The room was warm and full of laughing voices. Music played loudly in the background, a band Harry recalled as being called the Weird Sisters- a band that had never sounded better to him. It was still hard for him to believe that this was a holiday spent without fear of wars and death. Though the ghosts of those lost still yet haunted him- haunted them all- this was the first Christmas in many years that any of them could spend at ease. Voldemort was gone and his Death Eaters disbanded (well, mostly disbanded) and there was nothing for them to worry about.

So, perhaps this was why everyone was putting their whole heart and soul into the party. Even Molly Weasley, who's family had been heavily disrupted and torn apart by this war, was pink-cheeked and giggling. From where he stood across the room, Harry merely watched as those he cared for most mingled in the room.

They had spent the better part of seven days cleaning for this party; Molly had, much like she had the time at Grimmauld Place, taken charge of everyone and had everyone involved. From morning's first light until the darkness of night had settled, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and everyone else cleaned until finally there was nothing left to clean. The Burrow had shined like Harry had never before seen it- every surface shined like diamonds and the kitchen smelled wonderful, so full of the various scents one associated with Christmastime. It had brought the lot of them back together, because for the first time in many years- they were no longer a trio. Hermione, true to her word, had returned to Hogwarts that year with Ginny to finish out her last year of school. He and Ron had chosen to sit it out and had already begun to receive summons from the various departments in the Ministry of Magic. But, they had decided to wait on that too- until Hermione and Ginny finished their final year at school together. They'd earned a bit of a break, after all.

His eyes fell upon Ginny, who was nestled in a corner with George, who was laughing at something she was saying. It was good to see George laugh, the loss of his twin had done more than devestate him, it had broken him. Harry couldn't help to notice that she was wearing a pale blue, almost silver, sweater that had been in her pile of gifts from him. Ginny was reaching out, touching his hand then, her brown eyes bright even to him across the room. George pulled her into a tight embrace then Harry turned away, leaving brother and sister to themselves. His eyes strayed then to Ron and Hermione, who sat on the couch, Hermione clutching to a drink her eyes twinkling as Ron spoke to her. Then his eyes turned to Molly and Arthur Weasley, the parents he had never had, and could not help but to smile. Through everything, they had taken care of him. They had made him a part of the Weasley family without a second thought. As he gazed around at the room, he felt a loss of words, but knew he could have created the world's strongest Patronous Charm in that very moment.

[ x x x ]

It was late into the night then and nearly everyone had disappeared off to bed somewhere in the house, as even the Minister of Magic was staying overnight. The only ones left remaining were Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Well, aside from Geroge who had passed out on the floor an hour before. Both girls were talking in whispers and giggles, the redheaded one swaying slightly on the spot, her brown eyes full of mischief. Ron and him, both suitably drunk from what seemed like endless bottles of firewhisky and the like, exchanged quick glances as the girls approached. Hermione nearly stumbled, falling against Ron in the process, who carefully stablizied her, grinning stupidly. "Bed, 'Mione?" He asked the brunette, who grinned, and swore winked at Ginny as she strolled by with Ron at her side. "Night," Ron called over his shoulder to the other two, leaving them standing there, the only noise the dying crackles of the fire and George's soft snoring.

This was not the first time they'd been alone since that final battle back in May. They had spent many hours together that summer, sometimes not even speaking, as they somehow learned to settle into what felt normal. When September came and Ginny left with Hermione for school, Harry had felt an emptiness like he'd never experienced in all his years of isolation and loneliness. And then her first letter had arrived (the morning of September 2nd) his heart had soared and letters became quite regular between the two of them. Now, here it was Christmas break and Harry knew their days together were dwindling down. She would return to school and he knew she would be buried in schoolwork until the end, as her N.E.W.T.S were coming up and Hermione had already mentioned them several times. "Thanks for the sweater," she said suddenly, bringing his attention back to her face, grinning as he just barely made out the words she was speaking. Clearly, no one had monitored how much alcohol she was consuming that night. His eyes trailed the length of her, taking in just how well the sweater color complimented her- just as he had known it would. She took a step forward and then, like Hermione had done before her, stumbled over her feet, narrowly missing a hard fall to the floor when Harry managed to slip his arms around her in time. "They let me have shots." Harry laughed as he righted her on her feet, nodding in his acknowledgement of her statement.

"Want help upstairs?" He asked her with a grin to which she nodded, allowing him to take her by the arm, leading her out of the room they were in. They had been in the parlour just off the kitchen which when coming out of the door left them at the base of the stairs that would lead them up several floors to various bedrooms. Ginny's room happened to be on the first floor so they only had to make it up one flight of stairs. As they approached the door, Harry reached out a hand to grasp the door knob but voices inside of the room made him second guess his actions. Ginny was giggling then and shaking her head, clearly understanding her room had more than one occupant at that moment. "Come on," Harry said, wondering to himself if this had all been some plan by the girls, but he supposed he really didn't mind it... They took to the stairs once more, climbing up four more flights before they approached Ron's bedroom, one that he had slept in for many summers now. He opened the door and she slipped in past him, her red hair billowing in her wake. As he closed the door behind him and flipped on the light, he blinked against the brightness, his eyes coming to fall upon her.

She stood dead center in the room, the light bouncing of her red hair like a crown, and her brown eyes were wide in her face. They did not move, did not speak, for several moments then, merely staring at one another as if seeing the other for the first time in ages. Harry really couldn't say which of them moved first, but in an instant, they were wrapped in one another's arms, their lips on each other's. Harry's hands moved quickly, one down to the small of her back, the other tangling in her sweet-smelling hair. He could feel her hands moving as well- one draped lazily over his shoulder, the other at his hips. Drawing her closer, Harry broke for air, his laughter at her ear as she felt his teeth nipping at the skin of her earlobe. Her hands were on the move agsain, this time both of them tangling themselves in his messy dark hair. "Youuuu," she drawled with a laugh, her movements unsteady as she moved in to kiss him again, but he caught her face between his palms, and for a long moment they stared back at one another.

And suddenly, this was his moment.

"Gin, listen," he began, his emerald eyes smoldering as they looked upon her. Even in her drunken fog, Ginny knew that he had something important to say to her. "There's something I... Just something I wanted to tell you..." He found himself to be stumbling over his words- both from nerves and alcohol. But Ginny was staring at him with her big, doe-like eyes and he knew he needed to say something. anything! "I never told you when I should have, I should have told you that first moment I saw you after the battle ended. But Fred... and Lupin and Tonks..." He watched the shadow cross her face but she nodded. "I couldn't, not right then anyways." As she always did, Ginny understood him, even without his messy explanation, she knew what he meant. That was one of the things he loved the most about her. "I love you, Ginny... I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone." There were so many things he could have said to her then- how she was the last thing he'd thought of when Voldemort had cast that last Killing Curse- or about how jealous he'd truly been that year Dumbledore died, seeing her with Dean and the others. But they had so much time now, they had their whole lives left to talk about those things, didn't they?

Tears filled her eyes but Ginny blinked them away, though her smile was somewhat watery as she felt him draw her to his chest in a tight embrace. "I love you, too," she said softly, her voice muffled against his chest. He drew back then and they exchanged one single smile before his lips were on hers once more. This kiss was different though- not so gentle it was instead full of fire and passion. His hands trailed down her sides to stop at her hips and before he knew it, she was pulling out of his grip completely, a smirk on her lips. She was undressing then, slowly and right before his eyes, starting first with her jeans and followed by the blue sweater Harry had given her. Harry felt himself growing hard immediately at the sight of her half naked before him, her smile tantalizing as she beckoned him closer. He could not deny her and he came forwards, sliding his arms around her, the warmth of her skin comforting through his t-shirt. Kissing his deeply, Harry slid his tongue into her mouth, feel her hands wandering around the buckle on his belt. She undid it and slipped the belt from its loops, tossing it aside on the floor beside the bed. His pants came next and he stepped out from them the moment they'd fallen to his ankles, pushing her several inches closer to his bed just behind them.

"Ginny..." He murmured her name softly, before trailing his lips down her jawline, feeling her hands back in his hair. "C'mon," he said, softer still, pulling free from her hands despite the groan of displeasure that left her lips almost immediately. His hands caught hers and he drew her towards his bed, pulling her down with him, earning him a giggle instead. She flipped over onto her back then, red hair spread beneath her head, the lamplight making her eyes all the brighter as he leaned over her. Unable to help himself, he reached out a hand, tenderly stroking her cheek, his heart swelling at the sight of her cheery smile. In all his life, Harry had never thought he would truly experience a moment such as this... A moment where there was nothing else for him to think about aside from the now- there was no Voldemort, no war, no fighting to think of. Instead, there was nothing there to occupy his thoughts other than the beautiful girl laying there beside him. Without another thought, he kissed her, gentle and true, sliding one hand into her hair while the other kept him upright over her. When they broke apart, she regarded him with those eyes of hers and she smiled, sitting up onto an elbow, forcing him back only an inch or so.

She had never, in all their years together, seen such a look upon his face. Ginny supposed that in all his life, he'd really never experienced the moments like he had over these last few months since the final battle. He had, in a way, always lived day by day, never knowing if that day in particular would be his last. Now, he no longer had to worry about that. Instead, he could worry about normal things, like what job he would do now that school was over. Or where he would live, though Ginny was quite certain her mother would be okay with all of them remaining at the Burrow for the rest of their lives. There was no more fear, no more worry, no more despair. Of all people, Harry deserved to experience life without these things. "Remember what you said to me that one day by the lake?" She suddenly asked, her words slurred but quiet, though her eyes were twinkling. "You said that you would never rest until Voldemort was gone. Now, he's gone, so what is a boy to do?"

Harry chuckled at her words, remembering the day as well as if it had only been yesterday, not two years prior already. They had spent the entirety of a Saturday together down there by the lake, one final day of peace before everything had gone to hell. He had looked into her eyes that day and realized that all along, Dumbledore had always been right. His greatest strength would always be the love he shared with others- with Ginny, with his friends, with his red-haired family. He would, he had vowed that day, to protect them all with his life and he would not rest until they were safe. Ginny had smiled at him and called him noble, had told him that she would face any battle without fear, and she had. She, as well as all the others, had stood beside him through every last moment those last two years. "A boy is going to figure out his life," Harry replied, his arms coming around her, dragging her back onto the bed as she laughed, straining against him for all of several seconds. "Maybe fall in love." He whispered these words into her ear and for a moment, silence fell, but then she laughed again, as did he, and their laughter died as she kissed him fiercely.

"You're drunk," she accused, poking him in the chest with her finger, before the same finger trailed across, lazily tracing circles against the soft cotton of the t-shirt he still wore. "I'm drunk." It was his turn to poke her then and she sighed happily, fidgeting until she lay perfectly against him, tucked into all the perfect places, as if her body had been molded to his. The weight of her head on his chest was comforting. It was evident, that whatever they had originally planned on doing in that room together was long since forgotten, though neither minded in the slightest. In fact, as Harry thought about everything these days, he knew there would be time for that sort of stuff in the years to come. For now, he wanted to simply enjoy being with her, being there next to her was more than enough for him.

For what felt like an eternity they lay there, silent and tucked into one another's arms, the only sound that of the ghoul in the attic overhead. Her breathing had long since evened out and Hary knew before he looked to her that she was sound asleep. She shifted then, her head on his shoulder now, her leg thrust over top of his. Moving carefully as he could, as not to wake her, he drew the blanket overtop the both of them and turned inward, his head resting against hers. Sleep was clawing at him as he pressed a kiss to her temple and closed his emerald eyes, knowing without a doubt that his dreams would be sweet and wonderful. Nightmares would no longer plague him as they once had. Right before sleep completely consumed him, he thought of her as she had been only a short while before, undressing right before his eyes, the light a halo around her crimson head. A smile touched his lips and then he was asleep, a sleep like one he'd never before experienced.

It was, without a doubt, the best Christmas yet.