It was just after dawn the morning of August 31st, the day before they would board the Hogwarts Express for their seventh and final year of school. Ginny was lying in her bed wondering if Harry would be back from his emergency mission soon enough to take the train with her, Ron and Hermione. This year would not start off feeling any different than last year if Harry was not sitting next to her, holding her hand and distracting her from remembering the ride to school last year. Two days ago Noah had sent an owl to the Burrow asking if Harry was available to come out on a quick but urgent mission with him before heading back to Hogwarts. When Harry saw the fear on Ginny's face he offered to skip out on this mission but she could see in his eyes how much he wanted to go. Harry told her that Noah could choose someone else to help him with the mission but Ginny wouldn't hear of it. She didn't want Noah, Reed or Kingsley to think that now that they were to be married she was going to stand in the way of Harry's career. She was just hoping that Harry wouldn't be injured on two missions running. Noah promised that he'd have him back by this evening but Ginny wasn't convinced, missions could be so unpredictable.

She had spent the last couple days doing laundry and packing both his and her trunks to return to Hogwarts. Yesterday she had gone to Diagon Alley to pick up a few things they had forgotten when they did their back to school shopping and she'd even helped out at the shop for a few hours. But now that all the packing was done she was out of things to keep her busy. During the other missions Harry had gone on over the summer Ginny had learned that she coped better with his absence and her fear if she kept herself occupied. So she'd been helping her mother with chores around the house and knitting obsessively. She was probably more worried this time around than she had been the other two times, since he'd been injured on the last mission.

As she lay in her bed trying to get a little bit more sleep she thought about what she could busy herself with today and was coming up blank. She let her mind wander and studied the ring on her left hand as it sparkled in the early pinkish light coming through her open window. She smiled as she thought again that she couldn't believe that she and Harry were really getting married in just a few short months. After the initial shock wore off she was just so thrilled that they would return to Hogwarts engaged and all Harry's admirers would know that he was hers now, for good. She thought back happily to the day they had started being a couple, back in his sixth year and her fifth year.

The common room was packed with Gryffindors waiting for Harry to return from his detention. Though he had not been allowed to play in the final match today he was their captain and he had led them to this victory, they all wanted to celebrate with him. Ginny paced the room; she couldn't wait for him to hear the news. He had named her the captain and seeker in his place and she had wanted to win this for him. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Dean watching her and she turned her back to him. He was still upset with her for breaking things off between them, but she wasn't sorry. They had been fighting about more and more things lately and if she was being perfectly honest with herself she had never fancied Dean as much as she fancied Harry. But, she wasn't going to let herself think about that now, things were never going to happen between the two of them. He just didn't see her the same way she saw him and it wouldn't do to ruin this moment dwelling on it.

Suddenly the portrait hole opened and the common room exploded with the racket of everyone screaming at Harry that they had won the Quidditch Cup. Ginny craned her neck around the crowd trying to catch Harry's eye. When she did catch a glimpse of him he was doing the same, craning his neck over the throng of people surrounding him to find someone. Their eyes met and she realized he was looking for her. Dodging around the bodies blocking her path she hurtled toward him and screamed, "We won!" as she flung herself into his arms, and to her complete and utter astonishment, he kissed her. For a moment the only thing she was consciously aware of was his lips upon hers. When the contact was broken a comical look of shock crossed his face as the room behind her went utterly silent. A smattering of giggling and wolf whistles broke out as Harry seemed to scan the crowd for someone. He must have found them because he kind of nodded at them before asking her if she would like to take a walk around the grounds with him. She agreed of course, her heart was pounding wildly and she kept wondering if this was really happening.

Even though circumstances had forced them apart a few weeks later she would always consider that day to be when they had become a couple. During the long months that he was away she'd willed herself not to care, to hate him even, but she couldn't. She loved him and waited for him and in her heart they had never really parted. That night, when she'd found him in the astronomy tower and they'd officially gotten back together, was more of a formality than anything, as far as she was concerned. He was the only one for her; of course she took him back. As she let her eyes drift closed she let herself return again to that joyous day over a year ago when they had become an us.

The two barely spoke as they made their way through the corridors and out onto the grounds, but Harry kept a firm hold on her hand. In the few brief glances they shared as they navigated the castle Ginny thought she read both utter elation and sheer panic in Harry's eyes. Perhaps the kiss had been as spur of the moment as it had seemed and now he wasn't sure how to proceed. Ginny smiled to herself and vowed that no matter how flustered Harry seemed she wasn't going to let him back out of this. He'd kissed her, there had to be something there. Eventually Harry stopped walking and asked somewhat nervously if she'd like to sit by the lake. Ginny agreed and they sat. While Ginny had endless things she wanted to say she patiently waited for him to speak first.

Still holding tight to her hand he shyly looked at her and said, "I can't believe I did that."

"Are you sorry?" She asked him.

"Merlin, no," Harry breathed, "I only wished I'd had the courage to do it sooner. And I'm rather hoping to do it again."

Ginny carefully leaned toward him and gently kissed him on the lips but before she let things go any further she decided that there were a few things they needed to discuss.

She pulled back and asked, "How long?" Harry looked at her quizzically and she rephrased, "How long have you fancied me? Assuming that is what the kiss meant, of course."

Harry blushed and grinned widely before admitting "Of course that is what it meant. I don't know exactly, sometime this year certainly, maybe since summer."

"What do you mean by maybe?" Ginny asked.

"I think that things changed between us as far back as summer but I didn't figure things out until later when they kind of hit me over the head," Harry explained as he studied their still clasped hands.

Ginny scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder, "You know," she said, "I've hoped for this for years but if you are just in it for a bit of snogging then I can't get started with you, it would break my heart."

"Do you really think I'm that kind of guy?" Harry asked sounding a bit hurt.

"No, but I just wanted to be clear," Ginny said, "I've fancied you for too long for this just to be…"

"A bit of snogging," Harry finished for her. He sat quietly for a minute, obviously thinking. She knew that he was not typically the type to put his feelings out there but she hoped that he understood what she needed to hear from him. Finally he said, "Ginny more than anything I want to be with you. I love spending time with you; you make everything better. It is like you are a part of me that I just discovered was missing. I want to learn everything about you that I don't already know." He appeared ready to continue but she stopped him with another gentle kiss.

"That is more than I ever hoped to hear from you," Ginny said happily as she pulled him back to her and gave him a real kiss. Her hands wound themselves into the untidy hair that she'd always longed to touch and attempt to tame with her own hands. His hands began rather uncertainly on her shoulders but as the kiss deepened his shyness fell away and they moved down to rest lightly on her waist.

As she kissed him she marveled at being this close to him, to touch him like she'd always dreamed. Her hands explored his hair, his chest, his back, his hands; she couldn't get close enough and it would never be enough. She wanted to remain in his arms forever. She'd done her fair share of snogging with previous boyfriends, but it had never felt quite like this.

When they finally drew apart to catch their breath Harry began to disengage but Ginny whispered softly, "Hold me, Harry." With a satisfied sounding breath he hugged her tightly to his chest and buried his face in her hair breathing her in. "I love the way you smell," he whispered.

At that very moment her heart was as full as it had ever been. She wanted to tell him that she loved him; that there was no possible way she could ever love anyone else the way she loved him; but she didn't want to scare him off. She wondered if he felt as right about the two of them as she did; Merlin, she hoped so.

Eventually they got back to holding hands and talking, which in Ginny's opinion was a wonderful excuse to really study his beautiful emerald green eyes like she'd always wanted to. Luckily he seemed as content in staring into her eyes as she was staring into his.

"I don't ever want to go back to the castle," Harry said suddenly.

"Because you're having such an amazing time out here with me?" Ginny asked.

"Partly," Harry confessed, "And partly because I'm afraid to face Ron."

Ginny huffed and said, "Ron should mind his own business."

Harry smiled crookedly at her and said, "Ron is why I kept my feelings to myself all year. I thought he'd be upset with me for fancying you."

"He might be," Ginny agreed, "But it's none of his business."

"When Ron confronts me, as he inevitably will, what's the story?" Harry asked.

"The story?" Ginny asked, "Just tell him the truth."

"Which is?" Harry asked.

"What do you want it to be?" Ginny asked softly. The butterflies in her stomach started up again as she waited for his response.

"That we're dating?" Harry suggested and at her nod of agreement he added more confidently, "And I'm your boyfriend now."

She smiled happily at him before moving close enough to draw him into another deep kiss. This time his hands threaded into her hair and when the kiss ended he held her there with their foreheads pressed together, gazing into each others eyes. She wasn't sure anything had ever felt so perfect.

When the sky began to darken and their clothing was no longer adequate against the chill in the evening air they reluctantly headed back up to the castle. Harry fidgeted beside her and she knew that he was anxious about Ron and everyone that had witnessed their kiss earlier. Ginny understood his concern but didn't share it. She was elated to walk back into the common room on his arm and have everyone know that they were finally together.

Ginny woke a couple hours later and could still feel the smile on her face. It ranked as one of her best days ever. During the time that Harry had been away during the last year it had been both a blessing and a curse to think back on that day. She still loved him and when she was missing him most it was a nice memory to look back on but as soon as she'd remembered all of it, it made her heart ache for him and she sometimes wished she could turn it off.

Rolling over she peered at her watch on her bedside table and determined that it was not too early to get up. Ginny sighed as she pulled clean clothes from her dresser, another day to fill while she waited for Harry. She hoped again that he would be home in time to board the train with her, but if not she knew that he would get to Hogwarts eventually and return to her side. Until then she would just have to entertain herself with more good memories of the two of them together.

Author's Note: Hi All! This chapter took me by surprise. I have been reading A LOT of fan fiction lately and I really wanted to write about what happened directly after H & G's first kiss…I considered a one-shot but realized that I could just as easily make it a part of this story. I hope that everyone enjoys and isn't too upset that most of this chapter is a flashback. I promise that the next chapter will be about returning to school. You will have to wait and see though if Harry makes the train on time.

To terraferme: You have your messaging set to off so I cannot respond to you via …yes please keep sending me emails with my errors! Thank you! I always go back and edit after your emails, they are much appreciated. If I was more consistent about when I write for my stories I'd consider getting a beta…but unfortunately I'm never sure when I'm going to have time to write. Thank you!!

Please review! Let me know what you think and if there is any great ideas you have for me – I love hearing others ideas and as many of you know, I often tend to use them!!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Tinkerbell