Chapter 2: Tears and Kisses

The next morning was also a quiet affair, asside from Mrs. Weasley's high pitched voice talking with Fleur about the wedding that was to take place in a few days. It was hard to believe that something so normal and happy could occur after something so terrible. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in Ron's bedroom, talking over their plans that were to take place after the wedding. Harry had of course tried talking Ron and Hermione out of going with him, but they wouldn't hear it.

"No, Harry. Stop trying to talk us out of this. We are coming with you, so just...shut up!" Hermione burst out suddenly.

"Fine." Harry said with defeat. He wanted them to come with him, but at the same time, he was terrified that he would be the cause of them getting hurt. "So i was thinking that the first place that we would go is to Godric's Hollow, where my parents lived. Hopefully that'll give me some idea as to where i should look for the Horcruxes -." As he said this, he heard the door creak. Hermione and Ron had apparently heard it too, because no sooner had the word Horcrux come out, than Hermione's swift hand had flattened itself against Harry's still open mouth. Ron looked reproachfully at Harry, as if it were Harry's fault that Hermione had her hand on his mouth. They stared at the door, and after a moments hesitation, in walked Ginny, looking confused to find hermione practically in Harry's lap. Harry, seeing Ginny's bewildered face, shoved Hermione, making her fall to the floor with a reproachful noise.

"Thanks, Ron." Hermione said as he helped her off of the floor.

"No problem," Ron said, his cheeks slightly flushing from their skin to skin contact. He akwardly let go of her hand and turned to Ginny. "Whatdya want?" he asked, in his usual spectacular manners.

Ginny looked up from the floor, and looked at her brother cautiously. It was not her brother or Hermione's company that she was seeking at the moment.

Ron, seeing his younger sister stealing glances at Harry, sighed. He approved strongly, even though he didn't show it outwardly very much, of his best friend and his sister. But he knew what Harry's mission was, and he didn't want Ginny to get hurt anymore than she already had. He looked at Hermione and gestured for them to leave the room.

As they walked out of the room, Harry's palms became sweaty and he swallowed nervously. This was the first time that he and Ginny had been alone together since the funeral, and even then, there had been hundreds of people around them.

Ginny walked towards Harry after Hermione had given her a secret encouraging smile and closed the door. She sat on the bed next to him and cleared her throat.

"I just, um, wanted to see how you were doing. Since the funeral and all" Ginny explained nervously.

"Oh." he said. This is not what he had been expecting. He thought that she was going to ask him- no, beg him- to reconsider their relationship. To throw herself at him and smother him with kisses until he relented. But the way that she was speaking with him now was normal, albeit a little akward, but mostly normal. "I'm fine, i guess. And you?" he asked stupidly.

"Fine, i'm fine." Stupid. This conversation was pointless...painful. Why couldn't she just admit to him how much she needed him right now? How much she wanted him to hold her and tell her that everything would be fine, and that nobody else that they loved would die.

"That's good." Harry replied. Ane then, just to fill in the growing silence, said " I'm leaving. After the wedding. Ron and Hermione will be with me, so no one needs to worry. We'll all be fine."

"Not worry? Not worry?" Ginny asked incredulously. " How the hell do you expect me not to worry? You think i can just sit here at home with my mum and Fleghm, who by the way, will drive me crazy, and just twiddle my thumbs and act like everything is fine? Like everything is normal? Even though my boyfriend will be out trying to save everybody, risking his life day after day?" Ginny was shouting at this point, not caring that these words were hurting him. And of course she knew that he wasn't trying to get himself killed...but that didn't mean that she wan'ty going to worry.

After Ginny yelled this, Harry looked at her and said quietly, " I'm not your boyfriend, Ginny". After he had said it outloud, to her stricken face, his heart sunk. It flet like someone had stabbed him with a knife right through the heart and they just kept twisting it, torturing him. Ginny turned away from him and willed herself to keep the tears that were threatening to pour over away. Hidden.

Harry touched her shoulder and pulled her around to face him. He was saddened by the tears that she had been trying to hold in fell over her beautiful eyes, and down her soft, freckled cheeks. "Why are you doing this Harry? Why?" She said in an anguished whisper.

The next thing she knew, Harry's warm, soft lips were kissing her cheeks, slowly kissing her tears away. Her eyes slid closed as his gentle lips kissed her eyelids, her nose, the corners of her mouth. And finally, his lips covered hers in a heartmelting kiss. One of his hands had tangled itself in her long, red hair, and the other was at the small of her back, pulling her as close to him as she could possibly get. She clawed at his shoulders, trying to get closer to him, and ran her hands up his neck through his shaggy hair. They continued kissing, and Ginny was happily surprised when Harry slid his tongue along the bottom of her lower lip, begging entrance into her sweet mouth. She eagerly kissed him back, and sighed as his hands rubbed her back soothingly. Needing air, she pulled her lips away from his and gently started kissing his throat and neck, causing goosebumps to rise on his smooth skin. He arched his head back, revelling in her loving touch. This is exactly what he needed. He needed to forget all about his mission and Voldemort, and concentrate on Ginny. His Ginny. His lips found hers again, and he kissed her, long and slow, making the sensation last as long as possible. He pulled away and rested his forhead against hers, as they tried to control their ragged breathing.

After a minute, Harry looked into Ginny's face, and said, " I love you, Ginny, That's why I'm doing this- because I love you." Ginny stared into his face and leaned into him again with a sad smile. She kissed him softly, sweetly, and brought her lips close to his ear. " I love you too, Harry." She whispered.