|
The Oath | ||||||
|
Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Comedy, General, Humor, Romance Warnings: Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Negative Alcohol Use Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 231 Summary: Things are looking up for Harry Potter. He’s engaged to Ginny, he has some good friends and he’s finally learning how to have fun. But what adventures must he go through before he can finally recite his wedding oath? Sequel to my previous story ‘The List’. I suggest you read that one first or much of this will be confusing. Hitcount: Story Total: 91117; Chapter Total: 8481 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: Extensive waffling is provided at the bottom. Oh, and sorry about the song. It's a bit rubbish, I know. |
Previous Next |
|
||||
|
Chapter 10 - Vindaloo Waiting in the tunnel leading to the Harpies Stadium, Ginny had to admit she was in something of a muddle. Normally, with the first Quidditch game of the season about to start in a few minutes, she would have been totally focused on her game. She loved her profession and was fiercely proud of the Harpies. Her head was currently stuffed with game plans and tactics they had worked out in the preceding weeks and information about their opposition today, the Falmouth Falcons. While this would not normally be a problem for her, she found that this year there was competition for her full attention from other sources. With her wedding around a month away, she found herself worrying about the preparations when she should have been concentrating on the game. Ginny cursed herself for her lack of professionalism and forced thoughts about her wedding robes from her mind. Of course, things might have been slightly easier today if she was not facing her ex-boyfriend Tyrone, who had transferred to the Falcons during the summer. Ginny had not spoken to him for over a year now, but the lack of closure on their relationship caused her some worries. Maybe if her meeting with Harry’s ex-girlfriend Sharon had gone better, she would have been less concerned. Right now the last thing she needed was Tyrone creating problems. Ginny was roused from her brooding by the stadium announcer yelling the Harpies' name. This was the signal for the team to sprint out of the tunnel and take to the air. It was traditional that the Harpies always mounted their brooms from a running start while shrieking their piercing battle-cry at the top of their voices. Ginny always enjoyed this dramatic entrance and the unsettling effect it had on the opposition. Her worries vanished as she ran onto the pitch before throwing her leg over her broom and launching herself into a near vertical climb. Levelling off she then accelerated towards the stands containing the home fans. Swinging her broom round, she undertook a high speed pass of the stands making sure she flew as close as possible to the Friends and Family section. Although she was moving too fast to make out specific details, she imagined she saw a black-haired man waiving at her as she went past. The last of the pre-match tension left her, and she climbed to join her colleagues who were hovering nearby. As she approached she noticed Linda waiving at her frantically. She moved her broom until she was parallel to her friend who was wearing a wide smile. Linda leaned over to her and yelled, “The crowd are singing about you! Just listen.” Turning her head towards the home supporters' stand, Ginny could just make out the song that they were singing. Oh, Weasley’s our champion She scores in every game If we play real badly She’s never to blame But lately she’s just super Her scoring’s insane Cos’ her plays just got hotter Now she’s shagged Harry Potter Ginny felt her jaw drop in astonishment. While she’d always dreamed of having the fans sing her name, she could definitely have lived without the references to her sex-life. She scowled at Linda who was in serious danger of falling off her broom as she was laughing so hard. “Laugh it up, hair-brain. Maybe I should suggest a few songs for the crowd to sing about you!” she yelled at her friend. “Oh, no, Ginny. It wouldn’t catch on half as well. If you will insist on bonking the most famous wizard in the country, then you have to be prepared for the consequences!” she grinned. Unfortunately, before Ginny could come up with a snappy comeback, the referee signalled for everyone to take positions ready for the start of the game. A second later the Quaffle and the Snitch were both released and they were off. As anticipated, the Falcons were playing rough. They were a team with a reputation for dirty tactics and they were pulling no punches. Fortunately, the referee was standing for no nonsense and within five minutes the Harpies had scored twice from penalties. As the game continued the scoring became more even, but the action was very stop-start as the referee had continually to stop play due to fouls. This game was definitely not going to be a classic. Half an hour in, Ginny managed to intercept the Quaffle and accelerated towards the Falcons' hoops. A half-roll ensured the outstretched hand of one of the Falcons' chasers missed her and she was delighted to see that she only had the keeper to beat. The pre-match briefing stated he was weaker on his left side but she was approaching him from his right. The keeper correctly hovered between the nearest two hoops, until it was clear which one Ginny was going to commit herself to. Trying to keep surprise on her side, she flew directly at him until she was just a few yards away: close enough to see the growing fear in his eyes. At the last second she pulled her broom as hard as she could to the right, and she passed by the startled man by a matter of inches. She was then free to toss the Quaffle through the far hoop with ease. Pumping her fist in the air, Ginny turned back towards her colleagues just in time to hear someone shout a warning. Looking round, she saw a Bludger heading straight for her. Desperately, she tried to dive out of the path of the iron ball but she just couldn’t move quite fast enough. The ball struck her on the shoulder. She felt herself lifted off her broom and start to tumble. For a few seconds she had a stomach churning sensation of falling before she slammed into the ground. A sharp pain shot through her left arm and she heard a sickening crack. Ginny dimly heard herself scream as the bone broke. Somehow, she managed to prop herself up into a sitting position and she saw her team-mates hurry towards her. She looked around her in a daze. “Thank Merlin for cushioning charms,” she heard herself say before she passed out. Three hours later Ginny sat at a table in the Harpies' bar in a sulk. Her arm was in a sling, and the Harpies Healer had advised her not to use it at all for the rest of the day. Fortunately, it had been a clean break and she should be as good as new tomorrow. After she had been carried from the pitch, play had only restarted for five minutes before the Snitch dived straight in front of the Falcons' seeker and he made an easy catch. Although her absence from the game probably made no difference to them losing, Ginny was still cursing herself for getting hit. With her arm itching like hell, she was rapidly getting into a very bad mood. Of course, Harry had clucked around her like a mother hen, or at least he had until she had threatened to hex him. At that point he just laughed and said she must be feeling better before suggesting they head for the bar. Ginny conceded a large drink might well improve her mood. While she took a seat, Harry volunteered to get the first round. “Hey, Ginny. How’s the arm?” a male voice enquired in her ear. Turning rapidly she came face to face with a nervous-looking Tyrone. Mentally, she groaned. “Hello, Tyrone. It’s not too bad. I should be all healed by tomorrow,” she replied in a guarded voice. “Great!” he replied brightly before he continued in a more measured voice. “Look, Ginny, I know things didn’t exactly end well between us. I just wanted to make sure that we’re okay.” “There is no ‘we’, Tyrone. We haven’t spoken in over a year. Our relationship just fizzled out and obviously neither of us felt strongly enough about it to do anything,” she said wearily. “No, I didn’t mean it like that!” he responded quickly. “I just didn’t want there to be any unpleasantness, that’s all. I mean, I’m in a good relationship now, and I know you’re getting married soon. It’s just we never really said anything to each other at the end, and I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings.” Ginny blinked in surprise. This definitely wasn’t the Tyrone she remembered. He had obviously grown up a bit and didn’t seem to be the self-centred, slightly arrogant Quidditch star he once was. Maybe his new girlfriend was having a positive effect on him. “No, there are no hard feelings, Tyrone. We were both a bit immature and we should have sat down and talked when it was clear we were both losing interest. But it’s water under the bridge. So, tell me about this ‘good relationship’.” “Oh, her name's Amanda,” Tyrone said enthusiastically. “She’s an artist. She’s ever so clever and really talented. Beautiful, too. I don’t know how I got so lucky.” “How long have you been together?” Ginny asked with interest. Tyrone was dating an artist? The closest to culture he had got when they were dating was the mould in the back of his fridge. “Oh, over a year and a half now,” he replied happily. Ginny did a brief bit of mental arithmetic and concluded that Tyrone had started seeing this Amanda when he was technically still seeing her. She silently decided she didn’t care enough to point this out. “Is that him, then?” Tyrone suddenly blurted out. “What?” Ginny asked in confusion. “Potter. Is that him at the bar?” Tyrone asked in a strangely excited voice. For a second, Ginny just stared at him before the penny dropped. She had been surprised at his unexpected thoughtfulness and desire to set things straight between them. This generally had seemed a bit out of character for the brash young man. But now things became clear — he didn’t really want to talk to her; he wanted to talk to Harry! It was all she could do to stop herself bursting out laughing at Tyrone’s fan-boy enthusiasm. She shook her head slightly. “Yes, that’s him. He’s just getting the drinks. When he comes back I’ll introduce you.” Tyrone beamed in pleasure at her words. Great, she thought. Not only does Harry’s ex want to get back with him, now my ex is after him too! HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Stepping out the Floo lightly, Harry entered the kitchen at the Burrow with Ginny a just few steps behind. They had agreed that they were going to meet Ron and Hermione here and go out for a meal together. A chance remark had led Harry to discover that Ron had never eaten Indian food. Frankly, he didn’t understand how anyone who grew up in Britain could possibly avoid eating a curry at least once in their life, but this was an oversight he fully intended to be rectified tonight. He found the couple sat at the kitchen table. Hermione was holding a small, plastic model of a cow in front of Ron. “Okay, Ron. Concentrate this time,” she said. Ron nodded. She brandished the small cow in his face. “Now this is very small, but those…” she pointed out the kitchen window to the surrounding fields, “…are far away.” She looked at Ron in anticipation. Ron crunched up his forehead in concentration for a moment before shaking his head sadly. “Oh, forget it!” yelled Hermione, throwing the toy cow down in frustration. Looking up, she noticed Harry and Ginny. “Hi, guys. How are things?” she asked. “Pretty good,” Harry replied as he and Ginny each took a seat at the table. Further conversation was temporally halted by the arrival of Molly Weasley into the kitchen. “Oh, I thought I heard you two arrive. Nice to see you, Harry, although I am disappointed not seeing so much of you these days,” Molly added with a wink. Harry groaned. Ever since Molly had caught him and Ginny trying to sneak back into the Burrow after a bit of impromptu skinny-dipping, she had been teasing him something rotten. Oh course, she always phrased it in such a way that only the three of them knew what she was referring to, but he still didn’t appreciate his future mother-in-law making suggestive comments about his anatomy. It also didn’t help that Ginny found the whole thing hilarious. “What do you mean?” interrupted Ron. “Harry practically lives here most of the time. Every time I sit down for a meal he’s already at the table.” “Ronald, don’t be so rude,” Molly scolded. “I feel it’s my duty to keep Harry well fed. I know Ginny appreciates him being well looked after, and we don’t want to see that fine physique of his waste away now, do we? I, for one, certainly wouldn’t want to see that.” “Right! Are we all ready? Shall we make a move?” Harry asked quickly, his cheeks starting to redden. He could just hear Ginny snigger in the background. After everyone voiced their agreement they stood up to leave. Molly insisted on giving Harry a rather long and uncomfortably tender hug before he could leave. Harry knew she was doing that just to embarrass him, but he couldn’t think of any way to stop it. Ginny just smiled innocently and commented how lovely it was that Harry and her mother were becoming so close. Harry just glared at her. The four of them took the Floo to Grimmauld Place, and from there it was a short walk to Harry and Ginny’s favourite Indian restaurant, the Shah Jahan. He entered first and was greeted by the waiter who knew them both by sight. This place was one of their regular haunts of a Saturday night. For some reason Ginny always felt the need for a curry after playing a long Quidditch match and Harry certainly wasn’t going to complain. As a trainee, he had quickly learned that curry was pretty much the staple diet of an Auror. Training often lasted until the early hours of the morning, and chances were that the Indian restaurants were the only places still open. He’d sit and watch his instructors happily devour dishes so hot his eyes would start watering just looking at them. Of course, these days he could merrily eat stuff that could melt the paint off walls, but it had taken him years to build up that level of tolerance. Ginny tended to stick with the milder dishes with creamy sauces. They were soon seated at a booth and were given menus. To Harry’s surprise, all four of them ordered lager to drink. A brief interrogation revealed that Hermione was fairly familiar with Indian cuisine and regularly ate it with her parents who were both big fans of spicy food. Ron, unsurprisingly, seemed to be struggling with the menu and was relying on his soon-to-be wife to make suggestions. “Anyone want a starter or shall we just go straight into the main course?” Harry inquired. “Shall we just get some papadoms to start with?” Ginny asked and was met with general agreement. “What’s everyone having? I’m going for a chicken Loknu.” “Hmm, I thought about that,” Hermione mused, “but for a change I’m going to have lamb Dupiaza. What are you going to have, Harry?” Harry paused for a second. Normally, he would go for something hot and spicy indeed, but was all too aware that sometimes these things turned into eating competitions where the males all tried to out-macho each other by eating the hottest thing on the menu. He decided to play it safe. “Think I’ll have a chicken Kashmir,” he replied. Ginny looked at him startled. “Wow, are you not feeling well, Harry? That’s a bit tame by your standards.” Harry tried to shoot her a look to keep her quiet but the damage was done. “Oh, don’t hold back on my account, Harry,” Ron said, sounding a bit miffed. “I know I haven’t eaten this stuff before, but you needn’t feel like you have to protect me or something.” Harry stared at the tall red-head who was looking back at him belligerently. “Fine, I’ll have my usual then,” he said, “I’ll have a chicken Vindaloo.” “I’ll have the same,” Ron snapped almost as soon as Harry had finished speaking. “Um, Ron. I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Hermione said. “Harry’s obviously used to hot and spicy food, but you’re not. I don’t want you to have to spend the night on the loo.” “I’ll manage fine. Have you ever found anything that I won’t eat?” Ron asked reasonably. Hermione shrugged her shoulders in defeat. With their choices made, the waiter was waved over and took their order. After only a few minutes he returned with a plate piled high with papadoms and a revolving tray with various pickles. The four of them tucked in. “These are great,” Ron commented after a while. “They’re just like giant crisps and these pickles are great too. Not so mad on the green one, though.” Harry looked at the tub of lime pickle Ron had indicated. He thought it telling that Ron wasn’t partial to the only pickle sauce with any heat in it. He was starting to look forward to the main meal. “Oh, Hermione! Did I tell you that Luna will be able to make it back for the wedding?” Ginny said. Harry couldn’t help but notice Ron roll his eyes. “No, you didn’t. It’ll be great to see her again. How long has she been out in South America? Two years or three?” Hermione asked. “Closer to three,” confirmed Ginny before she turned to Harry. “You’ll love Luna. I’ve known her for years and she’s a great friend. I think it’s safe to say she is the most unique person I know.” “You can say that again,” muttered Ron. “Oh hush, Ron. We know you don’t like her,” scolded Hermione. “With good reason,” replied Ron. “The girls a nutter! A total weirdo! A complete…” “Friend of mine,” interrupted Ginny. “Ignore Ron, Harry. She may have some strange ideas but she’s a lovely person.” “ Can’t wait to meet her,” Harry replied. Soon the stack of papadoms had vanished and more lager was ordered. The four happily sat and chatted about Harry and Ginny’s upcoming wedding and about Ron and Hermione’s plans for their honeymoon. Hermione was just telling the others about Ron’s desire to try water-skiing when the main course arrived. Metal trays were laid out across the table and dishes containing their bubbling hot food placed on them. Bowls of rice were put down and finally plates were laid in front of all four of them. Enthusiastically, Harry and the two girls grabbed their bowls of rice and emptied them onto their plates. They then started spooning their selected food into the centre of their piles of rice. Ron watched for a second before copying them. Harry took his first fork full of his Vindaloo and felt the familiar burn in his throat. It always took a few mouthfuls before he adjusted to the fiery food he was consuming, and it was a little uncomfortable until he did so. He took another swig on his lager and tucked in. Movement caught his attention and he looked up in time to see Ron take his first bite. Harry had to give him credit, Ron tried, he really did. After the first few mouthfuls his face turned a shade of red to match his hair. Harry could see Ron’s eyes start to water and heard him sniff as his nose started running. After the third bite Ron dropped his fork and grabbed his pint of lager which he nearly downed in one. Harry dropped his gaze to his own plate and ignored Ginny’s sniggering. After a couple more bites, Ron made his excuses and rushed to the toilet. “I told him to pick something milder, didn’t I?” Hermione huffed as soon as Ron had vanished from view. “Hermione, by suggesting that you almost guaranteed Ron would pick the hottest thing on the menu,” Ginny grinned. “You know what he’s like, tell him he can’t do something and he will go all out to try and prove you wrong. Even if he hasn’t got a hope of actually doing whatever it was. So, anyone want to take bets on how much he finishes? I bet five Galleons he can’t finish more than a quarter of his plate.” “I’ll say half,” Harry grinned. Hermione looked unsure. Taking her own fork she leaned over and took a small piece of chicken off Ron’s plate before warily popping it into her mouth. “Shit!” she screeched before reaching for own drink. Harry and Ginny both broke down laughing. For some reason he found Hermione swearing to be very funny. At least she had the good grace to laugh along with them. “I’m not even going to bet,” she laughed, with tears streaming down her face. “How can you eat this stuff, Harry?” “Years of practice,” he shrugged. A second later Ron returned and eyed his plate nervously. “Okay, I admit defeat. This is way too hot for me. Do you think if I ask they’ll bring me something else?” Ron asked. Hermione leaned over and kissed him. “What was that for?” he asked in surprise. “For not being a macho prat and trying to eat something which would make you sick,” she smiled at him. “Let’s call the waiter over. The Kurma’s very tasty.” Harry grinned. The prospect of married life was obviously teaching Ron some sense. He glanced over at Ginny who was smiling back at him. Having a good woman by your side was definitely to be recommended, he decided. The Brennus Guide to Eating Hot Curry 1. Your dish of choice should always be accompanied by papadoms and naan bread. You’ll need something bland to mix things up. 2. Work your way up to the really hot dishes. There’s no shame in starting with a Kurma if you’re a curry virgin. 3. Your meal must be accompanied by large quantities of ice cold lager. Remember, water just spreads the burning sensation around. Some people will tell you that milk is best for quenching the fire in your mouth, but what self-respecting person is going to go to an Indian restaurant and order milk? 4. Your napkin is your friend. Just make sure that you use one end for wiping your mouth and the other for mopping the sweat from your brow. Mix them up and you will end up with burning curry sauce all over your face. This is not recommended. 5. If you are inexperienced, selecting a restaurant with nice, clean toilets will be a good idea. That Vindaloo is going to be trying to escape from either end and in those circumstances the last thing you want to find out is that the loo resembles the black hole of Calcutta. 6. Speed is essential. If you linger over every mouthful you will fail. Just keep shovelling in the food as fast as you can and ignore the fact your throat is on fire. 7. Do not try any of this unless you are mad, a masochist, or British. Proper Author notes This chapter came about due to my desire to incorporate a number of elements in my story. I’ve always said that this tale is meant to show Harry and Ginny as a typical young, British couple, and with that in mind, what’s more British than going for an Indian? The Shah Jahan is actually Mrs Brennus and I’s favourite curry house and is situated in Salisbury near the railway station. My addiction to curry started back in my army days and at its height I could manage industrial strength dishes with the best of them. These days I tend to go for medium strength meals; I’m really getting old. After I had Molly pull that prank on Harry and Ginny back in chapter 5, I wanted to show some of the fallout from it. In canon and in so many fan fics, Molly is shown as a surrogate mother for Harry. Just to mix things up I thought it would be funny to have her sexually harassing him instead. Of course both Harry and Ginny realise it’s just a wind-up, but that doesn’t stop it being very embarrassing for Harry. Snigger. Finally, British readers will, I’m sure, have spotted the Father Ted joke in the middle. I recently performed this scene in a large toy shop in Salisbury much to the amusement of one of the shop’s staff. I’m sure any self-respecting Father Ted fan would do the same if they spotted a small, plastic model cow. BTW, Mrs Brennus and I don’t have kids; we just like looking round toy shops. |
| Reviews 231 |
Previous Next
|
