It was just another December day but not quite the snow was bitterly cold and nobody could go outside to Hogsmeade but Ginny Weasley wasn't anywhere to be seen thanks to a cloak Harry had given to her for her last year at Hogwarts. The one without the trio, no older brothers breathing down her neck and no Harry to stare at even though he never knew it, no Voldemort, no danger, no excitement and definantly no hurting. Not exactly the cheer she wanted to think about for her very last Christmas/New Years holiday at Hogwarts. The portrait hole opened and Professor no, now she was the Headmistress McGonagall walked through.
"Has anybody seen Ginny Weasley?" she questioned the whole common room which was decidingly quiet on this New Years Eve with only a few hours until the chimes rang in the brand new year, the common room stayed quiet until a small voice piped up.
"She went for a walk and hasn't come back" the timid 1st year replied shaking slightly as every person turned to stare at her,
"Thank you Miss Hilton, when she comes back tell her to come to my office immediately"
The common room grew if possible even more silent in remembrance of the many times the same Professor would come in during the war saying exactly the same thing with the exact same grave look on her face.
"No it is nothing bad just tell her when you see her" with that McGonagall spun on her heel and exited the common room leaving the muttering students in her wake.
Ginny followed silent and invisible wondering to herself what could be the problem. She quietly slipped into an alcove and pulled the cloak off and folded it and placed it in her expandable bag and walked up to the Headmistresses office the puzzled look still firmly in place. She went up to the gargoyle and started to guess the password which was much harder then Professor Dumbledore's. After a while she came up with almost fifty passwords and if she couldn't guess it with the next two she was going to leave.
"Gryffindor, umm no... Lions for the cup?" The statue stayed still for a moment before opening up, Ginny hurried up the stairs no idea what would be waiting for her at the top. She knocked on the door and gasped at the sheer magnificence of the office, it wasn't like she hadn't been there before but every time it rattled her that someone could stand to mess this up.
"Wondering why you're here?" a deep voice startled her from behind
"Harry you scared me!"
"Didn't mean to"
"Yeah right, so why are you here?"
"Never got my last Hogwarts Christmas and now I'm taking it, McGonagall said I could stay in Gryffindor tower"
"Ah, so is that why I'm here?"
"I don't know maybe you're my guide Gin" he replied mysteriously
"Maybe" she replied uncertainly sitting on the chair next to Harry's and with that they lapsed into a comfortable silence waiting for McGonagall to come back into the office and tell them why Ginny was there at all. The clock chimed 10 o'clock and Ginny shifted uncomfortably in her otherwise comfortable chair.
"You okay Gin?"
"We've been here for over half an hour and she's not coming back"
"Mmm I guess she might be or might not but I'm going to the kitchens come with?"
"Sure I really could devour a chocolate fudge sundae with all the trimmings"
"It's freezing, are you completely bonkers?"
"I must be coz I really want one"
Harry just shook his head marveling at how weird it was to be back at Hogwarts and not having to sneak into the kitchens with his usual partner in crime. On the long trip from the office they talk about how their lives were so different now that the 'Evil Overlord of Doom' as Harry had nicknamed him had gone.
Walking toward the kitchens the long way they lapsed into a comfortable conversation.
"I love it no pressure no expectations except those of myself and I just tune out the public" "Really?" Ginny asked in mock surprise, "I thought that with all the stuff you've done you would love the spotlight on you"
"Ha-ha very funny I totally forgot to laugh" Harry said with a half smile
"Yeah well life does that to you" Ginny gasped in between laughs as they reached the kitchens. "Will you do the honours?" Harry asked her with an exaggerated bow as Ginny tickled the pear. "And now will you?" copying the exaggeration with a curtsey.
"I will" he poked his tongue out at her, as he walked through the door to be set upon by dozens of house elves eager to serve them, Ginny giggled as she walked through the door watching as Harry asked them for one strawberry and one chocolate sundae. She shook her head at his love of strawberries something she knew stemmed from his inability to get them when he was little; this made her even angrier at the Dursley's but knew it would do no good now they were worse than dead thanks to those Dementors. The clocks chimed once twice, a third time as Harry looked at his watch.
"Ahh midnight a New Year brings about new beginnings, do you have any resolutions?"
"Um, yeah I do and if I don't do this now a never will okay?"
"Ok" Harry looked intrigued
"I'm sorry if this hurts our friendship or anything but don't stop me okay?" she rushed fear building within her every second she sat next to him
"Okay, Gin I won't be able to understand you anymore if you don't breathe" His face was so close to hers she put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him, so scared he would flee but pleasantly surprised when he started to kiss back. When they broke apart both their faces were flushed and Ginny began to speak but Harry shushed her.
"Ginny Weasley I've known you since you were ten but I've known you forever if you get my meaning" Ginny looked up at him surprised at his boldness and so apparently was he as shocked as he looked he put together the words she had been longing to hear except for that other thing that would of course come later.
"Ginny Weasley will you be my girlfriend?"