Ginny could only stare. He was so relaxed, so calm, so. . . emaciated. Without his shirt on she could see that his collarbone jutted out, his skin was stretched taught across his ribs, and his hips. . . she blushed, not the time to be staring when his towel was barely around his waist. She contemplated a minute, how best to wake him up? Her mind jumped to a few rather unsavory ways but she quickly shook them away. Scaring might not be good, she could end up missing her hand or worse. Better to wake him up the best way she could think of.

She tip-toed back to the kitchen and opened her fridge looking for something savory and filling. She pulled out the leftover chicken and put it on the counter along with a roll of biscuits before digging through her pantry for cans of corn and green beans. The veges were set to a simmer as the biscuits were set in the oven. But what to do with the chicken? Maybe a marinade in Italian dressing, or covered in herbs, or oh! Grabbing the flour from the pantry and the eggs and milk from the fridge she set the ingredients on the counter and pulled out a pan for frying and bowls for dredging. After about ten minutes the aroma of fried chicken began to waft through her flat. Everything but the biscuits was on the table when she heard Harry pad down her hallway and open the doors to the washing machines. Slightly curious as to what he was doing in there she decided to wait for him in the kitchen.

He came in a few minutes later looking slightly bashful. "Whatever you're cooking smells absolutely incredible Gin." He stood awkwardly at the counter not sure what to do with himself. He had grown, Ginny noted, a lot. He seemed happy; his smile actually reached his eyes.

"Harry.. . . I forgot how much-" she caught herself, best to keep it light after all. "You liked home cooking! I made fried chicken with biscuits and some veges. Grab a plate and tuck in, after all you'll need your energy for when I interrogate you." She smiled as she pulled an oven mitt on and turned around to take the biscuits out of the oven. As she set the try on the stovetop she felt arms encircle her waist. She didn't jump, just relaxed in his arms and inhaled the pure smell of him, albeit heavily masked by lavender.

"I missed you" Harry breathed into her ear, "I hope your cooking is as good as your moms." He reached out to grab a biscuit off the tray as Ginny tried to bat his hands away from the hot surface. He slid out of her reach and laughed, and god it was music to Ginny's ears. She almost cried with happiness but instead landed a punch on his shoulder and handed him a plate.

Dinner was light as Harry bombarded Ginny with questions about everything from Neville and the Weasleys to current news. It really seemed that he had lived under a rock for the last five years. There had been a new prime minister, Umbridge had lost her job, and Luna Lovegood had taken over the Quibbler. Harry seemed to thrive in all the news, no one had died and his friends had been doing well.

"Oh. Um. By the way. . . Promise me you won't freak out alright?" Harry looked puzzled but agreed. "Hermione is pregnant Harry. Ron's going to be a dad." His jaw dropped.

"That's fantastic! Oh my god how far along is she? Do they know the gender? What are they going to name it?" Harry glowed with happiness and his eyes shined. "I am so happy for them I hope they have Hermione's brains and the Weasley hair, " at that his face fell a bit. "I guess I won't be around to see the baby born huh."

"Oh Harry." Ginny paused; she had been waiting for this chance, to finally know where he had been and what he had been doing. But first. . . "They don't know the gender and just over five weeks. No names have been mentioned to me yet. Oh and uh, how long are you planning on staying?"

Harry looked pained. "Ginny. . . I really can't stay. I took a huge risk just coming here for the day, I don't want you getting mixed up in this. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt." He hands clenched into fists on the table, his shoulders tensed up, and he visibly began to shake. "I will not allow any more friends to die because I was selfish." Ginny reached across the table and placed a hand on his arm.

"It's pouring outside please, just stay the night." Her eyes pleaded with his, "I work in the Ministry I can help you I can get you information. Anything you need I can help! Please just stay."

"Ginny, I will not put you in danger. I'm leaving after dinner. I cannot thank you enough for all of this. I'm glad I was able to see you, glad that you are doing so well." He stood up and brought his plate to the sink. Ginny could only stare at his back in disbelief.

"You can't leave! Please you only just got here. I know nothing of how you've been, where you've been! You have to see Ron and Hermione, and mum will be so upset if you stopped by without seeing her. " It was a low blow but she had to keep him for at least another day.

"I am just trying to protect you guys! The only reason I came here is because your flat is in the middle of the city. If I went to the Burrow I would be tracked the entire way and your family would be massacred in the middle of the night. Is that really worth pleasantries Ginny?" He was breathing heavily and refused to look at Ginny. It seemed to hurt him to say those things. But that was nothing to how real the situation became for her.

"You're being tracked," she said it calmly. Not a question, just a statement.

"Ginny you do realize that I'm trying to kill one of the most powerful wizards of all time? He has spies everywhere and for god sakes he had Dumbledore killed imagine what he would do to me. Right now I would not last five minutes in a duel with him. I would be killed and paraded around as a trophy, is that what you want?"

"Harry come to the Ministry! You can be protected! They can place you somewhere He would never get to you. You could be safe."

"You know the prophesy as well as I do, 'Neither can live while the other survives.' Only I can stop him and He knows it. That is why anyone I talk to could be in danger. Anyone I care about could be tortured for information on my whereabouts. I should have never come here."

"I didn't realize the chance you took in seeing me. I'm sorry, I just spent so many years wondering if you were dead or alive. Whether I would ever see you again, it's just hard to let you go so soon." She felt so foolish for letting her feelings get in the way. She had him now and that was all that mattered, she would make the most of it. "Just one more hour then? I want to hear about you, I would hate myself if the last memory I had of you was us fighting."

Another low blow, Harry stood in the middle of the kitchen looking between Ginny and the door. He took a step toward her than back two. The inner turmoil was visible on his face, until a small sob escaped his throat and he grabbed and pulled her into a bone crushing embrace. "I love you so much, I do all of this to one day be with you again. You have no idea how hard it was to walk away from you all those years ago. All I ever wanted was you to be happy."

"I won't ask you to take me with you, I know how dangerous it is. I just ask that you don't forget about me. And please if there is anything you ever need, please owl me." She clutched the back of his shirt in her hands pulling him somehow closer. She needed this, something tangible to remind her that he was here and alive.

"I really have to go Ginny." He released her save a hand in hers and on her cheek. "By the way you should really get rid of all those perfumed body washes, you smell incredible on your own." He leaned his head down and buried it in her neck breathing in her scent as he kissed her neck.

"Harry. . ." He pulled back to look her in the eye before gently kissing her on the lips. Ginny laced her arms around his neck to pull him closer and deepen the kiss. He placed his hands on her hips and guided her over to lean against the counter. He gently pressed his body flush against hers kissed her once more passionately before detangling himself from her. Smiling softly he bushed his lips against her forehead before stepping back.

"I love you Ginny." Harry ran his fingers along her cheek again before heading toward the door. His hand was on the knob when Ginny finally snapped to. "I love you too Harry" she said, and her voice only cracked slightly as he closed the door behind him.