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After the war there was a lot of rebuilding to do, and Harry took on as much of it as he could. He helped at Hogwarts, he helped with the Auror’s office, and he was currently helping the Child Welfare’s office with a charity event. Many a child had ended up parentless wards of the state under the prior regime, and it broke his heart at how underfunded such an important office was once it had been brought to his attention. Everyone had wanted to help, and Ginny had been volunteering the most since she was not of age that summer. They were all doing their best to gather celebrities for the event, and Ginny had been writing a flurry of owls and organizing things with flare, happy to finally have something to occupy herself with instead of grief.
The dining table at the Burrow was currently strewn with parchment, quills, and a variety of charts- acting as a home office for it all. Ron and Harry were in charge of stuffing and sealing envelopes, while Ginny was writing away on one of her many lists.
“Ginny, Viktor wrote back!” Hermione called out from the window, giving an owl a snack. “He said he’s happy to volunteer and can get here a few days before the event to help stir up some publicity for the event. He even has a few event coordinators he knows who can help us out.”
“Oh! That’s perfect!” Ginny said with a broad smile, moving to swipe some hair from her cheek, but cutely smearing a bit of ink along it. “I have been getting to the end of my abilities with this.”
“He’ll be writing to you personally soon so you can pick his brain.”
“Merlin bless Krum, because I’m exhausted,” Ginny said with a sigh.
Harry had never thought himself the jealous type. He wasn’t like Ron and Hermione, whose jealousy had caused quite a lot of strife over the years. No, Harry was a sensible man. He was down to earth, realistic, and in no way being petty when the thought of seeing Viktor Krum made him pull a face.
Ron was making a similarly sour face.
“Ron, don’t start on that again,” Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.
“What? I’m not!”
“You are! I can see that look on your face!” Then her keen eyes fell to Harry. “Oh, not you too, Harry!”
Ron glanced over in surprise, as Harry tried to school his features from a glare to something more neutral. For a moment Ron looked between Harry and Hermione with worry, but it quickly made way for a puzzled expression.
“Alright. We all know why I don’t like that grouchy git- but Hermione’s right. What’s got a pickle up your arse about it?”
“That’s disgusting,” Hermione chastised, as Ginny laughed. “But you’ve always gotten along fine with Viktor until now, Harry. Why are you looking so put out?”
Harry felt his cheeks heat up a bit, as he was being asked to confess in front of Ginny just why he now had a touch of distaste for the Bulgarian. With both of them haranguing him, and Ginny looking on in interest, he had no choice but to tell the truth.
“Oh alright! But don’t give me grief about it.” Harry spat out, feeling contemptuous. “He was checking Ginny out at the wedding. Asked if she ‘was a relative of mine.’”
“What’d you say,” Ginny said with a michevious grin.
“Well I had to say yes, but I said you were seeing a jealous big bloke he wouldn’t want to cross,” Harry muttered feeling utterly humiliated. She and Hermione were laughing hard at this. Ron, however, was livid.
“She is sixteen, that pervert!”
“Ron!” Hermione cried out in chastisement.
‘What? He is!”
Harry nodded along enthusiastically, happy to let Ron distract them from Harry’s own foolishness.
“Wait a moment… She was fifteen at the wedding…” Ron said slowly, his face turning from disgusted to utterly delighted. He beamed at Hermione. “Oh my god, Hermione.”
“What?” she dubiously asked.
“Viktor is is a pederast!” Ron announced to the table.
Hermione made a face and fumblingly protested. “That’s not — I mean — She is only a year younger than us! And, and — ”
“Ohhh he is!” Ron guffawed in utter merriment. Hermione crossed her arms as Ron laughed so hard tears came to his eyes.
“You are unbelievable!”
“This is the best day of my life!” Ron declared, putting an arm around her.
The two continued their conversation with Hermione trying not to smile as Ron needled her and laughed uproariously.
Ginny quietly pulled Harry aside to their store room.
“So you’re a jealous big bloke nobody would want to cross,” Ginny said, quirking a brow at him as her hands wove around his waist. She was looking at him with that same burning look he’d come to love.
“What can I say, I want you all to myself,” Harry confessed, putting a hand to her cheek, not caring that the ink stain across her freckles was making its way onto his thumb. He hoped he came across a bit more smoothly than he felt, for in this moment his pulse was racing and he wasn’t sure his brain would keep all his blood for long if she kept embracing him and staring at him the way she was.
“Well, if we’re subtle in our exit, you can have me all to yourself in my room. Mum won’t be back for another two hours, and Ron and Hermione’s bickers will distract them for a good thirty minutes at least,” she said, giving him a kiss that seared through him.
Harry held her close and quietly apparated them to her room, where he got to keep her to himself a few times, though he had ink stains along him in a few hard to explain places.