Ginny, Katrina, Gwenog and Tamara were sitting in silence with Auror trainee Bindi Shah – who had found the players in the fire and confusion at the pub and brought them back to the flat – when a loud pop of Apparition in the kitchen made them all jump.

Bindi jumped to her feet, wand out. "Stay here," she muttered tersely, although her words seemed most directed at Ginny, who had also pulled her wand at the noise. Her teammates just looked blankly at her; Ginny suspected they were all close to shock, and wouldn't have been able to defend themselves against a flobberworm attack just then. Despite the fact that Bindi seemed to be well in command of the situation, Ginny took a few steps after her anyway, determined to help if necessary. A second later, Harry's voice, as close to panic as Ginny had ever heard it, rang out.

"Have you seen Ginny? Who's here? She was unaccounted for at the pub – no one there remembers seeing her leave. There were parts of the pub no one could get to, with that wall collapse and I need to . . . I mean, I promised . . ." He was babbling so fast the words were tripping over one another and Ginny, who had never known Harry to lose control in a dangerous situation gripped her wand even more tightly, wondering if it really was him.

Before Bindi could answer, Ginny walked into the kitchen, wand out. "I'm here," she said quickly. "How did you get past the wards?"

Relief flooded Harry's features. He walked swiftly across the kitchen and grabbed her about the shoulders. "Are you hurt? How did you get back without anyone seeing you?"

Ginny wiggled sharply out of his grasp. "You didn't answer my question. How did you get past the wards to this flat?" An idea struck her. She glanced quickly at Bindi.

It's more important to make sure.

"Last month, in the loo at the pub," she began, determined not to let a blush show on her face, "what position did we use?" That was as specific as she could get, with the other woman standing there. Harry – if it was Harry, would know exactly what she meant anyway.

"What?" Harry stared at her, not comprehending.

"You heard me. What position?"

Harry blushed. "Standing, from behind," he finally mumbled, "bent over the sink."

Ginny lowered her wand, carefully not looking at Bindi. "Well, okay then. But how did you Apparate right into my flat?"

"I fixed the wards that way, when I set them," he said. "Just . . . just in case."

"You did?" Bindi interrupted, looking back and forth between Harry and Ginny. "Is that . . . standard procedure?" She looked uncertainly at Harry, who seemed distinctly uncomfortable.

"It was a special situation," he said firmly. Then he looked at Ginny, and his embarrassment seemed to fade away, and he was all-Auror. "Where have you been? After the explosion, no one had any idea where you were." His voice held an accusatory tone all of a sudden.

"I left early," said Ginny, feeling a little defensive. "And I told Evie I was leaving, and then I saw Gavin at the stadium."

"But when you came back here, it didn't occur to you that you needed to let someone know you were okay? Evie's hurt . . ."

"You found her? How badly?" Ginny interrupted, dread filling her belly. Most of the team had checked in, either from their homes or St. Mungo's, where they had been treated for various minor injuries. But no one had heard from Leandra, Evie or Kennedy Smythe yet. From what Ginny understood from the garbled accounts her teammates had given, the explosion had come from behind the bar, near where they had been standing – where Ginny had been standing – before she'd left to come home.

"We don't know yet, just that she's at St. Mungo's," said Harry. "But that doesn't answer my question about why you never bothered to send me . . . anyone a Patronus to let them know you were okay. I assume you still do know how to cast one?"

"Yes, Harry, I remember," said Ginny peckishly. "And it's not like no one knew where I was. I saw Gavin, I told you that – maybe you should be talking to him. And Gwenog got here pretty quickly and Bindi was here pretty soon after that – she could obviously see I was fine. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal," said Harry, his voice rising, "is that we were trying to confirm the location of everyone who'd been at the pub. And no one could. find. you."

"And I'm the only person unaccounted for? Out of the hundred or so people who were there, I'm the only one no one could find? We still haven't heard about Kennedy or Leandra – who's out looking for them?"

"It's not the same!" yelled Harry. Ginny could see he was gripping his wand so tightly his knuckles were white. "They're not as . . . I mean, you were here! And you're fine!" Red sparks suddenly shot out of the end of Harry's wand and he took a deep breath. "You should have contacted me," he finished more quietly.

But now Ginny was angry. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bindi sidle quietly out of the kitchen. What's his problem, anyway? Harry has no right to tell me what to do - he's not even assigned to the Harpies anymore.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she countered. "Shouldn't you be off protecting the Eagles or something? Or did Alicia give you the cold shoulder too and scare you away?"

Harry looked confused. "What do you mean, give me the cold shoulder? I didn't see her after the game. Didn't you get a chance to talk to her?"

"I tried," said Ginny. "But she practically hexed me when I said hello and asked her how she liked the Eagles. Totally unlike her."

"Yeah, it is," said Harry slowly, his brow furrowed.

"Maybe being married to Oliver has made her as crazy over Quidditch as he is. Cause she played like a machine out there. Definitely not the way she played as a reserve for Tutshill last month."

Harry's head snapped up. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

HPHPHPHPHP

Harry could tell Ginny was already angry at him – her cheeks had gone the kind of red that had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with get out of the way if you don't want to be hexed. But he couldn't stop himself.

He'd spent a truly hellish 45 minutes pushing through the rubble of the Cloak and Dagger, terrified every time he saw a Harpies-clad figure lying on the ground. Several had looked to be in bad shape and as he'd worked his way towards the back of the pub without finding Ginny, his panic had only grown. An entire section of the wall had collapsed and Aurors had been working as quickly as possible to try to uncover those trapped beneath; Harry had finally had to walk away – he couldn't keep his wand from shaking enough to levitate the stone and brick.

But he was an Auror, and professional detachment was pretty much a job requirement, so as soon as Kingsley had appeared and started giving out assignments, Harry had forced his terror about Ginny into a tiny portion of his brain and focused. Kingsley had first sent him to the back of the pub (or what was left of it), to secure the bar area where the explosion had occurred and over see the collection and transfer of evidence. There had been a lot of liquid on the ground – Firewhiskies, ale, and other mixtures, and all of it had to be siphoned up for analysis at the lab.

It was only when he saw Evie Snopes pulled from the rubble – covered in blood and looking barely alive – that he'd allowed his worry to bubble up again. The only thing that had saved him from running over and pawing through the bricks with his bare hands was the message that Bindi Shah had survived and taken a number of uninjured Harpies back to the flat Ginny shared. With the flat established as a safe-zone, the wards there needed to be checked and strengthened. But Harry knew he would have gone even if Kingsley hadn't sent him.

And now . . . Ginny was fine. Fine. She hadn't even been at the pub, when it exploded. But Harry was still furious, the fear and worry he'd pushed away for so long couldn't be denied an outlet, and he let loose.

"Answer me!" he snapped. "Why didn't you tell me this before? You know we're looking into tainted potion ingredients the trainers have been using. The Eagles have lost four different trainers and assistants already."

"No, I did not know," said Ginny. "I'm not an Auror, remember? I'm not privy to any of your top-secret investigations, even though I've somehow ended up smack dab in the middle of half of them." She glared at him. "Usually bent over a sink or up against a tree or something."

"I didn't hear you complaining, at the time," Harry shot back. It occurred to him that maybe they should cast a Silencing charm, but he really didn't care. So what if everyone knows Ginny and I have been sleeping together – it's not like they'll be shocked. That's what Harpies do – have sex with Aurors.

"Anyway," he continued. "You still should have mentioned that Alicia's behavior didn't seem normal. I mean, I could tell she was playing better than usual but I couldn't focus all my attention on her during the game."

"Well maybe if you'd stuck around for more than two seconds after the game instead of Apparating away the minute I showed up, I would've been able to tell you," said Ginny hotly. "I wanted to get your thoughts on how I played versus Alicia, but you disappeared too fast."

Harry opened his mouth to respond sarcastically that, yeah, sure she wanted him hanging around after such a loss, but Bindi's reappearance in the kitchen distracted him. The look on her face was carefully unreadable, but Ginny's teammates all crowded in behind her, as if waiting to hear what she was going to say.

"I've had a Patronus from Meyers at St. Mungo's," she said carefully. "They've found the last two players – Leandra and Kennedy."

"And did they have news about Evie?" Ginny broke in. Bindi nodded.

"Evie regained consciousness, but is going to be in the hospital for a while; she'll be okay. Kennedy has quite a few broken bones, but they'll mend. But, Leandra . . ." She broke off, looking nervous, and Harry guessed what trainee was going to say. She's never had to deliver news like this before, he realized.

He put a hand on Bindi's arm. "Go on," he said gently.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Leandra . . . well, the wall fell directly on her. She was with one of the Auror trainees at the time." At this, Bindi looked up at Harry. "Carey Daniels." Harry nodded, and motioned her to continue. Bindi turned to Gwenog. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Harry had always thought of Gwenog Jones as one of the toughest witches he'd ever known. She had built the Harpies from nothing into a Quidditch powerhouse and managed to command respect, admiration, and true affection from all of her players – and many of her opponents. But as Harry watched her learn that Leandra had been killed, Gwenog might as well have been just another mother, hearing her child had been lost to Voldemort during the war. She blanched and swayed on her feet as the words registered; Tamara and Katrina were immediately at her sides, their faces equal masks of grief as the news sunk in.

Harry turned to Ginny, his mind half on pulling her into a hug and trying to make her feel better. He'd not even taken a step forward, though, when in a flash of red, Ginny was enveloped by the other women in a mass of sobbing.

He stood awkwardly back to allow them all their grief, and then looked at Bindi. "And Carey?" he asked quietly.

Bindi shook her head. "Also gone," she confirmed. "He and Leandra . . . well, they were together. In the Gent's loo." She turned red, obviously remembering Ginny's earlier questioning.

"Yeah, well, that happens sometimes, I guess," Harry said. "Damn. Daniels was a good prospect. Any other casualties?"

"A couple of bartenders and a server, and one of the owners is critical. His wife was hysterical when I left, she kept crying that she'd warned him 'not to cross them,' whatever that means. Kingsley plans to question her more when she's calm; right now she's got around-the-clock protection."

Harry looked at the knot of Harpies. They were all still in various stages of hysteria and tears, and not paying him any attention. Except Ginny, who looked up, understanding what Bindi was saying.

"And what about the players? Will we get protection?" she asked quietly.

Bindi nodded. "Harry's to stay here right now, to strengthen the wards and set up additional protections." She looked at him. "Kingsley said for you to contact him – I think he also wants you to get statements and sweep for evidence or anything suspicious."

Gwenog finally looked up at Bindi's words. "Suspicious? Here?"

Harry turned towards the Harpies' captain. "We just don't know right now, Gwenog," he said. "All we know is that someone is targeting Quidditch players, or the places they like to congregate, or the game itself. We need to cover every angle and make sure the flat is truly safe."

Gwenog nodded shakily at Harry. "Where should we all go?" she asked.

"Go sit on the couches in the living room," he decided. "Bindi and I will start up on the roof, checking and modifying the wards and looking for anything unusual."

"Actually," Bindi said, glancing at her watch. "I need to go back to St. Mungo's first. Obviously, we have every Auror working on the case, but a number of them were hurt, and we're short staffed. Kingsley said he'd send over backup as soon as possible, but for now, it'll just be you."

Harry nodded, unsurprised. He did not have to imagine how crazy things were right now. He wondered briefly if Kingsley might need him to be somewhere else right now – somewhere more immediately dangerous – and he automatically stiffened. He'd refuse to go, it was that simple. One day away from the Harpies and Ginny had . . . they'd almost all, been killed. Never again.

He looked at Ginny. Only five minutes earlier they'd been at each others' throats, snapping over petty slights and irrationalities. Now her face was crumpled with hurt and all the anger Harry had felt melted away. She gave him a watery smile and he knew all was forgiven.

"That's fine," he said vaguely to Bindi, still looking at Ginny. "Ginny has had a lot of experience with Dark Wizards and the way they think. She was an original member of Dumbledore's Army and fought in the Final Battle, you know."

"Bindi looked impressed. "Really? I didn't realize . . . I thought . . ." her voice trailed off and she blushed.

"Ginny and I go way back," said Harry firmly. "Her brother is my best friend Ron Weasley - I'm sure -you've heard of him – and she knows almost enough to be an Auror herself, if she wasn't so busy being a hotshot Quidditch star."

At this, Ginny blushed and rolled her eyes. "Enough, Harry." She looked back at her teammates and Harry realized belatedly that his compliment was probably inappropriate right now.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "But you will help me, right?"

Fifteen minutes later, three more Harpies players, plus a trainer and one of the coaches had arrived at the flat, which was rapidly evolving into a safe zone and information center for the team. Gwenog had set up a Floo connection with Leandra's parents and Harry, after several hurried Patronus conversations with Kingsley, had performed several basis diagnostic spells on the living room of the flat, determining that there was no immediate danger. He and Ginny then slipped out the back door and up the fire escape to the roof; the flat was on the top floor of the building and the roof needed to be checked first.

Neither of them spoke while Harry swept his wand over the open area of the roof. Most of it was empty, but one corner held a small garden kept by several of the tenants and immediately to their left, in the corner that got the best sun, Ginny and her teammates had put out Muggle-style lounge chairs for sunbathing on their off days. Behind the chairs was a storage shed where the building's maintenance man kept supplies.

"Right then," Harry said after a moment. "There's no obvious danger. Let's walk the perimeter, I'll go in front. If I get hurt, use your shield charm to get out of here and go back to the stairway to contact Kingsley."

"You sound like Moody," Ginny remarked. "Do you really think it's that dangerous?"

"I have no idea," said Harry grimly. "And that's what worries me. Come on."

They walked slowly around the edge of the roof, Harry muttering spells as he went. The areas they passed glowed alternately red, green and blue, and soon the air seemed to be almost shimmering around them.

Harry stopped when he got to the maintenance shed, eyeing the padlock critically. "Muggle lock," he muttered. "Do you know what's inside?"

"Mops and things, I think," answered Ginny. The maintenance man is a Squib, although much nicer than Flich, thank goodness."

Her voice had gotten very quiet, and Harry looked up from where he was examining the lock to the shed. Ginny was leaning against the low wall that surrounded the roof, looking out over Diagon Alley and possibly even further, into Muggle London. As Harry watched, a single tear snaked down her cheek.

"I'm really sorry about Leandra," he said awkwardly, moving closer. He wasn't quite sure what to say about the death of the Chaser. Of course, any death – especially those caused by Dark Magic – was terrible, but Harry had had mixed feelings about the woman, who'd always seemed to have an inappropriately flirtatious or overtly sexual comment for him.

Don't think ill of the dead, Potter. Especially not when Ginny's obviously upset about it.

Ginny wiped her face. "Thanks. It's just, well, Leandra was . . . look. I know she could be a bit . . . forward and inappropriate sometimes, but she had a really good heart. It was all in good fun for her, you know?"

Harry nodded. "I know," he agreed.

"And I think she was just really enjoying being part of the team, and having a good time, and doing what all new players do – well, most of them at least," Ginny went on. "She didn't mean anything by it – teasing us, I mean."

"You're right," said Harry with a bit more conviction. Maybe it was the fact that she was gone, but he was suddenly feeling more charitable towards Leandra. "I don't think she was hitting on me because she wanted to shag me, or anything. She was just having fun shagging everyone else and thinking about her friends and teammates getting some too."

"Exactly," Ginny nodded. "And I think maybe that she was looking for her own 'friend' herself. You know? She had a lot of casual partners, but nothing ever got serious."

A thought struck Harry then, and he hesitated before putting it into words. "Hey, you don't think, I mean, you and me . . . we're not like . . . even though we're . . ." he stuttered, not wanting to say it out loud. Ginny looked at him, confused for a moment as he babbled.

"Oh!" she finally said, comprehension dawning. "No, we aren't like that at all. What you and I are doing . . . well, yeah, it's casual, but it's not the same. Not even close. Because it's just the two of us." She looked up at Harry with a searching expression, biting her lower lip. "It's different. Right?"

Her uncertainty was endearing. Harry swallowed hard. "Right. It's not the same at all. For Leandra, it was all about the sex. For us . . ." he trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Well, it's all about the sex for us too, I guess," Ginny allowed. "But still different," she said again.

"Different," Harry echoed. He looked around the roof. The wards were glowing brightly; they'd give plenty of warning if anyone tried to breach them, and his diagnostic spells had turned up nothing untoward. Ginny's teammates were undoubtedly still mourning down in the flat, but Ginny made no move to go back to the stairwell.

What with the escalating Quidditch mystery and the changes within the Auror department, it had been a long time since the two of them had been together, even if Harry did count the time Ginny had been under his desk. Maybe it was the talk about sex, or the wild range of emotions they'd both shown that evening, or the danger, but Harry realized suddenly that he was becoming aroused. He shifted so that the front of his pants were out of the light coming from the stairwell and tried to look as though he was considering the wards.

How inappropriate would it be to . . .

"So, I was thinking . . ." Ginny interrupted Harry's musings. Her voice was determined, but Harry saw a hint of blush climbing her cheeks.

"Yes?"

"Wouldn't it be a good way to . . . honor Leandra's memory, if we were to . . . you know . . ." The blush deepened as she gestured between the two of them, more or less at waist level.

YES. "Oh. Well," Harry said, trying to sound as if he hadn't just been thinking about the same thing. "That sounds like a good idea . . . but only if you want to, ummm . . ." Harry gestured back, and moved closer until his erection brushed against Ginny's hip. She sucked in her breath and looked at him, eyes wide.

"How do you want to . . ." Harry began. He never got the rest of his sentence out because suddenly there was a bang and a piercing cry rent the air. The far side of the roof glowed white.

Harry had Ginny on the ground before he even knew what he was doing. It wasn't that difficult; her own reflexes had caused her to drop to her stomach only a millisecond after Harry pushed her and she didn't move as he half knelt above her, wand out, covering her body with his.

The cry came again, and then seemed to fade away down the side of the building. After another second, the ward glowed ordinary green again. Harry relaxed. "Cat," he muttered. "Probably jumping from roof to roof looking for mice."

"Poor kitty," said Ginny, her voice somewhat muffled from her position on the ground. "That must have been a nasty shock."

But Harry wasn't really listening anymore. As soon as he knew there was no danger, his mind (and body) had returned immediately to their previous discussion. Ginny was getting onto her hands and knees, preparing to stand, and her bum bumped against Harry's hand, still holding his wand.

"Wait," he said roughly, putting his hand on her back.

Ginny froze and then turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. Harry nodded in answer to the question in her eyes and moved so that he was kneeling directly behind her. She wiggled back until her bum nestled into his belly and he immediately raised himself higher on his knees so that his erection found her instead.

Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny's middle and leaned forward until his torso was resting almost entirely against her back. He lay his cheek against her hair, and, careful not to put too much weight on her, gently rocked her into him. In response, she moaned and pushed herself back more insistently, hissing when Harry moved one of his hands from her waist to cup between her legs.

"Shall we do it this way, then?" he asked, fumbling with the front of the sweatpants she was wearing and slipping his hand inside the drawstring band. "It's the safest way, you know," he continued conversationally, as if he was merely giving instruction to one of his trainees. "Better to keep a low profile, below the edge of the roof wall."

"Standard Auror procedure, eh?" Ginny responded. Only the tiny hitch in her voice at the end gave away her attempt to match his casualness. "We wouldn't want to break protocol now. Le – Leandra was nothing if not a stickler for Auror protocol."

"Let me show you a bit more then," said Harry, pulling Ginny back so that she was no longer resting on her hands and instead, was sitting against his lap. His penis sent happy little jolts up and down his spine and Harry groaned into the back of Ginny's neck. He'd really missed this.

"Feels so good," he mumbled.

It had been close to useless, he realized, to try to use the vial again. Because any thoughts he locked away just came right back the next time he saw Ginny again. Better to just ignore them and focus on following the rules.

Good thing the rules allow this – require it, even.

Harry finally got the drawstring completely loosened and dipped a hand into Ginny's knickers.

"Hmmm, already damp," he remarked. "You've been reading the training manual."

"Mine or yours?" asked Ginny breathlessly as Harry found her clitoris and began to swirl around it with the pad of one finger.

Harry chuckled. "Well, it's definitely part of the Auror manual. What does Gwenog say?"

Ginny nodded as she writhed against him and Harry had to tighten every muscle in his body to stay in control. "She – she says that regular . . . orgasms . . . help keep the body in top physical condition. Ohhhhh." Harry slipped one, then two fingers inside her and moved his thumb directly onto her clit.

"And what," he asked, "Does Gwenog say about multiple orgasms?" With the hand that was not inside Ginny Harry began to stroke lightly up and down her waist, underneath her t-shirt. His penis throbbed for more attention but he continued to ignore it.

Not your turn, he muttered between his legs as Ginny began to move faster, raising and lowering herself over his fingers. She was coming undone and Harry increased his own movements, putting more pressure on her most sensitive spots.

"Multiple . . ." Ginny gasped, leaning her head back against Harry's shoulder. "Multiple orgasms . . . Gwenog says . . . are . . . are . . . bloody fantastic!" Ginny shuddered and cried out and Harry felt new wetness on his fingers. She didn't move from her position against him.

Despite his own need, Harry couldn't stop himself from wrapping both arms around Ginny's waist and holding her in place against him as her breathing slowed. His own body was tight and hard and as much as he yelled at it to stop, let me enjoy this first - he couldn't help thrusting against her back.

Above him, Ginny giggled. Harry tightened his arms and tried to keep still, but it was no use. He thrust again.

Ginny wiggled away and dropped back down to her hands and knees. "Is it part of Auror protocol," she said, looking back over her shoulder and smirking, "to have sex in a different position every time?" She wiggled her bum in Harry's face.

"Well," said Harry, putting his hands on Ginny's hips. He began to slowly lower her pants, rubbing his hands up and down her hips as he bared her skin. "It's not something that just any Auror can do, you know." When Ginny's sweatpants were around her knees she obligingly reached down and pushed them all the way off. "Oh, no?" she asked?

Ginny's knickers were plain cotton, pale yellow and white striped. Despite her current position – their current position – she was all athlete, and those knickers were a hell of a lot sexier on her than the tiny bits of satin and lace Harry knew that many men favored on their witches. His penis thumped insistently again, as if to remind him to stop thinking about how Ginny's knickers looked on her bum, and to start thinking about how they might look off it, preferably forgotten somewhere on the ground. He forced himself back to her question.

"No. Not just any Auror. You have to . . . work . . . your way up." All the time he was talking Harry had been prizing those yellow knickers over Ginny's hips and down, off and away. He was now presented with the most delicious sight of her perfect arse, curls below, and his ultimate goal somewhere in between.

"I assume you are already . . . up. Am I correct?" Ginny was still looking at Harry over her shoulder and her cheeky smile turned to a gasp of pleasure as Harry's hand found her center again.

"I'm definitely up," he said, now fumbling with his own belt and trousers. His erection finally sprang free and he groaned a bit in relief as the tip of his penis brushed Ginny's arse. "Now it's time to show you the most advanced bit of the Auror manual." He took himself in hand and stroked lightly while still fondling Ginny with the other. She moaned and shivered as Harry teased her opening until he could feel she was ready again.

"And what bit is that?" she gasped, already pushing back against his hand.

"The bit about working deep . . . undercover," Harry grunted, leaning over Ginny's back and thrusting into her on the last word. "Not every Auror can master it. Too many . . . of them . . . give themselves away, too early."

"But not you," said Ginny, rocking against him. The motion was awkward at first, but then she caught his rhythm and they moved in tandem; Harry held Ginny's hips as he guided himself in and out.

"Right," said Harry tersely. "Not . . . me. I can . . . stay . . . hidden," - and here, he plunged deeply inside and then stopped moving - "as long as necessary."

Harry gripped Ginny tightly and hoped she couldn't tell how badly he was lying. She'd already had an orgasm and it was likely to take some work to get her there again. Harry, on the other hand, was already feelings the stirrings of his climax, and it took all his concentration to resist the urge to start thrusting again. Instead, he reached under Ginny and found the spot right above where he'd entered her. Gently at first, and then with more pressure as his own arousal grew, he tickled and rubbed and swirled until she moaned his name.

"And what if you are forced to . . . reveal yourself?" she gasped. Her breath was coming in short pants and Harry could tell by the sporadic tightening around his shaft that she was getting close again. He quickened his ministrations on her clitoris and allowed himself on tiny thrust, and then another.

"A good Auror never reveals himself – or herself – until the absolute right moment." Which is rapidly approaching, oh Merlin. Harry couldn't stop the groan of pleasure that escaped his lips and beneath him, Ginny chuckled.

"Unless of course," she drawled, "your opponent is even better than you are." With that, she suddenly pulled up off her arms and leaned back into Harry's lap, still not breaking the connection between them. Reaching down to where their bodies met, she cupped his sac lightly and then stroked it gently. Harry lost it. Rearing back, he thrust into her. And then again, feeling the pressure building in his back and knowing he was powerless to stop it. He tried to think of a final witty comment but as he moved in and out of Ginny, all he could think of was how good it felt and could he hold off just even a second more.

"Let go, Harry," said Ginny. "I'm there . . . let . . . go . . ."

And Harry did. One last thrust and he exploded. The force of his orgasm brought Ginny along with him and the tiny sound of "oh oh oh" that she made as she came made him push against her even more tightly, trying to draw out her own pleasure.

She was still half-sitting on his bent knees and even though Harry was more than enjoying being able to wrap his arms around her waist and drop his face into her hair, he was also getting kind of numb. Still holding Ginny, he sat back on his heels and then shuffled them both until he was sitting on the ground, both pairs of legs splayed in front of them. The movement had caused him to slip out of her, but it didn't really matter anymore.

A breeze blew across them and Ginny shivered. Harry tightened his arms around her and bent his knees until she was sitting almost surrounded by him. Still, neither of them spoke and the only sound was their mingled breathing, slowly calming.

Ginny finally broke the silence. Harry tensed, assuming she was about to move off his lap, but she only shifted a bit and snuggled back into him, murmuring "I see why you are one of the top Aurors, Harry."

"Only when I have a worthy partner, I think," he whispered into her neck. "That makes all the difference."

"I think we did Leandra proud, don't you?" said Ginny. She'd moved her hands down to meet his at her waist and was playing idly, running her thumb over the back of his hand and then threading their fingers together. She didn't say anything more and Harry wondered if the Chaser was all Ginny was thinking about. They'd never stayed together this long, after, and Harry wondered if it would be completely inappropriate to suggest that they move up to one of the cushy-looking lounge chairs that sat only a couple of feet away.

It was a very good thing, Harry reflected only seconds later, that the sender of a Patronus could not see the recipient of a message. He didn't want to imagine what Arthur Weasley would have thought if he could see Harry and his daughter, both completely naked from the waist down, sitting together on the rather cold and hard roof of Ginny's apartment building.

And damn, it is cold – I'm going to have to sit on a hot water bottle just to thaw out my arse.

"Harry," the smoky silver weasel said, "I'm contacting you for Kingsley – they've called almost everyone into work. I know you're securing Ginny's flat – thanks for that – but Kingsley needs you back at the Ministry as soon as you're finished. He's sending a couple of other Aurors over to make sure everything is okay with the Harpies. Please get here as soon as possible." The weasel faded away.

In front of him, Harry almost thought he heard Ginny say something that sounded like "damn," but he couldn't be sure. As they slowly disentangled themselves and found knickers and boxers and pants, Ginny kept looking like she wanted to say something. She remained quiet though, and Harry assumed it was about Leandra.

He walked her back down to the back door of the flat and temporarily dropped the wards so they could enter. Just before he Disapparated, Harry touched Ginny's arm. "Hey,"

She had been turned towards the living room, where a number of voices indicated the crowd had grown. Briefly, Harry wished he was staying here, as the one on duty to watch. But he had his orders. Ginny looked curiously at him. "Yes?"

"If, umm, there's a memorial for Leandra . . . let me know, okay?"

Ginny nodded. "I will."