Chapter 2

The Weasley's all jumped from their seats. Ginny was still shaking. But she was going to find Ron, Harry, or Hermione. Chances were that they were together anyways. Ginny skidded to a halt for a moment trying to think. She watched and only half way listened to her father giving his family instructions on where to look and go in twos.

Ginny didn't want to be paired with anyone she wanted to be alone. But she noticed that George was her selected partner. 'Whatever! Now where would Harry go?' Then she knew. She ran down the long hallway, George was right behind her leading to the headmaster's office. When she got to the gargoyle she said. "Is Harry up there?"

The gargoyle didn't answer her, but it didn't have too the doors came open and Hermione, and Ron came out into the corridor. They apparently didn't expect to see her standing there. She looked at Ron square in the eye. "Where's Harry?"

"Ginny now isn't…"

"Ron! So help me if you tell me now is not the time I will hex you into next year! I need to talk to Harry it's important." She crossed her arms and continued her glare.

Hermione broke the uncomfortable silence. "Ginny what do you need Harry for exactly?"

Ginny shifted her glare to Hermione. "Don't patronize me Hermione…I'm not in the mood."

George started the conversation. "Look…you two know what Harry has been up to. You have been running yourselves ragged. We just want to be sure that nothing is amiss."

Hermione looked at George and Ginny. "Everything is fine we did it."

Ginny fell to her knees and started sobbing. "How can you be sure? He came back before didn't he?"

"Ginny what are you worried about?"

At that voice she looked up just as Harry appeared before her eyes just like he did in the great hall during the battle. She stood up on shaky legs and walked over to him. He pulled her into his arms. She looked at him. "Harry…I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you this…did you say to Voldemort that there are no Horcruxes left? That it was just you two?"

Ginny watched as Harry thought about his answer. "Ginny…yes…that is what I said."

"The diary was a horcrux…he could have…I know he made more."

"Seven actually," said Harry.

Ginny gasped audibly. "How do you know there were only seven?"

"It is what Dumbledore thought. The last one we found was Ravenclaw's lost diadem."

She knew he thought he spoke the truth she could see it in his eyes. But she was so scared. Tears started to well up in her eyes. She wiped them away bitterly. She couldn't contain them she started to cry openly. He pulled her closer to him his warmth soothed her. She buried her face into his shirt. She heard other footsteps walking away from them. Ginny wanted time to stand still. His embrace was so comforting. He finally spoke tenderly. "Ginny…it's alright. It's over. It's all a memory."

"What if he has other horcruxes? Some you didn't find?"

Harry smoothed her hair with his hand. "I would have seen it. Like I did when your dad was injured, Ginny I saw every time he went to one of his hiding places. I heard his thoughts as if I was thinking them myself. There are none left…he is really gone."

Ginny couldn't respond she just held him tighter. He released her and Ginny felt a fine thin fabric surround them both. "Harry what's this?"

"My invisibility cloak," He kissed her cheek. "I have more I need to tell you but I want to do it somewhere private."

She wasn't going to argue. She was in his arms again and she didn't want to leave ever. Harry guided her out of the castle. They took a walk around the lake. They were heading towards the forest. Ginny didn't care where they were going. When they finally stopped walking…she could see that she was in a clearing. "Where are we?"

Harry removed the cloak and handed it to her. "We're in the forest where privacy is more likely." There was a clap of thunder and rain drops began to fall.

Ginny put the cloak over her head and was surprised that the rain wasn't soaking though the fabric. She watched as he pulled a small beaded bag out of his pocket. She thought that bag belonged to Hermione but said nothing to him. He performed a summoning charm and a tent came out of the bag. He waved his wand and the tent became larger and sat up. She approached Harry and put the cloak back over him. He was soaked through. "Harry you're going to get a cold."

He smiled at her and performed some more enchantments on the clearing. Then he pulled her inside. Ginny recognized the tent at once. It belonged to Bill. He used to live in it a lot when he worked in Egypt. She took the cloak off and immediately lit the fire place. She turned and saw Harry rummaging through the bag again. He pulled out a sweater, shirt, and pants. Ginny was shocked. "What else do you have in there, the kitchen sink?"

"Pretty much."

Ginny giggled. "Let me guess Hermione was in charge of the bag?"

"Yes."

Ginny saw that he was studying her as he changed his cloths. She couldn't bare to look at him. She sat down on the sofa ashamed for being cowardly about exactly what the diary was. "Harry I never told anyone exactly what I thought that diary was. Dumbedore told us that it was a book full of memories. But it was actually a Horcrux a part of Voldemort's soul. I remember how I felt each time I woke up. I was cold, scared and my head after each time was fuzzier and fuzzier. I felt like I had died and then woke up." He was listening to her intently and sat down beside her. "You said he made only seven?"

"Correct, Ginny you're trembling…are you cold?" He pulled her to him and she buried her face again. "Are you sure he made only seven?"

"Yes. I'm positive Ginny."

"What were they?" She asked.

"The diary, a ring that belonged to his mother's family, A golden cup that belonged to Hufflepuff, a locket that belonged to Slytherin, Ravenclaw's diadem, and Nagini the snake."

"Harry that's only six."

He was stroking her hair. Ginny could see that he was trying to think. She let him all the while trying not to panic about the seventh horcrux. "Ginny…Voldemort only wanted to make six horcruxes. He made the seventh horcrux when he killed my parents and tried to kill me."

"I don't understand."

She watched as he closed his eyes and took a breath. "His soul was so unstable that it split again when his killing curse that was meant to kill me rebounded onto him. The main part of Voldemort retreated to Albania. The smaller part searched for a place to go. Without Voldemort there to say the incantation it had to go into a live being…me."

If Ginny hadn't seen his lips moving she wouldn't have believed it. "How…How did he kill the part of his soul that was in you then?"

"Remember what I said that I was willing to die to save everyone. I went into the forest alone for him to kill me. I thought that the curse would rebound and kill him to. But it didn't happen quite like that."

Ginny paled. "You walked past me didn't you when I was helping the fallen girl. I sensed you!"

"I wondered if you did or not. I saw you look."

"Harry when I saw you in Hagrid's arms. My heart broke…I couldn't breathe. All I could think about was I didn't have enough time with you. Harry…" She started crying.

He pulled her closer to him. "I'm so sorry Ginny…But I had to get back undetected. It was the only way. I'm sorry."

Ginny ran her fingers through his hair. "You don't have to apologize to me. Harry I won't lie. Being possessed by that diary was awful. Every time I woke up like I said I was so cold and weak. Like I had died then woke up. But you…you haven't been alone once in your life. Your bursts of anger and mood changes finally make sense. That wasn't you most of the time it was Voldemort. Can you still speak parseltounge?"

Harry smiled. "No I can't and I don't want to ever again. I'm finally free Ginny."

How does it feel?" She asked him in a whisper.

"I don't know yet…it's only been a few hours."

"I'm sorry I doubted that Voldemort…"

"Ginny you have nothing to apologize for. After everything you have been through I understand." He reached forward and smoothed some of her hair from her face. That touch alone sent shivers of pleasure straight through her. "Every night I looked at a map of Hogwarts just so I could see your name. So that I would know that you were safe."

A lone tear fell down his cheek. Ginny kissed it away and looked into his eyes. He said emotionally. "I finally get to live Ginny. I get to live the way I want to."

Ginny ran her fingers through his hair. "How do you want to live Harry?"

"I want a family…a wife…children…and I want to be an auror."

Ginny smiled at him. "Sounds good."

"It gets better."

Ginny tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I want someone who will love me for me…not as a hero of the free world. I want to be able to share anything with her and to love her unconditionally…completely. I just hope the woman I love feels the same way. You see I saw her for the first time at Kings Cross standing next to her mother. She was beautiful then and she is even more beautiful now."

Tears were streaming down Ginny's face. They weren't sad tears but happy ones. Her heart was pounding but she said. "You know… I feel the same way. I want my husband to be loving, caring, and brave. We'll go through a lot together. He has to complete me. So far only one person has ever felt perfect in my heart and that's you Harry."

"I love you Ginny."

"I love you Harry." Ginny didn't know when it happened but suddenly he was kissing her. When their lips met time seemed to stop. Every nerve in her body was on fire. Their kiss deepened and their tongues mated. If this was a dream she didn't want to wake up. Ginny could feel that he was opening his heart and soul to her right at that moment.

They broke apart when breathing became mandatory. She moaned as Harry softly kissed down her throat to the nape of her neck. Then he kissed back up the same way. On instinct she straddled his lap and captured his mouth in a fiery kiss. She was in heaven. Harry's hands ran up and down her back. She wanted to stay here like this forever. They were completely lost in each other. Neither of them noticed that the light in the tent became brighter.

"GINEVERA MOLLY WEASLEY!"

She shrieked and fell off Harry's lap and landed hard on the grass floor. She wheeled around and saw a lioness patroness.

"WHERE IN MERLIN'S NAME ARE YOU! YOU'D BETTER GET BACK TO THE CASTLE THIS MINUTE. THE FAMILY IS IN GRYFFINDOR TOWER THE PASSWORD IS WEASEL."

Ginny stood up wincing and rubbing her backside. "Merlin I thought she walked in on us for a moment."

Harry laughed. "Me too…your mother is one of two women I don't want to cross."

Ginny giggled. "Mother is all bark with hardly any bite Harry. Is the other girl Hermione?"

Harry smiled. "Merlin no…you are your mother's child and your mother has plenty of bite to spare. I've seen your hexes and I've seen you in action. The last thing I want is to upset you." He had packed up the tent then and they were back under the cloak. "George told me being on the receiving end of your bat bogey hexes is a nightmare."

"Yes but George couldn't disarm me even if he tried. You can hands down."

They both started laughing and began to walk back to the castle. Every so often they would share another kiss. Ginny felt as if she was floating instead of walking. They were in each other's arms she was in a state of total contentment. In spite of everything that had happened, she was truly happy.