Chapter 2: Ginny's Headache
"There is nothing more frustrating than having what you really want right in front of you but to be unable to reach for it. For two months now, I've had to keep myself in check never really saying what I want to when I want to say it. And with my temper that is no small feat! Probably why I'm sitting here at 2 in the morning, by myself in front of the fireplace, talking to myself with a killer headache clearly brought on by stress and the inability to be myself!"
On an old chair, clearly well used by the seven children who found in it a source of comfort or a launch pad for daredevil tricks, sat a red head girl. Actually, she was a young woman, but her height and impish eyes sometimes betrayed her age and made her seem a bit younger than she really was. That was fine in her opinion, as the baby of the family and the only girl, she didn't mind if she got away with more pranks and less punishments than her older brothers. Of course Fred and George found this supremely unfair, but then they would, wouldn't they.
She continued to stare into the fire. "It's been a year since the last battle and a couple of months since they all came back to the Burrow to live. Ron and Hermione have finally gotten a clue and gotten together. What is stopping him? Is he even denser than Ron?" Here a very lady like snort interrupted the quiet voice's musings. "I didn't think that was possible. What is it? Is it me?" Here she faded off again, lost in thought and silence. She began rubbing her temples with her fingers.
Due her inner distractions, she missed the nearly silent entry of the subject of her musings. He had crept down the stairs to get a snack, old habits of sneaking to the Hogwarts kitchens as his father had, die hard. He was not expecting to find anyone awake. He was most definitely not expecting to find someone awake and talking to themselves. And he was assuredly not expecting to find someone awake, talking to themselves about him. And he was most definitely not as dense as Ron!
You would think that the Hero of the Wizarding World, the Boy Who Lived, and all that would be able to master this situation. Right. Well, there is nothing more formidable than a young woman, especially one who is not feeling quite tip top, has a temper that is even more fiery than her hair, and can hex you right into next Tuesday without skipping a beat. Therefore, with due cause, the Hero and her hero stood silent and still at the foot of the stairs, not daring to move an inch.
Finally she began again. "I know how much he went through; I could always see it in his face. I know all of that. But he is a daft prat if he can't see what he's doing to me!" This last came out more in a huff than a whisper.
"A prat I may be, but I'm not blind, Ginny," a voice from behind her said.
Jumping up from the chair, wand in her hand Ginny was all of half a second from making all of Harry's worst fears of hexes come true. She did manage to graduate Hogwarts with the second highest DADA scores in school history, second only to the rather frightened young man in front of her.
Gasping for air and grasping for words, Ginny stuttered, "You…Harry…what…when…how long?"
Smirking a bit at this charming response, Harry answered, "Yes, I'm Harry. I was hungry. At two in the morning. For long enough to be forced to agree that I am a daft prat."
Not even attempting to make any sort of response, Ginny just collapsed back on the chair rubbing her temples and muttering incoherently to herself, though it must be admitted her mother would not approve of her vocabulary. Harry continued to smile, but realized Ginny was not in the mood to have a sense of humor. "Still have a headache?" Harry asked, confirming Ginny's fears that he heard the entire rant she just made.
Ginny unfortunately could not stop the blush, but she could stop herself from admitting weakness. "Perhaps, Potter."
Harry crossed the room to the fire place. He stood in front of Ginny for a moment looking at her. Ginny spent that time with her eyes shut imagining herself somewhere else, preferably some place with no Harry and lots of headache potion. After a moment Harry stepped over Ginny's feet and with surprisingly little effort picked her up. She was speechless, a minor miracle that none of her brothers would ever believe. While firmly holding Ginny, Harry took her seat and put her on the blanket on the floor that had fallen off her lap in his little maneuver.
"Wonderful Potter, you take a damsel in distress and then take her seat. That's really charming."
Smiling more softly now, Harry pulled Ginny back so she was just a few inches from him. He reached down and began to rub her shoulders. Ginny caved, all strength she had gathered to keep herself together in front of Harry dissolved. With his touch all the memories of them came flooding back and she no longer could pretend she didn't care. A small tear slid down her cheek. For over a year she had pretended to be strong enough to be alone, to deny her feelings for Harry. While he may have been strong enough to walk away from her, she could not find it in herself to keep up the pretense that she had that same strength.
Harry's was trying to find courage within him. "Some Gryffindor you are. Can't find the nerve to tell the girl you love that you love her! Really now, you faced down the Dark Lord, survived more curses, hexes, and other such fun than just about anyone else living. Moody probably has you beat there. You even survived potions with Snape. Get a grip Harry!" These thoughts swirled through Harry's mind as his hands worked out the tension that a year's frustrations had built up within Ginny.
In the silence much was said, though neither was quite sure if they were yet understanding. The soothing circles Harry's hands made melted away Ginny's fears and doubts about Harry's love. As she relaxed and found it within herself to trust herself to Harry again she relaxed and leaned further back towards Harry. Harry felt her movement and instead of allowing her to further lean back, he slid off the chair and joined her on the blanket in front of the hearth. He pulled her into his arms. In silence, the two stilled as they realized somehow they had come together.
Ginny finally broke the silence, "Why did you not come back to me, Harry?"
She nearly thought he wasn't going to answer, but after a lengthy pause he said, "I was scared, Gin. For half my life I was treated like dirt and really didn't know what love was. Then I hit Hogwarts and found out what love was, but that it was likely I wouldn't live long enough to enjoy it. Not sure which was worse, not knowing or knowing but not being able to reach for it? Being told each day how everyone needed you to save them but not having anyone see how you needed a bit of saving too took its toll. Then you came along and showed me you knew and you could save me. I just couldn't let you. Call it that hero complex thing Hermione is always talking about. You know I couldn't let anything happen to you. You were…you are…everything."
He paused and Ginny was unsure whether he expected a response quite yet. Luckily, he kept talking because Ginny was speechless yet again. "Then it was all over. I was a live, but not quite living yet, you know? Its like for all those years, ever since I was eleven, my life was to fight and destroy Voldemort. Then I do that and it left me wondering what now? A part of me never expected to survive…" Harry paused again and Ginny put her head back on his shoulder and squeezed her hand. "But I did survive and then there was all that garbage about awards and interviews and all that. It took a year to sort things out and to move along and finally be allowed to live my life. I didn't know what to do with that life though. I guess I have Ron to thank for getting me out of that, he literally knocked some sense into me."
"Wait, my brother, Ron, knocked sense into you? Harry, you may have defeated Voldemort, but this is clearly a sign of the apocalypse."
Harry chuckled low and deep, Ginny felt the rumbling in his chest. "Yeah, we were playing Qudditch together and started arguing about the best matches and moves and all that. Then he started in on the Canons and how they could learn from some of the stuff we did together on the House Team. He got really into it and then stopped mid flight, and mid sentence and said to me, 'You should try out, mate.' I just about fell off my broom laughing at the thought. While I was laughing, he got upset and let the bludger loose directing it towards my head. That stopped my laughing. I started having to fly like a madman to escape it. Ron wouldn't do anything to stop it until I agreed to try out."
Harry paused to laugh again, "Course I didn't know that he had just accepted a job as their scout and new announcer. He conveniently forgot to tell me that bit of information. "
"See, Ginny, everyone wanted me to be an Auror, or a teacher, or something. But I didn't want to do any of those things. I spent my whole childhood playing at being an adult. I had to defend people from darkness and fight evil that no one should have to see; you understand that like few others ever could. While I like the teaching thing, I just didn't feel ready for it. I never got to be a kid; I never got to do what I wanted. I never got to really think about what I wanted. Until Ron nearly killed me with a bludger, I didn't really think about anything but what others wanted of me."
He stopped again for several minutes staring into the fire. He pulled his fingers absently through Ginny's hair. She pulled the blanket over her bare feet.
"I didn't come back to you because I honestly didn't know it was okay to do so. At first it was a bit of acknowledging what I wanted. Then it was wondering whether it would be okay with Ron and your other intimidating brothers. I think they weren't too happy with me for a while. Luckily Ron cleared that up without any bodily harm being done to anyone. Then it was not knowing whether you wanted me to come back to you or not."
"Now that the last bit is cleared up and I know what I want, I was just trying to convince myself that I had enough courage to do something about it."
"So, did you manage to convince yourself, Harry?" Ginny asked as she looked up at Harry.
He smiled down at her and without saying anything leaned down and lightly kissed her. After quite some time of not being able to kiss each other this was a gentle kiss of longing, regret, and hope. They broke apart, gentle smiles forming on both their faces. Ginny's turned to a smirk.
"I guess you did manage to convince yourself."
"I guess I did."
"So what do you say, Gin?"
"To what, Harry?"
"You know."
"No, I still don't have my headache," Ginny answered.
"That's not what I meant," he sighed.
"Well Harry, though I know you and know what you're thinking, this is one of those times where you are just going to have to come out and say it."
"Gin, I've said more to you tonight that I say to anyone else over the course of a week." Harry tried to avoid coming to the point.
"Yes, I know, but you still have to say it."
"Okay," he said. He took a deep breath, "I love you, Gin. Will you marry me?"
Well, the saying goes that the third time is the charm. This was the third time that Ginny was speechless that night. This time though it might just kill her. She couldn't breathe and her eyes widened to try to take in the situation. This was not what she was expecting. She finally found the ability to breathe, but the words eluded her.
"Gin, are you okay?"
She just sort of wobbled her head up and down in response to the second question. Words seemed to be hiding from her. She sat there a bit stunned.
Harry was a bit nervous at this response. Part of him was concerned, she seemed to pale (quite unusual for a Weasley) and breathing was a bit difficult for her at this point. Part of him figured he already knew the answer, or at least he hoped he did. Then he realized he was forgetting something. A few words were muttered under his breath. Suddenly a small, forest green velvet box appeared in his hand.
"Might this help you decide, Gin?" he asked as he opened the box. "It was my mother's engagement ring."
"Harry…you…when…oh my!"
"Yes I am Harry; I thought we established that already? I was thinking quite soon, I couldn't wait too long. And no, you will be mine. But you can keep the ring," he answered. "But only if you say yes," he amended.
"Yes," Ginny breathed. "Of course yes."
We'll let them be for a few moments. True love deserves to have its time and there are a few others requiring our attention.
"Prongs, my boy, seems your boy is following in your footsteps," said a shaggy hair man.
"Padfoot, Potters have impeccable taste and a preference for red heads. I think it was obvious where this was going," responded another shaggy haired man.
"You two are still hopeless. I think it is so sweet that he gave her my ring."
"He deserves to have all the happiness in the world. And a wonderful family. The Weasleys always wanted to take him after the friendship between their youngest boy and Harry formed. Now it seems he is really going to be part of the family, Molly will be so pleased," an old man with young eyes and the longest beard you could imagine replied.
"Yes, Harry deserves only the very best. It seems he found it," the young man's father said.
"Oh James, he must have a wonderful life of love, joy, adventure, all that we ever dreamed for him. He's been through so much and I am so proud of him," sighed the young man's mother.
This conversation was not one that was heard by any earthly ears, but the ears of fate or the gods or whomever has control heard the words of the two loving parents and a the elderly gentleman the young man in question saw as a grandfather. While not promising perfection, they would grant this couple who had survived so much and done even more good, a life of love, joy, and adventure.
It is safe to return to the Burrow's hearth, now.
"Harry?" Ginny asked.
"Hmmm?" Harry was just interested in the moment and not quite ready to pursue an intelligent conversation.
"You know how Ron knocked some sense into you?"
"Mmmhmmm…" Apparently Harry wasn't ready to pursue even a semi-intelligent conversation.
"Well, the Canon's coach came by the other day to drop some papers off for you, remember?'
"Mmmmm…" Or any conversation.
Ginny sighed. "Well, I was flying around, playing with Charlie who had stopped by for the afternoon. The coach saw me and I guess now the Canons will have two Potters playing for them next season."
"What?"