Impavid

A/N: I spent an evening with my brother who is a huge superhero fan, and this is what resulted from our conversation. Enjoy! A Post-Deathly Hallows Harry/Ginny fluff story. One-shot. Rated T. Everything belongs to JKR.

Superheroes have secret identities so we don't think they're getting big heads. Clark Kent and Superman, Bruce Wayne and Batman, Spiderman and Peter Parker, all had a way to go back to being normal, and Harry envied them beyond all comprehension. Because when you're a nobody the media leaves you alone - Bruce Wayne probably isn't the best example now that he's griping about media, but Harry's right pissed off and isn't too concerned about the nuisances of his debating skills at the moment.

The problem is that Harry never had the chance at an alias, hell he didn't even know he had a "superpower" to defeat the bad guy until about two hours before he actually did it. He'd been living as Superman his whole life without the benefit of a Clark Kent to retreat to when the media started hounding him. But Harry wasn't Superman. He was a wizard, sure, but so was a reasonable percentage of Britain all things considered. They called him The Chosen One, but Harry considered himself someone who had a run of misfortune that no one would let him forget.

Harry threw down his cloak as he walked into his flat and lamented that he was more or less on his own at this point. He didn't really want to bother Molly and Arthur, and Ron had already listened to him gripe most of the day. Ginny and Hermione weren't done with classes yet, and so Harry threw himself onto the sofa and thanked his lucky stars none of the reporters had figured out where he lived yet. He'd chosen muggle Birmingham for that exact purpose.

It wasn't like the media had been all awful; they'd had the common sense to make their stories about him for the first few months after the war redemptive, flattering even. But they'd lulled him into a false sense of safety because once Kingsley convinced him he was needed in the Aurors more than he needed his NEWTs, things went downhill from there. This morning's paper had decided the nicest thing to call him was attention-seeking, and the worst of it, well he'd like to use the journalist for target practice with one or two spells he'd developed in the last few months.

Harry pushed the back of his head into the cushion and groaned. He contemplated whether eating was really necessary before deciding that it wasn't and turned to lie out on the couch. His legs hanging off the end, Harry tried to ignore the voice that told him his legs were going to lose all feeling before closing his eyes and trying to drift off to sleep. He was right on the verge when a knock came at the door. Groaning, Harry rolled over and put a cushion over his head and tried to ignore it. His downstairs neighbor, while an agreeable old gent, had horrible timing when it came to giving Harry the adverts addressed to his flat that had ended up in this bloke's post.

"Harry James Potter, I will break down this door!"

Harry's heart froze. There was no way; absolutely no way he heard that voice. Standing slowly, and because he's suspicious as hell taking his wand in hand, Harry moved to the door.

"What did I say before you boarded the train after Christmas?"

There's an exasperated and annoyed sigh on the other side of the door, "That you'd do your best to make the Hogsmeade weekend and if you didn't then you'd be sure to make it up to me on the next."

Harry couldn't get the door open fast enough. And then he wrapped his arms around her and she was clinging to him like her life depended on it. They stood there silently holding onto each other for what felt like forever before Harry backed them into his flat and shoved the door closed with his foot.

"Merlin, I've missed you!" He whispered as he focused on just holding her and breathing in her flowery scent.

Ginny just tightened her grip on him, barely able to hum in acknowledgment.

They would have been content to stay just as they were, but when Harry's stomach grumbled Ginny looked up at him and laughed.

"You've not eaten."

He chuckled, "No, honestly I was going to skive off dinner and pass out on the couch today."

"Well the elves packed me all your favorites, so if you're of a mind, we could do the passing out later." Ginny patted her school bag.

That's when reality caught up to Harry, "How did you get here, Gin? I'm not complaining, fuck I'm not complaining, but just, you're supposed to be at Hogwarts."

Ginny pushed past him, grabbing his hand and leading him to the small table and chairs in his kitchen. "I read the paper, Harry. You don't think I knew what sort of shape you'd be in after that arse wipe wrote the shite he did. Honestly, I kept turning my radio on to make sure the idiot hadn't tried to corner you and found himself on the wrong side of one your new spells. So I had the elves make your favorites this afternoon and once I was pretty sure you'd be off work I used the Room of Requirement to get to Hogsmeade and then apparated here." Harry sat in one of the chairs after helping her lay out the spread and noticed she'd had the elves give her extra treacle tart. Damn, he loved this woman.

"Does anyone know you're here?" He asked as he decided that dessert first was warranted today and pulled a slice of treacle tart from its wrapping.

Ginny smirked at him but made no other comment on his decision to eat dessert first. "There's a note that will be delivered to Hermione in about 15 minutes." She grabbed a sandwich and opened her bottle of butterbeer.

"You didn't have to come," Harry started, feeling worried that Hermione very well may report Ginny to McGonagall when she gets that note, but Ginny held up her hand.

"I'm well aware of the consequences that could happen. I actually told Hermione this morning that I was going to come here tonight and she chose to think I was joking. Trust me, Harry, I did think this through and you are completely worth it."

Harry stared at her, partly mesmerized by that blazing look on her face and partly floored at being told he's worth all the trouble Ginny could get in for leaving Hogwarts for a night.

"I love you," he whispered before bringing his lips to hers. The kiss was slow; he wanted her to really feel how much it meant to him to have her there on what had been an absolute shite day.

"I love you too," she murmured against his lips and Harry lost whatever control was left within him. He brought his lips to that spot behind her ear and grinned at the hitch in her breath that followed. He played there, teasing her with breathy kisses and whispered secrets, before moving down her neck and stopping to suck on her pulse point.

Ginny moaned and melted into him. Harry pulled away to smirk at her; Merlin he loved that he could do this to her. But his moment of gloating seemed to be taken as a challenge, at least he saw Gin's eyes narrow just slightly, and before he could process that entirely, Ginny managed to straddle Harry in one quick movement.

She smirked at the surprise in his face but quickly brought her lips to his. His hands traced the all too familiar curves of her body under her shirt as her tongue threatened to be his undoing.

"I think dinner can wait a moment, yeah?" She whispered huskily near his ear as she ran a hand along the waistband of his jeans.

Harry responded with a growl and his hands tightening on her sides. He slid her shirt up her stomach teasing right under her bra line. His fingertips dipped under her bra wire but nothing more until Ginny grew impatient and whipped her shirt over her head. Then she stood and slowly walked towards his bedroom. Harry watched her go, enjoying how smug she looked at her tease. But when she reached the door frame to his bedroom, Ginny turned so her back was to him before she reached up and undid her bra, letting it fall to the floor. Harry couldn't seem to get to his bedroom fast enough.

They did manage to make it back to the kitchen table and the dinner Ginny had brought. Ginny had stolen one of Harry's old shirts and if he was honest, his hunger was the only thing that kept him from carrying her back to his bed.

"When are you going back?" He hadn't really wanted to ask that question, but he also hadn't been able to get the thought out of his mind - as amazing as it was to have Ginny here, she'd have to leave.

Ginny sighed, "Tomorrow morning when you leave for work."

"And if I told you I quit today?" Harry asked with a sly smile.

Ginny laughed at him, "You? Quit? Harry, you don't know how to quit. You don't have that wire connected in your brain."

Harry threaded his fingers through hers and chuckled. "Maybe, but in all seriousness, I did consider it today, just to get these damned reporters to shut up."

"I hate to break this to you, love, but if you leave they'll only say things like 'shirking responsibility', 'running away', or 'coward'. I know how hard it is, but you can't let what they say affect how you live."

Harry heaved a sigh and rested his head on his free hand. "I know; it's just so hard to always be scrutinized. I literally can't do anything without the papers twisting it to make me look awful."

Ginny scooted her chair closer to him and carded her fingers through his hair. Harry moaned and leaned into her hand. "I'm just saying that we need to find a way to help you block them out emotionally."

Harry didn't respond, just pushed his chair up against Gin's and started to run his hand over her bare thigh.

Ginny laughed and pulled back, "We're talking right now dear." Harry gave her a pout, looking meaningfully at the hand that was no longer running through his hair. Ginny smirked at him, "I promise there will be more of that, but let's hash this out first."

Harry huffed a bit but he did straighten and tried to pull his attention away from what he wanted to do with the gorgeous creature next to him. "I'm not sure what to do about it, Gin. I don't read anything they write about me, everyone just brings it up, showing me different passages and I don't want to be rude and tell them to piss off, but yeah."

"Well maybe don't say it that way, but you could be polite about it, something like 'hey, I'd rather not know what lies they're spewing off today' same result but no one thinks you're a dick for it." Gin smiled at the chuckle she earned from Harry.

"I'll give it a go, but Gin," he moved closer to her and smirked at how her eyes watched his bare chest for a moment before returning to his eyes, "All these discussions can happen in letters and at Hogsmeade weekends and after quidditch matches. But this," he kissed her neck, "and this," he kissed her behind her ear, "and this," he ran his hand up her thigh, "can't." He whispered breathlessly in her ear, and any resolve Ginny may have had about hashing things out dissolved under his voice and his touch. Her hands ran up his chest feeling every inch of him before snaking around his neck and pulling his face down to hers.

Harry groaned as her hands found the hair at the nape of his neck and began to tug softly at it.

"Make it worth my while, Potter." Gin chuckled at the way Harry's hand tightened its grip on her thigh.

"Is that a challenge, Weasley?" Harry brought his hand teasingly up her inner thigh.

Ginny's breath grew more labored, "Intimidated?"

"You're always intimidating, love," Harry trailed kisses up her neck, "but I've never been one to back down."

"There's the man I fell in love with," Ginny laughed and pulled his lips up to hers.

It was incredibly late when they were finally drifting off to sleep in his bed. All too soon he'd apparate to work and her to Hogsmeade to get back to Hogwarts. But as Harry began to slip into his dreams, Gin wrapped snugly in his arms, he realized that she was right, he didn't back down from anything, let alone a coward of a journalist. Heroes don't back down, Harry reminded himself, and he smiled as he realized they too usually had someone to help them remember that, secret identity or not.