Come Back to Me

A/N: Harry Potter and his whole world belong to J. K. Rowling. I'm just playing with her characters for a while.

*******

II. A Remarkable Birthday

The quiet noise of her door locking woke Ginny. Her eyes flew open and she tensed, slowly easing her hand under her pillow for her wand. The sky outside was dark, and the clock beside the bed said it was a little past two in the morning. Her curtains flapped lazily in a soft breeze and in the distance, she thought she heard a rumble of thunder.

Carefully, she slid her wand out, clenching it tightly in her fist. She cursed herself for not wearing more than a simple t-shirt to sleep in. It would make the coming confrontation all the more surreal. Her mind went into overdrive - What had happened to the rest of her family? Why was she not hearing resistance through the rest of the house? Or maybe... Ginny suppressed a shudder... Maybe they were only after her.

Barely breathing, she focused on her plan. Stupefy and flee...

Something made her stop, though. Her skin felt like tiny shocks were exploding from her pores, and there was just - something - in the air that relieved a bit of her tension. Her ears strained for noise and she was rewarded when she heard the gentle rustle of the Invisibility Cloak dropping onto her bedroom floor. Harry was back.

"Ginny, you awake?" he whispered.

She exhaled explosively, her tense limbs reduced to jelly. "Yeah," she managed shakily.

As he slid into the bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, she laced her fingers through his and said, "You scared the bloody hell out of me."

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said with consternation.

Almost giddy with relief, Ginny quietly laughed, "You're lucky I didn't hex your bits off."

"Good thing for you," Harry answered saucily as he nuzzled her neck. "How would I be able to give you your birthday present if you did that?"

"Harry Potter!" she exclaimed in mock indignation. "You think you can just sneak in here and -"

Harry rolled her over in his arms and kissed her gently, slowly kissing first her bottom lip, then the top, before pressing his lips fully against hers, moving them slowly, seductively, sweetly.

"No," he answered, touching her cheek lightly. "I don't think that at all."

Before, when Ginny might have squirmed under his intense scrutiny, now she smiled shakily and gazed back, trying to count the number of hairs that fell across his forehead, covering his scar.

"You came back," Ginny said into the lengthening silence, feeling her lower lip quivering.

"I told you I would," he replied softly, running his fingers through her hair. "Didn't you believe me?"

Ginny frowned, realizing it sounded as though she'd doubted him. "I believed you wanted to," she said honestly. She rushed on, unable to stop herself. "I'm just so scared for you, and not knowing -"

Harry put a finger to her lips, shaking his head slightly. "Don't do that," he chastised her lightly. "I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm being very careful. I want to make sure I come back in one piece to you. Let's just not think about it," he said, kissing her tenderly. "It's your birthday, after all."

Ginny struggled with herself, wanting so badly to flare up, to argue with him, to tell him in no uncertain terms was he going to be able to shut her up that easily. But then, something in the back of her head reminded her that she had very limited time with Harry, and did she really want to spend it yelling at him? She sighed. "Alright, Harry."

With a smile, Harry propped himself up on his elbow and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, carefully wrapped box. "Happy Birthday, Ginny," he said quietly, holding out the present.

Ginny sat up, accepting the small package. She shook it gently, holding it up to her ear. "It's a broom," she guessed, jokingly. Harry smiled and shook his head.

"A dragon?"

Harry laughed. "Open it!" he said, practically bouncing on the bed.

Not needing to be told twice, Ginny tore off the paper and opened the box. A small glass ball the size of a gobstone rolled out onto her palm. She looked up at Harry quizzically and lifted it on its pale silver chain, bringing it closer to her eyes. She saw now that the glass ball was wrapped at its circumference by a thin band of the same silvery metal, which in turn was attached to the chain by a delicate looking link.

"What is this?" Ginny asked at last, noting that the glass ball rolled freely within the confines of the silver band.

Harry smiled proudly and closed his hand around the glass ball. "Aperio Amor!" he said quietly. For a moment, a brilliant, multicolored light poured from between his fingers and when he opened his hand to show the necklace, Ginny gasped.

With tears in her eyes, she gazed, transfixed, at the swirl of indescribably beautiful colors. With her heart in her throat, Ginny whispered, "That's lovely." She looked up at Harry. "Where did you find this?"

"Doesn't matter," Harry answered in a casually offhand manner that made Ginny think he had spent a good deal of time looking for this present. "Do you like it?"

"Harry!" Ginny cried quietly, shocked. "I love this! Is this really what -" She choked off, her throat too tight to continue.

"What my love for you looks like," Harry finished, taking the necklace and draping it around her neck. He fastened the clasp as she put her hand to her chest where the amulet rested, gasping again.

"It feels lovely," she said quietly, raising her eyes to meet Harry's. He smiled shyly and leaned forward, touching her cheek.

"You're lovely," he smiled.

With a squeak, Ginny lunged forward, knocking Harry onto his back. He laughed as she peppered his face and neck with rapid, hot little kisses. He reached up and stroked her cheek again, pushing strands of red hair out of her face, and Ginny paused, taking in his face.

"I love you," he whispered. He smiled slightly and then pulled her face down to his, kissing her softly.

"I know," she answered cheekily. She squealed quietly as Harry rolled them over and pinned her beneath his body. "I love you, too," she told him as she ran her hands up his back beneath his shirt.

His eyes went unfocused for a minute and Ginny felt him take a shuddering breath. She also felt...something else...pressing against her thigh. With a wicked smile, she shifted her leg slightly, rubbing against him. His eyes fluttered shut for a minute, a goofy smile twitching across his lips.

"Evil woman," he groaned as she did it again.

"Let me show you just how evil," Ginny said with a naughty smirk. She tugged at his shirt, trying to lift it over his head, and Harry assisted her, practically ripping it off and throwing it onto the floor.

"Your turn." Harry slid his hand down to find the bottom of her t-shirt, his fingers skimming lightly on her sides. Ginny arched her back off the bed as he tugged the light t-shirt up. He stopped abruptly when he had it halfway over her head, and she heard his breathing quicken. She grinned into the fabric and pulled the top the rest of the way off, looking up to find Harry staring with his mouth hanging slightly open, at her bare chest.

"You're - you're not - you're -" he stuttered, his hands hovering uncertainly above her.

When Ginny took his hands in hers and brought them down, she thought Harry might stop breathing. He simply sat still for a few moments, lightly touching her and exploring her sensitive skin, his eyes burning. Then he tore his eyes away and looked up, meeting her hungry gaze.

"You're brilliant," he whispered, before ducking his head and doing things with his mouth that made Ginny lightheaded.

Harry reluctantly slipped out of bed when the clock read a little before six. The thunderstorm had blown over, and the air inside her bedroom was thick and humid. He groped blindly for his shirt in the dim light, the muscles in his back flexing and working in a way that mesmerized Ginny. Somewhat breathlessly, she watched as he yanked the shirt over his head, the ghost of his tantalizing touch still warming her skin. He ran a hand through his hair absently, making it stand up on end. Ginny smiled indulgently.

They both froze as they heard a quiet cough coming from somewhere in the house.

"I'm sorry I have to go," Harry said sadly.

"I know," Ginny said quietly as she started searching for her top amongst the folds of her rumpled sheets. Finding it, she slipped it on, and looked up to see Harry staring at her, his eyes still glowing with heat. Before she could respond, smile, think; Harry toppled onto her again, kissing her with bruising intensity. Then he pulled away, panting slightly.

"So you don't forget me," he whispered. He hurried to her window, and Ginny saw the Firebolt leaning against the wall. He snagged the Invisibility Cloak, blew her a kiss, and disappeared. A moment later, her curtains parted and fell back together, and she knew he was gone.

She rolled onto her side and watched the sky grow lighter, her hand firmly wrapped around the necklace that represented Harry's love for her. She felt it grow warm in her palm, and she closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer to whatever deity was listening, to bring him back to her safely.

"Come back soon, Harry," she whispered to the dawn.