Harry planned to immediately go back to Privet Drive, with or without Ron and Hermione. However, his idea was met by mixed feelings from both. Hermione saw the importance of his mission, and that he wanted very much to get on with it. At the same time, she wanted him to come with them back to the Burrows first, and Ron completely supported that. As it was, Fleur and Bill's wedding was only a week and a half away from Dumbledore's funeral, and both of them insisted that he simply stay with the Weasley's until then. The argument went on for hours, until finally Harry cracked, and agreed to it. Only, however, on the condition that he would head to Privet Drive and continue with his plans immediately after. Ron and Hermione agreed, and said they would come with him no matter what.
So it came to pass that Harry went back to stay with Ron and his family for the time leading up to the wedding, which was already causing more strain on him than he expected. Fred and George had left Weasley's Wizard Wheezes under the care of their employees, though one of them found time to Apparate over to check in every day. After the first day, Harry became quickly at home once more. He was sleeping in Ron's room, the same as Hermione had bunked with Ginny.
Ginny. The source of most of Harry's troubled thoughts and sleepless nights. They had hardly spoken since the funeral, though Harry blamed himself completely. He had avoided the girl with as much fervor as he could, trying his best to exit any room she was in within a few minutes. He was pretty sure she noticed, but could think of no other way of making their separation evident. He felt horrible for it. There were no more Quidditch games between the four of them, and many meals went without Ginny or Harry saying much of anything. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley seemed to either not catch on, or not care. They most likely just figured that both of them were still hurting over the loss of Dumbledore. This was true as well.
Harry was left with only being able to watch her when she wasn't looking while trying to ignore the fact that Ron and Hermione were becoming closer with each passing day. He held no jealousy toward the relationship they had itself, only the fact that he couldn't share it. Although Ron and Hermione weren't going around snogging each other every minute, he felt as though they were talking as a pair a lot more than they ever had been. Harry didn't actually mind that, as he enjoyed being alone a lot of the time.
The entire experience was putting it all into perspective for him, over the course of the week. Things would never quite be the same. Never again would he see Dumbledore, and never again would he be returning to the school he loved. He would never be as close to his two best friends, and he would most likely never have the chance to explore what he and Ginny had started so shortly beforehand.
Ginny seemed to understand his ideas about self-sacrifice and protecting her, but at the same time Harry honestly thought she didn't care. As the week dragged on, they had not spoken seriously for more than a sentence at a time. He always had an excuse to get out of an extended conversation. Ginny seemed to be getting more and more agitated at his dodgy attitude, and tried to come into one on one contact with him more and more. For the most part, Harry was doing a good job of avoiding just that.
Until two nights before the wedding. Dinner went as usual, with the family, Harry, and Hermione gathered around the same table. It was a splendid dinner, as always, for Mrs. Weasley had made it all. The conversation had been good, mostly with Ron and Hermione talking with Fred and George. As usual, Ginny and Harry remained mostly silent. Harry spent the time stabbing blindly at his food. Lately, as good as the meal was, he couldn't bring himself to eat even half.
"Mum," Said Ron, chewing loudly. "What time are we leaving?"
"Close your mouth!" Hermione shot back, rolling her eyes.
Ron made a face, but smiled, as did Hermione. Harry looked to the right, still keeping Ginny in his range of vision.
"Right after dinner. So don't spill anything on yourself!" Mrs. Weasley replied sternly.
"What do I look like?" Ron answered.
"I would say," Fred began, only to have his sentence finished by his twin. "Some kind of swine."
Ginny snickered, and Harry's breath caught. He hadn't seen her laugh since he had arrived at The Burrow. He had missed it. Ron made a face at his brothers, who just raised their glasses in a silent toast. Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley.
"Where are you going?" He asked casually.
"Oh, Harry dear, you're welcome to come. We're going to visit Fleur's mother and father." She said with a smile.
"It's quite all right, I'll be fine here." He said with a smile that felt completely hollow.
"I wish I had that option…" Mr. Weasley said quietly.
"Hush, Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley said, pointing at him. "You're welcome to stay Harry; Ginny isn't planning to go either."
"I'll meet Phlegm's parents at the wedding, and that's soon enough for me." Ginny said, obviously done with her food.
"Here, here." Said Fred and George together. "We're thinking of swinging back by the shop anyway. Make sure our underlings haven't nicked any of the loot." George finished.
"So Hermione's more willing to welcome Fleur and her family than all of you?" Mrs. Weasley said dryly.
Maybe because Ron's going. Harry thought, scowling inside. He immediately felt bad, reminding himself that it was fine for Hermione to go just for Ron's sake.
"It's not that mum." Replied Ginny. "It's just… we're not all feeling up for a trip, you know?"
Harry glanced at the girl, observing her staring down silently at her plate. Mrs. Weasley knew not to press the issue, as the look on her daughter's face spoke plainly for all of those who chose not to go. Well, at least for Harry and her, whose reasons didn't revolve completely around the loss of their Headmaster. After a short silence, Mrs. Weasley stood, beginning to take up the plates.
"Well," Harry said quickly, thinking up his excuse already. "I'm feeling rather tired. I think I'll turn in."
He rose without hesitation, as Mrs. Weasley took his plate for him.
"Thank you for dinner." He said, turning to walk out of the room.
As soon as he was out of sight, he picked up the pace. Ginny would probably come up with a reason to be excused not long after, intending to track him down. He wanted to safely be in his room by then. He practically ran up the stairs, darting into the room he and Ron shared. He closed the door behind him, sighing deeply; another evasion successful. He went to his chest, withdrawing his pajamas and preparing to change into them. It was then that there was a knock on the door. Harry froze. Ginny had never been this desperate to talk to him, and for a moment he didn't know whether he should open the door or not.
"Harry, it's me, open up." Came a familiar female voice, which made him sigh deeply.
He walked to the door, opening and letting Hermione step inside. She smiled slightly, glancing around the room, one eyebrow rising.
"Don't you two ever clean up after yourselves?" She asked, annoyed. "Anyway. Are you sure you don't want to come."
"Yeah," Harry replied, not missing a beat. "I'm actually tired."
Hermione paused rubbing one of her fingers with the thumb of the opposite hand. She bit her lip, looking as though she was on the verge of conveying a dark secret to him.
"What?" Harry asked, tilting his head.
"She cries herself to sleep." She said quickly, seeming to be ashamed of what she had said.
"Who?" Harry asked, playing dumb.
"Don't give me "Who?" Harry!" She said in a loud whisper. "You know exactly who!"
"We're all still shaken up by what happened-"
"This has nothing to do with Hogwarts." She said calmly, and Harry knew she was right.
He glanced down at one of Ron's trainers on the floor, keeping silent.
"She's devastated, Harry. She's been trying to reach out to you all week, trying to get some closure, but you just keep dodging her."
"Did she tell you all of this?" He inquired, acting as though he didn't care that much.
"Oh, come off it!" Hermione snapped. "She cries herself to sleep."
There was a long silence, and finally Hermione sighed.
"Look, you don't have to talk to her. But there might not be another chance for you to tell her anything."
On that note, Hermione turned and walked briskly out of the room, closing it behind her.
"You think I don't know that?" Harry said angrily, to nobody at all, as he strode forward and locked the door.
He stormed over to the bed, quickly undressing and getting into his pajamas. He really wasn't tired at all, but lying in bed would give him time to think; which, hopefully, would bring about sleep when his mind finally tired out. At least, that's what had got him through so far. Harry climbed into his bed, resting on top of the covers and slipping both hands behind his head.
He lay like that for awhile, thoughts quickly turning from his conversation to his memories. The good and the bad surfaced, and at times Harry went from smiling to scowling at the ceiling. It was a good reflection time for him, and one he hadn't had since before that week. When you're living in what could be your last days, you tend to think about all the things you've been through.
His reverie was broken by the sound of a doorknob turning, and Harry immediately snapped back to the present. He shot up in his bed, eyes darting to the locked door. The knob was turning, but thankfully it was still tightly closed. It could only have been Ginny, for everyone else would have been gone by now. The knob stopped moving, and for a moment Harry thought she had given up. Even so, he stood and moved a little away from the bed.
"Alohomora." He heard quietly from the other side of the door, and immediately sprang into action.
Harry darted to his nightstand, where an invisible bundle rested. He snatched it up smoothly, wrapping the invisibility cloak around his body just as the door swung inward. From through the transparent cloak, he saw Ginny clearly standing at the threshold, holding the door open. She scanned the room quickly, before releasing a deep, troubled sigh.
"Well," She said quietly, closing the door and locking it behind her. "You're not allowed to Apparate yet, and you hate it anyway. So that leaves your cloak."
Ginny walked casually ahead, tucking her wand gently into the waistband of her jeans. Harry's eyes followed her legs, absently thinking how well defined they looked through the denim. He shook inwardly, letting the thought stray from his mind. He stood stock still, as Ginny examined the area around her closely. She couldn't see him, of that Harry was sure, but she looked straight at him more than once. Finally, letting out another sigh, she turned and sat on Harry's bed, not two feet away from him.
"Well, at least now you have to listen to me, even if you won't talk." She said, leaning forward to rest her forearms on her knees.
Her back was to him, and Harry was standing a slight diagonal, so close he could reach out and touch her if he felt like it. He did, but didn't let himself.
"I understand that you've been ignoring me." She said solemnly, and from the side of her face he could see an unhappy smile. "Hell, the only time you've paid attention to me is when I've caught you staring out of the corner of your eye."
Ginny leaned back, looking around the room once more. She probably hoped that Harry had de-cloaked, and was ready to talk. After a moment, and no luck, she continued.
"I just want to talk to you. Is that so much to ask? You're leaving, I get that. You can't be with me, I understand that too. It's just… why does that have to mean we can't even talk?"
There was a long pause, where Ginny didn't speak and Harry scarcely breathed. Harry thought he saw Ginny wipe her eyes once, but he couldn't be sure.
"I've been through it before, you know. I've seen what V-Voldemort is capable of. If almost died because if it, remember?"
Harry remembered indeed. If he hadn't discovered the Chamber of Secrets, she might not have been sitting on his bed, spilling her heart to him without even a response. At that moment, Harry wanted to hex himself.
"I miss you, and I don't want you to leave without a proper goodbye." She paused, leaning forward again, as Harry shuffled nervously. "I mean, I don't want to only have memories of us."
She laughed bitterly, and Harry was sure she wiped tears away now.
"What little memories we have, right?" She said, hesitating. "I want to hold onto the hope that when you're through with all of this, when it's really over, we can still be… us. Is that even possible?"
Ginny sat in silence then, contemplating what she could say next. After a few moments, she shook her head vigorously, planting her hands on both sides of her.
"To hell with this. I thought you cared, but I guess I was wrong." She said angrily, starting to rise from the bed, as Harry moved forward.
He slipped his right hand out of the cloak and onto her shoulder, which immediately caused Ginny to sink back onto the bed of her own accord. Harry let the cloak fall from his head, as Ginny looked back at him, tears still damp on her bright red cheeks. She reached up and took his hand in hers, and for a moment Harry was sure she was going to shove it off of her. However, she merely held it firmly in her own, stroking his palm gently with her thumb. The mere contact sent a jolt up his entire arm. Harry pulled gently on her hand, and Ginny stood without a word.
He let the cloak fall open, hanging loosely on his shoulders, his chest and legs visible. Still he held her hand, as she stood directly across from him, her tears drying quickly. Ginny made the next move, dropping Harry's hand in favor of his entire body. She swept ahead, wrapping both arms tightly around his chest and pressing her head against his next. She was trembling. Invisible or not, the cloak was still a cloak. He gripped both ends, wrapping them tightly around both himself and Ginny, leaving only their heads exposed. After a moment the redhead laughed lightly against his neck, leaning back even as the flesh there tingled.
"We look pretty ridiculous, huh?" She asked, looking down at their invisible bodies and quite visible heads.
Harry laughed back, and for the first time in two days, spoke to her.
"You're right, think if somebody-" He began, only to be cut off.
Ginny leaned up, pressing her lips softly against his. At first Harry thought he should break the contact, but immediately thought better of it. He had missed this. Missed merely kissing her. So he kissed back, closing his eyes slowly. They kissed twice more, each time a little more forcefully, before Ginny returned his face to his neck.
"I do care." He whispered, voice barely audible.
"I know." Ginny said after a moment. "But I had to get you out of that bloody cloak somehow."
Leaning back, she smiled, pushing his chest playfully with one hand. Harry smiled back, leaning forward to kiss her gently on the forehead. He remained there for a moment, as Ginny's hands moved back around his body. When he leaned back, she was staring thoughtfully up at him.
"What?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Will you sleep with me?" She asked with a serious tone.
"What!" Harry exclaimed, shocked.
Ginny's face turned immediately scarlet, and her hands slipped back to cover it immediately. Harry's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, as he wondered if he had just heard the words that came out of her mouth.
"No, no, no." She said, her face somehow growing more flushed. "I didn't mean… I mean, lay down. Sleep and stuff. Not moving…"
The more she said, the more nervous she became, fumbling over her words. Harry caught the true meaning however, and smiled slightly.
"Of course I would. But we can't actually sleep."
"Why not?" She asked, her face pleading.
"Because Ron will be back. And your parents. And Fred and George would kill me."
Ginny smiled devilishly, her face returning quickly to its normal color.
"Nuh uh," She said, still smirking.
Ginny then grabbed the sides of the cloak, pulling it up over both of their heads, and kissed him once more.
"We have this!" She said, grinning.
He couldn't deny the logic, though a problem immediately sprang to mind.
"We can't wrap that around us both, we're too tall."
"We don't have to wrap up. Just cover ourselves with it. Besides, I honestly don't think my family will care."
"Oh, I bloody well bet they will." Said Harry, eyes widening.
Even as he said it however, he pulled open the cloak, and moved toward his bed. Ginny followed, grinning, and hopped onto the bed before he could sit down. Harry shook his head, lying down face to face with her, and attempting to drape the cloak over them. It took a couple of tries, and Ginny couldn't stop giggling, but he eventually got it. They kept only their bodies covered at first, so they could talk easier. Air flowed through the cloak without restriction, so they wouldn't be suffocated together, but it just seemed better to speak this way.
"I wish I could come with you…" Ginny said quietly, eyes locked on his. "I know you could keep me safe."
"I wish I could too, but I'm not willing to take that risk."
Ginny nodded her understanding, though she still didn't look pleased. The subject turned to Quidditch, then to Dumbledore's Army, and to the time they had spent together, and for perhaps a half hour they talked and laughed as if time had stopped. They were cut short, however, when footsteps sounded on the stairs. They pulled the cloak immediately over their heads, and Harry's heart began pounding.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." He whispered to Ginny.
Her only response was to kiss him, as if that would make the whole situation all right. Harry had to admit, it helped a lot. A few moments later, the door to Harry and Ron's door rattled as though somebody had run into it, and he heard Ron curse loudly.
"Alohomora." Came Hermione's voice, and Harry became nervous again, glancing down to make sure they were completely covered.
"Harry," Ron said, bursting into the room. "Ginny's go-"
"He's gone too." Hermione said, her voice strained.
"Bloody hell." Ron yelped. "He got them. V-V-V, he took them!"
Hermione had moved over to the bed, and was sizing the room up, her expression showing that something was amiss. She glanced down at the bed, then to where Harry and Ginny's feet were. She frowned, looking back up their face. Ginny made a nervous face, and Harry found he couldn't breath. Hermione grinned, winked, and spun on her heels.
"How could I have forgotten!" She said, slapping a hand to her forehead.
"Huh?" Ron said, frowning.
"Harry and Ginny were supposed to go with Lupin and Tonks tonight! Harry told me earlier this week. I'm not sure, but I think they're trying out a "double date"."
"A double date?" Asked Ron, incredulous. "Didn't Harry and Ginny have to break up?"
"Well, apparently they're spending every chance they get together, before he leaves." Hermione said, smiling so wide that Harry could easily see it, even with her body turned mostly away from him.
"About time. He's been ignoring her all week. It was getting ridiculous!" Ron said, exasperated. "And I'm exhausted, so if you don't mind, I'm going to go to sleep."
Hermione strode ahead, pushing gently on Ron's chest, so as to keep him from getting close to Harry's bed. Slowly, Harry and Ginny tried to pull their feet bare feet under the cloak. They met in the middle, twining their legs to take up less space, and because it felt good.
"Oh no you're not. You promised you would spend an entire evening with me. And I'm calling it in tonight."
"'Mione!" He said quickly, cutting off the entire first part of her name. "It's almost midnight!"
"Harry and Ginny will probably just stay with Lupin anyway, you can sleep in Ginny's room. I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Hermione said with a flick of the wrist.
Ginny giggled without a sound, forcing her lips against Harry's neck. He grinned pulling her close and trying to keep his own laugh down.
"Wait," Ron said. "How did the door get locked?"
"Harry locked it when I left. Lupin and Tonks must have Apparated them out."
"Oh." Ron said, and Harry saw Hermione usher him out the door.
Before leaving herself, she turned and Harry saw she was beaming. Then she was gone, and Ginny and he were alone once again. Harry turned his attention to her and saw that Ginny was grinning at him. He leaned down and kissed her again. A moment later Harry rolled onto his back, Ginny moving smoothly with him. She scooted up, resting her head on his shoulder and hand on his chest. They lay in silence for a good while, and eventually Harry felt Ginny's breathing become slower. Glancing down, he saw that she had fallen fast asleep on his shoulder.
"Goodnight Ginny." Harry whispered.
He smiled, kissing her once on the forehead, and pulled the cloak off of their heads. He didn't care who saw them now; it was the least thing he would worry about. As long as he woke up tomorrow, and so did she, he didn't care about anything else. Harry fell back into his thoughts. This time, however, he didn't dwell on the past, but began planning for the future.
Suddenly, it seemed a lot brighter.
Author's Note: Firstly, we should all thank Word for saving my work automatically, because I was halfway done with this when it froze up. I almost screamed out loud. I was never a big Harry/Ginny Shipper, until HBP, which I finished recently. After that I thought they worked very well. So I wrote this one shot. I enjoyed every second of it, and wrote it tonight, in about two hours. I think I might have had too much at the end, where it would have been better for Ginny and Harry to be more brief. Oh well, what's done is done. Please, tell me what you think about this piece.