A/N: Sorry . I like a little fluff with my meat and potatoes :)!
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Three weeks later, long after the remaining members of the Weasley family had straggled home, bringing joy back into the empty household, Harry dared to return. He aparated into the dining room on a particularly blustery day, snow clinging to his cloak and his hair damp with the weather. "Hermione!" he called urgently. Family members came running from all different directions as he laid Ron's lifeless body on the floor at his feet. "Someone take him to St. Mungo's!" he dictated, and people flew in all different directions. Ginny hung back, holding her breath, as she watched Harry continue to breath life into her brother.
Hermione skidded to the floor and clutched Ron's hand so tightly that it went whiter. Soon mediwizards in white robes aparated into the room with a stretcher, and began giving directions to various family members. Hermione was nodding as if taking instruction, and glancing down to Ron with fearful gazes her eyes widened as she saw him stir. Soon, the flurry of activity subsided as people began to aparate to the hospital or run various errands they'd been sent on, and Ginny's eyes fell on Harry at last. His brow was furrowed - most likely with fatigue - and his shoulders slumped with exhaustion. She saw him struggle against his drooping head, and then suddenly she felt herself rising to her feet.
Approaching him gently, she placed her hands on his shoulders, "Harry? Why don't you come with me?" she asked quietly. He stared up at her with longing in his eyes and she watched him bring himself to his feet.
"Thanks, Gin . he'll - erm - he'll be alright," he whispered sheepishly as he ran his fingers through his long ragged hair.
Blushing, Ginny nodded, "I knew you would bring him home, Harry. Ask Hermione - I had no doubts." She turned and started up the stairs, stopping to look over her shoulder at him. Harry followed her closely, and when they reached Ron's room, Ginny conjured fresh pajamas and placed them gingerly in his hands.
"I don't understand, Gin. Shouldn't you be taking care of your brother?" Harry had a puzzled look on his face as she began to take his cloak from him.
Shaking her head, Ginny added softly, "Everyone here is fussing over my brother, Harry. Let me take care of you - please?" She looked up at him and he saw a hint of something different in her eyes. "You brought him back, Harry - you kept your promise - that - that means a lot to me." She put her arms around his waist and awkwardly squeezed him for a moment.
Harry, however, dropping the pajamas, wrapped his arms around her and held her so tightly she thought that she might lose her breath. She felt his chest begin to heave and heard his racking sobs as she buried herself still closer to his chest. "I'm so sorry, Gin . I'm so, so sorry," Harry choked out over and over. Ginny continued to hold on tightly and began to remember the comfort she had once felt in his arms.
"I'm just glad you've come back, Harry. You are in one piece - that's more than I would've ever hoped." her voice trailed off as her memory threatened to regress again.
Harry tilted her chin upward and searched her face. Cautiously, he murmured in her ear, "I'm here, Gin, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you until the end of time - I never want to be away from you again." Tears trickled down from the corners of his eyes, and it occurred to Ginny that in all the years she had known him he'd never been this open about his feelings to her.
As he clutched her to his chest, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head, Ginny thought to herself, "this is a good start." Smiling, she looked up at him, "a very good start."
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Three weeks later, long after the remaining members of the Weasley family had straggled home, bringing joy back into the empty household, Harry dared to return. He aparated into the dining room on a particularly blustery day, snow clinging to his cloak and his hair damp with the weather. "Hermione!" he called urgently. Family members came running from all different directions as he laid Ron's lifeless body on the floor at his feet. "Someone take him to St. Mungo's!" he dictated, and people flew in all different directions. Ginny hung back, holding her breath, as she watched Harry continue to breath life into her brother.
Hermione skidded to the floor and clutched Ron's hand so tightly that it went whiter. Soon mediwizards in white robes aparated into the room with a stretcher, and began giving directions to various family members. Hermione was nodding as if taking instruction, and glancing down to Ron with fearful gazes her eyes widened as she saw him stir. Soon, the flurry of activity subsided as people began to aparate to the hospital or run various errands they'd been sent on, and Ginny's eyes fell on Harry at last. His brow was furrowed - most likely with fatigue - and his shoulders slumped with exhaustion. She saw him struggle against his drooping head, and then suddenly she felt herself rising to her feet.
Approaching him gently, she placed her hands on his shoulders, "Harry? Why don't you come with me?" she asked quietly. He stared up at her with longing in his eyes and she watched him bring himself to his feet.
"Thanks, Gin . he'll - erm - he'll be alright," he whispered sheepishly as he ran his fingers through his long ragged hair.
Blushing, Ginny nodded, "I knew you would bring him home, Harry. Ask Hermione - I had no doubts." She turned and started up the stairs, stopping to look over her shoulder at him. Harry followed her closely, and when they reached Ron's room, Ginny conjured fresh pajamas and placed them gingerly in his hands.
"I don't understand, Gin. Shouldn't you be taking care of your brother?" Harry had a puzzled look on his face as she began to take his cloak from him.
Shaking her head, Ginny added softly, "Everyone here is fussing over my brother, Harry. Let me take care of you - please?" She looked up at him and he saw a hint of something different in her eyes. "You brought him back, Harry - you kept your promise - that - that means a lot to me." She put her arms around his waist and awkwardly squeezed him for a moment.
Harry, however, dropping the pajamas, wrapped his arms around her and held her so tightly she thought that she might lose her breath. She felt his chest begin to heave and heard his racking sobs as she buried herself still closer to his chest. "I'm so sorry, Gin . I'm so, so sorry," Harry choked out over and over. Ginny continued to hold on tightly and began to remember the comfort she had once felt in his arms.
"I'm just glad you've come back, Harry. You are in one piece - that's more than I would've ever hoped." her voice trailed off as her memory threatened to regress again.
Harry tilted her chin upward and searched her face. Cautiously, he murmured in her ear, "I'm here, Gin, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you until the end of time - I never want to be away from you again." Tears trickled down from the corners of his eyes, and it occurred to Ginny that in all the years she had known him he'd never been this open about his feelings to her.
As he clutched her to his chest, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head, Ginny thought to herself, "this is a good start." Smiling, she looked up at him, "a very good start."