Bedtime Stories

Bedtime Stories--Chapter 4--Don't Stop

Don't stop doing what you're doing baby
Don't stop, keep movin', keep groovin'

-- Madonna, "Don't Stop"

Ginny's eyes opened wide as Harry kissed her deeply. Her hands flew of their own violation up to his neck, pulling him closer. Her tongue darted out touching his rain soaked lips, begging for entrance. When he granted it, she lost herself to this man she had not so secretly loved since she was ten years old.

Harry's hands slid down her rain-slicked arms and circled her waist, pulling her body taut against his. The same body he had been admiring earlier. This kiss was nothing like the one that Cho had given him; there was simply no comparison. This was freedom, captivity, joy, and sadness. The bond that had brought them together was pulling him even deeper into this girl whom he had never given a second thought to before last term.

He could feel her breasts pressed against his chest. His body hummed to life because of the small creature holding onto him like a lifeline. This was a feeling like no other. He had nothing to compare it to, but knew that even if he spent the rest of his life searching he would never find anyone else who could make him feel like this. He felt himself lose his soul in her endless kiss, only to find it again along side hers.

He ran his hands down her back, ignoring the rain that pelted down around them, not noticing as it grew hot like a shower. All chance of rational thought was lost; he forget himself, his name, his childhood, his troubles and worries, even that Professor Dumbledore was standing near them, watching with an inscrutable expression. The only that mattered in his universe was kissing Ginny, the one thing he could never forget.

Ginny reluctantly broke the kiss, the need for air finally overriding their need to kiss. They were both panting hard as her deep brown eyes locked onto his emerald green. She found it difficult to decipher the deeply held emotions locked inside him, but she hoped--prayed--that this wasn't a one-time thing. The shy eleven year old--the one who had stuck her elbow in a butter dish and had never given up hope when it came to him--wondered why he had kissed her. Their newly forged bond allowed the more confident fifteen year old to feel his attraction, as well as his turmoil as he tried desperately to control himself.

This was not the ending to the duel that Professor Dumbledore had imagined when he had stepped back earlier. He had been concerned that it would end badly, and in some ways it had. Both of the teenagers in front of him were very emotionally driven, often acting before thinking. If this new wrinkle to their relationship ever went wrong, the bond that had become stronger in the past couple weeks could be damaged. He only hoped that, if it came to that, Harry and Ginny would be able to repair it.

"Very good," he said quietly, referring more to the duel that had preceded the kiss. "You have both done well with the physical and the magical portions of your training." He walked toward them watching as they blushed and stepped away from each other.

Harry felt empty without Ginny in his arms. He looked at her and then the headmaster. A part of him wished that Dumbledore would leave right then, so he and Ginny could figure out what was going on between them. The kiss had awakened his body in a way that he had never dreamed. His heart was pounding and he was still having trouble breathing.

Ginny glanced at Professor Dumbledore before her eyes darted back to Harry. Her lips felt swollen from the impromptu kiss. She reached out a hand to Harry and was incredibly grateful when he took it. Their connection was still running wide open. She could feel his need to kiss her again--she wanted the same thing!

"The curses and hexes you used and the distinctive unarmed style of combat was impressive. I will arrange a more strenuous test for next week, as I would like to observe you working together. I have heard that it is most remarkable." The professor stepped closer to his students. "I advise you to talk about what happened today. I do not say this as your headmaster, but as your friend. You have spent a great deal of time and energy building your bond these past few weeks. If something were to go wrong between you now, rebuilding it would take a lot longer. It might not even be possible." He peered over his half-moon spectacles. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," they answered quietly, in unison.

"Good. Now, I want you to do your afternoon meditation and then take the rest of the afternoon off. Tomorrow you will not be training at all. Remus mentioned that he wanted to take you to London for the day. I believe that a day off will do you both a power of good." He fixed his eyes on the pair with a hint of compassion. "I would suggest that you use the day wisely. I am heading back to Hogwarts now." With that Professor Dumbledore walked toward the Burrow.

Harry turned to the young woman beside him casting a quick drying spell on both of them since the rain had stopped. "Are you mad at me?" he asked hesitantly.

That wasn't what she expected him to ask. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"I dunno...for kissing you?" He ran a hand through his unruly hair.

"No, but I might be if you don't kiss me again soon." A bit of humour made her eyes sparkle in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

"Trust me when I say that is not something you have to worry about," he said leaning toward her waiting mouth, placing his hands on her waist.

This kiss didn't hold the same urgency as the previous one. Ginny nibbled on Harry's bottom lip, her hands moving behind his neck to play with the hair at the nape, feeling the silky strands pass through her fingers. She pressed her body against him. When his tongue pressed against her lips, she opened her mouth freely.

Harry felt only bliss when his tongue dipped into her mouth. He explored her slowly, savouring the unique taste of her before gently teasing her tongue with his, coaxing it to meet his. His hands wound their way around her small waist, holding her tighter against him. He could feel bolts of electricity running all through his body. When she ground against him, he felt a tightening and all the blood left his brain, rushing south.

No, not now! I want to kiss her, not push her away. I can't let her feel that. Bloody hormones. Reluctantly, he broke the kiss.

Ginny felt the beginning of his reaction to their kissing and a very feminine smile touched the corners of her mouth. He's very attracted to me; there is no doubt about that now.

He looked down into her eyes, examining them closely, and was pleasantly surprised to find flecks of gold in the cinnamon brown. "So," he whispered, his breath brushing over her face, "where do we go from here?"

She smiled, the expression lighting up her eyes in a way that made his breath hitch in his throat. "Where ever it goes, I want to be there."

"Me, too. I thought that you had given up on me," he stated, recalling what Hermione had said the year before.

Ginny smirked. "OK, just a bit of girl-speak translation. I never said I gave up on you...I gave you up; there's a difference. After the Yule ball I never thought that you would ever like me this way." Her fingers traced his shoulders while she spoke. "Also, I met Michael at the ball. So, here is this bloke who likes me for me, he's a bit dishy and he wants to get to know me. Trust me when I say, I never thought that we would kiss like we did today."

The thought crossed his mind that he might never understand girls, but learning to understand Ginny surely had its benefits. "Miss Weasley, will you be my girlfriend?" He wanted to make sure that he didn't repeat any previous mistakes, and he wanted to ensure that she was 'off the market', so to speak.

"Of course, Mr Potter," she stood on her tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Did you think that I would kiss you like that and say no?"

Remus walked out past the orchard after speaking with Albus about what happened during the duel between Harry and Ginny. It was hard to believe that the little things he had noticed that morning had come to a peak so quickly. A part of him wondered if the bond had anything to do with it, but he brushed the thought from his mind. He came across the pair talking quietly, but with his lupine ears, he heard Ginny agree to be Harry's girlfriend.

The difference in the two was obvious, almost subconsciously they were touching each other, as if they were mentally making sure that they hadn't vanished, that they weren't just experiencing the most realistic dream of their lives.

"You know," Remus began, "Sirius predicted this." His hand motioned towards to the two teens before him. "It was when you left to go back to Hogwarts after Christmas." He couldn't help chuckling as they both acquired matching blushes.

"How did he know?" Harry asked.

"When Ginny put you in your place after your visit to St. Mungo's, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before you got together. James fell for Lily the same way. Your mother was the only person who could shut him up." Remus' smile grew at the moment. "Your grandfather once said that all Potter men had one major weakness--women who stand up to them." He decided to keep it to himself that all Potter men also seemed to end up with girls with vibrant red hair.

Harry laughed. "Well, Gin you do have a talent for shutting me up."

She grinned impishly at him, "and now I have an even better weapon."

Harry and Remus laughed, although Harry's was a bit rueful. "You didn't do a bad job last year without it," Harry admitted.

"Someone had to." She rolled her eyes. "And I am too stubborn to back down."

"True."

Ginny looked over at Remus. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned that we have a free day tomorrow so you could take us to London. Where are we going?"

"Oxford Street, actually. Harry, I took the liberty of changing some money for you into pounds for the day. I know that you have some clothes now, but I made an appointment at an optician for you to get new glasses or contacts, whichever you prefer, and we can do some shopping for anything else you need while we are there."

"New glasses? I do need a pair; I have had these since I was nine years old."

Ginny frowned softly for a moment. The thought of spending the day with Harry shopping was appealing, but the state of her coin purse had much to be desired.

It was only on her face for a fraction of a second, but it was more than enough for him to understand--being friends with Ron for so many years gave him all the experience he needed to decipher it. "Ginny, I don't care what you say, but you and I are going to have fun tomorrow." He knew how Ron felt about Harry buying things for him; he planned on letting Ginny know that she couldn't refuse. He didn't know if this was love that he felt for the girl standing before him, but he wanted to make her happy.

"Remus, I still have some of my spending money. Can we change it before going into London?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head at Remus. "Ginny, tomorrow is on me."

"I can't let you do that Harry," she replied shaking her head.

He turned and put his hand on her chin to meet her eyes. "Do you think I am trying to buy you?"

She grimaced. "Of course not."

"Then if I want to buy things for my girlfriend, then I damn well will." He said, his voice diamond hard, as he showed his own stubbornness. "One thing we haven't talked about is Sirius' will. Remus knows about it, in effect we were both ordered to have fun with what he left us. He knew that we would just let it sit in a mouldy vault in Gringotts, if we weren't ordered to use it. We both have to spend a certain amount in a year, or the money reverts to back to the Black family. I'll be dammed if I let Bellatrix Lestrange or Narcissa Malfoy have any of it." He wrapped his arms around her again. "So let me do this. Allow me to take you shopping in London. I want you to have everything you deserve. Please?"

Ginny took a deep breath, fighting her instinctive urge to deny him immediately. The hours, days, and years she had spent watching and observing him had given her an insight into his character that not many people had. She knew that he would never make a meaningless gesture just for the sake of propriety; it wasn't in his nature. She knew he meant what he said 99% of the time; the other 1% he was fighting for his life. If she turned him down now, it could hurt their relationship. She could tell that he had no ulterior motive except to make her happy. He was an exceptionally giving person; it was as if he was trying to make up for the lack of care he had received growing up. She was going to have to swallow her pride and compromise, as he would have to about other things.

"OK, I agree."

With a whoop, he picked her up and kissed her again.

They settled down after finishing their conversation with Remus and immediately started their meditation. They were both curious to see how their new relationship would affect it. The new emotions flowed through the bond. In many ways, it heightened the experience. The few things the pair had hidden in their morning meditation were no longer a factor. They could still feel their attraction for each other, but there was also an admiration and a respect that went beyond the scope of friendship.

If asked, they decided to tell the family there was a change in their relationship. When they were done, Harry offered to give Gin a piggyback ride back to house, which she readily accepted.

Ron was sitting in the garden waiting for Harry and Ginny to finish their training. He was responding to his most recent letter from Hermione. She was currently on the Isle of Wight with her parents. The letters touched on different topics from homework and the Department of Mysteries to Harry and Ginny. They had also started talking about their own relationship. He knew how he felt about her and he finally felt it was time to test the waters. His concentration was disturbed when he heard Harry and Ginny returning from the orchard.

Something had changed between his best mate and sister. Ron watched them laughing together and saw their eyes alight with a new twinkle. "How was training?" he asked casually.

"Wonderful!" Ginny replied with a new lift to her voice.

Harry set her down on the ground. "We duelled each other today, but before you ask, there was no winner or loser." He looked at down at the girl beside him. "Gin, would you say we were both winners today?"

She placed a finger on her chin for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "I would agree there."

Ron watched them have one of their silent conversations for a moment. He wondered what they were talking about. "Are you two ready to play some Quidditch?"

"Yes. We have the rest of the afternoon off." Harry replied half-heartedly.

"Brilliant. I'll grab the brooms." Ron ran off to the broom shed.

Ginny watched as Ron ran toward the house. "Come here you." She looked up at her boyfriend. When he leant down, she captured his lips in a soft kiss. "Should we just see if Ron notices anything?"

"Yep." His hands were drawing small patterns on her upper arms. There were other activities he would much rather be doing this afternoon than playing Quidditch and all of them centred around the girl in his arms, but he had promised Ron they would play.

The youngest Weasley male was heading back to where the others were waiting for him when he noticed Harry staring down adoringly at his sister. His realisation earlier about something changing was correct, but what had happened? Had one of them blurted out their feelings? Though he shuddered to think of it, had they kissed? Deciding in an instant to keep an eye on them while they played, he handed both of them their brooms.

The teens spent the next two hours going through Keeper and Chaser drills. One thing Ron saw was had Harry not been a Seeker, he and Ginny would make a formidable pair of Chasers. They responded to each other effortlessly in the air and passing the Quaffle back and forth. It was as if they knew where the other was going to throw the ball next.

"Oy, Harry, wasn't your dad a Chaser?" he called out from the makeshift goal post.

Harry nodded yes. "That's what Remus told me and that Dad was Quidditch captain his last two years."

"Seems like you have a family tradition to keep up then. You know, you two would make a great pair as Chasers." Ron knew that he was baiting them. He only wanted to know how they reacted to being called a pair.

"Ron, you could be on to something." Ginny sidled her broom beside Harry's. She whispered to him, "go with me for a moment."

As she turned her face upwards, Harry leant down and kissed her slowly, almost savouring her. One hand balanced on the handle of his broom and the other pulled her closer.

"Oy, remember that her brother is on the field before you molest her mid-air, Potter." Ron watched them break apart. "So when did this happen?"

Breathlessly Ginny looked back at her brother. Harry's kisses could thrill her entire being. "This afternoon after our duel," she replied. "You should try it with Hermione when she gets here in a couple days. It's liberating." She gave her brother an evil grin.

Harry laughed loudly at her statement. "Yeah, I think you should, Ron. We might actually get some peace and quiet in the tower this term."

"Is that any way to talk about your best friends, Harry?" Ron shot back.

"After five years of listening to and refereeing your arguments, yes!" His right hand caressed Ginny's waist tenderly. A part of him never wanted to be out of physical contact with her, but that had been building for days. They had been holding hands off and on for the past week.

"You two might have figured things out, but leave the rest of us alone." Ron realised that he didn't have a problem with Harry and Ginny together, as long as he didn't have to watch them snogging all the time.

The trio kept throwing around the Quaffle until Arthur called them into Dinner.

Dinner for the most part was a quiet affair. Ron teased Harry and Ginny to keep their hands above the table when they sat down, alerting the Weasley parents that their relationship had changed. Molly beamed at her daughter and the seventh Weasley son. Arthur nodded at Harry at one point during the meal, silently giving his approval.

After Molly and Albus had spoken in the kitchen two weeks prior, Arthur and Molly talked at length about the changes that could come about between their only daughter and Harry. They knew he was a wonderful young man who needed someone to hold on to at this stage his life. They were a little biased, of course, but couldn't think of anyone better than Ginny.

They knew that Ginny had suffered at length because of the Chamber of Secrets. It had been one of the deciding factors that led to the trip to Egypt that summer. Arthur thought that some time away would be good for her.

Ginny and Bill shared a special relationship as siblings. It wasn't that often that the eldest would care for the youngest, as Bill did for his little sister. He had been her knight in shining armour until she met Harry. Bill would protect her from the Twins' pranks when he was home for the summer from Hogwarts--until she learned to retaliate. He told her tales of the enchanted castle in Scotland, which only fuelled her desire to go every time another brother left for school. He was also the one that helped her start on the road to healing. It had been a long process, but the end result was their daughter back as she should be.

With experience from the trials that their daughter had been through, they knew that she would help Harry heal. Since he had arrived at the Burrow, the change in him was slow but noticeable; he had begun to laugh freely again and wasn't lashing out at everyone. There was normally a smile on his face these days. The innocent boy that had arrived that early morning five years before was starting to re-emerge.

Arthur looked at his wife of twenty-six years and shared a secret smile. The young couple before them reminded the pair of themselves. Molly could see Harry's eyes shinning with happiness in the same manner that Arthur had looked at her when they were fifteen. Arthur noticed the fire that burned within Molly was now showing in Ginny's very soul.

When dinner was finished, Molly shooed the teenagers out of the kitchen to go out and enjoy the rest of the warm summer evening. Ron, Harry and Ginny walked down to the pond together talking about the Quidditch team and their chances next year. Ron turned a blind eye at their joined hands. He could see that they were both very happy. He knew that Harry needed this. It was essential that his best friend feel like a teenager and not the hero of the wizarding world. If his sister could do that for him, then by all means...After the sun began to sink into the horizon, Ron excused himself from the pair to leave them alone.

"I have wanted to do this since dinner," Harry said leaning toward Ginny. He rested his forehead against hers before touching her lips with soft supple kisses that spoke of many promises. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and lay back on the grass. For the first time in a year, he had gotten more than enough sleep, no evil breathing down his neck and no pain in his scar.

Ginny cuddled into his side as they watched the sunset, listening to his peaceful breathing. A part of the girl was excited to know that she was the one who gave him some peace after the year he'd had. She understood that there were still things to deal with from the pain of losing Sirius and some of the trust that had been broken between Harry and Professor Dumbledore, but those were problems for a different day.

Tonight was only for them. They spent the time in each other's arms until Ginny's father called them in for bed.

The next morning, Harry was awake before Molly ever knocked on the door. He walked to the bathroom to shower before breakfast. He used the time alone to reflect on the previous day and everything else that had happened. He couldn't believe that Ginny cared for him the way she did. His heart knew that his girlfriend cared for him, Harry, and not the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry thought back to his first date with Cho, when he had the worst possible time. He knew that the relationship that he and Ginny had was much different. He had spoken to Remus about spending a little time alone with Ginny while they were out. Moony told him that they couldn't split up, but that he and Tonks--who was joining them for guard duty--would fall back and allow them to enjoy the day together. Harry thought that was enough for now.

He put on a pair of the black jeans that Sirius had bought for him. Grabbing a red T-shirt and one of the white button down shirts, he slipped on his trainers and knocked on Ginny's door.

Ginny was roused from a lovely dream. She and Harry were having a snog session on the Quidditch pitch back at Hogwarts and the house team had just decimated Slytherin. The knocking at her door pulled her hastily from the arms of one Harry Potter. Climbing out of bed, she grabbed her dressing gown and opened her bedroom door.

"You could have waited five more minutes to wake me, Mum," she said sleepily.

"Why would I want to do that," asked Harry as he leant against the doorframe.

A bright smile crossed her face that met her eyes. "Because I was dreaming of you, silly."

"Sounds interesting. Can I have a good morning kiss?"

"Gimme a second." She darted to her dresser, picking up her wand muttering a quick breath freshening charm. "Now you can."

Harry's hand caressed her chin tilting it toward him and kissing her gently. "Mmm, cinnamon."

"And you taste like peppermint," she replied. "Let me take a shower and I will meet you downstairs for breakfast."

"OK. Don't forget to wear Muggle clothing today since we will be in London," he reminded her.

She laughed softly. "I won't. I like what you are wearing. You look good. Nice to see you in clothes that actually fit for once." Planting a quick kiss on his cheek, she dashed to the bathroom for a shower. She finished quickly, heading back to her room to dress for the day.

One the many good things that had come out of having Hermione for a friend was that the slightly older girl had physically matured faster that Ginny had. Anytime that Hermione grew out of her clothes, she passed them along to the younger girl. Some of them she could never wear, not with her vivid colouring, but some of the items really suited her. The girl took out a summer skirt in a pale yellow with cornflower blue flowers and a matching sweater set in the same blue. If she became too warm during the day, she could shed the cardigan. The teen muttered a quick hair drying charm that also tamed her long wavy hair. She stepped into a pair of sandals, and headed down to the kitchen.

Harry heard someone coming down the stairs and looked to see whom it was. When he saw Ginny in her outfit, he felt his jaw hit the floor. She looked radiant in the blue sweater. He had always loved her hair--it was endlessly fascinating for him--the colour had changed from the normal orange red that was typical in the Weasley family to more of a burnt red, add in the time they had spent in the sun this summer and her hair now had lighter streaks of strawberry blonde. She rarely wore it down, so he was quite pleased when she did today.

"You look beautiful," he told her when she joined him at the table.

Ginny blushed lightly. "Thank you." She took the plate her mother offered her and began to eat her kippers and eggs.

Ron was in his normal seat and wondered why they were dressed up, compared to how they dressed everyday. "Where are you going today?"

Harry looked over at his best friend wondering why he and Ginny hadn't mentioned their day trip yesterday. "I have an appointment to get new glasses. Remus is taking us to London today."

"Oh, OK." Ron replied. If he hadn't already had some plans to go to the Twins' shop today, he might have been a little jealous. "If you get some time, you should stop by the Twins' shop. I am going there for the day."

"I'll ask Remus. He said that we are going to Oxford Street, so we should be pretty close." Harry said, as he returned to his breakfast.

Molly sat at the table for a moment enjoying her tea, feeling slightly melancholic. All of her children were growing up. Harry and Ginny were spending the day in London and Ron was going to work for the Twins for the next couple days. She accepted this, but it seemed only yesterday that Ginny had been begging to go to Hogwarts with Ron and they had helped Harry get on to Platform 9 and 3/4. Now her youngest son and his best friend were on the cusp of manhood and her only daughter was blossoming into a lovely young woman. Part of Molly wondered where the past five years had gone.

The fireplace sprang to life as Remus and Tonks Flooed in. Remus was dressed as if he had spent too much time in the hallowed halls of Oxford. His outfit screamed 'intellectual professor'. He had on a pair of old jeans with a white cotton shirt and a well-worn tweed blazer. The only things missing were the suede patches on the elbows.

Tonks, on the other hand, looked nothing like the way they usually saw her. She frequently wore her hair coloured in one of the more flamboyant shades of the rainbow and styled it accordingly. Today it was a rich mahogany, simply styled to fall to her shoulders. Her eyes were a pale blue colour. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a red summer jumper.

"Tonks, you almost look normal today. What's the deal?" Harry asked when she entered the kitchen.

She shot Remus a dirty look. "It's his fault. I lost a bet so I have to stay in my natural state for the day."

"Now, Dora, you know better than to bet against a man who has better than average hearing and can smell certain scents in the air," Remus countered.

Ginny was a little confused. "What was the bet?"

Tonks smirked. "I bet this bloody wolf when you and Harry would get together. I lost. Couldn't you two have waited another couple days?"

Everyone around the table laughed loudly. Harry looked at his guardian, aghast. "You bet on my love life?"

Remus nodded. "Yes, I did. If Padfoot and Prongs were still with us, there would have been galleons on it as well. And don't think that your Mum wouldn't have been involved, either." A haunted look crossed his features for a moment. "It's bad enough that you had to go on a date last term with that Chang girl. I lost five galleons on that one with Sirius."

Ginny giggled. "Poor Remus, at least you won this one."

"Yes. Thank you for realising your feelings yesterday." he said with a cheeky grin.

Harry dryly replied, "Glad to be of service."

Remus took the cup of tea that Molly offered him. "Thank you, Molly. Are you two ready to go?" The two young people nodded that they were. "Harry, can I see you a moment in the living room?"

"Sure, Moony." He dropped a kiss in Ginny's hair and followed him out.

"I picked up something for you yesterday." Remus reached into his jacket and took out a leather wallet, passing it to Harry. "It's not got all your shopping money. It's not big enough."

"OK," Harry nodded.

"Since Ginny agreed to let you pay for her, I picked up some more money for the day."

"Good. She doesn't know it, but there will be some major shopping for her today."

Tonks sat down at the scrubbed kitchen table beside Ginny. "So, I have only heard a brief version of the story, what happened?"

Ginny explained the duel and Harry's hesitance to hit her full on. They giggled over the kiss and the ones that followed. She told the older girl about last night watching the sunset together.

Because Ginny had been raised with six boys, she had a problem making friends with girls. When most girls were playing with dolls, she was playing Aurors with her brothers. The previous summer at Grimmauld Place, Tonks had entered her life. She was the same age as Ginny's second oldest brother, Charlie, but the younger girl felt a kinship with the young Auror.

When Remus and Harry came back to the kitchen, the two girls were still laughing over the previous day. Remus was the first to speak. "What are you two giggling about?"

"Oh, nothing. Just girl talk." Tonks replied.

Moony glanced at Harry and they rolled their eyes in unison. "The eye appointment at Dolland & Aitchison is at 10 AM, so we should get going. Harry, I want you to go and get your invisibility cloak. We are Flooing into the Twins' shop, but you and Ginny are going to share the cloak until we get on to Charring Cross Road. You should both bring your light cloak for the Floo. I know how dirty you can get going through the network, and I am sure that you want to stay clean."

In less than five minutes, they were standing in Weasley Wizarding Wheezes to begin their day of fun.

They reached Dolland & Aitchison just as they were opening for the day. One of the clerks spoke with Harry and Remus, giving the older man the paperwork needed for Harry's appointment. Remus sat down and began to fill out all of the information, muttering about having to do this the muggle way. Due to Harry's peculiar upbringing, he didn't have a National Insurance number, so Remus made one up, and put fake names and addresses on the forms. Tonks sat beside him patting his knee in comfort.

The two teens wandered around looking at frames. Harry would try on a pair and Ginny would give an instant yes or no opinion. He wanted to get away from the bulky black frames he had worn for seven years. She kept trying to get him to try a pair of rimless, but he was leaning toward a pair of wire rims. The couple finally found a set that they both agreed on. The frames were a steel grey and partially rimless, evidence of the couple's ability to compromise. He also decided to get a pair of contacts.

When Remus finished the paperwork, one of the clerks came to collect Harry for his exam. Ginny waited with the older couple while he was having his eyes checked. They waited patiently for him to return.

Harry found out that his prescription had changed dramatically since he was nine. It was a bit of a shock for him to see clearly for the first time in several years. The deterioration in his eyesight had happened so gradually that he had automatically compensated. It was only now that he realised what a liability it had been. The optician said that Harry would probably need to return for another examination and a new set of glasses within the next couple years; his myopia was likely to get worse. The doctor met with Remus after the exam and explained the pros and cons of contacts. Moony and Harry had already discussed it and decided to get both. The younger man also picked up a pair of regular sunglasses for when he was wearing his contacts.

Once he was fitted for the new lenses, the same clerk that had been helping them advised that his new glasses would be ready in a couple hours. The group said they would return after lunch.

"So, how do the contacts feel," Ginny asked Harry as they walked hand in hand down Oxford Street.

"Other than the compulsive blinking, I like them. Feels strange to not have my frames on, though."

Ginny took the small bag that the store had given him and dug out the sunglasses. "Here, love, put these on." She stood in front of him and mussed his hair to her liking. "What do you two think?" She asked for Remus and Tonks opinion.

"Harry, if you were eight years older, I might consider losing the wolf. But I really wouldn't want to deal with Ginny's temper." Tonks teased.

"I wouldn't want to either," Harry replied. "I know what she's capable of and if you have any questions about her bat-bogey, then I refer you to the cousin you don't acknowledge."

Tonks looked admiringly at Ginny. "You got Draco with a bat-bogey? When was this?"

"The night we went to the Ministry." She clasped Harry's hand again and squeezed it. "You know something? We keep hearing from the ferret that we are on the losing side but it always seems that Draco and his sidekicks are the ones being hexed at the end of the year?"

Harry looked at his girlfriend for a moment. "I dunno. Last year when we got back to school, he tried to stop me in the entrance hall. Snape caught us and asked what I was doing. I could only say I was trying to figure out which curse to use on him." He leant down and kissed her quickly. "Tonks, I can't claim to understand your family, but I can understand why your mum and Sirius defected."

"Which is why I know my Da's family more than my Mum's." She said with pride. "When I was about eight years old, Mum and I ran into my aunts, Bellatrix and Narcissa in Diagon Alley. I knew they were evil, even at that age. Of the three sisters, Bellatrix is the most vocal. She called my Mum a blood traitor and me a filthy half-blood. Mum told me that when Narcissa was a teenager she was just as bad, but being married to Malfoy has made her worse. I don't think Mum and her sisters have spoken in years. And I know that she has no wish to, either."

They crossed Oxford Street to Atomic Jeans to take a look around. Remus stood outside waiting for the other three to do their shopping. Harry found a black leather bomber jacket he really liked and Ginny told him he should get it since it looked good on him. Tonks was lost in the women's jeans section, glad that Remus had offered to pay for her today. Harry looked at the other jackets to find one for Ginny and kept asking her which she liked. She finally chose a three-quarter-length coat. Harry had his order rung up and he and Ginny joined Remus outside to wait for Tonks.

"Harry, what do you think of that Pub across the way for lunch?"

"The Tottenham?"

"Yeah. I've eaten there a time or two and the food's pretty good. Most of the other places around here are either fast food or take-away."

Harry turned back to Ginny. "We're going to grab some lunch across the street when Tonks is done." His thumb caressed the back of her hand.

She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Sounds good to me."

"Then we will go pick up my new glasses and do some more shopping." He dropped a light kiss on her lips. He noticed Remus walking away a bit from them. Must be giving us that space he talked about, his mused with a small portion of his mind. The rest was more than happy--being filled with Ginny thoughts.

Tonks finally emerged from the shop with a couple of bags. The group crossed the street to the pub. A barmaid met them at the door to seat them. Remus requested two separate tables not far from each other. Once they were seated, he discreetly cast a silencing charm around the two tables.

Harry glanced over the menu and decided on fish and chips. The only time he had ever had it was when he had been given Dudley's leftovers a few years ago, and he had wanted to try it again. While it was such a standard in the muggle world, it was a rarity in the wizarding world. "Have you decided what you want, love?"

Ginny looked up and flashed him a dazzling smile. "I was thinking of a burger and chips. What are you having?"

"Fish and chips." He had no wish to spoil the mood by explaining why, and a second later he had forgotten about it as she took his hand in hers once more and lightly played with his fingers.

The barmaid came to take their orders and said she would be back with their drinks. They had both ordered soft drinks since neither looked eighteen yet, the legal age for drinking. Harry glanced down at their joined hands, suddenly amused by the notion that he had been so worried about whether or not to take Cho's hand and yet how natural it was for him to take Ginny's.

"Have you heard about your Quidditch ban being lifted?" Ginny asked.

"Yep. McGonagall sent me an owl the first week of the holidays. That's what led to getting my broom back. Dumbledore had one of the members of the Order retrieve it for me."

"That's wonderful, Harry. I'm looking forward to trying out for Chaser. I'm much better at it that I am as a Seeker."

"You did very well as Seeker," Harry reminded her.

Ginny blushed at the compliment. "I am a good Seeker," she admitted without false modesty, "but I'm not a natural like you. There's a small difference between us, but it's the difference between being able to go professional and just being good. I haven't got your killer instinct nor your ability to fly with the reckless disregard that you show for your own safety and well-being."

The waitress came and delivered their drinks. After taking a long sip, Harry looked into Ginny's eyes. "Are you having fun today?" He wanted to move the conversation away from him.

"With you, always," she replied, lacing her fingers through his.

"Gin, you have helped me more that I can say these past two weeks. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, Harry." She leaned toward Harry and he met her half way to share a soft kiss.

The waitress delivered their food and the young couple ate quietly. The time spent together away from their training and the Burrow was very special to both of them.

Once the lunch dishes were taken away, Remus came over to their table and reminded them that they needed to pick up Harry's glasses. The foursome walked back to Dolland & Aitchison. The clerk that had helped them before advised that he should remove his contacts and slowly get used to them by increasing the time he wore them a little each day. The new frames worked well for him.

The two couples walked back into the London sunshine and wandered back down Oxford Street, stopping in stores along the way. Harry learned fast that Ginny wouldn't ask for anything, so he instructed Tonks to keep an eye out for what the younger girl liked and he would pay for it. This worked well until they reached one of Tonks's favourite stores.

The Metamorphmagus was a fan of Miss Selfridge. The clothing carried inside ranged from a basic casual level to the kinds of clothing, which would be seen at local nightclubs. The girls wandered in together and Tonks promptly began pulling things off the racks and handing them to Ginny. After spending the day together, she had an idea of the younger girl's style, but she wanted to push the limits. The pile in Gin's arms grew to include small jumpers, baggy jeans and different jackets. The Auror sent her off the dressing room to try on the items.

Harry and Remus stood near the changing rooms, looking bored.

"Remus," Harry asked suddenly. "Why do they always put the dressing rooms next to the lingerie and the children's section?"

Remus looked around, noticing that Harry was right.

"Well," the werewolf started to respond, before he realised that Harry was not paying the slightest bit of attention to him

Ginny had emerged from the changing room. She was wearing an emerald green, scoop necked dress that came to her knees in a crushed velvet fabric. The bodice was fitted and the skirt was A-line. The dress was complemented by a pair of matching shoes with clunky heels that added a couple inches to her height.

Harry blinked. It was the only reaction he could give, as the rest of his body seemed frozen in place. He ran his eyes up and down her, imagining her body pressed against his, the two of them dancing and kissing.

She smiled slowly; she seemed to be fighting a blush.

Without realising it, he was sending raw desire through the link, telling her without a doubt how much he liked what he saw.

"Wow," Harry barely whispered as he took a step...and then two...forwards, Remus completely forgotten. He licked his suddenly dry lips as he approached her, almost wearily, as if she had stepped out of his wildest dreams and into reality. He was afraid that she would suddenly vanish, like the ethereal spirit she represented.

Ginny slowly turned on the spot, letting him see the smooth expanse of her back that was revealed by the low cut dress.

Harry reached out and slowly touched her face, unable to find the words to say exactly what he was thinking, what he was feeling. He took a deep breath and shoved every feeling of desire, lust, appreciation, and an almost animalistic passion across the link between them.

Ginny groaned inaudibly, and leaned into his touch, the heels giving her a little extra height, making it easier to kiss him. She moved with a deliberate slowness, completely confident in herself and his reaction to her.

"You do realise that we're in public," Remus interrupted them, with an amused drawl.

Two hands shot out, a Quidditch roughened man's, and a more delicate woman's. Silent spells were exploding from them and Remus found himself unable to speak.

Ginny closed the last two inches between them and touched her lips to his.

The slight touch was enough to break Harry's control, and before she could do anything, she was being held with a breathtaking combination of tenderness and strength, which made her feel protected and adored at the same time--not to mention wanted.

"I love that dress," Harry whispered against her lips. "I don't care how much the damn thing costs, you're having it."

Ginny laughed softly. " 'Kay."

With a great deal of reluctance, they separated. "What's up with Remus?" Harry asked, puzzled.

Ginny stared at their chaperone. "I have no idea!"

Tonks walked to Remus and quickly ended the silencing spell.

"You two mean to tell me that you didn't realise you silenced me?" Remus asked, surprised.

The two teenagers looked at each other, and then blushed furiously.

"Err, Sorry," Harry apologised.

Remus' face turned stern, although Tonks' saw the glint in his eye, which reminded her for the first time that he was an ex-Marauder.

"Well," Remus intoned formally. "We could talk about using magic in public like that, or about how the Ministry would respond to such knowledge."

If possible, the blushing teenagers turned a brighter shade of red.

"However, I think we will talk about warning everyone not to get in the way when you two are going for a snog session, as who knows what might happen." He gave into the laughter that had been threatening to engulf him as he finished.

Tonks joined him a second later bending at the waist as tears of laughter fell down her face.

Harry and Ginny looked stunned for a few moments. Then, almost reluctantly, they joined in with the laughter.

"Gin, could we buy that dress in some other colours?" Harry asked with hint of desire still in his eyes.

Ginny laughed, "Maybe not. But there are other dresses."

They spent the rest of the afternoon going through different shops, buying things here and there. Ginny took on the task of picking out clothes for Harry. He would agree to anything she handed him. Tonks and Remus were secretly shrinking items for the trip home since the four of them would be heading back to the Burrow soon.

Remus looked down at his watch and noticed it was near 5 PM. "Harry, Ginny, we need to head back to the Twins' store soon. I promised Molly that you would be home by supper."

The two in question looked up and nodded their agreement. Harry clasped her hand in his as they walked toward Charring Cross Road.

"I am glad we came today," he began casually. "I think it has been the best day of my life. Better even than going to Hogwarts for the first time. Thank you for coming with me."

Ginny smiled softly. "You're welcome. I had fun, too, and thank you for everything, Harry."

He paused, pulling her to him and kissed her softly. "You're more than welcome."

As they approached the Leaky Cauldron, Tonks handed them the invisibility cloak.

"Now mind your hands under there, Harry," Remus teased.

Ginny giggled. "Harry is a perfect gentleman with his hands, Remus."

Moony raised an eyebrow. "Of course he is, but he is also the son of a Marauder."

Harry shot his guardian a look. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Let's just say we were well known for having wandering hands." Remus flashed a mischievous grin.

The group reached the old pub and walked back into the world to which they belonged.

A/N: I wanted to address a couple questions I was asked about Ron. I have no intention of degrading Ron or his friendship with Harry in any way. They have been best mates since they were eleven and that will never change. But we have seen in fandom the repercussions of Ron and Hermione coming together as a couple and Harry becoming a third wheel. I wanted to see how Ron would react to being the third wheel. Now, Hermione will be arriving shortly, in the chapter titled Human Nature.

When I made the decision for them to go shopping, Jeconais suggested Oxford Street since it is adjacent to Charring Cross Road. Now, since I can't use the wayback machine and see what stores were around in 1996, I am using the 2004 merchants. I have to admit that I have spent quite a bit of money at H+M and a few of the other stores. Also, I thought that Tonks taking Ginny into Miss Selfridge was appealing. The mental picture of Remus and Harry waiting for them while they shopped in a store dedicated to younger women was too good to pass up.

Lastly, I want to thank Jeconais for the fabulous help he is so willing to give and ChaoticK who is a fabulous beta!

To the Reviewers--You are Simply Marvellous!

Enjoy!