The maitre'd smiled welcoming at the approaching man, a single rose in his hand. He valiantly tried to ignore the woman to his right, tapping her nails against the counter impatiently.
"Er, table for Beckett," said the man giving her a double take before looking back, "for two."
"Yes, yes, here you are. Your date has not yet arrived, but I will ask Leo, our waiter to show you to your table, and as soon as your young lady arrives, we shall bring her over," gushed the maitre'd.
The impatient woman rolled her eyes.
The man smiled broadly, as Leo the waiter approached. "Thanks...big night!" He then left, following the waiter to a prominent table near the window.
The impatient woman snorted. "How do you know it's a lady he's waiting for? Could be another guy."
"Another glass of water while you wait, madam?" offered the maitre'd, gritting his teeth. If she wasn't a well known figure, he would have asked her to wait outside for her date.
The red head held up her barely sipped glass, screwing up her nose at the dirty marks on it. She handed the glass back to him.
"No thanks, and you can take this one back to be washed. So, why can he sit alone at the table and wait for his date but I can't?"
"It is simply not done, a beautiful woman such as yourself..." The maitre'd leaned in closer, " and such a celebrity too, waiting alone? The horror!" he gasped.
Ginny Weasley, well known celebrity as a member of the successful Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team, rolled her eyes again.
"Oh yes, the horror!" she agreed dryly. "My date is late and I'd be seen sitting by myself. A fate worse than death," she drawled.
"Exactly," sighed the maitre'd in relief.
Ginny smiled and leaned closer; it was a ferocious smile that drew terror in her opponents on the pitch. For when she smiled like that, you just knew she was playing for blood.
"Listen bud, I missed breakfast and skipped lunch for this date, and if he has the balls to be late, then I -"
"Sorry, so sorry, I'm here, I'm finally here, sweetheart, don't harass the nice man now. And we'll leave my balls out of it."
An arm slid around her waist and pulled her tight against a taller, firm body.
Ginny looked up into amused green eyes, the eyes of a stranger. Was this her blind date?
'Thank you, Hermione!'
Earlier
Harry swore as he looked at several of the shirts laying on his bed. What to wear, what to wear?
"Can't go wrong with black," quipped his godfather, leaning against his door.
Harry scowled. "Too severe, unless this is a posh place."
"Nah, don't think so. Never eaten there myself, just saw it the other day and made the booking," replied Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. "You know, you're pushing it for time. She'll think you took one look at her and fled!"
"Come on, give me a clue who it is," pleaded Harry.
"Sorry," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Look, I'm not saying she's going to be the love of your life, but hell, it's been way too long since you had a date, let alone got a leg over!"
"Nice," grimaced Harry. "Besides, I like to get to know a woman first before I take her to bed."
"Bed, sofa, dining table, the location doesn't matter," grinned Sirius. He looked at his watch, shaking his head and 'tsk, tsk-ing' as he tapped his watch.
"That's really making me nervous," said Harry, and he picked up the closest shirt and slipped it on.
"Really, that's the one you're going with? All righty then, have fun, but not too much fun," teased his godfather, as he walked away.
"You can still have fun on a date without sex," called out Harry grumpily. He shrugged off his shirt and picked up another one, adjusting the collar and checking his reflection in the mirror.
"In?" he asked himself out loud, tucking the shirt in, " or out?" He pulled the shirt out for a more casual look.
"Sweety, with an arse like yours, tuck it in, let her see the goods," drawled the mirror.
"Right, out it is." He checked he had his wallet and put his father's watch on, rubbing the face as he often did, 'for luck'.
He left his room, hurrying down the stairs.
"Sirius, I'm going," he called.
"Bye" was the reply. "I'm flooing over to Remus and Tonk's for dinner. I'll probably stay the night, you know, if it does go well."
"Sirius," sighed Harry.
"Just remember those charms, Harry," called Sirius again.
Harry was about to apparate when he had a sudden idea. With a grin, he hurried outside.
Of course he couldn't find a place to either park Sirius' motorcycle or find an alley close by the restaurant that he could disillusion it. When he finally found somewhere, he then had to hurry to the restaurant, aware he was getting later by the minute.
"She can be a bit emotional," Sirius had warned, when he had first told him about the blind date, "I saw her get teary when a colleague announced she was pregnant."
He had shrugged. "It's just dinner. Hard to get emotional over that!"
He wondered how Sirius knew her, cursing himself for not asking. He supposed it would make a good conversation starter. He just hoped she wasn't thinking – or crying – that he had stood her up, especially today of all days.
February 14th – Valentine's Day. What a day to go on a blind date!
He found the restaurant, pleased that there was no woman waiting furiously or tearily outside, and pushed the door open to enter.
A queue of three couples had formed, waiting behind a woman who was speaking loudly with the maitre'd.
"- my date is late and I'd be seen sitting by myself. A fate worse than death," she drawled.
His date was here...and she seemed pissed. Not a great start!
"Exactly," he heard the maitre'd sigh in what Harry thought was in relief.
He politely asked the couples waiting to let him pass.
"Listen bud, I missed breakfast and skipped lunch for this date, and if he has the balls to be late, then I -"
Harry don't know what made him do it, but he wrapped his arm around her tiny waist and pulled her against him.
"Sorry, so sorry, I'm here, I'm finally here, sweetheart, don't harass the nice man now. And we'll leave my balls out of it."
He dipped to kiss her forehead, noting that she fit perfectly under his arm.
"Table for two, for Potter?" asked the maitre'd, almost pleading for it to be true.
"That's it," nodded Harry.
The maitre'd snapped his fingers and not one but two waiters appeared instantly, including the head waiter.
"Please show Mr Potter and Miss Weasley to their table," he told them and they bowed before leading the new couple to the most centred table in the room.
Harry was surprised. Weasley? As in, Ginny Weasley, the best Chaser in the league right now? Why would she be on a blind date?
Harry wanted to seat her himself, but one of the waiters beat him to it. The other helped him to push his own chair in, causing him to frown at him, before menus were thrust into their faces.
"Annoying, isn't it?"
Harry met her brown eyes over the top of her menu; they danced with merriment at his discomfort.
"Being seated like we were four years old who can't reach the table," she clarified, putting her menu down. "So, are you any relation to Harry Potter?" she asked, picking up a glass of water and eyeing it with some distaste before putting it back down.
Harry was confused. "Er, I am Harry Potter," he told her. Hadn't Sirius told her?
She blinked rapidly. "No shit! Well that explains why we've got the most public table in here," she laughed easily.
He liked that she wasn't overcome by his revelation and smiled back at her.
"And here I thought it was because I was with a famous Quidditch star," he teased.
"No, you are the ministry's number one star, it's definitely because of you," she retorted.
"Uh-uh," he tutted, liking their banter, "it's you."
" I wasn't even allowed to sit here and wait for you," she told him.
Before Harry could reply to her, a waiter appeared, notebook at the ready. "Are you ready to order?"
"No, we need more time please," said Harry, who hadn't even looked at the menu.
"Something to drink, perhaps?" offered the waiter.
"Not in these glasses," scoffed Ginny. She put her menu down. "You know what, Harry, I know a place – sanitary, good food, we can talk and eat without anyone watching us, it's close by, what do you say?"
"You had me at 'eating without anyone watching,' he quipped, glad somebody understood the perils of this unwanted fame. He glanced around to find several couples watching them and whispering.
She grinned. "Then let's go."
"Lead the way, Miss Weasley," he said, and they both stood, their chairs scraping.
Everyone in the restaurant stopped what they were doing to watch this famous couple, unaware they had just met.
Aware of all the eyes, Harry grimaced.
"Happy Valentine's Day, suckers," called Ginny, grabbing his hand and leading him out.
The maitre'd was angry.
"What do you mean, they left?" He'd just been on a break and had owled the Daily Prophet anonymously that two celebrities were dining at the restaurant on Valentine's Day. He had returned to find two of the most famous people in the wizarding world had left.
The head waiter shrugged. "I went to take their orders and she suggested they go somewhere else."
"Um, excuse me," interrupted a man. Both the maitre'd and the waiter looked at him, annoyed for the interruption.
"I'm supposed to meet my date here, my blind date," he said. "Have you see her? She hasn't left already, has she?"
"Excuse me, I'm waiting for a blind date. Hi, I'm Cho, Cho Chang," smiled a pretty brunette, appearing suddenly.
"Hi, I'm Michael, nice to meet you," replied Michael, as they shook hands. He turned to the maitre'd. "Booking for Corner."
" Of course, right this way," said the head waiter, gesturing for a lower waiter to take them to the centre table. "May as well use it," he muttered to the maitre'd
Michael and Cho sat down, and menus were thrust in their faces.
"So," said Cho, " how do you know Sirius Black?" she asked.
"Who?" asked Michael, confused.
" Quite the exit," Harry told her, amused. "Not a fan of Valentine's day?"
"Not particularly," she replied, looking both ways for vehicles before tugging him across the road. They had to run the last bit, as an approaching motorcyclist was driving faster than they had thought. They both laughed as they jumped onto the kerb, and he tooted as he zoomed past behind them.
"All right, this way. I promise you, this place is way cleaner than the last one, and the food is amazing, even though it's just simple pub food," she told him, letting go of his hand.
"Sounds good," he replied. "I'm really hungry; I missed lunch."
"Me too, and I had an early training session, so no breakfast either," moaned Ginny.
"Shouldn't you be eating before a workout or a training session?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, I just struggled to get out of bed this morning," she said, "and I'd rather be on time to training and miss breakfast than have Gwenog on my arse. Oh, here we are. Come on," she urged, again taking his hand and entering the pub.
She led him to the counter. "Is Hannah here?" she asked, and the waitress nodded and left, returning with a familiar blonde woman.
"Hi Hannah," greeted Ginny.
"Ginny! So good to see you...and Harry too!" said Hannah, coming around to hug her friend and spying him over Ginny's shoulder.
Ginny turned to Harry, and in unison, they asked, "How do you know Hannah?"
Hannah laughed. " Come on, I suppose you two want a bit of privacy. Follow me," she urged. As they did, she told Harry she knew Ginny from school, and to Ginny, she confided that Harry ordered his lunch frequently from her other pub in Diagon Alley, The Leaky Cauldron.
"I took over the Leaky Cauldron from Tom, the previous owner," she told Harry, who had known him, " then a couple of years ago, I came into an inheritance from my parent's estate, and decided to open this place," she said, arms wide in expanse.
"That's so great, but why the muggle world?" asked Harry.
"A lot of my friends from school are muggle-born, and they've struggled to find work. Most want to have a connection with both worlds, whether due to family or friends. This way they can do that, and they help me out if there is something muggle I don't understand," revealed Hannah.
"That's great, I like that you've done that," said Harry, making her blush.
"Take a look at the menus," offered Hannah, "I'll sort you out with some starters and drinks."
"You're the best," called Ginny, as she was walking away.
Within a minute a waiter brought them a pitcher of beer and a grazing plate. Harry poured them both a glass and sat back, watching her pick at the plate.
"So," she began, " how do you know Hermione?"
Harry's face was blank. "Who?"
"You work at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?" asked Cho, confused. "I thought you were an Auror."
"Nope, although I had to help them out one time. There was an old sickly dragon in the bowels of Gringotts," he whispered confidingly. He sat back, feeling rather pleased at the look of awe and admiration on her face.
"I heard about that. We had to organise a quick Portkey for some guy from Romania to come over and help Gringotts, to make sure he got out safely," she recalled, thinking hard. "Charlie Weasley," she said.
"Yeah, that's right. Charlie's a dragon handler, quite an expert in his field," he agreed.
"So what did you have to do?" she asked, thinking he was so brave to face a dragon.
"Well, it wasn't actually my case. My immediate boss, Hermione Granger, she was lead on the team,. I had to stay back in the office, make sure everything there ran smooth. It was left to me to supervise the new staff member, Julia," he boasted.
"Of course," she nodded. "It's good to have someone in the office that's reliable when others are out...rescuing dragons."
"What about you? Where do you work?" he asked, feeling the date was going very well. She was easy on the eye but not quite the 'firecracker' that Percy Weasley had told him she would be. Still, he'd lost a bet with Percy and so far the price was worth paying.
"Oh, I work in the Department of Magical Transportation" she enthused. "I can get you a Portkey to anywhere in the world, for a low, low price," she offered, winking. "Maybe the World Cup next year?"
" Nah, I'm not much for flying, or watching Quidditch," he told her, beckoning a passing waiter for another bottle of wine.
"But Mr Black said you loved flying, and you followed Quidditch," said a bewildered Cho.
"Who is Mr Black?" asked Michael, bewildered.
"Ah, Mr Black," said the waiter, appearing with the wine. He opened it and let Michael have a small taste, who then nodded in approval. "A most generous man, paying for your meal tonight."
"Really?" asked Michael, brightening. "Well, here's to the mysterious Mr Black," he toasted, making Cho titter. "Keep the wine coming," he muttered to the waiter, " and not the cheap stuff."
"Yes sir, very good sir," bowed the waiter, scurrying away. He hoped there might be a generous tip for him at the end of the night.
"So you don't know Hermione," pondered Ginny aloud.
"And you don't know Sirius," replied Harry. "Someone's fucked up!"
"Here's to fucking up on Valentine's Day," toasted Ginny. "I, for one, am having a fun time. You're good company Harry Potter."
"Likewise, Ginny Weasley," chuckled Harry, and it was true. Over the starter plate and their entrees, they had rarely stopped talking.
"This place is perfect," noted Harry, looking around.
"Yeah, nice and discreet," she commented, eyes lighting up as their meals approached. "I don't know about you but I get sick of people simply sitting and watching me eat, or shop, or whatever. It's creepy."
He nodded earnestly. "Yeah, for me too. It's just easier for me to eat at my desk rather than go out, just so it's not in the paper the next day. Where I went, what I ate, who I was with," he sighed in exasperation. "Who wants to know about that stuff?"
"Ah, so that's where those rumours about you and Daphne Greengrass started," guessed Ginny, propping her napkin on her lap and picking up her knife and fork.
He sighed. "I barely know her but she works as the press secretary at the DMLE. We had to work on a press release together and I stupidly asked her to accompany me to the Leaky for lunch so we could get it done sooner. Next thing I know, I'm reading we're picking out china patterns," he said. He looked at her plate. "Are you really going to eat all that?"
" Is that a challenge?" she asked, eyes twinkling. "I know you don't know me but this is not a problem. You just keep an eye on that Shepherd's pie of yours, I'll be coming for that next," she warned.
"As long as you keep your Harpy claws off my treacle tart," he warned, good-naturedly.
She burst out laughing and he grinned. They both bent over their plates and began eating.
"So you're saying my boss Percy Weasley set us up tonight?" asked Cho, curiously.
Michael nodded. "Yep, asked me as a bit of a favour, said that this girl was pretty and athletic and he thought I was just her type," he bragged. He thought it was quite prudent not to mention the bet.
"I didn't even know Percy Weasley knew much about me, I mean, it's not like we've ever really talked about anything personal. At most, I've seen him when he comes to discuss travel arrangements for our Quidditch teams when they play out of England. He's second in charge in my department."
Cho blushed, even as her mind wondered what he had meant by athletic, which she definitely wasn't. Maybe he had meant she worked with athletes or something. The something else occurred to her.
"I wonder how Percy Weasley knows Sirius Black, though? They don't seem to me to be the sort that would be aquaintences, let alone friends, to set this up together." It was puzzling.
"Who is this Sirius Black anyway?" asked Michael.
"The Blacks are an important family, and he has a seat on the Wizenmagot. He travels a lot for both business and pleasure, and often comes personally to book a Portkey, and, well, we got to talking, that's how I came to know him. Plus he is Harry Potter's godfather!"
"Harry Potter? Wow." said Michael, admiringly. "I've seen him, you know, in the ministry. One day we were even in the same men's room!"
Cho gasped! Imagine being that close to Harry Potter!
Harry had laughed at some of the pranks Ginny's brothers had pulled over the years. Ginny had snorted over the stories of James and Sirius during their Hogwarts years and was fascinated by the Maruaders map, impressed at the magic that would be needed to make such an artefact.
Neither mentioned it, but they were both aware of the attraction growing between them, as they found they had much in common and had fun debating their differing opinions.
Neither also felt the need to mention the death of Harry's parents at the hands of the dark wizard Voldemort when he was a baby, or Harry's involvement in his eventual demise when he was a teen. The night was going too well to bring that into it.
"You know, now I think about it, I did work with a witch named Hermione. She worked in the DRCMC and we had to help them rescue a dragon from the bowels of Gringott's," he mentioned, after their dinner plates had been cleared away. It had been bothering him, the mix up of who had set whom up on this date.
"Oh, I think my brothers were involved in that too. Charlie came over from Romania to help out," remembered Ginny, "and Bill works for Gringott's."
"Charlie and Bill – of course, Weasley, I didn't make the connection. Top blokes," he replied happily. "Bill and I even went out for a drink after and I have to admit, I poked his brain for some of the curses he's faced in his career."
Ginny nodded. "If I hadn't made it in Quidditch, I think I might have followed him as a curse breaker. When I was little I visited him in Egypt and it was fascinating."
He shifted. "Your eyes light up when you talk about your family, do you know?" he told her softly.
She shook her head. "No, but I'm not surprised. We're really close, all of us."
"That's nice, how it should be," he muttered, and Ginny felt as though she had put her foot in her mouth.
She placed her hands on his on the table. "I'm sorry," she said simply.
He looked up, expecting to see pity but instead he saw empathy...and something else.
The attraction that had been building all night just stepped up another notch. Ginny sucked in her breath as Harry's emerald eyes penetrated hers with a look that exposed what he was feeling right then.
Hannah arrived at what Ginny felt was a timely moment.
"Dessert?" she asked, notepad out. "No need to ask what you want, Harry, treacle tart, of course. Anything for you, Ginny?"
Ginny looked at Hannah. "Firewhiskey, please. Two...for now."
She looked back at Harry with blazing eyes.
Hannah looked between the two, noting the sexual tension had risen in the last seconds.
"I'll be right back with your orders," she told them, but they barely noticed her leaving.
"So, care to share some stories of the crazy Harpy parties you're rumoured to have," asked Harry, feeling the need to break the tension.
Ginny rolled her eyes as she sat back. "Highly exaggerated, I can assure you, mostly by the press. Then again, the press think we train in our knickers and bras and have pillow fights when we lose and orgies when we win, so let's not take them for reliable sources."
"So no orgies? Damn!" gasped Harry playfully.
" I'm sure if you wanted an orgy you'd only have to click your fingers and a harem of women would come running," she said dryly.
" A harem, hey? Hmm. Nope, not my scene. I'm a one woman man," he told her.
"So why is the most famous wizard in our world out on a blind date?" she asked him, " and on Valentine's Day, no less." She tried to ignore the sensations coursing through her body at his last remark.
"Because my godfather thinks all work and no play makes Harry a dull boy," he drawled.
Hannah arrived back with Harry's dessert and two fire-whiskeys.
Ginny slid one over to him, and raised hers. "Here's to Harry not being a dull boy," she toasted, and tossed the drink down. "I'll have another, thanks, Hannah."
Hannah nodded and hurried away.
Harry met her challenge, tossing his down too.
"Make it two, Hannah," he called out, his eyes never leaving Ginny's face.
Cho felt the date was going very well. Michael was handsome and he worked at the Ministry with good prospects for promotion; he almost sounded too good to be true.
Michael also thought the date was going very well. He hoped to get a leg over and this bird was giving out all the right signals. He ordered another bottle of champagne and toasted his beautiful dinner companion.
A cheer close by interrupted their conversation, and they looked over to a table near the window to find a man on one knee in front of a woman. He was holding a small box and she had a hand over her mouth in shock as she looked down at him.
"What's happening?" asked Michael, slightly drunk.
"Oh, isn't it romantic?" asked Cho, turning to him with tears of happiness in her eyes. "He just proposed to her...on Valentine's Day!"
"Nice," agreed Michael, swilling down his drink. "So, shall we go?" A good shag and then some sleep and it would be the perfect night. He was even debating whether to sleep over and go straight to the office in the morning.
Cho just barely managed to drag her eyes away from the newly engaged couple that were now surrounded by people offering them their congratulations. "Hmm? Oh yes, all right?"
She was debating whether to ask him in for coffee, hoping he wouldn't take the invitation for more than what it was. It had been an amazing night and she didn't want it to end, but she didn't want to rush anything. She had a good feeling about Michael Corner.
Ginny had transfigured a napkin into a fork and was helping herself to his generous serving of treacle tart which, surprisingly, didn't annoy him as it usually would.
Just as Hannah was returning with their fresh drinks, they heard loud cheering.
"What's going on out there?" asked Harry.
"Oh, one of our customers just proposed and she said yes," smiled Hannah. "Better go find some complimentary wine for them."
"Make it champagne Hannah, on me," said Harry, feeling generous.
"That was nice of you," said Ginny, after Hannah had left. "Still, that would be my worst nightmare."
"What, being proposed to?" asked Harry.
She shook her head. "Not that, but in public, and on Valentine's Day? What if she had said no?" she asked rhetorically.
"Not one for romance?" he asked.
"I'm not against romance, per se, but I don't need silly gestures like roses and poems and the like on one day, along with the rest of the world. There's so much pressure. I'd want a man, my man to romance me in other ways, ways that were special to the two of us."
"Good thing I don't have a clue about poems, then," chuckled Harry.
" Oh, poetry is easy," scoffed Ginny. She cleared her throat and her eyes flashed mischievously.
"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad," she began.
Harry snorted. "Fresh pickled toad?"
"His hair is as dark as a black board."
He ran his hands over his hair, trying to flatten it, selfconsciously; it was the bane of his life. She watched him, amused.
"Please continue," he told her. " I have to hear how it ends."
Ginny nodded. " I wish he was mine, he's really divine..." She winked at him. "The hero who conquered the Dark Lord!"
Harry burst into laughter and clapped. "Well done. I feel truly romanced."
Ginny laughed too.
"Now I have to know, what is the perfect date for Ginny Weasley?" he asked, amazed at how easy this whole night had been.
" Oh, I don't know," she said. She skolled her drink, setting the glass down with a thunk.
" A good meal, maybe a fly, then home for a good shag, I reckon," she said, feeling bold. Harry envoked feelings in her she had never felt with anyone before. A connection, a longing; she didn't know what it was. Tonight may just be the night she broke her no- sleeping- with- a- guy- on- the- first- date rule.
"Is that so?" asked Harry, resting his chin on his hand. "Interesting."
"Is it?" asked Ginny, dying to know if he felt the same things she was feeling. "Interesting, I mean?"
"Definitely."
The air was definitely hot in their small secluded booth, or maybe it was just the fire-whiskeys they'd had.
"Let's get out of here," said Harry suddenly.
She nodded, eager to leave and see what would happen next.
Harry paid, despite her protests.
"Well then, I'll pay next time," she told him stubbornly.
"Deal," he agreed, his heart soaring that there would be a next date with Ginny Weasley.
They fare-welled Hannah and left; the fresh air outside was a bit like a dampener on their heated feelings.
This time Harry took her hand as they crossed the road and began to walk back towards the restaurant they had met.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You said you like to fly...well, we're going to fly," he told her.
"You stashed a broom back here?" she asked, as they turned into an alley.
"Not quite," he replied, cancelling the disillusionment spell and revealing the gleaming motorcycle.
"Oh," she breathed, walking around it, her hands running over the shiny chrome and leather seats, "it's beautiful."
He almost sighed in relief but, the more he had gotten to know her, the more he was sure she would like it.
"You game?" he asked, giving her the opportunity to back down.
With eyes blazing, she threw a leg over and straddled the bike, shifting back to give him room.
"Let's do it, Potter," she challenged.
Fuck she was hot. He duplicated his helmet with a charm, handing it to her, pleased that she seemed to like the green and gold colours he had chosen. She adjusted it with her wand, tying it on. He then threw his leg over and sat on the bike. She immediately moved forward, her arms around his waist. Feeling brave, one arm reached down and his hand caressed her thigh, running up and down as the motor warmed.
"Hang on," he told her, and shifted the bike upright, before it slowly left the alley.
Cho and Michael were walking hand in hand when they heard the sound of an approaching motorcycle. They turned their heads as it roared past, it's occupants just a blur.
"Nice ride," commented Michael.
"I'm glad that wasn't me on the bike," shuddered Cho. "They look too dangerous."
Michael said nothing, merely raising his hand in the air to summon Knight Bus. There was a loud crack and it suddenly appeared.
"'ello, lovers, where can we can take you tonight?" asked the conductor.
"Croydon. I live in Croydon," said Cho, hopping onto the bus, Michael right behind her.
"Ahem," coughed the conductor, holding out his hand.
Michael sighed but then supposed he had just had a free meal thanks to this Sirius Black, so the least he could do was pay the bus fare.
He settled next to Cho and the bus shot off.
Ginny whooped her delight as Harry turned, dipping the bike, low over London.
"Oh, look at the city lights, it looks so pretty," she said, their helmets charmed so they could hear each other talk.
"I'm heading down," he warned her, turning the bike easily to glide into Grimmauld Place.
"You're close to King's Cross Station," she noted.
"It's close to the ministry too," he said, concentrating on a good landing and bringing the bike to a stop.
They simply sat on the bike, although Harry could feel Ginny removing her helmet behind him.
With her hands on his shoulders, she used the impetus to hop off the bike, feeling slightly unsteady on her feet at first. She ran her hands through her hair, brushing out the knots the helmet had made.
He sat watching her; her hair shimmered in the moonlight. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to taste her, touch her, but he was restraining himself...just.
She turned to face him, wondering why he was not getting off the bike.
"Is one of these places yours?" she asked, looking at the buildings close together.
He nodded, removed his helmet and hopped off the bike.
"We've had a lovely dinner together, Harry," she began, and he felt his heart sink that it sounded like she was saying goodbye.
" And I really wasn't expecting that," she said, pointing to the bike, " but I loved it."
Swallowing, he watched as she walked close to him. "How do feel about going for three out of three?" she asked huskily, before turning and walking towards the buildings.
He quickly cast a disillusion spell over the bike and hurried after her.
"Ginny wait!"
She paused, looking back at him.
He came to her side, leaning down to whisper. "Harry Potter lives at Number 12, Grimmauld Place."
Her eyes widened when the buildings began to move and another appeared. None of the residents seemed to notice anything amiss as a full flat settled comfortably between two of them.
"You are a man of surprises, Harry Potter," she said.
"You have no idea," he teased.
She reached up to lope her arms around his neck. "I hope that's not the last one for the night?"
He couldn't hold back anymore, he brought his face down to hers and kissed her. She met his kiss eagerly, pressing her body against his. Finally, he thought, here was the magic, the passion he had wanted to feel with a woman, but never had.
Till Ginny.
He had never been more grateful for his godfather's wishful thinking and foresight to be away tonight, especially knowing that Ginny wasn't even the woman he had set Harry up with.
The broke apart, breathing heavily. "We should get inside," panted Ginny.
He took her hand and led her to the door. The snogged against his door for several minutes before they stumbled inside.
"Oh Michael, look," cried Cho, four months later.
Michal winced in the bathroom as he adjusted his collar; she was such a chipper morning person. "Christ Cho, keep it down, will you?" he called, before going out to see what had got her wand in a knot.
Cho looked at him as he poured a strong coffee to wake himself properly before he headed in to work.
"Will you be home early tonight?" she asked. He had moved in with her a month ago, after getting kicked out of his flat for getting behind in his rent.
"Depends, my boss, Julia has got me working pretty hard lately," lied Michael. In truth, he was planning to hang out with his friends at the pub.
Cho frowned. "I thought she was new to your office when we first met?" she asked, thinking back to that night.
"Nah, you're wrong, she's been there awhile and just got promoted. Now what were you screaming about before? Something in the paper?" he asked.
Cho nodded. "Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley have eloped. Isn't that the most romantic thing you've ever heard?"
Michael leaned over her shoulder to see the front page. "Damn, she's hot. Potter's a lucky bugger. Still, she's getting a good deal out of it. He's loaded, of course."
Cho snatched the paper out of his hands. "Don't be so mean, they're in love. Apparently they first met last Valentine's Day, just like us."
"Lucky them," drawled Michael. "Well, I'm off to work. Catch you later, love."
He fished some coins out of her purse and left to apparate to the ministry.
Cho watched him leave, heavy in heart. She knew what she had to do.
It was time for Michael to go.
For some reason, Cho found herself keeping up on news of the Potters over the years.
Harry was now deputy head of the department, and Ginny had captained the Harpies to be successful champions, which had led to her being picked to play for England and be part of their winning World Cup team.
Cho continued to date, even as she read Ginny Potter was taking leave from the Harpies as she was pregnant with hers and Harry's first child.
Sick of continuously dating wizarding jerks, Cho found herself spending more time in the muggle world and eventually found a new job and a new lease on life. She often ate at a pub that was known to her to be owned and run by a witch, who hired both magical and muggle employees; Hannah, she thought her name was.
Harry and Ginny welcomed their second son within two years of their first son's birth.
A year later Cho was introduced to a man by her friend Marietta, who was dating his best friend. She was determined to take it slow, for she did not want any more broken hearts. But after a year, he proposed and she cried as she said yes.
They bought a house with money left to him by his deceased father, and they moved in together while they planned their wedding.
And Cho had still not told him she was a witch.
Three months later found Cho and her fiance nervously awaiting two guests for dinner.
"You never mentioned having a cousin," noted Cho, fussing over a tray of appetisers. She wanted everything to go perfectly.
"No, he came to stay with us when he was a baby, but he left when he was about nine, ten. Things weren't pleasant for him here, and we've only just reconnected since my dad died," explained her fiance, Dudley.
Cho could see this was a painful topic for her fiance and immediately hoped tonight was another step to help mend old wounds. She had not met her fiance's father and she definitely did not like the way his mother simpered over him.
"I'm going to ask him to be my groomsman," he confessed.
"Nice," agreed Cho. "Weddings and babies can bring families together."
"Speaking of babies, his wife is pregnant again. Their two kids are staying with his godfather so they can visit," he told her.
"Lovely, we can ask them loads about their children, it's a good conversation starter," advised Cho.
The doorbell rang.
"Dudley, will you get the door, love?" called Cho, taking a pie out the oven.
"Righto." Dudley opened the door. "Hello Harry. Ginny, great to see you, come in, let's get you seated."
"Hey Big D," teased Harry, letting his wife go in first before shutting the door.
Dudley took Ginny's coat, then Harry's, and gestured for them to go to the lounge.
"I'll go check on Cho, she was putting together some appetisers for us," he told them. "Drinks?.
"I'd love something cold, please, " said Ginny, rubbing her belly.
Dudley nodded and left them alone.
"I used to know a Cho, she worked at the ministry in Percy's department," Ginny told Harry. "If you ever needed a Portkey, she was the one who could get them for you. I wonder what happened to her."
Harry couldn't care less for some random witch that used to work at the ministry, he was more concerned with his very pregnant wife.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked her. "I'm not sure we should have come, with you being so close to delivering.
"Your daughter is jumping on my bladder," admitted Ginny, shifting awkwardly in her seat.
"Guys, here she is, this is my fiance," announced Dudley, beaming as he held the door open for Cho to enter, carrying the tray.
"Hello," she beamed, looking up, "it's – OH MY GOD, IT'S YOU!" She dropped the tray in astonishment.
Both Harry and Ginny were startled at her scream. Ginny bemoaned the appetisers, rolling around on the floor, but Harry was more concerned by her scream.
"What do you mean, it's us?" he asked warily, his hand going for his wand in his pocket.
Cho opened her mouth but nothing came out, making her look like a gaping fish. She looked nervously between her fiance and their guests, then buried her face in her hands in dismay.
"Oh Merlin, you're the Cho who used to work with Percy," realised Ginny suddenly. She nudged Harry, who was frowning. "She used...to work...with Percy," she repeated slowly, " in the same building you do," she said pointedly.
"You're a witch?" Dudley asked Cho, in surprise.
Cho looked up. "You know about us, our world?" she asked him slowly.
Dudley nodded. "My cousin, remember?" He pointed to Harry.
"Oh my, this is unbelievable. Your cousin is Harry Potter!" she cried, " and he's married to Ginny Weasley."
"Yeah, so?" asked Dudley, looking between Cho and Harry.
Ginny patted Harry on the arm. "I'll leave you to deal with this, I'm going to the loo."
Harry ignored Cho explaining who Harry and Ginny were to the wizarding world, while Dudley asked questions to both Cho and Harry.
"So what's this, er, Kwitch game, then?" he asked.
Ginny reappeared suddenly, looking pale but determined. "Actually, it's Quidditch, Dudley and I'm sorry to say, but my waters just broke on your nice new carpet."
"I knew it," roared Harry, rushing to her side.
"Oh my," gasped Cho.
"Er, what's happening?" asked Dudley, confused as he looked down at the carpet.
"The baby is coming," snapped Harry. "Damnit, no floo, we can't apparate and it will take us too long to drive to London from here."
"Harry," moaned Ginny, grasping her belly. "I feel like I want to push."
"The Knight Bus!" cried Cho, looking between Harry and Ginny.
"I think it's our best idea," agreed Harry. He took out his wand and sent off several Patroni before easily scooping Ginny into his arms and going outside.
At his insistence, Cho took his wand and raised it, and with a crack, a large purple bus appeared, making Dudley's eyes nearly pop out of his head.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus for stranded witches and wizards," the conductor began, barely even glancing at them all.
"My wife needs to get to St Mungo's," snapped Harry, climbing aboard, " and you had better drive safely, she is in labour."
"We always drive safely," cried the conductor, indignantly. "Blimey, you're Harry Po-eugh!"
Ginny had grabbed his shirt as Harry tried to get past him.
"You," she breathed heavily, " better get us – to St Mungo's – ooh, bloody fast – fuck, here comes another one – " She began to pant rapidly as Harry moved further into the bus.
"Come on, Dudley, Cho," he roared over his shoulder. He wandlessly cast a protective screen around him and Ginny, disappearing from view.
"Michael...is that you?" asked an astonished Cho, peering up at him from the pavement.
"Er, can I even get on this bus?" asked Dudley to his fiancee.
"Well I'm definitely going. Come on," Cho urged, grabbing his hand and hopping on.
"The house isn't even -" began Dudley, when Cho pointed Harry's wand and cast a locking charm. "Locked up," he finished. "So, you are a witch?"
"Who's this guy?" drawled Michael, overhearing, as the bus shot off, with Dudley immediately falling down. "So, you're a witch," he mimicked unkindly, making Dudley flush when he looked up from the floor.
Cho's eyes flashed in anger. "First of all, that is my fiance you're making fun of, and I don't appreciate it. Second, he is Harry Potter's muggle cousin. And thirdly -"
"Muggle? He's a muggle? We can't be having no muggles on this bus," interrupted Michael, aghast.
All down the bus, people were whispering, " there's a muggle on the bus. Ooh, let me see him. A muggle, you say?"
"And thirdly," repeated Cho, insistently, for Ginny's cries were getting louder, " Ginny is in labour, and I don't think turning the bus around to take us back to Surrey will put you in Harry Potter's good books."
"Who said anything about going back to Surrey. I was going to drop the muggle right here," shrugged Michael. He wished Cho hadn't seen him like this, down on his luck and working for the Knight Bus Company.
Just then the bus braked. Dudley, who had just risen to his feet, fell down again. Cho rushed to help him up. The rest of the passengers watched on; this was the most entertainment they had had on the Knight Bus for ages.
"Hello, is anybody getting off, we are at St Mungo's?" called a melodius voice from the front of the bus. A second later, a blonde head appeared through the curtain separating the driver from the passengers.
"Are those real radishes in her ears?" Dudley whispered to Cho, wondering if he may have a concussion.
Cho nodded, her eyes on their driver. "Luna Lovegood, is that you?" she asked in surprise. She hadn't seen Luna since she had left Hogwarts.
Two big blue eyes blinked several times. "Cho Chang. How lovely to see you. Were you wanting to go to St Mungo's? We're here, you know."
"Blimey, you know her?" asked Dudley, looking between the two.
"We were at school together, in the same house," confided Cho.
"House?" asked Dudley. "School? That magic school in Scotland?"
"Fuck!" yelled Harry suddenly.
Luna nodded. "Ravenclaw house. Are there people having sex back there?" she asked curiously.
Several people's attention immediately moved from Dudley, Cho, Luna and Michael, to what was going on behind the screen.
"I can assure you, they are not having sex," Cho told Luna. "How long have you been driving the Knight Bus?" she asked.
Luna shrugged, moving back through the bus. "I had nothing else to do tonight, so I called for the Knight Bus. Thought I'd take a ride, but then I thought, why not take a drive...and here we are."
She peeked through the screen Harry had erected, then looked back at Cho.
"It's Ginny. She's had her hair cut since I last saw her," she beamed. "it looks nice."
"Aaargh," cried Ginny suddenly, and Harry swore again.
Everyone on the bus held their breath...till the cries of a newborn baby broke through the silence.
Luna put her head through the screen. "Oh, she looks just like you, Harry, if I was to imagine you smeared in red jelly."
"Is – is that Luna?" Cho heard Ginny ask tiredly.
"It's a girl?" asked Cho, when Luna pulled her head back out of the screen.
"It's a girl," confirmed Luna, nodding.
"It's a girl. Oh, a little girl for the Potter's, finally, after two boys. A lovely baby girl," whispered the passengers.
And they began applauding.
Cho laughed tearily, leaning against Dudley. "Welcome to our world," she whispered to him.
"Is it always like this?" asked Dudley, weakly.
There was a knocking at the bus door, and Michael opened it, to find several anxious red heads looking in eagerly.
"Ginny Potter?" asked the oldest man, " is she on this bus? Harry sent us a Patronus..."
"She's back th – oooff," gasped Michael, as a woman pushed past him, eager to get in the bus.
"Hello Mrs Weasley, congratulations on the birth of another grandchild," said Luna, as Molly Weasley swooped past.
"Everybody to the Leaky Cauldron to celebrate the new Potter baby," announced one of the red heads, to the cheers of the passengers, who hopped off eagerly. "The drinks are on Harry!"
"Cho, I think it's time we went home," announced Dudley, once a healer had come aboard and seen to the new mother and baby, then sent them and Harry to the hospital using a special Apparition for pregnant witches and new babies. That had been a couple of hours ago and Cho and Dudley had joined the crowd at the Leaky Cauldron.
Cho was watching an anxious Michael try to talk to Luna, who was chatting with Hagrid. Dudley's eyes had widened when he saw the giant, who was mopping tears from his eyes with a large handkerchief as he talked about the new Potter baby.
"Luna, we have to go, people have been hailing the bus for ages and we've been missed," hissed Michael.
"You can go, I don't want to drive any more," waved Luna.
"Oh boy, I am so getting fired tonight," muttered Michael, hurrying away. "I really hate Valentine's Day!"
"That's right, it's Valentine's Day," gasped Cho. "What a lovely day to have a baby!"
Tucked up in a bed in St Mungo's, Harry and Ginny cooed over their new baby daughter, who they had decided to call Lily Luna. They were eagerly waiting for Sirius to bring Teddy, James and Albus to meet their sister.
"Happy Anniversary, Gin," said Harry.
She chuckled, for they preferred to call February 14th their anniversary rather than Valentine's Day.
And now it was their daughter's birthday.
"It's been a crazy few years, Harry," she said, drawing him closer for a kiss. "Thank God our original blind dates never showed up!"
He nodded. "You know, I never did ask Sirius who I was supposed to have met. Doesn't matter. We were meant to meet each other that night," he stated firmly.
She agreed by kissing him again, their daughter asleep and content after a feed.
And that was how the rest of the family found them.
~end~