Title: More than Mrs. Potter

Author: Joy

A/N: PLEASE READ: Okay folks...this is the last installment of the Unwilling Damsel universe. If you haven't read the other two (An unwilling damsel and Summer of discovery) I hope the prologue fills you in on most of the important points. If you get confused you can go back to read the other two. An unwilling damsel is about the process by which Ginny and Harry became good friends and started to date. It also deals with an assault on Ginny her fifth year. Summer of Discovery is about Ginny and Harry's relationship over the summer and how it changes. A lot of it deals with the after effects of Ginny's assault and how that affects their physical relationship. More than Mrs. Potter is going to deal primarily in the trials that come in a relationship over time and how other people strain a relationship.

So there was background.

Now important points to know:

1.Sirius, Lily, and James are all still dead. However they can speak to Harry through the photos he has of them.

2.There are no sliding staircases.

3.There are other mystical rooms in the castle other than the Room of Requirement.

4.Anything inappropriate for the masses will be posted on my live journal link that can be found in my author's profile

Now...on with the show

More than Mrs. Potter

Prologue: The end of summer and the beginning of the end

Harry Potter's life had always been complicated. He was born under the prophecy of greatness. His family died to protect him. His guardians treated him like a freak to be locked away. He discovered his true nature along with it the future that he would face. Blessed as he was with greatness, cursed he was with the pain of injury and loss of those he loves.

Harry was given Hermione and Ron at the beginning of his time at Hogwarts to aid him throughout his time at school that he might be supported. He did not know the extent to which their friendship would take them. Nor did he know when he met little Ginny Weasley at the train station at eleven that he was meeting the single most important person in his life.

Ginny Weasley was the strongest girl Harry ever met. Time and time again she proved herself a survivor. After all, she was the youngest of the Weasley clan with six older brothers...that is no small feat. Surviving possession by the dark lord for an extended period of time was nothing short of a miracle. Of course it was Ginny's survival and recovery of an assault by a male student Harry's sixth year that had ultimately drawn his attention and admiration. Months of friendship followed by courtship during his sixth year became the foundation of their relationship. This period had brought many things to pass such as Hermione and Ron had begun a romantic relationship and Snape actually being helpful and more over nice to both Ginny and Harry.

The summer between was littered with misunderstanding, argument, out and out fights along with emotional separation. At the same time, it was one of the most fruitful periods of renewal they could ask for. Much of their relationship was negotiated during this period. It was also the time Ginny worked the most diligently on the intimacy issues her assault left behind. On the other side of that summer Ginny and Harry were stronger than ever with much love and respect between them.

Voldemort had remained mainly quiet Harry's sixth year and following summer, which only caused all those who knew the truth of his reemergence to be on guard for what was to come. It also gave Dumbledore reason to attempt to solidify Ginny's belief that she was important in the grand scheme of things.

Dumbledore had to acknowledge the ways he had fail Harry in his life and accept that though Harry may still come to him for some things, he had effectively lost the boy's trust almost entirely. Ginny became one of three students Dumbledore set to work on a special project for him. One student it would hopefully protect once all hell broke loose. One student it would bind to others in an unfamiliar environment. And one student it would give purpose to so when years past and she looked back on her life she would know she was more than Mrs. Potter.

1.School's in session

The train was all a flurry with students when the trio followed after Ginny. Harry had been made Head boy and Hermione Head girl. This was good news for both couples since it gave them a great deal of much needed privacy throughout the year. The prefects and Head Boy/Girl all had bigger compartments on the train. The trio settled all four of their belongings while Ginny and her over-packed knapsack moved into the prefect section to see her friends.

Ginny had aged and matured nicely over the summer. Most people didn't recognize her. Harry, Hermione and Ron had been present the whole summer so they didn't notice any drastic changes. However Ginny had gained a bit of height, her hair had been cut before school to be roughly shoulder length and darkened magically, her body became more womanly with hips, lips, and breasts becoming fuller. Overall it wasn't surprising that while standing in the hall with a baby doll t-shirt that Harry had purchased for her that read, SLEEPING BEAUTY, and pair of fitted jeans the male population noticed and didn't recognize her.

One such young man was Draco Malfoy, who had himself undergone some changes over the summer. His white blond hair seemed to have lost its hard, slick look. His manner was more subdued. But mostly his cockiness did not come out to play. It would not be until later that his classmates found just how heavily a weight was on his shoulders.

Draco observed a guy knock Ginny's book-bag purposely off her shoulder to see her bend over. Harry came to the door and was going to exit but watched the exchange surreptitiously. Draco bent down and retrieved the bag. "Here you go. I'm afraid a pretty girl like you is going to have to deal with guys fawning over you in inappropriate ways." Ginny stared at him a moment. "Oh I'm sorry. I'm Draco...Draco Malfoy. I guess you must be a transfer? Perhaps Hope?"

Harry bit his lip attempting not to laugh, waiting for Gin to rip into Malfoy only to find she held her tongue a moment. He had a good view of both faces.

"Thank you Draco," she said slowly. "I'm not Hope... I have gone to school here since I was eleven."

Draco looked confused a moment but recognition filled his eyes. It was then Ginny extended the olive branch having recognized a basic change in him. "We don't have to be mean to each other."

Draco blinked for a moment, "I suppose not, Ginevra." There was a peace that settled upon them, as well as an attraction in Harry's opinion. That was disconcerting enough, but Draco addressing Ginny as Ginevra freaked Harry out. It was not his place to interfere so he did not. He did however stand too long with the door open for Ron's taste.

"What's going on mate?" Ron asked pushing through the door. One look down the hall and the fireball was there in front of his sister. "What do you want Malfoy?"

"Ron," Ginny said gently. "It's fine. Leave it. We were talking...He's done nothing."

"Of course not..." Ron said rudely. "He has some brains to know better than to mess with Harry Potter's girlfriend, let alone a Weasley...without his entourage to back him up."

Draco ignored Ron and tilted his head toward Ginny in confusion. "I thought you broke up at the end of last year? You..." The fact that Malfoy had been paying attention to the gossip unsettled Harry. It meant he had probably liked Gin before now.

"No...no...Still going strong," Ron said snidely cutting off the rest of Draco's statement. "He spent the whole summer with us romancing the socks off her."

"Ron...stop. Leave Draco be," Ginny commanded looking at the blond sympathetically.

Harry and Hermione moved forward but Harry went to one side. Whatever this was, it was Ginny's to deal with. It didn't help his ego that Ginny was not shutting Malfoy down but it helped that Ron was in the Ferret's face.

Hermione was trying to lead Ginny away, but she wouldn't be moved. Draco was doing really well at not rising to Ron's baits. Eventually Ron just smirked at the guy he saw as his arch nemesis. "Ain't it awful to know Harry beat you here too."

"RON! I am NOT a trophy!" Gin screamed but Hermione and Ron just pulled her away. Gin looked over her shoulder at the depressed looking fair-haired boy and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

Harry had held his tongue until then. That one statement marked the first time ever Ginny didn't relish the proprietary nature of their relationship. It had been a running joke between them that he should be tattooed 'Property of Ginevra Weasley' and that she should be tattooed 'Property of Harry Potter.' That one statement so unnerved Harry that he couldn't let it slide so he got right in Malfoy's face and growled, "But I'm not... Stay away from what's mine!"

Draco cocked his head, "I doubt Ginevra would take kindly to being spoken of in such a manner."

"She likes it just fine."

The 'slimy git' chuckled, "Scared Potter?"

"Not of you. Not ever," the raven-haired boy said assuredly.

Malfoy smirked, "Oh I think you are. I think you are worried your darling will come running to me...especially when you get all absorbed and neglectful... like at the end of last year."

"What are you on about Malfoy?" the Gryffindor asked.

"Why don't you ask your darling about why I thought you two were broken up? It might prove enlightening," the Slytherin hissed.

"Whatever...what I think is my darling, as you so elegantly put it, will try to be nice to you and you will take advantage of that...and then I will have to sell tickets as she kicks your ass," Harry offered.

Draco gave a wry chuckle. "You ought not to speak in such a way. Ginevra and I have an understanding shall we say. Do you really think a Malfoy and a Weasley could just spontaneously form a peace pact in the middle of the hall of the train on the way back to Hogwarts?" Harry thought it was unlikely. "No...Potter this has been a long time coming... but you wouldn't know anything about that since you were so distant the last month of school last year. You wouldn't know anything about our relationship." And with those words Draco ducked into his compartment leaving a very frazzled Harry alone in the hall.

TBC...

Can you see where this is going? Huh? Huh? Can ya?

Well if, dear fans, you want me to post this in rapid fashion as before you will have to meet my demands... well one demand. REVIEW. PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEE! I have been struggling with this story for months!

I need the encouragement...so REVIEW.

Thank you.