The Promise of Tomorrow
A/N Written because I'm feeling nostalgic. A post-Deathly Hallows Harry/Ginny fluff story. Cannon compliant. Rated T. Everything belongs to JKR.
Harry woke to the rays of morning sunlight filtering through the windows of his bedroom and the feel of Ginny pressed against him. She had the next three days off after her match last night and was spending them with Harry at his flat in Birmingham. They had both been ridiculously busy since Ginny had signed on with the Harpies and hadn't been able to spend much time together, just the two of them, so Harry was taking some vacation time to spend these free days with her. He snuggled closer to Ginny and breathed in her flowery scent, relishing that he not only didn't need to get up, but that he had not woken up alone. He closed his eyes content and drifted back to sleep.
Much later he awoke to soft kisses on his lips and a small hand running through his hair. Ginny lay next to him smiling as she caressed his lips with hers. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body closer to his and then kissing Ginny deeply. When he pulled away Ginny smiled up at him.
"I've missed you, and this."
"Me too." Harry replied as he kissed her again. "Are you hungry? We could hit that cafe you love for breakfast if you'd like."
"That sounds lovely!" Ginny purred. "But I should really get in a bit of a morning workout." And she kissed him, a very serious kiss. "You know, for quidditch and all..."
Harry happily agreed.
Much later they sat at a table by the front window of the cafe enjoying what was now more so brunch than breakfast. The young couple enjoyed the freedom the muggle world provided. Harry didn't have to worry about witches and wizards stopping to stare or trying to take pictures of him or anything else that he'd experienced since he killed Voldemort. In the muggle world he and Ginny were just another couple holding hands, eating brunch on a Monday morning.
It had been nearly two years since the Battle of Hogwarts and life had settled for most everyone. The losses had been born long enough to have learned how to carry their weight. Life had moved forward. Harry had joined the Aurors. Ginny had finished school and been signed to the Holyhead Harpies. The rest of their family had moved forward as well. But Harry realized that there was more to moving on than just letting life take you forward.
"You're awfully quiet Harry." Ginny said pulling him from his thoughts.
He smiled back at her. "I was just thinking how nice out it is today. How would you feel about going over to Chancellors Lake after we've finished here?"
Ginny's face lit up. "I think that's a wonderful idea!"
Laying on the grass near the lake with Ginny's head on his stomach, her hand curled around his fingers, his other hand playing softly in her long red hair, Harry enjoyed the sun on his face and the blue clear sky above him.
"Gin," he started after they had been quiet for a few minutes. "What do you want in your future?"
"I don't know. I guess I hadn't thought about it. We were all so occupied with just learning to live again that I let life move on and I just followed it."
"I know what you mean." Harry agreed. "But I was thinking about it, and I think that if we're truly going to move on from the war and everything we can't just let life move us. We have to start caring. We have to start planning. Thinking about the future and making it better."
Ginny turned over onto her stomach to look at him as Harry propped himself up on his elbows. "What are you getting at?" She asked.
"I'm getting at that I love you Ginny. And if my parents or Sirius or Remus or even Fred were still here they'd be pestering me about what our plans were. I want to make future plans with you, forever."
Ginny smiled and kissed him. "I'm glad we're on the same page then because make no mistake Mister, there are no other witches in your future." And she grabbed his hand tightly.
"So no daughters?" He joked, grabbing her hand in return.
Ginny laughed. "Well, I guess maybe daughters are alright, but I make no promises."
"Where would you want to live?"
"I love your flat here. It's in a better place than the one I have in Holyhead. And I like all the fun that's here. I guess maybe when we have kids it wouldn't work though. Maybe we could find a home in the country somewhere when we get to that point. It could be hard to keep accidental underage magic under control with this many people around."
"Tell me about it." Harry laughed. "I brought Teddy here a few weeks ago when I took him for a weekend from Andromeda and he kept changing his hair color! I finally gave up, ducked behind a tree and aparated us home."
Ginny rolled on her back laughing. "What possessed you to bring a metamorphagus toddler to a muggle park?"
"I thought he'd have fun!" Harry laughed defensively. "I always wanted to go to parks and museums and what not as a kid. I didn't usually get the chance so I didn't think about the fact that Teddy would potentially break the Statute of Secrecy."
Ginny grinned at him. "You would have had to arrest yourself!" She teased. "Do you think you'll be an Auror forever then?"
Harry considered the question. "Yeah I do. I don't know if I could ever do anything else. I don't want to let someone like Tom Riddle or Gellert Grindelwald start Wizarding wars again. And the only way I know how to do that is to catch every idiot who has those ideas and put them in Azkaban." He shifted to sitting up. "Do you want to play quidditch forever?" He asked.
"Not forever no, but for a while I do. It's a lot of fun and I don't have anything else vying for my professional attention right now. Maybe when quidditch doesn't work I can help coach or do private lessons or write for the sports page or something."
Harry smiled down at Ginny. "I love this. Planning the future with you feels right, and natural."
"Damn straight." Ginny laughed coming up from the grass to kiss him.
"So I have one more question for you." Harry said as she pulled away.
"And what's that my interrogator?" She teased.
Harry pulled a ring box out of thin air. "Will you make all those plans realities with me and be my wife?" He opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond, ruby and emerald engagement ring, set in platinum.
"Yes! Oh Harry! Yes!" Ginny laughed throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly.
When she pulled away Harry laughed and put the ring on her finger. "Thank you!" He said quietly as he pulled her into another kiss.
The world seemed to at once freeze and start truly spinning forward all at once. Things had always revolved around defeating Voldemort and then it had revolved around learning how to live again. Now, life was finally moving forward into what everyone had fought and some had died for: a life full of happiness and future plans and the promise of tomorrow.
Fin.