Risk Me - Chapter 3
Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed so far. I regret to inform that this particular chapter contains no naughtiness whatsoever. So, for those lusty readers, you may want to skip this one. However, several of the details in this chapter will be relevant in future chapters, so if you are attempting to follow the plot, I encourage you to suffer through it.
Weary, but pleased, Ginny and Harry had fallen into a deep sleep. Many hours later, there was an abrupt knock at the door. Harry swore loudly. Ginny awoke.
"S'matter? What's goin' on?" Ginny muttered blearily. There was a second, slightly louder knock. Realization hit Ginny, and she swore too, stumbling to get out of bed. "Where's my skirt? Where'd my knickers go?" Ginny whispered in a haze of sleep and panic. "You weren't wearing any!" Harry hissed back. "Oh, right." Ginny mumbled. She stood up with the sheets wrapped over her like a toga, Harry left on the bed quite naked.
The door opened.
Framed in the doorway was Remus Lupin, looking over the shoulder of one Nymphadora Tonks who grinned broadly as Harry hastened to cover his crotch with a pillow. "Wotcher, Harry." Tonks said, a mischievous smile playing across her face. Ginny and Harry were paralyzed, glancing from the door to each other then back to the door. "Told you Harry'd be in 'ere, didn't I, Remus?"
"You, er, certainly did." said Lupin, who looked much more uncomfortable about the situation than Tonks did
"I, er, I mean, it's just that..actually, I.. well.." Harry stopped trying and instead looked pleadingly at Lupin.
"I see no reason to inform Molly of this, er, arrangement." Lupin said carefully, "However, we really must be getting along Harry. Your Aunt and Uncle expect us to arrive in an hour and it isn't a short flight."
"Er, right. Thanks." said Harry, sheepishly. Tonks was still smirking at him, and Harry might have imagined it, but he could've sworn he saw Tonks give Ginny the thumbs-up before leaving, causing Ginny to blush deeply.
When the door clicked shut quietly, Ginny glanced sideways at Harry, and in spite of themselves, they both laughed. Ginny found her bra and smiled inwardly, remembering. She dressed in fresh clothes, but Harry had no choice but to wear the same ones from the night before. "You're a mess, Harry." Ginny said, smiling softly at him and smoothing the hair on his head.
"It won't work, it never lies flat." Harry replied, glancing down at her. Ginny gazed up into his eyes and the truth of everything that had happened washed over her. It was over. Her virginity. Nothing would ever be the same. That was her moment, and was it as good as it could have been? Was everything perfect? Well, she reasoned, it was with Harry. And it was good, the sex. The sex? Now she was having sex. That sounded so alien. It was good, though, wasn't it? It felt good. God, she wasn't pure anymore. That's it. Hope it was everything you dreamed of. She felt sick to her stomach and so depressed. Isn't this exactly how she dreamed it would be, if not better? Everything was so confusing. When did it get so confusing?
"You okay?" Harry asked, worried.
"Er, yeah. I'm good. Fine." Ginny said, distractedly.
"You sure?"
"Yes, I'm fine, really." she said automatically. Ginny smiled at him, in spite of herself.
"Okay, well, I better go, they're waiting" Harry said, and he stepped closer to kiss her. Ginny pulled away slightly, but then kissed him, breifly.
"See you!" she said, in a voice of forced cheerfulness.
"Right." said Harry, smiling, then he left.
Ginny's eyes welled up with tears as she watched the door close. She sank to the floor. He doesn't even realize I'm so hurt. But why was she? It didn't make sense. It was everything she could've hoped for, so why was she falling apart?
There was another knock at the door. Ginny stood up quickly and glanced in her mirror, trying to clear her face up.
"Not a chance, dear." The mirror mumbled sleepily. So, instead, Ginny pretended to busy herself making the bed.
"Come in!" She said in what she hoped was a normal voice, though she felt sure it cracked.
"Is Harry in here?" said Ron's voice.
Ginny kept her back turned, but replied in an altogether too quick way, "Whywouldhebe?"
"Dunno," said Ron "he wasn't in Fred and George's old bedroom or the kitchen."
"Well, I'm sure he's already left." Ginny said firmly.
"Left?" replied Ron, nonplussed. "Left where?"
"If you'd been at dinner, you'd know!" Ginny said, rounding on him. Couldn't he just leave her the hell alone?
"I was only gone for a bit!" Ron said. He had been writing a rather long letter to Hermione last night, and had insisted on being left alone. "So where is he, anyway?"
"He went to his Aunt and Uncle's house! Now will you leave me alone?!" Ginny stormed, glaring at him.
"What's up with you?" Ron asked defiantly.
"That's none of yours." Ginny sneered, "Now why don't you get downstairs? Phlegm should be here in a few hours, don't you want to practice drooling?"
Ron glared at her for a moment, apparently deciding whether or not to reply. He must have decided better of it, though, because he stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Ginny sat down on the bed and distractedly ran her fingers through her hair. She had to get a grip. Didn't all girls go through this? There was no shame in it, really. She was sixteen, wasn't that plenty old enough? And who else could be more honorable than Harry Potter to have been her very first? Well, it was still very confusing and strange, but eventually she would come to terms with it. It had to be that way, didn't it? Ginny got up and, deciding she felt like a shower, headed for the door. However, her path towards the doorway was interrupted by a loud CRACK as Hermione Granger materialized out of thin air.
Hermione smiled benignly and set down the large trunk she was carrying.
"Hermione!" Ginny squeaked, and ran over to hug her tightly. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't visiting 'till next week?"
"Well, yes," said Hermione, seeming slightly surprised by Ginny's especially enthusiastic greeting. "Mum and Dad wanted me to stay for a bit longer at home, but, I convinced them that it would be much easier for me to bring my things now and I could apparate back home to visit them every once in a while for the rest of the summer."
Ginny beamed at her silently. "Merlin, it's so good to see you Hermione! You've no idea!"
Hermione, taking a closer look at Ginny, said quickly "What's wrong?"
"What? Oh, well, nothing." Ginny said, testing her.
"Don't be silly." replied Hermione firmly. "Something's up. What's happened? Is it Harry?"
"No." Ginny said. She suddenly didn't want to talk about it. "Nothing's wrong, really." and Ginny turned away, busying herself again with the bed sheets.
"Ginny-" Hermione started, skeptically.
"Nothing's wrong!" Ginny yelled, rounding on her. Then, without warning, Ginny burst into tears.
"Oh, my." Hermione said softly. Ginny was on the floor, and Hermione knelt to be on her level. "What's wrong, Ginny? Is it--did you two, you know, sleep together?"
Ginny stared at Hermione through her tears. Was it that obvious? Could you see it just by looking at her? It probably was. Like a scarlet letter. "How do you know?" Ginny mumbled, hurt.
"Because..well, because the same thing happened to me with Viktor." Hermione said cautiously, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Ginny stared at her, dumbstruck.
"But you mustn't tell anyone, Ginny, please. Especially not Ron. You know how he is." Hermione said in a rush.
"No. I wouldn't. You know I wouldn't." Ginny breathed. "Did you-- I mean, How--?"
"It was the summer after fourth year, when I went to visit him. It wasn't anything bad, I did like him and all that. And it was nice. But afterwards, I just felt horrible. Like I was something dirty or pathetic, or, like I wasn't special anymore." Hermione spoke steadily, though with the air of somebody lifting a burden.
Ginny nodded, numbly. Hermione's words sinking in slowly, molding into the cracks of her sanity. It was okay. It was normal. This didn't make Hermione any less of a person, so why should it for her?
Ginny nodded still, but more forcefully. Hermione smiled shyly at her. "Do you love him?" she asked.
"Of course. You know I do." Ginny replied instantly.
"So what's the problem?" asked Hermione gently.
Ginny opened her mouth to respond, closed it, and opened it again; shut it, and smiled in a simple fashion at Hermione.
"Come on, then" Hermione said, briskly "I need help unpacking my trunk."
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