A Very Harry Ending

After stepping out of Dumbledore's office the trio headed down the stairs eager to get some rest and food. Harry utterly tired and immersed in a string of memories of last years adventures, suddenly bumped into someone and caught a whiff of a flowery smell and his eyes caught a glimpse of flaming red hair.

"Oh, sorry..." he stopped abruptly and his eyes saw two brown eyes staring back at him. "Hey, Harry." said Ginny tentatively. Searching for words he hastily muttered back a nervous hi.

"Come on Ron. We'll go down and get something to eat, shall we." said Hermione, grabbing Ron and dragging him towards the Great Hall.

"Harry, you look awful." said Ginny taking bits of twigs and dirt off his tangled and ruffled, untidy hair. Harry's stomach did a similar series of back flips while Ginny was brushing off some remaining bits.

"You look amazing." said Harry, which caused Ginny to blush. "So, how've you been?" he asked her, changing the subject.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a picnic here, and staying at home was.... well, horrible. We were all huddled up there and we didn't know what to do. Dad had to go to work though, but even he stopped after they started up rounding up blood traitors."

They heard footsteps and a moment later saw students coming up the stairs.

"Umm... I think we should go and talk somewhere else. I don't fancy signing autographs now and answering press reporters. Come on, we'll go to the common room." said Harry, thinking of the rush of crowd approaching him if they saw him here.

And with that they set off towards the common room, away from the oncoming crowd. "How'd your year go?" Ginny asked, not sure if he'd want to answer.

"Do I have to tell? Doesn't my state of hair and clothes tell you that." said Harry with a grin. It was amazing how it felt to have a genuine smile on his face after all that happened.

Ginny didn't know whether to smile or frown at this comment as they continued off toward the portrait hole

They reached the portrait hole and saw that the Fat Lady was there sitting on a messy floor without the usual armchair. She had a look of deep remorse on her face.

"Excuse me, Can we come in? Uhh, what happened? Why'd you look so glum?"

Harry added, after seeing her face.

She gave a sob and said. "Violet's portrait got burnt."

"Oh, err sorry, but can we come in?"

"Of course you can. Think I can stop 'The Boy Who Lived' from coming into his own dormitory" she said with an appraising sort of voice.

"Yeah, sure." Harry muttered as they climbed through the portrait hole

The fact that he had finished off the world's darkest wizard still had not sunk in.

"Wish we could get something to eat, I'm starving." said Harry and at this thought he called out Kreacher.

"Master called Kreacher. Does Master need anything?" asked Kreacher bowing so low to both of them that his nose touched the ground.

"Someone's changed a lot." Ginny muttered into Harry's ears.

"Umm, yes Kreacher. We hoped you could bring us something to eat over here."

"Right away Master, right away. Oh Master must be very hungry." and with that he apparated back to the kitchen.

"Why's he being so kind? Doesn't he hate us?" Ginny asked clearly surprised by Kreacher's change of attitude.

"Long story. Not now" said Harry a bit impatiently as he saw that Kreacher had arrived with a tray filled with sandwiches.

They both sat down by the fire, taking the coziest armchairs and started digging into the sandwiches.

"Wonder where Hermione and Ron are? They haven't eaten in days too." said Harry when a thought of them holding hands up in the Astronomy Tower and snogging came randomly as he was eating.

"They'll come round soon I suppose."

Tired and exhausted as he was, he could not think he could go to sleep now.

He shifted himself in the armchair so that he was facing Ginny. She looked so beautiful even after she had such a rough time.

Ginny caught him staring fondly at her and blushed. Then she saw that his eyes were watery and turned away.

"I'm sorry Ginny, for all the things I've done to you and your family." Harry said in a croaked voice."

"Sorry for what Harry. Sorry for the fact that you saved the whole wizarding world from the darkest wizard of all times. Sorry that you suffered a year long of torture just for us. You git have some sense.

You just saved us." Then she flung herself on Harry and kissed him deeply

as if repaying him for all he had done for them.

Harry surprised by her sudden outbreak, locked his arms around her waist and pulled her to his lap. This was what he was longing to have. Ginny in his arms. It felt as though energy was seeping back into him. His lips parted and their tongues started doing the conga. He started kissing her back. An emotion hard to describe was taking over him. He felt the world around him dissolve and felt like he was floating in heaven.

Both breathless broke apart after a long time with red and flushed faces.

For a long time they stared into each others eyes for a long time until Harry broke the silence

"So you forgive me for breaking up with you." he asked nervously.

"As long as you don't leave me again"

"I promise I'll never."

They snuggled close to each other, feeling drowsy and after some time, drifted off to a peaceful and serene sleep in the same armchair.