After lunch, Harry and Ginny returned to their dorm. Ginny had a free period and Harry needed to grab his things for his Auror training with Noah starting in four minutes. If he sprinted all the way there, he could make it. He dropped his bag on their kitchen table and went into their bedroom. Ginny followed him, wrapping her arms around his torso from behind and nipping playfully at the nape of his neck.

"As much as I'm enjoying that," Harry said, stopping and trying to disengage from Ginny's arms, "I can't be late for training."

"Why not?" Ginny purred into his ear as she moved around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Whenever I'm late, I have to run for an extra ten minutes," Harry explained. "It's torture."

"How many times have you been late?" Ginny asked.

"Just once, but that was plenty," Harry said. "I learned my lesson."

"Was it my fault you were late?" Ginny asked.

"Gin, it's always your fault," Harry said, bending to kiss her quickly. "You're just too irresistible."

"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered, and began to unbutton his shirt. "Let me make it up to you."

"What has gotten into you today?" Harry asked with an amused chuckle. "I know we enjoy our alone time together, but normally you don't try to make me late on purpose. Wait, is that what's going on? Are you purposely trying to hold me up?"

"No, of course not," Ginny stammered, unconvincingly.

"We will have to talk about this later," Harry said. "I'm going to be late. I just need my gear." He dug around in their closet, unable to find his bag. Seriously annoyed now, he turned to Ginny and asked as calmly as possible, "Have you seen my bag for training?"

Ginny opened her mouth to reply when Noah knocked loudly on their door and yelled, "Harry?"

"Great," Harry said angrily. "Just, great. Gin, can you help me look for my bag?"

"It's in the closet by the front door," Ginny said quickly, as she went to answer Noah's knocking.

Harry growled in frustration; he would swear that she was baiting him on purpose, he just didn't understand why. As he approached the front door, he could hear Ginny and Noah talking about the Quidditch match coming up and the scouts coming to see her play. He grabbed his bag out of the closet and moved to stand beside Ginny.

"Potter, finally," Noah said. "What kept you? You know you'll have ten extra minutes of running now."

Harry merely grunted in response.

"Good luck at the match on Saturday Ginny," Noah said. "Sounds like you're training hard for it."

"Trying to," Ginny said. Pausing for effect, she added, "Would it be too much to ask to train with the two of you just for today?"

Harry's mouth dropped. Now he understood why she was trying to slow him down. If Noah had to come to their dorm to fetch him, it presented the perfect opportunity to innocently ask if she could train with them. He wondered how long she'd been planning this. As annoyed as he still was that he'd become a casualty in her little game, he couldn't help but admire her cunning. Noah shot an incredulous glance at Harry as if to ask, 'Do you really think that's such a good idea?'

"I don't mind if you don't, Noah," Harry said with a smirk, his anger dissolving momentarily. Noah hadn't yet made it to a Quidditch match. He had no idea how intense Ginny could be when it came to Quidditch. He was looking forward to seeing the look on Noah's face when she not only kept up with them, but more than likely out performed them.

"Great," Ginny said excitedly. "Let me just grab my gear and I'll meet you there?"

"Sounds good, Harry can get started on the ten extra minutes of running that he owes me for being late," Noah said.

Noah chattered happily all the way to the Room of Requirement where they trained during the cold winter months. He seemed oblivious to Harry's foul temper. When they arrived, Harry quickly changed, stretched, and got onto his treadmill. He rolled the events from in their dorm around in his head and tried to make sense of Ginny's motives. He was sure there had to be something behind her actions. As much as she was feisty and hot tempered, she was also sweet and considerate of everyone, usually, especially of him.

By the time Ginny arrived, Harry was eight minutes into his run. Ginny changed behind a privacy screen and jumped onto the treadmill beside him, barely taking a minute to stretch first. He glanced quickly at her, but she was concentrated on the treadmill's dashboard, which monitored all sorts of different measurements. Refocusing on his own run he finished the ten minutes he owed Noah, then started on his usual running course.

A few minutes into his usual course, Harry noticed Ginny ramping up the speed on her treadmill rather than sticking to Noah's pre-designed course. Not to be outdone, Harry ratcheted up the speed on his too, if Ginny noticed she made no sign of it.

"Potter, why did you deviate from my course?" Noah asked, a note of irritation evident in his voice. He glanced quickly at Ginny's machine and said, "I see, it's a competition. Well, it's your funeral."

As Harry ran, he came to have a new appreciation for Noah's pre-designed courses. If

Noah ramped up the speed, he only did so for a short burst and then it slowed down again to give you a change to catch your breath. Harry had never run for so long at such a speed, his legs and lungs felt like they were on fire. After the stunt she'd pulled earlier, he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of willingly being the first to slow things back down. Luckily, Noah came to his rescue, "Potter, you've got five minutes left. Slow down your speed and give your muscles a chance to cool down." With grim satisfaction, Harry noticed that Ginny slowed down too a minute after Harry did.

When each had climbed off their treadmill and drank some water, Noah said, "So Potters, what's next? Weight lifting, jump roping, or climbing the rock wall?"

"Ladies choice," Harry said to Ginny.

"Let's climb the rock wall," Ginny said enthusiastically.

"Since the two of you seem to be in some kind of competition today, the first one to the top, wins," Noah said.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

In the end, they were tied. Ginny's performance on the treadmill was more impressive than Harry's considering the distance she'd covered in ten minutes less than Harry'd had, but he had beaten her to the top of the rock wall. They had done some weight training as well, but it was hard to judge a winner in that.

"For the tie breaker, I suggest the two of you fence," Noah said. After they changed into fencing gear and Noah explained the rules to Ginny, they stood facing each other in a wide empty space.

Ginny made the first move and Harry blocked it effortlessly. He immediately took a swipe at her and got his first touch. She took a few more tries and missed. In return, he tried for and got a few more touches. Through her mask he could see her eyes narrowed in concentration taking in his every move and analyzing it. Even though he was ahead, he knew he couldn't count her out. Ginny picked things up quickly, especially games and sports. Her next attempt did not fail and Harry knew that the true match had just begun. They watched each other warily and circled each other like lions on the hunt.

Harry earned another touch and then Ginny earned a few more. It didn't take long until they were tied. They alternated between furious bursts of fencing with swords swooshing and clashing and periods of intense watching and circling. Harry always felt very alive while fencing; it was the closest he'd come to matching the feeling he had when dueling with wands. Today the sensation was heightened even more; he supposed it came from fencing with the one person who knew him like no other did. If anyone could anticipate his moves and beat him, it was his wife.

"Just one more touch," Harry thought to himself. He watched her carefully and decided to feint left, but move to strike on her right side, hoping to catch her off guard. He was halfway through his attempt when he realized that he hadn't fooled her. She'd known what he was going to do and as he moved right her sword was already there, waiting to touch him. When the tip came in contact with his chest he froze.

"Ha!" Noah shouted. "That was amazing. Potter, I think you've found your match."

"Oh, I am his match, in every conceivable way," Ginny said confidently. With the tip of her sword, she pushed harder against his chest. To protect himself, Harry backed up, but she continued to push until his back was against cool solid stone. Ginny threw her sword to the ground and pulled her facemask off. Then she pulled Harry's off as well and kissed him heartily. Harry let himself sink into the kiss. He hadn't realized until now what a turn on it was to compete with Ginny, usually they played on the same team. When he moved his arms to wrap her in them and pull her closer he realized he still held his sword. He tossed it blindly to his side and barely registered the clatter of metal on the stone floor.

"Shall I just go then?" Noah asked in exasperation, from somewhere behind Ginny a minute or two later.

Ginny pulled away long enough to respond, "That would be fantastic Noah, thanks."

Had Harry been conscious of anything outside of Ginny and her lips, he would have realized how annoyed Noah was and that he'd been supposed to take a test on another chapter of the Auror Handbook today. As it was, Noah gave up and left the room muttering as Ginny began to skillfully undress her husband.

Naturally, as they were in the Room of Requirement the door locked behind Noah and the room made a few adjustments to accommodate for the sudden shift in activities. Ginny removed his shirt and moved her mouth to his chest, raising goose bumps as she went.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this," Harry managed between sighs of breath, "but, can you explain a few things for me?"

"Sure," Ginny said, as she worked at the button on his pants.

"I get that you made me late on purpose so that you could ask Noah if you could train with us today. You felt better about asking him in our dorm than coming down here to ask," Harry rattled off.

"Um-hmmm," Ginny confirmed.

"Why didn't you just ask me and I could have asked Noah for you?" Harry asked.

"I didn't want to put you in that position," Ginny said. "It would look like you don't take your training seriously if you ask if your wife can join you. This way it was all my idea."

"Okay," Harry said. "Then why were you baiting me? It felt like you were purposely trying to make me angry."

"I was," Ginny answered simply.

Harry was stunned into silence for a moment and not because Ginny had just stripped down to her knickers and stood motionless in front of him. "Why?" he asked.

"I wanted you to really compete against me," Ginny explained. "I was worried that if I came down here for a real work out you wouldn't push yourself to beat me because I'm your wife and I'm a girl. I got you mad at me so you'd WANT to beat me and it would be a real challenge to go up against you."

"You are devious," Harry said grinning. "Do you know that?"

Ginny just shrugged and asked, "Now what?"

"Wrestling?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"I was actually thinking about a shower," Ginny said suggestively.

"Finishing what we started in the locker room earlier this week?" Harry asked.

"Exactly," Ginny said. "Want to hear the best part?"

"Hmmmm," Harry asked distractedly, as he led her toward the showers in a far corner of the massive room.

"The Room of Requirement won't let my pesky brother interrupt us, like he's becoming so famous for," Ginny said.

"Sounds perfect," Harry replied. He started the water running while they finished undressing.

Ginny pulled Harry into the stall behind her and shut the door. Under the hot water, they just stood letting the pounding water wash away all the sweat and muscle aches from their training session. When his muscles started to feel looser, he picked up the bottle of the lavender-scented shampoo she always used and poured some into his hand. "Turn around," he commanded. She obliged and gently he began working the shampoo into her long hair. When he'd finished, she did the same for him. He shivered under her hands, not from cold, but simply the overwhelmingly wonderful feeling of her hands on him in such a caring and intimate way. As the last of the suds rinsed away, he let his hands trail across her slippery, wet skin, and cupped her breasts in his hands. Harry listened to the moan that escaped her lips as it echoed around the vast Room of Requirement and smiled in satisfaction.

Suddenly he felt an overwhelming desire to make love to her more urgently than he ever had before. He was sure that the urge somehow stemmed from their competition earlier. He bent to kiss her grasping her firmly around the waist, hoisting her up and pinning her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her position as he buried his face in her cleavage. As Harry did his best to drive Ginny to the edge, he realized how gratifying it was to do this in a room with such excellent acoustics. Every little moan, whimper, and sigh his touches induced, echoed spectacularly in the large room and spurred Harry on. His hands and mouth continued to roam until she began to beg, "Harry, please…now. Please?"

Harry rubbed himself against her and, at another whimper of need that escaped Ginny, he swiftly let his hold on her slacken just enough for her slide down onto him. She gasped loudly in relief as he entered her. They moved together in an urgent rhythm working quickly toward release. When each was sated, they remained locked in place panting until their breathing slowed. When she caught her breath again, she crushed her lips to his and kissed him almost roughly. "Merlin Harry," she said, when she broke the kiss, "that was amazing."

Harry laughed and said, "Well, I should hope so. I've been imagining how our shower scene would have gone had Ron not interrupted ever since then."

"Me too," Ginny confessed, as she buried her face in his neck, planting another kiss there.

"Let's finish getting cleaned up before we miss dinner," Harry suggested.

"Harry," Ginny said tentatively.

"Yeah?" Harry replied.

"I'm sorry about earlier today," Ginny said. "I probably didn't go about things the best way."

"It's okay," Harry said. "But in the future, if you want me to compete with you and not take it easy, just ask and I'll do it."

"Just like that?" Ginny asked.

"Well, if competing like that will always lead to what we just did, then I'm game," Harry said with a grin.

"I love you, Harry," Ginny said.

"I love you too," Harry replied.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When Harry and Ginny settled across the table in the Great Hall from Ron and Hermione, it was to eyebrows raised.

"What?" Ginny asked, sounding more than a little defensive.

"Where have you two been? You missed potions this afternoon," Hermione inquired.

"I had training with Noah," Harry said. "It ran over a bit."

"I saw Noah leaving the castle hours ago muttering something about teenage hormones," Ron said.

"And that doesn't explain where you were, Ginny," Hermione pointed out.

"I asked Harry and Noah if I might crash their training session," Ginny explained. "With the match on Saturday, I thought it couldn't hurt to get a little more training in."

"I get it now," Ron said with a groan of disgust. "The two of you have absolutely no self control."

"Says the idiot who did it in a bush with his girlfriend in plain sight of other students," Ginny said sarcastically.

"Would the two of you stop bickering?" A flushed Hermione hissed. "People are starting to stare."

"Ron," Harry said, changing the subject, "when you interrupted Gin and me in the shower earlier this week, you said you wanted to talk to me about something. What was it?"

"Oh," Ron said in surprise. They watched his face turn quickly to unease before asking, "Can we discuss it after dinner?"

"Sure," Harry said, now very curious.

When the meal was finished, Harry and Ron took the evening patrol together, giving them time to talk.

"So, I take it we didn't get around to discussing what you actually interrupted us to discuss," Harry said.

"Well, partly," Ron said. "I'd wanted to talk about my situation with Hermione and we did talk about that, but mostly I wanted to get your opinion about this."

Ron handed Harry an official looking letter that he recognized, from the several he and Ginny had received, as a letter that informed the recipient that he or she was being scouted by a professional Quidditch team. Harry opened it and a quick scan confirmed that it was what he suspected. "How long have you had this?" Harry asked.

"A week or so," Ron replied.

"Why didn't you say anything about it before?" Harry asked excitedly.

"I thought maybe it was an elaborate prank that George and Charlie had arranged," Ron said. "I never thought I was a good enough player to have scouts coming to see me."

"You are though," Harry said sincerely.

"I wasn't always," Ron said. "Remember how dreadful I was in sixth year when I'd let something get under my skin?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "But things have changed a lot since sixth year."

"How do you figure?" Ron asked.

"You're a much more confident player than you were then. I think everything that happened last year taught you not to sweat the small stuff. Compared to last year, saving a few goals seems easy and so you don't worry about it and you're amazing," Harry said.

"Really?" Ron asked.

"You haven't noticed how easy goalkeeping is coming to you this year?" Harry asked. "You haven't threatened to quit the team once this year. Sixth year, you threatened at least half a dozen times leading up to every match."

"I guess," Ron said non-committaly. "So, you think that playing Quidditch professionally might be a possible career path for me?"

"Yeah, I do," Harry said honestly.

"Good," Ron said. "I really had no idea what I was going to do when school ended." They walked in silence for a few minutes while Ron thought over the new options possibly stretching before him. "Do you think Ginny would be upset if she isn't the only Weasley trying to go pro?"

"Are you kidding? I think she'll be thrilled for you," Harry said. "Besides, it's not like you are likely to end up on the same team."

"True," Ron said.

"So, are there any more developments as far as you and Hermione getting engaged?" Harry asked.

"Nah," Ron said. "I've been afraid to bring it up and get my heart stomped on."

"Well, give it a little time," Harry said.

"Thanks, Harry," Ron said.

"Anytime," Harry said with a grin. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"I do have one question," Ron said with a smirk.

"Yeah?" Harry asked.

"Why do you smell like lavender?" Ron asked laughingly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: I am SO sorry for the 3-month delay in this story. All I can say is that life is crazy and sometimes I have to focus on it instead of the pretend world I've created here. I am hoping to not have such a long break again in the foreseeable future.

This chapter holds a couple key points that will be important down the road, but a lot of it is fluff. I thought a fluffy chapter was the way to ease myself back into this…I feel like I've forgotten how to write a good long chapter. I am dedicating this chapter to HeddaCharlotte who asked for a smutty chapter since I've kind of skimmed scenes like that in the last several chapters.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this chapter, especially after all this time. Thank you, thank you, thank you! My readers rock!

I owe a big shout out to Kayla who suggested that Ron play professional Quidditch as his career…the idea obviously inspired me. Thank you! I actually think it fits very well.

Also – to whomever it was (I do not have the time to search back through all my mail to find their name) I was talking to about the Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons…inbox me, please!

Finally to HPOTTER55 – your messages did spur me into action…just not as quickly as you probably hoped. I did try to write back to you to apologize/explain, but your messaging is turned off and I wasn't allowed to contact you. Thanks though!

Thanks!

Tink

P.S. This chapter was betaed and replaced after the original posting. Thank you to my beta Terra Ferme and Duke Brymin for letting me know about all my little errors!