Magic Works

It was a party, it had been a year since Voldemort had been defeated, and although there was a touch of sorrow in the air for those who had been lost, the wizarding world was jubilant, today was a day to celebrate like no other, and Harry still found it difficult to believe that he was the cause of all these celebrations, that he, Harry Potter, just Harry, had ended Voldemort's reign of terror.

He leaned against the wall, watching his friends on the dance floor, Ron reluctantly being led by Hermione, who was determined he would learn to dance properly, before their wedding. Ron hadn't proposed but Harry knew it would only be a matter of time before they were married, he just hoped he'd get to be the best man. Ginny and Luna were dancing together, in that way only girls could, that Harry never quite understood. Mr and Mrs Weasley were enjoying a turn on the dance floor, and his godson was jigging along to the music in his grandmother's arms, his hair a bright bubblegum pink that reminded Harry of nothing but Tonks.

The song ended and a much slower tone was opted for the final song of the evening, many of the males on the dance floor attempted to escape before the were whisked into the arms of the awaiting girls. Most weren't successful, Ginny left Luna to allow her to dance with Neville and walked purposely towards Harry.

They'd had an awkward year, neither saying what they really felt, Harry was determined to protect Ginny for as long as possible, he was sure he wasn't good enough for her, and even if he was, he still found himself in the limelight more often than he'd like, and Ginny was still at Hogwarts for another year, he wanted to let her just be Ginny until she left. She was of age now, however, and although she never argued with Harry the way Tonks had with Remus, it only took one look from her to show him exactly how she felt about his resistance.

She lay a hand gently on his arm, a smile creeping across her lips.

"You've been standing there all night."

"I haven't, I took Teddy for a walk earlier-" She silenced him with a laugh, making it perfectly clear that taking Teddy outside for some fresh air for twenty minutes did not count, and that that wasn't what she had meant anyway. She led him onto the dance floor silently. He made no objection, just took her in his arms, thankful that this was soft, gentle swaying, not ballroom dancing, something he was quite sure he'd never master, and hopeful that he would never need to do again anyway, regardless.

She rested her head on his shoulder, Harry glanced over the top of her head and saw George with Angelina Johnson, looking distant, no doubt with Fred on his mind, everyone knew Fred loved a party. Molly and Arthur Weasley, clinging close together, so in love after all this time, Harry wondered if he could keep Ginny for all that time, and if she would still love him were he to manage it.

Ron, of course, was holding Hermione close to him, they barely moved, which Harry noted, and suppressed his laughter at, was not pleasing Hermione very much at all, in fact she looked rather irritated, but rested her head against Ron all the same. Charlie held his girlfriend, a woman Harry had never met, but was sure he would be introduced to at some point. Percy was reunited once again with Penelope Clearwater, and as they danced Percy held her silently, although not as intimately as his brothers held their partners, not even as intimately, Harry thought, as he was holding the youngest Weasley in his own arms.

Neville danced with Luna, an unlikely pairing perhaps, but they were content in each other's company, they understood each other, they had found happiness with each other, and as Harry held Ginny close, his eyes still wandering around the room, he knew how important it was for people to be happy, after all they'd lost, after all they'd gone through, it was about time they had some happiness, they'd all earned it.

When he thought about what they'd lost it made him want to cling onto Ginny all the more, to never let her go, she had kept him fighting, and all those months they'd been moving on, all those months they felt so frustrated that they were achieving nothing, the slow pace of their quest driving them to the brink of insanity, it was the thought of Ginny that had kept him going, the idea that he could take away all the danger that had filled her life for the past seven years, that he could protect her from all that was cruel in the world, that was what had kept him going, it was Ginny that made him determined to succeed.

He hadn't expected falling in love to be quite like this, all those times he had imagined himself with Cho, it had never felt anything like this, he had never felt strong just knowing that Cho existed, and he cursed himself for taking so long to see Ginny for what she was, he cursed himself for not giving them longer together, he cursed that he hadn't spent every second of his knowing her with his lips pressed to hers, their fingers entwined, their laughter and their smiles given to each other without a second's thought, not as they had been, as friends, but as lovers, he cursed that he hadn't fallen for Ginny the same time she had fallen for him.

He wound his arms further around her and let his gaze continue to wander around the room, past where little Teddy, whose hair was now mirroring Harry's, jet black and sticking up in all directions, leaned against Andromeda tiredly, his eyes were closing and he was beginning to drift off to sleep. Harry smiled proudly and turned his head slightly, his eyes falling on the eldest off the Weasley offspring.

Bill wasn't dancing, he was sat with Fleur cooing over their newborn daughter, Victoire, and watching his family enjoying themselves, a smile fixed on his own face. His eyes met with Harry's and he winked, he was certain that Bill knew more than any of his brothers just how much Harry loved their little sister. Harry knew that Bill, like any big brother, wanted his siblings to be happy, and that he wanted Harry to take his chance with Ginny, before it was too late.

And Harry knew, deep down, that this would be his final chance, because Ginny wasn't going to wait forever, things didn't go the way he wanted them just because he wanted them, no matter how much he wanted him. He didn't pause for thought a second longer, but captured Ginny's lips in his own, just as the song ended, Harry felt seven pairs of Weasley eyes on him, along with the crowd's, but his lips never left Ginny's, despite George's cheerful catcalls, despite Ron's loud exclamations.

"Oi! That's my sister!"