So, in honor of Christmas, I was inspired by a scene from It's a Wonderful Life, in which George and Mary are walking through a neighborhood in town in bathrobes. Mary ends up losing hers and hides in a bush, where George teases her mercilessly about her predicament. I couldn't help but see Ginny and Harry in this exact scene, and wonder how it would work for them. So, here it is, based entirely on the scene from the movie. I own neither the characters, the plot, nor the movie from which it is based. Enjoy, even though the story itself doesn't take place during Christmas, and happy Holidays!

-Foodie

What Did You Wish For?

An entire year had passed since Harry Potter had defeated Lord Voldemort. The world had changed a lot since then, though some things had stayed the same. He'd left Hogwarts, but made sure to return for each and every Quidditch match over the last year. This had been the final game of the year, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, and Harry was really excited to see his former teammate, Ginny Weasley, now team captain, in her final game before she left Hogwarts.

Harry was uncertain how he felt about Ginny, and how she felt about him. They had grown more comfortable around each other over the last year or so, now that he wasn't going to school with her anymore, but he found his thoughts always returned to her. He'd gone out with a couple other girls over the year, but had found none of them made him feel the way Ginny made him feel. The other girls seemed in awe of who he was, but Ginny didn't make him feel like a hero set up on a pedestal, something he valued greatly.

The Quidditch match had been more riveting than Harry remembered a game ever being. Ginny and her team had gone up against the renowned Ravenclaw team, and after a two hour match, had won against them after the Gryffindor seeker, Dennis Creevey, caught the snitch by flipping upside down on his broom and snatching it up with one outstretched hand. He'd stopped short, just before crashing into a post and smashing his brains out. The crowd had gone wild when Dennis sat back up and waved the snitch around.

The revelry had gone on for over an hour afterwards as the crowd chanted and cheered, sang and danced in the stands. After a while, the celebration had become more than just over the Quidditch match, and was an expression of the happiness people felt over being free and living without fear in their lives. It had only been a year since they'd been wondering if they'd ever be happy again, but a lot could happen in a year.

Harry went down to the changing rooms to congratulate his former teammates. Ginny walked around in a bathrobe, after having taken a shower to wash up, and thanked all the other players for all their hard work. "You've made my last game as captain at the school very memorable, and I will never forget any of you," she called out as the other players smiled and slowly trickled out of the room.

After a while, Ginny and Harry were the only ones left in the changing room. "So, what's next for you, Ginny?" Harry asked as Ginny looked around for her clothes.

"Well, after final examinations and leaving school, I'll probably join Fred and George in the store for a while," she replied distractedly while looking for her clothes under the benches.

"That sounds good," Harry replied, joining in the search for the clothes.

They searched for fifteen minutes before giving up hope of finding them. "Somebody probably snatched them and thought it would be a fun joke," she sighed. "I'll just go back to school in this robe," she said while starting for the door.

"Hold up, Ginny, I'll walk back with you," Harry called out while trotting after her.

Once outside, the two chatted mindlessly about the weather and life while slowly making their way to the school. "So teach us things worth knowing, Bring back what we've forgot, Just do your best, we'll do the rest, And learn until our brains all rot…" they sang happily and very much out of tune, feeling good to be together, and not caring if singing the school song seemed a silly thing to do.

The sash holding Ginny's bathrobe had managed to come undone, and while singing, Harry accidentally stepped on it, causing her to come to a halt. She turned to see Harry looking sheepishly up at her as he removed his foot from the sash. "Sorry," he stammered, feeling shy all of a sudden.

Ginny sighed. "That's quite all right," she replied loftily. "Though if you do it again, I may be forced to put a Bat Bogey Hex on you."

"My apologies, kind lady," Harry replied, bowing to Ginny.

After a few more minutes of walking, the two passed by the Whomping Willow. Harry stopped and watched as it swayed in the breeze. He picked up a small stone and tried to throw it into the large hole at the base of the tree. Pretty soon, both of them were taking turns tossing stones at the tree.

A minute later, Ginny looked up at Harry. "How about every time you hit a rock into the hole, you get to make a wish," she suggested. He eagerly agreed to this, and soon, they were tossing stones left and right to reach their goal.

They both hit stones into the hole a couple times and made wishes. "Come on Ginny, tell me what you wished for," Harry asked playfully.

"If I tell you, it won't come true," she replied.

"I'll tell you what I wished for…" he said enticingly.

"But it won't come true then!"

"Oh please, tell me what you wished for. Did you wish for loads of money and boyfriends? Or maybe a big house to live in when you get married some day. Is that what you'd like Ginny? Or would you like to travel the world and see all the sights and hear all the sounds? Tell me what you wished for," Harry said breathlessly.

Ginny looked into his eyes for a minute, completely silent as she considered all of this. Finally, she began to sing again, "And learn until our brains all rot…" before bending down and picking up another rock to throw at the tree.

Harry finally gave up on figuring out what she'd wished, and went back to throwing rocks as well. He missed widely at one point in time, and the willow tree managed to hit the stone back at Harry, hitting him in the shin. Harry yelped and began to hop around in pain.

"Are you OK?" Ginny cried, reaching out to put her arm around Harry's waist and help him walk back to the school.

"It hurts!" he cried, grabbing her tightly and holding onto her for support.

"Well of course it hurts; you just got hit on the shin with a rock."

In the course of the grabbing and holding, Ginny's sash had once again come undone, and Harry had managed to hop onto it, unknowingly. As she took a step, the robe came off, leaving her naked as the day she was born, in front of him. She screeched and ran into a nearby bush before he even had a chance to look at her.

Once he realized Ginny wasn't next to him anymore, he looked around. "Ginny?" he called out, looking down and seeing her bathrobe at his feet. He leaned down, picked it up, and examined it inside and out, as though she might have shrunk and gotten tangled up inside of the fabric.

Harry was startled out of this by a rustling in the bushes next to him. "Harry? I'm over here," Ginny called out to him, sticking one of her hands out to show him where she was.

Harry smiled and walked up to the bush. "What are you doing in there?" he asked.

"What do you think?" she asked sarcastically. "Will you just give me my robe back?"

Harry started to hand the robe back to Ginny before thinking otherwise and taking it back. "Hmm, I'm wondering why I should do that. I mean, what's in it for me?" he asked slyly.

"Harry, give me back my robe!" Ginny cried angrily, shaking the bush she was nestled in.

"Why should I? Maybe you should come out and get it from me," Harry replied impishly.

"The only thing you'll be getting from me is a good arse kicking if you don't give me my robe back!" Ginny cried.

"Oh, come now, Ginny, don't be like that," Harry replied, twirling the robe around in his hands.

"If my brother was here…" Ginny began.

"Ron? No, he'd be on my side," Harry replied.
"Give me back my robe! I'll call for help! I'll scream!" she threatened.

"Oh, the closest help is too far away to hear you scream. No, I'll tell you what," Harry began, "I'll give you back your robe if you promise to kiss me."

"Is that all I'd have to do?"

"Yes," Harry replied eagerly, excited over the thought of kissing Ginny.

"All right, it's a deal," Ginny replied while holding her hand out for the robe.

Harry promptly returned the robe and stepped back to give Ginny the room she needed to make her way out of the bush. He was grinning stupidly while she finally came out and sauntered up to him. "So, you want your kiss?" she purred. Harry nodded his head, his mouth too dry to speak. Ginny smiled slyly. "Close your eyes," she said.

Harry closed his eyes and pursed his lips, ready for his kiss. The only thing Ginny gave him though, was a swift kick to the shin that the Whomping Willow had hurt just minutes before. Harry yelped, opened his eyes, and looked at Ginny. "Don't ever do that to me again!" she cried before turning and marching away, back to the school.

The pain was overwhelming, and Harry hopped around while watching the girl he loved walk back to the school. Why did love have to hurt so much?