First Kiss

First Kiss

QLFC Season 10 Round_
Team: Montrose Magpies
Position: Chaser #3
Prompt:
Optional Prompts: adorable, bright yellow, refresh
Content Warning: N/A
Word Count: 2,500

It had been quite awhile that such a party had taken place. Potter Manor, which had been inhabited for nearly fifteen years, finally had visitors and an heir. It had taken awhile, but Harry had managed to persuade Dumbledore to allow some of the Hogwarts elves to help out (Dobby had instantly volunteered) and the once dusty mansion was now spotless. Unlike the vast castles of the Crabbes, Goyles, and Malfoys, Potter Manor was a far more humble home. The Potters had favored designs similar to those of the West Country, Tudor-style with local red brick.

Only a small group had been admitted. Harry had wanted to invite more-until his sister Sunny had pointed out how expensive that would be and that he wasn't in full control of the Potter estate it would drain his bank account. Harry had planned and the work had largely been done by the house elves without a problem.

That was the easy part. Harry groaned, hating about how this Christmas night was going. As host, he had to "work the room" meeting all the guests. The Longbottoms, Weasleys, Greengrasses, Rufus Scrimgeor, the Shacklebolts, Muggle-Born Grangers, and a few other friends and their friends from Hogwarts composed the vast majority of the guest list. But, right now Harry wanted to disentangle himself from a particular person who wore a hat with a red vulture in it.

"I'm afraid not Augusta," Harry said. "I'm still in school you know. And with Lord Voldemort out there..."

Augusta flinched, but Harry didn't care. Why should you you fear someone who is trying to kill you? Sunny came up on his left, wearing strapless, full length lime green Muggle dress that clashed magnificently with her red hair, the same shade as Lily's. She had pulled it back in a bun and she was wearing a bright yellow loofah that covered her bare shoulders. Harry thought she looked somewhat like a adorable peacock, but he didn't dare say it out loud in front of her.

"She's coming, be on your guard. I'm going to bed."

"What? You said.."

"I said I'd help you open it and get your crush here. It's up to you to make the rest happen. Besides getting Ron sick..."

Harry sighed; he knew he was forever indebted to Sunny for the great risks she had run on his behalf. He wondered how she would hold it over his head for in the coming months.

"..and other things. You know how I hate these events."

"I'd like your help..."

"Once this war is over, nothing will be the same. Host no parties if you wish. Besides, most of the these pureblood families are dying out anyways. Cheer up, brother."

She kissed him on the left cheek and left the room, leaving Harry by himself. He had to jerk his eyes away when he saw the Weasleys. Fred bounded right over to him.

"Some party uh," he said.

"Make sure you and your family eat enough," Harry reminded him.

"It's Mom that has the problem, not me," Fred pointed out.

Hermione who was standing behind him, rolled her eyes as he bounded away back towards the rest of where the Weasley family was sitting. Harry tried not to let his eyes wander towards a particular redhead at said table.

"Hey Harry. Thanks for inviting me," Hermione said.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, it's just some are looking at me weirdly."

"I'm afraid some may still remember that Rita Skeeter article from last year," Harry pointed out. "And what happened at the Ministry too."

"Anyways, she's coming, just be patient Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes; Hermione had revealed she knew all about what had been happening for years and Harry had been forced to to let her help as well. Harry had to tear his eyes away from who had come up next to him. She was wearing a blue dress, no earrings, and her red hair was tucked behind her back. Harry was relieved to see that Dean Thomas wasn't with her.

"Hey Harry," she said, going up to him. She had left her mother and everyone else behind. Harry had to fight the butterflies floating around in his stomach. "Nice party."

"Yes, it wasn't easy to organize."

"Nice to see the Potter family back in action," Ginny said, a smile on her face. "You needed some mini Quidditch flyers flying around here. It would spruce up the décor."

She patted him on the arm before leaving. Harry wondered how he could get her on her own without causing too much attention or problems. Suddenly, Sunny showed up and began talking with Ginny before the younger redhead could reach her family, leaving Harry thoroughly confused as to where she had come from. Didn't she say she was going to bed?

Oh no.

Dean Thomas showed up and immediately made his way over to Ginny. He furiously butted in on their conversation, pushing Sunny out of the way while forcibly taking Ginny's hand. Harry couldn't figure out why the two of them were still dating or why Ginny had chosen him in the first place. Some part of his male brain whispered into his ear he had to create facts lest something should happen as he was the host of the party. Harry cooled his temper and tried to regain control of his stomach. He was the host of this ball after all and hosts needed to keep their cool and restore order. He walked towards the two, stopping briefly by Sunny who looked highly offended.

"What is it?" he asked.

"He basically butted in. Was extremely rude about it," Sunny said. It was an open secret that Dean and Sunny had never gotten along. The two even had gotten into a scuffle that ended up with Dean turned into a frog-and lost on the Hogwarts grounds for seven hours. Harry knew she was responsible even though the evidence was inconclusive and Sunny refused to talk about what had actually transpired between the two.

"He would've been better if he stayed a toad," she said. "Now I'm definitely going to bed. See you later Harry."

She gave him another kiss on the right cheek this time and left the room again. Harry shook his head, wondering what mischief she was up too before turning his attention to the bickering couple in front of him.

"Dean. We need to talk," Harry said, interrupting Ginny and Dean's rather heated arguement.

"I can't Harry," Dean said. "Ginny and are having a little conversation here."

"No. This is the Potter Christmas Party and Sunny is my sister. I expect an apology to her when we get back to school."

Dean stared. "What?"

"At parties you need to have decorum and being patient is one of them. Even if Ginny (Harry forced himself to say the next few words) is your girlfriend."

Ginny gave Harry an apologetic look. Was that pleading he saw in her eyes?

"I can do what I want, especially with Ginny."

"Dean that's enough. Your making a scene and I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Dean was getting angry, until Harry drew his wand, now aware everyone was looking in their direction. Dean hand's inched towards his trousers, as if he was ready to draw his as well. After a minute he stormed away and tried to take Ginny with him.

For Ginny, the world seemed to have paused. Should she go with Dean who was her boyfriend or should she stay with her family? To Harry's surprise she jerked her hand away from Dean.

"I'm not going," she declared.

"What?"

"I have to stay here and support my family," Ginny declared. "It's a Christmas party of standing after all."

"We're going to spend Christmas together elsewhere," Dean said, thoroughly bewildered by her behavior

"Later. Bye Dean. Don't argue or I'll hex you."

Ginny didn't move forward to kiss him or anything. Instead, her right hand was caressing the back of her dress where she had her wand stored. She wasn't going to let anything happen to Harry. Dean looked ready to curse someone but the sudden and coincidental reappearance of Sunny behind him convinced him otherwise. He turned on his heel and left, disappearing into the crowd of people.

"Sunny?" Ginny and Harry said together in atonishment.

"Seemed like you needed help. Have a good night you too. Too much excitement for me today. Remember what we talked about Ginny," Sunny said.

She gave Harry another kiss on the cheek and really left this time, using Floo Powder and yelling "Tinsworth" before vanishing into the fireplace.

"So uh," Harry said, nervousness suddenly taking over.

"Come on," Ginny said, seizing her chance. She grabbed Harry by the arm and began to drag him towards the door.

"But I'm..."

"Important? It can wait Harry," Ginny said. "Besides. I know you're dying to say something to me."

Ginny dragged Harry through Potter Manor until they were on an outside balcony that happened to sport two benches opposite each other. Harry sat down on one bench and she sat across from him."So?"

"Well.." Harry said, nervousness again clouding his brain. He knew he had to act fast especially as his sister's voice floated into his brain. Times only come once and if we don't act on it we may regret it for the rest of our lives. "I fancy you."

Ginny blinked clearly not expecting this. "Oh. So the great Harry Potter finally noticed."

Harry shriveled up on the inside. Was she going to use her Bat Bogey Hex on him? She scooted a little closer to the edge of her bench. "How long?"

Harry knew it was time to lay all his cards on the table. "Since the summer. I just didn't.."

"Realize it," Ginny finished. "We can all be dense sometimes."

"Well.."

"You know I've always liked you. When I was young it was over the top I know that now," Ginny confessed.

She crossed and sat down on his bench about a foot away from Harry, a blank expression on her face. "Why have you just noticed me then?"

"Well you've matured and you dating Dean didn't help. Please Ginny, if you think I'm crazy, just say so. But I'd still like to be your friend...but I'd like to be more. I promise I'll be better than Sunny's boyfriends. Remember how she turned one of them into a butterfly."

Mission accomplished, Ginny thought, knowing her dream might just become true.

She looked down for a moment at the bench before looking up, meeting Harry's eyes. Her blank expression was developing cracks. "I've never stopped liking you. As you going through so much...and you've finally noticed."

The two of them began inching closer to each other, one millimeter at a time.

"It was the Amortentia potion..."

"What Amortentia?" Ginny asked.

"The most powerful love potion according to Slughorn. It had your flowery perfume smell in it. That's when I became aware but then I saw you kissing Dean.."

"Really put yourself on the line there Potter," Ginny said, emphasizing the last name, remembering the nasty encounter she and Ron had over it.

"Well, were does that leave us, Miss Weasley?" Harry asked. "I like you, you still like me?"

By now, the foot between he two of them was almost gone. Ginny and Harry stood up, only inches separating the two.

"Well," she whispered. "You could pucker up?"

Their lips finally met in an explosion of emotion, unleashing six years of pent up emotion. Ginny felt joy flood every inch of her body as something she had dreamed of for the last six years had finally come to past. Their first kiss only lasted a moment before they parted.

"Wow," Harry said, licking his lips.

"You have no idea. Refreshing is the word for it," Ginny whispered.

She threw her arms around his neck and renewed the kiss. Harry wrapped pulled her into an embrace, pulling the youngest of the Weasley clan into him as their kiss deepened. He could feel her as her tongue was sweeping across his lips seeking admittance. Harry obliged and their tongues collided, sending sparks through each of their bodies. Ginny moaned at the contact but tightened the hug between the two of them. Harry couldn't help but notice as his hands moved across her lower back that Ginny had developed some nice curves over the summer. Ginny for her part helped as she continually pressed her body into his as their tongues warred for space inside their mouths.

"Wow," Ginny said, as they stopped for air.

Harry this time kissed her again, taking in her flowery scent. They didn't know how long they were there, nor did they care. They were together and that was all that mattered.

Tinworth Cottage

Harry emerged from the fireplace later that night in the small cottage that Dumbledore had secured for him as a temporary residence while Potter Manor underwent renovation. Sunny was waiting for him, already dressed in her white nightgown, her bun undone, arms folded across her breasts in a business-like manner.

"So, did you kiss Ginny?" she asked bluntly.

"How did you know?"

Sunny suddenly looked a little sheepish. "I've been encouraging her to talk to you about it."

"It was..."

"You don't need to tell me," Sunny said. "I've already experienced it a couple of times. Good night, Harry."

She kissed him on the cheek again and went up the stairs towards the bedroom. Harry followed her unable to wipe the smile off his face. He felt when he returned to school it was going to a great rest of the year.

The Burrow

Hermione and Ginny giggled in their shared bedroom as Ginny finished relaying the highlight of the party.

"So how did you get him to kiss you?"

"It just happened. But his tongue was so..." Ginny squealed. "So much more than I have ever dreamed."

"What did I tell you Ginny? You just needed to get him to know the real you. The fierce Ginny that loves Quidditch and isn't afraid to be a tomboy."

"Thanks Hermione," Ginny said.

"You do realize what you are getting yourself into?" Hermione said. "With Lord Voldemort and all?"

"I'm already into it," Ginny said, waving it off dismissively. "Remember the Ministry? And the Weasleys are already blood traitors in Lord Voldemort's eyes."

"Well, then..."

"Tell Sunny thank you. Without her, this wouldn't have happened."

"Promise."

Ginny fell asleep that night to memories of the kiss and to hopes that Harry would survive what was to come. She wasn't sure what she would do if he didn't.