He blinked twice. She was still there.

He ran to the window and jerked it open. She flew in, clambered off her broom, dropped it on the floor and looked at him.

"Er – what are you doing here?" he managed eventually.

"I flew," she said.

"I can see that." He could – she looked windswept, and beautiful. "But what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you."

His heart beat faster. "You did?"

She nodded mutely, and then took three steps forward and put her arms around him.

He almost fell over in surprise and didn't know what to do, but then, with the feel of her hands on his back and her hair against his skin, he found he was holding her too. His hands were on her cheeks, in her hair, sliding down her waist, and she smelt just like he remembered. Fresh and flowers.

"Merlin," he breathed in her ear, and then realised she was crying. "What? What?" he said, a bit frantically. He didn't want to upset her again.

"Nothing," she replied brokenly. "I missed you."
He hugged her tighter. "I missed you too."

"I'm sorry I was so stupid," she began, but he cut her off immediately.

"Don't you apologise. I still can't believe I said that –"

"It's alright."

"It's not. I'm sorry."

She sniffed and spoke into his chest. "I was angry, but then by the time I stopped being angry, it had gone too far, and I couldn't back down. And then you left –"

"I wanted to come back," he said, "but not if you hated me."

"We're both too proud, then," said Ginny wryly. She wiped her eyes on his shirt.

"Hey," he chided gently, "that was clean."

"Harry," she said, ignoring this last comment and looking up at him.

"Yes, Ginny?" Merlin, it felt good to say her name.

"It doesn't matter if you believed that about me. And it doesn't matter if you slept with someone else before. I just – want you to know that – if you –"

He cut her off. "I never have, and never will think you're a slag," he said firmly. "So don't say anything about it."

She bit her lip, and he felt such an overwhelming surge of happiness when he saw her do it that he couldn't hold back, and kissed her hard, filled up with the desperation of this week, and this month. Suddenly her hands were at the back of his neck, curled in his hair, and she was kissing him too, with the fervour he remembered from that time in Dumbledore's room. Her tongue and her lips and her breath and the smell of her hair made him almost dizzy with pleasure and disbelief.

She was here. She'd forgiven him.

Naturally, barely realising it themselves, they were moving towards the bed, and when Harry fell back onto it, she fell with him. Neither of them paused for breath. They kissed on and on, and Harry's hands were at her breasts, and it was all he could do to keep from tearing off her clothes right then and there.

"Merlin," he said again, into her mouth. He undid the top button on her blouse, then grasped what he was doing, and stopped. She reached her own hands up and undid the second, and third, until all of them were unbuttoned

"Ginny," he said hoarsely, warningly.
She removed her shirt and kissed him again. "I want to," she murmured, and he wanted to tell her to think about it, to be sure, but she felt too good. He was touching her, and unable to believe that he was touching her, and pretty soon she was touching him too and by that time, he was speechless. They were in fewer and fewer clothes.

Finally, it reached a point where he'd have to say something, or live with the consequences. He was so hot that he thought he might faint, but he knew he had to. "Ginny," he said. "Ginny, don't do this if you're not sure."

She paused only briefly. "I am sure."

"Are you sure you're sure?" Merlin, how he was talking he didn't know. "Maybe we should – wait."

Please no, begged inner monologue.

"You think you can wait?"

"I don't want you to do this if it's not right for you," he said. He meant it, as much as he wanted her. He was worried about her, and he wanted to sleep her with her, and the two emotions in concert made him feel almost sick.

"Harry," she said. "This is right. I feel it."
He looked down at her. She ran a hand through his hair, and he was struck with a sudden realisation. 

 "I'm in love with you," he blurted.

She eyed him for a long moment, and then spoke in a hard voice. "You don't have to say that to make me feel better."

"I'm not," he said. "I'm in love with you. I have been forever. I just didn't know it."

"Harry," she whispered, frowning, shaking her head. "Don't lie."

"It's true," he said, quite fiercely, protective of this feeling now that he understood it. "It's true. I'm not lying."

And then it was too late for talking, and too late for stopping, and for a while it all came down to the two of them, in that little room, and their hushed lovemaking.

~

Harry woke up to sun on his face, realising first that he was naked, and second that somebody else was too, and that she was in his bed with her back to him. He touched her hair gently and opened his eyes.

Ginny.

He looked at her, and ran his fingers along the line of her arm. She woke immediately – light sleeper, he remembered – and turned quickly to face him.

"Hi," she said sleepily. She brushed a strand of hair out her face.

"Hi," he said.

She smiled. "It's early."

"I know."

"You have bags under your eyes," she pointed out, touching them lightly with her fingertips.

"Mm. I'm tired. But I woke up and saw you, and I didn't want to sleep."

"I like waking up next to you," she said, wriggling a bit closer.

"I like it too," he said. "I've never woken up next to a girl before. It's nice."

She slipped her arms around his waist. "What about Susan?"

"It was really quick," he said, flushing a bit. "It was never like this."

"Why wasn't it like this?" she said, in the direction of his chin.

"I'm not sure." He cleared his throat. "I guess – it didn't mean so much." He didn't want to, but he had to ask. "Ginny –"

"I don't regret it, Harry. I'm glad."

She knew the things he was going to say before he even said them. He loved that.

"I don't regret it either, as long as you're alright."

"I'm OK."

He ducked his head a bit to find eye contact. "So," he said, grinning just a little, "how was it?"

She absolutely refused to look at him. "You're just fishing for compliments," she mumbled.

"Tell me," he said, tickling her gently. She tried to suppress a laugh, but failed and giggled. 

"Stop it! Alright, OK, I'll tell you."

He stopped and looked at her, expectant.

"It was awful," she said, quite seriously.
Harry was dumbstruck. He felt terrible. He felt responsible.

"Gin –" he began, but then he looked in her eyes, and they were twinkling.

"Gotcha," she said softly, breaking into a smile, and he was struck with vivid memories of saying that to her himself, weeks ago, when he blocked her with his broomstick.

"You scared me a second," he said, mightily relieved.

"Sorry."

"So?"

There was a brief pause.

"It was good, Harry. It was – better than I thought it'd be."

"Did it – you know, hurt?"

"A little. Not that bad." She looked embarrassed now, and he didn't want her to feel like that, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Can't believe your Mum let you come," he said.

A longer pause this time – too long.

"Gin," he said sharply. "You did ask, didn't you?"

She shook her head against his chest. He pulled back a little to look into her face. "Ginny! You didn't ask?"

"No," she said. "I knew they wouldn't let me."

"So they don't know where you are?"

"I'm not an idiot," she said indignantly. "I left a note with 'Mione. They think I'm with Bill and Fleur. I told Bill I was staying with the twins but I didn't want to tell Mum, and he's going along with it. And besides, I am staying with the twins."

"You're staying with me," he corrected, feeling oddly possessive. "I can't believe you just went like that." He hesitated. "What made you do it?"

Another long silence.

"We were at Percy's memorial," she said, just as he was beginning to think she hadn't heard him. "And I was standing there, looking at the grave, you know, and I was just thinking – I really wished you were there. That's all. I really wished you were there."

Harry didn't know what to say. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. She sighed. It was very quiet – he listened to her breathing.

"Oi!" Fred shouted, a few minutes later, banging hard on the door. "Oi! Come on! We're going out for breakfast."

"Shit," Harry muttered. Ginny was already out of bed, scrambling for her clothes.

"Coming," Harry called, pulling on his boxers.

He got them on just as Fred decided to Alohomora the door and march in, wand outstretched.

"What's taking –"

He saw Ginny, dressed only in Harry's shirt, and immediately began to babble.

"Good Lord, I'm sorry. Merlin. Sorry, Harry." He backed out, shutting the door behind him.

They were frozen a moment, and then Ginny shrugged helplessly. Harry was about to say something when the door opened again.

"Ginny?" Fred said incredulously. "I didn't even realise it was you. What the fuck are you doing here?"

Thank Merlin he sounded more wondering than angry.

"Er – um –" she floundered.

Fred's eyes were wandering from Ginny to Harry and back to Ginny again. They widened as he twigged.

"You? And Harry?" he said.

"Er – yes."

"You and Harry?"

"Yes."

"You and –"

"Yes, Fred," Harry interrupted, looking for his jeans. He found them and put them on while Fred went on looking from Harry to his sister like he was watching a tennis match.

"Who and Harry?" shouted George from down the hall.

"Ginny," Fred said faintly.

George came up behind him. "Who? Oh, fuck me." He'd just seen Ginny in Harry's room, in Harry's shirt, and jumped in surprise. Harry put his hands on his head in desperation. This was not exactly how he'd envisioned the morning after.

"When did you get here, Ginny?" George asked, after a long, pregnant silence.

"Last night," she admitted reluctantly.

George looked at the window. It was still open, and Ginny's broom was beneath it.

"You flew?"

"Yes."

"Mum know?"

"She thinks I'm at Bill's."

Fred blew out a long, heavy breath.
Harry moved to stand next to Ginny. He put his hand on her arm.

There was a brief silence. Then:

"Harry," George said sternly. "Come here."

Harry, nervous as hell but determined to get through this, went to stand in front of Fred and George. Both had their hands on their hips, their expressions unreadable.

"Do you love our sister?" Fred asked.

"Yes," Harry said immediately.

He couldn't see Ginny, but he hoped she was listening.

The twins went on looking at him. Finally, George broke into an unexpected smile.

"Right answer," he said, and gripped Harry in a sudden and uncompromising bear hug.

"Welcome to the family!" shouted Fred.

"Don't rush the boy." George released him, and ruffled Harry's hair. "I think a six-month engagement will be long enough."

Harry swallowed.

"Come on!" Fred said. "Breakfast, let's go. Oh, and Ginny?"

Now it was her turn to look nervous. "Yes?"

He winked at her. "Nice bit of rule-breaking, there. Don't worry. We won't be turning you in."

She exhaled. "Thanks, Fred. George."

"No problem," they said, virtually in unison.

"I'm so excited, I'm hungrier than I was before!" exclaimed George. "Let's go, let's go." He went out into the hall and Fred followed.

Harry looked at Ginny. He really didn't want to go out right now.

"Coming?" asked George.

"Ah – no," said Harry slowly. "I guess we'll eat here."

The twins grinned and departed, whistling 'Here Comes The Bride' all the way down the hall.

Harry met Ginny's eye.

"Well," she said softly. "Goodbye Problem One."

"How many more to go?"

"Don't know," she said, approaching him. "I don't care at the moment."

He put his hands on her hips. She kissed him, kissed his neck, and then they went back to bed, and slept. At least, Ginny slept. Harry drifted in and out, and watched her.

~

A/N: OK, I don't know if you guys will/will not approve of what just happened, but it felt right to me, so I went with it. ~nm3x5s~ Shezzly