Chapter Four : A new Beginning

"Harry! Oh, it's so good to see you," Ginny breathed, and turned away to hide her reddening face. Harry smiled and walked around to look at Ginny fully. He noticed her half empty bottle.

"Drink much, Gin?" He asked smiling. Ginny smiled, she looked at Harry.

"I was nervous, you were late, and I, well, I don't know, it seemed like a good idea." Harry chuckled; he picked up the bottle and swigged the rest down. He sat down next to Ginny and hugged her. Ginny felt weak in his arms, it had been so long since Harry had hugged her, she really missed it. She sighed in Harry's arms. Nothing had ever felt so good in her life.

Harry wrapped his arms around her; He buried his face into her red hair. He hadn't seen her in years, and he wondered how he had ever gotten along without at least being able to say hi. He smiled into her hair, smelling the scent of her shampoo. It was coconut, he liked it. He laughed, and caused Ginny to pull away, Harry wished he hadn't have laughed. "What's funny?" She asked, arching one of her eyebrows. Harry smiled and told her about her hair smelling like coconuts, which sent the pair into fits of laughter and giggles. Ginny stood and got two more butter beers from the fridge. She handed one to Harry and the two sat talking for what seemed like hours. But Harry was interrupted-

"So then, after I passed my tests—""

-by a loud crash, and they heard her front door being wrenched open and slammed shut, followed by the sound of Hermione sobbing. The pair dropped their drinks and ran to the living room.

They found a lamp in pieces on the floor; Draco was standing up, breathing heavy, and red in the face. Hermione sat in the middle of the room sobbing her heart out. The pair ran to Hermione's side and carried her to the couch. "Hermione, what in Merlin's name happened in here, where has Ron gone?" Ginny asked quizzically. Harry went to the door and looked down the hallway, Ron was no where to be seen. He walked back to hear the beginning of Hermione's story.

"Everything was going so well, Then Ron made a comment about Dracos' father being put away in Azkaban, and Draco asked him not to speak about it. Ron got mad and stood up; he told Draco to just face it, that he was following in his father's footsteps. They started arguing, and then Ron left. But not before throwing Ginny's lamp at Draco's head." Hermione got the last part out and began to cry. Draco came over and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hermione Granger, you are the world to me, I love you so much." He held her hands in his. He wiped her tears away, and looked at Harry. "Harry, didn't know you were here, erm..How's it been?' he asked. Harry frowned, and then smiled. He shook Malfoy's hand and told him it was great, and that he missed the old days. Draco stood up, and scooped Hermione up as well. "I think we should go, this night has upset my girl just a bit, it was nice seeing you Ginny, Harry, have a good one." Hermione engulfed Harry in a hug, nearly suffocating him. "Harry, it was good to see you, even if it was only for a minute or two. I'll see you in a day or two." She squeezed him once more and departed with Malfoy.

Ginny sat back on her couch and sighed heavily. Harry sat next to her gently. She closed her eyes and frowned. "What's wrong Gin?" She turned towards him,

"My neck, it is killing me, to much stress...Some how I knew this would happen. I never should have even thought for a moment that it would turn out all happy." She buried her face in her hands and sighed again. Harry turned her around and brushed her hair off of her neck and gently began massaging it for her.

"Harry, where've you been for the past few years, I've missed you," Ginny asked, causing Harry to pause for a moment. He continued,

"Ginny, I've been training to be an aurorer, I've been all over Europe, and I've traveled to America." Ginny sighed, and turned around to face Harry and smiled.

"I've always wanted to go to America, just to see the sites, and maybe have a clean slate, restart my life with strangers."

Harry held his hand over Ginny's cheek and softly whispered into her ear, "I could take you there." The closeness of his breath sent a chill down Ginny's spine, but she liked it,

"I'd like that Harry," she whispered back. He looked into her bright brown eyes, and she gazed softly into his green ones. He leaned in slowly, and pressed his lips to hers. Ginny's mind whirred a million times faster then the speed of light. She pulled back from Harry, breathing heavy. Harry just kissed me, ME, I've waited so long for this to happen! She thought to herself. Ginny leaned into Harry again for a second kiss, he wrapped his arms around her and Ginny pulled hers around his neck. The two stayed this way for what seemed like an eternity, that is until Ginny's phone rang, causing the two to jump. Ginny blushed, "I should probably get that." She walked to her phone stumbling a little bit and answered the phone with a jerk, "Hello!"

"Hi mum….I'm fine and you?...Good good….Really? Tell him he was over reacting a bit. He missed a good chance to see Harry….Yes he's here…MOTHER!" She laughed and turned away from Harry smiling, "Yes mum, he's still here, but it's not a good time right now….no….no….MUM! How could you even think like that?...No, we're catching up…yes…..yes…..alright, I'll tell him you said you, yes yes….love you to, bye now." She hung up her phone and set it on the receiver. She gingerly walked back over to the couch and sat next to Harry, who shifted to be closer to her and drape an arm over her shoulders. The two spent the rest of the evening talking about the old days, and about the new.

m/O.om/