A/N: Okay, so said I'd update so soon you wouldn't believe t but that didn't really go to plan. It ha been only fopur days so do get any credt for that? Anyway I'm updating two chapters today :P. So yeah, enjoy!

Chapter Four

Final Year at School

I was so excited when Harry, Ron and Hermione announced that they'd be returning to Hogwarts to finish their education. I'd asked if they were allowed considering that they are a year older than all the seventh years and argued that they had more life experience than half the teachers in the school but they all insisted on returning. Hogwarts was their home and never in all their lives had they had a year when nothing dangerous and exciting was happening. They all wanted to catch up in their lessons and have a peaceful year at Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione, being prefects in their sixth year and being extremely loyal to their school and country were nominated to be Head Boy and Girl. Neville Longbottom and some other students from Harry's year were returning because the poor education in their final year. I really couldn't wait for the term to begin!

I was double checking my trunk when somebody knocked on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I said softly.

"Packed already?" Harry asked playfully, "I thought Hermione was overboard!"

"Oh shut up! I'm excited okay?"

"Very. It's not even your birthday yet. Speaking of which," he drew a small box from his trouser pocket, "I got you a present."

I felt my cheeks burn. He was my boyfriend but I honestly didn't expect him to buy me a present. "I said I didn't want anything-"

"No, no. I wanted to get you something because it's your birthday-"

"Not until tomorrow!" I protested.

Pressing his fingers to my lips he started to speak again. "I wanted to, okay? I wanted to get something for you so I did."

I giggled childishly and he pulled me onto the bed. "Close your eyes." he instructed and I did so obediently. I felt a light, cold chain being draped around my neck. He fastened it and pulled my hair out of the way. I felt his lips press to mine and when I opened my eyes he was looking back at me, lovingly. I looked down at my chest to see a tiny white diamond glistening in the light. It truly was beautiful and perfect for me too. It wasn't big and elaborate just small and pretty. Simple but still effective.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"I wanted to get something as beautiful as you but it was kind of tricky..." he stroked my ginger hair away from my face which was probably the same colour as it. "So I decided on this because I know you don't like fancy jewellery and this is quite simple but still pretty."

"I love it," I said, bringing my face closer to his.

"I love you." He smiled coyly and took my hands in his, knowing what my response would be.

My heart skipped a beat. Harry James Potter had just me that he loves me! "I love you too." I squeezed his hands and smiled widely. Before I knew it he'd picked me up around the waist and was spinning me around. I pulled him in and once again our lips met.

"Wait a second!" I said pulling away, "How much did this cost?"

"What?" he seemed pretty shocked.

"How much was this necklace?"

"Nothing." he replied shortly, "I mean, not nothing just don't d-don't worry about it."

"Harry..."

"Ginny..."

I gave him a stern look but his eyes melted me from the inside out. My face dissolved into a smile which I tried to fight off making Harry chuckle. "This isn't funny!"

"It is," he said then realised I was serious and changed his mind, "just a little bit."

"Just tell me, Harry!" I demanded.

"Ginny. I want to be able to buy you nice things without her fretting about things like money!"

"I know, I know. It's just that my family is rather poor, I can't really give you anything in return." I slouched down on my bed and he came to sit beside me.

"You being here and loving me is all I'll ever want in return. And anyway, I love you, Ginny. I don't need you to try and be better because you're perfect already." I couldn't help but smile. Harry was different when he was with me. He seemed more relaxed, said stuff I know he wouldn't dream of saying to anyone else and because of that I knew that this was gong to last. He pulled me into a warm hug. I wanted to hold onto him forever.

Mine and Ginny's birthdays came and went. We had a joint party but mainly for Ginny because seventeen is an important age. The holidays flew by and before I knew it, I was standing at the barrier between platform 9 and platform 10 at Kings Cross Station.

Mrs Weasley said goodbye to the four of us and we ran through the barrier together. Boarding the train, I got slightly side tracked. A dark haired first-year with an enormous trolley was hugging his Mum and Dad, goodbye. On top of his trunk was a large snowy owl. Without thinking, I walked over and reached into the cage. The bird nibbled my finger in a way so similar to Hedwig. A sad smile spread across my face.

"Are you alright, sir?" asked the small boy. His parents were looking at me too. I rose my head and looked him in the eye, "yes, I'm fine thank you. You're owl is very beautiful. I had one just like her."

"You're, you're, you're not, you're not Harry Potter are you?" asked the boy in awe.

"Oh, umm, yeah. Yeah, I am." I mumbled.

The boy and his parents stared at me and his father began to speak so proudly. "Well done, lad. It's such an honour and well done!"

"Thank you, sir." I replied shyly, shaking his hand.

"Got a job at Hogwarts already then?" he said sounding very impressed.

"No, sir. You see, I spent my final year doing… err… other things so me and my friends are returning to finish our seventh year."

"I see. Well good luck and if you see little Jimmy here please guide him in the right direction. He has a bad habit of getting lost!"

"I will do, sir."

Behind me, I felt a tug on my sleeve. "Harry," Ginny whispered, "Neville and Luna saved us seats."

"Oh, right." I said taking her hand in mine.

"Nice meeting you." Jimmy and his parents smiled at me and his mum 'aaaw'ed when she saw our fingers intertwine. People were too weird.

"Hey, Harry!"

"Luna!" Harry exclaimed as he gave her a friendly hug.

"Harry!" cried another voice.

"Hey, Neville! Ready for another year at Hogwarts?" Harry teased him and we all sat down in our carriage like nothing had changed. Harry explained his encounter with Jimmy and by the time he had finished, Ron and Hermione had returned from their Head Boy and Head Girl duties. The journey flew by so we didn't manage to catch up on everything.

"Fifteen minutes to Hogsmead!" a voice chanted throughout the train. Hermione, Luna and I swapped carriages with three boys so that we were with just girls and they just boys so we could change into our uniforms.

"Oooh, that's a pretty necklace, Ginny!" Padma Patil walked up to me and held my necklace in her hands.

"Oh, yeah, thanks." I replied. I could feel myself blushing and gave Hermione the death stare hoping she wouldn't tell then who it was from.

"Harry gave it to her." Hermione smiled mischievously, "He gave it to her for her birthday!"

"Aaaw, that's so sweet!" Lavender Brown chirped in her annoyingly girly voice.

"Yeah..." I smiled coyly and when I looked up they were all looking at me and 'aaaaww'ing. "Shut up!"

I'd missed Hogwarts so much. Walking in through those tall, oak doors brought back old memories of my first year of learning magic.

I sat through the sorting ceremony with my friends and cheered the new Gryffindors. I gave Jimmy the thumbs up when he got sorted into Gryffindor as well. After the Sorting Ceremony something unexpected happened. Myself, Ron, Hermione, Neville and all the others from my year were called up to the front.

"Welcome, Eighth Years to another school year of learning!" announced Headmistress McGonagall. Everyone clapped and cheered and continued to do so as and even some sixth and seventh year students were awarded medals from the Ministry of Magic for bravery in the previous battle. I was very red in the face when McGonagall awarded mine, Ron and Hermione's second medals for Saving The World and I really wanted to kill her when she made everyone drink to me, The Boy Who Lived Again. It all sounded great when she said it but really I was Just Harry. Harry with a horcrux inside him and now that the horcrux had been destroyed, I was no greater than the next man. I found Ginny and we walked hand in hand back to our places at the table, ready to consume the feast!

Getting a medal was so amazing! I felt so proud of myself and extremely proud of Harry when we all drank to him and watched him receive his second medal. That year was full of surprises; Harry even made me Captain of the Quidditch team! We went out many times in Hogsmead. We liked to go to little coffee shops and pubs and little town shops and playgrounds with swings and we had great times together. On other occasions we'd go out all six of us: me, Luna, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Neville but a lot of the time I'd see Harry, Ron and Hermione going off together to joke around and have fun or to just sit and hold onto each other and sometimes just to cry. Though our final year at Hogwarts was so easy compared to the crazy, hectic ones we'd all experienced since day one. Finally we had time to learn and have fun.

As the year progressed me and my friends all bonded in ways we hadn't had the chance to before. We laughed and messed about and just got to be teenagers really. Of course there was seriousness of NEWTs and still a lot of hurt but we enjoyed every second of it. One particular memory I will never forget is the first night I spent with Ginny Weasley.

I'd been up all night thinking about her, wishing I could see her that very second though it seemed impossible because boys couldn't enter the girls' dormitories. I lay on my back, looking at the ceiling, when a small figure gently pushed open the door to my dorm. I reached out to my bedside table and put on my glasses.

"Ginny?" I whispered.

The figure moved closer. "I can't stop thinking about you, Harry." Ginny murmured.

"I know the feeling." I smiled.

"Is it okay if I err-" she motioned towards my bed. I moved over and opened the duvet letting her know that she was free to join me.

She curled up next to me with her head on my shoulder and her ginger hair spread across my pillow. "Don't worry," she said, "if they can sleep through Ron's snoring they can sleep through us talking." she giggled and I felt a little more at ease. Slowly I let my arm drape around her shoulder then finally hold her around her waist.

"This year has been perfect." She declared.

"It's what I've been waiting for." I said, "a year where there's nothing dangerous out there. Where I don't wake up drenched in sweat because I'd just witnessed someone being murdered by Voldemort. Where there is no Voldemort."

"It's what all of us have been waiting for. But you mostly."

I breathed in her scent and held her little body close to mine. Images of Ron waking up to find Ginny in my bed then punching the hell out of me swam through my brain.

"He won't wake up." she assured me, reading my mind, "and I'll be gone by morning."

We spent a whole night just talking and then some time just lying close to each other. I noticed the necklace I bought her was still around her neck. I carefully held it on my fingers tips. "The necklace." I breathed.

"Haven't taken it off since you put it on me, the day you told me you love me." a coy smile crept upon her face and her cheeks flushed. "Lots of girls have been complimenting me on it, asking where I got it."

"And what do you tell them?" I asked.

Her lips pressed against my cheek. "I tell them that my Chosen One gave it to me."

"I love you, Ginny."

"I love you too." she breathed. Her eyes closed and soon she was fast asleep. I watched her for a while but then tiredness won me over and I was sleeping too with my body close to hers, our hearts beating as one.

It could've been a dream for when I awoke there was no sign she'd been there at all.