Harry Potter and No Trace Of You

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

By that evening, Harry felt tired. A good tired. Tired from doing things and working hard and practice and progress . His body ached, the kind that wasn't from being sick, but from getting stronger. Better.

He laid back in bed, tucking his hands up behind his head, feeling superbly content as he watched Ginny brush her teeth. He wondered how many times he'd done this. If it had started to get old or mundane or if he still watched her with this feeling of...wonder pressing in his chest.

"Maybe I'm lucky," he blurted.

She pulled her toothbrush out of her mouth, giving him a look in question.

"Getting amnesia," he clarified.

The sink ran, Ginny finishing up her last bedtime rituals, and then she settled next to him on the bed.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Getting to fall in love with you twice."

It wasn't the most elegant way to say it, but they were the words he had, and he wanted her to know. To know how much she'd become the center of this new world he was building.

Her lips parted on an unsteady breath. She looked like she didn't know if she wanted to tease him or ask him if he really meant it or just burst into tears.

She settled for climbing closer and winding her arms around his neck. "You stupid git," she said, voice thick.

He wrapped his arms around her, lowering his face to her hair.

"I'm not crying," she said.

He nodded in agreement. "You don't cry."

"That's right." She leaned back to look at him. "And if I maybe get a little misty sometimes, that's totally your fault."

He slid his hand into her hair, twisting into the heavy weight of it. "For saying ridiculous things."

"Yes," she agreed. "Your stupid, sweet, ridiculous words."

He brushed the tears from her face, following with his lips, kissing his way down her cheeks and over her jaw.

Sleep could wait.

When Harry got back from his afternoon training session, Hermione was already at their flat with Ginny. They were sitting on the sofa together, glasses of wine in hand. The aroma of chili permeated the flat.

"Smells good," he called out as he entered, stowing his bag out of the way.

"Well," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "It should. You made it."

He grinned at her. "And you managed to keep it from burning. So a victory on all sides."

She shook her head at him, smacking his arm lightly in retaliation.

Unrepentant, Harry leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Hi," he said, thumb brushing her jaw.

"Hi," she said, giving him that warm look that felt more and more like his own.

"Yes, I'm here too, thank you very much," Hermione said, sounding cross.

But when he leaned around Ginny to see her, she was smiling rather fondly at them both.

"Yes, hello, Hermione," he said, crossing over and giving her a brief hug.

She was practically beaming at him by the time he pulled back.

"What?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "It's just nice, seeing you two like this again."

His cheeks warmed. "It's nice to be like this." He glanced back at Ginny and she gave him a wink.