|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Author: Musings Story: The New Professor Rating: Teens Setting: AU Status: WIP Reviews: 7 Words: 160,238
Harry spent the better part of the day after the dance on his Firebolt supervising the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw squads' practices. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have minded at all. Today, however, the weather was abysmal. Despite the myriad of charms and spells he'd attempted, he'd wound up soaking wet and miserable by the time lightning crackled across the horizon. "That's it! Clear off! Changing rooms! Now!" he bellowed to the Ravenclaws before heading down towards the earth. As his feet hit the ground, the Ravenclaw's Seeker plopped down into the puddle next to him, sending globs of mud flying in every direction, including Harry's jumper. "I'm sorry, Professor Potter!" Ming Chang said with a wail as the rest of the Ravenclaws landed nearby and tore in the direction of the changing rooms. "Don't worry about it, Miss Chang," Harry said with a grimace, brushing away most of the mud before sighing in defeat. "This jumper has pretty much had it for today." He glanced away from his chest over to the tiny girl. "Let's go inside, eh?" "Yes, sir!" she said as they turned to dash towards the entrance to the changing room facility. Reaching the foyer, each of them shook themselves like a pair of wet puppies. "Thank you for working with us, Professor, especially on a day like today. We really appreciate it!" Harry smiled, arching a teasing look at Ming. "Ordinarily I'd say ‘it's been my pleasure', although today I think we would all have been happier snug inside with some hot cider!" She laughed. "Excellent flying up there today, by the way." "Thanks, sir," Ming said, her eyes bright with excitement. "It was so dreadful out there but we really need the practice." She bit her bottom lip, a frown forming on her brow. "It was a good practice, wasn't it? I mean, we made some progress, despite the rain, didn't we?" "You're right about that, Miss Chang," Harry said with a smile. "I have to say your team is looking quite good so far this season and will give Gryffindor a run for the money next Saturday!" She beamed. "Excellent!" "Now, get in there and warm up – I don't want you or any of your teammates coming down with anything before next week's match!" "Yes, sir!" Ming said as she turned towards the girls' changing room. Harry shivered and turned towards the office adjacent to the changing rooms. As he opened the door, the heat from the room caused his glasses to fog over. "Bloody hell," he muttered, snatching them off his nose. He'd forgotten to charm them again. He tossed them up onto the mantel. "I'll worry about them later – time to get changed." He removed his wand and pointed it towards the glass in the door. "Opacus!" he said. The glass misted over, becoming dense and opaque. Locking the door, he began to shrug out of his wet gear, kicking off his shoes, unbuckling his belt and removing his jeans. He dragged the sodden turtleneck jumper over his head and threw it in the direction of his office chair. A second later, an outraged squawk pierced the silence. "Hedwig!" Harry said, fumbling for his glasses and shoving them onto his nose. His owl was perched on the back of the chair, eyes blazing from underneath a heap of wet wool. "I'm so sorry!" he said, rushing over to lift the jumper off of her. A chuckle nearly escaped him. One look from her stopped it halfway up his throat. "Good lord, when did you get here?" She thrust her leg out, snapping her beak violently as she ruffled her feathers at him. "Believe me, Hedwig, I'm sorry about that! I didn't see you in here!" His fingers tugged at the damp string around her leg. It took several moments for him to untie the knot. When he'd finally released the note, Hedwig gave his finger a sharp nip. "OW! I said I was sorry!" He took her onto his wrist, walked over to the mantel, and set her down on the edge of the trophy case. "All I've got is part of a sandwich from earlier. Take it!" She settled her feathers and, with a final glance, began to tuck in. Sucking on the small cut Hedwig had given him, he glanced at the letter and smiled. It was from Hermione. Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and changed, Harry sat at his desk and slid a finger along the seal of the envelope. A coin slid out. Puzzled, Harry set it down and settled into his office chair to read. Dear Harry, It's All Saint's Day and I simply cannot wait until I am able to meet the little tot that has been bashing in my ribcage for the past few months. I'm as big as a rhino and twice as grumpy, but I just know I've not much farther to go before it's over. Recognize the coin? I've decided I want you to be here when the baby arrives so I took one of our old fake Galleons from the DA and re-cast the Protean Charm on it. The word "It's Time" will glow along the edges when we're heading to St. Mungo's. Before you ask me, I'll tell you that Ron knows all about it, and while he wasn't leaping up and down with excitement, he knows that it's important to me that you be here with us this time round. I want my new son or daughter to know their godfather right from the start. Harry stopped, feeling as though a thousand butterflies had fluttered to life in his stomach. Godfather? I just sent one to Ginny as well. In any case, I've got to dash. Ron wants to go through another practice run to the hospital. I hope to see you soon! Love from Hermione Harry slowly set the letter down onto his desk and picked up the coin. He recognized in easily and smiled as he ran his fingernail along the series of runes at the edge of the coin where many years before the date and time for their next clandestine class would appear. I'm to be godfather to Ron and Hermione's baby, he thought to himself, feeling what had to have been an idiotic grin cross his face. Tucking the coin into his pocket, he jumped out of his chair, walked over to the wardrobe next to the door and removed his satchel from the hook inside. After a bit of rooting around, his hand grasped what he'd been looking for: the Marauder's Map. Flicking a glance at the door, he walked back to his desk and picked up his wand, placing the tip of it against the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said. Slowly, the intricate lines which formed the map shimmered into view. His eyes raced around the map until they fell on the person he wanted to see. "She's in the library." "Mischief managed," Harry muttered under his breath, then folded up the map and packed it away in his satchel. He grabbed his robe and slung it onto his shoulders in one practiced movement, then tucked his wand in the slender pocket hidden inside and strode towards the door. "Alohomora," he said, his hand clasped on the door latch. It grew warm under his touch and slid open. He turned to his owl. "I'm leaving, Hedwig. Would you like to stay here or head back to the tower?" The bird squawked sharply at him, gripped the last bits of sandwich in her beak and took to the air, whipping past him with nary a backwards glance. "I'm for it now," he grumbled as he watched her flap towards the exit. He closed and locked the door behind him and headed towards the main part of the castle. As he walked past the Great Hall, he smiled as he remembered the previous evening's events. He hadn't had a chance to dance with Ginny again after their waltz, but the two of them had spent several hours acting as chaperones. They'd cast conspiratorial glances at one another as they'd walked amongst the crowd, looking for students whose hands had been wandering with wicked intent during the slow dances, and shared stories of discovering students who'd found a darkened corner or broom cupboard for a bit of frolic. Ginny'd had to wipe away tears of laughter from her eyes when Harry had told her of finding Neville and Luna in one of the greenhouses. It had been close to midnight when the final strains of music had drifted through the hall and Professor McGonagall had brought the ball to a close. Harry had glanced around to see where Ginny was – he'd wanted to walk her back to Gryffindor Tower – but was waylaid by Seamus and Lavender. "Harry, mate," Seamus said, clapping a hand on Harry's shoulder, "you've got to come by the pub next weekend after the match! We're hosting the celebration party!" "Aren't you jumping the gun a wee bit, Seamus?" Harry said with a laugh. "Are you mad, Harry? We've got the next generation from Ireland's Professional Quidditch team on our side, mate! Aidan Lynch's daughter playing Seeker, Moran's son at Chaser and Connelly's son at Beater! We'll pulverize them!" "I dunno, Seamus," Harry said, shaking his head. "You haven't seen this year's Ravenclaw team in the air yet. They're very impressive. And they've got descendants of the Irish champions on their side as well, don't forget that!" Seamus snorted. "Well, if we lose, we'll all just cry in our beer and start strategizing for the Hufflepuffs!" "Win or lose, please join us Harry," Lavender added, tucking an arm in the crook of her husband's elbow. "Everyone will be there! Lee Jordan, Angelina, Katie Bell, the Weasley twins, everybody!" "Yeah, we're launching a new butterbeer – Lion's Gold," Seamus said proudly. Harry paused, his stomach doing a slow roll. He'd made the decision to return to the wizarding world when it came to the school. Was he prepared to re-enter the whole social realm of that world as well? Not to mention running into the twins and who knew who else. He gritted his teeth – Heir of Gryffindor, you git. "Count me in," he said with a nod. Seamus whooped and shook his hand, clapping him on the back hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs. "What's going on?" a voice said behind him. He turned and saw Ginny standing not more that a foot behind him. "Ginny," Harry said, clearing his throat and shaking his head. "Seamus was just telling me about his plans for a Gryffindor get-together following next week's match." "Ginny, you've got to come," Lavender said, fairly dancing on her toes. "I'd love to," Ginny said, her eyes fixed on Harry's. Harry felt as if all of the blood in his body had raced to his feet. "Brilliant!" Seamus said. "The Lion and the Owl as soon as the match is over!" With a final handshake, Seamus and Lavender headed towards the main doors. Harry waved, willing his stomach to return to its normal state of calm. He turned to face Ginny and realized the room was nearly empty. "Wow – this place cleared out in a hurry, didn't it?" "The temperature outside started to drop fairly quickly, so I think most of the guests wanted to reach the Apparition point in Hogsmeade before it got too late or too cold," Ginny said, glancing out one of the tall windows. "Anyway, it's time I head back to Gryffindor. Getting the students to settle down after bushels of candy and excitement should be a challenge." "Can I walk you back?" Harry blurted, mentally kicking himself. Real smooth, Potter. She paused for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you, Harry." They took their time, walking quietly through the hallways past the sleeping inhabitants of the portraits. On their way they talked about the upcoming match, their classes, the weather, the number of students who'd been stuck in the hospital wing with a nasty flu. It wasn't until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady that Harry asked her the question that had been plaguing his mind. "Gin, why didn't your friend Christopher come to the dance tonight?" he blurted out, his heart in his throat. "He…" she said, a frown creasing her brow. "He and I had words while I was out of town for my friend's funeral." "If you don't mind me asking, Gin," he said softly, "what kind of words?" Her eyes flickered over his face. "Actually, it was about you," she said. "I'd sent him a note before I left, telling him that we needed to talk when he came here for the dance." Her frown deepened. "He showed up at the funeral, rather unexpectedly." Harry's eyes widened. "What?" "Yes, he came to the funeral. Anyway, I told him that I needed some time to think about things. Because of what you and I'd talked about the night I'd found out about Sammie. He…" she paused, and Harry watched as she made an effort to choose her words wisely. "He pushed me too far so I called things off with him." "What do you mean, pushed you too far?" he said, his voice sounded reedy and dark. His ears were roaring and he felt his hand clench into a fist. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" "No! No, of course not," Ginny said quickly, pressing a hand against his chest. "I'm sorry, I'm not being clear. What I meant by that was he wound up proposing to me, and I wasn't ready for that, not with him." She looked up into Harry's eyes. "You and I have to work through what happened between us before I could seriously consider his or anyone else's proposal. In any event, it's a moot point now." "You broke things off with him," Harry said, realization dawning on him. Ginny nodded. "I want to make things right with you, Harry. With us. I don't know if it means that we'll start seeing one another again, or if it just means we're able to be friends. I just don't know that right now. But after what you shared with me that night, I've got to try. Do you understand?" Dumbfounded, Harry nodded. "I'll admit this much to you," she said, gazing into his eyes. "Any feelings of animosity I may have had towards you before are long gone." She leaned up to press her lips against his cheek, their warmth and softness sending his head spinning. "Thank you for walking me back. I'll see you in the morning." Kiss her, you idiot! his brain screamed. "Ginny?" he said, his hand closing onto her upper arm. She stopped, her eyes shining in the light of the hallway torches. He leaned towards her, certain she would pull away before he reached his goal. As their lips touched, the roaring in his ears returned. Memories of all of their previous kisses rocketed through his head, yet the sweetness of her breath and the warmth of her lips in the present left him yearning for more. Her free hand came up to cup the side of his face in a whisper of a caress before she stepped back, breaking the kiss. "Good night, Harry," she said, turning towards the portrait. "Leaping Lionne." "About time, girl," the Fat Lady said, stifling a yawn. "I wondered if he'd ever get on with it." Harry flushed brick-red. "I'll see you in the morning, Gin." And with a wave, she slid behind the portrait. "Taken to wool-gathering in the hallways, Potter?" a voice drawled silkily behind him, startling him from his memories. He turned, to find Snape standing behind him, a sardonic grin on his face. "Hello, Professor," Harry said, willing himself not to blush. "Still lurking in the hallways, I see." During the weeks Harry had been back at Hogwarts, his interactions with Snape had been fairly limited. Whenever they did encounter one another, however, their attitudes had wavered between extremely professional and slightly antagonistic. And while Snape's service to the Order during the war may have eliminated any feelings of distrust Harry'd had, he still didn't feel any need to like the man. "Actually, I was heading out to the pitch to speak with you," Snape snapped, thrusting a sealed roll of parchment into Harry's empty hand. "Staff assignments following the match for Saturday." "What do you mean, staff assignments?" Harry said with a frown, angling his Firebolt against his side as he broke the seal. "We need to ensure there are enough staff here at the castle to attend to the younger students after the match," Snape said, a condescending note in his voice. "Only third year and above are allowed to go into Hogsmeade. You, of all people, should remember that." Harry's head snapped up, away from the parchment as his eyes flashed at Snape's. "Of course I do," he said sharply. His eyes returned to the parchment, scanning the document. "What do you know – I'm one of the staff chosen to stay behind." He curled up the parchment and tucked it into the inside pocket of his robes. "I take it you are in charge of putting together the list." Snape smiled. "You are fairly clever once you apply yourself, Potter. You might be able to find a substitute if you act quickly." "Thanks," Harry said, turning to head towards the library. He froze in mid-step and removed the parchment from his robes. "Yes, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley is also on the list," Snape called out to him. "Can't put anything past you, now can I?" Harry turned just in time to see Snape's black robes billowing out behind him as he headed down the hall towards the dungeons. "Bloody hell," Harry muttered, picking up his Firebolt. With a final glance down the hallway leading towards the library, he turned and headed towards the Astronomy Tower – he'd find Ginny later. Despite his initial reservations, he'd found himself looking forward to the post-match gathering at Seamus' pub. He'd realized in recent weeks that he'd missed the friendships he'd formed back when he was at Hogwarts. When it came right down to it, it was practically impossible to form the same level of closeness with his colleagues – he'd served detention with practically every single one of them at some point, the lone exception being Remus. And while he missed his classmates from Oxford, none of them had the same sense of history as he'd shared with his mates from Gryffindor, especially Ron, Hermione and Ginny. He opened the door to the Astronomy Tower and walked up the steps towards his rooms. Placing the Firebolt in the small broom cupboard he'd built just before the start of term, he flung himself onto his bed. Turning his head towards his bookcase, he reached into his pocket and extracted his wand. "Accio photo album!" he said, watching the maroon leather book sail through the air to land with a soft flumph onto the bed next to him. Turning onto his side, he propped his head up onto the palm of his hand and started flipping through its pages. He was now able to smile when he looked upon photographs of his parents. Their loss was something he'd always carry with him, but it had lost the sharpness that it had had when he'd first received the photo album from Hagrid. He flipped to a page where he'd placed a photograph of Hagrid that Colin Creevey had taken at a Quidditch match in Harry's third year, watching as the photographic Hagrid cheered, stomped his feet and waved up at him. The pain of loss became more acute as thoughts of all of the others who'd fallen during the pursuit of Voldemort crossed his mind. Unbidden, the image of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy flashed stark and cold in front of him, causing Harry's stomach to lurch uncomfortably. He flipped several pages through the book until his eyes fell upon the picture of himself and Ginny at the Easter Ball. God, we were so innocent back then, he thought as his photographic self appeared to puff out his chest with pride. He'd had to admit it had felt like his heart had stopped when he'd spied her at the top of the steps in Gryffindor Tower. She'd been wearing blue that night, a blue he was certain he'd seen before many times. But on her, it had seemed as though he'd never seen in before in his life. She'd worn her hair up (as she had last night, he thought to himself) and he remembered being transfixed by the little mole at the nape of her neck. He grinned. Before the night was over, he'd tasted the skin right next to that mole. He shut the photo album with a solid thump, his mind made up. It was time to hunt up a volunteer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Come in," Remus said moodily, glancing up from his desk when he heard the knock on his office door. His look of irritation changed to one of surprise as he saw Ginny's head peek around the corner. "Ginny! It's wonderful to see you – please come in!" "I'm not disturbing you, am I, Remus?" "Of course not," he said, rising to his feet and beckoning her in with his hand. "I've just been struggling with a bit of a puzzle I received from Sirius the other day. Your arrival is a welcome diversion." He watched as she smiled and stepped further into the room. She'd made quite the transformation from the glamorous young woman he'd seen the night before dancing in Harry's arms, her hair now tucked loosely behind her ears, dressed in jeans and her Weasley jumper. Now he could see glimpses of the young girl he'd taught, the playful sprite that had captured Harry's heart so many years ago. Does she know that she's held that heart all this time? Remus mused to himself as he shut the door. Probably not, but if last night was any indication, she'll know it soon enough. "That's quite a grin on your face, Remus," she said, cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow. "Knut for your thoughts?" "No, I'm afraid I'll have to pass for now, Ginny," Remus said, rounding the corner of his desk. "Can I offer you some tea?" "Thanks, I'd like that," she said, settling into the chair on the opposite side of his. Waving his wand over the pot, he refreshed the tea and poured her a mug. "I wanted to ask you about Harry." Protectiveness crept up his spine. "What about Harry, Ginny?" He watched as a flush rose onto her cheeks. "Well," she said, nibbling her bottom lip, "I was wondering about his time away from us. At Oxford." "Yes?" Remus said, the protectiveness of earlier shimmering away, being replaced by amusement. This should be interesting. "Did he…I mean…was he ever…" she said, setting her mug down and clasping her hands in her lap. "Oh, just spit it out, Weasley," she muttered. Remus took a sip of tea to keep from laughing out loud. "Did he have anyone special while he was at Oxford?" Remus' eyes studied the ceiling for a moment. Definitely interesting. "Well, he was pretty close-mouthed about his personal life while he was there, Ginny," he said, slanting a glance in her direction. "I do know that a couple of his mates fixed him up on blind dates, which did not go over well. There was one young woman," he said, pausing for a moment to take a sip of tea. He glanced up at Ginny surreptitiously through his lashes, making note of the furrow that had appeared between her brows. "Friend of a friend, if I recall correctly. They saw one another for about six months." Another glance told him the furrow had grown into a full-blown frown. He hid a smile behind the lip of his mug. Time to put her out of her misery. "She was more interested in Harry than he was in her, I do remember that clearly enough. After Rachel, he turned his full attention towards his studies." Finally, he gazed directly into her eyes. "Why the interest, Ginny?" he asked innocently. She jumped, bobbling as she reached for her mug. "Only curious," she stammered. "Ginny," Remus said with a smile. "I saw the two of you dancing last night. I know the history the two of you have shared. I was under the impression that you were seeing someone else." "I was," Ginny said, turning brick-red. "And I don't want to rush things…" "Because of what's happened after the war?" She nodded. "Well, give yourself the time, Ginny," Remus said, draining the last of the tea out of his mug. "You've plenty to come by. Get to know him again and give him a chance to get to know you again as well. Perhaps the two of you can work on that after the match on Saturday." At that moment, a sharp knock rang out on the door, only to swing open a second later. "Remus, can I ask you a fa—" Harry said, breathlessly, coming to a halt as his eyes met Ginny's. "Ginny! What are you doing here?" "Sharing a cup of tea with Remus," she said, arching a brow. "How about you?" Remus poured himself another cup of tea. This was too good to be true. "I was coming by to see if Remus could do me a favor, actually," Harry said, closing the door behind him. "What can I do for you, Harry?" "I w-was wondering…" Harry hesitated, throwing a swift glance towards Ginny, before turning back to Remus and blurting, "if-you-were-planning-on-going-into-Hogsmeade-this-Saturday." Remus noticed he was gripping a piece of parchment tightly in his right hand and had turned as red as a beet. "I hadn't intended on it," Remus said. Then, as though someone had thrown open a window shade, comprehension dawned. "Aha…Snape's announced the staffing plan for Hogsmeade, right? Let me guess – you're stuck here at the castle." Harry nodded. "Ginny, you are as well," he said tentatively, raising the crumpled parchment. "I am?" Ginny said, rising to her feet and walking over to where Harry stood. She took hold of the parchment and scanned through it. As she read, Remus noticed that Harry's eyes remained fixed on the top of her head. I'd wager you're wondering what's going on inside that head right now, aren't you, Harry? "Well," Remus said, judging it time to end their misery, "I'd be more than happy to substitute for you Harry. Or you, Ginny. Just say the word." "Actually," Ginny said, her eyes snapping up to meet Remus' gaze, "that's OK, Remus. I'll…just…head over to the hospital wing and see if Madam Pomfrey needs any assistance there this afternoon." She shot one last glance at Harry as she inched towards the door. "So long, everyone! Remus, thank you for the lovely tea –" "And the conversation, Ginny," Remus finished, raising his mug in a silent salute. "Come by anytime." The door clicked shut. "What was that about?" Harry said, his brows beetling together. Remus chuckled. "I'd say that Poppy and I will be playing Wizarding Scrabble this Saturday following the match, Mr. Potter." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several days later, Ginny smiled into her pillow. She was having a wonderful dream… …Walking along the edge of the forest near The Burrow in the summertime, with the sun's heat warming her shoulders. Grass whispered under her bare feet as she walked, listening to the birds and the gentle rush of water from the nearby stream. She felt a hand entwine with hers and looked over to see Harry smiling down at her, his eyes a misty green with happiness. He tugged her close, his other hand coming up to brush her cheek…her chin…to run a finger down her nose. Her eyes fluttered down, the anticipation of his kiss squeezing out the air from her lungs… And then he licked her nose. Licked her nose? Her eyes snapped open to find a pair of green eyes staring down at her. Green eyes surrounded by the black, fuzzy face of Periwinkle. "Leave off, you twit!" Ginny groaned, heaving the cat off of her chest and sitting straight up in bed. As Peri chirruped his displeasure, she glared. "You can complain all you want, idiot cat. How would you like to wake up with a 14-pound weight on your chest?" He blinked and leapt from the bed to jump onto the windowsill, fixing her with a heavily-lidded glare. Ginny tossed the coverlet aside and stretched, stealing a glance outside. Saturday was finally here! It had been a long week, but the first Hogwarts Quidditch match of the year was now only a few hours away and she could hardly wait. The weather had been awful for most of the week, causing tensions to increase with both teams as they struggled to fit in one or two decent practices before the game. Things had finally come to a head when a Ravenclaw fourth year had tripped a Gryffindor third year on their way into the Great Hall on Thursday. Mayhem had ensued as the first food fight Ginny had ever seen erupted before her eyes. She'd goggled when she'd heard a sharp crack of laughter from the person to her right – Harry. He'd managed to disguise his laughter with a coughing fit for the rest of the staff as they'd all jumped to their feet to intervene. By the time the pudding had settled, four Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs, six Ravenclaws and three Slytherins were under house detention. Amazingly, none of the Gryffindor or Ravenclaw Quidditch players were among the detainees. She dragged her wrap from the foot of her bed, draping it around her shoulders as she padded over to the fireplace. "Incendio!" she said, pointing her wand at the stack of wood bundled neatly inside and watched as the flames came to life, filling the room with warmth. She walked over to the window to open the sash – crisp, cold and clear. Perfect Quidditch weather, she thought with a smile. As she dressed, she thought about the dream she'd been having before she'd been so rudely interrupted. Walking along the stream with Harry. They'd done that on numerous occasions during the summer before her sixth year. He'd surprised her with a picnic luncheon the day before they'd had to head back to Hogwarts. They'd spent the afternoon talking, eating finger foods and sipping the elderberry wine he'd snuck out of the house. They'd both got a little tipsy and wound up feeding one another their lunches before succumbing to the heat of the day and the wine, and snogging one another senseless for hours. Until Ron and Hermione had found them. Ginny pressed her hands to her face, her cheeks warm from the memory of Harry's kisses and shy caresses as well as of her brother's bellow. She also remembered the two kisses they'd shared since being back at Hogwarts: the first, filled with anger and over-wrought emotions by the Obelisk of Remembrance; the second, only a week before, as they'd stood outside of Gryffindor Tower. Had she hoped that he would kiss her that night? Ginny had sensed that Harry would have kissed her in the middle of the dance floor if the music hadn't ended as soon as it did. As they'd worked the rest of the evening, she'd had to ask herself how she would have responded. It wasn't until the band was winding down that she'd finally admitted to herself that she was, in fact, dying for his kiss. Had been since that wild kiss next to the Obelisk. And when he'd finally leaned in to brush her lips with his, it had taken every ounce of strength within her not to sigh with pleasure. Well, I did plenty of that as soon as I'd got on the other side of the portrait hole, didn't I? With a shake of the head, she stood in front of the mirror, gathering her hair into a loose braid before heading down for breakfast – she was going to be late. When she stepped through the concealed door next to the staff dais, she noticed that Harry was tucking into a robust breakfast. His eyes flickered up, pausing as she smiled a greeting. Ginny suppressed a giggle as he waggled his eyebrows at her, chewing a bite of sausage. As she took her seat, he gave a great swallow, set his utensils down, wiping his mouth with his napkin. His very nice mouth. "Good morning, Ginny," he said, smiling lightly. Ginny felt a wave of color creep up her cheeks. "Great day for Quidditch, isn't it?" "Yes, it is," she said, easing some eggs and bacon onto her plate. "Any guesses as to who will win?" "Oh no," he said, spreading some marmalade on his toast, "I'm not going to speculate at all. To be quite honest, both teams are frighteningly good." He took a bite of toast, and she watched as his eyes closed with pleasure – he'd always loved Hogwarts' marmalade. "I overheard Professor Sprout laying a bet with Remus – Ravenclaw by 200 points," she said, a smile teasing her face as she watched him swallow and sip his coffee. "What?" Harry's eyebrows shot up towards his hairline, his cup landing on the table with a clatter. "I'd say it's going to be much closer than that. And don't tempt me, Gin," he said, polishing off his toast, "I've got to stay neutral. Wouldn't be much of a referee if I wasn't." "I wouldn't dream of it," she said with a chuckle. He nodded, giving his mouth a final wipe with his napkin before turning to look intently into her eyes. "So, do you have to come back here after the match?" A flock of Hippogriffs set to fluttering in her stomach. "Um…no, actually. Madame Pomfrey offered to substitute for me this weekend." She glanced up at Harry, noticing that he appeared to be blushing as well. "Remus is covering for you, right?" "Yes," he said quickly, fiddling with his napkin and glancing away. Ginny bit her bottom lip, wondering what she should do. She took a deep breath and charged ahead. "I was won—" "Would you go—" Harry blurted right over the top of Ginny's words. She stopped, mouth agape as he started laughing loud enough to draw the attention of Professor McGonagall. He shook his head and turned sparkling eyes onto her. "Gin, would you go to Seamus' place with me after the match?" She grinned. "I'd like that very much, Harry." "Excellent," he said, resting his hand on her forearm. "I've got to head over to the pitch now, but how about if I meet you in front of the changing rooms after the match? I'll need about 10 minutes to get showered and changed. Or I can come by Gryffindor Tower if you like." He'd sped through his words so fast Ginny felt as though her head were spinning. Laughing, she covered his hand with hers. "I'll meet you at the changing rooms, Harry." He smiled, rising from his seat. "Good luck today!" "Thanks, Gin," he said, giving her a small wave as he turned to walk down the student tables to the main doors. Ginny noticed several of the girls at the Gryffindor table giggling as he made his way past and she honestly couldn't blame them for doing so. He's definitely a catch. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harry buckled his shin guards and rose to his feet. The black and white referee robes fit him perfectly, the lining of the flared arms flashing snowy-white against the jet-black material of the outer sleeve. As he took a moment in front of the mirror to adjust his tie, he realized that he'd had a grin on his face since leaving the Great Hall. While any other person would have thought he was only excited about refereeing his first Quidditch match ever, he knew better. It all had to do with what was happening after the match with Ginny. He'd worked out his plans for the evening as soon as he'd reached his office next to the changing rooms. They would walk to the Lion and the Owl for Seamus' gathering, then he would suggest that they have a quiet dinner at the Three Broomsticks. Of course, that had required a great deal of finessing with Madam Rosmerta by Floo given the fight he and Ron had had there before the start of term. However, he'd been able to secure a reservation in the private dining area of the pub. After dinner, a walk back to the school in the moonlight, perhaps a stroll around the lake. Don't you think you're rushing things, Potter? "Not bloody likely," he muttered out loud as he tugged on his gloves and arm guards, buckling the latter tightly into place. He held out his hairbrush and, pointing his wand at the bristles, said, "Aquula!" A small stream of water came out of the tip of his wand which poured all over the bristles, dampening them. "Cesso aquula!" and the water stopped. Clamping his wand in his teeth, he dragged the brush through his hair, tempering the messy locks long enough to ensnare it in an elastic band. It pinched a little, but he needed it to stay put. No Sleekeazy's Hair Potion for me, thank you very much. Picking up his wand and muttering a quick drying spell over the spilled water on the floor, he then tucked it into a slim pocket sewn along the side of his left armguard and picked up his Firebolt. He could hear the spectators arriving and the sound of rousing cheers coming from the changing rooms. It was time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Good afternoon, Hogwarts students, faculty and alumni, and welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season!" Professor McGonagall's voice bellowed over the crowd with the use of a magical bullhorn. Thunderous cheers rang out throughout the stands. Ginny stood clapping and cheering with the best of them from her place in the faculty box next to Remus and Sirius, who'd come up for the game. Harry would be thrilled. "Today's match will be between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw! May I present to you our guest announcer for the game, on loan from the Chudley Cannons for the day: Lee Jordan!" Wild chants of "Go Go Gry-fin-dor! Go Go Gry-fin-dor!" echoed as Lee took the bullhorn from Professor McGonagall. "Thank you, Headmistress McGonagall, for your wonderful welcome, and greetings to everyone here at Hogwarts! It's perfect Quidditch weather for the start of the season and I'm thrilled to be back here for what looks to be an outstanding match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw! Each team boasts some of the best of England's young players, including a little Seeker who, it's believed, will be able to break several of the records set by Hogwarts' greatest Seeker to date and their new Master of Flight, Harry Potter! That said, let's bring out the teams!" The red and gold Quidditch robes of the Griffindor team fluttered in the breeze as they took to the field. "For Gryffindor, we have Chasers Grace Johnson, Aidan Moran and Neil Fitzsimmons – all three joining the team last year; Keeper Daniel March – burly bloke…reminds me of Oliver Wood, now Captain of Puddlemere United; Beaters Billy Jackson in his final year, and Captain Toby Connolly. Seeker for the Lions is Mavorneen Lynch! And now for the Ravens," Lee cried. As the blue and black Ravenclaw robes zipped past, Ginny adjusted the Omnioculars to slow motion in order to keep up with the introductions. "At Keeper, we have Captain Ryan Thomas. Chasers Teresa Ryan and twins Matthew and Megan Troy up next, followed by Beaters Tom Gibson and PJ Shaw, both 7th years this season. And here comes the Seeker everyone's been talking about, Ming Chang!" As the teams circled around the pitch, Ginny's thoughts flashed back to her days on the Quidditch team. How nervous she'd been the first time she'd ever had to fly down the chute and out onto the field; the first time she'd closed her hand around the Snitch to win a match, feeling exhilarated at the experience, but wishing it had been Harry – their team's real Seeker – who had done so. The summer before her fifth year, McGonagall had lifted the ridiculous ban from Harry, allowing him to play again. As a result, Ginny (who had been acting as Seeker during the ban) had been out of a position. Only for a moment, though. McGonagall had also selected Harry to be Captain of the team. After he'd recovered from the back-slaps and cheering he'd received from Ron and the twins, he had turned and asked her to be a Chaser on the team. Thus began Ginny's inclusion in the Weasley-Potter summer Quidditch matches. It had been one thing to watch Harry from the ground or from one of the stands at school. It was another thing entirely playing with him. From her new vantage point she'd been astounded by the grace he'd had in the air, and his speed was breathtaking. She, Ron and Harry had spent hours in the field near The Burrow working on moves and strategy to the point where Hermione had finally given up complaining about their fixation on the game and taken to watching the three of them from under the shade of the big maple, her book or knitting often sitting untouched. Lee's voice cut into Ginny's musings. "...our referee for today's match, Master of Flight Harry Potter!" More cheers rang out as a black and white blur shot through the gateway. Ginny picked up her Omnioculars and fixed Harry in her sights, a flush radiating through her entire body. She hadn't thought it possible for him to look any better than he had in his formal wear from the dance. She had been quite mistaken. It has been said that men look good in uniform, but "good" was a particularly bland term when it came to how Harry looked in his referee gear. Like the tuxedo, the severe lines of the black and white material fit his body as though it had been made for him. Of course, it probably had been, given the fact that he couldn't very well have used Madam Hooch's robes. And while the robes were impressive, it was the protective gear that seemed to rob her of her breath. He wore black leather. His breastplate, shin guards, arm guards and gloves all gleamed in the sunlight. As his feet touched the ground next to the case for the Quidditch balls, the leather's ability to follow his movements with buttery suppleness spoke of its expense. It also had Ginny wondering what it would feel like against her fingers. "There's our boy!" Sirius said, jolting Ginny out of her daze. "He looks good, doesn't he?" She nodded dumbly for a moment, only to lift the Omnioculars back into place. The better to hide yourself behind, Weasley. "Lord, Sirius, did you have to buy him all of that gear?" Remus said with a chuckle. "He looks like he's going into battle or something with all that leather." "Quidditch can be a dangerous game, Remus," Sirius said, frowning at his friend before turning his gaze to Ginny. "We want him to be safe, after all." Finding herself completely incapable of forming a coherent phrase, she nodded again. "Well, if something were to happen, we have Ginny here to take care of him," Remus said, patting her on her leg. "Of course, all of those buckles would be a nightmare to have to get through." I believe I would willingly volunteer for that task, she thought to herself, feeling aroused and mortified all at the same time. "Master Potter has taken to the field to release the Bludgers and the Snitch," Lee's voice cried out into the crowd. "As soon as he sends up the Quaffle the game will begin!" Ginny watched as Harry removed his wand from one of his arm guards and point it to his throat. "Clean match, ladies and gentlemen," Harry's voice rang out to the teams above him as he pointed to the Bludgers and Snitch in the box. "May the best house win!" She watched as he flung the Quaffle high into the air, magicked his voice back to normal and rose up on his broom to join the players. "Gryffindor in possession...Its Moran to Fitzsimmons…Fitzsimmons to Johnson…lovely girl, that Grace Johnson. Cousin to Gryffindor's own Angelina Johnson, Chaser for the Wingtown Wanders. Dashed shame about their chances for the national title…" "JORDAN!" "Sorry, Headmistress…back to the commentary: Johnson streaks up the right side of the pitch, dodging a nasty swing from beater Tom Gibson, Captain of the Ravenclaw team. HE KNOWS BETTER THAN THAT!" Lee roared, shaking his fist and causing Ginny to jump. "Johnson back to Moran, racing to the goal….SCORE!!!" The stands erupted with cheers as Aidan Moran swept past the Gryffindor seats, pumping his fist in the air. The score was Gryffindor 10, Ravenclaw 0. "Ryan brings the ball back into play for Ravenclaw…fancy flying there, Ryan…daughter of Barry Ryan from Ireland's Quidditch team…oh dear…Gryffindors, hold onto your hats, we could be in trouble! –" "JORDAN, STAY NEUTRAL OR ELSE!" McGonagall roared. "Yes, ma'am…Ryan to young Matthew Troy, another one of Ireland's descendants! This Ravenclaw team is loaded with them!...Wha?..." Ginny jumped as she watched Matthew Troy made to zip upwards with the Quaffle, Gryffindor Chaser Neil Fitzsimmons close on his tail. Within seconds, Troy dropped the Quaffle within a hair's breadth of Fitzsimmon's grasp, the ball landing handily in Ryan's waiting grip. "THE PORSKOFF PLOY! I don't believe it!" Lee screamed. "Troy and Ryan have pulled off an AMAZING Porskoff Ploy, leaving Gryffindor's Beaters Jackson and Connolly completely unprepared…Troy must have learned that from his father, who performed a similar ploy against Bulgaria in the Quidditch World Cup thirteen years ago!...Troy charging towards the rings…toss to Ryan…RAVENCLAW SCORES!!" Ginny watched as a sea of blue flags waved crazily in the Ravenclaw stands directly across from the staff box. As the Ravenclaws circled the field, Ginny stole another glance at Harry, sitting high above the field, his face fixed as he watched the game progress. The game went on for another hour, with Gryffindor and Ravenclaw exchanging shot for shot, and Ginny could tell Harry had been right: it was going to be a very close game. Ming Chang and Mavourneen Lynch, Gryffindor's Seeker, had exchanged several feints and chases throughout the course of the game, including one spectacular dive from the Ravenclaw rings as the Snitch had fluttered thirty feet below their position. Lynch had grabbed hold of Chang's broom, resulting in a blagging foul and a penalty shot upon which Ravenclaw had capitalized. The score was 130 to 120 when suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Ming Chang streak down from near the Gryffindor rings. Ginny had to admit that Ming was a natural flyer, the most natural flyer since she'd seen Harry on a broomstick her first year of school. She was fearless, diving straight towards the ground, her hand extended, Lynch right on her tail. Within seconds, however, it was all over. "CHANG HAS THE SNITCH!" Lee bellowed, his voice hoarse from exertion. "CHANG HAS THE SNITCH!" A shrill whistle broke through the screams of the crowd. "RAVENCLAW WINS!" Harry yelled, his voice magically amplified again. Ginny swung her Omnioculars around to watch him sail past, using his wand to send the Bludgers back towards the ground. Sweat-stained and flushed with excitement, his joy was palpable and took her breath away. It was clear that despite the loss of his old house team, Harry Potter was happier than she'd seen him since his return to their world. As the fans started to make their way down the stairs to the ground below, Ginny ducked into one of the passageways, whispering a glamour to tidy up her appearance. She'd taken time to choose her clothing for her trip into Hogsmeade with Harry after the match: a soft, woolen jumper of deep, autumnal reds and golds and a long, velvety skirt in chocolate brown which matched her cloak. When she'd pulled it out of her wardrobe after breakfast, she'd thought that the fabrics looked warm and touchable. Warm and touchable, eh? a voice whispered in her ear. Flushing bright red, she tucked her wand away and headed down the stairs again. When she reached the bottom, she ran into Seamus and Lavender. Ginny had to muffle a chuckle at the look on Seamus' face – it looked as though someone had killed his favorite pet. "How?!" Seamus wailed, mopping his eyes with a red and gold Gryffindor flag. "How could it have happened?" "Easily," Fred quipped, "Chang got the Snitch!" Seamus howled with rage and Lavender appeared to wish the ground would swallow her whole. "Don't mind him, Lavender," Ginny said with a chuckle. "Let him go on for a bit. By the time everyone arrives at the pub he'll be ready to start firing things up for the Hufflepuff match!" Lavender giggled and touched Ginny on her arm. "I wanted to ask you how things were going here at Hogwarts with Harry," she said, a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. "What? Oh, things are fine," Ginny said, flustered. "Well, with the two of you fancying one another then spending all of that time apart, I wondered if it would have been difficult being around him again." "No," Ginny said, choosing her words carefully – Lavender was a known gossip. One wrong word and the Daily Prophet would be ablaze with rumors and innuendo. "We've become friends again, and that's been wonderful." "Now, I saw the two of you dancing the other night," Lavender said, pressing ahead. "The two of you looked natural with one another. And Merlin, has he developed into quite the looker! Before fifth year, I told Parvati she should have kept her eyes on him, but his behavior at the Yule Ball sealed his fate with her." Lavender gripped Ginny's arm tightly, causing her to wince. "I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw him last week and then again today! He's looking quite…fit," she said, waggling her eyebrows. Ginny detected a slight buzzing in her ears – she had to get away from Lavender before she exploded. "Too right, Lavender," she said, extracting her arm from Lavender's grasp and pasting a smile onto her face. "Gin!" George exclaimed, grabbing her in a hug. "Thought it was about time I rescued you," he whispered in her ear. "Thank you," Ginny hissed, giving him a squeeze. "George, it's great to see you!" "You're coming over to the pub, right?" he said with a wink. "I said I would, but hopefully not for long," she said, grimacing. "If I hadn't promised Harry I wou—" She blanched, clapping a hand across her mouth. "'Promised Harry what, sister dear?" Fred said from her other side. She jumped. "Nothing! Nothing," she stammered, walking away from both of them. "I'll see you later!" She stalked away from the stands towards the changing rooms. "Brilliant, Weasley…just brilliant," she muttered under her breath. "What else can go wrong?" As she turned the corner, she saw Harry standing in front of the changing rooms, still dressed in his Quidditch gear, his broom held loosely in his right hand while he wildly gesticulated with his left. Standing beside him was a petite woman with dark hair who laughed up into his eyes. A finger of icy recognition ran its way down her spine, only to be confirmed a second later as a tiny girl shot out of the gateway, dressed in Ravenclaw blue. "Auntie Cho! Auntie Cho! I caught the Snitch!" Ming whooped, doing a mad skip as she ran up to her aunt. Ginny watched through narrowed eyes as Cho embraced Ming in a tight hug. "Well done, Ming!" Cho said gaily. "You flew brilliantly!" "You certainly did, Miss Chang – congratulations on winning your first game!" Harry said, bending low to shake her hand. Ming giggled lightly, her eyes shining with happiness. "Please, Harry, let us take you out for a celebration drink in Hogsmeade," Cho said silkily. Ginny watched as Cho reached out to touch one of his leather-clad arms and saw red. "He's already got plans," Ginny said loudly as she stalked up towards where they stood. Harry had turned white, taking a step away from Cho. "Hello, Cho." "Ginny Weasley," Cho said with a feline smile. "Or I should say Professor Weasley! Congratulations upon your appointment." "Thanks," Ginny said stiffly, flicking a glance at Harry. "In town long?" "No, no," Cho said, waving a hand, "I was in London for a conference and thought I would come up for the match. Who knew that Ravenclaw would beat the mighty Gryffindor!" Ginny smiled, showing her teeth. "It was a close game up until the Snitch was caught." Suddenly remembering Ming was present she stuck out her hand. "Congratulations, Miss Chang – you're a remarkable flyer!" "Thank you, Professor Weasley," Ming said, looking between Ginny and Cho with cautious eyes as she shook Ginny's hand. "Professor Potter is a wonderful teacher!" "You're a natural, Ming," Harry said brightly. "It's a pleasure working with a student who loves to fly as much as you do." Ming nodded, then looked towards the changing room. "There's a party in our common room, so I'd better head in." She ran over to hug Cho once more. "Auntie, thank you for coming, it meant so much to me!" "Next time, we'll make sure your mum and dad come as well, Ming. Be a good girl!" Ming smiled at Ginny and Harry before dashing into the changing room, leaving the three adults alone. Ginny took a deep breath and bit the inside of her cheek. Count to ten, she thought to herself…just count to ten. "Cho, thank you for the invitation," Harry said, turning his gaze towards Ginny, "but I do have plans for the evening." One… Two… "Well, I'll be in Hogsmeade through tomorrow afternoon," Cho said with a pout. "If you get a chance, I'd love to talk." Three…Fou— Suddenly, Ginny felt something burn hot in the pocket of her skirt. Hermione's coin! She glanced up and saw Harry's face stricken with the same panicked look as he dug into the pocket of his trousers. Ginny fumbled in her pocket and removed the coin. "It's Time" glowed white around the edges of the coin. "What is it?" Cho asked, frowning. "Those look like our old DA coins." "Hermione's having her baby. Harry, we've got to go," Ginny said, pocketing the coin and grabbing his hand. As they turned they saw a sooty-grey owl speeding towards them, colliding against Harry's chest guard and bouncing to the ground. Ginny watched as Harry leant down to pick up the little owl and untied the note from its leg. As he unrolled the parchment, a small quill fluttered to the ground. Ginny reached down to pick it up. As she rose to her feet she noticed Harry's ashen face. Her stomach lurched. "Harry, what is it? Who is it from?" He turned haunted eyes to her. "It's from your mum, Gin…about Hermione." She watched as he swallowed, his hand shaking as he handed her the note. "It doesn't look good." A/N: I know. I'm awful. Should be clapped in irons. But then, no Chapter 15, so I suppose I'll need to stay free for a little while longer. J Don't worry – you shouldn't have long to wait for it, I promise. This is my longest chapter, and I have to say the one I'm the most pleased with so far. My heartfelt thanks go out to my beta team – Ahmie, Aibhinn and Sherry – for the help in making sure it was worth the read. Also, a HUGE thank you goes to Tim, Allie and the rest of our British friends here on the Song. Tim, a special thanks for helping me on the black leather section (hehheh) and to all of the folks on the YahooGroup who give me such encouragement (double hehheh). Thanks to the HP Lexicon and their Quidditch section as well as JRK's "Quidditch Through the Ages", both of which played invaluable roles in the research and development for the match. Finally, this is dedicated to my friend Robin, who had a rather nasty health scare earlier this month. You take care of yourself, sweetie… Coming Soon: Chapter 15 - St. Mungo's
|