*Ginny*

It was finally my turn. My oldest brother took my hand and after the feeling of being pulled like a piece of taffy, we were standing in front of a large hedgerow with a clear view of an imposing estate.

The house had a brown-red brick exterior and high-angled roof with mahogany colored shingles. There was a stone walkway leading towards the green front door. The paint was faded and the wood was obviously not new, but it seemed to have aged with some dignity.

Sirius appeared with Ron. He said to me, "Looks nice, but it's also well laid out from a defensive posture. You have to make fifty yards with no cover to get to the front."

Harry was standing at the front door in the robes he'd been wearing since yesterday, but standing there, he looked… confident. Like the lord of the manor. We got closer and he flashed his gorgeous smile. "Please come in, everyone."

The twins showed no hesitation and Ron and the rest followed them. I waited to be last. Harry took my hand and didn't let go.

"I looked at the plans a few times last autumn," Harry said. "Bedrooms are all upstairs. This is the parlour. Sitting room is to the left and dining to the left, with the kitchen out back. We'll have to see what appliances will work with all of us here. There's also a basement that's pretty open. Big enough to host a dance if we ever wanted."

Harry led me and the rest up the spiral staircase to the first floor. "We have three guest rooms and the master on this level and another two guests above us. Mrs. Weasley, you can have the master."

Mum shook her head. "No dear, it's your house, it's proper for you to take it. Are there any other guest rooms with any double sized beds?"

Sirius said, "The last one on the right has a king, actually. The other two have a pair of singles each as well as one upstairs. The other upstairs has a double standard from the looks of it."

Harry thought and then said, "How about the twins take the double upstairs and Ron get the other one."

Fred said, "Forge, I may pinch you in the middle of the night to make sure it's not me."

"I'm the handsome one, Gred. I thought you knew that, being the smart one."

Mum sighed.

Bill added, "I may bunk with Ron a few nights as well if things aren't too mad around here."

Sirius said, "I already have everything of mine moved into the room on the left here, so Ginny and Fleur can take the first on the right."

Harry said, "Ok, then. Dobby?"

The house elf immediately popped into view. "Dobby is here, Harry Potter. Dobby still thinks a galleon is too bigs a Christmas bonus for the extra company but Dobby won't argue again."

"How's lunch coming?'

"Just cooling a bit, sir."

"Please get everyone's things set up in their rooms." He quickly repeated where everyone had been assigned.

My trunk was already there by the time I walked the ten feet to the door. I had the feeling Dobby had gotten to mine first. I started unpacking my things into the chest of drawers and by the time one drawer was finished, Fleur's things had arrived.

Nearly all her things save the unmentionables needed to be hung up. "Can I ask you what wards you added?" I asked, curiously, while she worked.

She finished putting away an evening gown and turned around. "Oh, zat. Well, if you remember from last Christmas, Veelas have a special magic against werewolves."

It was hard to realize that the Yule Ball was only a year ago. It seemed like five. Hell, after the previous twenty-four hours my last class seemed ages ago.

Fleur continued, "I added a protection that defends against aggressive werewolves. It shouldn't affect your professor when he is not transformed, but anyone transformed or one intending harm should find it very difficult to get in. Fenrir is truly a monster and what he'd do to either of us if he could… I've helped some of the victims but not something I want to dwell on."

I nodded, not pressing her on it. "Well, thank you. I know Harry appreciates it all too."

"Well, we'll be family soon enough."

"So… about that. Did your parents say anything, getting engaged so quickly?"

She grinned, "I will have to find out when

we tell them. Bill and I had been talking for a few weeks… spontaneous is nice in books, but in real life… I wouldn't want to have been surprised with a proposal. Since he hasn't met my mamae it didn't seem to make sense for him to ask them."

"I guess that makes sense. They'd have to trust you either way. It's not like you were going to change your answer if they said something."

"Of course not."

While she finished her clothes, I unpacked the few school books I had taken to read over the break and placed them on top of the end table. The furnishing was sparse, which made sense since it hadn't been lived in. We were lucky with the beds. They were stout and must have been included as part of the previous lease arrangements. The place was almost big enough to be a small inn.

I heard a soft rapping on the door. It was Bill. "Dobby has some sandwiches made up if you two are hungry."

I wasn't until he mentioned it. "Sure, sounds good. And congratulations. Fleur told me."

He smiled. "Thanks, Ginny." Bill paused and then walked over and hugged me. "I'm sorry about Percy. Harry is part of this family. And I made sure he knew that too."

Fleur took Bill's hand. "I'm ready for some food."

"Before Ron eats it all?" he joked.

Everyone in the house was gathered around the table except Mum, who was probably taking that well-deserved rest. Afterwards, Harry led me into the parlour. I saw Dad's Wizarding Wireless sitting there. Harry explained as he turned it on. "Sirius and Bill unpacked a few comforts while Dobby and I were making lunch."

We cuddled under a light blanket and listened to some Christmas tunes. I must have been still tired from the previous night, because I found myself being nudged awake by my mum. The sun was already low in the sky by the time I opened my eyes.

"Ginevra dear, can I have a word with you? Privately?"

Harry let go of me and I followed her up to her room. She shut the door and she put a silencing charm on the door. Mum motioned for me to sit on the bed with her but I stood.

"Dear, I want you to know that your father and I love both you and Harry and Percy had no business saying what he did."

"Why do I think that's not the end of this talk?"

She stared me down and I decided to shut it. "I tolerated you falling asleep with Harry after the tournament and last night because those were both extraordinary circumstances. But you're going to make me question that decision if it's leading you to assume we're going to be ok with inappropriate behaviour."

I bit back my tongue and temper to not make things worse. "Is this about appearances or do you not trust us?"

She sighed. "Appearances matter, Ginny. Percy aside, if people think… it'll make things much more difficult for you when you're older."

"Mum, I'm not a little girl, so stop talking around the subject. You're saying that finding a proper husband may be difficult if they think I'm spoilt."

She nodded hesitantly.

"I doubt my brothers had this conversation." If half the things the twins had hinted at in their social life were true...

"Dear, they didn't have to. It's unfair but that's the way it is."

"Even if that were to happen… and it hasn't yet so everyone can calm down and mind their own business… I really don't see the issue since I'll be with Harry now or in a few years."

"I know you think that now, but either of you could decide differently later, no matter what you feel now. Even with the formal courtship. You're young and still innocent when it comes to the ways of men, fortunately."

I had really had enough and decided to tell her. "Mum, we really haven't talked much about what happened my first year." Before she objected, I said, "And it's fine, really. Harry was great when it came to that. Sharing what happened was one of the ways we grew close.

"Tom Riddle, You-Know-Who, shared with me things that an eleven year old shouldn't have had to see. He used seduction many times in school to get what he wanted. Sometimes just flirting, sometimes more. Towards the end, when I was almost completely gone, I saw how he used people in many ways.

"And it scared me and disgusted me. Harry and I would have started dating earlier, but I asked to wait. Partly because I was afraid what romance would be like after what I had seen and done." I had said my piece and Mum hopefully understood.

She had a genuinely worried look on her face, so I added, "Harry made things all right from the start and I trust him completely. With everything. He'd never do something I didn't want. You look at me and you see fourteen years old. You have to know that I'm really much older than that. So is Harry."

I finally sat down next to her and quieted my voice. "We're trusting Harry to save the world. You may as well trust him and me to do the right thing. Which we are planning on doing. But that is really between us. And I guess a bit of you and Dad and Sirius since we are still underage, but it's my life. We haven't broken any rules that you've given us. As far as the rest of the world, they can sod off."

I was tempted to storm off but I knew we were both hurting. Mum finally looked at me and said, "I suppose you're right. I know Harry is right for you. I need to be ready for you to grow up. But I'm always go to be your mum." I hated it when she said that and my eyes probably showed.

She hugged me somewhat awkwardly. "You'll understand someday, dear. Now run along."

I found Harry, who was looking genuinely worried. "It's ok, luv. Mum and I had a misunderstanding but worked it out. We do that sometimes."

He nodded and hugged me. I sighed. "I haven't been properly kissed in days."

"I thought with your dad…"

Ever the gentleman. Too much. "Thank you, but he's not in any immediate danger and I'm saying it's all right. What do you want, love?"

He smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "You." We snogged for several minutes as I allowed myself let go of everything else. I felt his arms run through my hair and then drift a little lower than before for a moment and then he squeezed me one more time. After seeing all those horrid things, he needed a bit of pleasantness.

"I love you," I whispered, barely speaking into his ear. "And thanks for saving my dad."

He smiled and said, "Our dad."

*Arthur*

I was counting down the minutes until ten o'clock. The mediwitch told me that if I kept down one more meal I could leave. I wanted to get up more than I was allowed, but they had been limiting that to trips to the loo until yesterday. My eggs and toast didn't seem to have any untoward plans so I was just biding my time, ready to see the new place.

Suddenly, Sirius threw open the door. "Time to spring you, Arthur!"

"You're early."

"And when did a timetable ever matter to me?" he said with a grin.

"I'm not complaining. Molly's father always said any time you left St. Mungo's outside of a box was a good day… He was a bit less flippant after his two sons died," I amended.

Sirius nodded. "It was a peaceful time, between Grindelwald and Voldemort. And then we had a short break most of the world enjoyed until recently."

"At Harry's expense. And yours."

Sirius shrugged. "I have resolved to live as fast as I can and try to catch up with the years I lost. But enough of that now. Tomorrow's Christmas!"

We reached the apparition point. Sirius took my hand and and said, "I think you'll like how Harry's place looks."

I closed my eyes and then opened them, finding myself in the front yard of a gorgeous estate. Harry and Ginny met us at the front door, holding hands. Like they belonged there. I put an arm around each one of them in a three-way hug.

My bride was there a moment later. She smiled and then kissed me, probably holding back a little, unsure of my strength. I would make sure to assure her later.

The house was decorated top to bottom. A deep green tree stood in the living room, covered with our mismatch of hand-made ornaments. I saw some chains of popcorn and a few new decorations. I was soon surrounded by the two young couples in the house.

Bill said, "The kids were getting restless so Fleur suggested decorating. It's a nice enough yard, but the wind's been strong and I didn't think a bunch of warming spells cast outside would be unnoticed."

Harry said, "I'm going to ask Neville about some fast-growing options for trees and hedges to set up a windbreak and pay someone to get them started this spring."

"I'm so happy you're back, Dad," my daughter said with a hug. After a bit, Ginny tugged at Harry's arm. "Let's go finish up, dear. Dad doesn't need us all crowding him."

She said to me, "Sorry, we're in the middle of making a Snitch ornament."

"Sure, whatever you're doing. I should be sitting down for a bit."

Ron and Hermione walked in from one of the back rooms. "I'm not spending another minute in the library during my holidays!" my youngest son exclaimed.

"Oh, fine then. I suppose taking a few hours off will be alright. But OWLs will be here before we know it." They saw me and came over.

"Dad, how are you feeling?"

"A bit knackered, but still getting my strength back."

Hermione asked, "Did the stitches work, Mr. Weasley?"

"No, sorry. It was a good idea, but something about that snake' venom, it dissolved them. I'm just glad we don't have to worry about it anymore."

She nodded. "So, two left… well, other than…" she glanced over at Harry.

"Yes." I supposed we'd need to talk with Dumbledore again, which I wasn't feeling keen on. Sirius had a huge row with him outside my room once and he never got around to see me.

It was a pleasant enough afternoon, though being waited on was something I didn't like. Ginny and I chatted while Harry and Molly cooked supper. Him keeping on her good side was one of his smartest moves.

Afterward pudding, Hermione said she had to go. My heart skipped a beat. "I'll apparate with you, Hermione," I volunteered.

Molly rose up, "Arthur Weasley, you'll do no such thing. Healers' orders, no apparition on your own for another week, let alone taking someone side-along." I put on a pouting frown, mainly in jest. She added, "Honestly, risking your health just for a chance to see a working fellyphone."

Bill said, "I'll take care of it."

"You can come over some other time," Hermione said. "Our house is nothing special."

Ron said, "I'm sure it is special. Maybe towards the end of hols or during summer?"

She smiled. "Sure. And Harry, I'm going to borrow these books if that's ok." She was holding such a large stack, I was expecting her to tip over.

Harry said, "Course, anything you want." I looked over and my daughter was halfway in his lap as they put the finishing touches on their ornament. At the moment, Hermione could have asked for the deed to the estate and he would have given it to her without thinking.

"Where'd all those come from?" I asked.

Hermione said, "Mainly Sirius. The Blacks had some very rare editions, though he left out some of them that were rather dark. He thought Harry's place should have a proper library. A few of them were his parents' too. Remus had a few boxes of their effects. There had been no one else to take them at the time and Harry's horrid relatives would have destroyed them."

Bill said, "Ready, then?" She nodded. "I'm going back to my flat tonight, but I'll be over for breakfast. I'm going to try to knock some sense into Percy one more time, maybe Christmas will put him in a better humour."

I hated being pessimistic about such a thing, but I doubted he'd have success. We were all quite a stubborn lot.

Shortly after midnight, my wand lit up and gently hummed as the time alarm I set expired. Molly rolled over and looked at me. "Dear, don't you think this is unnecessary? Ginny was the last one and she hasn't believed in years."

I whispered, "It's the fun of it. And who knows? She also had daydreams about the Boy Who Lived and looked how those turned out," I joked.

"If you insist. I'll help. It wouldn't do for Father Christmas to faint halfway down the stairs."

I cast a silencing charm since I heard whispers coming from Ginny and Fleur's room. We carefully made our way downstairs and I started to place out the presents in everyone's stockings. Molly's jumper count had steadily increased over the last few years with Harry and now Fleur. She had sent a care parcel with that and some goodies to Charlie since he wasn't able to be present. We topped the stockings off with a handful of snacks and treat for each of them as well.

"All done, Molly-wobbles," I said. After she tidied up a little — Ron and the twins had left the wrappings of some snacks out after we had gone to bed — we headed back upstairs. "You know, I'm all woken up now…"

"You're supposed to be taking it easy, Arthur."

"Don't worry, I will," I said cheekily. I made sure to strengthen the silencing charm.

The next morning, Ron was the first one up. The only day of the year that happened. We all took turns tearing into our presents. Without the Hogsmeade trips, the kids were reduced to owl ordering. They seemed to eschew that for nontraditional items.

The twins gave everyone assortments of their own products. Molly wasn't terribly happy but limited her objections. "Just don't use them during class or to disrupt studies."

I received some muggle 'magic tricks'. It was ingenious, both simple and complicated mechanisms that looked like disillusionment and transfiguration spells had been performed. So wonderful.

Harry looked a little embarrassed by his present to Ginny, but she opened it anyway. "A set of Quidditch hoops!" she exclaimed.

"They were to help you practice since it's been cancelled the last two years," he said. "I ordered them in November… they're spelled to shrink for packing. I suppose you can't use them here until it's safer." He looked at me and Sirius and we had to confirm that thought.

"It's ok, Harry. We'll figure something out. And someday we won't have to worry."

He smiled. Ron added, "I can help out whenever you practice."

"Thanks, dear brother. You could probably use the practice too."

"Yeah… hey!"

"Just kidding!"

Harry said, "I think we will be all a bit off once they finally let us play at school again."

Sirius presented Harry with a hand mirror. It seemed like an odd gift for a fifteen year old boy. "This was your Dad's." This caused Harry to look at it a little more intently. "It's part of a set of two-way mirrors. I have the other one. We'd use them to communicate when one of us escaped detention and the other didn't. It got broken when… anyways, I was able to mend it."

Harry smiled at him. "Thanks. Should come in handy."

"I figured Dumbledore wouldn't want you making portkeying out a habit, so this way we can talk whenever."

Bill, who had came in a few minutes ago, interrupted. "Mum, Dad, sorry but Fleur and I will need to miss dinner."

"Something wrong dear?" Molly asked.

"Oh, no, nothing like that. We have an international portkey for noon to France. It was the only one we could get. We'll be gone through New Year's, so please give our regards to Remus and Tonks." He paused and said, "Fleur wants her family to meet her fiance."

Molly shot up and out her hands to her mouth after a moment. "Really?! Congratulations!"

Everyone was smiling. Ginny and Harry looked a little less surprised than the rest of the kids, but Fleur has been sharing a room with Ginny. Fleur smiled and said, "Thank you. Bill proposed last week. We were going to wait but couldn't. And I want him to see my mamae and Gabrielle."

I asked, "Do you have a date in mind?"

Bill said, "Not quite, we'll see what Fleur's family thinks. And there's a lot of other circumstances, so we may need to be flexible. Maybe summer?"

Fleur nodded. "Oui, not any later."

I saw Molly was straining not to say more. Bill excused himself to get Fleur's bags and then they gave a quick goodbye and headed for the Ministry to leave for Paris.

Everyone had a bit of a lie in on Boxing Day. Sirius had somehow won the argument with Molly over arrangements regarding the belated reception for Remus and Tonks. The house elves at Hogwarts were quite bored during the holiday break and ecstatically agreed to make up the feast at the school and then Dobby and Winky, who had been guided to the house already, would bring it in.

Around eleven, Dobby came in with the first tray of appetizers. After carefully placing it on the table, he found Harry. "Harry Potter, sir… Happy Christmas. Dobby made sir a scarf for a present."

The scarf looked as if it has been made by someone who had heard of the concept but never saw the implementation. It was about twice the width it needed to be and was a mixture of lime green, crimson, gold, and bright pink. "Uh, thanks, Dobby," he said politely. "Can you wait one minute?"

Dobby nodded and stood still, squirming a little. Harry went up the stairs and then came back a minute later. "I have a pair of socks for you."

"Socks! Dobby loves socks and Dobby would never think he would be worthy to wear socks that Harry Potter has worn."

Ginny smirked. "I know the feeling Dobby, sometimes I get to wear one of his shirts. Very comfortable."

Harry was a few shades of red at this point. Dobby ended his embarrassment by suddenly saying, "Dobby must go now for the second plate!" And with that, he again disappeared.

Ron said, "Blimey, how much food are they making?"

Fred said, "More than enough, looks like."

"Well, we did cut the guest list somewhat since having to move," George added.

Hermione said, "Too much waste." Sirius has brought her a few minutes earlier, before he went out to get the guests of honor. "And the house elves should be enjoying their holiday."

Ginny argued with her. "They were practically begging for the chance to not be bored. Dobby and Winky and the others are happy helping." House elf treatment had been a point of contention between them.

Finally, Sirius arrived with the newlyweds as well as the bride's parents Ted and Andromeda Tonks. Andromeda was a semi-retired healer and a cousin a few times removed from Sirius. She looked too much like a mix of her sisters Narcissa and Bellatrix, but I didn't want to hold that against her. Ted was a muggleborn. Both of them tended to avoid too much drama.

After the the third or fifth attempt, I was able to get everyone gathered in the main dining room. Sirius was the best man of course so he began.

"Friends and family… well, thanks for coming. Remus and Tonks deserve a much grander spectacle then what we could whip up here, but he was always the less showy of the Marauders. My cousin Nymph…"

"Watch it!" the bride growled.

"Dora, then, for anyone that doesn't want to refer to her by her maiden name, has always brought enough spectacle to any event she wanted to regardless. We could have had a lot of fun in school if you had been in our year.

"But we don't get to pick when we're born and so she missed out on Remus the lad in school. The stories I could tell if Molly wouldn't gut me for giving her passel too many ideas." He smiled and winked at Harry.

"So, here's to the bride and groom. You may not get to choose what curse afflicts you, you may not get to choose your relatives, but you can choose who you love. And I think both of you made the best choices."

Sirius raised his a mug of butterbeer and said, "To the bride and groom!"

We all drank to that toast.

Remus stood up and then said, "Thank you Sirius. You and James were friends I could never have thought I'd have with my own special difficulties. And Dora, you believed in us long after I gave up on finding love. I can't help think of those who couldn't attend, due to the choices of others or their own. One lesson that required many years for me to learn was that when you have real love, of any form, never forsake it."

With that, Tonks stood up and they kissed. She added, "And Harry, thanks for hosting and keeping us all on our toes. There's more than enough to feed a herd of hippogriffs, so let's eat!"

After the initial conversations over all the food, not half of which was eaten, I made my way over to Ted. I never missed a chance to talk to a muggleborn. Hopefully one of them would one day give me a straight answer on rubber ducks.

I did however keep an eye on the twins. Sirius had brought along a few bottles that weren't butterbeer that they didn't need to be getting into. Sirius and them were comparing notes on hijinks from school. "And don't let his manner fool you," he said "Remus thought up or enabled half of 'em."

Remus smiled, "Well, I don't think anyone would believe you came up with the charms for the Map on your own."

Tonks broke in. "It is the quiet ones you have to look out for," she said with a swig of firewhiskey. Her hair turned a bright orange as it burned its way down.

Speaking of which, I had lost track of the youngest four. I stood up as inconspicuous as possible and looked around. My best guess for Ron and Hermione was correct. She was reading a book on the library and Ron was playing at reading a magazine while he read her.

Ginny and Harry weren't on the ground or first floor. Second floor was empty too. I heard muffled sounds behind the door leading to the rooftop porch.

I cracked it open and saw Harry leaning against the guard rail and my daughter's arm around his back. I thought for a moment about letting them be, but the tenseness in the air told me otherwise. "We're missing you two down below. Everything fine?"

Ginny said, "Just getting some air, Dad."

"Sure. I think your mum wants you though. I'd like to talk to Harry for a few moments."

She hesitated but then said, "All right."

Ginny gave him a quick squeeze on the back and then left.

I stood next to Harry for what seemed like minutes, just staring into the horizon as the sun set.

Finally he said, "Dad would've wanted to see Professor Lupin married. He did so much trying to help him feel… normal." He paused and then said, "I miss them. Not that I ever really knew them."

"It's ok to miss them. The holidays can be rough that way."

"Please don't think I'm ungrateful."

"Harry, I'd never think that. If anything, I should be grateful to you. You just saved my life and brought us to your home."

"You did all that first. Look what it got you."

I sighed. "You know Molly had two brothers that died in the first round of this bloody war."

He nodded. "I've heard a bit about it."

"One thing my kids don't know… they were going to be the twins' godfathers. We were going to surprise them after the birth, but they never heard. It tore up Molly and me.

"Harry, I hope that we all make it through this. But then when that maniac was chasing me through the ministry with a snake, more than anything, I was worried what my death was going to do to my family. Including you.'

I stopped and looked him in the face. "Life is too short to live it feeling guilty. You've had more than a lifetime's worth of loss. Never feel bad for how much we all love you, no matter what happens."

He looked back at me. "Some more than others," I added and he smiled. "Molly told me about a talk she had with my daughter. I assume Ginny told you about it." He nodded so I was glad I didn't have to get into that.

"Just in case… just in case I don't get the chance to say this at a better time..." Merlin, this was hard.

"If or when, more likely, you ask Ginny to spend her life with you... if you can't ask me, for whatever reason, know that you have my blessing. I just wanted you to never have any reason to doubt. Just in case something happens."

Harry said, "Thank you. I've been trying to do right by her."

"I know. And you are," I said. "Shall we head back down? Sirius was probably about to start singing."

"That's probably someone's boggart," he joked.

We walked downstairs. Harry's arm found Ginny's waist as Sirius was giving one last toast. "To Remus and Dora! May your life always be rich and full of hope and love."