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Lazy Summer Days | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP, Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Other, Ron Weasley Genres: Fluff, Humor, Romance Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG Reviews: 18 Summary: Nominated for Nov. 2013 Best Romance, Best Comedy and Best New Story. Summer is the best time of the year, no matter what those Christmas carols say. Because during summer, you can wear cut-off jeans, run around barefoot and cause a general ruckus. Summertime is the time of care-free fun, and summer nights elicit sudden feelings of warmth and romance. During summer the days are long and lazy, and the in a particular little village in Devon England, love is in the air. Summer is when my good friend Cupid runs rapid, not Valentine’s Day, ‘cause that’s just one day while summer has weeks and weeks of warm air and sweet kisses. Good ole Cupid enjoys a good summer fling, and he knows just who needs a good fling, with a kick in the pants to get there. Let’s just say that Harry and Ginny become fast friends, given Ron and Hermione’s peculiar behavior, and if I know Cupid, they’ll become fast more-than-friends too. Hitcount: Story Total: 10171; Chapter Total: 2539 |
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Lazy Summer Days Three: Cupid’s Got a Shotgun “Val!” Cupid shouted up the stairs. “I’m leaving in a minute!” His wife stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. “Cupid, darling, where are you going?” she asked. “Got to get that Potter,” he grumbled, shaking the box of 30 caliber bullets in his hand. Valentina frowned at him, and then caught sight of the shotgun in his other hand. A wide grin split her face. “Oh I knew you’d come around!” she squealed, clapping her hands together. Cupid shrugged. “Potter is proving difficult to hit, that’s all,” he said, tucking the box of ammunition into his pocket. “I’ll try to be back by seven, all right sweetheart?” “Okay, darling,” Valentina said, hopping down the last few steps and throwing her arms around his neck. “Love you!” “I love you too, Val,” he said, giving her a squeeze. “Bye.” He stepped out the door, and Disapparated. *~*~*~*~*~* Harry let a yawn escape his lips. He looked around, and frowned. He was lying on soft but wet grass while rays of sunshine slipped through the leaves of the maple tree above him. He could hear running water and crickets chirped in the silence. He heard a bird call to its neighbor, and felt something at his side shift. He looked down, and his heart just stopped. Ginny’s head lay on his shoulder. One arm was draped across his chest. Her hair was strewn across the grass and his upper body. His arm held her in place, and his other hand was gripping hers. Her eyes were shut tight, and her long dark lashes rimmed them beautifully. Harry could not believe it. Then he remembered: only hours ago they had collapsed in the shade of the maple to escape the rain. Only hours ago they had collected their things beneath the tree and fallen asleep. Only hours ago he had collected on the wager they had made. Only hours ago, he had kissed Ginny. A grin spread across his face as he looked down at her. She was truly beautiful. She stirred, and, seeming to sense his gaze, opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Did you have a good nap?” he asked. Ginny smiled. “I did. Better than most,” she added. “And why’s that?” “Because you were here, silly,” Ginny laughed, tapping his nose. Harry grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers. Ginny smiled warmly at him. Harry kissed her palm. Ginny pulled her hand out of his and laid it on his cheek. She pulled herself up, and gently pressed her lips to his. Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her close. When the kiss ended, Ginny laid her head back on his shoulder, tucking it beneath his chin. “So far today’s been the best day of my life,” Harry said softly. “Mine too,” Ginny murmured, and then she yawned. Harry chuckled, and ran a hand down her hair. It was still damp from the rain and pond water, but the long locks were soft and silky beneath his fingers. The smell of wildflowers drifted past his nostrils, an intoxicating scent. He bent his head and kissed the crown of her head gently, breathing in the sweet smell. “You’re beautiful, you know that right?” he whispered. Ginny looked up. “I’ve been told,” she said. A slight smile curled her lips. “Well, you are,” Harry said. “I’d be surprised if no one had ever said it to you.” Ginny’s smile softened. “I’ve never really believed it though.” Harry kissed her forehead. “That only makes you more beautiful. But you should believe it, because I’m not kidding around. I mean it.” Ginny smiled wider. “Thank you Harry. You’re quite the looker yourself.” “Really? I thought I was cumbersome and a klutz.” Ginny gently kissed his lips. “That just makes you more handsome,” she whispered against his lips. Harry grinned at her and pulled her closer, for a deeper kiss. “Harry! Ginny!” The two froze where they lay, breaking the kiss. Ginny pressed a finger to her lips, and pushed herself up. Harry sat up as well, glancing around. “Harry, mate, Mum says if you and Ginny don’t come in now, she’s going to send out a search party!” Ron’s voice. “I thought we were the search party?” Hermione’s this time. Harry glanced at Ginny in alarm. She stood quickly and glanced around for their clothes. Ginny hastily threw his tee shirt at him; it hit him in the face. “I guess we are,” Ron replied. “Okay, Mum says come in now! She’s going to let me eat your lunch if you don’t!” Harry tugged his shirt on while Ginny pulled her shorts on over her swimsuit bottom. Harry rose up to see through the bundle of bushes Ron and Hermione wandering down the path towards the pond. Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him up, and then shoved him out from under the tree. He stumbled forward, and threw his arms out to catch his balance. Ron and Hermione stopped by the bank, and Harry gave them a nervous wave. “Are you wearing my swimming trunks?” Ron asked as they approached. “Yes,” Harry said, somewhat breathlessly. “No. Maybe.” “Are you all right, Harry?” Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at him. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just dandy. Perfect. Peachy. Why?” Ron and Hermione shared a bemused look. “Where’s Ginny?” Ron asked. “Yes, Ginny, good question,” Harry stammered. “Uh, she went over there I think or something,” he trailed off rather lamely. Ginny ducked out from beneath the drooping branches of the maple with her school bag on her shoulder and Harry’s in her other hand. “You left this,” she said calmly to Harry. “Thank you,” he said taking it from her and slinging it across his back. Ginny gave him a smile, and turned to Ron and Hermione. “You wanted something?” she asked. “Is there something wrong with Harry?” Ron asked. “No,” Ginny said. “He’s just been doing too much Potions, is all.” Ron nodded and seemed to accept this, but Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. Harry glanced at Ginny, who seemed just too calm for words. “What did you do to him?” Hermione asked. “Nothing!” Ginny insisted. “Nothing you haven’t done to Ron.” Hermione’s eyebrows rose. Ron frowned, looking between the two girls. “Do you mean…” Hermione said. Ginny nodded. Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth and squealed behind her fingers. “Don’t go piercing our eardrums, Mione,” Ron said, sticking a finger in his ear. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs with a stern look. “Shush Ron,” she said. “Go tell your mother we found them.” Ron scowled, rubbing his arm where her elbow had jabbed it, but he quickly kissed her cheek and walked off. Hermione beamed for no apparent reason, and ran over to Ginny. “How did it happen?” she gushed. “I don’t have five galleons,” Ginny said, shrugging. Hermione raised an eyebrow. “I bet him five galleons he couldn’t catch me, and when he did, he swapped the five galleons for five kisses,” Ginny explained. “Five kisses turned into a million.” Hermione squealed again and threw her arms around Ginny, who laughed and hugged her back. “I’m so happy for you!” Hermione gushed, letting Ginny go. “What else happened?” “Um, excuse me?” Harry said, raising a hand in the air like he was in class. The two girls looked over at him. “I’m still here you know,” he said. Hermione gave him a look. “Then scram,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “We are having a bit of girl talk.” Harry scowled, but Ginny gently pushed him forward in the direction of the path. “Go on,” she said. “We’ll catch up.” “Fine,” Harry muttered, and he turned to go. He glanced back at Ginny and then, on impulse, gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Ginny beamed at him; Hermione, though grinning, shooed him away with her hands. Harry waved to the two, and walked away, down the path back to the Burrow. Now all he had to do was find a way to break it to Ron that he was dating his sister. Then again, he hadn’t actually asked Ginny out yet. Harry ran a hand through his still damp hair. This was going to take quite a bit of work. Sighing, Harry sat down on a nearby log. He started running scenarios through his head, working out how he was going to ask Ginny to be his girlfriend. Because he definitely knew he wanted more of her kisses, he absolutely knew he wanted her. Just how was he going to do it? He ran both hands through his hair, staring straight ahead. A flash of bright pink light caught his eye. He stood up, frowning. He heard the clink of metal banging against metal, and started towards the source of the sound. He heard someone muttering in a foreign language in the bunch of bushes across the path. He drew his wand and advanced on the bush. “Come on, get in there,” muttered the voice in the bush. “Gotta get him today!” Now Harry was getting worried. He pushed aside the bunch of leaves obscuring the view and held his wand out, ready to attack. Inside the bushes squatted a man in his late twenties probably, with a wand stuck in his teeth pirate style and a shotgun in his hands. A box of bullets sat on the ground at his feet, which was the source of the pink light. The man looked up at him in shock, and his mouth fell open. The wand clattered to the ground, sending out pink sparks. “What the heck?” Harry said, raising one eyebrow. “Potter!” he squeaked, dropping the shotgun. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” Harry said, thrusting his wand between the man’s eyebrows. He grabbed the wand lying on the ground and tucked it into his pocket. “Uh, well, that’s an interesting question,” the man said. “If I told you, for one I’d have to kill you, and for two, you wouldn’t understand, and for three… uh, I don’t really have a three…” the man trailed off, then glanced down at the shotgun on the ground. “What’s that for?” Harry asked, gesturing to the gun. “Well, you see, my wife has been pestering me for months now to use a shotgun ever since this song came out called ‘Cupid’s Got a Shotgun’,” he said, “and I’ve been trying ever so hard to get you, but arrows just don’t seem to cut it.” “Arrows?” Harry said. “What’s that mean?” The man lifted up the gun, Harry backed up. “It won’t hurt, at least not much,” he said, standing. “These are enchanted bullets, not normal ones and all.” Harry held up his wand. “What are you doing?” Harry asked warily. “Well,” the man said as he primed the gun, “I’m Cupid and you’re supposed to stand still while I shoot you.” Harry turned tail and ran back to the pond. ‘Cupid’ shouted something and took off after him. Harry glanced back to see Cupid waving the gun, and when he turned back he found himself run straight for Ginny. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and there wasn’t enough time to slow down before Harry crashed into her, knocking her flat. “You need to quit that,” Ginny quipped. “Run!” Harry gasped, pulling her up. “What?” “Run!” Harry tugged her along with him, leaving Hermione standing in the road looking confused. “What’s going on?” Ginny asked. “Cupid’s got a shotgun!” “What?” “Cupid’s got a shotgun!” Harry repeated. Ginny dug in her heels, skidding to a stop. Harry stumbled a few more steps before she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Cupid?” she repeated. “As in chubby baby shooting people with heart-shaped arrowheads on rickety arrows?” “Yes!” he panted. “Run!” “And he’s here?” she said. “With a shotgun!” Harry gasped. “You’re not supposed to avoid me!” came Cupid’s voice. “You can’t run forever!” Ginny turned back just in time to see Cupid run around the corner to the pond, waving his shotgun over his head. “That’s a shotgun?” she asked. “Yes,” Harry panted. “And he’s going to shoot you with it?” “YES!” “Will it hurt?” Cupid had heard her. He waved to them and ran forward towards them. Harry yelped and ducked behind a tree. “It won’t hurt I assure you!” Cupid called as he sprinted across the grounds. Ginny drew her wand. “Oh, I don’t have to shoot you, young lady,” he said. “Just him. He’s had it coming for him for a while now.” “Why do you need to shoot Harry?” Ginny asked. Harry peeked out from behind his tree. Cupid sighed, and aimed his gun. Harry ducked out of sight again. “They’re only love bullets, stupid,” Cupid called. “All they’ll do is make you fall in love!” Harry peeked out again. “You’re mad!” Cupid raised his gun. “Yes, yes I am.” Harry grabbed Ginny’s arm and pulled her behind the tree as Cupid pulled the trigger on his gun. The bright pink bullet soared past them, and stopped in mid air. It turned, and went straight for Harry. He ducked, and the bullet impaled the tree. “How are you dodging?!” Cupid roared from behind them. He strode over to them with his gun dangling from his fingers. “It’s not fair!” he said. “No one ever gets away from me this many times!” “This many?” Harry said. “How many times have you tried to hit me?” “To many times to count,” Cupid growled. “Hold still.” “Wait!” Ginny said, jumping between them. “Why are you trying to hit Harry?” “My wife put me up to it,” Cupid said. “You wouldn’t happen to be Ginny Weasley, would you?” “Yes, I am,” Ginny said. “Why?” “Well, this is easy,” Cupid said. “I can shoot two birds with one bullet!” Cupid raised his gun. Harry raised his wand and yelled “Expelliarmus!” The gun flew out of Cupid’s hands and Harry caught it. “Hey!” “I’m not going to stand by and let you shoot us!” Harry said. “Why do you need to shoot us both?” Ginny asked. “Because my wife thinks you’d be a cute couple,” Cupid said. “And I try to make her happy whenever possible.” “You want Harry and me to date?” Ginny said. “Well, obviously,” Cupid said. “Why would I be trying to shoot you if I didn’t?” “Well, now you don’t have to!” Ginny said. “We’re already together!” “Yes, I saw you kissing earlier,” Cupid drawled. “But you’re not ‘together’ together yet.” “How do you know?” Ginny said. “We could have-” “Ginny will you be my girlfriend?” Harry said quickly. Ginny turned around very slowly. “Say again?” “Will you be my girlfriend?” he repeated, more calmly this time. Behind her, Cupid’s jaw dropped. Ginny smiled. “Yes, Harry, I will.” Harry grinned at her a moment, and then turned back to Cupid. “There, now you don’t have to shoot us.” Cupid said something Harry could not understand. “This has never happened before,” he muttered. “Not since I shot James Potter! And I didn’t shoot Lily Evans, it just happened! I didn’t shoot either one of you! How did this happen?” “You shot my dad?” Harry said. “Well of course!” Cupid said. “I shoot everyone! I shot that brother of hers, and Granger just last week! I shot her parents, I shot her other brother, George, and that Angelina girl! I shoot everyone, but you two…” “Um, if you wouldn’t mind,” Ginny said, taking the gun and Cupid’s wand from Harry. “Go away.” Cupid wordlessly took the gun and his wand, still staring open mouthed at them. He gave himself a shake, and started away. There was a loud CRACK and he was gone. Ginny looked up at Harry. “Did you mean that?” she asked. “Did I mean what?” he repeated, blinking at her. “Do you really want me to be your girlfriend, or were you just saying that to get him gone?” “Yeah, I meant it,” Harry said. Ginny grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Hold still while I kiss you,” she murmured. Harry gladly complied. THE END. (On a side note, Cupid found that shotguns actually were worse than bow and arrows, and refused to use a shotgun ever again.) (Another side note: Here’s Ron’s reaction…) Ron stared dumbfounded at his best mate and little sister. Harry and Ginny glanced at each other guiltily. “I- you- she-” he stammered incoherently. “Ron, mate, we were-” Harry stuttered. “Ron, Harry and I are dating now and if you don’t mind,” Ginny said, walking up to him, “we are busy.” Ginny gave her brother a brief smile before she shut the door in his face. Ron blinked at the door, standing on the landing for a moment in confusion, before stepping back and walking downstairs with a glazed look his face. Back in Ginny’s bedroom, Harry was trying to remember his name and Ginny was not helping. THE ACTUAL END. |
| Reviews 18 |
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