Crossroads 19: Life Goes On (Ob-la-di-ob-la-da)


They did wake up later than normal the following day, but as they had no plans other than their dinner with Remus and Tonks later, Harry assumed it was okay to have a lie-in. So, while Brogan offered to make them brunch, Harry and Ginny cuddled in bed, talking.

"I don't know why Tom was on my mind," Ginny said again. Harry held her and waited. She seemed anxious, but also a bit embarrassed by her previous emotions, and he wasn't sure how to encourage her to talk about it without appearing too pushy. But he knew she needed to get things off her chest.

"Is there something, erm, I can try not to do?" Harry finally asked, feeling uncomfortable. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to act now. Should they not be playful? Should he not give in to his more demanding nature?

"No," Ginny said, sounding insistent. She glanced up at him. "Just be yourself and whatever you're feeling, Harry. I am not going to let…whatever this is…ruin our sex lives."

"It's not ruining our sex lives if you prefer one thing over the other, Gin."

"It's not a question of preference." Ginny frowned. "I can't…I can't say this won't come up again. We could have the most boring sort of sex from here on out, and it could still happen, so I reckon I don't think us doubting ourselves or denying things is going to help much, that's all."

Harry nodded. She had a point. But still, it made him feel physically ill to think of her having such a reaction. Especially to him.

Brogan appeared in the doorway. He took one look at their faces and sat down on the bed.

"Brunch is served, but I feel as though I've missed something important. What's going on?"

Ginny reached for him and Harry added his hand to hers. Their link opened, and Brogan gazed at them thoughtfully. He finally nodded at Harry.

"I don't think you trying to curtail your more dominant desires is the answer, Harry."

Ginny turned her head sharply to glance at him. Harry mouthed the words 'thanks a lot' at Brogan and he looked at her, feeling sheepish.

"For the record, I had not made up my mind to do that. At least, not fully."

"Sorry, but it was on the surface of your feelings," Brogan said, looking apologetic at spilling Harry's emotional taboo. "At any rate, it would only create more issues, I think, in the long run. None of us should hide who we are or what we like."

"Or even what we feel," Ginny added.

"I can see I am out-voted, it's two against one," Harry said, but held up his hand as they both opened their mouths to argue with him. "Only teasing, you two. So…I don't know. What is the answer here? I don't want Ginny to have flashbacks to Tom bloody Riddle every time I think about ripping her clothes off."

Ginny snickered and raised an eyebrow at him. "Want that a lot, do you?"

Harry pointed at himself. "Harry Potter, sex-maniac. And yes, I usually do. You're very fit, Gin. Your animal magnetism draws it out of me."

"Oh, brother," Ginny mumbled, rolling her eyes. Harry tickled her slightly until she was grinning and shoving his hands away.

"I think we should just go about our business as usual," Brogan said, grinning at them. He squeezed Ginny's hand. "But if one of us ever does something that makes you feel off or uncomfortable, you stop whatever we're doing, Gin. Doesn't matter how far gone we are or who's doing what. You absolutely have total say-so in what happens to you and your body. I think Harry and I both agree to that."

Harry nodded and turned her head towards his, resting his thumb on her cheek. "Completely agree. I would rather die than hurt you, Ginny."

Her brown eyes were wide and she nodded that she understood. She joined all their hands together again.

"No one has to die," Ginny said, shaking her head. "But I do appreciate what you said, Brogan. And I knew that already. You two always make me feel as though I am in a very safe place. Always."

"All right then, let's eat. The eggs are getting cold. And what I said goes for you too, Harry. And for myself, I reckon. We always have to be open with each other or this entire threesome will never work. We need to start good communication skills now, not later."

"Merlin, I feel so bloody grown-up all of a sudden," Harry complained as they all got off the bed.

"I'll referee you two when you have the inevitable bubbles fight when you do the cleaning up later, how about that?" Brogan smirked at him. "That should take some years off."

"He'll feel young again almost immediately," Ginny quipped. "Especially when I win."

o-o-o-o-o

"Oh, I honestly could not eat another bite," Tonks moaned, resting her hand delicately on her stomach. She paused and then flashed a smile at them all. "Unless it's a piece of that chocolate cake I've been eyeing on the counter there."

"I admit I am feeling a similar sensation," Remus said as he sat back in his chair, looking very satisfied.

Ginny smiled, a feeling of warmth moving through her. This had been their first proper dinner, complete with guests and they'd pulled it off effortlessly, despite their rough night and late morning. They'd decided on roast and Yorkshire pudding for the menu in the end, because neither she nor Brogan had wanted to cook something that required a lot of guesswork. Which is what their original idea of Irish coddled pork and colcannon would have caused since neither of them had ever made either dish.

Harry squeezed her hand, checking on her as he got up to help Brogan with the dishes. He'd been a bit clingy all day and she was touched, but she was fine after her disturbing trip down memory lane and just wanted to put it behind them. The scent of coffee filled the air and Ginny could tell Brogan had started the process and considered having a small cup of it herself as a treat. She knew it would go perfect with their afters.

"That cake is all Harry," Brogan said now, bumping playfully into him. "Who wants coffee? Show of hands." He smirked when everyone raised their hand, especially Ginny. He turned to pull the cups down from the cabinet.

"On second thought, I hate to sound squeamish, but you don't happen to have some decaf, do you?" Tonks asked, rubbing her stomach again.

Brogan turned, looking appalled. "Blast. No. Sorry, Tonks. I didn't know you liked it. I didn't know I knew anyone who drank it."

She waved her hand but blushed a bit. "I'll take some tea then, sorry. Anything herbal or caffeine-free if you have it."

"Then make mine tea, too," Ginny said, smiling at Tonks. "Come on, Tonks, let's go check out the stars in the garden while the men take care of the domestics."

She heard Harry snort at her from the sink, where he was getting it ready to start the washing up. Remus gave them a smirk as he got up from the table too.

"I take it that's my cue to go help with the cake and the drinks. I'll make sure the slices are even. The man at the sink looks a bit dodgy. No cake is safe when there is a Potter about."

The two women giggled as Harry scoffed at the jibe and then they headed outside. Roisin mewled at them from the edge of the garden and Tonks bent down to greet the kitten. Roisin preened like the diva she was growing to be and Ginny watched in amusement. When Tonks was done she stood back up and looked around the garden, impressed.

"Cor, this is a nice house. Good job, Harry. What a garden! I bet you're loving it, aren't you?" Tonks asked as they sat down on one of the stone benches near the fire pit.

"I don't hate it," Ginny said cleverly and smiled.

"So, what's it feel like, finally being out from under the insanity of all that is Weasley? Has Molly been by to make sure it's not a hovel with an outhouse and a one-pot hob?"

Ginny snickered. "She did come by. But you know, she was so upset with me about other stuff, she put off judging the house for next time. She can't be too harsh though, she knows this isn't permanent."

"She dropped by Grimmauld Place after she heard Remus and I were turning it into a home. I love your Mum, Ginny, but sometimes…."

"She's overbearing in the best possible way, I know. She does it out of love, Tonks. Take comfort in that."

"Oh, I know, but…I sort of got the impression she doesn't think I know how to run a household, which let's be fair, I probably don't, but, I've got into helping the kids with their various ailments and issues. I love helping them read or just do basic spells. It's been rewarding. I'll be sad when the last of them leave. Although, perhaps by then I'll be involved in…another project."

The other woman rested her hand on her stomach again, and Ginny thought she understood the Auror's sudden aversion to caffeine intake.

"When did you find out?"

Tonks gave her a wide-eyed look and then glanced at the house. She finally gave Ginny a sheepish grin.

"A few weeks ago. We planned on telling Harry tonight. We wanted to share it with all of you. What gave me away?"

"No coffee. Specifying herbal, caffeine-free tea, and you keep patting your stomach," Ginny said, listing the reasons off on her fingers. She grinned at Tonks. "It's a good thing, right?"

Tonks gave Ginny the most beatific smile she had ever seen on the other woman's face and that included all the ones she'd seen on their wedding day.

"I am…so incredibly pleased, Ginny. Remus was so fretful about us conceiving and he still is, to be truthful. But…we've been in talks with two healers who are specialists. Thanks to Avery, we know we can trust them. They both say we have more than a 65% chance that the baby will be born without his furry little problem coming along for the ride. Not that I care, either way, mind you. Any child made from our love is going to be beautiful, but anything to give Remus peace of mind is worth it in my book."

"Can I…." Ginny paused and then held her hand back. "It's probably too soon to feel anything, right?"

Tonks took hold of her hand and placed it over her stomach. "Probably, but who cares." Tonks glanced down at her belly. "Little one, this is Ginny and she's going to spoil you rotten, I'm sure. Especially if she says yes to what we need to ask her."

Ginny frowned and watched as Tonks looked back up at her. "We want you and Harry to be godparents, Ginny. Please, if you don't want to be, it's okay, just take a few days to make up your mind. I know it's a big thing, and a huge step, and I know you might not want to since you're so young, but I-"

Ginny threw her arms around her friend, feeling incredibly touched. "Of course, we want to be godparents! Are you kidding me? We stood up for Remus at your bonding, I'd be insulted if you asked anyone else!"

"Uh, everything all right out here, ladies?" Remus asked as the men emerged from the house, a tray full of cake, coffee, and tea floated out in front of them.

Tonks wiped at her eyes and nodded. She winked at Ginny. Brogan looked between them, an eyebrow raised, but Harry was oblivious as he was lighting a fire and not paying attention to them. When he finally joined them he took one look at everyone and frowned.

"What did I miss?"

Ginny got up and went to him, holding his hand. Remus took her place next to Tonks, putting his arm around his wife, and looked at them.

"Harry, Dora and I have something to ask you, and well, we were going to do it together, but something tells me Ginny has already sussed it out."

"Sorry," Ginny said, smiling.

"We're pregnant," Remus said, squeezing Tonks's hand and giving her a fond look. "And she insists I ask you to be godfather now, rather than later. I'm assuming Ginny will be godmother, judging by her smile?"

Ginny nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!" She glanced at Harry who still seemed dumbstruck by the news.

Remus turned to Brogan. "And you can be god-uncle, Brogan. Sorry, there's not a more official-sounding title for you. Those two took the good ones," he nodded and smiled at Harry and Ginny. "But we understand you come with the package over there and we couldn't be more pleased to include you. Our child will have three brilliant people to take care of it and more's the merrier, no doubt."

Brogan looked utterly gobsmacked and then touched. "Thank you, Remus, Tonks. You've managed to surprise the hell out of me." He looked at Ginny, and then Harry, who still hadn't said anything.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, nudging him.

"That's…that's brilliant! Sorry, I was just…I didn't even know you were trying!" Harry said, sounding shaky but thrilled.

"We started about a few months ago, so it happened fairly quickly," Remus said, sounding proud. "I wasn't sure if it was meant to be but now that it's happened, I couldn't be happier." He kissed Tonks on the cheek, who smiled gently at her husband.

"I feel like I should pass out cigars or brandy or, well, not that, because Tonks can't drink it!" Harry said, moving forward. He enthusiastically shook Remus's hand and then hugged Tonks tightly. Ginny got the sense that the news had thrown Harry for a bigger loop than he was letting on.

"Well, how about we settle for chocolate cake, coffee, and no caffeine, herbal tea?" Brogan quipped and everyone laughed as they reached for the food tray. Ginny went to Harry and rested against him.

"All right, Harry?"

"Yeah," he murmured. "Just…they shocked me."

"Life's finally moving on, I reckon," Ginny said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Before you and I got together and you changed my way of thinking, I never thought I would live through everything to be named godfather of my father's best friend's kid, and wow, that was a mouthful to get out," Harry chuckled. But he still sounded vaguely confused. Ginny turned and looked at him, to make sure he was all right. He blinked back at her.

"I'm fine, it's just…I get to be to their child what Sirius was to me, and…." He shrugged, appearing embarrassed at such a display of emotion, and Ginny rested her hand over his heart in understanding.

Brogan brought over a cup of tea for her and a cup of coffee for Harry. He looked at Harry and didn't say anything, but he touched them both and Ginny felt soothed.

"Come on, let's see what horrible names a person named Nymphadora can come up with," Brogan finally said, letting his voice carry. Ginny heard Tonks snicker behind them.

"I heard that, Brogan Caley. Cheap talk from a person whose father is named Solace."

o-o-o-o-o

"You know what I was thinking?" Brogan said as he and Ginny walked into Hogsmeade a few days later.

"That we went through seven days' worth of food quickly and you can't believe we have to go to the shops again?"

"Erm, no," he snickered, glancing at her. "And we didn't go thru the food that fast. I mean…we had a mini-dinner party, we've been cooking most of our evening meals, not to mention breakfast…I think we've done pretty well all things considered."

"I reckon you're right," Ginny finally said, smirking at him. "So what were you thinking?"

"What if we turn the second bedroom into a room for Harry to do his building stuff? Desk, file cabinets, you name it, the whole shebang. Maybe a drafting board, and a place where he can store his books and parchments, that sort of thing."

"Shebang?"

Brogan rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know, un-Irish of me, but my American family used to say it. Anyway, what do you think?"

Ginny looked thoughtful. "You mean for a birthday present?"

"Yeah. I'm fairly sure we can't re-arrange anything too radically per the rental agreement, but we can at least make use of the space."

Ginny tilted her head to acknowledge his point. "Well, it would clear up the kitchen table for actual eating."

"And the desk in our bedroom for, erm, actual desk-related things."

"As well as the table in the living area."

They shared a look and then laughed. Harry had pretty much taken over most of the available spaces they had. They'd broken ground a few days ago on the house, and it had turned their rental into minor chaos. Harry was gone most of the day now, albeit just down the road and Brogan had never seen him so excited and motivated. Ginny was apparently used to it from his work on the Abbey and had decided to find it adorable. But she did like to tease him about his enthusiasm for waxing poetically about magical welding charms. Whatever those were. After watching him try to show them, Brogan had to admit it looked complicated even to him.

Ginny snickered. "Maybe this will be more of a present for you and me rather than Harry."

"Like the lingerie you mentioned being a gift for him and me?"

Ginny blushed prettily, and he nudged her playfully as they reached the outskirts of town. Brogan sighed. It felt remarkably normal what they were doing, going to the shops, talking over domestic things. Just that morning, after his appointment with Sid, he'd joined his father for the first of their "just the two of them" meetings. They'd talked about the dinner with Tonks and Remus, and Brogan's officially unofficial title of god-uncle, as well as finally getting started on the new house. His father had made a joke about how into settling down and nesting the three of them appeared to be. Then his father had implied that they were all far too young for such feelings until Brogan had pointed out that Solace himself had married his mother before he was twenty-three, which shut the older man up for a bit.

"How'd your lunch go with your father?" Ginny asked now, as though reading his mind.

"Fine. No fish were skewered in vain, well, except maybe the caviar. But neither Caley stormed out in huffs and puffs of anger. He took me to a very posh restaurant, of course. I told him that next time, I'd pick. I'm planning on picking some hole-in-the-wall dive that has an abysmal house wine and those cheap little breadsticks in the plastic wrappers. It'll drive him nuts."

Ginny shook her head at him as they entered what was the closest thing to a grocery store Hogsmeade had, Thyme & Egbert's Perishables. Neither of them had wanted to venture into a Muggle town, and they were just getting something to last them a few days until they could do the shopping properly. As they entered, Brogan noticed they offered a delivery service and thought that in the long run, it might pay to set something like that up for just the basics, like eggs, bread, and the like.

"I thought you wanted to work on your relationship?" she asked as she picked a floating trolley, heading towards the fruits and vegs as it trailed behind her.

"I do. I just…sometimes, he just…look, I realize he doesn't even know he's doing it, but he rubs me the wrong way. He always has to have the best in everything; it's grating. Why can't we just sit down and eat like two normal people? Erm, well, we're not normal people, but it'd be great to pretend."

"I think it's nice he wanted to treat you. Maybe it wasn't about him having the best, but about treating you to a nice meal for your first official lunch together. I think he hides a lot of his nervousness about you behind flashy things. He's terribly vulnerable about you, Brogan."

Brogan made a face and then had to admit she had a point. He gave her a grumpy look. "All right, stop trying to out-empath the Empath. Pretty soon I'll bring nothing to this relationship except my exceedingly gifted tongue."

Ginny snorted, and an old woman who was looking at the aubergines gave them both the evil eye and walked away in a huff, her head held high. Brogan grinned and winked at the witch and turned back to Ginny who was rolling her eyes.

"All right, this is the last time we shop after you've been with your father. You are far too sassy and grumpy to be in public."

He knew she was half-teasing, but he felt chastened anyway. "Sorry, Ginny. How about I make it up to you by waiting at the meat counter while you get the rest?"

"Okay. Get us some pork and some more chickens? Those are always handy. I do still want to try and make that coddle so get enough pork in case I foul it up."

Brogan smiled and touched her briefly, squeezing her arm. "I think it's sweet you want to learn how to make Irish dishes."

"I think it's insane. But I've committed myself," she said laughing. "And the boxty turned out rather well I thought."

"Aye. Harry had three helpings, always a good sign."

"Reminds me we're almost out of potatoes, too. All right, if I finish first, I'll come find you."

Brogan nodded and made his way towards the back of the store. He wasn't exactly sure what the store did to keep the air clean and less gamey, but you couldn't even tell you were among dead animals. Since Hogsmeade was entirely all wizard, they had more interesting types of meat for sale. Brogan thought the three of them should master the basics, before experimenting with hippogriff or salamander meat. He even spied a sign in French which read, La Viande avec DuDu. Brogan didn't even want to know what animal that came from. It sounded unbelievably dodgy, and quite frankly, disgusting.

As he waited in the queue to be served, he stared out the nearest window, letting his mind wander. Which was probably why it took him a bit to realize what he was seeing. About two buildings away there was a blonde man with two other wizards who were wearing hoods that hid their faces. Brogan couldn't recognize them from the distance he was at, but he could guess. Because he could tell who the blonde was – it was Draco Malfoy. And he looked like he was up to something.

o-o-o-o-o

"You didn't see them do anything though?" Ginny asked Brogan as they worked on getting their tea together. She grabbed a carrot from his pile and started eating it, thinking about what he'd seen.

"Well, no. I was still in the queue for the meat counter, and didn't feel like becoming a private detective right then to chase after Draco Malfoy."

"Hmm, I bet the other two were Crabbe and Goyle," she offered.

Brogan nodded. "Aye. It probably was. But they looked shifty, Ginny. Entirely too shifty."

"You're worse than Harry with your suspicious nature. I mean, not that you're wrong. But what could they get up to in Hogsmeade?"

Brogan made a face and stopped her from stealing another carrot by turning her towards the celery, to chop that instead. He shrugged at her question and continued cutting up the vegetables.

"Maybe I can ask my Dad how the trial is going since they've banned the Daily Prophet from the proceedings, thanks to Rita Skeeter," Ginny said after thinking about it.

When the Malfoy trial had begun, the Prophet had been ablaze with Malfoy this and Malfoy that and you'd think the Minister herself was about to throw a noose around Lucius Malfoy's neck and pull. But Skeeter had leaked actual court documents to the paper, and the Minister had come down pretty severely on the bad-mannered reporter. And rightly so, Ginny thought. The general public did not need to know some things, but of course, that had never stopped ol'Rita.

Mostly, the documents had contained information regarding Malfoy's wealth, which Ginny didn't care about, but there had also been information about Voldemort's use of Malfoy Manor, which Lucius was trying to use as an example of him being mistreated by the Dark Lord. It was the first time she thought someone had opted to use the real estate defense, but, she assumed Malfoy Sr was feeling pretty desperate. She knew her father had been helping Kingsley with a few things and had been attending the trial every day.

"Or better yet, it gives me an excuse to contact Percy," Ginny continued out loud to herself. But Brogan heard her and she saw him frown.

"How is Percy doing?"

"Mum says he's cut himself off from everyone, just like she feared he would. Percy tends to do that when pushed against the wall. I know a lot of people wonder about him having been placed in the wrong house, once upon a time, but he has a stubborn streak a mile wide, which is very Gryffindor of him. Also very Weasley."

Brogan gave her a thoughtful look. "I could try…erm, well, to act as an actual Empath and talk to him with you, if you'd like," he finally offered, touching her arm.

Ginny thought about it. Would Percy respond to Brogan? At the least, having him there might make the talk go smoother, if only on her side. She didn't want to get into a screaming row with her brother over something stupid or misunderstood. She smiled at Brogan.

"Yeah, you know what? That sounds brilliant. I'll send a message to him after tea and set it up." Brogan nodded and she kissed his cheek. "You sure you're ready to get this involved with my family?"

"They're important to you, so therefore they are important to me, and are worth my time. Besides, you and Harry have put up with Solace, even when you thought I was gone forever. He told me how you two would keep him company and ask him to tell you stories about what he could remember about me as a babe."

Ginny hugged him. "It's because we missed you. It was a way of keeping your memory alive. And Solace really isn't that bad, Brogan."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. He's charming, I think you said."

"Well, yes, he is that. But with us, it was just a father talking about his son and dealing with his grief."

Brogan shook his head, but she had reached him, she could tell. He kissed her forehead and they turned back to their cooking. Ginny hoped Harry wasn't too late today; she felt like spending her evening in very little clothing and preferably on her back or on one of the men, she wasn't picky. She'd had too much domesticity lately, and felt the need to liven things up.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry loved building, that's all there was to it. Oh, no, it wasn't the same as flying for him; nothing could compare to that joy, but…the thrill he received when he got something right after working on it all day? It was fantastic.

He'd been learning loads of new things while they worked on the house. And the crew Andrew had helped him get together were brilliant and fun to work with. Harry often forgot what time it was, and when he'd finally look at his watch as the men started to leave for the day he'd always be surprised by how late it had become. He was glad Brogan and Ginny had decided to find his single-mindedness charming instead of getting after him. He knew he had been neglecting them lately.

But he wanted the house to be brilliant and he enjoyed being outside and using his magic and his brain. Ron came by as much as he could and Harry enjoyed working next to his best mate. Ron was picking up some new tricks too – and Harry had the idea that his friend and Hermione might one day be their next-door neighbors. Ron had already asked about the agency he'd gone through to buy the property.

Harry also wanted to be able to move in before the first snow and so he was pushing himself, as well as the builders, paying extra for their time (he hadn't told Ginny that part but he thought Brogan might suspect). For as much as he knew they enjoyed the rental, there was just something about being able to finally say he was in his own house, made by his own magic and hard work. He wanted it to be a testament to their future. Harry also knew he was going a bit mad about it because the house represented everything he'd never had as a child. It represented security and safety, as well as comfort. But most of all, it represented love. And he wanted nothing more than to have it speak for itself.

He was, unfortunately, a bit distracted today. An owl had found him early this morning – from the Minister herself. He hadn't told Ginny or Brogan about it, as they'd both still been asleep. But he knew he would appreciate hearing their input if he ever managed to come to a decision himself.

Minister Willamenia Spunk wanted Harry to be an Auror. In fact, she wanted him to be Head Auror, second only to Kingsley, who would now be moving onto Head of all Magical Law Enforcement. Harry was pleased for Kingsley, of course. He could think of no better man for the job and knew that Kingsley was ambitious and level-headed enough to get changes made in the system. Most importantly, (and Harry had the suspicion that Minister Spunk knew this), Kingsley liked Harry. He had supported him and the two men would work well together, even Harry could see that. And he would be lying if he didn't say there was some tiny part of him that wasn't tempted. To change the Ministry? From within? It sounded lofty and inconceivable, and yet, terribly exciting in its way, too. Just the few times he'd been there recently had indicated to him that someone needed to do something different to shake things up with how they thought about things.

But Harry ultimately knew he could not do a job of trying to work within an inherently flawed system. The Ministry really was a bunch of tossers, no matter how easy Harry was on them. They had never embraced the idea that Voldemort was back until Tom Riddle himself had waltzed out of the Atrium. While it was true the current government had nothing to do with Fudge and his self-serving blindness, Harry couldn't help how he felt about the whole ordeal and how much that experience had tainted his view of things now.

Besides, did he want to put his life in danger again? Did he want to be away from home for long periods? Even if the Head Auror was mostly a desk job, Harry knew he would never be happy sitting behind while the Aurors under him risked their lives. Not to mention being named Head Auror without having worked as one was sure to rub some people the wrong way. Harry knew a lot of people admired him but he was not so daft as to think everyone would be happy with his appointment and rightly so – there were undoubtedly better-trained Aurors who would do the job perfectly fine.

He was turning 18 soon, and while that felt like an achievement to a boy who had never thought he'd make it past 17, he knew that in the eyes of the wizarding world he was still just a kid who'd lucked out and managed not to get killed a few times. Ironically, it was the fifteen-year-old kid in him that was thinking about the offer, and it was the fifteen-year-old in him that hadn't rejected the job outright. He could remember wanting to be an Auror with a fierce passion. At the time, he had wanted it more than anything….

"Harry?" Ron's voice stirred him out of his daydreams and he looked up, realizing he'd missed the end of the day again. He finished the last of the casting he'd been doing and stood up, looking over his work. He'd been focusing on the back wall of what would someday, hopefully, soon become their kitchen.

"I was a million miles away, sorry," Harry said as Ron joined him.

"Nice work. I really like how you overlayed the support charm with the stability charm. It's almost seamless."

"Thanks," Harry said, grinning. "And it's changeable too. Since Ginny can't decide on if she wants it painted or wallpapered, I've worked it into the spell to change between the two."

"Cool," Ron said, smiling. "Andrew teach you that?"

"I read about it, believe it or not," Harry said. He cast a protection spell over his work and grabbed his things. "Are you coming for tea or is Hermione waiting for you?"

Another reason Harry liked working with Ron was that most nights, he would eat with them as Hermione was staying later and later at Hogwarts, and she would often pop in after she was done to pick Ron up and to visit with everyone. To Harry, it felt like it used to when the three of them could just spend time together.

"I can eat," Ron said, smirking. "She's actually with her parents today. They just got back from France, believe it or not. They moved their trip up so they could be around next month for our bonding."

Harry nodded and sent his Patronus off to let Ginny and Brogan know to set another place at the table.

"Gotta check in with the two Missuses, eh?" Ron quipped and then frowned. "Erm, does Brogan count as a missus? What do you reckon?"

Harry laughed as they started walking to the rental house. "Uh, no, he doesn't and don't ever say that again. Merlin's pants, they've both been so great about taking care of things while I work on the house. I really owe them."

"Well, you are building them a place to live, what else could you do for them?"

Harry chuckled. He was sure that his loves could both think of other things he could do for them, most assuredly. But he didn't think Ron wanted to know about that.

"Hey, it's your birthday soon," Ron said as they reached the gate.

"It is," Harry said nodding. "But please, just buy me the usual stuff. No Order of Merlin's or plaques. I'm trying to cut back this year."

"Hah," Ron said, snickering. "Hermione and I were thinking of sending you to Kath's inn as a treat, just for the weekend, of course, and after Mum's 'do that she's sure to kill herself trying to cook for. I wish my birthday was a national bleeding holiday."

Harry pursed his lips at Ron as they entered the house. He could hear music and laughter from the kitchen and knew Brogan and Ginny were probably cooking. By the scent in the air, it was something new, but it smelled delicious already. He dropped his papers and post on the coffee table and sat down, a soft oomph escaping before he could stop it. His back hurt; he'd been in one position for too long. Eight hours too long.

"Anyway, what do you reckon?" Ron asked, joining him. "Think those two would enjoy it, too? Or, I reckon you could go without them, get some peace of mind and body rest."

Harry snickered and was about to reply when Ginny came into the living area. "Harry! You're home!"

She bent over the back of the sofa, throwing her arms around him. She smelled like apples and cider and flowers and it was…intoxicating to Harry. He kissed her enthusiastically while Ron made gagging noise.

"Oi! Brother type here. And where's my warm welcome, eh?"

"Hi, Ron. I can snog you if you like?" Brogan said as he entered the room, his lips twitching.

Ron's face turned pink and he shook his head. "Nah, I'm good, but ta, Brogan. Maybe next time. Or next lifetime. Or some alternative time where Hermione doesn't exist."

Ginny hit her brother on the arm for his cheek and looked at Harry. "You look tired, love. Why don't you go take a bath? Food's not quite done. I'll entertain this one. Better yet, he can entertain me by telling me all the things I did wrong for the meal." Ginny winked at Harry.

Ron looked excited. Whether it was because of the prospect of learning a new dish or critiquing Ginny's cooking, Harry didn't know. But he hid a smile as his friend got up and followed Ginny back into the kitchen, already asking what they having. Harry shook his head as Brogan joined him.

"She's right, you look knackered. Everything all right?"

"Yeah. Just more sore than usual. Maybe I will take that bath. Gods, I'm old before I've hit 20."

"You've been working very hard this week and long hours, too. It's just taking its toll."

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit and Brogan smirked at him. "You do have to move to get to the tub."

Harry glanced at him. "I was trying to mentally will the bathtub to me with the power of my mind. I'm a great wizard, you know."

Brogan shook his head and then stood, tugging on Harry's arm to help him up. "Come on, I'll start it for you."

Harry sighed as he was led to the loo. Brogan told him to start getting undressed as he fiddled with the taps. The room was soon filled with the soft, clinging feel of warm steam and the smell of lavender. Harry waited on the edge of the tub as Brogan tested the water one last time. He flicked his wand at it again and then smiled at Harry.

"Go on, get in."

Harry slowly dipped his toe into the water and then quickly the rest of his foot and then the rest of him. Brogan had a gift for always getting the water just right. Harry closed his eyes and sighed as he lay back against the edge of the tub and stretched out. He could already tell the water was doing wonders. He opened his eyes back again when the water shifted as Brogan joined him. Apparently, this was going to be a bath for two.

"Damn, I missed my favorite part," Harry said, pretending to pout.

"What part is that?"

"The part where you stripped."

Brogan chuckled, and, after casting another spell on the water, dropped his wand to the side of the tub.

"What was that last spell?" Harry asked as he realized the tub had suspiciously increased a bit in size.

Brogan grinned. "Splash-proof spell. In case the water gets…enthusiastic about something."

Harry raised his eyebrow at that. "I'm supposedly knackered and couldn't possibly get enthusiastic about anything."

"I see," Brogan said as he sat forward. He captured Harry's lips in a kiss. It was sweet and soft, and Harry soon found himself melting in all sorts of ways. When they broke apart, Harry grinned.

"Did you and Ginny flip a coin?"

"Now why would we do that?" Brogan said, hand slipping under the water. Harry swallowed roughly a few moments later as Brogan's hand found what it was looking for.

"Uh, to erm, see who got to, oh boy, cheer me up after a hard day of building."

"Maybe we did," Brogan said, moving closer. "As you can see, I won."

"Maybe you lost," Harry said, moving his mouth to Brogan's neck and taking in a deep breath. "I mean, as you can plainly see, I'm a handful."

They both looked down into the water and the other man smirked. "I'm a bit of a handful, too."

As Brogan leaned forward and Harry lay back, he could only thank his stars that this was his life now. And just like that, the idea that he could work for the Ministry flew right out of his head. He didn't want a job that took him away from the things and the people that he loved.

o-o-o-o-o

It was a tribute, Brogan thought, to the type of friends that Ron and Harry were that the other man did not take the piss or wonder why Harry had needed a bath after work and that Brogan had conveniently disappeared for the same amount of time. Perhaps Ron had been able to tell that Harry had needed something to relieve the tension he was clearly carrying in his shoulders, or perhaps, Ron just didn't need to know, as he often claimed about Harry and Ginny. Whichever it was, Brogan was thankful Ginny's brother was understanding. But then again, knowing Ginny and her capacity for love and acceptance, Brogan really couldn't be surprised. The Weasleys all seemed to want the best for Harry.

On that note, talk turned to Harry's birthday, and Brogan found himself fascinated by the stories they told him of previous occasions. Being an only child, and one not used to interacting with others, Brogan couldn't comprehend having an entire group of people show up for his birthday. He was used to just him, his mum and maybe some cake. After his mum had died, it had usually been just him.

Harry, who was smiling much easier now, caught his eye as he tilted his head towards the coffee things. Taking his cue, Brogan got up and started setting it up.

"All right, Brogan?" Ginny asked, joining him. Leave it to her to notice his lack of contributing to the conversation.

He nodded. "Just soaking it all in."

"On what it means to be an honorary Weasley?" she asked, smiling. "I can't wait until it's your birthday again. Oh, the party I will throw."

Brogan smiled at her. "That's a lovely thought, but you don't have to, you know. I liked the way I spent my last one just fine."

She nodded in remembrance. Her eyes suddenly brightened. "Hey, you remembered that with no issue!"

Brogan nodded. "I did, you're right. Hmm." He grabbed his wand and cast the spell to see what colors a normal memory had created. It was a pale orange, with bits of pink running through it.

"Looks likes sorbet," Ron said, bringing his dishes over to the sink. "What is that?"

Ginny explained about the diagnostic spell as Brogan saved the image, wanting to think about it later. He assumed the pink represented affection, but the orange was the one he didn't know about. But it made him happy to think that his memories were almost all completely back. Of course, if there were still ones missing, he wouldn't know, would he? Sometimes thinking about his memory issues bothered him.

As though sensing his frustration, Ginny touched his hand, her eyes seeking his. He gave a little smile and returned to making the coffee. He asked Ron if he wanted one.

"Nah. Hermione has got to be home by now. She'll enjoy the food you packed up for her, Ginny, thanks. Gets me off the hook for cooking tonight. See you tomorrow, Harry?"

Harry who had been dozing slightly, judging by the way he blinked at them, nodded. "Erm, yeah. I might be there in the afternoon instead of the morning. I have some things to take care of."

"Ah, I work tomorrow afternoon at the shop, so I'll probably miss you. Night, everyone."

Ginny turned back to Brogan as Ron left. "Why don't we leave the coffee set up for tomorrow? I think someone wants an early night." She nodded at Harry who had lowered his head to the table. Brogan smirked.

"Good call. All right, let's get him up, and then let's get him horizontal."

"Thought you did that already in the bath," Ginny said cleverly.

"It was more horizontal-adjacent, really," Brogan chuckled. He tapped Harry on the shoulder but the other man was dead asleep. Ginny shrugged, and then they both used their wands to lift Harry and float him towards the bedroom. They got Harry tucked in and then Ginny looked across the bed at him.

"I'm not that tired yet, how are you?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Reading?"

"Boring answer. Surprised I didn't suggest it, really."

Ginny giggled and she dimmed all the lights save one, and they tiptoed out of the bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. They settled on the sofa and Brogan breathed in her sweet scent as he held her.

"I'm getting all my Harry and Ginny time separately today," Brogan mused. "Not that I'm complaining."

"He has been working awfully hard. I wish I could tell him to slow down and not work so frantically, but he is determined to get us into that house before winter."

Brogan hummed in response and they settled into a comfortable silence. Ginny was running her fingers up and down his arm and it tickled, but in a pleasing way. He was too at ease to stop her and just held her tighter.

"You know what we could be doing?" Ginny said after a while.

"Begins with f and ends with—"

"Brogan. No, I meant we could be working on Harry's birthday present."

"Oh. Right. But I was getting pretty into what we're doing now."

"According to you, you wanted to be doing something else entirely," Ginny said, glancing up at him. "Oh, come on, let's do it, and then we can stop earlier tomorrow."

"You are such a taskmaster. But all right. It is for a good cause, after all."

He sighed as she stood up and made her way to the bedroom. Brogan had transfigured the door to look like the old bedroom if you glanced at it, so he didn't think Harry had noticed yet. Once you entered the room, you saw the current state of their plans – they'd turned the bed into a large drafting desk and set up a way for Harry to easily find his drawings and plans, by putting them in order within a magical filing system he'd noticed them using in the teacher's room at Hogwarts. Ginny wanted them to decorate the wall across from the desk into a collage with pictures, drawings, and other personal items so that when Harry sat at the desk to work, he could look up and see the things he was working so hard for. Brogan thought it was a nice touch, and it showed how well Ginny knew Harry and what motivated him.

She'd contacted various people in Harry's life for anything they had that they might contribute to it and it was coming along nicely. Remus had sent a few old photos of Harry's parents as well as his godfather, Sirius. There were also a lot of pictures of Harry with Ron and Hermione when they were younger and a few of Ginny and the rest of Weasleys. Brogan suddenly had an idea and made a mental note to visit some shops the next time he was in London.

Before getting started, Ginny went to his music player they'd moved from the kitchen and fiddled with it, finding one of her favorite songs. He had a feeling he did need to work on making another player for himself, she'd co-opted his old one completely.

Ginny aimed her wand at the part of the wall collage that she'd been working on last, changing the color scheme once again. He watched her, smiling to himself. She was brilliant.

"That filing system perfected yet?" Ginny asked, smirking at him as she noticed he was still just watching her. "It's not going to hang itself up, you know."

"Yes, Miss Weasley," Brogan said with a grin as he got to work on his part of the project.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry enjoyed his lie-in the next day. He didn't have that many things to take care of, but he felt he deserved a morning off. He had a few more plans to draw and fiddle with before they started the next phase of the building and while they had put together a ramshackle sort of building on the property to work in, Harry preferred to draw at home. Mostly because he was still insecure about his attempts and how much parchment he still went through while drawing. But even he could see he was getting better and now things actually looked like what he wanted them to. Sort of.

The house was strangely silent and he wandered into the kitchen hoping Ginny and Brogan were about, but they appeared to be gone. Frowning, he went to the coffee and poured himself a cup. He soon smiled though when he saw the breakfast plate they'd saved for him.

Harry decided to surprise them and do something around the house to pull his weight and decided to do some laundry. He grabbed a chair, his paper, and some quills and was just getting sucked into the lull of white noise the washing machine made when he heard someone come home. He used his wand to save his progress and then stretched, his back popping in protest. All jokes aside, Harry realized he did need to think about exercising more.

He smiled as he saw it was Ginny – she looked lovely, and if he wasn't mistaken, it was a new outfit. Her eyes brightened when she saw him.

"Harry! I thought you had things to do this morning?" She embraced him, wrapping her hands around his waist.

"It was mostly an excuse to catch up on some sleep," he admitted. "Hey, you look fantastic. Is this new?"

She had on a black skirt that was tapered to her body, hugging her curves. But her top was cropped off in the middle, baring a little bit of skin, which he decided he quite liked. He touched her stomach, tickling her briefly. She giggled and pulled away.

"It is. I went into London with Brogan and opened my Gringott's account. Then I stopped at the shop on impulse and saw Fred, who gave me another check, although nothing like the first one, mind you, and decided to treat myself to some Muggle clothes. What do you think?"

She moved her hips back and forth in a mock-sexy way to make him laugh but Harry didn't feeling like laughing. He pulled her close and kissed her. "You look good enough to undress."

Ginny snickered. "Well, high praise indeed. Did you eat? We saved you some food."

"Yeah, I found it, and thanks. I feel like I owe you two so much for putting up with me being gone so much this last week. So I decided to do the laundry."

"I see that," Ginny said. "Did some drawing too, I bet."

"Just a bit. But now you're here, and suddenly I feel compelled to return to bed. Care to join me?" Harry waggled his eyebrows, hoping she'd say yes.

Ginny pretended to think about it. "Hmm, well, I was going to meet Luna for lunch, but I reckon…."

"Where's Brogan?" he asked as they headed towards the bedroom. He checked the laundry to make sure it was still going strong.

"Oh, Solace floo'd earlier. He's been called away unexpectedly so they're meeting again because he won't be around when Brogan has his next appointment with Sid."

"Two lunches with his father in one week? How has world war three not broken out?"

"Well, Solace does drink a lot of whiskey."

"True, but I think it balances out his son's caffeine intake," Harry chuckled.

They sat down on the bed and got comfortable. Harry breathed in a deep breath, feeling calmed as the familiar scent of her filled his senses. He felt as though it had been far too long, for some reason. He had butterflies in his stomach, too, although he didn't know why. He realized that he and Ginny hadn't been intimate since the issue with….before. Her memory of Tom. He squeezed her tightly to him.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, turning to look at him.

"I feel nervous," Harry admitted, shrugging. He curled a loose bit of her hair around his finger. "How do you feel?"

"Okay. Why do you…oh, is it the…Tom thing?"

"Maybe."

"Harry, we can't let our past…traumas bother us."

"It's not that, it's just…I don't want you to think about him at all."

"I usually don't, trust me." Ginny touched his face and gave him a loving look. "I love you, Harry and I always feel safe with you. Nothing can ever change the way I feel about you. Especially not a ghost of a memory from my childhood."

"I know, and I feel the same way, too."

They rested their foreheads together and Harry took in a deep breath and slowly released it. Ginny started kissing him, resting her hand on his cheek. He soon forgot his worries and went with what felt right, which to him was always just loving Ginny the best way he knew how.

They took their time, kissing slowly in between removing pieces of clothing. There were soft touches and gentle caresses until they were both rather worked up. Ginny smirked at him and pushed him back, straddling him with authority. Harry reached up and cupped her breasts, teasing her, watching the flush of her excitement travel over her body. Her eyes were wide and dark, and she raised her hands to lift her hair and he felt the familiar need to be inside her. She reached down and gripped him, stroking him slowly, building the excitement. Harry returned the favor, sliding his hand in between their bodies, finding her wet and warm. They gazed at each other, not needing to speak – their love and understanding doing it for them.

When Ginny finally shifted and slid on top of him it was like coming home, to Harry. He let her set the pace and angle she wanted, her hips already beginning their dance. She pulled his hand up to her mouth, kissing her way slowly around his fingers, her brown eyes never leaving his. Harry eventually sat up and pulled her two him, shifting deeper into her. He rested one hand on her back, holding her close. She moaned softly as his body stroked her favorite spot inside her – he could always tell, he didn't know how, but he could. Maybe it was the way she clung to him, her hand suddenly gripping his shoulder a bit more or the way her breath quickened, or how her eyes would find his, full of desire. He knew how lucky he was to know her so well – he knew how lucky he was to be known just the same by her.

Their bodies rocked together in a timeless motion, Ginny let her head hang back, red hair catching the morning sun from the window. He moved his mouth down across her neck, kissing and sucking her skin. Her nipples rubbed against him and he took one into his mouth as he moved closer. Her hands worked their way into his hair and she was murmuring his name, sounding more beautiful to Harry than the loveliest music on earth. He shifted forward, their bodies making the sounds of joining, over and over. Ginny shuddered and he moved one hand down to her sex, his thumb finding her ready and swollen with need. She bit her lip as she brought her head back up to gaze at him and he nodded.

"Come for me, love. Yeah, that's right, do it for me," he murmured. "Let me see your wildness."

Ginny's skin flushed as she pushed forward and then he felt her clench around him and knew she was ready. He shifted up, claiming her and she held on to him, her nails scratching at his back. She hummed and then moaned and then he felt her release travel through her. He thrust up and then moved them forward so that he was on top and shifted his hips. She cried his name and grabbed his arm, watching him, dark eyes wild. She shuddered as he started to move, pushing as deeply into her as he could. Harry took her surely, as though wanting to block out everything. He grunted, her name falling from her lips as he pushed in and she arched underneath him. Harry knew nothing but Ginny and their bodies becoming one, again and again.

When he was finally spent, his climax torn out of him by need and desire, he lowered himself down and rested his head on her breast, her arms immediately surrounding him. Harry listened to the drumming of her heart and sighed, resting his hand over it. She was everything, his Ginny. Anything he was, was because of her.

"That was…."

Harry lifted his head. "It was."

"I didn't realize how intensely you were feeling before we started."

"You bring it out of me, Gin. Always."

She smiled, and it was soft and full of all the things he didn't need her to say. Because Harry understood without any words. Impulsively, as he had with Brogan, he reached out and rested their bracelets together and Ginny sucked in a deep breath as the sensation hit her. As before, it was as though the two of them were each other and Harry marveled at the feeling. Ginny loved with every ounce of her being – it was so clear to him. He could barely recognize himself but he knew without a doubt, that this was how she saw him. It felt like such a gift to receive.

Ginny blinked at him as he removed his wrist from against hers. "What on earth was that?"

"I don't know, the bracelets…make it so we can see each other...feel each other. Together but separate, you know? I did it accidentally the other day with Brogan and…it's an even more intense experience with you, Gin."

"Oh, you just reminded me of something!" Ginny exclaimed, shifting off the bed. He saw her rummage around in the bags from last week and then pull out a small blue book. She handed it to him.

"This is that book Hermione mentioned about the Armilla. With everything that happened that day, it slipped my mind. Maybe this can help us figure out these bloody things. In case Sean O'Brien ever shows up on our door."

Harry flipped through the book; he could already tell it looked a lot more informative than the last one he'd read. He set it on the side table and took Ginny's hand into his.

"I promise I will read it soon."

Ginny shook her head. "Well, maybe I'll read it for you and let you know if found out anything important, how's that?"

"That's my girl," Harry said, smiling.

"Yes, yes. You're lucky you're so cute, Harry."

"I know. I use it to my full advantage, too."

"I'll say. It did help you get into my knickers, oh so many moons ago."

Harry laughed. He stretched and then sighed. It was time to get back to work he reckoned. Ginny gave him a knowing look as she went to the wardrobe and pulled out her dressing gown, slipping it over her shoulders. She used her wand to make her previous clothes go flying to the shelves, folding themselves as they went. Harry was impressed.

"Hermione teach you that one?"

"Nope, Brogan. Go shower; I'll take care of the laundry."

Harry had forgotten about that. "Damn. I'm sorry, Gin. I'll do it."

"It's fine," she said, stretching up and kissing him. "You more than made up for it by giving me a lovely time this morning."

"You're too easy on me," Harry said, grabbing some clean clothes.

"I know. And don't you forget it," Ginny said, starting to make the bed. Harry waved his hand and put it to rights for her. She grinned and then headed for the laundry room. He eventually heard the strains of Brogan's music player and knew that she would be dancing around the laundry room as she folded the clothes.

Harry padded into the loo and was about to turn the shower on when a loud booming noise filled the air and the walls of the house shook. Ginny and he met in the hallway, and he knew he looked as shocked as she did.

"What was that?"

"Sounded like a huge explosion of some sort."

"But not as close as the town," Harry said, frowning. He went towards the back of the house, heading into the garden. He looked up as he heard Hedwig's faint screech and he found her in the sky coming from the direction of the school. Roisin came running from the back part of the underbrush and Ginny picked her up, cooing at her to calm her down. They both could only stare at the dark cloud appearing in the sky north of the house, getting larger and larger. Hogwarts was on fire.

o-o-o-o-o

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in posting this week. I've been getting super discouraged about writing and posting lately.