Chapter 5: Kissing Temptation.

Ginny set Hermione's bags down next to her bed and she flopped down on her windowsill seat. She looked out into the yard where Bill and Fleur were walking, and she saw several owls fly by. She briefly closed her eyes as someone knocked on the door.

"Come in,"

Harry opened the door and she looked away as he came closer to her.

"Harry…I don't…"

"We need to."

He sat down beside her and tried to meet her gaze but she wouldn't let their eyes meet.

"What's wrong?"

Ginny's cheeks turned red as she replied, "Everything…Fred's dead…I'll never see my brother again. I need to accept that, because apparently everyone else has!" The last remark was said with a hint of disgust.

"You take your time with accepting that. But what else Ginny; why can't you look me in the eyes?"

She closed her eyes and crossed her arms, and had no intention of answering. But Harry could match her stubbornness easily.

"Tell me Ginny please…"

Again she made no response. So Harry kept at it until finally she threw her hands up and screamed…

"I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU!"

Ginny, startled by her own reaction, turned away and went to stand up, but Harry held her arm.

"Ginny…you are not going to lose me. Voldemort is gone. We don't have to live in fear."

"I could still lose you! Fred's death was senseless! And what about Tonks and Lupin! They just had a baby! Snape! Dumbledore! Cedric! Mad-Eye! Sirius! Dobby! It's all so senseless!" she screamed at him until she fell back against the wall crying so hard her words wouldn't come out.

"Ginny," Harry said as he reached out to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and she shrugged away from his touch. He kept on though.

"Ginny, all those deaths were senseless yes, but they all happened because of Voldemort. There is no more evil, there are no more Death Eaters, there are no more senseless acts of violence."

When she responded with only sobs, Harry scooted closer to her and put his arms around her. Reluctant at first she tried to break from his embrace but quickly gave up. Her stress had caused her exhaustion. Harry brushed away the red hair cascading over her shoulders, and saw the tears falling from her beautiful brown eyes. He wiped them away and leaned onto her shoulder so that they were cheek to cheek. When her sobbing calmed down, she slowly turned toward Harry, and finally looked into his eyes…his gem like emerald-green eyes. She didn't even realize they were leaning toward one another.

Their lips met. Harry slid his hand up her back and held the nape of her neck. Her hand slid up from his chest up onto his cheek. Shivers ran up her spine as his tongue swept across her bottom lip. All of the sudden, frightening images that haunted her in her nightmares came to her mind. Her eyes flew open and she pushed Harry away.

"No…no…" was all she could say as she stood up and paced the floor.

"Gin?" Harry asked as he walked over to her. She jumped back at each step her took near her.

"Harry, please…just go," she said sounding half nervous, half frightened to death.

"Ginny…I'm not going to-"

"Harry, I can't do this! Please just leave me alone!"

"Ginny look at me…Ginny!" He walked in front of her and lifted her chin up and looked into her eyes.

"Ginny I love-"

"NO!" she screamed as she pushed him back. She raised a finger to him as the color faded from her face. "DO NOT say that to me. DO NOT SAY THAT TO ME! If I get close to you again and something happens…it will be all the more painful!"

"But Ginny nothing will happen-"

"DO NOT SAY THAT TO ME! YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" she screamed hysterically this time. She opened the door and pointed out. "Please leave me be…"

When he didn't move Ginny pulled out her wand and said, "Don't make me jinx you out of here."

Harry, hanging his head low, walked slowly out the door, and as he turned around to say something Ginny slammed the door in his face.