Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (or any of its subsidiaries) nor do I claim to.

A/N: I'd like to say thank you to everyone who read my first chapter, not to mention my first ever fan fiction, here! I had not expected such a large turnout, though I'm not sure if this is the normal sort of audience most new stories get. Either way, I'm very pleased to see so many are interested and hope that I get many more readers.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and know that I'm trying to lengthen all my chapters from now on. I realize the first was quite short and I'm not pleased with myself. Please, please, please rate and review!!! I live on reviews! Thank you!

One more thing, the inscriptions have been written, but you don't get to see them until Ginny does. Sorry folks!

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Harry very nearly went straight to the Burrow before he remembered that he had business to attend to in Muggle London. He had told the Weasleys that he was going to Hogsmeade, but that was simply to throw them off. Going to Hogsmeade meant he was pretty much stopping by the Three Broomsticks, Hog's Head, Honeydukes, Dervish & Banges, Gladrags, Scrivenshaft's, or the Owl Post Office. Those were all very easily explained and Harry had planned to use the Owl Post Office as his excuse for being late. That way he didn't have to buy anything or drink anything before returning to the Burrow.

He stepped into the fire, threw down his Floo Powder, and called, 'The Leaky Cauldron!' Immediately the green flames engulfed him and a few moments later he appeared in the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron. A few bar patrons turned to look at him and then went about their business. It was commonplace to see a witch or wizard Floo into the bar. Tom smiled at him as he saw Harry approach the bar, his gums pressing together as they always did when Harry stopped by.

'Would you like a drop o' ale, Mr Potter? Maybe a cup o' tea, or a glass o' Firewhiskey?' Tom asked as he held an empty flagon up, clearly hoping Harry would patronize his pub that day.

'No thanks, Tom, I'm in a hurry today. I think I'll stop in for lunch Monday, if I can make it. If not, I'll surely drop by after work for some mead,' Harry replied, stopping only a moment to speak with Tom before continuing on to the door. He nearly stepped out before realizing he was still wearing his work robes. He laughed at himself and waved his wand, effectively transfiguring what he was wearing into a neat three-piece suit with an emerald green waistcoat and matching tie. He checked his reflection in the mirror next to the door and nodded, satisfied with his appearance.

Harry checked the watch given to him by Mrs Weasley on his seventeenth birthday and nodded again, he had just enough time to do what he wanted and get back to the Burrow. He set off, knowing exactly where he was going from numerous forays into London for either business with the Ministry or business of his own. He found the entrance to the Underground and road it for a few blocks to the Tottenham Court Road station. He grimaced at the memory of that particular road from nearly two years ago. He shook himself and headed back up to street level. He made his way to a small jewelry shop that wasn't too far from the Underground station. He'd spotted it several weeks previously when he'd been after an escaped prisoner. He entered, smiling at the girl behind the counter. She held up a finger to indicate she needed to finish with her current customer. The woman, who had apparently broken the gold chain on her necklace in some sort of accident and needed it repaired, thanked the girl and left to the tinkling of bells over the door.

'Hello sir, how may I- Oh my God! You're Harry bloody Potter!' she exclaimed, her delicate hands flying to cover her mouth.

Harry was shocked. He was sure this was a muggle shop; it hadn't been concealed like the Leaky Cauldron. 'How do you know who I am?' he asked, taking a step back. He was ready to run right back out the door and into London if need be.

The girl wasn't someone Harry recognized from Hogwarts, though she looked about his age. She had black hair and a sort of plain face. She was a bit overweight, but she carried herself very well. Her eyes were a rich chocolate brown and it seemed the smile that she now wore never left her face. Her work dress was fairly standard to jewelry shops that Harry had visited, a soft robin's egg blue dress that went down past her knees. When she stepped from behind the counter, Harry saw that was wearing very low heels in a matching blue. And if her name tag was to be believed, her name was Martha.

'Oh please don't go! I'm a squib. My mum's a witch and dad's a wizard and so are my brother and sister, but I never showed any signs of magic and we were told I'm a squib,' she explained, rushing through her words so fast Harry barely kept up. 'I still talk to my brother and he keeps me filled in with what's going on with the wide wizarding world.'

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid she was some fanatic witch who'd lain in wait for Harry when she saw him on the street. It wouldn't have been the first time. In the September following the end of the war, Harry had gone to Diagon Alley to purchase a new set of potion making equipment. His old set had gotten slightly banged up in Hermione's beaded bag and he needed a new set for Auror training. The moment he'd entered Pottidge's Cauldron shop, a witch pulled him inside and slammed the door behind him. She was about four years out of Hogwarts and quite desperate. She'd told him Ginny, who Harry had made sure he was seen with in public so no other witches would assume he was on the market, was no good for him and she needed to be with him. She wouldn't let Harry leave until he declared her undying love to him. Harry, temporarily stunned from this odd turn of events, recovered after a few moments and tried to reason with the woman. She wouldn't have any of it and started getting angry. After Harry told her he'd never leave Ginny for her, she got violent, levitating a heavy pewter cauldron over his head and trying to bludgeon him with it. Harry dodged it and rolled to the side, getting his wand out in the same movement and Stupefying her.

'Oh, alright then,' Harry said awkwardly. 'If you'd like an autograph, you'll have to wait; I'm on fairly urgent personal business and need to get in and out quickly today.'

Martha blushed. 'Oh no, I had no intention of asking for an autograph. What business do you have in my shop, then, Mr Potter?'

Harry smiled at her and stepped back up to the counter. 'My girlfriend's birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to get her a locket. Price is no object, but I don't want it gaudy or flashy, she wouldn't appreciate me throwing my money about just to get her a present. Just something simple and in high-quality silver should do the trick.'

Martha nodded and smiled. 'I have just the thing, follow me.' She led him around the counter to a display of lockets of all kinds and designs, from silver to gold to platinum to ovals to circles to hearts and rectangles. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, garnets, and all of the other precious gem varieties were represented there. It was a stunning collection, but there were only a few Martha pulled out for Harry to look at. 'Here are a few I think you'll like,' she said and lifted out a tray of silver lockets in varying designs.

Harry looked at them, lifted a few, put them back and went about this way for five minutes before he found the one he wanted. 'It's perfect,' he said with a grin. The locket in question was a oval-shaped silver piece polished so well it shone like a star when the light hit it just so. Engraved around the rim on the front and back of the piece were designs of vines and miniscule flowers, the centre of each side was left bare. 'How much do you charge for an inscription?' Harry asked.

'That depends. If it's on the outside of the locket on the front or back, it'll cost £104.80 flat rate, we don't charge by the letter. If you want to engrave inside, it's £125.76. The locket itself costs £174.67,' she replied.

Harry thought about it. He didn't know if he'd rather have the engraving inside or out. 'Could I have both? One inscription on the back of the outside and one on the front of the inside?'

Martha considered it and examined the locket. 'Yes, I think I can swing that,' she said, pulling out a calculator. She added it all up and figured in the sales tax. 'All together that will cost £435.42. Is that alright?' She looked a bit hesitant, as if she thought it was quite a high price.

'That's fine. When d'you think it'll be ready?' he asked, pulling out the small mokeskin bag given to him by Hagrid on his seventeenth birthday that contained his muggle money.

He tended to keep his wizarding money in the coin purse with an Undetectable Extension Charm placed on it so he could carry around large sums without an enormous bag. Because of the charm, it made the purse quite heavy, so Harry carried it in a special pocket he'd asked Mrs Weasley to sew onto several of his robes that would survive a transfiguration like the one he'd had to do to go into Muggle London. He also kept a secondary coin purse in the outside pocket on his robes that contained fake gold like leprechaun gold only it never disappeared. This way, if someone tried to mug Harry, they'd only find the fake gold and make off with it.

'I imagine it should be done in about one week. I just need what you want inscribed on the locket and a picture so we can place it inside for you,' Martha said, seeming happier now that awkward moment about the price passed.

'Sounds great, that's plenty of time,' Harry said and pulled out £450 and handed it to her. 'As for the photo, just give me a ring when you're ready to do that part, I'd like to put a Permanent Sticking Charm on it so it'll never fall out. I'll also ask my friend Hermione Granger to put an Everlasting Preservation Charm on it so the locket won't rust and the picture won't fade or rip.'

Martha looked astounded; she must not have known magic could be used in that way. 'Sure, sounds great,' she said and smiled as she rang up the order and gave him his change. 'Here you go, Mr Potter, is there a phone number I can call you at when we're ready for the picture?'

'Er…hang on,' Harry had forgotten that he did not own a telephone. 'I'll come back tomorrow with that. I need to find somewhere I can get one of those cellular phone things. Do you know anywhere I can find one here in London?'

Martha thought about it for a few moments and pulled out the phone book. She perused it for a few minutes before stopping and pulling out a corded phone from behind the desk. She was halfway to handing it to him when a thought crossed her face. 'Wait, do you want to call or should I? I mean, they'll probably ask to check your credit and considering you don't normally deal with the muggle world that would be tough to explain away.'

Harry thought about it. 'You're right, I can fix it all later with memory charms or something.'

Martha smiled. 'No need, I'll just put it in my name and keep it afterwards or cancel it. Either way. I've fancied getting one for a while now.'

She picked up the phone and called the number for the local dealership and ordered one, saying her boyfriend Harry would come in to pay for it and pick it up. They took her credit information, home address, home telephone number, and a few more details before she hung up.

'All right, it's over at the Covent Garden shopping centre. They said it will be about £150.32. I hope that's okay,' she said, once again appearing to be concerned about the price.

'It's perfectly fine,' Harry replied with a smile. 'Do you mind if I use your back room? I'm on a tight schedule and Apparition is much faster than walking or public transportation.'

'Yeah, that's fine,' Martha replied. 'Just make sure there isn't anyone out here when you come back through. I don't want my boss coming in and thinking I'm hiding men in the storage room to snog between customers.'

Harry laughed and walked to the end of the counter and followed Martha into the back room of the jewelry store.

He paused before entering the back room. 'By the way, Martha? Call me Harry, Mr Potter was my father.'

'Sure, Harry,' she said and smiled as she left the storage room.

He thanked her and waited for the door to close before Disapparating to a dark and dingy alley behind Covent Garden shopping centre. He looked to make sure there were no people around and went in to find the store. Twenty minutes later (after Harry had assured the clerk he was who he said he was and had the correct amount to pay for the phone), Harry made his way back to the alley and Disapparated again, appearing back in the storage room with a soft pop. Harry stuck his head out and, upon seeing no one except for Martha, stepped out.

Martha jumped. 'Jesus Harry! Don't do that!' she exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest. She took a few deep breaths as Harry walked around the counter once more. 'My brother used to do that all the time and he always made me jump!'

'Sorry Martha, I didn't mean to frighten you,' Harry said sincerely. 'I got the phone. They said they gave you the number over the phone.'

Martha smiled shakily. 'It's okay, and yeah, they gave it to me. While you were gone I put it on your order form. When we finish the engraving work, I'll give you ring and you can come in and work your magic and take it home. Sound good?'

'Sounds perfect,' Harry said. He smiled and held his hand out. 'Pleasure doing business with you,' he said.

She shook his hand and smiled. 'The pleasure is all mine, Harry. Do have a good day.'

'I shall,' he said. 'Do you mind if I use your back room again? I don't want to go all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron just to Floo home.'

'Yeah, go ahead. I'll call you in about a week when the locket is ready. Oh! Wait a moment, we forgot the inscriptions.' She smacked herself in the head and pulled out a piece of paper with a picture of an oval-shaped locket back and front and the inside. 'If you could please write your inscriptions and point an arrow to which facings they go on respectively, I'll put that with your order.'

Harry nodded and flushed. He had totally forgotten the inscriptions. He grabbed a pen, figured out how to work it (he was used to a quill these days), and started writing. On the back, he wrote a short, but romantic message to Ginny and on the inside, he wrote just three words. Satisfied, he handed the paper back to Martha and smiled again.

'Thank you, Harry. I'll get right on this, though there are a few orders ahead of yours. I promise you won't be disappointed,' Martha said.

'Thanks! I'll expect your call,' he replied and went back into the back room, closing the door and Apparating back to the Burrow.

Harry appeared just beyond the garden. The Anti-Apparition spell-line (Apparition was still possible inside the Burrow and on the property, but no one could Apparate to the Burrow from elsewhere and no one inside could Apparate to any location beyond the line) that had been put into effect during the war was still on the Burrow, Mr and Mrs Weasley not having seen a good reason to lift it. He entered the garden and braced himself for another surprise party once he entered the kitchen, but it didn't come. Mrs Weasley was busy at the stove supervising several pots being stirred by magic, vegetables being cut the same way, and the wood-burning stove which was cooking what looked like several things at once. No one else was in the kitchen.

'Hey Mrs Weasley,' Harry said when he entered. On his way up the garden path, he'd untransfigured his suit back into his work robes, that way he wouldn't have to explain anything to anyone about where he was after work.

'Oh, hello Harry dear,' Mrs Weasley said brightly. She turned to him and smiled. 'Ginny is upstairs, she arrived home just before you. Ron hasn't finished his work day yet, though. Sorry we couldn't throw you a surprise party, but not everyone could get organized in time.' She looked generously sorry, so much so Harry wanted to hug her.

'Really, it's okay Mrs Weasley. I didn't even want a party in the first place. But, seeing as you've already gone to all the effort to invite everyone, I'm not going to stop you now,' Harry said with a strained smile.

Mrs Weasley smiled again and wrapped Harry in a tight embrace. 'I'm so glad to hear you say that, Harry dear. I dare say you have a few hours before everyone arrives. It should give you a chance to relax after the long day you've had. Would you like anything to eat?'

'No, I'm all right. Thanks, though. I'm going to head upstairs and do a little light reading before the party. I might even take a nap,' he said thoughtfully.

'Okay, Harry. I'll call you down when your first guest arrives,' she replied and turned back to her cooking. Harry left the kitchen and headed for the stairs, grabbing the banister and starting up them two at a time. 'Oh, and Harry? I'd really like it if you started calling me Molly. It's just silly for you to continue calling me Mrs Weasley after all these years,' she said.

Harry stopped, unsure of how to respond. 'Er…all right. Thanks Mrs W- I mean Molly.'

She smiled at him and once again turned back to the stove, prodding a spoon with her wand so it would pick up it's pace. Harry started going up the stairs again, this time a bit more sedately, only taking one at a time. He went to his room, which always had a faint odor of gunpowder from when it belonged to Fred and George, and changed his clothes. He took off his work robes and replaced them with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with the Gryffindor crest on it. He smiled at the change and tossed on a pair of black house shoes before leaving his room and heading for Ginny's. He tried to be quiet so Molly wouldn't suspect anything, but the creaky staircase didn't help him much. He sighed and just continued on to her door. He knocked three times, stopped, and knocked twice more. It was he and Ginny's secret knock, they'd developed it when Ron had knocked one day on Harry's door and Harry had answered with a, 'Hello gorgeous.' Ron really didn't appreciate it and would not let Harry live it down for weeks.

Ginny opened the door and smiled at Harry. She looked tired. Of course, Gwenog Jones had probably worked them hard in practice that day. They had a game the next day, after all, they were facing Puddlemere United, the team Harry's former Gryffindor team captain Oliver Wood played Keeper for. Harry was at a loss as to who to cheer for. His girlfriend played Chaser on the reserve team for the Holyhead Harpies (and had since she graduated Hogwarts a month and a half previously), but Oliver was a very good friend and colleague. If he hadn't brought the old Gryffindor Quidditch team to the Battle of Hogwarts, it's possible they could have lost more innocent people to the Death Eaters.

'Hello beautiful,' Harry said, kissing Ginny lightly on the lips.

Ginny laughed and pulled him into her room. The room Harry had been in two years ago hadn't changed much. Recently, Ginny had taken the large poster of her team captain off the wall in favor of a dark green poster bearing the legend 'Support the Holyhead Harpies!' with the team insignia of a large golden talon under it. There were also several pictures of Harry adorning the wall directly opposite her bed, along with a few of him, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. There were also, Harry knew, several pictures featuring just Harry and Ginny in a shoebox under her bed. It wasn't that Ginny didn't want her mum to see them; it was that they were special and she didn't want to share them with anyone.

'Oh sod off, I'm so far from beautiful I need Omnioculars to see the tail end of beautiful. You, on the other hand, are the most handsome man I've ever seen.' She shut the door behind them and pressed him against it, sliding her hands up to play with his hair as she kissed him passionately.

Harry smiled into the kiss and playfully bit Ginny's bottom lip. They stayed like this for several minutes before Harry finally had to come up for air. He panted and pulled Ginny to the bed, silently casting the Colloportus spell on her bedroom door. They sat on the bed and just gazed at each other for a few moments. They exchanged a few more tender kisses, but that was all. They weren't about to do anything more with Ginny's mother home and her father on his way.

'So how was your day?' Ginny asked. 'Aside from being promoted, I mean.'

Harry groaned and flopped back onto the white bedspread. It was darned in a few places and looked like it was a bit too short for Ginny to still use it at night, but otherwise it was a very comfortable bedspread.

'It was hectic. I had to run cases all day, a few of them solo,' Harry replied. 'There was this one bloke who kept on trying to convince me he was the Minister of Magic! Never mind he was 152 centimetres and was pale as a ghost. I had to take him to St. Mungo's before I could take him to Azkaban, just to get his head checked.' He sighed and interlaced his fingers with Ginny's. 'How was your day, Gin?'

Ginny smiled and lay down next to him. 'Oh, it was alright. I owled Andromeda like you asked me to, then I went out back and warmed up on my broom before Quidditch practice. Apparently one of the starting Chasers fell off her broom yesterday and they want to put me in as a starter tomorrow!'

Harry smiled and hugged her. 'That's wonderful news! We'll have to announce it tonight at the party. Maybe after you win the game for them tomorrow you'll be a permanent starter.'

Ginny grinned back. 'Maybe, but I doubt Tess will be happy about me taking her spot.'

Harry kissed her. 'If you're better than her, I don't see a reason why she should replace you.'

Ginny laughed and kissed his cheek. 'You're very sweet, but I've only been on the team for a month and a half, she's been a starting Chaser for four years. The only reason Gwenog decided to bring me on was because the other two reserve Chasers declined the offer.'

Harry kissed her nose, a gesture of affection he'd grown quite fond of. 'Yeah, well, at least you get to play. I can't wait to watch you tomorrow, though I will have some trouble deciding who to cheer on. After all, I have friends on both teams.'

Ginny growled low in her throat, though it sounded more like a throaty purr, and rolled on top of him. 'You had best be rooting for the Harpies, your girlfriend plays on that team.'

Harry grinned. 'Are you going to make me?' he asked as he locked her legs with his.

'You are a wicked, wicked boy Harry Potter,' Ginny replied. 'A very wicked man. You know I can't make you when Mum's around.'

'Bad luck for you then, eh?' Harry said, licking her lip suggestively.

'Wicked man,' she whispered, kissing him again. She effortlessly slid her tongue into his mouth and Harry responded eagerly. They battled tongues for a few minutes before they heard feet of the stairs.

They broke apart as if struck by lightning. Those thundering steps meant one of two things, Ron was home or the ghoul had gotten loose from the attic again and was banging down the stairs. Since the noise was ascending rather than descending, they pretty much knew that Ron was coming up. Harry turned to Ginny and kissed her, indicating with an upward pointing finger that he was going to Apparate to his room. She nodded and kissed him back before Harry stood and Disapparated. He reappeared in his room just in time for Ron to barrel through the door.

'You got promoted!' Ron shouted. It was lucky that he hadn't suspected anything. He still wasn't okay with his baby sister dating, but there was nothing he could do about it now that Ginny could do magic away from school as she'd demonstrated many times to him with her infamous Bat-Bogey Hex.

Harry grinned, hoping Ron wouldn't notice the fact that he was quite flushed. 'Yeah, full-fledged Auror. Can you believe it?'

'Believe it? I've been saying for a year now that you should have just gone straight through! I can't believe it took them this bloody long!' He shook Harry's hand vigorously and sat on the chair in the corner. 'This is wild! And get this, George introduced me to the press as his business partner today!'

'Congratulations mate! Looks like everyone has good news today, though I think I'll let Ginny tell you hers at the party tonight. We'll have to announce yours as well. At least it won't be party for just me; you know how I hate all the attention.'

'Yeah, I think we all know that, Harry,' Ron said dryly. 'I'd be surprised if all of America didn't know about it.'

'Oh sod off, Ron,' Harry retorted, throwing an empty chocolate frog box at his best mate. It struck him right on the nose and Harry laughed.

Ron picked it up and tossed it up once and caught it. 'Think that's funny, do ya?' he asked and pulled his wand out, standing up in the same motion. Harry stood too, pulling his own wand.

They both knew that they were only having fun, but, aside from the smiles on their faces, it looked to any casual observer like they were entering into a duel to the death. Ron tossed the box into the air and waved his wand in an odd striking gesture, as if he was smashing something. The box stayed airborne and flew at Harry, hitting him round the head. Harry shouted and tried to block the blows with his hands, but the box went around them. Ron laughed as Harry cast a Shield Charm, causing the box to harmlessly bounce on the invisible barrier. Ron could not stop laughing and fell to the floor, the spell he'd placed on the box releasing. The box fell to the floor and Harry let his Shield Charm release.

When Ron had calmed down enough to stand, Harry helped him to his feet. 'What spell was that?' he asked as Ron sat back down.

'Well,' Ron replied with a sly grin, 'I told George about the spell Dumbledore used on your family when he collected you before sixth year, you know the one. When he made their glasses attack them?'

Harry laughed darkly at the memory of three glasses of mead bouncing on the heads of the Dursley family. 'Oh yes, I remember.'

'I told George about it and we had an idea,' Ron said, still trying to suppress his mirth. 'What if you had a set of glasses or tumblers that hit unwary drinkers round the head? Or maybe a bottle of Butterbeer that came back to crack you over the head when you threw it away? So we experimented with a few spells and George even owled McGonagall to ask her if she knew the one that Dumbledore had used. Eventually, after she wrote him back and told him, we worked on it and created this new spell, though I'm actually a bit better at it than George. After we tested it a few times to get it perfect, we went to the Ministry to run the spell by the Committee on Experimental Charms; they apparently have to approve any new spell, charm, hex, or curse being used in a business.'

Harry nodded, he'd heard George arguing with Verity about a new hex they'd been testing and whether or not they needed to take it to the Committee when he was having dinner with George and his new girlfriend Angelina Johnson.

'So we went there and showed it to them a few times and they approved it. Turns out, George made me a partner because of that spell!' Ron exclaimed. He laughed. 'I guess, in a way, I have you to thank for telling me about that spell.'

'Happy to help,' Harry replied. 'Any time I remember another person using a funny spell, I'll be sure to let you know.'

Ron grinned and sighed. 'It was brilliant today. We sold out of the new tumblers and bottles that we put the spell on. The Daily Prophet wanted a demonstration, so I handed a glass to Rita Skeeter.'

Harry laughed. 'You did not!'

Ron laughed as well, his face turning red from suppressed mirth. 'Yes, I did! She said earlier that she didn't think we were real and she dragged you into it. She said that George and I wouldn't have a shop if it weren't for you; apparently, somebody leaked the information about you giving Fred and George their start-up funds. Anyway, I hand it to her, and she just stares at it. It didn't do anything. We explained it only worked if you try to drink out of it, so she scoffs and conjures water into the glass and drinks it in one. Well, the glass did exactly what it was designed to and started beating her about her head, so it's a good thing we put Reinforcement Charms on all the ones we made. We'll probably read about it in the Evening Prophet.'

By this point, Harry was rolling on his bed and laughing, tears streaming down his face. Just the image in his mind of a glass hitting Rita Skeeter in the head was enough for him to summon the strongest Patronus ever.

'That is the funniest thing ever!' Harry said when he finally calmed down. He wiped his eyes on his bedspread and stood up. 'So did…'

But Harry was cut off by Mrs Weasley's voice coming up the stairs. 'Harry! Ginny! Andromeda just sent a Patronus asking you to come and pick up Teddy!'

Harry smacked his forehead and picked his wand up from where he'd dropped it on the floor. He'd nearly forgotten that he needed to pick up his godson. He told Ron he'd be back later and raced down the stairs, meeting Ginny on the way.

'Why d'you think Andromeda wants me over?' she asked as they ran down the stairs hand in hand.

'Dunno,' Harry replied. 'You know she likes to see you.'

'Yeah,' she replied, 'you're right.'

They made it to the kitchen and said a quick goodbye to Mrs Weasley without stopping on their way to the door. They ran out, Harry behind Ginny, and stopped just outside the garden. They both spun on the spot, clutching their wands, and Apparated to Andromeda's house. They arrived just in front of her front lawn and grasped hands again before heading to the front door. Harry knocked and entered, not waiting for Andromeda to answer. He was there often enough to not even need to knock, but it was still perfunctory to him. He found Andromeda playing with Teddy in the living room, surrounded by toys. Today, the baby's hair was a very familiar bubblegum pink. Harry was immediately reminded of Teddy's late mother, Nymphadora Tonks (though she liked to be referred to by her surname only), and smiled at the memory of her. When he saw Harry, Ted's eyes flashed from baby blue to a startling shade of violet, so far his favorite color.

'Sorry I'm late, Drom!' he said, immediately picking up Teddy and making a funny face. 'It's been quite the long day.'

'I understand perfectly, Harry,' she replied with a smile. 'I just needed to get ready for your party tonight and didn't want to leave little Teddy by himself in the house.'

'That makes sense,' Ginny replied, stealing the baby from Harry and hefting him. 'You are getting so big!'

'Ginny, can I have a word?' Andromeda said, again with a smile on her face. Harry couldn't see anything out of the ordinary about her. She'd been gardening that day, as her robes were covered in dirt and mud and her face had dirty streaks on it.

Ginny cocked her head rather like a curious cat and handed Teddy back to Harry. 'Yeah, sure. Lead the way.'

Andromeda pinched Ted's cheek and led Ginny to the kitchen. Ted smiled at Harry and his hair turned electric blue. Harry grinned and set him down on the floor as he strained his ears to hear what the ladies were talking about. He debated summoning an extendable ear from home, but decided against it. It was probably nothing. Instead, he focused on playing trains with Teddy while the portrait of Remus Lupin and his late wife Tonks over the fire smiled down at them.

'Wotcher Harry!' Tonks said merrily. Even in her portrait, Tonks' hair was a vibrant shade of pink to match her son's. 'We heard you were promoted, congratulations!'

'Yes, Harry,' Lupin added softly, 'congratulations.'

Harry smiled at them. 'Thank you both, how's Ted been today?' he asked. He knew giving them any excuse to talk about their son was ensuring he wouldn't be able to leave for at least twenty minutes, but he liked to hear them talk to him. It gave him the illusion that they were still alive.

'Oh he's been just fine,' Tonks said lovingly. 'He got a little fussy before his afternoon nap, but it was alright.'

'You should be very proud of him today, Harry,' Lupin said, not letting Harry speak after Tonks did. It was obvious he was bursting to spread his news. 'He said his first complete sentence today!'

Harry smiled. 'He did, did he?' He looked to his godson who had already tired of the conversation concerning him. 'What did you say little man?' Ted looked up at Harry and grinned. It looked like his molars were coming in on the bottom. That would be so much fun. Harry had freaked out when Teddy wouldn't stop crying when his first teeth came in.

'He said, "Mummy where is Nanna?" I was so proud!' Tonks said, tears brimming in her eyes.

Harry laughed delightedly and picked Teddy up, swinging him around. Ted giggled and his hair started switching rapidly through all the colors of the rainbow, so happy was he. Harry laughed and jumped onto a couch, careful to not jostle his charge too much. Teddy was still laughing though. Harry hugged the baby lightly to his chest just as Andromeda and Ginny came back in, they were laughing as well, though they stopped briefly upon seeing Harry.

'Oho! What have you lads gotten up to, eh?' Andromeda asked. She came over and ruffled her grandson's now turquoise hair. 'I take it Remus and Dora told you the news?'

'Yes they did!' Harry said, letting go of Teddy so he could move around a bit. 'It's just wonderful!' He turned his head to Teddy who was looking around and grasping his tiny hands at Ginny. 'You want to go see Aunty Ginny mate?'

Ginny smiled brightly and picked Teddy up from Harry's chest. Teddy giggled merrily and started tugging on her bright red hair, his own changing to match her shade. 'So you like my hair, do you?' Ginny laughed and swung him up to sit on her shoulders, straddling her neck. He laughed again and started lifting Ginny's hair and tugging it.

'So what were you two talking about?' Harry asked, sitting up and looking from Andromeda to Ginny.

They shared a conspiratorial look and grinned. 'Nothing,' they chorused and laughed, Teddy laughing with them.

'Riiiiiight,' Harry said, observing them with the suspiciously trained eye of an Auror. 'I'll get it out of Ginny somehow.' He threw a wicked grin Ginny's way and stuck his tongue out.

Ginny laughed and lifted Ted from her hair, though he tried to keep a hold of some of her hair. Andromeda chuckled and helped Ginny by gently releasing her hair from her grandson's grip.

'Now you three, shoo! It takes a while for people of my advanced years to comport ourselves and make it look like we're young again,' Andromeda said, flipping her hands in a shooing gesture.

Harry laughed. 'Advanced years? You must be joking! You don't look a day over twenty-nine!' Andromeda laughed louder and blushed. It appeared she could still be affected by praise. Harry advanced and gently pried Ted from her arms. 'You ready to go mate?'

Ted smiled and giggled. 'Yeah Hawwy!'

Harry was overjoyed. 'You are really cottoning on to this talking bit, aren't you?' He smiled happily and started towards the door. 'Gin, could you grab his teddy? He gets so fussy when he doesn't have it with him at the Burrow.'

'Of course, anything for little Teddy,' Ginny replied, swooping to pick up the slightly tattered teddy bear from the floor. It was missing an eye, but no one would ever throw it away or fix it. Lupin had given it to him just before departing for Hogwarts with Tonks, so it had become the last present Teddy had received from his father and none could bear to do anything but keep it with the baby at all times.

'All right,' Andromeda said. 'I'll see you in about one and a half hours, no less. Now go! Otherwise I'll have to wait longer for my bath!'

Harry tittered and waited for her to give Ted a last kiss on the forehead before leaving. He followed Ginny to the end of the sidewalk, carrying a very happy Teddy, and waited for her to Disapparate before doing the same. He clutched Teddy tight to his chest, grasped his wand firmly in his opposite hand, and turned on the spot. He appeared instantaneously just outside the garden at the Burrow, finding Ginny waiting for him. Harry stowed his wand in the pocket of his jeans, then took Ginny's hand and walked up the path with her, opening the door for her one handed.

''Arry!' came a booming voice from the garden. Harry spun, Teddy giggling shrilly in his arms.

Harry's face broke into the biggest smile he'd worn that day. Ginny extracted Teddy from his arms quickly and Harry ran to throw his arms around the second biggest man he'd ever met. Rubeus Hagrid had come to the party. Hagrid hadn't changed one bit since the end of the war, in appearance nor in personality. He gave Harry a customary rib-cracking hug, lifting Harry up off the ground.

After Harry finished coughing and surreptitiously feeling his ribs for literal cracks, he grinned up at Harry. 'Hello Hagrid! I'm so happy you could come today!'

'Me too, 'Arry, me too. Congratulations on yer promotion! 'Ow ya been? I haven' seen you, Ron, or Hermione since June at Ginny and Hermione's graduation,' Hagrid said, beaming down at him. ''Ow's little Teddy? I brough' 'im a present.' He smiled and rooted around in the pockets of his trousers until he found what he was looking for. 'Me dad gave this ter me when I was a baby.'

Harry put out his hands and Hagrid pressed something small and wooden into them. Harry held it up to the dying light and examined it. It was a very care-worn box, made out of the softest wood Harry had ever felt, with a hinged lid. Harry opened it and found a snarled mess of interconnected metal rings.

'Er, thanks Hagrid,' Harry pulled the metals rings out. They clinked together softly, sounding quite similar to the sound made by a lute or harp. 'What is this?'

'Tha's a puzzle, 'Arry. If ya can get all those rings to form a circle, it sounds like a song. Me dad made it 'imself,' Hagrid said proudly. 'I was never good at it meself, but I go' it when I was round five. In the meantime, it makes fun noises for Teddy.'

Harry smiled again. 'Thanks Hagrid,' he said, putting the puzzle back into the box and handed it back to his friend. 'You wanna give it to him yourself? I'm sure he'd be simply delighted. He always loves seeing you, Hagrid.'

'Tha' would be lovely, Harry,' Hagrid said with a huge smile. 'Oh! I almos' fergot, I got yer birthday present back at me hut. Where's yer party goin' ter be?'

Harry groaned. In all the preparation he'd been doing for Ginny's upcoming birthday, he'd completely forgotten about his own coming up on the next Saturday. 'I don't even know, Hagrid. I hadn't spared it a thought!'

'Hadn' spared it a thought? What're ya on about, Harry?' Hagrid looked genuinely shocked; like it was outrageous anyone could ever forget their own birthday.

'Honestly, I've just been so busy at work and Ginny's birthday is only a week and half after mine, August eleventh. I just hadn't really thought about it,' Harry said, smiling sheepishly up at Hagrid. 'Nineteen really isn't that big of a birthday, is it?'

''Course it is, Harry! Every birthday is somat special! Ya know, me dad never lived ter see any of me birthdays past twelve,' Hagrid said somberly.

Harry sobered immediately. Even though his own parents hadn't lived to see any of his own birthdays past his first, he hadn't had to endure Hagrid's childhood. 'You're right, Hagrid, I'm sorry. I'll figure out somewhere to have a party, don't worry.'

Hagrid smiled again, pleased by this news. 'Good, that's very good, Harry. And I wanted ter tell ya something in confidence, Harry.' Hagrid leaned down to whisper in Harry's ear. 'Professor McGonagall made me Head o' Gryffindor House!'

Harry balked, staring at Hagrid before he laughed and hugged him again, his mouth breaking into another wide grin. 'That's excellent Hagrid! Congratulations! It's just a day for good news! I've been promoted, Ron's been made partner in the joke shop, Ginny's playing starting Chaser tomorrow at the Harpies' game, Teddy said his first sentence, and you've been made Head of Gryffindor! You know I'm going to have to announce this tonight, right? We're announcing everyone else's news as well,' Harry said. With all the good news circulating around, they were all going to be drunk just from the numerous toasts they'd be giving to one another.

'Naw, ya don' have ter go and do tha'!' Hagrid said, panicking slightly.

'Of course I do! Come on, let's go get the tables and set them up. We're going to have one hell of a party tonight!'

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A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed that. It was a bit longer and I'm very pleased about this. Though this will most likely be the limit for the length of my chapters. I hope to make up for this with more chapters than I was originally intending. Please rate and review!