Revenge By Any Other Name (Where One Wakes) - Harry/Pansy - 3/99
The Harry/Pansy Table
Series Title: Revenge by Any Other Name
Chapter Title: Where One Wakes (3/99)
Author: Tonya (_fullofgrace)
Characters: Harry (implied Harry/Ginny); Harry/Pansy
Prompt: #03 - Ends
Word Count: 1140
Rating: PG/PG-13
Summary: Harry knows things need to change.
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Harry awoke to the sounds of a shower in the distance. With a quiet groan, he turned over to glance at the alarm clock on his nightstand to see a blurry 8:15am reflecting back at him. He closed his eyes and sighed, rolling onto his back.
He hadn’t meant for this to happen.
He had returned to his flat from his meeting with Parkinson and had been sitting peacefully on his couch, dwelling on the brunette former Slytherin, when someone had knocked on his door. Ginny had been on his doorstep, coming to check in with him since she had heard about his meeting with a new informant from Ron and Hermione. He had waved off the meeting as nothing, just another empty tip, and they had sat down together in his kitchen, drinking firewhiskey and discussing recent events and strategies that needed to be implemented regarding the last remaining horcrux and its location.
But the night had not ended in its usual chaste, friendly kiss goodnight before they parted ways.
He and Ginny had always had a weird relationship to put it lightly. They weren’t a couple by any definition of the word, Ginny dating other men over the years and Harry sticking mainly to himself, but on a very rare occasion, they did find themselves in bed together.
And most nights, he welcomed the company and contact as much as she did, but last night had been different. Because, for once, he couldn’t turn off his mind while he had been with her. Because, in a twist that would most certainly get him a wand between the eyes from the redhead, he couldn’t get Parkinson and whatever game she was playing at out of his head. And the fact that he had been thinking about Parkinson on any level while inside Ginny just disturbed him more than he could ever put into words.
The sounds of running water stopped, and Harry shifted under the sheets, feigning sleep. He laid motionless in silence for a moment until he could hear the soft footfalls of Ginny padding around his room, in what he could only imagine was an attempt to gather her clothing from the floor. He listened intently as she moved about the room, trying his best not to appear awake.
“Harry, I know you’re awake.”
Harry cringed before slowly opening his eyes and sitting up against the headboard. Ginny stood across the room, slipping on her jeans, as she watched him with a slightly amused expression.
“Don’t worry.” She pulled her damp hair out from under the collar of her t-shirt. “I won’t be asking you to cuddle,” she teased.
Harry only offered up a half-hearted smile in response, his mind ironically dwelling on the fact that he was still dwelling on Parkinson.
“You okay?” she asked, raising a curious eyebrow at his silence.
“Yeah,” he finally spoke with a small nod. “Just a headache.”
She stared at him, and for a moment, he believed she had seen right through his lie. But instead of calling him on it, she sat on the edge of the lounger in the corner of the room as she slipped on her trainers and began to tie them. “I’m not sure your meeting with Lupin today will help your headache any.” She finished lacing her shoes and sat up straight, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She frowned deeply. “He seemed pretty concerned yesterday afternoon when I overheard him talking to mum. I think there’s been a death, and he’s just not saying yet.”
Harry returned the frown, mentally going through the roll call of all his friends and what assignments they were presently on.
“I don’t think it’s any of our group,” Ginny said as she read his mind. “Everyone checked in last night.”
“You sure?”
Ginny stood with a nod. “Positive. Hermione did the count herself. Twice. Everyone was accounted for.”
“Even Seamus and Dean?” Harry asked, knowing that his two friends were off with Tonks at the moment, mapping out Death Eater hideouts.
Ginny nodded. “Even them. Honest, Harry, if it’s a death, it’s not ours personally.” She shrugged. “Hell, I don’t even know if that’s what it is. For all I know, Lupin just wants to have a cup of tea and discuss the latest Quidditch scores with you.”
Harry laughed dryly. “I wish.”
Ginny walked over to the nightstand, retrieving a folded slip of paper that laid beside the alarm clock. She handed it to him, and Harry gave her a confused look before taking it from her hands. “This came while you were asleep. Carrier owl. I didn’t recognize it.”
Harry noted that the seal on the note had been broken and looked up at Ginny with the beginnings of a scowl. She smiled sheepishly in response, shrugging. “So I was curious. Shoot me.”
Harry grabbed his glasses from his nightstand and slipped them onto his face. Opening the note, he recognized the slick cursive handwriting immediately.
“Consider this a reminder of how serious I am on this matter. Friday. The same time as last night. Do NOT be late.”
“I thought you said your meeting last night was useless?” Ginny asked, curious.
“It was,” he said simply, his eyes still focused on the note in his hands.
“Harry, if this is something Lupin needs to be on…” she started.
“Ginny,” he sighed, finally looking up at her. “It’s not. It’s just a situation that needs to be handled a certain way. And I am doing that.”
She gave him an unconvinced look before shrugging. “So I’ll see you at Grimmauld later then?”
Harry simply nodded.
Ginny returned the nod, smiled, and gave a small wave before walking out of the room. Harry watched her leave with s slight frown, listening to the sound of his flat door closing in the distance.
One of them really needed to put an end to these occurrences because neither was gaining anything from the situation. The instant gratification worked the night of but the mornings after? They left much to be desired. Harry woke in the mornings feeling more withdrawn and alone than he had felt before she had found her way into his bed, and he feared that Ginny possibly got a false sense of hope for some future relationship out of the entanglements.
One of them really needed to put an end to this.
Harry sighed as he glanced down at the note in his hand before tossing it onto his nightstand. With a deep exhale, he settled back into the mattress and under the covers, closing his eyes and shutting out the world.
He’d put an end to it eventually.
But at the moment, he preferred to try to turn off his mind for a few hours in hopes of getting Parkinson out of it.
Series Title: Revenge by Any Other Name
Chapter Title: Where One Wakes (3/99)
Author: Tonya (_fullofgrace)
Characters: Harry (implied Harry/Ginny); Harry/Pansy
Prompt: #03 - Ends
Word Count: 1140
Rating: PG/PG-13
Summary: Harry knows things need to change.
----------
Harry awoke to the sounds of a shower in the distance. With a quiet groan, he turned over to glance at the alarm clock on his nightstand to see a blurry 8:15am reflecting back at him. He closed his eyes and sighed, rolling onto his back.
He hadn’t meant for this to happen.
He had returned to his flat from his meeting with Parkinson and had been sitting peacefully on his couch, dwelling on the brunette former Slytherin, when someone had knocked on his door. Ginny had been on his doorstep, coming to check in with him since she had heard about his meeting with a new informant from Ron and Hermione. He had waved off the meeting as nothing, just another empty tip, and they had sat down together in his kitchen, drinking firewhiskey and discussing recent events and strategies that needed to be implemented regarding the last remaining horcrux and its location.
But the night had not ended in its usual chaste, friendly kiss goodnight before they parted ways.
He and Ginny had always had a weird relationship to put it lightly. They weren’t a couple by any definition of the word, Ginny dating other men over the years and Harry sticking mainly to himself, but on a very rare occasion, they did find themselves in bed together.
And most nights, he welcomed the company and contact as much as she did, but last night had been different. Because, for once, he couldn’t turn off his mind while he had been with her. Because, in a twist that would most certainly get him a wand between the eyes from the redhead, he couldn’t get Parkinson and whatever game she was playing at out of his head. And the fact that he had been thinking about Parkinson on any level while inside Ginny just disturbed him more than he could ever put into words.
The sounds of running water stopped, and Harry shifted under the sheets, feigning sleep. He laid motionless in silence for a moment until he could hear the soft footfalls of Ginny padding around his room, in what he could only imagine was an attempt to gather her clothing from the floor. He listened intently as she moved about the room, trying his best not to appear awake.
“Harry, I know you’re awake.”
Harry cringed before slowly opening his eyes and sitting up against the headboard. Ginny stood across the room, slipping on her jeans, as she watched him with a slightly amused expression.
“Don’t worry.” She pulled her damp hair out from under the collar of her t-shirt. “I won’t be asking you to cuddle,” she teased.
Harry only offered up a half-hearted smile in response, his mind ironically dwelling on the fact that he was still dwelling on Parkinson.
“You okay?” she asked, raising a curious eyebrow at his silence.
“Yeah,” he finally spoke with a small nod. “Just a headache.”
She stared at him, and for a moment, he believed she had seen right through his lie. But instead of calling him on it, she sat on the edge of the lounger in the corner of the room as she slipped on her trainers and began to tie them. “I’m not sure your meeting with Lupin today will help your headache any.” She finished lacing her shoes and sat up straight, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She frowned deeply. “He seemed pretty concerned yesterday afternoon when I overheard him talking to mum. I think there’s been a death, and he’s just not saying yet.”
Harry returned the frown, mentally going through the roll call of all his friends and what assignments they were presently on.
“I don’t think it’s any of our group,” Ginny said as she read his mind. “Everyone checked in last night.”
“You sure?”
Ginny stood with a nod. “Positive. Hermione did the count herself. Twice. Everyone was accounted for.”
“Even Seamus and Dean?” Harry asked, knowing that his two friends were off with Tonks at the moment, mapping out Death Eater hideouts.
Ginny nodded. “Even them. Honest, Harry, if it’s a death, it’s not ours personally.” She shrugged. “Hell, I don’t even know if that’s what it is. For all I know, Lupin just wants to have a cup of tea and discuss the latest Quidditch scores with you.”
Harry laughed dryly. “I wish.”
Ginny walked over to the nightstand, retrieving a folded slip of paper that laid beside the alarm clock. She handed it to him, and Harry gave her a confused look before taking it from her hands. “This came while you were asleep. Carrier owl. I didn’t recognize it.”
Harry noted that the seal on the note had been broken and looked up at Ginny with the beginnings of a scowl. She smiled sheepishly in response, shrugging. “So I was curious. Shoot me.”
Harry grabbed his glasses from his nightstand and slipped them onto his face. Opening the note, he recognized the slick cursive handwriting immediately.
“Consider this a reminder of how serious I am on this matter. Friday. The same time as last night. Do NOT be late.”
“I thought you said your meeting last night was useless?” Ginny asked, curious.
“It was,” he said simply, his eyes still focused on the note in his hands.
“Harry, if this is something Lupin needs to be on…” she started.
“Ginny,” he sighed, finally looking up at her. “It’s not. It’s just a situation that needs to be handled a certain way. And I am doing that.”
She gave him an unconvinced look before shrugging. “So I’ll see you at Grimmauld later then?”
Harry simply nodded.
Ginny returned the nod, smiled, and gave a small wave before walking out of the room. Harry watched her leave with s slight frown, listening to the sound of his flat door closing in the distance.
One of them really needed to put an end to these occurrences because neither was gaining anything from the situation. The instant gratification worked the night of but the mornings after? They left much to be desired. Harry woke in the mornings feeling more withdrawn and alone than he had felt before she had found her way into his bed, and he feared that Ginny possibly got a false sense of hope for some future relationship out of the entanglements.
One of them really needed to put an end to this.
Harry sighed as he glanced down at the note in his hand before tossing it onto his nightstand. With a deep exhale, he settled back into the mattress and under the covers, closing his eyes and shutting out the world.
He’d put an end to it eventually.
But at the moment, he preferred to try to turn off his mind for a few hours in hopes of getting Parkinson out of it.