"So where is Hermione, anyway?" Ginny asked as they made their way out of the large gates and towards the portkey-rental shack.

"At my place. She said she wanted to catch up on correspondence." Harry snorted and took Ginny's hand in his. "As if…hiding from Ron is more like it." Ginny stopped walking so the large Weasley mob could catch up. All of them had red hair except the Weasley wives and Grandma peg with the wooden leg. Even baby Matthew had red fuzz covering his knobbly head.

"Poor guy," Harry continued. "Hermione was pretty harsh, and apparently it was just out of the blue; he really wasn't expecting it."

Ginny snorted irritably. "Well he should have been. Don't blame this on Hermione, I'm surprised she didn't ditch him earlier. He's never been as sweet to her as you are to me."

Harry smiled to himself and draped an arm around her shoulders, as they set off walking again. Maybe Ron had had it coming, but he was still pretty hurt.

"That was fun anyway," Harry said, trying to change the subject. It worked.

"I can't believe you've never been to a Magizoo before," Ginny said, all irritation gone.

"Yeah well, I haven't exactly had a nice wizarding childhood have I?"

Ginny just laughed and wrapped her arms around him. That was one thing Harry loved about her. She never felt sorry for him, and she'd more likely tell him to quit whining and suck it up. "Well I think the chimera was the most interesting," Ginny said.

"I don't know, when that graphorn took a chunk out of the keeper's leg…"

"That was disgusting! Poor guy, looked like it really hurt." She sighed contentedly against Harry's chest. It was very tricky walking this way, but neither cared. They didn't want to let go of the other. "Well, I can safely say the flobberworms were by far the most boring display."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Why did they need an enclosure anyway? It's not like they move or anything."

Two large thumps on Harry's shoulder interrupted their conversation as Fred and George sprinted past, colliding with him.

"Run for your lives!" George yelled at the top of his lungs.

"They're loose!" screamed Fred, sprinting along with his twin.

"Boys, stop!" Mrs Weasley called angrily, puffing along after them. A few very scared young witches began to turn around and hurry away from the Magizoo. "Oh don't worry dears, they're just playing a joke. BOYS!" she screamed.

Ginny collapsed in giggles as the crowds of people heading towards and leaving the Magizoo began to speed up, heading towards the portkey rental shack. "Oh did you see little Noah's face this morning when Fred told him that UncleAdam would be forced to sell him off if the economy got any worse? Poor kid…"

Harry laughed as Mrs Weasley tried to calm down the many wizards and witches with no success.

"And Mum's having a fit as it is because Uncle Adam's family couldn't find any free rooms in the village inn, so that means I'm going to be sleeping on the sofa tonight," Ginny said as she handed a handful of sickles to the rental guy.

He looked warily at the large group and handed them three portkeys, with a curt nod. "Well you could always come back to my place if you wanted," Harry whispered in her ear as the family crowded around, each with one finger on the muddy tire. "Maybe we could go out for dinner."

She sighed and took his hand in her free one. "We have to have dinner with the family, Harry. Mum's booked us in down at the Leaky Cauldron and she'd be really upset if we didn't come. Hermione's invited too, of course, but whether she'll actually come or not…"

Suddenly, Harry's feet were jerked from the ground and he felt himself spinning violently, his finger still attached to the portkey but the rest of his body being pulled uncontrollably in various directions. With a thud, all twelve Weasley's and Harry hit the floor. The children were laughing and staggering around, and Harry grinned as he watched them. They weren't so bad; maybe he'd have to get himself one someday.

---

"So are you getting married then?" asked Robert once dinner was finished and everyone had returned to the Burrow. They were sitting outside in the warm night, stars and moon shining brightly. Floating candles lit up the garden and the atmosphere was very peaceful, even with ten children running around and shrieking with laughter. Harry had spent half an hour earlier that evening teaching 11-year-old Nicky and ten-year-old Robert how to fish with their bare hands…they didn't get very far, and Ginny eventually told them off for scaring the "poor little fish".

Nicky and Robert had both attached themselves to Harry, who found he didn't really mind. They were the oldest boys in their families and about to start their first year of Hogwarts. As Harry spoke to the two cousins, he looked over at Ginny who was sitting under a tree, the baby Matthew and chubby toddler Daniel on her lap.

"Huh?" Harry asked, realising that Robert had asked him a question.

"Are you marrying Ginny?" he asked again.

"Do you think I should?" Harry asked, scratching his head. Ginny looked up, caught his eye and blew him a kiss. He smiled at her and pretended to catch it.

Robert shrugged. "I think you gotta be crazy to get married. Dad says you gotta tell your wife she looks pretty every day, even if she looks like a troll or something."

Harry laughed at this and stretched his legs out, yawning. The warm night was making him feel drowsy and slow, and his eyes were beginning to droop when the back door banged open and Mr Weasley came outside.

"Oh Arthur," cried Mrs Weasley. "You're home! At last. You were at the office for hours!"

"Well, what's left of it," he replied sitting down on the garden bench and rubbing his face. Harry moved a little closer and listened intently to the adults' conversation. "The Deatheaters have found a new wizard to rally around," he muttered bitterly. "He's been organizing them, restoring order."

"Who is it Arthur?" asked Adam, Mr Weasley's brother.

"Snape." He spat out the name as if it was a dirty word. Harry felt his blood quicken, anger pulsing through his veins, but he didn't have long to dwell on the subject: Ginny had walked over, a child on each hip.

"Harry wants to marry you," Nicky said as his cousin snorted with laughter.

"Shut up, Nicky," Harry said, glaring at the boys. They continued to giggle despite the threatening look Harry was giving them.

"Oh really?" Ginny asked, grinning at them. "And what do you think about that?"

Nicky shrugged, trying to look dignified for his ten years. "Love'll find you even if you try an' hide from it. I've been trying to hide from it since I was five but the girls keep findin' me." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm pretty good with the girls."

"Is that so?" Ginny asked, putting down the young children and holding a hand out to Harry. He took it and let her pull him up. "What d'you say we go back to your place?" Ginny whispered as the children all watched them intently.

"Sounds good to me."

---

When Harry woke the following morning, Ginny wasn't beside him. Swinging his legs out of bed, he put on his glasses and went downstairs, to find Ginny and Hermione at the table. They were talking seriously and neither looked particularly happy.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, kissing Ginny on the cheek and sitting down at the table.

"Ginny and you received a letter this morning," Hermione said, tossing Harry an envelope like the one Ginny was holding. He put down the pot of coffee and picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He slit it open and scanned it quickly, his brow furrowing.

"All volunteers are asked to start work tomorrow…For those who want to take Ministry duties on as a real job…might be dangerous…" Harry muttered as he read the letter.

"Looks like our careers as aurors are going to start tomorrow, huh?" Ginny said, chuckling shakily.

Harry looked intently at her as she bit her lip, and gazed sadly at the letter. "Ginny," he said quietly. "You've always wanted to be a Healer."

"Well, we need aurors right now don't we? Doesn't matter what we want…"

"Yes it does!" Hermione said, beating Harry to it. "Just because the ministry needs helpers doesn't mean you have to be one of them."

Harry hated himself for what he was about to suggest, but he knew it was the right thing to do. "You should go back to school. Take your NEWTs. It'll be for the best."

"Only if you come too," she said stubbornly. Harry sighed inwardly, knowing he'd have to tell them his plans soon. He needed to find Snape. He needed to know that when he had a family, they would grow up in a safe world, and he, Harry, had to assure that safety. But he didn't want to work through the Ministry. He didn't want to become Minister for Magic, didn't want to have anything to do with them, because they'd never really been there when he needed help. He knew he'd have to leave Ginny and it'd be the hardest thing he'd have to do. Almost as hard as telling her about it.

AN: ok well tell me if you think the story's moving a bit too slowly, coz i know i'm taking my time about this. I've started the next chapter and it's got a few more answers. please please review. i have so many reviewers i want to say thanyou too, so i wont list them all here, but i really aprreciate the lovely reviews! thanks