Vendetta

7 - AFTERMATH

The lovers awakened four hours later to find it nearly dark. The temperature had dropped twenty degrees, but it was still in the mid-sixties, if Harry's estimate was correct. Both lay intricately entwined on the blanket, pleasantly exhausted from their passionate interlude. Ginny's arms held her beloved close, one arm around his slender waist, the other holding his silky but unruly dark head over her heart; his arms were locked around her waist even as his cheek rested on her breasts.

Ginny smiled, savouring the nearness of her beloved's body even as he breathed in the combination of her perfume and womanly scent. Love once again threatened to overwhelm her as she gazed at the man sleeping in her arms, his eyelashes so long, dark and thick that they rested on his cheeks. His breath was warm and sweet on her skin, his arms strong but gentle around her.

She lay beside him, mentally reliving every incredible moment of their interlude, imprinting it on her mind to ensure that its reality would replace her former fantasies. They had had such a wonderful few hours together ... When Harry finally stirred, Ginny tightened her embrace, wanting to feel him close to her for as long as possible. She had waited so long for this moment ...

"Gin," she heard his soft, sweet voice close to her ear.

"My love," she whispered as her lips once again found his, tasting deeply of their warmth and sweetness. "Are you tired?"

"Nothing that some more sleep--and more of you--couldn't cure," he smiled upon enthusiastically returning the kiss. "How about you?"

"The same," she agreed. "But then we had a most ... spirited interlude, wouldn't you say?"

"That's the understatement of the year, if not the century," he laughed, ruffling her hair affectionately. "I didn't think it possible, but you've totally worn me out!"

"Did you want to stay here?"

"I certainly wouldn't mind," he agreed, "but how would we ever explain it to your folks? We'll probably have some tall explaining to do as it is."

"No doubt, especially if Mum has the chance to get her hooks into us. In which case, we'd better get dressed, repack everything, then head back. Just the same, it'll be dark soon. Will you be able to find the house?"

"Oh, I think so--especially if you left a light on in your room."

"Come to think of it, I did," she laughed.

"Then we'll head there," he decided, reluctantly releasing her and rolling over to get up and retrieve his clothing from behind the tree nearest him while he could still see to find it, not wanting to use his wand unless absolutely necessary, preferring to think of how he and Ginny could make their own personal magic explode between them without any need for wands whatsoever.

She did the same; by the time she came out he had the basket/cooler repacked, not to mention the blanket and boom box reshrunk and lightened, including the tapes, their books and other study materials. This time he held the basket/cooler in front of him so she could have her arms around him while they flew home. Neither had any idea how they'd managed it but got into the room and set up as if they'd been studying the past couple of hours before Molly came up to check on them.

"When did you two get back?" Molly inquired, eyeing them intently when she noted their Christmas morning smiles in each other's direction even in the midst of their (supposedly) studying. Just what exactly had transpired at the pond today? If it was anything like she suspected, they hadn't been back for long, simply did everything to make it look like they had been. To Molly it looked suspiciously like they had literally shagged each other silly, but she didn't voice her suspicions at this point since if she knew her daughter, it was likely to come out eventually even without her help.

"A couple of hours, I think, Mum," Ginny replied. "I didn't check my watch, though, and neither did Harry."

"Well, don't stay up too late, darling. Remember, young people need their sleep."

"Don't worry, Mum, we won't forget," Ginny assured her. "And we'll be sure to tell you about it in the morning."

"I'll hold you to that," the older woman replied, well able to imagine that a good part of the day was likely to be ... creatively edited, to put it mildly. Even so, better that than the strained relationship the couple had had for the first week or so after Harry and company's return from defeating Voldemort and company. Now that that insufferably noble quest of his which had made him break up with Ginny (if only temporarily) had finally been accomplished, maybe they could actually settle down and have a normal life together. Or at least as normal as a life with Harry Potter could ever be.

Once the door had closed, however, all academic study ceased and physical/emotional study resumed; it wasn't until after the last interlude of the night that the at least momentarily sated lovers spoke again at any length. "Do you think she's guessed what happened?" Ginny couldn't help asking even as she again cuddled close to her lover.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Harry laughed, burying his face in her fragrant hair for a moment. "Molly doesn't strike me as the kind who's easily fooled."

"Just the same, she's very good at pretending to be," Ginny laughed back, squeezing him hard for a moment. "Which reminds me ... there's something I've been curious about for some time."

"Like what?" Harry prompted.

"Cho Chang," came her two-word reply. "Just what happened between you two?"

Once Harry got over his initial surprise at her asking so long after the fact, he smiled somewhat bitterly. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"If it's part of your life, yes," she confirmed. "And I want to hear it all--from start to finish, so don't leave anything out."

Harry sighed and cuddled her close, as if seeking strength to speak. "If you say so. Here goes." With that, he began.

When he mentioned the part where his and Cho's eyes had first met and they had smiled at each other over the treats trolley on the Hogwarts Express, then she had turned and walked away after getting the Pumpkin Pasties she wanted, he looked up to see Ginny giving him a knowing smile. "Now I know why you turned down the treats on the trolley. The one you wanted had just walked away." She gave him a sly wink.

"You know me too well," he returned dryly. "Now if I may finish?"

"Go ahead," she prompted. "But if I may say something?"

He nodded.

"Wasn't it shortly after the first task that McGonagall told us about the Yule Ball?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Because I'm assuming that Cho was the one you most wanted to go with, but you didn't get a chance to ask her in time because of her habit of going everywhere with her friends in packs."

"I've never understood that. How do girls expect blokes to ask them out when they're surrounded by a whole pack of friends and they're all listening in?"

"Did you ever think to just ask your target to go off with you for a little while so you can be alone to ask?"

"No, I have to admit I didn't think of that," Harry reluctantly admitted.

"Too bad. If you had, Cedric might not have had a chance to get his hooks into her." By Harry's reaction Ginny could tell that that was still a sensitive issue, particularly since Cedric had died shortly after the Ball at Voldemort's hands--or rather, on his orders, in the old cemetery the Triwizard Cup/Portkey had taken them to.

"Consider this, Gin. If I had, we might not be together now."

"Then it's a good thing you didn't," she countered with a wicked grin. "Well, to get back to the subject. What happened next?"

"I happened to run into her on the outside stairs; it was really cold and she'd warned me about ice on them--then I realized I'd actually gotten her alone and used the time to ask her to the Ball. Unfortunately she'd turned me down, said she'd already accepted a date with someone else, and it only mollified me a little when she apologized for having to refuse me. I didn't find out it was Cedric who asked her until the night of the Ball."

"I can also imagine how you must have felt whenever you saw them walking together in the school halls hand-in-hand or come upon them snogging."

"About the same way I felt when Ron and I had come upon you and Dean snogging," he threw back.

"I hope you realise now that that was not my idea. Frankly I think Dean had guessed how you were beginning to feel about me and did that just to get your dander up."

"Well, he succeeded," Harry returned bitterly, recalling how his hand had itched for the feel of his wand so he could hex that bloody bastard ... unfortunately he hadn't had it at the time; he'd actually left it in the dormitory because he'd had a free period and didn't see the need to carry it without having a class. How could he have known that Dean would pull something like that? On the other hand, considering who he was involved with at the time, Harry should have expected it at some point, not been so surprised and furious when he and Ron had come upon them. "So you can imagine how pleased I was when you ditched him not long after that."

"Again, we're getting off the subject," Ginny reminded him. "Tell me the rest of the Harry and Cho story."

"Not much more to tell. The next time I saw her was shortly after Cedric's death and I came upon her crying over him. My attempt to comfort her turned into a kiss. The only one I ever shared with her, by the way, despite what you may have heard to the contrary. I hadn't noticed it at the time, but she was sitting under a sprig of mistletoe. In retrospect, I can't help wondering if she'd staged that crying spell to ambush me."

"It's entirely possible," Ginny agreed. "Girls have been known to do that."

"You've never done that," he pointed out.

"I'm not most girls," she countered. "What happened next?"

"Fast-forward to February 1996 and the first Hogsmeade weekend of that year. Sbe'd heard about it and asked me if I intended to go. I said I was considering it and she basically said she'd like to go with me if I didn't mind."

"How could she possibly think you'd mind? I can't help thinking that she did that on purpose, simply angling for a date to Hogsmeade with whomever was willing to take her. You just happened to be the first one to take the bait."

"It started out all right, though--then we got to Madam Puddifoot's. It had been decorated for Valentine's Day with cupids dropping confetti on customers and virtually everyone else in the shop was snogging while we simply sat there feeling embarrassed. It didn't help matters that Hermione had cornered me earlier and asked me to meet her for something.

"When I told Cho about it, she went ballistic and stormed out before I could explain that it wasn't what she thought. Hermione told me later that she'd been jealous, but it was ridiculous. You know that Hermione is just a friend of mine. It's hard to explain that when the person doesn't give you a chance, so our relationship just went steadily downhill after that. It got so we could scarcely look each other in the face without blushing. The next thing I knew, she was going with one of your exes, Michael Corner. By that time I frankly didn't care, and I think you can guess why."

"Well, I think part of the reason is because that was the year you lost Sirius, and the rest was because Umbridge was terrorising you every chance she got. It got so people could hardly make a move without violating one of her bloody Educational Decrees."

"That's for sure. I don't know how I'd have stood it without our setting up the D.A. that year and occupying myself with figuring lessons for our meetings, especially after she'd commandeered my Firebolt and banned me from playing Quidditch."

"One last question, if I may. Now that you've snogged both Cho and me, which one would you say is the better kisser?"

Harry gave her a funny look. "What difference would that make now?"

"I want to know," Ginny returned stubbornly.

"Suit yourself. In retrospect, I'd have to say you come out ahead. Mainly because I have more of a basis for comparison with you than I do with Cho. Not that the kiss with her wasn't enjoyable; it's the simple combination of quality and quantity which gives you the edge."

"Well, thank you, sir. I'm glad you think so. Which reminds me. Have you heard anything from Ron or Hermione?"

"Just talked to Hermione yesterday. They're doing okay, but like I figured, Ron simply told her to mention that he wanted to know how things were going with us."

"What do you intend to tell him?"

"That I'll tell him about us if he tells us about him and Hermione."

Ginny laughed. "That should teach him to poke his nose where it doesn't belong."

"One can but hope," Harry returned. "I think we'd better get some sleep now. It's almost four o'clock."

"You sure you don't want to make love one more time?" Ginny asked with a provocative smile.

"As tempting as the prospect is, I'd rather we postpone it until morning," her lover opined. "On that note ..." His voice trailed off and he lifted her face for a lingering good-night kiss. "Good night, luv."

"Good night." With that, the lovebirds soon fell into a deep sleep, which wasn't broken until morning.