s the last of the days past with Ron and Hermione there, they did so more and more pleasantly for Harry. So much so that even though part of him was looking forward to his increased time alone with Ginny, he knew he was going to miss his best friends enormously. Mrs. Weasley had offered Harry Percy's room to use once he'd moved back to the city, but somehow Harry and Ron could never quite give up on the idea of being roommates, and so they had continued to share Ron's rather smallish room, squeezing in both beds together. Harry's only regret about this decision came on the last night Ron and Hermione were there.

Harry's sleeping patterns since the downfall of Voldemort had hardly improved. Sleep came only with great difficulty, and when it did he was continually plagued with dreams of the nightmare sort. Most of the Weasley family knew about this. Ron obviously did as rarely a night passed when Harry didn't cry out from the battle with Voldemort that he fought nightly in his head, awakening Ron briefly enough to reassure his friend and fall back to sleep absorbed in his own infinitely more pleasurable dreams. Hermione knew because Harry had had them all the time they'd been traveling and after what he'd experienced during the battle she hardly expected that they'd get any better very soon. Mrs. Weasley knew it because whenever she came in to change the sheets or make the bed, she found that the bed linens in Harry's bed looked like they'd been through a war. The sheets were generally twisted in a manner that resembled wands, ghosts or possibly Voldemort by morning, and they were always untucked from the foot of the bed, despite her use of the strongest tucking charm she knew. Mr. Weasley knew because unlike the rest of the family he was a very light sleeper and heard it when Harry cried out or fell out of bed. Ginny knew because Harry had told her about it, privately when they were together in the orchard. So all of them knew but nobody said anything. Harry himself kept pretending it didn't happen, so out in the open at least, everyone else went along with this. At least at first, then the night came just before Ron and Hermione were to leave.

It was a night with a full moon and Ginny lay in bed with the silvery light of the moon spilling over her pillow. She hardly noticed as she laid thinking about a particularly romantic afternoon she'd spent with Harry in the orchard earlier that day. They'd talked about Ron and Hermione going away and how they would miss them, but more than that Harry and she had begun to talk of their future. Thinking of a future with Harry was more than enough to keep her awake, and now she lay listening to the sounds of the house and the sounds made by all the people sleeping there. Ginny closed her eyes and was just about to dose off when she heard Harry cry out and her heart froze. He'd also told her how night after night in his mind, he found himself facing Voldemort again, about being in the forest fighting for his life and that of those he loved all over again.

Ginny screwed her eyes shut trying to block the sound out, but try as she might, the memory of Voldemort's high pitched voice ringing through the castle demanding Harry's surrender and death rang through her mind. She'd thought she'd defeated this particular demon from inside her, but knowing Harry was battling it again and again filled her with worry and dread. The thought of him fighting Voldemort alone yet again ...Harry cried out a second time and Ginny found she couldn't stand it any longer. She slipped from her bed and crept down the stairs, trying to be quite but moving as quickly as she could to get to Harry. She hesitated briefly at the bedroom door, listening for Ron's snores, wanting to be sure he was asleep. Once she was convinced, she opened the door and let herself in.

"Harry, Harry," she said his name as she knelt beside his bed while Harry tossed and turned in his sleep.

Harry's motions slowed just a bit, and so she tried it again. "Harry, I'm here. You're okay."

She watched him stiffen slightly then relax. After a moment his eyes fluttered open just a bit.

"Ginny, what are you doing here?" he asked seeing her there.

"I heard you cry out," she whispered.

"It's usually Ron I wake up,"

"Shhh," Ginny whispered frantically. "I don't want him waking up and finding me here."

Harry nodded thinking about this. His girlfriend was visiting him in his bed! He was trying unsuccessfully not to think too hard on this as he considered their situation. He reached out his hand to hers and finding it, folded it in towards his body. It was ice cold.

"Ginny, you're freezing. Here, climb in here for a bit." He scooted over to make room then held open his blankets to her, inviting her in. Ginny climbed in beside him and lay close as he folded the blankets over them both. Her feet were even colder than her hands, and she pressed herself tightly against him, presumably for warmth. Harry glanced down at the top of her head as he wrapped an arm around her, inexplicably thinking of yet another bet he and Dudley had made. The way things were going he was likely to win this one as well.

"Ginny, are you sure you want to be here?" he asked, his voice still a whisper, but his heart was hammering hard now in his chest.

"Yes Harry. I want to help." she whispered.

Harry's heart fell. So that was it, she was concerned about his nightmare and so had come checking up on him. His thoughts that maybe his girlfriend wanted to be in bed with him imploded in his head.

"Are you alright?' she whispered anxiously.

"Yes I'm fine. It's only a dream," he assured her.

"Harry, I know about those dreams, remember? You told me. Besides… I've had them too."

"About Voldemort?" Harry asked with a start.

"Tom Riddle actually. The way he sounded when he came out of that diary. I could hear him in my head when no one was there. That took forever to go away. Then in the castle, with that magnified voice of his," Ginny shuttered in his arms. "It was just the same. It was him. Like the Tom in the diary only stronger."

"They were part of same soul Ginny," Harry tried to explain. "That diary. It was one of the horocurxes. Actually it was the only one I destroyed," Harry told her.

Ginny nodded silently. "Probably better not to think about it when going to sleep."

"I find that a bit difficult actually," Harry told her.

"Well, I guess you just need better dreams," she suggested.

Harry looked down at her, wondering what she had in mind. Now fully awake he found it difficult to control his imagination. "What do you suggest?" he said.

"Well, I was thinking about down in the orchard," she whispered.

This did nothing to quell the images now running through Harry's head. He was remembering it too, that particularly passionate snogging session under the apple tree, and he was thinking how it might be to repeat such a thing while here in his bed. He felt his body warm at the thought and for a moment he wasn't exactly sure what to do. He wanted to kiss her in the worst way, but Ron lay in a bed less than three feet away. This wasn't exactly the perfect setting for that sort of thing. The decision was shortly taken out of his hands though when he felt Ginny lean over him and kiss him full on the mouth.

Harry wrapped his arms around her holding her close, returning her kisses with increasing eagerness, thinking about how they were both here, dressed only T-shirts and pajama bottoms, his hand running up and down her back as she lay over him. Harry reveled in the smoothness of her skin beneath her shirt as he ran his hand from her waist to shoulder blades without interruption. Gradually the meaning of that smoothness finally sunk in and kicked Harry's imagination into over drive. That invisible barrier generally hidden beneath her clothes and represented by her bra strap was missing. She wasn't wearing one. With that realization came a sense of shock, causing Harry to pull away, scared of where his imagination was leading him for several reasons. First and most immediate was that his body was now fully prepared to follow his imaginings to their ultimate and climatic conclusions. This was to say the least a bit embarrassing as dressed as he was with Ginny on top of him there was no way to hide it. Secondly he'd found himself passionately snogging a girl in his bed with Ron asleep a mere three feet away. This he decided was a bit un-cool, not to mention the fact that the girl in question was Ron's sister which could very well lead to losing a few teeth in the event Ron found out. And thirdly, and perhaps in the long run most importantly, this was Ginny, the girl he eventually wanted to spend his life with. As much as he wanted the thing his imagination had shown him, Harry held back not wanting not mess that up.

"Ginny," Harry whispered after he'd caught his breath a bit. She made a bit of a noise but kept kissing his chin.

"Ginny wait," Harry whispered a bit more urgently than he'd meant to.

"What?" she murmured with a bit of a pout.

"Ron," Harry whispered. It was the easiest of the three reasons in his mind had presented him for stopping to bring up at the moment.

"The git," Ginny whispered.

Harry chuckled at this trying to slow his breathing. It was a bit more difficult than usual as Ginny drew her hand across his chest and breathed on his neck. Harry felt himself squirm just a bit as he felt an uncommon pressure on his body from her leg, somewhere near his groin.

"Ah, do you think you could move, just bit?' he asked.

Ginny moved her leg slightly in a way that rubbed against him lightly.

"Not like that!" Now completely embarrassed Harry squirmed way to lay on his side, trying not to pant as he put some space between them. Ginny giggled while Harry struggled to regain his control.

"Do you think you can sleep now?" she asked coyly.

"Not bloody likely," Harry whispered back.

"Just breath deeply," she instructed. "And when high pitched voices begin to fill your head, think of me. Think of this. Don't let him win Harry. You are too good for him."

Harry looked down into the eyes he loved. There had been a purpose to her playfulness after all. "I love you, do you know that?" he asked.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," she assured him. "Now sleep, peacefully. Don't let the dark lord win."

"I never do," he assured her.

Ginny lay against him again, but this time her body was entirely relaxed, there was no tension, no overt sexual advances just a closeness of the type that Harry generally craved. Having her here with him though Harry wondered it he'd ever be able to relax. He did his best to clear his mind, concentrating on the deep steady breathing of the girl in his arms. Gradually though his body did relax, and Harry drifted off into an entirely welcome dreamless sleep.

When Harry awoke the next morning it was in a bit of a panic. There was daylight outside the window now and he couldn't remember Ginny leaving. With his heart hammering hard within his chest, his hands explored the space next to him in his bed. It was empty, no one was there. Somewhere deep inside his mind Harry was disappointed, but the more rational part of his brain was greatly relieved. He didn't want to think about what would have happed if Ron had awakened first and found them both there. Even worse what if Mrs. Weasley had decided to check in as she often did in the mornings. Harry shuttered as he imagined the ramifications from either of those events happening. He would have been chucked out for sure, forced to go to live at Grimmauld Place to try to make a home for himself there. As pleasant as it had been to have Ginny in his bed, for the time being at least, he'd much rather remain living here.

Hoping she'd had the foresight to leave before either of those things could happen Harry reached for his glasses, opened his eyes and looked around. Ron was still sleeping soundly in his bed. Harry lay back on his pillows with a feeling of relief. He had thought to get up when he next heard Mrs. Weasley outside their door by the stairs. As was her custom and as Harry had predicted she peaked in. He pretended to be asleep to make her leave sooner rather than risking having to explain why he was awake. He lay there for a time trying to ensure Mrs. Weasley was gone before rising to go to the bathroom. He could hear voices talking as he crossed the hall that served as the landing to the stairs. Neither of them were Ginny's, so hopefully she hadn't been caught either. Quietly as he could he returned to the room he shared with Ron and got dressed.

By the time Harry got to the kitchen several of the Weasleys were up. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were seated at the table with Ginny and Hermione across from them. Harry glanced at Ginny but did his best to keep his expression completely normal. Apparently it worked for he got an entirely normal Good morning Harry, from Mrs. Weasley as he walked into the room.

"Good morning," Harry said cheerfully.

"Why so happy Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry could have kicked her and would have it had been convenient to do so under the table without attracting too much attention. Apparently Ginny did though because Hermione jumped saying "Ouch, what was that for?"

"Oh sorry, did I kick you?" Ginny asked innocently. "My leg has a mind of its own sometimes."

Harry tried unsuccessfully to hide the grin on his face as she said this, bending low apparently to look at something on the table.

"Good morning Ginny," Harry greeted her hoping his voice at least sounded normal.

"Good morning Harry. Sleep well?" she asked with a bright smile.

Harry looked up, caught her eye, and at the expression on her face they both looked sharply down again trying unsuccessfully not to laugh. The elder Weasley's exchanged a glance as they watched them, but didn't say anything. Ron and Hermione were leaving today. There would be time to deal with these other two after they left. Few of the younger people knew how lightly Mr. Weasley slept.

"Breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley offered brightly

"Please," Harry said.

For some reason he was hungrier than normal. He helped himself to bacon eggs and toast, and was on his on his second helping of each when Ron came down.

"Morning," Ron said to Harry with a nod.

"Good morning Ron. I hope I didn't keep you awake much last night," Harry commented as Ron sat down. Ron looked at him, perhaps a bit more sharply than usual, but immediately seemed normal again so Harry figured it was probably his imagination.

"Not much," Ron answered. "Looks like you slept better. You're bed doesn't look like a war zone this morning."

"I did actually," Harry admitted. Surely there was no harm in saying this. Mrs. Weasley did seem to asking him about it all the time.

Harry was actually about to believe that his statement would pass uncommented upon when Ginny giggled slightly, hiding her blushing face behind her teacup. Harry glanced at Ron who looked pointedly away. All told it was both the best and the most uncomfortable breakfast Harry could ever remember having at the Burrow.

The rest of the morning was too busy for anyone to pay any attention to anything other than helping to get Ron and Hermione on their way. As was usual, Hermione was fully packed the day before, but Ron kept remembering last minute things he wanted to take and kept shoving them in his pockets right up to the time they were to accompany Mr. Weasley to the ministry. From there they would be taking a port key to Australia where they would have six weeks to find Hermione's parents and to restore their memories before the port key would bring them home.

When the time came for them to leave, everyone was gathered round the apparition point outside the Weasley house.

"Have a good trip Ron," Harry told him extending a hand to his friend. They shook hands and Harry turned to Hermione. "Take care Hermione," he told her pulling her into an enormous bear hug. "Take care of Ron," Harry added in her ear. They both knew from personal experience how exasperating Ron could be when traveling in unfamiliar places.

"I will Harry," Hermione said holding him tightly as she started to tear up. It would be the first time in nearly a year that the two friends would be apart.

"Ah, don't start that," Harry said with his arm around her shoulders. "You'll be okay. And I'll be right here. I'll see you both when you get back."

"But Harry…you be careful…okay?" Hermione said in a worried tone.

Harry just smiled at her, pulled her to him again and kissed her on the cheek. "You're going to be late."

"Oh I know," Hermione exclaimed flapping her hands in her excitement in a very Hermione-ish sort of way. Both boys laughed which only annoyed her more.

"Harry," Ron said as almost an afterthought just as he was about to turn away.

"Yeah, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Could I have a word mate?"

"Sure," Harry said looking at him quizzically.

"Over here," Ron pulled him aside out of earshot to the rest.

Harry followed him questioningly.

"Listen, I don't have much time, so I'm going to get right to the point. I know Ginny was in your bed last night," Ron said his face totally serious.

Harry looked at his friend, surprised he knew. He couldn't lie to him though. "Ah yeah Ron, she was."

"You know if she was anyone else I'd be clapping you on the shoulder and asking you how it was," Ron began.

"Yeah I know that."

"And if you were anyone else I'd be punching you senseless," he added.

"No Ron, you've got it all wrong. Nothing happened," Harry said. Ron stared at him. "Look Ron, I wouldn't lie to you, not about something like this. She heard me cry out and was trying to wake me up from one of my nightmares." That was a bit of the truth at least Harry thought. "I'm not about to do anything to hurt Ginny. You've got to believe me on this."

"Yeah I would, except well…she is my sister."

"I know that."

"Would you tell me if you did?" Ron asked thoughtfully.

Harry considered this for a bit. "I'm not sure I would Ron," he answered truthfully. "Just like I wouldn't expect you to tell me the details about you and Hermione. But while we are talking about this, don't you dare run out on her again."

"What I do with Hermione is none of your business Harry," Ron said with a slight growl.

"No it isn't, but she is my friend, just like you are. You hurt her when you left last time and well… just don't do it again," Harry warned.

"I won't if you won't mate," Ron told him seriously and Harry knew he was thinking about how he'd left Ginny last year to go hunting the horocruxes.

"Believe me Ron, I'm never doing that again."

"Friends?" Ron asked extending his hand.

"Absolutely," Harry said and the two men shook on it.

They walked to the rest of them who all gave them questioning glances, but Harry knew from Ron's face he wasn't going to say anything.

Mrs. Weasley pulled her youngest son into a tearful hug and held him until he began to push her away.

"Aw, get off me Mum. I gotta go."

Everyone smiled and waved, then the three turned on the spot to go.