Future Plans

Harry set down his things on the floor and brushed the soot off his cloak. Home. 'I still feel more comfortable at The Burrow, though.' Even though he'd remodeled much of number twelve Grimmauld Place, he still felt that something was missing. More likely, who was missing. Ginny. Harry felt his heart sink. He crossed to the windows of the sitting room and opened the curtains. Light spilled into the room, driving away his dark mood. He remembered the feel of the sun on his back as Ginny rubbed it not ten minutes ago. This truly wouldn't be a home until she was here.

Harry walked down to the kitchen for a quick snack. He opened the pantry and was surprised to find it full. There was fresh bread, some Butterbeer, wine, cake, biscuits and all his favourites inside. 'Mrs. Weasley,' he thought with a smile. Upon opening the refrigerator, he found it stocked with meat, cheese, vegetables and fruit. He smiled again when he found the note:

Dear Harry,

Thank you for coming to visit. We always enjoy seeing you.

I thought you could use a few things and I hope you don't mind that Arthur and I Floo'd over while you and Ron took the girls out. He even helped me clean it up for you.

You have grown into a young man of extreme integrity. Ginny has found herself a keeper.

All our love,

Arthur and Molly

'They approve.' He was glad of that, and wondered what else they did around here. Harry left the kitchen and walked upstairs to his room, bringing his bags with him.

He opened the door to his room and almost didn't recognize it at first. The chairs were reupholstered so they actually matched and a new rug was in front of the hearth. A new landscape hung over the fireplace and the room was cleaned. He walked over to his bedside table and noticed a new picture there, next to the one of Ginny. It was the two of them at Christmas at The Burrow during her last year at Hogwarts. The image of him and Ginny didn't change much as he looked at it; they were too busy looking at each other and holding hands. Was it always that obvious to everyone, even then? He set it down and picked up the other picture. Ginny was smiling and blowing kisses at him. He missed her already.

Back down stairs, he found one last surprise tacked to the door leading to the front hall. A note from Mr. Weasley. 'Oh dear,' he thought.

Harry,

My daughter doesn't always tell me what's going on in her life and there a few things a daddy just doesn't WANT to know.

'If you only knew, Mr. Weasley, you wouldn't want me around,' Harry thought.

Anyway, Ron told me this morning about a conversation the two of you had last night. He mentioned that you wanted to marry my little girl, and my heart was glad. She loves you, Harry, as I know you love her, and Molly and I would be thrilled to have you in the family in a more official way. The two of you remind us of ourselves before we were married. There's a lot of love there, and it is very plain to see.

Take care of her, Harry, she's my only baby girl.

Arthur

Harry wiped a tear from his eyes and smiled. 'Ron,' he thought, 'always butting in.' This was turning out to be a better day than he thought.

PS--There's a nice Muggle jewelry shop not too far from The Leaky Cauldron. I know you don't want your shopping excursion to make the front page. Tom knows where it is. Ask him for directions. Molly doesn't know I was here this morning, so let's just keep this to ourselves.

"I don't think I could take anymore surprises today," he muttered to himself.

*****

A few days later, Harry found himself drawn to the small jewelry shop on a corner near Diagon Alley. Upon entering the door, he knew that it was time to do this. He didn't feel like waiting anymore. He wanted to be with Ginny and the sooner the better. He stood over a long, glass-topped counter with what seemed to be a hundred different rings, each sparkling in the carefully placed light. 'This is going to be harder than I thought,' he told himself.

"Can I see that one?" Harry tapped at the glass above another ring. He could tell the old jeweler was getting impatient with him. This was the eighth ring he looked at today. Mr. Weasley was right; this was a very nice place. The owner, he found out, was expecting him (he was a Squib, luckily) and was more than happy to help Mr. Harry Potter find the perfect ring for his ladylove.

"Ah, yes, this one is nice," he explained to Harry. "Round cut, two and a half carats, surrounded by ten tiny pearls, set in white gold. Exquisite setting, isn't it?" Harry nodded in agreement.

"You sound like Mr. Ollivander describing wands." He doubted the jeweler would know whom he was talking about anyway.

"Ollivander was a genius wasn't he?" Harry looked up and nodded. "That's a very nice thing to say. He was my great-uncle." The man paused and exhaled sharply. "Thank you for returning him after...I'm sorry. It is still fresh even after all this time."

"You're welcome, sir," Harry politely replied. Harry stared at the little ring with its delicate pearls and diamonds. It was perfect, just like Ginny. "I'll take it."

The jeweler told Harry the price, and Harry had a feeling the man discounted the price a bit because of who he was. Harry paid for the ring and took the little black velvet box from the old man.

"Best wishes, Mr. Potter," he said giving him a little wink, as he walked over to help another customer.

Harry opened the box and looked at it again. He never felt so nervous in his life, and Ginny wasn't even here to ask. He looked at his watch and headed toward The Leaky Cauldron again. Ron would be waiting for him.

Harry remembered the first time he walked down this street with Hagrid nine years ago. Hard to believe that in that time, he'd found out he was a wizard, became proficient at a sport he had never heard of before then, met and lost his godfather, won the Tri-Wizard Tournament and watched Cedric die, lost the closest thing to a father in Dumbledore, and defeated Voldemort. He should be gray-haired after all that. Nevertheless, here he was, twenty tomorrow, with an engagement ring in the pocket of his jacket. How did all this happen in such a short span of time? He had done more in nine years than most men do in a lifetime, but the thing that scared him the most was an answer to a question he was going to ask an eighteen-year-old girl with flowery smelling red hair.

"You're late," said Ron, who was waiting for him outside the pub. "Dad said you left your meeting at the Ministry nearly an hour ago."

"Sorry, mate, but I had to make a detour." He shifted the box in his pocket, hoping Ron wouldn't notice. Too late.

"Did you get it?" Sure enough, whenever Harry didn't want Ron to pay attention, he was sharp as a tack. "Let me see, Harry!"

"Let's get inside first," he told Ron, ushering him into the dimly lit pub. They found a table far from the door and settled in.

"Couple of pints, please," Ron told the waitress. "So..."

"Patience, Ronald." Harry tried his best Hermione impression, which he thought was very good.

"Funny, Harry," Ron scowled. The two of them laughed as their beers arrived.

"Fine," Harry said, taking a swig from his mug. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the little box and set it on the table in front of Ron. "Go ahead." He reached for the box and opened it.

"Crikey, Harry! This must've cost more than what I make in a year!" Ron's ears were turning pink. "Wow. She's going to love it."

"God, I hope so." He smiled at him, turning to see who had just Apparated into the pub. "Give me that! It's Ginny and Hermione!" He grabbed the box and put it back into his pocket before the girls got there.

"Hi! Surprised?" Ginny asked him, sitting on his lap and kissing his nose. "I missed you!"

"Hi." Harry smiled up at her, never getting enough of looking at her. "Can I have a proper kiss now?" Harry leaned in and kissed Ginny. It had been less than a week since he left The Burrow but it felt like years. Her arms went around his neck as she deepened the kiss, opening her mouth eagerly.

"Harry, this is a family establishment," Ron reminded him. They broke apart reluctantly.

"So what are you doing here?" Harry licked the last taste of Ginny off his lips.

"Nice to see you, too, Harry," Ginny said, reaching to take a swig of his beer. "Tomorrow is your birthday, right? Since your classes start Tuesday, we thought we'd come and celebrate a day early with you. Can't have you get all pissed the night before you start lessons, right?"

"How much has she had to drink, Hermione?" asked Ron. "I don't like seeing her like this."

Harry, on the other hand, thought it was extremely sexy and entertaining. He kissed her again, in much the same fashion as he had kissed her earlier.

"Too much," Hermione answered. "Are they ever coming up for air?" She looked over at Ron, who was still staring at the two of them. "Ron?"

"What?" he answered, still amazed they could kiss that long. "Oh, what's with her?"

"She stopped by to see me at home and we went for some drinks before coming here," Hermione explained as she nicked her own sip of beer.

"Obviously. She looks terrible!"

"How can you tell? You can't even see her face..." Ron and Hermione began laughing at the two of them. "Harry! Ginny!" she yelled. Harry held up his middle finger, telling them what he thought of their interruption.

"I've got to do something drastic before he bangs her right here, Mione!" He whispered in her ear, with a teasing tone in his voice. "One..." he whispered to her again,"...two...three...Mum, Dad! What a surprise!"

Ginny fell off Harry's lap with a loud thud and the both of them suddenly had eyes as wide as saucers. Ginny's eyes narrowed at her brother, "Not nice at all, Ron." She got off the floor and sat on Harry's lap again.

Harry started laughing while he cleaned the fog off his glasses with his shirt. Ginny gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder, and fell back right up against the little box in his jacket.

"What've you got in there?" She began to open his jacket. He slapped away her hand and lifted her off his lap.

"Let's get going, okay? Ron, pay the lady." He pointed his head toward their waitress as they walked toward the Apparation area. Ron groped his pockets for money and laid it on the table.

"My place?" Harry asked the three of them. Ginny nodded for the others, wearing a mischievous smile.

Once Ginny and Hermione had left, Ron said, "You've got a ring worth thousands of Galleons in there and you can't even pay for beer? Mental." He disappeared with a crack, followed by Harry.

Once inside the sitting room, Harry looked up to see a birthday cake that Ginny had obviously made without magic, sitting on the table. He smiled at her effort, as it looked a little wonky.

"Happy birthday, honey." She kissed him quickly as he removed his jacket.

"Yeah, happy birthday, mate. It was all her idea," Ron nodded toward Ginny. "But she really IS drunk."

"Ron, come off it. Sit down." Hermione moved him to a large armchair and sat down with him. "Let me fix her up." She drew her wand, pointed it at Ginny, "Noninebriato!" and she was none the worse for wear.

"Thanks," Ginny said. "Remember that spell from New Year's, Ron? Saved you a nasty hangover. I'll go get some plates." She got up and went into the kitchen, grabbing Harry's jacket to hang on the hall tree. Before Harry could stop her, she was gone.

She screamed. He ran into the hall to find her staring at the little black box that had fallen to the floor. He picked it up, suddenly becoming very shy.

"Um...Ginny, it wasn't supposed to happen like this." A little whimper escaped her throat. "I was, um, going to wait and all but...I..." Words weren't necessary now for either of them. He slowly opened the little box for her and she let out another little squeal, putting her hands to her mouth. He got down on one knee. "Will you marry me, Ginny?"

Her smile was all the answer he needed as she bent down to him, covering his face with sweet, little kisses, tears salting their lips. She nodded as she cried and pulled back to look at him. He was crying, too. He removed the little ring from the box and she held out her hand, which he had to hold to keep it from trembling. It slipped easily onto her finger. She beamed up at him with all the love she felt, barely able to say to him, "Yes, Harry. I will."

Ginny put her hands on Harry's face, gently kissing him on the lips, making him feel like he could float on air. He'd forgotten all about his doubts and worries and didn't want anything to come between him and the joy that was filling him up.

"Are we interrupting something?" asked Ron. Harry and Ginny broke apart and looked at the door, realizing he and Hermione were still there.

"Uh...yeah," Harry choked out, feeling his collar grow warm, but he couldn't get rid of the smile that was on his face. It felt permanent, and he didn't mind in the least.

Hermione fairly bounced over to them, embracing them both in a giant hug. "I'm so happy for you!"

Harry looked up, surprised to see both Ginny and Hermione with tears in their eyes. He disentangled him from the two women and looked over at Ron, who was leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest. A very large, very Ron Weasley smile came over his friend's face and the two of them stepped toward each other, awkwardly hugging.

"Congratulations, Harry." Ron's smile told Harry many things that words could not, giving him even more reason to keep smiling. Ron pulled his sister away from Hermione and wrapped her up in his arms, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "Take care of him, please." His eyes were misty.

"Are you crying, Ron?" Ginny whispered.

"No." He pinched his eyes together, obviously trying to maintain control over his emotions. "You know I'm allergic to dust." He let out a small laugh.

"There's no dust here, Ron. Your mum cleaned the house for me." Harry patted Ron on the back and reached for Ginny's hand. He met her eyes with his, silently daring himself to look away.

Hermione cleared her throat, sounding enough like Dolores Umbridge to make Harry jump.

"What?" he asked. Ron and Hermione were fighting to keep their laughter inside as they looked at the two of them.

"We better leave them alone, love. I think we've outstayed our welcome, if you know what I mean," observed Ron, still smiling.

"No, you don't have to..." Ginny began.

"Ginny..." Harry interrupted, "if they want to leave, it's okay with me. Understand?" He tightened his hand around hers. Her eyes flew open.

"Oh, yes, it is getting late." She met Harry's eyes again. "It is Monday tomorrow after all." She barely heard Ron laughing in the background.

"Well, uh, Ron would you, um, stay at Hermione's tonight?" Ron's mouth opened as if to say something, but Hermione spoke for him.

"We wouldn't dream of intruding, Harry. Close your mouth, Ron, and let's go." They exchanged hugs and congratulations again, and with a crack, Harry and Ginny were alone in the entrance hall.

Harry looked down at Ginny. Her eyes glistened in the candlelight of the room, pulling him in like a black hole. He pulled her to him and kissed her as he swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to his bedroom.

*****

Later, after they discovered each other's bodies, they lay together quietly wrapped in the sheets and duvet of Harry's bed.

He wasn't sure how long they lay like that together, but Harry never felt better in his life. Their breathing slowed and he rose up onto his arms, looking down at her. He loved how she looked just now with her hair messed up and her lips freshly kissed. He never wanted to leave. Letting himself down next to her on the bed, he wrapped his fingers in her left hand, and brought it between them so they could both look at her ring.

"Do you like it?" he shyly asked. "Your ring, I mean."

"It's beautiful, Harry. I love it." She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. "And I love you. Only you. Forever."

Hearing those words from the woman he loved, the woman who was going to be his wife, suddenly made Harry feel that whatever plans he had for the future could wait. Right now, he was here with Ginny, and that's all that mattered. They were home.