Disclaimer: nah I don't own harry potter. if I did steve kloves would have been fired seven films ago

Author's Note: thank you for all the love! Each and every one of your reviews gave me the biggest smile. It makes me so happy that people actually like my story hahaha and i just couldn't stop writing as a result! And as your reward…it's The Kiss™ chapter, feat. snogging. heh heh. this was definitely the most fun chapter to write so far. I hope you like it!

Chapter Four – Quid Agis

Harry awoke to the strange sensation of a long tongue being plunged into his ear. The subsequent swearing that ensued left him in a sweaty tangle of bedsheets, his confused roommates blinking groggily at him, and Arnold the pygmy puff toppling off Harry's pillow onto the floor.

'Wha – whasgoenon?' said Ron sleepily, lifting his head a little to peer over at Harry. 'Issat – issat my sister's pigmerpruff?'

Rubbing his ear, Harry nodded and leaned down to pick Arnold up. Golden morning sunlight was beginning to stream through the curtains and, sitting contentedly in Harry's hand, the little pygmy puff looked almost angelic.

'What're you doing in here?' said Harry. He was more than a little disgruntled, and not just because Arnold had cost him thirty odd minutes of extra bedrest. He'd been unceremoniously wrenched from a very pleasant dream in which a scantily-clad Ginny had done things to him that made him now uncomfortably aware that her brother was mere feet away from him.

Arnold looked contemptuously at Harry as though to say, Do you expect me to reply? However, he did roll over to the foot of Harry's bed and nodded at a scrap of parchment that had definitely not been there last night.

Harry looked conspicuously over at the other boys. Ron had drifted back to sleep and was emitting tiny snores. Neville hadn't stirred, Seamus was blinking blearily at him, but Dean's gaze, flickering between Arnold and the parchment, was hard and forbidding.

Despite this, excitement welled up inside Harry – there was only one person who would have sent Arnold with a note, and it was with fumbling fingers that he opened it.

Harry, it said,

Meet me on the Quidditch pitch about twenty minutes before practice today. I have a new move I want to show you – I think it might give us an extra edge against Ravenclaw!

Ginny

P.S. Sorry if Arnold woke you up with his tongue. He has a tendency to do that.

Grinning, Harry let the note flutter to the floor, dived back underneath his covers and closed his eyes as Arnold rolled out of the room. Ginny had unknowingly presented him with the perfect opportunity to act on the feelings that had been driving him insane since last summer. A few long moments on the secluded Quidditch pitch, both bouncing off pre-practice adrenaline, gentle sunlight arcing over their faces…

Ever since Ginny had split up with Dean and kissed him on the cheek in the Common Room, Harry, now comfortably sure she had feelings for him too, had fervently been plotting ways to make his move. As Hermione, clearly exasperated by his dillydallying, had put it, 'For Merlin's sake Harry, there's not a soul left in Gryffindor that hasn't caught you staring at her when you think nobody's looking, and that includes Ginny herself, so get on with it!'. In Harry's opinion, this was rather rich given that half of Gryffindor had bets on when Hermione and Ron would finally get it on, but he was wise enough to realise it would not be prudent to point this out.

Yes, Harry thought, as Ron gave a rattling snore. He punched his pillow into a flatter shape. I'm going to do it today.

Ginny was waiting for him on the pitch when he arrived. The watery afternoon sunshine caught her blazing red hair, giving the impression her whole head was alight from a distance. As he jogged over to her, his Quidditch robes flapping lazily in the breeze, she gave him a brilliant smile and he felt his stomach contract painfully.

'Hi,' she said, leaning against her broom as he reached her. 'I can't wait to show you this – I've been practicing it for ages now and I think it's ready.'

Her excitement was palpable; Harry was too busy thinking about how cute she looked with her jaw set so proudly and slightly oversized robes fluttering by her ankles that he did not realise she had extended out a hand to him until she said, laughing, 'Come on, give me the ride.'

Harry stared back at her, winded. 'Er – what?' He could feel himself blushing furiously and his mouth was stupidly agape. Did she really just say that?

'Your Firebolt?' Ginny quirked up an eyebrow. 'It'll come out so much better if I show you on a good broom.'

'Oh, yeah, here,' said Harry quickly, handing over the sleek handle. 'So…forgotten who's the Captain of this team, have you?'

'Like you'd ever let me forget,' she said, rolling her eyes as she slid one leg over his broom. Harry didn't reply, now lost in thought about how good it would feel to have those slender legs wrapped around his waist while he –

'Yes!' Ginny shouted as she kicked off, jolting him out of that train of thought. He watched as she flew higher and higher, eventually attaining height equal with the goalposts. 'NOW IMAGINE I'VE GOT SOME BURLY RAVENCLAW CHASER ON MY TAIL!' she bellowed down to him.

Harry nodded and kept his eyes glued to her distant figure as she suddenly began to pick up speed. The Firebolt responded eagerly and she cut a clean trace across the sky before lunging into a sharp and rapid zigzagging pattern. It was a damn near perfect execution of a Wollongong Shimmy. Opposing Chasers would be easily offed, leaving Ginny free to attack the goalposts. He glanced over at the castle; there was no sign of the rest of the team approaching yet – he still had time to –

'Harry, get out of the way!'

Harry wheeled back around just in time to see Ginny, a blur of red and gold, hurtling towards him before they collided in an explosion of pain and colour. Harry lay spread-eagled on his back, blinking away stars. It was not for a few moments that he realised Ginny was lying across his chest, his Firebolt abandoned on the grass nearby.

'Er…are you alright?' he managed, as Ginny lifted her head slowly. Soft brown met bright green and he was counting the chocolate-coloured freckles dusted across her nose when her mouth suddenly split into a grin.

'Bloody hell Harry, why didn't you move?' she said, laughter reverberating against his chest. 'You just stood there like a complete git-'

'Me? Why the hell did you crash into me? You can pull off a Wollongong Shimmy but you can't dismount a broom properly?' he said, but was laughing too. 'You're lucky I broke your fall, this could have been a lot worse.'

'Sorry,' she said, 'I sort of…lost control. That Firebolt's a lot faster than what I'm used to.'

'Well, I guess I can forgive you. It's not every day your best Chaser masters a professional Quidditch move. If you can do that in the Ravenclaw match – we'll definitely win the Cup.'

'Thanks,' she smiled, and Harry became very aware of the amount of body heat pulsing between them and the tell-tale tattoo of his own heart. Her face was angled towards him and he looked greedily at her full lips.

This is it, he thought confidently, I'm going to do it. I'm going to kiss her.

He inched towards her, cautiously –

'I knew there was a reason you put Weasley on the team instead of me.'

They sprang apart; Ginny rolled off of him and staggered to her feet in seconds and Harry sat up, glaring fiercely at none other than Cormac McLaggen, towering over him with a triumphant look on his face.

'This is a private practice, McLaggen. Team members only,' said Harry coldly. 'Get lost.'

'It's private all right,' sniggered McLaggen. 'You two were about to start shagging in broad daylight.'

Harry stole a glance at Ginny out of the corner of his eye; her face was reddening, but out of embarrassment or anger he wasn't sure.

'How exactly does Harry putting my brother on the team instead of you-' she started, but McLaggen interjected at once.

'You thought if you softened her big brother up by giving him a spot, he'd turn the blind eye to you getting it on with his little sister.' said McLaggen, gesturing towards Ginny. Harry got angrily to his feet and squared up to the older boy.

'You're an idiot. Go and dry your tears and face up to the fact that Ron is ten times the player you are.' he said.

'I came down here to watch you lot practice and offer my advice.' said McLaggen lazily. 'But I can see you're in no shape to listen, Potter…too busy trying to get your leg over this one-'

He stopped. Ginny had pulled her wand and was pointing it steadily in his face. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously; Harry recognised this as her you're in trouble look but did not feel an ounce of pity for McLaggen. Blood was thundering heavily through his brain and he clenched his fists, trying not to lose control.

'Shut the fuck up.' he spat at McLaggen, who stopped looking at Ginny's wand and turned back to Harry, snorting.

'I don't know what you're being such a Flobberworm about, Potter, everyone knows she's easy as –'

There was a sickening cracking noise as Harry's fist met McLaggen's nose and a flash of purple light as Ginny's infamous Bat Bogey Hex hit him at the same time. McLaggen moaned in pain and sank to the floor, clutching his bleeding nose as giant flapping bogies attacked him.

Breathing hard, Harry exchanged a glance with Ginny. He expected his expression of shock mirrored her own. Not really knowing what to do next, he picked up his Firebolt and made to talk to her when approaching footsteps halted him.

'What on earth is going on here!'

Madam Hooch was coming towards them with a stormy look on her face, her whistle swinging wildly across her neck. 'I don't believe this – Potter, fighting again? And you, Weasley! I've seen plenty of altercations between different houses but to use violence against your own teammate –'

'He insulted Ginny and Ron.' said Harry, still fuming but recognising how childish he probably sounded.

'That is not an excuse for violence. Mr McLaggen will have to be taken to Madam Pomfrey. The both of you will serve a week's worth of detentions.' Madam Hooch snapped. 'I have a good mind to petition Professor McGonagall to have it a week on Saturday, but I daresay that would punish the rest of your house as much as you, if two of their players were to miss the match.'

'Bloody hell,' Ginny muttered as the flying teacher took off, McLaggen trailing behind her on a conjured stretcher. 'I think we got off lightly with that one. Remember when Umbridge gave banned you from Quidditch?'

'My dad almost killed her,' Harry said reminiscently. 'Right, er…I don't think we should tell the rest of the team what happened. At least not right now. Don't want to put them off their game.'

Ginny nodded. 'I think Ron would go after McLaggen if he found out. Not that he needs much of an excuse, the way the prat's been dogging Hermione.'

Harry wiped the blood from his fist as Ginny stuffed her wand back in her robes and it was not long before the remainder of the team arrived on the pitch, luckily oblivious to what had just happened. Harry thought Ron was a bit off-colour, but made a mental note to talk to him later, without everyone else present. In terms of his plans for Ginny, that afternoon, he thought grumpily, had been a resolute failure.

The first of Harry's detentions was to be on Friday, after Transfiguration. Harry bid goodbye to Ron and Hermione with a miserable wave; McGonagall had informed him mid-way through the lesson that due to her having to supervise a separate detention, Professor Snape would be handling his. He had, she told him grimly, arranged for Harry to extract Flobberworm mucus for the first years' Wiggenweld Potions.

It was with a bad taste in his mouth that Harry made his way to the Potions classroom. Snape wasn't even the Potions master any more, it was grossly unfair that he had to serve out this particularly disgusting detention under the beady eyes of the man that hated him and his remaining family with a passion. Harry suspected that the new Potions master, Slughorn, had shirked responsibility for this supervision as part of his ongoing mission to avoid Harry after the latter had asked him about a certain memory. He could at least be secure in the fact that Snape would think twice about spilling any more potions on him after his father and Sirius had warned him, very 'strongly', against it.

He couldn't even be pleased that Ginny would be there too; Harry knew Snape would keep them apart at all costs and the idea of snogging her amongst the Flobberworms with him lurking in the corner was laughable.

Harry swung into the Potions classroom and immediately wished he hadn't. Snape was sitting at his desk with an oily, sadistic smile and stood when he entered.

'Ah, Potter. I see you are unaccompanied by your dear father and godfather this time. I wondered if they would be here to hold your hand.' said Snape, silkily. He waited, but Harry did not cheek him, so he continued. 'The Flobberworms are on that desk. There are three crates to get through. You should finish by the end of the hour.'

There was no sign of Ginny. Harry did not like to ask where she was; he thought Snape might put them in separate detentions if he got the slightest inkling her presence would make the process any more enjoyable for Harry. He didn't bother pulling out his wand; there was no way Snape would allow magic when he could watch Harry get mucus all over himself.

Harry had just finished milking the first two Flobberworms for mucus when the door was thrust open again and Ginny, looking prettily flushed, burst in.

'You have decided to join us, Miss Weasley,' Snape said icily. 'Five points from Gryffindor for being late. Join Potter over there, and do not talk. If you do, you can rest assured you will not be playing in the next Quidditch match.'

Ginny scowled at him, but said nothing as she trudged over to Harry and sat next to him. He grimaced at her and she returned it, but then they worked in silence for the next fifteen minutes. Every now and then Snape would make a comment about their lack of efficiency and what a shame it would be if he had to keep them late for not finishing.

Fingers soaked in mucus, Harry brushed his hair out of his eyes with his elbow and looked longingly at the clock. Another forty-five minutes to go. He turned back around and caught Ginny eyeing the door, but under his gaze she quickly returned to their task. Harry was just thinking he'd never get the pungent stench of the mucus out of his nose and wondering if one of Hermione's Scouring Charms might do the trick when the door was opened yet again and three flustered fifth years burst in.

Harry recognised them as Vicky Frobisher, Luna Lovegood and Ivan Silverskein, all of whom he'd seen with Ginny at one point or another. He looked at her puzzledly for clues, but she grinned and shrugged in response.

'Please sir, someone's set off one of those Weather in a Bottle things in the corridor,' said Vicky. 'That Slytherin Harper's been sucked into the tornado.'

Snape made an angry 'hah!' noise and drew his wand. 'Could you not get one of the other teachers to deal with it? I'm supervising a detention.'

'But Harper's in your house, sir,' said Ivan helpfully. 'He's asking for you.'

'I think you had better come quickly,' Luna added. 'It's started thundering too, it might be lightning next.'

'You two - stay here!' Snape hissed, as he made to follow the students from the room. 'And if I hear so much as a whisper…'

He left, slamming the door shut behind him.

'Weather in a Bottle…hmm, where have I seen that before?' Harry said with a smirk. 'Oh, that's right…Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. I didn't think that was even on the shelves yet.'

'Being the sister of the founders has its perks,' said Ginny, casting a hasty Scourgify on their hands and disappearing the mucus. 'Right, come on. We've got about five minutes to do as many of these by magic before Snape gets back.'

'You know, I don't understand why Fred and George didn't recruit you for more of their pranks. You're an evil genius.' said Harry, as he milked six Flobberworms in one go with a Squeezing Charm.

'They underestimated me,' said Ginny. 'I know you'd never make that mistake, right Harry?'

He had, of course, and they both knew it. She clearly wasn't about to let him forget it too easily. Before he'd seen first-hand what she was capable of in the DA, he'd not fully appreciated just how talented a witch she was.

'Sorry.' he said, seriously, as she broke into the second crate of Flobberworms. 'But I don't underestimate you now.' he looked towards the door. 'Your friends set off the thunderstorm, didn't they?'

'Yeah,' Ginny's eyes lit up. 'It was Ivan's idea. He said you and I would finally get the job done if we could get rid of Snape.'

They both hesitated. Harry's cheeks warmed at the implication in her words; he studied her, but could not decipher whether she'd done it on purpose. Either way, it hardly mattered; he suddenly didn't even care that there was Flobberworm mucus on her sleeve and a faint sheen of perspiration on her nose. All he cared about was the fact that they were inches apart, and that she emanated that seductive flowery scent even in the stinking potions lab, and his eyes locked onto her own one last time before he closed them and –

'Get. Back. To. Work.'

Snape was snarling. He had re-entered the room without either of them noticing and even in the dim lighting, was incandescent with rage.

'Five points from Gryffindor. This is detention, not Madam Puddifoot's. And Weasley-' he paused as Ginny, shuffling away from Harry, looked up.

'-I know it was you that set off that blasted product of your brothers' before you finally turned up. If I ever get proof…' he trailed off ominously.

'I don't know what you're talking about, sir,' said Ginny. They returned to their work – now considerably more achievable than before – and she flashed Harry a strange look. It was almost…frustrated?

'How was Charms Club?' Ginny asked, as Vicky walked over and took a seat next to her. Ginny didn't normally go to the library that often, but Hermione's constant badgering about revising for her OWLs had taken its toll. She had been relying on her supply of Sugar Quills to get through the past few hours. Was there a subject with less substance than Divination? She didn't think so.

'It was great, we did Locomotor Charms and Flitwick said they'll probably come up in the exam.' said Vicky happily. 'Want to go and get some dinner? Unless you're not hungry after that detention…Flobberworms…yeuchh…' she shuddered.

Vicky had a known phobia of Flobberworms and as a result hated Care of Magical Creatures with a passion. She had run screaming from one of their very first lessons after a bemused Hagrid produced a big box of the wriggling white grubs for them to examine.

'Yeah, let me just finish this last paragraph. I don't suppose you've got any clue what a unicorn horn means in your tea leaves?' said Ginny, exhaustedly.

'Not a clue.' shrugged Vicky. The two girls were packing away her things when a distraction arrived in the shape of Harry.

'Ooh! I'll er – just go and return this book for you!' Vicky said, her face lighting up as he approached them. 'Hi Harry!' she grabbed Unfogging the Future and disappeared behind the bookshelves.

He looked as though he was trying to muster up the courage to say something, and kept shuffling his feet in a sheepish manner. If she wasn't so frustrated with him at the moment, Ginny would have thought this was rather adorable.

'Everything ok, Harry? Snape didn't find out about my little prank, did he?' she said.

'What? Oh, no. Um, I saw they've arranged another Hogsmeade visit. On Saturday.' Harry said, swallowing.

'That's short notice,' said Ginny. 'I thought since Katie-'

'She's been stabilised.' Harry said, smiling at her. 'I guess it's because the Saturday after is the match, so this one's the best one to do.'

Ginny waited.

'So, Weasley,' he said, and his voice, for the most part, held strong. 'I was thinking me and you could go to Hogsmeade together. Get a Butterbeer, laugh at the couples in Madam Puddifoot's…for old time's sake.'

She scanned his face. He looked deceptively casual, his hands slung in his pockets, his glasses a little askew, and his hair characteristically messy. That, or he wasn't actually asking her on a date and so didn't need to be nervous.

'Okay,' she said, her eyes brightening. 'Why not?'

Harry grinned shiftily at her and nodded towards her Divination notes. 'You know that's a load of dragon dung, right?'

And he ran, laughing from the library as Ginny threw her quill at him.

'So…what happened?' said Vicky, popping out from behind a bookshelf. Strangely enough, she was still holding Unfogging the Future.

'He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him.' said Ginny, nonchalantly.

Vicky squeaked happily.

'Don't get too excited, it's not a date,' she said, but was not even fooling herself. 'It's two good friends going out and maybe getting something to eat.'

Vicky made a very dirty comment. Unfortunately for the two girls, Madam Pince happened to be skulking past and overheard; Ginny still had marks from where her Divination book had bit her.

'I still don't understand why we couldn't all go under the Cloak.' Sirius grumbled, adjusting the green flowery smock he was wearing. 'I hate being the hag. Why couldn't you be the hag, Prongs?'

'Because it's my Cloak.' James pointed out. 'And I was the hag last time.'

'Right. The last time we spied on Harry.' Remus muttered under his breath.

'Come on Moony, don't be so grumpy.' sad Sirius from beneath the veil he was wearing. 'This is his first date with Ginny. Did you really expect us to miss it?'

'Lily would kill me if I didn't get pictures.' said James, nodding. 'Oi, Sirius, can you go and order us a few Butterbeers?'

'You do it!'

'I'm invisible! Do you want me to give Rosmerta a heart attack?'

'This is a stupid plan, anyway,' said Remus irritably. 'We don't know for sure they're going to come in here.'

'Nonsense, everyone comes to the Three Broomsticks on Hogsmeade weekends.' said Sirius, with a dismissive wave. He got up to order the drinks and nearly dislodged the Cloak as he did so.

'I thought you gave the Cloak to Harry,' Remus said, looking very fed up as he scratched his Transfigured nose.

'I did, but I asked him to owl it back to me last week after he told us he liked Ginny. I knew this would happen sooner or later.' said James. 'Now, remember, act natural. Harry's not stupid and if he realises who we are…'

'Have fun with Harry,' Hermione smirked as she pulled on her coat and waited for Ron to tie his shoelace.

Thankfully for Harry, Ron and Hermione, Ron and Lavender's relationship had come to a messy end. Upon hearing that Harry would not be accompanying Ron and Hermione to Hogsmeade, Lavender had – perhaps reasonably – had an angry outburst at Ron, claiming she was not happy that he and Hermione would be alone together. Ron, at the end of his tether now with Lavender, had subsequently split up with her.

'You have fun with Ron,' Ginny returned, as Harry appeared at the top of the castle steps and hastened towards her, dodging Filch and his probing Secrecy Sensor.

'Hi,' he said cheerfully, and she returned it. She was wearing her hair down and it curled delicately to her waist like a shining red waterfall; Harry took a moment to admire it and then said, not really caring that Ron or Hermione were there, 'you look really good.'

Hermione tugged Ron's arm and, casting what Harry interpreted as a meaningful look towards Ginny, he said 'see you guys later, then.'

'I'm surprised he's being so easy-going about us going together.' said Ginny thoughtfully, as they followed. 'Did he say anything to you?'

'Not really,' said Harry, casting his mind back to their conversation the day before.

'So you're taking Ginny to Hogsmeade.'

'Yeah. Is that okay?'

'Has this got anything to do with the fact that you're both single?'

'What – what d'you mean?'

'Harry – I can't believe I'm asking this – do you fancy my sister?'

'Er – well – I mean…yeah. I do.'

'Right. Well, that's…yeah.'

'You're not mad at me?'

'Nah. I mean, it's not ideal, your best mate and your sister, but then…it kind of is. If it's got to be anyone, I'm glad it's you.'

'Thanks, mate.'

They chatted animatedly all the way down to the village; Ginny was brimming with ideas for the upcoming Quidditch match and Harry was having fun teasing her about trying to oust him as Captain.

They popped into Quality Quidditch Supplies so Ginny could buy some new Chaser gloves. Harry felt a horrible pang of guilt as he watched her empty the contents of her purse, down to the last few Knuts, to pay for them. He knew she had been saving for a long time to get them and yet she didn't complain when she tucked her empty purse back in her robes, but rather excitedly reeled off their Quaffle-handling properties. Harry was close to offering to buy them for her, guiltily fingering his own bulging money bag, but didn't – he knew not only would she stubbornly refuse, but would likely take offence at the gesture.

After laughing at the couples emerging from Madam Puddifoot's, most half asleep from the heavily perfumed atmosphere, they headed towards The Three Broomsticks. Harry was unable to silence the nagging voice in his head, kiss her, you coward…she's going to think you're such an idiot…

On the way back, he decided. They'd take a detour through Honeydukes' cellar and he'd pull her aside in the passage and kiss her. Yes. That's what he would do.

'Two Butterbeers.' Harry slid a few Sickles over to Madam Rosmerta, who peered over at Ginny already sitting at their table and winked at him. 'She's very pretty.'

Harry, feeling unaccountably nervous, ignored her and took the drinks over to their booth. Ginny was looking curiously over at two people sitting at the table adjacent to her. Interestingly enough, the hag and the moustached bloke were looking just as intently back at her.

'You get some real weirdos in this place,' said Harry, passing her a hot Butterbeer. Perhaps he said it too loudly, because the hag choked on her drink and made to get up, but the moustached man caught her green smock in his hand and stopped her.

'No sign of Ron and Hermione.' observed Ginny. 'You don't think they're in Madam Puddifoot's, do you?' a wicked gleam flickered in her eyes.

'Ugh, I hope not.' said Harry. He did not like to think of his best friends snogging. However inevitable it was, he was still unsure about how he felt if they started a relationship. Being the third wheel was not an appealing thought.

'Cheer up,' Ginny said, as though reading his mind. 'They won't shut you out, you know. Ron was friends with you long before he started fancying Hermione, and vice versa.'

'Besides,' she added, 'they're both too dense to do anything about it any time soon. You saw how long it took Ron to break up with Lavender.'

'Too long,' Harry said darkly. Sometimes at night he could still hear a shrill whine of 'Won-Won!' piercing his brain and had debated waking up Madam Pomfrey to get a Sleeping Draught.

'Then again,' said Ginny, 'we took our time with Cho and Dean.'

Harry met her eyes. She was wearing a hard, blazing look that he found impossible to look away from. Could he really do it? Could he kiss her in front of everyone in the bloody pub? Did he like her enough to do that? Surely not. But he knew he did. He did. He really did.

'Yeah.' was all he said. She had moved closer to him, as well. 'Ginny, I should probably tell you, I-'

Flash!

A thick plume of green smoke billowed over them from the adjacent table. Coughing and spluttering, Harry waved it away as a heated argument broke out.

'Padfoot! I told you to turn the smoke feature off!'

'I thought I had! It's not my fault – you grabbed it off me before I could check!'

'Both of you, be quiet!'

It became clear that there were three people at the next table. Ginny stared perplexedly at the angry hag and disgruntled man, but Harry's expression was steely as he got up, stormed over to the table and, seemingly yanking thin air, revealed James Potter clutching a wizarding camera and looking very guilty indeed.

'Dad!' Harry seethed. 'What the hell are you doing here? Are you spying on me?'

'Er..hello Harry.' James laughed unconvincingly. 'Fancy seeing you here! Sirius, Remus and I popped out for a few drinks. Hi Ginny.'

'Hi James. Hi…er, Sirius, Professor Lupin.' she tried to hide a smile at their appearances.

'Don't be angry, Harry, we didn't know you'd be here.' said Sirius, yanking off his veil and wig.

'Yes, we did, and you have every right to be annoyed, Harry.' said Remus, shaking his head. It was hard to take him seriously with the bushy moustache. 'But James is right, Lily would have wanted pictures of this occasion…although I don't think she'd have agreed with the methods used…'

'Your mum would be furious with me.' James agreed. 'Sorry. But in case you were wondering, the picture came out great.'

He pulled out the photo from the camera. It showed Harry leaning into Ginny, Ginny closing her eyes, and then an eruption of green smoke.

'Great action shot.' said Sirius, but he stopped grinning when Harry glared at him.

Harry sighed. 'Can you go away now, please? All of you?'

Sirius looked as though he was going to argue, but James pushed him out of their booth and hugged Harry goodbye. 'Have a good time.'

Remus followed suit, but as Sirius embraced his godson, he muttered in his ear, 'It's now or never, Harry.'

Shaking his head derisively, Harry sat back down without bothering to check if they'd departed the pub yet. 'I'm sorry about that-'

'For Merlin's sake, Harry!' Ginny shouted, suddenly, her voice ringing through the pub. Patrons paused with their drinks midway to their mouths, Rosmerta almost dropped a tray of Firewhisky bottles, and Harry slopped Butterbeer down his front in surprise.

'When are you going to stop dawdling and kiss me?!'

Her face was burning as red as her hair as she stood up. 'I've only been dropping hints all bloody week!'

'What are you talking about?' Harry near-yelled back. He did not notice that James, Sirius and Remus had come bustling back into the pub after hearing the commotion and that his godfather was watching the scene unfold with undisguised glee.

'I wrote you that note,' said Ginny, her voice returning to normal volume, 'and I got Snape out of the way, and I even bloody kissed you!'

'On the cheek!' Harry said stupidly. 'Wait…you did all that so I'd kiss you? Why didn't you just say?!'

Behind him, James buried his face in his hands.

'I shouldn't have to!' said Ginny. She seemed to abruptly realise that about twenty people were staring at them. But before she could say anything else, Harry, now seeing only one possible solution to this brilliantly bizarre turn of events, leapt up from his chair, moved around the table, pulled her towards him and kissed her.

She melted into his embrace as his right hand crept into her hair and tangled into it and his left slid from her waist to support her back. He tasted wonderfully warm and delicious, like Butterbeer and treacle tart, and the sweetness of his kiss burned through her veins with desire. He intensified the kiss, gripping her even tighter, and she nearly moaned when she felt him nip her bottom lip with his front teeth.

Slowly, they broke apart, just before a plume of green smoke engulfed them.

Harry was grinning madly and she couldn't help but copy him. She wasn't sure if the best bit was Sirius shouting, 'That's my boy! That's my boy!' or James waving the photo of them snogging at her and joking he was going to send it to the twins, or Remus telling everyone in the pub to stop wolf-whistling after five straight minutes of it.

But, Ginny decided on reflection, that the best bit was Harry grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the pub, all the way to the One Eyed Witch's secret passageway, pressing her against the wall, and proceeding to kiss her. He breathed, between kisses, that he wanted her to be his girlfriend, and she whispered back a yes, as long as he promised not to wait another week to kiss her again. He agreed.

Of course, then they realised they had two minutes until curfew and were forced to run at top speed back to the Common Room, where Ginny rehashed the tale to a waiting and very excited Vicky, although she made sure to leave out just how much wandering Harry's hands had done.

Suddenly, she was looking forward to the rest of her detentions.

Author's Note: ! they ! are ! a ! couple!

I hope you liked this chapter! in case any of you were wondering, the title comes from the password to the gryff common room harry gives the fat lady after the ravenclaw quidditch match in canon and then infamously goes on to kiss ginny. happy days.

Reviews are like hugging nifflers, so please leave one and let me know what you thought.

the next chapter is gonna get a lil more 'm' if u get my meaning. just a fair warning ;)