A/N: And so we have reached the World Cup, which is of course a major event for dear Ginny. More major events...? You'll have to read ;)
Please be reminded that my shorter stories ( less than 50K) are only posted on my AO3! You're missing out on Experimentally in love, That has a ring to it and, most recently, Spilt Blood if you haven't checked it out yet. You can also check my tumblr (GinnyW-Potter) for any fic updates and links.
Their first game against Spain went well. They ended up winning, but they had barely been ahead in points before Harry caught the Snitch. Ginny was relieved, looking down at the useless pinky finger of her throwing arm. She had fought through the pain but was eager to get it fixed.
She celebrated with the team, keeping her hand out of the way. When they walked back inside, she quickly made her way to the first aid before she went to change. She had just been greeted by one of their own Healers—the League didn't trust other Healers with their players—and seated on one of the beds when the door whipped open and Harry walked in, eyes wide. He had clearly just gotten dressed, was still wearing his contacts and his hair looked more than windswept.
"There you are."
She smiled at him. "Just hurt my pinkie, I'll be right back."
The Healer smiled in agreement as she was filling out some paperwork.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he told her, his brows furrowing.
She paused for a moment. "Honey, this is really minor. The Quaffle just bounced off it and I must have dislocated it. It'll be fixed in a jiffy."
Harry swallowed hard. "You suddenly disappeared, and someone tells me you were off to get checked by a Healer." He walked closer to her.
"Oh." She looked down at her hand and back up to him. "I worried you, didn't I?"
He nodded silently, his eyes downcast as if he felt shame for reacting the way he did.
"I am sorry, I didn't think about it." She reached out with her good hand and squeezed his as it rested on the bed. "Next time I'll let you know."
He shook his head, pulling his lower lip between his teeth. "It's okay."
The Healer stood up and turned back to her. "Let me check for fractures."
Ginny held her hand out to the Healer, who waved her wand over it twice.
"No fractures," the Healer announced. "We'll reset it. It will hurt a moment."
Harry held out his hand. "Want to hold my hand?" He smiled encouragingly at her.
She gratefully took his hand and then nodded at the Healer. She gasped as the bone snapped back into place. "Ow!"
"How does that feel?" the Healer asked.
Ginny wiggled her fingers, releasing her other hand from Harry. She clenched her hand closed a few times. "Much better."
The Healer walked back to her and handed her a potion. "Take it with dinner, it should be healed by the morning. If you are still experiencing pain, please come back tomorrow."
She took it and nodded. She got off the bed and walked back out with Harry. When they were in the corridor, she turned to him.
"I am sorry I worried you, it would have taken less than a sentence to let you know," she told him.
"No, I…" He shook his head. "I don't need to know where you are at every moment. I should have assumed if something was wrong, you would have told me."
She pulled him a bit closer. "It is okay if you were worried, I'll just let you know next time. It's not an issue."
He nodded silently.
"Ron is waiting with Neville. Are you ready to meet him?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "Yes, I am." He pushed her towards the changing room. "Go get changed."
She walked back into the changing room and put her regular clothes on. Harry took her hand as soon as she exited. She found Ron in the reserved section with Neville. She had to wade through a sea of people who wanted to congratulate Harry and her on their first win. She smiled politely, keeping a tight hold on his hand as she made it to their section. The security let them through after a quick glance at their badges.
"I am so glad you could make it!" she said, hugging Ron. She quickly hugged Neville too and then turned to Harry.
"Harry, this is my friend Neville," she introduced him.
Harry stuck his hand out and Neville shook it.
"Now you have met me in real life, you know I'm not an actual threat." Neville gestured towards himself.
After a quick glance at Ginny, Harry smiled towards Neville. "Don't sell yourself short!"
"He always does that," Ron said with an eye-roll. "What a game!"
Ginny smiled widely. "Spain is quite something! I am glad we won this one. I feel a bit more secure about the next two. After that, all bets are off."
Ron eyed her. "Did I see that Quaffle hit your finger?"
"Yes, had to get it set but it was very minor," she told him. She looked up at Harry. "Are you still worried about Neville, or are you okay?"
He shook her head. "I just didn't really realise then why it upset me. I am a bit more in tune with my feelings at the moment."
She squeezed his side. "Good. Nev's a good friend. I want you to get along."
"We will," Neville said. "I don't think many men would even want to go up against that." He nodded towards Harry, who looked a bit dumbfounded.
"Why?"
Ginny chuckled. "You're fit, tall, handsome, witty and love Quidditch."
"You're her ideal man," Ron said. "You have checked all the boxes. It's a surprise it took as long as it did."
Harry blushed as he looked at her. "I'm charmed."
A waiter passed with champagne and they plucked a glass of the tray.
That glass and a few more after dinner made them a little tipsy by the time they went up to bed. They looked down the corridor and when they saw no one, they entered Ginny's room together.
"There are more things why you are my ideal man," Ginny whispered, although she wasn't entirely sure why she was whispering.
Harry followed her inside and sat down on the bed to take his shoes off. "And what's that?"
She straddled his lap and his hands landed on her hips. She kissed him softly.
"You know how to fuck," she kissed his neck. "Truly unparalleled skill and you make it so intimate."
Harry's nose pressed into her hair.
"And are not afraid of the challenge that is me," she told him.
His hands crept up her body. "Of course not."
"I need to prove my heart is yours," she mumbled. "Where is my wand?"
Harry stiffened below her, and not in a good way. "No—What are you planning?"
"I am just going to accio…" She tried to push off him but his grip tightened on her. She met his eyes with a frown.
"I had to go to St Mungo's. You are going to risk your World Cup participation?" he implored. "I love you, and you love me. You don't need to prove it."
She shook her head. She chewed her lip and looked over his shoulder. "I just need to…"
"Ginny."
His tone was firm and her gaze slipped back to him.
"We need to win the Cup first; you can do this later—it doesn't have to be right now."
She let her head drop on his shoulder and sighed. "Fine. Sex then."
"You're just a smidge too tipsy. Lie down."
She didn't obey nor object but when Harry moved her down on the bed, she didn't stop him.
"I am going to shower; I'll be right back." He kissed her cheek.
She nodded. The mattress shifted when Harry got up off it. She sat back up and looked around. She unzipped her dress and stepped out of it. Her eyes widened when she found her wand, wedged under the band of her bra.
"Aha!" she exclaimed, taking it out. "Accio—"
"Expelliarmus."
Her wand flew out of her loose grip immediately and Harry caught it easily. He looked baffled.
"What did I just tell you?"
She looked down at his body, standing naked at the other side of the room. She raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Merlin, you're hot."
He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. "We do not accio our hearts, Ginny!"
She offered him a guilty grimace. "Oops?" She eyed her wand. "Can I get my wand back?"
"The fuck you are!" he told her. "I am taking it into the bathroom with me. You're not getting close to any wand unless I can keep my eyes on you."
"Fine." She stepped back to the bed and whipped the sheets back dramatically as she got into it. "Just bring all three back with you."
"Three—?" He looked down at his hands, then further down and his head snapped back up. "You're a comedian."
She grinned at him. Harry shook his head and got back in the bathroom, with all his wands. She took off her bra and underwear and then got comfortable, resting her head on the pillow.
Harry exited a few minutes later. He got in bed, his arms wrapped around her and—
"Where are your clothes?"
She gestured towards the end of the bed.
"Are you going to put something on?"
She shook her head. "No, I don't think I will."
Harry sighed and pressed a kiss against her hairline. "Fine, your choice."
Ginny woke up as the door of the room closed. She turned, squinting at the light as Harry walked into the room.
"Hangover potion," he told her, handing it to her.
She grabbed it immediately. "How did you know I was going to need this?"
He bit back his smile as he settled on the armchair. "I am sure the potion will refresh your memory."
She pulled the cork off and gulped it down. She suppressed a burp as she set the bottle down on the side table. She looked under the sheets.
"Did we have drunk sex?" she asked.
He shook his head with a smile. "You tried."
The potion settled heavy in her stomach for a few seconds and then it took effect. She instantly felt better, her headache went away and her mind cleared.
"Oh no."
He chuckled. "There we go."
"Fuck, I am so sorry! I almost summoned my heart!" She crawled out of bed and climbed into his lap.
Harry looked down at her body for a moment. "Yeah, that was a good scare."
"Thank you for not letting me do that." She kissed him. "I am a total menace if I'm drunk enough, I'm sorry."
"You're very charming drunk." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And a danger to yourself, I hope you know that."
She nodded. "Sometimes I am." She caressed his side. "Thank you for taking care of me. Can I make it up to you?"
"I can think of a few things," he teased. He kissed her. "And seeing as you're already naked..."
She wrapped her body around him as he moved back to the bed.
After the win against Spain, they had to play against Hungary. It was a game they easily won. The two next games in Spain against Chile and Singapore they won. Some brothers joined to watch games when they could, but they all had their work to get to as well. She was already happy they showed up at all.
The next three games were played in Australia. The climate took some getting used to but they were able to put down good results. They won all games but the last, the quarter final against China. They had a tie there, but China ended up losing their semi-final against Finland.
Canada was another adjustment, especially when coming from Australia, but Ginny was more comfortable in the Canadian climate than the Australian one. Michael was strict with their training schedules, but never yelled at them like Gwenog did. He had a slightly softer demeanour. It had Ginny dreaming about the potential approaches she could take if she made it as Captain of the Holyhead Harpies.
Her parents arrived for her semi-final, and her excitement grew. It became a ruthless hours-long ordeal, but eventually they won from Egypt. Ginny guessed that ultimately the climate wasn't in the Egyptians' favour and it wore them down the longer the game went on. This didn't bode well for the Cup Final, Finland was up for Canada's climate for sure.
The day after the semi-final was their last rest day. It was truly dawning on them that they had a chance to win the World Cup.
"Gin?" Harry asked.
She sat up on the couch in her hotel room. "Yeah?"
"Remember how you were sad that your family couldn't all come to watch the game because it's sold out?" he asked as he sat down beside her.
She nodded. "Yes, just the family tickets."
He smiled at her happily. "I can reveal to you that they all have tickets for the final, they're arriving the day before."
"All of them?"
He nodded. "Yes."
She cocked her head. "Did you get up to this?"
He quickly shook his head. "They all bought tickets beforehand for the final, and promised me not to tell you until we had qualified."
Her jaw dropped. "No, I—That's a lot of money, and they couldn't have known…"
"They were betting on you," Harry told her. "They believe in you."
She breathed out. "Wow."
"Which is why I gave my family ticket to Remus. He couldn't bring his family, but he is coming."
She smiled brighter. "That is perfect."
"More so than you realise," he continued. He seemed to chew on his words for a few moments. "I have been thinking a lot, about the future."
She turned towards him and listened intently. "Yeah?"
"I have been thinking that if we win the World Cup, that will be my last game. I will retire," he told her and then watched her reaction.
"What?" was all she could say. She had not expected it at all. He was at the peak of his career.
"If we win, I'll never do better again. This is it. I've won the National Cup too. I think I want to finish on a high note." He reached out and squeezed her hand, wearing a tentative smile.
"Wha—? I am not sure." She shook her head. "I mean if that's what you want to do…but… this is a bit of a surprise."
"I know," he said softly. "Doing this World Cup with you has been nothing short of amazing. On the other hand, I am disgusted by the way our management treated us and the way we've been manipulated." He licked his lips. "Quidditch was a way to fill an empty life, but I feel like after the wins of this year, I have mostly the tough things left. Dealing with management—we may never avoid the press, but it'll get less. I no longer need Quidditch." He locked his eyes with hers. "You have brought me happiness. Not just with our relationship—although that is a major contributor—but you have helped me heal and reconcile. My life is full again."
She swallowed hard. "I get it. You want out because what they did to us, and I want to dive in and make a change."
"And I am sure you will," he told her. "It's not my fight, but you can do it."
"Are you sure?" she asked, now worried about his expectations about the future. "You don't expect me to retire with you? Or start on children or—?"
Harry kissed her. "You will retire when you are ready for it. You do not need to take me into account for that. I'll just greet you when you come home, get the food ready, become Arnold's favourite… I'll find different things to do." He kissed her cheek. "I am not going to demand children when you're at the top of your game. We will have them when we both feel ready for that, and if it is never then that is fine as well."
Ginny jumped into his lap and hugged him tightly. "Is it bad I want us to lose a little bit, just a tiny tiny sliver of myself because I admire your Quidditch talent?"
He buried his face in her neck. "I am sure you will overcome it."
"This is major, isn't it?" she asked.
He met her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Is that okay?"
Ginny immediately nodded. "Of course. You have to do what you want, chase your dreams and all that. I understand you are done with management meddling, truly. I just hope that is not a lost game yet. We'll see. I'll just be a little sad."
"Me too, but I don't expect it to last long." He hugged her closer. "I am glad that the people important to me can see my potentially last game. It means we can wrap it up together. I'll start a new chapter in my life."
She breathed out slowly. "Okay. I'll support you to do what makes you happy and if it lies beyond Quidditch, I'll accept that."
"I still adore Quidditch, I still want to watch you play… I just don't need to be in it." He looked up at her.
"Hm." She nodded thoughtfully. "Does Michael know…?"
"No. I haven't told anyone, just you. As the World Cup became more likely, I started making my mind up more and our last win really settled it." He sighed. "I'll let Michael know, but if I do it now it'll just stress him out."
"Yeah, no kidding!" she told him
She kissed him softly, her hand cupping his jaw.
"Don't kiss me like I'm leaving," he mumbled against her lips.
She shook her head. "But in a way you are—you may be."
Harry kissed her again. One of his hands was pressed against the small of her back, the other dove into her hair. She sighed softly. Her hands danced down slowly as they kissed and she began pulling up his shirt.
He let her lift it off him and she let it drop on the couch beside him. She kissed him again, clutching his face between her hands. He hummed against her lips. He pulled her shirt up and then took off her bra. He spent a long time kissing along her collarbone and paid special attention to her breasts until she had to beg him to continue.
She walked backwards to the bed, and he pulled his trousers off. As soon as she let herself drop on the bed, he joined her. He kissed her and then his hands went down to her trousers. He pulled them down, leaving both of them in their underwear.
"Enjoy this fit Quidditch body while it lasts," he teased as he pulled her closer again.
She chuckled at it. "As long as you bring the cock and the personality, we are all good."
He adjusted his position and she straddled his waist.
"In that order?" he asked. His hand squeezed her breast.
Her hand covered his arm, keeping his hand in that position. She shook her head.
"I love all of you," she whispered. She pecked his lips. "As long as you can keep up with me in bed…" She offered him a teasing look. "I don't care what your body looks like."
"Since when do you fuck me for my personality?" he retorted.
She didn't reply and instead led his hands to her underwear. He pulled it off her and sat back down and Harry's hand found her clit. He teased it for a moment. Then he grabbed hold of her hips. She moved enough to pull his underwear down and then she hovered over him and positioned herself. He entered her.
"Hm. Fuck."
His hands rested on her hips, stopping her from moving. "Tell me how much you want it."
"Harry," she sighed.
He shook his head with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Do tell me."
"I will make you pay for this," she threatened, but he still did not move his hands. "I need you, Harry. Please let me fuck you."
His hands lifted. "That'll do."
She shook her head and leaned down to kiss him.
The photoshoots before the World Cup were kept as short as possible, but they still spent over two hours getting ready and having their photos taken. It bothered Michael to no end but there was nothing they could do.
Michael spent the rest of the day training them, working on some manoeuvres and after a speech from Michael they were let go, with the instructions to be extra careful tonight.
Ginny immediately went to look for her family, who had just managed to settle down at the hotel. She hugged all of them tightly.
"I am so excited for you!" her mother said with a tighter-than-usual hug.
Fred grinned at her. "We are betting on you, literally, so please do well."
"Don't say that!" She slapped her hands over her ears. "We can't be involved with that because it could affect the outcome."
"It's not like you'd see any of that money," George told her.
"Don't you get paid if you win?" Charlie asked.
She shot him a look. "Yes, and it means I can ask more next season as well. It's looking good in that regard. Even if we lose now, I should be able to demand a little raise."
"Are you nervous?" her dad asked.
She nodded. "Of course I am. This is a big thing."
"Just try to enjoy it," her mother suggested gently with a pat on her arm.
Harry walked up to them together with Remus. Ginny introduced him to her family.
"I am a friend of Harry's parents. It's so nice to meet you all," Remus told them. "I've heard many wonderful things about you."
Harry and Ginny's eyes locked for a moment and they smiled.
"And how are the nerves with you?" Ron asked Harry.
He shook his head. "Terrible. The Finnish team has a very lightweight, fast Seeker. I will need to use all my skills for this one."
"Just see the Snitch first and you'll be alright," Ginny suggested with a grin.
He looked at her and shook his head. "Well, thank you for that. Very helpful."
The team stood waiting silently. The crowd was loud, much louder than Ginny had ever heard. Ginny could feel her heart thumping in her chest. Her Vivacus was practically humming under her fingers, as if it could tell the importance of the upcoming game, and it was excited to prove its worth.
Ginny watched as Michael finished his speech to them.
"No matter the outcome, I am proud of you," Michael said. Then he mounted his broom and took off to join the announcer to watch the game from there.
"Can I throw up before we go?" Peter let out.
"No!" Cole answered.
Livvy stood a little closer and squeezed his arm. "You've put down amazing results the whole time. You've got this. We all do. And we are going to win!"
The team nodded, and everyone looked a bit more confident.
The announcer's voice came on.
"Good morning all! We are all very excited to be here. Our two coaches have just joined me. We have confirmation that the players are ready and so we will call the first names. For the Finnish team, we have the Keeper Kalle Laine. It is his 3rd World Cup! Can you believe it? Then we have Chasers Kirsti Joutsen, Tero Pietarinen and Leevi Raita. They make quite the Chaser team. Beaters Tuukka Kotka and Herkko Lipponen… I would not want to get into a bar fight with those two."
"Size isn't everything," Livvy muttered on her breath, causing the ones around her to chuckle.
"And finally Seeker Helena Seppänen, unusually fast and agile!" the announcer continued.
The team seemed to take a deep breath as one person as they mounted their brooms. Ginny soared off the ground just a bit.
"And now for the English team! First up we have Cole Moss as a Keeper! With coaching from fellow Keeper Michael Seatorch a strong defense is expected."
Ginny got ready to fly out.
"Chasers Ginny Weasley, Robert Lawrence and Isabelle Cooper! An excellent Chaser team led by the all-time third-best global Chaser!"
Ginny thought that was a bit of an exaggeration but she had managed to keep up her scoring streak for the National team too. She flew out with Robert and Isabelle on her tail.
"Beaters Livvy Gallagher and Peter Matthews. A surprising but refreshing combination! And then finally—I know I am not meant to be biased, but this last player is a personal favourite of mine—Seeker Harry Potter!"
Ginny hoped that would give Harry an additional mental boost. The team all met up in the air and then did a final sweep through the stadium in formation. The two teams met in the middle of the pitch. It was seconds before the game would start now.
She looked at the rest of the team. Then she met eyes with Harry and found he was already looking at her. Both of them smiled at each other and then she got into her usual Quidditch focus, where nothing but the game mattered.
As soon as the Quaffle was in the air, she dove for it. She narrowly missed the female Finnish Chaser and then she was off. The first toss was easy, and Isabelle caught the Quaffle immediately and flew up with two Finnish Chasers on her tail.
Livvy was aiming Bludgers at them while Robert was trying to shake off the two Finnish Beaters. Robert made their first goal, and that was the start of an intense high-speed game.
The Finnish players were both quick and resilient. They didn't seem to tire at all as they kept throwing their whole weight into the game. Ginny thought they seemed more like acrobats than Quidditch players the way they confidently tumbled through the air. Ginny tried not to get distracted by their techniques—her only goal was the Quaffle.
Two hours in, Finland was leading 230 to 200 and Isabelle had just been hit on the shoulder by a Bludger and dropped the Quaffle. Cursing, Ginny dove and intercepted it before the Finnish Chaser could, and Ginny saw her chance. With a quick pass to Robert, she could rush forward to the goalposts. He tossed it back to her, she threw and she scored.
230 to 210… they could do this. Michael wanted to win in actual scoring even without the Snitch… and this was the challenge they were currently facing. Getting ahead was difficult, and if the other Seeker saw the Snitch first, there was no guarantee Harry could delay her.
Now the Beaters had it out for her. She pretended to go after the Quaffle, giving Robert ample opportunity to get in a good position. Then she repositioned and Isabelle flew overhead to catch the Quaffle, misleading the other team a second time. The crowd cheered as the Quaffle soared through the goalpost. With one more goal, they'd both be at 230.
The Finnish team flew quickly now, and Ginny tried to intercept the Quaffle from them but was unable to. The Beaters weren't letting them through. She watched with bathed breath as the Quaffle flew towards the goalposts at an incredible speed. Cole sped towards it and pushed it off forcefully without any sense of direction—he just needed it away from the goalposts.
Ginny barely had time to breathe when one of the Chasers immediately intercepted the Quaffle again, and soared up to the right height and Ginny knew Cole would never make it on time. The Quaffle easily went through with a light curve.
The high speed of the game was starting to weigh on her, but she couldn't slow down. She pulled more oxygen into her lungs again. The next two goals they made were torture and they took a while, but their excellent defence at least prevented the Finns from scoring again and the score was a draw.
After a particularly close call, Cole tossed the Quaffle to Ginny. She turned around and saw a direct line to the other side of the pitch. It would take just moments for the rest to catch up with her, but she knew she was faster and more agile than most. Not passing the Quaffle was a risk, but she was going to take it.
Suddenly the crowd cheered and she glanced up long enough to see that Harry was pursuing the Snitch. The Finnish Seeker Helena was further from the Snitch, but she was quickly gaining on him as she leaned forward on her broom and made herself as small as possible.
Ginny gripped her broom tighter and she was off flying faster than she ever had before, clutching the Quaffle under her arm. She could sense two Chasers on her heels but she did not look back. The fact that neither Isabelle nor Robert were in front of her meant that they knew what she was attempting to do, and they were working hard to keep the path clear for her.
When she was halfway the field, she glanced up and for a split second her eyes met with Harry's, and she knew they had a chance to pull off the manoeuvre they had practised. They knew he could delay for a fraction of a second to catch the Snitch to allow her to score and put them ahead. Harry just needed to have impeccable timing while keeping his eyes both on her and the Snitch, a feat he had perfected by now.
When she was over halfway over the pitch, her only obstacle would be the Keeper. The rest would not be able to catch up with her in a way that mattered and Livvy and Peter were juggling the Bludgers between them, battering them into the Finnish team before catching it again.
She could not let the Keeper know where she was aiming, and so she did not decide until she was in the scoring area. Her heart was beating a thousand beats a minute. She heard the Bludger whizz past her left ear and the Keeper would have to dodge right if he did not want to abandon his hoops completely. The Bludger was barely past her when she aimed for the left hoop.
She didn't know how close to the Snitch Harry was, but neither of the Seekers must have caught it yet. As soon as the Bludger was out of the way, the Keeper recovered but it was too late and Ginny's aim was true as always. The Quaffle swiftly flew through the hoop without meeting any obstacle.
"And the English team is in the lead! 250 to 240 and our Seekers—!"
The following roar drowned out anything the announcer had been saying and Ginny's head whipped up to see who had caught the Snitch. The two Seekers were so close together it was hard to tell but within seconds Ginny saw the golden wings clutched between Harry's fingers.
They had won the World Cup.
Peter, who had sent the Bludger towards the Keeper reached her first. "Amazing piece of flying! Holy shit!" he let out.
"You saved me there," she told him about his well-timed Bludger. Livvy joined and Robert was close behind. All of them were hugging mid-air. Harry flew down towards them. Oh, she was going to be sad in a little bit that he was going to be retiring. For now, she was wildly euphoric. The group parted to let him join in the core of the team and she opened his arms for him.
He held her tightly, the Snitch still in his hands. "Perfect timing, Weasley."
She shook her head. "No, you."
He leaned back and beamed at her. Then he kissed her.
"Michael is waiting for us," Cole said, pointing up to the announcer's platform.
The group finally disentangled themselves. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand and they flew up together.
"Perkele!" one of the Finnish players let out as they flew towards the ground.
"I don't know what that means," Isabelle said, "but it didn't sound good."
They reached the platform moments later. They hopped off their brooms and hugged Michael first, who was openly crying. Harry let go off the Snitch and it soared back over the field.
The roars of the crowd finally died down for the announcer to speak again. Ginny kept a tight hold on every teammate who was in her vicinity, including Harry who was squeezed in beside her.
"What an ending! England finishes with a whopping 400 points against 240! The Finnish team fought valiantly and I commend them but the winners are here! They showed excellent team work and sportsmanship. Some teams may reconsider putting couples together, because that was timing you can only manage if you are very in tune with each other. This is the first win for the English team since 1901!"
The World Cup soared down in front of the announcer and he gripped it.
"May I introduce to you! The World Cup winners, the English team under the coaching of Michael Seatorch with Cole Moss, Ginny Weasley, Robert Lawrence, Isabelle Cooper, Livvy Gallagher, Peter Matthews and Harry Potter! Congratulations!"
Fireworks went off as the Cup was thrust into Michael's hands. He handed it over to Harry, who held it up in the air for a moment under loud cheers. Ginny was almost afraid to touch it, it didn't feel quite real yet. Harry handed it to her with a wide smile.
She read the engraving for a moment, beaming so widely her cheeks hurt. Then she handed the cup over to Peter. Harry pulled her closer and they met eyes, trying to get a grasp on the gravity of this moment. The crowd was still cheering them on. When everyone had a chance to hold the Cup, it was time for their first photo as the winning team. They huddled together.
Robert put the Cup in her hands. "You hold it for the photo."
She smiled thankfully at him and she held it in front of her, while the rest of the team leaned in. The flash went off. Ginny handed the Cup back to Michael.
Even after they flew down to the ground, it took ages for them to be able to get back inside. They put away their brooms and the rest of the team filed into the changing room, but Ginny remained there and looked over at Harry.
His arms wrapped tightly around her and his face buried in her hair, clearly not caring that she was beyond sweaty.
"Are you sure?" she asked one last time.
He nodded. "Yes. Have you ever been profoundly happy?" He met her eyes again.
She cocked her head. "I have never been happier. I am ready for whatever the next chapter brings us, as long as we're together."
And something changed in Harry's eyes. His look got intense and he quickly glanced towards the cheering teammates in the changing room but they were too occupied celebrating.
"I've been doing more thinking about the future," he told her. "And you just reaffirmed it…And maybe this isn't the right time—"
She watched him, eyes wide.
"I am just feeling extremely lucky at the moment." He took a step back and then he got down on his knee with his eyes trained on her. "Will you marry me?"
There was no speech, no pleading look. Just an honest question from a man who loved her so much it nearly tore his heart out, who was beaming up at her with boundless happiness written all over his face.
She blinked rapidly, pulling in air to recover from the surprise but she did not need to dwell on her answer. She nodded, smiling even brighter than before. "Yes."
He was up off his knee in seconds and wrapped his arms tightly around her as he kissed her. She clutched him close to her, trying to convey her enthusiasm. This was the easiest 'yes' she had ever given.
"Do you even have a ring, you crazy man?" she asked when he leaned away because she could tell at least half of it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. She brushed her fingers through his hair.
He shook his head lightly, eyes sparkling. "No—but I have an idea."
Ginny watched as he retrieved a training Snitch from his bag. He took his wand from his inside pocket and tapped it on the Snitch. The two wings popped off and soared in mid-air.
Harry took up her hand and then guided the wings to shrink and wrap around her ring finger. It melted to fit around her finger, but still kept the distinct shape of the Snitch's wings.
"That's perfect," she murmured.
Harry kissed her again, her hand still in his. Michael must have entered the changing room from the other side because they were cheering him on.
"Yoohoo!" Livvy called from the door. "You two, come on!"
Ginny smiled at Harry and walked inside, joining the back of the group as they faced Michael.
"I am so proud of all of you!" he started.
Ginny leaned against Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist as she listened to Michael. Harry squeezed her closer.
"Each and every one of you have put down amazing results for every game and I really feel like it all came together in this one. You used the tactics we rehearsed to your advantage, you were so full of energy. It was beautiful to watch. There will be a press conference this afternoon, and we can return home tomorrow. There will be some more activities next week."
"Thank you for being our Coach!" Cole said.
"Here here!" the others chimed in.
Livvy turned around to them. "And what were you two naughties doing? Celebrating I bet"—her eyes grew wide like saucers—"whatsthatonyourhand?!"
Suddenly the whole team was looking at them. Ginny couldn't hide her smile.
"We were indeed celebrating," she responded with a grin, "but not how you think." She raised her hand just a bit, wiggling her fingers.
Livvy gasped. "You're engaged!"
Ginny was half a nod into confirming when Livvy's arms wrapped around her body while she squealed excitedly. What followed was another round of congratulations both to her and Harry. She was very excited but she was also parched.
"Okay, okay!" she said after Isabelle hugged her a second time and saw Livvy approaching again. "This is all very nice, but I really really need a drink."
"Champagne—!"
"No, water," she told Livvy. Finally, she could make her way to the table with water and most of her teammates left to shower.
She downed a whole glass in one go and then immediately filled another. Harry helped himself to water too. He smiled at her looking stupidly happy and her heart leapt.
"This has been the best week of my life," she told him. She took another sip and set her glass down.
He nodded in agreement. He took a step closer to her. "How about we keep that going?"
She grinned at him. "And marry on… Sunday or something?" she suggested.
"Is that insane?" he asked lightly.
She put her arms around his neck. "Completely." She kissed him. "Let's do it."
He kissed her again before releasing her. He gulped down his water. "We should get changed."
Cole and Peter were already exiting the shower stalls when Ginny and Harry walked up.
"Don't shower together, because we can hear you!" Livvy warned.
Ginny shook her head and locked eyes with Harry. "We're not that bad, are we?"
He chuckled, pressed a kiss against her hair and then disappeared into a shower stall.