A/N: Okay, now, CHAPTER TWELVE! YAY!

Chapter 12

Minister of Magic

"Oh, Harry. It's beautiful." Ginny said, turning her hand so the ring caught the light.

"Uhm, but?" He asked, fearing the reply.

"But what?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Do you have a 'but' to add?" Harry asked. Ginny giggled.

"No." She said, kissing him softly.

"Uhm, Ginny?" He asked.

"Hmm?"

"So, you'll accept the promise ring?" He crossed his fingers in his pocket.

"Oh!" She looked surprised at herself. "Oh, of course! I do! Oh, Harry!" She said, leaping on him and kissing him soundly. He laughed and caught her. When he set her down back on her feet and looked into her face, he saw her cheeks were wet.

"Did I hurt you, Gin?" He asked worriedly.

"No, Harry, you didn't." She said, touching his cheek lovingly with her hand. "I'm just happier than I've been in a long time." She finished, kissing him one more time. He grinned, picked her up slightly, and twirled her around. He put her down and buried his face in her hair.

"Mmm, I love you, Gin." He murmured.

"I love you too, Harry." She said, pulling him closer to her.

Meanwhile in Hermione's room…

"So do you like your gift, Ron?" Hermione asked him. He looked at his new book. It was a Quidditch book, especially for Keepers. It had every move ever made in it, showing the player how to do them successfully. He would never let in any goals with this book.

"Absolutely. Thank you, love." He said, kissing his fiancée softly. "Your turn!" He said cheerfully, holding out a rather sloppily wrapped gift. She took it in her hands and was surprised at the weight. She ripped off the paper and looked at the cover. It was black and in gold writing it said 'Memories'. She opened it curiously and gasped. There, waving at her in the picture was she, Ron and Harry.

She leafed through the album, occasionally touching a picture delicately or laughing when she remembered what they'd been doing, for beside every picture, in Ginny's neat handwriting was descriptions of the picture, where it'd been taken and what they'd been doing.

"D'you like it?" Ron asked anxiously. Hermione looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I love it." Hermione whispered. Ron's face broke into a grin. Hermione leaned forward and kissed him deeply.

When Ron and Hermione went down to the common room, they found Ginny and Harry talking quietly in one of the chairs.

"Happy Christmas guys!" Ron called.

"Happy Christmas." Ginny replied, sliding off Harry's lap and going to give them a hug. "Did you like your album, Hermione?" She asked.

"How'd you know about that?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Since Ron has horrible handwriting he asked me to write the captions and we gave him some pictures to put in it. No big deal." Ginny said.

"Oh, Ronald, you did that for me?" She asked, turning misty eyes on her fiancé.

"Ron." He corrected. "And yeah." He smiled at her. She flung her arms around him. Ginny turned away with a small smile and came back to sit in Harry's lap.

"Well, are we going to tell them?" She asked quietly, gazing at her emerald ring.

"It's up to you." Harry said, entwining his fingers with hers.

"What're you two whispering about?" Hermione asked, leading Ron over and plopping down on the small couch by her friend's chair.

"This morning, Harry gave me this." Ginny said, holding up her left hand and letting the ring catch the light.

"You're engaged?" Hermione shrieked.

"Shh! No! It's a promise ring." Ginny said, smiling slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked after Hermione grinned and the girls both giggled. Hermione sighed at her fiancé's response and rolled her eyes.

"A guy offers it to a girl as a promise that one day, when they are ready, they'll get engaged, Ron, honestly. I'd think you'd know this." Hermione said.

"I thought that's what an engagement ring was for. That one day, when they're ready, they'll get married." Ron argued. "Why make it three steps instead of two?" And they continued to bicker about it.

"Well, I like that you offered something with three steps. It makes it more special." Ginny said, turning to Harry and draping her arms around his neck.

"Good, I'm glad." Harry said, kissing her.

The holidays ended and school started back up. Everybody returned and the Gryffindor common room was bustling with activity again. Ginny and Harry were sitting on the steps leading to the dormitories. Ginny sighed.

"I kind of missed the calm and quiet. Not as many people to look after. I'm not really liking being Head Girl." She said.

"Hey, cheer up. Only half a year left." Harry said, nudging her.

"Isn't that Hermes?" Ginny asked, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked at the window. A handsome owl was patiently looking at them. She leapt up and flung the window open. Hermes stepped onto her arm. She took the parchment and the owl flew off again. She sat down by Harry. Ron had caught sight of Hermes. He and Hermione came over to them.

"Was that Hermes?" Ron asked, puzzled. Ginny nodded and unrolled the parchment. Her eyes got wide. "Well, read it aloud!" Ron snapped.

"Dear Ginny and Ron,

I'm sorry I haven't gotten word to you sooner. As you know, your father applied for the Minister of Magic position last fall. I am happy to let you all know that he got it! You father, Arthur Weasley is the new Minister of Magic!

We got word yesterday and it should've been in the papers today. I was going to tell you right away, but your father had to leave immediately for work and I had to help Percy and Penelope with their wedding.

They're staying here while I help, and Percy let me borrow Hermes to give you word of the wonderful news. We got all of your lovely Christmas gifts and Ginny; I want to know what it was you were so excited about in the letter you sent.

Hope you had a wonderful first day back!

Lots of love,

Mum."

Ginny finished reading the letter and all four of them stared, open mouthed, at it.

"Your dad is the Minister of Magic?" Harry asked, as though Ginny could confirm it. Hermione scurried off and came back with a paper. She spread it on Ginny and Harry's lap and they bent over to read it. Right on the front was a picture of Mr. Weasley looking impressive in dark robes, smiling and waving rather embarrassedly. Plastered above it was a headline that said, 'Arthur Weasley: New Minister of Magic'.

"Well, good for him! You all deserve this. It's such an honor!" Hermione beamed at the paper and at Ron and Ginny.

"I can't believe it. I thought he was kidding." Ginny said, shaking her head slowly.

"You and me both." Ron said.

"But this is excellent. You must admit its really good news." Harry said, rubbing Ginny's arm.

"Well, yeah it is. Oh, where's a quill?" Ginny said, leaping up and running to her room. Harry laughed softly as he watched her hurry away.

"You really love her." Hermione noted as she looked at Harry. He turned to her and noticed Ron was trying to look inconspicuous.

"Yeah, I really do." He said truthfully. Ginny was gone about five minutes and then came down holding a piece of parchment and waving it at them.

"How does this sound? Dear mum, we got the letter and we all think its awesome that dad finally got to Minister of Magic. Tell Percy and Penny congrats from us. Oh, and I'll tell you more about why I was excited when I see you. Love, Ginny." She looked at them for confirmation. They all nodded. She grabbed Harry's hand and they went down to the Owlery to mail it.

A/N: Short one here guys. I'm having majorly bad writers block. I'm hoping I'll get over it. To all of you, thanx so much for your reviews. They make my day! I just don't like it when people don't use CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Just telling me everything I did wrong and stuff isn't how you think it should be makes me mad. This is my story and I'll put things how I think they should be. If you don't think that's right, then you're welcome to go and write YOUR OWN story and make it how you want it. Thanx for the awesome reviews guys!

A/N: I really hope you guys love it and thanx for your patience and AWESOME reviews. woOt!

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