A/N: Okay I just wanted to say that this was the first fic I completed. The story has been complete for well over a year and posted. Just not on this site. But I didn't go back through and rewrite it to make it actually good. I decided I wanted to leave it the way it was when I first wrote it.

Chapter 3

9 years earlier

Ginny lay against Harry as they talked with Ron and Hermione. It was the trio's final night at Hogwarts and they were making the most of it. The 6th and 7th years had thrown a party that lasted late into the night, the rest of the two years had already turned in due to threats from McGonagall. Ron and Hermione were asking for advice on the planning of their upcoming wedding and, much to Harry's concern, Ginny was telling Hermione what she (Ginny) wanted for her own wedding.

Ron stood, pulling of Hermione's arm. "Come on 'Mione. Let's go to bed" The two made their way up the stairs to Hermione's Head Girl room.

Ginny turned to Harry. "What do you think of them getting married?"

Harry snorted, "I think it's about bloody time they got their heads out of their arses."

"Harry!"

"What? It's true. It took them long enough to get together."

Ginny laughed, "Oh and you have a lot of room to talk, love."

Harry growled at her.

"So what are you going to do now that you are leaving Hogwarts." She asked resting her chin on his chest.

"Well, I got a letter from Wood. He is going to play for the Cannons again this year. He wants me to join the team."

"Really! Congrats Harry. You wanted to play Quidditch."

"Yeah. But I'm not sure about it. I'm thinking about training with the Aurors."

"Harry, don't live your life by using your head. Use your heart. It will never guide you wrong. That's what Charlie always told me, and it hasn't failed me yet. You love Quidditch. I've been up there with you and I've seen the look on your face…You live for that feeling. Don't give it up because of your nobility complex."

Harry nuzzled is head against Ginny's neck, thankful for her and her loud opinion.

"Have you thought about after you get out of school?"

"Well. I want to write. I've always wanted to start a paper. But I also want to get married and have kids."

"You want to get married?"

Ginny laid her head on his chest and nodded. Harry smiled.

"Where?"

"By the stream that runs through the forest behind the Burrow. I'll take you there some time. It's beautiful. I used to sneak out there after everyone went to sleep. There are fairies and night dragons (Think dragon flies that glow different colors). I love it it's so peaceful."

"Sounds wonderful"

"Do you want to get married eventually?"

"Yes. I want a family of my own. I don't want to only be an uncle to Ron and 'Mione's kids. I want my own."

"I already have names picked out"

"Really? Let's hear them"

"I'm going to have twins. I want to name the boy Griffin and the girl Natalie. But I like Thomas too."

"I like those. I also like Carter and Makenna."

"I love those."

Harry's eyes lit up at a sudden thought.

" Hey! Did I tell you I bought a house?" Ginny sat straight up.

"What?"

"I bought a house. Well it's a lot bigger than a house. It has three floors and a basement and it has three towers. Plus I got all the land surrounding it to. It has a stream and a lake. There's also a forest. But the prettiest is the willows. There are hundreds of weeping willow all through the land."

"When did you do this."

"Over Easter break."

Ginny thought about this. "Does it have a name?"

"Yeah. Thorn Hollow."

"Wait a minute. Thorn Hollow? But that's at…That's …"

"I bought the Hollow. Yes it's the one across town from the Burrow." Harry said grinning.

"So that means….."

"I'll be living within walking distance of the Burrow and you, Ron and Hermione can be there as often as you want. I'm going to ask Ron and Hermione if they want to move in until they find a place of their own. I'd ask you too but your Mum might not like that."

"Could I stay there some?" Ginny asked hopefully, positioning herself back in his arms.

Harry kissed her, "You can have your own room there if you want."

Her face fell a bit then he added, "Even though it would only be for show."

Ginny face broke into a huge grin. She lay there thinking, then she sat up. "Briar."

"What?"

"I know what I want to name my kids. I want the first two to be named Griffin Carter Thomas and Makenna Natalie Briar. What do you think?"

"I love them."

"Do you think Mum will let me stay with you at the Hollow with you?"

"Well. I know one thing that will make her let you."

Ginny sat up excited, "Really? What?"

"Hold on a minute."

Harry got up and ran up the stairs to the Head Boy's dorm. Moments later he returned and told Ginny to close her eyes. Harry muttered something and told her to open her eyes. The common room had changed into a wooded area with a stream and hundreds of fairies and night dragons.

Ginny gasped, looking around, "Harry. It's the spot I told you about. How did you know?"

"You're not the only one who goes on night time strolls." He smirked. Ginny was roaming around the area amazed that she could smell the flowers and feel the water.

"But Harry. How is this going to get Mum to let me move to the Hollow?"

"Well. This won't help at all. I just thought you would like this. But this will help." He waved his wand and a night lily appeared in the stream but the bud didn't open. Ginny looked questioningly at Harry. "Go on." He coaxed.

Ginny waded out, knee deep in the cool water, Harry followed. She stooped and her fingers grazed the bud with a feather like touch. The bud bloomed at her touch and Harry stared into her face. Ginny's breath caught and her hand flew to her mouth. There nestled in the petals was a simple white gold ring with a tear-shaped diamond in the middle with a smaller emerald and ruby on each side.

Ginnys gaze flew to Harry. He stepped up to her. "So… Do you like it?"

Ginny could only nod and tears formed in her eyes.

Harry continues nervous, "Ginny Do you know what that is?" She nodded again. Opening her mouth no words came out.

"Ginny." She looked up at him. "Will you?" She continued to stared at him. Harry's eyebrows furrowed. He stepped closer to her and whispered, "Marry Me?"

Ginny came to her senses and looked from the ring to a very nervous Harry. Suddenly her arms flew around him and her sudden weight caused them both to fall into the deeper water. Surfacing Harry looked at the less wet Ginny sitting in his lap and asked, "Is that a Yes?" Ginny's lips were instantly attached to his. Sitting back Ginny's face nearly broke with the wide smile on it and her nodded furiously. "Yes…Yes… I'd love to marry you Harry Potter." Harry picked the flower and handed it to Ginny. He then took the ring from it and slid it onto Ginny's finger, kissing her.

"The flower is charmed. It will never die and it will become a bloom again at command."

After several hours of lying on the bank of the stream, Harry muttered a spell again the common room returned to normal. Taking Ginny's now decorated left hand, Harry led her up the boys stairs to the Head Boy's dorm.

Ginny smiled through the tears. Those had been good times. Times before they hard nearly lost everything. Ginny brought back the memories of Thorn Hollow. The Briar Patch, she thought smiling.

After the end of the school year, Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood with their house mates as the graduating class. Harry traveled with Ron and Ginny back to the Burrow while Hermione returned to her parent's house to spend two weeks there. Mrs. Weasley greeted them at the Burrow door, pulling each into a big hug. That night, the family sat down to dinner and Harry and Ginny timidly announced their engagement. Harry was surprised at the reaction of the brothers. Ron, of course, had already been told, the others were quite surprised. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were happy, Mrs. Weasley had tears in her eyes and Mr. Weasley beamed at Ginny. They knew Harry made her happy and that he loved her and would treat her right. That's all that mattered to them. The boys were a different story. Fred and George began teasing Harry every chance they got. But everyone generally took it well, truthfully because they knew it would happen sooner of later.

The engagement didn't have quite the effect Harry and Ginny had hoped for. Mrs. Weasley still fought the idea of Ginny moving into the Hollow with the Trio. In the end Mrs. Weasley and Ginny made a compromise. Ginny and Ron had explained that times were different and that it was common to find members of the opposite sex living together although they were not married. Mrs. Weasley agreed to letting Ginny move to the Hollow only if she kept clothes at the Burrow and visited regularly.

Ron jumped into the conversation calling out, "Oh mum what are you going on about. We'll all be down here everyday. Honestly, heaven knows Ginny is the only one of us that can cook. Seriously mum, do you think we are going to starve over there, trying to eat mine and Harry's cooking, when we can walk for 30 minutes and eat your cooking?

That brought laughter out of everyone who heard it. It was common knowledge that Hermione Ron and Harry couldn't cook well. Especially Harry and Ron. They had once tried to help Ginny with dinner and ended up setting fire to the kitchen.

The next morning the four set out on the walk to Thorn Hollow. Once they got there, Harry took out his wand and cast a spell in the direction of the gates. The gates opened, letting them onto the grounds. Harry showed the other three around the grounds and then took them to the house.

Ron and Hermione's eyes widened at the sight of it. "Bloody Hell Harry," Ron called, "I thought you said you bought a house and some land."

"I did. This is the house and the land I just showed you is the land I bought."

"That's not a bloody house Harry. That's a ruddy castle."

Harry grinned at Ginny and took her hand pulling her into the house. Once inside Harry told Ron and Hermione that they could live here as long as they wanted.

"Now listen, There are three floors and a basement. Okay the second floor is yours, if you like," Harry explained, gesturing to Ron and Hermione. The top floor is mine and Ginny's. And just to let you know Ron. No we don't have to walk past the second floor at all to get to the third floor. There are separate staircases to go up stairs. But I did want to add things like secret passageways. Way's to get around the house quickly. You know, just in case…" he trailed off, but the others seemed to understand, each nodding their heads.

"Okay, well, lets go. This is your home now to, go explore." Harry and Ginny laughed as Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her from the room.

Harry showed Ginny the different rooms on the ground floor and then took her up a spiral staircase ledding to the third floor. He opened one door farthest from the staircase and Ginny stepped in the room. She spun in astonishment. The room was huge but there wasn't much in it. She turned and looked questioningly at Harry.

"I thought you might want to pick what goes in here. This is the master bedroom. The master bath is through that door, it hasn't been decorated yet either. Plus there are the towers on the south side. Ron and Hermione get the towers on the north side. Nothing on the second and third floors have been decorated. I thought you and Hermione might enjoy doing that. If you don't want to that's okay, I can get someone to do it."

"Oh Harry, I love decorating. I can already think of so much to do." Ginny threw her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him hard.

Several hours later, Ginny and Harry left the master bedroom and Harry showed Ginny the rest of the house. Once they found Ron and Hermione, they went down to the basement. Harry turned to Ron happily, "I already know what to do down here. You are going to train for the Aurors and I got a letter from Wood. He's joined the Cannons…and…well…they need a good see….uhhh." Harry didn't get to finish his statement before being bowled over by two red heads.

"WHAT! You're playing for the Cannons? And you didn't tell me?" was mixed with
"I thought you told me you were training too. You never told me about Wood!"

Harry laughed as the three picked themselves up off the floor. Then the three (Not counting Harry) took their first good look at the basement. It was bare concrete.

"Ummm mate? I don't think I'll be spending to much time down here. But thanks anyways." Ron spoke first after her had calmed down.

"No. NO. No. I didn't exactly get to finish my idea. The basement runs the entire area of the house. So it's pretty big right? It thought that since the village if muggle we could also have some muggle things here. That was we could have electricity and such. Ron, muggles have machines that they work out with. I thought that we could buy all kinds of those and that way we could stay in shape once we start our jobs. But I also wanted to have a muggle arcade"

Hermione spoke up for the first time,"Can we afford all this Harry. I mean, I know what you're talking about and that's expensive."

"Don't worry Hermione. I can take care of almost everything. I'll only need a little help until I start Quidittich."

The four spent several more hours in the house. Mostly decorating or goofing off." Around five oclock they returned to the Burrow for dinner and then took their things back to the Hollow to begin getting settled in.

Once upstairs Harry spoke to Ginny as they unpacked their things, "Gin, you do know your mum will come up here, unexpected, right?" Ginny looked at him and nodded not understanding what he meant. "What I mean is that she is going to make sure you and Ron are in your own rooms. Not sharing rooms with me and Mione."

What Harry meant suddenly dawned on her. "Well what do we do. You know Ron is going to have a fit if you tell him he has to sleep in a different room don't you?"

"I already have a solution that problem. I just wanted you to know that she will do that. Meaning that you both have to have your own rooms and they have to look lived in."

"So you mean we just have to put our things in different rooms. But what happens is mum shows up before we get up and finds us in bed?"

"I've fixed that to." He walked over to a full length mirror in the far corner of the room and grabbed it. The mirror opened and a passage was shown. "This goes straight to your room. There's one just like it going to Ron's from their room. The doors are enchanted to only open to certain people. That way if your door is locked you can get back to your room without Mrs. Weasley ever knowing you weren't in your bed. You just have to keep is slightly messy."

Ginny nodded.