The Awakening Power

Chapter 27: Riddle's Lair

The Awakening Power

by Sib

Chapter 27: Riddle's Lair

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Harry and Ginny broke away from their kiss, Ginny giving a satisfied sigh as she smiled at him. The last few weeks or so had been incredibly confusing and difficult for her, but it had somehow ended on... well, an unbelievable note. She had been so frustrated with him, finally getting fed up with his indecision and his habit of seeming to grow closer and then draw farther away.

She glanced at Harry, who looked happy and contented. He had seemed to open himself up to her, and she had a feeling that it was the first time in his life that he had ever done that to this degree. She felt – honored, somehow, that he could trust her enough to be so vulnerable at this moment.

Undoubtedly it wouldn't last, and Harry would become his normal, guarded self before long, but at this moment she felt an extremely strong connection to him.

Ginny had teased him about traveling together, but it was just starting to sink in exactly what Harry had offered to her. He wanted her to travel with him? What did that mean? With Harry, everything he said had some sort of meaning, and he wouldn't make an offer like that unless he really meant it, deeply and honestly.

Somehow the biggest thing she took from it was – reassurance. What had he actually said to her? Not much, truth to be told. He had awkwardly said that 'this' meant a lot to him, which, for Harry, was practically a Shakespearean love sonnet. Something like an 'I love you' seemed laughably ludicrous. She was certain that Harry had never said those words in his entire life.

Maybe none of this would last forever. She had fantasized a thousand times about marrying Harry, but anything like that was far down the road, and might never happen. The last thing she wanted to do was let herself build some new fantasy of expectations around him; she'd learned that lesson last time. But at this moment, Harry had implied unambiguously that when he imagined his future, she played some sort of role in it. She meant something to him.

And he had certainly physically demonstrated his affection, she thought wickedly. She had imagined numerous scenarios about how their first kiss might go, but she had never imagined anything like this. And watching him drive that sword into that bloody basilisk had been... amazing. A shiver ran down her spine.

She had been so emotional after watching the events in the Pensieve and Harry had stepped up when she had needed him the most.

She was thankful that Harry had stopped things when he did. If he had made any sort of move to further things along... she wasn't entirely certain she could have stopped. It had been extremely difficult to stop as it was; in fact, she had to admit to being slightly conflicted that he had stopped it... Now, Ginny, none of those thoughts...

If the day ever came that she and Harry decided to take that step, she wanted it to be when they were both ready, in a special place. This place was unique in its own way, but... definitely this wasn't the place.

The way that Harry had stopped – passionate, out of control... She felt powerful to be the one to cause Harry to lose control like that. She sensed that he had very badly wanted to continue, but was noble enough to stop, and that was definitely enough for now.

Harry is my boyfriend, she thought incredulously, looking at him. The whole idea had an air of unreality about it. She had loved him for so long – even when she told herself that she'd given up, her love had still been there, desperately longing to be given to him. And now he was willing to accept it and perhaps even return it.