A/N: I don't know how I ended up sending Hinny on a castle date in two separate fics and posting around the same time. In reality these chapters were written over a year apart but I guess it worked out like that.
Harry watched carefully as his mum showed him how to French braid Ginny's hair. At some point Ginny had taught him how to braid, but the French braid was a different challenge for sure.
"See, this is why I needed a daughter," Lily said cheerily. "I do enjoy this."
"If you'll have me," Ginny replied.
Lily let out a little sigh. "Stop it! I will cry on this lovely braid."
"Harry, you need to master this by the time baby nuggets' hair is long enough to braid," Ginny told him without moving. "If she wants a different hairstyle every day like I did…"
"Right," Harry said. "I will need to get started on that very soon."
Lily let go of the braid. "No, no. You will start right now."
"I can't." He shook his head. "I don't want to undo this lovely braid."
Lily ran her hands through Ginny's hair, undoing the braid completely. "Oh no, my hand slipped."
He held up his hands. "Alright. Fine." He took up the brush and brushed her hair out again to make sure there were no knots.
Lily looked over his shoulder, giving him directions. It stressed him out a little but at least Ginny was being nice and sitting still.
"You have to tell me when I hurt you," he told her.
She snorted. "Yes, Harry. I know."
Unfortunately something he had said in bed before. His cheeks heated up and he hoped his mother wouldn't notice. He focused on the braid again, carefully twisting the strands. He could feel his fingers starting to cramp up but he knew if he let go now, the whole thing would be ruined. His mum would surely make him start over and so he continued slowly.
The last part was easier as it turned into a regular braid and his mother nodded in approval. He put the tie on the end and let go of it.
"And?" he asked.
Lily's hand pointed. "You could have tightened this strand a little more, but not bad for your first time."
"Not bad?" he let out. "I think this is pretty dang good!"
Ginny looked up at them. "I want to see!"
"Alright." He took his phone out of his pocket and took a photo of it before showing her.
"Oh! That's perfect! You'll be doing that more from now on," she told him cheerily as she stood up.
"I was afraid that would be the case," he muttered jokingly.
She stood on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "You're an amazing boyfriend."
He rolled his eyes. "Thanks." He eyed his mother. "I guess you raised me right."
Lily's eyebrows rose. "Of course I did!"
Ginny stepped into the car too and he raised an eyebrow.
"All good," she confirmed.
He pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the highway.
Ginny played with her phone. "I made a playlist for the ride."
"Go on then," he said.
Ginny fiddled with the Bluetooth settings for a minute and then the first song came on.
" You're havin' my baby. What a lovely way of sayin' how much you love me. Havin' my baby. What a lovely way of sayin' what you're thinkin' of me. I can see it, your face is glowin' ."
"Oh dear lord," he let out. He glanced at her. "I should have known. Are all the songs like that?"
She looked down at her phone and back up to him, looking far too happy. "It's themed for us, isn't that nice?"
"I hope you have better songs on there," he said, pushing the skip button.
" Give me five more minutes, five more minutes holding you. "
He let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, okay. Suppose that's better."
She chuckled. "I know."
"Please tell me Summer Baby is on there?" he asked her.
She pouted. "You're a full-blown problem, lucky I am your baby's father?" she quoted.
He hummed in reply.
"Yes, it is. I have some self-awareness," she replied.
He laughed, reaching out to her hand to squeeze it. "That's good."
She leaned closer to him. "And I know you're still catching feelings for me."
"Of course." He eyed her. "You can't be this distracting while I am driving, we've talked about this."
She sat back up straight, scrolling through her phone. "If you don't like the first song, I am not sure you're ready for 'I am glad you came'. I'll skip it."
"What?" It took him a moment to process. He bit back a smile. "That's… Let's skip that indeed."
"I also put on our song," Ginny told him, smiling shyly.
"Since when do we have a song?" Harry asked her.
"Since now," she announced cheerily. "Do you want to hear it?"
He nodded, smiling at her. "Well, if we have a song, I've got to hear it."
It started playing and Ginny looked at him, waiting for his reaction.
"Taylor Swift. Okay, that's good," he noted. "Ah! I don't want you like a best friend ?"
She nodded eagerly, glad he caught on. "Yes, it's perfect, isn't it?"
" I don't want you like a best friend. I only wore this dress so you could take it off. "
He glanced at her. "I do think you should actually be wearing a dress for this to work."
"It wasn't practical, but I did consider it," Ginny admitted.
His heart skipped a beat. "You're so sweet. I love you."
She beamed at him and placed a kiss on his cheek. Then they fell into a comfortable silence as he drove onto the highway.
They walked into the ancient castle together, holding hands. Harry attempted to get a special pass for Ginny because she was pregnant. However, the man at the till didn't want to give it to them. He thought they looked too young and didn't want to give it out without a doctor's certificate.
So they went the regular way. There were quite some stairs to walk but they managed just fine. It was the first actual visit of their staycation and they were excited to be a little touristy, though they weren't too far from home.
As they arrived on the battlement, Ginny overlooked the square in front of the castle. Then she noticed Harry taking a picture of her. She quirked an eyebrow.
"You're so pretty," he clarified as he walked up to her. He stood beside her, leaning against the wall to look at her.
"Oh, I thought you were admiring your handiwork," she commented.
He nodded. "Did you mean the braid or…?" He glanced down at her bump.
She let out a tiny gasp, though she wasn't actually offended. "How dare you?" She shook her head at him. "I wouldn't call that handiwork per se… The braid took longer to make."
His smile dropped. "Ouch."
She grinned at him, patting him on the arm. "The braid did take you a really long time."
"Now I feel better." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Besides, you pulled out all the tricks on that Friday and you know it."
"Too many tricks, clearly," she responded. She kissed him and then continued on the battlement, waiting for him to catch up. Instead, when she turned around, she found him snapping more photos of her. She turned to the side, putting the braid over her shoulder. "This way you can capture both of your handiworks."
He took another photo and then walked back up to her. "Thank you for your cooperation."
She smiled and took his hand. "If only you would let me snap some photos of you. The moment I ask you to pose you just cramp up…"
"It's for the nugget, to see the bump…" he argued.
She snorted loudly. "Oh, you're such a liar. Just admit it, Harry." She turned to him and put on a serious face. "Just admit you're in love with me."
He sighed dramatically. "Fine. Okay. I am in love with you. My secret is out." He grinned at her.
In front of the square of the castle, there was a golden retriever running around the cobblestones like crazy. The poor owner made some attempts to catch it again, but the dog knew to stay well out of its owner's grip. Its leash was dragging along and the dog looked incredibly excited.
"We should go help," Ginny suggested.
"Fine," Harry agreed. "Just…" He glanced down at her belly. "Be careful."
"It's not some wild animal," she retorted. "It's a cute overexcited puppy." Then she crossed the square in the hopes of closing in on the dog a little if they were spread over the place.
The dog continued to run in big circles, dodging people it almost ran into with much excitement. Harry made a few attempts to grab onto the leash, but to no avail.
When the dog made another turn by Ginny, she decided to crouch down to the ground instead of chasing it. "Come here," she said, trying to catch the attention of the dog.
For the first time it seemed to slow down. It ran another circle around her as if he was making his mind up and then he finally paused in front of her. He was out of reach, but at least he had stopped running.
Its tail was wagging rapidly. Ginny worried if she moved too quickly, the dog would get spooked and so she moved very slowly towards it.
"I know you're having a lot of fun, but it is now time to calm down." She held out her hand carefully, pausing a meter away from the dog. It looked at her hand for a moment and then he took a step. She smiled encouragingly and it came even closer. He was just close enough to pet. She reached out and scratched behind his ear. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to take its leash.
Then suddenly, the dog looked puzzled and came very close and put its nose against her stomach. Now she could easily grab onto its leash. She wrapped it around her hand slowly so the dog wouldn't take off again. She petted his head some more. "Good boy."
She looked up to see both Harry and the owner approaching.
"Thank you so much!" the owner said, before turning to the dog. "Marley! You're such a bad dog!"
Marley did not seem very impressed by the scolding at all, still wagging his tail. Ginny handed over the leash.
"He is a good dog," the owner said, looking at Marley. "Wouldn't hurt a fly… but he has a mind of his own for sure."
Harry reached out to the dog. "Hi Marley."
Marley walked closer to him and licked his hand.
"I think your dog could tell I was pregnant," Ginny noted.
The owner nodded. "Yes, he can. He was very intrigued about it when my wife was pregnant. I think he picks up on the heartbeat."
Ginny crouched down again and the dog promptly bumped her nose gently against her belly again. She scratched his chin. "You can tell, can't you?"
"I suppose we could consider Marley as a baby name," Harry suggested jokingly.
Ginny stood back up and chuckled. "Sure."
"I am going to take off. Thank you so much for your help and good luck with the baby," the owner said.
"No problem," Ginny replied. "Good luck with the dog."
He laughed. "Thanks, I'll need it."
"Bye Marley!" Ginny greeted.
They watched as they both took off. Marley received another scolding he didn't seem impressed by, and after that a little head rub.
Harry's hand came to the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss in the middle of the square. It didn't seem to bother him that people were watching. She raised an amused eyebrow when he leaned away. He only shook his head and took her hand and they walked together.
On the bridge, they paused and overlooked the river for a moment. Harry looked at her with an intense look.
"You are not going to propose, are you?" she asked him.
He smiled softly as he looked over the river again. He shook his head. "No." He squeezed her hand. Then he stepped back and crouched down, leaning on one knee as he turned towards her.
"Harry."
He began tying his shoelaces excruciatingly slow.
"People are looking," she told him.
He stood back up. "Watching me tie my shoelaces? How odd?"
They walked on and it only took a few paces or he was down on his knee again. "Oh look at this pretty pebble!" He picked it up and presented it to her.
She shook her head smiling. "Stop playing."
He grinned at her and then continued walking again, chucking the pebble.
"You're ridiculous," she muttered.
He only smiled. "You started this."
The next time he went down on one knee, she rolled her eyes.
"No!" she let out, causing several people to look at her in shock. She pressed her lips together. "Please, Harry," she begged him to stop, half-laughing.
"Fine." He stood up and kissed her. "Just know you're now overdue on some proposals to me."
She nodded. "Okay, but you'll have to be very patient… I don't just dish them out, you know."
As they were walking towards the car, Ginny looked at a store and paused. She let go of Harry's hand. "Stay right here, okay? I'll be right back."
"Uhm, sure," Harry said in confusion. He watched as she quickly crossed the street and disappeared into the store.
He settled on a nearby bench and waited for her to return. Five minutes later she exited the store, holding a bag.
"Did you have a craving or something?" Harry asked, though he knew he was usually the one getting food for her.
She shook her head and held up the bag. "No, I saw these earlier and I just needed to get them. She went into the bag and took out two pairs of tacky-looking socks. She handed them over to him.
He took them into his hands and read what was printed on the ankle of them. One read 'Best best friend' and the other said 'best boyfriend'. He grinned and looked up at her. "These are rather fitting." He pulled off his shoes and socks and immediately pulled them on, one of each. Then he put his shoes back on. He admired them. "Perfect." He looked back up and saw there was something else in the bag. "What else have you got in there?"
She smiled brightly. "Temporary tattoos."
"I assume that will be our afternoon activity then?" he asked as he stood back up.
She nodded and took his hand. "Yes, I thought it would be fun. And I know of your secret desire to get a unicorn tattoo on your ass cheek."
"Ah, you got me."
Ginny came to sit on top of him on the sun bed. She had just picked out his first tattoo and cut it out carefully.
"Close your eyes," she said, keeping the tattoo close to her chest so he couldn't see.
He shook his head quickly. "No."
She pouted. "Don't you trust me?" she asked with an innocent tone.
"With my life? Yes. With that?" he said, eyeing the tattoo. "Not so much."
Her other hand also came over the tattoo so he definitely couldn't see. "Well, I am not showing you."
He nodded, knowing he'd have to give in. "Could you at least tell me where?" he tried. "I am not walking around with a ridiculous tattoo on my face."
Her eyes danced over his body as she considered the perfect spot. "There," she decided, poking his upper arm.
"Fine," he gave in. "Proceed." He closed his eyes and rested his hands on her waist. He waited as Ginny carefully pasted the tattoo on his arm and put water on it. "You are far too giddy, I am worried."
She gasped. "You shouldn't be looking!"
"I am not!" His hands tensed on her waist. "I can feel it."
Ginny pressed her hand flat against the tattoo, making sure it was sticking well. When she was sure it was done, she removed her arm. "All done."
He opened his eyes again. She was looking far too proud. He glanced at his arm to see the result.
"Pretty Princess?" he read.
She smiled widely. "Yes. That's you." She booped his nose.
"Okay. My turn." He took up the sheet of tattoos and looked over them. "I'll do one for the baby first," he informed her.
She seemed a little confused. "You're not going to retaliate?" She raised her eyebrows.
He scoffed. "Not when you expect it." He told her to close her eyes so he could cut it out without her seeing. When he was done, he carefully lifted up her shirt.
She held it up for him and then he placed it on her belly, right under her belly button and put water on it before pressing his hand against it. His other hand came to her back. He kissed her softly.
He pulled the paper and looked at the flower design. "Nice."
She glanced down. "Cool. Very nice."
"By the way," he said. "I put another one on your back at the same time." He couldn't resist grinning as he pulled the paper off that one too.
Ginny's jaw dropped as she reached over to her back. "Did you just give me a tramp stamp?"
"Oh, I definitely did." He grinned widely.
He watched as Ginny made a good few attempts to view it, but she couldn't catch a glimpse of it at all. She pouted. "I can't see it."
"You can go look in the mirror in the bathroom," he suggested.
She frowned at him. "How tall do you think I am?"
Harry put his hand over his mouth to hide his grin, but he wasn't fooling her. He gave in. "I'll take a picture. It's perfectly decent." He took his phone.
She stood up so he could take the picture. He showed it to her.
She shook her head. "You're unbelievable."
"Told you, you wouldn't expect it," he told her. He offered the sheet to her.
She sat down a little further and then looked over it as if she was making the most important decision. Then she nodded to herself and took up the scissors. She came to sit back on his lap. "Shirt off."
"At least we haven't gotten to the butt cheek tattoo," he let out as he pulled it over his head.
"No, I am keeping that for last," she informed him as she placed the tattoo on his pec.
"I'll do your thigh next," Harry informed her as she kept her focus on the one she was currently doing.
She quirked an eyebrow. "I know your game, Potter."
"You came up with the tattoos, you knew what you were doing."
She bit back her smile and pulled the paper off, admiring her work.
"How was your day?" James asked as he stepped out onto the terrace.
Harry signed for him to be silent, Ginny was asleep, resting on the sunbed. After she fell asleep, he had moved the parasol to cover her so she wouldn't have a sunburn. She had slept right through the noise.
He stood up and walked to his dad. Since they were still in their bathing suits, their tattoos were shown off quite nicely.
"Looks like you had a fun day," James said, pointing at the tattoos down his arm.
He nodded. "Ginny was determined to make me a sleeve… of flowers and unicorns."
James nodded in understanding. He glanced at Ginny. "…Did you give your girlfriend a tramp stamp?"
"Yep," he said. "Believe me, it was deserved."
James shook his head at him.
Harry cocked his head as he looked at it. "I think it's quite nice."
James clicked his tongue in disapproval.
Lily stepped out too and took quick stock of the situation. She grinned as she saw Harry's tattoo on his upper arm. "How's my pretty princess?"
"Great, actually. Thanks for asking."
Ginny turned slowly, squinting at the light. "Fits him well, I think." Then she yawned widely.
Lily nodded in agreement. "How was the castle visit?"
"Good," Harry told them. "We also met a dog named Marley, and Ginny bought me the most wonderful socks."
"Did she?" Lily asked.
He nodded and picked them up. "See?"
Lily snorted. "Yes, that's very fitting."
