"Oh really?" she asked, her tone belying her interest in the subject. "Two attractive girls, you say?"
"That's right," Harry continued. "One attractive salesgirl at Madam Malkins helped me pick out all my robes. I also spent nearly an entire day shopping for a muggle wardrobe that actually fit, and an attractive sales girl helped me in that store as well."
"The smile on your face tells me you had a good time, so was it the shopping or the company that you enjoyed?" Ginny leered, teasing him mercilessly. The gleam in her eye was almost enough to give Harry pause.
"Oh it was definitely the company. Not only was she very cute, she was very nice as well. I couldn't have asked for a better saleswoman," Harry tried to reply in an offhanded manner.
"Sounds like she meant more to you than just some saleswoman," Ginny countered.
"Never said she didn't," Harry returned, thoroughly enjoying the exchange. He could tell that Ginny was trying to tease him or embarrass him, but he wasn't going to let her get to him. It's not like he just had some crush on Jessica that went unfulfilled. Little did Ginny know that Harry actually took her on a date.
"So what was her name?" she asked casually.
"Jessica."
"And you remember her name after all this time? Is Harry Potter pining after this girl?"
"I wouldn't call it pining. But I would imagine any bloke would remember the name of a girl he took out on a date." Harry looked up to catch her reaction to that statement. He wasn't disappointed.
Ginny's mouth dropped open as she looked at him with wide eyes. "A date?"
"Yup. She couldn't resist my charm and gave me her number after she rang me up when we finally finished shopping. She told me to give her a call if I ever needed help shopping again, or even if I didn't," Harry told her. "Now I know I'm as thick as the next guy, but I'm not thick enough to entirely miss that statement. So I called her up, and we got dinner one night."
"Wow," she said softly. "That was unexpected."
"What? You didn't expect a girl to show interest in me?" Harry pouted.
"Of course I expect girls to be interested in you," she fired back. She said this so matter-of-factly that Harry couldn't help but feel his confidence swell. "It just caught me off guard to hear that you went on a date this summer is all. It's not like you ever hinted at the fact."
"Well I couldn't say anything at the time because I was supposed to be stuck at the Dursleys. Nobody was supposed to figure out my little secret," he said putting a little emphasis on the last part to let her know that he was talking specifically about her for figuring him out. But he also said it with a smile, so she would know that he didn't regret the fact that she knew.
"Yes, well you should have known that I'd be entirely too clever for you," she stated, as she breathed on her fingernails and polished them on her robes.
"How silly of me to ever doubt you," Harry agreed.
"So tell me more about this Jessica gal. How did your date go?" Ginny prodded as she sat up and began to roll her shoulders.
"Your shoulder all right?" he asked her with some concern in his voice, when he noticed her rolling her shoulders.
"Just a little tight is all. They'll be fine," she replied as she continued to roll them. He watched as she arched her right arm up behind her head and attempted to rub her neck and shoulders as best she could.
Harry assumed that she was trying to loosen up her muscles; he continued to watch her for a long moment before speaking up. "I - um - I could, you know, rub them for you, if you'd like," he offered tentatively.
She twisted her head toward him so fast that he was sure she'd have a crick in her neck later. "You don't have to do that. I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Oh," Harry replied automatically. He was silent for another short moment before continuing. "I really don't mind, but if you'd rather not, that's fine. I just figured I'd offer since your shoulders seem to be bothering you."
"That's very nice of you," she replied carefully, suddenly feeling as if the room was entirely too warm. "I don't want to put you out though."
"I'd hardly call that putting me out," Harry said waving away the comment. "I mean, I wouldn't even have to get up. And it's not like I'm doing anything anyway. We can continue our conversation. I'll even tell you all about my date, though there isn't that much to tell."
"Well how can I refuse an offer like that," she replied somewhat uneasily.
She stretched for a moment and rolled her shoulders again, grimacing a little as she did so, before moving in front of the chair and lowering herself to the ground. "What are you doing all the way down there?" Harry asked her teasingly. "I promise I won't bite," he continued as he scooted back as far into the seat as he could and patted the cushion in front of him, his legs spread wide to offer her as much room as possible.
Ginny blushed at first but forced her embarrassment down and regained her composure as she said, "Not even if I ask nicely?"
Harry chuckled. "We'll see. Now get up here." Ginny complied and sat down right in front of Harry. She wasn't pressed back all the way against him, but very close.
"Right," Harry said absently as he studied her upper back. "Erm." He put his hands tentatively on her shoulders and quickly realized that her hair was going to get in the way. He hesitated for a moment and then gently gathered her hair and moved it over her shoulder. He tried not to notice how silky it was. She glanced over her shoulder at him with a questioning look on her face.
"Your hair was in the way. Is that ok?" he asked indicating her hair.
Ginny just nodded. Their eyes met and held briefly before she turned back around. Harry concentrated his gaze on her shoulders. He had never given anybody a massage or back rub of any kind, and he was suddenly questioning the intelligence of his offer. "Erm, just let me know if I hurt you or what feels good and what doesn't. I've never really done this before."
Ginny turned her head back over her shoulder. "You don't have to do this if you don't feel comfortable."
"No, I want to help, I'm just worried that I might hurt you," he told her honestly.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be fine, and I'll let you know how you're doing as you go."
He replaced his hands on her shoulders, one on either side of her head and began to gently rub. He was very tentative in his movements, and he was listening carefully for any indication that he was hurting her. Instead he got a command. "Harder, Harry. I can barely feel you."
"Oh, erm, sorry," Harry replied, putting a bit more force in his ministrations.
"It's alright, that's much better." Harry nodded, though she couldn't see it as she was facing away from him. After a long moment she spoke up again. "Weren't you going to tell me about your date?"