Molly looked up from where she had begun to prepare dinner as she heard a loud pop come from the boundary of The Burrow. Out of the kitchen window, she could see her only daughter and her boyfriend slowly strolling up the path towards the house. She could not help but smile as she watched them walk close together, holding hands, trading kisses and exchanging what she believed to be whispered words of love. It appeared to her that wherever it was that they had been today had done them both the world of good as she could see their happiness radiating from their eyes.
As she watched them stop close to the house to exchange words, before heading towards the garden, she thought back over the events of the past 24 hours and the relationship between Harry and Ginny. Despite her undeniable grief at the loss and burial of her son, she had noticed the unconditional love and support the young couple provided each other throughout the day. It gave her hope that despite all they had been through over the years, the pair would find a way to push past the pain and grief caused by the war. This had led to the late night conversation with Arthur as to whether they should break their house rule of allowing the young couple to share a room before they were married.
They had discussed the events of the past seven years and the role both Harry and Ginny had played in the war, both being at the forefront of the resistance against Voldemort. They recognised that as a result of all of this, both teenagers had been forced to grow up sooner than necessary, as their childhoods had been abruptly ripped away from them. They also realised that the young couple must have dated for a short period the year before, only to be then forced to separate not long after finding each other. This was confirmed to them that morning and had made their decision easier to make.
What had impressed Molly most though was the maturity with which they had handled the argument with Ginny's brothers and the complete lack of embarrassment of openly expressing their feelings for each other in front of the family. It was this, along with their nearly yearlong separation that had convinced her that Ginny would not be returning to The Burrow when she finished Hogwarts, but would be wherever it was that Harry would be living by then. She knew whatever decisions either one of them now made about the future would be made together. So for those reasons, Arthur and Molly felt it was only right to support them in whatever they chose to do.
Just as the young couple were about to reach the door, Harry stopped, looked up at the house he had come to consider his home and then turned back to look at Ginny.
"That's what I want," he said as he pointed towards the house. "I want a home which is filled with love, happiness and children. I want what you and your family have here. I want what I never got to have, what I never got to experience with my own parents. But most of all, I want to share all of that with you."
"And I want to share all of that with you too. We can have that life together," Ginny replied as she looked up at Harry with tears glistening in her eyes.
"Thank you for coming with me today. I don't think I could have gone into the house by myself," Harry paused and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Can we go and sit down by the pond for a bit? I'm not quite ready to go back inside yet."
"There's nothing I would rather do right now," she replied as she took Harry's hand and led him down to what had become their favourite spot by the pond.
Harry felt relaxed as he lay on the grass by the pond, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin and the weight of Ginny's body leaning against his. He knew that it was for moments like these with Ginny that he had fought so hard for and that he so nearly missed out on having. With that thought, he carefully extracted himself from underneath Ginny and rolled onto his side, his head propped up on his hand, to face her.
"I think it is time for me to stop brooding and time for us to do what you suggested earlier," Harry said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
Ginny pushed herself up and sat looking at him, wide-eyed in shock at what he had just said.
"Ok, who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?"
Harry chuckled at her response.
"I know, I know! It is unlike me, but these last couple of weeks…..actually more like the last couple of years or so have been so emotionally draining for me that I just feel the need to talk about something happier, more positive. I quite liked the idea you had for us to start planning our future."
Ginny smiled widely, before leaning down to give Harry a passionate kiss, only parting when they felt the need to breathe. Ginny couldn't help the smile on her face as she sat back to continue the conversation Harry had begun.
"Ok, let's start planning our future," she said excitedly. "Where do you want to begin?"
Harry furrowed his brow as he thought about all the things he wanted to discuss with Ginny before coming to a decision. He sat up and faced her with a look of concern on his face.
"Well, I think we need to start by figuring out where we will both be come this September. Will it be at Hogwarts, the Ministry or elsewhere?"
Ginny understood the look of concern on his face, realising it probably meant they were going to be separated for yet another year. However, she knew this time that they would be able to communicate by letters and still see each other on occasion.
"Well, I don't particularly want to go back to school, but I know that I will. I mean it is going to be hard to go back there with everything that happened this past year and it will be especially hard because it was where we lost…..F-Fred," Ginny began, as a couple of tears trickled down her cheek as she remembered her brother. "However, I feel like that if I don't go back then despite him being dead, Tom still wins somehow, if that makes any sense. Plus I think mum might kill me though if I didn't go back."
Harry reached out and wiped away the tears with his thumbs and then held one hand to her cheek. Ginny turned her face into his palm, relishing in the comfort he was providing, before looking up into his eyes. She recognised his understanding of her pain but also saw what she knew was coming, he wasn't coming back with her to school. She wasn't surprised as they had spoken about the offer Kingsley had made him before they had returned to The Burrow. She had told him that it was ultimately his decision and that she would support him no matter what he decided to do.
"You're not going to be with me at Hogwarts, are you?" Ginny sadly questioned him. "I take it you have decided to take Kingsley up on his offer?"
"Yeah, I am," Harry answered concerned at what her reaction would be. "You're not upset that we will be separated again, are you?"
"No, Harry, I'm not. I told you I would support you no matter what your decision was. It's just going to be difficult to be apart from you again so soon after I have got you back."
"I know. I honestly thought about saying no after everything I have been through since I was 11, but I don't think I can walk away from this. I mean I have wanted to be an Auror since my 4th year. Even more so since I was told I could be good at it, even if it was fake Moody who told me that. It just makes sense to me to say yes as I honestly don't think I could be happy in any other job. Attending those funerals seemed to seal that decision for me. Each one reminded me of the cost we had to pay to defeat Tom, but it doesn't stop others from trying to take his place. By becoming an Auror, I can at least try to keep those people from doing so, if possible."
"To be honest, I am not surprised by your decision at all. I think I would have been more shocked if you had decided to come back to Hogwarts instead. Just promise me that you will not do anything crazy and at least try to keep safe and be careful. We have been through so much to get to this point, this moment that I couldn't bear to lose you after nearly doing so."
Harry took both of her hands in his and looked into her eyes, melting at just how beautiful they were.
"I promise I will try to be careful and stay safe," he said sincerely, though both knew there was never any guarantee.
"Thank you. Also promise me you will at least try to get to as many Hogsmeade weekends and as many of my quidditch matches as you can as well," Ginny continued. "Oh and if Slughorn has another one of his parties, then I expect you to be there as my date."
Harry laughed at her last request, remembering the Christmas Party in his 6supth/sup year and knowing she was serious.
"Slughorn's parties, I will be there no matter what," he promised. "Hogsmeade weekends and Quidditch matches, those I can definitely promise!"
A sly grin spread across Harry's face.
"Oh I know that look mister! What exactly are you planning?" Ginny asked him suspiciously with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not planning anything," Harry said, feigning innocence. He bit back a laugh before continuing. "Ok, I am! I have a meeting with Kingsley in a couple of days and I planned on asking for some conditions in agreement to me working for the Ministry. I just figured that after everything the Ministry has put me through these last few years that perhaps they owe me for what they did. I know it is cheeky and you know I would never use my name for anything but if they want me there, then I need to know they have changed."
"I have to say I agree with you on that, especially if it means you being there to take me to Hogsmeade or cheering me on at my quidditch matches. I doubt Kingsley will deny you of your request. He knows just how much you have been through and what the Ministry has done to you over the years."
Harry leaned over and gave a soft kiss on the lips.
"Thank you," he said, happy at the support she was giving him. "So that puts you at Hogwarts and me at the Ministry come September then." He paused so he could gather his courage to bring up something he knew could be potentially awkward for the both of them. "Umm, I wanted to talk about the fact that we will be sharing a room and a bed from now on."
Harry dragged one hand nervously through his hair, uncertain how to broach the subject he wanted to talk about. As he brought his hand back down, a smaller one caught it causing him to look back up at Ginny. He could see the look of understanding in her eyes.
"It's ok, Harry. I think I know what you want to say and I think we are on the same page. While I am absolutely ecstatic to be sharing a room and a bed with you, I'm not quite ready for us to make love yet." She paused as she gathered her thoughts while also noticing the relief in Harry's eyes. "And it's not because I don't want to, because I do and I want my first time, our first time to be with each other. And that's not to say we cannot do other things instead, but I just feel like we need to get past the emotional toll that this war has taken on us before we take that step."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, happy that they were thinking along the same lines.
"I am honestly so relieved you said that. I really did think this would be awkward to talk about with you," Harry said in reply. "I don't particularly want to be separated from you after taking that step either. I'm not sure either of us would want to be after sharing something as special as that."
"I agree. Plus, I think, even though they didn't say it earlier, that my parents will expect us to show some restraint, despite them allowing us to share a bed. I think by letting us do so is their way of accepting our relationship by giving us what we need right now and showing me they are ready to let me go and understanding I am no longer a child." Ginny smiled at this thought, hoping she was right in her assumptions. She was not willing to be parted from Harry any more, with the exception of this coming school year, no matter what her parents or brothers thought.
"So we are agreed on the fact we should leave any more big steps in our relationship until you have completed your final year at Hogwarts?" Harry questioned, though he knew what her answer would be.
"The big steps?" Ginny immediately countered, ignoring Harry's question.
"Yeah, the big steps, you know like moving in together, getting married, having children," Harry responded as he began to blush.
"You have actually thought about that stuff?" Ginny couldn't help but question him. While they had talked of the future back at Hogwarts, but they have never really spoken of these things.
"I do now. I did a lot this past year. Watching you at Bill and Fleur's wedding was really hard for me, when all I wanted to do was dance with you. During the ceremony, all I could picture in my head was you getting married to some faceless stranger, while desperately wishing it could me." Harry ducked his head in embarrassment at his admission.
Ginny was shocked to hear that he had been thinking about their future or at least her future for longer than she had realised. He had made it clear from the moment they reunited he had wanted to be with her always, but she never knew he had been thinking it for so much longer. She placed a hand under his chin and carefully lifted his head until his eyes met hers.
"I have never planned on marrying some faceless stranger. Even last year when you pushed me away, even when I knew I could lose you due to this war, it was only you I wanted to marry, it has always been you, no one else," she replied as she watched his eyes go wide-eyed in shock and love from her words. "You are the only person I have ever wanted to be with. You are it for me, Harry."
"You are it for me too, Gin. You have been from the moment I first kissed you."
Ginny grinned at his words, before throwing herself into his arms and drawing him into a passionate and heated kiss.
"So where were we?" Ginny asked sometime later after a rather passionate snogging session.
"Oh, umm, we were talking about the big steps we would take in our relationship after you were done with school," Harry replied, slightly dazed and with a big goofy grin on his face.
Ginny couldn't help but laugh at the smile on Harry's face, something she had really missed seeing this past year.
"Ok, you are going have to stop with the smiling. You're distracting me!" Ginny said, struggling to contain her laughter.
"Actually, before we continue that conversation, I just wondered where you were planning on living. I mean, are you planning on staying here or are you going to move into Grimmauld Place?" Ginny immediately regretted asking the moment she saw Harry's face drop. Kicking herself mentally, she reached out and tenderly touched Harry's cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dredge up the past."
"No, it's ok. It's fine, really," he replied, waving off her apology. "We can't avoid talking about the past all the time. Sometimes it will need to be brought up. Anyway, I have been thinking about it. I am not sure I want to live at Grimmauld Place, at least not permanently. It just holds far too many memories for me and not good ones. I am not too sure what to do with it right now. Perhaps I could refurbish it and keep it as somewhere to stay when I am in London and need it. But before I can even do that, I need to find out what happened after we left last year, whether it has been trashed or had any curses or traps left by the Death Eaters."
"Has Kreacher not been back there yet?"
"I never thought to ask him. I just asked him to stay Hogwarts to help with the clean up and rebuilding unless I called him. Even so, I think this is something I need to do myself."
"I can understand that. We can ask Bill to come along and help check it over for us." Ginny suggested.
Harry smiled at her use of 'we' and 'us'.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I am not in rush to sort it out, but I think the sooner we do, the better."
"We can ask him later to help and see what day suits him best," Ginny paused for a second and looked up at Harry cautiously. "Does that mean you are staying here for the mean time?"
Harry felt his cheeks flush from embarrassment.
"There's no need to be embarrassed, Harry. Whatever it is, you know you can tell me," Ginny said soothingly.
"I know I can. It's just…..it is probably going to sound really stupid," Harry paused to try and figure out how to word what he wanted to say. He knew Ginny would not judge him, it was one of the things he loved most about her, but that did not make it any easier to confess to what it was he wanted. "I figured I could stay here for a while. I know you all complain but I like it when your mum fusses over me and right now, I feel like that is something I need and perhaps something your mum needs as well. I thought I could just enjoy being part of a family for a while, before I move out."
"Oh Harry, that doesn't sound stupid at all. It makes complete sense to me and Mum will love being able to fuss over you. It will give her an excuse to fatten you up!"
"Well I only planned to stay until you finished Hogwarts."
Ginny frowned at the comment.
"I was actually thinking, Gin, that perhaps when you have completed school that we could, you know, umm, move in together, find our own place, umm, if you wanted to, that is," Harry suggested nervously as he rubbed the back his neck.
Ginny smiled widely, her heart bursting with joy at his suggestion. She had hoped that they could find their own place and move in together but she didn't want to push Harry into it before he was ready.
"Yes, I would love that. It is exactly I want. To finish school and start our lives together immediately!"
"Really?" Harry was shocked, half expecting Ginny to tell him she wanted to wait until they got married.
"The simple fact is I want to be wherever you are. Obviously with the exception of this coming school year. But the moment I step off that train next June, I want to be with you, I want to live you wherever that may be."
Ginny had barely finished speaking those words when Harry, filled with happiness, swooped in and kissed her.
A short time later, Harry and Ginny were again lying down in the sun, cuddled up to one another.
"Ok," Ginny said as she broke the silence. "What about marriage and children?"
"Well you already know I want to marry you. And while I don't want waste any more time, I also don't want to rush into everything," Harry explained. "So I figured, when the time is right, I will propose to you. I just don't want you worrying about trying to plan a wedding while trying to enjoy your final year at school or when you start playing for the Harpies."
"That's if I make it onto the team. And I can't believe you remembered I wanted to play for the Holyhead Harpies!" Ginny looked up at him, disbelief in her eyes at him remembering one of her dreams.
Harry smiled at her.
"Of course, I remembered. You told me last year. It is not hard to forget when you flew so well for the Gryffindor team that year," he explained. "Anyway, you will make it. I have no doubts about that. I plan to be at your first game and every one you play in after that!"
"But that would mean no children for us for a while!"
"Well when you are ready, we will have them. There's no rush! How many do you want?"
"I have never really thought about it. I mean I don't think I could have as many as my mum did. I would love at least one boy and one girl though. What about you?"
"Same as you. One boy, one girl at least!"
"I have to say I am really surprised we are having this conversation. I mean I know we have spoken about the fact we want to get married and be together, but this just makes it all the more real, you know, planning everything we want for our future," Ginny said, happy, yet shocked at everything they had discussed.
"To be honest, I never thought I would live past fighting with Voldemort. I always thought I would die trying to defeat him or at least take him down with me. That meant to me never being able to have my own family, which is the one thing I have always wanted. Now I have nothing stopping me from living my own life, I don't want to waste any more time, but like I said before I don't want to rush into anything. All I know is that I want to spend my life with you, so to me it makes sense that plans I make need to include you. It helps though to talk about things like this with you, like it has talking about my past. It means I can make a start on moving on from everything and towards that future with you. But it is going to take time."
"And moving on from everything meant us taking a trip to Godric's Hollow today?" Ginny asked, happy at Harry's openness with her. "Plus, I am guessing, whatever else it is you have in mind for this week."
"Yeah, it was. I need to start putting the past behind me the best that I can and that would mean going to see The Dursleys at some point. But at the same time, I need to begin moving forward and that means going to visit Teddy," Harry replied. "Plus I need to meet with Kingsley. I think there are few things he needs to talk me about besides me working at the Ministry. I also need to go to Gringotts after that and deal with the Goblins and the consequences of breaking in."
"What do you want me to come with you to then?" Ginny inquired.
"Kingsley's meeting is just for me, but Bill has arranged for me an appointment at Gringotts afterwards, so you can come to that. I will need you with me when I go and see the Dursleys and obviously I want you to come and see Teddy as he is going to be a big part of both of our lives."
"I will be more than happy to come and support you with all of that," Ginny said just as her stomach gave a loud rumble, causing them both to laugh. "I think we should head back now, cos my stomach has made it clear that it needs food!"
Harry continued laughing as he stood up and helped Ginny to her feet.
"You are most definitely a Weasley!" he said as they began to walk back towards the house.