WARNING

For my readers who would rather not read the more racy parts of my story, please be sure to skip the very last paragraph before the Author's Note. I will also place a line there to remind you.

To those who do enjoy the more naughty parts of my story, let me apologize in advance. This chapter is not as racy as one would expect given that it is one of the honeymoon chapters. That's right, one of the honeymoon chapters. I expect that the next chapter will have slightly more naughtiness than this one does. This chapter rather took me by surprise ~ I'm not sure why because a lot of what I wrote about are things that I felt/thought on my own honeymoon. Anyway, I digress…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next morning as they prepared to head back to Grimmauld Place to finish packing for their honeymoon, Harry looked on in amusement as Ginny tried to address her kitten. As early in the morning as it was, the kitten could scarcely be bothered to open its eyes and pay attention to Ginny. She was persistent nonetheless.

"Ember, you be a good kitten while I'm gone and try not to forget me. Hermione will take good care of you, but try not to fall too deeply in love with her because, while she is lovely, you are supposed to be my cat, not hers. Oh, and be careful of Crookshanks, he's not always very considerate to Weasley pets."

Unable to resist, Harry asked with an amused smirk, "Isn't Ember a Potter pet?"

Ginny blushed, as she realized just how closely Harry was listening to her conversation with Ember, and said, "Um, yes…you think I'm being ridiculous don't you?"

"No, of course not," Harry said honestly. "I am finding it entertaining, but I used to talk to Hedwig a lot too so I do understand. Mostly, I'm happy that you liked your gift and you'll have someone at home to keep you company when I'm away on Auror missions."

"Do you talk to August?" Ginny asked interestedly.

"Not so much, but now I have you to talk to," Harry said. "I talked to Hedwig most during the summers at the Dursleys' when I was alone and miserable. She was my one connection to the magical world during the summers."

"You still miss her," Ginny said observantly.

"Of course," Harry said, but quickly added, "August is great and I'm sure that, in time, I will have my own special bond with him, but it will be different than what I had with Hedwig. She was a constant part of my childhood from when I was eleven and, when she died, I think the last truly innocent part of me died along with her."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ginny said softly, as she continued stroking Ember's fur.

"It's okay," Harry said awkwardly, he hadn't been prepared for this to turn into such a serious conversation. "Ready?" he asked, eager to get on their way.

"Yes," Ginny said. She picked up the tiny orange kitten and nuzzled him against her cheek. She kissed his tiny head and whispered, "Good-bye." The kitten squirmed and yowled in protest, but curled back into a sleeping ball an instant later when Ginny returned him to the pillow on her bed.

Down in the kitchen, they hugged Mrs. Weasley good-bye and thanked her for the lovely Christmas gathering. Harry explained that, while they preferred not to be disturbed while they were away on their honeymoon, if anyone needed to urgently reach them, Kingsley knew where they were going. Finally they asked that she tell everyone else good-bye for them.

As they walked out into the yard to apparate, Ginny asked, "Kingsley knows where we are going and I still don't?"

Harry smiled at her impatience and explained, "When I approached Kingsley about a portkey application for our honeymoon, I hadn't even decided for sure where I was taking you. He offered the use of a house that belongs to his family. The location sounded perfect to me and it puts Kingsley at ease to be familiar with where we are going."

"Why?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"As Kingsley put it, it is widely known that Harry Potter just got married and his defenses will be down as he honeymoons with his new bride. Having us vacation somewhere that he is familiar with and already has a certain level of security around it, will help him to feel sure that we will be safe on our honeymoon," Harry clarified. Seeing the look on her face, he added, "We will still be alone and there won't be anyone taking surveillance of us or anything. If the location wasn't so perfect, I would have declined, but know that this isn't a compromise. Its going to be amazing. Also, the week will be more relaxing for me if I'm not worrying about Death Eaters following us there."

"Okay," Ginny agreed. "I trust you."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in their bedroom, Harry and Ginny were struggling to make any progress with packing. The problem wasn't the packing itself; it was the temptation to engage in what every newly wedded couple most longed to engage in while alone in their bedroom. Finally, realizing that they were going to shortly run out of time to pack at all, Harry said, "I promise I will take you to bed as soon as we get there, but we need to pack or neither of us are going to have any clothing to wear for the next week."

"I'm failing to see how that would be a problem," Ginny said huskily, as she worked to unbutton Harry's jeans.

"Seriously, Gin," Harry groaned in exasperation. "We have to catch our portkey in half an hour from the Ministry. As much as it pains me to say this, please keep your hands to your self until we get there."

Slightly annoyed at being rebuffed, but able to understand their current predicament, Ginny got down to the business of packing. In fifteen minutes, each felt sure they had everything they needed. Ginny followed Harry down to the kitchen where August liked to sit on a perch near the warm fireplace.

Harry approached the bird with an owl treat. When August took it, Harry stroked the bird's feathers and said, "We'll be gone for about a week. You can stay here or go to The Burrow and keep company with those owls or you can go back to Hogwarts if you want and we'll see you there when term starts." August peered at him wisely, seeming to understand, but made no move to leave his warm perch.

"I'll take care of him if he decided to remain here," Kreacher offered helpfully.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry said, "Ginny and I'll be back in a week for just long enough to get the things we need to take back to school for the rest of the term."

Kreacher turned and grabbed the pot of floo powder and held it out for them. Harry grabbed a handful, threw it into the fire, and said, "The Ministry of Magic," before he disappeared into the green flames. Ginny took a handful and followed directly behind him.

At the Ministry, they made their way to Kingsley's office, where they would take their portkey from. He greeted them jovially and led them into his office. He explained a few things to them about the house and reminded them of the time of their return portkey a week from today. One minute before their departure time, they each grabbed an end of an old rolled-up newspaper. It began to glow bright blue and Harry felt the familiar jerk behind his navel. They landed comfortably on the bed in the master bedroom.

"Where are we?" Ginny asked excitedly, as she jumped up off of the bed and tossed her bag on the floor.

"We are on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands," Harry said. "Come look," he said excitedly, as he pulled her by the arm toward the large windows in the master bedroom. He pulled aside the curtains to reveal a view of clear blue sky, aqua ocean, and white sandy beach.

Ginny gave a whoop of glee as she raced for her bag and proceeded to dump the contents on the bed. She dug through it and pulled from the mess, a bikini. Harry watched in amusement as she begun stripping out of her jeans. "Come on, Harry," Ginny said. "Get your suit on."

"I thought I promised to take you to bed as soon as we got here," Harry teased.

Conflicting emotions flitted across Ginny's face before she sheepishly said, "Do you mind if we just wait until later? It's not that I don't want to, but now that we're here, I just want to go down to the beach."

"It's fine," Harry laughed. "I was expecting you to change your mind anyway."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harry sat on the blanket they had brought down to the beach with them from the house, enjoying the feeling of the hot sun on his skin. He was glad he'd asked Molly to teach him the sun screen charm before they left. They just had to remember to cast it on each other every 8 hours or so to keep their skin from burning. He watched Ginny racing the waves at the water's edge. She looked beautiful and happy. Catching him watching her, she beckoned for him to join her. He walked down to where she was and immediately understood why she was trying to stay dry. While the temperature of the air was a very toasty 75 degrees, the water was almost numbingly cold. He joined Ginny in racing the waves and, after a while, was surprised to find that the water didn't feel quite as cold. He grasped Ginny's hand and said, "Take a walk with me?" She complied and together they walked down the beach at the water's edge enjoying the beauty around them.

"You know," Harry began, "this is the first vacation I've ever been on."

"I kind of figured it might be," Ginny replied. "I've only ever been on a few myself."

"Do you think I planned it okay?" Harry asked self consciously.

"Yes," Ginny said immediately. "This is perfect!"

Harry smiled at her and said, "Good."

As they walked, they picked up shells and interesting rocks and stowed them in Harry's pocket. As they walked, Harry watched Ginny wading in the water, her fiery hair rippling in the breeze, and he felt an odd combination of overwhelming happiness and crippling panic. He marveled for about the millionth time since the ceremony that this beautiful and amazing creature was HIS wife. He felt like the luckiest man alive; and yet, at the same time, he worried about how he could ever be a good enough husband for her. When his background and upbringing were taken into consideration, there was no possible way that he should be a fit husband for anyone, let alone someone like Ginny. She glanced back at him as his thoughts triggered sadness to wash over his features. She came to him then, wrapping her arms around him. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Harry lied, trying valiantly to infuse his tone with brightness.

"Don't lie, you were thinking about something that made you look as sad as I've ever seen you," Ginny said. "Please tell me."

Harry was quiet for a bit; how could he confess to his wife of only three days that he was bound to be a truly rubbish husband? But he owed it to her to be honest. She had remained standing with her arms wrapped around him. Maybe it would be easier to admit his insecurities if he didn't have to look her in the eye. He pulled her more firmly against him before saying, "I'm worried that I'm going to let you down. I don't have the first idea how to be a good husband."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Ginny asked, as she struggled to be released from his embrace.

Harry released her and cast his eyes down to the sand, saying, "Look at how I was brought up. Look at the example I had growing up of a husband. I had a miserable childhood and a really messed up adolescence. How can someone like me possibly be the kind of husband that someone like you deserves?"

Ginny took Harry by the shoulders and said, "Look at me." When he'd raised his head enough so their eyes met, she continued, "Do you love me?"

"Yes," Harry said, "More than anything."

"Are you going to do your best to take care of me and provide for our family?" She asked.

"Yes, of course, but…," Harry stammered.

"Are you going to hurt me?" Ginny asked.

"No," Harry said.

"Harry, being a good husband doesn't come from how you were raised or what your background is. The very fact that you see that your uncle was a lousy role model of what a husband should be improves your chances of not following in his footsteps. You love me and you already take care of me and provide for me; you're doing fine. Being a good husband is what you make of it. If you are determined not to follow in your uncle's footsteps and to leave your past behind you, then I'm confident that you will," Ginny said. "How long have you been worrying about this?"

"A while," Harry answered cryptically.

"I wish you'd told me how you were feeling, "Ginny said. "It makes me sad to think you've been worrying about this all along. I'm your wife now. I expect you to be able to tell me how you're feeling. Okay?"

"Okay," Harry agreed. "But you have to promise the same."

"Of course," Ginny agreed. "I don't want there to ever be secrets between us."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When they returned to the blanket after their walk, Harry offered to go make them some sandwiches and bring them back down to the beach for a late lunch. "Could you bring the book I packed in my bag too?" Ginny asked. Harry nodded and kissed her quickly before setting off. Ginny moved to the edge of the blanket, burying her toes in the warm sand. She picked up a small stick and began doodling in the sand.

She had drawn hers and Harry's initials surrounded by hearts when, without warning, a tiny voice startled her out of her thoughts. A little boy, who couldn't have been older than two, was standing in front of her pointing at the stick.

"Oh, do you want to try?" Ginny asked him kindly. He nodded and she handed him the stick. Ginny watched as he clumsily drew some lines and a circle and laughed delightedly over the results. "Good job," Ginny said encouragingly. The little boy plopped down in the sand next to her and continued his work. Ginny watched him and naturally her thoughts turned to the children she and Harry might have someday. She wondered if Harry had doubts over fatherhood like he had about being a good husband. She hoped not; she'd watched him enough with Teddy and younger students at school to know that he would make an excellent father when the time came.

"Riley!" a frantic voice called from just down the beach. Ginny scanned the shore and could see a woman followed by two children heading toward her but not yet noticing the child.

"Are you Riley?" Ginny asked the boy. He nodded, continuing with his drawing. "He's over here," Ginny yelled to the woman, as she waved her arms to catch her attention.

The women's shoulders sagged in relief as she and the children jogged over to where they sat. Without a glance for Ginny, the woman scooped up the little boy and crushed him to her chest, and said, "Riley, you scared me. You can't wander off like that." Clearly unaffected by her words, the boy struggled to get down from her arms. When she released him, he immediately returned to his drawing. The woman's attention finally focused on Ginny and, in a choked voice, she said, "Thank you. I was so panicked, what if he had wandered out into the water?"

"It was no problem," Ginny assured her. "He appeared and I let him have my stick. I'm just sorry that it hadn't occurred to me to figure out where he came from, it might have saved you some worry."

At this point, Harry appeared carrying Ginny's book and a picnic basket. He cast a questioning glance at Ginny, who immediately said, "This is my husband Harry. We're here on our honeymoon."

"Oh, how lovely!" the woman said. "We'll get out of your hair then. Thanks again."

The woman gathered her children and they started walking back in the direction they'd come from. "Bye, Riley!" Ginny called after the little boy, who grinned back, and waved the stick that was now his, at her. Harry settled back on the blanket as Ginny explained what had transpired while he was away.

As they ate their lunch, Ginny continued to think about having children someday. The last time they had discussed it had been before they'd even been engaged. Curious about if his answers would be the same as before, when marriage and children seemed a more abstract concept to both of them, she decided she'd ask. "Harry, do you want to have kids someday?"

"Definitely," Harry said immediately, with a smile. "Why do you ask? I'm pretty sure I've told you that before."

"You have," Ginny confirmed. "But I thought I'd ask again, now that we're married and children are a much more real possibility than they were before, I was curious."

"Ah," Harry said. "Yes, I want to have kids someday. But first, I want time for it to just be us."

"Me too," Ginny said. "Plus, if I'm serious about playing professional Quidditch, I need to do it before we start having kids." She was quiet for a moment before saying, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Harry replied.

"You were worried earlier about being a terrible husband, are you worried about being a terrible father too?" Ginny asked.

"No," Harry said without hesitation. Ginny was clearly taken back by his response so he continued. "I mean, I'm sure I'll be nervous about becoming a father, but I don't think I'll be awful at it. I grew up without my own father, but since rejoining the magical world when I was eleven, there have been several men who have filled that role a little bit in one way or another. I feel confident in their examples. Besides, if you think about it, even my Uncle Vernon gave me a good example; of course, his was of how not to be a good father. I saw both extremes there; he treated me horribly, but he spoiled Dudley rotten and it didn't do him any favors."

"I'm glad that you aren't worried about being a father," Ginny said. "I've seen you with Teddy and you'll make a great Dad."

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully.

"Do you want boys or girls?" Ginny asked.

"Hopefully, at least one of each," Harry said. "I'd love to have a little girl who looks just like you. And if we had a so, I'd like him to have a brother. I was always very jealous of Ron for having so many brothers when I didn't have a single sibling, let alone a brother."

"A little girl who looks like me, but has your eyes," Ginny said wistfully, "and a little boy that looks just like you." Each smiled absently imagining it in their minds. "You do realize," Ginny said, "that little boys with Potter and Weasley genes are probably going to be a massive undertaking."

"Yes, but it will be worth it," Harry replied with a grin.

"I think so too," Ginny said happily.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

For the next several hours, they continued enjoying the sun, sand, and waves. They even got hot enough that they braved a quick dip in the icy ocean. It felt heavenly to cool their bodies down, but they couldn't bear to stay in for more than ten minutes. Shivering, and textured with goose bumps, they had returned to the blanket to let the sun warm them back up. Harry had fallen asleep and was even snoring lightly. Ginny wasn't sure she had ever seen him quite so at peace. She was lying beside him, reading a muggle novel that Hermione had recommended. Ginny had never been much of a reader, but mostly it was because she didn't have the time. She might have to start making time though; she found that she was very much enjoying the story.

When the sun began to sink toward the horizon and the air began to cool, Ginny looked at Harry sleeping beside her and her heart swelled with love for him. As she watched him sleep, she thought about how different today had been than she'd expected. It hadn't been very long ago that she thought the sole purpose of a honeymoon was endless amounts of shagging. While she very much hoped that would hold true to some extent, she realized now it was so much more than that. A honeymoon was about getting completely comfortable with your new spouse in your new roles as husband and wife before returning home to convince everyone else that your new roles really fit. She and Harry had been fairly comfortable with each other for a while now; but a trip like this introduced a whole new level of intimacy. She had never had Harry so completely to herself. She was seeing him more relaxed and at ease than she ever had. As the week progressed, she fully expected that each would reveal facets of their personalities that the other had never seen before. She also wondered how many habits and quirks Harry had that she'd never been aware of before. The conversations they'd shared today had been just the start of them getting more well acquainted on every level. She loved knowing that there was no one else on earth that either of them were closer to or belonged more fully to than one another.

Finally, she put a hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "Are you ready to head back? It's starting to get cooler."

Harry woke slowly, gradually remembering where they were. He smiled happily at her and said, "Maybe I can take you to bed now?"

Looking down at her salty, sandy body, Ginny replied, "Maybe a shower first?"

"Maybe," Harry agreed, as he studied his own grimy legs.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As it turned out, a shower would have to wait. Once back in the privacy of the house, Harry couldn't wait to help Ginny out of her bikini; and once the bikini lay abandoned on the bedroom floor, things progressed along a natural course. Ginny tried to rid Harry of his swimming trunks as well, but he had other ideas. He kissed her fervently as he nudged her toward the bed. When the backs of her legs hit the edge of the mattress, she let herself fall back onto it. Harry leaned over her body and let his mouth wander away from her mouth. He kissed and licked his way down her neck. He sucked the delicate skin where her neck and shoulder met before trailing kisses down to her breasts. His mouth found one breast and his fingers the other. He repeated the things he'd learned that she liked, earning the high praise it had earned before. Then he tried something new. Harry's teeth lightly bit her sensitive nipple and it sent a jolt of pleasurable shock through her body. As she moaned in enjoyment and anticipation of what was to come, she couldn't help but think about how this was a side of Harry she hadn't seen before. The thought made her smile wider as his mouth traveled down her stomach and eventually laid a kiss on the inside of her right thigh; apparently he was trying all kinds of new things tonight. He slid down to kneel on the floor before her and, as his warm breath registered on her inner thighs, she had time for just one more thought before thought became no longer possible, "Now this is a honeymoon."

Author's Note: As always,thank you for reading. And thank you to all of my readers whose names I have come to know and LOVE to see attached to new messages in my inbox. If you are so inclined, leave me a review or send me an idea. I love to know how I'm doing.

Thank you to all of you who sent suggestions for naming the kitten. I did set up a poll on my profile page but it was so far after the time I finished the last chapter that not many of you saw it. In fact, my beta and I made up almost half the voting population. Three reader suggestions made the list: 1.) Cannon from DukeBrymin (As in Chudley Cannons since the kitten is orange.) 2.) Aureus by BelleDuJour (Aureus means gold in Latin.) 3.) Spark by youdontknowmelikeidlikeyouto (I especially liked this one because it was suggested in reference to H&G's relationship and I had been thinking along the same lines. I had been thinking of Flame. When Spark was suggested my mind immediately jumped to Ember, which is the name that won in the poll. The final name in the poll was Tiger Lily, which the Tiger part came from Ginny 500. So again, thanks.

Finally, lots of thanks to my awesome beta, Terra Ferme for doing an amazing editing job and also for always being willing to talk over ideas with me. You are the best!

If you are still reading this amazingly long author's note, you rock! Thanks!