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Author: parakletos Story: Twelve Months Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-OotP Status: WIP Warning: Sexual Situations Reviews: 16 Words: 206,778
A/N Like all chapters I've received a lot of assistance. In particular I'd like to thank Elsielann for her help, even if it did involve a major rewrite, *grin* BTW those in the UK will notice the nod to Posh 'n' Becks
Harry escorted Ginny back to The Burrow, his arm firmly locked around her waist as if daring her to try and get away. Ginny had no intention of going anywhere. After days of tension and an evening of arguing, she was a spent force. She would have liked nothing more than to curl up with Harry in her bed and wake up with him as they had done every day during their last two years at Hogwarts. She yearned for the feeling of contentment that filled each morning; the night's chill banished by the warmth of his body and his spicy scent causing a response in her that she still regretted never asking him to address. No matter how bad the night had been, she rose with a smile on her face, causing smirks and whispers in equal proportion when they entered the Great Hall. Pulling herself back to the present, Ginny looked up at Harry and gave him a reassuring smile. Her family were bound to have a lot of questions for them and she wanted him to know that she was there for him. When they returned to the kitchen, they found the evening meal already in progress. Like most Fridays, the Weasley children had congregated at their parents' house. There was an unwritten rule that said that no wives, boyfriends or girlfriends were allowed. The only exceptions to this were Harry, and to a lesser extent, Hermione. Harry's adoption into the family had begun when he was eleven, but for him it became official during a long chat he'd had with Molly Weasley two summers ago. He had, he remembered, just started to come out of the slough of despondency engendered by the death of his godfather and the prophecy regarding him and Voldemort. He had spent the morning under the spreading branches of the oak tree with Ginny and by the end of it he'd allowed himself to start the slow process of healing. There was no great flash of light, no sudden revelation. All the times Ron had said "I'm here for you mate", every time Hermione had tried to get him to "go and see someone", had meant nothing. But the morning he'd spent with Ginny had changed his life forever. As the light began to displace the darkness within, his perspective grew, and he became painfully aware of how ungrateful a guest he had been. At lunch that day, he had found it within himself to talk to Mrs Weasley, thanking her for allowing him to impose upon her and apologising for being such an ingrate. "It's no imposition, Harry. I made up my mind long ago that if that horrible stick thing you call an aunt wasn't going to take care of you, then I would. There'll always be a welcome for you here, young man; after all, you're practically one of the family now." As they entered the kitchen, Harry looked around taking in the sights and sounds, enjoying the smell of Molly's cooking and the gentle swell of conversation. The table wasn't full: Charlie had returned to Romania, and the twins, although expected, were once again noticeable by their absence. Also absent was Hermione. She and Ron were still in the middle of an 'off' phase of their on/off relationship, a fact testified to by Ron's sombre expression and reluctance to engage in conversation with those around him. Harry noticed that two seats had been left for them at the far end of the table, where two plates stacked with food, kept hot by glowing warming charms, awaited their arrival. The general hubbub which accompanied every gathering of the Weasley clan dipped noticeably as they entered the kitchen. As they took their seats, Harry felt the inquisitive stares of the Weasley boys and instinctively he raised his Occlumency shields to their highest level. To his knowledge none of them could actually practise Legilimency, but Harry had learned the hard way not to take people for granted. He scanned their faces trying to gauge their reactions. Bill was staring at him as if daring him to hurt Ginny. Harry knew he was supposed to be intimidated by him, but after facing Voldemort, Harry found that no one intimidated him anymore. Percy looked at him furtively, as if afraid to meet his eye, whilst Ron … well, Ron just looked despondent. He looked to Ginny, who smiled reassuringly at him, and then to the head of the table where her parents sat. Mrs Weasley smiled encouragingly and Mr Weasley nodded his approval. Did Harry detect just a hint of mischief in their expressions? "Ah, Harry, Ginny," said Mr Weasley, welcoming them in with a wave of his hand, "I'm glad you are able to join us, tuck in, there's plenty to go round. Molly has done us proud again." And with that, the hubbub returned and the food began to disappear at an alarming rate. Ginny didn't seem to be in the mood to talk much and Harry found himself able to observe the people at the table. This had been his true home over the last eight years or so and this had been his true family. He may have received the blood protection from his summer sojourn at Privet Drive, but this was his true place of sanctuary. He was going to miss them, and he knew Mrs Weasley would take his moving out particularly badly, but it was time for Harry Potter to start growing up, and having his own place was part of that process. Ginny had seemed relieved at the news that he would be moving into a place of his own. It would make the developments in their relationship easier as they would be away from the prying eyes of her family. As plates and dishes emptied, and courses came and went, the noise gradually died down as bellies became full and bodies became drowsy. This was the natural lull that Harry had been waiting for and he coughed nervously as he stood. All conversations ceased as they noticed that he was standing. "As you know," began Harry, his nervousness reflected in his tone, "I'm leaving to begin trials with Puddlemere United soon. What most of you don't know is that I'm actually leaving tomorrow. I am also bidding farewell to The Burrow as I've now got a place of my own in Muggle London, not too far from The Leaky Cauldron." Harry's remarks started a buzz of conversation amongst the assembled Weasleys, including Molly and Arthur. Harry could see the look of disappointment on Molly's face. She'd obviously been looking forward to having her seventh son around for a while longer. Perhaps, thought Harry fighting to keep the grin off his face, she thought the chances of buying a new hat were receding all too rapidly. "People say that you can't choose your family, but I have been lucky enough to be able to chose mine. You looked after me as one of your own from the day I first met you on platform nine and three-quarters and you have stood with me through thick and thin, or should I say, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. I'm glad that we are all alive to celebrate that fact." Harry risked a quick glance across at Bill as he spoke and the eldest of the Weasley children gave him a quick nod of recognition before Harry's gaze returned to the rest of the family. "Before I depart, I want to leave you all with some small appreciation of how much you've meant to me over the years. It can't fully repay you for what you've done, after all they do say money can't buy you love, but I hope you will accept these small tokens anyway." Harry pulled out a number of envelopes and began to hand them out to each of the Weasleys with the exception of Ginny. "Its okay, Harry," Ginny whispered apparently thinking he had forgotten her, "you don't need to give me anything." "Who says you're not getting anything? Watch out for Hedwig on Monday." Ginny fixed him with a questioning stare, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she tried to work out what her present would be. "You'll love it, honestly, you will." He leant over and gave her a quick smile before returning his attention to the rest of the Weasleys. He took in the faces of his adopted family as they reacted to the envelopes. Molly leaned over towards her husband and whispered fervently into his ear. Her hands gesticulated wildly as she tried to convince him of her argument. Mr Weasley maintained a calm air throughout, nodding gently, keeping his peace. Eventually he placed his hand on her arm, gently shook his head and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Molly returned to her seat, her agitation still evident on her face. Arthur whispered briefly again before winking at Harry and pocketing the envelope. Ron was evidently nonplussed by the whole affair and after holding the sealed parchment up to the light, he left it on the table and retuned to picking at the remains of his meal. Percy looked at his, turning it over in his hand before finally standing up and walking over to Harry. "Harry," he said in a low voice, as if trying to keep the conversation secret, "can I speak to you?" He gave Ginny a pointed look. "Alone, please." Ginny stared at Percy, incredulous that he would behave in such a way. She looked at Harry, seeking reassurance. She needn't have worried. He rose to his feet put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and then looked at Percy. "Whatever you have to say, Percy, you can say in front of Ginny." Percy didn't look pleased at Ginny's presence, but he finally relented when he saw that Harry wasn't to be persuaded otherwise. "Harry," he said rotating the envelope nervously as he spoke, "I can't accept this." "You don't even know what it is; it could just be a book token." "A what? Oh yes, a book token. Very funny, Harry, I'm sure. No, I can't accept it, not after the way I've treated you in the past." "Percy, we haven't always seen eye to eye and there have been times when I would have happily joined the queue of people waiting to throttle you. But you came to your senses, and I'm pleased to have fought alongside you in the defeat of Voldemort. I know that things have been hard on you and Penelope, and I hope you will accept this gift for you and your family." "Harry… I can't possibly … I mean I don't deserve … what I mean to say is …" "No Percy, you probably don't deserve it, but then, I think I don't deserve this family, so it strikes me we're even." "Harry, I've said some pretty terrible things about you in the past and …" Harry smiled to see the normally magniloquent man stutter and stumble as he searched for the right thing to say. "Percy, I've said some terrible things about you too, but please, accept this gift and let's not dwell in the past." "Well that's… that's very decent of you Harry, I must say." Percy stood for a moment, his eyes fixed on the floor. He was unable to meet Harry's gaze, instead he played with the simple gold band on his finger contemplating his next move. He let out a long sigh and then enveloped Harry in a hug, which both surprised and pleased the younger man. The normally reserved wizard's hold on Harry tightened and then relaxed slightly as he began to cry. "I'm so sorry, Harry," he said between sobs, "I really am." Harry let Percy continue for a few moments before disentangling himself from his arms. "Percy," he said, looking him in the eye, "never underestimate the power of what you did. Yes, you chose the wrong side to begin with, but you came over to the Order when we were at our lowest. You had the courage to give up your livelihood for what you believed was right. You faced your family and their doubts, but you never went back. As I said earlier, Percy, it was a privilege to fight alongside you, and I'm glad I can be here to say that." "Thank you, Harry, I don't know what to say." "Well 'thank you' would be a start, you ungrateful git," roared Ron from the far end of the table. "Yeah and keep your hands off Harry, bro,'" added Bill, "or our sister is going to hex you into next week." Everyone began to laugh, the tension of the moment forgotten. One by one, Percy's family gathered around, happy to celebrate with him. After hugging their son, Mr and Mrs Weasley turned to Harry, their happiness evident on their beaming faces. "You didn't have to do that, Harry," said Mr Weasley. "I think I did, Arthur. Percy needs to know that he has been accepted and forgiven." "That was a wonderful thing you did, Harry." Molly Weasley beamed at him before giving him a motherly hug. "Well, if nothing else, it was worth it just to see the look on your faces." "Well dear, I did want to have a word with you. I'm looking at this envelope and I'm just wondering how much you've spent on these gifts." "What Molly is worried about," interjected her husband, "is that you think we are expecting to be, well … er, rewarded for having fed you and put you up, especially over the last few months." Harry smiled at them both. Thanking God for his meeting the Weasley family at Kings Cross Station all those years ago, he smiled at them. "Arthur, Molly," he paused, unsure whether his next words were appropriate. "Mum, Dad," he said tentatively. Mrs Weasley beamed and turned to her husband. Harry could see by the glistening in her eyes that his reticence was ill-founded. Mr Weasley gave his wife a reassuring squeeze on the arm before nodding at Harry to continue. "It has never once crossed my mind that you've put up with me for any other reason than because you wanted to, though heaven knows why you'd want to. I know that the last thing that would occur to you would be to expect payment for all you've done. This is not about payment; it's about saying thank you." He stepped forward and hugged Mrs Weasley tightly before turning to shake hands with her husband. Arthur Weasley shook the proffered palm and then with a conspiratorial wink said in a stage whisper, "It's okay, Harry, I cashed the cheque, same amount next month?" Molly Weasley's nostrils flared, as her face lit up with rage. She took a deep breath and was about to give them a fiery blast that would have done a Welsh Green proud, when she noticed that they were struggling to keep huge grins off their faces. "Well I'm sure it's very funny to you, Arthur, after all, we all know that Fred and George take after your side of the family, but I'm sadly disappointed in you, Harry. I know you've had it rough, but I thought that I'd managed to teach you some manners. Teasing may seem like fun at the time, but spare a thought for the person that's on the receiving end." Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable. If there was one thing that he dreaded more than anything else it was disappointing his surrogate mother. After all she had done for him! "It's okay, Harry, let's forget it, eh?" She opened her arms to hug him, and he responded gratefully, happy to be back in her good books. As he felt her plump arms close around him, she whispered softly in his ear, "Gotcha!" Harry began to chuckle and squeezed her tightly. Releasing his hold on her, he stepped back to see Arthur standing, arms folded, a big grin on his face. "The twins may take after my side of the family, Harry, but Ginny is a Prewett through and through. They may play the innocent on the surface, but underneath…" He left the remaining words unspoken, but another wink, this time of a more knowing variety, left Harry feeling that he'd been given a little too much information. The older man continued as calmly as if he were discussing the weather, ignoring Harry's obvious discomfort. "You'd do well to remember that when you're dealing with both Ginny and her mother." Harry allowed himself a few moments to study the man. It was very easy to dismiss Arthur Weasley as a Muggle-loving buffoon, but the façade of shallowness concealed a man of great loyalty, intelligence, humour and passion. His enemies underestimated him at their peril; his friends counted it a privilege to know him. Harry's reflections were interrupted as the man put his hand on his shoulder and began to speak. "Right, young Harry, enough japes for the night, what say we retire to the drawing room?" "What a capital idea, Weasley, will you show me the way?" As everyone made their way from the kitchen into the living room, Ginny intercepted Harry, taking hold of his arm and pulling him close. Molly seized on her opportunity and grabbed hold of her husband. "Come on, Arthur, there's washing up to do, and it won't wait all night." "Oh, okay dear, if you insist." "I do, Arthur." Mr Weasley shrugged and offered a weak smile. "Sorry, Harry, duty calls." As Harry watched him being dragged away, Ginny gave him a dig in ribs. "Don't worry about him, Harry," she laughed. "It isn't his washing up charms that she's after. Come on let's get a comfy seat before we're scarred for life." Once inside, Harry sat back and listened as Ginny and Bill talked about the tombs he'd been breaking into before he had returned to England. Ron and Percy set out the chess pieces and began to play. Harry was struck by how comfortable he felt, sitting amongst this family, watching and listening. There had been talk of the Weasleys officially adopting Harry and thus enabling him to be free of the Dursleys. That had come to nothing when Dumbledore had pointed out that apart from the need to involve Social Services, the blood protection would only work on true blood relatives. Still, this was where he felt at home. No, he corrected himself, this was his home. So why, Potter, are you so determined to leave it? You could stay here, work at the Ministry, and be close to Ginny. Your life would be stable and comfortable; a pleasant change from what you're used to. Harry had gone through this argument a thousand times. When he lay in his bed in St Mungo's, he could kid himself that it was because he wanted to be free after being confined for so long. But the desire to spread his wings had remained even when he was brought home to The Burrow. Harry had fallen asleep during the journey but had awoken as the car tyres crunched on the gravel leading up to his destination. He was too weak to use a Portkey, and the Healer in charge of his care had threatened to hex anyone who even suggested Floo powder. The car journey had not been much better. He had felt sick the whole time and they had been forced to stop repeatedly as a result. The brown haired young witch assigned by the hospital to oversee his return had allowed no one else to care for him, even when he stood on the edge of the motorway hard shoulder, throwing up into the grass verge. He was helped out of the car by Arthur Weasley and the Mediwitch. They led him slowly up the drive towards the house, the brunette holding him rather more tightly than was necessary. Their progress was halted as Ginny came haring out of the kitchen door and barged the young witch out of the way. Ignoring the protestations about patient/carer protocols, Ginny quickly slipped her arm around Harry's waist and gently led him towards the door and away from her rival. "Blimey Harry, you're as white as a sheet," she exclaimed, observing his pallid complexion. When she'd seen him a few hours earlier in the Bonham Ward, he'd seemed well enough to be released. Now he looked like death warmed up, giving the impression that it had only been six hours, and not six months, since his collapse following the defeat of Voldemort. Looking over her shoulder, she scowled at the Mediwitch. "What have you been doing to him? Can't you see that he's ill?" The young witch bristled indignantly and opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as soon as Ginny's father put his hand on her arm. "Leave them," he said gently. "She's been at his side since he was admitted. Let her get him inside and when she's calmed down a bit, I'm sure you'll be able to set about carrying for him properly. Do you need to stay with him?" The witch eyed him suspiciously, as if trying to weigh his motives. For a moment neither of them spoke. Whilst she hesitated, Ginny succeeded in leading Harry through the open door, past the kitchen and into the living room. Satisfied that his daughter now felt enough in control of the situation to begin to calm down, he began to walk towards the house and motioned to the witch to follow him. They found Ginny fussing over a very weary looking Harry. The young witch now scuttled towards him to reclaim her charge. His jaded, lifeless eyes stared out from his cadaverous face. The only spark of life pleading with Mr Weasley to be rescued from the battle that threatened to erupt around him. Before the older man could act, the two younger women were usurped by the arrival of Molly Weasley. With a look that could wilt Devil's Snare, she brushed her daughter aside and stopped the Mediwitch in her tracks. She stretched out her hand towards the carer. "Potions." It was not a question - it was demand, and the Mediwitch gave the plump woman a small brown flask with a red stopper. "Right, go! You can come back tomorrow." She fixed the now nervous young witch with the stare that threatened bodily harm if ignored. "Bring some more of the potion, but leave your hormones in your locker, is that understood?" As the now contrite woman made her way out the door, Molly turned to address her smirking daughter. Arthur chuckled as her smirk withered under her mother's glare. "Dishes, now!" "But mum!" "Dishes, young lady, or it's house elf duty for you." Ginny's shoulders slumped. She looked to her father for help but found none. Resigned to her punishment, she shuffled disconsolately away from Harry and towards the sink. Her daughter banished from Harry's side, Molly turned her attention to the sickly young man. "Now, Harry," she said in a voice that was as soft and comforting as her scolding had been hard and discouraging. "I'm not sure that you're ready to be on the sofa just yet, perhaps in a few days time. You can have Percy's old room as your own." As his body finally gave up the struggle against the effects of his journey, Harry fell into Molly's arms and she carried the painfully thin boy up to the bedroom. As he slipped into sleep, he found himself wondering whether his life would always be like this. Mentally he shook his head – this has to change, he thought. ~*~ At the far edge of his consciousness, Harry heard two new voices join in the conversations around him. His brain acknowledged that Mr and Mrs Weasley had returned from the kitchen, but it wasn't until Mrs Weasley raised her voice that he paid the fact any attention. "If you ask my opinion, he'd be far better off taking up one of the many offers that Gringotts have given him to come and work in London." His mother's disapproval was obvious, but Bill had clearly grown used to her endless questioning and just smiled at her and sat back to enjoy her fretting. "I don't know how he expects to provide me with grandchildren when he's ankle deep in scarabs and mummies. No woman worth her salt is going to be interested in him whilst that's what he does." "You don't need to worry about more grandkids mum." Bill was playing with his ponytail, a calculated move guaranteed to wind his mother up and exact a bit of revenge for her clucking. "And why is that?" His mother scowled at him, daring him to reveal that her next grandchild was to be born out of wedlock. "Well," he said nodding at the young couple next to him, "I'm sure Harry and Ginny will oblige soon enough. They've been practising long enough." Ginny coughed and spluttered and, filled with rage, reached over to grab him, but her father intervened. "Whatever plans Harry and Ginny may have," he said glaring at his son, "I'm sure they don't intend to rush into anything, so it behoves you, Bill, to do your duty and produce a grandchild or seven." Mr Weasley delivered his speech with such a deadpan expression on his face that for a moment, Harry thought he was deadly serious. However, such thoughts were banished by Arthur's next contribution. "You see, Bill, in case you've forgotten, when a wizard and a witch love each other very much and want to share their lives with lots of little wizards and witches, the wizard …" Before he could finish embarrassing Bill, a well worn cushion flew past his right ear as his eldest son tried to silence him. "I can see that you're going to have to improve your aim if …" Bill now found his range and another larger cushion hit his father full in the face. The assembled Weasleys roared with laughter and as if awaiting their cue, the kitchen next door reverberated with the sound of Fred and George stumbling out of the fireplace and landing in a drunken heap on the floor. After a brief pause the living room door burst open and two inane grins appeared in the frame. "Are we late, mother dear?" "Any of that strawberrylicious gateau left…" "…only we haven't had chance to eat yet…" "…got waylaid by a few Abbots…" "… not to mention some Greene Kings…" "…and a few Speckled Hens…" "… Old Hens they were…" "… and you told us to respect our elders…" "… and betters…" "… 'specially the betters…" "… never turn down a mug punter, eh bro'?" "Fred and George Weasley, are you drunk?" roared their mother. "No, mother dear…" "… not drunk…" "… never been drunk…" "… unpleasant experience…" "… yeah…. Just ask a glass of water…" The twins convulsed in laughter at their own joke. Reactions around the room varied from Molly's anger to Harry's amusement. Bill, Ron and Ginny all sat shaking their heads like parents watching naughty children. It was Percy who ended the twins' little sideshow. "Ebrius Resigno!" Sober as judges, Fred and George pulled themselves to their feet and looked in admiration at their older sibling. "Wow Perce!" they exclaimed together. "Where did you learn such a useful piece of magic?" "Cornelius Fudge had a liking for the bottle; it was the only way to get him to sober enough to walk to and from his office on some days." "Well, Percy, you continue to grow in our estimation. Who knows, one day we might even start to like you again." A deathly hush fell on the room and all eyes turned to Percy. The act of reconciliation between Harry and the former assistant to the Minister was still fresh in everybody's minds. Their father broke the silence. "I think you'd better apologise to your brother or go to your rooms, boys." "I'm sorry, dad, but we're not going to apologise to him until he apologises to Harry." "Well," interrupted Bill, "if you'd been on time, then you wouldn't be shoving your feet in your mouths faster than Ron shovels his food down." Fred and George looked genuinely puzzled at Bill's remark. "How so?" "Because, dear brothers," snapped Percy, "one of things that makes Harry the greatest wizard of the age is that he knows that if you want to be forgiven you have to forgive those who've hurt you. Harry, I must ask your forgiveness once again, but now seems a good time to depart; enjoy your time in Puddlemere. Mother, father, Bill, Ronald, Ginevra." He gave each of them a small nod. "Harry, I hope to see you soon and invite you over once you've got settled in. I know Penny will be pleased to see you." He turned from Harry to look at the two latecomers with disdain. "Oh, and you two juveniles will be welcome too." With a nod to Harry, Percy Apparated with an imperceptible 'pop'. With Percy gone, the twins made to leave and devour the remains of the dessert. They were brought up short by their father. "Boys, before your mother sells you to what's left of the Malfoys as house-elves, would you care to step outside for a few moments so I can bring you up to date as to what has happened here tonight?" Recognising that they had missed something important, they sheepishly followed their father into the kitchen and out the door into the garden, but not before they had divided the cake into two and begun to consume it with gusto. The whole room waited with bated breath for the row that would surely erupt once they were in the garden, but only silence reigned. Five, and then ten minutes passed before the three of them trooped back in, the twins looking suitably abashed by their outburst. That hadn't stopped them from finding and devouring the strawberry gateau, the remains of which was evident around the edges of their mouth. Their family watched in anticipation as the three of them settled down at the table. "It appears …" began Fred. "… that we are the recipients of the Plonker of The Year award…" continued George. "And that 3W, or WWW to you traditionalists, has entered the removal business…" "… and the first thing we'll do is remove our feet from our mouths…" "… and the second thing will be to remove the odd hex and charm from our newly forgiven…" "… freshly reinstated…" "… new improved Percival…" "…. Washes whiter …" "…and we'll even sweep his gaff clean this weekend." They both got up and shook Harry's hand. "Well done, Harry, mate." "Yeah, well done." "So Harry," enquired Bill, "don't the twins and Ginny get anything?" "Well I have several projects on the go with the twins and I'll say no more than that. Ginny," he said turning to a smile at her, "will get her surprise by owl on Monday." With the excitement over the room returned to its normal hubbub. Ginny sat and watched Harry for a while as he chatted to her mum and dad, before sidling over and slipping her arm around his waist. Her parents gave them each a knowing smile before saying goodbye to the rest of the family and retiring for the night. "That was a lovely thing you did for Percy, Harry," she said. "He's suffered a lot since the war; it's about time that something good happened to him and Penny." "Well, as I said to you before, I'm just happy to be able to show my appreciation. I don't need any of the stuff that is cluttering up my vault and I much rather your family benefited from it than any old Tom, Dick or Harry." "I'm pleased to hear that Tom isn't going to benefit, but do you really want to exclude yourself?" "You know perfectly well what I meant, my little snapdragon." "Do I, Mr Potter?" "Well if you don't, you're not as smart as I thought and NEWT standards have fallen since my day." "And I thought this was going to be Ginevra's Glamorous Giveaway and not Potter's Payments to Prodigals and Paupers." "That," said Harry, his tone now very serious, "is a project that still needs to be started. I've jotted down a few ideas which I'll owl to you. It's an important project to me; I never want to see a time where the likes of Malfoy can look down on his betters, just because their books are second hand or their robes aren't brand-spanking new." "The likes of Malfoy will always look down upon anyone they think is inferior, even if that person is a few rungs higher up the evolutionary ladder than they are." "The likes of Malfoy don't believe in evolution, Ginny." "Evolution is not a faith to believe in, Harry, it's a theory." "You could have fooled me." They carried on chatting for a while, neither of them wanting to end the conversation. One by one the rest of the Weasleys bade their farewells until only Ron was left. Harry remembered the time when Ron hadn't a care in the world, a time before Death Eaters, prophecies and before Hermione Granger entered his life. Harry had been overjoyed when his two best friends had started going out with each other and it saddened him to know that pride, Ron's and Hermione's, was keeping them apart. Harry gave Ginny a weak smile and, after she had nodded her approval, he went and sat next to his friend. "How's it going, Ron?" "Could be better, Harry. It won't seem the same without you around, mate, especially now that she's gone." "She's not gone, Ron. She's only an owl away. Why don't you invite her along to a match? I know it's only pre-season, but it would give you time together." "But she hates Quidditch, Harry, why would she want to drag herself along to watch a match with me?" "Because you've asked her, Ron. It's not the choice of event that's important; it's the fact that you've not let your pride get between you." "What if she doesn't respond?" "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I don't think we will have to. Trust me, mate, on this one, eh?" "When did you become all grown up, Harry?" "Spending the best part of a year in bed can do that to you, Ron. I'll tell you about it sometime." Harry walked back to Ginny and, taking hold of her hand, led her out of the living room, through the kitchen and out of the door into the garden. ~*~ They stood outside the front door of The Burrow, neither wanting to speak, enjoying the silence. Truth be told, they were both feeling embarrassed by the situation and both had difficulty meeting each other's gaze. Harry knew that he had to leave and that he had a lot of packing to do, but the prospect of being apart from Ginny for the first time in three years made him linger. "I don't want you to go, Harry," she said lifting her gaze, a weak smile failing to reach her eyes. "I have to, Gin, this is the start of my new life, the start of our twelve months; it's our big new adventure." He tried to smile as he spoke, but he too couldn't find it within him. Ginny had promised herself that she would be strong when it came to saying goodbye to Harry, but like every other thing in their relationship, nothing seemed to go to plan. She found herself fighting back tears, resisting the desire she had to launch herself into his arms and enjoy the feeling of safety he engendered in her. In the end, Harry put her out of her misery by reaching out and pulling her into his arms. "Don't cry, Ginny, I'll be back at the end of the month if all goes well and even sooner if it doesn't." "Oh, it will go well, Harry. You're a natural on a broom, and I fully expect you to be the starting Seeker before the season is finished." "I'm glad you have so much faith in me. Now stop these tears, you weren't like this before the final battle, so why now?" "I don't know, Harry, before the battle with Tom Riddle, I was so certain that you were going to win, and by that time I was all cried out anyway." "And now?" "And now? There's so much unknown, Harry, and we've never really been apart as a couple and that scares me." Harry drew her closer his hands resting on her hips. He kissed her gently on her forehead. "There's no need to be scared, Ginny. You said before that I had your heart; well, you have mine, too. We can owl each other, and I'll see if I can get you an invite to the pre-season bash they have every year. They say family only, but I'm sure they'll let you in." Ginny snuggled closer to him and lost herself in the reassuring sound of his heartbeat. As his chest rose and fell, she knew that this was where she belonged, and if she could only get her mind sorted out, this was where she wanted to stay. She felt his strong hands move gently across her back, soothing her. She sighed contentedly, enjoying being the centre of his universe, enjoying his attention and wishing that tonight, she was going with him. "Harry," she whispered. "Shush, Ginny, there's no need to talk." "I don't want to talk, Harry," she said in a hushed tone. "I want you to kiss me." She looked up at him and found his burning green eyes staring at her. This was a look Harry had never given her before: this was lust. For a few moments they gazed at each other, their ragged breathing betraying their mutual longing. Ginny knew that if she kissed him, she would lose herself in Harry, but tonight she didn't mind. All her thoughts of being strong melted under his gaze, and deep within she felt her own lust begin to rise. She was reminded of the night of her birthday and how perfect it felt to belong to Harry. She thought she was going to lose him then and she didn't, so what did she have to fear now? Ginny pulled Harry's face down towards her, aching to feel his lips on hers. The desperate passion stirring within her was not going to be satisfied with mere hugs and chaste kisses. She needed him. She needed to know that he shared this passion, that distance would be no barrier and that he longed for her as much as she longed for him. She felt the first whisper of his breathing caress her mouth and she flushed with anticipation. Then, as she felt the warmth of his lips touch hers, she tasted the sweetness of the strawberries they had shared, inviting her in further, promising the fulfilment of the ache that was rising within her. As their mouths entwined, she gave herself to her desire, pulling him closer, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her. She slid her hands across his chest and, breaking from their kiss, she whispered his name hungrily in his ear, willing him to claim ownership of her, demanding that he let go of the restraint that had always defined their relationship. His hands moved purposely down her back, under the belt of her jeans and caressed her silk covered cheeks. She groaned as she felt his strong fingers slip under the material of her knickers, feeling her knees weaken with the tenderness of his touch. "Harry," she moaned, her voice desperate, begging him to continue. Ginny? Ginny? Another voice was calling her away from him. Have you forgotten me so soon? He'll be gone tomorrow and it'll be just you and me once more. He's not coming back for you this time, Ginny. She froze, unsure how to deal with this invasion, and Harry, noticing the change in her posture, withdrew his hands. Holding her at arms length he looked at her shyly. "I'm sorry, Ginny," he said, "I guess I just got carried away. Look, it's late; I should be going and your mum will be sending out search parties if you're not back soon." She closed her eyes and, using all the Occlumency skills Harry had taught her, pushed Tom Riddle back into the room where she had always kept him restrained and mentally locked the door. "No Harry, don't be sorry, it's not you, it's just…" She looked away from his gaze unable to meet his eyes, unwilling for him to guess the reason for her change of mood. Harry pulled her close to him again, pressing her head against his chest. Like a baby taking comfort from the rhythm of a mother's heartbeat, her panic subsided and peace returned once more. "He's gone, Ginny," he whispered, "let go of him." Ginny tried to respond but her words were drowned in the tears that began to flow. Giving up on any rational response, she let Harry hold her until she could cry no more. Wiping away the last of her tears, he smiled at her. "I'm only an owl away, Ginny, and I will be back at the end of the month. Remember, I didn't leave you to him before, and I'm damned if I will this time. You're too precious to me, you always have been, and you always will be. I love you, Ginny, don't ever forget that, and I will wait as long as you want me to. Trust me." He gave her one last kiss before stepping back from her and Apparating away with a small 'pop'. Ginny turned back to the house, thankful that her mother was in bed and she would be left alone to sort herself out. Stepping inside the kitchen, she performed a locking charm on the door before slowly making her way upstairs to her room.
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