Menace

Chapter Three

The next evening Ginny was standing in the kitchen with her sister in law, chopping vegetables for that evening's dinner. They always did things the muggle way, being that Rebecca was a muggle. Ginny was totally oblivious to the fact that they had an extra person coming over, as Charlie had thought it best to keep her in the dark about Harry's visit. If he knew his sister, she would find some way of not being at home if she found out.

Charlie sat at the breakfast bar watching them work and glancing at his watch. It was nearly seven now and dinner was running late, which meant Harry would be there soon and he would have to keep him out of this room. A smile touched his mouth as he stared at Ginny. She had been incredibly quiet since the previous day, and he could tell she was brooding over what had happened, because every now and then she blushed for no reason. It was actually quite nice to see her look flustered and alive for a change, because her life was pretty dull otherwise. Maybe he wouldn't keep Harry out of here, he mused, his smile widening when he heard a faint knock on the front door.

"I'll get that," he said, winking at his wife and giving Ginny an innocent smile when she stared at him in confusion.

"Is he expecting someone?" she asked Rebecca, and the older woman smiled.

"You could say that," she murmured, glancing up when she heard male voices approaching the kitchen.

Ginny stood frozen when she heard Harry's voice, then when she realised they were coming into that room, she looked around trying to decide where to go to get out of his way. But it was too late and he walked into the room, ducking his head under the abnormally low lintel. His eyes sought hers and he stared at her strangely, a smile tilting his lips when he saw the colour flooding her face and the way she immediately turned her back.

Oh Gods, she thought. What is he doing here? She wasn't ready to face him after what had happened yesterday, after that kiss... she gave a small groan and then caught herself, going back to trying to chop the vegetables, finishing the task with exceptionally shaky hands.

"I'm sorry dinner won't be on time," Charlie told the taller man, going to the refrigerator and pulling out a couple of bottles of Ale. "We're running a bit late today." He held out a beer to Harry and almost laughed at the way he was staring fixedly at the back of Ginny's head, almost willing her to turn around.

Harry absently took the Ale and then looked down at it, shaking his head. "Er, you don't have a pumpkin juice do you?"

"Sure," Charlie said easily, putting the Ale back and getting the juice instead.

"Hi Becky, how are you?" Harry asked her, regaining his manners finally and smiling at Charlie's wife, holding out one big hand, which had been clutching a bottle of wine. "Hope this will be okay?"

"It's lovely, thank you, but I can't have any. And I'm fine thank you, getting bigger by the minute," she said, laughing as she patted her stomach.

"Well, it looks good on you," he said, grinning at her before he turned to look at Ginny, who was still resolutely turned away from him. "Ginny? Are you okay?"

She made a small noise and gave a slight nod, studying her fingers now she had finished her chore and wondering what to do to keep herself busy. She really didn't want to be in the same room as him, not now. She cleared her throat. "I... er... have to... er... s-sort something out," she mumbled, moving to the door and escaping the room as fast as she could. Harry frowned as he watched her go, knowing he was the reason she had run off but not feeling comfortable with it.

"She had something to sort out?" her brother asked his wife, raising his eyebrows and then laughing. "Bit of a flimsy excuse wasn't it?"

"Well, anything to get away from Harry here. That wasn't very nice you know, not telling her," she admonished, trying not to smile.

Charlie smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. "I didn't notice you telling her either."

"She didn't know I was coming over?" Harry asked, now knowing why she had looked so odd when he had first walked in.

"No, I thought it best to keep it a secret," Charlie said, raising one eyebrow.

Harry gave a slight smile and then narrowed his eyes. "Maybe I should go see if she's okay?"

"Maybe you should," Charlie agreed, earning himself a slap from his wife and a glare. "What?"

"You can't send him off after her, we'll probably find her hanging from the rafters by his belt if we do. No, if anyone should go check on her it should be you," she said firmly, raising her eyebrows.

"And leave you all alone in the kitchen, I can't do that baby," Charlie drawled, making Rebecca melt against him as he pulled her close. "Don't you think it would be better if Harry went and made his peace with her?"

"Make my peace? Who the hell said anything about that?" Harry burst out, frowning.

"See? Bad idea," Rebecca said, smiling as she glanced at the taller man. "Now, why don't you two take your drinks into the living room and watch TV, I'm sure there's some sports programme on you can watch. Let me get on with this. Ginny will be back when she realises you're not in here," she said, pushing them both in the direction of the doorway and getting on with her preparations.

Sure enough, Ginny snuck back downstairs and gave a relieved sigh when she heard the two men in the living room, and she darted past the doorway into the kitchen. "You knew he was coming over, didn't you?" she asked Rebecca, and got a smile in return.

"Yeah, I just didn't know how to tell you. Hey, it won't be so bad," she said gently, wiping her hands on a towel.

"Bad? It's going to be terrible. I can't serve him anything," Ginny said, her eyes widening as she thought about it. "What if I drop things on him, he'll go mad... oh Merlin, and yesterday he... he... how am I going to face him?"

"Just keep your chin up and ignore him, you've managed it before," Rebecca pointed out.

"But that was before...he....oh," she groaned helplessly, shaking her head.

Rebecca gave a sympathetic smile and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay, I know all about it. Listen, you can stay in here and make something for dessert if you like, I'll go and sit with them. Unless you want to come with me...?"

"No, I can do dessert...it's easier."

"Okay, see you in a little while," Rebecca said, her smile getting wider as she left the kitchen.

Ginny stood silently for a few seconds, debating running away, but then she pulled herself together and started getting ingredients out to make an apple pie. At least she could do that properly, she thought, flicking her wand at the cupboards so she could summon the flour and sugar. The monotony of the task, peeling apples and making pastry, made her forget briefly just who she had in the house, and she gave a pleased smile at her handiwork as she set the pie aside, ready to be baked while they ate dinner.

She started clearing up the mess she had made and set the flour and sugar aside, ready to put in the cupboard when she had wiped the mess of the counter. With a swish and flick she levitated the sugar, putting it in the cupboard, then proceeded doing the same with the flour.

"Need a hand?" A deep voice asked and the hands that suddenly clasped her around the waist shocked the life out of her, never having heard anyone come in the room, making her jump violently. Ginny squealed loudly and jerked backwards at the touch of his hands and sent Harry toppling over with both of them falling to the floor, his larger body cushioning the impact of the fall. Harry watched in bemusement as the bag of flour sailed up in the air, and then he resigned himself to his fate as it crashed back down, exploding on his head like a bomb and coating both of them in the white powder. He sneezed as everything came to rest, and a little puff of white shot up from his face.

Before either of them could move, Charlie and Rebecca came crashing into the room, Rebecca having to back out again almost immediately as she burst out laughing. "Greek Gods, you two really can't be left alone for even a second, can you?" Charlie said, shaking his head and grinning at the two ghostly figures on the floor.

Harry sent him a glare and then lifted Ginny slowly off his body, sitting up with his hands still holding her. "Are you okay? You're not hurt?" he asked, his eyes raking her body to make sure she hadn't been injured.

Ginny stared at him wide-eyed. "I-I'm fine," she stammered, dropping her eyes and groaning at the mess she had made of him. She looked briefly at her brother and was stunned to see him walk out of the room, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Yet another disaster that could be placed at her door, she thought morosely. And now Charlie was abandoning her here with Harry so he could kill her in private. She was surprised when her breath hitched in her throat and she bit her bottom lip to stop it from trembling.

The small sound and the movement caught the man's attention, and his eyes narrowed on her face, studying it through the fine coating it now wore. "Well," Harry said, forcing a light-hearted tone and looking down at himself and grinning, "I hadn't intended to do an impersonation of Nearly Headless Nick tonight, but I bet I'd win a prize wouldn't I?" He laughed as he tried to dust himself off, and Ginny shot a startled look at him.

"I didn't mean...to..." she began, but he held his hand up, shaking his head and dislodging more powder as he did so.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have scared you like that," he said, getting gracefully to his feet and then grabbing her hand and pulling her up just as easily. "We'd better get cleaned up, don't you think?"

She nodded dumbly and wondered why he wasn't trying to hex the life out of her. She knew he wanted to, he had always made it perfectly clear that he'd get her back if it was the last thing he did, and here was a perfect opportunity.

When she didn't move he studied her carefully and frowned at the way she was shaking, her eyes holding more than a trace of anxiety, and he reached towards her to soothe her in some way. The instant he grabbed her shoulders she went as stiff as a board, thinking that this was it, he was going to pay her back now, and she squeezed her eyes shut and waited.

Harry had only intended to reassure her that he wasn't mad, but when he touched her he felt her warmth seep into his fingers and make his hands start tingling, the feeling spreading like wildfire through his body and making him gasp. The next thing he knew he had dragged her up against him and taken her lips, not even thinking about his actions at all. His tongue stabbed deeply into her mouth and urged hers into movement, kissing her with a pent-up passion he hadn't even realised he had in him. Within the space of a heartbeat his arms went around her, one pinning her against him whilst the other tangled in her long hair, playing with the silky mass. Her lips were soft and velvety underneath his and he sucked in air through his nose as he savoured the feel of her, all soft curves and eager participation. She was kissing him back now, following his movements blindly and drawing pleasure from him as he ravaged her mouth hungrily, his arms tightening around her and almost cru! shing her as he tried desperately to get her closer to his rapidly hardening body.

Ginny melted against him, absolutely no thought of refusal beyond the first shock of his touch, almost as if she was intimately familiar with his hands and mouth. His arms felt like steel bands and she loved the strength of them, relishing the way he was devouring her, her body seeking it's mate even though her mind would have protested had it not shut down. Even the feel of his hand moving from her hair and sweeping around to cup one firm breast didn't shock her, though it did make her start to shake helplessly under the onslaught of passion.

"Ahem," Charlie coughed loudly behind them, trying to break them up. He had been quite content to leave them alone, but Rebecca had made him go back in the kitchen to protect his sister, and he was now shocked to find them trying to eat each other. When neither of them stopped he coughed a bit louder, finally getting Harry's attention and watching as he dazedly lifted his head, his lips still moist from the kiss and showing up brightly in the white powdery visage.

Ginny hung limply in his arms, her eyes slowly opening and attempting to focus on the world around her. She finally looked at Charlie and frowned, blinking slowly and then her eyes widening as she looked up at Harry. She made a small distressed sound and tried to stand up properly, but her legs were too shaky and she had to cling to him for support.

Harry looked at her and a fierce scowl darkened his face. He led her to a kitchen chair and sat her down, feeling how shaky she was because of what he had done. That just made him furious and he ran a hand through his hair, his frown getting worse. "Bollocks!" he growled and turned abruptly, walking out of the kitchen and out of the house before anyone could say anything to him. Charlie gave a worried look at his sister and then turned and chased Harry down.

"Hey, wait," he said as he caught him up halfway back to Ron's house. "Where are you going?"

"To get changed," Harry said, not slowing down one bit.

"You could have just used your wand...Are you coming back?"

"No. I don't know. Maybe... Gods," he growled again, wiping one big hand over his face.

"What were you doing?" Charlie asked him, watching his expression carefully. Harry looked just as shocked as Ginny did, and he found it vaguely amusing. "What were you doing, Harry?" he repeated.

"I don't know. I just touched her arms for Merlin's sake, and the next thing I knew... oh Gods, what's the matter with me?" he said and stopped walking all of a sudden, turning to look at Charlie.

Charlie studied him quietly. "Seems to me you fancy my baby sister."

"I do not...she's....she's my best mate's little sister, I've never even thought of her in that way...."

"Until now," Charlie finished for him, cocking his head to one side and grinning.

"No, she's too young," Harry said adamantly, starting to walk again.

"Give it a rest Harry, for the last time she's only a year younger than you are! Are you coming back or not?" Charlie asked, letting the Ginny matter drop for now.

"I guess I should, Rebecca did invite me over and Ginny....Ginny seemed to be working pretty hard," he murmured, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Great," Charlie said, clapping him on the back. "Come back when you're ready then." He went to walk away and Harry grabbed his arm.

"Won't Ginny mind?"

Charlie raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I don't think so, although she may spend the evening with a red face. Just do me a favour," he said, his face getting serious again, "whatever you do, don't hurt her. Beyond that it's up to you two. She's an adult and she obviously doesn't mind you kissing her, so I'm not going to interfere anymore, okay?"

"I'm not going to touch her again," Harry said vehemently, looking guilty.

"Whatever," Charlie said, dismissing what he was saying with a wave of his hand. "I better get back, I'll see you in a few."

Harry watched him walk off and made his way slowly back to Ron's house, wondering how he had managed to end up kissing Ginny again when he hadn't even been thinking about it. He shook his head as he tried to puzzle it out, swearing to himself it would never happen again.

Ginny sat staring at the kitchen door, struck dumb by what had happened...again. Only this time it had been even more intense, at least for her. Harry, though, had looked as if he had hated every second of it, almost like he had found it disgusting. She pressed a hand to her mouth and sighed, wondering what was wrong with her. Had she absolutely no control over her own body? She wondered, because it certainly didn't seem like it. Not that she could recall ever feeling like that before, but still. She sighed again and stood up, pleased to find her legs felt a little more steady now, and then she went about clearing up the incredible mess the flour had made. At least the work would keep her mind occupied, she hoped.

Rebecca walked in just as she was clearing up the last of the flour near the back door. "Everything okay in here now?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, it's all cleaned up," Ginny muttered, blushing again at her own clumsiness.

"Well, I wasn't actually talking about the mess," her sister-in-law said. "I was talking about you."

Ginny looked at her and shrugged, giving a sigh. "Oh, well, I'm okay."

"Are you sure? You look a bit...odd."

"No, I'm fine," Ginny said again, looking down at herself. "I guess I'd better go and cleaned up."

Rebecca nodded, lifting lids of pans and stirring. "I guess you should. Charlie went to get Harry, so he'll be back soon and dinner won't be much longer either."

"Harry...? He's...he's coming back?"

"Well, yes, we did invite him to dinner." She looked at the younger girl and smiled gently, seeing the way she fidgeted nervously. "Will you be alright with that?"

"I guess so," Ginny mumbled, thinking that she'd be anything but. She gave a small smile and made her way upstairs, she'd planned on just using a cleaning spell but decided to change into a dress instead, nervous of the coming meal and wondering how to act in front of Harry now he had kissed her twice.

When Ginny returned downstairs, dressed now in a loose summer dress that it really wasn't warm enough for, she heard voices and realised Harry had returned. She hesitated in the hallway and wondered whether or not to go into the living room, but she couldn't quite pluck up enough courage. Instead, she went back into the kitchen, seeing Rebecca clattering around in there getting things out of the oven ready to serve up.

"Need help?" Ginny asked quietly, instantly starting to do things before Rebecca had answered.

"It's all ready, we just have to get it on the table, and get that apple pie in the oven," the older woman said, giving Ginny a sidelong glance and then smiling. "Feel okay now?"

Ginny shrugged. "I guess."

"Think you'll be able to sit at the same table as Harry and not feel like running away?" she murmured.

Ginny frowned at that and swallowed the lump of fear in her throat. "I don't know," she admitted softly.

Rebecca glanced up at the odd tone and her face softened with sympathy. Ginny looked hopelessly confused and almost threatened by the way Harry had been acting. "It'll be fine, don't worry," she said reassuringly. "Come on, let's get these things on the table and then we'll call them in."

Ginny complied with her orders and they set the table. She moved about restlessly as Rebecca called the men in and then she found herself sitting down next to Harry, closing her eyes briefly when she realised the damage she could do at this one meal. Her hands were already shaking and she knew that if she picked anything up it would end up all over her or him or everybody else. So as everyone started serving themselves, she sat there chewing her lip, wondering how she could get out of this without eating anything.

Charlie looked across at her and his lips pursed, a knowing look in his eyes as he watched her dilemma.

Harry saw the look and glanced at Ginny, wondering why she hadn't put anything on her plate yet. "Aren't you having any?" he asked, frowning at the way she turned huge eyes on him and then quickly looked away again.

"I...er...I guess so..." she trailed off as she felt all eyes on her and her cheeks flushed prettily. She knew they would think something was wrong if she didn't serve herself, so she reluctantly stood up and spooned a single potato onto her plate, relieved when it stayed where she had put it. She risked a second one and that also stayed put, so she started putting some vegetables on as well, then some meat, sitting back with a relieved sigh when she was done. She glanced quickly up at her brother and saw him trying to smother a grin at her actions, and she gave him a glare as she reached for the gravy. Even that didn't spill anywhere it shouldn't and she felt slightly more relaxed as she began to eat. Until she tried to cut one of the potatoes and it shot off her plate and landed on Harry's, making his own huge puddle of gravy slop over the edge of the plate and splatter on his shirt. He looked down at himself in surprise and then his eyes speared into hers acc! usingly.

Before he could say anything he noticed the way she was staring at the small mess with utter horror and he finally realised how nervous she was. His mouth quirked into a smile and he glanced pointedly at his plate. "I already had enough potatoes, but thanks for the offer," he murmured, using his fork to pick it up and placing it back on her dinner. "Besides, I don't need the extra weight."

Charlie smothered a laugh and so did Rebecca, trying not to stare at Ginny's by now bright red face as she struggled to retain her composure. "I'm sorry," she murmured in Harry's general direction, not meeting his eyes and fixing her own firmly on her dinner. She carefully ate some of her food, hardly making a dent on her meal even though it had been small to begin with. Everybody else ate theirs with gusto, although Harry kept watching her, a fact she was uncomfortably aware of. When the others had finished, she got awkwardly up and grabbed her plate, carrying it out into the kitchen and putting it on the counter before anyone could say a word.

Harry watched her go and frowned again. "She hardly touched her dinner," he murmured, looking troubled.

"She was probably worried she'd end up making more mess, I expect," Charlie said, shaking his head and sighing.

"Yeah, but she didn't eat anything," the taller man continued, his eyes going to the doorway where Ginny had disappeared. "Do you think she's okay?"

Charlie stared at his friend in silence, his head cocking to one side. "You seem pretty concerned about her well-being," he said slowly, studying Harry's expression.

"She seemed a bit nervous," he said, narrowing his eyes and then looking at Charlie. "Is it me?"

"Making her nervous?" Charlie asked and then smiled, nodding his head. "Yeah, but then, you know that already. And you know why."

Harry stared down at the table briefly and then frowned again, his lips twisting thoughtfully. He shoved his chair back from the table and stood up, walking towards the door without saying a word.

"Honey, shouldn't we stop him?" Rebecca whispered, watching as the man disappeared through the doorway. "Ginny's feeling shell-shocked enough without..."

"It'll be okay," Charlie murmured, taking his wife's hand. "In fact, I think it'll be pretty interesting around here from now on."

"Yes, but Ginny..."

"Ginny needs something to liven her up a bit, and I think Harry's that something. He's attracted to her, whether he wants to admit it or not, and she is to him as well. I won't let him hurt her," he reassured her. "I just want her to live a little."

Rebecca smiled and nodded. "Her life has been a bit dull lately," she agreed.

"Hmm, I have a feeling it won't be for much longer," Charlie said, grinning at the thought.

Ginny was standing in the kitchen gazing out of the window, her mind blank. She had checked on the apple pie and when she found it wasn't ready, she had stayed put, not wanting to go back in there and make a fool of herself again. So caught up in feeling miserable was she that she didn't hear Harry come into the room and move to stand behind her, not until he spoke and then she almost collapsed from shock.

"Why didn't you eat your dinner?" he asked abruptly, watching her swing around to face him, a frown on his face as he caught her eyes.

"What?" she gasped out, trying to take a step backwards even though there was no room.

"I said," Harry began, a slight smile tilting the corner of his mouth, "why didn't you eat your dinner?"

"I...didn't...er...I wasn't hungry," she said quietly, taking a side-step to try and get past him. His hand shot out and grabbed her arm, stopping the movement.

"Not hungry, or not comfortable in my company?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

Ginny swallowed hard and looked down at the large hand gripping her upper arm, the fingers closed nearly completely around it where they were so long. She swallowed again and then frowned, summoning up some anger and glared up at him, far more comfortable with this emotion. "Choose one," she said sullenly, watching as his smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed.

"You're in a fine mood," he said quietly, cocking his head to one side as he studied her sulky face. His eyes ran unconsciously down her body, seeing the way the material skimmed her curves and made her look petite and feminine. Her hair was cascading over her shoulders and down her back in a long silky curtain, and he frowned, wondering why he hadn't noticed these things about her before.

"Gee, I wonder why," she muttered between her teeth, trying to pull her arm away from him when she saw the way he was looking at her.

"Now, now, little girl, better watch your tongue. Sarcasm can get you in deep trouble," he said with a raised eyebrow, a half smile tilting his lips again at her anger. "After all, you only have yourself to blame if you don't like my company. You did invite me to dinner."

Ginny's mouth fell open. "No, I didn't! Rebecca and Charlie did, I would...never..." she trailed off as he bent over, his face getting closer to hers and her eyes widening.

"You would never...what?" he asked softly, moving in the inch needed to press his lips to hers, his eyes closing as soon as the contact was made.

Ginny's own eyes closed as he kissed her again, and she felt herself go boneless as his arms closed around her, his tongue stabbing deep into her mouth and tangling with hers. His hand lifted and tangled in the endless silk of her hair, gripping it and using it to tilt her head to an angle that suited him. She heard a faint moan come from his throat as he explored her warm mouth, but she couldn't lift her eyelids to look at him, caught up in the dizzying sensations flowing through her as he held her close to his body.

Harry frowned as the noise left his throat, and it drew him back to sanity somewhat, giving him the strength to end the kiss and pull back to look at her. He couldn't help smiling at the dazed expression she wore. It was something he had seen before, on many women's faces, but it had nearly always been faked for his benefit. Ginny was totally different. He was quite sure that she didn't know her own name right now, and his smile widened when her eyes drifted open and stared at him drowsily. As reality intruded on his own dreamy state, the smile left his lips and he frowned again, realising that he had just kissed her yet again. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his arms fall to his sides so she could get away from him. He wondered fleetingly how he would be able to keep his hands off her now he knew what she tasted like, what she felt like as he held her. Without even trying, she was sexier than any hundred women he had ever met, and it troubled him deeply that he co! uldn't control himself.

When he opened his eyes he saw that she had withdrawn to the other side of the breakfast bar, keeping it's width in between them like it could protect her if he really wanted to go at her.

"I think I'd better go," he murmured, guilt written clearly on his features, making Ginny frown.

"Why?" she blurted out, her eyes slightly misty.

Harry raised his eyebrows and gave a small smile. "Why? You really need to ask?"

"Charlie will wonder where you went," she said lamely, finding herself reluctant to see him go, where only a few short minutes ago she had wished him anywhere but here. "He won't want you to leave."

He studied her for a long time, his eyes narrowing on her flushed face. "And you? Don't you want me to leave?"

She shrugged, not looking at him. "I don't...I'm...." she finally decided on, "You haven't had dessert yet."

He felt his heart suddenly beat faster and frowned again at his unstable emotions. "I guess I would like some apple pie. After all," he said, smiling and his eyes twinkling as he looked at her, "I've already tasted one of the ingredients."

When she realised he was referring to the flour and not her, she gave a hesitant smile, ducking her head. "Yeah, I guess you did. Why don't you go and sit down and I'll bring it in."

He nodded and moved to the doorway, looking back at her briefly before disappearing out of the kitchen.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief and chewed on her lip. Why hadn't she wanted him to go? She didn't even like him....did she?

Ginny busied herself getting the pie out of the oven and placing it on a cooling rack while she got cream and ice-cream out for whoever wanted it. She noticed a slight tremor in her hands and took a moment to calm herself down before she went back into the dining room. Sure as hell Harry would notice her shaking if she got too near him. Thinking about him only made the tremors worse and she ended up sitting down and covering her face with her hands, trying to think of how to behave when she walked back in there. It was fairly new territory for her and she was at a loss. But she couldn't sit in the kitchen for the rest of the evening, she thought, shaking herself out of it and standing up again. A coward never got anywhere.

A few seconds later she was standing outside the dining room, taking a deep breath before she pushed into the room holding a tray in her hands with dessert on it.

She tried not to make eye contact with Harry, but she could almost feel the pull of his gaze and eventually she couldn't resist lifting her eyes. The impact of that heated stare made the tray tilt precariously in her hands and if he hadn't stood up and grabbed her hands it would have tipped all over him. But the contact gave her yet another problem as the heat from his big hands transmitted itself through her skin and made her shiver, something he couldn't possibly miss. A slightly wicked smile tilted his lips and he studied her expression thoughtfully.

"Here, I'll take that," he offered, his voice deep and altogether too sexy for her liking. It made her shiver again and her mouth go dry and she wondered what was happening to her. She hated Harry Potter, and he hated her too. So why was he having such a devastating effect on her?

She let go of the tray as he lifted its weight from her and placed it on the table, leaving her to seat herself as he automatically started serving the pie and ice cream. "You don't have to do that," she said when she recovered her voice.

"I know, but I want to. Don't worry," he said, shooting her a look full of amusement, "I'm quite domesticated, I won't spill any."

She blushed under his intent stare and he found himself transfixed by how pretty she looked with such colour in her face, only managing to transfer his attention back to the task in hand when Charlie cleared his throat quite loudly, smiling at the way Harry was staring at Ginny. He finished serving them all and then sat down, tucking into his own dessert with apparent gusto and not looking at Ginny again until he had finished. When he did he noticed that she wasn't really eating hers, just nibbling half-heartedly at small bits of it.

"That was delicious," he said softly, making her look at him. "I didn't know you could cook like that."

"She doesn't do it very often, that's why," Charlie put in, finishing his own dessert and pushing the bowl away from him.

"Why not?" Harry asked her, his gaze steady as she looked at him warily.

"I'm usually busy...and Becky likes cooking," she said, giving a shrug of her small shoulders.

"I don't mind you doing the cooking, you know that," the other woman said with a smile, she was well aware she hogged the kitchen on a regular basis.

"I certainly wouldn't mind you cooking that again," Harry said, resting his big arms on the table and still staring at her. "Something wrong with yours?"

She looked at her own food and saw that it was virtually untouched. "No, I guess...I'm not really hungry."

"Really? Well, you should be, you hardly ate any dinner," he said, frowning as he looked her body over in the pretty sundress. "You could do with putting some weight on, not losing any."

Ginny swung her head to look at him, surprised that he was looking at her body. It made her feel incredibly self-conscious and she blushed even more. "I don't need to put weight on," she said, shifting in her chair and looking away from him with a frown. "Anyway, it's none of your business what I do or don't eat," she added sullenly.

Harry's eyebrows arched up at the sudden spark of anger and he found himself smiling. "I'm a guest here, that makes it my business."

"You're not my guest," she mumbled, still confused by her wayward emotions and grasping anything that felt solid. Anger felt pretty solid right now.

"You live here, don't you? That makes me your guest," he said, narrowing his eyes in amusement as he studied her, knowing exactly how to get her to look at him. "I think perhaps you should be more polite to me, under the circumstances."

Sure enough, Ginny's eyes widened and shot to his. "Polite? You want me to be polite? I've been nothing but polite to you all evening, and I didn't even want you here!"

"Ginny!" Charlie said admonishingly, trying to hide his smile. "Apologise to our guest."

"I will not!" she gasped, staring at her brother now in amazement.

"Yeah, apologise. That was rude," Harry said, folding his arms in front of him and grinning, enjoying her discomfort.

Ginny gaped at him. This wasn't the Harry Potter she knew and loathed. This was someone else entirely. Normally he would have tried grabbing her so he could dole out some sort of punishment, but now he seemed to find it all funny. Well, she wasn't laughing.

"I am not apologizing to you, I'd rather chew Malaclaw tails!"

Harry narrowed his eyes menacingly, still amused. "That could easily be arranged you know," he said, his voice low and gravelly.

She looked at him in confusion and then at her brother. Seeing no support there and feeling like a butterfly on a pin, she pushed back from the table and stood up. "I'll start washing up," she mumbled, grabbing a couple of dishes and leaving the room in a hurry. The sound of Harry's laughter floated to her and she had to grit her teeth to stop herself from shouting something rude back at him. The way he was behaving was puzzling; at least for the last few days anyway. She put her dishes in the sink, her eyes taking on a faraway look. He kept kissing her, and she didn't understand why. Certainly she wasn't anything special to look at, and she knew he must have hundreds of gorgeous women throwing themselves at him all the time, so why her? Hadn't he been the one to send her packing the night she tried to give herself to him? Maybe it was just because she managed to push his buttons and he didn't know how else to get rid of his frustration, he probably didn't even ! enjoy it. The annoying thing was that she couldn't say the same. She had really enjoyed it, all three times. But it couldn't happen again, she thought with a slight shake of her head, flicking her wand to automatically deal with the dirty dishes. Harry didn't like her, and she certainly didn't like him. He was horrible, he was a pig, he was always nasty to her, he always said bad things and she knew better than to get close to him. Only now she knew what sort of things could happen when she did get close to him, and it was going to make it hard to stay away.

Harry sat looking vacantly out of the window while he debated whether or not to go after Ginny again. It was completely obvious to him what she was trying to do with her waspish words. She wanted to put them back on more familiar footing, when they hated each other. But he didn't know if that was possible, because he had other feelings running through him when he looked at her now, and hate wasn't one of them, irritation... sure... but not hate. He looked back across the table as Charlie spoke.

"So, want to tell me what's going on with you lately?"

Harry sighed and a mischievous gleam entered his eyes. "Sure, why not? Well, let me see, I've been back in the Agency for a few months now, and my demand is growing again. Remus wants me to start taking on more private contracts, and I don't have a problem with that really. Hmm, what else?" he said, rubbing his two days growth of a beard thoughtfully.

"Ah, shut the hell up! You know good and well what I meant!" Charlie said, laughing.

"You wouldn't have been referring to me and your sister, would you?" Harry asked him, cocking his head to one side.

"Well...duh!" Charlie said, raising his eyebrows. "Come on, tell me why you've suddenly changed from going for her throat to going for her mouth," he said dryly.

The raven-haired man shrugged, his eyes unconsciously straying to the door. "I really couldn't tell you. For some reason I can't resist her whenever she's within reach, and that's pretty new. She's always been a bloody pest, and I've always thought no sane man would ever risk dating her. You know how badly she winds me up," he said to Charlie, nodding.

"Yeah, I do."

Rebecca looked at them and shook her head. "Enough, you two. She'll probably be back in a second and you wouldn't want her to hear you discussing her, would you?"

"No, I guess not," Charlie said, smiling at his wife and quickly changing the topic of conversation, should Ginny come back.

But it was too late. She had been standing outside the door with a tray of coffee and she had only caught the last few words Harry had said, but it was enough. So he thought she was undatable? That she was so awful she couldn't get a boyfriend. No wonder he'd turned her down when she'd exposed herself to him all those years ago. Harry thought she wasn't good enough for him. Normally it would have angered her, but this time it upset her instead, and she had to use every ounce of self-control she had not to let it show on her face as she walked back into the room. She didn't raise her eyes when Harry stood up and took the tray from her this time, and she managed not to look at him at all for the remainder of the evening. When Charlie suggested that they go into the sitting room and watch some TV, she excused herself and went for a walk out in the fields, needing the fresh night air.

One of the hands, Edwin Blackweed, saw her wandering past the bunkhouse and decided to go and talk to her. He had been trying to get a date with her for months now, but her brother had warned her off him, knowing he was bad news with women. But he kept trying, and tonight he felt that his luck might just be in.

Had it been another night, when she hadn't been upset and smarting at the words she had overheard, she would have said no. But when Edwin sauntered up and again asked her if he could take her out to dinner, her pride rose up and she said yes. Someone was interested in dating her, and that would show Mr. Potter that she wasn't so revolting. She didn't think of how her actions might be taken, but she allowed Edwin to walk with her and smiled at him as she put up a false front. But to Edwin it looked like she really liked him, and that she was hot for whatever he wanted to do. He quickly arranged their date for the following week, his eyes running down her figure possessively as he anticipated what he would do to her when he finally had her away from her brother.

When Ginny returned to the house, she was surprised to see Harry still there, sitting in one of the big overstuffed armchairs as if he belonged there, and she gave him a brief glare as she sat down on the sofa near Rebecca.

"Where have you been?" Rebecca asked her, her hands absently stroking her stomach as she wiggled about trying to get comfortable.

"I went for a walk," she said quietly, glancing up once at the Harry and then looking away again. "Edwin joined me and we're going out on a date next week," she blurted out, feeling herself blush as all eyes looked at her.

"Edwin? Edwin Blackweed?" Charlie asked sharply, frowning.

"Yes," Ginny said, lifting her chin defiantly, because she knew what her brother thought of the man. "He's nice."

"As good as he is with the creatures around here Ginny, he's untrustworthy is what he is," Charlie said, sitting up straighter and shaking his head. "I thought you knew that. Why the hell accept a date with him?"

"He asked," she mumbled, well aware that Harry was glaring at her with an odd expression on his face.

"He's been asking for months, but you've never said yes before. I don't want you going," her brother said.

"I can go out with whomever I want," Ginny said, staring at him with disbelief. "If you had your way I'd never meet anyone, and I'd certainly never get married!"

"Please tell me you're not thinking of getting serious with that man!" Charlie said, his voice getting louder.

"If I am it's nobody's business but my own! I'm going out with him, and you can't stop me!" she said, jumping up off the sofa and leaving the room before the argument could get any worse.

Charlie sat staring at the door and he knew without a doubt that Ginny had overheard what Harry said. Judging by her reaction she had only heard the worst part though, because he was sure she would never willingly go out with Edwin Blackweed otherwise. He sighed and slumped back in his seat.

"Is this guy dangerous?" Harry asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure...but I heard some rumours a while back that I didn't like, involving him and a young girl. I don't want him to hurt Ginny."

"You think he could hurt her?" the taller man asked, the frown getting worse. "Maybe I should go and have a small talk with him before their date, let him know what's what."

Charlie looked at him in surprise. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because you just said she could get hurt! No one's going to hurt Ginny!" he said before he really thought about his words.

"Really? That sounds mighty possessive," Charlie murmured, his eyes twinkling with mirth at Harry's discomfort.

"It's not possessive, it's just...it's how I'd be with anyone," he muttered, defending himself. Charlie showed no sign of being less amused and Harry scowled. "I'll follow them and keep an eye on her for you."

"For me? Did I ask you to do that?" Charlie asked him, raising his eyebrows.

Harry tightened his lips and then stood up. "I'd better get going," he said, ignoring Charlie's question entirely. "I'll come by sometime this weekend. Thank you for dinner and tell Ginny I said thanks as well, will you?"

Charlie stood up and followed his friend out to the front porch. "I'll tell her. And Harry? I really would appreciate it if you kept an eye on her. I can't leave Rebecca alone right now, not with her due date being only a few weeks away, and I want to make sure Ginny's safe, so thanks."

"It's no problem. Like I said, I wouldn't want to see her get hurt by some bastard like this Edwin person,"

Harry said, shrugging nonchalantly even though he was gritting his teeth. He didn't like the idea of Ginny going out with anyone, let alone someone who might be dangerous. Hell, he thought, all men were dangerous given enough provocation, but he didn't think Ginny was like that.

"You've never met him, so how do you know he's a bastard?"

"Because he asked Ginny on a date," Harry grumbled, kicking at the dirt with his shoe. "And it should have been me doing that."

"Ah, the green-eyed monster rearing it's ugly head again. Well, well, who would have thought it?" Charlie murmured, smiling at his friend.

Harry looked up. "Ridiculous isn't it?"

"Yes, it really is," Charlie said, tilting his head to one side and giving a calculating smile as he continued. "Especially when you consider that Ginny only accepted his offer because she must have overheard what you said earlier on. Anyway, that won't bother you, will it? See you later, mate." He gave a grin and turned back into the house, not bothering to watch the Harry walk away, his expression stunned.

Harry thought about what Charlie had said. Ginny had overheard them and immediately accepted a date with that other man, so she must have been hurt. But why would his words bother her if she didn't feel anything for him? He shook his head. All these feelings were new to him and he didn't know if he liked it. He felt as if he was becoming dependant on her and they weren't even dating. He stiffened his spine at that thought. They wouldn't ever be dating, he decided, because she was like a sister to him. He would watch her for Charlie, but that was far as it would go from now on. With that firmly in his mind, he went back to Ron's house and conveniently forgot about his own lack of self-control.