Search:

SIYE Time:12:10 on 28th March 2024
SIYE Login: no


Holiday Lessons
By anotherdestinyinc

- Text Size +

Category: Post-DH/AB, Seven Words Challenge (2009-4)
Characters:None
Genres: Fluff, Romance
Warnings: Sexual Situations
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 16
Summary: Harry wanted to spend their two weeks off cuddled up on the couch. Ginny had other ideas.
Hitcount: Story Total: 6843



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
I want to thank Rich and Brina for all their help.




ChapterPrinter



Ginny Weasley was going to murder him. She was going to Stun him and feed him to a Blast-Ended Skrewt; Harry was sure of it. Any minute she would show up and find him still packing, and curses would start flying.

Ginny had wanted to spend their two weeks off away on holiday. He had wanted to spend them cuddled up on the couch listening to the wireless. After a row and threats that she would go without him, Harry found himself agreeing to spend his break with Ginny away from home.

It was not that he did not like traveling. He and Ginny had been loads of places before. He simply was not in the mood for another adventure. A dark wizard had been terrorizing Liverpool and he had spent the past three weeks on a mission. He was tired, grumpy, and wanted to relax in his own home. Ginny would not hear it.

“Quit your brooding and pack, before I have Gwenog turn you into a woodlouse,” she told him over the Floo two days before. “Honestly, I’d almost rather take the Ghoul in the attic.”

As he continued to pack, Themis flew in through his open bedroom window. She was Ginny’s owl, and carried an envelope on her leg. Confused as to why Ginny would send him something when she was set to arrive soon, he quickly took the letter. On the outside, in Ginny’s overly curly handwriting, was written one word: Trust.

Good morning Love,

I know that I said I would be by your flat at 8 to leave, but plans changed a bit. I’m tired of fighting with you every other week. We are turning into Ron and Hermione, and I’d rather kiss a Bundimun than see that happen. I’ve decided our holiday would be best spent working out the problems in our relationship.

For the next seven days, I am going to be giving you a word of the day. These words will teach you what a lasting relationship needs and ours is sadly lacking. Today’s word is Trust.

I’ve included a Portkey in this envelope — and I won’t tell you where it leads. It will go off a quarter after 8. Remember, a good relationship is based on trust. So trust me, do as you are told, and take the Portkey. It would be a lonely trip if you didn’t.

Love,
Ginny

PS- I know that Auror brain of yours is trying to determine if this is a trap set by some dark wizard to lure you into their evil plot. To put your mind at ease…

The first time you said “I love you,” you were visiting me for the Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor match. We were in the changing rooms afterwards fooling around and you blurted it out. I’m still not convinced you really meant it, or even if you remember it. You were a bit out of sorts. You didn’t say it again until I came home that June. I’d always meant to ask you about that
.

Harry rolled his eyes at the last bit; of course he had meant it. He threw the letter on the couch, annoyed. What did she mean about learning what a lasting relationship was? He had been going out with her for almost two years. Didn’t that mean they were in a lasting relationship? They might not see each other that much anymore between his Auror missions and her Quidditch, but still…

This was certainly not how he wanted to start his holiday. Harry checked his watch and saw he only had minutes to catch the Portkey. He swore to himself, and quickly threw finished packing. Reluctantly, he pulled the small bottle cap out of the envelope. As much as he wanted to stay at home, it had been three months since he had seen her and he refused to make it longer.

He soon found himself transported to an unknown destination. He had only enough time to take in a large river and deep green scenery before somebody whispered “Caecus” and everything went black. Immediately, he went to grab his wand, but a pair of soft hands stopped him.

“Harry, it’s me. Don’t worry,” Ginny said softly. He could hear the amusement in her voice.

“Ginny? What’s going on? Why did you curse me?” He tried to move around and get his bearings, he felt disoriented from the Portkey and sudden lack of sight.

“I told you, today you are going to learn to trust.” She moved her hands to his shoulders to get him to stop moving. The lack of eyesight made him horribly paranoid, he did not like when he things were out of his control. Knowing where she was made him feel slightly better. “Now, give me you wand,” she said.

“What? No!” he said in disbelief. His hands immediately went to his wand to stop her from taking it. “Come on, Gin. I’m not in the mood for games.”

“Do you trust me?”

Harry paused for a second and really thought about it.

“With my life.”

It was true. Though he had become a bit neurotic since the war and becoming an Auror, he could honestly say he would trust Ginny to look out for him if he ever needed it.

“Then give me your wand,” she said gently, pulling his wrist away from his wand. “I promise, I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”

“Can’t you just tell me what this is about?” he begged, trying to figure out what was so bloody important he had to give her the only thing that made him feel safe.

“I’m sick of rowing with you. You are going to learn to trust me, whether you like it or not,” she said.

Harry wanted to tease her, but he bit his tongue. He was still annoyed with her and could not give in, no matter how cute she was when she tried to boss him around.

“You don’t think we have a good relationship,” he said, reminded of what she had written him earlier. Though he knew they were fighting too much lately, he was hurt to know she thought they were not good together.

“Stop that.” He could hear the irritation in her voice. He could picture her putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him. She was so much like her mother in that way.

“I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. I love being with you.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. If she was not fixing to end things with him, what was this all about?

“You know we don’t always have the easiest time together. I’m hoping this trip will change that. I promise you’ll have fun, if you just let go and trust me.” Ginny pleaded, and he knew he would not be able to deny her anything when she used that voice.

Harry hated to do it, but he slowly pulled out his wand for her. He didn’t see why he couldn’t just keep in his pocket. It was unsafe to be wandering around without a wand, especially if one’s girlfriend had decided to turn you blind just to teach you some bloody lesson. But he knew that if he refused to give over his wand, she would take it to mean he did not trust her, which in turn would mean he did not love her, and they would fight. And another row was the last thing he wanted to have. So he handed her his wand, trying to quell the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Will you at least tell me where we are?” he asked, feigning annoyance.

“Nope.” She giggled, taking his wand from him. “But I’ll give you a kiss.”

Harry smiled and he felt her lean in and kiss him. It was an odd sensation, being able to kiss her after so long, yet not being able to see her. He had become accustomed to looking at the freckles littering her nose and cheeks as she would lean in. Grown used to watching her wild hair fall out of her ponytail when he would grab the back of her head and pull her closer to meet his lips.

Somehow, his lack of sight made the feel of her lips against his so much more potent. Or maybe that was just what three months of celibacy did to a bloke.

“You’re going to make me stay blind the entire day, aren’t you?” he said, amused, all his anger gone. Kissing her always took away any bad feelings.

“Yep,” Ginny said.

“Minx,” he muttered, giving up and leaning in to kiss her again. Not able to see her, he got her nose, which was a bit awkward, but Ginny just laughed and kissed him properly.

“Ginny?” Harry asked when they finally broke apart.

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t forget about it,” he said quietly. “That time in the changing rooms. I did mean it.”

Harry could not see, but if the passionate kiss she gave him was anything to go by, he had made her very happy.

----

The next morning Harry awoke with his eyesight perfectly intact, or at least as intact as it ever had been. Quickly locating his glasses on the bedside table, he noticed a note sitting on the pillow beside him. On it was one word: Companionship.

Harry sighed and got dressed. She was certainly taking her little relationship lessons seriously. He wondered if Hermione had helped her at all in the planning. He could just picture Hermione huddled over some chart and Ginny scanning her obnoxious romance novels for ideas.

He could not be too annoyed. Yesterday had actually turned out to be fun — even if she did let him walk into a tree for teasing about the Harpies. She had taken him flying on her new Firebolt 360, the fastest in the world. The wind through their hair, and Ginny’s infectious laughter had made him forget about his lack of sight.

He walked out into the sitting room where he found Ginny. She was wearing several jumpers, a pair of mittens, a scarf, and an adorable hat. Apparently, today would be spent in the cold.

“What’s with the outfit?” Harry asked, placing his arms on either side of her and leaning in for a kiss. He was halted by a hand on his mouth.

“There will be none of that today, Potter.” Ginny smirked.

“What? Why?” he whined. This was not what he had in mind when he pictured a holiday with his girlfriend.

“Didn’t you read the word of the day?” Ginny asked, ducking out of his arms. “Companionship.”

“And what exactly does that have to do with me kissing you?” Harry rolled his eyes; Ginny could be such a tease.

“Everything. A good relationship is based on friendship.”

“I thought you said it was based on trust.” Harry looked at her, confused.

“Yes, well, it’s based on a lot of things. Didn’t I explain this in my letter?” Ginny asked, aggravated.

“Sorry, the only thing I remember was you talking about us fooling around.” Harry looked suggestively at her and laughed when she feigned indignation.

“Harry!”

“Don’t even try, Weasley,” he said. With six brothers — none of whom were particularly shy — comments like that were frequent and all but ignored. “I grew up in your house too.”

“Yes, well, there will be none of that,” she teased.

“This doesn’t sound like a fun day.” He pouted, moving to pour himself a cup of tea.

“Oh, it will be quite fun actually. I’m just setting the ground rules first.”

“No kissing, no petting?” Harry laughed as she rolled her eyes.

“Today, I am not your girlfriend, and you are not my boyfriend. There will be no handholding, no longing gazes, no snogging, and most certainly no petting,” Ginny lectured him, placing her hands on her hips in an attempt to look serious.

“You sound like Hermione.” He sipped his tea and continued to joke.

“Think of me as Hermione today. We should be able to be just friends. Otherwise our relationship is based on nothing more than lust.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to think of you the same way I do Hermione.” Harry made a face but stopped when she glared at him. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good,” she said with a smile. “Now, go change. And wear something warm. I have tickets to see Puddlemere against the Cannons.”

It was then that Harry realized exactly what she was wearing. She was decked out in blue from head to toe, and the Puddlemere logo was on the front of her jumper.

“You’ve got on Puddlemere?” Harry looked her up and down curiously.

“Who are you, Ron?”

“I thought you hated Puddlemere, ever since they beat the Harpies.” Harry looked at her amused. “I remember you calling Oliver Wood an Aquavirius Maggot.”

“Well it has to be true. I read it in The Quibbler,” Ginny giggled.

“You spend too much time with Luna.” Harry sighed contently.

He loved that he and Ginny could have such carefree conversations. During the war, he had often wondered if his life would always be filled with darkness and despair. He had been happy to find out that wasn’t true.

“So, again, what’s with the outfit?” he asked.

“It’s not as if I can support the Cannons, now can I? If they win — and that’s a big if — they’ll knock us out of the running for the Cup.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “It’s not as if a Puddlemere win will help your standings.”

Despite all of his questions, he was getting excited to see a Quidditch game with Ginny. He had been to countless professional matches before, but he was always watching her play, not watching with her. He knew it would be fun as both of them were very enthusiastic about the sport. It would certainly be better than when he had watched Ginny’s matches with Hermione. Ginny would at least be able to talk about player statistics, team standings, and the latest broom advancements.

“You’ll be supporting the Cannons, I take it?” she said, annoyed at the possibility of him siding with her competition.

“Oh no, I’ll still support Puddlemere,” he said with a grin. “I’ve got this Quidditch-obsessed girlfriend on the Harpies who would be devastated if the Cannons bumped them out of the running.”

“Is that so?” Ginny beamed up at him and he reached out with the intent to pull her into a kiss. Halfway through he realized what he was doing and put his arm down. He was going to have one hell of a time trying not to touch her today; this whole friends thing would be harder than he thought. It would be like sixth year all over again, but worse. Because this time he would know just how wonderful it was to kiss Ginny Weasley.

----

When Harry woke up the next morning to another letter on his pillow, he was not surprised. Today’s word was “Adventure.” Next to it, Ginny had placed his Invisibility Cloak and a map of Paris. Before he could get out of bed to clean himself up, he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in,” Harry said.

Ginny slowly opened the door. “Good, you’re up. We need to be leaving soon.”

“Paris?” Harry questioned her, holding up the map.

“I thought it would be fun.” Ginny smiled. “Neither of us has been. Fleur suggested it.”

“So does that mean your entire family thinks I’m rubbish at being your boyfriend?” Harry snapped at her suddenly.

“I never said you were rubbish,” Ginny said softly. “I only said I wanted to improve our relationship.”

“Same thing,” Harry grumbled.

The past two days had been brilliant, much to his surprise. He had especially loved watching Puddlemere demolish the Cannons 520 to 80 — even if he couldn’t pull Ginny into a celebratory kiss afterwards. However, he could not shake the nagging feeling that had been following him around. Ginny had planned this entire trip because he had not been fulfilling her needs. He was officially the world’s worst boyfriend.

“Haven’t we gone through this already?” Ginny groaned. “I love you, and you love me. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things about you that absolutely drive me mental.”

“And what would those things be? I don’t trust you? I can’t be alone with you and not want to snog you? I’m not adventurous enough for you?” Harry spat at her. Much to his disdain, he sounded rather like a child.

“What is this? Your fifth year all over again?” Ginny asked.

Harry didn’t respond. He knew he was being grumpy, but how was he supposed to feel? They had been fighting on and off since before she had left for Quidditch Camp. He wanted things to be good again, but he did not want to hear about what he had been doing wrong. Had he not proven his love for her enough by now?

“Do you not notice these things?” Ginny asked.

“No, I don’t,” Harry said. “I don’t have a single problem with our relationship.”

“When I asked you to take a Portkey and didn’t know where you were going, you didn’t think about not coming?” Ginny raised her eyebrows at him.

“I went, didn’t I?”

“And you gave up your wand to me with no question?” she challenged him.

“Why would you ever need my wand in the first place?” he growled back, getting himself worked up.

“I don’t need your wand!” she yelled at him, and he momentarily wondered if he would be on the receiving end of one of her famous Bat Bogey Hexes. He had experienced it once before and never wanted to again.

“I need your trust! It was a bloody exercise!” She continued to yell, making Mrs. Weasley look tame in comparison.

“I trust you! You didn’t need to do any of that!” he hollered back.

“Really? That’s why the protection spells around your house don’t let me Apparate in? Face it,” she spat at him, “you don’t trust anyone but yourself,”

“Does that really bug you?” he asked, his anger starting to dwindle.

“Yeah, some days,” she said taking in slow measured breaths to control her temper. “It’s not just that, though. You constantly keep secrets from me. You never open up to me. It’s like you’re scared that if you tell me one goddamn personal thing about yourself, that I’ll go running off to tell ‘Witch Weekly’. You know everything about me — every fear, every dream. I tell you every thought that runs through my head.”

“I’m not that kind of guy, Gin,” he said honestly.

“No,” she sighed, dejected. “But after two years, there’s so much I don’t know because you refuse to talk to me.”

“You never said anything before,” Harry said, feeling hurt. How had this stuff been bugging Ginny for two years and he was only hearing about it now?

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal until I read this book…”

“This is because of those romance books? I told you I hated those.” Harry rolled his eyes. “We were fine before then.”

“No, we weren’t fine and you bloody well know it,” Ginny groaned, her temper starting to flare up again. “All this stuff has been getting in the way of our relationship. I just didn’t realize it before. But seriously, after so long together, don’t you ever feel like we’ve barely gotten anywhere?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. But I’m pretty happy with how things are,” Harry said.

Ginny looked hurt. “You don’t care about making us better at all?” she whispered, and he could see she was holding back tears.

“I didn’t say that,” he said quickly, hoping to fix whatever damage he had just caused. Ginny was not one to cry. The fact that she was starting to told Harry just how much of an arse he was being.

“I care. I want us to be happy together. If you aren’t, then I’ll fix whatever needs to be fixed,” he said. “I just don’t like thinking of you off with your family talking about how I’m pants at relationships.”

“I don’t, Harry.” Ginny said as calmly as she could. “We aren’t all talking about you behind your back. I only showed Hermione the book a few days ago and she helped me come up with some fun things to do this week. And when Fleur heard we were looking for a fun place to holiday, she suggested France.”

“Oh.” He felt like an idiot. He had turned one little comment from her into a huge row, and over what? She had only been trying to help him, to improve their relationship.

“Yeah,” Ginny replied acidly, and he knew she was not about to give him a long speech on how everything was going to be okay. No, she would let him wallow in his own stupidity for some time before she let him off the hook.

“Gin?” Harry said after what felt like hours of silence.

“What?” Ginny said, still with a touch of venom in her voice.

“I’m sorry for being a prat,” he said quietly. “Do you still want to go to Paris?”

It took her a minute to respond, but when she did, she had a small smile on her face. “Of course.”

“So, adventure?” he asked, trying desperately to move on from their row.

“Yeah,” she said. “Only, not the kind you’re used to. There aren’t going to be three-headed dogs, basilisks, or prophecies to discover.”

“I think I’ve had enough of those for one lifetime,” he said.

“My thoughts exactly.” Ginny smiled at him. “But a relationship does need a bit of adventure to it. You can’t keep doing the same thing or you’ll end up in a rut.”

“Do you think we’re in a rut?” Harry asked her cautiously, not wanting to start another row, but curious.

“I think if we were, we certainly won’t be after this week,” Ginny said reassuringly. “Today we’re going to explore Paris and with the aid of your Invisibility Cloak, do some things most people are never allowed to.”

“What exactly did you have planned, Miss Weasley?” Harry looked at her, feeling a bit of excitement growing. Ginny had already planned two fabulous days together, and he had no doubt today would be equally as enjoyable.

“Get dressed, grab your traveling cloak, and you’ll see.” Ginny gave him a kiss. It was short and sweet, but it was all he needed to know that she wasn’t still mad at him for being the utter prat that he was.

----

The following morning, Harry picked up the piece of paper on his pillow and read the word of the day: Openness. Harry smiled at himself; he had expected this — even if he was not looking forward to it. He knew that Ginny thought he should be more open with her. However, as much as he wanted to share his feelings with Ginny, he was terrified. He had repressed everything after the war. He had done the best he could to move on and just put everything behind him. If he had to talk about all of that today with her, he was not sure what would happen.

He tried to remind himself that Ginny was only trying to help, and he hoped that he would not turn today into another row. He hated fighting with her, and he always turned out looking like an insensitive arse.

“Harry?” Ginny called out to him from the sitting room. He threw a shirt over his head and headed out to see what she wanted.

“Are you ready for today?”

“Um, yeah.” He tried to force a smile.

“You don’t look very excited. Haven’t you been having fun?” Ginny teased.

“I have been, yeah…”

“Then why do you look as if you just swallowed a bogey flavored bean?”

“Openness?” Harry said as if that should explain the root of all of his uncertainty.

“Yeah, openness.” Ginny smiled. “But I don’t think we are thinking the same thing about today.”

“You want me to share stuff with you,” Harry said. He thought it was rather obvious.

“Yeah, I do,” said Ginny. “But I was thinking you could share some of your secrets and fantasies with me.”

“Fantasies?”

“Yeah.” Ginny laughed at the look on his face. “What do you think about when I’m not around?”

“Oh…” Harry knew exactly what she wanted him to share and it made him blush. He was not about to share that stuff with her; it was embarrassing. He decided it might be safer to play dumb for a little bit longer. “I don’t know… What do you think about?”

“You.” Ginny smiled. “It changes, but it’s always you.”

“Really?” Harry said, becoming relaxed. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to know all the details about his vivid dreams of the two of them back at Hogwarts, under the Invisibility Cloak, out by the lake… Ginny cleared her throat, forcing himself back to reality.

“I dream about you too,” he said lamely.

“What do you dream about?” Ginny asked, getting up and coming over to sit next to him.

“I don’t know, just about us.” Harry tried not to meet her gaze. He felt guilty for having thought about her in that way. He felt guilty for having gotten off to the image of her in school robes…

“You know, Harry, if you tell me, I may actually do it.”

“Really?” His eyes shot up and met hers.

Ginny laughed and nodded.

“I — um — it’s embarrassing.”

“Would you feel better if I told you one first?” Ginny asked.

Harry nodded.

“You’re not allowed to tease,” Ginny said as she blushed.

What could she possibly dream about that would cause her to blush? he thought.

“Merlin’s honor,” Harry said and placed his hand over his heart.

“Do you remember the DA?” Ginny asked.

“Of course,” he said, unsure where he was going with this.

“I sometimes think of you and me having individual lessons.” Ginny blushed even redder.

Harry did not understand why she was blushing. This was the kind of fantasy she had? She wanted him to teach her some defensive spells one on one? While he certainly did not have a problem with that, it wasn’t what he’d expected when she had said fantasy.

“You want me to teach you the Hurling Hex or something?” Harry said, sounding just as confused as he felt.

Ginny looked at him as if he was daft and burst into laughter. She did not stop for a good five minutes, at which point she had to wipe away tears from her eyes. Harry crossed his arms and glared at her.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” he spat out.

“Harry, I don’t want you to teach me a hex. I already know quite a few,” Ginny said, trying to contain her amusement for his sake.

“You’re the one bringing up the DA,” Harry said, annoyed. If she was just going to take the mickey out of him he would gladly skip today’s lesson.

“I think about you teaching me things, just not magic,” she said slowly, trying to make him understand some hidden meaning.

“Something about Muggle gadgets, then? I thought only your dad was into that.”

“Could you try not to bring up my dad while we’re talking about this?”

“Talking about what? I don’t get what you want me to teach you,” he said.

“Harry, have you ever fantasized about a teacher?” She paused. “Sexually fantasized about a teacher?”

Harry thought about it. His only female teachers had been McGonagall, Sprout, Trelawney, and Umbridge. He shuddered. “Definitely not.”

“Oh, right…” Ginny snickered. “Well, I have.”

“Really? Who?” Harry mentally ran through all of the male professors. It certainly could not have been Slughorn or Snape. The only reasonable names he could come up with were Lupin and Lockhart, and he still could not see Ginny fancying them.

“You,” she said, as if it should be obvious.

Harry looked at her, shocked. “Me? When was I your teacher?”

“The DA!” Ginny yelled exasperated.

“I wouldn’t exactly call me a teacher,” Harry said.

“More so than Umbridge ever was.” She snorted. “You were quite captivating. Taking charge and ordering everyone around.”

Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes, he understood. It all made sense and he felt like an idiot for not getting it sooner.

“You want me to order you around?” he asked.

“Not exactly.” Ginny blushed.

“But you want me to be your teacher again,” he said with confidence.

“I like thinking about it when we’re apart,” she said.

“And what do you picture us doing?” Harry was truly curious. What part of him being her teacher turned her on?

“Detention.” Ginny turned a bright shade of red, almost as dark as her hair.

“Detention?” Harry’s mind immediately went to all the dark and wonderful things he could make her to for this detention…

“Yes,” Ginny said, trying to take control of the situation again. “But today’s lesson isn’t about me, it’s about you. So tell me, what gets you off?”

Harry choked at her choice of words but tried to stay calm. She had told him something embarrassing for her, and he would have to tell her something about himself. Besides, this was a better lesson than he thought it would be. At least she wasn’t asking him about the war, his emotions, or any of that dark stuff.

“Come on, Harry.” Ginny raised her eyebrows at him. “What do you think about?”

“You in your old Quidditch robes.”

“My school ones? They were ghastly!” Ginny laughed and Harry joined in. “I’m pretty sure they were Charlie’s at one point.”

“They weren’t bad. Looked better on you than him, I’m sure,” he said. “Besides, I think the end of my sixth year was the happiest I had ever been at school.”

“Really?” Ginny smiled at him. “Was that what I was wearing when you kissed me?”

“No.” He shook his head. “You were still wearing your jumper and pants, but you didn’t have on the robe.”

“You remember what I was wearing when we first kissed?” Ginny looked shocked.

“You don’t?”

“No,” she said. “But I remember the kiss.” She leaned in and kissed him. Her lips still had the same effect as they did the first time. It could have been seconds; it could have been several sunlit days, for all he knew. All he paid attention to were her lips on his.

“I also remember the look on Dean and Romilda’s faces. Neither were thrilled,” Ginny said.

“I was a bit more concerned with Ron at the time.” Harry laughed.

“Like he could’ve done anything.” Ginny snorted. “I would have hexed him if he tried to stop us.”

“Luckily, he didn’t,” Harry said, giving her another quick kiss.

“What do you think about me doing in my gross Quidditch robes?” Ginny asked when they pulled apart.

“Oh, um… I picture us flying together. But—” he started but stopped.

“But what?” she asked.

“Nothing.” Harry buried his face in her shoulder, unable to meet her eyes.

“No fair! I told you stuff.” She pushed him off of her so she could see his face.

“I may picture you only in your robes,” Harry said very quickly, staring at a spot in the carpet.

“Okay? What’s so wrong with that?” Ginny asked.

“You’re only wearing your robes, nothing else.” He was sure that by now he was blushing a dark red that would make any Weasley proud.

“Nothing else?” Ginny asked.

“A sexy pair of knickers,” he mumbled as his hands covered his face.

“That might make sitting on a broom a bit uncomfortable,” Ginny said with a grin.

“You aren’t supposed to be teasing.” He glared at her.

“You’re right.” Ginny stopped and suddenly looked serious. “Now what do you suppose would happen if I tried this?” she mumbled to herself.

She abruptly left the room and went into her own bedroom. Ten minutes later, she came out and Harry had to do a double take. She stood there in very sexy maroon underwear and Gryffindor Quidditch robes. She looked ten times better in real life than in his dreams.

“This about right?” Ginny bit her bottom lip, knowing it drove him wild.

“Yeah…” he croaked, not trusting his voice to do much more.

“You want to show me what else this little fantasy involves?” Ginny beckoned him to her room.

Harry nodded enthusiastically and rushed to her room. Looking back, it was not his finest moment, but who could blame him?

“You know, this sharing thing isn’t so bad.” Harry said before kissing her passionately. The two spent the remainder of the day together, acting out all of their fantasies.

----

Harry awoke the next day with a goofy grin on his face. If he lived to be a hundred and fifty, he would not forget the sight of Ginny Weasley dressed up in a bra, lace knickers, and a Quidditch robe. They had an enjoyable time playing their own version of Quidditch in which Ginny was the Snitch.

Harry was excited to see what Ginny had in store today. They were getting closer to the end of their lessons, and each day kept getting better. He looked around for a card on his pillow but did not find one. Confused, he searched under his bed, looking to see if it had fallen off in his sleep.

“Looking for this?” Ginny’s voice startled him and he hit his head on the bottom of the bed.

“Oh, sorry. Are you alright?” Ginny rushed to his side.

“I’m fine.” Harry sat up rubbing the back of his head. “You snuck up on me.”

“Your Auror senses are off,” she teased, running her hands lightly over his head.

“I guess.” Harry sighed, enjoying her hands in his hair. “I’ve been so relaxed here that I haven’t been paying as close attention to those things as I usually do. It’s not good.”

“I think it’s brilliant. You’ve always had a hard time relaxing. I’m glad you can around me.” Ginny smiled at him and he returned it.

She was right. It did feel nice to relax and not look over his shoulder every few minutes.

“You’re up early,” Ginny said. “I was just about to bring you this.”

Ginny handed him a piece of paper with the word “Emotions” written on it.

“Emotions?” he asked.

“Now that we’ve shared the good stuff, It’s time to go deeper,” Ginny explained.

Harry groaned. This was what he had been expecting yesterday. She wanted him to talk about the war.

“Will you come with me somewhere?” Ginny asked.

“Anywhere,” Harry said. She raised her eyebrows at him. He could not blame her because it was a bit out of character, but he was surprised to find he had meant it. He really would follow her anywhere. He had certainly followed her here, even when he had not wanted to.

“There’s something I want to share with you,” Ginny said.

The two got dressed and Ginny Apparated them to what looked to be a desert. There was sand everywhere.

“Where are we?” Harry asked.

“Egypt,” Ginny said sadly. “This is where we spent the summer after my first year.”

“I remember. Ron said it was a lot of fun,” he said. He was confused about why she was upset. He had been under the impression their time on holiday was great.

“It was fun for everyone else,” Ginny said. Harry waited for her to continue, and it was several minutes before she did.

“I was miserable the entire trip. I had only just gotten out of the hospital wing and home a week before we’d left. Everyone else was having so much fun, but I couldn’t.”

“You were still upset about Riddle’s diary,” Harry said understandingly. He knew what it was like to have your whole world fall apart, yet still have to watch everyone around you act as if all was well.

“I felt so silly and stupid and guilty. I could have killed another student. I could have died myself!” Ginny had tears welling up in her eyes.

“But you didn’t. And Riddle’s soul was destroyed,” Harry said, rubbing her back, trying to comfort her.

He hated it when Ginny cried. She was always so tough and hated being coddled. In all the years he’d known her, he’d only seen her cry a total of five times — after the chamber, when her dad was attacked in the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore’s funeral, his seventeenth birthday, and Fred’s death. He knew it was a thin line between making her feel better and making her feel like a child. He’d been hexed before for crossing it.

“I tried to tell myself that, but it didn’t matter. I was having nightmares every night,” she said.

“That must have been horrible,” Harry said, knowing it wasn’t the brightest thing to say, but unable to come up with something better.

He could relate to how she was feeling. He still woke up some nights in a sweat after seeing Voldemort kill his parents. Or Bellatrix killing Sirius, or torturing Hermione, or almost killing Ginny. Merlin, was he glad Mrs. Weasley killed that psychotic wench.

“You know, some nights, I still have them,” Ginny whispered.

“You do?” Harry asked. She’d never said anything before, and Hermione had never mentioned anything when they shared a room.

“I’ve never told anyone before.” Ginny wiped her eyes. “When we got back, I told myself that I was done brooding. I gave myself a swift kick in the arse and promised myself I would do everything in my power to never be that weak again. My family became even more protective after that, and I just wanted to prove that I could take care of myself — that I didn’t need somebody to come rushing in to save me.”

“Everyone needs help sometimes. You should have said something.”

Ginny snorted.

“When was the last time you told anybody about your nightmares?”

‘Guilty as charged,’ Harry thought.

“Do you want to know the real reason I didn’t throw a fit when you broke up with me?” Ginny asked.

Harry nodded, curious. They rarely ever talked about their break up. Most of the time they acted as if they had been together since their first kiss in the Common Room with no interruptions.

“I knew that you were right. That Voldemort would use me to get to you. I was scared that he would possess me again and you would come running to save me and get yourself killed. Iwould get you killed, just like I almost did first year.”

“You think just because we’d broken up, I wouldn’t come to save you?” Harry asked. He would have killed a thousand Death Eaters if that was what it took to save her. Had he not rushed to save her his second year? That was when she was only Ron’s little sister. But once he realized he loved her? He would walk through Hell itself to ensure her safety.

“I was too terrified of being possessed again to think about it. The night Dumbledore died, I had a dream Tom took over and forced me to kill you in your sleep.” Ginny shivered at the memory.

“I have those kind of dreams too,” he said. “They’re only natural, especially after you’d just been through a Death Eater attack—”

“I woke up standing outside your dorm room,” Ginny said point blank. “I heard his voice in my head sometimes. It didn’t feel like a dream. It felt like him. I don’t know why I never said anything. We never understood the diary. What if his soul was still in me?”

“It wasn’t.”

“How do you know that?” Ginny asked.

Harry took a steady breath. It was time to tell her about the Horcruxes. He had kept them a secret until now, because they brought up too many bad memories. But telling Ginny would help ease her pain. He would do it for her. He would do anything for her.

They sat there for hours in the middle of the desert. He explained all about the Horcruxes and how they had been destroyed. He told her the story about how he and Ron had been stuck in Malfoy Manor, helplessly listening to Hermione’s torture. He recounted the nightmares he regularly had of her dying at the hands of Voldemort, and how he’d watch her dot on the Marauder’s Map to reassure himself afterwards. They both cried when he told her about his long trip out to the forest to die, and having to pass her without saying goodbye. He made sure she knew she was the last face he saw before Voldemort killed him, and she was the reason he came back.

Afterwards, he felt better than he had in years. He was glad he got to experience that with Ginny. He knew they were a stronger pair now, than they had ever been.

---

Harry walked into the sitting room the next day to quite a sight. Ginny was sitting in an armchair smiling at him, wearing what looked like a bed sheet.

“Er — um —” Harry stammered, having a difficult time forming words with her dressed in a thin white sheet.

Ginny silently pointed to a piece of paper sitting on the table. He picked it up and read it: Selfishness.

“Selfishness?” he said, thinking if he said it aloud it would make more sense. It didn’t.

“It was supposed to be ‘Giving’, but I doubt you need a lesson on being selfless. I thought this would be more fun,” she said. What exactly this was, Harry was unsure, but he was eager to find out.

“I’m going to be your house-elf for the day,” she explained, as if it should have been perfectly clear to him. Harry’s eyes went wide with confusion for a minute, before understanding dawned on him.

“You don’t look like a house-elf.” Harry laughed, taking the liberty to look her up and down. She was stunning. He was the luckiest bloke in all of England.

“No, I suspect not. But I figured I could be your much hotter house-elf.” Ginny smirked. “It’s time for you to learn to take something for yourself, especially after such a good day yesterday.”

“And what exactly am I supposed to be learning to take from you?” Harry said nervously. Teasing was all good and fun, but he was not the type of bloke to boss a girl around. He did not want to force her to do anything she did not want to do — and he doubted her five big brothers back home would appreciate him forcing anything on their baby sister.

“Anything you want. I’m here to do whatever you command of me,” Ginny purred seductively. He gulped.

“Oh, and Master?” Ginny used that husky voice that always sent shivers down his spine.

Harry’s eyes snapped away from the bed cloth that was barely covering her curves as a jolt of pleasure went through his body. Kreacher had been the only other person to call him Master, and therefore never noticed it could be such a sexy word. He took a steady breath. He could do this. This could be fun.

Pull yourself together, Potter, he thought to himself.

“Yea?”

“Do try to be creative. I don’t fancy spending time as your slave doing dishes.”

Harry and Ginny spent what he would remember as one of the best days of his life inside their hotel room. She cooked him three lovely meals, including his favorite desserts, she gave him one of the longest and best massages he had ever received, and they had done things that would make looking Ron in the eye difficult.

----

The following — and final — day, Harry awoke to a note sitting on one of his pillows. Keeping with the tradition, it too only had one word: Love. Harry smiled and headed into the loo to clean himself up. Today should be an easy day. Love was a rather simple concept. He loved Ginny already; he would not have to learn to do anything.

He went to clean himself up and when he returned, Ginny was sitting on his bed with breakfast.

“What’s this?” Harry smiled at her, taking a bite of some bacon.

“I just thought you might be hungry,” Ginny said, eating some food off the plate as well.

“I thought the house-elf thing was a one time deal.”

“It was. Don’t go getting any ideas, Potter.” She smirked.

Harry frowned at her.

“But I love house-elves. Everyone should own one.”

“You love me dressed as a house-elf, there’s a big difference. Though I’ll be sure to mention it to Hermione.” Ginny laughed and he had to join in.

“Please don’t. I don’t really feel like another SPEW lecture. I get them enough with Kreacher around.”

“I suspect you do.”

Ginny suddenly became serious. “So today is all about love.”

“I’m a bit confused. I love you, you know that. Why the lesson?” Harry said.

“I don’t doubt you love me, Harry.”

He waited for her to continue. When she did not, he rolled his eyes. She had a knack for saying things to him as if they should make perfect sense, though rarely did. She must have picked it up from Luna.

“Well, that makes me feel better, I guess,” he said, mostly to fill the silence.

“This isn’t a lesson on loving me. It’s more a lesson on love in general.” Ginny smiled and sat back, making herself comfortable on his bed. “Dumbledore always said love was the greatest magic of all.”

“Yeah,” he said growing more confused by the second. He had no idea where this was leading. “It’s how we won the war.”

“I’m not talking about sacrificial love.” Ginny gave him a look he couldn’t quite read. “I’m talking about the kind of love that makes you feel as if a wrackspurt’s gotten a hold of your brain and everything’s all fuzzy and all you can see is this brilliantly blinding light…”

Yes, definitely too much time with Luna.

“I know when you tell me you love me, it is with all of your heart. I hope you know it’s the same with me.” He nodded and she continued. “I think it’s time you started seeing love less as this thing associated with pain and loss, and more as the wonderful thing it is.”

“You don’t think I know love is good?” Harry asked.

“I think you associate loving somebody with somebody getting hurt.” Ginny gave him a knowing look.

Harry did not have anything to say, he knew that she was right. Even with the war over, he had never gotten over his fear that the people he loved would die.

“So today, I’m officially giving you all of my heart, though I’m quite certain you’ve had it since the day I put my elbow in the butter dish.”

Harry laughed as he pictured little Ginny Weasley back in his second year blushing every time he walked into the room, unable to speak.

“You were cute back then.” Harry chuckled. “A lot quieter.”

Ginny smacked his arm and glared at him. The two sat in silence for a bit, picking bits of breakfast off the same plate. When they were finished, Ginny stood up and reached for his hand.

“Come with me.”

Harry stood up and took her hand, prepared to go wherever she led. This week had taught him many things, the biggest of which was to let go. He needed to quit worrying over everything and allow himself to just be with Ginny. The days of death and darkness were behind him. There would always be another dark wizard trying to take Voldemort’s place, but he now realized he never had to be alone again. He was no longer the prophecy child — the wizarding world’s sole chance for survival. He could just be Harry.

Ginny Apparated them both right into the middle of a busy city street. He tried looking around for something familiar, but all the street signs were written in some Asian script he couldn’t understand.

“Tell me this is a Wizarding area,” Harry said, worried about how crowded the street was that Ginny had Apparated them into.

“Look at you, Mr. Auror,” Ginny teased. “So what if it isn’t? You gonna arrest me?”

“I might,” Harry teased back.

“Are you going to punish me?” Ginny asked in her most seductive voice, leaning in and kissing him.

When she pulled away, he could not help but glance nervously around the street for any photographers. He rarely showed any affection in public for fear it would end up in the morning paper.

“Relax, Harry,” Ginny said with just a touch of irritation in her voice. She hated when he shied away from her in public. “Nobody is going to recognize us. We are in the middle of Japan!”

“Ginny Weasley!” The two turned their heads towards the man who was waving and speaking very broken English.

Harry snickered and gave her a smirk at her, as if to say ‘I told you so.’

“Ginny Weasley! Holyhead Harpies!” the man continued to yell.

“I think you have a fan,” Harry whispered in her ear, amused.

The Japanese man came over to them and held up his camera, communicating that he would like a picture. Ginny nodded and tried not to blush as Harry laughed at her. Harry took a photograph of the two, and the man went on his way.

“Don’t say anything.” Ginny held up her hand before he could get in a single word.

Harry wanted to take the mickey out of her, but the look on her face warned him against it.

“Want to tell me what we are doing in the middle of Japan?”

“Have you ever been here?”

Harry shook his head.

“We played a match here for charity. Did you know that Japanese teams burn their brooms after losing a match?”

“If you ever set your Firebolt on fire, I’ll disown you.” Harry laughed.

“I would carry around a fake broom and burn it instead,” Ginny said with a giggle.

“You would.” Harry could just picture her sneaking off to the locker rooms to change brooms so her beloved Firebolt would not get destroyed. Ginny loved her broom almost as much as she loved him.

“When I was here, I saw these amazing fireworks — puts ours to shame, really.”

“Fireworks?” Harry looked up at the sky confused. “It’s morning.”

“Time difference. The sun should be setting in another hour or so. Come on.” Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street.

She led him through the streets, passing by several stores Harry wanted to look into. Ginny promised him they would come back later. Apparently, the fireworks were a big deal in Japan and they had to get there early to get a good view. Soon, Harry realized they must have entered the Muggle part of the city, because the shops were filled with televisions and computers instead of brooms and cauldrons.

After fifteen minutes of walking, they reached the waterfront where the fireworks were to go off. Harry looked around; it was packed with people.

“Where do you want to sit?” He tried to spot a space for the two of them.

Ginny pulled him over to a dock. She pulled out a funny looking paper note and handed it to one of the workers. They led the two of them over to a small paddleboat.

“You rented a boat?”

“It’s really romantic. We did it the last time we were here,” Ginny explained.

“Romantic? Who were you here with again?”

“Just some friends.” She gave him a look that said ‘If you’re about to get jealous, I’ll push you into the ocean.’

“I just don’t like thinking of you doing romantic stuff with anyone but me,” he said.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

The two got into the boat and paddled out into the water. The farther away they paddled, the quieter things were. It really was a romantic place, with the sun setting around them and turning the sky shades of orange, red, and purple.

“Why don’t we do things like this more often?” Harry asked. “It’s brilliant.”

“Because you hate being out in public.”

“I just don’t want people to see how attached I am to you. They could use it against me,” Harry explained.

“Attached are you?” Ginny teased.

“Just a bit,” Harry said, but it was a lie. He was more than “a bit” attached to her. She was his lifeline.

“You know, we’re out in public now and nothing’s happened.” She raised her eyebrows at him.

“I know,” he said.

“Do you think that maybe you’ve been worried over nothing?”

“I don’t know, Gin.” Harry sighed. “It’s not like anybody out here really knows me.”

“So it’s okay to love me in Japan just not London,” she said carefully. He could not tell if she was annoyed or not.

“I love you, wherever we are,” he said, hoping it would be enough to end the conversation.

“I don’t understand why you can’t just relax and let love into your life,” Ginny said, running her hands lovingly through his hair. “It really can heal all your pain if you let it.”

“Did it heal all of yours?” Harry asked.

“It’s certainly helped,” she said. “Being with you makes all the other stuff more bearable.”

“It’s the same for me,” he said. She gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him.

“It has. This past week — being more open with you about everything — it’s really making me feel better.”

“I’m glad,” Ginny said with a smile.

The first of the fireworks shot up in the air, and they ended their conversation in favor of watching the sky light up in various different colors. Harry pulled Ginny into his arms and kissed the top of her head, grateful to be able to share this with her.

For forty-five minutes, the sky was alive with oranges, blues, reds, and purples. There were traditional fireworks, but there were also ones shaped like stars, hearts, and even animals. Ginny’s favorite had been the ones that looked like shooting stars and stardust. He had not expected to be so impressed with Muggle fireworks. They were better than the ones sold at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.

When the fireworks were over, Ginny pulled a very small picnic basket out of her pocket and enlarged it with her wand. As they ate, they talked about anything and everything. Ginny told him about their last game against Montrose. The Magpies’ Chaser had been easily distracted and missed fifteen goals because the Harpies’ Keeper shouted sexy comments at him whenever he flew near. Harry and Ginny got a good laugh out of that, which led to a debate of whether or not the Harpies’ success was due to the girls’ talent at Quidditch or their talent at attracting the opposite sex.

Several hours later, after walking around the entire city and watching the sunrise, they were ready to head back to their hotel.

“Gin, will you sleep in my bed tonight?” Harry asked.

“You want me to stay in your room?” She looked shocked. “You’ve always made up some lame excuse for us to sleep in separate rooms.”

“Fearing your brothers is not a lame excuse,” he said indignantly.

Ginny gave him a look that said she was not buying it.

“I didn’t want you in bed with me when I was still have nightmares so often,” Harry said honestly. After sharing so much with each other, he found it hard not being open with her. It was a good but strange feeling.

“Oh Harry, of course I’ll stay with you.”

“I love you Ginny Weasley,” he said, pulling her into a hug before Apparating them both back.

----

Harry lay in bed, counting ceiling tiles, unable to sleep. He was anxious to talk to Ginny, but knew it could be hours before she woke up. He had been waiting to ask her a question for weeks now, ever since she left for Quidditch camp. In all of the excitement of the past week, he had forgotten his plans to talk to her.

Harry looked down at her sleeping form. She was on her stomach and he could see the freckles that started on her neck and went all the way down, disappearing under the bed sheet. She was gorgeous.

Being with Ginny was like catching the Snitch at the World Cup and defeating Voldemort in the same day. Only better. She had been right. He had been looking at love as something to be feared. Now he truly understood what she meant when she had said love could heal. It felt like all of the pain of his past was gone. All the anguish he felt growing up unloved and neglected was gone. It was all taken away and replaced with one thought: Ginny.

Harry sighed. For the first time in a long time, he was happy. One hundred percent, not a care in the world, happy. Ginny had been nothing short of amazing. He realized now that he had not been the easiest person to get along with, and loving him did not come easy. But they had grown closer now, and he vowed to keep an open line of communication.

Ginny stirred and he immediately felt panicked. He had not yet begun to come up with a plan of how to talk to her.

“It’s nice waking up next to you,” Ginny murmured, sleep still heavy in her voice. He cursed himself for allowing the scratchiness of her voice to turn him on. He could not get distracted.

“Yeah, it is.” Harry smiled, and suddenly it all hit him. He knew exactly what he needed to say to her. “You know, I was thinking about this past week together.”

“I know you probably thought some of it was corny.” Ginny turned over so that she could see him properly.

“No, I enjoyed it.” Harry kissed the top of her head, trying to force his breathing to slow down. It would not do for him to blurt out his question as he had when he asked Cho Chang to the Yule Ball. This was not a moment in which you wanted to make an arse out of yourself.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did too.” She smiled and snuggled up to him.

He groaned at the feel of skin touching skin, but stayed focused. This was important.

“There was one thing I think you forgot though, one word.” Harry reached over and grabbed his wand off the bedside table.

“Oh?” Ginny pulled her head up to look at him curiously. “I thought we covered everything quite nicely. What did I forget?”

Harry waved his wand and the word “Forever” appeared in glowing red letters. He then pulled out a little black jewelry box that he had stashed under his pillow. Opening it, he showed her his mother’s old engagement ring, a gold band with a simple diamond.

“What do you say, Gin? Now that you’ve made me the into perfect boyfriend, want to be my perfect wife?”

Ginny was shocked, but he could see the excitement bubbling underneath. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, he heard the one word he had been waiting forever to hear.

“Yes.”
Reviews 16
ChapterPrinter




../back
‘! Go To Top ‘!

Sink Into Your Eyes is hosted by Grey Media Internet Services. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2001-2006. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are subject to copyright law under transformative use. Authors on this site take no compensation for their works. This site © 2003-2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Special thanks to: Aredhel, Kaz, Michelle, and Jeco for all the hard work on SIYE 1.0 and to Marta for the wonderful artwork.
Featured Artwork © 2003-2006 by Yethro.
Design and code © 2006 by SteveD3(AdminQ)
Additional coding © 2008 by melkior and Bear