[HP Spring Fling 2011] A Simple Moment - A gift for purple_ladybug1
Title: A Simple Moment
Author: mihnn
Recipient: purple_ladybug1
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1692
Warnings: None
Summary: For Harry, the simplest things are enough. For Ginny, he's enough.
Author's Notes: purple_ladybug1, I tried to incorporate the feeling of what I thought you wanted in the fic, through the prompts. I wracked my brain for weeks trying to figure out a proper plot, before I realized that a moment between them would suit your prompt so much more. Had I gone in my intended direction with the plot line I had in mind, you would have gotten a very different, angst-ridden story. I was inspired by my own relationship where the small things mean so much more sometimes. I only hope this story is at least some semblance of what you wanted and you enjoy reading it. And a huge thank you to my beta Heart of Spellz for looking over this for me.
It had been sometime since they had been alone. Ginny knew that. It almost seemed that they spent every waking hour together, with her family, or with Ron and Hermione, but never just the two of them. Sometimes she would catch that small glint in his eye whenever he looked at her across the room, a cheeky grin twisted on his lips as he sneaked a glance at her while he spoke to someone else. And she would know that he missed her. It was a look that she herself sent him whenever she could, so as not to raise suspicion from anyone else. Because she didn't want anyone else to know. It was a secret between him and her and she wanted it to be kept that way.
It had become a game, the need to find the perfect opportunity to spend some alone time together. They couldn't go to any common wizarding place for fear of being jumped by all those who wanted to shake the Great Harry Potter's hand; and even if they somehow could use a Glamour Charm to conceal their faces, they still couldn't go far from the Burrow for fear of causing her mother to be stricken with panicked grief at the absence of a child.
They stayed within the close knit family that they had created through the Second Wizarding War. Always trying to find an excuse to be in the same room together or even a private moment so that they could exchange a kiss or two. Everything was chaste; a secret between them since they knew that it wasn't the time or place for their relationship to come first. But if anyone had asked, she would have said without any hesitancy, that Harry was the person who helped her get through Fred's death; that is, if anyone really ever gets through the loss of a sibling. He was kind, compassionate and patient and she couldn't have asked for anything more from him. He was truly perfect to her.
Which was why she felt an undeniable need to make it up to him.
Her first attempt at trying to get Harry all to herself didn't go exactly the way she planned.
After painstakingly working on her mother and trying to convince her that making a huge feast and requiring everyone to help wasn't in her best interest, she then turned her attention to her blushing brother and nudged him to take a walk with Hermione. She showered him with womanly advice and threatened to hex him into next year if he didn't make this whole thing with her pseudo sister official. When she finally found herself free to finally show Harry exactly how great he had been to her, she found him stolen by her father. Harry looked at her with a sheepish expression while his eyes begged her to save him. But she knew it was too late. There was no way she could get him out when her father was already showing him Muggle instruments and trying to figure out its mechanics with excitement in his eyes.
The second attempt didn't go quite so well either.
She had already decided how to distract each and every family member, and even thanked Merlin when she and Harry had a moment alone in the kitchen, only to be thwarted by a visit by her brothers who were hell bent on playing a Quidditch match in the backyard. Ginny could have decided against it and pulled Harry away by his sleeve, but the truth was, it had been a while since George showed any interest in Quidditch, and to be able to play with her brothers again almost felt like they were honouring the memory of Fred and his love for mischief. So, she let it slide, deciding to give the meal she had cooked for Harry to everyone at the Burrow. It was another day when her endeavour to be alone with him had failed, but on the family front, she really did enjoy herself.
Third time however, didn't go quite as she planned. Even though she got the ultimate result she wanted.
It was the usual, it seemed. She had to distract Ron and Hermione, and stop her mother and father from smothering him. It didn't take long before she realized that the assignments she had put on herself were utterly failing and she was going to lose the third time. It was so bloody frustrating! Which was why, to the utter amazement of all those who occupied the kitchen, she suddenly snapped and her outburst seemed to leave everyone - especially Harry - with their jaws slacked. Her temper was always one that matched her mother's, even though over the years she had taken care to control it. It seemed that 'three' was the limit she was willing to go.
As she stood in the kitchen surrounded by her loved ones who had no idea what she had said, Ginny had felt embarrassment creep up her ears. Her mother simply looked at her and said innocently, "Honey, all you had to do was ask."
Ginny was floored. It had never occurred to her to ask. It really hadn't. She had made herself the primary caregiver in the family once Fred passed. She made sure her mother would climb out of bed every morning, that her father was once again passionate about those Muggle instruments he loved, that Ron had Hermione to help work out his issues through and that George would somehow find it in him to eat. She had done all of this while Harry took care of her. She thought she had passed that phase where the mere mention of Fred would bring her to tears, and she thought unnecessarily that everyone else was still in that same place. She had been the one to think that they needed her when they didn't. She could see that now. She could also see that she had been an idiot for not realizing it sooner.
With tears burning their way through, she turned on her heel and ran out of the Burrow. She had prepared a picnic lunch to share with Harry and had found a place where a soft blanket could be easily placed under a large tree with spanning branches that created a cool shade. She made her way over to that area, collapsing onto the blanket and cursing her lack of thought. Why hadn't she just said that she wanted to spend time with Harry? Why did she assume that saying what she wanted would make her seem selfish to those she cared about the most? Had they all moved on, to some degree without really knowing it?
"You left this."
She looked up with red rimmed eyes, her hand immediately taking the book handed to her. She glanced quickly at the book, her eyes scanning the leather binding before she sighed softly. "It's not mine."
"I know," Harry said with a little shrug before he sat down beside her. "Hermione wanted me to give it to you."
"What is it?"
"Dunno. But she did say something about it being a journal."
Ginny felt the corners of her lips quirk upwards. Hermione had been trying to give her this book for weeks, trying to get her to write down her feelings instead of keeping them buried under the need to look after others. "I don't write in diaries."
"I know." He smiled back gently, and she couldn't help but feel that she had made a big deal out of something so small. She knew there was a Muggle saying for it, but she couldn't remember the exact words at the moment.
He was looking at her expectantly, the way he did when he asked a question without saying anything. Ginny felt herself sigh before she gave him the answer he had been looking for. "I just wanted to thank you; for everything." When he stayed silent, she gestured sheepishly to the blanket they were currently sitting on. "I had planned a small picnic. Nothing fancy, just a lunch. But everyone kept pulling you away to talk to you or to show you something or to ask you to do chores..." She trailed off when she saw the look in his eyes. Leaning forward, Harry placed a small kiss on her upper lip; one that gently pulled her lips and made her lean forward to kiss him fully. Ginny felt her lids fall over her eyes as she kissed him back, her lips moving languidly against his in a way that made her chest clench and her heart sore.
Pulling back slowly, he grinned at her, which only succeeded in her mirroring him with her own lips. "This was a great idea, Ginny."
She looked at him curiously, unable to wrap her mind around what could possibly have been a great idea. But then Harry pulled her closer and fell back slowly so that they were both lying down, her head resting perfectly on his shoulder while their arms circled around one another.
"I prefer this to any big thing you could have planned."
Ginny snuggled closer, a small semblance of a grin on her lips. "You always were happy with the simplest things."
His other hand immediately came up to cup her cheek, raising her head so that she could see the green irises of his eyes brilliantly. "I'm always happier with you." Then bending down, his lips latched onto hers. Ginny moved her hand from his chest to tangle in the dark mess that was his hair even as she smiled into the kiss that felt like summer. It was a wonder to think that months ago, it would have been inconceivable to even think that she could be this happy. But he was there for her, and he made sure that she did make it through.
And lying there on a soft blanket under a cool shade of a large tree, her arms around the man she loved as they kissed lovingly, she couldn't help but think that she was her happiest when she was with him too.
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Author: mihnn
Recipient: purple_ladybug1
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1692
Warnings: None
Summary: For Harry, the simplest things are enough. For Ginny, he's enough.
Author's Notes: purple_ladybug1, I tried to incorporate the feeling of what I thought you wanted in the fic, through the prompts. I wracked my brain for weeks trying to figure out a proper plot, before I realized that a moment between them would suit your prompt so much more. Had I gone in my intended direction with the plot line I had in mind, you would have gotten a very different, angst-ridden story. I was inspired by my own relationship where the small things mean so much more sometimes. I only hope this story is at least some semblance of what you wanted and you enjoy reading it. And a huge thank you to my beta Heart of Spellz for looking over this for me.
It had been sometime since they had been alone. Ginny knew that. It almost seemed that they spent every waking hour together, with her family, or with Ron and Hermione, but never just the two of them. Sometimes she would catch that small glint in his eye whenever he looked at her across the room, a cheeky grin twisted on his lips as he sneaked a glance at her while he spoke to someone else. And she would know that he missed her. It was a look that she herself sent him whenever she could, so as not to raise suspicion from anyone else. Because she didn't want anyone else to know. It was a secret between him and her and she wanted it to be kept that way.
It had become a game, the need to find the perfect opportunity to spend some alone time together. They couldn't go to any common wizarding place for fear of being jumped by all those who wanted to shake the Great Harry Potter's hand; and even if they somehow could use a Glamour Charm to conceal their faces, they still couldn't go far from the Burrow for fear of causing her mother to be stricken with panicked grief at the absence of a child.
They stayed within the close knit family that they had created through the Second Wizarding War. Always trying to find an excuse to be in the same room together or even a private moment so that they could exchange a kiss or two. Everything was chaste; a secret between them since they knew that it wasn't the time or place for their relationship to come first. But if anyone had asked, she would have said without any hesitancy, that Harry was the person who helped her get through Fred's death; that is, if anyone really ever gets through the loss of a sibling. He was kind, compassionate and patient and she couldn't have asked for anything more from him. He was truly perfect to her.
Which was why she felt an undeniable need to make it up to him.
Her first attempt at trying to get Harry all to herself didn't go exactly the way she planned.
After painstakingly working on her mother and trying to convince her that making a huge feast and requiring everyone to help wasn't in her best interest, she then turned her attention to her blushing brother and nudged him to take a walk with Hermione. She showered him with womanly advice and threatened to hex him into next year if he didn't make this whole thing with her pseudo sister official. When she finally found herself free to finally show Harry exactly how great he had been to her, she found him stolen by her father. Harry looked at her with a sheepish expression while his eyes begged her to save him. But she knew it was too late. There was no way she could get him out when her father was already showing him Muggle instruments and trying to figure out its mechanics with excitement in his eyes.
The second attempt didn't go quite so well either.
She had already decided how to distract each and every family member, and even thanked Merlin when she and Harry had a moment alone in the kitchen, only to be thwarted by a visit by her brothers who were hell bent on playing a Quidditch match in the backyard. Ginny could have decided against it and pulled Harry away by his sleeve, but the truth was, it had been a while since George showed any interest in Quidditch, and to be able to play with her brothers again almost felt like they were honouring the memory of Fred and his love for mischief. So, she let it slide, deciding to give the meal she had cooked for Harry to everyone at the Burrow. It was another day when her endeavour to be alone with him had failed, but on the family front, she really did enjoy herself.
Third time however, didn't go quite as she planned. Even though she got the ultimate result she wanted.
It was the usual, it seemed. She had to distract Ron and Hermione, and stop her mother and father from smothering him. It didn't take long before she realized that the assignments she had put on herself were utterly failing and she was going to lose the third time. It was so bloody frustrating! Which was why, to the utter amazement of all those who occupied the kitchen, she suddenly snapped and her outburst seemed to leave everyone - especially Harry - with their jaws slacked. Her temper was always one that matched her mother's, even though over the years she had taken care to control it. It seemed that 'three' was the limit she was willing to go.
As she stood in the kitchen surrounded by her loved ones who had no idea what she had said, Ginny had felt embarrassment creep up her ears. Her mother simply looked at her and said innocently, "Honey, all you had to do was ask."
Ginny was floored. It had never occurred to her to ask. It really hadn't. She had made herself the primary caregiver in the family once Fred passed. She made sure her mother would climb out of bed every morning, that her father was once again passionate about those Muggle instruments he loved, that Ron had Hermione to help work out his issues through and that George would somehow find it in him to eat. She had done all of this while Harry took care of her. She thought she had passed that phase where the mere mention of Fred would bring her to tears, and she thought unnecessarily that everyone else was still in that same place. She had been the one to think that they needed her when they didn't. She could see that now. She could also see that she had been an idiot for not realizing it sooner.
With tears burning their way through, she turned on her heel and ran out of the Burrow. She had prepared a picnic lunch to share with Harry and had found a place where a soft blanket could be easily placed under a large tree with spanning branches that created a cool shade. She made her way over to that area, collapsing onto the blanket and cursing her lack of thought. Why hadn't she just said that she wanted to spend time with Harry? Why did she assume that saying what she wanted would make her seem selfish to those she cared about the most? Had they all moved on, to some degree without really knowing it?
"You left this."
She looked up with red rimmed eyes, her hand immediately taking the book handed to her. She glanced quickly at the book, her eyes scanning the leather binding before she sighed softly. "It's not mine."
"I know," Harry said with a little shrug before he sat down beside her. "Hermione wanted me to give it to you."
"What is it?"
"Dunno. But she did say something about it being a journal."
Ginny felt the corners of her lips quirk upwards. Hermione had been trying to give her this book for weeks, trying to get her to write down her feelings instead of keeping them buried under the need to look after others. "I don't write in diaries."
"I know." He smiled back gently, and she couldn't help but feel that she had made a big deal out of something so small. She knew there was a Muggle saying for it, but she couldn't remember the exact words at the moment.
He was looking at her expectantly, the way he did when he asked a question without saying anything. Ginny felt herself sigh before she gave him the answer he had been looking for. "I just wanted to thank you; for everything." When he stayed silent, she gestured sheepishly to the blanket they were currently sitting on. "I had planned a small picnic. Nothing fancy, just a lunch. But everyone kept pulling you away to talk to you or to show you something or to ask you to do chores..." She trailed off when she saw the look in his eyes. Leaning forward, Harry placed a small kiss on her upper lip; one that gently pulled her lips and made her lean forward to kiss him fully. Ginny felt her lids fall over her eyes as she kissed him back, her lips moving languidly against his in a way that made her chest clench and her heart sore.
Pulling back slowly, he grinned at her, which only succeeded in her mirroring him with her own lips. "This was a great idea, Ginny."
She looked at him curiously, unable to wrap her mind around what could possibly have been a great idea. But then Harry pulled her closer and fell back slowly so that they were both lying down, her head resting perfectly on his shoulder while their arms circled around one another.
"I prefer this to any big thing you could have planned."
Ginny snuggled closer, a small semblance of a grin on her lips. "You always were happy with the simplest things."
His other hand immediately came up to cup her cheek, raising her head so that she could see the green irises of his eyes brilliantly. "I'm always happier with you." Then bending down, his lips latched onto hers. Ginny moved her hand from his chest to tangle in the dark mess that was his hair even as she smiled into the kiss that felt like summer. It was a wonder to think that months ago, it would have been inconceivable to even think that she could be this happy. But he was there for her, and he made sure that she did make it through.
And lying there on a soft blanket under a cool shade of a large tree, her arms around the man she loved as they kissed lovingly, she couldn't help but think that she was her happiest when she was with him too.
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