Kitchen Duty

By CravingPassion

Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to own anything that will be recognized as a part of the Harry Potter books. All of the characters, excluding Lana Grout and Mike Bucking belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers, and Co. The plot is, as well, a product of my imagination and does belong to me. I did not use another's writer ideas for this piece of fan fiction, nor do I receive money from it in any way. Please don't use my characters or plot without my consent.

Harry walked down to the kitchen, a warm cloak in one hand. He smiled dazedly as he thought of the day behind him. It was January 18th, which meant that the castle was very cold and that it was Harry's day to do 'Kitchen Duty'. Ever since Hermione had established some agreements with Dumbledore, the house elves got free days every two weeks. This meant that the students were to clean and make food for that day. This was all apparently Hermione's ideas and Dumbledore did not seem to find something wrong with it. The Headmaster agreed and set up terms and turns. The eighteenth of January was Harry's turn.

He reached the kitchens, tickled the pear and stepped in. They were really great for cooking, had all the right tools, an enormous sink, many pots, pans, and more. All of which were big and Harry couldn't help but wonder how the tiny house elves maneuvered all of them. To his surprise, among the other students cooking tonight was Ginny Weasley.

She was sitting at a table, her dark crimson waves braided behind her neck. She looked up when Harry stepped into the kitchens and smiled at him. Last year was enough for most of the awkwardness between them to mist and they were now good friends. Harry often found himself attracted to Ginny. He did not lie to himself about this. He knew that the amounts of testosterone in his teenage body were sometimes uncontrollable. He also knew that being attracted to Ginny Weasley was completely natural. After all, she was beautiful, funny and mischievous. Her brothers did not scare him quite as much as they did most boys and she seemed to like him back. He knew she had somewhat gotten over her old crush but she seemed to still have some leftover. He did not object.

"Hello Harry." He heard her voice.

"Hey Ginny," He answered, smiling lightly and looking her over quickly while she looked at the clock, waiting for someone to arrive. She was wearing blue jeans that flattered her very much and made her legs look longer than usual. She was also wearing a light pink sweater that accented her breasts. Also reasons for Harry's attraction to Ginny were, to be honest, her breasts. They were perfect. Not too big but very much existing. He realized he was staring and looked away. Damn those stupid hormones. He looked down to make sure his body was under control and then looked back up. She was staring at him when he met her eyes finally.

"All right there, Harry?" She asked, her eyes seeming amused. Harry blushed and decided talking was the only thing he could do to change the subject.

"What are we waiting for?" he asked, trying to stop his thoughts from going too far and fantasizing again, not to mention blushing like a tomato.

"Sprout, I think. Apparently, she's a great cook."

"Better than Hagrid?" Harry smiled and Ginny giggled. A few minutes later, Professor Sprout walked in and smiled at everyone.

"Alright," she said, quieting everyone down. "Let's all go wash hands and I will assign everyone a job. But first, by a raise of hands, who here can cook?"

Ginny's hand was raised slowly and Harry also raised his own slowly.

"Lovely." Professor Sprout said. A half-smile was playing across her features. "Alright, Mr. Potter, you will be helping me make the chicken. Bucking, you'll do the salad and Weasley, you'll make the potatoes." She looked around. "The rest of you will get the pots and pans and wash the dished, please. We'll need them for dinner, so all of you start with that." Professor Sprout ordered and the students all split to do their job. Harry, who was stuck with Professor Sprout telling him about things he did every few minutes, couldn't help but groan inwardly.

"No wonder you don't get good marks at Potions, Potter." Sprout said. Harry heard someone giggle and turned to see Ginny laughing at him. He stared at her, noting how beautiful she was now. She smiled and stuck her tongue at him, turning back around to the pot of potatoes.

"Potter! If you will kindly stop staring at Miss Weasley," She said toughly and Harry blushed. He heard some of the other students laugh at him and smiled at the ones he knew. They smiled back. "Really, just like your father, you are." She said quietly and the room became almost silent. They were all waiting to see if Harry will blow up at his Professor.

"Thanks." He said quietly and hears a relieved sigh coming from somewhere.

"Alright, now just apply some pepper. A little more, Potter. Very good. Now keep doing that until the-"

"Chicken is golden brown. Yeah. Thanks, Professor." Sprout nodded and walked away from him to look at what Ginny was doing. After telling her she was doing quite lovely and Ginny turning to tease Harry with a superior glance, Sprout walked out of the kitchens and up the stairs. The students barely moved until they no longer heard footsteps and then-

"Posh!" Mike Bucking erupted, the rest of the teenagers joining him in his laughter.

"Nice, Potter." Ginny whispered to him suddenly. "Smooth."

He chuckled to her and moved away from the chicken, letting it rest for a moment. He walked over to her and frowned. "No fair. You got an easy job."

"That's because teachers like me."

"Hmm."

"What was that, Harry?"

"Nothing. Just…can't really blame them." He mumbled. She didn't move and he wasn't sure if she'd heard him or not and he turned back to the pot when he felt her hand on his arm. He took a deep breath and turned to her. She just stood there; her eyebrow just slightly raised in what he was pretty sure was an unconscious manner. She stared at him, her eyes searching. He pinked and looked away and she got a sweet smile on her lips. It was teasing him and he smiled back, hoping to make her say something. Instead, she just turned back to the potatoes and he was suddenly envious of them.

He walked back to the chicken and finished up, moving to help with the salad. After half an hour of Bucking had using a charm to cut the vegetables and turning Harry's hair blue, Harry assuring him he wasn't mad, and Ginny laughing at them the vegetables were cut and now Mike was just finishing up with seasonings. Harry walked away and conjured a mirror to examine his hair. Lana Grout, a fifth year in Ravenclaw stood behind him, examining her eyeliner closely.

"I think it looks good." She said suddenly and Harry locked eyes with her through the mirror.

"You do?" Harry cocked his head to the side. The girl nodded and Harry noticed she was very pretty and was eyeing him very much like Rom eyed cake.

"Yeah. It's…wild. It suits you." Harry marveled at Lana's boldness and smiled, noticing he liked it.

"Thanks."

"Sure." Lana said, fingering his hair. "You should keep it." She said coolly and she walked away.

Harry stared after her in the mirror and then focused on his hair again, fingering it himself. It had felt odd having someone else touch his hair. The only one who had done was probably Madame Pomfry when she took his temperature or maybe Hermione once or twice. But never a girl who was potentially…well, not anyone like Lana.

He noticed Ginny staring at Lana and smiled to himself lightly. He was attracted to Lana in a purely physical way. Not that it was very deep, really. It was just…light attraction. Ginny, however, made him want to take her right there at times. The way he liked her wasn't quite as light.

"So, how was Kitchen Doody?" Rom asked immaturely when Ginny returned to the Common Room to get ready before dinner.

"It…was interesting." His sister answered.

"Okay. Where's Harry?" Ron asked, ignoring Hermione's roll of eyes at his "Doody" comment.

Ginny snorted at the mention of his name. "He got a little held up…by Lana. He'll be right here."

"Lana Grout?" Ron asked, grinning and shaking his head. "The boy is lucky. Ow!" He said when Hermione kicked him.

"Women aren't meat, Ronald and we don't appreciate being thought of as such." She told him, disgusted.

"Touché." Ron mumbled and Hermione shook her head at him. Just then, Harry walked in the common room and Ron burst out laughing, followed by Neville, Dean, the quiddich team and most of the D.A. Harry stood in front of the portrait hole, grinning in a charming manner and making Ginny smile.

"You like it then?" He asked Ron and his best friend continued laughing. Hermione chuckled and looked at his hair.

"It's very different," She smiled simply.

"That it is." Katie Bell stepped in to look at his blue hair more closely. "But well done. Who did it?"

Harry chuckled. "Mike Bucking did. It was an accident. We were making salad." Ron continued laughing, seemingly unable to breathe and Ginny wondered how Ron wasn't matching Harry's hair by now.

"Mate," Ron said, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder, laughing for a while and then finishing. "I honestly do like it; it's awesome."

"I'm glad you like it, Ron."

"Yeah, and it sounds like Lana does, too. Into blondes now, are you?" Ron smirked, nudging Harry. The boy-in-question smiled and blushed slightly.

After a great dinner, Harry and Ginny made their way back down to the kitchens. They were both picked to wash the dished after dinner. Harry had to admit her was happy he was about to be alone with Ginny; He didn't want her to think that he liked Lana more than he did.

When they reached the kitchen, a big sink and pile of dishes awaited them and Harry smiled when he remembered they could use magic. Deciding to begin as quickly as possible, Harry split the dishes into two piles and sat down on a chair, floating pots and pans into the sink and making the sponge, soap and water do the work. Ginny, however, had different plans. She stood in front of the sink and waited until Harry's eyes closed for a few minutes. She quickly grabbed the faucet which had a conveniently versatile head. Quickly, she sprayed him with cold water, making him yelp and jump up.

"Ginny!" He yelled. She stopped to laugh her head off and Harry grabbed another faucet, spraying her with water as well. She laughed harder, jumping away and holding her side.

"Ahhhh!" She yelped again as he targeted her with hot water. She laughed. "I have to admit, it actually feels sort of good." She said finally, when he had turned off the water. He swallowed hard as he took a good look at her wet body. He felt his breath catch and stared at her. She stared back and he couldn't remember ever being so attracted to someone. His brain lost control of his body and his other head seemed to be in control all of a sudden. He crossed over to where Ginny was standing, her breath shallow as she still unconsciously held the faucet in her hand. The only sound was Harry's foot steps and the scrubbing of the dished and she just continued staring, her eyes traveling up and down him before stopping at his face again. He was now only about half a foot away from her and she looked into his eyes, seeming worried or excited…or both.

"Harry, what-?" She never finished her sentence because just then, Harry's lips were over hers. Ginny dropped the faucet and it made a sort of ringing sound that neither of them heard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they were kissing slowly, afraid to mess something up. They parted and stared at each other until a smile broke across Harry's lips and Ginny smiled back.

"I like you." Harry said finally. Ginny giggled.

"I like you, too." She said, thinking about how cliché this whole situation was. "And I'm really, really wet."

"Yes, well. It seems to be destiny that all first kisses that have to do with me are…wet." Ginny giggled, familiar of his first kiss with Cho. She leaned in and kissed him again.

"What about second kisses?" She asked, smiling. Harry smiled mischievously back.

"Well, actually, I don't think I would know."

"Oh, really?" She asked impishly. "What about third?"

"Well, all I really know about third kisses is that…they are supposed to be the best." He had an impish look in his eyes.

"Well, Mr. Potter. Shall we try?"

"Hmm." Harry said, kissing her. This time, however, they kissed with life and pleasure, not embarrassed by the other, but expressing their built-up sexual tension. It was undoubtedly the best. Until, that was, Harry kissed her again.

After snogging all around the castle on their way back to the common room, Ginny and Harry finally arrived at their destination.

"Harry?" Ginny asked as they stood in front of the portrait.

"Hmm?" Harry asked. His lips were busy kissing her neck. She took a deep breath and steadied herself, pulling from him.

"What about Lana?" She asked, toying with his hair.

"Oh." Harry stopped trying to kiss her again. "Well…she…"

"Is pretty." Ginny completed, a bit of pain in her eyes.

"What? No…Ginny, I mean, she's-she's not my type."

"Oh, really? Not into tall, slim, blue eyed blondes, are you?"

"Nah. I'm more of the mischievous, beautiful, redheaded, wet kind."