A Lifetime
As Ginny wove her hand around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss a thousand memories exploded in Percy's mind like fire crackers.
Ginny at her first birthday: blowing as hard as she could at the magical candle that wouldn't blow out.
Ginny staring at her first tutor, looking slightly scared and holding mother's hand like a life-line.
Ginny with her fifth tutor; looking confident and as evil as the twins themselves.
Mum scolding Ginny and having to take care of her education for herself. Ginny looking gleeful, until she realised that mum was worse than any tutor.
Ginny tugging at his robes, crying because she wanted to be up in the air on a broom flying with Charlie and Bill. He had stayed on the ground with her - he didn't like flying. Too out of control.
So he'd taken her away from the torturously tempting brooms, and walked in the woods, talking to her about how hard it was to be a first year, and how he wanted to become a head boy.
Her bright eyes as she looked up at him and said: "You will be the best head boy ever!" and meant it with all her unbroken heart.
The crazy dance of joy around the kitchen she'd done when he became one.
A scared little face peaking out from too-big robes on her first day at school and her pitiful attempt at a smile.
Him having to explain to her about Penny, and her crest-fallen silence that she was no longer the 'special girl'. Kicking himself for where his mind went with that sentence. She was growing.
The age in her face at the end of that year. She had grown. Too much.
How she'd huddled under the sheets with him, small as a mouse, hair tangled and tears trembling on the brink of her lashes, whilst mum and dad fought over money and power.
The way her arms felt around his neck, when he'd promised her that he would become the new minister of magic and make them all rich.
Her silence when he became Assistant.
Her joy when he became Minister. Not the whole family were there to celebrate, but enough. Mum, Ginny, Ron and Bill. Enough to make a difference.
How drunk he'd gotten when he realised the others weren't coming.
The quiet soberness when they did come.
The outbreak of hysteria and love five minutes later.
Her eyes, from across the room, meeting his with a special smile all of their own, and her quiet pride in uniting her family, before running across the room and throwing her arms around him.
Him having to remind himself that she was his sister for Christ's sake, when she pressed up against him on the dance floor, telling him that she'd brought him here so that he could have a good time, and that tomorrow was the first day of her last year at Hogwarts, so he'd better at least pretend to have fun.
Her shock when they travelled to Hogwarts the next day, to find only nothing.
The warmth of her as he held her, and promised (how many times had he promised this?) that he would make everything better. Everything would be alright.
The smell of salt and mother's perfume as she looked up at him and, for a stolen moment, believed in him with the ferocity she had believed with when young.
Standing by her, hand on her shoulder at dad's funeral.
Holding her closer than ever at mum's funeral.
Watching her dance like a fiend at Voldemort's funeral.
Seeing her fall in love with someone else.
Ginny pulled away, and the lifetime of memories faded from Percy's mind.
"Thank you." She whispered, all in white, before turning and continuing her way down the aisle.