RP: It's raining

[rar_ginny]

Date: 20 June 1998
Characters: Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom
Location: Hogwarts
Status: Private
Summary: Ginny needs to find out if her and Neville are really all right.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[rar_neville]

The new plants had arrived. Neville walked up and down the makeshift aisles, clipboard in hand and taking inventory. Most of them had survived the shipment, but a few had wilted and others didn't look as robust as their counterparts. He remembered the rotting roots when trying to replant the belladonna, and made a note in the margin to check those as well before clearing them.

If only it wasn't raining.

He heard the door open, a frisson shivering through him entirely unrelated to the chill blown inside when he heard Ginny's voice asking if he was interrupting.

"You're not interrupting anything," he said, setting down the clipboard. "It doesn't all have to be done today." He stood there, unsure of what to do now. "So...um, how are you?"

[rar_ginny]

Ginny shifted and pulled her coat a bit tighter around her, hating the uncertainty she saw in his eyes. "I'm all right," she said automatically, biting her lip. "I... was worried. About you. About us."

She walked a bit further into the greenhouse. "Is it all right that I'm here? I could have owled but... I wanted to see you."

[rar_neville]

Shifting from one foot to the other, Neville stuffed his hands into the pockets of his work robes. She looked so vulnerable, and it was all his fault.

"You know you're always welcome here," he said. "You don't have to worry about that."

He wondered what she meant about 'us'. There wasn't an us. Was there? What exactly had she meant?

"Um...we're still friends, right?" he asked carefully. "You're not mad about the other day?"

[rar_ginny]

"Of course we are," she said quickly, looking down at the ground. "Always will be if I have any say over it."

She glanced up at him. "Oh, Nev, of course I'm not mad. I'm... not mad." She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair, wringing a bit of water from the ends. "I... don't want things to change."

[rar_ginny]

His hands cradled her face and her breath caught in her throat as he brushed their lips together before pressing into the kiss. It was soft and sweet and her hands slid over his sides as he kissed her gently. Her face felt hot and her heart was beating a bit too fast and she was so very glad that he was holding onto her. She let him control the kiss this time, breathless, and then he was slowly pulling away and she blinked up at him, feeling confused and out of sorts.

He thanked her and kissed her forehead and then he was standing, pulling out of her grip and she curled her hands in her lap and tore her eyes away, looking down. "Yeah. Of course I'll help," she said, silently cursing the fact that her voice didn't sound entirely steady. "What do you need me to do?"

[rar_neville]

"You can..." Neville looked around before thrusting the clipboard to her. "I'll count off the number of healthy plants, and you write it down for me, along with the number of replacements that need to be sent."

It was so hard, trying to behave as though nothing had happened. Ginny sounded as though she hadn't yet regained her equilibrium, at least where he was concerned. He continued holding out the clipboard. "Ginny?"

Had he only made things worse?

[rar_ginny]

She blinked again, and finally looked up at him, not sure how to act and feeling a bit stupid for not being able to pay attention. Her mind seemed to be full of static. "What... I'm sorry, what am I writing down? Replacement numbers?"

She stood and took a shaky feeling step forward, taking the clipboard from him and holding it to her chest. "I don't have a quill."

[rar_neville]

"Healthy plants first, and then replacement numbers," Neville repeated patiently, handing her his quill. "There you go."

He hesitated. "Ginny? Are you...are we still all right?"