Harry Potter and the Cracked Reservoir
Chapter 15: Guilty Pleasures
By Musings of Apathy
Chapter 15: Guilty Pleasures
Thanks to my Beta’s Donalddeutsch, Cateagle and Sparky40sw.
Harry and the rest spent the next week as they had spent much of their free time for the previous ones, Harry practiced magically and physically, Ginny helped him, Hermione read and Ron did anything but work or study. Of course they all found time to be private with their respective partners.
And, of course, sometimes, in a house like the Burrow, people walked in on you and your partner when you were indulging in some of the more guilty pleasures.
Hermione walked in to the living room to find Harry sitting on the couch, his eyes half lidded, and Ginny on the floor with a look of concentration as she worked on something.
Harry was apparently giving Ginny instructions on something.
"That’s it, Ginny," Harry said in a husky voice, "just back and forth, wait till its ready."
Ginny had both her hands wrapped firmly for best effect.
"Hey, Harry, Ginny," said Hermione as she came in, "What are you doing?"
Ginny paused her movements.
"Oh," she said with a blush, "Harry was just showing me how to do this."
Hermione seemed interested in what they were doing. Harry just leaned his head back on the cushions of the couch, his arms wide along the back.
"Oh, yeah…of course, I can see that…I shouldn’t have asked a stupid question," she said, blushing.
"Well, what Harry said is that if I move this thing back and forth," she said, resuming her movements, "until it’s ready and then put the tip in your mouth and give the tip a good tweak it will shoot my mouth full of this good tasting white…stuff," said Ginny with eager anticipation.
"Uh huh," agreed Hermione, Harry’s instructions being perfectly accurate, "sounds correct."
"Oh, Harry!" exclaimed Ginny, "I think that it’s ready."
Harry smiled at her and nodded his head.
Ginny put her mouth on the tip and tweaked it good. After a bit her mouth was overflowing with white ‘stuff’ before it stopped.
Ginny grinned.
Harry smiled back, "Swallow, Ginny, before it is all down your chin."
The sight amused Hermione.
Ginny swallowed the contents of her mouth.
"Wow, Harry you’re right, it was good…really good!" exclaimed Ginny, "Can I have more?"
Harry looked down at her, "Maybe you should wait. More later."
"Oh, okay," said Ginny. She turned to Hermione, "Have you ever done that yourself, Hermione?"
"Well…" said Hermione, blushing a deep red, "There was this time after the third year when I was at this boy’s house my age near my home. You see; we went to school together before I got into Hogwarts. He showed me how, but I didn’t want to, at first. I just knew that my parents wouldn’t approve, but eventually after he begged I gave in and did it. It tasted so good," she finished, losing some of her inhibition and redness, "Can I try?"
Ginny looked at the thing in her hand and shrugged, "You have to ask Harry, it is his, after all."
Hermione turned pleading eyes onto her friend, "Please, Harry, just one taste?"
Harry laughed, "Well, Ginny, it’s up to you. I did tell you that it is all yours."
Ginny giggled.
"Hmm, all mine," she said with a possessive grin on her face. "Sure, Hermione, you can have one taste."
Ginny scooted over on the rug, making room for her friend.
Hermione grabbed it from Ginny.
Always one to share knowledge, Hermione told Ginny of her experience in the subject while she went back and forth with it in her hands.
"When Jeremy showed me, he had me tilt my head back and shoot it into my mouth from a couple of inches away."
She tilted it back and tweaked the end, instantly it let loose a fountain of white, filling Hermione’s mouth and down her chin. Hermione closed her mouth and swallowed.
"Mmmm…Good as I remember," she smiled, almost in a reverie.
Ginny shot her finger out to Hermione’s chin and claimed the remnants from there before sticking it in her mouth, savoring the flavor.
"Ha…that part’s all mine," she said to Hermione.
"So, Hermione," Harry said, huskily, "Why did you blush so when Ginny asked you if you had done it before?"
"Well, my parents don’t know that I did it," Hermione said. "They wouldn’t approve."
"Why not?" asked Harry, "Because you are a ‘proper young lady’?"
Hermione chuckled along with Ginny at Harry’s snobby tone at the last there.
"No," said Hermione, "They’re dentists and all of the sugar is just not allowed. After all, canned whipped cream does have a lot of sugar and, oh, squirting it directly into your mouth, definitely not!" she said and then burst out into laughter. "But, Harry, why did you say that Ginny should wait for more?"
"She gets hyper on too much sugar," Harry said, receiving a slap on the arm from his girlfriend.
Harry grabbed the red and white can of spray whipped cream himself, shook it vigorously before upending it and squirting it directly into his mouth, a big smile on his face.
"Ah, guilty pleasures."
An early morning in the waning summer revealed a lush meadow within the protections afforded the Burrow. Harry stood practicing his magic after his morning jog. He cast spell after spell, levitating a large rock only to blast it into smaller ones before the rock could drop to the ground. Ginny sat behind him against a tree, reading in the morning light.
Ginny had joined Harry after his run, while he was practicing, bringing with her a book and a wicker basket, in addition to the blanket she was sitting on.
Harry finished his routine with the numerous English rocks before him turned to gravel. Really, if he were ever imprisoned, he would have the chain-gang boulder crushing work mastered.
"Mornin’, Gin," said Harry, "What gets you up so early?"
She smiled and stood.
"Why, you, silly," she said, reaching up and kissing his cheek.
"Oh?" said Harry, "And what’s in the basket, Miss Little Red Riding Hood?" he asked with a wolfish grin.
"Huh?" responded Ginny, clueless.
"Keep forgetting," Harry said, "Muggle thing. It’s a muggle children’s story."
"Tell me," she commanded, eagerly.
Harry motioned for them to sit down on the blanket. Harry sat on his knees facing her to take the role of storyteller.
"The story of Little Red Riding Hood goes something like this," Harry started, "But…Oh, it’s been a long time since I have heard it, so I may get it wrong."
"I’ll never know," she stated with a smile on her face.
"Yeah, got me there," Harry smirked, "Okay…This small girl was on the way to her grandmother’s house in the wood carrying a basket of food for her grandmother. A sly wolf spotted her and decided to make a snack of her. He approached her silently and then pounced before he noticed the basket of food. This gave him pause. Maybe more than a snack was to be had. He cleared his throat to get her to stop and said, ‘And what is a defenseless little thing like yourself doing in a dangerous wood such as these?’" Harry said in his best deep wolf voice. "She answered, ’I am taking a basket of food to my grandmother that lives at the end of this lane.’" Harry quoted the girl in a high-pitched lilty voice, "‘You should be more careful in dark woods, little miss,’ the wolf said. ‘I will, kind wolf,’ she answered him. ‘Now run along to your grandma’s house.’ And she did as he said and walked away down the lane. Meanwhile the wolf ran ahead through the dense wood."
Harry paused to make sure that he still had Ginny’s attention.
"Upon reaching her grandma’s house she knocked on the door. She heard a high-pitched voice bid her enter and so she did. Inside she saw her grandma on her bed, only something wasn’t right. ‘My, Grandma, what big eyes you have,’ she said. ‘All the better to see you with,’ replied the figure in a cotton nightgown. ‘And what big ears you have,’ Red continued. ‘All the better to hear you with,’ said her grandma. ‘And what big teeth you have,’ she said. ‘All the better to eat you with,’ said the figure, launching at the small girl. ‘The WOLF! You ate my grandma!’ she screamed at the top of her lungs. ‘And you are next, my sweet dessert,’ he growled menacingly," Harry was using the appropriate voice for each part, using his own for the narrator.
"The wolf," Harry continued, "pounced on her and ate her in one bite, swallowing her whole."
Ginny gasped holding her hand over her mouth, her rapt attention focused on Harry and the story.
"Just then the door burst open and a woodsman entered, his trusty axe in his hands. He saw the wolf with a bulging belly and raised his axe. He struck the wolf down where he stood, leaving the wolf dead. He used his axe to open the wolf’s belly revealing an alive but distraught little girl," Harry said, "and that is the story of Little Red Riding Hood."
Ginny grinned at her boyfriend, "Good story, but are you sure that that is meant for children?" At his nod she went on, "Well, that would probably give them nightmares."
"Maybe," said Harry, "So…what is in the basket?"
"Well…I thought that we would have a picnic breakfast," she said while she pulled out bacon, eggs, fruit and toast.
"Mmmm, looks good," said Harry, his mouth watering.
They ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence.
After stowing the dishes and silverware, Ginny got to what was on her mind.
"Harry?" she asked tentatively.
"Mmh?" Harry answered, drawing his attention to his girlfriend.
"What is our relationship going to be when we go to school in a few days?" Ginny asked.
"Well…" Harry started, "I like what we have. What do you mean?"
"I mean…with all of the pressures on you, and all of your responsibilities, I didn’t know…plus all of those other girls are going to be after you now," she said, getting to the root of the problem, "I thought that you would want to be free to do…whatever."
Her eyes were firmly planted on the blanket, examining each thread.
"Ginny," Harry lightly cupped her chin, raising her eyes to his, "I am happy…no, ecstatic, with the woman that I have with me now. I like you so much that I want to scream it from the rooftops that I am dating Ginny Weasley, the most beautiful and brave woman in the whole school. Nothing compares to you Gin, and I want no other."
Ginny grinned brightly with tears in her eyes. Harry had said the right thing.
"So we tell every one?" she asked.
"Well, there’s another problem."
"What?" she asked, her heart sinking.
"The press. They’ll get a hold of this and they won’t leave us alone. Pictures, articles, exposé’s; you may not have much privacy in the end."
Ginny straightened; her tears dry, with a steely glint in her eye.
"I’m ready for them," Ginny affirmed. "No one gets between me and my man."
"Your man, am I?" Harry said with a jocular tilt to the corner of his mouth.
"And don’t forget it, Potter," Ginny ordered. "You belong to me now and I won’t let you go for anything. And your job is to train hard to kick Moldy-shorts’ ass, all the while loving me and me alone."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Harry smiled and moved a fraction closer.
"Yes," Ginny said, nodding to her own plan, "you train hard and I’ll make sure that you have plenty of love in your heart to keep that creep out."
"Then, Miss Weasley," Harry said, "I give myself to you. I now belong to you."
"Just remember that," she said, a smile wide on her face, "You belong to me and you are not allowed to die until I say. Got it?"
Harry had a smile on his face, despite the serious turn in her last sentence, "Got it, Miss."
They embraced, enjoying the feel of closeness.
"Gin?" Harry got her attention, "I think that the best plan is to not announce it, but just let people figure it out on their own."
"Yeah," she agreed. "You never know, that might gain us a whole day."
"We can hope," Harry agreed with a laugh.
His dormant fireplace flaring to life with green flame, Remus Lupin was startled from his warn red leather chair, causing him to drop the book in which he had been engrossed and fumble for his wand from his coat sleeve. A familiar head poked from the magical green flames of the fireplace of the rickety cottage that Remus was able to make his home during the warmer summer and early fall months each year. The cottage was not suitable during the inclement months, as the windows never quite sealed and sunlight could be seen between the occasional exposed lath boards beneath the sloughing plaster and pealing wall cloth with faded flowers.
"Harry," a surprised werewolf said. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, Professor," Harry confirmed. "Would you mind coming to the Burrow to give Ginny and I your opinion?"
"It’s Remus," the former Professor corrected, "and, no, I wouldn’t mind. I’ll be there is just a minute."
"Thanks," Harry said, as he pulled his head back from Remus’s fire and it disappeared with a small pop.
Remus deftly stepped from the Burrow’s fireplace with poise and nary a speck of soot on his weathered robes; which were easily cleaned fully with a wave of his wand.
Harry shook his head in resignation before Remus could face him or Ginny. Harry had yet to make such a graceful entrance after any sort of magical transportation. The secret was lost to him.
Moony turned and greeted Harry with enthusiasm before striding forward and engulfing him in a pack worthy hug.
"Hello, Professor," Harry said.
Remus released his friend’s son and turned to Ginny and offered just a heartfelt verbal greeting without smothering her in a hug, to which she smiled and said, "Hello, Professor," back.
"Both of you," Remus said in mock exasperation, "I haven’t been your professor for years. Please call me Remus or Moony as Harry’s father used to."
"We’ll try," Harry said.
"But first," Ginny said, "the reason that we asked you here. We need help to make a decision and it’s in one of your earlier expertise."
Remus looked on to the couple in curiosity.
"Now I’m certainly intrigued," he said as they all took seats around the living room. "What exactly is one of my earlier expertise? Not that I knew I had even one expertise."
"We need help in pranking," Harry said.
"You see," Ginny continued. "My brothers, may they sleep with one eye open, decided that the proper way to welcome Harry to the family, was with a pranking contest where Harry is the perpetual victim and judge."
"Yeah," Harry grumbled, "And we were thrown for a loop when Percy struck so soon."
Remus smiled, "What did he do and how can I help?" He had a mischievous twinkle to his eye that took years off his appearance.
"Well," Harry said, "for the time of twenty four hours, Percy hexed all of my underwear to freeze when I had thoughts of a certain nature."
Remus considered the prank for a moment before asking, "And how did you answer the prank? How did you act?"
"Stopping it wasn’t hard," Harry said and then explained briefly discovering that all of his boxers were hexed and how he solved the problem without isolating himself from Ginny, both in person and in thought.
"But," Ginny said, "Harry seems to think that he needs to get revenge right away, and I say that he should wait until it’s all over and get all of them over Christmas holiday."
Harry shifted in his seat.
"Moony," Harry tried the name out, "how can I just sit here, as I have for the past several days, and not take pranking revenge?"
"Well," Remus reminisced, "back in the days of the Marauder’s time in school, we were involved in several pranking wars through the years. Sirius’s philosophy was to prank them back hard and fast, but your father was always the one to want to plan things out and set elaborate pranks. My job was to make the pranks work. When they were planned out, we had time to find the right magic and make it work and last. Unfortunately, when Padfoot was in charge of the answer, it had a tendency to misfire in some way. Only our luck and quick reflexes saved us from ourselves sometimes."
"So?" Harry asked for a conclusion.
"Harry," Moony said, "If you wait to take your revenge until after the judging is over, you can make them stew in their juices and lull them into a false sense of security. Revenge is, after all, a dish best served cold."
Ginny took Harry’s hand in comfort, but her smile was one of triumph at Harry’s mentor agreeing with her.
"An that way, Harry," Remus added, "you have time to make it a true Marauder’s style prank that takes them days to figure out. Look for something with staying power, but something that won’t hurt."
Harry agreed eventually and then sat with his girlfriend and father figure, contemplating what could be done that would match those sentiments. Eventually Mrs. Weasley insisted that they all needed a good meal and invited Remus for dinner. Her gaze clearly told him that she thought he was clearly not getting enough nourishment and would not be told no.