A/N: I always meant to write an "after the war" epilogue to this story, since Harry spends time thinking about his future, so here it is. Like with all my light pieces, Fred is alive. Also, as I mentioned in an earlier chapter (years and years ago, lol), Harry is a little OOC here - more like he might have been if not for the prophecy, Voldemort, etc. I tried to keep that up here without veering too far from who he is.
Harry slept for hours. He found out later that Hermione had put a charm on the door to keep light, noise, and all but a few people out of his dormitory, and when he finally awoke, he didn't know what to think. The bone tiredness he'd been living with for the past year was gone but his brain had not yet caught up to the fact that he was safe. He rolled that idea around in his head while he got out of bed to take his first shower in he wasn't sure how many days.
He wouldn't have to go without showering again. Or food, or a soft bed, unless he chose to. Above all else, he wouldn't have to go without Ginny.
As if reading his thoughts, there she was, sitting on his bed when he emerged from the bathroom. She had a scrubbed look about her too, and an expectant one.
Harry suddenly felt shy; he'd not seen Ginny since Bill and Fleur's wedding and if anything, she'd become even more lovely in that time. He gave a small chuckle. Ginny looked at him curiously.
"I was just thinking, I'm more nervous to talk to you than I was to fight Voldemort." He flushed; was that something to joke about? She gave him a serious look.
"That makes sense," she nodded. Voldemort didn't expect you to kiss him hello."
Harry pretended to consider this. "And thank Merlin for that." He sat down on the bed next to her. "I have nine months worth of stories to tell you; we might have to spend quite a lot of time together over the next weeks." He looked down at his hands. "And . . . the funerals."
Ginny leaned into his side. "I'm so sorry about Remus and Tonks." Harry nodded. He'd avoided thinking about all the deaths, especially those two, but now he let the grief wash over him, and the unfairness of it all. He took Ginny's hand.
"I'm Teddy's godfather; did you know that? I mean, I expect he'll live with Andromeda, but still . . ." He sighed. "I don't know a thing about babies."
"I suspect you'll have plenty of people to teach you what you need to know," said Ginny practically. "My mum will help."
That made Harry feel better. If Teddy had to grow up without parents like he had, at least nothing else in his upbringing would be the same.
He rubbed at his head. His thoughts were all over the place and he couldn't decide what he needed to figure out first. The fact of his being safe was fighting against months and months of worry and fear and constant vigilance; he knew there was nothing he needed to do or anywhere he needed to go at this moment, but he couldn't yet believe it. Ginny was a solid presence beside him; she was the only real thing, and Harry focused on that.
"No one's going to come in here?" he asked. "Not for a while?"
"No one. Hermione fixed it so that only I could come up here." Ginny sounded suddenly as shy as Harry felt. He chuckled.
"So Ron can't barge in while we're kissing this time." Ginny laughed too.
"We'll need to return the favor at some point."
"We will." Harry touched Ginny's jaw and turned her to face him. "But not right now."
The atmosphere shifted. Ginny leaned towards him and it was like the nine months between now and the time they'd last been alone disappeared. Harry may have given a groan of relief when their lips met and Ginny definitely sighed happily as she melted against his chest. He wasn't sure who moved there first but before long they were lying together on the bed, both of their heads on one pillow. Harry gently pulled away.
"Is this okay? We've never . . . in a bed before." He gave her a horrified look. "Not that I'm suggesting that we . . ." He stopped when Ginny started giggling.
"No Harry, I don't think you're suggesting that we have sex just because we're snogging in a bed." Ginny spoke matter-of-factly but a faint blush climbed her cheeks. Harry chuckled.
"I should have known you wouldn't think that." He looked at her earnestly. "Not yet anyway, right?" It was something of a risk to ask that, but it was also the truth. Harry wanted Ginny to know where his head - and his heart - were. Her gaze softened.
"Not yet," she agreed. Her hand traveled to his hip and Harry's stomach gave a swoop. "But there's an awful lot to do before we get to 'yet'."
Harry shuffled closer. "And I'm going to like doing them with you. Especially in a bed." He grinned. "Not that the table in the changing room was so bad. I almost climbed up there with you, you know."
"And I couldn't stop thinking about you taking a shower, that day I beat everyone in practice and you made them all climb steps."
"I was really hoping you'd win that day," Harry admitted. "I already knew I fancied you even though I hadn't told you yet." The meaning of Ginny's comment sunk in. "Wait, you thought about me in the shower that day?"
"I did," Ginny nodded. "And I was rather horrified at myself. Thinking about my Quidditch captain that way? What if it made me play poorly!"
"Never could happen," said Harry. Impulsively, he rolled over onto his back, taking Ginny along with him. "I can't believe you thought about me in the shower."
"I still do. It's one of the things that got me through this year, thinking about you." Ginny nestled between his legs.
Harry helped her shuffle into position. He had things he wanted to say but given the way they were now laying together - not to mention Ginny's revelation that she thought about him in the shower - he suspected he didn't have many words left.
"I thought about you too, of course. All the time. I watched your dot on the Marauder's Map." He wanted to ask her exactly what she thought about, but something held him back. Instead he took advantage of their position to run his hands down Ginny's back and rest them on her bum. Ginny wiggled against him and Harry had the feeling that he'd not be too shy to ask her for long. Barriers were coming down all over, he thought.
They began kissing again. At some point they rolled together again and suddenly Ginny was on top of him. A delighted look spread across her face. "Oh, I like this a lot."
Harry was feeling pleasantly fuzzy. "We can stay here as long as we want, can't we?"
Ginny's face softened. "We can."
Harry's mind jumped to the possibilities: napping with Ginny, having Kreacher bring them food to eat, cuddling and talking. They could do all those things for as long as they wanted. If anyone got hacked off at their absence, an apology would fix it. Just that. And it would probably be quite a while until things got to that point anyway. He pulled Ginny's face down to his. "What exactly did you think about me, in the shower?"
Momentary surprise suffused Ginny's face, replaced almost immediately by a flush of arousal. "I thought of both of us in the shower, Harry," she clarified. "Together."
It was several long minutes before Harry wanted to speak again. When he did finally pull his lips from Ginny's skin it was just to lay his cheek against her chest. He played idly with breast and listened to her heart beating while she ran her hands up and down his back.
"If you hand me my wand I think I can do the cleaning spell from here." Ginny's voice was languid.
"I can't can't believe how quickly I . . . finished," Harry said. He was pleased to realize he wasn't even particularly embarrassed about it. Ginny solicitously took care of the spell and then moved her hands to his back again. "It's been a long time since it's been an issue; the night before Bill and Fleur's wedding.
"Really?" Ginny suddenly sounded a bit more awake. "So when you said you 'watched my dot,' you really mean that's all you did?"
Harry chuckled. "I shared a small tent with Ron and Hermione. If I'd started setting silencing charms every night they might have gotten suspicious."
"Did either of them . . . actually, don't answer that. I don't want to know."
"You don't," Harry agreed. "Any more than I do." He slowly sat up. "Are you hungry?" He was already thinking about what he and Ginny might do next, and he wanted to make sure they had energy. He said as much to Ginny and she grinned at him.
"I could eat, yes," she said. "And then I'd like to put that energy to good use."
Harry looked towards the window. "I wonder what time it is."
Ginny shrugged. "Does it matter?" She leaned back against him. "I thought we just agreed that we can stay here as long as we want."
"We can, but I want to know whether I should ask Kreacher for pancakes and eggs and bacon or soup and sandwiches."
"Both sound delicious, actually. Let's stay here long enough to need two meals at least."
Harry smiled. "It's a deal."