XXX

XXX

"Ginny, c'mon!" Harry called upstairs. "We're going to be late!"

"Just a minute!" she called down.

"Yeah," muttered Harry. "That's what you said 15 minutes ago." He turned to see Ron and Hermione lounging comfortably in front of the large fireplace at The Burrow.

"Blimey," he groaned. "Does it take all women this long to get ready?"

Ron snorted and Hermione lightly swatted him on the arm.

"It's your 3 year anniversary, Harry," she said patiently, not looking up from her book. "You'd think a girl would want to look nice. Not to mention you're celebrating her graduation from her Healer's training."

"There's not going to be much of an anniversary if we miss the concert," Harry grumbled. "Plus, she always looks nice."

"Well thank you for that Harry," said a musical voice from the stairs.

Finally, Harry thought grinning. He turned to the staircase and felt his jaw drop.

Ginny smiled at him. She was wearing a dark green long-sleeved shirt, tight fitting and enticingly low-cut. The short black skirt showed off her long curvy legs. Harry swallowed hard. She approached him and kissed him sweetly. Harry finally regained his senses and kissed her back.

"Ready, love?" she asked him.

"No," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes playfully. "I wanted to wait and see what you were wearing so we could match."

"Oh stop," she grumbled and jabbed him playfully. She leaned forward and nipped his earlobe. "You can't say you can't appreciate it can you?" she murmured seductively. Harry grinned and tickled her waist.

"Oy!" Ron yelled, shoving himself up from his laying position on the floor. "Enough with the PDA, none of us need to see that!" He glared. "At least, have the decency to wait until you're at your own flat. I don't think Mum would appreciate Harry defiling her only daughter on the staircase."

Harry smirked, far too used to Ron's smart-ass comments about their relationship. "Oh, but we had such fun defiling the laundry room the other day…" he held back his laughter as Ron immediately jammed his fingers in his ears and started humming loudly. Ginny erupted into giggles and even Hermione couldn't help but laugh at her poor fiancé, who was slowly turning purple.

"Enough, Ron, you know they only say that to get a rise out of you." She kissed his cheek, and although Ron looked slightly pacified, he still glowered over at his so-called "best mate".

Ginny rolled her eyes. "C'mon Harry," she said, grabbing his hand. "Before Ron has a stroke." She leaned over to murmur in his ear. "Please! They have absolutely no room to talk. Let's hope they leave kind of a warning that they're having a shag-fest so we don't walk in on them..."

Harry burst out laughing as they both finished the sentence "...Again."

XXX

XXX

It was past midnight when they began the journey back from the concert. Having the need of some cool night air, they decided to bypass apparition and walk a bit in one of their favorite parks.

"Harry, that concert was fantastic! And I'm so full of food, I don't think I'll be able to eat for a month!"

Harry grinned as he listened to her rave about the evening. He was pleased she had enjoyed herself.

"And the lights, the music..." Ginny sighed. "It was all so beautiful."

Harry stopped and pulled her to him. "I'm just glad you enjoyed it. It was all for you." He looked down at her, struck again by just how beautiful she was. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Ginny tipped her head, looking thoughtful. "I don't know, Potter," she teased, grinning at him. "You may have to remind me once or twice." She laughed as he rolled his eyes, and as she started to skip away, he reached out and caught her around the waist, twirling her into his chest. Her rich laugh turned into a squeak as he crushed his lips against hers, barely letting her get a breath in beforehand. Her squeak melted into a moan as his tongue darted out to trace her lips teasingly, his teeth nipping at her ever so slightly. Her fingers immediately buried themselves in his perfectly tousled hair, as if by instinct. Ginny sighed as she completely melted into him, her mind turning into a puddle of goo. Blimey, 3 years dating and the man STILL had this effect on her.

Slowly she pulled away from him, and Ginny was pleased to note that he was breathing just as hard as her, and…if the hardness against her lower stomach was any indication, just as turned on.

"Hmm," Ginny murmured, a slow smile stretching across her face. "If it's this good after 3 years, just wait until we've hit 20 years."

Harry's smile faded, and Ginny mentally kicked herself. Damn, she thought. I know better than to start THAT subject.

Harry looked down for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Hopefully we'll get that far," he murmured, almost too low for her to hear. But she did.

"Don't say that," she whispered fiercely. "You know I hate it when you talk like that."

Harry tried to manage a small smile. "Sorry," he said quietly. He sighed, and Ginny could see his frustration.

"I take it things haven't been going well at work," she murmured.

Harry shrugged. "It hasn't exactly been bad either. It's just been….quiet." He frowned. "Too quiet."

Ginny was quiet, thinking over his words. "What do you mean by that?"

They resumed walking, making their way over to a bench and sitting down. Harry pushed his glasses up his nose, lost in thought.

"It's just hard to be an Auror when there are no bad guys to arrest," he said half jokingly.

Ginny furrowed her brow. It was true that things had been…dare she say it? Peaceful. There had been no Death Eater attacks, no sightings of Voldemort.

"You think something is going on?" Ginny said quietly. She knew Harry far too well.

Harry sighed. "As much as I hate to say it…yes. I have a strange feeling that Voldemort is planning something."

Ginny frowned and lay her head down on Harry's shoulder.

"We can't let him control our lives like this," she murmured.

Harry snorted derisively. "He's controlling everyone's lives. That's what it means to live in a time of war."

"Thinking like that only fuels his fire, and you know that," Ginny scowled at him. She took a breath, trying not to let her famous temper get the best of her. "Besides," she said softly. "We have a secret weapon, remember?"

Harry sighed, smiling slightly. "Ah yes. The greatest power the Dark Lord knows not."

Ginny nodded and kissed his lips softly. "Don't ever forget that. I love you, Harry. Always and forever."

Harry smiled, thanking his lucky stars for the billionth time and wondering what he had done to have such a wonderful woman in his life. "And I love you," he sighed into her hair, relishing that sweet scent that never failed to drive him mad. "Always and forever.

He was about to lean down and kiss her when he felt a funny prickly feeling on the back of his neck. He whipped his head around to look at the dark path behind them.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, concerned. "What is it?"

"I thought I -" Harry shook it off. "Never mind," he said. "It was nothing."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, still looking worried. "I hate that sixth sense you have. It's a bit unnerving."

"Don't worry," Harry said. "I just get paranoid." He smiled, trying to make light of the situation. "It's nothing. I promise."

Ginny smiled. "Alright," she said. "If you say so." She leaned up to kiss him. Harry smiled against her lips and enjoyed it when suddenly a piercing pain ripped through his scar.

"Ahh!" the pain made his knees buckle.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed. "What is it? What's happening?"

"Something's...coming..." Harry bit out. His head felt like it was ripping in two.

Suddenly there was a tremendous crash and suddenly a figure landed out of nowhere, holding a large teapot. The girl about their age struggled to her feet and Ginny saw with alarm and fright that she was covered with several cuts and bruises. The teapot, she assumed, was a Portkey. But from where? Harry was groaning but the pain seemed to have diminished.

"Don't just stand there!" the girl screamed. "He's coming! Run!"

Before Ginny or Harry could utter a word there was a faint pop of someone Apparating. Ginny looked up and screamed.

"Harry, it's a Death Eater!" she screamed.

The black robed Death Eater was headed straight for them. Harry scrambled around for his wand, but to his absolute surprise, the Death Eater ignored him and instead aimed his wand at the terrified girl who had appeared only moments before him.

The girl raised her own wand. "EXPELLIARMUS!" she yelled.

Green light shot from her wand but the Death Eater ducked, laughing. "You're tricks are getting old brat. "STUPEFY!" The girl ducked, barely missing the spell. She scrambled over to the bench on her knees.

"Get the hell away from me!" she spat. "I'll die before I go back there."

"Don't tempt me!" the Death Eater snarled, and suddenly Harry knew who was under the hood. He swore.

"Get away from her Malfoy!"

Lucius Malfoy spun around. "Ah...Potter." he drawled. "Playing the hero again are we?" "Trust me boy. This filthy half-breed is not worth being saved even by the likes of you...STUPEFY!"

Harry ducked just in time.

"What's the matter Malfoy?" he taunted. "Not using Unforgiveable Curses? Voldemort must have you on a short leash after rescuing your sorry ass from Azkaban."

Furious, Lucius drew out his wand. "CRUC-"

Before he could even get the entire word out, the girl on the ground reached up and gripped his arm in a viselike grip. There was a bright flash of light and Harry, Ginny, and Lucius were all thrown to the ground. Lucius scrambled to his feet and Harry saw with shock that his entire arm was burned and bloody. He snarled with rage and pain.

"This isn't over Potter," he spat. "I'll be back for you. And the brat." There was another pop and Malfoy disappeared.

Harry groaned at the aftershocks that trembled though his body. "Ginny?" He looked around, his heart in his throat. "Are you alright?"

Ginny was still on the ground, trembling slightly. She nodded. "I'm fine. Harry, what...?"

"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. "Usually Lucius fights dirtier than that. I was practically defenseless. But that girl..." Harry frowned. "It was almost as if he was afraid of her."

"The girl...Oh no!" Ginny cried scrambling to her feet and rushing over to the still figure on the ground.

"Harry!" she called. "She's unconscious!"

Harry rushed over to her. He, like Ginny, noticed that she was covered in cuts and bruises. Wherever she had been, she was severely abused. He thought about the lightning that she had conjured.

"How in the world did she do that to Malfoy?" Harry asked. "She didn't even use a wand. She just touched him."

"Who is she, I wonder?" Ginny asked. "And what do the Death Eaters want with her?"

"No clue," Harry said, deep in thought.

"We should get her to St. Mungos," Ginny said.

"No," Harry said suddenly. "We need to take her to Grimmauld Place."