a/n: Thanks to those of you who reviewed chapter one. Luckily because I'm on easter holidays I have plenty of time to write, though I err should be revising for my GCSEs. Ah well...enjoy

XXX

"I never thought I'd get to do that again," Harry murmured to Ginny when they broke apart. She placed a hand on his cheek, and leant in to graze his lips with hers lightly in response. She then led him over to a sofa, and he lay her down with him, snaking familiar arms around her waist. Sleep took them instantly, and they stirred no more.

--

Light was dancing across Harry's eyelids through the open window, but he did not make to open them. Instead he simply breathed in the flowery smell of Ginny Weasley, and placed a blind kiss atop her head. The next minute he heard the bickering voices of his two best friends drawing nearer from the staircase to the boys' dormitories. He stayed still, having no particular desire to be a part of one of Ron and Hermione's petty arguments. He had not suspected they would stop arguing when they finally got together, in fact he assumed it would simply increase.

"--Look, I just don't see how it's important that we invite him--" Ron was saying.

"Viktor's a really good friend of mine! And he was at Bill and Fleur's wedding, wasn't he? He should be there! He would want to celebrate Voldemort's downfall," Hermione countered.

"Alright, fine. Viktor's on the guest list. Suppose you wouldn't mind if I send Lavender Brown an owl, then? Seeing as she's a good friend of mine, I want her there too."

"Ron, I don't think you and Lavender exchanged a single word while you went out," Hermione said, sounding half-angry, half-amused.

"I'll have you know Lavender and I had many long talks in those few weeks we were together; in between snogging of course."

"Whatever, Won-Won," Hermione replied. Her voice was now very nearby, and her footsteps seemed to have subsided. "Ron, look…"

Harry kept his eyes tight shut, as he felt the rhythmic beat of Ginny's heart against his skin.

"Should we wake 'em up?" Ron said gruffly.

"No! Ron, you are so tactless!" Hermione replied exasperatedly.

"It's my best mate and my sister, Hermione!"

"Leave them be," Hermione said softly. Harry felt as if he could hear the smile in her voice. He then heard the sounds of a reluctant Ron being dragged away, and grinned slightly to himself. Once the portrait hole had swung shut, he felt Ginny wriggle slightly in his arms, and he opened his eyes at last.

"You awake?" he whispered in her ear.

She rolled over completely so that they were face to face.

"Morning," she said sleepily.

"Hey," he grinned.

She rubbed her nose against his, and whispered;

"You ready?"

"For what?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"To face the music…"

"Why don't I just get Kreacher to bring us some breakfast up here?" Harry suggested quickly, catching on.

"Harry you'll have to face them all sometime. It'll die down eventually," she said. "I'll be there."

He placed a gentle finger under her chin, and gave her a kiss. She smiled into his mouth, and murmured; "come on..."

"Fine…we'll go down for breakfast, and try and get out of there as quickly as possible," Harry consented reluctantly.

--

Half an hour later, just as Harry was crossing the threshold to the Great Hall, he felt a vulture-like hand enclose his wrist and drag him off down the hall. Looking up he saw the tight blonde ringlets and shocking red lipstick of a woman he most loathed to see. She released him and he tried to back away, but she had managed to corner him.

"Harry," leered Rita Skeeter. "I knew it all along of course! The chosen one! The prophecy! I was behind you all the way!" she paused, perhaps expecting some kind of warm welcome, but Harry merely glared. "Now, tell me Harry dear, during all those months you were on the run--"

"--I wasn't on the run, I was working on Dumbledore's orders," Harry interrupted with gritted teeth.

"Of course you were," she smiled still wider, baring her sparkling white teeth. "Now, then. Whilst you were on the run, how did you feel? Knowing all your friends and family were in danger? Knowing you couldn't help them?" She tilted her head thoughtfully, rummaging in her crocodile skin bag for her quick-quotes-quill. Harry's hand fumbled with his wand, and he fought desperately with the desire to blow her to pieces.

"I'm sorry, Rita, but I'm not telling anything to the person who wrote a book of lies about Dumbledore to make money!" Harry snarled.

"Ah. I see you're going to be difficult about this," she sighed dramatically. "I'm sorry to ruin your child's ideology of Saint Dumbledore. He was never honest with you though, was he Harry? Did he tell you all about his sister? Did you know about his Mother and Father?" She tilted her head the other way, talking in sweet tones which reminded Harry forcibly of Umbridge.

"No," Harry replied. "But--"

"How did it feel?" Rita advanced. "Your one big supporter, the one who you thought you could count on…not trusting you enough to confide? Our reader's would love to know I'm sure--"

Harry was spared having to answer her, because at that moment Ginny appeared at his side, eyeing Rita with an expression of disgust.

"Leave—him—alone."

Rita was momentarily taken aback, but quickly caught herself.

"Oh, the girlfriend! How lovely! The Weasley girl, correct? Well, I expect your family has given you their blessing; this could be their one claim to fame! Now, tell me dear--"

Her request was cut short as Ginny swiftly interrupted her with a quick demonstration of her uncanny ability with a Bat-Bogey hex, her face contorted with rage. As Rita stumbled backwards, cursing under her breath, McGonagall arrived on the scene.

"What on earth--" she said weakly, looking from Harry to Ginny to Rita to Ginny's wand. "Ah."

"McGonagall!" Rita screeched. "I think it best you learn to exercise some control over your students!"

"And I think it best you stay away from my school. Mr Potter and Miss Weasley have been through more than enough; neither needs to be cornered by a woman so vile that she attempts to emotionally exploit the boy who has just saved us all!" There was so much contempt in McGonagall's voice that Rita did not seem to have the will to cross her. She stood up with as much dignity as she could muster, mumbled the counterspell for Ginny's hex, and stormed out the front doors. Harry felt immense gratitude to both McGonagall and Ginny; the latter of which had now taken his hand.

"Come on, Potter, Weasley," McGonagall said kindly, leading them into the hall.

Whatever Harry had been expecting to happen the day after he vanquished Lord Voldemort, he was still not prepared for what happened next. As he walked into the lovingly familiar hall, every single man, woman or child got to their feet, clapping, cheering and raising their glasses to Harry Potter; the boy who lives. Many of the standing ovation had tears in their eyes; the children were looking awestruck, the adults smiling down at their saviour. He looked down at Ginny, trying to convey with a look how he felt; and saw that she too had tears in her eyes. Tightening her grip on his hand, she led him away from McGonagall and down the alleyways until they reached Gryffindor table. People immediately moved aside to make room for them, staring at Harry dazedly. Harry glanced down the table and saw Ron shrug helplessly, and Hermione smile at him with watery eyes. Ginny rested her head on Harry's shoulder, and he hugged her to him. The one person who could keep him sane.

"I'm glad you're here," he muttered to her, as people began gradually to sit down and avert their eyes.

"They only want to show you how grateful they are," she whispered kindly. "Everyone had lost hope; we all thought it was the end…soon they'll realise you'd rather be--"

But at that moment there was a blinding flash in front of Harry's eyes and for a moment all he saw was specks of light.

"Sorry—we don't want any photographs," he heard Ginny say, before the bench was scraped backwards and Gryffindors all around him stood up, shielding him from the Prophet reporter and drawing their wands.

"Leave him alone!" he heard a girl say. "Yeah, he doesn't need you to suck up to him after everything you've reported over the years," said another.

Eventually the dots of light cleared and as Harry's eyes focused he recognised the photographer at once. He had been subjected to having his photograph taken by him during the Triwizard tournament.

"You're Skeeter's photographer!" he said loudly.

"McGonagall's just banned her from the castle," Ginny addressed him. "I think that would include her photographer as well, wouldn't you?"

The pathetic man looked from Harry to Ginny to the many wands aimed his direction, and with an apologetic head tilt, scampered from the hall.

"Thank you," Harry said to them all. "I don't know what to--"

"Harry, dear!" Harry spun on his bench to see Mrs Weasley rushing over to him. In one fluid motion, she pulled him to his feet and squeezed him to within an inch of his life. "You were…you were incredible…" she sobbed. Harry patted her on the back awkwardly, feeling that unwelcome surge of guilt for Fred through the pit of his stomach once again. She seemed to interpret his silence correctly, and said to him; "Don't you dare blame yourself Harry, you're the reason we're all here today…"

He was just beginning to wonder how much more of it he could take, when McGonagall reappeared, with Kingsley Shacklebolt at her side. Kingsley held out a hand, and Harry shook it. Though only moments after Voldemort had been killed they had all rushed to him, now he was experiencing a more formal type of gratitude. "Thank you," Kingsley said in his deep, soothing voice. "We all owe you so much…"

"You don't owe me anything," Harry tried to say. "It was all Dumbledore…" But no one seemed to hear him in their desperation to thank him.

"Potter," McGonagall said, dabbing at her eyes behind her spectacles. "We need to have a meeting, about your future; Mr Weasley and Miss Granger also."

The future…

He glanced at Ginny, who was beaming and nodding encouragingly. Mrs Weasley placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Of course, Professor," said Harry, and McGonagall gestured him to follow her and Kingsley. He gave Ginny a kiss on the cheek, revelling slightly in the smooth skin, and followed on. He watched as McGonagall bent down to Ron and Hermione, who both nodded and rose from their seats. He caught up with them, and together they followed them out of the hall and up to McGonagall's familiar office. Once the door was closed behind them, Harry noticed McGonagall's tin of biscuits lay exactly where it had always been. The corners of his mouth twitched as he remembered his first careers meeting. McGonagall took her seat and motioned Hermione, Ron and Harry to sit down opposite. Kingsley lingered at McGonagall's side, still standing.

"Well, you three…" she began, sniffing slightly. "Where to begin?"

She paused for a moment, evidently choosing her words with care, and then went on.

"Harry, you've expressed a previous aspiration to become an auror? Correct?"

He nodded to her in reply, feeling an uncomfortable squirm; he had never completed the necessary qualifications.

"Well, now that you have vanquished Lord Voldemort I doubt it will be difficult for you to find work!" She chuckled slightly and glanced at Kingsley, who took over.

"However, since you have not completed your NEWT levels, you may not have the breadth of knowledge you need for the job. Therefore I'd advise you to return to Hogwarts and redo your seventh year. Does that sound suitable?" Kingsley asked him.

Harry nodded eagerly; returning to Hogwarts? It was almost too good to be true…he was being given a second chance...

"And Miss Granger, Mr Weasley? What do you wish to…?"

But Harry's mind wandered for the rest of their meeting; only gathering that Ron and Hermione would be coming back too. He, Harry, would be coming back to Hogwarts for another year; he'd be with Ginny…in Ginny's classes…and Ron and Hermione would be there too…

The future…he had a future...

--

Harry found her waiting for him in the common room, reading the Prophet with an unmistakable expression of revulsion. On seeing him approaching, she attempted to stash it under a cushion but he was too quick for her.

"What has Skeeter done now?" he asked in exasperation, taking it from her hands.

After glancing vaguely down at the article she had whipped up, stating that Harry was an arrogant and smug hero, revelling in his success and refusing to accept thanks, he cast it aside and said to Ginny indifferently;

"She moved fast didn't she?"

"Sorry, Harry," Ginny said with a worried expression. "She'll be sacked. She'll be sacked as soon as people read it and the prophet realises it won't sell."

"Oh, it doesn't matter to me anymore," Harry shrugged. "I've got something to tell you! McGonagall says me, Hermione and Ron are coming back next year to finish our NEWTs."

Ginny's eyes lit up and she leapt to her feet to give him a hug.

"Gin…" Harry said, as suddenly something that had been irking him for days came pouring out. "I'm not—I'm not going to lose you, am I?"

She looked into his frowning eyes and said softly; "Of course not…"

"I used to get out the map and watch your dot while we were searching for the Horcruxes…just to know you were okay…" he admitted, not knowing why it seemed important to tell her. "I missed you so much…" He reached out and traced a line down her cheek, over her lips, his fingers coming to rest underneath her chin; gazing into her soft brown eyes.

"Harry, you're not going to lose me," she replied firmly. "I've waited for exactly this since the first time I saw you," she smiled slightly. "I saw you on that platform, with your taped glasses and knobbly knees; and I realised you were--" But she bit back the rest of her sentence.

"You realised I was what?" he whispered. She maintained a bout of silence, and he couldn't resist her. He thought back to his early years of Hogwarts and remembered something. Leaning in as if to kiss her, he stopped inches from her lips and murmured; "Oh yeah, that's right…my eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad…" he smirked as he saw her eyes widen with horror.

"Oh no – please don't--" she began.

"My hair is as dark as a blackboard…"

She made to pull away from him slightly, but he held her close.

"And what was the rest? Oh yeah; I wish he was mine, he's truly divine, the hero who conquered the Dark Lord…"

He chuckled softly as she glared daggers at him, and to soften her he placed a kiss on her freckled nose.

"You remembered it," she said slowly, sounded both irritated and touched.

"Every word," he nodded. He leant in even closer, and their breath mingled; their heartbeats racing.

"Make me a deal Harry."

"Mm?" he inched closer still, no longer able to keep her face in focus.

"Don't ever repeat that awful thing again."

Grinning, he whispered; "deal." He gave her a light kiss, and then broke away to revert to his original question. "So what did you realise I was?"

She glanced up at him, the slightly faded colour in her cheeks returning as she hesitated. Ginny was not the type to embarrass easily; only Harry could have this effect on her. Some part of her hated it, and a larger part of her loved it. He looked down at her with imploring eyes.

"I realised you were the one," she said simply, before repeating; "So, you're not going to lose me..."

A small silence met this proclamation as Harry felt a swell of emotion rise up inside of him. She mistook his delay and looked down in humiliation, thinking she had said too much. She tried once again to wriggle free of his grasp, but he was too strong for her.

"Harry - let go--" she stuttered, angry and embarrassed tears springing to her eyes. But he held her tight, and then kissed her like he'd never kissed her before. Her grip slackened and she succumbed to it; it was passionate, meaningful and hungry. It reassured her, told her everything was okay, that he felt the same way. Harry moved even closer to her so that she could even feel his heartbeat above her own; his hand ran down her side, hers down his chest. And then he was pulling away, and she so desperately wanted him to stay with her; his lips to be on hers forever. But then Ginny felt as though Christmas had come early, as breathlessly he said;

"I love you."

XOX

A/N: reviews please.