Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, so please don't sue me. I own nothing...

The sun was slowly setting beyond the thick line of trees, leaving in its wake a blend of tangerine and lavender streaks that slowly bled into the rest of the greying sky. It was a reminder to the couple lounging a few feet from the lakeshore that curfew was fast approaching and they were nowhere nearer to getting up from the carpet-soft grass rather than remotely thinking about returning to the common room. All that seemed to matter was how comfortable they were, Ginny drawing lazy circles on Harry's exposed stomach as he stared at the rapidly fading sunset without his glasses, preferring the blurred colors to the vivid definitions of each shade.

"We should go," Ginny stated somewhat flatly with no real desire to get up from the ground. What awaited her was another Monday morning full of O.W.L. classes and more homework that only stressed her so much that she even bit at Harry when he'd simply greet her in the hallway on the way to his own classes. It wouldn't have been so bad if Hermione hadn't been howling her since they'd returned from Christmas break, the prospective Head Girl insisting that Ginny discourage any fraternization with Harry and study until her brain exploded. Just the other day in History of Magic she'd sat slumped over her desk, chin on the heel of her hand, and thinking she'd gladly fail each O.W.L if it meant all her extra time was spent stretching out by the lake with Harry astride her, his fingers running all through her hair while he told her some new strategies he'd been mulling over for Quidditch the next year.

Before she'd realized it, she'd dreamt away Professor Binns entire lecture and was silently casting hexes on Hermione as she scolded Ginny for not paying better attention (Why, what if that was something that's going to be on your O.W.L? You'd better study extra hard). Hermione kept telling her that although Harry Potter was a very handsome name, it certainly wouldn't get her any credit if Ginny wrote it down as an answer on one of her examinations. That had elicited a laugh at which Hermione had turned on her heels and stormed back to the library with the lingering insult that at least somebody should work hard for full marks in this school.

Oh, Hermione certainly meant well, she always did, but there was that suspicion both Harry and Ginny shared that she was a little more than upset about Ron remaining clueless on how to be a boyfriend, but neither of them dared to offer any help; she might just blow a gasket.

"Don't worry about it," Harry said with a stifled yawn, drawing his arm around her and pulling Ginny from her distracted thoughts. "I've got the cloak with me; we'll be alright getting in a little late."

That was true enough. They'd stolen away a number of times after classes had ended to their little secluded spot by the lake where they would lay for hours until the sun set completely. It would be well past midnight by the time they would sneak back into the Common Room, and share a long, lingering kiss before departing to their respective dormitories.

"Mmm," she murmured, moving to get up and she finally managed to rest on her knees. "We really should go before I decide to stay out here all night."

Gathering Harry's hands in her own she helped him sit up but didn't fight him when he drew her into a firm hug. While most of Harry's embraces were firm, his years at playing and practicing Quidditch toning him from the knobbly-kneed skinny eleven year old he once was, rarely did they have this much sense of need behind them. Ginny hugged him back, somewhat worried that it was a precursor to a bad piece of news he was going to share and she drew in a deep breath as though it was going to be the last time she would inhale the musky scent that was uniquely Harry.



But if that were the case, Ginny didn't find out for Harry never said a word. He simply held her as though she might slip away otherwise, and it wasn't until the moon shone brightly in the night sky that he let go of her. In the soft glow that reflected off the surface of the lake, Ginny saw unshed tears perched on the rim of Harry's eyes and when he finally blinked, one trickled down his cheek and plopped on the thigh of his slacks.

"Harry -"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, cutting her off and reaching to gather up their belongings. He awkwardly shoved his glasses on, not seeming to notice that they were slightly askew as he took her by the hand and began to lead her back across the front lawn toward the school. Deftly he whipped the Invisibility Cloak about them and crouched low in order to cover their feet, and after a long fifteen minutes of avoiding patrolling teachers and praying that Peeves was wreaking havoc far, far away from them, the two finally made it back to the Common Room.

Neville was slouched on the table in the corner, parchment laid out before him with his messy handwriting scrawled over it and an open book lying just shy of his head where he was snoring lightly. Snape had been extra hard on him in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, making even worse snide comments toward Neville, if that was at all possible. Harry had simply reassured him that it was merely because Neville was doing so well in that class this year and Snape couldn't stand it, but that didn't make the extra assigned essays any easier.

"Harry," Ginny started just as he leaned in for their parting kiss, and he paused somewhat awkwardly. "Whatever it is...you can tell me. You don't have to bear this burden alone."

"That's just it," he said quietly, taking her by the arm. "Most of it I don't feel anymore. With you it's almost like there's no Voldemort, no Death Eaters or Dark Magic. Around you I feel like a normal sixteen year old where all I need to worry about is homework and not getting caught snogging in the hallways." -he smiled and so did Ginny. "And then I start thinking about things again, how I'm not just some normal teenager, that there's some evil wizard out there trying to kill me and we have this dangerous connection. I lost Sirius that way...I refuse to lose you that way, too."

For the first time Ginny didn't have a response for him, knowing that his godfather's death was still a raw subject for him and not once had they spoken of it since it happened. Ginny had never lost someone close; she couldn't even begin to pretend at any type of grieving empathy.

"Well...that's why Hermione's been nagging you to practice your Occlumency."

"That's bloody impossible, Occlumency," he grumbled, remembering with a flash of anger the lessons he'd had with Snape, even thinking that perhaps he'd deserved everything that his father and Sirius had done to him.

With a sigh, he cut his sharp green eyes at Ginny that indicated he was through with the conversation, and he pulled her closer to him. "Goodnight Ginerva."

And what was usually a simple, lazy kiss was shifted to something a little deeper. Ginny had managed to draw a suppressed emotion from Harry that was already writhing to break free. With every word of understanding she offered, he could break away another brick from the wall to reveal that void in him he so desperately needed to fill and tonight had been the final brick. Tonight Harry had chipped his way free and was finally letting her inside completely.

In this one kiss, Ginny began to remember all the nights she sat up writing in her diary about the Boy Who Lived with his unruly hair and sparkling green eyes (He actually greeted me at the train station! But I still have one more year 'til Hogwarts...). She remembered complaining to her mother how Ron would always tease her about being Harry's best mate and that she "didn't have a chance with him," and that fateful day when she pinned a small slip of parchment on her wall between her window and the poster of her favorite Quidditch team that simply read two short sentences.

"I will eternally carry my torch for Harry Potter, but today I vow to move on. Today I begin living my life so that I'm not just Ron's little sister anymore."

Both of them trembling slightly, they pulled away from each other and without so much as a word, they started for their respective dormitories. Ginny crept quietly through the door and across the room to her four poster just as all of her energy seemed to escape her. Sagging onto the mattress, she pulled off her robes clumsily, unable to shake the heavy foreboding feeling that was descending on her stomach like barbells.

"I suppose this is goodbye for now, Harry," she whispered to herself, glancing at the framed photograph of Harry and herself in Hogsmeade. Colin Creevey had surprised them just as they were leaving Honeydukes, Ginny halfway through feeding Harry some sort of cream-filled ball. Even now she smiled at the memory, having accidentally spread the cream all over his mouth and Colin had been nice enough to give her the picture afterwards.

And once the evening shifted back to morning, the sun barely over the castle grounds as Ginny made her way to her first class, she was growing accustomed to the weights in her stomach, even forgetting about it until she climbed through the portrait hole. She was tired and yawning from a long study session in the library but immediately sobered when she saw Ron and Hermione sitting close together, Hermione gnawing on her bottom lip and Ron tinkering nervously with his shirt cuffs.

"Ginny..."

"He's gone, hasn't he?"

Hermione nodded, close to tears and revealing that she knew the exact reason for Harry's sudden departure, and while Ginny had the overwhelming urge to shake her shoulders and demand an explanation, she didn't. Somehow she knew that one day Harry would tell her, but that still didn't stop her from fighting and supporting Harry, if not by his side, then on the front lines.

"Well then," she went on, planting her hands on her hips and looking from one to the other. "What do we do now?"

Ron grinned. "We tail Malfoy."