Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. – William Shakespeare

Chapter 1: Birthday

Harry couldn't believe it, he was finally a man. It was his eighteenth birthday.

A lot has changed for Harry in the past few months, here he was living in Grimmauld Place with Kreacher, and it was decision time. Would he return to Hogwarts and finish his schooling or would he accept the job Kingsley offered him in the Auror office?

He sat down to eat the oatmeal Kreacher had sat out for him and opened the morning's Daily Prophet. Plastered on the front page was the news on the latest trials of the Wizengamot. Lucius Malfoy and his family had been cleared of all charges.

Harry knew that his testimony on the behalf of the Malfoys is what tipped the scale in their favor. He had explained how Narcissa had lied to Voldemort, and how Draco had lied to Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor before that. And how Lucius just plain didn't want to be a Death Eater anymore but had no way out.

He closed his eyes as the memory of the fire enveloped him, just as he, Ron, and Hermione were getting ready to flee for their lives, he had this feeling in the pit of his stomach, he wouldn't of had been able to live with himself if he left Malfoy to die. So he and Ron went and saved Malfoy and Goyle, even though Ron didn't think they deserved saving. Harry still remembers the sight of Crabbe falling and being consumed by the flames, and even if he had been the one to cast the Fiendfyre, that was not a death sentence.

Upon finishing the article he noticed that Lucius would be closely monitored by the Ministry for the next year while Narcissa and her son received full pardon. Nothing else in the paper caught his attention and so he set it aside and finished his oatmeal and tea, and soon began brooding.

He knew Hermione had already decided to return to Hogwarts, and she wanted Ron and him to return as well. Although he loved Hogwarts, he was never big on the actually studying. Harry already knew that Ron would not return if he didn't. But Ginny would be completing her seventh year along with Hermione…

Weighing his options he got up and prepared for the day, and then soon after, decision made, he sat down to send an owl to Hermione and Ron to confirm their lunch plans to celebrate his birthday. Just as his new owl, Borr, flew out the window, Kreacher came into the room. "Master has a birthday today, shall Kreacher prepare for guests tonight?"

"Not today, Kreacher," Harry said. For now it was just lunch with Ron and Hermione and dinner with Ginny. "Maybe this Saturday though, I will know for sure this evening, and don't expect me for lunch or dinner as I have plans."

Kreacher bowed and left the room to do his routine cleaning. Since their return from Hogwarts after the battle the old house-elf has been working hard to keep it cleaner than he ever had before.

Later that afternoon Harry sat at a small café in Diagon Alley waiting for his friends, people milling in and out around him. Since the end of the war people have come out of hiding and reopened their shops and cafés in the wizarding alley in the heart of London, hidden from muggle view.

He glanced up when the door's bell tingled expecting to see Ron and Hermione, but instead it was Draco Malfoy. He was dressed in a black button-down shirt and casual blue jeans. His he was pale as ever and his eyes had a haunted look about them; this was most likely his first appearance in public since the trial.

Harry couldn't stop looking at him as he sat down at a table in a secluded corner and ordered a pot of tea. Memories from the Room of Requirement came flooding back, and he could feel Draco's arms wrapped tightly around him as though as if they were back on the broom fleeing for their lives.

He only managed to look away when the door opened again and he heard Hermione cry, "Happy birthday, Harry!" but not before he made eye contact with Malfoy.

He smiled and pushed the memory aside as his two best friends as they made their way to his table and sat down. "Well?" Hermione asked, she sure didn't know how to waste time.

"I'm not going back," Harry said simply.

Hermione stared at him, "I always knew you wouldn't, I just hoped that for once in my life I was wrong."

"Wait, so Harry since you aren't going then that means I don't have to," Ron smiled.

"Your mother wants you to completely your education," Hermione said firmly.

"But I would be the same year as Ginny, and we all know she would do nothing but show me up."

"That shouldn't keep you from continuing your education! What about your N.E.W.T.S.? What about a job?"

"George has offered me a job at the shop." Ron said leaning back in his chair. "He could do it alone, but he's unsure of how he could handle it..."

Ron's voice trailed off as they all remembered Fred. His death had hit them all hard, but hardest of all was his twin brother. From the day they were born they were rarely apart, except for two instances, where George got his ear blown off and when Fred died.

Harry cleared his throat and inconspicuously wiped the moisture from his eyes and noticed Ron do the same. The waitress brought them their sandwiches as Harry said, "I am taking the job with the Auror office to catch the remaining Death Eaters out there."

Hermione pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but Harry already knew she didn't approve. He didn't say anything and just took a bite of his sandwich. It was his birthday; he knew she was too polite to spoil it by convincing him to do otherwise.

Ron's talking around his food, "Do you honestly think many other people from our year who didn't get to attend are honestly going to go back?"

Hermione shook her head to admit her defeat, and all three ate in silence relishing the time together. Harry glanced to where Malfoy was sitting and found himself looking straight into his grey eyes. Fear and jealously carved into his face Malfoy quickly got up and walked out of the café, leaving a galleon on the table.

After lunch Ron and Harry followed Hermione into various shops while she bought her supplies for Hogwarts. Harry tried to converse, but his mind kept going back to Malfoy, and then to his upcoming date with Ginny, and then back to Malfoy. The thought of running into Malfoy gave him butterflies in his stomach, but he chocked it off to nerves. Unfortunately, they didn't run into him again.

At seven o'clock sharp Harry Apparated to the Burrow to pick up Ginny, but was bombarded with hugs and kisses from Molly Weasley, the closest person Harry could think of as a mother.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" she cried as she smothered him in more kisses.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said blushing. "And thank you for the sweets, they are marvelous."

"Oh you are so welcome, dear!" Mrs. Weasley had sent over cakes and tarts for his birthday earlier that morning.

He turned his head as he heard someone coming down the stairs, and his breath caught in his throat when he laid his eyes on Ginny. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen; her long red hair flowing and dressed in a light sundress.

"Hello, Harry, happy birthday," her voice was as smooth as silk, her brown eyes shining as she looked at Harry.

Harry offered his arm and they walked outside so she could Side-Along Apparate to London. Instead of going to Diagon Alley, they walked among the crowded streets to a small Muggle restaurant in the center of the city, not far from Grimmauld Place. After a wonderful dinner filled with laughter and conversation, they walked to Harry's home, and on the doorstep, he leaned in and kissed her for the first time that night.

Harry had always loved kissing Ginny, he thought she was a much better kisser than Cho Chang, she kisses could be soft and gentle, but filled with passion at the same time. This was not one of those kisses. Her tongue quickly found his and Harry could not get the door opened fast enough as they stumbled inside.

Not breaking the kiss, Harry picked Ginny up and carried her through the hallway and up the stairs to the second floor then to his bedroom. He set her down and pulled away only enough to look deep into her eyes. He loved this girl so much he could feel a lump in his throat. He kissed her with more passion than ever and led her to the bed, but before he could lay her down she pulled away.

"Harry…" Her voice trailed off. "I have a curfew."

Harry went back to kissing her just as passionately as before, their bodies pressed together. He could feel an erection pressing against his pants as he deepened the kiss, one hand going past her waist to cup her cheek, the other on the back of her head fingers entwined with her hair.

He could feel her tried to put space between them, but she did not break the kiss. When she came up for air, he trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck. "Ginny, please…" his voice was husky between kisses.

"Harry, I can't." Ginny said simply.

Mood gone, Harry pulled away, "Why don't you ever want to do it? We've been together over a year."

Ginny looked away, "It's not you, it's me…"

Harry rolled his eyes not buying it, but lets the matter slide. "Before you go to school though?"

When she looked at him, he already knew her answer would be no, but she said, "We will just see." She kissed his cheek, "Goodbye, Harry, and happy birthday." She then walked over to the fireplace and Flooed herself back to the Burrow.