Ginny groaned as she woke from a deep sleep, the pain in the back of her head still throbbing. The pain was numbed when Ginny thought of the kiss she had shared with Harry by the lake; she still could not believe that it had happened.
“Harry?” she called out.
No answer.
“Harry?” she called again.
Still no answer.
Propping herself up on her pillows, Ginny looked around the Hospital Wing that she found herself in. Looking around she saw that it was completely empty except for a rather small boy with prominent ears, smiling and walking towards her.
“Hiya, Ginny!”
Ginny sighed as she looked at Euan Abercrombie, the fourth year who played Seeker for Gryffindor; she liked him well enough, he just was not who she wanted to see at that point in time.
“Hi, Euan,” Ginny said, before remembering why he was here in the first place. “Eating Doxy eggs, eh? How did you think that was a good idea?” Ginny snapped at him.
The smile disappeared from Euan’s face as he looked at Ginny; her face wore the same blazing expression she wore when she was playing Quidditch. “Oh…you heard about that? I’m okay, now, Madam Pomfrey says I can go.”
“Why eat them in the first place, Euan? You’re smarter than that,” Ginny said.
A sheepish smile began to slide its way onto Euan’s face. “Well…McClaggen made me a bet.”
“And you had to take it? Knowing that you’d probably be sick, putting the team’s chances of winning the cup in jeopardy? Did you know that somebody made McClaggen’s older brother that same bet once?”
“No… I did wonder where he got the idea from, though. I’m sorry…Captain.”
Ginny made a dismissive noise; she was in no mood for this. She was angry that Harry was not with her. He surely had not left again?
“Just drop it, Euan, you’re still on the team.” Ginny relented, but then added after noting the smile creeping back onto Euan’s face, “If anything, and I mean anything, like this happens again you are off of the team. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, perfectly clear.” Euan hesitated before continuing to speak; he shifted his weight from one foot to the other and cleared his throat, “…Ginny?”
“What?”
“Why were you calling out for Harry? Is that Harry Potter you were after? Didn’t you used to date?”
Ginny could feel herself going bright red. “That is none of your business, Euan! How dare you ask me that? It’s nothing to do with you who I am looking for!”
Euan took a step back as Ginny’s anger washed over him. He took a glance over her left shoulder before looking back at Ginny. “Maybe I should just go. Hope you feel better, Ginny.” And he turned and ran out of the Hospital Wing without looking back at her.
“Euan?” Ginny called after him. He did not reply - he had disappeared into one of Hogwarts’ many corridors.
Totally perplexed by Euan’s sudden exit, Ginny sank back down onto her pillows. She sighed as she wondered where Harry was.
A shuffling sound from behind her made Ginny turn so quickly that she hurt her neck. “I think you scared him away, Gin.”
Standing by her bedside were Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Mrs Weasley.
“Mum? What are you doing here?” Ginny asked quickly, she was glad to see them of course, but more than a little surprised.”
“Harry told us that you’d had an accident playing Quidditch, and that you were in the Hospital Wing, so we decided to come and check on you,” replied Mrs Weasley, as she fussed over Ginny and insisted on checking her for other injuries.
“Mum, mum, I’m fine, honestly, mum, STOP IT!” Ginny shouted, before turning to the others and talking, “Do you know where Harry is?”
“He went to speak to Professor McGonagall soon after we arrived,” Hermione said, smiling knowingly at Ginny.
“How long have you been here?”
“Long enough to see you tell off that little boy. Really, Ginny, you should be setting an example!” Fred sniggered.
“He ate Doxy eggs for a bet!” Ginny protested.
“Ah…a fine way to get sick,” said George earnestly, nodding his head as he spoke.
Ginny laughed, but her laughter was short lived when she saw the look on Ron’s face. “Ron? What’s the matter?”
Ron looked at the floor as he spoke. “Trouble at work.”
“What sort of trouble?” Ginny asked, as Hermione patted Ron gently on the arm.
“Well…I’m not really in trouble, Harry is.”
“What? Why?”
Ron sighed, and raised his head to look at Ginny; his expression was strained. “The Minister isn’t too happy with Harry. Scrimgeour thinks that Harry isn’t taking his job seriously. He was absolutely livid when Harry told him he was going to come back here. You can’t blame him really, Harry hasn’t been into work for about five months; I’m amazed he’s even still got a job.”
“Scrimgeour doesn’t want Harry at Hogwarts?” Ginny asked anxiously, ignoring the comment about Harry missing work for five months. How could Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, be such an idiot? Harry practically shut himself off from the world when he started his Auror training.
“The Minister doesn’t think that Hogwarts is a priority, doesn’t think that Malfoy would attack here again.”
“But he’s already come here once! Surely it makes sense to have someone here?” Ginny protested.
“You’d think so, but Scrimgeour seems to think that Harry wants to be here for a different reason.”
“…Which is?” Ginny asked, she could not help but notice Hermione, Mrs Weasley, Fred and George all look sheepishly away as she asked.
Ron sighed again and cast Ginny a very dirty look. “Because of you, Ginny.”
Ginny laughed nervously, she was not sure she wanted to tell her family about her and Harry just yet. “Me? Don’t be silly, Harry was here to keep us all safe!”
Ron looked sceptically at Ginny, it was clear he was not convinced. “Are you telling me that there is nothing going on between you and Harry?”
“No. There’s nothing. Anyway how does Harry being in the Minister’s bad books affect you?”
“Well I’m his mate, aren’t I? So I’m the one who gets all the questions when Harry doesn’t show up at work. It’s a hassle I don’t need.”
Ginny looked at Ron, an awkward silence falling between them. Fred and George tried to lighten the mood by showing Ginny some of their new trick wands, but to no avail.
“Come on now, you two, it’s not worth arguing about,” Mrs Weasley reasoned. Hermione nodded in agreement.
“I’m not arguing,” hissed Ginny.
“Nor am I,” said Ron.
“There’s a lot of love in this room,” said Fred.
“Too much love,” said George.
“You can never have too much love,” came another voice.
Ginny felt like leaping out of bed as she saw Harry walking towards her, a broad smile on his face, Ginny resisted the urge to jump into his arms as she decided she was not ready to let Ron know, especially after just telling him there was nothing between them.
“Harry, dear!” exclaimed Mrs Weasley, as she dashed over to hug Harry. Harry eyes remained fixed on Ginny, even when Ron, Fred and George went over to greet him. Ginny could not help but notice the sour look on Ron’s face.
Hermione, meanwhile, stayed by Ginny’s bedside as the others all spoke to Harry, Fred and George were showing him the new wands, Mrs Weasley was thanking him for saving Ginny’s life once more. Ron was saying nothing, but was giving Harry a filthy stare.
“So,” Hermione said, leaning in close to Ginny. “What is the real story with you and Harry?”
Ginny hesitated before she answered, but she decided she could trust Hermione, after all, she had confided her feelings about Harry to Hermione all those years ago. “He caught me during the Quidditch match. He flew me out of the stadium and we landed down by the lake…then he kissed me.”
Hermione let out a shriek of excitement, then lowered her voice to a whisper when Ron looked over in interest. “You kissed?! That’s fantastic! So what happened then?”
Ginny fell silent as Mrs Weasley, Fred and George walked back over.
“What are you girls talking about then?” George asked eagerly.
Ginny did not answer; she was more interested in the developing situation between Harry and Ron, who were still standing away from her bed, and talking in raised voices.
“I don’t care if he’s not happy with me, Ron!”
“Yeah…well I do. I’m the one who is suffering for it! Its just like school, you’re the big attraction and I’m just there as a sidekick!”
“It’s nothing like school! Don’t be stupid! You got into the Auror office by yourself! What I do has nothing to do with you!”
“It does when it involves my sister!”
“What?”
“You heard me. I know you volunteered to be stationed at Hogwarts just so you could be near Ginny! I’m not stupid, Harry!”
“That’s not it, Ron!”
“No? Forgotten our little chat in Godric’s Hollow have you?”
Harry was silent after that, he had forgotten telling Ron that he loved Ginny, that he wanted to be with her.
“I thought so! If you want Ginny so much then why do you keep walking out on her? Eh? Well, it stops now. No more walking out of her life and leaving her devastated. I’m warning you, Potter, if you go near Ginny again, you’ll have me to deal with!” Ron yelled, and he pushed his way past Harry and stormed out of the Hospital Wing.
“Oh dear,” said Mrs Weasley, as Harry approached them, a furious look on his face.
Harry slumped down in a chair by Ginny’s bedside, and for a few minutes nobody spoke.
“Sorry you had to see that,” Harry said to everyone.
“We’ve seen Ron tantrum before Harry, don’t worry,” said Fred.
“In fact…we’re probably responsible for a number of them,” sniggered George.
Harry laughed; it was a mark of just how much the Weasley’s thought of Harry as a part of the family that a blazing row between him and Ron did not matter to them.
“So, Harry, I’m sorry to ask, but we could not help overhearing, did you come back to Hogwarts just to be near Ginny?” asked Mrs Weasley, looking hopeful.
Harry took a deep breath. “No…I did volunteer to be stationed here so that I could watch for Malfoy if he came back.” He paused, “…but being close to Ginny has become something of a perk.”
Harry reached his hand towards Ginny, and to Mrs Weasley’s delight, Ginny took his hand in hers, and she pulled Harry up so he was sitting next to her on the bed. Not caring that her mother, or brothers were watching, Ginny kissed Harry.
Mrs Weasley and Hermione both let out excited squeals; Fred and George stared in shock.
As Harry and Ginny pulled apart and looked around guiltily at the others, they both flushed a deep shade of scarlet.
“Well…well…Ron isn’t going to like this,” said Fred, smiling as he shook Harry’s hand.
“About time, Harry!” grinned George.
Mrs Weasley composed herself long enough to speak, “Congratulations!” she beamed, and she pulled them both into a bone-crushing hug. “I always knew Ginny would get you again in the end.”
“That’s right, Harry, you don’t escape a red haired witch. Once she’s got your heart that’s it, you’re not getting it back,” sniggered Fred.
I don’t want it back, Harry thought, smiling to himself.
“Look at him, look at that smug grin on his face,” laughed George.
“Shut up, George,” Harry laughed back; his laugh cut short when Ginny held her hand out to him, and he sat with her, and put his arm around her.
“Awww bless!” said Hermione, beaming.
“So,” said Mrs Weasley, “how exactly did this happen?”
Harry and Ginny then took it in turns to explain everything, about what had happened at Ginny’s coming of age party, about Harry teaching her, the attack by Malfoy, the argument they had at Christmas; neither of them mentioned what had happened the night Harry defeated Voldemort though.
“Well,” sighed Mrs Weasley, “it’s taken long enough, but I couldn’t be happier that you are finally together again.”
“Yeah, congrats you two. Well, much as we hate to leave, we have to get back to work, that shop doesn’t run itself…yet,” said Fred and George, before they headed for the exit.
“I should get going as well,” said Mrs Weasley. “Arthur will be home soon, I can’t wait to tell him the news!”
And Mrs Weasley hurried off after the twins, not before she had given Harry and Ginny another hug each, though.
As they watched her leave, Hermione sighed, “I suppose I should go and find Ron.”
“Hermione…don’t tell him about us,” Ginny said, looking at Hermione with wide eyes.
Hermione laughed, “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. You know that. I’ll see you two later. Congratulations once again.”
“Thanks, Hermione,” said Harry. “Try and calm Ron down, would you?”
Hermione nodded, and then walked to the doors, she waved as she disappeared from view.
As soon Hermione had left, Harry and Ginny were in each others arms, their lips on fire, their robes entangled. Harry soon moved his lips from Ginny’s and onto her neck. Ginny groaned as she pushed him away.
“What’s wrong?” asked Harry, looking a bit disappointed.
“Why did you come back? Where did you go after Christmas?”
“I came back for you, Ginny. It was killing me to stay away from you, but I thought that if I kept away, I could control my feelings. I thought you’d be safer with me away from you. Malfoy proved that it’s not safe to be with me,” he replied.
Ginny raised a hand to Harry’s face. “I don’t care, Harry. I can look after myself, you didn’t need to leave.”
“I know you can look after yourself, Ginny. I just wasn’t sure before I left whether or not I could look after you. Malfoy nearly killed you. I can’t let that happen again.”
“It won’t. You’re here to protect me now.” Ginny smiled up at him. “And who would be foolish enough to try and hurt me when I’ve got the great Harry Potter wrapped around my finger?”
Harry laughed. “I’m not wrapped around your finger.”
“Not yet you’re not, give it a few weeks though.”
“Yes, Miss,” said Harry, laughing louder. Ginny joined in the laughter.
“I love you, Harry.”
Harry looked at Ginny; his green eyes meeting her big brown ones.
“I’ve always loved you, Harry. I loved you first time I saw you. I loved you more when you saved me from Riddle; my love for you has gotten stronger and stronger every year. It nearly killed me last year when you wouldn’t talk to me.”
“Ginny, I…” Harry began
“You don’t need to explain yourself, it’s in the past now, I just want you to know that I love you…”
“I love you too, Ginny.”
Tears filled Ginny’s eyes as she heard him say the words she had wanted to hear ever since she first saw Harry at Platform 9 ¾ all those years ago, when he was just a little boy who needed help to get on the platform.
She bought her eyes up to his; there were tears in his eyes too.
“Its ok, Harry, don’t cry,” she said through her own tears.
Ginny lent forward and pressed her lips to Harry’s, when Harry suddenly jerked his head back and stared wide eyed at something behind Ginny.
“Harry, what…” And then she turned around, standing behind her, was a shining silver wolf.
“I’ve got to go and find Ron,” Harry said quickly.
“What? Why? No! You can’t go already!” Ginny said, more than a little put out that he was leaving her so soon.
“Ginny, it’s Lupin, he’s found Pettigrew,” Harry replied simply.
Ginny fell silent, Harry had been searching for Pettigrew for years now, was she really going to stand in his way?
“I understand. Be careful, Harry,” she said.
Harry smiled at her and lent over and kissed her. “I always am.” And turned on his heel and left Ginny alone in the Hospital wing.
Good luck Harry, come back to me.
A/N - Sorry about the wait folks, I know its been a while. I'm aware that Harry is a bit OoC in this chapter, but it wouldnt work without him being that way. Chapter 16 on the way soon!