DISCLAIMER: Yeah, I wish I owned Harry Potter…J.K. Rowling made it up, and I'm just writing a story about my
fantasy of how it would go if I wrote it. Onto to Chapter 2!

Mushy fluff alert ahead…well, later on, but you'll know…anyhooo… (I posted early because all the reviews were so nice
and thoughtful! Thank you reviewers!)


Secret Promise

Chapter 2: The Kneazling Knows

oOoOoOo

"One reason we admire cats is for their proficiency in one-upmanship. They always seem to come out on top, no matter what they are doing, or pretend they do."

Barbara Webster

"You can't help that. We're all mad here."

The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

"Two things are aesthetically perfect in the world - the clock and the cat."

Emile Auguste Chartier

oOoOoOo

"What are kneazles anyways? I've heard of them…somewhere, but I just don't know…" Harry asked Ginny as they slowly began their way from Wisteria Walk to Privet Drive, which was two streets over. Ron had stuffed his hands in his pockets and was listening as Ginny began to explain, stroking Galahad's ears as she did so.

"Kneazles, essentially, are not exactly cats. They are so alike, Cats and Kneazles, however, that is not uncommon for them to breed with one another, so you may see Cat/Kneazle mixtures. Crookshanks is part Kneazle. Go figure." Ginny explained. "Kneazles, however, are very intelligent creatures, even more so than the very resilient and independent cats, and have the rare gift of being able to detect dodgy, suspicious people with ease and often react rather negatively towards them. They make great pets, but nearly all of the time they themselves choose their masters, not vice versa."

"Did you get that out of a textbook, or were you channeling Hermione just now?" Ron asked, looking at his sister with caution.

"Do you want to get punched again? Really, I can do it again, and this time I might actually lose aim and you know what happens when I do that, don't you Ronnie-kins?"

He shuddered violently, shaking his head. Harry wondered what bad experience Ron had had for making Ginny mad enough to punch him and lose aim and then decided he did not want to know.

"So, Galahad chose you?" Harry asked, looking at her.

"Hmm, I think he chose us." Ginny answered looking at him mushily, "Daddy."

Harry rolled his eyes, paling once more. Ginny laughed, and Ron made a throaty mewling noise of aversion.

"I just love annoying both of you!" She said, laughing, lifting Galahad up and rubbing her nose against his. He playfully swatted at her hair with his paw, meowing softly.

"I wonder where your dad banished our things." Harry pondered out-loud, shifting the cat-food so it wasn't so heavy in his right arm.

"He's only been in the living room of your house, hasn't he?" Ron asked, shrugged, "Or maybe the garden or something."

"Probably the living room. I don't think the Dursleys are home yet, so we'd better get them upstairs to my room quickly, so not to piss Vernon off." Harry said, looking at them. Ginny just growled angrily at the thought of Uncle Vernon, muttering something like 'chauvinist, abusive, mug-bastard' and Ron nearly reached for his wand.

As they crossed the street to Privet Drive, Harry was relieved to find that the Dursleys' car was not in the drive. Ginny looked up at all the houses, asking Harry, "Are the houses all the same around here?"

"Pretty much," Harry told them, avoiding eye contact with a lady who scurried by, clutching the hand of her son, who seemed to be nearly seven.

"Come along, Richard." She said, tugging him away from them, looking disdainfully at Harry.

Ginny looked right at her, scowling at the look on her face. Harry laid a hand on her arm to keep her from saying anything stupid, shaking his head. "Its fine, Gin. They all think I go to a school for Incurable Criminal Boys."

"You?" Ginny blurted, "A criminal? HA! Who in hell would make that up?"

Harry looked at her as if to say 'You don't even have to ask that'.

"Can I kill your uncle?" Ginny asked, fury glowing in her brown eyes, casting that burning coal look.

"That would be lovely, but then I would be so lonely with my love rotting away in Azkaban." Harry told her, stepping towards Number 4, and bending down to brush his lips over her cheek.

"You would probably commit a bloody felony just to end up in bloody Azkaban with her." Ron mumbled indignantly, looking skywards as a pained look crossed his face from watching Harry and Ginny together.

"Hmm, probably," Harry commented lightly, grinning at them both. "Or maybe I'd break her out and we could go on the run together. Whadda'ya say, toots?" Harry thickened his accent to that of a New York gangster he had heard on the telly, "Let's ditch this Popsicle stand and run away, start a business in Chicago."

Ginny laughed, "Are you trying to act like one of those Muggle guys in those old movies?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Harry asked, cocking his head.

Ginny looked at him, "Muggle Studies. I think the only reasons I went is because one: Dad loves them and it made him all happy that his little girl chose his favorite subject over Divination, and two: because Hermione told me about movies. I've gone to the cinema in Ottery St. Catchpole about a dozen times."

"Really?" Harry asked, interested at that, "I've never been."

She looked shocked at this then mumbled angrily, "Now I'm really going to kill him."

"Yeah, well, while you're doing that, I'll be settling in." Ron told them, unlocking the door with his wand, being careful to hide it by hunching over the door, "Do your relatives have any food?" He asked out loud as he entered the house.

"It's so…clean." Ginny said as she followed in after Ron. Galahad meowed, jumping from her hands to the floor, running away from her into the living room, "Galahad!" She cried, running after him. Harry sighed, setting down the cat food. Ron cast a quick spell at it, levitating it from the ground and up the stairs. "Thanks, Ron." Harry said. His tall, gangly friend clapped him on the back, "Hey, levitation is my specialty!"

"You're a naughty Kneazling, aren't you?" Harry heard Ginny saw from the living room. She called, "Our things are here!"

He entered the living room, looking around at the pristine carpet, neat couches, tables that gleamed and a large television set and entertainment center. Ginny sat atop his trunk, Galahad settled in her lap, playing with a bit of string from her shirt. Hedwig was glaring at Harry, obviously not caring for being banished, and Pigwidgeon, affectionately known as Pig, was going bonkers in his cage. Arnold seemed to be cowering in his pack. Ginny reached for him, pulling him out gently, lightly rubbing the top of the round purple fuzz ball and soothing her little pet. "It's alright, Arnold, I'm sorry. I should have remembered to put you in Harry's pocket.

Galahad meowed impatiently, jumping up and reaching for Arnold. Ginny lifted the pygmy puff out of reach, looking at her new kneazle kitten, "Galahad, you are not to eat him just like you are not to eat Hedwig or Pig. You know not to mess with owls or toads, and I am telling you that Arnold is also an animal you cannot eat. Okay?" She looked at him. Galahad looked at her almost defiantly, turning around and stuffing his little tail in the air. "Come here, darling." Ginny finally said, tugging him to her so he wouldn't jump off her lap. She lifted him and rubbed her cheek against his fur. Arnold was squeaking rapidly, cowering on his mistress's shoulder.

"What a coward." Ron muttered. Harry looked at him, rolling his eyes. "What?"

"I heard that Ron!" Ginny called out, annoyance high in her voice. "Arnold has a right to be worried. Galahad could be very frightening, couldn't you pumpkin?"

Ron snorted, "That little blob of fur? Yeah, he's really frightening."

Galahad hissed at him, bearing little white teeth.

"Rawr!" Ginny growled, making a claw and swatting it in Harry's direction. The scruffy-haired teen lifted his eye brows and said with much less 'oomph', "Purr?"

The redheaded beauty threw back her head and laughed. "For a Gryffindor you're not much of a lion are you?"

"Well, I could be." Harry told her, his grin ferine, "When the situation demands it."

"Oh, Merlin, you are not making lewd comments with my sister while I'm standing right here!" Ron groaned, lifting his hands, closing his eyes, "I'll pretend I am not hearing this! LALALAAAAALAA!"

"Okay, Ron you can shut it now." Ginny told him, frowning at him. Galahad had placed his paws on her shoulders and was sniffing at a quivering Arnold. Finally, Galahad licked him. At first Harry thought Arnold might have fainted then he made a giggling purring sound.

"See, you two can be friends!" Ginny smiled, scratching Galahad under his chin.

"Right, I think we should just get our things up to the rooms. I'm sure the Dursleys will let the girls sleep in the guest room." Harry said it lightly, casually, so not to attract Ginny's attention.

"Oh, no, you don't Harry James Potter." Ginny told him, looking up with fierce brown eyes, "Hermione—and yes I speak for Hermione—and I will not appreciate being separated from our boyfriends. The Dursleys can think whatever they like, but we are all sleeping in the same room—which as you know, having another couple in the room would make it very uncomfortable to make love so you have nothing to worry about while we're here. I might not like the fact, but who would want to do it anyways in this nasty muggle house!"

Harry winced at her bluntness and Ron's flush of red anger, "WHAT THE HELL! YOU TWO ARE NOT SLEEPING TOGETHER! I WILL NOT HAVE IT! YOU BLOODY TRAITOR!" He rounded on Harry, who lifted his hands in defense.

"Oh, stop it, Ron, you know as well as I do that Harry is too noble to sleep with me." Ginny said, winking at Harry behind Ron's back. Harry cut his eyes at her. Ron shook with fury, glowering at his best friend.

"You touch her and I'll-I'll—"

"Come up with a good enough threat to make the great Harry Potter tremble?" Ginny offered and Ron spun around, sputtering.

"Let's just leave this for later, you guys." Harry said, running an anxious hand through his hair. "We've got to get this stuff up to my room."

"Hmph," Ginny said, standing up, setting Galahad down on the floor. He streaked away, prancing to weave around Harry's legs, purring happily. Harry looked to the sky, bewildered at why the dang cat would like him so much, and bent down scooping him up, looking him in the eye, "If you can sit on my shoulder, you can stay there for a bit."

There was a very annoyed hoot from Hedwig, who glared at Harry when he turned to her. He walked to her, taking her cage, "I'll get you a treat after everything's up in my room, how about that, girl? And I'll let you out early tonight." She hooted, turned her back to him. He sighed. It was hopeless. The bird was too territorial.

Ginny looked to Ron, her hands on her hips, "If you levitate the trunks, we'll take up the animals."

He glared at her, shrugged.

"That's what I thought." And with Arnold perched on her shoulder, she gathered up Pigwidgeon and headed up the stairs behind Harry, giggling when he grimaced when Galahad dug his claws into his shoulder so he wouldn't fall.

She peeked around the hallway once they had reached the landing. She saw pictures adorning the walls (there had been many in the living room as well) but none of them were of Harry. She had known his relatives had treated him badly and neglected him, but somehow she could tell it was much worse than he let on. Feeling badly for a reason she couldn't understand or even begin to contemplate, she was silent as Harry led her to the end of the hallway, opened the door for her and let her go through first, being the gentleman that he was.

"Wow, it's…plain." She looked around the room. It was small, she and Ron and Hermione would be very cramped, especially with Hedwig, Pig, Crookshanks (if Hermione decided to bring him) and now Galahad.

"Is that bad?" Harry asked her as he moved over to a little stand, set Hedwig's cage atop it. He set Galahad on the bed, and the kneazling ran to the top, putting his paws up against the window pane, meowing deeply as he nosily tried to peek up over the window. Harry rummaged through the drawer of the shabby dresser, pulled out a bag of owl treats, "They'll be a bit stale," he said, absently, opening Hedwig's cage. She kept her back to him, hooting angrily, "Oh, don't be mad at me. You'll always be my girl, Hedwig. Galahad is Ginny's kitten, he could never replace you."

She hooted at him indignantly, turning her head to look at him with amber eyes, "Well, she's the one who claims that the kitty's ours and not just hers." Hedwig glared at him, "I can't very well deny her that, Hedwig. She's my girlfriend." Hedwig looked at Ginny, jealously and Harry stroked the top of her head, "C'mon, Girl, I can't stand having you mad at me. You were my first friend, after Hagrid."

Ginny stopped. "Was she really?" She asked after Hedwig had nipped Harry's finger and jumped onto his arm as he offered her the treats.

"Was she really what?" Harry asked, looking at her, absently stroking Hedwig's white feathers.

"Your first friend after Hagrid?" Ginny asked, quietly, feeling a wringing, tearing feeling in her heart as she did so. She had set Pig's cage on the dresser and Arnold beside him.

Harry just looked at her, shrugged and nodded, "It's nothing really. Dudley's gang kept any of the kids at school from going near me, and my aunt and uncle said I was troubled and that kept the parents of the children of the neighborhood from ever letting their children near me. It's fine, really. I've got friends now."

"But you never expect us to stay long, do you?" She whispered, feeling her heart break for the little boy who had had no one, and the young man whose loved ones had been ripped away from him without a single warning, "You don't think we'll stay long, because everyone else whose ever loved you deeply has died, has left you?"

"They didn't mean to leave me." Harry said, his eyes screwing up, his brows creasing, "They didn't—" His voice broke, and Ginny threw herself at him, wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Ginny, I'm fine." Harry said even as Ginny hugged him tighter burying her face in his chest. The warmth of her body pressed against his, and he closed his eyes. He couldn't handle strong feelings easily, they made him…ache. But Ginny's with a simply hug, a simple word, could make the ache flee or numb. Her warmth…it meant everything that could make him feel better, feel good about everything. Voldemort was in the back of his mind every time she came near him.

"No, you're not." She said, rubbing his back, "No, you're not."

"Ginny…"

"How did you turn out like you are?" Harry nearly folded back when he saw the tears in her eyes as she lifted her head to look at him. She still hugged him tightly, and she rested her chin on his chest as she craned her neck to look up, "How are you…you?"

"I don't understand, Gin," She just shook her head, all her beautiful red locks wiggling as she did, catching the light of the sun. Ron closed the door, politely, deciphering that they needed some time alone in a burst of intuition.

"How could you be treated this way and not turn out like them?" Ginny asked, tears swirling in her beautiful brown eyes. "How?"

"Ginny, I literally grew up in a closet, I watched as Dudley was coddled and I got nothing." Harry told her, softly, his voice strained as she whimpered, pain scrunching her features, "I didn't want to treat someone like the way they had treated me. I know what it's like to feel like nothing, I know what it's like to feel worthless and wanting to give up…everything." She looked at him, confused and he just stared back.

"No." She said, horror filling her eyes. He just shook his head.

"I saw the way other mothers treated their children. I wanted that life. You have no idea how much I wanted that. But I couldn't have it. I wished, and I wished, and I wished for something…different. Something meaningful. I thought it would never happen. But it did. Hagrid came, and he took me away and he showed me this world. This world where people wanted to shake my hand, who knew me for something I don't even remember doing. I didn't want the fame; all I wanted was…normalcy. Normalcy that the Dursleys could never and will never achieve. I'll never have it, either." He shook his head. Ginny hung onto his every word, "I have people who care about me in that world. I have friends. I have you." He touched her cheek, "That's all I ever wanted and it's all I need right now…but first I have to defeat Voldemort and his damned horcruxes."

Ginny was shaking with silent sobs. She wasn't one to cry easily and Harry felt pain in his heart at having caused it. "I don't want to think about the past. I want to think about now."

"What about tomorrow?" Ginny asked, not relieving her hold on him.

"I…I can't make promises for a tomorrow, Gin." He looked at her, sad. He wanted something…he wanted everything with her. But he couldn't promise her anything. He wanted so badly to be able to promise her that everything, but he couldn't. "I can't…I don't have…"

"Don't!" Ginny said, shaking him, pulling him closer, if it were possible. She tugged him down to her eyelevel, "Don't you ever say you won't have a future! Don't you dare! You, Harry, are going to kill that Lord of the Assholes dead, and then you are going to live. You're going to live the life you've dreamed about. And if you can't promise me that, then you better give it to me soon, before we decide we're ready to kill him."

"What?"

"If you think you might not have a future, then Harry Potter, we'll bring the future to us. I want marriage with you, Harry," Ginny told him firmly, "I want children."

Harry paled considerably.

"And I won't have them with anyone but you. You're it for me Harry." Ginny whispered, looking up at him, "You're it. Whether you die or you live, I will wait for you always."

"No, no, Gin, I don't want that. I want you to live, I want you happy—"

"What do you think would make me happy, Harry?" She asked, lowering her brows in a look of defiant sorrow, "What? Living my life with another man, knowing you're dead and that we could have had sooo much more with the time we had, and knowing I could never even begin to commit to having as much with my husband, who I could also never love as much as I love you?" Harry's eyes should the pain in what she said, "Or knowing that we lived life fully, that we made what we had together with enough love and happiness to last us a whole lifetime? That I can sit and maybe hold a child we made together, and remember you as I tell her about her daddy, who sacrificed everything so his family could live…I don't think I could stand living without you, Harry. I would rather die with you, than have to raise a child alone, knowing that every moment I'm doing everything you wished you could have done. And don't say you haven't. " She looked at him, "Everyone wonders about children."

"Ginny…I wouldn't know how to handle a baby, let alone leaving it."

"Then you'll just have to not leave, won't you?" Ginny told him, looking at him tearfully, "Now, look what you've done. You've got my sissy-crying over all this." She moved to wipe at her tears, but Harry lifted his hands, rubbed away the salty tears with his thumbs, making Ginny smile.

"I love you, Harry." Ginny said, softly, emotion filling her expression, her tone, her very voice. "I love you, and if you don't think you have enough time…then we'll make the time with what we have. We'll make a lifetime out of nothing."

"Ginny," He rested his forehead upon hers, "You don't know what you're asking. You're fifteen. Getting married isn't even legal. Voldemort would go after you the second he knew. The same thing with a baby. Do you know what he would give to kill my baby?" He asked, her fury in his eyes at the very thought, "Do you know what it would do to me?"

"We wouldn't let it happen." Ginny told him, her chin jutting out, "I would rather die…"

"That would kill me." Harry told her, "You're not thinking, Gin."

"I've been thinking about this for a long time, Harry Potter. I haven't been a child since I was eleven years old. I know about the dark shadows of the world." She pulled away from him, leaving him with a feeling of loss. "You don't know what it's like, being in that madman's head, sharing his thoughts?"

"I don't know what it's like?" Harry burst, insulted.

Ginny just looked at him sadly, her eyes overflowing, "Not every second of every day. You didn't live with him inside of you, gnawing, clawing at your insides, begging to get out." She looked lost in pain, lost in a horror of loss of control, "He possessed me. I knew him inside and out. And it killed me. The things he showed me…" Ginny was shaking, quivering, "I grew up a long time ago."

"And I didn't?"

"No, you did." Ginny said, "Just my point! Tell me you don't want to marry me, tell me you don't want children with me!"

Harry looked at her, unable to speak.

"That's what I thought." Ginny told him turning away, "I'm not saying right now. Finding his Horcruxes won't be easy. It might take a year, an entire decade, but it will take time. What we do with that time is what matters. And I want my time with you. I want to get to know you inside and out, I want to spend my whole day with you, I want to go to bed at night, knowing you'll be right there beside me, I want to know that we'll be each other's, till death do us part, with the papers to prove it, not that we need them, I want…I want to feel a baby, just once, just once, stir in my belly before I die, to hold a life I made with you, in my arms and cry because I love it with everything I am."

Harry couldn't speak. He stared at her, his defenses rolling away by the look on her face, the yearning in her eyes. What caught him most off-guard was the vulnerability in those eyes, and it killed him. She really did want this. He…he didn't know what he wanted. He didn't know what to do, what to think…but she really wanted this. And she did say it didn't have to be immediate…he could consider it, but he wasn't sure…

"Gin, I'm not saying no and I'm not saying yes." He told her. She looked at him, hurt, "Give me a little longer than five seconds to think about something like this. Please."

She nodded, shaking her head.

"Let's let it go for a while, okay. Just…let it go for a while."

Ginny smiled at him, walking to him, pushing back the feelings, nodding "I'm getting worked up a little too much."

"Want me to make it better?" He asked. The tension was residing, his heart was racing faster and he reached for her.

"Mmmm, do your worst."


"POTTER!"

"Shite." Harry startled, rolled off the bed, landing with a loud thump on the ground. His back gave a shout of protest, having landed first, and he groaned, pushing himself up, "Where's my shirt?"

"I dunno, maybe Galahad ate it." Ginny said, contentedly. She had rolled over to lie on her stomach, her cheek resting on the pillow and her head turned towards Harry, who began searching for his shirt under the bed. She smiled at him warmly. He was bare-chested, his hair was messier than it had ever been, they'd snogged about four times that day, and he looked just adorable when he was muttering about the damn cat, which she pointed out was actually a kneazle.

"Cat, kneazle, whatever." Harry said, even as his hand stroked the kitten…was it a kneazling? Ginny thought…looking for his shirt.

He got on his knees and ducked under the bed, then sat up, looking at her, "Gin, you're laying on it!"

"Am I?" She asked, smiling sweetly, "Aw and I just got comfortable…Mmm, I feel so rested, I think I'll take a—ah, hey!" He pushed her to get the shirt, stood, bent down and pecked her lightly on the lips.

"Better to take the brunt of the yelling early, and plus I've got to help Aunt Petunia make dinner anyways."

"I hate your relatives." Ginny muttered, pushing herself up, "And just because you pushed me…" She pulled hair band out of her pocket, and began to finger comb her hair.

He paused for a moment of pondering, "You have about a billion of those in your pocket, don't you?"

"Maybe." She said, standing up after she had tied it up, straightening her shirt and jeans, turning around and shaking her bum joyfully, "Am I presentable?"

"Sure." He said, grinning, reaching out and pushing her bum, leading her towards the door, "Nope, not you, slick." He nudged Galahad with his shoe, "Aunt Petunia sees you before she knows you're here and she'll skin me alive."

"Well, then Aunt Petunia can drop dead because Mummy's not leaving her little baby or her lovely Arnold alone." Ginny said in a mock baby voice, leaning down to scoop a now purring Galahad up, letting him lick her face with his rough tongue. She slipped away from an eye-rolling Harry, gathered Arnold, who had been sitting on the window sill, basking in the sun, and headed to the door, zipping out before Harry could wrap his arm around her waist and keep her from making Petunia shriek in outrage. She was almost deathly afraid of cats, which was probably why she sent him to Mrs. Figg's, most likely because she thought that since she was frightened of them he'd be terrified. He'd actually just felt itchy and…sick.

"Catch me if you can, Potter!" She giggled, rushing down the stairs. Harry groaned. Petunia would skin her alive, instead. He drudged down the hallway, and was near the end of the staircase when Petunia screamed, "GET IT AWAY FROM ME! GET IT OUT! GET IT AWAY!"

"Why, whatever is the matter, Mrs. Dursley?" He heard Ginny say. He hopped down the last steps, rushing into the living room to find Petunia had jumped onto the coffee table; Vernon was trying to coax her down while yelling at Ginny. Dudley was cowering in the corner and Ron, Ron was standing there, gaping.

"BOY, GET YOUR RUDDY FRIEND AWAY FROM MY WIFE! NOW! RIGHT EFFIN' NOW! AND GET THAT BLOODY CAT OUT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE I WRING ITS LITTLE NECK!"

Ginny's smile vanished in an instant, "Why you fa—"

"Ginny, yeah, remember, be polite." Harry muttered to her, taking her by the waist and dragging her into the hallway, "Gin, please, don't. Just don't aggravate them. As much humor it would cause, it only makes it worse."

"Harry, how dare he…you left Galahad in there!"

"What!"

Ginny slipped out of his grasp, ran back into the living room, and luckily, Galahad had had enough sense to flee from Vernon's rather large feet, rushing towards Ron even as he hissed at them, swiping with his claws out.

"Come here, you little bugger." Ron picked Galahad up, "You're going to get yourself killed, little guy. Now, I've been in that kind of situation, what you've really got to do is run like hell and keep your wand steady and brandished. In fact…I think you did just that. Well done!"

"Is it me or is he getting smarter?" Ginny asked Harry, relief having flooded her knowing her kneazle was safe. Arnold had slipped down her shirt and was clinging with the little tiny suction cups beneath his furry exterior to her shirt. She scooped him up, "Sorry, Arnold."

He chirped rapidly at his owner. Petunia screeched.

"Oh, shut up!" Ginny said, impatiently, walking over to Ron, taking Galahad from him.

"He's an innocent little kitten, so mellow out." Ginny told her, fury bright in her eyes, "And you are so lucky that I don't call Tonks for threatening him!"

There was a very loud, POP, and a sapphire haired Tonks appeared before them. She had changed from her orange shirt and black skirt to an even more revealing black shirt and pajama pants with little vibrantly blue bugs patterned across them, with a bathrobe hastily thrown over her shoulders. Her knees gave out and she fell backwards, into Harry, who caught her.

"Wotcher, Harry!" She said, grinning. Petunia screamed again, and Harry began to wonder if she was undergoing a mental breakdown, "You called?"

"Not exactly." Harry said.

"Really?" She asked, leaning into him, grinning, "You know, Harry, you look rather cute at this angle."

He lifted a brow, fighting a nervous grin.

"Tonks, back off, you've got yourself a boyfriend." Ginny said, looking at Harry possessively, but smiling at her friend all the same.

"Ah, but Werewolves can be so cranky sometimes." Tonks winked at Dudley when she said this. He had been staring at her with beady little eyes gleaming with desire. Harry saw him whimper when she said 'werewolf' and hastily look away.

"We-were-werewolves?" Vernon spluttered. Petunia fainted.

Harry groaned, putting his face in his hands, "Why?"

"Oh, cheer up, Harry." Tonks patted him on the back, "What's all this about threatening?"

"Oh, nothing." Ginny said, looking at Vernon, "Unless you'd rather tell her, Mr. Dursley? I'm sure she'd tell her boyfriend, who happens to be a very close friend ours. Not to mention, she herself is a very powerful witch. She works for the ministry, as an auror. A dark wizard catcher."

Vernon looked at her, holding a very limp Petunia. Fear showed in his eyes, but also disdain and disbelief. He obviously didn't think this…girl, with blue hair and scanty clothing was a dark wizard catcher.

"Hmph, anyways." Tonks gave him a look with piercing purple eyes, "If we're done here, I'd much rather be going to bed."

"How late is it?" Ginny asked, curiously.

"About eight, why?" Tonks asked, looking at her with a cocked head.

"Oh. No reason." She and Harry shared a look of surprise. They hadn't even noticed it was dark out.

"Why did it take you all so long?" Harry asked Vernon.

"We stopped for something to eat." He sneered.

"Can you all handle this?" Tonks asked, putting her hands on her hips. They all nodded, "Okay. Dedalus and Elphias are on duty and Remy and I are on call, so…give a little whistle…" She grinned, winking.

"Uncle Vernon, why don't you all go up to bed, and get some rest," Harry said after she'd apparated away with another POP.

"Don't tell me what to do, boy!" Vernon snapped, gathering up his wife with difficulty, "Come on, Dudders, we're going upstairs. Don't touch anything! And everything you break and everything you eat will be paid for everything you mess up will be cleaned…spotlessly. I won't be doing this for free! Got it? All of you will be helping with the boy's chores! No exceptions." He looked at Ginny, who scowled back. Galahad hissed at him, bearing his claws. Vernon barked angrily at him incoherently, and stepping into the hall.

Harry gave both Ron and Ginny looks that said to just keep silent.

Dudley skittered past, nervously, and followed his father up the stairs, which creaked from the amount of weight upon them. Harry slumped down on a chair, wishing he had had the courage to zap Vernon in the back with a rather charged up stinging hex, but also glad he had restrained himself.

"Er, that was…awkward." Ron said, sitting down into the sofa. "Will we really have to do chores?"

"Yes." Harry said.

"Why? The threats seem to work wonders." Ginny said, plopping down on the floor, letting Galahad free. He pranced rather pompously towards the sofa, reached a paw under it and suddenly there was a loud RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!

Harry grabbed him, "Galahad!"

"Oh, no one will notice. That's why he did it to the bottom of the couch." Ginny rolled her eyes. She felt very strongly the need to sabotage these mean and ugly Muggles.

"Still." Harry looked at Galahad, lifting him up to his eyelevel, "No scratching furniture or carpets or anything in this house for that matter, pussy-cat."

He meowed innocently, swatting at Harry's face with a furry paw playfully, "Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm saying."

"You're very cranky, Harry."

"Hmph." He said, setting Galahad on the floor. The kneazling sat down, and looked up at Harry, watching him with wide, golden-yellow eyes. His tail slithered about the floor, the end flicking as he kept his eyes on Harry the whole while. Ginny found this oddly hilarious and commented, "Does the son rebel against his daddy?"

Harry glared at her, then down at Galahad who meowed in a very…dignified way.

"Maybe he's an animagus." Ron interrupted, "He's too smart for his own good. Crookshanks isn't even this smart."

"Crookshanks is only part kneazle." Ginny pointed out.

"Your point?" Ron asked confusedly.

Ginny rolled her eyes, pulling Arnold down from her shoulder to stroke him with her finger, "Full-blooded kneazles are far more intelligent than cats, Ron. Even the devious Crookshanks. Note how he's more human than any other cat. He likes to tease and knows what we're saying."

Ron shrugged, "Whatever. So…you guys didn't…?"

"Ron, drop it." Ginny demanded, "It's not of your business!"

"No." Harry said at the same time.

Ron looked relieved, "You guys were having a…moment. So I just…yeah."

"Thank you." Ginny said, looking at him with a rare soft expression, "We appreciated that."

He mumbled a 'you're welcome' then turned away, "Anyways, I'm starving. I managed to scribble up some pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes, but I'm dying of hunger. I didn't want to touch anything in the kitchen."

"It's okay." Harry said, rolling his eyes, "I will do the chores, but I won't pay for the food that we eat tonight. We'll go grocery shopping when Hermione gets here, and we'll just go to a food place tomorrow."

"With muggle food?" Ginny asked, intrigued.

"Yes, muggle food. I think it has hamburgers and stuff like that."

"Holy Harpies!" Ginny said, "What's a hamburger?"

"Didn't you take Muggle Studies?" Harry asked.

"I fell asleep when they talked about food." She mumbled, shrugging. Harry laughed delightedly.

After eating some stale crisps, and a few bland cucumber and mayonnaise sandwiches, the three headed up to Harry's room and pushed the trunks that sat outside his door inside. Harry immediately offered the bed to Ginny, which ensued an argument in which she protested that it was his bed, and he proffered that she was the girl, she deserved the bed, in which she called him sexist, and he called her unladylike.

"I am perfectly ladylike." She told him, putting her hands on her hips. Arnold was sitting on the window sill again, peeking out at the street below. Galahad was prowling the floor where Ron was trying to conjure up two sleeping bags with great difficulty.

"Then take the bed oh Lady of Ladies." Harry told her, frustratingly.

"Why don't we all just sleep on the floor?" Ginny asked, then stopped, "Better yet, you and I can share a sleeping bag, and Ron, you can have the bed!"

He looked at her, to the bed, and back to Ginny, "Ginny, like I'm going to let you and Harry sleep on the floor together."

"Oh, Ronnie, pleeeeeeease." She dropped on her knees in front of him, placed her in hands in a praying position. Harry rolled her eyes. She was going to be melodramatic again. "Pretty please. We won't do anything. I swear. You'll be sleeping right there…it would be…ick. Please? You get the nice comfy bed and I have to sleep on a cold, hard floor with a stinky Harry."

"I don't stink!" Harry said, glaring at her, "In fact, I'm taking a shower right now."

He grabbed his towel and clothes from his open trunk and left, huffing. Ron looked at her, "You said something earlier that has him really frustrated and annoyed with himself, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes." She looked at the door where her boyfriend had just left, her heart aching, "Yes, I know. Just…let me sleep on the floor, Ron. We'll alternate. You get the bed tonight, I get the bed tomorrow, only because Harry will demand it, Hermione the night after tomorrow, and Harry last, and so on and so forth. Unless Hermione can conjure another bed…" She grinned at him mischievously. "Then unto each couple their own."

Ron stared at her.

"You really are thick aren't you?" She asked, frustrated.

"Is that any way to convince me?" Ron asked, equally so.

"I think I've already convinced you." She took his wand, concentrated very, very hard and said a spell, transfiguring the blanket into a sleeping bag fit for two, "There, now you don't have to do the work."

Ron grumbled annoyingly, gathered up his blanket and pillow threw it on the bed and turned away from her, falling onto it in full outfit, "You can change."

"Psh, duh. It's not like I'm leaving this room by myselfwith Harry's cousin next door. Just don't look?"

"Like I would want to look, flatty." Ron said, staring at the wall, forgetting she still had his wand. He got nicked in the shoulder with a rather hard bruising spell and said, "Hey!"

"I am not flat!"

"BE QUIET!"

They shut up.


Harry returned to find Ron snoring in his bed, wearing his day-clothes, and Ginny finishing up, using Ron's wand to brush her teeth magically. She looked up at him and saw that he was looking very tired and weary. (Also incredibly adorable with wet hair!) It had been a long day, after all. She opened her arms for him and he shut the door, walking to her, sliding into her warm embrace, putting his face in her red hair, inhaling that sweet, sweet scent of flowers that seemed to follow her everywhere.

"I'm sorry." She said, very quietly. She hated apologizing, more so because it made her feel bad for being wrong and pushing to be right than being prideful over it.

"What for?" He asked, pulling away to look at her. Her face was clear and beautiful…as always. Pale skin lightly dusted with dozens upon dozens of freckles and a perfect nose and mouth, with gorgeous brown eyes lined with long, full lashes and lit with a brightness he found only in her eyes, they were all beautiful to him.

"For being so pushy." She said, looking at him sadly, "I shouldn't pressure you into thinking about marriage and kids."

"No, no…someday." He told her, very softly, "Maybe someday. But I can't before he's dead…I just can't."

"That would be the same as letting him win." Ginny told him, looking at him fiercely, "Letting him rule your life by not living it is the same as letting him win. I can understand the children thing, we are too young for that, and I realize that now. But I want a family with you later on, if it's possible. But marriage…I don't want to wait for that."

"We have to think about it. I don't want to get married just because of the war." He told her, looking into her eyes, "I want to get married because we're both sure we're ready."

"Do you want to marry me…someday?" She asked, cocking her head.

"Of course I do. Someday." He told her, very softly, his voice full of emotion as he said, "I love you."

She sighed, "Then wouldn't that make us ready? I love you so much Harry. Marriage seems right…"

"We'll give it some time. But maybe…maybe." He said, looking at her, "I need to ask your parents and Remus and maybe Bill and Fleur, Hermione, Hagrid…I just think we need advice."

"Whatever." She told him, smiling, "I can live with that. Let's go to bed."

"Do you want to take a shower?" He asked.

She shook her head, "I took one this morning." She grinned mischievously at him, and said in a sing-song voice, "You're stalling!"

"We've never…you know, fallen asleep together." He muttered, his face going a little pink as he avoided saying 'slept together'.

She took his hand in hers, kissed his fingertips making his stomach flood with warmth and butterflies. "Well there's always a time for firsts. Come on."

She led him to the sleeping bag, turned and took the hem of his shirt, "What are you doing?" He asked, alarmed.

She rolled her eyes, "Harry Potter, don't try to tell me you of all people sleep in pajamas. Ronnie over there sleeps in the nudies, when he's not at school and you're not there."

Harry shuddered at the mental image and Ginny giggled. "Otherwise, he sleeps in his boxers when he's not in close proximities with his baby sister. So strip 'em off, warlock of mine!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Celestina Warbeck?"

Ginny howled with laughter then clapped a hand over her mouth when a loud snore emitted from down the hall and instead chortled into her hand, leaning heavily upon Harry. He couldn't help but laugh at her overenthusiastic nature to laugh so loudly. He loved the way it lit up her face and the way her eyes glowed when she laughed…or when she was angry. He thought she looked…appealing when she was angry.

"We should get to bed." Ginny said, pulling his shirt over his head. He turned away from her, from her giggling, and swiftly tugged off his pajama pants to stand in his boxers. She giggled, "Like I haven't seen your chest before Harry."

He turned to her, lowering his eyebrows in a glare when she smiled at him in a cheesy manner. She tugged him to her, pulling him down for a quick but very mushy kiss, her hands sliding through his slick wet hair.

"Mmmhmm." She murmured, pulling away, smiling at him. He touched her cheek, then let her tug him down to the floor, and they both slipped into the warm cocoon of a sleeping bag. Harry felt awkward, not knowing what he could do, what position he should lie in, where he could put his hands. Ginny noticed the tension and turned him onto his side, gently, and did the same with her own body, so she faced him. She shifted she pressed up against him, smiling when she felt him tense even more, then relax when she pulled his arms around her and slid hers around his waist, resting her forehead on his chest, her cheek on his shoulder.

"See? Not so bad…" She murmured, snuggling into him. He nodded, placing his chin on the top of her head, stroking her long ponytail. Ginny liked the feeling of his hands tickling through her mane of hair, and shifted against him. He lowered his hand to lightly stroke up and down her back in a soothing motion. She purred, but he stopped.

"Sorry." He mumbled, almost embarrassedly.

"Huh? Don't stop now." She said, urgent, "That felt good."

"Really? I didn't want to…do something wrong." He muttered his hand finding her back again, his fingers going up and down the dip of her spine. She shivered, reached behind her, took his hand and slid it under his shirt. He stopped, froze.

"Oh, quit it, Harry, it's just rubbing my back." She said, but the feeling of his warm hand pressed against her flesh did have appeal and made her feel all gooey inside. She didn't open her eyes, just nestled deeper against him. After a long pause he lightly stroked his fingers up and down the small length of her lower back and Ginny began to drift off, smiling into his chest. He continued to rub her back even knowing she had dozed off, staring bewilderedly at her face of contentment. It amazed him that the simply act of stroking her back and holding her as she slept could make her smile in her sleep so pleasantly. It amazed him that this feeling felt so perfect and wonderful and…comforting.

He liked this feeling. A lot.

Leaning forward, being careful not to wake her, he pressed his lips to her forehead, lingered as he closed his eyes and held that moment forever in his mind. He hugged her tighter, lightly skimming his fingers over her skin. He began to fall asleep, his face pressed against Ginny's, his arms tightly wrapped around her, wishing he could never let go, that it could always be this perfect and pushing back the thought that whispered 'it won't always be like this…' and promising that he would make the girl in his arms as happy as he could in every way that seemed right. He promised he would make it just as perfect as it was right that second as much as he could for as long as they had left together. With that thought he slipped into a peaceful sleep full of dreams of Ginny and a life they could have together.

oOoOoOo

Quietly, Galahad, who had been sitting in Harry's open trunk, curled up on his robes, which now evidently had bunches of cat fur on them, approached them. He lightly padded over their intertwined bodies to the head of the sleeping bag, peeking down at their happy faces interestedly. He slipped back down to the foot of the sleeping bag, curled around their shins and settled down to rest for a little bit. (He was after all nocturnal and didn't sleep during the night).

He smiled to himself, thinking how silly his two new humans were. They were so obviously mates, and like his own parents, they were foolishly courting each other all the time. It made him purr; all this joyful courtship. He himself knew it was a bit off for him, he was still a kneazling after all.

But he knew there was some dame out there for him. Quite a few actually.

Kneazles always know, that was his motto. And they did, according to his mother.

But this Kneazle knew more than he would ever let on, and he was going to keep it that way, until his humans were ready for it. Sliding into dreams of little purple mice and sunlit days chasing pixies, he purred contentedly.

Life was good.


A/N—Ah, I love cats. I'm more of a dog person, but cats are just…cats. My own cat (he's a little bit messed up in the head)

has been with my family since he was born (His mother; Shadow to my family and Jinxie to me because I thought Shadow

was too normal of a name, having to live with my insane family who gave me a boy's name; ran away about six months ago.

She was quite the coldhearted lady, so it wasn't unexpected). He's still young, only about a year and a half (the same as my

niece) and he loves running through the house chasing imaginary flies, running up the curtains and jumping on my head in the

mornings when I'm walking down the stairs. He looked like a gremlin when he was a baby, so my sister had to name him

Gizmo. I wanted to name him Galahad, after the cat in one of my favorite books, the In Death Futuristic Romantic Suspense

series by Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb, but no, I already named both of the dogs, Callie the Golden Retriever (named

after the main character in the very first Nora Roberts book I ever read when I was ten…yeah, I was so advanced) and Ruby,

who is a Jack Russell Rat Terrier who seriously needs some Prozac, so I didn't have any more animal naming privilege cards

in the family game of 'Monopoly'. Anyways, in tribute to the bi-colored eyed Galahad from In Death that is what Ginny's

(and Harry's) kneazle has been named.

Now that I've finished my rant, onto Harry Potter! Like I stated in my Author's Note in the last chapter, Chapter 3 will be

posted on Wednesday (hopefully if I write it all by then…I have a problem with procrastination…go figure). It might be a

little late, because I have to get a head-start on my 5-hour community service (I had the whole summer to do it but like I said

above…Procrastinator...) for each 9-weeks quarter in school. I'm going to do stripes at Sentara on Monday, yay! I love

helping people, and I get to imagine I'm in St. Mungo's. (LOL). And if I don't change the title around about a billion times

before I post Chapter 3, it will be called 'Can I mutilate something…Please?' I'll leave you to guess what this is supposed to

mean. P.

I woke up today (Thursday) with a bad headache so if some of it seems a little pissed off and angry at certain characters…

well, that's because I couldn't think straight and the Jets (I live near an naval airbase…Woot, Jet Noise!) have been killing me

all morning…well at least since whatever time it was when I woke up. (I take full advantage of summertime laziness).

This certainly turned out as a longer Author's note than I expected. I tend to rant when I'm hurting…or when I'm rather

hyped on caffeine…or when I've got a really big project (except English and Social Studies, they're the only subjects where I

start projects immediately) that I'm stalling on doing.

And I'm still not talking about Harry Potter….

Oh, well. If you've read this far, kudos to you! muah

Thanks for reading and PLLLLLEAAAAASE review! (It makes me all warm inside when you do!)

-VANVADU…