Title: You're My Bertie Botts
Summary: It's the fifth summer holiday for the trio and spending it with a distressed Ginny at The Burrow leaves Harry wondering about the littlest Red Head and Hermione about the next oldest. A light fluffy HG RH
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, otherwise I would be married with children, have blonde hair, and be pretty darn rich!
Chapter Nine: Third Tree From The Left
Author Notes: Sorry for slow updates again! But I'm here now! I'd list my excuses, but it'd take too long! Thank you all so much for your reviews! Keep doing it and pass on the word of my story, I want to make it past the 50 review mark! Thanks again and enjoy…….
..."I'm not letting you anywhere near Ginny in your temper." Ron stated, grabbing the back of his jumper.
"Fine!" Harry shouted. "I'm going back to The Burrow."
"I'll go with you," Hermione smiled politely.
Usually in such a foul mood Harry would have told her to 'sod off' but right now he felt like he needed her, just someone to be with him and if it couldn't be Ginny, Hermione was the next best thing...
Neither Harry nor Hermione spoke until they were firmly back in The Burrow, they dumped their coats and Hermione lit the fire.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked Harry timidly, worried that he might blow at any minute.
"That's be great cheers 'Mione." He replied quietly, watching the flames lap up the oxygen surrounding them. He checked his reflection in a mirror and was pleased to see that he no longer looked like a clown, but his nose still felt very sore and he could be sure it'd end up as an impressive bruise. Harry slumped into the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table, he sighed and rolled his head back, thinking of everything that had happened in the last couple of hours.
"Harry?" Hermione spoke quietly, his eyes snapped open and he was greeted by the brunette placing a mug down on the table and holding a bag of frozen peas. "It might be able to stop the bruising!" she smiled, sitting down next to him and holding the cold bag against Harry's nose. As his face grew steadily numb, Harry thanked her and said that he'd be okay. They drank their tea in silence, Hermione obviously wanted to bring up the subject of today, but appeared scared to do so. Draining the last of his drink, Harry placed the cup back on the table, Hermione followed.
"I kissed her." He said simply. He had planned many ways to tell Hermione, but this was the easiest.
"Kissed who?" Hermione asked just as simply.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Ginny." He looked across at Hermione whose eyes widened in shock and she was struggling to stop her jaw from dropping. Harry suddenly realised how stupid he had been, he'd always liked Ginny, she was great company, but it was only very recently he started to like her and he was already dealing with the fact he had kissed her.
"But...but it's Ginny. I know she's always been head over heels for you Harry, but...how?" she questioned, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
Harry went on to explain the whole run in with Michael Corner, the kiss and then the thrashing from the twins.
"I just don't get what she's so confused about!" Harry sighed, finishing his story.
"Can you blame her Harry? Ginny's had a crush on you since day one, and you kiss her to rescue her from a bad situation, she probably thinks you did it out of pity, or just to help her. I guess she's worried that it didn't mean anything to you because it meant so much to her." Hermione advised.
"Geez women's brains are confusing!" Harry smiled.
"It's what we're here for!" Hermione replied with a grin, "But seriously," her face fell, "Did it mean anything to you?"
Harry felt slightly embarrassed by sharing his deepest desires with his female best friend, but then she was bound to offer much better advice than Ron. Trying to hold back blushes, Harry replied. "More than I thought it possibly could."
Hermione let out a girly squeal and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck pulling him into a tight hug. "Then tell her!" she continued to squeal.
"Ouch Hermione! You're voice is painfully high!" He chuckled, hugging her back.
The fireplace that had recently been lit burst into green flames and Ron came tumbling out, followed by Fred, George then Mrs. Weasley. They were all arguing viciously and Molly was in floods of tears.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Her arms were still wrapped round Harry and Ron flashed jealous eyes. After getting no response from the Weasley's, Hermione jumped to her feet, abandoning Harry and pulled Ron aside. His sad blue eyes flickered on and off hers and gripping her hand tightly he said. "It's Ginny...she's missing."
Hermione spun round to see Harry but he had disappeared from the sofa, she glanced at the fireplace just quick enough to see the flames relight and hear Harry's voice echoing "Diagon Alley" across the room.
Tumbling out of the Diagon Alley Floo Grate, Harry stuck out his hands to protect his face as he fell roughly onto the floor. He hadn't noticed the time in The Burrow, he was sure it was mid-afternoon, but the skies were growing dark. Reaching the shops, Harry was surprised to find the streets busy and the shops open. In summer it wasn't dark until at least ten o' clock, however a large raindrop landing on his face made Harry realise that the dark sky wasn't full of night clouds.
Harry scanned the streets for the littlest red-head, though she was nowhere to be seen. Umbrellas were being put up everywhere Harry looked and the rain quickly hit him. Avoiding running streams of water and large puddles, Harry reached the end of the High Street, without Ginny.
Then, all of a sudden, a conversation he had had with her a few days ago shot to the front of his mind. They had been talking about places they liked to go to, when they wanted to get away from it all, where they couldn't be found. Harry had admitted that at the Dursley's, he slipped under his father's Invisibility Cloak and crept to the bottom of the garden, behind a particularly large lavender bush. Ginny said she would take a Floo trip to Diagon Alley where she would make her way through the Leaky Cauldron, out into the gardens and clamber onto a particularly large branch in...
"The third tree from the left." Whispered Harry, gazing up to the particular willow tree which twitched as a mop of red hair jumped nervously at the sound of his voice.
"Harry?" she called out, her voice shaking.
"Yeah Gin it's me." He walked up to the trunk and placed his foot on a small branch.
"Harry, this isn't a good idea." She sighed, watching him struggle to clamber up next to her.
"I...need...to...talk...to...you." he said between jump attempts. Ginny couldn't hold back a light laugh, and she put out her hand, which Harry grabbed and she pulled him up. "Everyone's worried sick about you Gin." He said after settling down, his knee propped against hers.
"There's a first for everything I suppose." She snarled.
"Gin, this is my fault. Your family shouldn't have to pay for it." Said Harry. Though the tree blocked much of the rain, Ginny was dripping wet and shivered violently, wearing only a small t shirt and floaty skirt. "Here..." Harry pulled off his vaguely dry jumper and passed it to Ginny who smiled appreciatively and yanked it over her head. Feeling suddenly very cold he looked down to see his t-shirt had ridden up to his armpits. A large leaf above his gave way and a waterfall of water fell over his head, drenching his top. Ginny laughed as Harry struggled to tug his t-shirt back down, eventually sensing defeat Harry asked for help. He felt Ginny move next to him, she wrenched the jumper down, her fingers tracing Harry's bare chest, sending shivers down his spine, and her hands hit Harry's thighs as the top fell into place.
"But you're going to freeze now." Ginny smiled, not removing her hands from his legs.
"Better me than you," said Harry, carefully placing a hand on hers and stroking her fingers softly. "Gin, I want you to know that the kiss earlier..." Ginny's face began to glow through the cold, "it wasn't out of pity or just a case of rescuing you out of a bad situation." Harry watched Ginny cock her head slightly and with his free hand he brushed some of her soaking wet hair out of her face and behind her ear. "I wanted that kiss more than anything, I did it...I kissed you because...I really like you, Gin, more than as my best friend's little sister."
Ginny didn't reply with words, she smiled and looked down at her lap. Harry continued to stroke her hands and she let the tips of his fingers lock between her knuckles. She sighed gently and let her eyes linger on Harry's face.
"So," Harry smiled, "That's either cleared your confusion, or doubled it. But hopefully now you'll come back to The Burrow. Because with Hermione and Ron becoming attached by the hands I'm going to need a friendly face!"
Nodding politely, causing a huge grin to take over Harry's face, Ginny watched Harry jump out of the tree and wait at the bottom with his arms outstretched. Ginny slid onto the next available foot rest, where Harry clamped a hand either side of her waist and lifted her onto the floor next to him. Her arms were thrown roughly around his Harry's neck and as she hit the sodden grass, they both paused for a moment, their eyes locked and bodies close. Not wanting to replay the early events Harry backed his face from Ginny's. A slight disappointment and desire filled her pale blue eyes and she forced herself to look away.
They walked through the now flooded streets of Diagon Alley, the streetlamps had flickered on and everyone was crowded in cafes and shop entrances. Ginny wrapped one of her cold hands around Harry's little finger and continued to shiver. Harry offered her his t-shirt but she declined, reminding him that it was his only top half item of clothing.
Finally reaching the Diagon Alley Floo Grate, they both stepped in at the same time. Both of them travelling at the same time wasn't the best experience last time but Harry refused the opportunity to lose her again. They felt the familiar tug as they soared through the green flames and nearly had to cover their ears for the relieved shrieks and yells from the Weasley's at the other end.