Decisions

Over the next few days Harry kept really busy, with all of the letters he's gotten from the Ministry to come work for them in various departments. Not to mention going in for interviews at the Ministry who decided to talk to him face to face instead of sending owls. Harry got job offers even from Hogwarts to come teach and even one to come back and complete his missed year. Ron and Hermione were getting as much to think about as he was. By the end of the week all three were over stressed and weighed down with what they were going to do.

"So have you guys come to a decision yet?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione. All three of them plus Ginny were out in the Burrow's gardens by the pond all having a quick cool off before the end of a hot summer day. This was actually the first time all week that Harry and got to spend time with Ron and Hermione not to mention Ginny. She still wasn't talking to him much.

"I-I think I'm going to go back for our missed year. It would be nice not to have to worry about anything but work." Hermione said quietly as if she was afraid they would be mad if she did.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that. What about you, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Well I'm not sure. I would love to stay with you Hermione," At this Hermione smiled and threaded her fingers through Ron's. "but I don't know if I want to suffer through one more year at Hogwarts. It would be kind of interesting to see how the rest of the school lived through all those years not worrying about anything besides school work. But I also think that I would like to start work and not have to worry about school." Ron sat on the grass next to Hermione rubbing his chin in thought.

"What are you going to do,Harry?"

Harry looked over at Ginny who had asked him the question and was surprised to see a light blush on her cheeks.

"Well, I don't know really. I guess it all kind of depends on you." Harry said referring to Ginny who he was still looking at. Ginny looked at him shocked.

"M-me? Why would anything have to do with me?"

"I think we'll go get changed. We'll see you two later." Ron said uncomfortably. He got to his feet helping Hermione and they headed for the house. Harry and Ginny watched them until they disappeared.

"Harry answer my question." Ginny said after a moment of silence.

"Look Ginny I know I haven't said much to you since I came back,but I have been really busy. I want you to tell me how you still feel about me, the truth."

"Harry, I thought when you came back you would hold me in your arms and tell me you still wanted to be with me and that you would never leave me again. But you didn't. When you came back you didn't even return the hug I gave you, then you haven't said a complete sentence to me since. "

Harry thought about what she had said. She told him what she had been feeling but not about what she felt. Harry took that to mean she still felt the same way. He stood up and offered Ginny his hand. She looked confused but took it anyway. When Ginny was standing in front of him. Harry quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other got tangled in her hair. Ginny wrapped her arms around his middle hugging him with all she had.

"Ginny, I still want to be with you and I promise as long as it is in my power I will never leave you again. Will you have me one last time?"

Harry pulled back some and looked into Ginny's face. She was smiling so big and the creature in Harry's chest swelled with pride to know that he could make her that happy.

"Harry I still don't understand. What does you deciding what you want to do have anything to do with me?"

"I've had a lot of letters lately.More than half of them are asking me to come work for the Ministry, some to play on various Quidditch teams,the others have been from Mcgonagle offering me a teachers position and to come back as a student. I was-"

At this point Harry didn't get to finish. Ginny let off a not so Ginny-ish squeal.

"So you're coming back to school. That will be all of you back. This is going to be great. I can't wait to-"

"Ginny wait. I never said I was going back to school. I've always wanted to be an Auor but I decided that I've lead that life long enough and then I started to think about what else made me happy and I thought of teaching. Remember in my fifth year how I taught the D.A.? I can still remember how that felt to see all of you start from scratch and then finally get it. You don't know what kind of feeling that is. But then I thought of you and if we were together I couldn't be a teacher."

"But you said it yourself,Harry, you said it all depended on me. We're together now,you can't become a teacher now. We wouldn't get to be together,you have no other choice but to come back to school to be a student."

Ginny was looking at him so pleadingly,so helplessly and so determined that Harry couldn't help but give into her but at the same time couldn't help think that he was making the wrong choice.

"You're right Ginny,come on lets go get something to eat." Harry reached down and touched his lips to hers and they walked back to the house hand in hand.

The weeks past and Ron was still undecided. Harry hadn't told the others that he was going back to school mainly because it felt like that wasn't really something he wanted to do. The summer drew to a close and Harry was as happy as he had ever been. He didn't think he would ever get used to being with Ginny it made the days seem like they were flying by. When the summer was over and they had but three days before they had to go back to school Harry decided to tell everybody what he had decided.But first he had to talk to Ginny .

Harry knocked lightly on Ginny's bedroom door.

"Come in." Ginny shouted.

Harry walked into Ginny's room for the second time in all the seven years he had known her. Ginny was scurrying about the room picking up random objects and placing them all in one corner of the room.

"Hey Harry. Did you want something?" Ginny asked not breaking from what she was doing.

"Why when I come to your room that I automatically want something? Can't I come to my girlfriend's room and just want to spend what little time I have left with her without needing something or other?" Harry asked coming to stand beside Ginny.

"Harry, you always have some reason for doing everything you do. So what exactly did you-"

Ginny cut off abruptly and glared at Harry.

"What do you mean by what little time you have left?" Ginny narrowed her eyes.

Harry took a step backward and swallowed hard. He took a deep breathe and went to stand back in front of Ginny.

"Ginny, please sit down." Harry asked indicating her bed.

"I'm not a little kid Harry. I can handle bad news without having to sit down." Ginny said her anger rising.

"Ginny I don't know how to tell you this. I don't want to upset you and I know when I say this that it will upset you. I just don't know what else I can do. What else I want to do. I know I promised but I would really like to do this. I'm just sort of afraid of what you're going to say. I just want you to know that we can work through it and we won't have to doge around each other-"

"Harry would you just please say what you came here to say." This time not just anger escaped from her voice but hurt as well.

"Ginny I'm not going back to Hogwarts to be a student.I'm-"

"So you're going to be an Auror. I can't say I'm too happy about that, but if that's what you really want. We won't get to see each other as often as we would if you were going back to school. We would still have Hogsmead trips and holidays. I mean I am a little mad, you did promise, but it's what you've always wanted to do. So-"

"Ginny would you let me finish please. No I'm not going to be an Auror. Can you please just sit down?" Ginny just glared at him so he let that drop.

"I have to admit that you might not want to talk to me after you hear what I have to tell you. I don't want us to be awkward or weird around each other I just want us to be able to get through this and-"

Once again Ginny cut him off.

"Harry you don't have to say anymore. I thought you might have got a girl while you were out traveling. There was always that chance. I'm sorry you felt the need to stay with me for a while. If you knew the whole time you were going to break up with me you shouldn't have come back at all. I don't want to make this a big-"

"GINNY! I never said I was breaking up with you. If you would quit interrupting me I just might have to. Now please will you let me finish?" Harry said raising his voice. It was hard enough as it was to tell her what he had decided without her interrupting and making crazy assumptions.

"NO! I want to know why you are trying to break up with me and then say you are not breaking up with me?" Ginny demanded.

It was so crazy. She didn't realize what she had just said. It was silly and so unlike Ginny. Harry should have known better especially what happened with the result with Cho but he did it anyway. He laughed. He couldn't help it. It was just so crazy. He saw the outraged look on Ginny's face and clamped his hand over his mouth like a little kid trying not to get in trouble. When Harry finished laughing,which didn't take long Ginny walked over to her door and held it open, an obvious sign that she wanted him to leave. Harry walked over to her and firmly but gently pushed the door shut.

"Ginny please stop interrupting and let me say what I came in here to say?" He waited for her to answer.

"Fine."

Harry took her hands in his and held them much too tightly that it almost hurt as if she would yank them back at any moment.

"Ginny I'm not breaking up with you, I love you. I didn't find another girl while I was out. I couldn't because I love you. I'm not going back to school to be a student nor am I going to be an Auror. I didn't mean to laugh at you but you were being so crazy.Now please don't hex me when I tell you this! I'm going back to Hogwarts to be a teacher."

Harry looked desperately into Ginny's eyes for any traces of what she was feeling. Before Harry could stop it Ginny wrenched her hands from him and then went to stand in front of her window looking down at the Garden. Harry gave her some space and time to think over what he said. He sat in a chair by her dresser and waited for the right time. After half an hour of her not saying anything Harry went to stand behind her. He put his arms tightly around her waist, resting his chin on her head. Even though Ginny was mad at him she rested her back against his chest. Harry breathed in the smell of her sweet, enticing aroma of her hair.

"Ginny please tell me what it is you're thinking!"

"I thought we agreed on this?"

Ginny's voice was so small and distant that it startled Harry. He let go of Ginny enough to turn her around and to his amazement she had tears silently, sadly rolling along her cheeks.

"No Ginny." Harry sighed gently wiping away her tears.

"You agreed that I wouldn't take the teaching job. I had no say in it. I just didn't want to hurt you. I've been doing Auror business all my life. I don't want to do that for the rest of my life. I don't want to go back to school. But when I taught the D.A. it was amazing. You will never be able to understand how that felt. When I'm teaching somebody and they struggle and struggle to get something and then finally that last gear is clicked into place and they get the spell, curse or whatever it is an amazing to know that I taught them. That they learned that from me. It is one of the only other things that make me truly happy."

"What are the other things?" Ginny asked getting off subject.

"What?"

"The other things that make you truly happy?" Ginny asked resting her head on his chest.

"You are at the top, next would come Quidditch, then um...my friends, and last the rest of your family." That list will never change,Ginny."

"So how is this going to work if you're not breaking up with me?"

"I honestly don't know Ginny. But you know if we get caught I will get fired?"

"Then we will have to not get caught." Ginny said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Ginny listen. I have thought about this and I really don't like this plan,if there was any other way I would take it immediately. I just don't know how else to keep you. We won't have to do it if you come up with something better. I hate to even bring it up."

"Harry, just tell me. It possibly can't get any worse."

Harry gave a short shaky laugh and rubbed his neck.


While Harry was in Ginny's room talking to Ginny Hermione was in Ron's room reading a book while Ron looked over his broom to fix any minor damages. He looked up from his work and for the first time noticed that Harry was gone. He looked over to Hermione who was laying on her stomach on his bed reading,once again, Hogwarts-A-History.

"Don't you ever tire of that book, my love?" Ron asked coming to sit beside her.

"I would never. It is way to interesting. You really should read it someday, Ron. You might turn around and like it." Hermione said not once loosing concentration on her book.

"You must have it memorized by now?"

"Almost. All I have to do is memorize the last four chapters and I'll have the whole book."

"How many chapters is it?"

"Fifty."

Ron stared at her opened mouthed. He quickly closed his mouth and asked her what he wanted to originally.

"When did Harry leave?"

"Um-" For the first time Hermione looked away from her book and down at her watch.

"almost two hours ago. He went to go see Ginny. Said he had to talk to her about something really important."

"He's been is Ginny's room this whole time! How could you let him go in there for this long? Anything could have happened by now."

"Ron, do you honestly think that Ginny would do something like that before she was married? Even if it is with Harry. Who has a well toned body,nice muscles,sexy smile,nice round butto-"

"I don't want to hear anymore on how turned on you get by Harry. If you want him to be your boyfriend than go ahead and steal him from Ginny. If that's what you really want. I just thought you loved me."

Hermione rolled onto her back laughing rather hard. Both of her hands were clapping her stomach as she tried hard to catch her breath.

"Bloody hell Hermione I don't see how you liking my best friend is funny."

"Ron I don't like Harry that way. I just wanted to get you a little riled up. But as I was describing Harry I didn't see him as much as I saw you. And I do love you."

"I don't like it when you play those games with me,love." Ron growled.

"Ya. And just what do you think you can do about it!"

Ron flung the book off of the bed and launched himself on top of Hermione.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

Ron grabbed Hermione's arms and forced them above her head holding both of them in place by only one of his hands. He pinned her legs between his. She was trapped with no way out.

"Ron what do you think you are doing! Let.Me.Go!"

"I told you I don't like it when you play those games with me and you asked me what I was going to do about it, so I'm about to show you so that next time you play those games you will know the outcome."

Then without any warning Ron started to tickle Hermione. He tickled her sides and that one spot on the side of her neck. Hermione laughed harder this time than before. Her sides were literately killing her from laughing so much.

"R-R-Ron! St-o-p. P-lea-s-e! "

"Do you promise to do whatever I say without question?" Ron asked without stopping his actions.

"N-ne-never!" Hermione laughed.

"Then I won't stop."

"P-p-plea-s-e!!"

"I will if you say,'Ron from now on I will do whatever you say without question.'"

"R-R-Ron...I...w-will...do...w-w-hat-ever...you...s-s-ay...f-fro-from...n-now...on...with-with-without...ques-tion."

Ron instantly let go of her and sat back allowing Hermione to catch her breath. When Hermione lay perfectly still and her breathing returned to normal Ron leaned down to kiss her with a victory smile gracing his perfect lips. When he was about an inch away Hermione said,

"I thought you were mad about Harry being in Ginny's room for over two hours?"

Ron's eyes snapped open and he sprang from the bed and sprinting out of the door. Hermione chuckled to herself. Ron didn't know all of her games. As soon as the thought had left her mind Ron sprinted back in breathless.

"That was another one of your tricks. Don't worry I'll get you when I come back. Now I have to go see how much damage Harry has done to my little sister."

Ron sprinted back out of the room and down a couple of flights to Ginny's bedroom door. He was about to march in when he heard them talking. He placed his ear to the door and listened.


"Ginny with me being a teacher and you a student we can only be together secretly. But I have a cover up if there end up being rumors. I'm a teacher so they are more likely to believe me. All you need is your own cover up. I think that you should pretend to date other guys while at Hogwarts."

"What!"

"Ginny you wouldn't really be dating them. You would just pretend to date them. Just don't go out with somebody good-looking. I might get too jealous."

"Harry what happens if he wants to kiss me. He technically would be aloud because we would be dating. I don't want to kiss anybody but you."

"I don't want you kissing anybody either. I love you Ginny, but I don't see how else this is going to work. Look if you use my plan keep the kisses simple. Ginny I really don't want to have to lie, and for the both of us to sneak around, but if this is the only way I can keep you while I teach then damn it I'm going to do it."

They stayed quiet for a long time and Ron's back started to hurt from leaning his ear against the door. Ginny sighed and pulled away from Harry. She walked over to her bed and sat down.

"No Harry. I won't use your plan. I have an other idea. We just won't stay boyfriend and girlfriend. We-"

"I'm not breaking up with you Ginny!"

"Well I'm breaking up with you. I won't do what you want me to do. I'll just stay single and at the end of the year we can get back together. I love you too Harry, but I refuse to lie and sneak around. I'm going to be mature about this. If you're going to be my teacher then I am simply going to be your student. Please leave."

Harry came over and sat down beside her instead.

"Ginny I'm not breaking up with you. I won't loose you again. If this is what you truely want than I'll give you that but I don't consider us broken up. I will always love you. We'll get trough this. It's only for one year." Harry pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard and fiercely before letting her go.

"I love you Ginerva. And I'm sorry you feel the need to break up with me. I just want you to know that if you date this year I won't be able to stand it."

"Potter, if I date this year it will be none of your business. You will just be my teacher. Don't talk to me unless it's strictly about business now please leave."

Harry looked sadly at her and got up to leave. Ron quickly ran back up the stairs wishing he had not gone down there.