Chapter Twenty-five

'Bloody Stupid Decision'

"I cannot begin to tell you how utterly relieved I am to be back here again," said Ginny as she and Harry both walked into his room at Hogwarts. She was giddy with all the small pleasures of returning to the place that was her home after weeks away. She was ecstatic just to be able to walk through the front door with Harry instead of skulking in through the secret, adjoining door as she usually did. Ginny supposed that meant that she was also grateful that Hermione and her brother had disappeared into his bedroom the moment they had all returned, allowing Ginny the freedom to walk through whatever door she wanted, but she didn't really want to think about that aspect of their relationship.

"Me, too, babe," Harry said, kissing Ginny's cheek before slinging his trunk to the ground, "I thought the holidays would never end!"

"Same here," said Ginny as she dumped most of the contents of her trunk on the floor of Harry's closet.

"You know," Harry said with deep amusement, "Hooks, hangers, shelves and what not are meant so that you don't have to throw your things on the ground."

"I know, I just don't see the point in hanging up things that I'll be taking down again anyway. I'll never be as neat as you are," Ginny said with a shrug, "I just don't understand why someone would go to all that bother to be."

"Ask my aunt. Over the last seventeen years she has gone to a lot of trouble to drill neatness into me," replied Harry flippantly, "Besides, if there's less clutter, there's more room to move about."

"Oh, Harry, we have tons of space! Besides, clutter makes a place more like your home," argued Ginny, thinking unfavourably of Harry's claustrophobic cupboard at Privet Drive.

"Maybe that's why I'm happier living in this one room than I could ever be if I had a whole palace of space to my self. Or," he continued with a wicked gleam in his eye, "Maybe its because I have hot sex with my girlfriend here on a regular basis."

"Probably the second one," Ginny agreed, dropping down onto the bed with a wide grin.

"You know, this dating-in-secret thing has some serious benefits," commented Harry, dropping down beside Ginny and propping his head up on his elbow to look down at her.

She gazed admiringly at her new ring as she asked lazily, "Like what?"

"Well," Harry said, "Think about it. If your parents, or brothers or even the teachers knew about us, then our rooms wouldn't likely adjoin, and everyone would probably be a lot more suspicious of us spending time alone."

"You're right," agreed Ginny, "Maybe we should never tell them/"

"At least not until we're married," Harry replied with a grin.

"Why tell them then?" asked Ginny, running her right hand, complete with ring, through his hair.

"Because, when we're married, they'll want grandkids or nieces or nephews, so they can't object when I do things like this to you," said Harry, running his hand up her thigh as he dipped his head to nuzzle her neck.

The best part of wearing a skirt is when someone's got his hand under it, thought Ginny as she pushed Harry over and straddled his waist. Both his hands now rested on her knees as she slowly undid the buttons of her blouse. She tossed it aside, finally and slid her bra straps down, then undid the clasp. Cool January air hit her breasts, arousing them a little even before Harry's hot gaze could do so. He began stroking her inner thighs and her hand came up to toy with her right breast as she reached behind herself to grasp him in her left hand. She squeezed gently, rubbing her fingers along his fly.

Harry flipped her suddenly onto her back, and as she recovered her breath, he did away with his pants and boxers. When he rejoined her, he pushed up her skirt and slid down her knickers with his teeth, stopping along the way to nip and kiss her legs. Then Harry's mouth wandered up to her breasts, and his hands slipped under her to stroke her ass. When Ginny felt she could really take no more, she rolled over, taking Harry with her.

On top now, Ginny slid herself down onto Harry and began to move her hips. With moaning, and astonishing speed, both came and lay panting on the bed, side by side. Ginny wore her skirt still, but otherwise they were completely nude. After long minutes, Harry managed to reach over and pull a cover over the pair of them, and they didn't mover for another ten minutes.

This time when they made love, they went much slower, and both lasted much longer before toppling over the edge and falling into a deep sleep.

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Ginny awoke nearly an hour later with the watery January sun filling the room with afternoon light and Harry's arm curved around her waist. She snuggled deeper against the firm wall of his chest and contentedly sighed. Long moments later, she heard a quiet whisper from behind her.

"Ginny?" asked Harry, a sad note in his voice.

"Yes?" she responded, feeling a bit apprehensive.

"It's after Christmas," he said plainly.

"I know," she responded with a sigh.

"I'll have to leave very soon," Harry elaborated quietly, hugging Ginny more tightly.

"I know," Ginny said even more quietly.

There was a long pause in which Harry wished desperately he could see Ginny's face while she reacted to his reminder.

"You're not leaving for a bit, though, right?" she begged, tears in her voice. "You have to find out where to go next don't you? So you'll be here a bit longer?"

"We've known where we probably need to go for about a month now," Harry said softly, not sure how Ginny would react.

"Oh," she said, realising that it was only his promise to her to not to go before Christmas that had kept Harry with her for so long.

"You know that I want to stay with you, right? You know that I'd rather not leave you ever?" he asked passionately, wishing Ginny would just turn to look at him.

"I know," she replied quietly, and then she whipped around to face him. "Harry, let me go with you!"

For a very long time Harry stared down into Ginny's chocolate eyes. He looked at her and tried to tell himself that he was protecting her, that it was necessary that she stay behind. Yet he wanted her to come with him so badly that the fact that no one knew they were dating was starting to seem like all the 'protection' she would need. Harry suddenly thought of how relaxing it had been to be with Ginny away from school, and when he tried to remind himself how horrible it would be if she were to be hurt, pictures of Ginny training with the DA came to mind. Following those images were even more convincing ones of Ginny holding her own against Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries and when they attacked the castle at the end of the previous year. Ginny was a fighter, and a bloody good one…

"Alright then," he said, without really realising it. "Come with me!"

"What?" gasped Ginny in astonishment.

"I said, 'come with me'. And I mean it, I really do. Listen," he went on earnestly, the idea catching him and running on without his consent. "I really don't want to leave you again, and you can hold your own in a fight, in the unlikely event we find ourselves in one. Really, all we did last time was search this old mouldy tomb, and it wasn't so bad. I mean, the most dangerous part was probably when we destroyed the Horcrux, and Hermione came up with this potion that should make that easier. It's based on spider venom, I think."

"Spider venom?" asked Ginny, struggling to keep up with Harry's fast paced explanations.

"Yeah," said Harry, cheerfully going on to explain a little more, much happier now that he had decided that Ginny would accompany them on their mission. "I won't tell you what Ron said when Hermione told us that we'd have to round up hundreds of the creepy-crawly things. He finally flat out refused to help and ended up being in charge of stealing a few things from the store cupboards, which is a lot easier when Slughorn is potions master than when Snape was."

"You stole stuff from Snape?" asked Ginny faintly, still processing the offer Harry had made.

"Yeah, twice I think. Hermione took some stuff to make Polyjuice potion- I can't remember what- and then in fourth year Dobby stole gillyweed for the underwater task. Anyway, we should get up and go tell Ron and Hermione that you're coming. We'll have to make up some sort of excuse, oh, and we'll have to leave someone else in charge of the DA, but that won't be so bad. We'll see how they do without us." Even as he talked, Harry sprang from the bed and began tracking down their clothing, tossing Ginny any thing that belonged to her as he came across it. He was halfway dressed as Ginny stared at him from the bed before she spoke.

"Harry," she said, and as he didn't stop hunting for his shirt, she repeated, "Harry. Stop for a second."

"Sorry, no can do," he said, smiling happily at Ginny, then leaning down to kiss her square on the lips. "We've got a ton to do, and not very much time. I want to get this all over with as soon as possible."

"Oh, Harry," sighed Ginny, allowing herself to go with the moment and tramping down her sense that his suggestion that she go along with them was too good to be true. I don't care right now. I refuse to ruin this by worrying that something will go wrong! So she let her elation shine through and jumped up to pull on her clothes. She was fully dressed and following along as he towed her by the hand through their common room before Ginny worked up the courage to ask the question that could burst her happiness. "Oh, Harry! Do I really get to go with you?"

"You bet, Gin," and his grin was so happy and cocky and so unlike the unsure and sad one he usually offered, that Ginny believed him. She squealed and threw herself into his arms, happy beyond belief.

"Thank you!" she squealed, "I love you!"

"Right back at you," Harry said, hugging her tightly, "Right back at you."

"What's up?" asked Hermione suspiciously from the stairs.

"Er, well, I came to a bit of a decision," said Harry, looking up at his two best friends, who were standing on the landing at the top of the staircase, but still not releasing Ginny.

"Why are you hugging Ginny?" asked Ron, not really suspicious, but still finding it a little odd. Those two seemed so close…

"Harry's just told me something wonderful! I just had to hug him!" exclaimed Ginny, bouncing out of Harry's arms to face the other couple.

"You two getting engaged?" asked Hermione teasingly.

"You're not dating are you?" asked Ron, wondering if that was why they seemed to be hanging out so much lately.

"Yes, Ron, as a matter of fact we are," said Ginny, rolling her eyes, "Actually, we just came from shagging in Harry's room, if you must know."

Ron laughed weakly, greatly comforted by the embarrassed flush of Harry's cheeks. At least he thought it was ridiculous and mortifying to think of Ginny shagging anyone.

"You have got to stop saying things like that," advised Hermione, "Or one day you and Harry will end up getting back together and no one will believe you when you tell them."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take!" giggled Ginny.

"Well, what was the big news anyway?" asked Ron.

"Harry's decided that I can come along with you on when you leave in two days to go after the next Horcrux," Ginny announced, grinning madly.

"WHAT?" roared Ron at the exact same moment Hermione asked, "Two days?"

"Ginny will be accompanying us when we leave to destroy the Horcrux in two days," repeated Harry in his best commander voice before he got up and left amidst the protests of his best friends. In his wake, a deathly silence trailed.

"Well," snorted Ron angrily, turning on Ginny after having stormed down the stairs and almost chasing Harry out the door, "You two must have been shagging for him to have made such a bloody stupid decision."