Harry and Ginny: A Love Story

Chapter 6: Growing together

The four Quidditch players had just arrived back into the house when Molly came up to Harry and said "Would it be OK if I borrowed Hedwig to send a message to Minerva?"

Harry smiled at Molly, "I'm sure she'll be glad to have something to do."

"Thank you Harry, I'll just dash off the note and then Hedwig can take it as soon as she's able," Molly replied, her smile matching Harry's.

"I'm pretty sure she's still out hunting, but I'll check, I want to put my broom away anyway," he said, as he went to the stairs.

Harry put his broom in his room, glancing at Hedwig's perch as he did so. Just as he expected she was still out somewhere. He couldn't help but smile, knowing that Hedwig was off flying free somewhere instead of being locked up in her cage for most of the summer.

"Ginny, let your Mum know that Hedwig is still out somewhere," Harry sent.

"Will do Harry," Ginny replied. "What are you up to?"

"Well if you must know, I need to use the loo," Harry sent back with a grin. He found it strange that he and Ginny seemed to "feel" things like grins and smiles even though they weren't really emotions or thoughts.

Taking care of business, he made his way back down to the kitchen where he found Ginny helping her Mum prepare dinner.

"Molly,may I please have something to drink?" Harry asked, his voice small and soft, as if he was doing something wrong.

Molly heard the tone of his voice and once again she could tell it was something that Harry seemed loathed to do.

"Harry, dear, you can always have something to drink if you're thirsty, you don't need to ask," she said kindly, making sure she gave him an encouraging smile as she did so.

"Thank you," he replied bashfully as he went and poured himself some juice.

He then sat down and watched Molly and Ginny working together preparing dinner. He couldn't help but smile at the fun time they seemed to be having, as opposed to the drudgery that his Aunt had made making a meal seem.

She had finally forced Harry to prepare most meals, especially breakfast and lunch, not really trusting him to make dinner without sneaking some for himself. Not that Harry ever had, the consequences of being caught being so severe that he didn't wish to chance it.

Ginny felt Harry's longing and she turned and smiled at him. "Would you like to help?" she asked.

Harry broke out into a huge smile, "I'd love to," he replied.

Ginny motioned for Harry to join her at the sink where she was peeling potatoes. Molly watched carefully and was impressed with Harry's skill with the knife Ginny handed him. He deftly peeled the potatoes, actually doing more than Ginny managed.

"Harry, you are pretty good at that," Molly said in praise.

Harry found himself blushing, "Well I've had plenty of practice," he replied.

Ginny felt his unease at answering her Mum. "What is it, Harry?" she asked, concerned for what she was feeling.

"I was made to cook most of the meals since I was pretty young and I use to get punished if I did anything wrong," he replied to her.

Ginny looked at him in disbelief and Molly noticed her look at Harry. "What is it Ginny?" she asked.

"Please don't tell," Harry said, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"She needs to know Harry," Ginny sent back, her inflection letting him know that she would not take no for an answer.

"Really?" Harry asked, fearfully.

"It will be OK, Harry," Ginny sent compassionately.

"OK," Harry finally sent back to Ginny, his head hanging down.

Molly watched the two youngsters carefully and she knew they seemed to be having some kind of disagreement. She could see Harry's apprehension and finally his acquiescence to Ginny.

She saw Ginny take a deep breath, calming herself, "Harry was made to help in the kitchen since he was young and if he did anything wrong his Aunt or Uncle would punish him. That and they hardly let him eat any of what he was forced to prepare for his relatives, sometimes having to go without eating for days at a time."

Molly was doubly shocked. She had known that his Aunt had treated him poorly, but this was the first she had heard of him being starved on a consistent basis.

"Harry, you know you don't have to help if you don't want to," Molly said kindly.

She saw his eyes tear up a little," But I want to help here," he said emphatically. "I want to be a part of this family and everyone here seems to help out, so I want to too."

"Trust me Harry, with eight people living here, there will always be plenty to do. I'm not sure how chores were divided up were you lived before, but here everyone does their fair share," Molly said with a smile.

"OK," Harry said, a bit defiantly, "but I won't be a burden."

Molly noted to herself, this was the second time Harry had said something along those lines. Shaking her head, she could only imagine the life he had before he had come to live with them.

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Minerva McGonagall sat down in her office, trying to assess her situation unimpassionately. She could pack up and leave Hogwarts a couple of days early but that would tip her hand to Albus immediately. Of course waiting had it's down sides too.

She wondered how long it would take for Albus to find out that Auror Tonks' memory had been modified and then to find out who had done so.

Minerva sipped her tea, knowing she wouldn't run. She hadn't ever before and she sure wasn't going to start now. Satisfied that she had made her decision all she had to do now was plan out the next several days.

She knew she had been very fortunate that Albus was away and that she had fortuitously been the one who had been there to meet Tonks. To her it just proved that Fate was on her side in wanting to keep Harry safe, even from his relatives.

She really did feel bad about having to Obliviate the young Auror but she couldn't take a chance right at this moment. She hoped that in the future that maybe Tonks would make a good ally. She knew they were going to need them in the future and not just against Albus Dumbledore. Harry's fate still had to be met and fulfilled for better or worse.

Minerva was just having her second cup of tea and another biscuit when she heard a tapping at her window. Getting up and making her way to the window, she was surprised to see Harry's owl, Hedwig.

Hoping nothing was amiss, she hurriedly opened the window and let the beautiful Snowy Owl in.

"What do you have there for me?" Minerva said softly.

Hedwig dropped the message onto Minerva's desk and hooted appreciatively when the Professor rubbed her neck, gently smoothing her feathers as she tenderly stroked the owl.

Minerva shared a biscuit and gave Hedwig a drink of water from a carafe that she conjured. After butting the Professor's hand affectionately, Hedwig hopped over to the window and flew away.

Minerva watched the majestic flight of the owl as she receded from view. With a sigh, she turned her attention to the note, and noticed that the handwriting was Molly's and not Harry's.

She used her wand to open the magic seal and quickly read the letter.

Dear Minerva,

I'm writing to let you know of several things that have come up concerning our charge.

His clothes are in deplorable condition, most being eight to ten sizes too big. I have supplemented his wardrobe with some hand-me-downs from my older children and they will be OK for now. The major concern at this time is the pieces of clothing that are not available, tee shirts, underwear and socks.

Our Charge has been quite adamant about wanting to pay for these things himself. His words on more than one occasion have been "I will not be a burden."

I have also noted some indications that his previous home life was far from adequate or safe. If not subject to outright abuse, I'm sure he was subject to deliberate neglect.

I will keep you informed on developments along those lines.

Now on another subject, the connection between our charge and his "friend" seems to be increasing and it has been fun watching them as they progress.

Please feel free to stop by any time and let me know your thoughts on dealing with our little problem.

Sincerely,

Molly Weasley

Minerva set the note down and contemplated everything that she had read. She was also sure that Harry's home life before his change of residence was more troublesome that he had let on.

She also knew they'd have to think carefully about how to handle Harry's stubborn resistance about his wardrobe and who would be paying for it. She had tried to let Molly know that as a single woman with a large ancestral home and a good salary, she would be more than willing to handle most of the financial obligations that Harry would require.

She had hoped that Molly's own stubborn streak would not be a problem and she assumed she would have to broach that topic again.

Looking at the time, she realized she had another end of year meeting to attend and since Albus was away till late this evening, she could get out of it as at least one of them needed to be there.

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Tonks found herself back at Privet Drive, watching over number four. She frowned as she thought there was something important concerning what she was doing there but she was interrupted by her relief showing up.

Sighing, she was glad that her shift was at an end and she'd have a chance to have a couple of days off as this had become a most boring assignment. She gave her update to Dedalus Diggle and left for a well earned rest.

She Apparated away to her small flat, changed and made herself dinner. At first she had relished being on her own but lately her solitary existence was becoming more and more unbearable and she wished she had someone to share her life with.

Her schedule made having a normal relationship difficult and more than once a young wizard had made disparaging remarks about her being married to her work or too tired or unavailable for normal dating activities.

She put her dirty dishes in the sink, promising herself that she'd get to the growing pile tomorrow, or the next day at the latest.

Sighing she pulled the comforter off the chair, grabbed her book and curled up on the couch. She had been trying to finish it for more than a month but seemed to be having trouble making any headway.

She tried to focus on the page, but in a short time, she found the words beginning to blur and once again she succumbed to the tiredness that held sway over her. Slowly her eyes drifted shut and the book slid from her hand as she fell asleep on the couch once again.

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Albus Dumbledore arrived back at Hogwarts late in the evening. He was very tired from the long days he was suffering through. Not only did he have a full day running Hogwarts but he had all the added work of trying to track down Voldemort and keep his followers at bay.

He made his way back to his office and sat down heavily. Though late he still had several hours of work he wanted to get done before heading off to bed. Taking a deep breath and helping himself to a lemon drop he grabbed the top parchment off the stack sitting on his desk and got to work.

Several tedious hours later, Albus was please with the dent he had made in the stack of parchments that had accumulated on his desk. As he sat there nursing a glass of Ogden's finest he decided to check to see how the wards around Harry were recharging.

Going to a side table, he pulled out one of several small complicated devices and tapped it with his wand. He watched as gears began to turn and a whitish smoke began to pour forth from a small pipe that stuck up from one side.

Albus watched with increasing apprehension, the volume of smoke was quite a bit less than he had anticipated. Though not where he had hoped it to be it was still at an acceptable level but it would warrant further watching. If things did not improve soon, Albus knew he'd need to make a trip to Surrey and check the wards himself.

Sighing, he headed off to bed, adding that task to his seemingly endless list of things that needed to be done. As he settled into his bed and prepared to turn off the light, he mentally added checking with the team of people he had enlisted to keep an eye on Harry.

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Harry awoke to the feeling of something tickling his nose, sleepily he waved a hand across his face but it met nothing. He tried to go back to sleep but what ever was tickling his nose returned.

As Harry became more awake, he realized the Ginny was right next to him, the Bond pin-pointing her location. Schooling himself so not to give anything away, he waited for Ginny to tickle him again.

As soon as she did, Harry reached out suddenly with his arm and wrapped it around Ginny's waist, pulling her swiftly into his bed.

He heard Ginny squeal as he grabbed her and she tumbled onto the bed and fell across his body. Popping his eyes open, he was surprised to find Ginny sprawled across his hips, her pretty bum framed by her taunt pjs.

He kept her there with his arm and since he had pulled her in a little, her feet didn't reach the floor any more and he had complete control over her.

Laughing and squealing, Ginny struggled to get away, but her awkward position and Harry's strength kept her firmly in place.

"Harry! Let me go," Ginny squealed, laughing and giggling as she kicked her feet and legs in an attempt to escape.

"Oh, so you don't like it when the shoe is on the other foot, eh?" Harry said with a grin.

Ginny kept struggling and Harry could feel her emotions as he held her. Part of her was embarrassed at her position but another part found it quite exhilarating.

For some inexplicable reason, Harry had the urge to playfully spank the lovely bottom before him. He hoped to teach her a lesson, but in reality he didn't want to hurt her any.

Adjusting his position, Ginny seemed to become aware of what Harry intended.

For a moment, her struggling ceased but then with renewed effort she struggled twice as hard. Harry almost lost his grip on her but then with a sudden move, he had Ginny firmly in his grasp once more.

"Please Harry!" Ginny pleaded. "I promise never to do it again."

"I'm sure you won't," Harry sent with a chuckle.

"Oh, please Harry," Ginny begged, trying desperately to free herself.

Ginny suddenly froze again as Harry raised his hand, her eyes widened as she felt Harry's hand begin to descend.

Smack, smack, smack, Harry's hand came down on Ginny's unprotected bottom. He was actually hitting her quite lightly, it was the shock more than anything that surprised Ginny.

Ginny squealed and kicked, making a big fuss, trying to escape Harry's "punishment", though in reality she found the experience quite confusing.

Though she was experiencing some minor discomfort, she was also experiencing something totally different. A warm glow seemed to spread from where Harry's hand was connecting with her and she found the sensation not all that unpleasant. In fact the longer that Harry spanked her, the more the feelings of enjoyment spread through her.

After a good dozen light smacks, Harry paused. "Learn your lesson?" he asked.

He was surprised when she didn't answer immediately, and the feelings he got through the Bond were quite confusing. While at one level she wasn't happy that she had been overpowered by Harry, on another level she found her situation quite intriguing. Her bottom didn't hurt per se, in fact if she had to put a feeling to what she was experiencing, she'd have to say it was actually quite exhilarating.

Harry felt Ginny's emotions and he blushed deeply at what he was getting through the Bond. He quickly let go of Ginny as if suddenly she was as hot as glowing iron.

He was very surprised when she just lay there for a moment and he could feel her embarrassment at the situation.

"I'm sorry," Harry sent shakily, not knowing what had just really taken place.

"It's OK, Harry," Ginny sent back. "I kind of instigated things and they got a little out of control."

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, not trusting what he was feeling from her. He couldn't conceive that she would have actually enjoyed what had just taken place.

Ginny stood and slowly rubbed her bottom, the whole time looking at Harry with a strange look in her eye. She found herself contemplating the warmth of her bottom that had spread and she was feeling things physically she had never experienced before.

"Ginny?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Ginny met his eyes for a moment before she dropped her gaze, refusing to meet his searching look. She was blushing deeply, in fact Harry had never seen her blush any more deeply than she was at that moment.

Harry reached out slowly, his hand shaking slightly and took hold of Ginny's arm. She watched his hand closely, following it from start to finish as it came to rest on her, gripping her loosely and then gently pulling her to him.

Harry shifted over on his bed and drew Ginny in next to him. She snuggled into his side, hiding her face in his chest, trying to get her emotions back under control. Never would she have though that she'd find someone smacking her bottom so stimulating.

"Hey," Harry whispered, "Are you OK?"

Ginny just nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak, though she did hug herself tighter to him. Her thoughts were very chaotic, not understanding what she was feeling and she knew it was something she could never bring herself to talk to her mother about.

Harry gently rubbed her back as he tried to calm her. He settled lower in the bed until he was level with her. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and just held her.

Slowly he felt her embarrassment fade as she relaxed into his embrace. "I'm sorry Harry, I promise I won't do that again."

"You did nothing wrong, I'm the one who should apologize," Harry countered. "I don't know what came over me, I should never have done. . . . that to you."

Ginny giggled softly, "The thing is I kind of liked what you did," she said, her blush returning.

Harry felt himself blushing right along with her, he didn't know why exactly, but he knew that he and Ginny had both enjoyed what had happened.

Though they were both blushing, they looked into one another's eyes, leaned slowly towards the other and softly kissed. They felt the warmth and love blossom between them, Ginny just tucked her head against his chest and he tightened his embrace around her.

Harry gently reached up and ran the back of his hand down Ginny's cheek. His mind was a-whirl with his thoughts.

He couldn't understand what was happening, he knew that the things he and Ginny were feeling weren't things normal eleven and twelve year-old's felt. He suspected it had to do with the Bond they were forming, or had formed, he wasn't quite sure which.

He wish that someone would be able to answer their questions about the Bond and what all would happen. He loved the mind to mind connection and now that he had it, he couldn't see how he could live without it.

He realized that since he had rescued Ginny from Tom and the Chamber that his feelings had definitely changed. Before he had saved her, he had never thought about a future, a wife, kids and everything that went with an adult life.

Now, he just knew that he and Ginny would be together. It surprised him because he couldn't tell how that had changed. He knew in his mind that it had to do with what had happened in the Chamber, but in his heart, it felt like he had always felt that way.

Harry let his thoughts drift away from the weighty things he had been contemplating and he turned his attention back to the warm, wonderful, girl that he held in his arms.

He noticed she had fallen back to sleep, as if their actions earlier had drained her and she needed to recover before getting up and starting their day.

Harry found himself smiling and he realized that Ginny's head was just below his on his chest and he was inhaling her amazing fragrance once again. A year ago if someone would have said that the aroma of a girl was the thing he probably liked the best in the whole wide world, he would have called them a nutter.

Now he knew that fact was true and he wouldn't have it any other way. He gently leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the top of Ginny's head. Harry felt Ginny shift subtly and he felt her happiness through their Bond. He marvelled again at the Bond and how it had changed his life and he knew that he wouldn't change it if he could.

They had been cuddled together for about ten minutes when Harry heard Molly calling them from down stairs. He gently shook Ginny and as she stirred, he softly kissed her one more time and he saw her smile at him, "Your Mum just called us for breakfast," he said softly.

They got up and Harry couldn't help but look at Ginny. He could see her body was just that of a normal eleven year old girl, but he knew that they both didn't feel like kids any more.

Harry felt Ginny's annoyance, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"My dressing gown is in the wash and I'd really hate to have to change before I go down for breakfast, by the time I get there Ron and the Twins will have eaten everything in sight."

Harry just reached for his dressing gown and offered it to Ginny, "Here," he said, holding it so Ginny could put it on.

Ginny smiled shyly, "What are you going to wear?" she asked.

Harry just grabbed a tee shirt and put it on, "I'll be fine with this," he said with a grin.

Together they reached for each other's hands and as the grasped the others they descended out and down the stairs, ready for breakfast and eager to start their day.

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Molly sat down watching Ron closely. He was eating his breakfast calmly, though he kept glancing at the stairs as if was waiting for someone. She saw the look on his face change as she heard two people descending and from the sounds they were making she knew it wasn't the twins so it had to be Ginny and Harry.

Molly sighed, she just couldn't understand Ron's continued hostility towards his friend and his sister. She had hoped that by explaining they had a Bond that he would have become more receptive to their being together, but it looked like that hope had been unfounded.

"Ron, would you care for some more to eat?" she asked, hoping to distract him.

"Yeah Mum, that would be great," he replied, as he turned his attention to her.

Molly filled his plate and turned to Ginny and Harry. She was surprised by their subdued manner, though still holding hands, they were definitely acting different than they had been before.

They kept giving each other sly glances and they blushed whenever they did so. Though she did notice that they smiled at each other too, so she wasn't sure what was going on.

She served them breakfast and they ate in seeming silence, though they did spend allot of time staring at one another and she wondered if they were mind speaking. Sighing, she realized that they had entered a realm where few had ever been and well beyond the understanding of most.

"So Ginny, what should we do today?" Harry asked.

"Let's go swimming!" Ginny sent enthusiastically.

Harry blushed and looked embarrassed.

"What's wrong Harry?" Ginny asked, concerned with what she was feeling from Harry.

"Well, I, ah you see, I don't know how to swim," Harry replied, his gaze flitting from Ginny to the floor and back several times.

Ginny got a determined look on her face, "Well, we'll just have to fix that," she said with a smile. Ginny turned to her Mum, "Hey Mum, I was wondering if we could go swimming this morning?"

"That sounds like fun, Ginny," Molly replied, not quite understanding what Ginny wanted. "I think you'll have a great time."

"Ah, Mum. I was kind of hoping that you'd come with us," Ginny said slyly. "See Harry doesn't know how to swim and I was hoping that you could help teach him."

Molly's face lit up, "I has been quite a while since I went swimming with you kids. You know that sounds like a good idea. Ron would you like to come too?"

Ron looked at his mother and then to Harry and Ginny. Swimming did sound like a fun thing to do, but it would mean hanging out with Harry and his sister. Deciding he didn't wish to miss out on the fun he replied, "Yeah Mum, that sounds like fun."

Molly smiled at him, hoping that when they all got in the water and began to have a good time, maybe Ron would loosen up around Ginny and Harry.

Since Ron was done eating he headed up to get his suit on and his mother called after him. "Wake up Fred and George, tell them if they want breakfast to get down here soon or they'll have to fend for themselves. Also tell them we're going swimming and if they want to come they'd better hurry."

Ron ran up the stairs to deliver his Mum's message and get ready for the day.

Molly looked thoughtful, "We'll need to find a suit that will fit Harry. I'm sure there is something around from one of the boys that will work just fine."

Harry was still blushing and Molly noticed. "Don't be embarrassed Harry. If you haven't had someone teach you, it's nothing to be ashamed of. We'll fix it up right quick and before you know it you'll be having just as much fun as the others."

Harry smiled, bolstered by Molly's words and the encouraging feeling he was getting from Ginny.

He and Ginny began to eat faster, eager to get done so that they could get ready too, Harry feeding off of Ginny's enthusiasm. He kept looking at her and matching her smile as they finished eating.

They heard a loud noise from the stairway and the Twins came charging into the kitchen. They were smiling and quite boisterous, obviously excited about going swimming too.

"Well, from the sounds of it, I should tell you two we're going swimming every day. I've never seen you come down for breakfast so fast," she said with a laugh.

The Twins unabashedly looked at their mother as they dug into their breakfasts with gusto. "Works for us Mum," they replied together.

As Molly spoke with Fred and George, Ginny headed into the laundry room and returned with two swimsuits. Both were somewhat faded but otherwise in usable condition.

"Here Harry," she said, "Try these on and see which one fits better."

Since they were done breakfast, he and Ginny headed off up to get changed. They exited their rooms at the same time and Harry was taken with Ginny's one piece suit. She was just starting to develop her womanly features and he found he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Ginny blushed, but continued to smile, "Stop it, Harry," she sent.

"Sorry, Ginny. It's just I've never seen a girl in a swimsuit before and you look really nice in it," he replied shyly.

Ginny looked down at her body, "It's not like I really have any boobs yet, I'm still pretty girlishly shaped."

Harry blushed again, "Yeah but you're starting to develop some," he said before he thought about it. Realizing what he had said, his hand flew to his mouth covering it, not thinking about the fact that he hadn't spoken out loud.

Ginny blushed slightly but couldn't help but giggle at Harry's reaction. Shaking her head and offering him her hand, they headed down to the kitchen to meet with the others before heading out to the swimming hole down at the small stream that flowed through the back of the Weasley's property.

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More by chance than planning they all congregated at the same time and headed out. The Twins and Ron ran ahead, eager to get to the swimming hole first.

Molly, Ginny and Harry followed behind at a more leisurely pace. Harry and Ginny hand in hand while Molly watched them as they walked happily along, giggling and laughing for some reason that Molly had no idea about.

She was just happy that Ginny didn't seem to be suffering any lasting effects from her experiences this past school year. If anything she seemed happier than she had ever seen her daughter.

By the time they arrived, Ron and the Twins were already in the water, splashing and trying to dunk one another.

Harry nervously kicked off his trainers and laid his glasses down with his towel. He was gratified when Molly and Ginny took him a little up stream from the deep part where the boys were. They waded in till harry was about chest deep, with Molly and Ginny quite close to him.

Ginny smiled encouragingly at him and he began to relax a little. Molly began to speak to him and started having him learn to float on his back, get comfortable floating face down and just all in all getting comfortable in the water.

At first Harry found it a little intimidating but with gentle instruction from Molly, who was ready with a helping hand when needed, and encouragement from Ginny he soon found himself getting the basics down.

He soon graduated to pushing off, reaching out with his hands and kicking his feet and legs hard, propelling himself through the water. He found his confidence growing with each passing minute and it wasn't that long till he found himself learning to use his arms and finally learning to breath properly as he swam along.

It was close to lunch time by the time he had really gotten it. He had swum across the end of the swimming hole to Ginny on the far side and when he reached her he couldn't help but smile widely at the progress he had made.

Ginny was ecstatic at how fast he had caught on and she couldn't help but hug him tightly when he reached her.

Molly left them, with Harry continue to practice while she went and packed a quick picnic lunch for the six of them. By the time she returned, Harry was swimming quite well and he and Ginny had swum several short races back and forth across the swimming hole.

It was with a huge grin that he exited the water with Ginny to eat lunch. Ginny could feel his happiness radiating off of him as they sat on a blanket and they shared their lunch.

After they were done eating and everyone was getting ready to go back in the water, Harry went over to Mrs Weasley and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you Molly," he said emotionally. "I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me that you would take the time to teach me to swim."

Molly returned his hug, tears forming in her eyes as she realized just how poorly he had been treated before he had come to live at the Burrow.

"You're welcome, Harry," she whispered to him as she returned his hug. She saw Ginny's eyes glistening too, as she shared Harry's feelings of elation, feeling more and more like the member of a true family and that filled him with happiness and wonder.

Ron and the Twins had returned to swimming as Harry had thanked Molly and the Twins had ganged up on Ron, dunking and splashing him unmercifully. As he got away for a minute, he turned without thinking, "Ginny!" he called out. "I'm getting murdered here, how about coming and helping?" just as he had in the past.

Ginny shot him a look, but then shrugged, looking at Harry and sending "How about it Harry?"

Harry smiled at her and taking her hand they ran down and off the short dock, jumping into the water and dousing the Twins with their combined splashes.

Sputtering as they surfaced, the Twins looked at them in shock. "This means war!" they shouted and before you knew it all five kids were involved in a massive splashing and dunking fight.

Everyone was laughing and giggling, having a great time. Molly sat on the edge of the dock, her feet dangling in the water, watching her children, and she included Harry in that group, having a wonderful time, just being children.

Finally everyone began to tire and they wearily made their way back up onto the blanket and towels, grabbing drinks and a few of the remainders of lunch as they flopped down.

Harry went to get his glasses and he found himself next to Ron who was looking at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Harry," Ron began. "I know I've been something of a prat lately but I just don't understand you being with Ginny."

Harry looked at Ron and sighed. "Ron," he began, "you are my first friend I ever had and probably my best mate, but you need to understand that what I have with Ginny is something totally different," he said, searching for the right words.

"While you're my mate, Ginny is my Soul-mate and because of that she comes first to me now. Something happened down in the Chamber. What I can't really begin to tell you, we're still coming to terms with it ourselves. I still want to be your friend, but to do so you need to accept me and Ginny, that's all there is to it."

Ron nodded, "Thanks Harry, while I don't understand what's going on, I'll try and accept you two together. I just have a hard time with it, you know?" he said hopefully.

Harry nodded, things weren't back to where they were but it was a start and he hoped that things would continue to improve from here. While Ron could be thick headed at times, he was still a staunch friend and Harry needed every one he could get.

He made his way back over to Ginny, who looked at him and smiled. She had felt what had happened with Ron and while she didn't know exactly what had been said, she knew that things were different and held the promise of getting even better. Taking Harry's hand in hers, she leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder, happier than she had ever been before.

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A/N: So Ron seems to be coming around, Albus is beginning to wonder what is happening and we'll see how long it takes him to find out that Harry isn't where he thinks he is.

Harry continues to grow into his new family and he and Ginny are still figuring out what the Bond means.

As always please review, I won't beg, well maybe just a little. Please help me retain a little of my dignity and review.