(AN: I didn't include this in the previous chapter. But, RIP Maggie Smith. She was an absolutely incredible actress and woman. And, the best McGonagal would could have ever asked for. She will be greatly missed)
Ginny rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she stood over the sink in the kitchen. She was still in the pjs from the night before, and had her robe loosely hanging off her shoulders, as she squinted out the window at four odd shapes coming rapidly towards the house.
She yawned. She was pretty tired, but for the last few weeks she had taken over making breakfast in the morning. She felt that It was the least she could do to help her mother while she was grieving. Albeit she was as well, but it wasn't the same, she knew that.
She and Harry had fallen asleep late the night before. She couldn't even remember when he had left her room. She knew he must've at some point as when she woke up he wasn't there anymore.
As her eyes refocused on the four blurry shapes that were coming closer and closer toward the house, she realized that they must've been four owls.
Ginny opened the window and the four barn owls soared in and landed on the kitchen table, dropping letters and then just as quickly flying away.
The letters had the Hogwarts crest on them. she'd have to let Harry know. There were ones for Hermione and Ron as well.
Suddenly, the kittens bounded down the stairs into the kitchen mewing at Ginny's heels. She fed them breakfast quickly hoping that they would allow her to continue cooking.. this seemed to satisfy them and after she let them out into the yard to play.
After, she busied herself with breakfast again. She was fairly occupied and didn't hear Harry creep down the stairs behind her. She only knew he was there when he snuck up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Mmm. Hi. Good morning. She mused, sweetly.
He rubbed his thumbs against the material of her shirt, smelling her sweet scent.
"Good morning." Harry whispered back to her.
Ginny turned around to face him and he held onto her. They kissed softly.
When they finally pulled apart, Harry sighed loudly. I think I might've gotten us in trouble last night." he admitted.
Ginny looked at him peculiarly. "Wait, what do you mean?" She asked, her brows slightly raised.
"Well, I accidentally fell asleep with you last night when I laid down with you."
Ginny smiled a little.
"Yeah, I know. It was really nice. I feel so safe sleeping next to you." She told him, holding onto him.
This nearly was his undoing. He smiled and just about forgot what he had been saying.
"I could sleep next to you forever." Harry mused, pulling her closer. "But, your dad caught me going back to my room at 2 in the morning. He didn't seem to happy about it."
Ginny's mouth hung open. "Ugh. Nooo." She sighed.
"Well, I'm going hear about that one." She added.
"Yeah. I figured as much." Harry grumbled.
"Thanks for warning me in advance." She kissed him again.
"We got mail." She smiled, pointing at the table, turning back to her cooking.
He turned around to look at the table and reached for the letter with his name on the front.
It read, 'Harry J Potter. Outskirts of Ottery St Catchpole, The Burrow.'
Harry sat down at the table and started to open the letter, and as he did this he looked up and he saw the calendar that Molly always kept in the kitchen, said it was now May 30th.
He sighed. Nearly a full month had passed since the battle. It had been 28 incredible days. Full of happiness, tears, laughter and joy.
In less than a week it would be June. As he opened the letter from Hogwarts, he silently looked out the window, noting how the weather was changing for the better each day, it was clear summer was on its way.
Behind him, Ginny continued working on breakfast for them while he read the contents of his letter from Hogwarts.
It read: 'Harry J Potter. You are receiving this letter because you were meant to attend your 7th year at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry this past school year: 1997-1998. Due to the circumstances of the war, we are inviting all pupils who were supposed to graduate last year to return this school year starting on September 1st, 1998 to complete their NEWTs if they so choose.
We will also be offering an accelerated option for those students who would prefer to complete their studies by the end of this calendar year. If you do choose, you would begin receiving work by Aug 1st to be completed by your return to school the following month. You will sit for your NEWT exams in mid December as opposed to June with this accelerated option. It is important to mention that this option will only be offered to students who were meant to take their NEWTs this past school year.
However. We also invite all NEWT level students who were supposed to graduate this June, to return for a full year if they so choose, as we are aware this past year the standards at Hogwarts School were gravely uneven.
Your 7th year book and supplies list is also included with this letter. We ask that you send your return owl with your choice no later than July 1st, so we can prepare for the upcoming year as soon as possible.
We thank you, and we hope we see you September 1st.'
Harry finished reading just as Ginny began opening her letter. She frowned slightly, holding the envelope in her hands.
She scoffed, "kinda bulky." She explained, chuckling a little.
Harry realized in that moment her envelope looked different than his own.
Ginny had a look of shock as she looked in the envelope.
In total shock, she pulled out a badge from inside the envelope.
"Oh-oh. They-they want me to be the Quidditch captain!" Ginny squealed, practically jumping up and down.
"What?" Harry asked, chuckling.
He stood up and looked at the badge in her hands. Then Harry picked Ginny up spinning her around in excitement.
"Haha. That's awesome." He cheered, as Ginny squealed in pure delight.
He deposited her on the ground, kissing her hard on the mouth.
"I-I don't understand." She smiled widely as they pulled apart. "Why didn't they ask you again?"
"Well, I dunno, maybe they weren't sure if I'd come back." He offered up an explanation.
Ginny's excitement seemed to evaporate slightly at this statement.
"Wait, you might not go back?" Ginny asked, looking sad.
"Oh-ah." Harry was interrupted by someone walking down the stairs behind them.
They both looked over and saw Molly coming down the stairs.
"Oh, you've both got your Hogwarts letters." Molly smiled. "Good."
She seemed happy enough, and Ginny sighed in quiet relief. Perhaps her father hadn't passed on the message yet about the night before.
With barely another word, they all sat down to eat the breakfast Ginny had made happily, together.
After they were done, and cleaning up, Molly turned to Harry.
"Would you be a dear and bring this plate to Arthur? He's out in his workshop." She asked nicely.
Harry was surprised but kindly agreed.
Ginny was cleaning dishes in the sick as she watched Harry walked across the lawn towards the workshop.
"Ginevra." Her mother said once Harry was in the yard.
Ginny froze in horror for a second before turning around.
She knew what was coming.
"Ha, yeah." She hesitated, blinking.
Her mother glared at her, practically x raying her.
"Is there anything you need to tell me, Ginevra?" She asked, once again using her full name.
Ginny bit her lip just slightly.
"Ah. No." She sputtered awkwardly.
"You look very pretty today." Ginny quipped, trying to be funny.
Her mother chewed her tongue in irritation, and continued to glare at her.
"I know Harry was in your bedroom last night. Your father caught him coming upstairs at 2 in the morning." Molly hissed at her daughter.
Ginny opened her mouth to say something but thought better of speaking when she caught her mother's eye.
"Don't talk. Just listen." Molly instructed, suspecting she had every intention of interrupting.
Ginny sighed, and tried not to roll her eyes. She braced herself against the counter, figuring she was about to be yelled at.
"Be honest. Do you need me to-to make you a potion? I think I have the ingredients." Molly asked her soberly.
"W-what? I'm sorry?" Ginny asked momentarily confused.
"I know we've all been hurting, b-but you need to be safe with that boy." Molly scolded her.
Ginny blinked.
Molly seemed distracted by her confused response. Now, Molly blinked.
Realization hit Ginny. She stuttered slightly.
"Ah, oh, I-i don't know if I'm completely sure, what you exactly mean, but um I think you might have the wrong idea here." Ginny wasn't sure what to say.
"We were just hanging out in my room, we accidentally fell asleep. That's all that happened. The door was open the whole time, technically no rules were broken." Ginny explained, putting her hands up in mock surrender.
" so you're saying you-you weren't intimate with him?" Molly asked, hesitating, barely looking at her.
Ginny turned bright red. She scoffed.
"No." She said curtly. "I don't know why you'd think we were?"
"Well, I have to ask. It's my job. He was in your room at all hours. What were we supposed to think, Ginevra." Molly said.
Ginny bit her lip slightly, and grimaced.
"and, I know you two are-are close." Molly added delicately.
Ginny squinted at her.
"He just happened to be in my room." Ginny continued, defensively, crossing her arms. "Nothing happened."
"nothing has happened." She told her.
Molly nodded, observing her.
"I believe you. But, if there ever comes a time when that changes you can always come to me." Molly eventually admitted.
Ginny nodded.
"Thanks, i understand." She agreed, shrugging in embarrassment.
She was desperate to change the subject.
"By the way, they made me Quidditch Captain." Hoping to break the tension.
Ginny surprised her mother.
Mrs Weasley, clearly forgetting the previous discussion, jumped up off her chair and cheered, hugging her daughter.
"I figured they would have asked Harry?"
"Apparently not." Ginny shrugged.
But, this made her remember he'd never answered her question about going back.
"Oh, I'm going to bake a cake in celebration for tonight! I'm so excited for you darling!" Mrs Weasley bustled off, likely to go source baking ingredients.
After her mother left the kitchen. Ginny sagged against the counter in embarrassment, but also in triumph. She was going to be Captain of the Quidditch team.
She sighed, and looked out the window thinking of Harry as she did.
She'd have to ask Harry what her dad said to him later.
Later on, Ginny and Harry were walking hand in hand towards the orchard. It was in full bloom, the apple blossoms were simply spectacular.
Miller was still there daily to keep an eye on Harry, at Kingsley's insistence, so they had a shadow more often than not.
"Not too long, Potter." He called behind them as they made it to the orchard, with their picnic blanket in tow.
Harry gave him an inpatient wave and kept walking with Ginny.
"Where do you want to set up?" Harry asked, gesturing to the basket in his hands.
"Anywhere aware from my mother's eye line, and Millers." She snorted.
Harry smiled. "Deal."
Once settled in the center of the orchard they cracked open two bottles of chilled pumpkin juice.
Ginny was eager to get him alone. After that morning she had more questions than answers.
"Can I ask you something?" Ginny mused.
Harry swallowed his mouthful of pumpkin juice, and smiled.
"I think you already did?" He joked.
She chuckled, and swatted at him playfully.
"Yeah?" He asked.
" are you not going to go back to Hogwarts?" She asked, rather sadly.
His smile faded a little bit.
"I want to. I-I'm just not sure I'm going to go for the full year. They are offering an accelerated program for those that were supposed to finish this year. but, I'd hate to be apart from you." He admitted.
She looked a little sad at this too, but nodded.
"I understand. It'll be okay. I certainly know Hermione will be there the whole year to keep me company.
"That's for sure." He chuckled. Hermione wouldn't miss such an important learning opportunity.
"I'll come visit too. I'm definitely not missing any Quidditch matches, my girlfriend is the Captain." He added.
Ginny chuckled and kissed him sweetly.
"You better not miss any games." She joked.
He smiled, pulling her close.
She laid her head against his shoulder.
"Any other burning questions for me?" He asked, happily.
Ginny chuckled. "Well, sort of." She shrugged, sitting up.
"Well, let's hear them?" Harry mused, kindly.
Ginny was certain she blushed slightly.
"Did dad say anything to you today? Ah-when you visited him in the workshop?" Ginny asked.
"Mmmhh. He showed me Sirius's old motorbike, he's been working on it. That's all though. Thanked me for bringing him food." Harry shrugged.
"Oh, good." Ginny was slightly surprised.
"Were you expecting him to say something?" Harry chuckled, sipping his pumpkin juice.
"Well, mom sorta used your absence to scold me for having you in my room so late. Thought maybe the same happened to you?" Ginny explained.
Harry shook. "No, he didn't bring it up." Harry told her.
"I'm sorry I got you in trouble." Harry added, sadly.
"You didn't really get me in trouble, well, maybe just a little." Ginny joked.
Harry grimaced, but nodded.
"I should've been quieter when I was going back to my room." Harry admitted.
Ginny shrugged. "It's not your fault, I asked you to lay with me." She added, smiling.
"Well, I agreed. But, your parents aren't too mad, right?" Harry clarified.
Ginny shook her head.
"I was able to defuse the situation I think." Ginny reassured him.
Harry looked at her, he was clearly waiting for the details.
He took a sip of his juice.
"They ah, sort of seemed to be under the impression that we did more than sleep in my room." Ginnny bit her tongue.
She blinked.
A little pumpkin juice leaked out of his mouth at this.
Ginny practically snorted.
"Ah, OH." Realization hit him, as he wiped the pumpkin juice from his chin.
"Thanks." He muttered when she laughed.
"They thought we..?" He trailed off. "Yup." Ginny interrupted him.
"Oh, no. That- that's bad." Harry's eyes went wide. He didn't want them to think that.
"Mhm. Yeah. But, I set mom straight, she chilled out." Ginny put her hands out in a calming manner.
Harry sighed. "Good, last thing I want is for that rumor to make it to Ron's ears."
Ginny nodded, knowingly.
"Don't worry about Ron." Ginny said. "There's somethings he doesn't need to know about." She gave him a devious look before they were kissing.
Harry kissed her back, his hands sliding up her back. He couldn't have agreed more. Something's Ron was better off not knowing.
Ginny deposited herself in his lap. Harry chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist as she did.
He was continually grateful for the privacy the orchard provided them.
The rest of the day they spent together happily, and later Andromeda and baby Teddy came over for dinner and they all enjoyed the delicious cake that Molly had made for Ginny.
Even Miller had a piece of the Quaffle cake and seemed to like it.
Harry and Ginny spent hours in the living room talking once everyone else went to bed that night.
Harry couldn't figure out why they hadn't been doing this for years. Being with her just felt so right.
They spent most of the rest of the week in a similar fashion.
The next several days went by fast, soon, it was June.
Harry found that in the days leading up to their return to Hogwarts he often found himself feeling nervous and anxious. So much had gone wrong there.
But, he was eager to see the place, and help with repairs in any way he could.
And, as he and Ginny walked up the high street leading towards the castle his palms sweat terribly that June morning.
"You okay, ready?" She asked, nervously.
He noticed she kept picking at the skin around her fingers nervously.
He held her hand a little tighter.
The sight of the castle as they walked around a bend in the lane caused his eyes to sting and throat to burn with emotion.
"Ready as I'll ever be." He told her, holding back emotion.
Harry stared up at the magnificent castle. The one he hadn't seen in over a month. He was thankful that it appeared It was well on its way to its former glory.
He smiled fondly at his first ever home as he and Ginny walked hand-in-hand through the wrought iron gates, toward the castle he knew and loved so well.
He was truly home.