A/N Okay, I know I'm late, but this is the first time I've had computer access since I left campus on Friday! Plus, you all have to forgive me because yesterday was my birthday. But that's enough from me, on to the story...

Ginny woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in days. She was laying comfortably in Harry's arms, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart beat. She knew that they had to get up before too long, but she couldn't bring herself to cut the blissful moment short one second sooner than she had to. When everything else in her life was chaotic, she could find peace in Harry's arms; in Harry's arms she found home.

Harry stirred in his sleep, mumbling something incoherent. Ginny rolled over so she could look in his eyes when he managed to open them. She smiled as he cracked one green eye open, slowly followed by the other. He smiled at her, and brought up a hand to run it through her rumpled hair.

"Morning," Harry said sleepily.

"Morning," Ginny replied. "Ready for your big day?"

"I'm ready for anything if I know I get to come home with you," Harry said, kissing her forehead.

Ginny tried her hardest not to blush. Sometimes it still felt awkward to her to hear Harry talk like that. Even when she was sleeping in the same bed as him, she couldn't help but doubt his feelings from time to time. It was just something that came from loving Harry for so long without him returning her feelings.

"You have to be at warm ups in an hour," Ginny told him.

"I know," Harry said, making no effort to get out of the bed. "You need to check in with Tonks, too. I don't know who her trainee was… didn't get to meet him."

"So, I should go to my room then?" Ginny asked. She didn't want to leave Harry, but she knew it was about time for them to rejoin the real world. The thought that she got to spend her nights with Harry helped make facing the world seem easier.

"Probably." Harry leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Even the simplest of gestures from Harry sent shivers down Ginny's spine. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have Harry kiss her all over. She felt her skin flush as she closed her eyes, trying to block out the mental image and calm her body down.

Ginny noticed Harry was making no effort to release her, and she knew the only way to save her self control was to remove herself from the situation. She moved out of his arms and slid off the bed, instantly regretting her decision to be responsible.

"I'll see you a little bit later," Harry said. Ginny could tell by his voice he was regretting her decision as much as she was.

"Right." Ginny took one long last look at Harry in bed before heading to the door that adjoined their rooms. She looked at her perfectly made room and still unpacked trunk, wishing that she didn't have to keep up the facade. She opened her trunk and pulled out her dressing gown, slipping it on and tying it securely around her waist. Ginny wanted to check in with the Auror assigned to her room before getting in the shower and getting ready for the day's activities.

Ginny opened her door and stuck her head out. She saw Tonks standing outside of what she figured must be Harry's door, talking to a man with dark hair. Oddly enough, Ginny thought she recognized the man. When he turned around, she discovered that she did in fact know the person assigned to be her guard.

"Ginny Weasley!"

Ginny pulled her gown closer together and forced a smile. "Michael! I didn't know you wanted to be an Auror!"

Michael Corner hurried down the hall towards Ginny with Tonks fast on his heels. "Well, I didn't think I could be! But once the war was over they were so short that they decreased the requirements some, and here I am!"

"Well, Michael has done really well with all the training so far. Don't let him sell himself short," Tonks added.

"Well, good for you!" Ginny was honestly happy for her ex. She hadn't thought he would amount to much of anything, but that didn't mean she wasn't happy to hear he was succeeding.

"So, what are you planning to do when the World Cup is over?" Michael asked.

Ginny inwardly groaned. She didn't know how to explain that she didn't know what she wanted to do; that she had more important things to worry about right now than her future career… Not that her future career wasn't important.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm just taking things one day at a time," Ginny replied, hoping she came off as cheerful.

"Well, hopefully the team will make it to the championship game and you'll have plenty of time to decide," Michael said happily. "I was so excited when I found out that you were my assignment. Of course, I'm technically paired with Tonks, but I'm responsible for you."

"I have faith in your abilities," Tonks said reassuringly. "Ginny, it's important with everything going on that you don't leave the room without Michael or me. Somebody needs to know where you are at all times. I've already been through this once with the team, but I need to make sure you understand."

Ginny nodded to show her compliance. "Of course. Anytime I come out of that door," she paused to shoot Tonks a significant look, "I'll make sure to let one of you know."

"Sounds like a plan," Michael said, oblivious to the second meaning behind Ginny's words.

Ginny tried to keep her sunny disposition up for a few moments longer. "Well, I need to go take a shower so I can head down to the pitch with the team in a little while."

"Alright, we'll be right here waiting," Michael replied.

"Right," Ginny said. It felt a little awkward to her to know that her first boyfriend would be standing outside of her room, keeping guard at all times. Fortunately, they had remained on friendly terms after their breakup, even if they hadn't really remained friends. "Well, I'll see you both in a bit then."

Ginny walked back into her bedroom and headed for the bathroom. She found the number of her exes that she had run into over the last few days to be strangely high. She couldn't think of any real explanation for it, nothing about her encounters had been too far out of the realm of possibility, but somewhere in the back of her mind she thought she was getting closure for all of the time she had spent without knowing Harry cared for her.

With that thought, Ginny began to prepare for her day; hoping that it would end as well as it had started.

Later that afternoon, Ginny found herself in the top box at the Quidditch Pitch watching the team practice with Mr. Perry. They looked to be playing in top form, even while just holding a light work out. It was obvious to Ginny that Mr. Perry was elated with the current status of the team. She could tell that he was going to take all of the credit for putting the team together, should they succeed.

"They look brilliant, don't they?" Mr. Perry asked, sounding as if he were on cloud nine.

Ginny smiled at him and nodded. "They do."

"Even old Mason can't find anything wrong with them today."

"Well, let's just hope that Japan can't find anything wrong with them," Ginny added. She viewed the match from two different perspectives herself; still torn between wanting them to win and wanting them to lose. She had finally settled on letting everything take care of itself, knowing that she would get to spend her nights with Harry regardless of the outcome of the match.

"It's just a shame you couldn't track down whoever wrote that article," Mr. Perry said, as he watched Harry circle the pitch.

"Well, I think having an article to counter that one will help," Ginny replied. She knew that Luna would come through for her; she always had in the past. "Did you get to watch Japan practice earlier?"

"No, their practice was closed like ours is," Mr. Perry replied. "They've only got a few minutes left before they start letting the fans in. It looks like they're wrapping things up."

Sure enough, Ginny could see Mason calling for the team to come back down to the ground, and they all headed into the changing rooms. Not two minutes after they had disappeared, the stands began to fill. Ginny wondered how long it would take for people to start entering the top box. She figured she'd be lucky if she actually got to watch the match. Out of all the people who worked with planning the event, she was the only one who was 'on duty' during the match itself. If anything were to happen that needed attending to, she'd have to be the one who responded.

"Well, I think we should head down for now," Mr. Perry said. "I've got to go greet the Minister and her guests. You'll be checking on the team now, right?"

Ginny nodded her head. She knew it was an order, not a question. "I'm heading down to the changing rooms right now." She followed Mr. Perry out of the box and made the long journey to the changing rooms at the base of the volcano. The pitch itself was quite exquisite, but Ginny hadn't found the time to fully appreciate it. She'd gone straight from the boat that morning to the pitch, and had been working almost non stop since. It was easy to forget that she was being followed, since her guard was wearing an invisibility cloak, but from time to time she'd hear him cough or trip and she'd remember he was there.

What was worse, though, was remembering why he was there. She and Harry were being threatened, and they had no idea who was responsible. It worried her that the culprit had been surprisingly quiet since the last threat. She couldn't believe that all they wanted was to keep Harry from talking to the press. Ginny had a very bad feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Ginny finally reached the changing rooms and knocked on the door before entering. She saw the team sitting in comfortable looking chairs in a semicircle while Mason went over a diagram in the air with Jeff and Wesley. They were all wearing their new team uniforms, and the expressions on their faces portrayed varying states of nervousness. Jacob was by far the worst, the color of his face reminded Ginny of a prank the twins had once pulled to turn Harry's skin green. MJ, Dustin, and Tank were talking together, but their laughter seemed a little forced. Harry, however, was the image of serenity. He didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that they were about to start playing for the World Cup in the least. In fact, when Ginny tried to look into Harry's eyes they looked almost vacant, like he wasn't really there.

"Excuse me, but does anyone need anything?" Ginny spoke up. They all turned around to look at her, and Ginny couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be life in Harry's eyes again.

"There were supposed to be light food and beverages in here, and they're obviously not here," Mason growled. "I'm sure your incompetence is to blame, so why don't you try to track them down."

"I don't think anybody's really hungry," Tank spoke up.

"Of course you're hungry!" Mason replied.

"It's not a problem, really," Ginny said quickly. "I'll get right on it." Ginny hurried out of the room and went on a mission to find the team's missing refreshments.

Thirty minutes and four house elves later, Ginny was assured that the proper things would be in the team's changing room immediately. She made her way back through the winding hallways to get to the room to check for herself, but it took so long for her to get there that all she found was an uneaten table of food.

Ginny let out a long sigh of resignation. If the match hadn't started already, it would have by the time she got back to the top box. Despite the fact that her legs felt like they were about to fall off, she left the room and headed back up the long path to the top box.

After what felt like an eternity, Ginny finally found herself in the top box. She quickly spotted red hair and made her way over to her family. She took the empty seat in between her father and Fred.

"Ginny! We were wondering where you got to," Arthur said.

"Thanks for the great seats," Fred added.

"No problem," Ginny replied, turning her attention to the match.

"You've been missing the match," Ron spoke up from the other side of Arthur.

Ginny glared at him. "Well, I decided I didn't want to watch after all."

"Honestly, Ron, she was probably working," Padma spoke up. It was the first time Ginny noticed her presence, but as soon as she did she couldn't help but notice that her hand was intertwined with Ron's.

"Mason sent me off on a wild goose chase," Ginny explained. She looked over to see the score. "We're up by thirty!"

"That Taylor Thompkins is a brilliant keeper," Charlie said.

Ginny turned around in her seat and smiled at Charlie and Tonks who were sitting behind them. "That's Tank. He's a really great guy."

"Ooo, there goes Dustin with the quaffle again….. Yes! He scored!" Ron shouted. The entire top box broke into applause. Ginny stole a glance at the Japanese box beside theirs. It didn't look like they were enjoying the game nearly as much over there.

Ginny continued to observe the game intensely, watching England build up a sixty point lead, and then allow it to drop to thirty. She tried to keep her eyes on the chasers, but her attention kept being drawn to Harry. She felt her heart race with fear and excitement every time he took a dive, and felt enormously relieved whenever he was safely back in the air. Even though she'd watched Harry play for four years and played with him for one, she never got used to the recklessness with which he flew. Every time his feet came close to brushing the ground Ginny's heart nearly stopped. When a bludger came dangerously close to knocking Harry off his broom, Ginny grabbed her father's hand and gripped it so tightly he had to gently ask her to let go.

England had the lead, 140 to 30, when Harry spotted the snitch. Ginny held her breath as she watched Harry head straight for the ground, dodging bludgers all the while having the Japanese seeker right on his tail. They were headed for a collision if neither one pulled up, but Ginny could tell by the way Harry was flying he was going to get the snitch or die trying.

Ginny didn't know if she could handle watching Harry crash, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. She felt Tonks's comforting hand on her shoulder and her father placed his hand over her own. Ginny was grateful for all the support they were giving her, but she felt like she was going to be nauseous. Time seemed to slow as Harry reached the final feet above the ground with his right hand outstretched. It looked like the other seeker was going to bump Harry just enough to knock him off his course, but at the last second a bludger came flying their way, causing the Japanese seeker to move and allowing Harry to capture the snitch.

"We won!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. For a moment, it seemed like he had forgotten all about his animosity towards Harry.

Ginny felt someone nudge her from behind and she turned around to see Tonks smile and wink at her. Ginny let out a long sigh of relief and smiled back.

"So it looks like you still have a job," Arthur said smiling.

"So I do," Ginny replied. "But I guess that means I'm officially back on duty."

"So soon?" Fred asked, taking a break from his celebration.

"I'm afraid so," Ginny replied.

"Actually, I'm back on duty now as well," Tonks said. She leaned over and placed a small kiss on Charlie's cheek before extending her arm to Ginny. "Shall we?"

Ginny laughed and took Tonks's arm. Together they made their way from the top box, where the celebration was still going in full force, and walked down to the team's changing room.

"That was a great match," Tonks said.

"It about gave me a heart attack," Ginny replied laughing. "The team did look good, though."

"Yeah, I bet you thought so."

Ginny laughed. "I resent the implication, but I can't deny how good Harry looks in his uniform." They continued walking for a few moments when something dawned on Ginny. She quickly looked behind her to see if any one was paying any attention to them. "Where was Hermione today? I thought for sure she'd be here."

"Well, she's never been to many of Harry's matches. I enjoy them more, so I usually used his tickets, but today she actually had a good excuse. She got Lillian today."

"Oh, I bet she's on cloud nine."

Tonks laughed. "Yeah, if she's not stuck with a miserable crying baby."

"Good point." Ginny was happy for Hermione, but she was worried that Hermione was expecting Harry to play the role of father to her child. Even though Hermione was getting her own flat, Harry was still the only real male presence in her life. The thought of them being considered a family didn't sit well with Ginny; Harry was supposed to have a family with her.

Before Ginny knew it, they were back at the changing room. Tonks knocked on the door before barging into the room. Surprisingly, the room was completely empty.

"They must still be celebrating," Tonks said.

"I wish we were," Ginny said, flopping down into one of the empty chairs the team had been occupying earlier.

"Just a part of the job," Tonks replied. "Corner, you can take off that cloak."

Ginny was startled to see Michael appear directly to her right. In all of the excitement over the match she had forgotten that she was being tailed. She hoped she he hadn't seen or heard her do anything she shouldn't have been doing. Ginny made a mental note not to go near Harry alone unless they were in the privacy of one of their bedrooms.

"Great match," Michael said, sitting down near Ginny. "That was an awesomely aimed bludger Wesley sent towards that other seeker right at the end. I can't say I'm not enjoying this assignment."

"Well, don't get used to it," Tonks said laughing. "They won't all be this glamorous."

Before Michael could reply, the door opened and Jeff, Jacob, and MJ walked into the room. They were all holding glasses and MJ had his armed draped over Jacob's shoulders, although Ginny wasn't sure if it was for support or comradely.

"Congratulations!" Ginny exclaimed, standing up so she could give each of them a hug.

"Thanks love," MJ replied.

"Where's Harry?" Tonks asked.

"He, Tank, Dustin, and Wesley are doing press," Jeff explained.

Tonks let out a long sigh. "Well, duty calls. Michael, I'll meet you back on the boat if I don't see you before then." Michael nodded his compliance and Tonks set off in search of Harry.

"Does he really need a body guard?" Jacob asked curiously.

"Technically we all have them," Ginny explained, "but Harry's security is a little tighter because of who he is… especially while we're on foreign grounds in a high publicity situation. I can guarantee you that you'll all be tailed the second you leave this room." Ginny grinned at them. "You're moving on to the second round; you're all very valuable to the English Ministry now."

"You hear that? We're valuable," MJ said laughing.

"Not me," Jacob said sullenly. "I played like an intimidated rookie."

"No worries," MJ replied. "You'll get yours the next round."

The door open again and Mr. Perry walked into the room, followed by Wesley and Dustin. "Ginny, I need you to go back to the boat so you can make sure everything's prepared for our celebration dinner tonight," Mr. Perry said.

Ginny fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll get right on that. Congratulations again, everybody." Ginny headed out of the room with Michael right on her tail. She made her way to the Ministry set apparition point so she could go back to the boat. Right before she was about to apparate, she caught sight of Ron and Padma in the corner of her eye. She was going to go over to say goodbye when she saw Ron lean down and kiss Padma. The sight shocked Ginny, even though she wasn't sure why. She was happy that Ron was finally moving on with his life, but something about the sight slightly disturbed her. She turned her back to them and cleared her mind so she could apparate back to the boat.

Two hours later the feast was about ready and Ginny still hadn't seen Harry. All she wanted to do was give him a hug and congratulate him, but he was being kept so busy doing interviews that he had yet to make it back to the boat. Ginny was sitting in the elaborate dining room filled with a feast fit for a king, waiting for the team to arrive. She glanced at the clock on the wall, wondering when the team would arrive.

As if reading her thoughts, the doors to the room burst open and the team came through the doors. They were with their friends and families; most of whom would be taking the boat back to England with them. They were all officially on vacation for the next few days; all of them except for Ginny, that is. Ginny would be on duty until the day the World Cup was over. She didn't really mind, if only because Harry didn't have anyone on the boat with him, so they could spend their free time together.

"Ginny, this looks magnificent," Tank said, pulling her into a hug.

"It really does," Marissa added.

"Are the kids in the playroom?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, thank you so much for thinking of setting one up. It means I really get a vacation," Marissa replied.

Ginny laughed. "Well, I'm glad somebody does. Why don't we sit down?" Ginny sat down at the long table across from Marissa and Tank and beside Jacob. The door opened again, and she caught a glimpse of Harry walking into the room with Dustin and Mr. Perry, but they sat down at the table about as far away from Ginny as possible. She couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"Is work getting to you?" Jacob asked.

It made Ginny smiled to realize he was genuinely concerned with her well-being. "I'm fine," she assured him. But if Ginny was honest with herself, she wasn't fine. She was starting to become rather desperate to talk to Harry, for reasons she didn't comprehend. She was quiet throughout all of dinner, speaking only when she was spoken to. She drank when toasts were made, but she was starting to look for an excuse to leave.

As soon as dinner was over, she excused herself from the group and made her way back to her room. She looked out her window and noticed the pool right outside her room. The water looked very inviting in the moonlight, but Ginny really only wanted to talk to Harry.

The door connecting her room to Harry's opened and Harry walked into her bedroom, looking thoroughly exhausted. Ginny walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He placed his arms over her shoulders and held her close. Ginny smiled as she felt Harry place a kiss on the top of her head.

"Long day?" Ginny asked.

"You have no idea."

"I've missed you."

Harry chuckled. "You just saw me this morning."

"So?" Ginny pulled back a little so she could look Harry in the eye. "It's hard watching everyone else be together and knowing that I can't have that right now."

"Our time will come."

"I was so tired before, but now I feel like doing something," Ginny said.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, Gin, but I just want to read for a bit and then go to bed."

"How old are you?" she teased.

"It feels like I'm 180."

Ginny glanced out the window longingly. "I'd love to go for a swim."

"Why don't you? By the time you finish I'll have finished my reading and then we can go to bed."

Ginny would much rather go swimming with Harry than alone, but she agreed. She gave Harry a quick kiss goodbye before going to her trunk and pulling out her swimsuit. She fingered the thin material on the blue one piece. It was old, and a bit worn, but she didn't swim enough to want to spend the money on a new one. She'd had the suit since she'd been fifteen or sixteen, and it was getting a little small, but she didn't think anyone would be watching her tonight. She slipped on her dressing gown over her suit and headed out the door.

"Where are we going?"

Seeing Michael startled Ginny; she had completely forgotten that he was supposed to be trailing her everywhere. "I was going to go for a swim, but I don't have to."

"Well, don't let me stop you. I'd love to have something to do before my night relief comes."

Ginny smiled at him. "Well, I won't stay long."

They made there way out to the pool, and Ginny suddenly felt self-conscious when she went to remove her dressing gown. She wasn't completely comfortable with Michael watching her. She decided that doing it quickly would be the best plan of action. She set her gown and wand down on one of the lounge chairs and dove into the pool.

The water was charmed to be warm, and Ginny instantly felt all of her stress from the day disappear. She waded in the water for a few moments, simply enjoying the starry night, before starting to swim the length of the pool. After several laps Ginny rested towards the end of the pool, dangling her arms over the side to stay a float.

"You're a good swimmer," Michael commented.

"Thanks. I used to swim with my brothers in the lake behind our house. We liked to race each other."

"I bet you won all the time," Michael said grinning.

"Actually, I only won if I cheated," Ginny replied laughing. "Their bodies were almost twice as long as mine!"

"Your brothers were intimidating. I always felt like Ron was glaring at me when we were going out," Michael commented.

"That's probably because he was. I don't think he liked you very much. Actually, I think he was happy when he found out that you had moved on with Cho… got rid of two people he wasn't exactly thrilled with at the same time."

"Hey!"

Ginny grinned at Michael. "Well, Ron didn't think Cho was right for Harry and he definitely didn't think that you were right for me, so it worked out great for him."

"Didn't you start seeing someone else right after me?"

Ginny nodded. "Dean Thomas."

"And then you just had to go out with almost all of my roommates, didn't you?"

"I don't think I ever went out with any of them more than once," Ginny said, defending herself.

"Apparently once was enough."

Ginny wasn't sure what to make of his comment, but she decided that it was time to go to bed and to Harry. She pulled herself out of the water and hurried over to her wand. She performed a drying charm on herself before slipping on her dressing gown. She tied it securely around her waist and headed back to her bedroom.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Michael."

"Good night, Ginny."

Ginny closed her door behind her and almost screamed when she felt someone throw their arms around her. "Harry! You scared me!" Harry was still holding her, but he looked furious. "What's wrong?" Ginny was almost afraid to let him answer the question; she didn't want to know what could have happened in such a short period of time to upset him this much.

"You were just letting him ogle you."

"What?"

"Corner. You should have seen the way he was looking at you. I thought he was going to pounce on you right then and there."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on, Harry. I was swimming, and then we were talking. The only reason he was there was for my protection."

"I can protect you," Harry insisted.

Ginny leaned forward and kissed Harry. "You're being silly. Michael doesn't care about me anymore, and I definitely don't care about him. And right now, you need more protection than anyone. Besides, you didn't want to go swimming with me."

"I do now."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well now it's a little late. I'm already inside and I don't intend on going back out."

"That's not what I meant." Harry took Ginny by the hand a lead in into her bathroom. There was music playing in the room, and the mirror was already steamed up. The huge tub was filled with water, and it looked like a charm was cast on the water, causing it to circulate and bubble. "This is what I meant." Harry untied Ginny's dressing gown and slipped it off her shoulders before revealing his bathing suit by taking off his own. He stepped into the tub, and Ginny hesitantly followed him.

"Why did you do this?"

"Because I wanted to spend time with you and I can't outside of this room. You wanted to swim so this was my solution."

Ginny slid over in the tub so she was sitting directly beside Harry. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. "Thank you for doing this." They sat in silence, enjoying the company and the water, when something hit Ginny. "Were you watching me swim?"

Harry leaned over and kissed her. "I've always loved watching you swim."

"So weren't you ogling me as well?"

"Guilty as charged."

Ginny moved over so she was sitting on Harry's lap. She drew her hands up his slick, wet back and ran them through his hair. His glasses were steamed up, so Ginny pulled them off of his face and set them down on the edge of the tub. They were sitting so close she could see his wet eyelashes stuck together. She smiled before slowly leaning in to kiss him. It still amazed Ginny that she never got tired of kissing him. Even the smallest of kisses from Harry lit a fire inside of her she hadn't known existed before she started to see him.

Something about being in Harry's arms gave Ginny courage to do things should wouldn't normally do. His looks made her bold, his smile made her gutsy, and his kisses made her want to things her mother told her only a scarlet woman would do before she was married.

It was so easy for Ginny to lose herself in Harry. She didn't know if she would realize that the room was burning down around them when he was kissing her.

"Ginny? Oh Merlin, I am so sorry! I would not have come in here if it wasn't an emergency!" Ginny felt her cheeks go scarlet as she pried herself off of Harry. She was too ashamed to turn around, and she felt her stomach turn to lead at facing their intruder. "Again, I am so sorry, but it's Dustin. He's really sick and we're going back to England immediately."

A/N Okay I know I'm evil. Late and make it a cliff hanger. Sorry, I didn't realize my cliff hanger would show up the same time I'd b traveling. I was planning on skipping next week, but since I was late this week I won't. It just might mean I skip the week after next. It'll all depend on how caught up I get. Anyway, thank you for your reviews and I'm sorry I was late!