Delays, Disappointment, and Dating - Part 1

Harry awoke with a start, momentarily panicked because he didn't recognize his surroundings. Slipping his glasses on his nose, he stared wildly at the bright yellow walls and abundance of flowers and cosmetics and well…girly stuff. Then he remembered switching rooms with Ginny and Hermione the night before. He'd set an alarm to wake him at dawn, then had cast a silencing charm around the bed so no one else would be alerted.

He could hear Ron snoring heavily, and he had to bite back a laugh seeing his tall friend's feet sticking off the end of the other bed while the rest of his body was wrapped in a fluffy pink-flowered blanket. He wished he had a camera; Fred and George would pay a huge sum for that picture.

Harry lay back for a moment and stretched, breathing in the scent on his pillow … Ginny's pillow. He let his eyes wander across the room, now alert and able to focus on his surroundings. It was easy to distinguish Ginny's side of the room from Hermione's. One half was neatly organized with everything in its place, large stacks of books precisely tucked in both corners. The floor on the other half was covered with clothing, gum wrappers, stray quills and several copies of Witch Weekly. Harry was disgruntled to see his own likeness winking from a picture in the top corner of one of the magazines.

He shifted uncomfortably, feeling something lumpy underneath his back. He reached down under the covers and pulled out a ragged stuffed animal. It looked as if it had once been a bear, but was now a sorry sight indeed. He grinned, knowing he'd have something to use to take the mickey out of Ginny later.

Yanking back the covers, he put his feet on the floor and immediately stepped on something. He reached down to lift it off the floor. His face flushed brilliantly when he realized he was holding Ginny's bra.

"What's that?" Ron mumbled, squinting at him across the room.

"Nothing," Harry squeaked, his voice sounding very high. He guiltily shoved the bra behind his back and tried to change the subject. "You've got to get up. We need to move quickly."

"What are you on about, Harry? What's that behind your back?" Ron asked, fully rousing at the sight of a flustered Harry.

Harry tried to inconspicuously tuck the offending garment beneath Ginny's covers. Despite his embarrassment, he couldn't help but notice how soft and silky the material felt, and he rubbed his thumb along the edge as he tried to hide it.

Ron leaped out of bed and reached around to grab the bra from Harry. "What are you trying to hide?" he demanded.

"It's nothing," Harry said, panicked and trying to get the evidence away from him.

At that moment, the bedroom door swung open revealing Hermione and Ginny. The two girls stood there, their faces a mixture of surprise and amusement, staring at Ron and Harry who were facing each other in the middle of the floor, Ginny's bra stretched between them.

"Well," Ginny said at last. "I hadn't realized you two had such pervy tendencies. I do have other bras, you know. You don't have to fight over that one."

Hermione roared with laughter. "Do you have any of our knickers on, as well?" she asked, doubling over at the scarlet hues that suffused Ron and Harry's faces.

"I- What- He- What are you doing with my sister's bra?" Ron bellowed, glaring at Harry.

Harry's eyes widened as all three of them turned to look at him. "Nothing," he stammered. "I stepped on it when I got up, and I tried to put it back, and that's when you woke up."