Chapter 5: The Confession

Harry was awakened the next morning by the feeling of fingers being run through his hair. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the shape kneeling next to the sofa he was lying on, clumsily reached for his glasses and almost knocked them to the floor when he felt a hand grasp his.

"Here, Harry, you looked like you were having a bit of trouble there." Ginny said making sure; he had a hold on his glasses before she released his hand.

"Thanks, Ginny." Harry replied slipping his glasses on, sitting up and taking in her natural beauty. "Anyone else up yet?"

"Not yet, but it's going to be a surprise for them when they do." She said smiling with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"What have you done?" He asked visibly trying not to smile.

"Oh, a little drop of sleeping potion goes a long way."

"You didn't, did you?"

"Hmmm, possibly my hand just happened to slip over that last glass of wine they had last night, but you never know." Her smile widening

"You know, Gin, if you smile any bigger than that your head may topple off backwards." Harry said smiling and fighting the urge to kiss her here in Hermione's sitting room.

"Ha ha very funny, Potter. Now are we still meeting today?"

"Yes, but I don't know where to go-"

"The Three Broomsticks would be nice."

"All right, we'll-"

"RON!" Hermione screamed followed by "HERMIONE!" by Ron.

"What did you do?" asked Harry trying not to laugh.

"It was something Fred and George always wanted to do to them." Ginny replied with a naughty smile playing on her lips.

"GINNY!" Ron and Hermione yelled at the same time.

"You want to see?" Ginny asked leaving the room and heading for the stairs.

Harry followed her up the stairs to the first landing where she was waiting to open what must have been Hermione's bedroom door.

"What did we...YOU do Ginny?" Ron grumbled when she and Harry entered the room.

"Me?" Ginny tried innocently.

"Yes you! Putting me and Hermione in the same bed while were asleep and then putting us in this state of undress to match!" Ron continued getting redder and redder.

"It wasn't me! You two were all over each other last night in the dining room, weren't they Harry."

"Yea, they were." Harry sputtered, laughing.

"So, you were in on this too were you? I thought were you my best mate."

"I am and no, I didn't do anything. Where is Hermione by the way?" Harry asked looking around the room.

"In the bathroom! She ran in there when she saw how much she didn't have on thanks to you two! I will get you for this, Ginny, if the last thing I'm ever able to manage in this life!" Ron yelled while Ginny just smiled and closed the door.

"Fancy an early arrival to Hogsmeade, Harry?" She asked taking his arm. "He'll never be able to return the favor; by the way, he's never been able to in the past for the other things I've embarrassed him with."

"Let's get out here before he storms out of bed." Harry answered putting his hand on top hers.

"Don't worry; he'll have to get some clothes on first. He was totally starkers under that quilt, but Hermione I was a little softer on...she was only topless." Ginny said matter of factly before they apparated into the safe zone in Hogsmeade.

Harry and Ginny made their way through the crowd of people on the high street and into the Three Broomsticks where Harry approached Madame Rosmerta for a private area in which he and Ginny could talk.

Rosmerta led them over to a staircase that was recessed just enough not to be seen unless pointed out and up into a narrow hallway with two doors, one on the left and one on the right. She stopped and pulled out a key, unlocked the door on the right and led them into what was a small dining room that must have normally been reserved for parties that wanted to keep out of the main thoroughfare of patron's that dined and drank in the pub every night.

"Will this do?" She asked. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter, it has been a long time since you've been in." Rosmerta continued when Harry nodded his approval at the room. "I'll be back in a moment to take your orders." And she headed out, closing the door behind her.

Ginny sat at the table while Harry started walking around the room looking at photos of wizarding celebrities that must have dined in the room they were now using. Harry took a seat across from Ginny and was about to speak when Rosmerta reentered the room carrying flatware and napkins.

"What can I get you two this morning?" She asked separating the items and dividing them between Harry and Ginny.

"Bacon, eggs, toast and an orange juice for me, please." Harry answered almost too quickly.

"I'll have the same." Ginny replied giving the barmaid a small smile.

Rosmerta gave a curt nod and left the two alone again.

"So, Harry, I want to know the truth about how you've been." Ginny said seriously, looking Harry directly in the eyes. "Because from what I hear from Ron is you had a bit of a drinking problem before hitting the proverbial rock bottom."

"Yea, what Ron said about that is true. I was probably going through a bottle of firewhiskey a day until I heard about your parents, then everything just came flooding back to me in moment of clarity."

"That is what I thought. This morning with Hermione and Ron's situation, you looked almost back to normal."

"How do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Well, you look healthy on the outside, but your eyes, which was how we always knew what you were feeling, told a different story, but this morning there was a glint of true laughter that probably hasn't been in there for most of the last five years." She answered still looking him straight in the eyes.

"No, not much to laugh at, except maybe myself for being foolish."

"You weren't foolish, Harry, just scared of what you had to do with your life and when the war was over you still didn't know what you were going to do."

"You've got me all figured out, have you?" He asked with a note of sarcasm and anger in his voice.

"Harry, there's no need to take that tone with me! I'm here as you're...friend and no matter what you may think I'm trying to help you." She answered with her own version of an angry tone.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, I'm not used to conversation anymore and I've never given much of an effort to correct the problem." Harry apologized quickly.

"That's true you were never the one for talking until the sun came up, but when Mum and dad died I came up with a personal motto to try and live by: The Past is History and the Future is a Mystery."

"Well, me personally I just wake up trying to find peace piece by piece."

"You're not doing that great of a job with it, if I may say so."

Harry snorted back laughter as Madame Rosmerta came back with their plates.

"Anything else while I'm here?" She asked when she placed the plates on the table. "Enjoy your breakfast, my dears." She continued when Harry and Ginny declined anything else and left them alone once again.

"So, Harry, you didn't really answer me, how are you?" Ginny asked again after Rosmerta had left.

"In all honesty, not too good, but better since I've left the firewhiskey behind me. Sometimes it is hard and I am probably too hard on myself, but living there in the Hollow all alone can get tedious and down right depressing. I hope Hermione has the right idea with her reunion, of sorts, that it will help me get out of this hole I've dug for myself."

"Maybe you need to think about getting out of there and living somewhere else. Somewhere that is closer to the Burrow, you used to love coming there. Hell with everyone gone or moved away you could live there for a bit, no one comes around much anymore, except the twins on the odd weekend when they are trying to hide from their wives."

"I don't really know, Ginny, I...err-"

"Just think about it, Harry, that all Ron and I are asking."

"Ron? Why would he want me around there after all this time?" Harry asked sounding confused.

"He needs a male to really talk to a lot of the time; Merlin knows he doesn't listen to me about Hermione." Ginny replied with a smile on her face.

"After all this time and he still doesn't have the nerve to ask her out?"

"Well, Hermione actually likes to watch him squirm with his 'problem' and Fred and George still take the mickey out him about it from time to time."

"And you, Ginny, anyone special out there waiting for you when you get home?" He asked nervously.

"No, Harry, the man of my dreams hasn't come knocking on my door, yet." Ginny answered, knowing exactly what Harry was trying to hide. "But, I want to ask you a serious question and I don't want to hear you yell, not once.' She continued pointing her finger straight in Harry's face.

"Ok, I swear I won't yell no matter what you want to know." Harry acknowledged knowing what she was about to ask.

"I want to know exactly what you used on Voldemort that on the hillside."

Harry pushed his plate away from himself, hung his head for moment and took a deep calming breath before answering.

"That day was hard on everyone who had the guts to stand up to him and his Death Eaters. When we marched up the hill...I knew everything was going to turn out OK because I had Ron, Hermione...and you, Ginny."

"That's what I've been wondering about, Harry, for most of the battle you told me to keep my head down, but when you knew it was time to go up to face Voldemort you wanted me by your side."

"I had done some research on everything I learned from Dumbledore and came across an old and interesting spell, Amor Dilectio, a spell that concentrated my love for...something into a usable force."

"What was your focus for that spell, Harry?" Ginny asked hoping to get what she knew was the truth out of him.

"Well...err...you see it...err...I-"

"Harry just spit it out and quit sputtering."

"You. It was you." Harry said in barely a whisper.

"What? You never talked to me about much of anything, but Quidditch during practices."

"I...err...love you, Ginny, I always have, but during the war I was afraid it would put you, Ron and the rest of the Weasley's in even more danger than you already were from being 'blood traitors'."

"How noble, Harry, but terribly stupid! How could you assume something like that when Ron and I were going to be standing beside you on the battlefield?" She said standing up and walking around the table to where Harry sat. "Even if that was your problem, Harry, what about after it was all over with and I had graduated from Hogwarts?"

"Assume makes an ass out of you and me?" Harry tried with a smile, but continued on when he saw the joke was not going over too well. "I was afraid I would no longer be good enough in your or your parent's eyes, Ginny, with me ending up being a murderer."

"Good enough for me in Mum and dad's eyes? Harry, you were practically an honorary Weasley from the moment we met you on platform 9 3/4 in your first year." Ginny stated taking Harry's hands and kneeling in front of him. "Mum and dad would have been over the moon if you had asked for my hand."

"I never knew your parents felt that way about me, Ginny."

"And this rubbish of you being a murderer, Harry, is crazy. You are no more a murderer than anyone else who decided to fight on that day. You are not a murderer, Harry; you're a hero if you are to be labeled anything!"

Harry hung his head knowing what he was hearing from her was the truth. He lifted his head and looked her in the face, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

Ginny moved forward slightly and pulled him into a hug in which Harry greatly took in the comfort she was offering and cried openly on her shoulder. Ginny held him for what felt to her like maybe ten minutes before raised his head and once again looked into her eyes.

'Oh boy.' Harry thought. 'I'm losing my resolve.'

A small gasp escaped Ginny's mouth when she realized Harry was closing the distance between her and him.

Slowly Harry slid from his chair and kneeled in front of her, closed the distance between him and her and gently kissed her.

"Wow." Harry whispered when he broke the kiss.

"Wow is right! It was better than I had imagined and I've waited too long for that to be all." Ginny said wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into another kiss.