Warning: This chapter contains some content not suitable for people under sixteen.
The Midnight Hour
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The Lady and The Unicorn
On the day of Christmas eve Ginny sat in the lounge room with Harry, Ron and Hermione watching a programme on the television. It was what Harry called a soapy and was too slow moving and cliché for her liking. For the most part she stared through the television and drifted off into her own little world.
"Ron," Hermione began "what would you do if I told you I was a man?" She asked inspired by the soapy. He laughed.
"I already know your not." Ron said with a wink, Harry and Ginny groaned.
"Ron, too much information… she is like my sister!" Harry commented disgusted.
"Well, Hermione, what would you say if I told you that I was a woman." Ron asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised!" Hermione said, Harry laughed and Ron when bright red.
Footsteps thundered through the hall outside and Harry sprung out if his seat. Hermione and Ron did the same, but Ginny stayed in her place. If it was something important she wouldn't be allowed to see it anyway. Harry yanked the door open and peered out, Hermione did as well.
"Oh." He said shutting the door again and he walked back to his seat. "That was an awfully long funeral. What was it? Two weeks?" he asked, Ginny sat up in her seat.
"Don't be stupid Harry. It wasn't a funeral." She said exasperatedly. Ginny ran over to the door and threw it open, she stepped into the corridor.
Severus stood at the front door looking worn out. He was clutching his wand in his right hand and a travelling cloak in the other. Ginny's heart skipped a beat. He looked at her and gave her a faint smile. She looked him over, there was a deep gash across his neck that looked at though it was patched up very roughly and his left hand was covered in hundreds of tiny scratches. She begun to walk towards him but Bill cut in front of her.
"Severus." She said in a welcoming tone. "Albus would like to talk to you." He walked past Ginny and up the stairs, Severus followed suit without a word. Ginny leant back against the wall and took a deep breath. He was back.
After she had spent some time in the hall trying to register the fact that Severus was back, alive, she went back into the room where Harry, Ron and Hermione were watching television. She sat on the lounge and took to staring through the screen.
"Where did you go?" Hermione asked her.
"To the toilet." She said vaguely, Hermione nodded suspiciously. Ginny wanted to find Severus. She wanted to hold him, kiss him. She had no idea how long he would be with Dumbledore for, but knowing the Order of the Phoenix, it would be a while. She wanted to find out where he and Dumbledore were talking and hug him, just to make sure she didn't imagine him, to make sure he was still in one piece.
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That evening there were great festivities around the dinner table as the members of the Order celebrated Christmas eve, and drank to the prospect of seeing another Christmas. It wasn't until Ginny was halfway through her meal that she noticed Severus and Dumbledore slip into the dining room and take a seat, she looked over at Severus. He glanced up and caught her eye before smiling and serving his dinner.
"Ginny! Here!" said Bill throwing a small box at her head. It struck her square on the temple making her family laugh, she picked up the box from where it landed on the table and threw her brother a dirty look.
"What is it?" she asked, Billy smiled and motioned for her to open it. She untied the bow on the outside of the box and lifted the lid of slowly, only to be blasted by a stream of orange slime that clung to her face. Bill, Fred and George howled with laughter and gave each other high fives over the dinner table.
"We told you she would trust you!" Fred and George laughed, Bill grinned Ginny's face reddened. Thankfully the goo hid her embarrassment at being sucked in by her brothers, not to mention the anger. Ginny felt the slime being sucked off her face and she looked around, blushing. "Hey!" Cried Fred looking around. "Who did that?" Ginny looked around as well, her eyes landed on Severus who winked at her, she smiled thankfully before nudging Harry.
"Thanks Harry." She said, he looked up from his food.
"I didn… oh. That's okay Gin, no problems." He said with a proud smile, Ginny groaned internally, she knew Harry would take credit for it.
The main course of dinner was finished and the table was being cleared for desert. Ginny sat back in her chair, not sure whether she would have room for any desert. She hadn't eaten for a long time, and her stomach wasn't taking the load very lightly. When her mother exited the room Severus excused himself from the table and gave Ginny a stern look telling her to stay where she was. Her shoulders dropped and a frown plagued her face.
Molly entered the room shortly after she left, arms filled with plates of desert, some floating dangerously on the edge of her limb, threatening to fall off. She set a plate down in front of Ginny and leant down to her ear.
"Glad to see your feeling better dear!" She whispered and Ginny felt her mother's lips deliver her a kiss on the cheek, she smiled. And owl flew into the kitchen and frightened Mrs. Weasley, almost knocking her and the deserts to the ground. It settled itself in Ginny's apple pie and held its leg out to her. Ginny rolled her eyes at the owl's landing skills and took the parchment of it's leg. The bird flew out of the kitchen as quickly as it had arrived and Ginny unravelled the letter. Her mother leaned over her and collected her plate. "I'll get you a new one!" She tutted and stalked out of the room. She looked at the letter.
Ginny.
Meet me in the basement at eleven.
The letter was unsigned, but at the same moment she looked up she saw Severus settle in his seat and she gave him a knowing look.
"Who's it from?" Ron asked, mouth full of apple pie. Ginny hesitated.
"Hazel… She wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas." Ginny lied in a tone of Christmas cheer.
"But it isn't Christmas yet." Ron said scrunching up his nose.
"I know Ron. But Hazel is a weird one." She said before spooning a generous amount of apple pie into her mouth.
The rest of desert was eaten with lots of talking and joking, everyone too full to ask for leftovers. It was nine thirty before the Weasley's and the members of the Order filed out of the kitchen. In the hall Ginny saw her mother approach Severus. Ginny tried to listen but couldn't catch the conversation, she wished desperately that she had a pair of extendable ears.
"Ginny, do you want to come and play exploding snap with us?" Hermione asked gesturing to Ron and Harry. Ginny smiled and shook her head.
"No thankyou. I think I will go to bed. That slime takes a lot out of you." She said with a sharp look at Bill who grinned. She retreated to her room to wait out the remaining time until she would meet up with Severus.
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Ginny put her book away and stepped out of her bed. She wrapped her dressing gown around her and slid her feet into her slippers. She pulled a candle out of her draw and lit it off the one on her bedside table. The house was fitted with electricity, but the constant flow of magic current rendered it useless.
She tiptoed down two flights of stairs and towards the drawing room, which held the entrance to the basement. She had never been down there, her parents said she couldn't enter it until they had finished cleaning it. It was meant to have been cleaned while she was away at Hogwarts so she was sure that she would be safe. She walked to the drawing room door and it opened with a creek. She clenched the muscle in her face, hoping no one could hear her. She relaxed a little when she remembered that the bedrooms were on the second floor. The door that led to the basement stairs was slightly ajar, so she opened it slowly, stepped through the threshold and then closed it full behind her. She walked down the stairs and noticed that the room was lit by a magical glow, most likely using lumos.
She stepped onto the landing and looked around. Severus was standing in the middle of the room, wand tip alight. She stared at him for a moment before dropping her candle and running over to him. She dropped his wand as she approached and hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground. She buried her head in his chest and began to cry, he kissed her gently.
"I love you." He whispered, his voice rung through her ears, washing away the emptiness and pain she had felt for the past two weeks and she looked up at him.
"You are late!" She said, he lowered her back onto the ground and gave her a painful grimace.
"I know, I am sorry. I got held up." He said softly. She took a step away from him and scanned his body. Her eyes settled on the gash across his neck, it started from somewhere on the back and stopped in the middle of his throat, she let out a sob and he kissed her. "I am fine." He assured her, she looked up at his neck again and ran her fingers over the gash, noticing that a scar was forming.
Severus stood still while she inspected his cuts and wounds. Loving the way her skin felt against his own. She looked stunning. Her dressing gown had become loose, revealing her soft pink nightie, it reached just below her knees, and the top was cut in a v, revealing her soft white skin.
"I had begun to think I lost you." She whispered, wide eyed, you almost did. He thought. On his trip there had been a few occasions where all that kept him going was knowing that he would see her again, hold her, kiss her, feel her warmth melt his heart.
"I promised that I would come back." He said, she nodded and pulled him into a bone breaking hug. He smelt the flowery scent of her and he relaxed completely, enjoying the pure love that he felt for her. He kissed her passionately and she responded almost desperately, her hands exploring every part of him. After a few minutes he pulled away from her and led her over to an old lounge in the corner of the room, he sat down on it and pulled her onto his lap.
"I was worried about you." She muttered, he brushed some loose strands of hair off her face. "There were times when I felt all warm, and I just knew you were okay. And then there was one time that I felt… oh, Severus, I thought you were dead." She cried. He had hoped that his skills at legilimency had succeeded in giving her some insight into his wellbeing.
"I am sorry," he said "that was my fault. I used legilimency to let you know if anything was happening, and to let you know that I was fine." She looked up at him.
"Legilimency? I didn't know you could do that without eye contact." She said, he nodded thoughtfully.
"It is hard, that is why you only got unexplained feelings. Sometimes, if you concentrate hard enough and you have a special connection with a person you are able to penetrate into their mind, no matter the distance." He explained, she smiled.
"A special connection?" she asked innocently, he smiled back at her.
"In this case it was love." He told her, she embraced him tightly and kissed him on the cheek.
They sat in each other's arms and all measurement of time escaped them. Ginny was revelling in his presence, as he was in hers. They needed no words, they didn't need to say how much they adored each other, the contentment they felt was all they needed. Ginny sat up.
"Severus?" she asked, he looked at her.
"Yes my love?" he asked caressing her face with is unscratched hand, she caught it in her own and kissed it tenderly.
"What did my mother say after dinner?" She asked, he laughed.
"She invited me over for Christmas day." He said, Ginny smiled, even though she knew her mother wasn't to fond of Severus, the Weasley hospitality had a range of extents.
"Did you say yes?" She asked, he nodded slightly.
"I did, but only to lunch." He said, she hugged him tightly. "Actually." He said sitting up straight and summoning his wand. He muttered a spell and the time floated in front of them in glowing yellow lettering. "Happy Christmas my love." He said happily kissing her deeply. Ginny was unspeakably happy to hear those words, she never thought he would return, let alone just in time for her favourite holiday of the year. He pulled away from her and looked at the time again, he sighed and rose from his seat.
"Don't go." Ginny hissed painfully, he held her hand and smiled.
"I will be back for lunch." He murmured. She held onto his hand tightly.
"I want to spend more time with you." She said, he smiled.
"Tell me my love," he begun "do you usually see your friend Hazel over the Christmas holidays?" He asked, she nodded.
"Not usually until the twenty seventh though, it is a tradition." She explained, puzzled as to where this conversation was going.
"You will get a letter from Hazel this morning asking you to come early so you can meet her cousins from France. Is that okay with you?" He asked, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"But she doesn't have any French cousins…" he raised his eyebrow and suddenly it clicked "Oh. Yes. That is fine by me." She laughed and hugged him. "How early does she want me to come?" Ginny asked, Severus shrugged.
"It is up to you Ginevra." He said, she looked into his eyes.
"I think I would need to stay over an extra night in order to get acquainted with her cousins properly." She said, he nodded slowly as he registered what she had just suggested.
"As you wish." He said before kissing her passionately and walking out of the room. She dropped onto the lounge and sat there for a short while before heading back to bed.
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Ginny was woken up three hours after she went to sleep. Hermione was sitting on the end of her bed with a grin on her face.
"Merry Christmas 'Mione." She slurred, and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't be expected to wake up with the minute amount of sleep she received.
"Merry Christmas Ginny." She said, "Your mum wanted me to tell you breakfast was ready." Ginny sat up and looked around the room.
"Alright, I'm getting up." She growled as she pushed Hermione off the bed. Hermione waltzed out of the room and Ginny got dressed.
Ten minutes later Ginny was sitting at the breakfast table savouring the smell of her mothers cooking. There was bacon, eggs, sausages, porridge, hash browns, French toast, croissants and more. Mrs. Weasley had really outdone herself. Most of the members of the Order were seated around the table, some on magically conjured chairs. Ginny was used to a Weasley Christmas, with seven children and her parents, and now it seemed like her family had tripled in size. She was aware that Severus was not coming, but wished that he was. It would have pleased her to see him enjoying a meal with her family, but she had to wait until lunchtime.
True to his word, an owl sent by Severus bustled into the window, he had even gone to the trouble to use the same owl as the night before. Luckily, the owl didn't knock anybody over, and it only managed to sit on Ginny's fork, not her food. She untied the letter and read it carefully, it was not like Severus' normal writing, and she found it rather interesting to see how he thought Hazel worded her sentences.
Heya Ginny!
Mum asked me to invite you over earlier because some of my cousins are coming over from France for boxing day! I know it is REALY short notice and all, but I think it would be fun if you could meet them!
See you soon!
Hazel.
P.S. Merry Christmas, again (pass it on)!
He hadn't done a terrible job, but on the same note it wasn't wonderful. Ginny waved the letter at her mother.
"Hey Mum!" She called through a mouthful of bacon and eggs, her mother looked up at her and eyed the letter with interest. "It's from Hazel!" She said, her mother smiled pleasantly. "She says happy Christmas again. Here, read." She said, shovelling more food into her mouth.
"Ginny dear, do you mind if I read it after breakfast?" She asked.
"Not at all mum!"
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After a filling breakfast the Weasley family and some of the members of the Order who had taken semi-permanent residence at Grimmauld place sat in the lounge room huddled around a charmed red and green flame. The time to exchange presents had come and there was a lot of noise and cheer. Ginny had received a jumper from her mother and father as well as enough sweets to last a lifetime. Fred and George bought her a barn owl which they charmed to grow pink feathers, Bill and Charlie put together for her to get her a rare dragon tooth in a solid gold box, and Ron and Hermione got her a book about cosmetic potion making. There were two presents left in the pile of wrapping paper she had in front of her. One was front he Order of the Phoenix as a group, and it looked as though everybody had received one. And another one in the Gryffindor colours, most likely from Harry. She opened the purple tissue paper around the box that was from the Order. Since being reunited, the Order of the Phoenix had become like one large family, there were disagreements and grudges, but over all every one got along and grew protective of one another. The box contained a delicate gold bracelet with a series of red stones in it, there was a note and the bottom of the box.
Ginevra Weasley,
This bracelet contains magically enhanced rubies, they are designed to glow faintly when a person anointed with the Dark Mark is near.
Stay safe,
The Order of the Phoenix.
Ginny looked around and it seems as though the same bracelet in different colour combinations and styles was given to all of the women in the room she looked at Ron as he put a chain around him neck, it too looked as though it had gotten a necklace with a pendant on it, designed to do the same thing.
Ginny hesitated before opening the red and gold box, she was right. Tucked under the ribbon there was a small note from Harry wishing her a merry Christmas, it was signed 'Love, Harry.' She sighed and tucked the note with her others and opened the box. Inside there was a pair of earrings with a teardrop shaped stone dangling from the main clasp. She held them up to look and them and then put them on her lap, they went black to match her skirt. She put them against her shirt and they went green. She had heard of these before, they were charmed to match whatever you are wearing. She looked over at Harry who was staring at her expectantly, she smiled and mouthed her thanks, he smiled back at her.
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Severus arrived at the Headquarters of the Order an hour before lunch and walked into the kitchen. Molly was hurriedly preparing dinner and Ginny was helping her. Severus had to stop himself from staring at Ginny, she looked lovely out of her uniform. Her black skirt touched the ground and fit her perfectly, and her shirt, a dark emerald green, hugged her body. He walked over to Molly.
"Happy Christmas Molly." He drawled, she looked up at him and smiled, Ginny looked at him "Ginevra," he nodded.
"Good to see you Severus. Lunch won't be too much longer." She said chirpily.
"Oooh. Mum, you forgot to read that letter." Ginny said shoving the letter in her mothers face. Molly read it over.
"I don't know it you will be able to go early dear," she said, Severus' inside gave a painful twist, Ginny looked at him reassuringly, he was sure she knew how to convince her mother. "Your father was going to take you, and I think he is on duty tomorrow."
Ginny hadn't thought of that. It was Severus' turn to look at her reassuringly.
"I have to stay here and hold up the fort," Molly said, she looked thoughtful. "Nymphadora and Remus are going out, Fred and George have to open their shop up… Bill and Charlie and Fluer are going home…" She tutted "There isn't anyone I would trust to take you." She frowned. Severus turned to leave the room. "Do you desperately want to go?" Molly whispered to her daughter, Ginny watched as Severus headed towards the door. Ginny nodded eagerly. "Severus…" Molly called, he turned around. "I know it is your time off tomorrow… and you have probably already made plans, but would you mind dropping Ginny off at her friends house? I would take her but I am busy. Not to say that you're not busy of course." Ginny tugged her mother's sleeve playing the game.
"Mum!" She hissed "I don't want to go with-" Ginny was cut off by a her mother's elbow in her ribs.
"He's not that bad." She whispered, Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Where is it?" Severus said slowly, uninterestedly.
"In Northam Street." Molly said, Severus looked thoughtful for a moment.
"That isn't too far from my house." He said, with an emphasis on the word too.
"That is why I asked… if you can't that's fine, but I was just hoping… because Hazel's cousins from France are coming over, and Ginny has desperately wanted to meet them for years…" She trailed off and Ginny had to stop herself from grinning. Her mother lied about the last part, because Ginny didn't know Hazel had cousins from France, until that morning of course, when Severus told her she did.
"It shouldn't be too much trouble." He hissed before turning on his heel and stalking out of the room. Brilliant.
"There you go dear!" Molly said as she smiled, happy with her negotiation skills.
"But Snape?" Ginny hissed, Molly gave her a reprimanding look.
"Would you rather not go?" She asked, Ginny shook her head and continued stirring the gravy.
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Ginny sat at the table enjoying her lunch, even though she wasn't hungry. The lunch was more for the people who hadn't attended the breakfast, over half of the faces were different to the ones that she had seen at breakfast, including Severus'.
"Ginny…" Came Harry's voice from beside her, she looked at him. "Did you like the earrings?" he asked.
"Yes Harry, they are lovely." She said in a gracious tone, he grinned proudly.
"Ginny…" he begun, "I know the last two months or so haven't really been that great… but, the year is almost over, and I would like to start it on a good note. I would also like to go into the New Year with you by my side." He held her hand under the table. "I wont be at Hogwarts next year, but I would make every effort to see you. Ginny, there are dark times ahead, and I would like to know that I will be the one to protect you." He said. Ginny's heart tore to hear him speak so desperately.
"Harry," it was her turn to speak now "I don't know how to make you understand this, but I have tried so many times already. I don't have feelings for you anymore. You are a great friend, and that is how I want it to stay. You are really an amazing guy, honestly, but I can't help it. I don't have the same feelings for you that I had last year." She gave his hand a tight squeeze before letting go, he looked at her sadly.
"Is there someone else?" He asked, Ginny's heart skipped a beat.
"No." She lied, he nodded and turned back to his food. Ginny looked over at Severus who presented her with a questioning look. If she wasn't with him she would have jumped at Harry's offer months ago. She used to like Harry, but now that Severus was more that a potions master to her she had no feelings for him whatsoever, and Harry was clearly having a hard time understanding that.
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Ginny went to bed that evening eager to wake up the next morning. She thought that the way Severus manipulated her mother was wonderful. Molly thought that it was her idea for Severus to escort Ginny and was very pleased with herself for managing to convince him to take on the role.
With her bag packed for her time away she drifted off to a restless sleep.
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Ginny looked at herself in the mirror once more and smoothed her clothes over. She was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged figure perfectly, and a white turtleneck skivvy that complemented her bust. She realised when she woke up that Severus had only seen her out of uniform on a few occasions and decided she better make an effort. She walked over to her cupboard and pulled out her favourite long grey coachman jacket and pulled it on. When she was satisfied with her clothes tidiness she walked down the corridor towards the stairs to go to the lounge room. Hermione stepped out of Ron and Harry's room.
"Hermione!" Ginny said, Hermione blushed furiously "Good to see you took my idea of a threesome!" She said, Hermione glared at her.
"I did not have a threesome Ginny! Don't be daft. Harry wasn't even in the room!" Ginny was shocked. Hermione in a room alone with her brother? Surely that couldn't be good.
"Hermione, you know what? I don't want to know about it." Ginny said and started to walk, Hermione stepped in front of her.
"Ginny, nothing happened." Ginny nodded and tried to walk, Hermione still in her way. She took a step back and put her hands on her hips.
"Well then Hermione, why were you blushing?" Ginny asked, Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Clearly because it would become an awkward situation… just like this one as a matter of fact… Ginny, you look nice… what's the occasion?" Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"Really Hermione, I don't appreciate you changing the subject. But, I am looking nice because I am going to meet some of Hazel's French cousins today." Ginny said with a grin.
"You know Ginny, Harry really does like you. Perhaps you should consider going out with him." Hermione told her softly, Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Okay Hermione, do you know why I can't go out with him?" She asked, Hermione shook her head "Because I have feelings for you." She said, Hermione sighed and begun to walk away. "I LOVE YOU!" She called after her "WILL YOU BE MINE?" Hermione was gone. Now, with a clear path Ginny made her way down the stairs to see Severus and her mother talking. Severus looked up at her and raised his eyebrows.
" Morning Professor." She said as she approached them, she gave her mother a kiss.
"Good Morning sweetheart." Mrs Weasley said cheerfully. "Severus wants to leave as soon as possible, he has made plans for lunch and does not want to be late." Ginny nodded.
"Have you got what you need?" Severus asked her as though she was a child, she nodded and tapped her pocket. For her birthday Fred and George had given her a suitcase that shrunk to fit in your pocket when you closed it. "Very well." Severus said "Goodbye Molly, I will see you tomorrow." He started to walk away.
"Love you mum." Ginny saying giving her mother a kiss and following Severus as though she was walking to her death.
When they got out of the door Severus looked around before speaking to her.
"Who do you love?" He asked with a grin, Ginny laughed.
"Hermione." She told him, he looked slightly shocked. "She wouldn't get out of my way so I told her that I didn't want to go out with Harry because I love her." Severus smiled.
"Did Harry ask you out again?" Ginny nodded.
After walking for fifteen minutes Ginny looked around, she had no idea where she was.
"Where are we?" Ginny asked, Severus smiled.
"We are on our way to the train station, that is the best way to get to my house." He said, Ginny smiled and reached for his hand. He looked around and then gave her a kiss on the cheek.
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The ride on the train was too uncomfortable for Ginny's liking. The Hogwarts express was smooth and rarely ever jolted, but that was all this train seemed to do. No one was the train uncomfortable, but so were the looks that her and Severus received from the muggles. They were not holding hand or touching, only talking, and there were plenty of muggle that were content to fill their boredom by staring at them rudely.
Ginny was happy to alight the train and head out to the main streets. Severus steered her to the left when they reached the end of the street that the station was on. They walked down a few dank streets, past many rundown houses with children making snowmen and playing outside of them. After walking for quiet a while Severus stopped and opened up the gate to what Ginny guessed was his house, it was in better structural condition that many of the cottages on the street, but looked uninhabited. There was no smoke coming from the chimney, no windows open, no children playing out the front. No sign of life. When they approached the door Severus looked around before taking out his wand and muttering a password.
"Come in." He said opening the door for her. His house looked as though it rarely had human contact. Ginny stepped into the lounge room, the first room of the house. The lounged looked as though no one has used them in years, and the house was kept very clean, something that was rare for a Weasley to see.
"This is the lounge room," He said, he held her hand and led her to the back of the room, where there was a door. She walked down a corridor lined with pictures of a woman that had to have been his mother. She had long black hair; which framed a pale face and soft blue eyes.
"Is that your mother?" She asked, he nodded. "She's beautiful."
He showed her the kitchen, dining room and bathroom before walking back to the lounge room and up a set of dark wood stairs. The second story looked very similar to the first, but the hall runner looked more worn and the curtains were drawn at the end of the hall revealing a full-length window.
"This is where you will be staying," He said opening the first door that led off the landing. She stepped inside and looked around. The room had dark wooden floorboards that were slightly polished, and a comfortable looking four-poster bed. The med was made with fresh cotton sheets, in black and green and the curtains of the room matched the bedspread perfectly. There was a large wardrobe and an old fashioned dressing table. The dressing table had noting on it, and Ginny guessed that it had been Severus' parent's room.
"It's lovely." She said taking her suitcase out of her pocket and tapping it with her wand.
"There is a bathroom just across from here." He said putting his hand on her back.
"And your room?" She asked.
"At the end of the corridor." He told her. "Are you hungry?" He asked, she nodded and he went to walk out of the room, she put her hand on his shoulder.
"I have your Christmas present." She said opening her suitcase and taking out a green box with silver ribbon wrapped around it generously.
"I have something for you too." He sold her "Wait here." Severus walked out of the room and in the direction of his bedroom. Ginny looked around. On the wall there was a picture of Severus' mother and father on their wedding day. It was a muggle photo, but it still managed to capture his parents in a tone of happiness. She looked around the walls and there were hooks on the wall that looked as though pictures had once hung on them. After a few moments Severus walked back into the room.
"Here you are!" Ginny said handing over the box, Severus placed a small package into her hand, wrapped in brown paper and tied together with string. Severus managed to find his way through the ribbon on Ginny's present and opened the box. Inside there was a silver photo frame with a photo of the two of them inside. He looked at it, puzzled.
"How did you do this?" He asked, Ginny grinned.
"Colin taught me how to do a spell that merges two photos together." She said proudly, Severus looked at it.
"Where did you get the photo of me from?" He asked, Ginny laughed.
"Colin has a large collection of photos Severus, everything from the bark on a tree in the forbidden forest to Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall at the teacher's table." She said, Severus shivered.
"I find that rather intimidating." He said, she laughed again.
"Don't, his parents are muggles and they are fascinated by everything that has to do with the Wizarding World. He wants to share it with them." She said, Severus nodded towards the package in her hands and she opened in.
Inside the brown paper was a layer of red tissue paper, out of that fell a heavy silver make-up compact with a silver unicorn and a woman engraved on it, she opened it up and inside was some blush and a mirror framed in tiny diamonds, she smiled.
"Thankyou." She said and kissed him. He took it out of her hands.
"I don't think I have ever seen you wear make up." He said "And you don't need to." Ginny was puzzled as to why he had given her a compact mirror and blush. "It is a two way mirror. So, when you want to talk to me, open it up, and it I am at my mirror we can see and hear each other." She grinned.
"So, do you have one like this?" She asked tapping the compact, he rolled his eyes.
"No, it is connected to my shaving mirror at Hogwarts." He replied, she nodded and slipped it into her pocket.
"That was a wonderful idea." She kissed him deeply and he wrapped his arms around her.
"What about something to eat?" He asked when he pulled away.
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Ginny and Severus sat on the lounge huddled in each other's arms. They had not spent more that ten minutes apart from one another since they arrived at Severus' house, and they were thoroughly enjoying their time together. Severus' stroked Ginny's hair as he talked to her and every so often he would kiss her neck.
"Ginny," he begun "when do you need to he at Hazels?" He asked.
"I told her I would be there around midday." She replied, Severus nodded and looked up at the clock, it was quarter to twelve.
"I think it is time for bed." He said before kissing her cheek softly, she smiled.
"Yes… I suppose we have to be up early tomorrow." She said, he gave her a squeeze before she stood up. "I'm going to get ready for bed." She said and headed up the stairs. He walked around the house and closed up all of the windows and door, locking the doors magically. He walked up the stairs and to the end of the corridor and pulled the curtains closed before heading into his room and pulling his clothes off and slipping on a pair of black pyjamas. He walked out of his room to go to the bathroom, but the door was locked. It had been a very long time since he had had to share a bathroom, and waited outside somewhat impatiently. When the door opened and Ginny stepped out his heart began to race. She looked wonderful in a plain white, low cut, nightie she smiled and pecked him on the lips before heading into the guest room. He entered the bathroom, noticing it smelt like her. He wished it smelled that good all the time.
Ginny combed the knots out of her hair slowly as she thought about the past week, and how she thought she had lost Severus. She regretted that she didn't get to say goodbye properly and wished that she would have, then perhaps, the thought of loosing him might not have been to sad. She looked at the bracelet that the Order had given her, it was glowing faintly and she forced a smile. She would have to put up with it glowing whenever Severus was around. She heard the bathroom door open and she walked out into the corridor.
"Severus." She said, as soon as he turned around she pressed her lips against his and kissed him passionately. "Goodnight." She whispered into his ear when he pulled away from her.
"Goodnight." He replied and kissed her once more, before turning around and walking to his room.
When Severus reached his door he stopped and turned around.
"Ginny… what are you doing?" He asked, Ginny smiled.
"Following you." She replied, he took a deep breath in.
"Why?" He asked. Ginny smiled and stepped closer to him, kissing him wildly she opened the door to his room and walked him through the threshold. "Ginny…" He breathed, she put a finger to his lips just as the clock stuck the midnight hour.
"I don't want to loose you again." She whispered and shut the door behind her.
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A/N: Well, there you have it. I couldn't bear to kill Severus off, this chapter has actually been planned for quiet a while, so the thought didn't even cross my mind cough until someone mentioned it cough. The next chapter will be up soon hopefully, but I am also working on a new story, so please be a little patient with me!
Thanks a bundle,
Sinister Spiders!