Borrowed Time

Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived at the Burrow from Privet Drive three days before Bill and Fleur's wedding. The house was brimming with people: eight Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, and Fleur. Molly hugged them all absently, pausing in between to try and calm Fleur, who was flittering around like an agitated butterfly and loudly lamenting the state of her wedding preparations.

"Maybe we should have gone to yours," Ron muttered, warily eyeing the mounds of silk and satin draped over every available surface in the front room.

"Mine?" Harry asked, sounding momentarily confused. Then he realized that Ron was referring to 12 Grimmauld Place. "Oh. No, I think I prefer the mayhem, thanks."

As soon as the three friends shut themselves up in Ron's bedroom, the door opened again and Ginny slipped inside. The next instant found her wrapped tightly in Harry's arms, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I've missed you," she said, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

"I've missed you, too," Harry admitted quietly, taking comfort in the warm weight of her body pressed against his and the familiar flowery scent of her hair.

"I thought you two busted up?" Ron asked as he toed off his trainers and climbed onto the bed. He settled with his back against the headboard and pulled Hermione down to snuggle against him.

Ginny turned to face her brother, careful not to pull away from Harry. "We did. But it doesn't change how we feel. And the way I see it, I'm safer up here hugging Harry than I would be downstairs listening to Phlegm rave about all that still needs doing for the wedding."

"You still don't like her much, I take it?" Hermione asked.

Ginny sighed. "I don't hate her quite as much as I used to, and she and Mum are getting on well now.... I suppose there are worse people to have in the family."

"Like Percy," Ron agreed with a nod.

"I thought I told you never to say that word in my presence," Ginny said. She moved to sit at the foot of Ron's bed, pulling Harry down beside her. "So how was your visit with the Dursleys?"

Harry grinned. "Bloody brilliant, actually."

"They didn't know quite how to deal with having Ron and me there," Hermione added. "But they also didn't feel they could kick us out."

"Dad would have loved it," Ron chimed in. "All those Muggle gadgets."

"Ron's grown rather fond of Muggle television," Hermione explained with a roll of her eyes.

"And Muggle take-away," Harry added.

Ginny sighed wistfully. "I wish I could have been there. And I wish I could be in on whatever it is you three are planning," she said, giving Harry a pointed look.

"Ginny...." Harry began, but she cut him off with a gesture.

"I know, Harry," she said quietly. "I understand, all right? It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up more than usual. He looked thoroughly miserable.

"Let's not fight," Ginny said, snuggling closer.

Harry gave her a tentative smile and a little nod.

"Tell us what's been going on here," Hermione said, feeling the need to find safer ground for conversation. "Fleur certainly seemed to be in a state."

"You have no idea," Ginny said, and immediately launched into a detailed diatribe about the evils of wedding planning. The tension in the room slowly dissipated, giving way bit by bit to comfortable camaraderie and laughter.