Thanks to my wonderful Beta Christyannb94!

Enjoy!
_

Feels like fire

4

When Harry and James came back down everything was ready for a famous Potter Barbecue.
Sirius and Remus – with a lot of help from Dora – managed to get the grill started and were already barbecuing some spare ribs and filled aubergines.

"There're my beautiful babies" Lily said as she directed four salad bowls with her wand in front of her and took Daniel from her husband.

"Somehow mum loves her sons much more than us girls" Rose commented to Ginny as they walked onto the back porch.

"That's everything but true, sweetheart. I love all of you just the same" Lily said and walked over to Harry who still carried Daisy on his hip.

"Ginny, this is Daniel and this is Daisy. I don't know if you remember me being pregnant, they're turning three in December" Lily introduced the twins to Ginny.

"Hello cuties! You're so adorable" Ginny cooed as she took Daniel offered by Lily and stood next to Harry with Daisy on her other side.
Daisy and Daniel were fraternal twins. They still both got their father's black hair but Daniel got his dad's hazelnut brown eyes and Daisy her mum's emerald green ones.

"Don't they look lovely, Prongsie? Exactly like you and Lils...just younger" Sirius said what caused Harry and Ginny to throw side glances at each other.

"You're just jealous that you can't get you're A.R.S.E. up and make it official with Amy." Harry retorted fighting his blush as he put Daisy in the double high-chair.
As he went to take Daniel from Ginny's arms, they looked at each other and a smile crossed their faces.

"You should wear a baby more often, it suits you" Ginny said cheekilyy and winked at him.

"I'll keep that in mind as advice from my personal fashion assistant." He retorted and winked back at her.

Everyone sat down at the table and left two seats next to each other free for Harry and Ginny, that earned him a wink from his godfather and Remus at the same time when he looked at them from across the table.
Harry sat next to the twins' high-chair on his left. On his right sat Ginny and next to her Rose with James, Dora, Remus, and Sirius across from them and Lily at the head of the table.

The barbecue worked on his own thanks to a bit of magic and everything done came floating over to their plates.

"So Red, is there anything else you want to know?" Sirius asked her while he filled his plate with some grilled potatoes.

"Umm…" Ginny swallowed a piece of bread she just began to eat.

"I was wondering what you'll do because of that life debt I have with Neville? I mean I don't intend to even consider being with him in any kind of way. And if Harry is 'The Chosen One' and I'm the one mentioned in that other prophecy, wouldn't it be better if...ehm...Harry and I...ehm...work together" Ginny began to rumble on at the end shoving the bread in her mouth.

"Well that's a really good question. And surely, we, as in including you, won't let that happen. If that isn't what you want" Ginny shook her head no.

"Then we will find a way that you don't have to." Lily said and put some mashed potatoes and mashed vegetables in front of Daisy and Daniel.
The table fell silent as they all threw side glances at Harry.
He swallowed a piece of filled aubergines and cleared his throat.

"There's already a plan but it's not really a huge alternative." Harry began which caused James and Sirius to groan in frustration.
Ginny, confused at their reaction, looked questioningly at Harry to continue.

"Well, you see, it's just that, it wasn't Neville that saved you in the chamber." Harry said and looked down onto his plate.

"It was me, and technically we formed a life debt the moment I was willing to give my life for you."

"But they told me Neville..."

"Yeah, that's what everybody thinks." Harry continued and looked into her eyes.

"You couldn't remember because you were unconscious and Ron...well you know what Dumbledore did to your family after that incident."

"So, you're saying that Neville and I never formed a life debt down in the chamber?" Everyone shook their heads no.

"But Dumbledore told everybody so. Somehow he managed to create a lift-debt between you and Neville but we don't know how and when, just that it happened after what happened in the Chamber." Remus added.

"So the only way right now to...ehm...save you from a life with him is...I would...ehm...we would..." Harry rambled on and tried to look everywhere but her.

"What my dear brother is trying to say is, that he has to claim you. In front of Goblin Law your life debt gets priority, is legit, and you would be kind of betrothed to him" Rose took over for Harry and continued to eat.

"Would you just shut up a second?" Harry retorted angrily at his sister and glared at her. Everyone ignored their sibling banter except Ginny who quickly interrupted.

"Why Goblin Law?"

"What?" Harry asked confused. „"hat's your only question to this?"

Ginny nodded.

"Life debts and every other form of oath, vow or debt are handled by Goblins. They are more… ehm...discreet and reliable in matters like that and take them more seriously." Remus answered while Harry still looked flabbergast at the redhead next to him.

"The fact that I have to claim you doesn't worry you?" he asked.

"Why should it?" she asked and looked at him with a blush creeping up her neck.

"I mean IF I would decide between you and Neville, that decision would be fairly easy. AND you and I were... are... best friends..."

"But this would mean that when I come of age, we would have to marry. You couldn't be with someone else. I mean you could but it..." Harry interrupted her.

"But what if I don't want to be with anyone else?" Ginny asked determined and looked into his eyes.
Harry cleared his throat still looking intensely at her.

"I think we should talk about that later... alone" he said and looked around the table where six faces stared at them with knowing smirks on their faces while the twins fed each other rather experimentally.

"You can all stop giving me that look this instant." He said and continued his meal.
He was startled as a small hand found its way onto his knee and squeezed it gently.
Harry looked over and saw Ginny's hand resting there and her eating with her right hand. She kept her hand on his knee and drew small circles right above it a while longer.

When she tried to take her hand away, Harry grabbed it quickly with his seeker reflexes.
"I need that hand a moment to reach for the mango sauce," Ginny whispered into his ear as she leaned into his right side. "You'll get it back, I promise" she added and winked at him.

Harry felt a warmth spreading from where her breath tickled his ear down to his toes.
He grabbed the mango sauce with his left and held it out for her to put a bit on her plate while he still held her left hand in his.

"So you won't let me go if you can help it, hm?" she asked when he put the sauce down again and laced his fingers with hers.

"Nope," he answered and smiled at her.

James watched Harry and Ginny during the barbecue more closely. He knew that Sirius' comment before was more than right. It wasn't the look of Harry and Ginny - well his son looked a lot like himself when he was his age and Ginny could easily be a younger version of his wife - but it was what lied within them that was remarkably identical to him and Lily.

He fell in love with Lily the moment he helped her to put her trunk onto the Hogwarts Express - sure it was more a crush an eleven-year old boy had who was fairly self-confident, but, nevertheless, it developed over the years into something so much deeper. With every rejection and 'no' he received, he loved her even more.
She wasn't one of those giggling girls who fawned over him. She was muggleborn, so for her nothing of that pureblood-heir thing mattered.

He was just a childish pranking idiot who wouldn't stop asking her out. He loved her and he took every possible opportunity to show her that. Still, he was a randy teenage boy, so he had his fair share of girlfriends since his fourth year, but it never became any more serious than snogging. It may sound cruel, but those girls never really mattered to him because he knew one day Lily Evans would be his.

This he knew for certain since she kissed him the first time at the beginning of their third year and he would never forget that moment.
He asked her out again as she walked past his carriage on the Hogwarts Express. Sirius made a silly comment about how he would stop asking her out if she just kissed James so he would get what he wants.

In the end she did. She shared with him her first kiss, (like she told him years later) it was more a peck on the corner of his mouth, but nevertheless they were each other's first kiss. And despite that, James never stopped asking her out.

In the end it took him 276 no's, until she said 'yes' after the Christmas holidays during their sixth year.
James loved his wife with everything he had, there was never a day he doubted his decision to wait that long because Lily was worth it. For him she was worth more than he could ever possess.

The day she said 'I do' on their wedding day, now almost 17-years ago, would always be one of the best days of his life - except the births of their four precious children.

And as he watched his son interact with the young witch next to him, he knew that his son deserved to experience all of those happy moments, too.

"What about all the details I've missed in your personal lives. Especially you two!" Ginny exclaimed causing Tonks to choke on her elven whine.
As the barbecue finished and Lily put the twins down, James put some elven wine, firewhiskey, and butterbeer on the table.

"Oh Merlin! Not all your dirty details!" she added, putting Harry's hand over her ears after Remus tried to hide his face behind his glass of firewhiskey, and Sirius looked at her like he would explode any moment in anticipation to tell her every detail of his personal life. James couldn't stop laughing at his best friends' reactions.

"I take it that he still says 'no'," Ginny asked Tonks who stopped coughing.

"We're working more on it. Give me a bit longer and he'll never say those two letters to me again." Tonks responded with a look full of mischief written all over her face as she laid her head onto Remus' right shoulder.

Remus couldn't complain because he loved to have the young Metamorphmagus near and he knew she was right, so he enjoyed those little moments. He lost every argument with her and knew that his arguments against their relationship became for naught over the years.

His age difference argument lost its power a while ago. His poverty argument became in vain after he worked at Hogwarts and took over his new position as a private teacher for kids who couldn't attend a school as they suffered of lycanthropy last year. It wasn't much, but definitely enough to take care of a little family.
The argument of his little furry problem had at least a little effect, but somehow even that she talked into the ground.
He couldn't convince her how dangerous he was because he really wasn't. He was around the Potters, their children, and so many other people and nothing ever happened.

The point was, though, that he could never live with himself if he ever hurt Dora or their future kid, and speaking of that: What if their kid would also be a werewolf? He knew that it would still be loved, but his life would still be horrible and it would be his fault.
Remus lost his train of thought as Dora also laid her right arm over his hip and pressed her body tight against his side.

"Dora please keep it together, there're still children around" Lily said as she joined the others again and sat down next to James (who expanded the chair at the head of the table he sat on) and sipped at her butterbeer.

"Hey!" shouted the three teenagers at that comment.

"Not you three, I meant Sirius!" Lily answered and winked at Sirius who threw her a threatening look after he realized that she transfigured his glass of firewhiskey into a steaming hot cocoa.

"I think it was you who charmed those teenagers' glasses, which are filled with elven wine, to look like they are filled with butterbeer." She said and stood his stare resolute.

"Oh come on Lily flower, just tonight to celebrate. And technically..." James began to calm his wife down and planted soft kisses on her cheek.

"I don't care what those irresponsible wizard laws say. Those are my kids and I say they are too young to drink anything other than butterbeer." Lily retorted but didn't stop James in his ministrations.

"But I think tonight everything is a bit different" she gave in with a smile.

"So it's still the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement for the old dog then?" Ginny returned to her actual question and Sirius waggled his eyebrows at her while he sipped at his hot cocoa to which he added some firewhiskey too.

"Oh pleeeease!" Rose said and rolled her eyes. "Now he starts again with his perfect bachelor life, when he in fact nailed one witch in the last five years and both won't admit that they're together for real."

"But there could have been many others" Sirius corrected Rose.

"But you don't WANT anyone other than Amelia!" Rose responded, causing Sirius to throw her the same glare he threw her mother just moments before and his cup of hot cocoa with firewhiskey transfigured into a beautiful coloured bird and flew away.

"Gimme five!" Harry said laughing and high fived his sister behind Ginny's back.

"You become better each day with this wandless magic stuff!" he exclaimed proudly.
They talked about many things that happened those last three years, but somehow Harry never directly talked to Ginny. They still were holding hands but nothing else.

"I assume you three will stay here tonight?" James asked Remus, Dora, and Sirius, but just Sirius answered with a silent salute while Remus and Dora led a whispered conversation.

"And I think you three should hit the pillows." Lily added to the three teenagers and vanished their drinks.
Rose had already fallen asleep on Ginny's right shoulder a while ago.

"I think you're right mum" responded Harry, untangled his and Ginny's fingers, stood up, and walked to his sister's side to pick her up.

"She's always right!" James said and pulled Lily tight against his body so that she almost sat in his lap.
Harry smiled at his parents and for a short moment he was reminded that he would probably never have what his parents do. A family on his own and the life with the love of his life by his side.

With this thought, he and Ginny bid the others goodnight and he made his way carrying Rose up to the first floor with Ginny walking ahead.
As they climbed the stairs, he couldn't not stare at Ginny's backside, which swayed right in front of him, and felt his teenage body respond to that view immediately.

Quidditch! Quidditch! The last game, the Harpies won 340- 180 against Puddlemere.' Harry tried to occupy his mind with quidditch, but it was in vain because then his brain produced the picture of the girl walking in front of him riding his broom, watching her from behind with the perfect view of her mind-blowing backside.

Suddenly he stood in the door frame of Rose's room still carrying her and Ginny looking expectantly at him from beside the bed.

"Will you carry her the whole night or will you lay her down?" she asked him amused.
He just cleared his throat, walked over and put Rose on her bed.

"Can we talk now?" Ginny asked him, standing really close to him.

Harry turned his head slightly and somehow he couldn't talk. He looked at her and saw her rosy cheeks and glassy eyes from the alcohol she drank – which just made her deep sea of chocolate brown eyes more intense. So he just nodded, took her by the hand and led her to his room right across from Rose's.

He knew that this talk would be the most important one today. He didn't really know what to tell her. His heart and soul told him a totally different thing than the rational part of his mind.
Which one was the most selfish one? And did his dad's advice not have a point? They could have years together, not a whole life together, but did he really need that when she already was his whole life and so much more to him?

"Soooo..." Ginny broke the silence.
She sat on Harrys bed while he stood at the open glass double door that led onto a small balcony. He saw the lights downstairs still on and his parents and Sirius talking in hushed voices.

"I don't know what to tell you, Gin" he responded without stopping to look outside.

"Let's start at the beginning." Ginny said enthusiastically, standing up and leaning against the other doorframe.

Harry inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a moment. He stood at the open door so that he wouldn't have to look into her eyes and more important not to be surrounded by her scent that much. 'Rudy wolf senses!" he thought.

"When I followed you down the chamber with the intention to save you no matter what, that you could live even if I wouldn't make it out alive, we formed a life debt because we both survived." Harry paused to order his thoughts.

"Life debts are really stupid if you ask me. Just because I would sacrifice my life for you doesn't mean that you owe me one...rather selfish isn't it?" He added and glanced at Ginny and was momentarily paralyzed.

The light from his room flooded her into a golden glow which made her fiery red locks shine in all different shades of red blowing in the soft summer wind. Her skin, still a bit flushed from the elven wine, looked so soft and she looked so stunning that he just wanted to touch her, hold her in his arms and kiss her for the rest of his life.

"Either way, somehow during your second year you formed a life debt with Neville. We have no idea what happened. Even our member inside of Gringotts can't look into it. Do you remember anything?"
Ginny thought back to her second year but somehow she couldn't remember any incident with Neville that could have formed a life debt.

"No, I've no idea. Is it important?"

"Not really. It doesn't matter really what happened. The fact that we formed a life debt before you and Neville gives me the right to ... claim you first." Harry responded and looked concentrated outside.
There was a moment of silence while the two teens were lost in their respective minds.

"When you say you have to claim me, you make it sound like..." she stared around like the right words would float in the air around them "...like a curse." Ginny said quietly watching the boy she grew up with more closely.

He definitely changed over the last three years. His face, especially his jaw, was much more defined and held sharper features but not in a bad way. Merlin, no! He looked damn sexy and somehow it made him look much older than an ordinary nearly 16-year old boy.
His shoulders and neck were much broader than she remembered, exactly like his whole chest. He seemed to have built up a lot of muscles but not too much, everything was just really, REALLY firm. And his hair, well it was everywhere.
His raven-black hair stood away at the most peculiar angles and looked like it's made to rake your fingers through.

"It's just your whole life depends on what I do from then on." Harry explained and sighed frustrated.

"I could set you free but even that sounds so wrong and like slavery that I just can't do that to you"

"But I wouldn't be a prisoner with you. That's what would happen with golden- boy, but we're..."

"Friends!" Harry interrupted her with what he tried to convince himself they were – nothing else.

"Yeah that too, but I meant more like..." Ginny tried again to tell him what was on her mind, but he interfered again.

"Ginny, we're still friends but..." he had to look outside again as he saw the hurt look on her beautiful face. "...but we aren't the kids anymore we were three years ago."

"And what about the kids we were one year and seven months ago? At the Yule Ball? That kiss it...it was...you didn't forget it, did you?" Harry just shook his head no without looking at her.

Merlin, how could he forget that moment. It felt so damn perfect. He knew it was just pure luck that on this evening she was away from The Burrow for six months and one day. This one day gave him his love back. For thirty minutes, until they were spotted by Dumbledore and he told her that she and her brothers were allowed to leave for the holidays already via the floo-network this evening, but nevertheless.

"And earlier at the table when you wouldn't let go of my hand. I know that we aren't the same people we were three years ago but we are still you and me. We're still each other's first kiss. You're still the person who would say stupid things like this just for a stupid noble reason to protect others, even when they don't need to be protected. You're still the boy that sneaked around under his dad's invisibility cloak to get me an early piece of my birthday cake at midnight." Ginny said with her voice full of emotions, determined to change his mind. To make her point clear she stepped now directly in front of him and forced him to look at her with her small and soft hands on his cheeks.

"We're meant to be together, even that stupid prophecy knows that," she whispered, stood on her tiptoes and planted a light kiss on his lips.

"I can't, Ginny." Harry said firmly and stepped away towards his bed.
Just saying that made his insides feel like fire.

"The prophecy says that we have to work together and we'll start your training tomorrow. And to maximize our chances to destroy Voldemort it would be wiser that I claim you, not Neville, but that's your decision. When all of this is over the life debt will be cancelled. It's the only way to protect you right now." He said with his back towards her.

"That's it?" Ginny asked in a small voice that was nevertheless filled with anger.
She recognized that tonight she wouldn't win that game.

"Training starts at 6:30 with a run down the ocean and along the beach with Dora." Ginny couldn't stand it any longer after the long day and stormed out of the room.
The moment the door slammed shut, Harry turned around and blinked away the mist in his eyes. He rubbed at a spot slightly above his solar plexus that felt somehow sore, made his way over to the fireplace and vanished inside the green flames.

As Ginny stormed up the stairs to the 2nd floor and to her room, she didn't even see Remus and Dora snogging like mad and trying at the same time to open the first door on the left side.
Ginny opened the door to her room and nearly fell over the form laying in front of the fireplace where she walked.

"Oh Ruffles! I didn't know you'd be there." She said and knelt down next to the black wolf who sat on his hind legs.

"At least you let me love you" Ginny added as she pulled her legs underneath her. Ruffles laid his head in her lap and licked her hand lightly while she gently caressed him.
They sat there until Ginny felt her tiredness catching up with her and her mind in a total override.

"Come on, boy! Let's go to bed." she said and made her way towards her bed.
As she went to pull back the covers – Harry in his animagus form jumped on the bed and laid his head on his outstretched paws – Ginny saw a note laying on the pillow.

Sweetheart,

I filled your drawer with a few things for you. If they don't fit properly, just tip your wand against them while wearing and they will change.

And don't worry too much, things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.

Sleep well and I love you
Lily

P.S: Hey gorgeous,
whatever that mutt of a son of mine told you, he will get his act together. Remember what I told you, gorgeous!

A small smile formed on her lips and she turned to the drawer. Inside were all kind of clothes and accessories. From the variety of nightgowns, she chose a light one in a soft green that reached just above her knees.
Without caring that Ruffles laid on the bed following her with his eyes she started to undress.
With every piece she shed his eyes widened a bit more.

Harry was sure that in his human form he would go mad right there and then as she stood there only in some pants and her bra on but right before she unclasped her bra he put his paws over his eyes, looking away.
Thanks to a few stupid presents from his godfather he knew how a female body looked like – well how those model bodies look like – but he didn't wanted to peep on her or something like that. It wasn't that he didn't wanted to, part of his randy teenage mind wanted to take a look but in the end he even felt himself blushing at thoughts like this.
A deep growl escaped from the back of his throat that startled Ginny as she pulled the nightgown down.

"You're a really peculiar wolf, aren't you Ruffles?" Ginny said as she laid down next to him in the bed and pulled the light cover over herself. "You know, I hate to sleep alone after such a day." She said and the black wolf threw her a guilty look with his emerald green eyes.

"Merlin, I sound like a little girl. But right now, I wish I could be that little girl I once was. With my best friends laying down with me and telling me some silly story. And now one of them doesn't even want to look at me anymore. At least..." but Ginny's sentence was interrupted as the door to her room opened slowly and Ruffles peaked over her form to the door ready to attack if necessary – his instincts couldn't accept the concept of security.

The light at the tip of a wand was the first thing to enter the room followed by Rose bathed in the dim light.

"I take it that my stupid brother..." Rose began but stopped as she spotted him lying in his animagus form in Ginny's bed. „...is still a stupid git!" and shot him a disapproving look that Ginny missed.

She scooted over to make room for Rose to lay down on her other side. As both settled down facing each other, Ruffles laid his head on Ginny's side while she draped her arm over his neck and scratched him absently.

"He doesn't want me." Ginny said and couldn't stop a solitary tear sliding down her cheek.
Ruffles whimpered slightly.

"You know that's not true. He loves you, he always has. It's just really complicated, and he thinks this would be the best for you."

"You know why he's doing it, don't you?" Rose just nodded and looked the black wolf square in the eyes.

"But I can't tell you. I want to, but he made me swear not to tell you." Rose added and wiped the tear from Ginny's cheek.

"And now let's forget about that moron and let's sleep. We need to be fit for our first day of training."

"You surely..."

"Nope, dad thought it would be enough if I train with mum on the basics. Harry's training is a bit...rougher. But with you now he can't say that I have to stay out of everything, so he gave in and thought it would be the best for me to be equally prepared as you two." Rose answered and Ginny snuggled closer to her best friend and put her head in the nook of Rose's neck.

"I'm glad to be back"

"I'm glad to have you back, big sister." Both fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

Harry watched them silently and he wished he could lay there with his arms secure around Ginny and his heartbeat against hers. But he couldn't, because he made his decision and now he had to live with the consequences.

At least he knew that when he wouldn't be there any more, Ginny had his sister and his whole family by her side.
With that thought he jumped from the bed and transformed silently back into his human form.

"Coward!" he swore he heard his sister's voice, muffled by Ginny's hair, as he closed the door behind him.
That night, Harry didn't get much sleep. He tossed and turned until he dozed off around four in the morning.