Scorpius was still trying to get his bearings when he saw Albus walking up to him. He smiled and he reached for his boyfriend, laughing when Albus grabbed him and hugged him tight. After all that time, hiding their relationship at school, Albus had now become quite unabashed about showing his affection. Scorpius still tended to get a bit embarrassed, but he went along with it anyway.

Rose and Lily cornered Scorpius the moment he walked through the gate. They apparently, had a lot to talk to him about, much to Albus' irritation. He bore it patiently for about ten minutes and then he started to get a bit antsy. Luckily for him, Frank turned up just then. Albus saw his chance and he dragged Scorpius off to meet his grandparents. He was hoping to get his boyfriend away for a little bit of alone time after that and then there was the small matter of the Christmas gift that he was waiting to give him.

Lily decided that it was time she went back onto the house. Jeremy would be arriving any minute. He was going to come through the Floo because he wasn't old enough to apparate. She was going to see Jeremy after a gap of a week and she was nervous. Lily had been very hesitant about inviting him to the Boxing day party, not sure how he would react to the invitation. It was only when Albus had threatened to write the letter himself that she had got her courage together long enough to write to him.

He was the only friend that she had chosen to invite this year. She knew that Amy and Myra would be a little put out by that, but she would make it up to the somehow. There was no way she was going to let anyone else worm in on her time with Jeremy if she could help it. She had been half afraid that he would make up an excuse and refuse the invitation, but he didn't. He wrote back to her immediately saying that he would be delighted to be her date.

Lily had read that letter over and over, sure that she was seeing things. Had Jeremy really said that he would be her date? She was still asking herself that when the Floo flared and Jeremy stepped out. Lily found it hard not to gawk at him...How is it that I've never seen him in jeans before? she wondered as she took in the snug blue denims paired with a classic white shirt and a dark blue jacket. Jeremy looked...very good and then he smiled and her heart did a little swoop inside her chest.

She smiled back and said hello and then she blushed when she saw the way he was loking at her. There was no way that gaze could be deemed anything other than appreciative.

"You look...lovely," he said and Lily was taken aback. Jeremy had never ever said anything even remotely complementary about about her looks.

"Thanks," she said. And then there was a slightly awkward silence. Lily felt a bit stupid, standing there, not saying anything, but there was something very different about Jeremy today and she was feeling a bit wrong-footed. She was still wracking her brain, trying to think of something to say when Ginny walked in on them.

"So this is your boyfriend!" she said, when Lily introduced them. "I'm so glad to finally meet you. I've never seen Lily this taken by someone," Ginny said as she extended her hand.

Lily cringed. Her mother was just being friendly and she couldn't blame her for coming to the wrong conclusion, but, really did she have to say all that? It was mortifying. What would Jeremy think? She had to correct her mother's assumption.

"No mum, that..." she said when Jeremy grabbed her hand and squeezed, clearly intending to stop her from saying anything further. She was so shocked by the touch that wouldn't have been able to say anything anyway.

"I'm delighted to meet you, Mrs Potter," he said. "You were one of my heroes back when you were playing. Lily tells me we're going to have a game today. I hope you'll join us."

"Of course I will. You play chaser too don't you? I saw you in that game against Gryffindor. We should have an interesting game today, considering that your captain is going to be here as well," Ginny said. Then she heard Molly calling her and decided to make a hasty exit. She had no desire to be coerced into helping her mother cook. Molly didn't need the help. She just wanted her daughter in a place where she wouldn't be able to get away. Despite everything, she still held out hope for Ginny's marriage, "if only she could get her daughter to understand," as she kept telling herself.

Jeremy was very surprised by the news that Stanley was going to be joining them. "How come Stanley's going to be here?" he said to Lily. "I didn't think he even knew any of you guys."

"He's Louis' boyfriend. Didn't you know?" Lily said.

"I had no idea," he said.

Lily realised then that he was still holding her hand. It felt nice and warm, but she couldn't help but question it. First that whole thing about being her date, then the fact that he hadn't let her tell Ginny that he wasn't actually her boyfriend and now this...it was like he was trying to tell her something. She had a pretty good idea what it was, but she couldn't help wishing that he would just say the words...

Jeremy could see Lily's confusion in her face and he knew that he should tell her that he didn't want to be just friends with her anymore. He knew that he should just ask her out and he wanted to. But he was a little too inexperienced at this sort of thing and Lily was so beautiful and they were at her grandparents' house with her whole family and while he'd been brave enough to take her hand, he didn't really know how to proceed.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Lily asked finally. She was the Gryffindor after all.

"Yeah. I just..." Jeremy began when Ron stormed in.

"Where's Ginny?" he said.

"She's upstairs. In her old room. Why? Is something wrong?"

"I need to talk to her," he said and then he ran up the stairs.

Lily frowned, but nothing that her Uncle Ron said or did could interest her for very long, and certainly not now. So she turned back to Jeremy with the question on her face.

"I said I wanted to be your date, I meant it," he said finally.

"Are you asking me out?" Lily said tentatively.

"Yes. I'm also asking you to be my girlfriend...I want more than just a few dates," Jeremy said...and Lily nodded and blushed and looked away, wrecking havoc with his heart in the process. He let go of her hand and pulled her into a hug. Lily sighed as she rested her head against his shoulder...she had pictured this moment many times in her head. It was just as perfect as she had thought it would be.

...

Ginny was surprised to see her brother storm in to her old room.

"What's this about Harry going to work at Hogwarts?" Ron said without any preamble.

Ginny sighed. Right. Of course. Harry had been too preoccupied to tell Ron and Hermione about that and Ron was, very predictably, angry.

"Things have been crazy Ron. He didn't have the time to tell you, that's all."

"I figured that. What I don't get is why he would want to take time off his job to go teach. I don't see how Kingsley gave him the permission to do that. He's Head Auror for crying out loud! He can't just go traipsing off every time he feels like it."

Ginny hadn't been particularly supportive of Harry's decision to go to Hogwarts, but she found herself bristling at Ron's words.

"That is so unfair!" she said. "Harry has never gone traipsing off for anything. He's been very dedicated to his job. And now he's tired of it and he wants a change. I don't understand why he would pick teaching of all things, but that's his choice isn't it? I can't believe that he actually gave up a chance to be the Minister, but again it's his choice."

"But what about the department? I can't believe Kingsley let him do this."

"Actually he didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"He refused to give Harry the time off. So Harry resigned."

"What?! Why would he do that?"

"Because he does not want to be an Auror anymore."

"But the teaching gig is only for six months...at least that's what Jamie told me."

"He says he'll find something else if he has to, but he won't go back to the Ministry. Look, I don't understand it any more than you do, but it's his choice."

"It's the wrong choice!" Ron yelled. "Do you know how many of us in that department wanted to be Head Auror? Do you know how hard we worked and how much we strove for recognition? But when the time came, it was Harry. It's always Harry. Sometimes I think he doesn't value these things because they come to him too easily. I can't believe he's ready to throw it all away. He's going to regret it. Kingsley won't stand for it, you'll see."

Ginny sighed. She began to understand a little of Harry's frustration with the way people expected things of him all the time, not letting him be, always assuming that they knew what was good for him, better than he did. She had been guilty of that too, on plenty of occasions. Now that she was seeing it from the outside, she understood how frustrating it must have been for him.

"Kingsley didn't accept his resignation, if you must know," Ginny said. "But Harry stuck to his guns. Said he's not going to go back to the Ministry no matter what. Kingsley argued with him for hours, but Harry didn't budge. He told him to go look for a new Head Auror. He suggested you, in fact."

Ron couldn't help but be a little flattered by that. But that still didn't mean that he agreed with Harry's decision. Mostly he was angry that Harry had made such a big decision without speaking to him or Hermione...just like he had with the divorce. Harry never used to do that before. And just like that he understood what it was that was bothering him the most. He was feeling left out of Harry's life. They'd always been a team, Harry, Ron and Hermione...sure they'd grown a bit distant over the years, but Harry had never made any big decisions without consulting him and Hermione...and now suddenly he was doing all these unexpected things that he didn't even bother to tell them about. Harry was pulling away from them and Ron simply couldn't bear the idea.

...

Louis was the only one left waiting by the garden gate. Stanley was yet to arrive. He turned around and saw Lily and Jeremy walk out of the house, holding hands and looking totally absorbed in each other. Finally! he thought as he continued to look at them. They made a very good looking couple. Lily was radiant and Jeremy looked a bit bemused, but he couldn't keep from smiling...they were the very picture of a happy couple. Lily won't be able to concentrate on Quidditch today, he thought with a chuckle when he heard the distinct crack of apparition. It was Stanley.

He stood just outside the gate with his hands stuck in his pockets, with a bit of a shy smile on his face. It was a sight that made Louis want to do cart wheels.

"Hello, love," he said as he walked up to Stanley and kissed him softly.

"Hey," Stanley said as he ran his fingers through Louis' hair. "How is it that you get more beautiful every time I see you?

...

A/N: I kept my promise. Time for you to do your bit. I love reviews. They make me smile and they make me want to write. So go on...