Ginny groaned and winced as sunlight slanted across her eyes. She buried her face in the pillow and had to admit that if it were light outside, she'd probably overslept her alarm. But Harry…

Harry.

Her eyes blinked open to look at the man beside her. Truly, completely beside her, not just the ghost of him. His skin still looked pale and waxy, and even with his eyes closed in sleep she could see the dark circles underneath. Ginny wanted so badly to reach out and touch him, to feel his touch, but she knew he needed sleep.

She turned her head to look at the clock. 7:30 am. If she hurried and skipped breakfast she could still make it to work on time. Her body protested and her head throbbed as she tried to ease out of bed without waking Harry. She should have known better.

Her foot hadn't even touched the ground before she felt his strong hands reach out and pull her back against him.

"No." He told her in a groggy voice. He wrapped both of his arms around her torso and buried his face in her neck. She had to smile despite herself. This was the Harry she knew.

"No?" She asked. She dragged her fingers through his hair and gazed down at him, still smiling like an idiot. Harry shook his head.

"No." He repeated, squeezing her a bit tighter. "Stay." He said. She felt his eyelashes against her skin as he opened his eyes. He pressed kisses against her neck and chest and she allowed herself a few minutes to hold him. She felt like she hadn't really had the opportunity to since he'd come back from his arrest.

Six days without him and his kisses and his hands tracing up her spine was more than she'd been able to handle. You lasted longer than I expected. Snape had said. I thought we'd be gone by day three.

Maybe she should have tried to leave earlier than she did, but she had convinced herself that their relationship was young and she didn't need his touch every second and that she could live like that. Clearly she'd been wrong. Oh, so wrong…

She groaned when Harry shifted down and she felt the cloth of her top pull down tight. She looked down just in time to see him drag her tank top down to reveal her breasts. She sucked in a breath and Harry raised his head to look up at her.

"Too early? I know I've been horrible. Do you need to go to work…?" He raised his hand to pull her shirt back up but she stopped him, holding her hand over his and keeping it on her chest.

"You have been horrible. You'll need to make it up to me." She grinned at him. Of course she forgave him. He'd slept a full night and had promised to keep himself in check. For her.

Her smile widened and she let the teeniest giggle escape her lips. For her.

She loved this man, and maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to love her to. As she laughed she noticed a shift in his face. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" she asked.

oOo

Harry had to fight to keep his mouth from falling open. He was so in awe of this girl. She just…forgave him! Just like that. She'd said as much last night, but he'd practically been inside her at the time, and he didn't trust a lot of things that were said during sex.

Especially sex as mind-blowing as theirs.

But she'd actually done it. Given him the gift of a second chance and all…for nothing. He'd barely even apologized last night. At least not enough to be proportional to his crimes. He blinked up at her, looking straight into her frowning eyes.

"I'm so in love with you." He blurted. He felt her freeze beneath him and her eyes grew wide. He scrambled and sat back on his knees, holding his hands out as if to stop what she might say.

"Ok, I didn't exactly say that right, but I meant it." He took a sharp breath in. He could not believe he'd just done that. "I know…I know that we're just on the other side of a f-…well, not a fight, but a….a rough patch. And I know that I have absolutely no right to say-even to think that after the way I've been acting…Gin…?"

Her hand had come up to cover her face and her shoulders had curled up. Was she crying? She's crying. You're an idiot. You made her cry by being horrible and insensitive and…a complete fuck up! He reached down hesitantly to rub a finger across her arm.

"Ginny don't cry. I'm not trying-"

He was abruptly cut off by her hand smacking into his arm. The hand that had recently been on her face. That came away to reveal tears…but also the most gorgeous smile Harry had ever seen in his life. His own mouth turned up hopefully in response.

Ginny reached down to tug her shirt up as she struggled to a sitting position. Harry reached down to help her and she reached up to his face.

"Of course I'm crying, you idiot!" She said. Her voice was hushed and she rose to kneel, copying his position. "A girl's allowed to do that when the man she loves tells her he loves her too." As she spoke, a tear fell down her face.

Harry's brain almost refused to process the words, but his grin kept growing on his face, even without his permission.

"I'm sorry. Did you…just say…?" He blinked at her and Ginny laughed.

"I love you, too." She told him, rolling her eyes at him because she'd have to repeat herself. "Oof!"

Harry didn't even think. He just launched himself at her, needing their lips closer. Needing everything closer. He pressed his mouth into hers and swore that he'd never stop.

Especially not now that he could feel Ginny smiling into their kiss, and her hands were on his neck not letting him move and she was using her tongue to drive him crazy. Harry smiled back into her, too.

"I love you." He said again. Just because he could. Ginny broke their kiss and laughed, arching her neck so perfectly that he had to lean down and have a taste. She shivered beautifully at the touch of his lips.

She tugged his hair and he immediately rose to kiss her again. He was completely at her disposal. Anything she wanted, he knew, he'd move heaven and earth. And if she wanted him, well then that was just fucking convenient, wasn't it? Because she could have as much of him as she wanted.

He skimmed his hands down her sides to grip the hem of her shirt. Ginny lifted up and helped him lose his own shirt. He didn't even enjoy the feeling of their skin, didn't have time as he reached down to push her boxers out of the way to find her center.

Her breath whooshed out and her body bowed off the bed. She reached up greedily to bring him back down to her mouth. She sighed when he brought his fingers lower, spreading her wetness to the very center of her. He circled teasingly around her opening and she squirmed and keened against him.

"I love that sound." He told her, watching the rapture on her face. "I love how responsive you are. I love being with you. I love-"

She cut him off with a kiss just as he speared a finger deep inside her. She froze and he felt teeth scrape against his mouth. She was biting her lip, trying to keep herself from crying out too loudly. Harry nuzzled her cheek and kept still inside her. He wanted her to lose control. He wanted her begging and screaming and fuck the guard outside, he loved her and wanted her to be his. Every inch, every sound was all his.

"Trying to stay quiet, Gin?" he asked, panting above her. She released her swollen lip and gasped his name.

"Say my name. Again. Tell me how you feel." He begged, moving, pushing further into her body.

"Harry." She repeated. "Harry please…" She broke off when he maneuvered to rub that one spot that always made her wild. She pressed her lips together to hold in a scream.

"Please what?" He demanded, driving himself as crazy as she felt. His cock was so hard it ached. He wanted nothing more than to make love to her. Now. But he wanted to give her this first. "Say my name. Tell me you love me." He whispered, stroking her faster. She made a sound deep in her throat.

"Harry. Yes…Love you so…so much please…Don't stop. Please…Harry!" She cried out and came hard around his finger. The breath froze in his throat while he watched her. Her eyes fluttered and her mouth parted in perfection. Breath rasped through his throat once more and he felt hoarse and raw.

When he finally shed his pants and pushed into her, they were both on the brink. He thrust in once, twice, three times before Ginny came apart underneath him and dragged him down as well. Harry groaned and ground himself harder into her, riding out the most amazing orgasm of his life. When he was through, he lowered himself as softly as he could onto his side so he didn't crush her. The proceeded to crush her to him fully.

"I love you…" Neither of them knew who said it first, or if it was at the exact same time. But they were both blissfully happy.

oOo

Ginny floated into work at eleven and couldn't even be bothered by the surreptitious looks of her co-workers. In the car over, Snape had been silent as usual, but even he'd smiled when he looked over at her, grinning like an idiot. She felt like going to the roof and screaming and jumping up and down. She wanted to turn and run back out the door to where she'd left Harry in bed.

"You're late." Colin's voice snapped at her as soon as she walked into her office. He was red and sweating. She smiled at him serenely.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. There was…a personal situation." She said, walking around her desk.

"I need the revisions you took home last night."

And just like that, her happiness shriveled just a little. She swallowed and turned to face her boss.

"I…I don't have them yet. I didn't-"

"You didn't do them?" Colin demanded. For just a moment, something flickered in his eyes, but Ginny blinked and it was gone.

"I'm sorry. There was a personal-"

"Personal situation. I got it. Listen, I'll take them unrevised. And don't worry about the new Bulls piece. I'm giving it to Mm-Romilda."

Ginny didn't even catch his stutter. "That's my team! You can't give that-"

"I can. I did. Let me know when you want to take your work seriously." With that, Colin strode quickly out her door. Ginny plopped down unceremoniously onto her chair and looked blankly out the door then up to Snape.

Her bodyguard was frowning at the door, as well.

"Do you have something to do?" He asked her softly. She pulled one of her stories out and looked sadly at the partially completed marks on it. Maybe if she finished quickly, Colin could give her another chance…? She nodded dejectedly and reached for a red pen.

"I'll be right back. I'm just stepping out to make a call." Ginny looked after him as he snapped the door shut after him. He sounded distracted. She shook her head, figuring he was off to call Harry and tell him that she was about to get fired. Because she essentially was.

Even though she hadn't done anything. If Colin hadn't given her so much work, she wouldn't have had to take it home. Everyone knew he was over working her. Maybe she should go ahead and quit. She'd at least be able to save her dignity…

Her door swung open and she lifted her head to ask Snape if she should just go, but her words caught before she could say anything.

"What are you doing here?' She asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

oOo

Harry groped the nightstand blindly, feeling for his phone. It was much too loud and he hadn't gotten enough sleep lately. His hand landed on the offending device and he hit the button to answer it, cutting off the incessant ringing. He registered voices coming from the other side of the line before he'd even put the phone up to his ear. His heart stopped cold.

"Seamus…calm down. Is that Snape in the back…? What are…" Suddenly, his head started buzzing and his blood felt like ice in his veins.

"What do you mean she's gone?"