CHAPTER 13

The rest of the time before Christmas went by with us talking and swimming most of the day. Though Christmas came way to fast.

I opened my eyes to find empty bed, which suprised me. The pile of presents at the foot of my bed didn't suprise me though. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking around for my boyfriend. I didn't find him, but before I could get up he came through the door.

"Happy Christmas," he smiled, "You slept in, but I brought you breakfast," he said carrying a breakfast tray.

"Happy Christmas," I mumbled, "You could have woke me," I replied aggitated, but I liked the gesture anyway.

"Hey, can we go to Grimmauld Place today?" he asked, setting the tray down in front of me.

"Oh yeah, of course, I had totally forgotten. Yeah, I'll force myself away today, so we can be alone," I smiled and kissed my boyfriend before eating my breakfast.

When I finished I changed out of my pajamas and we went downstairs to find Isabella and my mother. I had already told Isabella and Jake about our connection, so it really annoyed Isabella when Harry and I were silent, because most of the time we were talking privetly.

"Happy Christmas," Harry and I said in unision when we entered the living room. My mum muttered a reply and I decided to find out why she had been so preoccupied for the last few days.

"Hey Mum, what's on your mind?" I asked, sitting next to her with my boyfriend on my other side.

"Well, I've just been thinking about Severus a lot lately, nothing to worry about dear," she looked over at me and smiled.

'Hey babe, if your mum went to school with Snape that means she must have went to school with my parents. I wonder if she knew my parents.'

'Do you want me to ask her? Do you have a problem with talking to my mum babe?'

'No...' he trailed off of his thoughts, "Mrs. Bradshaw?"

"Harry, dear I've already told you to call me Gwen," she cut him off.

"Okay, well I was just wondering, did you know my mum at school? Her name was Lily Po...Evans," he said, correcting himself.

My mum got a look of realization on her face, "Yes, I was wondering where I recognized you from. It's your eyes, you have,"

"His mother's eyes," I finished for her.

"Well, she was my best friend. I'm very sorry about what happened to her," I could see the sadness in my mum's eyes, and in Harry's. We continued talking about Harry's mum for a while and after Isabella and Jake came and we had opened presents Harry and I decided to go to Grimmuald Place.

"Okay, if you people don't mind I'm going to spend some alone time with my boyfriend. We're leaving," I got up as I spoke and pulled Harry up also.

"I should spend some time with my family, anyway," Isabella said, getting up also.

"Yeah, me too," Jake followed all of us to the door.

"Bye Mum," I shouted as Harry and I Apparated.

When I opened my eyes again I looked at the emty space in front of me, then from number 11 to number 13, then to Harry. He already was walking to a piece of parchment that was on the ground, however, and as I approached him a door appeared, followed by a building that was number 12.

"Woah," was all I had time to say as he was knocking on the door. He answered a quick question that was asked by a person that was on the other side of the door and then the door was opened and he pulled me inside.

When we got inside I was shicked to find a house elf standing just inside the door. Harry quickly made the introductions. "Amy this is, I'd like to say mine but he's not mine technically, house elf, Dobby. Dobby, this is my lovely girlfriend, Amy." I smiled at the complment and nodded my recognition to Dobby.

"I is pleased to meet you Miss. Harry Potter speaks greatly of you," this time I blushed when Dobby bowed.

"Hey Dobby, is anyone else from the Order here?" Harry asked before I could say anything.

"I'm not sure Harry Potter sir, I is being busy doing as you asked," Dobby replied.

"Okay, good, can you please show Amy to the sitting room please? I'll be right back," he didn't give either of us any time at all to talk because he was rushing up the stairs before he finished speaking.

"Right this way Miss," Dobby said, pulling me into a room. He made me sit down on the sofa and I looked around. It was a very nice place, although I didn't know what it looked like before. Dobby got me a butterbeer and just when I was wondering where Harry was he showed up at the door to the sitting room. I smiled while he walked over to me.

"Took me a long time to find it, but I knew I had hid it in here somewhere," he said as he sat down and it was then that I realized that he was hiding something behind his back.

"Amy Nicole Bradshaw, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We don't have to do this now, if you don't want, but Amy," he got down on his knee and I couldn't believe what was happening. He brought the box that he was holding behind his back and opened it. Inside was the most beautful ring I had every layed eyes on. In the center there was a huge diamond and on the left and right there were two smaller rubies the band itself was gold, "Will you marry me?"

I sat there in shock for a moment and he misunderstood my silence, "We don't have to do it anytime soon, I can wait," before he had finished his sentence I had screamed "Yes!" and flung myself into his arms.

He sat up again and asked for my hand, I gave him my left and he slid the ring onto my third finger.

"It fits perfectly," I said with tears of joy stinging my eyes. I smiled and kissed him.

"It was the ring my father gave to my mother. I know because it came with a note, they left their rings to Sirius and he left everything to me. I'm not even sure Sirius remembered they were there," at this point he had tears in his eyes too, but not for the same reasons I had tears in mine.

I hugged him close to me and whispered an "I'm sorry," before asking him if he had his father's wedding band too. He nodded and got up to show me where it was. I followed him up the stairs and once we got to the top floor we went into a side room.

He bowed and it was then that I noticed the hippogriff in the corner. When it bowed he walked over to it and pet it, but I was still watching it cautiously.

"Do you remember Buckbeak?" he asked, noticing that I was still near the door.

"Yes," I said, finally bowing. It bowed back I walked over to and and sat next to Harry.

He finally took my hand and made me pet the hippogriff. I found myself liking the hippogriif more and more by the second, though I was still cautios. I kept petting it when Harry got up and went to the desk in the other corner.

He opened the top drawer and pulled out an envelope which he upended and shook over his hand. A wedding band fell out, in the color of gold.

I took it from him and placed it on the third finger of his left hand, "Yes, Harry James Potter, I will marry you. Nothing would make me happier," I pulled him close and kissed him. I stood there kissing him for a good ten minutes before there was a knock on the door.

He tried ignoring it but whoever it was knocked again and I asked Dobby to come in. He opened the door tentivately and poked his head through, "Excuse me, The food is done now," he said in his high squeaky voice.

"Okay, now Dobby, have you fed Buckbeak yet today?" Harry asked as his arms fell from around me and he turned to the house elf.

"No, I is preparing your food Harry Potter, sir," Dobby replied and looked like he was looking about for something to hit himself with.

"It's fine Dobby, don't worry," Harry said quickly, "I'll feed him and you can go be with Holly. Just remember to be back tomorrow."

I looked from Harry to Dobby and realized that Dobby had a look of glee on his face. "Thank you Harry Potter sir. It was a pleasure to be meeting you Miss," he said looking to me, trying to hide the excitement in his voice, but it didn't work.

Once he had practically skipped out of the room we heard the loud pop that signaled his Disapperation.

"Who's Holly?" I asked with curiousity as Harry crossed the room to the door.

"Oh, just Dobby's wife," Harry said, exiting the room. I followed him, my curiousity increasing.

"House elves can have wives?"

"Well yes, Hermione was quite pleased when Dobby had found love at the Hogwarts castle. The only reason he left the castle was because Kretcher died and I was short a house elf for the house. Holly wasn't going to leave Hogwarts so it became a long distance relationship, that was fueled by love. I told Dobby that when I live here he can move back to Hogwarts though," Harry said, reentering the room with a sack that he had gotten out of a closet.

I followed again, "You mean when we live here," I corrected smiling.

"Yes, of course, when we live here. Though until Voldemort is defeated Order members will be running in and out of this place," he smiled, then pulled a dead rat out of the bag.

"I don't mind, as long as I'm with you," I scooted away from him when he threw the rat to Buckbeak, "You're feeding him dead rats?"

"Yes, that is what he eats. Do you want to feed him one?" he asked, offering the rat that Buckbeak was eying hungrily to me.

"No thanks I'll just watch right now," I scooted further away.

Harry shrugged and threw the rat to the expectant Buckbeak, who caught it. He gave Buckbeak a few more and when he was finished he waves his wand and Buckbeaks water dish filled.

"You're getting pretty good at those nonverbal spells, aren't you babe?" I said wrapping my arms around his middle and kissing him after he had put the bag of rats away.

"I guess," he said modestly after I had finished kissing him.

"C'mon, let's go eat. I'm getting hungry. You still need to give me a full tour of the place," I grabbed his hand and he followed me downt he stairs. After that he led me into the kitchen.

Dobby had already set the table with lunch for us so all we had to do was sit down. Harry held out my chir for me, "Sit madam," he said, looking awfully like a waiter.

I sat down and he pushed my chair in. He took a seat next to me and looked around. He soon found what he was looking for. He grabbed the bottle of wine.

"White wine okay?" he asked after he had gotted the cork out. Well, I did really. I had to use my wand.

"Yes, babe," I said and he pured me a glass and then he poured a glass for himself. I grabbed his chair and pulled him closer to me before we started serving ourselves.

We finished eating and just sat there for a moment, with my head resting on his shoulder and with his arm around my shoulders.

"Okay, show me the rest of the place now. If you expect me to live here you gotta let me see the whole thing," I said, sitting up.

"Are you saying that you wouldn't marry me if I didn't let you see the house?" he asked not moving.

"Maybe..." I paused, "Of course not, but I want you to show me the house," I pleaded, giving him a puppy dog look.

"Fine, fine," he got up, "I'll show you the bloody house."

I took his hand, "Harry Potter watch your mouth," I laughed as he started tickling my neck.

"Oh yeah, why should I?" he asked, laughing himself and attcking my stomach also.

I couldn't talk I was laughing so hard. I couldn't even tell him to stop, though I didn't want him to. Finally, once I had fallen on the ground trying to get away from him, I had to find a way to tell him to stop. 'Stop it,' I screamed in my head.

'What's the magic word?'

'Harry James Potter, stop it now!' I commanded.

'That's not it, try again,' he replied.

'Please.'

'Alright fine.'

He stopped and I finally caught my breath, "You bettwer show me the house now, and help me up," I said, holding out my hand to him.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me up. He showed me all of the upper floors first, then the first floor, then our last stop was the library. He opened the door and we were startled to find Severus Snape sitting in a chair.

"Oh God it isn't enough that I have to deal with you aat school, I have to deal with you now, too," he said once he saw us.

"We're leaving," Harry said coldly.

"Professor, do you remember a woman named Gwen? She was in your year when you went to Hogwarts," I said, venturing further into the room and thinking of my mum.

"Why, yes, but how do you know about her?" he asked, his voice and face softening just a little bit.

I evaded the question, "Do you still love her?"

"That is none of your business, but yes, and I think about her all the time, but after our seventh year she left and I never saw her again. I miss her so much, but obviously she doesn't love me. So I ask again: how do you know about her?"

"Well, sir, she's my mother and I happen to know she still loves you very much and thinks about you all the time," I paused a minute as the comprehension dawned on his face.

"But why did she leave?"

"She didn't want to. Her father made her. She misses you more than you may think. Would you like to see her?"

"Yes," he answered, "but let me make one thing clear to you. This changes nothing at school, Amy."

I smiled, "I know, Professor. You know, I've heard Proffessor, that if you had Amour Vrai, the connection never truly dies and if you think about the person hard enough while Apparating that you'll Apparate to the person."

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes, I've done a lot of research on the connection. Could you tell Mum that I'll be back soon," I said, indicating to Harry that we were staying.

"Yes," he uttered the one word before he disappeared with a pop.