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The battle had been over for two weeks. Finally, the last of the funerals was over, and everyone had said their final goodbyes to their fallen friends and family.
Harry sat next to Ginny as the service for Fred finished. They had not talked, not really, since the battle ended.
"Harry," Ginny had hugged him when they met up after the battle. "I'm so glad you're not dead."
He had hugged her back tightly. "Gin…"
She shook her head and stepped back. "We need to talk, Harry. But not yet. I know it's not really over for you, not until the funerals are done. So, truce until then? Once it's all over, we can discuss us."
Harry nodded. He could tell what was coming. A row was unavoidable. He had taken their relationship into his hands and shredded it, avoided contact with her for a year, and ignored her feelings and desires. If they were going to recover what they had, these feelings would need to be aired out first.
"Thank you for understanding." He smiled weakly. "I know it makes me a coward."
Ginny hit him on the shoulder. "No, it doesn't. I need this break just as much as you do. Just be ready, because I will not be holding back."
Now, that grace period was over. The atmosphere at the breakfast table at the Burrow was tense. Hermonie had tried to smooth things over with Ginny, but he knew that had failed. He had been quite cross about that, actually.
"How about we play some two-on-two Quidditch?" Ron suggested as they finished washing up the dishes. "We got about an hour until it rains."
What went unsaid was that he craved to push his body so he could forget for a while the pain in his heart. Hermonie, who usually hated being on a broom, agreed so Harry and
Ginny did too. It was weird, playing on a broom that wasn't his Firebolt. He and Ginny were playing Chasers with Ron and Hermione as the keepers. Ginny scored again and again, but Harry didn't mind. Seeing her on a broom again was worth losing the game. He flashed her a smile, and she returned it, but it was strained.
Finally, the sky opened, and rain started pouring down. They landed in the field. "We'll take the brooms back." Ginny offered. "You two get inside and get dry."
"Thank you, Ginny," Hermonie said and handed her broom to Harry.
Ron scowled and looked like he was going to say something. Ginny gave her brother a look that was worthy of Mrs. Weasley.
"Alright, just don't take too long." Ron relented and headed back into the house, hand-in-hand with Hermonie.
The two of them put away the brooms but did not move to follow them. Harry could see in her eyes that the time had come.
"Harry," She started, but he cut her off.
"I'm sorry, Gin. I should have listened to your feelings and not dismissed them. I'm really sorry."
Her eyes flared, and he stepped back as she stepped in aggressively. He felt the blood rush to his face as he realized how beautiful she looked, angry and soaked in the rain.
"Why do you always feel the need to sacrifice yourself?" She snarled. "You ALWAYS do that, and it pisses me off!"
This was not going in the direction he thought it was. "Umm, huh?"
"Don't you 'huh' me, Harry James Potter!" She glared at him. Her hand grabbed his arm and pointed to a small white mark on it. "Or did you forget this? How you took a fang here and were literally dying of poison for a silly girl who got herself possessed?"
Harry felt indignation and his own temper rising. "I've not forgotten, thanks. But I would do it again for you in a heartbeat."
"Oh yes, I know! Because you can't consider your own safety. Or your own happiness. Do you know what my boggart is, Harry?"
He was at a loss for an answer for this. "I would assume it was something to do with the Chamber of Secrets?"
She nodded. "You, lying dead in the chamber after the poison took you. I have that nightmare all the time. That Fawkes chose not to save you, and you died! And then, imagine hearing Tom Riddle announcing that he had killed you! I felt so empty, Harry! I wanted the ground to swallow me up! I wanted to die to join you in the afterlife! When Bellitrax tossed that curse at me, and it missed… I was so angry. I was so close to being with you again. DO YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU PRAT? I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU!"
He was kissing her, his hands wrapping around her soaked and shivering body. It wasn't perfect like that kiss in the common room had been, or even the birthday kiss in her room. It was messy as both were crying and desperate to pour their feelings into the person they loved.
They broke the kiss after a minute, and Harry held her close. "I promise, I won't go and casually lay down my life again." He told her. "I can't promise it will never happen. I can't watch someone else die in front of me if I can save them."
Ginny nodded, tears and rain streaking her cheeks. "I know. It's one of the things I love about you. But no more walking to your death. I won't tolerate it."
Harry nodded. "I promise."
Ginny pulled away. "As for the rest of it, thank you for apologizing about it. I had decided not to bring it up. I never considered us properly ended, so I wasn't going to row with you about it, especially after you nearly died. But the fact you apologized about it on your own tells me you regretted it and won't do it again."
He kissed her cheek. "I did the moment we were finished talking after Dumbledore's funeral. I want us to be a proper team from now on. I'll come to you if I have a problem and listen to your thoughts and side of it. Honestly, if it wasn't for the Trace, I would have still taken you along."
Ginny grimaced. "Yeah, I never really considered the Trace when I offered to go along with you. I'd have gotten us both in trouble if I had. I hate being younger than you lot."
They started heading back to the house, their hands held together. "Our first row," Harry remarked. "Thank you for not hexing me."
She lay her head on his shoulder. "Next time you won't be so lucky. I left my wand in the house so as not to be tempted."
As they entered the Burrow and Harry used the drying charm on them both, they found the tension that had been between them for months was gone. He felt the spark that had ignited between them all those months ago starting to build again in his chest. He brought in for a much better kiss than that one in the rain had been.