Harry Potter and No Trace Of You

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

He opened the back door to the kitchen, and Ginny was there, sitting at the table with a cup of tea between her hands, Molly sitting next to her with a hand on her shoulder. They seemed to be talking quietly to one another.

"I'm sorry," he blurted, not sure how this worked. If they fought often, or this was something new. How much he had messed everything up.

She looked up at him, her expression worn with exhaustion. She just looked...done.

His heartbeat spiked. "I'm sorry and I'm an arse and I don't—" He broke off, because his throat closed and he couldn't get any more words out. He had no idea why, but he was utterly, completely terrified that she was about to leave him. Every cell in his body seemed to scream it.

He reached for the counter next to him, the room swimming and swaying around him.

Ginny was up on her feet and crossing the room before he knew what was happening. "Harry, just breathe," she said, hand rubbing his back.

He tried to listen to her, but it wasn't helping, spots swimming in his vision.

"Have I ruined it all?" he asked, voice faltering, and he felt like a small child begging to be told that everything was going to be okay.

"Merlin, Harry," she said, stepping into his line of sight, her expression fierce. "Look at me. I'm not going anywhere. I'd never."

She folded him into a tight hug, like she yet again somehow knew what he needed, what he needed to hear her say even when he didn't know.

He hugged her back, trying so hard not to squeeze her too much, despite the buzzing panic in his ears.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper," she said.

"You should have decked me."

"You should be more afraid of my hexes," she told him.

"I'd deserve it. That and more."

She shook her head, pulling back to look at him. "You may not remember it, but we promised for better or worse, Potter. This is just a little bit of worse at the moment. That's all. We don't leave over things like that. Or give up. That's the whole bloody point."

He might not remember making that promise, but he had. He'd made it to her. She was his wife, and she deserved the same from him. Not him falling apart and threatening to disappear.

He cupped her face with his hands, feeling so fucking full of feelings for this woman he supposedly barely knew. And it terrified him, but he was more terrified to lose it.

He kissed her, not caring that Molly was standing a few feet away, that he was pretty sure more of her family had arrived. It didn't matter who was watching.

Ginny made a small sound of distress, pulling away from him. "Harry," she said, sounding sad and wounded. Like she thought he was just playing at something to make her feel better.

He didn't let her back away. "I didn't kiss you because it was a test or out of pity, or whatever it is you've convinced yourself," he said, fingers on her face. "I kissed you because I...don't know how not to."

"Harry," she said, voice strangled.

He rested his forehead against hers. "You feel like everything, Ginny."

The only familiar thing in this whole ridiculous world.

She hugged him tight, her face pressing into his chest. "Okay," she said. "Okay."