Authors note: Thank you so much for everyone who favorited, reviewed or/and added this story to their story alert. It means a lot since this is my first story. And sorry if this chapter is a little short...
~ Chapter 2 ~
They sat on the floor in the Great Hall while Ginny cried out all the tears she had wanted to shed since Bill and Fleurs wedding. She had wanted to stay strong for Harry and for her family but now it was like someone had turned on the faucets she had been trying to so hard to keep closed.
After a while her crying turned to silent sobs and Harry decided that it was time to move away from the prying eyes that had started to gather around them. He lifted her up bridal style – ignoring all the still aching muscles – and walked back up to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady let him in without the password ("You've done such wonderful things for this school! It's the least I could do!") and Harry sat down in what used to be their favorite chair. "The last thing I saw before the killing curse hit me was your face, Ginny. You were laughing and your brown eyes shone with happiness. I thought that if that's what the consequences of my sacrifice would be, I would gladly pay them."
It seemed to take some time for Ginny to find her voice, but when she finally spoke she said with a small voice. "I'm happy when I'm with you, Harry." She looked up at him with her puffy eyes and red nose. To Harry she had never looked more beautiful. He looked down and met her eyes. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I needed to know that you would be safe, before I could do what I had to do." "I know. You always have some really stupid noble reason for everything." She lied her head down on his chest and Harry hugged her tighter. Time past as they got lost in the flames in the fireplace. The house-elves must have gone back to the work again. Ginny was the first to break the silence. "What happened?" Harry took a deep breath. She didn't need to clarify what she meant; he knew she was asking about. What he hadn't told anyone, except Ron and Hermione. But even they didn't know the full story. They didn't know what he had seen in Snapes memories. They didn't know why Harry had sacrificed himself for them. They didn't know who he met at King's Cross. He had to tell them all. The Weasleys, Hermione… They deserved it. They were the ones who had supported him through everything. "I promise I'm going to tell you everything."
Harry lifted his head and called out in the open. "Kreacher." A little, old, wrinkly house-elf with a medallion hanging loosely around his neck appeared. The little elf did a bow so deep his nose touched the ground. "Master Harry." Harry smiled at the elf who had been so brave during the battle. "Harry is fine, Kreacher. Could you please go down to the Great Hall and tell the Weasleys and Hermione to come up here? That would be much appreciated." Kreacher stood up and looked at Harry with pride. "Mast-Harry defeated the bad wizard Voldemort. He freed this world from all the evil. Kreacher will go get the Weasleys and the muggleborn." "Thank you, Kreacher. Oh and Kreacher? Thank you for your bravery in the battle. Master Regulus would have been proud." Kreachers big eyes filled with tears at the mention of his beloved Regulus. With one loud pop he disappeared to fulfill Harrys order. Ginny looked confused at the place where Kreacher had disappeared. "What was that all about? Since when did he become nice?" Harry chuckled warmly and kissed the top of her head. "I'll tell you when everyone's here." Ginny seemed pleased with that answer and they drifted off to another comfortable silence.
The first to go through the portrait hole was Ron dragging a blushing Hermione behind him. He was about to say something to make Hermione blush even more, when he noticed Harry and Ginnys position in front of the fire. "Oi! Keep your hands of my baby sister, Potter! You may be the savior of the world, but doesn't give you the right to mess around with her again!" Ginny rolled her eyes and Harry grinned. Hermione let out an exhausted sigh. "Ron! Let them reunite." She squeezed the hand she was holding and Rons ear turned pink. He managed to stutter "O-o-oh right fine. But don't get any ideas, Potter. I'm watching you." He pointed two fingers at himself and then at Harry. Harry laughed, "Don't worry. I'm terrified." The next to go enter the common room were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley went over to hug his daughter and shake hands with Harry, but Mrs. Weasley seemed reluctant to hug either of them out of fear that she might hurt someone again. Ginny seemed to notice and said. "Mom, it's okay. We're fine. Harry's almost all healed up and –" She didn't have time to finish her answer before her mother gave her the same bonecrushing hug she had given Harry early that day. Luckily for Ginny she had learned to breathe with very little air over the years, so she managed to wrestle her mother off of her before anything broke.
Meanwhile the rest of the Weasley family had quietly entered the common room and sat in different chairs. George was just sitting in a chair, staring absentmindedly into nothing while silent tears ran down his cheeks. He looked like he had gone through the most agonizing fiery hells on earth and he had lost a part of him there. Percy was backed up in the farthest corner of the room, trying to melt into the wall. Bill had his head in his wife's lap while she was stroking his hair. Fleur looked beautiful as always, but with a certain sadness this time, like a phoenix's mourning song.
Harry moved his and Ginnys chair around so they could face everyone. "You are the people that mean the most to me and I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you." Everyone started to argue that it wasn't his fault and that he was the one to save them all but Harry cut them all off. "I owe you an explanation. I owe you all an explanation to where Ron, Hermione and I've been all year and what we have been doing."