"Laganum," Ginny said confidently, pointing her wand at the empty pan. A steady stream of rich, creamy birthday cake batter should have poured out, but instead there was a quiet poof, and a burst of flour struck Ginny, covering her hair, her skin, and her robes liberally in a thick coating of white powder.
She looked around the empty kitchen, now dusted lightly with flour on every surface. Not really too bad. She'd been expecting worse.
Ginny dusted off her hands and checked her ingredients again.
"All right," she told herself encouragingly. "Nothing else for it -- just try again."
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The back room of Madame Malkin's was not large, but it was crammed full of lace and satin and leather. Ginny was amused that this was the same staid old establishment that sold Hogwarts students their uniforms Curious, too, but all the price tag said was Way out of your price range, dear.
She cringed and felt the small pouch of coins in her pocket. Harry had plenty of money himself, but it didn't seem right to make him pay for his own birthday gift. Sighing, she made her way to the clearance rack at the back of the store.
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Several pans were overturned on the floor and the counter was sticky enough to trap nargles when Ginny finally stopped to take stock.
"That didn't go well," she said, looking at a thin, blackened mass that resembled volcanic rock more than cake.
Ginny was determined to try again, and again, and again if necessary, but the pantry stared reproachfully at her. Only a small bit of sugar, one egg, and a quarter of a chocolate bar remained. There was flour all over the floor, but none in the canister.
"Bugger," she said, and bit into the last of the chocolate.
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Harry's hand on the clock pointed to 'almost home.' Ginny hurried into the bedroom and stripped off her clothes, stepping into a lacy, strappy bit of satin. With one leg in, she heard the door open. Balanced precariously on one foot, she began to wobble. The door closed. Harry called her name. She grabbed for support but her hand was still full of lingerie. "Ginny?" he said again, and she fell hard, accompanied by the sound of tearing fabric. When he found her a moment later, she was naked on the floor, covered in ripped bits of satin and lace.
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There was food all over the kitchen, dishes everywhere, a chair overturned in the living room, and a trail of flour leading down the hall.
When Harry opened the bedroom door, he saw Ginny, her freckled skin utterly bare and gleaming and her legs tangled in red lace. She looked up at him and blushed furiously.
"Happy birthday?" She sounded as though she wasn't sure.
Harry just stood there and took in the scene, grinning. Finally, he crossed the room and knelt beside her, kissing her on the lips, shoulder, breast, and stomach.
"It is," he said. "Oh, it is."