June 05, 2000
Ginny trembled in Harry's arms as he kissed her. He whirled her even further from the path, and Ginny pushed him up against a tree and crawled up him, needing to be as close to him as she could possibly be. His hand came to her bum and helped, pulling her up until he settled her against the hard ridge of his erection.
"God," Ginny gasped, tearing her lips away. "You know how to surprise a girl, Harry." She pressed closer, blatantly rubbing against him.
"Maybe you need to pay more attention to my lectures on constant vigilance." His voice was husky and distracted, and Ginny felt him squeeze her bum and knead it. She let her own hand wander away from his shoulder, and into his robes. Against the palm of her hand, he felt his heart beating madly.
Ginny pushed herself up and found his lips again, kissing him just as fierce as she could, with her hand pressed over his heart. It was glorious, this second kiss. Deeper, and somehow even more frantic than before. She kissed him for what felt like days; their hips moved against each other. One of Harry's hands on her bum, the other on her hair.
"Ow!" Harry choked out.
"Sorry!" Ginny dragged her lips from his.
"No, don't! It wasn't that bad."
But the moment had broken enough that Ginny realized she was cold... was freezing cold, and she was no longer trembling from desire, but shivering from the temperature. She rested her head against his chest, and said in a small voice, "I'm cold."
Harry shifted. "We... should probably get you inside." He said this with reluctance plain in his voice.
Ginny didn't want to leave the circle of his arms. It was brilliant, this. But her shivering threatened to turn into full body shudders and she pulled away with a sigh of regret.
They managed to find their way back to the path — they'd whirled further away from it than Ginny expected. Harry walked with her most of the way back to the barracks, but stopped once it came in sight. Ginny was surprised to find that even though it had been natural, necessary, even, to rub up against him — and, truth be told, it was only the cold that had stopped her from going any further — it was so awkward now.
Her heart thumped. What was he thinking? Had kissing her been an impulse he regretted?
"Good night, Ginny," Harry said quietly.
It was too dark to read his face, so Ginny turned and walked away. Maybe tomorrow he'd come find her... come kiss her again... tell her it wasn't a mistake he immediately regretted...
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Harry avoided Ginny for over a week, and hated himself a little for it. Ever since the kiss, which had been the single greatest kiss of his life, he'd existed in a state of confusion. Arousal and the fear of getting caught warred within him... as did elation and regret. The regret was the worst, and happened at the bleakest moments, when Harry felt like he was betraying Nosy... betraying the feelings that had sprung up between them when they'd been trapped in that closet for hours.
And then he'd see Ginny, remember the feel of her lips on his, and how wonderful that had been, and the regret would die a little.
Nosy drifted further and further away...
...and Harry let her. He paced his room, and let her go. He would no longer ask women what they would see in the Mirror of Erised... he wouldn't wonder if he saw her ducking through the crowd at the Ministry... he would try not to think of her. Because... because when he'd kissed Ginny, she'd kissed him back. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, and it wasn't fair of him to kiss Ginny like that while pining from somewhere else. Somewhere around two that morning, he fell into a restless sleep.
It was another Saturday, and another scheduled day of meetings with the trainees to discuss their progress. Ginny was last, as always, they went in alphabetical order. But when she knocked at the door, Harry panicked. If he saw her here, alone, right now, he was incapable of being professional. He'd kiss her, he knew he would... he couldn't do that, not here. So when she knocked, he didn't say anything.
She waited, Harry knew. Waited for him for long minutes while he held his breath.
"Oi," Ron's voice came through the door. "What're you doing here?"
"Potter was supposed to have our meeting today."
Harry winced.
"Maybe... he forgot?" Ron asked. "He's coming round for dinner at my place, why don't you come with? You can yell at him there if you want."
"Uh, sure," said Ginny. "Thanks, Ron," she added sincerely. "I've got some stuff to put away... I'll meet you there? What's the address?"
The two Weasleys wandered out of earshot, and Harry shoved himself up from his desk. A chance to talk to Ginny off the compound? Harry needed that.
I just need to grab that Cloak, he thought.
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June 17, 2000
The moment Ginny appeared on her brother's front step, a hand clasped down on her shoulder. "It's me," said Harry. "I'm under my Cloak."
This was unnecessary to add, as the porch had looked quite empty. His hand slipped down her shoulder to take her hand, holding it through the light material of his father's invisibility cloak. He tugged at her, and Ginny went. She was a little irritated at him for snogging her senseless, then taking turns staring at her and ignoring her for over a week.
"I'm sorry, I've been a prat, haven't I?" Harry asked ruefully. Once they were around the side of the house, Harry pulled off his cloak.
Ginny didn't agree or disagree, she just tilted her head, and waved her hand in a "well, maybe" gesture. "I guess I don't understand why you... any of it."
"Any of what?"
Ginny shrugged. "I'm not going to do all the talking, Harry, that's not fair. First you kissed me, and then not a word — or another kiss! — until now, and—"
Harry kissed her. A quick, heated kiss that curled Ginny's toes. Then he leaned his forehead against hers. "Sorry for not kissing you again," he said. Ginny could read the sincerity in his tone. "I've been wanting to, but we could lose our jobs if we got caught at it."
"I know," Ginny nodded. "I thought that could be it, but it also could have been that you regretted doing it in the first place, or... you didn't like doing it."
"You felt how much I liked doing it."
Ginny flicked her eyes downward. "I did feel that. And I thought I was going to explode. If I hadn't been so damn cold..." she trailed away. Referring obliquely to Harry's erections was one thing, telling him straight that she'd wanted it in her was another.
"I know," said Harry. "I know, but Ginny — we have to be so careful. I was worried people would see it when I looked at you."
"I still need an instructor, you know," Ginny pointed out. "We were supposed to have a meeting to go over my work."
"I know, it wasn't fair of me. I won't do that again."
"And," she said thoughtfully, "I don't know if that's the only thing holding you back." She worried a part of him was still angry at her leaving, like the rest of the family was. Or if he didn't respect her for leaving, or for not being there... and Ginny couldn't set his mind at ease...
Harry looked at her closely. "There was something else," he said, emphasizing the past tense. "There was someone last year..." he looked clearly uncomfortable even mentioning it.
Ginny couldn't help but laugh. "Is that it? I was worried that you were on my brother's side, that a part of you thinks I'm scum—"
Harry kissed her. "I don't think you're scum, I think you're wonderful."
So Harry'd been with someone. Ginny felt a little pang, but dismissed it. "I had someone, too," she admitted. "It's over, and has been for a while." Ginny'd never really thought she'd see Grumpy again. How could she? She had no idea what he looked like. She had a beautiful memory of falling in love in a single night, and that was enough for Ginny.
Harry swallowed. "Mine is over, too."
Ginny wondered if Harry's person had died, if that was why he'd been so torn up. She didn't really want to ask, she didn't want to know. So instead, she leaned forward and kissed him.
He lifted her up and kissed her back with such enthusiasm that Ginny's head spun. She gripped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist. This time, she was the one pressed against a hard surface, pinned there in the most delicious way. Harry reached between them and adjusted something, and suddenly there was that hard ridge again, the one Ginny desperately wanted to—
"OI!" Ron's loud, stupid voice interrupted them. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING SNOGGING MY SISTER IN MY SIDE YARD?!"
"Because I can't snog her at the ATA," Harry pointed out, while Ginny growled — literally growled — at her brother.
Ron pointed his finger at them. "There's a good reason for that, you nutters, you'll get fired."
"It's all in the handbook," Hermione chimed in, peeking around Ron. Ginny was surprised to see a smile on her face.
Harry snorted, but did not appear to have an argument at the ready.
"Oh come on," scoffed Ginny. "Since when do you follow rules? And how long have you known Harry? Surely you knew there'd be at least one major rule he had to break!"
"Hey!" Harry protested.
"Rule-breaker," Ginny grinned.
A smile tugged at his lips. "I don't go around thinking how I can break the rules," he told her. "It just sort of... happens."
"A lot," Hermione put in.
Ron glanced around uneasily. "Let's talk about this inside."
"At least we're not at my cottage, with Tonks and Lupin living across the street," Harry said. He grabbed his Cloak up off the ground, and grabbed Ginny's hand. Ron led them around the corner to the backyard.
"This is beautiful!" Ginny admired. Hermione and Ron had a fairy grotto (with real fairies! Ginny saw with delight). They'd strung up lights the crisscrossed over a meandering path. Ginny was stunned — it was an adult's house, and not something she expected her brother to have.
"It came like this," Hermione admitted. "Your mum helped with a few spells to maintain it..."
"How is Mum?" Ginny asked.
Hermione and Ron glanced at her. "Don't try to change the subject," Ron told her, but then he relented. "They're fine... they're dithering about how to invite you over... Mum's worried you're going to be in danger being an Auror."
Hermione snorted. "I don't think Ginny's in danger, unless Harry's got something in his pants he never told us about."
Ginny blushed as Ron laughed.
The other couple led the way inside. Here, it looked much more like the home of two very different people trying to live together. Books were stacked on a violently orange tablecloth. Nothing hung on the walls. Dishes were being magically washed in the sink, and a couple hampers from the Leaky Cauldron announced what was for dinner. "This is more like it," Ginny said, satisfied. "The garden looks like actual grown-ups live here, this is more like Ron."
"Oi!" Ron protested. "You better be nicer to me, you need me on your side."
"When are you ever not on my side?" Harry asked. "Her side is my side. My side is the right side. You know this, Ron."
"Fine," Ron muttered.
"So when and how did this happen?" Hermione asked, while she got out plates and silverware. The Leaky Cauldron hampers were opened and emptied (the moment they were empty, they disappeared with a pop).
"Well... we've been friends... and it sort of... happened after a middle-of-the-night drill," Ginny told her.
"She showed up in a t-shirt and underwear, she broke Harry!"
"Hey! I'm not broken!"
"I told you, it was the middle of the night!"
"So what are your intentions toward my sister?" Ron asked around a mouthful of food.
"Ron!" Ginny said, aghast. Her face flushed horribly.
"We haven't even had a chance to talk about any of this together," Harry said firmly. "We're not going to have this conversation in front of you."
"You grope my sister up against the wall of my house in front of me, but you can't tell me if you're just jerking her around or not?"
"I didn't know you were there—"
"Oh Ron, stop," Hermione ordered. "He started falling for Ginny in sixth year—"
"Hermione."
Harry sounded genuinely angry. And served them right, sticking their noses in when they'd just said they hadn't had a chance to hammer this all out yet. Still, that didn't keep Ginny from wishing he'd let Hermione elucidate a little more. So he'd really had feelings for her? Did he now, or was it just about snogging? She looked at him.
"You two need to lay off," Ginny said quietly, sincerely.
With what had to be superhuman effort, Ron shut his big fat mouth. All was silent as they ate. Ginny was very aware of Harry sitting next to her... his leg kept brushing against hers, until finally he just left it there. Ginny could no longer concentrate on eating. Instead, she laid down her plate and leaned against Harry.
Ron was the last to finish, of course; it takes time to eat as much as a small killer whale. He looked at Hermione, then Harry. Finally, he grimaced a little at Ginny.
"Well," he said. "I feel like having a bit of a walk." He held out his hand. "Hermione?"
"That's... unusually... tactful," said Hermione, surprised.
"I need him to figure his shit out before I hex him for jerking around my sister," Ron muttered. "And you two better not defile my house. You need to talk? Talk."
Harry and Ginny watched him go, meekly.
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As soon as the door shut, Harry pulled Ginny into his lap. He brushed her long hair aside, and pressed a kiss to her neck, breathing in her clean, flowery scent.
"So... sixth year?" Ginny asked. The look she gave him was direct.
Harry smiled at her. "Yeah, I... guess it might not have been much of a secret if Hermione figured it out. It was before everything went dark... they were so bright, those days, I didn't even know. And you were in the center of it. But you were dating Dean, and I—"
"I should've chucked him," Ginny said easily.
Harry laughed. "I wish you had!"
Ginny took his hand in hers, and twined their fingers together. "So it's not just that we're randy, and together all the time?" There was an undercurrent of vulnerability in her tone that made Harry's heart give an extra thump.
"No," said Harry. "I have... feelings. I'm not going to say they were there the entire time, but they were there before, and they are again—stronger, even."
"Same," said Ginny. "I've had a crush on you in some form since I was about ten." She grinned at him.
He grinned at her.
Then she kissed him. Harry tightened his arms around her and kissed her back. His hand moved in her beautiful hair. His other hand had a mind of its own; it kneaded the small of her back, squeezed her bum, and wandered up her sides. Before Harry knew it, he had her breast cupped in his hand.
"Mm," moaned Ginny against his mouth.
That sound galvanized Harry into action. He had her flat on her back, her robes open, in a second. He settled next to her, adjusted his erection so it rested against her thigh, and slid his hand up her shirt. He looked her in the eye, silently asking permission. In reply, Ginny lifted her shirt, squirmed around, and unclasped her bra. Harry's eyes feasted on her breasts. They're perfect, he thought dimly. They were pale and perfectly sized, tipped with nipples that looked like rosebuds. He was so hard it was actually painful.
Harry ignored that, and played with her breasts, tracing them with his fingers, and watching them quiver when he lightly pinched her nipples.
"Yes or no?" Ginny murmured.
"Yes," Harry said without hesitation.
She moved. She tugged at his waist, and his pants were open, and oh god, she was touching him. Her cool fingers wrapped around him. "Oh God," Harry strangled out. She wasn't touching him with any sort of rhythm, was just playing, but to the greatest embarrassment of Harry's life, he came in less than a minute.
Ginny laughed wickedly.
Harry hid his face in her breasts. The orgasm had robbed him of strength. "Sorry," he mumbled.
She stroked his hair. "Don't be, I loved it." Harry could read the sincerity in her tone, and his heart thumped again.
Despite his embarrassment, Harry was slightly grateful he'd come so suddenly. Once the fog of arousal had cleared, he realized it had been quite risky of them to play on Ron's couch, when Ron and Hermione could walk back in at any moment. Reluctantly, he helped Ginny put her breasts away, and redid her robes. All the while trying to figure out how to come up with the necessary privacy for them to do this again. His cottage was out, Remus and Tonks lived much to close... Grimmauld Place? A possibility, but Order members still came in without warning, and Harry wasn't sure if all the wards Moody'd left on it were gone — too risky.
He grabbed his wand, and cleaned up the mess he'd made, and a sudden thought made him jolt. He looked at Ginny in horror. "I'm sorry! I didn't make you come!"
"I wouldn't have been able to," Ginny said, flushing. She gestured below her waist. "I usually need a little time, and I'd be too worried Ron's going to walk in any second."
In fact, it was only thirty seconds after Harry and Ginny settled back in the couch that Ron came stumping back in, trailed by Hermione. Bloody good timing, Harry thought. Their luck followed them through the rest of the evening. Ron seemed mollified when they both admitted they weren't just in it for an easy snog, but they actually had feelings for each other.
"Don't get caught," Ron warned them. "I won't be able to cover for you."
"We won't," chorused Harry and Ginny.
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June 29, 2000
Ron had to admit that Harry was getting increasingly inventive with excuses to get time alone with Ginny. And he hadn't even done anything particularly suspicious as of yet. He'd thrown himself into the role of instructor, and had taken to doing aerial exercises with each individual student. The results were excellent, so even though Ron knew Harry and Ginny were landing somewhere and snogging each other senseless, Ron had taken to flying with his own trainees.
He'd just landed when he saw Tonks exiting the office building. His stomach sank. Unable to help himself, Ron looked back. No trace of Harry and Ginny, of course. Their flights lasted quite a bit longer than the others. He glanced back at Tonks. She hadn't seen him yet, maybe he could sneak away...
"Ron Weasley!" Tonks called, as he was trying to do just that.
Ron forced his grimace into a smile. "Tonks! Here to check up on us?" He sounded guilty, damn it.
"No, not really, just wanted to see for myself... I hear you and Harry are doing fantastic."
Ron shrugged. "We have a good group."
Tonks looked around. "Where's Harry?"
"Oh they're still out flying," Ron said. He swallowed when he realized what he'd said.
"They?" Tonks asked curiously. "Isn't it past time for the trainees to be done for the day?"
"Oh..." said Ron. He kicked his brain into gear. "Ginny's always last because of her last name. Then I think they — I — they're helping me surprise Hermione with a, uh, dinner party next week..."
He kicked himself. Of all the things! It's popped into his head because Hermione was planning a dinner party for her parents... Damn it, Ron, he swore at himself.
"Oh, is it for her birthday? When is it?" Tonks asked eagerly.
"September," Ron said.
"Her birthday's in September, but you're having a party next week?" Tonks asked, confused.
"Yeah... we like to... get the drop on her," Ron said lamely. "And, uh, Charlie's going back to Romania soon, and you know how close he and Hermione are..."
There was a long moment when Ron was not sure that Tonks was going to buy what he was trying to sell. Then, suddenly, she clapped her hands, "You know, a dinner party sounds like just the thing! Can Remus and I bring anything? We'll leave Teddy with Mum, of course. What time is it?"
Ron's throat worked. "Uh... why not bring... how about mead? Nothing fancy..."
"What day is it?"
"Next Friday," Ron said promptly.
Tonks tried to pry small talk out of him for the next few minutes, but finally gave up with a cheery wave, and a promise to see him next Friday. "What a fantastic idea, Ron! Remus and I have needed a break!"
"Remus and I have needed a break," Ron mocked under his breath. "Good going, Ron!"
"What'd you do this time?"
Ron whirled on his sister. "Tonks was just here," he hissed. Ginny's step faltered. Good. She'd been off groping Harry, or doing whatever those two did, while Ron had been forced to invent a dinner party, and invite Tonks to it.
"And don't even think you can get out of it," Ron warned. "You two need to be there next Friday, AND we have to invite Charlie and everyone."
"Next Friday?" Harry cried, dismayed. "Why'd you have to have it next Friday?"
Ron's mouth fell open. "It was the day that popped into my head!"
They were nutters, both of them, but they agreed to help. There was some confusion as to whether the three of them should tell Hermione, or if they should leave it as a surprise. They decided as one that if anyone knew anything about dinner parties, and could get them out of this mess, it was Hermione.
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29 June 2000 – 07 July 2000
Ginny was growing frustrated by the lack of intimate time she was able to spend with Harry. They were able to fly together, and sneak off for a very fast snog, and they had gotten quite good at getting each other to come. Harry would press against her, moving his hard ridge against her clit, and Ginny would wriggle and sigh and have a shallow little orgasm. But she wanted more.
She groaned. "I need more," she said, throwing herself on the ground.
"More?" Harry said hesitantly, a hopeful look on his face.
"Yes, more," Ginny looked at him.
"How… much more?"
She considered her words carefully. What she wanted to say was that she wanted to see his penis, damn it. She wanted to feel it inside her, she wanted to feel him come in her. "Everything," she finally admitted. "I want everything."
"We've got to figure out how… maybe after Hermione's fake birthday party we could… I dunno… maybe – maybe we could go to a Muggle place!" Harry's face lit up. "Brilliant!" He gave her a look that made her shiver. "Or we could go tonight!"
"Tonight's out," Ginny grimaced. "The next few days wouldn't work if we really want to do everything."
He looked confused, then comprehension dawned. "Ah," he said. "I didn't – hurt anything down there, did I?"
Ginny chuckled. "No, it doesn't hurt. It felt good… except it's too bloody cold… I can't believe this is what passes for summer here."
"What was summer like in South America?" Harry asked.
"Summer? I wasn't there over summer," said Ginny.
"But your mum said you were there over Christmas, that she got a postcard from you," Harry said.
"Yes… over Christmas…" said Ginny. Her heart thumped a little faster.
"But it's summer over Christmas down there," Harry looked perplexed.
Ginny didn't say anything. Call me on it, call me on it, call me on it, she chanted inwardly. But Harry heaved a little sigh, drew her hand, and changed the subject.
The next time they had an intimate moment, it was extremely risky. Ginny'd had a meeting with him – a perfectly professional, instructive meeting – and then when they were done, she wandered over to have a very different sort of meeting. The kind that ended with her knickers down around her knees, and Harry's thumb on her clit.
He did it the way he did everything else: extremely well. Perhaps it was the sheer longing she felt for him, but she'd already been damp by the time he pulled down her knickers, and the look in his eyes as he stared at her… she was rocking against his hand. She leaned her head back and squeezed her eyes closed, concentrating on the pressure building. By the time she came, clenching her thighs around his hand, she was biting down on her lip to keep herself from crying out. It was almost… almost what she wanted, but God.
"I can't wait for Friday," Ginny murmured.
"God, me too," Harry said fervently. He got up, and kissed her, slowly, tangling his hand in her hair. He ended the kiss, and leaned his forehead against her. "You're so beautiful, Gin," he said.
The words I love you sprang to her lips. Too soon, Ginny, she told herself inwardly. Instead, she said, "I can't wait for Friday. All we have to do is get through Hermione's fake birthday party…"
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07 July 2000
It is a little tense, Harry was forced to admit to himself. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley stood in front of the fireplace, making awkward conversation. Ginny had that closed look on her face, and every once in a while, she grimaced. Bill and Ron muttered to each other in the corner, Ron poking his chest every time he glared at Ginny. Charlie and Mr. Weasley were going overboard in pretending enthusiasm. All in all, it was not one of the best fake birthday parties Harry had ever been to. It bothered him; the Weasleys needed to get over it… Harry himself even wondered if Ginny'd been where she said she'd been… he vowed to ask her as soon as possible, but he didn't want to see that blank look on her face when he brushed up against a topic she didn't want to discuss… he'd rather see her smile.
As though reading his thoughts, Ginny looked at him, rolled her eyes a little, and smiled.
It made Harry's chest hurt.
"You are so transparent," said Hermione, leaning against the wall next to him, nudging him with her elbow. Her mouth was lifted in a slight smirk. "How is it possible that you've managed to keep things a secret?"
Harry shrugged. Just a month ago, the secret relationship had filled him with anxiety, and had dreaded being found out. But he hadn't been able to stop himself from wanting to be with her, from seeking her out in the shadowy corners of the Auror compound: outside, or in the stairwells, or even in Ron and Hermione's flat. Getting caught would mean the loss of his career.
Now it didn't seem to matter.
That's not entirely true, Harry thought, feeling slightly guilty, and watching Ginny's slender hand flutter as she talked. If he got booted as an Auror, he'd feel awful. It wouldn't help that The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly would run with the story. It wouldn't die for a long time... Harry Potter Fondles Fond Recruits...
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing," Harry shook his head. "It isn't important. And I don't think it's a problem – I'm more careful at the compound, you know that." An image of Ginny, sitting on the desk in front of him while he lifted her skirt and played flitted through his mind. "Well, I'm more careful in front of others," he amended.
Hermione's brown eyes were very serious, and Harry had the unsettling feeling that she was able to see his thoughts. "I suppose I don't need to tell you again what could happen," she said.
"Nope," said Harry. "I'm not stupid, Hermione, I know what happens to couples who fraternize during the training program. And I know it would be a hundred times worse for me." As he watched, Ginny took a sip of tea and cradled the cup in both her hands. He loved her hands. "She's worth it," he added.
Hermione looked impressed at that. "You really love her, don't you," she said, amazed. "What about Closet Girl? You looked for her for a year, embarrassing yourself in front of legions of witches—"
"Hey!" Harry said indignantly. "I didn't embarrass myself—"
"You're lucky that Witch Weekly never found out that you interrogated the witches you went out with," Hermione said, grinning. Harry thought that perhaps she spent far too much time with the Weasleys. "'Do you know what the Mirror of Erised is?'" she parroted. "'What would you see in it?'"
Harry couldn't help but laugh, and warmed even further when Ginny turned toward him and flashed him a private smile. Two hours, she mouthed, winking. Two hours until they'd Apparate out of here, and until they actually made love for the first time.
"This is exactly what I'm talking about," Hermione said, both peeved and amused. "Neither one of you are being at all discreet—"
"We're at your house, why do we need to be discreet?" asked Harry, although he did feel a little tendril of guilt curl in his belly. They had both decided – together – that the Weasleys did not need to know about their relationship until Ginny completed the training program. It would be an added stress to them, they both had felt. An added worry. So they'd promised that they'd keep their affection for each other hidden.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Maybe because Tonks - your boss - is set to arrive at any moment. And if you think she won't notice the way you look at Ginny, you're dead wrong."
That did put a damper on things, Harry had to admit.
"You're right," he muttered. "She's just… beautiful," he said without thinking. "She's my favorite. Favorite everything. It's hard not to look at her."
With effort, he pulled his eyes away from Ginny, and focused completely on Hermione. Instead of watching him carefully, however, she was now staring at Ron, who was talking to Bill across the room. Her eyes were unfocused, and a dreamy little smile played across her lips.
Harry nudged her, lifting his eyebrows.
"It's perfectly all right for me," Hermione said waspishly. "It isn't illegal for us to be together."
"Ron's like my brother, and you're like my sister," Harry said. "There's just something incestuous about you two being together."
Her mouth dropped open. Harry felt quite pleased with himself. It wasn't often that he made Hermione speechless. "It is not incestuous," she said hotly.
"What're you two fighting about?" Ron asked, coming up behind Hermione and slipping his arm around her shoulders.
"Nothing," Harry and Hermione said together.
"How's Bill?" Hermione asked in a low voice. The eldest Weasley brother now sat on the couch, holding his small daughter while Fleur spoke to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. Every once in a while, he glanced up to glare at his little sister.
Ron shrugged. "He's not going to curse her or anything," he said fairly.
"I just think it's weird," said Harry, distracted by thoughts of Ginny. He'd already pulled them aside this evening, mentioning that Ginny's knowledge of basic South American geography was greatly lacking for someone who had allegedly spent half a year there. "What if she—"
Harry did not even get the words out. "No," Ron said firmly. "I'm not going down this road. Don't get me wrong, it's great that Ginny's back, but she was gone because she was hacked off at us. All you have is a feeling that something else is going on."
A flare of anger went through him. Just a feeling, was it? How many times had Harry saved Ron's life because of a feeling? But just as quickly as the anger came, it was banked. Harry wasn't sixteen anymore; he could be patient. Ginny would tell him eventually if something had happened her last year in school. If someone had hurt her, if she'd had to leave for more than just because she was angry with her family... Harry would find out eventually.
"All right," Harry said finally.
"You're giving up?" Ron asked, surprised.
"No way," Harry stared at him blankly. "I'm just going to enjoy shoving proof under your nose, that's all, we'll see what you think of my feelings then..."
Ron gave a shout of laughter, and even Hermione joined in. Harry chanced a glance at Ginny; she was watching him, and their eyes held.
"It's so bizarre to celebrate my birthday before yours… I feel like I should have a present for you," said Hermione, obviously trying to change the subject, despite the fact that neither Ron nor Harry had become openly hostile. Harry heard her voice as though it came from a distance greater than a foot.
"What do you want for your birthday, mate?" Ron asked. In a lower voice, he added, "If you say you want my little sister, Iwill hurt you. There are some things I just don't need to hear about."
Ginny was listening, obviously aware that they were talking about her. Her brow furrowed with frustration when she couldn't quite hear the rest of what Ron said. And as Harry looked at her, he couldn't think of one single thing that he wanted or needed. Two months ago, his answer would have been different: he would've wanted to find Nosy, or have a vacation from work...
But now? Silly as it may be, Harry thought he might have everything he wanted. "Socks," he said, because he couldn't articulate this to Ginny's older brother. "I have everything else... just get me socks."
"You are so weird," said Ron.
Harry grimaced at him. "What's wrong with wanting socks?" he asked.
The sound of breaking china was his first warning.
"Ginny, what?" Mrs. Weasley said.
"Socks," Ginny whispered, hand coming up to cover her mouth. Broken shards of glass lay at her feet, and tea made a puddle on the floor. She did not appear to notice.
And then she barreled into him. Harry's head crashed into the wall, and there was one, dizzy moment of pain before Ginny grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and pulled his head down for a kiss. Too shocked to do anything for a moment, Harry's mind raced: her family was here and she said she'd wanted to wait until they told them—
But then her tongue worked its way into his mouth, and all thoughts flew out of his ears. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her off her feet and merely enjoyed the kiss. Something important niggled in the back of his memory, but the feel of Ginny in his arms was too strong for rational thought.
After several long moments of bliss, they pulled apart. But they were still close enough that Harry could see the tears. Her eyes were luminous with them. A breathless minute passed. Harry ignored the clamoring of the others and watched her carefully.
At first, her face had been alight with hope, but that faded to frustration. A flush spread across her cheeks, and she made a sound like a growl. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged until—
"You are so thick!" she shouted at him.
"Ginny—" Hermione began.
"QUIET!" Ginny practically screamed. A sharp finger poked into his chest.
"What the hell?" Harry asked, mind churning. First she'd kissed him, and now she was shouting at him? He looked around for help, but everyone else seemed just as confused as he was.
"Come. With. Me," she bit out, tugging at his arm.
Harry glanced around at the other Weasleys; all of them were staring at them with varying degrees of shock. Bill had stood up, face tightly clenched.
"When did this happen?" he asked angrily.
"It—" Harry began, but had absolutely no idea where to go from there.
"Just shut the hell up, Bill," Ginny said hotly, fingers biting into Harry's arm. She pulled him away with more strength than he would have figured. It wasn't as though he didn't go willingly but he wondered if he would've had a choice.
The Weasleys were muttering, and following them, but Harry was so tightly focused on the top of her red head that he barely noticed. He thought he might still be dizzy from her kisses, but her actions simply didn't make sense. Desire and love had poured from her moments ago, catching him up with it, and now she was furious.
"Keep an eye out for Tonks, won't you, Hermione?" Ron said.
"You do it," answered Hermione.
Ginny kept making inarticulate sounds of rage as she stomped toward a small door in the little used entryway. Harry didn't think he'd ever actually noticed this before. Opening it, she turned back to him, and jabbed toward the dark space. Deciding that it was best not to provoke her, Harry meekly obeyed. She slammed the door shut behind him as hard as she could, and they were cast into utter darkness.
"Ginny, what's going on?" he asked.
"I need your wand," she said.
Harry stared at her, aghast and actually wondering if she'd gone a bit insane. "My - your family's right out there, I can't do this here—"
"YOUR MAGIC WAND!" she cut him off, shouting again.
"Right," he whispered, humiliated, and now excruciatingly aware that people were listening and he'd just… Moron, he told himself scathingly. He pulled his wand out, and passed it to her. Her fingers were shaking violently.
"Muffliato," she whispered. And then, for good measure, she cast a charm that made all the noise that the Weasleys and Hermione were making cut off immediately. A pause. "Harry, I…"
Silence.
The only sound was a shaky intake of breath, as though she was crying. His belly clenched, and little tingles went up and down his spine; it was as though his body knew something that his mind did not and was reacting to something he had not yet realized.
Ginny didn't give him time to figure it out, but launched herself at him in the dark, wrapping her entire body around him.
It was a deliberate seduction. Her hands were everywhere, and suddenly Harry couldn't think. His unease and confusion faded away, overwhelmed by the feel of her, the scent of her. Her kisses were desperate this time, covering his face before reaching his lips; her hands were gentle, though, stroking his back, and then moving between their bodies to find his growing erection.
"Ginny, tell me what's wrong," he pulled away, pleading with her. Her kisses tasted salty, and he knew she was crying.
Instead, she pulled off her shirt and tugged her bra up, bringing his hand to her chest. Her nipples were puckered with desire, hard little points beneath his palm.
Harry stopped fighting at all and went with it, knowing this was important to her, but not knowing why; he gave back as good as he got. His hands slid up her thighs, cupping her bum, and he wondered if he'd ever have sex in any place other than a closet—
Oh.
"Oh," Harry said dazedly, pulling back. Shock swamped him, cooling his ardor immediately. His hand found his wand, and light erupted around them. Tears were sliding down her face. "My God," he breathed. "Nosy."
Author's Note:
I did it! I made it here at last! *celebrates* *throws confetti*
