Seeking A Keeper - A fluffy little ficlet
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2003 2:19 pm
<center>Seeking A Keeper</center>
Disclaimer: The lovely characters in the following piece do not, unfortunately, belong to me. They do, however, belong to JKR, Warner Brothers, Scholastic, Bloomsbury … am I leaving anyone out? Look, they essentially belong to a bunch of folks who aren’t me.
Author’s Note: I was feeling very fluffy today. Don’t expect anything plot-heavy out of what you’re about to read.
***
“Where is everyone?” asked Harry Potter as he entered the kitchen. He rubbed the sleep from his bright green eyes and sat down at the breakfast table, across from a girl with a tangle of red hair clipped back carelessly away from her face. She was hunched over a bowl of porridge and was glancing over an article in Witch Weekly without the faintest note of interest on her face. Harry noticed the title – Twelve Easy Steps To More Charming Hair – and the photo of a fashionably coiffed witch preening her golden locks, then he glanced at Ginny’s stray wisps of crimson that framed her face. Natural is better, he thought to tell her, but decided to stick with his first inquiry. “Are we the only ones awake?”
“Uh-uh,” said Ginny after she’d gulped a spoonful of maple-sweetened porridge down. “We’re the only ones home.” She scooped another dollop of porridge onto her spoon and turned the page of her magazine. On the following page was a quiz to determine if your love-interest is attracted to you or not. She quickly turned the page again and practically buried her head into her breakfast bowl.
“So, where have seven people gotten off to on a Saturday morning?” asked Harry, ignoring her embarrassment.
“Dad and Percy are at work … Mum’s at the market … Fred and George are meeting Lee Jordan in Diagon Alley … and believe this or not, but Hermione’s talked Ron into going down to the pond to study! Probably studying for O.W.L.s,” said Ginny as she picked up a glass of pumpkin juice to take a drink.
Probably studying each other, thought Harry. “What’s for breakfast?” he said aloud, investigating the food spread out across the countertop.
“Whatever Fred, George and Ron didn’t devour about an hour ago!” laughed Ginny. “I think there’s a bit of porridge left on the stove … and a slice or two of toast … and look, they saved you a half a slice of bacon, the dears.”
“That’ll do,” said Harry, loading up his plate with the meager portion of bacon and the rest of the toast.
“So,” said Harry as he sat down across from Ginny again. “What are you up to today?”
“Hadn’t thought about it, really,” admitted Ginny. “What about you?”
“Might head out to the paddock for some flying practice,” said Harry. He crunched into his piece of cold toast. “Wanna come?”
Ginny’s spoon clattered into the bottom of her bowl. She picked it up quickly and began to stir it around nervously in the mush of porridge that remained. “Um … sure,” she squeaked. She cleared her throat fretfully and added, “If I won’t be in your way.”
“Of course you won’t be in my way … and I could use someone to do drills with.”
“Drills?” repeated Ginny, as if Harry had spoken a foreign word to her.
“You know … for Quidditch,” said Harry, pouring a glass of pumpkin juice for himself.
“Oh, yeah … for Quidditch,” Ginny said. She was beginning to sound like a parrot.
***
Ginny found herself more at ease flying with Harry than she had ever thought she would have. He literally flew laps around her on his Firebolt, but when he agreed to let her have a go on it for a while, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.
What a rush, she thought, gliding in for a landing on the grass below. Harry hovered above her on her own Cleansweep and grinned.
“Pretty nice ride, isn’t it?” he said.
Ginny felt her face go hot and the blood in her veins was pounding. If I weren’t delusional, I’d swear he was flirting with me.
“Have you ever thought about trying out for the House team?” Harry asked, skidding to the ground beside her.
“What?” said Ginny, astounded. “Me? Play for Gryffindor?”
“No, I meant for Hufflepuff,” said Harry sarcastically. “Of course for Gryffindor! You’re good … and we need a new Keeper this year.”
“You’re just saying that,” said Ginny sheepishly.
“No, I’m not … if you were awful, I’d never have brought it up!”
“Well, thanks … I think,” laughed Ginny anxiously. “Maybe I will.”
<center>THE END</center>
***
Author's Note: Certainly not original, but the plot bunny :bunny was born this morning and it was quick to write!
Disclaimer: The lovely characters in the following piece do not, unfortunately, belong to me. They do, however, belong to JKR, Warner Brothers, Scholastic, Bloomsbury … am I leaving anyone out? Look, they essentially belong to a bunch of folks who aren’t me.
Author’s Note: I was feeling very fluffy today. Don’t expect anything plot-heavy out of what you’re about to read.
***
“Where is everyone?” asked Harry Potter as he entered the kitchen. He rubbed the sleep from his bright green eyes and sat down at the breakfast table, across from a girl with a tangle of red hair clipped back carelessly away from her face. She was hunched over a bowl of porridge and was glancing over an article in Witch Weekly without the faintest note of interest on her face. Harry noticed the title – Twelve Easy Steps To More Charming Hair – and the photo of a fashionably coiffed witch preening her golden locks, then he glanced at Ginny’s stray wisps of crimson that framed her face. Natural is better, he thought to tell her, but decided to stick with his first inquiry. “Are we the only ones awake?”
“Uh-uh,” said Ginny after she’d gulped a spoonful of maple-sweetened porridge down. “We’re the only ones home.” She scooped another dollop of porridge onto her spoon and turned the page of her magazine. On the following page was a quiz to determine if your love-interest is attracted to you or not. She quickly turned the page again and practically buried her head into her breakfast bowl.
“So, where have seven people gotten off to on a Saturday morning?” asked Harry, ignoring her embarrassment.
“Dad and Percy are at work … Mum’s at the market … Fred and George are meeting Lee Jordan in Diagon Alley … and believe this or not, but Hermione’s talked Ron into going down to the pond to study! Probably studying for O.W.L.s,” said Ginny as she picked up a glass of pumpkin juice to take a drink.
Probably studying each other, thought Harry. “What’s for breakfast?” he said aloud, investigating the food spread out across the countertop.
“Whatever Fred, George and Ron didn’t devour about an hour ago!” laughed Ginny. “I think there’s a bit of porridge left on the stove … and a slice or two of toast … and look, they saved you a half a slice of bacon, the dears.”
“That’ll do,” said Harry, loading up his plate with the meager portion of bacon and the rest of the toast.
“So,” said Harry as he sat down across from Ginny again. “What are you up to today?”
“Hadn’t thought about it, really,” admitted Ginny. “What about you?”
“Might head out to the paddock for some flying practice,” said Harry. He crunched into his piece of cold toast. “Wanna come?”
Ginny’s spoon clattered into the bottom of her bowl. She picked it up quickly and began to stir it around nervously in the mush of porridge that remained. “Um … sure,” she squeaked. She cleared her throat fretfully and added, “If I won’t be in your way.”
“Of course you won’t be in my way … and I could use someone to do drills with.”
“Drills?” repeated Ginny, as if Harry had spoken a foreign word to her.
“You know … for Quidditch,” said Harry, pouring a glass of pumpkin juice for himself.
“Oh, yeah … for Quidditch,” Ginny said. She was beginning to sound like a parrot.
***
Ginny found herself more at ease flying with Harry than she had ever thought she would have. He literally flew laps around her on his Firebolt, but when he agreed to let her have a go on it for a while, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.
What a rush, she thought, gliding in for a landing on the grass below. Harry hovered above her on her own Cleansweep and grinned.
“Pretty nice ride, isn’t it?” he said.
Ginny felt her face go hot and the blood in her veins was pounding. If I weren’t delusional, I’d swear he was flirting with me.
“Have you ever thought about trying out for the House team?” Harry asked, skidding to the ground beside her.
“What?” said Ginny, astounded. “Me? Play for Gryffindor?”
“No, I meant for Hufflepuff,” said Harry sarcastically. “Of course for Gryffindor! You’re good … and we need a new Keeper this year.”
“You’re just saying that,” said Ginny sheepishly.
“No, I’m not … if you were awful, I’d never have brought it up!”
“Well, thanks … I think,” laughed Ginny anxiously. “Maybe I will.”
<center>THE END</center>
***
Author's Note: Certainly not original, but the plot bunny :bunny was born this morning and it was quick to write!
