Author's Note: One more chapter and this part of the story comes to an end. The next chapter is pretty long and things get... steamy. I'm not sure any of you will complain, though. ;) There will be a sequel, because another plot bunny came to me that I thought needed to be developed but in a separate fic, since this one is all about getting these two cinnamon buns together. Many thanks again to Narukoibito for her beta and various others who have held my hand during this experience.

Chapter 9:

Harry –

I wasn't going to reply to your letter. I keep asking myself why I seem to return to this form of communication – it's so unlike me to waffle in-between two states. I am relatively forthright and make decisions relatively easy and stick to them. But with you…aye, there's the rub, as they say.

A few years back, I became the victim of…well, let's just say, I befriended someone who I thought was different than they were. There was nothing romantic between us. He turned dark before anything like that could happen. But he became obsessed with me and wouldn't leave me alone. At first, it was almost sweet – little notes left on my door or at work. Then they became more insistent when he couldn't see me or when I said I was busy. He would call me at all hours. I had to have my phone number changed twice, as well as move out of a flat I loved because he would break in and go through my things. Eventually, this led to him getting arrested, but I know he had done it many times before he got caught.

There is something entirely unsettling and nerve-wracking about feeling as though you have been burgled in your own home – where nothing is missing, and nothing is really out of place, and yet – there is a feeling. A feeling that someone has been there. Little things, like photographs turned the wrong way, clothes left out that I thought I had put away, the scent of something in the air that wasn't there before…

My family, thankfully, did not think I was mental and helped me immensely. But the damage had been done to my sense of security. Even my sense of self-worth. Was it something I did to make him unhinged? Had I smiled a bit too openly? Had I flirted too much? Had I told him too much of myself without realizing it? You know how it is when you first meet someone – there is that rush, that sense of possibilities. I soon realized that I didn't feel that way about him and told him – but he was already in love with me, or so he said. We found out later he had been following me for weeks before inserting himself in my life.

Intellectually speaking, I know I did nothing wrong. He was deranged from the start. He had done this to other women, apparently. I was lucky that my family stood by me and believed me and helped me catch him. Some other women were not so fortunate. But oh, how it made me cautious, Harry. So cautious. I became a different person for a while. I tell you this because you have to understand why sometimes it seems as though my confidence leaves me. I second guess myself more than I ever did before. I generally try not to, and when I do feel like that, I force myself to push through it. Because every time I shy away from what life is offering me because of him, I feel as though he has won, somehow. And I refuse to let that happen.

We should meet, Harry. Someplace where we can just talk. So I can explain things more, if you want, or if you don't want to. I leave the ball entirely on your side. Just promise not to be too angry with me when we do meet again. I never meant for it to get this complicated. But I hope one day soon we can both look back at this and laugh. Even if it is just as friends.

-Red-

Harry sighed and re-read her letter again. It had been a week, and he had only seen Ginny once after taking her home from work. It had only been for a brief moment when he'd run into her and Hermione, shopping. She'd looked pleased to see him, and even a little sad they couldn't talk long, but since then, nothing. And Harry couldn't very well keep popping up at the Sports Center on false premises just to run into her. Especially not after what she had just shared with him. He really didn't want to be that guy.

He'd toyed with calling her and asking her to drinks again, but something had held him back. His talk with Dora had done nothing to ease his mind – in fact, it had only worried him more. Harry didn't want to finally meet Red – Ginny – and have them have a dead cat on their hands. He didn't think they would, judging from their interactions. They had the potential to be highly compatible when not both feeling awkward or embarrassed or stressed out. So Harry figured for that five minutes out of every day when it appeared the both of them had their heads on right, it would be absolute bliss.

If Ginny, as Red, was willing to finally meet, then he reckoned she was ready. Harry knew she was worried about him being angry at her for hiding her identity. But now he wondered if she would be mad at him for not telling her he had known for weeks.

"Ahem," Sirius's voice startled him, and Harry looked at his doorway to find his godfather observing him. "All right there, Harry? You had a frown on your face, and that little cleft between your eyebrows was starting to grow wings."

Harry shook his head as Sirius came into the room to sit down on his bed. He suddenly wanted to know what his godfather thought he should do. There was no one's judgment he trusted more than Sirius's or Remus's. And he had been stupid not letting them know absolutely everything.

"Here, sit here and read," Harry said, getting up from the chair. He leaned over and pulled up all of Red's letters and looked at his godfather. "I need your advice, but before you give it to me, you need to know it all. Read these, and I'll fill in the rest."

Sirius watched him for a moment. "You're sure?"

Harry nodded. "I've been an idiot keeping everything to myself. Sit here and read, and get to know her, and maybe you'll start to understand. I'll go make some coffee."

"This is private stuff, kid. Will she be angry that you showed me?" Sirius asked as Harry paused in the doorway.

"I don't think so, Sirius. One of the best things about her is that she gets me. She'll understand."

Harry left him to it and made his way downstairs to start the coffee. It might be a full pot kind of conversation after Sirius was done.

o-o-o-o-o

"So, it's been Ron's sister this whole time?" Sirius asked as they sat at the kitchen table.

Harry nodded. "Yep. I was so angry when I found out. Well, you saw what happened to me. Sorry again for that. I'm not much of an adult sometimes, it seems.

Sirius waved his hand as though pushing aside what Harry had just said. "And Ron doesn't know?"

Harry frowned. "I don't think so. Which is funny because he indicated to me he wanted Ginny and I to…well, get to know each other. He said we'd be good together. Won't he be chuffed when he finds out?"

"And she doesn't know that you know it's her? Really?"

"I don't think so? I mean, maybe? No, I don't think she does. Or at least, she doesn't want to admit to herself that she does." As soon as Harry said it, he knew it was true. He'd been careful about not mentioning stuff to Ginny that she'd told him as Red, but he was sure he had fouled up somewhere, about something. Remembering the bit he'd forgotten with the tea, maybe Ginny did already know. Or maybe not. Even at the end of this, Harry was fairly sure he'd never understand women.

"So you've been trying to get to know her as Ginny, haven't you?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah. It seemed the…best thing to do. I realized I liked Red too much to give up on her, and if Red was Ginny, somewhere inside, then I wanted to bring her out."

Sirius sighed. "You're going to have to go easy on her, Harry. She sounds like she's been knocked about a fair bit by other blokes. The stalker stuff alone is creepy as fuck. I don't think you should keep trying to run into her. I mean, I get it, what you were doing, but she's probably developed an extra sensitivity to stuff like that."

"I know," Harry said. "That's why I want your advice. Now that you have all the information, what do you think I should do? Should I meet her like she wants and never tell her I knew?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, I think she'd be able to tell. She's expecting you to get angry with her and no offense, godson, but you are not that good an actor. No, you two really need to just…come clean with each other and honestly, just…talk."

"That sounds painful," Harry admitted, sighing. "And tedious. But necessary."

"You already knew the answer. You just wanted me to confirm it," Sirius said, giving him a knowing look.

"Yeah, you're right, as usual."

"If only I could have you put that on a tee-shirt that I could pass out to people who doubt me."

Harry shook his head. "Seems a lot of work to go through for something a person can only wear once a year."

Sirius nodded in agreement and then sharply looked at him. "Hah, hah, hilarious."

Harry washed out their coffee cups as Sirius decided to go to work for a few hours. Once his godfather was gone, he wandered back upstairs, looking at his computer. He tried to think of a place where he and Ginny could meet. Thinking about her flat and where it was located, he remembered there was a coffee shop nearby that he'd visited once and rather liked. It would probably be empty in the evening, and they could meet there. And you wouldn't have far to go if she invited your back to her place, a voice whispered in his head.

"Shut it, you," Harry said out loud.

Opening up his email, he jotted off a quick note to Red for them to meet the following day, around 6. It had been a good time for them previously. He could only hope his luck stayed with him.

o-o-o-o-o

"Harry?"

He looked up as he was leaving the town library, new mystery books in hand, and saw Hermione waving at him. He smiled and stopped walking so she could catch up with him.

"I thought that was you! How are you?"

"Good, and you? Ron invited me for dinner, but I have plans, sorry."

Hermione shifted her rather large book bag to her other shoulder and smiled at him. "It's fine, I just wanted to have a little get together like we had before. You know, you, me, Ron...Ginny."

Hermione's voice was so casual that Harry had to bite back a laugh. "Subtle, Hermione. You're worse than Ron."

She huffed and nudged him with her elbow. "Ron doesn't know what I know, so there is that."

Harry stopped walking and looked at her. "And what do you think you know?"

"How's your email relationship going, Harry? Ron said you hadn't mentioned her in a while."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "We had a bit of a misunderstanding."

Hermione raised her eyebrow. "Oh? Pity. It's funny, Ginny mentioned something happening to her, too. Hmm. How coincidental. Also, how coincidental that you and Ginny both have plans for tonight. Plans for something that is making her nervous and you a bit…disgruntled."

Harry didn't say anything at first and kept walking towards Sirius's Jeep. "Do you need a lift, Hermione? Or do you want to let that imagination of yours lead you home?"

"See? Very tetchy," Hermione said, looking at him. "I'll walk, actually. I have to stop at the shops for some milk. Just… be nice to her. I mean, I know I don't have to really tell you that, but…she's sort of vulnerable about you. And I've never quite seen her this…way about a bloke before. So if you are going to let her down, just…do it properly."

Harry slowly blinked at her. "I'm not planning on…that is…I really like her, Hermione."

Hermione's face filled with a wide grin. "Brilliant, Harry! Also, I totally knew it!"

Harry looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"I suspected, but you just confirmed it as fact. I didn't know Ginny was your email friend until just now. She hasn't said a word, really. But I can tell she's hyper-nervous about something. So my point still stands. Just remember how many brothers she has, right?"

Harry felt shocked and then grinned ruefully at his friend. "Ron is right, you're bloody scary sometimes."

"Too right you both are. Cheers, Harry, and later, tell Ginny I said hello?"

Harry laughed despite himself and watched her walk away, her bushy hair bouncing with a bit of an attitude, it appeared to him. He only had a few more hours to go, and then, hopefully, they could put all the subterfuge and other people figuring it out behind them.

o-o-o-o-o

"You ready?" Sirius asked him, watching him try to comb his hair. Harry scowled at his reflection and met his godfather's eyes in the mirror.

"No, but…there's nothing else for it, right?"

"You could call her, tell her you changed your mind, Harry."

Harry frowned to himself and then gave up on his hair as he threw his comb onto the counter. He ruffled his hand through it in hopelessness. If it was going to be difficult and not lay flat, then at least he could muss it himself. Besides, she likes the way it stands up, he thought with a smile.

"That. Right there, whatever you were thinking, hold on to that and greet her with that smile. Her heart will melt."

Harry shook his head at his godfather. "You're odd, do you know that?"

"I just know what women like, and that affable, yet, oh, gosh, oh darn smile you just had on your face is bound to get to her heart."

"I was thinking about her and how she actually likes my hair standing up, if you must know," Harry said, grabbing his wallet and his mobile.

Sirius grabbed his arm in mock seriousness. "Marry this girl, Harry. Marry her."

Harry chuckled. "Would you stop?"

Sirius grinned at him. "Just trying to put you at ease. Now go out there and win her heart."

"I'll just settle for us being on speaking terms after all of it."

"You could shoot for that. Or you could score a brace."

Harry grinned. "Two goals in one game? You do know how to motivate me, Sirius."

"Just doing my part. Call me later if you need anything, okay? And if I don't hear from you and you don't come home, I'll just assume you've decided to play on."

Harry hugged his godfather and made his way out into the night, his stomach full of nerves. It was a short drive to the coffee shop, and Harry went back and forth over wanting to be there before Ginny or after. He was already 20 minutes early, but he'd brought a book he could read if he decided not to go in right away. He drove by Merlin's Cup, trying to see if she'd made it there yet, and didn't notice her fiery flash of red hair anywhere.

Deciding he'd much rather go into the shop after she'd arrived, Harry parked in the back and proceeded to open his book, even though he wasn't really concentrating on what he was reading at all. He kept mindlessly flicking the little drink holder the Jeep had in the center console, the plastic clicking sound it made oddly comforting. When it was five minutes before 6, Harry gave up on his book and glanced at his reflection one more time in the rearview mirror, sighing.

Well, it was now or never.

Harry headed around to the front of the building, and as he had thought, it wasn't very full. He spotted Ginny right away – she was sitting off to the side, looking out the window, a cup of tea already in front of her. He saw her look at her watch and frown. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

Her eyes found his immediately, an astonished sort of wonder in her expression, as though she had half-expected for him not to show. Harry offered her a smile as he made his way over to her. He stopped just in front of her table, and they looked at each other for what felt like an eternity to Harry. Ginny eventually licked her lips and nodded to the seat in front of her.

After the waitress came over and got his order, Harry cleared his throat. Ginny shook her head at him, a fierce look on her face suddenly.

"You knew?" she asked, one delicate eyebrow arching upwards.

Harry nodded, giving her what he hoped had been that friendly smile his godfather had mentioned. When her look didn't soften, he swallowed roughly.

"I knew. For a while now."

Ginny barked out a short, harsh laugh. "I should have known."

"I only just figured it out. A few weeks back, at Ron and Hermione's. He, er, mentioned you used to keep a poster of me up in your wardrobe. And then I asked him what your team number was when you played, and he mentioned your nickname."

Ginny's shoulders slumped slightly. She looked at Harry in disbelief. "Ron knew about that? And he never said anything to me or teased me about it?"

"Well, to be fair, it's not something I'm sure you'd go around telling someone." Harry offered. The waitress brought his coffee over and winked at him. Ginny didn't notice.

"I'm just impressed with his restraint in not teasing me about it, that's all. That's why you stopped answering my emails, isn't it?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. And I am officially sorry about that. Really. I didn't know how to process it all. I thought maybe you were having a laugh at my expense or…you had lied, and you were a groupie. I reckon a part of me was mad, too."

"You thought I'd lied to you," Ginny said, matter-of-fact.

"Yes. But you never did, you just…"

"I omitted certain facts to hide the truth," Ginny said, her voice sounding wistful. "It's almost as bad, to be fair, Harry. I don't blame you for being mad. I was prepared to have you yell at me tonight. To hear you rant and rave at me for being so deceitful. But I should have known. When you started asking me out for drinks and dinner and showing up places…I think I knew. But I thought I was so clever."

Ginny looked angry then, not at him but herself, and he reached out his hand to comfort her almost automatically. She looked down at his hand over hers, and he thought she was going to pull away for a moment. She looked at him, searching his face for something that he didn't understand.

"I tried to tell you, Harry. So many times. When we started writing all the time, and it got more serious between us and…after…the phone." Ginny paused, a delightful blush working its way up across her neck and face. Harry impulsively squeezed her hand.

"The phone was my favorite part," he murmured. Ginny shook her head at him. Harry clarified his comment. "I mean, getting to know you better, not the…sex stuff. Although that was pretty fantastic."

They each looked away and back at the same time, and Harry knew his blush was matching hers.

"When we met for drinks, I was confused – I thought you were interested in me without knowing, and I was sort of thrilled, really, but then the conversation was so awkward, and I knew if I kept seeing you, I had to tell you. I couldn't…not tell you. Being with you made me want to blurt it out all the time. And yet I couldn't seem to."

Harry understood what she meant perfectly. "I know what you mean. I kept thinking I would tell you or try to get you to tell me, but…something always came up. Or your brother showed up."

Ginny smiled. "Yeah. He does that. They all do that. The idiots. I love them, but if they knew I had feelings for you, Harry, they would never let me live it down. Not to mention they would skewer you six weeks to Sunday. Or maybe not, they do like their football."

"They're protective of you, Ginny. It's understandable. And thank you for telling me about what happened before. I can't believe you had to live through that. I wasn't even in your life yet, and even I want to go find the bloke and punch him. So I kind of get it."

"It wasn't a good time. But…he's behind me. In the past. I try not to think of it, but I also recognize that to an outsider, some of my more quirky reactions to things might make more sense if they knew."

Silence fell between them then, and Ginny finished her tea, while he sipped at his coffee. Harry recognized her nervous habit from before as she ran her fingers against the grain of the table, back and forth. Harry decided to just go for it; he was tired of tiptoeing around the issue.

"So…do you then?" Harry asked, watching her. She frowned at him, not understanding his question. "Have feelings for me, because…you know, I have this girl I've been writing, and she's really great, Ginny, and I can't lie, I really want to meet her and really get to know her for real. She's great, you'd really like her – she's funny, clever and she writes great letters. She always makes me think. And that's not an easy job, really."

Ginny blinked at him and then smiled as she caught on to his meaning. "Oh? So if I don't pan out, you're going on to her next? Is that it?"

"I might," Harry said, shrugging as he looked around the café. There was a man in the back staring at them. When Harry met his eyes, he went back to the book on the table in front of him.

"Do you think she might make an appearance tonight?" he finally asked.

Ginny bit her lip, her eyes alight with mischief. "Perhaps. What do you call her, this girl you've been writing?"

Harry brought his eyes back to hers and waited a beat. He felt his heart beating faster in his chest, and when he spoke, he knew his voice was lower on purpose. "I call her Red. She seems to like it."

Ginny blushed, and it was an altogether different sort of blush that Harry couldn't wait to explore. It made something in his stomach tighten, and there was a different sort of anxiety in him now. Somehow the evening's apprehension had turned to anticipation.

"She might be around," Ginny murmured, looking away. "I'll see what I can do to coax her out. Do you want to go back to my flat so we can talk…more privately? Red's awfully shy, you see."

"Are you sure?"

Ginny mock squinted at him briefly as though making up her mind. Harry felt like laughing out loud at the sudden burst of joy in his heart.

"I suppose you drove?" she asked, standing up. She put money down on the table for their drinks and nodded towards the door.

"Should I keep the Jeep here or park at your place?"

"Well, the flat came with a parking space I never get to use, you might as well enjoy it."

It was a short drive to the Phoenix's Roost, and she told him where to park. Ginny lived on the second floor, and as she went up the stairs in front of him, Harry really tried not to stare at her backside. He tried. It wasn't his fault he didn't succeed. He was pretty sure she'd worn those particular jeans on purpose because they made her body look amazing.

Ginny smirked at him as she turned around, and he immediately brought his eyes up to hers. Harry felt his skin heat. He didn't want her to think he was only after one thing, after all. "Er, sorry."

"For what? Ogling? Or getting caught?"

"Er, both?" Harry asked, running his hand through his hair. Ginny's laughter trilled through the evening air, making him shiver in anticipation again.

"Well, that's honest. Come on in, Harry." She opened the door, and he entered her flat, warming to it almost immediately. It had a lived-in quality, even though he knew she had just recently moved in. There was no real design style to it except every piece seemed to have been picked with maximum comfort in mind. Her settee was short and had big, plush pillows on either end. A TV sat in front of it, as well as the latest PlayStation he was pleased to see. The chairs, next to the bookcase and fireplace, were a different style and color from the settee, and he could very well picture her curled up like a cat in them on some rainy day. The sitting room gave way to an open kitchen plan, just a small unit with a hob and microwave. Off to the side were two doors, which Harry assumed were the bedroom and loo.

Ginny had paintings and pictures up on the wall, as well as newspaper articles, a few of them about him. She blushed rather prettily when she saw him looking at them.

"Well, I did say I was a fan."

He nodded and then noticed underneath the articles was a desk, which sat her computer. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Is this the famous computer where all the magic happened?"

Ginny snorted. "Yes. Now, how about a real drink? I don't have any single-malt, but I do have some of my brothers' homemade ale."

"Sounds brilliant," Harry said as she went into the kitchen. He sat down on the settee, and she joined him a moment later, handing him a bottle.

They both took a drink, and then silence descended on them again. Ginny was pulling at the label around her beer (a picture of Fred and George as brewmasters), and looking at anything but him. For his part, Harry didn't exactly know what to say either. All they could hear was the ticking sound of the clock on her kitchen wall. Harry's nerves made a slight return.

Ginny sighed and sat back against the arm of the settee. "Why is this still so hard?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know."

"We should be full of things to say," Ginny said, sounding despondent. "Do you think we just feel like we know everything now?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I'm fairly sure I haven't even begun to crack the enigma that is Ginny Weasley, let alone Red."

"I wish Red were here now," Ginny said after a moment, sounding sad. "She's bolder than me, by far."

"What can I do to help her come out?" Harry asked. He half-smiled at her in jest. "Want me to call you on the phone?"

Ginny shook her head and gave him a look. She took a long drink of her beer and then looked at him, her eyes half-lowered. "Close your eyes, Harry."

"Er, why?"

"Trust me."

"Okay," he said, doing as she'd asked. A moment later, he felt the settee shift as she moved closer to him.

"Hi, Harry. No, don't open them," Ginny said quickly as he was about to look at her. Harry frowned.

"Er, right. Hi."

"Who am I?"

"You're Ginny…"

"No, who am I?" she asked, her voice taking on that sultry quality he knew so well. He felt himself swallow roughly.

"Hi, Red."

Ginny sighed, and it was…full of so many things that Harry wanted to discover.

"I've missed you," she murmured, closer now. "Oh, how I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Harry said, feeling as though a cat was purring in his chest.

"Have you? Tell me… tell me after you realized Red was me, were you disappointed? You can be honest with me, Harry. I…won't mind. At least, not too much."

Harry frowned but kept his eyes closed. "No, I wasn't disappointed. Are you kidding? Even before I knew you were Red, I think I kind of fancied you. The first time I saw you, I thought you were pretty, the second time, I thought you were gorgeous. And fit. You were wearing that skirt, and your legs looked amazing, Ginny. In fact, I felt guilty later thinking of you like that when I was writing to her."

He suddenly smelled that fantastic floral scent of hers and knew she was closer than he'd thought.

When she spoke next, it was a whisper, right beside his ear, and he shivered.

"You were so adorable when I knocked you on your arse, Harry, I never got to tell you that. I feel as though I have you at a disadvantage, though. I've known it was you all this time, and you only got to put a face with the voice a little while ago. I've had all these pictures in my fantasies, Harry. Thinking of you, talking to you…doing things with you…"

Harry moaned. "Can I please see you now?"

Ginny didn't answer him, but he felt her weight leave the settee for a moment. He could tell she had dimmed the lights in the room, and when she returned, she sat much closer to him. He felt her hands on his shoulders, and then they were in his hair.

"Open your eyes, Harry. Open those amazing green eyes of yours, and see the real me."

Harry opened his eyes slowly, to find her sitting right in front of him, the only light on in the room directly behind her, causing her hair to glow like a fire beginning to burn. Her brown eyes were blazing at his, her lips between her teeth. And without thinking, without really planning it and without worrying about it, Harry kissed her.

He wasn't sure how long it lasted – maybe they had been kissing forever, or perhaps for half an hour, but all he knew when they finally broke apart was that he was home. Ginny moved against him, as they'd fallen back against the settee, and a smile filled her face.

"Hi," she said, sounding shy again.

"Hi, Ginny."

Her smile grew, and she tugged on the back of his hair with her fingers. Harry rested his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.

"Suddenly I don't feel the need to talk anymore," she whispered, and Harry chuckled.

"No, all I want to do is kiss you again, is that okay?"

"I'd be more upset if you didn't, to be honest."

Harry grinned and then moved his mouth down to hers again. He moved his hand up her back until it was lost in her sweet-smelling, unbelievably soft hair. Ginny hummed in appreciation as he messaged the back of her neck. His other hand had a mind of its own as it moved further downward until it was resting on her bum. Ginny used the leverage of her feet against the settee to cause friction between their two bodies, and Harry felt himself respond.

"Ugnh," Harry said as they broke apart, twisting and moving upwards against her. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Ginny chuckled. "Just making sure that time at the new center wasn't a fluke."

"Minx," Harry said, tracing his finger around her jaw. "God, you're so beautiful, Ginny."

"And you're so handsome, my speccy-git." She tapped her finger on his forehead and smiled. She brought her mouth closer to his and kissed him sweetly. Their bodies ground against each other's and Harry tried to think of football stats or anything that would help him from exploding right there against her leg. When her mouth moved its way from his mouth to his ear he swore, and then flipped them over so that he was on top of her.

"Are you teasing me?"

"Do you like it?"

"What do you think?"

Ginny's eyes traveled down his body, and she smiled up at him, a predatory look in her eye. "I think you like it a great deal. But what are we going to do about it?"

Harry lowered himself down and used his mouth against her skin, teasing her as she had done to him, pleased by the half-whimper that escaped her mouth. "I could take you right against this couch and make you scream. Although I will say, it will be quick and probably rather hard. I don't have much patience tonight for some reason."

Ginny moaned and pulled his mouth to hers again, kissing him even more fiercely than before. She rested her head against his. "As much as it pains me to say this, maybe we should wait."

Harry closed his eyes, trying to control his breathing. He knew she was right. As much as they both wanted to take things further, perhaps it was still too soon.

Their breathing, loud and haggard filled her tiny flat, and it took them both a long while to break apart. Harry finally sat back and moved slightly away from her. Ginny eventually scooted further away, resting against the back of the settee.

"You lied to me, Harry," Ginny finally said, narrowing her eyes at him. Harry frowned.

"When?"

"When you told me that you were bullocks with women. I have now had two very intense reactions that beg to differ with you."

Harry smiled at her. "Maybe I'm just bullocks with everyone but you. Did you ever think of that?"

Ginny grinned. "Stop trying to get me to sleep with you tonight. You'll turn my head, honestly."

"I would hope your head is already turned."

"Fair point. But…oh God, come here." Ginny moved before he could react, and she was in his arms again, kissing him intensely.

When they broke apart finally, Harry stared up at her, feeling dazed. "What was that for? And how can I do it again to make you keep snogging me like that?"

Ginny giggled and sat back. "You're just awfully adorable, that's all."

"Explain to me again why we're not…shagging right now?"

"I think we should get to know each other as Harry and Ginny, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "Right, you're right. I knew there was a reason. I just had forgotten. Or something. Well, what should we do now? I don't feel like going home just yet."

"Feel like getting your arse kicked at football?"

Harry frowned. "Er, you wanna play right here in your sitting room?"

Ginny laughed and turned on a few more lights as she got up. She turned on the television and then grabbed the PlayStation controllers. She handed one to him as well as his long-forgotten ale. "We'll play the FIFA 14, and I'll kick your arse, Potter."

Harry grinned. "You think so?"

"Oh, I know so," Ginny said, tossing her hair back behind her shoulder. "And I'll even let you play yourself in the game just so it's fair."

"Oh, you have yourself a deal, Weasley."

"Winner gets a kiss," she said, winking at him as the on-screen graphics started. Harry raised his eyebrow at her.

"That hardly seems worthy of the effort, really. I mean, I can just lean over at any time and do this." Harry captured her mouth with his, and it was sometime later when Ginny finally pushed him away, her cheeks flushed red.

"You didn't let me finish. Winner gets a kiss, someplace interesting." She made her voice sound silky and flirty, and Harry laughed.

"All right, but now I'm not sure I actually want to win. It sounds as though we both technically win in this scenario."

"I could opt to have you kiss my feet, Harry."

Harry looked down at her trainer-clad feet and made a face. Ginny pushed at him, laughing.

"Don't worry, they're clean, Potter."

The music for the game started, and Harry turned his attention to the television. He caught sight of the determined look on her face and knew he was probably going to get clobbered. But it was okay, some losses were worth it.

o-o-o-o-o