It was Friday again; another week had passed, and with it, seven whole days that neither Ginny nor Harry had attempted to speak with each other. It was also the third Friday in a row that Ginny found herself home at the Burrow. However, this Friday was different: tonight her parents were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Mrs. Weasley had pulled out all the stops for this affair. Enlisting Ginny's help throughout the week, she had scoured the Burrow from top to bottom twice over. She had also cornered Ginny to help her in the kitchen…and setting up the decorations…and everything else she could possibly need help with.
The work didn't bother Ginny. Rather, the hours of mindless labor served as a distraction from thinking about Harry. However, it was Friday night now, and what she had been dreading all week was about to happen.
Harry would be at the party.
Hours later found Ginny sitting in a corner of the garden and watching the festivities. Absently she chewed a fingernail as she surveyed the scene.
The party was going superbly. Everyone who mattered to her family (and many who didn't) had come to wish her parents well. Without really counting, Ginny guessed that there were probably close to 300 people crammed in the garden and lower level of the Burrow. She was very glad that her mum had gotten her brothers to magically expand the garden for this event. Suddenly a figure came into her view, forcing her to become alert once more.
"Ginny dear!" her father said. She plastered a smile on her face as she stood. "I'd like you to meet Mr. O'Connol, he works in the Department of Magical Transportation-"
"International Floo," Mr. O'Connol supplied with a wink.
"Yes, International Floo, and this is his son Timothy," her father finished, smiling broadly. Ginny looked up at the third man, who looked to be in his mid twenties. He smiled broadly and extended his hand.
"Timothy O'Connol," he told her, flashing a perfect smile. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at their receding parents, "My Dad has heard all about you from your father. They lunch together often." Ginny smiled into her drink as she nodded, trying to look interested. They lapsed into silence until Ginny couldn't stand it anymore. She hated uncomfortable silences.
"So what do you do for a living, Timothy?" she asked casually. His eyes lit up.
"Well, I've just started with the Nimbus Company—I'm a researcher—and as of now I'm researching how the different shapes of twig can…"
Good, Ginny thought sourly, fifteen minutes later. Glad I found something he can talk about for hours. She continued to nod at appropriate places while not paying attention at all. Instead, she scanned the crowd until her eyes found the one she had been searching for.
Her breath hitched as he moved through the crowd…looking? He seemed to be looking for something…Is he looking for me? Her heart skipped a beat. But then she realized that he was probably looking for her so that he could avoid her. Sighing, she looked back to Timothy.
To her surprise she noticed that he was much closer than before. He continued to talk about his job, letting his hand come to rest on her thigh. Ginny's eyes widened. Ewww, sleezebucket! She thought, thoroughly repulsed by his forwardness. Wrinkling her nose she decided she needed to ditch a certain Timothy O'Connol as soon as possible…
Harry wandered through the thick crowd greeting people as he passed. He realized he probably would look obvious if Ginny caught him searching for her, but he didn't care. Her face had haunted him all week; waking and sleeping, as well as her voice, her eyes, her touch…his eyes ached for her.
Finally he noticed her sitting in the corner of the garden, talking with someone. Harry's heart clenched with jealousy as he looked at the man opposite her. Then the man slung an arm over Ginny's shoulder and winked at her. Harry fumed as he watched Ginny's face contort into a look of disgust as she obviously tried to pry him away from her. His decision to stay unnoticed by Ginny was quickly forgotten as he strode purposefully across the garden in a rage toward them…
Ginny's eyes widened when Timothy boldly slung his arm over her shoulders and pressed her against him. Her jaw dropped and she turned to look him in the eye, prepared to tell him exactly what she thought of this behavior. Then he winked at her.
He winked at her! Ginny was no longer disgusted by Timothy: she was revolted. She had a hard time forming the words that would let her escape from him. Somehow, all she could think of was a polite approach.
"Um, thanks for the chat Timothy, but I really must make the rounds now," she tried.
"But babe, leaving so soon? Come on, I thought we could make a night of it," he told her, waggling her eyebrows.
Will he quit with the eye suggestions! She thought. He took her silence as a cue to talk more.
"Come on, babe, no one'll notice if two people duck out." She had to give him that, she pondered thoughtfully. It was true that no one would notice her absence with the large crowd. Sighing she realized that she would have to try another approach to get rid of him, but then…
"Excuse me," said the last voice she expected to hear. Her body froze and she felt a large hand wrap around her own.
"Sorry, but I need Ginny." He didn't sound sorry at all. Then again, neither was she.
She felt herself being pulled away from Timothy and into another corner of the garden. Harry was still holding onto her hand tightly, and a glance at his face told her that his expression looked murderous. It scared her. The last time she had seen him look this mad was when he had faced Voldemort.
Suddenly the logical part of her mind kicked in. Why did Harry look this mad? He has no right to storm in to a conversation that she was having, drag her away and act all jealous when HE had walked out on her! Even though she privately thanked him for getting rid of Timothy, she was starting to fume about his behavior. He was so…bloody…CONFUSING!
Finally she wrenched her hand away and stopped walking.
"Harry James Potter, would you tell me what in the HELL is going on?" She tried to look fierce with a wide stance and crossed arms, but just looking at him made her want to jump into his arms. Still, she held strong.
"He…he had no right to be treating you like that!" Harry countered.
"Oh, and you think that dragging me away is any better treatment! Oh, first you walk out on me, now you drag me away from someone else and act all jealous! You REALLY know how to treat a lady, Mister Potter!" she spat back.
"What the bloody hell do you mean? YOU walked out without talking to ME! How could you blame that on me!"
"What the bloody hell do you mean! I woke up and you've bloody ditched the apartment…I think it was pretty clear that what I had said obviously scared you off…you were gone, what was I supposed to think?" Ginny was crying now and saying more then she meant to, but she was mad and heartbroken, plus he deserved to know how he had made her feel.
"I was only gone for less than ten minutes! I came back and thought you had faked sleep until I left because you didn't mean what you said!"
"You were only gone…wait, you were coming back?" Ginny asked, quieter.
"Yeah," Harry replied lowering his volume as well. Then he mumbled something.
"What?" Ginny asked.
"I said, I just went downstairs to get breakfast."
Ginny's world spun for a minute. What did this all mean? For one thing the look in Harry's eyes could not mean that he hated her. But what was there? Was it lust? Or love? Or both?
Ginny swallowed.
"I think we need to talk more," she said. Harry agreed. But she didn't want to wait until later. A week of not talking to Harry was long enough.
"Could we just…could we just go to your flat right now?" He looked relieved when he smiled. Within seconds he had grabbed her hand and apparated them there.
When they arrived at Harry's flat they were still hand in hand. Suddenly Harry let go to impulse and grabbed Ginny closer and held her tightly in his arms. His heart leapt when he realized that she was clinging just as tightly to him. They stood there for a few minutes just savoring the contact; the smell of each other, the way their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly…
Ginny pulled away.
"I need to tell you Harry…I meant what I said last night. I don't want to lose you as a friend though, so if that's what you want, then…" she finished somewhat lamely, looking at the ground.
Harry knew that when his heart dropped at those words that he couldn't just be her friend anymore. Every fibre of his being was calling out that he needed her in his life…he needed to be able to love her. He realized it was now or never.
"And what if I don't want to just be friends, Gin?"
Ginny spun around and looked into Harry's eyes. She knew finally what he meant.
It was less than a second before they were in each other's arms again. They wasted no time and each sent their lips crashing down on each others. Ginny had never felt such raw passion in one kiss. She was glad Harry was holding her up or else she thought she may have fallen down.
Harry savored this new sensation that was the taste of Ginny Weasley. She was perfect, and even so much better than he could have imagined. He heard her moan in the back of her throat as his tongue danced with her own. She lifted her chin, granting him access to trail little kisses down her neck. As he did so he felt her tugging at the hem of his shirt. He lifted his arms obligingly.
Soon his fingers were unzipping the dark green dress that Ginny was wearing. His breath caught as it fell to the floor and he got his first look at her. She was everything he had dreamt and more.
He didn't let his mouth off her for long and soon he was carrying her towards the bed. The last items of clothing came off and Harry stopped to kiss her one last time. Suddenly he felt her tense and he pulled back.
"Ginny?" he asked, concerned. "I know this is fast…we don't have to do this if you don't want to, it's just that I love you so much and…"
"You love me?" she interrupted, in awe.
Harry blushed, causing Ginny to inwardly gape more. She had made Harry Potter blush.
"Well, yeah…I have for a while now, but I just haven't been able to tell you…But we don't have to do this if you don't want to…" he said again.
"No, I do," she said, emphasizing her desire. She kissed him sweetly and seductively, making him shiver in anticipation.
"Just be gentle," she told him in a whisper. "You're my first…"
Author's Note:
Well, there you go! That's where I planned to stop my story. BUT WAIT! After a weekend spent recovering from my wisdom teeth, I have thought of MORE! Ha, so there will be at least one more chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one…it was a little longer (hope this made some of you happy ;) and they FINALLY figured out what idiots they were being…silly characters. Anyway, I tried to make their love scene be somewhat discrete and yet romantic enough…how did I do?
I kept debating how I am going to get to the next part, and I forgot that I meant to have Ron and Hermione announce at the Anniversary Party that they were pregnant, so now I have to figure out how to fix the next part of the plot to make that work…anyway no big deal, just a lazy author rambling on and on.
Thanks again to all my reviewers! You guys really brighten my day with your kind words and encouragment! It makes me want to write more ;)
Zoë
I solemnly swear I am up to no good…
