Harry Potter and the Ritual of Love's Memory

Chapter 69

The warm summer breeze drifted lazily across the pond, bringing the embers of a small fire over the water like two dozen glimmering stars passing through the sky. Branches of nearby trees swayed back and forth gently, their reflections in the water distorted by ripples. Two small boats made of folded newspapers floated near the middle of the water. One of them had taken on a significant amount of water and looked ready to capsize at any moment.

SPLOOSH!

A stone flung from the bank collided with the hapless vessel, which unceremoniously sank into the murky depths of the pond. A jubilant whoop of joy echoed across the water as the bombardier danced a celebratory jig.

Harry Potter smiled ruefully as he shook his head. He tossed the rock in his hand at the remaining newspaper boat but missed wide to the right. The meager splash barely caused any wave at all, leaving the other boat sailing majestically along.

"It's a good thing you're the best Seeker Gryffindor's had since Charlie. You'd have never had a shot at making the Quidditch team if you'd gone out for Chaser."

Ginny's barb made Harry chuckle as he stooped to gather a few more stones. He was intent on sinking her boat, even if he threw out his arm in the process. He concentrated on lining up his shot but the throw was errant again, this time due to his meddlesome girlfriend who had darted forward to squeeze his bum just as he released his projectile. She pounced onto him while he seized forward in surprise, but he righted himself before she could secure herself on his back. She slipped down, grasping for anything she could catch to slow her fall, and ended up snagging his elbow and pulling them both backward onto the soft grass.

They wrestled about for a few minutes, their laughs and shouts of indignation floating into the surrounding trees and up toward the few lazy clouds dotting the summer sky. Harry's height advantage meant little compared to the years Ginny had spent roughhousing with various older brothers. Luckily for his pride, Harry was stronger than his thin frame would suggest and had spent quite a bit of his life dodging either bullies or bludgers.

He finally won the battle when Ginny overextended, leaving Harry the opening to tickle her mercilessly. Her squeals of mirth mingled with his triumphant exultation until her giggles began to be accompanied by stronger kicks and an elbow to her boyfriend's stomach. Harry collapsed to the side with the smell of grass and Ginny's hair surrounding him. He could still tell that the sun was shining down on them, even though his eyes were closed.

They each gasped for air for a few moments before Harry asked, "Truce?"

Ginny scoffed. "Why should I? What are your terms?"

"You name the terms. Anything you want."

"Anything I want, huh? That's a dangerous offer, Potter." He knew the shadow that fell across his face was not from any cloud. Ginny's voice now sounded from right above him, and the ends of a few loose hairs tickled his nose and cheeks. "I'll have to think of more terms of your unconditional surrender later, but how about we start with this?"

Soft lips brushed against his own. Harry smiled into the kiss and pulled her in close, eliciting a pleased giggle from his girlfriend as they both lay on their sides in the grass. One of her hands snaked around his waist while the other found its way into his messy hair.

The two were broken from their reverie far sooner than Harry would have preferred by a shout from not too far away.

"Oi! Bloody hell, Ginny! Is that necessary?"

Harry's head fell back onto the grass as his girlfriend (he still had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Ginny really was his girlfriend) gave her brother a rude gesture while popping up from the ground.