CHAPTER 2

As Ginny determinedly pulled Harry through the kitchen to the front room, he was a bit puzzled about what was happening.

"Ginny. What did you ask your mum?"

Ginny manoeuvred Harry to a big, squidgy comfy chair in the corner of the room, pushed him down into it and promptly plonked herself on his lap.

"Ginny…..what you doing? What's going on?"

"What is going on Harry Potter, is that you and I are going to talk."

"Talk! About what?"

Us…but first.." and Ginny leant into Harry, pulled his head to hers and kissed him full on the lips, gently but not chastely. For quite a few seconds. Harry's eyes went wide, taken completely by surprise by Ginny's move on him. He made an attempt to pull away, but with her left hand around his neck and right hand pulling at his shirt coupled with the fact that Ginny now had Harry's head back against the cushion, he had nowhere to go.

"No chance Potter", Ginny mumbled, then kissed him harder, her lips locking onto Harry's with a vengeance. Harry succumbed to human nature, and began returning her kiss, his arms going around Ginny and crushing her against him, their lips opening as they shared their first deep kiss for 13 months, a kiss that was passionate, a release of their true feelings for each other, that was unrestrained, that was a confirmation that the 13 months hiatus in their relationship was just a pause, not a finish. After a good 10 minutes of cuddling and heavy snogging, Harry managed to free his lips from Ginny's and come up for air. Ginny reluctantly moved her head back from his, but her arms remained around Harry's neck and she settled her head into his chest. A gentle satisfied sigh came from her.

"Ginny?"

"Mmmm".

"That was….good. And a surprise. But how did you get 'round your family, particularly your parents and Ron, to set this up? I get the impression your mum knows"

Ginny raised her head and looked at Harry and said,

"Yes, mum does know. I asked her if we could use this room to have a talk about…well us. Like I said earlier."

"We haven't done much talking Gin!" At that Ginny blushed and then giggled.

"Well, I thought that maybe missing the talking bit out and going straight to the main topic that I wanted to talk about would save time. And more fun!"

"Well I agree with the more fun bit. And I'm not complaining. And I guess that the conversation we haven't got around to yet is going to be about getting back together?"

Ginny's look became a bit more serious, some of the mischief going from her eyes. She nodded, biting her lower lip.

"Harry. I don't feel we ever really broke up. I know what you said at the time, but neither of us have looked at anyone else in the last year. I haven't even wanted too….I just feel that everything that was going on around us sort of took over; what with Dumbledore, and the Death Eaters, Snape, and…and..well everything".

"Ginny, I made the decision to break off with you because I am so worried that you will become the biggest target for Voldemort. If he and the Death Eaters realise that I love you then they will…"

Ginny moved her head, her arms coming around from Harry's neck to his chest and she pushed herself back from him so she could look at him at eye level.

"What…..what did you say?"

"Uh…..that you will be a target…."

"No, the second bit Harry?" Ginny asked quietly.

Harry reddened slightly, "That I love you".

Ginny was stunned, in total shock for about ten seconds, as what Harry had said to her sunk in. Then a very gentle, slow smile came to her face.

"You have never said that before Harry; even last year when we were going out. Do you really mean that? You love me?"

"Yes. Only you Ginny; I probably have done for a couple of years, but I actually only realised it last year. That's why I split with you Ginny… if Voldemort found out….well, I,….I couldn't risk you Ginny. And I still can't risk anyone finding out. You could be tortured or worse, they would get to me by capturing you…and I would give myself up to stop them hurting you Ginny".

She looked at him with her own feelings shining from her eyes, a mixture of love, desperation and frustration.

"Harry, why didn't you tell me all this before. You told me about not wanting me as a target but…..not the 'you loved me' bit. You cut our relationship dead, not saying half of what you have just said. OOH! You are a bloody idiot Harry Potter!" Her arms went back around Harry's neck, her hands into his hair as she pulled herself hard into him and kissed once more, harder and more passionately than she had ever kissed him before. Ginny turned herself towards him, so rather than sitting on his lap she pulled one leg over him so that she now sat astride him. She pushed herself up so that she was a little bit above him, their kissing becoming frantic as if they wanted to make up for the year or more that they had missed out on since their break-up. Harry's hands were at her waist and he could feel Ginny's skin as her vest top rode up. His hands slid inside her top, moving up her back. As her top moved up with his hands, Ginny pushed herself higher against Harry, his face now level with her chest. She pushed his face into her body, feeling his breath through her bra onto her breasts. He was kissing her there. Ginny's breathing was getting faster, her own hands went to her vest to pull it off….

"No Hermione. Ginny and Harry have been in their ages. They must be talked out by now. She's my little sister…!"

"Ron! We're not finished everything for Harry's party. Leave them be….RON!"

"Shit. Fuck." Ginny said. She was pulling her vest down and throwing herself off of Harry, then pulling her short skirt down where it too had ridden up. "I'm going to bloody kill him when I get the chance!"

Ginny just got herself decent and sitting down next to Harry as Ron walked into the room, followed by Hermione. He spotted immediately that Harry's hair was even more dishevelled than normal and that his sister was a bit red and angry looking.

"What you two been doing?" he said, highly suspicious.

"Not that it's any of your bloody business, Ronald, but we have just been talking" replied Ginny.

"Oh yeah. What about?"

"It's none of your business Ron. Leave us alone and piss off". Ginny's temper was rising rapidly as she shot daggers at her brother.

Hermione butted in, pleading with Ron' "Come on Ron. We have to go back out and finish stuff off. Your mum wants the table decorations finished tonight. Leave Ginny and Harry alone. They are only talking a few things out between them"

Ron snorted and glared at Hermione and then Ginny. "What things? They have got nothing to sort. They split up last year, didn't you Harry?"

Harry, feeling a bit guilty about what had developed so fast between Ginny and himself, replied, "Uh. Yeah we did.." At a scowl from Ginny he quickly changed his talk;

"Well, I did. I broke it off. Ginny didn't. So …..so I was just clearing a few things up about why I did that. We haven't really talked about it since."

"So there Ron. Now you know, you nosey git". Ginny had heard enough from her brother. "Personal stuff between Harry and I that is NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS, NOW PISS OFF OR I WILL HEX YOU RONALD WEASLEY"

Molly Weasley stormed in from the kitchen: "GINEVRA WEASLEY. STOP THAT LANGUAGE IMMEDIATELY. AND DO NOT THREATEN TO HEX YOUR BROTHER. NOW WHAT IS GOING ON?"

All four of the arguing quartet went quiet at Molly's tirade, clearly seeing that the Weasley matriarch was angry at Ginny, not realising that it was actually Ron who had caused the problems.

"I said, what is going on?" Molly demanded.

"Mrs Weasley" Harry tried to explain, "it was my fault. I had made Ginny upset trying to explain why I split with her last year when Ron came in. He saw me, saw Ginny crying and, well knowing that I split up with Ginny last year, he got annoyed at me. The argument just got a bit heated. Ginny was just angry at Ron for having a go at me. That's all. He was just being a good brother".

Ginny and Hermione both gave Harry an annoyed look at his explanation, knowing it to be a big stretch of the truth.

"Fine. But I am not having arguing and language like this in my home. So all of you, out into the kitchen now, where I can keep an eye on you" directed Molly.

"But mum, that's not fair" pleaded Ginny. "You said Harry and I could have an hour; it's not even been half that yet."

"OUT NOW GINEVRA WEASLEY. DON'T ARGUE WITH ME."

Hermione, Ron and Harry left for the kitchen immediately, but Ginny was as stubborn as her mother.

"Ron caused this mum. It wasn't Harry, he was just trying to cover for me and Ron arguing. Ron came storming in here demanding to know about our personal stuff mum. It had nothing to do with him. It was just me and Harry trying to sort things out." Ginny started to tear up, her eyes glistening. "And it was going fine till my git of a brother stuck his nose in."

Molly looked at her daughter, realising the truth. She also knew that Ron was just trying to protect his young sister from getting hurt again.

"Oh Ginny, you are growing up so fast. As the only sister of all your brothers, and the youngest, you have more sense than they all had at your age. And getting the idea that you now are of an age to have personal stuff that is none of our business is taking some getting used to for all of us, particularly Ron and the twins. You are their little sister, Ginny, they love you; they will protest you no matter what. Although they sometimes have a strange way of showing it!" Molly held her arms open and Ginny dropped into them, Molly giving her a big hug. Ginny sobbed gently into her mum's shoulder.

"I know that mum" Ginny gulped out between sobs.

"But protect me from Harry? Harry loves me mum. He would do anything to keep me safe. That's the problem, mum. Harry's too bloody honourable for his own good."

Molly Weasley eased Ginny away from her to look her in the eye.

"Harry loves you!" she said in surprise. "Has he said this to you, Ginny?"

"Yes mum, he has. In fact, about 5 minutes before Ronald stormed in here. Harry and I were….were…making up, sorting out where we went from here. Then Ron ruined it. It's good between me and Harry, mum. Really good. And before you ask, I love Harry too."

Molly looked at her daughter with great affection, a knowing look in her eye.

"Ginny, I have known you have loved Harry since you were 10 years old. You may not have known it then as you were so young, probably a crush, but it was obvious to me. That love has grown and matured with you into the 'in love' that every young woman wants to experience. You and Harry's feelings for each other have probably also grown faster because of all that has been happening. You have both got feelings far beyond your years."

"Mum, I love him so much. I am miserable when I don't see him; I worry about him all the time. He attracts trouble like a magnet. And he is going off to fight Vol.., well you know".

"Yes, I know love. And you will have to let him go. He IS the Chosen One, Ginny. It has to be Harry."

Ginny cried in her mother's arms.

"Now, now. He's not going yet. We have his birthday party tomorrow, then Bill and Fleur's wedding, then decisions that Harry will make with the help of the Order. He is not going anywhere for a while. So stop your crying, get yourself cleaned up and get out to the kitchen with the others. And don't kill Ronald!" Molly said with a gentle laugh. "And be with Harry. He needs to know that you support what he is doing, even if you are scared and don't want him to go. OK?"

Ginny raised her tear filled eyes to her mother. Giving her a big hug and a kiss on her cheek, she said "Oh mum. You're the best. Thanks for being you."

The remainder of the evening was a bit awkward to start with. The glare Ginny gave Ron as she entered the kitchen would have had a troll running for cover, and the glare she gave Harry seconds later wasn't much easier, but at least she did join him at the table. The conversation turned to the next couple of days festivities and the many guests that were arriving, the duties that all the family, along with Harry and Hermione, were going to be involved in. As the evening closed, and everyone headed for bed, Ginny took Harry's hand and held him back. Ron, realising that Harry was not following him upstairs, turned to see them together at the far end of the table. He gave them both an angry look, saying'

"Oi, Harry. Are you coming up or what?"

Molly cut in immediately. "Ronald. You leave Harry alone. You stuck your nose into Harry and Ginny's private conversation earlier. So leave them be!". Then she turned to the young couple.

"And you two. You have five minutes to say goodnight, then off to your separate beds for both of you. And I will be listening. Got that?"

"Yes Molly" said Harry. Ginny would have liked substantially longer than five minutes and not separate beds, but reluctantly nodded. "Yes mum. And thanks".

Molly smiled at them both. "No problem love. But only five minutes, do you hear?"

Both Harry and Ginny nodded. In the few minutes they had to themselves, Harry spoke to Ginny:

"Sorry I got carried away earlier Gin. I .. I ..well I shouldn't have let our time together go so far. Any longer and we could have been caught doing….well, something we shouldn't have been doing".

"No Harry" retorted Ginny. "Don't apologise. Stop being so … so …. bloody noble. We're young Harry and we love each other. What we did was natural. OK, maybe we shouldn't have carried on in the living room but I loved what we were doing. We will just have to choose somewhere a bit less public and more private the next time."

"Next time! Ginny, that's going to have to be a while. I mean, we are remaining here for a bit, in The Burrow, so nothing can happen here. Then I am going to have to leave, with Ron and Hermione. You know this Ginny. I think 'next time' will have to wait."

Ginny grabbed Harry's shirt, pulled him to her, kissed him hard for only a few seconds.

"Maybe Harry, maybe not. Good night love." At that, she turned and went to her room.

Harry was left alone with his own thoughts before he too went off to bed just a few minutes later. Ron was still awake and from the glare he was sending Harry's way he was still obviously annoyed with him.

"What you playing at with my sister Harry?"

Trying to play down the earlier scenes in the living room and the kitchen, Harry thought for a few seconds before giving Ron an answer that he would be happy with.

"I'm not playing at anything Ron. We were just having a bit of a talk about stuff; last summer mainly and last school year."

"Well why drag her away from the rest of us into the living room, just the two of you?"

"Whoa Ron. Who was dragging who? If I remember, it was Ginny that dragged me from the kitchen into the other room and with your mum's permission! I knew nothing about it. I had to ask Ginny what was going on! So don't go blaming me."

Ron, although still glaring at Harry, was thinking through the evenings events. He sort of accepted that Harry was correct about the evening although still grumpy about it.

"Well why did Ginny want you on her own? You both could've talked in the kitchen"

"Ron. It's Ginny you need to speak to on this. Not me. I was as much in the dark as you. It came as a bit of a surprise. But Ginny, your mum, Hermione and Fleur wanted me out of the way for the birthday party stuff. So Ginny must have sorted it with Molly that way. And anyway, did you see anything going on with me and Ginny?"

"No. Nothing. And I hope it stays that way. You're my best mate Harry, but you really upset Ginny when you broke up with her last year. I just don't want it to happen again."

"Fine Ron. It won't happen; we are not together".

"OK then. Keep it that way. I'm going to sleep. 'Night Harry".

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness he didn't walk in a few seconds earlier'. And with that he went to bed.