Chapter 20

December 29

Harry heard a knock on the door. He stood and pulled a shirt on. Nobody ever knocked on his door, it must be Ginny. He rushed towards the dark red door and wrenched it open.

Ginny was standing there in a brown dress, the dress she had worn to his graduation. She was wearing sneakers, one was untied. Her hair was in a ponytail high up on her head. She wore no makup except for a little mascara that had run down her face, probably on the trip to his apartment.She was holding an envelope. Her dark brown eyes were smiling a little, or at least trying to.

"Hi Ginny." He said.

"Hi." she said.

"Come- Come in."

He led her in and escorted her to the dark brown leather couch. It was luxurious and Ginny sat on it carefully. When Harry had moved into the apartment he had wanted everything he hadn't had as a child, everything he wanted. Being an auror payed quite well, letting him do so.

The living room had two red arm chairs sitting next to the leather couch. It had a muggle tv against the cream colored walls. He had a few paintings around. He had found them and nailed them crookedly to the wall, using no magic whatsoever to do it. It had a wonderful rug on the floor, it was from India he was told.

The kitchen had cherry wood cabinets he had ordered, saying he liked the color quite a bit. The refrigerator was always a mess, but he didn't much care, he didn't really eat much anyway. The floor was tiled and it looked quite nice, not to bad.

The bathroom was another story, it was a complete mess. He did clean the toilet. But when he had moved in the apartment had been in shambles. Wood everywhere, nails sticking out of the walls. He had taken a day or two off of work to fix it up... he hadn't gotten around to the bathroom, or his bedroom.

The spare bedroom was really not to bad. The walls were painted a dark green color. The bed was soft quilts of dark red and brown and white. It just looked really elegant. At least that is what Hermione had called it when she and Ron came to visit.

Harry had been sleeping in the spare bedroom as his bedroom didn't have a bed,well... it had a matress but it lay on the floor with odd blankets strewn about it. He hadn't painted the walls yet and the balcony door was quite broken. He just prefered not to remind himself of the work yet to do.

Ginny almost sighed in awe. It was a very nice apartment. Very nice.

"Wow... I didn't know you were such a decorator Harry." she smiled generously. Harry turned bright red.

"Well... uh... I just-"

"It's very nice."

He nodded and directed her to the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator almost automatically. She grinned.

Harry turned red in embarassment again.

"I'll clean it right up."

Then he showed her the bathroom. She laughed without meaning to. "Well... you can tell that a man lives here."

Harry grinned a little to. "Well... you know."

"So... where's my room?" she asked. "It better be good." she teased.

He laughed a little and opened the door to the spare bedroom. Ginny stood in awe, it was beautiful. She loved everything. "It's great." she smiled and leaned over and kissed his cheek. He felt something in his stomach jump as he lips brushed his cheek.

"Well... that's about it." he said, hoping she wouldn't want to see his bedroom.

"I want to see your room." she grinned. "If the spare bedroom is this nice, I want to see how great your room is. She giggled and ran out into the hall.

She rushed into his room without waiting for him to open the door. She just smiled when she saw the clothes on the floor odd colored blankets on the mattress. The unpainted white walls. She just smiled. Then she ran and flung herself back ontot the mattress.

Harry stared at her in awe. She was amazing. The way she laughed, the way she thought his messy refrigerator was funny. Everything about her.

He lay back on the mattress next to her. She was staring at him. "You're funny Harry." she giggled drunkenly.

"Funny? Nobody's ever called me that."

"Your...different."

Harry could feel her breath on his neck and her sneakered foot against his leg. It felt nice, but uncomfortable. He felt... he could be there next to her... he wanted to kiss her. He stood up quickly. "You want dinner or something?" he asked shakenly.

She smiled up at him, her dimple showing. Her dress had riden up a bit and showed off some of her thighs. Harry began to feel a little sick... or something.

"Do you have any cantaloupe?"

He looked a little confused. He never had eaten cantaloup. "Um... no. I've never eaten cantaloup."

She looked very suprised. "Oh! I love cantaloup. Let's go to the store. I brought a bit of money... just a bit mind you." he face was very serious and he almost laughed. "Lets go to the store, I'll make dinner tonight."

He nodded and smiled at her.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry stood, cleaning the refrigerator as Ginny cut the cantaloup. The newly bought food was sitting on the counter tops, in brown grocery bags.

"I cannot believe you haven't eaten cantaloup." Ginny said for about the 20th time.

He laughed, "I just... the Dursley's never had it... if they did i never had any... Hogwarts usually doesn't serve stuff like that."

She frowned. "What was it like... with the Dursley's?"

"Well... When I was little, i remember Christmas. Dudley would get about 50 or 60 presents. He was such an ass, telling them that they were stupid presents and he hated them."

Ginny stopped cutting and looked at him, but he didn't stop cleaning so she couldn't see his face.

"What about your birthday, didn't they give you anything then?"

"No."

Ginny sighed. "They sound retched. Purely retched."

He tried to laugh but it really was a sad thing for him to talk about. His whole childhood had been spent with people who he hated, and who hated him even more.

"How was it to grow up with six brothers?"

She smiled a little. "Well... Bill and Charlie weren't about much... unless it was summer or Christmas break. Percy was ghastly. Even when he was young he hadn't that... I'm to good for this family attitude."

Harry suddenly remembered that day when he had walked in on Ginny when she was in Percy's room, there had been a broken picture of him on the floor. She had been crying. He couldn't understand it then.

"Aren't you upset he left?"

Ginny looked up at him as he took a bottle of mustard out of the refrigerator. "Oh, I'm not upset about it... Mum was... I'm just so mad... everytime he doesn't write Mum cries for hours."

He nodded. " Were Fred and George always so..."

"Yes. I remember when they were 11 and first were leaving for Hogwarts, Mum got an owl home the first day."

Harry laughed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ginny was laying on the couch and Harry was laying on the Indian rug next to it. Ginny was holding the bowl of cantaloup and grinning.

"Hey, I wanna try some."

Ginny giggled and picked up a piece of cantaloup and held it above his head.

Harry smiled a little and opened his mouth.

"Let's see how good you are at catching, off the Quidditch field." She teased him.

He laughed a little and suddenly the cantaloup landed right into his mouth, he pretended to choke.

Ginny laughed. "Your such a faker."

He grinned and began to chew it. It tasted really good, it was soft and juicy and... really good.

"How do you like it?" she asked, her mouth full of cantaloup herself.

"It's really good..."

She smiled, "I know." Cantaloup almost fell out of her mouth.

"Your such a pig." Harry said.

"Jerk." Ginny said and leaned over the couch and shoved 3 pieces of cantaloup in his mouth, Harry couldn't help but laugh.

They never did have dinner they just had a cantoaloup fight instead and then they were both tired.

Ginny lay under the red and brown quilts, she felt warm and safe. She lay her head against the pillows and caught a most wondeful scent. It smelled musky and manly. She giggled and inhaled deeply.

Harry knocked on the door. "Ginny?"

"Come in." she sighed.

Harry opened the door and stepped in, walking slowly, He was wearing a pair of long pajama bottoms and a ripped shirt. There was a stain on the front that looked like paint.

"How's the room?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

She snuggled in and pulled the blankets up higher to her chin. "It's great. The bed is so comfy."

He smiled happily, he was glad that she liked it. "Yeah, I always fall asleep right when my head hits the pillow."

"Oh, you sleep here?" she smiled mischieviously, "That's why it smells so good."

Harry blushed and shrugged, "I... sorry, I should have washed the sheets before you got here."

She giggled and shook her head. "Smells really good." and she snuggled up to the pillow, Harry felt himself feel that same sick feeling he'd felt earlier. His stomach felt like there was a rock thrown to the bottom of it.

"Well," Harry cleared his throat. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Mhm..." She sighed tiredly.

He laughed a little and closed the door.

I got lots of people asking me what cantaloup is. I was amazed! Sorry, but i think you are missing out. Anyway it is a fruit, circle melon. The inside is orange, the very middle of it is soft and mushy and very yummy. If you haven't tried one, you definately need to go to the store right now. thanks!