Warnings for the fic: Slightly A/U, doesn't follow Epilouge's timeline and ignores some info from JKR not included in the books. Adult language and situations.

Warnings for the chapter: Alcohol comsumption, over-protective Ron, horny Harry, Irish Muggle named Sean.

Disclaimer: HP is not mine.

A/N: The first three chapters only contain minimal humor. They are more of a set-up/backstory to the rest of the story.

A/N2: Much thanks to J for being a patient and helpful beta.

Chapter 1 - The Pub and the Friend

'Why do I let them talk me into going to these things?' Harry thought, looking around the smoky pub. It had been only a week since Pride-of-Portree had won the league championship and they were finally free of the press and functions that went along with it. Tonight was about celebrating just with the team. There was no place in magical England where they could go without being recognized, so the team had ended up at a Muggle pub in London.

Harry stood with the thought of making excuses that he was tired when his eyes wandered to the dance floor where one of their Chasers was dancing with a Muggle man. He knew he'd stay until she left. With a sigh, Harry sat back down and motioned to the bartender for a refill.

All night long, thoughts would catch him off guard and the little voice in the back of his head that sounded a lot like Hermione was finally getting its point across -- why had he never gotten back with Ginny after the war?

'Well,' he argued with himself, 'right afterwards there were so many funerals and so many things to do. I spent too much time helping track down Death Eaters and helping to rework the whole bloody government that it wouldn't have been fair to start up a relationship. Then she went away to school.'

'True,' the Hermione voice answered back, 'but by November things were settling down. Ginny being away at school is a poor excuse because other couples managed to maintain a long-distance relationship just fine.'

'Not wanting to put her through a long-distance relationship isn't a bad reason!' he argued back. Sometimes he really did think old Rita had been right back in his fifth year. Arguing with the voices in his head had to make him unbalanced. Unfortunately the Hermione voice, much like Hermione herself, didn't give up an argument easily.

'Fine, so the whole long-distance relationship is a weak but valid reason. However, Ginny has been out of school for years now!' With a sigh, Harry stopped the internal argument. He knew the real reason he had never tried to pick back up with Ginny, and didn't want to think about it now.

It had been nine years since the defeat of Voldemort. During that time Harry had become good friends with Ginny, better than they had ever been at Hogwarts. In fact, she ranked right up with Ron and Hermione and many days she was ahead of them, especially after his oldest friends had gotten married. Unfortunately, being friends with Ginny didn't make the images of what he would like to do with her go away. They were probably even worse. Tonight however, the alcohol, the music, the sexy clothing and the post-season euphoria were making his fantasizing worse than usual.

Her auburn hair was pulled back into a wavy ponytail, making him wonder what it would look like cascading down onto her naked shoulders or wild and tangled after sex. The top she wore was black dragon hide with thin straps on her shoulders and laced up the front. He imagined untying the front and pushing the straps off her shoulders. What sounds would she make when he was exploring her breasts with his hands and mouth? The short green skirt she had on made him picture what it would look like pushed up to her waist. Would she scream with pleasure if he were rough? Moan with longing if he were gentle?

Those impossibly high heels were a huge turn on. He smiled as he fantasized about her wearing only those shoes. In his mind she had her legs wrapped around his waist and he had her pressed up against a wall in his bedroom. Her lips were driving him mad, even more than they usually did. They were a deep colour, not quite red, but a much sexier shade than the pouty pink she normally wore. He wondered if they would kiss and taste different than he remembered. He wanted to see those lips travel from his mouth down his chest, to wrap around his…

"Harry, mate, would you mind keeping an eye on Ginny?" Ron's voice startled Harry from his very unchaste thoughts.

"Huh? Do what?" Harry had heard Ron speak, but hadn't really understood what was being said. He shook his head to clear it and then imagined jumping naked into a freezing waterfall. It almost did the trick. He prayed Ron hadn't suddenly mastered Legilimency.

"What about Ginny?" he asked still slightly befuddled.

"Would you keep an eye on her?" Thankfully Ron's eyes were firmly locked on his sister and not on his best mate's glassy eyes. "She's blasted and getting fawned over by some Irish bloke. I want to make sure she gets home okay. She won't listen to me or Hermione. Would you stay and keep her safe?"

'My best friend's little sister,' Harry thought to himself, 'and one of my best friends.' "Sure, Ron, though I'll probably leave soon, too."

"I don't think you'll have any problem getting her to leave. I think she's almost ready to pass out as it is." Hermione's voice trailed off as she shot a worried look at her friend dancing provocatively with a stranger. "If you tell her it's time to leave she'll listen. She's mad at Ron because he pulled the Big Brother routine on her. Apparently, I'm also in on an evil plot to keep all men away from her." She rolled her eyes and smiled.

Ron scowled. "She looks like a scarlet woman! You should see the way most of the guys in here are eyeing her. Thank Merlin that Kirstie and Anya are both here as well. I'm betting all the men would be after Ginny if those two weren't drawing their eyes. What's the deal on Pride hiring pretty girls for Chasers anyway? Maybe I should bring that up to management, you know, as an owner and all." Ron's smirk caused his wife and best friend to roll their eyes.

Ever since WWW had bought a controlling share of the Pride-of-Portree Quidditch team, Ron had been lording it over Ginny and Harry, who played Chaser and Seeker for the team respectively. No one really knew why Ron and George had chosen to buy shares in Pride over the Cannons since neither Harry nor Ginny had been on the team when the deal went through. Hermione had speculated the managers may have thought they had a better chance to get Harry and Ginny if WWW was a partner. However, since Ron and George's involvement in the team had been kept a secret until after both of them had been hired onto Pride, Harry doubted this was the case.

Harry shook his head and decided to change the subject. Much like whenever he won chess, once Ron started bragging about being a team owner it was best to cut him off quickly.

"You just want to leave so you two can go shag." Harry's smirk would have done the elite of Slytherin House proud. Hermione blushed nearly as red as Ron's hair, but Ron's face didn't even get slightly pink.

"Well, yeah. It's okay to admit that you're jealous. You don't have your own wicked witch to shag." Ron gave a sly grin, but a look at his sister on the dance floor sobered him up pretty quickly. "Thanks again, mate. We'll see you later." Harry watched as his friends walked hand-in-hand to the back door of the club. He knew they would Apparate once they got into the deserted back alley.

Harry turned his attention back to the rest of his team. It looked like it was down to Ginny and himself since the only other player still in the pub was currently heading his way pulling her purse over her shoulder. He smiled vaguely at Kirstie Carver and noticed a Muggle man seemed to be hanging back waiting for her to talk to Harry.

"I think I'm going to head out with Jude." Kirstie flashed her trademark smoky look over her shoulder and the poor man appeared to melt, smiling sloppily back at her. Harry chuckled at her antics.

"I'm planning on leaving here soon as well. I'm just waiting on Ginny to finish dancing with that bloke and then I'll help her get home." Harry sighed, but didn't notice the knowing look in his friend's eyes.

"You know Harry," Harry was too drunk to notice the sly tone to her voice. "I know Ginny gets all upset when her brothers get all Neanderthal on her, but I doubt she'd mind if you would cut in." Kirstie smiled noticing that Harry's attention was only barely on her, he was so focused on the red-head dancing. "Good luck, Harry."

Harry assumed she was talking about Quidditch since he and Ginny had both been chosen to represent England on the National Team this year. Kirstie had been selected for her own native Sweden, so he wished her luck as well but didn't really notice her giggling as she walked out the door with her Muggle man.

Harry's thoughts had turned impure the moment Kirstie had mentioned that Harry should cut in on Ginny's dance partner.

'Merlin, I want to feel her body up against mine. Naked. Yeah, her breasts pressed against my chest. What kind of sounds would she make if I slide my tongue inside her? She's never been quiet; would she moan or scream or make soft little sighing sounds? Would she grip my hair or would she stretch her arms over her head? What would she taste like? The freckles on her skin make me think of strawberries in cream….cream…I would love to lick cream off her body, or have her lick it off mine. Would she arch her back when she came? Would she beg for more? Would she…'

The man Ginny was dancing with was starting to get a little too friendly and she was gently trying to push him away from her, which effectively changed Harry's thoughts.

'Would her brothers kill you outright or would they pick a slow and painful death if they knew the thoughts you were having about their baby sister? Get a grip! You gave her up because you couldn't protect her before and now Ron's asked you to watch out for her again and you're screwing it up because you can't get her off your mind. FOCUS, POTTER!'

That thought sobered him up. 'Time to cut in,' he thought sourly. 'We'll go with the Big Brother approach.' Harry made his way quickly to the couple on the dance floor.

"Hey, Sis." Ginny looked around at Harry with a confused expression on her face. "We need to get going. We promised George and Ron that we'd help them in the shop tomorrow and I'm knackered. Your place is closer. Do you mind if I crash there?"

Harry barely refrained from glaring at the man in front of him whose arms were protectively wrapped around Ginny. Luckily, she was much quicker on the uptake than any of her brothers, even when she was drunk, and a look of comprehension flitted across her face. She pushed hard away from the black-haired Muggle man and looked up at him politely.

"Sean, I've had a wonderful time but Harry's right. I need to get going. M…Our brothers are counting on our help in the morning and I need to go home and get some sleep. Yeah Harry, you can crash at my place. Thanks again for the dancing, Sean." With that Ginny took Harry's arm and pulled him to the back door of the club, leaving a speechless Sean behind.

"Thanks, Harry. I know Ron asked you to keep an eye on me. You didn't have to, but I appreciate it. Don't tell Ron, but that guy was getting a little difficult to handle. I told him I wasn't going to have sex with him, but well, he…" Her voice trailed off in embarrassment.

"He wasn't taking 'No' for an answer?" Ginny nodded. Harry forced himself to keep walking. Turning back and hexing the man would only make for a long night with awkward questions from the Obliviators and Magical Law Enforcement Squads. "I thought so. I figured he wouldn't argue too much with a protective brother and asking to stay at your place pretty much put the kibosh on him coming over." They had reached the Apparation point in the alley behind the club.

"Thanks. I'm glad I have you looking out for me." It happened so quickly Harry wasn't sure if he imagined it or not. Ginny rose up on her tiptoes and placed a small, chaste kiss on his cheek, like normal. However it wasn't his cheek that she hit; it was the corner of his mouth. Her mouth was parted and Harry swore he felt a flick of her tongue against his lips. A moment later, she was stepping back from him. With a smile and a whirl of red hair, she Disapparated.

Harry touched the spot where she had kissed him. 'What had just happened?' his mind screamed. Images of pushing her up against the wall in the alley he was standing in crashed into his brain, and he could almost feel her tongue in his mouth. Harry closed his eyes in an effort to stop the images, then turned and Disapparated. Moments later he was standing in the hallway outside of his flat, and nearly fell over in surprise. Ginny was leaning against the door looking impatient and just a little ill.

"Took you long enough, Potter." She was scowling at him, but the effect was diminished by the amusement in her eyes. "I lost my key and didn't want to stumble in on anything at Ron and Hermione's house to get my spare. Do you mind if I just crash here? I'll just borrow something of yours to sleep in."

Harry just smiled and nodded as he unlocked the door and both of them headed into the spacious flat. He had to work pretty hard at keeping, 'You could just sleep naked next to me.' from escaping from his mouth.

'Damn, I've got to get away from her! I'm drunk and horny and who knows what I'll say!' He tried not to stare too hard when she walked into his room as though she did so every day and started rummaging around in his dresser. Ginny quickly emerged with a grey tank top he never wore and a pair of blue and grey flannel pyjama pants that didn't fit him any longer. She stumbled a bit as she stood up and Harry's arm shot out automatically to steady her. "You okay?" He looked down into her eyes and noticed they were a little glazed. Apparently she was drunker than she had let on.

"Yeah, I think the, uh, the w-whiskey is finally catching up to me. I'm okay now. Do you mind if I use your loo to get changed?" Ginny gave a giggle that was more high-pitched than normal and stumbled a little on her way to Harry's bathroom. Harry quickly changed into a pair of black pyjama bottoms and climbed into his bed. A few minutes later, Ginny came out and crawled in next to him. She was out before her head even hit the pillow. Harry smiled as his eyes closed, too tired and drunk to remember that he had a spare bedroom.