A/N Thank you Erin for writing for Harry. You are a wonderful person to RP with and to write a fanfic with and I am blessed to have you as a friend. Thank you also to Jonathan for his suggestion of making the Muggles Harry's aunt and uncle.

A Serpent Among Lions
Chapter 4 Together Again

Ginny looked down at the owl she had just gotten from Hermione and a look of disbelief crossed her face. She felt so bad for Meghan and wished to Merlin that Harry was here. He had told her to contact him when she heard from Meghan after reaching Hogwarts, so she figured that it was okay. They really needed to talk. Sending out a note with the special bird they had bought just for this emergency, she asked him if she could come to see him. Sending the parrot off, all she could do was await his reply.

An insistent pecking on his bedroom window startled Harry out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a brightly colored parrot clutching a scroll. He got quickly to his feet and opened the window to let the bird inside. Before reading the note, Harry had a private laugh at the bird he and his wife had chosen for their emergency communication. What had made them think that a parrot would blend in with the scenery in London?

As he unrolled the scroll, he began to read the note written in Ginny's beautiful script. When he came to the part about Meghan being sorted into Slytherin, his mouth dropped open. His first emotion was anger. How dare that damn sorting hat put his child into Slytherin? He had always known the hat was off its rocker, especially when it wanted to sort him into Slytherin his first year. With his strength of will, Harry calmed himself. It was done and all he could do now was make the best of it. Of course Meghan was not bad! This only meant that she was highly ambitious and was destined for great things.

Turning Ginny's note over, Harry penned a quick note of his own inviting her to come see him. He handed the scroll back to the parrot and watched as the bird soared over the buildings of London and back to his love.

Ginny saw the bird come back quickly, and she was thankful. Happy to see that he wanted her to come to visit him, she felt better than she had in weeks. She had missed him so badly over this past month and now more than ever because of what had happened with Meghan. Packing a couple of things in case they got involved, she apparated to his London flat and immediately embraced him, "Merlin, Harry, I have missed you!" She said, tears running down her face, "How can they possibly think that you are guilty?"

Harry returned Ginny's hug and kissed her on the cheek. "I have missed you very much, my love," he said. "As for my guilt or innocence, I can see both sides of the situation. On one hand, the murderer did look like me and the victims were my aunt and uncle, whom everyone knows I despised. On the other hand, I have never done anything remotely illegal and anyone who knows me would say that I have the utmost integrity." He sighed and sat down on the sofa, pulling Ginny down beside him. "It's a touchy situation and it will not be over until I find the real murderer and bring him to justice." A smile crossed his face and he said, "So, what do you think of my new look? Should I keep the blond permanently?"

Ginny looked at Harry, apparently scrutinizing him, "Hmm, you do look incredibly sexy with the beard and mustache," She said, smiling coyly at him, "But I don't know, I think I prefer the dark mysterious Harry. Not that you don't look good," She desperately wanted to kiss him but she knew that they needed to talk about Meghan first, "Meghan is heartbroken about being in Slytherin. You know that, don't you?"

Harry sighed. "At first I was furious that she had been sorted into Slytherin. After all, she is our daughter. Who would have thought she would be a Slytherin? But then I realized that this turn of events does not change who Meghan is as a person. She is still the same girl that we love so much." He laughed. "Just because the whole Weasley family as well as myself have all been Gryffindors does not mean that we always will. I'm sure if we think hard enough, we will come up with quite a few good qualities that are embodied by Slytherin house."

"You're absolutely right, Harry. I mean, not all witches and wizards that come out of there turn out bad. Maybe she'll be the one that turns the house around and changes history," She said, smiling at him, "I think it was more the fact that all her cousins were put into Gryffindor and she wasn't. I think that she will be fine though. Her cousins certainly won't turn their backs on her and William is certain to stand up for her if the other Gryffindors badmouth her. I am going to miss her though. But I can think of one good thing of her being away at Hogwarts, other than getting her education..." She said, smiling at him with a mischievous grin.

Harry chuckled huskily and reached over to tickle Ginny. "I think I may be thinking the same thing you are, sexy lady."

Ginny and Harry headed back to his bedroom and slowly undressed one another, exploring each other's bodies as if it were the first time. All sense of space and time melted away as they kissed one another and snuggled against one another, each longing for the other's touch. They made love slowly, passionately, as if this was the last time they might ever do it, made love as if nothing else mattered and if they were the only two people in the world. As they lay together basking in the afterglow and the contentment, all else was forgotten, "Harry, I love you so much," Ginny whispered as she lay cuddled next to him, her head laying on his chest and her hand on his stomach.

Harry stroked Ginny's back and smiled contentedly. "I love you more than you could ever know, Ginny. I'm so glad you came to see you tonight. I was craving your presence." He yawned and settled into a more comfortable position with Ginny on top of him. "We can talk more about Meghan in the morning and maybe even send her an owl with a note of love and support. What do you think?"

Ginny bent down and kissed Harry's lips tenderly, "That's a wonderful idea, luv," She said, stroking his beard with one finger, "I brought some stuff with me, Harry. I don't want to go back to our house, not yet. I'm kind of nervous about being there now with Meghan gone, every sound echoes. I had actually thought about asking Mum and Dad if I could stay with them, but depending on who the psycho is that set you up, I don't want to put them in danger. So I think, if it's okay, I'm going to stay here for the time being."

Harry held Ginny tightly. "I would like it if you would stay with me. I only ask that you not insist on coming with me when I go out. I would like you to stay here as much as possible and only go out when it is absolutely necessary. Can we agree on that?"

Ginny knew that this was important for both their sakes, and nodded without question. No one could know that he was really Harry Potter, "Um, you do have this place guarded against any kind of muggle bugs, right?" She said, suddenly, looking around, "If someone suspects that you are Harry Potter, they may have bugged this place to spy on you and be certain."

"Of course I do. I grew up as a muggle, remember? I am still able to think like one. I've guarded against muggle and magical listening devices and I've put imperturbable charms on all windows and doors. I feel pretty sure that this flat is safe. It's outside this flat that worries me."

"Me too, Harry," She said, shivering a bit, "I'm glad Meghan is at Hogwarts, at least we know that she's safe there. Hermione said that she will never forget the look on Meghan's face when she was sorted. She hardly ate any dinner, and Hermione took her into her office and told her about how you were almost sorted into Slytherin and look at what you did, defeating Voldemort. I think that helped a little."

Harry yawned again, growing sleepier by the moment. "I'm glad," he mumbled. "Very glad, indeed. She should enjoy her time at Hogwarts without having to worry about what house she is in. We should definitely send her an owl tomorrow." His eyes began to droop and the hand that was stroking Ginny's back began to slow.

Ginny felt her eyes beginning to close as well...for the first time since Harry had been named a fugitive she felt like her family was safe. She wrapped her arms around him and fell asleep, embracing him as if she never wanted to let him go.

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Meanwhile, at the Potter house, a figure walked up the front steps outside. It appeared to be Harry Potter, in shape and in appearance. In fact, anyone who saw him would swear that it was him. He knocked at the door, but it appeared that no one was home. Swearing under his breath, the person vanished into the shadows.

"You told me that she was home!" The man said angrily to his accomplice, "A vial of polyjuice potion wasted!"

"Look, you know that I can make you more of that. I want to destroy Harry Potter as much as you do. Word has it that Meghan Potter was sorted into Slytherin, so that part of our plan worked. That should take him down a few notches," The other figure walked around the man's apartment, blindly tripping over his pet cat, "Can't you control that animal?" He asked angrily as the cat yowled in protest.

"Go on! Go chase a mouse or something!" Normally the man wouldn't yell at his cat, but tonight he was frustrated that he didn't get his way. He saw the cat's yellow eyes staring at him from a distance, seemingly chastising him for treating her so badly, and his tone softened a bit, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."