Harry Get's A Rude Awakening.

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Thank you to June for all of her help with the beta work.

Chapter 11 – Harry gets a rude awakening.

Harry knocked on Ginny's door. When she didn't answer, he looked both ways down the hallway to make sure there was no one about, then opened the door and walked in.

Her room was empty. There was a fire dwindling down to the embers, and a candle next to her bed that was also almost out completely. He wondered where she could be. There was no one in any of the rooms downstairs. He briefly looked out into the garden and wondered if she might be outside. As he turned to leave her room, he thought he heard a muffled laughter coming from what he thought was a closet door.

What Harry did not know was that this "closet door" was in fact the door that adjoined Ginny's and Lucius' rooms. Neither Ginny nor Lucius had bothered to open the door before because, oddly enough, even they thought it was just an extra closet. Rarely do rooms inside homes actually adjoin, so it was understandable that the door went virtually ignored. But now, Harry walked toward the door and put his ear against it. There were voices and more giggling coming from the other side. He took hold of the doorknob, and quickly opened the door and walked in. What he saw was the last thing he ever thought he would see.

Ginny, his girl, straddling Lucius Malfoy!

"What the hell is going on here?" yelled Harry.

Ginny, whose face had been buried in Lucius' neck, spun her head and gasped.

"Harry!" She quickly covered her naked chest with her arms and moved off of Lucius. Lucius pulled the sheets over himself and covered Ginny with his body as she moved behind him.

"Really, Harry. Where are your manners?" tutted Lucius.

"Manners?" Harry's eyebrows shot straight up.

"Yes, Harry. Manners and an opposable thumb are what keep us all from sitting in trees and throwing feces at one another. I would have expected a knock at the very least."

"I'm having a nightmare; this can't be real. I'm standing here getting a lecture on manners by the man who's shagging my girl."

Ginny's head popped up over Lucius' shoulder. "Your girl?" she said. 'Of all the gall!' thought Ginny.

"I beg to differ, Harry. I am most certainly not shagging your girl. Ginny is no girl." Lucius turned and looked lasciviously at Ginny, then turned back to Harry. "She is quite a woman."

Harry was horrified. He didn't know if he should hex Lucius right there on the spot or ... well, no, he couldn't hex Lucius, he didn't have his wand with him. He decided no hexing, but he could still be horrified.

"This is too much. I can't believe you would do this to me, Ginny! And with him!" Harry pointed at Lucius. "Why, he's old enough to be your father!"

"Harry Potter, don't you dare say another word." Ginny took the pillow that was behind her and covered herself up. She leapt out of bed, and walked up to Harry and grabbed him by his shirt.

"Now you listen to me, and you listen good. For over fifteen years you have strung me along. A date here, a date there, but never any more than that. Every so often we go to a Ministry function, and every so often we have sex; well, I'm tired of it. What did you think? That I'd be sitting at home knitting you jumpers, waiting for you to decide you've had enough of the bachelor lifestyle? How long was I supposed to wait, Harry? I'm thirty years old! Another five years, Harry? Ten? Twenty? How long, Harry?" she let go of his shirt and backed up slightly as the tears in her eyes now threatened to fall.

"No, I won't wait anymore." Ginny turned and looked at Lucius, who had been quietly listening to her tirade. "I'm in love with Lucius, and he is in love with me." She turned back to Harry. "I've never been in love with you, Harry. I suppose I just thought you were the best I could do. And you had no problem letting me think that, did you?"

Harry bowed his head. While he didn't agree totally with everything she'd said, he had to admit, she was right about the last accusation.

"Now would be a good time to leave, Harry," said Lucius quietly.

Harry looked at him and then at Ginny. Anger and pride taking over, he shook his head and laughed.

"Fine, but don't come crawling back to me when he gets tired of you. I hate you, Ginny. I'll never forgive you for this." He turned and walked out of the door he came through, slamming it in his wake.

Ginny stood rooted to the spot. She felt Lucius wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her shoulder.

"He is angry; he didn't mean it."

"I know, but it still hurts." She turned and nuzzled her head against his. She knew that Harry's words were meant to hurt her, but he had succeeded in planting the seed of doubt in her mind about Lucius. What would she do if Lucius grew tired of her?

"He's wrong you know," said Lucius. Ginny looked at him confused. "I will never grow tired of you." He took his cane and pulled out his wand. After making sure he warded the door Harry used, he replaced his wand in its casing and pulled Ginny back to bed.

"Come, let's get some sleep, my sweet kitten," he said, as Ginny snuggled next to him.

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

The following day started much like any other day. The new year was drawing near, and the children decided that there should be fireworks in the skies.

"Daddy, Albus said that he's going to get fireworks from China for us," said Sage, as she jumped on her father's lap. "Can we go with him, please?" she begged.

"We promise we won't be any trouble," assured Odin, as he stood with his fingers crossed behind his back.

Severus looked doubtful. He knew that his children had the old man wrapped around their finger. Albus and Minerva had no children, and thus no grandchildren. They married only a few years ago, and had adopted the Snape children as the grandchildren they should have had.

"You promise, eh? Why don't I believe you?" As he readied himself to say no, knowing full well Odin had his fingers crossed behind his back, Hermione walked out with Minerva and Albus by her side.

"It's all right, Severus. Minerva and I are going as well. There are some manuscripts we want to look for in Tianjin." After being assured that both women were going, he allowed the children to go along. They left just after lunch.

Severus decided to take in the cool day and sat outside at a table overlooking the castle's gardens. He spotted Lucius and Ginny from a distance. He knew that they had been together the previous night. Not only had Lucius come to breakfast with a huge grin on his face, but Ginny could not stop blushing, and Harry had a perpetually constipated look about him. Yes, Lucius definitely had made his move.

As he watched his friend and Ginny talking to each other, Ron and Harry joined him, unfortunately. He signed heavily, and picked up his Potions Monthly and started to flip through the pages, hoping to find something interesting.

Harry and Ron sat at the table along with Severus.

"I just don't get it," said Harry.

"Hmm?" Severus looked over to Harry.

"I said, I just don't get it."

"Get what? Be specific; considering your grades when you graduated, that could be any number of things," said Severus.

"I don't get what she sees in him." Harry waved in the direction of Lucius and Ginny.

Severus looked at the two in the garden, then back at Harry.

"You're kidding, right?" said Severus.

"No. How could she want to be with him?"

Severus looked at Ron, who shrugged, then back at Harry.

"All right. I can see you are as oblivious as a jellyfish," Severus said. "For one thing, look at Lucius. I have never been attracted to men, and I am as heterosexual as one can be. However, if Lucius asked me to go a round with him in bed, even I wouldn't say no."

"You've got to admit, Harry, Lucius is gorgeous," added Ron. Harry and Severus looked at him. "Hey, I'm not the one who just said I'd go a round with him in bed. I'm just saying."

Harry furrowed his brow, and crossed his arms.

"Okay, fine. But I know how to treat a lady, you know."

"Oh, really?" Severus put down his magazine and turned towards Harry. "By keeping them waiting, and thinking all they want to talk about is Quidditch and you?"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Look at them. They're all over each other," Harry said with disgust.

"Harry, they're just holding hands," said Ron. While Ginny hadn't said anything to him, he knew the instant they both showed up at breakfast together that something happened between them. While he felt bad for Harry, he knew that his friend had been stringing his sister along for quite some time. Ginny wanted to have a family and wanted a man to love her. As much as he loved Harry, Ron knew that his friend and Ginny would never be happy.

"Well, we never did that, not really." Admitted Harry.

"Perhaps that is why she is holding hands with Lucius and not you," said Severus.

Harry looked at him and Ron. He was going to argue, but found he had nothing to stand on. He and Ginny never did hold hands, not like she and Lucius were now. Harry looked at the couple and saw Lucius do other things he had never done.

Lucius held Ginny's hand. He smiled at her as he stared into her eyes. He picked a flower from the ground and traced her face with the petals. He kissed her cheek, and caressed her hair. He looked at her like...like there was nowhere else in the world he would rather be than standing along side her now. Harry tried to remember the last time he told Ginny he loved her, and realized he never did.

"I...I think I'll have a fly to the mountains. I'll be back in a few hours." Harry got up and walked back into the house.

Severus looked at Ron, who was looking at the couple with tears in his eyes.

"Don't cry, Ron. He does love her, I'm sure of it. He will take care of her," said Severus, hoping to reassure the redhead.

"That's not why I'm crying."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Well, Lucius was a good catch. I don't suppose Ginny would share?"

Severus stiffened. 'I knew it' he thought. "Uh, no, I don't believe so. And if I were you, unless you want your balls hexed into oblivion, I wouldn't broach the subject with Lucius."

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

I thought about having Ginny give Harry more of a dressing down, but I figured she wouldn't want to bother with him any longer. She's got Lucius now, and Harry is a non issue to her.

And yes, I've got a thing with Severus suspecting Ron is gay all the time. I figured this time out, his suspicions should be correct.