Will I

CHAPTER-11

"Why can't we do it the magic way?" Draco whined, moving the heavy paint bucket to the other corner of the room, nearby Ginny.

Ginny checked her nails, which she had been filing and kept the filer on the stool. She stood up with her hands on her back, wincing slightly and went to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her chin on his shoulders.

"Well, as you are godfather of my daughter," she murmured quietly in his ears, "you must develop a close attachment to her-" She kissed him playfully on his cheeks and went back to her chair, where she finished filing her toe nails. "-and what better way to become close than to sweat in her nursery," she finished loudly, glancing at Harry but then doing a double-take. When she looked back, Harry had turned his back to her and was painting the wall, yet she was sure she had seen a fleeting, mad glint in his eyes, which she couldn't place.

It was a week since they had started decorating the nursery and they still hadn't finished painting the walls. This could be well explained, as Ginny had discarded three colours of paint after they were done. She refused to wipe the walls the magical way, so they had to restart the whole work again thrice. Ginny had been begging Draco and Harry from day one to let her help them in painting but the two men had flatly refused to agree. Ron and Hermione had wanted to assist them as well, but couldn't as they had their own nursery to finish (they did it in the room where Harry had previously stayed) and Hermione was adamant to do it alone, so that people would only see the nursery with the child inside. As a result, Ginny was alone, ordering the two men (she actually enjoyed ordering Draco, she had decided soon enough) about their work.

"Well, my fair lady, as enchanting as your idea of emotional attachment is, let me tell you one thing, Malfoys are not used to following the orders, they like to give orders," he called back sardonically. Ginny noticed he was a bit louder than was necessary, as he was standing quite nearby. "And besides, I am not planning to spoil my brand new shirt -or I would have to wake up earlier in the morning to wash more clothes. That's two more tasks and Malfoys don't usually do that -in fact, I must be the only Malfoy to ever do them," he finished despondently.

Ginny grinned. "Well, it's your fault you became such a spoiled brat and that you wore this very shirt when you knew you had work here," she chastised him.

He scoffed. "I went to work in this!"

"You should've changed then."

"You didn't even let me enter my home, and literally dragged me here by my collars." He waved his collars at her.

Ginny gave him a look. "It was just because you were late.'

He turned to her, exasperated. "How much, one minute...two minutes?"

Ginny put her hands on her hips, but kept sitting. It was a pain to stand and sit repeatedly. "Ten minutes," she conceded.

"And did you know that there was a muggle accident in the underground, so there was a jam in the way?"

"Yes," Ginny said and groaned. She knew she was defeated, so she conceded. "Okay, go and change...no wait. Just remove your shirt," she said quickly before he could run out of the room.

Draco sighed, yet he had that triumphant look he always wore when he riled up Ron enough to make him red in the ears. Ginny poked out her tongue at him. But before Draco had even opened up his buttons, Harry had removed his own shirt in one single move. Unlike Draco, he wasn't wearing an undershirt inside, thus blessing Ginny with a view that would make girls drool and surely made Ginny blush furiously. She was blessed with the view of his extremely toned muscles, flexing adorably as he continued his painting without any word to the other two people present in the room. Ginny blushed as her dirty mind led her thoughts to their equally foul thoughts and Draco snickered -motioning at her and Harry and then making a strange criss-cross, before he turned and -

"OUCH! What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his sore shoulder, where Ginny had just thrown a heavy book at him in order to shut him up.

"Nothing," she said airily, as Harry turned sharply to them, his eyes curiously blank. Ginny hastily looked at her watch. "Oh Merlin!" she exclaimed as she stood up, again. "Look at the time -it's after midnight... I have been nagging you both for more than three hours. I didn't know how the time flew," she said regretfully, biting her lip. "You probably had some plans which I ruined for you. I am sorry!"

Draco rolled up his eyes in affection and Ginny smiled apologetically. Harry also smiled and was about to say something and Draco quipped, "Well, you did break up my date tonight, but anything for you my fair lady!" He smiled a smile that was all teeth and irritated Ginny the most. Ginny scowled at him, but he bent down and gave her their 'friendly' kiss on her lips. Ginny raised her eyebrows, clearly giving the message 'don't-you-do-that-in-front-of-Harry' when the door bell rang. Draco just winked at her and pulled on his shirt, as he went to the door. "I'll get the door. Bye Ginny, bye Harry."

They heard the door open and as soon as Harry pulled on his shirt, Cho burst in the room, followed by Malfoy who looked annoyed. Draco looked angry. His face had his trademark 'I-tried-to-but-couldn't' look and he mouthed to Ginny, "I can't leave you three alone." Ginny nodded.

"Oh, Harry dear..." Cho said in a rush as she went over and gave Harry a sound kiss on his right cheek. "I was waiting for you darling, for our promised interview, but you didn't come. I was so worried about you and I thought you might be ill and rushed straight to you. But the generous old muggle downstairs told me you might be here..." she trailed off, looking at him, almost doe-eyed, Ginny concluded.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, I was busy," he said brusquely.

"Here?" Cho said, surprised and waved her hand, turning around to have a better look.

Ginny finally felt compelled to interrupt, or give an explanation. "Well, this is my flat and Draco Malfoy and I were decorating the nursery, when Harry, compassionately agreed to help us for a few hours. I am extremely regretful if he canceled your important interview for it...I didn't know about it." She looked at Harry, raising her eye-brows.

Harry just rubbed his forehead and said nothing. It seemed that Cho wanted to say something in his place as she continued, "Ah, I see. Of course, Harry surely agreed to help you, you know!" She laughed throatily and snuggled her arm under Harry's who didn't object. "He is famous and he still agrees to help even the poorest of people..." She turned to Draco. "But I fail to understand and am extremely curious why Mr. Malfoy should help you, when both of your families are age-old rivals," she finished slyly, leaning on Harry and curling a strand of hair on her index finger.

Okay. Enough! thought Ginny as she took out her wand and pointed it at Cho slothfully. Draco muttered, "No," and rushed over to her side and tried to take it from her but Ginny jerked it away from him. She snapped at Cho, "Let me warn you. One word, Cho, one toe out of place, one thought moving in the wrong direction, one suggestion that you should scrutinize my boyfriends, one hint at the fabulous state of my or Harry's love life and I will use every single hex Harry, Ron, my Auror trainers, and anyone else who's ever taught me a hex on you, understood?" she raised he eyebrows to put an extra effect to her threat.

"Is that a threat?" Cho asked her, unperturbed.

"Just a warning."

"Oka-" but she couldn't say anything more as Harry sharply turned her around, their backs now facing Ginny and Draco. Ginny took a few steps and leaned in to listen to the conversation.

"I thought we agreed on that Cho," Harry murmured, his lips way too close to Cho's in Ginny's opinion.

Ginny took a hasty step back in time as Cho turned and smiled forcibly at her. "As I was saying, we must leave, Harry. If we hurry, I might still be able to get the interview in to the printing on time," she commented and steered Harry out of the room as Harry nodded.

They were at the door when Harry turned. "Tomorrow, same time?" he asked.

"You have a dinner with Harriet tomorrow." Ginny bit her tongue as soon as the words were out. Why had she said that? "I'll see you the next night," she called, nodding at him. "If you're free, that is," she added hastily.

"Okay -I'll keep my appointment written by Martha," he replied and went out with the door banging in his wake.

"That was close!" Draco whistled.

"What was close?" Ginny snapped.

"Just the way Cho literally wrapped herself around him."

"Let him-no-let both of them-go to hell, I don't care," she said but Draco just raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Okay, I do care for Harry but not that much," she conceded and then snapped at him. "Help me with keeping things in place, will you?"

***

"What in the name of Merlin do you think you are trying to prove? Do you think you are a superwoman, who can pull it off even after the Healer's warning?"

"Bugger off Harry! I'm not in the mood of have your paltry chat right now. As you can see, I'm trying hard to hang this collage, but this damn thing doesn't go in the corner," Ginny shot back at him, her resolution to stay clear of him intact.

For the last hour, she had been trying to stick the huge collage on the drawing room wall. The problem was that it was too big (in fact, it covered the entire wall behind the settee). Ginny had easily stuck the bottom two ends with a simple sticking charm, but the charm wouldn't stay at the top corners. So Ginny was now standing on a high stool, trying desperately to stick the corners, when Harry barged into the room, looking as if he was just told to kiss Voldemort.

"Have you any idea how precariously close to the stool's edge you are standing?" he asked incredulously.

"Keep the drama out of your tone, there's no need for it. I know how to stand on a stool Harry, so please...if you keep interrupting me I will indeed lose my concentration and fall," she muttered, her wand between her teeth...while trying to hold the corner in place with the help of her hands.

He sighed resignedly. "Gin? Are you coming down on your own?"

"Not until I stick this!"

"Come down..."

"Perto -Eee!!" She was casting the spell, when she squealed in mid spell as she felt a pair of hands wound around her swelled stomach, gently lifting her down on the floor.

"Why was that?" she snapped at him. "I nearly had it done!"

"Well, you said you won't come down on your own, so I decided to lend you my hand, well, both of them," Harry shrugged with a roguish light in his eyes.

"That wasn't necessary..." she trailed angrily. Harry hadn't called her for a whole week since Cho had come for their interview, and she had waited for him the night when he had promised, much to amusement of Draco. And still he had the nerve to look at her like that!

"You're angry," he commented suddenly with triumph in his voice.

Ginny with shocked how easily he could read through her mind, and her voice. "I'm not."

"You are, though I can't guess the reason..." He scratched his head, looking straight into her eyes.

She huffed. "Ok yes I am. And you are truly a prat -perhaps greater than Ron -if you didn't realise the reason," she shot back at him scathingly, leaning on him to give him the most impressive one of her dominating glares.

But unfortunately Harry had long been immune to all her varieties of glares, even No. 57, 'The One To Use On Imbecile Boyfriends and Infuriating Brothers.' Harry hung his head, but Ginny caught the hint of a grin hiding behind his messy fringe. "Yes, I remember. Or rather, I read your mind. Because I didn't keep my promise!" he said nonchalantly.

Damn! "I deserve a reasonable reason for it."

Harry grinned at her choice of words. "I was busy."

"Hmph! The most unreasonable reason."

"That's the reason I came here."

"Huh?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Is Ron at home? I rang the bell, but nobody answered. So I thought I'd check in here."

Ginny thought for a second. Ron hadn't said about anything about going out and Hermione was at the Ministry. Surely he must be home. "Okay, let's go check," she said as she led the way to her brother's apartment.

As she was fumbling with her keys, Harry asked her quietly, "Have you read the latest Witch Weekly?"

"No."

"I think you should probably read it."

The intense seriousness in his voice made her turn and look at him fearfully. Surely everything was okay? Was that the reason Harry had visited Ginny when he couldn't find Ron? "What is it?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

His voice changed suddenly, so did his expression. "It just discussed in a poll, on how young ladies would try to get me to kiss them." He grinned.

"Urgh, Harry. You and your polls..." she said exasperatedly. He had scared the hell out of her. She turned sharply back to the keyhole, trying to put in the right key in that damn thing.

"Ouch! Gin?"

"Sod off!"

"Um...nothing, just watch where your ponytail moves and hits the next time you turn," Harry said demurely.

"Well, you deserved it!" she said, snickering. "For your blatantly done silly cheek," she added as she heard him take a sharp breath to retort.

Finally the door opened. She went straight to Ron's bedroom and sure, she found him, sleeping in the funniest position she'd ever seen, and she grew up with him in the Burrow for twenty years since her birth.

She threw a pillow at Ron's face. It jerked him awake and he closed his open mouth slowly, blinking sleepily to see who had disturbed him when he was sleeping so peacefully.

"Hi Harry!" he yawned slowly as he saw his friend grinning at him.

"Just get dressed, lad. You're going to see the greatest wonder you've ever seen in your entire life," Harry merely stated dramatically.

"Ah, Merlin! I have to go to the Ministry in few hours. Let me have my beauty sleep till then Harry" he wailed softly and attempted to go back to sleep. But apparently Harry was determined, so with a flick of his wand, Ron was hanging upside down in the air by his ankle. "Harry, put me down!" he shouted, now fully awake.

"Then get dressed, and you may get a complimentary lift to the Ministry," Harry commented, as Ron fell on the bed with a loud thump.

Ron made a face at him, but nevertheless, took his clothes from his wardrobe and went in the bathroom to change. Ginny smirked and stood up to go, when Harry grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To finish sticking the collage. Surely, Ron will now go with you?" she asked, confused, but for an entirely different reason. The place where Harry's fingers touched her skin, she could feel stinging heat travel through her entire hand, which made her confused.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Why should I? It's probably something personal...."

"Brush off that crap." He waved his hands. "Let's see, you look okay," he said and brushed off some dirt from her clothes and Ginny willed herself not to blush, "Ron! We're downstairs!" he said loudly, so that Ron could hear. "Let's go!"

Downstairs, Ginny saw the most awesome motorbike she'd ever seen. It had a specially designed body (that Ginny could tell) which was quite artistic, and was painted black -that too, imaginatively. Ginny loved it at first sight -though it seemed a bit out of Harry's character.

"Wow!" she could only say.

"Isn't she a beauty?" Harry replied affectionately.

Ginny went forward and moved her hand over the bike. "Where did you get this marvellous bike?"

Harry's smile faded a little. "It's Sirius' bike. I inherited it from him directly, but it was put into Remus' care till I came of age. I just forgot I had such a wonderful possession. So I took it out from Gringotts, and totally ransacked it myself to get the bike I want. It still has its initial features of flying and invisibility."

"Ooh la la..." whistled Ron as he joined them. "It's amazing!"

"Isn't it?"

"Special features?"

"Acceleration of 0 -100kph in less than 3 sec, top speed of 100kph and a powerful little engine of 1298cc..."

"That seems quite powerful!" whispered Ron in awe. "You did that yourself?"

"Yes, it was Sirius' old bike; left abandoned to rust. So I took a few days off and transformed it in my flat myself. I should tell you that I've made it a devil's bike. I do love magic sometimes." He patted the seat.

"So that's where you've been all this time!" Ron suddenly exclaimed indignantly. "Now let me guess, you didn't tell Hermione the reason for your absences. And for the whole week, Hermione has been eating my head off, pestering me because you've gone missing! She forced me to look for you everywhere and even had me promise her that I would lodge a missing person's complaint in the Ministry if you hadn't returned by tomorrow," Ron let out a breath, "I rang at you house and even your cell phone but nobody answered."

Harry nodded. "That's because I did all my work in my lounge room, and I cast a nice series of some unconventional charms so that I couldn't be disturbed by unwanted calls and others by the sounds of me working. I just deactivated all my security charms," he finished.

There was silence then, so Ginny started a conversation, "Er- I think that body and the drawings seems a bit out of your character, Harry. Doesn't it, Ron?"

Harry huffed. "Really, I funded the twins' first shop. Sometimes I think everybody still see me as this quiet, innocent, withdrawn little boy with no greater ambition than surviving the next school year and doing charity work."

"Whereas, really, you were this rude, loud, irritating drab whose sole pleasure in life is to party and flaunt whenever you have the slightest opportunity?" Ginny quipped in amusedly.

"You noticed!" He seemed delighted. "But it's not my sole pleasure. I'd hate you to think that of me."

Just then Harry's mobile rang. He glanced at its screen and picked the call. "Yep Hermione," he listened, wincing slightly as Hermione interrogated him about his health and welfare. "I'm alright, I'll explain more to you later. I was just showing my reason of absence to Gin and Ron," he paused to listen, "Yes, Ron is here. Do you want to talk to him? Here-" He handed over the mobile to Ron. And as Ron went aside to talk to his wife, Harry turned to Ginny. "So, Gin do you want to have a coffee to celebrate my new bike?"

Ginny felt shy at going over at his flat, particularly alone so she tried to refuse. "Why just me? Don't you want to give a party for everybody?"

"They'll definitely have a party someday. Come on, you haven't even seem my flat once. Don't be a spoil sport. Please!" He turned his puppy-dog eyes to their full charm, which Ginny found extremely irresistible. She looked at Ron hopefully, who returned to them, and threw the mobile to Harry, who in turn, caught it easily.

"Well, thanks for your proposal for a lift Harry, but I have to go to the Ministry immediately. I may be late if I go by muggle means, as my persistent wife just reminded me," he said and waved them good-bye before he apparated.

Harry let out a frustrated sigh as he again grabbed Ginny's wrist for the second time in the day. "I don't understand why I even try persuading you. You're probably more accustomed to orders and dragging," he said as he pulled her gently back towards the entrance to the building. Ginny could say and do nothing but concede.

"Mark," he called the watchman, who greeted them with a friendly salute even from a distance. "Do me a favour, will you? Park my bike in the garage and keep the keys with you for the moment. And handle it with care," Harry said as he threw the keys, which the watchman caught deftly.

"Sure I will, sir," Mark called back as he went out to park the bike.

Harry searched for his keys when they finally reached his flat. He put in his keys and performed a complex wave of his wand and the door opened. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"It's just a spell that Hermione and I invented. We haven't prepared a counter-spell for it though," he muttered as he swept in dramatically, motioning Ginny inside.

With her first step, Ginny could say that it was indeed a bachelor flat. For a bachelor, it was quite nicely done. Though he won't a bachelor much longer, Ginny thought to herself. I wonder how Harriet would change it. Everything was methodically messy (if one could understand that), just like a normal bachelor would like to keep his house, with the minimum of furniture and practically no interior decoration.

The living room only had a big muggle music system at one corner and an extraordinarily big sofa in the middle of the room, which was placed in front a huge flat screen television (she estimated it to be at least 42 inches wide). Ginny was confused as to how slim it was and how it was mounted on the wall, but didn't press it. There was small table in front of the sofa, and a bowl of popcorn was kept in it, accompanied by a bottle of butterbeer.

Harry followed her and raised his eyebrows when she turned to face him, demanding an approval.

"Well, it's good," Ginny started hesitantly. "It certainly gives you a free reign to -er- run your imaginations wild."

Harry got to what she was trying to say and grinned ear-to-ear. "I know, and I very much like it the way it is." He moved, leading her sideways. "This is my kitchen, also spacious enough to run my imagination wild. A microwave, stove, and a refrigerator is enough for me."

Ginny noticed that the kitchen was not separated fully from the living room. Half of the wall separating the two rooms (Ginny could compare it exactly with her own flat) was reduced to mere a waist-height wall, which could be easily jumped over and the door with a few inches of the wall were completely removed.

"That is the servant's quarter which I converted to the guestroom and over there is my bedroom," he pointed them to her and she nodded. He paused for a moment and continued. "I tell you what, why don't you go and have a look at my bedroom, and I'll join you there in a few minutes with two mugs of my delicious chocolate coffee."

Ginny nodded absent mindedly. She was just looking at the cabinet filled with Harry's certificates and trophies and medals, when she noticed a stack of paper cuttings shuffled in a corner.

"Hang on. Harry," she called over to him and he joined her back in mid way to the kitchen. "Are they newspaper articles?" she asked him.

He just grinned and looked appreciatively at her, as if he was surprised that she noticed them. "Yeah. They're just a few of the numerous articles on me. I've just come to view them with detached interest, and have kept one or two to bring out when I want a laugh," he said affectionately. Taking the bundle out of its place, he continued, handing one to Ginny, "This is my personal favourite, the details of my alleged affair with Mrs. Bones, the Minister." Ginny read the headline "POTTER HEADING FOR THE MINISTER BY MEANS OF A LOVE BOAT!!" It was followed by a picture of an amused Harry posing with Mrs. Bones at one of the Ministry's party. Ginny snickered and looked at him. He handed her another clipping. The headline was not included, Ginny noticed but she recognized immediately and laughed vociferously. "I am also quite fond of this one," he merely commented. Ginny knew he had no more to say as it was a 'highly improbable and nauseating article' (according to Hermione) published a year before implying a more-than-fraternal relationship between Harry and Ron, and Ginny fondly recalled the response of Molly Weasley which had been truly memorable, although Harry had been absent when the article was published in Witch Weekly. "The rest are just for tiny laughs," he said as he took them back from her and kept them back to their place.

The rest Ginny knew. It was because of the infuriating increase in such articles which finally pushed Harry over the limit, or so Hermione had told her. He had attempted to discourage the press and his more enthusiastic fans from using his new Floo grate by registering it under what he had hoped would be an impossible address to guess ("Black's Best' Alley") but word had got out the very next day. Now he kept a portrait of Professor Trelawney in front of his fireplace, which had succeeded so far in driving off all but the most determined of the "Potter Spotters." Ginny nodded at her former Divination teacher, "Good afternoon Professor."

"I see your fate, my dear. Twelve children," the professor replied, shaking her head. "Poor dear!"

"What?" she asked back, shocked.

"Don't worry about her. She's marrying off everybody nowadays. Everybody who meets her seems to be going to have twelve kids. She's has changed her hobby from death warnings to children predictions," Harry said, turning the picture back towards the grate.

"But I was...am not wrong when I said to you, my dear boy, that you-" her voice muffled then.

"Well, off you go. I'll join you," Harry pushed her lightly towards his room.

On her way, Ginny turned back and saw Harry merrily swinging over the half wall, instead of going through the way, and whistling happily as he went to his refrigerator.

No frills here, thought Ginny wryly, stepping into a room, which she guessed (according to her own flat's plan), covered at least the guest bed-room and the attached bathroom along with the master bedroom. The whole rear wall seemed to be of glass, allowing a panoramic view of the busy muggle London.

At the far end, skylights had been let into the roof to maximize the light and here Harry had a working table, a vast surface covered plans and charts and other type of files. Apart from an ordinary wardrobe, and a tall chest of drawers beside the working table the only other piece of furniture was the bed, more than king-size, with elaborately carved head and footboards, with a coverlet in shimmering red and gold brocade.

On the wall above the worktable, an imaginative patchwork of different wizard and muggle photographs was done. Ginny recognized most of them as of Harry with Ron and Hermione during Hogwarts, his parents at school with their friends, the wedding photograph of his parents with Sirius, of the original and the second Order of Phoenix among many others. Ginny was surprised though, as she noticed a photograph of her fifth year, when she still dated Harry in which Ron, Hermione, Harry, and herself were all sitting and enjoying a private picnic beside the lake. She also saw Hedwig inside her cage, placed comfortably in front the window wall, beside the bed. Her eyes returned back to the bed.

There is something barbaric about it, thought Ginny, something which made the bed, quite deliberately the focal point of the room. A kind of personal statement, whose message she would surely prefer to ignore. There was a delicate scent in the room which Ginny couldn't guess, so she closed her eyes and took a deep but gentle breath inside her.

"Are you all right?"

Two shocked pools of her brown eyes flew open to find Harry standing just a foot away from her, leaning on his work table, holding two steaming cups of chocolate coffee.

Ginny tried to change the topic. "I saw you had a muggle dustbin and an ordinary wardrobe over here. Why don't you get one of Fred and George's Ravenous Wastepaper Baskets, or one of their Never-Full wardrobes?"

Harry grinned slightly. "I'm happier with dustbins that don't eat my scrap paper, in case I need to get it back to see a trivial point I might've missed while going over a case plan, and as for wardrobes that never fill up, well, I would just keep piling junk into it and never be able to get my clothes out when I needed them," he said and shrugged.

"Well, what about a wizarding sink? I saw you working on it on the way here. You can't enjoy doing your own washing up, surely?" she asked, slightly revolted.

"Well, I think its just habit," Harry sighed. "I usually did the kitchen chores when I was at the Dursley's and didn't know who I was. So I am, I guess, more comfortable with Muggle items, though magical items are handy."

Ginny looked at him and bit her lip. She longed to put her arms around him to console him. He had such buried pains in his eyes when he said that, that it made Ginny experience an unknown emotion. He was alone, she could see, and desperately needed a family, though he wouldn't admit it. He's got his wish. He's marrying Harriet in December, Ginny thought and scolded herself for still being so soft towards him when she herself could never even imagine such softness towards her from any one.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He moved a stack of parchments on the table to the side, kept the mugs there and took another step towards her and the impact of his closeness hit her in wave after giddy wave as a musky, male smell. It was the same smell in his room; scented with bracken and heather and it invaded her nostrils.

"Y-Yes."

"You looked pensive."

"Do I?"

They were staring at each other, their faces only inches apart, eyes threaded by an invisible silk. His eyes were dark and broody. She could feel the powerful thudding of her heartbeat, the blood moving in a quickened response. She shivered and he watched her reaction with narrowed eyes.

"Cold?" he asked, but didn't wait for a reply. He took off his jacket and put it around her. As his hands dropped, they brushed at her breasts and a very tiny gasp escaped Ginny's lips. He breathed heavily as his hands traveled back, moving their way back to her shoulders over her arms. He paused at the collar of the jacket and slowly pushed it wider, running his hands leisurely over the soft skin of her bare shoulders. His hands burned on her skin, making her blood flow like hot honey.

Ginny drew in a sharp breath as she heard the denim jacket fall on the floor. She closed her eyes, afraid that Harry might read each of the deepest of her desires through them. He opened the pins in her hair, pulling them free and ran his fingers sensuously through her hair. He raised her chin by his knuckles, forcing Ginny to open her eyes as he looked straight into them, a brooding expression in his dark and smouldering eyes. He drew her close and tightened his one arm around her waist. Ginny felt her breathing go ragged as his caressing hand found the lobe of her ear and the sensitive column of her throat then move to fondle the nape of her neck under the soft mass of hair. She knew she ought to stop him right now and step back out of range, but something kept her rooted to the spot.

He cupped her face in his hands and unhurriedly leaned into her, holding her eyes with his. Ginny let out a yielding, muted sigh as his lips finally met hers. He ran his tongue along her lower lip asking for entrance. She obliged and opened her mouth and met his tongue with hers. She brought her hands up, ran them over his chest and shoulders and finally let them settle around his neck. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss and gently sucking at her bottom lip. Suddenly, there was no playing in the kiss, his mouth forced hers opened as his tongue ravished her mouth. Nothing had prepared her for this overwhelming hunger that seemed to take control of her. She felt as if she couldn't get close enough to him.

The sudden shrill of his cell phone shattered the golden intimate silence which had surrounded them with devastating effect. It was as if somebody had physically intruded into the room. Shocked back to senses, Ginny pulled herself away from him, scampering back till she got the support of the wall behind her and leaned on it to regain her breath and mind. Harry made an inarticulate sound and reached for her again, ignoring the ringing phone.

"No," she said. "No. Pick up the phone and answer it. It might be Hermione or worse, Harriet," Ginny choked on the word, as she realized how close she had come. Harry reluctantly picked the phone from his pocket just as Ginny ran out of the room. On her way out, she heard a distinctive crash, which sounded uncannily like a cell phone being thrown at the wall in frustration.