Chapter Six

Author's Note: I own nothing. All belongs to J.K. Rowling.

P.S. The song "Noticed" by Mutemath served as a bit of inspiration while writing this chapter. While writing the slow dance, I was listening to "You Are Mine", also by Mutemath. I highly recommend both!

"Harry, where are we?" Hermione giggle as the quartet stumbled down a dark alleyway. "I know we're in muggle London, but I've never been to this district before…"

Harry laughed at the expressions of his friends. Ron looked terrified, Ginny looked curious and excited, and Hermione was almost patronizing. "Don't worry, we're almost there…" They turned a corner and immediately noticed a line of people wrapping around the block, waiting to get into a loud nightclub.

"No…this is NOT what we're doing!" Ron groaned.

"YES! I've always wanted to do something like this!" Ginny squealed and grabbed the side of Harry's face to kiss him on the cheek. He laughed and lightly hugged her waist.

"I'm NOT going in there."

"Oh, come on, Ronald. It will certainly be a new experience." Hermione tugged on his arm and pulled him towards the end of the line.

"We're actually not waiting in line." Harry smiled. "I called ahead and told them we were coming. They're waiting for us at the door." He led his friends up to the door of the club, clutching tightly to Ginny's hand. When they reached the beginning of the line, Harry spoke confidently to the bouncer. "Yes, I've called ahead. Harry Potter."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Potter. I understand you and your friends are here to have fun tonight, all expenses paid. Please help yourselves to the bar, and enjoy your evening." The bouncer smiled, which clashed with his bulging muscles and generally intimidating appearance. He lifted the velvet rope and allowed them into the posh nightclub.

There were a rainbow of strobe lights illuminating the dark club, and a huge dance floor was crowded with couples and groups of friends dancing. A large mahogany bar stretched across the entire length of the dance floor, and a separate circular bar was perched atop a raised platform in the center of the floor. Several smaller rooms were curtained off partially and had cushiony couches decorated with lavish fabrics. Across the room, a line of raised tables and low booths were filled with people chatting and laughing. Several waitresses in skimpy outfits strolled around, dancing to the music and offering customers food and drinks.

"So, I know it's different, but I thought it would at least be a distraction!" Harry yelled over the thumping bass of the song.

"Harry, this is fantastic!" Hermione screamed, dancing in place while Ron looked at her, dumbfounded. "Come on, Ron, let's dance!" she pulled him along behind her and joined the throng of people gyrating to the music. Ron shot a terrified look back at Harry and Ginny, who just laughed and shrugged.

"What would you like to do?" Harry leaned in close to speak into Ginny's ear.

"Drinks?" She mouthed back. He laughed. She wasn't even seventeen, but Harry figured a few drinks couldn't hurt. They made their way to the circular bar in the middle of the dance floor so they could keep an eye on Ron and Hermione, shoving their way through the masses. Once they reached the bar, Ginny looked at Harry in horror. "Harry, this is a muggle bar! I've never had a sip of a muggle drink before…"

"Two beers, please!" Harry commanded the bartender, who nodded. "Don't worry, I haven't really either. Life with the Dursleys' didn't really allow for much exploration of adult beverages." He laughed. Ginny was clearly having a hard time understanding him in the loud club, so he just shook his head and smiled at her. He didn't care that they couldn't talk—he was perfectly content just looking at her. She hadn't changed that much in the months that they had been apart, but there were subtle differences. She had lost weight, and her jawline was more pronounced. Her eyes had a hardened expression that had always been there due to her stubbornness, but was now more pronounced because of her recent experiences. He hoped this wasn't too soon—after all, Fred's funeral had only been about a week ago, but she had agreed with him that Fred wouldn't want them to sit around moping…and they had wasted so much time apart…

Lost in thought, Harry barely noticed the barman set two bottles in front of them. Ginny handed him one, and he clinked the top of his glass against hers before tipping it back to his lips.

"Ugh!" Ginny groaned after her first sip. "That's horrid!"

Harry laughed, feeling the same way. Muggle beer had NOTHING on butterbeer. Ginny continued to sip on hers, as if determined to make herself like it. "Let's try something else!" Harry suggested. He picked up the tabletop menu and glanced at it. "What about Gin? It's your namesake drink!"

Ginny giggled and nodded. Harry flagged down the barman again and placed their order. This drink went over much better, and Harry was already starting to feel the effects. Being chivalrous, he determined that they should probably hold off on ordering anything else for a while. As he was thinking this, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve.

"Come on, you two!" Hermione laughed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She was already sweating profusely but had a huge smile on her face. Ron was standing a few feet behind her at the edge of the crowd, and he surprisingly looked just as exhilarated. Harry offered Ginny his hand and they followed Hermione into the crowd.

Harry wasn't as comfortable with this as his friends, but he tried to go along with it without looking nerdy. He held Ginny's hands and twirled her around. Finally he gave up on trying to be graceful and started rocking out, not caring how strange or uncoordinated he looked. Ginny threw her head back and laughed gleefully. When the song changed to one with more of a beat, Ginny turned her back to him and pulled his arms around her waist. They danced like that for a while, and Harry felt himself blushing. It was…arousing, to say the least.

The music changed abruptly to a slow song, and Harry spun Ginny around to face him. She twined her hands around his neck and began to sway to the music. Harry stared into her deep brown eyes, and suddenly had the urge to tell her he loved her. He couldn't actually say this—it was completely the wrong moment, and especially considering the tragedies that had just occurred. Harry wanted to wait until the perfect moment and make sure that Ginny knew it was sincere, and not just an outpouring of emotion resulting from the recent trauma. It was true, of course; he'd loved her as a friend for years. As Ron's sister he'd been naturally close to her for their early years at Hogwarts, and he was protective over her even when she didn't need to be protected. But that nature had quickly progressed into something more. The moment he had realized he was jealous over her snogging Dean during his sixth year he'd known that he wanted her in a strictly non-platonic fashion. She had become something of an obsession, the only thing that kept him sane through the tough weeks after Dumbledore's funeral and the horrible months on the road over the last year. Some might have been skeptical to see if his feelings for her remained the same when they were reunited, but he found now that his emotions were stronger than ever. He adored her, and while he was trying to give her space to grieve with and comfort her family, he missed her every minute she was away. After waking up from his encounter with Dumbledore, Harry's love for her had solidified. Of course the girl he thought about right before he died was his true love, his soulmate, as cliché as it sounded…

As Harry was contemplating all of this, Ginny reached up and kissed him. It started as a gentle peck on the lips, but quickly turned into a more passionate embrace. His hands traveled up her back, and he realized they had stopped swaying to the music. Standing stationary, he threw himself into the kiss, trying to convey how much he had missed her, how much he cared about her, and how much he wanted to tell her that she was his entire life, his reason for breathing. She responded eagerly, and neither of them seemed to care that complete strangers surrounded them. In that moment, the world stood still.