Author's Note: This chapter is new, but there have also been revisions to nearly every other chapter along with the title change (and new cover image) You may want to go back to the first chapter and reread.

Strawberry Wine Part 9 Elizabeth Waters

Elizabeth Waters loved being at Hogwarts. The first year found the school to be the best thing that ever happened to her. That wasn't really a hard bar, however. Her life had been very rough, especially since her mother died when she was seven. That's when her uncle had really turned on her. She tried to forget about that, as much as she could. It wasn't easy thought. Not with the scars from her beatings, the bones that had to be vanished and regrown because they had healed so bad. At least she no longer felt the change of weather in her practically shattered and not healed right leg.

At the moment, she was headed down to the Quidditch pitch to watch her first real game. It was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and her savior and acting guardian was the Seeker. She'd heard all about Professor Potter's seeking. Some of the Slytherins were complaining that the Professor got to play. They said it was rules lawyering. Elizabeth didn't think it was. The rule had been in existence for centuries, allowing the Head of House to play on the team, and she thought they were just trying to get out of their rightful drubbing. After all, they hadn't beat Gryffindor since Professor Potter came on as a first year, and it was only right that he'd get his full seven years of snatching the snitch from Slytherin.

Elizabeth began waddling up the stairs to the best seats, according to Colin. Colin was the other fifth year prefect with Ginny Weasley, and had been detailed to "ride the pride" of first year lions to the game. Ginny was playing, as was her brother Ron, which really made Colin the best choice left. Gryffindor had six prefects, and Elizabeth liked all of the current ones, since Ginny had replaced Ruth. Ruth wasn't going to be at the game. She was stuck in detention with Filch all Saturday.

Elizabeth really liked Ginny. She was pregnant like Elizabeth. Not as far along, though. Elizabeth was in her sixth month, and Ginny wasn't even really showing yet, at least not with the robes everyone wore. Ginny was fun, always there with a joke and a laugh when she was feeling down. She knew how to get hot chocolate when Elizabeth needed it, and knew exactly what to say when Elizabeth had nightmares. Elizabeth couldn't count the number of times she'd woken up crying and had been held and helped by Ginny.

Then there was her brother Ron. The first years were all his little midgets. The term was one given quite fondly. He was rather light with enforcing the rules, but he made sure that no one was left out. He was fun to talk with, and although none of the first years had beaten him yet in chess, he often had a line waiting. If you played against him, you lost, but you felt better about everything, because he could really find out what was going on, and quite often had a solution to whatever was bothering you, or knew someone who had one.

Ron had secretly whispered to all of his midgets that he was going to marry Hermione Granger some day, after he got the courage to ask her out. It seemed to be the only thing he wasn't lionhearted about, but Elizabeth figured that someday he'd realize that he was actually already dating Hermione, just not calling it that. Elizabeth didn't believe that Hermione was stupid enough not to know.

Hermione Granger was the smart prefect, definitely the one that knew all the rules. Some of the upper years called her an insufferable know-it-all. Elizabeth couldn't see how she could be, not with Ron and Professor Potter as her best friends. And besides, a smart prefect was a good thing, especially when you got stuck with your homework. Of course, you had to make an effort, first, as Ron had been sure to inform them, and then show them. She was pretty sure that Ron had actually started his Charms essay, even though he said he hadn't. That helpless expression was most definitely faked. Hermione's reaction wasn't.

Then there was Colin, and his camera. He'd taken pictures of everyone, and was taking one every couple of days of Elizabeth. He always made sure that Elizabeth's fellow first years wrote home. When he had realized that Elizabeth couldn't write home, not with her situation with her abusive uncle, especially after she'd been officially removed from home, he'd made it his mission to find someone in her family to write to. How he'd turned up her Great Aunt Matilda, Elizabeth figured she would never know, but she had someone to write to now, someone who wrote her back, sharing the good things that had happened. It was too bad that Great Aunt Matilda was in the nursing home.

The two seventh year prefects mostly handled the upper years, which might be why most of her year called them Gareth and the other one. It was Elizabeth's third month at Hogwarts, and she still didn't know the name of the female seventh year prefect, and that was despite a memorable row between her and Hermione. That was kind of strange, actually.

Professor Potter insisted on calling everyone by their first name, which was not what Elizabeth had expected. Hermione had expressed a bit of surprise at that, as well, Elizabeth had heard, but Elizabeth understood why, after that second night at Hogwarts.

Elizabeth remembered that night, when Professor Potter had gathered everyone in the common room. On her first night at Hogwarts, before her sorting, Professor McGonagall had said that your house was like your family. Those were just words. Professor Potter had made those words his own the second night. As they sat there, in front of the hearth, he'd outlined what he was going to be as Head of House. The words wouldn't be forgotten, at least not by Elizabeth.

"Your house is your family, as it should be, not as it might have been. We are Gryffindor, the house of the brave, a pride of lions. We value courage and chivalry. Never let it be said that we are not willing to stand up for the oppressed. Never let it be said that we've left others behind. We should always be there to help each other. I want to know when you have problems, and I want to know that you will always be there for each other.

"That's why I've decided to call you each by your first name. You are family. I do not care if you are sons and daughters of those against the side of my parents in the last war. I do not care if you have a sister, brother, or cousin in Slytherin. You are Gryffindor, not Black, LeStrange, Weasley, or Smith. As head of house, I will be available for you, when I can. When I'm not, your prefects will be, and so will your fellow Gryffindors.

"Some of you will think all of this is something more fitting for Hufflepuff, alone. It is not for just them. It is for all real families. And it is what I expect from Gryffindor. I expect us all to give it our all for our family. After all, that's what my parents did for me."

It was several days before Elizabeth had finally got the courage to ask what everyone else had already known, namely what had happened to Professor Potter's parents. They'd given their lives for him, and as Colin had said, there was no greater love, than that.

Elizabeth reached the top of the stands, and found that Colin had apparently arranged everything for his group of first years. There was caramel coated popcorn and peanuts, and warm pumpkin juice. He'd reserved two rows for them, right at the top of the stand, even with the rings, on the Gryffindor side. The top row had backs to the seat, but the next row down was just a bench. Elizabeth found a seat on the top row, with a bottle of the pumpkin juice and a bag of the popcorn and peanuts beside her, and looked out on the currently empty pitch.

She didn't know much about Quidditch, really, though she had been invited to watch a practice match against "certain noted prior team members." Elizabeth had sat beside Mrs. Weasley in the front row of the same stands for that. She suspected that placement was deliberate, as Elizabeth had spent most of that time talking to Mrs. Weasley about being pregnant, after she'd remarked that she didn't know who to cheer for with five, practically six children in the game.

"Good Afternoon Hogwarts!" came a bit familiar voice echoing over the stands. "Professor McGonagall says I should introduce myself. I'm Luna Lovegood, and I'll be your commentator today. It's Gryffindor versus Slytherin. I understand that someone has borrowed my lion hat for the occasion. At least they asked, unlike the wozzles who took all six pairs of my shoes. Not that's a real problem. I like to go around in bare feet."

She'd heard from Ginny that Luna was going to be the commentator, and that Ginny had insisted that her friend get advice from someone named Lee Jordan. Elizabeth didn't know who that was, but if what she had heard was true, it meant that the Deputy Headmistress was going to be in for some trouble, and everyone would be entertained.

"And now, entering the pitch are the snakes of Slytherin, lead by Captain Urquhart, and his fellow chasers Vaisey and Zabini. Beaters are Crabbe and Goyle. In at Keeper is the first female on the Slytherin team in decades, not counting involuntary temporary sex changes, Bullstrode, and as seeker, Malfoy.

"Keeper and Captain Ron Weasley leads Gryffindor onto the pitch, followed by Seeker Harry Potter, who has told me not to call him anything else in this game. Perhaps he thinks the nargles are going to enforce the defense curse during the game if I mention what he teaches?

"Professor McGonagall says I should continue with the introductions. Peakes and Coote have replaced the Weasley Twins at Beaters, yet somehow there still are two Weasleys on the team, with Ginny Weasley leading the chasers of Bell and Robins. Gryffindor also has two players on standby, Thomas as a Chaser, and McLaggen as a Keeper, though I do hope they won't be needed."

Elizabeth watched the players gather above the pitch though a pair of binoculars that her great aunt had sent. They were recording the game so she could watch later. She could see the seven on Harry's back as he took his position opposite Malfoy.

"I hope Harry gets the snitch, but not too soon," Colin said. "He's got to plow Malfoy at least once."

"I hear he's going to try to get Malfoy called for flacking," one of her fellow first years in Gryffindor, Edwin said.

"I thought that was a Keeper only call," another one, Quintin said.

"The Chudley Seeker got it called on him last week when he blocked a shot by flying through the left hoop. Ron thinks Harry or Ginny can make it happen."

The booming voice of Madam Hooch came suddenly from the pitch. "Now I want a good game, Captains."

"Madam Hooch has released the snitch, and it's immediately hidden itself among vaporous mites. It doesn't look like it's going to favor any seeker today." Hooch tossed up the quaffle and blew her whistle, as Luna continued to narrate the game. "Ginny has the quaffle, passes it to Bell, then Robins, who drops it down to Ginny. 10 - 0 Gryffindor! As Jordan said I should say, take that Snakes."

Elizabeth sat back and followed the quaffle across the pitch, as the seekers appeared to be quartering the pitch. The game was quite even, and it stayed within thirty points, until Ron called for a substitution, something that was only possible after the eighth hour in professional Quidditch, and that was only a recent innovation, according to Edwin at least. It apparently had been long allowed in school games, though rarely practiced.

"Potter is out as Seeker, and Ginny is out as Chaser. Ginny is in as Seeker, and Thomas is in as Chaser. It looks like Malfoy has bitten off something that he didn't like the taste of, as Ginny has pulled some tape off her broom. It seems that someone bought her a Firebolt. Ouch, that had to hurt. Malfoy just clipped the top of the Slytherin hoop while trying to shadow Ginny. And his head blocked Thomas's shot from through the ring. Flacking on Malfoy, two shots for Gryffindor.

"Harry Potter is now in for Robins, Ginny remains at Seeker. Ouch, again. I guess those Nimbus 2001s just can't make the turns as good as the Firebolts, as Malfoy seeks medical attention for dislocating his right shoulder on the hoop post. Ginny's holding up her ring finger, at least I think it's her ring finger. Hard to tell at this distance. It could be the middle. I've played with Ginny at the Burrow when the boys didn't think the girls could fly, and I know what that means. The bingbongs are going really have fun tonight.

"Bumphing called on Crabbe, though I really don't think he was really trying to hit the bludger that way. Harry Potter's shot is good. It looks like the changed line up is effective and the penalties are mounting against Slytherin, 160 - 70 Gryffindor. And now Goyle gets the same call. I think they're aiming at fireflies ... or is it firebolts. Might as well be targeting penny dreadfuls, for all the good it's doing on the pitch.

"Oh, it looks like we're getting some entertainment on the sidelines. Give a round of applause to the dancing flappers of Ravenclaw, brought to you by Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes at ninety-three Diagon Alley. Just letting everyone know where I saw insoles that did that. Oh no, Professor McGonagall, I'm sure I have no idea why they decided to dance on the railing. It's a mystery, just like my missing shoes.

"And back to the pitch, just in time to see Malfoy take a pole to his groin. I'm told that move worked for Charlie when he played a pick up with Lynch last summer in at the dragon preserve in Wales. Someone appears to have watched the omniocular recording quite a bit, and unlike Lynch, Malfoy's not wearing a cup. I'm told that really hurts, and I think he face planted against the pole too. His nose is certainly bleeding.

"Bad timing for Malfoy, too, as it looks like Ginny's found the snitch, and Malfoy is still trying to clear his eyes. And he's off, Stooging called on Urquhart, but it might not matter, as it looks like Ginny's got a clear line, unless she's chasing fireflies too. Her hand is reaching out as Potter takes the penalty shot. It's good, and Ginny has the snitch! 430-90 Gryffindor wins!

"And it looks like Professor Potter is congratulating his team, come on Harry Potter, kiss the girl! It seems the nargles have taken Harry Potter's courage away, at least when it comes to proper celebration."

Elizabeth looked down at her bag of popcorn and peanuts. She'd eaten all but one piece, and hadn't even realized it. She popped it in her mouth, closing her eyes to savor the caramel coated goodness. She still had a rather full bottle of butterbeer, so she decided that she'd finish that off before she returned to the castle. Butterbeer was something that Elizabeth had learnt to savor. She wasn't allowed to have it often. In fact most often she'd found no choice but to have to drink milk, which was not among her drinks of choice at home. In fact, it was something that was rarely if ever in the house.

"Want a ride back to the tower, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes to discover that Ginny Weasley was standing before her with her broom. She'd apparently discarded her outer quidditch robes, leaving her clad in a scarlet tank top with her number on it, and the matching pants. She was barefoot. Without her loose robes, Elizabeth was for the first time able to see that Ginny's pregnancy was showing.

"Yes," Elizabeth replied. "Assuming your broom can handle two pregnant girls."

"Of course it can," Ginny said firmly. "Get on behind me. Harry told me to take the long way around, so I hope you don't mind a tour of the towers of Hogwarts."

Elizabeth clambered on to the broom behind Ginny. It wasn't the first time she'd ridden with anyone, or even the first time she'd ridden with Ginny. Everyone on the Quidditch team had offered the pregnant first year a ride or two. She hadn't been allowed to take Flying, because she was still on the bone repair course at the time, having just had two of her ribs regrown. Madam Hooch had promised a separate class in the spring just for her, after she had her baby.

"So, did you enjoy the game?" Ginny asked as they took off from the Quidditch pitch. Down below the Quidditch team seemed to be heading in a pack off to the school.

"Oh yes. I want to play next year," Elizabeth said. "How come you're not heading back with the rest of the team."

"Harry told me that I'm supposed to make a late entrance," Ginny said. "I think it's because this might be my last game for Gryffindor. He took my robe."

"Oh. So Madam Pomfrey is laying down the law?" The view of the castle from the broom as Ginny arced around the towers was amazing.

"Yes, and I think Harry's in on it. I think he wants me wrapped in soft cloth and protected from all harm."

Elizabeth giggled. "Like that's going to happen."

"Bad enough that I'm having to hide exactly how much I'm showing. Though the cat's out of the bag now. You should have seen Harry staring at my belly after I took off my robe. It was like he'd never seen a pregnant girl before."

"And we know that's not true," Elizabeth said, pressing her pregnant belly up against Ginny's back as they made a slightly skewed turn.

"Yes," Ginny said as they swept by the North Tower. "You know he really wants my baby."

"Why shouldn't he," Elizabeth said. "You know how big he is on family. He wants a real one. I know. He's my guardian now. I've spent hours talking with him about what's going to happen to me. You know he's looking for a house in Devon for the Summer?"

"No, I didn't know that. Harry and I aren't really talking at the moment."

"Cause you're too stubborn to listen. He loves you, and just wants to be involved, really."

"What if I want more?" The words spewed out of Ginny's mouth, as if they'd been held back for ages. "What if I want what we had this summer, forever."

"Have you asked?" Elizabeth said as they came to a stop before the big window of the Gryffindor Common Room. It had swung open, just like it had for their Head of House during the Pillow fight. "Maybe you should."

"Tomorrow," Ginny promised, as they flew into the waiting crowd of Gryffindors.


Harry woke up the morning after the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch game to the sound of someone knocking on his chamber door. He reached out and put on his glasses before he looked at his bedside clock. It was six in the morning, and it sounded like someone had decided to end his plan of sleeping in the morning after Gryffindor's win.

He slid out of his warm bed and put on his robe, making sure it was on right before exiting his bedroom and passing through his parlor to answer the door. When he opened the door, it revealed Ginny Weasley. She was still in her night shirt, a somewhat short number that came down halfway to her knees. He could tell that she wasn't wearing her bra, but she never wore that to bed.

The mother-to-be looked like she hadn't been able to get a very good night's sleep, unlike Harry. "Harry, can we talk?" Ginny said with a nervous tone that he hadn't heard from her since the day she had found out that she was pregnant, before he'd made the offer triggering her innate Weasley stubbornness.

"Come in, Ginny," Harry said, standing back so the prefect could enter. He had no idea what she wanted, but since becoming a professor and Head of Gryffindor, he'd promised himself never to blow of anyone wanting to talk. His first year and the stone had proven to him that you never should cut short or dismiss someone who came to you to talk. Especially when it happened outside of regular hours.

Ginny found a seat in one of the chairs that she and Elizabeth had found. They claimed that it was the most comfortable chairs they have ever sat in. It wasn't to Harry. He found it a bit too firm for his tastes. His own chair was an overstuffed dragon hide corner chair that had been left to Hogwarts following the death of one of his predecessors as Defense Professor.

"Harry, I've been a bitch to you haven't I?" Ginny began. Harry tilted his head slightly. "Don't deny it. I'm having your baby, but I've been going on and on about how I'm not going to burden you with the results of my mistakes. I didn't even let myself hear what you were saying about our baby."

"No, you didn't," Harry said, looking right into Ginny's eyes. "You dismissed my offers to help. You didn't even consider what I wanted. Ginny, I don't have a family really. You know how much I want to have one? When I found out that you were pregnant, the first image that popped into my brain was me holding you while you held our baby, just like the only picture I have of my parents and me together. You're giving me a chance to have that, to be a part of a real family again for the first time in my memory. And you keep saying no."

"I know, and I was wrong," Ginny said, looking down at the floor. "I just couldn't let go of my promise. I practically made a vow that I was safe, and I was sure I was. Apparently Weasleys are just too fertile for a regular strength contraceptive potion. And I'm too headstrong. Once I decided I was going to do this on my own, I couldn't stop. And then, you're a professor now. I don't want to ruin that for you too."

"Actually, I was talking with McGonagall about that," Harry said, moving to the edge of his chair so he could be closer to her. "It would actually be easier if we were together. Especially if we wed."

"Really?" Ginny said, still looking down at her feet. "I didn't think it would be. I didn't think you'd want me, anyway. I mean, I sold the idea of a summer romance to you as an experience, no strings attached. I didn't think you would think of me romantically at all, and I kind of wanted to live the dream. I didn't think anything would happen, not really.

"But it did, and even though I knew it had to end, I didn't want it to. I wanted it to go on, but I told myself I had to let go. I can't though. I keep thinking of all we did this summer, and how it felt with you. I need to hold to my promise. I don't want to be an obligation."

Harry reached across the gap between the chairs, and lifted Ginny's chin, so he could look into her deep brown eyes again. He studied her face. It was stained with the trials of tears down her cheeks. "You're not an obligation, Ginny.

"I never had a romance before you, just a crush and really bad dates. You were bound and determined that I was going to have one, though, to enjoy a little bit of life before I became a professor. You know, you were the first one my age I told about the job? Even Hermione didn't find out until the Welcoming Feast. When you came to me with that plan the next morning, that's when I realized how much I never had growing up.

"You'd promised to give me something normal, something that I hadn't experienced. For once in my life I was going to be enjoying something like any other teenage boy. It could have been a formula, with you doing everything step by step. It wasn't. It was natural, from that first coy invitation to go flying, to that night with the strawberry wine under the moon.

"I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to go. My biggest fear was September, that after enjoying so much time getting to know you I'd have to spend the whole year with you being Miss Weasley, with the gulf of teacher and student between us, and it would never be the same again. You have no idea how much I wanted to stay at the Burrow, enjoying the endless goodbye kisses, and hoping that they weren't really good bye."

"But they had to be," Ginny said. "It was supposed to be a one summer thing, one experience that left you with wonderful memories, but we'd be able to move on, and maybe look at it fondly when we're older. Why couldn't it have ended up that way? You know, we'd go back to that farm by the river, and look at the overgrown field, remembering when it had been freshly plowed, wondering if what we were thinking about was the love or the loss of our innocence."

"Ginny, when it comes to innocence, both of us lost that a long time ago," Harry replied, letting his hand down from Ginny's chin. She kept looking in his eyes. "And I might not have gone into your summer romance plan loving, or even wanting to love you. By time it was over, I didn't want to leave. That wasn't because of what you helped me experience, it was because of you. If it wasn't for me becoming a Professor, we wouldn't have ended our summer romance, just the summer part."

"Really?" Ginny inquired.

For the first time since that summer, he saw that hopeful expression on Ginny, instead of the determined set of her jaw. "Yes, Ginny, and the offer I made in the Hospital Wing is still open." He took her hands in his, and waited for her response, hoping this time that it wouldn't be a rejection, again.

The determination was back, and Ginny met his gaze. "Okay, but I don't want you treating me like some fragile flower. I know I'm pregnant, I'm going to have to stop doing things, but not until I have to." Then Ginny took a deep breath. "And I want to be married before Christmas."

Harry pulled Ginny into his lap, and started to kiss her, ending whatever she planned to say next. He was finally getting what he had always wanted, a family. Ginny had not forgotten anything she'd learned about kissing during the summer, as she straddled him. Her hands started to mess with his sleep tussled hair, as Harry's found her bottom and pushed her baby swollen belly up against him. He didn't know how long they kept up their kissing.

When they broke, and Ginny settled back down in his lap, Harry asked, his hands having discovered something. "No panties, Ginny?"

"I don't have any that fit anymore," Ginny said. "I didn't expect to be expecting this year, so I'm going to have to go without until Christmas, at least."

"Can you get some in Hogsmead?" Harry asked, his hands resting on Ginny's swollen belly. "This is a Hogsmead weekend."

"I barely have the sickles to have my uniforms altered, Harry," Ginny said. "I can go without."

"Nope, I insist that you get all the clothing you need," Harry said. "I'll pay for it. The only place I want you going without is the bedroom. Besides, if you don't get it, I'll tell your mother that you're going to class without proper clothing."

"Oh, that is playing dirty, Harry," Ginny acknowledged the hit. "I'll get the unmentionables. I might even show them to you tonight. Now show me these quarters. If I'm going to be living with you this after Christmas, I want to know what kind of mess I'm going to have to put up."

"I'll have you know that I'm always very neat," Harry replied as Ginny got up from his lap.

"Harry, I have six brothers. Not even Percy kept his room neat enough."

Harry followed Ginny into his bedroom. He had to get the ring from the night stand anyway. They both ended up being late for breakfast, but Ginny had her ring and the biggest smile that Harry had seen on her since the night with the strawberry wine.