A/N: I am a terrible Harry Potter fan and knew nothing of the family tree that J.K. Rowling had drawn out. Therefore I knew nothing of Dominique or Louis… Victorie, Molly, and Lucy are all Bill and Fleur's children.

Nightmare's Will Keep Us Together

Harry arrived home from practice completely and utterly exhausted. He knew that the whole week would be like this, they were really testing all of their strengths and weaknesses to find the best possible seven for the starting lineup. Harry thought that he had certainly proved his worth when he was dangling from his broom from one hand, but still managed to aim a kick at the snitch, much like a hacky sack and knock it into his hand. Harry chuckled to himself when he remembered the look of astonishment on Wood's face.

Even though he had showered at the pitch Harry stepped into the shower again, letting the hot water flow over his neck and back. He felt his muscles begin to relax almost immediately. He needed to be as relaxed as possible before he went to bed. The more relaxed he was, the longer it took for the nightmares to start. Ginny wouldn't be home until midnight and with the day he had, he knew he would crash long before that. He counted himself lucky that he had not had a nightmare the night before. He had an odd suspicion in his gut that the clap of thunder had waked him up just before they were due to start. The thunder had sounded oddly like a hex being thrown, and hitting a Hogwarts statue.

He moved quickly from the shower and began one of his other favorite calming activities, cooking. He knew that he would be the only one home to eat it, but he loved cooking. He would just leave a plate for Ginny under a warming charm.

It was six when he began to prepare braised pork loin, garlic onion potatoes, and pan seared lemon string beans. It was seven thirty by the time he dove into his creation, by nine after washing the dishes, setting a warming charm, and taking another long relaxing shower, he was crawling into bed, wishing for Ginny to get off of early.

Ginny arrived home from work completely and utterly exhausted. She looked at her watch; it was going on one in the morning. When she was scheduled to leave she was in the middle of a very difficult birth, and was not switching out with a Medi-Witch that wasn't versed in the needs of the patient. She had stayed and seen the birth through. Now she was beat. She was almost ready to just march straight back to bed and fall asleep in her work robes when she spied the steam coming off of the plate of braised pork loin sitting on the island counter. She suddenly realized just how hungry she was and after changing out of her work robes and into Harry's boxers and a tank top she attacked to plate with vigor. She was a Weasley after all.

It was quarter after one as she was setting her plate to be washed in the morning that she heard the distressing tone leak from down the hall.

Harry.

She darted down the hall and skidded into the bedroom as she heard him scream "no!" into the dark room. She hurried to the bed where he was tossing and turning and slipped in next to him. She wrapped a pale arm around his waist and pulled his back to her stomach. Soon his quivering began to slow and his mutterings ceased. She felt him relax in her arms. She kissed the back of his head gently. Harry was sleeping peacefully now, but she was wide awake.

How could I have been so selfish? She asked herself. I've been going on about what this means for me and what I want, and if Harry thinks that we're together now, but I've never once stopped to think about him. If he is the only one who I can sleep with for the rest of my life then that means I'm it for him too. He has nightmares just as bad as I do, and where was I when I needed him? Thinking about if I actually wanted to spend the rest of my life with him as I ate that wonderful dinner that he had made for me. Ginny thought savagely. I'm such a prat. He needs me as much as I need him. Ginny suddenly came to a realization. And that need bonds us, it creates a relationship.

Suddenly Ginny had no problem with the prospect of spending the rest of her life sleeping next to Harry Potter.

But I haven't even considered what he wants yet. What if he doesn't want to?

He has to. The voice demanded.

No, he doesn't. I won't make him. If I've decided anything at all tonight it's that I want Harry to be happy, even if he's not with me, even if I have to have nightmares every day for the rest of my life. It's worth it, for everything that he's done for me. I just want him to be happy because I…

Because what dear?

Because I…

Come on, out with it.

Because I love him. I love this boy… this man… I love this boy that slipped into becoming a man before my very eyes and I didn't even realize it.

What was that?

I love Harry Potter. Ginny decided firmly, throwing the voice out of her head, before her eyes closed softly and she drifted off happily to sleep.

Ginny awoke smiling at five thirty in the morning. She slipped out of bed silently with the intention of cooking up a big breakfast for Harry to say thank you for all that he had done for her this past week. Plus, she desperately needed to talk to him about what was or was not going on between them. She needed to know if he returned the feeling.

When she reached the end of the hall she found that her idea had been commandeered by Hermione, and presumably Ron who at the moment was snoring with his head in his hands at the counter.

"Let me guess," Hermione insisted astutely. "you wanted to cook Harry breakfast to show your appreciation?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Something like that yeah." Ginny replied shrugging slightly.

"Good." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "You can help me then. Ron's no use." She said jerking her thumb behind her toward the snoring form of her husband.

Ginny suppressed a laugh as she moved into the kitchen to help Hermione prepare breakfast. Just as they were piling sausages high on a plate right in front of Ron's nose Ginny grabbed a pot and a metal spoon. She placed the pot near Ron's ear and rattled the spoon inside. Ron woke up so fast that he threw himself off of his stool and almost tipped a pitcher of pumpkin juice onto the floor. Ginny caught the juice, but allowed Ron to fall to the floor with a hard thud.

She was standing at the end of the counter laughing at him, as he struggled to get back on his stool due to his shock when she felt a hand rest on her him.

Harry she sighed inwardly.

As Harry strode down the hall he was vaguely aware of Ginny putting an end to his nightmares the night before. He was pleasantly surprised to find her standing at the end of the island, in a tank top, instead of a t-shirt, showing off all of her glorious freckles. He knew that he couldn't contain himself, so he tried to keep it friendly, and did something that he would normally do.

He placed a hand on her waist. He bent down and kissed her shoulder, then ran his hand across the small of her back and kissed her other shoulders.

Ginny tried to keep her face from showing its bliss. Harry had just kissed her shoulder. It was something that he had done a million times but this time his lips seemed to linger longer, as if they never wanted to let go. It was as if the only reason the kiss stopped was because someone was prying him away. Goosebumps traveled up her spine, as his hand traveled across it. The second kiss was short, as it normally would have been, but she could have swore that she felt his teeth rake lightly across her skin.

Ginny felt like he was going to erupt when Ron yelled. "Oi, what's that all about?"

Hermione smacked Ron on the back of the head. "Oh come on! It's not like you haven't seen it before! You know Harry loves freckles! He's always kissing her shoulders, just like he's always kissing her cheek and her forehead."

Hermione had burst her bubble of elation. He did kiss her shoulders all the time. Maybe she was just imagining the additional sexiness because she wanted to. She didn't know what to think now, but she couldn't say anything to him in front of Ron and Hermione. Why were they even here anyway? Suddenly she remembered the purpose of the breakfast.

"Surprise, Harry!" she yelled gesturing to the table laden with breakfast. "We've made you breakfast for all of the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that you have prepared for us."

"We just wanted you to know that we do know how to fend for ourselves, even if it seems like we can't." This comment earned Ron a smack on the head from both Ginny and Hermione as they rattled on about how there was no way Ron could fend for himself, as he had spent the whole morning sleeping upright as they had made breakfast.

"Thanks guys!" Harry yelled over the din as his friends continued to argue.

By the start of the second practice of the day Harry was kicking himself for kissing Ginny on the shoulders like that. What was he thinking when he had touched her skin with his teeth? He was thinking that after that first kiss it was like a drug and he needed more of it. Ginny was working a normal shift from seven to five and he was dreading the fact that he would actually have the chance to talk to her. He knew he had to get his feelings out or he would drive himself insane. He was just scared to death that she wouldn't feel the same way and that she would subject herself to nightmares just to get away from him.

But what about my nightmares then? Can I really move on from her after this?

"Get your head on the pitch, Potter!" Wood shouted at him as he drifted near the goal posts. He had narrowly missed being hit by a bludger. "I don't know what you think you're doing out there, but you're never going to be the starting seeker if you plan on flying like that!"

Harry shook his head, trying to clear it of all thoughts of Ginny Weasley. It was an impossible feat. His lips still tingled where they had touched her shoulder.

Ginny thought she could still feel a pleasant prickling where Harry's lips had graced her shoulders that morning. She was walking aimlessly through St. Mugo's waiting for her wand to vibrate, but she didn't expect it too. No witch that she knew of was due today. She had checked and double checked on the women that were still under the twenty-four hour observation window. She stopped at the window to the New Born Center and placed her forehead against the cool glass. She was so confused.

"What is wrong with me? How can I feel so happy, yet so upset at the same time?"

"Nothing's wrong with you." Came the voice that had been in her head for so long, that stupid voice that sounded so much like Hermione's nagging.

"You have no idea." She muttered against the glass.

"Yes I do."

A hand rested on Ginny's shoulder and she whirled around, whipping her wand out of its compartment in her robes as she did so. She found herself pointing it right into the face of Hermione Granger.

"Hermione… but… but you? How? What?"

"Ginny, calm down." Hermione pleaded as she placed both hands on Ginny's shoulders now. "It's just me, you know, your best friend, Hermione."

"Yeah, I know." Ginny breathed. "But how did you know what it was thinking?"

"Thinking?" Hermione's compassionate face twisted into one of confusion. "Ginny, you were muttering to yourself."

"Out loud?"

"Yes."

"But you sounded so much like…" Ginny trailed off.

"What exactly do I sound like, that I scared you half out of your wits? Am I to be a monster or something?" Hermione demanded.

"No," Ginny said carefully. "You sound just like the voice in my head."

Hermione shook her head in amusement. "We've got to get some food in you. I was coming by to see if you wanted to get lunch with me on your break anyway." Hermione looked at her watch. "It should start in three minutes, if I looked at your schedule correctly that is."

Ginny examined her watch as well. "Oh yeah." She stated lazily. "I guess it is. I must have lost track of the time."

"Good," Hermione stated, linking her arm through Ginny's. "Then we can eat together and sort out this voices in your head business."

Ginny had to laugh; even she knew that she sounded crazy.

Ten minutes later Hermione was pushing a large mug of coffee across the table to her at a small restaurant down the street from St. Mugo's.

"So why is my voice talking to you inside your head?"

Ginny wasn't sure how long she could keep this bottled up for. It was only Hermione after all; there was no harm in telling her.

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone. Not even Ron. You have to swear to it."

"I promise." Ginny glared at her. "All right, I swear, I swear!"

"Well I've…" Ginny took a deep breath. "I've been trying to sort out my feelings for Harry." She said quickly and quietly hoping that Hermione wouldn't hear and would miraculously decide to drop it.

Instead, Hermione began to chuckle. She looked down into her coffee and began to chuckle.

"So, what do I say when I'm the voice inside your head?" Hermione spat out between her chuckles.

"You're the voice of reason…" Ginny explained slowly. "I don't exactly see what is so funny here!" She shouted at Hermione. "I'm in a terribly difficult situation. What if he doesn't want to be with me? I mean we've been best friends for six years! What if that's as far as he ever wants it to go?"

Hermione was now shaking with laughter. "You mean to tell me, that you've been sorting this out in your head and you've decided that you like him? As something more than a friend?"

Ginny nodded her head slowly. "Will you stop laughing at me? I know it's a bit far-fetched but it's not the craziest thing in the world! Luna's father is still searching for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks's out there!"

Hermione's laughter roared louder still at the mention of the elusive creature.

"Hermione, could you please stop laughing! I've just told you that I love Harry, my best friend for six years and roommate for three and all you can do is laugh at me. I don't know what's gotten into you but I'm leaving." She stood up to leave when she felt a hand on her wrist. She looked back down into the now serious face of Hermione Granger.

"You didn't say that you loved him before."

"I didn't? Oh…"

"You really love him?"

Ginny nodded. "You helped me realize it! Well, the you inside my head. Do you think there's a change that he might like me as well?"

"Ginny," Hermione said weakly. "Don't be mad at Harry, but he told me everything."

"Everything?" Ginny inquired. "What exactly is everything?"

"Under sworn secrecy he told me about the nightmares, and why you always have people sleeping over, and why you sleep with each other, he told me about the…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word, "incident with Evan the other night. He also told me that when Kyle was waiting for you the other night he was so jealous of him that he wanted to gauge his eyes out with that sauce spoon he was still holding rather menacingly when I got there."

"He told you this before Kyle left that night?"

Hermione nodded her head.

"Did he tell you why Kyle left that night?"

Hermione shook her head as she took a sip of her tea. "No I haven't been able to talk to him about it since. Why? Is there a special reason that Kyle left?"

Ginny nodded. "Well what Harry thinks happened, and I agree with him, is that after what Evan did to me, my body while I was sleeping, won't trust anyone that I don't completely and utterly trust, even if my mind thinks I do. So at the moment…" she trailed off.

"At the moment, Harry is the only person that can keep away the nightmares." Hermione said, almost in a whisper.

Ginny nodded.

"So is that when you decided that you loved him?"

Ginny shook her head. "Last night, I got home from work, and I was just getting done eating when I heard Harry scream. If he's the only man that can keep my nightmares away, then he needs me as much as I need him. I just realized that I don't just need him, I love him."

"He loves you too, Ginny. Now all you've got to do is say that to each other."