Chapter 6. Gee, some of you really want Ginny and Harry together! You're impatient? Good. That was what I wanted you to feel. Gets you into the story more!
Ginny's eyes fluttered open the next morning and for a moment, she felt rather disorientated. She wasn't in her work tent back in Romania, nor was she in her room at her brother's house. So, where was she?
Oh yes. She thought as the room came back into focus. Harry's bed.
Memories of the night before came back into sharper focus. She and Harry had talked long into the night about nothing particularly interesting. They had passed over general conversation just like they had in the old days, not finding any room for awkward silences. Ginny was pleasantly surprised to find that she was so comfortable around him, and was even more so to find he was also around her.
She smiled and looked besides her, expecting to find him there, but instead she found herself staring into the face of a large, plush, purple Dragon with green scales and large, white eyes.
It took her a moment to truly grasp what it was she was looking at, before she let out a giggle, sat up and looked at the dragon. She recognized it; it was the present she had sent Harry for his 20th birthday from her camp.
He's so cute. She thought, throwing back the covers and putting her feet on the cold floorboards. Ginny hugged the little dragon for a moment, before standing up and heading out of the room for the kitchen in search of her crush.
Probably waiting for me to cook him breakfast. She thought, smiling as she remembered his demands from the night before.
She entered the living room and yawned, hugging the dragon tightly to her chest. Harry was over in the kitchen, leaning against the bench with the paper unfolded in front of him and a mug in his hand. Hermione was at the table, amazingly working again on some unknown mystery. Ron, tousled haired and still half-dressed was sitting on the sofa, his eyes glued to the television.
"Morning every – " but she stopped as she spotted two people on the sofa she did not expect.
"Ginny! Darling!" Molly cried, leaping up and rushing to her daughter.
Ginny grunted as her mother pulled her down into a hug. "Mum! Dad." She said, stunned to see her father on the sofa peering at the new television with awe. "Wow. What are you doing here?"
"We were in the village and decided to drop in." Mrs. Weasley said happily, stroking her daughter's hair. "After all, you've been back in the country for two weeks and haven't come to visit." She scolded.
"Oh yes." Ginny said absentmindedly, still feeling a little shocked at her parent's sudden presence. "A mistake anyone could make, surely."
"Most certainly not!" Mrs. Weasley cried, eyeing her daughter. "Ginny dear, have you just woken up?"
"She had a late night last night." Hermione said, her eyes glued to her work.
Ginny gave her best friend a look over her mother's shoulder. Hermione was desperately hiding a smirk.
"You haven't been drinking have you?"
"No mother." Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes as her mother gave her another look.
"Oh leave her be dear. She's a young woman after all." Mr. Weasley said, finally tearing his eyes away from the television. "Not to mention a full-blooded Weasley."
Ginny smiled, ignored her mother's glare at her husband and jumped over the top of the sofa, landing next to her father and gave him a firm kiss on the cheek. "Hello daddy."
"Morning Gin." Ron piped up, the remote control in his hand as he gazed fondly at the set in front of him. "Just showing Dad the new box. A beauty isn't it? All these stations…" Ron said, flipping through the channels in quick succession.
"And you set it up all by yourself?" Arthur cried happily, throwing his arm around Ron's shoulders. "That's my boy! Got my profound talent for anything to do with muggle technology. Amazing invention this eklectricity, isn't it?"
"Oh yeah!" Ron beamed. "If it wasn't for electricity, we'd all be watching feletision by candlelight!"
"So Ginny, what did you do yesterday?" Mrs. Weasley asked, sitting herself down with Hermione at the table.
"Oh, er…"
"Ginny went shopping yesterday." Harry said suddenly, breaking his silence. "And how do I know this? Because she harassed me for a good twenty minutes to go with her until she finally relented."
Ginny looked at Harry in surprise for a moment, but her mother laughed, totally unaware of her daughter's slight amazement.
"Oh yes, that sounds like my girl. Ginny, what did you get?"
Ginny blinked and looked away from Harry to her mother. "Oh, er… nothing."
"Nothing?" Mrs. Weasley repeated, quite a bit shocked.
Ginny looked back to Harry for a split second, but long enough to see his smirk half-hidden behind his mug as he continued to read the paper. "No, nothing. It was window shopping, you know. Just scoping out the latest fashions… don't want to blow all my savings in such a short two month period." Ginny laughed, lying smoothly.
Ha! Take that Mr. Smooth, I-can-lie-at-the-drop-of-a-hat Guy. She thought smugly at Harry.
"Ah yes, good thinking my dear." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at her daughter. "Oh Arthur honestly, must you sit so close to that thing?"
"Just getting a better look dear…"
Ginny smiled, leapt up and went over into the kitchen as her parents bickered. She went to the cupboard, retrieved a mug and began making herself some tea.
"Why didn't you tell me they were here?" she sang under her breath to Harry.
He smiled. "Why didn't you wake up and make me breakfast like I asked you to?" he retorted softly, keeping his back to her.
"Hey, if you want breakfast in bed…sleep in the kitchen."
"Then your parents definitely would have gotten the wrong idea, wouldn't they?" he whispered closely to her, smirking.
Ginny wanted to hit him, but the view she was getting of his rear end was enough to make her reconsider her actions. She checked him out for a moment, before realizing that not just Hermione and Ron were present, but her parents.
"Well, I don't think that last night constitutes any reason for me not being annoyed with you for not waking me." She hissed, adding sugar to her brewed tea.
"Uh huh. That's why Mr. Bimble came out with you this morning is it?" Harry said.
Ginny looked at him in confusion, before realizing he was talking about the stuffed animal still clutched under her arm. She looked at him in amazement for a moment, before letting out a snort.
"Mr. Bimble?" she giggled softly.
Harry went red. "I thought it was cute."
"Hey!" Ron yelled, cutting into their conversation. "Stop flirting in the kitchen and get out here while we have company."
"Flirting? What' all this then?" Mrs. Weasley chirped up, looking at Harry and Ginny in a new light. "Don't tell me you two are…"
"No, we're not!" Harry said a little quickly. He felt Ginny's stare boring into the back of his head, but he ignored it. "Ron's just being a prat. Something he's spent a lifetime perfecting." Harry growled, giving Ron a look.
"Ah, I wouldn't rush into denial so quickly." Hermione said, still not looking up. "Ron may know something the two of you don't."
Ginny wanted to disappear on the spot. The look on her mother's face was becoming increasing embarrassing. "Yes well, you know what they say; some drink from the fountain of knowledge, while other's just gurgle." Ginny snapped, giving Hermione a look.
"So you're saying there is nothing between the two of you?" Mrs. Weasley urged, looking like she was ready to start making wedding plans any second.
"No! Nothing!" Harry laughed, taking another sip of his drink. "Its just Ron's drugs talking."
"You know, I tried sniffing coke once." Ron said, flipping through the stations. "But the ice-cubes got stuck up my nose."
Everyone laughed, except Harry and Ginny. Harry watched her out of the corner of his eye, and was a little confused to see her so suddenly quite cool. Her expression had hardened and she didn't seem so at ease around him anymore.
Well, what was I meant to say? He thought defensively as she left the kitchen and took the seat on the other side of Hermione. There is nothing going on! Well, not on her part anyway.
Harry ruffled his hair and tried to go back to the paper, but he felt immensely guilty for some reason. He looked back at Ginny and saw she was stubbornly refusing to look at him, or even acknowledge his existence.
Suddenly feeling supremely irritated himself; Harry threw the rest of his drink down the drain and marched out of the room.
Ginny watched him go out of the corner of her eye, torn two ways. Should she go after him? He seemed a little upset all of a sudden, and perhaps he would have liked the company.
But then again, she felt rather upset herself. He had denied flat out any feelings for her and, in the whole time she had been there, had totally disregarded any advances she had made. Perhaps she was just wasting her time on a man who no more felt that way about her than Neville Longbottom did.
"Ginny? Ginny dear are you listening to me?"
Ginny jumped and blinked at her mother, who was giving her a peculiar look. "Yes, sorry mum what were you saying?"
Harry finally came out of his room long after the Weasley's had left, not wanting to have them looking at him as if he were about to get down on one knee in front of their only daughter. He had been drawn out of his room for the insatiable need for some Butterbeer, and thought that, judging by the silence, he would have the house to himself.
That was of course, until he spotted Ginny on the sofa.
She was lying on her belly, propped up on her elbows while reading a book. She gave him the slightest glance over the top of her book to register his presence, before going back to the pages of her novel.
Harry considered her for a moment, before shaking his head and heading for the fridge.
"Your parents are gone I see." He called from the kitchen.
"Yes. They just left actually." Ginny said. Her tone held nothing; she was simply replaying the facts.
Harry cracked his bottle open and took a long sip. "Where'd Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum go?" he asked, coming back into the living room.
Ginny watched him as he took the seat adjacent from her, picking up the paper again and settling it in his lap without looking at her. "They went house hunting. Said to say they'd be going out for dinner and won't be back until late."
"Fine." Harry nodded, going straight to the middle of his paper and picking up where he left off.
Ginny watched him for a moment, wanting desperately so say something to break this sudden icy silence between them, but instead let out an indignant huff and went back to her book.
They sat in silence for the next few minutes, each very annoyed with the other. He was angry at her for not being straight about what it was she wanted, she was angry with him for being an idiot and not realizing what it was she was trying to tell him… but each were too stubborn to speak about it first.
Harry ruffled the pages on his paper noisily and went to grab his bottle again for another sip… when his attention seemed to shift permanently to Ginny and what it was she was doing.
He felt his nether regions give a jolt as he watched her. Every now and then, she would lift her pelvis up, move it a little and then sink it back down into the sofa. And it was the most distracting and erotic thing Harry had seen in a good long while. He looked at her face, and it she seemed totally unaware of the impact such a simple movement was having on him.
He blinked and looked back down at his paper, but he could still hear the rustle of the cushions whenever she moved. His eyes slid back to her and watched as she did it again, and again, and again…
He groaned as his 'Mr. Jolly' began to have a seriously unfunny reaction to what she was doing. Every time she moved, her hips would ride up and whenever she moved down, she'd rub up against the sofa. It was taking every once of mental control for him not to fantasize about her doing that on top of him, instead of the furniture.
Was it getting hotter? They day was already warm enough without him getting flushed as he watched her. Up… down…up… down…
"Ginny!" He finally cried, clamping his eyes shut and slamming his paper closed.
She jumped a little in surprise and looked over at him. "What?" she asked, frowning.
Harry opened his eyes and looked at her, breathing hard. He wanted to say 'stop humping the fucking sofa!', but that would give him away. So, instead he said…
"Cant you just sit still?" he asked, trying to remain calm and not let her see what was going on in his lap.
Ginny looked down at herself and frowned. "I can't get comfortable."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm agitated, Harry!"
"Why?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Gee, I have no idea." She snapped sarcastically.
"Well go have a bath or something to calm yourself down." He said without thinking. Then he had to surpass a groan as an image of her in the bath popped into his head. Up… down…up…down…
Ginny glared at him for a moment, before throwing her book down, getting up and storming out of the room, muttering under her breath. Harry was sure he heard the words 'daft pillock' in there somewhere.
Harry literally rolled his eyes in relief and sunk into the chair, letting his head fall back against the back of the armchair. He knew it would have been only a matter of seconds before he would have been the one leaving the room, heading beeline for the bathroom to 'take care of business'. It was bad enough she was wearing those little shorts again, let alone her doing that action with her hips…
Shaking himself of sexual thoughts for the time being, Harry stood up and went to fetch some food. But he stopped as he passed by the back door, his eyes widening in amazement.
Ginny was out the back, standing in the middle of the lawn, apparently trying to do Tai Chi. Her face was contorted in concentration and determination as she tried to mimic the movements Harry did every afternoon. It was rather cute, watching her to try and do it without the slightest idea of what she actually was doing.
Harry went to the doorway and leant against it, folding his arms over his chest and smiling as she continued to move, clearly getting more and more frustrated by the minute.
"So, what's this you're trying to do?" he asked finally.
Ginny whirled around to face him, breathing a little hard. "I'm trying to do that 'Chai Tinny' thing it is you do, or whatever it's called." She huffed, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Yes, 'trying' being the main word here." Harry sniggered.
"Look, either help me or shut up and bugger off." She snapped, turning away from him and going back to her movements.
She was far too irritated to play this game with him anymore. She was tired of her flirting going unnoticed, or her suggestions not taken any further. It wasn't about just shagging him anymore… not that she would say no to it if brought up. She really cared for him, and deeply, and it hurt that…
Ginny jumped as she suddenly felt two strong arms grab her from behind and move her a little to the right. "Harry?"
"Firstly, you need to stand properly… otherwise you'll be playing Twister with your ridiculous footwork." Said Harry's voice, low in her ear.
Ginny tried not to shiver at the close proximity and did as he said, widening her stance. He let her go and moved around to stand in front of her, a smile on his face. He too took the stance, shook himself loose and let out a sigh.
"Okay, the first thing to remember about this is to be patient. Which will be a stretch for you being a Weasley, I know." He added with a laugh. "So, take your arms like this…"
Ginny did as he demonstrated, feeling a little thrill for some reason. It was hot, they were outdoors, he was wearing a tight-fitting red t-shirt and denim shorts and she was already getting turned on by him.
"Okay, now what?" she asked.
"Now do what I do. Nice and slow… calmly…" Harry said, beginning to move.
Ginny frowned and did as he did, trying to fight the insane urge to speed up. She felt that surge of irritation again at moving so slowly, like that feeling you get in crowds when people in a line move too slowly.
"Now breathe… breathing is important…" Harry said, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.
Ginny tried desperately not to get annoyed, but finally she let out a grunt of annoyance and threw her arms up in the air. "Dammit, I can't stand going so slow! I just want to kick out or go mad or something." She cried.
"Okay, alright. Don't get your knickers in a twist. It accomplishes nothing and makes you walk funny." Harry said, also coming to a stop.
Ginny sighed as Harry considered her for a moment. "You can say it you know. Something I'm horrible at. Perish the thought!" she said fatly, looking at her feet.
But he didn't say anything. Instead, he moved back around to stand behind her and slid his hands down her arms to link his hands with hers. She stiffened a little as she felt his chest press against her back. She could smell his aftershave mixed with perspiration, his arms were warm and strong…
"Now, move with me." He whispered in her ear.
Oh god! She thought.
Slowly, he lifted her arms up and began moving them with him, their torso's twisting together as he led their movements. Harry's breath on the side of her face and on the top of her almost bare shoulder was making her a little weak of the knees, not to mention the sensuality that was simply oozing out of what they were doing.
Harry felt himself getting all hot again as he felt Ginny's small body shift against his, her soft hair brushing against his cheek as her head tilted back a little. Their closeness was intense, and he could smell her shampoo. He wanted to run his hands along her body, down her legs and up other places…
"Harry…" Ginny moaned suddenly, taking his arms and wrapping them around her body.
It didn't matter that they were standing in the middle of the yard where anyone of the neighbors could see them, nor did it matter that they were both half naked from the heat… all that mattered was that they didn't let go.
Well, if he doesn't get the point now he's definitely dafter than I ever imagined! Ginny thought, turning her head a little to look at him.
Harry looked at her, finding it difficult to believe that just a few minutes ago they had refused to look each other in the eye, and hours before that had been blatantly defending any feeling between them. But now this feeling, whatever it was, it was staring him in the face, demanding recognition. She did feel something. It was plainly obvious in the way she was looking at him.
And suddenly the alarm bells went off in Harry's head. This couldn't really happen.
He jumped back, letting her go completely. "So, er…" he stuttered, looking at the ground and taking three large steps away from her.
Ginny slowly turned completely to face him and put her hands on her hips. Her expression had gone suddenly quite deadly.
Harry cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "So, that's the basics of that. And if you wanted I could…"
"Harry," Ginny suddenly growled. "If you so much as even think about finishing that sentence, I will have to hit you with the most powerful Bat-Bogey hex I know."
"What would you prefer I say then?" he retorted.
"Anything but denying what just happened!" Ginny cried. "I know you felt something Harry; I saw it in your face. Why can't you just tell me how you feel?"
"Why can't you just tell me how you feel then huh?" he yelled, pointing at her.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Harry, I have been telling you how I feel since the day I came back." She laughed bitterly. "In a million ways, I've been telling you. For these two weeks I've been telling you… Jesus Harry, since I was ten years old I've been telling you. You're just either too arrogant or stupid to listen!"
"You haven't said one word about how you feel to me Ginny. Ever!" Harry cried angrily. "You send mixed signals. I can't work out whether you like me or not half the time."
"And what did just now tell you Harry?" Ginny asked, taking a step toward him. "What did my eyes tell you? My heart beat?"
Harry stared at her, the answer ringing in the back of his mind like a million church bells. This was an issue that had forever been present, but had never been talked about. It was a world that had been crossed off by a very large, determined line. And whatever that line was, they were staring eyeball to eyeball with it right now.
Ginny took another step toward him, peeing up into his face. "You know how I feel about you… Christ, who doesn't?" she laughed. "But the big mystery here, is do you feel the same?"
Harry looked away from her stubbornly. "You can't ask me this Ginny."
"I have every bloody right to ask you this." She snapped. "You want to hear me say it? Is that what you want me to do?" she asked. She placed a hand on Harry's cheek and lifted his head so he could look at her. "I love you Harry." She laughed with a shrug. "There, you see? Nothing mixed or ambiguous about it. I love you, and have loved you since I was old enough to understand what love meant."
Harry shivered under her gaze, from the impact of her words. No one had ever said those three words to him in this context.
Ever.
"Ginny…" he said, his eyes dropping again.
"Answer me Harry." Ginny demanded softly. "This settles it once and for all. I don't want to play this stupid game anymore… this guessing game we've been playing for God-knows how long. I want to know, straight out. Do you love me, or don't you?"
Harry clenched his jaw. "You don't know what it is you ask of me." He said.
"Don't think I can't handle what-ever it is." Ginny said.
"My life isn't for sharing." Harry said sadly. "It isn't roses and walks through parks Ginny."
"Answer my question Harry." Ginny pressed, taking his face in her hands. "Do you love me?" she whispered.
Harry looked at her, his green eyes boring into her brown ones. He felt tongue-tied, obligated, guilty, confused… so many emotions. He couldn't let her in, he couldn't let anyone in. Danger… too much danger…
"I…" he started, his mouth dry. Ginny's eyes were locked on his. "I…don't." he said finally, feeling his heart break.
Ginny's bottom lip trembled and her eyes welled up with tears, but she continued to look at him as if waiting for him to finish the sentence. But, moments of waiting told her that unfortunately, he was finished.
She nodded and let him go; taking two steps away form him once more. She opened her mouth to speak, but her heart was thumping against her ribcage, making vocal noises near impossible.
Harry felt as if his blood had been turned to lead at the look on her face. She was hurt, and the thing he swore he would never to her, had indeed come to pass. Why was it so unfair being him?
"Ginny…"
Ginny help up a hand to silence him, wrapping her other arm around herself. She looked at him for a long moment, before turning and going back into the house.
Harry felt his knees give out and he sank into the grass, his eyes still locked on the place she had been standing seconds before. It was like a white blotch in front of his eyes, so great was his disbelief of what had just happened.
He couldn't have told her. He couldn't have. No girl within twenty meters was safe around him, and that included Hermione. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to Ginny because of what he did for a living. That was the whole reason he had abstained from pursuing anything with her in the first place all those years ago and his life had not become any safer since.
But did he love her? Deep down he knew the answer to that. But he couldn't tell her. How could he tell her, and expect everything to stay the same?
Harry ran his hands through his air, feeling sadness wash over him once more. Was he not meant to have what he wanted? His whole life had been full of sacrifices, or of thinking of others… when was it going to be alright for him to think of his own needs?
He looked at the house, thinking about how what he wanted most was separated from him by just a few walls… and how he couldn't have her.
Now, it really was too late.
"Arthur, must you spend hours on end at the office? You know I miss you dearly."
Mr. Weasley laughed and kissed his wife on the head as he fussed around the kitchen, collecting various things before he was to depart for a meeting at the Ministry.
"Alas my dear, the Ministry needs its Minister." He sighed, popping a few nuts in his mouth from the bowl on the bench. "Besides, you're just sore that you have no-one to fuss over or dote upon."
Mrs. Weasley smiled at him warmly. "Is it a crime to be so deeply in love with my family? Not to mention my husband."
Mr. Weasley stopped his pacing in front of her, smiled and gave her a kiss. "Not at all." He said, giving her hands a squeeze. "I shouldn't be home too late."
"Well in that case I'll just finish these last few dishes and take myself off to bed. And I'll not wait up for you because, really, who would do something like that?" she added, fussing over the front of her husband's robes.
Mr. Weasley laughed, kissed his wife once more and disapparated. Mrs. Weasley sighed happily for a moment, before rubbing her eyes and getting up to go to the sink to finish the last of the washing up.
CRACK.
"Oh Arthur, I knew you'd forget something. What is it this time?" Mrs. Weasley asked without turning around.
She was expecting to hear Arthur Weasley's deep grumble of annoyance. So it was definitely a reason to spin around in surprise when instead she heard a sniff and a very tentative "Mum?"
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley cried in surprise.
She looked terrible. Her long, red hair was limp around her face from running her hands through it so many times, and her face was blotchy and her eyes were red and bloodshot. Ginny sniffed back again, before lifting her head and looking at her mother.
"Sweetheart, what on earth is wrong?" Mrs. Weasley asked softly, crossing to her only daughter.
Ginny smiled as her mother stroked her face, pushing her hair out of the way. "Would it be all right if… I stayed here for the night? No questions asked?"
Mrs. Weasley smiled up at Ginny. "Of course my darling. Now, why don't I make us a pot of my special tea and you can tell me the real reason why George thought it would be a good idea to follow in his brother's footsteps and grow his hair to that ridiculous length."
A/N – Happened a little fast, didn't it? Never fear, you will like the next chapter.
Please review!