Chapter 35: pressing problems

"How did they find out?" demanded Ginny as she slammed the Daily Prophet onto the scrubbed wooden table at the Burrow. "I mean . . . I didn't see anyone following us yesterday."

"Ginny dear, calm down," said Molly.

"Did Harry see this?" asked Hermione. Ginny shook her head but continued to pace around the kitchen. "I'm sure he knows by now though."

Harry had left early that morning for work so he wasn't there when the owl delivered the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. On the front cover was a picture of Ginny trying on a wedding dress with a caption that read 'Potter and Weasley to Wed?'. Ginny had been shocked when she read the article and had immediately gone to the Burrow. When she arrived however, she encountered reporters camped out outside the garden gate. Her mother had run outside to greet her and quickly ushered her into the house where Hermione sat waiting.

"I didn't want this to turn into some kind of media spectacle. And I know Harry didn't," said Ginny as she continued to pace. She wanted more then anything to go see Harry, but she knew that her appearance at the Ministry would only make matters worse.

"Ginny, why don't you come sit down. You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing," said Hermione. "I know you didn't want this to happen but what's done is done. It had to come out sometime."

Ginny stopped and let out a long breath before plopping down in the chair across from her. "You're right," she sighed. "I just wish we could live our lives without having to worry about our every move being in the Prophet."

"It will get better dear," said Molly. She flicked her wand and levitated a teapot and three mugs to the table.

Ginny sat for a moment, her hands wrapped around her tea cup and gazed in the direction of the back garden. "I do have one question though," she said finally. "Why are the reporters here and not at our flat?"

"I guess you were able to keep some secrets," laughed Molly.

* * * * *

When Harry woke up that morning, he woke up in an extremely good mood. Even with the small amount of sleep he managed to get after his latest mission for the Auror department, he couldn't help but think that things were finally going his way. He had a career he loved, friends he could count on, and best of all- he was going to marry the love of his life. When he had kissed Ginny goodbye that morning and apparated to the Ministry, he didn't think there was a single thing in the world that would spoil his mood. However, when he arrived at the Ministry, that all changed. As soon as he appeared in the Atrium, he was cornered by reporters all snapping pictures and asking questions at the same time. If it hadn't been for Valentine, who had been waiting for him and pulled him out of the crowd, he didn't know what he would do.

Once they were in the safe confines of the lift and heading up to the Auror Department, Harry looked up at Valentine and asked breathlessly, "What was that all about?"

Instead of answering, Valentine held out a rolled up copy of the mornings Daily Prophet. Harry furrowed his brow in confusion but took the paper from his superior. There on the front page was a picture of Ginny trying on a white gown. "How . . . what . . . ?" sputtered Harry. The picture wasn't the best quality and was obviously taken from outside the shop, but Harry could clearly tell it was Ginny.

"Apparently they were following her around London," said Valentine. Harry gave a start. In his shock, he had completely forgotten where he was and who he was with.

"What do you mean?", he asked.

"Page five. There's a few more pictures that were taken around London and the Leaky Cauldron," said Valentine.

Harry quickly flipped through the paper until he found the pictures and groaned. "What am I going to do?" he said out loud to himself.

"Well, as soon as we get to the department, you're going to floo home from my office," said Valentine. Harry looked up in surprise. "I need to get the press out of here and I can't do that with you here."

"Sir . . . I . . .," began Harry but Valentine cut him off.

"You'll do as I say, Potter."

Harry tightened his grip on the paper, crinkling it in his fist, but nodded as the lift doors opened up to the Auror Department. He followed Valentine down the hall and into his office while trying to ignore the many stares he was receiving from his coworkers. Once in the office, Valentine wordlessly held out a pot of floo powder to Harry, who scooped up a handful and threw it into the flames in the fireplace.

"When I read the paper this morning, I sent someone out to keep watch at your flat just in case the press got out of hand. She's at her parent's," said Valentine.

"Thank you, sir," said Harry as he stepped into the emerald flames.

"By the way, Potter," said Valentine before Harry disappeared. "Congratulations."

Harry couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "Thank you, sir," he said before stepping fully into the fireplace and disappearing in a whirl of green flames.

* * * * *

The three woman jumped in alarm when Harry came stumbling out of the fireplace at the Burrow.

"Harry!" exclaimed Ginny. "What are you doing here?"

"Reporters at the Ministry. Valentine sent me home," said Harry.

"I take it that you saw this," said Ginny. She gingerly picked up the Daily Prophet from the table and held it up like it was something disgusting she found on the bottom of her shoe. Harry nodded.

"What are we going to do?" asked Ginny.

"Plan a wedding," he said simply.

As the weeks went by, more and more articles were printed in the Prophet speculating on the details of the upcoming nuptials between Harry and Ginny. Try as they might, they couldn't keep all of the details from the press. The only thing they were able to fool them on was the date. Harry would have loved to be able to say it was his idea, but he couldn't take the credit. It was Ron who had given him the idea using what the Order had done when they had moved him from the Dursley's prior to his seventeenth birthday. Together, he and the Weasley's leaked a string of false wedding dates and locations to the press. Both Harry and Ginny agreed that they wanted an early spring wedding and finally decided on April 25th at the Burrow.

In the meantime, however, the holidays were fast approaching and they were both determined to spend them relaxing with their family. After all of the craziness that ensued after the war was over was starting to die down, Harry realized just how little he had seen his godson. He tried to visit with Teddy as often as he could but he still felt like he had missed so much and was determined to make up for it.

It was starting to feel more like winter so Harry wrapped his traveling cloak more securely around himself as he made his way to Andromeda Tonks' house. He had a difficult time dodging the press, who had yet to find Harry and Ginny's flat but were still camping out at the Burrow. He and Ginny had flooed there early that morning to work on a few of the wedding details before Harry set out. They had set up the usual wards around the Burrow but in order for him to be able to apparate out he had to venture outside of the protection that the wards offered. One of the reporters had managed to grab hold of Harry when he attempted to apparate and he only just managed to shake him off by apparating a few miles south of his destination and then quickly apparating away once the reporter slackened his grip on his arm.

Harry knocked on the front door upon reaching Andromeda's house. When the door was opened, Harry had to remind himself once again that the woman standing in front of him was nothing like her sister, no matter how alike they were in looks.

"Harry! Come in, come in," said Andromeda, ushering him in the house.

"Sorry it took me so long. Had some trouble with the press again," said Harry as he shrugged out of his cloak and hung it on a peg by the front door.

"Teddy's in the sitting room. I appreciate you coming over to watch him. I haven't been to Diagon Alley in ages and I desperately need to pick up a few things," said Andromeda.

"It's no problem. You know I love spending time with him," said Harry.

Andromeda smiled. "I shouldn't be too long," she said as she wrapped her cloak around herself.

"Take your time," said Harry. He followed her into the sitting room where Teddy was sitting on the floor playing with the stuffed dragon he had bought for him. Harry bent down and scooped him up in his arms, causing the child to squeal in delight right before Andromeda stepped into the fireplace and flooed to London.

"It's just you and me today kiddo," he said to Teddy, who was now chewing on the ears of his stuffed dragon. He sat him back down on the rug in the sitting room and folded himself on the floor with him. Teddy's hair had changed colors several times already in the few minutes Harry had been there before finally settling on the color to match his. Andromeda had told him that if Teddy liked someone he would change his hair color to match theirs. Looking at Teddy now, he couldn't help but wonder what he and Ginny's children would look like.

After finally putting Teddy down for his afternoon nap, Harry stood perusing the many framed photos Andromeda had on the mantle. One in particular caught his attention. It was a picture taken at Remus and Tonks' wedding. Tonks' was wearing a simple white dress and a huge smile. Remus looked happier then Harry could ever remember seeing him. It was almost as if he had never met Fenrir Greyback. The photo next to it was of the two of them holding Teddy not long after he was born. He picked it up to get a closer look and could feel tears forming in his eyes as he thought back to the night Remus had shown up at Shell Cottage to announce Teddy's birth. He placed the photo back on the mantle and moved to stand over Teddy's cot. Teddy's hair had changed back to its natural sandy brown color that he inherited from Remus while he slept.

"I'm so sorry you'll never get to know them," he said in a low voice. "But I'll make sure you'll grow up knowing how much they loved you."

* * * * *

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. Let me know what you think. Please review! :)