Disclaimer: Harry and Ginny belong to J.K. (obviously) and the song “I’m Gonna Rock You, Baby” belongs to Toby Keith. But the manager woman, the name Scarlet University, and the entire Dragon Heart Café belong to ME!!!!
Author’s Note to the Confused Reader: *** = The name in between indicates the point of view since it’s written in first person. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ = The lyrics of “I’m Gonna Rock You, Baby” by Toby Keith
Author’s Note to All Readers Willing to Listen: I know in songfics readers tend to just read the story and not the included song lyrics. But please read these ones! Not only is it a great song, but there is so much of the story line in it that it wouldn’t make sense without it.
ONE-SHOT
THE DRAGON HEART CAFE
***HARRY***
Dear Harry,
I don’t quite know how to ask you this…but I need you. I know we haven’t spoken for a while, but something terrible has happened, and you were always the only one that I could trust to make me feel like myself again. Meet me at the new Dragon Heart Café in Diagon Alley, and I’ll try to explain. 9:30 tonight?
Ginny Weasley
I read and re-read the strange letter in my hand over and over again. What could Ginny Weasley possibly want with me after two years of hardly speaking? I thought. I read the second sentence again.
I know we haven’t spoken for a while, but something terrible has happened, and you were always the only one that I could trust to make me feel like myself again.
My heart soared with pride at the thought. Ginny Weasley trusted me more than anyone else!
If I were to be completely honest with myself, I would be forced to admit that after the incident at the Department of Mysteries during my fifth year, I had always harbored…slightly more than friendly intentions toward the youngest member of my favorite family. And I had always been aware of her feelings for me. Merlin knows she made them obvious enough. But I couldn’t help but remember what Hermione had said the summer before all of that: “Oh, she gave up on Harry ages ago.”
That, and the fact that Ginny began seeing other blokes and getting pretty serious with a few, kept me from doing anything about it. But I never did see her the same again. She was no longer my best mate’s little sister. She was a brilliant, witty, clever, skillful, beautiful young woman, and I no longer associated her with her brother. She was her own woman in my eyes. I loved her brother like he was my own brother, closer even. But her… Let’s just say I loved her in a not-so-family-like way.
After I graduated from Hogwarts, I immersed myself in my training at Highland Academy for Aspiring Aurors. Eventually, I was able to think about other things but her. She became a distant memory, but she was still there…taking up valuable space in the back of my mind.
But this letter…it had re-opened an old can of worms that I had spent the majority of two years trying to put a lid on. And you have no idea how good it felt to know that she still thought of me…
I immediately kicked myself mentally for thinking such a thing. Ginny said something terrible had happened in her life. How dare I take pleasure from her pain!
But what?
Meet me at the new Dragon Heart Café in Diagon Alley, and I’ll try to explain. 9:30 tonight?
If my Ginny needed me, wild horses couldn’t stop me.
Hastily, I removed my favorite eagle feather quill from the inkwell on my desk and scrawled a response on a separate scrap of parchment.
I’ll be there, Gin.
Harry
The tawny owl that had delivered the letter still perched on the windowsill of my private dormitory (I was currently at Highland), and I tied his note to its leg.
“Off with you, then,” I ordered, shooing the bird out. It screeched at me haughtily but did as it was told.
I sighed and glanced at the grandfather clock directly across from my four-poster bed. Eight o’clock in the evening.
“Well, time to get ready, I suppose,” I commented to absolutely no one. And with that, I grabbed up my shower things and headed into the adjacent bathroom. Had to smell good, didn’t I?
***GINNY***
I was sitting on the floor of my dormitory at Scarlet University, a sort of cheep college for witches who want to further their education but don’t have the Galleons to pay for it, with my knees hugged to my chest and my forehead resting on them, trying hard not to cry again, when my arrogant tawny owl, Will, flew in the open window. There was a scrap of parchment tied securely around his left foot, and he screeched at me. Will didn’t like this depressed mood I’d been in for the last three days. I think he’s getting bored with me.
“Don’t lose your feathers, Will, I’m coming!” I said exasperatedly as I stood up from the floor roughly and snatched the note from him without even trying to untie it first. I opened it, and tears came to my eyes anyway when I read what it said.
I’ll be there, Gin.
Harry
I bit my lower lip to keep it from trembling. I hadn’t thought he would agree to come. But then I should have known that Harry was too kind to say no. He had the biggest heart of any man I had ever known, and even if he really didn’t want to, he would come meet me and talk to me and comfort me…just because he was like that. That’s the way he was.
That’s the way Matt was, too, said a cruel, questioning voice in the back of my head. And look how things turned out with him. He lied. He was one of the most caring people you had ever met. He told you that he loved you…and you stupid, stupid girl, you believed him. And then he USED you and left you. Dropped you off Scarlet U and left to you those wretched professors…
Stop it! cried another, slightly stronger voice. You’ve berated her enough about this already! She knows her mistake, and Merlin knows she’s paid for it! You’ve made your piece, so just shut the bloody hell up!
More tears ran down my face. This was at least the millionth time this exact same conversation had gone on in my head in the past three days, and that’s no exaggeration. Matt was my boyfriend.
No, you’re EX-BOYFRIEND! corrected the cruel one.
DON’T RUB IT IN! insisted the kind one.
I had met him my first day out of Hogwarts at Fortescues Ice-Cream in Diagon Alley. With a strong, lean frame, soft hazel eyes, long chocolate hair he like to wear in a pony tail like Bill’s, a firm jaw, and a smile to die for, he instantly stood out in my mind as one of the handsomest men I had ever laid eyes on in all of my eighteen years. He was busy skimming the hot fudge off the top of an ice cream sundae when I asked him if I could borrow some of his napkins. I had dribbled a sizeable amount of chocolate ice cream on my brand new white blouse. He had smiled warmly and helped me dab it off. The next thing I knew, we were spilling our guts to each other about anything and everything, and we never left each others’ sight for months.
I moved in with him on our six month anniversary. I was sure he was going to ask me to marry him, and I would have jumped at the opportunity, to be completely honest. I loved him so much, and I thought that he returned my love…Until he used me and left me, that is.
Matt told me that he was taking me somewhere special the morning after. The next thing I knew, I was standing in the Entrance Hall of Scarlet University with my luggage piled around me and Will in his cage beside me, watching who I thought was the love of my life drive away in the Ministry car he drove to work every day.
It was devastating to say the very least.
So I got a dorm, and I cried for three days straight. I was determined to get over this myself, without any help. But then I started reminiscing about the good old days, when I was still a young, innocent girl with red hair and a knack for blushing too much when I was with my older brother and his friend.
Harry Potter.
So I wrote to Harry, asking for him to please meet me at The Dragon Heart Café in Diagon Alley. And that’s where I am now, looking at his short, simple response, thanking everything that’s holy that I have a friend as kind and caring as Harry Potter.
I’ll be there, Gin.
Harry
***HARRY***
I looked myself over in the mirror one more time.
“Well, Harry, that’s just about as good as it’s gonna get,” I said to myself. I ran a hand through my hair and straightened my shirt one more time before pulling my wand out of my cloak pocket and Dispparating.
I Apparated on the lamp-lit sidewalk outside the café. Even from the outside, I could tell what it was going to be like inside: warm and cozy yet classy and modern. The wooden sign that hung just outside the door bore a handsome red dragon what curved around its perimeter. Painted in gold letters that still glistened with fresh paint were the words: “The Dragon Heart Café Est. 2000 A.D.” The windows were paned with frosted glass and glowed a blurry gold from within. The sound of Muggle jazz music could be heard, only slightly muffled by the dark brown, brick walls.
I sighed and headed inside.
The instant I walked in the door, the warm, heady scent of coffee grounds, multiple fresh-baked confections, and hot icing on cinnamon rolls hit my face. The deep, reedy sound of a tenor saxophone filled my ears. And there was one, I noticed, seemingly floating in mid air over in a spot-lit alcove along with a piano, a trumpet, a trombone, and drum set. All were spelled to play themselves.
There was a counter made of deep cherry wood with a red- and gold-tiled surface. It was being tended by a short, plump witch with a cash register slightly to my right, and to my left was a large, open area sprinkled with small tables that matched the counter. Piled in corners were enormous, fluffy pillows that made quite comfortable reading chairs, and the walls, which were decorated with several different variations of dragon portraits, were lined with big, lumpy couches and love seats. The only sources of light in the whole room were gold and red fairy lights strung along the ceiling like streamers at a party and a pair of tall, slender candles on each table; it gave the room a warm, hazy glow.
Only four out of the twelve tables were occupied at the time, but only one of those four had only one person…
Ginny.
I just stood there in front of the door for a good while, staring at her, taking her in. She had let her dark red hair grow long, and it now cascaded around her shoulders and ended about mid-back. Her dark brown eyes were staring down at her cup of hot chocolate, which was apparently untouched. She wore a cream-colored jumper that accentuated the shade of her hair and acid-wash jeans that flared at the bottom. Her plain black cloak was draped over the back of her chair. Her skin was pale in the haze of the room. Well, all but her face. Her cheeks, which I had always admired, were flushed a blotchy.
The fair Ginny, MY Ginny, had been crying.
I wanted to go to her, to comfort her and to care for her, but my feet wouldn’t move. I didn’t know what to do anymore. Suddenly, I felt awkward. Now what do I do? I thought dumbly.
Well, don’t just stand there, you dolt! cried another, more rational voice in my head. GO TO HER! You may not know what you’re gonna say, but you have to go to her. You promised!
My thoughts returned to the response I had sent her.
I’ll be there, Gin.
Harry
So I went to her. Without saying a word, I pulled up a chair at the little table across from her. I reached out with a trembling hand and rested it on hers. It was cold and small-feeling in mine.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I met you in a café,
At a table meant for two.
You were sitting my your lonesome,
So I sat down with you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It seemed to take her a minute to realize that I was there, but when she did, she looked up at me. Her forehead was spotted with blurry red dots, and her dark eyes glistened with unshed tears. Now I knew for sure that she had been crying. Her forehead only got like that when she cried.
“All right there, Gin?” I said in a quiet voice that broke slightly with nervousness. I prayed she wouldn’t notice.
Ginny blinked a few times and took a deep breath, sitting up a little straighter all the while. She had to clear her throat before she said in a shaky voice, “Hey, Harry. Yeah. Yeah, I’m all right.” Oh, my brave, brave Ginny…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
You tried hard not to show it,
But I couldn’t help but see,
That you wore a broken heart out on your sleeve.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Suddenly, I recalled something Ron had mentioned to me about a month ago. Something about just meeting his sister’s boyfriend and thinking there was something shady about him. Was his name Matt?
That was it!
“What happened, Gin? Was it the man Ron told me about? Matt Something-Or-Other?” I asked tentatively. Merlin, that would be embarrassing if I was wrong…
But I could see that I wasn’t, for the instant I said “Matt”, her small shoulders gave a little jerk, and she stared down at her hot chocolate again. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her hand trembled pitifully beneath mine.
“Oh, Ginny…” was all I could manage to say. What kind of man was this Matt, to throw away the love of this amazing young woman? Oh, Ginny, I would never do anything like that to you, I thought longingly, my heart feeling like it was being ripped from my chest. If you were ever mine…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
But the loneliness could not disguise the beauty and the charm,
And I thought if I ever get you, shattered lady, in my arms…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I would rock you to sleep every night, Ginny…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I’m gonna rock you, baby,
To sleep.
I’m gonna make you crazy,
Over me.
I’m gonna hold you like you’ve never been held before.
Love you ‘til you tell me you can’t love anymore.
I’m gonna shake your emotion right down to your soul,
Then I’m gonna love you all over and in out of control.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Oh, no, I thought, biting my lip. I’ve fallen for her again…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
If this is how love is supposed to feel,
Baby, I know I’ve fallen head over heals.
I’m gonna rock you, baby.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Hang on, Gin,” I said tenderly, patting her hand and standing up as an idea struck me. “I’ll be right back.”
I went up to the cherry wood counter and asked the plump witch if they carried any alcoholic drinks. When she said yes, I placed ten Galleons on the counter surface and order a bottle of red wine. She smiled cheerily and pulled a bottle from the wine rack beneath the counter along with two crystal glasses.
“Good luck, laddie,” she said, her kind voice laced with a strong Scottish accent. “She’s been here before, the poor lass. I do hope that heart of hers gets to healin’ soon.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say to this comment, so I just smiled kindly and said, “Thank you, ma’am.” And with that, I went back over to our table.
Ginny was still sitting there, but she was now resting her elbows on the table and wiping underneath her eyes with the sides of her fingers. Her mascara had run with her tears, and the skin beneath her eyes was now tainted dark gray.
She looked up at me inquisitively and asked, “Red wine? What for?”
I shrugged and sat down. “Dunno. Just seemed like the thing to do. Breaks the ice, opens the conversation… Besides, I have a feeling that it might make you relax a little. You’re really tense, Gin. Did you notice that?” I asked as I uncorked the bottle and poured some into each of the two glasses.
“How did you know that I’m tense?” she asked, her eyes wide with interest. I shrugged again, and a grin tugged at the corners of my mouth.
“I can read you like a book, Gin. Here.” I passed her a glass and inclined my head. “Cheers.”
Ginny swallowed hard but nodded, as if cheerfulness were the farthest thing from her mind. “Cheers,” she repeated, and she downed a good bit of the glass’s contents.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over an open conversation,
And a bottle of red wine…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So,” I said slowly and gently. “Are you ready to tell me what happened?” Her head snapped up (she had been staring into her glass), and she bit her lower lip nervously. But again, she nodded.
“You were right. It was Matt,” she began, tucking a lock of her dark red hair behind her ear. She did that when she was nervous, I came to discover later.
And so she told me the tale. The whole sad, sorrowful tale.
When she was through, I reached across the table again and grasped her hand. I don’t know what made me do it, but I did. And…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I said, “This world is full of users.
I know that I’ve had mine.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By then, everyone who had once been at The Dragon Heart Café along with us had left. We were the only ones remaining, but the manager woman was still behind the counter (I believe she was munching on a shortbread cookie), and the jazz band was still playing. It had struck up a slow, romantic ballad, and the fairy lights were beginning to fade slightly. The whole thing was so utterly romantic that I must have gotten caught up in the mood, because the next thing that came out of my mouth was:
“You wanna dance?”
Ginny looked at me sharply, her beautiful eyes wide. “But…Harry, you’re not really supposed to dance here,” she said in a hushed voice. “There’s no dance floor. And besides, there’s no one else dancing. There’s no one else even HERE!” she hissed.
I laughed. “So?” And I stood up, pulled my wand out of my cloak pocket, and covered the area around us with an all-inclusive swish. The chairs around us were now stacked on their respective tables, and the tables themselves had been scooted up against the walls. There was now a big open area on the floor.
Satisfied, I crossed the table to Ginny and extended a hand to her. “My I have this dance?” My hand was shaking. Harry, you idiot, what are you DOING?! The girl just got over a terrible heart-break, and you’re making a pass at her? What kind of friend are you? cried an incredulous voice in the back of my mind.
But I don’t want to be her friend… sighed another, more dreamy voice.
SHUT UP! screamed a third. Ginny’s saying something.
“I thought you’d never ask,” was what she was saying! I grinned in an admittedly stupid way, and she giggled and took my hand as I led her out away from our table.
When she rested her left hand on my shoulder and took hold of my left hand with her right, my body seemed to freeze. Harry, you idiot, you don’t know how to dance! What were you thinking?!
Ginny must’ve noticed me tense up, because the next thing I knew, she was asking me, “Harry? You all right?” I cleared my throat, suddenly nervous, and rested my right hand on her hip.
“Sure. Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, none too convincing.
And so we swayed back and forth, at first moving our feet so that we moved in circles. But as the song wore on, I became acutely aware that Ginny was gradually getting closer to me. By the last minute of the song, her forehead was resting on my shoulder, and inadvertently, my hand had found its way to the center of her lower back. I was holding her close, and I never, ever wanted to let go…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We danced a little slow dance,
‘Til they closed that café down.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Some time later, I was pulled from my trance by the Scottish accent of the manager woman.
“Sorry, you two, but it’s ten o’clock. Closing time. I gotta lock this here place up, so you had best be leavin’,” she called from across the room. I looked up to see her using her wand to conduct about five spelled brooms, which were cleaning up the place.
I sighed and looked down at the girl in front of me to find her gazing back at me, but when she caught my eyes, she looked away sharply. She was disappointed…I could tell that much.
“Do you live far from here these days?” I asked her, not wanting to leave her presence. There was something calming about being around her…something reassuring. I loved it…I loved her. “I’ll walk you home.”
She shook her head. “No. I…erm…I go to Scarlet U now. It’s hidden at the back of an abandoned Muggle warehouse about ten blocks from here. The warehouse is just about as far as you could take me, though. Scarlet U has a charm on it that won’t let men inside.”
I laughed, surprising myself. “That’s fine. Shall we?” I extended an elbow to her. She giggled and linked her arm with mine, and I led her out the door. I thought I saw the manager wink at me and smile on our way out, but I couldn’t tell for sure.
We talked for the rest of the walk, laughing and smiling the whole way, remembering the good old days at Hogwarts before the return of Lord Voldemort. Her former crush on me came up several times, but when it did, she merely blushed, chuckled, and changed the subject.
“Harry, you’ve done it again,” Ginny said when the warehouse came into view.
Puzzled, I frowned and gazed down at her. “Done what again?” I asked. She came to a halt and looked up at me with an openly adoring look in her dark eyes.
“You’ve gone and made me feel like the most important person in the world. You always were the only man who could make me feel like that…” Her voice trailed off. Her ears turned bright red, a Weasley trait which I had always found very endearing and attractive on her. She hadn’t meant to say that, apparently. I didn’t say anything, wishing that she would continue. Well, I got my wish.
“Oh, listen to me. I’m no better than I was when I was ten years old…tripping and fumbling over my own tongue…around you,” she said, giving a weak little chuckle to hide her embarrassment. Her ears gave it away, though. They were bright red. “I mean, honestly! …”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And she said, “What would be the chances that tonight I’ve finally found someone,
Who makes me feel like my life has just begun?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I smiled and boldly caressed her cheek. When I did so, she did outwardly what I did inwardly…she trembled. And…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I said, “Girl, believe in me
And I’ll show you how it’s done.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I’ve always believed in you, Harry James Potter,” she whispered breathlessly.
Breathless. I, Harry Potter, had rendered her breathless.
The instant I realized this, my body took over, banishing all of my insecurities as I pulled her to me and kissed her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I’m gonna rock you, baby,
To sleep.
I’m gonna make you crazy,
Over me.
I’m gonna hold you like you’ve never been held before.
Love you ‘til you tell me you can’t love anymore.
I’m gonna shake your emotion right down to your soul,
Then I’m gonna love you all over and in out of control.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ginny let out a little squeak of surprise, but she soon relaxed and wrapped her arms around my neck. She ran her fingers through my hair, pulling me closer.
This kiss…it was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Put next to Cho’s kiss…well, there was no comparison. It was warm…heated…and wet. But not wet in the way that Cho’s had been. Not wet in that way at all!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
If this is how love is supposed to feel,
Baby, I know I’ve fallen head over heels.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And right then and there I promised her and myself that I would do exactly what I had wanted to do to in the first place every night from now on. I thought…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I’m gonna rock you, baby.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
THE END
Author’s Note: Hey! My first attempt at a one-shot/Harry and Ginny pairing/songfic (man, that’s a lot of firsts), so don’t flame me TOO terribly bad. Probably not my best work, but… Here it is. Review!