Harry woke to the feel of a hot body pressed against his, and it took him a moment for his thoughts to collect. When his mind cleared he smiled as he heard Ginny sigh and snuggle closer to his chest. He looked down at her wrapping his arm around her waist so he could pull her tighter against his body. She smiled in her sleep and her hand reached out to curl over his heart. He brushed a strand of her hair away lazily and just marvelled at how wonderful she felt in his arms.
There was more than just the feel of her in his arms thought and he smiled at the thought. Pulling magic from her had allowed his mind to create a connection that ran deeper than either of them had realised. As he thought about it, the strands flared and his body stiffened as his mind was flooded with the images of Ginny's dream. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from shaking her awake and caring on where the dream had let off.
Harry shared a light connection with his mother that allowed her to give him power when he needed, but this was completely different from that. He could feel the heat of Ginny wrapping around his mind and it was wonder. If he concentrated then he could send his own warmth and feelings to her and he knew that when they were both awake and ready to explore this new connection it was going to be wonderful, but he also knew Ginny deserved to rest and he couldn't help the smile that slipped to his lips as he thought about that.
It had turned out that he hadn't been as tired as he thought when they made it to the bedroom, finding the energy to love her for a few hours until both of them had succumbed to sleep. He had craved her touch more than he needed air and she had given him everything he needed and more. He leant down to kiss her on the head and slipped from the bed. She moaned a little frowning when she couldn't feel him anymore but he stroked his hand over her hair until her frown lines slipped from her face and she settled into the covers.
When he slipped from the bed he pulled his boxers on and realised that he didn't have any other clothing. With a frown he padded to the door thinking he would find something to change into clothes, maybe a towel from the landing airing cupboard. When he opened the door though he found a pile of neatly folded clothes in front of the door. With a smile he scooped them up and closed the door again. Shaking the clothes out he realised they were his, a pair of his grey work out pants and a black t-shirt. He slipped them on feeling a slight tug in his shoulder as he did but no pain, it just felt stiff now and he knew with a little exercise and massage he'd have full use back.
With one last look at Ginny as she slept he slipped out of the room in search of food. Rapid healing always made him extra hungry, and he burnt through calories faster than normal thanks to his shifter body any way. As he passed a window on the decent to the kitchen he noted the sinking sun on the horizon and realised another day had slipped through his fingers. Sighing he pushed his fingers through his hair trying unsuccessfully to tame it.
He reached the bottom floor before he realised but the front room was deserted, but he could hear murmuring coming from the room next door and so he padded forwards silently listening instantly to the heated conversation going on in the other room his acute hearing able to pick up every word easily.
"...shouldn't have been able to do that. I mean Neville said there was just him! Against all those death eaters," that was Ron's voice and he smirked at the slight squeak to the tone.
"Well he did do it, no one else got there until after the battle was over. Apparently only one or two death eaters got away, he managed to kill most of them and the others have been taken to secure locations for questioning," this was a voice Harry could place but didn't know exactly who it was.
He heard shuffling as someone pulled out a chair and the room fell silent for a moment.
"Can you tell us anything Lily?" he heard Molly say and Harry stood up a little straighter coming alert as he realised his mother was amongst the group.
He heard his mother sigh and she didn't sound to happy, "I'm sorry Molly it isn't my place. Harry is special we all know that. I do know your daughter is now the safest woman in the whole wizarding world though since Harry would never let anyone lay a hand on her," Harry relaxed a little at his mother's words but decided it was time for him to interrupt.
Walking forwards he built his mask up so his face wouldn't give anything away and although he could still feel his injuries he ignored them straightening to stand at his full height and walk unencumbered. When he strode into the room everyone feel silent turning to look at him.
His mother was up and out of her seat in a flash throwing her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and turned her slightly so that everyone was now looking at his broad shoulders and back.
"I'm fine mum," he murmured as he pressed a light reassuring kiss to her hair.
"I know hunny, but I'm still allowed to worry," she mumbled into his chest and he chuckled softly.
He simply held his mother for a while until she calmed down enough to pull back and look up at him. He could see her eyes shining with tears, but she hadn't let any slip knowing she needed to be strong for him.
"I'm sorry about before," she whispered her voice hitching at the end.
"We'll talk about that later," he lent down brushing a kiss across her cheek and pulled back then to look at everyone else.
Lily let him pull out of her grasp knowing he needed to look strong but she still ached to hold him. She had slept for a few hours after Molly had helped her leave the kitchen, but then when she had awoken she had been unable to get to him. She knew he would have warded the door to protect his and Ginny's privacy but she had still been going out of her mind with worry for him.
She's satisfied herself for a while by returning to Sirius' to collect some clothes for him and a few other bits but that hadn't lasted as a distraction for long. Now that she had had her hands on him she felt calmer, but she was still itching to whisk him away from all of this, this had been to close a call. She wanted to protect her son more than anything, he was her lasting part of James, and he was her whole world. If something happened to Harry she knew she would have nothing left to live for, she also knew that being her only tie to life was a lot to put on Harry but like everything else he bared the burden without saying anything.
She watched silently as he moved into the mist of everyone, and even in his casual clothing and bare feet he looked every bit the warrior that he was. Closing her eyes briefly she sent a silent prayer to his dad to protect him, because Merlin knows she wasn't having the best of luck caring for him now.
Molly watched Harry approach surprised that he didn't seem to be in any pain what so ever. His shoulders were square and his leg seemed strong, how he wasn't still holed up in bed after injuries like that was a miracle, even more than that though was how he wasn't dead. She eyed him critically as he walked forwards noting the hard touch to his eyes she never saw when Ginny was around. He was a different person without her, and part of her was glad that he was softer when she was around even though she knew it was dangerous for him. She couldn't bear the thought of her only daughter being tied to a hard man. But she had seen the love in his eyes when he looked at her, the smile that always tugged at his lips and knew he was as far from hard as you could come.
"How are you dear?" she asked as he stepped into the circle of adults.
"Perfect now, thank you for all the help Molly," he said and she saw a flash of something in the depths of his eyes that made her smile.
"You're welcome," she whispered as she looked to her husband who smiled as he took her hand squeezing it.
The room feel silent for a moment as everyone looked at Harry and he purposefully avoided their eyes. With a sigh he pushed his hands through his hair and turned to take them all in.
"Will someone please spit it out," he said his eyes finally coming to a rest on his mother who smiled softly.
"It's just we can't believe what happened Harry," he looked up at the tall redhead stood leaning against the pantry door and remembered his name was Bill, "all of the reports said you did it by yourself."
Harry heard a snort and turned to see Fred and George sat on their mother's kitchen counter, "you haven't seen him train, he doesn't do it with less than three people and the only one who ever gets close to getting him is his mum," George smirked and winked at Lily.
Lily smiled and looked at Harry who was now running his hands through his hair. She could spot that uncomfortable gesture from a mile off and she wanted to do something, anything to help him but she couldn't think what.
"Well I have to be that good don't I," he said in a low voice and all eyes turned to him, and he looked up at each and every one of them, "I have no choice, it's me or nothing isn't it," a few of the younger people there frowned but the older ones seemed to pale at his words.
Lily sighed and looked down at her hands, he was so very true, there really was only him so what did they expect. She had been scared when Hermione had turned up screaming that Harry was injured, but once she had heard the whole story she knew it was nothing compared with other things he had faced before. This was just the first battle in a war he was getting sucked into that she knew would culminate in the ultimate fight. Her brain shied away from that thought as the prophecy started chanting in her head and she looked up in time to see Harry pushing his way through the room and out of the back door. She rose to her feet crossing to watch him out of the window. He turned to look at her and she saw his green eyes suddenly shine golden and then harry was gone replaced by a large black panther that turned and ran off into the underbrush.
"Holy crap, did anyone else know he could do that," Fred breathed at her elbow and she gave him a blank look.
Harry knew he shouldn't have left like he did but he couldn't help it, being in that room with everyone starring at him had been more than he could stand. He could feel his panther stalking under his skin and knew if someone pushed the wrong button he was likely to snap, so he had done the right thing really. He gave himself over to the feel of running, the pound of the ground under his pads, the smell and sound assaulting him, it was wonderful. By the time he circled around the Burrow he was feeling calmer his mind no longer in turmoil. As he rounded the garden heading round to the back door he caught a familiar scent that tickled at his nose. Inside his cat mind Harry smiled.
Ginny stood outside the back door; her arms wrapped around herself as she stared out trying catch a glimpse of black in the tall grass. She had woken to find Harry gone, but she hadn't panicked, well to much anyway. Her mind told her he was still close, there connection flaring when she thought of him. For a moment she had laid in the bed marvelling at the feel of him in the back of her mind, turning over and analysing how this new thing made her feel. Once she was sure that it could only make things better between them she slipped from the bed and went in search of Harry. When she had reached the kitchen and the hot discussion going on she had known he would have wanted to escape this.
She hadn't needed to ask anyone where Harry had gone, she simply looked at Lily who turned her gaze to the window again and she knew. She pushed by her brothers who tried to stop her and ask questions, and headed outside. She made it three steps outside before her eyes started searching for him and that was where she had stopped.
The air was cool on her heated skin, but it was nice and refreshing, she had always liked being outside, but at the moment her mind was on the nature that surrounded her. She was thoroughly entrenched in the feelings rolling of Harry as he ran, and she closed her eyes letting her mind wash with those sensations. It was strange to feel everything that running brought out of her, in her human body, but it was quite lovely at the same time. She was so sucked under by those sensations that she didn't realise that she was being watched until she turned and saw a black panther heading her way.
She smiled as she spotted Harry stalking forwards, but she didn't move letting him come to her. He padded forwards slowly and she marvelled out the sight of him, he truly was beautiful in this form. His coat was sleek and shimmered slightly in the light and her fingers itched to push into it. He walked towards her and she held a hand out to him, her palm out so he could smell her.
He sniffed at her fingertips, and then the pink of his tongue darted out to lick her. She giggled at the feel of his rough tongue of her soft skin, she knew very well that tongue could take skin off he wanted it to, but he was being gentle and welcoming and it was wonderful. He bumped her hand with his head and she delved her fingers into his fur running them over his head and down his neck. She repeated the move as he walked forwards and bumped his head against her leg nearly knocking her over.
With a laugh she sunk to her knees and pushed both hands into his fur as he rested his head on her shoulder and started to purr. The feel of his purr across her skin was wonder, and the sound sent tingles through her body. She was interested by the fact that even in this form he could still send sparks of desire through her body.
He had now sat down on his powerful haunches and she slipped down until she was sat on the floor so she could press her chest against his, the feel of his purr rumbling through her was wonderful. She buried her face in the fur at his neck and breathed deeply. It was strange that he could smell so much the same and yet so different in this form. The musky tang of his panther obviously overrode most other smells, but under that layer was his familiar Harry scent that was always so delicious to her.
She pressed her face against his neck, her hands constantly moving in his fur and just sat enjoying the feel of him. She felt his tongue lick along the bare skin of her neck and shivered. She quickly decided she liked that he had access to her throat, and decided she would by more bobbles to keep her hair out of the way. On instinct she moved so that he had better access to the arch of her neck and he growled. She looked up to see that his eyes had changed back to the bright green they were in human for and she grinned, nodding once to him.
The look he gave her asked if she knew what she was doing and she did. To show your throat was a sign of submission a sign that you knew the other was more powerful than you. But in a partnership it was more, it was a sign that you knew without a doubt that the other was to be trusted, that you were safe with them. Ginny knew that, she had never felt safer than she did when she was with harry and she wanted to give him everything.
The words Hermione had said came back then and she smiled, he had called her his mate after all, if she couldn't do this for him then what kind of mate was she. She moved her head further to the side her eyes closing as she felt his nose bump against her sensitive skin. She hissed in a breath as she felt the first initial graze of his teeth, a warning that if she wanted to back out now was the time. But she didn't move, she held herself carefully still as she felt his teeth again and this time they sunk into her flesh. She gasped out a moan at the feel of his teeth sinking into her skin, a strange mixture of pain and pleasure. She felt her body turn to liquid and knew as he pulled back and his tongue worked to ease the ache in her neck, that she was shifting slowly towards her half form.
Soon the feel of his tongue on her neck changed and she turned to find that Harry was kneeling in front of her, in his half form. Her hands were buried in the fur at his waist and her head was resting lightly on his shoulder, as his arms came around her. His tongue still lapped at her throat, but the pain was completely gone by now, and all his ministrations were doing was setting her body on fire.
Moaning she arched her back so she could press more of herself against him, her clothes suddenly feeling to fight across her body as she felt fur springing forwards. Harry's hand slipped under her top to run along her stomach, and she felt as he pushed the pads of his fingers against her, the slight bite of his claws. He was starting to overwhelm her with the feel of him and she wanted more and more.
She turned and buried her head into his neck and he purred as she ran her face across his neck and up. He felt so warm and wonderful against her that she had completely forgotten they were sat in the garden of the Burrow completely in site of everyone who was in the kitchen.
Harry seemed to sense her thought because his head lifted from her shoulder and he turned to look at something, what she didn't care. She felt a growl low in his chest but she didn't move, she stayed with her face buried against his neck and soon his arms around her tightened. He pulled her against his body, scooping her up with one arm under her knees and the other behind her shoulders.
She lost gravity for a moment as he swept both of them to their feet and then he was pressing her against him.
"You are mine," he rumbled in that strange mix of human and cat voice he had when he was like this.
She looked up and saw the panther looking out of his eyes and smiled, "yes," she replied and before she could say anything else they were gone.
Molly stood at the window of her little kitchen starring at the spot her daughter and Harry had just disappeared from, her jaw hanging open at the sight she had just taken in. She had never seen anything like it before, one moment Ginny was caressing a panther, and then the next Harry was kneeling there, but then it hadn't been Harry. She still couldn't take in the strange mix of man and panther that she had seen pulling her baby against him. Worse than that though was what she saw happen to Ginny.
Right before her eyes she had watched as silver grey fur rippled across Ginny's body, but this time it hadn't disappeared as it had a thousand times before. This time the fur had stayed and her hair had changed from the bright golden red to thick silver white patterned with spots. She had watched as her face had changed and when she had looked up at Harry Molly had seen pure love in her eyes.
"Did anyone know she could do that," she breathed before she realised she had spoken.
She turned from the window to find the faces of her brothers in much the same state that hers were. The only one who didn't look shocked was Lily; she was stood against the kitchen counter looking at her nails as if what they had witnessed was almost boring.
She looked up when she caught the feeling of many eyes on her and smiled, "well I didn't know Ginny could do that, but I certainly knew Harry could. Its quiet interesting isn't it. Scared the living daylights out of me when he first did that," she smiled again and her eyes took on a far off look, "god he must have been five when he did that, one minute I was chasing my little man trying to wrangle him for a bath and the next a ball of fur slipped through my fingers. Naturally I had been expecting the cub I'd had to deal with so many times, but instead there sat on the tiled floor was my little man all covered in black fur, with the cutest little cat face you have ever seen," she laughed and everyone in the room jumped, "he looked so shocked poor little man," she was still laughing as she turned and left the room leaving the Weasleys alone.
A/N sorry it took me so sodding long to get this up but i just didnt know where to take this chapter. Now sure where the inspiration for the bite came from but it turned out to be exactly what I needed. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. I'll let you knot the next few chaps are going to be about the relationship between Harry and Ginny, you know how things work with a shifter in the mix, but there will be more on the battles and the war, I have a sneeky suspision that this is going to become and epic story since I'm no where near half way through witht he ideas ive got tumbling round in my head haha.
So hope you enjoyed and please review thanx