((No, I was not aware that you cannot post a review more than once. I got the number of reviews idea off of a fic that I once read, and thought it was a good idea. I used it because it gave me a reason to take an extra day or two to elaborate more on the chapters, and check for spelling mistakes. I'm not online every day. I have school from eight to four. Then homework in the evenings. Many authors don't post for weeks at a time. One fic I'm reading is updated maybe once a month. You guys are lucky. The most I've gone without posting is about four days. I'm gonna start dating these now with the day I update. I don't care how many reviews I get anymore, I just thought it was a fun thing to do, and sort of like a challenge for you guys. So SORRY if you didn't like it. I considered not posting at all, but there are some nice readers out there, and I didn't want to punish them, too. Harry does explain why he was like that to Ginny, BTW, but it's not for a while. So here you are, chapter five. Oh, and today is Saturday, October 1, 2005.))
"Where's Harry gone off to?" Ginny asked her brother.
"Off somewhere, probably brooding about what happened. He said something about the park."
"I'm gonna go see if he's alright."
"How long will you be gone?" Ron asked, glancing at Hermione, who immediately turned red.
"EW! Oh God, you two are disgusting. Ugh! I'll be sure to keep Harry out of the house for at least an hour." Ron gave her a look. "Hour and a half?" Another look. "Like you could go any longer. Freak." He glared at her. "FINE! You have two hours. No more, no less. Believe me, I'll be walking, excuse me, apparating through that door at exactly," Ginny glanced at her watch, "one-thirty-seven and… twenty-six seconds." She set her alarm on her watch to go off then. "Maybe we'll get some lunch or something… What are you two still doing here? The clock is ticking!" They still hadn't budged. "GO!"
Without further ado, Ron and Hermione disapparated to the house to have their naughty way with each other.
Ginny appeared in the middle of a bunch of trees, thankful that a muggle wasn't around. She walked out and immediately found Harry sitting on a bench staring into space.
"I wonder what he's thinking about…" Ginny thought, slowly walking to Harry's back. "Maybe I should just hear him out. I mean... it can't do any harm, can it? Stop it, Ginny. You can't let your feelings get the better of you." She was right behind him now. "Oh, God… he's so amazing! No! I don't love him. I can't let myself even think that."
Ginny put her hands over Harry's eyes, and whispered seductively in his ear, "Guess Who?"
"Ohmigod, did I just say that!"
"Ginny?" Harry's voice was unusually high. He coughed and said, "Ginny, what are you doing?" He could feel her warm breath against his cheek, and her breasts were pressing into his back, and he was starting to feel hot. "Why the hell is she doing this to me? Doesn't she realize what effect this is having on me?"
"Well, Ron and Hermione are, erm… busy, and they asked me to keep you out of the house for a couple of hours," Ginny replied, sitting next to Harry on the bench. "So… I was thinking that we could try this little Italian restaurant in town… it's a Muggle place, so you won't be goggled at. The only thing is, it's a pretty fancy-schmancy place, suits and ties, dresses… and our clothes are a bit… casual."
"It definitely sounds good. Come 'ere for a second." Harry led her over to the trees that Ginny had just apparated from, pulled out his wand, and tapped her on the head. He then proceeded to do the same to himself.
Ginny looked at Harry and had to resist the urge to jump him right then and there. He was wearing a handsome black suit, and it fit him perfectly.
She then proceeded to take in her appearance, and her jaw fell open in shock. She was wearing a black satin dress that hugged her curves and flowed to the floor. It was a spaghetti-strap dress, but Harry had provided a small black jacket to go with it. She was wearing black open-toed shoes, her nails had magically been painted red, and her make-up done perfectly.
"How… how did… no, where did you learn to do that?" Ginny spluttered.
"It's old magic. I found it in an ancient book at Hogwarts once. Do you like it?"
"Like it?" she asked incredulously. "I love it!
"So, to the restaurant then?"
"To the restaurant. I'll lead the way." Ginny walked out onto a path and led the way. It wasn't long before they came to a beautiful black-bricked building.
"This is it."
Harry stared. "Wow. This is… amazing!"
"I know. I was here once, during Hermione's bachelorette party. The food here is just exquisite!" Ginny exclaimed, leading the way into the restaurant. The maître d' told them that they were just in time; the lunch rush would be arriving within the next ten minutes.
"What looks good to you?" Ginny asked the black-haired boy across the table.
"Oh, I dunno… it all looks yummy," Harry said with a grin.
Their waitress arrived with their drinks, and the two decided to order.
"I'll have the lasagna," Ginny said politely. "Is there any way I could get fries with that?"
"Uh… of course… And for you sir?" the girl asked Harry.
"How 'bout the chicken Parmesan?"
"Wonderful choice, sir! That is my favorite, personally," the waitress said, winking. She then turned and headed back to the kitchens.
"So…" Ginny began, starting to regret the whole lunch outing. What would she and Harry find to talk about?
"So… what?"
"Um… what's been happening since I left?"
"Well, Percy and Penelope's daughter Paula learned to walk… and she can say 'dada', 'mama', and a large variety of swear words."
Ginny grinned.
"Fleur is pregnant, did you know?" Harry continued. "Four months, I think… maybe five…"
"Yeah, I heard that. Mum sent me an owl. There were giant splotches all over it where she was crying… very hard to read…"
Harry laughed. "I can only imagine. What's going on in Romania?"
"Well, we've finally gotten Norbert under control. There's a herd of four Ridgebacks up there, and it's taken the better part of the past eight years to train them. Norbert was the most difficult… only responded to me and Garrett. It was quite odd, actually. We didn't have near as much trouble with the others, they liked all six of the other trainers."
Harry stopped listening at this point, and instead started watching the gorgeous girl sitting across from him. He noticed that she kept fidgeting. She would run her hand through her hair, then play with the napkin on her lap, and eventually, she would pick up a fork or spoon and twirl it between her fingers. She was also staring fixedly at the top of her wine glass, never even glancing at Harry.
He certainly didn't mind; now she couldn't catch him looking at her.
"Harry, are you listening to me?" Ginny asked, snapping him out of his reverie.
"What? Yes, of course!"
"What did I just say?" she smirked.
"Uh… Norbert got a bad sunburn…. on his leg."
"Charlie got a burn on his back! Men. You're all the same…"
"Not all of us! Some are very polite, even when they're starving and have an extremely large distraction sitting in front of him. I, on the other hand," he pointed to himself, "am easily distracted. Ask Ron. There was this one time –"
Luckily, the food arrived then, and Ginny was spared from listening to one of Harry's stories.
They ate their lunch in silence, and Harry even ate dessert.
By the time they were finished, it was quarter to one.
"Wow, we were in there for a while!" Ginny remarked while leaving the black building.
"Does seem odd, doesn't it? Guess we're just slow eaters," Harry said with a grin.
The pair headed back to the park, and sat on the bench where they had been over an hour before.
They sat in silence for a while before Harry said, "So, I guess you'll want out of that dress?"
Ginny looked at him, took a momentary look at herself, and then focused her attention back on Harry. "Can't I keep it? It's a magnificent outfit… maybe I could wear it to the reunion?"
Harry grinned, staring straight ahead. "Course you can keep it. I just want out of this." He gestured to the tux he was wearing. He then glanced around for muggles, and proceeded to tap himself on his head with his wand. He magically appeared in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt sporting the words The Weird Sisters on it.
The conversation was polite for the rest of their time together.
Ginny glanced at her watch.
"Ron and Hermione's time's almost up… they've got about a minute left. What do you say we apparate right into their room, give 'em a scare?"
"You can do that. I'll go right into my room, thankyouverymuch. Catching Ron and 'Mione in the act – again – does not appeal to me."
And with that, the two disappeared, just as Ginny's watch started beeping.
((The end. I'm really pissed right now. R and R.))