Chapter Three: 3 Weeks Later
Summary: Ginny wants to talk to Harry about rekindling their relationship after the end of the Second Wizarding War.
Set three weeks after Book Seven, Chapter Thirty-Six.
Characters/Pairings: Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley centric story. Harry/Ginny pairing.
It had been extremely busy after the Battle of Hogwarts. The Second Wizarding War ended with the final defeat and death of Lord Voldemort. His followers had scrambled with the dissolution of the Death Eaters and those who had been Imperiused had returned to normal. Meanwhile, Kingsley Shacklebolt was named temporary Minister for Magic after the collapse of Voldemort's control over the Ministry.
Harry had spent so much time in and out of meetings, he'd barely had time to rest let alone catch up with his friends or Ginny. He travelled from the Ministry to Hogwarts, held press meetings, and ensured that the Order of the Phoenix tracked down any rogue Death Eaters. Ginny could tell that he was exhausted and needed a break from the public eye. So, she'd invited him over to the Weasley Burrow hoping that the two could have a relaxing evening together.
She had the house to herself. Mr and Mrs Weasley were spending some time with George at his apartment, who was having a difficult time adjusting to life without his twin. Her heart ached at the reminder of her fallen brother.
A loud crack broke the silence as Ginny waited for Harry to enter through the front door. When neither Harry nor anyone else appeared, she grew worried and grabbed her wand off the side table. She silently made her way to the door, holding her breath as she peeked out the window. Nobody was there.
The wards are still active, she mused. Holding her wand in a protective stance, she opened the door and peered around the property. It was too dark to make sense of her surroundings.
"Lumos," she cast.
With the bright light illuminating the Burrow, she could just make out a figure lying in one of the adjacent grass fields.
Squinting her eyes to see who it was, she called out at the person, "Who's there? Harry is that you?"
"Yeah, Ginny. It's me."
She didn't put her wand away as she approached. When she got close enough to see that it was actually him, she smiled and let out the breath she was holding.
"Harry, why are you lying in the grass? You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine."
Ginny rolled her eyes at the sentiment. It appeared that he had Apparated and simply collapsed onto the ground, too exhausted to carry himself to the door.
"Just give me a minute. I may have pushed myself too far with that last Apparation."
"No kidding."
Ginny helped him onto his feet, shouldering his weight as they walked back to the Burrow. Her heart fluttered at the contact. Up close she noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the pasty white appearance of his skin, making him look gaunt. She helped lower him down onto the comfiest armchair in the loungeroom and watched as he sunk deep into the purple upholstery.
"Do you want anything to drink or eat? Have you eaten today?" she queried.
"I'd love a butterbeer or maybe something stronger if you've got it. It's been a long day."
Ginny grabbed a bottle of mead from the pantry, silently promising her parents she'd replace it. She poured two glasses and magicked an ice cube into each one. Sitting down across from Harry, they each took a sip of the medium-sweet wine savouring the taste of honey undertones.
"So," Ginny broke the silence, "What's been happening with you?"
Harry sat forward, cradling the drink in his lap. "I was helping with a lead this morning about Yaxley. We were tipped off about a possible location but it fell through. Did you hear about Rookwood last week?"
Ginny shook her head no.
"Once we captured him, he gave up several more Death Eater identities as part of a plea-bargain to avoid the Kiss penalty. So, we've added them to the list and are currently crosschecking with some of the bodies we couldn't identify during the Battle of Hogwarts."
Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Then I had to hold another press conference about the rogue Death Eaters still at large. You'd think it would be common sense to remain vigilant but people are complaining about the additional safety checks put in place."
"Speaking of the press," Ginny interrupted, "have you heard the new title you've been dubbed with? The Man Who Conquered. Pretty fitting, don't you think," she teased.
Harry groaned, "As if The Boy Who Lived wasn't bad enough!"
The two shared a laugh and enjoyed the silence for a moment. It had been a couple of weeks since they've really had the chance to catch up. She really wanted to talk about their relationship and possible rekindling. If she was honest with herself, her feelings for Harry had never dwindled as she spent most of the year worrying about him and his safety. Their reunition was short lived at Hogwarts, as they had the upcoming fight to worry about.
"Harry, I know you've been really busy but I was wondering if you wanted to start dating again?"
Harry didn't answer.
"Harry!? Are you listening?"
A small snore escaped his lips as Ginny finally noticed that at some point, he'd fallen asleep. He really was exhausted, she thought. After grabbing a knitted blanket from the cabinet, she laid it over his sleeping form.
"You deserve to have a proper rest," she softly spoke to him.
They could have this conversation another time, when things settled down and Harry wasn't needed to be everywhere at once. Ginny could wait. She'd always wait for Harry.