Thank you lovelies for your input, it makes me so happy:) y'all are the coolest

HP18: I see where your confusion comes from. Sirius did not know about the contract until after he had adopted Harry. It came to light shortly after. In the first chapter, he says "In that time, a sort of contract came to light," in reference to after he'd adopted Harry. I used the phrase "came into my guardianship." I probably should have been clearer on that line. As far as sending Ginny away…her parents wanted her to have a good life full of adventure and culture, with a great education on the magical world and behaving like a 'lady.' She was only eleven, and she and Harry wouldn't have been in a serious relationship at so young.

Rough-and-Tumble: Regulus did exist, but he died when he tried to abandon Voldemort. These things are explained soon, in the chapter where Harry and Ginny completely lose it with their parents and a long discussion is had about the time around when the contract came to light. And yeah, it would have been easier for Harry to just adopt, but he really desires the connection of having his own children that he craves from a small attachment to his parents, if that makes sense? It's something that's really important to him, and he's willing to make it work for the people around him and for the possibility of having his own children that he so desperately wants.

-and I totally get the Regulus fascination. I've always wanted to know more about him and his story and the conflictions he had growing up/being a part of Voldemort's circle.

-as for the gun comment in Chapter 03, Sirius has kept Harry very much aware of many different parts of the muggle world, so I thought it was appropriate haha.

Thank you guys for the reviews and questions, keep them coming because they make me a better writer (hopefully y'all think so too haha). You all get virtual chocolate chip cookies (or any other kind of cookie. Peanut butter are good too.) Anyhoo! One more fluffy chapter before crap hits the fan!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

"I don't know if I can do this."

"Sure you can," Harry encouraged. "You did it all the time when we were younger, and flying isn't something you ever really forget."

"You'll be a pro, Gin," Ron agreed. "Just take a deep breath."

She did as her brother instructed, mounting the broom hesitantly. Harry held her waist while she got adjusted, which most certainly did not help her focus. As she got ready to fly off, a loud pop came from just outside the gate.

"Who's that?" Ron frowned.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a guilty look. The former scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well, erm..."

"Harold," Ron said sharply. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Everyone needs a second chance, mate," he shrugged.

Ginny interjected. "I invited Hermione over for tea with me and I think while you have a moment to talk, you should apologize and maybe offer to take her to the ballet to make up for it, since Harry and I are already going tonight and we might have already bought you two tickets as well."

"You want me to go to a muggle ballet with the girl I've completely embarrassed myself over?"

Ron's face turned beet red as Ginny waved at Hermione. The youngest Wealsey motioned for her to come past the garden and into the back yard, moments before Harry mounted the broom as well and took off expertly, Ginny squealing in fright.

"You sure you want to do this?" Harry asked as they gained height. "We can turn around if you like."

"No," she yelled back. "You're sitting through a ballet version of Romeo and Juliet—I think I can learn to play quidditch."

Down below them, Hermione approached warily. "Did Ginny just take off on a broom? I thought we were having tea…"

"We are, well, you two are I mean...Harry kidnapped her," Ron spit out. Or course he managed to sound like a completely idiot. "He sort of hopped on and took off."

"Are they together?" Hermione asked.

Ron nodded. Hermione didn't know how to reply, so she stood in awkward silence. Ron thought she looked very pretty in her tight jeans and rosy colored blouse. Her hair was a little bushy, but quite tame compared to what he'd remembered seeing in their earlier years.

"I'm sorry about what happened," Ron blurted out. He wanted to smack himself for the abruptness, but realized there was no going back. He cleared his throat. "I'd had a bit too much to drink the night before, at Harry's party, and was feeling dreadful, and my friends were being arses and I wanted some pleasant company, so I thought I'd come sit with you, but I didn't realize my stomach would betray me like that and I am so sorry, I don't have any more words to explain how deeply sorry I am."

There was a thick stretch of silence before Hermione replied with, "You thought my company would be pleasant?"

That's all she got out of that?!

"Yeah, I did," Ron replied nervously.

"Well, don't feel bad about it at all," she said. "I don't know if Lavender will ever let me forget it, but it's alright."

"Lavender isn't so horrid once you get to know her," Ron said warily.

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, so she's pretty horrid."

They shared a laugh, making Ron feel ten times more at ease. He felt the back of his neck prickle with nerves still, but raised his hand to rub the nerves away for a moment. "I think I know of a way I can make it up to you, if you'd like."

"Oh?" Hermione waited.

"There's this ballet in muggle London tonight," he said. "I don't know if that's something you like, but it's supposed to be Romeo and Juliet, or something like that. I don't really know much about muggles."

"It's alright," she assured him.

"And it would be just as friends, no pressure or anything, just be making up for being a total prick. I mean..."

"Ronald, I'd love to go."

"Really?" Ron realized how shocked and grateful he sounded and cleared his throat again. "Alright, wicked. Where can I pick you up? That is, if you're alright with apparating?"

"I am," she agreed, relaying her home address to him. He almost gave her an awkward thumbs up, but kept his hands down. "I'll just go wait inside for Ginny."

"She should be right in," Ron replied. As she walked away, he felt awfully proud of himself...

Until he realized he said they were going as friends.

"Idiot," he groaned aloud. "I'm an absolute, bleeding idiot!"

Harry and Ginny touched down at that same moment. His best friend grinned. "We all knew that, Ron."

"Run away before I shoved that broom up your arse."

"Annndddd off you two go," Ginny sighed as the boys began chasing each other. "So mature."

The Weasley girl walked back towards her house, thinking on how much she loved flying. It had surprised her, to feel the enjoyment she remembered from her pre-Beauxbaton days. Harry was right; she was a natural, and decided she would have to fly more often.

When she entered the kitchen, she found Hermione looking warmly around her. "Sorry about that. Harry can be kind of silly and abrupt sometimes."

"I've noticed," Hermione smiled. "I thought you'd be interested to know that Ronald invited me to the ballet tonight."

"Harry and I are going as well."

"Hmm," Hermione eyed Ginny suspiciously. In the few weeks Ginny had been back in England, the two girls had written each other four times and met for lunch twice. "Do you normally do late night events two days before leaving for school?"

Ginny smiled. "Harry is trying to compromise. I learn quidditch, he goes to the ballet."

"Yes, tell me all about Harry," Hermione smirked.

"Over tea," Ginny reprimanded. She walked over to the stove. "Everything is ready in the sitting room, just through there. All I need to do it put on the water."

It took no time for the water to boil, so Ginny took the kettle and poured it into the pot waiting on a tray in the sitting room. When Ginny sat down, Hermione leaned forward conspiratorially. "Now, Miss. Weasley. Tell me everything."

)-(

Harry fidgeted with his tie. "You didn't actually tell her everything, did you?"

"Of course not," Ginny assured him. She watched her boyfriend easily finish tying his tie and putting into place. "Why do you have a muggle suit on hand?"

"Sirius believes every man should one," he explained. "Ron has one too, Sirius gave it to him on his seventeenth birthday."

"I must say I'm relieved. I was slightly concerned our dearest Ron would show up in dress robes."

Harry grinned before turning back to her. "You look magnificent, by the way."

"Thank you," she blushed. She wore a navy blue dress that was form fitting and hugged every curve on her body. It was one sleeved, so one of her pale shoulders was on display. Her hair was piled on her head in curls, with just a few falling down. The only other decoration (beside her silver stilettos) was the amulet that belonged to Harry's mother.

"You look quite handsome yourself," she replied. "I think I might make you wear a muggle tux for the wedding."

"Your wish is my command."

She giggled and grabbed her silver clutch, which held the four pre-purchased tickets, among a few other things Ginny felt necessary for a night out. Harry offered her his arm. "Are you ready, my lady?"

She rolled her eyes and took his arm. "Of course, my lord."

Harry laughed and led her to the library, where Sirius had requested they come show off their formal dress. Ginny entered hesitantly. No doubt Sirius would be obnoxious with his compliments, as he always was.

Sure enough, he clapped his hands. "You two are the best looking pair I've ever seen!"

"Thank you," Ginny blushed.

"Your mother loved the ballet, Harry," Sirius sighed. "She was fiery and independent, but she was a sucker for romance novels and anything girly. Your father took her to more ballets than I care to remember."

"Seems Potter men are born to be forced into things," Harry remarked bitterly.

"Harry," Ginny whispered, eyes closing in exasperation. "Not tonight."

Sirius looked between them, eyes visibly watering as he leaned tiredly against his desk, suddenly appearing as his actual age. "You are both such remarkable people. I love you more than you could possibly understand, Harry, and I adore you, Ginny. I hope that someday, you can see that."

"Right," Harry allowed himself to be shocked at the amount of affection Sirius was showing, but he couldn't see past his anger. His throat was thick with emotion and his eyes burned with tears of hurt and anger. He swallowed the words threatening on his lips. "We'll be back before midnight."

Sirius sighed heavily. "Go on, then. Don't want to be late."

"Very true," Ginny said thickly. When she and Harry had left the library, she turned and laid her hands on his chest. "Do you think you can ever forgive Sirius?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Harry replied shortly. Seeing the conflict in her eyes, hee stopped her in the hallway and squeezed both her hands. His anger wasn't about them, but about how they'd begun. "I've never felt this way about anyone, Ginny. We've only known each other a month. Well, I guess I've known you all our lives, but we're just now really getting to know each other and I just..." he trailed off. "You've made me really happy to be around the past few weeks and I'm excited that we're going to be together, despite how we got here. I want to treat this like a regular relationship...until Christmas, I suppose. For the time we have to be normal, I want to be normal as we can possibly manage."

Ginny smiled and placed a hand on either side of his face. "I agree. I've really enjoyed our last few weeks together, how it's mainly been just us. I almost want it to stay like this."

"Just us," he whispered. "Always."

"Merlin, I wish it were so."

"We really are going to be late," Harry spoke softly. "And I don't want to leave Ron all alone with Hermione."

Ginny giggled. "He might lose his dinner from the nerves."

"Oh no," Harry paled. "Hermione's probably wearing a nice dress."

"We'd better go."

There was a moment where the two clearly considered not moving, but Ginny giggled again and tugged Harry along. They made their way onto the streets of London, hailing a cab once more. The drive was spent in silence as Ginny took in the wonder of the busy city. She loved a good village, but Harry could tell the muggle world fascinated her.

He remembered Ron's first trip into the muggle world and his fascination. The same look was mirrored on Ginny's face and it made him smile.

"Why does Sirius always make sure you know so much about the muggle world?" Ginny asked. "Because of your mother?"

"Exactly," Harry replied. "He wanted me to have that part of her."

"Our children will know about this part of you."

His heart warmed. It was amazing how much she actually valued his past and opinions, and how often she mentioned their future children. It was as if she constantly reminded the primary reason they'd agreed to this.

When they reached the theatre, they found Hermione and Ron standing outside, waiting. Ron looked quite smart in his muggle tux, and Hermione in a flowing pink dress and her frizzy hair tamed for once.

"Oi, you've groomed your hair for once," Harry smirked at his friend when they approached.

Ron winked. "I thought I would look as much of a prat as you do for one night."

"I'm wounded, my friend, truly I am."

"Alright boys," Hermione grabbed both of their arms and tried to pull them along. "Come on, this is my favorite play. Move along."

Ron didn't seem to care much that she was bossing him around, only that her hand was on his forearm. He rested his hand over hers and rearranged it so that he was escorting her into the building.

The ballet really was beautiful. With the help of the program, Harry followed the storyline fairly easily and noted how talented the dancers were. Even if he didn't quite love it, he could appreciate it. When he looked over to Ginny, however, he was shocked to see the light shining in her eyes.

"Is he dying?" Ron whisper-yelled in shock. "He's dying, isn't he?"

"Yes," Hermione whispered back, eyes shining with unshed tears. She grabbed Ron's hand and brought it to clasp in her lap. "Just watch."

Ron silenced himself. Harry continued to watch in fascination as Romeo's dance slowed dramatically, turning into more of a graceful stumbling. It was mirrored by Juliet rising from her place and beginning a lovely dance of life, only for it to turn mournful when she realized her Romeo was dead. Ginny's grip on his hand tightened tremendously as the performance ended with Juliet stabbing herself through the heart.

The curtain came down. The foursome stood and applauded with the rest of the audience before the filing out began. They made quick work of leaving the building and heading out into the streets and taking a walk.

"What did you think?" Ginny asked the boys.

"It was beautiful," Ron said slowly. "But Romeo kind of bothers me, and I think it's a bit ridiculous to kill yourself over someone you met only days before."

"Right," Hermione nodded. "I understand the pain of losing someone you love can be great, but taking your life because you're sad shows a lack of courage to face the world. They were both very selfish."

"Didn't you say it was your favorite play?" Harry inquired.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Because while I don't approve of the ending, the idea of forbidden love and risking it all appeals to the fanciful side of me. I've always wanted to love someone enough that if I had to, I'd throw my life away. I don't necessarily want to be put into that situation, but I wouldn't mind the feelings."

Ron blushed heavily. "Maybe you just needed to wait a little bit."

Hermione blushed as well, looking down at her feet. The conversation moved on to Ginny expressing her wish to know ballet, and it took off from there. The entire night, however, Ron and Hermione seemed to pay a little extra attention to each other, creating a thick and interesting atmosphere.

"I think Ron's found someone to make him more romantic," Ginny whispered into Harry's ear as they hung back on the walk home.

"It's about time, don't you think?" Harry grinned. "He's fancied her all these years and is just now finding a way to buck up the courage and be a man."

"I thought they'd only just met this summer."

"He's watched her from afar," Harry explained. "Like he knew who she was, and they'd spoken a few times, but nothing beyond that until the party. He's always had a strange sort of attachment towards the pretty Ravenclaw girl."

"Well I like her," Ginny decided. "I believe she'll be perfect for Ron."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. We'll see about that."