A/N: This is my first fanfic. I own absolutely nothing. Surely you can't sue me after that! Please leave a review, even if it is to say you happened to read it. Let me know if I should even continue. I appreciate the input!

Chapter One: Back at the Burrow

     Defeating Voldemort was nothing compared to this, thought Harry Potter nervously, as he approached his best friend Ronald Weasley's home, affectionately known as The Burrow. She'd better be worth it. But he knew she was. Harry also knew that he could use a break. Auror training had been more grueling than he could have ever imagined it to be. Luckily, Ron was right there with him, mutually complaining the whole way through. And now, here he was, ready to spend his Christmas holiday with Ron and his quirky family.

     As Harry approached the doorway, he was interrupted before he could even take a breath for composure. A blurred mass of red and green overtook him, and he struggled to maintain his balance. As his momentary confusion subsided, he placed the girl he held in his arms back onto her doorstep. Ginny Weasley had captured Harry's heart long ago, but she still managed to make him weak in the knees every time he caught a glimpse of her. Her shining face smiling up at him did nothing to help the matter.

     "What am I going to do with you, Virginia Weasley? You will never learn that 'sweeping' someone off his feet does not mean 'knocking' him off his feet!" Harry's expression began as one of mock disapproval, but quickly faded. He never would be as good as Ginny was at keeping a straight face.

     Ginny looked up seriously at him. "Why didn't anyone tell me before? You mean to tell me that for two years I've been courting you under the impression that you loved getting the wind knocked out of you, when in reality you despise it? What a waste of time!" She began to glide back into the house, and Harry watched as she made a move to slam her front door. Casually placing his foot between the door and the frame, he grinned as the door flew open again.

     After scooping her up in a warm embrace, Harry gently set Ginny down just inside The Burrow. His heart melted at the sight of her soft brown eyes, so full of love at that moment he thought he would burst with happiness. He slowly leaned in to place a delicate kiss on her lips. "How are you, Love?" Harry beamed. Maybe I shouldn't be so nervous after all. What is there to worry about?

     At just that moment, the sight of three more red heads made Harry's heart leap. He hadn't seen Ron's brothers, Fred and George, since that summer, before Auror training. He was also glad to see Ron in a relaxed atmosphere. Ron was great, but hearing him nag on and on about training had begun to give him a headache. Now, Ron looked ecstatic to be in his bustling home, full of warmth and good food. Christmas had always been Ron's favorite time of year.

     "Well, are you going to properly come in or not, stranger?" George made a show of presenting the foyer to Harry. "Our bellman will be happy to handle your bags if there's a good tip involved," he added, as Fred stood erect and held out his palm.

     With a roll of his eyes, Ron dismissed his older brothers as childish gits, and got down to business. He ushered Ginny away. Harry hesitated, but there was no stopping Ron when he had something on his mind. Leading Harry up to his room, where they'd always stayed together, Ron didn't hesitate to commence his questioning.

     "So, how's the apartment? Same as you left it?" With an affirmative nod from Harry, Ron continued what became a steady stream of questioning. "How was your trip? Are you excited to see Gin? When are you going to do it? Will we all get to see? What will Hermione think? You didn't forget it, did you?"  Harry, under the deluge of questions, could do nothing but stare disbelievingly at Ron, perplexed by his behavior. Upon entering Ron's room, he promptly shut the door and flung himself onto his bed.

     "First of all, I can only answer these one at a time," Harry chuckled. "I don't know when I'm going to do it. I don't know if you'll all get to see. I don't know what Hermione will think, and what does it matter anyhow? She's your girl; you deal with her." Harry grinned at Ron's dumbfounded reaction. "Oh, and as for this," he added nonchalantly, reaching into the pocket of his overcoat, "It's safe and sound, and will remain just that until it's on her finger."

     "Let me see it," urged Ron. After catching Harry's throw, he examined the black velvet carefully. "You got this yesterday?"

     But Ron had lost him. Harry once again had that look of nervousness on his face. He began to feel the remains of his long-forgotten lunch creeping up his chest.

     "Harry! Oy, Harry!" After what seemed like hours, Ron managed to snap his friend back into reality. "You've got to get a hold of yourself, mate. If you're going to be able to do this before the year's over, you're going to have to get over this whole anxiety thing."

     Harry knew his best friend was right. However, he also knew it would take more courage than he'd ever used before to ask Virginia Weasley to be his wife.

**********

     "So he's finally here, huh?" Hermione Granger asked her best friend. "The world may now recommence its spinning," she teased.

     Ginny was too far lost in her own reverie to be phased, though. "He's so wonderful, Herm. Aren't his eyes just as bright as—"

     "Emeralds? Yes, apparently they are, or you wouldn't have said so at least twelve times these past two days." Hermione had arrived to the Weasley household a week early, free from her stressful job as a Healer at St. Mungo's for 3 whole weeks. She had grown weary from all of Ginny's dreamy, one-sided conversations about Harry and his perfect eyes, body, laugh, smile, etc. At least Ginny hadn't noticed the lack of another voice.

     Now, though, Harry was here, and Hermione looked more favorably upon Ginny. She reminded herself how she could go on and on about Ron for days on end. That's different, though, she thought, I always go on and on about how daft Ron is. Hermione chuckled to herself.

     "So, do you think he's ever going to want to settle down and raise a red-headed family?"

     The look on Ginny's face changed from pleasant to worrisome in the blink of an eye. "I don't know," she whined. "Maybe he won't ever want to marry me, and then I'll be left an old maid, taking care of dozens of nieces and nephews and never having any of my own, and everyone will think 'Oh, poor Ginny, so sad she never found someone special."

     Hermione sighed as Ginny delved into a topic that could last for hours. She looked at her best friend lovingly. It's a good thing I've been there before, Ginny… It's a really good thing.