Bond

A/N: Another gift for the lovely ThisIsMegz! She really is amazing and I love that she graces me with her ideas! A post-Deathly Hallows Harry/Ginny and Bill/Fleur fluff story. Rated T. Everything belongs to JKR.

"So, Harry," Bill sat down on the sofa next to Ginny while she worked on some assignments McGonagall had sent to help her be prepared for her seventh year.

"Not sure if your eyesight has gone bad or not, but I'm Ginny." Ginny scribbled on the parchment balanced against her book.

Bill gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Are you sure? I think this is the first time I've not seen the two of you together in weeks."

Ginny sighed and set her revisions aside, "You don't approve." It wasn't a question.

Bill sat quietly for a moment and Ginny almost reached back for her school work. "I don't think approval is something I'm warranted to give here, Ginny."

"Oh, please. Your letters when I dated Michael and Dean were full of warning and caution." Ginny didn't try to hide the bitterness in her voice.

Bill went silent again and Ginny pushed herself further back into the sofa, folding her arms against her chest.

"When did we grow so far apart?" His voice almost broke and Ginny brought her head up sharply.

"You left for Egypt," Ginny shrugged, "and I was a kid and felt like you were abandoning me. Then you came back and I was so excited to have you back but you brought Fleur home and everything revolved around the two of you. I felt left behind and forgotten."

Bill looked up at her, "Do you still feel that way?"

Ginny turned the question over in her mind before she sighed and reached out, wrapping her arms around Bill's torso. Bill quickly pulled her into him. "No, I get it now. Now that I'm living this same part if my life, I get it. I'd go to whatever country is willing to further my career, and I see myself with Harry the way you see yourself with Fleur. I just didn't handle you growing up very well."

Bill chuckled bitterly, "And then you and Ron had to grow up too fast."

Ginny smiled, "Well, thanks to all of that, we know kids like Teddy won't have to."

Bill nodded, "You two are a big part of why I came back to fight, I had hoped to keep you out of it by coming and fighting."

"Your example is part of why Ron and I chose to grow up early and fight." Ginny pulled back and looked up at her childhood hero, "I wanted to stand up for what was right, to make you proud of me, to prove that I was as strong as all you boys."

Bill moved his arm to Ginny's shoulders, "I'm very proud of you, Gin. I know I don't say it often, but I am. And I'm pretty sure you're stronger than all of us combined. You put up with the lot of us and didn't crack, you fought alongside all of us at different points in this war, and to bring the conversation back to where I wanted it to go in the first place, you choose to be with Harry, and that's probably going to require the greatest amount of strength."

Ginny's eyes turned dangerous, "I've grown to love Fleur, and I know we had our tiffs at first, but you owe me the same decency."

Bill pulled his hand over his face, "Merlin, Ginny! Please, stop jumping to the conclusion that I'm against you and Harry!"

"If you're not against it, why bring up that my relationship is going to require 'the greatest amount of strength?'" Ginny shot back.

"Because relationships take a lot of work period, Ginny! Fleur and I have all sorts of problems because we're from two completely different cultures and have different native tongues! It takes work to make our relationship work, a lot of work. And yours and Harry's relationship is going to take a lot of work too. From what I've gleaned from Ron and Mum, Harry had an abusive childhood with his family, and then the weight of our whole world has been on his shoulders since he turned eleven. You have your fair share of damage from this war as well, there's going to be a good amount of effort required from both of you to make this work. I don't say it to discourage you; I say it to make you aware now. So that when things get hard you don't throw your happiness away because of past wounds that neither of you caused!"

Ginny stared at Bill in stunned silence as his words washed over her. He took a deep calming breath.

"I've never seen you as happy as you are with Harry. I want you to keep that, to not lose it, and to be willing to work to keep it."

Ginny reached out and Bill wrapped her back in a hug, "Merlin, I've missed you so much!" She choked out.

"I've missed you too, sis." Bill kissed the top of her head, and for a moment Ginny was five-years-old again, clinging to Bill while he held her tight after a nightmare, promising he'd always be there to protect her and make everything better again. For a moment, the years of growing up and growing apart disappeared, and it was as if nothing at all had changed between them.

That sat, just as they were, for a long time. Neither noticed that Harry and Fleur were watching from the door frame.

"I think they needed that," Harry whispered. "Thanks for pointing it out to me."

Fleur smiled at him and Harry found that he finally could look at that smile and still think straight. "I know if a gap ever came between Gabrielle and me, it would be my undoing. Bill just hides his feelings better. You British are very silly that way."

Harry chuckled, "Shall we wait in the kitchen?"

Fleur nodded and took Harry's arm as they left Bill and Ginny to each other.