There may have been days when Harry Potter was miserable. But today was not one of them. On his 18th birthday Harry was hopeful, and it was exactly that feeling that made the day even more joyous.
On the morning of the day that he would turn eighteen, he found himself in Ron's room at the Burrow looking at the ceiling and listening to his best friend's snores. Though one might think that this situation would be annoying to him, Harry relished it. He now could leave the painful past year of his life behind him. He was home now. Home . Mrs. Weasley had strongly insisted that he postpone his plans to find a flat of his own until autumn, so after a lot of persuasion he agreed to spend the summer at the Burrow.
In any case, if anyone had questioned his hesitance in returning to the second place he could call home, Harry would have answered quickly and simply: Ginny Weasley. A simple answer that was nothing like simple to him.
The final battle had come and gone, and thankfully, Harry was not dead. Neither were most of the people close to him. Most of them. The Weasleys were short two people. One was Fleur. The enchanting, beautiful Fleur who had placed herself in the way of a Banishing Charm that would have sent Bill Weasley beyond the veil in the Department of Mysteries, instead took his place. Bill had been devastated ever since, but not only for Fleur. One of his younger brothers had been lost, too. Charlie, the second of the Weasley sons had died in the same battle by the hand of Voldemort himself. The Dark Lord had originally aimed for Arthur, but at the last minute his snake-like features had twisted to a cruel smile, and his wand hand had turned a little to the left and, in an instant, Charlie had hit the floor of the Death Chamber.
When Harry remembered the Final Battle, however, he could only see one picture clearly in his mind's eye: Ginny Weasley, her hair flying behind her like fire, her eyes hard, cold and blazing as she advanced screaming towards the Dark Lord when she saw Harry fall seemingly dead. The Dark Lord had just gotten him with a curse that nearly took every ounce of strength that was left in him. Then Harry saw her figure running towards his nemesis. And at that point the battle had turned.
His head had only just hit the cold stone of the Death Chamber, when he saw her rushing towards Voldemort, like an avenging angel her eyes ablaze with fury, her hair flowing behind her. She had her wand ready to strike but she looked like she would rather use her own hands for the job she intended to do.
Before he could realize what he was doing, feeling the now familiar beast roaring and expanding in his chest, Harry got up. Glancing at Voldemort he saw a mocking grimace on his face before he raised his wand to strike her, and then it all ended.
Harry had raised his wand, feeling inside his chest the monster roaring to be released. He didn't know how, but in a fraction of a second he thought that he wanted some sort of Patronus. So he conjured one. A Patronus that had destroyed the Dark Lord and was not even Harry's usual Patronus, but fiery red dragon-like creature that had consumed Voldemort and had left behind nothing but the Dark Lord's wand.
Harry was brought out of his reverie by the sounds of clanking and banging that sounded from the kitchen of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley must have risen, he thought, but he didn't move from his bed. He recalled the days following Voldemort's fall and the events that had made him become hesitant about coming to the Burrow. Ginny had distanced herself from him. Just when he thought they would finally be able to be together again after a long year's separation, she avoided him. Oh, she was friendly…but not as close to him as he wanted her to be. Not close enough to see the sparks in her eyes, not close enough to kiss, to touch… But no. Today was his birthday; he would try to be happy, even without her…and be hopeful.
The sun was dipping low on the horizon before Harry was finally allowed to go out to the Weasley garden. He walked through the kitchen door to find benches around the small pond and fairy lights floating all around him. The sight was bewitching. Ron led him to a bench near where his mother was sitting and ordered him to stay there until the rest of the guests arrived. Everyone kept bustling around him, carrying food, drinks- and in the twins' case- suspicious looking packages. After the sun had finally set and only the fairy lights illuminated the garden, guests started arriving.
Almost half of Gryffindor House, everyone in Harry's year and a lot of former Order members had come to wish Harry a Happy Birthday. He mused for a second that almost all the people he had even known during his life in Hogwarts were there, but then Ron drew him towards the small crowd. It took him the better part of the party until he could greet and exchange some words with all of them. After he had greeted all his friends and acquaintances, he headed to the place he had saved for last: the benches where he could find the Weasley family, and his former Professors.
"Mrs. Weasley, I don't know…" He was cut off by one of Molly Weasley's famous hugs, and Harry at that instant felt like he had back in his fourth year. He lost himself in the embrace of his surrogate mother, allowing himself to sink into the feeling that he only had felt once before.
When he pulled away, Molly's eyes were misty too and her voice hoarse, "You're mine. I did not give birth to you, but you're my own. Don't forget that dear," she said in a small voice, and Harry swallowing the lump in his throat turned to Mr. Weasley.
Arthur Weasley just shook his head solemnly and clapped him on the back. Harry nodded once more, and looked around. At a table not far away stood the Professors and Harry braced himself for a moment he hadn't been anticipating.
He approached the table, and after sharing greetings with Professor McGonnagal and receiving the most caring look he had ever seen her give, he turned and looked at Snape. They stared each other hard for several long moments, and Harry didn't care whether Snape used Legillimency on him or not. He wanted Snape to see everything in his mind. Every foul and respectful thought he had for him. And while he knew now why he had done it, he would never forgive Severus Snape for killing Albus Dumbledore. They both nodded curtly, and after Harry had kindly thanked Snape for coming, he returned to his friends.
"How's it going, mate?" asked Ron sometime later, when Harry had retired to sit on a bench away from the rest. Almost everyone now was in the middle of the garden swaying to the enchanted music that floated in the air.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry found himself asking before he could help himself. He hadn't seen her all night, except earlier when she was speaking in hushed tones with the twins-a thing that had made him quite suspicious at the time.
Ron looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then his lips curled to a smile, "She's around. She's helping Mum with the cake," he answered and Harry saw a mischievous spark in the redhead's eyes. That, combined with Ginny's conversation with the twins earlier, made him even more suspicious.
"Oh, ok. Isn't that the second glass you're having?" asked Harry, pointing at the half full glass of Firewhiskey on in Ron's hand.
"It's ok. I can stand up to about three of those. Unlike someone else I know," added Ron, dodging Harry's elbow.
"I can't help it if I can't drink that. I only had a sip once and I almost sounded like Parvati with all the giggles," said Harry defensively, "Besides, I don't really like how it tastes," he concluded.
"Ok. Anyway," Harry saw Fred nodding and smiling at Ron from the other side of the garden, "I think we're ready for the cake," Ron said, as he dragged Harry up by his arm to the middle of the garden where the crowd had gathered around.
The music stopped, and then with a wave of Fred and George's wands the fairy light flickered off and Harry could only see a small wand tip lighting the way of Mrs.Weasley who strode forward behind the huge outline of the largest cake he had ever seen.
Mrs. Weasley wheeled the cart in front of him, with the help of Hermione and Mr. Weasley. It was a seven-story cake; more colorful than any cake Harry had ever seen before and as tall as himself. On the base level a stag, a wolf and a large black dog were circling a flower: a lily. The second level was decorated with a sugar-made bright red rock (that Harry realized represented the Philosopher's Stone) and a miniature of Godric Gryffindor's sword. On the level above miniature Firebolts were flying around, and on the next level Snitches did the same. The fifth level held Harry's own miniature of the Hungarian Horntail, and on the sixth and seventh level Harry could see nothing. But in the next moment writing appeared on both levels reading a familiar rhyme that made Harry blush:
'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad'
'His hair is darker than a blackboard'…
Harry tried to glare at the twins, but couldn't quite manage through the big smile that had split his face. Instead he searched the crowd for Ginny worrying about her reaction. He felt Ron's elbow nudge him before he could find her.
"Make a wish Harry!" said Ron happily; obviously having seen the complete surprise and joy Harry had felt upon seeing the cake.
"Um…there are no candles, Ron," answered Harry, noticing for the first time the complete lack of the traditional candles on the cake.
"It doesn't matter, Harry," shouted Fred, from somewhere in the crowd, "Candles or not you have to make a wish. You might get it too!"
Harry looked at everyone and seeing their smiling, encouraging faces he closed his eyes, "Ok then." He thought of what he would wish for and at once he knew what he wanted. I wish Ginny were close to me right now. With me. I wish we could be together for as long as…no. I wish we could be together forever. Trying to shake off the weird feeling that had settled in his heart again while thinking of Ginny, he opened his eyes. "Now what?" he asked Ron.
Suddenly a loud bang sounded from across the garden and some Weasleys' Wildfire Whizbangs lighted up the sky, but before Harry could admire them, a second loudest bang sounded. The cake had exploded.
Harry crouched to the ground as pieces of cake flew all over the place, the heavy looking sugary Philosopher's Stone landing on Snape's crooked nose. Wiping some icing from his cheeks Harry stood again, and instantly thought that he must have been dreaming.
The two top stories of the cake were no more, but instead Ginny had emerged seemingly from inside the cake, widely smiling at Harry. But that was not the only thing that drew his attention. She was wearing a bright red dress that shone as if someone had scattered stardust all over it, and on Ginny's skin as well, she was literally radiating. Harry felt like he had been struck by lightning for the second time in his life.
He glanced at Ron who had an expression between annoyance and amusement on his face. "You going to drink that mate?" asked Harry, feeling dazed and pointing at Ron's Firewhiskey. But before Ron could answer him Harry had grabbed it and downed the content in a single gulp, his eyes returning and focusing on Ginny who was still staring at him now quite amused.
The whole world around him begun to fade and Harry could remember very few times in his life when he had felt so many good feelings at once. He lost himself in Ginny's eyes, and without noticing it, he started walking to her, as the desire to hold her and kiss her overcame him. Someone nudged him again though, and being completely focused on Ginny, Harry lost his balance and fell on his bum.
"Hey, Harry! Whach'a doing down there for, mate?" shouted George-or it might have been Fred- from across the garden. Harry shook his head, and watched Ginny again as she walked out of the cake, her dress floating around her.
She approached him with a feline grace, and kneeling in front of where he still sat on the ground, she took his face in her hands. Harry felt all the air leaving him. He was so close to her as he had never been those past few weeks.
"Happy Birthday, Harry," she whispered, still smiling, only a breath away from him. And she kissed him. Not a tender kiss, like the ones they had exchanged before, but even not like the passionate ones they had shared. It was an all-consuming kiss; so demanding that Harry's mind, heart and soul could do nothing but surrender, forgetting every last doubt that had been lingering inside him.
They broke apart for air sometime later, and Harry's mind vaguely registered the clapping and catcalls that sounded around them. He wrapped her in his arms, his eyes not leaving hers for a second, "Will you be with me? Forever?" he whispered his lips touching hers, his mind still dazed from the kiss.
"I thought you had that figured out already," she trailed of smiling slightly, "Yes. Forever," she repeated, and Harry's eyes lit up with joy from her answer a second before their lips met for a second time.
As the crowd began to disperse a while later, Harry, Ginny still in his arms, realized happily that for the very first time in his life, his wish had come true.