Anywhere but in Between
I only own the plot.
Words are failing me right now. I'm trying to think of an appropriate way to thank all of you, but I simply can't do it. LegendaryRockstar, your review literally had me clapping my hands and grinning like an idiot at the screen. You're right, the dialog was difficult to write, and I had to go back a million times to touch it up. The movie sounds like a brilliant idea. Let me know if you can find the backing for it and I'll sell the rights in a minute. Your review was truly one of the most encouraging I've received to date, so thank you. MmmMmmGood, welcome and thank you. Your review was wonderful. Localizy, congrats! It sounds like things lined up perfectly…TheGossipQueen, welcome to you as well. I have tried hard to stay true to them and I'm glad it's paid off, and let me say, you gave me the best news I've heard in a while: BOOK 6 comes out on July 16! I had no idea! That is two days before my birthday. Happy Birthday to me!!!
There are so many of you I want to thank, and you have all become my inspiration. LJfan, wackyone, illusions industry, angelicone, and so many more. I don't want to make the author's note as long as last time, because we are finally there folks. This is IT. So let's get on with it…
Chapter 18 – The Point of No Return
Even though Hermione was having a good time watching Harry squirm from the questions she kept firing at him, she was growing extremely impatient for Ron's return. She was sure that he was going to tell her what she'd wanted to hear for so long, and the agony of waiting was starting to grate on her last nerve.
She had broken things off with Terry for several reasons. She hadn't been lying to Ron when she'd said that she and Terry wanted different things for their futures. She had just omitted the fact that the thing that she wanted was Ron.
When Terry had sprung the question of wanting to get married on her, the only thing that had filled her mind were pictures of Ron. Not that she wanted a proposal or anything like that. All she really wanted was an end to this played-out game they had been engaged in ever since they were teenagers.
She wasn't stupid. She knew that Ron had been mildly interested in her when they were at school. She, however, hadn't been ready to take the leap. They had been close, best friends, and she had been scared that if they had attempted anything more than that, they would have ruined everything. Besides, they had Harry to consider. If she and Ron had gotten together back then, Harry would have been the third wheel. She had figured that he had enough to concern himself with, without having to worry that his best friends were excluding him.
Besides, they had been kids back then. Who was to say that if they had gotten together that they would even know each other now? With their tempers back then, they would most assuredly have broken up. What then?
"It looks like people are starting to leave," commented Harry, drawing her attention back to him. He was looking at the tent opening as well, with a hopeful look on his face. She grinned inwardly, wondering if he was as anxious as she was.
"Don't worry, Harry," she said lightly. "They'll be done soon, and then you can have Ginny all to yourself again."
"What?" he asked, his face reddening quickly.
"Harry, you forget who you're talking to. I know what it's like to wait for someone, and if you don't ever take another bit of advice from me in your life, take this. Don't keep her waiting. Let her know how you feel, the sooner the better," she stated emphatically.
He straightened, looking ready to refute her accusations about his feelings toward Ginny. In the next instant, however, he relaxed into his chair and sighed.
"It's a bit more complicated than that," he said, running a hand through his unruly hair.
"Oh? How so?"
He sighed again. "She's different. It wouldn't be some casual thing with her. I'm best mates with her brother, and her family is the only family I've ever known. If things were to go badly between us, I'd be losing more than her."
"Why would things go badly?" she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. "How could you put an end to things before they have a chance to start?"
"I don't know. People get together, and they break up, don't they? I mean, you just got finished telling me that you and Terry called things off tonight, didn't you? You and he were perfectly suited, and it ended," he reasoned.
"It ended because I didn't love him," she explained patiently. "He's not what I want. From what I've seen, you want Ginny, and she wants you. There's no reason you shouldn't give it a go."
Harry looked ready to say something else, but at that moment the wedding party exited the tent. He sat even straighter in his seat, and he ran his hand through his hair again.
"It looks like they're finished up," he said in a strangled voice. Her eyes swung to the tent, immediately locking on Ron's. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He held up a finger, gesturing to the guests that were leaving and coming up to them to say their goodbyes. She nodded at him, and turned back to Harry.
He was watching her closely, a small smile on his face. "You broke up with Terry because of Ron, didn't you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
It was her turn to blush. "I told you why we broke up already," she insisted.
He smirked at her. "Right."
"Really, Harry," she chided, willing the blush away from her cheeks. It was one thing to have a go at him, but she'd never been very good at it being directed at her.
He laughed, standing up. "I'm going to go ask Mrs. Weasley if she needs any help cleaning up."
"Ah, kissing up to the mother already?" she teased, standing as well. "You don't have to worry, Harry. She adores you like you're one of her own already."
He pulled a face at her. "You can be really evil when you want to be," he said with narrowed eyes.
Hermione laughed, following him across the yard.
Bill and Fleur were saying goodbye to their families, ready to leave and start their honeymoon. Hermione smiled when she saw Mrs. Weasley burst into tears and hold her son as tightly as she could. Mr. Weasley had to pry his wife off of his son, and with a hearty handshake, sent Bill and his new bride on their way.
The last of the guests apparated shortly after and Fred announced that he was taking Angelina home. The rest of the Weasleys dispersed across the yard, starting the arduous task of cleaning up. Hermione saw Harry approach Ginny tentatively, offering his services. She smiled to herself, wondering if Harry would take her advice or not, and if Ginny would have any good news for her tonight before they retired.
"Hey," she heard from behind her.
She turned to face Ron, the smile still on her face. "Hey, yourself."
"So, mum put me in charge of taking down the tents. I figure the quicker I get started, the quicker I'm done," he said, his eyes locked onto hers intently.
"I'll help then," she said lightly, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. The sooner they were finished, the sooner they could resolve what had started before they were interrupted.
"Okay," he said, returning her smile.
About a half-hour later, Mrs. Weasley made the final rounds, proclaiming them done for the night. She and Mr. Weasley bid them all a goodnight and walked back to the house, arm in arm. Charlie and George followed soon after, although Charlie kept shooting strange looks at Harry. Hermione could understand why. Harry hadn't left Ginny's side all throughout the clean up, and was now speaking in low tones to her across the yard.
"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Ron, a small smile on his face.
Hermione followed his line of vision, and smiled along with him. "I don't know, but I'm hoping he takes my advice."
He turned to look at her. "And what advice would that be?" he asked, his gaze unreadable in the growing darkness.
"I told him that he shouldn't wait to tell her how he felt about her," she confessed softly.
Ron nodded slightly, taking a step toward her. "That's good advice," he said quietly. They stood perfectly still, only a few inches apart from each other, their gazes locked intently on each other.
Hermione's heart was racing inside her chest. She felt as if her skin was on fire, and she took a shaky breath to try and calm herself.
"You know, I just realized something," he said.
"What's that?" she asked, amazed she could hear her own voice over the loud thumping of her pulse. He took another step toward her, and she swallowed with difficulty.
"We didn't get a chance to dance tonight," he said, holding out his hand. "This is the first time we've ever been at a party together where we didn't have a dance."
She stared at his hand as if she had never seen it before. He was waiting patiently for her to accept his offer, and she felt such a surge of love for him that she had to force herself not to throw herself into his arms.
"That's not true," she said quietly. "We didn't dance together at the Yule Ball back in fourth year."
He smiled at her then, a beautiful smile of remembrance. "Well, that's because I was a stupid git and didn't ask you to go with me in the first place."
She put her hand in his, feeling the electricity of his touch all the way through her body. "You weren't stupid," she said softly. "You were fourteen."
His eyes held hers as he pulled her closer to him. She went willingly, trying to keep her breathing even. If she didn't calm down, she'd hyperventilate on him right where she stood.
"I have a confession to make," he said, placing his hand on her waist gently. She gave up on trying to breathe at all, and let him guide her slowly into his arms. "All those years you accused me of being jealous of Viktor Krum? You were spot on," he admitted, giving her a small smile.
"Yes, well, when Fleur kissed you after you helped Harry pull Gabrielle out of the water, I wanted to slap her. Of course, I'm glad I didn't, considering," she said, laughing quietly.
He kept his gaze locked with hers. "Well, as long as we're trading confessions," he said, pulling her even closer, "I have a pretty big one that I've been trying to admit to for a long time now."
Her heart was slamming against her ribs uncontrollably now, making her feel dizzy. She decided to take the last remaining step between them, bringing her body up against his and putting her free hand at the back of his neck, her fingers barely brushing against his hair.
"Yes?" she asked quietly when he didn't immediately continue. She saw only the briefest moment of hesitation in his eyes before he ducked his head so his mouth was close to her ear. His cheek was resting lightly against hers, and she felt the shockwaves of his closeness through every fiber in her being.
"I'm in love with you," he whispered.
If she hadn't been standing so close to him, her legs would have given out. Finally hearing the words she'd been waiting half her life to hear sent a rush of happiness through her so strong that she was afraid she'd pass out. She closed her eyes against the million sensations flooding her brain, slowly releasing his hand and bringing it up to cradle the side of his face.
"I'm in love with you, too," she said softly. She felt his arms immediately tighten around her, holding her closer against him than she thought was possible. He moved his head slightly, letting his cheek brush against hers. He sighed against her neck, making her shiver involuntarily.
"Thank God," he said. They remained like that for a long while, content to simply have said what had been on their minds for so many years.
Then, she felt Ron pulling away from her and she opened her eyes. He was looking down into her face with a desire she'd never known existed until now.
"Now that I've said what I've wanted to say for so long, I was wondering if I could do what I've wanted to –"
"Ronald Weasley," she interrupted lightly, "if you don't kiss me now, I'll never forgive you." She saw the side of his mouth lift into a half-smile, and he had never looked more wonderful in her eyes.
"I know better than to make you angry," he said in a low voice, the small smile vanishing instantly as his eyes focused on her lips.
Whatever she had imagined in the past about what kissing Ron would be like, it was nothing compared to the reality. She saw his eyes close right before she felt his lips on hers, and she closed her own at the contact. He kept his lips lightly on hers for a moment, giving them both a chance to get used to things. The small consideration made her love him even more than she did, and she let her fingers travel into his hair.
He made a small sound against her mouth, increasing the pressure of his lips. She let her mouth fall open under his, and a sensation unlike any she had ever known flowed through her. His hands came around from her back to cradle her face in his hands, moving her head along with his as he slowly deepened the kiss. He was taking his time, exploring her lips with his own.
She allowed herself to completely let go of all inhibitions and doubts, kissing him back with all the trust and love she felt for him.
They broke apart slowly and Ron sighed again, leaning his forehead against hers. His hands reached around his neck to find hers and he brought them down to rest at their sides, their fingers intertwining tightly.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he said quietly. She sighed contentedly, feeling that for the first time, everything she wanted was truly in her grasp.
"I love you, Ron," she whispered softly.
"I love you," he answered, his tone equally as soft.
They remained like that with their foreheads touching, simply resting against each other for what seemed like forever. Then Ron's arms went around her, and his lips found hers once again. It was even more incredible than the first time, and as he gently deepened their kiss, Hermione sent up a silent prayer of thanks to anyone who was listening.
"Ginny, what do you think we should do with the used candles?"
She heard Harry's voice, but she didn't respond. All of her attention was trained on the couple across the yard.
"Ginny?" he asked, coming up behind her.
"Look," she said, pointing over at her brother and Hermione. Harry followed her gesture, squinting in the darkness.
"What are they doing?" he asked, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Ginny laughed, refraining herself from clapping her hands like a little girl.
"They're dancing," she replied happily.
Harry frowned at her. "But there's no music," he pointed out unnecessarily.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him and shifted her gaze off the dancing couple. They deserved a bit of privacy now, especially if her brother was finally getting up the courage to tell Hermione that he loved her.
"Honestly, Harry," she chided lightly, moving around him to dispose of the candles he had previously mentioned.
"What?" he asked.
She sighed, wondering why men never understood what was right before their eyes. "Never mind," she said, laughing again.
Harry held the bag open for her as she deposited the last of the candles into it. She was very conscious of how close he was to her, and ever since their earlier dance, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about how his hands had felt on her. Just thinking about it now made her shiver slightly, and she forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand.
"So," Harry said, waving his wand at the bag, sending it flying into the corner with the other rubbish, "is that everything?"
"I think so," she answered, almost sorry that their chores were done. She wanted to have an excuse to be with him longer, but seeing as how nothing else needed to be done, she sighed. "I guess we can head on to bed."
She could have sworn that she saw a flicker of disappointment in Harry's eyes, but it was too dark out to tell. They started out across the yard to the house, and right before they reached the back door, Harry's hand reached out to stop her.
She glanced down at his hand briefly, amazed that even the simplest touch set her pulse racing so crazily. When she looked up, however, he wasn't looking at her. He was looking back at Hermione and Ron, a huge grin on his face.
"I don't believe it," he said, pointing out in the darkness. She followed his gaze, and her eyes widened. Ron and Hermione were kissing, and it hadn't just started that moment either.
"No way," she whispered, amazed at what she saw. Harry let out a short bark of laughter, and Ginny faced him. "What's so funny?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It looks like Hermione's following her own advice," he said, more to himself than anything.
"What?" she asked in confusion. Harry looked down at her, then, blushing slightly, he shook his head.
"Nothing," he said quickly, moving toward the door. "Come on, we should give them some privacy."
When they entered the house, Ginny found it oddly quiet. She realized that everyone must have turned in for the evening, although there was a fire going in the living room. She made her way into the room, sinking wearily onto the sofa. She kicked off her shoes, and wiggled her toes. If she never had to wear heels again, that would be just fine with her.
Harry sat on the other side of the sofa, almost hanging off the side he was so far away from her. She sighed, wondering if the dance from before was simply a fluke. She had thought that he was interested in more, since he had held her so carefully, so close to him the entire time they danced. That wasn't how friends danced with each other. At least, that wasn't how she danced with any friend she had ever had.
She chanced a look at him, and found him staring into the fire with a serious expression on his face.
"What is it?" she asked lightly, drawing her knees up under her.
"Hmm?" he asked, shifting his eyes over to her. She smiled at him, reaching for a blanket off the back of the sofa. "You look so serious all of a sudden. What are you thinking about?"
Harry sighed lightly, running a hand through his hair. "I was just wondering what it's going to be like to have the two of them dating," he said honestly. She could tell that the idea of being left out was bothering him, especially since he'd missed so much of their lives already.
"Things won't change too much, if I know them," she said reassuringly. "They'll argue, and make up, then argue some more, then make up again. You know," she said, grinning, "the usual."
Harry smiled, the serious look vanishing from his face. "If anything, at least we'll have some good stuff to tease them with for the next few days."
They fell into silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Ginny wondered if Harry was thinking about their dance as much as she was. It seemed like it was consuming her thoughts. All she could think about was how she had felt in his arms, and how his cheek had felt against hers.
"It was a great wedding," Harry said, breaking the silence in the room.
"Yes, it was," she replied, pulling the blanket closer around her legs. The dress was lovely, she had to admit, but it didn't offer the greatest amount of warmth on the cold October evening. "By the way," she added, raising an eyebrow at him, "Gabrielle told me to tell you that she enjoyed meeting you."
"Did she now?" mused Harry, shaking his head. "I tell you, those part-veelas are really forces to be reckoned with, aren't they?"
Ginny laughed, suddenly remembering the look on Alienne's face as George had said goodnight to her. She had appeared to have been the one under some sort of spell, and she had to hand it to her brother. He really was quite charming when he wanted to be.
"I suppose they are," she agreed.
Silence reigned again between them, and Ginny turned her attention back to the fire. Waiting for Harry to show her what he was thinking was proving torturous, and she didn't know if she could deal with it. He was so closed off and protective of his feelings, that sometimes talking to him was like talking to a brick wall. Still, she had seen enough to have some kind of hope, but she realized that if anything was going to happen, she'd have to be the one to start it.
"She had another part to her message, too," she said, still staring into the fire.
"Oh? What's that?" he asked, his voice filled with apprehension.
She laughed at his tone, and turned on the sofa to face him. "Are you sure you want it?" she asked, her nerve almost breaking when she saw the look on his face.
"I guess," he answered, his eyebrows furrowing together. "Unless it's that she's going to sacrifice small animals and read from her scrapbook or something."
"No, nothing as intense," she promised, edging closer to him on the sofa. "In fact, it should be quite painless."
She saw his eyes widen slightly as she got closer to him. She tried not to look directly into them, for they had always been her downfall. There was something about the brilliance of them that unnerved her unlike anything else could, and she focused her attention solely on his cheek.
She brushed her lips softly against his skin, lingering only a second longer than was prudent. When she pulled back, she saw the rush of color in his face, and the intense look in his eyes, and instead of returning to the other side of the couch she remained where she was.
He was looking at her so steadily, so intently, that her blood pounded in her veins. She willed him to do anything that would prove to her that she wasn't just imagining things, but he remained silent.
She sighed, covering herself again with the blanket. "So, anyway, that's the other part of the message," she said, trying to keep her tone as light as possible.
He nodded almost imperceptibly, then shifted closer to her on the couch. "It's a shame she's so young, or I could have done this," he said, his voice dropping so low that she had to strain to hear him. He moved his face closer to hers, and she made the mistake of looking him in the eye. Her pulse began racing out of control as his lips brushed her own cheek. His lips, however, remained on her cheek much longer than hers had remained on his, and she closed her eyes briefly.
When he pulled back, she found that he didn't move away from her. In fact, he was sitting so close that she no longer needed the blanket to keep her warm.
"Well, if she were older," she said softly, finding a surge of courage she never thought she had running through her body, "her message might have gone something more like this." She brought her lips up to his, barely grazing them with the lightest of caresses before pulling away. This was either the smartest thing she'd ever done, or the stupidest.
She saw him breathing deeply as she pulled back, and before she could fully recline away from him, he stopped her with his hand on her arm.
"Then I could have done this," he said quietly, moving toward her with painstaking slowness. He let his lips fall onto hers with more pressure than she'd used, and he held them there too long to leave any doubt in her mind.
Her heart hammered inside her chest as he pulled away, and she tried to focus on what was happening. Harry Potter had finally broken the impenetrable shell around him, letting her in at last.
She grew weary of their little game, and brought her hand up to brush aside a shock of hair that had fallen into his eyes. Their gazes locked, and in the next instant, they gravitated toward one another again.
"I don't know if this is such a good idea," he said quietly, his lips barely a breath away from hers.
"Why not?" she asked softly, afraid to move for fear that he'd shut down again.
"Everyone I've ever cared about has been taken from me," he said, his hand coming up to feel the silkiness of her hair. "I don't think I'd recover if anything happened to you."
"Harry, could you do me a favor, please?" she asked, closing her eyes against the sensation of his hand in her hair.
"Anything."
"Stop worrying about what will happen and just let it happen," she requested, bringing her own hands up to cradle his face.
He sighed, and she felt the warmth of his breath on her face. His hand moved around to the back of her head, and she felt herself being guided gently toward his lips.
Their mouths met tentatively at first, a slight meeting of the lips that left her begging for more. She moved closer to him on the couch, until she was flush up against him. She put her hand on his leg, and when she felt his body jerk underneath her touch, she smiled against his lips.
"Are you afraid of me?" she whispered, kissing him lightly on the corner of his mouth.
"I'm terrified of you," he replied, letting his lips trail down to her jaw line. She sucked in a sharp breath at the pleasurable sensations swirling in the pit of her stomach, and she realized that if she didn't really kiss him soon, she'd go absolutely mad.
"Why?" she asked, bringing her hands up to his chest. She felt his heart pounding underneath her palms, and she took comfort in the fact that he was feeling the same way as she was.
"You saved me from myself, and I don't know how to repay you," he said quietly, pulling away just enough to be able to see her face.
She gave him a soft smile. "I can think of one way," she said, inclining her face up to his. He returned the smile for a brief moment, before his eyes darkened and he began to lower his head.
This time, when their mouths met, there was nothing tentative about it. She opened her lips under his, reacting instinctively to his intensity. His kiss was deep and slow, and she responded in kind. His arms wound around her tightly, bringing her as close up against him as he could manage. Her brain grew fuzzy, spinning out of any control she may have. She was only vaguely aware that they were in fact snogging in the middle of her parents' house, in full view of anyone who would happen to wake up and come down the stairs.
She didn't care, though. She had waited too long to deny herself the opportunity to kiss him the way she'd always dreamed of kissing him.
He pulled away some time later, his lips swollen and breathing heavily. "Ginny, we have to stop," he said, sliding away slightly to give himself some distance from her.
"I know," she said resignedly. Their eyes locked and held, and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Besides, we'll have plenty of time to do this properly," he said in a low voice. "I just don't think that your parents would appreciate it very much if they caught us like this."
She smiled at his words. "So this wasn't just a one time thing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
Harry shook his head, then his eyes widened in fear. "Why, did you want it to be?" he asked quickly.
She laughed then, smoothing away the worried look on his forehead. "I don't kiss everyone like that," she said softly.
His features relaxed and he smiled at her. "You better not," he said, kissing her lips gently one last time. "Well, why don't you go up first. I'm going to wait here for Hermione and Ron and see if they fess up to anything when they come back inside."
Ginny laughed again, swatting him on the arm. "So cruel," she chided, getting up off the couch. She tossed the blanket onto him, covering him for a second before he pulled it off.
She took in the disheveled appearance of the man she was pretty sure she was falling in love with all over again, and her heart almost burst with happiness. His eyes were holding hers steadily, and she bent down to receive another kiss from him.
Before they could get carried away again, she straightened and turned away quickly. "Okay, I'm going now," she said, more to psyche herself up than anything.
"Ginny," he called out, as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
She turned to face him. "Yes?"
He cleared his throat and her heart constricted at the boyish look on his face. "Nothing. Goodnight," he said, smiling almost apologetically. Whatever it was he was about to say would have to wait for another time.
And that was fine with her. Small steps seemed to be his style, and she didn't have a problem with that. She considered what had happened tonight a full-out miracle as it was.
"Goodnight, Harry," she said softly before turning and heading up the stairs for what she assumed would be a very restless night of sleep.
Well, there you have it…finally. They started to act a different way than I wanted, but I just went with it. I hope it was okay. Anyway, they are not done yet. Much more to come, especially when they realize that someone, somewhere, knows now that Harry is back, and isn't too happy about it. Please, please, please, keep reading!