A/N: The battle is starting to near and there is much to do!
Not enormously distracted at the moment except by some foster kittens... once they're old enough I'll let them nap on my lap while I write. I am sure they'll find that an acceptable compromise.
Thank you for the beta-reading, Meg (megonagall410)
Harry and Ginny walked to his office after breakfast.
"I guess with Peter gone, you actually don't need Gwyn anymore," Ginny said.
"It's a good thing I found something else for you to do as well," he said with a smile. He turned to her. "I wouldn't have asked you to go. You are the best guard there is. Maybe you'd get some more free time, your own room away from me..."
"It is convenient he has to appear less now, gives me liberty to do what I want," she told him.
"Just know I will have to stop paying you," he said.
She smiled smugly. "You moved that responsibility to your future wife. I'll have a word with your advisor..."
He nodded. "I see, looks like I made a mistake there. Of course your money is my money so it's really going in circles in the end..."
"It's the thought of being paid that counts," she said jokingly.
"Oh," Harry said. "I should try that sometime."
She nodded excitedly. "You absolutely should."
They reached his office, and they walked in. Neville was already inside.
"Good morning, Neville," Ginny greeted.
"Morning." He turned to Harry. "I have the results. Are you ready to hear who your new council members are?"
Harry nodded.
"So as current members, we have the Lords Kingsley, Elphias and Dedalus, who all agreed to remove the other council members for obvious reasons. The candidates were Lord Dean, Lord Cormac, Lady Minerva, Lady Romilda, Lord Filius and Lord Mundungus," Neville read from his paper. "Your new council members are Lord Dean, Lord Filius and Lady Minerva. They should be here in a minute."
"Great, thanks Neville," Harry said.
"I guess Dean owes me one," Ginny said. "But he was right about his father."
"Dean doesn't owe you too much," Harry retorted.
Neville looked up curiously, looking between them but wisely chose not to ask.
"Harry is a bit jealous of Dean because we danced a few times," she explained.
"He seemed to like you well enough," Harry said. "You were always laughing."
Ginny shot a look at Neville and then turned to Harry. "We played a little game called 'How many times has the King looked at you'. It was pretty funny," she said. "We lost count."
Neville bit his lip and glanced away, trying to hide his smile.
"You had already proposed to me the first time I met Dean, trust me he was not on my mind," she said with a smile. "Neville, turn around."
Neville sighed and turned around. She pulled Harry close and kissed him softly.
"It's not like I don't know what you're doing!" Neville said.
Ginny chuckled and let go of Harry. "You can turn back."
Neville turned around with a judging look.
"Well, we aren't married yet. Have to keep it decent," she casually commented.
There was a knock on the door and the three of them looked up.
"That'll be the council," Neville said, opening the door to let them in.
Kingsley stepped inside first, the new members of the council behind him. He bowed at both Harry and Ginny. "It's nice to have some new blood in the council." He looked at Ginny. "How is your back?"
"Better, I hardly feel it anymore," she assured him with a smile.
He stepped to the side to present the new members. "This is Lord Filius," he said, pointing at a tiny man who bowed promptly.
Ginny had seen him before, but they had never talked.
"And this is Lady Minerva, who has kindly set aside her retirement plans to grace us with her presence," he said.
"My late husband spent many years on the council, I know the value of it, and I am happy to help out." She looked at Harry, almost smiling. "There are only so many parties you can organise in a year anyway."
"Very appreciated," Harry told her.
"And last but not least, Lord Dean," Kingsley said. "Our youngest council member. It's nice to see someone from your family back on the council."
Dean smiled. "It's an honour to be able to do so. I hope I can live up to my father's legacy."
Shacklebolt patted his arm. "I am sure you will."
"And I suppose with that, our new advisor has been introduced as well," Harry said. "He had the misfortune of already having to fix this mess."
"I guess it's nice not to be the only new guy," Neville told him. "Let's start the first new council."
Ginny sat across from Neville, it was almost time for dinner, but she wanted to wrap up the whole story of her and Harry before then.
"Honestly with the way you look at each other, and the kissing, I would have thought something more already happened," Neville commented with a suggestive quirk of his eyebrow.
"I did suggest it once but... he refused.." She shrugged. "Just as well, he was right that we should wait. And it'll be nice to keep for the wedding."
"We need to talk about that soon too," he said. "All the rituals. And we need to talk to the High Priestess."
She nodded. "I know but we have pretty much decided, we just need to plan it out in more detail."
Neville looked at her and smiled. "Then you make it easy for me. I can just note things down. Less work." He looked at her for a moment. "I never expected you to fall in love as you did. I expected you to be a cool single Knight forever."
Ginny smiled. "It was impossible not to fall in love with him. It was very involuntary but then suddenly I was in too deep. Reg discouraged me from pursuing it, and of course I didn't..."
The door opened and Harry appeared. "Neville, have you seen—" His eyes landed on her and he smiled. "Oh, there you are."
"I know, I should get to dinner, but I was telling Neville how things happened between us. The unabridged version Regulus didn't get," she said.
Harry walked in and took the chair beside her. "Should I be worried? How much detail are you giving?"
She smiled apologetically. "Plenty."
A blush tinted his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. "Right."
"He has kept my identity safe for years, I think he can handle a few details," she said. "Where was I?"
"You weren't pursuing Harry," Neville said.
"Right. But he found out I was a Princess and he proposed to me and offered to get Harpia back," she said. "I didn't believe it at first. It's everything I could ever want." She looked over at him. His eyes were focused softly on her and he smiled. "And I decided I wanted all of it. Princess, Knight, Queen, Harpia... Once I said yes, things just started falling into place, I guess. Finding out the traitor was really the cherry on top."
Harry nodded in agreement. "I never felt in charge because I became King so young. The council members were all older and wiser... Peter 'advised' me a ton at the start, and I didn't know any better..." He looked sad, he shook his head. "Now with new members and Neville, for the first time I feel like I am in charge of it. I am making choices and I know why."
Ginny put her hand on his arm. "I have turned your life upside down a little," she admitted.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he told her fondly as he stared into her eyes.
Neville coughed, reminding them he was also still in the room. "Perhaps it's time for dinner?"
Ginny smiled. "Yes. Let's go."
Ginny walked from her Knight room into Harry's and looked at him in his armour.
"Wow, sexy," she said. She looked him up and down.
"Shut up," he told her. "This feels weird."
"You'll be fine." She inspected it closer. " May I?" she asked.
He nodded, looking at her expectantly. She fiddled around and adjusted the plates. She stuck her hand in between them, measuring how much space there was between him and the armour.
"When was this made?" she asked. It seemed a little tight.
Harry's brow furrowed as he thought. "Five years ago."
"Well, you've filled out, you'll need to get it adjusted," she said. "It'll do for training for now."
"Yes, sir," he answered.
She punched against his armour. "Trying to keep you alive. It's kind of vital for the vision of my future," she said.
He looked down guiltily. "I know. Thank you."
She smiled and kissed him. "Let's go. You may be the King, but I am sure Alastor will still give us shit if we are too late for the training session."
"Oh, for sure," Harry agreed.
They walked onto the field behind the castle, her brothers were there too. They too wore ill-fitting armour as they awaited for their armour to be made. Alastor stood in front of them.
"Battles are one of the hardest things to put yourself through. It's physically taxing, you'll see people die, get horrible injuries... There is a losing side and a surviving side, there is no winning side in battle."
Ginny found Alastor a bit pessimistic, but she couldn't deny what he said either. They had to fight the battle to win back Harpia, but winning battles never felt like a triumph.
"Do not aid others if you can't save yourself first. Then there are just two dead people. Keep moving forward and be aware of your surroundings. Constant vigilance is vital," he ended. "Pair up."
Ginny looked at Harry. "You ready?"
Alastor gave instructions on how to practice and then he told them to start. He walked between them, giving pointers and advice.
"Don't go easy on him because you're marrying him," Alastor said.
"Wouldn't dream of it," she answered. "If he is used to fighting me, he's got more chances at staying alive."
Alastor nodded approvingly and observed them quietly.
Harry swung his sword with much force and eagerness, but she would easily stop his attacks. After a few attempts, he paused and caught his breath. She opened her visor.
Alastor walked to him. "Every new opponent requires a special approach. You have to see the whole person, take them in and find their weakness, or your advantage." He pointed at Ginny. "What are her weaknesses?"
Harry was still slightly out of breath. "Frankly, I don't think she has one."
Ginny smiled. "Of course I do."
"She's much shorter than you," Alastor said. "Attack high and she'll have much more difficulty barring your attacks. You just need one good blow to the head, and she'll be out."
She nodded in confirmation. She closed her visor.
"Ginny, you attack," Alastor instructed her.
Three swings with her sword later and a kick to his stomach and he was flat on his back with a sword to his throat.
"And, what's his weakness?" Alastor said.
"Sloppy technique. Needs some work but it's fixable," she said. "And I can easily attack his kneecaps at his height. And the crown jewels."
"I would suggest leaving those alone if I were you," Harry muttered from his position on the ground.
She held out her hand and pulled him up. "Are you alright?"
He nodded. "Yes, let's go again."
Alastor nodded and then moved to the next pair.
"I am going to die, aren't I?" Harry said with a sigh.
She shook her head. "No. You are good. I am just better."
"I can just tell you're smiling under that helmet," he said.
"You will be okay. We have a few weeks left. You know how to fight, you just need a little practice." She looked around to see what her brothers were doing.
As she paused, she saw Harry sneak up to her, grinning widely. She let him think she hadn't noticed him. He swung his sword, and she jumped out of the way. She opened her visor again. "Nice try but you cannot sneak up on me."
"Constant vigilance," he repeated Alastor's words. "I know."
"Time to switch partners!" The Head Guard barked.
She came face to face with Bill and grinned. "Oh, this will be fun."
"Give it your best, Princess," her brother teased.
Immediately they both attacked, their swords clashing together. It was a back-and-forth dance, blades meeting in the middle before she won over him. She let her sword drop and he smiled. "Let's go again."
She glanced at Harry to see he was holding his ground well against George and gaining confidence as he did. Her distractedness caused Bill to attack without warning, but she jumped right back into action. She had to pull her dagger to win from him as he had the advantage.
"That's not fair," he said, with a glance at the dagger.
"Battle isn't fair, brother," she told him.
For two hours they practised. By the end of it, most of the guards were observing them as the ones joining the battle would be trained next. They looked on eagerly.
"Why doesn't Gwyn train with us?" Ernest asked when they switched.
Alastor's eye focused on him.
"Because he has been tasked with helping me train the royals. It is kind of essential they stay alive," he answered. "But Gwyn if you are up for it, you may want to do a round with Ernest?"
Ernest looked alarmed. "That's fine, no need!" he quickly said.
Alastor chuckled. "I thought so."
Ginny arrived early for this training to make sure all the horses were ready too. Red and Lightning seemed to be in a good mood chasing after each other on the field.
"They are so happy together," Harry said. They both seemed happier now that they were allowed to stay in the same stall.
"We can't train them together," Ginny told him.
Harry frowned and took his eyes off the horses to look at her. "Why not?"
"We can't pit them against each other, Lightning is going to get his feelings hurt," she said.
He blinked. "He is not an idiot."
"Yes." She nodded in agreement. "But Red is used to battles. And she bites on command... I just don't want to risk upsetting Lightning that way."
"Fine. We won't have them fight each other. I think that's fair," Harry said.
Her brothers walked up to them.
"You have horses for us?" Bill asked.
Ginny walked onto the field and grabbed the first two horses. She handed the first one to Bill.
"This is Ruthy. He is as tall as Lightning. Fearless so should suit you well in battle," she said. She handed the second horse to Charlie. "This is Sunny."
"Oh, boy. Did you give me a girl horse?" Charlie said.
Ginny nodded. "And she is one of the best. But if you don't want her we can find you another horse, Prongs perhaps."
Harry let out a snort behind his hand at the suggestion.
Charlie's hand on the reins tightened. "No, Sunny is fine. I am sure we will get along."
She took the next two horses off the field. "Ron, for you we have Sepio. He listens very well." She looked at Percy. "For you I got Tobe. He is incredibly fast and is used to walking far. He will not tire easily."
She looked at Fred and George. "And as requested, twins for the twins."
George grinned at her. "Good."
"May I ask why?" Ron asked them.
"To create as much confusion as possible," Fred answered. "If we are completely identical then it will be easy to miscount or get confused. We could use it to our benefit."
Ginny turned around and retrieved them from the field too. "They didn't have names yet. I suggest Ferdinand and Gregory."
"I like that," George said, taking the reins. "Hi, Gregory. Yes. Sounds good."
Ginny turned back to the field. "Now our two." She clapped her hands twice. Red immediately looked up and came running towards her. Lightning leapt after her quickly. He caught up with her and she bumped him to stay ahead. Lightning halted abruptly and looked at Red.
"See, I told you we couldn't pit them against each other," Ginny said with a shake of her head.
Red slowed down, looking back at Lightning.
"Oh, go on then," Ginny said, resisting to roll her eyes at her horse.
Red walked back to Lightning, walking around him and pushing up against him until he moved his head to make space for her. She rubbed against him.
"Let's go, you fools," Ginny muttered, wondering if she had to go back on the field.
The horses finally walked towards them again. Ginny grabbed a hold of Red and turned around to face six amused brothers.
"George," Fred started. "Who do the horses remind you of? Help me out here, I forgot their names."
George nodded. "Hang on a second... Yes yes."
"We are not that bad!" Ginny told them, turning around to make her way towards the lane, leading Red along.
"Must be someone else we saw in that corridor that day, sn—"
Ginny whipped back around, shooting daggers at George. It was enough to make him shut up but by the looks of her brothers, it was too late.
She felt her cheeks burn and closed her visor with a grumble. "Is it too late to call this whole thing off and retire to the countryside?" she asked as she continued walking.
Harry shot her a fond look. "Only if I can come."
"Yes, Fred, definitely not that bad," George commented.
Some exchange seemed to be going on behind them but then it fell silent. She could only assume Bill told them to cut it off.
They reached the lane behind the castle. Alastor stood waiting for them.
"We will start with target practice. Everyone will mount their horses and swing their swords at the targets I set up," he said, pointing at the wooden constructions behind him. The red painted dots indicated where they should aim.
She had done this a thousand times in training. When Alastor asked her to show how it's done, she quickly got on Red. Her horse also knew exactly what had to be done and ran right past the targets, making it easy for her to hit the targets. She aced it on the first try. She turned back around.
"Who wants to try next?" Alastor said. Seven men looked anywhere but at them. Alastor grumbled. "You're about to go to war, get to it! Line up and go! Or I'll feed your horses to you for dinner!"
Ginny patted Red's neck. "He doesn't mean that, sweetheart. No worries."
The men all lined up and Ginny took her spot at the end of the line to go again.
Ginny insisted on checking all the horses herself after training to check if they were all in good health and not in distress.
She came back up to Red and Lightning to find them cuddling close. "What is it with you two today?" she mumbled as she crept back into the stall. "You've grown soft, Red. You're a war horse." She petted both of them. She looked at Lightning. "You too, Light. You're supposed to be a battle horse but instead, you're too busy looking at each other...Not that I don't want you to be happy but please have your shit together on the battlefield, okay?" Red bumped against her. "I know you know how, Red. Just don't get too distracted with your husband." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I know I am a hypocrite." She gave them a goodbye pet and exited the stall. "Goodnight, you two."
Red seemed to bite into Lightning's shoulder but then it seemed to be more of a loving nibble. Lightning looked at her eagerly.
"I am going to leave," Ginny said. "Please behave!"
She walked out of the stables and swung by Hagrid's office. Hedwig was in a cage by his desk.
"How is the poor thing?" she asked.
Hagrid looked up and smiled. "She is okay, growing a bit restless but I want to be sure her wing is absolutely healed before we can let her deliver letters again."
"Sorry again, Hedwig." She looked at Hagrid. "Let me know when you let her fly again, I want to see."
"Sure thing," he agreed.
"How are Red and Lightning when you check up on them?" she asked casually.
Hagrid looked at her for a moment. "Perfectly happy together. Aren't they adorable?" He smiled at her.
"I keep feeling like I am looking into a private moment!" she complained.
"They're horses, I am sure they don't care." He seemed to hesitate. "But it's not like their owners are any better."
"It's not like we are... kissing," she said and then continued more quietly. "In public. Well, except when we officially got engaged but that was on purpose."
"No, but the looks you share are intense enough," Hagrid said uncomfortably. "He is starting to do it too when you're in your armour. You have to be careful."
"I can't stop him from looking at me, can I!" she replied.
Hagrid chuckled. "You'll have to take it up with the King personally."
"Princess Ginevra," Seamus said, bowing as he reached her. She looked up from her book.
"Princess Ginny, please, Seamus," she said. She did not enjoy being called 'Ginevra' again. She noticed he looked a little anxious. "What is it?"
He stood closer to her so he could speak more quietly. "A bunch of the guards were bribed."
Her eyebrows raised. "To do what?"
"Let you be kidnapped or killed... whatever suits him best at that moment. We took the money so he thinks he has bribed us, but we got no intention of aiding him," Seamus said.
"Appreciate it, Seamus," she said. "I'd hate to die."
"Maybe we can ask Knight Gwyn to guard you more closely, make sure you are safe," he said.
She resisted smiling at the suggestion. "No need. Besides he is very busy training for the battle. We need him."
"Have you seen him train?" Seamus asked, his eyes lighting up. "He is extraordinary and so skilled. I'd hate to go up against him in battle."
"He seems rather skilled, yes," she replied, careful not to say too much. "What about the assassin?"
"Oh, right. He seemed to think money would get him anywhere. We'll be on the lookout for him."
She was worried that they would be watching her more closely too, which would make it more difficult to switch to Gwyn. She was almost hoping the assassin would appear soon. "Did you inform Alastor?"
Seamus nodded. "Justin went to talk to him now."
"Good. I will talk to him about what new measures are necessary." She stood up. "I really appreciate you not taking the bribe. Treat yourself to something with the money, you deserve it."
He shook his head. "We were actually thinking of donating the money to the local orphanage, give them something extra."
"That's really sweet," she told him genuinely. "I am sure they can use it."
Seamus bowed and she walked to Alastor's office to talk to him. She knocked on the door.
"Enter," Alastor said.
She walked into his office.
"Ah, I was going to come and find you," he spoke as she stepped inside. He stood up behind his desk.
"I figured," she said. "I think it's better to put more guards at gates rather than make them follow me. It would be quite inconvenient." She shot him a telling look.
He nodded. "I understand that." He thought for a minute. "I will put them in busier spots like the dinner hall. I know you can fight him yourself but if you are as a Princess you may want to avoid that. And the lack of armour isn't great either."
"It isn't but if need be..."
Alastor frowned, his eye focusing on her face. "You don't seem to be too bothered that someone is trying to come after you."
"They've been polite enough to give us a head's up." She shrugged. "And I knew something like this would happen when I revealed my identity. The question was when and now I know before it has even happened."
"I admire your optimism," he said, smiling ever so slightly.
"I've been through worse," she said. She stepped a little closer. "You have good guards. I am impressed none of them took the bribe."
Alastor stood a little straighter, his chin lifting a little. "It is their duty."
She looked at him more firmly. "I know. And I know some guards don't care about it. You have selected them well. You can be proud."
Alastor bowed his head, and she knew he still struggled with the fact he hadn't found out about Peter earlier. "Thank you."
"They did give me a little trouble at the start but that's only fair. I would like to think I've earned their respect," she said.
"I believe you have," he agreed.
She smiled and then left his office again. She walked down the corridor when she was suddenly grabbed from behind the tapestry hiding the hidden corridor. Confused that someone had managed to ambush her, she reached for her dagger at the speed of light and held it to her assailant's throat, ready to cut when she locked with Harry's green eyes. She froze immediately and exhaled in surprise. Harry's eyes were wide too, startled that she had pulled her dagger on him once again.
"Fuck! Sorry!" She kissed him quickly. "Sorry."
His hand wrapped around hers holding the hilt and lowered it. She quickly pulled the dagger away completely. He visibly relaxed.
"I am sorry, I found out they tried to bribe the guards and just came to check in on you," he told her.
"And you thought it was smart to sneak up on me?" she retorted. "I am already quick to pull my dagger when I am not being attacked!"
He grimaced. "Frankly, I didn't think it was possible to sneak up on you."
She nodded. "That surprised me too. I think you're the only one who ever has. I guess I became attuned to you."
He smiled. "That's incredibly sweet, coming from you."
She smiled now too. "I am sorry for almost killing you, again." She pulled up part of her skirt to tuck her dagger back into its strap.
Harry cleared his throat and looked away.
She chuckled and put the dagger away, making sure it was secure before dropping the fabric again. "You have seen my bare legs often enough," she said.
"Yes," he replied. "In private. And it just feels more forbidden when it's a dress."
"My apologies for teasing you with my tempting legs," she teased. Her arms wrapped around his waist, determined to take the opportunity to kiss him now that they were hidden anyway.
She leaned into him and kissed him softly. He kissed her back, his arms snaking around her waist too, but he leaned away too quickly. She locked eyes with him.
"We need to talk about the assassin, kidnapper... whatever he is," he told her.
"What is there to say? He'll come when he comes and we'll deal with it," she said.
Harry looked down, considering his words. "Just because you are a good fighter, doesn't mean he can't succeed." His eyes looked worried.
"You know if he is dumb enough to kidnap me, I will give him absolute hell. I would be back at the castle doors very quickly, trust me." She sighed because he didn't seem convinced. She held his head between her two hands softly. "I will be ready if he comes. The guards will be too. He doesn't stand a fighting chance. That's because of your best Knight, yours truly and twenty-something guards at all times. Then add to that seven brothers and a King who used to fight off his own assassins. I will be fine."
Harry nodded silently.
"I know you are not used to the threat being against someone you care about. I understand that it is scary, but I am more likely to die in battle than here in this castle," she said.
"I worry about that too, losing you in battle," he said quietly. "Because I know you won't stop fighting until we've won, or you're dead."
She nodded, confirming what he had assumed.
"I haven't cared for someone like this for a long time and I am so lucky you can protect yourself and I know that." He nodded as if he was assuring himself. "But I worry too."
"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered. Her face was close to his. "It's hard, falling in love with a King who they are trying very hard to murder. And if you die, that's on me. I think I understand how you feel."
Harry slumped against the wall. "I don't know how to deal with that."
"We cherish every day because when we die is out of our hands. We have today and I am determined to spend every today with you," she said.
His hand slipped up her back and his eyes softened.
"And when we are married and we've won, imagine what we'll have. It'll be a safer world to live in, and we will get to spend it together." She kept her gaze locked with his. "And we will have some little Princes and Princesses that can grow up carelessly. We can have summers by the secret pond and winters in the library by the fire. Grow old together, so old I can't hold a sword anymore."
"You? Unable to swing a sword? I can't imagine seeing the day," he told her. He pulled her closer.
"Then just today will do, we can imagine that. And today no assassin is going to get me." She closed the space between them and kissed him. His hand came up in her hair, running his fingers through it. She held him tighter, knowing it was today she needed to cherish, every day.