Author’s Note: See chapter one for ratings, warnings, disclaimer, etc.

Harry felt like he had hardly lied down when Mrs. Weasley came in to wake him up. He opened his eyes groggily and watched her form retreat from the room. He could see the cold, gray morning light coming through the gap in the curtains on Ron’s window. He shivered slightly as he got out of bed and dressed as quickly as he could. Before leaving, he crept over to Ron’s bed, gave him a light kiss on the forehead and whispered I love you. Ron gave Harry a mumbled, love you, too, rolled over, and fell instantly to sleep again. Harry plodded downstairs where there was a dim light on in the kitchen. Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table, finishing what Harry could tell was a large breakfast. Mrs. Weasley was sitting next to him, sipping a cup of coffee.

Harry had barely taken a bite of toast when Mr. Weasley asked, “Ready, Harry?”

“Arthur is taking you to the Ministry with him today,” Mrs. Weasley explained.

“Thought we’d go by Floo powder. It’s much faster than walking or taking the Tube.”

Harry hated traveling by Floo powder. After all these years, he still couldn’t master it. He always ended up with soot in his hair and eyes. He followed Mr. Weasley into the living room and watched him grab a fistful of powder.

“Just follow me,” he said. Harry stared as Mr. Weasley shouted “Ministry of Magic!” and promptly disappeared.

Reluctantly, Harry grabbed a handful of Floo powder for himself and entered the fireplace. “Ministry of Magic!” he called.

There was a blur of colors all around him as he felt a sickening spinning sensation. He could feel the soot in his eyes, but was afraid to wipe it out for fear of his elbows knocking into something. Before he knew it, the spinning stopped and he stood in a fireplace at the Ministry of Magic. This was it. There was no turning back. Harry took a deep breath and stepped out of the fireplace.

“This way, Harry,” Mr. Weasley told him, leading him towards the lifts. “We’re on the Second Level.”

They reached the lifts and clambered in among several other witches and wizards. Most of them wished Mr. Weasley a good morning before casting curious glances at Harry.

When a cool female voice told them they had reached the Second Level at last, the lift doors opened with a clang, and Harry trailed after Mr. Weasley down a long hallway towards two large wooden doors. There was a gold placard engraved with ‘Auror Headquarters.’

“Here you are, Harry,” Mr. Weasley said. “Remember, I’m just down the hall if you need anything.” Mr. Weasley disappeared around a corner.

Harry glanced around. The room was very large, but it was full of witches and wizards.

He saw a group of people roughly his age on the other side of the room. He made his way over, glancing to the left and right, trying to take it all in when he heard someone yell, “Harry!” It was Neville Longbottom. He jogged towards Harry, tripping over his shoelaces on the way.

“Neville? What are you doing here? Are you going to be an Auror?”

“Um, well, I guess. I mean, I’m going to try. Gran doesn’t think I’ll make it.”

“Do you know any of these people?” Harry asked, gesturing to the group.

“I recognize a few faces from school, but that’s about it. I think there are a few older wizards who are just now starting training. Did you see Hermione? I got lost and accidentally got off on the Fourth Level and ran into her.”

“No, I haven’t seen her, but I knew she applied for a position here.” They were interrupted when a tall, dark-haired witch with a stern face approached the assembly.

“You are all here for Auror training?” she asked. They nodded. “Right. Follow me.”

She turned on her heel and led them along the wall and into a room just off the main one. There was a large oak desk at the front of the room with about twenty smaller desks facing it.

“Take a seat,” directed the witch. They walked into the room and each one picked a desk. Neville took the one behind Harry.

“My name is Adeline Monceret, and I will be your trainer. There are a few things I want to cover before we get started. You are here to become Aurors. If you are here for fame and fortune, leave now. It is a thankless and under-paid job. If you are here because you feel adventurous, leave now. We do not go on quests to save damsels or search for treasure. However, if you are here because you want to protect your fellow wizards, if you want to liberate our world from Dark magic and Dark lords, you are in the right place.” She paused for a moment. “There is a bookshelf over to your left. Each of you go over and get a book. Now.”

They all got up and made their way towards the bookcase. Harry grabbed one and had started back to his desk when he saw Neville drop his copy on someone’s foot.

“You may think,” Adeline Monceret began again, “that because you studied Auror training in school that you are ready to be an Auror. Do not kid yourself. Your studies merely prepared you for your training. You will only receive the title of ‘Auror’ once your training is complete. It is not a title to be taken lightly. It is something to be very proud of. Before lunch, I want you to read the first chapter and write two rolls of parchment on why you want to be an Auror. I will be leaving you, as I have pressing matters to attend to. Because I am not in the room, however, does not mean you are not being watched.” With that, her shoes clicked out of the room.

Harry felt like he was back at Hogwarts. He flipped ahead to see that Chapter One had 25 pages. He hadn’t expected Auror training to consist of lots of reading and writing. He thought he had left all that behind when he graduated school. He was disturbingly reminded of Professor Umbridge’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class at Hogwarts during his fifth year. He was sure, however, that Adeline Monceret was nowhere near the horror that Umbridge had been. He highly doubted that he could read the whole thing and write two rolls of parchment on it before lunch. He propped his head on his hand and began to read:

So, you think you want to be an Auror? Are you aware of what dangerous job it is? It is one of the hardest jobs in the world. You will face very difficult things and possibly be away from home for long periods of time. This chapter will introduce you to life as an Auror.

He had struggled through page after page, not telling him anything he didn’t already know. Behind him, he could hear Neville’s quill break. It happened so many times, Harry lost count after seven. He knew he wanted to be an Auror because Voldemort had killed his parents and friends, and tried on more than one occasion to kill him, but he was afraid to write that. It would be too emotional, and despite what a lot of people thought, he didn’t want any sympathy. He opted instead to write about how he thought not enough Dark wizards were caught during Voldemort’s reign, and how he would do whatever it took to make sure they were all brought to justice. He was almost at the end of his second roll of parchment when Adeline returned to the room. He began writing as fast as his hand would move. What if he didn’t complete his first assignment? What would Adeline Monceret think of him? Maybe she would think he wasn’t living up to his hype. He determinedly continued scribbling, hoping his writing was legible, and didn’t stop until he reached the end of his parchment. Not a moment too soon.

“It is time for lunch. Leave your parchment on my desk as you leave. You may eat in the cafeteria, or if you wish, you may go out for lunch.”

There was a shuffling as the class rose from their chairs and deposited their pieces of parchment on the oak desk. Harry left the room, feeling Neville right behind him.

“Harry? Where are you eating?”

“In the cafeteria, I guess. I don’t know any other places around here.”

“Ok, I’m following you. I don’t want to get lost again. It was bad enough the first time.”

They walked down the hall and towards the lifts. Just as the doors began to close, he saw Mr. Weasley sprinting towards them.

“Hold those doors, please, Martha,” he panted to the witch at the front. Harry was very happy to see Mr. Weasley. It had not occurred to him before now, but he didn’t know where the cafeteria was.

“Alright, Harry?” he asked, cheerily.

Harry nodded.

The lifts trundled down to the last level and Harry, Neville, and Mr. Weasley walked down yet another hallway towards more double doors. Harry could see a gold plate reading ‘Cafeteria.’

The lunchroom was packed. There were about fifty long tables, and most of the seats occupied. Mr. Weasley crossed the room to a row of enormous coolers lining the wall. He reached in and grabbed a brown paper bag with ‘Weasley’ on a label.

“I brought my lunch,” he said somewhat sheepishly. “But if you can afford to eat here, just go through the doorway over there. Tell them what you want and they’ll make it.” Harry headed to the doorway that Mr. Weasley had pointed out, Neville close at his heels.

There was a line of witches in waitressing outfits, standing behind a long, high counter.

Very unsure of himself, Harry stammered out, “Corned beef sandwich, chips, and a large pumpkin juice.”

“Me, too,” Neville squeaked behind him.

Harry watched as the witch waved her wand and his exact order appeared on a plate in front of him. He walked to the end of the line, paid the witch who stood there, and exited the doorway at the far end, eyes scanning the large room for an empty seat. Mr. Weasley waved him over to a table where he was sitting, across from two wizards and a witch. Harry half assumed that Percy would be eating with them, too, but he wasn’t. Harry set his tray on the table and plopped down in the seat next to Mr. Weasley. Neville sat down on his other side.

“Harry, I would like you to meet Jude Folley, Queenie Shacklebolt, and Castor Pollox.”

Harry nodded to each of them.

“I have heard a lot about you,” said Jude importantly.

Who hasn’t? Harry thought.

“My husband tells me you’re a brilliant wizard,” said Queenie.

“Your husband?” Harry asked.

“Kingsley. Kingsley Shacklebolt.”

Harry knew Kingsley from the Order, but hadn’t seen him in a couple of years. He took a bite of his sandwich and tried to chew. His mouth was very dry. He could feel curious eyes on him. He kept his eyes on his tray until he heard--

“Harry!”

He turned around and saw Hermione walking towards him. Even though he had seen her just a few days ago, he was quite happy to see her. She was one of the very few familiar things in this new world of his.

“How are you? How is your first day? It’s really great to see you!”

“Er, it’s ok, I guess. Lots of reading and writing. You’d be great at it.”

“There’s a lot more to being an Auror than reading and writing, Harry,” she scolded.

“So did you get the position you wanted?” he asked, trying to take the focus off himself.

“Yes! I’m working in the House-Elf Relocation Office. It’s been fascinating so far.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Harry said, as he stared down at his nearly untouched food, and blindly took a gulp of his pumpkin juice. “Too bad you couldn’t take that trip you’d been planning on.”

“Well, no time between school and work, you know. But what I’m doing here is much more rewarding. Are you feeling alright?” Hermione asked. “You look distracted.”

“I’m fine. It’s just that Ron starts Quidditch practice today, you know.” His face pinked slightly. “I hope he does alright.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, Harry,” she said sympathetically. “Ron can handle a lot more than you think he can.” She patted his hand.

Harry took another bite of his sandwich, but before he could swallow, Mr. Weasley turned to him.

“Ready, Harry?” he asked.

Harry had hardly touched his food, but he was so worried about being late to class on his first day, he got up quickly.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later, Hermione,” he said.

“Sure. I’ll meet you after work, ok?”

A short, sandy-haired wizard stopped Mr. Weasley, but Harry continued out of the cafeteria and back down the hall to the lifts, followed by Neville. When the doors opened on the Second Level, he walked hurriedly through the double doors of the Auror Headquarters and entered the classroom. Harry guessed that the rest of the students were just as worried about being late as he was because they were all there, sitting quietly at their desks. Harry sat down at his, and in a few moments, Adeline entered.

“You will now began Chapter Two in your books. When you are finished, I want two rolls of parchment on it also. It will be handed in before you leave here today.” She turned on her heel and briskly left the room.

To Harry’s dismay, this chapter was even longer and less interesting than the first. He resigned himself to utter boredom, and began to read:

Only those who are stout-hearted will succeed as an Auror. Never doubt your courage, it will be invaluable to you many times. Trust your instincts. They will rarely lead you astray. Believe in yourself and what you stand for. Do not be easily swayed. Read through this chapter to see if you have what it takes to be an Auror.

Even at Hogwarts, he didn’t read this much. His hand was still cramping from the previous essay. He was starting to doze off when he heard a loud thud behind him. He jerked around to see Neville lying on his side in the floor next to his desk, rubbing his elbow.

“Sorry,” Neville murmured. “I must’ve fallen asleep and slipped out of my chair.”

Harry was thankful for the distraction. He was afraid that he, too, would nod off. He forced his head up from his hand and continued reading. He finished his two rolls of parchment with about ten minutes to spare. He looked around the room and saw that most of the students were still scribbling furiously. Adeline entered the room just a few minutes later.

“It is almost time to leave. I hope that you are finished with your essays. I went over the papers you turned in before lunch, and I was quite surprised to see that not all of you appear inept for this position. It is only the first day, however, so I do not want to see any of you get a big head. Cockiness is a very dangerous thing to have. I refuse to teach anyone with a big ego. Leave your papers on my desk, and you may leave.”

Harry placed his on her desk, amid the rest of the pile, and left the room. Neville was behind him, as usual, and followed him into the lifts.

“My hand is so cramped, I don’t know if I can even hold a wand,” complained Neville.

“Mine, too,” agreed Harry. “Let’s hope the rest of the week isn’t this bad.”

The lifts opened on the last level, and they both got out and walked to the hallway that contained the fireplaces.

“Harry, I sure am glad you’re in this with me. I didn’t think I’d make it through Hogwarts, and now…Well, I’m just glad I don’t have to go through it alone.”

Harry gave him a reassuring smile. “We’ll be fine, Neville,” he said. “I’m going to wait here for Hermione. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?” Neville waved good-bye to him and walked off. Harry noticed him tripping over his shoelaces again. Once Neville was out of sight, he glanced around, looking for Hermione, and soon spotted her coming towards him.

“There you are! I was hoping I’d be able to find you. I learned so much today! I’ve found out some things that I think will help me bring S.P.E.W out to the public. Some of the wizards I work with are really nasty. They’ll take some persuading. But it only takes one person to make a change, right? Oh, they gave me my first case! Just a small one, of course, but it felt nice to be doing something for those poor house-elves. There was one in Little Whinging who accidentally put a red sock in the wash with the whites. Everything came out pink, and the family was ready to sack her, you know. The poor thing was just hysterical when they threw the faded red sock at her. I tried to tell her that she was free now, that she could find paid work, get pensions, holidays, vacations. I don’t know if she could hear me over her sobs, though. I think I’ve found a family who will take her. Persuading them to pay her might be a problem, though,” she finished breathlessly. “So what all did you learn?”

Harry wished his day had been as exciting as hers. “Nothing. Our trainer, Adeline Monceret, had us reading and writing the whole day. There wasn’t much to learn, really,” Harry shrugged.

“They just want you prepared, Harry. Being an Auror is a huge responsibility. They can’t send you out there without knowing that you’re fully prepared.” Harry couldn’t help but notice that Hermione sounded a lot like the textbooks he had been reading.

“So are you going back home to Ron now?” she asked.

Back home to Ron. Harry liked the way that sounded. “Yeah. I’m anxious to hear about his first day of practice.”

“I’m sure he did just fine. Tell him I said ‘hello.’ I won’t keep you. I know you want to get back to him. Take care and I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?”

“Ok. Bye, Hermione.” Harry watched as she disappeared into the crowd of witches and wizards.

He stepped into the fireplace and said, “The Burrow!”

“Harry, dear, you’re home!” It was Mrs. Weasley. “How did it go? They didn’t make you do anything too hard, did they? Is there anyone that you know training with you? Did you learn new things? What did you eat for lunch? I only thought about it after you left, but I was kicking myself for not fixing you something for lunch. I have been worrying about it all day. Don’t you leave tomorrow without lunch.”

“Everything was fine. Neville Longbottom’s in my class. I ate lunch in the cafeteria. Where’s Ron?”

“Upstairs, I believe, in the bath. He arrived not long before you did. He was covered in mud from head to toe. I hope he’s ok. He had no sooner appeared in the fireplace than he took off up the stairs. Not a word to anyone.”

Mrs. Weasley had barely finished that sentence before Harry jetted off upstairs to find Ron.

As he mounted the landing, he heard a bang!, followed by shrieks and giggles from Ginny’s room down the hall. He could hear water running as he approached the bathroom door. He rapped his knuckles on the door.

“Ron?” He almost had to shout in order to be heard over the running water.

“Harry? Is that you? You’re home?”

“Yeah, I’m here. How are you?”

“Fine, you?”

“Fine.” There was an uncomfortable silence. He had to talk much louder than he normally would have and he was afraid someone might hear him if he said too much.

“I’ll, er, be in your room when you get done, ok?”

Harry had barely shut the door to Ron’s room and sat down on the bed when the door opened again and Ron rushed in. He immediately took Harry into his arms, nearly crushing him. Harry could feel the warmth of the shower on him, could smell the soap, as he was smothered by Ron’s arms. When he felt Ron’s embrace relax a little, Harry pulled back just far enough to see Ron’s face before he closed the gap between them once again and pushed his lips firmly against Ron’s. He returned the kiss, just as solid, and Harry pressed his hands over Ron’s back, enjoying the feeling of his body so close to his.

“I’ve missed you so much. I thought about you a lot today,” Harry purred, his voice nearly muffled by Ron’s shirt.

“I’ve missed you, too. I discovered that Quidditch just isn’t the same without you,” Ron laughed. Harry savored this closeness. It was what he had been looking forward to all day. He didn’t want to let go, but he wanted to hear about Ron’s first day of practice.

“Ok, ok, tell me about your day,” Harry prodded eagerly.

Ron pulled back a little and Harry noticed his face fall. “Well, it wasn’t as bad as my first game with Gryffindor,” Ron said, trying to laugh it off. Harry winced. He remembered that game all too well. “I thought I had gotten over all that nervousness and stuff, you know, but once I was flying up there in front of the goals, looking out at the other players, I choked. Completely choked. I missed the easiest catches. I fell off my broom twice, and the second time I fell, I landed in a mud puddle, so I had to fly through the rest of the practice covered in mud. Apparently, the captain wasn’t very happy with things. After practice he made us fly loops around the pitch. He let the Bludgers go and we had to dodge them. By this time, the mud had dried and I looked like I was in a brown body cast.”

Harry tried to choke down the laugh that was rising in his throat. He felt horrible for Ron, he really did, but the thought of Ron flying around, caked in dried mud was just too much. Thankfully, Ron was looking down, picking at the hem of his jeans, and didn’t notice.

“It was just your first day, Ron,” he said encouragingly. “I’m sure tomorrow will be better.”

“I don’t even want to think about tomorrow. I want to forget today ever happened. I’m telling you Harry, it was brutal.” He was still picking at the hem of his jeans. “Enough about that. Tell me what happened to you.” Ron leaned back on his pillow, ready to listen.

“It was a lot like being back at Hogwarts, only without you.” Harry began filling Ron in. He told him all about reading those long, boring chapters, and then having to write until his muscles went into spasms, about how he was afraid he would get lost in such a big place and how nice it was to have Mr. Weasley there to show him around. He then told him about Hermione working for the House-Elf Relocation Office (this got a snort from Ron) and about Neville being in his class. When Harry finished, he scooted around and leaned his back against Ron’s chest. Ron wrapped his arms around Harry and gave him a tight squeeze.

“You know, having you here makes today not seem so crazy,” Ron said.

“This is-“

“RON, HARRY! SUPPER!”

Ron sighed loudly. “She picks the worst times, doesn’t she?”

When they got downstairs, Fred and George met them at the bottom.

“What are you two doing here?” Ron asked, annoyed. “Don’t you have your own place?”

“Sure, but George here doesn’t quite cook like Mum does,” said Fred, gesturing toward his brother.

“You’re no gourmet chef, either, you know,” retorted George.

“Where is the table?” Harry asked, just noticing that the kitchen table had disappeared.

“It’s in the living room. Mum had planned on us eating outside, but now that it’s raining, she had to move us all in to the living room.”

“Just who all is eating with us?”

“You two, George and I, Ginny and those nutter friends of her. Oh, yeah, and Mum and Dad, too.”

Harry could now see where the kitchen table had been brought into the living room, and noticed that one of the tables they used out in the garden the night before was there also. The rest of them were already seated when Harry and Ron came in.

Ron ate faster than Harry had ever seen him. He had barely swallowed his last mouthful before he jumped up from the table and bounded toward the staircase without even asking to be excused. Harry, not wanting to seem rude, but anxious to join Ron upstairs, said a hurried “Thank you, it was delicious” to Mrs. Weasley and left the table. He heard her yelling after him, “Remember, dear, don’t you leave here in the morning without lunch!”

Once upstairs in Ron’s room again, they resumed their previous position-Ron propped up against his pillow, and Harry leaning against him in his arms. They were quiet for a few moments, just enjoying being together without anyone around. Then they heard the thunder of footsteps up the stairs, and a couple of seconds later, several squeals passed outside Ron’s door.

“You know what we need, Harry?” asked Ron.

“A really big featherbed and a Super-Deluxe Privacy Spell?” Harry guessed.

Ron laughed. “Well, besides that. We need a nice quiet house, out in the country, with no one within twenty miles of us.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Harry said pensively. “But if we were to find one, you’d have to tell your parents about us, you know.” He saw a shadow cross Ron’s face. “They’d find out sooner or later, anyway. You couldn’t live with me forever without them getting suspicious.”

“I know you’re right, Harry,” said Ron. “But I’m just not ready to tell them yet.” He rubbed Harry’s hand absent-mindedly.

Harry didn’t want to push it. He was almost as nervous as Ron was about telling Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about their relationship. He finally had a real family and he didn’t want to lose them. But he loved Ron and was willing to do whatever it took to be with him.

“I’d better go to bed, Ron. If I lay here any longer, I’m libel to fall asleep, and then your parents would know about us a lot sooner than you planned.” He turned to wrap his arms around Ron’s neck and bent in to give him a long, slow kiss. All too soon, he made himself pull away. He knew if he didn’t leave now, things would get out of hand like they did the night before. As he lay in his own bed on the floor, he realized how much he missed having Ron next to him, and wondered how he’d ever managed to sleep without him.

Ginny’s friends left the next day, so the house was a little quieter. Fred and George still popped in almost every evening. “We just wanted to see our loving parents,” was always their excuse, but Harry knew they wanted free meals. Bill showed up a time or two, and would usually hang around for an hour or so after dinner, talking to Mr. Weasley about how inept the Ministry still was. Percy, however, never came by at all. In fact, the only time Harry ever saw him was on Sundays, and that was just for a couple of hours. Harry thought he was probably too busy kissing up to his bosses.

Harry’s days at the Ministry had slowly gotten better. He was starting to learn his way around and was no longer afraid of getting lost. The Auror training wasn’t much better, though. Adeline Monceret still had them reading chapters from the book and writing four rolls of parchment each day. But after three days of this, Harry’s hand and arm had gotten used to it and it wasn’t so bad.

Neville had become Harry’s shadow, and it was rare that Harry could even take one step without him. Despite a full week there, Neville didn’t seem any more comfortable with his surroundings. On Thursday, Adeline had informed them that Monday they would be starting practical lessons, and though he was a little nervous, Harry was looking forward to doing something that he thought was more productive than reading chapters. Ron’s days at practice were getting better, too. He fell off his broom only once on Tuesday, and Wednesday, he didn’t fall at all. He was becoming accustomed to his teammates. He was also getting over his nerves, and was managing to play fairly well. The team captain and Seeker, O’Brien, informed them that the first match would be next Saturday.

Friday went by very slow for Harry. It was more reading and more writing. All Harry could think of was getting home to Ron and having the whole weekend to spend with him. Instead of reading chapters, Harry was making plans for him and Ron. Whatever they did, wherever they went, Harry knew it had to be some place quiet, where they could be alone. Even at Hogwarts, he and Ron could always find time to spend alone. The castle was vast, and even though they used one deserted room after another, there were always more rooms to be used. When Adeline dismissed them at last, Harry jetted out to the lifts and waited impatiently for them to land down on the level with the fireplaces. He dodged witches and wizards along the way, and hardly cared when he bumped into one or two. Harry was in a very good mood. He had finished his first week of Auror training, and tiring though it was, he was ready to celebrate the weekend. Between Ron’s ever-present family and both of them working, he and Ron had had very little time to spend together. Harry planned on changing that tonight.

Harry was suddenly back in the Burrow. He stepped out of the fireplace and saw Ron sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

“Ron!” he shouted. He cast a quick glance around the room. “Where is everyone?” he asked, noticing that the house was uncharacteristically quiet.

“Outside,” Ron said. Ron had barely gotten the word out when Harry ran into his arms and gave him an enthusiastic kiss.

“Hey, how about we go out tonight, just the two of us? We’ll go to some Muggle club, or somewhere no one will know us. I’ve missed you so much this week!”

Ron’s face obviously fell. “I can’t, Harry. Mum is having a dinner party.”

“A what?”

“A dinner party, and she expects me to be there. She’s invited like thirty people. You can go out if you want, though. I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m not going without you,” Harry said, as he wrapped his arms even tighter around Ron. “They’re outside, you say? Think we’ve got time for a quick romp upstairs?”

Harry must definitely be in a good mood, Ron thought. He was very rarely the instigator, and although Ron absolutely hated himself for passing up this chance, he was too afraid that they’d get caught.

“I’m sorry, Harry, but I’m afraid Mum will be back in soon. She only let me come in because I told her I was waiting for you, and if you came in to an empty house, you wouldn’t know where everyone was.”

Harry sighed. All his plans were completely ruined. But he knew if he were going to become a part of the Weasley family, it was something he’d have to get used to.

“I’ll help, Ron. Whatever you need me to do.”

Ron grabbed Harry’s hand and placed it over his crotch. “That’s what I need help with. But as Mum doesn’t see things that way, I’ll take your help out in the garden,” he said, removing Harry’s hand from between his legs and grasping it in his hand. Harry stumbled after him for a few seconds before he could regain his composure. They walked out to join Mrs. Weasley, dislodging their hands before they could be seen.

“Oh, Harry, so nice to see you’re home! I suppose Ron has told you we are having a dinner party. Oh, nothing formal, dear,” she added, seeing the bewildered expression on Harry’s face. “Just a few friends that Arthur and I have invited. Now,” she said, turning to Ron, “I need you to put these tables together and fix up the rest of the garden. There will be people from the Ministry here tonight, and I want everything to be perfect. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

Harry looked around the garden. There were tabletops and legs scattered all around, half-assembled chairs, and in one corner, a huge pile of fairy lights. He and Ron knelt down and began attempting to put the legs on the tables. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

“Shouldn’t there be a spell for this?” asked Ron, grabbing a leg.

“I’m sure there is, but I don’t know it,” Harry answered. “Where did all these tables and chairs come from, anyway?”

“Dionysus’ Delights,” supplied Ron. “It’s a party supply store in Diagon Alley,” he added when he saw the befuddled expression on Harry’s face.

It took them half an hour to get one table put together, and Ron was getting very discouraged.

“Let’s start with the fairy lights. They should be easy to do, right?”

As he walked over to the pile of lights, he heard two loud cracks! from outside the garden wall. In a moment, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin entered.

“Sirius, Professor Lupin!” Harry called. “Mrs. Weasley didn’t tell me you were coming!”

“Of course, we were coming,” said Sirius. He cast a glance around the garden and saw the furniture pieces strewn all over. “Are you putting them together or taking them apart?” he asked.

“We were trying to put them together, but we didn’t know the spell. There’s a whole mound of fairy lights that need to be put up, too.”

Sirius nodded and took out his wand. “Concurro!”

At once, the tables arranged themselves neatly in rows and the fairy lights darted into the trees and shrubs, where they began to shimmer.

“Wow! Where’d you learn that?” asked Ron in astonishment.

“Oh, it’s just something I picked up along the way. Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to ruin my reputation.”

They had just pulled up some chairs to sit down when Harry heard the slamming of the back door and Mr. Weasley came strolling towards them.

“Oh, good, Sirius, Remus,” he said, nodding to each of them. “So glad you could make it. The rest of us were inside, but we’ll be out shortly.” With that, he turned and walked back to the house. After a moment, the door opened again and a long line of people began filing out. There was Kingsley and Queenie Shacklebolt, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, Adeline Monceret, Perkins (who worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts division with Mr. Weasley) and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, Mr. Lovegood, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Percy, and at the very end, Ginny and her five friends.

Harry and Ron kept their seats at the table with Sirius and Remus. Once everyone was seated, the plates were magically filled with food, very much like they were at Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley had once again outdone herself. There was roast beef, lamb chops, steak and kidney pie, boiled potatoes, and for dessert, several different kinds of puddings and a strawberry tart. The garden was filled with a soft buzzing of voices, but Harry’s table was mostly quiet, too busy shoveling food in their mouths to speak. Once their plates were nearly empty, Sirius spoke.

“So, Harry, how was your first week at the Ministry?”

Harry groaned. He was glad the week was behind him, and he didn’t have any desire to relive it. Harry looked around the garden until he spotted Adeline, sitting on the far side before he said, “Nothing special. Our trainer had us doing loads of reading and writing. It was almost like I’d never left Hogwarts. But she said next week we’ll get into more practical stuff.”

“Tough job, being an Auror. I remember seeing James after he’d been on duty for 24 or 48 hours. It was really hard, even for him. You’re definitely your father’s son, Harry, and if anyone can be a successful Auror, it’s you.”

Harry appreciated the praise, especially coming from Sirius, but he didn’t want all the attention and certainly didn’t want to talk about work. “How have you and Professor Lupin been?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

Remus and Sirius exchanged quick smiles, and Remus answered for them, “We’re good. Really good.” He gave Sirius a wink.

Harry knew that Sirius and Remus were a couple. From what he could gather, they had been together even back at Hogwarts. When Sirius escaped from Azkaban and had explained about switching Secret Keepers, he and Remus had picked up right were they had left off 12 years before. They hadn’t told Harry about their relationship until after his fifth year, when he accidentally walked in on them in a situation they couldn’t talk themselves out of. Even before that, though, he could sense something between them any time they were around each other.

Across the garden, Harry saw Mr. Weasley stand up. “If I could have your attention for a moment, please.” The crowd grew quiet and turned to face him. “I’m delighted that all of you could make it. It’s such a pleasure to be around so many wonderful friends. I’d like to thank you all for attending, and I would also like to thank Molly for the wonderful food.” There was a murmured agreement as Mr. Weasley beamed down at his wife. “I think most of you are through eating. If not, don’t let me bother you. However, for those of you who are done, and would like to stay for drinks, there is a bar at the far end, compliments of Dionysus’ Delights. Really nice place, they’ve got everything you need for a party. I was just telling Molly yesterday--,”

Mrs. Weasley tugged at his sleeve. “Your speech, Arthur?”

“Oh, yes, right. As I was saying, there is a bar over in the corner. Please help yourselves. Cheers!”

There was a bustling of chairs as almost half the company rose and walked over to the bar. Fred and George were standing behind it, apparently the bartenders. Harry wondered if it was a good idea letting them around alcohol. He shuddered about what they might come up with.

Sirius pushed back his chair and stood up, leaning over to put his arms around Remus’s neck.

“The usual?” he asked. Remus nodded. Sirius gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking off.

“Want anything, Harry?” Ron asked. Harry never drank very much, even with all the parties being thrown in the Gryffindor common room, but he wanted to relax and thought having a drink or two would help him do just that.

“Sure. I’ll take whatever you’re having.” He felt a fluttering in his stomach as he watched Ron walk away. He thought he noticed Remus smiling at him out of the corner of his eye.

“He’s a good friend, isn’t he?” Remus asked, jerking his head in Ron’s direction.

“What? Oh, yeah, he’s a great friend,” Harry answered nervously, looking down at his hands.

It always made Harry nervous when anyone discussed his and Ron’s friendship. He worried that his eyes, or the expression on his face, might give too much away. Thankfully, Sirius soon reappeared, carrying a drink in each hand.

“There you go, love,” he said to Remus, sitting a glass down in front of him and giving him another kiss on the cheek. Ron returned a moment later, also carrying two glasses.

“What is this?” asked Harry.

“Dunno. Something Fred and George gave me. They wouldn’t let me have anything else.”

Harry eyed the drink warily. He knew better than to trust anything that Fred or George had been around, but when he saw that Ron took a sip and nothing bad happened, he tried it. It was pretty stout, but still had a nice taste.

He looked around the garden at the various groups of people, and his eyes landed on Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, who were talking to Mr. Weasley. Instantly, he felt a pang of guilt twisting his stomach. Ron traced Harry’s line of vision and knew immediately what he was thinking.

“That wasn’t your fault, you know,” he said reassuringly.

“I know,” Harry responded quietly. And Harry did know. But it still didn’t make that guilty feeling go away when he saw Cedric’s mum and dad and knew that had he not insisted that Cedric take the Tri-Wizard Cup with him, Cedric might still be alive. He shook his head, trying to make the memories go away, and swallowed a mouthful of his drink.

Mrs. Weasley walked over to them and said hello to Sirius and Remus. “Arthur and I are so happy you two could come. We knew Harry would enjoy himself more with you here. I hope you’re having a good-RON! What’s that in your hand?” she demanded, pointing at Ron’s nearly empty glass. A few people close by turned to look at them.

“I don’t know. Ask Fred and George,” Ron said casually.

“Are you drinking!? When I get a hold of those two…”

“Mum, I’m eighteen! I can drink if I want to. It’s not like I’ve never had any before, anyway.” Mrs. Weasley looked perfectly aghast.

“Your father and I paid for you to go to school to learn, not to have wild parties!” Even in the dim light, Harry could tell Ron’s face was red. Mr. Weasley walked up behind his wife.

“Molly, dear, don’t you think you’re overreacting?” By the look on Mrs. Weasley’s face, Mr. Weasley knew he had to tread lightly. “He is eighteen now,” he said carefully. “He graduated from school and is holding down a full-time job. A drink or two won’t hurt, right?” Harry could tell he was really laying on the charm.

“Well,” Mrs. Weasley said slowly. “Just one or two. But if I see you stumbling around, I’ll send you straight to your room!”

Harry stuffed his fist in his mouth to hide a laugh. Ron covered his face with his hands. No matter how old her kids got, Mrs. Weasley always tried to treat them like they were children. Mr. Weasley put his arm around his wife’s waist and guided her off to join Dumbledore, McGonagall, and the Shacklebolts, who were sitting a few tables away.

“Good thing Mum wasn’t there this year when we won the Quidditch Cup. I don’t think she’d approve of me dancing on a table in nothing but that Gryffindor banner.”

Harry laughed. That had been one of the few times he joined in, and although he couldn’t remember much about it the next day, he was sure he’d had a good time. He tipped his glass up to his lips and emptied it.

“Want another?” Ron asked, also finished with his.

“Sure. Sirius, do you or Professor Lupin want another drink? Ron’s going to get one.” There was no answer. When Harry looked over, he saw the two of them sitting as close as was humanly possible. Sirius was leaning over, whispering things to Remus that Harry couldn’t hear, and probably didn’t want to.

“Um, I think I’ll go with you,” Harry said, turning to Ron.

“Hey, fix Harry and me another drink,” Ron told George, as he approached the bar.

“Sure, baby brother.” George gave him a wicked grin.

All around the garden people were standing, or sitting, in groups and talking animatedly. While they were waiting on George to fix them more drinks, Harry spotted an empty table in the far corner, and once Ron had their drinks, he lead him over there.

The more Harry took of his drink, the warmer his insides felt and the lighter his head felt. He cast a glance over at Sirius and Remus. He had to admit he was jealous that they could be so openly affectionate. He hoped one day that he and Ron could be that way. The alcohol was making him pretty bold, and he reached his hand under the table and grabbed Ron’s fingers, lacing them with his own. Although the garden was crowded, most people seemed absorbed in their own conversations and Harry thought he could get away with this as long as their hands remained under the table.

Charlie was in the center of one group, which included Adeline Monceret, and Harry watched as Charlie jogged tipsily around in circles on his broom, his feet firmly on the ground, looking very much like a child on a hobbyhorse. He was no doubt trying to impress Adeline with his flying, Harry surmised, although actually leaving the ground might have had a bigger impact on her.

Ron got up once to get them each another drink. They sat for a while, not speaking a lot, just enjoying each other’s company. Even though it wasn’t exactly quiet, it wasn’t particularly noisy either, and Harry liked having Ron next to him without having to worry so much about arousing suspicions.

Ginny strode over to the table where they were, carrying what looked like an old Muggle transistor radio. She sat it on the end of the table and pointed her wand at it. A song played that sounded to Harry like some Ragtime or Jazz music from the 1920’s.

The radio was on the far side of the table, and Ron leaned over Harry to turn it down. Instantly, Harry’s body temperature shot up. Ron’s arm was brushing against his shoulder, and his face was just a couple of inches away. Instinctively, Harry leaned forward. He knew that there were too many people around, but Ron was just too close. He could feel Ron’s warm breath against his lips. He leaned even closer and was only a breath away from Ron’s mouth when a high note from the radio brought him back to his senses. He was instantly aware of all the people around them, and he sat back down, heavily. He decided they needed another drink. He volunteered to go get them this time. He felt he needed some air. He was already warm from the liquor, and having Ron so close to him was only making him hotter.

“Two more,” he said to George.

Those two more turned into four more, and before they knew it, Harry and Ron were spectacularly drunk.

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had cleared a large space in the middle of the garden. They were doing a very impressive version of the Charleston. Harry didn’t know that Dumbledore could dance so well, but he really wasn’t surprised. He had known the older wizard for so long now that he knew he was nothing if not eccentric. What did surprise him, however, was Professor McGonagall. Harry had never seen her so uninhibited. Every step she took was right with the beat of the music, and though she wore her hair in the requisite tight bun, several strands had come free and were now flying loosely around her face.

If Harry thought he had been bold when holding Ron’s hand, it was nothing compared to now. They had increasingly gotten louder and began unabashedly flirting. Had Harry not been so busy with Ron, he might have spotted four sets of eyes watching them keenly. Sirius and Remus had managed to pry themselves apart long enough to go to the bar for more drinks. Fred and George were laughing hysterically. When Remus asked what was so funny, Fred nodded in Harry’s and Ron’s direction.

“Have you seen them? I don’t know who they think they’re kidding.”

“Yeah,” said George. “It’s obvious to everyone but them. We added a little something to their drinks, to help things along, you might say.”

“Nothing dangerous, I hope?” Remus inquired.

“No, of course not. Just a little yohimbe. It’s the secret ingredient in our Swelling Solutions. George here thought it might be fun to try out on our little brother. It hasn’t disappointed, that’s for sure. It says you’re not supposed to mix it with alcohol, but…” Fred trailed off.

“Who ever said we didn’t learn anything from our Potions Master?” George said with a grin.

Harry could hardly keep his hands to himself. He and Ron were arguing playfully about which teachers at Hogwarts were sleeping together. Harry was sure Dumbledore and McGonagall had something going. “Look at them out there,” he said. Ron, however, swore that he once saw Snape and Lockhart exiting a closet, looking very flushed and disheveled. Harry couldn’t help giving Ron a punch in the arm or mussing his hair, and Ron often gave Harry’s shoulder a push, leaving his hand there longer than was necessary. Before long, Harry decided that he and Ron needed to take a walk. They pushed around a group of people close to the garden door, passing Percy, sitting at a table with Ginny, Helen, and Luna.

The other three girls in their clique were standing close to Charlie, swooning.

“Yes, Ginny, I think you’re quite right in thinking Puddlemere United has the best team this year,” Percy was saying.

“Macready is absolutely amazing. I’d say he’s the fastest in the league, wouldn’t you?”

“Who?” Percy asked, a rare befuddled expression on his face.

“Macready? The Puddlemere Seeker?” Ginny supplied.

“Oh…yes, him,” said Percy, cottoning on. “Yes, he’s quite good.”

Harry didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, as he and Ron were nearly running through the garden door, up the yard, and around the side of the house. Night had fallen by now and the house was casting a large, long shadow. As soon as they thought they were out of sight, Ron shoved Harry up against the wall of the house, pressing his body against Harry’s. Before Harry even had time to think, Ron’s lips were on his, pushing forcefully. Harry placed his hands on the back of Ron’s head and buried his fingers in his hair, pulling Ron even closer to him. They broke the kiss only long enough to catch their breaths. Then Harry, starting at Ron’s jaw, began kissing him all the way down his neck, stopping haphazardly to suck on a random part. Though this was hardly the time or the place, Harry knew this was Ron’s weakness. Sure enough, after only a few seconds, Ron let out a low moan. With Ron right up against him, he could feel that Ron was as aroused as he was. Harry barely had time to recapture Ron’s lips before he was startled nearly out of his wits.

“Ron, your mother-“ Mr. Weasley stopped abruptly. Ron jumped away from Harry, almost tripping over his own feet. They had been so preoccupied that they hadn’t heard anyone approaching.

“Er, yes, well, Molly wanted me to check on you. She noticed you had left the garden and wanted to make sure you were ok…and as you seem ok, I’ll just go back to the party,” he finished quickly, and they heard his footsteps walking away. Harry sobered up quickly.

“Do you think he saw anything?”

“Dunno. It’s dark, and we were in the shadows, but he was acting weird.” Ron didn’t seem as upset by this as Harry was. Maybe it was because Ron had had more to drink than Harry. Harry was still trying to catch his breath when Ron leaned in close and whispered, “I want you. Upstairs. Now.”

Harry didn’t need to be asked twice. There was no doubt in his mind that Ron was as turned on as he was. Ron grabbed his hand and led the way around the house to the back door. Before they could reach it, they saw two dark shapes coming towards them.

“Oh, Harry, it’s you.” It was Remus. He walked a few steps closer, and in the light coming from the back porch, Harry could tell that Sirius was next to him. Sirius had one arm draped heavily around Remus’s waist and his face was buried in Remus’s neck.

“Sirius really isn’t in any condition to apparate,” he explained distractedly. Sirius was practically groping Remus at this point. Remus gave a sheepish grin. “He always gets like this when he drinks. We really ought to get back. We were going in to use the fireplace.”

Harry stopped so that Sirius and Remus could walk in ahead of them. Remus was almost fully supporting Sirius’s weight, but that didn’t stop Sirius from doing things that made Harry blush. Once again, Harry couldn’t help but be envious that Sirius and Remus could be so open with their relationship. Admittedly, he never planned on being that open, but being able to hold Ron’s hand or give him a small kiss in public would be more than enough. Once Remus and Sirius had stumbled through the door, Harry and Ron followed. Ron was weaving so badly that Harry had to grab him and almost push him into the kitchen. By the time they passed the living room on their way upstairs, Sirius and Remus had gone. Harry pulled Ron up the stairs, one by one. Ron was a lot heavier than he looked, Harry thought. They stopped on the middle stair, and Ron gave Harry another bruising kiss. This was enough motivation for Harry to help Ron up the remaining stairs and into the bedroom. Harry walked Ron over to the bed, and then went back to the door to cast the locking spell and privacy spell that he had become so used to casting. When Harry reached the bed again, Ron had collapsed against his pillow.

“Ron?” Harry prodded.

Nothing.

“Ron?” he asked again, shaking Ron’s shoulder. But he knew Ron was completely gone. He was already breathing loudly, like he did when he was in a deep sleep. Harry sighed. One of the few good opportunities they had, and Ron had passed out. Harry bent down to take off Ron’s shoes and then pulled a blanket up over him.

He padded back over to his own bed, disappointed, but slightly amused. Ron made him happy, no matter what, and he couldn’t help thinking how much he and Ron were like Sirius and Remus. As he lay down, he looked longingly at Ron’s bed, and thought about what Ron had said earlier in the week. They really did need their own house, out in the country, with no one for miles around. Harry was determined to make sure they had just that. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn’t help but think about all he and Ron could do if they had a whole house to themselves.