Disclaimer: I am NOT J.K. Rowling, no matter how much I'd love to be her, and to own the HP series. I forgot a disclaimer in the earlier chapters, so this is for all of them. I OWN NOTHING! Except several copies of all the books... but that hardly counts. :)

It was late when Ginny and Harry finally made it back to the common room. The sun had set over a calm, dark lake a couple hours ago, but Ginny hadn't been ready to face reality yet. Harry had summoned some food for a picnic lunch, and they had spent the day/evening snogging, talking, and airing old worries. The day left Ginny sure that no old problems would come between them- however, she wasn't so sure what the future would bring, especially since Harry seemed so unsure about things himself. He'd just mutter something about 'Dumbledore' and 'lessons', and change the subject.

So, it was only at about eight o'clock pm, that the two lovebirds found themselves outside the Fat Lady's portrait, debating whether or not to enter the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady was watching them, looking suspiciously amused.

"Gin, it's not you he's gonna kill!"

"Yes, but Harry, didn't I promise to protect you from the evil Ronnikins?" She smirked at him, and kissed the tip of his nose. "There, there, Ginny won't let anything happen to you."

He simply glared at her. "Ginny, he's not going to be happy. I wouldn't be surprised if he's called the whole Weasley clan to help kill me!"

"Ha! As if he could actually kill his best friend!" Harry seemed to look a little relieved at this point, until she added, "he'll probably just hex you into oblivion- but you'll still be alive!"

"GINNY! This is no joking matter! Your boyfriend could be getting injured by his former best friend's hand in mere moments, and you're joking? Oh, I guess you are related to the Weasley twins…"

Now it was Ginny's turn to glare. "Harry, I would never lead you into somewhere to die!" although it was hard to talk with the happiness cursing through her. She'd never admit how thrilled she was to hear him referred to as her 'boyfriend'. She loved the sound of that! "Now, we're going in!"

He seemed to have learned by this point in their relationship (friends, semi-siblings, boyfriend/girlfriend, whatever they could be called) that her expression meant business.

"Ok," he agreed with a nod. "But, Ginny…"

She smiled. "Poor, Harry, the meanie won't get you." She cooed to him, and then she turned to the Fat Lady, who looked as though she was about to burst from laughter- if paint could do that. Could it? Ginny didn't have the time right now to consider it.

With hearing the password, the Fat Lady began to open for them, grinning.

"Good luck, my dears!" Just as she was about to swing open, Harry put a hand out to stop her.

"Is- is he in there?" she nodded. "Is- is he angry?"

She laughed. "Silly boy! Your girlfriend is getting you in there whether he is or not, so I suggest you get it over with!" For a painting, she was rather smart. Harry nodded and stepped back. He gave Ginny a hand up, and followed her as the Fat Lady murmured something about Violet owing her, and how they all knew the two would end up together some day…

Ginny waited for Harry to join her in the common room, and then the portrait swung shut. They surveyed the room. Ginny sighed. It looked the way it always did after a Quidditch match was won: butterbeer bottles everywhere, wrappers and crumbs littering the floor and every surface, tables overturned, couch pillows stained, and of course the house elves wouldn't be coming through for a couple of hours. Why couldn't the brave and loyal Gryffindors learn to clean up their own messes?

Well, one good thing would come of this: it meant that no one stayed downstairs too late on days like these, because the mess was too much to tolerate.

Ginny came out of her thoughts by a poke in her arm from Harry. From the concerned look on his face, she knew he was probably trying to get her attention for a while. She turned the famous Weasley red, and gave him a 'what?' look. He simply pointed to the fire: on a red couch in front of it, were two figures. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They looked to be talking quietly, and Ron looked agitated. He kept glancing at his watch. Ginny looked over at Harry, who looked quite relieved Hermione was there as well. Ginny snorted. For a famous wizard who was also the bravest person she knew, he looked to very odd places to find terror. Ron was as scary as Arnold, her Pygmy Puff.

Harry looked down at her at her snort, and she laughed. The sound seemed to freeze Ron, and he slowly turned around.

"Ginny Weasley," she didn't know he could speak so slowly, or so seriously! "Get over here, now."

She laughed again, an oddly carefree sound for the tension in the air. "Ronald, in case you have forgotten, you aren't my father. In fact, you are the youngest of the Weasley sons, and have the least authority to tell me what to do!"

That didn't seem to help Ron's temper, a fact both his best friends seemed to notice, as Harry stepped in front of Ginny, and Hermione placed a hand on Ron's arm. Ginny laughed at the situation. Ron and Hermione looked perfect together, and yet they were both too big of dolts to tell each other how they felt. And here Harry was, protecting her after claiming he was going to be killed! And, if Ron was to fire a curse, it would be at Harry, not Ginny, anyway.

She stepped in front of Harry, ignoring his attempts to 'protect' her against her idiot brother.

"Tell me, Ronald, what did you want to talk to me about?" She walked up to him, and looked him in the eye. Hermione gave Ron a sideways look.

"Um, Ginny, I'm not sure it's the best idea in the world to bait him right now…" that was odd. Hermione sounded almost nervous, which was not at all a Hermione sound! Before Ginny could process this, Ron had his wand pointing to Harry.

But before the spell was even formed on his lips, Harry had yelled "EXPELIARMUS!" and Ron's wand flew across the common room. Of course, he was Harry, and was probably worried more about Ginny's safety than his own. He didn't have to worry about Ginny, no; she could take care of herself!

She pointed her wand at her brother, rage roaring in her ears. She didn't see Hermione's attempts to take her wand, or feel Harry's hand on her shoulder, and his voice in her ear telling her to cool down. No, with a nonverbal spell that would make even Professor McGonagall happy, she shot her older brother with her famous bat boogey hex.

"Ginn- Arg! Hel-" but the rest of his words were cut off as boogers flew out of his nose, took on the shape of bats, and proceeded to attack him. And, they did a pretty good job, if she did say so herself.

"Well, um, thanks, Gin. But, I didn't mean it, when I said you should protect me, you know, for future cases, and such…" She smiled into Harry's beautiful emerald eyes.

"I think I'm up for the challenge, thanks, but I'll let you take over if it comes to Voldemort. Deal?"

He laughed at that. "Deal." She went to kiss him, but he stopped her, pointing over her shoulder. "Not with Ron here. Speaking of which, shouldn't you perform the counter hex?"

"He deserved it." She muttered savagely into Harry's shirt, refusing to turn around and look at her brother.

"Gin, he's just your big brother, looking to protect his younger sister. Un-hex him, please?" With him giving her those pleading eyes, she couldn't say no.

"Fine! But you better behave, you hear?" she demanded of her brother, who was rolling around on the floor, trying to fight off the numerous number of bats still in full-on attack mode.

"Um, Ginny?" Hermione asked timidly, "You may want to wait for his acknowledgement until he can speak again…"

"Right." With a wave of her wand, and the well-thought counter hex, she 'saved' her brother from the evil boogey bats.

He sat up gingerly, at glared at Hermione. "Well? Didn't bother to help, huh? Guess 'best friends' means nothing to you?" he looked positively furious. Hermione, on the other hand, looked as though she hadn't enjoyed herself so much in years! She was very well practiced at containing laughter, though, so it was more a presence in her alarmingly sunny smile.

"Nope. I just thought that since it was your other best friend you were brandishing a wand at, I'd let you two figure it out!" He just glared some more, then seemed to realize what she had said.

"Yes, well, Harry," he said the name with venom seeping out of his voice, "why don't you explain what going on?"

"No, Ronald," it was Ginny, with equal amounts of venom in her voice. Hermione looked proud, and Ron looked flabbergasted that his sister was speaking to him like that. "You are going to sit on that couch, and listen to us!" She pointed to the nearest couch, and Ron staggered over to it, looked bewildered, while Hermione sat next to him. Ginny perched on the edge of the huge armchair across from them, and pulled Harry down next to her. Ron glared at the fact that she was basically on Harry's lap in the tight confines of the chair, but chose not to say anything about it just yet.

"Ron, believe it or not, we're not betraying you here." Harry spoke quietly, but Ron acted like Harry had bellowed it with the enchanted megaphone from the Quidditch games.

"Right, mate, like you weren't the one-"

"Oy! Ron, you're doing the listening, remember?" Ginny was losing her patience now, and every Weasley knew what happened when that was gone. Ron quickly shut up.

"Now, I may be your little sister, but I am also fifteen years old now; I'm almost sixteen! And I am grown up enough to know what I am doing! No! Listen!" she demanded, holing up a hand when it was obvious he was about to interrupt. "Now, you know how long I've liked Harry: you've teased me for most of the time. Now it's not a schoolgirl crush anymore, and I'm really falling for him, Ron. You want your sister happy, and this will make me happy." Ron looked thoughtful at that, and Ginny went on, relieved. "Harry's been your best mate for years Ron, years. Would you let something like this spilt you up? When nobody knows what the future will bring? Will you really let such a good, trusting friendship go down the drain because you don't realize that Harry will treat me right? After all this time, you should know what kind of a man he is."

"Ron," it was Hermione, and Ginny hoped she had some words of wisdom, because Merlin knows Ron had no wisdom in his hole-of-a brain. "You know you trust Harry, and wouldn't you feel best knowing Ginny was in safe hands, and with someone who wouldn't hurt her? Knowing she was safe?" That seemed to bring Ron around, and he looked at Harry, a little guiltily.

"Sorry, mate, really. Didn't mean to point my wand at you…" at Ginny's snort of disbelief he continued, in a desperate tone. "Really! I would never try and hurt you mate! I mean, with all that you're going to have to do, and with Dumbledore's," but with Harry's quick glance at Ginny he continued on hurriedly, "and I want to be at your side, Harry, as best friends. I know you'll never hurt Ginny, hell, you're probably the best bloke for the job, keeping this one in line!"

Ginny glared at him, but was secretly relieved. Harry smiled, slowly. "Thanks, Ron, that means a lot to me. And, I really wasn't trying to betray you. I've spent the better part of this year arguing with myself, telling myself she was your sister, and it wasn't right…" Hermione beamed at this.

"I knew it! I knew you were finally falling for her!" Ron glared at her.

"Oy! Hermione, we're having a discussion here!"

"Oh, whatever, Ron!" But she was quiet.

"Y' know, mate, you could have warned me, before snogging her in front of the entire Gryffindor house."

Harry looked down bashfully. "Um, sorry bout that. I really didn't mean to, but I was so surprised, the winning of the game, the cup, everyone cheering, and then she was running towards me, and hugging me, and I didn't seem to have the control to stop."

"Well I'm glad of that!" Ginny put in, and Harry leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"That really isn't helpful, right now…"

"Well, I'm not!" She insisted, but sat back without further complaint, crossing her arms, and leaning back into Harry's strong chest contentedly.

"Well, mate, you going to take care of my sister?"

"Ron," Harry began, looking at the fiery red-head in his arms, "I could never hurt her, and I will protect her with the last of my breath. I think, I think…" He looked deep into her eyes, until all she could see was the emerald of his swirling around in her mind. He took a deep breath and continued, still looking into her brown eyes. "I think I love her."

Ron looked utterly flummoxed by that statement, Hermione squealed in an excited, and very un-Hermione like way, and Ginny simply gaped into his eyes.

"You, what?" she whispered.

"You heard me, Ginerva Molly Weasley. I think I may just be falling hopelessly in love with you."

She didn't know what to say, so she reached up to kiss him. But, that idiot brother of hers was still there.

"Oy! Get a room! Or, don't, actually, I'd rather you just stop…" apparently the thought of his sister and best friend getting a room to snog in was too much for him to comprehend. Ginny and Hermione merely snickered at this, and Harry looked guiltily downwards.

"Sorry" he murmured. Ginny forced his face up to meet her eyes.

"Don't you ever be sorry for kissing me, you hear?" She looked so ferocious and terrifyingly serious, that he laughed slightly, and gave her a light kiss of acceptance.

"Never again."

"Oh, Ronald, I think it's time for bed, don't you?" Hermione gave a pointed look at Harry and Ginny, before whispering in his ear, "they might want to say goodnight alone, their first night together, hmm?"

Ron sighed. "Right, ok… Night you two."

"Night Ron."

"Goodnight my idiot brother." Ron just grinned at that, smiled goodnight at Hermione, and headed up to his dormitory. Ginny and Harry turned to look at Hermione.

"Thanks, Hermione, really. You are an amazing friend- just like I said earlier."

Hermione smiled at Ginny. "I'm just happy to finally see the two of you together! Whatever else happens, at least this will be something good, in the mess the world is coming to… Goodnight Harry, Ginny…" She smiled at them, and headed to the girl's dormitories.

"Harry," he looked at her questioningly. "Is it, is what's coming really horrible? No one will tell me anything…" he kissed her, as if trying to get the worry off her face.

"Nobody really knows, Gin, but I guarantee you I will do everything in my power to do what's right, and help the resistance. I just want the world to be safe, and you to be safe. Please don't worry, not tonight. We have enough time for worry, and I have enough times I need to worry. I'd rather just enjoy the pleasant time I have- enjoy having you in my arms, after all this time."

She smiled up at him- she could give him that much, at least! "Well, Mr. Potter, it seems congratulations are in order." He raised one eyebrow in question. "Well, you seem to have escaped my brother in one piece!" They both started laughing hysterically at that, and somehow her lips ended up on his again, and the laughter stopped, as he kissed her long and sweetly. He pulled slowly back, and she licked her lips, causing him to chuckle at her.

"I really want to continue this, Gin, but it got a little late while we were 'talking' to Ron, and I'm sure right now he's in our room, glaring a hole through the door, waiting for me to get up there. And if I'm not up soon, he's just going to come down here, and use his prefect's badge to give me detention, or something else he conveniently forgot about earlier."

Ginny laughed and kissed him lightly, then hopped off his lap, pulling him up beside her. "If I wasn't sure I'd get to see you tomorrow for a good-morning kiss, and of I didn't know you weren't exaggerating about Ron, rest assured there would be no way in hell you would be leaving me right now."

He laughed, and gave her one last kiss. "I'll remember that, Miss Weasley, for next time. And, rest assured that I don't particularly want to be leaving you, either."

She grinned, and watched as he crossed the room to head to his bed. He turned when he reached the staircase. "Goodnight, Ginny Weasley, I'll miss you. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Harry Potter. Sweet dreams."

"They'll be full of you, so I'm sure they will be!" With a wink, he disappeared up the staircase, and was gone.

Ginny stood silently for a minute, in the deserted common room, surrounded by the rubbish left from the celebratory party, and listened to the fire crackle down. Then, with a silent whoop of happiness, she twirled around the room, laughing to the ceiling, basking in her happiness. With one last glance at the boy's staircase, she blew a kiss towards him. Then, she started to her own stairs, and her own bed, to dream about the Boy-Who-Lived, but more importantly, Harry, her boyfriend.

A/N: Yay! Done! Hope you all liked it, and thank you so much for everyone for supporting me with reviews! This is the last installment, so REVIEW, please!!

Oh, and if anyone has comments or questions about why I did some things the way I did, and if people think I exaggerated some parts too much, write to me, and I was gladly share my thought process! I actually thought this chapter through many many times.