This chapter is kind of a way to test the waters. I'm trying to make sure I don't go from: believable story to being far-fetched. Let me know what you think.

Ch. 9 Recovery

Harry removed the glove from the counter and held it in his hand. It lay across his palm looking old and ragged. If it really was as old as Ollivander had said, it should have fallen apart centuries ago. This meant there must have been magic involved.

'Boom! Crassshhh!' Ron exclaimed suddenly without pretense while flailing his arms in a wild manner. Everyone turned to look at him. 'Sorry. I just thought something spectacular was supposed to happen, so I … I uhh' he silenced at the look that Hermione gave him and he assumed a look more appropriate to a funeral procession. Harry held the glove in his hand. It looked so like a simple leather glove that he gave Ollivander a skeptical look.

'Disbelieving, Mr. Potter? Put it on, that will display its most known power. This I am sure.'

Harry looked at the glove once more and slowly slid his hand into the rough feeling glove, feeling his fingers fit loosely in the sleeves meant for them. The second he latched the clasp around his wrist, the glove disappeared entirely and he felt the glove change to fit his hand snugly. After overcoming the shock of feeling a thousand year old glove shift around his hand, he flexed his hand to feel the glove stretch snugly around his fingers.

The most curious sensation engulfed his hand, he could still feel the glove but he could also feel the air on his skin. When he touched his right hand with his left, it sank to the skin but He could also feel the pressure of the leather glove against his skin.

'That's... That's. ...

'Amazing'' Ginny finished for him. She looked at him and grasped his hand with her own.

'Do you feel the glove?' Harry asked. She shook her head.

'That's really interesting and everything, but that's hardly a substantial power.' Hermione said in a critical voice.

'I only know of one more property. May I, Mr. Potter?'

Harry nodded and Ollivander, at once, grabbed his hand and positioned like it was holding a wand. 'Is this how you hold your wand?' he asked. 'Shape your hand like your holding a wand.'

Harry shaped his hand like he thought it should, feeling foolish, and imagined his wand was there in his hand. His hand jolted is surprise.

No sooner did he imagine himself holding his wand did it appear in his hand in the exact way that Harry preferred. His other hand snapped to his pocket, where his wand should have been, to find it empty. He looked at the wand in his hand. 'Let Go' Ollivander instructed and when Harry did so, the wand disappeared. Harry felt and it had returned to his pocket.

'Ok... well, uh, that's rather remarkable.' Hermione said in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. Ron, however didn't miss her turning slightly pink and chuckled.

'Wand thievery was a particular problem all those centuries ago. This solved that problem.'

Harry tested its capabilities several more times by pretending to point his wand at Ron and each time, it appeared. He even cast a few simple spells to ensure it wasn't an illusion.

'Since it hasn't been properly used in centuries, its full abilities have never been discovered. It is a curious but powerful object.' Ollivander eyed both Harry and the glove with reverence. Harry continued to test the glove allowing Hermione to cast a leg locking curse at him which harry blocked easily with a flick of his wand.

'It isn't the most useful thing I've ever seen' Hermione said examining it in Harry's open hand 'but it is most certainly unique'

Mr. Ollivander insisted on examining Harry's wand proclaiming it to be in pristine condition, and the departed the shop. They wondered down the street admiring the glove. Ron had mentioned its similarity to the sorting hat which they found ironic.

'Old as dirt, ragged as an old book and magical as bucket of pixies; that's what it is'

Hermione found this comment to be tasteless and tacky but Harry had to agree with him. Harry continue to subtly test the Wandcalling, as he had come to dub it because he couldn't think of anything better, and it continued to perform consistently. Before their trip to this jewelry shop, they stopped at a local muggle coffee shop where Ron and Ginny were introduced to the concept of gourmet coffee.

Harry knew of this, but had never had any himself. The Dursley's had made sure that when they had a frozen coffee or latte', Harry did not. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all found something they liked while Ron was revolted by his amaretto flavored coffee.

After leaving they found a secluded alleyway where they could apperate to Abernale St. They arrived on a busy road full of activity. It was sheer luck that they arrived unnoticed because not seconds after their feet hit solid ground, they walked into a muggle man who's head had been turned looking at a teenage girl walking by. They made their way up the street towards their destination. They found Jigar's Jewelry on the corner of a tall white office building.

Several muggles stood staring in the display of the shop talking animatedly. As they approached they heard snippets of what the ecstatic group of muffled were saying.

'...they r supposed to go on sale next week.' One young man was saying. 'It's a new stone found only in Africa.'

'Look Peter, they will be on necklaces too!' A smuggled girl was saying to her less than excited boyfriend.

'Wow Liz.' He replied with a wide unconvincing grin. Liz did not look pleased. Ginny And Hermione walked past the door to inspect for themselves what was causing such a commotion.

'Oh' Hermione said in understanding and turned right around towards the door. Ginny nearly tripped attempting to both follow Hermione and continue on towards the window.

'What are they?' Ron asked

'They are just normal diamonds that are charmed to sparkle a different color at different temperatures.'

Ginny couldn't help but look upset. Harry knew that she had never had jewelry before that she hadn't made herself and certainly not any with diamonds. Harry thought determinedly that this would change by her birthday.

Together they all entered the shop, leaving the muggles outside. The inside was extravagantly decorated with plush leather furniture, 2 large crystal chandaliers, and incredibly large and expensive looking jewelry. Harry, who knew he could afford moat of the things in the shop, felt uneasy when he glanced at some the price tags.

'Welcome, my name is Emmaline' said a middle aged woman behind a nearby counter. 'Can I help you?'

Harry looked back at his friends who gave him encouraging smiles. 'Y -yes ma'am. I was looking for Jigar.' Harry said in as polite and confident voice as he could.

Her polite smile faded 'I guess you don't know - Mr. Dickson, Jigar, passed away some time ago. I bought the store from his widow.'

This presented a problem. He felt sure that if this Jigar character had probably been a wizard or at the very least a squib. But he had no way of knowing if this woman had any knowledge of the wizarding world at all.

'Did he keep any records?' Hermione asked. This was apparently the wrong thing to say because Emmaline did not look happy at her four odd visitors to a store she had owned for years.

'Look, I don't even know who you are, and you show up in my store asking to see the records that the previous owner kept without any reason whatsoever.'

Harry abandoned pretense before the situation got out of hand, 'I'm sorry ma'am. My name is Harry.' He said as kindly as he could. 'You see, I have this letter from my parents telling me to come here for some form of surprise or gift. It says specifically to come here but it doesn't say who to speak to.' Harry held up the letter but held it out her reach as she had made to grab it. 'Our…. case would be unique and sensitive.'

'All we want to see is the records to see if his parents may have left anything.' Ginny said in a kind but insistent voice.

'I never said ….'

'You said the records.' Harry said with a sly smile. She gave him a significant look.

Emmaline motioned for them to follow her around the edge of the counter where they walked into a back store room. The room was dark and dusty. On a small desk was a stack of file folders. A set of shelves held several dust covered boxes. On the opposite wall was a square card table with white playing cards and a glass bottle. Harry noticed the name on the bottle and before it disappeared swiftly. Harry smiled.

'What's the name you're looking for?' she asked taking a box off the shelves and removed the lid. There weren't many files in the box.

'James and Lily Potter.' Hermione said. Emmaline didn't do a double take, lose any color out of her face, or even twitch in any way. Harry admired her resolve. It was stronger than any other person he had ever met.

'I'm sorry but I don't have any contracts for long term layaway under anyone by the name of Potter' She said as she looked back at them. Harry laughed out loud softly causing everyone to look at him. He found this to be the perfect opportunity to test the…

'Check your magical contracts' he said smiling. Emmaline looked at him a few moments before smiling. 'Why did you try and hide it?'

'What?' Ron asked confused.

'Harry what are you doing?' Ginny asked quietly to him.

'I tried to hide because I know that as soon as you take your... whatever it is…with you, I'll have to start accepting magical contracts again.'

Hermione, Ginny, and Ron looked back and forth between the two of them. 'What gave me away?' Emmaline said as she resealed the box and placed it back on the shelf. Harry, using the glove, pointed it at the glass bottle on the table. The name on the bottle faded back into view.

'Butterbeer' Emmaline said. 'I thought I cleared it before you could see. I'm sorry about trying to trick you.' she said in a voice with no hint of apology. 'I just don't want to take magical contracts. Jigar took loads of them and I hated messing with them.'

'Why are going to have to take them once I leave?' Harry asked

She sighed heavily, 'The law says that you may only have one magical contract for long term layaway at a time. I wasn't here when Jigar took your parents contract. But it states in the contract that should they pass away, the contract remains in effect until you fulfill it. So I haven't had to take one the entire time I've owned the shop.'

She stepped over to the small card table and pulled it aside easily. She waved her wand over the expanse of wall next to the floor that had been shielded by the table. A safe appeared that was small but large enough for a quaffle to fit in. She entered the combination and retrieved a small red velvet box no more than two inches across any surface on it and handed it to Harry,

There was no crack in the box, or any way at all for him to open the box. Confused, he handed it to Hermione. She pulled her wand out and pointed it at the box. A patch appeared on it.

'Harry, look!' they all looked at the message that had appeared.

Nice try Harry. This box will not open until it gets what it wants.

It was in his mother's handwriting. He wondered vaguely why she wrote everything. Perhaps his father's was unintelligible.

'I wonder what it wants?' Ron asked scratching his head.

'There is no telling' Ginny said shrugging. 'Whatever it is we can figure it out after lunch.'

'Good point, Gin' Harry said.

They all thanked Emmaline, who instructed them to tell no one that they had fulfilled the magical contract, and they left the jewelry store.

'That little ….' Ron said a word that made Hermione slap him, hard, on the arm.

'Ow!' he took in her expression 'Sorry'

'I agree with him' Ginny said. 'it sure was rude of her to try and keep …. whatever this is.' Ginny said holding the box. She shook it and heard nothing.

'What do you think is in it, Harry?'

'I have no idea.' Harry said placing it in his pocket. 'But let's figure it out later. Ginny's right, I'm starving'

They apparated back to the burrow where they ate a scrumptious lunch provide by Molly. They showed her the items he had been given. She exclaimed at the glove and offered no useful help on the box. For the rest of the day, Harry sat and simply spent time with the best friends he'd ever had….have.

He watched Ron and Hermione lay together on the hearth in front of the fireplace. Despite the fact that had finally admitted their feelings for each other, they still bickered incessantly. The only difference being that now they ended laughing and kissing by the end of it. Some things just won't change he thought to himself.

Have talked bickered themselves nearly into a stupor, Ron and Hermione retired to bed and Ginny was asleep on the couch. Harry sat staring into a fire of his creation, rubbing his temples. A headache had been plaguing him on and off for years but this time was different. He took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. As his eyes unfocused, they seemed to relax.

'I need new glasses' he said aloud as he replaced them and tried to focus his vision. He'd had these pair for so long he'd never considered getting a new prescription. The only reason he got them in the first place was because the school nurse he'd had called the Dursley's for a conference saying that Harry was having to stand at the front of the class to read. Except for a few times when the writing on the overhead had mysteriously become enlarged several hundred percent.

The Dursely's he thought suddenly. He whipped around and grabbed two pieces of parchment. The first he wrote to Dedalus Diggle asking where the Dursley's had been taken. The second however, that sat in front of him on the kitchen table, was as blank then as it was when Harry had picked it up. What did you write to a family who you'd spent nearly your entire life hating adamantly? Harry glanced at his watch, it was just past midnight. He'd been sitting there for over an hour. He finally wrote I'm coming to get you on the parchment. He enveloped it, sealed and addressed it, and set it on the table. As if summoned by his namesake, Hermes landed on the kitchen table and hooted softly. Harry smiled at him.

'What would Percy say if you weren't here in the morning?' The owl hooted at him and snatched the letters off the desk and flew out the window. 'Apparently you don't care.'

'He makes his own deliveries' said a voice behind him. He turned to find Ginny, wrapped in the blanket she had been covered in, standing in the kitchen doorway. 'He was always a little indignant at times'

Harry yawned and said 'Well he is named after the God of Messengers, who tended to be a little eccentric'

'The who?' she asked

He waved his hand airily, 'Oh Hermes the Greek god of messengers. I had to learn about it in elementary school.'

'Oh' she said and then looked out the window at Hermes who had, by then, disappeared into the night. 'Who were those too?'

'Dedalus and the Dursley's' he said moving towards her. Harry very much wanted to kiss her. To put his hands on her hips, pull her close and kiss her. But nerves prevented him from doing so. Ginny, who had no such nervousness, walked up and put her head against his chest. Harry hugged her as she too yawned.

'Let's go to bed' he said softly and she gave a shocked look. 'No, no. that's not what I meant.'

'I know Harry.' She said patting him on the chest.

'I mean... unless you want…' She laughed.

'Trying to catch up are we?'

'Catch up?' Harry asked as they moved towards the sitting room again. 'Catch up to what?'

Using only one finger, she motioned for him to follow. They walked up the stairs creaking with each step, and stopped outside her door. She put a finger over her mouth before kissing him furiously.

'Walk up to your room. Then make these damn stairs stop creaking. Mum and Dad charmed them.' She whispered into his ear before opening and closing her door. Confused, Harry did as she said and walked up to the next landing. He pointed his wand at the stairs which vibrated slightly. Ginny came up , silently, a few seconds later. She opened and closed his door as well and then pointed to the stairs. He pointed his wand at them again.

She grabbed his hand and led him up the now silent stairs to Ron's bedroom door. She flung the door open and a voice, much to high for Ron, said 'What the…'

Hermione and Ron were closely embraced on Ron's bed. Ron's shirt lay discarded on the floor. His hands were around Hermione's waist whose shirt had drifted upward and looked highly disheveled. Ron's hair looked beyond repair and there was a bright bruise on his neck below his ear.

'Ginny, what the hell' Hermione said standing up immediately and straightening her shirt and hair. 'What are you doing?'

She sounded much angrier than she looked. 'Hermione …uhhh… your jeans are' Harry said uneasily

She looked down and squeaked. Her jeans had been unbuttoned and the very top of her underwear had been showing. She turned a deep scarlet as she buttoned them.

'Catch up' Ginny said with effort through her attempts at not laughing.

Ron looked punch drunk on the bed, Harry felt sure that he wasn't really with the conversation. Harry remembered the feeling.

'I'm going to bed' Hermione said sternly and she stormed form the room and down the stairs. This woke Ron up from his uninterested state. 'Hermione, you don't have to go.' He called down the stair but she did not return.

'Damn you' He said pointing his wand at the door which slammed shut.

Ginny burst into laughter and the door reopened. Ron looked abashed and apologized to them before disappearing down the stairs. They walked back down the stairs stopping outside the door to Bill's room.

'So are we going to get the Dursley's tomorrow?' she asked

'Oh no, don't try and change the subject' Harry said with a smile. 'Why did you do that to them?'

'For laughs I suppose. He tortured me for years about boys, I reckon it's my turn.' She said shrugging.

Harry swallowed his fear. 'Or' he paused to put his hands on her hips and pull her slightly closer. 'Maybe you did that to show me what you wanted to catch up on.'

'Ooh Mr. Potter, are you trying to be naughty' she said in bubbly girly voice much unlike her.

Harry laughed losing some of his resolve at the word naughty. He was not very good at this. 'Uhh not really. Just curious which one it was.'

She smiled again and moved close enough to be pressed right up against him. Harry could feel her curve against him in a most alluring way. She moved her head closer to his neck and up to his ear and whispered 'How do you know it wasn't both' and she licked his ear lightly.

She walked down the stairs casting a glance at him over her shoulders. Harry waited before she walked into her room and closed the door to before he shook the chills off like a wet dog trying to rid itself of water. He stepped into Bill's room and dressed for bed. He nearly forgot about the glove, an easy thing to do in retrospect due to its invisibility.

He felt for the clasp and unlatched it. It reappeared and he removed it. The next morning he awoke and went down to breakfast to find two letters on the table. Molly handed him toast and a cup of tea as he set down and unsealed the letters. The first was from his Uncle.

I hate ruddy owls. We are going home. Do not come there, we are tired of your oddities. Your remaining belongings will be burned

Typical Harry thought to himself as he unsealed the second letter.

Dear Harry

Congratulations and thank you. We all owe you everything. Your relatives will be arriving home today at around 2 p.m. They refused to allow us to transport them magically. They are very rude. The enchantments guarding their house has been lifted.

Yours most sincerely

Dedalus

2 p.m. Harry had plenty of time to arrive there before them and ensure they did not dispose of his belongings. He ate his breakfast and was joined by the remainder of the house in short time. Mr. Weasley was the last as he had come in from the yard where he had been at small building where Fred was.

'Everyone, the arrangements for Fred have been finalized. They are set for tomorrow at 11 a.m.'

'Why did it take so long, Dad?' Ginny asked as she grasped Harry's hand under the table.

'Kingsley asked us to wait. He wants to attend personally every funeral of someone who….. was in the battle.' He said trying to find words he could manage to say.

They spent some time deciding on what they should wear. Harry offered to rent them all expensive formalwear but they refused. In the end, George decided that they would all wear casual, everyday clothes as Fred would be.

They dispersed towards their various activities, George chose to remain outside alone for a while. Harry showed the letters to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, all of whom were outraged at the words his uncle had written.

'I say we go there and scare the piss out of him' Ron said putting fist to palm.

'Ron. That would be so unethical. Sinking to the level….'

'I agree' Harry said. Even Ron looked surprised at Harry's decision. 'I'm not going to jinx them or anything' he told Hermione.

'Yea, but he doesn't know that' Ginny said with the same mischievous air Harry had come to expect from Fred and George.

So at a quarter till two, the four of them apparated into the back yard of No. 4 Privet Dr. Harry thought he would never return here, and he was not excited about doing so. Harry used his wand to unlock the back door and they stepped inside. It was exactly as they had left it before Harry's birthday last summer. Harry, not wanting to spend much time here at all, immediately set about rounding up all the things he had left. Hermione had brought her magically spacious beaded bag to store everything in. They had just finished and sat down in the sitting room when they heard a car driving onto the gravel of the driveway.

'Uh oh' Hermione said 'Harry do you want to leave?' she said starting to get up. Harry thought for a moment as he heard the car doors shut and voices creep in through the window.

'No.' he said 'No, I think we will greet my …family.'

They all leaned back in the chairs. Harry however, stood and walked to the center of the room and stood in the center of the room. He heard the door open and Vernon's angry voice rang from the hallway.

'That lot better not have stolen anything from this house.' He said angrily.

'Calm down, Dad. I'm sure it's fine' said a calm and very un-Dudley-ish sounding Dudley.

Vernon was the first to enter the sitting room. He walked nearly 6 feet into the room before stopping dead. He looked at Harry startled at first but immediately recovered to turn instantly puce.

'YOU!' He roared. 'I told you not to come here. Forget how to do as your told, have you?'

Ginny opened her mouth to retort but Harry stopped her.

'Vernon? Who are you shouting at?' Petunian, horse faced and boney, walked into the sitting room. She took one look at Harry and scoffed.

'Leave now' She said sternly. 'Your uncle told you not to come here. This is our home and we will not allow you to be here.'

'Loosen up, Mum, c'mon.' Dudley walked in now carrying two large bags. He had slimmed down considerably since last summer. He smiled widely when he set eyes on Harry. He set the bags down and crossed the room in 3 large strides.

'Harry, it's great to finally see you.' Harry shook Dudley's large hand. The change that he'd detected last summer in Dudley seemed to have blossomed in him and changed him completely. 'Sorry 'bout them. They're still just as stubborn as a couple of boars.'

'Yes I noticed that' Ginny said hotly from a chair.

'Well' Vernon said 'What do you want?'

'It doesn't matter. You told him we would burn his belongings and we are.'

'I know about everything' Harry said looking at Petunia, ignoring his uncle. 'Everything between Severus and you and my Mum.'

'You don't know anything about that boy' She said sharply 'He was awful to me and Lily didn't do anything …'

'She tried to.' Harry said his voice rising ominously. His hands were clasped behind his back and to punctuate his comment, he called his wand and a roaring fire appeared in the fireplace. Harry had a flashback to Arthur blasting it apart. He wondered why the Dursley's never boarded it back up but dismissed the thought immediately.

'She tried to talk to you the day she left for Hogwarts…'

'I told you never to say….' But his voice disappeared. Vernon kept moving his mouth but no sound came out. He was becoming more and more angry by the second.

'Silence, you' Ron said as he put his wand back on his lap. Vernon looked furious at him but did not advance. The thought of Ron's wand apparently kept him at a distance.

'The day she left she tried to get you to stop being angry at her and you called her a freak.' Harry looked at Ron who nodded and removed the silencing charm.

'Dad, leave them alone. If Harry hadn't helped us go into hiding…..'

'Help us!' Petunia shrieked 'It's his fault we had to go in the first place. If he hadn't made that evil one angry, he would have never targeted our family.'

'Targeted your….' Harry began trying to maintain his calm.

'Voldemort didn't target your family' Ginny yelled at her 'he killed your sister. And tried to kill Harry.'

'Well then' Vernon roared 'He should have done it properly and saved us the trouble of dealing with him.'

Ginny made a violent lunge towards him but was stopped by Ron. Despite that fact that she was roughly a third his size, she looked like she was ready to tear Vernon limb from limb.

'Mum, Dad, cool it' Dudley said but they were beyond hearing him.

'Guys, cool it.' Harry said. Ginny stopped struggling against Ron, who had thankfully removed her wand.

'Now you can try and burn my belongings.' Harry said as he resumed his calm stance 'but you'll regret it.'

'Oh I will, will I' Vernon said in mock amusement.

'Yes' he said simply. 'Anyway, we've collected them all anyway. Dudley, you at least seem to be a reasonable person, if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate send me a letter. Just address it to me at The Burrow and it will find me'

But before Dudley could respond, Petunia spoke

'Dudley will not be contacting any of you. Now, for the last time, leave this house.' She punctuated each of the last three words with a stomp of her foot as Harry turned around to face the fireplace. He decided to put his wand down so his anger wouldn't make him do something foolish. He had nearly set it down when Petunia continued speaking

'And take your friends and your whore with you!'

Harry froze, Hermione gasped, Ginny put her hand to her mouth, and Ron's ears turned instantly red. Harry was still holding his wand in his hand which shook violently. The fire in front of slowly grew and turned a dangerous blue.

He turned and slowly with his eyes closed attempting to keep his fury reigned in. He opened them and stared straight in his Aunt and Uncle's face. They each took a step back at the look Harry was giving them. Harry couldn't ever remember being so furious. Hewalked towards his Aunt and Uncle with slow deliberate steps. The closer he approached, the less angry they were and the more frightened they became. He spoke to them with an icy smooth voice.

'I made sure that you weren't murdered and this is how you repay me? I saved your son's life once and this is how you repay me? You do realize that we didn't catch all of them, don't you? No one has come here yet, but when someone does come here to kill you, and rest assured that they will,' Harry stopped and touched his wand to the tip of Vernon's nose. 'Think about this. Will anyone come to help you if you ask?'

Harry watched as the gravity of these words sunk in. He could practically see the cogs twisting, probably knocking off the cobwebs. 'We're leaving' Harry said. Hermione immediately grabbed her bag and walked across the room and grabbed Ginny and Ron both by the shoulder and apparated, right out of the sitting room.

Harry watched them go. Once they had gone, Harry removed his wand from Vernon's nose. 'See yah, Dudley' He gave his uncle one more look and then apparated as well. He arrived on the lawn a second later. Ginny was apparently upset because the second his feet hit ground her heard...

Ginny was stomping a path into the grass in the lawn of the Burrow. It was a good thing that Ron had grabbed her wand. Who the hell was she anyway?

'That dog-faced BITCH!' she roared to no one in particular.

'Ginny it's… oh thank god, Harry. Calm her down!' Ron demanded

Ginny whipped around. Harry had apparated into the lawn and looked upset as well. One look at her however, and his expression shifted to an apologetic one. Ginny ran and hugged him. She was not upset that she had been called a whore. She was mad that she couldn't do anything to her for it. Allowing Harry to hug her tightly was very soothing however, and went a long way to sooth her notion of hexing that foul woman until her overlarge nose fell off.

'Ginny I'm so sorry' Harry said quickly. 'I'm so sorry she called you that.'

'It's not your fault, Harry. And I'm not upset about that' Ginny said relaxing at the feel of his arms wrap around his shoulders.

'I'm sure. Your pleasant description of her tipped me off.' Harry said causing her to laugh.

'No really I'm not.' She said held onto Harry. 'I'm just mad I didn't get to hex her into oblivion.'

This time Harry laughed. Ron was now sitting on the ground looking relieved, probably because he'd managed to wrangle with Ginny without receiving any injury himself. After a few minutes of continued bashing of Harry's aunt and uncle, they went back into the house. Harry went into the sitting room and sat down in a chair and closed his eyes. Ron and Hermione stayed outside with Molly, who was trimming the outside shrubs with her wand, so they could tell her how it had went.

Ginny went upstairs to shower. She was tense to the point of pain and knew the only way to calm her overexcited nerves was a nice hot shower. She grabbed a change of clothes and her bag of toiletries of her dresser. When she took her bathrobe of the hook in the closet, she saw something she had nearly forgotten about.

On a hanger in her closet was a piece of clothing that she had given very little thought. A single piece of lace and silk hung there. Fleur had given it to her when she found out that Ginny and Harry were dating. She remembered opening the parcel in her dormitory and feeling her face get hot when she saw what it was. She also remembered thinking that, at the time, the chance of her and Harry having a real relationship was small because of the war.

She stared at the fabric for a long time before, previous anger all forgotten to be replaced by nervousness and curiosity, she finally grabbed it, hid it in her robe, and left her room. She would never know if she'd have the courage to wear something like that if she didn't even know what it looked like on her. She got to the bathroom and decided to shower first. She would probably need courage just to hold it up in the mirror.

She finished her shower, dried off, and brushed her hair. When she had no other pretense for not putting it on, she sat down on the edge of the shower and just looked at it. She spent hours, at this point, thinking about being with Harry and what that could mean. She knew she was ready for the physical aspects being with a man could mean, but no matter how sure she was, still nervous about it.

She had decided that she would be with him, fully, before she left for Hogwarts. Since that was in September, she felt that she had plenty of time. She could wait and she knew the he would wait for her. But every time they were alone, she felt as if she held no control over her own actions. Also, Harry was right, at rate Ron and Hermione were going, they'd be shagging all over the place by the end of the month.

Ginny knew that Hermione was ready and had been ready for years. She had nearly been with Krum while they were at Hogwarts, but the only thing that she could think about was Ron so she couldn't go through with it. Ginny had only ever thought about Harry in that way. Even when she had been dating Michael or Dean, she couldn't imagine giving herself to either of them.

Ginny stood and removed her towel. She picked up the negligee and slid it over her head and past her hips. She was embarrassed even to see herself in such clothing, even alone. It was cut in the front so that a great deal of cleavage and curvature of her breasts showed, the skirt was cut high enough that
"a light breeze would spill the rest of her secrets" as her Mym would say.

She removed the risqué clothing before she could get any more embarrassed and dressed in long night pants and a simple t-shirt. She went downstairs where George and Ron were playing chess and Hermione was nose deep in a book, for a change. Ron's chessmen were mercilessly beating George.

'No get him, get him' George was encouraging his rook but it fell easily to Ron's knight. 'You git' but Ron merely laughed. She stood in the kitchen for a moment. Her mother and father sat outside on a park bench her father had conjured in front of Fred. They looked so peaceful together sitting under a tree in the yard of their home. Ginny knew that they weren't though. All of them had cried off and on over the last few days.

Ginny put this thought aside and shuffled those emotions away. There would much sadness tomorrow so there was no point in diving into it now. She asked Ron where Harry was and Ron pointed vaguely to through the kitchen door. She stepped through the door and found Harry fast asleep. He was sitting in an armchair, his head was lolled off to one side, and he fingers were intertwined and lay on his stomach.

He looked so peaceful that she didn't want to wake him, but she knew that if he stayed like that for long, his neck would hurt terribly when he woke. She strode across the room and grabbed a pillow of the couch. She put a hand on his head and as slowly and gently as possible tried to lift his head the few inches necessary to place the pillow under it.

Once she had succeeded, she sat on the floor at his feet and laid her head on his knees. Soon after, she drifted off to sleep. Sometime later or maybe not long at all, she felt as if she was being carried somewhere.

Harry woke with a start. He heard Ron going on about his bishop being a useless prat. He shifted slightly and noticed that a pillow had appeared under his head and a head had appeared on his knees. Ginny had laid down her head and drifted off to sleep. He smiled as ran a hand through her long red hair.

He bent down and wrapped his arms under her legs and around her back and lifted her off the ground. He placed her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. She murmured his name, just once clearly. He smiled widely at the sight of her. This beautiful girl had chosen him and it still took his breath away. Through all the pain, all the fighting and loss, she had continued to feel for him. He had taken years to open his eyes, and still she stayed. He had left her once only to come back a year later, and she took him back without question.

He did not deserve her. But he wouldn't never leave her. He grabbed a pillow off the floor and set it on the ground beside the couch. He laid down and stared up at her for what seemed like hours.

'Arthur, look at them' Molly said. 'They look so peaceful together.' If they weren't asleep, should would go hug the both of them.

'Yes, Molly dearest. They do.'

'Do you think we should wake them?'

'No, it's late. Let them sleep' Arthur said hugging his wife from behind.

'But, for god's sakes, he's laying on the floor. Shouldn't we…'

'No dear. Let them be.'

'Arthur, she loves him. You know that, right?' Molly said turning to look at her husband.

'Yes, I suppose I can see that. She certainly is serious about him. Did Ron tell you what happened today?'

'Yes, and I was so proud of him.' Molly said. She had been just as shocked to find out about what the Dursley's had said about her daughter. She had half a mind to go speak to them herself, but Ron had assured her that Harry had taken care of it.

'Me too' Arthur said. 'Any of our boys would have gone mental.'

'Arthur are you sure…'

'Yes, Molly I'm sure. Now, let's retire ourselves. We will need our rest for tomorrow.'

Molly nodded solemnly and they too retired leaving Harry and their youngest child and only daughter, asleep, alone, in the sitting room thinking that she was luckier than she knew.