Chapter 9

Ginny couldn't say a word. There were so many emotions threatening to burst out of her – relief, anger, frustration... bliss. She put her head in her hands to keep it all from spilling out of her.

With a gentleness Ginny had never seen him show to her, Harry reached over and pulled her head up to face him. "I really do, Ginny, I've always loved you." As she looked at him silently, tears beginning to fall soundlessly down her face, and Harry's green eyes dulled as he sighed, bowing his head and retracting his hand from her face to rest it limply on the table. "I know I've been a horrible person, Gin, and I know I've never deserved even a hello from you, and these past few years I certainly haven't even deserved that. You've always been there, and I was too stupid to do anything. I understand if you still want to leave, I know that...." Harry choked. He took a deep breath, drawing on all the strength he had left in him. "I know that you don't love me anymore, that I've said all this too late. I just had to let you know before you left."

His eyes pooled with tears he refused to shed in her presence, and took the risk of looking up at her, to see what she would do. Would she say 'Goodbye' again, breaking his heart, just as she had done last night?

The look on her face was one that Harry had not expected to see. Her tears had dried, and she was staring at him intently. In one swift movement, she stood up, and walked around the table to him. For what seemed like ages, she stood there, looking down at him as he looked up at her. Slowly, she knelt down on the floor, took his face in her hands, and gently brushed her lips against his. Harry's eyes were already blissfully closed, but opened them as she pulled her face away, a small smile playing against her lips. "You daft idiot," she whispered, "I'm not going anywhere." Harry grinned, slipped onto the floor in front of her (his chair crashed backwards behind him), and enveloped her in the perfect first embrace.

They stayed like that for what seemed like no time at all, just enjoying the feel of finally being together, after all those years.

Shyly, slowly, Harry lightly brushed his lips against Ginny's neck, and whispered, "I love you so much, I will never hurt you again, I promise."

Ginny leaned back only to see truth and happiness in his eyes, where despair had been just moments before. There were questions needed for them to both understand how their relationship stood by now. She smiled, and responded by pressing her lips to his. Electricity ran through both their bodies at the sensation of being so close to each other. Passion quickly engulfed both their minds, and they were both thinking about doing things with (and to) each other that they had yearned to do for years. Gently, Harry ran his tongue along Ginny's bottom lip, and then slipped it inside her waiting mouth. Their kissing became more frenzied, desperate even, to experience this as much as they could before... well, they didn't know what, exactly.

All they knew right then was the feeling of their bodies pressed up against each other, and their tongues exploring each other's mouths.

Eventually, though, they had to break apart for air, and, breathing heavily, Harry slyly started planting kisses all over Ginny's face and neck. Ginny sighed at the attention she was receiving, but then suddenly pulled away. Harry gave her a questioning look.

"We have to stop."

"But... why?"

"My knees are killing me."

Harry laughed, as he stood up and offered her a hand. Once they were both standing, and done chuckling, their eyes met. Harry's eyes quickly deepened their color, and seemed to have a somewhat mischievous glint in them.

Ginny smiled, and put her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her. "What are you thinking about, Mr. Potter?"

"Why, naturally, I'm simply sweeping you off your feet, Miss Weasley." Harry grinned, and literally swept her off her feet and into his arms. Ginny shrieked, and then laughed. "Where to, Mademoiselle? Your steed awaits instructions."

Ginny grinned seductively, and raised her head to whisper in his ear: "To the bedroom, my steed."

Harry's mouth dropped open at the somewhat uncharacteristic insinuation his girlfriend had just made, nearly dropping her. Ginny reached up to close his mouth delicately with her fingers, then wrapped her fingers in his hair, and pulled his head towards hers for a searing kiss.

When she pulled away, Harry gasped for breath, and nearly fell over (what with the added weight of her in his arms). "Huh," was the only coherent thing he could think of saying.

Ginny smiled, and raised her eyebrows. Harry regained consciousness (in a manner of speaking), and realized that she was waiting to be carried to the bedroom. Assuming she meant her own, Harry quickly walked into the room (now filled only filled with two suitcases, her bed, and her empty desk). He laid her upon the bed, and she arranged herself on the bed so that she was both lying down and sitting at once. Harry was still standing, partaking in an internal battle with himself.

On one side, he wanted nothing more than to be with Ginny, the woman who he loved more than life itself, in the most intimate way humanly possible. On the other, he knew (or thought he did) that she was a virgin, and didn't want to take things too fast. Deciding to put Ginny first, he sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space next to him. Perplexed, Ginny scooted over and looked at him expectantly, sensing that he wanted to say something before they 'took their relationship to the next level.'

Harry took a deep breath and began, "Ginny, believe me, this is not a reflection on you, but on what it would be that we would be... er, doing. I mean, you have no idea how much I want to...." Actually she did, his pants weren't hiding it very well. "I simply think it would be better for you if we waited."

Ginny stood up, putting her hands on her hips, and glared at him. "What on Earth are you talking about, Harry?"

Realizing she might not ever want to do it if this didn't come out right, Harry, in trying to explain things coherently, stood up, and promptly began to babble. "I just mean, that I do want to, and you may think you want to now, but losing your virginity is a big deal, I mean, if I had a chance to re-do when I lost mine, I'd take it with no questions asked, and-"

Understanding what he meant, Ginny decided that she would have to come clean. Almost so quietly that Harry didn't hear under his prattling on and on, she whispered, "So would I."

"-it's more imp- what?"

Ginny sighed again, and with a shaky voice, said slightly louder, "So would I."

Perplexed, Harry began, "You would wha- oh. You mean you..." he broke off.

"Yes. I'm not a virgin, Harry."

A/N: Magsluvsaragorn: sorry!! the thing is, you gotta realize that when Ginny was railing at harry the night before, she was half drunk. sober, she would never have had the guts to tell him all that, or yell it at him, no less. she's just been waiting for him to come to his senses for so long (they both have), that, as long as he makes it up to her, she's more than willing to move on.

And as for the rest of you - review!!