Ginny

Ginny felt the sensation of warmth enveloping her, and thought it could easily be the Warming Charms placed upon Hermione's cottage, or that Crookshanks had found his way into his mistress' bed again. It wasn't either of those things, however, and when she opened her eyes, she realized she was in the master bedroom at Grimmauld Place, and that Harry was spooning her quite deliciously from behind. Ginny felt her entire body flushing, and not just from the excess heat, as she remembered what had transpired the evening before.

In the days after she had met both Lily and James, as well as Luna's portrait, Harry had asked her out for a proper dinner, as he put it, and she had accepted. Over elderflower, elf-made wine at the little French bistro, Le Furieux Sanglier, tucked away in a hidden corner of Diagon Alley, they got to know one another better, and Ginny found herself having a lovely time. That night was the start of a weekend with Pandy and Mina at Lily and James's house in Godric's Hollow, and Harry was very, very nervous.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Ginny told him gently. "And, if you get too anxious... Well, you did reserve us the private room with the Floo Network Connection."

Harry grimaced at that. "It's not because I don't want to be seen with you in a public setting, Ginny, it's just that..."

"Hey," Ginny said softly, reaching outwards and taking him gently by the hand, "please don't explain yourself, it's all right." She hesitated for a moment. "Have you seen anyone romantically since Luna?" she asked.

Harry sighed. "One person," he admitted. "I had a girlfriend before Luna, back at Hogwarts, who was a year ahead of me, Cho Chang," he told her. "She was only seeing me because her ex-boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, graduated before she did and she was lonely without him, so I stupidly said yes when she asked me out. I broke up with her when I realized just how hung up she was on him, and then she graduated a year before me. We ran into each other about a year after Luna passed away, reconnected, that sort of thing. Then she told me, after our night together, that she and Cedric were on a break, but considering marriage. I got the hell out of there and haven't spoken to her since."

Ginny raised her eyebrows at that. "Did they get married?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed. "They live in Portugal now. Cedric edits ancient Defense Against the Dark Arts texts, and Cho is raising their daughter, Artemis, at the moment."

Ginny smirked. "Perhaps they deserve one another."

Harry chuckled, and lifted his wine. "I'll drink to that," he replied.

Ginny ordered the coq au van and Harry the steak frites, and they continued discussing various topics over the rest of dinner. Ginny told Harry about growing up with too many brothers, and how they repeatedly attempted to fend off her one or two boyfriends she had during her years at Illvermorny, and they were decidedly against her relationship with Viktor. She mentioned Percy, briefly, and how he likely would have liked Harry very much.

"You don't see your other brothers liking me, then?" Harry asked.

"Oh no, that's all stopped," Ginny informed him. "The threats of disembowelment and eternal curses and all that." She smirked as she shook her head. "Mom, once she found out what they were all up to, told them she would ensure they couldn't have further children. They stopped their squabbles after that, especially once the Howlers at work started coming."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Oh, Merlin..."

"Did your mother ever send Howlers to Hogwarts?" she asked.

Harry sighed. "A few times, whenever I lost a fair few points, which ultimately landed me in various detentions," he admitted. "Hermione, of course, told her everything, which made sure Mum had all the details, of course."

Ginny nodded. "Of course."

Puddings were served at the end of the meal, with Ginny opting for the chocolate pots du crème and Harry selecting the crème brûlée. The Sauternes flowed, and Ginny had to admit that it paired excellently with the conclusion of their meal. She only had one glass of the elderflower wine with dinner, and then a smaller glass of the dessert wine, so she was feeling plenty level-headed towards the end of the meal. She felt her magic encroaching towards sparks at the ends of her hair once Harry informed her that he had already paid for their meal, but she decided to let it go at the end of things.

"Do you want to call the girls?" she asked instead, motioning towards the Floo.

Harry blinked. "You wouldn't mind?"

Ginny smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. I'll even step out of the room if you'd rather have some privacy..."

Harry stepped forward and took Ginny by the hand. "No, I... I want you to stay for the Floo Call," he said decidedly. "Please."

Ginny blinked, surprised at the sureness of his tone. "If you want me to stay, Harry, then of course I will."

Harry seemed to hesitate for the briefest of moments. "Ginny?"

Ginny smiled, squeezing his hand. "It's getting late," she said gently. "We'd better call the girls before your parents tuck them into bed..."

Harry nodded. "I know," he replied. "There's just something I want to do first," he said, before he closed the distance between the two of them, and cupped Ginny's cheek for a moment, the intent in his eyes making Ginny hot all over. he then smoothed her cheek with the pad of his thumb before he leaned in completely, and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips.

Ginny felt her heart accelerate then, and she leaned in further, parting her lips beneath Harry's in clear invitation, which is when he took the initiative and plunged his tongue inside the depths of her mouth to meet hers, and she found herself gasping against him; she'd never felt this way before over the course of her entire life!

Harry slowly retreated then, and grinned sheepishly down at Ginny. "Not that that wasn't one of the most wonderful experiences of my life," he told her quickly, "but I think we should Floo Call the girls and say goodnight to them now." He hesitated, before he wrapped an arm around her waist and said softly, "You're worth more than a quick fumble in a private room in one of the more exclusive restaurants in Diagon Alley, Ginevra Molly Weasley."

Ginny felt herself beaming at that. "Let's call the girls, then," she replied, and crossed over towards the Floo, grabbing the pinch of Floo Powder herself, before calling out, "Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow!" and tossed it into the flames.

Harry crouched down beside her, happiness radiating off his very being as the Floo connected, and he smiled broadly as he caught sight of his two little girls through the flames. "Hello, my loves!" he called out to them.

"Daddy!" Pandy and Mina called out together, before turning their attention onto Ginny. "You're with Ginny!" they crowed.

"Hello, sweethearts," Ginny said, smiling at the pair of them, and very pleased for the excitement in their reception. "How is your night tonight?"

"We had spag bol for dinner," Pandy reported.

"It was nummy!" Mina put in.

"Well, that's wonderful," Harry responded, unable to keep his grin off his face. "Ginny had some chicken, and I had steak."

"Do you like chicken or steak?" Ginny asked, wondering if they merely liked chicken tenders or hamburgers, and that was the extent of it.

"Yes," Pandy said, answering for both of them, while Mina nodded. "Dobby makes something really good called chicken marsala."

"We like teriyaki, too!" Mina said, her tone very excited, and it was for the first time that Ginny noticed that the younger Potter child had her father's smile.

Ginny was amazed that these girls were so tolerant of food experiences, certainly more so than she had been at their age. "That's wonderful. I like both those things, too," she whispered, as if she was letting the girls in on a great secret, and the girls seemed to love it.

"Will you come to New Year's?" Mina asked, just a bit too loudly.

Pandy immediately looked uncomfortable, and Harry grimaced a bit from beside Ginny. "Mina, Daddy told us that Ginny had to go home before then," she said, reprimandingly, although it was done so gently. "Ginny has a life back in Vermont..."

"We hold an annual New Year's Eve party at Grimmauld Place," Harry said awkwardly, and Ginny turned to face him. "I was going to mention it, but when you mentioned your return date to Vermont..."

Ginny nodded in understanding. "Of course," she said gently, and took him by the hand. "I understand, really..."

It came as a relief to Ginny when the subject moved on, before James and Lily came into the parlor of the cottage and informed Pandy and Mina that it was time for bed. After they were told that they would get stories from James and songs from Lily, they agreed to say goodnight in a polite manner to Harry. James escorted the girls out to brush their teeth, and Lily knelt in front of the fireplace with a smile.

"I get a few moments of reprieve before I supervise them changing into their nightgowns," she put in with a grin. "How's the night been, then?"

Harry managed to cut the call with his mother sooner rather than later, and then he and Ginny left the restaurant together, arm in arm. He gasped slightly as they stepped into the alley, and Ginny was a bit shocked to see a bottle-blonde rushing up to them, with green glasses, green evening dress, green heels, a green feather boa, and a green feather quill to match—she could swear it was from a peacock!

"Oh, Harry," the woman gushed, her pad of parchment hovering in mid-air, her quill just above it, as she looked hungrily at both him and Ginny. "Finally stepping out properly after the required mourning period, are we?"

Harry glared at the woman. "Rita," he greeted her, his tone tight.

Rita turned and looked at Ginny, her dark eyes wide. "Oh! You're the little slip of a thing who Viktor Krum threw over!" she declared, and the quill began scratching at the parchment furiously beside her. "Couldn't get your hands on Bulgaria's number one bachelor, could you, Ginny, so you're settling for Britain's, eh?"

Harry stepped in front of Ginny. "Rita, that's enough," he growled.

But Rita didn't stop there, and kept her gaze fixed upon Ginny, and ignored Harry entirely with a rather simpering expression. "Hoping for a rock for Christmas?" she asked. "Perhaps you'll slither like a serpent into poor Harry's life and poison him against the memory of his wife, as well as his girls!"

Harry's magic sparked upon the surface of his skin. "Don't you dare mention my daughters, Rita—!"

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the woman; now, she remembered—this was the reporter who had ruined her dinner with Viktor, Rita Skeeter! "Charmed," Ginny said, her voice devoid of any emotion as she looked her up and down, and placed a gentle hand upon Harry's arm, knowing entirely well what she would say. "I don't see a rock on your finger, Rita," she replied smartly, and the quill stopped writing as Rita gaped at her. "Oh, close your mouth, dear. We wouldn't watch you catching flies, would we? My sources tell me that you're a beetle, anyhow, which a frog would eat, wouldn't it?"

Rita seemed to quell slightly beneath Ginny's gaze. "I... I am married to my work..."

"More like you've gossiped your way up the ranks at The Daily Prophet, so much so that no one with half a mind would even look in your direction as a suitable partner," Ginny informed her, and gave her a little smirk. "I know it was you who broke the story about Viktor and Angelina's affair, as well as their engagement. Of course, you couldn't miss the opportunity to take it a step further, could you, and report about Viktor's little cold?"

Rita stammered for a moment. "I... It's decent news..."

"Well," Ginny said, her wand now in her hand, which directly caused Rita to take a step backwards, away from her, "I should tell you that I gave Viktor that unfortunate little cold," she said, mockingly saddened for Viktor's plight. "I would hate to have the same fate befall you, Rita. Imagine it—no one to cover the news of the gossip in The Daily Prophet for the rest of the winter holiday season!" She tsked audibly for a moment, smirking. "You would have to settle for the leftovers of Valentine's Day..."

Rita banished her quill and her parchment, glaring at them both. "What do you want?" she growled, tapping her green nails upon her hip.

"To leave me, my family, and those I care about alone," Harry bellowed at her, and put an arm around Ginny's waist. "But, you may have this statement: Ginny Weasley makes me happier than I've been in a very long time. We are merely getting to know one another at this phase, but I couldn't be happier with the notion that my family approves of her."

Rita gritted her teeth. "And if I refuse that?"

Ginny raised her wand. "A cold," she responded, "and perhaps allowing Minister Shacklebolt to know that you're an unregistered Animagus. I heard that Hermione Granger kept you in a jar for an entire summer when she was fifteen." Ginny gripped more tightly to her wand, and golden sparks fired out of it, clearly a warning. "Wouldn't want history to repeat itself, now would you?" she asked, her tone just barely threatening.

Rita turned white, but ordered her quill and parchment out of her pocket, and had Harry repeat his statement, before Harry looked it over, and placed a Locking Charm upon it, so Rita couldn't go back and edit it later. Seething, the blonde witch Disapparated from the cold street in Diagon Alley, just as a clock struck nine.

"Ah, just three more hours until Christmas Eve," Harry said, turning to face Ginny with a smile on his face. "Whatever shall we do with our time?"

Ginny's mind flashed forward, remembering how she had escorted Harry back to Hermione's cottage, and where the pair had made love for several hours. She had never had someone be as caring with her before, and knew that Harry wouldn't be an easy person to give up, as Viktor had been, if it would even come to that. Smiling, she remembered coming to Grimmauld for Christmas Eve, and staying for Christmas Day, as well as Christmas dinner. And here she was, as the silvery light of Boxing Day crept through the drapes of the master bedroom of Grimmauld Place, and she found she had never been happier.

She heard two sets of little footsteps scampering down the hallway, however, and so she quickly spelled both hers and Harry's pajamas on—a nightgown for herself and a top and a bottom for Harry—which woke him up directly. "Sorry," she whispered, taming her hair into submission as the door was thrown open, and she had a ready smile for both Pandy and Mina, who dashed up onto the bed. "Good morning," she greeted them, and almost immediately had an armful of both Harry's daughters, who giggled with elation.

"No morning hugs for Daddy?" Harry complained sarcastically.

Pandy and Mina grinned at him. "No!" they declared, and snuggled deeper into Ginny's arms, giggling loudly.

Harry harrumphed and crossed his arms. "I did not sign up for this."

Ginny smirked at him. "Get used to it," she whispered back, which directly caused Harry's eyes to widen, and Ginny to smile genuinely back.

~*~

Hermione

Hermione ordered a new gown specifically for her date with Severus that evening; yes, she was officially dressing to impress. The wine-colored gown hugged her figure, and accentuated the paleness of her skin; she used plenty of Sleekeazy's that evening, as she didn't want her hair to have one curl out of place. Around her neck was a rose gold locket, with a rube studded H on the outside of the pendant, which featured a family photograph inside, with her, Harry, Pandy, Mina, James, and Lily, taken the Christmas before. She had had the locket since James and Lily had informally adopted her back at Hogwarts, but had not placed a photograph into it up until a year ago, per the suggestion of Luna's portrait.

Hermione had just fastened the locket around her neck, and cast a Makeup Spell, when the wards of Ginny's place alerted her that Severus had arrived. Hermione grabbed her winter cloak and immediately opened up the door, and beamed up at the man. "Good evening, Severus," she greeted him formally.

Severus stepped forward, wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist, and pulled her to him, and gently pressed his lips to hers. "Good evening, Hermione," he responded.

They stepped out onto the porch, and Hermione locked up the house and re-set the wards, and wrapped her arms around Severus, permitting him to Apparate her off Ginny's property. They reappeared just outside the wixen's entrance of Thalian Hall, and Severus seemed all too proud to escort Hermione in on his arm. He was dressed like a Victorian gentleman, and Hermione couldn't be more happy with his own choice of attire.

"Severus, and Hermione!" Tom Riddle said, gliding up to them, Estrella on his arm, and shook Severus's hand, and kissed Hermione on both hands.

"Good evening, Tom," Hermione and Severus said together.

"Good evening, Estrella," Severus said, nodding to Mrs. Riddle.

Estrella kissed Severus on both cheeks. "Good evening, Severus," she said, and turned to Hermione with a gleam in her pretty blue eyes. "Good evening, Hermione," she continued, and kissed her on both cheeks as well.

"Good evening, Estrella," Hermione responded.

"You're at our table," Estrella informed Hermione, as Tom and Severus discussed one of their cases beside them. "You're in between me and Severus. I hope that's all right."

Hermione nodded. "Of course it is. Forgive me, I wasn't well on the night of the Christmas Eve ball, so we didn't get the opportunity to speak."

Estrella smiled at Hermione in understanding. "I know a broken heart when I see one, my dear," she told her gently. "Narcissa and I have always believed what a harpy Hestia is. She had no right to go after Severus that night, but we're more than glad that he got out of that conversation gracefully and went after you."

Hermione returned Estrella's smile. "So am I," she admitted. "I cannot tell you how much it shattered me to see her with her hands all over him..."

Estrella nodded, her eyes glacial. "Narcissa and I very nearly called Bellatrix through the Floo to do something about it," she reported. "Did you know that I'm their cousin?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I didn't, but I'm not altogether surprised. You have similar coloring to Bellatrix."

Estrella beamed at that. "Thank you, dear. We do have similar hair, as my mother, Ophelia, was Narcissa's mother's younger sister. Ophelia was so close with Druella, as she and Druella only had brothers for company. Ah, the Sacred Twenty-Eight can easily get a bit complicated at the end of things," she mused.

Hermione turned slightly and noticed that Severus and Tom were still discussing work. "Do they ever take the opportunity to merely breathe and be themselves?" she asked.

Estrella twittered. "Oh, you get used to it," she replied. "For so long, I thought Severus was married to his work, and then he met you, and things... Well, I truly believe that things have the capability of changing for the better."

"Shall we?"

Hermione turned as she felt Severus's hand along the side of her back, and beamed up at him. "I would love to," she replied, taking his offered arm and moving towards the open doors of the lecture hall, which was decked out for the post-Christmas season, and adorned with the four classic Christmas colors—red, green, silver, and gold. Just as they were about to step through the double doors, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"'Mione! Oi, 'Mione, is that you?!"

Hermione felt her senses run on overdrive then as she turned around, and her heart dropped somewhere near her feet as she noticed Ron, admittedly dressed very well in a suit in the latest fashion, rushing towards her. "Good evening, Ron," she said shortly to him, feeling slightly more courageous, given that Severus had not left her side. "Moody send you?" she wanted to know; the Deputy Minister of Magic, and longtime husband of Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody, took the Auror Department very seriously, as a former Auror himself, and was always looking for little ways for Aurors to better themselves.

"Took care of the Portkey and everything," Ron said, clearly very proud of himself. "He elected me as the official representative for the Auror Department at the British Ministry. Are you here on your own?" he asked, not even acknowledging Severus. "Perhaps later, we could—"

"Ah, you must be Mr. Prewett," Severus said, finally obtaining Ron's attention; the potions master looked down his nose at Ron, and Hermione did her best not to laugh. "Traveling alone, are you? Hermione here mentioned that you had recently gotten engaged. Surely, your Miss Brown wouldn't like to be left alone, just after the Christmas holidays..."

Ron swallowed, clearly intimidated by the older man. "Y-yeah, I just got engaged," he said rather lamely, obviously feeling foolish at being called on it, especially due to the fact that his intended plans for himself and Hermione later that evening had been thwarted. His eyes drifted back to Hermione as he jabbed a finger in Severus's direction. "Friend of yours? Bit old for you, isn't he, 'Mione?" he asked, wrinkling his nose. "Not at all attractive, given someone of your beauty, you should have someone that matches your caliber—"

"That's enough, Ron!" Hermione suddenly snapped, bolstered by Severus squeezing her arm in a moment of encouragement. "This is Severus Snape; he's a potions master, the best from Britain, but currently the best here in the United States. He works with all cases pertaining to potions at Riddle, Prince & Malfoy, I'll have you know; his mother was Eileen Prince, last of the line, so Severus himself is Head of that House. He is also a close, personal friend of the lecturer tonight, Albus Dumbledore, as am I. Severus and I are to be seated at the first table, and will be dining with Albus after the lecture."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't need to be so boastful, 'Mione..."

"And that's another thing," Hermione continued, cutting across him and narrowing her eyes, "I never gave you leave to call me by that name."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "'Mione..." He stammered for a moment after she narrowed her eyes further at him. "Hermione, I'm sorry..."

"And for what, exactly, are you sorry for, Ronald Billius Prewett?" she demanded, the years of mental torture that he'd put her through finally boiling to the surface. "You broke my heart, for years, and you acted as if it was my fault! That I wasn't good enough for you, some Pureblood whose parents put pressure upon you to carry out the family line with a witch of similar Blood Status and breeding! I was never good enough for you as anything but a convenient fuck; of course, this was after I helped you study for your OWLs, NEWTs, and for your exams from the Auror Academy! And then you would always run back to Lavender's side at the end of things, only to return to me with platitudes about how the pain you put me through would never happen again! It was a lie, Ron—all of it was lies! I am not unworthy," she informed him, speaking through gritted teeth now.

"In fact, she is very worthy," Severus declared, lifting Hermione's hand and kissing it, causing her directly to blush. "In fact, Ronald, you are here on an historic occasion—in addition to Albus's forthcoming lecture, this is also, in actuality, Hermione's and my first date."

Ron's mouth dropped open. "Date?" he sputtered.

Severus smirked down at Ron; although there was only two inches or so of height difference, he truly did indeed make up for it by his hawk-like nature. "In fact, now is as good a time as any for my intentions to be made known," he declared, turning Hermione towards him, and clasped both of her hands in his. "Hermione Jean Granger, would you do me the honor of permitting me to court you, with the viewpoint of discussing marriage within one years' time?"

Ron continued sputtering from beside them. "Courtship?!" he demanded.

"Oh, Severus," Hermione whispered, her eyes filling with tears at his declaration, and found that she had never been happier in her entire life, as she was in this very moment. "I would love nothing more than that," she replied, throwing her arms around him.

Severus, meanwhile, took it a step further, anchoring his lips to Hermione's and pressing a passionate kiss upon her lips for all to see.

A flashbulb went off as he did so, as a young man scurried forward, camerawoman in tow, with a pad of parchment in one hand, and gripping a quill in the other. "Attorney Snape, Darwin Buckling from The Wizard's Voice," he declared, seeming much more polite than that of Rita Skeeter from The Daily Prophet, Hermione briefly mused. "Who is your lovely lady friend this evening?" he asked.

Severus proudly turned towards the camerawoman and flashed a smile, leading Hermione to do the same, and the flashbulb went off again, before he turned to Darwin. "Good to see you again, Darwin," Severus said to the man politely. "This is Miss Hermione Granger."

"Hello," Hermione said, smiling and waving as another photograph was taken.

"And what do you do, Miss Granger?" Buckling asked, clearly interested.

"I work in the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for the British Ministry of Magic, mostly on the Werewolf Reforms," she responded.

Buckling's eyes widened at that. "You helped Remus Lupin keep his employment at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry due to your reforms!" he declared.

Hermione smiled awkwardly. "Yes, I... I did," she responded.

"Quite a catch for you, eh, Attorney Snape?" Buckling asked, winking at Severus.

Severus chuckled. "I'd say so," he responded, "considering I just asked Hermione here to enter into a formal courtship with me, with the view of marriage in one years' time."

Buckling furiously write onto his parchment. "What a way to hone in the end of the year," he said fondly, smiling up at them both. "May I say, the pair of you make a lovely couple?"

"Thank you," Hermione said.

"You may," Severus put in.

"Congratulations, best of luck, and enjoy the lecture," Buckling said, and, looking up, caught sight of Tom and Lucius across the room. "Attorney Riddle, Attorney Malfoy! Would either of you care to comment on the status of the Begonia Primrose case?" he asked, and hurried across the room to speak to them.

Severus took Hermione's arm again. "Shall we?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "We shall," she responded, as they walked into the lecture hall together and found their table, all within the sea of others.

Hermione found her seat, indeed between Severus and Estrella, and was charmed when Severus pulled it out and pushed it in for her. They talked for a few moments with Estrella and Narcissa, and, a few moments later, Tom and Lucius when they came to the table, and Hermione watched as other tables slowly began to fill up. Hermione noted with glee that Ron was seated in the back of the room, where he could hear, although not see, the goings-on very well.

A statuesque woman stepped out onstage, a pale blue gown hugging her figure, which went well with her fair coloring. She cast a Sonorus Charm, and everyone around them went silent as they stared up at her. "Witches and wizards, Mr. Albus Dumbledore!" she declared.

Albus walked onstage, wearing traditional wizarding robes, which Hermione supposed he must have found lovely, although the pattern had the capability of making her eyes bleed.

"I suppose one could say the wizard is attempting to be a rock musician," Severus whispered from beside Hermione.

Hermione turned and beamed up at the man. "Thank you," she whispered back.

Severus arched an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For being you," she responded, feeling her cheeks flushing for the thousandth time that night. "I think if you keep right on being you, I may not need a year to make my decision, for after tonight, I think I'm half in love with you already."

Severus's eyes darkened at that. "After you impressive display in how you dealt with that wretched boy Prewett," he said softly, "I would say that feeling is mutual, Hermione Granger," he declared, leaning down and kissing her again, just as Albus began to speak about how he had defeated Gellert Grindelwald, so very long ago.