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SIYE Time:15:07 on 29th March 2024
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The Most Powerful Magic in Existence
By CharmHazel

- Text Size +

Category: Post-OotP, Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Drama, Fluff, General, Romance
Warnings: Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Sexual Situations
Story is Complete
Rating: R
Reviews: 18
Summary: Distraught over the loss of his godfather, Harry turns to Ginny for comfort and in turn she helps him to understand the power the Dark Lord knows not.
Hitcount: Story Total: 6468



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.



Author's Notes:
This is a bit of a long one shot, but I couldn't make it work breaking it down into the chapters due to the way I have formatted it. Anyway, this story has gone through numerous ideas to even get to this point, so I am really hoping you like it. It was inspired by numerous teen pregnancy stories I have read and a head canon I saw on Pinterest. It covers from the end of OotP to just after the final battle. Books used were the UK versions of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Besides Harry and Ginny's relationship, the other events of the books are generally canon. UPDATED: 16/2/17 - Edited and mistakes fixed. Thank you to Arnel for pointing out some other errors I had made and not spotted.




ChapterPrinter


He felt lost like he did not know where to turn next.

He felt completely alone and isolated because he knew no one else could possibly understand what he was feeling right at that moment.

He felt a deep ache right down to the deepest recesses of his heart. He had not felt like this when Cedric had been murdered right in front of his eyes and he had been unable to do anything to stop it. He had not even felt like this when he had finally learnt the truth of his parents’ deaths; despite the constant longing for them that he knew would never truly disappear.

He felt like the loss of his godfather was literally tearing him apart and there was nothing he could to do to stop it. Adding in the stress of learning that he was the one who was destined to finally defeat Voldemort had made him a complete mess and on the verge of breaking down and giving up.

The person he had lost was the person he would have turned to in this situation. He couldn’t write to Remus when he was grieving for the loss of his best friend. Hermione and Ron were not an option as they were both still in the hospital wing recovering from the injuries they had sustained at the ministry. Not that he would speak to them as their way of dealing with the situation would only push him further away from them.

What he wanted was comfort and someone who would not force him to talk, but instead let him open up when he was good and ready. He just didn't know who that person was.

“Harry?”

The voice caused him to turn from where he had been staring out over the grounds. The view from the Astronomy Tower was stunning and one of the best places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the castle.

In front of him, stood in the doorway to the tower, was the last person he had expected to come find him and yet the one person who made the most sense to do so. She had helped and supported him all year. She never pushed and would always listen. She was who he needed.

“Ginny.”

HP&GW

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross Station causing Harry to slump down in his seat, reluctant to leave the safety of the train and yet he was resigned to the fact that he did indeed have to return to his relatives’ house for at least a few weeks.

He didn't want to return to where he was not wanted; especially now he did not have the excuse of his godfather being a wanted mass murderer to hold over their heads. How would they treat him once they found out that Sirius had died? He could only hope that he would be out of there and back at The Burrow quicker than normal.

He was certainly not looking forward to the lonely days and the constant nightmares that he knew he was faced with while he was at Privet Drive.

Harry was startled out of his thoughts as a small hand gently touched his shoulder. He looked up to see that his friends were no longer in the compartment, except for Ginny, who was looking at him with concern for his well-being.

"Mum is working on getting you out of your relatives' house and back to The Burrow as soon as possible," Ginny told him as he finally stood up. “Until then, just promise me you will write if you need to talk about anything.”

Harry looked at the girl who had been a constant presence in his life since she had found him wallowing in self-pity at the top of the Astronomy Tower.

"I promise," Harry quietly responded.

“I don't care if it is the middle of the night,” she firmly said. “I don't care if you think it is silly or insignificant; just write to me, ok?”

Harry smiled sadly and nodded his agreement to her request.

"Thank you," he whispered before he surprised her by taking her into his arms and hugging her tightly to him.

They held onto each other for a few minutes with Ginny allowing Harry to take all the comfort he needed in that moment, taking all the comfort she knew he would be denied in the coming weeks. Neither wanted to let go of the other, both enjoying being in the other’s arms, but eventually they parted, knowing that people were waiting for them to disembark the train.

HP&GW

Ginny watched as Harry discreetly left through the back door and headed out into the garden of The Burrow. Realising no one else had spotted him doing so; she got up and followed him outside.

She found him stood in the middle of the garden, his hands shoved into his pockets as he stared up at the darkening sky. She quietly approached him from behind, not wanting to scare him with her sudden presence.

“I’ve always thought the Blacks were completely nuts for naming their children after stars and constellations,” Harry suddenly said. “But now… perhaps they had the right idea. I mean you can look for them in the night sky when the stars come out after that person dies.”

Ginny reached Harry’s side and was shocked to see a couple of tears running down his face as he spoke. Up until now, even when they had talked about his godfather in happier times or of the prophecy that had been made about Harry, she had never seen him cry or become emotional in the way he was now.

“I miss Sirius so much,” Harry said through a strangled sob as he suddenly collapsed to his knees in tears.

Ginny quickly dropped to her knees and wrapped him in her arms. Harry’s arms came up around her allowing him to hold onto her tightly as he sobbed into her shoulder. She held onto him just as tightly, rubbing one hand up and down his back in a soothing gesture as she whispered words of comfort.

"Do you want to talk about it?” She tentatively asked when his sobs lessened considerably.

Harry said nothing and for a moment, Ginny thought she had pushed him too much by just asking him to talk to her. But then he moved out of her arms and sat up properly, facing her. She couldn't help but feel worried for him when she saw the heartbroken look on his face that accompanied his red, puffy eyes.

“It’s the same things as before,” he finally said. “The guilt, the pain, the loneliness and the pressure of the prophecy.”

Ginny reached out and took one of his hands in her. The simple gesture made Harry look at her directly in the eyes and she knew from the haunted look in his eyes that she would need to be firm but compassionate with him.

“It’s not your fault that he died,” she softly told him. “The blame lies with Bellatrix, Tom and Dumbledore. Bellatrix was the one that threw the curse that pushed Sirius into the veil, Tom was the one who planted that vision in your head and it was Dumbledore who should have told you the truth from the beginning.”

Logically, Harry knew that Ginny was telling him the truth, but right now he found it too hard to accept.

“As for the pain,” Ginny pushed on as she saw him understanding what she had said. “It will take time to ease. You just need to take it a day at a time, but remember Sirius gave his life that night knowing you were safe as a result of his actions. He would have done anything for you and that sadly includes giving his life.”

“But I could have prevented him from being there,” Harry protested pulling away from Ginny. Standing up, he began pacing back and forth; needing to get out everything he was feeling. Ginny, recognising his need sat back and waited for him to begin talking.

“I should have known the vision was not real, I mean how could Voldemort have captured Sirius when he was hidden safely away at Grimmauld Place. And even then, I had a way to contact him, but due to my bloody fear of him being caught if someone saw me talking to him on the mirror, I refused to bloody use it. I never even opened the parcel it was in, so I completely forgot about it right at the moment I needed it the most. And to top it off, because of my bloody need to save everyone, he followed and ended up dead all because of a bloody prophecy Dumbledore already knew! A prophecy that says the duty of defeating Voldemort is to fall on my shoulders.”

Harry stopped ranting and stopped pacing. Turning to look at Ginny, she couldn't help but gasp when she saw the pain in his eyes.

“Why me?” he said heartbrokenly. “Why does it have to fall to me, Ginny? Why does everyone I love die?”

Ginny jumped up and took the boy, who had fast become her best friend, into her arms and held him as he broke down in tears once more.

“I wish I knew, Harry,” she whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I really wish I knew.”

HP&GW

Harry stood on the edge of The Burrow’s makeshift quidditch pitch watching as the youngest Weasley flew his beloved Firebolt. His eyes were glued to Ginny as she dived, swooped and rolled gracefully on the broom. He was certain that if she tried out for the Gryffindor quidditch team that she would be a shoo-in as a chaser.

As he continued to watch her, he thought back over the last couple of months and how in that time, Ginny had cemented her place in his life and had become his best friend. She had been the person he had needed to help him through his grief and she had filled that role admirably since the night she had found him in the Astronomy Tower. She never pushed him to talk, but was always there willing to listen when he did want to open up. She, in all honesty, understood him better than anyone else in his life. She was funny, compassionate and in Harry’s eyes, unbelievably beautiful. He was beginning to fall for her, but how could he not when he knew she was one of the few people he knew truly cared for him as just Harry and not as the Boy Who Lived.

“That was brilliant,” Ginny exclaimed when she landed just in front of Harry. “I wish I could afford to buy this broom. It moves with such ease, so much better than my broom does.”

“I don’t think it matters what broom you use, you are still a force to be reckoned with when you fly,” Harry admitted. “I can’t see why you wouldn’t make the quidditch team when we return to school.”

“Well it does help I know the captain quite well,” Ginny cheekily replied.

The pair headed back towards the house, taking a seat just outside rather than going back inside. They sat quietly together, both losing themselves in thoughts about each other. Ginny contemplated telling Harry she still had feelings for him, but instead decided not to do so, not wanting to scare him off if he did not return them. Harry, on the other hand, decided that he wanted to be honest with her about how he was feeling, fearful he would not get the chance after they returned to school. He knew that his roommate, Dean Thomas, had expressed an interest in Ginny towards the end of term and the only reason he had not made a move was because Harry had utilised most of Ginny’s time.

“Thank you,” Harry quietly said, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful mood that had settled around them.

“What for?” Ginny said, as she unexpectedly rested her head against Harry’s shoulder.

“For being there for me, listening to me,” Harry confessed. “For not judging me when I broke down in tears.”

Ginny kept her head on his shoulder as she took in what he had said, shocked that he would even think that she would ever judge him for letting his emotions out when he needed to. The very fact he had shown her his vulnerable side had shown that he trusted her and felt comfortable enough to do so.

“I could never judge you, Harry,” Ginny eventually said. “I think I should be thanking you for trusting me to be the one you could open up to.”

Harry mumbled something unintelligible.

“What did you say, Harry?” Ginny asked.

Harry took a deep breath before he spoke again. “It’s because I feel comfortable talking to you. You make it easy for me to talk you and you seem to understand me better than anyone. I really like that, I really like you.”

Harry turned his head away in embarrassment as he felt his cheeks heat up. He was a little shocked when he felt a small hand grasp his chin and gently turn his head until he was looking into the warm and compassionate brown eyes of Ginny.

"I really like you too," she whispered.

Harry tentatively leant in and brushed his lips gently against Ginny’s, barely pulling back before she pulled him by the shirt and kissed him properly.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” Harry asked immediately when they broke the kiss.

“Yes,” Ginny whispered before kissing him once again.

HP&GW

Harry couldn’t help but smile widely as he walked back to the common room following quidditch practice. Even with what had happened to Katie, his suspicions of Draco and his lessons with Dumbledore about Voldemort’s past, he felt the happiest he had ever been. And it was all thanks to Ginny.

As they had begun their relationship barely a couple of days before their return to school, the majority of the Weasleys were unaware of it. Ron had discovered it when he had returned from the prefect meeting to discover Harry and Ginny snogging. Amazingly, he had not blown up about it. Admittedly, his face had grown red for about a minute, before he shrugged his shoulders, sat down and muttered, “I don’t want to see that.”

Ginny had left quite quickly after practice so she could finish off an essay she had due the next day, leaving Harry and Ron to clear up. Ron, however, was moping about being a useless keeper despite Harry’s encouraging words, so he had left his best friend to mope in the shower so he could head back to common room and spend time with his girlfriend.

Entering the common room, Harry saw that Ginny was not alone at the table at which she sat. She had just been joined by Dean Thomas, who taken a seat opposite her. Harry could feel the monster in his chest roar in anger at this. Dean had made it clear on their return to school that he was still interested in Ginny and the very fact she was now dating Harry had done nothing to deter him in his pursuit of her. Harry carefully walked towards the table so he was close enough to hear their conversation, but kept his distance so he was not spotted by Dean, who currently had his back to him.

“So next Hogsmeade trip, you’ll come with me?” his dorm mate asked his girlfriend.

To Harry’s amusement, he could see that his girlfriend looked ready to hex Dean into oblivion. He knew she had spotted him as he had walked over, but she knew he would leave her to handle the problem.

“How many times do I need to tell you?” she retaliated. “I am in a relationship with Harry. I am happy with him. I am not interested in anyone but him.”

“We could still go together, you know,” Dean said in response. “What he doesn’t know won’t kill him.”

Harry nearly growled at the response. He knew Dean had repeatedly asked her out whenever Harry was not with her, but it seemed he was not getting the message.

“And just why would I want to do that?” Ginny said her eyes narrowing dangerously as her hand carefully wrapped around her wand.

“Because we never got the chance to see if there could be something between us,” Dean calmly stated, completely missing the warning signs of an irate red head. “Harry utilised all your time at the end of the last term, just as we were getting to know each other. Then he moves in on you unfairly.”

Harry shook his head. This idiot was definitely on the verge of a hexing if he didn’t quit now.

“I am not a piece of meat, I am no one’s property,” her voice was dangerously low now. “We were never together in any capacity. Now I suggest you leave before either I or Harry hexes you.”

Dean’s head whipped round quickly and his eyes popped out when he saw Harry standing there, highly amused.

“I would suggest you do what she says,” Harry warned with a nod of his head towards Ginny. “She is absolutely wicked with that wand of hers.”

Dean scarpered quickly, running up to the dorms, leaving a laughing Harry and Ginny behind.

“Hey beautiful,” Harry said as he finally approached his girlfriend and leaned to give her kiss.

“Thanks for not interfering,” Ginny sincerely said.

Harry gave her a questioning look. “Why would I do that? I wasn’t joking when I said you were wicked with a wand. I honestly do not want to be on the end of it!”

“Nice answer, Potter,” she replied seductively, pulling him in for a heated kiss, not caring who was watching them.

HP&GW

Harry was surprised when after dinner on Christmas Day; Ginny led him upstairs and into her room, closing the door behind them. While the family, especially her parents, had been extremely accepting of their relationship, he still felt that they were pushing it being alone together behind closed doors at The Burrow.

“Stop worrying,” Ginny said from where she had sat down on her bed. “I told Mum I was planning on doing this and she was fine with it.”

Harry raised an eyebrow in response. He knew there must have been a compromise or something for Mrs Weasley to allow her only daughter to be alone in her bedroom with a boy, close family friend or not.

Ginny sighed in exasperation at Harry’s knowing look. “Ok, I had to tell her we had not gone too far physically and that we had no plans to do so anytime soon.”

Harry relaxed immediately, knowing that Ginny had not lied to get what she wanted. It was true that they had not taken the physical relationship very far yet. It currently consisted of snogging and a fair amount of hands roaming, but only over each other’s clothes. But they both knew that things would progress sooner rather than later as it had become harder and harder of late to control themselves when they were alone together.

“Are you going to come and sit down next to me or not?” she asked concerned she had made him uncomfortable. “I wanted to give you your present in private.”

Harry smiled and complied with her wishes, joining her on the bed. He should not have been surprised by her request as they had both agreed to exchange their presents together and while alone. Luckily, he had her present in his pocket, which he quickly pulled out while Ginny’s back was turned as she got his present out of her wardrobe.

“Luckily, I thought ahead,” Harry said cheekily as he handed her the present and took his in return.

Harry watched as Ginny opened her gift and gasped. He had brought her a simple gold necklace which held one simple charm, a gold lightning bolt with had three small diamonds embedded in it.

“Harry,” Ginny choked out in surprise. “This is… it’s beautiful. Could you help me put it on please?”

She handed him the necklace and turned her back to him, moving her long red hair to one side. Harry carefully clasped the necklace in place, taking extra care to make sure no loose strands of hair got caught as he did so. Ginny tenderly kissed him once he was done.

“Thank you,” she whispered, still shocked that he had given her something so beautiful and so personal. “Are you going to open yours?”

Harry discovered she had arranged for a photo of the two of them from when they attended Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party to be sent to her from Colin and had framed in a simple black frame.

“It’s perfect,” Harry said as he watched their photo selves share a chaste kiss. “I am going to put this next to my bed when we get back to school.”

He placed the frame carefully on Ginny’s bedside table before pulling her into what quickly became a passionate and heated kiss. By the time they were forced to come up for air, the couple were laid down on the bed, with their hair and clothes in disarray. Even with her swollen lips and mussed up hair, to Harry, Ginny was still the beautiful woman he had ever seen.

“Can I ask you a question?” Ginny tentatively said as she snuggled up to Harry, laying her head on his chest.

“You know you can,” Harry replied as he began to run a hand through her locks.

“I know I have never asked this before, but what is Dumbledore teaching you in your private lessons?” she nervously asked.

Harry stiffened at the question. He wasn’t sure how to answer that when he had been instructed to only inform Hermione and Ron. He didn’t want to lie to her or keep secrets from her, but he was torn between that and his promise to his headmaster.

“I shouldn’t have asked,” Ginny said when he didn’t respond.

“I want to tell you, I really do want to,” Harry desperately answered. “But I have been sworn to secrecy and I have been only allowed to tell Hermione and Ron.”

“Is it something to do with Voldemort?” she inquired.

“Yes.”

“Promise me this then,” she continued. “If and when you can tell others, promise me you will tell me.”

“I promise, I swear,” he confirmed knowing she deserved answers more than most.

The young couple remained quiet, choosing to enjoy the peaceful solace they currently had in a house full of people. Both knew that they would be thrown into war soon without the safety they currently had, but neither wanted, nor were ready to face the truth that it had the potential to separate them for an indeterminate amount of time.

It was the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs that caused them to reluctantly separate. Sharing one last kiss, Harry left Ginny and returned to the room he was currently sharing with Ron, his head swimming with thoughts of how he could convince Professor Dumbledore to let him tell the truth to his girlfriend.

HP&GW

Harry slowly woke the morning following the quidditch match in which he had sustained a cracked skull, landing him in the hospital wing for the weekend. He had barely opened his eyes when a soft pair of lips kissed him gently.

“You scared me,” his girlfriend whispered as she carefully placed his glasses on him.

“I didn’t mean to,” he quietly replied, his heart swelling at her concern for him. “What did you do to him?”

Ginny looked at him with an innocent look on her face, though Harry could see the mischief lurking in her eyes. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Harry grabbed her hands and pulled her close so they were nose to nose. “He might not be in the hospital wing, but I find it hard to believe you did absolutely nothing to McClaggen. So spill it.”

“My speciality,” was all she said, causing Harry to break out into a huge grin.

“That’s my girl,” he said as he leant into kiss her in thanks. “I love you, Gin.”

Ginny looked back at him in shock that he had said those words to her. And even though it had been a slip of the tongue, Harry knew he had meant it. In all honesty, he had building up the courage to tell her how he truly felt since Christmas. He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when his girlfriend gave him that blazing look he loved so much.

“I love you too, Harry,” she finally replied. “Though I have to admit, this is not the place I expected us to exchange those words for the first time.”

Harry chuckled as he glanced over at the still form of the other patient in the hospital wing. “Me neither. Just be grateful that Ron is still asleep.”

HP&GW

Ginny watched as Harry sealed the curtains around his bed and threw up some privacy charms. While it was not the first time they had done this, he seemed very insistent on talking to her that evening and she was certain this would not be one of the times where they fooled around together.

“Harry, what’s going on?” she asked worriedly. “You’ve pulled me up here with no explanation, made sure we will not be interrupted and you seem nervous. What is wrong?”

Harry sighed, hating that he was about to break a promise to Professor Dumbledore. But if anyone deserved to know, it was his girlfriend. She had been the one to spend nearly a year fighting against being possessed by Voldemort, therefore in his eyes; she deserved to know the true nature of the diary. He dragged his hands nervously through his hair, wondering where to begin.

“Is this to do with what you are learning from Professor Dumbledore?” she asked inquisitively.

Harry gently smiled at her, relieved she had breached the subject for him. “Yes.”

“But I thought you couldn’t tell me,” she asked confused. She realised that her boyfriend was about to break his promise. She knew therefore it was must be important to him for her to know if he was about to do that. “You’re going to break your promise for me?”

“Yes and no,” he said unexpectedly as he realised he didn’t need to tell her everything, just the significance of the diary. He had only resisted from telling her anything before because of the promise he had made, but now he knew it needed to be the bare minimum if he was to keep her safe. “What I need to tell you, it’s dangerous to know. The less who know, the better. But a small part affects you, it did affect you and I can’t bear the thought of keeping this secret until it is all over.”

“Tell me what you can,” Ginny said compassionately. “Just tell me everything else when this is all over.”

Harry pulled her into his arms and held her tightly to him. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have such an understanding girlfriend. He knew once he told her what he could, she would understand even more why it was important for the knowledge to go no further.

“The diary,” Harry began, “there was more to it than we originally thought. It was not just a memory, it was actually a…”

“Piece of his soul,” Ginny finished for him, much to Harry’s surprise.

“What? How? What?” Harry spluttered.

They had not really spoken of her experiences with the diary or the chamber. They had glossed over the heavier topics during their late night talks, despite how close they had grown over the past year. Both knew it had the potential to bring them closer or tear them apart, but now they could no longer ignore the topics they had avoided for so long.

Ginny shifted herself so she was sat next him, close enough for the comfort she knew she would need, but in a position where she would not need to look into his eyes. She was not sure why she was so afraid of being completely honest, it was not like she had never spoken to him about it. Even so, she knew if anyone would understand what she went through, it would be him.

“It wasn’t hard to figure it out, Harry,” she slowly began. “He was stealing my soul as I poured my heart and soul into the diary. But I didn’t realise it at the time. It took some time for me to figure it out, especially when no one wanted to talk to me about what had happened.”

“You know you could have spoken to me,” he said helplessly, feeling like he had let her down.

“I know,” she said as she entwined their fingers together. “Don’t think I don’t appreciate the night you played exploding snap with me. I may not have spoken about it to you then, I wasn’t ready to do so at the time, but you did provide me some comfort that night and that was enough for me at the time.”

“I am glad I was able to help,” he said before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“I couldn’t find anything in the library when we returned to school about what had happened to me,” she continued. “But it just didn’t make sense that a simple memory could take control of me like, I knew it had to be more than that. I mean, how could a memory leave me feeling so unclean and tainted? It felt more than that, I knew it had to be more than that and the only conclusion I could come to…”

“Was that it had to be a piece of his soul,” Harry finished.

Ginny finally looked up at Harry, amazed to see him looking so compassionately at her. The love he held for her was shining fiercely in his eyes. She knew in that moment that he was her future, the love of her life, the only one she could ever be with.

“Don’t tell me anything,” she said. “If you understand what it is, don’t tell me. Especially if it has anything to do with defeating him. I already know I won’t be able to help until I am 17 and the trace lifts, so the less I know the better.”

“Ok, I won’t say anything more,” Harry promised. “But when this is all over, I promise I will tell you everything.”

“I know you will,” Ginny responded. “Now we have begun speaking about it, can I tell you everything that happened during my first year in more detail? And can you tell me about it from your perspective?”

Harry shifted further up the bed, so he was leaning against the headboard and gestured for her to sit between his legs. And it was like that they sat for the next couple of hours as they spoke about the events that had led to that awful day in the Chamber.

HP&GW

The party was in full swing as the Gryffindors celebrated winning the Quidditch Cup for the third time in four years. Harry could not quite believe he had helped captain the team to victory. He was so unbelievably proud of the team he had put together, especially so of Ginny.

He quickly checked that all four of his dorm mates were suitably distracted and when he felt certain they were, he approached Ginny from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Come up to the dorm with me,” he whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver as she felt his warm breath tickle her ear and neck.

The young couple discreetly left the party and quickly fled to the dorms, sealing themselves inside Harry’s four poster bed as they normally did. Ginny saw the look in Harry’s eyes and hoped this would be the day they finally took their relationship to the next level.

“I am so proud of you,” he whispered despite the privacy charms.

“I don’t think that is why you brought me up here, Mr Potter,” she whispered seductively as she moved closer to him.

“You know me too well, Miss Weasley,” he said just before he captured her lips with his.

Slowly, items of clothing were pulled off and thrown aside, revealing more and more skin for them to explore and caress. Mouths and hands wandered to anywhere they could touch as they both slowly explored the other’s body. Eventually, they were both naked with Harry looming over Ginny with an expression so full of love that it caused Ginny’s heart to flutter wildly.

“Make love to me,” she gently pleaded with him.

“Are you sure?” he asked. He needed her to be certain, he needed to know she was definitely ready, despite him knowing this day had been fast approaching for weeks. They had already done everything else they could possibly do besides making love, but he needed to know he was not forcing or rushing her into something she was not ready for.

“I have never been more certain in my life,” she confirmed. “I even learned the contraceptive charm, in case you hadn’t.”

Harry laughed. “So did I!”

He reached over for his wand and cast the charm once she had nodded her confirmation that this was what she wanted. Wanting to make their first time special for her, he took his time exploring and worshipping every part of her beautiful body. He knew he was torturing her by taking his time, but the whimpers and moans she was making every time he found a particularly sensitive spot only spurred him on.

“Harry, please,” she cried as she came down from the high he had sent on. “I need you now, please.”

He knew he could deny her, when he knew he, himself, could wait no longer. He crawled up her body and positioned himself carefully between her legs. He looked down at her and was awed by the love and trust he saw in her face. He just hoped he didn’t spoil it, because in all honesty he didn’t think he would last that long with the way he was feeling in that moment.

“I love you,” he whispered as he slowly entered her.

“I love you too,” she gasped out in pleasure.

HP&GW

Ginny quietly let herself into the sixth year boys’ dormitory and closed the door behind her. She crept over to the only occupied bed to find her boyfriend just lying there, staring up at the canopy. Her heart broke at the sight of his distraught face. She knew she could offer no words of comfort. In all honesty, she wasn’t sure what to say. All she knew was that with the death of the headmaster it was now left to Harry to finish what Professor Dumbledore had begun. She did the only thing she could think of in that moment; she climbed into the bed and laid down with her head on his chest, his arms automatically coming around her and pulling her tightly against him.

Harry was grateful for the lack of words from Ginny as she curled up next to him. The lump that had formed in his throat let him know that if he tried to speak, the tears would come and he didn’t want to cry, he didn’t want to feel vulnerable like he had with the loss of Sirius. His mind was all in a jumble and it was too hard to straighten it all out right now. He just wanted to forget about everything that had happened and about what was still to come.

“Talk to me about our future,” he whispered into the silence. “Tell me about our house again, our children, about all the plans we have made.”

“The house is going to be in the country, somewhere isolated and peaceful,” Ginny began telling him as she recognised his need to forget. “There will be plenty of land so we can build our mini quidditch pitch where we can hold games between the family. The house itself will be full of big, open rooms, with light flooding in from the windows.”

Harry listened quietly as she talked about all the dreams and plans they had made for their future together. The more she talked, the more it began to sink in that he might not have a chance at this future, that he might not survive this war. He was still unclear as to what the prophecy truly meant. He just knew that it had to be him and there was a possibility that he might die. But he didn’t want that to happen, at least not without Ginny truly knowing how much she meant to him.

“I love you so much,” he suddenly said, interrupting Ginny. “I love you so much that I know in my heart that you are the one I want to spend my life with. I don’t want anyone else. You are the only one who understands me, who can see through the mask I wear when I don’t want anyone knowing how I am actually feeling. And I am so damn scared that I am not going survive this war and that I won’t get to experience everything I want to with you.”

Ginny lifted her head, so he could look into his eyes. It hurt her to see them filled with so much pain, but she just didn’t know how to ease it.

“I love you too, Harry,” she quietly replied, knowing this was not one of those time to be forceful. “I have so much faith in you and I truly believe that you can beat him. I can’t face the idea of you not surviving this; I need you to survive this. I don’t think I would be able to go on if you don’t.”

“Marry me,” he said, catching Ginny by surprise.

“What?”

“When this is all over,” he explained, “and if I survive this, marry me.”

The sincerity in his words and his eyes overwhelmed her. She knew this was not coming out of nowhere or because he was scared, distraught and grieving. He was honest in his words, she knew he was because they had discussed this many times over the last couple of months.

“Yes,” she tearfully whispered. “Yes, I’ll marry you. The day after I turn 17, we’ll get married.”

The smile he gave her lifted her spirits, even if the pain and grief still showed in his eyes.

“Let me make love to you again,” he pleaded with her.

She knew she couldn’t say no, not if it meant it would bring him some sort of comfort in his time of need.

HP&GW

The Gryffindors slowly and quietly made their way down towards the entrance hall, so they could head out into the grounds for Professor Dumbledore’s funeral. The nearer they got, the more Harry realised he could no longer put off telling Ginny the idea he’d had. Grabbing her hand in his, he pulled her into the first available alcove he could see, indicating to his girlfriend to remain quiet until everyone had passed them.

Checking the corridor to see if it was clear, Harry breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Ginny.

“Why did you drag me in here, Harry?” she asked confused to his motives.

“I need to ask a favour,” Harry stated. “There’s something I want us to do, but I’m not sure you’re going to happy with my idea.”

Ginny had a feeling it was going to be what she had been dreading since Dumbledore’s death. Taking a deep breath, she replied calmly. “Just tell me what it is and we can quickly figure it out.”

“Before you came up and saw me the morning after… you know,” Harry explained. Ginny nodded her understanding. “I was planning to break up with you, but now, I obviously don’t want to.”

“It would be a bit hard to do so when you asked me to marry you,” she said with a slight chuckle.

“That’s why I want us to pretend that we have instead,” Harry immediately responded.

“But… “

“I know Draco and Snape may have told him already,” he said overriding Ginny. “But I want, no, I need to minimize the risk that he may use you against me.”

Ginny thought about it and knew that this would be happening for real had Harry not proposed. She knew she was lucky that it was only pretend and just for the sake of the Death Eaters.

“Ok,” she eventually agreed. “But if this is going to work, it has to happen after the funeral when people are still around and we cannot spend time together on the train.”

Harry let out the breath he knew he had been holding in anticipation of her answer. “Agreed.”

He pulled her into his arms and softly kissed her. “We better go before people wonder where we are.”

Ginny nodded. “I know. Just remember that I love you.”

Taking her hand and leading her away from the alcove, he said, “I love you too.”

HP&GW

She knew it was now or never. With everyone out of the house collecting Harry from Privet Drive, it was the perfect time to speak to her mum. The only reason she had been stalling was because she feared her mum’s reaction to what she had to tell her. Steeling herself for what she thought would end with an inevitable lecture, she made her way into the kitchen to find her mum cleaning up from dinner.

“Mum?” she said cautiously.

“Yes, Ginny dear?” Molly replied distractedly.

“I need to talk to you Mum and I don’t think you are going to respond well to what I need to tell you. I need you not to explode in anger when I say what it is and just be a sympathetic and understanding ear for me to talk to,” Ginny explained, rambling nervously.

Molly slowly turned round as she listened to her daughter ramble. From the way she spoke, Molly’s gut feeling told her this would not be good, at least not in the current circumstances.

“I’m pregnant, Mum,” Ginny blurted out before Molly could speak. “At least, I think I am.”

Molly stared at her daughter for a moment. She watched as mixed emotions flitted over Ginny’s face, scared, worried, happiness and love. Coming to a decision she hoped she would not regret, she took a deep breath and indicated to Ginny to take a seat.

“Lift your top, sweetheart,” Molly requested as she took hold of her wand. Ginny did as she was asked and watched as her mum waved her wand and coloured lights appeared in front of her abdomen.

Molly smiled sadly at her daughter as she confirmed what Ginny had suspected. “You’re definitely pregnant.”

Ginny dropped her head in shame, fearing she had disappointed her mum through one careless mistake. She was therefore shocked when she felt herself wrapped in the warm and comforting arms of her mum.

“It’s ok, sweetheart,” her mum cooed as tears ran down Ginny’s face. “It’s definitely not the best timing and yes, you are too young for this sort of responsibility, but for Harry, this might be just what he needs to keep his hopes up.”

In her heart and in her mind, Ginny could not help but agree with her.

HP&GW

Hearing movement outside her room, Ginny stuck her head out of her door and saw Harry as she had hoped to.

“Harry, can you come in here for a minute?” she quickly asked, ignoring the stare she was getting from her brother.

Harry gently smiled at her. “Yeah, sure I can.”

He followed her into her bedroom, throwing up a few privacy charms at her request once she shut the door. He sat on her bed, his back against the headboard, fully expecting her to come and sit with him, except he could only watch as she paced the floor nervously, much to his confusion.

“Gin, what is the matter?” he finally asked when she did not stop pacing after a few minutes.

“I’m pregnant,” she quickly said turning to finally face her boyfriend.

Harry’s jaw dropped in shock. This was the last thing he had been expecting her to say and it had come at the absolute worse time. She would be even greater danger if anyone was to find out. But at the same time, it dawned on him that she was pregnant with his child. HIS CHILD!

“Harry?” Ginny’s voice broke through his thoughts and he could see how terrified she was of his reaction.

Harry reached out for her hand pulling her to him so she was stood just in front of him making his face level with her abdomen. Knowing words would not be able to convey his feelings, he chose instead to press soft kisses to her stomach before finally resting his head there, his arms wrapped around her.

“You’re not mad?” she whispered tearfully as she ran one hand through his messy locks.

“I know I should be,” he confessed as he looked up at her. “But it takes two to make a baby and we both forgot the charm that morning.”

Ginny dropped to her knees in front of him allowing Harry to reach out and wipe away her tears. He then gently kissed her before moving back onto the bed in his original position so Ginny could sit between his legs.

“You have just given me even more to live for,” he whispered into her hair as he caressed her stomach with his hand. “And if something happens to me, if I don’t make it through this war, you’ll always have a piece of me, no matter what.”

“Just promise us that you’ll do everything you can survive,” she pleaded with him.

Harry smiled into her neck at her use of the word ‘us’. “I will as long as you promise to remain as safe as you can and protect our baby.”

They sat in a content silence for a while as Harry continued to caress Ginny’s stomach until she decided to turn around so she was facing Harry.

“Happy Birthday Harry,” she whispered.

“Thank you for the best present I’ve ever been given,” he whispered in response before capturing her lips in a kiss that made the outside world melt away even if it was just for a few short minutes.

HP&GW

Harry picked himself up from the floor and felt the lump on the back of his head from where he had slammed into the wall thank to Remus’ curse.

“Harry, how could you do that?” Hermione asked.

“Quite easily,” Harry snapped, thinking about how he’d had no choice but to leave Ginny behind. He knew he would give anything to be with her right now, but unfortunately they both knew he had to put his mission first.

“You should never have said all that to Remus,” Ron protested in defence of their former professor. “He could have helped us.”

“Why not?” Harry snapped once again. “He had to be told that. He had to understand. Parents shouldn’t have to ever leave their children, unless they have no choice but to.”

Harry turned away from his best friends as he tried to reign in his anger. But as he did, his worries about Ginny seeped back in. He had no idea what plans were in place for her to keep her safe throughout her pregnancy. While they had discussed what her pregnancy would mean for her safety, they had neglected to discuss what she was going to do. He could only hope her parents, the only other people who knew, would protect her the best that they could.

“Why does it bother you so much, Harry?” Hermione softly asked.

Harry snorted at her question, wondering why she would ask a question she already knew the answer to. Carefully schooling his face to mask his own worries about the love of his life, he turned and answered her.

“Because my parents, Sirius and Dumbledore all left me. They all died protecting me.”

Before either Ron or Hermione could respond, Harry fled to his bedroom in attempt to push his worries away.

HP&GW

Ginny slipped into a seat at the kitchen table wishing she could go back to bed. She felt exhausted and nauseous. Despite still being in her first trimester of her unexpected pregnancy, it was already taking its toll on her. She knew her worries about Harry were not helping.

Molly looked at her daughter as she placed a cup of tea and a plate of lightly buttered toast in front of her. While both she and Arthur were not entirely happy that their youngest child and only daughter was pregnant at such a young age, they had accepted the reality of the situation and understood her need to go through with it. They just wished that she was not so determined to return to school in the current climate.

“Are you sure about your decision to return to school?” she asked Ginny needing to know her daughter was completely sure she was ready for whatever could happen at school.

Ginny looked up at her mum in disbelief that she was asking this on the morning she was due to leave for Hogwarts.

“Mum, you, me and Dad have already agreed on this,” she sighed in exasperation. “We need to keep up appearances for as long as we can. Not just for my safety but Ron’s too. Let’s just stick to the plan we have made.”

The plan they had decided on was for Ginny to attend at Hogwarts until Christmas. On the morning she would be due to return for the new term in January, they would go into hiding. With attendance now being compulsory for all school aged children, it was the best plan they could come up with without raising suspicions. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had been notified of Ginny’s pregnancy and they had in turn warned them of the new regime at Hogwarts with a promise to look after Ginny to the best of their abilities.

“I’m worried about your safety, Ginny,” Molly responded. “I am worried what will happen if they discover your pregnancy before we can get you away from there. Harry would never forgive us if something happened to you and the baby. He was so excited by the news, it was like there was a renewed hope within his eyes.”

Ginny deflated at the mention of Harry. She knew her mum was right, but it would look too suspicious if the entire family just suddenly disappeared. She lifted her chin in defiance and stared at her mum.

“I am going,” Ginny stated firmly. “I will keep my head down. If the need arises, I will leave earlier, but not a moment before.”

Molly sighed. As much as she hated it, she was proud that she had managed to raise such a strong and independent daughter. “Ok then. Now you better get yourself ready, we need to leave soon.”

HP&GW

Ginny stared out of the window watching as the city gave way to the countryside. She had been joined by Neville and Luna just minutes into the journey and despite their hellos, they had sat in an uneasy silence. She did not know what to say when the world felt like it was falling apart around her.

“This is ridiculous,” Neville growled suddenly. “We’re about to head into who knows what at school and we need to be prepared for whatever they throw at us, rather than sitting here quietly.”

“What are you saying, Neville?” Luna calmly asked.

“We need to reform the D.A.,” he declared with an unexpected confidence.

Ginny looked away from her friends as guilt began to well up inside of her knowing she would not be able to help them in the way she was itching to do so. She could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes as it dawned on her that either way she would be letting someone down. Helping would mean upsetting Harry as she risked her safety and that of their unborn child, but not helping would mean disappointing her friends.

“Ginny?” Neville called interrupting her thoughts.

She swiped away the tears that had managed to leak from her eyes before turning back to her best friends.

“I can’t help you,” she whispered miserably. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why?” Neville asked gently sensing there was something bothering her. “It’s not like you to back down from a fight.”

The tears she had fought from falling, fell with abundance causing her two best friends to wrap her in their arms in comfort.

“Harry and I are still together,” she confessed quietly. “Our break up was faked for my safety.”

“But there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Luna easily observed.

“I’m… I’m pregnant,” she managed to whisper through her tears.

Neville and Luna exchanged a look of shock before tightening their grip on their friend.

“We’ll protect you as best as we can,” Neville declared.

“And you can work from behind the scenes,” Luna replied, “You can still help that way but remain safe in the process.”

Ginny’s tears lessened considerably at Luna’s words. She could still help without anyone’s knowledge. She could still play her part, just from a safer distance with her friends protecting her and her secret.

“Ok, I can do that,” she finally said with a renewed strength leading to a train ride of planning and speculation.

HP&GW

Snape pulled himself out of the youngest Weasley’s mind, truly shocked by what he had seen, though he kept his reaction hidden from the three students who stood before him.

“You will all serve detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest,” he informed the trio. “Longbottom, Miss Lovegood, you may return to your common rooms. I would like a word with Miss Weasley. I shall notify you as to when your detention shall take place.”

Neville and Luna glanced nervously at Ginny before leaving the Headmaster’s office as asked. Ginny had tried to smile at them as they left, but she was sure it came out as a grimace instead, so she turned her gaze back to the professor. She kept her head held up bravely, even though it was not what she was feeling underneath.

“Do you realise how foolish it was of you to make such an attempt tonight?” Professor Snape questioned her. “Or even for you to return to school?”

Ginny’s jaw dropped in shock despite knowing he had seen enough in her mind to know she was still with Harry and that she was also pregnant with his child. How was she supposed to answer him? For that matter, why was he so concerned by the turn of events?

Her confusion grew as she watched the headmaster turn to the portrait of Professor Dumbledore, who gave him a subtle nod as if he was agreeing to some unsaid words.

“Sit, Miss Weasley,” Professor Snape commanded. Ginny did as she was asked as Snape sat down opposite. “To send you home now would raise suspicion. I take it you returned to school for that very reason?”

Ginny nodded, not really understanding where this conversation was heading. Then to her shock, Professor Snape’s face seemed to soften slightly.

“I shall not be telling the Dark Lord of this information,” he calmly told her. “He is currently unaware of your relationship with Mr Potter and I have no intention of making him aware.”

“Why?” she couldn’t help but blurt out.

“If I am to tell you, you must agree to me placing a spell on you that would stop you from speaking about this to anyone until you are released from it,” he told her.

Ginny looked to Dumbledore’s portrait for unspoken advice. The twinkle that he always had present in his eyes was even visible in his portrait. He smiled gently at her, recognising her silent plea and gave her a nod in confirmation.

“I agree to your terms,” she quietly told the current headmaster, who immediately cast the spell in question.

“I am still a spy for the Order, unbeknownst to any of the current living members,” he calmly explained. “I was asked to kill Dumbledore by the headmaster himself, so I could gain the confidence of the Dark Lord. This has allowed me to take up this position so I can protect the students to the best of my abilities. However, I can only do so much without raising suspicions.”

Ginny knew what he was telling her could only be the truth, even if she didn’t understand how she just knew.

“Why tell me this of all people?” she asked confused.

“Because it is imperative that you, of all people Miss Weasley, survive this war, for Mr Potter’s sake,” Snape explained. “I wish I could give you more information than this, but even with the charm protecting you from revealing it, it can still be broken and certain information must not be revealed until the time is right.”

“I understand.”

“Therefore, I must ask, if you have not already planned to do so, that you do not return to school after the Christmas break,” he politely asked her.

“That was our family’s plan, sir,” Ginny told him in confidence, knowing he would not reveal this to anyone, not even the Dark Lord. “Though if needs be, I will leave earlier.”

Snape nodded in agreement with her plan. “I will notify you then if anything should change and affect your safety. Until then, you are dismissed.”

Ginny quickly left the Headmaster’s office, shocked at what she had just learned, but understanding she was being protected for Harry’s sake. She knew, therefore, she had to keep her head down until she was safely home at The Burrow.

HP&GW

“There was more to that argument wasn’t there?” Hermione asked as she finally spoke to Harry for the first time since Ron had left the tent and not returned just days ago. “You wanted to say something else to him, but you held back.”

Harry looked at his best friend, unable to mask the answer in his eyes.

“It’s to do with Ginny, isn’t it?” Hermione softly asked as she sat down next to him outside the tent. “Are you two, are you…”

“Yes,” Harry painfully whispered as a lump grew inside his throat. “We’re still together. Our break up at the funeral was faked.”

“Why? Why would you fake it?” Hermione asked holding back the need to scold her best friend for what she thought was a reckless decision. “Isn’t it too much of a risk for you to stay together?”

“I asked her to marry me,” Harry whispered feebly. “The morning after…”

Hermione’s eyes widened at the confession, wondering if he had asked her out of desperation due to his grief for the loss of his headmaster or if he had truly meant it. She scolded herself internally for even thinking it was for any other reason than actually wanting to marry Ginny. She had seen how in love the pair was and just how right they were for each other. Looking at her best friend, she saw the pain and worry in his face and realised that there seemed to be more he was hiding from her and Ron.

“There’s more to it than that,” Hermione prodded gently.

“She’s pregnant,” Harry said so quietly that his best friend very nearly missed him saying it.

“Oh Harry,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him in comfort. She didn’t know how to respond, but she knew his concerns for Ginny were justified when he had gone into a panic over hearing she had attempted to steal the Sword of Gryffindor for them. “We will finish this and you will survive. For Ginny, for your unborn child, we will figure it all out and finish it once and for all.”

HP&GW

Ginny smiled softly to herself as she relaxed on the sofa in the sitting room of The Burrow, gently caressing her swollen stomach. She had made it to the end of term without drawing further attention to herself, therefore avoiding some of the nastier punishments that the Carrows had been inflicting on the students. She felt relieved to be home and away from the school, though she was worried for Luna, who had been taken from the train by Death Eaters. She only had to keep up appearances for a further few days before they went into hiding for her and the baby’s safety.

“James,” she said with a giggle as she felt him kick her stomach.

“Nice choice of name,” a voice came from the doorway.

Ginny looked up to see her eldest brother stood in the doorway to the sitting room, smiling at her in amusement.

“Hey Bill,” she responded as she shifted herself so she could stand up.

“So you’re having a boy?” Bill asked as he helped her to stand.

“Obviously,” Ginny responded sarcastically. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think we were seeing you till Christmas Day.”

“I need a favour that involves you popping over to Shell Cottage for a few minutes,” he stated with a worried look on his face.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Ginny asked alarmed at the look on her brother’s face.

Bill rubbed his eyes before responding. “You could say that. Look, Mum knows you are popping over, though she think it is under the pretence that you are helping Fleur sort out your bedroom in preparation for when you move in.”

“And what’s the real reason you need me to come over?”

Bill sighed. “Ron turned up and he was by himself.”

Ginny felt her temper beginning to flare up. If her idiotic brother had left Harry and Hermione by themselves to finish whatever it was they were doing, then she had a few choice words for him that would make him regret ever leaving them.

HP&GW

Ron pulled Harry back outside of the tent, leaving Hermione to go to bed and calm down from his reappearance. Making sure to keep within the wards that were set, he turned to face Harry.

“I know about Ginny and the baby,” Ron plainly stated much to Harry’s shock.

Harry was not entirely sure how to react to this piece of news. Was his best mate going to give him a lecture or worse, hit him?

“I’m not angry, Harry,” Ron continued. “Trust me; Ginny would not let me be angry after the words she used to describe me for abandoning you.”

Harry laughed, something he had not done in months. He could just imagine his Ginny standing up to Ron defending their decision to stay together and for her to carry his child. It made his heart swell with love for her, knowing she refused to allow Ron to come back thinking badly of them and their decisions.

“How is she?” Harry said sobering quickly, needing to know the love of his life was safe from any harm.

Ron broke out into a smile. “She is doing good. She has a huge bump now and the baby was constantly kicking. She even let me have a feel once she had calmed down. She even knows the sex of the baby.”

Harry glared at his best mate when he said nothing in regards to whether it was a boy or girl.

“She even asked me to be godfather,” Ron continued like he had not even said anything that Harry wanted further answers to. “She said you would know just who to ask to be godmother to James.”

“James?” Harry quietly asked in disbelief. “I’m having a son?”

Ron grinned widely. “Yeah, you are. Ginny said she couldn’t choose anything other than James for his name. She said she wanted to honour your father.”

“James Sirius,” Harry said absently, knowing Ginny would agree with him in regards to his choice of the middle name.

He was going to be a father to a little baby boy, he couldn’t believe it. He knew now that no matter what happened to him, the Potter name would continue. Not that he planned to die, no; he wanted to survive more than anything so he could marry Ginny and watch their son grow up in a peaceful world. Yes, he was going to end this and have the life he desperately wanted to have with Ginny and their son.

HP&GW

“It is as we expected, Dad,” Bill said as he entered the kitchen having just apparated to The Burrow from Shell Cottage. “They have people watching the house.”

It was the morning that Ginny was supposed to be returning to Hogwarts following the Christmas holidays. The past few days had been spent moving the most necessary of items over to either Shell Cottage or Aunt Muriel’s house. The plan meant that they needed to look like they were going to be apparating to Kings Cross Station rather than them going into hiding, so the only things left to take now was Ginny’s trunk and a few essentials that they planned to shrink and place in their pockets. Hopefully those watching would be none the wiser until they were all safely at Shell Cottage and it was too late for them to be found by the Ministry.

“Well that was to be expected,” Arthur said in reply to his son’s statement. “We just have to leave like we would do if we were going to the station as normal. They cannot trace us if we are apparating. Just be sure to check us for tracing charms before we cross the wards into Shell Cottage.”

“Of course,” Bill replied as he took in the near empty kitchen that his mum was still bustling around trying to make sure it was clean and organised. “Are you all ready to go?”

“My trunk is in the sitting room,” Ginny said to her brother as she got up from her chair with a slight struggle.

Bill took the hint and headed into the sitting room to retrieve it for her. By the time he returned, his parents and sister were ready to go.

“Ok, when you get outside the wards, apparate straight to Shell Cottage,” Bill commanded without argument from his parents. “I’ll take Ginny’s trunk and Dad you take Ginny by side-along. The quicker we apparate out, the less chance of any spells being thrown our way can hit us if that is their plan.”

Everyone nodded in agreement before exiting the house, which Arthur discreetly locked up. The family quickly headed out towards the wards. The moment they crossed the wards themselves, Ginny grabbed her Dad’s arm and the family disapparated not knowing when they would next be at The Burrow.

HP&GW

A loud crack was heard through Shell Cottage causing its occupants to stand up in alert.

“Ginny, stay where you are,” Bill ordered. “If I call for you do so, floo to Aunt Muriel’s.”

Knowing she would not be much use as she was now nearing her due date, she sat back down in the sofa and waited patiently to find out what was going on, as Bill and Fleur went to check out what was happening. She only waited a few minutes before Fleur returned with other people with her.

“Luna? Dean?” Ginny asked in shock. “What are you doing here? What is going on?”

“Dobby rescued us from Malfoy Manor,” Luna responded as if it was already obvious.

“Malfoy Manor?” Ginny asked still in shock at seeing her friends.

“That was where the Death Eaters took me when they took me from the train,” Luna told her as she sat down next to her and placed a hand on Ginny’s bump. “You must be due to deliver very soon. It’s a good thing that Harry will be here very shortly.”

“Harry?” Ginny couldn’t seem to process what was going on. Two of her school friends had appeared all of sudden and now Harry was going to be joining them.

“I was caught not long before Harry, Hermione and Ron were,” Dean said, seemingly getting over his shock of seeing his ex-girlfriend and heavily pregnant to boot. “They managed to get rescue somehow and Harry made Dobby bring me, Luna and Mr Ollivander ahead.”

Before Ginny could respond further, more people filed into the sitting room of the small cottage. Luna and Dean moved out of the way, allowing Ron to bring Hermione in and settle her onto the sofa next to Ginny.

“What happened?” Ginny asked as she took in the state of Hermione who appeared to be nearly unconscious. She reached out and clasped one of the older girl’s hands, causing Hermione’s eyes to flutter open.

“Ginny,” Hermione whispered with a strain in her voice. “Harry will be so happy to see you.”

Ginny looked to her brother for answers as Hermione’s eyes drifted shut, no longer able to remain conscious.

“Bellatrix tortured her,” Ron bluntly told his sister. “Dobby managed to get us all out in time.”

Ginny gasped as she looked back to Hermione and fully took in her appearance. The older witch was dishevelled, thinner than normal and was bleeding. Ginny dreaded to think what state Harry would be in, so she could only hope he would not be too closed off emotionally as well.

HP&GW

Harry finally made his way into the cottage, dirty and exhausted from digging the grave for the small house elf that had died in his arms. He followed the voices once inside and found Bill, Fleur, Dean, Luna, Ron, Hermione and the last person he had expected to see sat in the sitting room.

“Ginny,” Harry breathed out in amazement.

Ginny looked up from her spot on the sofa to see her fiancée stood in the doorway, dishevelled and dirty. She desperately wanted to get up and run to him but being heavily pregnant prevented her from doing so. Harry seem to recognise her predicament and immediately crossed the room and knelt before her allowing her to wrap her arms around his shoulders as he rest his head against her swollen stomach.

Harry peppered soft kisses over her bump, still amazed by the fact that the love of his life was carrying his child. He was unaware that the other occupants had moved into the kitchen as he did so. He moved back and took in the appearance of Ginny. She really was a sight for sore eyes especially after the events of Malfoy Manor and the loss of Dobby. She looked even more beautiful than he had remembered especially being that she was pregnant with his child. He couldn’t get over the fact she was carrying his child, even though he had known since the end of July. Seeing her pregnant as far along as she was now seemed to make it all the more real for him.

“I love you James,” he whispered to her bump, causing a couple of tears to run down Ginny’s cheeks. “I love you too, Ginny.”

HP&GW

A pain shot through her stomach causing Ginny to wake suddenly clutching a hand to her bump. The pain continued for a few more seconds as she took a couple of deep breaths to work through the pain. Once it had stopped, she realised that she was sat in a wet patch and she knew it meant that her waters had broken. She reached over and shook Harry awake.

“What is it, Gin?” Harry mumbled sleepily.

“My waters have broken, Harry,” she said in a panic. “I am going into labour. James is coming.”

Harry shot up in the bed that had been expanded by magic to accommodate them both while he was stayed at the cottage. The trio had only been there for a few days, but they were currently unsure how long they would be there as they planned their break in of Gringotts. Harry, despite the pressure he felt to finish this war as soon as he could, was happy to know he would be here when Ginny gave birth.

“Get into something clean and dry,” Harry told his fiancée. “I will go and wake Fleur.”

Just a few minutes later, Ginny was sat in clean nightwear and a dry bed, breathing through a contraction as Harry held her hand in support with Fleur keeping an eye on the length on the contraction.

“It’s going to be a few hours, Ginny,” Fleur told her sister in law once the pain had eased away. “I shall have Bill go and collect your mother.”

Fleur left the room leaving the young couple by themselves. Ginny leaned into Harry as he slowly rubbed her back to help her to relax.

“I can’t believe we are going to be meeting our son really soon,” Ginny softly said as she felt Harry drop a kiss to her head.

“Did I mention the idea I had for James’ middle name?” Harry asked as he tried to remember if he had told her. The last few days had been a bit of a blur for him between making plans with Ron and Hermione, speaking with the Griphook and filling in Ginny about what it was he was doing as he had promised her just months ago.

“No, I don’t think you did,” Ginny responded shaking her head. “I was hoping you had an idea for it though.”

“Sirius,” Harry stated. “James Sirius Potter.”

“That’s perfect, Harry,” Ginny said just before she clutched her stomach again as yet another contraction began.

HP&GW

“One last push, Ginny dear,” Molly told her daughter as yet another contraction started. “Then you can meet your son.”

Ginny bore down and pushed despite how tired she felt having been in labour since the early hours of the morning. Cries suddenly filled the air as James Sirius Potter was finally born in the afternoon on a warm day in early April.

“Congratulations, Ginny dear,” Molly said as she carefully placed James into her daughter’s arms, with Harry coming to sit next to her.

The young couple looked down at their son to discover he had inherited Harry’s black hair and even though there was only just a tuft of it, Ginny knew it would be as messy as Harry’s was. Baby James yawned as he opened his eyes.

“He has your eyes,” Harry softly said.

“A good mixture of both of us,” Ginny replied as she smiled at their son.

Molly watched as her daughter and future son in law fussed over their newborn son. As much as she hated how young they were, she couldn’t deny the happiness that shone in their eyes, especially Harry’s. She hoped with all her heart that Harry would make it through this war, because she knew that he was the one person who truly deserved a life full of love and happiness. She didn’t want this moment, right here, right now, to be a fleeting moment for the pair of them, but instead one of many more to come.

“Harry, dear,” Molly said, hating to break up the happy moment. “Why don’t you take James and introduce him to everyone why we get Ginny cleaned up?”

“Ok,” Harry said standing before carefully taking his newborn son from Ginny. “We won’t be long, ok?”

“I know,” Ginny replied as she felt Harry kiss her forehead. She watched as Harry cradled their son close to his chest and left the room. She hoped that the moment they had just shared together gave him an even bigger reason to survive than before and to finish this war sooner rather than later.

“He is going to survive this, sweetheart,” Molly said as though she had read Ginny’s thoughts. “He has even more reason to do so. You have given him something he has always wanted. You can see the happiness and love he has for you and James in his eyes. I don’t think he has ever been that happy.”

HP&GW

Remus approached Harry and pulled him to a hug as though their argument had never happened.

“I hear and see that congratulations are in order for you too,” Remus said as he spotted Ginny cradling James behind Harry. “I understand now why you were so angry with me. I can’t fault you for refusing my help and sending me back to Dora. We both agreed therefore that we want you and Ginny to be Teddy’s godparents.”

Harry was speechless. He had become a father and now a godfather in a short space of time. He now had three amazing reasons to finish this war, Ginny, James and Teddy.

“We’d be honoured, Remus,” he finally replied grabbing his father’s friend in a fierce hug as thanks. Noticing Ginny had approached them, he pulled away to introduce Remus to his son. “Meet James Sirius Potter.”

Ginny carefully placed the newborn into the arms of the shocked werewolf.

“You named him after your father and godfather,” Remus said stunned at the choice of names.

“I couldn’t think of two better men to honour,” Ginny explained with a smile as she watched her former professor cradle the baby.

“Just a shame he seems to have inherited his father’s and grandfather’s messy hair,” Remus responded with a chuckle.

“Hey!” Harry protested. “What about Teddy?”

“Just like his mother,” Remus proudly told the room. “He had black hair just like little James when he was born. Pretty certain it was going ginger in the hour afterwards and I suspect it will be blonde by the time I arrive home.”

Remus passed James back to Ginny as drinks were passed round so they could make a toast. The room’s occupants held their glasses high in preparation to toast the birth of the two babies.

“To Teddy Remus Lupin,” Harry cried.

“To James Sirius Potter,” Remus continued. “Two great wizards in the making.”

HP&GW

Harry slipped out of the warm bed and quickly dressed for the day ahead. He had hardly slept, his nerves for how today would go and the fact he hated that he would be leaving Ginny and James had kept him awake.

He looked down at his sleeping fiancée. He could still not understand why it was that she had fallen in love with him and he felt so incredibly lucky that she had. As much as he knew she hated him leaving, she had been so understanding once he had explained what it was he was doing and what he still needed to do. She had even agreed to not enter any battles that may happen, promising to put the needs of James first, knowing that if anything was to happen to Harry, their son would need his mother. That promise has shocked Harry, knowing Ginny was someone who could hold their own in battle and would answer the call to fight if she was given the chance. But as she had told him, she did not want James to become an orphan at such young age as Harry had. Harry’s heart had been so full of love for her when she had said that, he had kissed her fiercely, pouring every ounce of love he had for her into it.

Harry crept quietly over to the crib where his son slept and carefully picked up James. He cradled the baby close to his chest, enjoying this last moment with his son before he left to continue and hopefully finish his mission. These past few weeks with Ginny and James had been more wonderful than he could describe. Even with his planning for the Gringotts break in taking up much of his time, having Ginny and James be there at night and in the moments he did have free had given him the experience of being a family that he so desperately wanted to continue on past the end of the war.

“Be a good boy for your mummy,” he whispered softly to his sleeping son. “If anything happens to me, just know that I love you so much. You and your mum are the best things that have ever happened to me.”

Harry kissed James on his cheek and carefully laid him back in his crib. He watched his son for a few more moments before grabbing his bag and taking one last look at the love of his life, desperately praying that this would not be the last time he saw either of them.

HP&GW

Ginny was sat breastfeeding James and enjoying the peaceful views that Shell Cottage had to offer when she heard a commotion inside the house and the sudden opening of the door.

“There you are,” Bill said in relief. “I need you and James to come inside and stay here till we send word.”

“What’s going on?” Ginny asked as she carefully coaxed James away and tidied both herself and James up.

“A call for fighters has come from Hogwarts,” Bill explained as they re-entered the house. “Harry has turned up there and You-Know-Who is on his way.”

Ginny quickly moved to the side as Dean and Luna shot past her in a rush for the door. She couldn’t help but stare after them, feeling slightly jealous of their chance to be able to fight. She quickly reined those feelings back in, remembering her promise to Harry that she would put James first no matter what happened.

“Are both you and Fleur going?” she asked, not particularly wanting to be left by herself for who knows how long.

“Non,” Fleur answered as she came into the sitting room. “I shall be staying here with you. If things go wrong, then I am to take you to France to my parents’ house.”

“Ginny, it is imperative that you and James remain safe,” Bill explained with a stern voice. “I know you hate being protected, but for Harry’s sake, let us protect you.”

Ginny nodded numbly, uncertain how to respond to the plans being explained to her that she had no idea of. She knew she should feel angry for the plans being made without her input, but she felt some relief in knowing they had planned for any eventuality. She knew Harry would appreciate it more than anything.

“Look, I have to go,” Bill said, kissing Ginny and then Fleur goodbye. “Keep my nephew safe, at all costs. Do NOT leave the house, unless we send word.”

Ginny settled into a chair with James and started feeding him again having been interrupted in doing so the first time.

“And now we wait,” she mumbled to herself as she tried to relax, not knowing how their world would be like come the morning.

HP&GW

Harry threw his invisibility cloak back over his head and walked away from Neville to continue his journey to his inevitable death. He desperately wished he could see Ginny and James one last time, but at the same time, he was glad he was unable to do so because he would only whisk them away and hide from his destiny just to have a bit more time with the two most important people in his life. He couldn’t walk away though, not if he was to give them the life of peace and freedom they deserved.

Then it was like something clicked into place. An understanding of sort. He was about to do what his parents had done for him, albeit differently, but still the same nonetheless. He finally understood just how much his parents had loved him that they would willingly sacrifice their lives just so he could live. He knew in that moment that he would do the same Ginny and James no matter the circumstances. He loved them more than he could ever love anyone else. This was the power that Dumbledore had told him that Voldemort could not understand and Harry knew that it was this power to love that was keeping him walking towards his destiny. It was the reason so many people had answered the call to fight and had willingly laid their lives, just as he was about to do.

It was then he remembered the golden snitch that his former headmaster had left to him. He pulled it out of his moleskin bag and pressed it to his lips, remembering how he had caught it in his mouth in his first ever quidditch match.

“I am about to die,” he whispered.

The snitch cracked open, revealing what he had long suspected had been hidden inside, the resurrection stone. Understanding that recalling the ones his love from the dead was a way of them helping him to his destiny, he took the stone and turned it over in his hand three times as he closed his eyes in concentration. He felt the air shift around him and he knew it had worked.

Opening his eyes, he saw four of the most important people in his life, his mother, his father, Sirius and Remus. Soon he would join them in death and it was a comforting feeling knowing that while he would leave behind those he loved more than anything else in this world, he would be joining four people who loved him fiercely as well. However, no matter how much he wanted to speak, he felt his throat close up as he drunk in the sight of them.

“You’ve been so brave, Harry,” his mother spoke, breaking the silence between them.

“You are nearly there, my son,” his father continued. “You are very close to the end now and we are so proud of you.”

“Does it… does it hurt?” he couldn’t help but ask, but he needed to know, even if he did sound like a scared child.

“No,” Sirius answered. “It’s quicker and easier than falling asleep.”

“He will want it to be quick, Harry,” Remus explained. “He wants it over with; he wants to end this quickly.”

“I’m so sorry,” Harry whispered knowing they would still hear him. “I never wanted any of you to die. Especially you Remus. So soon after having Teddy.”

“I am sorry that I will never know him, just like you will never know James,” Remus said compassionately. “But they will both grow up understanding that we gave our lives so that could live in a happier world than they were born into.”

“I only hope Ginny will understand,” he whispered miserably. “I don’t want to leave her or James.”

“She will understand better than anyone,” Sirius told him. “You will live on in them and in their hearts.”

Knowing he could not put it off any longer, he looked to his parents, Sirius and Remus one final time.

“You’ll stay with me?” he asked before he took the final walk to his death.

“Until the very end, my son,” his father responded.

“Stay close to me,” he pleaded with them.

“Always,” his mother fiercely replied.

HP&GW

Ginny hurried up the path to Hogwarts, clutching James close to her chest, despite the sling he was being carried in. She didn’t take in the scene of destruction around her as she moved quickly towards the castle. Her main concern was getting to Harry, needing to see that he had really survived his final confrontation with Tom Riddle. She knew others had died, like her brother, Fred, but until she saw Harry with her own eyes, she could not think of anything else.

She barely paid attention to those milling around the entrance hall as she entered the castle. She didn’t acknowledge those who called out her name as she headed for the main staircase knowing that Harry had been sent to the hospital wing after collapsing outside the Headmaster’s Office. She was unsure of what his injuries were, but her father, who had taken the time to return to Shell Cottage, had filled her in as best as he could about those who had died and how Harry had been hit with the killing curse and had somehow survived yet again.

She knew he was going to need her in the coming days, weeks and months. She wanted to remind him as soon as possible that he had two people to live for, her and James. She feared he would sink into a depression if she didn’t get to him immediately. She needed him to be there for her as well, because she wasn’t sure how she was going to cope once the shock of losing Fred wore off. And then there was Teddy and Andromeda who had lost Remus and Tonks in the same night. The idea that their godson had lost his parents and was now orphan like Harry was saddened her considerably. It was something that they had gone out of their way to avoid with James but neither had thought about Teddy and now he was in the situation that neither wanted to see any young child in.

She finally reached the doors to hospital wing, only stopping briefly to catch her breath and settle a whimpering James. She entered and quickly spotted her brother and Hermione sat by a bed which she knew had to be Harry’s. She moved across the room and stopped in front of the bed and just stared at her fiancée. He was alive, asleep but alive. She breathed a sigh of relief, finally allowing the tears she had been holding back to fall down her face.

She barely paid attention as she felt James removed from his sling by her brother and as she was gently nudged forward by Hermione. She kept her eyes on Harry the entire time as she took a seat right next to his bed and she grasped his hand in hers. She felt herself relax as her body sagged back into the chair, relief flowing over her as she finally knew for certain that Harry had truly survived the war.

HP&GW

“… therefore it is my great honour that I declare you bonded for life,” Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic announced to those in attendance.

Harry and Ginny beamed at each other as they moved in and kissed each other, sealing their wedding vows on the day that Ginny had originally said they would marry on.

“Hi Mrs Potter,” Harry whispered when they broke apart.

“Hi Mr Potter,” Ginny whispered back with a giggle.

Harry took her hand and led her back down the aisle, only stopping to collect James from Molly. They headed towards the edge of the wards and disapparated away from The Burrow, arriving near to the house where Harry’s life had dramatically changed all those years ago.

“It’s a good thing we planned this,” Ginny said as they walked down the lane towards the church. “Mum would be going spare if she didn’t know what we were doing.”

The past three months had been hard for both Harry and Ginny as they dealt with the grief that came in the aftermath of the war. But having James and planning their wedding had helped not only them make it through the worst of the grief, but also the Weasley family. Molly had thrown herself into helping them plan the wedding and had understood Harry’s desire to immediately take Ginny and James to visit the graves of his parents in the aftermath of the ceremony and before the reception.

“Mum, Dad, I want to introduce you to Ginny, my wife, and our son, James,” Harry said when they arrived at the graves he had visited just months before. “We’ve just come straight from the ceremony as I wanted you to be the first people to be introduced to my wife.”

Ginny wrapped her arms around both Harry and James as her husband spoke on behalf of their little family.

“I didn’t think this would be where I am just after losing Sirius,” Harry continued. “But I am so glad that I am. Ginny and James truly are the best things to happen to me. Having them in my life helped me understand how you could both so willingly give your lives for me; it helped me do the same that night in the forest. Thank you for being with me. I wish we could stay longer, but we have to get back to the reception.”

Ginny moved away and conjured a bouquet of lilies and placed them on her in-laws’ grave before stepping back next to Harry.

“We love you so much,” Harry whispered.

As Harry led his wife and son away from the graves, a smile grew wide on his face knowing that the love he had found with Ginny and furthermore in James had helped him understand that love truly was the most powerful magic in existence.



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