Before the Epilogue
It was June 2nd, exactly a month after the Battle at Hogwarts and Harry felt as though something was missing from his life. He'd been spending his days most recently at the Weasley's house and was preparing to pack up and leave for Grimmauld Place with the company of Hermione and Ron. On the day of his departure, Harry grabbed his rucksack and moleskin pouch as he left for the home his godfather had left to him. Harry walked with Ron and Hermione to the end of the drive and they twisted into midair. A slow and dark second later, the three were standing outside of a dark, thin house. Harry walked up to the door and slowly pushed it open. He walked into the musty air, thick with dust and dropped his bag onto the ground softly, as though not to wake Mrs. Black. He had been expecting a dust figure of his past headmaster to appear from the carpet he stood on, but the figure did not appear. Harry figured that the curse must have died with the man it was created for. He also noticed that as he had entered his tongue had not curled back as it usually had; another strange sign. Harry walked past Mrs. Black's portrait and towards the kitchen. As he looked around at the still gleaming pots and pans in front of him he felt his legs pull together and squeezed. Harry looked down and saw a scared house elf looking back up at him.
"Oh, Master Harry, strange men came and demanded me to tell them about you, but I did not let you down. I wouldn't tell them a single thing!" Kreacher cried as he let go of Harry's knees. Harry turned around and saw Hermione and Ron walking into the kitchen to stand beside him. Kreacher ran up to them as well, but did not dare to touch them. He simply gave a courteous bow and ran off to do some more cleaning.
"Strange, isn't it, that he would become so devoted?" Ron laughed walking over to the table and sitting down, placing a Daily Prophet on the table next to a copy of the Quibbler. "Take a look there! They're still boasting about you and your battle, Harry."
"Our Battle, Ron," Harry corrected.
"It's the same thing now, isn't it?" Ron asked. Hermione walked over and began to read the newspaper. Kreacher rushed back into the kitchen with bowls of soup in his hands and placed them in front of the trio. Ron hastily dug into his bowl and yelled compliments on the food after Kreacher.
"Look at this," Hermione said, pointing out a story in the Prophet. "They got all of the facts right after all. Now that Kingsley's minister I guess they were able to weed out the death eaters quickly. As well as remedy those who were under the imperius curse." Harry took the paper out of Hermione's hands and began reading at where she had pointed. She was right after all. The facts were just as solid as they had been that very night. Harry dipped his spoon into the soup and tipped it into his mouth. Hermione took back the paper from him and continued to read. Ron was already done with his soup and was chomping on a warm biscuit. A few minutes later, after Ron had gone through two more biscuits, he left to go to the bathroom.
"I'm surprised that you and Ginny haven't gotten together yet, you know?" Hermione commented as she laid down the paper and refolded it, smiling.
"Well, I'm just as surprised that you and Ron haven't taken it any further than that kiss in the hallway during the battle." Harry shot back at her.
"I guess you're right, but that's different. Haven't you and Ginny talked at all?"
"We've talked, explained things. I've told her all about our whole journey and she's told me all about her life at Hogwarts. I was hoping it would pick up where we'd left off, but I'd have expected it not to."
"She wants to be with you, you know. She just didn't know if you were ready."
"Well, in that case, since I'm coming back to the Weasley's for dinner, I'll talk to her then." Harry agreed; a light burning in his chest as he smiled slightly. The group finished their meal and went throughout the house to re-clean everything and make it look as good as new. Harry decided that he would sleep in Sirius' room again, so he unpacked what little things he had and placed them in the drawers among his godfather's teenaged possessions. Later on in the evening, as the light in the sky had begun to fade, Harry apparated to the Burrow and knocked upon the door.
The busied silhouette of Mrs. Weasley came into view through the window and she opened the door to him, pulling Harry into a tight hug as she did so. Harry walked into the sitting room where the rest of the family was and Mrs. Weasley hurried back into the kitchen to continue cooking. Harry sat down in an armchair and looked among the rest of the family. Charlie and Percy were still here from after Fred's funeral, which had been hard to go through for the family, but everyone was able to get through it alright. Bill and Fleur had decided to stay at Shell Cottage, so now they were just waiting for Mrs. Tonks. Although Harry had been made godfather of young Teddy Tonks, Andromeda had insisted that Harry wait for at least a month to take full responsibility of the child. Andromeda arrived in time with the sweet baby and the family set down for dinner. The food was delicious, as Mrs. Weasley's cooking always was, and it seemed to disappear in little less than an hour. The crowd at the table dispersed throughout the house and Harry pulled Ginny out into the moonlit garden with him. They took a walk through the trees and made fun at kicking the gnomes as they poked their mischievous grins out from under the brush.
"Ginny?" Harry asked after a while of talking.
"Yes?" She answered, looking even more beautiful to him than ever before.
"Ginny, I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me sometime. There is this really great place near Grimmauld Place that I think you would like."
"Of course I do, Harry. I would love to go out with you."
"Great, so how about we go tonight? For dessert?" Harry looked expectantly into her laughing eyes.
"Tonight? But don't you think they'll notice we're gone?" Ginny laughed.
"I don't think so. There are quite a few people in that house and it might take them a while to find us anyways." Ginny chuckled and Harry grabbed her arm as they turned on the spot and appeared a second later outside of a little ice cream shop. Harry took her hand and the couple walked into the shop. They sat at a table and talked as they ate their lovely iced delicacies.
"So, Ginny, would you consider doing this with me again sometime?" Harry asked hopefully as he finished off his treat.
"Hmm, I think I'll have to consider that one…" Ginny joked. "Yes." The pair smiled and they walked out into the fresh summer air. "Harry?"
"Yes, Ginny?"
"Would you consider giving me a first date kiss, seeing as this is technically our first date?"
"I don't think that I'll have to consider that for very long," Harry smiled as he leaned into her face and pressed his lips against hers. This kiss was soft and sweet and never-ending. Harry pulled back and looked into Ginny's brown eyes and she looked back at him, biting her lip.
"We should be getting back now," Harry said.
"Yeah, probably," Ginny agreed. Harry grasped her hand and they twisted into the suffocating darkness. They appeared a moment later outside of the crowded Burrow. Ginny pulled Harry by the hand through the door. They were soon catapulted with questions and were yelling out excuses and apologies through the loud din. Once the questions had calmed down and people had started leaving for their homes, Harry bid the Weasley's and Hermione farewell. Hermione and Ron walked out of the house and left for Ron's flat in the city. Harry disapparated to Grimmauld Place and walked into the dimly lit foyer. He staggered up the stairs and fell happily into Sirius' bed and quickly fell asleep.