MetaFic

here is the next bit.Its slow progress but progress nonetheless. The problem with being able to focus and concentrate once more is that there are so many thing you want to do.

Any way, here it is in all its unbeta'd glory.:

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“Mum?” called Ginny as she poked her head into Harry’s fireplace. “Are you up yet?” She tried to make her voice sound as upbeat as possible so that her mum wouldn’t assume the worse. The loud crash and the scurrying of feet told her that she hadn’t succeeded.

“Of course I am, dear,” came her mother’s distant but nonetheless concerned reply. A few moments later her mother’s anxious face appeared in the flames.

“Is everything okay, Ginny dear?” Concern filled every syllable of her mother’s question.

“Everything’s fine, mum.”

She met her mother’s worries with a contented smile.

“More than fine, actually. Can you stretch to having two more for breakfast? Only Harry and I have some news.”

She watched as several very contrasting emotions flashed across her mother’s face.

She’s trying to decide whether I’m about to tell her I’m pregnant or I’m getting married … or both.

“Not a problem,” her mother replied her voice betraying her unease. “I’ll go and rouse your father.” And without saying ‘goodbye’ she disappeared from view.

Ginny pulled her head out of the fireplace and turned to Harry who was standing behind her trying but failing not to laugh.

“You were right; she does think you’re pregnant,” he laughed. “By the way,” he added with a smirk, “when are the kittens due?”

Ginny gave him a sardonic smile.

“I’d keep that sort of remark to yourself, Mr Potter, unless you want to be neutered.”

Harry covered his groin with both hands and put on his on his best horrified expression.

“No thanks, Ginny, I’d like to keep the family jewels intact if I can.”

His look of horror was replaced with a wide grin and she found herself laughing along with his buffoonery.

“Well,” she said getting serious again, “they’re up. Are you sure you want to do this?”

He nodded.

“As soon as I turn up for training people will see my ring and then all hell will break lose. I don’t want your mum and dad to find out third hand. The same for the rest of the family.”

He paused for a moment and then added:

“Are you sure that Ron will be there?”

Although Harry wasn’t as close to her brother as he had been, she knew that it was important to him that he was able to tell Ron in person rather than have him find out from a stranger, or worse still from the press.

“I think so,” she replied.

Then it was her turn to be nervous.

“You did send those notes to everyone else, didn’t you?”

He reached out a grasped her hand puling her to him.

“Hedwig is probably delivering the last one about now,” he said as he gave her a reassuring hug.

She stayed in his embrace for a few moments enjoying the comfort and security it brought. Last night she hadn’t a care in the world, caught up as she was in the euphoria of their engagement and the passionate celebration that had ensued. Even the discussion hadn’t with Penny and Percy hadn’t dampened her good mood. This might have been because whilst Harry had attempted to talk to his brother-in-law to be, she had stood out of sight of the fireplace discarding her clothing and treating Harry to his very own burlesque show. But now that she had left the comfort of their bed, the reality of what they were about to face was becoming more real to her. The impending onslaught that their announcement would bring had the ability to overwhelm them if they weren’t careful and that frightened her.

“Do you think that Hermione will be able to make it to the office?”

She was sure that it felt strange to Harry to be doing something as major as this without his bookish friend on hand to examine every angle to death, but part of her was glad. Although Hermione was her friend too, in her view there could be no Mr and Mrs Potter if the trio remained as important to Harry as it had through his years at Hogwarts.

He planted a kiss on the top of head and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“I think she’ll be okay, she normally finds a way. And besides, I’m sure her curiosity will ensure that she’s there to hear it all first hand.”

She wriggled out of his embrace and taking his hands in hers gave him a wink and a smile.

“Let’s go then.”

She walked towards the fireplace, but as she grabbed a handful of Floo powder she turned and added with a smile:

“Be on your best behaviour, no spraying please.”

And with that, she tossed the powder into the fire and stepped into the green flames.