Author's Note: Ah...the time has finally come to look out for my own safety. I'm moving the rating up to Mature as a precaution, and as a measure for chapters to come. There's one tiny bit in this chapter that might constitute the change, but I decided to do it now just to be safe.
I originally planned Christmas break to be one chapter. Ha. It looks like it's going to be at least two, if not more. I'm actually really nervous about these chapters because I've really wanted to write them, and I really want to know what everyone thinks. This one gets fluffy at the end, but don't worry – Harry gets plenty of chance to confront his demons next chapter in a slightly less than fluffy scene. But that's next chapter - you worry about reading this one. :D
Enjoy!
-JS
Chapter Thirteen: Privet Drive
November passed in alternating bouts of lightning speed and dreadful slowness. The Quidditch season picked up, and despite his post as a teacher, Harry found himself quite partial to the Gryffindor team. Unfortunately, they hadn't found a good keeper since Ron Weasley, and it showed in their championship hopes. Though the Gryffindor seeker was decent at getting the snitch, the team had a habit of being more than 150 points behind when it was caught. Naturally, this depressed Harry ("I could catch it fast enough that the score wouldn't matter.") and Ginny ("I would score so much we couldn't lose"), but they had their minds on other things, like Ron and Hermione's move to Hogsmeade.
It was surprising how fast it happened - by the middle of November the couple was all moved in and Harry had offered to put his own wards on the place, assisted by Professor Flitwick for some of the more complicated charms. Hermione refused to allow Harry to use some of the magic he'd found in studying the dark arts, but even McGonagall seemed amazed at how well the house was warded when she visited them for dinner one evening.
The house itself was a modest, two bedroom affair (which Hermione quickly converted into one bedroom, one library), but it wasn't small and had all of the modern amenities for a young witch and wizard looking to settle down. Ron had even taken it upon himself to do some remodeling while Hermione was in London checking in at the department, but in the end he had to call upon Harry to come fix the mess before his wife killed him. The place was also tucked away from the busy parts of the village, just like Hermione expressed in her letter. Ginny had lit up with delight upon finding it, making a subtle reference to Harry that it was something that she too might like. Harry had laughed at that, reminding her that they would probably live at Hogwarts for the rest of their lives. That earned him a sour look for a moment before Ginny realized he was admitting his desire to live with her forever.
Lessons for Miss Princeton continued, and much to Harry's surprise, she started improving. Once the young Ravenclaw opened up to him and told him of her fears, she seemed to stop running and fought them as well as the Imperius Curse. By the beginning of December, she was already staying aware while under Harry's influence, and if something distracted him for even an instant, she could push him out and break the curse. Her delight at making real progress only seemed to feed her ability to fight, and Harry found himself feeling very happy for her. Indeed, she was no longer just a student to him; he felt more like her guardian, though he was only three years her senior.
In fact, one of the only stressors in Harry's life came from Ginny herself. He quickly found what that mysterious trip to Hogsmeade was about, and her assurances she would help take care of his intimacy problem - the fiery redhead had gone clothes shopping; though not for anything she would wear outside of Harry's presence. Indeed, it seemed she was wearing less and less to bed, and more and more Harry was getting used to the skin to skin contact, though he refused to come to bed with anything less on himself. Ginny considered it a small victory, and though she had hoped for more, Christmas holidays were fast approaching and she wouldn't have to wait long before she could take advantage of his promise.
It was a week before their Winter Break before she forced him into anything (other than sleeping with her half-naked form, but Harry hadn't had too many complaints about that), and that time came while they were lying in bed, wrapped around each other on a Sunday morning with light streaming through the window, giving Ginny (in Harry's eyes) an angelic glow as the light played off her brilliantly red-orange hair.
"Harry...?" Her voice was a slight whine, one that he'd had to get used to when she wanted something, but was going to be playful about it. Thankfully for him, this particular morning Ginny had decided to wear decent pajama pants, though her extremely tight and probably two sizes too small T-shirt left almost nothing about her upper body to his imagination.
"Mmmm?" He only made a soft hum to indicate he was listening. Ginny would ask him for whatever it was she wanted regardless of what he said.
"Do you think I'm attractive?" Her voice was anything but serious - it sounded more like she was toying with him.
He smiled at her, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Ginny was one of the few girls who was very attractive and knew it; it was clear in the way she flaunted herself to Harry in front of other males to torture them, and even other females that happened to look at him the wrong way. That wasn't what she wanted to know, but she never missed an opportunity to get a compliment.
"Of course you are..." His lips brushed hers as if sealing the deal. Ginny smiled with her eyes closed, but she slowly opened them to capture his in a loving gaze. Her arms slid out from around her neck, one hand sliding down to grab his wrist and pull it up to chest level.
"Then how can you keep your hands off me?" Her voice was still playful, but confused Harry all the same.
"What do you think I'm doing right now?" He had a point - his other arm was wrapped around her, pulling her lithe form into his embrace, with his hand resting on the skin of her lower back where her shirt didn't meet her pants.
She shook her head slowly, letting her hair fall in front of her face like a veil. "Nuh uh...you never touch me right here." Before Harry could react, she pulled his hand into her (quite shapely) chest. He resisted the urge to pull back, not wanting to let her win. In truth, he really didn't have an answer for her...it was just something he always avoided.
But bloody hell, he loved the feel of her breast cupped in his hand. Even though her shirt (she'd stopped wearing a bra to bed shortly after they'd started sleeping together, much to Harry's discomfort), it was soft as well as big enough to fill his palm and fingers with warmth without being overwhelming. Ginny bit her lip, waiting for his response and trying not to giggle at the pleasure his increasingly firm caress caused. He pulled away faster than she would have liked, but she let his wrist go and looked back up at him, her upper teeth still holding her bottom lip.
"You're absurdly cute when you do that," Harry said, brushing her cheek with the same hand that had just been on her chest. She blushed at the compliment, not sure how to reply, but Harry continued. "And...I don't know why...I guess it's over that line that I'm comfortable with." It sounded so wrong when he put it that way, but he couldn't think of anything else, and he certainly wasn't going to say nothing.
"Harry, you know my body is yours, however much of it you want."
He nodded, though he wasn't sure he exactly believed her. Well, it wasn't that he didn't believe her, it was just he didn't want all that entailed. Not until he worked out his own problems. "I'm sure I'll be taking full advantage of that soon."
She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again, making sure to rub her chest against his. He didn't seem to notice her rubbing as his arms folded around her, his tongue prodding hers playfully before she rolled on top of him and drew him into a deeply passionate kiss.
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The next week was agonizing for Ginny. It seemed to get slower and slower as it wore on, and her work with Rebecca wasn't making it any easier. The girl had already started to show, but she refused to be removed from classes and tutored by her teachers privately. Already rumors had started going around school about her, and her Monday session that week with Harry was spent talking about dealing with all the unwanted attention. She seemed to take comfort in Harry's presence, as he was the one person who understood a little of what she going through in terms of bad publicity, and he always seemed to want to help her.
The Saturday after term ended, Harry and Ginny went shopping for Christmas presents. Ginny mentioned something about giving him time to get hers, and that she'd already gotten his so she would head back to the castle. When he asked when she'd gotten it, Harry only received a maddening smile and silence. He could only assume she'd picked it up while shopping for a new wardrobe last month.
The Hogwarts Express had left the previous day, so the couple had no choice but to apparate home. Ginny had seemed quite shocked about the idea of making the trip in one jump, but then again, Harry surprised everyone but Ron and Hermione with his magic these days. It took a strong bit of that magic from Harry to compress all of their gifts, packages, and travel bags into one duffel bag sized parcel. Ginny was somewhat worried that they wouldn't come out right, but Harry assured her everything would be in perfect condition when they arrived home.
They made a stop by Grimmauld Place to drop everything off ("Don't tell my parents yet," Ginny warned), and Harry was glad he'd sent Dobby ahead to clean everything up. The place looked as good as it ever had, and Ginny looked impressed with his housekeeping skills. Harry thought it convenient not to inform her that all of it had been a house-elf's doing.
The Burrow looked even more welcoming than usual with all of the magical lights around, and apparently Mrs. Weasley had broken out all of the Christmas charms in the book. Ginny smiled at the cheer in the air - it seemed to be a perfect outward representation of how her life was going at the moment. The couple walked inside hand in hand, only to be assaulted by a very spirited Molly Weasley, forcing them to break apart as Ginny was engulfed by her mother's arms.
"It's nice to see you too Mum." Ginny sniggered as Harry got the same treatment. Upon hearing Mrs. Weasley's delight, Arthur came into the room and smiled at the both of them. He also knew to give Molly her "mother time" before he greeted his daughter and adopted son.
"You both look so grown up! I can't believe how much you've changed in four months."
Ginny blushed, but luckily Harry wasn't as easily embarrassed. "Thank you Mrs. Weasley. I might say you look rather wonderful yourself."
None of the other three seemed to know what to make of that, so they burst out laughing. Harry slightly expected this, but it didn't keep him from being slightly embarrassed.
"Now now Harry, I can't have you stealing my daughter and my wife." Arthur gave him a humorous wink.
"And his daughter-in-law," Hermione said, entering the room and giving Harry a warm hug. She and Ron had come with the Hogwarts Express and had been staying at the Burrow until more guests arrived and the Weasleys needed the rooms. Ron rolled his eyes from the stairs, but gave Harry a lopsided grin all the same.
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Harry and Ginny spent a nice afternoon with the other four Weasleys, catching them up on everything that had happened since the term started, though they left a few things out, including Harry and Ron's duel. The Golden Trio was out sharing a little time together; they hadn't had much with just the three of them since the end of the war, though with Ron and Hermione's move it was getting better. Ginny found her mother working up something for dinner after leaving the three to their light conversation.
"Anything I can help with Mum?"
"No dear, I think I have everything under control." The elder Weasley woman gave her daughter a warm smile. "You just worry about enjoying yourself."
Ginny didn't leave the kitchen immediately, which made it clear she had something to say, but it took her a moment to gather the confidence. "If it's all right, I think I'm going to stay with Harry for the holidays. I don't need to take up room here when I have somewhere else I can sleep. I'll be over here most of the time in the day anyway."
Mrs. Weasley's expression hardened. She hadn't forgotten about the incident this summer when her daughter and Harry had started to work out their problems. "Has he asked you to stay?"
"Yes..." Ginny wondered why her mother could possibly be opposed to this. She'd hoped for a quick, clean conversation.
"I don't even know where you'll be. I don't think this is a good idea."
Ginny sighed. "I'll be at Grimmauld Place. Harry's been living there since the war, and it's in really nice condition, and it's still protected by the Fidelius. You won't have to worry about me being safe."
"Your safety isn't what I'm worried about." Ginny blinked. Her mother was acting very odd - she'd never had this sort of conversation with her before. "I know Harry would never let anything happen to you, and if he can't protect you, no one can. I'm more worried about what you two will do together."
Ginny turned furiously red and couldn't seem to look anywhere but at the floor. "Mum! We're not doing anything like that!" Yet...
Unfortunately, Molly didn't seem to believe her. "I haven't forgotten what it's like to be young and in love, Ginevra."
"I promise! Harry doesn't want to take that step yet, Mum." Yet, as in not now, but within the next couple days. Ginny didn't think her mother needed to know that. "Nothing is going on that Hermione wouldn't mind walking in on." She was going to say Ron, but some of their snogging sessions might have caused her older brother to vomit.
"Then maybe Ron and Hermione can stay with you two?" A glint of victory appeared in her mother's eye, but Ginny wasn't going to give up.
"Ewww...mum, I don't want to have to listen to them. You can't possibly think Ron keeps his hands to himself."
She had to grant her daughter that one. The couple was married; they had every right to do what they wanted in terms of their love life. But Ginny was different...she was the only Weasley daughter in generations, and she was still young and quite unmarried. "You should know all about Silencing Charms, Ginny."
"Actually Mum, I wouldn't, because Harry and I don't need them." She gave her mother a distasteful look. "And I'm sorry if I'm a little odd, but just the idea that my brother is...er...doing that in the next room is not something that will help me sleep." A bit of the Ginny Weasley temper was starting to flare - she had a shot at breaking through Harry's final barriers, both emotional and physical, and she'd be damned if her mother was going to stand in the way.
Molly, on the other hand, looked torn. She couldn't hold her daughter back forever, but couldn't she just insist upon it this one last time? Surely Harry would be coming to his senses soon and asking her hand in marriage...couldn't they just wait? But her mother's instincts kicked in at Ginny's slight anger, and knew this wasn't a battle she was going to win, whether or not Ginny stayed with Harry. She might get that, but it would be a miserable holiday if her only daughter was upset with her.
"You know all of the precautionary charms?"
"Mum! I'm not a little girl anymore!" Ginny was very glad Harry wasn't around for this conversation. It would have been supremely awkward, and not to mention downright embarrassing when he teased her about it later. Her mother gave her a sharp look, but turned back to the vegetables. Ginny was only too happy to leave her to it and join the Trio outside to watch the sunset.
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The night after their return home was a late one; Harry and Ginny didn't return to Grimmauld Place until the early hours of the morning. By the time they got home, it was all either of them could do to trudge into the master bedroom and fall down on the bed without even changing into nightclothes. Both of them slept for a solid ten hour block - the only thing that stirred was Hedwig coming in from her trip from Hogwarts.
Harry awoke about noon feeling rather strange...Ginny wasn't in his arms like usual. Even if she woke before him, she always waited for him to wake before getting up to ready for the day, but this morning apparently she'd decided to get up earlier. He groped for his glasses, finding them on the bedside table and shoving them on to find Ginny was also not in the room.
This is weird...
He knew it was a bit irrational to believe he would wake up with her in his arms every morning for the span of their lives, but he could hope, couldn't he? Instinctively, he made his way to the bathroom and took care of his pressing bladder issue as well as his breath (he was looking forward to his good morning kiss), and then he headed down to the kitchen.
To his surprise, Ginny was already dressed in her everyday robes (something Harry had to get used to - he still wore muggle clothes when around the house) and setting breakfast on the table for them. It didn't look like something quick and easy either; it was a breakfast worthy of the Molly Weasley household. She grinned at his stunned look, setting down her wand and coming over to give him a soft kiss on the lips.
"You know, I am good for more than snogging," she teased, gesturing toward the table. Harry's eyes shifted between her and the wonderful looking food.
"Apparently..."
She grinned and pushed him toward his seat, taking her own chair across from him. Harry felt a little odd sharing a breakfast with someone after living alone in the place for almost a year, and then eating with hundreds of other kids, but he supposed he could get used to it if Ginny decided to cook like this every morning.
"Don't expect this every morning," she said around a sausage. So much for that. "I was just in the mood to cook and you were still having your beauty sleep."
Harry was too engrossed in his meal to say much more than "Mmhmm." Ginny smiled knowingly, letting him enjoy the nice home cooked breakfast for a few minutes before talking to him again.
"So what are you planning on doing today?"
Harry blinked as he swallowed a (probably too large) bite. "No idea. I was just going to see what you wanted to do."
Ginny let out an exaggerated sigh. "You're so boring, Harry. Don't you do anything for fun?"
"You."
He said it without thinking, but Ginny got a familiar warm feeling inside all the same. There it was again - the open, carefree lover that she knew he could be, instead of the uptight, panicked boyfriend he was all too often.
"So when are you going to get around to making that not a lie?" Ginny asked, feigning disinterest.
Harry shrugged. "Whichever night you're ready." He too feigned a disinterest, but in his head thoughts were flying at a thousand miles a minute. He had no idea what he was going to tell her, or how he could even begin to tell the stories he needed without breaking down before even getting halfway through. He'd thought about using the Pensieve that Dumbledore had willed to him, but he wasn't sure showing Ginny that much detail would be a good idea.
"Tonight?" She tried not to sound too eager, but failed miserably.
Harry nodded, too deep in thought to tease her. "Er..." He paused. "Would you want to use a Pensieve? It would be a lot easier than trying to tell a story, but I will if you don't want to know that much."
Ginny gave him a sad look. She knew exactly what he was suggesting - he didn't think she'd be able to handle some of the memories that he showed her. While she couldn't convince herself that he was absolutely wrong, she knew she wanted to try and that it would help him much more if she could be strong through all of it.
"Harry, I want to know as much about you as you can show me."
He nodded, stabbing his food with a fork but not eating it. Thinking had ruined his appetite, and he was too worried about what she might think of him after the next few days to try to force down anything. Ginny began cleaning the dishes, sensing that he wasn't going to eat any more. She didn't fuss like her mother, but she made a mental note to herself to make sure Harry ate plenty for lunch and dinner after his half-breakfast. After waving her wand at the dishes to start them washing themselves, she turned and stood behind Harry, laying her arms loosely around his neck and kissing the top of his head.
"Harry?"
He reached up and held her hands in his to acknowledge her.
"Do you think I could go see where you lived with your Aunt and Uncle?"
His reaction was about what she expected. His back went as stiff as a board, and his hands tightened around hers. His head turned and tried to get a good look at her, but he had to turn his body before he could look into her eyes.
"You really want to?"
She nodded. It would be painful for Harry to take her, but it was something they could do in the day, and honestly, she wanted to meet his relatives as well as see where he lived for most of his life. It was an important part of his past she had no connection to, and it almost bothered her.
"I..." Harry faltered. He didn't know how his Aunt and Uncle would take him showing up unannounced. He didn't even know what had happened to Dudley after his schooling. On his seventeenth birthday, Harry had left the Dursleys to their muggle ways and delved deep into the war against Voldemort. The parting hadn't been bitter in any way, just a matter of fact. "I can't guarantee anything."
Ginny was quick to nod and show her understanding. "I know Harry...I just want to go. I don't expect anything."
He couldn't say anything more to that. He leaned back into his chair, letting Ginny's lips brush across his cheek comfortingly. There was no telling what the Dursley's reaction to Harry and Ginny would be, but interrupting them on a Sunday didn't seem like Harry's best idea ever. The only certain thing was it was going to be a long day.
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Privet Drive was exactly as Harry had remembered it. It was the epitome of Muggle, with their freshly cut lawns, their moderately priced cars in the driveway, and their perfectly proportionate houses. He took almost no notice of anything as he walked down the street, but Ginny seemed to be trying to remember everything. Harry had convinced her to change into muggle clothes so she didn't irritate the Dursleys any more than she had to, but there was still something distinctly magical about her. Or maybe that was Harry's imagination.
The couple walked hand-in-hand up to the Dursleys' front door. Ginny gave her boyfriend a comforting look and a squeeze of the hand as he raised his wand arm to knock on the door. The wait was intense, and Harry's heart had time to start pounding before the sound of a lock disengaging met his ears, and the door opened just a bit.
"What are you doing here?" Dudley hissed, though with a hint of fear in his voice. He hid behind the door as if it would protect him, causing Ginny to fight down a laugh. It was so easy to forget that Harry was the most powerful wizard in the world and not just that little boy she'd first seen ask her mum for directions to Platform Nine and Three-quarters.
"I've come to see your Mum and Dad," Harry replied quietly. Of course Dudley still lived at home. He would probably live at home for the remainder of his life.
"What do you want with them?"
By this time, Harry could hear Vernon's booming voice come from the other side of the house. "Who's at the door, Dudley?"
The (still) overly large boy squeaked, a reaction that might have been worthy of Peter Pettigrew himself. "No one, Dad." Dudley's eyes flashed at Harry. "You best be gone by the time Dad gets here."
Harry was inclined to agree, but Ginny wouldn't give up so easily. "I'd really like to meet Harry's uncle...I've known your cousin for years, but I've never met any of his family." Now Harry was the one fighting down a laugh. She never talked like that to anyone...it was almost like she thought she was talking to a retarded child. If that was the case, Harry wasn't likely to disagree with her assessment.
"Why..." Dudley's question was cut off by the thick form of Uncle Vernon, who was taller than his son, but just as big around. It seemed all dieting plans had gone out the window with Harry's departure.
"BOY! I thought I told you to never show your ugly face here again!" Okay, so maybe the parting had been just a tad more than a fact.
Ginny shivered, but Harry took this as completely normal. It amazed her what people could get used to after living with it for ten years. "Hullo, Uncle Vernon. I wanted to show my girlfriend where I lived while I was at school...would you mind if we came in?"
He knew all too well what his uncle's response would be (and the fact that he had an extremely attractive girlfriend didn't help matters), but astonishingly enough, he was never able to give it. Petunia's beady eyes made an appearance, and they went immediately to looking Ginny over, a small gasp escaping her tiny form.
"Vernon, let them in. You and Dudders are due for a day out, aren't you?"
What? Harry had never seen Petunia talk to her husband like that; not since Dumbledore's howler back in the summer before his fifth year. Vernon had always been the man of the house and the law, but apparently Harry had been wrong, because his uncle turned a very embarrassing shade of purple as he bottled up his anger.
"Come on Dudley. We're going." The spoiled nineteen-year-old made avid protests as his father dragged him past Harry and Ginny, who both were looking quite confused.
"Come in," Petunia said curtly, her eyes never leaving Ginny. It made the young witch feel rather uncomfortable, but nothing could stop her from being supportive of Harry. She followed him through the doorframe, letting go of his hand as they passed Petunia. His aunt shut the door behind them, looking very out of sorts.
"Would you two like some tea?"
Harry stared. Since when has she decided to be...pleasant? He was too shocked to answer, so Ginny accepted for them. The odd trio came into the kitchen, where a pot of tea was waiting on the stove. Harry and Ginny (who was rapidly memorizing every detail of the house, noting there was no signs that either Harry or a wizard had ever lived there) sat at the table while Petunia poured some tea for them, as she already had a cup on the table.
She joined them, stealing another glance at Ginny that was even starting to make Harry uncomfortable.
"Aunt Petunia, this is my girlfriend Ginny Weasley," Harry introduced awkwardly. The two nodded at each other.
"It's nice to finally meet you." Ginny offered amiably.
"She's one of your kind, I expect?" Harry felt a sliver of anger at his aunt's ignoring of Ginny, but he kept it in check.
"Yes..."
Awkward silence followed, but neither Harry nor Ginny wanted to speak. He didn't know what he'd expected, but he'd hoped to just be able to show Ginny around the house and leave without significant conversation.
"She looks like Lily."
Harry had to blink and reprocess that to make sure he heard right. First, Petunia never talked about his mum...and...Ginny looked like her? Now that he thought about it, Ginny looked a bit like the picture Hagrid had given him for a present...
"Thank you, Mrs. Dursley. I've seen pictures of Harry's mum, and she was very beautiful."
Petunia scowled. Harry assumed she was jealous - Lily seemed to have gotten the good looks of the family, if the two women sitting at the table were any judge.
"Why did you come here?"
Harry wasn't sure who she was asking, but he answered anyway. "Ginny wanted to see where I lived while I was at school. I couldn't talk her out of it." Granted, he hadn't tried, but it would sound better if he hadn't just agreed.
"Then you best be on with it, I suppose?"
The abrupt dismissal surprised both Harry and Ginny. Harry muttered an agreement, then led Ginny out of the kitchen and upstairs to the bedroom that Ron, Fred, and George had broken him out of after his first year at school. Ginny walked slowly into the room, her eyes scanning every piece of junk that Dudley had been able to shove in it. Surprisingly, it looked much like Harry had left it on his seventeenth birthday; apparently the Dursleys hadn't wanted to come in here after years of his presence. She walked around the room with a scowl for a few minutes before saying anything.
"You slept on that?" She gestured to his bed, which had fallen into a state of disrepair and shabbiness that couldn't be comfortable. Harry nodded.
"Hedwig's cage used to sit here." He gestured toward a spot by the window, drawing Ginny's eyes to it. She walked over to the window, smiling softly at the marks of repair work while Harry sat on the bed.
"I can't believe you lived here...this room is just a big pile of rubbish."
Harry wondered what she'd think of the cupboard when they got to that. "It's not that bad, really. Though that loose floorboard saved my life." He gestured toward the floor. "Kept all of the things everyone sent me there so Dudley couldn't steal the food, and I kept whatever homework I was working on there."
Ginny's eyes flashed with irritation again. She was starting to dislike Harry's relatives more and more the longer she was in their home. The floorboard came up easily, but there wasn't that much room under it. He couldn't have stored that many things there.
"So you spent all of your time in this room?"
Harry nodded to a sigh from Ginny. "Well, not all of the time. Before Hagrid came to deliver my letter, I lived in the cupboard under the stairs."
Ginny gasped, putting a hand over her mouth in surprise. Surely they wouldn't...But she had no doubts about the Dursleys anymore. "You lived...under the stairs?"
Harry nodded, standing again. "I can show you if you want."
As the couple came to the cupboard door, Harry's mind began flashing through all of his memories inside. Ginny looked at him for approval before opening the door and jumping back in surprise as a spider almost crawled onto her hand. She gave Harry another disbelieving look before peering inside.
The place hadn't changed much at all since Harry's stay all those years ago. There was a thin layer of dust about everything (He seriously doubted Petunia came in to clean often), and there were still remains of where Harry had snuck packaged food in after dark. Not that the Dursleys would have noticed - Dudley ate so much food it was hard to tell when anything was missing.
"Harry...?"
He looked in on Ginny, who was exploring the small details with quite a bit of disgust.
"How did you do this? How could you spend your life in here?"
Harry shifted nervously on his feet; the last thing he wanted was his aunt walking in on them talking about how horrible she was to him. "I didn't really have much choice...I grew up knowing this. I didn't really know what I was missing. And sometimes being in there was better than being out here."
Ginny scowled in anger. She backed out, brushing herself off for all the good it did and then closed the door. "I'm going to have to shower again when we get home..."
Harry looked over her shoulder to see Petunia looking at him with a scowl. Great. Harry set aside Ginny's comment for the time being and addressed his aunt.
"Thank you for letting us in, Aunt Petunia. We better be going now."
Ginny looked like she wanted to have a few choice words (and possibly a bat-bogey hex) with Harry's aunt, but she held back as Harry's hand slid into hers.
"Do you plan on ever returning?"
Harry's grip on Ginny's hand tightened to keep her from speaking. "I don't think so. I guess this is goodbye." Saying goodbye had been a lot easier with Vernon practically kicking him out the door.
"Here." She handed him a small, flat box. "Lily would have wanted you to have it."
The surprise was evident on both Harry and Ginny's face. Petunia left, as if she couldn't stand doing something nice for him. Harry glanced at his girlfriend.
"Let's open it at home. You don't want to be here when your uncle and cousin come back." She pulled his hand toward the door, almost having to drag him from his spot due to shock.
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"Why would she hold something of my mum's back from me for so long?!" Harry was angry. Once the shock had worn off, the anger had slowly started to set in, to the point that Ginny watched it creep into his facial expression piece by piece.
"Harry, she didn't want you to ever feel good about being there. And I don't think your Uncle would have let her anyway. That's why she sent him away."
"So? Something this important shouldn't be kept from me!"
Why was it that this got him angry? Years of mistreatment had only gotten a sigh and a shrug from him, but one incident of withholding something of his mother's set him off? Ginny didn't know what it was like to not have any family, and she hoped she never would if this was any indication. She silently vowed that her children would never have to go through what Harry had, even if something happened to the both of them.
"Harry, she gave it to you. Just let it go, it's not important. You're never going to see them ever again." The irony of herself telling someone to let something go was not lost on her.
"That's not the point though!" He sighed and deflated his anger with the expulsion. His body slumped into a sofa in the living room, which apparently had been fixed up by Dobby, because it was quite comfortable. Ginny slipped down next to him, snuggling into his side and laying an arm across him. Harry almost told her that she wasn't helping, but he didn't need her mad at him on top of everything else, so he tried to block it out of his mind.
"Harry, you're just angry at them for how they treated you. That's all. You're safe from them now. You're going to live with me for the rest of your life, and you know I'll never treat you like that."
It took him a moment to process what she'd just slipped. Maybe this was one of those hints Hermione had talked to him about a few weeks ago when Harry had expressed discomfort at the talk of marriage. She'd said that Ginny would start hinting at it when she wanted to be asked, and all Harry had to do was watch for them. Petunia's gift lay unopened and forgotten on the table at the end of the couch; Harry's mind was on something completely different.
"You really want to live with me the rest of your life?"
It was all she could do not to give him an idiotic look. "Harry, that's all I've ever wanted to do since I was ten."
Harry shook his head. "I don't see how you can stand me for so long. I'm hopeless when it comes to you."
Ginny laughed, glad that he wasn't going to be in a sour mood all day. "It's cute and you know it. I can put up with a little thickheadedness if it means keeping your innocence. I've put up with Ron my whole life; you're like the icing on the cake."
Harry snorted, but he had to give her that point. Ron was much less knowledgeable about the girl thing than he was. Oh yeah? Then why is he married and you're not? A nasty voice in the back of Harry's head observed this before being squelched and tossed into the dark recesses of his consciousness.
"You're trying to take away my innocence as fast as possible," Harry pointed out, smiling.
Ginny shook her head, her hair somehow winding up in his face. "You'll always be innocent in my eyes...even after I'm done shagging you senseless."
"We'll see who's senseless when I'm done with you."
She gave him a look that said, Are you kidding me? "Harry. I don't even think you have a chance, what, with all of your experience."
Experience? Ginny had experience with shagging? He tried to keep the pained look off his face. "You...you've..."
"No!" She turned furiously red and slapped his chest, half in embarrassment, half because the thought upset her. "You...you think I'm that much of a slag?" She'd always feared that with her dating Michael, Dean, and now Jared. The incident where Ron and Harry had caught her snogging Dean burned in her memory.
"No that's not what I meant," Harry said quickly, squirming under her. "I...I just wondered."
Ginny felt his squirm, which eased her nerves considerably. "Harry, I saved myself for you. Anything important I saved for you. I must have been mad at the time, but now I'm glad I did." She crawled up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Harry wasn't sure what to say - calling your girlfriend a slag wasn't the best way to continue a conversation.
"I'd take you no matter what."
If possible, she smiled even bigger. "Thank you Harry. That means a lot to me, but I didn't ever do anything past snogging, and I want you to know that. I'll let you look at my memories if you want." The Pensieve hadn't left her mind since Harry mentioned it at breakfast.
Harry considered doing just that, then chastised himself for his jealous streak. He didn't have to be anymore - Ginny was his, and his alone. "I trust you, Ginny. I don't need to go through your mind to know that what you tell me is the truth."
She wrapped tighter around him before speaking in feigned irritation. "Stop doing that Harry!" She growled playfully as she rested her forehead against his. "Stop being so perfect."
"I can't help it, it's just natural." A familiar lopsided grin crossed his face as she rolled her eyes. That was what was different in him in the last two months - his self-confidence was soaring to something she'd never seen before. But it was odd...she only noticed it when they were alone. Around everyone else, even Ron and Hermione, he seemed to be the same frightened little boy that had been lost in King's Cross with nothing but a trunk and Hedwig.
"Why don't you act like this around everyone else?"
He raised an eyebrow in genuine confusion. "Act like what?"
She looked for a way to explain it properly. "You're...confident around me. You don't second guess yourself all the time, and you just seem relaxed and happy."
Harry blinked, still unsure of what she meant, but he ventured an explanation anyway. "You do it to me. I feel that way around you, but no one else. With you...it's like I can't do anything wrong. Every time I think I've done something wrong, you laugh at me or tell me I'm being cute." He shuddered at the idea of being cute.
"Would you rather I didn't?"
"No...I like the way you make me feel. I don't always have to worry about being perfect...I'm just...myself."
"That's how it should be for everyone, Harry." She ran a hand through his thick raven hair as she closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. "But I'll definitely take it if it's just for me...I love you either way, but this side of you is more fun."
"Oh, really?" He kissed the top of her head. "You think I'm fun enough to get us through a whole afternoon without getting bored?"
She pretended to think on that for a moment. "I think you can...but only because if I do get bored, I can always play with you. You're my boy toy, remember?"
He grumbled at that. "We'll see who plays with who..." He intended it as a passing comment, but Ginny took extreme interest in it.
"Oh? And how exactly would you play with me, Potter?"
He turned slightly pink, looking about frantically for an answer. "I'm sure I could think of something."
She snorted in a very Ginny-like fashion. "Knowing you, you'd take me on a broom ride over the Channel and get us run over by a muggle airplane."
Harry looked as though he was about to take her up on the idea before she gave him a sharp look. He was getting used to that look; she reserved it only for him. It was like I love you, but don't go there. He wondered briefly if she remembered about the car he and Ron had flown into the Whomping Willow. She'd had a lot of things on her mind that year.
"So what would Ginny Weasley be doing on a day like this if she didn't have me to play with?"
The woman in question tossed her hair over her shoulder again, half to get it out of her face, half to watch Harry stare like an idiot. She had observed very early in their relationship he couldn't resist watching her whenever she did that, and it served as a way of attracting his gaze whenever she wanted.
"Getting my brothers in trouble for something I did." She put on a devilish smile. "What would Harry Potter be doing if he wasn't staring at his girlfriend?"
Harry quickly averted his eyes while Ginny giggled. "Reading, probably. I reckon Hermione has the right of it."
Ginny looked as though she'd gotten a bad taste in her mouth. "She's already right enough times, you don't need to encourage her." Harry laughed, wrapping an arm around her upper back and settling even farther into the couch. It was a few minutes before either of them spoke again.
"I want a magic show," Ginny said suddenly, looking up. Understandably, Harry had no idea what she was talking about.
"You can do magic; why would you want someone to make a show for you?"
She grinned. "Because I want to see something I've never seen before."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "You're expecting me to do magic for you." There was nothing subtle about how Harry felt - Ginny knew he thought she was being childish.
"Just once? I may be eighteen, but I'm still a little girl at heart." The way she fluttered her eyes at him, ran a hand through her own hair...he couldn't resist her, even if he knew she was only doing it to get her way.
He made a show of sighing and feigning reluctance, completing the act with a soft growl. "Fine...stand up."
She gave him a mixed look - half triumph, half nervousness. He sat up on the couch, and pulled his wand out of his back pocket. Despite Moody's remark, Harry still had both buttocks after keeping it there all these years.
"I'm not going to hurt you, so just relax." That caused anything but relaxation in the redhead - Harry wasn't above playing a prank, even on his girlfriend. "Ignis Copula."
A fiery rope shot out from the end of his wand, quickly spiraling up one of Ginny's legs and around her torso. She did her best not to move, but an involuntary squeak escaped her lips. Harry grinned, moving his wand slightly and forcing the rope to coil tightly around her neck, which filled her with a warm tickling sensation. She tried not to laugh, because surely it would cause her to move and get burned by the rope, but even though she couldn't hold back, Harry seemed to be able to keep his spell at a safe distance.
"You've got to teach me how to do that," Ginny said in admiration.
Harry merely shrugged, waving his wand once more and putting the rope away. "You should read and practice more...all of these spells are in a book somewhere."
"Is that why Hermione reads all the time?"
He laughed. "I suppose so." Even as he thought about his bookworm-ish friend, a small smile came to his lips. "But I could show you a few things she'd never find in a book."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"
Harry nodded, letting his eyes fall closed in concentration. A wave of the wand conjured a small tree branch with lavish leaves, but there had been no incantation. What is he doing...?
"Facis per Ardeo Aeternum," Harry whispered. Ginny watched as the lights in the room dimmed slightly and Harry's skin took on a soft red glow. The leaves of the branch burst into a brilliant red-orange flame that burned brilliantly, but the wood itself seemed untouched. She gasped softy as she realized what he'd done - he'd created an ever-burning branch unlike anything she'd ever seen. The room's lighting as well as Harry's skin returned to normal as he smiled up at her, offering her the branch.
"Go on...it won't harm you. The fire cannot hurt its source."
She gave him a peculiar look, but took the branch anyway. He was right...her arm brushed up against the fire, but it felt cool and inviting to her skin. "How...what...?" Harry Potter had again made her speechless.
"The flame uses my passion for you as a fuel source...and you know that there's an endless supply of that." He waggled his eyebrows, as if teasing, but the sensitivity was flooding through his loving gaze.
Her eyes got as big as saucers, the chestnut brown dancing with the flames that were reflected in them. "Harry...I...I don't know what to say. This is amazing..." She'd asked for a magic show...but not this.
"Be careful with it...it will not harm you, but to anything else, it is a real fire."
She admired the beauty of the flames for another long moment before turning back to him. "What do you mean? Aren't you going to put it out?"
Harry only smiled. "I can't."
Confusion crossed her already soft features. "What do you mean you can't?"
"Ginny...the only way to put out that flame is for me to stop loving you. As long as I have passion for you, that fire will stay lit."
The gravity of what he'd done was starting to settle in on her. Enchanting something to burn forever was not an easy piece of magic in itself, but if Harry was telling the truth, this was more than an enchantment and couldn't be broken. "I..." She was at a loss for words, but luckily Harry saved her from discomfort with a swift kiss, which she returned as best she could without dropping the branch.
"I want you to keep that somewhere safe, so that if we ever are separated, you can look at it and know that my heart is still with you."
A tear slipped down Ginny's cheek, and immediately a look of concern crossed into her lover's eyes. "No...Harry...don't." She couldn't even think of the proper words to express her own feelings, but these tears were decidedly not tears of sadness. "How...where did you learn to be this wonderful, this totally perfect?"
Honestly, Harry had planned it for a while now. He had originally meant to give the branch to her as a Christmas present along with her other gift, but he'd decided to give it to her early when she asked for a magic show. "Just think of it as an early Christmas present."
That drew a laugh, and Ginny suddenly wished she had a place to put the branch down. She wanted to wrap Harry in a hug and never let go, not until they died of hunger standing together locked in eternal bliss. "I want to always have this...but I don't know where to keep it."
Harry nodded. "We'll find a safer place later, but for now..." He muttered and waved his wand, conjuring a small basin full of water. "Put it in there."
But it will go out! Ginny cried in her own mind, then realized how silly that sounded. If Harry was telling the truth (and she had no reason to doubt him), a bit of water wouldn't make any difference at all. Sure enough, when she laid the branch in the basin, the soft glow still continued underneath the surface, the flames still dancing as if the water itself supported them.
Harry's arms slipped around her, from behind, wrapping her in a loving embrace and planting a kiss the back of her neck. "I love you Ginny."
She couldn't take her eyes off the branch. Nobody had ever done anything like that for her. The idea of any of her other boyfriends doing something like this was laughable, even if they possessed the magical skill. The revelation only served to strengthen her love for the man wrapped around her, and even more than yesterday she knew she couldn't live without him.
"I love you too, Harry. I love you more than you could ever imagine."