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SIYE Time:21:14 on 28th March 2024
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Hail Odysseus
By Brennus

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Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Other
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Spouse/Adult/Child Abuse, Violence/Physical Abuse
Story is Complete
Rating: R
Reviews: 370
Summary: After believing that Harry Potter died in a house fire at the age of ten, the Wizarding world is shocked when he returns out of the blue, just in time to attend his seventh year at Hogwarts. They're even more shocked when he's Sorted into Slytherin.
Hitcount: Story Total: 119975; Chapter Total: 7572
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
Okay, this is the last ‘light’ chapter you’re going to get, and even this gets a bit tasty in places. Oh, if anyone wants to know about the Potter family motto, I got it from a website that sells plaques with families coats of arms on them. I admit I only started looking because the same motto was used in Jeconais’s wonderful ‘This Means War!’ story, but I assume he got it from the same site I did.

Just as a tease, I will mention that there’s a major character death in the next chapter. I wouldn’t want anyone to assume I’m getting soft in my old age.

Huge bouncy thanks to Arnel for beta reading.




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Chapter 12 — All the Lessons



“Ooh, bad luck, Potter!” Ginevra taunted as she dived to one side. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

Harry could barely keep a smile from his own face as he stalked forward. They were once again in the Room of Requirement, practicing their duelling techniques in preparation for their fight with the Hufflepuffs the next day. Over the preceding month they had spent a great deal of time training, and Harry was immensely impressed with the progress the small redhead had made. She was undoubtedly a natural at this.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re such a titchy target,” he mocked her. “If you weren’t such a midget that curse would have hit you straight between the eyes.”

“Why, you…” she gasped and began to launch a relentless barrage of spells at him. If Ginevra did have a weakness, it was that she was too easy to wind up and her anger occasionally got the better of her. Harry concentrated on maintaining a decent Shield Charm in front of him, and waited for her to exhaust herself.

“Expelliarmus!” he yelled suddenly as Ginevra took a brief rest from casting offensive spells at him to gather her breath. Her wand was ripped from her fingers and landed in Harry’s outstretched hand.

“Oh, bugger it!” she raged, glaring at him in frustration. “A bloody Disarming Charm? I lose to a bloody Disarming Charm?”

“What have I said about you losing your temper in a fight?” he reminded her. “You’ve got to learn to keep your cool, otherwise you leave yourself open to a simple spell like that.”

“Yeah, well, if you weren’t so stupidly powerful, I would have had you. Who else can maintain a Shield Charm as solidly as you? Ninety-nine per cent of witches and wizards in the world wouldn’t have been able to cope with the number of curses I threw at you,” she grumbled.

“Yes, but it’s that other one per cent that I’m worried about. Remember, that figure includes Dumbledore and Voldemort, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up in a fight with either of them,” he told her grimly.

“Really? I mean, Voldemort’s a given, but do you really see yourself fighting Dumbledore one day?” Ginevra asked in surprise.

“It’s a possibility,” he admitted. “The old man seems to be compelled to control everything and everyone, and I’m not going to put up with that. I suspect at some point we’re going to clash, and I’m not going to back down.”

“I guess,” she admitted reluctantly. “It just seems odd. I mean, you’re going to have your hands full with Voldemort, surely you don’t want to start picking fights with Dumbledore, too.”

“Oh, I’m not going to antagonise him if I don’t have to,” Harry assured her. “I rather think that he’ll be the one to come after me, not the other way round.”

“If you say so,” she shrugged. “Are we about done here? I’m getting a bit fed up having my arse kicked all the time. It’s normally me who does the kicking.”

“I’m sure you’ll get the chance to dish out a bit of punishment tomorrow,” Harry smirked, “but before we go, there’s something I’d like you to have.”

Harry walked over to his robes, which he’d discarded at the start of their duelling session. After rummaging around in the inside pocket for a few seconds, he stood and presented Ginevra with a carefully wrapped package. With faint amusement on her face, she ripped off the wrapping paper and unfolded the garment contained within it.

“What’s this?” she asked in confusion.

“A duelling outfit,” Harry answered. “I’ve got an identical set and I thought we should match.”

Ginevra carefully examined the finely-tailored, one-piece garment. It was made from what was obviously expensive material, and had extra padding at the elbows and knees. It was mostly black, although the arms were coloured bright red and there was silver edging around the collar and wrists. On the chest was displayed a crest showing a black field with a diagonal white stripe and three cinquefoils on it. Below were the words ‘Audaces Fortuna Juvat’ written in black letters on a silver background.

“Is this your family crest?” Ginevra asked.

“Yes, and as you’re my second and nominated champion in the second duel, I thought you should wear it. You want to try it on?” he asked.

“Trying to get me naked again, Potter? You really are a dirty old letch, aren’t you?” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“This is the Room of Requirement, remember?” he pointed out smugly. “Just think about a changing area and one will appear.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. And here was me about to strip off right in front of you, too,” she teased.

A second later, a simple wooden screen appeared a few feet away. Ginevra walked over to it, swaying her hips as she did so. Harry noted that the screen only came up to her shoulders and surmised that she was planning on tormenting him. For a moment, he pondered requesting the room to create a large mirror on the far wall, but thought better of it.

Ginevra went behind the screen, and indeed her head and upper shoulders were completely visible. With a wicked smile on her lips, she pulled off the long-sleeved t-shirt she had been wearing and casually draped it over the screen. Harry couldn’t help but admire her pale, creamy skin which was dusted with freckles. After some wriggling around, her jeans joined her t-shirt on the screen, and she paused to smirk at him.

“This outfit looks quite snug,” she noted. “I guess I’m going to have visible panty and bra lines if I leave my underwear on, won’t I?”

A moment later, her bra and knickers joined her other garments. Knowing that only a thin, wooden screen separated him from her naked body, Harry started to feel distinctly aroused. Silently, he thanked the gods that he was wearing loose-fitting sweatpants, as anything tighter would have revealed exactly what effect Ginevra’s striptease was having on him.

In the meantime, Ginevra picked up the duelling outfit, and began to pull it on. It took her a few moments to adjust it to her liking, before she stepped out from behind the screen.

“What do you think?” she asked, performing a twirl for him.

“Fantastic,” he said in a breathy voice. Truly, she looked wonderful. The one-piece outfit seemed to be melted onto her body, revealing her shapely curves to advantage.

“So, don’t I get to see you in your outfit?” she asked, a knowing smile on her lips.

“Umm, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I don’t have it with me at present,” he lied. Actually, the outfit was in his robes, but if he put it on now his blood-flow issues would become completely self-evident for her to see.

“Shame,” she said. “Still, this does feel wonderful. I’ve got so much freedom of movement with this on, it almost feels like I’m wearing nothing at all.”

“Yes, shame you’re not duelling Macmillan. With that outfit on, he’d be too busy drooling to remember to cast a spell at you,” Harry noted in admiration.

“Perhaps we should swap opponents, then. Maybe you could distract Abbott with that boner you’re trying to hide,” Ginevra grinned.

Harry looked down at the front of his sweatpants and then back at the smirking girl. “This is revenge for that ‘titchy’ comment, isn’t it?” he asked sourly.

“Why, yes, it is, indeed, Mr Potter,” she smiled sweetly.

Harry swore quietly and adjusted the front of his trousers.

In the meantime, Ginevra had summoned a full-length mirror and was admiring her reflection in it.

“I must admit, I do look pretty hot in this get-up,” she said, twisting this way and that. “If nothing else, it’s guaranteed to give my brother Ron a heart attack. He’s convinced himself that I’m still only about eight years old. I think it will come as a shock to him that I’ve got breasts.”

“I meant to ask you about that,” Harry said. “Has your family said anything about this duel?”

“My wonderful parents wrote to me saying how disappointed they are in my behaviour, so it was pretty much their usual correspondence. Actually, I’m surprised they don’t start using a form letter to write to me, ‘Ginny, we are bitterly disappointed at you about…’ and just leave a blank space to fill in later,” she chuckled grimly.

“How about your brothers, did they say anything?” he asked.

“Nah, well, Bill did write saying that he didn’t teach me those spells just so I could go around challenging people to duels, and Ronald was his usual charming self. In fact, he made it clear that he’d be rooting for the Hufflepuffs, the big git,” Ginevra explained bitterly.

“You know, the more I hear from your brother, the more I dislike him. Are you sure you two really related?” he asked in disbelief.

“Sadly, yes, although I do keep trying to deny it. This red hair and the freckles do sort of give it away, though,” she frowned.

“Yes, they do a bit. You should probably get changed back. We need to get back to the common room soon,” Harry noted.

“Yes, we can’t have Trelawney angry at us, can we?” she agreed sarcastically.

Harry purposely turned away while she changed this time. The lump in his trousers was just subsiding and he didn’t want to risk it reoccurring. This, of course, amused Ginevra no end, and she kept a constant barrage of smut and innuendo going while she changed. Harry remained quiet and instead just kept reciting Puddlemere United’s team line-up for the last season, in his head.

Eventually, Ginevra changed back into her normal clothes and they left the Room of Requirement, intent on heading back to the Slytherin dungeon. They had just arrived on the ground floor when an airy voice called to them.

“Hello, Ginny, it’s nice to see you again,” the voice said.

Harry turned to see a young witch with dirty blond hair and slightly protruding eyes standing there looking at them serenely. The girl was wearing a necklace made out of what appeared to be Butterbeer caps and had earrings shaped like dirigible plums. For a second, Harry was uncertain whether to start laughing or to begin edging away slowly.

“Oh, you’re talking to me again, are you, Lovegood?” Ginevra replied to the girl coldly.

“Yes, I suppose I am,” the blond witch responded simply.

“So, after ignoring me for three years, you think you can just cosy-up to me again, do you?” Ginevra spat. “What’s made you come crawling back, then?”

“You’re yourself again,” the girl said as if it was obvious.

“You what?” Ginevra exclaimed in exasperation.

“You’ve become Ginny again,” Lovegood explained. “For a while you became that Ginevra person, and I didn’t really like her. Since the start of this term, however, you’ve slowly become Ginny again. I’m very glad, actually.”

“Merlin’s beard, you really are a loony, you know that?” Ginevra said in annoyance.

“Many people tell me that, but if I am, I really don’t care. Hello, Harry Potter,” Lovegood said suddenly turning towards Harry.

“Err, hello,” Harry said carefully.

“I expect that I have you to thank for bring Ginny back. She really is a much better person when you’re around. When did you become lovers, exactly?” Lovegood asked with a somewhat unnerving intensity.

“What? Well, we’re… umm, not actually… I mean,” Harry mumbled, completely taken aback by the strange girl.

“My relationship with Potter is none of your business,” Ginevra leapt in harshly. “You’d better not be spreading rumours like that around the school, either.”

“Oh, no one believes what I say, anyway,” Lovegood pointed out. “But really, Ginny, there’s no need to be embarrassed. I see the way you two look at each other and it’s quite a beautiful thing, really. I wish I had a boy that loved me like that. Or maybe a Umgubular Slashkilter. I’d like very much like one of those to love me, too; they make such wonderful pets. Anyway, I just wanted to welcome you back, Ginny.”

With that, Lovegood pulled Ginevra into a quick hug and then skipped off in the direction of the Great Hall. For a second, Harry and Ginevra stood in silence.

“Well, she’s very…” Harry began uneasily.

“Yeah! She is, isn’t she?” Ginevra agreed quickly.

“Umm, about what she said…” Harry continued reluctantly.

“Oh, you don’t want to believe a thing Loony Lovegood says. I mean, look at all that stuff about Umgubular wotsits. Ridiculous, really,” Ginevra said purposely not looking directly at Harry.

“Umm, yeah, I guess,” he reluctantly agreed. “Shall we head back now?”

“Yes, good idea,” she readily agreed.

They were nearly back to Slytherin’s common room before either of them spoke again.

“Ginevra, can I ask you something?” Harry began as they approached the hidden doorway.

“If you’re going to ask to see my boobs again, then the answer is no,” she joked.

“Damn,” Harry smiled before turning serious again. “I’ve noticed that all your family call you Ginny, not Ginevra, and that Lovegood girl did, too. Why is that?”

Ginevra sighed. “I gave up being Ginny when I was Sorted into Slytherin,” she explained bitterly. “Ginny was this playful, fun-loving girl that everyone loved, but suddenly through no fault of my own, I wasn’t that person anymore. So I became Ginevra, which is a more fitting name for a House obsessed by blood-purity and status. Besides, it is actually my given name. Ginevra fitted into Slytherin much more comfortably than Ginny ever would have.”

“So, are you really two different people?” Harry asked. “Ginevra is one side of your personality and this Ginny is the other? Was what Lovegood said true? Are you becoming more like you were previously? You certainly seem a lot more relaxed now than when I first met you.”

“I don’t know, Harry,” she shrugged. “I mean, in many ways I am a lot happier than I was before, despite what happened to poor Tracey, and your arrival here at Hogwarts has had a lot to do with it. What you said about being a third way really got me thinking, and I realised I didn’t have to become what others wanted me to be, not my family or those pure-blood idiots in the common room. I could just be me. Maybe I am becoming a bit more like I used to be, but, on the other hand, I’m still Ginevra and she will always be part of me, too.”

“What do you want me to call you, then? Ginevra or Ginny?” he asked.

“Ginevra, for the moment. We’re still Slytherins and that name still fits me the best. Perhaps one day that will change, but for the present I’m happy with the way things are,” she admitted.

“I’ll call you whatever you want me to,” Harry told her seriously. “The name doesn’t matter to me. The person you are does, and I like that person very much.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly, before a smirk came onto her face. “That still doesn’t mean you’re getting into my knickers, though, Potter.”

“That’s alright, Weasley,” he smirked back. “I’ll just wait until we’re both in our Animagus forms again.”

“See, I said you were a pervert,” she laughed.

“And I never denied it,” Harry grinned, opening the entrance to the common room for her to enter.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

The Great Hall was packed as nearly every pupil in the school had decided to turn out to watch the duel. The hall had been greatly modified, and now featured a central duelling area with raised seating surrounding it on three sides. The fourth side faced the teacher’s table and had a podium on which the presiding official, in this case Professor Flitwick, a former duelling champion himself, would stand.

Harry peered out around the hem of his hood. Both he and Ginevra had slipped into the room earlier wearing their heavy cloaks to avoid recognition. They had loitered in a dark corner and watched as the room started to fill. It was with some amusement that Harry noted the number of banners supporting their opponents, and the sheer amount of yellow and black that was on display. In contrast, not a single silver and green garment could be seen.

A ripple of excitement ran through the crowd as Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott entered the room. A round of applause broke out as they walked to the centre of the room, accompanied by their Head of House and a grizzled, old man with a wooden leg. Harry snorted in disgust at the sight of him.

“Look, it appears Amelia Bones did indeed arrange for someone to come and give the Hufflepuffs a bit of extra training,” Harry said to Ginevra.

“Bloody hell, that’s Alastor Moody!” she gasped.

“Ah, heard of him, have you?” Harry noted grimly.

“Everybody’s heard of him, Harry, but my parents actually know him quite well. He’s a big supporter of Dumbledore, and I think he does little jobs for the Headmaster, here and there,” she explained. “Harry, that bloke is bloody good. Do you think this is going to cause us any problems?”

“I shouldn’t think so. No matter how good a teacher Moody is, he can only work with what he’s given, and I don’t think Macmillan or Abbott are up to much. Still, you might want to get your licks in early and make sure that Abbott doesn’t have time to try anything fancy,” Harry decided.

“Does that mean you’re going to put Macmillan down quickly?” she asked, sounding strangely disappointed.

“Oh, hell, no. I arranged all this to make a statement and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Macmillan’s going to be staring at the ceiling of the hospital wing for a month by the time I’m finished with him,” he replied passionately.

“That’s more like it,” Ginevra practically purred. “I thought you were going soft on me for a second.”

“Nah, you always keep me hard,” Harry joked, earning him a punch on the arm.

“Well, we’re all here, but it seems like our challengers are not,” Professor Sprout called out. “Perhaps they came to their senses, or thought twice about facing my Hufflepuffs.”

A roar of laughter greeted the squat Professor’s words. Harry could barely keep the smile off his face.

“Ready to make a grand entrance?” he asked his red-haired friend.

“Always,” she smirked.

They started to walk from their secluded corner of the hall and towards the duelling area, their cloaks still drawn around them and their hoods hiding their faces. Several people noticed their approach and the crowd started murmuring.

Once he reached a spot a few yards from the Hufflepuffs, Harry stopped and pushed off his cloak. Ginevra duplicated his actions and let the heavy garment fall at her feet. A gasp sounded from the assembled pupils and not a few murmurs of appreciation from girls and boys alike.

“Pretty outfits, Potter, but they won’t help you in the ring,” Moody growled.

“Why is Miss Weasley wearing the insignia of the House of Potter?” Sprout demanded, starting at the outfits in shock.

“Really, Professor, do you know nothing of the rules of duelling? Miss Weasley is my nominated second and, as such, she is representing my House today. Isn’t that correct, Professor Flitwick?” Harry asked mildly.

The small Professor nodded enthusiastically. “Quite right, Mr Potter. Under these conditions, Miss Weasley is temporarily a member of the House of Potter and, as such, will enjoy all the privileges and legal protections of an Ancient House.”

Harry smiled gratefully at the small man. He wondered if Ginevra had grasped the implications of wearing the Potter crest on her chest today, but he suspected that she did. No matter what happened in the ring later on, she would be legally protected from any repercussions short of her casting an Unforgivable. He most certainly didn’t want an enraged Abbott family trying to sue her if their darling little Hannah got broken.

Interestingly, Abbott seemed to be rather distracted by the tight duelling outfit that he was wearing. It was rather form-fitting, and the blond Hufflepuff’s eyes hadn’t moved from Harry’s groin area since he’d removed his cloak. Perhaps Ginevra had been right about distracting her. Macmillan also seemed to be staring at Ginevra intently, much to the redhead’s evident amusement. She just put her hand on her hip and shot the boy a challenging stare.

“Everyone, can I have your attention, please,” Flitwick shouted. “We are gathered today to witness a formal duel between four combatants, to settle the matter of an alleged slur on an Ancient House. A challenge has been issued by Harry Potter against Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot, in connection with comments made on the eighteenth of November of this year. An apology was offered by Mr Macmillan, but not accepted.”

Boos rang round the hall at this comment.

“As a result of this, Mr Potter will duel Mr Macmillan, using standard rules of duelling, for this matter to be decided. Mr Potter has nominated his second, Miss Ginevra Weasley, to duel with Miss Abbot. The first duel will be Mr Potter verses Mr Macmillan, so can I ask everyone else to leave the duelling ring.”

Shouts of encouragement sounded from all three sides of the arena, all of them in support of Macmillan. Although Harry could see most of his Housemates dotted about the place, none of them felt the need to offer him any support, he noted. Not that he cared, of course.

By this point, the ring had cleared, leaving just him and Macmillan facing each other. Flitwick scrambled over to his observation position and waved his wand once.

“Gentlemen, Shield Spells are now in place protecting the spectators. The duel will only finish when one of you has declared a clear wish to surrender and it has been accepted by his opponent, or one of you is physically incapable of continuing. No physical contact is permitted between the two of you, and only the wands in your hands are permitted to be used. If you lose your wand then your opponent will automatically be declared the winner. All spells are permitted to be used, apart from the three Unforgivables, naturally. I want to see a good, clean fight, and for the pair of you to uphold the honour of this school. Are you both ready?”

“I’m ready,” Macmillan called out in a determined voice.

“Oh, yes,” Harry declared, an eager expression on his face.

“Then you will start duelling from a countdown of three,” Flitwick yelled. “Three, two, one… begin!”

Harry dived forward into a roll, letting Macmillan’s Stunner pass harmlessly over his head. With lightning speed, Harry untucked himself and adopted a kneeling position. He loosed a Severing Charm at the Hufflepuff, which caught the boy on the right thigh. Macmillan screamed in pain and pressed his hand to the bleeding wound.

“First blood to me, Macmillan,” Harry taunted as he rose to his feet. “You really need to be quicker on your feet, you know.”

“Petrificus Totalus! Expelliarmus! Impedimenta!” Macmillan shouted throwing three spells at Harry in quick succession.

“Protego!” Harry cast almost lazily before throwing another Severing Charm at his opponent. This time, he hit Macmillan on the left arm, ripping his school uniform open and sending a shower of blood spurting onto the floor of the ring.

“Oh dear, Macmillan, it looks like that barmy, old ex-Auror didn’t train you very well. Perhaps Bones should have sent someone who was actually relatively sane, instead,” Harry called out mockingly. “Ready to give up?”

“No, you bastard! Diffindo!” Macmillan yelled, sending his own Severing Charm back at Harry. With an arrogant side-step, Harry just let the spell sail past him. His return fire caught the Hufflepuff on the left hip, causing the boy to fall to the floor clutching his wound.

“Wait… I… surrender,” Macmillan gasped.

“Mr Potter wins!” Flitwick called. “We can…”

“Not accepted!” Harry roared.

Macmillan looked up at Harry with fear in his eyes. The spectators started to boo and throw insults in Harry’s direction, but he ignored them.

“Macmillan, you’ve slighted the honour of House Potter with your deceitful and insulting remarks. The fact that you only offered to apologise once I challenged you to a duel suggests you are a coward, something that your pathetic conduct in this ring seems to prove,” Harry yelled, silencing the crowd. “You think that a couple of minor cuts satisfies me? You’re a fool if you think that; a cowardly, craven fool! Get on your feet and face me like a man, not some snivelling little wimp!”

Gritting his teeth in pain, Macmillan climbed to his feet, only to be hit again, this time on his left shoulder. The boy cried out, and desperately tried to aim his wand at Harry, but to no avail.

Harry didn’t even bother to move anymore. He stood where he was and systematically cut the Hufflepuff to pieces. The boy’s school robes were by now in tatters, and he was bleeding from a dozen wounds. Harry couldn’t believe the boy’s stupidity; all he had to do was drop his wand and the duel would be over, but Macmillan still clutched it desperately in his hand, like his life depended on it.

Deciding he’d made his statement, Harry Levitated the hapless Hufflepuff into the air, and threw him hard towards the edge of the ring. The pupils in his flight path scrambled to get out of the way, obviously forgetting that there were protective charms in place. Macmillan slammed into the invisible wall and then fell to the floor, unconscious. Mercifully, his wand dropped from his limp fingers and rolled away.

“Stop!” Flitwick yelled rather unnecessarily, as Harry was already putting his wand away. “Potter wins. The Shield Spell has been removed. Madam Pomfrey, can you please see to Mr Macmillan?”

The nurse scrambled into the ring and immediately began casting Healing Spells on the inert boy.

“You bastard!” a female voice rang out and Harry turned to see Susan Bones on her feet, glaring at him. “Ernie surrendered! You didn’t have to do that to him.”

“But I did, Miss Bones,” Harry replied loudly so the entire room could hear. “Macmillan slandered my honour, and then thought he could escape punishment by offering a half-hearted apology. He then assumed that casting a few pathetic spells before throwing in the towel would get him out of the duel. Well, it didn’t! That fool got exactly what he deserved, and I hope whenever he looks at the scars on his body, he’ll remember what happens to people who spread lies. You might do well to remember that, too.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Bones yelled angrily.

“It means that if I catch anyone else insulting me or my House, or spreading lies and innuendo about me, I won’t hesitate to call them out. What do you say, Miss Bones, do you fancy facing me in the duelling ring?” he challenged her.

Bones paled noticeably.

“I thought not,” Harry sneered. “Just remember, I could have been a lot harder on Macmillan if I wanted to. None of his injuries will cause him any permanent disabilities, I believe. Next time, I may not be so generous.”

The room was silent as the assembled pupils looked at him in horror. Harry just turned and walked back towards the teacher’s table. He noticed Dumbledore and McGonagall both glaring at him in disapproval, but he ignored them. Instead, he walked up to Ginevra, who was standing nearby with an appreciative smile on her face. He reached out and took her hand, kissing the back of it.

“Your turn, my dear,” he announced, with an evil smile on his lips.

“Yes, and I’m looking forward to it,” she smirked, before sashaying towards the duelling ring. By now, they had Levitated Macmillan onto a stretcher and he was being taken off to the hospital wing. Hannah Abbott stood close by, fear evident on her face.

“This stupidity has gone on long enough!” Professor Sprout yelled suddenly, striding forward. “Miss Weasley, Hannah is fully prepared to issue you a full and frank apology for her unfortunate words. I suggest you accept that apology immediately and we can end this madness.”

Ginevra looked at the stout little Professor with an expression of distaste. “Not acceptable,” she said coldly. “That little bitch called me a whore in front of half the school, not to mention spreading numerous lies about Harry and me. No, Professor, she and I are going to duel, and you shouting about it isn’t going to stop that.”

“I warn you, Miss Weasley, you will regret this…” Sprout began angrily.

“Professor, did I hear you threaten a pupil?” Harry interrupted loudly. “That’s a sacking offence, I believe.”

“What? I never…” the woman spluttered.

“It sounded like a threat to me. Perhaps I should raise the matter with the School Board?” Harry persisted.

“I didn’t threaten Weasley!” Sprout shouted. “Stop putting words in my mouth, you cocky little bastard!”

“Professor Sprout!” Dumbledore roared from the top table. “Control yourself, immediately. How dare you talk to a pupil in that manner!”

“Oh, I…” Sprout said looking mortified. “It just slipped out. I… oh, I… I apologise profusely!”

The small witch turned and practically ran from the room. Harry could barely believe that the Professor had lost it like that, but was immensely pleased she had. If Sprout caused any trouble in future, he could hang this incident over her head.

“Can we clear the duelling area, please,” called out Professor Flitwick. “It’s time for the second duel to begin.”

“Have fun,” Harry told Ginevra as he walked away. She just winked at him.

Harry went and stood near the teacher’s table, from where he had a good view of the duelling ring. He could see Moody whispering into Abbott’s ear, no doubt giving the girl some last-minute instructions. Frankly, the best thing the old Auror could do was tell Abbott to throw her wand away as soon as the duel began, but he doubted that would happen.

As soon as Moody returned to his seat, Flitwick cast the protective charms around the ring, and began the count to start the duel. Abbott was already holding her wand out in front of her shakily, while Ginevra held hers casually by her side.

As Flitwick reached three, Abbott instantly cast a Shield Charm to defend herself. Ginevra’s first Blasting Charm blew the shield away like it was tissue paper, while her second threw the blond Hufflepuff off her feet and into a crumpled heap. Abbott’s wand had been caught in the blast and had shattered into pieces in the process.

“Stop!” Flitwick yelled. “Miss Weasley wins. Poppy, you’re needed.”

Harry walked casually over to a grinning Ginevra. “That was a bit quick,” he noted.

“Yeah, well, it’s nearly lunch time and I’m getting hungry,” she replied cheekily.

“When aren’t you hungry?” Harry laughed. “I swear you could eat…”

“Ginny! How could you?” an angry voice interrupted.

Harry groaned as he saw Ginny’s brother Ronald and his bushy-haired girlfriend stomping towards them. It seemed like everyone wanted to have their say today.

“Oh, don’t start, Ronald,” Ginevra groaned wearily. “I’m not in the mood to put up with your bullshit.”

“Didn’t you hear? You broke poor Hannah’s arm in three places,” the bushy-haired girl shrieked.

“Only three? Damn, I was hoping for four, at least,” Ginevra smirked.

“How can you be so bloody mean?” Ronald shouted. “Hannah’s a really nice person. She didn’t do anything to deserve that!”

“She called me a whore, Ronald,” Ginevra said coldly. “I don’t take that kind of shit from anyone, especially not some gossiping Hufflepuff cow. Those gits have been spewing dirt on Harry and me for months. Maybe now they’ll learn to keep their mouths shut.”

“All this because of some tittle-tattle?” the girl demanded. “Ernie is scarred for life and it will be weeks before Hannah can use her arm again properly, just because they called you some unpleasant names? I think you need to get your priorities sorted out.”

“And I think you need to keep your nose out of our business,” Harry interrupted, annoyed by the girl’s presumptuous attitude. “I’ve already had enough lies told about me in the press, and I’m damned if I’m going to allow anymore such rubbish to be spread here. You may think that we were unnecessarily harsh on those two idiots, but, I tell you, people will think twice now before they start spreading anymore uninformed hogwash about me or Ginevra now.”

“Yeah, wind your neck in, Hermione,” Ginevra growled. “You’re a bloody hypocrite, anyway. You’re always preaching about honesty and justice, but you happily stood back and let those bastards spread lies about us. What’s the matter? Doesn’t your code of conduct include us because we’re Slytherins?”

“No, I just wasn’t certain that what was being said about you wasn’t true!” the girl snapped.

“Bloody watch it, Granger,” Ginevra snarled back. “I may just consider that a personal insult and call you out into the duelling ring, and we both know how that would end.”

“Shut your mouth, Ginny, and leave her alone!” Ronald yelled.

“Your little friend needs to mind her P’s and Q’s,” Harry said in a cold voice. “Both Ginevra and I have just got warmed up, and it wouldn’t take too much effort to arrange another couple of duels.”

“I don’t know what’s happened to you, Ginny,” Ronald spat, ignoring Harry. “You used to be a lovely little girl. Ever since you became a bloody snake, you’ve turned into a right bitch. Well, I’ve had enough! I disown you; you’re not my sister anymore. Bloody Potter there can have you, for all I care.”

“I’m not yours to give away, Ronald,” Ginevra shouted back, “and, for your information, you haven’t been my brother since I started at Hogwarts! Just because I was sorted into Slytherin, you’ve turned your back on me. What did I do that was so wrong, Ron? I was still the same person, no matter what House I was in, but you treated me like I was a bloody Death Eater, or something. Well, screw you! I don’t need or want you anymore. The same goes for Fred, George and Percy; you’re all a bunch of stuck-up idiots too stupid to see past your own prejudices. As for you, Granger, you can go stick your head up your arse. Oh, and next time I catch you in a compromising position with my brother I won’t be covering up for you. Got it?”

Granger flushed red and, with an angry flick of her untamed hair, marched off. Ronald paused long enough to shoot them both an angry glare, before he followed his girlfriend.

“What was all that about covering up for them?” Harry asked interestedly.

“Oh, Hermione often comes and stays at the Burrow during the summer holidays, and I get stuck sharing my bedroom with her. Last summer, I walked in to find her and Ronald on my bloody bed, with his hand up her skirt. Ick! I had to change my bedding after that,” she moaned.

“Well, she acts like she has a stick up her arse, so I’m not surprised to learn she’s had a finger up her…”

“Harry!” Ginevra protested. “I do not want to think about her and Ronald in that manner, thank you very much.”

Harry just sniggered.

“Merlin, you are a dirty minded git, aren’t you?” she laughed.

“Guilty as charged,” he smirked. “By the way, have I mentioned how bloody sexy you looked while duelling Abbott? That outfit really suits you.”

“You don’t look too bad in yours, either,” she purred. “It’s very form-fitting… in all the right places.”

“You know, we could go and find a nice quite place and help each other out of these outfits,” he suggested.

“Down boy,” she smiled, tapping him sharply on the nose. “I can manage to take this off without your help, thank you.”

“Yeah, but just imagine how much more fun it would be,” he pointed out.

“Not today, Potter,” she laughed.

Harry pulled a disappointed face, secretly pleased she hadn’t said anything about tomorrow.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH PHPHP

The next few days were comparatively peaceful, mainly as most of the pupils at Hogwarts were avoiding Harry and Ginevra like a case of the dragon pox. Many times, Harry had to restrain himself from frightening first and second years by yelling ‘boo’ at them as they hurried past him in the corridors. Filch would probably get angry if he made the little bleeders wet themselves, he reasoned.

He and Ginevra did have some fun harassing Susan Bones, however, making a point of being in the same place as she was whenever possible, and always engaging her in polite conversation. The young witch was obviously extremely uncomfortable around them, but didn’t dare say anything. Ginevra, of course, took every opportunity to slip in unflattering comments about the Hufflepuff girl when they spoke. Miss Weasley definitely had an evil streak in her.

It was a few days before the school was about to break-up for the Christmas holidays when Ginevra received a letter from home. They had been happily sitting eating breakfast in the Great Hall when a raggedy grey owl suddenly crash-landed in front of them, sending Ginevra’s bowl of porridge flying, and shedding feathers into a platter of fried eggs. Ginevra moaned at the sight of the bird.

“Oh, bollocks. That’s Errol, our family owl. I guess that means I’ve got another loving missive from Mother. I wonder why she’s bothered to write now? I’ll be home in a couple of days,” she mused.

“One way to find out,” Harry said, fishing the unconscious bird out of a dish of baked beans and holding it so Ginevra could untie the letter attached to its leg.

She took the letter and began to read it unenthusiastically. A few moments later, she groaned again.

“It seems my darling brother has been telling tales,” she said with a frown. “Mother’s written saying how disappointed she is that I haven’t told her that I have a ‘boyfriend’ now, and insisting that you come to dinner on Boxing Day.”

“Really? So, bearing in mind I’m now official your boyfriend, does that mean my sex-life is about to radically improve?” he asked innocently.

Ginevra glared at him. “Why does it need to be improved? I’m sure that you and your right fist are very happy together,” she growled. “Bloody hell, why does my family always do this to me?”

“You know, we could have a bit of fun with this,” Harry speculated.

“Trust me, Harry, you really don’t want to meet any more of my family. All my brothers will be home this year, which probably means that this is all a set-up so they can get together and intimidate you,” she groused.

“When have I ever been intimidated by anyone?” Harry pointed out. “Besides, I’d be quite up for a re-match with your twin brothers. No doubt they would be looking to play some pranks on me, wouldn’t they? I’m pretty sure we could turn the tables on them.”

“Yeah, we could,” Ginevra smirked. “I’m sure Bill and Charlie would try and play the protective older brothers. We could probably make them regret that, too, if we put our heads together. I doubt Ronald will be much of a challenge, and Percy will just sit there looking down his nose at you.”

“What about your parents?” Harry asked, warming to the idea.

“I have an idea how to play that,” Ginevra smiled. “So, fancy coming to my house for dinner, boyfriend?”

“I’d love to, my sweet, I’d simply love to,” he grinned back.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP


Harry was in quite a cheerful mood as he stepped into the Floo. Professor Dumbledore had given him permission to use the one in his office, and had seemed delighted when Harry had told him of the dinner invite he had received from the Weasleys. That instantly made Harry suspicious, but he decided not to worry about it too much. He was determined to enjoy the day.

It was three p.m. sharp, and he was carefully to be exactingly punctual. He was dressed in his finest clothes, including an elegant plum-coloured shirt with a black and gold embroidered waistcoat over it, black trousers with a crease so sharp in them that you could cut yourself, and expensive black boots. A regal grey jacket completed the outfit, with a single gold ring bearing the Potter insignia providing the only accompaniment. Dress to impress; that was his motto.

He arrived at his destination in a flash of green fire, and stepped out into what appeared to be a cottage kitchen. Waiting to greet him was Ginevra dressed in a simple, but very attractive, blue dress. Gathered around a large wooden table was an assortment of redheads, with a blond and a brunette thrown in for a bit of variety. Most of the people there he knew, and the others he could probably guess their identity from Ginevra’s descriptions.

“Harry, you made it, my sweet,” Ginevra purred, her eyelashes lowered in a seductive manner and her body language submissive. Harry knew her behaviour was all pre-arranged, but he found it very appealing, nonetheless.

“Nothing could have kept me away, my darling,” Harry declared and rushed forward to grab her hand. He then placed a soft, intimate kiss on the back of it, and stared into her eyes in a loving manner.

“Ahem,” coughed a voice and Harry casually looked up to see a tall, balding man glaring at him.

“Oh, I quite forgot, some introductions are in order,” Ginevra cried, taking Harry’s hand and leading him forward. “Mother, Father, may I present Harry Potter, head of the Ancient House of Potter, vanquisher of the Dark Lord at only fifteen months old, and sworn enemy of the Death Eaters. Harry, this is Arthur and Molly, my parents.”

“Delighted to meet you, sir,” Harry cried in delight and grabbed Arthur’s hand which he shook enthusiastically. “Ginevra has told me so much about her family that I feel I know you all already. Thank you so much for inviting me into your home.”

Harry suspected he was laying it on a bit thick, but the bemused expression of the man whose hand he was still shaking suggested he was succeeding in throwing everyone off guard. Certainly, a quick glance towards the kitchen table revealed Ronald and the twins gawping at him in surprise.

“Ah, Mrs Weasley, or may I call you Molly?” Harry said, letting go of Mr Weasley’s hand and grabbing his wife’s instead. “Now I can see where Ginevra got her beauty from.”

“Oh, my… umm, welcome to our home, Mr Potter. Do please call me Molly,” the woman said in a flustered manner, as Harry kissed the back of her hand just as he’d kissed her daughter’s.

“It would be an honour,” Harry replied, giving her his most charming smile. “I can’t say how grateful I am to be invited to your lovely home. As you may know, I lost my parents at an early age, and all the rest of my family sometime later, so Christmas can be rather a lonely time for me.”

“You poor thing,” Molly said sympathetically. “Do you really have no family left, at all?”

“Sadly, no. My aunt, uncle and cousin were all I had left, and they died in a tragic fire when I was ten. A kindly family took me in and cared for me, but they were killed during the Death Eater raid on Godric’s Hollow last spring. I’ve been alone ever since,” Harry explained sadly. “That was partly why I decided to attend Hogwarts this year, you know, just for the company. It was a marvellous decision because it meant I met your wonderful daughter.”

A snort of derision came from the table, which caused Molly’s head to snap round to glare in that direction.

“Well, I’m glad Ginny’s been a good friend to you, Mr Potter… err, Harry,” Mr Weasley began.

“Oh, how forgetful of me! A courteous guest never comes empty handed, so I took the liberty of bringing something for the table,” Harry interrupted and reached into the small bag he had brought with him, which just so happened to have an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. “I hope you like elven wine, I’ve brought a couple of bottles of rather good vintage, thirty-eight to be exact, although I prefer the twenty-seven, to honest. I wasn’t sure of everyone’s tastes so I brought a couple of bottles of Muggle Champagne, too.”

“Why, thank you, Harry,” Mr Weasley said in amazement as Harry thrust the bottles into his arms.

“Think nothing of it,” he replied graciously before turning to Molly, “and for you, dear lady, may I present these small tokens of thanks.”

Harry pulled out a rather large bunch of red roses and an even larger box of quality chocolates, which be handed to the shocked woman.

“They’re beautiful,” Molly gushed, sniffing the flowers. “Oh, and these chocolates must have cost a fortune! Harry, you shouldn’t have.”

“Nonsense, these worthless gifts mean nothing compared to the generosity you displayed in inviting me to sit at your table. Ginevra has told me all about your wondrous cooking, and I can’t wait to sample it, and enjoy the hospitality of your fine home,” he told the matronly woman. Harry could almost imagine Ginevra sniggering at his performance behind him, but he had a little surprise for her, too. He turned to face her, and she did indeed have a large grin on her face, which he intended to remove immediately.

“Ginevra, I didn’t have a chance to give you your Christmas gift before the holidays, so please accept it now,” he said, handing her a small box.

The smile did indeed slip off her face. Before Ginevra had left for the Christmas break, they had planned what they were going to do today quite carefully, and this was not mentioned once. A little suspiciously, Ginevra took the box from him and carefully opened it. She gasped as soon as she saw what was inside.

“Harry, this is beautiful,” she exclaimed as she removed the exquisite silver necklace, with four small and one large emerald mounted on it.

“Merlin’s balls, that must cost a bomb!” a tall redheaded young man with his hair in a ponytail blurted.

“William!” Ginevra scolded him, beating her mother by a millisecond. “Don’t be so rude! Besides, don’t you know it’s vulgar to speculate on the cost of gifts? Harry, thank you, your present is truly wonderful. Can you put it on me, please?”

With a smug smile, Harry helped Ginevra put the jewellery around her slim neck, and did up the clasp at the back. He then stood back and admired it. He had to admit, it did look spectacular on her.

“Oh, thank you!” she cried and threw her arms around him, giving her the opportunity to whisper in his ear. “We’ll discuss this later, Potter,” she murmured threateningly.

Harry just smiled benignly at her.

“You should meet the rest of my family now, Harry,” Ginevra said as she pulled away. “I’m sure they’re all dying to meet you.”

“Of course, although I do know a few of them already. Why don’t you start with those I haven’t met yet?” he suggested.

“Naturally. Harry, this is my oldest brother, William and his fiancé, Fleur Delacour,” Ginevra said graciously.

“Actually, everyone calls me Bill,” the man with the ponytail said, standing and begrudgingly offering his hand. “So, I understand you’ve become quite close to my sister?”

“Indeed, Bill, I think the world of her,” Harry replied mildly. “Ginevra’s told me a lot about you. I understand that the two of you used to be very close, and that you taught her a lot about magic in the past.”

The emphasis of Harry’s words was not lost on Bill, who looked rather forlorn suddenly. Clearly, he seemed to regret the distance that had grown between him and his sister, even if he had been a willing party to it.

“I’m pleased to meet you, ‘Arry,” the beautiful blond woman next to Bill said, lazily holding out her hand to be kissed. “I ‘av heard so much about you.”

Harry offered the woman a polite smile and brushed his lips over her knuckles. Ginevra had warned him that Bill’s intended was part Veela, and the woman was proving that now. She’d also said that Delacour might try something just to piss her off, which also appeared to be true. Veela were capable of mesmerising most wizards through a combination of a natural magical allure and the release of powerful pheromones. Harry’s highly advanced Occlumency skills protected him from the former, while his wolf-senses defeated the latter. The same could not be said for most of the other Weasley men, with Ronald in particular drooling at the sight of her.

In truth, Delacour left him rather cold. Her flawless beauty just seemed sterile and boring to him. He released her hand and smiled pleasantly at her, but gave no visible sign of being otherwise affected, much to the woman’s evident annoyance. Clearly, she was not used to young men being resistant to her charms. Ginevra took the opportunity to wrap her arm around Harry’s waist and guide him towards the next family member, a barely suppressed smirk on her face.

Percy was next, and he regarded Harry aloofly.

“Please to meet you, Percy,” Harry said in a friendly manner. “I understand that you work in the Minister’s office?”

“Indeed, I’m currently Junior Assistant to the Minister himself,” Percy announced pompously.

“Really? I’m surprised Rufus didn’t mention you. I’ve become good friends with the Minister in recent months, you know. He was trying to get me to take up my hereditary position on the Wizengamot last time we chatted. I’ll have to mention that I met you next time a talk with him,” Harry said casually.

And that shut Percy Weasley up.

“Over here, we have Charles,” Ginevra continued, indicating a squat, muscular young man who was staring at Harry in an unfriendly manner.

“Potter,” Charles acknowledged him gruffly whilst offering his hand. He then proceeded to try and break Harry’s fingers with his handshake. It was all Harry could do to stop himself rolling his eyes at the childish gesture. He was pretty strong himself, and knew how to tense his muscles so Charles did no real damage. After being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, having his hand squeezed by some muscle-bound moron didn’t even register.

“Yes, Charles, the dragon handler, I believe,” Harry greeted the young man. “Ginevra mentioned you, too, although she says that you rarely get the chance to return home. It must be such a shame, not being involved in your sister’s life, at all.”

Charles glared at him, the implication of his words clear. Unfortunately, there was little the boy could do to refute the statement.

“Of course, you know Fredrick and George,” Ginevra continued. “I was rather hoping that these two would be decent enough to offer you an apology for their appalling behaviour when you met them, Harry, but, sadly, manners and descent conduct count very little with them.”

“Eh? What’s this?” Molly demanded.

“Something of a misunderstanding, Molly,” Harry explained casually. “You see, a couple of months ago my wand was damaged in an unfortunate accident, and I was forced to visit Ollivander’s in Diagon Alley to replace it. Professor Dumbledore approved the visit, and as I was largely unfamiliar with the Alley, Professor Snape kindly agreed for Ginevra to accompany me as a guide. We ran into your sons during the trip and, regrettably, they rather got the wrong end of the stick.”

“You’re being too kind, Harry,” Ginevra interrupted. “These two accused us of skiving off from school and Harry of taking advantage of me! We tried to explain that we had permission to be there, but naturally they didn’t listen. In fact, George went so far as to threaten Harry, didn’t you?”

“Err… I,” George stammered.

“GEORGE WEASLEY! How dare you threaten Mr Potter like that! Why didn’t you listen to your sister? Besides, when did the pair of you start becoming so judgemental? You spent all your school years slacking off, so you have no room to talk!” Molly raged.

“I didn’t know,” George protested. “They walked into the Leaky Cauldron arm in arm, what was I meant to think?”

“A gentleman offers his arm to a lady when walking,” Molly pointed out harshly, “and Harry is clearly a gentleman! I’m ashamed of the both of you! Apologise to Harry, at once.”

“Sorry,” George muttered unconvincingly.

“Yeah, sorry,” Fred echoed.

“Apology accepted,” Harry said magnanimously. “You were only protecting your sister, after all. It’s just rather a shame you never did that while you were at Hogwarts, but better late than never, eh?”

The twins scowled at him in frustration and anger.

“Oh, and you know Ronald and Hermione, too,” Ginevra said, finishing her introductions in an offhand way, guaranteed to offend her insecure brother.

“Ronald, Hermione,” Harry nodded. “Have you just arrived, Hermione? Do you need to nip off and change for dinner?”

Hermione, who was dressed in jeans and a chunky jumper glared at him. “No, unfortunately no one mentioned that we would be dressing for dinner, and these are the best clothes I have with me.”

“Oh, well, never mind,” Harry smiled faintly. “You still look very… presentable.”

If looks could kill, Harry would have been dead a dozen times over.

“Well, now we all know each other, let’s take our places at the table,” Arthur announced. “Harry, can I offer you a glass of wine?”

“Thank you, Arthur, that would be wonderful,” Harry accepted gratefully, as Ginevra led him to table and sat him down, taking the spot immediately to his left. Bill and Fleur took seats opposite them, while Percy sat to Harry’s right.

Percy seemed to have had a change of heart about him, and began to engage him in conversation about his relationship with the Minister. While chatting politely to the rather pompous young man, Harry kept his eyes peeled. This proved to be a wise move, as he noticed Fred taking Harry’s glass of wine from his father and bringing it over. As soon as the glass had been placed in front of him, Harry gently tapped Ginevra’s ankle with his foot.

“Let me help with those, Mum,” she announced and hurried over to relieve her mother of a stack of plates. As she took them, however, the top plate slipped and crashed to the floor. “Oh, I’m sorry. How clumsy of me!” she exclaimed.

“No harm done, dear,” her mother assured her.

In the meantime, Harry had taken advantage of Ginevra’s carefully planned distraction to slip his wand into his hand. Using a variation of the Banishing Spell that Blaise Zabini had used to plant poison in his cup, Harry switched the wine in his glass with that of George, who was busy smirking at his sister.

Hiding his wand again, he allowed himself to be served what proved to be a delicious meal. He was just tucking into his tender breast of chicken, when George unexpectedly turned into a peacock.

“FRED! GEORGE! I specifically told you there was to be no messing around today! Both of you get out! You can eat your dinner in the living room. I don’t want to see sight nor sound from you in the next hour,” Molly shrieked.

A rather sullen Fred picked up his and his brother’s plates, and slouched out of the room, with the gaily-coloured peacock following him. Beside him, Harry could hear Ginevra barely managing to suppress her laugher.

The rest of the meal passed quite pleasantly, with good food and polite conversation. Despite his initial fears, the Weasley seniors didn’t try to pry into his past too much, and on the rare occasions they did get a little intrusive, Ginevra scolded them lightly and told them not to ‘interrogate her boyfriend’. Molly Weasley’s cooking proved to be as good as he was told, and Harry ate rather more than he had intended. With the twins banished, and the other brothers impotent, the only disturbance was caused by Ronald.

“So, Potter,” he called over to Harry during pudding. “Tell me, why did you feel the need to hospitalise those two poor Hufflepuffs, and why did you drag Ginny into it? She could have been hurt.”

An awkward silence suddenly descended.

“Well, Ronald,” Harry began conversationally. “As those two Hufflepuffs had been spreading scandal and lies for weeks about me, I felt a formal duel was the only answer. They had, after all, already ignored their Head of House’s orders to stop such behaviour. I confess I was surprised they both proved such poor duellists, but Ginevra tells me that the standard of teaching has been a bit uneven in recent years, particularly in Defence. As for involving Ginevra, she told me quite plainly she wanted to be involved, and I respected her wishes. After that Abbott girl had the nerve to call her a whore in public, I’m not surprised Ginevra wanted to restore her honour. I must say, I’m surprised that you made no attempt to stand up for your sister, Ronald.”

Ronald blanched as both his parents glared at him angrily.

The rest of dinner was mercifully free of any more such interruptions, and they all lingered at the table while coffee was served. Harry was lavish in his praise of the meal and the hospitality he had been shown, much to Molly Weasley’s evident pleasure.

Eventually, it was time to leave. He shook hands with all the Weasley males, reluctantly in some cases, and kissed the female’s hands. He was slightly amused at how much Granger blushed when he did so, and the anger on Ronald’s face as he watched. Finally, he was left with just Ginevra to bid goodbye.

“Umm, Mother, I don’t suppose Harry and I could have a few moments’ privacy as I see him off?” Ginevra said pointedly.

“Of course, dear,” Molly agreed with a smile. “Everyone, into the sitting room with you. Let’s give these two a moment’s peace.”

They waited until everyone had disappeared into the other room before they spoke.

“That was bloody brilliant,” Ginevra smirked. “My family have been driving me up the wall the entire holiday.”

“Honestly, that wasn’t as bad as you made out,” he said. “Your parents were really nice, actually.”

“Yeah, but only because you’re here,” she replied bitterly. “I’ve been getting my ear bent about that duel ever since I got home. They were definitely taken with you, you grovelling git.”

“It’s all part of my charm,” he smirked. “In fact, I think your mum will start planning our wedding as soon as I leave.”

“You wish,” she grinned back. “Just because you bought me this shiny neckless doesn’t get you extra privileges, you know.”

“I just thought it would look good on you,” Harry admitted, “and I was right. It looks spectacular.”

“I just think it’s an excuse to stare at my cleavage, personally,” she sniffed.

“Nah, I’ll just challenge you to another practice duel if I want to do that,” he replied cheekily. “By the way, you do know we’re being watched, don’t you?”

“Oh, yeah,” she grinned.

“In that case, I think I’d better make our goodbye kiss something a bit spectacular, don’t you? We should put on a bit of a show for our audience,” he surmised.

“Oh, definitely. Let’s see what you’ve got, Potter,” Ginevra challenged, stepping forward.

Harry took her in his arms, and leant her back a friction. With agonising slowness, he dropped his lips onto hers, and tenderly kissed her. He immediately felt her arms snake around him, and she ran the fingers of her right hand through his hair. He found her lips soft and moist, and completely intoxicating. Her natural scent was enough to put shivers down his spine, and his lips caressed hers gently. For a moment, he lost all track of time and completely forgot that they were being watched.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and looked into her large brown eyes. Instead of the usual mocking glint he normally saw there, he could see her surprise and confusion. Apparently, neither of them had expected that reaction from the other.

“Wow,” she whispered in a breathy voice.

“Yeah, wow,” he replied, realising his own eyes much have also been full of wonder at the incredible kiss they had just shared.

“You and me are going to talk when I get back to school,” she said decisively, but with a soft smile on her lips.

“I can’t wait,” he replied with a matching grin on his face.

Unwillingly, he broke the embrace and stepped towards the Floo. “Nice to meet you, Mrs Weasley,” he said quietly, as he stepped into the fireplace.

The door to the sitting room gave a guilty twitch. “Nice to meet you too, Harry,” Mrs Weasley’s voice called after a few seconds’ gap. The last thing he saw before he was transported back to the castle was Ginevra’s grinning face.







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