Well, he walked up to me and he asked me if I wanted to dance.
He looked kinda nice and so I said I might take a chance.
When he danced he held me tight

I stood on the side of the dance floor, feeling sorry for myself. I kept looking at him, wanting everyone around him to just leave him alone and let him be himself. I almost had to laugh. No one leaves Harry alone, and since this ball was, in fact, meant to honour him and everyone else involved in the Battle of Hogwarts, it was doubtful that I'd ever get him alone tonight.

I was just about ready to find a seat at a table and drown my sorrows in some Butterbeer, a shadow fell over me. I looked up and smiled. He looked too good for any human in that set of black dress robes.

"Hi." He smiled crookedly at me, something he only did when he was nervous.

Why would I make him nervous? I'd known him almost half my life.

"Hey, Harry. You want some Butterbeer? I was just about to get some."

D'oh! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Er--uh, no."

Great, Ginevra. You've gone and mucked it up. He's going to think you're bonkers.

"I'll go help myself then."

I took a step toward the bar and he placed a hand on my shoulder. His touch burned through the fabric of my dress. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Dance with me?"

His voice was anxious, almost as if he wasn't sure I would agree. iStupid boy./i

"Yeah. Of course."

I stepped into his embrace and the feel of his arms around me was heaven.

and when he walked me home that night

all the stars were shining bright

and then he kissed me.

A little after midnight, Harry and I Apparated just outside the boundaries of The Burrow, walking silently across the grass, giggling intermittently at the antics of a few garden gnomes. We walked in companionable silence, but I wanted to say something but the words just wouldn't come.

As we walked over the rise of the hill, where the house just comes into view, he quietly took my hand in his. I stopped as his fingers curled around mine, breathing rapidly. It had been such a long time since he'd done something as simple as holding my hand, and the simple movement sent jolts of electricity through my body.

He put one of his hands under my chin and lifted my face up to meet his eyes. Part of me was afraid to see what I might find there, yet the other part of me wanted to know if the simple act of holding my hand meant something that I couldn't put into words. In his eyes, I saw every thing that I had missed the year that he was gone: the strength, the vulnerability, the determination, the loyalty. Those were all things that made me want to just grab him by the lapels and snog him.

But he had to make the move. He had left me, even though I knew why he did; it sounded selfish but my heart had been hurt.

"There's so much I need to tell you, but not tonight," he said softly, barely more than a whisper. "You deserve to know it all. But I am going to tell you one thing, one very important thing."

I swallowed.

"Okay."

"In the forest, when I let him┘kill me┘"

I nodded because that was something I didn't want to think about. I came so close to losing him forever that night.

"Well, right before--the only thing I could think about--was you."

What happened next happened in extremely slow motion. He bent forward slightly, his eyes half-lidded underneath his glasses. I licked my lips and opened them a bit. His hand went to my cheek and I watched with bated breath as his lips inched their way to mine, shivering wildly as finally, his lips touched mine for the first time in a year.

Each time I saw him I couldn't wait to see him again.
I wanted to let him know that he was more than a friend.
I didn't know just what to do

so I whispered I love you

and he said that he loved me, too and then he kissed me.

I was never much for Hogsmeade weekends in the past. I would go, of course, with my friends and do all the obligatory things with them: The Three Broomsticks, shopping at Glad Rags and avoiding Madam Puddifoot's like the plague. These weekends were banned in my sixth year, when Snape (cough, bastard, cough) took that action to protect us from random acts of violence that could take place in the village. Funny, he never protected us from the random acts of violence that took place inside the castle.

But things were different now. I was different. Harry was in my life, for real this time, and he promised to be waiting for me. I was more than excited. I couldn't sleep that Friday night, wondering if he'd arrived that night and was already there, or, perhaps, if he'd surprise me and sneak into the castle. I hoped for the latter option, knowing for a fact that McGonagall would let him do whatever he wanted without putting up a fuss. However, as I finally fell asleep at around 3 a.m. and knew he wouldn't show, my dreams were filled with him.

When I woke up this morning, I was excited and thrilled at the prospect of seeing him again. It had only been a month and a half since school started, since we made a scene on the platform at Kings' Cross snogging in front of hundreds of people, and we'd exchanged weekly letters that contained numerous ideas that I never want my mother to read.

I know that for my part, I came very close to admitting the depth of my feelings for him in those letters. I was tempted to write those three words on several occasions but stopped, knowing that it needed to be said face to face. When I had finished breakfast, I decided it was time to tell him I loved him. It was inevitable.

"Ginny!"

I turned to find Hermione running up alongside me as we neared the village. Her cheeks were flushed from running and from the chill of the autumn day.

"Sorry I left you, but I'm excited." I could feel my own colour rising in my cheeks.

"I know." She and Ron had exchanged their own letters; I was beginning to dislike hearing her go on and on about how thoughtful Ronald was becoming. "Ron's meeting me at the Hog's Head."

"Oh that's romantic." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, not inside exactly. We're taking a walk in the orchard outside the village."

Ah yes, the orchard. Site of many snog sessions for Hogwarts students as well as several deflowerings. I wondered, with a churning stomach, which one they would be experiencing.

"Okay, that sounds better," I said with a smirk. Harry and I never got to go to the orchard together back in my fifth year, something I wish we could have done.

We walked in silence until I noticed a large group of students gathered in the town square. A smile tweaked the corners of my mouth as I saw the dark-haired head in the centre of the mob.

He's grown. Yum.

Harry waved a hand above his head and broke through the crowd, running toward me with a broad grin on his face. I watched in silence as he neared me, picking me up in his arms and nuzzling my neck as he twirled me around.

"Merlin, I missed you," I whispered into his ear. Butterflies flew around in my stomach as I ached to tell him how I felt.

Harry set me down and leaned his forehead against mine, his emerald eyes boring into mine, changing the butterflies into magpies.

"I'll see you later, Ginny," Hermione whispered. "Nice to see you, Harry."

"Yeah, sure," Harry answered, his eyes not leaving mine. He reached up to cup my cheek with his hand, making my eyes close.

"I love you."

There, I'd said it. I opened my eyes, hoping that he'd heard me and that he wouldn't run away in fear. I know that he'd never heard that by anyone in his memory and I fully intended to tell him that as often as I could, in letters or face to face.

A lone tear escaped his right eye and made its way down his cheek. I swallowed and let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

"I love you, too, Ginny."

Harry tilted his head to the side and I watched with wide eyes as he moved in to kiss me.

He kissed me in a way that I've never been kissed before,
he kissed me in a way that I wanna be kissed forever more.

"Well, open it!" Harry nearly shouted at me as we stood in the kitchen of The Burrow.

I'd just received an owl and just seeing the return address made me nervous. It was from the Holyhead Harpies. Several scouts visited Hogwarts matches; I even had tryouts with several Quidditch teams and hadn't heard a word from any of them and I was beginning to lose hope. I had scanned the sky nearly every day for a sign of an owl and I vowed that today would be the last day I looked like an over anxious bitty.

My finger slipped under the flap of the envelope, my finger shaking nervously. My future was contained inside this letter. I grabbed the parchment and hurriedly opened it, frantically reading what was inside.

Dear Ginevra Weasley,

Thank you for your interest in playing with the Holyhead Harpies. You showed great promise as a Chaser and your handling of both the Quaffle and manoeuvres on the broom were exceptional.

That being the case, we, the management of the Harpies, would like to extend to you a three-year contract as Chaser. Pay will be League minimum of one thousand one hundred Galleons per month the first year, increasing incrementally based on performance on the team, per the collective bargaining agreement with the Quidditch Players' Union.

Training camp opens on 3 August where you will be required to live in the team house in Holyhead. The first match of the season is against Puddlemere United on 2 September.

Enclosed, you will find a contract for you to read and sign. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact our legal office or consult your own barrister.

We look forward to seeing you in August.

Sincerely,

Eleanor Rigby VP, Player Relations

"I--I did it!" I squealed, leaping into his arms, wrapping my legs around Harry's waist, the letter drifting down to the floor.

"Always knew you could," he said against my lips before capturing them with his own.

I opened my mouth to let in his eager tongue, which began stroking the inside of my mouth and teeth. Oh, he knew how to kiss me. My fingers of one hand automatically threaded through his hair while the other went to his bum, squeezing it lightly and making him jump a bit.

He laughed while the kiss continued and walked us over to the worktop, placing me on an open spot. In this position, he was able to lean forward and press his upper body against me, squashing my breasts in an ever so pleasant way, causing my nipples to harden in response while a moan escaped my mouth. He placed his hand on my side, sliding it slowly until it cupped my breast. He gave it a little squeeze, making me arch my back.

Our hands began moving erratically over one another's bodies and before I knew it, he'd undone my bra clasp and my hands were pushing his shirt off his shoulders. I loved the feel of his skin and muscles under my fingers and could spend hours kissing him and touching him just like this. We had, of course, explored farther than this previously. A LOT further to tell the truth. But neither of us were ready for that as of yet. It was driving me nuts, all the pent up sexual energy whenever we were together, and if I wasn't mistaken, Harry felt the same way.

"Harry--" I muttered, not sure of why I stopped kissing him.

He pulled away from me, his eyes glazed over with passion. "Wha-what?" He caressed my back idly while he stared at me and breathed heavily.

"I--I--"

He swallowed and I watched his Adam's apple bob up and down in his throat.

"We, uh, we should go tell your family the good news."

Why did he always have to stop us? When would we take that step?

Of course. I'd forgotten all about my family. They would be thrilled and there's no way I could keep it from them.

"You settled down enough?" I asked, indicating the front of his jeans.

Harry snorted and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll be fine. C'mon, Gin. Let's go introduce the Weasleys to the next star of the Quidditch league."

I knew that he was mine so I gave him all the love that I had.

Playing Quidditch professionally wasn't as glamorous as some people would think. Training camp was nothing but practice, drills, meetings and press conferences. Also, living in a house with thirteen other women wasn't something I would recommend to anyone. Gwyneth took hot showers at night that used up all the hot water; Tabitha wouldn't talk to anyone who hadn't brushed their teeth; Suzanne liked to read the newspaper over shoulders; Betsy tried to be everyone's best friend and was notorious at spreading rumours; Annika was openly gay and snuck in late almost every night after meeting her "girlfriends." Then, on Family Day, half way into training camp, everyone knew that Harry was my boyfriend and wouldn't stop pestering me about it. I was barraged with questions that were entirely inappropriate and I let several Bat Bogey hexes loose, drawing reprimands from Gwyneth. Not exactly the way to start off on the right foot.

The separation from my family, friends and Harry was the worst part. Family Day was the first and only time I saw them and that was only for a few hours. Once the matches started, I still had daily team practices and had to report back to the team house two days before each match. My time with Harry was incredibly limited, something I hadn't expected when I started this. It also didn't help that Harry was busy with his own training and missions.

We finally got some time alone together when I was off for the season in April. Harry, whether he "arranged" it or not, was free for a weekend and took me on the first date we'd had in months.

"So, you wanna watch a film? I got a DVD player and your dad helped me make it work," Harry asked as we sat on the sofa in the front room of his flat. He'd sold Grimmauld Place and moved into the flat in Chelsea.

Films were my new favourite Muggle thing and I eagerly settled into the cushions, summoning a blanket to curl up with.

"You want some popcorn, too?"

I looked up and his face was inches from mine. I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of his cologne. I hadn't noticed he was wearing it when we were out having dinner. God, his cologne affected me the same way chocolate affects Ron. Drives me crazy.

I licked my lips, knowing full well what it did to him.

"Popcorn's not exactly what I want right now, Harry."

He growled and his eyes darkened as he bent down to kiss me hungrily. Harry lost his balance and tumbled onto the sofa on top of me and I held on tight. I had no intention of letting this moment pass. My hands went to his hair and I held him firmly, kissing him with all I was worth. Our tongues balanced for dominance and finally, we just gave up and kissed sloppily.

It was glorious, the way we responded to one another made my skin tingle and spark under his touch, moaning in pleasure. He moved his lips to my neck, placing delicate kisses along my neck as I arched into him. His arousal was evident and I rubbed against it, making him suck the skin of my neck as gasped. Without waiting to ask for permission, I dipped my hands inside the waistband of his jeans, caressing the fullness of his bum.

Harry's hands were already inside my shirt, working frantically on the front closure. It wasn't fast enough for me, so I pushed him off me and did it myself, removing it and my jumper and tossing them onto the floor. Once I was free, I went to work at the front of his jeans, quickly opening the button and pulling down the zipper. I found him hot and hard under my fingers, bringing a throaty groan from him.

"God, that feels--feels so good," he said hoarsely before latching onto my left breasts laving the nipple with his tongue.

"Shirt--off--please," I huffed between breaths.

I watched with wide eyes as he revealed his bare chest to me and I reached up to touch the spattering of black hair. I loved touching his chest hair and wanted to feel it just brushing the nipples of my breasts. When he was free of his shirt, I held him to me and gasped at the way it felt against my own bare skin. Merlin, it was the most erotic sensation I'd ever felt.

"Ginny--"

"Don't stop now, Harry. Please," I begged, moving my hands to his shoulders and down his forearms.

"Wasn't going to. You're sure?" He swallowed again.

"Take me to bed, Harry." I slid off the couch, stood before him, naked from the waist up, and held out my hand. "Make love to me."

Gracefully, he stood up and took my face in his hands, bringing his own face inches from mine.

"Only if you make love to me."

And one day he took me home to meet his mom and his dad.

"Where are you taking me?" I laughed as Harry pulled my hand, leading me up a hill.

At the top, I realised where we were≈Godric's Hollow. I'd been here once as a child, and Harry brought me here once before and we walked through the ruins of his childhood home. But this view was amazing. The hill was to the south and overlooked the little village. Why hadn't I ever climbed this before?

"Now that's a beautiful view," I said under my breath.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind and nuzzled in just behind my ear.

"It's ours. I bought it."

I turned around in his arms and looked at him, judging his face, thinking he was joking.

"What?"

"I want to build a house and live here with you," he said calmly. "Eventually." He smiled crookedly.

My mother wasn't pleased with the fact that I practically lived at his flat in the off season. Since we started having sex a year ago, there was no way that I wanted to go without it more than necessary. It was true, what everyone had told me that once you start, you never want to stop doing it.

"You are such a softie, Potter."

"No, really, I do. This is where I want us to live." His hand trailed down my arm and he laced his fingers with mine. "But first, you have to meet someone."

For the second time, he led me away and together, we ran down the hill. We were breathless when we got to the bottom, yet he was still full of exuberance. He was in better shape than I was and I was the professional athlete. Damn him.

"Hold on tight." He gathered me into his arms and before I could protest, we Disapparated, reappearing just outside of Gringotts in Diagon Alley. "Come on, they're in here!"

We entered the mammoth door and practically ran across the marble floor where we were met by a grouchy looking goblin.

"Mister Potter, you are late. I have a schedule to keep," he reprimanded.

"Gornak, I'm sorry. Can you take us to the room, please?" Harry said sweetly, buttering up the crabby goblin.

"Follow me." Gornak turned and began walking to a conference room. He led us to a large oak door, which creaked eerily as it opened, revealing two chairs and something covered with a sheet. "Take your time."

I jumped as the door slammed shut and turned to Harry.

"He said we were late, but whoever it is we're meeting is later than us."

"No, they're here. Stand right here," he said, standing me in front of the sheet-covered object, "and close your eyes."

"Harry, I'm not five any more."

A muffled laugh came from the area in front of me.

"Humour me. Close your eyes."

"Fine." I closed them and crossed my arms impatiently.

"No peeking."

"Harry! Stop it or I'll open 'em!" I tapped my foot.

"Don't make me put a blindfold on you," he teased.

"Don't make me hex you."

There was that laugh again.

I heard a ruffle of fabric and decided that whomever we were meeting was behind the sheet.

"I was beginning to get claustrophobic," announced a male voice I didn't recognise.

"You're so annoying," said a female.

"But you love me anyway, right?"

"Will you two just stop it?" Harry shouted.

"Geez, Harry, you sound like--"

"Don't say anymore!" Harry warned.

"Can I open my eyes now?" I asked, reminding them I was still in the room.

"Yes you can, Ginny," answered the female.

I opened my eyes, the light temporarily blinding me. Standing in front of me was a portrait of a couple. The man had untamed black hair and glasses. The woman had lovely auburn hair and eyes the same colour as Harry's.

I gasped and placed my hand on my mouth. "How--what?"

Harry put his arm around me and steadied my swaying.

"I'd like you to meet my parents, Lily and James Potter. This portrait was done when they got engaged. My grandparents commissioned it."

I stepped forward and examined the painting. There they were, just like the paintings at Hogwarts and at St. Mungo's. Other than those, I'd never seen a wizard portrait.

"Nice to meet you, Ginny," Lily said with a warm smile.

"Harry's got great taste in women, just like his old man," James quipped as Lily slapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry. Nice to meet you." He leaned over and whispered something in his wife's ear, making her blush.

"They're eighteen in there. A little immature."

"I never thought I'd say this, but it's a pleasure meeting you, Mr and Mrs. Potter," I told the portrait people, tears brimming up in my eyes. I looked to my left and saw that he was crying, too. "Where did you find this?"

He coughed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Bathilda Bagshot had it. They gave it to her for safe keeping. She put it in her vault and her will was just discovered. She wanted me to have it." He smiled weakly, his eyes still a bit wet with tears.

"Took the goblins a while to track down her will after Harry nearly destroyed the bank," added James. "But it was all for a good cause."

Harry directed me to a chair and sat me down, taking the chair next to mine.

"But now, I'd like to get to know Ginny," Lily said warmly.

Then he asked me to be his bride and always be right by his side.
I felt so happy I almost cried and then he kissed me.

Harry surprised me for my twenty-first birthday with a trip to Greece. Since I'd be in training camp on my actual birthday, we went in the middle of July. It was beautiful. We played Muggle tourists and went to all the ancient ruins. We spent our days walking all over Athens and taking pictures with his Muggle camera while our nights were spent eating decadent meals and making love while the diaphanous curtains of our hotel room flapped in the breeze off the Aegean Sea.

"I love you," he whispered as he held me in his arms after we came down from our climaxes. He kissed me softly above my right eye tenderly as he stroked my hair.

I would never get enough of hearing him say that to me and treasured every time he did. It was hard to comprehend how much three words could mean to me. But coming from Harry, they made my stomach flip-flop.

"I love you, too," I answered, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "You tired or is there something else you want to do?" Personally, I would never get enough of the sensation of having him inside me.

"Something else, but not what you had in mind."

I watched as he got up off the bed and walked across the room buck naked, stopping at the armoire. He opened a drawer, but I didn't care what he was getting as his bum was tantalizing and rather distracting. When he turned around, giving me an even more erotic view, I was wet between my legs. I smiled at him, noticing that he had something else on his mind, too.

The bed dipped under his weight as he rejoined me and I curled up next to him.

"What'd you get?" I tried reaching across him to grab the item off the bedside table, but he caught my hand and held it above my head.

"Patience, Ginevra," he scolded.

"It's never been one of my virtues, love. In fact, you've stolen all my virtue a long time ago." I moved in to kiss his neck but he stopped me and pushed me away from him.

"You're evil."

"And you're mean. What've you got there?"

"Well, this wasn't exactly how I wanted to do this, but I suppose it really doesn't matter." He leaned over and grabbed the object, sitting up on the bed and gathering the sheet around his waist. "Can┘can you cover up a bit? I want to say something without you distracting me."

"I distract you? Really?" I asked coyly, spreading a hand over one of my breasts.

He groaned. "Please, Ginny? I'm serious. You can play all you want after." He gave me that sad puppy dog look and I just had to do as he asked.

I gathered the blanket around me and smiled to encourage him.

"Thank you," he said nervously.

What's going on?

I watched as he began to speak and stopped several times, getting more and more flustered each time.

"Harry, what are you trying to tell me?" I reached across my lap and took his hand, rubbing my thumb across his hand. I snuck a glance at the object in his lap; it was a small black box.

Oh, God.

"There're so many things I wanted to say, but┘they'll just sound stupid." He picked up the box and handed it to me. "Open it."

With shaky hands, I prised open the velvet box and gasped. Nestled inside ruby red satin, lay a large diamond surrounded by several smaller ones.

"Harry--" I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes.

"Marry me, Ginny. Make me happy for the rest of my life and stand by me when the rest of the world is against me."

He took the box from my hand and withdrew the ring, sliding it onto the ring finger of my left hand. My hand began shaking as I stared at the diamond as it sparkled in the dim light of the room. It was breathtaking and this moment was real. Harry asked me to marry him! Giddiness bubbled up inside me and I began giggling.

"Ginny?"

I hear panic in his voice and see it in his eyes.

"YES! YES!"

I launched myself at him and he met my mouth with his, our lips gliding over each others that showed all the joy pent up inside us.

I decided to tell him later that it didn't sound stupid at all.