Although it could not be seen by passersby, number twelve Grimmauld Place sat nestled between numbers eleven and thirteen. Right where it had always been. Where it would always be.

The secrecy surrounding the home was due largely to the fact that its sole occupant wanted his privacy a heck of a lot more than he wanted anything else.

He had grown tired of the stares, the hushed whispers hidden behind hands, and the constant badgering to do interviews. He wanted nothing more than to live his life the way he wanted to live it. He wanted to be normal.

But he wasn’t normal. He never would be.

He was Harry Potter, the ‘boy who lived’. He was the only person known to have ever survived being hit by Avada Kedavra –the killing curse. He was also the one who had defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort once and for all.

Harry was a hero in the magical community.

He didn’t want to be a hero. He had never asked to be branded as such. It was Voldemort who had given him that distinction when Harry was just a baby. Voldemort had set Harry’s destiny in motion the night he murdered Harry’s parents, Lily and James.

Ever since his eleventh birthday – the day he learned he was more than a just ‘that Potter kid’, the bane of his Muggle aunt and uncle- Harry seemed to have developed an urge to bring Voldemort down. It wasn’t that he wanted to; he didn’t have a death wish. It was because people expected it of him. Back then, he had wanted so much to fit in that he did what he thought people wanted, no matter what the consequences.

The war between good and evil had been hard on everyone involved. Lives were lost, friendships strained and then broken. It was all over now. Voldemort was gone, his soul destroyed. The magical world never had to worry about the Dark Lord’s reign of terror again.

Harry considered himself lucky that none of his friends were lost in the battle. That wasn’t to say that none of them had suffered. They had.

Ron – Harry’s first real friend – had been hit by a Death Eater’s curse. He had lost use of his right arm, and would never be able to use it again.

Hermione –his other best friend, now Ron’s wife – would never look the same again. She now had a scar that ran from the corner of her left eye to her chin, continuing to her chest, compliments of Greyback. She would have died that night if it hadn’t been for Luna’s quick-thinking. She had cast a curse at Greyback from behind, saving Hermione’s life.

Then there was Ginny. Spontaneous, brave and beautiful Ginny. The only girl Harry had or would ever love. She had been captured by the Death Eaters because Voldemort had somehow learned how much she meant to Harry.

He had used her to get to Harry, just as Harry had known he would.

Harry would never forgive himself for the suffering Ginny must have gone through. He could only imagine what had happened in the days she’d been held captive, because she would never tell him.

It was her way of protecting him, he guessed. Ginny’s way of telling him that she didn’t blame him for what happened, that it wasn’t his fault.

Harry wished with all his heart that he could believe that.

*

Ginevra Weasley –otherwise known as Ginny- looked around the kitchen table at her family, marveling at how much had changed in just two and a half short years. Not only had Voldemort –unlike her brother, Ron, Ginny wasn’t afraid to say his name- been defeated, but Ginny’s family had grown quite a bit. She had gained three sisters-in-law, two nieces and a nephew.

First, Bill had married Fleur Delacour, the Veela he worked with at Gringott’s, and then Fred had gotten married to Ranna, a girl who worked for him at the joke shop he ran with his twin, George. One year later, just as they were celebrating Ron’s wedding to his long time best friend, Hermione, both Fleur and Ranna gave birth to little girls they named Marguerite and Elaini, respectively. Only three months ago Hermione welcomed the latest member of the Weasley family to the world, a little boy she and Ron called Harold.

Now, Ginny’s entire family –save for Charlie, who was working with dragons in Romania, and Percy who was only starting to come around again- were in the kitchen of the Burrow, talking about the latest edition of the Daily Prophet.

Ginny had tuned them out. She had given up hope of there ever being anything in the paper that referred to anything else other than Harry.

‘Harry’.

Just thinking about him caused tears to well up in Ginny’s eyes, and her heart to ache. She missed him more than she could ever say. He hadn’t been to visit the Burrow since baby Harold’s baptism- Harry was his godfather- and he hadn’t replied to any of her owls.

She knew he wanted to keep a low profile ever since the whole deal with Voldemort, and she understood how he felt. What she didn’t understand was why he was shutting out the people who loved him. Why he was shutting her out.

That she was being ignored by the one person in the world she loved beyond all others tore at Ginny’s heart. More than that, it angered her. She knew he loved her, he had told her so the last time they spoke.

It’s because I love you that I have to let you go.

Those words, the last ones he had spoken to her before he shut the door on her, still echoed in Ginny’s mind. Because of what he thought had happened in the time she had been in Voldemort’s captivity, he refused to give them a chance.

Just as only Harry knew what had happened during the final moments between him and Voldemort, Ginny had never revealed what had happened to her in those days. She would not be able to do so now even if she wanted to. She’d had her memory of that particular part of her life erased. She didn’t want to have to live with those memories for the rest of her life.

“Ginny? Are you alright?� her mother asked, concern in her voice.

“I’m fine, Mum.� Ginny reassured her. “But there’s something I have to do. Harry won’t answer my owls, he won’t come here, and he won’t un-block the fireplace for people to Floo in. But, I am going to see him!�

“What are you going to do?� Ron asked her, cradling his son in his good arm.

“I’m going to go to number twelve Grimmauld Place and bang on the door until he answers.� Ginny decided. She was tired of being disregarded so coldly. “And if he refuses to answer, I’m going to blast his door down.�

She stood up from the table, kissed Marguerite, Elaini and Harold on the head, and then went out to the main room to the front door.

“I won’t be back for a while, Dad.� She told her father. “I’m not coming home without Harry.� Even if she had to beat him over the head with the closest hard object she could find, she and Harry were going to settle this once and for all.



*

Harry wished who ever was at his door would just go away and leave him alone. Whoever it was had been pounding on the door for over ten minutes. Couldn’t they take the hint? He didn’t want to see anyone.

He knew it had to be either one of the Weasleys, Lupin or Tonks as they were the only ones he had allowed his secret keeper to divulge his location to. Since his house elf, Kreacher was bound to honor any order Harry gave him, Harry had made him his secret keeper. Everyone had thought he was nuts to do so, but Harry didn’t care.

“Harry! I know you’re in there!�

Ginny. Harry’s heart leapt at the sound of her voice. Even though she sounded really angry, it was still the sweetest sound in the world to him.

Merlin, he had missed her. Missed her smile, the way her beautiful brown eyes would light up when she saw him. Most of all, he missed the way she felt when he held her in his arms.

“Harry! I will break this door down!� Ginny’s voice rang through the house. He heard her fist hit the door again. “I have my wand and I will use it!�

Harry dragged himself up from the sofa, and made his way to the door. He knew Ginny, and he knew she would in fact blast his door down if he didn’t open the door. She was particularly thorough when it came to making good on her threats.

“Hullo Harry,� Ginny said with a grim smile when he opened the door. “Can I come in?� Ginny brushed past him, without waiting for Harry’s reply.

She went into the sitting room, Harry following closely behind. She sat on the sofa he had just left, simply looking at him.

Harry knew he would have to be the first to speak. “Why are you here, Ginny?� he asked her.

Ginny winced at his tone. “I’m here because I care about you, Harry. You haven’t been to the Burrow in ages, and you won’t answer anyone’s owls. Mum’s been in fits worrying about you, and everyone misses you.�

“I miss them, too.� Harry told her. But I miss you most, he thought.

“Then why are you shutting us out? Bloody hell, Harry! We’re your friends, you need us!� She blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears that had welled up in her eyes fall. “We need you,� she said softly. “I need you.�

“No you don’t!� Harry protested. “You would have all been better off if you had never met me.� He hated to yell at her, but he felt he had no choice. How else would she realize that he didn’t want to see any of his friends hurt because of their loyalties to him? He’d gone through that two and a half years ago. He could not bear to have to go through something like that again. “You should leave, Ginny. Please.�

“No, Harry. I’m not going anywhere.� Ginny stood, crossed the room and gently placed her hand on his cheek. Turning his face so that he could look into her eyes, she whispered, “We would not be where we are if we had not met you. Ron would never have been friends with Hermione without you. They wouldn’t have gotten married, and we would not have Harold.

“Fred would not have Ranna or Elaini if you hadn’t given him and George their start-up fund.� Ginny continued. “We would still be under Voldemort’s reign.�

Harry tried to turn away, but she wouldn’t let him. He knew she was right, deep down inside he knew. Still it didn’t stop him from wishing things had been different. If only his parents hadn’t died, if only Sirius was still with him, if only Dumbledore was still alive. If only…his life was filled with an endless chorus of if only.

Ginny seemed to have read his mind. “You’ve said good-bye to so many people in your life already; your parents, Sirius, Dumbledore. Me. Harry please, not anymore. Don’t say good-bye to the ones you have left.�

*

Later that night, Ginny lay awake in the room across from Harry’s. It had been too late for her to go back to the Burrow by the time she and Harry had finished talking, so he had allowed her to spend the night at Grimmauld Place.

Things were nowhere near resolved between them. Ginny was not about to give up on him, however. She was not the type of girl who gave up easily. She knew she would have to be strong for Harry if she hoped to ever help him let go of the monsters of the past.

He had looked so tired, so worn out. There were dark circles under his eyes, and she just knew he hadn’t been eating properly. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he needed her, for more than just comfort. Someone had to see to it that he was taking care of himself.

She would never give up on him. Never.

She was just drifting off to sleep when she heard the whimpers. The sounds were coming from Harry’s room. Ginny pushed off the thin blanket that covered her and got out of bed. In seconds she was at his door, knocking softly.

“Harry?�

He didn’t answer her. Ginny could hear him muttering the word ‘no’ over and over. She pushed open his door, and stepped into the room. In the dim light of the moon shinning through his window, she could see Harry trashing about on his bed, obviously caught in the throes of a nightmare. She rushed to the bed, placing a hand on his bare chest.

“No…not her…no…� he moaned. “No…please…� Though there was a sheen of sweat on his body, his skin felt cold under Ginny’s hand.

Ginny gently shook him, trying to rouse him from his dream. “Harry, it’s ok. Wake up,� she whispered. “Harry.�

“No…no…GINNY!�

Harry sat bolt upright in bed, knocking Ginny backwards. His chest heaving, he scanned the room, panic in his green eyes. “Oh God,� he sobbed, dropping his head to his hands.

Ginny scrambled up onto the bed, settling herself next to him. She held him close as he cried, murmuring soothing words, tenderly caressing his thick hair. “I’m here, Harry. It’s ok, I’m here.�

Harry rested his head on her chest as violent sobs wracked his body. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her close. After a long time, he clamed, but still did not release her.

“Do you want to talk about it?� Ginny asked. She felt him shake his head. She decided to let him be, content to have him in her arms again. Harry had consoled others so many times. Now it was his turn.

Reaching down, she grasped the covers, pulling them up and over them. Soon, she fell asleep. For the first time in months, she did not dream.

*

Harry noticed quite a few things when he awoke the next morning, the first being how relaxed he felt. It was the first time he could recall not waking up with a panicked feeling. The second thing he noticed was the smell of flowers permeating through the room. The delicious scent was one he associated only with Ginny.

He remembered her coming into his room the night before, holding him while he tried to recover from his nightmare. He was glad she hadn’t tried to force him to tell her what the dream was about, because he would never be able to bring himself to do so. It was hard enough having to endure it once. Let alone rehash it with the girl it centered on.

From downstairs, the sounds of Ginny prattling about could be heard. Harry dragged himself out of bed, knowing he would have to face her sooner or later. He had to try to convince her to go home, though he knew that would be futile. Ginny was nothing if not persistent.

He went to his bathroom, had a quick shower then dressed in a pair of raggedy but comfortable jeans and a blue sweatshirt. Leaving his hair wet, he went downstairs in search of his house guest.

“You know, Harry,� Ginny did not even turn around from the stove when she heard him come into the kitchen. “The house really does look a lot better than it did back in the days of the Order. Kreacher must finally be following your orders.�

“He hasn’t been here in ages,� Harry told her. His old house elf would rather be anywhere but near him. Kreacher had a strong hatred for Harry, much as Harry did for him. “I told McGonagall to keep him. He’s still working in the Hogwart’s kitchens.�

The reason the house was so clean was because Harry himself had been cleaning it. He had nothing but time on his hands, so he figured he had better make the house look at least half-way decent. He was glad he had now, because he was never sure when someone would stop by unexpectedly.

“Oh.� Ginny came around the small counter, plates piled high with all sorts of great things to eat. She placed them on the small table and sat.

The aroma of eggs, bacon and fresh brewed coffee assaulted Harry’s nostrils, causing him to realize just how hungry he was. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a proper meal.

“Sit,� Ginny ordered, motioning to the chair opposite her own. “Eat.�

Harry did as he was told. But instead of eating he simply sat there, taking in the beauty that was seated across the table from him.. She had obviously been in the shower at some point that morning, for the ends of her long red hair was still wet. She was also wearing one of Harry’s old t-shirts that fell to mid thigh on her. He saw the edges of a pair of his boxer shorts sticking out from under the t-shirt hem.

For some reason, the sight of her in his clothes, fresh from a shower, excited him. It made him feel like they were in fact the one thing he had always wanted. A family. Despite himself, he liked that feeling.

*

Ginny was beginning to think that there was no hope for her and Harry. It had been two weeks since she had unceremoniously crashed at his house, and they had rarely spoken about anything other than trivial things. He certainly would not talk about anything personal. Anytime she brought up the subject of their relationship, he would ignore her or leave the room.

Harry was driving her crazy! He was making it so hard for her to stick to her vow to not give up on him. She didn’t want to, but how much rejection was a girl expected to take? How long was she supposed to stand being ignored before she just caved and gave him what he thought he wanted?

“That’ll be thirty-one pounds, Miss,� the cashier said, breaking into Ginny’s thoughts.

Ginny took out her wallet and pulled out a few crumpled bills, being careful to hide her wizard money. She still wasn’t used to Muggle money, but Harry had taught her the basics.

She took the bag that contained her food purchases- she had recently developed a taste for certain Muggle treats- thanked the cashier and went back out onto the crowded London sidewalk.

Ginny was nowhere near as fascinated with the Muggle way of life as her father was. The way people simply brushed past each other without caring whether they bumped into one another annoyed her to no end.

Muggles simply had no regard for each other, unlike the people in her world. She would be glad to get back to Grimmauld Place, away from all of the uncontrolled chaos.

She was just crossing the street when she heard the sounds of screeching tires, a woman’s scream and a man shout, “Watch out!� Stopping in her tracks, Ginny turned just in time to see blazing headlamps coming directly at her.

There was no time for her to get out of the way. As the car slammed into her body, Ginny’s life flashed before her eyes. The last image she saw was of Harry. Her one true love, the reason she still went on. Her last thought before everything went black was, “I love you.�


*

Harry paced his sitting room, too nervous to sit. He made his way over to the window, peering out into the darkness, searching for some sign of Ginny. She had gone to London earlier that morning, but she should have been back by now.

As much as he had been annoying her lately, he knew Ginny would not have gone back to the Burrow without trying to change his mind one more time. Wouldn’t have gone without saying good-bye.

He was just about to dress and go look for her, when he heard a knock on the front door. Opening it, he saw Ron and Hermione on the porch. Ron looked pale, his eyes red rimmed. Hermione was sniffling, trying not to cry.

“What is it?� Harry demanded to know, though he dreaded the answer.

“Harry,� Hermione began. “Harry, Ginny…� she broke off as tears once again overcame her.

“Ron? What’s going on? Has something happened to Ginny? Tell me!� Harry could hear the desperation in his own voice.

Ron swallowed hard, tears welling up in his eyes. “She’s been hurt real bad, mate. She’s in a hospital in London.�

“Hospital,� Harry repeated dumbly. If she was hurt, why hadn’t she been taken to St. Mungo’s Hospital?

Ron seemed to have been reading his friend’s mind. “She wasn’t hurt magically, mate,� he said softly. “She was hit by a car.�

Harry leaned against the door jam, suddenly weak. Of all the things he had imagined happening to her, being hurt by something in the Muggle world was not one of them.

“Can you come to London with us?� Ron asked. “Mum wants you there so that you can help us understand the Muggle doctor’s way of speak.�

Harry was already putting on his jacket. Voldemort’s Death Eaters would not have been able to keep him away from Ginny. “Let’s go,� he said, going outside, pulling the door shut behind him.

*

It was the blinding pain that woke Ginny. Her entire body ached in places she never thought possible. She felt like she had been battered and bruised from head to toe.

She opened her eyes and slowly took in her surroundings. The room was white- too white. The strong scent of something she didn’t recognize was heavy in the air. On her left, some type of monitor that beeped every few seconds. On her right was a long pole that had a bag of some clear solution that dripped slowly through a tube attached to a needle in the back of her hand.

The room itself was dark, only the light above her head was on. Ginny was sure it was night, but which night?

She remembered being in London, crossing the road, and being hit by that car. After that, her mind drew a complete blank.

Ginny struggled to sit up, but the pain in her ribs forced her to lie back against the pillows. She glanced down, noticing that her arm was encased in a cast from wrist to elbow.

The door to the room opened and a woman dressed in white came in. She bustled about the room checking the machines and writing things down on a piece of paper.

“Where am I?� Ginny asked. Her voice sounded scratchy and hoarse.

The woman looked at her in surprise. “You’re awake! Mercy, child, you gave us quite a scare, you did. How are you feeling, honey?�

“Sore. Where am I?� she asked again.

“You’re at London Memorial Hospital.�

Why not St. Mungo’s? Ginny wondered. Out loud, she asked, “Is my family here?�

The woman nodded. “Yes, child. And your husband as well.�

My husband? Ginny mulled that comment over as the woman left the room. Moments later, she was back, with Ginny’s parents.

“Oh Ginny!�

“Mum! What’s going on? Why wasn’t I taken to St. Mungo’s?� Ginny demanded.

“There wasn’t time, sweetie,� her mother said. “That Muggle ambulance got to you before anyone could do anything. We couldn’t risk breaking you out of here, so we decided to let the Muggles care for you. Oh, Harry is going to be ever so pleased when he finds out that you’re awake.�

“He had to tell the nurses that you were his wife,� her dad added. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t let him in to see you. Good boy, that Harry. He hasn’t left your side since you were brought in.�

Ginny fought back tears. Harry was here, at this Muggle hospital. He had left the safety of Grimmauld Place for her.

“Where is he?� Ginny asked. “Please, I want to see him.�

“Arthur,� Her mum said. “Go find Harry. I think he’s down in the break room with Ron.�

As her father went to get Harry, Ginny and her mother talked. She learned that she had what Muggle doctor’s called a concussion, two broken ribs and a broken arm. She had been in the hospital for two days and was lucky to be alive.

A few minutes, later, Harry entered the room alone. The dark circles were back under his eyes, and he looked terrible. Ginny had never seen a more beautiful sight.

She asked her parents to give them a few minutes alone. Her mother kissed her on the head, promising to be back later. Her father just nodded.

“Hi,� she said softly, once she and Harry were alone.

“Hi,� he whispered back.

He sat in the chair her mother had just vacated, reaching for her hand. “Ginny, if you ever do something like this to me again, there will never be any hope for us.�

Ginny was confused. “There was before?� she asked. “Harry, I don’t understand.�

Harry sighed heavily. “Ginny, the last two days have been hell for me, do you realize that? When you were with Voldemort, I knew he wouldn’t kill you before I got there, because he was using you to get to me. And I knew that once I arrived, he would try, but I could have stopped him. But this is different. This time I thought I had lost you.

“I never want to have to feel that way again,� he continued. “The entire time you were unconscious I kept thinking, what if you were to die before I told you what you meant to me? What if you died without knowing just how much I love you?�

“I always knew you loved me, Harry,� Ginny assured him. “I never doubted that.�

“I did.� Harry brought her hand to his lips, kissing the tender skin. “I thought that one day you would grow tired of people always badgering you about me. Of having to question anyone new that you met, wondering if they were one of Voldemort’s minions out to seek revenge. They are still out there, Ginny.�

Ginny opened her mouth to speak. Harry put a finger to her lips, shushing her.

“I thought that staying away from you and your family was doing me good, keeping you safe. I know now that there are no guarantees when it comes to being safe. And by staying away, I’m not only punishing myself, but I was the one who was hurting you. So, I’ve come to a decision.�

“And that decision is?� Ginny prodded when he didn’t continue.

Harry leaned closer to her, gently kissing her on the lips. “The decision is this: Ginevra Weasley, will you make an honest man out of me? Will you marry me?�

Ginny’s heart soared. “I have waited for that question for a long time, Harry,� she said. “The answer is definitely yes!�

“No more good-byes, Ginny. From now on it’s only hello.� Harry kissed her again.

“No more good-byes,� Ginny repeated, kissing him back.

*

Six months later

“A toast,� Mr. Weasley said, raising his glass of wine high in the air. “To the happy couple. Ginny, your mother and I have never had a prouder day. Walking you down the aisle was a pleasure I have waited for since the day you were born and I knew I finally had a daughter,� he leaned down and kissed Ginny on the cheek.

“Harry, I knew from the moment I met you that you would bring great fortune to this family. I am honored to call you my son.�

The assembled crowd cheered, lifting their glasses to Harry and Ginny. Harry stood up and shook his father-in-law’s hand. Turning to his wife, he beamed.

“On my first day at Hogwart’s, Ron Weasley sat with me in the train compartment. He instantly became my best friend. He and I have shared many things over the years, but there is one thing he shared that I will forever be grateful for. He shared with me a loving family, something I had never experienced. Ron, thank you for that.� He lifted his glass to his best man. “Oh, and thanks for not knocking me out when I snogged your sister.�

The laughter quieted, and the music began, and Harry and Ginny took to the dance floor. During the past six months, getting used to being out and about had been hard. Ginny had stood by him through it all, helping him understand the things he couldn’t change, and willing to knock him upside the head when he was being foolish. As Harry and Ginny danced their first dance as husband and wife, he felt happy and alive.

“I love you, Ginny.� He whispered against her lips.

Ginny smiled up at him, her brown eyes glistening with tears. “I love you, Harry.�

The beginning of the rest of his life began when Harry finally stopped saying good-bye, and started saying hello to the love of a Weasley.

Finis