Harry woke up first thing the next morning feeling completely refreshed. That could have had something to do with the beautiful young lady that was currently resting her head on his chest and snoring ever so slightly. Whatever the cause, Harry was not going to complain about it.
"Ginny," Harry whispered softly.
"Five more minutes, mum," Ginny mumbled.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley," Harry said in his best impersonation of Mrs. Weasley, "you get up right this minute and give your boyfriend a good morning snog."
Harry was never sure if it was the thought of Ginny's mother catching her sleeping with a boy or the idea of her mother telling her to snog someone that woke Ginny up so fast but in either case, Ginny was instantly awake and sitting bolt upright. Ginny grabbed for her jumper and was about to say something before she realized that it was Harry that had spoken and not her mother.
Their time together the night before had been very intense but they had stopped just short of going too far. Harry had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand Harry knew that they were not ready for a more intimate relationship but that did not stop him from thinking Ginny looked beautiful in just her knickers and a rumpled jumper.
"That was not funny, Harry Potter," Ginny scolded him as she bushed furiously and playfully slapped his chest.
"Oh I don't know," he said pulling her back down into his arms again. "I thought it was pretty funny, Gin."
Ginny settled back into his arms without protest and lightly traced little circles on Harry's chest. Harry realized he wanted to wake up like this every day for the rest of his life. Hugging Ginny tightly in his arms he buried his face in the top of her head and thanked God for the fact that she was there with him now.
"We'll see how funny you think it is the first time she really does catch us together like this," Ginny said mischievously.
Harry could not help laughing even though he realized it would be a very interesting morning if Mrs. Weasley did catch him with her daughter. Then again, he could put up with a few hexes and a harsh word or two in order to be with Ginny. He had, after all, just defeated the darkest wizard of all time, so one enraged mother was not going to be that bad. At least, that was what he hoped, considering Molly Weasley had managed to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange, a feat that no one had managed to achieve before.
Thoughts of Sirius and Tonks immediately came to mind when thinking of Bellatrix. She had managed to kill two people that Harry loved, not to mention her countless other victims over the years. How appropriate it felt that Bellatrix, who thought nothing of destroying families, including her own, should in turn be defeated by a woman whose entire life revolved around protecting her family and those she loved.
"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"
Brilliant, Mrs. Weasley, Harry thought with a silent chuckle before turning his attention back to Ginny.
"We'll cross that bridge when we have to," Harry said before he decided he had waited long enough to kiss the woman he loved.
It was probably thirty minutes later when Harry's stomach gave a loud rumble and they broke apart laughing. They scrambled to find all of their clothes and eventually made their way up to their respective dormitories to clean up and shower before heading down to the Great Hall for some breakfast. As he entered his old dormitory Harry figured that from the amount of clothing that was tossed around the room, Ron and Hermione had probably taken him up on his advice the previous night.
Good for them, Harry thought as he walked into the bathroom to take a long shower.
When he was finally clean and dressed, Harry headed back down to wait for Ginny in the common room. He noticed almost immediately that he had overlooked the Silencing charm and Disillusionment charm that had been placed around Ginny and him the previous night. It felt like Hermione's work and touching his wand again, Harry ended both spells with a silent "Finite."
Harry could not help it now; he had to wonder what was going on with his magic and this sudden ability to know who had cast a spell. He was reminded of Dumbledore's ability to feel magic in the cave where Tom had hidden the locket. Was this what Dumbledore had meant? Harry wondered where he had picked up this ability, not to mention that he seemed to only have to touch his wand to cast a spell.
He was just about to experiment with his newfound abilities when Ginny came down the stairs from the girls' dormitory. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a school shirt that Harry realized was one of his since it was several sizes too large for her. She looked so beautiful to him and his heart ached with the thought that he had been separated from her for so long.
"Don't stare, Harry," Ginny said blushing.
"I can't help it, Gin," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around her and looked down into her beautiful brown eyes. "You are just so beautiful."
"I bet you say that to all the girls," she said playfully.
"Never," Harry said with a smile. "You're the only girl for me, now and forever."
Ginny had been about to say something but Harry silenced her with a kiss that was so passionate that Ginny was sure it lasted a year. Nothing mattered to her right at that moment. Her mother could have walked in and Ginny would not have cared in the least. All that mattered was Harry and his lips on hers. When they finally broke apart it took Ginny a few moments for her head to stop spinning.
"By the way, Ms. Weasley," Harry said playfully. "Where in the world did you get that shirt you are wearing?"
"Oh, this," Ginny asked as her face turned red. "I borrowed it from your room right before Bill and Fleur's wedding while Hermione was packing your things."
"I see, and why did you want one of my shirts?" Harry asked as he leaned down to kiss Ginny's now bright red neck.
"Well," Ginny said breathlessly, "I figured while you were away I would still have your arms around me while I slept."
"Oh, so you've been wearing one of my shirts to bed?"
Ginny just nodded as Harry continued to nibble on her neck. He rather liked the idea of Ginny wearing one of his school shirts to bed and the image it brought to mind was incredibly sexy.
"Well you hold on to that shirt," Harry whispered in her ear, "because I'm going to want to see you in it some night."
"Harry," Ginny said blushing even redder and slapping his arm playfully. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"The kind that I am madly in love with," Harry instantly replied as he once again gave her a kiss that made Ginny's whole body vibrate with excitement.
"Oi! Can't you two stop ever stop snogging," called Ron as he and Hermione walked down the stairs from the boys' dormitory.
"Ron," Hermione said in a firm tone of voice. "Who was it that was snogging me until nearly dawn this morning?"
"Oh… yeah… right," Ron said with a slightly embarrassed glance at his sister and Harry who were now laughing.
"Yeah, Ron," Harry said trying to sound like an over protective brother. "I hope you treated my sister with all the respect she deserves and didn't just chuck clothes every which way on your way to your bed with her."
Ginny was roaring with laughter now. Ron and Hermione both looked as if someone had just doused them in a fresh bottle of red ink and Hermione was looking down at her feet as if she had just noticed they were there. Ginny wasted no time however in running over and grabbing Hermione's hand so she could lead the older girl out the portrait hole. Harry figured they needed some quality girl time so that was ok.
"Well, mate," Ron said finally as he and Harry headed after the girls. "I'm really happy about you and Ginny getting back together. You two breaking up was really hard on her."
"I know and I will never do anything like that to her ever again," Harry said looking over at his best mate. "I'm happy for you as well. You and Hermione make a great couple."
"Yeah," Ron laughed, "when we aren't fighting with each other. Then again, I always have thought she was beautiful when she was angry. Now I get to fight with her and then make up afterwards. How great is that?"
"You're mental, you are," Harry said clapping Ron on the shoulder. "Least now I know why you picked so many stupid fights with her."
"You're catching on," Ron said with a wink.
"Then shall we just consider it a given that should either of us hurt the other's sister that we will do bodily damage to the other without taking any joy in it," asked Harry in a pseudo-serious tone of voice.
"Works for me, mate. And don't worry about my brothers;" Ron said with a little chuckle, "they're terrified of Ginny's Bat-Bogey hex so they wouldn't dare lay a finger on you."
Harry could not help but laugh at the thought of the fierce Weasley sons cowering before a sixteen year old girl. Maybe that was one of the reasons he loved her so much, the fact that she could take care of herself. She was not afraid to stand up to anyone if she thought they needed to be put in their place, not even her own family.
Rounding the last corner before they reached the doors to the Great Hall, Harry saw Hermione and Ginny talking together in a mix of whispers and girlish giggles. Almost as if it was planned, he and Ron both whistled softly and watched as both girls turned to them with smiles on their faces. As they joined the girls, Harry could not help but be thankful that they finally had all the time in the world to just be happy.