Domesticities

"Wake up, sleepy head," said Ron, as he leaned over Harry. Harry was laying on the floor in a mess of blankets and pillows.

"Huh?" said Harry, as he opened his eyes and let his mind adjust to his surroundings.

It took him a minute to realize where he was. Violent orange and moving figures everywhere. He was at the Burrow, in Ron's room. They had just finished their last year at Hogwarts, and this was his first day of freedom. He had planned on getting a place of his own after he graduated, but Molly Weasley was kind enough to let him stay at the Burrow until then. This was perfectly fine with Harry, as it gave him a great opportunity to spend even more time with Ron.

"C'mon, Harry. It's after noon. You ought to be up by now."

"I'm up, I'm up," said Harry, sleepily. "This is our first day out of school. Aren't I allowed to sleep in late?"

"Sure, mate," said Ron. "But if you lay there any longer, I'm going to have to crawl in bed with you, and what would you say if my mum walked it?"

"Good point," said Harry, as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows.

He loved being at the Burrow. It was really the only home he'd ever known, aside from Hogwarts. He hadn't planned on staying long&m month or so--until he found a place of his own. But he was happy to be there, around the only real family he'd ever had, and of course, Ron.

He and Ron and been together for almost two years now. Not many people knew
about their relationship, including Ron's parents--just their closest friend, Hermione, who guessed more than she was actually told. Harry looked forward to the wonderful breakfast, or at this late time, lunch, that Mrs. Weasley was sure to have ready. He gave Ron a quick peck on the mouth as he pulled the covers off and began to change out of his pajamas into his t-shirt and blue jeans.

He tromped down the stairs, Ron leading the way, and into the kitchen. He had been looking forward to a quiet brunch with only Mrs. Weasley busy making breakfast, Ginny perhaps if she showed up, and Ron, of course, sitting next to him at the kitchen table. What he saw was far from what he imagined.

Ginny was leaning across the kitchen table, yelling, throwing condiments at five other people who were chasing after her. Harry started at the scene. There was Ginny, Luna Lovegood, Helen Hargrove, and three other girls Harry didn't know. Harry was standing in the hallway next to the kitchen door. He looked back at Ron, not knowing what to do next. Ron shrugged and made his way into the kitchen, keeping close to the wall. Harry wondered what Mrs. Weasley would say if she saw what was going on in her kitchen.

"What the--?" Ron began, amid the screams and laughing.

Ginny screamed, let out a laugh, and ran out of the kitchen, followed by the rest of the girls.

"Your mum is going to freak when she sees this mess," said Harry.

"You're not kidding," Ron replied.

Mrs. Weasley's usually neat kitchen was covered with an assortment of substances. There was a thin cloud of what looked like flour hanging in the air. On the cabinets, windows, and table were ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, butter, several dds of salad dressing, and just about any other condiment you could imagine. Harry was almost afraid to step any farther into the kitchen, but a growling from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet.

He noticed a tray of sandwiches on the counter next to the sink that, thankfully, had mostly avoided the food fight. He helped himself to one and handed one to Ron. They heard footsteps on the front porch, and in minute Mrs. Weasley came in through the kitchen door. She just stood there, mouth agape, her eyes roaming over the mess.

"RON, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" she yelled.

"Me? I didn't do this, Mum!" said Ron, incensed. "It was Ginny and those girls! They were in the middle of a food fight when Harry and I came downstairs."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, and with a muttered Scourgify!, rags appeared and began to clean the mess from the kitchen table and windows. The cloud of flour had descended now, and most of it lay on Harry and Ron's hair and shoulders.

"You're a mess," said Ron, playfully. "You really should take a shower more often. It looks like you're collecting dust."

"Shut it, you," Harry replied. He shot a quick look over in Mrs. Weasley's direction to make sure that she couldn't hear them. Then he added, "Although the idea of a shower isn't so bad, as long as you're in there, too."

"GINNY! Ginny, get down here this minute!" Mrs. Weasley called upstairs. When there was no answer, she started up the stairs.

"So much for a nice, quiet afternoon," Ron mumbled, through a mouthful of his sandwich.

After lunch, Harry and Ron decided to go out into the garden. They wanted some quiet time, just the two of them. It was much too noisy in the house, what with Ginny and all her friends running around and Mrs. Weasley casting cleaning charms. And since they hadn't told Ron's family about them yet, thelike the only suitable place.
Ron sat down in one of the chairs, and Harry pulled up another one close to him.

"You know, this is the last weekend we've got to really enjoy ourselves. Monday you start Auror training and I start Quidditch practice," Ron said.

"Don't remind me," groaned Harry.

Harry had surprisingly passed all of his N.E.W.Ts and was ready to start training to be an Auror. Ron, despite his really lousy first year as Gryffindor Keeper, had drastically improved during the latter years, and had been offered a spot on the Chudley Cannons team. Ron was ecstatic at being offered the position. He had followed the Cannons all of his life and was arguably their biggest fan, notwithstanding the fact that their winning
streak left much to be desired.

"Got any idea what to expect in the Auror training?" asked Ron.

"No," answered Harry. "Professor McGonagall said it would be really difficult, but she didn't give me any details on what kind of stuff I would have to do." Harry felt his stomach flutter. "How about you? Do you think you're ready to start playing for a professional Quidditch team?"

"Nope. I can't even believe they wanted me," Ron answered.

"Thinking about the future is kind of scary. I mean, I never thought I'd make it this far. But with Voldemort gone--", Harry trailed off.

"I guess we're not kids anymore now. We're done with school and we've both got jobs. It's kind of strange--thinking of yourself as an adult," Ron said.

Harry just sighed. He'd felt like an adult all of his life. He had always had to take care of himself. Then he replied, "It's a lot of responsibility, that's for sure."

Ron looked at him like he didn't understand what he meant by "responsibility," but before they could continue the conversation, Ginny popped her head over

"Hey, Ron, can Helen borrow your broom? We're trying to get a game of Quidditch going, but she doesn't have a broom."

"Yeah, I guess. Just tell her to be careful. I've got practice on Monday and I don't want anything to happen to it."

Ginny had already left. Ron wondered if she had even heard the last part of his answer.

Before long the yard and garden were filled with the sounds of a Quidditch match. Judging by the noise, Ginny and her friends were having an excellent time. Ginny was easily the best of the six.

"I never thought Ginny would be such a good player," Ron said, watching his sister circling as she looked for the Snitch. "She never even seemed interested in it until her fourth year at Hogwarts."

"Maybe you should've paid closer attention--."

But what Ron should've paid closer attention to, he never heard. Harry was interrupted by a shrill voice screaming, "FOUL!"

"FOUL? For what?" yelled another voice.

"For cobbing! You nearly broke my ribs!"

"Did not! You ran into me! I was only blocking!"

"That was excessive blocking, if you ask me!"

The arguing continued, and Ron had to yell to be heard over it.

"A little fanatical, aren't they? About Quidditch, I mean."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. He had seen Ron act exactly this way when a call was made that he didn't agree with.

"Ginny gets it justifiably. She's not a redhead for nothing," Harry answered. "I hear redheads are pretty passionate...."

Ron gave a sly grin as he reached over to squeeze Harry's hand. "You bet they are."

Harry blushed and gave Ron a rewarding smile. But before they could get lost in the moment, something large whizzed through the space between them.

"What...?" said Ron, str>They both whipped their heads to the side to see a Bludger go through one wall of the garden. In a moment, Ginny appeared.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Oh...er, no. You weren't...um...interrupting us," said Ron, slightly flushed. "Mum won't be happy over that hole in the wall, though."

"I'll fix it before she ever sees it," replied Ginny. "Reparo!"

And just like that, the hole closed in on itself and the garden wall was as good as new. Ginny tucked the Bludger under her arm and made her way back to the field where the other girls were waiting.

"Maybe we should go inside," Ron said.

"Good idea. It would be a lot quieter," replied Harry.

They went upstairs to Ron's room. It being the last weekend that they had until they started their jobs, they just wanted to relax. Harry was grateful when Ron shut the door to his room.

"Did you cast a privacy spell?" Harry asked. Being in Ron's bedroom gave him all sorts of ideas.

"Of course," answered Ron. "I also cast a locking spell."

Ron walked over to Harry, put his arms around his waist, and placed a soft kiss on his mouth.

"This," he said, "is what I've been looking forward to."

Harry smiled and returned the kiss. He put his arms around Ron's neck and pulled him closer. Ron left a few kisses down the side of Harry's ear and made his way down to Harry's neck. He then buried his face in Harry's hair and exhaled.

"I love you," he whispered softly.

"I love--," Harry started.

But someone rattling the doorknob interrupted them. They jumped apart quickly. They heard a murmur outside, and in one brief moment the door was opened. There stood Ginny. Her clothes were wrinkled and smeared with grar>"Just wanted to return your broom, Ron," she said. "Mum saw that hole the Bludger made in the garden wall. She was pretty mad, and told us that if we were going to play that rough, we ought to find a better place to play. I don't get it--she never got on to any of you guys for playing. And Charlie was by far the worst. There were always Bludgers and Quaffles flying around when he was practicing for the Gryffindor team. Remember that time he flew through the kitchen wall? Right in the middle of supper, too! It took Mum and Dad both to fix that hole. Don't know why she's so hard on me about it," she finished exasperatedly. "Er, so anyway, here's your broom." She looked curiously at the two of them. They just stood there facing each other, hearts beating rapidly, with their mouths open.

"Thanks, Ginny," Ron squeaked.

"See ya," she said, as she closed the door.

It took Harry and Ron a minute to collect themselves. They had almost gotten caught. How would they have explained the situation if Ginny had walked in on them just a moment earlier?

"I thought you said you cast a locking spell?" Harry said, agitatedly.

"I did," Ron answered. "She must have broken the spell and unlocked it."

"Well, you need to think up a better spell. We can't afford anymore close calls like that one."

After Ginny's ill-timed disruption, Harry and Ron were too nervous to attempt anymore make-out sessions. They merely sat on Ron's bed talking about their past year at Hogwarts, who they thought had the best Quidditch team this year, and how strange it was not to be looking over their shoulders constantly. They discussed Hermione and what they thought she might be doing. They knew she had applied for a job at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She also wanted to spend the summ that would all depend on if she got the job and when she would start work. Viktor Krum wanted her to visit him in Bulgaria, and she also wanted to go to Egypt after hearing Ron talk about it. When the talk turned to Quidditch, Harry decided that Puddlemere United had the best shot at the World Cup this year. With Oliver Wood as their Keeper and team captain, they had become an excellent team. Ron, of course, was on about the Cannons. Harry hated to tell him that the Cannons didn't stand a chance, so he bit his tongue and just smiled.

"They'll be a lot better with you as their Keeper," he said warmly.

When a few hours had passed, they heard Mrs. Weasley calling them down for supper.

At least she has the decency to call us instead of just barging in, Harry thought.

Harry had not eaten since lunch, so he was happy to hear that supper was ready.

"C'mon," he said, as he grabbed Ron by the hand and led him out of the bedroom. He was, of course, careful to let go of Ron's hand once they were outside of the room.

As they clambered down the stairs, Harry noticed several voices coming from the kitchen. At the doorway he saw all of Ginny's friends, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley. Harry had not seen Mr. Weasley since graduation. He had been pulled away to the Ministry of Magic early yesterday evening because of an aquarium that some Muggles had bought. Apparently, what the Muggles thought were exotic fish turned out to be grindylows and they had continuously poked their heads through the top of the tank and shook their fists at the Muggles.

"Well, hello, Harry," said Mr. Weasley warmly, as Harry entered the kitchen and took a seat next to Ron. A couple of Ginny's friends giggled at him and blushed.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley. How did the problem with the grindylows go?"

"You know how Muggles are, getting all in a fret over nothing. I removed the grindylows, replaced them wgoldfish, and modified the Muggles' memories. Delightfully paranoid, those Muggles," he finished with a chuckle.

Harry thought back to the Muggles he had grown up with. "Paranoid" was too nice of a word to describe Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, but he remembered more than one instance where their fear of the Wizarding World was really quite funny.

Mrs. Weasley had fixed a wonderful supper of beef stew, fried potatoes, cole slaw, and for dessert, strawberry tarts. Strawberries were one of Harry's favorite things. He wondered fondly if Ron had told her to make those especially for him. He had placed his hand on Ron's knee and kept it there almost the entire meal. To Harry's delight, Ron continuously had a strong blush.

Harry and Ron ate quickly and finished before anyone else. Ron asked if he and Harry could be excused. This was met by snickering from the younger female crowd.

"Well, dear, I believe your father has a surprise for us," Mrs. Weasley explained. She looked hesitatingly over towards her husband.

Mr. Weasley grinned sheepishly, "Yes, well, it's something we confiscated from the Muggles with the grindylows. I don't know how well it will work, but it seems really interesting."

Ron cast a sideways look at Harry. He knew his dad's appreciation for all Muggle things. He just hoped it wasn't anything too bad.

"I'll show you what I have as soon as we all finish dinner," said Mr. Weasley proudly.

There was a murmur between Ginny and her friends, and then the requisite giggles began again.

Ron and Harry had long been done with eating. They simply sat there impatiently, waiting on the others to finish. It wasn't so much their expectation of what Mr. Weasley had brought home, but more their anticipation of getting back up stairs, alone. Harry kept his hand under the table on Ron's knee and irregularly moved it upwards, more out of nervousness than anythinwas also agitated, more so because Harry's hand was teasing him, and before Harry's hand got too close to Ron's lap, Ron put his hand out to stop it. A warm flush came over Harry's face when he felt the contact with Ron's hand. Ron caressed Harry's fingers lightly, reassuring him.

When it seemed that everyone had finally finished eating, Mr. Weasley rose and said, "Are we all ready, then?"

There was a murmured agreement as everyone got up from the table and followed Mr. Weasley into the living room. Ron hung back, just to give Harry's hand a last little squeeze before exiting the kitchen. As they entered the living room, Harry could see that Mr. Weasley had brought home--a clothes dryer.

"Here it is!" Mr. Weasley said proudly, throwing his arms dramatically in the direction of the clothes dryer. Harry was slightly amused by Mr. Weasley's enthusiasm.

It was sitting in the middle of the living room. The coffee table and chairs had been cleared out of the way and now sat against the far wall.

"Right..." said Mr. Weasley, somewhat downcast by the lack of interest of his audience. "It's supposed to run off of eklectricity, but since we don't have that here, I had to use a little magic. It shakes and rumbles when you turn it on. Watch."

Mr. Weasley turned the knob and punched the "on" button. At once, the clothes dryer thundered, growled, and lurched to a start. A humming sound filled the small living room. Mr. Weasley looked absolutely fascinated.

"Come and feel the vibrations," he said excitedly, motioning for the rest to join him near the clothes dryer. "And when it runs for a while, it gets warm on top."

Additional snickers from Ginny and her friends. The crowd just stood there, looking at Mr. Weasley. Harry could tell they weren't in the least bit interested in his newest Muggle obtainment.

"But wait...it gets eve he said jauntily. He exited the living room and returned a few moments later with an armful of what looked like bath towels and a few t-shirts.

"Watch this!" He opened the door to the appliance and threw the laundry in. He then punched the "on" button once more and stood back in amazement.

"The clothes are spinning around! See them?" he asked, transfixed with wonder at the glass door of the clothes dryer.

"Why, Arthur, that's interesting," said Mrs. Weasley hesitantly. "Really nice, dear."

"Um, yeah, Dad, that's really quite smashing," said Ginny forcibly.

Ron looked at Harry as a grin tugged at his mouth. Harry returned the smirk.

Mr. Weasley had become quite disinterested in the rest of the household at this point. He was mesmerized by the whir of clothing being visible through the glass door. He merely waved his hand when Ron said,

"Well, I'm off to bed. I'm knackered. Harry, you look tired, too. Ready to turn in?"

Harry faked a yawn. "Yeah, I think I'll go to bed."

Mrs. Weasley apparently agreed and assented that she, too, was ready to retire. Mr. Weasley hardly noticed any of the conversation, as he was too busy watching the bath towels in their cycle. He distractedly murmured an "ok" as Harry and Ron crept off towards the staircase.

Once in Ron's room, Harry's motivation for leaving the crowded living room was all too reinforced by Ron taking him quickly into his arms.

"It's a bit frustrating being around my family all day. I can't be close to you like I want to be," Ron said.

"It's ok," replied Harry. "Being here makes me feel like a part of your family. It's nice."

"But we have no privacy!" retorted Ron.

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "I know, Ron. But you're lucky to have a caring family&heished softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry! I don't always think before I speak. I shoot off at the mouth sometimes. You know how passionate we redheads are..." Ron grinned and trailed off, bending his head closer to Harry.

"It's ok," Harry whispered again as he quickly closed the gap between his lips and Ron's mouth. Without breaking the kiss, Ron grabbed Harry's arms and began to walk him backwards toward the bed.

When the backs of Harry's knees hit Ron's bed he said, "Ron, we can't do this here. What if someone caught us? It's too risky."

Ron sighed. "But I miss having you in my bed."

"I miss it, too," said Harry. "Soon maybe we'll have a place of our own and we won't have to worry about any of this. But for now, I think it's best to wait."

Ron knew Harry was right. There was nothing left to argue about. With one last kiss, Harry moved reluctantly over to his mattress on the floor, pulled the covers back, and crawled in. He saw Ron across the room doing the same.

"'Night," Ron whispered.

"'Night, love," answered Harry. He knew one day he and Ron would have their life together, and he looked very forward to it. Right now was not the time, though, and the only thing to be done about it was to be patient.

****

A loud crack split the air. Ron and Harry awoke with a jolt. There were Fred and George, standing in the middle of Ron's bedroom.

"Wake up, little brother!" Fred shobr>
"Yeah, it's after 11:00. Mum wants you up. She needs help with the lunch,"
chimed in George.

"What?" asked Ron. "She knows I can't cook!"

"Not with the cooking part, you prat. She knows better than to let you near the kitchen. She wants you to help clean up and set the table. You know, all that domestic stuff," George snickered.

Ron still looked confused. Mrs. Weasley did most of the housecleaning. Besides, this was his last day to sleep in. Tomorrow would be his first training session with the Cannons.

"Don't you know what day it is?" Fred chided. "It's Sunday! We're having a family dinner!"

Ron rolled his eyes and flopped back down on his pillows. Now he remembered. Every summer after school was out, Mrs. Weasley planned for the whole family to get together on Sundays. Of course, he knew it was Sunday. He hadn't forgotten about his training sessions tomorrow. But he had completely forgotten that Sunday also meant family dinners.

There was a clatter on the other side of the room. Fred and George jumped and looked around. Harry, still in bed, had been reaching for his glasses on the table. They were almost out of reach, and when his fingertips brushed them, he knocked them to the floor.

"Oy! Where did you come from?" asked Fred, looking somewhat startled.

"Nowhere. I've been here," answered Harry.

Ron, who was out of bed by now and searching through the clutter on his floor for a pair of jeans, said, "C'mon, Harry. You can help me help Mum."

Harry hoisted himself up off the mattress and shuffled over to where his glasses were laying in the floor. "Sure, Ron, I'll help if you need me to."

Fred and George swapped knowing looks and chortled.

"What's so funny?" asked Ron, accusingly.

"Nothing, baby brother," said Georgehing."

The four of them thundered down the stairs and into the kitchen. There was Mrs. Weasley with her back to them, leaning over several pots and pans, all simmering on the stove. She looked up as she heard them enter.

"Oh, good, Ron. It's about time you got up. I need your help. How I would get all the cooking and cleaning done in time by myself, I don't know. I need the living room cleaned, the clothes folded and put away, the tables set, and the kitchen cleaned. Of course, that will have to wait until I'm done cooking. Oh, good morning, Harry, dear."

Ron only looked at her with his mouth open. "Don't I get a 'good morning'?" he asked grumpily.

"Of course you do, dear. Now hurry up and get started."

Harry stifled a laugh. Ron sighed loudly.

"Where is everyone else? Why aren't they helping?" he asked.

"Your father is in the living room, still swooning over that dreadful Muggle contraption. Ginny and the other girls are still in bed, I suppose."

"STILL IN BED??" yelled Ron. "How come they get to sleep in and I have to get up?"

"Because they are guests, dear," Mrs. Weasley answered calmly.

"But Harry's a guest, too!"

"Harry is a guest, but he's also part of the family," she answered. "Harry, dear, you don't mind helping a bit, do you?"

"Of course not," Harry replied.

"See, Ron, Harry is more than happy to help. You could stand to learn a few manners from him."

Ron scowled, and muttering something under his breath, made his way to the living room. There was Mr. Weasley, fidgeting with some wires on the clothes dryer. He had apparently removed the face of the control panel and was taking it apart, leaving the pieces laying all around the room.

"Dad, can you, er, pick some of this up? Mum e living room," Ron said.

"Sure, son. In just a minute," Mr. Weasley said distractedly.

Ron went over to the mounds of laundry piled in a chair and grumbled Complio! and the towels, shirts, and jeans began to fold themselves and line up in a neat stack. He then turned to the collection of Daily Prophets on the table, and with a flick of his wand, sent them soaring into the kitchen trash. With another flick, a feather duster appeared and began swishing the dust from the mantle and bookshelves. After all of this, Mr. Weasley had still shown no signs of wrapping up his dissection of the dryer.

"Dad, Mum really wants this place clean. I can't clean around you."

Mr. Weasley stood up. "Right, right. Harry, would you mind helping me get all these pieces together?"

He conjured a large cardboard box and began carefully picking up the pieces and placing them inside. Harry had much rather do it the easy way--with magic--but Mr. Weasley interrupted him when he saw him take out his wand and send a few pieces flying into the box.

"No, no, Harry! Not like that!" he said, a note of panic in his voice. "Something might get broken. Pick them up, one by one, please."

Harry gave him a funny look, but then bent down to pick up a tiny ring-shaped part and deposit it in the box. Since Ron had gotten the dusting and folding started, he thought he would help Harry. Even with the three of them, it would take awhile to rid the living room of the scattered bits of the machine. He had barely put his first piece in the box when he heard his mother calling him from the kitchen.

"Are you through in there? The tables need to be moved outside, the chairs need to be arranged, the tablecloths need to be put out, and the silverware needs to be set."

Ron just shook his head and headed out to the garden. The Weasleys kept two tables out in the shed for days when tharden, or for days like today when there wasn't enough room in the kitchen. With a banishing charm, the tables came hurtling out of the shed and neatly arranged themselves end to end. He went back in the kitchen and reemerged a few moments later with an armful of cloths and dishes. He was followed outside by the sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice.

"Do be careful not to drop those dishes!"

He set the table for fifteen, and just as he was setting the last place, he heard the backdoor creak open and then close. Apparently Harry had finished helping Mr. Weasley, because he was making his way down the lawn towards Ron. Ron noticed he was covered in a black, powdery substance.

"What happened to you?"

"That clothes dryer blew up. I think your dad put some tools too near to the wires. When I went to help him move it, something blew up. I'm ok, I'm ok," he finished hurriedly, seeing the worried look in Ron's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I haven't had a moment to spend with you all day."

"That's alright. We'll have plenty of time later."

Ron slowly reached his finger out to touch Harry's hand. No sooner had he made contact than the back door creaked open again. It was Ginny, followed by her five friends. Ron gave an exasperated sigh and threw his arms up in the air.

"What are you on about?" Ginny asked, annoyed. "Mum told me to come out and help you."

"Mum has me cleaning the ruddy house all day while you get to sleep! Then you show up just in time for me to finish! C'mon Harry, we're going inside," he commanded.

They had barely walked into the kitchen when they heard one loud crack followed by another one. Bill and Charlie had arrived.

"Ron! Harry!" said Charlie, happily.

There was a muttered "hey" by Ron as he slumped against the wall and slid down onto the floor. Harry walked o him.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Bill. Ron didn't answer.

"Ron's had a bit of a rough day," Harry supplied.

"Poor ickle Ronnie," cooed Fred.

"Is polishing silverware too much for you?" chimed in George. Ron glared at him but gave no answer.

Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder and pointed upstairs. Ron supposed that he was going to take a shower in order to get the black residue off of himself. Ron's face fell obviously as Harry left the room.

"So, I guess Percy's not here yet?" Charlie asked, trying to change the subject.

"No, not yet. I expect he'll be along soon, though. I think he was trying to finish some paperwork for Monday" offered Mr. Weasley.

"You know Percy. He's always early to work, but when it comes to being with his family--"

At that moment another crack was heard and Percy appeared.

"Well, speak of the devil," said George.

"I had a few matters to attend to," said Percy nonchalantly, straightening his robes and tugging the collar up around his neck.

Harry returned after just a few minutes and with everyone here, Mrs. Weasley delegated dishes to each person to take out to the garden. Once all the food was brought out, they sat down to eat. Mrs. Weasley was a wonderful cook and had made roast beef, pork chops, boiled potatoes, fried corn, and Yorkshire pudding. Again, there were strawberry tarts for dessert. To be as poor as the Weasleys, the meals were always excellent.

Even with two tables, there was barely room for everyone. This was fine with Harry, as he could sit very close to Ron and not arouse any suspicions. He let his knee rub against Ron's and out of the corner of his eye, saw Ron blush. Ron put his fork down and reached under the table to grab Harry's hand. It was hard for Ron to eat with his left hand, but he felt it was well worth it.

"Yes, well, Fudge wants to pass this new bill that will make taking money out of Gringotts a lot easier. He proposes that with a Wizarding ID, you should be able to get into your vault. The keys will not be necessary. Of course, the Goblins are really upset about this." Percy had become Junior Undersecretary to the Minister, which he was happy to tell anyone who would listen.

"But wouldn't that make it easy for wizards to take gold that wasn't theirs?" asked Bill. "I think I'll have something to say about that bill." Bill had previously worked as a curse breaker for Gringotts. Now he worked for the Department of Magical Economics and Banking at the Ministry.

"Oh, no" answered Percy. "I think it's a wonderful idea. Wizards are always losing their keys. I can't count the number of them who have been in my office to get additional keys made. Loads of paperwork. Brilliant on Mr. Fudge's part."

"I doubt the Goblins will make it easy for him," said Mr. Weasley.

Yes, indeed," said Percy. "We have had Goblins picketing outside our department for weeks. It's a good thing we have the law enforcement close by. Things could have really gotten out of hand." Percy rubbed one side of his head. It looked like a section of his hair had been burned off. "But Mr. Fudge reckons they will settle down soon enough."

Closer down the table, Charlie was talking with Mrs. Weasley. He had apparently encountered a new species of dragon.

"We named it the Albanian Albino Poison Fang. We believe an Albino Anglefang mated with a Portuguese Poisonous. How the Portuguese got this far east, we'll never know."

In the middle of the table, George and Fred were talking to each other.

"The Crying Crystals still need some work. Yesterday, I crmer walked into the shop. They thought I was mad."

"That means more testing for you. I tested the Swelling Solutions. My arm grew to four times its normal size. I couldn't use it for a week."

"Ok, you try the Crying Crystals and I'll try the Swelling Solution. That Swelling Solution will be really good for certain things, if we can get it right," smirked George.

Mrs. Weasley looked disapprovingly at both of them.

"Really, I thought you two would be getting tired of that nonsense."

At the other end of the table, closest to Harry and Ron, were Ginny, Luna, Helen, and the three other girls.

"I don't care what you say," said a girl Harry didn't know. "I still think Colin is cute."

"Cute, but a bit neurotic. He's not my type."

"He's cute, but not athletic. He's a spectator. He couldn't ride a broom if his life depended on it."

"But he's still cute."

Evidently there was no argument that Colin was cute.

"Oy, Harry," called Bill from the far end. "I hear you're starting Auror training tomorrow. Tough job, that. Hope it goes well, mate."

"Thanks," said Harry. He was really quite nervous about the whole thing. He had no idea what they would expect from him. Despite his battles with Voldemort, he didn't feel prepared for a full-blown career as an Auror. He felt a knot in his stomach.

"You'll be on Level Two," said Mr. Weasley. "Not far from my office. If you need anything, don't hesitate."

"Thanks," Harry said again. He had to admit that he was relived to have someone there that he knew. The Ministry of Magic was a big place and Harry felt sure he would get lost numerous times.

The talk continued even after everyone was done eating. Then Charlie said, "Anyone for a game of Quidditch? I wato-be famous brother of mine."

Ron blushed a little and said he was up for it. So did Harry and Bill. Ginny, too, agreed, and was very excited to play a game. "We played yesterday, but we didn't have enough people for a real game" she said, gesturing to the other girls. "Only, Helen doesn't have a broom. She had to borrow Ron's."

"That's ok," said Charlie. "I've got an extra one. Let me go get it." With that,he Disapparated.

The rest of them pushed their chairs back from the table and made their way out into the field.

"Coming, Perce?" asked Bill.

"No, er, sorry, I can't. I've got a proposal to finish for tomorrow. Mr. Fudge expects it first thing in the morning."

After a minute, Charlie reappeared, carrying two brooms. "Ready?" he asked.

They had a really good game of Quidditch. With just six people on a team, they only had two Chasers instead of three. Charlie seemed just as good as he was back at Hogwarts. It was Harry, Ron, Bill, and three of Ginny's friends against Charlie, Ginny, Helen, Luna, and the twins. Harry was Seeker for his team and Charlie played Seeker for his. Charlie was bigger than Harry, but Harry had a better broom. Ron was the Keeper and made several spectacular saves, despite Ginny's good attempts at scoring. The match was pretty even--70-50 in Harry's team's favor.

When the sun began to set, Harry knew he had to find the Snitch soon. But Charlie was constantly on his tail, and there had been more than a few times when Charlie had seen the Snitch before Harry did. Finally, when Charlie was distracted by a Bludger, Harry spotted the Snitch near one of the goal posts. He zoomed towards it and grasped it in his hand, just as Charlie flew up beside him. Instantly, Ron, forgetting himself, flew down on Harry and seized him in a big hug. But no one seemed to notice, as everyone on his tey and enveloped him. He felt slaps on the back and high-fives and arms around his neck.

"Great job," said Bill.

"Yes, excellent flying," cheered one of Ginny's friends.

"I hate to admit defeat," said Charlie, "but I admire your skill."

They had landed now, and amid lots of applause, made their way back into the garden. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still sitting at the table. The dishes had been cleared and so had the tablecloths.

"Really nice game you had," said Mr. Weasley. "Molly and I had a great time watching. Good that you caught the Snitch before nightfall, Harry. I would hate to have to explain to the Ministry that you couldn't show up for work tomorrow because you were playing Quidditch," he chuckled.

In the thrill of the match, Harry had forgotten about his Auror training tomorrow. He felt that knot tighten in his stomach. Now realizing how tired he really was, Harry said, "I think I'm going to bed. Sorry to desert you all. It was a fantastic dinner, Mrs. Weasley."

"Thank you, dear. I think you and Ron should both go to bed. You both have big days ahead of you."

Harry gave Ron a grin and started walking back towards the house. Ron followed. Fred and George exchanged mischievous glances.

Harry made his way upstairs, followed by Ron. He walked into the bedroom and sat down on Ron's bed with a sigh.

"What's wrong, love?" Ron asked. "I'm not used to seeing that look on your face while you're in my bed."

Harry laughed. "It's nothing, really. Just nervous about tomorrow. I'm afraid I won't be any good."

Ron crossed the room and sat next to Harry. He grabbed his hand and said, "Harry, you'll do great. You're a brilliant wizard."

"But I don't feel that way. Everyone expects so much of me. I don't think I can live up to"Listen, no one expects anything from you that you can't do. You go in there and do your best. You'll be better than most of the other people there, I'll warrant."

"Maybe you're right. We're just in training. They can't expect too much out of us on the first day, right"?

"Right." Ron leaned toward him and placed a firm kiss on Harry's mouth. "You'll be great, mate. I know you will," he said softly. "And, hey, if you have a bad day, just think, you've got me to come home to."

This reassured Harry greatly and he smiled. "Ok, you made me feel better. But we really should get in bed. We've both got to get up early."

Ron sighed. He was not happy about going to bed so soon, especially since Harry wasn't in that bed.

"I'm sorry Ron," Harry said, as if reading his thoughts. "I would love to go to bed with you, but we've discussed this. We might get caught and we'd have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know, Harry. But it doesn't make it any easier. I hate sleeping in an empty bed."

"It won't be for long, I promise. We'll get a place, and then we can be together all the time," Harry finished. Standing up from the bed, he gave Ron a peck on the mouth.

"Ok, ok. But first..." Ron pulled Harry close and gave him a deep kiss. Harry responded and circled his arms around Ron's waist. Ron's hands were in Harry's hair and pushing Harry's mouth closer into his own. Harry ran his hands up Ron's back and massaged his shoulder blades. After several minutes, Harry pulled forcibly back.

"Harry, please." There was an urgency in Ron's voice. "It's been too long. Just this once. Please?"

"Ron..." Harry started to protest, but he barely got the word out when he felt Ron's lips moving down his jaw and onto his neck. There was no way Haas like this. Ron's eyes were open, but his lids were heavy.

"Alright," Harry panted, his breath coming in segments. He was just as aroused as Ron. "But lock the door and cast a privacy spell."

No sooner than he had said it, Ron was at the door with his wand. He cast both spells and hurried back over to Harry, still standing in the middle of the room, trying to catch his breath. Ron's lips were on Harry's in a second, and he walked him backwards to the bed, just as he had done the night before. But this time, when Harry felt the bed against the back of his knees, he fell into it, with Ron on top of him. It didn't take long for their clothes to be off. Harry had never been more thankful for a privacy spell.

Afterward, Ron rolled over and laid his arm across Harry's stomach, burying his head in Harry's neck. Harry lay there for a few minutes then gave Ron a kiss on the forehead and reluctantly thumped back to his mattress on the floor, among protests by Ron. He hated to leave, but he knew he couldn't risk being caught by Mr. or Mrs. Weasley. He whispered "I love you" before laying down.

Being with Ron had driven away the thoughts of what he would be expecting tomorrow. But now, by himself, it all came back. Harry was terrified. He knew people expected great things from him, but he didn't feel that he had great things to offer. That familiar knot tied itself even tighter in Harry's stomach. It was almost painful now.

But he knew he had faced worse things. When Uncle Vernon left him at King's Cross, looking for Platform 9 ¾, he had panicked. As far as he knew, there was no one to help him find his way onto the platform and to Hogwarts. The jolt in his stomach reminded him of that exact moment--fear of something that wasn't familiar. He knew that tomorrow would come all too soon and he settled himself down and tried to close his mind off from thinking about what lay ahead.