"Nice job today, everyone!" Harry said encouragingly, clapping Dean Thomas on the back and nodding to a couple of newbies. Then he and Ron headed out to the Atrium to Apparate home. After a loud crack, they were standing outside the Burrow, where everyone had gathered to celebrate Harry's 28th birthday.

"Everyone" included the entire Weasley clan, Ron's family, Hagrid, and of course, Ginny. Harry grinned at the sight of them assembled around a gigantic chocolate cake with the words "Happy Birthday Harry!" written across the top in green, swirly letters; no doubt Mrs. Weasley had baked it herself.

He and Ron strode up to embrace old friends and their families. Ginny was holding a one-year-old Lily Luna Potter by the hand. At the sight of harry, she wobbled forward on unsteady legs, pudgy arms held out and sticky –with what, Harry didn't want to know—red hair flying.

"Daddy!" she squealed, grabbing fistfuls of unruly black hair as if they were reins on a hippogriff. Harry winced and grinned at the same time and his daughter jumped onto his back. Now two boys came running across the scruffy, gnome-infested yard (its glorious, gnome-free days during Fleur's wedding were long since over) to greet their father.

James Sirius Potter, sprinting on his five-year-old legs and chubby, just-turned-three Albus Severus Potter, trying to keep with his older brother. Both boys had a mop of messy black hair, like their dad, but only Albus inherited those piercing green eyes…Lily's eyes.

He now looked gleefully at Harry with those eyes; he and James each grabbed one of Harry's legs bellowing HAPPY BIRTHDAY at the top of their lungs (probably George's idea of an amusing birthday greeting). Harry almost went down under the combined weight of all three young Potters until Ginny hurried forward and scolded the boys off their father's trousers, which were now decorated with muddy handprints.

"Lily, let go before I have to bring your father to St. Mungo's," Ginny said sternly. Indeed, Harry was now turning a deep shade of magenta that Vernon Dursley would've been proud of—his daughter was hanging tightly onto his throat. At her mum's words though, she jumped off, unabashed, and went to pester George instead. After gasping for breath and rubbing his Adam's apple, Harry breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at his wife for the first time.

She looked as radiant as ever, even more lovely today, if that's possible. She wasn't dressed in anything fancy for his birthday, but Harry didn't mind. As far as he's concerned, she could be in old, tattered robes and still be gorgeous. Her beautiful face wore a beautiful smile. A contagious smile, as Harry started smiling as well and leaning over to kiss her. He felt her lips move against his, whispering "Happy birthday."

A slightly cocky voice behind them said, "Get a room, will you?" Harry spun around to find his godson smirking at the pair of them.

"Shove off, Teddy." Harry growled, but anyone who knew him well enough would hear the lack of resent in his gruff tone and instead decipher laughter. That didn't stop Ron from teasing though.

"Yeah, mate. You don't see me snogging Hermione every chance I get," he observed, also smirking. Harry opened his mouth to reply in kind, but two witches beat him to it.

"I bet my broomstick that you sure as hell fantasize about it!" Ginny retorted, the same time that Hermione nudged her husband and said sweetly, "Ahem, ever heard of a certain Lavender Brown and Won-Won?"

The tips of Ron's ears were now rival to that of his flaming red hair. He stuttered, "That's—I—nothing to do with—completely missed the point—".

But as Harry headed inside (where very delicious aromas were now arising) he can't help but muse to himself that somehow, both their wives had gotten to the point much better than Ron did.

AN: This is my first, short, not-so-well-written chapter (at least I think so) for this story but I finished this with a bit of time between a violin lesson and babysitting so the other chapters will be at least better than this. It's just an intro for the plot, I guess, not exactly important but tells the time, which is Harry's 28th birthday. Anyway, I don't own Harry Potter, obviously and I'll try to update as soon as I can :D

~InventorOfFirebolt