I can't believe I'm saying this - but here's the last chapter of That's Me; Ginny Weasley. After almost four years, I have finally finished this. I just want to say a great big THANK YOU to anybody who ever read this. Whether you were one of the first to read it, just started, or stuck with me throughout this whole process. It means so much to me. Thanks for all the tips and criticism you've given me. But mostly, thanks for enjoying the story. Thank you so so so much.

~ Syd

Here it is; That's Me; Ginny Weasley
Chapter 31

I don’t know how long we stood there in the middle of the Great Hall, holding each other tightly. I knew that we should do something but I didn’t want to let go of Harry. Were people still fighting, or had that ended with Voldemort’s life? I didn’t know.

Harry pulled away from me to hold me at arm’s length. I stared at him silently and he did the same thing to me. That was when we were swarmed by pretty much everyone in the castle. Order members gave Harry hugs, patting his head and shaking his hands. Teachers from the school congratulated him and thanked him. Actually, everyone thanked him. Everyone wanted to touch some part of him to get his attention; they wanted to look him in the eyes and say how grateful they were for him. Harry stood there patiently and listened to all of the thank you’s, holding tightly to my hand the whole time. Finally, we were joined by the two people I most wanted to see.

“Harry!” Hermione had pushed her way to the front of the crowd and engulfed Harry in a hug. I dropped his hand as Ron picked me up in a hug also. I hugged him back tightly.

“You did it, mate,” Ron said as he set me on the floor before stepping over to Harry and giving him a hug too. Hermione’s eyes glistened with tears as she watched her two best friends. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Yeah,” Harry replied to Ron. He reached his hand out to me. “I did, I guess. With help though.” He took my hand and pulled me closer to him, looking around the room. He took a deep, shaky breath before looking at the three of us around him.

“Do you guys mind if we went somewhere else to talk?”

No one followed us out of the room. I’m sure many people saw us leave but they must’ve realized that Harry needed some time alone. We ended up on the grounds. There were still people out there too, but they were busy. We sat on the grass a ways away from the castle, watching the people move the dead inside the castle. I held Harry’s hand tightly, and when I looked over at Ron and Hermione they were doing the same thing. None of us said a word for a very long time.

“It’s kind of weird,” Ron said finally. “I mean, that everything’s just over. Vol-Voldemort is gone, and we don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“That’s good though,” Hermione said. Ron just looked at her for a second before continuing.

“I know it is. I’m just saying that it’s weird, because all of our lives we’ve known of Voldemort, worried about him and stuff. And now it’s all over. Of course it’s a good thing – great. But-“

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Harry said. I looked over at him, and he smiled. “Let’s go see if they need some help inside.”


By the time we entered the Great Hall again, it was cleaned. The tables were arranged, but no one was sitting according to houses. The dead were moved to the front of the hall, but the Death Eaters had been moved out of the room. The injured were leaving for the Hospital Wing to get treated. I scanned the room and quickly found the group of red heads. Harry dropped my hand as if he knew what I was doing, and I ran for my family.

I knew what they were doing, but I still wasn’t ready for it. I slowed to a walk as I neared my family. I could hear Ron walking behind me, and then I felt his hand on my shoulder.

My family was gathered around Bill’s body. I swayed on my feet and Ron steadied me. I caught my dad’s eye and he rushed to give me a hug. I held him close, crying silent tears. I heard Fleur crying, and my mum.

We were there for a very long time. Finally, I ran out of tears. I looked up at my dad and he nodded to me. I got the message; Bill died to help us live, and we should be grateful. He’d be missed, of course. Of course. But we had to go on. There was still a lot to do here.

I looked around as I remembered that there were still people around me. Life was still going on. Most of the people I saw had tears in their eyes. Some were smiling, some were expressionless, and some were just crying. I wiped my eyes as Harry put his arm around me.

“Can we go somewhere?” I asked him in a whisper. “Just the two of us?”

A few minutes later we were standing outside of the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady had tears in her eyes as she thanked Harry and swung her portrait away from the portrait hole. Harry reached for my hand and we walked into the room together. It was empty except for the fireplace. The room looked like it always has – I guess it was saved from the war.

“Come on,” Harry said, smiling at me as he pulled me up the stairs to the boy’s dormitory. Part of the tower roof had been blasted away, but that was the only thing in the room that reminded us of what had just happened. We sat down on his bed and he held me tightly in silence. I closed my eyes and leaned against him.

“Harry,” I said a few minutes later. I sat up and turned around to look at him, “I just realized that I didn’t thank you.” He shook his head, about to tell me that I didn’t need to thank him. I kept talking though. “Thanks for finding me at the Malfoy’s, thanks for defeating Voldemort. Just… thanks.” In response, he kissed me.



“Good morning,” Harry said a week later as he walked into my bedroom at the Burrow. I sat up in my bed, blinking in the bright light shining through my window. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and Harry laughed.

“What time is it?” I asked groggily.

“Noon,” Harry answered. His voice was energetic and lively – more so than it’d been in a long while. I smiled, wondering why he was so happy. I wasn’t going to question it though; I just wanted him to stay like that for as long as possible.
I stood up and Harry reached for my hand. I didn’t bother to put on shoes so I walked downstairs in my pajamas and bare feet. I could tell as soon as I walked into the kitchen that my family also had a bit of Harry’s cheerfulness. Of course there was still sadness, but there were small smiles on every face in the room when they saw me and Harry walk in together. I smiled too, looking down. We sat at the table and Harry poured us both some tea. When I looked up, Hermione was grinning at me. I glanced at Harry, wondering if he knew what was going on with everyone. He seemed very interested in his tea. He was also bouncing his leg, though, and looking worried. His bubbly attitude seemed to have disappeared.

A few minutes later he set his cup down on the table loudly and everyone went silent. Some smiles got even bigger. Ron looked like he was trying not to smile. Hermione was beaming, as was my mom and Fleur.

“Do you want to walk with me?” Harry asked, turning to me suddenly. I nodded and we stood up and left the kitchen, going outside. Harry was silent as we walked. I was trying to pay attention to the feel of grass under my feet and not the fact that Harry was so quiet and distracted. He’d been in such a great mood just a little while ago. What could change so quickly?

Suddenly he stopped and looked at me. I stared at him, a smile creeping at my lips. “Are you okay?” I asked as he grabbed both of my hands in his.

“Nervous,” he muttered, looking at the ground between us. I didn’t get a chance to ask why before he was looking at me – straight in the eyes – and I forgot what I was going to ask.

“Gin,” he said very slowly and deliberately. “I have a question.”

“Go ahead,” I told him anxiously. What was all the build-up for? “Just ask.”

He stared at me for a second more before speaking. And once he started, he didn’t stop long enough for me to say anything.

“I talked to your dad a few days ago, after the funerals. And he said it was okay. And I’ve talked to Ron and everyone and all of your brothers and they were fine with it too. But I would’ve done this anyway, without their permission. I would’ve waited of course, but I figure since I asked and it was okay with your dad, why not do it now? I mean, I don’t want to wait. Even though you have another year of school left and all but…”

“Spit it out, Harry,” I whispered, finally catching a pause in his words as he breathed.

“Will you marry me, Ginny?”

Sometimes, it’s desperately hard not to cry. Sometimes, the future just looks so bright and wonderful that you just have to let the tears flow. And that’s just what I did.

“Yes, of course I will Harry!”