A Stranger Amongst Them

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Chapter one A Bludger and a Ring

Ginny Weasley was upset, mad, left out, nothing to do. Her confidence was shaken. Her sense of self was at rock bottom. She just did not know what to do next. She had Harry in her life, such as it was. He loved her and she loved him. She has shared a house with Harry since she graduated, much to her mother's chagrin. They had talked of marriage, but as yet had not made any definite plans. It's too soon, she told herself. I need a life for myself first, then and only then can I share my life with Harry. She was miserable.

When she graduated from Hogwarts, she thought that her life was going to be great. She had a wonderful family. She had a terrific and faithful boyfriend in Harry. She had been one of the best Quidditch chasers to captain the Hogwart's team in many years. So good in fact that she was given a tryout for her favorite team, the Holyhead Harpies. Although her mother didn't approve, Harry supported her one hundred percent and encouraged her to give it a try. She easily made the team.

But then reality struck. On her first full day of practice as a paid member of the team, she was struck in the head by an errant Bludger. A week later, she awoke in a bed at St. Mungo's Hospital. The prognosis was not good. The Healers told her that she had suffered a severe concussion, and it would be weeks before she was completely recovered. But that was not the bad news. They also informed her that she had suffered some eye damage, which was obvious to Ginny. She was having trouble focusing, and was experiencing tunnel vision. They told her that they did not have the expertise to properly diagnose or treat such eye injuries, and recommended that she see an eye specialist in London.

Two weeks later, Harry and her mother accompanied Ginny to the London Ophthalmology Centre on Queen Anne Street in London. Her medical history had been forwarded to them by St. Mungo's Healers. The receptionist handed Ginny a stack of papers to fill out, including the appropriate financial forms. Fortunately, the Holyhead Harpies would be covering all costs. Doctor Eisenfeld was her assigned physician. After two hours of tests, Dr. Eisenfeld told her that she needed eye surgery to correct a condition called Retinal Detachment. Seeing the blank looks on all their faces, the doctor took the time to carefully explain everything to them in laymen's terms. He explained that the condition can be corrected by laser surgery, and scheduled her for admission in one week.

The surgery was successful, for which she was most thankful, but something was still bothering her. She needed a life, something other than the mundane affairs of everyday existence. She had been told to abstain from any sexual activities for two weeks. Yeah, right, she thought. Their abstinence lasted about four days before they couldn't take it any more, and ravished each other for hours. That evening they laid in bed holding each other in post coital bliss. Ginny thought that she should take this opportunity to broach Harry about a subject that they had been avoiding for a longtime.

"Harry," she said after a few deep breaths. "Harry, I think that I would like to become an Auror."

This startled him. They had long ago talked about it as something she might do after her Quidditch days were over. Five, maybe six years down the road. And after they were married. He did not anticipate this at this time.

"Do you think your ready to take on something as strenuous Auror training?" Harry responded.

"It's just something I have been thinking about Harry. My Quidditch flying days are over. That has been hard for me to adjust to. I need something in my life Harry, and I was hoping that you would support me in this."

Harry thought for a minute, then replied, "Gin, you know that I will support you with anything you want to do, including this. If it's what you want, then yes, I support you completely."

Ginny turned to him and drew him into a ferocious hug. "I love you Harry. I know that you will always support me in anything. Next question. We haven't talked about this in a long time, and I am almost reluctant to bring it up now."

"Wait a minute Gin, I forgot something." Harry jumped out of bed and ran into the study, returning quickly and holding something behind his back. "I've been waiting for an appropriate time to do this Gin, but with your injuries and everything that's been going on, it has slipped my mind."

Harry took her hands in his, and looking lovingly at her he forced out the words, "I love you my darling, with all my heart and soul. Will you marry me?"

He opened the small box he had been holding behind his back and took out an extraordinary diamond ring. He waited for her answer.

The expression on Ginny's face was worth a million words. With an ear-to-ear smile she let out a scream peppered with yeses and threw herself at him, knocking him across the bed. "Yes, Yes, Yes, a thousand times YES!" she exclaimed.

Harry struggled to find her hand, then placed the ring on her finger. "I love you Gin. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to have our babies. I want us to watch them grow up. I want to grow old with you, Gin."

"Oh Harry, I'm so happy. I love you so much. Thank you my love, thank you."

The rest of the evening was purely sensual, sexual, rivetingly pleasurable. They finally fell asleep in each others arms.

They slept peacefully for several hours, Ginny wakening only to use the loo. She crept back onto the bed and spooned with Harry. He stirred sensing her body pressed against his back. "MMMMM," he moaned. "It feels so good to have you next to me like this. Please tell me you will always hold me like this Gin, even when your mad or upset with me. I couldn't live without you next to me like this."

"Promise me the same, my love, and I will always be here for you."

Harry rolled over and drew her close to his body, relishing the feeling of naked skin against skin. Their hands began to explore each others bodies, always finding new and exciting places that would draw sighs of pleasure from the other. They made love again, slowly, carefully, drawing out the sensuous responses that drove them to find their common ground of coital bliss. Their orgasms were really anticlimactic. It was everything leading up to the explosive finale that drove their love. As they held each other as if their bodies were one, Ginny looked at her engagement ring, kissed it, and silently thanked the gods for her gift of Harry's love for her.

End chapter one