Chapter 2: Contracts and Consequences

October 22, 2000

Kill me now.

Ginny Weasley's first thoughts upon waking the next morning were not kind. She cursed herself. She cursed Harry. She cursed Ron and Hermione for having the wedding in the first place. She even cursed the waiter for serving them liquor. Then she cursed Harry again for good measure. I don't care how bloody gorgeous he is, this is all his fault. He just had to look so forlorn in a rakishly handsome way that it made me come over last night and start drinking with him to see what was wrong. Stupid man.

She did all of this, however, without moving a muscle. Ginny wasn't sure she'd survive if she had to do anything strenuous. Like blink. That was just far too much to ask of someone in her condition.

However, she knew that at some point she'd need to get up, if only for the simple fact that she desperately needed to use the loo.

Risking instant death, she cracked open one bloodshot eye and saw a wall. When the world didn't immediately fall on her head and kill her, she decided it was worth it to try moving around. Tilting her head down, she saw that she was covered in a light blanket that looked rather familiar. Ginny reached down and pulled it closer to her face and the scent and texture reminded her of home.

She suddenly remembered more snippets of last night. Drinking with Harry… more drinking… a LOT of drinking… then… something? What were we doing over here, anyway? Ginny knew she was at Harry's flat - the blanket was one that her Mum had knit for Harry as a house-warming present. She remembered all the drinking and some of the conversation, but a lot of the night was still fuzzy to her.

Cringing, Ginny then remembered falling over her chair and landing in an undignified heap on the floor, Harry's messy black head peeping over at her and talking to…

Her thighs. Huh. Well that was…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a click of the bedroom door and soft footsteps behind her. Ginny contemplated turning her head to see, but she thought that was a bit too much at this point. Suddenly the mattress dipped and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ginny? Are you awake?"

"Please tell me you have something for this," she managed to croak out. Really, he better have a hangover potion or she'd have to do something drastic. Just as soon as her head stopped pounding and her muscles decided she was in charge of her body again.

Ginny heard him chuckle softly and then saw a hand over her shoulder holding – Thank Merlin! – a small bottle of hangover potion. She managed to reach up and grab it, then holding it against her mouth, tipped it in as best she could without moving her head too much. When she drained the bottle, her hand slumped back to the bed and she sighed.

"It's not instant, but you should feel at least human enough to move soon," Harry said, his hand resting comfortably against her back. And soon enough he was proven right, as her head stopped feeling like a bludger was residing inside and she was able to roll over to get a look at him.

Harry looked as bad as she felt. His hair was damp and sticking up in all directions, as if he had stuck his head under a faucet and then run his hands through it. His eyes were bloodshot and fatigued, and he was still wearing his dress pants, though they were horribly wrinkled now. He had lost his shirt, however, and was walking around bare-chested.

Oh sweet bloody hell.

While still lean and wiry, Harry Potter had definitely grown up. Auror training had helped him to fill out a bit more, and his muscles were well defined. Ginny's fingertips itched as she raked her eyes over his chest and stomach, and her arm actually jerked forward a bit when she saw the dark line of hair leading down from his navel. There were drops of water glistening on his skin, and Ginny focused her eyes on them, wondering what it would taste like if she could lick each drop off of his chest and stomach.

Suddenly her thoughts took a horrible turn. The sight of Harry brought back memories of their conversation from last night and their flight from the dance hall. And their little agreement. Oh no. No, no, no…

Ginny raked her eyes back up to his face, and wondered if he remembered.

"Um Ginny… I was just in the kitchen getting the potions from the cupboard in there, and, um… I found this," Harry was looking down sheepishly at a piece of parchment that he held in one hand. "Do you… I mean, I know we drank a lot, but, um… do you remember everything from last night?" His eyes finally rose to meet hers and she was caught in his emerald gaze. There was something there that she didn't recognize, but one thing was certain.

Oh fuck, he remembers.

Clearing her throat as best she could, Ginny maneuvered herself slowly into a seated position and leaned against the headboard. She knew they had to talk about this, but she was dreading what he would say to her. Ginny thought that with the way he was looking now, he was regretting ever telling her last night, and was certainly having second and third thoughts about their little 'pact'. Hell, it all seemed like such a good idea at the time.

"Yeah, Harry… I remember everything," Ginny responded quietly, looking down at the parchment that held the terms of their 'pact'. She knew the basics of what they finally decided to write there, but couldn't quite remember the exact wording. Ginny reached up and rubbed her fingertips across her still aching forehead. The potion had certainly helped, but it wasn't a cure-all. And this little embarrassing conversation wasn't helping.

"So…" She listened to him start, but it appeared his voice failed him as Harry said nothing more.

The parchment crinkling in his hand was all she heard for several moments. Ginny still didn't have the strength to look up and see Harry attempting to come up with a good excuse to get out of the arrangement. Ginny continued to berate herself and swear off alcohol for the next two lifetimes, so it was with some shock that she heard Harry's next words.

"Do you, maybe… I mean, only if you want to, of course! But I thought it'd be kinda nice if we, you know… went out before. Like on a date? To get to really know each other. I mean, we already know each other, but we don't really KNOW know each other, you know?" Ginny listened to him ramble on in amazement, barely hearing his next mumbled statement. "Merlin, I sound like a complete moron!" She knew what it sounded like, but she couldn't be absolutely sure this wasn't an alcohol poisoning-induced coma and perhaps her Aunt Tessie would flounce in next with a banana on her head. Ginevra, get your head together, the boy is asking you out, you idiot!

Breaking into his continued mumbles and self-recriminations, she reached out and held his hand, their pact wrinkling further between them. "Seriously?" Ginny asked him in a hopeful tone, finally seeing him lift his eyes and look at her. She watched Harry take a deep breath and straighten his glasses a bit in what looked to be a nervous gesture.

"Well… yeah, I mean… Listen, Ginny there's something I've wanted to tell you… should have told you… for awhile now. You see I've always–"

"Harry! Where are you? Are you even here? Harry!?"

Ginny looked at the bedroom door in shock and not a little annoyance. Especially when Harry glanced back at her, then bounced out of the bed and walked to the door to pull it open.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry looked up at Hermione in shock. He reached up and pinched his earlobe just to make sure that he wasn't still asleep and dreaming this. It hurt.

Bloody hell, I'm awake. Unfortunately.

"Do you two even understand what this MEANS?! Are you even listening to me, Harry? Honestly, you and Ron both are…"

As Hermione continued on her rant, Harry tuned out. He knew when she got that slightly hysterical tone to her voice that nothing short of a silencio would get her to stop. And she was always so very peeved when he did that to her that it wasn't worth it at this point. She was already peeved at him. No need to risk her wand.

Harry looked over to Ginny to see her with a familiar glazed look on her face. He figured he probably wore the same one. When Hermione had arrived screeching for him – though she didn't appreciate it when he told her that's what she'd been doing – Harry had been very reluctant to leave his bedroom. Ginny was there. In his bed. His BED! And he had finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt. It seemed as if he'd carried these feelings around like an extra limb for years.

Harry's feelings for Ginny Weasley had been a constant in his life since he was sixteen years old. Despite his great hopes and dreams, she hadn't broken up with Dean Thomas back in his sixth year. Their relationship had continued all the way up until Dumbledore's death. And then everything had changed.

For the next year, his life was consumed by the search for the horcruxes, deathly hallows, and the war. Although Ginny was never far from his thoughts, he had little hope of surviving his final fight with Voldemort. And when the time came to meet his fate, his last thought had been of her… and the dreams he had once had of sunlit days full of fiery red hair and bright brown eyes. Laughter that filled his heart, and a blazing look of fierce courage. A green light came, and he knew nothing more.

After it was all over, it seemed like life got in the way. Funerals, memorials, and rebuilding the Ministry seemed to take up all his time, and before he knew it, Ginny was back at Hogwarts for her seventh year. He knew she had broken up with Dean after Dumbledore's death, but after the final battle there never seemed like a good moment to try and find out if she had any feelings left for him.

Ginny's last year of Hogwarts was over before he knew it. Harry had spent that year immersing himself in the Auror program. He drove himself hard, spending all his free time studying and working. Ron and Hermione worried about him, he knew. They'd even set him up a time or two on blind dates that never worked out well. Both of them had ended badly, and he shuddered a bit at the memories of "The Crazy Girl Who Tried To Suck His Face Off" and "She Who Gushes". That last one was the worst – the girl could just not stop saying his full name every time she looked at him. Both had ended poorly, and he'd never seen them beyond dropping them off at their front doors.

Harry glanced up at Hermione to see if she was still ranting and caught a quick listen of "…and furthermore, you two should know better…" before tuning back out again. She was still in the middle of it and had a ways to go before he could get a word in.

Thinking back now on the last year and a half, he knew he probably should have worked up the courage sooner, but there had always been something standing in his way. Namely, Ginny's latest boyfriend that Ron or George was harping about. Both of them had talked his ear off over and over, telling him all about this guy or the next that she was supposedly attached to, and each time it made his stomach turn and his heart plummet. So he worked even harder in Auror training, to drown out the little voice that kept telling him 'You're too late. Too late!'

He hated that voice.

But now… now it seemed as if there hadn't been any guys. None. Not a single. Damn. One. That reminds me…

Harry stood up from his chair at the kitchen table and walked over to where Ron seemed to be helping himself to an entire box of chocolate biscuits that Harry had just bought a few days ago. Looking at Ron's broad shoulders, he sought out a likely looking spot low on his bicep. Harry took aim, and reared back his right arm.

"OW!! Fucking hell, Harry, what the fuck–"

"Ronald! Language!"

"Oh give over, 'Mione, you liked it last night well enough when I–"

"Silencio!"

Harry gave a silent thank you to Hermione for her quick spell, as he walked back to his seat. He certainly didn't need to hear about last night and whatever it was that Ron was about to spill.

Deciding he'd had enough of Hermione's hysterical meltdown he figured it was the perfect moment to cut her off at the pass. It was best to either let her wind down or cut her off when she got distracted. He and Ron had learned this little trick years ago.

"Hermione, please explain – in small words – exactly what the problem is here. Obviously, you've read our little pact." Harry cringed when he remembered her grabbing it out of his hands when he and Ginny walked out of his bedroom to her yelling for him. They had found her and Ron in the kitchen and she'd grabbed it before he had a chance to realize that he was even still holding it. She'd scanned it quickly and then the sound that had left her mouth had been something Harry was sure even the dogs in France must have heard. It had blasted Harry and Ginny into the chairs at his kitchen table, and they'd been ignoring her rant ever since.

Holding a hand up to stop her even as she opened her mouth, Harry continued. "Listen… that's… that's just something Ginny and I um… came up with last night after a few too many drinks. It's really only between us two, okay? Nothing for you to get all riled up about."

"Riled up? Riled up," Hermione said between clenched teeth. Harry grew concerned at seeing her lips become a thin white line. He just knew she'd learned that in some private lesson directly from Professor McGonagall.

Hermione drew in a deep breath and it came huffing out of her nose like a dragon ready to breathe fire. "Harry. Ginny. Do either of you have ANY idea as to exactly what this document is? Did you even SEE the seal?!"

Ginny's throat clearing drew Harry's attention to her, and he looked over to see her face flush. "It's supposed to be a… pact, I guess. Between Harry and I. To um… you know… lose our virginity to each other." This last part Ginny seemed to mumble out quickly as her face turned a bright red.

Harry looked quickly to Ron only to see a most shocking sight. He had expected his best mate to be horrified, or perhaps angry. He was way off the mark.

Ron was leaning on the counter. Laughing.

Ron's silent laughter was shaking his shoulders so hard he almost dropped the box of biscuits he'd nearly emptied, and his face turned red as tears streamed down his face. Finally Ron reached out one long arm and tapped Hermione on the shoulder. Looking startled, Hermione realized his intent and quickly released him from the silencing spell.

The booming laughter sounded almost too loud in the silence following Ginny's announcement. As Ron finally wound down, he looked over at his sister and Harry and chuckled a little, shaking his head.

"Only you two would do something like this. Seriously, you couldn't just shag and get it over with like normal people, could you? No, you had to go and get drunk and write yourselves a little magical contract!" Ron said, breaking out into laughter once again.

"Magical contract?" Harry said, looking back up at Hermione with a questioning scowl. "I don't understand, it's not a contract and it's not magical. It's just a friendly little agreement. And what 'seal' are you talking about?"

Hermione slapped the parchment on the table and flipped it to face him. Looking down at it, he saw her pointing to a little red embossed seal that hadn't been there last night. She reached out and tugged his left hand forward to the table and laid it palm up, then did the same with Ginny. Without a word – it seemed she had become speechless in her fury – she jabbed at a small sore spot in the middle of his palm.

Looking down, Harry saw a small cut that had just barely begun to heal over. He glanced over at Ginny expecting to see her looking at her own hand. Instead, she was staring at the seal on the parchment with a look of horror on her face. Her head seemed to move in slow motion as it tracked down to her hand and all the blood drained from her already pale face. Her lips were moving but the only sound that came out seemed to be a sad little whimper.

"This. Is a magical contract. Signed by you two, and sealed in your blood. It is legally binding–"

"But wait Hermione, look – I signed it upside down. That should mean it's not legal or whatever, right?" Harry interrupted.

"What? No! It doesn't – and why on earth did you sign it upside down?" Hermione asked, looking completely flustered.

"I was sitting across the table from Ginny when she finished signing it and I was too tired to get up, so I just reached across the table, and… you know… signed it. But I guess we forgot to turn it around to face me. So that should mean–"

"It means nothing, Harry! You signed it, upside down or not, and that's all that matters. Then – THEN! – you two apparently cut your palms and let the blood of your heart-hand seal the document. Between two consenting adult wizards or witches, that is a legally binding contract. Yours and Ginny's magic was bound to this agreement the moment the seal was complete," Hermione said. Harry looked at her, realization slowly crawling through his brain.

"So… we're legally and magically bound to fulfill the terms of the document, is that what you're saying?" Harry managed to get out. Harry's heart seemed to be trying to thump its way out of his chest. Well, that's one way to clear up most of a hangover rather quickly.

"Yes."

Harry looked over at Ginny, and a warm smile crawled over his face. He knew he was starting to look a little sappy, but he couldn't help it. Even if it had been made in a post-reception drunken haze, he couldn't regret it. After all, they had both been sober this morning when he'd mentioned it to her, and she had looked both hopeful and very happy when he asked her about dating before they had to… well… go through with their 'pact'.

But seeing her face still frozen and pale, he wondered if she'd changed her mind or wasn't as interested in him as he was in her.

"Ginny?"

Her eyes snapped to his and Harry saw a look of panic in them. Reaching the short distance, he entwined his fingers with hers. Her hand was cold and clammy as he rubbed his thumb over her skin, squeezing a little to try and reassure her.

"Ginny, it's okay. I mean, we don't have to do that right away. I was serious this morning when I said I wanted to date you first," Harry said softly. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation in front of Ron and Hermione, but he knew he didn't want to put it off any longer. He had to make her understand what she meant to him. Turning to face her directly, he laid his right hand on top of their entwined fingers.

"Ginny, I was trying to tell you something this morning, something important. I like you. I really, really like you and I have for years. You're the most… beautiful woman I've ever seen. I love your smile and when your eyes light up in laughter it makes my heart hurt to see it, because I've always wished it was me you were looking at. I've wanted to ask you out for ages, but you were always with someone, or so I thought. But you told me last night that you weren't and you hadn't been for some time…"

"Harry–"

"…and you don't know how happy that made me. So this agreement…"

"Harry–"

"…doesn't mean that sex is all I'm interested in. Yeah, we have to lose our virginity to each other according to the pact, but I'm more interested in you, and being with you. For a long time. And the pact doesn't mean anything, if you're not interested in me as well. So I'm really hoping…"

"Harry!"

"…that you are, and I thought you were this morning, because…"

"HARRY!"

Ginny's right hand slapping against his mouth finally stopped his verbal vomit, and her yelling his name seemed to pierce the haze of his rather flowery outpouring of heartfelt feelings. He didn't dare look at Ron. Merlin, he's never going to stop taking the piss out of me for that little speech. Looking into Ginny's eyes, he could see the panic had receded and there was a warmth there he recognized from that morning in bed. But there was something else there, as well, and it looked a lot like worry. She removed her hand from his mouth and laid it carefully on the table.

"Harry," Ginny said slowly. "I don't think you really understand what this document means."

"But I thought… I thought it was like we said last night, a pact to lose our virginity to each other?"

"It is, Harry. But it's also more than that. I don't know the specifics, because I haven't read what we wrote and," here Ginny cringed a bit, "everything we put down is still a bit… fuzzy from last night. But I do recognize that seal. I've seen one like it before and it's a bit more… involved than just what we thought we were signing."

"Whatever it is Ginny, it doesn't change how I feel about you," Harry said. "We'll get through it together, okay? I mean, how bad can it be?" He chuckled a little, thinking she was overreacting to whatever that seal meant. Hermione's panic must have infected Ginny during her little lecture.

Ginny raised her eyes to Hermione, as if pleading with her to be the one to say it and confirm whatever it was that Ginny was thinking. Harry looked up to see Hermione looking worried. Oddly enough, Ron was beaming, his mouth wreathed in a great big smile around the last chocolate biscuit. Ron flashed Harry two thumbs up as Hermione finally spoke.

"That's a seal from the Ministry's Clerk of Licenses, Harry. It signifies a magical betrothal contract."

"…wha?"

Ron reached forward and slapped Harry hard on the back.

"You and Ginny are engaged, mate! We're going to be brothers!"

Ron's laughter filled the kitchen as Harry stared at Ginny, completely gobsmacked.

Engaged?!