Disclaimer - All characters and locations belong to JK Rowling.
Always Will
Harry, Ron and Hermione slept for 15 hours straight that morning after the battle. Harry felt slightly guilty about all the people in the great hall who still wanted to share their stories with him. However he also recognized his desperate need for sleep, so, with Ron and Hermione curled up together in the next bed, he slept. More peacefully and deeply then he could recall ever having slept in his life.
It was over. He had done it.
No longer the character of loss and despair being led down the winding path towards death, but a glorious savior. A survivor. Nothing left to worry about but his own future. Finally he was free to dream.
He woke as night fell to an empty room. For a moment he wondered where Ron and Hermione had gone, then his stomach grumbled loudly and he remembered he hadn't eaten in nearly 24 hours.
"Kreacher?" Harry called. A slight knot of fear in his stomach as he recalled he hadn't seen the house elf since he led the other Hogwarts elves into battle. There was a loud pop and Harry let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding.
"Yes Master Harry? How can I be of service?" replied Kreacher, bowing so low his nose nearly touched the floor.
"I'm starving! Could you bring me something to eat, please? I want to go get properly cleaned up before I go downstairs and I don't think my stomach can hold out that long." Kreacher bowed again as he nodded, disapparating at once.
Harry looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was shaggy and hanging limply down around his neck. All that time trying to flatten my hair and all I had to do was let it grow… he thought, bemused. He was ruffling through the pink beaded bag that Hermione had left on Ron's bed for some clean clothes and the razor Fluer's father had given him when he heard the pop of Kreacher returning with food.
"I have brought you some bacon sandwiches and pumpkin juice Master Harry. I do hope it is to your liking."
Harry, who was already devouring one said mid chew, "chets gred tanks!"
Harry polished off the plate of sandwiches and headed off to the bathrooms.
Now that his stomach was satisfactorily full his mind started to wander to Ginny. Would she still want him? He was free now, free to do, say, love whatever or whoever he pleased and he had known for a long time now that the only person he ever wanted to love was Ginny Weasley.
Not for the first time he had a flash of Ginny in a white dress, this time however he saw himself waiting for her and the freshly awakened creature in his chest roared its approval.
There was nothing for it. If she would have him, he would never leave her side as long as he lived. If she wouldn't, he would do everything in his power to make sure she had the life she dreamed of.
After bathing, shaving and trimming everything there was to bathe, shave or trim Harry felt ready to face the world. He pulled out the marauders map and scoured it for the dot with her name on it.
He spotted Ron and Hermione in an empty class room on the third floor and smiled. He was so glad they had finally worked out how they felt about each other. After everything they had been through for Harry, they deserved to be happy.
There! She was alone in the corridor next to the room of requirement. With a little cheer that he was glad no one else was around to witness he ran off to meet her.
She was standing at a window looking over the grounds when he arrived. She looked almost ethereal in the blue light of the moon and Harry had to catch his breath before he could speak.
She looked sad but was not weeping and once again Harry felt a pang of guilt and the cold stab of loss over Fred's death.
"Hey." He called gently from his place in the corner. She did not jump but smiled slightly.
"I was wondering when you were going to come find me." Harry bucked up his courage and walked as calmly as he could to where she stood. She looked up into his eyes and he saw her eyes were glistening and pink with unshed tears.
"I'm so sorry for everything I have put you through Ginny. I'm so sorry about Fred." She looked away quickly at the mention of Fred's name.
"It's not your fault Harry. He chose to fight, we all did. He went while making a joke. I don't think he would have asked for anything else." Her voice rose unnaturally has she spoke.
Harry pulled her into his arms and she sank into his embrace. Shaking slightly as she sobbed.
"I-I'm so – hic – sorry Harry. I – hic – promised myself I… wouldn't cry." He voice regained its strength with these words and she stopped crying. A determined look present in her still puffy eyes.
"It's ok Ginny. I understand. It's ok to cry, it's ok to scream and it's ok be mad. It only shows how much we care, how much we love, and it's only our love separating us from the Voldemort's of this world. It's only love that saved us from him today." He couldn't believe what he was saying. All those times he had seethed at Dumbledore when he had spouted love as the answer to everything, and here he was passing it on to Ginny.
Except he understood now, as he never had before, just how important love was. It was only his love for Ginny… for Ron and Hermione… that was keeping him from caving into the sadness himself.
"Ginny, I know this probably isn't the best time, but I need you to know." He sucked in a deep bracing breath and… "I love you Ginny. The whole time I was away I couldn't stop thinking about you, worrying about you and what you were doing. When I got really miserable and everything looked impossibly bleak I would pull out the marauders map and watch you. Wishing I could be with you. I don't know if you still feel the same way, and if you don't I will understand, but you need to know I will always be here for you. Whatever you need from me."
She looked up at him again, her eyes misty with tears once again but with a smile stretching across her beautiful face and all of a sudden, with dizzying relief, he knew what was coming next.
"Of course I feel the same you nit wit! When I saw you lying there on the ground, when I thought you were dead, I felt as though I could never be happy again. You are all I have ever wanted Harry and I don't want to live without you." Harry felt the monster in his chest trying to claw its way out and he kissed her. Passionately. Trying to say everything he wanted and dreamt for them in the kiss that felt like the start of forever.
Eventually they had to break for air and gasping for breath, Ginny grabbed his face with both hands. Firm but loving, and said:
"I've always been yours Harry Potter, and I always will be."
A/N: I hope you liked that. I was re reading Harry Potter for the millionth time and needed some closure.