Decisions, Decisions

Laughter came from the kitchen, a sound that made Harry want to turn tail and Apparate home. He kept trudging, however, and entered the kitchen. All three occupants turned to look at him.

"Ginny, can I talk to you?" he asked in a low voice.

"I'm right here," she said lightly.

Harry snorted, took the dishtowel from her hands and threw it at Malfoy's head, grabbed her hand and pulled her out the front door. He'd be damned if he'd do this where Professor Snape or anyone else could see him. But words failed him.

"Harry?" said Ginny softly. "Are you okay?"

Irritated, he glared at her and snapped, "No, I'm not. Professor Snape just ordered me – ordered me – to ask you out on a date! Bloody old bastard!"

Amusement lit her brown eyes and she said, "You're kidding."

His eyes were full of emotions as he said, "I'm a mess, Ginny. I see what's happening with you and Draco. I should hate him, but I'm so pathetic I can't even manage that. But I wondered… I was hoping…"

As his voice died away he looked down, feeling a perfect fool.

&&&&&&&&&

"What was that about?" asked Draco, actually having a good idea what was about to happen.

"Draco, are you madly in love with Ginny?" asked Zelda, looking curiously at him.

"She's special. I don't know anyone like her," he said softly. "She couldn't care less that I'm a Malfoy, with all the baggage that goes with it. She cares about me."

"Is that enough?" Zelda persisted.

"It's more than I ever expected to have," he said frankly. "We'd be good together."

"I'm shocked," said Zelda, looking at the handsome young wizard before her. "I thought a Malfoy would have the highest standards. Draco, your society's amazingly stupid about marriage. You're young and you, of all people, shouldn't settle for anything less than incredible freaking romance, great sex and a wonderful woman that you love for real."

"You're not available," he said lightly.

"Stop sucking up," she chuckled, snapping him sharply with the wet dishtowel in her hands. "Relax and have fun. You'll find someone great, I promise."

"Why should Potter get to live happily ever after with Ginny?"

"Happy endings? Don't make me laugh. Relationships don't work without hard work and total commitment. Furthermore, maybe it won't work. But there's something there. Give them a chance, please?"

Draco laughed and said, "My mother wants to find me a wife."

"Don't get a wife until you're sure."

"D' you know anyone promising?" he asked, his gray eyes glinting wickedly.

"If I find someone before you do, I'll owl you first thing," she promised lightly.

"I wonder what they're saying to each other," he mused. "I'll go see."

Zelda grabbed his arm and dragged him out the kitchen door.

"You've had no time to enjoy pushing Emmie's swing for her. Right this way, Malfoy."

&&&&&&&&&

"It was easy when we were at school," said Ginny quietly. "What's changed?"

He took off his glasses and polished them on the hem of his shirt. The sight of his eyes without the glasses caused a pang in Ginny. His vulnerability was exposed, and perhaps explained why he'd been so guarded all this time. It would've been easy to just kiss him, but that might be wrong.

"Harry?"

"We're not kids any more, Gin. I don't know who you are now. You don't know me either. I'm an Unspeakable too, and there are things I can't discuss with anyone. Did you know everyone I work with's a geek? They've never been married and I fit in with them so well that it scares me. They live for work."

'That's enough,' she thought, torn between compassion and laughter.

She put a hand on his and said, "Well?"

He looked at her, confused and suddenly exhausted.

"Are you going to do it?" she asked.

"What?" he muttered absently.

"Oh, never mind. Harry, will you go on a date with me tomorrow after work?"

His eyes lit up with sudden joy, making her heart go all soft and gooey.

"Not Madam Puddifoot's," he replied hopefully.

"No. I thought we could Apparate to a quiet place and practice Quidditch," she said. "You've gotten soft in your Ministry dungeon. I'll out-fly you easily."

"I thought you were too grown up for stuff like that," he said, grinning as happiness rushed through him like a drug.

"That's more like it," she said, smiling back at him.

"Gin, it was easy to hug you when I first saw you. I feel like an idiot, but I want to do it again."

"Oh, Harry," she said, "I never knew before… You're quite a mess, aren't you?"

She threw her arms around him and hugged him without reservation, sighing when his arms locked around her. She tipped her head back, laughing, and brushed his lips lightly with hers.

"Ginny," he whispered, pressing his mouth hungrily to hers.

Time blurred in her mind as she opened her lips to his greedy kiss, feeling like fifteen again. Her hands moved to neck and she ran a hand through his black hair, feeling him shiver pleasurably at her touch. His body was thin and muscular against hers, and he was deliciously warm. She pressed tighter against him and felt his erection against her belly. The realization sent a rush of heat through her.

"Mummy! Daddy! Mummy! Daddy!" shouted Alaric. "Harry's hugging and kissing Ginny!"

The boy had run around the corner of the house and screeched to a halt, staring in surprise. Emmie followed, but instead of stopping she trotted straight to Harry and clutched his leg.

"Harry," she said, beaming up at him.

The pair parted reluctantly and Ginny began trying to smooth her hair down. When Harry looked regretfully at her, she smiled shakily. It had briefly seemed she was in charge, but he was tough and she realized that they might be well matched. It wouldn't be easy, not like it would be with Draco, but Draco didn't stir her soul the way that Harry always had. With a knowing smile she decided what she'd do.

"Strive to set a good impression for my impressionable children," said Professor Snape sternly, his face expressionless.

Harry picked up the child clinging to his leg and gazed into her innocent eyes.

"Is it time for bed?" he asked wryly, wishing it might be true for him.

Emmie nodded and hugged him.

"Tuck me in, Harry," said Alaric, plucking at Harry's arm.

He looked past the kids, into bright brown eyes and hope stomped the last of his despair into oblivion.

&&&&&&&&&

Twenty minutes later the children were in bed and Harry went downstairs, wishing Ginny would still be there. He entered the sitting room and his eyes flew straight to her.

Zelda watched them with a hopeful gleam in her eye. She was sitting with Professor Snape, his arm around her.

Draco was nowhere to be found, Harry saw with pleasure.

"Are they settled down?" asked Zelda.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm glad Emmie's okay. She has a fat lip, though."

"She'll be okay tomorrow," said Zelda.

"Why don't you heal them magically?" asked Ginny curiously. "We can't do everything, but skinned knees are easy."

"Life's not easy and magic can't do everything," said Zelda. "Even if they're magical, they should understand that sometimes we get hurt and things heal without magic, just not as fast."

"I assume that you're working in the morning," said Severus. "I must work, so you should leave now."

Zelda chuckled and said, "How rude, Severus. But I'm pretty tired. It's my day for tutoring tomorrow at Hogwarts. Come back again any time, though."

"Thanks," said Harry. "We'll let ourselves out."

The door closed behind them and once outside he pulled Ginny close and kissed her.

"Will you escort me home?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"To the Burrow?" he asked.

"I have a bedsit near the hospital," she told him. "Hold on."

She Apparated both of them into her flat and drew his head down, kissing him fiercely. His response was immediate and unrestrained, picking up where they'd left off earlier.

"Is this smart?" he asked, torn between honor and wanting her so much he couldn't bear it if she actually stopped.

In response she pulled him to her unmade bed and tossed back the comforter. Dragging his T-shirt over his head she asked, "Did you get that tattoo on your chest yet?"

He laughed at that, mesmerized as she removed her top and unhooked her bra. She'd been rather slight at fifteen, but now her breasts were firm and lush. He tossed his glasses on a bedside table, pulled her against him and kissed her again.

"Ahhh… Harry," she moaned, reaching for his pants and unfastening them.

Lost in sensation, they were naked almost before he was aware and he sat down on the bed, pulling her down into his arms.

"You're so beautiful," he said, his hands roaming over that delicate, pale skin.

"So are you," she told him, pressing soft kisses over his chest. "I'm glad now, that we didn't do it at school. This is better."

"Better," he said, pushing her gently onto her back and reaching between her legs, exploring and caressing. "Am I dreaming?"

She drew him on top of her, realizing this was the moment, the real thing, and quivered as she clung to him.

"Ginny," he groaned, unable to hold back longer and pressing inside her.

This first joining was tentative and tender. Each of them wondered if it was a dream as physical sensations overwhelmed them. Her climax surprised Harry, the suddenness of it and the response it drew from him. He closed his eyes, consumed by it, and then lay still, breathing heavily. Eventually he rolled off of her and looked shyly into her eyes.

"I love you, Gin," he whispered, raking his fingers through her shining hair.

Her smile was luminous as she said, "I love you, Harry. Ah, Zelda knew, she said it wouldn't be right with Malfoy."

Worry shone in his green eyes and he said, "No! But I was afraid you were… Malfoy wanted you, didn't he?"

"Draco's an amazing friend, but I couldn't think of him, only you."

Ginny groped for the comforter and pulled it up over them.

"It's been hard for you, hasn't it? Have you talked to Michael?" she asked.

"I quit seeing him a few months before I left for Albania, except as friends," he said. "It seemed stupid, like I'd be seeing him forever unless I grew up and dealt with my own problems."

Ginny raked her fingers through his messy hair and studied him shrewdly.

"Why didn't you say something? Were you just going to let me go out with Draco?"

"It's easy to lose everything in your life. It's happened to me once, and seeing Alaric and Emmie, if we… I couldn't stand to be so happy and know I could lose everything I love again…"

"Did you change your mind?" she asked, pinching his bum with a mocking smirk.

"I'm still afraid," he told her, looking rather ashamed. "But… I've been so lonely. I convinced myself we didn't know each other any more, but when I saw you again, I knew I was fooling myself."

Ginny put her arms around him and asked, "Did Professor Snape really tell you to ask me out?"

He laughed then, rolling over on her other side and beginning to explore her body again.

"He said I should ask you out on a date, or to ask you to marry me," he said, eyeing her nervously. "Gin, should we get married?"

She laughed and let her hand wander down his body, causing him to inhale sharply.

"Maybe, but not yet," she said. "We have some catching up to do, don't we? But I hope, I think we belong together. And we should probably have sex constantly, don't you think?"

"Yeah, constantly," he murmured distractedly, cupping his hand around one lush breast. "I have the rest of the week off, so I'm at your disposal."

He kissed her breast, squeezing it and drawing a whimper of pleasure from her. After a glance at her, he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked tentatively.

"Don't stop," she whispered, writhing under him as he moved to the other side, sucking harder. "Ah… Harry, I love you."

"They're so gorgeous," he told her, nuzzling against her. "God, you're so incredible. I should never have gone away, I should've stayed here with you."

She smiled and said, "Stay with me tonight, okay?"

"Do we still have a date tomorrow after you get off work?"

"I think so. It's probably good if we go out to play before I drag you back to bed," she mused.

The future suddenly looked amazingly hopeful to Harry as he strove to learn every inch of his amazing girlfriend's lovely body.