This story is kind of long and I'm rather proud of it! If you like it let me know and review! If you don't, I would still like you to review! I always welcome an opportunity to work on my writing skills.
A Birthday to Remember
Ginny Weasley groaned as she woke up to a strange tapping sound. She looked up through the piercing sunlight to see an owl, rapping his beak on her bedroom window. Picking up her wand from her nearby nightstand, she gave it a flick and the owl flew in and placed a parcel at the foot of her bed. She rolled over to look at her clock, and moaned when it read 7:45. She had to be at work at nine. "Stupid owl', she thought. "Waking me up so bloody early." Ginny hefted herself out of bed, opened the window, and let the owl in. The owl turned out to be Gwendolyn, Harry's owl. Gwen dropped a package on Ginny's bed affectionately nipped fingers, and swooped over to the tray of owl treats that Ginny kept in her nightstand. Ginny picked up the package, ripped it open and saw an envelope sitting on the top. Ginny ripped open the envelope, and smiled as she recognized untidy scrawl.
Dear Ginny,
Happy Birthday, my love! I wanted to be the first one to give you something this morning, on your twenty-first birthday. Inside the red paper is part one of your present. I noticed you eyeing this about a month ago; I just had to get it. In the gold paper is part two which we will use this afternoon. I already cleared it with your boss; he's giving you two hours for your lunch break today. (I guess that's one upside for dating the famous Harry Potter!) Part three you will receive tonight at dinner when we go to your parent's house. Enjoy, and I will see you this afternoon.
Love,
Harry
Ginny excitedly opened the box. She had a feeling she knew what was inside. She was right; inside the red paper was a beautiful necklace. It was heart shaped locket, which had several gems encrusted along the outside. The gems were peridot, her birthstone. And the exact same color as Harry's eyes. She popped it open and her eyes lit up at the sight of her and Harry's first kiss. In the image, Ginny had flung herself into Harry's arms, and he had leaned down to kiss her lips. The kiss continued to replay over and over again. Ginny sat there for twenty minutes, reliving the happiest moment of her life, when she suddenly remembered part two. Rustling through the gold paper, she found a sheet of parchment that read:
Reservation for two at Morgana's Lair at 12:00
There was also a little side note: Wear the sundress you got on graduation. –Harry
Grinning, she crossed the room to her closet. Sliding open the door, she grabbed a dark green V-neck dress that stopped just above her knees. She slipped it on, and then put her work robes on over it. Ginny quickly did her hair, ate breakfast, and apparated to work.
Walking through the headquarters of The Daily Prophet, Ginny received several cries of Happy Birthday. She happily got to work, looking over the pictures that Dennis Creevey had taken for her article. She had been working on this article for over weeks, and she honestly thought it was her best work. Apparently the editor in chief had thought so as well, because it had earned her a spot on the front page.
Ginny had lost track of time, so when Harry showed up at 11:55, she was deep in her work and squealed loudly when he came up behind her. "Getting lost in your work, love?" Ginny jumped two feet, and turned around to throw her arms around Harry's neck. He grabbed her waist and kissed her so hard, Ginny's coworkers began to giggle and whistle. Ginny blushed as Harry released her, and glared at her coworkers. Ginny took Harry's hand. "Let's go Harry dear, and leave all these immature people to their jealous and pious attitudes!" Ginny flounced out of the restaurant, closely followed by an amused Harry.
Once outside the building, Harry took Ginny's arm, and apparated to Morgana's Lair. It was a beautiful restaurant, and extremely popular. Ginny wasn't even sure how he had gotten reservations, then mentally face palmed herself. He was bloody Harry Potter; he could get anything he wanted.
Lunch was absolutely amazing. The food was delicious, the atmosphere beautiful, and of course, Harry was there. He held her hand while they waited for their food, and when the waiter came, he made eyes at Ginny and looked her up and down. When he saw who her date was, he immediately stopped, spun on his heel, and practically ran back to the kitchen. Harry had ordered for her, and that was one of the things she loved about him. He knew exactly what she liked, and what she wanted. Their conversation was light, mostly about her party later that night.
"Your mum said Bill and Fleur were coming, and they were bringing Victoire and Dominique."
Ginny smiled at Harry's words. She loved her nieces. "Will Hermione be there, too?" she inquired.
"Definitely," responded Harry. "She is your best friend after all. And I also heard Percy is bringing someone special."
Ginny raised her eyebrows, and wondered what that meant. Could Percy possibly have a boyfriend? Harry grinned seeing the look on her face. He paid the check, and the couple walked hand in hand down Diagon Alley. They spent the rest of the afternoon together, window shopping, eating ice cream, and visiting George at his joke shop.
The afternoon passed in a whirlwind and soon they were apparating to The Burrow. As Ginny walked through the door to the kitchen she was immediately pulled into a bone-crushing hug from her mother. "Happy Birthday, Ginny girl!" her mother cried. "Thanks mum." Ginny grinned.
The rest of the Weasleys had already arrived, along with Hermione, Neville, and Luna as well. Ginny squealed as she rushed toward her friends, and hugged them. Harry sat down next to Ron on the couch, and accepted the glass of tea Ron passed him. "So", asked Hermione, "how has your birthday been going so far?"
"Bloody fantastic!" she replied. "Harry got me this beautiful necklace, and took me to Morgana's Lair for my present." Hermione had a slight look of confusion, and looked at Harry. "It was two parts of three." he explained.
"Ah." Hermione nodded.
"What?" asked Ginny? "Do you know something that I don't?"
"No." Hermione's face turned red. Ginny was beginning to get suspicious, when Mrs. Weasley came into the living room, and announced that dinner was ready. There was the usual stampede tot eh table, but Ginny held Harry back. Harry looked at her quizzically, and asked a silent question with his eyes. Ginny answered with a question of her own.
"Why are you not telling me? Is there something going on that I need to know about?"
"Don't worry, luv." Harry promised. "It's nothing to worry your pretty little head about." Ginny was still a little wary, and didn't really enjoy her birthday dinner like she should have. All around her, her family was chatting, laughing, and generally having a good time. After Mrs. Weasley had cleared away dinner, she brought out a humungous cake. It was five tiers high, and the words, Happy Birthday, Ginny was written in yellow icing on the chocolate cake.
"Make a wish, dear!" prompted her mother. Ginny looked around the table, wondering what to wish for. She felt a gentle squeeze in her left hand, and looked over to see a smiling Harry. She suddenly knew what to wish for. Squeezing her eyes shut she forcefully chanted these words in her head.
I wish…I wish we could be like this forever. I wish Harry and I would be together forever as man and wife, and he would love me forever, even when I get old and wrinkly and temperamental.
With that wish echoing in her head, she blew out the candles, and smiled as all twenty one went out on the first try. Everyone cheered as the smoke cleared and plates were passed around.
"So, what did you wish for, Ginny?" asked George
"She can't tell!" shouted Hermione. "Or else it won't come true!"
"Alright, alright!" assured George. "You can't hurt a guy for trying!" Ginny smiled.
"Even if I did believe that, I still wouldn't tell you!" she teased. "It's MY wish!" While the cake was being consumed, Ginny opened her plethora of presents. From her mum and dad, she received a new set of dress robes in a stunningly beautiful shade of forest green. "Harry says that's his favorite color on you," her mother said, "so we thought it would be perfect." Ginny blushed, and moved on to her other presents. From Bill and Fleur, and set of French perfumes, lotions and other shower items. Ginny saw Harry frowning, and she made a mental note to ask him why later. George and Angelina had given her the newest line of Wonder Witch products.
"Although, now that you've got Harry," pondered George "you may not need those!" Every howled as Ginny blushed even harder. From Percy and Audrey, she received a new dressing gown, of which she was very grateful, because her old one was getting a little threadbare. Charlie had given her a beautiful scarf that felt amazingly soft. Upon inquiry of what it was made of he responded saying it was made from dragon hair. It came from a rare beast called the Amazonian Goldentail. Ginny gushed over the scarf until she saw what Ron and Hermione got her. It was a scrapbook, depicting her life at Hogwarts, minus the chamber, the Battle, and the overall absence of Harry during her sixth year. She was speechless as she turned the pages, watching herself transform for a little girl into a young woman. She was sincerely touched, and she turned to Ron and Hermione to hug them both as tears threatened to spill.
"Thank you." Ginny whispered to them. "It's beautiful." She gently wiped away her tears, as she placed the scrapbook at the top of her pile. Turning to Harry, she asked, "Well, where's my present?"
"Ginevra Weasley!" exclaimed her mother, "You do not simply ask someone where your present is! It's rude!"
"Mum, this is Harry!" Ginny said exasperatedly. "He knows I'm kidding!" She turned to him. "You do know I'm kidding, right?" Harry grinned. "Actually," he responded, "your present is out in the garden, it's too big to be in the house." Ginny's eyes slightly widened, but she took his hand, and let him lead her out into the backyard.
Ginny was beginning to get suspicious. Firstly, Harry got her a present that was too big for the house. Secondly, the rest of the family hadn't come with; they had remained in the house, and were now all crammed against the window panes, waiting to see what it was with anticipation and giddiness written on every face. Thirdly, Harry was pulling something out of his pocket. What was that, a blindfold?! There was definitely something strange going out.
Harry wordlessly held out the blindfold, and asked a silent question with his eyes. Ginny sighed and turned around. Harry then proceeded to cover her eyes with the soft black cloth. He then took her hand in his, and led her in the direction she assumed was the garden.
"Ok, here we're." Ginny jumped at the sound of Harry's voice. She reached for the back of the blindfold, and ripped it off her head. She blinked her eyes a few times, to let them adjust to the dazzling light. Wait a minute…Dazzling light?!
She choked on her breath as she gazed at the fantastic display of fireworks above her head that read "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" Ginny's hands flew to her mouth as the waterworks started to flow. She looked down to see Harry down on one knee, with a black velvet box in his hand. She sank down onto one of the stone benches, and soundlessly crying.
Harry inhaled deeply and began, "I love you so much. You make me happy more than anything else in the world. You were there for me when I lost Sirius, you comforted me when Dumbledore died, and you waited for me, even though I broke your heart and left you alone for ten months. You have been my anchor, my confidant, my best friend, and my one true love. I can't imagine the rest of my life without you. Will you please, please marry me?" The question hung in the air, as he gazed at her, his green eyes piercing into her soul. "YES!" She burst out. She flung her arms around him, and flattened her lips onto his. She fiercely kissed him, and he responded by lifting her off her feet, and swung her around in a circle. He gently put her down to place a beautiful diamond ring on her finger. He pulled her in for another searing kiss, and she knotted her fingers in his hair as she kissed him back. She pushed him forward, and he fell into grass. Harry's hands unwrapped themselves from around her waist and began to roam downwards. She also took her hands away from him to only cup his face. She pushed her body into his, and suddenly felt something hard press into her stomach. She froze, and harry must of sensed something was wrong, because he stopped too. Scanning her face, he easily understood, and blushed. Harry stood up and helped Ginny up as well. "Sorry about that." He said sheepishly. "I'm just really happy you said yes."
"Yes, I could tell." She teased. Harry blushed even harder. "It's alright, love," Assured Ginny as she looped her arms around him. "It only means you love me, and if that's how you show it, then I'm glad it happened."
"We should probably head back to the house." said Harry. "Your family is probably wondering if you said yes."
"Wait a minute." Ginny stopped in her tracks. "They knew?! No wonder they were acting all giddy! Ooh, wait till I get my hands on them!" Harry laughed as they walked back to the house. Before they stepped back into the kitchen, Ginny suddenly turned around, grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt, and kissed him. "I love you." she said. They opened the door and were immediately bombarded by Mrs. Weasley. She grabbed Ginny's hand and began shrieking. Everyone else crowded around the couple, and began giving them their congratulations. Ginny glowered at Hermione. "I can't believe you knew, and didn't tell me!" she growled. "What, and ruin the surprise? I think not!" Hermione shot back. Ginny's frown melted and turned to a frown as she hugged her best friend. "I'm not mad! I'm really happy!" she exclaimed. "She took Hermione's hand, and also turned to take Luna's as well. "I'd really like the two of you to be my bridesmaids! Please!"
"Of course I will!" Luna beamed. Hermione also said yes, and the three girls sat down and began to chatter animatedly. Little Victoire jumped onto Ginny's lap and exclaimed, "Aunt Ginny, can I be your flower girl? Pleeeease?"
"Victoire!" scolded Fleur. "You do not just ask someone to be their flower girl!"
"No, it's alright!" Ginny laughed. "Of course you can Torie. I can't think of anyone else to do it!"
Harry turned to George and thanked him for the use of his fireworks. "No problem," said George. "You have made my sister happy, Harry. Thank you." Harry grinned as he shook George's hand, and wished Fred had been here to see it.
After everyone had gone home for the evening, Ginny began to clear off the table. "What are you doing, dear?" asked Molly. "I'm helping you clean up, mum." responded Ginny. "It was my party, I should help clean up."
"It was also your engagement party. Go be with Harry, dear. I'll see you later." Molly shooed off her daughter with a hug and kiss. Ginny walked into the living room to find Harry sitting on the couch talking to Ron. She plopped on Harry's lap, and settled her face into his neck. She sighed happily as Harry wound his arms around her and continued his conversation with Ron. Ginny found herself falling asleep within the warm confines of Harry's arms.
"Gin, wake up." Ginny sleepily opened her eyes, to see Harry's beautiful green eyes. "What?" she asked, snuggling back down into his arms. "It's time to go home, babe. Come on, it's almost midnight." Harry gently left her into his arms, and after saying a final goodbye to everyone, apparated to Ginny's flat. Harry removed her clothes, put her in her nightgown, and gently laid her in bed. He tucked the covers in around her, and kissed her on the forehead. He turned to go, but heard a small voice from under the blankets. "Harry?"
"Yes, love?"
"Will you stay with me tonight?" Harry smiled. "Of course, love." Harry pulled off his robes, and tossed them in a corner. He stood before her in his muggle pants and undershirt. Ginny frowned.
"Aren't those uncomfortable to sleep in?" Harry blushed. "Well, yes but-"
"Then take them off." Ginny said slyly. Harry blushed even harder as he removed his pants, and cautiously slid into bed next to her. Ginny pulled herself closer and nestled herself in Harry's arms. She kissed the inside of his neck, and sighed. "I am the luckiest girl in the world right now." she thought "I am marrying Harry Potter."
Ginny suddenly remembered something that had wanted to ask Harry. She shot up in bed, bringing Harry with her. "What is it? What's wrong?" Harry asked, alarmed. "Oh, I'm fine." she assured him. "It's just that," she hesitated, "when I got all those perfumes and lotions from Bill and Fleur, you looked upset. Why?"
"Well," Harry began, "they're scented, right?" Ginny nodded. "That's just it." answered Harry. "I like the way you smell. "
"And what do I smell like?" asked Ginny dryly.
"Strawberries and honey. With a touch of lemon." was his answer. Ginny was stunned. "Well, then," she said softly, "I guess I can only use the lotions on special occasions." Harry grinned. "If you don't mind, I would greatly appreciate it."
Ginny snuggled back down into his arms and let him kiss her deeply. Her wish had come true. She smiled against Harry's lips, and a giggle began to form on her own. A full blown laugh burst forth as the kiss was broken off. Harry was completely confused and a little hurt. This was the first time she had started laughing during one of their snogging sessions. Ginny caught sight of his face, and began to explain herself. "My wish came true. "
"This is what you wished for?" asked Harry "For us to be snogging in bed? He was now completely nonplussed. "No, you silly man, I wished for us to be together forever. I wished that we could be in love for the rest of our lives, even when I'm wrinkly and cantankerous." Harry took her face in his hands and said to her seriously, "Ginny, I will honestly love you forever. To me, you will always be as beautiful as you are now. I hope you know that."
"I do now." Ginny whispered. With those words, Harry brought his lips down to hers, and the two of them shared a kiss unlike any kiss either of them had ever experienced. Harry pulled Ginny until they were both lying down on the bed, still kissing her into oblivion. The lovers clung together as though they would never part.
Ginny sleepily played over the day's events in her head. It had been perfect, from the owl she received in the morning to when he proposed to her on one knee. She sighed happily, and curled closer to Harry, her fiancé. This was definitely a birthday to remember.
