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Right Under His Nose
Chapter Eleven: What the Bloody Hell is Going On?
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A/N: Hello everyone. As you all know, I've had makeup work galore and post-illness recovery. Thank you for all your kind reviews. :)
Ah.... the past two weeks have been crazy as well. I had Spring Break, which I spent touring the East Coast of the United States looking at different colleges. Boy, do I feel smart. :) The only day I could have possibly posted (eg- the only day I had internet access) was the day that Mugglenet shut down the queue. I was so glad I got chapter ten in before then!
This chapter went through massive edits. It was originally very different, but I changed it all... especially after all the "I think Ginny was OOC" reviews of last chapter. I hope you like this version! :)
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Harry bent his head at the same time as she lifted hers. And, for the first time in what seemed like forever, their lips met.
The first contact was slow and sweet, chaste and completely innocent. Harry barely brushed his lips over Ginny's but still reveled at how much she could make him feel with just this dry contact with her slightly chapped lips. The sensitivity in his nerves seemed to increade tenfold... everywhere Ginny touched tingled pleasantly, like his body was waking from being asleep. She ran her hands down his shoulders and arms and back up again and Harry shivered. He kept his hands on her face, running his thumbs over her cheeks.
They continued kissing chastely until she broke away. Ginny dropped her forehead to his shoulder and Harry stood awkwardly, at a loss as to where to put his hands.
Her hips look available.
Her hips? Was that allowed? Harry swallowed, and Ginny sighed.
"This is harder than I thought," she whispered into his shoulder. "I mean... we're lying. I'm lying. I feel so terrible."
Harry finally decided to put his hands on her waist. Moving his hands slightly just to introduce himself to the area, he said the only thing that would come to mind. "Terrible?"
Brilliant discourse, Potter.
Ginny raised her head and looked at him with plaintive eyes. "Yes, terrible," she said. "Hermione told me how Dean stood up for me in the dungeons, and then just now on the train he had this horrible look in his eye, like he's figured it out... I had to leave. I feel so awful."
Harry’s breath caught in his throat, but he tried to speak casually. “Do you think he... knows?” he asked awkwardly. He diverted his eyes away from Ginny, embarrassed.
“Probably,” she said, sighing. “I mean, everyone else does. Or at least they think they do. Haven’t you heard them all week?”
“Oh, I’ve heard them,” said Harry darkly.
“That was hard too,” she said, sighing again and moving her head back down to his shoulder. “All these girls kept pointing at me and whispering about me... and I wanted to just turn around and shout at them all. But that wouldn’t have gotten anything done.”
“Mmm.”
Harry felt like a complete arse. He wished he could tell Ginny how he had felt surges of protection for her, how he had wanted to do something to make her feel better, but his tongue seemed to be stuck. Ginny didn’t seem to mind. She was currently smoothing the wool of his sweater and sending little shock waves of pleasure down his arm.
Because it seemed like the right thing to do, Harry tilted his head and kissed her gently. She kissed him back and her mouth opened under his, inviting him in for a slow exploration. Harry obliged her gently, almost hesitantly, and he felt her smile.
This was brilliant. She was brilliant. Last year’s foray into the world of kissing was nothing compared to this. Last year, Cho Chang had made him feel nervous and uneasy. But kissing Ginny felt so completely natural to Harry that he had to wonder why he had never done it before.
Ginny’s hands moved up and down his spine and back and forth across his shoulder blades, making Harry shiver. He wanted to reciprocate but couldn’t, because she was still pressed up against the door. That left him... other options... as to where to put his hands...
Best to stick to her waist, Potter. Maybe her arms, too.
Harry blushed at the thought of where he could put his hands. Though it pained him to do so, he decided that Ginny’s front was off limits. Instead, he allowed himself to move his hands up and down her side, trailing his fingers up to the side of her rib cage and then down to the swell of her hip. Judging by Ginny’s shivers, his touch was having the same effect on her as hers did on him... Harry marveled at the fact that he could affect Ginny as strongly as she could affect him.
Then, just as gently as it had started, the kiss ended. Harry fell back a step and brought Ginny with him, away from the door. He held her close, loving the feel of her hair against his cheek and of her arms around his back. His own arms were wrapped around her shoulders and he felt a surge of something like power... protectiveness.... He came to the sudden conclusion that nothing would ever happen to Ginny, not on his watch.
“I love you,” he murmured into her hair. Idly he brought a hand up to it and smoothed down the parts where his hands had mussed it up earlier. He felt Ginny smile again and dropped a kiss on her temple.
“This is so wonderful,” she sighed, squeezing her arms around his waist.
“You’re wonderful,” Harry blurted, before he had a chance to think about what was coming out of his mouth. It was the truth, but his face still burned.
Honestly, Potter. You hardly talk at all, and then when you do talk you manage to make yourself seem like a complete and total--
Ginny giggled and interrupted his thoughts. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.”
Harry’s face burned again. He often wondered just why it had taken him so long to notice Ginny. He opened his mouth to try to tell her, but Ginny, who was currently resting her head on her shoulder with her eyes closed, beat him to it.
“You were always so kind,” she said in a near-whisper. “I say I’ve waited forever to hear you say that, and I feel like I have. But it wasn’t so terrible, because you were never mean to me about it.”
Harry’s shoulders straightened almost imperceptibly at the praise. He had never exactly been particularly proud of his twelve-year-old self.
So saving her life doesn’t count?
“Everyone else teased me... oh, Fred and George were the worst,” she said, and he could feel the heat rising from her cheeks on his neck. Harry shifted his arms and brought her closer. “But you never did. You would just smile and be so handsome and polite and brave...” Ginny trailed off. Harry felt his neck get hotter and realized that she was probably blushing more. Suddenly, Ginny moved her head from his shoulder. She bent it forward and pressed her forehead into his chest, obviously embarrassed. “You’re going to think I’m stupid,” she said, her voice muffled.
“No, I won’t,” Harry said quickly, giving her a squeeze. When Ginny remained silent, Harry lifted his hands to her face. “What?” he asked, turning her chin up. Ginny smiled.
“Well...” she whispered, then drifted off.
Harry wasn’t sure who moved toward who, but all of a sudden they were kissing again and nothing else really mattered. A very warm feeling enveloped him and centered in the pit of his stomach. Ginny made a quiet sound of contentment and gently opened her lips.
“What the bloody hell is going on?”
Harry’s eyes snapped open and his stomach seemed to drop out as he felt Ginny freeze beneath his arms.
That’s Ron.
...
Oh, bleeding, sodding hell.
“Harry? Ginny?”
Ginny’s head jerked up. She shot a terrified glance at Harry before backing out of his embrace and straight into her brother.
Ron didn’t seem to be too fussed about Ginny standing directly in front of him. He lifted his hand and wrapped his arm around Ginny’s shoulder, tugging her over to his side without removing his eyes from Harry’s.
Horrible, squirming guilt and agitation filled him. The only person Harry had ever seen Ron look at that like was...
Malfoy.
The warmth that had just been in Harry’s stomach was completely gone. Instead, he felt every one of his organs had turned to lead.
The anger in Ron’s eyes was quickly dissipating and filling with something that looked horribly like disappointment. He opened his mouth but soon closed it and shook his head. Harry felt his breathing coming more and more rapidly. He stood, nearly panting, unable to look away from Ron’s penetrating gaze of dejection.
Quietly, Hermione sidled into the compartment. She silently shut the door and stood on Ron’s other side. She pursed her lips and wrung her hands, apparently at a loss as to what to say.
Harry felt as if he was standing in front of a firing squad. He knew that Ginny must be near tears, explosion, or both. The silence in the compartment was deafening and seemed to press in on Harry’s ears as he stared at Ron.
The sound of someone clearing their throat came from Harry’s right. He jumped, startled, and watched as Ginny opened her mouth to speak.
“Ron--”
“Stop.”
Harry thought he had seen Ron angry on many occasions. He thought that an angry Ron was a shouting Ron, a Ron who was purple in the face with clenched fists.
You were wrong.
The expression Ron had on his face now was different than any expression Harry had ever seen on his face. Anger and disappointment seemed to permeate through Ron’s skin. He looked almost...
Dangerous.
Ginny tried to start again. “Ron, let me explain--”
“No.”
“Please--”
“Be quiet.”
“Ron--”
“Damn it, Ginny!”
Ron lifted his arm off Ginny’s shoulder and pushed her away in a rather rough manner. She stumbled against Harry with an “Ooomph!” Harry felt a surge of anger but quickly repressed it. He was in no position to be angry at Ron. Against his arm, Harry felt Ginny’s fumbling fingers. He reached up to take her hand, gripping it tightly in his own. Ginny seemed to be the only thing that was anchoring him to the ground. They stood together, facing Ron and an uncharacteristically quiet Hermione.
Ron raised his hand up and raked it through his hair. He then kept it in the air, pausing for a second before nodding, as if he had come to a decision. He pointed to Harry and Ginny and then to the long compartment seat with the hand he had just raked through his hair.
“You’re going to sit,” he said. “I’m going to ask you questions, and you’re going to answer.”
Because he was also in no position to be righteously angry at being bossed around, Harry turned to the compartment seat, still holding Ginny’s hand. Ron turned to Hermione and gave her his hand. Once he had it securely tucked in his own, he moved to the seat facing Harry and Ginny. Hermione followed, trying to catch Harry’s eye with what he assumed was an apologetic look.
Harry felt a pair of eyes bore into the side of his head and quickly shifted his gaze to Ron’s. Ron opened his mouth and spoke pointedly at Harry.
“When?”
This wasn’t the question Harry had been expecting; however, he cleared his throat and answered.
“A week ago.”
“How long before that?”
Harry stared blankly at Ron, not sure what he meant. Ron clarified.
“How long did you like Ginny before that?”
He didn’t have to think about the answer to this one. “Since the day we walked in on her and Dean in our dormitory.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Harry opened his mouth even though he was at a loss as to what to say. “I... couldn’t,” he said, somewhat lamely. Ron looked about to scoff, and Harry hastened to correct himself. “I couldn’t,” he repeated. “You’re her brother, I couldn’t tell you. I was... scared.”
Harry hoped that Ron recognized the monumental proportions of that statement and was pleased when he saw his eyebrows rise.
With his next question, however, Ron ignored what Harry said. “So all that Malfoy said was true?” he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
Malfoy.
“Not everything,” Ginny said from beside Harry. “We really did go to the library,” she finished, in a quietly ashamed voice.
“But you had just come back from...” Ron gestured with his hand, apparently unable to say the words, and Harry’s cheeks flamed. Solely because Ron was his best friend and he was determined to be honest, Harry nodded his head.
“And you haven’t told your... boyfriend?” Apparently the word still gave Ron trouble.
Harry and Ginny nodded somberly.
Ron raked a hand through his hair again and turned his head in Hermione’s direction. “I assume you knew about this?” he asked. Hermione nodded, and Ron let out a bitter laugh. “How did I know?” he asked quietly, mostly to himself.
Several tense, painfully silent minutes passed. A sort of numbness overtook Harry and he wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to do, say, or even feel. Was he supposed to apologize? Tell Ron that he had been wrong? What if he had to... Harry gulped... stop seeing Ginny?
Harry quickly turned and looked at Ginny, squeezing her hand.
No sodding way.
“You know, I sort of figured it out,” Ron said suddenly and quietly. He stood up and moved to stare out of the window. “Especially after the Malfoy thing. It was mostly you, Harry,” he said, vaguely gesturing over his shoulder in Harry’s direction. “You thought I never noticed the looks you gave her, but I did. And giving up your Invisibility Cloak, even for a few days?” Ron laughed, and this time it wasn’t bitter. “It was too obvious.”
“Ron...”
“You never could lie well, anyway. You always say that you’re fine, and that nothing’s wrong, but I can see right through it. Did you ever know that?” Ron asked, glancing over his shoulder at Harry. “You’re a bloody awful liar. It was Ginny I wasn’t sure about. She’s too good.” He turned back to the window and placed his palm flat against it. “Probably learned it from Fred and George,” he said absently, speaking to himself again.
“So you knew?” came Ginny’s voice from beside Harry.
Ron paused before answering. “I think... well... it all makes sense now,” he reasoned, shrugging. “I’m just putting all the pieces together.” He moved away from the window and grabbed the luggage rack, speaking to all of them now. “I think I always sort of knew,” he said, gesturing toward Harry and Ginny with his free hand. “Like... I knew, but I didn’t know, you know?”
Somehow, Harry did.
“Ron, I’m we didn’t tell you,” Ginny said. “But it’s all just so new. You didn’t tell me about Hermione until about a month after you guys started dating, remember?”
“Right,” said Ron, speaking to Ginny but looking at Harry. The truth was, Harry had been the only person who had known about Ron and Hermione before everyone else. Harry felt another pang of guilt. If he had known about Ron and Hermione... then Ron should have known about him and Ginny.
“I’m just a little disappointed, that’s all,” Ron said with a shrug. “That you didn’t tell me.”
“Ron--”
“But--” said Ron, holding up his hand. “Just because I’m disappointed... doesn’t mean I disapprove.”
Harry let Ron pace to the compartment door, not saying anything. He knew Ron well enough to stay silent. Turning to Ginny, he saw that she was biting her lip uncertainly. Her eyes twinkled at him, however, and she squeezed his hand. He leaned a little to his right and gently knocked her shoulder with his.
“It’s just weird, y’know? I mean..” Ron turned around again and looked at Harry. “You’re my best friend.” He turned his glance on Ginny. “You’re my little sister. It’s just... different.”
Harry saw his cue. He looked at Ginny, raised his eyebrows at their hands, and let hers go. She nodded and gave him a small smile. Harry stood up and tentatively approached Ron.
“Ron... mate.” He stopped in front of Ron and struggled to meet his eyes. However, when he finally did, Harry saw that Ron’s usual glint had returned to his eye. He was currently looking at Harry with his lips twitching. Harry grinned a little. He heard a giggle from behind him and his grin spread. Ron’s trademark lopsided smile broke out on his face.
“Ron, I’m--”
“It’s okay.”
“No--”
“It’s okay.”
Harry’s grin stayed plastered on his face. Ron wasn’t going to let him apologize. He distinctly remembered a time where he himself wouldn’t let Ron apologize and was extremely glad that they weren’t going to have another fight.
“I’m happy for you, mate,” Ron said, reaching out and grabbing Harry’s shoulder. “This is great.” He glanced over Harry’s shoulder at Ginny. “Really great.”
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A/N: I had a totally different plan for this chapter, but then I started writing and realized that Ron's reaction just wouldn't work. Review and tell me if you liked it or if you thought he was a little off.
Um... disclaimers. Harry and Ginny's conversation was inspired from a conversation the two characters had in... yes, you guessed it... After the End. I realize that I've drawn a lot of things from their story, but... what can I say? I read the best. :)
In the next chapter we're finally going to get to go to the Burrow. :D I like it a lot.
Christmas in April... what a strange world we live and write in. Three and a half months til HPB! :D
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