Chapter Three: Decisions.
Harry went to find Ron and Hermione. They were in a dark corner of the garden where no one could see them snogging. Harry crossed over to them clearing his throat. Ron and Hermione sprang apart quickly, going red.
"What happened?" Ron said noticing that Harry didn't look so good.
Before he had a chance to talk Professor McGonagal was walking towards them. "Harry. Could I please have a word with you?" She asked.
"Yes Professor." Harry said following her in to the house this time.
Once they were seated in the kitchen McGonagal said "Will you be returning to school this year Mr Potter?"
Harry paused before answering, "I'm not sure Professor."
"I strongly urge you too Harry. You should have as much knowledge as you can get before you face he who must not be named." She said with a sincere look on her face.
"What about the Horcruxes? I have to find and destroy them, which could mean being away from school for days at a time. How would I manage to study, to be Quidditch captain and get the Horcruxes to?" He replied.
"I'm sure we can work that out. Please come back to school." She said her voice unsteady and almost panicky.
Harry was silent for a moment. He supposed that they could work it out, she had a point about the knowledge also, plus Harry was sure Hogwarts was still safer than anywhere else these days even without Dumbledore's magic guarding it, surely Professor McGonagal would have worked on it and all the previous heads to, he really didn't have anywhere else to stay either and he'd be near Ginny even though things hadn't gone as he wished. He turned to the Professor "ok then, I'll come back, but we do have to work out something that will allow me to get to the Horcruxes without me failing school." He said.
"Very good then Potter, I'll see you on September first." She said strolling out of the house and back to the reception.
Harry followed five minuets later to find Ron and Hermione to tell them that he would be going back to school that year. He was intercepted by Ginny though.
"Do you just?" Ginny said, anger rising in her voice, with her hands on her hips.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked stupidly.
"Do you really know how I feel?" Ginny replied.
Harry couldn't say anything, he saw the anger on Ginny's face but behind it was a look of longing he hadn't seen since he broke up with her the day of Dumbledore's funeral.
"Tell me something Harry. Do you really and truly love me?" She asked.
Harry nodded at the ground not wanting to look up. Before he knew it though Ginny was in his arms, her lips against his. His heart settled back in to its proper place but still beating fast. He had his Ginny back; he never wanted to let her go. He'd been given a second chance with her.
"Harry, I love you too." She said when they'd pulled apart.
Harry grinned as wide as he could "good." He said kissing her again.
Hermione and Ron were sitting at a table towards the back of the crowd of people; it was reasonably quiet here so they could talk normally.
"What did McGonagal want?" Ron asked, not even noticing his sister.
"To ask wether I'm going to go back to Hogwarts this year." He answered. The other three looked at him strangely before he answered, "I've decided that I will go back." They all grinned at him, now they could all return together.
After Bill and Fleur left on their honeymoon and the reception was over Harry and Ginny snuck away for a bit of time alone, it was dark but they sat up in one of the trees in the Weasley's small orchard. It was a low wide branch; Harry had his back resting against the trunk while Ginny was leaning up against him. He had his arms around her middle. After a while Harry spoke "Gin, you know that we have to keep this off the radar at Hogwarts, to many people there would gossip and it might drift to the ears of the wrong people if you know what I mean. I still want to protect you. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I know the risks Harry and I know we have to keep it low key. But we can do it. We love each other." She replied.
"Exactly" He said kissing the top of her head and squeezing her a little tighter, still unsure about whether he'd done the right thing.
"There's one more thing." Ginny said.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"Are we going to tell my mum and dad?" She said.
"I think we should because if we sneak around and they find out, they'll never trust us. It's better to be up front." He said.
Ginny nodded. "Shall we go now then?" She said.
"Yeah c'mon" Harry replied.
They climbed down carefully from the tree, joined hands and walked back to the house. As they entered they let go of each other.
They went in to the living room where Mr and Mrs Weasley were winding down before heading to bed. Each sitting in the chairs they liked best. Harry and Ginny sat together on the couch, not to close.
"Mum, dad. Harry and I have something to talk to you about." Ginny said.
"Yes." Mr Weasley said.
"Well… Err… Harry and I… Well we're… Um…" She took a deep breath "Harry and I have decided that we want to be together we both understand the risks involved but it's still what we want." She said in one breath.
Before they could say anything Harry intervened, "Mr and Mrs Weasley, you're like family to me and I promise to protect Ginny all that I can. I want to be with her."
"Harry dear we didn't expect anything less. You and Ginny are happy together so you should be together; everyone should have some happiness right now. We love you like one of our own Harry and right now there are risks in every relationship but we do want you to keep your word and protect her." Mrs Weasley said.
Harry smiled at her "I promise I will." He said.
"You look after my little girl Harry or else." Mr Weasley said, though with a smile.
"Come here you two." Mrs Weasley said standing up and spreading her arms for them to hug her. They did and left the living room to go upstairs. They found Ron and Hermione in Ron's bedroom sitting on his bed in the same position as Harry and Ginny had been in the tree but Ron's back was to the wall instead of a tree trunk.
They went to move apart but Ginny said, "Its ok guys don't be idiots, everyone knows now anyway."
They settled back down, Harry sat down on his bed leaning against the wall with his legs crossed. Ginny promptly sat on his knee; he wrapped his arms around her again. "I see you two have decided that you can't live without one another then," Ron said.
Ginny blushed and nodded, snuggling against Harry some more.
"So how can you two, who have only just gotten back together, not have a problem with this sort of thing?" Ron asked, indicating the couple sitting together as if they'd never been apart.
"Gotta make the most of it Ronnikins have to keep low profile at school." Ginny shot at him with a blend of sarcasm and disappointment in her voice.
Harry squeezed her again and said in her ear "we'll be all right babe."
The four of them talked for a while longer before Mrs Weasley pounded on the door, Hermione and Ginny scrambled to the foot of each bed. She told them that it was late and they should be getting to bed then left the room. Hermione and Ginny hugged Ron and Harry goodnight, somewhat restrained. They supposed Mrs Weasley was ok with everything as long as she didn't see too much.