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Author: TheGov Story: Defining the Relationship Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 28 Words: 162,112
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has told me they're sticking around, even though I've gone A/U. You guys rock! Some folks have noted that the way I've previously been describing Apparition doesn't jive with some of what we know now. I've tried to address that in this chapter. Constant Vigilance! Warning! Warning! Danger – Will Robinson. I've used song lyrics in this chapter. I've since been told that country music doesn't necessarily make it to England. Tough. They fit. That being said, You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This belongs to Toby Keith and all his corporate relations, is reproduced here without permission, and is not being used to make any money what-so-ever. Thanks to Arnel to her awesome beta work, keeping all my loose ends tied up with the proper punctuation. And she provided a couple of spectacular insights to this story, including one really fascinating true story, which worked it's way in here. The future-Mrs. GovCampbell rocks my world. -- -- -- -- There was a pair of high-heeled shoes on the floor just inside the door. His jacket was crumpled next to them. A purse was on the kitchen table, next to his tie. Ginny's red dress was a satin puddle on the floor, next to his shirt. A red lace bra was hanging from the doorknob for the closet. His vest was next to it on the floor. His good dress shoes and his trousers were in the doorway to his bedroom. His boxers were on the floor next to the bed. And on the bed… Harry shot awake, sweating. He panted for a moment before rolling to look at the clock: eight o'clock. He groaned and rolled over. He closed his eyes, but the image of the dream wouldn't go away. Stupid red dress…he thought. If there was such a thing as an Auror monk, Harry was a strong contender for the title, and now it seemed his latent hormones had gone into overdrive. Abandoning the idea of sleep, he headed for the loo. He needed a very cold shower. -- -- -- -- Ginny was just waking up, her skin still flushed. I didn't know that was possible…she though as she headed for her own shower. She looked around it, carefully. Well, yes, I suppose it is workable…She would never look at her shower the same way again. -- -- -- -- When the owl for the Daily Prophet arrived, Harry took the paper and turned to the front page. Malfoy Appeal Denied; Refuses Petition for ClemencyProphet Staff Reports Draco Malfoy, convicted Death Eater, had his appeal rejected today by the Wizengamot High Court of Appeals. In a brief statement released by the Court, they said that no grounds could be found for an appeal and directed that the sentence should be carried out as soon as practicable. Malfoy's barrister, C. Scrope Mowbray, immediately began the process of petitioning the Minister for clemency, but in a stunning move, Malfoy discharged Mowbray, and terminated the petition process. Malfoy released a brief statement through an unnamed intermediary that he, quote "Would not debase himself to beg on his knees before that pretender in the Minister's office." Mowbray, in a brief press conference, called for clemency for Malfoy regardless. He told the gathering of reporters, "My former client is no longer mentally stable, and deserves treatment." The Minister's office had no comment. Harry skipped the rest of the article, and went straight to the editorial page, where the Prophet's editorial staff, all but convinced that Malfoy was mentally instable, was suggesting the sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. Disgusted Harry threw the paper on the kitchen floor, the noise waking Hedwig on her perch near the window and she ruffled her feathers and hooted at him in annoyance. He stood and walked over to the window, staring out and absently stroking Hedwig's feathers back into place. I hope they just execute him and get it over with, Harry thought, and then immediately regretted it. Revenge, he had discovered, only left one feeling empty. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Growing up, he had learned to trust such feelings. Shaking his head, Harry turned away from the window and picked the discarded paper up off the floor. He deposited in the trash bin, and continued on to the living room. He pulled the phone book out from under the end table next to his easy chair. He began flipping through the pages and pulled out the phone. -- -- -- -- Several hours later, Harry finally found a place that was actually holding a couples dinner dance that evening, and it still had an open reservation. He booked it, and then walked over to his fireplace. He tossed in some Floo powder, called out: "Ginny Weasley's Flat!" and stuck his head in. "Ginny?" He called, looking around her flat. She'd redecorated since the last time he'd seen it. "Ginny?" "Coming Harry," he heard her voice. She walked into view a moment later, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. "Working out?" "Have to keep my girlish figure somehow Harry; it's not so easy after you stop playing Quidditch regularly." "No kidding," Harry agreed. "Anyway, I'll come by your place to pick you up around six? That should give us plenty of time to get there." "Where is it?" "It's in London. I thought we could Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and then we could catch a Muggle cab." "Sounds like a good plan," Ginny agreed. "I'll see you at six then." "Great," Harry replied, "See you then!" and he pulled his head back into his own flat. He sat down on the couch for a minute, trying to calm his jangling nerves. This was just Ginny, he told himself, just a date with Ginny. Sure, that little voice at the back of his head accused. It's just a date with Ginny. Who you think you've been in love with since Hogwarts. Who is a very attractive young woman…who screamed your name in your dreams last night…. "Stop!" Harry said out loud to the voice in his head. It seemed to be laughing at him. The taunting little voice, which sounded strangely like Sirius's, was singing in his brain…Harry and Ginny, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then come Harry with the baby carriage… Harry shook his head and gathered himself. He had some things to do. -- -- -- -- His first stop was the florists. He went to the shopping district near his flat rather than going to Diagon Alley. If he had gone to the Alley, he wouldn't have been able to turn around without running into a reporter. He bought Ginny a nice bouquet, a nice blend of flowers, but he paid particular attention to the ones he thought he remembered seeing in the garden at the Burrow. He also went into the department store and bought aftershave, something he never wore otherwise. He knew he would have to be careful applying it, as he didn't want to end up smelling like he swam in it. One of Seamus Finnegan's more memorable Hogwarts blunders had been using half a bottle before a Yule Ball. The boys' dormitory had reeked of it for days, and even Lavender, who normally would have been attached to Seamus at the hip, gave him as wide a berth as possible that night. Seamus had parted the crowd wherever he went. Catching his reflection in a store window, Harry wondered if he should get a haircut. Deciding against it, he simply resolved to try and do something a little more aggressive in terms of taming his hair, then headed for home. He pressed his best suit and polished his best shoes, then took a shower and shaved. He hoped he made a good impression tonight. -- -- -- -- Ginny was in her dressing gown, pacing around her flat. Exasperated, she finally gave up and tossed some powder in the fireplace. "The Haven!" she cried, and stuck her head in. "Hermione?" she called, barely remembering to call softly in case Charlie was down for his nap. "I'll get her Ginny," her brother said, getting up from the couch. Hermione appeared a moment later. "What's up, Ginny?" Hermione asked rubbing Charlie's back as he dozed on her shoulder. "I don't know what to do with my hair," she moaned. "Do I put it up? Or leave it down?" Hermione considered. "I would think you would leave it down. Harry seemed to give every indication of liking it that way, and I don't really think putting it up fits the dress. It would make you look too young." "Okay. What should I wear with it?" "Well, some black high heels will do you just fine, and maybe a nice jacket." "You don't think…" "Think what?" "Nothing, never mind." "No, what is it?" "You don't think I should wear anything…special…underneath the dress?" Ginny asked hesitantly. "Ginny!" Hermione laughed. "Putting the cart before the horse I think. That's wishful thinking on your part. Harry's a perfect gentleman. I don't think you'll have any worries on that score. Certainly not on your first official date." Ginny nodded. Hermione was calming her down. She was over blowing this. This was just Harry. Yeah, just Harry. You've had a crush on him for years, you've probably loved him for at least two, and just last night in your dreams, he was in your shower…she shook her head to clear it. "Okay, thanks, Hermione." "You're all set for make-up?" "Yeah, I've got eye shadow, and lipstick. I think I have some mascara floating around here somewhere." "Nail polish?" Hermione asked. "Check, I did my fingers and my toes before I took a shower." "What have you got for jewellery?" "I have a necklace mum got me last year for Christmas, it's a fine gold chain with a ruby pendant, and matching earrings. And I've got this costume diamond bracelet. I think it goes well with the dress. And I've got a fine gold anklet." Hermione cocked her head to one side, putting it all together in her head. "You sound like you have it under control," she said. "What time will he be there to pick you up?" "About an hour," Ginny said, glancing at her clock. "Have fun tonight, and don't stress. This is you and Harry," Hermione assured her. "It was meant to be." "Thanks, Hermione," Ginny smiled. "Anytime Ginny, have fun!" "I will, bye!" "Bye!" Ginny pulled her head out of the fire, and looked at the clock again. She had a little bit more time before she had to put her dress on. While she agreed with Hermione that things were unlikely to get very heated this evening, it didn't stop her from rummaging through her unmentionables drawer anyway to see what she could find. Even if Harry didn't see them, she would still feel daring wearing them. -- -- -- -- Harry checked his appearance in the mirror once more time. "Smashing, mate," the mirror told him. "Sweep her off her feet." "Thanks," he muttered. He patted his hair once more. After much effort, it had been forced to lie flat, parted neatly on one side. His tie was straight, his creases crisply folded. He was scrubbed and polished. He had the bouquet in one hand. He pulled his wand out of its special pocket. He'd had all his pants tailored by a wizard tailor who put special pockets in that would accommodate wands. One thing he'd learned during the war, and in his Auror training, was to always Apparate with a drawn wand, since you never could tell who might be waiting at the other end – Constant Vigilance and all that. Concentrating on the Hogsmeade street in front of Ginny's flat, he Apparated. -- -- -- -- Ginny was checking her appearance one more time in front of her mirror. "Walking seduction," her mirror told her breathlessly. "Will you bring him back here, or go to his place?" "Hush," she told the mirror, as she straightened her skirt one last time. It was shorter than she was used to and she felt like it kept riding up, even though it really wasn't. She dismissed the notion of a putting a Sticking Charm on it, and tucked her wand into her purse. She had magically enlarged the interior of the small formal purse to accommodate her wand. Ginny looked back in the mirror once more, and tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. She was ready. Her chime rang. She went to answer the door. Harry's jaw dropped when Ginny opened the door. Her dress was perfect, with her hair cascading down her back. Her lipstick was just the right shade, her jewellery understated and perfect. He swallowed to moisten his suddenly dry mouth. "Hey." "Hey, Harry, you look nice," Ginny said. "Yeah, you look good too," Harry stammered. "I brought you flowers," he managed, holding them out. "Harry! They're beautiful." Ginny took them and smelled them. "I'll go put them in a vase. C'mon in." Harry followed her in, and she went into her kitchen. He heard her running water and she came back with a vase and put the flowers on the table. "So where are we going?" "It's a place called The Ritz. It's a formal restaurant and they're hosting a couples dinner dance. There's food, and a DJ…that's a Muggle name for someone who plays music at a party. He has a machine that plays music." "Interesting," Ginny said. "So there'll be dancing?" "Yeah. Ready to go?" "I think I've got everything," she said, checking her purse for her wand. "Yup, ready to go." "Okay, first stop, the Leaky Cauldron," Harry said. In a moment there were there, standing in the side room that served as an Apparition point. Harry smiled at Ginny and offered her his arm. She smiled back at him, before walking with him through the pub. They drew a few stares on their way through, but no one questioned them. Harry held the door for her as they exited out onto the Muggle street. "Just let me handle most things," Harry told her softly. "No one will notice we're not Muggles." Ginny hung onto his arm as he reached one hand out and hollered: "Taxi!" A passing cab pulled over to the sidewalk. "Where to guv'nor?" The cab driver asked as they got in. "The Ritz, my good man." Harry said, holding the door for Ginny. "A night on the town is it then? Good night for it. You look smashing, mum," "Thank you," Ginny said graciously. She held Harry's hand in the cab as they wove through downtown London. Car rides never failed to thrill her, like some kind of exotic amusement ride. She chuckled. She wondered if anyone had ever thought of that: a Wizarding amusement park called "Muggle World". Her father, if anyone, would be the perfect candidate for owner and operator. The cab pulled up in front of an impressive looking club, and Harry got out and held the door for her. He leaned in the window and paid the cab driver. Harry held the door for her as they entered, and his hand hovered at the small of her back as he led her inside the restaurant. She felt a tiny thrill as he did so, it made her feel warm, safe and like she belonged. She'd always wanted to belong to Harry. Harry was trying to control his breathing. So far, things were going well. Ginny had liked the flowers, and had complimented his appearance. He was almost sure he'd caught her checking him out in the cab on the way over. And she was gorgeous. The way her hair hung down, and the dress…. Harry realized that he'd been admiring her legs most of the way over. They walked up to the maitre d's podium. "Potter, for two?" Harry asked. The maitre d' looked down his list. "Ah, yes, Mr. Potter, right this way," he waved a waiter over, and the waiter took them to their seats. It was a small table in the back, set for two. It was on a level that was a few feet above the main floor, and Harry could see the stage and the dance floor. There was soft music playing, and everyone was still eating. The dancing didn't start until later. The waiter seated them, handed them menus and promised to be back to take their order shortly. "Everything looks so good, Harry," Ginny said, browsing the menu. "I don't know what to order." "I think I'm going to get the Rib-eye of beef," Harry said. "Oooh…grilled with a wine sauce, topped with mushrooms. That looks good." Ginny looked over her choices again. "Oh, Harry, they have duck l'orange, I think I might have that." "Get whatever you like," Harry told her. She smiled at him. The waiter returned. "I'll have the Rib-eye of beef, cooked medium rare, and I'll have Italian dressing on my House salad. The lady will have your duck l'orange, and she will have Russian dressing on her salad. And bring a bottle of your '81 Italian Sangiovese." "Excellent vintage, sir. Let me bring you some better glasses, sir. A wine like that deserves them." Harry nodded in thanks. The waiter removed their glasses and scurried off. "Harry, I don't know which I'm more impressed by, the fact that you remembered what salad dressing I like, or your knowledge of wine," Ginny complimented. "When you're being wined and dined as the hero of the wizarding world, you pick up a few things." She giggled. "I suppose you do." "And as for your salad dressing preference, I remembered how you ooh'd and ah'd over the dressing your mother made at Ron and Hermione's wedding. Where did she get that recipe, Witch Weekly?" "Yes," Ginny laughed. "I don't believe you remembered that!" "I remember many things, Ginny." The waiter returned with a tray carrying their wine and a pair of delicate etched crystal goblets, which he set down at their places. The waiter held the bottle of wine for Harry's inspection. He looked over the bottle and nodded. The waiter then poured a small amount into Harry's glass. He tasted it, and nodded. The waiter smiled, poured for Ginny, and then filled Harry's glass. He left the bottle on the table, and disappeared again. "So cultured, Harry, I'm impressed," Ginny said. Harry blushed, and then raised his glass. "To you Ginny," he offered. "Whatever for?" "For giving me a second chance." "To second chances, then." "To second chances." The glasses clinked delicately and they drank. Ginny's eyes widened. "This is very good wine." "Well, it's as old as you, and wine, like yourself, gets better with age." "You know the nice thing about you, Harry?" she said, blushing slightly. "What's that?" "You have no skill at flattery, so I know you mean every compliment." He smiled. "You really do look lovely tonight." "Thank you, Harry. You do to. I didn't mention it before, but don't think I didn't notice your hair. That must have taken a real effort." He laughed. "It did." "So, tell me, what's new in your life?" she asked. And they began to talk about everything. Harry talked about his life as an Auror, and the bureaucracy at the Ministry. Ginny told Harry stories of the children she taught at the school, passing along amusing anecdotes. Their food came, and it was excellent. They were still laughing and chatting when the music started. "Dance?" Harry offered. "I'd be delighted," Ginny said, her eyes sparkling. The DJ was playing a lot of medium tempo songs. It was a nice variety of easy music, usually with an even enough tempo that Harry could keep up with Ginny in a nice foxtrot, or a light swing step. They were about to go take a break when a slow song started. Harry hesitantly put his hands on Ginny's waist, and she put her arms around his neck. He smiled at her as the music started. I've got a funny feeling The moment that your lips touched mine Something shot right through me My heart skipped a beat in time Harry gazed at her brown eyes. She really was beautiful. There's a different feel about you tonight It's got me thinking lots of crazy things I even think I saw flash of light It felt like electricity Ginny met his gaze. It was intense, like two green beams of light. She felt herself start to blush, and tried to control herself. Just Harry…just Harry… You shouldn't kiss me like this Unless you mean it like that Cause I'll just close my eyes And I won't know where I'm at We'll get lost on this dance floor Spinnin' around And around And around And around They're all watchin' us now, They think we're falling in love They'd never believe we're just friends When you kiss me like this I think you mean it like that If you do baby kiss me again. Harry lost track of where they were, as they danced, eyes locked on each other. The world could have ended right there, and he wouldn't have noticed. Everybody swears we make the perfect pair But dancing is as far as it goes Girl you never moved me quite The way you moved me tonight I just wanted you to know I just wanted you to know Ginny felt like she was floating away. This was pure bliss. She was sure she'd died and gone to heaven. You shouldn't kiss me like this Unless you mean it like that Cause I'll just close my eyes And I won't know where I'm at We'll get lost on this dance floor Spinnin' around And around And around And around They're all watchin' us now, They think we're falling in love They'd never believe we're just friends When you kiss me like this I think you mean it like that If you do baby kiss me again. Kiss me again… Harry was unable to take it any longer. He leaned down… Ginny saw his eyes set, as he leaned into her. She closed her eyes. And their lips met, softly and tenderly, for a brief moment. Despite the kiss's brevity, it conveyed a wide range of emotions. It tasted of hope, felt like a promise and sounded like a question. Ginny opened her eyes and saw Harry looking at her questioningly, and she smiled at him, a soft, contented smile. He looked relieved. "That was nice," she said. "Yeah." The next song started, and the spell was broken. They took a short rest and then came out to dance some more. They were some of the last people to leave when the dance ended. Harry flagged down a cab that took them back to the Leaky Cauldron. "We'll Apparate back to your building, and I'll walk you in?" Harry offered. "I'd like that Harry, very much." In a moment, they were standing on the front walk of her apartment building in Hogsmeade, and Harry held the door for her as they entered her building. They got to her flat, and Harry leaned on the doorframe as she let herself in. "I had a wonderful time tonight," she told him. "Me too," Harry said, "I'm glad you did." "Thank you so much, Harry." "It was my pleasure." "We'll have to do it again sometime? Soon?" Ginny asked. "Definitely," he replied. He looked in her eyes again and leaned down and kissed her. She parted her lips, and tentatively, he probed with his tongue. Delighted, she deepened the kiss, using her own to duel playfully. She felt flushed when they finally broke for air. "Goodnight, Ginny," he said. "Goodnight, Harry," she replied, shutting the door. She pulled her wand and cast a silencing charm immediately. "Yes!" she shrieked. Harry stood in the doorway with a goofy grin on his face a moment longer, before pulling his scattered thoughts together long enough to Apparate back to his flat. He had a lot to do. He had to have roses delivered…where can I get roses delivered to Hogsmeade on a Saturday?
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