Chapter seven

'Let's forget all that. He's dead, we're together, hopefully now we can have that normal life you've always wanted.'

'We will, after everyone questions us about how we did it. No one will know the truth. Just that it took both of us to finish Voldemort. I want everyone to realise that it wasn't just me Gin, you will be recognised as well.'

'Even though I'm not looking forward to the attention you've had to put up with for years, I get I should be recognised. So, are we heading back?'

'Soon, I want to send a few letters. First we need to inform your family who can fill in the order. We heard Kingsley was made minister, so I can send a letter to him as well. We tell them enough to know it took both of us and it was our love that was able to achieve it, which is what Dumbledore said would be needed. We can add that's why I needed you with me, because you are the only person I do love and Dumbledore said love was needed. Then you and I…Mrs Potter, are going to have a proper honeymoon.'

Ginny grinned, she pushed Harry onto his back then climbed on top of him, 'We start our married life together before we have to put up with all the questions and yelling. Oh, you should let McGonagall know. We're married, we'll be going back to Hogwarts to finish our education but we're not going to be separated.'

'I think if she reads we won't return unless we can stay together, she'll work something out. We could just self study and take our N.E.W.T.s when we're ready. But I would like to return to Hogwarts if we can stay together. One year without anything dangerous happening.'

'Then we best get started on those letters.'

Harry grabbed Ginny's hips, 'The letters can wait. I have needs right now, as I'm sure you can feel it. I want to devour my wife.'

Ginny giggled then yelped when Harry flipped them over until he had her pinned beneath him. The look in Harry's eyes made Ginny groan and her body began to heat up. She loved the way Harry looked at her, it told her he was going to give her a lot of pleasure. But she was going to return the favour. They might be inexperienced, but the love they felt for each other meant when they made love, they used every bit of their hearts, souls, minds and bodies.

Arthur looked up when Hedwig flew into the room, but he wasn't the only one who was watching Harry's owl. She landed in front of Arthur and lifted her leg. Arthur took the letter then Hedwig flew over to the sink. Molly instantly got the owl a drink and some food but she kept watching her husband along with Bill, Fleur, Charlie, the twins, Ron and Hermione.

Arthur pulled the letter out of the envelope, 'To Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the order and pretty much anyone that's there. As I'm sure you all worked out by now that I was able to fulfil the prophecy, with Ginny's help. Without Ginny, he would still be here. What we did is something we don't plan on sharing with anyone, but I will say that Dumbledore said love would play a big part and since I only love Ginny, she had to be with me or this would never be over. We knew you would try to stop Ginny coming with me, but if you did that, he would still be here. Dumbledore explained a lot to me during our secret meetings, but he said love was the major factor in destroying Voldemort. He even said that since I only loved Ginny, then she would be the only person who could help. He did hope that I would eventually love others, I never did, so we had to work with what we had. My love for Ginny and her love for me.

'Ginny loves all of you and you know I care for you but exactly how we were able to do this is something we just don't feel we can share. I'm sure you're all curious as to why I said care and not love. Well, there are many reasons. First is because of the way I grew up, I never loved anyone. I was also very wary of adults because of the way I was treated by the adults around me. But I was also wary of people my age. I gave my trust a few times and got burned so I never really trusted anyone. I began to trust Sirius, I also began to feel like I could love him, like a father. Sadly, we never got enough time together. I cared for him but I never loved him as that would have taken longer and I would have needed to trust him before I could allow myself to love him.

"When Ginny and I began dating, I was cautious, wary and wasn't sure if I could trust her. She proved to me I could trust her, the only person I did and do trust. What I didn't expect was to fall in love with Ginny, she also fell in love with me. She knew things I never told anyone, about my life but also about what Dumbledore said or planned. Ginny kept my secrets, which I'm thankful for. She is the most important person in my life and she tells me I'm the most important in her life. It seems to us that we found the person we are meant to be with.'

"Ginny wrote a letter as well, that's the next sheet. I also wrote to Kingsley and McGonagall. Like I said to you, I said to them. Yes Ginny and I destroyed Voldemort, but no one will know how we did it. It's personal and something no one but us could understand. All we will be saying is Dumbledore said it had to be me and it had to do with love and as I said, I only love Ginny which is why she needed to be with me when we did this. If we tried to get you to allow Ginny to come with me, you would have said no, which I get, but it would have meant failing.

"I'm sure some if not all of you are curious as to why I don't trust anyone but Ginny. Well, apart from my childhood, the main reason is you all agreed with the old man to keep me a prisoner in that house with those people. I have no idea if you knew how bad it was for me in that house, but I was basically a human version of a house elf, one that was treated worse than the Malfoy's treated Dobby. Yes, I was abused by them, but I will not be saying how, only Ginny knows and that's how it's going to stay.

'But what pissed me off with all of you is because of how I was suffering yet no one seemed to care, except Ginny who was able to sneak letters to me. Her letters were the only comfort I had. I witnessed Cedric get killed, I was tortured and almost killed by Voldemort, then again by Crouch and the old goat thought it was best to send me to people who thought I was a waste of space and not worth their time. Unless they were trying to beat the magic out of me. If I didn't have Ginny's letters, I know I would have killed myself during that time. Many might say I'm exaggerating or lying, but I'm not. I've thought of killing myself quite a few times, even from the time I was only seven years old. But right then, after what happened in the graveyard, it's the closest I came to actually ending my life. If it wasn't for Ginny, who saved me, I wouldn't be here.

'I do care for you, but I can't trust any of you. Well, there is two I do trust, Fred and George. You kept a few things about me to yourselves, so I thank you for that. As to Ron and Hermione, well, they betrayed me a few times over the years, so they lost any trust I had in them. But the main reason I decided to leave them behind is how they like to fight. I would end up walking away if they kept that up. Putting up with the Dursley's, I just can't stand arguing and yelling. But I had enough on my mind without having to listen to them fighting all the time.

'Sorry Ron, but you would have complained endlessly about one thing or another, you always do, especially when it comes to working and this was going to need a lot of work. With Hermione, well, she refused to listen to my ideas and always believed she was right. Well Hermione, you were wrong. The first was Malfoy, yet you blew me off when I said he was marked and thanks to having no help he was able to help Snape kill Dumbledore. But what else you were wrong about was one of those dark items we talked about, it was at Hogwarts, yet there wasn't one at the orphanage. In fact the orphanage was gone, but just to make sure I cast a lot of charms to detect dark magic, the same spells Dumbledore taught me so I would be able to identify these items. Nothing, there was nothing magical there at all, light or dark. You kept arguing with me, so I knew there would be no use you coming with me not when you refuse to listen to my ideas or opinions.

'Ginny on the other hand listened, then we talked and worked everything out. There were times I was wrong and there were times she was wrong. It proves that no one, not you, not Dumbledore, no one can always be right. You might be intelligent Hermione, but you aren't as smart as you believe, especially when it comes to certain types of magic or how people really think. I was connected to that bastard by the spell that didn't kill me, I also got to speak with him a few times. Between those times and what Dumbledore told me, I got to know the real Tom Riddle and Voldemort. They might be the same person, but they were very different as well. As Tom Riddle, he still had some humanity, as Voldemort, he had none.

"Dobby ended up bonding to me and do you know why I allowed that. I found out, something you didn't bother to find out Hermione. House elves lives are cut in half if they are freed. They begin to lose their magic which in turn ages them faster and they die a slow and painful death. When I asked Dobby about all the house elves you tricked into freeing by those hats you knitted, Dobby explained that none of those elves ended up free because you weren't their master. The Hogwarts house elves bond to Hogwarts, but only the head of Hogwarts can free them and only if they cause harm to students. Its time you did what you do best Hermione, research, but not just assume you know what is best.

"I know I'm having a bitch, sorry, but these last few years have been full of pain and suffering. It's thanks to Ginny that I'm finally coming to terms with everything. As she said, Voldemort is gone, so I can finally put my parent's to rest and know I can get on with my life without having to worry about when I might die.

"We'll be back in a month's time, Ginny's letter will explain why. Sorry for having a go at all of you, but I hope you understand now why I was wary of trusting any of you. I want to, I really do want to trust people. But growing up in an abusive household I learned to keep myself from caring. I hope we can talk when we return, I would like to get all this out in the open then put it behind me. I'll say bye now so you can read what Ginny has written. See you soon, Harry."

The people around the table in the Burrow were silent, but Molly seemed to be dabbing her eyes with her apron. Arthur noticed that Ron and Hermione seemed angry, but it was more. Hermione seemed furious. Arthur could understand Harry's words, he had heard Hermione always going on about what she knows and people should trust her. He knew it could mean the three old friend might not remain friends, even with the war over. Arthur put the first piece of parchment down ready to read what his daughter had to say.

"Dear mum, dad and family. First you should know that Harry and I got married,' Arthur knew the moment he said those words there would be chaos, so he waited until it calmed down. Finally it took Bill to fire off a loud bang to get everyone to settle done so they could hear why Ginny and Harry decided to marry without telling anyone or wanting them to celebrate with them. Molly and Arthur always hoped Ginny and Harry would marry and Molly had been secretly making plans for a big wedding to be held at the Burrow. Those plans will need to change but first they need to find out why they married now instead of waiting.