Special delivery for Lyras (part III) Title: Of Greetings And Goodbyes Author:eeyrore9990 Recipient's LJ name:lyras Rating: NC-17 Summary: Ginny finds her life in upheaval when a tragedy from the past comes back to haunt her. With the love and support of friends and family, she slowly finds her way forward. Pairing(s): Neville/Ginny, mentions Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Luna/Various Word Count: ~15,500 Warnings (if any): EWE (canon character deaths occur before the beginning of the fic) Authors notes: Thank you to A, A, A, A, B, and K for all the wonderful help, beta-work, and general hand-holding. I cannot thank you all enough. lyras, I hope you enjoy this!
Part III: Starting Over
Ginny paced back and forth in the tiny kitchen of her new flat. She and Neville had been heavily dating for nearly two months—she peeked at the small roast in the oven—and he still had not made a move toward her. Her skin literally crawled with lust every time he was near and yet he routinely left her at her front door with a chaste kiss.
Well, to be fair, chaste probably wasn't the right word.
She closed her eyes and brought her fingers to her lips, imagining the touch was Neville's. She'd never been so needy in her life and yet… She was nervous. So nervous that she'd broken three dishes already and couldn't seem to sit or stand still.
She glanced into the oven again and winced as it slammed when she shut it. Tossing the dish cloth on the unlit cook top, she walked through the apartment to the front, twitching the curtains aside to look down on the street outside. She drew her wand and cast a Tempus, thinking surely the clock above the mantel must have stopped, but the glowing numbers that wavered in the air showed the same time as the blasted silver ornament her mum had given her for a flat-warming gift.
Seven twenty five. She wasn't certain she'd last another five minutes without combusting and Neville was nothing if not extremely conscientious of arriving exactly on time. Ginny sat on her sofa, dropping her head into her hands as she groaned and rocked back and forth. Jumping up, she cast a Mirror Image Spell at the wall behind her short sofa and quickly shimmied out of her dress, running a last-minute, critical eye over herself.
She poked the skin at her side, narrowing her eyes as she wondered if it wasn't the slightest bit… paunchy. Her legs were too skinny, nearly chicken legs, really, but the high heeled shoes she was wearing did a nice job of tightening her muscles to give the appearance of curves there. For her chest, there was no help. She would always be 'boyishly slender,' no matter how many different Engorgement Charms she directed at herself.
She wrinkled her nose and summed up her pale, freckled, skinny body in one word. "Ugh."
Sighing, she slid her dress back over her head and checked her hair one more time before she said, "No wonder he hasn't made a move." Rolling her eyes, she undid the mirror charm and crossed back into the kitchen to check again on the dinner she was preparing.
The meat was done, so she turned down the heat to keep it warm until they were ready to eat and turned to look at the small table pushed into the corner. She'd set it for an intimate dinner for two, but wondered if the pink candle wasn't overdoing it a bit. Biting her lip, she tapped her wand against her thigh before changing it to a creamy white colour. That was much better.
It might be Valentine's Day, but there was no reason to beat the man over the head with it.
She'd thought to put his card from her into the flatware drawer. Two cards, actually. The top was for if things were going well and she wanted to give him a nudge toward getting naked and testing out the springiness of her bed. The other was for… well, for if she chickened-out and decided to let him move at whatever pace was most comfortable. The pace that seemed destined to leave her panting and aching at her door every night until her girly bits shrivelled up from disuse.
A knock at her door sent her pulse jumping. Nervously running her hands down the front of her dress, she hurried through the flat to the front door. Opening the door, she felt herself relax and a natural smile took the place of the one she'd been attempting to force.
Neville stood on her threshold, a bemused expression on his face, his arms filled with flowers and chocolates which he quickly extended to her.
"Honeydukes Dark! Oh, and wisteria! Neville, how did you know these are my favourite? Oh, come in, please. These are gorgeous," she said, lifting the fragrant lavender blooms to her nose as she waited for him to enter.
"You mentioned it once," he said in response to her query. "I put the wisteria in a pot so you should see a bit of new growth in about a week or so."
Ginny smiled widely and said, "Thank you, Neville. They really are beautiful."
"You'll need a greenhouse for year round blooms," he cautioned.
She finally took a moment to look him over—now that she had her flowers and chocolate safe in her arms—and felt her stomach give a lurch as lust swept through her. Clearing her throat, she tilted her head toward the kitchen and said, "Dinner is nearly ready. I'm sorry I didn't come up with something a bit more grand, but—"
"Dinner is perfect," Neville said softly, overriding her nervous chatter. "It smells so delicious, I'm afraid I might make a glutton of myself."
Ginny laughed softly. "Come on. Have some wine while I finish dinner."
"All right."
Ginny led the way into the kitchen, carefully setting the wisteria on her tiny countertop before stepping back and admiring the way it looked. A low buzzing drew her to the oven, which she hurriedly switched off before opening the door and withdrawing the roast. She sent silent thanks to her mother as she brought the dish over to the table, settling it on a folded cloth in the middle.
She quickly stepped to the flatware drawer, gathering enough for both of them, and hesitated for a moment before picking up the card and carrying it to the table. She laid it out nonchalantly with Neville's flatware before sliding into her seat.
"Tuck in," she offered, serving herself some of the meat and vegetables. He smiled warmly, complying, and they ate in silence until the sound of metal scraping china signalled empty plates.
Sitting back with a satisfied sigh, Neville wiped his mouth on a serviette and tilted his head, studying her.
Ginny blinked, slightly unsettled at the long, probing look. "What? Have I got something on my face?" She used her own serviette to wipe carefully around her mouth, judging her success by the look on his face.
Neville smiled and shook his head. "No, you look… actually, erm. I haven't said yet, which is remiss of me, but you look stunningly beautiful."
Ginny lowered her serviette to her lap, slightly amazed at how glorious his compliment made her feel. A flush spread through her and she hoped he put it down to a blush at his words but she knew it was due to the lust that beat steadily under the surface of her skin every time he was near. She reached for her wine, hoping to distract herself, but as her fingers found the delicate stem of the glass, he spoke again.
"I can't think of what I did to deserve such a lovely companion, but whatever it was, I'm grateful."
Her fingers fumbled against the glass then, tipping it just a bit too far. She cried out softly as the glass clattered to the table-top, spilling its red contents over everything. Including Neville's card. Ginny gasped and jumped up, quickly dropping her serviette onto the table to sop up the liquid rushing across its surface.
Neville pushed his chair back quickly, but not fast enough to stop a bit of the wine from landing in his lap. Ginny cursed under her breath and grabbed the cloth from under the empty roast pan. Dropping to her knees, she blotted at the red spots blooming across the front of his trousers before his hands grabbed her wrists, stopping her.
"Ginny…"
She looked up, wincing, and said, "I'm sorry, Neville. I can't think what came over me. I'm so clumsy!"
"Ginny…"
"I'll clean—"
"Ginny!"
She blinked, startled at the fierceness of his tone, and said, "Yes?"
He opened his mouth, obviously about to say something, but no words came out. Instead, his hands slid up her arms and into her hair, holding her head steady as he bent forward and sealed his mouth over her own.
Ginny gasped softly in surprise before moaning at the sensuousness of Neville's kiss. It was always like this. So hot, so needy. So arousing that she literally had to fight herself to keep from ripping his clothes off and begging him to throw her down on the closest flat surface.
Her hand gripped his thigh through the combined material of his trousers and the damp cloth as she pressed closer and closer, trying to crawl into him. His hands tugging on her hair stopped her and broke their kiss. Breathing heavily, she had to bite her lip to stop herself from begging him for more. The needy little whimpers escaping through her nose with every breath probably told him everything she was feeling, anyway.
"Ginny, I don't want to rush you—"
A sharp, incredulous laugh escaped her at that, interrupting him. "Rush me? Neville…" She ran her shaking hands through her hair, trying to calm herself. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just…" She grabbed the edge of the table, using it to steady herself as she got back to her feet. Grimacing at the way the ink ran on the envelope of Neville's card, she simply said with brutal honesty, "You couldn't possibly rush me, Neville. I want you. I have for… a very long time."
"Why?"
The simple question startled her, threw her off-balance. She stepped away and sank into her chair, wondering how on earth to answer that. "Because. Neville, you're…" She blinked at him, flapping her hands to indicate his entire presence in her small kitchen. "You're gorgeous, and fit, and… every time you come near me I want to…" She covered her eyes with her hands, unable to complete that thought.
The scrape of Neville's chair across the linoleum floor made her look up.
"I had it all written in the card. It was wonderfully expressive and said exactly what I want to say without being horribly gauche. And then I knocked my wine all over it and—"
"What did it say?"
"I wish I could remember the exact phrase. Something along the lines of 'I want to watch you sleep next to me.'" She fluttered her hand through the air, shaking her head, "No, it wasn't that. Something similar, but… argh!"
"Ginny, it doesn't matter, just—"
"Oh! I know! 'I want to fall asleep in your arms!' That's it!"
"Ginny?"
Excited to remember, she forgot to be completely embarrassed at the situation and said, "Hmm?"
Neville stood up and, rounding the table, pulled her to her feet. Cupping her face with his hands he whispered, "I want to hold you as you fall asleep. I want to wake up in the middle of the night to watch you dream. I want to see your head on the pillow when I open my eyes in the morning. Before that, though? I want to show you everything I've been fantasising about."
Ginny's eyes went round when he began speaking and she was in danger of melting through the floor when his last words washed over her. "Oh, thank God," she whispered. "I thought you were trying to kill me from unrelieved arousal."
Neville chuckled before he pressed light kisses to her mouth. "I should probably tell you," he said between kisses.
"Hmm? No need to talk, really…"
"I tried to Firecall earlier. Was going to Floo in…"
"That's nice."
"Took me a few minutes to calm down after I saw you nearly naked."
"Mmmhmmwhaaaaat?!" Ginny pulled back from Neville, her eyes round with shock. "You saw…?" She gestured vaguely toward the living room as he nodded, eyes shining with humour.
"I'm sorry. I would have said something, but… I couldn't seem to remember how to form words in English. So I cancelled the connection, got myself under control, and Apparated instead. It seemed safer for my peace of mind."
Ginny dropped her forehead onto his chest, groaning. "I can't believe…"
"Ginny?"
"Ugh."
"Would you look at me, please?"
Ginny looked up, her lips parting to form a question as he lowered his head and stopped her. She sighed and relaxed against him, enjoying the kiss as she pushed the thought of what he'd seen out of her head. She slid her hands around his waist, fitting herself to him as their kiss deepened.
His tongue probed between her lips and slid sensually along hers. Ginny moaned and strained against him, trying to get closer, as her belly rubbed against the bulge of his cock through his trousers. Licking lightly along the roof of his mouth, she drew one hand back around to the front of his body, cupping his erection in the palm of her hand.
He broke the kiss with a gasp and buried his face in her hair, whispering raggedly, "Bedroom."
"Oh God, yes," Ginny moaned, stepping backward and pulling him with her, trying to navigate through the flat without giving up this closeness he was finally allowing them.
His hands dropped to her arse, kneading it through the thin material of her dress, causing warmth to flood through her belly as her breath caught on a delighted gasp. "Neville…" They bumped into a wall and had to take a moment to taste one another again before Ginny recalled their purpose.
Bedroom. Bed. Yes.
As they stumbled into her room, Ginny fumbled for her wand, trying to give them low-level lighting so they wouldn't end up killing themselves before they could find the bed. Noticing this, Neville released her and pulled his own wand free, lighting the few candles placed near the bed. "Like this?" he asked.
Ginny shivered at the huskiness of his voice but nodded, looping her arms around his neck to pull him down for another kiss. He stopped her though, his hands smoothing over her back and along her sides before pushing her gently until the backs of her knees met the high bed. Neville urged her back onto the mattress and Ginny looked at him curiously for just a moment before he cupped her knees and slowly slid his hands down her legs to slide her heeled shoes from her feet.
He looked down at her; his eyes locked to hers, and lifted her leg, bending it at the knee before planting her foot on the bed. His hands smoothed down her thighs, pushing her dress as they went. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "All right?"
She released a long breath and nodded, holding her hands out to him. His mouth quirked at one corner, but he shook his head. "Not yet."
He eased around until he was kneeling at the foot of the bed and he slowly slid her dress up until the hem was pooling around her waist. Her knickers were still on, but he seemed not to notice as he dipped his head and pressed a kiss to her inner thigh.
He smiled up at her, patient as always, and bent down to run the tip of his nose along the waistband of her knickers as he slipped his fingers under the leg of them, allowing the tips to run lightly over her lips even as he pressed small kisses just under her navel.
She dropped her head back, forcing herself to focus on nothing but what he was doing to her before she lost her control completely. Another quivering breath escaped her as she felt his other hand peel back the silky fabric of her knickers. He rested his chin on her neat nest of hair and rubbed it back and forth lightly until she closed her eyes and pressed upward with her hips, showing him that she really was ready for the next step.
He blew a stream of air over her even as he slowly pulled her knickers lower, trapping his other hand in them before he made a frustrated sound and removed his fingers to pull them down to her knees. She helped him then, lifting one foot and then the other until he could toss her knickers to the side.
Only, he didn't. After sliding them off her right foot, he carefully folded them, pressed a kiss to them, and set them gently to the side. She blinked at him and said, "All riiiiight."
He shrugged sheepishly, a bit of colour staining his cheekbones.
That did it. It was so him that she forgot to be nervous, paying no attention to the hand that was resting at the juncture of her hip and thigh. His lips followed his hands as he lifted the hem of her dress, raising it slowly up her body until she had to sit up for him to slide it over her head. The places he'd left his slow kisses tingled, causing more heat to unfurl in her belly until she could barely stop herself from writhing on the bed.
When her dress fell to the floor, Neville eased the straps of her bra off her shoulders, tugging until the stretchy fabric released her breasts. "Beautiful," he whispered and brushed his lips over one nipple. Ginny gasped and arched into the light touch until Neville opened his mouth over it, suckling gently for a moment before pulling back.
He stared down at her, his expression so incredibly intense that her breath caught, and he slowly ran the tip of one finger over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. He wasn't touching her intimately, not really, but the sensations transferred themselves a few inches and she was nearly appalled at the breathless little gasp that escaped her.
She rolled her hips against his hand, trying to encourage him to lose a bit of the restraint he was suddenly showing. "Neville…"
"I want to taste you."
She swallowed heavily and fought against the need to close her thighs, licking her lips and trying to relax. No one had ever done that to her before. For her. One part of her was thrilled but most of her was terrified. A thousand what-ifs all thundered through her head and she wondered if anyone had ever agonized over this before for the same stupid reasons that she did now. How do I smell and what do I taste like and am I tidy enough?
She looked down as she felt his hand slide onto her stomach. He was looking up at her and he said, "Hush."
Her mouth dropped open in shock and she was about to take him to task when he grinned crookedly and said, "I can hear you thinking."
She blinked and drew a deep, shuddering breath before letting it out slowly. "I'll try."
"Thank you." His hands slid around to cup her arse just as he lowered his head the rest of the way. She felt the warmth of his breath a heartbeat before his mouth opened over her, his tongue pressing between her folds, slowly tasting her. There was no other way to describe it and she had to close her eyes in order to not tense up again.
She pulled at the coverlet underneath her, trying to hold onto something as Neville pulled stuttering breaths and moans from her. She'd been so needy for so long that soon a flush started in her scalp, making it feel as if her hair were standing on end, and spread like lightening down her body to explode at her core. "Neville!" she cried out, her body shaking through the most intense orgasm she could ever remember experiencing.
Taking one last taste of her, Neville leaned up onto his elbows, resting his forehead just under her breasts for a moment, his breath gusting over her navel as he visibly fought to bring himself under control. But Ginny didn't want that, didn't want him slow and controlled. She wanted him to rip his clothes off and…
Well, was she a witch or wasn't she? Ginny groped around beside the pillow where she'd dropped her wand earlier and, finally locating it, banished his clothing. A hissed breath escaped him and he looked up in surprise. She smiled devilishly and said, "You were wearing far too many clothes."
Wriggling under him, she slid down the bed, not stopping until she was close enough to lean up and lick lightly at Neville's lips. She was slightly hesitant at first; not knowing what he'd taste like after what he'd been doing, but she found it wasn't horrible at all. Deepening the kiss, she pulled him down to her, easing her knees up around his waist as her hands smoothed down his back, learning the feel of him.
She was still feeling lovely and relaxed from her orgasm, so was surprised when he reached down and gripped one of her thighs tightly, pulling it up as he adjusted his positioning. He grabbed her wand were it had fallen after she'd done away with his clothing and performed a basic protection spell.
"Ginny," he said, his voice husky and needy against her mouth. "Please tell me it's—"
"Yes, yes, God yes, Neville. Don't wait!"
He pulled his lips from hers and stared at her for a long moment before he slowly pushed forward, sliding smoothly into her. Ginny tried to maintain the eye contact, but the feel of his thick length pressing into her caused her to arch against him, her eyes squeezing shut as she keened softly.
He stopped immediately at that sound and his shoulders bunched under her hands as he braced himself to move off of her. "No!" she said, her voice choked off and desperate. "Oh God, don't stop. Please, Neville, don't stop."
"Am I hurting you? Ginny, I don't want to…"
"Oh my God, no… not hurting... I'm… oh God, Neville, so… please…" She realised she was rambling incoherently, but she couldn't think enough to form proper sentences. And he seemed to understand because he relaxed against her, pushing even deeper as he turned his head to press a kiss to her shoulder.
"Hold on," he whispered into her ear just before the world spun around her. She blinked, taking a moment to understand that he'd rolled them over, placing her on top. She looked at him, slightly puzzled, until he said, "I couldn't touch you. I want to touch you."
Ginny shivered all over at those words and flattened her hands on his chest before pushing herself up. As she sat on his lap, taking him even deeper into her, he piled pillows under his back, making it easier for him to run his hands over her body, from her thighs to her belly, grazing his fingernails lightly over her hipbones, pressing against the indent of her waist, measuring her breasts in his hands—beautiful—all as she flexed and moved above him.
His tantalising fingers and husky voice combined with the feeling of his cock inside her as she rolled her hips above his drove her slowly toward another orgasm. When she began to lose her rhythm, his hands were there, gripping her hips to guide her up and down on top of him.
"Touch yourself," he whispered. Then, "Please, Ginny. I won't last much longer and you… oh God, you're so beautiful."
Ginny released a sobbing breath, overwhelmed at the passion thrumming through her. She ached with the need to come; her hands seemed disconnected from her brain as they followed his instructions. One travelled up to lightly pinch a nipple while the other dropped between her thighs, two fingers rubbing over her clit and occasionally glancing off his cock as it moved in and out of her.
Suddenly the ability to breathe deserted her even as she heard herself gasping harshly. Her body was strung so tightly that all it took was one forceful lunge of Neville's hips as his fingers tightened on hers, dragging her down his cock until their groins met, his body trapping her fingers between them for a moment, and she fell apart. Her head dropped back onto her shoulders, her whole body arching as her inner walls clamped around him, her orgasm less intense than the one he'd drawn from her with his mouth, but somehow more powerful, deeper, longer.
When she was sensible again, she was being cradled in his arms, kisses pressed to the top of her head as she continued to shake through the tremors that still rolled over her. Ginny curled more closely to him, snuggling into his chest as languor stole over her. As cliché as it was, all she wanted to do now was sleep, wrapped in his arms.
One of his hands smoothed down her spine and she heard him murmur her name sleepily.
"Mmm?"
"I can't wait to wake up with you."
Ginny's lips curved into a lazy smile against his chest as she realised that the future had never before seemed so bright.