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Author: critmo Story: Per Aspera Ad Astra Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 8 Words: 15,170
5: Solution The thunderstorm everybody had been hoping for had not come. It was the third day of oppressive humidity and heat, and in the afternoon, Harry felt he was going to faint if he stayed in his room any longer. Ginny had passed another uneasy night, but had finally fallen asleep after lunch. When she awoke she felt sweaty and uncomfortable. Anxiously she listened for any signs of movement from the floor above, but could not hear anything, which made her irrationally angry. "This is getting ridiculous." She clamoured and stormed upstairs to bang on Harry's door, but she didn't get an answer, so she unceremoniously let herself in. Harry was not there, but Hedwig was. The owl looked at her briefly and then presented the intruder with her backside, making Ginny's blood boil even more. She dashed downstairs. Mrs Weasley was having iced tea in the shadow of the living room, wiping her sweaty face with her handkerchief, when Ginny rushed down the last flight of stairs. "Where's Harry, Mum?" "He went outside some time ago. He mentioned something about needing space." Her last words were almost lost on Ginny, who had turned to the kitchen door immediately. That's just like him, she thought furiously. First he stays in his room like a caged beast and just when I get to sleep for the first time in days, he steals past my door. You just wait, Potter. She couldn't find him anywhere around the house, while gusts of wind were whirling round the Burrow. * * * * Where would he go? To the stream? Not likely. * * * * But there was another place. A little hill covered with trees that hid the Weasley's private Quidditch pitch. Ginny withstood the temptation to ride over there on a broom and descend onto Mr Potter like one of the Furies, but instead ran off across the field beyond the garden walls, working herself up into even more anger with every step. When she reached the pitch she was breathing hard. She looked wildly around, and sure enough, at the far end of the field, someone with jet black hair sait on the ground, his back leaned against one of the goal posts, his face turned away from her. The wind was against her, and Harry had no chance to hear her approaching, so all of a sudden he found a red-faced Ginny towering over him, her fire-coloured hair streaming in the gusty wind, a stark contrast with the dark, leaden sky. Since the twins had left him, Harry had been battling with himself: was winning Ginny at all possible? Or was it just a question of his determination? And even if, would he not put her into danger beyond imagination by making her a prime target for his worst nightmare of an enemy? Seeing her livid with anger, shattered any hopes he was still entertaining in a remote corner of his agitated heart. He stood up quickly. Before she could catch her breath he spoke. "There's no need to bite my head off," he said. "I've understood that I was trespassing where I had no right to go." The despair in his voice tore at Ginny's heart. "And you don't have to be afraid. When I'm gone, you'll be safe." Harry turned and began walking away, which lit fire to Ginny's already hot temper. She went after him, tripped him neatly, and when he rolled on his back, she was over him in an instant, straddling him and pinning his arms expertly to the ground with her knees. "You're not walking out on me twice, Potter," she growled. "Ginny!" he protested. "Don't you 'Ginny!' me - and now explain what you mean by 'safe'!" "You know the prophecy, and even if you didn't find it surprising, you did say it was frightening." "What?" She looked as if she did not understand a word he said. He sighed. "Sooner or later, Riddle and I're bound to have a little tete-a-tete, and my feelings for you place you in danger." She hit him hard in the shoulder. "Hey!" "Don't 'hey!' me! You should be glad I can't kick your backside right now." "What?" "We had a deal, remember? Nothing Voldemort does is your fault. Can't you get that into that thick head of yours?" His face fell; the last straw was gone. She was not afraid, she hated him. "Well, I did get it into my head that everybody's in mortal danger because of me." And he added defiantly, "Whatever you are to me." "Harry, have you ever considered that the power mentioned in the prophecy, the power Voldemort is unable to understand, could be love?" "Of course I have. I'm not that thick. Dumbledore practically told me in my first year already." "And why do you try to run away from it then?" She watched him stare at her with some kind of hypnotic gaze. In fact, he would have liked to lower his eyes, but since she was above him he would have looked right into her low-cut summer dress. The idea itself was appealing, but he had a feeling it would not help his case at that moment. Meanwhile, Ginny felt it hard to concentrate with his eyes fully on her, but she could also see anger stirring deep inside him. At that moment, the first flash of lightning tore through the grey sky above them. "I don't have the impression it's me running away," Harry said in a low voice, barely concealing his frustration. "Something made you hurt me, and I was hoping it was something I'd at least be able to understand." "Can't you understand I'm afraid?" she burst out, which did not really soothe his temper. "That's what I thought I had understood, but since you've just explained that Riddle doesn't matter, I don't see what you're afraid of!" Oh, Harry, you really are my knight in shining armour if Riddle's the only thing that makes you afraid. Another lightning brought her out of her thoughts. "Because of you," she stated quietly. That did calm his temper. Suddenly the wind fell, and the air seemed to become cool, the sign of approaching rain. "Me?" It made sense, of course. The way he had treated her.... "I'm sorry, Ginny. I never meant to hurt you. I was just so ... upset, and I hated myself so much, that I lashed out against everybody." But Ginny shook her head. "It's not even that. Do you remember when we first met?" Harry winced a little, the memory was only partly a nice one. "I do. Without your mother I wouldn't have found the platform. The twins recognized me, and you wanted to take a look at me, but your mum wouldn't let you." Ginny went as red as only Weasleys could. "I had no idea you had heard that." "Is that when you got your crush?" "No, I had it the moment I saw you. Before I knew you were the Boy-Who-Lived. I just wanted an excuse to look at you again. But I didn't get the chance. - And it was all I got afterwards." "Beg pardon?" "I looked forward to going to Hogwarts because then I'd see you everyday, and I could talk to you - but we never did. All I ever was to you was Ron's little sister. When you saved me from Riddle it was clear that you would have done the same for anybody else. And can you imagine what it was like to be considered as your date for the ball in your fourth year - as a last resort?" Harry closed his eyes exasperatedly. "And the funny thing is, I would've loved to be your last resort, but I had agreed to go with Neville, and so another chance was spoilt. - And what is it now, Harry? Am I the only girl around? Again a last resort - because I couldn't stand that a second time. I've cried so many times over you and I don't want to go through that again - can you promise me that you won't break my heart again?" Harry's head was swirling. How could he soothe her pain? How could he calm her fears? "Ginny, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't even know that I had. But how could I have known? - You never spoke to me. Whenever we met you lost your speech and fled. That's not really a turn-on, you know." He's got a point there. All the time I was waiting for him to notice me, because I thought it was so obvious that I liked him. And later I was so sorry for myself that it was easier to blame him. A single raindrop hit Harry's face. "It was only during the last year that you started to talk to me, and I learned that it's fun to have you around - but you were with Michael, and I was with Cho. Plus knowing Ron, I never really allowed myself to see you as anything else but a friend. - That has only changed during the last weeks. And it's not because you're the only girl here. There were some good looking girls on Sarah's party, but I didn't even consider them, because I knew immediately that none of them could ever make me feel like you do. I think the moment I took your hand and you let me, I was lost to you. - And yes, you are my last resort, because I feel that you're the only one I want to be with when I'm in pain because of Sirius or in fear because of Voldemort. And no, I cannot promise not to break your heart. With all the power I have, I still know the future is out of my hands, and I don't even know if I will survive the next day. And I can't lie to you about that." Another lightning flash lit up the scenery, single raindrops could be heard in the high grass around them, and he had an idea. "But I still think you're exciting." That brought a smile to Ginny's face. * * * * So, there you have him. And what do you do with him now? He didn't promise me a rose garden, really, but he was honest. That's something, isn't it? So what do I do? Oh, come on, Weasley! When you went after him, you didn't exactly plan on getting rid of him. * * * * "You've never really told me what you meant by that." Ginny's voice was lower, softer. "Tell me now." She could feel some of the tension in him give way, and the rain got stronger. "Everything about you is exciting. The way you feel; the way you smell; the way you look. The way you make my stomach summersault when you smile. Your tiny freckles make me want to count them, and when you're sleepy I'd like you to nestle in my arms. - And you're absolutely gorgeous, when you're soakin' wet." Only now did Ginny register that rain was running down her face and that her dress was clinging to her body - and that Harry might be seeing more than he was supposed to, but she did not care one bit. "Why don't you kiss me then?" she asked huskily. "Because you're sitting on top of me, and," he added with a devilish grin, "I wouldn't like to throw you off, because I'm starting to enjoy this." She hit him in the shoulder again - playfully this time - and lowered her face over his. "Looks like I've got to do all the work," she whispered. This kiss was even wetter than Harry's very first one with Cho, but it was infinitely better all the same. In contrast to Cho, Ginny was not crying, but obviously thoroughly enjoying herself as much as Harry. And it was only the first of many kisses. Ginny wound her hands into Harry's hair and he freed his arms to pull her ever closer to him. Rain was pelting down on them and thunder was rolling overhead, but they didn't notice. It was just the two of them and the heat that built between them. Harry could not believe his luck, everything felt as if it was falling into place. There was - for once - no doubt in him that he was doing the right thing. For Ginny it was the fulfillment of her dreams - and the beginning of a new one. She had been attached to Harry for years now, but she had really begun to love him during these last few weeks. After half an hour of mad kissing both were soaked and covered with patches of grass and mud. Holding on to each other tightly, they slowly made their way back to the Burrow, but when the house came into sight, Harry stopped, a deep furrow between his brows. "Ginny, what will we do now?" "About what?" "About us." He seemed really worried. "The situation is ...." "Are you starting about Riddle again?" she asked, getting angry once more. He looked down at her and smiled suddenly. "No. I was talking about your mother." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. So much for my knight in shining armour. "You see," he continued anxiously, "not kissing you for the rest of the summer is not an option!" "Your luck," she whispered, smiling up at him. "Because it isn't." "So how do we avoid my being killed by your mother or your brothers?" She kissed him tenderly. "Don't underestimate my mother. I should be very much mistaken if she doesn't know what's going on anyway. So maybe we can be a little cautious." She pecked him on the lips. "In front of the family and save the passion." She teased his lips with her tongue and nibbled on his chin. "For the moments we can sneak away from everybody." She deepened the kiss and whispered, "I'm very good at sneaking ... how about you?" He caught her body in a tight embrace. "I've quite a bit of sneaking experience. For reference, ask Professor Snape, he suspects me behind every single occurence at school. I think I'll be able to cope." "Good," she moaned in his ear, kissing her way along his neck. * * * * Molly Weasley to Albus Dumbledore: Dear Albus, The plan you and my precious husband have come up with has worked. Harry and Ginny are getting along quite nicely. In fact, when I went after them in yesterday's storm, I found them snogging each other from one end of the Quidditch pitch to the other. You may find it hard to believe, but I did not interfere with it. I have always expected something like this to happen. Ginny's relationship with Harry has always been special and it was about time Harry noticed it. I do not think there will be much trouble with her brothers although they have a tendency towards overprotectiveness - wonder where they got it from. Ron could be a problem, but I suppose he will have to answer a few questions himself after spending the summer with Hermione. Ginny and Harry are so happy together, radiating really, that I think this is something serious that will outlast this dreadful war. I do hope it will give them the strength to survive it. I do not doubt that Harry will need every bit of support he can get, and Ginny is an extremely loyal person and a very powerful witch. Gratefully they seem to have chosen to take "things" slowly, but I expect them to go further eventually. As a somewhat experienced parent I know that's unavoidable, and I think it is time to mention contraceptive spells to Ginny and impress on them the necessity to behave themselves at school.... (A/N: Thanks to Jenadamson for betaing. Look at my profile for a disclaimer. - Oh, and hang on, there's an epilogue.)
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