Ginny woke the next morning to Harry's warm arms wrapped around her body; her back was pressed against him. She let her free hand touch his left hand where she felt the metal ring that she'd placed on his finger the day before. She closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the moment for as long as possible, but Harry, her husband, began to stir.
"Morning." He kissed her shoulder.
"How'd you know I was awake?"
"You've been fidgeting for a while." He tightened his hold around her. She could feel every part of his body pressing against her.
"I'm just enjoying the fact that I can be here without having to feel guilty."
"And you don't have to run home." He trailed kisses up and down her neck making her squeal.
"I am home." She wriggled free and turned to face him. His eyes were bright from the sunlight flooding into the room through the massive glass window overlooking rolling hills of green. "Our home."
He smiled, fingers trailing up and down her exposed arm. "So what are we going to do on this one day we have?"
"We could stay in bed for a few more hours."
He frowned playfully. "Sounds awfully boring."
"Boring?"
"Yeah, you know…"
She roughly pushed him onto his back and came up to straddle his hips. "Is that still boring?"
"Well…" She did not give him time to reply.
Around lunchtime the pair finally emerged from the bedroom. It was a fine day, neither warm nor cold. He was dressed in shorts and a loose t-shirt while Ginny wore a white silk night dress she'd bought especially for her wedding night. He held onto her hand while they walked down to the kitchen. She could feel the metal ring pressing against her fingers.
"I can't believe we're actually married."
He shook his head. "And living in our own home."
She let go of his hand and opened the Muggle refrigerator. There were just enough ingredients for a very late breakfast. Harry had retrieved a frying pan and lit the stove. She went to stand beside him and he wrapped an arm around her waist.
Ginny slowly wriggled free to place some bacon into the pan. It immediately began to sizzle. The mushrooms and eggs followed quickly. He tended the pan as she found some plates and toasted a few slices of bread. When everything was done they sat down by their small kitchen table.
Harry placed his hand over hers; his fingers playing with her rings. "Our first home meal."
She couldn't help but grin. "Everything feels so perfect."
"It does," he replied. "I just wish we had more time alone."
"It's just a week." She spoke more to comfort herself than him.
"One week then at least a month of nothing."
Her eyes glittered. "Sounds wonderful. As much as I love Quidditch the season is long."
"Very long." Harry nodded. "But the summer break helps. When September comes round you'll be itching to be in a game again."
"In a few months we start this all over again."
"Except for the dating thing." He grinned.
She ignored the comment. "We'll be in different groups again. So we won't have to play each other until February in the semi."
"Or the final."
Neither dared mention that they might not be playing against one another as that would mean one or both of them had lost.
"So," Harry said suddenly. "Do you want to go somewhere today or just relax?"
"We could open our presents."
"Alright, I think Kreacher put them in the living room."
Ginny jumped up, showing most of her slender legs, and hurried out of kitchen into the living room. Harry caught up. She shrieked as her feet lifted off the ground and into the air. A moment later she was dropping onto the couch. Harry crashed down next to her a second later. "Ready for presents?"
His breath touched her neck, his hand moved along her exposed leg. "I think they can wait a few minutes longer."
They went upstairs to get properly dressed after eventually opening their gifts and wasting more time on the couch. Harry, however, got this look in his eyes after putting on a sweater.
"What are you planning?" Ginny asked.
He grinned. "We can't call this a home until we've done one thing in particular." She raised an eyebrow, but he just took hold of her hand and led her outside where he raised a hand. Two brooms came flying towards them. "A little bit of Quidditch."
She laughed as he handed her a broom. "Battle of Seekers?"
His eyes glittered. "As much as I would love to I think that can wait for the final."
"Agreed, do we have a Quaffle?"
Harry looked indignant. "Do we have a Quaffle? Honestly." He flicked his wrist and a new Quaffle came flying towards them.
She grabbed it, tucked it beneath her arm, and flew up into the sky. Harry followed. The view that greeted her when she turned to face him made her stop.
"I thought you might like it up here," Harry said when he joined her.
A forest stretched for miles behind the house, while to the front rolling hills of green stretched for miles more. A few Muggle homes were visible in the distance where they stood alongside roads. Though to Muggles the two of them would not even be specks in the distance.
The house sat nestled between the hills and the forest. A small gravel road followed the natural contours of the land until it reached a minor farm road a mile away. The stream she'd heard flowed alongside the road, but it separated near the house and followed its own course along the edge of their property.
"It's beautiful. So much like the Burrow, but so different."
"So you approve?"
"I doubt I could've found a better place."
"I searched long and hard for this. I barely got the Goblins to buy it in time. Some Muggles were quite eager to buy this."
"I can see why."
"So are we going to play?" he asked.
She faced him, then shook her head. "I'd like to fly about."
"Can we at least throw the Quaffle about?" He pouted.
She grinned then threw the ball at him. He snatched it clumsily out of the air. "Good arm."
"Six brothers, you know."
"Right." He nodded before throwing it back at her. She caught it nimbly, did a small corkscrew, ball tucked expertly under her arms. When she came up she flicked the Quaffle up to him. "You enjoy playing Chaser?"
She shrugged. "I played it often enough at home."
"I've forgotten how nice it is to just through a Quaffle about."
"Yeah," she agreed. "I use to do it with Ron when we were alone at the Burrow over the summer holidays."
"Sirius," Harry said softly. "It took us both away from the war."
He threw the ball back at her; she caught it with one hand. "It helped me forget about the Chamber."
Harry arrived at the Cannons' training session feeling a bit frustrated. At that moment he wanted to be in his new home with Ginny; not out in the cold flying drills to please his coach. At least Harry understood how important these last few practises were, if not for him specifically but for the Chasers and team morale. He entered the changing room to find all the players already there getting dressed.
"How you holding up, Harry?" Edgecombe asked.
"You know where I'd rather be, Patrick." Harry replied.
"Right, but it's just a few days then you're free for the next couple of months before training starts again."
"That's if I don't make the English Quidditch team this year." Harry grumbled. "Then I'd be on a broom in just over a month again."
"But it'll be worth it."
"Yeah," Harry sighed. "It'll just be more time away from home and Ginny."
"Sacrifices of the professional Quidditch player."
"Listen up!" the coach shouted. "We've got a tough game this weekend. No funny business. This is serious. You've worked too hard all season to have those Harpies take this away from you now!"
"Yes, sir," they all agreed.
"Now stop chattering away like your wives and get onto the pitch."
Patrick and Harry snorted. "Of course, sir."
Ginny, with a hot cup of tea between her hands and dressed in the silk night dress, stood alone in the large kitchen of her new home. Harry had Apparated away to his practise session. She, however, still had a few more hours before needing to be at the Harpies stadium. Gwenog was taking things a bit easier.
Ginny walked along the long kitchen counter, a finger running along the smooth cold granite surface. If she bent over the dark stone she could see her own reflection. She stopped and leaned back against the counter. The kitchen was so much different than her mother's. The larger size, however, made it comfortable when two people cooked together.
The magical clock on the wall, a present from her parents, told her that Harry was at work. The hand with her picture on it pointed at home. It brought with it that strange, exciting feeling. This was her home. She shrieked with sudden delight, feet jogging on the spot. She stopped just before burning herself with hot tea.
"Time to do some exploring," she whispered to the large empty house.
The living room was not overly large and had a nice large fireplace that would be more than capable of warming the room. She learned that the previous afternoon when they had snuggled up against one another after opening the gifts. To the sides of the room large glass windows, the same as in the main bedroom, opened the house to the countryside.
She pushed open a glass door and stepped onto a wooden deck that led out into the garden. It was as quiet and peaceful as the Burrow. Birds chirped in the distance and a small stream could be heard running along the edge of the property.
A couple of steps led down from the deck and onto the thick lawn. She sat on the edge. A gentle breeze blew across the garden, it ruffled her untidy hair. A small sip of tea warmed her stomach. What she needed now was for Harry to be here sitting beside her. She took another sip and continued to sit enjoying the scenery while imagining a family running around. The image was so clear she lost herself in imagining the future.
A magical chime sounded inside the house making Ginny jump. She hurried inside noticing that she had been sitting outside on the deck for more than an hour. The practise session would be starting in thirty minutes. It was in that hurried state that she rushed into the changing room at the Harpies stadium.
"Married life getting to you?" Gwenog chuckled from the changing room's door.
"Harry left over an hour ago. I lost track of time while enjoying the view."
The coach frowned. "You'll have to show it to me sometime."
"We're planning on having a family dinner there soon." She did not add that for the next few weeks it was off limits to family and friends.
Gwenog snorted. "I doubt we'd want to be there now."
Some of the other teammates snickered and Ginny laughed along. There was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. She hurriedly got dressed and was ready just before her teammates.
"Right, let's get going. We've got our plays down, we just need to refine them a bit and ensure they are perfect." She eyed Ginny. "No need to go killing ourselves this week like the Cannons."
The team began to walk down the corridor leading out onto the pitch. Victoria joined her. "Have you thought much about how you are going to beat Harry?"
"A bit," Ginny replied. "It's not going to be easy, but he might have a few weaknesses."
"Really?"
"Not really, but I'm sure I can manage something."
Victoria looked concerned. "Have you flown against him before? Or did he just instruct you?"
"No, we flew against one another during the training month I spent with him. Didn't go too well for me."
Victoria's frowned deepened. "I guess we need to get that score up as quickly as possible."
"I am going to try my best." Ginny hoped she sounded as determined as she felt. "I'm not playing this negative game of other Seekers. I am going to fly to win!"
Victoria clapped Ginny on the shoulder. "That's the spirit, but while you're up there with him make sure he doesn't get the bloody thing before we have a lead."
Ginny gave a firm nod, but that was easier said than done. She knew how difficult it was to keep him away from the Snitch. The man just came up from behind and slipped past Seekers. The easiest way she knew to stop him was to catch it herself and that was something she'd grown rather good at.
Harry arrived to an empty and dark home. "Ginny!" he called out. There was no response.
"Kreacher," Harry said.
"Yes, Master." The little elf said after appearing beside Harry.
"It's, Harry." The house elf smiled in his weird manner making Harry groan. "Has Ginny come home yet?"
"No, Mistress is not home from Quidditch."
"Thank you, Kreacher. You can go relax now."
Harry trudged up to their room. He was in desperate need of a shower. His practise kit did not smell too good and his hair was matted from all the dives he'd practised. The hot water running over his body eased tired muscles. He was still very young, but the years of preparing to fight Voldemort and the four years at the peak of the game was beginning to take its toll. He wondered how many more years he had left in him?
Would he still be able to stop Ginny from getting to the Snitch before him? She had grown so much as a person and player since the previous summer. She flew faster, more aggressively, and with greater determination. His hand brushed through his wet hair. Did he still have what it takes to beat her? She was younger and more talented.
"You alright there, Harry?" Ginny spoke from the bathroom door.
He looked to the side. "Just thinking."
She slipped out of her pale green Harpies kit and joined him. "About what?"
He turned around and held her in his arms. For a moment he admired the freckles on her nose. "How many more years I've got left in me."
Her eyes widened fractionally. "Tired of Quidditch?"
"No," he shook his head. "I am just beginning to realise how much I've punished this body. Between Voldemort, Malfoy and Qudditch I've been hurt too many times." He leaned down and tenderly kissed her lips. "But I've got a few more years in me yet."
She placed her head against his chest. Her fingers traced known paths across pale scars she knew were there. "Just promise me you'll tell me when you don't feel up to it anymore."
"Of course."
Ginny lay curled up against Harry, her head on his shoulder while his arm wrapped itself around her back. He was breathing steadily, already fast asleep. Sleep did not come so easily for her. She let a finger trail up and down his arm, careful not to wake him. Tomorrow was the final and her mind refused to let her sleep.
She could see herself failing over and over again. Harry always managed to get to the Snitch first. Her team, the Harpies fans, would be relying on her to defend against Harry. No matter how much she'd been thinking about it over the year, she had still not managed to think of a way to defeat him.
Those thirty odd defeats in the training month did not help ease her worries. They were like a horrible nightmare, each defeat being replayed over and over again. She thought about each game and how he always managed to have the extra needed to win.
There had to be a way, but as her eyes finally closed from exhaustion a plan had yet to formulate.
A/N
I know this chapter is short, but it's just a little breather before the big show. You can almost read this chapter as an epilogue as it gives a slight look into what a future might be like.
The final is written, the last words saved. The word count for the final chapter is just over 11 000 making it slightly less than three times longer than the average chapter length of this story. So when it comes out be ready for some reading. Get either your orange or green shirt ready because one thing is for sure, neither team is going to trample the other. Or be chicken like Ron and wear both!
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this little chapter!