Butterbeer and Beaches

Ginny walked over to her locker, rubbing her hair with a towel. She ached from the gruelling practice, but it was a good ache. She had spent too long under the hot water, probably, but since she didn’t have to pay the water bill, she didn’t feel too guilty.

She tapped her wet towel with her wand, and it flew into her bag, folded and dry. Grabbing her bag, she slung it over her shoulder, shutting her locker on her way out. The other female player on the team, Julie, had already left, and Ginny was sure that the guys had gone, as well. She was used to being the last one out of the locker rooms from her days at Hogwarts, and it hadn’t been any different since she had joined the Wimborne Wasps.

So when she exited, she was shocked to see Dan Bristow waiting outside, leaning against the wall.

‘Hey, Ginny,’ he said casually.

‘Hey,’ she replied, nodding politely. ‘Have a good night!’ Thinking that he was waiting for someone else, she continued past him.

‘Ginny, wait,’ he said, placing a hand on her arm briefly, removing it as soon as she turned back to face him. ‘I wondered if, maybe, you’d like to get a Butterbeer or a coffee.’

He’s asking me out, Ginny realised. She hadn’t dated anyone since breaking up with Harry two years ago. Certainly, she’d gotten over him, but dating made life complicated, and Ginny didn’t need any more complications. But … what could one date hurt?

Dan Bristow was the Wasps Keeper. Ginny didn’t really know any of her teammates very well since she’d only been on the team for a little over a month, but she had to admit that she wouldn’t mind getting to know Dan a bit better. He was tall, and though he didn’t have the sort of looks that turned heads, he had a sort of friendly, open manner that attracted Ginny. She guessed that he was a few years older than she was, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three.

She remembered back to her first day practising with the team. None of the other players had given her more than a brief nod, but Dan had walked right up to her with a friendly grin, shaking her hand warmly as he introduced himself. Compared to the other men on the team, she’d found Dan to be polite, kind, and respectful. She marvelled at his ability to stay relatively untouched by the fame and idolisation that came along with being a Quidditch star.

‘That … would be nice, actually,’ Ginny answered. Dan’s face brightened, and Ginny grinned at his eager face. He is quite nice looking, she mused, taking in his crinkly, light brown hair and honest grey eyes.

‘Yeah? Great! Where do you want to go?’

“Erm … I dunno,’ Ginny hedged. Truthfully, she wasn’t very social, and she didn’t know the area very well yet. Her mind scrambled to come up with an answer. ‘You know, it would be kind of fun to go to Hogsmeade. Maybe we could stop in at the Three Broomsticks? I mean, if you want. I’m not picky.’

‘No, no – Hogsmeade sounds great!’ Dan said with an easy smile. ‘Is Side-Along okay?’ He moved closer to her and offered her his arm.

‘Uh, sure,’ Ginny answered. She slipped her free arm through his, and Dan pulled her close. Ginny was acutely aware of his strong arm under hers, and his scent was clean and spicy. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to be this close to a man.

‘Ready?’ he whispered. Ginny shivered as his breath tickled her ear and she closed her eyes, nodding just before she felt the squeezing sensation of Apparition.

Seconds later, they appeared outside the Three Broomsticks, Ginny’s knees giving out when her feet touched the ground. She grabbed at Dan for balance, and he caught her easily, putting his free hand under her elbow and pulling her close. Ginny could feel her cheeks getting hot with the famous Weasley blush, and she pulled back quickly, trying not to enjoy how good it had felt to be in his arms.

‘You okay?’ asked Dan, touching her shoulder.

‘Oh, I’m fine,’ Ginny assured him. ‘Just a little sore from practice, that’s all.’

‘Me, too,’ he chuckled as he opened the door for her. ‘Coach was a maniac today! I haven’t ached so much since … well, I can’t remember how long it’s been.’

Ginny had only ever gone to the Three Broomsticks on Hogsmeade weekends at school, and she was surprised at how empty the pub was. She always pictured it full of students and laughter, but there were only two other tables occupied and a few men seated at the bar.

‘What do you want, Ginny?’ She shook herself from her memories at Dan’s question.

‘Just a Butterbeer, thanks,’ she replied. Dan ordered two Butterbeers and paid for them, and Ginny followed him over to a booth. She tossed her bag down on the bench and then slid in across from Dan, opening her Butterbeer and taking a sip thankfully.

‘So, Ginny, tell me about yourself,’ Dan said, sitting back comfortably in the booth.

Ginny smiled at Dan’s direct approach. ‘Well, there’s not much to know. I’m the youngest and only girl in a family of seven. I love Quidditch, obviously, and as you know, I’ve been with the Wasps for a little over a month now. Before that, I volunteered at St Mungo’s. Um … I’m twenty, and I live in London with one of my friends from Hogwarts. Her name’s Luna, and she’s dating one of my older brothers, actually. What else … oh, I like chocolate, and while I love taking bubble baths, I don’t really like taking long walks on the beach.’ Dan laughed at that, and Ginny grinned back at him. ‘So, what about you?’

‘I’m not very interesting, either,’ Dan said, shrugging. ‘I’m the middle child in my family, with an older sister and a younger brother. I also love Quidditch,’ he smirked, ‘and I’ve played with the Wasps for three years now. Before that, I had a desk job at the Ministry, but it really wasn’t my thing. I have a flat in London too, but I live alone. I do go to my parents’ house for dinner every now and then, but I live a pretty quiet life for the most part. I never really enjoyed the whole party scene. I tried it when I first got out of Hogwarts, but my game suffered horribly, so I stopped. I prefer the high you can get on a broom.’

‘Same here,’ Ginny agreed. ‘There’s nothing like it. Besides, I don’t really like the taste of Firewhisky.’

Dan nodded, but then his expression turned playful. ‘I love chocolate, especially from Honeydukes. I’m not a big fan of bubble baths,’ he teased, ‘but I really enjoy long walks on the beach. I’ll have to convert you.’ He looked right into her eyes as he said this, and Ginny couldn’t tell if he was still joking. Dan’s eyes darkened as he gazed at her, and Ginny pictured the two of them walking barefoot on a beach, holding hands under the moonlight as a warm breeze caressed their skin. Suddenly the idea didn’t sound so bad after all.

They spent the rest of the time arguing about Quidditch plays, sharing school memories, and comparing favourite books. Ginny found Dan extremely easy to talk to – she felt she had known him for years.

Too soon, their bottles were empty and the hour was late, and Ginny caught herself yawning widely.

‘I saw that,’ Dan teased. ‘You must be as tired as I am, especially after that workout we had today.’

‘I am,’ admitted Ginny. ‘I could probably fall asleep right here.’

‘Oh, I see how it is,’ he said in an injured tone. ‘My company’s too dull for you. Well, I’m so sorry to have bored you.’ His face was serious, but the twinkle in his eye told Ginny that he was having her on.

‘Absolutely,’ she played along. ‘I’ve been trying to get you to shut up for the past half hour or so, but you just kept going on and on about how horrible the Cannons’ Seeker is.’

‘Ha,’ scoffed Dan. ‘Who’s the one who asked me what I thought about the team in the first place?’

‘Don’t put the blame on me!’ protested Ginny. ‘It was a simple question. I didn’t need a speech!’ She yawned again, and this time it was contagious and Dan yawned, too.

‘All right,’ he conceded. ‘So maybe we’re both to blame. Why don’t we call a truce, and then call it a night.’

‘Deal,’ Ginny grinned, shaking his outstretched hand. A tingle shot up her arm at the contact, and Ginny was reluctant to let go of his hand. It was large and warm, and while Ginny’s hands weren’t tiny, his fingers engulfed hers. She blushed for what had to be the hundredth time and pulled her hand away, glad for the dim light in the pub.

She stood up and swung her bag back onto her shoulder, waiting while Dan returned the empty bottles to the bar. They went outside slowly, neither wanting the night to end.

‘Do you want me to Apparate home with you?’ asked Dan. ‘It’s late, and I’d worry about you getting inside safely.’

‘No, that’s all right,’ Ginny said, shaking her head. ‘You don’t know where it is. I wouldn’t want you to get splinched.’

‘Well, can I ask for your Floo direction, at least? So I can Floo you when I get home?’

As the youngest, Ginny hated being babied, but Dan’s concern for her was different, somehow. Maybe it was because he trusted her to take care of herself, or maybe it was the way he looked at her with those grey eyes. Not to mention that he’ll be able to Floo me any time now, she thought.

Ginny jotted down her Floo direction on a scrap of parchment from her bag, and Dan glanced at it briefly before stuffing it into his pocket.

‘Thanks for coming here with me, Ginny,’ Dan said, taking her hand. ‘I really had a great time.’

‘Me too. Thanks for asking me,’ she replied, smiling.

Dan stepped closer, leaning down and in to kiss her cheek. As he neared, Ginny balked at the idea of a simple peck on the cheek. As if he were my brother! she thought, and without any further thought, she turned her head to meet his mouth. Dan froze at the contact, startled, but then he relaxed into the kiss, one hand coming up to cup her cheek, pulling her closer. Ginny could taste the Butterbeer on his lips, and she shivered when she realised that he was tasting the same thing on hers. Dan released her hand when he felt her tremble, wrapping his arm around her back to press her firmly against his chest, and Ginny reached up and curled her arms around his neck. She stretched up on her toes, straining ever closer as the kiss deepened, their tongues dancing and flirting between their mouths.

Too soon, Dan pulled back, resting his forehead on Ginny’s, both of them gasping.

‘Oh, Ginny,’ he whispered, his thumb stroking her cheek. ‘You’re making it hard to say goodnight.’

She smiled. ‘I’m not sure I’m sorry.’

‘You shouldn’t be,’ Dan chuckled, taking a step back. ‘Now, Apparate home quickly, before I change my mind.’

‘Okay.’ Ginny grinned. ‘See you at practice.’

‘No, I’ll see you in about a minute, when I Floo you to make sure you’re alive,’ he corrected.

‘Right.’

‘Right,’ echoed Dan. ‘Goodnight.’

‘Night,’ Ginny replied before Disapparating with a crack. Arriving outside the door to her flat, Ginny muttered the spells to lower the wards before dashing inside to the fireplace. Dan’s head appeared moments later.

‘I’m alive,’ Ginny quipped.

‘So I see,’ he grinned. ‘Thanks again for a wonderful evening.’

‘You, too.’

‘Well, now that I know you’re safe, I can sleep soundly,’ Dan said with a yawn. ‘Sweet dreams, Ginny.’

‘I’m sure I will,’ she said softly, smiling. ‘Good night.’ His head vanished, leaving only flames. Ginny gazed into the fire dreamily before moving to her room to dream of Butterbeer, beaches, and Dan’s smile.