Distraction

Syn

PG-13

I do not own these characters, etc.

Summary: Hermione tells Harry off for distracting Ginny when she ought to be studying.

Notes: A bitty bitty ficlet because I needed to fill in the scene from Half-Blood Prince for my own peace of mind.  *sigh* I love these two.

 

****

 

A contented feeling curled up like a cat on a rug in Harry Potter's gut as he watched Ginny Weasley leap deftly over the entrance to Gryffindor's common room, a heavy bag of books bouncing against her leg.  She straightened, biting down on her lower lip as she shifted the books to her hip.  Harry's heartbeat quickened the tiniest bit and he fought the urge to leap up and run toward her.  Instead he played it cool, sprawled in a large armchair by the fire, his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook teetering in his hands. 

 

Ginny looked around and spotted him immediately.  A brilliant smile burst across her lips and Harry found himself smiling too, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed nervously.  From across the room, Ginny waved at him.  Harry invited her over with a jerk of his head. 

 

"Hey, you," she said as she stopped in front of him, letting down her bulging satchel of books with a clunk.

 

"Hi," Harry said, still feeling that brilliant warmth in his stomach. "Been at the library?"

 

"'Course.  All I've been doing is studying.  At the rate I'm going, I just might have a nervous breakdown or go blank when I sit the exams."

 

"Probably both at the same time," Harry teased, at which Ginny poked her tongue out at him. "Seriously, though, you'll be fine.  I managed to make it through last year.  Only failed two, you know."

 

"Well, the way I figure it, if I can get at least seven then I'll have tied with Ron.  Any less than that and Mum's going to trot out the "you're-smarter-than-this-and-why-weren't-you-made-a-prefect-like-your-brothers?" speech.  I already heard it over the summer when I didn't get one of those stupid badges, I don't need to hear it again."

 

Harry laughed. "I cannot imagine you as a prefect, Gin.  There's too much Fred and George in you."

 

"Thank Merlin," Ginny said, sighing heavily. "I was terrified I'd end up like Percy and Ron."

 

"Nah, you're too pretty," Harry said and plowed on before he got too embarrassed.  He still wasn't used to actually having a girlfriend.  He wasn't sure where the line was.  He was awful at flirting too, but Ginny didn't seem to mind his compliment, in fact, she was beaming at him. "So what are you studying?"

 

"History of Magic tonight.  I've got loads of goblins to remember."

 

Harry grimaced. "Ouch.  My condolences."

 

"Well, I suppose I'd better find a seat somewhere..." Ginny said, but Harry sat up a little.  He felt his face flushing.

 

"You can sit here.  With me," he said, licking his lips.

 

Ginny lifted her eyebrow, though she was smiling a little. "Are you sure?  Wouldn't want Ron to make a fuss."

 

Harry glared at her for a moment. "I'll have you know I don't care what Ron thinks.  Besides, he's doing rounds with Hermione and the other prefects."

 

Ginny chuckled. "Is there room?"

 

"Yeah.  There's plenty of room..." And he made to scoot over to give her room in the large armchair, but Ginny sat down and settled on his lap, legs strewn across his, her back against the arm of the chair.  Harry's right hand slipped around her waist, where Ginny caught it, entwining their fingers.  Surprised, but pleased at the new position, Harry just grinned.

 

"M'not too heavy am I?" she asked, rubbing his hand with her thumb.  Her mouth was very close to his.  Harry was hard-pressed not to lean forward the three inches between them and kiss her. 

 

"No," Harry said, "I can barely feel you.  You're warm too."

 

Ginny chuckled. "This isn't going to be too distracting is it?"

 

"What?  No!" Harry said, tearing his eyes away from her mouth. "We can study like this just fine."

 

Ginny lifted an eyebrow as if she didn't believe him, but shrugged. "Right.  Well...I've got History of Magic to study for.  Wish me luck."

 

Harry kissed her cheek quickly. Ginny's face flushed bright red. "Sorry.  Just my way of wishing you luck."

 

Ginny grinned a little and took her notes from her bag, shaking the loose leafs of paper out as she settled back against Harry's shoulder and the arm of the chair.  Harry watched her for a few moments and then tried to bring himself back to his D.A.D.A. textbook.  He was dimly aware of the fact that he should be reading the chapter on nonverbal, wandless magic.  He could only make sense out of one word in three, which made his head ache dully. 

 

Ginny was still rubbing his hand with her thumb, causing little goosebumps to shiver up his arm.  Ginny's heady flower scent flowed into his nostrils whenever he breathed, making his whole body relax against hers.  He tried to focus on his textbook again, aware that he'd read the same sentence three times.  Ginny went over her notes, pursing her lips, a little line between her auburn eyebrows as she scanned the neat, flowing script he assumed was her handwriting.  He noticed she made little circles over her i's instead of dots.  He made himself look back at his textbook. 

 

"Harry?" Ginny said after a few minutes.

 

"Yeah?" he said, lifting his head and looking at her.  Her nose wrinkled and she lifted her notes so he could read them.

 

"Does that say Shanood or Shahood?  I can't read my own handwriting and I don't remember what Binns said," she said, pointing out the scribbled word. Harry squinted at it for a minute.  The "n" or the "h" was a bit stunted, but it could be either one.  He read the rest of the sentence and tried to remember whether or not he recalled a goblin called Shanood or Shahood who had single-handedly who claimed to have found the lost treasure of Atlantis in Prague in 1475.   

 

"Er..." he started and then seemed to remember something about the affair...he remembered Hermione's neat handwriting and the name Shanood suddenly seemed a bit more familiar. "Shanood, I think.  But don't quote me on that."

 

"Hmmm..." Ginny said and went back to her notes.  Harry watched her for a moment, feeling the fingers linked with his squeeze and let go.  A bit disappointed at the dropping of his hand, Harry frowned and looked back down at his textbook.  Then he felt Ginny's hand spreading his dropped hand open, palm upward.  He felt a thrill go through him as she started running her fingertips, nails gently grazing, across his palm. 

 

He had never known his palm was ticklish, but the sensations she was causing made the corners of his mouth curl upward.  Harry closed his fingers over hers, trapping them in his palm a moment before letting them go.  Ginny glanced at him and caught his eye.  They shared a small smile and then Harry pointedly looked back at his textbook. 

 

Ginny went back to her notes, but she kept tickling his palms in that pleasant way until every thought but her was driven out of his head.  He read the same paragraph four times before realizing it.  He tried to concentrate and failed. 

 

It was far too hard when Ginny was strewn across his lap, tickling him in such a small, intimate way, her wonderful smell in his nose.  Deciding to turn the tables on her (surely she knew what she was doing to him), he turned her hand over and started running his fingertips over her own soft, small palm.  Ginny visibly relaxed into him even more. 

 

"Mmm..."

 

Knowing he had her now, Harry snapped his textbook closed and wove his other hand around her waist, under her free arm, which was still holding up the notes she didn't appear to be reading anymore.  Her eyes were closed, a contented feeling Harry knew well curling across her features.  She dropped her notes, scattering them across both their laps and turned her large brown eyes on Harry.

 

"I have to study," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. 

 

Harry faked an innocent look. "Me too."

 

"I'm going to fail my O.W.L.S."

 

"No you--" But Harry didn't get his whole sentence out.  Ginny leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips.  Since that was what he had wanted the whole time, he immediately responded.  Ginny shifted on his lap so that she was facing him, one arm wrapping around his neck, the other taking his hand, weaving their fingers together once more.  Harry buried his free hand in the cascade of red hair flowing down the back of her neck. 

 

He didn't care one wit that they were sitting in the middle of the common room, that he heard quite a few whistles as people noticed them snogging.  He was kissing Ginny and no matter how many times they'd done so since the Quidditch match last week, Harry was still sure he was dreaming it.  Her mouth fit perfectly against his, lips soft and questing. 

 

Harry kissed her back, slowly, savoring each kiss as it came.  He slit his eyes, curious to see what Ginny looked like when they were kissing.  It was strange, but he liked the way she looked.  Her long red lashes, tipped with gold, were fluttering against her freckled cheeks, which seemed to have a flush creeping up them.  He closed his eyes again and deepened the kiss, moving his head to the side so he could angle his mouth down on hers. 

 

He had no idea how long they were sitting there kissing--it might well have been hours for all he cared--when he heard a very familiar throat clearing.  He groaned in his own throat and he and Ginny broke apart.  His lips stung as cooler air flowed against them.  He looked up through bemused eyes at Hermione Granger standing before them, her hands on her hips, her lips pursed in a disapproving way.

 

"Ginny!  You should be studying!  You have O.W.L.S in less than a month!" she said crossly to Ginny, who shifted on Harry's lap, shooting him an amused look, her laughter barely contained. "And you!"

 

"Me?" Harry said, rather stupidly.  He was still trying to make his brain work.  For some reason, all he could think about was recapturing Ginny's mouth. 

 

"Yes, you!  You know she should be studying!  You're distracting her!  Do you want her to fail?" Hermione said rather shrilly. 

 

"No, of course not.  It's just that--" Harry protested, but Hermione cut him off.

 

"I don't want to hear it," Hermione said, but Ginny tutted in her throat impatiently.

 

"Look, Hermione...you're not my Mum, so stop telling me what I ought to be doing," she said crossly, slinging her legs off of Harry's. 

 

"I'm not trying to be your mum, Ginny, but you told me yourself today that you're way behind on History of Magic.  I know how it is when you have...other things on your mind," here she motioned to Harry, "but you need to put your studies ahead of your recreation."

 

"I was studying, I swear!"

 

"We just sort of..."

 

"Started snogging," Hermione said waspishly. "And you might want to watch that.  Ron's coming back to the common room in a few minutes.  Good thing I came ahead.  You know he's not going to want to see you two attached at the lips."

 

"I don't give a fat damn what he wants," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. She glanced at Harry for backup.

 

"Er..." Harry started, but Hermione once again interrupted.

 

"I know you both don't care, but I don't want you to get into a row, not when Ron's finally acting like a decent human being," she said, sitting down in the armchair next to the one they were entwined in. "Now, Ginny you really need to get to work."

 

Ginny sighed deeply, glancing again at Harry.  A sad look that plainly said, "What can I do?  She's right," came across her face.  Harry shrugged, but leant forward and kissed her mouth swiftly. 

 

"Maybe we shouldn't sit together for an hour or so," he said. "Avoid temptation."

 

"I think you're right," Ginny said sadly, standing and collecting her scattered History of Magic notes. "I think I'll go up to my dorm for a while.  Maybe I can concentrate there."

 

"Yeah," Harry said, sad to see her go.  He shot Hermione a dirty look, one she caught quite clearly. "See you after bit?"

 

"Yeah," Ginny said, picking up her large satchel of books and trotting off toward the girl's dormitory.  Harry watched her disappear up the spiral staircase, seriously debating whether or not there was a way to get past the trick stairs so that he could follow her.  

 

"Well, see?  Now you can concentrate too," Hermione said matter-of-factly, but stopped when Harry glared at her again. "What?"

 

"Think before you interrupt, Hermione," Harry groused, opening his textbook aggressively and slapping it across his lap. "Next time you're snogging someone, think about whether or not you'd want to be interrupted with a reminder to study!"

 

Hermione's mouth fell open. "I'm just looking out for both of you, Harry!  She's behind on her studies and so are you."

 

The rub was that he knew she was right, but he didn't really care at the moment. "Yeah well..."

 

"Well, be mad all you want, once you get your homework done and she does too, then you can snog your little hearts out and get my blessing for it!" Hermione's face had heated up a little. She added, in a tone he was quite sure he wasn't meant to hear, "At least you have someone to snog." 

 

Harry looked at her askance, noticing the dark look on her face.  He decided he'd been a little hard on her.

 

"What's the matter?"

 

"Nothing."

 

"Okay," Harry drawled. He looked back down at his textbook and then sighed. "You know, Hermione...Ron..." But Harry saw the look on Hermione's face and stopped.  He didn't really want to say it and he knew Hermione really didn't want to hear it.  Ron would come around sooner or later.  "Nevermind," he said quickly and looked down at his textbook. 

 

He forced himself to read the assigned chapter, laboring through the terms he didn't know or understand, half his mind on Ginny, slowly counting down the time until she came back downstairs.  He thought about finding an out of the way corridor, away from Hermione and Ron's watchful eyes...

 

He smiled vaguely and hurried his way through the chapter, plotting all the while.

 

(end)

 

****