Ginny was curled up on the sofa, the roaring fire warming her toes that just peeked out from under the blanket that she and Harry were lounging under. They'd booked a hideaway lodge in the Highlands for the weekend to get some time away after Ginny signed her contract with the Holyhead Harpies, and before she started training.

The cottage was owned by muggles and was designed for a couple looking for privacy. Ginny had asked Harry to whisk her away from the Wizarding world and he had done just that. They'd left straight from the signing in Wales; only Ron, Hermione and Ginny's parents knew where they were heading to. Harry had arranged for their bags to go ahead of them so the press didn't even suspect they were going away.

The owners had left a basket with some basics, milk, eggs and so on along with a menu for the pub in the village over. They'd walked there in the afternoon for a leisurely lunch and then returned with a cold platter for the evening. Ginny idly picked at cheese and crackers as they lay back together, feet up on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Harry. This is just an ideal way to celebrate," Ginny leant in against him as she uncurled her toes like a cat, wiggling them up towards the flames.

"My pleasure, I wanted it to be just us two," Harry said, placing a kiss on her head.

"Why did you pick here?"

"Oh no reason really," Harry hesitated, "Well one small reason."

"Oh?"

"Don't you remember the name of the village we visited this afternoon?"

"Hmmm, not particularly, Dufftown wasn't it?"

"Mmmhmm,"

Harry stroked his fingers through Ginny's hair, teasing the strands out as she closed her eyes. She opened them suddenly, hand clutching his.

"Dufftown?"

"Yep," Harry grinned at her, "Remember now?"

"Harry, are you telling me that you've brought me here to escape the wizarding world and we are in fact within twenty miles of Hogwarts?"

Harry, rather red in the face now had a small smile playing across his lips.

"I thought it'd be nostalgic for us, near where it all started, we can walk and we can reminisce,"

Ginny whacked him with a cushion. "When you said Highlands, I just assumed in the middle of nowhere Highlands!"

"Well it is in the middle of nowhere, it's just also somewhere for us, isn't it?

They sat in silence and Ginny resettled herself against his chest, after a moment Harry brought his hand back to her hair, once again dragging his hand soothingly through her hair.

"Well, go on then," Ginny said, her tone regaining it's warmth.

"Go on, what?"

"Walk me down memory lane, Potter,"

Harry laughed and a pause fell between them. He dropped his arm, wrapping her up close to him.

"Do you remember when you realised we had a future together?" Harry asked, looking at the fire, not Ginny as he lost himself in memories from the past. Ginny didn't answer straight away and Harry continued on.

"Because I do,"

"You do? Men aren't always so sensitive Harry," Ginny teased.

"Yeah, of course, I do. I don't know if you've met yourself Gin, but you're kind of unforgettable."

Ginny shrugged out of his arms, sitting up and twisting in her seat so she sat opposite him. Harry mirrored her, leaning back against the arm of the couch and taking one of her hands up in his own. He traced a pattern across the back of her hand as he spoke.

"It wasn't long after the Chamber really," he admitted. Harry kept up his calming circles across her hand as he spoke and Ginny was grateful for it. They didn't speak on the Chamber often and if she was honest with herself she didn't particularly want to revisit it. On reflection that probably wasn't such a good way to deal with the aftermath, but Ginny didn't want it to be the defining moment of her life.

"Harry... I...—"

"No, I know Gin, we won't talk about the details, promise," he looked up at her, eyes green and understanding and Ginny gave a short nod, knowing he wouldn't push her.

Harry continued his tracing patterns, waiting for Ginny to relax. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to soften her shoulders and relax into the deep cushions. Harry gave her a small smile and reached over to pull the blanket up around her shoulders, wrapping and cocooning her. Ginny placed her hand back in his and he took up his story again.

"After the Chamber, I was determined to be friends with you, Ginny. Even though you didn't really want anything to do with me."

"I was mortified Harry, I couldn't come to terms with what I'd done —"

"With what Tom Riddle had done."

"Yes, with what Tom had done, and on top of all that Harry Potter saved me, the Harry Potter, my long term crush, recipient of my truly terrible poetry. Don't you DARE laugh, Harry Potter!"

Harry held his hands up in acquiescence and she continued. "As I was saying, I wanted to avoid you."

"I know, Ginny. But I was mortified too. I couldn't believe that Ron and I hadn't noticed. You'd tried to tell us all at some point in that year and I was too busy being an idiot to notice."

This time Ginny laughed, "You were like twelve Harry, all twelve-year-old boys are idiots."

"Well, true. Anyway, you're taking over my story,"

"Sorry, I'll hush now."

"Thank you," Harry said primly in his best Hermione impression, causing Ginny again to momentarily lose her composure. He smiled with her, squeezing her hands gently as he began.

"As I was saying, I knew you were in my future the summer after the Chamber. Specifically, after that summer quidditch game, do you remember? You finally came down from your room to join us playing in the back garden. And you were brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. You trounced the lot of us with your score and you knocked Ron clean off his broom at the end."

"Yeah well, he was being an arse,"

Harry nodded, "He was yeah."

Ginny laughed, "It was worth it though to see him huffing and puffing trying to swing back on while you and the twins laughed yourselves silly."

"You didn't even stay to see if he made it back on,"

"I didn't need to, that's not how you make a point Harry."

The four of them were floating lazily in the sky when Ginny joined them. Harry watched as the twins flew over to meet her. He turned his broom towards Ron, who was frowning in Ginny's direction.

"Do you think she's well enough to join in with us today?"

"No idea," Harry remarked, "But I wouldn't ask her that,"

Ron nodded as he resumed his position, "Yeah, I wouldn't dare,"

Ginny joined the twins as chaser in their makeshift game of quidditch and proceeded to trounce Ron and Harry. Harry growled in frustration as she looped past him over and over and then laughed as she did the same to Ron. The twins whooped in delight and Ginny stuck her tongue out at Ron, waggling her eyebrows at him too. Harry continued to laugh, causing Ron to round on him.

"What's so bloody funny? She's beating you too, you're meant to the star of our team."

"Yeah as a seeker Ron, not a chaser. Besides it's funny, she's literally hammering us."

"It isn't funny! She's my younger sister!"

A flash of red sprang past Harry, barrel rolling Ron over who yelped as he clung to his broom. His leg dangling and cycling as he attempted to swing back up onto the broom. Harry and the twins lost it, and Harry floated down slowly to the ground clutching his sides. Ginny had already stowed her broom and was stalking across the garden to the back door. Harry watched her go, smile still plastered to his face as Ron finally landed.

"Alright mate?"

"Yeah, fine. She surprised me is all. She's quick."

"She's amazing."

Ron looked up sharply at Harry, who felt himself begin to blush a little.

"At quidditch, Ron. She's amazing at quidditch." Harry shouldered his broom and headed back towards the broom shed.

Ginny laughed at the memory. "Ron was a prat, sometimes. I was hard work too though."

"I think Ron was just worried you wanted in with his friends,"

"I did," she replied softly, "I was jealous of the three of you always so close, plotting something no doubt!"

Harry smiled sheepishly, "Yeah we were usually up to something I suppose."

Harry stood, stoked the fire and added another log to keep it going. He topped up their glasses and sat back down. Ginny moved to tuck herself back in snugly under his arm.

"I love sitting in front of this fire, it reminds me of the common room at school."

"I chose one with a real fire on purpose, although I admit that I used a spell to get it going initially,"

"I thought you'd know how to set a fire," Ginny remarked.

"Not manly enough for you?" Harry teased.

"I think I just assumed you'd have learnt with the Dursleys,"

"Nah, a real fire is too much mess for Petunia," he sighed, "Nothing out of place."

"Yeah, I guess I never thought about that really, it's always just sounded the opposite to my house."

"It was, the complete opposite of the Burrow." Harry lazily began stroking her hair again, "That's another moment I knew we'd at least be friends for a long time, sitting in the common room chatting late at night."

"You were great for me too, who knew the benefit of both having nightmares would be everlasting friendship." Ginny let her head fall back on the sofa, avoiding Harry's gaze as she spoke. "You really did save me, Harry, not just in the chamber but afterwards. You were one of the only people, outside of family, who didn't flinch when you looked at me, or toss me pity looks all day, or whisper behind my back. You were just my friend. I really needed a friend then, even though I was embarrassed. I appreciate all those late night talks, it helped."

Harry slowed his ministrations in her hair and nodded slowly.

"I knew that's what you needed from me, friendship, I mean, I was pleased when it didn't end as you recovered. Besides, I was used to people looking at me like that sometimes, it wasn't a nice feeling."

Harry padded down the stairs from his dorm after another nightmare, this time he had dreamt he was back in the Chamber of Secrets. The fear and panic overwhelming his system. He knew he wouldn't sleep again so decided to get up and sit downstairs for a while.

The fire was still glowing when he sat down, he dragged a chair closer and pulled a throw over his lap as he sprawled across the seat. He jumped as a voice called out, from across the room.

"Harry?"

"Ginny... hi... you couldn't sleep either?"

"Nope, nightmare again."

"Yeah me too," Harry sat up, scooting across to make room for her to join him on the sofa.

For a while they didn't speak, Ginny perched on the end of the sofa, staring off into the embers. Harry broke the silence first.

"You looking forward to the holidays?"

"Yes and no, I want to see everybody, but there's a lot of fuss too."

"Yeah, I can imagine."

"Are you staying here?"

"Yeah, I don't want to go back to the Dursley's if I can help it."

"That bad huh?"

"Something like that,"

"You know you don't belong there right?" Ginny looked over at him, her face open and honest. "You belong here, with us, as a wizard."

Harry smiled at her, "Thanks, Gin, I reckon I do yeah," Harry watched her start a little when he called her Gin and felt his face heat up. He looked away, awkwardly scrubbing at his hair. He stood up, moving to head back upstairs.

"I'll see you after the holidays, hope your mum doesn't smother you too much."

"I'm sure she will, but I'll let her do it anyway. Night Harry." She smiled softly as he lifted his hand in response, a returning grin on his face.

The fire had burned low now and the warmth was gradually seeping from the room. Harry swept Ginny up in his arms, carrying her upstairs to bed. As he laid her down and covered her with the duvet she stirred.

"Harry?"

"Gin?"

"I'm so glad we were friends first, I love you."

Harry smoothed her hair back from her face, "I love you too."