The night had gotten colder since Ginny had been in Harry's arms on the beach, making her wish that she had brought a sweatshirt. And some shoes would've been a smart idea. Though Ginny felt her skin heat up every time she thought about what had just happened. She had waited years to kiss Harry and only seconds into said kiss he had to ruin things by bringing her family into it. Shouldn't they be happy for them liking each other anyways? Of course, Ginny knew, Ron wasn't nearly that reasonable.
Lost in her thoughts, Ginny found herself in front of the Burrow again before she knew it and quietly hurried in the door, hoping to avoid having to see anyone. But in a house as crowded as the Burrow was avoiding everyone was impossible.
"Ginny!" Ron called from the living room, a lip-swollen Lavender sitting satisfied in his lap. Ginny wondered why her parents allowed the two to carry on like they did. Maybe they were hoping that Ron would get sick of Lavender soon enough. At least, that's what Ginny was hoping. "Have you seen Harry? He disappeared." Ron said.
"I wouldn't know." Ginny said, unable to keep the red from rising to her cheeks. "Perhaps if you had come up for air between snogging you would've noticed him." Ginny offered, earning a smirk from Hermoine who was sitting quietly on the other side of the room, buried in her book and a pair of raised eyebrows from Fred and George who were standing in the doorway mumbling about their next prank.
"I was just wondering." Ron said his eyes narrowed on his sister who normally didn't develop such a bad attitude. Though with his teenage boy brain he wrote it off as a woman issue and tucked it away, deciding to focus back on Lavender instead.
Rolling her eyes, Ginny didn't offer a response before she darted up the stairs to her room which she was sharing with Hermoine and Luna for the next two days. Curling up in her bed, Ginny buried her face in her pillows before the first tears could escape. She knew it was nothing to cry over but the anger was shifting to rejection and it felt good to just let her feelings out. Growing up around so many brothers, Ginny hadn't been able to show much weakness and for once she just needed to let her emotions run their course.
It was a good fifteen minutes later before Ginny heard a knock on her door and Hermoine's voice drifted through the hard wood of the door. "Ginny?" She asked as she peeked her head in the door, the red head staying still in her bed hoping to fake sleeping. "Ginny." Hermoine repeated herself, her frown audible as she closed the door behind her and walked over to the girl's bed, sitting beside her.
"Is this how it feels when you see Ron with Lavender?" Ginny asked softly, not daring to show her tear stained cheeks and red nose.
"Only ten times worse." Hermoine joked as she leaned down and put her arms around her friend. "What happened when you were gone?" She asked and Ginny let out a shaky breath. Maybe a friend's advice would do her some good.
"I was down by the water and Harry came up and we started talking and then…" Ginny let her voice drift off as she gathered another shaky breath. "And then he asked if it'd be corny to tell me I'm beautiful. And then I said yes. And then I kissed him." Ginny concluded burying her face back into the pillow as another wave of tears spilled from her eyes.
"Did he not kiss you back?" Hermoine asked her voice layered with concern and a twinge of pity that made Ginny cringe.
"No. We kissed for a little while. Then he said that we shouldn't. That it would cause too much trouble between him, Ron, Fred, and George. I don't get it." Ginny gushed, her anger rising again. "I wait four years to get him to kiss me and when we finally do he has to go and ruin it."
"Well that's a boy for you." Hermoine frowned as she leaned forward to wrap her arms back around Ginny. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." She promised though she felt horrible for her friend. She'd told Ginny to move on but maybe she shouldn't so hypocritical. After all she should move on from Ron but she couldn't find the strength to do so.
"Thanks Hermoine." Ginny sniffled pathetically as she wiped her eyes and sat up, her red hair falling down her back. "I suppose I should change into some pajamas since I look silly here in my bathing suit." She laughed quietly, standing from the bed and moving over to the dresser to find a nightgown.
"I'm going to get a glass of water then I'll be back for bed." Hermoine said. "Wish me luck." She said with an eye roll, both of them knowing she'd have to pass by the living room with Lavender and Ron.
"If either of us had luck, Hermoine, Lavender would have fallen down our steps and broken her nose." Ginny winked.
"You're terrible." Hermoine chided though she couldn't find it in herself to disagree.
The next couple days passed awkwardly with empty silences between Harry and Ginny though they were so busy preparing for their return to Hogwarts that there wasn't much time to talk anyways. Of course meals were always the worst. Hermoine didn't seem to mind though with Lavender gone Ron was back to talking again. And Hermoine had made the best of her time with him, engaging in long winded talks about any subject she could interest him with.
Ginny was exhausted the day before the trip back as she had saved all her packing for that night and laid strewn across the messily closed trunk. Another day and she'd be back in the castle. Back to the boys who would pay attention to her. Letting out a defeated sigh, Ginny stood from the trunk and headed downstairs.
Hermoine and Ron were outside discussing Quidditch which Hermoine, true to form, must've done research on to even keep up with the conversation at all. Fred and George were down by the beach probably testing out a new prank. Luna had returned home for the last day before Hogwarts and Ginny's parents had left for a few last minute things.
Realizing that this left Harry and herself in the house, Ginny tried to stealth her way to the kitchen, not wanting to run into Harry. She was bent over the fridge, digging out a water bottle, when the boy in question entered through the opposite doorway. "Hey." Harry smiled awkwardly, his smile uncertain, causing Ginny to jump back.
"Oh. Hey." Ginny replied coolly as she turned her back on Harry to walk away but he reached out and took her arm. Spinning around in surprise, Ginny faced Harry and Harry could smell the scent of her shampoo.
She smelled like coconut and Harry suddenly had a new appreciation for the fruit. "I don't want things to be awkward between us, Ginny." He frowned as he released her arm though he still stood just a bit too close to her.
"Well then we can go to pretending nothing happened." Ginny suggested her face blank and emotionless before taking a sip of her water.
"That's not what I meant." Harry said cautiously, gauging Ginny's reaction though all the red haired girl could manage was an eyebrow raise. "I don't regret what happened on the beach."
"Well you fooled me." Ginny said sarcastically as she twirled the cap on her water bottle.
Taking the bottle from her hands, Harry forcefully whipped it onto the counter before taking Ginny's waist in his hands. Not giving her time for another sarcastic remark, Harry's lips met with her own.
Ginny, still shocked from him taking away her water felt her cold exterior melt in his kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck tenderly, this kiss much different than their first. This kiss was tender, searching, rather than the outburst of caged in passion on the beach. Ginny stepped back to press against the counter and Harry deepened their kiss in response, his arms firm around her waist.
The kitchen was silent as their kiss ended, their arms still wound around each other. "We have to stop meeting like this." Ginny teased as Harry kept her locked in his embrace.
"I'm crazy about you Ginny. Do you even realize how tempting you are?" Harry asked his eyes liquid as they looked into Ginny's. "I don't think we should tell people just yet. I don't want to start a fight with Ron and everyone the first day back at school."
"Are you ashamed?" Ginny asked, her tough, too cool for school exterior starting to slide back into place.
"Of course not. I just don't want to star drama when we're trying to get back into the swing of things." Harry urged. "Give it a week then we can announce it." Harry promised.
"One week." Ginny said with a small smile before standing on her toes and giving his lips another quick kiss, enjoying the idea of being able to kiss him whenever she pleased. "But any more than that and you can forget about this." She said firmly, not wanting to worry about being used by him.
"Promise." Harry grinned a goofy, boy grin. "But until than we can play the forbidden lovers role." He winked before diving into another secret, loving kiss.