Chapter Text
“Is he talking yet?” Hermione asked. The three of them looked outside at Harry on the bench. It was three days after the Battle and Harry was hardly saying more than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to them. They had left him but their worry increased. Everyone was celebrating his victory and yet he did not join them. The Weasleys weren’t celebrating either, they had lost Fred and many more but they were glad the war was over. They were talking and comforting each other instead, but Harry did not join them.
“No change since an hour,” Ron replied.
Mrs Weasley was setting tea for everyone but ignored their conversation, she had other things on her mind.
“I'll knock some sense into him,” Ginny said.
“Ginny.” Ron’s tone was warning.
“What? I didn’t mean literally… Well, maybe as a last resort,” she said.
“Don’t,” Mrs Weasley now inserted herself.
Ginny sighed. “Do any of you forget sometimes I may have a better insight than anyone to having Voldemort in your brain and what you have to go through when he’s gone?” Her tone was biting.
Everyone was staring down at the floor now.
“Yeah, I thought so.” She stepped outside, swallowing her anger, that’s not what Harry needed now.
She walked over to him and kneeled in front of him, her hands coming to rest on his knees so he had to look at her from his hunched-over position.
“All those people celebrating, they don’t understand, do they? The personal toll heroism comes with?” she started.
He slowly blinked but he did not reply. Ginny had not expected him to, she knew she’d have to pull the words out of him slowly.
“No one expects anything of you, Harry. You are free. No duty to fulfil anymore. Must be weird when you have something looming over your head for so long... Now your duties are what you choose.”
Ginny rested her chin on her hands, looking straight at him and she was glad he did not glance away. It meant he was listening.
“Now I heard some not-so-silent whispers that you’ll be offered a job as Auror, all of you will. You could do that. I don’t see you as the Potioneer type or Diagon Alley Salesman… No, you could go catch some more bad guys, but on your own time then.”
Harry’s eyes softened ever so slightly and so Ginny pushed on.
“They’d be stupid not to offer you the job anyway. Taking down the darkest wizard of our time with one spell should earn you some credit at least.”
The ghost of a smile flitted across his face.
“Your thoughts are your own too now. I remember when I had my own mind back first… that was a big change after fighting it for so long…”
“It’s unsettling.”
His eyes were locked with hers. She did not comment on him finally speaking. “Yes, I know.”
“He was quiet for a few days at a time, I keep expecting him to come back into my brain…”
“It’ll pass. Eventually. He’s dead.” She hadn’t admitted the next part to anyone yet. “I went to look at his body when everyone was celebrating. The Unspeakables assured me, he is dead all the way. You made sure of that.”
“Now his anger no longer spurs me on, I feel like I’ve been drained,” he said.
“You did die, must be tiring.”
There it was, the tiniest smile dancing around the corners of his lips.
“Dying is easy.” It sounded like that was the truth, though he did not mean it seriously.
“And yet you decided to keep fighting. As being stupidly noble goes, you really have no match.”
“Can’t believe I saved the British Wizarding population,” he said, quoting the Daily Prophet, “and you’re giving me attitude.” His eyes looked a little more lively.
“Someone had to, I figured I’d volunteer.”
They both looked at each other in silence for a moment now that she had gotten Harry out of his shell.
“How are you holding up?” he asked her.
“I am okay. It’s nice not to live in fear anymore. We don’t have to lose more people.” Ginny saw his expression change and she knew there was guilt. “Don’t think like that, because of you, we’re safe.”
Harry shook his head. “I am trying. Fred… Colin… and Remus and Tonks, they just had a kid…”
“Teddy’s got his godfather and his grandmother and his aunty Ginny… you know I adored Tonks… I’ll be glad to tell Teddy all about his amazing parents when he’s older.”
“That’s my job, as godfather.”
“We can argue about that, then,” Ginny offered with a smile. “Just saying that one orphan boy doesn’t have to grow up like the other.”
“Yeah.”
Ginny sat up and glanced towards the kitchen. “I have to get back inside, we need to arrange Fred’s funeral.”
“Right, of course.” His expression faltered again at the mention of the funeral.
“We want you to join us for that,” Ginny said.
“It’s a family thing, I wouldn’t wish to impose.”
Ginny scoffed. “Well, don’t let my mum hear you say you think you’re not family, she’ll have your head.”
Harry smiled softly.
“Besides, George and I desperately need someone in our corner to put the fun in the funeral. We can’t make it boring, Fred would hate that and you understand that.” Ginny pushed off his knees and stood up, brushing the dirt off her knees.
Harry had stood up too, meaning he would join.
She walked back inside, Harry on her heels.
Mrs Weasley spotted him. “Harry, I left a scone for you, in case you were peckish.”
“If I eat one more of these, I will throw up,” Harry muttered when Mrs Weasley turned around.
Ginny grabbed the scone from his hand and took a big bite out of it, before chucking the rest through the open window.
When Mrs Weasley turned back around, her eyes landed on Ginny. “Did you steal Harry’s scone?” she asked firmly.
Ginny quickly shook her head. “I wouldn’t dare,” she replied, barely intelligible through the mouthful of scone. She saw Harry fighting a smile.
“Apologise to Harry,” Mrs Weasley said as if she was some child who had stolen another toddler’s food.
Ginny looked at Harry, still chewing. “So sorry.”
The smile broke through now as he looked at her. “Thank you.”
Everyone went to bed early, emotionally drained from arranging the funeral. It was just Mr Weasley, Ginny and Harry downstairs.
She walked into the kitchen to clean up and Harry followed behind, carrying glasses.
“For an adult wizard, you do use your hands a lot,” Ginny noted.
“If you use the Disarming spell on them, they just explode,” Harry remarked about his signature spell with a smile.
“Ah, good you tried. I was always curious.” She put the dishes in the sink and leaned against the counter, looking at him. “Did I note correctly you purposefully avoided the topic of attending the funeral?”
Harry paused for a moment. "You catch on to everything, don't you?"
"I know you."
Their eyes locked.
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to attend.”
Harry looked like he had been caught. “I don’t want to draw attention to me, your family is better without me there.”
He put the glasses in the sink and leaned against the counter right beside her. When the clinking of the glasses stopped, it was silent.
“What do you think will be worse for my family? A few eyes on you or you being absent without explanation?” She was sure in his mind it had made sense, but she needed him to see the other side.
Harry opened his mouth to speak when Mr Weasley popped his head in the kitchen. “I am off to bed, don’t stay up too late.” He didn’t seem fazed to find both of them standing so closely together, nor did either of them attempt to move away.
“Goodnight, dad. I am going up soon. Just wanted to clean up a bit, get some pressure off mum.” Ginny could not fix her mother’s grief but picking up the little things made a difference and she was glad to have something to do.
Mr Weasley smiled warmly. “That’s why you’re my favourite daughter.”
“I thought so,” Ginny responded, smiling too.
Mr Weasley smiled once more and disappeared upstairs too.
Ginny looked back at Harry. “Well?” she tried again, she had not forgotten where their conversation had paused.
“If you put it that way…” he admitted.
“You better show up. If not for my family, for yourself, you deserve to say goodbye. He was your friend.”
“I will,” Harry agreed. “Think I’ll have to keep you around, I need someone to be my voice of reason and it appears to be you.”
“That’s the only reason you’re going to keep me around?” she asked boldly, knowing what he was hinting at. Her hand searched his and when he did not pull away, she hooked her pinky with his.
“Gin,” he said, his pinky pulled on hers. He looked at her fondly but there was some hesitation in his eyes.
“Besides, deciding to let me be your voice reason without hearing my rates first, seems a little rash,” Ginny said, deciding on a lighter tone.
“What are your rates, then?” he asked, going along.
Ginny took a second and then pointed at her lips with her free hand.
“People died,” Harry objected.
“Yes. Personally, I think a good snog would lighten me up.” Her eyes flitted to his lips as she leaned against the counter sideways now, turning towards him.
He did not give in. “I don’t think we should just kiss without talking first.” His hand twisted around to hold hers properly. Their fingers entwined themselves out of habit.
Ginny thought it was endearing of him to want to talk about what they meant to each other before kissing her. It was the proper thing to do but she was happy to take anything he was ready to give her. She didn’t want to be apart from him any longer. “Go on then,” Ginny said, inching closer to him. Whatever he had to say, she was ready to hear it.
“Weren’t you going off to bed, as should I,” Harry said, though not leaning back as she started closing in.
“Don’t pretend you’re getting any proper sleep, none of us are,” Ginny retorted. She could guess at least half of her family was currently lying awake in bed, exhausted, waiting for sleep to find them.
Harry looked at her with a sudden intensity. “Fine.” He turned towards her, Ginny was almost at his lips. “Marry me.”
Ginny halted her approach, her mind and her heart trying to cooperate in some way but it was one jumbled mess. His hand pulled on hers as if he was afraid she’d pull away. “I can’t… by law… yet,” was all she could come up with.
“Is that your only objection?”
The casualty of his last question surprised her. She considered it seriously then. She had no doubt she loved him, and he loved her. Then she thought about them living together, growing old together, something that had seemed so out of reach before, and she realised the idea brought her comfort and a type of joy she didn’t expect to feel again for some time. They’d make each other happy. “Yes.”
She looked into his striking green eyes, which were filled with as much emotion as she assumed hers were. She squeezed his hand.
For a second it felt too overwhelming and she needed some levity. “Well, there is the funeral too, as objections go…”
“Those two things are quite far apart,” Harry responded with similar lightness.
Ginny thought that wasn’t entirely true. They both involved an officiator, family and some people would be crying. She paused, remembering that her mum did not want any ‘funny’ business at Fred’s funeral and George had been too tired to argue. “Though I suppose a wedding-funeral combo would liven up the party,” she responded, smiling. “But perhaps my parents are under enough stress as it is.”
“Should I ask your dad-?” Harry asked her more seriously now.
Ginny shook her head. “I don’t think there’d be any objections. Although if that would make you feel better, you can go ahead.”
“What if he says no?” Harry asked in earnest.
“I don’t think that lies within the realm of possibilities. He just wants his favourite daughter to be happy. Besides, you are currently many parents' ideal son-in-law. Of course they haven’t met you in real life.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, not particularly offended.
“Mainly the moping,” she responded playfully.
“You think I’d be moping much when I am married to you?” His eyes shone brightly as he said it.
“I would hope not,” she replied.
“Will you revise your rates for being my voice of reason?” he tried, glancing at her lips and back up at her.
“Ha!” she said almost too loudly in the quiet house. “You thought proposing to me would get you out of paying. I don’t think so, Potter.” She shook her head. Their noses were almost touching now.
“It was worth a try,” he responded with a grin.
“I suppose.”
“I guess it’s time for me to pay up then,” he said, his hand coming to her cheek. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes.”
Harry closed the remainder of the space. They kissed softly, savouring the fact they could do that again at all. Ginny let go of his hand so she could hold him properly.
Harry hugged her close when they parted and she tucked against his chest, her arms around his waist. Harry kissed the top of her head and she smiled at the sweet gesture he hadn’t done in ages but she was sure he would do it again soon. His arms were wrapped tightly around her.
Ginny felt tears dropping from her eyes and she couldn't pinpoint exactly why they were there. She was simply overwhelmed by the range of emotions she had been going through these last few days. When she looked up, Harry was crying too. He reached out, swiping his thumbs under her eyes to wipe the tears away, while his trickled down his cheeks. He kissed her again until both of their tears had stopped.
“It seemed like you already had thought about that before you asked,” Ginny said softly as she looked at him again.
"Those months in the tent in the forest… kept staring at your name on the map, hoping you were safe… I figured if by some miracle I survived, I’d just have to ask you."
“I love you,” she said, her hand coming to rest against his jaw.
“I love you too, Gin.” He instinctively leaned into the touch.
“Well, all your outstanding payments are done, so I am off to bed,” Ginny spoke with a smile. She was afraid if she didn’t go now, they’d end up staying up all night and she did need the little sleep she was getting. “I assume you want to keep this under wraps for now?”
“Given the circumstances… that may be best,” he responded.
She thought so too. “They can know we are dating, but that’s probably enough for at least a few weeks, I guess.”
Harry agreed and they went towards the stairs. As Harry turned off the lights on the ground floor with a flick of his wand, neither of them cared to notice the new hand that appeared on the Weasley clock.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Ginny spoke when they reached the landing in front of her room, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
His hand ran through her hair as he kissed her. “See you.”
Ginny woke up in the morning and mindlessly went through the motions of getting dressed. Her mind was still racing over the fact that she was now engaged to Harry. At least it was their secret for now.
Ginny walked downstairs and greeted everyone. Hermione, Harry and Percy were at the table having breakfast. “Morning.”
Most people mumbled back but her mum looked up from the food on the counter and her eyes landed on her. Ginny couldn’t quite make out her mum’s expression before she grabbed Ginny’s arm and dragged her off back to her bedroom. She picked up something on the way that Ginny did not quite manage to see.
Her mum closed the door. Ginny looked at her, startled.
“Is this about the scones?” she asked, though her mother would never be quite that upset about it, it was simply the only thing Ginny could come up with.
Mrs Weasley now took the Weasley clock from behind her back and planted it in Ginny’s hands.
Ginny looked at it puzzled, wondering why her mother was showing her that. Fred’s hand had disappeared but she was already aware of the fact, nor would it elicit such a response from her mother.
“Care to explain?” Mrs Weasley asked and that’s when Ginny saw it. A new hand had appeared on the clock carrying Harry’s name, pointed towards ‘Home’. She gawked at it, unable to speak.
“There’s only a handful of reasons he would appear there and almost all of them have to do with you.”
Ginny looked up at her mother, trying to read her expression. There was no point in keeping it a secret now, it would only raise more questions. She bit her lip and glanced down.
“Ginny!”
Her eyes landed back on her mum. “Harry asked me to marry him last night.” Her cheeks felt hot. “Obviously, I said yes.”
Before Ginny had a chance to make out her expression, her mother had engulfed her in a hug. For a minute they were swaying together as her mum patted her hair. Ginny threw the clock on her bed, where it landed with a thud.
When she was finally released from the hug, her mother looked incredibly tearful. Ginny assumed they were tears of joy but these days it was hard to guess.
“It is supposed to be a secret for now… We don’t want to take away from…” She swerved around mentioning Fred. “Everything that is going on right now. We just want to be together.”
“Then you’re lucky I was the first one up and had the good sense to hide that clock, I don’t think any of your brothers would have had the courtesy.”
“I didn’t expect the clock to do that… Fleur didn’t appear until they were actually married so I didn’t think…” In fact she had not considered it at all, she had not expected the clock to tell on her.
“Well, some improvements were made between when Bill’s hand and yours was added,” Mrs Weasley clarified.
Ginny nodded. “... Good to know.” She looked at her mum. “I am sorry, I know this is all very sudden.”
Mrs Weasley shook her head and smiled. “That was going to happen sometime, wasn’t it?”
Ginny felt relieved, though she had suspected her mother would not have many objections. “Will you keep it a secret?” she asked.
“Yes, I will. You keep hold of that clock until you feel ready to tell,” Mrs Weasley said, pointing at it.
“You won’t tell dad either?” she added.
Mrs Weasley shook her head with a smile. “Merlin, no. That man can’t keep a secret.”
“Yes, I know. Thank you, mum.”
They both exited her bedroom and walked back downstairs. Mrs Weasley said nothing but Ginny thought she saw new tears fill her eyes when her gaze landed on Harry before she walked on.
Ginny sat down at the breakfast table beside Harry. She playfully tickled his hand that rested beside his plate. He smiled and looked at her.
“I’ve got something to show you later,” she muttered under her breath.
“Well, as long as it’s not scones,” he replied.