Harry felt his feet crash to the grassy Earth and relax. He opened his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the brightness as he steadied himself. "Harry, are you alright?", he recognized it as Percy's voice. He blinked a few times until he could see again. The Burrow was feet ahead and the Weasley's and Hermione were around him still looking emotionally exhausted.
"Fine, just tired." Harry started toward the home and the others followed. He had missed it here, even when he was here for Bill and Fleur's wedding it did not feel like he was really there. He had always enjoyed the company of the Weasley's, the company of his two best friend's. He was a bit happy at the fact that he would not have to go back to Privet Drive ever again either, he could stay here a few days or at least until after Fred's funeral was over before returning to Grimmauld Place. He wondered then about Lupin, he was sure Tonks would have a funeral held by her parents. He remembered Teddy too, he would have to ask Tonks' parents what they wanted with him as well as ask about burying her beside Lupin. Tears stung his eyes as he tried to hold them back until he got inside.
Mrs. Weasley looked to them all in her kitchen, "Why don't you all wash up and go off to bed? It's been a dreadfully long night.", tears still ran down her cheeks but at least she had stopped sobbing, Harry noticed. They all stood there for a moment, hesitating as if they wanted more to say to her- to each other. "Go on, go", she shooed them off. Harry could hear her sniffling as they filed up the stairs together. They made their way slowly, Harry was not sure if this had been because they were tired and worn out or sad. Maybe both, he knew that was his reason for it.
At the top of the first landing Ginny turned to go to her room. He figured that once everyone took their showers and went to bed he would finally get to see her. He only hoped she would not fall asleep first. Both George and Percy turned at the first landing too, as Percy would take Fred's bed. Harry felt horrible as he saw George enter his room first. He saw his jaw clench as he tried not to let anymore tears spill over, seeing Fred's side of the room exactly how he left it. And next Percy, who had a reaction just the same, after not seeing Fred for a long enough time and now having to come into his room without him. "I. . .feel so wrong here. So unwelcome to even his bed. I don't deserve to sleep in it" Harry heard Percy whisper to no one. He watched as the tears came again and he barely moved in from the doorway. George came over now and put his arms around his brother, clapping him on the back reassuringly. "Fred wouldn't have minded. You came back Percy, you apologized, you were there till the end. He would be fine with it". George led him inside and Harry realized that out of all the year's he had known him, he did not think he had ever heard him speak so seriously until now.
Harry continued up the stairs in front of Ron, Hermione, Bill and Fluer. Bill and Fluer took Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room. Hermione gave Harry and Ron their pajamas from her beaded bag, hugged Harry and kissed Ron goodnight before going to the guest room that she had always taken when staying there. Ron's ears reddened after she left and Harry nudged him to throw him a little smile. "Oh, shut up Harry", Ron smirked and they continued up to their room. Harry let Ron ahead to shower first while he emptied out the pouch Hagrid had given to him. He sat his golden snitch down in a shallow woven-like basket that rested on the end table next to his bed. Harry felt weird holding it now. Now that it was empty and that what Dumbledore had really left Harry was somewhere back at Hogwarts. Waiting for someone else to come along and find it perhaps. He put his wand beside it along with the broken fragment of a mirror and laid down on his bed staring up at the ceiling while he waited for the bathroom to be free.
Ron came out, he looked tired and worn out, told Harry he was done in the bathroom and collapsed on his bed. Harry hurried for his shower, it would help him relax. He stepped into the warm water and stood for a few minutes, letting it rush over him, over the cuts and bruises. Washing away the blood, sweat, tears and dirt. Washing away his misfortunes and memories of last night, for now all he could think of was Ginny and how he would be with her soon. He could not take his mind off of her despite all that had happened. He had figured though, that it was probably for the best if he did not think of the previous hours. He did not want to have to yet anyway, he needed time to calm down. He washed his hair and scrubbed himself down thoroughly and got out of the shower, drying himself off and pulling on his warm flannel pajama pants and t-shirt.
He left the steamy bathroom and grabbed his wand, hoping not to disturb Ron in his sleep. Quietly making his way downstairs, he held up his wand and whispered "lumos", then continued on his way down. Even with the lights out in the day time it was still too dimly lit, there only being windows on the first floor and in the actual rooms themselves. He tiptoed down to the second floor, pausing only for a second when he thought he heard someone get up from downstairs, until he realized it was his own foot squeaking the floorboards.
Harry held his fist up to knock on the door lightly but stifled before doing so. He was nervous he realized, he did not know what to say to her or if she was even awake, but then he heard her sniffling from behind her door. Sadness washed over him again at the sound of her. The thought of her hurting was near unbearable for him suddenly. He knocked on the door and waited.
He heard her clear her throat some, "C-come in. . .". He opened the door to her dark room, the curtains pulled shut over the window. She had sat up in bed and he rushed to her side, throwing his arms around her to comfort her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close, sobbing now into his shoulder. They sat like that for a while, Harry with his own tears rolling slowly down his cheeks. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her, "Ginny, I'm so sorry. . . I wish there was something I could have done. I'd do anything to have stopped it." Harry whispered, pulling back to brush tears from her face.
She shook her head, "No, Harry no. This isn't your fault. Fred knew what he was doing and chose to help in the fight. Even if you wanted to stop him, you couldn't have. He would have continued to fight." she took a sharp breath that to Harry sounded as if it pained her. He nodded, he did not want to argue over it. He laid down in her bed and pulled her down next to him, wrapping his arms around her. She made the move again to kiss him. Feeling her warm, soft lips on his again was blissful. Once again she wound up being the only thing on his mind and he only focused on kissing her. The tension caused by sadness had subsided in both of them and they were more passionate now, with Ginny resting on Harry's chest. Her hands were sliding over his face, caressing his cheeks and chin and then moving to the back of his head, moulding her fingers through his hair. Harry ran his fingers through her hair too, loving the softness and the sweet smell of it that lingered.
After some time they had stopped kissing and were laying side-by-side again, intertwined. Ginny smiled radiantly and it dazzled him, he smiled back and gave her one last kiss. He moved closer to her, thinking it was as close as they could be with their clothes still on. "Ginny. . .", he hesitated, worrying slightly now, "I love you. I have for some time now. When I was gone, I worried about you all the time, you were always the first person to come to mind." he looked deep into her eyes as he told her so.
He could tell even in the dark that she was blushing and he lay a thoughtful hand to rest on her cheek, brushing his thumb over it. "I love you too. And I thought of you all the time, but you scared me and the others so bad. None of us knew where you or Ron and Hermione were or what you were up to. I was scared to think the worst. . . but I knew that if something had happened, we would have seen so in the Prophet . I'm just. . .so glad that we don't have to worry anymore and that you're here and safe with me now." she whispered back to him with a faint whimper at the end which caused Harry to put his arm back around her. He closed his eyes at this with a smile and she did so after him, both falling asleep not too long after.