Chapter Four HG

Chapter Four
I untangled Harry from me, he groaned a bit but today was my day with my sister in law, Hermione,  I needed to talk to her about things I couldn't talk to Harry about.
"Don't" he said as I tried to crawl out of bed.
"Why not?" I said kissing him.
"I have the day off, the Gala is tonight and I wanted to spend it with you." he said kissing my neck.
"Tempting but Harry, I planned this with 'Mione before she left on her honeymoon I can't cancel now."
"Please" he begged pulling me back into bed
"No I need to see her I need a girl afternoon." I said getting up.
"Are you sick of me?" he pouted coming over to me
"No"
"Then why don't you want to stay with me?" he said turning me around
"I told you, Hermione"
"That's it just that you want to have a girls day?" he quirked an eyebrow "Really Ginny?"
"Yes that's it."
"It just that you haven't been out much since the tryout and I haven't been here much because of the ministry, and I don't know I thought we could have a lazy day."
"It sounds heavenly but Harry, tell me the real reason you don't want me to go?"
"that is the real reason"
"No it's not"
"Fine I'm worried about you!" he said
"There it is" I sighed
"What? Is it a crime to be worried about my girlfriend?"
"No, but Harry I'll be fine" I pleaded
"You almost bled to death this week!"
"It was a Quidditch accident!"
"It was no accident, Ginny they can't take you from me!" he said choking back
"Who?!"
"Anyone Gin!"
"You can't shield me from the entire world!"
"I'm not trying to" he said sheepishly "let me walk you there"
"Do you not think I am capable of taking care of myself?"
"No I'm not, trying to say that, I'm just wanting to spend time with you"
"Don't lie to me, Harry you need to just ease up a bit"
"Why?"
"Because I don't need you controlling me! I've had more than enough time playing puppet ten years ago!"
"Gin" he said exhaustedly he took my hand and then looked me in the eyes, my one weakness with them boring into me "Forgive me?"
"I always do."
"You have a good time with Hermione alright?"
"I will, you should go back to bed you look bloody tired, those ministry officials aren't tearing the mickey out of you are they?"
"Now who is being overprotective?"
I rolled my eyes and giggled "I have to get ready for today, go back to sleep please."
"Only if you come with me?"
"Maybe I'll wrap things up with Hermione early…"
"Really?"
"Maybe, sleep I love you"
"I love you too, and Gin, I'm sorry"
"Sleep"
***
After that I got dressed I threw a sweater dress with skinny jeans it was a cool day considering the rain. My snug brown boots, I tucked my wand carefully in took my bag and left my sleeping Harry. At the last minute I checked if Sido had received anything from the Quidditch Council. Nothing! I still hadn't received my owl from them, perhaps they didn't want me?  Then with that I left.
I walked there; they didn't live that far away from us which was good. As I walked throughout the streets I had the funny feeling that someone was following me I turned around and saw a mysterious looking cat. Staring at me; I didn't say anything to it I just thought I recognized it.
'No one is following you' I scolded myself 'you are just being paranoid about what Harry said.'
I went up to their little cottage, thankful that they had gotten back from their honeymoon finally. I knocked on the door; it opened to reveal a disheveled Hermione. She had a book in her hand and her bushy hair in a messy bun, pinstriped jim jam bottoms and a old Gryffindor shirt.
"Gin!" she shrieked and wrapped her arms around me. Dragging me into her living room; I sat on an ugly purple couch that didn't seem to match with the rest of the room.
"Hi 'Mione" I barely breathed.
"So how are you? Did you get the owl yet?"
"No, not yet."
"It'll come." She smiled and then she said "Tea?"
"Yes thank you"
"Come to the kitchen with me."
"Alright" I was thankful that I didn't have to endure that hideous couch anymore "So how does it feel?"
"What, Gin?"
"To be married?"
"It's bliss for now."
"I can imagine."
"Yes so how is Harry?"
"He's good, busy the ministry has him every day and some days it get's rather boring at home without him, so I then help George with the shop."
"but very soon you will be training for Quidditch"
"Yea let's hope"
"Are you alright?"
"Fine"
"Gin, in all the years I have known you I can tell when you are lying"
"I'm fine"
"Gin?"
"Fine Harry thinks I'm in danger."
"Why?"
"Because he suspects that someone charmed the bludger."
"Well Gin it's a possibility."
"Not you too!"
"Gin" she sighed "You don't know how much he loves you and how many people with try at any lengths to get to him and that includes you."
"I know, but…."
"Listen he probably won't want me telling you this but you need to know, while we were on the hunt he would look at your dot on the marauders' map, when he thought Ron or myself weren't looking he would watch you and talk in his sleep whispering your name. He loved you that whole time nothing hurt him more than leaving you, which you probably aren't going to believe this but I think it pained him more than anything he had endured before."
This isn't what I wanted to hear today, I was already feeling guilty for not telling Harry my past and for how Malfoy acted toward me, my plan to become friends with Dean again and now I hear that he was in pain over me? Too much too soon even after the fight today, I began to cry.
"Gin?" she said taking my hand in hers.
"St-op  p-l-e-a-s-e
"What's wrong?"
"It's ju-st that I didn't kn-ow." I sniffled screaming at myself in my mind.
"Here take this." She said handing me a tissue
"Thank you." I said drying my tears. I looked at her she had a guilty look on her face and I put it there. Brilliant.
"I didn't know you would become so…" she said grabbing at words.
"You couldn't have known." I smiled.
"Is everything alright with you and Harry?" she said slowly.
"What do you mean?" I bit at her.
"Are you two or did you" she stammered "are you still going strong?"
"You know I have always hated that expression, going strong? Makes us sound like a river or something,  but yes I guess you could say that we are" I said sipping my tea.
"Then what is really bothering you?" she said going back to the living room.
"Just my past" I said trailing behind.
"Your past?" she asked sitting on the ugly purple couch again.
"The diary to be exact." I said opting for a canary yellow chair instead.
"You aren't still troubled over that are you?" she sipped.
"Yes I mean you wore the locket I could only imagine how you felt with it."
"Actually I, it didn't connect with me."
"He-I mean it didn't?"
"No it only connected with Ron and Harry, not me it just kept telling I'm the wrong girl, whatever that means?"
"I have no idea."
"Well Ron should be coming home soon."
"Is that my cue to leave?"
"No, sorry no it's not."
"So are you going to the Gala?"
"Unfortunately"
"What are you wearing?"
"Nothing to flashy, just simple you?"
"Same" I took a deep breath and then said "Hermione?"
"What is it?"
"Don't you find it bizarre?"
"Find what?"
"The fact that over the last couple of years that we were just trying to survive and now we are discussing dresses for Gala's"
"It is isn't it?"
"A good bizarre right?"
"Very good." She sipped "So did you see anyone else from Hogwarts at the tryout?"
"Quite a few yes."
"Who?"
"Someone you know very well."
"Who?"
"McLaggen."
"And was he as grotesque as always?"
"Worse"
"Lovely anyone else?"
"Dean, some people you didn't know"
"Anyone else who I did?"
"Besides Malfoy no."
"I thought he was in Azkaban?"
"He got out on 'good behavior'."
She rolled her eyes and then sighed "meaning he had mummy pay him out?"
"No he was quite vehement about that."
"You spoke to him?"
"Yes."
"How did that come about?"
"Well I apparated into him."
"Oh how did that end up?"
"bizarre as well."
"Go on?"
"well he sort of flirted with me."
"How did Harry feel when you told him?" she eyed me and then she added "or did you tell him?"
"It's Malfoy you know how he feels when random guys look at me but for Malfoy it would make him go mad."
"So did you talk to him much more than that?"
"Yes but only because he was egging me on."
"What did he say exactly?"
"That I was a rubbish player and he sort of…"
"Sort of what?"
"Sort of gestured something towards me."
"You are acting like your guilty Gin what's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing at all it was just strange seeing him, being pleasant no less."
"are you sure that's it?"
"Yes I'm positive."
"Alright"
Just then moments later Ron flooed home.
"'mione?"
"We are in the living room."
"We?"
"Just come in and don't be rude."
"Why would I be rude?"
"Honestly Ronald!"
"What who are you sitting with?"
"Well come in and you'll figure out…"
"Who is it?"
"Just come in you are being absolutely absurd!"
"Alright fine!"
As my dear brother entered the room he had roses. He came over and kissed Hermione and then saw me.
"So who is here?"
"Really?"  she said angrily
"What she is only my sister not very impressive?"
"Thanks Ron."
"No problem Gin."
"Well I'll be going then, thanks for the tea Hermione, bye dear brother see you tonight."
"Oh Ginny you don't have to go." Hermione pleaded.
"I should plus Harry had the day off and he is probably awake by now."
"Alright, see you" she said hugging me and then Ron pulled me aside.
"Hey I'm sorry about that."
"It's alright Ron, see ya tonight."
"Tonight?"
"The Ministry Gala?"
"What Ministry Gala?"
"The one that is tonight"
"'Mione what ministry Gala?"
"Oh you know the Gala"
"Why are you being cryptic?"
"I'm not dear."
"Yes you are."
"Gin do you mind if I sort out my husband?"
"Not at all I'll see you tonight."
"Alright."
And with that I left a very confused Ron and irritated Hermione, glad to see things are going back to normal.
***
"Harry" I said as I got in the door.
"Back already?" he asked coming down the stairs. Clad in his jim jams still, he had slept that whole time, the only difference now was he wasn't wearing a shirt.
"I ended things early."
"Did you?"
I cut him off with a hungry guilty kiss, as his hands ran throughout my hair I felt them drift to my sweater dress, and off it went, still in my tank top and skinny jeans he leaned his forehead to mine, piercing me with his delicious emeralds and whispered "Hi"
I giggled "Hi"
"What was that about?" he asked
"Would you like me to do that more often?" I whispered against his lips
"Yes I would actually, but we need breakfast." He said pulling me to the kitchen.
"I was thinking something better than breakfast." I kissed him.
"Were you?" he quirked an eyebrow.
"Yes. So how long have we got before the Gala?" I asked as his lips smirked against my neck
"Hours"
"Beautiful"
"Yes you are."
"That was corny."
"Oh really?"
"Yes" I giggled. But then the pang of guilt seared through me.
"Hey are you alright?"
"Yes fine" I said faking a smile.
"No you aren't. Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing is…" was all I could get out before he cut me off.
"Ginny, I know something is bothering you come on out with it?"
"Maybe we should sit down."
"Alright"
I took a deep breath and said "Hermione told me."
"Told you?"
"Told me about the map."
"Oh" he said looking away and then back to me. "She had no right."
"Yes she said that it wasn't her place but she saw that we had a fight"
"She saw how?"
"She is my best friend she knows me and she knew when I would fight with Dean. She's smart our Hermione."
"Yea  I know."
"don't be upset she was trying to help, but it sort of made it worse."
"How?"
"forget it." I shrugged
"No" he firmly said "You brought it up tell me?"
"fine!" I said taking a deep breath again "Do you know how incredibly guilty I felt knowing that you stared at my dot wanting to know if I was safe! Knowing that while you were off ridding the world of every last damned part of his soul and that you were watching me I was the last of your worries when you were gone! You should have forgotten about me…" I was so close to tears, I felt them clouding my vision.
"You felt guilty! I like a total arse leaving you after everything we have been put through! I held onto you because you made everything worthwhile so forgive me for not forgetting you! ever since I saw you in the chamber fragile and weak you were who I held onto when I wore that inferno locket! You are the thought I thought when I we would encounter danger anything, I did I knew I could do it because of you!"
"Stop" I said mustering all the strength I could "please just…"
I was cut off by his lips they were hungry and warm fierce and soft at the same time, everything that I was feeling and everything that he was feeling we put into that kiss.