Four Years Later
Part V: Home at Last

The house was beautiful. it was a warm cream color with orange trimming. "Welcome home Mr. Potter," Ginny smiled.

She lead Harry inside, Dobby didn't lock the house in case of just such an event. Harry walked through the downstairs, marveling at the idea that he, Harry Potter, actually had a home of his own. He stepped into the living room to find a very tired little House-Elf asleep in a chair. Harry gently shook Dobby awake.

"Master?" Dobby asked sleepily at first. Then, when his tennis ball sized eyes popped open, Dobby screeched, "MASTER!" he hugged Harry as tight as his arms would allow. "Master Harry Potter has returned. Dobby hopes everything is to Master's liking."

Dobby was getting ready to head off again when Harry grabbed him by the shoulders. "Dobby wait. Everything here is perfect." He knelt down and looked the elf in the eyes. "I am so honored that you've done this for me, but I don't need a servant." Dobby's heart began to break, but Harry continued. "I do need my friends though." Even to Dobby it was clear that Harry was talking about him. "If you enjoy cleaning, I would be honored if you cleaned my home, but only if you enjoy it."

"OH, Dobby does enjoy cleaning Master Harry Potter, especially for good masters like Harry Potter and Ginny Weezey."

"No," Harry said. "Dobby, you fought beside me, you saved my life, and you are my friend. You don't call me or anyone else Master... I want you to be my friend, but Dobby is still a free House-Elf. Free to stay, free to leave, free to call me a Barmy Old Codger." Harry hugged Dobby. "And free to be my friend."

Dobby was near moved to tears. He began to cry joyful tears, dancing about. "Is there anything Dobby can do for his... Friend?" asked the Elf, his voice quaking with emotion as he said "friend".

"Well, my things will eventually need to be moved from the Burrow to here," Ginny said.

"Dobby will have it done before a Doxy can sneeze!" chirped the House-Elf. with Pop, Dobby disappeared. hey heard some pops upstairs, and then, after about five minutes of Popping, Dobby Popped back p in front of them. "It is done Ginny Weezey. You is moved into Harry Potter's master Bedroom."

"Thank you Dobby," Ginny said, giving the creature a kiss on the head. "And I think we are tired," she said, looking to Harry with a mischievous glance.

"Of course you is," said Dobby in a conspiratorial tone. "Dobby will have breakfast readies when you get up."

Ginny lead Harry to the Master Bedroom. "Now Harry Potter," she said in forward tone. "I believe you owe me something..." she smiled wickedly.

they embraced passionately, and consummated their love that very night. Two hours after they entered the master bedroom, Ginny lay with her head on Harry's chest, her arm across his abdomen, his arm holding her close. She asked, "Harry, tell me about some of the places you went."

Harry sighed. "I went to Japan," he started. "To a temple high in the mountains that only wizards could reach."

"What did you do there?" she asked.

"I meditated... I learned to quiet my mind and listen to my soul... I learned both Occlumancy and Legilimency."

"How long were you there?" she asked.

"Seven Months... they were shocked at how quickly I picked up their skills... but happy."

"Happy that you learned so fast?" she asked, looking up into Harry's eyes.

"Happy that I left a little less sad than when I arrived." He explained, "When I arrived one of the Temple Maidens had looked at me, and screamed that I was bleeding, wounded... I wasn't that I could tell. It was only later that I learned she was a highly accomplished Legilimens."

"Maiden?" Ginny asked curiously.

"About seventy five percent of those in the temple where Temple Maidens, women dedicating their young lives to the mastery of this skill, and the practice of their faith." he paused. "Though I think a few of them were taken with me, don't worry. All of them were required to remain... Maidens, so to speak."

"Harry Potter," Ginny said, settling back down. "The Day you can make me Jealous is the day you've taken Cho Chang out to dinner and not told me."

"So never then?" he asked with a smile.

"We'll see," she said. "If you only spent seven months in Japan, where else did you go?"

"India," he said. "China, the States, Africa, South America... I couldn't really stay in one place for too long."

"You've been all over," Ginny marveled. "And you never found paradise?"

"Actually I did," Harry said. "I washed up on the shores of an island; the boat I'd been traveling to Turkey on had sunk from under me. I was found by the women and taken before their queen. Apparently this Island was an ancient community of witches, and only witches. The Queen, who was a highly accomplished Legilimens looked into me and saw that I was no threat... She said I could stay on their island, live with them forever, as the Islands magic made all its inhabitants immortal. I did stay for almost eight months... One of the women had even tried to court me."

"Why did you leave?" asked Ginny.

"I still felt like I was missing something... I think that's what all my wandering was about," he added. "I've always felt like I was missing something, and I was searching to find out what it was... and now I know... it was You." he held her close and she smiled, closing her eyes. Together they fell asleep, deeply in love.