I have had several betas on this thing. I think it was about here i got confused about who had beta'ed what ...
Let's face it, I can't remember who beta'ed my own work ... thank goingbacktosquareone, Ella and LadyChi - I'm pretty sure it was them! (But not necessarily in that order ...)
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I'll Be There For You | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe, Buried Gems Characters:All Genres: Comedy, Fluff, Romance Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 311 Summary: When your life's a little bit ... sucky, you can count on your friends. Well, most of them anyway ... well, some of them at least ... maybe just one. Hitcount: Story Total: 80451; Chapter Total: 9331 Author's Notes: |
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The day was going from bad to worse as far as Ginny Weasley was concerned. She had snapped four hair elastics, torn a hole in two socks — rendering two pairs useless — and locked herself out of her flat, all before five o’clock in the morning. As she sat huddled against the bright green walls of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, her dressing gown clutched around her, Ginny reflected that maybe it just wasn’t her week. She’d injured herself during practice two days ago and was back to carrying the water after playing only one game of the season. Ginny sighed and retreated further into her dressing gown. Perhaps George would be along early to open the shop. Ginny sat down on the tiny porch and settled in for the wait. The last time she’d tried to Apparate into the flat she’d been stuck in George’s security web for four hours. No, it was better to just wait. Ginny berated herself for trying to let the post owl in the door rather than try and open the jammed window of the flat. “Stupid, silly, cotton-headed-” “First sign of madness,” a deep voice chuckled. Ginny looked up to see Harry Potter, his hair tousled by the wind and his green eyes sparkling mischievously at her. Ginny blushed heavily and rolled her eyes as she scrambled to her feet. “Well, you’d recognise madness,” she retorted. “What are you doing here this early?” Harry grinned and slung his cloak off his shoulders, swirling it around her. It smelled just like him and Ginny burrowed into the warm folds, inhaling his familiar scent appreciatively. “I was at work when we got an Owl from old Mr Linton at number eighty-nine saying there was a vagrant lurking outside the shop,” Harry said with a smirk. “I said I’d check it out on my way home.” “Night shift?” Ginny asked, surprised. Harry hadn’t said anything about that last Friday when he’d turned up with pizza and a tale of woe about Susan Bones. “Swapped with Dean,” Harry said. “Lavender’s been having trouble with the pregnancy again. He’s off nights until after the baby’s born.” “And you’re on?” “Single, no family,” Harry shrugged. “I’m first in line for extended night shift. But enough about my pathetic existence, what are you doing out here in your mismatched socks and dressing gown?” “Locked myself out,” Ginny admitted sheepishly. “Last time I tried to Apparate back in I got stuck in the security web …” Harry eyed the shop warily. “Come on,” he said eventually. “Let’s go have breakfast.” “Scared of the wards, Potter?” “George set them!” Harry defended himself. “I’m an Auror, not stupid!” “Fair enough,” Ginny grinned up at him. “Where are you going to take me dressed like this?” She indicated her worn pyjamas and faded dressing gown. “Can you imagine the scandal?” Harry teased. “Mum would have my hide,” Ginny said. “Imagine what sort of damage it would do to my image as an available female if I ended up on the front page of the Prophet in my nightwear!” “Come on then, Weasley,” Harry said, wrapping his arms around her. “Poached eggs or scrambled? I can cook both, although I recommend scrambled.” “Should I really subject myself to your cooking?” “Oh stop complaining,” Harry said. “You’ve eaten it before.” He Apparated them away and Ginny found herself in the small kitchen of Harry’s flat. She perched herself on one of the kitchen stools and shrugged off Harry’s heavy cloak. A discarded jumper was lying next to her and she snatched it up, pulling it over her head. Harry was rummaging in his pantry and carried a carton of eggs and a loaf of bread over to the kitchen counter triumphantly. “Make sure you give that one back,” he grumbled. “I never have any jumpers left after you’ve been here.” Ginny waved a hand dismissively at him as the Floo flared to life behind him. Very few people could Floo Harry. It was extremely well warded and only Harry could answer Floo calls or travel through it. “Harry!” Her mother’s voice was frantic. “You have to come quickly! It’s Ginny!” Ginny and Harry shared a puzzled look before Harry swiftly knelt down at the hearth. “She’s fine, Molly,” Harry reassured her. “Do you want to talk to her?” “I can’t! She’s not there!” “Well, no-” “Where else would she be at six o’clock in the morning?” “She’s right here,” Harry said quickly. “She’s fine, I promise. Here, let me unlock the wards so you can talk to her.” “She’s there?” Ginny’s mother raised her eyebrows. “Erm … yeah …” “Well … oh … tell her to come to St Mungo’s, quickly!” There was no hiding the smile in her voice. “You, too, Harry dear. Tell Ginny she’s an Auntie! Fleur had the baby!” Ginny gasped and jumped up at the same moment her mother’s head vanished from the fireplace. “Come on!” Ginny said, throwing Harry’s cloak at him. “Let’s go!” Harry chuckled as he followed her out of the flat. It didn’t take long to find Fleur’s room — a group of redheads filled the corridor outside. “Ginny!” her mother exclaimed, catching sight of her. “Where were you?” “Harry just told you,” Ginny said, rolling her eyes as she spoke. “At his place.” “What were you doing there?” Ron asked, a perplexed frown crossing his features. “Wearing your pyjamas and his jumper?” George added a mischievous glint in his eyes. Ginny blushed as she realised George’s meaning. “I got locked out of the flat,” she said with exasperation. “I couldn’t get in because of your wards, so I was waiting for you to come to work.” “I was investigating a vagrancy report,” Harry added as he came up behind Ginny. “You know how I can’t resist rescuing a damsel.” He grinned at Ginny but she just rolled her eyes at him again while George looked between them with an eyebrow raised. “If you say so,” George said. Ginny ignored him. “How’s Fleur?” she asked. “”How’s the baby? What did they call him?” “We called her Victoire.” Bill’s voice came from the doorway of the Fleur’s room. He was cradling a bundle in his arms and had a tired smile on his face. “Oh!” gasped the new grandmother softly. “Well, blow me,” George breathed. “It’s a girl.” Ginny smiled widely as Bill showed off his new daughter proudly. Ginny was marveling over her niece’s pink, rosy cheeks when a shrill cry suddenly rang out, making the baby squirm, her little face scrunched up in anticipation of some hearty lung exercise. “Where is the new Maman?” Gabrielle’s voice pierced Ginny’s head as surely as if she’d driven a stake trough it. Ginny grimaced and was gratified to find a matching look on Harry’s face. Gabrielle continued to coo loudly over the new infant and Bill looked panicked as he clumsily attempted to calm his fretful daughter. “Look at ‘er, Phillipe!” Gabrielle shrieked. “She is positively the most beautiful baby in the ‘ole world!” It was only then that Ginny noticed the blonde man who had accompanied Fleur’s sister. Ginny withdrew from the baby’s side and stood against the wall, arms crossed, scowling at Gabrielle. “He’s very beautiful, isn’t he?” Harry murmured, leaning on the wall next to her. Ginny grunted. “How old do you think he is? Nineteen? Twenty?” “She’s only fourteen!” Ginny hissed. “Unbelievable! My last successful date was with a bloke a year younger than I am who picked his teeth at the dinner table-” “Dominic wasn’t that bad-” “You didn’t go to dinner with him!” Ginny retorted. She turned back to Gabrielle. “She’s fourteen! It is completely unfair that she would have a boyfriend-” “And such a good looking one,” Harry smirked. “-when my last date consisted of a double with Demelza where my date ran off with hers! No, it’s definitely not my day.” Phillipe leaned over to kiss Gabrielle’s cheek and she laughed; a tinkling laugh that grated on Ginny’s nerves. “Well … it’s not my week,” Harry sighed. “Susan’s laugh sounded like that …” “Oh don’t be ridiculous,” Ginny said. “Susan sounded like a hyena.” Harry glared at her in mock indignation but Ginny ignored him while Gabrielle tossed her long blonde hair expertly. “Susan has lovely hair.” Harry sighed again. “Get a grip, Harry,” Ginny said, looking at him in horror. “I’ve been dumped,” Harry asserted. “My whole month has been worse than yours.” He affected a look reminiscent of a lost puppy. “Gabrielle has a boyfriend before me,” Ginny said. “This is not my year.” “I’m sure having a boyfriend is overrated,” Harry said, slinging a comforting arm around her shoulders as Phillipe took Gabrielle’s arm daintily. “Come on, Weasley. I’ll cook you some breakfast.” “You’re on, Potter,” she said, blowing Bill a kiss and indicating that she’d come back later. Gabrielle laughed at something Phillipe said, tossing her perfect hair again, and Ginny knew that she didn’t want to be with such a … fop anyway. She’d have to spend all her time worrying about her nails with a bloke like him. As Ginny fell into step with Harry she banished the very beautiful Phillipe from her mind. She’d have more fun teasing Harry about his cooking. It was much better to hang out with him anyway; much less pressure. Just friends. |
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