Dearest Ginny,
We are in Romania. Although you are probably expecting a Merry Christmas letter, I'm afraid I have news that will upset you very much. Your brother has been injured very badly. The burns are quite extensive and he is beyond magical help--his wounds must heal naturally.
Charlie will be OK, but it would help him, and especially your mother, if you came to join us for the remainder of the break. We'll send Ron to come and get you the day after Christmas. I'm sorry, little one, for your holiday to be strained, but we should all be together now.
All my love,
Dad.
Ginny's eyes filled with tears as she refolded the parchment, her vision blurring as she took off blindly for the dungeons.
*
When she reached the potions room, it was empty. She swallowed a sob, desperately pulling her emotions into check, and knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
She pushed open the door, hurried in and shut it behind her, leaning against the dark wood. Severus looked up, and instantly knew something was wrong, "Ginny?" He stood and rounded the desk, "What is it?" Now that he was closer, he could see the tracks of tears on her face.
"My brother." She managed in an emotion-thick voice, "Charlie. He...he's hurt. I mean, they say he'll be fine but...but..."
As her thin frame was wracked with a hard sob, Severus gently pulled her to him, trying awkwardly to comfort her Oh hell...this is not my area of expertise...
"I mean..." Ginny said, muffled by his chest, "I'm upset, you know? But that's only half of it. I'm also upset, because I have to leave day after tomorrow, and go to Romania. And I don't want to leave." She backed away slightly, wiping at her face with her hands, "Does it make me a bad person, wanting to stay?"
"No." Severus replied, "It makes you crazy for wanting to stay with me, but it doesn't make you a bad person."
Ginny smiled, the tears resided for the time being, and reached out with one hand to touch his arm, "Don't say that. Of course I want to stay with you."
"Why?"
She laughed slightly and moved closer, "You...you make me feel wanted. Growing up in a huge family or worse, as the youngest girl of a huge family of boys, you tend to turn out feeling like an outcast. But ever since you kissed me the first day, I felt like I wasn't the Weasley girl, or the little sister." Ginny stood on tip-toe and pecked him on the mouth, "And, underneath all that intimidation and cold bravado, you're not so bad...And you make my knees weak."
Severus rolled his eyes at her, "You are crazy. You need to go to be with your family--I'm not worth all the stress, trust me."
"Do a crazy girl a favor, and stop talking." Ginny said, one hand snaking around to the back of his head, then pulled him down for a kiss. Their lips met softly at first, and Ginny's arms wound aorund his neck as he pulled her closer. Severus' tongue brushed hers and she opened her mouth to him, and the kiss deepened into something more passionate than anything they had ever shared. Ginny's hands moved to Severus' hair and she found herself pressed more closely to him as his kisses turned more breathless, needier. She finally pulled away gasping for breath, and tilted her head back enough to see his face.
"I think...I think it's about time you showed me those living quarters you told me about yesterday."
Severus looked down at her, with her eyes slightly glazed and her lips kiss-swollen and a flush staining her cheeks, "Ginny, I don't--"
"I swear to God," She whispered, "If you get all righteous and moralized on me now, I'll put you in a full body bind for the rest of your life."
He couldn't help but smile at her. Even her seductress routine was peppered with her threats. "Promise me you're sure."
"I promise." She said, unconsciously licking her lips. It was then that Severus decided that he wasn't going to question it anymore, and led her to the false brick that, when tapped with his wand, created a door.
*
The room wasn't awfully small, or too big. It was circular, with a dresser and a bed and a door that led to a bathroom. The sheets and bedspread were green and black silk, and sconces on the walls were the only lighting. Ginny would have taken more time to look around but she was being kissed again, this time so softly she wondered if Severus' lips were even there. She unfastened his robes and the black material slid away easily, revealing a black button-up shirt and black pants that showed what the robes hid--muscles that weren't bulky but toned--and Ginny smiled, "Go without the robes more often."
"I'll remember that." Severus remarked, his fingers running through her hair. He leaned down and kissed her again, then his lips moved down to her jaw and neck while her fingers worked blindly at the buttons on the shirt. When they pulled away and the shirt hit the floor, Ginny ran her fingernails lightly down his pale chest, then back up, then over his arms. When her fingers hit his left forearm, her jerked slightly, moving away. But Ginny grabbed him.
"Don't." She whispered, pulling him back to her and picking up his arm by the wrist, extending it to reveal a pink scar on the inner elbow. The Dark Mark. "This doesn't mean anything." She said, trying to calm the fear in his eyes. On an impulse, she lowered her mouth to the scar, "I don't care about this."
"Ginny..." And her name was natural on his lips now, and pulling her up and kissing her was a reflex. And everything--unbuttoning her blouse, caressing smooth milk-white skin, kissing, touching, and finally being inside her--was all so right it felt surreal. And Severus was almost sure she didn't here him whisper those three words as they climaxed as one.