When the Family Finds Out by Ironhidensh



Summary: ***Winner of Most Unexpected in The One Where Everyone Found Out challenge (2021-1)***At the end of the war, Ginny and Harry want to move on together in peace. Can they keep it from their family?
Rating: G starstarstarstarhalf-star
Categories: The One Where Everyone Finds Out (2021-1)
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 2021.06.07
Updated: 2021.06.08


When the Family Finds Out by Ironhidensh
Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Author's Notes:

When the Family Finds Out

By

Ironhidensh




“Ginny, its time.” Harry Potter said to his girlfriend. “It’s getting harder to hide from your family. It’s been several months and everyone is doing better. I want everyone to know just how happy you make me. How much I love you!” Suiting action to words, Harry grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close, claiming her lips with his own.

Ginny Weasley pulled back. “Oh Harry, I’m tired of hiding as well. I’ve just so enjoyed getting to be with you without all the hassle of my brothers watching over us.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. “We can tell them at dinner this Sunday. That’ll give us 3 more days of peace.”

“How bad do you think they will take it?” He asked, basking in the warm embrace of the woman he loved.

“I don’t know. I never told them about the weeks we were together last year. I expect a lot of shock.”

“Why did you never say anything?”

“Because then it would have felt real.” She replayed sadly, and his arms tightened around her. “If I didn’t talk about it, didn’t think about it, I could tell myself we were still together.”

“We were still together in my heart, and now we’ll never be apart again!” Harry declared with an unusual passion.

Ginny sat back and smirked at him, “Why Mr. Potter, are you proposing to me?”

Harry froze. Then he swallowed and closed his eyes. When they opened, they seemed to be blazing with an emerald fire. He stepped back from Ginny, reached into his pocket, pulled out a small black box, and dropped to one knee, and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful ring of Goblin make.

Ginny gasped, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth “Harry, you…” she froze and her eyes filled with tears and joy.

“Ginny, since the very day I first met you, you’ve been on my mind in some form or another. For many years, I told myself I only saw you as my best friends little sister, but that was a lie. I’ve always seen you for you, the fiery, passionate, confidant, and courageous woman you are. I’ve loved you since the day I pulled you out of that chamber, even if I did’t admit it. I know that I will love you for the rest of my life. Every day with you is filled with sunshine. Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?” Harry’s heart was in his eyes, as he looked at her with nothing less than total adoration. Tears were now streaming down Ginny’s cheeks, yet she still seemed frozen in shock. Harry started to get a little nervous. “I know we are still quite young. I’m not asking to do this tomorrow. We can be engaged as long or as short as you want. I just, Merlin Ginny, I just can’t go another day without you knowing that I only want you for the rest of my life. You are it for…”

“Yes.” She whispered out.

“What, really? You said yes?” Harry stopped breathing.

“Of course I said yes! YES! YES! YES! A thousand times yes! Harry James Potter, do you really think I’d ever marry anyone else.? Now put my ring on me!” With happy tears in his own eyes, Harry stood up and slid the ring onto her finger. As soon as it was in place, Ginny jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist, and proceeded to snog the life out of him.

When the need for air forced them apart, Harry rested his forehead against Ginny’s, staring deep into her eyes. “I guess now we have to tell your family.”

Ginny grinned. “Yes we do, but tomorrow, not tonight. Tonight, I have other plans.” Her voice had turned very husky. She took harry by the hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.

That night, Kreacher found himself very great full that Master Harry was good at silencing charms.



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The next day the entire Weasley clan gathered for dinner. Bill had brought his wife Fleur, Ron was with Lavender, who was still recovering from her injuries at the Battle of Hogwarts, as it was now know. They had reconnected and things looked to be going very well. Hermione was back in Australia with her parents, however Neville had still chosen to come. Luna and Dean couldn’t make it. Percy had his girlfriend Audrey with him, and Angelina was sitting with George. Molly kept giving them speculative glances. Charlie, as always, was alone, but happy. Ginny had sat between George and Bill, and Harry was on the other side of the table between Ron and Arthur. They hadn’t sat together on purpose. They were both quite nervous.

After everyone had finally finished eating, and devolved into random conversations, Ginny stood up and cleared her throat. “Everybody, I have something I want to say.” All eyes were on her, as Harry stood up and came to stand beside her. Ginny looked at Harry and smiled, “actually, we have something we want to say.” Harry grinned a very sappy grin.

“Gin and I are together.”

Everyone looked at them in silence. George shrugged and asked Angelina about the Harpies chances at rebuilding for the next season. Everyone else went back to what they were doing as well. Harry and Ginny looked at each other in confusion. “Maybe they didn’t understand?” Ginny asked her new fiancé.

“I mean, Gin and I are together as in dating.” Again, silence.

“Each other.” More silence.

Ginny held up her left hand and waved it. She was starting to get a bit irritated. “Also, we are getting married!”

At this, everything stopped again, everyone looking at them in shock. Neville wadded up his napkin and tossed it on the table in obvious frustration. “Dammit!” He yelled, “Hermione and I had next week! Couldn’t you two have waited just 3 more days?”

Audrey huffed and crossed here arms at her chest, “Percy and I put down for last week. Why did you two wait? I could’ve done with a bit more rush…”. She and Percy looked rather put out.

“Fleur and I had the return trip to Hogwarts pegged.” Bill added.

Lavender looked up at George, “Who did have this week picked? Ron and I put down for Halloween.”

“Yeah”, Ron frowned. “I was really hoping to buy a new broom!” At this Lavender sent him a heated glare, “uh, I mean take Lave on a fancy vacation!”

Percy snorted, “nice save, Ron…”

“Anyway, getting back to who won…” Lavender tried to bring them back to point.

“I’m not sure,” George replied to her. He pulled a little black book out of his back pocket and started to flip through it, Angelina looking over his shoulder. “Looks like…yes, Andromeda has this week down. Damn. And she only put this down 3 weeks ago, too.”

“How big was the pot up too, son?”

George gave his father a rather melancholy sigh, “1465 galleons, dad. Interest was good last year.”

Molly was visibly disappointed. “That would have been a total renovation for The Burrow.”

While these exchanges were going on, Harry was just staring at everyone in open mouthed shock. Mount Ginny, meanwhile, was rapidly building to eruption. “WAIT ONE BLOODY MINUTE!” She bellowed at her family, bringing all attention crashing back to the fuming redhead. She took a couple of deep breaths, “Have you all been betting on when we would get together?”

“Of course not, Gin-gin.” Charlie assured her. Ginny looked relieved. “That bet ending a year ago when you two first dated. We’ve been betting on when Harry would pop the question.” Ginny’s relief was quickly ended.

“But, how?” Harry was really confused.

“How what?”

“How did you bet on us if nobody knew we were together?”

“Please, mate, we all knew you were together.” Ron piped in. The table nodded in agreement.

“But we were so careful.” Ginny pleaded.

“Oh please, even I know nothing in this house stays a secret.” Neville was openly laughing. The rest of the table looked at each other in amusement, and began to reminisce.



Molly and Arthur
One week after the Battle


Loosing a child will change you. Oh, how it will change you. And hurt you. And bring you to your knees, and destroy everything happy you believe in. Molly and Arthur had not smiled once since Flitwick had brought them to Fred’s body in the great hall. They both felt like they had left a piece of themselves there, and now the empty whole inside them ached.

Molly had, over the last couple of days, started checking on all her children as they slept. This of course, included Harry and Hermione. She had just crept down the stairs to peek on the rooms, and had discovered Harry not in his and Ron’s room. She quickly went back to her room and shook Arthur awake.

“Dear, dear, get up! Harry is missing!” Arthur shot up in bed.

“Are you sure he isn’t in the house? He asked.

“Yes, I’m sure! I’ve checked every room!”

“He wasn’t in any of the other boys rooms?”

“No!”

“Alright, lets go down and look. But quietly! I don’t want to wake the rest of the house up!”

Arthur and Molly crept slowly down the stairs. As they passed Ginny and Hermione’s room, Arthur paused. The door was open a crack, and Ginny liked to have a shut door. A chill went up his spine, as he contemplated things no father ever wants to contemplate. “Molly love, did you look in Ginny’s room?”

“What? Of course not! What would Harry be…”. Her face went white and she gulped. “He and Hermione did share a tent all those months. You don’t think….”

Arthur hadn’t thought that. Harry and Hermione were like siblings. He was pretty sure they had never had that thought as well. Harry and Ginny now… Arthur was no fool. While he rarely ever commented on things he saw, he observed almost everything in his house. Harry and Ginny were clearly head over heels for each other. If Harry was in the girl’s room, he had little doubt as to who’s bed he would be in. “Let’s check, just to be sure.” He stepped into the room.

A soft bit of pale moonlight was shining through the window. Not much light, but it was shining right on to Ginny’s bed. A bed that she was not alone in. Arthur started to see flames in his head and stepped toward the bed, only to be halted by his wife’s warm hand on his arm. “Arthur, look. Look at their faced.” He looked.

Ginny and Harry looked to be at peace. Harry was laying behind Ginny, spooning her if you will, with his arms wrapped tightly around his daughter. She was nestled back into him, holding tightly to his arm. By the tracks on her face, it looked as if she had been crying earlier. Not now though, now she looked happy. Even in sleep, she had a blazing smile on her face, as did Harry.

“Leave them be.”

“Molly, are you nuts?”

“No, Arthur, I’m not. I’m also not thrilled with this, but look at them. I haven’t seen either of them smile like that since before Dumbledore died. They are healing each other. We should all be so lucky.”

Molly was right, Arthur knew, she always was. Molly and Arthur backed out of the room and shut the door. For the first time in a week, they both felt as if life might really go on. The fact that his sixteen year old daughter was holding her seventeen year old boyfriends hand to her chest would have to be ignored for now.


Ron and Lavendar
Two weeks after the Battle


Ron Weasley had kept an almost constant presence beside his girlfriends bed since the Final Battle, waiting for Lavendar Brown to wake up. When he had witnessed Greyback attack her from behind, he felt as if his heart had stopped. Hermione had blasted him of of her, and Ron had followed it up by conjuring a silver knife and banishing it into the werewolf’s chest. Ron was a little afraid of how good that had felt. They had checked on the girl long enough to make sure she was still alive, and to see a house elf take her to the hospital wing, but then it was back to the fight. Even his grief at the death of Fred could not dampen the joy he felt when told that Lavendar would live, and not be a werewolf. IT was then that he knew he loved her. He could wait for her to wake up so he could tell her.

A noise from the door to the wing made Ron look up. Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Hermione walked into the room and over to Lavendar’s bed. “Any sign of her waking up yet?” Asked Hermione.

“She’s been showing more signs of dreaming, and she has squeezed my hand several times.” Ron stated with a beaming smile. “Poppy says it should be any day now.”

“That’s great Ron!” Hermione reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “And how are you doing?”

“As well as I can. It almost doesn’t feel real that its finally over.”

Harry snorted. “Tell me about it. I keep expecting something to happen every time I turn a corner.”

“My gram says its like that after a long fight. She says it takes time, but things do get better. Right now, we just have to focus on the ones we love that are still with us.” Neville put words to actions and wrapped his arms around Hermione. She sighed in contentment.

Grinning at the two, Ginny looked at her brother, “We didn’t want you to spend another day alone here, so we took a break from the rebuilding, and thought we’d hang out with you today.”

“I’d like that.” Ron said with real gratitude. The 5 friends quickly fell into an easy and happy conversations. After a little while, ,Harry stood up.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a quick walk and stretch my legs a bit”. He gave them all a smile and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, Ginny stood as well.

“A walk sounds good, actually. Does anybody want anything? I can bring it back with me.” The others assured her they were good and Ginny left as well.

Over the next hour or so, the conversation drifted, and Ron, Neville, and Hermione all fell into a light doze. Not quite waking up, Ron heard the door open, and through half lidded eyes, saw Ginny peak around it.

“It looks like they are all asleep, Harry, you can come in with me.” Ginny whispered behind her. Quietly, she stepped into the room, pulling Harry with her.

By the hand.

Hands with their fingers tightly interlaced.

Ron started to pay a bit more attention. While efforts could clearly be seen to have been made to straighten clothing out, both their shirts were looking a bit rumpled. Their lips were swollen, and their hair was a bit on the mussed side. Also adorning their faces were identical looks of happy contentment. The two sat down and just stared into each other’s eyes.

Ron sighed internally. You better be good to her Harry, my brother, he thought. He looked back at Lavendar, and saw she had her eyes open and a smirk on her face. ‘About time’, she mouthed at him. Rons joyful shout of glee ended his further speculation.


Bill and Fleur
Three weeks after the Battle


A rather ridiculously smiling Bill Weasley got up from the messed up bed, and opened his bedroom window, to let some fresh night air into the steamy room. Fleur still lay on the bed, nude and happy, it was a sight Bill would never get tired of. As he walked back towards his wife, a slight noise coming from outside caught his attention. “Do you hear that, sweetheart?” He asked his lover.

Fleur got up, picked up her robe from the floor and wrapped it around her. “Yes, is that music? They both walked over to the window and looked out it.

There, on the beach by the water, bathed in moonlight, a couple was dancing. It was a slow dance, and they were very tightly wrapped in each other’s arms. The young woman had her head on the young mans shoulder, and even from here, you could see the fiery red of her hair, and the deep raven of his.

It was Harry and Ginny. Dancing in the moonlight in a way only two people in love could. Fleur smiled and clapped her hands together in delight. Bill frowned. When he had offered up Shell Cottage for the young heroes to get away from the press and public for a few days, only Harry and Ginny had taken him up on it. He had put in some extra security. How did they get outside without tripping his wards?

“The big brother in me wants to go stop this. She’s only sixteen.”

“Oh hush, she will be seventeen in a couple of months. Besides, all she has been through, she is no child.”

“I suppose, but still. That is a couple that is shagging, or at least soon will be.”

“Then good for them. The world needs more love after this war. Speaking of…”. She let her robe fall to the floor and went back to the bed.

Bill closed the window and quickly followed her. Thoughts of his sister banished.


Charlie
Three weeks after the Battle


Charlie Weasley apperated onto the beach of Shell Cottage with a rather small crack. After failing his first test, he had worked quite hard at perfecting the travel method, and was now quite good at it. He walked up the beach hoping to surprise his big brother. As he walked around a cropping of rocks, he came to a complete halt. A blanket was spread out some ways ahead of him, and a young couple was quite enthusiastically snogging away on it. As he watched in frozen shock, the young woman pulled sat up from the young mans lap, pulled her shirt over her head and dived right back in. Charlie gasped, he knew this woman.

The young woman was his baby sister Ginny, and she was straddling Harry Potter’s lap in a way Charlie desperately hoped to never see again. He turned around and left. He could visit Bill another day.


Percy and Audrey
One month after the Battle


Percy had been needing some alone time with Audrey for a while now. The repairs to Hogwarts were coming along quite well, but it was a lot of work. Percy was pulling his lady love down the corridor by the hand, acting like the teenager he had never really allowed himself to be. Just as he was about to enter an unused classroom, he heard some giggling from the other side of the door. He held up a finger to his lips to shush Audrey and then put his ear to the door to listen in.

“That tickles Harry, stop playing games and get to business!”

“Demanding little witch, aren’t you my dear?”

“Maybe if you weren’t so good at what you do…”

“Only with you Gin, only with you.” The sounds that followed that are best not described in pleasant company. Percy quickly stepped back from the door.

“Let’s go find another place!”

Audrey looked a little disappointed, yet curious. “Who was in there?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He looked a bit green.

“Did you know who it was?”

“Yes.”

“Well c’mon, tell me!”

“It was Ginny and Harry.”

“Oh, oh my! We better find George and put a bet down!”



Hermione
Two weeks after the Battle



“Listen Ginny, I have a favor to ask.” Hermione had pulled her best female friend to the side of the burrow. “I’m leaving for Australia tomorrow, and I’d like to say a proper good bye to Neville tonight.” She blushed rather deeply, “Do you mind if Harry and I switch places tonight?”

Ginny grinned at her friend. “Hermione Granger, you absolute slag! I never would have thought you of all people…”

“What, bookworms can’t have fun too?” Hermione cut her off.

“No! Of course not, I just thought you would… You know what? It doesn’t matter. I’m very happy for you, Hermione, and Neville too of course! Yes, you can switch with Harry.”

“Are you sure, Ginny? I don’t want to make things awkward. What with the two of you breaking up last year and all.”

“It’s fine, really. I’m a big girl now.” Ginny gave her a cheeky grin.

“Okay, great, I’ll work it out with Harry. Just don’t let him mess up my bed too much.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry. Your bed will probably look like it wasn’t even touched.” Ginny’s smile was positively scandalous now.

It was an hour later before Hermione put two and two together. Take good care of him Gin, she thought to herself. He deserves all the happiness he can get.



Neville
A few days later



One morning, as Neville was creeping out of Hermione’s room at Hogwarts, and Harry was leaving Ginny’s, the two young men ran into each other. They were both only wearing their respective girlfriends dressing gowns. Both of those were rather small on the two men, and very pink. They looked at each other for a minute.

Harry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s just say this never happened, and go about our business.”

“Agreed.”




George and Angelina
Two days after the Battle



Angelina took George by the hand up the stairs to the Gryffindor boys dormitories. He was almost in a catatonic state following the death of his twin Fred. She was desperate for a way to reach him, and had finally decided to throw a quick shag his way. Just to wake him up if nothing else. Right now, she needed and craved the human contact herself. As she walked into the Gryffindor Head Boy’s room, she came to a sudden stop. All over the small common room, clothes were scattered about. It looked to be from both a boy and girl, judging by the undergarments which were closest to the bedroom. For the first time in two days, George perked up.

“Well, looks like somebody beat us too it!” He didn’t smile, but it sure looked like his mouth wanted to.

“Good ideas are universal. Who do you think is in there?” Angelina had a rather naughty since of curiosity. “Do you recognize the clothes?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean much. All clothes look the same to me.”

“Take a look at those panties though. Gotta be a pretty fit young lady to wear a tiny, flimsy thing like that.”

“Is it flimsy, or did the guy just rip them off?”

Angelina peered closer. “Maybe both?” She giggled.

George crept up to the bedroom door, and quietly opened it up a crack. Harry Potter was laying on the bed, sound asleep, with a fiery red mound of hair laying on his chest. Georges’ mouth fell open. The sheet was pulled down far enough to reveal far more of his baby sister’s back side then he ever wanted to see.

“Well,” whispered Angelina who had come up behind him, “I guess we need to start a new betting pool.”



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“So let me get this straight, you all have known we are together, and never said anything. Just sat around and bet on us?” Ginny didn’t know if she was super pissed or amused.

Harry just chuckled. “All that effort we put into being discreet, and you lot knew the whole time.”

“Discreet? Is that what you call discreet? “. Ron was openly laughing. “Mate, if you want to be discreet, you two need to be able to go longer than five minutes without trying to suck each other’s faces off.” Harry and Ginny both turned a magnificent shade of red at that.

“For real,”. Bill put in, “I think everyone here has caught the two of you at lest five times.”

George looked up with a devil may care grin, “Yeah, I was thinking of making it a contest.”

Molly scowled at him before turning back to the newly engaged couple. “Oh my dears, all betting aside, I’m so very happy for you!” She stood up and enveloped the two in her patented Molly hug. “I can’t wait to start planning the wedding. When do you want to get married.”

“We were thinking the Easter Holidays? We at first wanted to wait till summer, but I’m hoping for a tryout with the Harpies, and with Harry starting Auror training as soon as we are done with school, it would be a bit rushed. Plus we can finish the year in the married students quarters then!” Ginny gave Harry a wicked grin at this.

“Like you two need that.” Arthur and Charlie both glared at Percy for that remark. “What? They can’t keep their hands off each other! You’d think they’d get tired at some point.”

Fleur giggled, “The joys of youth, Percy.” Bill sighed.

Arthur stood up and walked over to Harry and Ginny, “Harry, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve been a Weasley ever since Ron sat in that compartment on the Express with you, all those years ago. Now, officially, let me welcome you to the family.” He held out his hand, and when Harry took it, he pulled the young man in for a hug.

Harry had tears in his eyes when he quietly said “thanks…dad”.









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