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Title: Memories Before the Fire
 Harry shivered as he trudged down the carpeted stairs from his dorm room. He pulled his blanket closer to his body and held his tissue box closer to his chest. When he reached the last step, he tensed, his jaw going slack, and his breathing speeding up. He held his hand up to his nose and mouth, a tissue already in his hand, and sneezed powerfully. "HEH-HEH-HEHSHOO!" the sneeze made him lose balance. He would have fallen flat on his face, if it hadn't been for the small, supporting arms that held him up from the floor. When he was standing again, he glanced at the sweet face in front of him, smiling. "Thanks Ginny," Harry croaked as he shivered again. He wiped his nose with a new tissue, wincing at the raw feel of it. This cold just hadn't gone away. "You're welcome, Harry," said Ginny as she looked at him with concern. She saw him shiver again and felt his forehead. "You are pretty warm Harry. You should be in bed!" exclaimed Ginny softly. "I know. But I'm tired of sleeping. That's all I've been doing for the past few days!" said Harry in an exhausted tone of voice. "Well, at least warm yourself by the fire. Come, you're shivering!" said Ginny firmly. Harry just chuckled hoarsely at her stubbornness and sat next to her on the couch right in front of the fire. Ginny bustled around, an action not unlike her mother's fussing, and made sure Harry was warm enough and comfortable. Harry just let her fuss; he knew from experience that she had to fuss around on her own before she settled down. The two sat in silence for awhile before Ginny brought up the weather. "You know, I woke up this morning and I looked at the grounds, 'cause my window faces the lake. And there was a thick blanket of snow just laying on the grass. The sun was shining against the snow and everything was so pristine and beautiful. It was like heaven in Scotland," she said wistfully. Harry chuckled and laid his head on her shoulder. She let him, the two snuggling together for warmth in the drafty castle. "Ah yes, but you don't have to practice out in that 'beautiful' weather every winter. Do you remember my third year; it was your second? Ever since Quidditch began and the first raindrop fell, it poured and poured. Some days I had three baths just because of the weather," croaked Harry. Ginny giggled at the thought of his predicament. "Don't moan, you probably loved flying in the rain. You love flying anywhere," she teased. Harry grinned sheepishly and answered, "'K, so I did. You know me so well!" Ginny brightened in triumph and smirked at his next words, "But it was still cold and wet and raining and exhausting." "Yes, well, I have to train in all weathers now, so stop being so wounded. And plus, the practice did help; you lot won the Quidditch Cup that year," she said in response. "That was because I wasn't unconscious for the last game of the season. And if you do remember, I lost the first match to Hufflepuff when the Dementors decided it was time for a snack!" said Harry back. Ginny frowned and commented, "That was awful Harry. It was terrifying watching you fall off your broom and plummet to the ground. If Dumbledore hadn't stopped your body...." She trailed off and shivered. Harry tugged her in close and rubbed her back in a soothing motion. He tried to lighten the mood. "Besides, if the Dementors hadn't come, I'd never have gotten so sick of chocolate that year." Ginny smiled ruefully through her watery eyes and rubbed her face into Harry's warm body, whose skin burned through his pajamas. The two cuddled on the couch, letting the warmth surround them. Harry coughed and sniffled a bit, but it seemed as if his cold had retreated during their little cuddling time. After a point, Ginny broke off from her thoughts, "You know Harry, while it's just us, I want to tell you something. I didn't send the card in your second year. You know, the one with the terrible poem. I have reason to believe that my brothers did." Ginny looked up at Harry and saw his smirking face. "What?" she asked indignantly as she sat up. Harry just pulled her back to him and said, "I knew that you weren't that terrible at poetry. After all, why would a girl who sees me and gives a squeak, send such an awful card that yells out a terrible poem. It took me a while, but I figured it must have been Fred and George." Ginny blushed at the memory of her shy self and punched him lightly in the arm. "Hey! That hurt!" complained Harry in mock wounded-ness. "If Madam Pomfrey knew that you were hurting a sick man, she would yell at you right now!" Ginny flinched at the knowledge of the overprotective matron, before recalling Harry's illness. "How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Do you want some soup?" she asked hurriedly. Harry smiled calmly and pushed her back down from her half standing position. "I'm fine, Gin. Just sitting here with you... well.... There's nothing like it," he said. Ginny sat back down with a smile and settled against her boyfriend. Harry broke the silence sometime later. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you to go with me to the Yule Ball. I was so infatuated with Cho that I didn't notice the beauty in front of me. Though, it might have been a good thing. I'm rubbish at dancing," Harry chuckled good naturedly at himself. His chuckles turned into coughs, which were quickly quieted with a glass of water, given by Ginny. "That's fine, Harry. Though, I doubt you could be worse than Neville at dancing. The poor chap had to keep apologizing for standing on my toes. But, he was still a good date. Very courteous and knightly," she said, her mind back in the past. Harry shook his head good-naturedly and let his vision dim as he laid his head on his beloved's neck. "Thanks, Ginny, for letting me sit here with you, rather than going up to that stuffy dormitory. It's so peaceful down here," he commented sleepily. Ginny shifted, so Harry's head was laying on her lap, and he could stretch out on the couch. "I know. Doesn't the coziness just wrap you in comfort?" she said quietly. Harry hummed softly in response. As her boyfriend fell asleep, Ginny gently carded her hands through his black, silky hair. "I love you Harry, and nothing else matters." | |||||
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Created & Organized by A & tarotgal |
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