Rain

A Date With Dean

A/N: Sorry it has been so long in updating, I hope this little diddy makes up for it.

Harry sank into his favorite chair. It had been a long day. Nothing interesting to speak of, but tiring nonetheless. Ismelda had left him a note on his kitchen counter. He stared at it again.


Harry,

Last night was fun! I wish you hadn’t had to leave so early though. I hope to hear from you again!

Kisses,

Ismelda


Sighing, Harry crumpled up the letter. He wasn’t going to call on her again. She could never fill the void in his heart; no one could. He was never able to place what that empty feeling was. Remus had told him it was because he had achieved his destiny, and it was only natural to feel incomplete. Harry supposed that was true. He tried to remember the last time he felt whole.


It was in his sixth year of school, before Dumbledore was murdered. At the thought of Dumbledore, he was reminded of the funeral that had taken place that year. That had been the last time he had spoken to Ginny. Ginny. Wow, he hadn’t thought of her in a while. He’d hoped once he vanquished Voldemort, she would be there, waiting for him.


He really did love that girl. He wanted to be with her so badly, but when he went to Hogsmeade, nearly a week before his final battle with the Dark Lord, he saw her in Madam Puddifoot’s with none other than Michael Corner, her first boyfriend. She had moved on. He knew it would be unfair to ask her to leave Michael and be with him. So he said nothing, and bowed away.


That was the last he had seen of her until about 2 years ago when he saw her at Ron and Hermione’s wedding. He had taken a date with him, Elena. She had been gorgeous. Her skin was the color of caramel, and her eyes were a dark chocolate.


She hadn’t had an ounce of personality in her. He dated her for three months before beauty was no longer enough to sustain the relationship. Ginny still took his breath away though. He had what was arguably the most attractive woman there on his arm, and Ginny Weasley still took his breath away.


He’d wanted to talk to her, see how things were, but he hadn’t the courage. He did not want to face the woman who had rejected him.


Harry sighed and poured his scotch in the sink. Lately he had taken to having a drink after work, but right now, all he wanted to do was go to sleep.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Harry stop tickling me!” Ginny squealed, struggling to get away from the ticking hands.


Harry laughed heartily, as he tickled her mercilessly. Finally, he let up and the two rolled over in a heap of laughter. Their eyes met. Harry leaned towards her, and kissed her sweetly on the lips.


“I love you, Harry,” she said softly.


“I love you too, Ginny,” Harry breathed back.


Ginny awoke with a start. She looked over at the small clock she kept by her bed. Eleven AM. Shit!! She had to get up and get ready to meet Dean. She shoved aside the feeling the dream had invoked in her. She had moved on long ago, and was not about to make life worse by dwelling on silly girlhood dreams.


She did not have time for a proper shower. A quick scourgify would have to suffice. She pointed her wand at herself and felt immediately refreshed as he body was cleansed. She pulled her vibrant red hair into a loose bun and pulled on a pair of jeans and a Victorian style top. She topped it off with some khaki colored robes. She applied some lip gloss, and powdered her nose. No sense getting all dolled up, she thought. No reason to deceive the poor man, as this was how she normally looked.


By the time Ginny got herself ready, it was time to leave, so she could meet Dean on time. Butterflies swarmed her stomach. She hadn’t been on a date in a while. Her schooling and then her job had taken way too much of her time to allow for trysts. She stuck her wand in her inner pocket and headed out the door, putting up the wards on her way out. The air was brisk; Ginny enjoyed this time of year. She walked to the cluster of trees across from her apartment building and slid behind them. This was where she chose to apparate.


Dean Thomas sat at back table in the Leaky Cauldron. As Ginny neared him, she felt her stomach doing back flips.


“Hello, Dean,” she managed to squeak out as she approached him. He turned around to face her. His dark face still held that impish charm, and he looked as clean and crisp as ever.


“Oh, Ginny! Hello,” he said, standing up to acknowledge her. He extended his hand, and Ginny placed hers in his tentatively. Smoothly, he placed her knuckles to his lips and then released her hand. Ginny felt herself flush. Dean noticed this and smiled, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. “Shall we?” he asked, extending his arm to her.


Ginny took his arm and allowed him to lead her through the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley.


“Lovely day, isn’t it?” he asked, making conversation.


“Yes, it’s wonderful,” Ginny replied, as they walked on.


Dean led her to a small bistro near Flourish and Blotts. Ginny was rather glad he had chosen such a casual atmosphere, and not something to the equivalent of Madam Puddifoot’s tea shop. She was not sure she could handle that.


“Two, sir?” the hostess asked as they entered the eatery. Dean nodded in response and he and Ginny followed the witch to a small table near the window.


“Can I get you anything to drink?” she asked them, looking first at Dean, and then at Ginny.


“I’ll have a glass of water, no lemon,” Dean said, and then looked at Ginny, waiting to hear what she wanted to drink.


“I think I’d like a glass of pumpkin juice,” she said.


“Coming right up,” the witch said, and seconds later, their drinks materialized on the table. “Carmen will be your server, and she will be here momentarily,” she finished, and then bowed away.


“So I hear you are a healer, now,” Dean said, looking at Ginny intently.


“Yes, I finished school about six months ago,” she replied, looking at the paper her straw had come wrapped in.


“That’s got to be interesting work. What department do you work in?”


“Spell Damage. It is very interesting at times. People do the craziest things,” she said, laughing nervously.


Suddenly a tall witch with cropped brown hair came over to their table.


“Hello, I am Carmen,” she said cheerfully. “What can I bring you to eat today?”


“I would like the turkey club, hold the pickle, and what would you like, Dear?” Ginny bristled at the sound of him calling her ‘dear.’


“I’ll have the Reuben,” she said, handing the witch her menu.


“Brilliant. I’ll have it out shortly,” she said and then bowed away, taking their menus with her.


“So, you’re working for the Daily Prophet now?” Ginny asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from her. Dean began to launch into a long-winded chronicle of his job.


Moments later, the food arrived, and the pair ate in silence. After their plates were cleared, Dean reached across the table and grasped both of Ginny’s hands in his.


“You are still every bit as beautiful as the last time I saw you,” he said, his eyes glittering. “I hope we can have more lovely dates like this.” Suddenly, Ginny felt very uncomfortable. Her life was way too busy to have a boyfriend, and things seemed to be heading in that direction.


“Dean, my schedule does not permit me many days off,” she began.


“That’s alright, Dear. I am at work often as well. We could make things work out,” he said, still smiling.


“Dean, I’m sorry, I” she began, not really knowing what to say. “I am really not in a place in my life to--”


Suddenly, Dean looked angry. He released her hands, jaw clenching.


“Damn that Harry Potter! Damn him straight to hell,” he said evenly. “He ruined it for any bloke who wants to have a chance with you! All these years, and still, you won’t move on, you won’t get over that insufferable prick,” he continued harshly. “Well get in line, missy, cause from what I hear, he has a new woman in his flat every week, and his ego is so inflated, you’ve not much better chance than a toilet brush to settle that man,” he hissed, standing up to leave. He reached into his pocket and tossed several sickles onto the table. “Give me a call when you decide to join the rest of us in reality,” he spat, turning on his heels and storming out.


Ginny sat there for a few moments, stunned. What had made him think Harry had anything to do with her not wanting to be in a relationship? She had certainly not mentioned his name. She was merely too busy with work to be gallivanting around like some schoolgirl. Her temper flared and she stood up and stormed out of the restaurant, intent on going home to think about what had just happened. Damn Dean for making her think of Harry for the third time in less than twenty-four hours.