Harry was late, causing everyone at the Burrow to be on edge. Ron, Hermione, and Harry hadn’t returned to Hogwarts as planned. Near the end of November, Harry had packed up, and left on a search for a Horcrux, and was currently on his way to the Burrow for Christmas. Ginny sat next to the fireplace impatiently, while Ron and Hermione talked to Lupin and Tonks.
“Ginny, would you please come ‘elp my with zee food?” Fleur asked. Ginny looked up, startled, and nodded.
Food was soon on the table, and the snow outside was falling harder then ever. Dinner conversation was light and cheerful, but Ginny didn’t notice.
“Could Harry Apparate in such dangerous weather?” she wondered. Pretty soon, she began to wonder is Harry would come at all. Ginny could have sworn that she heard a pop, like someone had just Apparated, but she brushed it out of her mind.
“I’m just dreaming. It’s too dangerous for Harry to come,” she told herself.
“Hey! What’s that!?” Rom exclaimed. Everyone’s attention turned to a human-like form coming through the snow. Ginny stood up, and rushed outside.
“Ginny! No!” Mr. Weasley cried out as he too stood up. “It could be a trap!” But Ginny didn’t hear.
She had already made it outside, and she threw her arms around the figure’s neck.
“Ginny!” cried out a male’s voice.
“Harry! Oh, Harry!” Ginny exclaimed. “I was so worried that you wouldn’t come.” Harry lifted Ginny off the ground, and spun around.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too,” Ginny replied. Harry brushed his lips past hers, and took Ginny’s hand.
“Come on,” he said. “It’s freezing out here.”
“Happy Christmas!” Harry announced as he entered the Burrow with Ginny.
“Happy Christmas, mate. Glad you decided to join us,” Ron said, clapping Harry on the back.
“Have you had any luck, Harry?” Lupin asked.
“No, not much-“
“Come now, Remus,” Mrs. Weasley said. “Don’t ruin Christmas with such dark talk.” Harry smiled, and took a seat between Ginny and Lupin.
“So Harry, how are things going?” Lupin asked quietly.
“I haven’t had much luck. I’ve been trying to track down the orphanage, but it looks like it just fell off the face of the Earth,” he explained.
“You know Harry, you should really consider going back to Hogwarts,” Tonks said from the other side of Lupin.
Harry shook his head, and said, “I can’t.”
“You can’t?” asked Lupin.
“I’ve started looking, and now I just can’t stop.” Harry looked at Ginny. She was chatting with Fleur. He smiled to himself. Just last year, Ginny would want nothing to do with Fleur, but the tragedy with Bill brought them together.
Bill’s face was still scarred, but he was alive. His attack had made him even more determined to find the Dark Lord. Dinner was long done, and everyone was ready for bed.
“Harry, you’ll be in Ron’s room, naturally. Remus, Tonks, will you be staying tonight?” asked Mrs. Weasley.
Lupin said, “No, I’m afraid not, Molly. We have to be going.” The couple then disappeared with a pop. As Harry left to go to Ron’s room, Hermione noticed that Harry was limping slightly, and she later brought it up to Ginny.
“Harry’s fine,” Ginny snapped. The two were changing in Ginny’s room.
“Ginny, I’m just telling you what I saw, “ replied Hermione, gently.
“What do you want!?” Ginny demanded. Hermione turned around to see Ron standing in the doorway.
“I just came down to say, ‘Good-night’,” he explained. “So, good-night.”
“Goodnight, Ron,” Hermione said.
When Ron left, Ginny looked at Hermione and smiled.
“What?” demanded Hermione.
“You like him,” Ginny said in a teasing voice.
“What!?” Hermione asked, looking at Ginny. Her face glowed from knowing the secret.
“You heard me.”
“What gives you that idea?”
“One, how you acted at the general. And two, how you look at him. Plus, you’re staying here, which was pretty unexpected.”
“I’m just helping you Mom out while you’re at school. Plus, this gives my parents the chance to travel more.”
“Sure,” Ginny said, sarcastically.
Hermione threw her pillow at Ginny, and said, “You’re horrible!” The two talked and giggled late into the night.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron talked in Ron’s room. While Harry was changing, Ron noticed that his one leg was badly bruised at cut.
“Hey, mate. What happened to your leg?” he asked Harry.
“My leg? Oh, I fell,” Harry replied, quickly.
“You fell?” said Ron, not believing any of it.
“I did! Back at the cave I went to with Dumbledore,” he said under his breath. “I have to leave again tomorrow, early in the morning. Could you tell Ginny for me? In the morning, I mean.”
‘I’m sure she’s still awake, she’ll probably want to talk to you, not her ‘over protective brother’” Harry nodded, and got up to go talk to Ginny.
“Um, Hermione. Could I talk to Ginny alone?” Harry asked when he got downstairs.
As Hermione got up to leave, she said, “Yeah. I’ll be upstairs talking to Ron.” Harry went into the room, and Hermione closed the door. He sat on the bed next to Ginny, who curled up against him.
“Ginny, I have to leave again in the morning,” Harry explained. Ginny sat up abruptly.
“So soon?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so. My work isn’t done, and time’s running out.” Harry noticed that Ginny was crying, so he gently wiped away her tears.
“Don’t cry on my account. Here, I brought you something.” Harry produced a small packet out of thin air. Ginny opened it, revealing a necklace with a teardrop shaped charm on it. Inside the teardrop was an image of Harry.
“Oh, Harry! I love it!” Ginny announced.
Harry slid his hand around Ginny’s head, and into her flaming red hair. He then pulled her in for a kiss. Neither of them had ever had such a passionate kiss.
“No, Ginny. I can’t It’s too dangerous for you,” Harry said, breathlessly. He then got up to leave.
“Harry, wait! I love you, and nothing can change that,” Ginny said in a weak voice. Harry brushed his lips hers.
“Maybe after the dark times have passed.” Ginny spun around, and flopped onto her bed.
“Fine,” she said darkly. “Leave then.”
When Harry got up to Ron’s room, he found the door closed. He knocked on the door, and Hermione rushed out, trying to fix her hair, which was in disarray.
“How did she take it?” Ron asked. Harry sighed as he sat on his own bed.
“Not good,” he said.
“Listen, Harry, I was talking to Hermione-“
“It didn’t look like it when Hermione came out.”
“Not today! Anyway, I’m coming with you tomorrow.”
“Ron, it’s too dangerous.”
“I want to help.”
“How does Hermione feel about this? Because it looks like the two of you can finally have a civilized conversation.”
“Mixed feelings, but that’s not the point. You shouldn’t be alone, it’s safer with more then one person.”
“Fine, you can come,” Harry said as he laid down. “Happy Christmas, Ron.” Ron turned off the light.
“Happy Christmas, Harry.”
~The End~