A/N: Happy Fourth of July if you're in the US! Here's some Harry & Ginny - it's fluffy, but also gets a little serious given the prompt. Thank you everyone for reading!
When he'd told her that he wanted to fully explain what happened that night, she'd taken a moment to answer, jaw clenched and eyes calculating. For a moment, he was nervous, scared that he had misunderstood her feelings, that maybe she wasn't ok with everything between them and he'd just managed to remind her. Gritting his teeth he prepared for a storm he desperately tried to avoid having aimed toward himself at all costs, only witnessing it 'til this point when one of the Weasley brothers crossed the surprisingly intimidating red head. Well surprising when you first met her, but after a short dialogue, only a complete clot would think getting on her bad side was a good idea. However, Harry was pleasantly surprised when his girlfriend blew out a breath and gave him a small smile, "Ok."
His entire body relaxed, losing the tension he hadn't noticed until it was gone, as Ginny slid closer on the couch, nestling herself between his legs and nuzzling her head under his chin. Harry dipped his head, taking in her flowery scent, eyes closed in bliss, when she spoke, "But we should do it somewhere public."
Eyes shooting open, "But Rita-"
Ginny pinched his side, "I'm not thick; public as in muggle London I mean."
Rubbing at the tender spot, Harry kissed the crown of Ginny's head, snuggling her closer to his chest, and muttered into her hair, "Ok."
So that was how they ended strolling down a mildly crowded street in late June, a few stops away from Diagon Alley and the wizarding world on the tube, "Oh Harry, we've got to take dad on one!"
Harry grinned, knowing full well Arthur Weasley would be ecstatic just at the thought of muggle public transport. Pulling Ginny closer by the hand, Harry wrapped an arm around her waist, sighing happily as she did the same, "So I was thinking if we got some fish and chips, and then sat in a park nearby?"
Leaning into Harry to dodge an oncoming pedestrian, blighter, Ginny nodded, "Sounds lovely, love a good fish and chips. Plus it looks like the rain'll hold off at least for a bit."
Tilting his head back, Harry took in the pleasantly sunny sky, with storm clouds only off in the distance, "Aye aye cap'n. I think we've got a couple hours at least."
After finding a tiny shop that sold fish and chips wrapped in paper, the couple doused their lunches with varying amounts of vinegar – 'Oh really Harry that's just excessive' – and wandering a few blocks, they settled in on a park bench nestled in a copse of trees. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, munching on battered flaky white fish and taking in the antics of the inhabitants of a nearby duck pond, before Ginny spoke quietly, "So, would now be a good time for you to, y'know?"
Harry wiped at his mouth with a paper napkin, "Yeah, sure."
He took a moment gathering his thoughts and polishing off the last of his chips, before balling up the wrapper and sinking it smoothly into a nearby garbage bin. Ginny applauded enthusiastically, nearly dropping her lunch in the process, "Endless talents my good man."
Smirking, he ran his hands down his thighs, blowing out a deep breath, "Well, you know the obvious…I'm not dead."
Sobering slightly, Ginny let out a short laugh, "Yeah. I've got that much."
Harry nodded, steeling himself, "And I've told you Snape helped me."
"Right, you said he knew your mum, and gave you his memories before he…"
Leaning forward, Harry rested his elbows on his knees, hands clasped, "Mhm. Well it turns out, that Voldemort's plan to live forever involved splitting his soul-"
"Bloody hell," Ginny breathed, crumpling the oily paper between clenched hands. Harry bit his lip, not speaking as his eyes slid closed.
Ginny stared for a moment, scooting closer to rest a now clean hand on his knee, "I take it you going into the forest had something to do with that, yeah?"
Sitting back, Harry scrubbed his hands over his face, pushing his glasses into his hairline and exposing the lightning bolt scar that had paled since May, "I-I was one. A piece of him was inside me. Almost my whole life-"
Slipping her hands to cup the sides of his face, Ginny turned his face towards her, laying a blistering kiss on his lips, before she pulled him into a fierce embrace, "Oh Harry, love."
They sat for a moment, Harry's breathing slowly relaxing as Ginny carded her hands through his hair, then letting them slide down his neck, gently kneading the tensed muscles, "Is that what you-"
Harry pulled back, pulling her hands from around his neck to rest with his between them as he ducked his head, "Not quite, there was the prophecy. Y'know, the one from the Department of Mysteries?"
Ginny nodded, then realized he wouldn't see, so she whispered, "I remember."
"Well, basically, all that together meant that for Voldemort to die, I had to go to him to finish things, and I went…to die," Harry stated matter-of-factly, voice going soft towards the end.
Grip tightening, Ginny's close cut fingernails cut half moon shapes into Harry's hands, as he continued, "But, I saw you, with the girl – she was lying in the grass…"
Stroking the top of his hand with her thumb, Ginny looked up, "I thought I was going crazy – I could almost feel that you were there, but I thought it was just wishful thinking…"
"I wanted to stop but-"
Ginny cut off his train of thought, "No. It would've been too hard. For both of us."
Harry nodded with a quick sniff, bringing her hand to his lips, "Yeah. I know. But it didn't make it any easier."
Giving up all pretenses of controlling public affection, Ginny swung her legs over one of his, practically sitting in his lap as she nestled into his side comfortably, "I'm sorry you were alone."
"Only sort of, I had the stone, so my parents, and Sirius, and Remus – they were all there for a bit," Harry answered, emotion making his voice rough.
Ginny turned her head to place a kiss on his chest, near where the second Avada Kedavra Voldemort had shot at him landed, slowly stroking his chest with her freckled hand.
"But all that, I- the real thing I wanted to tell you, I guess, well the last thing I thought about before he you know-"
Ginny scoffed, brushing away an errant tear, "Tried to off you like a bloody bastard?"
A laugh rumbled in Harry's chest, "Gin, there are children present."
"First, that kid is nearly nine at least, and second he's at least two meters away," Ginny shot back.
"Always exaggerating you are," Harry teased, pulling her closer to him affection obvious in his embrace.
After a beat, Ginny prompted, "So. The forest?"
Reaching up with his free hand, Harry ruffled his hair, eyeing the storm clouds that were nearly overhead, "Ah, yes. That. I didn't try to defend myself, but I closed my eyes, and the only thought in my head was- well I thought of you," Harry said in a breath, slight nerves coloring his voice.
Silence fell over them, and Ginny could feel his heart beating rapidly underneath her head. She sat up, making sure to keep as little distance between them as possible, hoping the closeness would reassure Harry. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the sky opened up, drenching them in seconds and drowning out their voices.
Harry tried to shout directions, before giving up and offering his back, which she climbed on quickly, as he trotted down the waterlogged path. He had more experience with muggle London, which Ginny hoped meant he knew somewhere close by to shelter.
As they cleared the trees, Ginny tossed her lunch wrapper into a nearby bin shouting in Harry's ear, "I made it while moving, and wet."
She could feel his chuckle and saw his mouth pull back in a wide grin. He grasped her legs tighter, splashing across the street to the cover offered by an overhang in front of a dry cleaner shop. Ginny looked up into his dripping face complete with fogged over glasses, and hair flattened to his head, random pieces sticking up, and chuckled, pressing her smile to his. As she pulled back, Ginny rubbed her nose with his, "Did I ever tell you why I wanted to go out when we talked?"
Harry blinked for a moment, before he caught her train of thought, "Er- no?"
Ginny dropped back on her heels, letting her hands rest on his wiry chest, "It was because I wanted to let you get through it, and I knew whatever you had to tell me, I'd either turn into a human hosepipe or have the uncontrollable desire to snog the daylights out of you."
Cheeks turning a rosy color, Harry stuttered, "A-and which one was it?"
Smiling, though her eyes were slightly glassy, Ginny whispered, "I'd like to do both, if you've the time."
