Chapter 2: The Echoes, They Surround

The nearest almost-entirely-all-wizarding town to the Abbey, Harry and Ginny had been pleased to learn was reasonably close – and located at an Irish Heritage site, of all places. It was behind a tower-keep known as Aughnanure Castle. It was completely hidden in plain sight, as was usual with wizarding areas.

The town was considered almost-entirely-all-wizarding because it held one Muggle item that the locals had been hesitant to remove, as a certain superstition had sprung up around it. An old blue police box that sat at the edge of the town, it was barely within the town's property lines, and yet they still claimed it as their own. Even though it was an utterly Muggle device, complete with telephone, which of course, wizards had no use for. But the box stayed by some divine right, or so Mr Cosgrove had explained, a twinkle in his eye as he'd told them the story.

However, for Harry and Ginny, the best thing about the town was that they could Apparate there and back with no issues. That helped with their sense of freedom and independence, which was fast becoming important to them. The idea that they could just get up and leave without having to tell people where they were going was a new and intoxicating thing. Harry often wished he'd had Brogan teach him more about driving when he'd had the chance – he thought he could manage to drive if they needed to in desperate times, but he'd feel better with more practice. Perhaps he could talk to Mr Cosgrove about practicing on one of the Abbey's cars. One of their old, already somewhat beat-up cars, that is.

Harry thought that the town, called Maeve's Hollow, after the famous witch who taught in Ireland before Hogwarts was built, was small and rather delightful. He could tell he and Ginny would enjoy spending time there almost immediately. Harry always made sure to not wear his glasses when he went – he wasn't that recognizable now since his scar had faded, but sometimes, with his messy hair and frames, Harry realized he stood out more than he wanted. He didn't mind people thanking him for getting rid of Voldemort, at least not the first time they said it. It was only when they stood shaking his hand for twenty minutes that he got a bit uncomfortable. So going incognito was his new thing. Ginny thought it was hilarious and would gently tease him.

"Just don't make it so obvious, love," Ginny said now, watching him get dressed. "Tuck in your shirt, at least."

"You think? I thought it lent me a sort of messy, useless teenager type of look," Harry said from where he stood in front of their mirror. He ran his hands through his hair, making it stand up even more in all directions. Ginny chuckled and joined him. She looked fantastic, as always. Since being at the Abbey, they'd both resorted to just wearing Muggle clothes all the time, and Harry had a feeling she'd borrowed more than a few items from the magical wardrobe in Solace's flat before they'd left London. Today's outfit consisted of a purple, low-cut blouse tucked into a rather lovely pair of dark blue jeans that fit her like a glove. Harry worked his arm around her backside and rested his hand lovingly on it to show his appreciation. Ginny's eyes sparkled at him as she attempted to work on his shirt.

"Yes, but one must look as though one just casually fell out of bed, and not the turnip lorry," she said airily, tucking one side of the shirt into his jeans and leaving the other side to hang out.

"They have turnip lorries?"

Ginny bit her tongue as she met his eyes. "Perhaps. Anyway, this looks smarter. See?"

Harry glanced at the mirror and consented that she had a point. He looked casually rumpled now like she'd said, instead of purposefully rumpled.

They made their way to the Apparition point as Ginny pulled a parchment from her pocket. She tapped it with her wand, and it unfurled and became larger for them to both read. Harry looked over her shoulder.

"We have to get eye of newt? Really?"

Ginny chuckled. "We both have to drink a Premo-Locus potion, and it's one of the ingredients. Garret suggested a few good shops where we could get most of the items so we can keep the shopping to a minimum. I know you're disappointed."

Harry grinned. "Well, okay, I admit I don't care about shopping so much, but I do want the spend the day with you, feeling like a normal person for a change, and that more than makes up for it. Also, just to see you walk around in those jeans is really all the repayment I need."

Ginny laughed and wiggled her bum playfully in front of him. Harry glanced about to make sure no one was around and cupped it as he pulled her to him. Her brown eyes darkened considerably as he bent his head down to kiss her.

"Also, that shirt and your breasts in it should be illegal. If I have to fight off blokes today, I will not be happy."

"Oh, Harry, you are so good for my ego," she said as they kissed. Harry almost wanted to say sod shopping and go back to their room, but he knew neither of them would be happy with themselves afterward.

Ginny gave him a knowing look. "I think we're growing up."

"What makes you say that?"

"Before, we would have hurried back to the room to have our way with each other."

Harry shrugged. "I want to get started on having things ready to get him back. You want to try on the summer solstice, right? That's sooner than you think. Don't get me wrong, I'd enjoy doing what you suggested, no doubt about it, and you would too, trust me," Harry paused and waggled his eyebrows at her. "But I'm sure we'd regret putting off our day."

Ginny chuckled as they reached the area of the Abbey that they could Apparate from. It was a small enclosed area that technically sat outside the Abbey proper, but it was still protected from prying eyes. She smirked at him. "See? That's what I mean. That was just terribly grown-up of you."

Harry reached down and pinched her bum, which made her slap his hand. Harry gave her a wide grin before he turned to Apparate. She really shouldn't disparage him so much. Or was that encourage?

o-o-o-o-o

After hitting the first two shops together, they split up. Ginny did it to save her sanity. Harry shopping with her was a lovely thing, but he drove her round the twist with his need to touch everything and pick it up and figure out what it was. And if he couldn't, he would soon inquire with the shopkeeper or salesperson and talk their ear off. Ginny laughed to herself about – for a man who'd said he wanted to be 'incognito', he sure was making people pay attention to him.

She couldn't begrudge Harry his somewhat inquisitive nature – since the battle at the Ministry, it was as though he had made some sort of decision with himself about embracing life more. Which meant asking questions, apparently. A lot of questions.

They would meet back up soon for lunch, and Ginny was excited to try the local pub that Mr Cosgrove had suggested. It was wizarding, like the Three Broomsticks, but he'd said they also served Muggle-style drinks. She enjoyed the food at the Abbey, of course, but…a pub! She could finally order something proper, too, not just pumpkin juice or butterbeer. She might even get one of those Irish coffees Brogan had often mentioned on more than one occasion. As a nod to his memory. And her desire to get a bit sauced at lunchtime.

She glanced at her parchment. The next stop was a bookshop, The Broken Quill, and Garrett had said she'd probably be able to find a few good books that were related to Time-Portals or, at least, he thought she could. He'd remembered seeing some there a few months back, and she was eager to see if they were still there. They hadn't exactly told Garrett what they were doing, but she assumed he had figured it out. He would often shove little bits of parchment her way with suggestions of books that he thought might help. But he never asked her about it nor talked to Harry about it, either. All he had said was that Brogan was sure to like her new hairstyle and had smiled that mysterious smile of his and disappeared into the stacks. She wondered if Luna and Garrett would hit it off if they ever met; they could out-know things about the other and just sit there, smiling their slightly bemused, yet knowing smiles at each other.

The slight tinkle of a bell rang overhead as she entered the shop, and Ginny blinked until her eyes got used to the darkness. The shop was typical Garret – dark, packed from floor to rafter with old books, and utterly quiet. Ginny chuckled to herself as she tried to get her bearings.

'Allo, and Welcome to the Quill," a male voice called from the corner of the shop. Ginny hesitated as a dark shape seemed to loom there, as large and as tall as a tree. He was just out of sight, lost in the shadows of the gloomy store. Ginny thought she must be hungrier than she thought, when after a moment, a normal-sized man stepped forward, smiling at her. He was young, much younger than his voice had made her believe, with light, butterscotch-blonde hair and hazel eyes and a crooked, impish sort of smile. Ginny felt as though he was someone you would need to be on your guard with and then shook herself – what an odd thing to think about a person she'd never met.

"Aye, you're a new customer, aren't you? Think I'd remember you. I'm Sean Aloysius O'Brien, proprietor, local book hunter, and currently shifting from intrigued to intoxicated. You're a fine Colleen, now, aren't ye?"

Ginny felt vaguely uncomfortable for a moment as the man gazed at her – it wasn't a lewd type of look on his face, despite his flirtatious words. No, it was more something to do with his eyes seemingly trying to gobble her up. She suddenly felt self-conscious and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. His eyes followed her hand, and suddenly it was fine – there was no mysterious look – he was just an ordinary bloke in a book store. He flashed a lopsided smile at her.

"And a taken Colleen at that, sorry." He nodded at her ring and held up his hands, palms facing out. "What can I do for you, Miss…"?

"Ginny, er, sorry, Weasley. A friend of mine suggested you might have these three books in stock?"

Ginny held out her parchment to him, so he could read the titles. He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything. He turned and started off down one of the crowded aisles and made a soft 'hmm' sort of noise. He tilted his head at her to indicate she should follow him.

They walked down one aisle and then cut across to another one, moving further into the store. It was definitely more extensive than it looked from outside. She wondered how many expansion spells were on the place. It seemed to go on forever; no wondered Garrett had suggested it.

"So, which one was it then?" The man, Sean, asked suddenly, startling Ginny out of her reverie.

"Sorry?" she asked, confused.

"Which friend advised you to search out the Quill? I'll have to thank them. You're the prettiest customer we've had today. With some rather esoteric and exciting reading choices by far, I might add."

And there it was again – that uncomfortable feeling. Ginny didn't know what her problem was – he was perfectly friendly, and it wasn't what he said so much as…how he said it. She refused to let it get to her, though.

"And how many customers have you had today?"

O'Brien stopped and flashed an amused smile at her as he came to a stop in front of a very tall stack of books. "That's a fair cop, as you English say, but I have had at least three. Of course, you've been the only female. Ah, here we are. You're in luck, we have two of the three titles, and I think I can order the third one for you."

He aimed his wand at the highest part of the stack, and the books started rearranging themselves. He eventually handed two very old yet thin-looking books to her, and Ginny looked at them with interest despite her desire to get out of the book store. "It was Garrett Spencer, by the way," she said in answer to his earlier query.

His eyes lit up. "Ah! Garrett! Fine bloke. Fantastic customer. You must be from that Abbey of his."

Ginny nodded, not wanting to give out more information than that. He led her back to the front of the store, chatting about ordering the other book for her. Ginny wondered if she'd just imagined everything before and then wondered what Harry would think when she told him. He'll think I've gone a bit barmy and stick a meat pie in my mouth for low blood sugar.

"So, give me about three days, and I'll have the book for you," O'Brien was saying as he wrote up her order. Ginny nodded as she slipped the other two books into her bag, wanting to leave the creepy store.

"You've lost someone recently, haven't you?" O'Brien suddenly said, staring at her. Ginny bit her lip, feeling her face heat.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you just look a bit sad, and…well, wizarding folk who read up on time-portals aren't usually doing it just for fun."

"It's for a special project, for a summer class at the Abbey," Ginny lied smoothly. O'Brien raised an eyebrow at her as though he didn't believe her but didn't say anything. She paid for the books out of the money Harry had given her earlier and started looking around the store as he counted out her change.

Ginny shivered, suddenly feeling cold. She tapped her nails on the counter and found herself staring at a rather odd symbol hanging in the front window of the shop. It was an image of a wheel, with 8 spokes in a perfect circle, and within the circle was what she was sure was a lightning bolt. It was a simple sort of thing, but for some reason, it unnerved her, and when Ginny turned back, she realized O'Brien had been studying her.

"Aye, it's hard to lose someone, though, especially when it's not their time, wouldn't you say?"

His voice was so low and soft that it took her brain a moment to catch up with her ears. Ginny felt a whoosh sort of feeling right in the middle of her stomach, and she latched onto the counter to steady herself. She blinked at the man, suddenly feeling as though she were seeing two different things at once. He was there, but he wasn't there, and something was lurking behind him…

"Take care there, Ginny Weasley," O'Brien said, holding the door open for her, a pleasing smile on his face. Ginny blinked, not remembering how she had crossed the room to leave. Shaking herself, she gave the shopkeeper a blank smile and then headed back out into the sunshine, leaving all thoughts of shadows and odd-behaving men behind her.

She didn't notice that Sean O'Brien kept his eyes on her until she'd turned the corner and he could no longer see her.

o-o-o-o-o

"Well, I picked up the elixir of Remembrance, and the clerk assured me it was fresh, although why that's important, I don't really want to know. I also thought it was too bad Angus is no longer at the Abbey," Harry said using one of the new quills he'd bought to cross it off his list. "How did you do?" When no answer came, he looked up at Ginny, who was staring off into space. There was a disconnected expression on her face, as though she was a million miles away from him.

"Gin?" Harry asked again. When she didn't even blink in response, he snapped his fingers in front of her face, and she finally came around. She blushed as she caught his look.

"Sorry, I was wool-gathering," she said, shaking her head. Her hair fell around her face in soft waves, and Harry smiled.

Just then, the bartender signaled to Harry that their order was up, and he handed her the quill. "Here, trying crossing things off your list. It makes you feel remarkably accomplished."

When he returned with their food and drinks (he'd raised his eyebrow but didn't say anything when she'd ordered an Irish coffee) and he was pleased to see she seemed more like herself.

Harry waited as she blew on the top of her coffee to cool it. She took a tentative sip and then made a face. Harry hid his laugh behind his hand and picked up his sandwich. He's just ordered a mead, thank heavens. Judging from the whiff he'd got of the coffee as he'd carried it back to their table, there was definitely more than enough "Irish" in it for both of them.

Ginny stole a few of the chips from his plate (she'd ordered the chip-less stew, which Harry knew meant he'd be eating very few of his own), and she nibbled on one thoughtfully.

"Something on your mind?" Harry asked.

Her brow furrowed. "I had a strange experience in one of the bookshops earlier. It was…unnerving."

"What happened?" Harry asked, concerned.

She quickly filled him in, and when she was finished, he could tell the experience had made her anxious by the way she kept tearing tiny pieces of her napkin. He reached across the table and took her hand. "Do you want me to go in the next time and tell him to stop scaring my fiancée to bits?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, it's silly. Maybe it was just a cultural thing. He said he'd have the third book for me in a few days. Maybe I'll have Garrett go and pick it up for me and avoid it altogether."

Harry frowned. It was unlike Ginny to back away from a challenge or any awkwardness. He had only been joking about speaking to the man. He decided to change the subject.

"I went by the local owl emporium before I came in here. I was really tempted to buy us an owl."

Ginny gave him an understanding look. "You miss Hedwig. Do you reckon she's okay still?"

Harry shrugged. He had not seen his pet since they'd left the school when Voldemort had first claimed it. He'd assumed she was fine – his owl had always been fiercely independent. But still, he missed her, even if it was just her reassuring, quiet presence. Or even the way she would rattle the bars of her cage if she wanted out. Suddenly feeling emotional for some odd reason, he quickly forced a smile on his face.

"She's probably taken over the owlery and bossed all the lesser owls into doing her bidding."

Before they could continue talking about it, there was a soft round of applause, and Harry realized a man with an acoustic guitar had stepped up on the small stage in the corner next to them. Apparently, the pub offered live music, and he was suddenly interested in hearing some traditional music.

But a few moments later, after the musician had started singing, Harry felt a hard lump form in his throat. He took a drink of his mead and tried to clear his head. He glanced at Ginny and saw that she was just as affected. They quickly finished their meals, even though Harry now felt the food tasted dry and flat. They soon left the pub, the music lingering in the air as the door shut behind them.

"I'm ready for home," Harry muttered, grabbing Ginny's hand. She nodded and didn't argue, even though they had more things to get.

"He sounded so…" Ginny paused, voice shaky as she moved closer to Harry. "That was the song that Brogan used to…

"Yeah, I know," Harry said, feeling as though the narrow, cobblestone streets of the town, which he had initially found charming, now felt too close to them and too loud. He quickly led them to the end of the high street so they could Apparate.

o-o-o-o-o

She and Harry did not talk as they returned to the Abbey, and as they walked through the various hallways to go to their room, it was in a kind of commiserating silence. She knew they were both feeling rather intense pangs of…Ginny wasn't exactly sure. She knew it was a type of grief, but it was unlike anything she'd ever had experience with. They couldn't really morn Brogan – he wasn't dead. He was just…gone. As though off on a distant holiday. But to talk about him or experience things that reminded them of him – it did feel like a death, and then it hurt. It hurt a lot. Sometimes, she felt unprepared for it. She'd be fine, and then it would just hit her – she might never see Brogan again. And it made her so incredibly sad…Ginny thanked Merlin every day that she had Harry to go through this with.

Part of the issue, Ginny thought, was that they didn't act like he was dead, and maybe they should start if they expected to ever get over this. If their attempt to reunite with him never came to anything, they would have to eventually go through it. But maybe that was for the best – to experience the pain later after more time had passed. When the sound of someone singing an old song in a pub didn't make them want to flee. She had seen Harry's face as he'd grabbed her hand – and she had felt her heartbreak for them both.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the figure standing outside of Mr Cosgrove's office, and one glance at Harry showed that he wasn't paying attention either. But it was her brother, and Ginny suddenly felt a lightness fill her.

"George!"

Her brother turned at the sound of her voice, his face brightening. Ginny felt an intense longing suddenly to see all of her family. She ran the last bit and threw herself into her brother's arms, feeling as though a tiny part of her had just been returned. George chuckled and then shook his head at her as he greeted Harry.

"Blimey, Ginny, you act as though it's been years; we just saw each other a few weeks ago!"

"You're just a sight for sore eyes, you git," Ginny said, punching him on the arm. George took Harry's outstretched hand to shake and then pulled him in for one of those odd hugs men liked to do. She marveled at them.

"What are you doing here?" she finally asked.

"What? A big brother can't check in on his little sis and the savior of the Wizarding World on a whim?"

"Well, no, but like you said, we just saw you," Harry said, smirking.

"Where's Kath?" Ginny asked as she handed her bag to Harry and linked her arm around her brother's. "She's not here too, is she? Oh, I wish I'd known you were coming, I was planning on making some Barmbrack later, and she could give me tips and tell me what I'm doing wrong."

"She had some business in Galway for her Dad, so I thought I'd drop off here to visit you two. I have to say this Abbey is damn impressive. No wonder you two want to hide away here. Now, show me these amazing rooms of yours, but please don't show me the bedroom. A brother doesn't need to know."

Ginny smiled as Harry led the way as George and he chatted about what news his brother had heard that they hadn't. She had felt heavy earlier, reminded of Brogan, but now, now she wanted to sit with her brother and have a bit of laugh.

o-o-o-o-o

Hours later, after George entertained them with stories of how he'd been fitting in at The Wayfaring Stranger with Kath, Ginny was in the Abbey's kitchens. She was trying her hand at the Barmbrack. Ginny wanted to give some to George to take back for Kath to try, and she wanted to make sure she'd done everything right. It was a simple recipe, but Ginny wanted to get it perfect.

She smiled when George appeared and joined her, sitting down next to her.

"Harry finish showing you around then? Did you see all of his improvements to the Abbey? He's taking personal credit for most of them, you know."

George chuckled. "Yeah. He sure is a bit house-proud, isn't he? I think it's great he's sort of found something to do with himself. I mean, you know, after…everything."

Ginny nodded as she checked the oven, holding up her wand to see inside it. She nodded at the teapot on the hob to see if George wanted a cup before he left. He nodded gratefully and got up to find the cups.

After they were settled and the tea had been poured, Ginny set an alarm, so the bread didn't burn and waited for her brother to bring up whatever it was he needed to talk about.

"So, Gin," George said and then stopped, glancing at her. He looked sheepish for a moment. Ginny decided to be nice to him.

"George, tell me, really, how are you and Kath doing?"

George's face practically glowed at the mention of the other woman's name. "She's brilliant, Gin. I…I don't even miss Fred. Well, not as much as you'd think. I really like helping her, too. I love the inn. It's bloody brilliant, all the muggle things? Dad would absolutely love it. I want to invite him and Mum to stay once Kath gets more settled. She feels bad like she's stolen me away from my family and London, but…I don't know. I think I'd be happy anywhere she was."

Ginny stared at her brother, feeling awestruck. "George Fabian Weasley! You're totally besotted! I can't believe it. You're in love."

Her brother grimaced and then turned a bit red in the face as he eventually smiled at her.

"Yeah, reckon so. I knew it from the first moment I met her. Isn't that funny?"

"Not really," Ginny said, rubbing his arm. "I'm happy for you. And Merlin, I hope she knows what she's getting into with the lot of us."

George laughed. "I think she does. She may even have thawed Fred out a bit. He visited last weekend, and I think he realized how serious I am about her. It made everything go a bit smoother. Also, he's dating Angelina Johnson, by the way, and I think he gets it now."

"No! Fred and Angelina? Huh," Ginny said. She was unaware of her brother even liking girls sometimes, let alone one specifically. Although she had a vague memory of Fred bringing Angelina to Brogan's party, once upon a time. "I reckon I can see it."

"They're mad for each other, apparently," George said. "He fancied her at school but they never got the time to see where it led. Seeing her fighting for her life at the Ministry changed his mind about waiting for the right opportunity to ask her out again."

Ginny took a sip of her tea. It felt like they were all moving on – everyone in her family was at different junctions and starting off points. Bill with Fleur, George, and Kath, Ron and Hermione moving in together and now even Fred. In his last letter, even her father had mentioned an idea about retiring early. She knew her Mum was getting excited about the possibility of grandchildren from one of them soon. Ginny's money was on Bill and Fleur procreating before anyone else could even start to begin. Judging from the pictures of their first bonding part, the two were already all over each other.

"So, Gin," George said again, moving his teacup back and forth over its saucer, causing it to make soft scraping noises. He glanced at her and then looked away.

"It's all right," Ginny said, and she had an idea what this was about.

"About Brogan. Kath…well, she hasn't said anything but…I know she fancied him for a bit. And then I know he told her something that helped her…not fancy him, which I was very thankful for at the time. And I didn't think anything of it after that, but…you were close to him. Really close. And Harry, too. More than friends close."

"Yes, we were," Ginny said, feeling her mouth twitch. George noticed as well, and he scowled a bit.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't know how to bring up this topic with my baby sister, all right?"

"Bill handled it fine, as did Ron, so take comfort and strength from them," Ginny said lightly, patting his hand.

George's mouth hung open, and then his eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, Ron knew before me? And he kept it to himself? The smug bastard. That seems downright…unfair."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. She loved her family; she really did, but honestly, the things they decided to focus on sometimes exasperated her. George was giving her a speculative look, and she sighed, wanting the conversation over with, suddenly.

"We loved him, George. That's all you need to know," Ginny murmured, deciding to just say it. She stared into the dregs of her tea as George got used to the idea. She watched as her tea leaves curled into interesting shapes. Pity Trelawney wasn't around when she needed her to interpret them. A moment later, George put his arm around her and gave her a half-hug.

"Then I'm sorry for your loss," his brother said softly. "He was a decent bloke." Ginny nodded her head but didn't look at him, feeling wetness behind her eyes that she didn't want to acknowledge.

"Mum and Dad don't know, do they?" Her brother asked after a moment. Ginny shook her head and pulled away. She had a feeling her alarm was about to go off and stood so she could go to the oven.

"No, and I don't think I really want to have that conversation with them, and I know Harry doesn't."

"They might surprise you," George said, watching her. "They love Harry, too, you know. They're very loving people, Mum and Dad. We were…we may have had money problems, but we always had love in our home. Probably why we all turned out so bloody impressive and extremely dateable. Well, except for Percy, although I might change my mind about that eventually. But I did always say that if it wasn't for his freckles and red hair, I swear he'd been switched at birth."

Ginny laughed, despite her mood, and George gave her a wide smile. She pulled the oven door down and pulled the bread out of it with satisfaction. It had turned out just fine. In fact, it looked perfect.

Ginny hoped it was a good omen.

o-o-o-o-o

George left as evening fell, and Ginny promised him about getting away soon for a weekend to visit him and Kath. She found Harry outside the Abbey, and he looked a bit sweaty, and she realized he'd been helping the magic-builders with their carving again.

"All right, love?" she asked as she joined him. He nodded and rested his head on her shoulder. They both watched as the sun started to slip behind the trees, the blue sky turning pink and then orange.

"They showed me how to cut stone a bit more and how to get it to turn into the shape I wanted. It's amazing, Gin. It's like your magical ability, and your imagination have to work together, and it feels awkward at first, but then your mind just lets go, and boom, suddenly you have a piece of stone that now looks like a lion or a gargoyle or a window arch."

"Or even a window in the shape of an arched lion with a gargoyle on its back," she teased.

Harry grinned. "Yeah, maybe that too." He paused and took her hand into his, his finger tracing over her ring. "I've been thinking about this for a while, and I wanted to run something by you."

"You can't have it back if that's what you're asking," Ginny said lightly, wiggling her ring finger. He frowned and then pursed his lips at her.

"No, that's not it. I was thinking about buying some property near Hogsmeade, in fact, I've already asked Remus to see what's available, and…well, I want to build us a house. Build you a house. What do you think?"

Ginny felt touched and kissed him her answer. She pulled back and rested against him. "That's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. Well, other than, 'hey, Gin, I think it'd be great if you, me, and Brogan all fooled around on the training room floor and see where it goes."

Harry snorted softly against her, and it soon turned into a full belly laugh. Harry laughing was always infectious to her, so she joined in. It felt nice to laugh about a good memory instead of immediately feeling bad, and she felt as though something may have finally eased within her. Harry gave her a fond look as they finally calmed down.

"That isn't exactly what I whispered in your ear all those months ago, and you know it."

Ginny gave him a huge smile and didn't say anything. Her heart still felt light.

"Are you skilled enough yet, do you think? I mean, to build a whole house, Harry?" she eventually asked.

"Well, no, obviously not yet, but…a few of the magic-builders say they work in England too, if the price is right, and they've offered to sort of take me on as an apprentice. One even gave me a special sort of drafting parchment to doodle on and get some ideas out."

Ginny marveled at him. She knew he'd enjoyed working on the Abbey, but to actually commit to building them a real house?

"And I want to give us enough room for everything, you know?" Harry was saying, a dreamy quality coming into his voice. "For babies, if we want them, and…and…well, if we get Brogan back, I wanted to give him a whole part of it, too. His own section of rooms, if he'll have them. Full of books and ways to prepare coffee. And maybe a set of rooms for Ron and Hermione, maybe Remus and Tonks, you know for when they visit. It's honestly one of the best things I can think of to spend my family's money on. I think my parents would approve, a house for all the people I love."

Ginny sniffed, and he looked at her as though alarmed. He reached out and touched her cheek. "Sorry, Gin, I didn't mean to make you sad."

"No, it's not that. Not really. I was just thinking today that everyone we know is moving on with their lives – we're all at certain crossroads, I reckon. And now here you are, and your first decision about the future is to give you and me a home. It's amazingly sweet, Harry. I love you so much."

"You're my life and my home, Ginny Weasley," he murmured, kissing her again. "Why wouldn't I want to give back to you what you and your family have always given me?"

They walked back to their room, hand in hand. Ginny smiled as Harry barely waited for the door to close behind them. He pushed her firmly against it, his kisses becoming more urgent. She threw herself into it, and they were soon both breathing heavily. They quickly started undressing, moving through the room until they reached the rug in front of the hearth, and Ginny sighed as they melted together in front of the fire, their bodies joining smoothly. She turned them over, looking down at her love and feeling so much desire for him and the life that she knew they would one day build together.

She rested her hands on his chest as he gripped her hips, shifting underneath her. Harry watched her, a soft smile on his face as he moved his hands upward, cupping her breasts. Ginny raised her hands to hold her hair back, riding him and delighting in the pure, unadulterated pleasure of it. They both moaned, and she reached out to take one of his hands as her body tightened around his. He thrust upwards, and she followed the sensation, her body catching the rhythm he wanted. He slipped a hand in between her legs, thumbing her, and she grunted in approval. Harry always knew when she needed to feel undone. He released her hand and slipped his other hand around her to tease her bum, and she bit her lip and enjoyed the sensation she was causing. Her body felt full – like fruit on the vine, and she was so ready to give in.

"Come for me," Harry said, his voice wanton.

Their bodies met again and again, and she shifted higher so she could fall downwards and feel him deeper within her. She cried out as her body reached its peak, savoring the feel of Harry pulsing inside her. He turned them over and stayed on his knees in front of her. He shifted her legs so that they rested on his shoulders, and Ginny swore as he took her – completely and thoroughly. She arched against the floor as Harry pounded into her, and she reveled in it. Ginny knew he was almost there, could see the blazing look in his eye as he watched their bodies join, again and again. He was utterly uninhibited, and she loved that more than anything else. It started a fire inside her that was slowly burning its way through her. She started talking to him – saying anything that came into her head, and he grunted, his rhythm becoming erratic until he was just pumping into her. Her body shook with the power of his thrusts, and when he came a moment later, it was with a growl and a yell, and she smiled as he slumped down on top of her, wrapping her arms quickly around him.

"Fuck," Harry said sometime later, his head still on her chest. She smirked as she worked her fingers through his hair.

"Yes. A rather good one, too."

He chuckled and lifted his head finally to look at her. "All right?"

Ginny smiled. "Perfect."

"Good, because I think I killed my knees, so we're never doing that again."

Ginny laughed, and they eventually shifted apart. Harry helped her up, and they padded in the bedroom, leaving their clothes in a mess behind them. They climb into the bed, and Harry held out his arm so that she could curl around him. She sighed happily and kissed his side.

"I know we sort of talked about this before, but when do you want kids, Harry?"

Harry stuttered and choked as he'd been taking in a deep breath. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Warn a bloke next time, all right?"

"Sorry. I reckon I was still thinking of my brilliant new house you're going to build me and starting our lives together."

"I don't know, I reckon when it happens, it…happens."

"We do have to be off of the potion, you do realize, right?"

"Well, yeah, but we've had so many scares in the past that I assumed once we made up our minds, it would sort of happen by divine intervention or something."

Ginny laughed and pinched him for his cheek. He swatted her hand away but then took hold of it and kissed her fingers, green eyes brightly gazing at her in curiosity.

"When do you want them? A real answer this time, please."

"Hmm, not for a few years, but definitely before or around the time I turn I'm 30," Ginny said, nodding her head definitively. Harry grinned.

"Well, that answers that. Let's have this talk in about seven to eight years from now, okay?"

Ginny bit her lip, not wanting to ask her next question but needing to. "And what if, by some crazy miracle, Brogan is with us? What if, after all of this, we do get him back, and he lives with us, and we start wanting a family and-"

"Shh," Harry said, kissing the top of her head. "Don't fret about things we have no way of even controlling right now. There are so many variables, Gin. But like everything, we'll cross that bridge when we get there, whether it's three of us or two of us."

Ginny smiled at him. "That was the right answer, Harry."

"Thank God for that. I feel like I passed an O.W.L. for future planning."

"Yes, you definitely Exceeds Expectations in all areas," Ginny said, rolling on top of him again.

"Not a T for Troll, then?" Harry asked playfully.

"Definitely not."

They kissed for a moment, and then Harry pulled away, winking at her. "Mind if I shoot for an Outstanding at making love to you?"

Ginny grinned and allowed him to flip them over. "Go right ahead, Mr Potter."

o-o-o-o-o

Ginny was dreaming. Or so, she assumed she was. She'd just been at the Burrow, talking to her Mum, and now, now she walking amongst the stones at Lough Gur. She had an urge to make it to the Well. Someone there was waiting for her. Was it Aine? Was it Harry? She didn't quite remember and hurried her step.

Suddenly the weather turned colder and darker, and she shivered. Some part of her brain recognized this place – it was the Well, but it wasn't. She was on a cliff with a narrow path, looking down into a large ravine. A distant rolling sound made her think of thunder, and she looked around for a place to take cover. The wind picked up as she held onto the side of the cliff, her fingers brushing painfully against the stone. With her hair blowing in her face, Ginny felt frightened as the squall moved closer.

It's just a thunderstorm, you ninny, she chastised her dream self. Ginny tried to raise her head, knowing that if she just kept going, she'd eventually find the sun and blue skies again. Blue – blue just like Brogan's eyes…she tripped suddenly and cried out, falling forward. Ginny looked down at her hand as a sharp pain began and frowned – the blood was already blooming on her skin from a rough cut to her palm. For a dream injury, it definitely felt real, and for the first time, she thought she might not be wholly dreaming at all.

"What do you want?" Ginny said aloud, only to be met with a howling wind. Ginny frowned – she had been here before in a dream. Hadn't she? When Aine had been mad at her, yes, when she had…but no, Brogan had said Aine wasn't a vengeful type, that she wouldn't harm her Heir. Not when there was still so much work to be done…Ginny had to rescue someone. No, not someone. Brogan. She had to save him. Yes, that was right.

A crack of lightning suddenly illuminated the path in front of her, and Ginny gasped as she saw a figure up ahead – it was the large, looming shadow of something not quite…no, it was wrong. This was wrong; she had to wake up, she had to—

"Gin!" Harry was shouting at her, and she realized with a start that she was now awake. She sat up, looking around frantically. They had to get out – he was coming back – he wasn't happy, no —

"Ginny?" Harry said, holding her in place. His expression was more than a little alarmed, and Ginny suddenly felt the dream leave her as quickly as it had come. She shivered, and Harry grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her.

"You were just having a nightmare," Harry said, petting her gently. Ginny nodded, still feeling her heart beating frantically. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the fight or flight response of her body finally ebbing.

"Better?" Harry eventually asked as he pulled away to look at her. "Want to talk about it?"

"It was so…odd," Ginny finally said as she looked at her hand, which, of course, was uninjured. But yet she could still feel the sting of pain as she'd fallen, cutting it on the rugged stone. She'd half expected to wake up with blood all over herself.

"What was it about?" Harry asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Ginny frowned. "It was…well, it was about a storm."

"You dreamt of a storm?"

"Yeah, one minute I knew what was going on, and the next it was as though…you know, I've dreamed of something like this once before, back when I thought I had upset Aine. I never told you about it, well, not until later."

Harry sighed as they sat back against the headboard, and he used his wandless magic to bring the soft light of the candles up. He reached out for his glasses and slipped them on, giving her an encouraging look.

"Okay, I sort of remember that. What happened next?"

Ginny quickly filled him in, feeling foolish now that she was saying out loud how frightened she'd felt during the dream. Ginny frowned as she remembered the strange figure she'd seen in the lightning flash. It had just been a thunderstorm. But no, whatever she had seen had already started to fade. She shrugged at Harry.

"I reckon it sounds silly, getting scared of some thunder and wind."

"Maybe it represented something you didn't want to deal with," Harry said, simply. That was surprisingly astute, Ginny thought. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Have some experience with that, do you?"

Harry had the grace to look embarrassed but then smirked at her. "Perhaps. Anyway, you are safe here, in our Abbey bedroom and in my strong, immune to thunder and lightning arms. Should we try to get back to sleep, or do you want to sit up for a bit?"

"I don't want to sleep anymore, at least, not for a while. You don't have to sit up with me, though. Get your rest, love. Aren't you and the magic-builders working on the last of the heavy walls tomorrow..er, later today? What time is it?"

Harry rolled over and grabbed his watch from the table. "It's a little after 4. I'll be okay. Your peace of mind is more important."

"You really are too sweet sometimes, Harry," Ginny said, kissing him. Harry grinned at her.

"Well, we could, you know, get up to stuff." He gave her what she was sure he thought was a sexy look. She didn't have the heart to tell him he just looked adorable. Like a fluffy, non-sexy bunny wearing glasses, especially as his hair was so messed, it looked as though he had two ears pointing upwards.

"Maybe later? I still feel sort of…." Ginny shrugged. Jumpy, she felt jumpy. Thunderstorms had always done that to her.

Harry sobered. "Of course you are. Sorry. Should we move to the sofa and read for a bit?"

Ginny agreed, and they got themselves arranged, with Harry stoking the remnants of their fire from the previous night into a warm blaze. It was summertime and not especially cold, but the warmth and light of the flames was a comfort to her, especially after her nightmare. They settled into a comfortable silence and their chosen books.

"Sometimes I dream that Brogan never gets up again after that first spell hit him," Harry said quietly, startling her. Ginny had thought he was actually reading. She looked over at him, but he was staring into the fire, a haunted look on his face.

"He stays down. Dead. Then you and I never succeed in stopping Tom. Voldemort kills you next, and he makes me watch it again and again in my head. First Brogan, then you, over and over. And I feel so…so useless, and I'm trying everything I can think of to stop him, and then he eventually laughs at me and aims his wand at my wrist, and he takes the bracelet from me. And I feel completely stripped bare of everything, Ginny. I can't feel you, I can't feel Brogan…all I can feel is how much of a failure I am."

Ginny put her book down and moved closer to Harry, wrapping her arms around him.

"Oh, Harry. You are not a failure."

"Brogan is gone, Gin! I was supposed to keep you both safe! I never wanted him to…he didn't have to sacrifice himself. Not for me. No one should do something like that for someone like me."

Ginny swore and lifted his head so that she could meet his eyes. She saw his stubbornness growing and knew she needed to make him understand before it took hold.

"You are so worth it, Harry. What did he say in his letter? Never doubt your worth. And he didn't just do it for you, you know. He saved me, he saved my family, and he saved the world, I think. I'm not sure what would have happened when the portal met the stone pillars, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been good. The portal was…it was going to swallow everything, I think. Why do you think the Ministry was so concerned about that point when we told them? And I don't believe for one second that you would have let Tom Riddle win, Harry Potter. You would have grabbed him and pulled him through the Veil yourself if you'd needed to, and you know it."

Harry blinked at her as she held her breath, hoping he would hear the truth of her words. He finally shook his head.

"Thank you," he finally said, his voice sounding rough.

Ginny pushed the fringe off of his face and smoothed his hair down. She placed her lips over the faint remnant of his scar. If she could, she would pour all her love into that spot – to completely heal it. To wipe out whatever part of Harry thought he wasn't good enough or worth anything.

"Nightmares stink," Harry said after a moment, and Ginny couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. Harry gave her a sheepish grin.

"They do," Ginny said, kissing his forehead again.

"Let's stop having them," Harry said, yawning. He lay back against the sofa cushions, and she curled into his arms, all thoughts of reading forgotten.

"If you say so," she said, resting her head on his chest. "You'll have no argument from me."

"Fantastic," Harry mumbled, and she soon felt him fall asleep, his breathing evening out until he was taking long, slow breaths.

Ginny watched the fire and the shadows that danced on the walls and thought of the thunder and lightning. She hoped her dream didn't imply that they were entering into a new kind of storm of their own.

o-o-o-o-o