Love won't do any harm - a hinny Oneshot

Love won't do any harm

This FF starts right after Voldemort's death (p. 596, HP and the Deathly Hollows)
The text in italics belongs to J.K. Rowling and is only included so that you know where I start this story.

Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.

One shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: and then the tumult broke around Harry as the screams and the cheers and the roars of the watchers rent the air. The fierce new sun dazzled the windows as they thundered towards him, and the first to reach him were Ron and Hermione, and it was their arms that were wrapped around him, their incomprehensible shouts that defeated him. Then Ginny, Neville and Luna were there, and then all the Weasleys and Hagrid, and Kingsley and McGonagall and Flitwick and Sprout, and Harry could not hear a word that anyone was shouting, nor tell whose hands were seizing him, trying to hug some part of him, hundreds of them pressing in, all of them determined to touch the Boy Who Lived, the reason it was over last –
 
The sun rose steadily over Hogwarts, and the Great Hall blazed with light and life.
Nevertheless Harry saw only one person: Ginny. She stood right in front of him, both equally unsure what to say or how to behave.

Harry's greatest wish during the last year had been to be a normal boy with Ginny by his side. He missed her gravely. But he was the Chosen One. He had to end this short but wonderful time they shared last summer- this had been the only way to protect her.
But- what now? His feelings were still the same, if not stronger than ever. He missed her with every fiber of his body. The question was- did she feel the same?

And what about Ron, what would he say? After all, he promised last summer to never get too close to Ginny again. Ron fought bravely by his side and he wouldn't want to risk this friendship for anything in the world. But could he cope with Ginny being at another man's side, seeing them living the life he wanted to live with her?
There was so much to say, but where should he begin? And- how?

“Ginny- I… Why didn't you stay at the Room of Requirements? You could've died!”
Ginny was baffled. After all what had happened within the past hours, she didn't expect him to say this.
“You couldn't have stood it either, knowing that everybody you love is fighting and just staying there watching from the outside! I was so scared for you, all of you! Fred is dead and you didn't seem much alive either!”

That hit home. But didn't she understand? He didn't volunteer to sacrifice himself. Didn't she see that it had been the only way to save the wizarding world?

“That's quite different! I couldn't just stay behind and watch everybody die for me! Bad enough that so many people lost their lives for me, I had to stop that! I had to go to the Forbidden Forest to turn myself in! It was prophesied and believe me, it was anything than easy. But you, you should have stayed safe in the Room of Requirements!”

He regretted his words immediately. Ginny glared daggers at him and built in front of him threatening.
“Now, it's always the same. I AM NOT A LITTE GIRL ANY MORE! Listen, just because I'm under age-“
“This isn't about your age! I was so scared for you, I don't want to live without you, Ginny, I LOVE YOU!” Harry was shouting.

The Great Hall fell silent. The words slipped out of his mouth before he even realized what he just said.

Shit. Did this really happen?
In front of everyone in the Great Hall? In front of his best mate, to whom he promised to keep a distance to his sister. In front of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who had welcomed him to their family as if he was their own son…
His stomach tensed up, but he couldn't undo what was said. Perhaps he just destroyed anything important that he had remained.
“I- I'm sorry. Excuse me, I think I need some fresh air…”

Harry left as fast as he could, feeling everyone's eyes on his back. He just wanted to be alone, far away from anybody who had listened. He couldn't believe that he lost his nerves in the end. Ginny was probably in another relationship yet, with a guy that could make her happier than him, Harry Potter, who left to rescue the wizarding world from Voldemort. How could he even think that she had been waiting for him to return? She was perfect: lovely, smart, beautiful. But he had left her and though it was for her own safety- he had to live with this decision. He'd had his chance, and he blew it.

His mind raced. He couldn't undo what he said earlier. But- perhaps Ron would forgive him? And perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, too?

“HARRY!”

And Ginny… How would he feel if he was her? He couldn't blame her for being mad at him. But he had to admit that he hadn't the strength left to face her right now and listen to what she would tell him.

“HARRY JAMES POTTER! STOP RUNNING OR I'LL HEX YOU!”

Harry stopped. Right in this moment he had the feeling that it would be easier to find another Horcrux than having this conversation. He didn't dare to look at her.

She made her way to him and the time seemed to slow down. His body tensed, what might she tell him?
But when she arrived she didn't accuse or attack him. Instead, he felt her arms tighten around his torso. He felt a lump in his throat. His eyes were burning and his feelings threatened to overwhelm him. He could smell the flowery scent of her perfume. He simply enjoyed her company which he had missed so much that it hurt. He let this moment happen, hoping that it would never end.

At last Ginny broke the silence.
“I was so scared for you during the last year. The past few hours had been the worst of my life. Seeing you 'dead' in Hagrid's arms just broke my heart, my world fell apart. I thought I would never see your beautiful emerald eyes again. I thought that I would never be able to run my fingers through your hair again, never feel you again…”
While she spoke, she released of the embrace, looking deep into his bright green eyes and running her fingers through his black messy hair. Her hand stopped right above his heart, their faces only inches apart.

“Ginny, I- I promised Ron that I'd never hurt you again…”- “Well, in this case…” Ginny's voice was just a soft whisper, their noses nearly touching “…you better kiss me right now.”

Fireworks exploded in his stomach. He felt the touch of her lips, her arms holding him tight and so did he. They got lost in an endless and intimate kiss. He never felt happier before: They were reunited und now there was nothing standing between them-

“RON!”

Harry's eyes flew open, reality caught up with him abruptly und he looked up abashed to a furiously glaring Ron.
As Ginny had spoken everything just sounded so easy. Too easy.
Now there was Ron, looking back and forth between them flabbergasted.

Behind him appeared a breathless Hermione, whose shout had ended their kiss so abruptly and had made them jump.
She looked at the three of them, immediately understanding what happened before. She took Ron's hand, smiling at him softly.

Harry felt Ginny's hand taking his own. Her gaze towards Ron spoke volumes.

Ron sighed and finally spoke up: “Well… Dumbledore would probably say that some love wouldn't do any harm, wouldn't he?”

That was a weight off Harry's heart, and he smiled at Ginny. She smiled in return before she brushed his lips with hers and went upstairs to Ron, kissing his cheek gently and making him blush.

“I think you have a lot to tell each other, so I'll better leave you three alone. But JUST-“ she turned towards Harry “-if you come back this time!”

Harry couldn't help it and beamed at her widely. Nothing easier than that! Voldemort was dead and he was finally free. He was finally free to plan his future with the most adorable woman in this world. He was the happiest man alive.  
But she was right- he owed an explanation to Ron an Hermione, who had stuck with him for so long, and who deserved the truth.
 
Continuation: HP and the Deathly Hollows, p. 598.