The next day ran far more smoothly. There were no accidents with pumpkin juice or shouted accusations.

Until, that is, the evening, when Harry and Ginny were sat in the library so that Harry could catch up on the work he was missing.

Ginny leaned towards Harry and sniffed, then quickly pulled back wriggling her nose and scrunching her mouth. "You need a bath."

Harry sat open mouthed, and then snapped it shut. "Well you don't exactly smell of roses yourself... I'm not taking a bath while you're attached to my wrist."

"Why not?"

"Because… it's not like we can take turns at taking a bath is it? We'd have to take a bath together."

Ginny grinned evilly. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Harry stared at her gob smacked.

"Oh stop it, I was only joking, I was thinking, maybe we could get the room of requirement to turn into a shower room."

"I really don't see how that solves the problem," Harry said hoarsely.

"Well, you know, it'll work like going to the toilet." Ginny shifted in her seat. "You take your turn while I stand outside." She waited for him to think, with an encouraging look on her face.

"Alright, alright I'll give it a go."

"Phew good come on." She grabbed his hand and bag and pulled him out of the library.

The room Harry asked for at the room of requirement looked very much like the prefects bathroom but with a shower cubicle at the end of the room.

"Wow… that is a massive bath."

"It's like the one in the prefects' bathroom."

"How would you know… you're not a prefect."

"Being quidditch captain has its perks; I can use all the prefect stuff."

"Seriously? Right, I'm making sure I get the job after you leave."

They stood for a few minutes in front of the cubicle shifting their feet uncertainly.

"So…er. You first Harry."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. But decided that he did not mind going first… Harry drew his wand and then stared pointedly at Ginny. She looked back at him innocently for a second… "Oh!" she said widening her eyes and then squeezing them shut. Harry positioned her just outside the shower. It had no door so he just made sure her back was pressed up against one edge of the cubicle. When he was satisfied that she was not going to see anything that she should not he picked a spot to aim at and waved his wand over his clothes and said, "Relocatus." Harry set his wand down and with his free hand he turned the taps to start the shower. The water came out luke warm to start with. He wet his hair with one hand as it warmed up, but struggled a lot to squeeze the shampoo bottle onto the same hand that was holding it.

It was as he was trying to empty some shampoo onto his hand that he caught a dark brown eye gazing in his direction. Ginny was peeking! Harry yelped. He whirled around; Ginny was hauled towards him and crashed into his side under the water. The shampoo bottle flew through the air spinning and pouring out streams of shampoo in swirls before it crashed to the floor and began to leak its contents down the drain. Harry completely forgot that that Ginny's hand was next to his and he clamped his hands over his privates. Ginny gasped in delighted shock as her hand landed underneath Harry's. Naturally Harry flung his hands back away as quickly as possible. Except he was now standing, dripping wet and extremely naked, right in front of Ginny, who was staring right at him but not at his face. Her bright eyes were wide, her red lips were slightly parted and Harry panicked. He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her to him, using her own body as a shield for his own.

Ginny seemed to snap back to herself, "Oh," she complained, "you've made me sopping wet… again."

"Me?" Harry demanded sounding strained, "how can you blame this on me when you were peeping."

Ginny had the grace to blush. "It was only a little peep," she said sheepishly holding her finger and thumb not very far apart.

"I hope you're not trying to insinuate anything."

She grinned wickedly.

He could only make a small whining noise, and then cleared his throat in embarrassment. Harry realised that Ginny's left hand was resting on his waist and he shivered despite the hot shower. They stood there for a few seconds, pressed hard against each other, Harry thought he could feel Ginny's heart beat racing against him, but that might have been an echo of his own which felt about to explode.

"So what now?" asked Ginny.

"Well," Harry said bravely, "what was it you said earlier? 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours'?"

Ginny pulled back her head slightly; her already flushed face went so dark the light freckles across her nose stood out like they had been painted on. "I -" her words caught, "I suppose I did say that," she got out breathily. Her breathing seemed to get heavier. "I suppose I am already wet." Her hand left his waist, and the next second she held her wand. Ginny's breathing seemed as fast as Harry's. She hesitated for a moment and then said, "Relocatus."

Skin was suddenly touching skin and Ginny hopped half a step backwards. She was still close but not quite touching. She did not seem to know what to do with her hands and Harry saw a shiver run up her back. Harry swallowed hard.

Ginny looked at the floor over her shoulder and Harry surreptitiously glanced downwards… he nearly swallowed his tongue. Ginny turned around and bent to pick up the shampoo bottle. Oh Sweet Merlin, sweet, sweet Merlin.

She stood back up and gave it back to Harry. She then summoned her own from a little pile of clothing and towels Ginny had left over by the bath then tossed her wand to the floor. She poured out a pool of shampoo in her hand and began to massage it into her hair. She stood with her back to him.

"We should have had a bath after all. It would have been far less mortifying," said Ginny. She sighed. "Well I suppose the damage is done…" She seemed to be having trouble with her hair.

"Would you like a hand?" asked Harry

She faced him self consciously… this couldn't be any easier for her than it was for him he was sure. "I'd quite like my own… but seeing as you've laid claim to it, I suppose yours will do." Ginny squeezed a small amount of shampoo onto his hand and turned away from him so that he could get to her head.

"Ouch," she cried as Harry's fingers caught in her hair.

"Sorry… Sorry."

"That's ok… but more like this," she said as she showed him how to wash her hair.

"It's so much easier having short hair," he said.

"If you're suggesting I cut my hair short," she said fiercely, "I'll take scissors to you… and I don't mean your hair."

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on…" Harry paused, "I honestly didn't mean to make that pun…and I wasn't suggesting you cut it… I like your hair… I was just saying that my hair, as messy as it is, must be much easier to manage than yours."

"Hmm." They didn't speak anymore until Ginny's hair was washed. Then she pulled it over her shoulder and looked back up at him… "Would you mind washing my back?"

Harry tried to make a sound of acquiescence, but all that came out was a strangled "Uh huh," which sounded like a gurgle.

He lathered soap on his hands and reached up to her shoulder. Her skin was soft but burned Harry's hand… his pulse quickened and his chest did not seem to have room to contain his beating heart. Harry's hand slid smoothly over the curves of Ginny's back and round the graceful arches of her waist.

"Mm," Ginny murmured, "that's actually really nice. Thank you."

Harry seemed to become slightly light headed and his tongue tied itself into a complicated knot of twine in his mouth.

Ginny turned back around close to him. Her downturned eyes were opening slowly, and then they snapped wide. She gasped and stopped turning around so that she stood in profile in front of him. She turned her face away from him with a shocked smile and delightfully naughty giggle, her left hand came up to shield her eyes. "Harry!"

Harry groaned. Ginny's face had gone red again, a blush, he noticed, that spread down her neck and across the top of her chest. He wondered whether his face was as red as hers. He pushed his wet hair back sheepishly. "Ginny… I'm naked… in a shower… with an equally naked and incredibly attractive girl," he managed breathlessly, "can you really blame me?"

"Harry!" she said in a completely different tone of voice… Harry noticed that she did not seem to be able to keep herself from peeking; she still had that half grin on her face. He could not help but think that she was incredibly pleased with herself. "What would Ron say if he knew you were having such impure thoughts about his sister?"

"Well you might be his sister… but you're not mine."

She dropped her hand and looked at him fully. The expression on her delicate face was unreadable; her dark eyes, searching. She quite deliberately let her gaze wander over him… he felt it only fair that he repay her in kind. She grabbed the soap and twisted around behind him before he could ask what she was doing. His handcuffed hand was pulled behind him and Ginny's attached hand rested firmly against his bum. He tensed and jerked a little.

"Oh-ho," Ginny laughed huskily. She firmly moved towards him, pushing against him until he was far enough forward that they were both under the falling water. Harry thought he could feel the whole length of Ginny's body pressed against his back, her curves moulded against him. His trapped hand was resting on her hip. Her free hand slid up his side and began to slowly cover him in lather. Her body slid upwards against him as she went up on tip toes. Harry thought he might have a heart attack. "You are far too tall," she breathed in his ear. She laid a hand on his shoulder and pushed downwards until he was on his knees. She followed him down and put one knee on either side of his feet. "There… much better."

The feel of her hand caressing his back made him moan in pleasure. Ginny's hand descended lower and lower continuing its ministration. Harry noticed in front of him a knob that had not been there when he had turned the shower on. He reached out and turned it… huge cascading waterfalls of bubbles and foam sprung from the shower head in purples, lilacs, mauves, and lavenders.

"Oh, wow," said Ginny. Her hand still sunk lower and then squeezed. Harry gasped and breathed in a bubble. He coughed and choked and Ginny laughed. Ginny leant over to reach for her wand which had been discarded on the floor. She crawled one step and then stretched out with an arched back to pick it up. She pulled herself back to her knees using Harry's arm as a prop and knelt directly in front of him. She was breathing quickly as she pressed against him. Harry suddenly did not have the air in his lungs to cough. "Anapneo," said Ginny. The horrible feeling of soap in Harry's airways disappeared and so too did the taste. He breathed freely again… and rapidly.

And then he could not hold himself back any longer and he kissed her, and she kissed him back sensuously, and he let his hands roam over her skin as he had ached to do for so long. They pushed their hands through each other's wet hair and lost themselves in the feel of each other… and neither of them noticed that there was nothing joining their hands together any longer, until they were drying each other off with soft fluffy white towels.

Ginny and Harry arrived at the hospital wing hand in hand later that evening and sat down next to the beds that Ron and Hermione were in.

"Hi," greeted Hermione as they sat. "How was your day?" She had not noticed that Harry and Ginny were keeping their hands together by choice not necessity now.

"Oh, you know, we did a bit of this," said Ginny.

"A bit of that," said Harry.

"Got our handcuffs off," Ginny listed out nonchalantly.

"Ate some dinn –"

"You got FREE?" cried Hermione. "So did we."

Ron and Hermione both pulled their hands out from under the covers and waved them around.

"How did you do it?" asked Harry. "When?"

"'Bout lunchtime," said Ron sounding quite pleased with himself.

"How?" Ginny asked.

Hermione gave Ron a shy glance, but Ron was still looking a little smug. She leant closer to Harry and Ginny as though sharing a secret, the sheets she was laying on crumpled and creased. "Well… we… kissed… and they just popped off and disappeared." She sat back again self satisfied.

Harry's eyes met Ginny's and held them.

"Wait a minute," Ron drew out, "you're not trying to say… you two didn't…" He must have seen the guilty smiles on their faces. "Really?"

Ginny nodded.

"When?"

"Only about half an hour ago," answered Ginny.

"Where?" asked Hermione delightedly.

"Why?" asked Ron looking disgusted.

"What do you mean why?" Ginny cried indignantly. "See Harry I told you he wouldn't understand didn't I."

Harry felt a little heat rise in his cheeks. "Well… Those weren't your exact words were they?" He laughed nervously.

Ginny grinned wickedly and lent close to whisper by his ear. "No, but I don't think Ron needs to know about your impure thoughts."

"Yeah, and I'm sure your thoughts were just chastity incarnate."

Ginny giggled. "Urgh," said Ron, looking like he'd just tasted something foul.

"Oh leave them alone," said Hermione lightly, gently rapping Ron's arm with the back of her hand. Hermione's eyes widened and turned to Ginny quickly. "Please tell me you broke up with Dean before you kissed Harry."

Ginny frowned. "Oh dear… I suppose I really should do that."

"Oh Ginny," Hermione admonished shaking her head sternly.

"Well to be fair, he did tell me he didn't want to see me yesterday."

"He broke up with you?" asked Ron indignantly.

"Well not really… He just said he didn't think we should see each other while Harry and I were still attached at the wrist… I'll just have to tell him that I don't want to see him while I'm not attached to Harry either." She shrugged her shoulders happily. "I don't think we would have lasted much longer anyway, and I think I prefer it this way."

A/N : Just a short epilogue to go now.