Double Standard

She had just come out of her bathroom, dressed in clean clothes and her hair still wrapped turban-style in a towel when she heard a most unexpected sound--the doorbell. Even as she headed for the door, she couldn't help thinking how unusual this action was. When she opened the door, the most welcoming smile she could muster on her lips, the sight which greeted her was all she could have asked for. It was just Harry, not bearing any flowers, chocolates or any other kind of peace offering. Of course, it couldn't come as too much of a surprise to her that it would take him this long to realise that all she wanted at the moment was him and his love.

Material things could come later. For the moment, they had better things to do.

"Gin." He smiled cautiously. "It's good to see you again. May I come in?"

"Of course," she assured him. "It's good to see you again too, Harry. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"Butterbeer, cold, if you have it. Thank you." He followed her to the couch and seated himself, watching her with hungry eyes, his groin tightening even as she headed to the kitchen to retrieve drinks for them. It hardly seemed possible, but she had become even more beautiful since he had last seen her; all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her. Unfortunately his own actions had put her trust of him and his motives into serious question, and he knew if he didn't play his cards exactly right, he not only could but would lose her. The problem was, how could he possibly be sure whether or not he was doing the right thing? He supposed the best thing to do was take his cues from her.

"Harry?" Ginny's musical voice brought him back to reality. "Here's your drink."

"Thanks," he said with another smile, again watching her as she sat down a safe distance from him but still on the same couch with him ... which was a step in the right direction, if nothing else. "Your owl said you wanted to talk to me." He charmed his bottle open and took a swallow.

"Yes," Ginny replied as she took a swallow of her own frosty bottle of butterbeer. "I wanted to let you know that I've decided to take you back."

Harry could scarcely believe his ears. His head lifted to meet her soft brown eyes, eyes he had so missed gazing into for the longest time, his eyes traveling down to her lips after carefully studying her features, unable to help recalling how warm and sweet those lips were, deeply pink lips which he hadn't tasted for months. Her voice again brought him back to reality.

"With a few provisos, of course."

"I expected that," he returned quietly. "What are they?"

"You don't shag anyone else for any reason. If I'm not enough for you, you can leave right now. I've lost the chance for us to take each other's virginity, thanks to a so-called friend ... with whom I have now terminated our relationship. Which brings me to the next proviso. You are not to turn to Hermione should I be unable to shag you for a given amount of time. She's taken enough from me; I don't intend to allow her to take any more. Do what you must to satisfy yourself, wank off or whatever, but stay the bloody hell away from her!

"Also, if you happen to think of her or any of the others, what they were like in bed or whatever while we're shagging, don't mention it to me. I don't want to know. Ideally, you should only think of me at a time like that, but because of ... extenuating circumstances ... that is unlikely to happen. It won't be easy for me to deal with, but I think I' ll manage eventually. However, it's going to take time before I feel comfortable allowing you to kiss me or touch me, much less anything else, because of what's happened, so I must ask you to bear with me."

"For what it's worth, I'm truly sorry, Gin. You must know it was never my intention to hurt you ... and that whatever I've done with other witches, you are the only one I want to marry or have children with, for now and all time."

"I'm glad to hear that ... but you still did it," she returned quietly, sadly. "However, I've decided that I can't lose you, not now, not ever, even if you are a randy git who's incapable of keeping his bits inside his trousers. Nonetheless, I've decided to let you off the hook ... this time--as long as you're only a randy git with me. Think you could manage that?"

The tone of Ginny's voice made Harry look up and meet her eyes again to see love and desire for him there, something he had never expected to see again, especially after how he had betrayed her. He wanted to give her his word, but right now his word, his very integrity, was in question in her eyes and he couldn't blame her for doubting him. "What would you consider the most binding promise?"

"How about an Unbreakable Vow?" she suggested. "The problem is, we'd need someone to be the Bonder, to make it official. How about Mum?"

Harry made himself smile and nod, apprehensive at the prospect but not allowing himself to show it. Besides, regaining Ginny and her love was worth any risk to himself. "When did you want to do it?"

"How about after finishing our talk?"

"What else did you want to talk about?"

"Renewing our engagement. Your proposing to me again--and this time we do it right. Here." With that, she reached into her pocket and withdrew the beautiful two-carat diamond ring with a dozen tiny diamonds surrounding it, set in yellow gold and a Tiffany setting, that Harry had given her a year before. Harry felt such happiness and relief that he could scarcely keep from crying, much less grabbing Ginny and kissing her senseless, but with a Herculean effort, he managed to restrain himself.

In the next moment, Harry was on one knee in front of her and holding out the ring to her, his love for her fairly radiating from him. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you make me the happiest, luckiest wizard on earth and do me the great honour of becoming my wife and the mother of my children?"

Harry was glad to see tears in her own eyes as she smiled at his obvious sincerity, reaching out to touch his cheek. He closed his eyes in pain and pleasure for a moment before raising his free hand to cover hers, then opened them again to once again see Ginny's lovely face before him--but considerably closer this time. "Before I answer, I have something to ask you, Harry James Potter."

"Such as?" he prompted.

"Harry James Potter, will you make me the happiest, luckiest witch on earth and do me the great honour of being my husband and the father of my children?"

"I will ... with all my heart," he returned with every ounce of love he could muster.

" Then I will marry you," she declared, holding out her hand so he could slip the ring onto it again. Once Harry had done so, he raised it to his lips and kissed it, then lowered it but still held onto it, asking with his eyes if it was all right.

Ginny smiled and nodded even as she felt their fingers intricately entwine. After a few moments of tense silence, Harry made himself speak, making his request a question and giving her the option of refusing if she chose.

"May I hold you and kiss you?"

She didn't reply, at least not verbally, but her eyes told Harry all he needed to know. He gingerly slid an arm around her and pulled her close, lifting her face to his with the other, shivering when he felt Ginny's hand lightly stroke the back of his neck, his groin tightening even further at her touch. Their reconciliation was still too tentative for him to allow her to realise his arousal just yet, even if she had accepted his proposal and was once again wearing his mother's ring. As it turned out, the ring was a Potter family heirloom which had been passed down through several generations, coming into his mother's possession twenty years ago when his father James had given it to her after asking her to marry him.

A short time later their lips met; he held her gently but securely, and for a time their kisses and caresses were simply sweet and tender, her arms going around him and holding him as well even as she moaned softly in pleasure. Her lips were sweeter than he had ever imagined they could be and he simply couldn't get enough of them. Only after about five minutes did they start becoming passionate, Harry scarcely able to stop himself from Vanishing her clothes and taking her right here on the couch. But she deserved to have as memorable a first time as he could manage to give her, and that wasn't the way to do it. How ironic that he would now be able to please her properly, whereas he wouldn't have been before. Just the same, he could well understand her wish that they could have been able to take each other's virginity. But in a sense, when the time came, it would be the first time for both of them after all ... their first time together.

Harry was truly sorry that he had been unable to keep himself for their marriage--sod that bloody war with Voldemort which had so mucked things up for them--but all that mattered was the fact that it was over; he would now be able to make Ginny his own in every way, for now and all time. What mattered was that Ginny was in his arms again, his fiancée again ... he was feeling her soft, sweet mouth beneath his ... and her warm, delicious body close to his own.

After an interminable time--an hour? A day? Several sunlit days?--Harry made himself stop kissing her and moved to kiss her neck and throat, then any other bare skin he could find. What mattered was here and now, sharing such bliss with the only girl he had ever loved, the only girl he would ever love, as long as he lived. "Dear gods, Gin, I love you so much ..."

"Harry ..." she crooned. "That feels so wonderful. You feel wonderful. Please don't ever stop."

His lips brushed her ear, then his teeth gently nibbled the lobe even as he gently pressed her into the back of the couch. "Does that mean you're willing for us to spend the night together, or would you rather wait until we get married?"

"I want you more than anything in the world, beloved; surely you've guessed that by now ... but we can't shag, not yet. Not until after the Unbreakable Vow--and our wedding." Ginny smiled knowingly upon feeling her companion's obvious arousal.

"Then we' ll just have to make it as soon as possible, because I don't know how long I can wait," he growled passionately. "Do you know the minimum waiting time to get married?"

"I think we'll have to ask Mum or Dad about that," Ginny informed him. "Meanwhile, no more talking, Mr. Potter. There are much better things to do with our lips." This time she was the one to initiate the snogging and Harry had no objections whatsoever to her doing so.

* * * * *

Harry only thought to look at his watch when they reluctantly parted to take a deep breath. It was four o'clock; he had been here four hours. If it was left to him, they'd never leave this place, but he had promised Ginny to have Molly act as Bonder for their Unbreakable Vow, so they had best get to the Burrow and see if she could do it now. With that, Harry wrapped himself around her and Apparated them both to the Burrow. Molly came to meet them, tears of happiness in her eyes as she realised they had reconciled, even if the only indication was the fact that Ginny was once again wearing her engagement ring and not merely the glow of renewed love on the pair's young faces and their arms around each other.

"We're back together, Mum," she returned happily. "But we have a favour to ask you."

"You know I' ll do anything I can for either of you, darling."

"We need you to perform the Unbreakable Vow."

There was silence for a long, uncomfortable moment, then Molly nodded. "Of course--but may I ask why you find it necessary to do so?"

"It's the only way I'll feel confident as to Harry's sincerity regarding me," Ginny told her.

Molly looked back and forth at the couple, first individually, then together. "This way."

With that, the pair followed her into the house and into the living room.