Chapter 2

When the couple reappeared into the study, Harry and Ginny took a moment to reorient themselves to their surroundings. Ginny was smiling and seemed happier than she had when Harry first came home. Time had passed while the two were inside the memory. The sunshine coming in through the windows had taken on the hues of the sun as it began its descent towards the horizon.

"How long were we in there?" Ginny seemed to be reading his mind.

"Around three hours," Harry responded quietly, "Did you enjoy it?"

"It was wonderful. I didn't know you remembered all of that so well."

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry wanted to know, "It was the best day of my life."

Ginny smiled lovingly at Harry and responded quietly; "Mine too."

"Are you ready for another one?"

"Certainly, what do you have for the next one?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," Harry said with a smile.

Harry selected the memory with the green stopper. He held it up and looked at it for a moment with a little smile. He looked over at his wife and his smile widened when he saw her looking at the vial too. "Are you ready?" "As I'll ever be," Ginny said with excitement.

"Then let's go," Harry said pouring the vial's contents into the Pensieve.

Using the tip of his wand to stir it around a bit, Harry gestured towards the Pensieve. Ginny brushed her hair out of her face and then plunged face first into the magical stone basin. Harry took a moment to smile at himself and how willingly Ginny was participating in everything, then he put his own face in the basin and followed immediately behind her.

When they had settled into the memory, Harry and Ginny were in the back of a Ministry provided motor car. Hermione was driving with Ron next to her in the front seat. It was about six months after the wedding.

"...and Mom and Dad are really happy to be back in the Burrow," Ron was saying.

"Ron, they've been there for months!" Hermione told him.

"I know, but when you look at their faces, it's easy to tell how much they like being home."

It felt crowded in the back of the car and very odd to be sitting next to themselves. Harry kept looking at Ginny as she studied herself and Harry from the memory. She had sort of a bemused smile on her face.

"What is it?" Harry asked Ginny quietly, while his memory self continued in the conversation with Ron and Hermione. Ginny was sitting blindfolded in the seat.

"I remember this! I can't believe you chose this one!"

If it had not been for the love in her eyes and her excited tone of voice, Harry would have thought that Ginny was not as happy with this memory as he was. He was glad to be wrong.

"You were awfully quiet on the drive over there."

"Well yes, I didn't know what you had planned or where we were going. Hermione wasn't saying anything and you know she would have made it clear to Ron not to either."

"Here we go," The older Harry said at the same time as his younger self. It was very awkward to hear his own voice in the exact same moment as his memory voice. The car was entering the village of Godric's Hollow. Ginny smiled broadly, as she looked over at Harry. Her demeanor became more excited in anticipation of what she remembered was coming. Harry couldn't help but return her smile. He looked in the front seat to see that Ron and Hermione were grinning now from ear to ear as well.

The drive through Godric's Hollow was a short one. The small village had changed so little over the years. Harry wondered if the muggles that lived there knew that the population of their little town was bigger than they realized, due to a fairly large population of wizards.

Harry knew of at least three families that had lived in the area at one time: his own, the Dumbledore's, and Bathilda Bagshot. He had since learned that there were others there as well. However, like most wizards who lived in close proximity to muggles, they kept pretty much to themselves. However on the day that Harry and Ginny were reliving, the population of wizards in Godric's Hollow was about to grow by two more. The Potters were moving back, only this time it was Harry and Ginny instead of James and Lily.

The Ministry car pulled around in front of the house that Harry's parents had owned while they were alive. It had fallen into disrepair over the years between their deaths and when it was passed on to Harry upon turning age seventeen. However now it was a home worth living in again.

Harry remembered being hugely excited to learn that his parent's house was now his. When he married Ginny he secretly began the process of renovating it with the help of wizards from the Ministry of Magic, Ron and Hermione helped out secretly, as did Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur, even George and Angelina when they could get away from the joke shop.

Percy and his wife had wanted to help, but she was having difficulties with her pregnancy. Percy didn't want to leave Penelope when she was having such a difficult time, even as much as he wanted to help out his only sister. Charley also wanted to help but couldn't get away from Romania while there were dragons hatching. He was too important to his job.

With the help that was available though and through his own efforts and skills that he learned as he went along, Harry was able to make great progress on the home. Now Harry was about to relive another favorite memory with Ginny: surprising her with a new house. One that they would make their own.

Ginny was watching her younger self in the blindfold quietly anticipating the events that were about to unfold. She had a funny look in her eye that Harry couldn't quite place. Eagerness, joy, and the expectations of what was unfolding now in front of them were there, yes. But also something more. Harry was watching his wife as she observed the unfolding scene.

"What is it?" She asked when she caught him staring at her.

"Nothing, I'm just watching..."

"Watching what?"

"You...well you're reactions, mostly." Harry answered truthfully.

"Are you glad you thought of this?" Ginny wanted to know.

Harry smiled at her, the love he felt for his wife clear in his eyes. "Yes, I am."

"I am too." Ginny smiled back.

The car doors were opened and everyone started climbing out, Ginny last of all. Harry and Hermione each took her gently by the hand and led her to stand in front of the gated entry into the yard. Harry was just about to remove the blindfold when Ron asked; "What about the muggles?"

"All the spells are in place." Harry reassured his friend.

"All of them?"

"Yes, Ron, all of them," Hermione answered, "Now hush so we don't spoil the surprise."

Ron looked at Ginny and his face flushed as he grinned. "She's really going to go round the twist over this one."

"Shut it, Ron." Ginny said with a grin of her own.

While watching her other, younger self, Ginny looked at her brother and back at the Harry who was in the memory with her. She said: "Ron really couldn't stand it, could he?"

"I think it was all he could do to keep his mouth shut about it. He was really excited. I think almost as much as I was." Harry replied.

"I don't know about that. I don't think it's possible to be more excited than you were on this day..."

Harry was reaching up to pull off the blindfold off Ginny's face in the memory. Then Hermione said urgently, "Wait! I forgot!"

Harry froze in place as Hermione ran forward reaching into her purse. She quickly but quietly went through the gate and then ran up to the front door. From her purse she removed a bright purple bow from it. Then using a temporary sticking charm, she affixed it to the front door of the house. She then ran back to the front walk that ran in front of the home. "Okay, ready!" She exclaimed.

"You're sure?" Ron asked.

Hermione glared at him and he hastily replied, "Yup, quite sure."

Harry smiled and then he reached up again and said, "Alright, here we go in three...two...one!" And with a flourish, he pulled the blindfold off Ginny's head.

Ginny opened her eyes and was silent for a moment. It was long enough that Ron, Harry, and Hermione traded a nervous glance. And then came her reaction.

"Is that...? What in the...? How could you...? But when did you...?" And in between each excited half phrased question was a fast, deep, high-pitched breath. Then she squealed in delight, turned around, and jumped up into a surprised Harry's arms to bestow upon him a long, deep, passionate kiss.

Hermione was watching with a happy, satisfied smile of joy and contentment. Ron was watching and his ears were turning red.

"I uh..I um..I think she likes it." Ron faltered.

"Oh, I think that's putting it mildly." Hermione agreed as her smile widened even more.

Ginny let Harry go and he took her hand. "Come on, let me show you around," Harry said.

Hermione reached forward and opened the gate for the happy couple. Harry led Ginny into the yard. All smiles and giddy with excitement, Ginny felt like she couldn't look at it all fast enough.

Harry showed her the gardens, the fountain, the trees that sheltered a small cove in the back yard, two of which were wand trees; complete with a colony of Bowtruckles. There was an herb garden with herbs for cooking and simple potions, a vegetable garden, and a small fish pond in the back yard next to a coop with some chickens and a hutch with a few rabbits.

Through it all Ginny made happy exclamations and half formed statements of surprise at a new discovery or joy at a particularly wonderful find. Harry told Ginny how Hagrid had used the same growing and engorgement charms on the trees and some of the plants that he used at Hogwarts so that the couple didn't have to wait for things to grow to enjoy their yard.

Ginny did stop in a quiet corner of the yard to stare at a little statue, half hidden in the shrubbery. Her excitement ebbed a bit as she looked closely at the statue and knelt down to read the little plaque mounted under it. It said simply- "In honor of Dobby, a free elf."

Ginny turned to Harry as they watched their younger selves looking at the yard for the first time. She had a tear in her eye.

"You really loved him, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I did. It was hard not to," Harry replied quietly.

"You know, I don't think I ever really understood that. You know, how much you cared for him, until I saw this statue in the garden there."

Harry smiled sadly in response. "I owe him so much; my life, Ron's, Hermione's, Luna's, Dean's and Mr. Olivander's. He got us all out of there."

Both Ginny's nodded, and the Ginny reliving the memory slipped her arm around her husband's waist. "I wish I could have known him."

"I know, I wish you could have too." Harry said with a reminiscent sigh.

They continued to follow the younger Harry and Ginny as well as Ron and Hermione as they continued to explore the yard. Then it was time to go inside. Walking to the front door, Ginny reached for the handle.

"Wait!" Ron said suddenly.

"What is it?" Ginny asked him, suddenly cautious.

"Harry, this is your first house together. You're supposed to carry her over the threshold."

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione turned to stare at Ron. Their mouths were open wide in wonder. Ron's ears reddened suddenly and he added; "Well, that's how it's supposed to be done, you know."

Hermione smiled broadly and shook her head in happy astonishment, "Ron, sometimes you really surprise me." Hermione said. Then she reached for him and gave him a warm embrace followed by a brief, though passionate, kiss.

Picking Ginny up and holding her cradled in his arms, Harry moved forward into the house as Ron opened the door for them.

"You know," Ginny said quietly to Harry as they followed everyone inside, "I still don't know where he got that from. He really surprises me sometimes."

Smiling and nodding in agreement, Harry wanted to respond but stopped short as Ginny reacted to the inside of the house. Harry did however get to pick Ginny up and carry her over the threshold again. She laughed at this gesture. It was a sound that Harry felt he hadn't heard in too long. He made a resolution to make sure he heard it again, and soon.

They toured the house slowly, taking each room in turn. The coat room, the sitting room with a view of the front yard. The large kitchen with all sorts of pots, pans, and room for the entire Weasley clan to gather in. Then there was the dining room with a table large enough to seat that clan and a small, intimate breakfast nook for quiet meals together. Kreacher had his own chamber, which he was currently putting into place. There was Harry's study with its desk and shelves. Upstairs were the bedrooms, and water closet, linen storage and access to the attic.

The house had been fully furnished when Harry and Ginny had moved in. There were pieces given to them by members of the Weasley family, Hagrid had made some of the furniture, and more was given to them by other friends and family. Of course Harry and Ginny had added to it over the five years that they had been together. Still, even now five years later; Harry's favorite pieces were the paintings of his parents, his Godfather with Professor Remus Lupin, and the portrait of Professor Dumbledore that was currently hanging in his study.

Ginny was going from room to room again after going through the house that first time. She was opening cupboards and drawers looking inside and exclaiming happily to find them full of things like dishes, linens, blankets, clothes, or any of the myriad of other things that you would expect to find in a home.

"This is all ours?" Ginny asked in happy disbelief.

"All ours. We just finished getting it fixed up and stuff put away last night," Harry said.

"Mum was here cooking yesterday," Ron added, "Your pantry is stocked and there's a nice dinner in the icebox,"

"That was a good dinner too," Harry whispered in Ginny's ear as they watched the memory continue to play out around them.

"It sure was, we need to have them over again soon." Ginny agreed.

"Anytime you want, my love." Harry replied as he kissed her cheek.

The happy couple continued to watch as the house and yard was toured a second and then a third time. Finally they all settled into the kitchen around the small table in the breakfast nook. Kreacher came in and heated the dinner that Mrs. Weasley had prepared and they took their time eating and reminiscing over days past and speculating on the days yet to come.

Long after the wonderful dinner Mrs. Weasley had made was eaten, the time had come for Ron and Hermione to go home. They were standing at the door planning on getting together over the coming weekend. That was when Harry reached into the pocket of his trousers and removed a ring with a few old fashioned keys on it.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Harry said smiling broadly, "I have something for you Ron, here."

Ron took the key ring and looked at Harry inquisitively; "What is this?"

"Well I have my house and you helped make it possible for us to move in now instead of having to wait. You and Hermione can have Grimmauld Place. If you want it."

The surprised looks on the faces of Ron and Hermione both made Harry grin widely.

"You mean it?" Ron asked.

"Really, Harry? Are you sure?" Hermione added weakly.

"Why not? I don't need two homes, and it saves you from having to find one of your own. If you don't want it, you don't have to take it. I just thought it might be the kind of place that you both might like," Harry explained.

Hermione ran forward and hugged Harry tightly; "Oh Harry, Thank you! We love it!"

"Yeah mate, thanks," Ron said with feeling, "You really didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I did it anyway." Harry replied.

Hermione turned to Ginny who was dumbfounded, "Are you okay?"

"Well...sure, I reckon so. I'm just surprised. I had no idea..."

Harry turned to Ginny with a huge smile, "No idea as to what?"

"About any of this! The house, this surprise, I think it's wonderful that you're giving them Grimmauld Place though!" Ginny answered.

"Having this house we don't need the other. I know it was kind of fun with us four splitting Grimmauld Place when your parents moved back to the Burrow, but I didn't want Ron and Hermione left wondering what was going to happen when we moved in here. Now everything is alright."

"Yes, I would agree with that." Hermione said.

"So would I," Ron and Ginny said at the same time. They turned and smiled at each other. When they smiled, Harry thought, you could really see the family resemblance.

Ron and Hermione left to go home. The Harry and Ginny from the memory stood in the entry of their home for a moment. Then they joined hands and quietly went upstairs to their bedroom.

"That's the end of this memory." Harry said as he gently took Ginny by the elbow and guided her out of the Pensieve.