Well, this story is well under way now and I've almost finished it! Thank you to my reviewers so far, it's nice to know people still like my stories. I appear to have made a slight error in the age gap between Albus and Lily for which I apologise, I won't change it all now as it is not integral in my storyline but thanks for letting me know! Also Kristina is not the muggle, she works with the dragons and is a fully fledged witch with a small part in the story, sorry try again!

Anywho - read and review cheers!!

Chapter 4

Sunday lunch at the Burrow was the usual chaotic affair that the Weasleys and their extended family were used to, the children ran around the kitchen getting under Molly's feet which resulted in her shouting and screaming until George had the good sense to take them all outside to play in the garden. Ginny helped her Mum to prepare the dinner while Harry and Charlie chatted outside by the river about the ball the night before, Kristina had not joined them for dinner and Harry was using her absence and their chance of being alone to prise any information he could out of Charlie. "Looked like you and Kristina were getting on well last night," he said raising his eyebrow, "Anything we should be watching out for?"

"If you mean anything gold that fits on a finger then you're barking up the wrong tree mate!"

"Well you can't blame me for suggesting, she is the first girl we've ever really seen you with, I think most of your brothers had you nailed on gay mate! All except for Bill anyway, he always seemed to stick up for you!"

"Yeah well, poor Bill has had the pleasure of finding me in a few uncompromising positions with those of the fairer sex, we did share a flat briefly before I got posted out to Romania." Harry guffawed at the comment and Charlie joined him. "I just thought it would be nice to bring someone along last night, I mean I usually end up going to these things alone and felt like a change since I was seeing someone."

"So is it going anywhere serious then?"

"I make no promises, to her or anyone else, I'm not really the serious type when it comes to women, they always know that so no one gets hurt, maybe one day there'll be someone who steals my heart but I don't think it will be Kristina, and she knows that! We're not all the settle down family type like you are Harry, all these brats put me off that!" he chuckled as Harry's eldest son went running past being chased by Rose who had a face of thunder, James had obviously done something to set her off and they knew it wouldn't end well.

"James Sirius Potter, I hate you!" she screeched after him and Harry rolled his eyes before taking off after his son to sort out the situation.

"He's definitely got some Sirius in him that boy," Charlie called after him.

James reached a tree by the lake before Rose had caught up with him and he climbed it deftly, by the time Harry reached them Rose was stomping about beneath it shouting, "You can't stay up there all day James!" to which the young boy replied, "I'll stay here as long as I like, you're just too scared to climb up here and get me!" Harry could see Rose's face growing more purple by the minute and she was beginning to resemble her mother when she was in the same mood. He chuckled as he remembered the number of times that same face had frowned down upon him and Ron in their school days, and after them for a matter of fact, and he genuinely felt sympathy for his son who was at the receiving end of it today. However he also realised that James had probably done something to deserve it he knew that his son was by no means an angel.

"What's going on here?" he asked as he leaned against the tree and towered over Rose.

"Uncle Harry, James said I wasn't good enough to play quidditch with them, he said girls couldn't play just because Victoire didn't want to and the rest of them are stupid boys," her voice rose at these last words and it threatened to crack, "He'd never dare tell Victoire that she couldn't play because she was a girl."

"I would too!" James called from the tree, but Harry knew perfectly well that Rose was right in this situation James Potter would order anyone about in the Weasley family, except for Victoire. She was older than James by almost four years and already in school at Hogwarts, but even when she was younger she had always had that air about her that came from the Delacours. While she would never boss any of the younger children around she would never be bossed by any of them either and they were all unconsciously aware that she was not to be messed with. "No you wouldn't young man," Harry called up into the tree, "And you know it, now get down here and apologise to your cousin, girls can play quidditch just as well as boys can James Potter. And if I were you I'd make sure you never let your mother hear you saying that, she was a fantastic chaser and seeker on the Griffindor team in Hogwarts and she could outfly most of her brothers too." A triumphant smile began to spread across Rose's face as a sullen looking James descended from the tree looking guiltily at his father, she again reminded him of Hermione when she was right and she knew it and realised that James was never going to be right when it came to Rose Weasley, she was her mother through and through.

"Sorry Rose," he said hastily looking at his father who chuckled at their childishness.

"Now maybe you should get back to the garden, if a game of quidditch was in the offing my guess is that George has already decided the teams and taken everyone else down to the field, get a move on or you'll both be spectators!" The two children looked at each other aghast and James set off at lightening speed back in the direction they had come from screaming, "Bet I beat you Rose!" An indignant snort from her signalled that another argument might ensue when they reached the quidditch field but Harry decided he would let George deal with that, he was still the king of practical jokes and Harry was sure he would have something up his sleeve to teach the boy a lesson. Sure enough when the children arrived at the table for lunch James was sporting a fake black eye and Rose was looking ecstatic, "James go t back first and George gave him a prize for racing but it was a box with a fake punch in it and it got him!" she then began to roll around with laughter and James looked suitably unimpressed, especially when the other Weasley's joined in, but it shut him up anyway.

"George," Ginny scolded softly, "You'd better give me something to get rid of that, he's not walking around with a black eye for the rest of his days," James suddenly looked horrified and George began to chuckle at his expression.

"It'll teach him not to tease the girls, everytime he looks at it he'll remember!"



"I can't walk around like this forever, I...I..."

"Don't worry mate," Ron whispered leaning over to James' left ear, "It'll wear off in a few days, Hugo found one in the storeroom at the shop once and it got him too, lasted about a week I think." A look of relief crossed the elder Potter boy's face but he still seemed quite agitated that he might have to sport it for another seven days.

A sumptuous meal of Roast beef, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding was followed up with pumpkin pie and custard which rendered every member of the family incapable of doing anything for the rest of the afternoon apart from lounging around in the garden. Even the children found it difficult to keep going and most of them enjoyed an afternoon nap under the shade of a large willow tree near the bank of the river. Victoire, who had brought some of her holiday school work with her, volunteered to watch them all while the adults enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the mid spring sunshine. After an hour's rest Harry and Ginny took a leisurely walk along the riverbank at the end of the Burrow's garden sauntering hand in hand they enjoyed the peacefulness of their surroundings without talking to each other and disturbing the tranquil air.

They reached the loveseat at the bottom of the Lovegood land and stopped to rest for a while remembering how they had finally admitted their feelings for one another in the very same spot, "Can you believe it is almost twelve years since Luna and Neville's wedding?" Harry asked and Ginny shook her head, "The best day of my life," he added sheepishly and Ginny began to blush. "I can still remember kissing you on that dance floor and thinking you were only doing it to make Colin jealous! Holding you in my arms that day and dancing with you was what changed my opinion of dancing forever, I keep trying to tell Ron, that dancing with the woman you love is the most magical thing but he just keeps calling me a girl!" Ginny chuckled at him and rolled her eyes.

"How Hermione puts up with him, I'll never know," she said. "I remember you finding me here and sitting down so close to me, I wanted to run, embarrassed by what you had heard me say, but something made me stay, I think I was enjoying being so close to you!"

"When I heard you say those things about me I thought I was dreaming! Imagine if I had never overheard you, my life would be so empty."

"Harry," Ginny said softly.

"It's true, you are my whole world Ginny, you and the children, I never ever dreamed I would have such a perfect and happy life but you...you gave me one, and without it I don't know if I would have survived."

"Harry, what's gotten into you? You sound like you're leaving or something!" she said a slightly nervous tinge to her voice as she realised what she was saying.

"Don't be silly Gin, I just wanted to tell you, that's...that's all," he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips and she felt that familiar tingle in her stomach that Harry still gave her when he touched her in any way. As they pulled apart Ginny asked softly, "Do you ever regret leaving the Ministry?" Harry looked away guiltily. "You looked happy to be among the aurors again last night and I thought to myself that once there would have been one in honour of you, if you hadn't turned it down...for me," she added quietly looking down at her knees.

"Ginny, please stop blaming yourself, I didn't leave the Ministry because of you, well not in the way you think I did, I left for both of us, for me and James just as much as for you. I left because I wanted this perfect life that we have, it was almost snatched away from me and..." he drifted off and turned to look at the river. "But I won't lie to you Gin, I do miss it sometimes, I was telling Charlie the other day, being out there fighting the good fight and getting the bad guys, but for all that I miss it occasionally I have never ever regretted my decision to leave and be with you and the children." He reached out and lifted her chin so she had to look into his eyes, he saw worry in hers, that slight pang of guilt she carried around with her about him leaving the Ministry, one he could never quite eradicate no matter how hard he tried. "Besides, even if I did regret it, you wouldn't let me go back would you?" he chuckled to let her know he was being humorous nevertheless she nodded guiltily and the pang in her eyes intensified. "Ginny Potter, I love you," he said grinning from ear to ear and placing a kiss on her lips again, she responded to his touch and they stayed as they were for a few minutes both thinking of the first time they had kissed on that loveseat many years ago.

Eventually Harry stood up and offered Ginny his hand, "We'd better get back and take those kids back home before James and Rose have another argument, honesty they are just like Ron and Hermione used to be, I'm just waiting for the day she comes out with 'honestly James'!" They both laughed heartily as they made their way back along the riverbank to the Burrow once again holding hands and enjoying that rare luxury of being alone. Sure enough when they reached the Burrow an argument was in full swing between Rose and James but this time Hermione was trying to diffuse the situation and Rose was wearing a rather disgruntled look. Harry and Ginny quickly whisked their children away from the group and waved goodbye to the rest of the family before trooping into the Burrow's kitchen and flooing back to Grimmauld place, Ginny with James and Albus, one in each hand, and Harry with his daughter in his arms.

Later that night after the children had been put to bed and Harry and Ginny were enjoying a little time alone she asked, "Why does Abery want you to go in to the Ministry tomorrow?"

"He didn't really say, just wanted my advice on something with a case that has just come up, needed a few ideas on how to deal with it, he did mention horcruxes and I suppose as he knows I have dealt with them before he probably wants to know anything I can tell him about destroying them." Ginny nodded at him but she felt a slight nervous flutter in her stomach, he had not been in to the auror office once, to her knowledge, since he had turned down the post of head and retired and after their conversation of earlier that day she felt justified in being a little afraid that he would want to return. She didn't share her fears with Harry as she didn't want to stop him from going to see Abery, whatever her worries about Harry going back she could not halt any progress that could be made using her husband's knowledge, he had after all defeated one of the most notorious dark 

wizards of all time. Her stomach still contained butterflies when they went to bed shortly before eleven, Harry sensed that something was wrong but after coaxing her once or twice and getting nothing he relented and placed an arm around her as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Ginny's sleep was anything but peaceful, she was haunted by dreams of losing Harry to a dark wizard in a dual on behalf of the Ministry she tossed and turned, waking often ,and rose early the next morning getting the children ready before Harry had even stirred.