6

Let My Love Open the Door

Chapter 6

As Ginny lay snuggled into Harry's side, his arm wrapped loosely around her, she felt her anxiety growing.

She felt Harry move and begin to stroke his hand down through her hair. While she found it quite enjoyable, it only added to her anxiety.

"What's going on between us?" she asked softly.

Harry's hand stilled, the silence hanging between them like some palpable thing.

"What do you mean?" he finally asked, his voice soft and hesitant.

Ginny felt her blood begin to boil. "What kind of bloody question is that?" she snapped.

Feeling Harry flinch, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm sorry I snapped at you but I found your question a bit insulting," she said keeping a tight rein on her anger.

"It's a fairly straight forward question. I mean twice now I've ended up spending the night in bed with you. We've been spending a lot of time together and I don't know about you but I've enjoyed it," Ginny said, her voice carrying just how much his reaction had hurt her.

Harry's mind was in turmoil. He knew that Ginny had every right to be mad at him. Though he tried to deny it, he knew that he had never been happier than he was when he was with her. Well, except for the short time he got to spend with Sirius before he was killed.

But even that wasn't one hundred percent true. Being with Ginny was totally different than what it had been like when he had been with his godfather.

Harry felt the walls he had built around his emotions come crashing down. Ginny had been chipping away at them since the minute he had met her and now they were totally destroyed, something that terrified him more than anything he had ever faced.

Feeling his frustration and discomfort growing, he rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed, hunching over, his elbows on his thighs as he grabbed his head, lacing his fingers into his hair, looking like he was going to start pulling it out at any moment.

Ginny felt her heart clench as she took in Harry's posture, the pain and uncertainty plain to see.

"Harry, speak to me," she urged softly and compassionately.

Harry began to slowly shake his head back and forth. "You need to understand I'm in uncharted territory here," he said lowly. "I've never had the kind of relationship you're talking about."

Ginny moved a little closer to hear him better because he was talking so softly.

"I've told you about my talking to Hermione, didn't I?" he asked but then continued without waiting for her to answer. "She was literally the only female my own age that I ever talked to more than five minutes and most of the others I only ever saw once, maybe twice. I was kept hidden away, constantly training, so I have no idea what I'm doing," he said, clearly frustrated but she could also hear his undercurrent of anxiety and fear.

Harry suddenly stood and walked over and stared out the window. "I gave up the idea of ever finding someone years ago. The few times I ventured out after Tom's demise . . . well, let's just say they weren't pleasant experiences," he said sadly.

Ginny was watching him, still sitting on the bed, his face in stark profile as he stared out the window. Its somewhat harsh light catching the tears that were trickling down his cheek.

She saw him take in a ragged breath, blinking his eyes, forcing more tears to flow. "I was mobbed and people were all over me, touching me, running their hands all over me, grabbing my arse and my . . . I felt so dirty and abused," he whispered with a shudder.

Ginny could feel the tears leaving hot trails down her cheeks as she listened to him. She couldn't believe that people would have the nerve to do such things to the young man who had saved them and their world.

Though it explained so much and she silently cursed all the ones who had hurt him so badly.

Harry finally realized there were tears on his cheeks and he hastily brushed them off, glancing embarrassingly toward Ginny to see if she had seen.

"Then there's the fact that everyone I've ever cared about has been taken from me. My parents, Sirius, Remus and Tonks, Dumbledore. All my life whenever I found someone who I cared about, who I loved and they loved me back, they ended up dead," he said, the anguish in his voice so evident that it broke Ginny's heart to hear it.

Harry slowly turned, facing Ginny. His face full of pain and uncertainty. "I find myself second guessing everything, whether I feel like I deserve happiness, that I deserve someone like you in my life."

He dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment before looking back up at her, locking his eyes with hers. "I can't help but wonder if you'll disappear from my life too."

Ginny rose slowly, almost as if she thought if she moved too quickly that he would flee. She walked up until she was right in front of him, never breaking eye contact.

"Harry, I can't guarantee I'll always be in your life, no one can do that. People die for the stupidest of reasons, whether it's because they're killed fighting for what is right or they get run over by a lorry," she said softly.

She saw his eyes widen in surprise. "Yes, I know what a lorry is," she said with a thin, wan smile.

"I've learned there aren't any guarantees in life but I do know that somewhere along the line you have to trust that things will turn out for the better. That if you're willing, there will be people there who won't leave but if they do, it's not because they want to. It doesn't mean that they don't love you," she whispered imploringly.

"Like I said, I like you, a lot, maybe more than a lot. I enjoy having you in my life as I hope you enjoy my being in yours, but you need to let me in, take down those walls you've built up around your heart," she softly implored.

She saw a look of hope briefly flicker across his face and his arms jerk up slightly like he was going to wrap them around her. Then just as quickly it was gone and his arms fell back to his sides as his head dropped, breaking eye contact as the look of uncertainty and hopelessness enveloped his features again.

Ginny sighed sadly. For a brief moment she thought she had gotten through to him. Slowly, she leaned up and placed her lips on his, giving him a soft tender kiss.

She felt him flinch but he remained passive, not responding to her kiss. She looked at him sadly for a moment before turning and walking away. Pausing at the doorway she turned back and saw him standing there exactly like he had been, head down, not looking at her.

"The choice is yours, Harry. If you want me in your life, you know where to find me and it needs to be you," she said with a sad sigh.

She watched as he stood unmoving and knowing she'd done all she could, she turned and left.

Harry stood there as still as stone, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts and images. A jumbled mix of memories flashing through his brain. Of being with Sirius sharing a laugh, flying with Ginny, training with Remus, waking up with Ginny snuggled into his side, of Tonks morphing her face and hair to make him smile when he was feeling down and a hundred other memories.

The thing that struck him most was of how Ginny was so prominent in his life recently and all she had done for him.

"I've really bolloxed things up," he whispered to himself sadly as he threw himself onto his bed feeling empty and hollow inside.

Harry and Ginny

Ginny stepped out of the Floo into the Burrow. She gave a wan smile, glad that no one was there to greet her. Though she hadn't eaten anything that morning, she didn't feel hungry so she headed up to her room.

Closing the door, she looked around and for the first time in her life, she didn't feel she was home. The room was like it had always been but it didn't feel like hers any more.

It was a child's room and she knew she didn't belong there any more. She needed to find a place of her own, one that reflected her adult life.

Sitting down on her bed, her eyes wandered the room, stopping now and then on things that caught her attention. Her Quidditch posters, a teddy bear, a couple of hair ribbons hanging on the corner of her mirror, her Gryffindor Prefect's badge. All things from her childhood.

Lastly of all, her eyes fell on the Harry Potter doll that her mother had made for her when she was five. Smiling ruefully, she was more than ever convinced it was time to move out.

She knew her mother wasn't going to be happy but that was just the way it was going to be. It was time to move on with her life.

Her thoughts went to Harry and how she hoped that she'd gotten through to him and that he'd make what she considered the right decision. She also knew she couldn't sit around waiting for him.

Either he'd come to her or he wouldn't. She'd left it up to him and as much as it pained her, she knew she couldn't force the issue.

Coming to a decision, she quickly changed and headed back down stairs. Grabbing her jacket, she planned on heading to the Harpies Stadium. They had a list of flats that were available to let for any of the players and if that didn't pan out she would check with some of the other younger players to see if anyone needed a flatmate.

Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, she heard "You're back."

Turning around she found her mother staring at her.

"How did things go?" Molly asked.

"Okay," Ginny replied lowly.

"Are you okay?" her mother asked, giving her a worried look.

Ginny gave her a small shrug.

Molly gave her daughter a concerned look. "Want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

Ginny sighed, not wanting to get into it at the moment. "We'll talk later," she replied dully.

"Where are you going?" Molly asked curtly.

"Out," Ginny replied irritably. "I have some errands to run," she added, feeling slightly bad for being so short with her mother, but she also wanted to get across that she wasn't a child any more and it was time for her mother to finally accept that fact.

Without waiting for a reply, she opened the door and left. Once outside she paused and took a deep breath and let it out slowly in an effort to calm herself. It felt so good, she did it again and smiled at how much better it made her feel.

She was taking control of her life, something she realized was long over due. Feeling much better, she made her way to the Apparation point and with a soft pop, she headed for Holyhead.

Harry and Ginny

Harry wasn't sure how long he lay there in bed and was a bit surprised that neither Kreacher nor Winky came to call him to breakfast. Not that he was hungry. The way he was feeling he would have just sent them away.

Rising, he headed for the loo to take a shower. He felt pretty disgusting and he could tell he had sweated pretty hard.

As he took his shower he thought about Ginny coming over and taking care of him. He was pretty sure that Kreacher had gone and brought her back.

He knew in the past he would have been quite angry with the old elf for defying his orders, though he chuckled softly, realizing the elf had found a way around what he had said.

Harry found he was actually impressed at Kreacher's ingenuity. He had been too specific in his orders, no Madam Pomfrey or a Healer. Well Kreacher hadn't gone and brought back either one.

No, he'd gone and gotten the only person that could get through the wards, Ginny.

It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn't even thanked her for coming and taking care of him. It was just one more thing to add to the list of things that showed how much of a berk he had been. It made him wonder what she saw in him.

The one thing he was sure of was it wasn't because he was The-Boy-Who-Lived or any of the other titles he had been cursed with.

Harry turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, drying himself automatically, his thoughts still firmly centred on Ginny.

For the life of him, he couldn't understand what she saw in him. He knew he was socially inept and that was putting it mildly. He wasn't particularly tall or well built. In his stocking feet he was a shade under five foot nine inches and while he had a wiry strength, he certainly wasn't built like the men he saw in the ads in the muggle magazines, with all their muscles and six pack abs.

Then there was his perpetually messy hair that would never lay flat, constantly sticking up at odd angles. On top of that were the numerous scars all over his body, not counting the infamous one on his forehead.

Though they normally didn't show, he knew Ginny had seen him wearing nothing but his boxers. He couldn't understand how she could even look at him.

As he brushed his teeth, he stared at himself in the mirror. While he didn't think he was ugly, he didn't consider himself handsome. To him he had an average face, nothing to look at. Not that anyone usually looked at his face, everyone just stared at his scar.

Sighing, he briefly contemplated shaving but decided not to. Finished, he went back into his bedroom and threw on some clothes, not paying particular attention to what he put on.

Slipping on his Dragon Hide boots, he made his way out into the parlour. Unsurprisingly, it was empty so he headed for the door. He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on.

He glanced toward the kitchen but decided not to call Kreacher. He knew he needed to apologize to the elf but didn't feel up to it right then. With a sigh, he opened the door, heading outside to wander the property.

Kreacher heard the door open and he watched forlornly from the shadows as Harry slipped outside. The old elf shook his head sadly, once more wondering if he had done the wrong thing by trying to help his Master and friend.

Harry and Ginny

Ginny flopped down tiredly but she smiled as she looked around her new flat. It wasn't much, two rooms, three if you counted the loo.

She looked back toward the bedroom, where she heard Bill and Percy working on putting her bed together. Yes it was a little smaller than her old bedroom at the Burrow but all of her furniture that she had brought with her fit, even if it was rather crowded.

She looked around the main room, the kitchen to one side, the small table she found in a second hand shop right next to it. The rest of the room was the de-facto parlour, filled with the couch she was sitting on, a couple of squishy arm chairs and a couple of end tables, all purchased at the same second hand shop.

At least the bookcases were from her room at the Burrow as was the linen press.

It wasn't much, the furniture didn't match and the place looked a little worn but it was hers. At least it had a fireplace and in a day or two it would be hooked up to the Floo network.

With a satisfied sigh she rose and headed for the kitchen. "Do either of you want something to drink?" she called out loudly.

"No, I'm good," Percy replied, coming out of the bedroom. "I really need to get going. I'm going out to dinner," he explained sheepishly.

"I'll take a butterbeer," Bill called out from the bedroom.

"Thanks for all your help," Ginny said as she hugged Percy.

"It was nothing," her older brother replied as he awkwardly hugged her back.

"It was something to me," Ginny chided him with a smile.

"Yes . . . well," Percy stammered, his face turning red. "I'm just glad I could help."

He then glanced at his watch, his eyes widening. "I really must get going, I'm going to be late," he said in a near panic.

"Then go," Ginny laughed, "Don't keep her waiting."

"Who . . .who said I'm meeting a girl," Percy asked, his voice rising a couple of octaves.

"Oh, Perce, I know you and you're only this nervous when you're going out with someone new for the first time," Ginny said with a patronizing smile.

Percy blushed, his mouth opening and closing several times before he just shook his head and hurried toward the door.

"I want to meet her," Ginny called out after him, her eyes dancing merrily.

Percy just waved at her over his shoulder as he hurried out the door.

Still chuckling, Ginny went over to the cold box and grabbed two butterbeers. Just as she turned to head to the bedroom, Bill came out.

He smiled when he saw his sister with the butterbeers. "Bless you," he said as he grabbed one and took a large gulp. The temperature was near record high for Holyhead as was the humidity.

Ginny took hers and went back over to the couch and sat down. She took a much smaller sip and sighed contentedly. "It figures. I decide to move and there's a heat wave," she thought, thinking how wonderful a shower was going to feel.

Bill glanced around, taking in the piles of boxes everywhere. "It's too bad that Fleur couldn't make it today. You two could have made a lot of progress getting everything put away," he said thoughtfully.

Ginny just leaned back and shrugged. "It would have been nice but at least I've got a bed to sleep in tonight. I can unpack tomorrow."

Bill eyed her curiously. "Speaking of beds, when did you get such powerful wards placed on yours?" he asked, arching his eyebrows questioningly.

Ginny looked back at him in surprise. "What in the name of Merlin are you talking about?" she asked irritability.

"You mean you didn't know?" Bill asked incredulously. Then he gave her a mischievous look. "Here I thought you had it done to protect your virtue," he said with a chuckle.

Ginny frowned at him. "If you and Fleur ever wish to have any children, I'd advise you never to mention my virtue again," she said darkly.

Her brother gulped and decided to heed her advice; however he was still curious about the wards.

"Okay, no more mentioning anything about your virtue, I promise, but I'm still curious about the wards. I haven't ever come across anything remotely like them before," he said sincerely.

Ginny was still frowning but not so much at her brother any more. She really had no idea what he was talking about. She was thinking hard and then she remembered what Kreacher had said when he came and got her.

That led her to remember what she had thought what had been a dream. Slowly she began to put the pieces together and the only conclusion she could come up with was that Harry had come and placed the wards around her bed that night.

While at first she tried to deny it, she couldn't help remember Kreacher's explanation about Harry's nightmares, how the worst ones were centred around those he cared about the most and how the elf thought that the one he had had the night he fell sick probably centred on her.

If that were true it would explain why she had smelled the same aroma that she remembered from staying with him the night of the wedding.

It all suddenly made sense. Harry having the nightmare that she had featured in and how that had prompted him to come to the Burrow and place the protective spells on her bed.

"Yeah, well if I'm so bloody important, why haven't I seen him in over a week?" she complained to herself. And she did want to see him. She missed him a lot, not that she was going to tell anyone else that fact.

Bill saw the subtle change in her look but decided not to call her on it. There was something there to be sure but whatever it was, it wasn't a happy memory for her.

"Never mind," he said softly, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a soft squeeze.

"Thanks Bill," Ginny replied, laying her head on his shoulder. Bill had always been there for her, whether it was when she'd skinned her knee when she was a toddler or the summer after her first year at Hogwarts when she needed someone to talk to.

They sat there, both lost in their own thoughts. Bill wondering what his sister was thinking about and Ginny contemplating Harry.

A short time later the clock on the mantle rang out the hour.

Bill gave Ginny one last squeeze. "I really should be going. We wouldn't want Fleur to get worried," he said softly.

Ginny gave a soft sigh and sat up, looking at her brother. "Thanks, Bill," she said with a small smile.

Bill could tell she was thanking him for more than just helping her move. "Any time, Firefly," he said with a grin.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him but secretly she really didn't mind him using his old nickname for her. If anyone else would have done it they'd have been in serious trouble, but from Bill, it only made her love him all that much more.

Ginny followed Bill to the door, giving him a hard hug. "I'll have you and Fleur over for dinner as soon as I finish unpacking," she said, a bit more emotionally than she wanted.

Bill returned her hug just as hard. "We'll be here and don't kill yourself trying to get everything done at one go. We can wait until you're fully settled in," he said warmly.

"I know that but don't think I'm going to slack off. It will be next week at the latest," Ginny said emphatically.

Bill just smiled at her, gave her one more hug, before he Apparated away.

Ginny sighed and closed the door and made her way back over to the couch where she flopped down and sighed. She looked around in satisfaction that she had a place of her own, but the silence was deafening. She was so used to having others always around making some kind of noise.

She got up and after rummaging through a couple of boxes, she found the wireless and placed it on one of the tables near the window. She turned it on and let the soft strains of music fill the room.

It wasn't the same as having people nearby but she thought she'd get used to it and at least it broke the silence and she didn't feel quite so alone.

Harry and Ginny

Kreacher watched his Master with great concern. Ever since the day that Mistress Ginny had left, his Master's condition had deteriorated a little until now he looked almost exactly like he had at the end of the war.

He was barely eating so he had lost a considerable amount of weight. He wasn't hardly sleeping so he had dark bags under his eyes that were also blood-shot and had such a quality of pain in their depths that it was hard to look at them.

And while his hair was messier than ever, it was at least clean, or nearly so. He was also sporting two weeks growth of beard, not having shaved since the day before he fell ill and had his confrontation with Mistress Ginny the next morning.

He barely spoke to either of the elves and never without being spoken to.

Kreacher's eyes tracked Harry as he went to the front door, grabbed a light jacket, put it on and slipped out the door.

The old elf was happy that his Master had grabbed the jacket. Though the day would undoubtedly be quite warm, the predawn air still held a chill.

Already one full week of July had passed without any change in Harry's routine. He would be up before dawn, slip outside and spend the majority of the day wandering the grounds. The only change was if there was rain, then he'd make his way to the gazebo and sit there, barely moving, lost in his own thoughts.

Kreacher knew that it would serve no purpose to go to Mistress Ginny and try to appeal to her. She was just as stubborn as Master was, in some ways more so. Plus Kreacher had heard her telling Master that the choice was his.

Shaking his head, the ancient elf made his way into the kitchen to try and console Winky who was now constantly on the edge of tears because of the way their Master was behaving.

Harry wandered slowly around the edge of the property, his eyes filled with sadness as he remembered every spot where he and Ginny had spoken.

Deep down he knew he was acting irrationally and was being the world's biggest berk, prat, git and yes, he'd admit it, arse.

He knew all he needed to do was go see Ginny and things would get better, probably a whole lot better.

What confounded him the most was that knowing that, he still couldn't force himself to just go and see her. It was that thing that consumed his waking hours, not that he slept much.

The only other thing he thought about was the time she had spent with him. He'd relive every moment that they had shared, going over and over them in his mind.

"You are a barmy git," he whispered out loud.

"So do something about it," the voice in the back of his head said.

Harry sighed deeply. "After all the time that's passed, I doubt she even wants to see me," he replied sadly.

"You don't know that for sure," the voice sneered. "It hasn't even been two weeks."

He grudgingly admitted that the Voice did know how to count the days since he'd seen Ginny, not that he thought it made that much of a difference.

Harry shook his head once more. "I don't know what she sees in me anyway," he groused lowly.

"So what. It doesn't matter if you see it or not. She obviously sees something and in the long run, that's all that matters," the voice whispered.

Once again, Harry found himself agreeing with the voice, as much as he didn't want to.

"So what should I do?" he whinged softly.

The voice rolled its eyes at him, something Harry actually found quite amusing. "Go and see her," the voice stated firmly.

"I'll think about it," Harry replied sadly.

"That's all you've been doing since she left," the voice said in disgust.

Harry knew the voice was right. That was all he had been doing since he had seen her last. All he needed to do was find the courage to do it.

"I'm a bloody coward," he said, disgusted with himself.

"Says the one who defeated Tom, saved Her from the Chamber, protected the Stone, along with facing Tom numerous times before you finally rid the world of him," the voice countered disdainfully.

Harry winced. "That's different," he protested feebly.

"It always is," the voice said, fading away.

Harry sighed, knowing the voice was right, as always. Sometimes he hated the voice but that didn't change the fact that the voice had never lied to him or sent him wrong.

Shaking his head, he continued his slow circuit around the property, thinking hard.

Harry and Ginny

Ginny took one last look at herself in the mirror, liking what she saw. She was heading to the Burrow to celebrate her birthday and for some reason decided to dress up a little.

Instead of her normal jeans and jumper she had chosen to wear a nice blouse, skirt combination and she was pleased at how nice she looked.

It would be the first time she had returned to her childhood home since moving out into her own flat and she hoped everything would go okay.

She knew her brothers and father had accepted her reasons for moving out, the only one that concerned her was her mother. Though they had exchanged a few letters, this would be the first time they met face to face and she just hoped that because it was her birthday that her mother wouldn't raise a fuss.

She smiled as she entered the parlour. It had taken some doing but everything was now unpacked and the place looked and felt like home.

Her smile grew as she remembered the surprised look on Bill's face when he and Fleur had come for dinner. With a couple of pieces of artwork on the walls and all her bits and bobs placed around the room, the place looked totally different than when he had seen it last.

While he could see how happy she was, he could still sense that underlying feeling of sadness. He had resolved not to bring it up but he hoped that Fleur would sense it too and try to get his sister to talk about it.

Dinner was a pleasant affair and Bill was happy with how calm and relaxed his sister was. Moving out obviously agreed with her.

Fleur didn't disappoint him, after dinner they had moved over into the parlour and were enjoying tea along with some pastries when she had asked Ginny what was bothering her.

Ginny had given his wife a surprised look and then sighed. She explained that it was a personal situation and that she'd rather not talk about it.

Fleur had gotten her to admit it had to do with someone special but then left it at that, not wanting to push things too far.

Ginny smiled wanly, thinking about Harry and while she was frustrated, she hadn't given up hope yet.

With a sigh, she went over to the fireplace and Flooed to the Burrow.

Harry and Ginny

Harry stood staring at himself in the mirror. He had shaved and taken a shower though he gave a rueful chuckle as he looked at his hair. As much as he wished otherwise, it firmly refused his attempts to tame it.

He thought he didn't look half bad, wearing a nice button down deep green shirt, a pair of tan khakis and his dragon hide boots.

"I can do this," he said lowly, staring into his own eyes in the mirror.

He took a deep calming breath and exhaled slowly. Though he was fairly confident he was doing the right thing, that did little to ease the gigantic knot in his stomach.

Deciding he'd stalled long enough, he turned and headed out into the parlour. He hesitated momentarily, glancing toward the kitchen. He knew he'd been unfair to Kreacher and Winky but he knew he couldn't face them right then. If he took the time to talk to them he might lose his nerve.

"It's now or never," he muttered to himself, and taking a deep breath, he Apparated away.

Unseen in the shadows of the kitchen doorway, Kreacher and Winky watched Harry disappear.

"I's hope Master Harry be okay," Winky said worriedly.

"Me's too," Kreacher said softly.

Harry and Ginny

Ginny could hardly believe what a good time she was having. Yes, things had been a little tense when she had popped out of the Floo and found her mother standing nearby.

They had stared at one another for a couple of moments before Molly rushed over and hugged her daughter harder than she'd ever done before.

With tears in her eyes she had begged for Ginny's forgiveness, repeatedly apologizing for being such a bother.

When she had finally let go and stepped back, she had taken a good look at her daughter and smiled, saying "My don't you look wonderful and so grown up."

Ginny figured that was her way of saying that she was trying to see her as an adult, something she greatly appreciated.

After that, everything had gone splendidly. Dinner had been delicious as always and the atmosphere around the table reminded Ginny of when she was a child, with good natured teasing, plenty of funny stories and a wonderful sense of family.

All her brothers and their significant others were there except for Charlie, who couldn't get away from the Dragon Preserve and of course, Fred.

Though he was missed, there was no melancholy associated with the fact he wasn't there and they had all shared multiple stories of their beloved brother.

Everyone was in the process of moving into the parlour so that Ginny could open her presents, leaving Ginny alone with her mother in the kitchen.

Molly was busy putting together a tray with the pot of tea and a multitude of snacks when someone knocked on the back door.

Seeing her mother was occupied, Ginny said, "I'll get it."

Molly glanced at her daughter over her shoulder, giving her a smile before turning her attention back to putting things together.

Ginny was smiling widely as she went and opened the door. She froze in her tracks, staring at who was standing there.

Harry and Ginny

Harry appeared outside the door to the Burrow and stood there for a moment, staring at the door.

Apparating had done nothing good for his protesting stomach and he hoped he didn't vomit. Taking a huge, deep breath, he shakily knocked on the door.

From inside he heard a voice that sent his heart racing, say "I'll get it."

He briefly thought about Apparating away but before he could move, the door opened.

There, standing before him was the one he so wanted to see, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her, even at the wedding.

She stood there frozen, stunned at who she was seeing. It wasn't until her mother asked, "Who is it, Ginny?" that she gathered herself together.

"Harry," she breathed softly.

"Who, dear?" Molly asked, not hearing because of how softly Ginny had spoken.

Ginny ignored her mother, her attention focused solely on the man standing before her. Her heart was racing and she had a hard time keeping from jumping into his arms.

She felt a little giddy and light-headed. She couldn't believe how happy she felt and she hoped that his appearance meant what she wanted it to.

"Please come in," she said with a smile, silently pleading, "Pleasepleasepleaseplease."

Harry glanced past her and saw that the table was sent for a large number of people, ten if his count was correct. He gave her a embarrassed look. "It appears that I've interrupted," he said with regret and he turned and began to walk away.

"Ginevra, I asked who was at the door," Molly reprimanded with a scowl.

Ginny glanced at her mother, eyeing her darkly. "Sorry, this is important," she said before she darted out the door after Harry.

"Ginny!" her mother yelled in outrage.

"Harry, stop, please," Ginny begged as she pursued him.

Harry stopped dead and turned around, looking at Ginny in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him that she would come running after him.

Ginny ran up to Harry and stopped just short of running into him bodily. She saw the look of surprise in his eyes and she rolled her eyes at him.

Harry couldn't help himself as a small smile formed on his lips.

Ginny eyed him imploringly. "Please come back and join us," she said pleadingly.

When she saw his hesitant look, she added "I would really like it if you would, please." Then she smiled smugly. "It's my birthday and I'd like nothing better than if you would join in celebrating it with me."

Harry winced at her. "I don't have a present," he said apologetically.

Ginny had a hard time fighting a smile, a battle she eventually lost. "I know I'm going to sound corny as hell, but I don't need any present but your company," she said humorously.

She was happy to see a small smile form on his face. "Come on," she said, grabbing onto his arm and giving it a tug.

Harry's smile widened a little as he looked at the beautiful red-headed woman who was leading him back toward the Burrow.

He still found it incomprehensible that she wanted him in her life.

As much as he was beginning to relax and enjoy being with Ginny, there was one thing he felt he really needed to do. So taking a deep breath, he pulled her to a stop right outside of the back door.

Ginny gave him a questioning look, wondering why he looked so concerned. She opened her mouth to ask his what was wrong, but he silenced her by placing a finger on her lips.

Please let me have my say," he said softly.

Ginny could tell that whatever it was, it was very important to Harry, so she nodded her head, signalling him to continue.

Harry took a deep breath and blew it out forcefully. "Ginny, I need to apologize for the way I've been acting. You didn't deserve the way I treated you. You've been nothing but kind to me, probably more so than I deserved. Please forgive me," he said seriously, his eyes locking on hers and pleading silently with her.

Ginny was slightly taken aback by his apology. Yeah if she sat down and thought about it, he'd been a right berk but at the moment she didn't care. He was there and actually came on his own.

However, she could see how important it was to him so she couldn't just brush it off. Taking a calming breath, she held his eyes. "Harry, I know things have been difficult for you. I want you to know that I understand and though I think that you don't really need to apologize, I know that it's important to you, so I accept your apology and that's the last I want to hear about it."

Harry just looked at her stunned for a moment but then a smile slowly grew on his lips. He knew that she did understand and that made him realize just how bloody brilliant she truly was.

"Okay, I promise to never bring it up again," he said softly, though his eyes were shining brightly.

Ginny smiled and gave him a curt nod. She really wanted to kiss him but she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop once she got started and her mother and family were waiting inside, probably not so patiently if what she remembered of how her mother's tone had sounded.

On reflection, she found she really didn't care. All that mattered to her was that Harry had shown up and while they hadn't really talked about anything, the fact he had shown up at all spoke volumes to her.

Bracing herself, she caught his eye and silently tried to tell him to be prepared for just about anything. Receiving a look that she interpreted as one of understanding, she opened the door and led Harry into the kitchen.

They both stopped right inside the door and breathed a sigh of relief, as the room was empty. Their eyes met and both chuckled softly.

Ginny smiled bravely and began to lead him toward the parlour and stopped right inside the door. It took a moment for everyone to notice her and as soon as they did, the room fell silent and she felt a tenseness in the air.

Harry felt exceedingly uncomfortable as everyone stared at Ginny and him and he had to fight the urge to run.

"Everyone, this is my friend Harry. I know some of you know him but not everyone has met him," Ginny announced.

Her eyes met her mother's and though she could tell that her mother wasn't that pleased with her at the moment, she could tell that something important had happened and she was willing to cut Ginny some slack.

She smiled at her mother and received a small nod in return. Something that she was truly grateful for.

Ginny was so pleased when almost everyone greeted Harry warmly.

Bill watched Ginny from across the room as she entered with a young man. He was pretty sure who it was and he put the pieces together about the way she had been acting.

He glanced at Fleur who had a knowing smile on her face. She caught his eye and when Ginny had finished introducing Harry, they were the first to approach the pair.

Bill was having to try really hard not to burst out laughing as he looked at Harry. He may have been the most powerful Wizard alive be he looked like a nervous schoolboy.

Fleur hugged Ginny and whispered something into her ear and though Bill couldn't hear what she said, he thought he knew what it was about by the way they both glanced at Harry and smiled.

When Fleur switched and shook Harry's hand, Bill hugged his sister. "So, everything better now?" he asked with a smirk.

Ginny blushed but couldn't hide her smile as she glanced at Harry. "I think so," she said shyly.

"Well, I hope things work out for you," Bill said sincerely.

"Me too," Ginny said with a grin.

The rest of the evening was a whirlwind of activity for Ginny. She made Harry sit next to her as she opened her presents, and as things went on she felt him relax quite a bit.

She loved that her family was so accepting of Harry, well everyone except Ron, who spent most of the evening scowling in Harry's direction.

Hermione had come over and given him a brief hug but hurried back to Ron to keep him calm.

She was especially appreciative of Bill and Fleur and surprisingly Percy. They all spent quite a bit of time chatting with Harry and making him feel welcome and part of the family.

That's not to say that her mother and father weren't welcoming too. Molly had fussed over Harry just as much as she did over everyone else and her father, while more laid back, did his part in making Harry feel comfortable.

The next thing Ginny knew it was getting rather late. She realized that Ron and Hermione had left quite a while ago, being the first to leave, not that that really surprised her.

Bill was helping Fleur put on her cloak, something she thought was a little odd with it still being quite warm. Then she remembered the discussion she'd had with Bill the day after the wedding and she had jokingly said something about Fleur being pregnant and how Bill had reacted to it.

Though she wasn't showing, somehow Ginny just knew that Fleur was pregnant and she smiled as she watched Bill make a fuss over his wife.

Glancing at the clock she was surprised to see how late it was. "I guess we really should be going and let my parents get to bed," Ginny said reluctantly.

Harry looked at her in surprise. "What's that?" he asked, totally confused.

Ginny smiled at him. "That's right, you don't know."

"I don't know what?" he asked, looking befuddled.

"I've moved," she said with a impish look.

"Oh," Harry said after a moment.

Ginny's look changed and she glanced to her mother who was saying goodbye to Bill and Fleur.

"Please come home with me. I really want to talk to you, you know, about us," she said hesitantly.

It only took a moment for Harry to nod his head. He had come to see her after all and if he was going to be in for a Knut, he might as well be in for a Galleon.

As they rose from the couch he saw Mrs Weasley looking at them, a worried look on her face. Sighing, he knew she was going to be a tough sell because of her youngest son.

He looked at Ginny out of the corner of his eye and taking one look at how beautiful she was, he knew she was worth it.

He was taken by surprise when he and Ginny got to the Floo to find Bill and Fleur still standing there. His surprise was compounded when Bill shook his hand and smiled at him, saying "It was nice seeing you again, Harry."

Then in a move that shocked Harry, he leaned in and stage whispered, "Watch out for this one, she's been known to have quite a temper." A huge smile on his face as he did so.

"Bill/Beel!" Ginny and Fleur cried, with Fleur smacking her husband on the arm.

Ginny was glaring at her brother but after a moment, Harry noticed her eyes were sparkling with amusement and the corners of her mouth were twitching as she fought smiling.

"I'll have to remember that," he replied drolly, watching as Bill acted like his arm was severely injured. He also noticed the Weasley matriarch looking back and forth between her son and daughter and appeared as if she wasn't sure about them.

Then things were interrupted by Arthur coming over and shaking his hand too. His eyes were dancing and he was fighting a smile miserably, his sides shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Yes, it was certainly a pleasure to meet you and I hope we see a lot more of you," he said jovially, glancing at his daughter.

It had been apparent to Harry that while the man loved his sons he had a special spot in his heart for his only daughter.

"It was a pleasure to meet you and your family," Harry replied with genuine happiness.

As he let go of Harry's hand, his place was taken by Molly who hugged him so hard he let out a whoosh of air, as he was taken by surprise by its intensity.

"Mum," Ginny cried out, while everyone else chuckled.

"Sorry, dear," she apologized contritely, giving him a concerned look.

"It's fine," Harry replied, once he got his breath back.

He saw Ginny giving him a half concerned, half amused look and he smiled at her to let her know he really was okay with everything.

Ginny gave her parents quick hugs and pecks on the cheek before she grabbed Harry by the arm and tossed the Floo powder into the grate, calling out "Ginny's Place," before hauling him into the green flames.

To Harry it seemed they were spinning forever before they popped out into Ginny's small flat and he knew he would have fallen over if she hadn't had a firm grip on his arm.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked in concern as Harry blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to regain his equilibrium.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied, glancing at her. "I'm just not used to using the Floo. Never did get the hang of it. I always seemed to end up on my arse and was extremely happy when I learned to Apparate."

Ginny gave him an understanding smile, though he could see she was trying to hide her amusement.

"Why don't you sit down while I make us some tea," she said, giving him a soft shove toward the couch.

Harry glanced at the couch but ended up following her to the kitchen. He stood next to the table, watching her as she puttered around, gathering everything to make the tea.

It took a couple of moments before she noticed him standing there and she smiled warmly at him.

Harry blushed but held her gaze, enjoying watching her, once more taken by her beauty.

It didn't long before she had everything ready and she picked up the tray and walked toward him. She smiled when Harry took the tray from her hands and led him to the couch.

As Ginny served, they kept exchanging glances accompanied by small smiles.

Once they had both taken a couple of sips of their tea and had a few biscuits, Ginny's look turned more contemplative and serious and they began to talk.

And talk they did. First discussing what each had gone through while they weren't seeing one another and then moving on to other aspects of their relationship.

That led to them telling one another things they had never told anyone else. All through it Harry found a sense of peace descending on him that he had never experienced before and he realized he was absolutely arse over kettle in love with the beautiful woman sitting next to him.

It wasn't until the soft light of the coming dawn that they wound down. The tea and biscuits were long gone, and they ended up just staring at one another.

With a contented sigh, Ginny rose with Harry following suit.

"I guess I should be going," he said reluctantly.

Ginny just rolled her eyes at him and shook her head indulgently. "Harry, I've spent several nights in your bed, I think it's okay if you join me in mine," she said, taking his hand and leading him toward her bedroom.

Once there she gave him a pointed look and he started to unbutton his shirt. He froze when Ginny unabashedly started to undress, though she did turn her back as she removed her blouse and bra and slipped out of her skirt.

Harry stood there mesmerized as he took in the wide expanse of creamy pale skin of her back and it wasn't until she slipped on a Harpies tee shirt that he moved once more.

Ginny smiled at him while she turned down the bed covers and he finished stripping down to his boxers.

She climbed into bed and when he stood there transfixed, watching her, she patted the bed beside her, fighting a grin that she couldn't hide.

Needing no further prompting, Harry crawled into bed next to her. Ginny ignored all pretexts and immediately snuggled into his side. Smiling, she reached up and caressed his cheek.

Harry felt the last of his barriers shatter as he stared into her eyes and tears began to fill his eyes.

Ginny gave him a quizzical look, slightly concerned by his reaction.

Harry smiled through his tears. "I love you," he whispered huskily. "And I can't imagine my life without you in it."

Ginny smiled ecstatically. "I love you too," she whispered, her eyes filled with her happiness. Then she gave him an impish grin. "Don't you think it's time you kissed me then?" she asked humorously.

Harry chuckled before leaning in and kissing her. It far surpassed anything he could have imagined.

It seemed like they could have kissed forever but then Ginny yawned mightily. Giggling she snuggled into his side, "We'll continue this in the morning," she said sleepily.

Harry wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side a little tighter. His last thought as he drifted off to sleep was that he hadn't expected what had happened when she came and escorted him to Ron's and Hermione's wedding, opening a door to a whole new life but he wouldn't change it for anything even if he could.

Harry and Ginny

A/N: Thus ends the story though in reality it is just the beginning of Harry's and Ginny's life together. I hope it met with your approval.

I want at this time to once again thank Stephanie O for her brilliant work as my Beta on this story. Her help has been invaluable.

I also want to give a thank you to Sorcerer's Muse for the brilliant idea of not having Harry and Ginny kiss until the very end of the story. I borrowed it from her wonderful Story Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not? If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do so. I don't consider Ginny's kissing Harry a true kiss as Harry didn't respond to it.

As always, your reviews and comments are greatly appreciated.