"Well, it's about time, mate!" Harry felt a thump on his head and grinned as Ron flopped onto the couch next to him. "We were wondering if maybe there was something wrong with you, like you were going loopy after the second killing curse."
"Ronald, if you survived a killing curse, you would need some time to yourself too," Hermione said, rolling her eyes and sitting in a chair near Harry.
"Yeah, and I've survived it twice," Harry said, laughing.
"Harry! You're laughing!" Molly hurried in from the kitchen, tears glistening in her eyes. "I was beginning to wonder if I was losing another son."
Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and struggled against the tears burning in his eyes. In a move that surprised everyone, including Harry himself, he stood up, walked across the room and pulled Molly into a tight hug.
"Thank you," he whispered. "For everything. You and Mr. Weasley have..."
"I know, dear," Molly said, patting his cheek. "And you never need to thank family for doing something. You're family, Harry, have been since your first day at the train station. We love you." She pulled away from Harry. "Alright then, I think some treacle tart is in order for dinner tonight." She winked at Harry as she turned to the kitchen. "Oh, and Harry, dear? I think it's time you started calling Arthur and I by our first names. You too, Hermione." Molly turned towards the kitchen. "Harry, you have a lot of post that the Ministry's been sending through. You might want to have a look at that soon."
"What's the Ministry got to do with my post?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"Kingsley insisted that all your post be checked for dark magic or curses before being sent through to you," Ginny said. "Can't be too careful when there are still supporters out there."
"Even so, there's more mail piled up for you than all of Hogwarts saw in an entire term," Ron remarked. "I bet there's loads of free stuff in there."
"Where's all of it at, Mrs., I mean, Molly?" Harry corrected himself at the look Molly gave to him.
"We've been putting it out in the chicken house," Molly said. "Where Arthur has been hiding the remains of Sirius's motorbike."
"You lot want to have a look?" Harry said, standing up. "If there really is that much, I'm guessing I'll need a hand going through it."
"Blimey, Harry!" Ron said, opening an envelope. "Take a look at this one." He passed a picture across the table to Harry. It showed a very attractive woman, blonde hair, immaculate figure, wearing only a very tiny bikini. "Says her name is Mindy and she would love to be able to show her appreciation for saving the wizarding world. Definitely put that one in the respond pile."
"Definitely not!" Ginny said, snapping the letter out of Ron's hand. "The nerve of some people!All these woman are only interested in Harry because they think he's so special right now."
"And I'm not?" Harry asked, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows at Ginny. He tried to hide his smirk.
"Of course you are," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "But these women-" she gestured to the piles of mail surrounding the four people "-are only interested in you because you're Harry Potter."
"Ginny, he is Harry Potter." Ron stared at Ginny as if she had lost her mind.
"What I mean is," Ginny sighed, "is that these women are only interested in the 'idea' of Harry Potter. To them, he's the hero in the storybook, the knight in shining armor. The Chosen One. The Boy Who Lived. Every one of them has an idea in their head about who Harry Potter is. They're fantasizing about someone that, in reality, doesn't actually exist. None of them know the real Harry."
"So, are you saying that if they really knew me, they wouldn't be interested?" Harry asked.
"Well, you're moody and insecure," Ginny said, ticking off on her fingers. "You take everything upon yourself. You bottle everything up inside. You're rubbish at Wizards Chess and you are a horrible morning person."
"Don't hold back," Harry said, sarcastically. "Why don't you tell me how you really feel?"
"Oh, believe me, I plan to," Ginny said, her brown eyes blazing. "You keep secrets from everyone. You disappear for months and months without a word as to whether or not you're okay. You tell people you love them and you ditch them."
"That's not fair!" Harry exclaimed. "I told you as much as I could. You knew why I broke things off and you were fine with it!"
"What else was I supposed to say?" Ginny slammed her palms down on the table. "'Oh, Harry, please don't leave me, stay with me instead of going off to fight the most evil wizard in history?' Of course, I wasn't fine with it, but I know why you did it. But you could have figured out a way to let me know you were okay."
"I would if it was possible," Harry said, reaching out to take her hand. "I didn't stop thinking of you the entire time I was out there. I would take out the Marauder's Map at night just to watch your dot, wondering if you might possibly be thinking about me too. I was worried and scared for you every single moment and there was nothing I wanted more than to give up and go back to Hogwarts and you and let someone else worry about it all. But there was no one else. And you were already in enough danger when everyone thought you were just my best mate's sister. I couldn't bear the thought of them using you to get to me. If they would have threatened to harm one hair on your head, I would have turned myself over to them to save you."
"Do you know how hard it is to be in love with you and not be able to tell anyone?" Ginny asked. "To not be able to react at all when rumors are flying around of you dying or being captured?"
"I'm sorry, Gin. I really am. I'm sorry for everything. I wish that I would have been there to fight with you all year at Hogwarts. I'm sorry I never told you what Dumbledore left for me to do. And I'm sorry for making you think I was dead at the Battle."
"Oh, don't even get me started on that one!" Ginny cried. She gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you. I've had a lot of pent-up anger and frustration towards you this past year."
"I deserved it," Harry said. "And after you said all that, I'd have agree with you. If all these women knew what I was really like, they'd never be interested." He chuckled.
"Those aren't the only things you are," Ginny said. "You're brave and smart and funny. You have an immense heart and you give with everything you have. You're self-less and handsome and an amazing seeker. You've got this incredible hair and your eyes are the most insane shade of green I have ever seen. You love my crazy, mixed-up family and you always treat everyone like they're worthy of your time." Ginny leaned in closer to him.
"You forgot the best thing about me," Harry said, his face inches from hers.
"What's that?" Ginny asked, her breath tickling Harry's face.
"I'm in love with the most beautiful, smart, talented witch-" Ginny cut Harry off as she pressed her lips to his.
"Ahem!" Harry and Ginny quickly pulled apart and looked towards the noise. They were surprised to find that they were not alone in the room. Ron glared at the couple. "Apparently, both of you are oblivious to other people in the room. You should add that to the list of things people should know about you."
"Uh, sorry," Harry muttered, grinning at Ginny. "Guess we got a little caught up in the moment."
"Not quite sure that confessing your feelings to each other during an argument over a pile of fan mail is exactly the most romantic way to start a relationship," Hermione said, not looking up from the pile she was looking through.
"No, but sharing your first kiss in the middle of a battle because of house elves is?" Hermione blushed furiously at Harry's comment.
"Let's just leave it at none of us here are all that great in the romance department," Ginny said. "Now, if the two of you don't mind, I think Harry and I will be going for a walk."
"We will?" Ginny wiggled her eyebrows and gestured outside. Harry grinned. "Yeah, we will. Feel free to take a break."
"Might have to take a walk ourselves," Ron said, winking at Hermione.
Ginny took hold of Harry's hand and lead him out of the chicken house and down the small path to the pond.
"So, not to sound stupid or anything, but does mean we're back together?" Ginny asked.
"There's nothing I want more," Harry said, pulling Ginny closer to himself. "I meant what I said. I love you and I want to be with you."
"I love you too, Harry," Ginny said, sliding her arm around Harry's waist. "I never gave up on you. I knew you'd eventually come back to me."
"Pretty confident, aren't we?" Harry laughed.
"No, just realized that my childhood hero is real and so much better than I could have imagined." The pair came to a stop by the pond. "What happens now?"
"We could probably sit," Harry said, gesturing to a shady spot under a tree.
"That's a good start." Harry settled against the tree, Ginny sitting between his legs with her back on his chest. "But I mean with everything."
"I don't know yet," Harry said. "I do know that right at this moment, I've never been happier before." Ginny turned her face up as Harry leaned down, finally sharing the kiss that both had been waiting months for.
