'Merlin, I love ice cream!' Ginny sighed happily as she flopped down next to Harry and Ron, bowl and spoon in hand.

'You love a ridiculous amount of things.' Ron countered, leaning over to try and dip his finger into the raspberry sauce in her bowl.

'Yes, but it's no less true just because I say it a lot.'

'I just don't see how you can love so many things. I love about 7 things, maximum.'

'I just do.' She shrugged. 'Also, I don't think you can count 'food' as just one thing Ron.'

'I can and I will.'

'How many things do you love Harry?' She asked, drawing him into the conversation. He panicked for a moment.

'Oh um. I don't know. I never really had things to love when I was a kid, and then lots of people I loved died or I didn't think I'd be around long enough to love them. So, erm, I can guess a number if you'd like?'

'Wow mate, bit of a downer.' Ron clapped him on the shoulder.

'Love is quite a big deal isn't it though? Like you've got to be careful with it.'

Ron gave him a look that reflected both deep affection and some pity.

'I love you mate. Anyway, I'm going to go and find Hermione and some food. Two of the other things I love.' He got up and loped towards the house, calling for Hermione as he went.

'I wonder what his four other loves are.' Harry said after a short pause.

'Easy.' Ginny replied. 'Chess, Quidditch, his family, and lie-ins.'

'That all makes a lot of sense. Have you always just loved things? Don't you think you should be careful with what you love?'

Ginny regarded him carefully.

'I have always just loved things, it's easy to when you come from a household where love – if not much else – was always freely available. I'm not going to say it's always easy to love though or that people shouldn't be careful with where they put their affections. For a while after the diary I didn't want to love anything at all, how could I when I'd loved something so dearly and then been betrayed to near death?'

Harry hummed in consideration of her point.

'But I've always been passionate about what I like, ever since I was little. I didn't start breaking into the broom shed because I 'liked' the idea of flying. I was already in love with the idea, and then I was in love with the feeling too.'

'Again, that makes sense. I just… I'd always be scared to say it, you know?'

Ginny gazed at him gently. 'Yes, I know. The things you love are often taken away from you and you've learned not to mark things as important to you, just in case.'

Harry ducked his head. 'Pretty much.'

'I understand that. I'm not saying I know what it feels like, because even my hurts around love are very different to yours, but I can understand it.'

'I wish I wasn't like this. If I could change it then I would.' Harry said suddenly. 'It's important for you to know that, Ginny. If I was braver… well, yeah.'

'Mmm, yes I think you've probably used up several lifetimes worth of bravery already.' She leaned against his shoulder. 'I understand, Harry. And I think time with all our Weasley madness and abundance of casual love will help make it less scary, eventually.'

Several months late, and now it had been pointed out to him, Harry was still trying to get used to how casually the Weasley's loved things. Even Hermione, who was often less explicit with her feelings, seemed to be able to tell Ron, quite easily, that she loved him.

He really doubted he'd ever be able to say it. He knew he felt it, he loved them all and he wanted to be able to express that. He loved Ginny and wanted to desperately to be able to tell her, but what if it was too soon? What if, actually, telling her would make her realise that the things he loved always got damaged?

'Ginny can you pass the potatoes?'

'You've literally still got potatoes on your plate.'

'I'm aware of that Hermione, but I want more.'

Ginny handed the large bowl of Mrs Weasley's finest roast potatoes across the table, then turned to her mother.

'I'd like to go on a walk later, is that ok?'

Mrs Weasley paused ever so slightly; she was unwilling to let any of her children out of the protection of home even several months after the War. There had been very little retaliation, unlike last time when Voldemort fell and most of his supporters had been elsewhere, this time they'd all been in the same place for the battle. They'd seen him finally die. And they'd either died during the battle or were very easily rounded up. The Auror office seemed to have almost everyone rounded up, and those they hadn't were very minor. They'd offered Harry and Ron training positions to help track down these few who were left, but they didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. Those who were left were more 'financial backers' and 'sympathetic to Pure Blood causes' than people who were likely to take action.

'I'd really love to go, mum.' Ginny continued.

'Yes alright, you could always stop in at the Lovegoods. Since they're leaving for Guatemala?'

'Yes! And they'll be gone for ages! Luna's coming back to Hogwarts after Christmas. I think there time apart really got to both of them so she's going to be home schooled for a bit. Or, I guess, holiday-schooled?'

'I don't know if I'd trust Mr Lovegood to teach her anything that's going to be on our exams.' Hermione said carefully, clearly trying to avoid saying quite what she really thought.

'McGonagall sent them the outlines for the classes, it might have some weird ideas added in, but it'll at least be covered. I think.'

'Good ol' Xeno is probably less keen on some of the more obscure things after his 'definitely-not-an-errumpant-horn' blew up his house.' Ron added, sagely.

'I can walk you there if you want Ginny,' Harry said.

George, who had been generally more subdued since Fred's death, snorted into his butterbeer. 'Sure, you'll 'accompany' her will you Harry. How chivalrous.' He wiggled his eyebrows a little.

'It is very chivalrous of you, Harry dear!' Mrs Weasley beamed at him. 'That would be lovely.'

After dinner they set off for the 15 minute walk to the Lovegoods. The fact they'd given themselves 45 minutes went uncommented on.

'Love you both!' Mrs Weasley called as they were leaving.

The walked hand-in-hand for a few minutes, taking in the summer evening now that the temperature had lowered to be more bearable.

'I love summer evenings, don't you?' Ginny asked, pausing to smell some wild daisies.

'Yeah, I really like them.' He replied. She didn't even realise when she was using the word, he thought. She just loved things. He was a bit jealous, but mostly he found his heart swelled. How amazing she was, he felt, to be able to love so freely. Even after some of the things that had happened to her, after last year, after Fred. She could love so easily and so openly. He began to wonder if she'd ever love him like that but dismissed the thought quickly. If he couldn't even say it – and he'd as much as told her that – why would she ever say it to him?

'Oi, you two, wait up!'

Ron and Hermione jogged slightly to catch up with them.

'What are you doing here?' Ginny asked, suspicion clear in her voice.

'Don't look like that Gin, it was mum's idea. She realised that if you drop into Luna's but Harry doesn't want to go in then he'd be on his own. Got herself quite worked up. Honestly, this is just to keep mum sane and not to stop you two doing anything.'

She frowned at him then turned to Hermione.

'He's telling the truth. If you want we can even walk a bit away from each other.'

'No, it's fine, you're here now I guess. I was just saying how much I love summer evenings.'

'I swear you love everything Ginny.'

'Ron!' Hermione chided. 'Ginny is just passionate about things!'

'Yeah but is there anything you don't love, I mean, really?'

'Of course there is Ron! For starters, I don't love nosy brothers who can't let their sister enjoy things in peace.'

Ron gasped in fake affront. 'Are you saying you don't love me, Gin?!'

'Only sometimes.'

'I come all this way to make sure you're both protected! And you say things like that!'

'Oh shut up Ron, of course I love you.'

'I know you do. Because you love everything.' Ginny sighed but still smiled slightly. 'You love that pebble over there, and you love breathing, and you love it when you stub your toe on your bed. There's nothing that Ginny doesn't love!'

'Oh come off it Ron. I love sensible things at least!'

'Oh yeah, like what exactly?'

'Well I love ice cream, and quidditch, and the colour Gold, and mum and dad, and Harry, and the Holyhead Harpies – yes, they're not covered under quidditch – and I love the Gryffindor common room, and my brothers, and Hermione, and Luna. Oh, and those new dress robes I got from Diagon Alley last week, I love those.'

Ron was clearly about to respond, but Hermione gave his arm a quick bat with the back of her hand and nodded towards Harry.

'You… love me?' He asked, staring at her.

'Of course I love you.' Ginny replied, looking slightly confused.

'But, I said a few weeks ago that I couldn't… that I find it hard… that it might be a while before I can say it to you.'

'Oh yeah, but in telling me that you basically said you loved me you're just scared of using the words. And I loved you well before then. My love isn't conditional on you being able to say some words to me, Harry.'

'Also didn't you mention that your last thought was of her?' Ron added to the conversation.

'Ron!' Harry yelped, his face burning. 'I hadn't… I hadn't mentioned that to Ginny yet.'

'Oh. Oops. Well, umm, I guess you have some stuff to discuss. Hermione, those interesting plants I mentioned a few days ago are up this way, if you want to go and see them?'

'Smoothly done.' Hermione rolled her eyes at him. But she allowed herself to be led away with him.

Harry suddenly felt very shy.

'So… I was the last thing you thought about before you 'died'?'

'Yup.' He looked at light freckles to the side of her eyes rather than directly at her.

'And you're scared of saying the words 'I love you'?'

'I… yes.'

'And you didn't think that maybe telling me I was the last thing you thought about when you thought you'd never think of anything ever again was a good substitute for that?'

'Are you angry with me? I'm sorry, I should have said. Would it make up for not being able to say the stuff about love? I do get that it's silly I can say that but not that I… not that. Because I do really want to say that but there's just this stumbling block and I know it's important to be able to say it but I just – '

'You don't have to say it Harry.' Ginny said softly, reaching out to him so they stood in each other's arms. 'You tell me through your actions. And how you look at me. And how we talk. You never have to say it, because I know.'

'But I want to say it.'

'Then one day, I'm sure you will. But don't put any pressure on it. You don't need to say it for me to know. I am going to tell you that I love you though, probably fairly often. That's just kind of who I am.'

'I know that's who you are, and I really like that about you. And you were the last thing I thought of. Because you're brilliant and I wanted to die with a happy thought.'

She leaned up and kissed him, gently at first but it soon deepened. Her hands threaded through his hair as he wrapped his hand in her loose top, pulling her in closer. She loved him. She loved him and she knew he loved her. One day, he promised himself, one day he would say the words that scared him so much. It would just take a lot more time for him to unlearn that loving something didn't mean it was going to get taken away. Until then, she knew he loved her. And she loved him, and Ginny had always been very vocal about the things she loves...