house.
"Harry's home." Ginny said.
"Mmm." Hermione hummed, her eyes locked on her book.
Ginny tilted her head to the side and listened to the distant sounds of Harry moving around the house. With the odd scrape of a chair against the wooden floorboards and his heavy footfalls from his sneakers, she was just about to get up and welcome him home, when he strolled out the back door with a content smile.
"Ah, my two favorite ladies." He said happily.
Ginny blushed as she looked up at him. He was wearing a simple pair of track pants and a tight-fitting white t-shirt, making him look very inviting. The grin on his face was a cheeky one, and he looked very pleased about something.
Hermione didn't seem to notice his attractiveness however, as she simply marked her spot with her finger and smiled up at him. "Someone's in a good mood. Have a good day at the office did you?"
Harry's expression changed from happiness to a dreamy sort of calm. "Ah, that I did good lady. How was your day? Eventful?"
"Oh yeah, we were flat out, weren't we Hermione?" Ginny said, kicking off her sandals. "We did a ten mile run, and then did some shopping down in the village, and after that we did some table-top dancing for the wizards down at the Hogs' Head."
Hermione laughed. "Ginny forgot to take her medication this morning."
Harry snorted and looked at Ginny. Their gazes locked for a moment, each of them feeling a flutter before Harry shook himself and began stretching.
"Well, give me an hour and I'll start to get dinner ready." He said, backing away towards the back yard.
"You can't cook again!" Ginny argued. "Let me have a whack at it."
Harry smiled but didn't say anything. Instead, he walked out further until he was standing in the middle of the lawn, took in a deep breath and then began to do something Ginny had never seen before. It was like meditation, but moving. He looked relaxed.
"What's he doing?" Ginny muttered to Hermione, keeping her eyes locked on Harry.
Hermione looked up from her book at Harry. "Tai Chi. It's a form of exercise. He does it most afternoons after he comes home from work. Keeps him fit and energized."
Ginny nodded and leant back into her chair, watching Harry as he did his 'Chai Ti' thingy. It looked a little strange; he moved so slowly. But, at the same time she could kind of appreciate the art of it. It would take a lot of control to move that slowly and calmly without becoming impatient.
Not to mention she was getting a good change to admire his physique in a form that was strictly un-platonic. His muscles flexed as he moved and whenever he stretched or bent over, his shirt rode up a little giving her a good view of his belly. She watched him from behind her dark sunglasses without restraint, feeling herself getting a little warm under the collar.
"Goodness, do I have to hose you down?"
Ginny jumped and looked at Hermione beside her. She was smirking at Ginny with her glasses down on the end of her nose. And it was only then that Ginny realized her breathing had increased and her face was flushed.
She smiled and looked back at Harry. "Just admiring the scenery."
Ginny ignored Hermione's sniggers and crossed her legs, letting her attention now focus completely on Harry. She continued to watch him for the next ten minutes, entranced by his slow, even movements before he came to a finish. She expected him to saunter back towards the house for a shower, but instead he moved around to the back of the shed on the other side of the yard.
"Ooh, keep your eye on him." muttered Hermione suddenly. "This is always worth watching." She said.
Ginny opened her mouth to ask what she was on about, but Harry had reappeared, carrying a long wooden staff. In interest, but not wanting to look obvious, she let her head fall back and pretended to be dozing off.
Thank god for these sunglasses. She thought.
Harry wiped the sweat off his forehead and twirled the staff a little. He liked using it for some reason, and had been ecstatic when the Ministry had brought in the option of learning muggle martial arts. He felt it would do him good to learn some self defense that didn't warrant the need for a wand.
Grasping it a little tighter, he felt the shiver of someone's gaze on him. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Hermione and Ginny lounging over near the house. Hermione's nose was still in her book, so that left Ginny. Her head was back and she looked asleep, but her sunglasses hid the truth.
He tried not to stare, but it was rather difficult. She was wearing rather short shorts and a tight-fitting singlet top. And there was that dragon again. The figure that had taken all this attention away for the entire day…
Harry smirked and pretended not to notice her. Deciding to turn the tables a little, he held the staff in front of him and let it hover in thin air there for a moment as he took his shirt off and tossed it aside. Sensing her shift in position, he grabbed the staff and immediately began twirling it expertly around. He only wanted to show off a little.
"Sweet Merlin." Ginny muttered as she watched Harry, his face contorted in concentration, his torso twisting this way and that. "Where did he learn to do that?"
"The Ministry offered it to all Auror's as an option for their training. It meant extra work for him, but he didn't seem to mind. He's gotten really good at it too." Hermione said, watching Harry for a moment.
"Mmm." Ginny moaned, shifting a little once more. His torso was toned and flexing, perspiration dripping down his chest as he stepped, lunged, twirled and jabbed. It was more than enough to get her engine going just a little…
Ginny blinked and realized what she must look like. Her knees, which had been resting against each other, were slowly falling apart and her face was flushed. Her breathing had increased even more and she was now very obviously watching Harry work out.
"Um, listen…" she said, getting up quickly. "I've gotta go have a tinkle. I'll be back."
Hermione looked up at her as Ginny moved towards the back door. "Everything okay?"
"Oh yeah. Back in a sec."
Harry stopped for a moment and watched as Ginny got up, said something to Hermione and with one final look at him, retreated into the house. He smiled, looked down at his chest and flexed his pectorals and abs.
"Oh yeah," he muttered to himself. "Gets them every time."
"So Ginny, tell me more about what it is you actually do in Romania." Harry said.
The three of them were back outside after a light dinner, sharing in a nightcap while enjoying the warm breeze of the outdoors. The hum of noise from down in the village was carrying on the wind up the hill to where they sat outside under the veranda. It was, aside from this little fact, very peaceful, and they had not wanted to waste such a nice night by sitting indoors.
Ginny sat up from her lounging position and smiled at Harry beside her. "Well, it may be too technical for your little, primitive brain." She sang.
Hermione laughed and Harry let out an indignant splutter. "I beg your pardon? I happen to be one of the top Auror's in the Ministry at the present time. I'm sure your technical mumbo-jumbo will be quite simple enough for my pee-brain intelligence to understand." He said in a very good impersonation of Percy.
Ginny swirled her wine around in her glass and sighed. "Well, I'm part of Charlie's team as you know. I started out doing a lot of work experience in all type of areas within the camps. You know, feeding, talon clipping, observation, potion distribution… and then I got to choose what part I wanted to work in."
Hermione nodded. "Hands-on research."
"What's that involve?" Harry asked in keen interest.
"Well, not a lot is really known about the in-depth history of dragons. Sure, there are old testaments about them ransacking villages and taking maiden sacrifices and everyone knows that their scales have magical properties… but what do we really know about them?"
"So you so research about their history?" Harry asked.
Ginny shook her head. "No, we do research about their personality. You know how Hagrid had Norbert?"
Hermione snorted and exchanged a look with Harry. "As if we could forget."
"Well, we all thought he was barmy trying to train him up, right?" Ginny said. "Turns out he had rather the right idea about it more than we did. We've been studying a local group of Norwegian Ridgebacks for a few years now, and we actually got some progress with communicating with them. Training them if you will."
Hermione and Harry's eyes widened. "But… you can't train Dragons." Hermione said, looking at Ginny as if she had gone mad.
"Not in the way you can train a dog to sit, or a bird to talk, no. But, we've discovered certain… 'methods' that can be used." Ginny said with a grin. She took a sip of her wine and looked out at the back yard pensively. "It took a lot of patience, scratches a lot of burnt fingers to get where we are, and even now – and Charlie agrees with me – we've only just scratched the surface of this."
Harry watched her as she smiled to herself, her eyes alight with a passion he had seen only once on Charlie's eyes. If she had been doing a lot of this 'hands on' work as she said, it definitely explained the excellent physical condition she was in.
Not that he had noticed or anything.
"You'd best not tell Hagrid about this breakthrough." Harry said. "He'd be over there like a shot, wanting to throw a leash around one of them."
Ginny and Hermione laughed and then the three of them fell into a content silence. Ginny rolled the neck of her glass in-between her fingers while gazing at her feet, Harry looked up into the sky, searching out the star 'Sirius'… and Hermione occupied herself by watching Ginny and Harry steal glances at each other every few seconds.
God, they're so daft. She thought to herself, rolling her eyes. What is it going to take?
"Well, I'm off to bed." Hermione announced, pushing herself up out of her chair with a grunt. "No, stay there." She added as Harry jumped up instantly to help her.
"Okay. Do you need anything?" Harry asked, watching Hermione sway a little with apprehension.
"Yes, but nothing you can give me without it being considered adultery."
Ginny laughed as Harry rolled his eyes. "And there adds another few years to my time in therapy."
"That definitely comes under the 'Info I didn't need to know' category, Hermione." Harry said, opening the back door for her.
"Well, you asked! Now, play nicely you two." She said, giving Ginny a look. "No biting."
Harry snorted, missing the exchange between the two women. "We'll try and resist the insane urge to gnaw on each other." He said flatly.
Hermione slid the door closed behind her and began walking off towards her bedroom, smiling as she heard the uncomfortable silence seeping from the back yard between her two best friends.
"I am the meat in an idiot sandwich." She muttered, shaking her head.
A/N – A little short, but hopefully still enjoyable. If I start slacking between updates, I apologize! Life keeps getting in the way lately, and I get no privacy in which to write these stories.
Please review!