Could've Been Worse

Ginny tugged at the stray strands of flame-red hair that were draped over her smudged Charms notes and exhaled loudly. She loved Charms, but it could get a little dull sometimes, especially when Flitwick had been waffling on for the past forty minutes.

The bell sounded, and gratefully Ginny leapt up from her desk and bolted for the door. Once in the corridors, she grinned mischievously and began scanning the throng of chattering students for a pair of emerald eyes and a mop of dishevelled ebony hair.

She soon spied him; trudging alongside bright crimson hair not dissimilar to her own and a tawny mane, Harry was escaping from Potions, looking hassled.

Stealthily she crept nearer as the trio approached a corner, Harry seemingly looking around for somebody as well. Just as Ron and Hermione lost focus on Harry and became engaged in a rowdy bickering match, Ginny darted forwards and slipped her hand into her boyfriend's callused one, snatching him from what promised to be an embarrassing, public display.

Harry, startled, snapped his head up only for his wary expression to soften and a genuine smile to break across his face. 'Hey...thanks for saving me.' he beamed as she drew them closer to a musty wall, where a deserted broom cupboard lay.

'No problem. How was Potions?' she greeted him.

'Well, my reputation for brilliance is over, so Hermione's pleased. Slughorn has attributed this to me being lovesick.' Harry answered.

'He's right, isn't he?' Ginny smirked up at her boyfriend, in such a way that he was tempted by an urge to lean down and kiss the chocolate coloured freckle sitting by her mouth.

Harry grinned. 'I'd say he was, yeah...'

'Are you hungry?' Ginny asked innocently. Students were beginning to file into the Great Hall, clamouring for their friends.

'Not at all.' Harry said knowingly as she yanked open the door and pulled them both inside. 'I missed you.'

'Me, or just my lips?' Ginny inquired.

'You,' Harry felt the familiar warmth, excitement and pleasure fill up his insides, like hot air, whenever he saw her, 'definitely you.'

He took that opportunity to notice Ginny was gazing up at him with eyes shining like liquid amber, a definite challenge embedded there. As he inhaled her flowery blend and found himself leaning towards her supple lips, she suddenly jolted upwards and sealed the gap between them.

Harry felt a spark generate somewhere in his stomach; both of his hands instinctively flew up, one to entangle in her soft, fragranced hair and another to snake around her waist, as he kissed her back furiously. They were catching up with their lost time in lessons.

The dank, desolate cupboard became a haven, as he smiled against her knee-weakening kiss, locked in their embrace, the grievances of that morning dissipating as he pulled her closer -

'Bloody hell! I can't un-see this now!'

Harry tore his lips away from Ginny's in astonishment to see the wooden door thrust open and Ron Weasley standing in the doorway, mortified, with an amused looking Hermione lagging behind.

'What the hell are you doing, snogging in a cupboard?' said Ron with a queasy expression.

Ginny folded her arms; a dangerous glint had appeared in her eyes and irritation was written all over her heavily-freckled face. 'It's not your business, Ron. Go snog Lavender or something.'

'We broke up,' Ron said defensively. 'Is it really necessary to snog Harry in a cupboard?'

'Would you prefer we did it in a dormitory?' retorted Ginny. 'What were you and Hermione planning on doing in here anyway?'

Hermione looked scandalised and her cheeks erupted in scarlet; the tips of Ron's ears were similarly affected.

'We were looking for Harry,' Hermione supplied quietly.

'In a broom cupboard?' Harry said sarcastically.

'Well you were in there, weren't you?' Ron muttered.

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'Goodbye, Ron.'

Ron looked slightly taken aback, however, he seemed to give up as Hermione tugged at his sleeve.

'Just - just lock the cupboard next time.' Ron sighed.

Ginny smiled wickedly. 'Oh, we will, Ron.'

'I suppose it's to be expected,' said Ron grumpily. 'They're not exactly subtle.'

As he disappeared, Hermione suppressing laughter as she trailed after him, Harry looked nervously down at Ginny, but she was no longer fuming.

'Impeccable timing, my brother,' she huffed, but he enveloped her loose hand in his own and flung an arm around her shoulders gently.

'It could've been worse,' he offered, 'imagine if it was Romilda Vane.'

Ginny could tell someone was following her.

It seemed every time she slid round a corner, or went to fetch some textbooks from her dormitory, or even just popped to the library to find a forgotten quill, Romilda Vane was lurking there, eyes narrowed, thick black hair accentuated by her scowl.

She was getting tired of it. Ginny was by no means scared or even threatened by Romilda. Growing up with six brothers, two of them being Fred and George, it took a whole lot more than some amateurish stalking to intimidate her.

But it was very annoying. Vane had been on her case since she'd started dating Harry and eventually this had to come to a head.

She was walking up a corridor one hazy afternoon when she spied a mass of dark, springy curls protruding from an abandoned suit of armour.

It was obvious who the hair belonged to, and Ginny was about to confront Romilda when suddenly she saw Harry hurrying towards her, looking chipper.

Forgetting momentarily about Romilda Vane, Ginny allowed herself to be captured in a cosy, secure embrace before Harry reached down and pressed a soft kiss to her unsuspecting mouth.

'Where've you been? I looked for you after Defence. It's time for dinner,' he murmured huskily in her ear.

'I was...caught up with something,' Ginny remembered Romilda; suddenly she felt exposed. She carefully took him out of sight, just opposite the girls' bathroom.

Harry nodded. 'You've seemed off lately. Is something wrong?' he said worriedly.

Ginny didn't want to add to his never-ending list of anxieties, so she distracted him by dropping what she had intended to be a fleeting kiss on his lips but soon melded into a passionate game of tongue gymnastics.

As she relaxed and entwined her warm hands into his ruffled tendrils, she felt as though nothing could break this feeling, of utter serenity, of fire blazing pleasantly in her stomach, of how it felt to have his larger hands wrapped around her back...

'AHEM!'

The angry voice that rang out stunned the couple; Ginny broke the kiss and turned to glare fiercely at the fourth year girl that stood before her.

Harry looked extremely irritated; he turned to Ginny. 'Let's go to dinner.' he said longingly, wanting to get as far away from the impertinent girl before them.

'I'm right behind you.' said Ginny curtly. Uncertainly, Harry gave her an understanding nod and headed off, slowly, towards the Great Hall.

'You've been following me all week, Romilda.' Ginny snapped in a dangerous tone. 'It's been a while since I practised my Bat Bogey Hex...' she added as an afterthought.

Romilda smirked at her, smacking her voluminous lips. 'Is it true, Weasley? Has Harry got a Hippogriff tattoo on his chest? Being his girlfriend, you'll know, of course. We've all been wondering, and I thought, who better to ask?'

Ginny stared back at her in surprise, she hadn't been expecting that - but she was not one to surrender and she certainly wasn't about to let Romilda Vane win this one.

'Actually,' she replied, her eyes bright with defiance, 'it's a Hungarian Horntail. Very macho. My brother's got one too. A Pygmy Puff. But you don't want to know where that one is.'

Romilda's jaw hung gormlessly down her neck. For once, she was speechless.

Ginny Weasley turned and walked towards where her boyfriend was leaning, by a staircase, distorted by the dim light, and she didn't look back.

'Could've been worse, I suppose,' she muttered to him, as they paced towards the Great Hall, hands knotted tightly together, 'it could've been McGonagall.'

Harry slumped against a wall, exhausted. His marks really were dribbling down the drain recently, and the stress of balancing everything showed on his face; dark, ominous circles emphasised his eyes.

He was supposed to be going to Charms, but in reality just felt too drained. He was about to pad off down the corridor when he caught a whiff of the flowery scent he loved so much and turned around to see Ginny Weasley approaching him. Her cheeky smile faded.

'I was hoping to sneak up on you,' she grumbled. 'You and your stupid instincts, Potter.'

He laughed, his reservations ebbing away. Instantly, the grey clouds didn't seem so ominous.

'I'll walk you to class?' he said warmly, luring her closer with a firm hand.

Ginny saw the faint beginnings of purple forming under his eyes, drank in the slumped posture and the glassy look in his eyes.

'Actually, I'm not really in the mood for Transfiguration.' she said. 'I thought I might skive. Take a stroll…'

Surprise flickered across his pale face, but his eyes lit up. 'Now that's an interesting idea.'

As the stream of pupils thinned out, and the two were alone in the deserted corridor, Harry followed her into a nearby broom closet and gave up fighting his impulse to reach down and kiss her, but she beat him to it anyway, and wound her thin arms around his neck, devouring his lips. He had never felt quite so free as in that moment; twisted up in Ginny's limbs, her lustrous red hair splayed over his hands, the frustrations he was carrying forgotten.

'Potter! Miss Weasley!'

'Oh no…' Ginny moaned against his lips, as she released her grip and slid to her feet, wheeling around to face her Transfiguration professor.

She tore her lips roughly away from Harry's, revelling at how a sweet taste lingered on his kiss, and looked guiltily at Professor McGonagall, who had wrenched open the claustrophobic broom closet they'd been nestled in and was staring at them with disapproval (and, Harry thought, amusement).

'I – er – we were just, um, cleaning the cupboard,' Harry explained shakily. He could feel Ginny's giggles reverberating violently against his chest and fought the urge to laugh himself at this ridiculous situation.

'I see,' McGonagall answered. 'And you decided to miss my Transfiguration lesson because of this, Miss Weasley?'

'Sorry Professor,' Ginny suppressed a giggle and peered into McGonagall's avid, stern gaze, 'I…um, Mr Filch looked really tired today, so Harry and I thought we'd make less work for him.'

'Miss Weasley, need I remind you your OWLs are approaching,' McGonagall reprimanded her, 'I would not advise skiving off your lessons when you have only one or two months until the exams.'

'Yes, Professor.' Ginny nodded; she caught Harry's eye and a small smile stretched across her rather, thought Harry, attractive features.

'And Potter, you should be in Potions, should you not? I should think your NEWTs should mean more to you than…uh…cleaning broom cupboards.' McGonagall said dryly.

Harry shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot.

'Sorry, Professor,' he mumbled, 'I'll, uh, let Filch do his job next time.'

'Weasley, come with me.' ordered McGonagall. 'Potter, get off to wherever you're supposed to be.' she swept off.

Ginny looked triumphantly at Harry as he flung his arm around her shoulders. 'Looks like we got away with it. I thought for sure she was going to give us detention.'

'She would have,' scoffed Harry, 'but she didn't want us snogging even more once we got there.'

Ginny cast a wary eye over at the Transfiguration classroom. 'I'd better go.' she gave him one last chaste kiss and hurried away, just in time to hear Harry yell 'It could've been worse!'

He was completely wrong, but Ginny smiled to herself anyway.

'Harry, I have to revise tonight. Harry!' Ginny Weasley said as she was drawn into what seemed to be an empty classroom.

'I'll help you,' Harry promised, although there was a telling gleam in his bright green eyes that made Ginny think otherwise. Still, she had been poring over her heavy spellwork textbooks all evening and thought of spending some time with Harry had been so appealing. He'd been tied up in Snape's stupid detentions every weekend, after all.

'Test me then,' she demanded, hopping up onto a desk and fiddling with a dried up ink pot.

'What's the incantation for a Patronus, and the best way to produce a corporeal one?'

'Expecto Patronum,' Ginny said, 'and think of the happiest memory you have.'

Harry nodded. 'Yeah…by the way…what is your happiest memory?'

Ginny turned and looked at him; the intensity of her gaze made his stomach churn and flip.

'I don't know,' she admitted, 'I have a few…maybe getting my Hogwarts letter...flying on a broom for the first time...going to the Quidditch World Cup. When I found out you'd got off with no charges at the Ministry.' she paused, and swallowed; he waited. 'When you kissed me for the first time.'

Harry couldn't help it; his lips parted and he grinned broadly. 'Yeah, that's a favourite of mine, too.'

Ginny had cautiously hoisted herself down from the desk, her legs no longer dangling, and was stepping towards him.

He, too, moved closer.

'We shouldn't,' she breathed across his mouth; he inhaled her scent as he buried his nose in her hair and gradually retreated back, his eyes locked onto her topaz ones, examining the gold flecks, the tinted brown, the thick lashes…

'I know.' he whispered back, but it didn't stop him from peppering kisses over her exposed, full lips, and she responded at once. His tongue tangled with hers, dancing, as he continued to taste the sweetness on her mouth, feel the blissful oblivion –

There was a pause as the door was swayed open, and a dreamy voice said, 'Oh, sorry, must've been the Nargles telling me to come in here.'

Harry and Ginny sprang apart and exchanged annoyed glances, but Ginny's vanished on the spot when she saw who their intruder was.

'Hi Luna,' she blurted.

'Hello Ginny,' said Luna serenely, 'I was looking for you, actually. I thought we could revise together.'

'I'd like to, thanks Luna,' Ginny said, 'but…Harry's helping me revise.'

'Oh,' said Luna cheerfully, 'I thought the Wrackspurts had got to you, and that's why you were distracted and kissing him.'

Ginny considered this. On one hand, she really wanted to stay with Harry, but she knew she'd never get any work done that way. And she needed to pass her OWLs - even if she was sure professional Quidditch was her calling, her mum - and Hermione for that matter - would never forgive her if she failed.

'On second thought, Luna...do you want to go to the library? Sorry, Harry, but you're too much of a distraction,' Ginny apologised, but Harry only flashed her a sly grin.

'I know. Too much for you, right Weasley?' he teased, heading towards the doorway. 'I'll be in the common room.'

Ginny smirked, and was about to leave with Luna, when a sudden thought occurred to her.

She raced up to Harry, pecked him firmly on his stubbly cheek and reached up to whisper in his ear, 'It could've been worse…' before she turned and ran down the corridor.

'I know this time, we won't get caught.'

'Don't make promises you can't keep, Harry,' Ginny Weasley laughed as she settled herself down on the browning blades of grass and leaned in to him.

'I mean it. Just us and the Giant Squid.' Harry insisted, gesturing to where the creature was basking in the sun, slimy tentacles slapped over the bank.

Ginny eyed it. 'I'm not sure that's very reassuring.' she put forward, leaning against the tough bark of their oak tree. 'She looks quite scary.'

Harry chuckled. 'I think we'll be fine. She likes me.'

'Oh she does?' Ginny exclaimed, in mock-indignity. 'Should I be jealous, Harry? Are you cheating on me with a slimy purple squid?'

Harry was about to quip something lighthearted back, when his mouth moulded into a shocked 'O' and he tried to grab Ginny, but it was too late – a humongous, scaly lilac tentacle had flung itself into the air, and with one sharp slap, had knocked Ginny into the water.

As soon as he heard a distinct swear word, Harry knew Ginny was fine; he rushed to the water's shallow edge and came face-to-face with a soaked, scowling, disgruntled girlfriend. Her cascading red hair was completely drenched and plastered to her head in a very attractive fashion. However, deep in her eyes he saw mirth, and before he could help it, he burst out laughing.

'Think it's funny, do you Potter?' Ginny grumbled, and before he could react, she had reached out and yanked him hard, so he toppled and with an almighty splash, collapsed into the water.

Harry broke through to the surface, spluttering. 'I can't believe you!' he accused her, but Ginny was now laughing openly; he must've looked pretty ridiculous, up to his waist in balmy water, soaked through to the skin.

'So believe me,' she said. 'That was completely worth it.'

He splashed her. So she, of course, retaliated. And that was how, five minutes and one angry squid later, they could be found snogging the living daylights out of one-another, Harry's hands clinging to her damp back, hers nestled in his unkempt, unruly dark hair.

They might have stayed like that for hours, but then Hagrid had to come along, and suffice it to say, Harry had never seen a squid throw a half-giant into a lake before, but when it came to it, it turned out to be quite amusing.

'Don't yeh be doin' more o' that in public, yeh hear me, Harry?' he bellowed after them, clambering out from the lake and carrying what looked like half of it just in his drooping beard.

'No Harry,' Ginny gasped, as she took a break from laughing, because her sides were aching badly, 'don't even say it, because it could not have been worse.'

'But it could,' he argued, 'it could've been Snape-'

'No, Harry!' shouted Ginny, alarmed, but it was too late.

And that was how, the next afternoon, both got served detention for 'Giving an unscheduled display of indecent activity'.

I hope you all liked it :')

~GS13