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Chapter 19

December 19th was bringing all kinds of good tidings to Grimmauld Place. The first of which being an Order Meeting of the inner circle only, meaning those that knew Ginny was alive, thus she was allowed to attend.

The second being that Ron and Harry would be coming back on the Hogwarts Express to spend the Yule Tide season at Headquarters. Her parent's were fed up with having to keep themselves apart from Ginny during the majority of the year and they'd asked Sirius if they could stay at Grimmauld over the holidays again instead, which Sirius welcomed with open arms. The twins were going to be joining them, as were Bill and Fleur.

Right now though, her parents were heading to Kings Cross to get the boys with Moody and three other Auror's that were in the Order. Bill and Fleur were in charge of the meeting because they were the reason it was being called. Dumbledore, Tonks, Bill, Fleur, Ginny, Remus, Sirius, and the twins were in attendance. The two Gringotts workers had just been informed of an opportunity of sorts through the bank that they needed everyone's ears and expertise for to discuss any potential holes in the planning of their mission.

"The Goblins have decided that they are going to be completing an assessment of defunct vaults, that is, vaults that have not been visited in several decades, or are held solely by an heir that no longer has access to them; i.e- Azkaban Prisoners in on a lifetime sentence with no heirs," Bill told them all. "I don't know exactly what prompted this assessment since they would generally only do something like this at the request of the Ministry, which, so far as I can tell, isn't the case. There are some vaults that have been sitting down there filled to the brim with gold, and yet, there has been no one to take claim of the monies."

"We 'ave been assigned to teams of four Curse Breakers to go en breaking any curses zat might be on items found. Zis could be ze opportunity to get into ze Lestrange vault," Fleur explained. "we do not know yet wezzer it is on ze list of vaults to check, we only know where in ze underground it eez."

"What would you need in order to get into the vault?" Tonks asked her.

"Usually it would require a Gringotts Goblin to open the vault themselves and that Goblin can't be coerced in any way, such as under the Imperius, to open it. There is another way that we could potentially get in, but it would require the wand of someone that the vault belonged to," he looked at Tonks directly.

"You want me to go to Azkaban and get Rodolphus' wand," she inferred in a defeated tone. It was not a fun place to be, and the only way she could go there inconspicuously would be to take a shift doing a tour and that was a full ten hour shift that she was considered too senior an Auror to have to take.

Ginny sat up straight, "would Bellatrix's wand work though?"

"Of course," Bill said, "but we'd have to track her down to get it."

"No. We wouldn't!" Ginny hadn't said anything to them before about it, she'd simply put it in her, at the time, temporary bedroom and kept it stashed away. A little prize of sorts that she could potentially taunt Bellatrix over if the opportunity ever arose again. "I have it! Snatched it off of her during the battle at the Ministry!"

They all stared at her in shock.

"How have you never told us this before?" George asked.

"I… forgot," she told them meekly. And she had, she'd stashed it away and smirked every time she came across it, but it wasn't the sort of thing you just interject into a conversation. "I have some of her hair too, roots attached if you need it for, I don't know, Polyjuice," she shrugged.

"Non, ze wards around ze vault would recognize it. But ze wand," Fleur was still looking at Ginny with a surprised expression.

"Okay," Ginny shrank back in her seat, uncomfortable now with everyone's eyes focused on her. Perhaps she should have found a reason to tell them all earlier. "I'll get it for you later," she told Fleur.

"Well," Bill picked up, "with her wand that makes this a lot easier. We will see about getting ourselves posted to the level that has their vault on it. Getting past the dragon down there will be difficult to do without making a lot of noise, so Albus," he looked to the Professor, "if you know any enchantment spells that would put it to sleep, or could talk to Hagrid about it?"

Dumbledore nodded his consent to look into it.

"Sirius and Remus, there'll be all manner of curses and such that could be placed on items in the vault itself, I would like it if you could brew up a few potions for us to have on hand to fight off any effects we might find ourselves facing. Ginny, you could help them out with that, make it a Potions project or something?" Bill handed a list to Remus with four specific potions they would be needed brewed.

"Can do," Sirius looked at the list over Remus' shoulder. "There are some ingredients there that we'll need to source out right away."

"I can help with that," Tonks told him. "Mum has a few suppliers that have the hard to get items on hand, or avenues to get them." Tonks' mum had been a Potions Master turned Healer until a few years ago when she retired, now she worked part time brewing for an Apothecary.

"Alright then," Bill said with finality.

"Ze twins?" Fleur reminded him with an endearing smile.

"Right," Bill shook his head. "You two," he said to his brothers, "if you could provide us with a few items that might cause a distraction? There's a chance we might get caught doing this and need an escape plan."

"Absolutely, dear brother," Fred said.

"Can't have you getting eaten by a dragon," said George.

"Or falling down some cavernous pit."

"You'll both need brooms shrunken down too," Tonks told them. "As another means of getting out of there."

"Oui, we will," Fleur conjured a board and began to write out the supplies that they would need for getting in and out of the vaults as well as the potions request they'd handed off to Remus, accepting any other suggestions from the group.

"Okay," Bill said as the last of the suggestions was given and they all took a look at the board in front of them. "We have three days before the assessment begins. I'll do everything I can to get us assigned to the same group and on the right level, you all focus on the tasks assigned to you."

"We had best break up the meeting now," Dumbledore told them, "I believe the others should be arriving soon. I will talk to Hagrid tonight and get back to you. You can talk to your brother Charlie," he said to Bill.

Fleur and Tonks went with Ginny up to her room to retrieve Bellatrix's wand.

"I can't believe you've had this for months!" Tonks said to her, still aghast about it.

"What can I say," Ginny shrugged, "I'm a woman of mystery."

"I'll say," Fleur smirked as Ginny handed her the long Walnut, Dragon Heartstring wand. She gave a shiver as she accepted it. "Zis even feels evil." She put it into a special compartment in her bag. "On to 'appier tings." She turned back to Ginny, giving a nod at Tonks. "'Arry is coming soon. Tell me you will not keep up zis charade between ze two of you anymore. We teach you better zen zat!"

"Yeah, don't let all that time and energy have gone to waste," Tonks said in a teasing voice.

Ginny couldn't help her blush and wished, not for the first time, that her complexion wouldn't show the coloring so well. It had been one thing to try out the little flirtations they'd taught her with Muggle boys at the mall that she would see once and never again, but this was Harry that they were talking about. And he would be there any minute.

She was only about 85 percent certain that he liked her back. Their chats usually had at least one point during them where the two of them would simply smile softly at the other, looking into each other's eyes in a way that made her think that it wasn't all just coming from her end.

She'd never hear the end of it from these two if she didn't try anything during the holiday though. "We'll see, alright? That's all I can offer you right now."

"And we will see about getting ze two of you some alone time," Fleur promised. "Perhaps you need more training wis 'im in ze basement?"

"A little Professor and student time," Tonks winked with a cheeky grin and doing this shimmying movement with her shoulders, "he might be into that."

Ginny snorted, "delightful, I'll ask him. Perhaps I could just wait for him in his room in one of the sexier numbers Fleur got for me."

"Ooh, wouldn't recommend that. He's bunking in with Ron," Tonks snorted.

"Sheet, and I am 'ere wiz you," Fleur said to Ginny. "Beel and I really need our own place."

"Good luck with that one," Ginny told her, "mum would go spare if you two shacked up before getting married. She's old fashioned. And engaged isn't married," she waggled her finger at Fleur

Fleur scoffed, "I know ziz. She catch me leaving Beel's room several times already and is giving me such disapproving looks." Her face scrunched up into a look of consternation. "In Egypt we practically live in same room, no one was zere to tell us non." She sighed in memory, "it was lovely."

"I appreciate your suffering," Ginny pulled her into a hug. "Now I want to head down to the basement. The other two are probably already starting on the potions. I should help, or at least watch."

()()()

Harry knew Ron had been wondering about his having a bouncing leg nearly the entire ride to London, but he was pretty sure Ron would also just write it off as him being anxious to see Sirius. He couldn't contain his excitement though. Yule season upon them, going to Order Headquarters and spending time with all of his favorite people. It was all he could have wished for out of a holiday.

It was great that this year's Christmas wasn't preceded with any face off's with mortality for their friends and family, nor were there any dreams that were plaguing him. So far as he knew there weren't going to be any missions that they had to go on, and even during the first Muggle World War everyone lay down their arms and both sides celebrated the season. Maybe there wouldn't wind up being anything to pull their focus away from simply enjoying themselves for the three weeks that they'd be at Grimmauld.

Maybe the first time he and Ginny saw each other she'd rush right into his arms and plant one on him.

That was the lovely day dream that he'd been having for several days straight, which had led to him practicing how exactly he was going to explain it to Ron. And why he'd been keeping it from his best friends that he was completely enamored with his sister.

"So, it's just your parents that are picking us up?" Harry asked him for the third time.

"Yes," Ron exasperated. "I've already told you, and you read the letter. Don't know what you think's changed in the last hour. Pretty sure an owl couldn't catch up with the train to drop off a letter."

"I'm excited!" Harry told him. "Can't help it. Owl ordered all the Christmas presents to be delivered to the house. Kreacher was ordered to wrap them up and put them under the tree. Guess we're going to be in the second story library for Christmas morning."

"I've never seen you this worked up over Christmas before, Harry," Hermione grinned at him. "It's cute really."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the only one you find cute," Ron gave her a fake pout.

"You're a different kind of cute," she blushed and told him quietly.

Ron just grinned at her and leaned forward for a kiss. Harry turned his head away from them and looked out the window. He was really happy that Ron and Hermione had finally caved and gotten together properly and was trying to give them some space so they could be all couple-y and not have him just hanging around as a third wheel. He didn't feel like a third wheel with them though. He was as comfortable around them now as he had been before Slughorns Party when they'd finally solidified their relationship.

They were passing more and more of the city landscape and should be arriving to the station in around twenty minutes.

He couldn't wait to see everyone again. Ginny had looked just as excited as he felt last night when they'd talked. It was crazy to think that this time last year she was still tunneling out of the Chamber. She had adjusted to life on the surface so well, and made such a big difference in a lot of people's lives. Sirius might still be drinking excessively if not for her, and who knows how little progress they would have made with Voldemort's fail-safes. Ginny had really made such a difference by just being herself. No special powers save for the raw determination.

"Hey," he called Ron's attention. "Anything planned for Gi- er- Matilda's one year, um, ...anniversary?" he asked him, not having a better name for it.

Ron's brow furrowed a bit as he considered him. "I don't know. We should do something though. Something funny too, not, you know, depressing. Like each getting her a different kind of bucket."

The two boys chuckled over that, but Hermione didn't understand, so Ron told her the story of Snape's dressing down Ginny had given him, only two or so hours after having made it out as well.

"Well I think acknowledging the day, and how far she's come since then, would be a marvelous idea!" Hermione commended Harry. "And I think I have enough time to write her a letter for you to give her then as well." She reached into her bag and pulled out some spare parchment.

By the time they reached the station Hermione had written two pages, in tiny writing, and given it to Ron to give to his sister.

They all disembarked the train while listening to Ron complain a bit about how Floo would have been easier as he struggled with his bag.

Mrs. Weasley greeted them with a hug and Harry shook Mr. Weasley's hand before they went with Hermione to find her parents on the other side of the barrier. Harry spotted a few Auror's milling about in the crowd and was grateful to see them there. The Weasley's weren't wasting any time though. They ushered the lot of them back out into the parking area and were jovially loading the bags into the boot of the Ministry car when there was an explosion booming out from inside the terminal.

Harry ducked his head on instinct and grabbed for his wand. He looked over towards the doors of the building and saw nothing but dust billowing out of them and people running out into the street screaming. Harry made to run back towards it but was sharply grabbed on the arm by Mr. Weasley and felt for a moment that he had been suctioned through a pipe, landing hard on his feet on the pavement of a quiet street. Mr. Weasley let go of him and gave a push on his back so he fell against the door in front of them, then there was a crack and Harry found himself standing alone in front of number twelve Grimmauld Place.

He was still recovering from his shock and disorientation when Ron and Mr. Weasley appeared a moment later, Ron looking as discombobulated as Harry felt.

"Get inside. Now!" Mr. Weasley told them in a harsh whisper before he Apparated out of sight again.

Ron didn't waste any time obeying his father, but Harry was ready to protest to the thin air where Mr. Weasley had stood. He had to be pulled inside by the cuff of his jacket.

"We could have helped!" Harry protested.

"With what?" Ron asked. "Clearing the rubble? Evacuating the injured? It would only put you in more danger. We don't know how to Apparate yet. You saw all the Auror's there, there'll be more called too any minute now, and all kinds of other Ministry people sweeping the area," he yelled.

"Whoa, whoa," Remus came into the hall. "What's going on? Where are your parents?" he asked Ron specifically.

"There's been an attack at Kings Cross," Harry told him. "We need to get back there."

"You don't need to do anything," Tonks stepped out from around Remus. "You two, get down to the basement with Sirius and stay there until you're told otherwise," she told them directly, using her 'Auror' voice and pointed them to move away from the entrance.

Remus rushed to the dining room, "Bill, Fleur. There's been an attack at Kings Cross, you'll have to leave this for later," Harry heard him say behind the door. Remus then went to the basement door, "Sirius, come and get Ron and Harry. Now! Make sure they stay down there with you until we get back."

"Hey! We can-" Harry started to argue.

"No, you bloody well can't!" Bill didn't let him finish his sentence. "Get down to the basement so that we don't have to add 'Track Down the Bloody Chosen One' to our list of tasks for the day," he growled.

Harry bit his tongue and let Ron push him along to the basement door, where Sirius was waiting was to meet them, concern in his eyes as he looked over the pair of them for any injuries that might be apparent.

"Come on then," Sirius said in a hurried voice, "get down here and tell us what happened." He led them down the steps and sealed the door shut.

"Ron? Harry?" Ginny was standing over a cauldron, stirring it at a constant pace as she too looked them over for any sign of injury. "What's happened?"

Sirius gave Harry a quick hug and then went over to the cauldron to take over the stirring. Ginny went to her brother first and hugged him in greeting. When it was Harry's turn he hugged her tight and buried his nose in her hair, breathing in deeply that calming scent and trying to settle his nerves.

"You're both okay?" she pulled back from him, her chocolate brown eyes searching his own for anything out of place, before looking over to her brothers.

"There was an explosion at Kings Cross. We were already out and in the car park before it happened," Ron told her. "Hermione too, she was leaving there directly for Euston with her parents to take it home. But… there were still a bunch of people in there. It's holiday! Place was packed," he fretted, his concern only breaking for a moment, "mate, you can let her go now."

"What?" Harry asked stupidly, then looked down. He was still holding Ginny around her waist. "Right," he pulled back his hands and held them awkwardly against his side.

The concern that had been on Ginny's face gave way to a mischievous smirk for a moment before the concern returned and she came back to the situation at hand.

"Did you notice anything out of place?" Sirius asked them. "How long do you figure it was from when you left the station, to when the explosion happened?"

"Maybe five minutes?" Harry guessed, looking to Ron for confirmation.

"Yeah, five minutes sounds right. Mum and dad were rushing us."

Sirius gave a pained sigh. "Ginny, next ingredient needs prepping," he told her before coming back to it. "Sounds like it was definitely a Death Eater attack. It's only the Muggleborn kids that would have stuck around longer than that. Their parents wouldn't be fully aware of the climate we're currently in. Everyone else would have booted out of there immediately."

Harry had a moment of panic wash over him as he thought of the names of some of the Muggleborn kids he knew in Gryffindor. He took a deep breath in, and slowly let it out.

"Harry," Ginny said sharply.

He looked up at her.

"Sit down before you fall over."

He nodded and spotted a chair close to Sirius. Ron came to sit down in the one beside him.

More than anything, the waiting was torture. And it went on for hours. Sirius and Ginny were continuing to work on the potions they were making, but Ron and he were simply sat there staring off into the middle distance and hoping that someone would come soon and tell them the extent of the damage and lives lost. Sirius went up to get some sustenance for them all when they'd finished what they were working on and Ginny took turns giving them each some words of comfort that didn't seem to be making it through either of their thick heads. All Harry knew was that when her hand was clasped around his the tension that he was feeling in his shoulders lessened ever so slightly.

It was three hours before Mrs. Weasley came back to the house. She was the first to return, looking desperately in need of a strong cup of tea and a shower.

The lot of them had taken to laying on the floor and jumped to their feet when she came in, Ron and Ginny rushing into her arms right away.

"What's the word, Molly?" Sirius asked.

"We lost a few Aurors, we lost a lot of Muggle's, and we lost a lot of," she hiccoughed, "children." She had tear stains on her cheeks before, and there were more tears coming down her face now.

"Oh, mum!" Ginny hugged her tighter.

"Who, Molly?" Sirius asked, sounding as delicate as he could in his desperation for names.

"It's still being cleared up, but only one I know for sure we lost was Alastor," she told him. She gave a mentally and physically exhausted sigh and took up in a chair. "We had to keep going back and forth with the injured, getting them to St. Mungo's." Ginny came to sit beside her and held her hand. "There haven't been any other attacks that we know of, but we do know it originated between platforms nine and ten on the Muggle side. Anyone that was close to the barrier on nine and three quarters was badly injured, or worse."

"Oh, mum," Ginny said again and gave her another tight hug. "I'm so sorry you had to see all that."

"Yes, well," she sighed. "We got everyone out of the area as best we could. Glad that Arthur got you two out of there as he did," she told Ron and Harry directly. "Good you didn't give him a hard time about it. Didn't need that worry on top of everything else."

Harry exchanged a look with Ron, silently thanking him to not mention anything about just how much he had protested.

"I'll go run up to the kitchen," Harry offered. "Get some tea ready for when everyone starts returning. I'm sure they'll need it."

Sirius followed him out, leaving the Weasley's alone to comfort each other. Sirius pulled him into a hard hug when they got to the kitchen. "Hardly the reunion I was anticipating," he said into his shoulder.

"Me either," Harry told him. "Had been really looking forward to it." He gave a small chuckle, "was driving Ron bloody spare with how much my knee was bouncing all the way from Hogsmeade."

Remus came in though the main entrance with Fleur right behind him. "That was a lot," Remus said to them looking visibly shaken.

Fleur didn't seem much better. The two of them were covered in rock dust with a haunted look about them. She didn't seem capable of speech just then, only shook her head and went up the stairs, lacking her usual grace.

"Drink," Remus said.

Sirius put his arm around Remus' shoulders and led him into the kitchen. Harry went right to the cupboards and started pulling out the makings for sandwiches. Sirius got Remus a glass of scotch and sat him down.

"Are we the first back?" Remus asked.

"No, Molly is downstairs with Ginny and Ron. She only got back a bit before you."

Remus only nodded in response and took a sip of his drink.

Bill came back not too much later, ducking his head into the kitchen to let them know he was there and then disappearing upstairs, probably to comfort Fleur. Tonks and Mr. Weasley arrived several hours later as they both had more work through their jobs with the Ministry at the site.

The final count was twelve Hogwarts students that lost their lives, two Aurors, three civilian wizards, and seven Muggle's, many more were in hospital in critical or stable condition. The terminal was a mess and the higher ups in the Ministry were working overtime to get the situation handled. Muggles were being told it was a terrorist attack, as was the go-to explanation, Tonks wasn't sure who they were going to be blaming for this one though. Too many times blaming the same group and there would be counter attacks.

Mrs. Weasley and Ron came up from the basement and joined everyone else, Harry took the opportunity to go back down there then and check on Ginny. She was at the cauldron again.

"Making a Calming Draught," she told him.

"That's a good call," he told her, moving to the opposite side of the table and helping her prepare the ingredients. He relayed all the information that he'd been told, his mood dropping further when she started humming to herself. It had nearly been a year, but that habit of hers didn't seem to want to break. He didn't try to stop her from trying to control her emotions then, he just listened to her hum her song and continued his task.

They got to the point in the brewing when they needed to let the potion sit for near ten minutes and he moved around to her side of the table, not waiting for her to give him any sign that she was okay with it, he just pulled her into his arms again and held her tight.

She was hugging him back though, settling against him and burrowing her face into his neck.

This was not at all the reunion he'd been hoping for.

()()()

Ginny and Harry brought up the Calming Draught when it was ready. Sirius had told them that the Floo had been locked up for the night and it was alright for Ginny to move around the house. There was food and drink passed silently around the kitchen late into the evening before everyone started trickling up the stairs. Ginny's mum pulled her into her parents room, insistent on brushing her hair, something that calmed them both down.

It was nearing eleven by the time Ginny made it up to her room and found Bill and Fleur in her bed. Fleur was asleep, but Bill cracked his eyes open when she came in. Ginny gave him a small smile and simply set down two phials of the potion for them on her nightstand and took out a pair of pajamas for herself. She'd find another place to sleep.

Her mum was clearly traumatized from what she'd seen and would need to be comforted by her dad that night. It would have been too uncomfortable to slip in with them, but she didn't want to stay by herself in an unfamiliar room that night either.

She'd gone and changed in the bathroom then stood hesitantly outside Ron and Harry's room. Gathering her nerve, she knocked on the door and twisted the handle, letting herself in before they'd even responded

"I'm staying in here tonight," she told them. "Bill is comforting Fleur in my room."

The boys had both already gotten changed and were sat back against the headboard of the king-sized bed. Ron didn't question her; he just patted the middle of the bed between he and Harry. She climbed into the bed and under the blanket muttering a thanks.

The three of them settled back against the pillows, Ron turned out the lights and they all simply lay there, wide awake and staring up at the canopy in silence.

"It was me, you know? Me and Tonks. Sirius and the twins helped out a lot too," Ginny blurted out. "I stopped myself short of adding something I learned from the notebooks, but I helped make up some stuff. Tonks, well, she knew some bits about what was stored in evidence at Azkaban. The bit about the frilly knickers, that was her, and that was true."

"You talking about that flyer from months ago?" Ron asked.

"Yeah."

Ron was the first to start chuckling, then Ginny and then Harry joined in. The three of them were soon nearly rolling with muffled laughter and sharing their favorite bits from the flyer. Ginny told them which they knew for sure and which was rumors or completely made up. It helped them all in the moment to chat about that, and once they all calmed down it wasn't long before Ron dropped off to sleep.

"Has he always been such a loud snorer?" Harry asked her in a whisper.

"Yes," she told him. "As far back as I can remember. That's why he has the top floor at the Burrow. Mum and dad figured they might as well put him closest to the Ghoul, hoped they might drown each other out."

The two of them snickered over that.

Ginny rolled onto her side to face him, he did the same. It was dark in the room, but the curtains were pulled back, and the light from the street and glow of the city was illuminating the room enough for their eyes to have adjusted. He had one of his hands tucked under his pillow, the other was palm down on the mattress, mirroring her own position.

"Do you mind if I get a little more comfortable?" she asked him.

"'Course not," he told her, sounding confused.

She moved closer to him then, gently giving a push to his shoulder, so he'd lay back down and she tucked herself under his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. "This okay?" she whispered.

He adjusted his position slightly and settled against her. "More than," he assured her.

Ginny pulled her lips tight between her teeth, moving them against each other and trying to figure out if they might be chapped, also trying to work up her nerve. Now was not the ideal place and time, with Ron snoring loudly from only three feet away. But it could have also been the most alone they would be for his entire visit. She was in his arms. She'd been in his arms earlier, but there had been things that needed doing then. Here and now they were only required to get some sleep and wouldn't be expected anywhere or to do anything for hours.

He was still as awake as she was, she could tell. His hand was at her side and making these slow swirling movements with his thumb. Hers was on his chest, giving these minute strokes with her fingers. She could feel his breath on the top of her head and smiled against his shoulder. He was smelling her hair.

"I could probably get you some of my shampoo you know."

"No, it would lose its calming effect if I was smelling it all the time, but you weren't there," he whispered softly.

She tilted her head up. That might have been the best possible thing he could have said to her at that moment. "Do I really calm you down that much?" She wished it wasn't so dark that she could see the color of his eyes then, the shadows across his face were making it hard to see his expression, but she could tell it was a tender one.

"Yes," he leaned down to her slightly, so their noses brushed up against each-others.

Her eyes closed to enjoy the feeling of his skin on hers. Such little contact had sent a wave of warmth through her own body like a blanket. She shifted up just enough that they slid that little bit closer to each-other and he rolled gently to his side, bringing her chest closer to his right before their mouths finally met.

It was slow and tender as their lips moved against each-others, both of them waiting and worrying that the other would pull away, but neither did. Instead they moved closer together and their kiss becoming surer. His lips on hers felt exactly right. It was all perfect and what she had fantasized their first kiss would feel like. His arms were secure around her like a life raft keeping her in place so she wouldn't float away. She sighed against him as her hands began to move, to try and pull him just a bit closer.

He adjusted his position to let her wound her arm along the bottom of his pillow and around his neck while the other went to his hair, both of them giving an appreciative sigh at the feeling, lips not parting for even a moment. She raised herself up so she didn't have to tilt her head up any more and he pulled her even tighter against him, giving an involuntary groan as their kiss turned more desperate, mouths opening a little.

Ron gave a loud snore at the sound and they both jumped and pulled their heads back, sharing a startled look before grinning madly, chests starting to vibrate against each others with their chuckles.

"Guess this isn't the best place to have done that for the first time," he whispered.

"First time?" she asked. "Where do you suppose will be the second time?"

"Somewhere that your brothers aren't, ideally."

Ginny chuckled, "ideally." Their arms were still wrapped tight around the other. "Where did you anticipate doing that for the first time?"

"Was going to take the cowards way out actually," he admitted. "Get you under a mistletoe."

"That's pretty much what I had planned too," she pressed her forehead against his again.

He traced a finger down the side of her face and she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation more, his lips coming back to hers as he moved his hand into her hair.

It wasn't long before Ron let out another loud snort and they broke apart giggling again.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," she said and settled herself back down at his side, unable to help her grin. "Just in case I didn't make it clear, I really fancy you."

"Thank Merlin for that," Harry sighed contently, "because I'm completely mad for you."

()()()