Harry was checking into the Muggle hotel. Ginny watched from across the lobby as he talked to the man behind the front desk, both men laughing every now and again. She couldn't help admiring Harry's physique, even from a distance. He was still wearing the suit he'd worn for their wedding – black from head to toe. Usually Ginny didn't like when people wore black, because it reminded her of funerals and death. But it definitely worked for Harry, her husband.

Ginny's stomach did back flips at the thought. Harry was her husband. They were married. She was his wife. And tonight – finally – after waiting for what seemed like a lifetime or two, they were going to make love. She was going to give Harry her virginity and in turn he would give her his.

The man behind the desk asked Harry a question, looking around the lobby. Harry turned, spotted Ginny, and flashed her smile, thus making her knees go weak as only he could. She smiled back at him, feeling her face heat slightly, and played with the hem of her white silk dress.

Harry turned back to the man and said something, and the man looked at Ginny and smiled. When he looked back at Harry, he said something, and Harry laughed again. The two men shared a high-five. Were they talking about her?

Harry was giving the man his credit card. When the man returned the card, he said something else, and handed Harry an envelope. Someone was taking away the suitcases that were sitting next to Harry's feet, carrying them into an elevator. Harry talked to the man for a moment more, and then headed toward Ginny.

He smiled. Ginny smiled back. She felt awkward and nervous. She didn't know what to say.

"Are you all right, love?" he asked, taking her hand gently in his own. "You seem tense. Are you feeling sick or something?"

"No," Ginny said, shaking her head. "I'm fine. I just…I can't believe we're married. I don't really feel any different, but I feel like I should. You know?"

Harry smiled at her, and she watched it touch his vivid green eyes, making them shimmer with pure, obvious happiness.

"I know," he said finally, pulling her into a warm hug. She felt the length of his body press against her own, and pressed into him more firmly, wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "God, Ginny," he was saying. "I love you so much. I can't even tell you how happy I am."

Ginny pulled away slightly, so that she was able to look up into his handsome face. She felt herself blushing, because suddenly she wished that they were upstairs in their honeymoon suite, away from the prying eyes and ears of the man behind the desk. She wanted nothing more than to fall into bed with Harry and find out exactly how much he loved her. She ached to kiss him, to touch him, to memorize every inch of his perfect body. She tried to smile through her nerves.

"Can we go up to bed now?" she whispered, unsure of how to phrase the question.

She watched Harry's face. His eyes widened. His nostrils flared. He flushed slightly. The look on his face, Ginny realized, was one of pure, unadulterated lust.

"Of course," he said, taking her hand again.

Ginny began to walk, but he pulled her back, so her body was pressed against his once more. And then he claimed her mouth with his own, and kissed her so passionately that she considered making love to him right then and there, in the lobby of the posh French hotel.

When Harry finally broke the kiss, Ginny looked up into his face, panting. Harry licked his lips and smiled at her.

"Now we can go," he told her, and together they walked to the elevator.

"What floor are we on?" Ginny asked him as the doors closed.

"Twenty," Harry said, watching as Ginny pushed the correct button on the wall. He continued, "It's the top floor, so it should have a great view."

"That's good," Ginny said quietly, smiling awkwardly. She didn't really care about the view. She doubted she would be paying much attention to the windows.

The couple sank into silence. Ginny watched Harry as he watched the numbers above the door change, climbing higher and higher. He was still holding her hand, and she could tell that he was nervous too because it was sweating a little bit. Ginny moved a little closer to him, and rested her head on his shoulder, rubbing his bicep through the crisp black jacket that looked so irresistible on him. She felt him kiss her hair.

"I love you," she whispered. "I know I've told you a lot today, but I can't help saying it. I'm so happy, Harry."

"Me too," he murmured. "And don't worry. I don't mind hearing that you love me, because I love you too."

Harry wrapped one arm around her shoulders – she was still holding onto the other one – and squeezed gently. Ginny couldn't help thinking about how much she loved the feeling of security that she got from just being held by Harry.

The doors opened with a quiet ding and Ginny let go of Harry's hand in order to loop her arm around his. They walked together down the long, bright, deserted hallway. Now and again, Ginny would feel Harry's body brush against hers, and her stomach would flutter. Her heart raced wildly at the prospect of what they were about to do.

At last, Harry stopped at a door, and pulled out a keycard. He inserted it in the slot over the door handle, and removed it when the red light turned green. Harry opened the door slowly, and stopped Ginny when she went to walk inside.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at him.

He was blushing terribly, so she waited. After a moment or two, he took a deep breath and looked down at her.

"I just want to do this right for you," he told her, placing his arm behind her back, under her shoulder blades. "I want to carry my bride over the threshold."

He stooped, and placed his other arm behind her knees, and when he stood up again he lifted her with him, cradling her body against his own.

"Harry!" she squeaked.

"Shh," he said, looking into her eyes. He was still standing outside the door. "I promise I'm not going to drop you."

"I know," Ginny sighed. "But I'm too heavy for you to be carrying around like this. Really, you don't have to do this."

"I know I don't have to," he said seriously. "I want to. And you're not heavy. Don't be ridiculous."

Ginny was going to protest, but Harry kissed her, forcing her to forget about whatever it was that she had been about to say. When he broke the kiss, he began to walk through the door. And, after kicking the door shut, he put her down.

"Thank you," Ginny said, blushing. She would never admit it, but she had enjoyed being carried across the threshold by Harry.

"Thank you," Harry said, grinning.

"For what?" Ginny asked him. "I didn't do anything. You paid for the whole thing, and planned this whole honeymoon. I haven't done anything."

Harry frowned. "Well, I meant thank you for loving me and for marrying me… But, Ginny, whatever is mine is yours too. We're…you know…sort of a team now."

Ginny smiled. "Okay. Then, team, do you think that we might look at the rest of the room before we get into an argument over this? I really don't want to fight with you tonight."

Harry closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck, looking sort of tired. Ginny wondered if he would even want to consummate tonight. What if he just wanted to sleep instead?

"You're right, Ginny," he said, taking her hand and looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

"Of course," she said. She didn't know what else to say, so she looked around. "Where are the bags? I want to change."

"Oh," Harry said. "Yeah…um…hang on a second. I'll find them."

He opened a door to his left. Ginny peeked inside and saw a toilet.

"Found the bathroom," Harry said offhandedly, laughing a little. He opened another door next to the one that led into the bathroom. "Oh, here they are."

He pulled out Ginny's suitcase and set it on the floor against the opposite wall. Then he looked at her, gesturing somewhat lamely to her bag.

"Shall I just…wait for you, then?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Sure," Ginny said, smiling awkwardly. She played with the white gold ring on her left hand, watching the way the diamond caught the light.

Harry turned and began to walk away, toward a set of double doors that Ginny guessed led to the rest of the suite.

"Harry?" she said, and he turned immediately to face her.

"Hm?" he said, raising his eyebrows in question.

Ginny moved forward quickly, and kissed him before he could even guess what she was going to do. She buried her hands in his soft, unruly hair, and his arms wrapped around her. She allowed him access to her mouth, and felt his tongue massaging hers. She only stopped him when she felt his big, warm hands sliding across her backside.

When she looked at him, his hair was even more disheveled than usual and his eyes were dark with lust. He was panting, and Ginny smiled at him.

"Just give me a minute to change," she told him, watching his face. He looked strained, and his eyebrows pulled together slightly as he nodded, pushing his own hand through his hair.

"Alright," he said. "Sure. I'll be waiting for you in there." He gestured toward the double doors behind him.

When he turned around, Ginny knelt down and unzipped her bag. Right on top, as she had intended, she found her pajamas for the night. She smiled, glancing at Harry to make sure he wasn't watching her. He was moving around the sitting area part of the room, touching the material of the sofa and flipping through what Ginny assumed was a menu for room service. She gathered the clothing and went into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

She stripped off the silk dress and the underwear that she was wearing, wondering whether or not she should take a quick shower. She decided against the shower; she didn't want to wait that long, and she was sure Harry didn't want to wait long either.

So she pulled on the lacey white panties and bra. They seriously lacked support, and Ginny wondered whether Harry would like it. As she pulled on the thin silk nightgown and the matching white robe, she was nervous. No one had seen her naked since she was twelve, and it was her mother when she had walked in on Ginny in the bath. Ginny tried to remind herself that Harry loved her, and that she had to trust him, because she loved him too. She took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Ginny poked her head out the door, looking for Harry. She didn't see him, so, blushing deeply, she walked out of the bathroom and into the sitting room. He wasn't in there either. She looked around, and saw another set of doors. One of them was slightly ajar.

Her nerves almost made her turn back, but then she remembered that kiss, and the hungry, desperate look in Harry's eyes when she had made him stop so she could change. She remembered the way that Harry's hands had run over her backside. She thought about how it might feel if Harry touched her like that when she wasn't wearing anything, and the thought carried her forward. When she reached the door, she knocked quietly.

"Close your eyes," Harry said from behind the door. Ginny couldn't see him, and she wasn't sure how she felt about Harry being able to see her in this skimpy attire when she couldn't see his reaction. She had been looking forward to that.

"Why?" she asked.

His face appeared in the tiny opening between the doors, and his eyes darkened again as they slid over her body. His lips parted slightly and his breathing quickened. Ginny watched his tongue slip out of his mouth, and he licked his lips. His eyes seemed to be glued to her bare legs, and then to the little bit of cleavage the robe revealed. His gaze finally returned to her face.

"Please, just close your eyes." His voice was full of longing. "I'm trying to make this perfect for you. Please, Ginny, don't make this more difficult than it already is."

Ginny smiled and closed her eyes, and she heard Harry open the door. He moved to stand behind her, and she felt his hands touch her hips as he dropped light kisses on her neck and shoulders. Slowly, he walked forward, and Ginny complied, following his lead. After a moment, he stopped her, and she felt him wrap his arms around her waist.

"You can open them now," he murmured in her ear, resting his chin gently on her left shoulder.

She did, and felt her eyes well up with tears of happiness.

The room was mostly dark, save for the light emitted by several candles burning throughout the room. Ginny's eyes immediately found the big white bed. Harry had already turned down the covers, and the sheets were covered in scarlet rose petals. There was a bucket of ice on a long table at the foot of the bed, with a bottle of champagne in it. Two glasses sat on the table beside the chilled champagne.

"This is beautiful, Harry," Ginny whispered. She didn't want to speak too loudly, afraid that it would ruin the magic. "I love it."

"I'm glad," Harry said quietly, and then Ginny felt his lips touch the side of her neck gently. He moved one hand to rest on her stomach, and he used the other hand to push the robe aside, off of her shoulder, as he kissed the skin there. Ginny felt his hand caressing her arm softly.

"I love you," she whispered, unable to stop herself from saying it yet again.

"I love you too," Harry assured her, lifting his mouth from her flesh and turning her to face him. He tucked her loosely curled hair behind her ears and touched her shoulders. Then, slowly, carefully, he slid his hands down her sides, brushing his thumbs gently over her breasts. His hands continued their downward path, smoothing the fabric of her robe over her stomach, before coming to rest again on her hips.

Ginny just watched him, and it wasn't until his hands stopped that she realized she hadn't been breathing. She breathed in and out slowly, hyper aware of her own body. Her breathing sounded loud and shallow in the silence of the room. She wasn't sure what to do with her hands, so they just hung there beside Harry's.

His hands were moving again, up this time. When they reached the tie on the front of her robe, their eyes met, and he seemed to be seeking her permission. She didn't say anything, but nodded slightly, concentrating on his steady gaze. She licked her lips when his eyes moved down her body again, looking at her breasts as the robe fell open.

Harry was still standing a foot away from her as his hands moved once more to her breasts. This time his touch was concentrated, and his fingers gently kneaded her. His thumbs rubbed the undersides of her breasts soothingly as he leaned forward to kiss her neck.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, moving his lips to her ear. His breathing was heavy, as if he'd run a mile.

Ginny didn't respond. She just closed her eyes, and reveled in the wonderful sensations Harry's lips were giving her. She tipped her head to the side, exposing her neck to him more fully as his lips, teeth, and tongue worked their magic on her. His hands moved off of her breasts, to her shoulders, where he moved the robe and it slid off of her arms and onto the floor behind her. His hands were on her hips then, pulling her forward.

Ginny's hands seemed to move of their own accord, sliding his jacket back off his shoulders. Harry shrugged out of it before moving his hands back to her hips and pulling her body fully against his. She felt what could only be his erection pressing into her lower belly. Somehow, their lips found each other. Harry's mouth was hot and wet and tasted just as it always did when he began to kiss her heatedly.

Her hands continued to move. She fumbled with his tie until it finally came undone, and then she clumsily unbuttoned his shirt. When she reached the last few buttons, she had to pull his shirttails out of his pants in order to undo them, and the act was strangely intimate. He shrugged out of that too before pulling Ginny over to the bed.

Harry's body hovered over hers as he continued to kiss her. His mouth was everywhere, moving from her lips to her neck to her shoulders and back again. His hands explored her body, sliding up her thigh and underneath her nightgown until his fingertips brushed against the lace of her underwear.

Ginny found herself tracing the contours of his well-muscled chest and his defined stomach, and then her hands found his belt buckle. She managed to get the belt undone, and Harry's rapid breathing hitched against her ear when she unfastened the button on his pants.

Ginny paused there. Should she unzip his pants and free the raging erection that she knew he had? Would he stop if she did? Would he be embarrassed?

"Go ahead," Harry panted. One of his hands was still exploring her body as he used the other to brace himself against the bed. His hand left her thigh and moved to her wrists, which were hovering near his groin. He raised his face to look at her, and Ginny tipped her head back in the soft pillows so she could see him better.

She could see the candlelight flickering in his eyes. His chest was heaving above hers. He licked his lips.

"Are you afraid?" he asked, his voice raspy from lack of use. He looked deep into her eyes, as if trying to read her mind or search her soul.

"A little," Ginny admitted, blushing.

"Sweetheart," Harry whispered, and his hands moved to caress her face, to push her hair back behind her ears. "If you don't want to do this…if you want to wait…please tell me now. I know it's a big step. If you aren't comfortable…if you're not ready for this…baby, I won't force you."

"I know," Ginny said, trying to swallow her fear. "I know you would never do that, Harry. I'm just nervous."

"Do you want to wait?" Harry asked. "Honestly, Ginny, I don't mind. If you want to hold off on this, we can just sleep tonight. I don't even have to sleep in here, if you don't want me to. Did you see that couch out there? It's huge."

He started to move off of her, but Ginny tugged gently on his pants, and he turned his eyes back to hers. "I still want to. Are you scared?"

Harry frowned. "Not for the same reasons you are."

"Harry." Ginny frowned. "Don't be so cryptic, please. Not tonight. Just, for once, let me in on what you're thinking."

He closed his eyes, and nodded slightly. When he opened his eyes, he looked away from her face, at the wall behind her.

"I'm worried that I won't last as long as I'd like to," Harry murmured. "I just really want this to be perfect for you, and I'm going to try, but I can't…make any promises that I won't come the second I touch you."

Finally, he looked at her. Ginny smiled up at him.

"It's okay, Harry," Ginny said, turning her attention back to his pants. Gently, carefully, not wanting to hurt him, she pulled the zipper down. His erection sprang forward, pushing out against the black fabric of his underwear. Tentatively, Ginny touched him, running her index finger over the tip of him.

Harry gasped loudly, and Ginny felt him grasping the pillowcases on either side of her head. "Ginny, don't."

She moved her hand quickly, as if she'd been burned. "Did I hurt you?"

"God," Harry moaned, "no."

His mouth seized hers in another passionate kiss. Ginny shoved his pants down roughly, as far as she could, and then Harry kicked them off the rest of the way and onto the floor, where his belt buckle made an audible thump against the plush white carpet. She was slightly confused, but all reasonable thought was shoved to the back of her mind when Harry's hands began to push her nightgown up, forcing it over her hips even though they were still pressed firmly into the bed. He pulled it off over her head and threw it across the room before moving his mouth to her breasts.

Ginny couldn't do anything but wind her fingers into Harry's hair as he suckled the flesh that wasn't covered by her bra. He spent quite a bit of time on her breasts, and by the time he was finished her bra was wet with his saliva, and she was sure her chest would be covered in hickeys by morning.

When Harry's mouth left Ginny's breasts, he didn't stop kissing her. He continued down her body, raining kisses all over her stomach. When he reached her underwear, he leaned his forehead against her body for a moment, breathing heavily. And then he kissed her panties, nuzzled her with the bridge of his nose.

"God, Ginny," he moaned. "You smell so good."

She tugged on his hair when she felt him press a heated kiss to her center, gasping for breath as the air hitched in her lungs.

"You're so wet, love," Harry whispered reverently before kissing her inner thighs.

And then his face was back near hers, and he was kissing her like he'd never kissed her before. One of his hands pressed against her center, cupping her. Slowly, gently, one finger slipped under the elastic of her panties, rubbing against the hot wetness that pooled there. Ginny's breathing was shallow and her eyes were wide. She gasped when he pushed the finger inside of her.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, and then his hand was gone. Ginny wished he'd put it back. That had felt so unbelievably good. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Ginny gasped. Her head was still spinning from what Harry had just done. "No, Harry, that was fantastic."

Harry smiled at her, and kissed her again. Ginny felt his hands touch her shoulders, and he helped her sit up as his hands slid slowly behind her back. Gently, he found the clasp of her bra, and – he only fumbled for a moment – it came free. Harry pulled the bra off, and his eyes were fixed on Ginny's bare breasts as he dropped it on the floor. Ginny blushed under his speculation.

"Don't be embarrassed," Harry breathed against her ear. His body pinned her to the bed now. Her erect nipples were pressed firmly against the hard planes of his chest. "You're gorgeous, my love."

Harry kissed the side of her neck, and his fingertips brushed, feather-light, against the sides of her breasts.

"Thank you," Ginny mumbled, closing her eyes against the pleasure that Harry's gentle ministrations were giving her. She moved her hands over Harry's back, further and further down, until they reached the waistband of his underwear.

She hooked her thumbs into the sides, and Harry's breathing picked up in pace.

"Can I?" Ginny asked quietly, blushing. She felt Harry's arousal pressing against her center. They were only separated by two layers of thin fabric, and Ginny was more eager than ever to feel the real thing.

Harry pushed himself up on his hands and knees, and looked down at her. Ginny sat up slightly to kiss him, and then worked his underwear down over his erection. He continued to kiss her as he helped her get them all the way off, and then he dropped them on the floor next to the bed.

He leaned back, putting his weight on his knees beneath him, and Ginny kneeled as well, facing him. His hands ghosted over her, removing her panties, which he also dropped on the floor. He only stopped kissing Ginny when she was lying back down, and then he sat up between her legs, looking at her naked body before him.

Ginny's eyes traveled immediately to his groin, where his penis was standing at full attention. She stared at it. He was more beautiful than any sculpture she'd ever seen. She ached to reach out and touch it, so she did, wrapping her fingers gently around it.

She looked up at Harry to see his reaction, and his eyes were closed. His face was slack, except for a small smile playing on his lips. He looked peaceful and relaxed.

"Harry?" Ginny whispered.

He opened his eyes. It seemed to take him a moment to remember where he was, what he was doing. His eyes finally found hers, and then he looked at her.

"Mm?" He looked as if he was unsure of his ability to speak coherently.

"I love you," she told him, unsure of how to ask him to make love to her.

"I love you too," he said. He'd said it a million times that day, but it still wasn't enough. She could listen to him say that forever.

"Harry…" she began nervously, aware that he was staring not at her body but at her face, waiting for her to give him the green light. In a moment of clarity, Ginny realized that words were not necessary. She simply sat up enough to wrap one hand around the back of Harry's neck, and then pulled him down on top of her in a passionate kiss that said more than she ever could have with words.

Ginny felt Harry position himself against her. He was bracing himself against the bed, and Ginny felt his hardness touch her gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they kissed. They fit so well together…they must have been designed specially for one another. Harry pulled back slightly, and she felt one of his hands moving between their bodies, between her thighs.

She felt herself stretch as he guided himself inside of her. His eyes closed, and then so did hers. She felt Harry press his forehead against hers, and his labored breathing told her that he was putting forth a great amount of effort to keep control over himself.

Ginny was on edge. She kept waiting for it to hurt, but the pain never came. When she felt Harry's hips touch hers, and he looked at her, she realized that he was completely inside of her, and she felt a smile break across her face. It was a smile of relief, of pleasure, of happiness. God, she had never been happier in her entire life.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked, looking at her. His body was completely still, and Ginny knew that he was remaining so as a courtesy to her. He knew that she had been worried about pain, and he was making sure she was okay.

"Yes," Ginny said, reaching up for a kiss. When she laid back into the pillows, she pulled him with her, continuing to kiss him.

Harry pulled back again, frowning slightly. "Are you sure it doesn't hurt? If you want to stop and take a break or something, you can tell me. I honestly won't be disappointed."

"Shut up," Ginny said, giggling a little as she pulled him back to her. "I'm fine. I love you. You love me." She decided that a small joke might make him a bit more comfortable. Harry never had been one for emotion-filled, personal moments like this. "Fuck me now, Potter."

Harry didn't miss a beat. His mouth engulfed hers, as if his goal in life was to swallow her whole. His tongue lapped, his teeth nipped, and his hands made their way over and over every inch of her flesh. He slid out of her slightly before plunging quickly back in, causing Ginny to gasp for air.

"Jesus, Harry," she heard herself say, eyes wide as she stared at the ceiling. "Oh God, Harry, more. Please, don't stop. Don't ever stop."

She wasn't sure if she could hear him. Aside from her breathless pleas, the only sound in the room came from the bed, which groaned under their combined weight and the endless, even rocking motions. Ever so often, the air, thick with passion, was punctuated by a grunt or a gasp. And finally, when Harry and Ginny came together in a shared orgasm more powerful than ten-point-five earthquake, Ginny's "Oh, God, Harry" was drowned out by Harry's uninhibited moan. It reverberated throughout the room, seeming to echo off the ceiling and walls. It was music to Ginny's ears.

When Harry was finally spent, he rolled off of Ginny and settled onto the bed beside her, pulling the covers up over both of their bodies. Harry pulled Ginny into his arms, and she could feel the thick sheen of sweat covering his chest, his arms, his stomach. She didn't care. She allowed him to hold her, settling into his embrace. Harry's heavy breathing fanned across her ear, hot on her flesh.

"I love you," she whispered, wondering if he might be asleep.

"I love you too," he murmured tiredly, and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.

"Harry?" Ginny said, taking advantage of the fact that he was still awake.

"That was great," she told him. "Is there any chance that we might be able to repeat it tomorrow night?"

Harry let out a short breath of laughter. "Babe, we're on our honeymoon. Give me an hour to sleep and recover, and we'll do it again tonight."

Ginny smiled to herself. "It's a date."

"Good," Harry sighed.