|
To Make Amends | ||||
|
Category: Post-HBP Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Fluff Warnings: Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 43 Summary: Harry is restless the night before he leaves to search for Voldemort's Horcruxes. His solution? Make things right with Ginny Weasley. Hitcount: Story Total: 5363 |
|
|||
|
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and this fic is for entertainment purposes only. No profit is made from anything here, except the enjoyment or angst that it causes the reader. Harry Potter was not sleeping. No, it wasn’t the nightmares. They hadn’t bothered him for over a year now. Nor was it the anticipation of what he was about to go off and do. He had talked long and hard with both Hermione and Ron about their moves to find the Horcruxes. That was carefully planned and there was currently a minimum amount of danger. No, Harry was not sleeping because of one Ginny Weasley. He had come to the Burrow almost a week ago after the blood protection on the Dursley’s house failed. He had been completely caught up in the wedding plans and the general chaos of the Burrow. Sadly though, things were far from right. Every time he would turn around, there was Ginny. They talked cordially, joked, played Quidditch, even teamed up to taunt Ron and Hermione, but it just wasn’t the same. Every day he felt a little emptier inside without knowing that she was there for him. Silently, he rose from his bed and ambled toward an old dresser with a large mirror mounted on it. He took a brief moment to straighten his pajamas, and then stared silently at his reflection for a while, taking in the changes that had overtaken him so recently. No longer had the pale, skinny, 11 year old boy with knobbly knees and large questioning eyes, Harry grown up spectacularly. ‘That’s just as well’ he thought, seeing as how he was now a man according to wizarding law. His medium length, dark black, unkempt hair sat above the lightning shaped scar that he was once again feeling a sort of attachment to. A year of peace from the pain and nightmares he used to associate with it had quelled his hatred of the thing. The year of peace had also been good for his physique. Regular meals, Quidditch captaincy, and a few inches growth had given him a fair amount of muscle, a decent tan, and a less lop-sided appearance. Shaking his head suddenly, he pulled himself back to the point that was bothering him so much. He needed to see Ginny, like he had so many times during those wonderful weeks at Hogwarts. So much of her was still a mystery to him, and he somehow knew that if he went off tomorrow and left her behind without a word, a piece of him would be gone forever. His resolve steeling, he cautiously opened his door and tip-toed down the hallway toward her room. Brief thoughts of the other occupants of the house flitted through his mind, but he forced them out as he stopped in front of Ginny’s door. Harry raised his hand and, hesitating for only a moment, rapped gently against the solid wood. Several seconds passed in silence as he stood there, his chest heavy and his head light. Then he heard it. A soft creak of bedsprings, the gentle whoosh of blankets, and a series of light steps before… The door in front of him creaked open and there she stood. She was as lovely as he had ever seen her. Her long, blazing red hair was pulled back into a ponytail which exposed her soft, pale neck to the gentle light. Her eyes blinked somewhat sleepily as she rubbed her hand gently across them, trailing the pattern of freckles that caressed her nose and cheeks. Her long, pale blue nightdress was slightly rumpled, giving her a beautifully innocent look. She smiled up at him. “I was hoping you’d show up at some point.” Harry allowed himself a small grin. “So was I.” “Do you want to come in?” He knew the question was completely innocent, but a thrill still shot through him at the words. “N-no,” he stammered, “I’d rather we went down to the living room if you don’t mind.” She nodded and together they crept silently down the stairs and into the big empty room that had so recently been the center of all the chaos at the Burrow. Harry picked a seat on one end of the couch and, to his surprise, Ginny sat right up against him, pressing her side against his. His arm automatically reached out and wrapped itself around her shoulders pulling her closer to him. “Mmm, good,” she said. “I’ve been worrying all week what you would say if this happened. I see it’s not going to be a ‘Sorry Gin, but I never want to see you again, hope you didn’t get the wrong idea’ speech.” Harry went rigid. “How could you ever think that?” he asked, somewhat louder than he intended. You…I…us…it’s the best thing that ever happened to me! Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to see you these last several days and not grab you and start kissing you? She stared up at him, a mischievous smile playing on her lips and he sighed. “Okay, I guess you probably do. I just…” He fell silent. “Harry, I understand.” Her now slightly nervous voice betrayed the smile. “Understand what?” Harry looked down at her and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not sure I understand a whole lot of what’s going on right now.” Ginny was now speaking in a voice that somehow sounded far away. Distant. “I understand why you did what you did. I understand why you’re leaving me. I know why Ron and Hermione will go with you.” Harry started at this. Ron and Hermione hadn’t told anyone about their plans, and neither had he, but Ginny continued. “I don’t know what you plan to do exactly, but I know you too well to think that you don’t have some kind of plan. In fact, I know you so well that it’s taking everything I have not to beg you to take me with you.” Harry shook his head. “I can’t Gin, it’ll be too dangerous and…” “Are you telling me” she interrupted, “that you could still tell me that I need to stay here and be safe if I were to do this…” She climbed into his lap. “…and this…” She leaned toward him so that their faces touched softly, her nose against his cheek. “…and this?” She kissed him slowly, seductively, passionately. Harry felt all his defenses fail immediately and he responded with an intensity that even surprised him. An unknown amount of time later, they broke apart, and Ginny slid back beside him. “I could get you to take me with you” she continued. “It would go against everything you want and believe, but you’d do it. You would keep me safe, just like you’ll keep Ron and Hermione safe. But it would tear you apart too. You’d constantly be worried for me, you’d never stop doing everything in your power to keep me as safe as possible, and you’d even endanger yourself needlessly to protect me just a little bit more.” Now partially recovered from the incredible kiss he had just received, Harry was taking the time to marvel at what Ginny was saying. It seemed that she knew him completely. Backwards and forwards, in and out, everything that he was. She actually understood. A warm feeling was now flowing through his veins. He now saw in Ginny something new and infinitely better than what he had before. She understood. Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, the Weasleys, all of them tried and all of them were wonderful, but only one person, one woman saw him for what he was and accepted him. Truly accepted him. Loved him. He was shaken out of his thoughts by a small sniffle coming from the girl beside him. He looked over and was crushed to see tears streaming down her beautiful face. “But still” she cried, her voice now punctuated with sobs, “I’m still afraid that if you leave me you won’t come back.” Harry wrapped both his arms around her lovingly. “I wish I could promise that I’ll live through this” he muttered, “but I don’t want to risk breaking a promise to you. But you know that I’ll do everything in my power to win.” Ginny laughed. So suddenly did her demeanor change that Harry was rendered completely speechless. “Oh, Harry!” She was now hugging him back and looking into his eyes. “I wish I could be like you sometimes! It’s all so simple for you, isn’t it?” She giggled now at the confused expression that crossed his features, but slowly her mirth faded, leaving a shaking girl in Harry’s arms. “You’ll win.” The words were sudden, soft, and full of conviction. “You’ll win and become the hero of the wizarding world once again. You’ll save us all from being afraid for our lives every day. You’ll wipe out every last trace of Tom.” Harry stared at her as she went on. “You’ll be even more famous than you are now” she rambled. “You’ll be in more books, more papers, the world will throw themselves at your feet. The ministry, Quidditch teams, Hogwarts, they’ll all want you to work for them. You’ll be richer than anyone else, more famous than Merlin…” She hiccupped slightly and paused. It seemed that now she was getting to the real point. “You’ll have every witch in the country throwing herself at you. You’ll be able to pick from anyone you want. And once you have that, why would you come back? Why would you still want the little girl that trailed after you for six years? Why would you want an ordinary, plain, stupid person like me? As she had been talking, she had pushed herself deeper and deeper into Harry’s arms. It was almost as though she were afraid that any moment he might realize that what she was saying was true and leave. A few seconds of silence passed before Harry spoke. “Give me just a minute Gin, I only have one chance to say this to you and I want it to come out right.” She nodded into his side, and his thoughts flew. How could she think those things? Didn’t she know…well, of course she couldn’t know his thoughts and feelings. He wasn’t exactly the most articulate person in the world. Still, he loved her! Nothing could…wait, at the funeral. She said she loved him and he…didn’t tell her back. It was as if a million pieces suddenly clicked into place in his brain. He took a deep breath. “Ginevra Weasley, I love you.” The words rang clear across the room, and Ginny froze at his side. “I started out thinking you were just the little sister of my best mate. Then you were a little girl with a crush on me. Then you became my friend. Then I noticed how beautiful you were. Then I started fancying you. Then, I don’t quite know when, but then I fell completely in love with you.” He paused for air. “When I said that I felt like I had been living someone else’s life a couple months ago, I meant every word. Almost every part of my life has had awful bits to it. For eleven years, the Dursleys hated me. They made everyone else hate me too. I was completely alone. Then when I went to Hogwarts, stuff started to happen. Quirrel went after the Sorcerer’s Stone. Riddle took you and I fought the Basilisk.” One of his hands caressed her cheek as he said this. “Sirius was after Pettigrew. I was forced into the Triwizard Tournament. People died. Everyone gossiped about me constantly. Sometimes I even drove Ron and Hermione away from me, and then I really was alone.” Acting on impulse, he seized her and pulled her back into his lap. Her head rested in the crook of his neck, and her hot breath against his skin sent shivers down his spine. He gulped and pressed on. “You changed everything. Do you remember that day in the Common Room when you asked why people didn’t have better things to gossip about than us?” He felt her head shift a little against him and heard the smallest sound of affirmation come from her throat. “Well, I didn’t care that they were talking. In fact, I loved the fact that for once they were talking about something that made me the happiest I have ever been. Ginny, I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else. More than I could love anyone else.” Hot wet droplets were now running from Ginny’s face down his neck and into his shirt. There was no time to remedy these tears however, because with a sudden ‘thump’ Harry was pinned to the couch with a very happy Weasley on top of him. There was nothing slow or seductive about what happened this time, but the increase of passion more than made up for it. Finally, after a very intense forty-five minutes, during which it is possible that they may have discussed the finer points of Human Transfiguration, Divination, and the proper brewing of the Felix Felicis, they both lay panting in each others arms. Harry thanked his lucky stars that he had retained enough of his sensibilities throughout what had just happened to make sure that neither of them had lost any articles of clothing. He would have never forgiven himself if he had let things get that far. They were both emotionally unstable and fragile, and anything that might have happened could have backfired spectacularly. Of course, Harry wasn’t thinking along those lines so much as he was afraid of being caught by one of his girlfriend’s brothers. Regardless of that though, he needed to get some sleep. He and Ginny were on rather excellent terms again, and it was nearing the morning. “Ginny?” “ ;Yes Harry?” “I know you don’t like being coddled, but just this once…” “Yes?” “Can I carry you to your room?” A mischievous grin lit Ginny’s face and she nodded. Harry scooped her up into his arms, and began to walk toward the stairs. “Of course you know that I’ll be calling in this favor at some point, right?” Ginny’s grin was still in place. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Harry reached her room and entered by lightly kicking in the door. He placed her on her bed where she curled up like a cat. Harry turned to leave. “Harry?” “Y es Gin?” “I love you.” “I love you too. And I’ll come back too. I promise.” |
| Reviews 43 |
|
