A/N: Here it is, everyone, the chapter you've been waiting for! Was it worth the wait?

Special thanks to my editors and cheering section Melindaleo, Cackling Stump, Brennus, and Mutt N Feathers for all their input into this chapter that kept me rewriting the chapter to bring out its best.

Chapter 9

Ginny stirred as sunlight wormed its way between the slats of the wooden shades on the bedroom window. At first, she was confused as to where she was, then a soft snore sounded in her ear and she felt the weight of Harry's arm around her waist. She smiled when she realized she'd spent the night in Harry's arms.

Turning very carefully onto her back so as not to disturb Harry, she lay listening to his house. It had the usual faint boiler sounds and the occasional creak of an old house, but there was an additional susurration that sounded like voices out in the stairwell. She couldn't help thinking that the portraits could move and talk. She'd love to catch them at it and see what sorts of artistic wizardry had gone into the animation.

The need for the loo finally forced her from the warm cocoon of Harry's arms. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she covered her mouth to suppress a giggle when she spied the discarded pyjama shirt hanging lopsidedly off the mirror over the dresser and the pair of boxers gracing the bedside table on her side of the bed. They had certainly had fun celebrating Christmas together last night! A bit cold at the moment, Ginny padded across the room and groped behind the door for Harry's dressing gown.

As she stepped out into the hallway, the whispering stopped. Curious, she tiptoed down the stairs and was surprised to see that all five figures were congregated in the large portrait of Harry's parents. It was almost as if the people in the picture had been carrying on a conversation. Ginny looked away and when she turned back all the people were back in their own frames. She stood on the stairs, shaking her head and pointing silently to each picture, wondering whether she was hallucinating from the cognac she's drunk last night. With a sigh, she retreated up the stairs and used the loo.

"Happy Christmas, beautiful," Harry greeted her as she slid back into bed a few minutes later.

"Happy Christmas, Harry," she said, and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked, reaching for the belt of the dressing gown. "We didn't plan much except for you coming over and opening our gifts together."

"Let's dig out my car enough to open the boot and one of the back doors and then have breakfast," Ginny suggested as she guided his hand inside the garment. "Mum and Dad sent me home with my gifts. Would you mind if I opened them here?"

Harry grinned at her. "Be my guest," he said. "You can tell me about the giver as you open them."

"Sounds like a plan."

Much later, they dressed warmly and went in search of a broom or shovel to clear a path to Ginny's car. She was surprised that Harry didn't own a snow shovel, but thought an ordinary garden shovel would do the trick nicely. Harry found an old-fashioned-looking broom and the two made quick work of digging out the car, especially after they unearthed her car brush and ice scraper. Back in the house, Harry began making a big breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, sausages, beans, and tomatoes and mushrooms.

"I'll pop if I eat all that!" Ginny exclaimed as he set an enormous plate of food in front of her.

"I'm sure you'll clean your plate," Harry smirked, sitting beside her. "After all, we did work up quite the appetite last night and this morning."

Ginny gently nudged him in the ribs. "That we did," she conceded as she stabbed the point of her toast in her egg yolk, eliciting a small chuckle from her dining partner. She had noticed that his own plate was half the size of hers and was curious about it. Was he trying to keep his "girlish figure" or wasn't he eating that much again? She considered the question as she took her first bites of the delectable meal and realized that Harry was probably now in the habit of eating a healthier breakfast than the traditional fry up.

They made quick work of the dishes afterwards and then went up to the drawing room where they'd deposited Ginny's presents. Harry dragged the two armchairs over to the window and opened the curtains. Light poured into the room as they sat down amongst the boxes and gift bags that covered the floor in front of the window. Ginny was glad to see that Harry had a number of small gifts next to his chair.

"How about you open two to every one of mine?" he suggested.

Ginny picked up a squashy gift, knowing exactly what it was. Her mother had started knitting jumpers for the family when Bill was tiny and now had to start knitting in May in order to get them all done in time for Christmas, even with a knitting machine to make the task easier. This year's jumper was lacier than her last few and when Ginny tugged it over her head, she felt wonderfully feminine in the silk and mohair confection. She told Harry a story about how her mother had started knitting letters into Fred and George's jumpers to help the family tell the two apart, but the little rascals had discovered how she was using the letters and started wearing each other's sweaters.

"I've never met George, but if Fred is anything like his brother, those two must have been holy terrors when they were growing up," he said.

"Oh, they were. Nothing in my toy box was safe from them!" Ginny exclaimed as she reached for a box from Bill, Jeannine, Tory and Liam and began to unwrap it. "I always stood back or to the side when I was little, just in case something inside was set to jump out at me."

"My gift is from Hermione," Harry said, holding up a thin rectangle wrapped in Father Christmas paper and green ribbon. "You know she's my oldest friend. She's brilliant and helped me stay afloat while we were in school. I once tried to get her to let me copy or paraphrase one of her essays, and she snatched it out of my hands and told me to do my own work because how would I learn if I didn't do the work myself?"

"She sounds like someone who likes to follow rules," Ginny comments.

"Hermione followed all the rules our first year until the end of October. Unfortunately, she got mixed up in some trouble I had gotten myself into and after that, she loosened up a little and started to be fun." Harry sighed and looked at the package in his hands. "Her favourite present to give someone is a book. I hope this isn't a personalized homework planner like she gave me in fifth year!"

"Well, open it and find out," Ginny suggested as her curiosity peaked.

Harry tore off the wrapping and pulled out a book entitled, The Happy Homeowner: One Thousand Ways to Keep Your House Happy. "Yep," he said. "She's so predictable!"

Ginny giggled.

Harry's next gift was from his godson. He grinned at the mug that had "Best Godfather Ever!" written on it.

"How old is Teddy?" Ginny asked.

"He'll be eight in April," Harry told her proudly.

They made quick work of the rest of the presents until there were only two left, the ones they were giving each other. Ginny had taken a lot of time trying to decide on what to give Harry and in the end had handknitted him his own Weasley jumper. While the dark blue wool hadn't been the most expensive in the shop she'd gone to, it was of high quality and she'd enjoyed the hours she'd sat before her telly knitting the soft yarn into something that Harry might wear for many years to come. She held her breath as he opened the package.

"Ginny," he asked, "did you knit this for me? It's wonderful!"

She couldn't help the smile that seemed to split her face. "Try it on. I want to see if I got the size right," she urged.

Harry shrugged out of the jumper he was wearing over a button-down cotton shirt and put on his present. Ginny grinned happily when it looked like the jumper fit him perfectly.

"I'm not taking this off until spring," Harry announced, making her giggle again. "Thank you. Now it's your turn."

Ginny picked up a medium sized box that felt very light. The paper came off quickly and when she lifted the lid, she discovered a small velvet box nestled in a bed of tissue. Setting the bigger box aside, she opened the smaller one to find a pair of square-cut peridot earrings. The settings weren't ostentatious, but the gems sparkled in the light coming in the window.

"Oh, Harry, these are lovely!" she exclaimed.

"I thought you might be able to wear them to work," he said. "I've noticed that you don't wear anything that dangles, so I thought these would be appropriate."

"They are," she said, taking out the earrings she was wearing and putting her new ones in their place. "I'll show all the other nurses what a thoughtful boyfriend I have."

The floor creaked and she looked up again, her eyes widening. Harry was down on one knee with another tiny box in his hand. She held her breath…

"Ginny, I know we haven't known each other very long, but it seems like I've known you all my life. I think of you often when we're apart because you make me feel complete. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" he asked, while opening the box. Inside was a marquise cut diamond solitaire ring, which he held out to her.

She held a shaking hand out to him and he slipped the ring on her finger as she whispered, "Yes!"

They stood and embraced. Tears of joy coursed silently down Ginny's cheeks. Never had she thought someone would want her for his wife and here she was in the arms of a man who seemed to love her as much as she loved him.

She pulled back after a time and said, "I want to call my parents and tell them we're engaged."

Harry smiled at her. "I think your bag is still in the library. Want me to get it?"

"Yes, please."

Her fiancé— oh, how she loved that word! —hurried away up the stairs and again, Ginny caught the susurration that seemed like conversation, this time with Harry's excited whisper added to the mix. She turned to the window and gazed out at the street, still too amazed to wonder about animated portraits.

"Here you go," Harry said, handing her the handbag.

Ginny thanked him and dug out her mobile, tapped a button to wake it up and waited for the home screen to appear. Nothing happened, the battery, it seemed, was dead. She frowned because she knew she had charged the phone on her way back from Devon. She sighed in disappointment. Harry looked up at her.

"The battery's dead and the only charger I have with me is the one in my car," she said.

"Do you want to take it out there to charge it?" Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head. "No. It's too cold. I'll need to charge my phone inside where it's warm," she said. "Besides, the plugs that connect to the electricity are different for the car and wall outlets. You know that."

"Sorry, I don't. I don't own a mobile or a car," Harry said apologetically. He was silent for a moment, then, looking thoughtful, he asked, "May I suggest something?"

Ginny nodded.

"Let's keep this to ourselves for a day, make it special just for us. Then, tomorrow, you call them from your flat after you've charged your mobile," he suggested.

"I was going to call them tomorrow anyway, so I like your plan," she said, still mulling over the fact that Harry didn't own a telephone of any sort.

Harry took the phone from her and put it back in her handbag. "What do you want to do now that we've agreed to delay spreading the news for a while?" he asked, coming back over and putting his arms around her waist.

"You don't have any Christmas biscuits in the house, Harry. Let's bake some," she suggested. "I have the recipes for my mother's chocolate shortbread and ginger biscuits memorized. How do those sound?"

Harry chuckled. "Heavenly. I hope I have the ingredients. Let's go down and look in my pantry."

It turned out that he did have the ingredients and they spent a fun afternoon baking together. Baking merged into making dinner and before she knew it, it was time for her to go back to her flat.

"Drive safely," Harry cautioned as Ginny told him to "Sleep well." They shared a laugh before he kissed her one last time. The drive home took only minutes and as soon as she was inside, she plugged in her phone. It had only a one-percent charge left, which was why it had shut down. She hoped that there was nothing wrong with the phone that a good charge wouldn't remedy.

The next morning, her mother called, and Ginny smiled as she answered: the battery seemed to be fine. "Happy Boxing Day," she greeted her mother.

"I couldn't reach you all day yesterday," her mother began without preamble. "You were so upset when you left. I was worried."

"I'm all right, Mum," Ginny soothed. "I went straight to Harry's and spent the night at his house. I left my phone in my car and it froze and shut down. That's why you couldn't reach me."

"Did you have a good day yesterday?" her mother asked, changing the subject.

Did I ever! Ginny thought, but kept it to herself. "We did. We dug out my car, had breakfast, opened presents —thank you for the beautiful jumper, by the way— and then spent the afternoon baking biscuits. It was a different way to celebrate the day than I'm used to, but the memories are just as good.

"Did George use the instructions to put the activity jumper together?" she asked, changing the subject.

Her mother laughed. "Of course not! All of your brothers sat down on the floor and suddenly there were pieces and nuts and bolts all over everywhere. Liam kept handing Bill bits and bobs he didn't need, trying to be helpful, and Damian swallowed a nut before Olivia could get it away from him. We needed you there to assure her and Charlie that all would be well and to look for it in his nappies."

"How long did it take before Dad handed George the instructions?"

Her mother giggled. "He waited a full two hours before he brandished them in front of George's nose, gathered everything into separate piles and had the thing together in twenty minutes!"

"Oh, I wish I'd been there to see it," Ginny chortled.

"You don't have to wish, dear," her mother said. "Mia caught the whole episode on video. Her phone has the most marvellous camera on it and every so often, she'd take a few seconds of video and narrate it so the viewer would know a little about what was going on. She somehow spliced them all together using your dad's computer and made a five-minute video, which she put on a new website called Your Tube or some such. I'll show it to you the next time you're here."

"I'd love to see it, Mum," Ginny said. "Er, when does everyone go home?"

"Let's see… George and Charlotte thought they were leaving this morning, but decided to stay another more night with the rest of the family. Are you thinking of bringing Harry down?" her mother asked.

"I was thinking we'd take the train, if someone could pick us up at the station in Exeter. Would someone be able to rescue us?" Ginny asked.

"That's a splendid idea! Call us with the time your train gets in and we'll meet you," her mother said, sounding quite pleased. "Oh, it'll be so good to see you again. You sound happy."

"I am happy, Mum. OK. I'll call you with our arrival time when I know it," Ginny said. "See you soon."

They hung up and Ginny slipped her phone back in her handbag just as her doorbell rang. She opened the door to admit Harry.

"I just talked to Mum," Ginny told him after they greeted each other non-verbally. "She wants us to stay overnight. You won't mind sleeping on the sofa?"

Harry grinned. "The sofa will be fine. When is the next train?"

They consulted Ginny's timetable.

"I'd better go home and pack," Harry said, getting up and kissing Ginny's temple. "I'll be back here in forty minutes."

"Sounds like a plan."

Harry nearly sprinted back to Grimmauld Place. As soon as he entered the house, he made a bee line to the kitchen fireplace. Grabbing his bowl of Floo powder, he tossed some in and yelled, "Hermione's Grange!"

"Harry! What on earth?" Hermione exclaimed when she answered on her end. "I just got up."

"Hermione, I proposed! Ginny said yes, and we're going down to Devon by train in a couple of hours. I wanted you to know," Harry said breathlessly.

"You what?" Hermione asked. "Are you insane? Does she know you're a wizard?"

"I proposed, I'm as sane as I ever was, and no, she doesn't know I'm a wizard. It's that stupid Statute of Secrecy," Harry explained, feeling exasperated. "I need to tell Ginny, but I don't know if I can tell her before we're married or if I have to wait until the deed is done. Do you know?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I don't."

"Would you research it for me, please?" Harry pleaded. "You're the one with the connections to wizarding law."

"Yes, I'll look into it. In the meantime, don't do anything stupid," she said, sounding annoyed.

"How would I do that? I haven't carried my wand for nearly two years!" Harry exclaimed.

"You could say something. She could see your magical portraits. She's certainly going to wonder about the lack of electricity in your house and what might happen to her mobile." She stopped. "Harry… has she seen Sirius, your parents and Remus and Tonks move?"

Harry felt faint. "Possibly," he said, drawing out the word. "She showed up about ten o'clock on Christmas Eve really upset about something and spent the night. I hadn't taken the portraits down yet and they wanted to know who she was. I think she suspects something."

Hermione covered her eyes with a hand and Harry could hear her counting. He waited patiently for her to speak. "All right, what's done is done," she finally said. "Congratulations, by the way. I hope Ginny takes the news that you're a wizard well. I'd hate to find out what the withdrawal of her affections would do to you. So, yes, I will sort through the laws to help you tell Ginny you're a wizard."

"You're wonderful, Hermione," Harry said. "Thank you. I'd better go. I need to pack and get back to Ginny's."

His last glimpse of his friend as he withdrew his head from her fireplace was of her shaking her head and looking decidedly worried.

The train ride to Devon was a pleasant interlude. Harry, who had only ever ridden on the Hogwarts Express and the train to Nottingham, let Ginny lead him through the station and deal with their tickets.

As they boarded, Ginny turned to Harry and said, "I hope you don't mind. I didn't get us seats with a table. We're sitting side by side because the trip is short and not having a table is a bit more economical."

Harry smiled at her and said, "As long as I'm with you, and you're happy, I'm happy, too."

Ginny found their seats and sat down. "I'm glad you agree with me."

"Do you want to see how long it takes your mum to notice your ring or do you want to announce our engagement as soon as we walk in the door?" Harry asked.

Ginny thought about it, her head tilted to one side. "Let's see who notices first. It's the sort of thing we do in my family all the time," she answered, shifting the box containing some of the biscuits they'd baked yesterday to the space under her seat with her handbag.

They chatted for the rest of the journey and disembarked at the Exeter station. A cry of "Ginny!" caught their attention and Harry was the first to see a tall, ginger-haired man frantically waving at his fiancée.

"Percy!" she cried, running towards him. Harry followed and stood a few feet away from the siblings as they hugged in greeting.

Eventually, Ginny pulled away and turned to Harry. "Harry, I'd like you to meet my brother, Percy. Percy, this is Harry Potter," she said, rather formally.

A moment later, Percy stuck out his hand. As they shook, Percy said rather stiffly, "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr Potter. Have you been to Devonshire before?"

"Only once, earlier this month when Ginny brought me down to meet your parents," Harry informed him.

"Ah, yes, they did mention meeting you," Percy said as they reached his car. He opened the boot and Harry and Ginny put their bags and the box of biscuits inside.

The ride to the farm took about forty-five minutes and as they exited the car, Percy asked, "Are you two hungry? Mum started cooking as soon as she put down the phone this morning."

"I knew she'd do that, so I didn't have breakfast," Ginny said. "Harry?"

"Just a couple of eggs," he answered. "Your mum sounds like the sort who welcomes people with food."

"That she does," Percy agreed and led them into the house.

No one noticed Ginny's ring in the hubbub of greetings and introductions. Harry noticed that she was having a hard time not saying "fiancé", instead hesitating a fraction of a second and then calling him her friend. It didn't take long for the women to separate from the men to go finish the meal, so Harry kept an ear out for the feminine shriek that was sure to come when Ginny's mum discovered her ring. In the meantime, her father managed to catch Harry's eye across the living room and raise an eyebrow. Harry nodded and Mr Weasley shot Harry a small, approving smile.

The conversation amongst the men was varied and interesting and Harry learned that Bill worked for Barclay's, Percy was a speech writer for the Prime Minister, and George was thinking of opening a second joke shop and was the main prankster of the family. When asked about his profession, Harry framed his answer so that the brothers thought he'd been in the Army, stationed somewhere in the Middle East before he was injured.

"I can't really talk about it," he told the men truthfully. "I know it's been over two years since I was discharged, but I'm not allowed —" He broke off as the expected shriek of joy emanated from the kitchen.

"What the hell was that?" George demanded as he left his chair, followed by his brothers.

The scene that greeted the men was one of happy chaos. All the women were gathered around Ginny and her mum who were hugging fiercely in the middle of the room.

"What's going on?" Bill asked his wife.

"Harry asked Ginny to marry him yesterday," Jeannine announced. "Her ring in simply exquisite!"

George slapped Harry on the back. "You sly dog!" he crowed. "I never thought Ginny would let anyone get under her skin, but obviously you have. Congratulations, mate!"

Bill came over and shook Harry's hand. "Welcome to the family, Harry. It's nice to know there's a new test subject for George's latest practical joke products in our little group."

Percy added his agreement, "Just watch out for anything George hands you. It will probably make you do something embarrassing."

"Thanks for the warning," Harry said appreciatively.

Ginny came over and gave Harry a kiss. "Dinner's ready. Mum discovered my ring after we'd plated everything, thank goodness," she laughed.

She led him to the table and sat down at one of the middle seats, the others filling in, with George sliding into the seat next to Harry at the last moment, his son in his arms. The meal was warm and filling from the Shephard's Pie and with homemade bread rolls and fruit compote to the treacle tart with raspberry sauce and after-dinner coffee. Harry ate more than he should have, but the feeling of being accepted into this wonderful family filled him with a happiness he hadn't known in a long time and he could feel a little of Voldemort's spell melt inside him.

"Where'd you go?" Ginny asked, poking him in the side with her elbow.

"Wool-gathering. I was thinking how nice it is to be accepted so readily into your family," Harry answered. "I haven't felt like this in a very long time. Not since I met Hermione's parents."

Ginny squeezed his hand. "I'm glad we make you feel this way, Harry," she said just as Harry let out a loud belch.

A little way down the table Tory giggled behind her hand and Liam snorted into his pudding. Harry belched again. Suddenly, he didn't feel so well. He belched a third time, then a fourth.

"George Weasley! What have you done to Harry?" Mrs Weasley demanded from the head of the table.

George looked surprised. "Why would I do anything to Harry?" he asked.

"Because you handed me a cup of coffee and said, 'Give this one to Harry. He asked for sugar,'" Charlotte said. "I should have known you'd put something in his cup. What is it?"

"Belching powder," George said sheepishly, glancing at his wife.

Charlotte looked disgusted as she asked, "When will you grow up?"

George shrugged.

Harry belched again and groaned as his stomach did an unpleasant flipflop.

"How long does this last?" Ginny demanded. "And is there an antidote?"

"Twenty to thirty minutes depending on how much is put in the drink," George answered, "and there isn't an antidote yet. It has to wear off."

Harry groaned and belched twice. "How much did you put in my coffee?" he asked.

"A big pinch," George answered.

"George Weasley, you're sleeping on the sofa tonight!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"I guess I'm sleeping on the floor," Harry sighed and belched again.

"I'll go make up the bed in Ron's old room," Ginny said. "Dad converted it to his computer room, but there's a bed in there just in case. I just hope Dad hasn't used it as a table again." She looked up at her father who indicated he'd come with her.

"Harry, dear, are you feeling sick? We could try some tea with lemon. That might make the belching stop," Mrs Weasley offered.

Harry belched again before answering. "I'll try anything at this point," he said, giving George his best glare. "Thank you." He stood to follow her over to the workbench, carrying his and Ginny's dessert plates.

The lemon in his tea helped. "How did you know what to offer me?" he asked as he dried a pot and put it near the Aga for Percy to put away.

"Basic chemistry, dear, and a lifetime of George and Fred's practical jokes," Mrs Weasley said with a smile.

"I'll count myself lucky that you knew what might help. Thank you," Harry told her gratefully.

"All in a day's work," she smiled and went back to washing dishes.

After the kitchen was cleaned up, Harry wandered into the living room since Ginny was still upstairs with her father. Bill and Jeannine were also upstairs putting Tory and Liam to bed, as was Charlotte. George was sitting in front of the fireplace staring at the black pieces of a chess set. He looked up as Harry entered.

"Harry, I apologize for pranking you at dinner," he said, sounding sincere.

"Apology accepted," Harry quickly answered. He gestured to the chess set. "Do you play?"

"We all do," George answered. "Fred was always better than me. Percy, Bill and Charlie play a fair game, but it was always Ron who could out-play the lot of us. Ginny's pretty good for a girl, we used to say, too. When we were younger, if we added the part about being a girl, Ginny would retaliate by winning the game in less than fifteen minutes."

Harry smiled. "I can see her doing something like that," he said. "White or black?"

Their colours chosen, they began to play, Harry enjoying the challenge of having to physically move his pieces around the board. I've grown soft playing wizard's chess with Neville and Seamus, he thought at one point when he nearly told one of his pawns to move to a certain square.

"You're quite good," George said as Ginny joined them at the table.

"I've played a lot of games in the last eighteen months," Harry admitted. "It was one of the few activities I could do for prolonged periods of time after I was released from hospital. I'm lucky I have several friends who play."

"We'll have to get a tournament going sometime," George said. "When we did that as kids, the prize was getting out of doing chores for a certain period of time."

"Sounds like that was a popular prize," Harry commented.

"Oh, it was," Ginny piped up. "That's why I studied and practiced the game so much!"

"Now she confesses!" exclaimed George.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly until Arthur and Molly announced they were going to bed. "Don't stay up too late," Mrs Weasley cautioned as her children chorused their good-nights.

Charlotte stood up and poked George in the shoulder. "Your blankets and pillow are in the hall cupboard, dear," she said sweetly.

George groaned, caught Harry's eye and mouthed, "Sorry," again.

"Come on, Harry," Ginny said, taking his hand. "I'll show you where Ron used to sleep."

He followed her and was pleasantly surprised to find that the door to her childhood bedroom was across from the room that had been made up for him.

"If you have a nightmare," Ginny whispered as they kissed good-night, "you know where to find me now."

"That I do," Harry said with a smile as he opened his door. "Good night, my love."

He was certain that with as accepted as he was feeling tonight, he would not have a difficult night. And true to his prediction, he was up early with the rest of the family who taught him how to do a few easy chores to help with the morning routine with the animals. Breakfast was a raucous affair with the brothers trying to out-do each other with tales from their childhood. Harry sat back in his chair and basked in the happy banter around him until Ginny leaned over and told him it was time to leave for their train home.

"Come again soon, Harry," Mrs Weasley said as she hugged him good-bye.

"I'll only come if Ginny does," Harry told her with a smile.

"Then make sure she takes the time off due to her so she can visit more often than every six months," said Mrs Weasley with a wink at her daughter.

"You can count on it," Harry said and let Ginny tow him out the door toward Bill's car.