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She had not seen the Bludger coming, she had been so focused on the Quaffle she did not see it at all until it hit her square in the shoulder. The piercing pain in her shoulder prevented her from clutching onto her broom as she was pushed sideways by the force of the Bludger.
“Shit, sorry!” she heard Peakes say but she dropped off her broom all the same.
With the arm that hadn’t been hit, she clutched onto the broom as her legs swung under her. She moved her hurt arm and immediately winced. Even if she could manage to keep her hold, she had no way of getting back on her broom. She could not move her other arm at all without the pain cutting through her.
Harry appeared in front of her so fast, he must have sped towards her even before she toppled off her broom. She met his eyes.
“I can’t reach up,” she clarified.
Harry nodded and flew closer to her, coming to soar beside her. His arm wrapped around her and with surprising ease, he pulled her on his broom. She looked back at him in surprise.
“What?”
“When did you get this strong?” she asked as she settled on the broom a little more comfortably, resisting leaning into him more as his arm kept her steady.
“Oh,” he said. “Well, Captain’s duty to save players.”
“Haven’t seen you hurry to Coote’s aid before,” she teased.
He cleared his throat and turned to the rest of the team. “Practise is over for today! I’ll take Ginny to the Hospital Wing.”
Peakes flew to them. “I am so sorry.”
Ginny shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, it happens. If you could do that to Malfoy during a match.”
She offered him a smile and he shot an apologetic smile back. The whole team reached the ground. Ginny stepped off Harry’s broom.
“I can take Ginny if you want,” Ron offered.
“Ginny can take herself,” she suggested. “Ginny’s feet still work.”
Harry looked at her. “Okay and then ‘Episkey’ yourself around the corner? No.” He turned back to Ron. “Take our brooms and get changed. I will debrief later.”
The team trod off to the changing room. Harry walked with Ginny, heading for the Hospital Wing.
After a minute of silence, she spoke. “Sometimes I think you understand me better than my brothers.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I was absolutely planning on trying to fix this with an Episkey,” she admitted with a grin.
“I don’t blame you,” he replied. He opened the door for her to walk through. “I would have done the same.”
“Ah, so why won’t you let me?” she said, wincing again as she moved her arm a little.
“Look, using poor judgement on myself is one thing, shouldn’t extend that to others. Plus, I am terrified of your mum.” He grinned so brightly at her, it made her heart skip a beat.
She stepped forward and he backed up against the wall. She cocked her head. “Who are you more terrified of, me or my mum?”
He took in a sharp breath. “That’s a difficult call for sure but ...” His eyes focused on her, to her lips and back up.
“What?” she asked.
“Well, you’re... you’re...”
He leaned forward and she took her chance. She closed the space between them, bracing her own arm and kissed him. She felt him gasp against her lips but then he sunk into it. She kissed him slowly, savouring the feeling of his lips on hers, so soft, gentle. Then she tilted her head ever so slightly and he kissed her deeper, more eagerly. His arms came around her shoulder and—
“Fuck, Harry!” she let out as his hand touched her shoulder.
“Sorry.” His hands moved to her waist instead.
“Sucks I can’t hold you right now,” she muttered before leaning back in.
He kissed her again but then he paused. “Don’t think this is getting you out of your Hospital Wing visit.”
“Damnit.” She sighed. “Just as well.” She kissed him again, just another moment. Then she stepped away. “Let’s go then.”
They started walking again. It was silent for a bit.
“Aren’t you glad your brother didn’t bring you?”
She snorted. “At least with him, a bribe would have worked.”
“I am just concerned with your well-being,” he told her cheekily.
She nodded dramatically. “No no, I can definitely see that.”
They arrived at the Hospital Wing. Mrs Pomfrey pointed her to a bed and told her she would be right there. Ginny started undoing her vest, undoing the buttons. However, she couldn’t manage to shrug it off her shoulders by herself. She looked at him, red in the face.
“Can you help me?” she asked. She hated asking for help but at least his blush was worth it.
Gently he pulled her good arm out of the sleeve first and then moved to the other side. He started pulling and she gritted her teeth. It hurt, a lot. But Harry was so carefully pulling it off, as gently as he could. His hand brushed over hers as he pulled the sleeve over but they both avoided eye contact. Carefully the last sleeve came off. He put the vest aside.
“Thanks,” she said.
He looked at her carefully, fidgeting with his own sleeve. “So that kiss was that just a bribery attempt or...” He swallowed and glanced away.
“Ah, Harry.” She tilted her head. “I know you are not susceptible to bribery.”
“So—?”
“Miss Weasley, what brings you here today?”
Harry spoke quickly. “She got a bludger to the shoulder. I think it’s dislocated.”
“Oh, do you now, Potter?” Ginny responded with a smile. It quickly faltered as Mrs Pomfrey touched her shoulder.
“Yes, I think so too. It will just be a quick mend. It will hurt,” she warned.
“That’s fine, I can take—” An unsavoury crack halted her words. “MERLIN’S UNDERPANTS THAT HURTS,” Ginny screamed.
“Sorry, it’s better if you don’t expect it,” Mrs Pomfrey said. “I need you to stay for another ten minutes to make sure it is set well and then you can go.” She turned to Harry. “Nice to see you in here injury free.”
Harry only smiled as Mrs Pomfrey took off again. Ginny touched her hand to her mended shoulder.
“Better?” Harry asked.
She nodded. “Yes, but that was very unpleasant.” She moved her arm a little, it was just a little sore now.
“I thought you’d be more torn up about your most recent breakup with Dean,” Harry tried again. “But here you are kissing other guys.”
“This time was the final time, trust me,” she said with a scoff. Then she looked at him. “I don’t go around, just kissing guys, Harry. Just you.” She raised her eyebrows, their eyes locked.
He blushed. “Why?”
She was done being shy around Harry. Not any more now they had become friends, not when he had kissed her like that. “You are aware I’ve fancied you, right?”
A grin broke through on his face. He scratched behind his ear awkwardly. “Perhaps, yes.”
“I saw you looking at me like that, I just figured I’d take my chance.”
She looked up as Mrs Pomfrey came in their direction again and Ginny wanted to argue it definitely hadn’t been ten minutes yet. She handed Ginny a potion.
“Take that before you go to bed tonight. Three more days of rest,” she said. “That includes Quidditch evidently.”
She clenched her jaw. “Of course,” she replied without any enthusiasm.
“Well, off you go, Weasley,” she said.
Ginny slipped off the bed and took up her vest again. She pulled it back on. She turned to Mrs Pomfrey. “Thank you.”
They walked out in silence.
“Well, I suppose we should go back to the Pitch and get changed,” Harry suggested after a moment.
“Right,” she replied. The rest of the walk was spent in silence, both of them only making small comments before it fell silent again.
As they came up to the changing rooms, they paused.
“Well, I’d ask if you need help but—” He turned red.
Ginny laughed. “I’ll shout if I need help, don’t worry.” She was still laughing when she entered the girls’ changing room and she was sure he could hear it one room over.
When she exited the changing room, Harry was waiting for her.
“Do guys just have a secret on how you get changed so fast?” she asked as she paused in the doorway.
He met her eyes and smiled. “Well, we have the changing secret and you have Victoria’s Secret.”
She frowned and crossed her arms. “What’s Victoria’s secret? Because I am not in on it.”
“Nothing.” He turned redder. “It’s a muggle thing.”
She decided to drop it. She stepped a little closer to him. “So...”
His eyes locked with hers as she came to stand in front of him. He raised his eyebrows a little.
“I’ll blame it on you not having access to the Weasley nerve, but you can ask me to be your girlfriend, you know.” She looked for his reaction.
He swallowed hard as his eyes lit up. “When did you get this skilled at Legilimency?”
She worked to keep her face straight. “Too bad you are so poor at it, or you would have known my answer.” She turned on her heels and walked away from him, a smile breaking out.
As she expected he chased after her. What she hadn't expected, was him pushing her against the wall. She gasped in surprise. His face came closer to hers.
“Will you be my girlfriend?” he asked.
This time she had full use of both her arms and used them to pull him closer. “Yes.”
Their lips met again, heated this time. Harry’s hand came to her side, the other disappeared into her hair as he pulled her away from the wall and to him. She deepened the kiss, her tongue teasing at his lips and he let her in. Time stood still, it was just her and Harry. He kissed her like it was coming up for air, one hand tangling in her locks while the other moved up her side softly. She kissed him like it would be the last time. Both breathless, longing and eager. Harry felt like the only real thing in the world.
After several long moments, they broke apart. Harry looked at her like he had just won the lottery and she beamed at him. Slightly out of breath, she chose to hug him instead. She wrapped her arms tighter around him and tucked her head against his neck. Harry didn’t say anything and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
They stood there like that for a moment and Ginny took a few steadying breaths, wondering if her breath was tickling his skin. Suddenly he moved his hands and hoisted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and put her arms around his neck. Their lips met again, softly this time.
“You are strong,” she reiterated as he held her up without huffing once.
He met her eyes with a cheeky grin. “The things I do for my team.”