A/N: Hey guys! I just wanted to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out, last week was Thanksgiving and I was super busy, but thank you for your patience! I hope you enjoy the chapter.

The silence following George's comment had been horrific. The seconds passed like hours, and time only resumed its normal pace when Ginny left the room. She had smiled at Harry and laughed softly, then turned and made her way upstairs. George and Harry could hear her light footsteps climbing the steps and then disappear.

"Well, mate, that couldn't have gone better."

Harry gave George a glaring look as he got up from the couch. His anger, however, was less directed at the Weasley sitting next to him, but more at himself. He felt a deep, pulling feeling of regret at not saying something else to her, not being more collected or cool. He realized that he would do nothing but continue to feel this way if he stayed awake, so he decided to make his way to bed. He announced this to George and began to head up the staircase.

With every step he climbed, Harry's mind raced with things he could have said to her. He had one chance to make an impression after all this time apart, and he had fumbled it beyond belief. By the time Harry arrived at the room he was sharing with Ron, he felt sick with regret and burning with annoyance at himself. He flopped onto his cot and forced himself to sleep.

Harry had only been asleep for a short time when he was abruptly awoken by someone shaking his foot. He reached for his wand out of habit, but his fear subsided when through his blurry vision he made out a pale face and long red hair staring at him from the foot of the bed.

Harry sat up slowly and ran his hands through his hair as he grabbed his glasses off the table next to him. Once he had them on he was able to clearly see Ginny, bundled in a jacket and scarf, looking at him seriously.

"Ginny, what're you…"

"Come on, let's go."

Harry tried to ask more questions but was ignored completely by her. Ginny had stood up from the bed and began to walk out of the room as Harry tried to quietly put on his shoes and more layers. He quickly made his way out of the room, and he could see Ginny was already making her way into the living room from the bottom of the staircase.

Harry only caught up with her when they were both outside of the house. He ran up beside her, still fastening the buttons on his coat, while she made her way through the thick snow covering the grounds of the Burrow. It was well into the night, the sky a deep black and dotted with stars. They walked in silence next to each other, the only sounds their feet crunching through the snow drifts.

He wondered why Ginny had woken him up to bring him out here. She had seemed fine when she entered the house earlier, not angry or even annoyed at him. But now it was two in the morning and they were walking outside in the freezing weather, and Harry was completely confused.

The longer they walked, the more confused Harry became. Where was she taking him? What was the purpose? Why couldn't this wait until the morning? He found himself wishing he had put on a few more layers before he had ran out of the house, had he known how long he would be outside in the bitter cold.

The trees around them were frosted, icicles hanging off of them like tiny spears. The ice glittered in the light from the moon and stars, and Harry was once again struck by the true beauty of the Burrow, so far away from the metropolitan area he had been living in. He was struck too by the beauty of Ginny, walking a few feet in front of him, hair tucked into her scarf but slightly poking out behind it. Her arms were crossed in front of her and even through the deep snow drifts she walked with grace, every step even, her path deliberate. He could do nothing but follow her and wonder.

Their walk finally came to a halt when they were standing in front of the pond in the backyard of the Burrow. It had frozen over for winter, covered in a layer of ice at least a foot thick and reflecting the fullness of the moon above them. Ginny stared straight ahead, her eyes fixated on the frozen pond, but also on nothing at all. Her gaze seemed meaningless, the frozen water her point of focus only because of it's presence in front of her. Harry glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to be thinking, but he could not be sure of what. After a few moments silence he figured he should at least try and talk to her, to make up for his fumbled interaction earlier.

"So, Ginny...uh...listen…"

"Harry, stop."

Ginny cut him off before he could even attempt to say anything or make small conversation. He looked over at her fully now, having no clue what to expect in the coming moments.

"Harry... Before you say anything... I just want you to understand what's going on"

Ginny turned and shot him one of her piercing glares. Her expression was stoic and Harry felt a strange mixture of fear and comfort due to it. The moments before she began to speak again seemed to drag into an eternity.

"It's been... so long. I haven't seen you in a year."

She shook her head as she said this and Harry was given momentary relief from her gaze.

"And it was a horrible year, Harry. It was a year of...of trying to put George back together...of dealing with my family after Fred."

The gaze returned and Harry felt it hit him harder than before.

"But...what was really terrible this year was...thinking about you. Every time George was really awful or mum was in tears I just thought of you. It was...a comfort. And I found myself wondering why. Why is it comforting to think of you? And after a year of it...of building you up in my mind...I just need to know what it is. You need to understand that you have to say something really great to me right now. Harry it's so horrible and unrealistic of me to tell you that and I'm sorry but you just need to assure me right now that I didn't think of you all those times for nothing. Please show me I didn't miss you for nothing."

She broke her gaze again. This time to stare at her feet and cross her arms.

"God... I missed you so fucking much, Harry."

Her voice cracked. The threat of tears appeared in her eyes but she looked back at the pond before she lost it. She wouldn't cry because of him and certainly not for him to see. He always liked that.

"I'm sorry," she said, "this is insane. It's like how you always think of something you want to say to someone but when you actually get to say it it's nothing like you imagined."

He had no clue what to do next. Harry was taken aback completely by what Ginny had just said to him, and he felt an overwhelming sense of pressure to prove to her something he didn't feel he understood in the slightest. Why couldn't he just once know what to say in these situations?

For a brief moment, jumping into the icy lake and freezing to death was seriously considered.

"I...uh..."

Something finally came to Harry's mind after a few moments of stammering.

"Well, er, Ginny, could we go inside? I think I need to show you something."

"You know what I've embarrassed myself enough for one night. Going inside sounds like a grand idea."

Harry took a few steps towards the Burrow and then looked behind him to ensure she was following him. They walked side by side around the yard and in through the door of the house, back into the comfortable warmth of the living room.

Ginny followed his lead as Harry made his way to the dining table they had eaten at earlier that night. They approached the table and Ginny looked at Harry with a questioning expression, waiting for what he had to offer her.

"So, you could just sit down, I'll be right back."

Harry left the room and made his way to the staircase, and with every step he questioned the move he was about to make. However, he had no other ideas, so he was left with this one option.

He entered the room containing his things and grabbed a somewhat shabby backpack off the floor near his cot. As he picked it up he felt the contents shift around and he once again began to consider what he was about to do. After several seconds consideration he made up his mind, deciding it was his turn for embarrassment.

Harry left his bedroom and continued downstairs, returning to the kitchen table where Ginny, thankfully, remained seated. Her eyes followed him as he entered the room until he placed his backpack on the table and sat down across from her.

"So, uh, I tried writing you. A couple times. But I never, er...sent any, really. So you can read them now. If you'd like."

Harry proceeded to grab his bag and dump the contents on the table - letter upon letter fell out onto the wooden table, some in enveloped addressed to Ginny, ready to be sent, others just on scraps of paper and containing only a few words or sentences, proof of the spontaneity of some of the thoughts he had written for her.

Ginny looked at Harry, then down at the piles of paper on the table in front of her. She began to move the letters towards her, one by one opening and reading them. Harry maintained his seat across the table from her, nervously watching as her eyes scanned each of his letters and then put them in a pile on one side of her, then moving to read the next one within her reach.

Finding someone you can unabashedly tell anything without even the potential of judgement or rejection is a phenomenon that very few people experience and even fewer treasure. In truth Harry barely recalled what he wrote in those letters. His attempts at writing Ginny had mainly arisen whenever he had a thought that he couldn't bring himself to share with anyone but her.

After nearly half an hour, Ginny had been able to make her way through all the writings in front of her. She had stayed relatively quiet throughout the readings, and all Harry could do to gauge her feelings was look at her face while she read, perhaps catching a glimpse of a smile or a shimmer of tears in her eyes.

After the last letter had been placed in the growing pile of paper on Ginny's left side, she lifted her eyes to Harry's and finally spoke.

"This...was a good move, Mr. Potter." She cracked a bit of a smile at him.

"I'm sure by now Hermione has explained to you that you should have at least spoken to me once before you left."

"Oh, yeah. Loads of times."

Ginny sighed, looking down at the pile of letters next to her. She rested a pale hand lightly on top of them before looking back up at Harry.

"I'm keeping these." She let out a yawn as her eyes shut lightly before she finished her thought. "And I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Harry."

At this, she gathered the letters in her arms and stood from the table, gracefully leaving the room. Harry heard her footsteps disappear up the stairs and then the light creak of a door closing.

Harry slumped back in his chair, a wave of relief pouring over him. He ran his hands through his hair and smiled a bit to himself before standing up from his seat and making his way to his own bedroom, baffled at the way his life had turned in the course of an hour in the middle of the night. For the second time, he flopped onto his cot, removed his glasses, and closed his eyes, but this time with a sense of content he had not felt in over a year.

Several hours later Harry awoke to sunlight coming through the window and the sound of pots and pans banging downstairs. He searched for his glasses on his bedside table and got dressed before sleepily stumbling down to the kitchen. He had gotten only a few hours of real sleep, and his tired mind had him truly wondering if his interactions with Ginny had been a dream. He walked into the kitchen where several members of the Weasley family were already gathered.

"Good morning, Harry, did you sleep well?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled at him genuinely as she worked on breakfast in the kitchen. Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table with Bill, reading a paper and sipping on coffee. On the floor Teddy was playing, entertaining himself with toys and whatever else he could find around him. Every time Harry saw him he felt a pull of sadness inside of him, but he also knew that if Teddy wasn't able to be with his parents, the Weasley house was the best place for him. Mrs. Weasley must have noticed Harry's attention on Teddy, as she spoke regarding him next.

"Isn't he getting so big? Looks more like his father every day if you ask me…"

She trailed off while looking at Teddy lovingly. Hermione then entered the kitchen, followed a few moments later by Ron, who looked much less willing to be awake this early than his girlfriend. He yawned as he walked in the room, saying good morning to everyone at the same time. Mrs. Weasley offered them all coffee, and Harry took a seat a few spaces down from Bill while Hermione and Ron sat across from him.

Before long the entirety of the group residing at the Burrow was down in the kitchen, all pining for some of what Mrs. Weasley was making. Several more tables and chairs were conjured, but Mrs. Weasley stopped them from conjuring too many.

"George and Ginny left for the store a bit ago, so we won't need as many last night, dears."

Harry felt a dropping in his chest of disappointment. He had been excitingly nervous to see Ginny after last night, to try and figure out where they stood with each other. He now would have to wait until later to see her, and the chance of getting her alone would be even slimmer during dinner time. Everyone sat down and enjoyed the meal Mrs. Weasley had prepared, containing every type of breakfast food they could ask for, mainly from wizarding recipes but a few muggle treats as well, a small offering Mrs. Weasley tried to make once the presence of Harry and Hermione had become more regular during their Hogwarts days.

After more than an hour had passed and all the food prepared had been eaten, the room began to clear. Mrs. Weasley began to gather dishes with the help of her husband and the other girls in the house.

"Now boys, don't you think this means you never have to help clean up, there's just so many of you, my kitchen would be in pieces if I let you all in here at once."

The men in the house gladly took this out as an opportunity to go into the living room to relax. However, they only were able to enjoy a few minutes of this peace before Mrs. Weasley peaked her head out from the kitchen.

"But boys, if there is not a Christmas tree in this house by lunch time, you'll be making your own meals for the rest of holiday."

Harry was not sure what system they had used to determine which of them would be taking the trek to find a tree for the Burrow, but fifteen minutes later he found himself stomping through snowdrifts and carrying an ax alongside Ron and Bill.

The sky was a bright whitish-blue, and the air was only a few degrees warmer than it had been when Harry had been outside a few hours earlier. The Burrow grounds looked just a beautiful however, charmingly covered in snow and ice. He, Bill and Ron began the small journey to a patch of evergreens just off the Burrow's land, hoping that the perfect Christmas tree would be there.

They began to talk between them, asking about each other's lives and the going-ons of the past year. Harry realized that the only time he had talked to Bill so far had been during group discussions.

"So, Bill, you and Fleur are alright?"

"Oh yeah, she's only got a few months left, we're waiting to find out if it's a girl or boy, though, she wants to be surprised."

"That's really great, Teddy will have someone to play with."

Bill smiled at Harry's remark, then asked him and Ron more about what had happened in London the previous week. Ron and Harry had become extremely well versed in telling the story, including all the important details smoothly and efficiently. Bill agreed the reappearance of Death Eaters could mean nothing good, and Harry realized he had not been worrying or thinking about the London threat all week.

The three of them discussed the other happenings at their jobs; Gringotts had been a much more profitable place to work after the war when people started living life as normal was sure they had begun to bore with with the talk of auror training, but luckily they arrived at the pack of evergreen trees and their conversation shifted to finding the perfect tree.

After several minutes of searching in all directions, Harry and Bill heard Ron yell from somewhere deep in the thick of trees. When they found him he was standing next to a gorgeously tall evergreen, nine feet tall and healthily round with needles. They all agreed this tree was perfect, and spent the next few minutes taking turns chopping it down. When it was finally fallen, they tied it up and enchanted it to float above the ground and follow their trail back to the Burrow.

The trio arrived back at the house just as the sun was beginning to near the horizon. The day had passed incredibly quickly, and Harry felt his eyes already heavy with sleep. The tree followed them inside the front door, and after Ron and Harry set it up properly in the living room, Bill brought out Mrs. Weasley, covering her eyes, allowing her to look only when she was in front of it.

"Oh, boys, it's just perfect!"

She kissed them all on the cheeks and went to grab Mr. Weasley to show him the tree. Soon everyone was gathered, marveling at the beautiful, tall, green tree in the room. Harry could not help but notice that Ginny and George had returned from the store as he caught a glimpse of her long red hair across the room.

"Alright, mum, now what's for dinner?"

George's comment made the room come alive with agreement, a sure sign of the hunger they had all begun to develop.

"Well, your father and I agreed that maybe we should go out tonight, I'll have plenty of time to cook for you all later. Now, go get dressed, something a bit nicer than usual, I'd say. Go on! No objections."

Mrs. Weasley added on these final comments due to the small piping up of comments about dinner being so far out of the way, their group being too large, the price too high, on and on. It was at this point Harry remembered that the Weasleys did have more spending money now - with all their children out of the house and Mr. Weasley's post-war promotion, they could afford to treat themselves every so often. Nevertheless, the entire group made their way to their rooms of residence, emerging some time later in dresses, coats and nicer pants than their general attire would call for.

Mr. Weasley was the first to approach the fire, grabbing a small handful of ash and yelling out the location of a wizarding store on an off street near the restaurant in London they were to attend. One by one, each member of the group followed, Harry being one of the last. The sooty journey upon the Floo Network was never his favorite, but he had surely improved at using it since he first did so many years ago.

Before long, the group of Weasleys and guests alike were in a cozy looking restaurant, featuring carefully carved stone walls and candelabras all around. The warm and inviting nature of the place was not to say it wasn't nice, however; the food was gourmet and their attire had been completely appropriate. A large dining table was set up for their group in a room off of the main dining area. Several chandeliers hung from the ceiling and a fireplace burned at one end of the room, allowing them to feel as though their gathering were intimate and comfortable.

Harry was not sure where to go at the table. There was an empty seat near Ginny, but he was still somewhat confused about their standing, even after the events of the previous night. He did not want to push her if she was still making decisions, but he also did not want to risk her feeling as though he were avoiding her. He made a decisive move to sit at a seat across the table and one seat down from her, close enough to make eye contact and conversation, but not so much that he was breathing down her neck.

After everyone in their group had taken a seat, Harry noticed there were two empty seats left at the table. He glanced at Ron curiously, before hearing Mr. Weasley speak from the head of the table.

"We hope it's okay with you all, we invited some other guests…"

At this introduction, Neville and Luna entered the room. Neville had thinned out incredibly since their early Hogwarts days, now somewhat tall and with a scruffy beard, one that suited him and made him look much more adultlike. In complete contrast, Luna looked as she always had: her long, blonde hair fell down her shoulders and far down her back, small waves forming throughout it. She wore a dress with brightly colored leggings beneath, her eyes large and inquisitive, but nonetheless happy. Both their faces lit up as they walked in the room, smiling at the group.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all beamed with excitement at them. They were somewhat trapped in their seats at the table, but still managed to say hello and express their happiness at their arrival at dinner. The rest of the group greeted them as well, as welcoming as ever.

After the long and somewhat complicated process of ordering their meals, they all enjoyed a dinner of laughter and storytelling. They ate for nearly an hour, then music was heard from the main room of the restaurant. Upon investigation, it was found that a band was playing, and there was a cleared area for dancing in the large room. While some of the group made their way to the dancing area, Harry, Neville, and Ron were able to find their way to the bar. The three exchanged proper hello's, sat down at the bar and ordered three firewhiskies.

"Ron, won't Hermione want you out there to dance?"

"Nah, mate, she's fine. She's got Ginny and Luna and the rest of them, she can have her fun. I'll go out in a bit."

"So you and her are still going, yeah?"

It took Harry a moment to stop wondering why Neville was asking this question. He remembered that he and Ron hadn't stayed in as close of touch with Neville as he had liked, and slight pang of guilt hit him. Ron answered him affirmatively, smiling and taking a sip of his drink. Neville didn't seem phased, however, just genuinely curious and interested in what had been going on in their lives.

"Were you two really there, in London? Some rumors came back to Hogwarts, but you know, kids talk."

"Oh yeah, was bloody ridiculous. The Ministry was a mess… I've gotta say, I'm a bit jealous you of your set up at Hogwarts, Nev. They set you up right after they reopened, yeah?"

"Yeah, it's pretty nice… the kids are really great to me, I guess they've heard the stories from the battle and such, pretty odd. It's been going well, though. Never thought I'd end up as a teacher, if I'm being honest."

The three drank in silence for a moment. Ron finished the rest of his drink, then stood up from his bar stool.

"Well, I believe I have some drunken dancing to do. See you boys in a bit."

Ron walked away towards the dance floor. Neville followed his path with his eyes, then turned back to the bar and requested a shot of something a bit stronger than what they were drinking before. He took the shot in one fast gulp, then stood himself.

"I, uh... me too."

Neville turned to walk towards the group dancing, but before he could begin his walk Harry caught him, smiling in a slightly teasing way.

"Dancing, Neville?"

He shrugged somewhat awkwardly, not able to answer Harry with a real response. He made the walk over to the group of dancers, and Harry watched as he nervously approached Luna. She brought him into the dancing effortlessly and without thinking, and Harry smiled to himself.

Harry turned back towards the bar, ordered another drink, and sat in solitude for several moments. He enjoyed the silence, however. He hadn't had much alone time since he had arrived at the Burrow, and as much as he had enjoyed the company of so many people he cared about, a moment to himself was appreciated.

This moment was disrupted, however, when he heard the light click of heels on the hardwood floor of the bar. He turned around to see Ginny walking up behind him. She stood in front of him, in a beautiful dark green dress falling right above her knees. She looked at Harry with a small smile on her face, the left corner of her mouth curving upwards. Her fair hung across her shoulders as it always did, but against the color of her dress she looked like if Christmas were a person – warm, inviting, and full of surprises.

"So, how long have you been sitting here waiting to buy me a drink?"

She took the bar stool next to him that had previously belonged to Neville. Harry was overwhelmed by her presence again, just as he had been the night before. They had not spoken all night, but he had been watching her subtly throughout dinner. The way she smiled and laughed with her brothers and other family members and friends was infecting, and watching her in moments of herself were even more enchanting – fixing her napkin on her lap, looking around the room to decide where she would go next.

Harry realized he had not yet replied to her statement, and he looked at the bartender and ordered her one of what he had. She smiled at the bartender and Harry in turn when her drink was placed in front of her.

"So, quite an event, hm?"

They discussed the dinner and the arrival of Neville and Luna, the conversation far from serious. They joked and laughed, and Harry was amazed at how easily Ginny could go from angry to charming. To a casual observer, there would be no indication that just a night previously Harry was nervous that he was going to be hexed or worse by the girl sitting next to him.

The night moved on easily, everyone enjoying each other presence, whether at the bar, a table, or in the dancing area. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley danced the entire night, acting as though they were young again, dancing for the first time. Charlie could be seen talking to other girls in the restaurant, and by their shy smiles and laughs, it could be told that he was charming them successfully. Even Percy and Audrey, ever serious and polite to each other, could be seen letting loose and enjoying the atmosphere of the restaurant, dancing and singing along.

As the previous song being played by the band faded out, everyone waited anxiously for the next selection, not yet ready for the fun to be over. The band then went into their next song, a lively tune which, to no one's complaint, called for more dancing.

Harry recognized the song as a muggle tune, something that he had heard on the old radio that Uncle Vernon would play sometimes in the living room of their old house.

"Well, she was just 17,
You know what I mean,
And the way she looked was way beyond compare.
So how could I dance with another
And I saw her standing there."

Ginny turned to Harry with a large smile on her face, and leaned her head backwards in obvious excitement.

"Oh, Harry. This is a very unfortunate thing for you, because now you have to dance with me."

Harry groaned in disapproval, but secretly his heart had flipped over with happiness.

"Ginny, no, you know I don't like to..."

Harry's objections had no influence on her, however. She had already grabbed his hand and was pulling him off his bar stool, moving towards the music.

"Oh I know very much, but you're going to!"

"Whooh, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long I fell in love with her.
Now I'll never dance with another
Since I saw her standing there"

Before long, they were in in with the rest of the group dancing their hearts out. There was truth to Harry's statement – he had never been one for dancing, but here, in this group, watching Ginny dance completely carefree, he decided to play along. And, in truth, he found himself having fun.

After a while, the music died out completely, and the band began to pack up to leave. Their group gathered themselves and their coats and ventured back out into the London cold. Even on their way out of the restaurant the Weasley's and others were still laughing and smiling, enjoying each other's company through the bitter winds that now brushed their faces.

Harry and Ginny walked out of the restaurant together, behind the rest of the group, both still out of breath. They continued trying to catch up to the group, who were talking towards a the store they had used to arrived in London through the Floo.

"Harry, look."

Ginny pointed subtly at two figured near the brick wall of the restaurant they had just exited. Harry quickly identified the figured as Neville and Luna, and he kept his eyes on them for the next few moments to try and decipher what was happening.

He saw Luna leaning her back against the brick wall, looking at Neville with a dreamy look in her eyes, smiling and nodding along to whatever he was saying. Neville's face looked a bit nervous, but he was nonetheless enjoying himself, talking about whatever seemed to come to mind.

Harry and Ginny shared a laugh over this interaction, and then made their way to catch up with the rest of their group. Soon they arrived at the store, and after another quick trip through the fireplace, they arrived back at the Burrow.

Harry looked at the small clock located on the wall in the living room of their home. They had been at dinner nearly three hours, and the landscape outside the window was pitch dark, with small white specks floating downwards every once in a while, adding to the blanket on the shrubs and ground.

The majority of the members of the house excused themselves to bed, drifting upstairs in pairs usually. Harry found his way to his room eventually, changing into his pajamas and retiring to his cot. His eyelids weighed heavily, and he laid still, waiting for sleep to overcome him. However, it did not come, and after what felt like an hour, Harry decided perhaps he needed a drink before bed. He left his cot and walked down the stairs, quietly as he could, towards the kitchen. He grabbed a glass and ran himself some water, downing it all and pouring himself another.

He intended to take this glass to his room with him, feeling as though he was now really ready for rest. However, as he left the small Burrow kitchen, he noticed someone left in the living room, sitting in front of the fire. Upon further looking he realized it was Mrs. Weasley, curled with a blanket on the chair Mr. Weasley would sit in on lazy mornings. He walked further into the living room, stopping only a few feet from her.

"Mrs. Weasley, you're up late."

She turned towards Harry, successfully veiling her surprise at him appearing next to her all of a sudden.

"Ih, hello, Harry. Yes, I suppose I am."

"Why's that?"

Harry hoped she wouldn't see his questioning as prying, he had just never seen Mrs. Weasley up this much later than her children, unless it were Christmas or another event.

"Well, I keep having these dreams, about Azkaban, actually. It's quite odd because I've never been there, obviously... I don't know. Just thinking, I suppose."

After a few seconds, she added as an afterthought,

"Why are you still awake, dear?"

"Just, er, thirsty."

He and Mrs. Weasley both glanced down at the glass of water in his hand. She looked back up at his face and smiled in a sweetly maternal way.

"Well, don't stay up much later. I'm off to bed."

He watched as she stood up from the chair by the first, carefully placing her blanket back on the chair. She smiled at Harry again as she walked by, up the stairs, and into her room with Mr. Weasley. Harry took her spot in the chair by the fire, holding his glass and looking at the fire, a sense of content and calm washing over him.