The Inn


The day was just coming to an end in the County Cork, on the beautiful emerald isle. The sun set on two figures, making their way down Douglas Road staring upwards at the addresses. Both were tall and masculine by appearance but still somewhat youthful with their swagger. They walked up to an abandoned storefront and began to peer through the mail slot. A woman down the street thought it odd, but just assumed they were hooligans squatting in some rundown building. The door opened and the boys disappeared from sight. As the woman made her way down the block the distinct smell of corn beef and cabbage wafted past her. She turned her head to look at the run down building. Suddenly, as if she had an epiphany, she remembered that she needed to get home as soon as possible.



Inside the building, the two young men made their way to the stairs to go to the room they had just paid for. This was the first wizarding inn either of the young men had stayed at. The Bheith Aris was a small inn and decorated to feel cozy. The large wooden tables and benches, along with the high back chairs, were reminiscent of a place both called home. The roaring fire in the wide stone hearth only helped the boys to feel at ease. Dragging slowly up the stairs, they made their way to the room, and upon entering, they plopped onto a bed each.



“I haven’t been this tired in a long time,” said the raven haired boy to the other.



“I know. I’m tired too, but we should get something to eat,” said the round faced boy with a tone of hesitation.



“Why is it that my friends seem to only think about food?” said Harry with a smirk.



“I am not an endless pit like Ron, Harry, I’m truly hungry,” Neville said with a note of pleading in his voice.



“Fine, let’s go downstairs to eat and then we’ll go to bed.” Harry took his bag and put it on the floor, then made his way to the door.



“Thanks, Harry, I really am famished.” Neville’s stomach grumbled as if to punctuate his statement.



The boys made their way down the stairs to the main dining room. They sat at a table near the fireplace and ordered. Harry looked around the room; it was half filled with wizards. They must have truly needed to travel if they were here in such a time of danger. The war with Voldemort was in full swing and travel warnings were being issued all the time. Due to heavy losses, the Order had started to use some “junior” members to help with surveillance and other less threatening missions. Harry had left Ron and Hermione in London searching for the location of a horcrux to come on this mission. The opportunity to help take out Bellatrix was too much for Harry to turn away from. He had destroyed two more Horcruxes since Dumbledore’s death, but they were at an impasse until they could locate the next one. When Lupin had offered him this surveillance mission, he had jumped at it. After he had finally resigned to the fact that he was not responsible for Sirius’ death, he laid full blame on Bellatrix. He knew Neville felt the same way he did about that woman. She was evil and crazy, a true menace to society. Tracking leads all day as to her where-abouts had tired them both out. When his meal arrived, Harry was jarred back to reality when he noticed Neville waving to someone.



“Hello, Susan. What are you doing here?” Neville greeted the young women who had just entered the inn.



“Neville, hello. I am here with a few others on Order business.” Susan Bones needed only to look at the back of the person sitting across from Neville and said with a note of shock, “Oh… Hi, Harry”.



Harry turned around to welcome Susan and was stopped in his tracks by the glimpse of shimmering red hair he had seen by the door. All at once, his heart started to pound a little harder and his mind was overtaken by a need to get up and run for the door. First, he saw Hestia Jones making her way towards Susan, and then he saw her. Ginny Weasley had matured since he had last seen her six months ago. Harry gripped the table hoping it would anchor him; he felt as though if he didn’t hold on, he would have surely ran out of the room looking like a complete git. So much emotion welled up in him, but he had to hold it down for both their sakes.



“Hello, Ginny, Susan, Miss Jones,” said Harry in a tone that almost made him sound like Neville.



“Harry, please call me Hestia,” said the short woman who stood between Ginny and Susan.



“Would like to sit with us?” asked Neville in a polite tone. Harry turned to Neville and glared daggers at him. Being with her for one second was painful, but an entire dinner would be excruciating. Neville threw Harry a quick look of remorse as the three women sat down. The women ordered, while Harry just stirred around the food on his plate. Harry’s head had never before been filled with so many thoughts a once. The fact that Ginny, the only girl he had ever really cared for, was across the table from him unnerved him to no end. He had separated himself from her for her own good and he still felt it was the right thing to do. Looking at Ron every day was enough of a constant reminder that he really didn’t need to see her. All at once, his heart both ached and soared. Susan and Neville seemed as though they were trying to keep the conversation constant. They were asking each other the weirdest questions, hoping that the other would have something to expound on so there would be no awkward silence. Ginny looked Harry square in the eyes and asked where Ron and Hermione were.



“They’re in London doing some research.” His words fell out of his mouth as he just stared at her face. Something in his statement must have been amusing because she started to laugh.



“So, is that what it’s called nowadays?” she said with a grin.



Harry was envious of the fact that she was so at ease. He would have given anything to not feel the shockwave of emotion that coursed through his body. He gave a smirk and answered, “I guess so.”



“You and Neville must be doing something fairly important for you to leave your almighty quest,” said Ginny with a hint of defiance in her tone.



Before Harry could say anything, Hestia turned to Ginny saying, “Ginny you know that we are not allowed to discuss missions in depth, even with other members, outside of Headquarters.”



“Sorry, Hestia, I wasn’t thinking.” Ginny looked down at the table.



Just then, the waiter returned with the women’s meals. They all ate in relative silence; the only sound was the knocking of the spoons and forks against the stone ware dishes. Harry and Neville finished their meals first. Harry rose from the table and stretched his hands over his head. He hoped this would give the illusion he was tired. He did not want it to appear that his exit was just a ploy to escape Ginny.



“We have to be up early, so good night,” said Harry



“Good night, boys. Maybe we will see you in the morning,” said Hestia.



“Good night,” said Ginny and Susan in unison.



Harry made his way towards the stairs and looked back over his shoulders right before he started up. He locked glances with Ginny for just a moment, but it was enough. He had to get out of here now. More than half of him wanted to make its way across the room to her and surprise her with a kiss like he had that faithful day after the Quidditch match. Turning around slowly, he made his way to his room and again plopped down on the bed.



“Sorry, Harry,” said Neville as he closed the door behind him.



“It’s not your fault, Neville. Next time, though, don’t ask them to sit with us.”



“Right, Harry,” said Neville sheepishly as he took out his pajamas and made his way to the bathroom. “Ginny seemed okay, though,” he called from the bathroom.



“Yeah, she seemed bloody fine with it all, didn’t she?” said Harry with a bitterness he had never felt before.



“Having been your friend for a couple of years now, I know when to stuff it, and that time is now,” Neville said while putting his used clothes on the dresser and pulled out his wand. “Okay if I turn them off?” With only a nod from Harry, Neville flicked his wand, the lights went out, and he made his way to the bed.



“Good night, Harry.”





“Good night, Neville,” said Harry lazily, his mind obviously occupied.



Harry laid there for what seemed like hours. He felt strangely out of control of his emotions. He had worked so hard to put his feelings for Ginny in check and now he was a mess, again. There had been times following Dumbledore’s funeral where he had been an emotional wreck. The pain of losing his mentor coupled with the loss of comfort from Ginny left him in a perpetual state of agitation. Hermione had asked him to talk to either her or Ron, but it had been too hard. In the end, he had worked hard to push down all the feelings and actually had Snape to thank for it, not that he ever would. The only thing Harry had taken from his Occulemency lessons with Snape was the need to empty his mind at the end of the day. He had been doing this for months and, until now, it had worked. Try as he might, though, there was no way that Harry’s mind was going to be clear tonight.



The thought that Ginny was sleeping down the hall kept reoccurring to him. This had been precisely why he had shied away from the Burrow on Christmas. Ginny had been there and he just couldn’t be that tempted or that tortured. It wasn’t fair to either of them. Harry realized that it would take sheer exhaustion to put him to sleep tonight. So he went downstairs to sit by the fire.



Sitting near the fireplace, he tried to figure out what needed to be done tomorrow. Plotting and strategizing were not his strong points, but he was learning from Hermione and Ron the value of going in prepared. Maybe if he focused he could put his mind at ease and sleep. Thoughts about tomorrow’s surveillance mission mingled with the thought of seeing Ginny again had Harry’s brain spinning. Harry rested his hands against his head.



“I am so mental,” he said in an audible whisper.



“Is that how you really feel about yourself?” Harry didn’t even need to look up to know who it was. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and his spine stiffened. If he didn’t know better he would have thought he was afraid of her.



“Ginny, I’m sorry, I have to go.” The words rushed together so they were almost jumbled beyond comprehension. He stood quickly and turned towards the stairs.



“Am I so frightening that you run and hide at the mere sight of me?” There, again, was the defiance in her tone.



“No, you’re not frightening. I just really need to be alone, Ginny.”



Mustering up all the confidence he could, he looked her square in the eye. If he could show her that it was just him being broody and not her fault, she might leave well enough alone. She met his stare but he saw the same hurt look in her eye that he saw all those months ago. He knew that even if the outcome was the same, it was all going to be rehashed tonight.



“Sometimes, I think you like being alone too much, Harry.” With an audible sigh, she sat down on a bench and turned towards the fire.



“You know that’s not true; I’m doing what has to be done. I thought we had discussed this.” Harry sat down near her, but not too close. He needed physical distance between them.



“I was okay with it until I lost my best friend, Harry. Why can’t you even talk to me? What can I do to show you I am okay with this? I promise, whatever it is, I will do it, just talk to me, please?" Ginny looked up at him sitting more than an arms length away, and moved closer to him.



“It isn’t you, Ginny. You’ve done nothing wrong, I promise. It’s me. I am the one who can’t handle it. I can’t be just friends with you; I want more. I don’t know exactly what, just more.” Even though he felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted of his shoulders, the sudden realization of what he had said hit him like a brick wall.



Ginny just looked at Harry for a moment. Harry thought maybe she was gathering her thoughts, but when she started to giggle he looked at her sideways.



“Was there something funny in what I just said?” Harry asked, barely holding back a flare of anger.



“I was just thinking I have to remember that Ron and I are related.” Ginny still had a smirk on her face. “You could have hit me with a bludger to the head before I would have thought that was what you were thinking.”



Even Harry had to grin at that. Ginny took advantage of his momentary lapse in surly behavior to move even closer. They sat shoulder to shoulder, but both looked forward instead of at each other. Every cell in Harry’s body was vibrating. The last time he had been this close to her, he found it almost impossible to pull away. He continued to look forwards in hopes it would ease the tension.



“Ginny, what could you have done wrong? You have been nothing but understanding and downright nice,” Harry said.



“Oh yeah, if you only knew how many times I have jinxed and hexed you in my head, you wouldn’t feel that way.” Harry stole a quick glance at her and saw the edge of her mouth turn up in a smile.



“I hurt you and I know that, I deserve any hex you throw at me.” It was Ginny who turned to Harry this time, but she didn’t look away.



“Harry, yes it hurt, but it hurts more to be like this. I miss you not being there at all, I think it would be easier for me if I had the illusion you were happy and we were friends. Instead, I worry about how you are pushing everything and everyone away when you need them most.” He glanced up for just one second. Harry had never seen a look of such sincerity before. Feeling he had no right to such unwavering support, he couldn’t look at her anymore. He stared blankly at the fire and started to mess about with his hair.



“You’re fidgeting and stalling, Harry,” Ginny remarked.



“Am I that easy to read?” he said, still staring at the fire.



“Only if one has watched you play wizards’ chess for the last five years.” she said.



Harry realized how well Ginny actually knew him. He knew that even when they were only friends, she still kept a rather keen eye on him. What he hadn’t realized until now was just how astutely she had been watching. He hadn’t forgotten what he had said to Ginny about wanting more earlier. It was ringing in his brain. He had tried to put it aside and let her guide the conversation; less chance of getting himself in trouble and easier to find out where she stood. He realized now she was waiting for him to say something.



“If I could, you know I would be with you in a second. That has never been a question. When I get near you, I want to feel the comfort you provide me. But I can’t be who everyone needs me to be if you’re around. I know Dumbledore said that my power is in the ability to love, but how can I love and not want to protect the ones I care for? Knowing what has to be done and that I am the one who must do it, there is no other choice.” Harry turned and looked Ginny straight in the eyes. “In the end, the job will be mine and mine, alone.”



Ginny looked at his luminescent green eyes and said, “Harry, you may have no choice, but I do. If I choose to care for you, I can and I will. You have no right to ask me not to and I will continue to do so until my dying day. Whether you live or die, Harry, I will always care about you. You are my first and only love. Whether I am at your side or hundreds of miles away, that doesn’t change.”



Harry saw two tears rolling down her cheek. He felt his arms moving up to hold her, but then pulled back. No matter what, even with her declaration of love, physical contact was out of the question. Wait a second; did she just declare her love? He realized his muddled brain was a little slow on the up take tonight. In one moment, two diverging thoughts hit him at once. One thought was of how happy they could be one day if the happy ending he was beginning to think fate owed him truly existed. The other thought was how to hide this tidbit in the deep recesses of his mind. Looking at her, he saw she had realized what she had said. Clearly, she had not meant to say it. Harry made a realization that same moment, but to utter it, let alone think it, was too dangerous.



“If you dare take it back, I.....” Harry said with a glint of his old, devious self.



“No, never,” said Ginny quickly with just a faint hint of sadness in her voice.



Ginny looked so scared at that moment. It must be hard to profess your love and know your intended can not return your affirmation.



“Ginny, I am going to try to put what you said somewhere deep in my thick skull. I’ll put it somewhere where it is just for you and me. I will make sure no one knows what was said and unsaid tonight.” Harry looked at her one last time to make sure she had understood. Ginny just mouthed his name as if speaking would have made everything disappear. He slowly rose from the bench and stood up straight. “Good night, Ginny,” he said as he again made his way upstairs.



“Good night, Harry,” said Ginny as she turned towards the fire with a smile that could light up the world.



The next morning, Harry and Neville left the inn shortly after breakfast. They made their way to Hartlands Road where it had been rumored that Bellatrix had been hiding. After four hours of watching and waiting they actually caught a glimpse of Bellatrix. They immediately notified the Ministry and Aurors were called in to apprehend her. Even though she got away, they rounded up two more Death Eaters in the raid. Harry felt a mixture of frustration and satisfaction. He was pleased with the capture of any Death Eater but the fact that Bellatrix had gotten away was utterly frustrating. When they returned to the inn midday, Harry looked for Ginny but the girls were already gone. They packed their things and got ready to leave.

Once outside the door Harry looked at the rundown building and a smile came to his face. The Bheith Aris would always be close to his heart. It was here that everything had changed. Harry had known he had friends and Grimmauld place was his own, but it wasn’t quite enough. Words both spoken and unspoken had given him hope. Here is where he found out he would never again be alone.





A/N - Bheith Aris is Gaelic for falling in love again.

Wearily rising from his bed, the owner of the Bheith Aris made his way to the door. Dawn had not yet broken, but he had been expecting these guests to come early. He opened the door and escorted the lovely couple inside. He furrowed his brow and squinted at the pages flipping magically in front of him. Beckoning to a young boy who sat against the wall, he then turned to the young couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Deadalus Diggle, Ian will show you to your room.”



Both the young man and woman had stayed at the Bheith Aris before; the laidback atmosphere had again drawn them in and they felt completely at home. The young boy opened the door and motioned the couple in. He heard the woman give an audible gasp. She turned to the man and smiled; she looked around the room as if she was trying to take in every last detail. It was clear that this room had recently been modified; from the lavish draperies to the mother of pearl vanity, it was all so spectacular. The man turned and handed the boy some coins. He then glanced towards the door: taking his cue, the young boy backed out of the room, closing the door on his way out.



“I don’t remember the rooms being as nice the last time we were here.” He could still see the look of sheer surprise in her eyes.



“Well, I might have asked for a couple of things. After all, this is a very special weekend,” said the man as he walked up behind the woman and held her close to his chest.



“Harry, just getting time alone and away would have been enough,” said Ginny as she turned her head to rest on his shoulder.



“Yes, it would have, but I wanted to give you more,” said Harry as he kissed her head and took in that essence of blooming flowers that always hung close to her.



“I know I might sound as cheesy as Romilda, but Harry, you are really all I need,” said Ginny as she turned to face him.



“That is such a wonderful thing to say, Ginny. You make a very dutiful wife,” said Harry with a slight tone of mockery.



“And you, Mister Potter, make a very mischievous husband. Now let’s unpack,” said Ginny as she made her way to the bed and pulled out her wand.



The wedding of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley had been on the front page of every wizarding magazine and newspaper. After the fall of Voldemort, Harry had wanted to live a life of normality, but that had to be put on hold for a little while. There were still Death Eaters at large and the Wizarding World needed time to recuperate. Harry, along with many other members of the Order, had spent the months after the final battle rebuilding Hogwarts. He had also assisted in the capture of Bellatrix Lestrange and a small band of Death Eaters who had refused to give up hope of Voldemort’s return. When he finally returned, he wanted nothing more than to be with the woman he loved and live his life unnoticed by anyone. The prying eyes had finally started to die down now that it had been some months since their wedding. They had been living in Hogsmeade up until now. Harry had just finished auror training and would be starting work upon their return home. Ginny was now assisting Professor Flitwick in teaching Charms. She had told Harry that if she had the patience to deal with Fred and George all her life, there was nothing any first years could do that would surprise her. With start of term approaching and Harry’s job waiting, this was really their only time to get away.



“So, what do you have planned for us, love?” Ginny asked as she flicked her wand one last time and the armoire closed.



“First we will have breakfast, and then I have somewhere I am taking you,” said Harry with a grin.



“Is it somewhere I have to change clothes for?” she asked. Harry knew she was fishing for hints.



“You always look beautiful in anything you wear,” Harry said with a smirk.



“Fine, I get it. No hints. You know how I hate not knowing,” said Ginny, moving to Harry’s side and nuzzling his chest. Harry looked her square in the eyes.



“If this is the reaction I get, I might have to do it more often.” He put his hands around her back. “But I am still not telling you.” With that, he led her out of the room, downstairs, and to a table near the fire.



“I remember the last time we sat here,” said Ginny



“Me too,” said Harry.



He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers; they gazed into each others eyes, both deep in some flashback. In mere seconds, years’ worth of feelings and memories rushed through them. So much had happened to bring them to this point. Without even knowing, each was left with an immense feeling of gratitude. They were brought back to reality by the waiter making his way towards their table.



“Mr. and Mrs. Diggle, What can I get for you, this fine morning?” asked the waiter with a bright smile.



“I’ll have an egg in bacon nest,” said Harry as he looked from the waiter to Ginny.



“I’ll have a traditional Irish breakfast,” answered Ginny



“Someone’s hungry today,” he said with a small snicker.



“Well, I have to fill up. Who knows where we are going, and when you are going to feed me again?” she said with a twisted smile. “Harry, I have been meaning to ask you, who is Deadalus Diggle?”



“He is a wizard that I met the first time I was in the Leaky Cauldron. I had also seen him once before I even knew I was a wizard. Anyway, I was trying to think of a name that wouldn’t be noticed; it was the first thing that popped into my head.”



“Well, Mr. Diggle, Are you going to tell me what you have planned?” said Ginny as she tucked in.



“Fine, I will tell you a little, Mrs. Diggle. I figured that if we wanted to stay out of the prying eye of the wizarding press, taking a tour of some of the Muggle attractions might be best. I hope you don’t mind,” explained Harry, a slight note of expectation in his voice.



“I like the idea. Are we just going to wander around? If so, I am really glad I am having such a large breakfast.”



“No, I told you before that I really wanted to make this special. I owled Seamus and had him ask his father what was best to see around Cork. See, I can actually plan something and follow through,”



Ginny laughed heartily at the statement. They both remembered how Harry had fumbled his proposal: He had come to the Burrow to take her out and had the ring in the pocket of his cloak. Ginny had her coat on, but asked if she could borrow his gloves. He was so nervous about the evening going off without a hitch, without even a thought he agreed. The sound of an audible gasp woke him to his mistake. He had turned to see Ginny holding the ring box in her hands. He then dropped to his knee and proposed on the spot. Having meant to ask in front of the entire Weasley family and friends, they had to explain to everyone who was to be meeting them at the restaurant that he had already proposed.



“I never doubted you for a minute,” said Ginny with a sly grin.



After finishing their breakfast, they decided to start out their day in Muggle Cork. They set off to explore the hilly streets on the signpost walking tour. Meandering through the city they shifted between meaningful conversation and companionable silence. When they came to Patrick’s Hill, Ginny protested that her feet would be too tired for the rest of the walk. Harry bounded up the hill and back down while Ginny watched in admiration.



“I could do with a bit of lunch, how about you, love?” asked Harry as he reached the bottom.



“Sounds fantastic, where should we go?” said Ginny as she got up from the last stair and put her arms around Harry’s waist.



“Seamus’ dad said there are lots of places to eat around The English Market; let’s make our way over there.” Harry put his arm around Ginny and they slowly walked towards the Patrick’s Street entrance to The English Market.



Along the way, they discussed everything from the need for new bed linens to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor starting at Hogwarts this year. These were the times that Ginny remembered she had married her best friend; the fact that they could spend hours talking about nothing had always been a source of comfort for her. It made her feel just a bit more special. Harry had many close relationships, but he felt the closest to her and she cherished that. It was amazing how a day alone with your husband could remind you of just how good you had it, she thought. When they finally reached the market, the smell of food wafted through the air like a thick fog.



Harry and Ginny made their way to the first pub they could find. They picked a quiet little alcove in the corner.



“What would you like?” inquired the waitress as she stood by their table.



“I am just going to have a boxty,” said Ginny.



“I’ll have the Irish Stew, thanks,” said Harry.



The waitress made off with just a nod and left the couple to themselves.



“So, where to next? Anything planned?” asked Ginny



“I figured you might want to do a little shopping, so let’s say we go to Merchants Quay. There are some really nice shops up there,” Harry quickly added. “So I hear.”



Ginny gave him the same look Mrs. Weasley would use on Fred and George when she was trying to decide whether or not they were telling the truth.



“As a woman, I would never turn down the opportunity to shop.” Her face softened to a smile.



Harry hoped that he hadn’t blown the only real surprise he had planned. Even though he was sure Ginny had caught his mistake, she had let it slide. Having enlisted Hermione’s help to find a gift, Harry needed just to pick it up. Harry noticed a far off look in Ginny’s eyes; his first thought was that she was trying to figure out what was he was up to. Realizing Harry was staring at her; Ginny looked at him and gave him a sideways smile. It always seemed to make Harry laugh and would stop him from whatever thought he was brooding over.



“Not fair,” said Harry just as their food arrived.



“Oh, love, it is all too fair. If you can look at me with those piercing green eyes, than I am allowed to innocently smile at you,” said Ginny.



“Oh yes, that was just an innocent smile.” Harry laughed and finally started his stew.



After lunch, they very slowly made their way to Merchant Quay. Ginny had decided that she wanted to buy something for her mother; she had only recently begun to realize how amazing of a woman she was. Harry took one look at the window of the Laura Ashley store and knew now would be a perfect time to get away.



“Just looking at the window, I feel a need to find some men and talk about manly things,” said Harry as he puffed up his chest and tried to be macho.



“Off with you then,” Ginny laughed as she shooed him away and entered the store.



When Ginny entered the store she browsed a bit until something caught he eye. It was something Laura Ashley was known for, Mother and Daughter dresses. She eyed them keenly and thought fondly of the Weasley sweaters. She had been thinking about her family a lot lately. The close knit relationship they had with each other was truly something special. She might have had teenage issues with her parents but they were all out of love. Her brothers might be hugely overprotective but that again was out of love. She loved Harry, always had and always would, she dreamed of nothing more than starting a family with him. Unconsciously rubbing her belly, she looked up and glanced around to see if anyone had seen her. She had used their weekend away to spring a surprise on her loving husband. She left Laura Ashley with a couple of items and made her way to a store several buildings down. There she was struck by inspiration as to how she was going to spring her surprise. Having set in her mind how tonight would go, she left the store with a smile on her face.





Harry, meanwhile, didn’t need to go far to get to his intended destination. Hermione had not only helped Harry with the decision of what to get, but also in finding a store that carried it.

Harry had visited the store a week earlier just to make sure it would be perfect. Upon entering the store, the owner waved Harry to the side counter and left his employee to deal with the client.



“Nice to see you again, Mister Potter,” said the short and jovial man



“Mr. McKittrick, thank you so much for all your help.”



“It has been a pleasure, Mr. Potter, and thank you from saving me a chinwag with Mrs. O’Neill. So when are you going to bring your lovely gingernut in here?” asked Mr. Mc Kittrick



“I will try after I give her the gift, but definitely before we leave Cork.” said Harry as he fished his wallet out of his pants.



“Right then, One hundred, forty one euros.” With only a short pause, McKittrick continued, “The inscription is right on the inside, just like you wanted.”



The store owner handed Harry a small box. Harry spent a little while talking with Mr. McKittrick so he could give Ginny time to shop; he also wanted to make sure it looked like he had been roaming around for a while. With their final goodbye, Harry thanked the man again and made his way back towards Ginny with a smile on his face. Wishing he could blame it only on gender, Harry was horrible at picking out gifts. He had always managed to get Ginny something that she liked, but it was usually due to her prodding or Hermione’s help. It wasn’t for lack of love or even knowledge; he might have known what she wanted, but it wasn’t perfect enough. He always wanted to make sure that the gift sent the right message about how he felt about her. This time he knew it did. Just as he rounded the corner, Harry saw Ginny coming out of a store.



“So, anything left to buy in those stores?” asked Harry as he flagged down Ginny



“Plenty. I only bought a couple of things and one is for Mum. I got her this lovely Irish Cosy Wrap and wait until you see what I got Hermione....” Harry laughed at Ginny’s enthusiasm.



“You are on what Aunt Petunia’s shows used to call a shopping high.”



“Well, Husband, are you going to offer to carry these or not?” said Ginny with a smirk.



In a voice clearly practiced he answered “Yes, dear.”



They made their way back to the Bheith Aris and put their stuff back in their room;

Ginny went to freshen up before dinner. Harry had dinner brought up to their room because he had wanted to give her his gift in private. Ginny walked in to see the last flick of a wand as someone exited the room. Harry was already sitting at a table set simply but elegantly. He stood up and pulled out her seat for her.



“What a brilliant surprise, Harry!” she said as she pulled the napkin off the table and put it in her lap.



“I’m glad you like it. I wanted some privacy tonight so I could give you something. I know you caught my little slip earlier so I will start there: I came to Cork last week to get something for you. In Ireland there is a ring called a Claddagh ring. I would bore you with some of the facts that Hermione gave me, but I can’t seem to remember them right now. I can tell you it symbolizes love, loyalty and friendship. You have always given me all of those and I wanted to show my appreciation for that,” Harry explained.



He took the box from in his pocket and gave it to Ginny. Inside the box was a gold ring, with two hands clasping a heart with a crown resting on it. The heart was green onyx (which Ginny thought matched Harry’s eyes perfectly). On the inside of the band, the words “love loyalty and friendship” were inscribed. Harry stood up and walked around the table. He took the ring from the box and put it on her left hand and faced the heart inward.



“When it is on your left hand and the heart is facing inward, it means you are taken,” said Harry, then he lightly kissed her hand.



“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried,” said Ginny as she rose from the table and kissed Harry lightly on the mouth.



“Now, let’s eat so we can go to sleep,” Harry said lazily



“Oh, you really want to sleep tonight?” said Ginny in a voice that denoted that it would be the last thing he would be doing that night.



“Have I mentioned that I love you?” said Harry with a smile.



“I love you too.” Ginny couldn’t have been happier at that moment and she had yet to give Harry his surprise.



She wanted to wait for just the right moment and thought it might actually be coming soon. All during dinner, they reminisced about their lives together; from their first meeting to drunken wedding toasts that rambled on and on, it was all discussed and laughed over. After they were done, the table magically disappeared and Ginny went over to the bags from shopping.



“I wanted to show you what I bought today,” said Ginny as she reached in the bag



“You have my undivided attention.” Harry plopped himself across the bed.



“First, here is Mum’s gift.”



“It’s just lovely,” Harry said with a snicker.



“I think you will like what I got my dad,”



“Oh, I am sure I will love it, dear,” said Harry stifling a laugh



Ginny reached into the bag and pulled out what looked like a tool belt. Harry had seen one on the plumber that had come to fix the Dursley’s sink. Across the front it had printed “Grandpa’s Tool of The Trade”. In one pocket was a diaper, in the other some wipes and ointments. The third pocket had a pair of goggles hanging out of it. Ginny smiled expectantly at Harry.



“That is great, Ginny, but I thought Fred and Angelina’s youngest just got out of diapers.”



Ginny looked towards the ceiling and said, “Are you really that daft?”



“I think I should get kudos for remembering a conversation you had with Angelina three weeks ago,” said Harry looking slightly confused.



“Ok, I see this isn’t going to be easy. Fine, I bought a shirt for myself.” Ginny reached in the bag and pulled out a shirt. It was at tee shirt that was black with white writing on the front. The printed words read “Mummy +Daddy = Me”.



Harry stared for a moment, sat up, and started rambling, “Are you ... Wait, are you sure?”



“Yes, Harry, I am quite sure. I went to Madam Pomfrey when I was at the school last week. I knew I could trust her.”



Harry stood up and put his arms around Ginny. He kept repeating almost inaudibly, “We’re going to have a baby.”



Ginny smiled and said, “Yes, Harry, we are.”



They spent the next half hour discussing plans and Ginny answered as many of Harry’s questions as she could. Knowing she was hiring a newlywed, Headmistress McGonagall had made provisions for such an issue and seen to it that there was a Maternity Clause in the contract. Ginny had also asked Madam Pomfrey to take care of her until she needed to go to St. Mungo’s. Ginny laughed when Harry asked about diaper changing and if there were any spells for that. Ginny told him to expect a tutorial from Mrs. Weasley the moment she heard the good news.



Deciding they were both knackered, they got changed and slipped into bed. Harry automatically put his hand on Ginny’s stomach. Ginny gave soft laugh and said, “You won’t feel anything for a while, love.”



“I know, Ginny. I am just so happy. You know, you and your family are the only family I have ever really known. But for me to be a father is something I have always wanted. Ginny, I am going to have my own family. You and this baby are my family. You don’t know how happy you have made me. Anything and everything right or wrong in my life before now makes it worth it for this,” said Harry as he wiped a tear from Ginny’s eye.



“You’ll make a wonderful father, Harry, and that was truly lovely what you said,” whispered Ginny. A whisper was all she could eek out. The pure happiness she felt sat in a tangible lump at the back of her throat.



“Just remember I said it later when I say something stupid, which we know will happen.”



“Deal,” said Ginny as she nuzzled into Harry’s chest.



Several hours later Harry woke up and glanced at the beautiful face of his wife lying next to him. He knew that it was probably only early morning but he was not tired. His newly awakened mind was racing with a thousand thoughts. Ginny really had answered a lot for him last night but he still had so many questions. Odd thoughts like how his child would look mingled with the worry of the job he was about to undertake. There was only one thing that Harry was sure of; he wanted to be a good father. Not really remembering his own father, he tried to think of what a good father was. As he thought of all the father figures in his life, from Mr. Weasley to Sirius and finally to Dumbledore, he realized that he had a decent picture of what a father should be. A father needed to be a little bit of everything. Harry was never one to be truly introspective but one other thought had been mulling in his brain. He would be responsible for this child. It was obvious that he had always felt protective of Ginny, but deep down he knew she could take care of herself. This child would depend on him to take care of it. He knew Ginny would be a wonderful mother and any worry he had was unfounded, but this was a life changing occurrence. Remembering some of Fred’s comments during Angelina’s last pregnancy, and how they were received, Harry realized that he would have to choose his words wisely. As Ginny turned over and unconsciously searched for his warmth, he moved closer to her and soon dozed off thinking about unruly-haired red-heads with green eyes.





Harry and Ginny barely left the room for the rest of the weekend. They did, however, make it back to see Mr. McKittrick as Harry had promised. As they packed up to leave for home, Harry looked around the room. Ginny smiled as she caught him taking it all in.



“Trying to remember if you left anything?” asked Ginny



“No, I want to remember everything so when I have to tell the story to our little one, I get all the details right,” said Harry with a smile.



“Oh, I am not worried, even if you can’t tell it well, I can. I have learned from a master.”



“Yeah, Fred can tell whoppers like no one can,” laughed Harry.



“You know very well I meant my Mum,” said Ginny.



“You know even if I did leave something here, I wouldn’t care, because I always leave with more than I came with.” Harry looked at Ginny and pulled her into an embrace.



“When did you get so profound?” asked Ginny



“No idea, I think maybe it is just the realization that I have received the two greatest gifts of my life here and I feel like I should acknowledge that,” said Harry



“Wow, tell your husband you’re pregnant and boom, instant maturity,”



“I think you should share this information with Hermione. It would save her so many fights with Ron,” laughed Harry.



“Yeah, let them get through the wedding first, my love.” Ginny looked at Harry and slowly rose to her toes. She slowly kissed his nose and gently brushed his mouth with her lips before pressing down firmly. As she pulled away she whispered, “So who shall we tell first?”



“I say if we value our lives, we go with your mum.”



“Agreed, we will go to the Burrow. Thank you so much for this weekend, Harry. I don’t think I could have wanted or needed anything more,” said Ginny.



“No thanks needed,” said Harry as he opened the door and they made there way to the stairs.



Having settled up earlier, they waved goodbye to the owner. With a knowing smile he said, “Come back any time, Mr. and Mrs. Diggle.”



As they made their way out the door the last thing heard was, “Do you think three is too early to teach them to play Quidditch?” followed by uproarious female laughter.

Laden down with packages, two young girls made their way towards The Leaky Cauldron. With a polite wave to Tom, they headed towards the fireplace.
Placing the packages in just right, the girls Flooed the day’s work home and then prepared to enter the fireplace themselves. Looking at them, you would notice the subtle differences in height and hair, but it was quite clear that these girls were twins. The slightly taller one stepped in first and grabbed the powder. Throwing it down, she enunciated clearly, “Number Twelve Grimmauld Place”.

Popping up in the kitchen of their home, the girls quickly put the packages in their father’s study. Glancing at the clock, they saw that they had only minutes to spare. They took off their coats and, plopping down into the sofa in the parlor, each grabbed a book from the end tables. Not five minutes later, the door opened and a cacophony of sounds entered the house; their mother and three younger brothers made a herd of elephants sound quiet. Trying to admonish one son and grabbing the collar of another, the girls’ mother entered the room.

“Lily Katherine, Abigail Briana, please tell me you have done something productive today?” asked their mother with a clear look of frustration on her face.

“Oh yes, Mum, we’ve cleaned our room and done the work Dad left for us,” said Lily.
She eyed Abby just to make sure she was following the plan.

Abby turned to her brothers and beckoned them in as commanding a voice as possible. “Boys, let’s go and clean up before dinner. Come on, you little critters.”

Ginny Potter made her way to an armchair across the room and sat down. Sheer exhaustion clear in both her face and body language, she asked, “Is there something your sister or you want? Because that was unexpected.”

Lily turned to her mom and smirked, “No, Mum, you just really looked tired. I think Abby just felt bad for you.”

“Sometimes I think growing up with Fred and George made me jaded,” her mother mused. After scanning the room for just a moment, she placed her hands over her face and gently rubbed her temples. Steadying herself on the arms of the chair, she rose. “And next on the agenda...”

Abby came bounding down the stairs and into the room like a bouncing ball falling down and stopped right next to her twin. She turned to her mother and said as she blew out a breath, “The boys are all cleaning up and then promised to do something nice and quiet until dinner.”

Looking at both girls, Ginny started walking towards the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “I’d say that gives us about five minutes to get dinner together in peace, wouldn’t you say?”

Happy to see their mother back in form, the girls giggled as the followed her into the kitchen.

Dinner at the Potter home was quite reminiscent of a Weasley dinner: lots of talking, whispering, and the occasional elbow in the butter dish. All five children were at the table by the time their father came home. Harry walked into the room and smiled at the motley crew that was gathered at the kitchen table. His twin girls were sitting together, conversing in quiet a tone, which was never a good sign. The girls both had Harry’s dark hair, but Abby had Ginny’s brown eyes while Lily’s, like Harry’s, were green. James, the next oldest, was almost the spitting image of Fred and George. Sirius and Theodore were almost carbon copies of Harry, but their hair was lighter and much more tame then Harry’s had ever been.

“Evening, everyone.” Harry walked right through the kitchen and into his study. He put down his briefcase and scanned the room, making sure the girls had been successful. He then returned to the kitchen, kissed Ginny on the cheek, and sat down at the head of the table. The din of noise that had quieted for just a moment returned as Harry started to eat. Glancing every once and a while at Ginny, Harry could see how stressed out his wife was feeling. She had often made the comment about how easy her mum had made it look. Harry thought she was doing an amazing job and reminded himself to mention it after dinner.

Nearly three months earlier, Harry had committed a cardinal sin for husbands: he had forgotten their anniversary. It had taken the girls reminding him days later for him to remember. Ginny had been so forgiving that it had only made Harry feel worse. From that day, Harry had tried to make sure he did something nice for her each day. Sometimes it was a futile effort, seeing as Ginny was so busy, but he was trying. When she could, Ginny acknowledged Harry’s attempts and even said how happy she was to be appreciated. Seeing the way Ginny put herself into both her family and her work, Harry decided Ginny needed a reminder of how special she was. Knowing the boys could never be trusted, he had enlisted the help of the girls; they were the only ones who knew the plans Harry had for the weekend.

After the dinner clean-up, each of the Potter children went off in their own directions. Harry went into the living room and sat down next to Ginny.

“How was your day?” he asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.

“It wasn’t so bad, but I think you should take the boys out next time. Utterly knackering and totally frustrating.” Ginny put her head on Harry’s shoulder.

“Have I mentioned lately what a wonderful job you have been doing with the children? They are getting to be so big now,” said Harry with a smile.

“Thank you for the compliment, Harry.”

“You deserve it.” Harry turned his head down and kissed her on the head. Just then, there was a loud noise from upstairs. Without even a thought, Ginny rose and started muttering something about five minutes alone with husband and bedlam. Harry waited for Ginny to be upstairs before he went searching for Lily and Abby. He found both girls in their room lying on the floor with copies of Witch Weekly.

“Thank you, girls, for all that you accomplished today,” said Harry as he walked into the room.

“All that is left, Dad, is to get the dress and we are all done; that’s why we are poring over the magazines. Mum has this habit of dog earring the page. Says it is something about how it was the only thing Aunt Hermione would let her dog ear,” said Lily with a smile.

“Do you really think she has no idea, Dad?” Abby got up and moved over to her bed.

“Yes, Abby, I really think she hasn’t a clue. I just hope everything goes as planned.” Harry had a nervous look on his face.

Lily moved over to him and tried to cajole him; she put a smile on her face that distinctly resembled her maternal grandmother and said, “It will all be fine, Dad; we will have our end handled.”

“And you know she is going to love it, Dad. You are just a little nervous.” Abby joined her sister in trying to bolster their father.

Harry looked at his girls; they really were so grown up now.

“What did I do to deserve such wonderful children?” asked Harry as he mussed both of their hair.

In unison, they replied, “You married Mum.”

The next few days went fairly quickly. Harry tried to tie up any loose ends before the weekend; he had asked for a holiday a month back, but wanted them to have no excuse to call on him. He was late to dinner every night until the weekend, but the end here definitely justified the means. On Thursday evening, Ginny received an owl from work telling her that she should meet the Headmistress at the school the next day.

Although she was sure there was nothing, all the same she turned to Harry and said, “I hope nothing is wrong.”

“I am sure it is nothing,” Harry said absentmindedly. Although, when Ginny returned to her book, Harry’s grin was as wide as his face.

The next morning, Ginny woke up to silence. This was a rare occurrence; there was usually some noise in the house. Ginny got dressed and made her way down to the kitchen. The only person there was Harry.

“Where are the children?” she asked in exaggerated awe.

“Your mum wanted them for the day; she was missing them,” said Harry as he brought her some eggs, toast, and pumpkin juice.

“What’s the occasion that you are still home?” she questioned.

“I have the day off. I have too much holiday time and they needed me to take today off. You know the Ministry: an extra penny paid is a penny squandered. I figured I would hang with you today. Is that a problem?” Harry made sure it sounded as though he didn’t want to impose on her.

“No, it is not a problem. I would love to have you around today,” she smiled at him and continued. “First stop, Hogwarts.”

After finishing their breakfast and cleaning up, the couple Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts. The headmistress gave them entrance and then asked them to meet her in the Gryffindor common room. Walking through the castle together, Ginny felt nostalgic; even though she spent almost all year here, there were only rare occasions since finishing school that she had got to do this with Harry. When Harry grabbed her by the hand and ducked behind a statue, she had this overwhelming feeling of déja vu. Harry gentled eased her up against the wall and held her face in his hands. Having been married so long, it amazed Ginny that Harry still felt this way about her. There was a sense of belonging when he kissed her, but also a renewed passion that Ginny had not felt in a while.

“You know, Mister Potter, I could get you in trouble for that; I am a teacher after all,” Ginny gave Harry a coy smile and grabbed his hand to start walking.

“Detention with you would be heaven.”

Ginny gripped Harry’s hand tighter and put her head on his shoulder as they walked hand in hand. They walked through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. Then they sat down on the chair near the fire and waited for the headmistress to come. Not wanting to waste a minute of their time alone, Ginny and Harry starting to catch up with each other. Amazingly, even if you live in the same house and speak everyday, you can still not manage to say the things that are really on your mind. After twenty minutes or so, Harry turned to Ginny and said, “Let’s go look at my old room, I haven’t been up there in years.” They made their way upstairs to Harry and Ron’s old dorm room. Harry opened the door and said, “After you.”

Ginny walked in and saw a sea of flowers. She put her hand over her mouth and started to cry; she turned to Harry, too much in awe to speak.

Harry flicked his wand and conjured a seat for her to sit in as the beds were covered in flowers. When she sat down, he started speaking.

“That day in Slughorn’s class, when the Amortentia was brewing, I smelled blooming flowers. Later that day, I smelled the same thing in the Great Hall. You had just walked in, but I would never have put that thought together. Over time that year, I wrestled with my feelings for you. It was here in this room I figured out how I felt for you. I knew that I needed to be with you, and I still do. I know you said it was okay with you that I forgot our anniversary a little ways back, but it wasn’t okay with me. With all that has happened in our life, I am so sorry I took you for granted for even a second.”

Ginny got up from her chair and put her arms around Harry’s neck. When her lips were millimeters from Harry’s she said, “I never thought you took me for granted; time and family change a relationship. I know you love me and I have always loved you.”

Harry put his hands around her waist and lifted her so they were eye to eye. There, again, was the mischievous glint in Harry’s eyes. He turned his head and put his mouth next to her ear. As he spoke, the heat of his breath sent shivers down her spine as did the words that followed.

“This is only the beginning,” he whispered, then pulled his head back and gently grazed her lips with his.

Harry took a step away from Ginny and a box came flying into his hands. He handed her the box and said, “Change into this before we go. I hope you like it.” With that, he walked out of the room and waited for the sound. Not thirty seconds later, there was an audible gasp heard on the other side of the door. Upon hearing it, Harry went downstairs to wait for his wife. Ten minutes later, a vision of beauty walked down the stairs. Dressed in a lovely, pale green dress with matching jewelry that the twins had picked out, Ginny looked radiant.

“Funny how, even though I see you every morning, sometimes the sight of you can take my breath away.”

“Sometimes I like to remember the younger you, who would fumble over his words when I came into a room. You have definitely gained suave and charm over the years,” responded Ginny as she took his hand.

“I had a great teacher. That and I had the girls prep me,” said Harry with a laugh.

“Abby and Lily know?” Shocked that either girl had not slipped up or spilled to their mother, Ginny laughed along with Harry.

“I had to enlist assistance and they were the most qualified. The boys and my accomplices are spending the night at the Burrow. We have the whole day and night to ourselves, and I have it all mapped out.”

With all that had just occurred, it finally dawned on her that even the Headmistress had been in on this. “Harry, you really didn’t have to do all this,” she said.

All he answered was, “Yes, I did.”

After leaving Hogwarts, they lunched at the restaurant where Harry was supposed to have proposed. Spending most of the meal reminiscing over their years together and how much the children had grown, time seemed to float by. After paying the tab, Harry led Ginny to a small corner of the wizarding restaurant.

“I want you to put this on.” Silk fabric covered Ginny’s eyes and she couldn’t see a thing.

Harry put his arm in Ginny’s and turned to her. “I know this might be a bother, but I want you to side-along Apparate so I can keep the final destination a secret.”

With conviction in her voice Ginny replied, “I trust you, Harry.”

There was a familiar smell wafting through the air. Ginny knew where she was before Harry could even speak. She did not, however, tell Harry this; she didn’t want to ruin his surprise. She felt Harry knock at a door and then it silently opened. Just the air around her felt familiar, Harry started to remove the blindfold. She gazed out into the Bheith Aris; Harry and Ginny had spent some of their happiest moments here. The inn’s owner came over to hug her and shake Harry’s hand. Over the years, they had come here many times; actually any time that they could get away. Without even a word, the owner led Harry and Ginny to their usual room.

“Wow, you really did think of everything, Harry,” said Ginny as the entered the room.

The door closed silently as the inn keeper took his leave. Already there in the room were the bags the girls had packed with their clothing and some other gifts. Harry sat Ginny down and retrieved a book from one of the bags. He handed her a brown leather bound album. On the front cover, embossed in gold were the words, “Our Mum”. Ginny opened it and on the first page was a picture of their children. It wasn’t the perfect picture that one would assume would be in a gift as such; it, however, was a true picture with the children laughing, fighting, and joking. Ginny started to cry. Each of the next pages were individual pictures of the kids with a letter about how they felt about their mother.

“When I started talking to the twins about what I was doing, they felt that, as your children, they needed to do something too. They know they take you for granted and wanted to show you how much you mean to them. The boys needed a little prodding… or a lot of prodding; depends who you ask. In the end, Abby and Lily got them to sit still long enough to do it.” Harry laughed as he remembered Sirius groaning as Abby had him by the ear. Lily had used blackmail to get James to concede to putting emotions on paper.

Ginny rubbed her hands over the book and closed it with a kiss. Putting it down on the night table, she walked over to Harry. She laid her head against his chest. This was her favorite place in the world; it was comforting and invigorating all at once. She turned her head up to look at him. “Harry James Potter, I love you for this, and for everything, really.”

They spent the night together with rejuvenated love and unearthed passion. Waking up in the late hours of the day, they slowly got dressed and made their way downstairs. As they got closer to the stairwell, Ginny could hear the loudness of the people downstairs. When they reached the landing, she realized that most of the voices were that of her family. She looked up at Harry who was standing the stair above her.

“Not in so many words, but I told you I loved you here. You told me we were starting a family here. I know how much love and family mean to both of us so it wouldn’t have been complete unless we got to share it.”

Ginny blew Harry a kiss and went running for her children. Engulfing the girls in hugs, she turned from one to the other to tell them how much she appreciated them. She switched to the boys just as Harry started making his way to the girls. The women made their way to Ginny, begging for a recount of all the details. The men started ribbing Harry as to how he had ruined it for them all. Finally sitting down together near the hearth that held so many memories for them, Harry looked at Ginny and knew she felt the same thing he did. The serenity of being in a beloved place with loved ones was a momentary utopia that neither one would take for granted.