Her Man
Title: Her Man
Pen Name:
Characters/Pairing: Harry/Ginny
Word Count: 2828
Rating: G
Song Lyrics:
pluschi
Genre: Romance
Baby lock the door and turn the lights down low
Put some music on that's soft and slow
Baby we ain't got no place to go
I hope you understand
I’ve been thinking 'bout this all day long
Never felt a feeling quite this strong
I can't believe how much it turns me on
Just to be your man
"Your Man" - Josh Turner
Summary:
"The thing is," he started hesitantly while carefully keeping an eye on Ron, "that Dean there hasn’t got a clue on what to do with Ginny."
A/N:
This story went in a different direction than initially planned, but I guess sometimes the story chooses the writer *g*. Many, many thanks to my lovely beta-reader
sinkwriter
, who not only was able to meet a very short deadline but also shaped this story into its current form with her patience, concrit, perfect rewordings and excellent comments. Thanks so much!
P.S. I apologize for the posts to the community with the faulty LJ-cuts but my Microsoft Word had an incompatibility with my LJ journal and it took me ages to figure it out! Sorry for the inconveniece.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission. Rights to these characters and their images is neither claimed nor implied. It is not endorsed by any of the aforementioned parties.
All recognizable characters, song lyrics, settings, and ideas not associated with the world of Harry Potter remain the property of their respective owners and all original characters, situations, places and ideas are the sole property of their creators. Original content viewed here may not be used without their permission.
This story is intended for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
"I cannot believe you pulled that one off, Gin!" Harry shouted against the strong March winds as he jumped off his broom in mid-air and closed the remaining distance to his Chaser in a few long strides. "That was brilliant!"
"Thanks, Harry."
Ginny sounded cheerful as she casually dusted off her robes. Remnants of little twigs and leaves covered her Quidditch gear after a spectacular evasive move and a near collision with one of the trees on the outskirts of the playing field.
She briefly looked up at him with a twinkle in her eyes and they both started grinning. The sound of another player drawing closer ended their private moment. All the merriment left Ginny’s face and she sighed loudly as she looked down at the ground. Disappointed, Harry ruffled a hand through his hair and turned around, already knowing who had caught up with them. His other Chaser started shouting, his eyes wide with shock, his arms flailing about him.
"Ginny, are you out of your mind? That move could have easily smashed you against the tree! What in the name of Merlin were you thinking?" Dean Thomas paused and looked his girlfriend over as though he was expecting her to fall apart at the next breath.
Ginny yanked her robes back in place to resume, a bit more forcefully, brushing stray pieces of grass off her robes as she faced her boyfriend, a scowl creasing her eyebrows. Dean seemed oblivious and inched closer to Ginny to make sure she was unharmed while Harry carefully took a step backwards.
"Really, Dean?" Ginny adjusted her helmet, seemingly composed, but her voice grew dry and mocking in its increasing volume as she continued, "What was I thinking? Do you suggest that next time I politely ask the Bludger to desist its bloody pursuit of my broom before I try to evade it?"
Harry bit his lip in an effort to conceal the laughter at Ginny’s outburst while Dean’s expression signaled that he was slowly catching on to his mistake.
Stumbling a bit, the tall, dark-skinned boy muttered something under his breath and turned to the Quidditch Captain with a panicked look.
Harry shrugged at the boy. After all, Ginny was more than capable of handling herself and this was not the first time the two had bickered. In fact, he’d witnessed before how Ginny’s vibrant personality clashed with Dean’s smothering and overprotective behavior. Harry looked down at his trainers to try and hide the smile that threatened to break out onto his face, all the while thinking that Dean really didn’t know Ginny very well.
"No, Gin," Dean stumbled for words and clutched his broom nervously in front of him. "I was just worried that you’d hurt yourself because it looked so dangerous and I wouldn’t want you to…"
"Well, I didn’t and I’m bloody fine, Dean." Ginny cut him off, exasperated, and tucked a few loose strands of hair back into her ponytail. She reached down and picked up her broom.
"You’re going back up again? Maybe you should take a rest after…"
"I’m fine."
"She’s fine."
This time Ginny and Harry simultaneously shouted at Dean before he could finish his sentence. Impatiently, Ginny moved past him towards the center of the Quidditch field and Harry closely followed in her tracks, this time unable to hide the amused smirk.
Dean turned to stare at their retreating backs and came face to face with Ginny’s brother, Ron, who had descended behind them and overheard the conversation.
Ron patted a sighing Dean on the back while muttering amusedly, "That Weasley temper, eh?"
Some hours later, Ron, Harry and Ginny joined a studying Hermione near the warmth of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny plopped down on to the couch next to Hermione and sighed in frustration.
"What’s wrong?" Hermione carefully observed the angry scowl of the younger witch and quickly located the unlucky recipient. Dean sat near the entrance of the common room, sulking and quietly talking to his friends. The smug faces of both Ron and Harry only served to confirm the suspicion that Ginny and Dean were having yet another fight. Hermione coughed a little and continued, avoiding the amused looks of her classmates. "Do you want to talk about it, Gin?"
"No, Hermione, I’ve had enough talk for one evening," She sent Dean a foul look and continued, "In fact if I have to waste one more word on Dean tonight I might have to hex him and risk hurting myself in the process. And poor Dean wouldn’t want little Ginny hurting herself, now would he?" She took a deep breath as she turned towards Hermione, gathered up her belongings and finished in a much friendlier tone, "Thanks for the offer though, Hermione, but I think it’s best if I just go up to bed early." With that, she got up and made a straight line for the girls dormitories.
Hermione’s eyebrow went up in a well-practiced manner as she watched Ginny retreat. In the middle of the common room, a nervous-looking Dean halted mid-step in his pursuit as his girlfriend disappeared out of sight on the staircase, and Harry and Ron erupted into laughter at Ginny's escape. Closing the Ancient Runes book with a loud plop, Hermione gave both boys a stern look.
"It’s not funny, you know," she scoffed at her friends. "Ginny’s really unhappy with Dean."
Harry sobered up instantly at Hermione’s words, and something inside of his chest roared and constricted at the same time. Though unpleasant, he was starting to get used to the dual feelings battling inside of him at the mere mention of Ginny’s name and her relationship with Dean.
"The thing is," he started hesitantly while carefully keeping an eye on Ron, "that Dean there hasn’t got a clue on what to do with Ginny." Ron snorted amusedly and Harry risked continuing, "He really doesn’t know how to be her man."
"Well then perhaps someone who does know how to be Ginny’s man should step up and get a move on things before this whole situation gets out of hand, right?" Hermione’s tone was a mixture of impatience and teasing and its effect was not lost on both men.
Ron was abruptly pulled out of his glee, a frown replacing his grin. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Ignoring Ron, Hermione tilted her chin towards Harry in a daring look. Harry stared at her, his mouth falling open in disbelief. Meanwhile a dumbstruck Ron began turning an alarming shade of red whilst looking from one friend to the other.
Taking opportunity of Ron’s silence, Harry muttered something about ‘gruesome practice, tired and early night’ and made a hasty retreat to the dormitories.
"What was he on about?" Ron muttered to a self-satisfied looking Hermione.
"Oh seriously, Ronald." Hermione rolled her eyes and mimicked Harry in a hasty retreat, leaving a confused Ron alone in the common room.
Harry took the steps to the dormitory two at a time and closed the heavy wooden door behind him as he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
He rubbed his scar absentmindedly and tried to get ahold of his emotions.
What just happened down there?
Slowly, he stepped inside the room to his four-poster bed and silently thanked Merlin that Ron hadn’t followed him. He needed a moment to himself. The soft covers welcomed him as he sank down on his bed.
Dean there hasn’t got a clue on what to do with Ginny.
He sighed, the tightness in his chest loosening a little.
He doesn’t, but I do.
Jealousy stabbed him at the thought of Dean with Ginny, as it had from the moment he’d first seen them snogging together. This time, without effort, as though it had been there in the center of his being all along, he also discerned another kind of feeling that…
No, she’s Ron’s sister. I can’t possibly be thinking and feeling all these…
Though he tried to voice many objections in his head, the longing for her only became stronger and sharper. It was like Devil’s Snare pulling him down into this chaos of emotions that he had never known before. He could see his confused efforts of the past few months, trying to disentangle himself from the firm hold of this strong-willed plant, but Harry suddenly realized that fighting Devil’s Snare only sucked you in deeper, until you couldn’t breathe anymore. But giving in to these feelings, much like allowing the magical plant to take you over, would mean…
He quickly jumped up from the bed, filled with a sudden urge to kick and throw things.
What in Merlin’s name! She’s Ron’s sister, she’s over you and you’re the Chosen One who’s supposed to fight the Darkest Wizard of all times. You can’t be… Don’t be stupid, Harry!
Letting out an exasperated sigh, he started to get ready for bed and tried to banish a certain redhead from his mind. But the words he’d spoken to Hermione would not leave him. Instead, they had shifted his feelings into focus quite clearly. By the time he retreated into the sanctuary of his own bed and firmly closed the curtains, Harry could no longer deny the only conclusion that lifted the heavy weight of his heart.
I’m in love with Ginny Weasley.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Looking back of course, Harry pondered while trying to study in the library, the signs along the way had been unmistakable. At first, his natural tendency to be a bit thick in matters of the heart had obscured his changing feelings towards Ginny from being brotherly to, well, not so brotherly at all. He could have known by the revealing flowery smells of the love potion. He should have known with the wild beating of his heart during Quidditch try-outs that had little to do with physical exercise. He would have known had he paid attention to how much he enjoyed her company and how frequently he sought her out. However, these feelings came so natural to him that it took Harry a while to realize that Ginny meant more to him than a sister or a good friend.
Unfortunately, now that he did realize he fancied Ginny, the situation had become more complicated. Ron had set the rule of hating every bloke that simply looked at Ginny as a member of the opposite sex and expected Harry to do the same while this made Harry feel both guilty and scared. To his increasing frustration, Ginny herself treated him as nothing more than a brother and good friend. This was pure irony, of course, because Ginny had fancied him for years while he’d barely noticed her around. These days, everywhere he turned, Harry came across Ginny either snogging or fighting with Dean, and both actions left Harry equally miserable and unsettled.
Finally, one morning at breakfast, Hermione casually recounted how Ginny had dumped Dean the night before. Taken unaware, Harry spilled the cereal all over the table and clumsily tried to cover up his mess. Ron, interrupted while gulping down some sausages, looked bewildered at him and made a disgruntled noise. Harry, blushing scarlet, could not make out whether his best friend was catching on to him or simply annoyed at the waste of good food. Hermione thankfully put him out of his misery with a cheerful wink.
Though Harry’s heart felt lighter in his chest at the news, it was still agony to be torn between his longing for her and his fear of making a move. He worried about Ron’s reaction and to make matters worse it seemed that about half the boys in his year, the fifth and seventh were fighting for Ginny’s attention. As a result, Ron’s mood worsened considerably and Harry became more frustrated. Hermione, seemingly unfazed, spent more time with Ginny which soothed both her friends nerves. Ron could keep an eye on Ginny while Harry could simply be close to her.
For Harry, studying in the library now consisted of inconspicuously gazing at Ginny while silently repeating the mantra over and over in his mind:
You’re in love with her - do something. I can’t - she’s Ron’s sister.
Alternately, he waited for her to come down to breakfast and deliberately detoured the castle's corridors in order to bump into her in between classes. To his own surprise, he caught himself talking Quidditch with her more for the sake of conversing than for the love of the game. He could not enter the common room without letting his eyes roam, seeking her out. When Ron wasn't looking, Harry exchanged glances with Ginny and made funny faces to make her laugh. He spent more time with her alone, whenever he could, usually aided by a silent, though approving Hermione. Within days his monologue had turned to:
So what, she’s Ron’s sister? - You’re in love with her - for Merlin’s sake DO something!
As it turned out - he did not have to wait very long for that moment to come. On the day his team secured the Quidditch Cup, Harry’s impulsive nature fed his Gryffindor courage and he kissed Ginny in the middle of a full common room. Even if Ron had protested - which he thankfully didn’t, either helped by a fair amount of victory butterbeers or a fair amount of persuasion by Hermione - it could not have stopped Harry’s heart from overflowing with pure happiness when his lips finally met hers.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Harry nervously sat waiting in the Gryffindor Quidditch dressing room. The benches were transformed into soft, fluffy cushions; the strategy board transfigured into a comfortable, wide sofa that was colored in the characteristic red and gold of the team. He’d convincingly charmed the old ceiling - a challenge only met with some expertise help from Hermione - into a clear night’s sky with little Snitches instead of stars lighting above them. He smiled to himself. Ginny will love this.
A contented sigh escaped his lips as he twisted the stem of the single rose between his fingers. Dozens of sparkling red roses scattered about the room were held in place by a spell to make them hover a few inches above the ground. Small tables adorned the corners of the room with delicious looking fruits and sweets brought in by Dobby, the house elf. The overall effect was rather impressive, even to Harry’s eyes, but then he wanted this night to leave a lasting impression.
There was a knock on the door and Harry closed his eyes briefly before answering it.
"Come on in, Ginny."
"Harry?"
Her voice was soft. As she entered and looked about the room, her curious eyes widened and a small smile played on her lips.
"Lock the door…"
With a swift flick of Harry’s wand, the lights turned down low and music from a Muggle cd hummed softly in the background. He hoped she would understand the gesture in setting up this evening just for the two of them.
Ginny stood there at the entrance of the room, wearing a simple but beautiful black dress. Her hair cascaded loosely to her shoulders and Harry’s fingers tingled at the prospect of touching the red locks. He watched her as she took in all the magic, and thrilled when she sent him a radiant look.
"Ginny…" It was a hoarse whisper that earned him a mesmerizing twinkle.
Harry crossed the distance between them and caressed her blushing cheek with one hand while the other presented the single red rose.
She grabbed hold of it with little grace but the giggle that escaped her mouth and the way in which she nestled herself in his embrace felt so Ginny that the moment was utterly perfect.
They started swaying to the music, the rhythm not matching their steps, and as he kissed her cheekily, brushing his lips close to her ear, he gave in to the feeling of him and her, together.
They'd gotten to know each other in so many little ways, but she had the remarkable ability to make him feel comfortable and knock him breathless at the same time. Being close to Ginny felt like coming home. He didn’t need to be overly gentle with her or treat her like a fragile little lady - no, she was his equal in so many ways.
Blazing brown eyes met gazing green ones in understanding and they shared a bright smile. With a slight flick of Harry’s wand the Golden Snitches descended around them, forming a maze of twinkling gold stars. Ginny looked stunned but recovered quickly as she leaned backwards and snatched one of the Snitches out of the air. With vibrant giggles she pinched the little golden ball and made a funny face.
Harry erupted in easy laughter at the sight of her and drew her closer to his chest once more. In that moment Harry knew he wanted nothing more in the world than just to be her man.