When You Wasn't Famous
By: Sam Lincoln
Disclaimer: The characters from Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling and are used here without permission.
"When you're a famous boy/it's gets really easy to get girls/It's all so easy you get a bit spoiled/but when you try to pull a girl who is also famous too/It Feels Just Like When You Wasn't Famous
-When You Wasn't Famous, The Streets
Chapter 10: I'm Really Okay Thanks
Ginny walked into the kitchen of her flat and found Luna sitting at the island sipping on a cup of tea and munching of a piece of toast. "Morning Luna," Ginny said. "Is, er, Hermione around?"
"No," Luna said. "She had an appointment at the Ministry, something about Portkeys for the trip. She is very cross with you though and wanted me to tell you that you had better come straight back here after training today or else she will tell your mum you spent the night with a strange man."
"Hermione always was a tattle-tale," Ginny said with a sigh. "If you do see her before I do would you let her know that I will be back for dinner, and that Ron can even come over."
Luna nodded. "If I see her I will." She watched as Ginny poured herself a cup of tea and then sat down across from her. "So how was Harry last night?" She asked in a completely nonchalant tone of voice.
Luna's question caused Ginny to do a perfect spit take, spewing tea all over the granite countertop. "What makes you think I spent the night with Harry?"
"You mean other than your reaction just now? I know you were going out for drinks with the rest of the team. So that means you'd be spending some time with Harry in a non-Quidditch setting," Luna said as she started to tick items off with her fingers. "You also didn't come home last night, and you always bring your one night stands back here, so it had to be someone you trust, like a teammate. Only you don't sleep with married blokes, and the only other person on the team who isn't married is Harry." Luna shrugged. "It was obvious when you stop and think about it." She reached for a tea towel and mopped up Ginny's spilled tea.
"Was it that obvious to Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know, Hermione's never been one for logical thinking." Luna and Hermione were two of the smartest people Ginny knew, but they operated on two very different plans of reality. Watching the pair bounce off each other was one of Ginny's favourite pastimes when the trio lived together. "But she certainly seemed surprised when I suggested she check Harry's house if she wanted to find you. So no probably not."
"Understandable," Ginny said. She wasn't sure how Hermione would react, but she was pretty sure having Luna state it like it was the most obvious thing in the world would do nothing to improve her mood.
"Did I say something wrong?" Luna asked when she saw the pained expression on Ginny's face.
"No, no, you didn't, but you were right, I did spent the night at Harry's and I was hoping to tell Hermione that myself."
Luna blinked, but otherwise did not show any surprise at Ginny's admission. "So are the two of you getting back together?"
Ginny nearly spat out her tea again when she heard Luna's question. "What? Merlin no, why would you think that?"
"Because you should," Luna said without further elaboration.
"May I remind you he broke up with me?"
"If the situations were reversed though wouldn't you have done the same thing?"
"I wouldn't have hexed," Ginny paused. "I wouldn't have gotten myself caught hexing Draco Malfoy in the first place."
"That's nothing more than counterfactual thinking," Luna said. "If Harry hadn't gotten that detention would the two of you even dated in the first place?"
Ginny grunted in frustration, she never liked arguing with Luna. "All right fine, if I thought my chance in league was in danger would I have broken up with Harry? I don't know, maybe? But don't forget, I needed to make it in the league more than Harry did. He already was well off, the money wasn't important to him."
"So that's why you wanted to play for the Harpies, the money?"
"No, that wasn't the only thing, but he didn't have to ditch me for that year just to prove a point for the scouts."
Luna reached out and rested her hand on Ginny's. "It wasn't just you, Harry shut out everyone that year. Kind of like what you did the very next year."
"But I didn't break up with anyone to do so. And that's my point, I understood how important getting a spot in the league was to him. I wouldn't have been a distraction."
"Have you ever told him that?" Luna asked.
"What difference would it have made? You remember how stubborn Harry could get when he made up his mind. Besides who says I even want to get back with him? Like I told him this morning, he had his chance."
"So that's it then? You've officially gotten Harry Potter out of your system."
"Er not exactly, we might have agreed to, er, keep each other company during the Euro Cup," Ginny said.
"You what?" Hermione asked as she entered the kitchen, causing Ginny to jump out of her seat.
"Hermione! I thought, er, Luna said you at the Ministry."
"I was until Luna sent me a message on this." Hermione held up a small notepad she had cast a Protean Charm on. Ginny and Luna had matching pads and they often used them to communicate. "Telling me you'd just got in. So Luna was right and you went home with Harry last night?"
"Yes," Ginny said, using the tone of voice she normally reserved for her mum.
"Merlin Ginny, when I said you should interact with him I didn't mean shag him."
"But it's Harry, and he's still so fit, and there were drinks, and the moment, and if anything I blame you," Ginny said. She twisted her hands together under Hermione's withering gaze.
"Me? How could you possibly blame me for your bad decisions?"
"You're the one who kept pestering me about if I shagged Harry when we were in school. You put the thought into my head!" Ginny crossed her arms in front of herself triumphantly.
"I don't think that's true at all," Luna said. "I think you think about shagging Harry far more than you let on."
Ginny stared at Luna in mute shock. She flapped her arms up and down as she tried to formulate a response. "That's, that's just, why would you even think that?" She finally said as he face turned scarlet.
Luna shifted her gaze to Hermione "Well it's obvious, isn't it Hermione?" she asked.
Hermione shook her head. "No, no it's not; not at all in fact."
"We all agree Ginny still fancies Harry right?" Luna barely paused for Ginny and Hermione to simultaneously voice their disagreement and agreement with Luna's question before continuing. "And what do you do when you fancy a person? You think about having sex with them."
"Luna that's just, no, I mean yes at one point I fancied Harry, but that was years ago."
"You keep saying that," Hermione said. "But did I hear correctly, you and Harry have come to an 'arrangement' regarding the Euro Championship?"
"I should think you'd be pleased with me about that one," Ginny said as she hopped back onto her stool.
"It's far too early in the day to start drinking," Hermione said. "But I'm sure after hearing this I'm going to need one."
"Remember how the contract I signed with the team says I can't sleep with anyone I meet on the island?"
Hermione dropped her head into her hands and she slumped against the counter. "Oh no, please don't say what I think you're about to."
"You know how much getting a good shag is part of my post match routine, and these are the most important fixtures of my career. But at the same time I can't exactly bring someone along for sex, they'd get the wrong idea about what I wanted out of them. I'm not looking for a real boyfriend, just a bit of fun."
"Hence Harry," Hermione said.
"Exactly, and you read that contract. Does it say anything about not being able to sleep with other members of the National Team?"
Hermione let out a great sigh. "No, it does not."
"See, it's perfect. We each get what we want. Stress relief during the tournament, with someone we know won't go running to the press and tell tales. When it's all over we'll go separate ways. Best of all, we won't violate the terms of the contract."
Hermione scrubbed her face with her hands. "And what if Harry gets the 'wrong idea' as you put it?"
"If he does then it will be my chance to give him the broom." Ginny flashed Hermione a feral grin. "There is literally no downside for me on this."
"Other than the press finding out and the ensuing media storm creates a massive distraction for the team. You don't win the tournament and you don't get selected for the World Cup squad in two years?" Hermione asked.
"That would be the worse case scenario, but it won't come to that. Harry and I both know how to be discrete, and you won't be saying anything to anyone will you?"
Hermione sighed. "I think it's a terrible idea, but no of course I won't say anything. Except for Ron, there's no way I could keep this from him."
Ginny nodded. "Just be sure he knows what happens if he runs his mouth to anyone else, including the twins, especially the twins." She reached out and pulled Hermione in for a hug. "And thank-you for being so understanding about everything."
"I can't exactly say I understand, but I am your friend, and your employee, so I'm here to support you."
"Also this is an important month for Ginny coming up, and if sleeping with Harry is what it takes for her to do well, who are we to judge?" Luna said.
"Thanks for the, er, support Luna," Ginny said. "Now though I need to go get ready for today's practice." She gave Hermione another hug and walked out of the kitchen.
"And I still need to get those Portkeys," Hermione said before she leapt into the Floo.
"And I, hum, I don't have anything I need to do today. In that case I shall have another cup of tea," Luna said to the empty room, not wanting to be left out of the decision making.
Ginny retreated to the sanctuary of her bathroom and quickly started the water running in her shower. She disrobed while she waited for the water to warm then stepped into the steaming shower. As she vigorously lathered her hair with shampoo, Ginny allowed herself to reflect on the events of the morning, and the night before. For the first time since getting home doubt began to creep into her thoughts. Which wasn't to say she was having second thoughts about spending the previous night with Harry. That decision had proven to be a satisfying one, and she had no regrets there.
It was her spur of the moment offer to Harry that was gnawing at her. At the time it made sense. They both needed someone to shag while they were at the Championship, and thanks to the insane contract who could be more convenient than another member of the squad? If the press found out it would be very messy, but she knew how to dodge those jackals, and she certainly knew how to shut out any and all distractions when she stepped out onto the pitch. She learned that lesson quite well at Hogwarts thanks to Harry. Plus if she was honest the sex had been good, and she was curious if Harry could repeat the performance.
"And this time we'll see how Mr. Harry Potter likes it when he's the one who gets broomed. I reckon he's never had a witch end things with him," Ginny said to herself as she turned off the shower. No, this was the right decision she concluded as she toweled off. She looked over at a clock and cursed when she saw the time. Ginny hastily pulled on clean clothes and Disapparated to the National Team's training facility.
Author's Notes: And here we have the previous chapter from the other perspective, sort of. I don't know about you guys, but I think Luna has the right idea. Thanks for reading everyone!
-sam