Serenade Her

By PepsiAngel

Disclaimer: All characters are J.K. Rowling's but I made up Ginny's birth date. The song is from Moulin Rouge.

Author's Note: I sincerely apologize to J.K. for ruining Harry. This fic was inspired by Black Tangled Heart and is hereby dedicated to her. Well, it was strange calling her Virginia, but I figured at some point she'd think herself too old for the nickname.

A small, red haired figure sat slumped over in one of the comfortable, overstuffed armchairs that dotted the Gryffindor common room. It was the early evening of April fifteenth, which just so happened to be the petite girl's birthday. Virginia Weasley was her name (barely sixteen and already "too old" for her lifelong nickname) and she was waiting there for her boyfriend.

Can you guess who that may be? If you were thinking Harry Potter, you're absolutely correct,. But those readers who guessed Draco or Neville should be ashamed. Ahem, anyway, while all the other students were at supper in the Great Hall Harry was supposed to present her with his gift. Hermione Granger's words came flooding back to her.

"Oh, it's marvelous, I know you'll love it!" As she recalled the excited glint in her friend's eye, her own anticipation doubled.

Ever since they had started dating, eight months and twenty-one days ago, Virginia had been in a state of bliss. It was like one continuous high that she never wanted to end. Before they had gotten together she had never figured Harry to be the affectionate type. She, who had always been a hopeless romantic, had not expected him to show up at her dorm door with a single red rose on their first date or hold her hand all the way to Hogsmeade and back. Or maybe he wasn't a romantic, maybe he was just in love.

She often fantasized how he'd planned on a routine date consisting of butter beer and Zonkos for free entertainment, but had been so mesmerized by the soft chocolate brown of her eyes that he'd immediately transformed into the perfect date. Of course, her theory had some creases but she was working on smoothing them

out.

~ * ~

Before the story is continued, you must hear a conversation that took place a few days before.

"Herm?" The young man with the ebony hair said to his friend weakly.

In response, she closed the thick book she had been engrosses in and turned to face him. "Yes?"

"You know how Ginny's kind of, well, my girlfriend?"

"Yes, Harry, I know," she told him with an amused but encouraging smile.

He looked a bit sheepish. "You two are close and as you are a girl yourself, I thought she may have told you if she wanted something specific for her birthday."

"I don't recall if she has."

"Can you think longer? This is my first time getting a gift for a girlfriend, and I want to do it right," he begged.

A surprised look came over her face, "You are quite serious about this, aren't you?"

He nodded. "It's just that Ginny's so special. As soon as-"

But the clever witch interrupted. 'Let me guess… As soon as you look into her soft chocolate brown eyes you become the perfect boyfriend, am I right?"

Harry's eyes widened. "How'd you know?"

"Ah, call it intuition."

"Wow, I think Trelawney was wrong when she said you had no aura," he told her, genuinely impressed.

Hermione frowned at the memory of the old fraud insulting her four years ago. "Anyway, I've thought of something she'd want."

His face lit up instantaneously. "What?"

A wicked smile came and left so quickly you would miss it if you blinked. However, there was no denying it had danced across Hermione's lips. "Oh, you've got to serenade her with a dazzling love song!"

~ * ~

Now you have been properly introduced to the background of this story and will all together be unfazed when I tell you that Harry did indeed follow his brain buddy's advice. Virginia, on the other hand, was shocked. Oh, how shocked she was…

A loud noise yanked her from the lazy position she had curled up in.

"Harry, is that you?" She called into the emptiness of the common room as she searched for the source of the sound. "This had better be good, as long as you left me waiting!"

The only response was the sudden dimming of the usually intense lights. A spotlight then highlighted a lone shape leaning over the railing and staring down at her with a twinkle in his emerald eyes and a small smile on his face.

"Harry?" she asked again in confusion.

The person in the black tuxedo nodded mischievously before bringing a mic to his mouth. Virginia had no idea how he had gotten all the supplies but at that moment she couldn't have cared less (by the way, she suspected magic).

"My gift is my song and this one's for you," he sang out in a loud, clear baritone. Virginia nearly fell out of her seat; she had no idea Harry had such a great voice.

He began slowly making his way toward the staircase and turned on music with a snap of his fingers. The spotlight, now complete with colorful stars projected onto the circle of light, followed his every move. "And you can tell everybody that this is your song!"


"It may be quite simple but now that it's done," he crooned and winked at her. "Hope you don't mind, hope you don't mind… that I put down in words!"

He was all the way off the stairs now and was heading over to her at a painstakingly slow pace. She thought she'd die before he reached her, eventually, still belting out the heartfelt tune, he did though.

"How wonderful life is, now you're in the world!" He finished softly before pulling Virginia to her feet and kissing her with such fiery passion that she was knocked off her feet.

Okay, maybe she collapsed into his arms on purpose. But anyway, there they were, embraced in a steamy kiss.

"Oh, Harry, that was amazing," she gushed sincerely.

"The kiss or the song?" He asked.

"Both!" She laughed before pausing and adding, "Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me again."

This time the smooch was soft and quick but it still left her breathless. He took her by the hand and led her to the Great Hall to catch the end of supper. Everyone, after seeing his tux, inquired why he was wearing it.

"Does it have to do with Ginny?" Lavender asked as she leaned over toward them.

"What did you give her?" questioned Parvati curiously.

"I serenaded her with a dazzling love song." He replied with total seriousness.

Parvati and Lavender looked puzzled but Harry and Hermione shared a sly grin. He had indeed given Virginia the present she wanted.


FIN.