Love Is for the Lucky and the Brave
Title: Love Is for the Lucky and the Brave
Author:
carrickorourke
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1500 or so
Category: Fluff
Summary: Ginny encourages Harry to be both lucky and brave.
Written for the
hpgw_otp fortune-cookie challenge and I hope you all enjoy it.
Love is For the Lucky and the Brave
The dinner group at the quaint little Chinese restaurant off of London’s Leicester Square had been animated and jovial. Dressed in casual Muggle clothes the four wizarding couples blended in easily with the rest of the diners and the group reflected a relaxed calmness that seemed to permeate the post-war wizarding world. They looked not only relaxed but also very content around a table crowded with the remains mu-shu pork, Mongolian beef and broccoli, Peking duck, and other exotic dishes. On one side of the table sat George Weasley and his wife, Angelina, then next to George was Hermione Granger, who had recently become Hermione Weasley, and then Ron who was sitting next to Hannah Abbott who was cuddling up to her fiance, Neville Longbottom. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley rounded out the dinner party.
In between talk about jobs, schooling, and Quidditch the eight friends found plenty of discuss about marriage. Hannah and Neville smilingly accepted congratulations for their engagement. Hermione went on for awhile telling about their recent honeymoon, how wonderful married life was and how she and Ron would have gotten married a lot sooner if they had only realized how nice it was. Several times she glanced meaningfully at Harry and Ginny. Hermione’s cheeks were a bright pink and Ron’s ears turned red when George gave them some good-natured ribbing about their love life. Although laughing and joking along with the others, there were several times during the dinner that Ginny had quietly and contemplatively watched her family and fiends.
As the waitress brought the bill and customary Chinese fortune cookies, Ginny leaned against Harry’s shoulder and whispered, "Have you noticed we don’t fit in anymore?"
Harry shifted and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I don’t know what you mean, Ginny. We’ve had a great dinner, it’s been a lot of fun."
"What I mean," Ginny continued, "is that we’re the only couple not married or at least engaged."
By this point, Harry’s eyes had widened to resemble one of Hagrid’s dinner plates. "Y-you know how I feel, Ginny. You know someday we’ll, uh . . . Oh, look! Chinese fortune cookies." He reached a little too eagerly for his cookie and then handed one to Ginny who just rolled her eyes and quietly took it.
The other dinner guests were also eagerly breaking open their fortune cookies and reading the fortunes. Angelina looked up from her own fortune and smilingly explained, "There’s a really fun way to read your fortune. Just add ‘in bed’ at the end of each fortune. It gives it a whole new meaning," she waggled her eyes suggestively, "if you know what I mean. Here, I’ll read mine." She ceremoniously held her own fortune up. "Be mischievous and you will not be lonesome. Now, all I have to do is add ‘in bed’ and it reads ‘Be mischievous and you will not be lonesome - in bed.’"
There were chuckles all around as Angelina gave George an innocent look and asked, "What do you think, honey, am I going to be lonesome in bed, or am I mischievous enough?"
"Hmmm," George looked contemplative, "you could be more." Angelina swatted him as he gleefully read his own fortune. "’If your desires are not extravagant they will be granted’ - in bed. What about it Ange, will my desires be granted?"
"I’m not too sure after your comment about wanting me to be more mischievous."
Ron gave a loud laugh to which George responded, "Yeah, you wish, Ron."
"Hey!" Hermione had an unhappy look on her face.
"Oops, sorry, Hermione. I wasn’t saying anything about you. In fact, you’re probably the one wanting your desires granted in bed." Ron scowled and Hermione opened her mouth to respond but George didn’t give her a chance. He turned to Ginny, "You, on the other hand, little sis, better not be getting too many desires granted in bed."
Harry looked very uncomfortable as Ginny growled, "It’s none of your business, but you don’t need to worry." She gave Harry a sideways glance as Hannah Abbott nervously cleared her throat and read her fortune.
"Um, uh, ‘A thrilling time is in your immediate future.’" She had a big grin on her face as she continued, "in bed." There was laughter all around as Neville, looking embarrassed but laughing along with the rest, opened his cookie, did a double take and then burst out in a new round of laughter.
"Okay, okay, who set us up?" Neville looked accusingly at George, then Ron and finally Harry. All three had blank expressions on their faces and Neville finally gave up and just read the fortune. "’A pleasant surprise is in store for you’ - in bed." George practically fell out of his chair laughing as Hannah took the little paper from Neville’s hand and read it again. Neville again looked around the table accusingly. "Are you sure you didn’t set us up?"
"No, Neville," Hermione replied, "we really didn’t." She then glared at George. "At least I think we didn’t."
"Hey, why are you looking at me?" George asked indignantly.
That brought on a new round of laughter as George dramatically expressed his innocence. Finally, Ron opened his fortune, read it and uttered a strong swear word. When Hermione reproved him, he just shook his head, rolled his eyes and handed his paper to her. She burst out laughing when she saw her husband’s fortune. By then, the rest of the people were begging to know what it said.
Ron gave George a withering look. "I think we have been set-up. Oh well, here it is. ‘He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.’"
Amid the laughter, Angelina could be heard repeating, "Come on, Ron. Say it. Say it. You’ve got to add it at the end."
Ron frowned. "Fine. In bed. Okay? In bed. He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at - in bed."
This time it was both George and Harry who almost fell out of their chairs laughing. Hermione, obviously sensing Ron’s growing frustration, quickly opened her own fortune, "Well, let’s see what I have. ‘Now is the time to try something new’ - in bed." Hermione gave a big grin, leaned over and kissed Ron, and whispered something into his ear. His ears turned even redder and he broke out into a big grin.
"Ah, that’s not fair," George complained, "we all want to hear what you told Ron."
Hermione blushed and shook her head. "No." She then looked at Ginny and said, "But maybe it’s time for Ginny to try something new."
Ron’s grin vanished from his face. "Well I don’t want her to try anything that new." Harry grimaced and Ginny rolled her eyes as she opened her fortune and began to read.
"’Your everlasting patience will be rewarded sooner or later,’" Ginny paused and gave Harry a meaningful glance, "in bed."
"Woo, look out Harry, when a woman has a look like that in her eyes, a guy doesn’t stand a chance," George laughed and then continued, "especially if it’s a Weasley woman."
Ginny snorted as the other girls laughed. "Well, so far it hasn’t worked."
"It will," Hermione commented and Hannah nodded.
Harry cleared his throat nervously and gave a silly grin as he glanced around at the others. "Ginny knows I . . . we . . . well, I guess I’ll read my fortune." With that he opened his fortune. His eyes grew a little wider and he again nervously cleared his throat before reading allowed, "’ Love is for the lucky and the brave,’ um, in bed."
There was again laughter around the table and some good-humored ribbing by the other guys with comments like "I didn’t know you had to be brave in bed." Harry laughed along with them until he looked into Ginny’s eyes and they had the same fire he had seen the first time they kissed in his sixth year, and when she had kissed him on his seventeenth birthday.
"Well, Harry," Ginny said quietly, "how about it?"
"How about what?"
"Do you want to get lucky?"
There was a mixture of laughter and whistles as Harry’s mouth dropped open in shock. He looked at the others around him and then back at Ginny. "A-are y-you serious? I mean, you know, about getting lucky?"
Ginny smiled, "Of course I’m serious. I’ve been wanting to go to bed with you for years. So, how about it? If you’re brave enough, then you’re going to get lucky." There was some chuckles from some and indignant sounds from Ron. Without breaking her gaze, Ginny told Ron to "shut it."
Harry swallowed hard and then answered, "I’m brave enough."
"I don’t want just words," Ginny responded, to which George started to make a wise-crack about clearing the table for them if they wanted. He was, however, quickly shushed by Angelina who could sense the time for joking had passed.
Harry looked into Ginny’s deep brown eyes and calmly said, "I want to get lucky, Ginny; how about you?"
Ginny grinned, "You of course know that, unless you want to get killed by my brothers, you’re not going to get lucky with me until after we get married."
Harry smiled back at her. "I’m not that daft." To the amusement of everyone at the dinner table, as well as the other diners in the restaurant, Harry knelt down in front of Ginny, took her hand in his and asked her if she was brave enough to marry him. It turned out he was very lucky indeed.
Author:
carrickorourke
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1500 or so
Category: Fluff
Summary: Ginny encourages Harry to be both lucky and brave.
Written for the
hpgw_otp fortune-cookie challenge and I hope you all enjoy it.
Love is For the Lucky and the Brave
The dinner group at the quaint little Chinese restaurant off of London’s Leicester Square had been animated and jovial. Dressed in casual Muggle clothes the four wizarding couples blended in easily with the rest of the diners and the group reflected a relaxed calmness that seemed to permeate the post-war wizarding world. They looked not only relaxed but also very content around a table crowded with the remains mu-shu pork, Mongolian beef and broccoli, Peking duck, and other exotic dishes. On one side of the table sat George Weasley and his wife, Angelina, then next to George was Hermione Granger, who had recently become Hermione Weasley, and then Ron who was sitting next to Hannah Abbott who was cuddling up to her fiance, Neville Longbottom. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley rounded out the dinner party.
In between talk about jobs, schooling, and Quidditch the eight friends found plenty of discuss about marriage. Hannah and Neville smilingly accepted congratulations for their engagement. Hermione went on for awhile telling about their recent honeymoon, how wonderful married life was and how she and Ron would have gotten married a lot sooner if they had only realized how nice it was. Several times she glanced meaningfully at Harry and Ginny. Hermione’s cheeks were a bright pink and Ron’s ears turned red when George gave them some good-natured ribbing about their love life. Although laughing and joking along with the others, there were several times during the dinner that Ginny had quietly and contemplatively watched her family and fiends.
As the waitress brought the bill and customary Chinese fortune cookies, Ginny leaned against Harry’s shoulder and whispered, "Have you noticed we don’t fit in anymore?"
Harry shifted and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I don’t know what you mean, Ginny. We’ve had a great dinner, it’s been a lot of fun."
"What I mean," Ginny continued, "is that we’re the only couple not married or at least engaged."
By this point, Harry’s eyes had widened to resemble one of Hagrid’s dinner plates. "Y-you know how I feel, Ginny. You know someday we’ll, uh . . . Oh, look! Chinese fortune cookies." He reached a little too eagerly for his cookie and then handed one to Ginny who just rolled her eyes and quietly took it.
The other dinner guests were also eagerly breaking open their fortune cookies and reading the fortunes. Angelina looked up from her own fortune and smilingly explained, "There’s a really fun way to read your fortune. Just add ‘in bed’ at the end of each fortune. It gives it a whole new meaning," she waggled her eyes suggestively, "if you know what I mean. Here, I’ll read mine." She ceremoniously held her own fortune up. "Be mischievous and you will not be lonesome. Now, all I have to do is add ‘in bed’ and it reads ‘Be mischievous and you will not be lonesome - in bed.’"
There were chuckles all around as Angelina gave George an innocent look and asked, "What do you think, honey, am I going to be lonesome in bed, or am I mischievous enough?"
"Hmmm," George looked contemplative, "you could be more." Angelina swatted him as he gleefully read his own fortune. "’If your desires are not extravagant they will be granted’ - in bed. What about it Ange, will my desires be granted?"
"I’m not too sure after your comment about wanting me to be more mischievous."
Ron gave a loud laugh to which George responded, "Yeah, you wish, Ron."
"Hey!" Hermione had an unhappy look on her face.
"Oops, sorry, Hermione. I wasn’t saying anything about you. In fact, you’re probably the one wanting your desires granted in bed." Ron scowled and Hermione opened her mouth to respond but George didn’t give her a chance. He turned to Ginny, "You, on the other hand, little sis, better not be getting too many desires granted in bed."
Harry looked very uncomfortable as Ginny growled, "It’s none of your business, but you don’t need to worry." She gave Harry a sideways glance as Hannah Abbott nervously cleared her throat and read her fortune.
"Um, uh, ‘A thrilling time is in your immediate future.’" She had a big grin on her face as she continued, "in bed." There was laughter all around as Neville, looking embarrassed but laughing along with the rest, opened his cookie, did a double take and then burst out in a new round of laughter.
"Okay, okay, who set us up?" Neville looked accusingly at George, then Ron and finally Harry. All three had blank expressions on their faces and Neville finally gave up and just read the fortune. "’A pleasant surprise is in store for you’ - in bed." George practically fell out of his chair laughing as Hannah took the little paper from Neville’s hand and read it again. Neville again looked around the table accusingly. "Are you sure you didn’t set us up?"
"No, Neville," Hermione replied, "we really didn’t." She then glared at George. "At least I think we didn’t."
"Hey, why are you looking at me?" George asked indignantly.
That brought on a new round of laughter as George dramatically expressed his innocence. Finally, Ron opened his fortune, read it and uttered a strong swear word. When Hermione reproved him, he just shook his head, rolled his eyes and handed his paper to her. She burst out laughing when she saw her husband’s fortune. By then, the rest of the people were begging to know what it said.
Ron gave George a withering look. "I think we have been set-up. Oh well, here it is. ‘He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.’"
Amid the laughter, Angelina could be heard repeating, "Come on, Ron. Say it. Say it. You’ve got to add it at the end."
Ron frowned. "Fine. In bed. Okay? In bed. He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at - in bed."
This time it was both George and Harry who almost fell out of their chairs laughing. Hermione, obviously sensing Ron’s growing frustration, quickly opened her own fortune, "Well, let’s see what I have. ‘Now is the time to try something new’ - in bed." Hermione gave a big grin, leaned over and kissed Ron, and whispered something into his ear. His ears turned even redder and he broke out into a big grin.
"Ah, that’s not fair," George complained, "we all want to hear what you told Ron."
Hermione blushed and shook her head. "No." She then looked at Ginny and said, "But maybe it’s time for Ginny to try something new."
Ron’s grin vanished from his face. "Well I don’t want her to try anything that new." Harry grimaced and Ginny rolled her eyes as she opened her fortune and began to read.
"’Your everlasting patience will be rewarded sooner or later,’" Ginny paused and gave Harry a meaningful glance, "in bed."
"Woo, look out Harry, when a woman has a look like that in her eyes, a guy doesn’t stand a chance," George laughed and then continued, "especially if it’s a Weasley woman."
Ginny snorted as the other girls laughed. "Well, so far it hasn’t worked."
"It will," Hermione commented and Hannah nodded.
Harry cleared his throat nervously and gave a silly grin as he glanced around at the others. "Ginny knows I . . . we . . . well, I guess I’ll read my fortune." With that he opened his fortune. His eyes grew a little wider and he again nervously cleared his throat before reading allowed, "’ Love is for the lucky and the brave,’ um, in bed."
There was again laughter around the table and some good-humored ribbing by the other guys with comments like "I didn’t know you had to be brave in bed." Harry laughed along with them until he looked into Ginny’s eyes and they had the same fire he had seen the first time they kissed in his sixth year, and when she had kissed him on his seventeenth birthday.
"Well, Harry," Ginny said quietly, "how about it?"
"How about what?"
"Do you want to get lucky?"
There was a mixture of laughter and whistles as Harry’s mouth dropped open in shock. He looked at the others around him and then back at Ginny. "A-are y-you serious? I mean, you know, about getting lucky?"
Ginny smiled, "Of course I’m serious. I’ve been wanting to go to bed with you for years. So, how about it? If you’re brave enough, then you’re going to get lucky." There was some chuckles from some and indignant sounds from Ron. Without breaking her gaze, Ginny told Ron to "shut it."
Harry swallowed hard and then answered, "I’m brave enough."
"I don’t want just words," Ginny responded, to which George started to make a wise-crack about clearing the table for them if they wanted. He was, however, quickly shushed by Angelina who could sense the time for joking had passed.
Harry looked into Ginny’s deep brown eyes and calmly said, "I want to get lucky, Ginny; how about you?"
Ginny grinned, "You of course know that, unless you want to get killed by my brothers, you’re not going to get lucky with me until after we get married."
Harry smiled back at her. "I’m not that daft." To the amusement of everyone at the dinner table, as well as the other diners in the restaurant, Harry knelt down in front of Ginny, took her hand in his and asked her if she was brave enough to marry him. It turned out he was very lucky indeed.