Chapter 3

Harry's eyes opened slowly as he looked into the bright sun streaming through the curtains.

"Time to wake up, Master Harry," Kreacher said, pulling the curtains open. "You have to take your test today." Harry rolled over onto the other side so that he couldn't see the sun anymore. "Master Harry," Kreacher continued, "You must wake. Mister Kingsley Shacklebolt will not be pleased with you. I have breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen. Get ready and come." Kreacher finished walking out of the room, his golden locket bouncing off his chest.

Harry ruefully slumped out of bed and put on a fresh pair of robes. He tried to comb his hair and did his best to flatten it, but accepting inability to do so, he walked down into the kitchen. Kreacher was standing by a platter of bacon and eggs with oatmeal and a glass of fresh orange juice. Harry sat down at the head of the table and thanked Kreacher as he ran off to do another chore awaiting him. Harry ate slowly and surely thinking over what questions the test would ask as he did.

Harry finally apparated from Grimmauld Place late in the morning to the Ministry's guest entrance, the same entrance he had gone through last week. He entered the numbers, put on his badge, and the booth began to descend. Harry stepped out of the small compartment and walked out into the hall with witches and wizards surrounding him. Harry entered the elevator and it slowly fell down to the Department of Mysteries. Harry stepped out into the cold hallway and got a familiar chill up his spine. He shook it off and walked into the room marked 'Auror Testing'.

"Welcome," a short and friendly wizard said at the front door as Harry entered, "State your name, please."

"Harry Potter."

"Well, Merlin's beard! I'll be!" the wizard exclaimed as he shoved Harry proudly through the door into the capacious room where desks stood, lined up in an orderly fashion. Harry shuddered as he remembered the OWL's in his fifth year; the desks were lined up in just the same way. Harry sat down at a desk somewhere in the middle and waited for the rest of the aurors to be file in, one by one. The test started at noon and it overwhelmed Harry. Some of the things he was asked he had never even heard of. Bits and pieces he could sift through his memory and remember hearing of, but others seemed like phrases from a fairytale. Harry finished his test just a few hours later and was dismissed from the room for lunch.

After his ravenous appetite had been quenched, Harry walked back into the testing area. The desks had been pushed aside and combat dummies had been strategically placed around the room. The proctors asked the aurors to stand adjacent to a dummy and they would yell out dueling spells to be performed against them. Harry did well with this part; all of his lessons teaching the students of Hogwarts and running for his life from death eaters over the past couple years had proven handy. Harry was able to cast every charm perfectly. As the evening drew to a close, Harry felt good about his test. He left the Ministry for the Burrow and arrived at the gate in just a few seconds. Harry let himself in and was greeted by a kiss from Ginny as he walked through the doorway. The Weasley's had already had dinner, so Harry simply heated up a plate for himself. Ginny sat by him as he ate, telling him about her day.

"…and so then Ron got in a fight with Mum and it turned into this huge awful mess and now he's skipped dinner with Hermione." Ginny finished. "How was your day? And your test?"

"My day was good," Harry answered; swallowing his last bite of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful cooking. "I feel pretty confident about my test, but I'm sure that I did poorly on the writing part."

"I'm sure that you did wonderfully," Ginny replied, smiling widely.

"Thanks, Gin," Harry said, pulling Ginny's chin towards his own and quickly pressing his lips against hers. Ginny pulled back and grinned back at him. She took his plate from the table and set it in the sink.

"Harry?" Ginny called.

"Yes?" Harry answered.

"What are we exactly? Because I'm quite confused myself," Ginny asked, furrowing her brow.

"I don't know. What do you want to be?"

"Can I be your girlfriend?"

"I suppose you could," Harry laughed pulling her into a tight embrace once again. Harry continued to kiss her intensely, but he soon felt Ginny's gentle tug. Harry pulled back and searched her eyes. "Something wrong?"

"I don't deem that quite appropriate for a family dinner," Ginny sighed. Harry agreed and the two left the kitchen and went to go sit down in the sitting room. Mr. Weasley and Bill, who'd come over for dinner with Fleur (who was in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley), were discussing something in the sitting room; Harry sat down at a chair with Ginny at his side and attempted to catch on to the conversation.

"…You see, she really wants one, but I'm not quite sure. They can cause a lot of trouble." Bill was saying.

"I know what you mean, you let her get exactly what she wants all of the time and you might end up like me…" Mr. Weasley said, chuckling at his own joke.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Harry said, "but I was just wondering – what are we talking about exactly? I'm a bit confused…"

"Fleur wants a child," Bill stated. "I'm not sure if I'm ready though."

"Why don't you two take care of Teddy for a little bit and just a feel for what real parenting feels like?" Harry suggested.

"Are you sure you're okay with that, Harry?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, Andromeda is the one you have to worry about," Harry laughed.

"Thanks so much, Harry," Bill said.

"Anytime." Harry continued to chat with the Weasley family, when Fleur's delicate figure appeared from behind the door frame. She called the group to dinner and they sat down at the Weasley's long table. Harry took a seat next to Ginny and across from Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione had just reached the Burrow only a few minutes before and were still flustered by the odd whipping winds outside. Harry enjoyed the meal and he and Ginny left for Grimmauld Place late into the night.

Harry took Ginny by the hand and led her up the stairs and into the quiet hall. They crept up the stairs to the sitting room and tore off their jackets, throwing them to the side. Harry threw himself at Ginny, placing his hands on either side of her face. Ginny responded and kissed him back. Their kissing became feverish and fiery. Soon, Ginny had led Harry to the sunken couch and pulled herself closer to him. Harry's hands left the side of her face and moved to her thigh. Ginny laid her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him back.

This felt right to Harry, everything about it. Harry was with Ginny, and Ginny was with him. The world was at peace and peace was held in this beautiful face so close to his. Harry's body burned with internal fire and the only thing he could think about was Ginny, at his side once more. Ginny left for the burrow again late into the night, leaving Harry filled with joy and pleased with himself. Harry went up to Sirius' room and fell fast asleep.