Ginny Weasley has serious spunk. (holygin) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-06-02 20:51:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: ginny weasley, character: marcus flint |
WHO: Ginny Weasley, Marcus Flint, & Molly and Arthur Weasley
WHAT: Molly finds Marcus in her daughter's bed
WHEN: Thursday 2 June 2002, 7 am
WHERE: The Burrow
RATING: I for Intentions?
STATUS: Completed in Docs
Night flying plus sleeping in the arms of a man she trusted completely plus being in a room where she had always felt safe equaled about seven hours of blissful ignorance. Ginny's dreams hadn't been haunted by visions she didn't understand. She was so exhausted by the time Marcus had com in through her window that she was asleep mere minutes after they had settled together on her old (and much too small) bed.
She began to stir when she felt the sun on her face. The first thing she noticed was how Marcus fit around her. She was pressed firmly to his chest, hugging one of his arms to hers, holding his hand as they slept. She smiled sleepily, though she had yet to open her eyes. She wasn't ready to face the day yet, so she carefully turned to her other side and nuzzled against his chest, fitting her head under his chin as a cat might.
As soon as Ginny was comfortable again, her bedroom door opened, and her mother, who had been saying something about alarms, and being late, and breakfast, stopped midsentence in the doorway. "Ginerva Molly Weasley! I know you are an adult, but it is common courtesy to let your mother know when you will have a sleepover, particularly with a man."
Ginny groaned. "Mum. It's too early. Practice was cancelled today because people are acting weird." Molly huffed, and Ginny could picture her with her hands on her hips, staring at the two of them on her bed. With another groan, Ginny sat up and prodded Marcus' shoulder. "You wanted him to come over for dinner," she said, giving her mum her most innocent and charming smile. "Why not make it a breakfast and meet Marcus officially as my boyfriend now?"
Molly gave Ginny a look that would have quelled grown men, but she'd seen that look so often that it had little effect on her. "Mum. We behaved. We just slept." Molly eyed Marcus suspiciously. "Breakfast in ten minutes," she said firmly, leaving absolutely no room for argument or negotiation. She turned around and went down the stairs, letting the door close with a thud. Rolling her eyes, Ginny leaned down to kiss Marcus' cheek. "Time to get up. If we're not downstairs in ten minutes, Mum will be even more displeased."
--
Marcus had been kicked out of many places over the years - but his brother’s hospital bedroom was something else entirely. And he was worried about his girlfriend. So after making sure that Lucas was settled, he had let the medi-witches chase him out of the hospital for rest. Which - after showering and realizing that Ginny was still at her parents house...So off he had flown. And into her window he had climbed. He had needed to be there for her. Which he was still adapting to the idea of needing someone. So, he was hoping he did it right. But wrapping her up against him last night - in her far too small of a bed - he felt at peace.
But as the sun started to hit his face, he realized a few things. One - his back was screaming at him for not taking the time to enlarge the bed with a charm, two - that he couldn’t move if he wanted to because he had an armful of red head. And when said red head started to move - he kept his eyes shut and let her resettle. And he was coming to the third - which is that his arm was asleep - when her mother barged in.
Her mother. Barged in. He kept his eyes closed, thanking Salazar that his arm was asleep and he hadn’t been….in the middle of anything when the elder Weasley had stormed in. And while he was grateful it was the mother and not the father...he kept his eyes closed and didn’t so much as twitch until the door had closed again.
Without opening his eyes, he muttered, “Will there be coffee? And you know that we are very lucky that you put my arm to sleep because had this been one of our normal mornings….I might be able to walk downstairs….”
~~
Ginny laughed for, what felt like, the first time that week. She kissed him again, finding his mouth with hers rather than his cheek. She kind of loved this man, a realization that should have terrified her, but it didn't. She didn't say it out loud. She wasn't ready to, but she knew in her heart that it was true.
"There will be coffee. Dad's takin' a liking to it. There will also be strong tea, likely pancakes or waffles." She sniffed the air as she sat up again, stretching her arms over her head. "Eggs, bacon, and sausage. And likely a potato of some kind." She untangled herself from the blankets and stood up. Moving up to her tiptoes, she reached for the ceiling, arching her back until it popped softly. She was the only one with her own bathroom because, once she'd reached a certain age, her parents had decided it was unfair to ask her to share with six brothers, so she padded in there to quickly brush her teeth.
"Five minutes," she reported as she returned to the main room and dug a clean outfit out of her bag. She changed out of her pajamas in front of Marcus without shame and with just a hint of teasing. "If she has to come back up here, you'll be in trouble."
~~
“You know - I could sneak back out this window…” Marcus said watching her getting dressed with a grin on his face, “How is it you get me to do so whatever the hell it is you want me to do. I hope and pray you lot never try to take over the world.” he headed into the bathroom and started to try and tame his hair and get ready.
“I don’t suppose you have a ‘liberated’ shirt of mine in that bag of yours? I wouldn’t want to show up looking like you just had your devious way with me for my first meal with your parents.” He stuck his head out of her bathroom, “Also, I would like to let you know that I will not subject you to a meal with my parents. That is how much I care about you.”
~~
"By all accounts, namely yours" she said, pulling one of his black shirts out of her bag, "my parents are better than yours." She leaned against the bathroom doorframe and watched him apply her comb to his locks. Ginny handed him his shirt but didn't leave her spot. She wasn't blocking him in, exactly. She trusted he wouldn't actually run.
"I've actually had that conversation with my brothers at one point. Weasley World Domination would never happen because we're not the absolute power kind of people." She entered the small space with Marcus to briefly kiss his jaw before retreating to her bed to pull on a pair of socks. "I don't know how I get you to do things, but if you asked, I would meet your parents."
~~
“See, but I want you to keep liking me….and meeting them can be counter-productive to that. Because while I am the very essence of charm and amazing-ness. I did not get that from them - this amazingness is through years of hard work and practice.”
He studied her curiously, “Well, at least I can sleep at night knowing that I won’t wake up to you being the benevolent overlord I am sure you would be.” Tilting his head to the side Marcus shook his head, “And I am taking a no shoes stance. You can force me out of bed, you can have me eat a meal with your folks…..but I will not wear shoes to breakfast inside of a house. I do have limits.”
He held out his hand, “Are you sure you are ready for this?”
~~
Ginny looked down at the socks on her feet. "I'm not putting on shoes," she protested. "My feet are cold, and I'd rather not have my toes fall off." She stood and turned to him. "I need my toes for balance."
When he held out his hand, Ginny took it but forestalled Marcus before he could open the door and march them downstairs. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, careful not to muss his tamed hair, and kissed him. "I don't know what kind of girl you're used to dating, Wolfy, but I'm one smart cookie. I know the difference between people." She poked his chest. "You are not your parents. You are amazing because that's who you are, and if you try to convince me otherwise, your words will fall on deaf ears."
She kissed him once more before opening her door and leading him downstairs. It had been exactly eleven minutes since her mother had left her room, so Ginny didn't give her a chagrined look. She simply walked into the kitchen with Marcus and sat down at the table with her parents. "Mum, Dad, this is Marcus, and I am officially introducing him to you as my boyfriend. Marcus, these are my parent, Arthur and Molly Weasley."
Her dad was trying his damnedest to look stern and intimidating, but every time he met Ginny's eyes, his lips would twitch, and it was clear he was fighting laughter. Molly was having a better go of it, but she was clearly avoiding looking at her husband. She served everyone, making sure there was nothing of their plates left to be seen, before she spoke. "What are your intentions with our daughter?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Mum. Really?" Molly shot her a silencing look. "You were all ready to pretend to elope with him--I'm glad you didn't go through with that prank. It's well within my rights as your mother to know what he intends to do with my only daughter."
"Right," Ginny retorted, "Because you want to make sure you get the right number of goats and chickens in exchange?" Her father snorted, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. She saw Molly do the same thing. Ginny leaned against Marcus, waiting for her mother to decide her next move, and something in the movement made Molly's face soften.
"You clearly make her happy, and that matters the world to us, young man." She turned her gaze from Ginny to Marcus. "Can you promise to keep that up?" Arthur took Molly's hand and squeezed it gently before also looking at Marcus.
--
Marcus took his time to sipping his coffee and let his arm wrap around Ginny. He wasn’t sure how to take all of this...it was slightly bizarre to him to see this sort of interaction between parents and children. And he hadn’t been threatened.or glared at will ill intent. All in all this was not going as his meetings with parents normally did. But then they started to look at him and expect him to interact with them.
“Well, I can promise to do my very best to ensure that happiness.” Marcus said, his arm tightening around Ginny gently, “And as for my intentions….well let’s see…..” He took another sip of his coffee, “I have the very best of intentions towards your daughter. You have my word on that.”
He gave Ginny a look out of the corner of his eye, hoping for a rescue before he put his foot any deeper into his mouth.
~~
Ginny kept her face the image of neutrality as Marcus answered her mother. She wondered what would come out of his mouth when he paused dramatically, and visions of him 'corrupting' her flashed through her head. She smiled at his answer, and thought of devious ways to thank him for it later.
Molly simply nodded. "That's all we need to know, really." She looked at Arthur, and, for the first time, her father spoke. "We trust Ginny's choices," he gave her a pointed look, "for the most part." Ginny coloured slightly and leaned toward her parents. "It was a misguided and ill thought prank. I couldn't bring myself to go through with it, and Marcus was willing to play along, but when I changed my mind, he was good with that, too."
Arthur nodded and reached across to pat her hand. "All the same," he continued, turning back to Marcus. "As long as you're good to her, you have our blessing to date, and if anything changes, we'll help her hid your body."
Ginny, who had just started to sip her juice, spluttered and had to throw her arms up to keep from choking on the liquid. "Dad!" Her shock at him saying it was short lived, and she turned to Marcus, a wicked smile on her face. "He's not wrong," she told him with a shrug.
~~
“See, and this is why I intend to not cross a line I shouldn’t cross.” Marcus said with a very serious look on his face, “And treat her as she deserves to be treated.” Mentally he was wondering if the Weasley’s really thought that not giving their blessing would stop him from pursuing their daughter. He was going to go out on a limb and assume that they weren’t that delusional. But he was also keeping track of this event and planning ways of getting her to pay him back for this.
And all the while assuring her that he wouldn’t put her through a meal with his parents. Ever. Because he didn’t do that to people he liked. And he more than liked Ginny. Not that he was going to tell her that any time soon. Because he wasn’t… He shook his head breifly and then then gave her parents a very charming smile.
“I would like to take you out to dinner….maybe after the next round of the Cup if that would be acceptable?”
~~
Ginny smirked into her juice glass, careful not to inhale any of it this time. Molly and Arthur had one of their quick and silent conversations, the kind where they could make decisions with only their eyes. "We accept, " Arthur said, "Though you don't have to buy our good will."
Setting down her glass, she picked up her fork and looked at her parents. "Are we going to keep with the surface pleasantries, or can we eat now? Marcus has to go make sure Ireland stays in the cup, and I have to pretend I have things to do with my day." Molly flapped her hand at Ginny. "Don't be cheeky, dear. We just want to get to know your young man."
With a sigh, Ginny put her fork down again and laced her fingers together, resting her hands on top of the table, waiting. Looking smug, Molly turned back to Marcus. "Ginny's told us you have a younger brother and sister, and that your brother was recently in the hospital. I hope he's doing better. Ginny came straight here after you rushed to the hospital, near incoherent with worry." The look she gave her mother begged Molly to stop, but it was ignored. "It seems you have made quite the impression on her, and, if I'm very honest, I like the way she's grown up since the two of you began spending time together."
Ginny's face flamed, and she was nearly the same colour of her hair when her father nodded in agreement. On the one hand, she was pleased they thought so. On the other, she wanted to tease and say they'd give Marcus a big head. But she wanted him to continue looking good in their eyes. "She says," Arthur continued, "that you…"
"Dad. No." Arthur ignored her interruption. "That you have shown her how a man should be."
~~
“Oh is that what she says?” Marcus said with a grin, “Now that is news to me. Thank you Arthur for letting me know. I am thrilled to help expand her knowledge on the subject. I am also thrilled that something other than my skill on the Pitch has earned me her admiration.” Oh he was going to have fun with that last bit of information later. Just wait till he got her alone.
“I am sure there are some in my acquaintance that could say the same for me since your daughter entered my life. Well, other than your eldest son. But to be fair - I have been a pain in his arse since Hogwarts and I don’t honestly see that changing any time soon.” Marcus took a bite of the breakfast in front of him, “And I love the waffles - is that nutmeg I taste in the batter? I think it works very well with the buttermilk….”
~~
Surreptitiously, Ginny pinched Marcus' leg in warning. There was a subtext there that wasn't quite appropriate around her parents. While it was true, the subtext, it wasn't what she had meant when she told her parents that. "You're supposed to be making him squirm," she grumped, picking up a slice of bacon and chewing it sulkily.
Molly tittered, obviously pleased with his ability to taste her secret ingredient and his compliment. "Flatterer," Ginny whispered, nudging Marcus with her shoulder. She looked to her father for support, but he was happily digging into his breakfast. Ginny sighed dramatically. "Oh stop," Molly laughed. Ginny tossed a small piece of waffle at her mother, smiling innocently as she did so. "Ginerva," she said warningly, though she continued to smile. "I like him," Molly told Ginny in a stage whisper.
Ginny laughed. "So do I, Mum."
~~
Marcus hid a grin in his coffee and then stage whispered to Ginny, “I think that your mom’s breakfast is better than mine….” He gave Molly his most charming smile, “And I think it would be an amazing ‘getting to know you’ experience for her to share the recipe with me.”
Under the table his free hand was on Ginny’s knee, his thumb stroking her inner knee. He was trying to be charming and yet still himself. There was something about this experience that just felt different to him. Like there was more to this moment than just meeting the folks of a girl that he was seeing. This felt important and yet - it felt so much easier than he had been anticipating.