All That You Leave Behind

Hi, A here. We're sorry for the long delay in updating, but poor Q has been bed-ridden with a horrendous and very persistent cold. She's better now, however, and so we're back to form. Yay!! We do, however, feel we must say that we were disappointed that at the last update we received so few reviews, and from only one of the people who asked to be put on our update alert list. Remember, we want to hear from you even if you don't like the chapter. It's still vitally important to us, and constructive criticism is always welcome, so please! Do review!

As for all you Ginnybashers out there, you certainly aren't going to like this chapter very much, nor probably the next, but it's crucial to the rest of the story, and the building of the relationship between Severus and Ginny. We'll remind you again however, that crucial as Ginny is to this story, it IS ultimately a Snarry, NOT a Severitis. It's the relationship between Severus and Harry that is at the centre of this story. Oh, and btw...we've got the bare bones of a sequel plotted out as well, poor Q, she's already nearly having a breakdown what with all the planning and plotting to get right!

Okay, I'll stop gassing on now and let you get to the latest chapter. Remember, like it, hate, PLEASE review!!




Harry collapsed into the sheets beside Ginny, both of them panting heavily, and she turned to snuggle up next to him. He put his arm around her and smiled at the feel of her naked body next to his. "That was wonderful, Harry," she murmured against his neck, and he tightened his grip on her, kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah, it was," he sighed with satisfaction. They lay together in silence as their breathing returned to normal, simply enjoying the closeness of one another's warm skin.

Drowsily, Harry reflected that this was probably the best idea he'd ever had, finding this flat. He and Ginny had wanted a place of their own to be alone together in. Somewhere where her brothers or parents wouldn't be interrupting them, and somewhere near Hogwarts. Harry had found the flat, which was off one of the side streets in Hogsmeade, and it was perfect. They could, of course, only be together on Ginny's Hogsmeade weekends from school; it was the only time she could leave the grounds, but that made it even more special in Harry's view.

Even though he'd proposed and they were engaged, Severus was the only one who knew about it. Harry and Ginny had talked about it, and decided that it would maybe be better to wait to tell her family until she'd finished school, to avoid all the "Don't you think you're too young" lectures. Even Hermione didn't know yet, and certainly Ron didn't know. He and Harry hadn't spoken since Christmas, and then only barely. Hermione had briefly touched on Ron still being annoyed with Harry for, in Ron's opinion, caring about "that greasy old git" more than he cared about his sister. He, of course, didn't know just exactly how much Harry truly cared for Ginny, as he had no clue about their engagement or that they were sleeping together. Ginny, loyal to Harry,
wasn't speaking much to Ron these days.

It did niggle at Harry that he and Ron were, at this moment, not as close as they'd once been, but, at this moment, he couldn't really be bothered to try and make it better. He had too much on his mind what with Severus, worrying about what Lucius Malfoy was up to, and besides, Ron could never give him the kind of comfort that
Ginny did.

Harry was roused from his thoughts by the vibration against his chest of Ginny speaking.

"So, how is Snape taking it, being at Grimmauld Place?" she asked. Harry had, of course, confided in her.

"He hates it," Harry sighed, "and he doesn't have a problem whatsoever letting me know about it." He sighed again and added grudgingly, "I can't really say I blame him though. Being trapped inside is bad enough. Being trapped inside the house of his childhood enemy isn't somewhere I'd want to be either, but I don't know where else to go right now. And, you know...I know it's my house, Sirius left it to me, but...to me, it's always
going to be Sirius' house, and it just isn't the same without him there. It makes me sad, and makes me miss him even more that he's gone and that we never got to be the family we planned on being."

Ginny said nothing, but tightened her grip on him, and Harry knew she understood.

"Yeah," he sighed again, "he was miserable there, he hated it too, Severus hates it, and really, so do I. It's nice that it's become a symbol for the resistance against Voldemort, and sort of a memorial to The Order, but....there are too many bad memories there for both of us. I just wish I had somewhere else to take him where he'd be safe, you know? Somewhere nobody knows about."

"Well," Ginny said, "why don't you bring him here? Nobody knows about this place. You can place a Fidelius Charm on here too, and cast wards. He'll be safe here, and so will you."

"But this is our place!" Harry said, "this is where we go to be safe! And alone!"

"Yes," Ginny agreed, nodding her head against his chest, "but it would still be our place and we'd still be safe and still nobody would know. We do pretty much only use it on the weekends after all."

"Yeah, but....what we use it for, Gin," Harry gulped, "I mean....I don't want Severus overhearing us!"

"Harry," Ginny said pragmatically, "there are such things as silencing charms, you know."

"Yeah, but Gin," Harry began.

"And you'd be close to Hogwarts in case anything happened," she continued on, "and really, it makes sense. And, you know, I can get to know him a bit better too. I mean, obviously, he's going to be part of our lives. You aren't just going to turn your back on him after we're married, are you? He's like...your best friend now,
isn't he? I know you've grown close."

"You're my best friend, Gin," Harry said, kissing her hair, "and the most wonderful girlfriend..."

"Fiancée," Ginny corrected with a smile and a nudge to his ribs, "even if we're keeping it a secret."

"I can't wait until you're my wife," Harry sighed and rolled her under him, kissing her deeply, ready to show her againjust how appealing that prospect was to him.


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Spending all day in Auror training left Harry exhausted when he got back to Grimmauld Place in the evening, and Severus' foul mood and even fouler glares at him over the dinner table made Harry begin to seriously consider Ginny's words.

He and Severus would both be happier out of Grimmauld Place, that much was certain. And really, Harry thought, it would be embarrassing - the first time at least - that he and Ginny disappeared into their bedroom, but it wasn't as if Severus didn't know what he and Ginny were up to anyway. The man had given him pointers after all!
And, he'd encouraged Harry when he'd talked to him about wanting to propose to Ginny, so obviously he approved. Harry had no doubt that if he didn't, he would have made it known.

Harry considered that a moment. It was important to him that Severus and Ginny approved of Harry's relationship with the other. Ginny was right, Harry had no intention of turning his back on Severus after they were married, and he was glad that she was willing to get to know Severus better. He knew that Ginny's Christmas present to
Severus had touched the man deeply, even if he'd never said so, and he hoped that Severus was willing to get to know Ginny better as well. It would make Harry's life a lot easier if they could be friends.

It didn't take many more tense dinners with Severus grumbling to himself while he stabbed at his dinner to convince Harry that they couldn't stay at Grimmauld Place anymore. He had a talk with Kingsley Shacklebolt to inform him that they were moving again, and after some discussion he managed to convince the man that he
and Severus could no longer stay at Grimmauld Place. Harry went to the flat and cast the Fidelius Charm and protection wards, owled Ginny with an owl from the Hogsmeade post office, and then went back to Grimmauld Place to inform Severus.


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"This is our new home?" Severus said, cocking an eyebrow as he looked about the mostly empty flat.

"Look," Harry said sourly, "I know it isn't the palace Spinner's End was, but you're out of Grimmauld Place, aren't you?"

The man threw him a disgusted look and said grimly, "Seeing as you are determined to "protect" me, I suppose I have no choice. I will grant you, however, that it is infinitely preferable to returning to your dear godfather's former abode. I assume Shacklebolt knows we've left?"

"Yeah," Harry said a bit uncomfortably. The older wizard picked up on it immediately and shot him a questioning look.

"Erm.....Ginny knows too," Harry said, thinking he may as well get it out.

"I would assume you would inform Miss Weasley of your whereabouts," Severus said dismissively. "A stroke of luck for you that it happens to be close to her whereabouts," he added, and Harry couldn't help the flush he felt beginning to rise in his face.

"Yeah," he said, looking away.

"I see," Severus said, and Harry saw the corners of his mouth twitch. "Quite the
coincidence, is it not?"

"Alright," Harry said with annoyance, "it's not a coincidence. We wanted somewhere we could go, to be alone, okay? She couldn't very well get to London, could she?"

"So when you said you were meeting her in Hogsmeade, you were bringing her here," Severus said smugly. "I assume her parents are not aware of how she spends her Hogsmeade leaves?"

"No," Harry admitted grudgingly, "and they don't know we're engaged, either. You're the only one who does, actually. We thought we'd wait until she was finished with school before we told them."

"A prudent decision, I'm sure," Severus said. "And how does Miss Weasley feel about my intrusion into your...pied a terre?"

"About my bringing you here?" Harry replied, "actually, it was her idea." He saw the look of surprise momentarily cross the other man's face. "She suggested it because nobody knows about this place, and you'd be safe here. She doesn't mind at all. In fact, she said she wants to get to know you better, ‘cause she knows you and I....well, we've become friends, right?"

The older wizard had turned away as Harry spoke, and said nothing for several moments. Harry was about to show him where his room was when the man began speaking quietly.

"When you were gone looking for the Horcruxes, and Voldemort had installed me as Headmaster at the school. I knew it was Miss Weasley who was behind the student rebellion, that it was she who had broken into my office in an attempt to get the sword," the man said. "I did my best to protect her, not only because we were on the same side, but...because I knew how much she …” He broke off, looking uncomfortable. Harry opened his mouth to ask Severus to finish the sentence, but the older man hurried on. “She is a very admirable young woman, Harry. You have made a good choice."

"Does...does that mean you're giving us your blessing?" Harry asked, a bit surprised at just how much the man voicing his approval meant to him. He felt a warm glow in the pit of his stomach as he considered Severus’ words.

"For whatever it's worth, yes," the man said still facing away.

"It's worth more than you know, Severus," Harry told him softly.

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