Fallen for You

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II. Problem Solving

Ginny decided the next day to stop by Harry's workplace at the Department of Magical Games and Sports and invited him for lunch or coffee--whichever was available for him.

Ginny already overcome her crush on Harry shortly after her third year at Hogwarts. She realized that it would be pointless to pine for someone like the famous Harry Potter and waste all her time on him when she could enjoy being a teenager and the company of other guys. After all, as soon as she hit her fourth year she realized that Harry wasn't ever going to see her as any more than Ron's little sister--his surrogate sister. Besides, quite a lot of boys happen to notice her short after she returned from her summer holidays before fourth year.

She did eventually start dating during her fourth year. Her first boyfriend was a wonderful Ravenclaw boy who always made her laugh. But their relationship didn't last long. Seems like she wasn't the only one he was impressing with his sense of humour. There were about three other girls he was keeping busy laughing.

When she found out about the three other girls she decided to teach him a lesson and dumped him in front of everyone else. Needless to say his popularity with the other three girls flunked and he ended up being alone. It was during this time, when she found out the guy s he thought was perfect for her was cheating on her, that Harry and her became good friends.

Harry was still pining for the Ravenclaw Cho Chang around that time and since her first boyfriend was from the same house as Cho's, they had something in common to talk about.

For a while people from their own house thought they were together since they were often found huddled together, talking for hours on end. Even Ron and Hermione suspected they were keeping secrets from them. Ginny reassured her worried friend and brother that Harry and her were nothing but just good old friends. Of course they had a hard time believing her claim since she was known to be the girl who had a big-arse crush on Harry Potter long before she started her first year at Hogwarts!

It took both Harry and Ginny quite a long time before people finally believed them that they weren't indeed together. If she recalled correctly, it was when Harry started pursuing someone else during his sixth year that they stopped pestering the two of them if they were secretly together.

Apparating inside Harry's office, she was right on target and missed apparating on her best friend's desk which was currently littered with piles and piles of parchment and other stuff. A soft POP! and she magically appeared right in front of his desk. She nearly missed seeing him since he was hidden from behind the stacks of parchment and folders and other files.

"Harry?" she called out tentatively, peering over one pile before her, "Yoo-hoo, Mr. Harry Potter, am I intruding or you're not here?"

Harry lifted his mop of dark brown hair from the parchment he was currently writing, his round glasses perched on his nose bridge as he focused his gaze on the smiling redhead before him.

"Hi!" Ginny greeted cheerily and stepped back.

"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed excitedly and pushed himself from his chair and rounded his big, messy table to engulf his friend in a tight hug. He held her close to him for a couple of heartbeats before he pulled away and gave her an appreciative appraisal. "Wow, Gin! You look marvelous! What's new with you?" he asked and showed her to one of the armchairs facing his desk.

"Well up until yesterday morning I had a job as a secretary," she informed him while trying to sound nonchalant, but she failed. Taking a seat on the chair he indicated, Ginny's real feelings showed on her face and this got Harry worried. He was always worried about her and she hated that she worries him. She didn't come here today to talk about her problem. She came here because she wanted to forgetabout her problems for a while!

"What happened?"

Ginny decided to skip around the subject, but the pointed look Harry was giving her told Ginny that he won't let her get away from this that easily. "I got fired," she said exasperatedly and looked away.

"What?!"

"Uh-hm," she nodded pursing her lips. She kept her eyes focused on the bottom of Harry's desk. "My leach of a boss wanted to sleep with me and when I told him off he gave me the pink slip."

"That bastard," he hissed his hands balling into tight fists. "And good thing you had the sense to tell him off." he cheered her on for what she did.

"It was hard, but I knew I had to do it because he's been hounding me to sleep with him since the first day I started working for him!" she exclaimed. "It was a tough four months."

Harry could only imagine. He sat back and thought about the last twenty secretaries he and Draco had to go through because his lout of a partner couldn't seem to keep his hands off them--and vice-versa!

"I understand. I'm just glad you got out before things got too tough," he reached over and patted her hand lightly. "Anyway, what brings you in to the office on this fine Saturday morning?" he asked.

"Well since it's Saturday and I know you're working overtime, I thought I'd swing by here and ask you to have lunch or coffee with me, that is if you're free for either or both," she smiled sweetly.

"Lunch and coffee..." Harry mused. He got up from the other armchair and walked towards his desk, watching the mountainous pile of reports he had to read, sign, and send out and contemplated on whether or not to accept Ginny's invitation.

"C'mon Harry, looks like you need a bit of both. Look at the mess you have on your desk!" she pointed at the mountainous pile of parchments littering his desk, "You need to get away from this all. And where the hell's your damn partner anyway?! You shouldn't be the only one working overtime," she complained.

"My partner's currently busy wining and dining and probably doing more to one of his numerous conquest." Harry replied bitterly then turned to face his friend, "I can only do lunch since it's almost close to noon by now. But I need to--" he didn't get the chance to finish what he was saying when Ginny suddenly pushed herself off the armchair and walked towards him.

"You're going to have a long, leisurely lunch with me followed by a cup of coffee--or two--then afterwards you're heading straight home," she made his plan for him, sounding smug and sure of herself that Harry would follow that plan.

"But Ginny, I have tons of work to--"

Again she cut him off, but this time she placed her index finger against his lips to shut his mouth. "Work can wait until Monday. Besides, you have a partner who should be helping you. If he's out enjoying his Saturday, you should too," she pointed out matter-of-factly, "Now Mr. Potter, stop worrying about work and let's go 'coz I'm honestly hungry!" she looped her arm around his and waited for him to make up his mind.

~*~

An hour and a half later Harry sat across from Ginny at the newest coffee shop at Diagon Alley enjoying their second cup of cafe mocha with loads of extra toppings.

"Thanks again for dragging me out of the office, Gin. I seriously needed to loosen up and enjoy my Saturday for a change," Harry smiled, taking a sip of his cafe mocha.

"No problem," Ginny smiled and handed him a paper napkin to wipe off the whipping cream moustache he got. "You looked like you needed to get some fresh air too and who am I but your wonderful friend who only wants to help every which way I can," she grinned.

"You really are amazing, Ginny Weasley. But let's stop talking about me and my damn work. Seriously, looking after the upcoming Quidditch World Cup and making sure that the venue would be safe off prying Muggle eyes is a very hard job to do. And I have reports to file as well. After Daisy quit it's been like hell in the office." he complained, shaking his head.

Ginny chuckled and sat back, crossing her legs over top of the other. "Sounds like this Daisy left you in quite a lurch." she commented.

"She did. I warned her numerous times to never get involved with Malfoy, but did she ever listen? No! She went and slept with the bastard anyway and now she expected him to promise forever-after with her. Stupid git," he snorted, irritated at the reminder of why he was left with truckload of work to do.

Ginny sat and stared at Harry for the longest time. Harry and Draco Malfoy working together? Since when?! The last she heard Harry landed a job with the Ministry working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports, but Draco Malfoy landing a job alongside Harry as well?

"Uh...I know I haven't seen nor talked to you much since you graduated from Hogwarts, Harry, but since when did you and Malfoy become friends?" she questioned, a bit confused at this news she just heard.

"We're not really friends-friends, Gin. He turned a new leaf after Hogwarts and became good. But of course some habits are hard to break, like for example him being a ladies man and hating my guts. But the feeling is only mutual on the latter part. I hate his guts too, but I needed a partner and he was good at what he does albeit a bit too lazy at times," he complained.

Ginny smirked and took a sip of her own cafe mocha. Draco Malfoy turning a new leaf? Hmm...interesting...

"I know what you're thinking, Gin, and I couldn't believe it myself either," Harry cut through into her thoughts.

Ginny frowned and looked at him, "How'd you know I was just thinking that?"

"Because it was written all over your face, toots," he chuckled. He was the only one who could get away calling Ginny 'toots,' everybody else would have their tongues chopped off if they ever refer to her as such. "Anyway, what are you planning on doing now that you got the pink slip from your other job?" he asked wanting to change the subject and talk about her instead of him.

"Well, I'm looking for another job. I asked Herm if she could help me find a job with the Ministry. I can be anybody's secretary since I got the skills for it. But in her department she said they are already full-staff," she pouted.

"You're just looking for a secretarial job?" Harry questioned.

"Well, mostly yeah. But I can work other odds and ends kind of jobs. I am just in dire need of some money to pay off my darn bills!" she exclaimed.

"Well...hmm..." Harry mused, thinking of offering her Daisy's vacant job, but will she accept though? He knew how much Ginny despised Draco Malfoy, but if she took over Daisy's vacant position, Harry had one little less problem to worry about.

Draco and Ginny couldn't stand each other!

Draco would definitely keep his hands off Ginny and they'd have a secretary that would last them for more than just two months!

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to be continued...

A/N: here's the next chapter. I'm still revising the third chapter but once I'm done I sure will post it up. (",)