Standing in the backyard of the Burrow, Ginny Weasley couldn't bring herself to go inside the house. He was inside. He had pushed her away. He had left and gone far away.

The last time she had seen him was at her brothers wedding. Harry had ignored her most of the night, but then, he had danced with her. He had held her close and moved slowly around the dance floor with her in his arms. He had been saying good-bye.

He had been gone for three years on his mission to destroy Lord Voldemort with his two best friends. Now, at the peak of the resistance to Voldemort, he had returned.

The sound of someone knocking at the door traveled through the almost empty Burrow.

"Ginny, can you see who that is?" a frightened Molly Weasley asked.

Ginny climbed the stairs to the second floor and peeked out through one of the second storey windows.

"It's Ron, Hermione, and Harry, Mum! Open the door!" she screamed at her mother in the kitchen as she ran down the stairs.

Molly had nearly strangled them to death with hugs, holding Ron the longest. Ginny had gotten to Hermione first.

"I see my brother has finally stopped being a prat," Ginny commented after seeing Hermione holding Ron's hand upon entering the house.

"Yeah, it only took him seven years, but he figured it out." Hermione laughed as they hugged, wiping away each other’s happy tears.

After greeting her brother, she came face-to-face with him. Harry James Potter, her first love and her first heartbreak. His bright green eyes bore into her brown ones. His arms came around her, enveloping her in a hug. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling him.

'Why does he have to be so damned intoxicating?' she had thought to herself.

The five of them had then sat down for dinner. The rest of the family members were working or on Order business.

All during dinner, she couldn't keep her eyes off him. He had changed so much. He was at least four inches taller; the boyish quality that his face once held was gone. Instead, there was a more manly countenance. The slight stubble on his face showed that he needed to shave.

'Shave? When did he start doing that?’ Ginny thought to herself before remembering that Harry was twenty years old now.

It was then when he had almost caught her staring at him. His green eyes met hers, taking her breath away. The way he looked at her almost made her want to hope that just maybe, he wanted her again, that he still loved her.

A short while later Molly had shooed them all to bed, knowing they would be tired from their long journey.

However, Ginny was not able to sleep, knowing that Harry was just in the next room, so she got out of bed and pulled on her robe as she left her room. Tiptoeing as she crossed in front of the other rooms, Ginny climbed down the stairs and went out through the back door.

She had been standing in the overgrown garden for nearly an hour. Her fingers had started playing with the branches of an overgrown rose bush when she heard an odd noise. She turned to see Hedwig trying to get out of the house through a small opening in the door.

After freeing her, Ginny watched how Hedwig took off with a letter attached to her leg. The owl flew away but then circled back.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked the white bird as it landed on her shoulder and held its leg out for her take the letter from it.

"It's for me?"

Hedwig gave an impatient sound and Ginny took the letter off her leg. After thanking the bird, she opened the letter. Hedwig's wings made a fluttering sound as she lifted off again.

Inside the envelope, Ginny found a piece of parchment that exhibited Harry’s handwriting she knew far too well. Tears swelled her eyes as they traveled through the words.

This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know,
you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know,
you know, you know


As she finished the letter and wiped tears from her cheeks, a pair of strong arms circled her waist and she felt lips on her ear.

"That I love you. I have loved you all along, and I miss you. I’ve been far away for far too long. I keep dreaming that you will be with me and that you will never go. I’ll stop breathing if I don't see you anymore," the deep voice whispered in her ear.

"You've been so far away for far too long," she said as Harry turned her around and wiped away the rest of her tears. "I don't know...if I can..."

"Please, Ginny,” he begged, fear evident in his voice. “I need to hear you say… say that you love me, and that you forgive me for being away for far too long. Don’t give up on me, Ginny, because I'm not leaving you anymore; believe it. Hold on to me and never let me go." His lips crept closer and closer.

Ginny gazed deeply into his eyes, knowing the answer that fought to escape her lips. "I love you. I've loved you all along. I forgive you," she whispered into his lips as they covered hers.