A/N A lot more Muggle items in this story, as I wold hope the wizarding world would be more open to progress with Harry and Hermione working there. I names Ginny's son after Matt Lewis, who played Neville, and I named Ginny's housekeeper after Estelle Getty, wonderful Golden Girl with the snappy comeback. Harry's neighbour is named after the nosy neighbour from Bewitched.
Chapter 1
"I'm going to kill you, Harry Potter," laughed Ginny as he twirled her around.
"Just getting you back for my surprise thirty-fifth birthday last year, Gin," said Harry. "Besides, you love a good party."
"You're actually one of the youngest here, Gin," added George, swinging past with Angelina on his arm. "Happy Birthday Sis."
"Thanks. Oh, I need a drink after all this dancing. I don't mind some of this Muggle music," said Ginny, fanning her face. "Is it hot in here or is it me?"
"It could be that hot man you're dancing with. I really do hope the two of you are indulging in a passionate secret affair. Merlin knows, we've all hoped so all these years," teased Hannah, clinking her glass with Ginny's.
"What? Ruin a beautiful friendship? We both know better than to mess that up, Hannah," said Ginny.
Hannah turned to Harry as he approached the ladies. "Harry Potter, if I wasn't a happily married witch I'd go after you myself and let Ginny suffer for not getting smart in time. Toodles," she said, waving her fingers as she went to chat with Luna Scamander.
Ginny turned to Harry, shooting him a wry look as she toasted him with her champagne.
"How many does that make?" asked an amused Harry.
"Seven, if you include Seamus, who suggested a torrid one night stand with him if you didn't have one with me," chuckled Ginny.
Harry laughed and looked away. Ginny took the opportunity to study him. His hair had a few grey streaks in it, but they only added to his appeal. He was in tip top shape, thanks to his career as trainer of the Auror recruits. She had to admit he was a sexy man, but she had known him too long to think of him as anyone other than her best friend and the father of the girl her seventeen year old son had dated seriously for the last year. The man who had seen her through her toughest time; the death of her husband ten years ago. Harry and her husband had been Auror partners, and Harry had been there when her husband died. He had been the one to break the news to her, and hold her while she collapsed in tears.
"Yes, you're a real catch. So why aren't you here with a date?" asked Ginny, her eyes dancing merrily.
"I'm here with a date. I've got you," he said, amiably.
"You told me you were taking me out for dinner for my birthday. I should have known something was up when you said you forgot your wallet. You never forget anything!" she said, smiling at him.
He smiled back, but grimaced when Dean Thomas came up and tapped Ginny on the shoulder. He kissed her lightly on the lips, telling her she was still as sexy as ever. Then he led her out to dance.
An hour later, Ginny stepped to the fringes of the party as she farewelled some guests. She slid her feet out of her heels, sighing in relief as her feet lay flat on the carpet. Her eyes searched the crowd, lingering on Harry again.
"How can you be such a saint? Go after the man, will you? Of course, I'll want to hear all the delicious details after," winked Hannah.
"For a happily married woman you certainly think a lot about sex," teased Ginny.
"It's just that the two of you are perfect for each other. It's not like you don't know each other. How long has it been?"
"Forever," agreed Ginny.
"And a day," quipped Harry, holding up eight fingers behind Hannah's back. Ginny giggled.
Hannah and many of the guests left soon after. It was late, and after she said goodbye to the last guest, she collapsed on the couch, putting her stockinged feet on the coffee table.
"Tired?" asked Harry, handing her a cup of tea.
"I skipped right past tired and I'm heading for exhausted," yawned Ginny.
Harry picked her feet up, sat on the coffee table, cradling her feet in his lap as he rubbed the soreness from her aching instep.
"Ohh, don't stop," she moaned, tossing her head back. "That feels heavenly." She closed her eyes in ecstasy.
"That's what happens when you're the belle of the ball," teased Harry, manipulating her feet. He kept his eyes on her face, thinking how beautiful she looked.
"Have you noticed our friends are getting more insistent about pairing us up," he commented, putting her feet back on the coffee table and coming to sit next to her.
"That's because most of them are married, and can't bear to see us running around, single and happy," sighed Ginny, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Well, in a way we are a couple. You came with me to the Ministry dinner with me last month," reminded Harry.
"Only because you couldn't get a date," said Ginny.
"I could have gotten a date," said Harry, huffily. "It was an important ocassion. I didn't want to take just anyone."
"Remember after your divorce you dated that ditzy blonde who called you 'Sweet cheeks'. And she wasn't talking about you face, either," giggled Ginny.
"Okay, so she was a mistake. I think they call it a rebound when it's straight after a break up. What about you and that Quidditch player? He was all brawn and no brains. I don't know how you stayed with him so long. What was it, eight months?"
"Yeah, all right, point made. Zach didn't contribute a lot to our relationship mentally, but physically he was pretty good. Pretty damn good," said Ginny. And just what she had needed at the time.
"I think we're better off keeping track of the kids. I taught Matt to fly, even took him to that junior Quidditch camp," smiled Harry.
"I took Lily to get her first bra, and helped her when she started her monthlies," said Ginny.
"And here we are, all those years later. Merlin, if you had told me at fifteen that I would be divorced with a daughter, I would have laughed in your face."
"I know what you mean. If someone had told me I'd be a widow with two teenage children when I was thirty five I probably would have Bat Bogey Hexed them,"she sighed, thinking of her husband.
"I just thank God Cho re-married quickly so I didn't have to pay her alimony for long," said Harry, determined to steer Ginny away from less happy thoughts.
She smiled, aware of what she was doing. "Yes well, after Cedric died and you decided to stop being an Auror and start training them, you would have taken a big pay cut."
"It was worth it. I get to be home for the summer holidays, and I have most weekends off, unless there is something major going on at the Department. Lil had already lost one parent, I wanted to be around for her."
"She's a lovely girl, Harry. I'm happy that Matt is dating her," she said.
She stretched her arms over her head. "I really don't want to move, but if I don't, I think I'd fall asleep here."
"You can sleep over, Gin, you know that," said Harry, trying to keep the need out of his voice.
Ginny shook her head, yawning. Harry stood up and held out his hands. She placed both her hands in his, and let him pull her up.
"Come on, old lady, let me drive you home." He draped an arm over her shoulder, wincing as her elbow found his stomach.
"Very funny," she muttered, stooping down to pick up her shoes.
They left Harry's home and ten minutes later they pulled up in the driveway of Ginny's house.
"Looks like someone's waiting up for me," said Ginny, noting the lights on the outside and inside were on.
"The kids must have waited to make sure Mum got home before curfew," teased Harry. They walked to her front door.
"Happy Birthday Ginny." Harry leaned down and brushed her lips with his own. For a moment he hesitated, then kissed her again, harder this time. He then pulled back and looked at her as if he wanted to do more, then changed his mind. "Good night."
"Good night, Harry, and thank you for the party," said Ginny. She went inside and waved her wand to lock the door. She knew Harry wouldn't leave until she had done it. Sure enough, she heard him walk away, get in his car and drive off.
She walked away from the door, walking toward the light and the sounds from deeper in the house. In the large family room, she found her son sprawled in a reclining chair and her daughter curled up asleep on the couch.
"Hi, how was the party? Were you surprised? Lil said you didn't seem to have a clue," asked her seventeen, nearly eighteen year old son Matt, without taking his eyes off the television.
"I was quite shocked," admitted Ginny. "Although not as shocked as I am about all this mess." She waved her arms around to indicate the empty chip bags and pizza boxes and cola bottles. "I'm sure I've taught you cleaning spells, and you can do magic now you're seventeen."
"Hey most of this was Jen's fault. She stuffed her face while we were watching a movie, then she complained that she was going to get zits. Girls!" said Matt, shaking his head. He picked up the remote and turned off the television.
He got out his wand and waved it around. The mess soon disappeared. "You gonna wake her or let her sleep here for the night?" he asked, indicating his sleeping sister.
"You should have told her to go to bed hours ago," complained Ginny. She leaned over, and gently woke her daughter. "Jenna."
"Mum? You're home? What time is it?" asked her daughter sleepily.
"Late. Way past your bed time," she told her thirteen year old daughter.
" Mm-'kay. Night," mumbled Jenna, walking dreamily down the hall to her room.
"Night Mum. Happy Birthday again," said Matt, going to his room.
Ginny checked the house was secure before finally going to her bedroom. She took a quick shower and brushed her teeth. As she lay in bed, she thought back to the events of the evening, and her mind wandered to Harry.
She ran her fingers over her lips. She had definitely felt a spark when he had kissed her goodnight. Harry hadn't given any indication that he'd felt anything though, so she wondered if it wasn't wishful thinking on her part. Maybe everyone talking about it tonight had brought something up in her mind.
She knew how his marriage and divorce had scarred him and left him with no intentions of re-marrying. Ginny's own marriage had been a happy one, so she wouldn't mind if she had a second marriage like it.
Maybe that's why she'd always slotted Harry into the 'friend' category. In a lot of ways, they were like a big happy family, especially since Matt and Lily had started dating the last year.
Deciding she'd think about it tomorrow, Ginny let the Sandman do this thing, and she was quickly asleep.
0oo0
"You're up early," said Matt. "Coffee's already made."
"Just because I'm another year older, doesn't mean I'll spend the rest of my life in bed. I'll save that for when I'm forty." She turned as the back door opened and a grey-haired witch entered. "Good morning Estelle. Coffee?"
"Did you make it?" asked a suspicious Estelle.
Matt guffawed, then tried to pretend he was coughing as Ginny glared at him. "It's safe, Estelle. I made it," he finally said.
"You and your sister clean up that mess last night?" asked Estelle to Matt.
Matt nodded. "I did all of it, Jen fell asleep."
"Won't hurt you. You want breakfast?" she asked Ginny.
Ginny sighed. While she excelled at cleaning charms, she just had no knack in the kitchen. Estelle arrived early in the morning to cook breakfast and stayed until after dinnertime before retiring to the apartment at the rear of the house. It had been a major reason Ginny had bought this house after Cedric died.
"Every meal you cook for me is like a dagger in my mother's heart, you know that, right?" despaired Ginny.
Estelle laughed. "Go on, take your coffee and get dressed."
"She's getting grouchy in her old age, Estelle," teased Matt.
"Watch who you're calling old, buster," said Estelle, taking a big frying pan down. "You home for lunch?"
"No, I'm out for the day. Lily and I are going for a drive to play a Quidditch game with friends from school, then we'll go out for tea. We won't be back till late," said Matt.
"We won't be here either. I promised to take Jenna clothes shopping for school. That is, if she gets up any time soon. These holidays have flown by. Soon Jen will be on her way to Hogwarts, and you'll be leaving to study law in Paris," said Ginny, looking at her son.
"How was the party?" asked Estelle, putting the frying pan back.
"Wonderful. It was great to see so many old friends there. We all get caught up in our own lives; with kids and work. Harry really surprised me. I'll get even with him when it's his fortieth," smirked Ginny.
"Knowing you, you'll come up with something good," nodded Estelle.
"Everyone will expect it. For some crazy reason, all our friends think we should become a couple. I think we both spent half the night talking about it with others."
"Fancy that, you and Harry a couple," said Estelle sarcastically. Ginny shot her a curious look.
Matt choked on his eggs. "You and Harry? No way! Harry is happy being single. Besides you're not like most of the women he dates."
Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Would you please explain that last statement?"
"No offense, Mum, but you're more like brother and sister. You're just not his type. He might not date a lot, but the women he goes out with are usually, um...bigger." He nodded in Ginny's chest area.
He found his mother and Estelle staring at him in disgust. "You really know how to make a woman feel good, Matt. If this is the way you refer to Lily, I'm surprised she has anything to do with you."
"What? You've got a good figure Mum. Just some blokes like certain...aspects of a woman, and it's obvious Harry likes...never mind," finished Matt, as his mother shot him another look, then left the kitchen.
Matt heard her knock on Jenna's door and tell her if she wanted to go shopping, she needed to be up and ready in thirty minutes.
"Something tells me this isn't going to be a good day," murmured Estelle.
"Mum will agree with you when she sees the shopping list Jen made out," agreed Matt.
0oo0
Matt drove to Harry's house. He found Harry outside, doing some gardening. "Hi Harry. Lil ready?"
Harry looked up, wiping the sweat off his brow. It was another sunny day. "Hi Matt. Lil, Matt's here," he called out.
"Okay, be right out," called a young feminine voice.
"You should get a gardening service," suggested Matt, watching Harry pruning some plants.
"No, I actually enjoy it. I do miss my lawnmower man though," he chuckled. Matt had often mowed Harry's lawn when he was younger whenever he wanted to earn some extra money.
"So, your Mum sleeping in after her big night?" Harry asked Matt.
Matt shook his head. "No, she's taking Jen clothes shopping for school."
Harry winced. "Ouch, that's gonna hurt the hip pocket."
"Yeah, I know. I expect they'll be gone all day," said Matt.
He smiled as the front door opened and Lily came out, carrying her broom. She was average height, slender with black hair and Harry's green eyes. "Bye Dad, see you tonight."
Harry looked at Matt. "Any idea what time you'll be home?" He ignored Lily's groan.
Matt shrugged, hooking his arm over Lily's shoulders. "Probably seven or eight. Hey, I hear everyone was on your case about you and Mum getting it on. Funny, huh?" chuckled Matt.
"Why would you think it's funny?" asked Harry, frowning.
"Well, you have to admit Mum's not your type, and you're not hers. Gotta go. Bye," he called.
"Bye Dad," waved Lily, as they drove off.
Harry watched them until they were out of sight. "Not each other's type," he echoed. "Funny how we get along so well then."
It almost felt like his sixth year again. He had been so down when he went to the Burrow that summer, but Ginny wouldn't let him feel sorry for himself in losing Sirius. She kept him busy playing Quidditch or just flying, playing chess or Exploding Snap. At night, when it was dark and his tears didn't show, she encouraged him to talk about Sirius, and shared some of her stories of him from when she was staying at Grimmauld Place. By the time summer had ended, Ginny had become a good friend.
No, not a good friend. More than that, Harry realised now. It was when he had started to fall for her. She was bright and funny. Harry always felt better when she was around. It wasn't until he and Ron stumbled across her snogging Dean Thomas that the dreams started. Hot, naughty dreams that caused him to wake up in a sweat. He was happy Ron wasn't an Occlumens, although he suspected Hermione knew how he felt about Ginny. She had argued with him when he had decided not to pursue anything with Ginny until Voldemort was gone, for her own protection.
But it had been Ginny who he had turned to when Dumbledore had been killed. Ginny who had consoled him and stayed with him those first few nights. Thoughts of Ginny that had sustained him through the Horcux Hunt. Realising that maybe, just maybe, when he had defeated Voldemort, the two of them could have a future. Together.
When the trio had turned up at Shell Cottage, Bill had brought them up to date on family and friends. Harry learned that Arthur, Molly, Ginny and the twins had been staying at their neighbours, the Diggory's. Harry had met Amos when he had attended the Quidditch World Cup, and he and Cedric had both been participants in the Tri-Wizard Cup at Hogwarts his fourth year.
Cedric was now training to be an Auror. Harry remembered him as a good looking bloke, well, all the girls in school had thought so. He was well liked by everyone. Tall and handsome, Cedric was everything Harry wished he was when he was fourteen, and wanting Cho Chang to notice him, not Cedric. Ironic then that later he married Cho, while Ginny married Cedric.
Harry sighed as he remembered how it had all played out. Harry had defeated Voldemort. He'd spent the next few weeks attending funerals or explaining his actions to the Ministry. Then he accompanied Ron and Hermione to Australia to retrieve her parents. He felt he owed it to Hermione, for she and Ron had been the best friends a guy could ever have. They had returned the day before Ginny and Hermione had left for their last year at Hogwarts. To his frustration, there had been no time to talk to Ginny alone.
Harry wrote to Ginny often. He and Ron started Auror training. Ginny replied happily with news of Quidditch matches and Hogsmeade visits. Slowly, the letters from her stopped coming though.
Hermione had mentioned in her letters to him that she didn't think Ginny was well. Then, just after Halloween, Harry received a letter from her, saying Ginny had been sent home.
He'd gone to the Burrow, worried sick. Only to find that Ginny was pregnant. She and Cedric were married quietly at the Ministry by Kingsley Shacklebolt. They were living in a little cottage on the grounds of Cedric's parents.
Harry was numb. He'd never seen it coming. Ginny was supposed to be his. He'd never let on his feelings for her, lest Voldemort see what was in his heart. A heart that was now broken.
He'd thrown himself into his Auror training, stunned when Ron dropped out. Hermione graduated from Hogwarts and started her successful career at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Creatures. Ron was ecstatic to have her with him, and they quickly moved in together.
Harry was lonely. Everyone was coupled up, except him. Ironic that he was the Most Eligible Wizard in London, if not the world. The witch he wanted was out of reach.
Then irony struck again. He was partnered with Cedric, and despite his best efforts, he really liked the man. He was a good Auror, and Harry learnt a lot from him.
Cedric often talked about Ginny when it was just the two of them. He had no idea it was like a dagger in Harry's heart. What made it hard too was that he was often invited home with Cedric for dinner so they could discuss a case. Ginny had said her magic was off because she was pregnant, so the Diggory's housekeeper Estelle was cooking for them. Harry found himself drawn to her, once again. He could see that she and Cedric, or Ced as she called him, were happy. Cedric was delighted about the baby. Despite the fact that money was tight, something Ginny was used to, Harry could see they truly cared for each other and were happy.
He started to distance himself from them. He bumped into Cho one night, and they went home together. He started seeing her regularly, telling himself he was happy with her. He'd always wanted a family of his own, and he started to wonder if maybe it could be with Cho.
On the night Ginny gave birth, a drunk Harry proposed to Cho. It was a grand wedding, fit for the Saviour of the Wizarding world. Cho was in her glory. Cedric and Ginny didn't stay long, as little Mattie had colic, and they didn't want to leave him with Estelle for too long.
Two months later, Cho told Harry she was pregnant. She also told him she wasn't happy. She wanted to be married to Harry Potter and become a socialite, not Mrs Auror trainee. She wasn't even happy that she was pregnant so early in the marriage. After that their arguments escalated. Nothing Harry did for her was enough. For Harry, his marriage was a nightmare. He started to spend more time at work, which led to more arguments with Cho. Harry couldn't win. He didn't want to go home. He ended up spending more time at Cedric and Ginny's, which was painful in itself, seeing how a marriage could be, should be.
His beautiful daughter Lily was born. Cho suffered from post-natal depression. Harry took paternity leave and became mother and father to his precious Lily. Ginny showed him how to bathe her, and change her. Ginny shopped for clothes for her, stopping Harry from buying all sorts of pretty frilly unpractical stuff. He didn't think he and Lily could have coped if it weren't for Molly, Ginny and Hermione's help those first few months.
Cho came to him after six months and told him she was leaving him. Harry only felt relief for himself, and anger for their daughter. Cho signed over full custody to Harry, only asking to visit Lily when she could. Harry wanted to deny her, but did the best thing for his daughter, and relented.
It took the combined efforts of Mrs Weasley, Hermione and Ginny to talk him into continuing his Auror career. He left Lily with Molly in the morning, then Ginny would pick her up and take her to her house afer lunch. Harry would come home with Cedric at night, have tea and take his baby girl home.
Cho only saw her daughter on her birthday and Christmas Eve.
Time went by. Harry and Cedric were a great team and worked well. His daughter was thriving. Harry had even dated a few times, usually nothing more than a first or second date. His daughter was his priority. After a trip to Paris, Ginny and Cedric announced she was pregnant again. Harry was surprised they'd waited for so long to have another, although Cedric explained they had wanted to buy their own house first.
Jenna was born. To three year old Lily she was a living breathing doll. She loved to help Ginny look after the baby. Lily had even started calling Ginny 'Mummy', like Matt did. Cedric and Ginny didn't mind, but Harry did. It led him back to thoughts of what might have been.
Years went by. Weasley babies were popping up everywhere. Ron and Hermione got married and had Rose, then Hugo. Ron and George were making a big success of WWW, and Hermione was doing a brilliant job at the Ministry, to no-one's surprise.
Then the unthinkable happened. Harry and Cedric had been called to Knockturn Alley. Someone had broken into the Apothecary, and was believed to still be in the shop. The shop in question was under investigation for selling illegal ingredients and potions.
Poor Cedric was caught in the wandfire of the owner of the shop and the thief. Harry stared numbly into his vacant eyes, wondering how he was going to tell Ginny what had happened to her husband.
He'd stood by her as she told the children. He was by her side as they buried Cedric Diggory, her husband and his work partner. He stayed close as she faced the people who wanted to express their sorrow, then he took her home and tucked her into bed.
Molly had taken the children to the Burrow. Harry was asleep on Matt's bed when he heard her cry out. He stumbled into her room and held her while she cried her heart out. She fell asleep in his arms. Since then, they'd always been there for each other. He was fulfilling a promise he'd made to Cedric one day.
"If anything happens to me, you'll look afer Gin and the kids, won't you Harry?" he'd asked.
Harry nodded. "And you'd do the same for me, with Lil?" asked Harry.
"I'd be honoured," said Cedric.
A few years went by. Spending so much time together had brought back Harry's old feelings. Feelings he thought he'd buried a long time ago. Sometimes he thought Ginny might feel the same way, but then she'd announce she was going on a date, or worse, that damn Quidditch player was in town. Harry knew what that meant.
Harry dated too, but it was more for the physical release than anything serious. He'd confessed to Ginny he never wanted to marry again. The failure of his marriage was like a bad dream, but he couldn't wish it away, for he got his beautiful daughter out of it, and he wouldn't trade that for anything.
Harry sighed, coming out of his memories. The sun was high. Harry shrugged off his shirt, and using the hose, he poured water over his head, and took a cool drink. Much better.
"Ahem!"
Harry looked up to see his neighbour, a tiny silver haired witch, staring at him in disapproval.
"Good morning, Mrs Kravitz," he said with a broad grin.
"Mr Potter," she said stiffly. "Arent you afraid you'll catch a chill?"
"No, Ma'am. I'm usually pretty healthy. Although I do hold the record for the most visits to the Infirmary at Hogwarts, I don't think I was ever actually sick," quipped Harry.
She held her walking stick up to him. "I hope you won't be throwing any more wild parties, Mr Potter. I barely got any sleep last night."
Harry tried to stifle a smile. "No, Ma'am. It was just a surprise party for Ginny Weasley's birthday."
"Hmpf. I'm sure Mrs Diggory was most... appreciative," she said, glancing over his muscled chest and six-pack. "Good day, Mr Potter." She turned and silently Apparated home. Harry was impressed with that.
"Hell, everyone but Ginny has got us in bed," snarled Harry. He turned off the hose and waved his wand to wind it up and return the garden tools to the shed.
As he showered, Harry contemplated for the first time in a long time, both he and Ginny were single at the same time. When the kids were little Ginny wasn't interested in dating although her sisters-in-law did set her up a time or two. Once Jenna was at Hogwarts she was able to accept more assignments for work that included travel, and that was when she'd met the Quidditch player. She'd confessed to Harry that it was simply physical attraction, a fact Harry did NOT find comforting. Harry was now no longer was interested in random dating. He wondered if something happened to turn his friendship with Ginny into something more intimate, would they lose their special friendship or gain even more? Could this finally be his and Ginny's chance, after all this time?
Only time would tell.