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Aug. 2nd, 2006 01:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fics_by_mapleWithin You Without You
Chapter 3 A Day in the Life
Harry lay on his back with his eyes closed against the sunlight coming in around his window shutters. With one hand behind his head and the other moving under his bed sheet, he thought back to the night before. In his mind’s eye he saw Ginny and watched the way her arse flexed under those cut off jean shorts with each step she took.
His right hand tightened its grip under the sheet as he remembered her moistening her lips with the tip of her pink tongue, and the taste of her neck on his own tongue. Soon, his rhythmic movements kept pace with his pounding heart, and his breathing became irregular.
~^
After her parents had gone to bed and the last of her brothers left – with many grins, winks and eyebrow rising – Harry and Ginny were finally left alone in the garden.
Harry pulled her into his arms and when he bent over to kiss her, he could barely conceal a smile each time he met her welcoming lips. He knew he was grinning rather stupidly.
“What is it? Why do you look at me like that?” she asked, stroking the hair at the nape of his neck with her fingertips.
Harry sighed. “I…” He swallowed hard, the throb in his pants wasn’t the only thing pounding. His heart ached, in the best possible way with what he knew was love. “I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to be with you after all this time. That we’re here together like this…and you are so beautiful.”
Ginny laughed, and Harry found he was even besotted by the way the corners of her mouth creased. "Thank you for that, Harry, but I don't know that being with me makes you very lucky," she said, her playful smile turning sincere as she looked into his eyes. "But you are a dream come true for me."
While they held each other in the shadow of the lopsided house, he lifted Ginny and sat her on top of the garden wall to ease the strain in his neck.
Once he had her settled at waist level, Harry let Ginny pull him close by the hem of his shirt and he happily found himself standing between her open knees. Her hands slipped under the back of his shirt where she teased him by lightly scratching her nails up his back. He shivered and arched, pressing himself firmly against her. Both of them moaned into the other’s mouth at the close contact. Harry felt the thrilling awareness of becoming thoroughly bewitched.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Ginny whispered between desperate kisses. “You promise you’re not going to regret this tomorrow? The next time I see you, you won’t tell me this was a mistake?”
“No way, I swear.” Harry pulled back to look into her eyes. He brushed her hair back off of her face and leaned his forehead against hers, panting to catch his breath. “I really want this, Gin. Me and you together. There’s nothing stopping us anymore.”
Ginny kicked off her shoes and wrapped her legs around him. Her toes brushed against the back of his inner thigh, awakening the yearnings he’d denied for too long.
This girl, this woman, who belonged to his adopted family, was a guilty pleasure he wouldn’t deny. No longer grinning, he wanted to indulge in some serious snogging with the witch he’d been dreaming of for years.
Harry’s hands gripped her waist and slid up her sides until the heels of his palms felt the swell of her breasts. He let one hand slide up her back and into the hair at the base of her neck as he angled his head in the opposite direction and continued exploring her mouth with his own. His tongue met hers gently, learning her all over again.
Harry’s thumb instinctively began to circle in its spot near her breast, gliding over the side and stopping so close, but just short of stroking over the hardened center he knew he’d find.
They broke their kiss, smiling at each other, acknowledging the action of his hand. Suddenly, in one day, after ten minutes of kissing and exploring with braver hands than they had before, they had caught up to the stage of intimacy they had reached two years earlier. From here on, all further exploration would be new territory for them.
“Quit thinking so much, Harry,” Ginny said, holding him close and looking into his eyes. “It only gets you into trouble.”
Harry smirked and dropped both hands down to the sides of her rear-end and squeezed.
“But I think I rather like the idea of getting into trouble with you, Gin.”
“Do you? My Proper Potter, thinking naughty, is he?” she said, wriggling her bum under his grasp.
“Since the minute I saw you this morning. And these,” he said, gripping the underside of her thighs and letting his fingertips slip under the frayed edge of her denim shorts, “these have been distracting me all day.”
“Hmm,” she said, tilting her head back, letting Harry kiss her neck lightly, “and I thought I was the only one distracted today.”
“Yeah? Were you thinking of me?” He couldn’t help the amusement in his voice. “Is that what happened with the spilled pumpkin juice this morning?”
Ginny did laugh at this, digging her fingernails into his sides, tickling him. “I thought I covered well enough for that. So you noticed?”
Harry quickly pulled away from her tickling hands and laughed with her. “Oh I definitely noticed. Was that really because of me?”
“Oh, Harry,” Ginny sighed, running her hands through his hair and down to his shoulders, pulling him close again. “You daft wizard. It’s always been you.” When they kissed this time - small, tender kisses, looking into each other’s eyes - he could feel that this was no school romance: this was real.
~^
Harry clenched his teeth, not letting any sound of shoddy self-pleasure escape his lips as his hand under the sheet slowed to a jerky halt.
He sighed in disbelief at himself. For all the mess he'd just made, he couldn't believe that he'd had a wank as soon as he got home the night before.
~^~^~^
Harry pulled his t-shirt on over his head as he entered the kitchen. Contented thoughts that at long last Ginny Weasley was his girl were swirling through his head. The next time he saw her, he could hold her and kiss her and… He changed his line of thinking when he saw Ron sitting at the table.
He was reading the Quibbler, with the remains of his breakfast spread out in front of him. Ron wasn’t looking at Harry, but Harry could see right away that Ron was covering up a grin. His lips were twitching, and his eyebrows were raised slightly.
Harry wondered how much he could get away with here. He wasn’t going to say anything about Ginny until Ron made him. Though by the gleam in his best friend’s eye, he didn’t expect to get out of it for long.
“Morning,” Harry mumbled, shuffling past Ron.
“Good morning, Harry!” Ron said in an exaggerated cheerful voice.
Harry groaned and shook his head, now knowing what was in store for him. He served himself a plate of eggs and sausage from the stove.
“Soooo? What’s new with you?” Ron continued in his exuberant tone. Harry grunted, trying to summon the strength to control the heat rising in his face. “How was your night? You came home pretty late, I didn’t even hear you.”
Harry at least knew that Ron was pleased. He wouldn’t be teasing like this if he were the least bit upset about he and Ginny being together. Harry decided to play it cool though.
“Well, you wouldn’t have heard me,” he said as he sat down at the table, “what with the Silencing Charm that was on your bedroom door.” Touché, Harry thought, pleased with himself; this time he could see Ron’s face flush out of the corner of his eye.
Harry was actually grateful they had remembered the Silencing Charm: he always had a difficult time looking them in the face the next day when they forgot.
“Mind yourself, Casanova,” Ron teased. “I’m respectably married.”
“You weren’t always respectably married,” Harry said, through a mouthful of eggs, which earned him a shove in the shoulder.
“But really, mate, you and Ginny, yeah? For real this time?”
“Yeah, I think so… I hope so.” Harry nodded, glad that he and Ron had grown up at least enough to discuss such things.
“You know, I think you two have a bit of an exhibition hang up. Try a little privacy, man. I mean right there, in the garden in front of everyone.” Ron’s eyes twinkled.
“I know. It wasn’t planned that way.” Harry chuckled to himself. While he sipped his coffee, he remembered the panic that had washed over him as Ginny walked away from him. He had promised her, hadn’t he, that he would never let her go? He suddenly felt that panicked need to see her again, to hold her and make sure he hadn’t dreamed everything that had happened yesterday.
“Really though, I’m happy for you two, and it’s about damn time anyway.” Ron was interrupted by the sound of Hermione coming down the stairs. He leaned over to Harry, and spoke in a low, quiet voice. “Now I’ve got to warn you, mate, Hermione’s really excited over this little development. She hasn’t let up about it since the public snog last night.”
“She is? Why?” Harry asked, taking another drink of coffee.
But Harry didn’t have the chance to find out. He looked up and before he could say ‘good morning’ to her, he found himself in a lively choke hold-like embrace by Hermione.
“Har-ry!” she fairly squealed as his coffee sloshed onto the table. “I’m so happy!”
“Ugh, Hermione.” Harry chuckled. He tried to give her arm a quick a squeeze and let go, but she continued holding him tight. His arm hitched awkwardly so that he couldn’t move. He just hung there, helpless and at her mercy. “All right, how long are we going to do this?”
“I warned you….” Ron said in a playful voice from behind his paper.
Hermione finally released him with a sigh and sat down next to him. A huge smile played on her face while she folded her hands in her lap. “Now, I want you to tell me everything. How did it happen yesterday?”
“You saw everything,” Ron interjected. “They didn’t make it a secret, did they?”
“Oh hush, I want to hear this. Come on, Harry, tell us?”
Harry was torn between wanting to share his own excitement about Ginny with Hermione and being afraid of speaking too confidently about it. The irrational worry that it might not have been real was still lurking in the back of his mind.
“Well, I guess it sort of just happened naturally. I mean, we would’ve been together a long time ago, but she had to finish school, right?”
“But you’ve hardly talked about her this past year. Was this a surprise?”
“Come on Hermione, leave him be,” Ron said gently as he poured her a cup of coffee, his free hand stroking behind her ear as he spoke.
Harry delighted in the subtle, yet intimate way Ron and Hermione touched each other. It was so casual now; they didn’t even think about. He didn’t feel jealousy, but admiration for his what his friends had discovered in each other. He had come close to something like it with Ginny before, but at that time there were constant limitations on how far they could go.
He frowned thoughtfully and focused on Hermione again. “No, not a surprise exactly, but it wasn’t a sure thing. I never forgot about her, but I couldn’t very well talk about her while I was with Shannon.” Harry winced slightly. “Of course, she was seeing that duffer at school too, so there wasn’t any point in carrying on about it.”
“Oh yes, Shannon,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes. “I still can’t believe you spent so much time with her – honestly.” Ron sniggered while he set a plate of breakfast in front of her.
“Why? You never said anything against her before. You didn’t like her?” Harry asked.
“Oh she was ridiculous, Harry. It was like seeing you with Tonks! Totally wrong for you.”
Harry and Ron exchanged a look over Hermione’s head and had to avoid grinning. Hermione wasn't wrong in her comparison of Shannon to Tonks, but she just didn't know about the sorts of inappropriate things he and Ron used to say about Tonks when they were younger boys. Shannon had been no great love for Harry, agreed, but she was at least a bit of a fantasy come true.
“Yeah, she was all wrong for me. You are absolutely right, Hermione.” Harry said it with such sincerity that Hermione had no idea that he was really being sardonic. Ron didn’t miss the tone though. He kissed Hermione on the side of the head and winked at Harry.
“So, are you seeing each other today? What’s going on?” she asked.
“Well, Gin and her mum are going to Diagon Alley today. I have some rounds to do anyway, check up on people, so I thought I’d see her there.”
After Hedwig had been killed last winter, Harry had discovered that several vendors in Diagon Alley had also suffered random acts of torment. The Ministry officials were not able to do much more than to take an official complaint and they didn’t believe there was any connection between the cases. Harry’s instinct told him otherwise.
“Okay, I’ll get ready to go,” Ron said, standing up.
“What? No. You don’t have to come with me.” Harry was annoyed that Ron still felt the need to look after him.
“Nah, I want to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies anyway,” Ron said casually, beginning to silently Tergeo all the dirty dishes on the table.
“I don’t need your escort, Ron. I can manage. I do carry a wand, you know? And I haven’t forgotten how to use it. Besides, with Ginny and I being together now…” Harry swallowed and adjusted his glasses. “I thought I should go try to talk to George… if he’ll see me.”
Hermione gave Ron an anxious look, and he seemed to agree with her feeling. “Yeah, then I’m definitely coming.”
“Seriously, Ron, I should do this alone.”
“Seriously, Harry? I’m still coming.” He could see that Ron was resolute; there would be no changing his mind.
~^~^~^
Harry and Ron were able to get through The Leaky Cauldron without too much ado. They only had to accept one free drink from Tom the barman, and accept two toasts in their honor.
Next they wandered Diagon Alley, in search of Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. Ron walked just a step ahead of Harry, flanking his right from passers by. The cover worked most of the time. Ron’s tall frame and bright red hair attracted enough attention. Some people remembered the freckle-faced boy standing next to Harry Potter in the photos taken at the end of the war. Others, those who were Quidditch enthusiasts, would recognize him as the new reserve Keeper for the Chudley Cannons.
Ron provided just enough distraction as they hurried passed that many people didn’t notice the slightly smaller, dark haired young man, who avoided eye contact whenever possible. The wizarding world was very generous these days. Those who did recognize Harry usually only offered a friendly handshake and words of thanks and praise.
They had already checked in on a handful of vendors along their way, and none had anything to report in the way of unusual or harassing experiences.
The next shop they entered was Quality Quidditch Supplies. They went unnoticed by the group of lads gawking at the window display. Upon entering however, they noticed another group of boys inside.
Harry immediately ducked behind a cardboard advertisement showing a busty witch in mini-robes astride the latest model of broomstick.
Ron strode forward down the center aisle, allowing Harry to make his way back to the counter unnoticed.
“Blimey, it’s Ron Weasley!” Harry heard one of the boy’s say. He peeked through the large cage full of fluttering Snitches to see who was addressing Ron.
“Err- yeah, that’s me,” Ron said hesitantly, looking down at a group of preadolescents who were looking up at him with wide eyes.
“I know you!” the same enthusiast little voice said. “You’re with the Chudley Cannons. I heard that you’ll be starting soon because Redwald Blake is getting so old and blind he doesn’t even see half the goals he misses.”
“Ah, that’s just a rumor, kid. Old Blake is still holding up all right.” Ron was a healthy shade of crimson, but he seemed amused by his tetchy admirers.
“You have the most impressive stats of your reserve season,” the blond haired boy went on, causing the others to gape on in awe. “When you become a first teamer, it’s expected that you’ll double the Cannons’ chances at going to the Cup.”
“I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one,” Ron said, now talking in earnest with the pint size fellows just as though he were in a pub with men.
“Will you autograph my Which Broomstick, sir?” another boy asked. Ron chewed the inside of his cheek as the group presented him with an assortment of tatty Quaffles, magazines and even an old Cannons’ program to sign. It wasn’t the very first time he’d been asked for an autograph, but this was still very new to him.
“Is it true that you were with Harry Potter during the war?” the tallest boy among them asked. Harry shifted nervously in his spot.
“Oh, that. Yeah, I sure was,” Ron agreed with sincerity, shifting on his feet as well. Having the memory of their final battles suddenly thrust at him was never comfortable.
“Is he really as great as they say he is, sir? Is he taller than you even?”
Ron tried his best not to laugh too loud. “Harry Potter? Actually, the git just looks like any other bloke, fellas.” Taking note of their crestfallen faces, Ron amended his response. “But I’ve known him for a long time, and even average blokes can do pretty amazing things, yeah?” They seemed pleased to hear this.
“He was the best Seeker Hogwarts ever had, wasn’t he?”
“No, he wasn’t,” another boy piped up. “My brother was at Hogwarts when Harry Potter was, and he said Potter always fell off his broom.”
“Who was your brother then?” Ron asked.
“Martin Chambers. He played for Ravenclaw”
Ron snorted. “Oh, him. I played against him once. Well, my mate does have a hard time avoiding a Bludger - saved him from a few yesterday as a matter of fact.” Ron waggled his eyebrows in Harry’s direction. Harry only shook his head; apparently Ron wasn’t forgetting how distracted he’d been by Ginny during their pick up match at the Burrow.
“I’m Gordon Whitby, sir,” a new boy with a tiny voice said. The rest had begun to walk off, enthralled by their new prized autographs.
“How are ya, Gordon Whitby?” Ron asked, taking the junior regulation Quaffle and self-inking quill the boy was holding out to him.
“Mr. Weasley…?” The boy looked back at the others, appearing nervous, as though he wanted to say something without being over heard.
“What’s up, mate?” Ron asked, stooping over towards him. Harry couldn’t hear what the boy said this time, for he was so quiet. But Ron gave him a sober smile and nodded before tousling his curly head.
The temporary amusement that the group had found in Ron then passed as the boys turned their attention back to broomstick charms. Ron continued up the aisle to the back of the store, meeting Harry at the counter.
“Mr. Weasley, sir, can I have your autograph too!” Harry said in a boyish falsetto voice.
“Ha, ha. Sod off, you. Did I goad you about Colin Creevey?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact you did, ya great arse. And you caused our dorm mates to do it too.”
Ron chuckled. “Oh yeah, that was great.”
“So, what’d the little bloke want?” Harry asked, nodding towards the youngsters now leaving the store. Ron turned and watched them with a contemplative look. He scratched at his neck before speaking.
“He, uh, thanked me for helping you in the war. Asked me to pass it along to you. Seems his family had a hard go of things from Death Eaters.”
Harry felt like he choked on a Snitch. He knew intellectually that the war against Voldemort had affected many people aside from him, but sometimes he forgot. It always felt like such a personal curse, literally and figuratively.
“Oy –forget about it,” Ron said, nudging him out of his thoughts. “Don’t waste your time on the old shite. Let’s deal with the new shite, okay?” Harry worked up a feeble smile in agreement.
Mr. Osgoode, the proprietor, returned to greet them. “Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, welcome lads, welcome. I’m so very glad to see you: I have some news.”
~^~^~^
After Harry and Ron left Quality Quidditch Supplies, their minds heavy with the news that Mr. Osgoode had shared with them, it wasn’t long before they found Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. The women were just leaving Madam Malkin’s shop, their arms full, and levitating a basket along behind them.
All that was on Harry’s mind a moment before suddenly vanished when he saw Ginny. She seemed to glow and make everything around her pale compared to her beauty. That magnetic pull towards her tugged in his belly, and he didn’t feel the least bit shy about taking hold of her tiny frame and kissing her soundly, even right in front of Mrs. Weasley and Ron. He had decided to do exactly that when Ron put a firm hand on his shoulder and slowed him down.
“Just a minute, mate. It’s all your business of course, but before you go over there and act like a niffler with a hard-on, you better decide if you want to announce to the world that Harry Potter is going with that Weasley girl. It’ll be in print in a newt’s eye, if you do.”
“Bloody hell… you’re right, I reckon,” Harry mumbled, his shoulders sagging. Then he jabbed Ron in the side with his elbow. “And hard-on aside, I never act like niffler.”
“Whoa.” Ron laughed with mock surprise and flicked the back of Harry’s head. “You’re becoming a right cheeky bastard, you know it?”
They were approaching the women as Harry shot back playfully, “Yeah well, there’s this lot of filthy mouthed ginger-heads I know that have taught me well.”
Ginny and Mrs. Weasley both looked up at the same time, the pleasant surprise of Harry and Ron’s arrival evident in their expressions.
Harry felt the previous night’s stupid grin take over his face when Ginny’s eyes met his.
“Hi, Harry,” she said as she took a step towards him. But instead of reaching him, she found herself in a clumsy half hug by Ron, who had quickly moved between her and Harry.
“Ron?” she said, perplexed.
“Sorry, little sister,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “That’s from Harry. We thought it best not to bring any attention to you two out here in the open.”
“Oh right. I see.” She nodded, winking at Harry. He liked the way her nose crinkled when she winked at him.
Mrs. Weasley greeted each of them as though she hadn’t just seen them the day before.
“Hi. Sorry, Gin,” Harry said as he reached for the brown paper wrapped packages she held, clasping her hand in his underneath the bundles. “I wouldn’t have kissed your forehead, but that’s all Ron could handle of course,” he whispered with a smile.
“I should hope so- I’ve got better parts than my forehead for you to kiss,” she whispered back, squeezing his fingers as the parcels toppled into Harry’s arms. He was pleased to hear she was thinking the same things he was.
He was reluctant to release her hand, but had to in order to play off a casual appearance between them. He already knew passers by were beginning to recognize him.
Harry was accustomed to the feeling of eyes lingering on him for a second longer than was polite and seeing people whisper just as he passed. It didn’t bother him a great deal when he was with Ron, who had become a bit of a public figure himself. But now, the possibility of drawing unwanted attention to Ginny suddenly burgeoned a fierce feeling of protectiveness in him.
“Will you boys be coming for supper tonight?” Mrs. Weasley asked.
“No, Mum. Hermione has paperwork to do tonight, so I’m cooking supper for her. I’ve got an early practice tomorrow as well.”
“Ron’s cooking? I’m in!” Ginny spoke up quickly. She and Harry exchanged a knowing glance with each other. At Ron, Hermione and Harry’s house they might be able to find some much desired private time. “I’m sorry, Mum, but you don’t mind if I go there for the evening, do you? You think you and Dad will be okay in an empty house all by yourselves?”
Much to Harry’s surprise, Mrs. Weasley didn’t pause in giving her consent. “Oh that would be lovely, dear. Your father and I will find something to do. Don’t you worry about us.”
Ginny snickered, but Harry thought he must have missed the joke. He hadn’t been paying full attention to what was spoken because he had been peering at the hint of cleavage he could see down Ginny’s blouse. Her blouse revealed nothing at all inappropriate, but it didn’t keep him from looking.
“Just Floo over later when you’re done, Gin,” Ron said.
“Thanks,” she said to Ron. She turned to Harry. “I can’t wait.”
“Well now, that’s settled,” Mrs. Weasley agreed. “Harry, I think you should stop in and see Madam Malkin. She asked about you several times.” This news brought his attention away from imagining what lay under Ginny’s blouse.
“Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. Ron and I will go there now,” Harry said. He returned the packages back to Ginny, brushing his thumb over her knuckles as he did so.
Harry walked away from Ginny with a light heart and her fresh smell dominating his senses. Yet, as he had done so often, he took a deep breath and banished his thoughts of her to the back of his mind. He had to focus on the rest of his day’s work. There were people who counted on him for assistance, and others still who hated him.
~^~^~^ Continue to Chapter Four
A/N: I thank
mrspadf00t1 for always taking the time to help me learn to be a better writer, and belovedranger, whose beta work makes this a much better story - no joke. Allipotter, I give you the niffler.
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-05 05:02 pm (UTC)I am thoroughly loving this.
I love how you have portrayed your characters. I loved that Ginny walked away from him the first time (That's my girl!). And I giggled all the way through Harry's 'less pure' thoughts and observations.
"a niffler with a hard-on" I think I woke up all the people in my block of flats laughing over that one! And that wasn't the only good line you have come up with. (But I am being pathetically lazy and commenting on all 3 chapters in one review.)
I am enjoying the questions you are raising too. Too many fanfic writers try and over explain things, which takes away the readers pleasure. You are dropping the hints subtley and casually. It is working really well. I can't wait to find out what on earth could have happened with George, who killed Hedwig (curse them), and what all the messages in Diagon Alley are about.
Excellent Maple! I can't wait for more! (Holding you to it that it will be Monday ... or earlier... wink wink nudge nudge)
no subject
Date: 2006-08-05 06:11 pm (UTC)So glad you liked the Niffler! *snort*
The next chapter has some Georginess, you'll learn a bit more.
Thank you so much for the R&R - you're a doll!
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 10:07 pm (UTC)And, all the Beatles songs as chapter titles? I can't tell you how much that makes me squee!
no subject
Date: 2006-08-20 05:11 am (UTC)I know. Only a few people get the Beatles thing. Not that anyone is supposed to 'get it', I do it for myself and I listen to "Let it be" the album while I write this. I really appreciate you commenting!!
no subject
Date: 2006-08-20 01:31 pm (UTC)I'm so tempted to list off all the Beatles songs that remind me of HP... but I won't.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 12:23 am (UTC)*deep cleansing breath*
I love how smoothly you are bringing these two together!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:19 am (UTC)*pats you*
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Date: 2007-01-16 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-29 09:18 am (UTC)