For disclaimers, warnings and pairing notifications, see Chapter 1.

Author Note: I know, I know, I promised a much longer chapter this time, but it's been such a long time, and the dialogue of the scene just after the end of this current chapter is still giving me problems. I felt you guys deserved something, just to prove that I'm still alive and so is this story, so I'm sorry to all those who are disappointed with the length of this chapter. I'll try to do better.

Dawn broke over London, and because of a slight oversight on their part, the steel-grey rays that preceded the rising of the sun spilled over the forms of two young people in bed together in a certain house in Grimmauld place. Despite them both being in bed, only one of them was actually asleep. Sleep was not high on the priority list for Ginevra Weasley at the moment. Instead, she was entranced by the sleeping form of her boyfriend. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, totally unburdened. Her mind cast back over the conversation they had had during the night. It was a breakthrough, no doubt about that. She hoped that they had now resolved his issues with her ordeal of the last year, and even those about the Chamber which she had not even realised he was carrying. She reached out and tenderly smoothed back his fringe, which was rather long after a year without a haircut, revealing the famous lightning shaped scar on his forehead. He gave a soft, contented mewl at her ministrations, and she continued to run her hand through his hair and across his forehead, her fingertips lightly tracing random patterns across his skin and her palm being tickled by strands of his silky soft hair. Her lips curved upwards in a faint smile, she enjoyed watching Harry sleep. She would have to do it more often. She continued like that for several minutes before leaning over to press a light kiss to Harry's scar. Then she laid her head down on Harry's shoulder, cuddled up with her back to him, and let her eyes slide closed once more.

Some hours later, Ginny was awakened once more by the full bright sunlight that was now streaming in through the open curtains. She smiled and turned over lazily, expecting to see Harry still lying next to her. She was therefore somewhat concerned to be confronted by an empty expanse of bed where the supine form of the aforementioned boyfriend ought to have been. Kicking off the covers and the sheets, she rose and went in search of her wayward significant other, finding him at last in the living room again, already dressed in plain black robes, standing at one of the windows looking out at the reasonably sized square of Grimmauld Place. Ginny crept over to Harry, her bare feet making no sound on the wooden floorboards, until she was standing right behind him. Harry gave no sign that he knew she was there, and it was very tempting to tickle or poke him. Instead she put her arms around his middle and squeezed gently. Harry did not act surprised in the least, but simply rested his own hand on both of hers which were clasped together over his stomach.

"Good morning," she murmured softly in his ear.

"Morning," he returned, turning around in her arms so that he was facing her, and looking her straight in the eye. She could not quite identify the gleam in his eye, but the simple fact of an expression in those entrancing green depths, compared to the flat, empty look that had occupied them yesterday evening, sent her into internal transports of delight. He looked so much better to her, compared to yesterday. Granted, his skin was still rather pallid, and the dark circles beneath his eyes had only receded a little bit, but his small smile was worth ten times all of that.

"Sleep well?" he asked, then continued hurriedly, "What sleep you got, that is, and I'm sorry about that…"

Ginny kissed him to shut him up. Really she would need to do something about this habit Harry had of talking too much.

"I slept just fine. Never better actually," she replied off-handedly, then blushed at how positively naughty the totally honest answer sounded.

"Good," was all he said but he seemed to pick up on the line her mind was taking, judging by the way his mouth curled upwards very slightly at the corners. He did not, however, take it any further, and she was not sure if she was relieved or disappointed by this. Damn hormones, she thought.

"Breakfast?" he asked, interrupting her train of thought.

"Yes please," she said, grateful for something to drag her mind out of the gutter.

Harry called Kreacher and asked him to prepare breakfast for two. Surprisingly, the aged house-elf seemed more than amenable to doing his master's bidding, a considerable turnaround from his attitude before the defeat of Voldemort. Ginny wondered how Harry had managed to make peace with the incorrigible elf. Over breakfast they talked about inconsequential things, or rather Ginny carried on an extensive monologue, since Harry's last month had been spent in isolation. She told him what had transpired in the wizarding world since the demise of Voldemort, the renewal of justice and freedom in the country. She mentioned the various celebrations and parties in his honour that he had already missed, and warned him of the many that were still yet to come, a prospect he groaned good-naturedly at. Harry asked how Ron and Hermione were doing, as well as Luna, Neville and the old crowd, and Ginny told him about Bill and Fleur, Percy, Charlie and even little Teddy, who had been adopted into the Weasley family as well. She chattered about how Arthur had been promoted at work thanks to his skilful handling of the ad hoc department he had run during the war. The one topic that they avoided by unspoken mutual agreement was Molly and her row with Harry. At last, however, they could no longer skirt the issue, and Ginny, in her typically forthright fashion, broached the subject just as Kreacher was finishing clearing away the breakfast dishes.

"So, Harry, what time should I tell mum to expect us back at the Burrow after our little visit?"

Harry instantly looked apprehensive at the idea of setting foot within a mile of the Burrow, or of Mrs Weasley. He was not especially anxious for a repeat of what had befallen him on his last visit to the Weasley house. Although she had convinced him to let go of his guilt over what happened, Harry was not so sure that Mrs Weasley was thinking along the same lines that Ginny was. Grieving mothers, after all, were hardly the most logical of people. Maybe he should wait a couple more days, to give Mrs Weasley time to calm down, and maybe to give him time to plan an escape route in case Mrs Weasley was less than welcoming.

"Er, Ginny I'm not sure that your mum would…"

"Harry I swear if you finish that sentence the way I think you're going to, I'm going to petrify you and drag you back right now!"

Harry could not resist smiling, even through his worry at the prospect of encountering Mrs Weasley again. Ginny really was beautiful when she got fired up about something. Were it not for the inherent risks to his health, he might well consider setting her off at least once a day, just to see her looking like this. With some effort, he pulled his mind back to the matter in hand, explaining why seeing Mrs Weasley today would not be a good idea.

"I just meant not today, Gin," Harry said, holding his hands up in a conciliatory gesture, "Why not tell your mum that I'll be around tomorrow for dinner, give her time to get used to the idea of seeing me again?"

"I'll hold you to that, Harry," Ginny said seriously, "and so will everyone else."

"I may need you to," Harry said, only half joking since he still had the strong urge to flee from the vicinity of Mrs Weasley in order to preserve his life and health intact.

"I should get changed again," she stated, rising from her chair, "Could you help me out again?"

"If you want me to," Harry replied, also getting up.

They went upstairs and Harry stood outside the door while Ginny put her dress most of the way back on. Then, when she called him, he went in and helped her to fasten it back up properly. Just before she left, however, he handed her a small square of parchment upon which a single sentence was fairly hastily scribbled.

"Can you give this to Ron and Hermione if you see them?"

Ginny refrained from commenting that she would likely be mobbed as soon as she set foot back in the Burrow, so of course she would see them. Instead she simply nodded and took the parchment. Then she gave him a lingering kiss on the lips and stepped into the waiting fireplace, throwing down the Floo Powder and calling out her destination. Harry watched her vanish from sight with a mixture of longing and happiness. He missed her already, but she was his bridge, his way back to everyone else.

Ginny stepped into the living room of the Burrow, and was most surprised to find it completely empty, considering that this was the place she had agreed to return to when she had finished talking to Harry. She had expected to find the place full of people, all asking how he was, and why he was holed up in Grimmauld Place. Her confusion, however, was cleared up when she heard the hive of activity that was coming from the kitchen. Everyone must have been sitting down to breakfast by the sound of it. She crossed the room, and was confronted by the sight of the Weasley family plus one sitting down to breakfast, the one being Hermione, who was staying with them while her parents were still in St Mungo's having their memories restored. Ginny just stood in the doorway, smiling slyly and waiting for someone to notice her. It took a few minutes, but eventually Ron looked up, his eyes widening quite comically in Ginny's opinion at the sight of his sister standing in the doorway, looking much the same as she had immediately before departing the previous evening.

"Ginny!"

Ron's shout cut across the chatter, bringing the room to dead silence, as every head in the room turned towards the doorway and its current occupant. Unable to resist a small tease, Ginny gave a little wave to the assembled crowd.

"Hi everyone," no response, "Well I'm just going to go upstairs and change…"

"Don't even think about it," Hermione warned, "You're going to sit down and tell us how he is, and when he's coming back."

Ginny smirked and handed the brown-haired witch the piece of parchment she had been holding onto.

"He asked me to give that to you and Ron. Why don't you go and ask him yourself?"

Curiously, Hermione turned the parchment over, reading the words inscribed there.

The current residence of Harry James Potter may be found at Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

The implied invitation made Hermione gasp in delight and she passed the scrap of parchment quickly to Ron for him to read. Ron's reaction was much the same.

"Do you think now's too soon?" he asked Hermione.

"I hope not," she replied, looking towards Mrs Weasley seeking permission from her hostess.

"If he's invited you dear, go. Just…just say hello to him for me," no one missed the slight hitch in Mrs Weasley's voice. She had spent much of the past month lamenting the fact that in her grief over one son, she had chased off another, and it would probably continue to haunt her until Harry made his return to the Burrow in person. This did not stop Ron and Hermione, however, from rising and practically sprinting to the fireplace in the living room. Ginny mentally wished them luck as she heard fire flare in the grate signalling their exit. Then she looked around at the remaining faces that were just as inquisitive, and decided that she might as well answer their questions while giving the three friends time to reconnect. If she was lucky she might be able to return to Grimmauld Place for lunch. Taking Hermione's vacant chair, she looked everyone in the eye.

"Harry's doing as well as can be expected…"

Next Chapter: Harry's reunion with Ron and Hermione.

Pleas review!