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Right Under His Nose
Chapter Seven: Always and Forever
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A/N: Thanks for your reviews, as always.
Warning: This isn't exactly a happy, fluffy chapter.
Oh, you still want to read?
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Well, don't say I didn't warn you.
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Harry stepped out into the corridor before Ginny, scanning both ways to see if anyone was approaching. The hall was deserted. He turned back to Ginny and gave her his hand to help her out of the portrait hole. Smiling broadly, Ginny placed her hand in his.
When Ginny was safely on the floor, Harry didn’t let go of her hand. She squeezed it and smiled even more, stepping closer to whisper something in his ear.
“Harry… we should go find somewhere””
But Harry couldn’t stand it any longer. She was beautiful and he loved her, and there was no reason to be wasting precious time when they were already alone. Harry took hold of her shoulders and moved her against the wall, pressing his lips against hers. Ginny made a small noise of surprise at the back of her throat and he felt her arms snake around his back. When they broke apart, gasping, Harry grinned.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all afternoon,” he said in a low voice. Ginny’s mouth was still halfway open and he captured it in his again.
Her kiss drove into him all the way into his toes. His whole body tingled pleasantly and Harry smiled again. All too soon, Ginny moved her head away.
“Harry… we can’t do this here… someone will see…”
Of course someone’s going to see, you randy berk. You’re in the middle of the Gryffindor corridor.
Harry jumped back, releasing Ginny. She raised a hand to her hair and gave him a worried look.
“Come on,” he said. “I know where we can go.”
Not for nothing was Harry the only son of one of the four Marauders. Thanks to the Map, he knew every secret passage Hogwarts castle had to offer. Harry ran through the locations of secret or hidden rooms that they could get to quickly, and his mind landed on a room behind a tapestry one floor up that hardly anyone ever used or knew about. He reached for Ginny’s hand to lead her, but she shook her head.
Remember, Potter, you’re still a secret.
Harry nodded his understanding and took off wordlessly to the room behind the tapestry. They both remained silent for the walk, but Ginny gave him looks of amusement and Harry returned them. He quickened his step and Ginny followed suit. Harry continued to increase his speed and she continued to reciprocate until they were both nearly sprinting along the corridor. Laughing, Ginny held out a hand.
“We have to be quiet,” she whispered, giggling. Harry nodded, grinning. He showed Ginny the tapestry and, glancing up and down the hall, lifted it up, revealing the door behind it.
“Oh!” Ginny said, impressed. She stepped past him and opened the door, going inside. Harry followed, making sure the tapestry lay flat on the wall before he shut the door.
Before he even turned around, he felt Ginny’s arms curl around him. “Hi,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you this afternoon. But I’ve been thinking about you.”
He could feel her breath on his face as she spoke and it gave him goosebumps. Despite the shiver that ran down his spine, Harry suddenly felt very warm inside. He turned, making sure to stay in the circle of Ginny’s arms, and put his hand up to her cheek. She leaned against it and he grinned.
Harry had never exactly had a girlfriend before (he didn’t count one very wet and awkward kiss with Cho Chang and the arguments that ensued as having a girlfriend), so the only thing he could rely on to tell him what to do was instinct. Right now, instinct was telling him to put his arms around Ginny’s back and move his lips to her neck.
“Oh, Harry,” Ginny whispered, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. Harry tightened his arms and moved his head so their cheeks were touching. They stood for a minute, embracing and breathing each other.
“What are we going to do?” Ginny asked. She shifted back and let go of him. Even though he didn’t want to, Harry broke his hold of her and let her step away. Ginny fixed him with another worried look and Harry felt a strong urge to make the look go away.
“We have to tell Dean,” Harry said. Even though he dreaded it, it was the right thing to do.
You think telling Thomas is number one on her list of preferred activities, Potter?
“You’re right,” said Ginny. “We have to tell Dean.”
They stared at each other.
“We have to tell Dean,” Harry said, taking a step toward Ginny.
“Yes, we do,” said Ginny, stepping toward him.
“It’s the right thing.” Another step.
“Of course.” Another step.
“It would be wrong not to tell him.” Another step.
“Yes, very wrong.” Another step.
Harry and Ginny now stood three electric inches apart, and Harry’s heart sped up.
Potter, if you don’t grab her and kiss her right now I’m going to”
Harry closed the final distance between them by taking Ginny in his arms and kissing her. He felt her giggle beneath his lips and he smiled as well. Their lips remained touching, but they weren’t really kissing… more like embracing, really, just with their lips touching. Harry found he liked it almost as much.
Almost.
“What about everyone else?” Ginny’s lips had moved lightly over his when she spoke, tickling them and making goosebumps rise on Harry’s arms.
Harry cleared his throat. “Well, I saw you telling Hermione.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but”
“It’s all right. She already knows, anyway.”
Confusion flickered into Ginny’s eyes. “She knows about this afternoon?”
“No, but she knows how…” Harry blushed. “She knows how I feel about you,” he mumbled, burying his head in Ginny’s neck out of embarrassment. Ginny giggled and moved her hand into his hair.
“Oh. Well, I told her all about… the detention. She was so excited.”
Harry raised his head and looked at Ginny. “Seriously, though. What about everyone else?”
“I asked you first.”
They looked at each other and grinned. Ginny moved her hand from Harry’s head to his back, tracing her fingers along his spine and sending chills throughout his entire body. He wondered how she always knew what to do, how to touch him, what to say to him, to drive him mad…
You’re not her first boyfriend, Potter. Or did you forget the image of Dean and Ginny snogging on his bed?
Harry pushed the thought out of his mind and kissed Ginny quickly and without warning, just to remind himself that she was really there. Ginny laughed.
“A little randy today, are we?” she giggled.
Harry laughed too. “A little.”
“Wonder why,” she said in a sarcastically suggestive voice.
“You know why,” he said, drawing her even closer and almost growling into her ear. He was pleased when he felt Ginny shiver.
“All right, Mr. Randy Man,” she said, placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him away. Harry stumbled back while Ginny raised a hand to fix her hair. “Since you’re so much more advanced in school than I am, you can have the pleasure of deciding just what in hell we’re going to do with ourselves.”
“Aw, come on, Gin,” he said, trying to take her back into his arms. When she refused, he huffed. “I’m not that much further along in school.”
“According to Ron and the rest of the sixth years you are. And you think a whole year doesn’t count?”
Not in the romance department, it doesn’t.
“Not really,” Harry said, embarrassed. But Ginny fixed him with an expectant look and tossed her hair. Harry tried to reach out for her again, but she smacked his hand and moved away, grinning. Harry scowled.
“We have to tell Dean,” he said, hoping in vain that she wouldn’t remember their earlier words.
“Thank you for that revelation. Really, you deserve the Order of Merlin. First class, of course.”
“Shut it.”
Ginny laughed and stepped closer. “How about some incentives?”
Harry brightened. “Incentives?”
“You give me an answer I like, and I kiss you.”
“How about a kiss to get the thinking process started?”
“Honestly, you teenage wizards. Do you ever think about anything other than girls?”
No.
…
Well, maybe.
…
Quidditch.
“Yes.”
“Oh, and what’s that?”
“Quidditch.”
Ginny laughed. “Of course, Quidditch, how could I forget? It seems like that’s the only talk that goes on at home in the summers, or it used to be. Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch, and when they got tired of talking about Quidditch they would go outside and play Quidditch instead."
“They” meaning her brothers, Potter. Her older brothers. All six of them.
Harry almost felt the shadow cross his face. He couldn’t believe he had been so stupid.
“What?” asked Ginny, concerned. She took one of his hands in both of her own and maneuvered into his line of sight. “What is it?”
Harry swallowed, but his throat still felt dry. “Your brothers,” he croaked, watching comprehension dawn on Ginny’s face.
“Don’t worry about them,” she said quickly. “They love you.”
“They’ll kill me.”
“They won’t kill you.”
Panic rose in Harry and he began to spurt out his worries before he could think about what he was saying. “Yes, they will. Gin, you don’t hear them talk about you. You’re their pride and joy. It’s like you have seven fathers instead of one, and no one is ever going to be good enough for you, and they’re going to hate me when they realize that I love you, and then they’re going to kill me””
Harry’s rant was stopped by the sudden press of Ginny’s lips against his. He tried to speak but she pressed harder, placing her hands on either side of his face and drawing it closer.
“You’re Harry Potter,” she whispered against his lips, breaking the kiss. “They know I’ve been in love with you for years. You’re Ron’s best friend, and you’re practically a Weasley anyway. You’re the only person in the world who could ever possibly be good enough for me, so don’t you dare say that you’re not.”
Harry nodded, slightly shell-shocked. Ginny moved back slightly but kept his gaze. She sighed when he still shot her a look of uncertainty.
“Well, we just won’t tell them,” she said firmly.
“What?” he said, bewildered. Not tell the Weasleys?
“We won’t tell them. We won’t tell the people at school until after Christmas.”
“What about Dean?”
“I think… I’ll probably have to break up with him after New Year’s. It seems really cruel to break up with someone a week before Christmas."
Harry stared at Ginny. “So you’ll go on acting his girlfriend for the next week?” She nodded, and Harry groaned. “Ginny, I don’t know if I can take that.”
“It’s only a week, Harry. And then we’ll be at Grimmauld Place””
“Where we can’t tell anyone about us””
“Where there are plenty of old rooms to hide away in.” Ginny raised an eyebrow and continued. “Besides, there’ll be so many people there they won’t notice if we’re gone for a few minutes.”
Harry took Ginny’s hands in his own, trying to reassure himself. “So,” he said slowly, “we… we don’t tell anyone at Hogwarts yet. We don’t tell any of your family… until you break up with Dean after Christmas.”
“Yes.”
“So we’re a secret.”
“Yes.”
“Besides Hermione.”
“Yes.”
Harry nodded. “Good.” He opened his arms and she stepped into them. He inhaled whatever scent it was that lingered on her hair and decided that it was his favorite in the entire world.
If anyone ever hurts her, I’ll… I’ll… I don’t know what I’d do.
Harry tightened his arms. “Gin” maybe we shouldn’t ever. Tell anyone, that is. You can break up with Dean but not tell him about me.”
She looked up at him, confused and also looking slightly hurt. “What, are you ashamed of me? You already said””
“No! Ginny, I never could be. I’ve told you. But…” Harry trailed off. Thoughts of the prophecy were suddenly zooming through his mind and he closed his eyes. Perhaps this was stupid. He was already a walking target, why was he bringing someone into his life who would inevitably get hurt or possibly die, as all the people who got too close to him seemed to do…
Harry let go of Ginny and stepped away. Perhaps he had just made a monumental mistake. What had he done? He had told her that he cared about her… loved her… in a fit of reckless anger and then kissed her because he hadn’t been able to hold back. But the consequences of his actions were now settling in for the first time. Why had he told her? She was now linked to him in a way that no one else ever would be… he was a marked man, for Merlin’s sake. He was to either kill or be killed, what the hell was he doing bringing her into his life… a life that could possibly end very soon?
And would she still loved him when she learned that he might eventually have to murder?
Harry sat down on the stone floor and buried his face in his hands. He hadn’t been thinking, he had been so stupid… she could get hurt. She could be kidnapped. Tortured. Killed.
Tears from the well deep inside him threatened to come up again and he fought to keep them down. He was vaguely aware of Ginny calling out his name but ignored her.
What have you done?
“Harry!” Ginny’s face suddenly appeared in front of his. She had seized his hands in her own and pulled them away from his face. Horrified, Harry saw that her eyes were full of tears.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, and Harry could hear a quaver in her voice.
You love her. You can protect her. Just don’t ever make her cry.
He had to tell her. He had to tell her the truth… the truth about everything.
“Ginny,” he started slowly, not even caring that his voice halfway cracked. He motioned for her to sit next to him on the floor. “I… have to tell you something.” Harry closed his eyes for a second, but soon felt the warm squeeze of Ginny’s hand. He looked up and saw she was smiling reassuringly at him. He tried to smile but couldn’t.
“Ginny, if I”I mean, if we… decide to do this… there’s something you should know.”
Ginny scooted closer and twined their arms together. Harry took a deep breath.
“Do you remember last summer? The Department of Mysteries?”
“How could I forget?”
“Well, do you remember what Lucius Malfoy wanted?”
Ginny’s eyes bore into his. “The… prophecy…” she said slowly. “Right?”
“Right.”
“But… Neville said he broke it.”
Harry took another deep breath. “I know what it says.”
“All right.”
Harry couldn’t stand to look at her while telling her. He took his hands from hers and buried his face in them again.
“It says that I have power Voldemort doesn’t have. It says that I have to either kill Voldemort or be killed by him. It says that I’m the only one who can ever kill him.”
He felt Ginny’s arm still and her breath hitch. For once, it wasn’t a good thing. Harry kept his face buried and spoke in a rush.
“So I’m marked. I’m either going to be killed or be a murderer. Voldemort knows that I’m the only one who can kill him. And so anyone who’s close to me is marked as well. And Gin, if you ever got hurt I don’t think I could survive.”
His face burned. He had never said anything quite like that to anyone. He continued in his rushed voice.
“So I don’t think we can try this. If they knew that I love you they would try to hurt you. They would hurt you to hurt me. And I can’t let that happen.”
Ginny’s breath was now coming in gasps. She sounded like she was crying. Again, Harry tried to look at her but couldn’t. He couldn’t believe he had just said all that… and he was crying for the second time in one day. But suddenly Ginny’s face was in front of him and her lips were moving and Harry forgot that he was supposed to be pushing her away.
“Harry, you’ll beat him. I know it. But if you think you’re going to go at it alone, you’re dead wrong. I’m here to stay.” She shifted closer and took his face in her hands. “I know what they can do, Harry. I’ve seen it. Voldemort’s possessed me. I’ve already been through hell, and I turned out OK. So if you’re going to try to push me away because you don’t want me to get hurt… well, sorry, but that’s not going to happen. They already know I love you. And I’m going to love you for as long as I live.”
They both took deep breaths.
“And besides,” said Ginny lightly. “I’m a Weasley. I really can’t be any more linked to you than I am already.”
Harry smiled the ghost of a smile. This had been a very heavy conversation. Ginny smiled at him as well.
“Sorry to burden you with all that,” he murmured, trying to hide his face. Ginny wouldn’t let him.
“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry. I needed to know. What did you think was going to happen if you told me?”
Harry looked at her, trying to make her understand with his eyes so he wouldn’t have to say it aloud. Ginny’s own eyes widened.
“Did you think I wouldn’t love you anymore?”
Harry nodded numbly, but quickly felt his shoulders being seized. Ginny had raised herself up to her knees and pulled him up as well, drawing him close for a powerfully strong hug. Harry gripped her back just as hard, making himself believe that she was still here even after everything he had just told her.
“Harry, I love you. I love you. I have from the moment I first saw you. I have always loved you, and I always will. Forever. Don’t ever forget.”
Quietly, Harry looked at her. Because they were both on their knees, their eyes were on the same level. He counted nine freckles dotting her nose. She had beautiful red hair and a lovely face and was now staring at him with eyes so fierce he was nearly afraid.
You’re delusional if you think you ever could have given her up, Potter.
He moved his fingers to her hair. “Always and forever,” he murmured quietly.
Ginny nodded and moved her head to his shoulder. “Always and forever.”
They stayed in the empty classroom a long, long time.
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A/N: This is the first time I've posted a chapter without having at least half of the next one written. As of now, I've got maybe two paragraphs down of chapter 8... so it's probably going to be awhile before I can update it again. (At least I didn't end this one with a cliffhanger! :) ) This next chapter is giving me some difficulty, so I don't know exactly when it'll be done. I'll post it as soon as I'm finished, though.
Sorry this chapter was so heavy, but I felt they needed to get things sorted out. I don't think Ginny's the kind of girl who would put up with any secrets, and the prophecy is the biggest secret Harry's got.
Over 80 reviews... you all are too good to me. But (if I may ask) keep it up! I adore hearing from you.
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