So, Im home sick and bored out of my mind. Lucky you, this means you get a new chapter, and its one I think you''ll all like. Let me know...
Harry and Sirius flooed into Grimmauld Place. "Hello? Anyone home?" called Harry. He frowned when there was no answer. "You did owl Remus and Gin to let them know we'd be home today, didn't you, Sirius?"
Sirius came out of the kitchen reading a note. "Yeah, I did. Looks like Remus left us a note. 'Welcome Home! Party tonight at Andromeda's, dress robes required. Be here by four! Don't be late.' Oh, looks like Gin added a PS - 'Missed you guys'. Aw, she even added a smiley face," said Sirius.
"Dress robes? That's a bit unusual, isn't it?" asked Harry, taking his bags out of his pocket and Un-shrinking them.
"Well, we don't have time to firecall them. We've probably got time for a shower and get over there. I'm sure you're excited to see Ginny after all this time," teased Sirius.
"Yeah," said Harry, thinking of his girlfriend with a smile. "I'm glad we'll have this time together before we go back to Hogwarts."
Sirius slapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sure she feels the same. Now, you want first shower?"
Harry nodded and apparated upstairs. Soon he'd be seeing Ginny again!
They flooed over to Andromeda's and arrived to find quite a few people all ready there. Amelia Bones, Dedalus Diggle, Hestia Jones, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Bill Weasley were there from the Order of the Phoenix. Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva Mcgonagall were there too.
"Sirius, Harry, you made it," cried Remus, appearing from behind 'Mad-Eye' Moody.
"What's going on, Remus? Look at you!" cried Sirius, hugging his best friend. Remus was clean cut and wearing his best robes. Harry had never seen him look so happy.
"You haven't guessed? I'm getting married. Today-NOW!" cried Remus, laughing at the stunned look on Sirius' face.
"You're getting married now?" said a stunned Sirius. "To who?"
Remus laughed. "Tonks, of course. Listen, I'd really love you to stand up with me, Sirius. What do you say? Will you be my best man?"
"Me? You want me?" asked Sirius.
"Who else, Padfoot? There couldn't be anyone else," said Remus, sincerely.
"I'd be honoured, Moony," said Sirius, hugging him again.
"Great. Come on, we need to get going. The ceremony is about to start," said Remus, almost giddy in his happiness.
"I'll go find a seat. Any idea where Ginny is?" asked Harry.
Remus gestured over his shoulder. "She's back there with Tonks. She's Tonks' bridesmaid. I'll let her know you're here. She's missed you, you know." He winked at Harry, then dragged Sirius off.
Harry chuckled as he went to find a seat. He had never seen Remus so animated before. Well, it looked like Ginny was right. Romance had blossomed for Remus and Tonks, and it made Harry happy.
He greeted Bill as he sat down next to him. "Hey Bill, good to see you."
Bill shook his hand. "Hey Harry, how are you? Do you remember Fleur Delacour?" He introduced the woman sitting on the other side of him.
" 'allo, 'arree," greeted Fleur. "Eet is zo good to zee you again. I 'ave 'eard zo much about you from Ginny."
"Hi Fleur. This is a happy surprise," said Harry, with a grin to Bill. Then he noticed Remus and Sirius had come to stand at the front of their audience.
"Have you see Ginny yet?" asked Bill.
"No, she was back there somewhere with Tonks," said Harry. "She okay?"
"Oh yeah," nodded Bill, smiling at Fleur and taking her hand. "Wait till you see her."
"Would everyone please stand," said the Minister.
Harry watched as Remus turned pale. Sirius leaned over and spoke to him softly, and the colour came back in his face. Harry turned back just in time to see a vision of loveliness in gold walk down the aisle. She walked to the front and turned to wait for the bride.
Harry's jaw dropped. It was his Ginny. She wore a gold halter dress, and her hair was swept up, with ringlets coming down. She wore more make-up than usual, and she looked amazing. Harry could barely take his eyes off her to see a radiant Tonks being escorted down the aisle by her father, Ted.
Remus couldn't take his eyes off his bride. He proudly took her hand from Ted, and brought her to the front. Ginny took Tonks' bouquet and she turned to face Remus, taking his hands.
The ceremony was brief and to the point. They exchanged personal had whispered that the marriage wouldn't even be considered legal because of Remus' werewolf status. This made Harry angry, yet more proud of both of them.
Sirius gave a reading, and then, to Harry's delight, so did Ginny. She stepped in front of their friends.
*"To love someone takes a lot of courage. So how much more is one challenged when the laws say they forbid you from loving this person.* Tonks, Remus, I admire you and love you both. Like all of your friends and family here tonight, I am honoured to be here to witness your commitment to each other. It's inspiring, and I wish you every happiness." She stepped back to kiss them both and take her position back beside Tonks.
"Nymphadora, Remus, in the presence of your family and friends, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Remus, you may kiss your wife."
"Bugger that," said Tonks. She grabbed a surprised Remus and snogged him silly, to the applause and laughter of their friends and family. Finally they came up for air.
"Family, friends, may I introduce to you - Mr and Mrs Lupin," announced the Minister.
Everyone applauded again, and Remus took Tonks over to Andromeda and Ted. Harry saw Sirius offer his arm to Ginny and they followed behind Remus and Tonks as they came down the aisle, stopping to talk to friends and accept congratulations.
"Come on," said Bill, grabbing Fleur's hand. "It's just a casual buffet. Let's go get some drinks and a bite to eat."
"Okay," agreed Harry, although he was looking around for Ginny.
"She's over there, talking to Minerva," said Bill, with a knowing grin. Harry's head snapped around and saw her, glowing in gold. He walked over to her.
"Ah, Mr Potter. Good to see you. Miss Weasley, you spoke beautifully, well done. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go and congratulate the happy couple." Minerva smiled and walked away.
Ginny turned to face Harry. Her face lit up. "Harry," she cried softly, going into his arms. "I missed you so much."
"Ginny," said Harry, happy to be holding her close again. "I missed you too." He tilted her chin up and kissed her.
"Guess I know which direction to toss my bouquet," quipped Tonks, as she came up behind them.
"Tonks, congratulations," said Harry, pulling away reluctantly from Ginny to kiss the bride. "You look beautiful and I have never seen Remus look so happy."
"Thanks, Harry. He fought it, you know. Said he had nothing to offer me, silly man. All I want is him. I finally wore him down," grinned Tonks, taking a glass of champagne.
"Good for you, Tonks," laughed Harry, toasting her with his own champagne glass.
"Gin, love, Remus and I really appreciated your words, and I can't thank you enough for your help pulling all this off," said Tonks, gesturing to the room.
"You're welcome, it was fun," grinned Ginny.
"You'll be an expert when it's time for your own wedding," winked Tonks, nudging Harry. "Better go and circulate. Toodles."
They laughed as she left them, then Harry took her in his arms today. "Tonks isn't the only beautiful one here today. You look amazing." He kissed her again.
"You going to let her come up for air anytime soon, Potter," grinned Bill.
Again, they reluctantly parted. "You look great, Sis. Nice speech," said Bill, leaning over to kiss her cheek.
"Thanks. Hi Fleur," greeted Ginny.
"Ginny, you look beautiful. Ze gold is ze good colour on you," said Fleur.
"Thanks for suggesting it, and for the help with the make-up and hair," said Ginny. Fleur nodded happily.
The music started and couples started dancing. "Shall we?" asked Bill, indicating the small area allocated for dancing. Tonks had dragged Remus out and they were swaying together.
Fleur nodded, and they left Harry and Ginny. They were immediately joined by others and spent most of the rest of the late afternoon and early evening mingling with the other guests.
Ginny couldn't look away from Harry. He'd changed so much in his time away from her. He'd grown, physically and magically; somehow she could sense it. He exuded a self-confidence, a presence. Harry had matured in the three months they'd been apart.
They were talking with Sirius; the men telling Ginny about the places they'd been. Remus and Tonks had departed a little while ago, and the party was winding down. Harry was glad, he wanted time alone with Ginny. Sirius happened to glance over Ginny's shoulder and she saw him pale.
"Sirius, what is it?" she asked worriedly.
"Emmeline?" he whispered in wonder.
Ginny turned around. "Oh, Emmy? You know her? She's been away a while, apparantly working for the Order."
Sirius nodded, not taking his eyes off her. "She was best friends with Marlene McKinnon, a witch who died a long time ago. I used to date Marlene, that's how I got to know Emmaline."
"You should go over, talk to her," encouraged Harry.
"Yeah, I think I will. Excuse me," said Sirius, leaving them to go over and speak to her.
Harry and Ginny watched them. Ginny noted how Emmaline's eyes lit up when Sirius approached her. "Interesting," she murmured.
Harry leaned in to whisper in her ear. "How about we get out of here?"
Ginny nodded, and they made their way to Bill and Fleur, and then Andromeda and Ted to say goodnight. They told Sirius they were leaving, and he just waved them off. He was still talking intently to Emmaline.
Harry and Ginny flooed home to Grimmauld Place. "It's good to be home," sighed Harry, throwing off his jacket and cloak. Ginny could see how his upper body had filled out.
"I know what you mean. Paris was great, but England is home," she said. She felt a bit nervous and shy around Harry, not unlike when she was eleven.
"Want to go up to the roof?" he asked. Ginny nodded, then squealed with laughter as he wrapped his arms around her and apparated them there.
"You learned to apparate," she said, as he let her go. He nodded, casting non-verbal wandless spells around. He seemed so assured in his use of magic, it reminded her of how effortless Dumbledore looked.
Harry nodded. "Albus said he'd register me before the school year. I never got to take my test at school."
Ginny smiled and walked close to the edge. She looked down at the street lights, and the lights on in the nearby houses. She wondered what it was like to be a Muggle and to be totally unaware of the magical world.
Suddenly she felt a warmth unlike anything she had ever felt before. It wrapped itself around her, like a hug from her mother when she was a little girl. It made her feel safe, secure...loved and something else. She whipped around to look at Harry. "What did you do?"
"I reached out for you with my magic," he said. "You looked lost. You felt-unsure?"
"You felt what I'm feeling?" she asked. His magical power had defintely increased.
"Yeah, kind of. Ginny..." he hesitated, and suddenly Ginny felt afraid.
"So, was it worth it? All that time away with Dumbledore?" she asked hurriedly.
Harry nodded again. "We found the ring and destroyed it. That's three Horcruxes gone. We're pretty sure the snake is one too."
Ginny was curious. "What made you 'pretty sure'?"
"We had a run in with the snake at Godric's Hollow. Sirius took me there, to see my parent's home and where they were buried," said Harry softly. It had been quite emotional.
"Oh Harry,"said Ginny, coming over to hug him. "I'm glad you had Sirius with you."
Harry held her tight, kissing the top of her head. "Me too. Anyway, he took me to the house I lived in for fifteen months, and the snake attacked us. Somehow it was able to call Voldemort. Luckily Albus came and saved us. He got us out of there just as Voldemort was about to arrive. I wasn't ready to face him then," he said.
Ginny shivered, and let him go. She walked back to the edge of the roof. Again she felt his magic wrap around her, like a warm snuggly blanket. Again, there was something else, something more. She felt love and...hunger? He was hungry?
"Ginny, look at me. Please," he said.
Ginny turned and looked at him. He'd grown, he'd matured, she could feel his magic had increased so much. She felt like he'd left her behind.
"No, never," he whispered.
"You read my mind?" she asked.
"Albus taught me Leglimancy and Occlumency," admitted Harry. He took a step closer, and then another. "What are you afraid of?" he asked her worriedly.
Ginny lifted her chin. "I'm not afraid of anything," she lied. Truth was, she was scared to death of losing him.
"Talk to me, Gin," he begged. "It's just you and me."
"You've changed so much," she whispered fearfully. "Grown. You use your magic like Dumbledore does, with ease."
"You've changed too," said Harry. "You've grown so much more beautiful."
"It's the make-up and the pretty dress," scoffed Ginny.
"No, it's all you. I can feel you, feel your magic. It's good and pure; loving," said Harry gently.
"How can you feel my magic?" asked Ginny.
"Our magic comes from within. We just use our wands as a tool, but we don't really need them. I just think of you, then send my magic out and it searches for you," he said.
"It felt like a warm blanket wrapped around me," said Ginny. "I liked it."
"Good," said Harry.
Ginny hesitated. "The second time you did it, it felt different. I still felt warmth, but there was something else. Are you hungry?"
Harry laughed without mirth. "Something like that."
Ginny turned around. He was laughing at her. "Oh," was all she said.
She felt him come to stand behind her. "Being with Albus and Sirius was amazing. I learnt so much. I still have a lot more to learn. Albus is going to continue to train me when we go back to school," he said.
He placed his hands around her waist and she leaned back against him, willing herself to stay strong if he told her she couldn't be his girlfriend any more. Gods, please don't let me cry, she willed herself.
"As much as I learned from those two great wizards, I learned something better. I love you, Ginny. I am completely in love with you. You are my reason for doing all this, for the training, and learning new skills with my magic. I want this...thing with Voldemort, to be over. I want a future with you," he said earnestly.
Ginny spun around. Brown eyes searched his intense green eyes. "Pardon me?"
Harry chuckled. "You are my reason for-"
Ginny interrupted. "Yeah, yeah, I got all that. Say the middle part again." She was suddenly hopeful.
Harry put his arms around her waist. "You mean the part where I said I love you, completely and utterly."
"You didn't say utterly," said Ginny, her eyes shining.
"My mistake. I am completely and utterly-"
Ginny brought his head down to hers and kissed him, cutting his words off.
"-in love with you," he finished, when she finally let him breathe.
"Oh Harry, I love you too," she said, then laughed. "completely and utterly, too."
Harry kissed her this time. Their kisses were getting hotter and longer. Finally Harry had to pull away and take a deep breath.
Ginny was breathing hard too, and now she recongnised the feelings from earlier; the hunger. She took his hand and lead him downstairs to her bedroom. She opened the door and they went inside.
She turned to face him and kissed him again.
Harry groaned. Sirius had had the Talk with him on their travels, and with the bed right there, it was so easy to imagine doing some of those things with Ginny. But it was too soon.
"Ginny, I want to, believe me, I want you so much, but-"
"I know. It's too soon. We can just lie here and do...some things, can't we?" she grinned. She started to unbutton his shirt, leaving it hanging open. She then turned around. "Undo me?" She brought her hair over one shoulder, and looked back at him.
He slowly unzipped her dress, It was exquisite agony, revealing creamy freckled skin. She had on a strapless bra, and she stepped out of her dress, leaving her in matching knickers. His mouth watered.
"Just imagine it's a bikini," said Ginny, turning back to face him. She took his hand and pulled him onto her bed to lay beside her. They curled into each other. Harry's hand smoothed her hair away from her face, then glided down the side of her face and onto her neck. He tentatively moved south, both willing Ginny to stop him while he could, and hoping she wouldn't. When she didn't, he cupped her breast.
Ginny had her hand on his abdomen, yet she drew in a breath when Harry cupped her breast. Her nails grazed his skin and she felt him tense, in a good way. His eyes were fierce and full of lust. Ginny drew her hand up and ran her fingers over the nubs on his chest. She felt a powerful surge as he took a breath and closed his eyes.
Ginny leaned up and kissed him softly. Their tongues danced when he opened his mouth. She shifted to get a better angle, and then she felt-THAT against her lower torso. It twitched, and Harry groaned.
He rolled her onto her back and ran his hands down her side. "Gods, Gin," he moaned. His mouth suckled on her neck, and she gladly let him. It felt so wickedly wonderful. She ran her hands through his hair, and unconsciously rubbed against him. She needed, wanted to be closer to him.
"Hey, where is everybody? Harry, Ginny? Where are you?"
It was like a bucket of cold water was thrown over them. Sirius was home, and her bedroom door was open.
"Shit," said Harry, hurriedly getting up and trying to re-button his shirt.
"Yeah," giggled Ginny, throwing on her pyjamas, which had fallen off her bed.
"Hel-looo?" called Sirius. "You guys up here?"
They could hear him coming up the stairs. Harry kissed her quickly, then apparated to his bedroom. As Sirius came down the hall, he opened his door. "Oh, hey, I thought I heard someone call. Just get home?" he asked, trying to appear nonchalant as he leaned against the door frame.
Ginny opened her door, yawning. "Hey, what's all the noise about? I was trying to get some sleep. Oh, hey Sirius, you're back."
Sirius smiled. "Yeah, I just got back. Sorry if I disturbed you. Why don't you both go to bed. We can talk in the morning. Night."
"Night, Sirius," they chorused. They looked at each other, then went back to their rooms.
"Er, guys?"
Harry and Ginny popped their heads back out of their rooms. "Your shirt is buttoned up all wrong," grinned Sirius, pointing to Harry, "and your pyjama top is on back to front, Missy," he pointed at Ginny.
"That's weird, it was fine earlier," said Harry, looking down and cursing himself.
"Damn pyjamas must have twisted as I was trying to sleep" said Ginny.
Sirius barked with laughter. "You'll have to come up with better excuses than that," he said. "Good night."
He walked away from them, hearing two door shut behind him. Later, as he lay in bed thinking about the wedding, he heard a door open, and the sound of footsteps across the hall. Then there was silence.
Sirius was glad he'd had the Talk with Harry while they were away. It had been surprisingly easy, albeit a bit embarassing. Even Sirius had recongnised how Harry had matured on their travels, and there was no snickering or childish glee. It was only as Sirius discussed making things good for the witch he was with that Harry got embarassed. Of course, he was picturing doing those things with Ginny. He was particularly glad that he had gone over the Contraception spell with Harry until he had it down pat. Ginny was a Weasley, after all. If she was anything like her mother, it wouldn't take much for her to fall pregnant!
Sirius decided to not think about what Harry and Ginny might be up to and instead, focused on Emmy Vance. He couldn't believe she was alive, and was there, at Remus' wedding today. He had enjoyed their talk, and had made plans to see her again.
Maybe there was life in the old dog yet!
*Quote is from Maya Angelou, regarding same sex marriages. I used part of the quote i thought best fit the story.*