Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (or any of its subsidiaries) nor do I claim to.

A/N: Not much action to be had here, though I am quite disappointed at the amount of reviews I've gotten. I expected more from the amount of people who have read this story and I thank those that have. Please review more or I may not see reason to finish this story.

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'And Weasley scores again, bringing the score to 90-80 in favor of the Holyhead Harpies!' called out Lee Jordan, his voice magically magnified with a megaphone that was quite similar to the one he used at school. Even after he left Hogwarts, he stood in as Quidditch commentator sometimes when he was needed or wanted. He was there that day at the special request of Oliver Wood. 'United in possession and they're streaking down the pitch, wait! Chaser William Beckley is hit by a Bludger and drops the Quaffle. It's caught by Harpies Chaser Guinevere Morgan, daughter of former Harpies Chaser Gwendolyn Morgan. They've changed direction and are racing up the pitch, changing the Quaffle between them and Morgan takes her shot on goal and…is blocked by Keeper Oliver Wood!'

Harry groaned with the others and booed at Wood good-naturedly. He, Ron, Hermione, and a half dozen other fans were situated in the press box of the Harpies Stadium just outside of Holyhead, Wales. Ginny and Oliver had both offered them tickets in their own teams' boxes, but they did not want to show favouritism for either team, so they traded for press box seats. It was more exciting there, anyway. They were directly above the centre of the pitch and could see everything in great detail. Ginny and the other three Harpies Chasers flew by their window and, if there had not been a window there, their hair and robes would have been tossed around them in the blast of wind.

The game went on in a rather fast paced and exciting manner for the next hour and a half, Ginny scoring twice more for the Harpies and intercepting the Quaffle three times when United got too cocky and tried to pass over the rookie player. It was a rough match, the Beaters from United aiming at the Keeper for the Harpies, Genevieve Devereaux, nearly giving her a concussion. Unfortunately, the referee had not been looking many of the times this had happened and when he was, the Quaffle was usually in the scoring area. Finally, when the score was 110-90 in favor of the Harpies, Harry saw the Snitch with the ever-unerring eye of the Seeker. Both of the Seekers on the pitch had seen it too and it was a mad rush to get to it. Whoever caught it now would win; there was not a wide enough margin to ensure victory for the team who did not catch it to still win. In a great sweep of her hand worthy of Harry himself, the Harpies Seeker Gisela Vogel caught the fluttering golden ball. A roar went up from the Harpies side of the patch and was echoed by Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

'And it's over! The Holyhead Harpies win the match 260-90! Well done Harpies!' Lee Jordan called exuberantly. 'The team is now doing a customary victory lap which will be followed by a sportsmanly handshake between all players from both sides. Better luck next time, United, you all played brilliantly as well!' Lee stepped away from the magical megaphone and took a long drink of water before turning to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 'Can Ginny play or what?' he asked excitedly, if a bit tiredly.

'Yes she can!' Harry said happily. Quidditch had been just the thing to chase the memory of finding Lucius Malfoy from his mind.

'That was brilliant!' exclaimed Ron as he pounded Harry on the back happily. 'What should we do for Gin when she gets home?'

'I say we get a cake and some champagne to toast her and the Harpies,' Hermione suggested, a huge grin on her face.

Lee grinned and turned back to the pitch and shouted out a few last announcements concerning a few shops that had paid to advertise and a few products that had likewise asked to be mentioned. By the time he had finished, Gwenog Jones and the others had strode into the press box with tired smiled and their brooms over their shoulders.

'Give it up for the Holyhead Harpies!' Lee shouted again, stepping up the magical megaphone once more. Another roar rose from the crowd as Lee shook hands with each team member. After they had shaken hands with Lee and then the owners of each team, they had a group hug and retreated to the showers, but not before Ginny ran up to throw her arms around Harry and fiercely kiss him.

'See you in a bit, Harry. I'm just going to go and shower and change,' she said with the same burning passion in her eyes Harry had seen the first time they had kissed. 'Meet me outside the Harpies changing rooms in about twenty minutes.'

'Sounds good to me, Gin,' Harry replied. 'Great game!'

'Thanks!' she said as she rushed out of the press box to join the rest of her team in their march down to the changing rooms.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. 'Do you think you can get a cake and some champagne and have it at the Burrow in less than twenty minutes?' he asked quickly.

'Yeah, shouldn't be a problem,' Ron replied. He pulled out his wand and grinned at Hermione. 'Let's go, we want to get home before Harry and Ginny!'

Hermione laughed and allowed Ron to drag her from the room, waving at Harry on the way. Harry exchanged a few words with Lee Jordan and made to leave the box when he heard someone call his name from behind him. He turned to see one of the reporters from the Daily Prophet motioning for Harry to come closer.

'If I might have a word?' he asked pleasantly. Harry was slightly hesitant, but he didn't have a grudge against the Daily Prophet in general, he just disliked Rita Skeeter. He walked over and crossed his arms in front of him, not speaking until the reporter did. 'Thanks, Mr Potter. I just wanted your take on the game, seeing as I'm the Quidditch columnist and it's always interesting having a celebrity give their take on what happened in a match. Gives a bit of color to my column.'

Harry thought about it a moment and decided to keep it short and simple. 'I think that both teams played brilliantly. That was a spectacular catch of the Snitch, one I'd have been proud to make when I was on the Gryffindor team.'

The columnist nodded and wrote furiously quickly, trying to get direct quotes of what Harry was saying. 'And have you ever thought of returning to Quidditch? I hear you were quite good when you were in school.'

Harry smiled slightly. 'I've given it some thought, yes, but if I do it won't be for a while. I have a full-time job and a godson to look after.'

The columnist smiled back as he finished. 'Anything you'd like to say on the performance of your girlfriend, Ginny Weasley? It was her first time playing starting Chaser, correct?'

Harry nodded. 'Yeah, it was and she was amazing. I would say I'm surprised, but she's only gotten better since I captained the Gryffindor team in my sixth year at Hogwarts.' He smiled again and backed away a step.

'Thanks, Mr Potter. That's all I have,' the reporter said and cast a quick Drying Charm on the parchment before rolling it up and sealing it with his wand. 'Thank you for your time.'

Harry nodded and shook the man's hand before saying goodbye to Lee and heading down into the crush of people that was heading for the exits. About ten minutes later and with much jostling and elbowing, Harry made it to the nearly deserted corridor that housed the changing rooms for both the Harpies and the opposing team. Harry only had to wait a few minutes before the team started filing out in much more casual robes than they had worn for the match. They all said hello to Harry and he congratulated each of them as they left. He was well known among the Harpies, both on the starting squad and the reserve team as he frequented their games and practices to see Ginny. When she came out she threw her arms around Harry once more and grinned widely.

'I have some news again,' she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. 'I'll wait until we're home so I can tell you, Ron, and Hermione all at once. I don't fancy repeating myself too much.'

Harry laughed and gallantly picked her up along with her broom, a Firebolt and a gift from Harry, and bag, something Ginny always protested to, but Harry knew she secretly enjoyed immensely. She shrieked with laughter as Harry carried her outside to the point where they could Disapparate. He reluctantly lowered her to the ground and kissed her once more before they both Disapparated, reappearing at the Burrow in an instant. They walked hand in hand up the garden path and in through the kitchen door. On the table was a cake the shape and colour of a Quaffle, only larger, and two bottles of champagne. Written on the cake were the words, 'Congrats Ginny! Go Harpies!'

'Congratulations, Gin!' Ron shouted, jumping down from the stairs. He'd changed into more comfortable Muggle clothing and so had Hermione, who arrived moments later. Harry had no doubt in his mind that they had helped each other to change, but he didn't care. It wasn't as if he and Ginny had not done the same before.

Ginny let go of Harry's hand and hugged her brother and then Hermione. 'Do you lot mind if I go and change?' she asked, picking up her broom and bag.

'Go ahead,' Hermione said with a smile. 'We'll cut up the cake and serve it while we're waiting for you. I'll make sure Ron doesn't eat the whole thing while you're upstairs.'

Ron scoffed at Hermione and glared. Harry and Ginny laughed. 'I'm going to change as well, my robes are getting itchy,' Harry said. He thought he saw a knowing gleam in Hermione's eyes and Ron looked at him with a slightly annoyed acceptance. If he and Hermione had been helping each other, he couldn't say anything about Harry and Ginny doing the same.

Harry and Ginny ascended the stairs together, Harry holding Ginny's door open for her in a gentlemanly fashion. She giggled softly and pushed him inside ahead of her, closing and locking the door behind her. Harry drew her to him and kissed her slowly and with much excess passion. When they surfaced a few minutes later, Harry slowly pulled of Ginny's robes and let them pile on the floor around her feet. He didn't undress her totally, however, for they'd never have left her room if he had. After he finished they kissed again and looked around for something suitable for her to wear. They decided on loose fitting faded jeans and a white t-shirt with green horizontal stripes that was quite form-fitting. When they finished, the trudged hand in hand up to Harry's room, Harry entering first again, having been pushed inside by Ginny like before. Ginny locked the door behind her again and slowly undressed Harry as he'd undressed her. They kissed intermittently until Harry was in his boxer shorts again. Ginny rooted around in his drawers and pulled out a pair of jeans and a Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes t-shirt, helping him to get them on. Before they left, Harry slipped on his house shoes; they walked hand-in-hand down the stairs and back into the kitchen.

'Finally! We thought you might've gotten lost!' Ron exclaimed, a few pieces already missing from Ginny's cake. Harry raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. 'What? I'm hungry!'

At this, Harry and Ginny laughed while Hermione rolled her eyes. They all sat at the table and picked up their glasses of champagne. Harry stood and cleared his throat.

'I propose a toast! To Ginny Weasley, the best bloody Chaser I've ever seen!' he said loudly, raising his glass. The others laughed and Ginny punched him as he sat down once again. They sipped their champagne and started chatting about the match and eating the cake that Ron and Hermione had picked it out.

They stayed downstairs and chatted a while, eating cake and drinking champagne. Round ten forty-five, Ginny was nodding off in her chair.

'All right, I think it's time to go to bed, at least for Gin, here,' Harry said softly. Ron and Hermione nodded. 'I think I'll retire myself. See you two tomorrow.' Ron yawned and stood as Harry did. Harry picked up the drowsing Ginny while Ron uncharacteristically took all of their dishes and glasses to the sink.

Harry carried Ginny up to his room, bypassing hers completely. Ron and Hermione knew they liked to sleep together and no one said anything because they did the same whenever Hermione could get away with it when she stayed overnight. Harry had some difficulty opening the door, but since Ginny was not totally asleep, she assisted him and pushed turned the handle, pushing it open. Harry smiled lovingly down at her and carried her to the chair next to the chest of drawers. He set her down gently and pulled one of her sheer dressing gowns from a secret compartment in his underwear drawer. It always paid for Harry to keep a spare dressing gown of Ginny's in his room just in case they needed it. She likewise kept a few pairs of Harry's boxers in a secret compartment in her own underwear drawer.

He helped her to change and carried her to the bed, tucking her in. If Ginny could have walked or been awake enough to protest, she would have and most likely have smacked him. Independent was too weak a word to describe Ginny Weasley. Harry disrobed and, by the time he slid under the light covers, Ginny was fast asleep. She turned over and slid an arm across his chest, holding him tight and using his shoulder as a pillow. He smiled, snuggling into the love of his life as he drifted off to sleep as well.

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The next day, Harry awoke before Ginny, though it was still late in the morning. The sheets had been tossed about in the night and the sun was already warming the room, so Harry did not bother with pulling them back up. He looked at Ginny and could not bring himself to wake her just yet. He slowly extricated himself from her and the tangled sheets, putting his feet on the slightly warmed wooden floor with deliberate care. He was trying his best to let Ginny sleep while he went downstairs. He slowly crossed to his closet next to his writing desk, opening the door and withdrawing a dressing gown. He did not wish to get fully dressed that early on in the morning and if he had, he was sure Ginny would have woken. He took his wand from the bedside table before kissing Ginny's forehead. She smiled dreamily, still fast asleep. Harry smiled as well and made to move towards the door, but he stubbed his toe on the bed. Eyes watering, he cursed silently in his head, bright white sparks falling from his wand with his suppressed pain.

He slid his feet gingerly into the black slippers by the door and quietly left his room, just barely leaving the door open behind him. He limped his way downstairs after he went to the bathroom for his standing morning appointment. When Harry entered the kitchen, he found it deserted. Ron and Hermione, it seemed, were still abed and sleeping in. When he came in view of the table, he groaned. There were three letters sitting there and an owl sat in the open window, the Sunday Prophet clutched in its beak. Harry opened the window and removed the paper and rummaged on the counter for the little bag of bronze Knuts. The owl looked irritated and, as Harry slid one of the small coins into the leather pouch on its ankle, it bit him hard on the hand. Shaking his hand, Harry turned from the open window, finding the breeze quite nice, and unrolled the Prophet. His eyes widened at the article on the front page.

HARRY POTTER CAPTURES ROGUE DEATH EATER

Walden MacNair, 42, of Wiltshire has been arrested for the kidnapping and torture of Lucius Malfoy. Yesterday, Saturday 24 July, Harry Potter with the aid of Draco Malfoy, son of reformed Death Eater Lucius, found MacNair hiding out in Borgin and Burke's, a shop known to sell Dark artifacts and located in Knockturn Alley.

Harry Potter, promoted to the status of full Auror the day before, was not available for comment on the issue of how he found MacNair or why he was working with his notorious rival from the days he was at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Likewise, Draco and Lucius Malfoy declined the offer to give their take on this strange occurrence. MacNair has been – Article continued Page 3.

There was a three-part moving photograph above the article that featured a screaming MacNair in one frame, a striding Harry avoiding the press from a different occasion in another, and a candid photo of Draco Malfoy in the third. Harry threw the paper moodily on the table and looked at the letters. They were all addressed to him, two of which being from the Daily Prophet and the other from his boss Gawain Robards. He ignored the first two and opened the third.

Harry-

Though I do not mind you taking time out of your weekends to work, it is more orthodox to bring another Auror with you when apprehending a Death Eater that has eluded capture for so long. Please meet with me tomorrow morning as we will have to give a press conference concerning this most odd weekend arrest. No need to fret, you are not fired. I would like to discourage you from working on weekends in the future without my say-so, even if it was with admirable intentions. We will speak more about this tomorrow, come to my office at seven forty-five; we'll hold the press conference at eight.

I hope the rest of your weekend is less eventful than yesterday.

Gawain Robards

Harry groaned again, tomorrow would not be an enjoyable day. He yawned and opened the other two letters, scanning them quickly. They both had nearly the same message, asking him for a one-on-one interview concerning the events of the day before. Harry tossed them into the bin next to the counter and pulled out a few pans. The letter from Gawain was sent up to his writing desk with a wave of his wand. He was determined to not let the article or the letter from his boss have any effect on the rest of his day. He bustled about the kitchen, waving his wand at the eggs he had pulled from the very top of the icebox (they were there to stay cold, a trick Mrs Weasley had learned from Hermione), a few potatoes that were lying on the counter, a few slices of bread from the breadbox, and several strips of bacon also from the icebox, trying to master cooking with magic. He emptied the teapot on the stove and refilled it, setting it back on a back burner and lighting all three with a poke from his wand.

In the end, Harry wound up with a decent meal, though it wasn't anything up to the standards of a competent cook. The fried eggs on toast were a little runny, the hashed potatoes slightly undercooked and had a bit too much salt, and the bacon was burned. The tea, on the other hand, was fine. It was hard to mess up tea, even with magic. After he finished, he set all of the pans and spatulas in the sink and ran water over them, not wanting to leave dirty dishes lying about in case Mr and Mrs Weasley came back early from their trip. He divvied the meal onto two plates and set them on a tray, arranging it so there was room for both plates, the tea service with a small bowl of sugar and an equally small carafe of fresh cream, and the silverware. He carried the whole lot carefully upstairs, trying not to spill any tea or cream, and pushed his door open with the foot that was not still smarting from being stubbed earlier.

Ginny was still asleep and Harry was glad for it. It was not the first time Harry had awoken her like this, but it was the first in over a year. He couldn't do so while she was finishing her seventh year at Hogwarts and they hadn't been left alone in the Burrow since school had ended. He smiled to himself at the peaceful look on Ginny's face as she slept; she still wore the smile he'd left on her face from when he'd gone downstairs earlier.

'Ginny,' he called softly. 'Ginny, wake up.' She stirred a little, but then let out a delicate snore. Harry bit back a laugh and tried again, a bit louder. 'Gin, it's time to wake up!' She stirred again and opened her eyes. She looked around blearily and finally focused on Harry next to the bed.

'G-g-good morning,' she said, yawning widely. She sat up in Harry's bed and smiled at him. 'You didn't have to make breakfast, Harry.' She helped him to settle it next to her and she scooted over as Harry circled to the other side of the bed, sitting down carefully so as not to jostle the tray.

'I know,' he replied, 'but I wanted to.' He scooped two spoonfuls of sugar into his cup of tea and a small amount of cream, stirring it with his spoon and taking a sip. He sighed happily and started eating his breakfast.

Ginny was enjoying it as well. 'You've gotten better at cooking,' she commented after breaking a few burned bits off a slice of bacon. 'Last year I'd have had to find a way to tactfully get rid of this bacon.' She grinned and took a bite of it before grabbing her fork and stabbing a piece of hashed potato.

Harry stuck out his tongue at her and did not deign to reply to this, though he still returned her grin. They ate in silence until their plates were clear and teacups empty, except for the most burned bits of bacon and some yolk from the eggs. Harry waved his wand and the tray, along with everything on it, disappeared to the kitchen counter downstairs.

'That was pretty good. Thanks Harry,' Ginny said and kissed him.

He kissed her back happily and didn't stop until they heard Ron and Hermione descending the stairs. The broke apart and looked towards the door, noticing it was still open. Harry hastily waved his wand at the door and it closed just before Ron and Hermione came into view. They kept walking without pause and Ginny sighed in relief.

'I should probably go get dressed, see you downstairs in a bit,' she said, kissing Harry again. He kissed her nose and she smiled at him. She got up and stretched like a cat before she grabbed her clothes from the night before and blowing him a kiss before she Apparated to her room, presumably.

Harry sighed and went to his window to check the weather before he got dressed. It was a bright and balmy July day. The cold snap had apparently ended. He smiled and got a light, plain white t-shirt out of his chest of drawers and a pair of light jeans as well before he went across the hall to the bathroom. He quickly showered and tried in vain to tame his hair before he went back downstairs to find Ron and Hermione pouring over the Sunday Prophet.

Harry grimaced. 'The shit is going to hit the fan tomorrow,' he said as he sat down at the table again. Ron looked up and Hermione nodded at him. 'I have a meeting with Gawain in the morning and I have to do a press conference.'

'Well,' Ron said thoughtfully, 'you could just duck the press conference.'

'No he can't!' Hermione replied, staring at Ron incredulously. She turned to Harry and shook her head. 'You can't just not go to the press conference, especially if I have one tomorrow as well.'

Both Harry and Ron looked up at her inquisitively, but it was not either of them that spoke up, it was Ginny coming down the stairs. 'What? Who has press conferences and why? I feel as thought I've been left out of the discussion a bit.'

Harry turned around and tried to smile at Ginny as she came to sit down next to him. 'I have to give a press conference with Gawain tomorrow about catching MacNair. As for Hermione,' he said, turning to face Hermione across from him, 'I haven't the slightest idea.'

Hermione finished a sip from her teacup and set it down. 'I've decided to take S.P.E.W. public and get more people involved. I asked my boss about it and I've been working on it since I started at the Ministry.' Hermione worked from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic. She'd been hired on right out of Hogwarts, which was highly unusual. Percy Weasley hadn't even been hired until he was two months out of school.

Ginny smiled. 'That's great Hermione, really great. I hope it goes well,' she said. 'Though I hope you'll get a better treasurer and secretary than these two.' She indicated Harry and Ron, both of whom scowled.

Hermione laughed and straightened the newspaper as Ron got up and refilled her teacup and his own. 'This isn't the best press coverage, Harry,' she said.

'Let me see that, Hermione,' Ginny said. She bypassed the front page completely and went straight for the Quidditch section. 'Ha! I kicked arse yesterday!'

Harry laughed and kissed her cheek. 'Oh, I tell you that and you don't believe it until you read it in the Prophet? I feel so loved.'

Ginny laughed as well and punched his arm. 'You know I believed you last night, I just fancy knowing that other people think I'm really good.' She read through the article quite quickly, her eyes zipping from side to side almost as fast as Hermione's usually did when reading a textbook.

Harry got up and walked over to the kitchen door. 'You know,' he said to the kitchen at large, 'it's a fairly nice day out today. Who's up for a picnic?' This got Ginny's attention. She looked up from the paper with a semi-shocked expression on her face. 'What?' he asked when he turned back around. 'I can't have a good idea every once in a while?'

Ginny and Hermione looked at each other and laughed, Ron joining in after getting over his own shock. Harry scowled once more. 'Fine, you lot don't have to come with me. I'll pack a basket for myself and go alone.'

'You'll do no such thing, Harry Potter,' Ginny said with a mockingly stern look on her face. 'You'll take Ron and Hermione and I with you or you'll be sorry.'

Harry tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't help laughing at Ginny's expression. 'Alright, you three can come, but I'm voicing my objections now.'

Ron coughed and Harry looked at him. It looked as though he and Hermione were both trying to get the other to say something. Hermione won and Ron blushed. 'Er, Harry? Hermione and I can't go today. I promised we'd do something special today, just her and I.'

Harry was slightly shocked. It was uncommon that Ron and Hermione would want to not do something with Harry and Ginny, but not unheard of. 'That's fine, of course. You two have fun. You wanna go, Gin? Just you and me?' He waggled his eyebrows invitingly and Ginny had to fight the impulse, and it appeared to be a hard fight, not to break down in a fit of giggles.

'Of course!' she said, finally giving way and giggling, though not as much as she would have a moment before. 'You want to leave around one?' she asked.

'Sounds great to me,' Harry replied. He checked his watch, seeing there was about one hour until one o'clock and nodding. 'I have something I can take care of rather quickly and I'll be back right after. That way we can go picnicking. That all right with you, Gin?'

She looked suspicious for a moment, on the verge of asking what his business was, but thought better of it and nodded. 'Yeah, of course. I'll see you soon, then?'

He strode over and kissed her for a few moments. 'As soon as possible, Gin. Love you,' he said, whispering in her ear so Ron and Hermione wouldn't hear as well.

Ginny smiled. 'I love you too, Harry. Bye.'

He smiled and waved and Ron and Hermione, who were talking animatedly to give Harry and Ginny some illusion of privacy. They waved back as Harry walked out the door.

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'We're almost finished, Mr Potter,' said the man behind the teak desk with his ever-present whine. He shuffled a few papers and squinted at them through his thick spectacles. 'I'd say another two and a half, maybe three months. Definitely three if you want us to perform the protective charms and spells first.'

Harry nodded. 'That's fine, Mr Cygnus. Frankly, I thought it would take longer. The money is taken care of, correct?' he asked. He'd given Cygnus permission to withdraw what he needed from his Gringotts account. The goblins were always given statements so the small man could not charge larger fees just because Harry was wealthy.

After the war, when Harry had settled everything and had a few spare moments (they were few and far between), he had gone to the small wizarding real estate and construction building he'd heard of at the Ministry. He'd figured out what he wanted, went out to the site, and helped to design his project. He wanted his own home in Godric's Hollow; it was Harry's first choice in place to live besides the Burrow and he couldn't live with the Weasleys forever. It was on the outskirts and was more in the country than inside the town proper, but it was still technically in Godric's Hollow. Admittedly, he'd gone a tad bit overboard. The home he'd finally decided on had gone from small cottage to what could only be described as a mansion.

It had two wings of bedrooms on the second floor, the spares for any staying over and of course for an expanding family; the master bedroom, bathroom, and an extra living room took up the smaller third floor; an expansive foyer with two wide staircases that led to the second and third levels; a huge, fully stocked, two story library that Hermione would simply drool over; a potions lab in the basement; a den, living room, family room, enormous kitchen, and large dining room complete with a table nearly as long as a house table from Hogwarts, which all were on the first floor. It would not be furnished until Harry decided to move in, though that was to be expected since he wanted Ginny to help him and she knew nothing about his little pet project. The roof had telescopes, chairs, a table, and storage closet for sunbathing equipment. Harry had designed it to have a wrap around porch on the ground and third levels, Corinthian columns connecting and supporting them. All around the property, and especially the back, was one large garden. All except for an area for a pool and spa that were behind the eastern wing. There were many trees in front of the house, just enough to screen it from any passersby, though the lane leading to the house was bordered by many flowers and plants.

Several meters away from the west wing of the house was a garage. Harry had found he quite fancied tinkering with cars and other vehicles. Since he had been brought up for nearly ten years around them, he had quickly learned what to do and wanted to restore old cars when there was time. The drive leading to the road, almost a full kilometer away since the garage was set back and away from the house, was also lined with plants, but it was cleverly hidden from the main road with a charm that made it look as though a few trees had fallen there. When Harry drove out, he would drive straight through. It wouldn't let him pass if there were Muggles on the road.

'Yes,' Cygnus said, pulling Harry back to the conversation, though Harry left dreams of his completed home reluctantly, 'payment has all been taken care of.' He said this in such a way that Harry suspected Cygnus had tried to overcharge him, but the goblins of Gringotts Bank had been informed to double-check the estimates and fees by Bill Weasley. Bill, of course, didn't know why this had to be done, but he was happy to oblige Harry. 'Is there anything else?'

'That should do it, Mr Cygnus,' Harry said, pleased with himself for not only arranging everything, but for keeping it quiet from everyone besides himself and Cygnus. 'Send an owl when you need me to finalize the papers and do a final inspection.'

Cygnus nodded, filing away Harry's papers and contracts. He waved his wand at the filing cabinet and it clicked in an assuring way. 'Of course, Mr Potter. Have a good day, sir.' Cygnus rose to his not very impressive height and shook Harry's hand as he stood as well, making Cygnus look even shorter.

'And you as well,' Harry said and left the office. He made his way to the alley behind and Disapparated.

He reappeared in his usual spot just outside the garden at the Burrow. He strode up the walk and entered the kitchen, smelling fresh baked bread as he did. There was a large basket on the kitchen table that was closed and seemed empty, though Harry knew it had an Undetectable Expansion Charm placed on it for just such an occasion like today.

'Ginny!' he called loudly, following his nose to the bread she'd baked while he'd been away. 'I'm back!'

She came in from the living room and hugged him, kissing his neck and not letting go for a moment. 'And where have you been, mister?' she asked in a mock serious tone. The effect was ruined by her large smile and the fact that she was still wrapped around Harry.

'You'll find out soon enough,' Harry teased. This was always the reply he gave when he'd been off planning and supervising the building of the mansion.

Ginny growled slightly, but still did not drop her grin. 'One of these days I'll get you to tell me,' she whispered. She unwrapped her arms from his neck and grabbed his head to kiss him on the mouth sensuously. 'Oh, and Ron and Hermione already left,' she said when she'd finished thoroughly kissing him.

Harry was slightly dazed and it took a moment for him to process this thought, though when he did he laughed quietly. 'That was somewhat obvious, we usually don't snog in the kitchen when they're home.'

Ginny laughed as well and kissed him once more before going to the counter and packing some cutlery. 'If you'll grab the basket and a blanket, I think we'll be ready to go,' she said, smiling at him again.

Harry smiled back and summoned a large, soft blanket from the chest in the living room and hooked the basket's handles with his left arm. As he'd expected, it was heavy, but he was ready and took the weight easily. He tucked the blanket under the handles of the basket and made sure he had his wand in his right hand. When he looked up, Ginny wasn't carrying anything.

Harry glared at her for a moment before laughing. 'Why is it,' he asked, 'that I always have to carry everything?'

Ginny gave him a look that was both amusement and exasperation. 'Because you're the bloke, isn't that obvious?' She giggled as she held the kitchen door open for him. Harry rolled his eyes and walked through. She laughed again and locked the door behind her with her wand. Harry walked to the Apparition point and waited for Ginny.

'Grab my shoulder,' he said. 'We haven't been where we're going today before.' Ginny nodded and grasped Harry's shoulder as he'd indicated. They weren't Side-Along Apparating, but Harry was guiding her just as Dumbledore once had.

They both turned at the same time and Disapparated. After the compressing darkness ended, they were in a warm, sunny field with a slight breeze that carried the scent of summer flowers. Harry had chosen it because he knew it to be totally deserted for fifty kilometers in every direction and they ran next to no risk of being interrupted. Harry set the basket down and spread the blanket out, making sure it would lie flat, unlike his hair which was just as messy as ever. The grass was soft, so when he took off his shoes and socks, it felt cushy and warm between his toes.

He and Ginny both unpacked the basket, so much coming out that any Muggle would have thought Marry Poppins owned it. There was the bread that had been tantalizing Harry before, many leftovers from the party, some grapes, strawberries, blueberries, chocolate sauce for dipping, a pitcher of pumpkin juice, two bottles of Butterbeer, and for dessert, Harry's favourite treacle tart. They laid everything out on the blanket and started piling things onto the plates they had brough from the Burrow.

'This looks delicious, Gin,' Harry said, his stomach growling. 'Sorry I couldn't help put everything together.'

She smiled at him as she stole a grape from his plate, even though she had some on her own plate as well. 'It's okay. One of these days, you'll tell me or I'll find out whatever this urgent business that you keep running off to do is and all shall be forgiven.'

Harry quirked an eyebrow and snatched a strawberry from her plate. 'You'll find out in due course,' he said enigmatically. He was laughing on the inside, knowing she might faint from the shock of seeing the house.

She shook her head and sighed, pouring them each a glass of pumpkin juice that she then cast a Cooling Charm on so it would be nice and cold. They clinked their glasses and drank from them before starting to eat the miniature feast that Ginny had packed. They ate in a companionable silence, every so often exchanging a few words about their respective weeks. Harry told Ginny about what had been going on at the Ministry and Ginny telling him about the training schedule that Gwenog was putting her and the team through. She was reasonably confident that she would be replacing the injured Chaser. It appeared that the woman wanted to retire anyway, the injury being exactly the excuse she needed.

The manager, Gwenog, and owners and sponsors would have a meeting during the week to decide if they wanted to have Ginny as their new starter or if they would use one of the others from the reserve squad. They had been waiting longer, but Ginny was clearly a superb player and the Harpies wanted to win. The running theory was that if they did not put Ginny in as a starter, other teams in the league were sure to approach her so they could do so themselves.

After they'd eaten their fill of lunch and dessert, they put away all of the food and assorted cutlery and tableware, then they lay down in each others arms looking up at the clouds drifting lazily across the sky. Every so often, they'd point up and laugh as they described to each other what each cloud shape reminded them of. There was one that looked like a bowler hat, another like a lion, one looked a lot like a train, and there were a few indistinct shapes that Harry made sexual references to, Ginny punching his arm and laughing each time.

'So what made you pick this place?' Ginny asked in a curious, but lazy tone. She looked as if she were about to fall asleep.

Harry thought a moment and traced shapes on her exposed arms. 'Well, there is an extremely low chance of anyone seeing or hearing us, we're about fifty kilometers away from anything in particular.'

Ginny grinned and stood. 'Close your eyes and turn around,' she said, hands on her hips. Harry quirked an eyebrow, but respectfully turned away and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he heard the rustling of clothes and very nearly turned back around just to see what Ginny was up to, but he didn't because he knew what Ginny could do when angry. Just after he'd heard the clothes rustle, Ginny had lain back down next to him. 'Okay, you can open your eyes, Harry.'

He turned his head back with his eyes open to see her in the tiniest bikini he'd ever seen. It was obviously not one her parents knew about, or they'd have died just to roll over in their graves. It was a bright, sunshine yellow with white polka dots and it revealed more than it covered.

'So you're going to sunbathe, are you?' he asked, grinning at how she looked in the extremely skimpy outfit.

'What? You aren't going to join me?' she asked, uncharacteristically pouting.

Harry laughed. 'Close your eyes and turn around,' he repeated, trying to match her pitch and tone of voice. She stuck her tongue out and turned away with her eyes closed. Harry waved his wand and all of his clothes disappeared, reappearing in a folded stack on top of the basket. It looked as though Ginny's were next to it. A second wave of the phoenix wand made a black Speedo appear on him, just as skimpy and revealing as Ginny's. 'There, you can look.'

She turned back around and had to bite back a laugh. 'I cannot believe you're wearing a Speedo!' she exclaimed as she gave in to her laughter.

'What? I don't like having a lot of tan lines on my legs. Problem?' he asked. 'It's not like you have a whole lot of fabric on yourself.'

Ginny grinned at him. 'Complaining? Because I can put on something more…appropriate.'

Harry's eyes widened. 'No! What you're wearing is just fine. Fancy some sunscreen?'

Ginny laughed again. 'Very tactful way to change the subject, Mr Potter. Yes, I would like some. I'll burn otherwise, hell, I'll probably burn anyway. You can never tan with my skin.'

Harry laughed and waved his wand a third time. Some SPF 45 sunscreen appeared next to him. He picked it up and squirted some onto his hands. 'Mind if I…?' he asked, trailing off.

'Go right ahead, love,' she said, laying back again. Harry started at her smooth and creamy legs and worked his way up with the sunscreen, massaging it in and skipping over the very brief areas covered with cloth. After he'd finished, she snatched the bottle from him and repeated the process.

'Now that we have that taken care of,' Ginny said, wiping her hands on the blanket, 'shall we just lie here?'

'As long as neither of us falls asleep, I don't see a problem with that,' Harry replied. A fourth wave of his wand made two pairs of sunglasses appear for them. He handed one to Ginny and put the other on himself.

'Thanks, Harry,' she said, sliding them on. They weren't anything special, just something simple to keep the sun out of their eyes. It wasn't as if they were taking pictures for a magazine cover or anything.

'Welcome, Gin,' he replied and laid back down, his hands behind his head.

For a few hours, they just laid there, staring up at the sky and dozing, though some of that time was spent rolling in the grass together and kissing like two people who'd just learned how. After a while, when they'd each calmed down some, they'd turned onto their stomachs, taking turns to rub the sunscreen into each others backs and the backs of their legs. Admittedly, Harry had a hard time stopping from rubbing it into Ginny's backside, but he eventually pulled himself away and finished. It also took some doing to get the grass off their fronts, but they managed.

After they were sufficiently brown, or slightly red in Ginny's case, they packed up their things, put their clothes back on and left for home as the sun was beginning to set.

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When they arrived back at the Burrow, arm-in-arm and smiling like idiots after their fun in the sun, they found Ron and Hermione still out. They went up the garden path and entered the kitchen. It was a stroke of luck that Mr and Mrs Weasley had not returned yet, either. They put the dirty dishes in the sink and whatever food they had left into the icebox before going up to Ginny's bedroom. They knew that they would not be able to do anything 'interesting' for the rest of the day, but they could take a nap together. They were exhausted, anyway. The sun had taken a lot out of them, as it always did when one spent too much time under it.

They were awoken two hours later when the sun was starting to set when Ron and Hermione arrived back at the Burrow laughing loudly. Harry woke with a start and fell out of the bed, Ginny very nearly landing on top of him. He put a finger to his lips and Apparated to his room. He quickly comported himself and went downstairs, meeting Ginny on the way. Harry made sure to make quite the racquet walking down the stairs so Ron would have no reason to suspect they were doing anything inappropriate.

'Hey Harry!' he said when he saw them coming down the stairs holding hands. He and Hermione still looked very happy and were sitting side-by-side at the kitchen table, holding hands just as Harry and Ginny were.

Harry grinned at his best friends and pulled out a chair for Ginny then sat in the chair next to her, recapturing her hand as he sat down. 'Hey Ron, Hermione. What did you two do today?'

Hermione was the one to answer, but she took a moment to look at Ron first. 'We went to visit my parents, and then had a late lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. I can't believe my mum!' she exclaimed.

Ginny looked concerned. 'What happened, Hermione?' she asked.

'She asked when Ron was going to "make an honest woman of me,"' she said, throwing her left hand, the one note holding Ron's, into the air in exasperation.

Harry laughed, but Ginny was a little hesitant, though she did break into a grin. Ron was a brilliant shade of red. 'I was mortified!' he said, all trace of humour gone from him. 'What was I supposed to say to that?'

'Anything but what you did say,' Hermione said darkly. She turned to Harry and Ginny. 'He just sat there with his mouth open and said, "I dunno, soon?"'

Ginny balked. 'You said what?!' she yelled at Ron. It looked like Ron deflated in his seat under the look in Ginny's eyes.

'I didn't know what to say! Really, what would you have said, Harry?' Ron asked. He looked desperate for the right answer.

Both Hermione and Ginny turned in their seats to look at him. 'Oh no, don't drag me into this one mate,' Harry replied with a grimace, but Ginny looked dangerous. 'I dunno what I would've said. I don't think your mum would even ask me, Gin.' She still looked like an angry dragon. 'All right! I would have told her when we're ready!'

Ginny smiled. 'See?' she said to Ron, rounding on him. 'That's what you're supposed to say in that situation.'

Ron glared at his baby sister. 'I can't help it if Harry's smarter than me,' he muttered, looking down at the scrubbed and scarred table. 'What happens now?'

Hermione sighed. 'I'll fix it, Ron. Don't worry.' She kissed his cheek and squeezed his hand. 'Just, in the future, let me do the talking, okay?'

Ron smiled again. 'Works for me, I'm terrible at it.'

They all laughed again, reminding Harry that Ron and Hermione had been in good spirits upon entering the room. 'So what made you laugh so hard when you were coming in? You were laughing your arses off.'

'Oh!' Ron said and started laughing again. Hermione did as well. 'One of the garden gnomes was chasing another with a pair of mum's pruning shears and the other one found a pile of bulbs that were yet to be planted and started chucking them at the first one. It was bloody brilliant!'

Everyone in the kitchen laughed at this. Just then, Mr and Mrs Weasley strode up the garden path and through the open door into kitchen. 'What's so funny?' Mr Weasley asked, putting down his bag. 'Are you laughing at the gnomes again?'

Ron turned around and smiled at his parents. 'Yeah, we got home just before you two and they were having a bit of a fight in the yard. Who won?'

'The one with my shears,' Mrs Weasley said, her eyes narrowing. 'Why didn't you take them away from it, Ron?'

Ron turned pink and looked down. 'Sorry Mum,' he muttered. Ginny giggled, but then ducked her head as well when Mrs Weasley looked at her.

Mr Weasley cleared his throat and waved his wand, the bags he and his wife had been carrying whooshing away up the stairs and, presumably, into their room. Harry grinned a bit and squeezed Ginny's hand slightly. She looked up and smiled at him.

Mrs Weasley gave up the evil eye and looked at them all. 'Is everyone hungry?' she asked, making her way to the sink. She waved her wand and the dishes that Harry and Ginny had put in there started to wash and dry themselves. 'We still have some leftovers from the party and I can whip something up quick if you all like.'

The four at the table looked at each other and shrugged. 'I'm starving!' Ron said and everyone in the room rolled their eyes.

'You're always hungry, Ron,' Ginny said exasperatedly.

Ron glared at her. 'Shut your mouth, Gin.'

She stuck her tongue out at him and they all started to help with dinner. About twenty minutes later, they'd laid everything out, changed into something they hadn't been wearing the entire day, and sat down to chat and eat. Mr and Mrs Weasley gabbed on about the conference, Mrs Weasley mostly. It had had something to do with budget issues they would be facing for the rest of the fiscal year and such business related things at the Ministry. Harry hadn't been invited because he wasn't high up enough yet to go to such a thing, but he liked it that way.

After dinner, Hermione went home and the others retired to their bedrooms. Harry and Ginny very reluctantly went to their own rooms after a lengthy kiss goodnight in front of Ginny's door. After Harry had taken off most of his clothes, he checked the phone he'd unceremoniously thrown in a drawer for any missed calls. There weren't any of course and he went to bed peacefully.

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that one. Sorry it took so long to get up. Started work recently and haven't been able to get on the computer much lately. Please read and review!