Okonomiyaki II

.-.

Ukyo's first thoughts of London was that it was drab and grey. It was raining as they stepped out of the airport and everything was shrouded by a thin mist that just oozed across the view. Everyone around them was babbling quickly in English and Ukyo felt lost and foreign even with a fairly good grasp on English herself. Scruffy snapped her from her thoughts by gently grabbing her arm, his long calloused fingers gingerly tugging her towards a cab. She slid into the back seat, shivering slightly under her short shirt. She had not considered the weather change.

Scruffy loaded her trunks into the back of the cab and shooed Konatsu into the front seat before joining her in the back. She slipped into the middle seat, leaning into Scruffy, suddenly nervous.

Scruffy had done the impossible it had seemed. When she had asked him to take her to London she had thought they would pack, spend a night near the airport waiting for a flight, maybe get one if they pooled their money together, and then maybe camp somewhere near London. Instead Scruffy had seemed to switch from relaxed, carefree homeless man, to efficient and experienced traveller. They were at the airport via an expensive cab almost immediately after she had packed. And then Scruffy had walked up to the lady at the airport counter and pulled out a shiny gold card and passport. The woman who had frowned distastefully at his appearance at first, had switched almost one eighty. She'd bowed as low as possible and started doing everything as fast as she could, babbling to Scruffy politely and almost reverently. Amidst the shock Ukyo had felt at the obvious awe they were bundled and on the plane in minutes, long before anyone else and in first class.

She had to have sat in shock for almost a minute and didn't realize he had paid for her ticket until half the journey was up. Konatsu had fainted as soon as they were seated, overwhelmed by such 'wealth'. Before they took off, the captain even came to greet them personally and the stewardess waited on them hand in foot. Ukyo didn't even bother to ask what was going on and instead ordered everything she wanted and basked in the luxury, only slipping her hand into Scruffy's nervously at the end when they landed, suddenly realizing they were really as far from Japan as nearly possible. .

Ukyo snapped back to the present as the cab slowed down and stopped on an urban street lined with houses. Scruffy unloaded her bags and then turned to look at her, standing on the sidewalk.

"Ukyo," He said, "I have something about myself to tell you. I'm sorry I never said it before, but I was worried you would not come with me."

"Are you an axe-wielding psycho serial killer?"

He blinked at the question then grinned and shook his head.

"Then nothing would have stopped me." She said honestly.

"How about me being a wi...wizard?" He asked lightly.

She stared at him for a long moment along with Konatsu.

"Wizards aren't real!" Konatsu squeaked.

"Say's the male ninja posing as a female." Scruffy snorted.

Konatsu let it drop.

"As in you can cast magic like those things Cologne has?"

Scruffy nodded obviously remembering her tales of all the magical items Cologne sick'd on Ranma.

"Oh... Kay then. That's not really weird." She shrugged.

And really it was sad that it wasn't. But truly, little could faze her anymore. She'd seen mushrooms able to age or de-age a person, mirrors that made playboy doubles, men and woman change with hot or cold water, and she herself could leap buildings and wielded a giant spatula.

"Good." Scruffy said, tone obviously relieved. "Just be aware that I live in a magic house."

She shrugged again and took his hand as he offered it, also grabbing Konatsu. As he led her forwards, right between two houses, something happened. It wasn't really odd or scary or amazing it was just...something. A house grew between the two houses, pushing them apart and appearing, ominous black against the other cheerful pastel houses.

"I didn't even think you had a home." Ukyo blushed as they lugged everything inside.

Scruffy gave her an amused look as he shut the door.

"Inherited from my dead godfather."

She winced and took the moment to look around. The house looked just as old and dark and depressing inside as it did outside. The wall beside her even appeared to have been hit by explosives evident by the black charred marks.

"Stubborn portrait." Scruffy said to her look.

He led her down the hall to a set of stairs and showed them to a room.

"Konatsu can have this one." He said setting the ninja's bag down on the dusty bed.

Konastu squeaked and stuttered but failed to get Scruffy to give him a smaller less furbished one.

"It's the smallest one there is." Scruffy said instead and Ukyo could hear the amused lie.

Then he showed Ukyo to a slightly larger room just as dark and dusty as Konatsu's.

"You can stay here. I'll help you clean it." Scruffy said setting her trunks down.

And she suddenly realized there were way too many bags for him to have carried easily but he had and for some really weird reason she hadn't noticed. Magic she told herself, not really surprised.

"Where are you staying?" She asked.

"Room next door."

"Oh. How many rooms are there in the house?"

"You'd be surprised." He just shrugged. "First floor has a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and a sitting room along with a bathroom. Second floor which we're on is made of bedrooms. Third is the same and the forth contains a library and what looks like a few more bedrooms and offices. I would avoid exploring to much though. It hasn't been cleaned in a while and you would not like everything that breeds in an old dark house."

The first thing that came to mind as he finished was the thought that his Japanese had vastly improved and he no longer spoke with improper grammar and short sentences. She shook her own amusement away though and took his words to heart, deciding not to go up any higher in the house unless with him. She knew enough about magic to be cautious.

"I'll let you settle. I'll just run down to the store and get some food. There's nothing in the house."

She watched him go and turned back to the room. First off she opened the window that looked into a jungle of a back yard. It was still foggy and grey but not raining and she needed to air the room out. As she started to unpack and dust she went over a list in her mind. She had to apply for a work visa and soon. Then she'd look for property to open a store. She had no idea how much money Scruffy had and by the state of his house and dress he was probably dipping into emergency funds to get them there and feed them. She didn't consider why he had gotten first class too casually and ignored the awe and respect in the airport. It was to headache inducing to think of so she went with the same plan she did whenever she moved: secure shelter, then food, then start working.

.-.

Ukyo growled in frustration as she nibbled on an apple. Scruffy bustled about her, wiping the table pushed in the corner of the kitchen. Just as he'd shown at her restaurant he was very adept at cleaning. She had went to bed the night before to a dirty house and when she had woken it was scrubbed sparkling clean. Sure it was still dark and depressing but it was clean. If there was one thing she had grown to become from cooking food it was clean. She didn't know how the skinny man had cleaned two floors worth of a large house, even her own room while she stayed alseep, but he had. Probably magic.

"What is making you sigh?" Scruffy asked as he set a glass of tea before her.

"I'm looking at property. Former restaurants. They're very pricy." She grunted looking at the sheets of paper.

The only one she could afford was a small one on the outskirts of London. But she wanted one in the heart of London. She didn't expect to make a great deal making okonomiyaki in a country that didn't even know what it was so she needed to have as many customers as possible which meant be somewhere popular, somewhere crowded. But they were twice the price of what she had gotten from her restaurant in Japan (which her agent had just sold). She could take a loan, but it would be hard to get here. And she probably couldn't get enough. She could perhaps get a co-owner but that severely limited freedom to do as she chose with her restaurant. She thought of asking Scruffy but she didn't want to drain him dry and seriously, she didn't like asking people for large amounts of money. And then there was renovations on top of it. She'd have to form the store to her like and it would take a lot of money. It seemed such a thing as a restaurant would be impossible at this time. And that made her insecure because cooking was her live hood.

"You like?" He asked tapping a circled one.

It was the one she wanted. It was a few more zeros then she could hope to get.

"Yeah. But it's too much." She sighed taking the tea and sipping it.

"We look tomorrow?" He said. "I have to get some stuff nearby so we can look.

She wanted to say no because she knew she would never get it but really there was no harm in looking so she nodded.

.-.

"It's wonderful." Ukyo muttered running her hands over the counter.

It was a smooth granite instead of wood and it would have felt odd to have it ripped out but as nice as this little restaurant was she would have redone it inside to be more Japanese. She sighed and looked out the window at the busy street. Scruffy waved at her from outside as he returned from wherever he had slipped off to as she looked around the store.

"Like it?" He asked grinning.

"It's perfect." She sighed. "Except for the price tag. Oh well. I'm ready to go home."

"Lunch first." Scruffy said. "I will show you a nice pizza place."

She twitched a smile and took his offered hand, her fingers intertwining with his easily. Such a gesture had went beyond intimate to become familiar. Lately she had even started snuggling him on the couch as easily as she would grab his hand. He still respected every boundary she laid, spoken and unspoken and it helped her to relax enough to do things such as snuggle. Scruffy was very different from Ranma but Ukyo found herself liking him just as much. Whereas Ranma was chaotic storm, Scruffy was a house. Warm and anchored, waiting and listening. He was perfect for her and such thoughts made her blush. It was also because of such thoughts she didn't once regret taking his hand and coming to London. She doubted she ever would.

He grinned at her, a dopey grin that said he was stupidly happy that she held his hand. She squeezed it gently and leaned into him, offering him a lazy sort of smile that spoke of familiarity and safety and just all around content-ness that she had never been able to pull off with Ranma. And that alone made everything worth it.

.-.

It was a month into their time in London that they had their first visitor. Well, Ukyo didn't know if she could classify the woman as a visitor. She hadn't actually met the woman, even during her brief 'visit'. She'd been in her room, reading a book on English when she had heard the slamming of a door and the sharp cry of a female around the age of twenty or so.

"HARRY!"

She heard the sharp smash of a plate and made the guess that Scruffy, washing in the kitchen, had dropped it. She didn't know how such a cry could surprise the man when she had snuck up on him before and Konatsu had appeared out of nowhere and he had just calmly blinked and smiled. Curiosity pulled her from her room to the second floor landing, peering down the stairs into the hall. The woman who had made the cry was standing there with Scruffy, arms wrapped around his neck and her body pressed against his. His arms were wound about her waist and his face in her shoulder. It was the scene of a lover's greeting.

Ukyo felt a pang as she eyed the two, neither having noticed her in the shadows at the top of the stairs. The woman was beautiful Ukyo had to admit. She had long wavy brown hair and a short lithe body. She wore robes of red and her eyes sparked a beautiful hazel.

"We were so worried!" the woman sighed as she held Scruffy close.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Scruffy actually sounded almost sad. Ukyo hadn't heard such sadness since ...well, never. She didn't like it. She didn't like Scruffy being sad like that. She didn't like how that woman held him either.

"Dinner. Tonight at The Burrow at six." The woman said softly. "You can explain to everyone then why you didn't write. And why you saw the ridiculous need to grow a beard!"

"Okay."Scruffy said chuckling.

Then the woman pulled back and blinked away happy tears, smiling at him and looking him over.

"You'd better be there Harry James Potter."

"Of course Hermione."

Hermione. A name for a face now. And then she left. It was such a weird visit. Ukyo stayed at the top of the stairs watching as Scruffy watched the woman leave. And then Scruffy turned to look up at her. She blushed at having been caught spying but his smile eased any worry she had.

"Harry James Potter." She said slowly, trying to think of something to say. "You're name?"

"Yes."

"Do...do you think less of me for never having asked it?" Ukyo blushed, shamed.

"No." He smiled. "Because you didn't see me as Harry James Potter. You saw me as a person, you gave me a name and you got to know me for me."

And he seemed so happy at the idea. She smiled back at his childishly happy grin.

"Well, better get ready."

"Ready?" She blinked.

"It's five now. Dinner is at six. I don't know about you but I'd better shower before we go." He said.

"We?" She asked surprised.

"Well of course. I've got to introduce you to all my friends." He grinned.

And that idea pleased her horribly.

.-.

All Ukyo could think as she looked at 'The Burrow' was that it was ...homey. It looked as if someone had taken room from a bunch of different houses and stacked them as precariously as a child would blocks.

"How is it staying up?" She asked idly.

"Magic." Scruffy grinned at her.

She snorted and took his offered hand to walk up the small path to the door. She took it, still a little off balance from their ride. The Knight Bus had been quite exhilarating and she was sure Konatsu would have enjoyed it but the ninja had been resolute about not being a third wheel. She was actually quite thankful he hadn't come. He didn't mean to but he was a bit of a headache at times. Not that that made her love him any less, but she wanted to make a good impression on Scruffy's friends and with Konatsu it would have been slightly harder.

As they reached the door and Scruffy knocked Ukyo nervously smoothed a hand down the front of her shirt. It was an old gift of Ranma's actually, and her nicest shirt. It was a beautiful red Chinese silk shirt with an upright collar and no sleeves. It clasped from her throat down at a curve to end just under her arm and was embroidered with gold dragons. For pants she had worn a plain pair of silk black ones that came in near the ankles right about her soft slipper like shoes. She had pushed her hair out of her face with a few pins but otherwise left it down. She rarely got dressed up but Scruffy's previous reaction made her a bit more secure. Any man wolf whistling could do such a thing to a woman's confidence. Besides, he said the people they were visiting would appreciate the colors for god knows why.

Barely a second after Scruffy had knocked and her hand had returned to her side the door was thrown open, slamming against the wall. The man who had answered was a tall solid man with long flame red hair gathered in a ponytail. He looked to have at one time had a very handsome face but it was now marred with a huge scar cutting up one side. Almost likes claws had raked it.

"Bill." Scruffy greeted.

"Harry, with a beard!" The man grinned. "And beautiful guest."

Ukyo blushed at the compliment and offered a tentative smile. The man waved them in and Scruffy took her hand, expertly navigating them down the hall as if he had been here hundreds of times before. As they turned into what smelled like a kitchen she paused and blinked in surprise, sure she was seeing double for a moment. Two men obviously related to the one who had greeted them stood before her both his short wild red hair and sparking brown eyes that matched the freckles they had lightly across their nosed.

"Harry! You grew a beard!" They snorted, trying to hide obviously laughter. "And somehow still brought a lovely lady guest."

She blushed again and realized the twins had spoken at exactly the same time and grinned at the same time in the same way. That was creepy. She'd seen twins who mimicked each other, but this was flawless.

"Move you two!"

And then Ukyo was being crushed in a hug, crushed against a soft plump red head woman and Scruffy. The woman had engulfed both of them in the same hug. She heard Scruffy wheeze and resisted to do the same from the strong hold. But then the woman dropped them, looking at Scruffy with teary eyes.

"We were so worried with how long you were gone. You will explain to all of us why you did not write! And why you have such a dreadful beard! You look so untidy!" She said. "But first introduce us."

Ukyo looked discreetly around the woman at the kitchen. It was a large crowded one with a large table stuffed in all laden with food. The twins and the greeter were now seated. With them was a balding older red headed man who looked to be the same age as the matron still half holding Scruffy and her. Beside the man who had greeted her was a woman obviously not related to the red heads, with beautiful long blonde hair and a sharp pretty face. She gave off an air of something that drew you in and Ukyo felt herself blush slightly as she looked at the woman. Tearing her eyes from the blonde she spotted the woman who had embraced Scruffy earlier sitting beside yet another red head. This red head was the like a tank, tall and built but with a wide friendly grin.

"Everyone this is Ukyo."

Suddenly everyone was staring at her. She blushed at the scrutiny. Then the matron grinned and gave her another quick hug.

"Any friend of Harry's is a friend of ours dear. I'm Molly and this is my husband Arthur."

Ukyo blushed and returned the obviously greeting hug as the balding man waved at her before she was quickly sat down right next to one of the twins, Scruffy on her other side.

"George and Fred. Pleased to meet you!" The twins grinned at her, leaning towards her and looking almost like predators. "Pranksters extraordinaire! Would you like a candy?"

"Don't eat anything they give to you." Scruffy snorted in Japanese. "No idea what it will turn you into."

"Turn me into?!" She squeaked.

"Hey! What poisonous lies are you telling her?" They demanded, pouting.

"I was telling her of how melodramatically evil you are." Scruffy grinned.

They grinned instead of being offended and the red head who had greeted them smiled at her.

"I'm Bill and this is my wife Fleur."

The blonde smiled at her with an absolutely breathtaking smile.

"Bill is a Curse-breaker," Scruffy said, "And Fleur is half-veela. Veela are creatures of seduction."

He said this with no prejudice and merely as facts. Ukyo gave a shy smile back at the couple aware she had never been so nervous and shy in her life.

"I'm Ronald, but you can call me Ron!" The tank grinned at her, holding a hand out across the table and nearly shaking her whole arm. "And this is my wife Hermione."

"My two greatest friends." Scruffy smiled tenderly.

And every little worry she had about the brown haired woman, every little insecurity and jealousy was gone in a flash.

"Percy said he and Penelope would try to make it but their newest daughter is teething so I doubt they'll come." Molly sighed, disappointed,

"Percy is their other son and Penelope his wife. They have four kids already." Scruffy smiled at her.

"Ginny and Ted couldn't make it." Arthur said softly.

Ukyo looked at the wince on everyone's ace and looked to Scruffy.

"Ginny is the youngest Weasley and Ted is her German husband." Scuffy said softly. "She married him for his money after I turned her down. She has cut her connections with us."

Ukyo felt a bit ashamed at the relief she felt. Hanging out with a woman who had also wanted her Scruffy would have been awkward.

"Are you Chinese if you don't mind my asking dear?" Molly asked, and if by some unseen signal everyone was scooping food onto plates, the subject quickly changing.

Ukyo paused at the question and at the movement. But Scruffy saved her in both.

"She's Japanese. I met her in Japan." Scruffy grinned and scooped some food onto her plate.

She didn't recognize much of the food because she'd never had an interest in English food. Even after a month in Scruffy's house she was still only used to what they brought home and she preferred rice and bread and soup more than anything else. Scruffy hadn't really branched out all that much either, leaving her with what she was comfortable with.

"I was relaxing on a bench when I saw her in her shop. I stayed there for the last month, with her, getting to know here, and then I asked her to come back to London with me and she said yes." Scruffy said smiling.

They all tittered and then the subject was changed again and everyone was chattering and eating and just all around enjoying themselves. Ukyo ate enough to fill a whale as the matron kept tsking at how skinny she was and piling more food on her plate. She didn't want to appear rude and ate it until one of the twins said the signal to say she was full to was to stop eating. She stayed mostly silent during the diner, listening more to Scruffy and his friends and enjoying how close she sat to him. At one point, when she got nervous and bored and fidgety he grabbed her hand under the table.

The evening was actually quite enjoyable and when they returned home Scruffy was half carrying her. And when he laid her on her bed she tugged him down beside her, hugging him tightly. He tried to pull back once but she kept a firm hold on him and he finally just smiled and pulled a blanket over both of them. And she could say honestly that she was happy.

.-.

.-.

"Marry me."

Ukyo blinked rapidly as if trying to clear her vision. But Scruffy still stood before her looking quite serious.

"Excuse me?" She squeaked.

"Marry me. That'll solve it." Scruffy said. "You just said that your visa might not be approved for up to six months and you can't just stay here that long. And even with a Visa you will be limited with your time inside in the country. So marry me."

She had to admit that was actually a good plan. And with divorce so easy these days it would be a simple thing. But then again, Marriage was more of an honour concept in her family.

"I..." She said.

"It would just be on paper." He said, and he actually sounded quite disappointed.

"I...okay." she said.

Three months into her stay in London she was married. It only took Scruffy another week to take her out on a romantic date and ask if she would be his girlfriend even though she was technically his wife. She agreed with a smile.

.-.

"So..." Ukyo said slowly. "Why am I blindfolded?"

"I've already told you it's a surprise." Scruffy grinned from beside her, holding her arm gently.

"It'd better be good." She grumbled not liking how defenceless she felt.

She could hear the crowds about her but she couldn't see them so she was tense.

"It will be."

"What's it for anyways?" She asked as he gently guided her away from the cab and a little ways up the street sidewalk.

"For you." He said, and she heard the grin. "For coming to London with me, for being my girlfriend, for putting up with me."

"I don't need a surprise for that." She scoffed. "I didn't come with you for gifts. I came with you because I like you. I'm pretty sure I date you for the same reason."

She could feel his grip on her arm tighten slightly and almost could feel his smile. And then he stopped her and she felt hands against the knot at the back of her head.

"Ready?" He asked. "Take a deep breath and prepare yourself for amazement!"

Then the blindfold dropped and she found herself dumbstruck. For a full moment she didn't breathe and unless she had taken that large breath of air as warned she would have passed out.

"Scruffy." She choked. "I'm dreaming."

His soft smile consumed her vision for a moment as he pulled her forwards. She stumbled after him inside and gazed about.

"How...how did you know my plans?" She asked looking at the perfect set up.

"You made prints." He grinned.

"I scribbled those on the back of a napkin in boredom!" She shot back.

"It was enough. Do you like it?"

"Scruffy... I love it." She choked, tears forming in her eyes.

Before she knew it she was crying. Scruffy was fluttering around her, looking worried and lost, hands hesitating before he finally embraced her. It took ten minutes to stop her tears and assure the man he had done nothing wrong.

"It's just so much." She sniffled looking about the room, lost.

No one had ever given her such a gift. No one had ever helped her buy a store or really truly run one or anything. Not her father, not her dead mother, not Ranma, not anyone.

"You didn't put yourself in debt did you?!" She demanded spinning to Scruffy.

"No." He said, amused for some reason.

"Then how did you come up with the money!?"

"I...you..." Scruffy appeared startled. "You don't know?"

"No! I thought we were in the same boat with only a bit of money with each of us, sharing an old house you inherited from your godfather." She said frustrated. "Unless the Weasely family helped but they didn't look all that wealthy either."

He stared at her with wide eyes behind was his taped glasses. And then he snorted. And chuckled and fell into full out laughter, laughing so hard he couldn't breathe and looked to be having a seizure as he fell to the floor. Ukyo was not amused.

"You don't know!" He giggled as he reigned in his laughter finally.

"No!" She screamed ready to tear her hair out.

"I guess I never mentioned it." He giggled again, regaining his feet.

But he didn't tell her. Even as she shook him so hard his glasses fell off he wouldn't tell her, only giggling in the face of her frustration. It took her a few hours to finally accept he had bought her a shop, and she only fully believed it as he handed her the deed in her name. It took another while after that to drag her away from it so they could go buy or order ingredients, supplies, and the such. And Scruffy did that all with a gold credit card. She decided not to ask how and instead made sure everything signed out to her and her alone in case he had gotten mixed up with the Mafia or something. She did not want to have everything taken by the mob. Not that she wouldn't go rescue Scruffy if he was dragged off, but it would be much easier to get him back than her restaurant back if that happened. He laughed himself silly again when she outright told him all of this.

.-.

"Marry me."

Ukyo pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Scruffy," she said slowly. "We are already married."

"No, I mean really marry me." He said. "Not just on paper."

She turned to face him, looking away from the decorating magazines she was scanning for Grimmauld place which they had recently started decorating. And she found Scruffy kneeled in front of her chair, dressed in the same well worn clothes he always wore, with his long beard and long dark hair, his glasses still taped and crooked, and with a box in hand. The ring inside was absolutely stunning in a way that stole her breathe. It wasn't the traditional Gold but she'd never liked the color gold to begin with really. It was silver, or perhaps white gold, with diamonds and sapphires laid in pretty little patterns, looking like flowers beside the etched in vines.

"Scruffy!" She gasped looking at the ring.

"Marry me." He smiled at her, softly, tenderly, warmly, lovingly.

"I..I..." She gaped, unable to think of what to say.

She liked Scruffy. A lot. Maybe even loved him. But even after having known him for close to a year now, she couldn't say outright that she truly loved him. But she supposed that was okay. Love grew, as proved by her growing affection for him over their past year. She held his hands, cuddled him, and now-a-days they even slept together (not sex but cuddling was enough).

"We haven't even kissed yet." She whispered.

And so he leaned up and in and kissed her gently. Her first thought was that it was rough, his beard scraping her skin, but his lips were soft and she could feel every sort of emotion conveyed in the kiss.

"Marry me." He whispered.

"Yes." She smiled. "But please shave if you're going to kiss me again.

He was up the stairs faster then she could have ever believed.

.-.

Looking back on it, it truly was irony. The man that most of the Nermia wrecking crew had looked down upon for being, well, scruffy and homeless, was in fact filthy rich, ruggedly handsome under that beard, owned more than a few properties, and was even knighted. The man they had warned Ukyo to stay away from was the man who had given her a restaurant, a home, a ring, and his undying love.

She swirled her glass of sparkling juice and wondered if she would have married Scruffy sooner if she had known he was filthy rich. And she decided no. And she also decided she liked the fact he had never told it. It was nice having got to know Scruffy when he had absolutely no material wealth and when she had thought him homeless and jobless.

"There you are dear! Harry told us everything, congratulations on your shop and your engagement!"

Ukyo allowed the matron to hug her, hugging back just as easily. The few times she'd met Molly Weasley had taught Ukyo the woman was fair, loving, and ruled her family with an iron fist. Ukyo respected her greatly, helped by the fact that Scruffy said she was sort of an adopted-mother.

"Thank you Molly." She smiled. "I am very happy."

"You look it dear. When I first saw you you looked so weighed down by something, but you're truly relaxed now. We'll have to come by and see your restaurant soon too. Right across from the Leaky Cauldron if I remember correctly even."

"Yes." Ukyo smiled. "And anytime you and your family come, it's on the house."

"Dear! You don't have to do that." Molly tsked.

"I insist." Ukyo smiled. "After all, we'll be family soon."

Of course that got Molly crying and she hugged Ukyo, sobbing for a few minutes before her husband pulled her away gently. Ukyo smiled as she saw Scruffy coming towards her, grinning that stupidly happy grin of his and showing off her perfect white teeth. It also showed off his perfectly sun kissed skin too, his beard now gone. As he got beside her she kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" He smiled.

"Because I think I'm growing to love your new appearance. Not that I didn't like your old one, it just made you look, well, older."

Scruffy blushed and adjusted his new glasses. She smiled at him, admiring said new glasses. It had taken the combined might of her and Hermione Granger to make Scruffy give up the old ones and get a new pair.

"You look beautiful." He murmured as he took her arm leading her towards the drinks.

She briefly glanced down at the beautiful purple evening gown and at the diamond necklace that matched her earrings and hair pins. It had been a gift from Scruffy. He'd apparently got it from his vault and from his great grandmother. Ukyo thought it was much too rich and fancy for a girl like her but Scruffy's puppy dog eyes had won out.

"And you look quite respectable Mr. Scruffy." She mocked, blushing at the compliment.

"Can't call me Scruffy anymore." He pouted, the look quite endearing on him.

"You will always be my Scruffy." She smiled. "Why are we here again?"

"It's an engagement party." Harry said. "Ministry found out I was engaged and threw it in my honour. They just want me as a poster boy."

Had she mentioned her fiancé was also a hero and a humble honest Lord? She smiled at him and grinned even wider as a small blonde mousey man with a camera headed for them, waving vigorously at Scruffy.

"Harry! A picture with your wife please!"

"Fine." Harry sighed with a smile. "It had better not get to the prophet though Colin."

"Nope! Only the Quibbler."

"Good man."

He snapped a picture, both of them standing beside one another, smiling politely. And then an evil, diabolical idea struck Ukyo.

"Colin was it? Would you mind taking a picture of us for me?"

"Sure!" Colin said raising the camera.

"Wait," Ukyo said slipping her hand from Scruffy's, "I'm just going to pose first."

She could easily tell her laugh and posture freaked the blonde out, but Harry just smiled at her, standing as close as he could. Once the picture was in her hands she smiled, knowing exactly what she would write on the back.

"What's it for?" Scruffy asked.

"I'm getting back at the crew for thinking you a homeless bum and treating you like a dishonourable man."

He let her her revenge, smiling faintly. And Ukyo knew that he would always giver her what she wanted. He loved her and she was quickly growing to love him. She was already making her wedding vows and Hermione and Molly wanted to drag her off to get her a dress soon. Grimauld place was looking brightened every day. Konatsu was getting less shy too and was already named her bridesmaid even though he was technically a guy (no one really knew anyways). She had a successful restaurant, selling what she made and wanted to make. And really, she was very happy. In the end she had everything she could ever want or need including a loving husband a home and a livelihood.

That's all she wanted.

Well, and to see the crew's face when they got this picture.

.-.

The End