Snitches, Bubbles, and Pizza

Ginny Apperated in front of the door of the flat she and Harry now shared. She unlocked the door and looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearly five in the morning. She still had to write up the story on the Quidditch game between Puddlemere and Tutshill. It was due in two hours. She groaned to herself and settled herself at the small desk in the corner under one of the windows, conjuring a large mug of strong coffee.

She wrote steadily for over an hour, shaking out the cramp in her hand as she walked to her owl's perch. Ariel held out her leg so Ginny could tie the article to it. 'Prophet office, okay?' Ariel nipped Ginny's fingers and soared out the window. They didn't live that far from the office, it would be magically inserted into the space they had reserved for this game. Ginny was desperate to crawl into bed next to Harry, but it was after six now and she had to be in the office at eight. The World Cup was coming up and she had been assigned to write a story on the prospects of the teams of Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. She was to interview the different team captains today. Heaving a sigh, Ginny dragged herself into the bathroom, trying not to wake Harry.

Harry woke up to the sound of the shower running. He rubbed his hands over his face and went into the bathroom. He peeked into the tub, and found Ginny, slumped against the wall, nearly asleep on her feet. Harry grinned and pulled his t-shirt and boxers off and stepped into the tub behind her. He slid his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her neck. Ginny's head fell back against his shoulder. 'When did you get home?'

'Five,' she croaked.

'The game lasted that long?' Ginny turned around so she faced Harry.

'Yeah. Fast Snitch and frankly, neither Puddlemere, nor Tutshill has very good Seekers.' She smiled and tipped her head back so she could look at Harry. 'Well,' she said, 'nobody's really that good compared to you. I get asked all the time when I'm out at a game why you didn't play professionally.' Harry had been lathering a washcloth with the soap, and began washing Ginny's back, while she leaned against him.

'Can you not go to the office today?'

'I wish, but I've got that story on the Cup to work on today. Interviews with the team captains or Britain and Ireland.' Harry sighed and moved the soapy washcloth to Ginny's arms.

'Okay, fine... But it's my turn to cook breakfast today.'

'It was your turn yesterday.'

'So you owe me. Go get dressed. I'll be out in a minute.'

Ginny found a relatively clean pair of jeans and a jumper that didn't look too wrinkled. Shoes presented a problem. She didn't think she was up to putting on socks and tying the laces of her boots, and as it was nearly mid-December, sandals were definitely out. Ginny wrinkled her nose in distaste and unearthed a worn pair of clogs from the back of the wardrobe. At the very least, they were much better than dealing with shoelaces. She perched in the arm chair to put on her socks and leaned back to rest for a bit. I'll just rest my eyes for a moment, she thought.

Harry found her asleep in the armchair in the corner of the bedroom when he came into the bedroom to dress. He left her sleeping.

Harry saw he had an hour to make breakfast. He scrambled a few eggs, made some toast and bacon, and put a bowl of strawberries on the table. He also made a pot of strong tea. Ginny would need it. He went to wake her. Harry hated to do it, knowing she'd had a long day yesterday, and was sure it wouldn't be any better today. 'Gin? Sweetie, you need to wake up now.' Ginny cracked open an eyelid and glared balefully at the man kneeling in front of her.

'Git,' she muttered. Harry was used to Ginny operating on no sleep and took no offense. Harry pulled Ginny to her feet, and propelled her to a chair at the table. Ginny perked up a bit at the sight of breakfast.

As she and Harry ate, she recounted the long Quidditch match of last night. 'Wood was brilliant,' she said, referring to Oliver Wood, who had been the Keeper of Gryffindor's Quidditch team Harry's first through third years. 'Both Keepers were,' Ginny continued, 'but the Seekers were just awful. I swear I saw the bloody Snitch before either of them did, and I'm a barely adequate Seeker.'

Harry, noticing the time, dumped the dishes in the sink, telling Ginny he'd wash them later. They Apparated to Diagon Alley, where Harry walked Ginny to the Prophet offices, then headed to the Ministry.

It was another long day for Ginny. The ruddy Welsh captain was late for his interview, which made Ginny cross. Plus, it was bone-chillingly cold. All she wanted was a cold butterbeer and a hot bath. And a good night's sleep. She put her notes away and decided to Floo home. She was too tired to Apparate. She stripped off her jumper, as she walked into the sitting room. She dropped it on the floor, vowing to pick it up later. Her jeans came off next, and landed in the middle of the floor. Clad only in her knickers, Ginny began to fill the bathtub with water and bubbles. She padded into the kitchen grabbed a butterbeer from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and set it on the table. Peeling off her knickers, Ginny dropped them between the table and refrigerator and picked up her drink.

Sinking into the tub, Ginny pried the cork out of the bottle with her teeth and spat it out over the side of the tub. She knew she was being a slob right now. Sod it. She didn't care. She knew she was getting the raw end of the deal at the paper, since she was the youngest Quidditch reporter. They'd let up on the grueling schedule soon, once she proved she could do the job. She hoped.

Harry came home an hour after Ginny. It must have been a hard day, he thought to himself, if Ginny just dropped trou like that in the middle of the sitting room. He gathered her clothing to put in the hamper in their bedroom. When he went to get a butterbeer, before starting to make dinner, he saw a scrap of red lace on the black and white tiles of the floor. Picking it up, he recognized Ginny's knickers. Harry smiled to himself. He went into the bathroom, and found Ginny, up to her chin in bubbles. To hell with dinner. It could wait. Harry pulled off his clothes and slipped into the other end of the tub.

Ginny came to herself with a start. She'd been lying in the tub, daydreaming, when she felt Harry get into the tub. 'Rough day?' he asked.

'Understatement.' Ginny felt Harry grab her ankles under the water, as he pulled her closer to him. 'But it's starting to look up.'

'Is that so?' Harry asked, as he cupped Ginny's face in his hands. Ginny closed the distance between them, gathering Harry in for a kiss. Ginny wrapped her legs around Harry's waist, wriggling into position. Ginny stroked Harry's lower lip with her tongue, teasing his mouth open. After several long moments, Harry broke off the kiss. 'Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Potter?' he asked, a mischievous twinkle in his dark green eyes. Ginny's eyes flew open. She cocked her head to the side, and with a teasing look on her face, trailed a finger down the center of Harry's chest and into the water. Harry bit back a moan as Ginny investigated his body.

'Doesn't look like I have to try too hard,' she said laughing.

'Ginevra...' Harry begged, 'please...'

'Please what?' she asked coyly.

'Ginny, please...' Harry's hands gripped her hips, holding her still, as he tried to push into her. He was rapidly losing his grip on his self-control. It had been a long time since he and Ginny had done something in their bed other than sleep in it. Not that long, but it sure as hell felt like it. 'Sweet Merlin, Ginny...'

Ginny's deep-throated laugh flowed over him, as she decided to take Harry out of his misery.

****

'I don't think I can move...' Ginny lifted her head off Harry's shoulder. The exhaustion she'd been staving off since that morning hit her like a ton of bricks.

'We can stay here a bit longer.' Harry hit the water with a simple warming charm, grateful his Auror training had taught him how to do some wandless magic. 'I'm not entirely sure I can move right now, either.' Harry tightened his grip around Ginny's waist, and she fell asleep, cuddled against his chest.

In the end, it was hunger pangs that woke Ginny in less than thirty minutes. She opened her eyes, startled to find Harry watching her sleep, stifling a laugh as he heard her stomach rumble. 'Skipped lunch,' she said defensively. Harry helped her stand up, before climbing out of the tub. He snagged a towel from the shelf by the tub and wrapped it around Ginny, like she was a small girl.

'Go put some pajamas on or something, or else we won't eat for a long time.' Ginny giggled and padded to the bedroom, digging in the dresser for a well-worn pair of pajama bottoms and one of Harry's old Quidditch practice shirts. She curled up in the cushy armchair, watching Harry find his own pajamas. He dropped his towel on the floor, and Ginny cooed at the sight of his backside before she could stop herself. Harry smirked at her over his shoulder. 'No dessert before dinner, Ginevra.'

'Speaking of dinner, where is mine?' she asked tartly.

'Keep your knickers on.'

'Too bad I'm not wearing any,' she shot back. Harry laughed and waltzed into the kitchen. Someone in the wizarding world had figured out how to Floo pizza. He found the parchment with their ad, and activated the charm, ordering two pizzas, knowing Ginny's appetite could rival Ron's when she was really hungry. Five minutes later, two hot pizzas neatly shot out of the fireplace, landing neatly on the hearth rug. Harry grabbed several butterbeers out of the fridge, and levitated the pizzas into the bedroom.

'I thought we'd have a picnic in here.' Harry delighted in doing anything special for Ginny. Ginny clambered up on the bed, leaning against the footboard. This was her favorite time, just Harry and her, and no outside world.

Too soon for Ginny, the last two days caught up with her. Her conversation with Harry was punctuated with more yawns than sentences, and Harry sent her off to brush her teeth while he cleaned up. Soon, Harry joined Ginny and picked her up, carrying her to bed. 'You do that every night, Potter. Think you'll get tired of it?'

'I hope not.'