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SIYE Time:18:34 on 28th March 2024
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Compromising Positions
By Velvethope

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Category: Post-OotP
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Fluff, General
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 35
Summary: Ginny finds herself in hot water (thanks to Draco) and Harry comes to her rescue. He realizes he has stronger feelings than he thought for our favorite red-head. A one shot.

Hitcount: Story Total: 9687







ChapterPrinter


Compromising Positions



Monday:

After gathering the game balls and storing them, Ginny was the last one in the changing rooms after Quidditch practice and she was glad. She’d get to rub down her sore arm in peace without Ron hovering over her, demanding to know if it was going to be all right for Saturday’s game against Ravenclaw.

Honestly, thought Ginny to herself, ever since he got made captain he’s a worse worrier than Mum.

Her smile turned to a frown as she shrugged off her outer garment. Ginny picked up the salve Madam Pomfrey had brewed for her and bit her lip as she started to rub it into the front part of her arm. Merlin, that stunk. She was glad no one was around to tell her she smelled funny. Although having someone else rub this into her shoulder might be rather nice...

“Ginny?”

HarryR 17;s voice startled her and she turned her head around, making sure to cover herself. Not that she’d been showing all that much anyway, but still. She hoped she wasn’t blushing.

“Harry, you startled me. I thought everyone had cleared out?”

Harry smiled sheepishly at her and walked over to the bench where she was sitting.

“I forgot a book I stuck in my locker. I need it to do Snape’s essay tonight. How’s the arm?”

Ginny grimaced. “Now don’t you start, it’s bad enough-”

Harry held up his hands in innocence. “Just asking out of concern, I’m not a spy for Health Inspector Ron, promise.”

Ginny laughed despite herself and shook her head at him. “Sorry. Bit defensive. It’s okay, really. Just... extremely...” Ginny paused, gritting her teeth as she moved.

“Sore beyond belief?” Harry asked, his voice holding a note of concern.

“Very,” Ginny nodded, and went back to trying to apply the salve again. “It wouldn’t be so bad if I could actually reach my back where it hurts the most.”

Harry smiled at her. “Want me to do it for you?”

Ginny paused and glanced at him. He looked perfectly innocent and she was sure there were no underlying motives in his actions... Ginny reckoned it wasn’t like Harry to offer to rub some girl’s back just to get lucky and cop a feel. She giggled at the thought.

“What?” he asked her, frowning.

“Nothing, Harry. Yes, please, if you wouldn’t mind?” She handed him the bottle of salve and turned around so that her back was facing him.

She heard Harry open the bottle and smiled as she heard him cough.

“Ergh. This stinks, Ginny.”

“You’re telling me, how would you like to go to bed every night smelling the stuff all over you?”

“It must be awful in the morning... like... waking up in a house full of rotten food or something,” Harry said, his voice sounding nasal as he held his breath.

Ginny laughed. “It doesn’t matter how long you hold your breath Harry; it still smells just as bad when you start to breathe again.”

Harry let out a long breath. “Er... yeah... sorry. Reckon if you can stand it, I can. Here, you’re going to have to take off your outer robe again.”

Ginny complied and this time unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse so that she could lower it down enough for Harry to reach the part of her shoulder that hurt the most.

She jumped as his hands touched her skin and yelped in surprise, “Ow, Harry! That’s cold! You’re supposed to rub it between your hands first!”

“Sorry, but you didn’t mention that bit, did you?” Harry said, a bit crossly.

She heard him rub his hands together and the next time he touched her it was warm. She sighed in contentment.

“Better?” Harry asked after a moment.

Ginny nodded and turned her face to look up at him. “Much better, Mr. Warm Hands.”

Harry laughed and Ginny felt a flush of pleasure flash through her. Harry laughed so rarely that when he did it caused a strange sensation in her stomach. She could almost think back to when she was 11 and suffering from her rather annoying crush again. Ah, that had been so long ago... who would have thought that 5 years later she’d be sitting in the Quidditch changing rooms and Harry would be giving her a rub down? She giggled at the thought.

“What’s so funny?” Harry asked, his voice curious.

Ginny shook her head. “Nothing. It just struck me funny that for all intents and purposes, you’re giving me a massage here. The younger Ginny would have never been able to handle that!”

Harry paused a moment and gave her a strange look.

“I’m not giving you a massage.”

Ginny rolled her eyes as she looked at him. “I know, Harry. It was just an expression. It’s just my shoulder is so sore that any little bit makes it feel 100 times better than it did. You could be pounding out the dough for a pie crust back there and it’d probably feel wonderful.”

Harry shook his head and smiled. He continued to rub in the salve and Ginny closed her eyes for a moment. It really did feel nice to have him rub her that way, she had to admit.

“Lower your head and turn to the side, let me get the neck part too,” Harry said after a moment, his voice sounding oddly husky.

Ginny did as he asked and soon felt his other hand as it held her hair out of the way and squeezed her neck. Oh, that felt wonderful. She let herself enjoy the feeling of his hands on her back. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been. She also didn’t realize how low her shirt had gone either until she heard Harry make a strangled noise behind her.

She turned to look at him and saw that his face was flushed pink with embarrassment.

“Harry?”

Harry looked away from her and his face turned an even brighter shade of pink.

“Your er... shirt, it um...”

Ginny looked down at herself and gasped. Oh dear. With lightening swiftness she pulled the shirt closer around her and laughed, her voice sounding odd.

“I definitely don’t think younger Ginny would have been able to handle that either. Not that she would have had much to show,” Ginny laughed at herself. “Sorry, Harry. Didn’t mean to ah... flash you the goods there.”

Her voice sounded light, which was useful because Harry seemed really embarrassed. He cleared his throat and finally shook his head at her in bemusement. She realized his hands were still on her shoulders and suddenly Ginny felt a strange sense of pleasure in it. What the heck is wrong with you all of a sudden? It’s just Harry.

Harry went back to rubbing her shoulder and Ginny bit her lip. Her shoulder actually felt loads better now, why was she letting him continue? Because just Harry or not, it feels really good, you twit.

Ginny blushed because it was true. Oh no, none of that. She pulled away suddenly and then awkwardly shrugged her shirt back into place. “Thanks for that, Harry. It feels better already. I wouldn’t be surprised if I could throw a Quaffle all the way to Hogsmeade tomorrow.”

“Good. Then my work here is done,” said Harry.

Ginny smiled at him and pulled her robe up again and re-buttoned her shirt. Harry went to his locker and pulled out his Potions book.

“Ready for dinner?” he asked her.

“Yes. I’m starving! Hopefully Ron hasn’t eaten everything in sight.”

Harry laughed for the second time that night and they fell in next to each as they walked to the castle. They didn’t notice the shadow of a lone student standing outside the changing rooms, fiddling with a camera...

***


Tues day:

Harry woke up late. Cursing, he looked over at Ron’s bed and frowned. His best friend hadn’t seen fit to wake him obviously. Perfect. Now he’d miss breakfast. With a groan he lay back down on the bed and tried to remember the dream he’d been having. For once it hadn’t been about Voldemort. In fact, it had actually been sort of nice...

Remembering exactly what he had been dreaming about caused Harry to sit up quickly. Maybe it was a good thing Ron wasn’t around or he’d have seen the blush creeping along his skin and asked him about it. And Harry didn’t think Ron would want to know that he’d had been having a dream about Ginny...

With a sigh, Harry got out of bed and started to get dressed. It hadn’t been a risqué sort of dream, but still, it troubled him. He didn’t fancy Ginny. It was just...

You noticed yesterday how much she’s grown up, didn’t you?

Yeah, he reckoned he had. It had been purely innocent of course. He hadn’t meant to let her shirt sink that low, he hadn’t meant to keep staring at her chest for so long before becoming embarrassed, but he had and Harry had to wonder now if maybe some part of him had meant to do it all along.

Now you’re turning into a pervert. Brilliant. Checking out your best friend’s sister, doesn’t that take the cake for smarminess?

The little voice in his head was quite annoying and Harry told it in no uncertain terms to shut it. He grabbed his Potions book and stuffed it into his bag. Stupid Snape. Even without trying he was always getting Harry into trouble.

Harry headed downstairs and barely noticed the crowd of students that had gathered around the notice board. His mind was set on grabbing a bit of toast before Potions, just so his stomach wouldn’t be grumbling for two hours. The only thing that made him stop was the low whistle he heard after his name being called. He stopped and looked at Seamus Finnigan who was giving him a wink.

“Harry! You old dog you! How come you never told us about you and Weasley’s sister, eh? Bet he’s not too happy with what you two get up to in the changing room after practice.”

Harry stared at Seamus, not fully understanding the words. A couple of first year girls looked at Harry and giggled, turning bright red as they did so. They moved out of the way and Harry saw for the first time what had caused such a big crowd.

Up on the notice board, in stark black and white images were Harry and Ginny. It was as just as it had been yesterday with Harry rubbing the salve onto Ginny’s shoulder, except... well, except the expressions on both their faces were such that... oh! thought Harry, feeling his skin flush as though he were on fire. He watched in complete horror as his photographic self kept moving Ginny’s shirt lower and lower until...

Growling, Harry pushed through the crowd at the board and tore the picture down. “Who’s responsible for this?” he cried out, his anger boiling over.

The younger students bolted away from him and some of the older ones chuckled. Harry glared at all of them, his eyes landing on Seamus again.

“Seamus, did you do this?” he asked.

Seamus was shaking his head. “No, mate. Honest. It was here when I came down this morning.”

“If I find out that someone put this up as a sad joke then I am going to kick their-”

Harry was interrupted by Ron coming through the portrait entryway. Harry noticed with alarm that Ron had a stack of what looked like the same photo in his hand. Ron glared at him angrily and marched over to him.

“What’s the big idea, Harry? Why didn’t you tell me something was going on between you and my sister? And how could you be so stupid as to let Malfoy photograph you?! These things are all over the bloody school!”

***



G inny sat in the girl’s lavatory on the 2nd floor. No, the irony wasn’t lost on her, but she was too miserable to care. She stared dumbly at the stack of photos that she had pulled off of all of the school’s notice boards. At least, they were from all of the ones that she knew about.

She wiped at the hot tears that were threatening to fall and cursed her stupid feelings. She would not give Malfoy the satisfaction of getting to her. She would not walk by him with red eyes, swollen from crying, if it were the last thing she ever did.

She watched over and over again as Harry rubbed her back. She watched his hand gently rubbing her neck; the tender way his other hand moved her shirt lower and lower... she blushed again at the expression on her face and remembered what she’d been feeling at the time. But the thing that really made her blush was the expression on Harry’s face, the way his eyes seemed to travel over her hungrily, the intensity of his look.

If she didn’t know any better she’d swear that boy had feelings for her. Ginny lowered her head into her hands and this time cursed outloud.

Except of course Harry didn’t have feelings for her and it was obviously just male hormones getting the best of him. And the truth that Ginny seemed completely oblivious to that fact and so completely enjoying having his hands on her made her feel even worse. She was no better than one of those scarlet women her Mum was always going on about.

If you were to look at one picture of Ginny Weasley in your entire life and if this one picture was the one she now held in front of her... well, you wouldn’t jump to any naughty conclusions. No. You wouldn’t jump at all. You’d fall right into them as easy as pie.

Ginny groaned in anger and stood up. With a determined air, she tore up every last photograph she had in her hands and flushed them down the toilet.

Feeling somewhat buoyed by that action, Ginny left the stall and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed, but no tears had fallen. Good. She held her head up higher and stuck out her chin. She was not going to let this get to her. She was a Weasley, for Merlin’s sake. Stubborn pride was her birthright.

That feeling got her about as far as the Great Hall... because that was where she came face to face with Harry. Guilt swam over his features and something else that Ginny didn’t recognize. Before they could speak to each other, a group of Slytherins chose that moment to make rude noises in Ginny’s direction and she felt all of her earlier desire not to cry leave her. She took another look at Harry’s face and saw the shame there. She also saw Ron making his way towards them, his face pink with anger. Something inside her snapped and she turned around, running back to the girl’s loo.

It was going to be a very long, horrible day.

***



Wednesda y:

Harry didn’t know how Malfoy had done it, but he had plastered hundreds of photos throughout the castle. Filch kept coming up to Harry and yelling at him as though it were hisfault. Harry couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so embarrassed. Every time he thought he’d gotten them all, another one would show up somewhere. The whisperings and the funny looks he was getting from everyone, especially the girls, made his blood boil. It did nothing to help matters any that Ron wasn’t speaking to him and Ginny had all but locked herself in her dormitory, claiming to be down with a touch of the Hungarian Flu.

Considering you could only get the Hungarian Flu by touching a Chinese Hedgehog, Harry doubted her diagnosis. But it was just as well. Ever since he’d seen her in the Great Hall the day before, Harry didn’t know what to say. All capacity for thought and therefore speech, had left him. He’d taken one look at Ginny’s face, knowing that she was trying so hard not to appear as though anything was wrong (and hadn’t he felt a swell of admiration for her then?) and had felt his heart constrict in his chest.

He didn’t know what was happening but he knew who was to blame- Draco. Draco who was laughing harder and louder than anyone... Draco who could finally lift his head out from under the shame he’d been under for the first part of the year for being known as ‘a Death Eater’s son’.

Malfoy had made it clear in no uncertain terms that he’d been the one to take the picture. Before Ron had stopped speaking to him for manhandling his sister, he’d told Harry that Malfoy had personally hand-delivered one right to him at breakfast. Harry wished he could have been there to thrash the snot-nosed git. He wouldn’t have needed a wand to do it, either.

Lost in his thoughts of making Draco’s skin finally turn a different color other then pale for once, Harry didn’t hear Hermione come into the dorm.

“Harry?”

He jumped and looked at his friend. She smiled apologetically. She had a small basket of food with her and handed it to him. He smiled gratefully.

“Thanks. Sorry I... I was collecting more photos. I missed dinner.”

“I noticed. I had to take another basket to Ginny, since Ron refuses to talk to her as well.”

Harry, who had been hungry, stopped pulling out the bread Hermione had wrapped up for him and frowned. “It’s not Ginny’s fault. It’s mine. Ron should only hold me to blame.”

Hermione sat down on the bed and gave him a long look. “I thought you told Ron you didn’t have any feelings for Ginny?”

Harry nodded. “I don’t. And again, that’s not her fault. I... I was helping her with her sore arm. It was perfectly innocent. Malfoy’s just twisted it.”

“So how is it that Ron should blame you?”

Harry sighed. “Because I shouldn’t have...” Harry paused. He’d been about to say I shouldn’t have enjoyed the view so much, but stopped himself. He couldn’t say that in front of Hermione. “Anyway, I thought Ron wanted Ginny and me together. I don’t see what his problem is with her.”

Hermione gave him another long look. She tore off a piece of the bread he’d put aside and started munching on it, thoughtfully.

“Ron’s angry because you made Ginny look bad when you said you didn’t have feelings for her. I think if you had said anything else he might have eventually been okay with it, and he could have put all his anger into Malfoy. But... Harry, the picture is... well, suggestive, isn’t it? If you don’t have feelings for Ginny then... well, you both looked as though you were really enjoying it a bit too much. And that means something worse. At least for Ginny. It looks as though she doesn’t mind being rubbed and gawked at by you. I’m not saying it’s fair, but it made her look disreputable and it made you look opportunistic, at best. Ginny’s really the one who’s been hurt here.”

Harry glared at Hermione in anger. “So I’m supposed to go around and pretend I have feelings for Ginny when I don’t, is that it? Just to save her reputation?”

Hermione sighed. “I thought you just said this is all your fault Harry? Don’t you want to make it better for Ginny? Isn’t that the... Gryffindor thing to do?”

Harry opened his mouth to argue with her and then closed it. She was right, as always. He’d been so caught up in being embarrassed that he hadn’t even thought about the fact that all the boys were talking about Ginny as though she were something easy to get. He felt indignation and shame at his actions, yet again.

After a moment he gave Hermione a begrudgingly honest look. “I hate it when you do that.”

Hermione offered him a small smile and patted his hand. “Well, I’m off to start a Prefects’ meeting. I’ll try to work on Ron for you. But I think you know what you have to do, don’t you?”

Harry nodded dully and sat back on his bed. A plan had already formed in his mind. He’d show Malfoy and anyone else who thought Ginny had allowed him to... well, whatever it was they’d thought he done. He just hoped Ginny would go along with it.

***


Thursday:

Ginny knew she had to go to classes today. She couldn’t put it off another day. Everyone knew she wasn’t sick. She didn’t even have a fever. But as she heard her dorm mates moving around her and going down to breakfast, she pulled the blankets further over her head. She didn’t want to run into her brother, after all. He’d lectured her again about being a loose woman and she’d had enough of the big brother routine. Not to mention the fact that it hurt her that Ron thought she obviously needed the lectures. So, she’d just wait until everyone was gone and then hopefully make a blessed escape through the Common Room.

Her plan partly worked except for the fact that someone was waiting for her in front of the fireplace. She flushed when she realized who it was and felt as though she were 11 years old once again.

“Ginny, wait.” It was all he said and his voice was full of so many things that Ginny found herself looking into his eyes, despite her desire to be swallowed up by the floor in front of her.

“What Harry?”

He got up out of the chair and stood in front of her. She watched as he licked his lips unconsciously and shook his head as though trying to clear his thoughts. He ran a hand through his hair and coughed nervously.

“How are you feeling?” he asked finally.

Ginny stared dully at him. “Fine. But then I really didn’t have the flu, did I?”

“No, I reckon not,” he said and looked away from her stare.

Ginny shifted on her feet and sighed. Whatever it was he wanted, she hoped he’d get on with it.

“Look, I wanted to... apologize for being an idiot and for letting you go through this alone. And I wanted to say that I think I have a plan at getting Malfoy to drop the whole thing. That is, if you’re willing to go through with it.”

Ginny sighed. “Does it involve dropping Draco into a vat of Hippogriff dung and having a Blast-EndedSkrewt do what it does best to him? Because honestly, other than that, there’s nothing that’s rotten enough for the slimy git.”

Harry stared at her and then laughed despite himself and Ginny found herself returning the smile.

“Er, well.. not quite, but... I do think it’s something that will get everyone to shut up about the photo.”

Ginny looked at him, wondering what he meant. The portrait door was opening and Harry moved so fast that she barely had time to register what he was doing. When he pulled away from her a moment later, she stared at him in complete shock.

Did he just... did you just... what on earth is going on here?

“Harry!” It was Ron that had come through the portrait door, followed by Hermione.

Harry moved closer to Ginny and took her hand into his. He moved his head closer to her neck and whispered “Just follow my lead,” into her ear. Ginny felt the shiver of his breath against her skin all the way down to her toes. She couldn’t have formed any coherent thoughts if her life depended on it. She numbly blinked at her brother, who glared at the both of them.

“Ginny! What is going on here! Now you’re sneaking a snog in the Common Room? And Harry! Get away from my sister!”

Harry took a deep breath and Ginny watched as he plastered a smile on his face. He playfully kissed her cheek and then gave her a sly look.

“Er...we may as well tell him, Ginny.”

Ron stopped fuming and looked at them. “Tell me what?”

“We’re going out, you idiot. So there’s absolutely nothing wrong or improper with Ginny sneaking a snog in the Common Room, is there? That’s what girlfriends are supposed to do, right?” Harry said, looking pointedly at Hermione. Ron turned pink behind the ears, but looked at Ginny for confirmation.

“You’re... he... but... Harry, you told me in no uncertain terms that you didn’t have feelings for Ginny. You told me you’d rather kiss a toad!”

Ginny turned her head and looked at Harry, her heart racing. He’d rather kiss a toad would he? She opened her mouth to tell him exactly where he could find one to bestow the honor on; but before she could speak, Harry was kissing her again and damn if Ginny didn’t forget the words she’d been about to say. This kiss was much longer than the first and even Harry looked surprised when he pulled away this time. He gave her hand a squeeze and turned back to Ron.

“Ron, you had me in a chokehold, if I remember correctly, and I probably would have said anything at the time. Besides, Ginny didn’t want anyone to know about us... we were keeping it secret. I didn’t want to break that trust until I’d had a chance to talk with her.”

Ron stared at the two of them in disbelief. Hermione cleared her throat and he turned around to look at her. Ginny watched some unspoken communication pass between them and suddenly realized that they weren’t the only couple with a secret.

Ginny paused. Had she just referred to Harry and herself as a couple? She felt the warmth of his hand in hers and stared at his profile. His head turned and his eyes caught hers. She knew he was acting like this because he wanted to repair some of the damage that had been done with the photograph. She knew he didn’t really feel those things about her. So why was it so hard to shake the idea that he did when he looked at her like that?

Ginny somehow found her voice. “He’s right, Ron. Harry and I have been going out for months now. We just never told anyone. We wanted to keep it... secret. Surely you can understand?”

Ron’s ears turned a brighter shade and he folded his arms as he stared at her.
“So the photograph Malfoy took... that... that was legit? You two were...”

“Harry was really just helping me with my sore arm, Ron. Honest. Nothing else happened,”
Ginny said truthfully and Harry squeezed her hand again. For some reason it gave her strength.

Ron shook his head and sat down on one of the chairs. He seemed... relieved somehow. Ginny felt angry with her brother then, for being such a brainless git. Ron hadn’t believed what people had been saying about her, had he?

Ginny opened her mouth to yell at Ron, when Hermione spoke up.

“Well, now that you two have come clean with everything, I reckon it’s time the rest of the school know you’re together, right?”

Harry nodded beside her and she looked at him. Clearing her name with her stupid brother was one thing, but did he really want the whole school to think he actually fancied her? Wasn’t that going beyond the call of duty?

Obviously Harry didn’t think so because he smiled at her and took her bag from her shoulders and put it with his own. He looked at her and his eyes were bright behind his glasses.

“I’m ready to let everyone know if you are, Gin.”

The shortened form of her name made her heart catch and she blushed, despite the fact that she knew Harry was just playing a part. She nodded and looked down at Ron. “Come on, Ron. Finally you can hold your head high again, since you don’t have a scarlet woman for a sister any longer.”

Ron looked up at her, a guilty look in his eyes. “I never... thought... well, I mean, I knew there had to be a reason. Honestly, Ginny...”

Hermione placed her hand on Ron’s back and gave him a comforting look. He shut his mouth and then stood up. He looked Ginny in the eye.

“Sorry. I should have known. Forgive me for being an idiot?”

Ginny stared at her brother and almost didn’t say anything. But in the end she let go of her pride and nodded. She pulled him into a hug and caught Harry’s eye over Ron’s shoulder. She mouthed the words ‘thank you’ and he nodded, a strange look on his face.

As they left the Common Room, Harry took her hand again and Ginny thought that as far as playing along went, this might just be the easiest job ever.

***


Friday: Day of Reckoning


As far as plans went, Harry had to admit his had been a good one. After the initial reaction of seeing him and Ginny together and Ron loudly announcing to anyone that would listen (which was everyone) that Harry and Ginny had been together all along, the whisperings had stopped. Well, mostly. The best part though was that the photos had stopped popping up everywhere so Harry reckoned a bit of the wind had been taken out of Malfoy’s sails.

And it wasn’t so hard to pretend to be with Ginny. She was his friend after all. They just spent their regular amount of time together, well a little bit more than that actually and they just did it while holding hands. Or stealing small kisses when they knew someone was watching.

There were worse ways Harry thought a bloke could spend a day then to pretend to be enamored of Ginny Weasley. Her next boyfriend, whomever that happened to be, would be very lucky indeed. For Harry was finding that with the added bonus of ‘playing’ boyfriend, he was actually enjoying being around her. The surge in confidence he’d given her had been just the right thing to bring back laughing, talking, happy Ginny. A Ginny that Harry found himself appreciating more and more.

He reckoned they could carry on for a few more days and then people would forget about the whole thing and they would just go back to how they had been before... except... Harry wasn’t sure anymore that that was what he wanted.
Get over yourself, she’s just acting like you’re acting. She doesn’t fancy you anymore.

That was true, Harry reasoned with himself. Although Ginny blushed when he kissed her and sometimes forgot herself when she’d feel his hand slip into hers, Harry just knew she was playing the part of the dutiful girlfriend when she helped him with the re-writing of his Potions essay and brought him some food out near the lake because he’d missed lunch. She couldn’t possibly want what was going on to be real, could she?

Harry didn’t know. Furthermore, he didn’t think he himself knew. It’d only been one day and already he’d felt as though his load had lessened. He hadn’t thought of Voldemort in days. He wished he had someone he could ask. Someone he could talk to who was older, but not too much older and someone who knew what it meant when you suddenly found yourself glad you’d decided to kiss your best mate’s sister. Harry’s features darkened as he again missed Sirius. He didn’t often think of his godfather these days, it was too painful, but it was times like these when he honestly missed him.

“Knut for your thoughts?”

Harry blinked up at Ginny and smiled. He scooted out of the chair he’d been sitting in, making room for her at the desk he’d been studying at in the library. Couples had to be couples, right?

“Sorry, did I look like I was deep in thought?”

Ginny nodded at him and Harry noticed for the first time how much he liked her eyes. They were so warm and caring. He realized they always had been when they’d looked at him. Well, not just him...he was beginning to understand that Ginny cared about a lot of things. He was beginning to understand that when it came to Ginny, he’d been the one to take a lot of things for granted.

“You were a million miles away, so what’s the problem?”

He blinked at her. “Problem?”

“Yeah,R 21; she said with a smile. “I know that look you get when you have something you need to solve. Remember that time when I came in with the Easter eggs and you needed help with-” Ginny paused. Harry knew she’d been about to say ‘getting in contact with Sirius’. He’d forgotten that’d she’d been instrumental in that. Yet another thing he’d let slip his mind when it came to her.

“It’s funny you should bring that day up. I was just thinking about him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Harry. I miss him too, you know. We all do.”

“Yeah, I know. I just... wish I had him to talk to sometimes.”

Ginny nodded sympathetically and patted his hand. It wasn’t a move because they were out in public and had to appear as a couple. It was just a move to comfort him and Harry appreciated the difference.

“You can talk to me, you know. I sort of owe you, anyway. For coming up with the grand plan of lifting me out of the trenches of scarlet womanhood,” she said, her mouth twitching in amusement.

Harry flashed her a lazy smile and then shook his head. “No, I don’t know. This might be one of those man to man sort of things.”

Ginny looked affronted. “You mean I wouldn’t understand because I’m a girl? Come on, Harry, I’ve got six brothers! I’m made of tougher stuff. I’ve probably heard it all.”

Harry looked at her and loved the way the light shone on her hair. How had he never realized that he’d noticed that before? He’d held that hair in his hands, he knew how soft it was. It was amazing to him suddenly that despite all his denials to the contrary, he had been noticing Ginny for a long time. A very long time. He shivered then and Ginny looked at him in concern.

“Harry? Are you alright? You looked... scared for a moment.”

Harry was about to tell her everything he’d just been feeling when they were interrupted by someone sniggering behind them. They both turned their heads and saw Draco Malfoy standing a few feet away.

“Oh what? The two lovebirds didn’t know they were being watched? Go on then, put on your display. But you and I both know it’s a load of codswallop, Potter. Falling for a Weasley! As if anyone would want to be close to that,” Draco said, his head nodding in Ginny’s direction. “You’re just pretending to be with her to save her family some face, as if that could be done. Bunch of blood-traitors.”

Ginny bristled beside him and Harry knew she was going for her wand. Harry stood up before she could get herself into trouble and glared at Draco.

“What is it with you, Malfoy? Having a Death Eater for a father not low enough for you? You have to sneak around and listen to people’s conversations and twist them to how you want it to go?”

Malfoy sneered at him. “Please, Potter. Even locked up my father is worth more than the whole lot of Weasley’s put together. I admit though, you had the right idea when you were eyeing her more pleasing attributes that day in the changing rooms. You should have had your fun with her then, instead of playing this little game of girlfriend-boyfriend. How tedious can you get?”

A crowd of students had started to wander over to where Draco and Harry were talking and he knew they were hanging on every word. Draco seemed to realize the same thing and his eyes flashed with cruelty.

“I mean, really, Potter. Did you think everyone would actually buy the fact that you, the Boy Who Lived would honestly go out with that... that little girl? Her shoddy second-hand robes, her frightful freckles, her dull brown eyes? Really, Potter, the most attractive thing I’ve seen on her is that expression on her face in that photo. Reckon even trash heats up nicely, eventually.”

Harry heard Ginny say something very rudely behind him but he lunged for Draco before the other boy could acknowledge it. Harry felt his hand make contact with Draco’s jaw and he was aware that Draco had kicked him some place most young men didn’t want to be kicked. Biting his lip in pain, Harry sat up and held Draco down with all his strength. He shook him hard and banged Draco’s head against the floor.

“Take it back Malfoy, take back every foul thing you’ve ever said about her. She’s worth thirty of you, you lying, scum-sucking excuse for a human being. Second-hand robes, huh? That’s loads better than knowing your money’s come from hurting people, isn’t it? And frightful freckles? Hardly. She has exactly the perfect amount of freckles, Draco. And her eyes... she has more character in one of them than you do in your whole body. She is a beautiful, caring, loving, incredible girl and I swear if I ever hear you say one more bad thing about her I will pound in your head with my fist, is that clear?”

Harry shook Draco one last time and then let his head fall to the floor. Draco moaned and his face winced with pain. Harry got off of him and glared around at everyone. Everyone took off in opposite directions and he was amazed that Madam Pince hadn’t come to see what all the noise had been about.

Shaking his head and kicking Draco hard with his feet, Harry turned around and saw Ginny staring at him, an odd expression on her face.

“Ginny-” Harry started and then stopped, not sure what he meant to say.

Ginny kept staring at him and then suddenly she turned and then headed out of the library, passing by a very angry looking Madam Pince.

Oh, well, that’s just great, Harry thought to himself. He prepared himself to be yelled at.

***


Ginny sat alone, at the top most part of the Astronomy Tower, trying to figure out where Orion stood in the sky. She was cold, she’d forgotten her cloak in the library, but she was too... well, too confused to do anything about that. Seeing and hearing Harry defend her honor like that had been a very strange thing. There had been real honest to goodness emotion there and Ginny was trying to convince herself that he had only done it because he felt obligated. Not because of the plan, but because he felt like a brother to her.

Except she was losing that argument somehow, even though before ‘the plan’ Harry had never once looked at her as anything other than Ron’s little sister.

What about the changing room? a little voice piped up in her head.

Ginny didn’t know. What about the changing room? What about that photo? She suddenly wished that she had saved one so that she could study Harry’s expression, now since she was being more objective about the whole thing.

Yeah, right.

Ginny rested her head on her hands and sighed.

“Now I’m the one who needs a knut for your thoughts,” Harry said quietly from the stairway and Ginny startled.

“Harry! You scared me. How did you get so quiet?”

Harry walked over to her and smiled. “Years of sneaking around. Here, take your robe. I reckon you’re fairly cold up here.”

Ginny smiled gratefully and slipped the robe around her shoulders. Harry sat next to her and they both remained quiet. Ginny looked up at the stars and didn’t know what to say.

After what seemed like a long time, Harry finally spoke.

“Er, Gin... look. Before Malfoy so rudely interrupted us down there... well, you were asking about what was troubling me.”

Ginny looked down at her feet and nodded.

“See, the thing is... I’m not sure if you can help with this problem or not.”

She looked sideways at him and saw that he was watching her intently.

“I would do anything to help you Harry, no matter what it was. You know that.”

Harry smiled briefly and nodded his head. “I know. I think...” Harry paused, as though not sure what to say. “See the problem I’m having is... there’s this girl, this wonderful, beautiful amazing girl and I don’t know if she feels the same way about me and I don’t want to say anything to her, in case she doesn’t, because then, you know, I’d feel foolish, but then I reckon I have a right to feel foolish because I’ve been a fool. A major one. I’d have to be, not to see the most amazing thing that’s been right in front of me all this time.”

Ginny held her breath as Harry put a shaky hand on her shoulder and turned her face to his. He looked at her and she felt all of the air leave her body. Harry had kissed her a lot of times the last day and a half but never in private and never like this. Ginny responded before her brain could yell at her to stop and she was opening her mouth to him, letting his tongue glide sweetly over her teeth. The kiss deepened as Harry worked his hand through her hair, pulling her closer to him. Ginny felt as though she were falling through the stars that shone above them. Her heart was racing and she knew that even Harry had to hear it, it was beating so loud.

A few minutes later Harry pulled his mouth away and looked at her to make sure she was okay. She smiled languidly at him.

“Do I really have the right amount of freckles, Harry?” she asked him, shyly, remembering what he’d said to Malfoy.

Harry smiled and pulled her face closer to his. His eyes swept over her.

“Harry? What are you doing?”

“I’m counting them, of course.”

Ginny felt her face heat and pulled away from him. “That’s not nice, Harry.”

“What isn’t?”

“Making fun of my freckles, I know they‘re horrid-”

Harry cut her off as he captured her lips in another kiss.

“Every time you say something I don’t agree with, I’m going to kiss you.”

Ginny raised her eyebrow.

“And my second hand robes are not noble-”

Another kiss.

“I never said they were noble,” Harry said after a moment.

“You implied it,” Ginny said, her voice sounding breathless to her own ears.

“Hmm,” Harry said as he pulled her into his arms. She found herself relaxing into them as though she had always been there.

“And I am not beautiful-”

Harry narrowed his eyes at her and titled her head back. “I beg to differ, Ginny. Let me see if I can convince you.”

Instead of kissing her on the mouth, Harry moved his head to her neck and Ginny felt her legs go weak as he moved his mouth slowly around her earlobe. It was a good thing she was sitting down. When Harry’s mouth reached the hollow of her neck she gasped and he pulled his eyes up to look at her. She saw his desire and yes, she saw his love and she wondered where it had all come from, so fast. She pulled away from him slightly and shook her head.

She smiled mischievously at him then. “This girl you like, when did you realize you liked her?”

Harry blinked at her, not seeming to understand the question. The he shook his head.

“It’s hard to pinpoint. Well, not really. See, I’ve always liked her. I just didn’t know her. But I guess if you’re wondering when I realized I loved her...”

Ginny gasped when he said it and he smiled, his face open and honest.

“Love... her?” she asked, her voice sounding squeaky to her ears.

Harry nodded his head.

“Even though you’d rather kiss a toad instead of her?”

Harry groaned. “I’m never going to live that down am I? Look, Ron had me in a chokehold and I couldn’t breathe, I would have said-”

Ginny kissed him quickly and then pulled back, smiling at him.

“Ribbit,” she said playfully.

“Er... Gin... that’s the noise a frog makes.”

“I know silly. But it sounds much nicer than-” Ginny made a croaking noise and Harry laughed.

“You’re right. Ribbit sounds much nicer. So, you’ve forgiven me then? For saying something like that?”

“Maybe.”

R 20;Maybe? Maybe on what?”

“How many freckles do I have, Harry?”

Harry stared at her and then a small smile broke across his face. He moved his lips closer to her ear and whispered the number. Ginny felt a shiver. But she frowned at him as she thought about it in her head.

“Harry, I don’t have that many. I have eight around my nose and-”

“You have one right here near your ear,” he added softly as he kissed it. Ginny shook her head.

“Right, so how do you figure I have eleven?”

Harry smiled wickedly. “Well, I haven’t seen the rest of you, of course but um...” Harry’s eyes dropped downward and Ginny felt a blush begin to flare across her skin.

“Harry!”

“What ?”

“You really were looking that day in the changing room, weren’t you?”

A shy grin broke out across his face then and instead of feeling outraged, Ginny felt giddy at the sight of it.

“Well, er yeah... I mean, I didn’t intend to look, but um...” Harry’s voice was now the one that sounded squeaky and she could see his skin flush red in the moonlight.

Ginny shook her head and blushed again. Clearing his throat, Harry took her hand into his.

“I’m sorry Ginny, for being a git about... well, everything.”

Ginny rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at the stars. She’d found the location of Orion in the sky finally, and now she and Harry were both in the best position of all, together.

***


Author's Note: Originally written for Hgforever.com's fan fic challenge. The plot idea was theirs, I just filled in the spaces. :)

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