My World

For all of you who either didn't read the books or like to have a little reminder, here the summary of the events that took place right before this fanfiction starts. Quoted from The Harry Potter Compendium (https://harry-potter-compendium.fandom.com/wiki/Harry_Potter%27s_seventeenth_birthday):

After breakfast, Ginny Weasley approached Harry and asked to speak to him alone in her bedroom. Although Ron did not like the idea, Hermione pulled him away, and Harry followed Ginny into her room. There, Ginny said that she did not know what to get him for his birthday, and then kissed Harry as she had never kissed him before. They were interrupted by Ron and Hermione; the former angrily reminded Harry that he had broken up with Ginny and that he should not be "messing her around". Harry regretfully agreed that it would not happen again.

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Harry was is a turmoil. He wanted Ginny more than anything else. But he had to keep her save at any cost. He could understand Ron's outburst, he really did. That didn't make it easier though. He saw her every day and it was killing him. But if this was the price to pay to ensure her safety, so be it.

He was brought back from his musings when he heard a silent "Oh" from Hermione. He followed her gaze and catched a glimpse of what he was sure was Ginny's red mane. The brilliant red hair he had become to adore so much. Then he realized that she must have heard his harsh words when he had told Ron that he won't kiss her again. "No. Oh no. This wasn't meant for..." he wasn't able to finish his whispered sentence. This wasn't meant for her to hear. He had hurt her enough when he had broken up with her and now he had only added to her pain.

He closed his eyes as he thought 'I am such an arse...'

This was when Ron snapped at him."See? You only hurt her more! How could you, you don't deserve her! You had your chance and you messed it up. Now leave her alone or I swear..."

"Ronald!" interrupted Hermione. "Harry didn't break up with her because he wanted to!"

But Ron was still too angry to see reason. "I don't care! She's hurt and thus obviously better off without him!"

"He's right." This time it was Harry who spoke.

"But Harry, -"

"No." Harry didn't let Hermione finish her sentence. The moment Ron's words were out they had cut like a knife. But in the end it was true. How could he be so selfish to lead her to believe that after the war, they could probably have a future. He wanted to, desperately. But this wasn't fair at all for Ginny. He had to leave her behind as she wasn't even sixteen yet. And really, she was safer at Hogwarts than with him. Further, he had no idea how long their hunt for the Horcruxes would take and what is more, if he would survive at all. And frankly, he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. Without her in his life, there was nothing left for him to fight for. Yes, he had his friends and the Weasleys. But he would still be alone.

"Hermione, I really appreciate your efforts to defend me, but Ron's right." He turned so that his friends couldn't see the tears in his eyes that threatened to fall. He did his best to hide the fact that his voice was shaking slightly. "Ginny will be better off without me. I'm pretty fucked up and on top of that a celebrity against my will, hunted down not only by the press but also by a madman that would do anything to destroy me before he'd kill me in the end. Who am I kidding. He just took the last real reason to fight for from me. He has already won over me, but I'll at least try to fight for you." He sighed. "Maybe it's a good thing that she heard what I said earlier. It's probably easier to forget me when she has a reason to hate me..." His voice trailed off.

"I could never hate you, Harry."

Harry spun around to see Ginny standing at their side. Considering Ron's and Hermione's shocked faces, Harry thought that they hadn't heard her approach them, either. He took a deep breath, then said: "Well, you should."

"Why?" Her question was simple, yet he didn't know an equally simple answer to that. Honestly, it was anything but easy.

"It's dangerous to be with me, Ginny. You know that I just want to keep you safe."

What more could he say? It had been easier on the day of Dumbledore's funeral because she was very understanding then. But this seemed to have worn off and she demanded answers now. Answers he didn't want to share. Not, because he didn't trust her but because he didn't want to add to her burden. She had been marked by Tom Riddle in her first year. How could he possibly tell her that the diary had been a Horcrux and  that the trio was about to head off to hunt the other ones down?

"Harry? You realize that my whole family is considered as blood traitors? And they already know that we had been dating. Do you even know if they know that you broke up with me? And even if they do, they still know how close you are to all of us. But we don't care. Hell, I don't care!" Ginny stood now right in front of him, wiping away his tear that had finally fallen.  Her hand was wandering further to his neck and pulled him close.

"Ginny, I promised..." He tried weakly to fight her off. But really, there was nothing he wanted more at the moment than to give in to her.

"Yeah, but I didn't." And then she kissed him. Slowly. And he couldn't remember to have ever felt as loved as now. He revelled in the feeling of her soft lips on his while her right hand was still on his neck and the other one in his hair, pulling him even closer. She felt so good against him and it was all he could do to not crush her with his arms that had immediately found their way around her petite body.

"You bloody traitor!" Ron was fuming. But Hermione stopped him from doing more than interrupting Harry and Ginny.
Then she asked tentatively: "Harry? What did you mean when you said 'he took your last real reason to fight'?"

Harry's eyes never left Ginny's as he answered. "He took my future."

Ginny gasped as she understood. "Oh, Harry..."

He caressed Ginny's cheek, still looking deep into her eyes. "He already took so much from me. The last person was you. But I wanted you at least to be alive. And Ginny, I swear, I'll do anything, and if it's the last thing I do, I don't care as long as you're safe." His voice was soft and had a sad yet determined tone in it. There had been more tears in the meantime but Harry just couldn't bring himself to care. Technically, he was supposed to support Ginny, though now it was her turn to hold him upright. But he didn't have the strength to do anything against it and just let himself be held by her, memorizing the feeling of every inch of her body against his.

"Ron? I think we should better leave them alone, don't you think?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at Ron that dared him to argue. But it wasn't necessary as he nodded at once and just said "I'm sorry, mate."

It was the first time that Harry turned to look at his friends. He gave them a weak smile. Then they turned to leave Harry and Ginny alone.

When they were gone, Harry looked back and opened his mouth to say something, but forgot instantly what it was when he saw Ginny's blazing look.

"Harry James Potter, you better survive, otherwise I swear I'll find a way to make your afterlife as miserable as I can. Actually, I might just find a way to resurrect you to kill you myself!"

He was stunned into silence. Shocked at her sharp words for he had never been on the receiving end of her ire. To say he was only a little frightened was an understatement. But at the same time his heart warmed as he had still problems to believe that he had actually found people that wanted him just the way he was. Not the Boy Who Lived but Harry, just Harry. They cared for him and wanted him to be fine. And third, he was marvelling at her beauty. Ginny was a fierce young woman of the sort 'small, but oh my' and her determined expression - and for him, no less - aroused him somewhat.

He was still holding the woman of his dreams and couldn't help but press her whole body against his. He needed to feel that she was real. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. And instead of answering her tirade and swearing solemny to survive he simply said: "I love you, Ginny."

Now it was Ginny's turn to remain speechless. This was the first time he had said those words. And he meant it. She was the world for him, his world. A world worth fighting for.

He bent down to capture her delicious lips again with his, humming as Ginny deepened the kiss. When they broke apart, she looked into his emerald eyes to find nothing but adoration. She smiled at him.

"I love you, too, Harry. So very much..." and then she kissed him again with the same enthusiasm as earlier in her room. So in the end, he was getting his birthday present after all.