The Laws Have Changed - Chapter 6
She couldn't believe it. She wasn't even playing her normal position and she was nowhere near the skill level of Harry or Draco. But she had done it!
In the final match of the year, against Ravenclaw for the Quidditch Cup, she found herself playing Seeker for a second time; going up against someone who had been playing for at least the entire year in that crucial role. She was surprised at how quickly she adapted to her temporary position, but it didn't change the fact that she wasn't as confident as she would've been if she was playing Chaser.
She had been tempted to ask Draco for some tips when she went to visit him in the Hospital Wing, but it strangely felt like it would have ruined the moment. She had finally been able to spend time with him and was elated when she learned that he felt the same way. The emotion was overflowing in her, even after she asked him about his duel with Harry. His words were definitely confirming some of the suspicions that she had been pushing to the back of her mind, but she also knew that she was playing a waiting game with the blond Slytherin. He would only reveal what he felt comfortable revealing and she had to be content with that. She told him that she would trust the path he was on. She couldn't go back on such a proclamation now.
Ever since the Department of Mysteries she knew things were ramping up and the current term was a deceptive calm before the storm. She was convinced that Draco his own role to play, but so did she and she only hoped that he would rely on her when his role became too much to bear.
Despite the tenor parts of their conversation had, it didn't stop her from feeling that typical giddiness of finally being able to snog the boy she had a crush on. She was almost certain that she had gotten some questionable looks when she strolled into the Great Hall for breakfast the following morning.
She had been grinning from ear to ear as she sat down, constantly replaying the night's events in her head. She blushed when she thought about the first kiss they shared. Everywhere he had kissed set her nerve endings on fire — the quick, light kisses he placed on her nose and eyelids; the open-mouthed ones he lavished her neck with, making sure the only mark he left was a small bit of bruised skin behind her right ear; and she couldn't forget the achingly slow kisses he would give her every time he went back to her lips. He even began rubbing his thumbs against her waist as he devoted his attention to her neck, but she was sure he was running on impulse at that point.
Either way, he was a much better kisser than she was expecting and she was grateful that her Housemates were too focused on Harry getting detention during the last game of the season to bother asking her about where she was that night. Well, Luna had mentioned something about nargles being unseasonal for April when her blonde friend wondered why she left an infirmary stay with a smile, but that was par for the course with the somewhat prescient Ravenclaw. It seemed like everyone else assumed her excited expression was due to the upcoming match.
What mattered the most at the present time, though, was that she was there when her team needed her and she had actually caught the Golden Snitch! She felt as though she could fly without need of a broom. It was blissful, floating back down to a roaring crowd of students; fielding pats on the back, the jostling of her hair, and hugs so tight they could give her mum's a run for their money.
Her common room, of course, was already in full celebration mode — streamers hung from the walls, butterbeer was snuck in from the kitchens, and some tune played loudly on the wizarding wireless.
It seemed like everyone wanted to ask her about the game and she found herself thanking the constant congratulatory wishes from people she barely spoke to. She thought she'd found some kind of reprieve when she joined Hermione in a semi-quiet corner near the stairs, when Seamus strolled over, asking if he could borrow her. The two girls rolled their eyes, but laughed at the playfully pleading look their amiable Irish Housemate gave them. Before she knew it, she had been plopped onto Seamus and Neville's shoulders as they paraded her around the common room for another victory lap.
She had to admit that she did enjoy looking down at everyone as she jokingly moved her hand as though she was a queen waving to her subjects. She even laughed at the irony of them taking Draco's taunt for Ron and changing it to chant "Weasley is our queen!" She knew that if he was there, witnessing all of Gryffindor using his words in her favor, he'd be in a corner smirking; amused by the entire situation. He'd eventually join in, unable to resist congratulating her on such an important victory. Hell, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that he'd probably start the chant after snogging her until Ron went purple.
She'd tell him soon enough, though, and so she continued her parade; letting her eyes wander across the crowed room.
From her precarious position on the two boys' shoulders, she could see Harry near the fireplace, waiting for her.
Kiss him.
Her eyes went wide at the flat, distant voice that seemed to echo only in her ears. She gave her head a quick shake, trying to dismiss the thought. She had made her choice when she went to see Draco that fateful night in the Hospital Wing and she wasn't about to change her mind. She was already counting down the minutes until she could slip away from the festivities without drawing too much attention to herself.
She asked her friends to put her back down, determined to leave sooner rather than later. With her feet firmly planted on the ground, she tried skirting the edges of the room, acutely aware of Harry's eager green eyes following her.
Don't you see how much he needs you? You know he's right about Draco.
She stopped dead in her tracks. The voice didn't sound like her or anyone she knew. It reminded her of the voice used in the Ministry lifts to announce each floor.
She couldn't help but notice the presence it pressed onto her mind, as though it was trying to sway her decision by force, if necessary. She could feel a pressure building behind her eyes — an intense migraine that almost made her vision blurry. The feeling was familiar, but she wasn't able to focus on anything else but the strange voice. Closing her eyes didn't seem to help and the only reprieve she would get was if she happened to glance at the area where Harry stood.
The closer she got to him, the more the feeling tried to dominate her.
Isn't this what you've always wanted? Isn't this why you visited him in the Hospital Wing? He's a hero, your family loves him, and think about how easy things would be with him.
"NO!" she cried out, eyes closed, unaware that she had made the mistake of saying it out loud.
When she finally opened them, she turned pale at the silence permeating the room. She needed to leave. Now. She needed to tell Draco about her performance during the match. She need to see his smile. She needed to feel his embrace as he congratulated her.
Long legs swiftly made it to the entrance of the common room, but before she could make it out the door, a hand on her wrist stopped her. She turned to see Harry, the emerald eyes she once obsessed over full of concern and hope.
"Gin, are you okay?" He held steady onto her wrist.
She lowered her arm, grateful at his understanding of her silent request to let go. "I'm fine, Harry. Honest." She added a smile to reassure him. "I think I had some stress going into the match and I let my thoughts get the better of me."
"Did you want to talk about it?" She knew he was nervous to say the quiet part out loud. He wanted to her to speak with him and only him.
She felt herself tense up as she realized that he was going to try to use the moment to finally make his feelings known. She knew she he would expect her to be overcome with emotion at a confession she'd been waiting for since she was ten. But she wasn't ten and she had grown tired of waiting. Someone more interesting had shown up in the time it took for Harry to make his move and she wanted nothing more than to get away from Gryffindor Tower so she could be with that someone.
"I think I just need a moment to myself and I'll be right as rain."
"Are you sure?" She was starting to hate his persistence being used on her.
"Yes, I'm sure. Don't let me ruin the celebration anymore than I already have and I'll see you later."
He hesitated in the doorway, wanting to say something, but was beat to the punch by Ron.
"She'll be alright, Harry. Ginny's always liked having some alone time when she needs to think."
As Harry turned to look back at his friend, she mouthed "Thank you," prompting an understanding smile from the brother who seemed to know her better than he let on.
She closed the portrait door quietly before running away as fast as she could.
She only made one stop — the kitchens — before she ran to her final destination despite the heavy basket now gripped in her hands.
"What do you think you're doing in my seat?"
He grinned, feeling the familiar strings of warmth at her voice. He tilted his head back to see her smirking at him, gripping a basket with two hands. She kissed his forehead and moved to stand in front of him.
"Well, considering the circumstances, I thought it was only fair to consider this our seat."
He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so good. Her presence had an even more profound affect on him than he had anticipated and his latest worry was that he would become dependent on her for everything. He found himself trying to curb his expectations each day in spite of the fact that he had completed the second prerequisite.
He was firmly convinced now that Ginny would play a bigger role than he was originally hoping for, but he still couldn't comprehend the extent of that role. If he had learned anything from the time between the first two prerequisites, it was that he needed to continue to let events play out as they normally would. She was the true agent of change in his second life, with his task being the only thing he felt he had the most control over. And he was determined to see it through, even if it meant losing her.
She placed the basket down next to the chair and took up her normal position draped across it. The fact that his lap now acted as her cushion was simply an added bonus.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face at its base. She sighed when she felt his arms lay across her waist.
"Something wrong?"
She raised her head after a moment and it broke him to see her eyes shining from unshed tears. Before he could delve deeper into her troubles, she placed her lips on his, allowing all other thoughts to melt away.
He decided that he wanted things to progress naturally; content with her setting their pace and their limits. He could feel her hand move down to rest on his chest and he wondered if she was able to feel how fast his heart pounded from the simple contact she gave him.
Time always seemed to crawl to a halt when he was with her; especially more so after their night in the Hospital Wing. The whole world disappeared under her innocent touches — comforting, light, and real. Each moment spent kissing her relieved his fraying nerves, reducing them down to the normal rush a 16-year-old boy got whenever he was around the person he fancied.
She paused, resting her forehead on his. "I needed that."
He laughed — one of the rare, treasured laughs she enjoyed so much — at her honesty. "Did you now?"
She blushed when he raised an eyebrow at her; suddenly shy at his playful scrutiny. "I was just feeling off before I came to see you. I needed to know I wasn't going crazy."
"I mean, if your brother found out who you're now snogging, he might actually threaten to send you to the loony bin."
"Draco!" She lightly patted his chest at his teasing. "You know I'm not afraid to leave you here without dinner."
He sobered up, only allowing a small smile to peek through. He needed to eat and she seemed to be the one person who made him comfortable enough to get him to keep his food down. "My apologies, Gin. I know your threats are akin to promises."
She beamed at his words and scrambled to stand. "I'll have you know that tonight is a cause for celebration!"
"How so?" Was there a holiday or something he had missed?
She placed her hands on her hips and raised her head in pride. "You, sir, are looking at not only Gryffindor's excellent reserve Seeker, but also the Seeker who won the Quidditch Cup for her House."
He rose to stand in front of her, eyes wide. "Really?"
She bit her bottom lip as she nodded; her mouth eventually settling into a wide grin. She squealed as he enveloped her into a hug, letting one hand cradle the base of her skull, with the other pressing against the small of her back.
"I'm so proud of you, Ginny" he whispered, allowing her excitement to wash over him. "I should've been there to see you win."
She pulled back, giving him a quick peck. "It's okay. I know it would've only invited unwanted attention upon you and you would've been distracted from the game."
"Doesn't make me feel any less of a git." He put his hands in his pockets and looked down. "Besides, I've never dated a girl who likes Quidditch, much less plays it."
Ginny had started reaching down to pick up the basket, only to pause mid-bend at his words. She slowly rose up, placed it onto the small table behind her and turned back to him with a wide smile.
"Am I your girlfriend?" she murmured. Was it not obvious?
"I assumed your whole comment about not telling anyone about us was a pretty clear indication," he replied with a shrug. "Was I wrong?"
She stepped forward and grabbed his hands with hers, her smile still holding strong. "No, you're not. It's just that, sometimes, a girl likes to know for sure."
He rolled his eyes and huffed the way 14-year-old him would've. "Fine," he continued, purposefully ignoring her giggles. "You, Ginny Weasley, are my girlfriend."
She rocked back and forth on her feet, looking impossibly adorable in her boundless joy. He grabbed her face to get her to still and leaned in to seal the deal with a kiss. Deciding that food could continue to wait as she was all the sustenance he needed, he brought his hands to her waist, pulling her close to him. She instinctively placed her arms around his neck. When she started playing with the hairs at the nape, he let a hand go lower, tracing the lovely curve of her bum.
He didn't even realize he was doing it until she broke away, gasping.
He paled, ashamed at his disregard for his promise to himself to let her set their pace. "Ginny, I'm so sor—"
"Oh, no! I didn't gasp because of that," she began, cutting him off. "Well, I mean, I may have, but it was in a good way. I think I like the way you touch my bum the most." She went candy apple red again at his low chuckle. "The real reason why I gasped was because, for whatever reason, I had this fleeting thought that I have more relationship experience than you, don't I?"
"Oh, sweet Merlin," he muttered with an eye roll, which only made her try (and fail) to keep a straight face.
Then she went in for the kill and nothing could've prepared him for her inherently innocent words, veiling eyes twinkling in hormonal amusement.
"It's okay, though, because I'm sure I could still use your tutoring skills."
Bleeding Merlin and the saints. Holy shit. Bloody fucking Christ. He hoped that whichever deity deigned him to get a second chance at life was having the best fucking day of their own infinite life. Just hoped everything went their way because he was increasingly beginning to understand the brilliance of guiding him towards her.
He could feel himself blushing at the implication of her statement. She was flirtatious in a way that he wasn't used to and he realized that even though she was purposefully teasing him, he didn't mind it one bit. Pansy and some of the other Slytherin girls understood subtlety, but they could also be too overt in what they wanted from him; leaving nothing to the imagination at times.
Now that he was with someone that wasn't afraid to pull back on her advances, though, he was finding that it was nice to be left wondering. He knew he probably didn't have much that he could tutor her on in that department considering he was still figuring things out himself, but maybe that was part of the fun. He didn't have to be an expert on everything; he just had to have the willingness to learn.
He visibly swallowed, working extremely hard to suppress urges he hadn't experienced in a very long time. He determined then and there that he was right to treat the time she decided to give him with such reverence. It was what she deserved.
"We should eat before it gets too late." His saliva felt syrupy as he spoke.
"Oh!" her face brightened, seeming to not notice the reaction she provoked. "You must be starving!"
He sat down and nodded, not trusting himself to speak because he was starving. He was thirsty, he was ravenous, he was parched. But he wasn't sure if Ginny even wanted to sate that hunger just yet.
A/N - Thank you for reading and leaving a comment! Y'all's feedback has been to lovely to read! Special thanks to Nacilme! Your review was so lovely and I'm still blushing just thinking about it lol