Super Sweet Sixteen

One Week

There are only seven days left until my sixteenth birthday and I'm more excited for this birthday than I've ever been for any other. 'Why?' you may ask. Well, my brothers two best friends decided to spend the last couple weeks of summer break at the Burrow. They will be arriving in four days. This, of course, means that I get to spend my birthday with the object of my deepest desire.

And by deepest desire, I mean my deepest, darkest, secret desire. If Ronald only knew, he would be furious for more than one reason. The most obvious being that the person I've been secretly pining over for the past 2 years is the same person he's been pining over for the past 6. After obsessing over The Boy Who Lived for my first three years at Hogwarts, I realized that I wasn't so much attracted to Harry as I was his fame. I've come to realize that fame is not as attractive as it appears. No, not when compared to the brilliance, cleverness, and beauty of Hermione Granger.

The Arrival

The four days spent awaiting Hermione's arrival were torturous. I made sure my room was spotless, knowing full well that she would be sleeping in the extra bed as she had in the past. Today is the day and I'm thinking it is going to be well worth the wait. I notice that it is well past nine in the morning and decide I might as well get up because our guests have surely arrived by now.

"Morning Gin" I hear my mother say as I walk into the kitchen to see Hermione helping my mother make breakfast. "Morning Mum, Hermione. Glad to see you made it safely." I say which in return gains me a brilliant smile from the beauty and suddenly the room feels a lot warmer. I decide to take a seat at the table.

"So, what are the boys up to?" I ask. "They're out playing Quidditch." Hermione is first to respond not without rolling her eyes. "Well, I don't know why you're not out there with them seeing how much you love to play." I love that we've become close enough over the past two years that I can tease her. She lets out a laugh and responds, "That'll be the day. Why don't you get up and set the table?" "Ron's right, you are so bossy" I mumble playfully as I start to do as I've been told. "What was that?" "Nothing." "You better watch your back Weasley." She taunts, throwing me another one of those smiles. Merlin, she's trying to kill me.

After breakfast the boys went back outside to do who knows what. Hermione went to the living room to read as usual. And me, well I've been sitting in my room writing poetry or trying to. See, I have this grand idea that maybe I could express my feelings for Hermione through a poem. Of course the only problem is that I've never written a poem in my life.

"Hey, Gin" I hear a familiar voice call from the doorway. 'Crap, I can't let her see this.'

"What do you have there?" she asks, moving from her leaning position against my doorway to sit on my bed.

"It's nothing." I struggle to hide the notebook in my dresser and luckily I get it in before she can see it.

She looks at me with suspicion, "Is everything all right, Gin?"

"Fine… uh, g-great." I stutter, as if this situation wasn't embarrassing enough.

"You skipped lunch." She's concerned; maybe it means something. No, she's just concerned because she's my friend.

"I wasn't really hungry."

"You know you can tell me anything right." She says putting a hand on my shoulder, which doesn't help my current state of embarrassment but I'm not about to deny that I enjoy the feeling.

"Yeah, it's just not that big…"

"You can tell me whenever you're ready." Hermione interrupts with a kind, sincere smile.

"Thanks." I return her smile.

"Well, the real reason I came up here was to tell you that dinner is ready."

"All right, well what are we waiting for?" I move towards the doorway eagerly.

"I thought you said you weren't really hungry?"

"Well, that was at lunch. Right now, I'm so starving I'll probably eat more than Ron."

"I doubt that." she quips

"You're right. That would be disgusting." I say and we both laugh as we walk down to join everyone at the dinner table.

Surprises

"So, someone's birthday is coming up." Hermione mentions as we sit outside under the shade of a tree 'watching' the boys play Quidditch.

"Yeah" I sigh.

"Well, you don't sound so excited about it." She points out. Of course I don't, the only exciting thing about it is that she'll be there.

"It's not that big of a deal. It's just another day."

"It's totally a big deal, Gin. It's you're sweet sixteen."

"Not really, I just want it to be the same as every other year. You know, dinner, presents, and cake. Except last year Fred and George put those Everlasting Incendio Candles on my cake. I was so frustrated."

"I could imagine, but you have to admit it is kind of funny." She's laughing. It was not that funny… really.

"I guess."

She notices, that I'm not laughing and recovers, "Well, there must be something that will make it more enjoyable for you. Not that your brothers don't provide enough excitement as is."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, it's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises all that much."

"Well, I hope you'll like this one."

"Maybe." 'But only because it's from you.' If only I could say that out loud.

When the Clock Strikes Twelve

My notebook has gone missing. Now, it's well past dinner and I have searched my entire room, sans Hermione's belongings, with no luck. So, I decide it's time to start the interrogations.

"Hey mum, did you go through my drawers?" I ask hoping to Merlin that I just misplaced my notebook and my mom didn't actually see the poems that I've been attempting to write.

"No, I haven't. Have you lost something?"

"Nothing important, just a book I borrowed from Luna Lovegood, but I'm sure it'll turn up soon."

I walk out of the living room and up the stairs into Ron's room.

"Ron, were you snooping about my room again?"

"No, Gin. Why, do you have something to hide? A letter from your boyfriend, Dean, perhaps?"

"It's nothing that concerns you. Just stay out of my room." Honestly, you think he'd at least be nice to me the night before my birthday.

I storm to my room, slamming the door. "Ugh, the nerve. Just because I was snogging Dean Thomas last term, does not mean he is my boyfriend. If he only knew…"

Ginny was so infuriated with Ron's typical behavior that she had failed to notice she wasn't the only person in the room. Hermione had been caught putting something into Ginny's drawer.

"Oh my… Ginny. I, I…" Hermione says startled.

"It was you! I thought maybe mum or Ron had been snooping in my drawers. Maybe even the twins, but I never thought that you would be the one invading my privacy. Just because you're staying in my room, it doesn't give you the right to look at my personal things."

"Ginny, look. It's just the other day you seemed upset and when I came up to call you to dinner I saw you writing in here. I just thought if you wouldn't tell me… I just had to know what was going on with you."

"Well, wasn't it you that said I could tell you when I was ready. Really, unless I tell you it's none of your business what I write in that notebook anyway." I'm practically yelling at her, I don't mean to, I'm really more embarrassed than angry.

"Obviously, it does."

"What's that supposed to…" but I never get to finish the sentence. And honestly I don't mind because right now the most intelligent, beautiful girl is kissing me.

"Wow, I…" As we separate I fail to express how amazing the kiss was.

"Surprise." she says pointing towards the clock, midnight exactly.

"I've changed my mind. I definitely like surprises."