5

After the Battle

Chapter 15: Blissful Days

The two couples met back at the Bed and Breakfast a little while later with Bill and Fleur grinning at how eager Harry and Ginny appeared to be to get back to doing "honeymoon things". Well the other things besides what newly married couples usually get up to.

Fleur had a bunch of brochures and Bill had his nose stuck in a tourist map of Scotland. They had made a quick stop at one of the gift shops near the Bed and Breakfast before they showed up at Harry's and Ginny's room.

"So do you have any idea where you'd like to go next or what to do?" Bill asked, taking a quick glance up from the map.

Harry got a wistful look on his face and looked a bit hesitantly as he glanced at his wife. "I'd always fancied going to the beach, you know a typical English seaside holiday at Brighton or somewhere similar."

Ginny and Fleur smiled at him while Bill started to laugh.

"While I think that would be something wonderful to do, you'd be better off waiting for a couple of months. It's still a bit early in the season and the air temperature is still pretty cool to spend the day at the beach and that's nothing to say about the water temperature," he explained patiently.

Harry looked unhappy for a moment but then a smile crept onto his face as he came up with a brilliant idea, at least he thought so.

Fortunately for him, Ginny and Fleur had turned their attention to one of the brochures and only Bill saw his look. He looked at Harry questioningly and Harry mouthed back "I'll talk to you later."

Bill nodded, wondering what the raven haired young man was thinking. After a moment he smiled, thinking he'd figured out what Harry was thinking and if he was right, Harry had come up with a great idea.

In the end they decided to visit a couple more of the historic battlefields and maybe take in a museum or two. They headed off to grab an early lunch as it was getting near that time as the morning had been taken up mainly with Harry being in the hospital wing at Hogwarts and then going to Shell Cottage after their stop back at their room for a little extracurricular activities.

The first place they visited was Bannockburn battlefield, where Robert the Bruce defeated the English troops of Edward II. They even saw a number of ghosts who waved and nodded at them.

From there they went on to Culloden, a very sombre place out in the moors. Here too they saw a number of ghosts but they were a fell lot, and the four of them didn't wave or interact with them. With dark clouds gathering on the horizon, they decided to leave, heading for some place more cheerful.

They decided on the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore and spent the rest of the day there, wandering around and having a great time.

Ginny shared a smile with Fleur as they watched Harry, he seemed quite fascinated with everything and spent quite a bit of time talking to the staff. So much so that they were a bit disappointed when 5:30 rolled around and they found out the place was closing. They were among the last to leave.

Harry had his nose buried in his copy of the guide book, talking excitedly about what they had seen. He was particularly taken with the 1700's Highland township and the guides there.

When stomachs began to growl, they decided to head into Newtonmore proper and find some place to eat. Bill and Harry let the ladies pick and their choice was the Glen Hotel Restaurant.

They chose to eat in the Pub area and Harry and Ginny were pleased to find that even though they were under eighteen, they could drink alcohol as long as it was ordered with dinner.

Ginny had the Lamb Shank, braised in red wine and rosemary, served on a bed of mashed potatoes while Harry chose the Venison Haunch Steak in a red berry and wine jus, with chips and a salad. Surprisingly Fleur ordered the same thing and Bill having the Homemade Steak in Ale Pie.

Ginny and Harry choosing Cider, Fleur a glass of wine and Bill having a traditional Scottish Ale.

They had a wonderful relaxed meal, discussing where they had been that day with Harry enthusiastically talking about the Highland Folk Museum most of the time.

Harry and Ginny shared a piece of the Mega Chocolate Fudge Cake while Fleur had the Cherry Bakewell Sponge and Bill a Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae and they all had tea to go with it.

It was a full and satisfied group that left the Pub a couple of hours later as they headed back to Gretna Green and their rooms.

As soon as the door had shut after they said goodnight to Bill and Fleur, Ginny kissed Harry passionately. "Why don't you take your shower first, I want to wear one of the things Fleur and I bought the other day and surprise you," she whispered seductively.

Harry groaned and quickly shed his clothing, hurrying in to take his shower. He took a little longer than Ginny would have guessed due to what she had told him. He had seemed so eager that she thought he'd be done in five minutes.

She was pleased with results, not only was he scrubbed clean, his hair was just as messy as ever and she found that so sexy, she couldn't wait till she could run her hands through it.

Ginny groaned lightly as she stepped under the hot water, it felt so good on her aching muscles. They had done a lot of walking and standing that afternoon, really only sitting down when the ate dinner and that was a little later than normal.

She did miss having Harry there to wash her hair but she considered it a small sacrifice so she could wear one of the risqué ensembles she had picked out.

She blushed at little as she remembered Fleur's comments, not that she wasn't going to be doing the things the part Veela had described. In fact she planned to try as many of them as she could.

Once she had dried her hair, she ended up taking a little extra time, wanting it just so, to add to the effect. Then at the last moment she decided to apply just a touch of make up, wanting to make herself look as desirable as possible.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she smiled at herself, thinking Harry wouldn't know what hit him.

Turning off the light, she slowly opened the door and made a very exotic entrance, dancing seductively.

It wasn't until she got to the bed, in the dim light of just a couple of candles, she found Harry fast asleep.

It was obvious by the way he was positioned that he had been waiting for her to join him but with her taking the extra time, he had succumbed to his weariness.

Ginny stood there for a moment, at first feeling a little irritated but then as she got a good look at her husband, she could see how worn and tired he really was.

She chuckled softly at herself. She had rather been looking forward to making love with Harry again, trying out some of those things Fleur had mentioned but she couldn't find it in her heart to wake him as he obviously need his rest.

She chided herself for not keeping a better watch on him. He had just gotten out of the hospital wing, again. She knew he'd never had said anything, so in effect it was really her own fault.

She quietly changed into a more suitable nightgown and gently crawled into bed beside him. He stirred slightly but then settled back down into a deep sleep. This close she could see the lines in his face from his time on the run. Though they weren't as bad as they had been.

She was struck by how much younger he appeared so still in sleep. She tenderly leaned over and gently kissed him and ran her one hand softly through his hair.

There would be other nights of passion she knew, so she settled down and snuggled up against him. She smiled when his arm came up around her waist, pulling her in a little tighter even though he hadn't woken.

"Good night, my love," she whispered so softly it was barely audible. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and followed him into dreamland.

Harry and Ginny

Ginny was surprised and a little worried when she woke up before Harry did but after looking him over and checking to see if he was running a fever, she relaxed when she couldn't find anything wrong. He was obviously just exhausted from tramping around the previous day.

She let him sleep, staying cuddled into his side and resting her head on his shoulder and chest. She closed her eyes and just lay there listening to his heart beat, something she found very comforting.

At first it gave her a sense of peace as the sound reassured her he was alive, but then slowly, she found herself fighting tears as she thought about how close she had actually come to losing him and she thanked God once again for his survival. She didn't even want to contemplate what her life would have been like if he hadn't.

She didn't think she could have lived if he had died. Her life would have been empty and meaningless without him to share it with.

Finding those thoughts way too melancholy, she forced herself to think about their wedding and how happy they were and she calmed down and smiled, loving just being there with him.

It was close to an hour before Harry stirred and Ginny laughed when he looked at her sheepishly as he apologized profusely for falling asleep.

She hushed him with a kiss. "Harry, love, you obviously needed the rest. There will be other nights and we'll enjoy many of them. I'm just glad you got the rest you needed," she tenderly explained.

Though Harry still looked slightly embarrassed, he smiled and wagged his eyebrows as he took her into a deep embrace, kissing her passionately.

Ginny groaned at the intensity of his kiss and she felt really bad when she gently pushed on his chest, ending the kiss. "While I'd love nothing more than make love to you right now, Bill and Fleur will be knocking on the door soon," she giggled lightly.

Ginny felt her heart squeeze when he gave her a look like she'd just killed his puppy but then he smiled and gave her a slightly less intense kiss. "Till later," he breathed before he rolled over and got out of bed.

She was so grateful that he was so willing to be accommodating and postpone their making love again, something that only endeared him all that much more to her.

They were just finishing getting dressed when there was a knock on the door. They shared a quick glance, smiling at one another as the door slowly opened and Fleur stuck her head inside.

She smiled and came all the way into the room when she saw they were just about ready.

"Beel was zo afraid to look in, worried what 'e'd find," Fleur laughed.

"Well, it wasn't for lack of trying," Harry quipped with a grin.

Of course this made Ginny and Fleur chuckle but it died off when he added "I was so tired last night, I fell asleep waiting for my beautiful wife to come to bed," he admitted reluctantly.

"In a way I'm glad you did; you needed your rest," Ginny stated, giving him a loving look.

Harry gave her a sheepish grin, knowing she was right even if he did hate the fact he fell asleep before they had a chance to make love. As far as he was concerned it was his favourite thing in the world to do.

"So what do you want to do today?" Fleur asked as they made their way down to join Bill for breakfast.

Harry and Ginny glanced at one another. "I guess do some more sight-seeing," Ginny replied with Harry nodding his head in agreement.

"Did you 'ave any ideas on what to see?" the beautiful French part Veela asked.

"I was thinking about seeing the Royal Yacht Britannia and the nearby Royal Botanic Garden. Plus nearby is Dean Village, St Bernard's Well and the Water of Leith Walkway," Ginny replied with a smile.

She snorted when she saw Harry's reaction to Dean Village. He frowned slightly and rolled his eyes. She couldn't understand his reaction really. After all they were married and Dean was a distant unpleasant memory now, at least to her.

She shot him a look and he instantly gave her a sheepish glance, silently telling her he was sorry for over reacting like some jealous prat.

Ginny rolled her eyes as she gave a small shake of her head. In one sense, she understood his insecurity. He'd never had a long term relationship and he definitely didn't have a good role model from his aunt and uncle.

While he was a powerful, brilliant Wizard, he was totally lacking in experience in matters of the heart. The few weeks they'd been together before Dumbledore's death not withstanding.

Still, he was sweet, loving and attentive, plus he was wonderful in bed, so he did have some redeeming qualities. Ginny giggled lowly and when Harry looked at her questioningly, she gave him a smouldering look that surprised him, if his reaction was any indication. She smiled smugly and gave him a wink.

By that time they had arrived at the dinning room and joined Bill at the table. Harry and Ginny glanced at one another and chuckled when they saw his relieved look. Their quick appearance letting him know that they hadn't been involved intimately that morning.

Why that seemed important to him, neither Harry nor Ginny could understand. They figured maybe it just embarrassed him to know his young sister was engaged in having sex, even though she was married.

Not that it mattered to Harry and Ginny what he thought, it certainly wasn't going to change anything. In fact Ginny though it was something she could use to have some fun teasing her brother, it was so much fun to see him blush, stammer and act all embarrassed.

They filled Bill in on what they had planned with Ginny and Fleur doing most of the talking. Harry seemed content to sit back and listen while he ate his breakfast, only throwing in a comment every now and then.

From the brochure that Ginny had picked up at the souvenir shop they found out that the Yacht tours started at 9:30 at that time of the year so they didn't tarry over breakfast and headed off to Edinburgh.

They Apparated into a small secluded area of the docks, each Apparating themselves with Bill guiding them. When Harry asked him how he knew where to Apparate, the older man showed him a Wizarding Guide Book that had illustrations of safe Apparation points.

Harry shook his head, totally gobsmacked. He'd never heard of such a thing and added it to the list of things he hadn't known about the Wizarding world.

They made their way to the visitor's centre and after looking at all the exhibits there, made their way onto the yacht. Ginny was a little intimidated by the electronic audio device that was used for the self-guided tour but after Harry showed her how simple it was to use, she didn't have any problems.

The tour took a little over two hours as they lingered in some of the areas, enjoying looking at all the exhibits on the ship. Fleur and Ginny were especially drawn to the display of Royal Jewellery while Harry and Bill loved the lower decks that housed the crew and engine room. They were all impressed by the opulence and grandeur of the Royal areas.

Since it was approaching noon, they decided to eat at the Royal Deck Tea Room rather than head somewhere else. Though a little pricey, the food and service were excellent and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

After lunch they headed to the Royal Botanic Garden and since it was only two miles away, they decided to walk.

The walk through Leith was pleasant enough with the most of their walk taking place up Ferry Rd, a mostly residential street and then a turn down Inverleith Row for a short distance till the got to the East entrance of the Botanic Gardens.

Harry and Ginny were a little disappointed when the discovered they'd miss the guided walking tour at 11 and the next one wouldn't be until 2 pm. Undeterred, they decided to just walk around the grounds, some 70 acres of manicured gardens with a number of glasshouses with many tropical plants.

While the entrance to the Garden itself was free, there was a fee to gain entrance to the glasshouses. All it took was for Ginny to give Harry some puppy dog eyes with Fleur doing to same thing to Bill and they paid the extra fee.

Harry was happy he did because of the look on Ginny's face. She really loved the orchids and the giant water lilies, some with pads so large she could have lain down inside of them.

Once back out side they wandered the many paths. Only Harry seemed interested in the Peat Garden but they all liked the Scottish Heath Garden and the Rock Garden and Stream they had to pass through to get there from the Peat Garden.

From there they circled back around through the Woodland Garden and meandered from there. While they spent around two and a half hours they didn't see everything by a long shot.

The exited the West Gate as they were closer to it and turned down Arboretum Place to get to the Water of Leith Walkway. A public footpath that ran from from the docks all the way to the Balerno section of Edinburgh, a distance of twelve and a half miles in total.

They didn't plan on going the full distance but stop in Dean Village. They strolled at a leisurely pace, enjoying the peaceful setting along the river. The only small detour they took was to stop at St Bernard's Well that was situated along the walkway.

Though it was closed, they followed in the tradition of other mischief makers and Apparated beyond the closed gates. The Well only being officially open on a few special days during the year.

Since it was during the day and any passers-by could have seen them, they cast Disillusionment Charms on themselves. The central point of interest was an open pillared dome in which stood a marble statue of Hygieia, the Goddess of Health, it had been inspired by the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli in Italy.

The well water had a distinct rotten eggs odour and none of them felt compelled to try the water even though it was supposed to have healing qualities.

After wandering around for a short time, enjoying the view of the Dean Gardens and the Water of Leith river far below, they returned to the Walkway to continue their journey to Dean Village.

The village was quite interesting architecturally but the mills were long gone, with some of the remaining mill buildings having been converted into upscale housing.

After a short time they decided to move on, Apparating away to Fortingall, in Perthshire to visit the Fortingall Yew, one of the oldest trees in all of Europe, said to be at least 5000 years old. While there they also visited the stone circles outside of town.

Though the circles were situated in a large field, there was a wooded area close by and they were astonished to see a small herd of unicorns grazing along its edge. With the unicorn being the national animal of Scotland, they were pleased to witness them in such a pastoral natural setting.

The four watched as the stallion looked them over and decided they weren't a threat, though he did place himself between the mares and foals and them. He returned to grazing but kept a watchful eye on the group to make sure they didn't come too close.

With the sun beginning to wan, the already cool temperature began to drop. Bill guessed it was now in the low forties (about 7C) and they decided to call it a day.

Ginny waved goodbye to the unicorn stallion, who nodded his head in response, before they Apparated back to Gretna Green.

With it being only half past three, they decided to rest before they'd go to dinner. Though he didn't say anything, the others could see the relief in Harry's face. Yes, he was feeling a lot better but the full day with them walking for the greater part had tired him out.

Not that he was the only one feeling the effects of their day, Ginny and Fleur appeared to be almost as fatigued as Harry. Only Bill seemed unaffected by their day's outing.

As soon as they were alone, Ginny began to strip down. "I'm going to take a shower," she stated with a smile. "Why don't you join me."

Harry eyes lit up and he began to take off his clothes. Ginny finished well before him so she said "I'll go and get started."

"Okay, I'll be right there," Harry replied as he continued to disrobe.

Ginny went and started her shower, expecting Harry to join her shortly. She had finished washing her body and was just starting to wash her hair when she realized how long it had been and Harry still hadn't joined her.

She gave a sad smile, realizing that he probably wasn't going to join her. Sure enough when she was done and returned to the bedroom, she found Harry half undressed, sprawled back on the bed, fast asleep.

She grabbed her wand and finished removing his remaining clothing before she gently repositioned him on the bed. She climbed in next to him and cuddled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder and draping her arm across his chest.

She heard him sigh contentedly in his sleep, a small smile forming on his lips. She smiled lovingly at him before she snuggled in a little tighter and drifted off to sleep.

Harry and Ginny

Molly Weasley sat at the kitchen table, nursing her third cup of tea that she had liberally laced with Firewhisky, something she had been doing a lot of as of late.

She found it calmed her some, though her anger still boiled underneath. She couldn't believe that her daughter had run off and gotten married while still under age.

At first she hadn't believed it was legal but when Percy had informed her that in Scotland that anyone sixteen and older could marry without parental permission, she had to finally admit it was true.

That had only added to her anger as did the fact that Bill and that French tart, Fleur, had not only known but assisted in Ginny running off and getting married. She was certain that it was Fleur's influence and she wished that Bill had never met the woman.

Ignoring how devastated and angry Ginny had been, she had convinced herself that Harry had somehow slipped her daughter a Love Potion, probably with Fleur's help. She was sure there wasn't any other explanation for her running off and getting married in such a short time.

She figured all she needed to do was get Ginny away from their bad influence, give her the antidote to prove it had been a Love Potion and then she'd be able to get the marriage annulled. Once she'd done that Ginny would be back to her normal self and return home to the Burrow where she belonged.

Her major problem at the moment was she didn't have any idea where Ginny was so that she could carry out her plans. She knew Arthur wouldn't be any help as he seemed resigned to the fact that Ginny was married and there was nothing to be done about it.

That was just one more thing she refused to see rationally. Arthur was actually very happy for his daughter, something he didn't show around her, knowing her thoughts on the situation.

She sat there contemplating who she could trust in helping her, since she couldn't count on her husband.

George was out, not only was he back living about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and working hard on getting the shop reopened, he seemed fine with Ginny being married to Harry.

She also quickly discounted Charlie as he'd been perfectly happy to spend time with the others at Fred's funeral, ignoring her for the most part until Harry and Ginny had left to go to that other funeral. Even then he hadn't spent that much time in her company, preferring to spend his time with George, Bill, Fleur and 'those' people from Diagon Alley.

Ron was a possibility, if she could pry him away from Hermione. They seemed inseparable, wandering off at all sorts of different times getting up to who knew what. She was sure that they weren't doing anything she wouldn't approve of, not her little Ronnie-kins. She'd raised him better than that, though she had to admit that they seemed rather smug with themselves and their clothing often appeared rumpled.

That left Percy and as she thought about it, she smiled. Percy never was a fan of The-Boy-Who-Lived, never buying into all the hoopla around the boy, going as far as writing Ron during their fifth year to warn him from spending time with the boy.

Not that it seemed to do any good, but maybe by Ron's actions since the end of the war, he'd had a change of heart about his friendship with Harry. She'd keep him in mind to see if he wouldn't help rescue his sister when things came to a head.

Yes, she was sure that Percy was the one to help, especially once he heard that Harry had to be using a Love Potion on Ginny. That was illegal and if Percy was anything, it was that he believed in the rule of law.

With his help and perhaps Ron's as well, she was sure that she could get Ginny back and stop this nonsense once and for all.

She'd show Minerva that her family was the most important thing to her, even if she had caused some discord. It would all be set to rights once she got Ginny back home where she belonged.

At the moment all she could do was bide her time until she found out where Ginny was, then would be the time to act.

With a smug, satisfied smile, she sat back, added a little more Firewhisky to her tea and took a healthy swallow.

Harry and Ginny

Ginny had been awake for a short time when she heard a soft knock at the door. She smiled as she called out "Come in Fleur," having gotten to the point where she recognized her sister-in-law's knock.

As Fleur entered, Ginny glanced at the clock and saw it was just after six.

Fleur smiled softly as she gazed on Harry's sleeping form. "'ow is 'e doing?" she asked softly so she wouldn't wake him.

"He's fine, just tired from all he's been doing," Ginny replied, giving her husband a loving look. "Not that I blame him or anything, I've been pretty knackered myself."

"Oui, I 'ave been a leetle tired myself from all the walking we've been doing," the quarter Veela stated. "As long as 'e rests 'e shouldn't 'ave any problems," she added with a warm smile.

Harry stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He smiled when he spotted Fleur standing inside the door. "Hey Fleur, I take it it's time for dinner," he stated more than asked.

"Yes, Bill and I were just getting ready to 'ead downstairs," she replied with a nod of her head.

"We'll join you in a little bit," Ginny retorted, giving her a smile.

"Don't worry, we'll make it an early night so you two can come back and enjoy yourselves," Fleur replied with a smirk.

Harry and Ginny blushed but gave one another smouldering looks, each letting the other know they were looking forward to spending some alone time together.

Fleur giggled and with a shake of her head and giving them a knowing look, she said "We'll see you soon," as she turned and left.

Ginny leaned over and gave Harry a short but intense kiss that left them both wanting more. They both sighed, knowing that they'd have to wait till after dinner to indulge themselves once more.

Rising, they quickly dressed and headed down to meet Bill and Fleur for dinner, knowing the sooner they left, the sooner they could return and enjoy themselves once again.

The foursome strolled down through the village, stopping at one of the small pubs for dinner which was a pleasant time discussing what they had done so far and what they would like to still do while on their honeymoon.

It was decided that in the morning that they'd return to Shell Cottage and sight-see in Britain, Harry wanting to see Buckingham Place and the Changing of the Guard and both wanted to go to Stone Henge, a place of mystical and magical power.

They also discussed going to the Avebury Stone Circle, the Roman Baths, Hadrian's Wall, the Creswell Caves, the Glastonbury Tor, St Nectan's Glen and the West Kennet Longbarrow as other places that they'd like to visit.

Bill, Fleur and to a certain extent Ginny, were amazed at the sites that Harry wanted to visit. He explained, a bit bashfully, that he's always had a keen interest in the ancient history of the British Isles but had never been able to pursue it while growing up.

There was a moment of awkward silence with Bill and Fleur looking uncomfortable while Ginny appeared rather angry, muttering something about what she'd like to do to Harry's relatives.

It wasn't until Harry took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze while looking at her lovingly, whispering "It's in the past and I never have to see them again," that Ginny calmed down, realizing what he had said was true and her going off and pursuing revenge wouldn't gain them anything.

While he was doing that, Bill and Fleur shared a glance, each vowing that Harry would always be part of their family and they'd do everything they could to let him know he was loved and appreciated.

With that settled, Harry and Ginny shared another outrageous chocolate concoction for afters with Bill and Fleur doing the same as they sipped their tea, enjoying being together.

As soon as they were done, Bill and Fleur laughed at how quickly Harry and Ginny departed, heading back to the bed and breakfast to spend some alone time together.

As Bill settled the bill, he glanced at his wife. "So what do you want to do our last night here in Gretna Green?" he asked innocently.

Fleur wagged her eyebrows at him, giving him a smouldering look of her own, leaving no doubt in Bill's mind what she wanted to do. With a grin, he grabbed her by the hand and led her back to their room, moving just as quickly as Harry and Ginny had.

Harry and Ginny

A/N: An update at last. RL has been a real bear of late and writing time has been at a premium. Hopefully things will calm down and I'll be able to update more frequently but who knows, RL can be a real pain in the arse.

So the honeymoon looks like it will soon be coming to an end and Harry and Ginny will have to return to their own real lives. It looks like Molly is still in denial and planning something.

I will admit this is the worst I've ever portrayed the Weasley matriarch but it's fun to play with some of the characters now and again.

As always, reviews are always appreciated.