Harry still felt somewhat awkward about displaying his affection for Ginny around her family but over time her blatant kissing, hand-holding and sitting across him while they were relaxing became common place amongst the Weasleys. They grew tired of acting awkwardly or teasing them and just accepted these gestures as part of everyday life. Their new lives.

It was only as Harry began to feel comfortable initiating these displays of affection that Ron and Hermione announced that they were a couple. This made life much easier for Harry. Who would notice Harry pulling Ginny onto his lap as she walked past if Hermione and Ron had just walked in holding hands?

Unfortunately for them, neither of them had Ginny's brazen attitude and so the family obtained much more enjoyment from teasing them. The effects of the teasing were quite reliable; the tips of Ron's ears going beetroot red and Hermione tilting her head downwards so that her face was hidden behind a curtain of bushy hair.

The Weasleys, Hermione and Harry had all gone back to the Burrow after the funerals. After a few weeks Hermione left for Australia to find her parents and help them move back to England. Harry and Ron accompanied her. Harry couldn't deny that it was a relief leaving the oppressive atmosphere at the Burrow. Fred's death was evident in everyone's actions. It was nice to spend time with Hermione's parents whom he had only met in passing. Poor Ron felt a bit overwhelmed by their mugglishness at first. He had to adjust quickly to electricity and other mugglish things but Harry knew that he was also embracing Mr and Mrs Granger's complete ignorance of the wizarding world including Voldemort, Death Eaters and the battle that had just been fought.

They spent two weeks with Hermione's parents helping them move back from Australia. Fortunately, Hermione had been able to lift the memory modification without any problems and they trusted her when she told them that she was safe, that it was all over and that she was sorry she had to erase herself from their lives.

After the two weeks Harry was glad to return to the Burrow. There was no denying that it was a home to him and he felt more comfortable there than he did at the Grangers or had ever done at Privet Drive. The only place that had ever rivaled it it was Hogwarts. But as the days went by, he began to see Hogwarts more as a school and less of a home. Ron had decided to stay with Hermione at the Grangers for another few weeks. But even in his absence, Harry was beginning to realise the homely comforts of the Burrow that didn't exist at Hogwarts. There were no teachers giving out to him or giving him detentions. He wasn't given out to for being out of bed at night. What he appreciated most of all was having time to himself and freedom to do with it what he liked.

Many hours were spent flying with Ginny out by the orchard. Walking around the hills that surrounded the Burrow. He even brought her down to the cinema in Ottery St. Catchpole to introduce her to muggle films. What he relished most of all though, and what Ron and Hermione's presence had made impossible, were the midnight trips between his room and Ginny's.

The first time he had tried it he had apparated but the loud crack had caused Mrs. Weasley and Charlie to both come running into Ginny's room and Harry had had to disapparate again quite promptly to avoid getting caught. Luckily, Mrs Weasley and Charlie had both run into Ginny's room to find her sorting books on her floor into piles, each book landing with a thud, not a crack, but it was enough for them to leave with only a suspicious look from Mrs. Weasley.

From that point forward Harry felt it safest to wait until he thought everyone was asleep and then creep down the stairs to Ginny's room. It happened a remarkable amount of times that he met her on the stairs making her own way up to his room.

One evening found him making his way down the stairs, silent as a mouse. He had been helping Mr Weasley all day trying to fix Sirius' motor bike and so hadn't seen nearly as much of Ginny as he had grown accustomed to. He opened her door silently only to find her bed empty and her window open. His heart stopped. He pelted down the stairs towards the clock in the Weasley's kitchen. He dreaded seeing Ginny's hand pointing towards Mortal Peril. Ginny's hand however, was pointing innocently towards Home.

Harry felt as if someone had just released the grasp they had on his lungs. He, once again, silently climbed back upstairs checking Ginny's room on the way up. It was still unoccupied. He couldn't help but feel anxious as he looked out the open window. He then proceeded up the stairs to his bedroom.

Ginny was lying sideways on his bed, her broomstick propped up against the window. She had her head hanging upside-down off the edge of the bed facing the door. Her hair fell to the ground below her head in a perfect curtain. As he walked into the room a grin spread across her face.

"I was wondering when you'd get back from the bathroom"

Harry knelt down on the far side of the bed now facing the door and put a hand underneath Ginny's back, pulling her up to face him. She leaned in to kiss him but hesitated seeing a glint of something in his eye.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry broke eye contact and pulled her to him.

"Harry! What happened?"

She pushed him away from her so she could see his face again.

"I thought you'd gone." Harry mumbled.

"Gone? Gone where?"

"I don't know. I got to your bedroom and it was empty and the window was open and-"

"Shh, shh, it's ok. I'm here. I'm fine. I'm safe. We all are. There's nothing to worry about anymore."

Ginny brought her forehead to rest against Harry's.

"It's over. It's all over. Forever."

And at the words, Harry tilted his head so that his lips were against Ginny's. The pressure almost toppled her backwards off the bed but she bent awkwardly leaving her head balanced precariously on the side of the bed, all the while Harry kissing her deeper. He lifted her with his hand behind her lower back and pulled her up the bed so her head was resting on the pillow. Harry was kissing her so deeply at this stage, only now did she realise how much her absence had scared him. It was as if he was trying to take in everything she was. Trying to find a way to never let go. His desperation was tangible.

He released her lips leaving Ginny gasping for breath. He started kissing down her neck but as soon as he reached her collarbone he moved downwards. He started kissing her stomach, just at the gap between her t-shirt and shorts. Then slowly, he started pulling her t-shirt up. When he reached her ribs though, he stopped. He sat back on his knees again and Ginny could see he was panting, his shoulders heaving. She knew that he didn't feel comfortable going any further knowing that her parents were asleep in the room right below.

Ginny sat up and swiftly pulled his t-shirt up over his head. He was smiling defeatedly as he emerged. Then she grabbed his arm and tugged him down to lie beside her. They lay side by side for a while, trying to calm themselves down and catch their breath. She was gently tracing her finger across his chest, he was stroking her hair. He leant down and kissed her forehead. She kissed the spot between his collarbones.

"Night Harry"

"Goodnight Ginny"