Author's Note: I HAVE REVIEWS! I'm super thankful for everyone who has left me a review or put one of my stories on the favourites list. THANK YOU! Anyways, this story is the sequel to my story 'Forever Yours'. However, this can also be read as a stand alone story but I would recommend you reading 'Forever Yours' first to get some background. This is for HinnyandRomione4ever because she's thought this would be a good idea. Hope you like it girl!
Disclaimer: I don't own it. Never have, never will.
The New Mr. and Mrs. Potter
"Ready Love?" Harry asked Ginny as they stepped off the train at the Hogsmead Station.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Ginny replied as she grabbed Harry's left hand. The newly familiar feel of the gold band around his ring finger comforted her slightly. Her nerves were on end the whole trip to Hogwarts and were on a new high as the castle was in full view now. She took a deep breath and looked up at the man standing beside her. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Harry leaned down and pecked Ginny on the lips. "Everything will be fine Gin. Nothing is going to be any different."
"Really? Nothing is going to be different?" Ginny rolled her eyes as she and Harry made their way to an empty carriage. This year they both saw the black thestrals that were harnessed in the front, as did many others. "That's probably the understatement of the century!"
Harry looked at her curiously as he helped her into the carriage. "How so?"
"Um, well for starters, I'm attending Hogwarts for my 7th year and you, Ron and Hermione are going to be there and we have all our classes together." Ginny paused dramatically and looked out the window quickly then back at Harry. "Oh and did I mention that I'm freakin' married!?"
"Okay, so it's not really normal but we're going to make it work." Harry leaned across the short distance between their seats and clasped Ginny's hands in his. "Together."
"I know but I'm worried about how everyone is going to react. No one except my family and Hermione know that we're married. No one else knew that we were even engaged and once it gets out, it won't be long before the whole Wizarding community knows."
The carriage lurched forward suddenly as it started its way up to the castle. Harry sighed. "I told you that it wasn't going to be smooth sailing. There's going to be some ups and downs and I guess the press is going to be one of them. Don't say I didn't warn you." He quickly took a step across the carriage and put his arms around Ginny as he sat down next to her. "Everything will be fine."
The rest of the ride to the castle was in silence. Neither Harry nor Ginny really knew what to expect when they walked in to front doors. When the thresherals stopped at the front doors of the school, Harry helped Ginny out of the carriage and grasped her left hand tightly. They both looked at each other before making their way into Hogwarts.
The Great Hall looked just as it did every year; hundreds upon hundreds of candles floated just under the enchanted ceiling. Tonight the night sky was peaceful and the stars twinkled in a comforting way. The four house tables were already crowded with the returning second through eighth year students. The long staff table at the front of the hall held every member on staff. Minerva McGonagall sat in the high-backed chair in the center of the table. When she saw Harry and Ginny making their way into the hall she smiled and gave them a small wave. She had been among the few people in attendance to their wedding and had even ministered the ceremony at Harry's request. Harry and Ginny made their way to where Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table and once everyone was seated, Professor Sprout led the new first years up to the front.
Once 'Zander, Amelia' became the newest Hufflepuff, McGonagall stood up to make the welcome back speech.
"It is truly wonderful to see so many familiar faces again this year. I would like to welcome all of our new first year students to Hogwarts and to congratulate our returned students on making their way back to our family. I would also like to remind all students that the Forbidden Forrest is off bounds to all and that entry without permission will result in punishment. Our caretaker Mr. Filch would like me to again remind all students that magic is not to be performed in the halls between classes and that anyone out of bed after hours will be spending an evening helping him clean the school. Now, as Headmaster Dumbledore would say; 'tuck in!'" McGonagall sat down gracefully in her chair and the food appeared on the tables. The welcome back feast had officially begun.
Dinner was delicious as usual and both Harry and Ginny enjoyed the company of their friends. They were a bit hesitant on sharing stories about the end of their summer and their relationship but if it had been obvious, their friends didn't let on that they knew. Once desert was finished and the table had been cleared of any evidence of the food that once occupied it, McGonagall made the end of feast speech and the students were liberated to their respective common rooms. All along the trek to the Gryffindor common room, Harry was being stopped to talk with numerous first years who wanted to see him up close. When he and Ginny finally made it to their common room they were exhausted and fell onto the couch together.
"Rough trip?" Ron inquired as he sat down in one of the armchairs next to the couch.
"I honestly never knew how many first years there are in this place before," Harry replied. "It felt like every one of them wanted to talk to me about one thing or another."
"It was awful! I think we made it at least five feet every few minutes!" Ginny sighed as she snuggled up to Harry.
Hermione came and sat down delicately on Ron's lap and gazed over at Harry and Ginny. "Hopefully everything will be calmed down by tomorrow. It's the first night and they're just really excited to be here."
"I really hope –" Harry started to say when he was interrupted by girly giggling behind him. He turned to look over his shoulder to see three new seventh year girls staring at him. When they saw him looking them, they exploded into another fit of giggles.
"Hello Harry." Demelza Robins said calmly, giving him a small wave.
"Good evening Demelza. Hello Jamie, Morgan." Harry replied in an equally calm tone.
They three seventh years looked at each other and started squealing in delight. Harry heard one of them exclaim 'He remembers my name! Harry Potter remembers me!' as they rushed back across the common room. Harry sighed and turn back to face Ron, Hermione and Ginny, all of whom were looking at him with a pointed glare.
"What did I do?" Harry asked in exasperation. Hermione continued to glare at him, Ron rolled his eyes and Ginny huffed from beside him.
"Harry, we all saw how they were looking at you. They're all completely in love with you," Hermione stated plainly from her perch in Ron's lap.
Harry sighed again. "Well to bad for them because I'm a married man." He held up his left hand in front of his face and wiggled his fingers, the gold band around his third finger glittering in the fire light. "And besides," he continued, "I've only had eyes for one girl." He wrapped his arm around Ginny's waist and pulled her closer. Ginny grinned and put her legs over Harry's and rested her head on his chest.
"Yeah but sorry to tell you mate, practically no one here knows that little tidbit so every girl in the whole bloody school is going to want to go out with you." Ron leaned back in his chair and put his arms around Hermione as she cuddled into his chest. "The only thing you can do is let that fact be known then people will leave you alone for once."
"We have to get it out there soon," Ginny sighed into Harry's shoulder.
Harry looked at her in confusion. "Wasn't it you who was just saying on the way to the castle that you didn't want everyone to know just yet?"
"It was but that was before I saw how every girl was looking at you. I can't have half the school's population competing for my husband." Ginny smiled up at Harry and pecked him on the cheek.
"No we can't have that, can we," Harry whispered to Ginny. "I have just the idea to clear this little malcommunication up." He looked away from his wife of two days and over at his brother-in-law and probable-future-sister-in-law. "Excuse us for a minute. We have something to talk to the Headmistress about." Standing up, Harry nodded at Ron's questioning look and then disappeared out the portrait hole with Ginny on his heels.
Once they couple arrived at the gargoyle guarding the hidden staircase to the Headmistress's office, Harry gave the password (Albus) and they walked confidently up the stairs. The staircase stopped spinning and let Harry and Ginny off in front of a set of polished oak doors. Harry knocked and a clear 'come in' was heard from the other side of the wood. Taking Ginny's hand in his, Harry pushed open the door and let them into the office.
Professor McGonagall hadn't changed one thing from the way Albus Dumbledore had decorated his office. All the gadgets and gismos still occupied the tables and shelves around the room and the Pensieve was still in its place behind the windowed cabinet and the glass cupboard containing the vials of memories still remained in its original place. Harry remembered the last time he used the Pensieve and placed the newest vial of memories into Albus's collection. Sitting behind the large desk at the top of the small set of stairs in the middle of the room, sat Minerva McGonagall. The portraits of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses lined the wall behind the desk. Harry immediately recognized Phineas Black from his trips to the Headmasters office in his sixth year. Glancing slightly to the right of Phineas's portrait, towards the more recent Heads, Harry found that the last two Headmasters were gazing thoughtfully at him. Ginny let out a small gasp when she followed Harry's gaze to Albus Dumbledore's and Severus Snape's portraits.
McGonagall gestured at the two chairs in front of her desk and Harry and Ginny each took a seat in them. "To what do I owe this most unexpected visit Mr. and Mrs. Potter?"
"That is actually what we were here to talk with you about," Harry replied. "The whole 'Mr. and Mrs. Potter' thing."
"How so Harry?" McGonagall looked at him curiously and set down the quill she'd been using.
"It's been a bit rough adjusting back to school life now that no one here other than you, Ron and Hermione know that we're married. We were wondering if you could maybe help us get the news out so that everyone will leave Harry alone," Ginny answered.
Minerva smiled at the couple sitting before her. "I can most certainly help you. What did you have in mind?"
Harry grinned at his Head of House. Even though Professor McGonagall was now the Headmistress at Hogwarts, she had refused to give up her responsibilities as the Head of Gryffindor House and as the Transfigurations Professor. Now that Dumbledore was gone, she was Harry's favorite teacher and he trusted her completely. "When, by chance, do we have Transfigurations tomorrow Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked.
"It just happens to be your first class of the day." Minerva answered as she looked down at the schedules that littered her desk.
Harry's grin widened. "Perfect!" He exclaimed then launched into the plan that had formed in his head.
Breakfast the next morning was quite similar to dinner the previous night. Harry and Ginny were both bombarded with questions and fans the whole way down to the Great Hall and all during their meal. By the time breakfast was over, Harry's plate was full of letters from nearly every girl in the school and his new owl Genevieve was perched on his shoulder, exhausted from flying back and forth from the Owlery all morning.
Harry rolled up the letter he had been writing and stroked Genevieve's pure white feathers soothingly. "Can you please take this letter to Molly Weasley at the Burrow for me?" Harry asked the bird on his shoulder as he held the letter up for her to see.
Genevieve hooted and Harry laughed. He set the letter down and fed her some bacon from his plate. "Is that better? Can you deliver the letter now?"
Genevieve hooted again, took the letter in her beak and flew off towards the rafters.
Ginny looked at him in confusion. "Why are you sending Mum a letter for?"
"Well since our secret's coming out, I figured it won't be long until the Daily Prophet shows up at the Burrow asking for information and pictures for the paper. I wrote to her telling her that she can give out some details of the wedding to the reporters as long as Rita Skeeter isn't one of them and that the Prophet can have the picture of the two of us that George took at the reception." Harry replied as he picked up his schedule that Professor Slughorn just handed him along with his book bag. "I just wanted her to know that it was okay."
Ginny smiled and picked up her bag and together both she and Harry made their way out of the Hall and towards the Transfigurations classroom. The corridors were quiet as most of the students were still eating breakfast and the pair ended up being the first ones to class. Together they sat down at the desks in the back of the class and waited for the rest of the class and the professor to show up.
Once all the desks had been filled and the pre class chatter had started to die down, Professor McGonagall entered to classroom and shut the door without so much as a sound. Her eyes wandered to where she knew Harry and Ginny would be sitting. Giving them a small smile she launched into her lesson.
Harry could barely concentrate during the lesson. His focus kept wandering to the other Gryffindors that occupied the rest of the classroom. As the seventh year classes were now consisting of twice the usual number of students, they didn't share any classes with any of the other houses. For that, Harry was quite relieved. Now his and Ginny's announcement would be shared with only the people they had partially grown up with. Glancing back up to the front of the classroom, Harry saw Ginny doodling on a spare piece of parchment to his left and Ron yawning to his right. He smiled at the complete normality of the situation until Professor McGonagall voiced the question that would start the whole world on fire.
"Ms. Weasley can you please tell the class the importance of proper wand movements when performing advanced transfigurations?"
All eyes turned to look at Ginny, who was still doodling on the piece of parchment. A small smile flooded her face but she didn't make any move to answer the question.
McGonagall sighed and tapped her wand on the desk. Every head snapped to the front, everyone except Ginny's. "Ms. Weasley can you please answer the question?"
This was Harry's cue. Gently, he nudged Ginny with his elbow and she looked up at him. "McGonagall asked you a question Gin."
Ginny looked up to see the whole class looking at her expectedly. "I'm sorry Professor but could you please repeat the question?" The class snickered.
"I asked if you would kindly tell the class the importance of proper wand movements when you are performing advanced transfigurations Ms. Weasley. Can you answer the question?" McGonagall looked frustrated. Harry and Ginny both knew that she really wasn't but the rest of the class didn't. They were probably thinking of the foot-and-a-half page long essay they were going to have to write if Ginny didn't answer the question correctly.
Ginny smiled and set down her quill. "Of course Professor McGonagall. You need to use precise wand movements when performing advance transfigurations because if the wand direction is even the slighted bit off, then the whole transfiguration will either be wrong of half complete." Ginny looked up at the professor. "And I don't go by Ms. Weasley anymore Professor."
Lavender Brown turned around in her seat and looked at Ginny like she was crazy. "You don't go by Ms. Weasley anymore? Isn't that your name?" She looked over at Ron who looked completely at ease with the current situation. "Her last name is Weasley, right Ron?"
Ron smiled and rested his elbows on the desk in front of him. "One word Brown: Was."
With the one simple word, the whole classroom turned on Ron.
"What do you mean it was? Isn't it still?" Demelza said as she looked between Ron and Ginny.
"I meant what I said." Ron said plainly. He shot a glance over at Harry who smiled back at him.
The class looked over at Harry and Ginny. Harry smiles and started spinning his ring around his third finger. Luckily for him, the action didn't go unnoticed.
"Oi, Potter, what's that you got on your hand there?" Seamus said when he saw a flash of gold between Harry's fingers.
Harry stopped playing with the ring then lifted his hand in front of him, showing the gold band around his finger to the class. He inspected it for a moment before setting his hand back down on the desk. There was the unmistakeable sound of metal hitting wood. "A commitment Seamus. That's what it is. It's a commitment."
"To what?" Dean asked as he looked around Seamus at Harry.
Harry smiled and put his arm around Ginny's shoulders. "My wife," he said simply.
Those two words caught the attention of everyone in the classroom. McGonagall smiled along with Ron and Hermione. The rest of the class stared at Harry and Ginny with wide eyes and jaws that hit the floor.
Parvati was the first one to recover from the shock of Harry's statement. "Your wife?" She asked quietly. Then she looked between Harry and Ginny, who were smiling ear-to-ear at each other. "Oh my god! You and Ginny got MARRIED!?"
Harry nodded and a small, almost in-auditable gasp escaped the lips of the rest of the class. Harry's smile widened and he scooted his chair closer to Ginny so that he could put his arm closer around her. "I would like to introduce you all to my lovely wife Mrs. Ginny Potter."
The class was full of mixed emotions. The 7th year girl's faces held disappointment that Harry was tied down but yet they seemed genuinely happy for Ginny. The 8th year students, who had gotten to know Harry better all seemed excited for Harry and the happiness he had found after years of struggle. As for the younger boys, well, Harry wasn't surprised to see that they were a bit crestfallen. Ginny was something that every boy dreamed of and Harry was proud to say that she belonged with him. After a moment, the room exploded into a round of applause, catcalls, whistles and questions flying left and right. McGonagall knew that she had lost control of her students and left the classroom to rally the other teaches and complete her end of the task. Before she left, she conjured up two throne-like chairs at the front of the class and Harry and Ginny sat dutifully in them. After the door closed behind the professor, questions were launched at the couple at the front of the class.
"ENOUGH!" Harry yelled over the noise. Immediately, the shouting ceased. "If you have a question, ask away but one at a time please."
Morgan quickly directed the first question at Ginny. "What does you ring look like? Let us see!"
Laughing, Ginny held out her left hand in front of her and all the girls crowed around, looking at the rings on her finger in envy. Ginny pointed to the simple thin silver band closest to the base of her finger. A diamond of fair size rested in the middle of the band and two smaller rubies sat on either side. "This is my engagement ring and this –" Ginny then pointed to the ring sitting in front of the other. This ring was made of a simple thin gold band but when a diamond sat on the engagement ring, a perfect emerald occupied the center of the wedding ring. Four smaller diamonds were set into the gold on either side of the emerald. "This is my wedding ring."
The girls sighed and the boys peered over their shoulders to get a glimpse. Dean let out a low whistle. "Wow Harry, diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Those must have cost a fortune!"
"Well Ginny only deserves the best. They were probably the best investments I've ever made." Harry smiled over at his wife and the girls sighed.
Lavender, who was sitting closest to Harry of all the girls, reached out at grabbed Harry's left hand and looked at his ring too. "Awe! Their rings match!"
Everyone peered at Harry's ring as well. The thick gold band did indeed match Ginny's ring. An emerald and eight diamonds were set out in the same pattern as Ginny's ring but where her gems sat above the band, Harry's were flush with the gold surrounding them.
Neville looked away from Harry's hand and up at his friends face. "When was the wedding? I never read anything about it in the Prophet."
Harry crossed his right leg over his left knee. "It was on Saturday actually. August 31st. Most brilliant day of my life, I'll tell you that much."
Parvati gaped at the couple. "So you never got your Honeymoon? That's so sad!"
Ginny rested her hand on Harry's arm and looked thoughtfully at him. "It's okay Parvati. Harry said something about Christmas in Paris this year to make up for it. And anyway, it was his idea to have to wedding so soon."
"So soon?" Everyone in the room seemed confused. "When did he propose?" Lavender along with the other four seventh year girls asked.
"August 11th, Ginny's 17th birthday." Harry answered.
"Who was all at the wedding?" Seamus asked.
"It was mostly just my family," Ginny answered. "Bill and Fleur, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Mum and Dad. Hermione and Professor McGonagall were the only non-Weasleys in attendance."
"Why was Professor McGonagall there?" Jamie asked.
"She conducted the ceremony for us at Harry's asking." Ginny said. "She did a wonderful job. We really should thank her again." Ginny turned to Harry and he nodded his approval.
The bell rang just then to signal the end of class. Everyone groaned and began gathering their things before heading out of the classroom and out to the Green Houses for Herbology. Harry vanished the chairs he and Ginny had been sitting in while Ginny grabbed their bags from the back of the class. They made their way out to the Green Houses without so much as a backwards glance from any of the other students. The Herbology class went on without a hitch. Professor Sprout along with Professors Slughorn and Flitwick congratulated them during their classes and throughout the rest of the day; the other professors came to give their congratulations as well. By supper time, the whole Gryffindor house knew that Harry and Ginny were married and a small party was held in their honor after dinner. McGonagall even turned a blind eye as Ron and Dean brought in bottles of Firewhisky for the older students and Butterbeer for the younger ones.
The next morning was the most eventful breakfast Hogwarts had ever seen. The morning post arrived, as did numerous copies of the Daily Prophet. There was only one article that the students seemed to be interested in though. Harry sat with his arm wrapped protectively around Ginny as heads looked up and stared at him in awe. Luna, who was sitting right behind them at the Ravenclaw table, came skipping up to them, the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler in her hands.
"Good morning Harry. Good morning Ginny. Have you had the pleasure of reading the Daily Prophet this morning? It's quite interesting."
"I can't say that we have Luna. Would you mind if we borrowed your copy? It seems that everyone else is too engrossed to let us read theirs." Harry smiled and Luna gladly handed the paper to him and sat down on Harry's other side as the couple read the article.
Harry Potter Married!
It appears that Harry Potter, the Golden Boy of the Wizarding World is no longer up for grabs. As of Saturday, August 31st, Potter has been happily married to Ginerva (Ginny) Weasley. The couple was married by their Head of House, Transfigurations Professor and new Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Minerva McGonagall on the Weasley Family property at 1:00 pm Saturday afternoon. Only a small and select few were able to attend the ceremony. Molly and Arthur Weasley, parents of the bride, and their immediate family, along with McGonagall and Hermione Granger were the only people in attendance.
"It was a lovely ceremony," says Molly Weasley, when the Prophet interviewed her at her home yesterday. "It was a bit sudden, as Harry only proposed two weeks before on Ginny's 17th birthday."
When asked why his new brother-in-law pressed for such rushed and sudden motives, George Weasley, co-owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, said that "He [Harry] has been in some rough patches in the past and many things have been taken from right between his fingers before he's gotten a firm grasp on them. I think he just wanted to be sure that Ginny wouldn't end up like that. He really loves her and I'm proud to say that he's now part of the Weasley family."
The couple is currently completing their schooling at Hogwarts and will be buying a family home together in June. From everyone here at the Daily Prophet, we would like to send out our congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Potter on their marriage and for many more years of happiness. Reporting for the Daily Prophet, Wizarding London is Jonathan Wilkins.
Underneath the title was the picture that George had taken of Harry and Ginny just minutes after they had been announce husband and wife. Harry was wearing a set of tailored black dress robes and he had his right arm around Ginny's waist. Ginny's wedding dress was simple and elegant. It was an A-Line gown made of silk with a slight sweetheart neckline and tiny diamonds along the top. The heart shaped necklace Harry had given her for her birthday hung around her neck, the emerald in the center glittering in the afternoon sun. Her long red hair was done up in a complicated twist at the top of her head that Fleur had helped create. A few wisps of hair framed Ginny's face and silver teardrop earrings dangled from her ears. The delicate lace veil that had been handed down to Ginny by her mother hung down the back of the dress. The couple was looking lovingly at each other before leaning in to steal a kiss. It was both Harry and Ginny's favorite picture of that whole day. The caption under the photograph read 'The new Mr. and Mrs. Harry James Potter by George F. Weasley'.
Luna looked over at Harry and Ginny, along with everyone else in the school, waiting to hear the answer to the question they were all thinking. "Is it true?" Luna asked in a calm voice. The question bounced across the walls of the Great Hall. Everyone held their breath as they waiting for Harry and Ginny to reply.
Harry nodded and the school let out the breath they had been holding in. "It's all true. Ginny and I did indeed get married on Saturday. It's true that only the Weasleys, Hermione and Professor McGonagall were the only ones there. It's also true that Professor McGonagall married us and we are both thankful that she did. It was a beautiful ceremony. And, that picture is of me and my wife only minutes after we were married. The whole story is true."
The room was dead silent for a few seconds before it, like the Transfigurations classroom yesterday, exploded into a round of applause, catcalls, whistles and congratulations. In the middle of it all, Ron stood up on top of the Gryffindor table, his goblet of pumpkin juice held in the air.
"I declare a toast!" He bellowed over the noise. "To Harry and Ginny! Enough said!" There was laughter coming from every corner of the room, along with the sounds of goblets hitting other goblets. Once the clanging died down, everyone raised their goblets in the air in a silent salute. Harry and Ginny looked around the room in confusion. Suddenly, every student and staff member shouted towards the ceiling.
"Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Harry James Potter!"