Chapter 2: Sharing The Load

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"Oi, good game out there, D! That one hit half-way through was brutal, I only nearly missed it!" Ginny congratulated her teammate as they walked off the pitch at the end of practice.

"Thanks, G! You were bloody good, as usual!"

Ginny smiled at her, and stepped into the locker room to change.

Things were going well. She loved playing for the Harpies. The coaches were great, and her teammates were supportive and got along well. Their team trainings were paying off, and they were looking strong for the summer league in a few months.

The matches were all going to be in the UK, but there was a fair bit of travel involved. Ginny was excited because Harry was planning to take a couple of weeks off so he could come with her as her personal cheering squad.

They needed the time, too. Things had been a bit..awkward since that night at the pub, and Ginny thought the time away would help them recalibrate. They'd slept off without any discussion that night, and Ginny had avoided meeting him alone, as well as meeting Ron and Hermione for a few days after that. She knew Harry knew something was on her mind, but she didn't know how to have a conversation with him about this engagement envy that had descended upon her. She definitely couldn't talk to Ron or Hermione about it, because how weird is that?

—

The only respite she'd had was a vague conversation with her Mum that Sunday. She'd gone over for a cup of tea, and couldn't help herself.

"Ma, how did you and Dad decide you wanted to be together?"

Molly looked up from her knitting to gaze at her daughter. Ginny had an intense look on her face, almost like she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to. Looks like there's going to be another wedding in the family soon. Pleased, Molly went back to looking at her knitting and said,

"Well, we had been seeing each other for a year. The war was imminent. We both knew there was a risk in getting emotionally attached to one another at that time, but we couldn't bear not being together. I wanted to know your Dad was safe at all times, and it was only practical that we got married so we could live together. We didn't have these new-fangled "live-in" traditions that you kids insist on having now."

"So you got married because it was practical to do so?"

"Well, yes and no. We knew we wanted to be together long term. Maybe if the world wasn't what it was, we would have waited another year. But, we didn't know how much time we would have together. Either way, we didn't want to wait to find out."

"I see."

Molly looked at Ginny again. She was biting her lip, and inspecting the flint on her trousers intently.

"Are you and Harry - "

"What? No, no, no. I was just curious about you and Dad, that's all. Harry and I are just fine the way we are. Just fine."

Molly waited a beat just to torture her silly, silly daughter.

"Well, I was going to ask if you and Harry will be coming together to Shell Cottage for the wedding - but good to know that you guys are doing fine."

Ginny look up sharply and met her mother's eyes. Molly gave her a knowing smile and shook her head gently. Ginny turned red, and found that she must take the used cups to the kitchen that very instant.

She could hear Molly chuckling behind her.

—

The wedding weekend arrived. Ginny had spent all week being Hermione's elf. Hermione being Hermione, every single detail of even the week before the wedding was planned to a T - there were even buffers put in because she anticipated a lot of changes happening in her schedule, mostly coming from Ron and his family. Hermione's side were all too terrified of her to even try stepping out of the time slots that had been drawn out for them.

Friday evening, all guests were to arrive in a staggered fashion so that check-in into the makeshift camping site would be easy. At night, there would be dinner and drinks to kick-off the weekend. Saturday morning, there was a Granger vs. Weasley Quidditch match - on Ron's request, even Hermione would play. Quick lunch, followed by everyone getting ready. The wedding ceremony would start by 6:30pm on Saturday.

Ginny and Harry were sharing a two-person tent-suite, which Molly and Arthur were choosing to be oblivious about. They were going to get there around Friday afternoon so they could help out.

Harry arrived at Ginny's flat and rang the bell. Ginny - who had already started on a beer in anticipation of a great weekend - opened the door and gave Harry a cold one that she'd taken out for him.

"I can't believe they're getting married today!" Ginny exclaims.

Harry laughs, and moves in for a hug. She puts her arms around his neck and kisses him. His arms tighten around her, and he lifts her a little off the ground and walks into the flat with her clung to him. The door slowly shuts behind them and locks itself.

Ginny touches her cold beer bottle to the back of his ear so they break apart.

"Oi!" Harry said indignantly.

"Miss me?" Ginny smirked at him.

Harry put her down, but held her close to him. He hasn't had a chance to be alone with her in weeks, and he's in no mood to rush to the wedding.

"I could eat you up right now."

Ginny - thoroughly amused - looked at him, speechless for once. Harry dipped his head and took her lower lip captive. She let out an embarrassingly low moan.

He moved them towards the kitchen so he could put his beer on the counter. Ginny had the good sense to leave hers there as well.

Bottles out of the way, Harry gave Ginny's bum a quick squeeze and picked her up so her legs encircle his waist. He walks them over to the living room, and sits down on the couch - Ginny now straddling him. Her dress rides up to her waist as he slides his hands along her thighs and over her sides.

Ginny arches her back instinctively and lets her head fall back. Harry sees that as a sign to lean in and nip her neck. He proceeds to trail kisses slowly down her neck and along her collarbone, the occasional nip making her hiss in contentment. One hand reaches up to cup her breast and give it a solid squeeze. Ginny nearly goes mad with desire. She pulls on his hair, but he is relentless. He nudges the fabric of her dress aside with his nose and plants tiny kisses on her other breast. Her nipples are aching to be touched, kissed, sucked. She grinds into Harry, almost spraining her arched back.

"Bloody hell, Gin."

"Mmhmm"

She can't come up with a response more intelligible than that. Her eyes are shut, and she's now tugging on Harry's head to bring his face closer to hers. They kiss enthusiastically for what seems like hours.

"Why don't we do this all the time, again?"

"Because you have your training and I have my work, and we have our own share of household chores to do after that."

"What if we shared our chores, then?"

"…you mean you're volunteering to do mine for the rest of the year? That's incredibly kind of you - how soon can you start?" Harry said, while kissing the corner of her mouth.

Ginny whacked his arm.

"That's not what I mean!"

"Well, what do you mean, then?" Harry pulled back a little, genuinely confused.

"I meant reducing chores by dividing them amongst the two of us," she says. Then, before he can voice his next question -

"By living together."

Harry shut his mouth. And opened and shut it again, like he was a blistering fish.

One eternity passed. Then two.

Harry still just kept looking at her without saying anything. His forehead was creased. She could see his mind whirring.

This does not seem to be going well, Ginny though to herself. She wanted this awkwardness to end more than anything else.

"Anyway, just a thought. We should get going - " she started to push herself up into a standing position.

Harry made the colossal mistake of chuckling nervously.

Ginny looked up at him sharply, still half on him.

"What's so funny? Three years into this and living with me is a joke to you?"

"No, no, not at all - I'd love to live -"

"Save it. Don't say it just because I'm mad now." Ginny got up and walked off to the kitchen in a huff. She picked up her beer and went to her room.

Harry closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. He knows better than to push Ginny when she's mad. He was daft enough to try it when they were younger, only to realise that it only made her angrier. Better to catch her in a calmer mood and try to explain what he meant.

For now, they had the wedding to navigate.

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