A/N R-rating alert...
CQ
Chapter Twenty Six: Pigs Will Fly
The twins had unveiled their newest developed product on the unsuspecting bride and groom, multicolored confetti that turned into multi-colored pigs, complete with realistic oinks and wings that fluttered about the happy pair. For some reason, Penelope dissolved into gales of laughter, and Percy flushed wildly before he hustled her off into the Bentley that her parents had rented for the day.
"What was that all about?" Ginny asked the twins, who approached after the happy couples leave-taking with rather self-satisfied looks on their faces.
"What?"
"Penelope... she didn't seem too upset at you two unleashing flying pigs on her on her wedding day."
"Hmm... inside joke..." Fred began, only to look about him at the patiently waiting faces. "What?"
"You haven't had an 'inside joke' since you were in the womb... out with it," Ginny said.
George giggled like a girl. "It's just..."
"We rather got hold of information on Percy's first proposal..."
"His first proposal?" Harry caught onto that.
"Yes, well... the first time he proposed, apparently, Penelope knocked him back. It was when he was on the outs with the family... before your fifth year, Harry, when he was being such a git..."
"And?" Ginny asked impatiently.
"And... Penelope told him she'd marry him... when pigs flew..." George giggled.
"Ah..."
"Perc' was a bit put out, as I understand it," Fred continued. "And told her that he'd ask again, when pigs flew... and she threw back at him that no, he'd ask again when he got his head out of his arse and apologised to Mum, and not before."
"I knew I liked that girl," Ginny nodded approvingly.
"As it was, we rather thought the 'Pigs Fly Confetti' was an appropriate send off..."
"Where were they off to, anyhow?" Ginny asked. "I thought they were staying here at the hotel for tonight?"
"Hmm... funny thing that..." Fred smiled. "The happy couple got a honeymoon for a gift... a week at a cottage in France..."
"Who gave them that?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"Well, that would be our resident fairy godfather, wouldn't it?" Fred nodded in Harry's direction.
Harry turned bright red. Ginny rounded on him.
"You gave them a honeymoon?" she asked in a hushed sort of voice. The sort of voice that made it difficult for Harry to gauge her reaction.
"Um... I rather thought... you and Hermione were saying that it was a shame that Penny wasn't getting... I just..."
"Oh, Harry!" Ginny threw her arms around him.
"It's only a week... It's not like..." he stammered. "It's just a cottage in France... nothing spectacular... it was Sirius'... and when he died..."
"Thank you, Harry."
"For what?"
"For doing something nice for my brother and his wife. Even after he's been such a royal prat to you. I like it when you do nice things," Ginny's eyes smouldered.
Harry suddenly felt a very real need to head for home. Ginny was pleased.
"What I want to know..." Hermione eyed the twins suspiciously. "Is how you knew what was said the first time Percy proposed?"
"Oh, easy..." Fred waved a hand dismissively. "We were testing the 'BugsAbout'... you know... those little charmed bugs that record and report back what they've heard..."
"Fred! George! You were spying?" Hermione looked horrified.
"Hey, we got the idea from you..." George said indignantly.
"Me?" It was Hermione's turn to look horrified.
"Yes... after we heard what you did to Rita Skeeter, we decided she was onto something..."
"Fred? Are you telling me that you've developed bugs that... look like bugs... but are really... recording devices?" Harry paled at the thought.
"Relax, mate... limited supply... never released to the public," Fred nodded, understanding where Harry was going with this.
"Yeah," George smirked. "They're only for our own private use. Spying on git brothers... and little sisters..."
He grinned evilly at Ginny, and then turned all-too-knowing eyes on Harry.
"Amazing what they can pick up, actually."
Harry gulped. It really was time to head for home.
Harry was climbing into bed and about to set the privacy and locking charms on his room when the door creaked open and closed, admitting no one... or so it seemed.
"Bloody hell!" Ginny pulled Harry's invisibility cloak off her head, leaving her hair in a tangled mess over her face.
"Ginny?"
"Hello," she smiled. "It's hot under there."
"Hot?"
"Well... when you've been under it for half an hour..."
"Half an hour?"
"Do you have to repeat everything I say, Harry?"
"I'm... um... why were you under the cloak for a half an hour?"
"Waiting."
"For what?"
"For my git-like brothers to take their ruddy 'BugsAbout' and go."
"Fred and George?"
"Hmm," she agreed. "They were waiting downstairs... until they heard something... at which point they were planning on storming in here and..."
"Oh," Harry flushed.
"'Oh' is right," Ginny looked highly put out. "They won't be doing that again."
"Why?" Harry almost feared the answer.
"Because I took one of their bloody bugs into the bathroom, put up a silencing charm, and screamed every obscenity I could think of into it at top volume..." she said, a rather nasty grin playing about her lips. "And then I very politely told them to collect their nasty little vermin and go."
Harry smiled.
"I would imagine their ears are still ringing."
Harry couldn't help it, he broke out laughing. "And... did they leave?"
"Oh, yes..." Ginny stepped forward, then looked down, getting a positively nasty look in her eye as she put one foot forward and...
Crunch.
"What was that?"
"One that won't be reporting back," Ginny said calmly, dropping the Invisibility Cloak and smiling as Harry gasped. Her pale skin glowed in the candlelight, and she looked at him, an eyebrow cocked.
"Well?"
"Well, what?" Harry glanced up to her eyes, but couldn't keep his eyes there... he wanted to drink her in.
"Are you going to set those privacy and locking charms?"
"Oh, yes..." Harry muttered the charms and dropped his wand on the bedside table. "Done..."
"Hmm," Ginny agreed, moving into his arms.
It was a very long night... but in only the best of ways.
The following morning dawned bright, and Harry looked forward to a full day before returning to the school.
Rolling over, he saw Ginny, her eyes closed and her hair spread across his pillow. He would be perfectly happy if he could always wake this way. That thought led him down a path that he was perfectly willing to explore, until there was a soft knock on his door.
Ginny slept on, so Harry quickly rose and pulled on a pair of pants, releasing the wards on the room as he reached for the door handle. Opening it an inch, he looked out.
"Good morning, Harry," Hermione whispered.
"Hermione..." Harry glanced over his shoulder at the redhead in his bed. "What time is it?"
"Just past seven, but Molly is going to arrive soon... she said she'd be here before seven thirty... I... I thought I should warn you," Hermione looked pointedly at the door.
"I... thanks, Mione... I appreciate it," Harry whispered.
"I'll see you downstairs," she turned away. "I'll put on tea."
"Thanks..."
Closing the door, he made his way back to the bed and crawled in beside Ginny, still wearing his jeans. He kissed her temple and smiled as she stirred. He didn't want to wake her... at least, he didn't want to wake her and rush her off. He wanted...
Well, he knew what he wanted, but Molly Weasley would certainly lose her string if he suggested it. At least, if he suggested it before Ginny graduated.
The problem was, he didn't know if he could wait. He didn't know if he had enough time... And that was the crux of it. Time. They were out of it, and there was so much he wanted to do. With Ginny, with the others... there was a life to be lived... and he didn't know if he was going to have the opportunity.
He thought about her, imagining her smiling up at him as Penelope had smiled up at Percy yesterday. Images shot through his mind at lightning speed... Ginny dressed in white... Ginny in Potter Manor... walking about the grounds...
... with a red-headed baby in her arms...
He sighed, knowing that to achieve any of that, there were things he must do first... that they must do first.
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered into her ear.
"Harry..." her eyes opened and she smiled. "Good morning."
"I hate to rush you, but you need to get up. Your mum will be arriving soon."
"Oh!" Ginny shot up and hurriedly kissed him on the cheek. "What time is it?"
"Just past seven," Harry rose and picked up his Invisibility Cloak from where she'd dropped it the night before. "Here..."
Wrapping her in it so only her face was exposed, he smiled and kissed her lightly on the nose. "I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes. Hermione is making tea."
"Hermione is up? You've been up?" Ginny looked oddly at him.
"She knocked a few minutes ago... she wanted to make sure we were up."
"I'll thank her later..." Ginny said. Harry noticed the odd shadow in her eyes, and noted as it disappeared.
"Gin?"
"Hmm?"
"What's wrong?"
"I don't like this... I don't like..."
Harry was silent, waiting.
"I don't like keeping this from my family, Harry... I know I have to. Mum would... well... but I really don't like sneaking about."
"Neither do I, Ginny," he said softly. "If you want to tell them..."
"That wouldn't go over well with my parents, Harry," she laughed. "By the way, Harry and I are..."
"Getting married?" Harry interjected.
Ginny was silent, her eyes round.
Harry watched her closely.
"Harry?"
"It's something to think about, Ginny. I don't like... I don't want..." Harry sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I want you with me. I know that you're only sixteen... I know that..."
"I love you," she said.
"I know," he smiled. "You have no idea of the strength that that gives me."
"I..."
"I don't want you to jump into anything, Gin... but understand this... I intend to be with you for a long, long time. And I have no objection to your family knowing that. As a matter of fact, I told Bill that Friday night."
"You what?"
"Bill was waiting for me here when I got out of the shower before bed on Friday night... I heard someone come in the room and I thought it was you, so I called out from the bath. He was... concerned."
"Concerned?"
"He was suspicious when your mum told him you were staying here instead of at home. He came to check things out, I guess."
"What did he say to you?" her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Nothing I wouldn't have said in his place," Harry touched her cheek. "My point is, Bill knows, Ron knows, and you can bet the twins know... there is no reason for us to keep things from anyone, if you don't want to."
"Thank you, Harry," she said, standing again. "But I don't know that my mother is ready to hear what I have to say."
"It's your call," he nodded, watching as she made her way to the door.
"Downstairs... tea... ten minutes," she smiled, opened the door and slipped through, the cloak pulled over her head.
Harry quickly showered and dressed, then made his way down to the kitchens. He found Hermione standing at the counter, drinking a cup of tea.
"Morning," Harry smiled, sitting down at one of the high stools next to her. She set her cup down and poured one for him, pushing it towards him wordlessly.
"You okay?" he asked, concerned at her silence.
"I'm fine," she smiled, picking up her tea again.
"You're... quiet."
"Harry..."
"Morning," Ron ambled into the room, shirtless and hair rumpled. He leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on Hermione's neck. Harry's eyebrows rose.
Hermione blushed.
"Ah..." Harry nodded with understanding as he looked at his two best friends. "Alrighty then..."
"What?" Ron looked at Harry, his eyes still full of sleep.
"Nothing... nothing... did you sleep well, Ron?"
Ron flushed, "Did you?"
"Exceptionally well, actually..." Harry grinned into his tea, glancing up as the door opened.
All three stared, slack jawed, as Tonks came into the room wearing Remus' shirt and a smile.
"Tonks?" Ron choked out.
"Morning, all..." she smiled as she spotted the tea pot. "Mmmm... tea.."
"Ummm... Tonks?" Hermione watched as the older witch came around the counter, took down two mugs and poured tea. "Molly will be here shortly..."
"Hmmm... yes... I'm just getting Remus a cuppa... he's rather tired this morning," she winked as she padded on bare feet back out through the doorway, the two mugs in her hands.
The three of them traded looks.
"Molly does not need to know that..." Hermione said.
"Molly doesn't need to know... what?" Mrs Weasley entered the kitchens, her arms full of food.
"Umm..." Hermione flushed.
"If you mean Tonks, love, I ran into her in the hall."
"Oh..."
"Remus is a grown man, Hermione... what he gets up to..."
"I see," Hermione's cheeks were bright. "Well... I'll just go shower, shall I?"
"Hmmm... me too..." Ron shot through the door after her.
Harry took a deep breath and turned to Molly.
"Good morning, Mrs Weasley,"
"Good morning, Harry. Sleep well?"
"Yes. Very well, thanks. Your company all gone then?"
"Oh, no, love... it's far too early for them to be up. I'm rather surprised to find you all up. I thought you'd sleep until noon, and I'd have to come and drag you out of your beds..."
Harry rather thought it was a good thing that Hermione was an early riser, or Molly might well have had two shocks that morning.
"Mrs Weasley..."
"What's wrong, Harry?"
"I... I'd kind of like to talk to you..."
"Good morning!" they turned to see Penelope's elderly grandfather standing in the doorway.
"Good morning, Mr Clearwater," Harry nodded.
"Lovely day, lovely day... I must say, we do appreciate your putting us up, Mr Potter..."
"Harry, please," Harry sighed, resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to have an opportunity to talk to Molly. And perhaps that was for the best... for now.
Molly began breakfast preparations after telling Harry that the guests from the Burrow would also be arriving to join the meal with them, as Harry's dining room was much larger than the one at the Burrow, and Harry left her and Mr Clearwater talking about the differences between English garden gnomes and the American variety.
He found himself in the study, standing in front of the boxes he'd brought from the Evans family vault.
"Good morning, Harry," Ginny grinned from the doorway.
"Morning..." he turned back from the boxes, sighing. "Your mum's in the kitchen... getting breakfast. The others up?"
"I'm hearing movement," she confirmed. "What's that?"
"The boxes from my Mum's family vault..." he turned back to them. "I'm not going to have time to go through them..."
"Why don't you shrink them and bring them back to school?" Ginny asked. "We can go through them one evening this week."
Harry nodded, then moved back towards the door. "Come on, let's eat. I have some secrets to tell you."
"Oh?"
Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "I have reason to believe that Hermione didn't spend the night in your room, either."
Ginny's eyes showed her surprise as they entered the kitchen, ready to join into the conversation about American garden gnomes.
