Will I

CHAPTER-1

"You are running out- aren't you?" rang his voice through her flat.

Ginny, turned, groaning inside- this was what she had been dreading since she woke up that morning. He was bathing when she woke and she planned to quickly slip out in order to avoid his question wraths.

"Tell me Gin- why are you running away? And please don't deny that you are running away," Harry persisted.

"Yes," she agreed. "But I was planning to go out quietly, not run away, so that I could go to work, without disturbing you."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Even on a Sunday? Don't lie to me, Gin. I can see it in your eyes. I am skilled at Legilimency, if you forgot. You have no work today; you completed your last project two days before."

Ginny took a deep breadth and turned away to avoid eye contact. "Fine- I wanted to go out so that I could avoid 'the-talk next-day-about-what-we-did-the-last-night' with you," she rushed.

"It wasn't what I had in mind- you should have told me about that before Gin," Harry interrupted.

"What difference would it have made?" she asked frustated, not thinking about it twice.

"I could have made it safer at least for you," he replied tautly. "But I think you are too busy avoiding your feelings these days,"

Ginny looked bleakly at him. Standing there with just one towel wrapped around his waist, and other hanging on his neck, Harry looked very appealing. His hair, usual messy, were wet and falling delicately at his eyes. Beads of water gleamed at his broad chest and muscles. Never too thin, he was always lean and strongly built. Coupled with it, his new rim-less glasses, any girl would kiss him without thinking twice -even me, thought Ginny. She shook her head of the thoughts. The walls of her flat seemed to close around her, making her feel suffocated.

He looked strangely out of the decorations in her room. Her home was decorated with peach and white combination of silk and linen, coupled with frills. His manly contours separated him from the feminine surroundings. Ginny had to suppress a moan from coming through her throat.

Harry looked at her. "It was lucky I decided not to shave, or else you would've run away- that too from your own house," he commented wryly. "You wanted to avoid what you knew I would ask after what happened last night. You wanted that since long Gin- but why it was me?" he raked his hand impatiently through his hair. "Why Gin?"

Ginny sighed, suddenly wanting to ruffle his hair herself. "I don't know. Maybe it was the festivity of last night. I lost my mind- I am sorry."

Harry moved towards her like a predator stalking his prey. She moved a step back. "This is not something we can easily forget. What happened last night -was it that bad that you want to forget it? Will you easily forget it? Are you really sorry?" he said quietly, making goose-bumps rise out of her skin.

"No- it was good," she blurted suddenly. She groaned immediately. She felt like she had given him a weapon-

"So I am right- you did want that," He smiled sardonically. He moved his finger slowly on her cheeks, making her shiver dangerously. "I know you have dating guys steadily since you graduated from Hogwarts nine years ago, last one Richard Gary, according to Ron. You never did that with any of them. Then why the change of heart now Gin? Why it was me only?"

Not wanting to give the answer, Ginny said, "Don't call me Gin. That's not my name." She moved back towards the door, still facing him.

"Since when?" he asked, amused by her attempts to change the topic.

"Since I woke up in bed with you," she said, gritting her teeth and slammed the gate, running out of her flat.

***

None of this would've happened if I hadn't been so stupid. Ginny thought miserably, pacing in Hermione's room. She had come over to Ron and Hermione, after running from her own house. They had married last evening and had gone to Russia for their honeymoon. Ginny was really happy that after years of denial, her brother had finally married yesterday.

Come to think of it. None of this would've happened if those two hadn't married. She thought contemptuously.

After Harry had defeated Voldemort a year after Ginny's seventh year, nine years ago, the whole community had celebrated for a whole year. But Harry, the Weasleys and The Order hadn't celebrated because of the death of many people among them, namely Lupin, Tonks, Moody, Percy, Dean, Snape and Dennis. Even most unlikely people -topped by Draco Malfoy, had joined the Order to help during the course.

Ginny, thinking that her crush was only because Harry was famous, started dating other guys. But in her mind, she still knew that her crush was no longer a crush- it had turned to love. The result was that her dates got nothing more than a few kisses and none of them stayed for longer than ten months- that was the longest- with Ernie Macmillan. The boys gradually would know that she was not the usual 21 year girl, ready to marry.

During the nine years, Ron took as Keeper in the England Quidditch Team, Hermione and Harry joined the Ministry as an Auror. Soon Harry was one of the two senior most Auror. Ginny had joined them four years ago as an Auror (She failed miserably and stealth and disguise section, much to Ron's amusement). With them in the same profession and Harry as her immediate head, Ginny grew quite close to Harry. It was during those meetings that Ginny really came to know about Harry.

Harry had lost nearly all the links to the world of his parents and he took it quite to the heart at first. Only Hermione was the one who finally got Harry out of his depression and got him to join the Auror training. Since the war, Harry tried to keep his private life private. It was one of the reasons he had cell-phone and did not use the Floo Network. He wanted no more surprises, nothing unexpected. He controlled who saw him. He only wanted contact with a select few, the Weasleys, his close friends from school and his colleagues. It was because of his privacy that even Ginny and Ron learnt to use 'cell-phone' from Hermione and Harry and bought one for themselves too.

To Ginny, this seemed like a logical and obvious choice for Harry to make. Many could not understand why he chose to close himself off from the Wizarding World. Well, those who didn't understand didn't know Harry. All he ever wanted was to have a normal life.

People always thought fame was such a wonderful achievement. But if you spent one day in Harry's shoes, you would come to know that it takes as much, maybe more, than it gives. It can suck your soul dry, leaving you empty. Ginny thought she understood why Harry did what he did. She had been studying him for a number of years now. She followed all the stories in the media, the true and the false. Ginny would often see stories and pictures of Harry. He was always the #1 pick for Most Eligible Bachelor by Witch Weekly. His face was plastered all over that rag. He was shown with a new witch every month or so. They never stuck around for long. He never spoke of his girlfriends. He always referred to them as friends. But he did tease Ron of his (girl) friends, and threatened him to marry Hermione himself if Ron didn't propose her himself soon.

And then, eleven years after their graduation, Ron finally confessed to Hermione about his love. Ginny and Harry sighed from relief when they knew about it. The two, not knowing how to suppress their non-platonic feelings, always tried to do it by shouting at each other. It took all of Harry's and Ginny's minds to plan different plans to bring them together. Finally it worked and Ron proposed her on the Valentine's Day.

They married yesterday- the fateful day Ginny would never forget. During the party, infected by the celebration, Ginny drank a little. Hermione assumed that she had drunk more than she ought to and was not able to apparate to her apartment. Amidst Ginny's denial that she was not drunk, Hermione insisted that Harry should drop her in his car. Harry agreed-

"Come on, Gin. Your denials won't make her budge, and it would be better if don't excite her too much," Harry said conspiringly. "If she is not sent in the right mood, she will return here too early and I don't want her early from her honeymoon -or she would grab my project for next weak! I'll drop you, come on! I'll drop her Hermione, no problem!" he raised his voice to confirm to Hermione.

Ginny had to suppress her smile at this and went with Harry in his car.

Reaching to her flat, Harry said, "Come to the fact, I never saw your house, Gin. Is it really as beautifully decorated as Ron says this is?"

Ginny smiled. It was true that Harry never visited her house since she shifted from the Burrow. "Definitely you must come- though I don't know about the beautiful decorations," she said, welcoming him inside.

This welcome lead to opening of Scotch in her kitchen and finally caused Ginny to lose her control and allow Harry to sweep her in his charm.

It was in the morning when she woke that she knew what she had done. She thought that losing her virginity would solve her problems. But she was horrified as to who was responsible for it- Harry, her brother's best friend. The result was that she had more trouble than before- first- How would she face Harry again? How would she face Ron and Hermione again? Knowing the fact that Harry would forget her easily like her easily like her past girl-friends troubled her even more. Could she ever get over him, now that she had spent a night with him in her bed?

***

Harry was sitting there in his cabin, thinking about what Gin -correction -Ginny Weasley. It was about two months after the fateful night and Ginny still clouded his minds.

They had never actually met since the next day. He was in no way in love with her, he was not that type. But he couldn't forget Gin, whatever reason he gave. Her usual smile, her sense of humour, and her easy attitude always attracted him to her- not in that way, but as a friend. The only consolation to his mind was the fact that the charm for every girl gradually subsided, and Gin would be no exception.

Someone knocked, and Harry spoke rudely, "Come in!" irritated why his Secretary would allow someone to enter his cabin, when he clearly instructed her not to.

In came Ginny, making Harry's mouth go dry in surprise. She had worn a simple non-committal green tailored suit, without any robe over it. But it was enough provocative for him. The jacket fit over her body fitted perfectly and showed her slightly plump figure beautifully. Ste stood still at his doorway, not completely looking at him. She blushed a little when Harry continued looking at her. He liked the way the freckles on her nose stood up when she blushed. They were six -he had counted each of them that night. The thought suddenly brought Harry to his senses.

He jumped up to invite her inside and held her chair. She followed him. It had been in his habit always to stand when a lady entered in his office and hold her chair for her -'one useful hereditary quality from his father' according to Lupin. Instead of going over and sitting in his chair, he stood there, leaning on his table.

Ginny had to control a sigh escaping her mouth as she felt Harry's warmth at being so near to her. He had just put on a Denim blue jeans, with a green shirt exactly the shade of his eyes. He had folded up the sleeves up to his arms, which looked very ... Ginny couldn't even think the word, it distracted her. He never wore a robe in his office, and kept one hanging on the stand near the window, for emergencies. Ginny was sure, the lady colleagues would soon announce it as the working casuals.

Never for a second Ginny had looked above at him. Feeling a bit dejected at it, Harry started the talk, trying desperately to be amusing, "What is it Gin? Pleasure? Are we here for a treaty?"

Ginny blushed at the word. She had never once heard him call her 'Ginny' since she joined as an Auror. "Don't call me Gin. And I am here not for pleasure-" Harry heard his heart crack like a hollow wood. "-but the Minister sent me here for work."

Harry straightened up. The Minister -Mrs. Amelia Bones never interfered in the workings of the Auror since Harry's top-most promotion, except in a few trivial cases.

"What is it?" he asked, suddenly business-like.

Ginny coughed. Harry could see she looked pale, but didn't press. "Well, Mr. Bode's grandchild -Samuel -four years old -was kidnapped a few days back. The search was going quite efficiently when a letter arrived to Padma, Samuel's mother, with the kidnapper announcing that he had him and warning not to send any Aurors to find him as he know them all and would kill Samuel as soon he finds himself being followed. The kidnapper hasn't identified himself. The kidnapper is believed to be an ex -Death Eater," she finished, saying as much as she could remember.

Harry brows furrowed. Surely Gin could have solved this problem with Richard Gary, her talented junior. "Why the Minister sent it to me, Gin? Hermione will be back tomorrow and you can talk over it her and Richard, he'll be a better help," he said.

Ginny looked even more flustered. "The case was originally Richard's only. The problem is that today Mrs. Bones has specially requested to Richard that the main part of this case is now to be handled by you and me only," she replied.

"Why us only?"

Ginny tried to suppress her dejection at his pointed question that he didn't want to work with her. But she also wanted to avoid him, as he continuously reminded her of the secret she was holding (She was not sure of it now, but it would be definite after 3 days). With so much shocked at the news the Minister gave her, she had already told Amelia that she couldn't work in this project, not telling her about the reason, but the Minister hadn't listened. Ginny was now happy that even Harry didn't want to work with her.

Don't lie dear; you obviously hoped that he would ask you to accompany him, A traitorous voice shouted in her mind.

She forced herself to continue. "Because Richard and his group have a list of two prime suspects, one of which Hermione is entitled to investigate after she returns from Paris tomorrow. His name is Emitt Wycoff, currently in Egypt or so."

"And, the second?" Harry asked.

Ginny still couldn't digest the second name Amelia had given her. "The second one they suspect is Draco Malfoy, currently residing -or hiding -according to them in India."