Skeletons in the Closet Category: Books » Harry Potter Censor: PG-13 Genre: Romance/Angst Chapters: 3 Reviews: 23 Author: Moonbeam Font Size: Bigger (+) - Smaller (-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Next Chapter ( 2 ) » ------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was a cold winter evening in the Gryffindor Common Room, and most of the students had gone up to bed. But yet, seven seventh years and a sixth year were still up, sitting around the fire. It was a Saturday night and there were no classes on Sundays, so they had opted to stay up late. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus, and Ginny were all lounging in overstuffed chairs, staring into the jumping flames of the fire. "I am so bored!" Ginny groaned, shifting around in her chair. "Yes. We should play a game or something." Lavender agreed, adjusting herself on Deans lap. "Oi! Strip wizard chess!" Seamus said eagerly. Everyone frowned at him. "Joking, joking!" He added hastily as Parvati gave him a nasty glare. "Well, there's this old muggle game I used to play a lot with my friends. My muggle friends, I mean." Hermione said cautiously. "Well," said Harry, "Let's hear it." "Well, it's pretty intense." Hermione said softly. Dean snorted. "Please! A muggle game intense? No way." "I'm serious." Hermione snapped. "It's called Skeletons In The Closet. You make a circle and one person sits in the middle. Then the others can ask you whatever they want. And you HAVE to answer it. It gets really tough. Some girl I used to know broke down in tears once." "Well we'll try and keep it light." Parvati assured her. Within a few minutes, they had formed a circle. Since it had ben Hermione's idea, she was first. "OK." She said, taking a deep breath, "I'm ready. Let's get this over with." Ginny started, "Who was your first crush?" Giggles from the girls, groans from the boys. "Easy. Michael Anderspoon. He was a muggle who lived next door. That was before I knew I was a witch." Parvati's turn, "Best kiss you've ever gotten?" Hermione blushed, but didn't hesitate. She looked straight at Ron and said, "Ron Weasley, the first day of school, fifth year." Cat calls from all as Ron leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Harry took a deep breath and asked, "What's the craziest thing you've ever done?" Hermione laughed, "Slapping Draco Malfoy." "Why haven't we heard about Viktor Krum in so long?" Hermione froze. She looked at Seamus, who'd asked the question. She glanced at Ron who looked away, "Well...I just never kept in touch..." She looked down. "Actually, I dated him the summer after fourth year. But when he wanted to go too far for me, I told him no. A week later, I was still in Bulgaria and I had been staying with my parents at a local hotel. I went over to surprise him. You know, cause I hadn't spoken to him since the day I told him no. He was half undressed with some little bimbo." Hermione looked away, tears sparkling in her eyes, "I left and I never looked back. I got an owl a week later, apologizing. I sent him a howler you wouldn't believe." Ron pulled her out of the center of the circle and hugged her tight, whispering in her ear. There was a silence until Parvati said, "Who wants to go next?" Harry looked around the circle, surrounding him. The first question came from Parvati. "If you were trapped on a desert island with anyone int his room, who would it be?" "None of you, you're all great prats." He replied with a grin. Everyone groaned and he tried to answer seriously, "Actually, it'd have to be...um...Ron. No real reason, really. Just cause." "What's the worst thing you've ever done with your magic?" Seamus asked. "Oh, I blew up my aunt just before third year began. That wasn't too great." "What's the scariest thing you've ever seen?" Dean asked. "Voldemort's eyes. They're...red. Damn scary." Harry said, taking a shuddering breath. It was Ginny's turn. She asked very softly, "What is your worst fear?" Harry looked at her, startled. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them slowly. "My worst fear is being alone. I mean, completely alone. With the Dursley's, I had people around me, and although they were terrible people, they were people. Then at school, first y ear I was so afraid of being all alone. Then I met Ron and Hermione and all of you and I wasn't. But that night of the third task in fourth year...after Cedric was killed, I was alone. I was really, truly alone. Well, except for Voldemort..." He stopped. The others in the room were looking down at their hands. Ginny looked like she regretted asking the question. "I need some air." He said, and stood and grabbed his cloak, leaving the common room as quickly as possible. Ginny looked at the others for a moment, then took off after him. She caught up with him half way across the grounds. He was running and his long legs made him five times faster than her. "HARRY! Harry, wait!" SHe called as he reached the edge of the lake. He was panting with exertion, half bent over, his hands on his knees. When he turned to her, streaks of tears were on his handsome face. "What do you want?" He asked, not meaning it to sound so sharp. "I....I'm really sorry." She said softly. "Don't be. It's only a game." "No...that was more than a game Harry," Ginny said, her eyes filling with tears, "I'm sorry!" "Ginny! Don't be sorry for things that aren't your fault." "I shouldn't have asked!" Ginny said, crying in earnest now. He sighed. "No, your asking was great, Ginny. I have been holding all that in for three years. I needed to say it." Ginny nodded, wiping her cheeks furiously. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, trying to keep warm. Harry kicked himself for realizing she'd forgotten her cloak. "Here, take my cloak." He said, beginning to unclasp the silver fasteners. Ginny shook her head, "No, no, you'll freeze to death." Harry grinned, "Then come here." Ginny looked at him uncertainly, then stepped towards him slowly. Harry opened the cloak and pulled her against his chest. Then her wrapped the cloak around the both of them. "Better?" He asked. Ginny took deep breathes, her heart hammering. "Ginny, calm down." Harry whispered. He could feel her heart beating against his chest. Ginny looked up at him, her cheeks flushing red. "Harry, I have to tell you something."' "What is it?" He asked, trailing a finger down the side of her face. Ginny closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sensations the small action was giving her. "It's uh...Um...It's just..." "What?" Harry whispered, leaning down so that their lips were inches apart. "I have to tell.......tell you...." But Ginny gave up on speaking. Instead she stodd on tiptoes, crossing the mere inches between them and pressing her lips to his in a desperate kiss. She placed a hand on either side of his face, then tangled her fingers in his messy black hair. Harry deepened the kiss further, holding her close. Ginny broke away abruptly, her flaming hair framing her now pale face. She untangled herself from Harry's arms and his cloak and backed away. "I...I'm sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have...Oh..." She trailed off, then turned and ran faster than she'd run in her life back up to the castle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Next Chapter ( 2 ) » ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Review Story ( be a responsible reader and write a review) Title: Skeletons in the Closet Name: Email: (optional) Review: If you feel that this entry violates any of the guidelines set by FanFiction.Net please click here to notify the staff. Skeletons in the Closet Category: Books » Harry Potter Censor: PG-13 Genre: Romance/Angst Chapters: 3 Reviews: 23 Author: Moonbeam Font Size: Bigger (+) - Smaller (-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ « Previous Chapter ( 1 ) Next Chapter ( 3 ) » ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Weeks later, after the game and the kiss, Ginny had fallen into a sort of trance. She went to classes, meals, and studied at night, but she was only going through th emotions. Hermione had become increasingly worried, and had been trying to get information from her for days. But Ginny didn't have any desire to tell anyone about that kiss. It was hers, to keep away in her mind, to replay over and over. If she told someone else, she feared it would fade away. One evening, as the sun was setting, she had perched herself on the windowsill with the best vew in the common room. It looked out over the grounds, to the lake, Hagrids cabin, and the forest. She sighed as the ruby sun began to dip low behind the forest, the last rays of light tipping the black trees with gold. "Ginny?" It was Ron. Ginny froze. Oh God, what if Harry'd told? Wait...no. If Harry had told Ron, Ron would have gone into an insurpressable rage. "Yeah, Ron?" She said, turning away from the sunset. "Well, I was wondering if you were okay. Cause you seem...wierd." Ginny smiled. Ron was such a poet, really he was. "I'm okay, Ron. I'm just tired. Don't go owling mum and worrying her." Ginny said, returning her attention to the falling sun. "If you're sure." He mumbled, then walked away, his hands in his pockets. Ginny sighed deeply, staring down at the grounds. As the sun dissappeared behind the forest, she began to turn away, but something caught her eye. Someone was running across the sprawling front lawn and heading down to Hagrid's hut. "Harry." Ginny breathed, and moved away fromt he window. She grabbed her heavy cloak and ducked out of the portrait hole, calling explanations to Ron and Hermione. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ « Previous Chapter ( 1 ) Next Chapter ( 3 ) » ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Review Story ( be a responsible reader and write a review) Title: Skeletons in the Closet Name: Email: (optional) Review: If you feel that this entry violates any of the guidelines set by FanFiction.Net please click here to notify the staff. Skeletons in the Closet Category: Books » Harry Potter Censor: PG-13 Genre: Romance/Angst Chapters: 3 Reviews: 23 Author: Moonbeam Font Size: Bigger (+) - Smaller (-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ « Previous Chapter ( 2 ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Harry walked quickly, trying not to be seen. He'd forgotten the Invisibility Cloak in his rush to Hagrid's cabin. He needed to talk to someone. Anyone but Ron or Hermione. Ron would pitch a fit, and Hermione would probably do something utterly girlish and say something like "AWWWWW". Well, no way. Harry could NOT handle that now. If Lupin or Sirius were around, he'd be fine, but no. Sirius was in Paris until the end of the schoolyear. Then he and Harry would move back into their London flat. Remus was off in America doing work with the U.S. branch of the Ministry. So Hagrid was Harry's last hope. He was half way across the lawn when he sensed someone was following him. Harry whipped around, his wand at the ready. "WOAH! Don't shoot." Ginny said, holding up her hands. Harry half-smiled and put his wand away. "Ginny?" "No, it's Santa Clause. Yes, Ginny." She said, crossing the three yards between them. "Um..." Harry wasn't sure what to say now. It was strange standing before Ginny who, only a few weeks ago had been nothing more than Giny. Ron's younger sister. Now, though, she was Ginny, the girl with red hair and blue eyes who Harry had kissed and was falling for--hard. "Yeah." "Well..." "Why are you out here so late?" Ginny asked. The first of them to string together a complete sentence in the last ten minutes. "Oh...I wanted to go for a walk. How bout you?" "Same. It's so...stuffy in the castle right now." "Yeah." Silence. Ginny looked odwn at her hands, Harry shuffled his feet. "Harry?" "Yeah?" "We really should talk about...that night and...stuff." Harry nodded, "I guess we should. Where?" "Um, there's a little area of trees on the far side of the lake. It hides you from the castle and it's quiet." Ginny said, gesturing to a tiny circle of trees. "Okay." They walked in silence for five minutes before stepping into the dark circle of trees. It was peaceful and almost warmer inside the trees' protective wall. The snow wasn't so think on the ground where branches stretched toward the middle of the circle, and threeor four stumps provided perfect sitting space. They sat across from eachother, trying not to make eye contact. "So..." Harry whispered. "So..." Ginny closed her eyes. "This is very awkward." She muttered, rubbing her hadns over her eyes. It was then that Harry realized how much older she was. She was not the ten year old he'd first met, watching her run down the platform of 9 and 3/4, waving to the scarlet train as it started it's ride to Hogwarts. No, she was far from that. Her orangey hair had faded to auburn and her freckles made her look unique and added to her beauty instead of the dorky awkwardness they'd once given her. Ginny was beautiful with her curly hair and warm blue eyes. "You're staring at me." She whispere,d breaking Harry's trance-like state. "Oh...sorry." "What? Do I have something on my face?" "No" Harry said with a laugh, Ginny felt her heart jump. Oh, his laugh was amazing. It was light and deep at the same time. And his gorgeous eyes gave a sparkle when he laughed, and the corners of his mouth turned up. She caught her breath and found the words that had been caught in her throat. "Oh. Good." She said, then almost screamed. 'Oh. Good.' What was THAT? Ugh. Cho Chang would'v thought up something witty. 'But Cho is graduated, she's gone. You're here with him now.' said a smug little voice in Ginny's mind. "Ginny, i need to be honest." "OK. Go ahead." "I really liked that kiss. A lot." "You what?" Harry searched Ginny's eyes, but she looked almost blank. "I liked it." He repeated. Ginny smiled and her eyes met his, finally. "Me too." "Ron would murder me if he knew, though." "Yeah..." "Hey, you know what?" Harry asked. "What?" "I really don't care." And with those words, he leaned forward and brushed his lips to hers in a feathery soft kiss. As he pulled away slightly, his lips only centimeters from hers, Ginny struggled to breath properly. She nodded. "Uh huh." She mumbled, then moved forward to kiss his lips, wanting to take every opportunity; to drink up every last bit of this moment. Harry held her closer, deepening the kiss but keeping it slow and tender. As they broke away, Ginny sighed in contentment, "We can't tell Ron yet." "I agree." said Harry, trailing his finger down her cheek repeatedly. "Well, being secretive might actually be fun." She said with a grin, "I mean, it'll make for some interesting cover-up stories." Harry laughed that laugh again and Ginny nearly melted. 'That damn laugh.' she thought, as their lips met again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ « Previous Chapter ( 2 ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Review Story ( be a responsible reader and write a review) Title: Skeletons in the Closet Name: Email: (optional) Review: If you feel that this entry violates any of the guidelines set by FanFiction.Net please click here to notify the staff.