Inner Demons - Chapter 50
Title: Inner Demons (sequel to Starting Over)
Chapter 50/60: The Best Presents Come in Surprising Packages
Author:
serendipity_50
Pairings: H/G, R/Hr
Warnings: Het sex, mild profanity, angst
Word Count this chapter: about
Era: Post-DH Pre-Epilogue
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment only.
Story Summary: Relationships are hard under normal circumstances, but Harry and Ginny don’t have the luxury of living normal lives...
Chapter Summary: Christmas shopping brings some surprises -- good and bad.
Author's Notes: Since I'm going out of town to a writer's conference this weekend, you get an early present. ;D Chapter 51 is done; haven't even thought about starting 52 yet. Nuff said. Ash & Min, you rock.
Why had she said he could come shopping with her? Why had he even asked to come along in the first place? Was it just the thrill of a hunt? Ginny shook her head in disgust. Despite his tendency to defy convention in every other respect, Harry seemed to be just like every other man-he couldn’t resist a challenge.
But her reticence hadn’t been feigned just to make him pursue her, and she really didn’t have it in her to play the game today. She was just plain tired-physically, mentally, emotionally. If he wanted to go shopping with her, for whatever reason, she didn’t have the will to fight him.
When they got to her flat, she took a few minutes to run a brush through her hair, cast a scant make-up charm, and change into nicer jumper. And, no, it had nothing to do with Harry showing up. She’d meant all along to clean up before going out. She hadn’t dressed for shopping when she’d gone to Andromeda’s, and she didn’t want to be seen in public again in her well-worn Weasley jumper. Harry, fortunately, hadn’t recognized his old cast-off.
The trip to Gringotts was uneventful (even if being pressed against Harry in the tiny cart did make her heart flutter more than the wild ride itself) and once they’d exchanged their Galleons for pounds, they made their way without speaking down the crowded street, hands jammed into coat pockets and eyes fixed firmly ahead. Every witch and wizard in London must’ve decided to do their Christmas shopping today-thank Merlin Hogwarts hadn’t let out for the hols yet.
While she waited for Harry to tap the bricks that opened the passage to the Leaky Cauldron, she realized that he must’ve made their trip through the Alley easier by casting some sort of shield to keep the press and the fans from approaching. She gave him a grateful smile when he stood aside to let her go ahead into the pub. As much as she hated to admit it, the two of them walking together-Harry, especially-could’ve caused a riot if they’d been recognized.
“Where are we headed?” Harry asked as they dodged their way across Charing Cross Road toward Soho.
Ginny shrugged and answered without looking at him. “Dunno. Thought we’d go up to Oxford and see what strikes our fancy.” At Harry’s murmured agreement, she headed off, leaving him to follow in her wake.
The snow flurries at Andromeda’s hadn’t made it to London, but the textured slate sky was spitting a fine mist that held the threat of icy rain, making Ginny glad she’d grabbed her hooded trench coat with the water repelling charm. Harry’s glasses and black leather bomber jacket probably had similar magical protections, but his hair was soon sparkling with moisture that he didn’t seem to notice. Without her permission, her eyes kept drifting toward him, mesmerized by the way the dampness made the dark strands curl against his neck. She wondered how often over the years he’d ignored the elements and risked his health in his pursuit of Dark wizards, then quickly doused the ember of worry that ignited in her gut. No sense dwelling on things she couldn’t control.
They navigated through the maze of narrow streets, making stiff conversation only when something in a shop window caught their attention. Ginny found the silence unsettling, but Harry seemed caught up in his own head and she wasn’t about to try to draw him out. As they skirted Soho Square and cut the corner by Bloomsbury Publishing, he huffed and shook his head and muttered to himself, but she just quickened her pace and left him to it. The trip would be a lot easier if he could decide exactly who he wanted to be today.
When they finally reached Oxford Street, Ginny came to an abrupt halt. Harry stepped up beside her and raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure about this?” He must’ve got it all sorted; he seemed like a different person.
She stared out at the surreal scene before them. The main Muggle London shopping district was worse than the Wizarding one with throngs of shoppers and cars and double-decker buses swirling around each other like a turbulent river between high-rise concrete banks. She might’ve even seen a flash of purple whipping through the melee.
“It’s only going to get worse the closer Christmas gets,” Ginny answered finally, then looked at him and smirked. “Scared?”
With an amused eye-roll, Harry grabbed her hand and headed into the crowd, then pulled up short and turned back to see why she wasn’t moving-she was too busy staring in shock at their joined hands. At her questioning look, he blushed, but didn’t let go. “Don’t want to lose you.” Ducking his head, he turned and plunged ahead, shouldering a path to the nearest shop window.
Dazed, Ginny allowed him to drag her along, willing her mind to stop twisting his words into something more than he’d meant. Of course it made sense to hold onto each other in this madness, otherwise they’d never stay together. And didn’t that just send her imagination off on a tangent? She gritted her teeth and forced her brain into submission. If she were going to make it through this day, she’d best turn her mind off and simply go with the flow.
They jostled along in awkward silence, pretending to peruse the window displays. Well, Ginny, at least, felt awkward and was pretending. Conscious only of Harry’s rough, slightly sweaty hand (or maybe the sweat was hers), she couldn’t say what had been in any of the windows they’d passed and was only vaguely aware that they’d crossed onto the next block.
“So, erm…” Harry said as they paused in front of a shop selling mobile phones. Ginny shivered slightly at the sound of his voice, but he just tucked both of their hands into his jacket pocket and leaned toward the window to study one of the devices. “What did you have in mind? For your dad?”
“Oh, erm…” Her voice didn’t seem to want to work. What in Merlin’s name was he on about, acting like they were a real couple? She cleared her throat and tried again. “I don’t know. I thought I’d know when I saw it.”
Harry nodded toward the window display. “He mentioned, once, getting a mobile. Maybe we should check them out.” He grinned to himself then, apparently remembering the conversation. “Of course, we’d have to get one for your mum, too, so he’d have someone to call. Can’t you just see him trying to teach her how to use it?”
Ginny couldn’t contain her burst of laughter. They spent a good five minutes, giggling over imaginary conversations before going inside to inspect the various models. But while Ginny asked the clerk loads of questions, Harry mostly just hung back and listened. Finally deciding that they’d look around some more and come back if they didn’t find anything they liked better, they plunged back into the madness on the pavement. She squashed the thrill that ran through her when he took her hand again. It doesn’t mean anything!
“Why didn’t you ask any questions in there?” she asked, mostly to get her mind off the way his thumb was rubbing across her knuckles.
He shrugged. “I don’t know much about shopping. I usually send Kreacher or pay Fleur to do it for me.”
“What? They’re unavailable so you’re going to make me do all the work?”
He grinned. “Of course. Why do you think I brought you along?”
Ginny gave him a not-so-playful punch. “Git! You didn’t bring me along. You tricked me into bringing you!”
“Ow!” He laughed, ducking away from her second and third punches, but holding tightly to her hand, probably so she couldn’t use it to slap him. “Stop! Wait! Listen, maybe you can teach me.”
She froze mid-punch, offering him a wicked smirk instead. “What a brilliant idea!” Eyes wide with something close to fear, he loosened his grip on her hand and she jerked it away to cross her arms. “Where’s your list, Potter?”
“List?” He took a step back.
She followed. “Your Christmas list. What are you thinking of getting everyone? What presents have you bought? Who do you have left to buy for?”
“Erm…”
She rolled her eyes. “Right. I remember now. You haven’t even thought about it. Let’s go.” Locking a tight hand on his wrist, she dragged him toward the crossing. “John Lewis is a good place to start. They have some of everything.”
By the time she had them ensconced with hot chocolate at a table in The Place to Eat on the top floor of the department store, Ginny was in full-on shopping mode. Harry looked terrified, as well he should. Next to Quidditch, shopping was her favorite sport and she might even be better at it than she was at Chasing. Mess her mind around, would he? Well, she’d show him!
She slapped a straw on the table in front of him. “I need a pen, Harry.”
“Ginny!” he hissed, looking around at the crush of Muggles within arm’s reach, most of whom seemed to be couples squabbling about china and cutlery patterns.
She bared her teeth in a feral grin, keeping her voice low but stern. “I need a pen and I can’t get my wand out without being obvious. If you’d done this at home, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
His wrist holster clicked softly as he pressed his lips together and moved the straw below the table. When he laid the pen in front of her, she beamed and pushed a napkin toward him. “Some proper paper, please.” With a huff, he complied. “Thank you,” she said. “Now! Let’s see…”
She spent the next half hour, and three more sheets of paper, making a list of everyone he needed to buy gifts for and badgering him to come up with ideas for what to get. Most of the items he chose for her brothers were magical and could be owl-ordered, but Ginny decided that her mother and the sisters-in-law would simply love to receive cashmere jumpers or perhaps jewelry or maybe perfume. Which, of course, meant that Harry would have to spend considerable time browsing in the appropriate women’s departments to decide on exactly the right gifts. And, naturally, they might have to go to several shops before they found the perfect ones. A proper penance if Ginny did say so herself.
But as she steered him out of the café with an arm wrapped around his limp bicep, she couldn’t help but take pity. He looked as if he’d resigned himself to taking another killing curse. “Since we’re here, we can start on this floor and look for something for Dad.”
Harry’s face brightened immediately at the vast display of televisions, computers, and other electronic devices. But when his eyes glazed over in a classic sign of shopping overload, she yanked on his arm. “Well, come on. We don’t have all day!”
More than an hour passed as they checked out the tellys and listened to music on headphones and inspected fancy cameras (some even took pictures that moved), then watched a couple of boys playing an extremely violent video game-something about stealing cars-until their mum called them away. With a sideways glance at each other, Harry and Ginny lunged for the controllers.
“Oh, Merlin, I’m rubbish at this,” Ginny grumbled as her on-screen player went down again in a gruesome blood bath. “How do you know what buttons to push and when to push them?”
Harry shrugged, never taking his eyes from the screen. “I used to sneak in to play Dudley’s computer when they left me home alone. But the games have come a long way since then.” He groaned as his man was blasted to nothing in an explosion, then pressed the button to begin again.
Ginny gave up trying to play and just savored the joy of seeing this rare side of Harry, his eyes flashing, his face contorted with concentration yet somehow relaxed. He looked like a kid turned loose in a toyshop for the first time… which probably wasn’t too far off the mark, now that she thought about it. Fury at his Muggle family ripped through her. What she wouldn’t give to Bat-Bogey them from both ends.
“All right. That’s it. I’ve got to have one.”
Harry’s excited voice brought Ginny back from her fantasy. “Do you have a telly to play it on? Would it even work at Gr-your place?”
He frowned and Ginny could’ve slapped herself for killing his joy. Then, he broke into a blinding smile. “No, but Ron does. He would love this! And I could play it with him. Check him off the list!”
Ginny had a feeling that Hermione would not love it, but she couldn’t bring herself to dampen Harry’s giddy pride at selecting the perfect gift for his best mate. Shaking her head in exasperation, she had a hard time suppressing her grin while she waited for him to purchase the console and several games, then slip into the men’s to shrink the package to pocket size.
On their way to the escalators, they wandered through the sports equipment and tried out a strange contraption called an elliptical trainer. Harry joked about buying one for himself and Ginny’s dad so they could work off the weight from her mother’s cooking.
“That’s not a half bad idea, you know?” At Harry’s gobsmacked look, Ginny added, “Well, I doubt he’d use it for exercise, but I’m sure he’d get a kick out of it and it doesn’t need electricity, does it?”
“You get it for him,” Harry said. “I’ve decided I need to buy him a car.”
Ginny’s jaw dropped. “A car! Are you mad? Harry, that’s too much and besides, Mum’ll kill you!”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I know. But I’ve always felt bad about losing that old Ford Anglia. I thought I’d, you know, try to find one like it. Even if it doesn’t run, it’ll give him something to tinker with.”
Ginny had all she could do not to kiss him. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and pasted on a look of mock disapproval. “Well, don’t tell Mum I knew about this beforehand. She’ll have my arse for not talking you out of it.”
Harry’s grin became cheeky. “Brilliant! Now I can blackmail you into helping me find one.”
She gave him a shove toward the escalator. “Just for that, you prat, we’re headed to the lingerie department.”
His eyes widened in panic, then took on an impish glint. “Not if you can’t catch me.” And he took off, excusing himself past the people standing to the sides of the moving steps and leaving a mixture of amused grins and irritated scowls in his wake.
With a squeal, Ginny leaped after him, cursing the head start she’d allowed him with her startled hesitation. He managed to make it down almost two flights before she got within reach, but just as she reached out to grab him, he jumped the final steps and headed into the furniture department. Even though the crowds on this floor were slightly less dense, Ginny had to slow down as she followed him through the tight maze of sofas and chairs and tables into the area designated for bedroom furniture. The taller wardrobes and chests made it both harder and easier to stalk him, but when a couple with two small children blocked his path and nearly tripped him, Ginny saw her chance.
Sneaking down the next aisle over, she crouched at the end of a row of chests and peeked around the corner. Still distracted by the apologies of the young parents, he was looking over his shoulder as he drew near and never saw her when she tackled him onto the bed across the aisle.
“Some Auror you are,” she laughed as he groaned beneath her.
Before she could blink, he’d flipped her over and pinned her to the bed, his eyes dancing with mischief. “I could still get away.”
Ginny giggled and wrapped her legs around his. “Not if-” She froze at the sound of a throat clearing and looked upside down into the disapproving glare of the grey-haired shop clerk standing over them.
“May I help you?” the man intoned, sounding entirely too much like Snape.
Harry’s face was as red as Ginny’s felt, but he scrambled off the bed and helped her up with surprising dignity, then faced the clerk with a condescending smile that would’ve done a Malfoy proud. “No, thank you, Mr., erm…” -he glanced at the man’s nametag- “Chadwicke. We’re looking for something a bit firmer. But we’ll be sure to let you know if we find it.”
Mr. Chadwicke lifted one eyebrow. “Indeed. Please do.”
Ginny bit her lip until Mr. Chadwicke turned the corner at the end of the aisle, then exploded into helpless giggles. “Shhhh,” Harry whispered, suppressing his own laughter as he put an arm around her shoulders and led her back toward the escalator.
“Oh, Merlin,” she sputtered as they stepped onto the down stairway. “Didn’t he sound just like Snape?”
“Yes!” Harry hooted. “I knew he sounded familiar!”
As she tried to still the beating of her heart at the sudden realization that Harry had been laying on top of her… on a bed, Ginny’s mirth froze in her throat. Someone-a very bad someone-was staring at them from the railing of the furniture department as the stairs carried them beneath him to the floor below. “Harry! Look!”
Instantly alert, Harry followed her gaze, but the man was gone. “Who was it?”
“Jasper Jinks.”
“What, the Quidditch reporter?” Harry asked in an undertone, still scanning the floor above.
“I know I saw him. He wasn’t even dressed like a Muggle.”
“Well, no one would probably notice in this crowd,” Harry said. “We should get out of here.”
“Yeah, but if I know Jasper, he’s probably already got far too many… interesting pictures.” Ginny’s stomach dropped as she realized what the scene they’d just left would look like on the front of the Prophet.
“Bloody buggering hell!” Harry muttered, apparently cottoning on. “All right. Let’s see if we can lure him into a deserted area and get that camera.” He shifted seamlessly into Auror Potter, intent on his mission.
“How did he even find us in Muggle London, especially in these crowds?” Ginny wondered quietly as they rounded the corner and stepped onto the escalator leading to the ground floor. “I know we would’ve seen him if he’d followed us from the Leaky Cauldron.”
“Good question,” Harry said, casting a nonchalant glance over his shoulder to be sure Jasper was still with them. Harry’s hand moved over her shoulders and down her back, then he casually drew his other hand down his own torso. “No tracking charms that I can tell without a wand.” He lifted his eyes overhead. “But I’ll bet he’s got one on- No! Don’t look up,” he murmured, turning a smile on her that nearly buckled her knees. “Just look at me and smile. That’s it. The beetle known as Rita Skeeter is flitting amongst the Christmas ornaments hanging from the ceiling.”
As Harry guided her off the stairs, Ginny glanced up and saw the light glint off an insect taking flight. “I really, really hate that woman,” she said, just loud enough for Harry to hear. “Can we stun her?”
“I wish.” Harry steered them over to a display of fancy ink pens and pretended to show her one. “But it’s too risky here. Best case scenario, she transforms and the Obliviators have to deal with thousands of people; worst case, she drops to the floor as a beetle and gets squashed underfoot.”
“I think you have the cases reversed,” Ginny grumbled.
Harry gave her a wry smile that didn’t match the words he spoke next. “Here’s the plan. We’re going to shop for a few more minutes and work our way over to the exit.” He pulled her around to another display and cast an offhand look about, then gave her a smile and drew her along to the beauty department. “In fact, I think we’re going to have a look at the jewelry, maybe even buy something.” Ginny raised her eyebrows. Harry rolled his eyes. “Thought I’d get your Mum something and draw them in a bit to try to get a shot of what we’re buying. Catch two Snitches at once, yeah?”
Ginny leaned over, pretending to study a box of perfumed soaps to hide her warm face behind the curtain of her hair. “Yeah, good idea,” she said, picking up the box to show him.
He smiled and shook his head as if vetoing her gift suggestion, then took her hand to lead her over to look at a rack of silk scarves. “When we’re sure he’s still following, we’ll head outside and try to find a less populated area. Cavendish Square would work.” Ginny nodded, recognizing the name of the small park behind the shop.
“We’d better not walk too fast,” she said. “That fat lump’ll burst something trying to keep up.”
Harry laughed as if she’d made a naughty innuendo, then draped a jewel toned silk scarf around her neck. “That’s pretty. Do you like it?”
Ginny blushed, but nodded, unsure what to make of this role he’d assumed. Then the Bludger of understanding hit-she was seeing the undercover operative who’d learnt to blend into his surroundings. Disappointment burned in her chest. Had the whole day been just an act? How could she have been so stupid to fall for it? No! Stop! It didn’t matter. Even if it was all a lie, this day had turned out to be the most perfect one she’d had in forever and she wasn’t going to do anything to mess it up. Playing the love-struck fool wouldn’t be any stretch at all.
Harry pulled the scarf from her neck, but didn’t put it back on the rack as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and meandered down an aisle lined with handbags. “I just saw him,” he murmured, picking up a hideous fuchsia faux leopard print purse. “Looks like he’s transfigured his camera into Omnioculars. But I guess that’s good. The Muggles probably think they’re regular binoculars and they aren’t paying any attention to the purple smoke.”
“Probably too distracted by the horrible orange and lavender robes. You’d think he’d at least have the sense to change them to red and green so he might be mistaken for someone playing Father Christmas. Put that thing down, Harry. It’s horrid!” Ginny said when she noticed he was still inspecting the ugly purse. She picked up a black-fringed Prada shoulder bag. “Now this, I think Fleur would love. And if you get Hermione to do one of her expansion charms, it’ll be perfect for carrying everything Victoire and the baby need when they leave the house.”
Harry’s eyes lit like twin Lumos spells. “Really? Brilliant! We’ll take it!”
Ginny snorted. He hadn’t even checked the price. “Anything to get through the list, huh?”
Harry grinned. “Works for me.”
With a shake of her head, Ginny tugged him into the jewelry department. They wandered among the glass cases for several minutes, idly pointing out things that caught their attention and spending far too many agonizing minutes admiring engagement rings while Jasper lurked behind the handbags, a thick purple cloud roiling over his head.
“What do you think about these for your mum?” Harry pointed to an exquisite pair of sapphire earrings.
“I think you shouldn’t get her something that costs half of Dad’s lifetime salary,” Ginny said with a wry grin.
Harry’s eyes widened when he looked at the price sticker. “Oh, erm… yeah. Good point.”
Ginny giggled. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. We have a couple of reporters to trap.”
Harry paid for his purchases and, while Ginny stood guard, ducked into a shadowed corner to shrink the bag. When he emerged, he wrapped the scarf around her neck again and just stared at her for a moment or two, as if he were memorizing her face. Ginny’s whole body flamed under the scrutiny before she could think straight enough to remember that it was all an act.
Dusk had begun to settle in the concrete canyon and the Muggle version of magic had turned it into a glowing wonderland. Harry and Ginny strolled down the side of the shop, away from the thick of the even larger throng of shoppers and the brightest of the lights. They stopped several times, seemingly to admire a window display but actually to use the reflection in the glass to be sure Jasper and Rita were still with them.
Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his attentions becoming more ardent as they walked-a hug here, a kiss on the temple there, and frequent looks that could only be interpreted as longing. Ginny set up a mantra in her head: it’s not real, it’s just for show, he’s setting the trap. But somehow, her heart didn’t care. Real or not, she wanted this… wanted him, and she’d play along, do whatever it took to keep it going for as long as possible.
“Once we get to the park, we’re going to need to give them the slip so we can get close without them realizing,” Harry said against her ear. Anyone looking would think he was whispering sweet nothings to her. Regardless, his breath on her skin had the same effect and sent a shiver down her spine. “I think we’ve baited the trap well enough that they’ll keep looking for us.”
Ah, yes. Jasper and Rita probably had more than enough flirtatious pictures to fill a month’s worth of newspapers, but Ginny had no doubt that at this point they’d continue the chase until they’d captured the pièce de résistance-a full-blown kiss. Oh, Merlin, was that part of the plan? Was she going to get a real kiss? The way her heart suddenly tried to pound its way out of her chest, she wondered that he couldn’t hear it.
When they rounded the corner behind the shop, Harry turned to walk backwards, pulling her along with a smile as he picked up their pace. The barest flick of his eyes upward told her that Rita must be right overhead. “Fancy a walk in the square?” he asked with a smile that spoke volumes about what they might get up to in the shadows under the trees.
Not even trying to fight her answering thrill of desire, Ginny let it guide her coy response. “I don’t know. It’s awfully dark. You don’t think it’s too dangerous?”
He let his smile turn just the least bit wicked as he took her elbow to escort her across the street. “Depends on what you mean by dangerous.”
Merlin, he was good at this. How many other women had played this role with him? Angrily, Ginny pushed the disturbing thoughts away. She didn’t have time for them right now.
As soon as their feet hit the pavement on the other side of the street, she pulled from his grasp, skipping backwards and laughing as she danced out of reach when he made a grab for her. “Looks like the danger is closer than I thought. I’d better make a run for it.” And she took off into the trees.
Harry feigned a moment of surprise, giving her a head start, then sprinted after her with a teasing growl. They ran like children into the shadows, circling trunks and dodging low-hanging branches as their laughter rang through the deepening night. Gasping for breath, Ginny rounded a corner and crashed into an invisible barrier that grunted. Before she could blink, she found herself beneath familiar silken folds, her back pressed against rough bark, a hand covering her mouth, and Harry’s face less than an inch from her nose.
Her laughter trailed off as she stared into his suddenly serious eyes. His hand fell away and their breaths mingled, hovering between them like unspoken wishes. Inhaling deeply, she savored his scent and his warmth, a potent mixture that stoked the desire that had been smoldering all day. As she lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttered against his cheek. So close. His lips were right there. Just a slight tilt. That’s all it would take to satisfy the maddening need...
She raised her eyes to his. He stared back, boring into her soul as his breath hit her lips in sharp bursts and his heart thumped madly in time with hers. Without warning, he withdrew, eyelids dropping, jaw muscles flexing-the internal battle had begun. If she didn’t make a move now, he’d be gone.
“Harry,” she whispered. “Please-”
He opened his eyes but looked away from her. “Listen!” The word was just a breath. With a soft click, he dropped his wand into his hand and pushed the tip through the edge of the cloak.
Suddenly remembering why they were here, Ginny became aware of the crunch of footsteps and the hiss of heated whispers. Rita must’ve returned to her human form. As the two reporters drew closer, Ginny could just make out the words of their argument.
“Got to be around here…”
“They’re gone. We’ve got enough…”
“No, I want that kiss…”
Thank Merlin for Rita’s greediness. Harry tensed as two dark forms crept from behind the next tree.
“Can’t see a bloody thing,” Jasper muttered.
“Give me that. Can’t it see in the dark?” Rita snatched the Omnioculars from Jasper’s neck and held them to her face.
Harry pointed his wand and, without a sound, disintegrated the transfigured camera to dust. Rita’s banshee shriek echoed into the night.
Ginny barely heard Harry’s whispered “hang on” before he pulled her against him and squeezed them into space. When they landed in the foyer of Grimmauld Place, he kept his arm around her waist just a moment longer than was really necessary to allow her to get her balance, but then stepped quickly away, pulling off the cloak as he went.
He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Sorry, I-it was the first place I thought of.”
“It’s fine,” she said, then tried to lighten the mood. “I don’t reckon we could’ve stayed to Obliviate them?”
Harry snorted as he busied himself with folding up the cloak. “As much as I would’ve liked to, I don’t think we could get away with it. They’ll print something, but without the pictures, it’ll be no different than any of the other lies they’ve written.”
He grew quiet again and Ginny’s attention was caught by the well-lit entryway that was a soft green and blessedly free of house-elf ancestry and screaming portraits. She’d seen the house briefly when they’d passed through on the way to Ron and Hermione’s engagement party, but she’d been too focused on Harry at the time to pay attention. “You’ve spruced the house up a bit.”
Harry shrugged. “Actually, Kreacher and Fleur did. I’m not here much.”
At the sound of his name, Kreacher appeared on the steps leading up from the kitchen and bowed low to Harry. “Master Harry has come home. Should Kreacher prepare tea?”
Harry frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Kreacher is able to tend to his Master’s needs as well as to his assigned duties. Kreacher will know if he is needed elsewhere.”
Ginny watched in confusion as the two held a silent battle of wills. After a tense moment, Harry apparently gave in with a grimace, then raised his eyebrows at Ginny. “Tea?”
When she nodded, he turned to Kreacher. “We’ll take it in the drawing room.”
Kreacher gave Ginny a venomous look and muttered under his breath about blood traitors on his way back down stairs.
“I don’t think he likes me much,” she said, watching him go.
“Kreacher!” Harry called as the elf reached the bottom step. “Miss Weasley is my guest. You’ll treat her with respect. And use the best tea and biscuits.”
“Yes, Master,” Kreacher said with obvious reluctance, then disappeared into the kitchen.
“Sorry,” Harry said, motioning for Ginny to precede him up the stairs.
In the drawing room, he threw his jacket onto a side chair, then walked over to stare out of the windows. Ginny laid her coat over the arm of the sofa and warmed herself by the fire, toying with her scarf and wondering what she could do to bring back the carefree man who’d bought it for her.
Searching for some safe topic to draw him back out, she gazed about the room, taking in all of the changes. The glass-front cabinets bracketing the fireplace held photos and an interesting array of seemingly non-magical bric-a-brac. A well-worn, but comfortable-looking sofa and two arm chairs formed a cozy circle around a coffee table in front of the fire, and the front windows sparkled, giving a clear view of the less-than-sparkling neighborhood below.
“I always thought this place could look nice,” she said. “It’s so much better without the doxies and boggarts.”
Harry turned and looked around as if seeing the room for the first time, then dropped his gaze to the floor and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “It’s all right.”
Well. That line of conversation wasn’t going to work.
As the awkward silence grew, Ginny moved over to study the tapestry of the Black family tree that had been meticulously cleaned and restored to its original glory. She smoothed a gentle finger over Sirius’s face. “You fixed it.”
Harry jerked his head up, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “Huh? Oh. Yeah. Seemed like the right thing to do.”
Ginny ran her eyes over the names and gasped as she reached the bottom. “You left the Malfoys on! Why in Merlin’s name would you do that?”
Harry’s eyes grew hard for a moment, but his voice was gentle when he spoke. “Good or bad they’re his family. Family’s important.”
She nodded, her heart swelling with love. Harry had a greater capacity for forgiveness than anyone she’d ever known. She sighed. If only…
Kreacher arrived with the tea and set the tray on the coffee table.
“Go and tend to your other duties, Kreacher,” Harry commanded. “I’ll let you know when I need you again.”
Casting a curious look at Ginny, Kreacher bowed low. “As you wish, Master.” And then he was gone.
At Harry’s gesture, Ginny settled into the chair before the fire. He sat in the opposite chair and served the tea without speaking or looking at her. The clink of silver on china sounded unnaturally loud and Ginny’s mind raced for some casual way to break the deafening silence. Harry seemed oblivious to it, staring into his cup as if he were planning to dive in. She wanted so badly to touch him, comfort him, entice him to share his thoughts, but she knew the wrong move would only widen the chasm that had opened between them since that moment under the cloak.
That moment under the cloak…
She’d been so sure that he’d felt it too, the momentary magical bond. How could it have all gone wrong so quickly? What had she done? Should she ask? Should she beg for another chance? No. She’d known all along it could never last.
Setting her cup down and giving up all pretense of drinking her tea, she watched him openly, trying valiantly to dam the longing and need coursing through her veins. She had to leave. If she stayed another minute, she’d do something that might ruin it all, something that might drive him away permanently.
“I should go.”
Her words were no more than a strained whisper as she stood, but he jumped as if she’d shouted, slopping tea over his hand. With a muttered curse, he rattled the cup onto the table and put his burned finger in his mouth. Ginny made a move to try to help, then stopped, riveted by the lips wrapped around his knuckle. With an effort, she turned away and snatched her coat from the sofa.
“Thank you for the tea,” she said without looking at him, hoping he wouldn’t notice the quiver in her voice. “…and for taking care of Jasper and Rita and for… everything She stepped quickly to the fireplace and reached for the Floo Powder.
“Ginny, wait.”
She stopped, but didn’t turn around. Her eyes were burning and she wasn’t sure she could manage another word without losing it altogether.
“I’m sorry.” He had stood and stepped a bit closer, his voice a hoarse whisper. “Today was… was… but I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry… I just… I can’t…”
And in a heartbeat, she was furious.
“No!” She whirled on him. Eyes wide, he stepped back. She followed, poking her finger into his chest. “No! You do NOT get to do this. Not again. Not without telling me why. Not without giving me a chance to-to-”
With a mighty push, she backed him against the wall and pounded his shoulder with the side of her fist. “You’ve never let me say it, so I’m telling you now. I’m sorry! I’m sorry I sent you away. I’m sorry I talked to Dean instead of you. And I’m sorry-no, that doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about sending your ring back the way I did.”
Watching her with troubled eyes, he shook his head and opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. She couldn’t stop now or she might never finish. “Damnit, Harry, I wasn’t myself! After the war and Greyback and losing Fred and nearly you… I know, I know I should’ve talked to you, or Pomfrey, or somebody, but I just… I just couldn’t. My mind was so fucked up and the only time I felt halfway normal was when we were together and I couldn’t do anything that might make you stop coming to see me.”
Without warning, her eyes filled with tears that she didn’t even try to keep from streaming down her face. “And then you disappeared. It was too much. I just… just… broke… went completely mental.”
“Ginny, I-”
“No! Let me finish!” A bit of her anger returned, giving her strength to push on. She backed away to cross her arms and give him a watery glare. “I can’t take anymore of this… this… this whatever this thing is we’ve got going… acting like we’re friends one day, then like we’re both invisible the next, and kissing in between. It’s driving me completely barmy and I just can’t do it anymore!”
Tears welled again, but Ginny pressed on, the path she had to take suddenly as clear as if she’d planned it all along-even if it meant she’d be cutting out her own heart to do it. She stiffened her spine and lifted her chin. “To be honest, Harry, I can’t do just friends with you. Not right now. Maybe not ever. I lo-I care for you too much to settle for half measures… I want all or nothing. I’m asking you to give me another chance, to give us another chance… but if you can’t…” She swallowed hard, trying to dissolve the knot that had risen to block her words. “If you can’t… well, I’ll understand, but… but I don’t think I can bear to see you every week at family dinners and such. I promised that I would never do anything to come between you and the family, and I’ll keep that promise, even…” She drew a deep breath and forced her voice to remain even. “…even if it means I have to leave. I get offers all the time from teams all over the world. You’ve had your time abroad. Maybe it’s my turn.”
Harry’s eyes opened in shock at this last bit, but his face was otherwise unreadable. He straightened against the wall but didn’t move any closer. “What I was…” His voice came out as a croak. He cleared his throat and spoke more firmly. “What I was going say was that I can’t keep up the pretense of friendship any longer.”
She closed her eyes against the returning flood and bit the insides of her lips to keep her sob from escaping. This was it. He was going to send her away.
“What I was going to say,” he continued, his voice becoming gravelly as if he, too, were holding back emotion, “was that I’m sorry for acting like a royal arsehole these past months. Yeah, I was angry when I left-furious, truth be told. But when I came back I was scared. Scared that I might hurt you again, or, if I’m honest, truly terrified at how much you could hurt me if I got too close. I couldn’t see any good coming from spending too much time with you and I really did try to keep my distance. But I just can’t help myself. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t stay away.”
Ginny’s eyes flew open and she was nearly sucked into the fathomless depths of stormy green.
“I was going to say…” She had to lean forward and concentrate to make out his words. “I was going to ask if you could forgive me.” His voice took on a tone of hope and something that sounded almost like awe. “Did you mean it? Are you really willing to give me another chance?”
Stunned, she couldn’t gather her thoughts enough to do more than search his eyes for several long, aching moments. He hadn’t moved, but held himself tense, as if poised to flee. Or like he was waiting for something… permission, perhaps?
In a heartbeat, she was wrapped around him, moaning in relief as he devoured her mouth. This was more than a kiss. It was raw need in its most primal form. Lips and teeth and tongues and hands everywhere, tasting, caressing, pushing clothing away from heated skin.
“Ginny.” The word ripped from him in guttural worship.
“Upstairs,” she gasped between nips at his jaw.
Before she could draw another breath, their thighs were pressed against a bed in what was likely Harry’s room, but Ginny honestly didn’t care if it was on the roof. She twisted enough to shove him back onto the soft mattress, then scrambled to straddle him, fumbling in frustration with his belt.
Harry groaned, then flipped her over as he’d done at the shop, only this time when his weight pressed her into the mattress, nothing separated them but a thin film of sweat. She arched into his mouth, which sucked greedily at her nipple, his hands roaming lower, his head following their path. And then he was there… right there… and she lifted her hips, pressing into his heated breath, begging for more. She wanted to slow down, to savor the warm dance of his nimble tongue and pliant lips, but the wave had been building for too long and too soon she was crashing over the edge, screaming his name as she buried her hands in his hair, giving herself over to the endless spasms that set stars bursting behind her eyelids.
Still shuddering in the aftermath, she yanked on her handfuls of hair. “Now, Harry. I need you now!”
He’d barely lined himself up before she wrapped her legs around his thighs and drove him home. The stretch was painful-it had been far too long-but perfect. When he hesitated, his eyes all but oozing adoration and concern, she gave him a kick in the arse. “Move, damn it!”
And he did, his thrusts deep and nearly brutal in a crude coupling meant to purge years of frustration and fear and anger. Just exactly what she needed.
He didn’t last long, shouting her name as every muscle tensed and convulsed for an eternity. When he rolled away, panting harshly, she curled against him, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and draping her arm and leg over his torso.
“Merlin!” he murmured, swiping sweaty hair from his eyes before wrapping both arms around her. “That was…” After a moment, he apparently gave up looking for the right word and tipped her face up for a long, slow, passionate kiss.
When the need for air broke them apart, Ginny dropped her head back on the pillow and gave him a bright smile. “Yeah. It was.”
He grinned for a moment, but then grew serious. “I reckon we have a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah,” she said, but the word was broken by a yawn. Sleepless nights, emotional turmoil, and physical exertion were finally taking their toll. “But I think…” -she had to stop for another jaw-cracking yawn- “I think I need a nap first.”
Harry chuckled and gathered her against his chest, stroking her hair with one hand and caressing her hip with the other. “Go on, then. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
And almost before she had finished sucking a light kiss onto his neck, the world faded to black.
Chapter 51
***
Prologue
Chapter 50/60: The Best Presents Come in Surprising Packages
Author:
serendipity_50
Pairings: H/G, R/Hr
Warnings: Het sex, mild profanity, angst
Word Count this chapter: about
Era: Post-DH Pre-Epilogue
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment only.
Story Summary: Relationships are hard under normal circumstances, but Harry and Ginny don’t have the luxury of living normal lives...
Chapter Summary: Christmas shopping brings some surprises -- good and bad.
Author's Notes: Since I'm going out of town to a writer's conference this weekend, you get an early present. ;D Chapter 51 is done; haven't even thought about starting 52 yet. Nuff said. Ash & Min, you rock.
Why had she said he could come shopping with her? Why had he even asked to come along in the first place? Was it just the thrill of a hunt? Ginny shook her head in disgust. Despite his tendency to defy convention in every other respect, Harry seemed to be just like every other man-he couldn’t resist a challenge.
But her reticence hadn’t been feigned just to make him pursue her, and she really didn’t have it in her to play the game today. She was just plain tired-physically, mentally, emotionally. If he wanted to go shopping with her, for whatever reason, she didn’t have the will to fight him.
When they got to her flat, she took a few minutes to run a brush through her hair, cast a scant make-up charm, and change into nicer jumper. And, no, it had nothing to do with Harry showing up. She’d meant all along to clean up before going out. She hadn’t dressed for shopping when she’d gone to Andromeda’s, and she didn’t want to be seen in public again in her well-worn Weasley jumper. Harry, fortunately, hadn’t recognized his old cast-off.
The trip to Gringotts was uneventful (even if being pressed against Harry in the tiny cart did make her heart flutter more than the wild ride itself) and once they’d exchanged their Galleons for pounds, they made their way without speaking down the crowded street, hands jammed into coat pockets and eyes fixed firmly ahead. Every witch and wizard in London must’ve decided to do their Christmas shopping today-thank Merlin Hogwarts hadn’t let out for the hols yet.
While she waited for Harry to tap the bricks that opened the passage to the Leaky Cauldron, she realized that he must’ve made their trip through the Alley easier by casting some sort of shield to keep the press and the fans from approaching. She gave him a grateful smile when he stood aside to let her go ahead into the pub. As much as she hated to admit it, the two of them walking together-Harry, especially-could’ve caused a riot if they’d been recognized.
“Where are we headed?” Harry asked as they dodged their way across Charing Cross Road toward Soho.
Ginny shrugged and answered without looking at him. “Dunno. Thought we’d go up to Oxford and see what strikes our fancy.” At Harry’s murmured agreement, she headed off, leaving him to follow in her wake.
The snow flurries at Andromeda’s hadn’t made it to London, but the textured slate sky was spitting a fine mist that held the threat of icy rain, making Ginny glad she’d grabbed her hooded trench coat with the water repelling charm. Harry’s glasses and black leather bomber jacket probably had similar magical protections, but his hair was soon sparkling with moisture that he didn’t seem to notice. Without her permission, her eyes kept drifting toward him, mesmerized by the way the dampness made the dark strands curl against his neck. She wondered how often over the years he’d ignored the elements and risked his health in his pursuit of Dark wizards, then quickly doused the ember of worry that ignited in her gut. No sense dwelling on things she couldn’t control.
They navigated through the maze of narrow streets, making stiff conversation only when something in a shop window caught their attention. Ginny found the silence unsettling, but Harry seemed caught up in his own head and she wasn’t about to try to draw him out. As they skirted Soho Square and cut the corner by Bloomsbury Publishing, he huffed and shook his head and muttered to himself, but she just quickened her pace and left him to it. The trip would be a lot easier if he could decide exactly who he wanted to be today.
When they finally reached Oxford Street, Ginny came to an abrupt halt. Harry stepped up beside her and raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure about this?” He must’ve got it all sorted; he seemed like a different person.
She stared out at the surreal scene before them. The main Muggle London shopping district was worse than the Wizarding one with throngs of shoppers and cars and double-decker buses swirling around each other like a turbulent river between high-rise concrete banks. She might’ve even seen a flash of purple whipping through the melee.
“It’s only going to get worse the closer Christmas gets,” Ginny answered finally, then looked at him and smirked. “Scared?”
With an amused eye-roll, Harry grabbed her hand and headed into the crowd, then pulled up short and turned back to see why she wasn’t moving-she was too busy staring in shock at their joined hands. At her questioning look, he blushed, but didn’t let go. “Don’t want to lose you.” Ducking his head, he turned and plunged ahead, shouldering a path to the nearest shop window.
Dazed, Ginny allowed him to drag her along, willing her mind to stop twisting his words into something more than he’d meant. Of course it made sense to hold onto each other in this madness, otherwise they’d never stay together. And didn’t that just send her imagination off on a tangent? She gritted her teeth and forced her brain into submission. If she were going to make it through this day, she’d best turn her mind off and simply go with the flow.
They jostled along in awkward silence, pretending to peruse the window displays. Well, Ginny, at least, felt awkward and was pretending. Conscious only of Harry’s rough, slightly sweaty hand (or maybe the sweat was hers), she couldn’t say what had been in any of the windows they’d passed and was only vaguely aware that they’d crossed onto the next block.
“So, erm…” Harry said as they paused in front of a shop selling mobile phones. Ginny shivered slightly at the sound of his voice, but he just tucked both of their hands into his jacket pocket and leaned toward the window to study one of the devices. “What did you have in mind? For your dad?”
“Oh, erm…” Her voice didn’t seem to want to work. What in Merlin’s name was he on about, acting like they were a real couple? She cleared her throat and tried again. “I don’t know. I thought I’d know when I saw it.”
Harry nodded toward the window display. “He mentioned, once, getting a mobile. Maybe we should check them out.” He grinned to himself then, apparently remembering the conversation. “Of course, we’d have to get one for your mum, too, so he’d have someone to call. Can’t you just see him trying to teach her how to use it?”
Ginny couldn’t contain her burst of laughter. They spent a good five minutes, giggling over imaginary conversations before going inside to inspect the various models. But while Ginny asked the clerk loads of questions, Harry mostly just hung back and listened. Finally deciding that they’d look around some more and come back if they didn’t find anything they liked better, they plunged back into the madness on the pavement. She squashed the thrill that ran through her when he took her hand again. It doesn’t mean anything!
“Why didn’t you ask any questions in there?” she asked, mostly to get her mind off the way his thumb was rubbing across her knuckles.
He shrugged. “I don’t know much about shopping. I usually send Kreacher or pay Fleur to do it for me.”
“What? They’re unavailable so you’re going to make me do all the work?”
He grinned. “Of course. Why do you think I brought you along?”
Ginny gave him a not-so-playful punch. “Git! You didn’t bring me along. You tricked me into bringing you!”
“Ow!” He laughed, ducking away from her second and third punches, but holding tightly to her hand, probably so she couldn’t use it to slap him. “Stop! Wait! Listen, maybe you can teach me.”
She froze mid-punch, offering him a wicked smirk instead. “What a brilliant idea!” Eyes wide with something close to fear, he loosened his grip on her hand and she jerked it away to cross her arms. “Where’s your list, Potter?”
“List?” He took a step back.
She followed. “Your Christmas list. What are you thinking of getting everyone? What presents have you bought? Who do you have left to buy for?”
“Erm…”
She rolled her eyes. “Right. I remember now. You haven’t even thought about it. Let’s go.” Locking a tight hand on his wrist, she dragged him toward the crossing. “John Lewis is a good place to start. They have some of everything.”
By the time she had them ensconced with hot chocolate at a table in The Place to Eat on the top floor of the department store, Ginny was in full-on shopping mode. Harry looked terrified, as well he should. Next to Quidditch, shopping was her favorite sport and she might even be better at it than she was at Chasing. Mess her mind around, would he? Well, she’d show him!
She slapped a straw on the table in front of him. “I need a pen, Harry.”
“Ginny!” he hissed, looking around at the crush of Muggles within arm’s reach, most of whom seemed to be couples squabbling about china and cutlery patterns.
She bared her teeth in a feral grin, keeping her voice low but stern. “I need a pen and I can’t get my wand out without being obvious. If you’d done this at home, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
His wrist holster clicked softly as he pressed his lips together and moved the straw below the table. When he laid the pen in front of her, she beamed and pushed a napkin toward him. “Some proper paper, please.” With a huff, he complied. “Thank you,” she said. “Now! Let’s see…”
She spent the next half hour, and three more sheets of paper, making a list of everyone he needed to buy gifts for and badgering him to come up with ideas for what to get. Most of the items he chose for her brothers were magical and could be owl-ordered, but Ginny decided that her mother and the sisters-in-law would simply love to receive cashmere jumpers or perhaps jewelry or maybe perfume. Which, of course, meant that Harry would have to spend considerable time browsing in the appropriate women’s departments to decide on exactly the right gifts. And, naturally, they might have to go to several shops before they found the perfect ones. A proper penance if Ginny did say so herself.
But as she steered him out of the café with an arm wrapped around his limp bicep, she couldn’t help but take pity. He looked as if he’d resigned himself to taking another killing curse. “Since we’re here, we can start on this floor and look for something for Dad.”
Harry’s face brightened immediately at the vast display of televisions, computers, and other electronic devices. But when his eyes glazed over in a classic sign of shopping overload, she yanked on his arm. “Well, come on. We don’t have all day!”
More than an hour passed as they checked out the tellys and listened to music on headphones and inspected fancy cameras (some even took pictures that moved), then watched a couple of boys playing an extremely violent video game-something about stealing cars-until their mum called them away. With a sideways glance at each other, Harry and Ginny lunged for the controllers.
“Oh, Merlin, I’m rubbish at this,” Ginny grumbled as her on-screen player went down again in a gruesome blood bath. “How do you know what buttons to push and when to push them?”
Harry shrugged, never taking his eyes from the screen. “I used to sneak in to play Dudley’s computer when they left me home alone. But the games have come a long way since then.” He groaned as his man was blasted to nothing in an explosion, then pressed the button to begin again.
Ginny gave up trying to play and just savored the joy of seeing this rare side of Harry, his eyes flashing, his face contorted with concentration yet somehow relaxed. He looked like a kid turned loose in a toyshop for the first time… which probably wasn’t too far off the mark, now that she thought about it. Fury at his Muggle family ripped through her. What she wouldn’t give to Bat-Bogey them from both ends.
“All right. That’s it. I’ve got to have one.”
Harry’s excited voice brought Ginny back from her fantasy. “Do you have a telly to play it on? Would it even work at Gr-your place?”
He frowned and Ginny could’ve slapped herself for killing his joy. Then, he broke into a blinding smile. “No, but Ron does. He would love this! And I could play it with him. Check him off the list!”
Ginny had a feeling that Hermione would not love it, but she couldn’t bring herself to dampen Harry’s giddy pride at selecting the perfect gift for his best mate. Shaking her head in exasperation, she had a hard time suppressing her grin while she waited for him to purchase the console and several games, then slip into the men’s to shrink the package to pocket size.
On their way to the escalators, they wandered through the sports equipment and tried out a strange contraption called an elliptical trainer. Harry joked about buying one for himself and Ginny’s dad so they could work off the weight from her mother’s cooking.
“That’s not a half bad idea, you know?” At Harry’s gobsmacked look, Ginny added, “Well, I doubt he’d use it for exercise, but I’m sure he’d get a kick out of it and it doesn’t need electricity, does it?”
“You get it for him,” Harry said. “I’ve decided I need to buy him a car.”
Ginny’s jaw dropped. “A car! Are you mad? Harry, that’s too much and besides, Mum’ll kill you!”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I know. But I’ve always felt bad about losing that old Ford Anglia. I thought I’d, you know, try to find one like it. Even if it doesn’t run, it’ll give him something to tinker with.”
Ginny had all she could do not to kiss him. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and pasted on a look of mock disapproval. “Well, don’t tell Mum I knew about this beforehand. She’ll have my arse for not talking you out of it.”
Harry’s grin became cheeky. “Brilliant! Now I can blackmail you into helping me find one.”
She gave him a shove toward the escalator. “Just for that, you prat, we’re headed to the lingerie department.”
His eyes widened in panic, then took on an impish glint. “Not if you can’t catch me.” And he took off, excusing himself past the people standing to the sides of the moving steps and leaving a mixture of amused grins and irritated scowls in his wake.
With a squeal, Ginny leaped after him, cursing the head start she’d allowed him with her startled hesitation. He managed to make it down almost two flights before she got within reach, but just as she reached out to grab him, he jumped the final steps and headed into the furniture department. Even though the crowds on this floor were slightly less dense, Ginny had to slow down as she followed him through the tight maze of sofas and chairs and tables into the area designated for bedroom furniture. The taller wardrobes and chests made it both harder and easier to stalk him, but when a couple with two small children blocked his path and nearly tripped him, Ginny saw her chance.
Sneaking down the next aisle over, she crouched at the end of a row of chests and peeked around the corner. Still distracted by the apologies of the young parents, he was looking over his shoulder as he drew near and never saw her when she tackled him onto the bed across the aisle.
“Some Auror you are,” she laughed as he groaned beneath her.
Before she could blink, he’d flipped her over and pinned her to the bed, his eyes dancing with mischief. “I could still get away.”
Ginny giggled and wrapped her legs around his. “Not if-” She froze at the sound of a throat clearing and looked upside down into the disapproving glare of the grey-haired shop clerk standing over them.
“May I help you?” the man intoned, sounding entirely too much like Snape.
Harry’s face was as red as Ginny’s felt, but he scrambled off the bed and helped her up with surprising dignity, then faced the clerk with a condescending smile that would’ve done a Malfoy proud. “No, thank you, Mr., erm…” -he glanced at the man’s nametag- “Chadwicke. We’re looking for something a bit firmer. But we’ll be sure to let you know if we find it.”
Mr. Chadwicke lifted one eyebrow. “Indeed. Please do.”
Ginny bit her lip until Mr. Chadwicke turned the corner at the end of the aisle, then exploded into helpless giggles. “Shhhh,” Harry whispered, suppressing his own laughter as he put an arm around her shoulders and led her back toward the escalator.
“Oh, Merlin,” she sputtered as they stepped onto the down stairway. “Didn’t he sound just like Snape?”
“Yes!” Harry hooted. “I knew he sounded familiar!”
As she tried to still the beating of her heart at the sudden realization that Harry had been laying on top of her… on a bed, Ginny’s mirth froze in her throat. Someone-a very bad someone-was staring at them from the railing of the furniture department as the stairs carried them beneath him to the floor below. “Harry! Look!”
Instantly alert, Harry followed her gaze, but the man was gone. “Who was it?”
“Jasper Jinks.”
“What, the Quidditch reporter?” Harry asked in an undertone, still scanning the floor above.
“I know I saw him. He wasn’t even dressed like a Muggle.”
“Well, no one would probably notice in this crowd,” Harry said. “We should get out of here.”
“Yeah, but if I know Jasper, he’s probably already got far too many… interesting pictures.” Ginny’s stomach dropped as she realized what the scene they’d just left would look like on the front of the Prophet.
“Bloody buggering hell!” Harry muttered, apparently cottoning on. “All right. Let’s see if we can lure him into a deserted area and get that camera.” He shifted seamlessly into Auror Potter, intent on his mission.
“How did he even find us in Muggle London, especially in these crowds?” Ginny wondered quietly as they rounded the corner and stepped onto the escalator leading to the ground floor. “I know we would’ve seen him if he’d followed us from the Leaky Cauldron.”
“Good question,” Harry said, casting a nonchalant glance over his shoulder to be sure Jasper was still with them. Harry’s hand moved over her shoulders and down her back, then he casually drew his other hand down his own torso. “No tracking charms that I can tell without a wand.” He lifted his eyes overhead. “But I’ll bet he’s got one on- No! Don’t look up,” he murmured, turning a smile on her that nearly buckled her knees. “Just look at me and smile. That’s it. The beetle known as Rita Skeeter is flitting amongst the Christmas ornaments hanging from the ceiling.”
As Harry guided her off the stairs, Ginny glanced up and saw the light glint off an insect taking flight. “I really, really hate that woman,” she said, just loud enough for Harry to hear. “Can we stun her?”
“I wish.” Harry steered them over to a display of fancy ink pens and pretended to show her one. “But it’s too risky here. Best case scenario, she transforms and the Obliviators have to deal with thousands of people; worst case, she drops to the floor as a beetle and gets squashed underfoot.”
“I think you have the cases reversed,” Ginny grumbled.
Harry gave her a wry smile that didn’t match the words he spoke next. “Here’s the plan. We’re going to shop for a few more minutes and work our way over to the exit.” He pulled her around to another display and cast an offhand look about, then gave her a smile and drew her along to the beauty department. “In fact, I think we’re going to have a look at the jewelry, maybe even buy something.” Ginny raised her eyebrows. Harry rolled his eyes. “Thought I’d get your Mum something and draw them in a bit to try to get a shot of what we’re buying. Catch two Snitches at once, yeah?”
Ginny leaned over, pretending to study a box of perfumed soaps to hide her warm face behind the curtain of her hair. “Yeah, good idea,” she said, picking up the box to show him.
He smiled and shook his head as if vetoing her gift suggestion, then took her hand to lead her over to look at a rack of silk scarves. “When we’re sure he’s still following, we’ll head outside and try to find a less populated area. Cavendish Square would work.” Ginny nodded, recognizing the name of the small park behind the shop.
“We’d better not walk too fast,” she said. “That fat lump’ll burst something trying to keep up.”
Harry laughed as if she’d made a naughty innuendo, then draped a jewel toned silk scarf around her neck. “That’s pretty. Do you like it?”
Ginny blushed, but nodded, unsure what to make of this role he’d assumed. Then the Bludger of understanding hit-she was seeing the undercover operative who’d learnt to blend into his surroundings. Disappointment burned in her chest. Had the whole day been just an act? How could she have been so stupid to fall for it? No! Stop! It didn’t matter. Even if it was all a lie, this day had turned out to be the most perfect one she’d had in forever and she wasn’t going to do anything to mess it up. Playing the love-struck fool wouldn’t be any stretch at all.
Harry pulled the scarf from her neck, but didn’t put it back on the rack as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and meandered down an aisle lined with handbags. “I just saw him,” he murmured, picking up a hideous fuchsia faux leopard print purse. “Looks like he’s transfigured his camera into Omnioculars. But I guess that’s good. The Muggles probably think they’re regular binoculars and they aren’t paying any attention to the purple smoke.”
“Probably too distracted by the horrible orange and lavender robes. You’d think he’d at least have the sense to change them to red and green so he might be mistaken for someone playing Father Christmas. Put that thing down, Harry. It’s horrid!” Ginny said when she noticed he was still inspecting the ugly purse. She picked up a black-fringed Prada shoulder bag. “Now this, I think Fleur would love. And if you get Hermione to do one of her expansion charms, it’ll be perfect for carrying everything Victoire and the baby need when they leave the house.”
Harry’s eyes lit like twin Lumos spells. “Really? Brilliant! We’ll take it!”
Ginny snorted. He hadn’t even checked the price. “Anything to get through the list, huh?”
Harry grinned. “Works for me.”
With a shake of her head, Ginny tugged him into the jewelry department. They wandered among the glass cases for several minutes, idly pointing out things that caught their attention and spending far too many agonizing minutes admiring engagement rings while Jasper lurked behind the handbags, a thick purple cloud roiling over his head.
“What do you think about these for your mum?” Harry pointed to an exquisite pair of sapphire earrings.
“I think you shouldn’t get her something that costs half of Dad’s lifetime salary,” Ginny said with a wry grin.
Harry’s eyes widened when he looked at the price sticker. “Oh, erm… yeah. Good point.”
Ginny giggled. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. We have a couple of reporters to trap.”
Harry paid for his purchases and, while Ginny stood guard, ducked into a shadowed corner to shrink the bag. When he emerged, he wrapped the scarf around her neck again and just stared at her for a moment or two, as if he were memorizing her face. Ginny’s whole body flamed under the scrutiny before she could think straight enough to remember that it was all an act.
Dusk had begun to settle in the concrete canyon and the Muggle version of magic had turned it into a glowing wonderland. Harry and Ginny strolled down the side of the shop, away from the thick of the even larger throng of shoppers and the brightest of the lights. They stopped several times, seemingly to admire a window display but actually to use the reflection in the glass to be sure Jasper and Rita were still with them.
Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his attentions becoming more ardent as they walked-a hug here, a kiss on the temple there, and frequent looks that could only be interpreted as longing. Ginny set up a mantra in her head: it’s not real, it’s just for show, he’s setting the trap. But somehow, her heart didn’t care. Real or not, she wanted this… wanted him, and she’d play along, do whatever it took to keep it going for as long as possible.
“Once we get to the park, we’re going to need to give them the slip so we can get close without them realizing,” Harry said against her ear. Anyone looking would think he was whispering sweet nothings to her. Regardless, his breath on her skin had the same effect and sent a shiver down her spine. “I think we’ve baited the trap well enough that they’ll keep looking for us.”
Ah, yes. Jasper and Rita probably had more than enough flirtatious pictures to fill a month’s worth of newspapers, but Ginny had no doubt that at this point they’d continue the chase until they’d captured the pièce de résistance-a full-blown kiss. Oh, Merlin, was that part of the plan? Was she going to get a real kiss? The way her heart suddenly tried to pound its way out of her chest, she wondered that he couldn’t hear it.
When they rounded the corner behind the shop, Harry turned to walk backwards, pulling her along with a smile as he picked up their pace. The barest flick of his eyes upward told her that Rita must be right overhead. “Fancy a walk in the square?” he asked with a smile that spoke volumes about what they might get up to in the shadows under the trees.
Not even trying to fight her answering thrill of desire, Ginny let it guide her coy response. “I don’t know. It’s awfully dark. You don’t think it’s too dangerous?”
He let his smile turn just the least bit wicked as he took her elbow to escort her across the street. “Depends on what you mean by dangerous.”
Merlin, he was good at this. How many other women had played this role with him? Angrily, Ginny pushed the disturbing thoughts away. She didn’t have time for them right now.
As soon as their feet hit the pavement on the other side of the street, she pulled from his grasp, skipping backwards and laughing as she danced out of reach when he made a grab for her. “Looks like the danger is closer than I thought. I’d better make a run for it.” And she took off into the trees.
Harry feigned a moment of surprise, giving her a head start, then sprinted after her with a teasing growl. They ran like children into the shadows, circling trunks and dodging low-hanging branches as their laughter rang through the deepening night. Gasping for breath, Ginny rounded a corner and crashed into an invisible barrier that grunted. Before she could blink, she found herself beneath familiar silken folds, her back pressed against rough bark, a hand covering her mouth, and Harry’s face less than an inch from her nose.
Her laughter trailed off as she stared into his suddenly serious eyes. His hand fell away and their breaths mingled, hovering between them like unspoken wishes. Inhaling deeply, she savored his scent and his warmth, a potent mixture that stoked the desire that had been smoldering all day. As she lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttered against his cheek. So close. His lips were right there. Just a slight tilt. That’s all it would take to satisfy the maddening need...
She raised her eyes to his. He stared back, boring into her soul as his breath hit her lips in sharp bursts and his heart thumped madly in time with hers. Without warning, he withdrew, eyelids dropping, jaw muscles flexing-the internal battle had begun. If she didn’t make a move now, he’d be gone.
“Harry,” she whispered. “Please-”
He opened his eyes but looked away from her. “Listen!” The word was just a breath. With a soft click, he dropped his wand into his hand and pushed the tip through the edge of the cloak.
Suddenly remembering why they were here, Ginny became aware of the crunch of footsteps and the hiss of heated whispers. Rita must’ve returned to her human form. As the two reporters drew closer, Ginny could just make out the words of their argument.
“Got to be around here…”
“They’re gone. We’ve got enough…”
“No, I want that kiss…”
Thank Merlin for Rita’s greediness. Harry tensed as two dark forms crept from behind the next tree.
“Can’t see a bloody thing,” Jasper muttered.
“Give me that. Can’t it see in the dark?” Rita snatched the Omnioculars from Jasper’s neck and held them to her face.
Harry pointed his wand and, without a sound, disintegrated the transfigured camera to dust. Rita’s banshee shriek echoed into the night.
Ginny barely heard Harry’s whispered “hang on” before he pulled her against him and squeezed them into space. When they landed in the foyer of Grimmauld Place, he kept his arm around her waist just a moment longer than was really necessary to allow her to get her balance, but then stepped quickly away, pulling off the cloak as he went.
He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Sorry, I-it was the first place I thought of.”
“It’s fine,” she said, then tried to lighten the mood. “I don’t reckon we could’ve stayed to Obliviate them?”
Harry snorted as he busied himself with folding up the cloak. “As much as I would’ve liked to, I don’t think we could get away with it. They’ll print something, but without the pictures, it’ll be no different than any of the other lies they’ve written.”
He grew quiet again and Ginny’s attention was caught by the well-lit entryway that was a soft green and blessedly free of house-elf ancestry and screaming portraits. She’d seen the house briefly when they’d passed through on the way to Ron and Hermione’s engagement party, but she’d been too focused on Harry at the time to pay attention. “You’ve spruced the house up a bit.”
Harry shrugged. “Actually, Kreacher and Fleur did. I’m not here much.”
At the sound of his name, Kreacher appeared on the steps leading up from the kitchen and bowed low to Harry. “Master Harry has come home. Should Kreacher prepare tea?”
Harry frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Kreacher is able to tend to his Master’s needs as well as to his assigned duties. Kreacher will know if he is needed elsewhere.”
Ginny watched in confusion as the two held a silent battle of wills. After a tense moment, Harry apparently gave in with a grimace, then raised his eyebrows at Ginny. “Tea?”
When she nodded, he turned to Kreacher. “We’ll take it in the drawing room.”
Kreacher gave Ginny a venomous look and muttered under his breath about blood traitors on his way back down stairs.
“I don’t think he likes me much,” she said, watching him go.
“Kreacher!” Harry called as the elf reached the bottom step. “Miss Weasley is my guest. You’ll treat her with respect. And use the best tea and biscuits.”
“Yes, Master,” Kreacher said with obvious reluctance, then disappeared into the kitchen.
“Sorry,” Harry said, motioning for Ginny to precede him up the stairs.
In the drawing room, he threw his jacket onto a side chair, then walked over to stare out of the windows. Ginny laid her coat over the arm of the sofa and warmed herself by the fire, toying with her scarf and wondering what she could do to bring back the carefree man who’d bought it for her.
Searching for some safe topic to draw him back out, she gazed about the room, taking in all of the changes. The glass-front cabinets bracketing the fireplace held photos and an interesting array of seemingly non-magical bric-a-brac. A well-worn, but comfortable-looking sofa and two arm chairs formed a cozy circle around a coffee table in front of the fire, and the front windows sparkled, giving a clear view of the less-than-sparkling neighborhood below.
“I always thought this place could look nice,” she said. “It’s so much better without the doxies and boggarts.”
Harry turned and looked around as if seeing the room for the first time, then dropped his gaze to the floor and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “It’s all right.”
Well. That line of conversation wasn’t going to work.
As the awkward silence grew, Ginny moved over to study the tapestry of the Black family tree that had been meticulously cleaned and restored to its original glory. She smoothed a gentle finger over Sirius’s face. “You fixed it.”
Harry jerked his head up, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “Huh? Oh. Yeah. Seemed like the right thing to do.”
Ginny ran her eyes over the names and gasped as she reached the bottom. “You left the Malfoys on! Why in Merlin’s name would you do that?”
Harry’s eyes grew hard for a moment, but his voice was gentle when he spoke. “Good or bad they’re his family. Family’s important.”
She nodded, her heart swelling with love. Harry had a greater capacity for forgiveness than anyone she’d ever known. She sighed. If only…
Kreacher arrived with the tea and set the tray on the coffee table.
“Go and tend to your other duties, Kreacher,” Harry commanded. “I’ll let you know when I need you again.”
Casting a curious look at Ginny, Kreacher bowed low. “As you wish, Master.” And then he was gone.
At Harry’s gesture, Ginny settled into the chair before the fire. He sat in the opposite chair and served the tea without speaking or looking at her. The clink of silver on china sounded unnaturally loud and Ginny’s mind raced for some casual way to break the deafening silence. Harry seemed oblivious to it, staring into his cup as if he were planning to dive in. She wanted so badly to touch him, comfort him, entice him to share his thoughts, but she knew the wrong move would only widen the chasm that had opened between them since that moment under the cloak.
That moment under the cloak…
She’d been so sure that he’d felt it too, the momentary magical bond. How could it have all gone wrong so quickly? What had she done? Should she ask? Should she beg for another chance? No. She’d known all along it could never last.
Setting her cup down and giving up all pretense of drinking her tea, she watched him openly, trying valiantly to dam the longing and need coursing through her veins. She had to leave. If she stayed another minute, she’d do something that might ruin it all, something that might drive him away permanently.
“I should go.”
Her words were no more than a strained whisper as she stood, but he jumped as if she’d shouted, slopping tea over his hand. With a muttered curse, he rattled the cup onto the table and put his burned finger in his mouth. Ginny made a move to try to help, then stopped, riveted by the lips wrapped around his knuckle. With an effort, she turned away and snatched her coat from the sofa.
“Thank you for the tea,” she said without looking at him, hoping he wouldn’t notice the quiver in her voice. “…and for taking care of Jasper and Rita and for… everything She stepped quickly to the fireplace and reached for the Floo Powder.
“Ginny, wait.”
She stopped, but didn’t turn around. Her eyes were burning and she wasn’t sure she could manage another word without losing it altogether.
“I’m sorry.” He had stood and stepped a bit closer, his voice a hoarse whisper. “Today was… was… but I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry… I just… I can’t…”
And in a heartbeat, she was furious.
“No!” She whirled on him. Eyes wide, he stepped back. She followed, poking her finger into his chest. “No! You do NOT get to do this. Not again. Not without telling me why. Not without giving me a chance to-to-”
With a mighty push, she backed him against the wall and pounded his shoulder with the side of her fist. “You’ve never let me say it, so I’m telling you now. I’m sorry! I’m sorry I sent you away. I’m sorry I talked to Dean instead of you. And I’m sorry-no, that doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about sending your ring back the way I did.”
Watching her with troubled eyes, he shook his head and opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. She couldn’t stop now or she might never finish. “Damnit, Harry, I wasn’t myself! After the war and Greyback and losing Fred and nearly you… I know, I know I should’ve talked to you, or Pomfrey, or somebody, but I just… I just couldn’t. My mind was so fucked up and the only time I felt halfway normal was when we were together and I couldn’t do anything that might make you stop coming to see me.”
Without warning, her eyes filled with tears that she didn’t even try to keep from streaming down her face. “And then you disappeared. It was too much. I just… just… broke… went completely mental.”
“Ginny, I-”
“No! Let me finish!” A bit of her anger returned, giving her strength to push on. She backed away to cross her arms and give him a watery glare. “I can’t take anymore of this… this… this whatever this thing is we’ve got going… acting like we’re friends one day, then like we’re both invisible the next, and kissing in between. It’s driving me completely barmy and I just can’t do it anymore!”
Tears welled again, but Ginny pressed on, the path she had to take suddenly as clear as if she’d planned it all along-even if it meant she’d be cutting out her own heart to do it. She stiffened her spine and lifted her chin. “To be honest, Harry, I can’t do just friends with you. Not right now. Maybe not ever. I lo-I care for you too much to settle for half measures… I want all or nothing. I’m asking you to give me another chance, to give us another chance… but if you can’t…” She swallowed hard, trying to dissolve the knot that had risen to block her words. “If you can’t… well, I’ll understand, but… but I don’t think I can bear to see you every week at family dinners and such. I promised that I would never do anything to come between you and the family, and I’ll keep that promise, even…” She drew a deep breath and forced her voice to remain even. “…even if it means I have to leave. I get offers all the time from teams all over the world. You’ve had your time abroad. Maybe it’s my turn.”
Harry’s eyes opened in shock at this last bit, but his face was otherwise unreadable. He straightened against the wall but didn’t move any closer. “What I was…” His voice came out as a croak. He cleared his throat and spoke more firmly. “What I was going say was that I can’t keep up the pretense of friendship any longer.”
She closed her eyes against the returning flood and bit the insides of her lips to keep her sob from escaping. This was it. He was going to send her away.
“What I was going to say,” he continued, his voice becoming gravelly as if he, too, were holding back emotion, “was that I’m sorry for acting like a royal arsehole these past months. Yeah, I was angry when I left-furious, truth be told. But when I came back I was scared. Scared that I might hurt you again, or, if I’m honest, truly terrified at how much you could hurt me if I got too close. I couldn’t see any good coming from spending too much time with you and I really did try to keep my distance. But I just can’t help myself. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t stay away.”
Ginny’s eyes flew open and she was nearly sucked into the fathomless depths of stormy green.
“I was going to say…” She had to lean forward and concentrate to make out his words. “I was going to ask if you could forgive me.” His voice took on a tone of hope and something that sounded almost like awe. “Did you mean it? Are you really willing to give me another chance?”
Stunned, she couldn’t gather her thoughts enough to do more than search his eyes for several long, aching moments. He hadn’t moved, but held himself tense, as if poised to flee. Or like he was waiting for something… permission, perhaps?
In a heartbeat, she was wrapped around him, moaning in relief as he devoured her mouth. This was more than a kiss. It was raw need in its most primal form. Lips and teeth and tongues and hands everywhere, tasting, caressing, pushing clothing away from heated skin.
“Ginny.” The word ripped from him in guttural worship.
“Upstairs,” she gasped between nips at his jaw.
Before she could draw another breath, their thighs were pressed against a bed in what was likely Harry’s room, but Ginny honestly didn’t care if it was on the roof. She twisted enough to shove him back onto the soft mattress, then scrambled to straddle him, fumbling in frustration with his belt.
Harry groaned, then flipped her over as he’d done at the shop, only this time when his weight pressed her into the mattress, nothing separated them but a thin film of sweat. She arched into his mouth, which sucked greedily at her nipple, his hands roaming lower, his head following their path. And then he was there… right there… and she lifted her hips, pressing into his heated breath, begging for more. She wanted to slow down, to savor the warm dance of his nimble tongue and pliant lips, but the wave had been building for too long and too soon she was crashing over the edge, screaming his name as she buried her hands in his hair, giving herself over to the endless spasms that set stars bursting behind her eyelids.
Still shuddering in the aftermath, she yanked on her handfuls of hair. “Now, Harry. I need you now!”
He’d barely lined himself up before she wrapped her legs around his thighs and drove him home. The stretch was painful-it had been far too long-but perfect. When he hesitated, his eyes all but oozing adoration and concern, she gave him a kick in the arse. “Move, damn it!”
And he did, his thrusts deep and nearly brutal in a crude coupling meant to purge years of frustration and fear and anger. Just exactly what she needed.
He didn’t last long, shouting her name as every muscle tensed and convulsed for an eternity. When he rolled away, panting harshly, she curled against him, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and draping her arm and leg over his torso.
“Merlin!” he murmured, swiping sweaty hair from his eyes before wrapping both arms around her. “That was…” After a moment, he apparently gave up looking for the right word and tipped her face up for a long, slow, passionate kiss.
When the need for air broke them apart, Ginny dropped her head back on the pillow and gave him a bright smile. “Yeah. It was.”
He grinned for a moment, but then grew serious. “I reckon we have a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah,” she said, but the word was broken by a yawn. Sleepless nights, emotional turmoil, and physical exertion were finally taking their toll. “But I think…” -she had to stop for another jaw-cracking yawn- “I think I need a nap first.”
Harry chuckled and gathered her against his chest, stroking her hair with one hand and caressing her hip with the other. “Go on, then. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
And almost before she had finished sucking a light kiss onto his neck, the world faded to black.
Chapter 51
***
Prologue