A/N: I'm so happy people gave me actual suggestions for improvement, I have gone through and made the changes.
A/N: Hi there folks, I am back again. I promised myself I would write a short piece since I normally have long drawn out stories. This is my attempt at that. I hope you like it.
Cooking lessonsHarry Potter stood in the kitchen with four boys in front of him. "I don't see why we have to learn to cook the muggle way. We're wizards," Jamie said folding his arms across his chest.
Harry gazed at the youth with a smirk, "I promise it will help you get girls...that should be reason enough," he explained.
"Whoever heard of a couple getting together over cooking. And cooking is for girls," Siri stated modeling the same folded arm posture.
"Yeah," Will concurred modeling the two other boys' postures.
Gideon just stood silently shaking his head.
"You don't believe me?" Harry asked. Three shook their heads while the fourth just smirked. "All right. I suppose its story time then."
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Harry sat in his living room at Grimmauld Place looking over picture books and mementoes. Ginny had convinced him it was time to either sell the place or truly make it his own. He had not decided which to do yet but going through his pictures was a good plan. Harry held a picture of Ginny in his hands. She was smiling her beautiful smile at him, before making a kissy face then laughed. Harry traced the outside edge of her face with his finger. He loved her so much...too bad he could never tell her.
"That's a great picture," Ron said from behind him.
"Ron," Harry said nervously. He tried to hide the picture. "Uh...When...when did you get here?"
"A minute ago...Harry why are you hiding that picture?"
"Umm...well..."
Ron gave his best friend a look, "What's going on Harry?"
"Nothing...nothing at all. I'm just going through pictures," he said showing the redhead a stack of images.
"Why are you acting so nervous?"
"Me...Nervous? Don't be ridiculous."
Ron sat down on the sofa across from Harry. "Okay...you aren't nervous." Ron sighed, "Hermione wants to know if you want to have dinner this week sometime."
"Sure..." Harry said beginning to relax.
"Gin might join us...alone. Thank god. I swear that girl never gets serious with anyone," Ron said off-hand.
"Like you would want her to," Harry grunted.
"What?"
"What?"
Ron stared at his friend. "Harry, Gin isn't a baby anymore. We may joke about keeping her locked up until she's forty but really I'm getting worried she isn't ever gonna settle down. I know she isn't a spinster or anything but she just dates for dating sakes. The last person she was serious about was you...and that was years ago."
Harry stared at his friend, "You want her to get serious about someone?"
"Yeah...why do you sound so shocked?"
"I always thought you would hate any guy that went for your sister...even when it was me."
Ron smiled, "I liked you...I just didn't want her dating idiots and I was afraid for her 'virtue' so to speak. I mean she started dating before I did." Ron pondered a second. "I want a guy for Gin that would love and protect her. I want her to be able to be her own person and a partner. I don't want her to end up with a guy like Malfoy. I want her with someone like you."
"Me?" Harry gulped.
"Yeah...You. You would die for Ginny. You would love & honor her. I want that for my sister."
Harry almost laughed, "Yeah, but she doesn't want that."
Ron saw his chance, "I don't know. She has 'The Harry Test' that guys have to pass."
"Excuse me," Harry questioned. "'The Harry Test'...what the hell is that?"
Ron smirked, "Okay...I don't know this because I would never listen in on my wife and sister talking privately."
"Of course," Harry stated before leaning into his friend. "So what don't you know?"
"Well," Ron began. "I don't know that Ginny put in place series of things that a guy can or cannot do to be considered a 'good guy' on the Harry scale. Guys that want to sleep with her on her first date – not a good guy. Guys that try to get her to drink a lot – not good guys. Guys that are allergic to her family – not good guys. Guys that don't want to get married – just not for her. Guys that believe they are the center of the universe – not good guys. Guys that don't like quidditch - not for her..." the red head said as he ticked the items off on his fingers.
"Ron..."
"Yes."
"How the bloody hell do you remember all this?"
Ron smirked, "You think I didn't pay attention. This is the scale my sister judges whether a guy is worthy of sleeping with. Believe me...I know the rules."
Harry stared down hard once again hating himself for his own idiocy as well as the pain he caused Ginny. He had no right to be jealous, but he always was...with every guy that would date her. The uncomfortable wrenching in his stomach demanded he ask the question, "Many guys pass?"
"Not likely. My understanding is no guy has completely passed the test. I think she designed it so only you could pass."
Harry's eyes snapped up meeting Ron's penetrating gaze. "You don't think...?"
"Why not?"
"She got over me."
"She gave up on you...twice...It's different."
"How?" Harry pled.
Ron shook his head, "And I am supposed to be the thick one?" He sighed, "There is no statement that her feelings ever went completely away, especially after sixth year. I mean you made it sound like you loved her but when you came back you dodged her like the plague...That hurt her a lot. You had told her before you left that after the war you could be together. She had hoped you would get back together...I don't think that ever really went away. But the longer you didn't approach her the more hurt she got so she decided to just move on. She had to. If it broke her heart every time she saw you, she was never gonna see you at all."
Harry frowned, "I stayed out of her way because I had left her and it had been three years. I didn't expect her to wait. I didn't really expect to see after the war..."
Ron shook his head, "Look mate, Hermione and I both tried to talk to you about this and you wouldn't bloody listen. You just kept telling us over and over it couldn't be true so eventually it couldn't be true because you refused to see it!"
"But..."
"No...Now my brothers and I haven't killed you because it is obvious to everyone you are an idiot. You also didn't date anyone else so Gin never had to deal with that. Of course you also rid the world of Voldemort...If any of those things hadn't true we would have skewered you... I swear to Merlin that for a month I just waited for you to give in to one of those groupies and then I would have had to take out your spleen...but you didn't. But you wouldn't hear the truth either."
Harry pondered a minute, not really knowing how to move the conversation out of the oddness it was in. Eventually he just asked the first thing to come to his mind, "What else is on this test?"
"Good guy traits – well groomed for dates...exception made for perpetually messy hair. Polite, courteous, gentleman, kind, competitive without arrogance, fun, sweet, etc. etc..." Ron leaned back, "As far as I know Gin is still a virgin."
"Really?" Harry said in absolute desperation and hope.
"I thought you might like that."
"Like it...why would I like it?"
Ron smirked, "Because you my friend are a gentleman. You would never sleep with a girl you weren't in love with. Hell I don't think you would kiss a girl you didn't have some pretty heady feelings for a girl. I respect that man. I'm glad I have only ever been with Mione... Anyway I just thought with the way you were touching my sister's face in that picture you might like to know she shares your values."
"Ron..."
The red haired man stared at him knowingly, "Tell me you don't love my sister and I will never mention it again."
Harry sighed, "I don't...know how I feel. I never felt for anyone as deeply as I feel for Gin. It's beyond what I think of as love...I like spending time with her. I like kidding with her and talking to her. I like that she can keep me in line...But I don't see her ever seeing me as anything more than a friend anymore. Plus she dates so much. I can't see her getting serious."
"Maybe she just needs to know you want to be serious?" Ron thought a moment, "I'll fix things."
"Ron!" Harry fussed.
"Look Ginny needs help cooking," Ron stated plainly.
"What? Why?" Harry asked.
"She wants to do this thing for mom...bake a cake or make fudge or something. She wants to do it herself...no magic. You can help her. You're a great cook and you have an amazing kitchen."
"But..."
"No. Trust me. This will be perfect."
"If you say so," Harry groaned noncommittally although he relished the idea of having a night with Ginny. Maybe things could work out after all.
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Ron came home to find Ginny and Hermione giggling in his kitchen. "How are you, my lovely ladies?"
"Fine Ron. Ginny was just sharing the latest beau's idiot moves."
"New beau?"
"No...Just a guy I went on a date with. I swear I'm never gonna find anyone," Ginny groaned.
Ron took the opening, "Well why don't you think through all the things you want in a guy and maybe you'll realize one of your friends fits the bill."
"Ron..." Hermione warned.
Ginny paled considerably, "Ah...Thanks Ron...I'll think about it."
"Its so funny to hear you talk about this. I had a similar conversation with Harry tonight," Ron said in a casual tone.
This piqued both women's interest.
"Harry? Really? I thought he was wanting to remain a bachelor?" Mione stated.
Ron shook his head, "I don't think so. He seemed very open to the idea of not being alone anymore. I got the distinct feeling that he wanted to be with one of his friends but something kept stopping him."
"Stopping him?" Ginny asked trying not to sound pathetic.
"Yeah...Harry said something about how she would never be interested in him. It sounded like she was always dating someone," Ron provided. He continued to play dumb while Hermione and Ginny looked at each other.
"Dear, did he say anything else about this mystery woman?" the brunette asked.
Ron shrugged, "Something about not being sure if they shared the same values anymore. It seems to really grate and confuse him that she dates so much...I got the feeling I probably knew her and that's why he wouldn't say who it was...Oh well... On a separate subject Ginny, Harry has volunteered his large kitchen and muggle cooking talents to your cause. He actually seemed kind of hurt you didn't ask for his help."
Gin bit her lip, "Oh...well...I didn't want to be a bother. He's always so busy."
"I know. I was really surprised when he offered to help. He never has time for anyone on a moment's notice." Ron inwardly smiled at the work he had laid as Ginny and Hermione spoke in quiet tones.
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Harry had his kitchen stocked to help Gin with her 'impress mum' project when she arrived at his home.
"Hey," Ginny called.
"Hey," Harry answered.
Gin took in Harry's plain white T-shirt and old blue jeans. She hadn't been able to decide what to wear so she had opted for jeans and a jumper. She thought now she had made the right choice.
For a long moment they just stared at each other. "Um..." He began. "Everything is ready. Just tell me what you want to make and we'll get started."
"Oh...um...How about a chocolate cake...one layer. I don't want to get fancy or Mum won't believe I did any of it," she explained.
"All right...How about we add a few chocolate chunks to spice it up a little?"
"Okay."
Harry smiled. "Oh..." he presented her with an apron. "One for you and one for me."
"You have two aprons? Many groupies coming over for cooking lessons?" Ginny teased.
He frowned, "Ah...No."
It grated Harry's nerves to no end that when they were alone Ginny always made reference to his 'fan club' or 'groupies'. He supposed that with the way he had confused her by his behavior once he returned, it was understandable that she would attempt to make some things make sense in her own mind.
He swallowed nervously, "I got a new one for you due to the amount of warning you and Ron provided over your lack of skills. I thought it would be a good idea."
"Stop teasing me," she stated.
"You like it when I tease you."
Gin turned out her heel and stared at him, "Are you sure? I think I normally resent being made fun of."
"I am not making fun of you. And as for teasing you, I know you like to have the undivided attention of...of...of any guy you're with," he grumbled the end a bit and looked away.
She was almost sure she saw jealousy in his eyes but she didn't want to hope falsely.
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The cooking project went along swimmingly...each working in tandem. Ginny mixed flour and sugar together with the rest of the dry ingredients; while Harry tried to find a way to ask some of the questions he wanted answers to. "So...any new boyfriends you're buttering your mum up for?" he asked casually as he handed her the butter.
"No...This is just something nice for mum," she answered but Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay so maybe she has started to hint about me moving home for fear I can't care for myself. I guess this is partly to show her I will be fine."
"You could always take care of yourself," Harry stated plainly.
Ginny muttered under her breath, "You certainly didn't think so."
Harry closed his eyes and felt the stabbing pain he always did when they had this same argument. He spoke softly, "You were always capable Ginny. I just couldn't handle it if you got hurt."
"So you hurt me instead of Voldemort...and that didn't even go according to your plan," she said coolly.
"I know...I'm sorry."
"For what? Breaking my heart or being arrogant enough to believe you could effect his decisions?"
Harry closed his eyes again. "I don't want to do this with you Ginny."
"Yeah...got that."
Silence reigned supreme for a few minutes before Ginny decided to move things back to the playful realm. She looked at him slyly, "Ron tells us that you might be interested in forsaking your bachelor ways...that true?"
Harry looked at her warily. After the previous argument he tried to believe that he saw hope in Ginny's eyes as she spoke. "Yeah," he said cautiously. "But don't get yourself or Hermione in a tizzy setting me up. I really hate that."
Ginny smiled softly as she worked the butter in.
After a little while Harry got up the guts to ask his real question. "Gin?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you date so much?"
She bit her lip as she concentrated on the bowl in her hands. "I suppose because no one seems good enough to meet my requirements...or maybe my requirements can't be met."
"I doubt that," he stated sweetly.
"How do you know?"
"Well...I don't. Tell me the requirements and I will be the judge of whether it's unrealistic."
Gin blushed slightly, "I...I don't know Harry..."
"Please," Harry answered. "I won't tease you."
"Okay then...He should be a gentleman, courteous, loyal, brave, selfless, sweet, understanding, kind...No drunkenness; likes quidditch; has at least most of my values; wants a future..." She paused a moment, "Marriage type future."
Harry smiled at her warmly, "None of that sounds like too much to ask at all...although the quidditch thing seems more like a preference than a requirement."
"I suppose," Gin said with a shrug.
"So...what are your other preferences?" he smirked, even as he got the cake mix together.
"I guess a guy who likes to fly, quidditch playing is a must, a bit adventurous..." Ginny cut herself off as if worried she said too much. This was a good sign to him.
Harry decided to probe further. "What about physically?"
Ginny gaped a moment. She hoped there was a reason for Harry's leading questions. She shrugged, "Average height and weight...quidditch body..."
Harry laughed, "Quidditch body? What is a quidditch body?"
Gin rolled her eyes, "The body type of a quidditch player...Some girls like football bodies. Some girls like wrestlers...I like quidditch."
He got a bit closer to her, "What else? Hair? Eyes?"
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before meeting his eyes. "I'm not really partial to blonde pretty boys or redheads...or brown eyes for that matter."
"So, no one that could be mistaken for a Weasley...got it."
Gin decided to turn it around on him, "What about you?"
"What about me?" Harry answered.
"What do you like? I know you don't want to be fixed up but..."
"My type you mean?"
"Yeah."
Harry breathed deep a moment, "Much the same as you. A girl's quidditch body is appreciated, but the other physical cues are way different."
"I knew you would eventually have a thing for blondes," Ginny tested to see how far he would take their flirting.
He didn't back down, moving close enough for her to know he had eaten something with mint in it recently. He gazed deeply in her eyes, "I'm partial to redheaded girls with brown eyes."
"I thought you were partial to exotic beauty," she answered.
"Redheads are exotic. They're very passionate and besides I like...I love a girl that is very obviously...a Weasley." He had done it. He had said it.
Harry and Ginny stared at one another for a long time before Harry lowered his head to hers. He gently applied pressure to her mouth, hoping for some response but the stove began to buzz to let them know it had reached the correct heat. Ginny startled a little and looked very nervous. Harry gazed at her a bit confused but then came to the wrong conclusion. "You don't feel the same," he stated dispassionately. "I thought you didn't. I knew I had missed my chance to be with you again. I knew you would never trust me with your heart after I screwed up so badly. Not that I blame you at all. I was the idiot...letting you go and hiding from you when I got back. We just kept fighting about how I had left things. And I felt so guilty that I hadn't stopped things from..." He shook his head cutting himself off, "Ron got my hopes up but I knew... I'm so sorry I've made you uncomfortable...that I've made us uncomfortable," he talked, all the while pouring the cake batter into the pan before sprinkling in the chunks of chocolate. He then put it in the oven.
After he set the timer, Harry turned back to Gin with a fake smile. "Use the mitts to take it out when the timer goes off," he murmured before heading up the stairs. "I'll see you later Ginny."
Ginny stood still for another moment before kicking the lower cabinets in the kitchen. "Bugger!" she swore. She had waited years for Harry to make a move and when he finally did she froze.
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Gin looked at the timer...thirty minutes. She had thirty minutes to convince Harry she did have feelings for him too, before she had to get back downstairs. Once she was in physical proximity to him, she would have no problem convincing him she felt for him... she would just snog his brains out. It was getting past the door that would be the issue. Gin could just break it down, but somehow she thought that would be a bad idea.
Harry had trudged up the stairs to his bedroom ready to cry...he wouldn't of course. He never allowed himself to, but he wanted that release so badly. Why had he listened to Ron? Ginny was a flirt...plain and simple. It wasn't personal. Her flirting with him downstairs had nothing to do with him; he was just a convenient body. It sucked. The whole thing sucked.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. He was not up for dealing with her yet...maybe in a couple days, a week, a month, better yet a few years.
"Harry...Harry open the door," Ginny called. "Let me in."
He swallowed his pride, "Its okay Gin. Just let me be."
"No Harry...I need to see you. Open up."
"Ginny, I can't do that right now. Please understand...and stop asking."
"Harry James Potter you let me in right now," she said in an angrier tone.
What right did she have to be angry, Harry wondered. "No...Now please stop."
"Open the door!" Gin shouted.
Now Harry was mad, "Let me alone. I'll be fine. Just back the hell off!"
"Open this door Harry Potter or I am going to open it for you," she said in a deceptively even tone.
That was the last straw. Harry got up from his bed and made his way over to the door. He was so mad at her for making him face her immediately, he didn't care what hurtful things he might say.
Harry threw open the door and was face to face with the youngest Weasley who wore a determined expression. "I don't think you have any right..." Harry got no further in his tirade because Ginny had thrown her arms around him, pinned him to his bedroom door, and was snogging his brains out. Soon all thoughts left his brain as Ginny moved as close to him as possible. Her tongue had breached his mouth in the most delicious way, causing him to respond in kind. Nothing felt as good as kissing Ginny Weasley...well some other things with Ginny Weasley would feel a hell of a lot better but... Harry panted as she moved her mouth from his lips to his neck. Harry groaned softly at the feeling of Gin's soft body rubbing against his. He pulled her closer causing the general rocking motion between them to become more rhythmic and more intense. Harry dove back for another carnal kiss pulling her head closer while letting his other hand rub up and down her back, even as Ginny whimpered and moaned from the sensations he was drawing out in her...they were drawing out in each other.
Gin pulled back from Harry gasping for breath. Lust, love, and passion filled each set of eyes. Bowled over by her own actions she looked at him shyly, with a pretty blush spreading over her skin.
Harry recovered his language skills first, even as a slow smiled made its way across his face. "Does...does this mean we're...that you...What does this mean?"
Gin bit her lip, "The standards list I told you has a name...its called the Harry list. Those are your characteristics...It means...It means that I love you too."
"So...I mean...why?"
"Why do I date so much?" she asked for him.
"Yeah," he answered.
"You were never gonna wake up so I had to keep looking. I didn't want to wait forever and I didn't want to be alone."
Harry shook his head drawing Ginny into his arms, "And the irony is that I couldn't believe you would love me enough to forgive my arrogance and stupidity."
"And now?" she asked with big innocent eyes staring at him.
He bit his lip, "And now I know we have feelings for one another but I still don't know if you want anything serious."
She gazed at him with an honesty he loved in her. "I think serious sounds good...but we have to start somewhere."
Harry smiled, "All right then...Ginevra Weasley will you do me the honor of accompanying me around muggle London and dinner this weekend...like tomorrow night?"
Ginny smiled back at him, "That sounds perfect."
"Then after that we can take it day by day," he said quietly.
"If you like," she responded hesitantly.
Harry kissed the top of her head, "Then next week we can elope."
"Harry!" Gin fussed.
"What? You know I want a serious relationship."
"That's great, but I want some much deserved courting," she stated clearly.
He smirked, "Fine...then in three months we'll revisit the elopement topic."
"Let's make it through dinner first."
"Yes ma'am."
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Harry stood before four of his sons in his apron, "And that is why you've got to learn to cook the muggle way. If it weren't for my cooking skills none you would've been born." Harry hadn't mentioned anything physical past the fact Ginny had kissed him...He had 'the talk' with his oldest sons once already; he really didn't need to completely traumatize them. "I am protecting my future grandchildren. Now put on the aprons or I'll let your mother fuss at you for getting stuff on your clothes."
Thirteen-year-old James reluctantly put on the apron followed closely by his twin brother Sirius. Smart-alecky and normally monosyllabic Gideon rolled his eyes and accepted the apron. Harry would be glad when his son moved past obnoxious behavior of ten. Little brother William who was all of four let his daddy help him get his little apron on. Their other brother Art or Arthur, who was seven years old, was in bed still getting over a cold under his mother's watchful eye. Art cooked with his father regularly because it was something they could do together, since he was still terrified of flying. He wasn't really missing anything.
Ginny watched her other sons attempting to negotiate flour, sugar, and butter. Harry saved little Will's elbow from the butter dish, which nearly sent Gin into hysterics. Harry looked up in time to see Gin before she hid. He shot her a playful wink and helped his littlest fella.
Very early into their marriage it was determined that Harry would do the cooking since Ginny never did master the skill. It also didn't help matters that every time she tried to cook with her husband they ended up cooking...just not food. In fact, little did the twins know that their birth really was a direct result of a cooking attempt by their parents, who were trying to bake a birthday cake for Ron. The activities from that evenings excursion only guaranteed the need for future birthday cakes of the twins...that and their mother couldn't see vegetable oil for nearly a year without blushing.
Needless to say that the only times the adult Potter's cooked together these days were when their crew were visiting family or there were particularly strong blocking and silence charms in place. Ginny became convinced that Harry had chosen to move from Grimmauld Place so that he could find the perfect large kitchen, with lots of counter space and doors into the room rather than hallways. Then again he may have felt the need to move merely because on more than one occasion the Order had 'needed' the space and interrupted Harry's 'favorite' pastime.
Ginny stood in the entryway watching her husband help her sons learn a skill she could never get the hang of. And while Harry did firmly believe it was a good idea for his sons to learn to cook, in his book this was also an integral part of wooing a woman. Harry looked up for a final time at his gorgeous wife and smiled. Little did he know that the last time he and his bride had played in the kitchen he had managed to not only bake a batch of cookies for his sons but also put another bun in Gin's oven. She rubbed her stomach lightly and smiled. This one she was almost positive would be a girl...heaven help little Lily.
The end
A/N: Please review one way or the other. I like to get feedback to know how I'm doing. Thanks.