1
After the Battle
Chapter 21: Settling In
Harry smiled as he stared into Ginny's amazing deep chocolate eyes, seeing a fire there that matched his own. He surprised her by picking her up bridal style and as she shrieked playfully, he carried her into their bedroom.
As Harry approached their bed, she wrapped her arms around his neck and with a burning look, captured his lips in a fiery kiss, one that had them both moaning at its intensity.
Harry casually flicked his hand, turning down the bed before he tenderly deposited her on its soft downy surface, never once removing his lips from hers.
When Ginny felt herself being laid on the bed, she shifted her hands down Harry's body and pulled him into bed with her, like him, never removing her lips from his.
Harry tightened his grip as he tumbled into the bed, rolling so he ended up beside his wife, with her now on her side, their lips still locked together.
Now that they were laying on the bed, hands began to roam, touching all the right places on both of them. Their moans, groans and gasped increased as they both worked the other up once more.
Reluctantly Ginny broke the kiss but her need had grown to the point she could no longer ignore it. "Please Harry, I need you inside me," she moaned throatily.
Harry smiled, loving Ginny's lubricious nature and he was more than happy to comply with her wish.
He rolled her onto her back and settled between her open legs, his manhood finding her entrance easily, like it knew instinctively where to go.
He found her wet and open and he had no problem entering her. With a couple of hard thrusts he embedded himself deep inside of her hot, wet sheath.
Ginny groaned out in ecstasy as she felt Harry enter her, loving the feeling of fullness that she experienced. It was without a doubt on the top of her list of things she enjoyed most in the whole world.
She wrapped her legs around him, driving him in even deeper, loving the wonderful, overwhelming sensations he was giving her.
Harry moaned deeply, loving the way Ginny responded to him. He knew he'd never tire of making love to her, it was without a doubt the best thing in the world to him.
He slowly began to slide in and out of her, loving the feelings it caused. He could tell that she was enjoying it just as much as he was.
Ginny grabbed Harry by the back of his head and crushed his lips to hers, kissing him passionately, adding to what they were experiencing.
Harry slide his hands between their bodies and grasped her breasts, pinching her nipples making her moan into his mouth.
He began to increase his speed, giving each of them even more pleasure.
Needing to breath, Ginny broke their kiss. "Oh Harry, it feels so wonderful," she moaned as she ran her hands down and cupped his arse cheeks, pulling him in even further.
""Oh fuck Ginny, I'm going to cum soon," Harry moaned in reply.
"Me too," Ginny groaned as she felt the heat and pressure building inside of her.
Unable to hold back any more, Harry slammed himself into Ginny as hard and fast as he could. He felt his bollocks tightening and he knew he was moments from his release.
Ginny felt the change in Harry and she knew he was about to cum and she moaned deeply as she felt him unleash his torrent into her, triggering her own crisis.
"Ginnnnnyyy," Harry moaned as he felt his fluids explode out of him, filling Ginny completely.
Ginny felt his hot spunk fill her and she lost herself in the unbelievably wonderful sensations it caused. Once more she pulled his lips to hers and she revelled in the pleasure they were sharing.
Slowly they both relaxed with Harry collapsing onto Ginny. She tenderly caressed his back, loving the feeling of him laying on top of her while he was still inside her. She felt so close to him, not only physically but spiritually as well.
"I love you," she murmured contentedly.
"Love you too," Harry sighed with a small smile on his face. He kissed her tenderly, thanking God for having her in his life. He felt like he was the luckiest man in the world.
When he finally slipped out of her, he rolled onto his back, keeping a hold of her so she ended up snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder and their legs intertwined.
With soft grins on their faces, they drifted off to sleep, happy and content at being together in their new home.
Harry and Ginny
Ron awoke slowly, feeling groggy as he hadn't slept well, tossing and turning all night, that was after he'd fallen asleep. He had laid in bed till quite late, thinking hard about his situation and his feelings for Hermione.
He felt like a complete arse at not having said to her that he loved her. He had seen how much that had hurt her and how angry it had made her.
Rolling out of bed, he slowly got dressed. He knew what he needed to do and as much as he was worried about how things were going to go, he knew he had to do what he had planned.
He headed down stairs, stopping off in the loo to take care of business and wash his face and brush his teeth.
Staring at himself in the mirror, he took in a deep breath. "You can do this," he said softly to himself. He was surprised by the face staring back at him. It didn't look like he remembered, it was as if he'd aged over night. He wasn't sure if it was the lack of sleep or because of what he'd thought about.
In the end he realized it really didn't matter. He needed to do what he needed to do. He knew his relationship with Hermione hung in the balance. With a sigh, he headed down to the kitchen, hoping his father was up.
He found his father sitting at the kitchen table, looking like he hadn't slept well either. He was reading the Prophet and sipping a cup of tea, a couple of pieces of toast before him.
"Hey Dad," he muttered in greeting.
His father looked up from his paper and gave him a small sad smile. "Good morning, Ron," he replied. "Would you like some tea and toast?"
Ron sighed and shook his head. "Maybe later," he replied. "I'm not really hungry right now."
Arthur nodded in understanding.
"Um, I'm going to head over to the Granger's, I need to talk to Hermione," Ron explained, looking hesitant.
Arthur nodded again, a small smile creeping onto his face.
Ron headed for the door but paused before her left. "Thanks Dad," he said softly.
Arthur's smile grew a little. "You're welcome son and I'll be here if you need to talk later," he stated with an encouraging look.
Ron nodded and then with a sigh he headed out to the Apparation point. Hoping that Hermione would even want to see and talk to him.
He appeared in the side yard where he wouldn't be seen by any neighbours or passers by. He hesitated only long enough to take a deep breath, trying to rein in his nervousness.
Knowing that delaying wouldn't help any, he made his way around to the front door and rang the bell.
It took a couple of minutes before the door was opened and Ron stared up nervously at Hermione's father.
"I was wondering if I could talk with Hermione?" he asked a little shakily.
Mr Granger looked at him in surprise. "And just who might you be?" he asked. Though he recognized the redhead, he couldn't quite remember his name.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron replied, wincing slightly. He was surprised when the man gave him a smile.
"Come on in, we were just about to sit down for breakfast," Mr Granger said amicably.
Ron nodded, and entered, realizing that it appeared Hermione's father wasn't aware of what had transpired the previous day. Knowing there was no other option, he followed the man into the kitchen.
"Who was it, dear?" Mrs Granger asked, not seeing Ron at first.
"It's Hermione's friend, Ron Weasley," Mr Granger announced as he ushered Ron into the kitchen.
Ron saw as Hermione's eyes widened in shock and the colour drained from her face. Mrs Granger, while looking a little surprised, gave him a speculative look.
"Well, while I didn't expect this, I think it's appropriate that you're here as we were just about to have a family discussion," she stated evenly, keeping her eyes fastened on Ron.
"We are having breakfast, aren't we?" Mr Granger asked looking slightly confused.
"Yes , Dear," Hermione's mother replied, rolling her eyes.
"Have you eaten," Mr Granger asked Ron, eyeing his wife questioningly.
"No sir," Ron replied softly. He wasn't sure that he'd even be able to keep anything down if he did eat anything.
"Well sit down," the man said with a smile, indicating the chair next to Hermione.
Ron sat down a little hesitantly, giving Hermione a apologetic look.
Hermione looked at him strangely, though he could see some apprehension in her eyes.
Mrs Granger rose and finished preparing the food and brought it too the table, offering the platters to Ron first.
Ron gulped and took a small helping before passing the plates on to Mr Granger.
Hermione gave Ron a concerned look. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something to him, but then decided not too. She did wonder why he hadn't taken his usual amount of food but decided she really didn't need to know.
Once everyone had their plates filled, Mr Granger smiled and said "Tuck in."
Ron began picking at his food, wishing he could have some time alone with Hermione so he could talk with her but he was intelligent enough to know that asking to be alone with her probably wouldn't go over well right at that moment.
Mrs Granger had just taken a bite of her eggs and swallowed when she got a strange look on her face, eyeing Ron in an almost gleeful manner, her eyes flitting to her daughter and her smile increased slightly.
"Well, Hermione has an announcement to share," she stated plainly, though Ron could see her eyes gleaming slightly as she glanced his way.
Ron's attention was immediately drawn to Hermione because she had dropped her tea cup, smashing it, her eyes wide once more as she stared at her mother.
Not even aware of what he was doing, Ron pulled out his wand and cast Reparo. He noticed Mr Granger smile and give him a nod, obviously pleased that he had repaired Hermione's tea cup.
Hermione didn't even notice because she was staring at her mother, wide-eyed and all the colour having drained from her face.
Ron was totally taken by surprise by Mrs Granger's attitude. Far from seeming angry like she had the previous day when she had discovered him and Hermione in her bedroom, she almost seemed gleeful, like she was taking pleasure from the situation.
When Hermione hesitated, her mother said with a malicious grin, "Well go on Dear, I'm sure your father and Ronald can't wait to hear what you have to share."
Hermione hunched over, staring at her plate. "I'mpregnant," she whispered softly and hurriedly.
"What's that, Dear? I couldn't understand what you said and I'm sure neither did your father nor Ronald," Mrs Granger asked in a sickly sweet voice.
Hermione sighed heavily. "I'm pregnant," she stated a bit louder and clearer.
Ron's jaw dropped open as the blood drained from his face while Mr Granger's face turned deep red as he stared from his daughter to Ron and back.
Hermione's mother was surprised as how well her husband kept control of his anger. While it was obvious he was exceedingly angry, he didn't explode, yell or over react.
Hermione lifted her head just far enough so she could look at her father. "Daddy?" she asked in a very soft child-like voice.
Her father closed his eyes and took several deep calming breaths before he looked at his daughter. He saw how frightened she was and he could tell she was so fearful of his reaction.
He sighed, letting his anger bleed away. His daughter was hurting badly and she didn't need a lecture right at that moment. She needed his love and support.
"Oh baby," he sighed as he rose and made his way around the table to her where he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tenderly.
Hermione began to cry, burying her face into his chest like she had done when she was a little girl.
"Shhh," he whispered. "Everything is going to be okay."
Ron glanced across at Hermione's mother who was watching her husband comfort their daughter with a sympathetic look.
Her eyes drifted over to him and she gave him a questioning look.
Ron gathered his courage and stared her in the eyes. "Mrs Granger, I know I wasn't at my best yesterday. I spent a lot of time thinking about things last night and I want you to know that I love Hermione with all my heart," he stated firmly.
She looked back at him, obviously surprised by his declaration. "I'm glad to hear that," she remarked with a warm smile.
Hermione slowly calmed down, taking great comfort from her father's loving embrace. Once she was calm enough, he released his hold on her and made his way back to his seat.
Once there he gave Ron a hard look, making the young redhead gulp as it appeared the man wished him ill will.
Ron wasn't sure what a Muggle could do to harm him but he was glad that Mr Granger wasn't a Basilisk as he was sure he'd be dead if he was.
Taking a deep breath, Ron turned his attention back to Hermione. He really wished he was eloquent and knew what to say but the fact remained that he wasn't good at thinking on his feet, he needed time to think about things, sometimes needing a lot of time and that was something he didn't have right at that moment.
Not knowing what else to do, he reached out and took Hermione's closest hand into his and gave it a soft, reassuring squeeze.
Hermione looked at him in surprise with a small wan smile. His action had shocked her as she hadn't expected it at all.
She stared into his eyes, searching for something. Whatever it was, she must have found what she was looking for because she looked at her mother. "Mum, is it all right if Ron and I go into the parlour to talk?" she asked hopefully.
Mrs Granger gave her a warm smile. "I think that's a really good idea," she replied reassuringly.
"Thanks Mum," Hermione said gratefully. She hadn't been sure that she'd be allowed to be alone with Ron, even though her parents were right there in the kitchen.
As Hermione and Ron rose and headed into the next room, Mrs Granger turned and looked at her husband.
"I'm a bit surprised but very pleased with the way you handled everything," she remarked warmly.
Mr Granger sighed sadly. "I'll admit that at first I was extremely angry but when I saw how hurt and scared Hermione was, well, I just couldn't make things worse. She needed love and support, not an angry lecture," he explained softly, his demeanour showing how much he was hurting for his daughter.
Mrs Granger reached over and gave his hand a tender squeeze. "I'm proud of you," she snorted, her eyes sparkling as she teased him lightly. Though deep down, she really was very proud of the way he had handled the situation so far.
"Though I will admit you've really surprised me. I didn't know you could be so sympathetic and understanding," she stated, once more with a teasing lilt to her voice.
"I know, I know, us blokes aren't supposed to be so understanding, at least at first. We're supposed to blow up, acting all emotional and ogre-ish," he responded with a wry smile.
"Yes, that was more the response I was expecting," his wife acknowledged with a grin.
He smiled at her before his eyes flitted over toward the door into the parlour, giving a worried look.
"Leave them be," his wife said softly. "They need some time to talk things through."
He took a quick glance at his wife before his eyes went back to staring at the doorway. "I know but it's hard to just sit here. Yes she's of age but she looked so vulnerable and though I hate to admit it, at first all I saw was my little girl who I used to comfort when something had scared her. All I wanted to do was protect her like I did back then," he sighed sadly.
"That's because you're a good father," his wife stated warmly, her eyes shining with pride.
Mr Granger nodded his head and sighed, wishing that the solution was as simple as it had been when Hermione had been a little girl.
Harry and Ginny
Ginny awoke slowly and after a moment realized she was alone in bed. She pouted, wondering where her husband had wandered off to. She knew he wasn't in the loo as the door was open, showing it was empty.
She was just about to get up and go searching for her wayward husband when the door to the room swung open and Harry entered, carrying a tray filled with food.
"Good morning, Love," he said with a huge smile. "I figured I'd surprise you with breakfast in bed."
Ginny's return smile out shone his. "You're going to spoil me and I'll expect breakfast in bed all the time," she teased.
"I love spoiling you, and if you want breakfast in bed every day, all you need to do is ask," he responded happily.
Ginny sat up, piling the pillows behind her and doing the same for Harry to join her.
Harry smiled because when Ginny sat up, she didn't bother to cover her chest, leaving her breasts on display.
"Do you know how distracting that is?" he asked as he sat down next to her, placing the tray in her lap.
"Yes," Ginny replied cheekily with a huge grin.
Harry just shook his head as he chuckled. Living with Ginny certainly was different from anything he'd ever experienced before. Not that he was complaining or anything.
"So what do you want to do today?" Ginny asked as she started to eat her breakfast.
Harry's eyes lit up. "How about we head to Diagon Alley and stop in at Quality Quidditch Supplies and find out about getting some Quidditch Hoops?" he asked in reply.
Ginny almost choked on her eggs but smiled as widely as Harry. "Really? That sounds wonderful," she gushed, looking forward to setting up the Pitch on the property.
"Yeah and while there we need to look at getting brooms too. Mine was lost when I left Surrey," Harry stated with a forced smile.
Though he sounded happy, Ginny could detect a little something in his voice when he mentioned where he had been forced to return to every summer.
She almost told him she didn't need a new broom but caught herself. She didn't want to deny him because of his reaction to thinking about where he had lived.
"That sounds wonderful," she told him happily.
Truth be told, she'd love getting a brand new broom. She'd been making due with Charlie's old broom and while it was a good broom, it couldn't hold a candle to any of the newer ones on the market.
Harry smiled back at her and got an impish look on his face. "Do you think we could talk Bill into coming over and help install the hoops?" he asked hopefully.
"I think that can probably be arranged," Ginny giggled. "We'll probably need to throw in dinner again though," she added with a smirk.
"I don't have any problem with that, as long as Fleur is included," he replied.
"That was a given," Ginny stated, rolling her eyes.
"I didn't want to presume and I really like spending time with them. They treat us as adults and equals," Harry explained.
Ginny leaned over and gave him a tender kiss. She knew how much that meant to Harry after all he'd been through.
They quickly finished eating and got ready for the day, even only spending a short time in the shower with one another, such was their desire to get to Diagon Alley quickly.
They were taken by surprise when they got down stairs and entered the parlour. There was a soft green flame in the grate with a note suspended in the flames.
Ginny retrieved the roll of parchment and glanced at it quickly.
"Dear new home owner, you are now hooked up to the Floo network and we welcome you to the premier manner of Wizarding travel. If you experience any problems, please don't hesitate to contact the Ministry, The Floo Network Authority on level six.
Below you'll find instructions on setting your floo address. We advise you to limit it to your close friends and family as you don't want any unknown 'guests' appearing in your home. We highly suggest you set at least some basic wards to keep intruders out.
If you need assistance in setting your wards, we suggest you contact Gringotts and hire a competent team of goblins. They are the best at that kind of work.
We have left a small complimentary supply of floo powder but it is your responsibility to keep a supply on hand.
Sincerely,
The Floo Network Authority
Ginny showed the letter to Harry and he smiled wanly. "I hate travelling by floo," he muttered, much to her amusement. She knew he usually ended up on his arse whenever he travelled via the floo.
"Don't worry, I'll go with you so you remain standing," she teased with a wicked grin.
Harry just sighed and shook his head, though secretly he was thankful for her help. It didn't look good that the Saviour of the Wizarding World ended up on the floor when appearing in public places.
They grabbed their cloaks and prepared to leave. Ginny took Harry by the arm, "Come on, oh graceful one," she snickered.
Harry and Ginny
Ron followed Hermione into the Granger's parlour and when she sat at the one end of the couch, he almost sat at the other end but he decided to sit a bit closer to the centre. A place where he could reach her from but not so close as to crowd her.
Neither one looked at the other for several moment, then as one, they looked up. "Ron/Hermione," they said at the same time.
They gave each other thin smiles, while they found it a bit amusing, the gravity of the situation put a damper on their reactions.
"You first," Hermione muttered lowly, giving Ron a painful look.
Ron took a deep breath and though he wanted to drop his gaze, he forced himself to keep looking at Hermione.
"I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday," Ron sighed with a sad look. "You know me, I need to think about things before I can talk about things."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, giving him a pointed look.
"I know, I know, I speak without thinking a lot but that's usually when I'm angry," he cried defensively.
Hermione nodded her head in agreement, knowing that was the truth.
"I don't know if you heard me when I told your Mum that I love you," he said a little hesitantly. It had been one thing to say it to Hermione's Mum but for some reason he had a much harder time saying it to her.
Hermione looked at him in surprise. She hadn't heard him say anything to her mother, though it was understandable as she was being comforted by her father after breaking down when she had made her announcement.
Before she could say anything, Ron ploughed ahead. "I spent a lot of time last night thinking about things. My dad gave me a talking to and pointed out quite a few things and it made me realize just what a prat I've been."
Hermione gave him a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes.
Ron fell silent, staring at her.
Hermione sighed and opened her mouth but nothing came out. This happened several times before she huffed irritably.
"Sorry, I'm just having a hard time right now," she murmured. "I – I can't believe that I'm pregnant," she added softly as she dropped her gaze.
Ron slid a little closer and took one of her hands in his, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze.
Hermione looked up at him, giving him a wan smile as her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry, I just feel so overwhelmed," she sobbed.
Ron nodded sympathetically and deciding to throw caution to the wind, he slid over the rest of the way and took Hermione into his arms, hugging her to his body.
She tensed at first but then sagged into his embrace, though she was able to keep her tears from falling.
"What are we going to do?" she muttered despondently.
Ron held her close, resting his head on her shoulder next to hers.
"I thought that what's we're talking about," he replied softly.
"We are, I guess. It's just that I'm so confused and feeling overwhelmed," she sighed again.
She closed her eyes and gathered her courage. "I know what I'd like to happen," she whispered softly and unsurely. Her deepest wish right now was for Ron to man up and do the right thing.
Ron stared at her for several long moments, trying to figure out if what Hermione had said meant what he hoped it did.
The silence dragged out between them and he felt her sigh and sag in his grasp. Ron figured it was now or never and gathering his courage he whispered, "Hermione, I always thought that we'd end up married someday. Now that you're having my baby, maybe we should get married now."
Hermione stiffened in his grasp, not really believing what she was hearing. "Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.
"As sure as I am of anything," Ron replied with a sigh. "I mean, I don't think either of us is really ready to be married and have a baby but the reality of the situation is you are having our baby and I want to be involved all the way. To do that I'm pretty sure we need to be married."
Hermione stared at him in disbelief. She'd never have thought that she'd hear him being so mature.
Hermione sighed softly and leaned into Ron. "I think that would be a wonderful thing. I agree that things are going to be difficult but I'd rather work on things with you by my side," she stated quietly.
Ron nodded and slowly leaned in and gave her a soft, tender kiss.
They both knew that they were going to face a lot of trials and they had so many questions that they didn't have answers for but they were determined to work through things together.
"Let's go talk to my parents and see how soon we can throw together a wedding," Hermione said with a hopeful look.
"That sounds wonderful," Ron remarked, giving Hermione's hand a squeeze.
Harry and Ginny
Harry stumbled as he exited the floo at the Leaky Cauldron and would have fallen if Ginny wasn't holding on to him tightly.
She gave him a a teasing grin, earning her a small scowl but she could see Harry didn't really mean it as he was fighting to keep from laughing.
"I hate travelling by floo," he repeated, earning him a giggle from his wife.
Deciding that dwelling on his lack of gracefulness when travelling via floo wasn't something he wanted to do, he smiled and led Ginny out back and hurriedly tapped on the brick wall to gain access to Diagon Alley.
Ginny smirked at Harry's impatience as they waited for the bricks to move and form the archway.
She giggled as Harry began to drag her hurriedly toward Quality Quidditch Supplies. She was almost running to keep up but she didn't care, she was just so happy to see how excited and happy that Harry was. It really warmed her heart seeing him like that.
Harry didn't slow until he was at the counter of the Quidditch store. Though there were a few people looking around, the clerk behind the counter was free.
Before the clerk could open her mouth, Harry blurted out, "We want to buy a set of Quidditch Hoops, a set of Balls and oh yeah, two Firebolts."
The clerk's eyes widened in shock, she'd never had anyone come in and place such a huge order before.
"Certainly, sir," she said eagerly. Flicking her wand, she summoned the trunk of Quidditch Balls, and a small box.
When she saw Harry and Ginny looking at the small box, she smiled. "The hoops are shrunk for ease of purchase and transport. The instructions to resize them are included in the box," she explained with a giggle.
"Now, I suppose you'd prefer to choose your own brooms, so if you'll follow me, I'll take you into the broom room," she added, motioning for them to follow her.
Harry and Ginny stopped right inside the door to the broom room, both gasping in awe at the sight of so many brooms.
Seeing their reaction, the clerk smiled. "Take your time and look around and when you're ready, the Firebolts are in the back left-hand corner," she told them with a knowing look.
Harry and Ginny took their time wandering through the multitude of brooms that were on display. There were Cleansweeps, Nimbuses, Shooting Stars and a plethora of other broom makes that they had never heard of.
Seeing their puzzled looks, the clerk smiled. "We carry broomsticks from all around the world and while most people do buy English made brooms, we do sell a fair number of ones made elsewhere," she explained.
Ginny was running her hands down the shaft of a sleek broom. Looking at the tag, she saw it was an Astro Rocket, made in the United States. While she found it nice, she didn't think it held a candle to the Firebolt.
Harry and Ginny had a great time inspecting all the different brooms and finally ended up back where the Firebolts hung on the wall.
Ginny was amazed that though they were all Firebolts, she could see subtle differences in each broom.
She noticed Harry watching her out of the corner of her eye, a wide smile on his face.
"Well, are you just going to stare at them or are you going to pick one?" he teased.
Ginny rolled her eyes as she turned her attention back to the brooms. She studied them carefully for several moments before she took one down and ran her hands along it's shaft.
While it hummed with power, something just didn't feel quite right, not that she could really pinpoint what it was. She replaced the broom before taking down another.
She did this several times until she found one that just seemed right to her. It gave her a feeling very similar to when she had finally gotten her own wand.
"This one," she breathed happily with a satisfied sigh.
Harry nodded to her and then went through the same process, finally choosing one for himself.
As they compared their choices, they were surprised to see the had sequential serial numbers and they appeared almost identical.
Their choices made, they headed back out to the counter where Harry paid what Ginny thought was an exorbitant amount of Galleons but he didn't even blink as he paid.
The clerk placed everything in a small shopping sack that obviously had an extension charm on it as the crate of Quidditch Balls and their brooms disappeared into it without a problem.
Their purchases made, they left Quality Quidditch Supplies and headed for Gringotts to see Bill.
The bank wasn't that busy so that they found themselves speaking to one of the Goblins in no time at all.
"Hello Sharpaxe, we were wondering if we might see Bill Weasley," Harry asked politely, glancing at the name plate before the Goblin.
Sharpaxe looked at Harry in surprise as Wizards never called a Goblin by their name. Then a small smile crept onto his face.
"I'm sure that he's available, Mr Potter," he remarked pleasantly, well pleasantly for a Goblin that is.
"Hooktooth," he called out. When the summoned Goblin appeared, he added, "Please escort Mr and Mrs Potter to see Bill Weasley."
Hooktooth nodded and motioned for Harry and Ginny to follow him. Behind them Sharpaxe gave a small grin. "Yes, he is a most unusual Wizard," he muttered to himself."
"Next," he cried out, once more putting the usual sneer on his face.
Harry and Ginny followed Hooktooth back into the warren of corridors. It didn't take long before they arrived outside a door. Hooktooth knocked once and not waiting for a response, opened the door.
"Mr Weasley, you have visitors," he announced.
Bill looked up in surprise when he spotted Harry and Ginny.
Hooktooth took his leave without another word.
"To what do I owe this honour?" Bill asked curiously.
"We were wondering if we could entice you and Fleur to dinner this evening so that we can get your help in setting up our Quidditch Pitch?" Ginny asked with a bright smile.
"Well, I'm happy to see you have your priorities in order," Bill laughed. "And we'd love to come for dinner and help set up your Pitch," he added with a grin.
He then gave them a sad smile. "Should I see if dad can make it?" he sighed.
Harry and Ginny shared a quick glance. "That would be wonderful," Ginny replied softly with a sad smile of her own.
"I'll take care of it, so don't you worry," Bill said with a mischievous grin, trying to lighten the mood.
"I know what that means," Ginny smirked. "What you really mean is that you'll have Fleur take care of it," she accused him knowingly.
Bill just shrugged, not even bothering to deny her accusation.
"All right, we'll get out of your hair and we'll see you later," Ginny giggled, giving her brother a kiss on the cheek.
Bill made a big production of wiping his cheek, like Ginny had given him a big sloppy kiss.
"Careful or I'll feed you out with the chickens," Ginny teased.
"You have chickens already?" Bill asked in surprise.
Ginny gave a startled look and turned to Harry. "We need to stop on the way home and buy some chickens," she giggled.
Far from being put off, Harry smiled. "Does this mean we can look at horses too?" he asked longingly.
"If we must," Ginny sighed dramatically, though Bill could tell that she wasn't serious and would indulge Harry.
"Goodbye," Ginny chirped merrily as she and Harry finally left Bill who was sitting behind his desk chuckling. He still found it amazing on how well the two of them were handling everything and if anyone deserved some happiness, it was those two.
Shaking his head, he wrote a quick note to his father and sent it off with a Gringotts' owl.
"So there, I did it myself," he huffed playfully, though he doubted his sister would believe him if he told her.
Harry and Ginny
A/N: Things are settling down, at least for the Potters. Ron and Hermione have had to come to grips with Hermione's pregnancy. Will her parents be accepting of the situation? We'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out.
As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated.