Chapter Six: Something About Ginny

"Harry, love... can I speak to you for a moment?"

"What is it, Mrs Weasley?" Harry looked up from the parchments that Dumbledore had left on the desk for him to look over. They all had to do with class assignments, and Harry wasn't particularly interested in any of it. He rather thought the best way for him to approach teaching DADA was as he had approached teaching the DA club.

Of course, Hermione had helped a lot with organizing the DA. Perhaps he should have a look over those notes...

"Harry, I'm... concerned."

"Concerned?" This got his attention. A concerned Molly was a bad thing, in his experience.

"I'm..." Molly hesitated, then shut the door and came forward. "Harry, Ginny slept in your bed this afternoon."

Harry flushed. He hadn't thought... he'd just known she would need to lie down and instinct had taken him to his room. "Mrs Weasley..."

"I know, love, but others... well, others might talk if they got the wrong idea. I just wanted to make sure that you realized. An innocent girl like Ginny... well, she wouldn't... she wouldn't realize what people might say, if they thought they had a reason to. She wouldn't understand that people might think... well, that... that the two of you were... she's so innocent, Harry."

Harry, trying hard not to flush more deeply, looked down at his desktop. "I just knew she needed to rest, Mrs Weasley. I apparated with both of us, and I went the one place I knew I could concentrate on perfectly enough to get us both through without splinching... I'm sorry if..."

"You apparated with Ginny?" Molly looked surprised.

"The floo at the Burrow... well, it was falling down..."

"But Harry, what about the wards?"

"Which...? I..." This threw him for a moment. Hadn't they just been talking about Ginny sleeping in his bed? What did the wards have to...?

"The wards on Potter Manor. You do have wards? Of course you do, Bill checked them himself..."

"I don't know, Mrs Weasley. I just did it. I didn't really think about the wards, I just knew Ginny had to get here and lie down, so I just did it."

"And Ginny managed it, as well?"

"Well... no..."

"Harry?"

"I kind of... apparated both of us."

"You did?"

"Mrs Weasley..."

"You must be exhausted. It's not easy to apparate with another adult, Harry."

"Mrs Weasley... I didn't think about it. I just did it. I'm fine. I know Ginny is tired, but..."

"Has she gone up, then?"

"I... I don't know. She left the meeting with the others, but I had to speak to Seamus about something."

"Well, I was just in her room. She wasn't there," Molly looked concerned again. Harry's head was beginning to ache.

"Perhaps she went with Hermione over to the cottage."

"Yes. Check, will you, love? I won't be able to sleep if I don't know that she's safe."

"I will, Mrs Weasley."

"And Harry?"

"Yes, Mrs Weasley?"

"Just... be aware of appearances. Ginny tends to ignore such things."

"Of course, Mrs Weasley," Harry felt his cheeks growing warm again.

Heading out of the study, the notes forgotten on his desk, he took the stairs two at a time, strongly suspecting where Ginny was. Opening his bedroom door, he realized how well he knew her. She sat, crosslegged on his bed, picking at the duvet cover thoughtfully.

"Ginny?"

"Harry," she looked up. Her normally bright smile was gone. Harry couldn't place her expression, but knew it couldn't be good.

Closing the door behind him, he advanced toward her, sitting on the end of the bed and looking at her carefully.

"Ginny, something's wrong... what is it?"

"I'm fine, Harry."

"But..."

"I'm just..."

"What?"

Ginny looked up at him, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. "I'm sorry!"

"Gin?" He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "I'm sorry. It's been a horrible day for you, hasn't it? I should have held off the meeting tonight until tomorrow. I'm so sorry. You must be exhausted..."

"No!" she cried against his shoulder. "It's not that, Harry, it's not!"

"Gin? What is it, then? Merlin, I hate to see you cry," he wiped away a crystal tear from her cheek. "Tell me what it is, please? So I can fix it?"

"You can't fix it, Harry."

"But..."

"It's just... Harry, how do you feel about me?"

"I love you, Ginny. You know that. What's wrong?"

"I... Harry... normally... I just..." she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Lord, I don't cry pretty. I feel like such a prat."

"You're not a prat. Obviously something is bothering you. Gin, is it something I've done? I know I can be pretty thick sometimes... "

"No, Harry."

"Then what on earth is it?"

"Tonks."

"Tonks?" Harry sat back, surprised.

"She..."

"You mean because of that pledge thing?"

"Yes."

"Ginny, I'd never hold her to it, I swear. I'm not into slavery."

"No, it's not that, Harry."

"Then what?"

"Harry, making a witch's vow is unheard of."

"Well, apparently Tonks has heard about it."

"That's not what I mean. It's a very, very, very old tradition, Harry. Wizards were known to make a Wizards vow... expected to, actually... to their leige lord, in ancient times. It was a... well, rather a proof of their devotion."

"Just exactly like Tonks," Harry agreed. "I do get it, Ginny. And I know that it's not common."

"Not only not common, Harry, but..."

"What?"

"Harry, a wizard would pledge an oath to his leige lord, and subsequently to his family, but it was... well, it's frowned upon."

"But..."

"By the Ministry, Harry... it's really... well, a lot of people think it's rather too close to Imperious for comfort."

"Ginny, are you telling me that Tonks will be in trouble with the Ministry for this?"

"No, it's not against the law. The oath has one major difference from Imperious... the only difference that matters really... it's by choice. But for Tonks to do this is remarkable."

"Don't think I don't know that, Gin,"

"It's very remarkable, actually, Harry."

"So?"

"So very few witches did anything like this, and if they did, it was generally for a very different reason than a wizard would have."

"What?"

"Harry... only a mistress would do such a thing."

Harry stared at her for a moment, uncomprehending. When it finally came to him just what Ginny might mean by that, his jaw literally dropped.

"You think... you think that Tonks... that Tonks and I...?" Harry was shocked.

"No, of course not, but..." Ginny flushed.

"Ginny, I would imagine that very few witches were allowed to become aurors back in the day, either. And that is the only capacity which Tonks would be devoting herself to me. The only one she would have any reason to... do you understand?"

"I know."

"First of all, I have everything I want with you. Why would I be so stupid as to risk that? And..."

"I don't think you would, Harry."

"...secondly," Harry continued, as though she'd not spoken. "I would hardly do that to Remus, now would I?"

"I know, Harry! I trust you, okay?"

"It doesn't really sound like you do!" He looked at her with shocked eyes.

"I do!" Ginny's eyes filled with tears again. "Harry, it's not that I suspect Tonks of anything more than what she said, and I certainly would never believe that you would be..."

"Then what is it?"

"I..." Ginny swallowed. "I..."

"What?"

"I... I just realized that... that you are who you are... and... " she began to sob.

"Ginny," Harry pulled her to him again. "Ginny, I don't want anyone but you."

"But..."

"Ginny, I'll never want anyone but you. I thought I'd been clear on that."

"But, Harry..."

"Would you be having this reaction if Charlie or Bill had done what Tonks did?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "It's not because..."

"Then understand this, Tonks, as far as I'm concerned, is just a guy with breasts. She's a great friend, and I love her, but not that way. Never that way. I don't..."

"It's not you, Harry. And it's not Tonks. It's me."

"What?"

"I don't want to think of a world where you don't love me," she said in a small voice, but Harry could tell there was more.

"Then don't, because I do."

"But..."

"No more buts, Ginny."

Ginny looked helplessly at him for a moment, then down at the quilt. "I'm supposed to be the one who believes in you. To watch someone do something like that... and another woman..."

"Her being a woman is immaterial. She's a damned fine auror, and a wonderful friend. Someday I hope she and Remus get it together and make lots of little Tonks' and Remus'. Understand?"

"I feel like I've failed you."

"How?"

"Because Tonks was willing to go so much further in her devotion to you."

"Tonks isn't going to marry me, Ginny. That's a pretty huge commitment to me on your part."

"But..."

"Ginny, I want you to have free will, to love me because you've chosen to love me, not because you're bound to."

Ginny looked at him for a moment, then smiled through her tears. "How do you do that?"

"What?"

"Make me see reason when it's the last thing I want to do?"

"I don't know. Hidden talent, I guess," he chuckled.

"Oh, Harry!" She threw her arms around him again and smiled into his chest. And, of course, Harry couldn't resist her then.

It was several minutes later when there was a soft knock on the door. They jumped apart, Harry edging back to the end of the bed, and Ginny curling up against the headboard, pulling a pillow out to clutch to her chest.

"Harry?"

"C... come in!" he called, trying to look casual, and failing dismally he knew.

"Harry? Oh... Ginny... here you are..." Molly stuck her head around the door, her eyebrows edging towards each other as she saw the two of them seated on the bed. "Ginny, I was worried when I couldn't find you."

"Sorry, Mrs Weasley... I found her, but we kind of needed to ... talk."

"That's fine, that's fine. Are you done now?" Molly pushed the door open all the way.

"I... it's been a rough day, Mum... I just... I needed to be with Harry alone for a while," Ginny said.

"Well, you can be... just leave the door open, love... you know, we wouldn't want any undue talk..."

"Undue..." Ginny's eyes darkened. "Mum..."

"Ginny, nice young ladies do not visit young men in their bedrooms with the door closed."

"Mum! As if anything would happen with you and Dad in the house!"

Molly, not quite sure how to respond to this, flushed and then nodded at the door. "Well, you take as long as you need, I'll just... leave this open, then."

Harry tried not to laugh while Ginny threw an extremely nasty look at her mother's retreating back.

"Oooh... she just..."

"Loves you, Gin," Harry smiled at her.

Ginny turned on him, about to comment, but when she saw him, reclining on his side, his head supported by one arm, the corner of her mouth gave her away, twisting up before she smiled and dove on him.

"Ginny!"

"She said we could have as long as we liked... so long as we kept the door open."

"She did, didn't she?"

"She did, indeed," Ginny smiled down at him, capturing his lips with hers and making his stomach wrench as she kissed him very thoroughly.

"I'm not quite sure that that's what your Mum had in mind," Harry gasped for breath as she released him some minutes later.

"I'm not sure of anything at all," Ginny admitted, throwing herself onto her back and staring at the ceiling. "I would like to ask where you learned to kiss like that, Harry Potter, but I think I might get jealous if you told me."

"Why? It was you who taught me everything I know."

"Me?" Ginny turned her head to look at him, her fiery hair splayed out around her, her eyes dancing. "I came to you a complete innocent, Mr Potter. You're the one who..."

"Alright, alright..." Harry sat up, very aware of the open door behind them.

"I love you, Harry," he looked down at her to see that she'd turned serious yet again. Ginny's moods could change faster than...

It must be the red hair.

"I know. You have no idea of how strong that makes me," he responded, leaning down and kissing her softly. "Now, off to bed before I..."

"Promises, promises!" she quipped as she jumped up from the bed. "If my parents weren't in the house..."

"But they are, so stop torturing me," he rose himself, walking back to the door, intending to go down and read over the notes that he'd left in the study.

"Hmm, torture is it then?"

"Being without you is... painful, Ginny," he admitted softly.

Chocolate brown eyes met green, and she smiled. "I can't wait until next year, Harry."

"Nor can I," he sighed as he followed her out. "Nor can I."

Ah, I can hear the flames now... and you're all right. Ginny IS stronger than that, but it's been a very rough day for her, folks. Harry is beginning to experience a little of what it's like to be with a woman through good AND bad...

CQ

Kazziedal: It blocked the site name you put in your review, but I did a google and found it. Cool!

Padfootlives101: Well, ten, maybe, depending on the length of the book... I know I'll be incommunicado for that time. My kids and I are lining up at the bookstore at midnight!

Trixie7: Hermione is rather easily distracted these days, isn't she?

Manatheron: I'll let you know. Right now my hands are full with this, and clearing out my basement. Anyone want to help me declutter?

RyougaZell: Neville is an Assistant Professor while he apprentices with Professor Sprout.

Larna Mandrea: More to it? Isn't there always? As for Seamus, well, I killed off your Hufflepuffs, so...

Shotgunn: Man, Scott, paranoid much? Holy cow... I've created a monster!

OldCrow: It's difficult sometimes to write what you THINK he'll be like in coming years, without messing with OTHER people's ideas of what he'll be like (enough to get flamed, anyhow!). But as I have said before... I just write what the muse tells me to. She gets right riled if I add (or delete) anything! I think he would do stuff like that, as well... I suppose we'll just have to wait and see to know for sure.

JapaneseJew: Isn't that odd? I've not seen anything like that yet, myself. I guess with 130,000+ fics, most ideas have been used before!

Realfanficts: Ah, someone who knows what to expect from me...

BrittSchrick: Answer the question? Hope so!

Kordolin: I'm looking forward to an entire day with a good thick book of JKR's brilliance, a pot of tea, and then a GAZILLION fanfic ideas...

Froboy: Thanks!

Alli-Baby: Nope – sorry, no Mary Sues... They always get their heart broken in the end, Alli...

Weselan: See how well you know me?