honey, i'm home --* |harry

[gmwp]

Ginny hadn't been home in months. As a correspondent for the Daily Prophet, she needed to go where the action was - and in the winter, quidditch action was in the south - not in freezing cold London. It helped, of course, that she was head of the department, and she could choose where she wanted to go.

Months ago, the only place she'd wanted to go was away from Harry - her job allowed her to do that, and she was thankful.

Having had time alone - time to think, mostly - Ginny realized that as much as she loved her children, Harry had done what he thought was right at the time. She wasn't sure where they'd gone wrong with Lily, but she knew that in some respect, somewhere, Harry was right to aim his wand at their daughter.

But that wasn't the only thing that brought her back. Ginny had heard news of her first grandchildren - oh Merlin, was she really that old?! - being born only weeks earlier. She needed to see the children, of course, but she had things to settle before she did that - she had to see Harry. She had loved him since she was eleven, for goodness sake, and... well, to be honest...

Ginny missed him terribly.

She had a photograph that she kept of him, in her datebook, and every day it smiled up at her, that one-sided-half smile that he would make in the morning, still bleary eyed, before he put his glasses on. And even when she was infuriated with him - illogically mad, as she now called it - that smile made her swoon. Those eyes made her smile, and that hair... that hair made her just want to grab him, twist her fingers through it, and kiss him in a way she hadn't since Ru left for her first year at school.

The other issue, of course, was that Harry was ill. Well, not so much ill... well, yeah, ill. Was that what it was? She wasn't sure. Either way, Harry deserved her support now more than ever, and she'd been no where to be found.

Her key still fit in the lock, and turning it was one of the most frightening moments of her adult life. "Harry?" A voice that sounded like hers called out, weakly, as she stepped inside, pulling her suitcase behind her. It was strange - being back. Being... home.

[harrypotter]

Harry stirred slowly from another one of his many restless dreams that were usually caused by the one too many shots of whiskey from the previous night. Though the strange thing was, he didn't drink last night. That was a surprise. Ever since that one faithful evening in the back bedroom he had took up the bottle as if it was some addicting candy that a child couldn't stop eating.

Last night might have been different, but the dream was still the same. They were always the same, starting out with the bedroom, then Lily coming back and killing James and Albus, next Ru, then finally she turned the wand on herself. Ginny would then come into the scene and plea the same words she did that one night. "Look what you have done." Even in the daylight, that sentence still rattled in his mind.

With a groan the sheets flipped up and Harry got to his feet, his hand reaching out and grabbing the cherry wood cane that he was given the day after his heart attack. He propped himself on the solid stick and pulled himself to his feet, giving a slight stretch before reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing the circular framed glasses and placing them on his nose. The cane gave solid thuds which echoed through the room as it made contact with the ground on every step he took with his right leg. The cane led him over to the oak dresser, which he proceeded to dig through the numerous drawers until he found a shirt that he though would suit him for the morning.

It was on his way out that he noticed his reflection in the full sized looking glass that sat beside the closet. His eyes were dim, though still that emerald green, his face was hardened and he had traces of five o'clock shadow starting to seep in, and his hair had returned to the state of his youth, wild and unkempt. He quickly ran a hand through his hair then back down, trying to see if he could at least fix the hair situation, but it only fluffed out a bit more. Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head before his ears filled with the thumps of the cane that led him out of the bedroom.

As he led himself down the halls and through the living room he paused for a moment as his green eyes gazed at the now fading charmed christmas tree. The holiday's had always been Harry's favorite time of the year, but this year was different. He was all alone. James' had moved in with Kelsey and they recently had their kids, Roula was away almost constantly, Albus didn't want a thing to do with him, Lily was off in France doing Merlin knows what now, and Ginny was always away on some sort of task for the Propher. It seemed the life Harry had always wanted was starting to fall apart. It was bad enough already he had to suffer a heart attack, and worse that Ministry had given him a six month leave, but what made it unbearable was the fact that he was alone now.

Harry blinked for a moment, realizing his mistake in letting his thoughts run off, and quickly proceeded into the kitchen. He went through the same process of making coffee as he had done all the years before, but as he waited for the beverage to brew, he drew out a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and poured himself a glass. It was during this moment that the lock on the door clicked and turned, and the once silent halls finally filled with a familiar voice.

"Harry?" Ginny called out.

For a moment, Harry though he finally went insane. The glass from his hand slipped and fell down on the laminate floor with a sharp crack, shattering the glass into a million pieces. "Ah shit!" He called out as he lifted his foot away from the scene as he stared down at the brown liquid intermingling with the shards of glass. His mind was distracted for a brief second, but then the door closed and it returned to the possible thought of Ginny actually being home.

"I-I am, back in the k-kitchen." Harry shouted out. He had not stuttered that bad since the two of them were in school together. He bent down, drawing his wand from the tip of his cane, and began cleaning up the mess with the tip of his wand, his eyes focusing now and then on the doorway, waiting for Ginny's image to appear.

[gmwp]

She swallowed hard - because what else could she do? - before pushing the handle down into her suitcase and taking a deep breath. Was she ready to face him? She had to be, didn't she?

It'd been a long day as it was - she'd flown in from California overnight, since it was too strenuous for apparition, and Ginny had to admit that she was exhausted. Harry didn't sound excited to see her - actually, he sounded quite like he was nervous, or... well, something other than excited, that much was sure.

Another deep breath - she could do this; she'd faced worse, right? Worse than her husband? What a strange concept. Ginny reminded herself that she loved him; something that she had never needed reminding of before - and she knew that she wouldn't need to think about it once she set eyes on him.

Unbuckling her coat, a black peacoat that hit her knees and kept her delightfully warm, she hung it on the coat rack that Bill had built for her when she first moved out of the burrow. Her green scarf was the next thing that was hung up before she slipped her feet out of the red-soled black heels and put her hot, tired feet on the hard wood floor of the entryway. She was wearing jeans and a simple white oxford, dressed for comfort and practicality on her long, overnight flight.

Another deep breath as Ginny opened her suitcase and fished out a wrapped package. The paper was bright red, the ribbons tied around it green and gold; it was her gift for Harry. It hadn't been an afterthought, but rather a very well thought out gift. She'd bought him a watch - a muggle watch, and a very expensive one at that - with an inscription announcing her unconditional love for him.

Their time together had been full of ups and downs. In the beginning, it was mostly lows, hard times and difficult things for them to get through - but time had given them the strength to get through every challenge they'd been faced with so far, and Ginny was determined to keep that train going - she was determined to make sure that this worked, and she knew that time was the key. Time, of course, healed all wounds. That was the reason for the watch.

Another deep breath was just what Ginny needed - gave her the courage to pad quietly towards the kitchen, only to see Harry crouching over a pile of glass and... was that whiskey?

"Harry, what are you doing?" She whispered, obviously dismayed as her eyebrows furrowed in the middle and she hurried towards him, drawing her wand and clearing the remainder of the mess with a swish of her wand and a quick 'Scourgify.'

Her mother had taught her the best way to use cleaning spells, the best ones for each occasion, and she often found herself using them when the kids were younger, but as everyone grew, she more often than not was doing things the muggle way. This, though, was different - she didn't want the first time she'd seen Harry in months hindered by glass and... yes, she decided, noting the bottle on the counter, whiskey.

"Are you drinking?" She asked, disbelief evident as she put both the box and the wand on the counter.

[harrypotter]

The soft patter of feet swishing on carpet, though soft but still audible, could now be clearly heard in Harry's ears making is eyes once again glance over at the doorway, awaiting the appearance of the red-headed woman that he had married so many years before. His heart was racing for the first time in months, and it started to make his chest swell with heat before setting in a slight stinging pain.

His wand worked quickly, though he never mastered the spells needed for this sort of job. Growing up he was always accustomed to cleaning up his messes the Muggle way and carried that part of his life with him into adulthood, giving him no reason to really ever learn the spells beyond how to say them, what they did, and what page to find them in Mab's Magical Dictionary. He continued to suck up the little bits of glass, but it wasn't quick enough as he noticed the sound of the light footsteps fall out of his ears and replace with a soft whisper.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

His green eyes glanced over once again and this time instead of his heart racing, it dropped into his stomach. There she stood in her white oxford and blue jeans, her hair just as red as it ever had been since he met her.

Ginny...

For a moment, his mind didn't process her existance, and instead of greeting her, he continued to clean up the mess. He heard her feet press quickly to the laminate flooring as she hastily made her way towards him, bending down and cleaning up the mess quickly and easily herself. This was when he really noticed her, smelling her perfume from that close. She was always intoxicating, but this seemed to be like some sort of sweet posionous gas that seeped into his lungs, making his heart swell once again with fire.

Harry stood up as she finished cleaning the mess, then listened as her voice rang out again, though his ears processed it as a far off whisper. He gave a rather nervous smile and ran a hand through his hair. "Well...yes." He choked out as he watched her sit a red wrapped pocked traced with emerald and gold ribbon on the counter as well as her wand. "But, I promise it was just a morning thing. I needed something to get me through before the coffee was done." And of course just as he said that, the coffee maker gave of a metallic ding, and Harry chuckled, though choked it almost as soon as it was given. He didn't notice it before, but as he ran a hand through his hair once again he could feel the slight dampness to it. That was great, Harry, a grown man now, standing here in boxers and a t-shirt sweating in front of the wife he hadn't seen in months. Perfect.

Not knowing what else to say, Harry bit his lips and returned his hand to his side, tugging at his shirt a bit nervously before crossing his arms together and leaning against the counter.

[gmwp]

For a moment, Ginny just stared at him - the man who used to make her heart race, standing before her about to get drunk before his morning coffee. She almost didn't recognize him - but at the same time, Ginny would never forget Harry. No matter what happened, he would always be the only man she ever loved. But she didn't say anything else about it, choosing to nod in regards to his explanation rather than bother him about it right away.

"Is that my only greeting, then?" She asked instead, blinking up at him as she stepped closer, frowning ever so slightly, "I know we didn't exactly part on the best terms, but I expected at least a smile and a hug... maybe a kiss..." Ginny teased, not sure how else to approach this situation. She'd never seen this before; Molly and Arthur never aired their grievances in front of any of them, and so she was completely at a loss.

"Your hair's grown quite a bit," She said before he could respond, however he chose to, deciding that she wanted - no, needed - some sort of physical contact with the man she had missed so terribly. As the words tumbled from her mouth, she lifted a hand, fingers running through his hair as his had moments before, noticing the sweat but assuming it had more to do with the activity of coming downstairs with his cane and his injured (or rather, unhealthy) leg. The action gave her necessity to step closer, her body nearly pressed to his, but leaving a small space between them.

Hold me, She begged internally, Tell me you missed me, and hold me.

Feeling his body heat, and smelling the smell that was so innately Harry, made her feel that burning need for him even stronger than moments before. Her heart thudded away in her chest, and her eyes pleaded with him to just accept her as being home - as being his wife. She knew they had things to talk about, and things to fix, but she hoped that Harry could let that go for the moment and just... well, just love her again.

OOC: I'm sorry about the suckage and shortness...

[harrypotter]

The two locked eyes for a few brief moments, Harry's mind going completely blank, and by the looks of it, her's did as well. It felt so weird for her to be here, and he didn't know why. He loved her to death and back again, would do anything or her, but for some reason, this felt wrong. It felt wrong to be here in this kitchen staring into the eyes of the beautiful red-head. It felt wrong to be even in the house after all these months alone in it. it was like her presence here finally awoke him to the staleness of the house and most importantly, their relationship.

She spoke, her voice finally breaking the thickness of the air. He chuckled a bit at her little tease and couldn't help but give off a grin. "Sorry hun, I'm just surprised to see you." He replied back, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. Surprised was right, he didn't think she would ever come home, and if she did, it was just to get her things so she could leave.

Another short moment of silence, and then she broke the air again, this time making what seemed like a bit of a move towards him. She made mention of his hair and how it had grown out over the time passed, and as she did she took a few steps forward, raising her hand and running her fingers softly through the black locks. He blinked, though his eyes remained shut for a couple of seconds over the standard for the action, and he shivered, literally shivered. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise and the missed pleasure of having his hair fooled with like she always did when they would be curling up on the bed or the couch.

His eyes locked back on to her's and this was when he noted the small distance between them, feeling her heat mingling with his, and her perfume, that intoxicating poison of a smell, starting to slither it's way through his nose and into his lungs. For a moment, he was lost to himself, feeling as if he had died and went to heaven and was greeted by some sort of lovely angel that new his name and knew just how to approach him. It was in this state that he did something he wanted to do since she left.

Harry's arms unraveled from his chest and his hands slid around her waist to her back, pulling her body against his. He could feel her heart beat against him, pounding the off beat strokes that his heart didn't make. His green eyes focused in on hers once again, but it was brief as he leaned in placing his lips onto her own soft ones. It was like heaven had rained upon him and he shivered again, his heart beating crazily in the moment. Oh Merlin, he had missed this too much.

[gmwp]

---

Ginny firmly believed that her reaction to Harry, and his to her, for that matter, would never change. She believed this for a number of reasons. The first, of course, was their history. They’d known each other since they were children; they had always been so close – and sometimes so close but still so far – and she had always wanted him. Of course, he took longer to notice the feelings, but boys always did, didn’t they? The second reason was the way she felt when he looked at her. Even when she was mad at him, even when he drove her nearly crazy, those eyes would draw her back in, and she couldn’t help it.

The third reason was that he kissed her like he was drowning and she was air. Even chaste kisses, even when they were angry with each other, and even when it was just a quick peck – Harry’s lips made her nearly shake with need.

This was no different, and as his hands snaked around her and settled on her lower back, Ginny thought she might lose the last shred of self control that she had, and when he kissed her, she did. Her hand, still resting at the base of his neck, slid back into his hair and fisted in the unruly, inky mess, her lips coming alive under his. Her free hand rested on his bicep – still as well toned as when he played quidditch in school – just under the fabric of his tshirt sleeve. It was magic – corny as that may sound – to kiss him again. Her heart raced – though still not in time with his, as it used to do – and she could feel the blood pounding in her ears, the heat rising through her body. This was Harry – and nothing else in the world even mattered at the moment, because she had him.

But still, Ginny did need to breath, and unfortunately without doing so, this ecstasy wouldn’t happen ever again. She drew back, though only pulled her lips from his and released her hold on his hair, sliding her hand back to the skin on the back of his neck, "I’m so sorry I left" She breathed, voice hitching as she neared tears, emotions running wild with her passion as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, "I missed you so much and… and I know you would never hurt me – any of us – purposely, Harry and I… I overreacted and I shouldn’t have left." She cried, murmuring the words into his skin as though that would help them sink in properly, her chest heaving in an attempt to stop herself from sobbing uncontrollably.

[harrypotter]

It seemed as if time had stopped, something he hadn't experienced since their wedding day when they shared a similar like kiss upon the altar where they had just recently expressed their unconditional love for one another. Unconditional love. That term had always been expressed throughout Harry's life. He was was always told that that one attribute, which others might deem a flaw, was what separated him from being like Voldemort, and he was more than thankful for it.

Unconditional love was what he would always have for Ginny. No matter how mad he might have gotten at her for leaving him, or how much he wanted to just get up and walk away the moment she set foot into the kitchen, he couldn't stay mad, or even walk out on her, because he knew knew that he would always love her no matter what came between them. And as he stood there, his lips still locked with hers in that time warping kiss that still made his heart tremble with new-found love, he had a feeling that this was how his parents were when they were young, and the thought made him smile just a bit.

Time resumed itself as her lips tore gently away from his and her face buried gently into the crook of his neck. With this gesture came tears and frantic apologies as Ginny poured out what had been on her mind in the recent months she had been away. Harry couldn't help but crack a half grin and a chuckle as he positioned his arms back around her, one hand rubbing her back lightly as he felt her heave. "It's alright baby, I promise." He said softly as he kissed the top of her head. "You did what you had to do, and I don't blame you one bit for leaving. If I was in the same shoes, I would have done the same." He leaned his head softly against hers as he spoke, trying his best to comfort her. "The important thing is you are back."

[gmwp]

With her hands on Harry and her heart swelling with the sort of love that was associated only with Harry. She couldn't help but smile, despite the tears in her eyes, as she looked up at him, "You're laughing at me," She said, unable to wipe the smile away, "and I'm crying. Since when do I cry?" She laughed, though she didn't pull away, and she couldn't seem to stop crying now that she had started.

It was strange, because Ginny really wasn't a crier. She could hardly even remember - or envision, for that matter - the last time she had actually cried, tears and all. It felt weird, actually. She withdrew one of her hands from Harry's shoulder to wipe the tears from under her eyes as she shook her head.

The worst of it all, she figured, was that he was being so very understanding. So very understanding and unshaven and gorgeous, and loving, and... Harry. He was standing there being so very Harry and so very irresistible, as he always was. After (yet another) deep breath, she blinked out and wiped away the last of her tears, then hugging him again. "I love you," She promised, looking up at him again with still glassy eyes, "And even if you say it was alright, it still wasn't... I... I shouldn't have stayed away so long, and I'm never going to do it again." Ginny explained, pushing herself up onto her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips, "Unless, of course, you're coming with me."

Ginny was amazed at how easy this was, all things considered. Nothing really ever came easy to either of them, and it just surprised her that they could still manage to be this way - this loving - so easily.

[harrypotter]

It brought a chuckle to Harry's throat once again as his wife looked up at him and smiled, commenting on the small bits of laughter that had churned from his throat in the past couple of moments with her. Harry didn't mean the small tid bits of chuckles as mocking laughter at his wife, but more of seeing the situation as it was, which was very ironic. Ginny rarely cried, and the last time he could actually remember her crying was during the birth of their children, which came to no surprise due to the enduring pain and joy that she was being put through in those dragging moments in the hospital rooms.

A sharp smile came across his face as she gave a small laugh of her own, stating out loud the irony in the situation. She smiled up at him, even though the tears still streamed down her flawless cheeks. He pain no attention to them though, but rather focused on the white teeth that shown brightly through her red lips. She was beautiful, there would never be a doubt in his mind about that, and after these past few months of her being away and all the fights they had gotten into before she left, he still noticed her beauty through it all.

Harry felt some pressure ease from his shoulder as she lifted her grasp and started to wipe away some of the tears, even though a few stragglers still pierced her cheeks. It was during this moment that he realized how tight she had been holding on to him, and he didn't mind it one bit, he rather enjoyed it after her long absence from his life. He smiled at Ginny as she took a deep breath and finished wiping the tears from under her eyes, and then he felt her grasp as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He listened to her voice, her lips pouring out soft promises that were meant to be kept. She broke mid way to steal a kiss from his lips, which he gladly accepted, once again feeling that little bit of static electricity shimmy its way up his spine as her lips connected to his, but vanished as she let go and gave him another smile, finishing her thoughts.

"Well I do forgive you, sweetie." Harry said softly as his hand rubbed her back gently. "And I understand why you left, I really truly do." All this was so surreal. He expected this whole situation to turn out completely differently. He always imagined that there would be a lot of screaming and crying, maybe a few plates and vases being thrown at him as Ginny's trademark unpredictable temper flared up. But no, this situation went smooth with a lot of hugs and kisses and the occasional laughter that they had always seemed to fit in even in the most serious of situations.

Harry bent down just a bit so his lips brushed the top of her head, planting another sweet kiss of loving reassurance. "I will always love you, Ginny. Nothing will ever be able to tear us apart." He grinned and for the first time int hose several months she had been away, his eyes watered lightly and a single tear slipped down his own cheek and into the stubble of the five o' clock shadow that adorned his cheeks.

[gmwp]

There was suddenly a jolt of awareness that struck Ginny like lightning. She wanted him. Not only did she love Harry but she wanted him to physically love her. She wanted to feel him surrounding her, holding her, loving her - she wanted to lay with him in a sweaty tangle of limbs and passion and just be loved. She wanted him to hold her until there were too many places to go and people to see for them to remain entwined. But with this realization came another; Harry was hurt. Not only had she emotionally wounded him, but her husband had also been physically hurting while she was gone.

"Harry, are you alright?" She asked softly, reaching up to catch his tear on her fingertips. She hoped that the tear was one of emotion and not of physical pain, but how could she be sure? The only things she knew about his injury were hearsay from the papers, and that was hardly a reliable source - considering is was Lavender writing it, the little slag. Slowly, her hands drifted from his face to his hands, "Is your leg bothering you? Do you need anything?" She began gushing again - though this time much less quickly and much more coherently. "I'll take some time off work, and I'll help you get better," She decided, not even considering allowing him to object. Ginny wanted Harry better, so he could work and be happy - and more selfishly so she could have him again, the way she'd been dreaming of for months.

It was funny, but that jolt was like a time warp - back to when she was seventeen and she had kissed him so passionately before he left her. She had wanted him so badly that night, in so many ways - just like she did right now. It wasn't normal, was it, for wives to want their husbands so badly? But then, when were she and Harry ever a normal relationship? All she knew was that if she had her way, there would be no more talk of love - only action.

[[sorry it's a bit short.]]

[harrypotter]

"Harry are you alright?"

For a moment, Harry didn't know what to say. He blinked letting another tear slip down which Ginny had almost instantly caught with her fingertip. He had never really cried in front of her, the only time being when they buried Fred. "Yes sweetie, I'm fine." He said with one of those famous half smiles he had always given her in times like this. He watched closely as her hands slipped from his face down to his own, and he wrapped his fingers around hers as he held her hands.

She asked if his leg bothered him and he couldn't help but chuckle. Of course she didn't really know what happened, the only thing the insurance told her was he had surgery on his leg. " Of course my leg is fine." He said halfway lying. It was fine as in the surgery was a success and the stint in his artery was holding up well. The bad news was that it hurt him from time to time and the doctor told him he would have to walk with a cane for a good six months then come back in for some physical therapy. "It was my heart that wasn't. I had a heart attack dear, but I figured the papers wouldn't tell you that."

"I'll take some time off work, and I'll help you get better,"

Harry began to open his mouth to counter that suggestion, but the look in her eyes proved that there would be no way he could change her mind. Instead, he simply smiled and placed a soft kiss on her lips."Alright, you got your way. I'm glad though, I could use the company." He grinned and kissed her again. "Being alone for six months means I could use all the company I get." Harry joked with her, hoping it wouldn't strike a nerve with her.

[gmwp]

She swatted at his chest playfully in response to his joke. Of course, Ginny knew that she would never live down leaving for so long - never mind live it down within the first half hour. "Well it seems you at least had some company," She murmured, meaning the words to be joking, though they came out with a hint of disapproval as she pulled away from Harry and grabbed the open bottle of whiskey from the counter.

She didn't like when he drank - outside of social occasions, of course. It was a firm belief of Ginny's that anything outside of a casual drink with friends or a meal was not necessary. She saw the way her son drank, and she was worried about her husband, now. She'd been gone far too long, of course, but now she needed to change things. The bottle was low - another cause for concern, since she knew Harry hadn't been having dinner parties while she was gone.

"You know what likely isn't helping your heart, Harry?" She asked softly, a knowing look in her eyes as she looked up at him. She wanted to tell him to stop drinking - to make sure he knew right away that things were going to change between them - that things had to. As much as she loved him, as much as she wanted him, there were so many things wrong with the ways that they had been living before her abrupt departure. Ginny had a feeling they had a lot to do with the way her children had turned out. But she didn't say the words - she had a feeling he would understand the undertones of what she was saying - Harry always seemed to be able to understand her, even when she didn't understand herself.