Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rating: I'm rating it teen…or whatever that corresponds to. I HOPE that's not too light. I mean I mention sex, but I'm not at all graphic, and I most likely swear a lot considering my first word is a swear haha so if you think I should raise it, tell me?

Background Info: Um, it explains the background after the opening pretty much, but you should know that this follows the events of HBP—minus the Harry/Ginny pairing at Hogwarts, I wanted to save it for later :-D. Oh and the double ruler is a flashback,...ya sorry thats unclear haha

Under His Breath

"Shit". It was muttered under his breath. Because the room was so quiet, she heard him. She couldn't believe her ears. He'd actually said 'shit'. Her entire body tensed up, and a flare of temper made her eyes narrow. She sat there for a few minutes, trying to recover. She'd just had the best sex of her life, and all he could say was 'shit'?

Disgusted with herself for deeming him her 'best' she rolled out of the bed, pulling on her discarded panties. Searching the room for her bra and t-shirt, she swooped down on a smelly sock by mistake. The room was too dark to see a damn thing! Finally seeing the shirt and bra slung into a corner of the room, she pounced down on them, and threw the smelly sock at Harry as he sat up in bed, looking at her with a baffled look on his face. Slamming the door behind her, she made her exit. She refused to stick around and talk about it with him and hear whatever he had to say about it. Fuming, she retreated to her own bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Forget that, he was not her best; she immediately took back that thought. Not that she had much to compare it to…but still it wasn't a first for her. They'd been skirting around this for at least a week and 'shit' was all he had to say about it like it was a mistake? How romantic! She thought sarcastically, seething.

Growling, she darted her eyes across the room, eager to find her wand. Racking her head for every nasty charm or spell she knew, she frantically dug under the piles of clothes in search of it. She could never find it when she needed it! Her room was in need of a good clean, she knew it. Looking around to see numerous piles of t-shirts, underwear, jeans and sweatpants, she sighed. If she HAD her wand she could clean it! Sighing as she looked around she realized that it was almost as messy as it had been when Ron had left it four months early…well not quite considering then it was covered mold and dust as well, but still it was disappointing. She sat down on her bed, letting a frustrated breath, willing herself to calm down.

"Ginny, what the hell?" She heard Harry say as he rattled her doorknob. It was locked, of course. She refused to answer him. Standing back up, not feeling at all calm, if anything she felt more anger. Like she wanted to talk, psh. Ten years, she'd known him ten years. Hell if he wasn't pleased, fine, but when you know someone for ten years you'd think you'd have more courtesy than that! Besides, they were friends…well they had been up until everything started the hour before!

Harry's pounding on the door stopped as the doorbell rang. Hermione's voice came over the intercom, "Let me in it's freezing outside and we're going to be late…I think." Her voice still had its prim and proper tone to it, but amazingly Hermione had lightened up since Voldemort's defeat during Ginny's 7th year at Hogwarts—well somewhat at least. Ginny smirked a little, Hermione had no idea if they were late, for she had no idea what was planned for her bacholerette party. Opening her closet, she took out the outfit she'd been planning to wear, it was versatile and cute enough to last her both parts of the evening. Along with it, she grabbed her purse, stuffed with enough makeup to get her ready for a night of fun. Unlocking the door, she put a huge smile on her face. Ignoring Harry, who stood there in his green and blue plaid boxers looking confused and angry, she turned to Hermione.

"Ready Miss Granger, for you last—and best—single night on the town, before marrying my idiotic brother?" Ginny smiled, hooking arms with Hermione and without glancing back, she strode through the door.

--&--

Techno music blasted through the room, the bass and volume of it making tremors. The dimly lit club had been step two of Hermione's bachelorette party. Due to a promise to Hermione, Ginny had chosen muggle locations sans magic so that Hermione's cousins could attend. The entire wedding was to be magic free, Hermione insisted upon it so her family could attend, but even she sighed sometimes when comparing bridal magazines from both worlds. Even without magic, her wedding was going to be beautiful. The combined efforts of Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley had assured it. Hermione struggled to get her own opinions for her wedding in, but luckily for her she was forceful enough to not let the mother's opinions go in everyway.

Anyway, after a tasteful, classy dinner with a few glasses of champagne each, they'd moved on to the fun part of the evening…the strip club. Ginny sat in the circular booth smiling at Hermione. The dinner was a lot more of her scene, but it turns out after a few glasses of champagne and a few forced shots, Hermione was a born clubber. She'd been treated to more than a few lap dances by several extremely built men. She was currently watching a tanned blond with abs to die for and bulging muscles in his arms perform a little dance on the stage five feet in front of her. Ginny laughed at Hermione's wide open, blood shot eyes. Leaning over, she shouted over the music, "Kind of makes you wish you had a spell to alter Ron's DNA and muscular frame a bit, huh?" Hermione held a finger to her lips.

"Shh!" She said; spit flying, "My cousins!" she slurred, holding a finger tight to her lips. Ginny laughed. The two bushy hair blondes in the wedding party were having too much fun dancing on nearby poles to overhear anything Ginny had to say. Hermione's cousins were nothing like her. "Actually, even though I'm sure I could arrange a change in him, I'm quite fond of Ron's build, it might look scrawny, but OH my god—"

"And THAT'S where you stop. There's only so much I can hear, no matter how much alcohol I have in me." Ginny replied, and on cue took another shot of vodka. Hermione giggled madly, and then was swept out of her seat by Pavarti and a few friends of Hermione's from her work.

They waved Ginny to follow, but she just smiled and held up her large, bright blue drink as an excuse and continued to sip it. Watching all the male strippers around her, she was very impressed. But earlier, when she'd gotten her first—and only—lap dance of the evening, it hadn't been as frivolous and fun as usual. Because…because he wasn't Harry.

Groaning and mentally denying her last thought, she tried everything in her power to keep her mind on the bodies around her, and off of Harry's. But she couldn't control her mind from wandering. She'd been appreciating the muscles that had begun forming during Hogwart's Quidditch, and had just grown over the years since, since she'd moved into Harry's flat four months before. Harry hardly ever emerged from his room in the mornings with a shirt on, and Ginny had never pretended to ignore the sculpting of his stomach and arms…but she'd grown a whole new appreciation for them.

She wanted to kick herself—hard. She was supposed to be aiding in Hermione's last night of recklessness, but instead she was stationary in the stupid tacky red vinyl booth getting her self drunk, very drunk for that matter. And even with all the alcohol coursing through her system, she still couldn't get him off her mind.

After Harry defeated Voldemort three years earlier, things had finally begun to go back to the way they used to be, well society-wise at least. Truth was, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had grown up during Voldemort's rise and fall. Even if they were no longer living in fear, they weren't the innocent second and third years they'd once been. By the time the last Hocrux was destroyed and Voldemort was killed, they were all legal wizards, and all grown up. Harry became really reclusive for a few months afterwards. He refused to speak of what happened to anyone, so no one truly knew how to console him.

Even Ron didn't know what had transpired once Voldemort and Harry had entered the cave. It was the same cave that Harry had entered with Dumbledore in his sixth year. Harry had placed a freezing charm over everyone, disabling them to follow him. He said it was something he had to do alone. The prophecy, of course, however Harry did not want their help, because he knew that Voldemort would hurt them to weaken Harry. In what seemed like hours, Harry stumbled out of the cave, releasing them all from the charm. He'd collapsed there, and everyone had feared he had died. He'd slipped into a coma for a week, and once he awakened he hadn't offered any details on whatever happened in the cave.

He moved in with Ron, and in time became more like his old self. The topic of what truly happened was never addressed. Voldemort was dead, and that was all that mattered. For weeks afterwards magazines and newspapers from the Wizarding world speculated numerous bogus stories about what happened. Harry scoffed at the articles, but still refused to talk about it. In time, everyone just realized it was a taboo subject and accepted that it was simply to remain an unsolved mystery for them. All they cared about was that Harry was alright, and that their lives were no longer in jeopardy.

Hermione rented a flat in London, just a few blocks away from Ron and Harry's. Luckily for Ginny, she offered her the spare bedroom. She and Ginny had become friends over their years at Hogwarts, but in the two years they lived together they'd become even closer. When Hermione and Ron started dating, no one could truly be surprised. Everyone, including Ginny and the whole Weasley bunch, had seen it coming for years. Ginny was completely happy for them, but when Ron had moved in with them she'd been a little disgruntled. Living with Hermione was supposed to be her freedom from years of living with brothers, but she figured she could stand Ron being there as long as he wasn't walking about naked. Ginny dealt with the additional roommate, and found that as long as she slept peacefully at night there was no need to move out. Turns out—she'd lasted no longer than a month.

She'd been sleeping peacefully, yes, but Ginny soon figured out why. Hermione had been casting Muffliato charms on Ginny's ears nightly, unfortunately for Ginny late one night the charm wore off before Hermione and Ron…err…finished. Ginny's ears were susceptible to far more sound effects then she ever wished to be privy to. Ginny considered herself permanently scarred, decided that she ought to give the couple the place to themselves, and set out looking for a new place.

Harry had become her savior. Turns out that he hadn't yet found a new roommate, so he offered Ginny Ron's old bedroom. Harry's place was larger, and although the first viewing into Ron's room was a fright, Ginny knew with a little work it would once again be clean, and she moved in immediately.

She and Harry had gotten along great, they'd managed to create a friendship once Ginny got over him in her third year at Hogwarts and came out of her shell around him. They teased each other viciously most of the time, but it was all in good fun. When Ginny had gotten comfortable enough to be able to walk around in nothing but a t-shirt and boys shorts, and when she'd begun hanging her thongs up to dry around the flat, the sexual tension began to come about. Harry had tried to tell her she couldn't do those things, but his argument was weak considering he was always walking around in his boxers.

Ginny continued on trying her best to ignore the tension, and ignore her anger when girls would call the apartment. However, two nights earlier, after getting totally and utterly trashed, a tickling fight had landed them in a compromising position.

----

Ginny found herself pinned under Harry. His hands, which had been assaulting her ribs, slowly lifted, then were used to hold himself up, his mouth became suspended inches from her own. There'd been a moment in which she was sure that they were going to kiss—but they were interrupted by the doorbell. Harry's friend had come over to see if he wanted to go out clubbing.

Ginny ignored her anger when Harry had gotten his coat and left, telling herself she had no reason to be angry. The next morning she waltzed into the kitchen, her head pounding from the slight hangover, Harry was leaning against the counter, standing in the way of her and her coffee machine. "Move," she growled. He refused to budge; and had just kept looking at her while he'd sipped his coffee. She reached around him, pouring herself a cup of coffee, he cotton t-shirt just barely brushing his chest. Spinning back around to grab a bagel, she'd sent him a glare.

"Cute butt," he said, smirking. She was wearing blue panties with a monkey face on the ass of them. They'd been a gift from her three year old niece, Charlotte. Bill and Fluer's daughter was adorable. She'd inherited her mother's beauty and, luckily for the two female Weasley's, her father's accent had influenced the young child's speech much more than her Mother's had. Ginny didn't know what she would have done if she had to deal with hearing Flem's accent come from that cute little face.

Ginny just glared, and started eating her bagel while leaning against the granite counter.

"How'd your night with Romilda?" She sneered. Ginny couldn't hide it, she did not like Romilda Vane one bit, and her reoccurrence in Harry's life was not something that pleased Ginny. For god's sake the girl was crazy! Anyone could see that, she'd landed Ron in the hospital his sixth year! Well…she hadn't really done it, but if she hadn't been so obsessed with Harry and attempted to lure him with a love potion then it would never have happened! When Ginny had been told of Harry's date for Hermione and Ron's wedding she'd nearly gagged. Romilda may have been pretty, but Harry could do better! Even the girls that had stopped by for late night drinks, while not that amazing in Ginny's opinion, had been more satisfactory than Romilda!

If Ginny was honest with herself, she'd admit that truthfully she'd easily found a reason to hate all of the girls that had stopped by for drinks. Some of them had laughs that made your ears bleed, while others drooled over Harry so much you knew they were just dying to jump the poor buggar.

Looking back, Ginny now realized that that second cup of coffee was a mistake. If only she hadn't developed such a caffeine fix, then she would never have been in her current predicament.

"My night was a result of getting too close to you." Harry stated. Ginny didn't quite understand what he meant, and decided to brush it off. She felt awkward under his gaze. Deciding to ignore whatever he'd meant, she reached around him for a topper on her coffee, she made the mistake of looking up at him. His eyes burned with passion, and Ginny paused. Still brushed up against him, testing herself, and him, she leaned in a little closer. Harry let in a sharp intake of air, liking the feel of Ginny against him more than he should. Since she'd moved in with him, Harry had done his best to ignore his interest in her body when she'd parade around the house in her knickers. He'd told himself that the only reason why he'd hated the way the blokes she hung around acted towards her was just a brotherly instinct. Protective skills of course, for even Ron didn't deny that those guys hung around her and stared at her like a juicy steak. Looking down at her now, he knew there was nothing brotherly about how he was feeling.

They stared at each other for several moments, and then Harry leaned in and kissed Ginny.

Ginny responded eagerly. Both parties poured all their pent up tension into the kiss, and soon began to savage each others mouths. Ginny had not realized how hungry she was for him until she felt his tongue slide into her mouth. It had been a long time since she had felt real sexual pleasure. With a sound that was part moan, part sigh, she slid her arms up his chest to clasp them around his neck.

All he had to do was tough his mouth to hers and heat exploded inside her like a match met with dynamite. Ginny clung to him, her fingers tangling in his hair. She pressed her chest against him, loving the way the muscles there refused to yield to her softness. From the kitchen, they'd stumbled their way into his bedroom, their mouths leaving each others for no more than seconds at a time as they kicked off clothing.

--

Ginny sighed in the booth at the memory. She hated to admit that one of Harry's good traits was his actions under the sheets. Unfortunately, that wasn't his only good trait. There was so much more to Harry than what the world saw. He made her laugh, he was honest, and, as if he hadn't proved it over his years at Hogwarts, he was a hero who held everyone else's best interest at heart. He was strong, yet he could be so gentle, and even though he had a tendency to take his anger out on those he cared for, or stutter when he was embarrassed, he was still kind and smart. And damn was he sexy, one night and Ginny hadn't been able to take him off her mind for more than ten seconds.

"Oh no," she groaned aloud. She was in love with him.

The truth stunned her, although she knew it probably shouldn't. Oh god, when had this terrible thing happened to her? She tried but she couldn't come up with a defining moment. She'd always had a thing for him, since her first year at Hogwarts when she didn't even know anything about him other than his physical attributes…but love? She figured it would take years of therapy to figure this one out.

Of all the men in the world she could have fallen in love with, she had to pick the one that said 'shit' after they made love? She groaned again.

All things considered however, Ginny felt she ought to congratulate herself for taking her new realization quite well. She wasn't running down the street screaming or tearing her hair out, even though she admitted they sounded like they might relieve her a bit.

It was official, she'd lost her mind. The second she'd fallen for Harry…even if she couldn't pinpoint when exactly that was, her mind had headed for greener pastures. She wanted to tell someone, get reassurance, but her brothers were not the people to go to for advice when the subject was her shagging Harry, that would only insure his death. Hermione, although Ginny's best friend, was far too close to Harry, one of her brothers, not to mention she was trashed. Ginny took another shot of vodka, then realized with a smile she was too. Maybe this was all just drunken stupor, and she wasn't really facing the dilemma of unrequited love. As lovely as a thought it was, Ginny deep down was not convinced, lying down in the booth she buried her face in her hands. Oh how she despised Harry for making her this way.

"Get up," Ginny looked up to see one of Hermione's cousins standing before her. She just put her head back down. "Listen here, I don't know you, but everyone here is having a good time, you need to get your drunken ass up and dance with us, and forget about whatever bloke you happen to be antagonizing over."

Ginny looked up again. Not sure she could do that, she realized she might as well try. Sitting upright, taking a gulp of her blue drink, she let Hermione's cousin lead her to the nearest pole, and began dancing her heart out. For the rest of the night, it seemed to work, and Ginny was able to, if only for a few hours, ignore her heart that was for sure breaking underneath all these emotions.

-

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A/N--alrite I KNOW it's not very good, but I liked the idea and I wanted to try it. This will be a two or three part piece, I've got the rest of it mostly written, but basically I just wanted to get this idea out without dragging it on or commiting myself to a story.

I put this out so early just so I can get advice, this is NOT what I'd consider my final copy of this, and I just wanted to see what kind of critique I could get. So please, anything you have to say or comment on, PLEASE mention and I'll do my best to improve it if I think I can.