Family.

Both of them were sound asleep when a tentative Dobby entered, and woke Harry up.

"My great friend Harry Potter it is time for you to wake," he said gently nudging Harry on the arm. Being a light sleeper Harry opened his eyes to see an anxious looking Dobby staring back at him.

"What's happened Dobby," he said sitting up immediately, and grabbing his glasses.

"You need to be at the Burrow in an hour, my great friend Harry Potter. It is nearly six o'clock." Harry fell back onto his pillow grateful that there wasn't an emergency.

"Thanks Dobby, you gave me a scare there for a moment."

"Dobby is very sorry. Dobby will make sure he doesn't do it again."

"No punishing yourself, do you understand."

"No of course not, my great friend Harry Potter. Dobby will go and have a severe talking to himself."

"Right," Harry wasn't sure he would want to witness that. It would be one of the more bizarre things, this bizarre Elf had ever done. "Dobby I promise I won't get angry with you if you wake me up for a good reason in the future."

"Master Malfoy always hit Dobby when I woke him. Even when he told me to wake him."

"I'm not Malfoy," Harry said angrily. It bugged him that after all these years of freedom the Malfoys were still terrorising Dobby. "Dobby Ginny's dress will need cleaning."

"Tis already done." Dobby then popped away. Turning his head round he saw that Ginny was still fast asleep with her mouth wide open. His mouth felt furry, so he went to the bathroom and rinsed his mouth out, and looked at himself in the mirror. It was only then that he registered that his head was pounding. It wasn't that bad, he'd had worse headaches than this in the pass, but he guessed that this must be his first official hangover.

Entering the bedroom again, a glass of water in hand, he realised that he was going to have to wake Ginny up. For a moment he thought about calling Dobby back to do it for him, but that was the coward's way out. The trouble was that Ginny had definitely been drunker than him, and the hangover was going to be way worse. Gathering his courage he sat on the bed beside her and started to gentle shake her by the shoulder.

"Gin love we need to get up."

"Later," was mumbled back at him, her eyes still shut tight.

"No, we have to get up now," and Harry shook her a little harder. He was rewarded with one eye opening up, and looking at him.

"Why?" she croaked.

"It's six o'clock, and we're meant to be at your mum's for seven."

"Oh ok," with more effort than was really needed she sat up. "Oh that hurts!"

"Here," Harry said handing the glass of water over. Taking it, she slowly began drinking.

"I feel terrible."

"Your first hangover, congratulations," Harry said smiling at her. Her hair was sticking out at all angles, and her eyes were struggling to stay open. She was not looking at her best.

"What are you smiling about," she accused.

"You're still beautiful, even when you look and feel terrible."

"Is that meant to be a compliment?"

"Come on we need to get going."

"I'm tired, let me go back to sleep."

"Nope up you get."

"My head hurts. You go and tell mum that I'm too ill to go."

"And if I did what are the chances that she'd be over here within minutes to fuss over you, and find out why you're not well."

"Alright, alright I'll get up. You big bully." It took them both longer than usual to get ready. Harry could tell that his headache wasn't in the same league as Ginny's, but everything still seemed to take twice as long to do as normal. For Ginny three or four times as long, and if Harry hadn't been there constantly nagging her to get a move on he knew that she would have gone straight back to bed. Finally at five to seven they were in the front hall. It had become an unspoken rule in the Manor that everybody apparated to and from the house from there.

"You know you really don't look all that well, maybe you should stay behind," Harry said looking at a perfect example of the walking dead. He had thought that once she had moved around a bit, and got the blood flowing she would feel a bit better. The opposite seemed to be the case. Her eyes were sunken, her skin paler than usual, and her hair, brushed mostly by Harry as she seemed to be incapable of doing it herself, wasn't as full of life as it usual was.

"I'm coming, and if I drop down dead in front of my parents it'll be your fault." Despite his own thumping headache he couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't be such a drama queen. Perhaps I should apparate us both there." It was an indication of the state she was in that Ginny didn't even attempt to argue with Harry, never mind respond to the drama queen crack. Holding her by the elbows, clearing his mind as much as possible and concentrating hard he felt the familiar squeeze of apparation.

Fortunately they appeared outside the Burrow, but the act of apparation had made Harry's headache ten times worse, or was that a hundred. On top of that he could feel the pain Ginny was in through their link. He quickly grabbed her to stop her from falling over. Her face was screwed up in agony, tears of pain running down her cheeks.

"I've got you Gin," he said taking her whole weight in his arms. "If I'd known that was going to happen I wouldn't have dreamed of coming."

"Give me a minute the pains easing," she said through gritted teeth. Harry could feel it fading slowly as well, although the headache was still worse than it had been.

"Come let's get inside maybe your mums got something for it. I'm prepared to be royally told off if we can get rid of this hangover." The door wasn't opened by Mrs Weasley though. Instead they were greeted by the beaming smile of Bill.

"Well if it isn't my favourite brother-in-law and sister." He was far too loud and hearty for Harry and he didn't respond. "Well I don't need to ask if you two had a good time last night if your faces are anything to go by. Drank too much didn't you. Come in and I'll get the hangover cure. Sit down right there I'll be back in a minute." Harry guided Ginny to a chair and they both sat down.

"I'm sorry Gin I should have left you in bed," Ginny didn't answer. Her expression though clearly showed that he had just stated the bleeding obvious. "Well at least that's another thing I've learned over the few hours."

"Oh yes, and what are these pearls of wisdom," Bill said coming back in with two potion vials. He handed them over, and indicated that they should both knock them back.

"Well the first is that Ginny here is a happy drunk, but a very loud one, and despite my first thought is more than capable of picking a fight if the opportunity arises."

"No change there then. She's more than capable of doing that stone cold sober." It appeared that Bill's humiliation the previous Easter was still fresh in his memory.

"True," Harry said feeling better as the potion began to work its magic. "The second thing is never, never, never, never ever apparate with a hangover."

"We all have to learn that one the hard way," Bill said laughing again much too loudly.

"I'll second that," Ginny said the colour slowly returning to her cheeks.

"So what was my little sister drinking, to get in such a state last night?"

"Champagne."

"And what else?"

"Nothing," Ginny answered keeping half an eye on the stairs for her mum.

"Ginny, quality champagne doesn't give you a hangover, unless you had something else as well."

"Alright Fred and George gave me some firewhisky," she hissed at him. "Don't tell mum she'll just go bonkers."

"Don't worry I won't, besides what she going to do. Send you to bed early. That's hardly a punishment anymore," he smirked.

"Yea very funny Bill, you'll have to do better than that to embarrass me these days. I just don't want to stir things up alright. How's little Alastor?" she asked determined to change the subject.

"He's great, but he hasn't quite got the hang of feeding yet. That's what mum's doing now, helping Fleur and Alastor do it right."

"Is that why you're hiding down here?" Ginny said.

"Damn right, I don't want to come between those two, besides what do I know about breast feeding. Mum said that only Ron managed to latch on straight away the rest of us were hopeless."

"Well that explains a lot," Harry said. Ron's appetite was still legendary. "Now we just have to find the right moment to inform him of that very embarrassing fact."

"Oh let me be the one to do it please," Ginny begged her face fully recovered.

"You really love to torment him don't you," Harry said.

"Well he's so easy, and he does go a beautiful shade of red. Especially his ears."

"What about Christmas lunch," Bill suggested a wicked grin on his face.

"Not bad, but I can't wait that long. How about in front of Hermione's parents at the station."

"That's evil Gin," Harry said appalled.

"Right it's settled then," Ginny said.

"I've married a monster."

"Well if you had done it the normal way, I could have warned you of that before hand," Mr Weasley said as he walked into the kitchen.

"I would have still married her Mr Weasley. I prefer her on my side, monster or not," Harry said.

"Harry please call me Arthur, only people at work call me Mr Weasley, and I'm not at work."

"Sorry Arthur, it's going to take me a while to get use to it, old habits die hard," Arthur just smiled back.

"So the hangover's been cured then." Harry and Ginny looked at each other in alarm. "I saw what you were drinking last night, young lady. I managed to distract your mum at the right moment so you're safe there."

"Yea Bill sorted us out."

"Good. Both of you needed a good blow out. Just don't make a habit of it, that's all. I don't suppose either of has seen the today's paper?" They both shook their heads. "Well the Minister gets top billing, but you two came a close second." Arthur placed the Daily Prophet on the table in front of them.

The banner headline screamed, 'MINISTER'S SHOCK RESIGNATION'. In a night full of surprises Rufus Scrimgeour has resigned and Harry Potter announced that he had married his childhood sweetheart Ginny Weasley, (see next column).

"Childhood sweetheart!" Harry shouted. "It's rubbish like that that reminds me why I don't read this rag."

"You were my childhood sweetheart," Ginny said with a mischievous grin.

"Yes I seem to remember an incident with a butter dish," Harry snapped back. Ginny immediately went pink, and silent her mouth open in shock.

"Wow Harry that's really impressive," Bill said. "I've never seen my little sister made speechless before. She never stopped talking when she was younger. It was as though if she stopped talking she ceased to exist."

"Be nice Bill, I'm very proud of Ginny, and it's been a pleasure all day to answer questions about her, and my son-in-law. Couldn't get any work done at all. Not that many people were in the mood after last night, and the Ministers resignation." The whole Ministry was a buzz with rumours."

"So have you heard anything interesting Dad?" Bill asked.

"Oh there are already several possible candidates, being talked about, but it's much too early to tell."

"Anybody I would have heard of," Bill pressed. Mr Weasley smiled and then let out a chuckle.

"There are two I'm sure you've heard of."

"Well."

"The first one is Cresswell. He's head of the Goblin office," Mr Weasley said to Harry and Ginny.

"We met him," Harry said frowning.

"Oh I seem to remember something about that, what did you think of him?"

"Not much," Harry said.

"He had the nerve to have a go at Harry," Ginny said scowling.

"Ginny gave him an earful," Harry said smiling at the memory.

"Self important prat," Ginny muttered.

"Why am I not surprised," Bill said raising his eyebrows.

"He hasn't got much of a chance. He's made too many enemies over the years," Mr Weasley said, "and of course as a muggleborn he's at a disadvantage straight away. Not that I agree with that sort of thinking, but that's how things are I'm afraid."

"I saw him talking to Cuffe, and some bloke called Wriggle something last night," Harry said.

"He was probably trying to see if the Daily Prophet would support him, and Wriggleswort and Cresswell are as thick as thieves."

"So we agree that we don't like him," Bill said, "What's wrong with the other candidate."

"Absolutely nothing, in fact he's one of my favourite people," Arthur answered with a broad grin.

"Who is dear," Mrs Weasley said as she entered the kitchen from upstairs.

"Harry, my love," Arthur replied.

"Well he's one of mine too. Right now that Alastor's finally getting a good feed upstairs I'll sort dinner out for the rest of us, shouldn't take too long. Fleur will be down in a bit Bill, but it's just as well not to distract them both at the moment."

"Thanks Mum. Now Dad about this candidate, who is it?" Bill said. Arthur's words had finally sunk into Harry's brain and he turned to look at Ginny to see if she had come to the same conclusion. She was biting her bottom lip in an effort not to laugh.

"Harry."

"You're kidding," Bill said.

"I'm afraid not." Ginny let out a burst of laughter, and Harry thought unkindly that he preferred her with a hangover. The Wizarding world was populated by idiots. There was no other explanation for it.

"Your face is priceless Harry. Honestly lighten up," Ginny said bursting into laughter again.

"They're mental, why would anybody think I'm suitable to become the next Minister of Magic," Harry said.

"Don't worry about it Harry the fuss will all die down in a day or two," Arthur said.

"I'd love to see Professor McGonagall try and punish one of her students who is also happens to be the Minister of Magic, her boss," Ginny said laughing even harder. Harry just shook his head exasperated.

"Now would be good time to shut her up again Harry," Bill said laughing.

"Of course if I was the Minister Ginny my darling, my wife would have to wear smart dresses every single day. Couldn't have her let the side down now, could I." Harry said. Ginny just stuck her tongue out at him laughter still in her eyes.

"Ginny put it away." Mrs Weasley said automatically. "Now let's sort out the table, and then we can eat." It was a very relaxed meal with the usual mountains of food that Harry was quite ready to tackle. The hangover had removed his appetite, and now it had been cured, it had come back with a vengeance. He concentrated on eating as Bill, Arthur, Molly, and eventually Fleur talked about other possible future Minister's of Magic.

"How's a Minister chosen anyway?" Harry asked as a second helping of treacle tart was put in front of him.

"By the Wizengamot of course Harry," Arthur replied.

"And who chooses the Wizengamot?"

"Well when a vacancy arises you can put your name forward, and the current members of the Wizengamot vote on them."

"So the ordinary wizard or witch on the street doesn't even get a say in the matter."

"Well no Harry, there's never been a need. It's always worked before." To say Harry was unimpressed would be an understatement. The Wizarding world was a place of wonder to Harry, but they were so backwards at times.

"Nobody complains that they don't get a say in who runs their lives."

"A few do, but nothing's changed," Arthur was now looking a little uncomfortable.

"What's the point of discussing who's going to be the next Minister, when it's all going to be decided behind closed doors by a self appointed club? The Muggle world would never stand for it, why do Wizards?" Harry wondered if Hermione knew about all this, and if she did why she hadn't complained about it before.

"Over the years Harry I've come to realise something," Arthur said. "I deal with the Muggle world a lot, and of course I live in the Wizarding world so I notice the difference on a daily basis. The Muggles love change, nothing stands still. They are always looking to improve, to change, trying to find ways to move onwards and upwards, no matter the risk. It's what makes my job so interesting. The Wizarding world though is happy the way things are, and largely wants them to remain that way. We like the status quo."

"Well the Wizarding world is wrong," Harry said simple. This was followed by silence, and Harry realised that he was the only one sitting there who had been raised like a muggle.

"Tea anybody," Molly said breaking the silence. The silence was broken, and the sudden tension eased.

"'arry I 'ope you are not cross that we called our baby Alastor 'arry, and not 'arry Alastor," Fleur asked. Her hair had not been brushed to her normal high standards, so it didn't shimmer as brightly as normal. She was wearing the minimum of make up, but on the whole Harry thought she looked the better for it. He didn't think he had the nerve to say so though.

"Of course not. I was very pleased that you chose to honour Mad Eye." There was a small tear at the corner of Fleur's eye. His death in her arms Harry knew had greatly affected her.

"Thank you 'arry. He was a great man." They were interrupted by a high pitch wail from upstairs, and Fleur sighed.

"It's alright Fleur I'll go and look in on him," Bill said gentle squeezing her shoulder as he stood up.

"I'll come to," Ginny said which caught Harry by surprise.

"Sure," said Bill. The pair of them ran upstairs, leaving Harry feeling unsettled. He had come to realise that he now hated any moment when Ginny wasn't within sight, and that fact irritated him. Much as he loved being with Ginny he couldn't live his life always in her presence. Maybe it was part of the trauma they'd been through together, and eventually this would pass, but until it did he would have to put up with this ridiculous reaction. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a peculiar sensation flood through him through his scar.

"Are you alright Harry? You're looking a little queasy," Molly said.

"Yea I'm ok. Ginny's just having an emotion I can't figure out."

"What do you mean?" Fleur said looking amazed. "How can you know what Ginny is feeling she is upstairs with Bill?"

"Oh right you probably don't know."

"What don't I know?" Fleur was looking affronted that there was something she was unaware of.

"You know we share a scar don't you," Harry said as he rolled up his sleeve to show his to her.

"Ah yes Bill told me about that, most strange."

"That's magic for you. Well to put it simple Ginny and I are connected emotional, in the same way I guess I was with Riddle."

"Ah yes I remember now Bill did tell me. I must apologies 'arry my memories were not too good when I was pregnant. I gather it happens a lot is that not so Molly?"

"I'm afraid so, it happened with all seven of mine. I'd suddenly find myself upstairs, and wonder what I was doing there, or I'd make myself a cup of tea with a perfectly good one on the table waiting to be drunk. And tea is meant to be good for the memory as well," Molly said with Arthur chuckling beside her, obviously remembering other incidents of his wife's temporary absent mindedness.

"Now the only excuse is old age dear," Arthur said.

"I am not old Arthur," she barked back, causing Arthur to give Harry a quick wink.

"Of course you're not. After all I'm two weeks older than you, and only people older than me are old," he replied. "So Harry what do you think is bugging my little girl?"

"Well I don't think she'd be too happy about being called a little girl, but on your head be it. As for what I was feeling I'm really not sure. It might be a number of mixed emotions. She's anxious, but happy as well. I don't really know. I'm not sure she knows what she's feeling herself."

"You don't think I should go and check on them?" Fleur said starting to get up.

"No there's no need for that," Harry replied. "I'm sure they're fine." In fact little Alastor had already quietened down.

"Good I did not really want to climb all those stairs again. There are far too many and they are all a little wobbly," Fleur said. "So what else can you feel through this scar?" Harry shrugged and thought for a moment.

"I've certainly felt when she's in pain through it, but I guess that can still count as an emotion if the pain is strong enough." What Harry hadn't told them was that Ginny was also feeling love. Not the same kind that she felt for him, that was unmistakable, this was different somehow and he just wasn't prepared to explain this to his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law.

"It must be nice to know what the person you love is feeling all the time."

"It is I suppose," Harry answered. "Of course there are times when I want to hide my feelings, and I can't, but the benefits out weigh the negatives I guess. At least at the moment they do."

"I always had trouble knowing what men really thought of me, until Bill."

"Yea I'd noticed that," Harry replied dryly as the sound of foot steps announced the reappearance of Ginny and Bill. They weren't alone, baby Alastor was wrapped up in a sheet and a blanket looking very much at home in Ginny's arms. She looked up and gave Harry an indecipherable stare, making Harry's insides squirm wondering what it meant.

"I see that Alastor has already made friends with his Auntie Ginny," Arthur said.

"He took one look at her and stopped crying," Bill said. "If you ever want to earn a few Knuts I'm sure we could line up some babysitting for you." Ginny just narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing.

"Don't be silly Bill," Fleur said. "Let me take him Ginny, and thank you, ignore your idiot brother." Ginny passed Alastor over, and again looked at Harry, and this time he could feel her tension and worry. This in its turn made Harry tense and anxious as well. The more they just stared at each other without speaking the worse each of them got, as they fed off each other. Eventually Harry stood up and went to the far side of the kitchen indicating that Ginny should follow him.

"What's bothering you Gin?" he asked when she didn't say anything.

"Well it occurred to me when I saw Alastor upstairs that we had never really talked about…" but she couldn't finish the sentence.

"About what?" Harry said not understanding what had brought this on.

"Well it occurred to me, having met the Dursleys that you wouldn't want to have a family of your own."

"But I love your family Ginny."

"No, I mean you and me having a family," Ginny had gone pink in embarrassment.

"Oh," Harry said finally understanding his face going hot.

"I'd understand if you didn't want to. After all they weren't exactly good role models," she hurriedly added.

"Of course I'd want to have a family with you, and you're right most people would have talked about this before they got married." Ginny's face relaxed, and her usual bright smile returned.

"I wasn't sure that's all." Harry pulled her into a hug his chin resting on top of her head. His eyes then saw the photo of a much younger Ginny. She must have been five or six, waving at him from a picture on the window sill.

"I love the idea of lots of little Ginnys running around causing trouble." Harry said pulling back to gaze into her brown eyes.

"Lots, just how many were you thinking of?"

"I don't know really, but on the few occasions I've thought about it there has definitely been a lot." Harry paused for a moment. "Seven seems a good number to me."

"Seven!"

"Yea. It's a lucky number, of course if that's too many I won't mind," Harry said quickly.

"But seven…"

"It's my favourite number, after all where would you be without it." Only then did Ginny register that she was number seven of seven.

"I'll think about it," she said frowning. A sudden panicky thought hit him.

"You're not thinking about starting any time soon?" Harry said.

"No Harry of course not." Harry tried not to let out the sigh of relief he was feeling, but he failed. "There's plenty of time to think about that sort of thing. I'm happy with just you and me."

"I'd just want to enjoy the here and now, and not think about the future."

"That sounds wonderfully irresponsible, just don't let Hermione hear you say that." Harry laughed he knew exactly what her reaction would be, after all NEWT's were only a mere ten months away. She was probably writing revision tables for them all while sitting on the beach, nagging Ron to study more.

It was all very well trying not thinking about the future but in just over a week they would be training with the England Quidditch team, and then watching them in the World cup final. Harry couldn't help but feel a buzz of excitement at the prospect.