This short story was written for the Platform 9 ¾ short story contest in June 2017. The theme was After the War.

This is of course obvious, but to be clear, I did not create any of the characters and everything Harry Potter related belongs to JK Rowling!

I hope you enjoy the story!

It was golden hour.

Harry sat under the great oak by the Great Lake and considered his options.

It had started off simply enough. A casual touch of the hand as they passed each other in the narrow hallways over the summer. A whiff of her hair as she zipped past him on her broomstick, in the orchard behind the house. The kiss on the cheek that she had given him on his 18th birthday; so simple and far removed from the kiss she had given him last year, and yet so full of promise. Before he knew it, he was deeply, madly, and truly in love with one Ginny Weasley. Again.

It all came to a head one warm night in early August. Harry had been sitting outside the Burrow, alone, much like now, preoccupied and considering his options, when Ginny had come strolling along. She sat down next to him, flopping down on the grass with the wild abandon of young child. To this day, Harry wondered where she had picked up her positivity, her optimism, her fire.

They sat together in silence for several minutes. Harry marveled at the feeling of sitting so comfortably with another person as the memories of their few stolen weeks together came floating back. It had been like living in a storybook tale.

"Are you thinking about Hogwarts?"

The question didn't catch him unaware. He had, indeed, been thinking about Hogwarts. But as Ginny already knew, he thought about little else. Harry glanced over at her. It was golden hour, magic hour, and the setting sun set her hair alight. She looked as though she had been set afire.

"Always," Harry smiled.

"I think," she said softly, turning to look at him, "that you've done everything you could have done. You did everything. Everyone who's gone… you need to forgive yourself."

The thought was one that Harry had already examined many, many times. It was familiar. An old friend.

"Maybe, you're right, Ginny."

"Of course I am. You're just a person, caught up in this war, and you did the best you could. Just like everyone else." She paused before continuing. "And everyone needs you to be a symbol. But you know… I need you to be… just Harry."

Harry smiled nostalgically, a memory coming back to him: an small 11-year old boy and a half giant, who had smiled and changed his life with one sentence. "Yer a wizard, Harry."

He looked at her then, her eyes warm and inviting, and her hair a fiery red halo around her face. He leaned over and kissed her. It was as natural as breathing. He fell into the memory of their first kiss after the Quidditch Final at the same moment that he fell into her arms. They were soft, and welcoming. And from that moment on, Ginny Weasley was officially his girlfriend. It was like they could continue exactly where they had left off. As if the last year of hunting Voldemort didn't exist.

And so, Harry had found himself with a new purpose, returning to Hogwarts for his 7th year, with Ginny at his side. Hogwarts, newly rebuilt, was waiting to welcome him home in a way that nothing else ever could.

And now, if you fast forward several months of delightful dating later during an uneventful year, Harry was absolutely, positively sure, that by some colossal slip of he didn't even know what, he had managed to get his girlfriend, the one Ginny Weasley, pregnant.

Why was Harry so absolutely sure of this life-changing situation?

Well, for one thing, Harry had chanced upon his girlfriend at breakfast last week, nibbling away at a carrot. Now there were three things that Harry knew about Ginny Weasley with an absolute certainty. She cast the best bat-bogey hex in existence. She harbored a secret passion for all things Muggle that only Arthur Weasley could rival. And she, could not, stand carrots.

So the sight of Ginny Weasley daintily chewing on the end of a carrot, as if she were at a formal dinner, as owls swooped above her head was enough to stop Harry in his tracks. However, if that were not definitive proof that something was not quite as routine in the land of Ginny, the other day when they had sat down to a picnic in a secluded corner of the Hogwarts grounds and he had offered her a sandwich, Ginny had made a rather unpleasant face after sniffing it and dropped it delicately on her plate. Now it does not even seem worth noting, that tuna salad was Ginny's absolute favorite sandwich. He had even put pickles on it for her.

Harry had questioned Ginny about her sudden change in eating habits, and the questions had been first delicately and then forcefully ignored. Ginny had then gone especially out of her way to distract him, by fully taking advantage of their secluded surroundings and performing a series of quite impressive acrobatic feats, which kept him sufficiently occupied.

In the days following, he had noted her complaining to her girlfriends about feeling bloated, had watched her skip two Quidditch practices, and had noticed that Ginny's chest area looked impressively fine in her spring uniform blouse.

Now, Harry had delicately put together all these hints, and came up with the only logical solution. Despite the precautions they had taken, he must have somehow managed to knock up his girlfriend. There was simply no other explanation for it. And what was worse - Ginny had not confided in him!

So all in all, Harry was absolutely unsure as to how to proceed. He couldn't fathom why Ginny would keep such a secret from him. Certainly, he had proved himself to be trustworthy and caring. Certainly, the last eight months they had spent together had built Ginny's trust and confidence in him. And certainly, she could not possibly imagine he would abandon her if she told him the truth.

Harry briefly entertained the idea that Ginny herself was unaware of the pregnancy. But she was an exceedingly clever witch after all. It was simply impossible.

So in the end, Harry was left in a rather difficult position. Should he confront Ginny about his suspicions? Should he continue to wait for her to come to him? It was quite a predicament.

At that moment, someone put their hands around his eyes. Harry jumped nearly a mile.

"Guess who!" A familiar voice said, trailing off in a fit of laughter.

"Ginny, my love," Harry said, calming down. "Must you sneak up on me and scare me every single time that you find me all alone?"

"Indeed, I must." She grinned.

Harry turned around and eyed her critically. She was all smiles and fire, and everything good in the world.

"Ginny," Harry said seriously, "won't you tell me why you don't eat tuna anymore?"

"Sorry, Harry, no can do."

"What about chicken? You stopped eating that too."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid it's a secret."

Harry sighed, frustrated. "Ginny, just tell me. Is everything OK? I'm here for you, you know that right?"

She eyed him quizzically, her gaze running down his concerned face.

"Harry James Potter," she sighed. "You worry too much. Everything is fine, really. Now, I've got an idea for something we can do that's a little more interesting than tuna and chicken."

That night, Harry discovered a series of new acrobatic maneuvers that Ginny Weasley possessed, of which he had been previously unaware. They were definitely more interesting than tuna and chicken.

oOoOo

Harry circled high above the Quidditch Pitch, keeping an eye on his team as he searched for the Golden Snitch. It was a perfect day for Quidditch - slightly breezy and slightly cloudy, with just a hint of sun warming the pitch. Gryffindor held a slight lead over Ravenclaw, and Harry's role in catching the Snitch was of utmost importance.

The crowd roared in the stands as he swept his eyes over the pitch. He could see Luna out of the corner of his eye, sporting her signature eagle. He pulled away from the stands, searching for that glint of gold. As his eyes moved to the other side of the pitch, he glimpsed Ginny, speeding toward the Ravenclaw goal posts with the Quaffle under her arm. The wind swept her hair back in a cloud as she charged ahead. She was gorgeous.

That was when he saw it.

Harry darted forward, racing for the glint of gold he had spotted some fifteen feet above Ginny. It hovered still for a second, then shot upward. Harry chased after it, whizzing past Ginny so quickly he barely caught a whiff of her hair, as he flew higher in pursuit. He saw Ravenclaw's Seeker, Gerard Willerby, closing in from the other direction, but he was still too far away to make it in time. Harry reached out a hand to grab it. He fingers almost closed around the golden ball. Then he heard the screams.

Harry whipped his head around so quickly, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. His eyes searched immediately for the redhead who brought his world alive, and he felt a fist clench over his heart as he saw her tumbling down off her broomstick, the Quaffle spinning randomly off to the side. He spun around wildly, his fingers sharply brushing against the cold metal of the Snitch as he raced towards Ginny.

The few moments that followed blurred together like the wind in a storm. He was speeding towards her. The screams in his ears were barely audible over the frantic beating of his heart. Her sunset hair made intricately wild patterns as she tumbled though the sky. The clouds. He had a grasp on her hand, and the sudden additional weight dragged his broomstick down sharply. He could just barely make out the collective shapes of hundreds of faces moving, rising, somewhere in the background behind the billowing locks of her hair. He could see only orange. He had both arms around her tightly, without knowing how they had gotten there. And then they were going down. Down. And before he knew it, they were on the ground, and Ginny was in his arms, and he could feel the vibrations of dozens of people rushing closer and closer.

oOoOo

Harry stood outside the Hospital Wing, anxiously tapping his foot on the floor. After Ginny had been taken away, he had not been allowed in to see her while Madame Pomfrey examined her. He could just barely hear the murmured voices of Pomfrey and McGonagall drifting out into the hall. He moved closer, pressing his ear to the door, until their murmurs became more audible.

"…and you're quite sure about this?" He heard McGonagall ask. "This is why she fell off the broom?"

"That is how it appears, Minerva. I'll have to confirm with a more in-depth examination."

"I can't believe Ginny Weasley would be so foolish. It's quite ridiculous."

"Well she is a young girl, after all. All these kids have been through so much. I daresay they're all susceptible to making some poor choices."

"And do you suppose Potter knows about this? Surely he couldn't be responsible. I wouldn't believe it of him."

Harry gulped and turned away from the doorway. He nearly jumped for the second time in two weeks. Ron was standing there, his hair windswept and his face flushed, as if he had just run a mile. Considering he was still holding his Beater's helmet, it was safe to say he probably had. Harry eyed him nervously.

"And what," asked Ron slowly in a measured voice," exactly are you responsible for?"

Harry gulped again.

"Well, you see…"

At that moment, he heard footsteps approaching from inside the Hospital Wing. He grabbed Ron's arm, and pulled him away from the doorway, down the hall, and finally into an empty classroom. Harry pushed his best friend inside and shut the door behind them, leaning up against it.

"What the hell is going on, Harry?" Ron growled, raising his voice. "What's wrong with my sister?!"

"Well, you see," Harry started again. "Now please, don't be upset…"

Ron continued to stare at Harry evenly.

"Ron, I am so sorry, but… well… Ginny's pregnant."

The silence that filled the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"WHAT?" Ron finally exploded.

"Ron, I don't know how it happened. We were very careful."

"You and my sister?! Having sex?!"

"Ron, I love her!" Harry retorted. "And have you not done it with Hermione?"

"This isn't about Hermione. This is about my sister, Potter!"

"Ron, please. You know that I'm not just messing around with Ginny. I want to spend the rest of my life with her!"

They both stopped yelling, looking at each other. Both were breathing hard. The silence stretched on. Finally, Ron broke it.

"Well, then you know what you have to do now, don't you?"

oOoOo

It was golden hour again.

Harry stood next to the oak tree by the Great Lake and watched Ginny as she looked out over the water. Her fiery hair blew around her in the gentle breeze.

He clutched the small box in his pocket, that he had taken out of his Gringotts vault just this morning. It had taken some time to track down, but he had found it. Ginny was the one he was meant to be with, after all. He thought that perhaps he had been waiting for this moment his whole life.

At that moment, Ginny turned around, her face lighting up in a wicked grin.

"Harry, you know you don't have my penchant for surprises."

"Well, it's not much of a surprise, I am the one who asked you to meet me here, after all."

"I suppose you are," she smiled. "What is it you want?"

Harry stepped closer. This was it. This was the moment.

"Ginny," he started. "I have a question for you."

He stumbled slightly over his feet as he dropped to one knee and found himself there just a tad before he intended. Ginny looked at him in amusement.

"Did you trip over the tree root again, Harry?"

"What? No."

"Well here, do you need a hand up?"

"No, this is very much intentional."

She stared at him then, her face frozen in surprise.

"I take it back, perhaps you can out surprise me after all."

"Ginny," Harry said, before she could say anything else, as he pulled the ring out of his robes. "I love you. We haven't graduated yet, and I know this is still early, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She had put her hands over her mouth in shock and eyed Harry though her fingers. From the little he could see of her face, he decided she seemed pleased.

"Will you marry me?"

She nodded. For once, she was lost for words. He could see her eyes glistening slightly with unshed tears.

He took the ring out of its box and slipped it gently on her finger. It fit perfectly, as if it had always been meant for her.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"It was my mum's."

Harry stood up and hugged her. "I'm so glad, Ginny."

"Me too. This is amazing. I can't believe you did this!"

"Now we can finally be a family. You, me, and the baby."

There was a pause. Then…

"What baby?"

"What do you mean?" Harry said dumbly. "Our baby."

She continued to stare at him.

"You're pregnant… Right?" He added, turning it into a question.

"Er… Definitely not."

"Wait…" Harry said. "So you're not avoiding your favorite foods because you're pregnant?"

Ginny continued to stare at him.

"And what about falling off your broomstick? Skipping practices? Eating carrots?"

"Carrots," she said. "No wonder you're confused."

"But Ginny…" Harry started, then quailed under her furious gaze.

"Harry James Potter," Ginny growled, "I am not pregnant. You know how effective magical contraception is! Are you a bloody idiot? I am simply following an all vegan muggle diet that Hermione and I found in one of her magazines. And I forgot to take my bloody vitamins."

A pause.

"I see," Harry muttered.

Another pause.

"So," said Ginny, calming down. "I haven't been entirely honest with you, and you've gone off on your own and behaved like a real prat with your assumptions, so I'll say we're even. Now then, I think we must address the elephant in the room. Are we still engaged?"

"What!" Harry said, shocked. "You said yes to me, Ginny Weasley, you can hardly back out now."

She smiled.

"That's good, Harry Potter. Because the only way you're getting this back is if you pry it off my finger."

At that moment, they heard a distant unintelligible shout coming from the direction of the castle. It was getting louder as it moved closer. Ginny squinted in the direction of the castle, then turned to Harry.

"Did you, by any chance, discuss your suspicions with our good friend Ron?"

"You mean our good brother, Ron?" Harry asked avoiding answering the question.

"That would be the one."

"Families are terrible at keeping secrets. And excellent at eavesdropping."

"Ah," Ginny said. "Well that just explains everything. Let's run, shall we?"

"Yes, that seems like a well thought out plan," Harry replied, as the pair of them started jogging around the lake.

"By the way, Ginny," Harry called, as they ran, "Are you still taking that potion you made with Hermione?"

"No, we ran out," Ginny called back.

"Ah," said Harry. "Well then, about you not being pregnant, when I thought you were, I stopped using my contraceptive charm. So you should probably look into that again."

There has never since been such an eventful golden hour at the Great Lake at Hogwarts, as the one where Harry Potter was chased around the lake by two angry redheads.

It was rather striking.

That's for reading! I had a lot of fun attempting this little dramedy, and playing with this writing style!

Rina