The following Monday was the beginning of the school rebuilding process. They got up and dressed early and then apparated to Hogsmeade. The village was deserted. Even the Three Broomsticks was not operating today. It felt horribly eerie and Ginny moved closer to Harry and grabbed his hand. She did not like the unusual isolated loneliness feeling.

They walked in silence towards the castle gates. No-one really knew what to say. They were going to help repair their beloved school and they hadn't really felt like returning when they woke up in the morning. Ginny recalled a conversation she'd had last night with Harry before they went to sleep:

Flashback:

They were washing dishes together in silence. Ginny's thoughts were on going back to school tomorrow and seeing how truly damaged the place would look. She somewhat feared it. How on earth were they going to repair so much of it?

She glanced at Harry out of the corner of her eyes. She was worried about him. He had been off all evening. Quiet, but not in a moping kind of way. Eventually he said softly, "I don't want to go back tomorrow." It was sudden, and Ginny found herself to be nodding instinctively, "Me neither. I'm scared of what I'll see. Of how much damage there is." Harry grimaced and shook his head, "It's going to be so hard. I don't know if I can face it." Ginny paused in washing and dried her hands. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Hey, as long as we're in this together, we can face anything."
This caused Harry to cease washing, dry his hands, and wrap his arms around her too. She always felt so protected when he held her in his arms like this. Like she was a little girl again and nothing in the world could hurt her. He kissed her on top of her head and Ginny felt so drawn to him. She looked up and leant on her tiptoes to kiss him tenderly. She felt the tension go out of his shoulders as she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer- if that were possible. She didn't want him to be in any pain, and she wanted to forget her own pain too.

Ginny felt him lifting her onto the counter and she wrapped her legs around his waist. This made him gasp and he stared at her with wonderment in his eyes. She couldn't help but giggle and she tightened her legs around him even more. He murmured throatily, "Ginny…you're asking for trouble…" She was wearing a short skirt too and she could feel his reaction to her.

Just as he placed his hands under her shirt, there was a gasp from the stairway. Ginny found herself blushing furiously red and she turned to find Hermione with a hand clasped over her mouth, "I'm so sorry! I…uh…I didn't mean. I was just.." Harry reluctantly removed himself away from Ginny and Hermione was also blushing in embarrassment, "I'm sorry! I'm going now."

Ginny laughed for the first time in months. It was so funny seeing Hermione even look so awkward and embarrassed about what she had just witnessed. Harry on the other hand, looked utterly embarrassed too. She took his face in her hands and asked, "What's wrong? Wasn't it funny how embarrassed Hermione was?" Harry chuckled, "I guess so, but she's like my sister. It's like Ron walking in on us. He's your brother." Ginny smirked, "We were getting a bit steamy, weren't we?" She kissed his lips gently again and he groaned, "Gin, I don't think here in the kitchen is the best and most private place for this." Just as he said it, they heard someone clear their throat loudly, "Yes, you're quite right Harry."

They turned in shock again and found Ginny's dad standing in the doorway. He was carrying groceries and he looked a little bit displeased. He was looking tired as well and Ginny hurriedly unwrapped her legs from Harry's waist. She hopped down from the counter and Harry said in a shocked stutter, "Mr…Mr Weasley! I'm so…so sorry! I didn't think you were home. I…" Her father cut him off abruptly, "It's ok, Harry. It would do the two of you good to remember that there are other people who live here too. I don't particularly wish to see that. So please, not under this roof." He had come in and was putting the groceries in the fridge. She wondered why her father was being so perfectly unreasonable! She was pretty sure that he'd caught Fred or George or even both twins in more compromising positions before…she shook her head from those thoughts.

Ginny asked worriedly, "Dad, how's mum doing?" Her father stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, "About as well as can be expected, given the circumstances." She sighed and asked, "Is there anything I can do? Can I go and see her?" Her father shook his head morbidly, "I don't think now is a good time, Gin. Just keep doing what you're doing- helping with meals and tidying up and such. She's not a good shape." Ginny took Harry's hand, hating to hear these things about her mum.

Her father paused and nodded at them when he was finished, and they turned back to the dishes. He sighed, "Just, don't let me walk in on the two of you again. I don't want to, but if I have to I will put more alert charms around the house. Understood?" Ginny was about to protest, but Harry said assuredly, "It won't happen again, Mr. Weasley." He nodded and then headed upstairs.

Once he was out of earshot and they heard the door close, Ginny whispered to Harry, "I can't believe he'd do that! I mean does he know how much more snogging Ron and Hermione do than we do? They're on another level of snogging! And we're the ones who get busted this one time!" She was a little mad with her father. It was so unfair. She was nearly eighteen, for goodness sake!

Harry muttered under his breath, "I suppose it's cause you're not an adult yet." There was a silence between them and Ginny murmured, "So what?" This caused Harry to finally make eye contact with her, and it was so intense that he said seriously, "He has a point though. This is his house. He's allowed to make his own rules. And I'm a guest here. I need to live by them." Ginny stared at him in disbelief, her hands on her hips, "Are you saying we're going to wait until I'm eighteen?!" She said eighteen in a disgusted tone of voice. Harry was clearly becoming uncomfortable with this topic, "I think it would be best…" She couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Why though, Harry? Is it because of dad? You can't seriously believe he'd kick you out or something…"
He turned and picked a copy of Witch Weekly that was lying on the kitchen table, "Because of this." Fred and George had popped by in the morning to visit and check on their mother. They'd also bought along a copy of Witch Weekly. On the front cover, was a picture of Harry from previous interviews with Rita Skeeter and the title read:

All about the Chosen One:

What you didn't know about Harry Potter's sex life with speculated girlfriend Ginny Weasley and what really happened during the battle of Hogwarts.

Also included: a tell-all about his relationships past and what kind of girl is the Chosen One's type. Find out more on page 10…

Inside the article there had been a picture of him and Hermione hugging during the Triwizard Tournament, where Rita Skeeter once again speculated about them having a romantic relationship. Harry had been outraged by the claims made in the magazine, as had Ron who had spluttered over Pumpkin juice, "Your sex life with Ginny?! Tell me this is NOT true?!"

Harry and Ginny had both hurriedly assured him that the magazine was all lies, and it was just a typical gossip magazine. However, that didn't sometimes mean that Ginny didn't wish it was true. It was becoming more and more apparent to her just how attracted to Harry she was. Of course, she'd always known this, but she never had dreamed it could be this wonderful to be with him.

Ginny groaned, "They can print that we have sex three times a week, and it doesn't bother me. I mean, it does but at least it lets other girls know that you're not available." Harry had been mad as a snake earlier on in the day and it had taken a lot for her to try and calm both him and her brothers down. Ron had also been furious that it insinuated that Harry and Hermione had dated. Both boys had been grumbling and moody about it all morning. When Fred and George arrived, they were angry too. They'd given Harry a bit of a hard time about the article until he yelled at them to shut it because it wasn't true. They had then believed him.

Harry grimaced at her and replied, "I want your family to trust me. To see that I'm not a douchebag and I'm not going hurt you again. I need them to trust me, Ginny. I know Ron does, even though he acts like he will still kill me if we mention the things the magazine was talking about. But I need Fred and George to believe I'm the right one for you. I want Bill and Charlie to trust me with you. But most of all, I want your parents to be happy for us. I think the only way of doing that is to make sure we wait until you're eighteen." Ginny grumbled under her breath, "I don't see why that all matters. My brothers certainly didn't need my approval of who they could be with! Just take a look at Bill and Phlegm!"

She had folded her arms crossly and Harry couldn't help but smile as he lifted her face to meet his, "It matters to me. Can you wait that long? Will you do it for me?" Harry was as usual far too noble and self-sacrificing for his own damn good! Ginny stared into his eyes and sighed, "If it makes you happy I guess…" Harry leant down and kissed her gently on the lips, "It would mean a lot to me."

End Flashback:

Ginny shook her head out of her reverie of the previous days events. They had never spoken about those kinds of things before and Harry was just about the only boy…no…the only man in the world she had known who wouldn't want the opportunity to jump her every time he got the chance. Dean had been rather insistent at one point in time, but she had blatantly refused. She knew he wasn't the right one for her. It had always been Harry.

She startled out of her thoughts when Ron said suddenly, "We're here." They stood in front of the big black gates and Ginny inhaled sharply, tightening her grip on Harry's hand. He murmured under his breath, "We better go in I guess…" They all trouped in as he pushed the gates open and Ginny prepared herself for an emotional day.

A/N: Hi All! Thanks or the cool reviews of the previous chapter. Felt like writing today so here's another one for you all. Hope you had a good weekend, a good thanksgiving and please enjoy!