Hey friends, thanks for dropping by and reading my ff. I'm very thankful for my readers. Here is a new chapter for you. It's a little longer than the last few, but not terribly long. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Next weeks Chapter 16 "No More Mr. Nice Guy" Have a wonderful day.

narnia_potter; Hey Rachel, thank you for reading and commenting. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope this chapter is everything you was hoping it would be.

Harita; Hey Harita, I'm glad you brought this to mind; I have the feeling that a lot of people think that since Percy had a change of heart and mind at the very end of JK's story, that he is completely different. I don't think he is, because of the last chapter in her last book while at King's Cross, Harry hears Percy and walks away so he doesn't have to put up with him. I had the feeling that he wasn't too happy with him. So in my ff, I try to give reason as to why he has those feelings. But Percy isn't a bad guy, he's just very strong willed to make himself better at whatever cost as long as it's not bad. In his selfishness, he doesn't always see the harm in something because he thinks he is smarter and more able than the normal wizard. He does (sometimes) have redeeming qualities though. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Ladybug; Hey Eviee, I am still having trouble recognizing you, I guess you'll always be in my old head as Eviee<33. Thanks for reading and commenting. Yeah, Percy is Percy, annoying. I just had a big explanation on my reply to Harita ^ ; so you can read that if you want.

Droo; Hey Droo, always good to have you drop in. Oddly enough it almost wasn't. When I was getting ready to post the chapter last week I copied and pasted the wrong chapter. Thankfully I saw it was the wrong one when I previewed it before I posted it. So, I had to back out of that and went back to copy and past the correct one. Thanks Droo

ashfig; Hey Ashley, welcome back, I've been missing you here on SS! Thanks for catching up, and I'm glad you like this ff still.




Chapter 15

The Answer And the Question

Everyone was outside and Minerva left, so Molly and Arthur looked to Harry to have their talk. Arthur cleared his voice, and Harry swallowed as he gave a quick glance at Ginny. Then he looked into the eyes of the people who held his happiness in what they were about to tell him.

“Last night Ginny came in our bedroom and proceeded to tell us that she was ashamed of herself and the rest of us for how we all treated you. She said she loved you and that she was going to marry you even if we refused you our Blessing. She really chewed us out for not giving you our answer right then. We told her she was mistaken thinking that way. We told her that you wouldn’t ask her to marry you if we declined your request. She said if you wouldn’t ask her then she would ask you. But we told her that you would turn her down, because you wouldn’t dishonor us that way.”

Arthur looked at him and asked if they were right. He nodded his head sadly and softly said, “Yes Sir, you‘re right.”

Molly took over from there. “So then, she stomped her foot crying of the injustice of her rights being taken away. “It should be up to Harry and me whether we get married! We love each other and want to be married and be together for the rest of our lives!” She said to us.

“That’s my Ginny,” Harry thought.

“We finally put a charm on her to keep her from talking, and make her sit down,” added Arthur.

“Harry dear, the truth of the matter is we’ve always loved you. When we met you that day at Kings Crossing, you became a permanent resident of our hearts. Ginny always said she loved you, even when she was a tiny girl. Her mind was made up way back then, that she was going to marry you when she grew up. Of course, we thought it was just puppy love. But, Arthur and I always hoped that you would fall in love with our Ginny. We knew the type of person you were that you’d do nothing less than love and protect her. We gladly give you our blessing to take our Ginny as your wife. We would have told you last night, but we were afraid because of how badly your injuries were that you might think you dreamed the whole thing.”

Harry looked at them, his eyes got big, and he smiled sheepishly. “Yes? You said yes?”

He got up from his chair and started to kneel on one knee but caught his breath and dropped the rest of the way, grabbing just below his belly button. “Forgot about that,” he groaned. Then he took Ginny’s hand and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a few diamonds and put them in her hand.

“Gin, you are the love of my life. If you’re willing to be my wife, I won’t hit you only if you need it, and just only now and then to keep you in line.”

He laughed and said he was sorry. “I’m just so happy, I needed to laugh.” Then he got serious and reiterated, “Ginny, I do love you with all my heart, and I really do know that for a fact. Needing you to be a part of my life is what drove me to work every second of every waking hour ever since I left. I had to make it possible to one night be able to go to bed and know that I am a loving and compassionate man. Now, I am able to give my life to you, knowing that it is fit for you to have. Ginny, will you marry me?”

Ginny was smiling from ear to ear. How blessed she was to get to spend eternity with this man. She looked him in the eyes the whole time and realized in those beautiful emerald eyes that, his love was as strong as the fragile stem of a flower bending, but never breaking, in a severe summer storm, and no stronger place to keep the love in her heart safe.

She was so happy, only before she answered with what she wanted to shout from her lips, she said, “I will if you’ll wear your sexy Jungle Suit to the wedding.”

He looked at her with a sly smile and countered, “I will be happy to, if you let me make you a female suit to match. But, with these impure thoughts going on in our heads we wouldn’t be able to get married in the church.” He arched his eyebrows to see if she had a comeback for him. He was ready if she did, but he surely would love to get off his knees, so he rather hoped she would just answer him.

Her happiness was overwhelming her, and as much as she would have loved to return a witty answer, she didn’t want to put off another second of her answer that was screaming in her head.

“Yes, Harry, my love. I will marry you unconditionally.”

He stood and offered his hand, which she accepted. He gently pulled her to her feet. Pick out the diamond you want for your engagement ring, and the other two, give to your parents. He put his arms around her securely, and spoke her name softly and pulled him with his strength against him, and into his heart.

His breath on her neck was hot; his hard chest was rising and falling with each controlled breath. She could not move, nor did she want to. He pulled his head from her neck and stared into her eyes. He moved his right hand to the nape of her neck and guided her head to his lips, and pressed lightly. He pulled away again and spoke her name still another time ever so softly. He pulled her to his lips again with passion. His lips were powerful hot and could’ve welded them together for all time, but he pulled away. He released her gently and smiled with a devilish grin, and then stepping away from her said awkwardly, “I better stop before the animal in me…”

“Yes, you better sit down and feed that animal. I hear it growling loudly.” She pulled out his chair and touched his plate, and cup saying a spell that heated up his very cold breakfast.

He sat down gratefully and said he was a bit hungry. Then he practically inhaled his food. “We’ve got lots to do,” he said after he swallowed his third bite. He glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and burst out laughing; and Ginny joined in his fun. They forgot that her parents were in the room with them. Their faces were red, and their mouths were slightly ajar. Harry thought it best not to talk about it so he finished his breakfast with light table conversation.

He didn’t mind conversation while he ate. He just didn’t think it would have been appropriate to talk while he ate earlier because he was the one who had to do all the talking. It wasn’t casual conversation they were wanting from him. He thought it was rather rude of everyone to expect him to answer and explain everything when he was so hungry and wanting to eat. They were all eating, why couldn’t he be afforded the same respect? But then, he couldn’t blame them, they were all curious. Well, he reconsidered maybe he could blame Percy. “Yes,” he decided he could and would blame Percy. He hadn’t changed a bit from the old Percy he knew at Hogwarts.

“Mrs. Weasley,” he whisked his wand as he spoke and the breakfast dishes gathered and were sorted ready for washing and put in the dishwater. A wet dishrag started washing the table. “I know you and Ginny probably have your heart set on a big fancy wedding,” he was saying without missing a beat as the dishes began washing themselves, “but if it’s just the same, could we get married in the little Church in Godric’s Hollow where my parents were married. Any of the family can come, and close friends you want, but that is all. It will be at…” He stopped and looked at Ginny. “I don’t know what all you want to do, so you pick the time.”

“Seven o’clock this evening.” she answered without even thinking.

As Molly nodded her head in agreement, she wiped her eyes, and smiled. Harry did a double take and stopped making plans with Ginny. “Mrs. Weasley? I’m sorry. Is there something special you want for the wedding? You’re already wishing you hadn’t given me your Blessing then?”

“No, Dear, I’m just so happy.” she said through a stiff breath.

He wasn’t sure of this but as long as she didn’t change her mind he was willing to move on with the plans.

“Ginny, if you wouldn’t be upset then do you mind if we don’t go anywhere for our Honeymoon? We can stay at our brand new house. I haven’t been there yet either. It will be new for the both of us. I just would rather like to stay home for a while. I promise I’ll take you anyplace in any world you want to go a little later on.”

He stopped and looked swiftly at Molly who was beginning to sob gently. Arthur had his arm around her and petted her hair. Harry arched his eyebrows and asked, “Still just so happy?” with some uncertainty in his voice.

Molly laughed and waved her hand in embarrassment. “I’m just being silly Dear; don’t pay any mind to me. I am truly happy. Now! I need to get the boys to de-gnome the garden in case we get company before or after the wedding.” She started to the door and Harry spoke up with a start.

“Oh! Mrs. Weasley…” She turned around and said, “Now, I know you want to tell your story about the Zombies, and you are in no condition to be tossing gnomes about; you just sit still and rest.” She made to turn, but Harry stopped her again.

“Yes ma’am. I mean to say… “I don’t want to tell about the Zombies, but I said I will, but that isn’t what I wanted to say. Err… well, I may have stepped out of line this morning, but, there is so much to do, and well, I thought the more that was done before breakfast, the sooner Gin and I could get busy on the wedding plans. I’ve already de-gnomed the garden. And they won’t ever be back again.” He looked cautiously at her and was afraid she would be upset with him.

“I was on my way in from taking care of the hens this morning, when two gnomes, well actually… there may have only been one, and I just thought it was two. Anyway, I spoke to one and told it that he and his kind weren’t going to be able to stay here anymore…”

“You spoke to it?” Mr. Weasley asked with a patronizing smile on his face. “What did it say?”

Harry looked disgruntled at the man mocking him. This was the second time Mr. Weasley treated him this way. The first being the time when he told him about the secret, dark magic object Draco purchased in Knockturn Alley, and thought he was keeping in Malfoy Manor starting his sixth year at Hogwarts.

Arthur cleared his throat and proceeded. “I’m sorry Harry. It’s just funny you talking to them when it’s always been assumed that they can’t communicate with humans; they’re just ignorant pests.”

“You have to understand their way of communication. A couple years ago in Madagascar, for four months I was dependant on garden gnomes to bring me … err… what they considered food, to stay alive. I won’t go into the story, but anyway, I learned to make characteristic sounds to communicate their language, and they helped me retrieve my pouch and wand so I could escape.”

“Did you really?” asked Mr. Weasley in his way he had about him that made you adore him. “That is most fascinating, and I would most definitely love to hear more of that story!” He jumped all at once, as Mrs. Weasley poked her finger in his ribs. Then with a sidelong explanation said, “Err, that is to say, I would love to hear that story another time Harry, when we don’t have a wedding to prepare for.”

Harry swallowed and said, “Yes sir.” He looked back to Mrs. Weasley and realized she was waiting to hear why the garden didn’t need de-gnoming anymore.

“When I told them they couldn’t stay here anymore he said … well what he said was very rude, so I won’t tell you. I proceeded to tell him that the Lovegood’s across the way, would love to have them in their garden, and that I could get them over there if they wanted. They did of course, and they got all together and I sent them on their way with the help of my wand. They loved it really. Err… that was ok wasn’t it Mrs. Weasley?” he asked hopefully.

Just then everyone from outside came in. “Well, we found him.” said Ron.



“No more de-gnoming the garden Ron!” said Mr. Weasley smiling broadly. He hated making the boys de-gnome the garden. He always felt sorry for the little creatures.

“Huh? What’s that you’re saying Dad?” asked Ron, with his eyebrows arched; stunned by his dad’s exuberance and topic he was talking about. They were sent outside so they could talk to Harry and Ginny about getting married, but they talked about gnomes instead? He couldn’t make sense of it.

“Honestly Arthur!” exclaimed Molly shaking her head. Harry and Ginny however, were both smiling.