Chapter 1: Surprise

For most of his life, Harry Potter had enjoyed the quiet. Preferred it, even. When Vernon or Petunia weren't screaming at him, it had been Dudley and his mates constantly tormenting him with verbal barbs. And though he had developed well his skills in tuning out Ron and Hermione's bickering, sometimes the best times were when he could be alone with his thoughts.

But this - this was one moment of white noise that Harry didn't mind. The garden in front of the Burrow was lit with candles and streamers. All around him, as Harry leaned against the open window leading to the kitchen, the 12 Weasley grandchildren (and Teddy Lupin) ran around laughing and shrieking. The adults were gathered in small groups, chatting and murmuring in low tones. After years of ingrained practice, Harry started a mental roll call in his head, like a border collie on steroids. 13... 22... 24. Only two missing, and they would be here any moment.

Harry raised his eyes heavenward. "Oi! George! Any sign of them?"

His brother-in-law didn't answer. Instead, it was a crop of red hair that looked uncannily similar to Ron's that poked over the edge of the rooftop. "Nothing yet, Uncle Harry! I've got Weasley's Magically Extended Sneakoscope! It can see up to two miles out!"

Harry chuckled. "Thanks, Hughie. Holler if you see anyone coming."

Hugo, his nephew, pouted. "What did Mummy tell you about calling me Hughie?"

"Nothing," Harry smirked. "I only stayed at the hospital all night waiting for you... held you first cause your Mum was too whacked out on drugs..."

The guilt trip worked. "OK, OK, fine! You and Mummy have nickname privileges, but that's it!"

"Sure thing... Hughie," Teddy called up as he sprinted past Harry, Louis and Fred II hot on his tail.

"OI!"

Harry chuckled, shaking his head.

"You want some violins with that drama?" Angelina, who had overheard the entire conversation, sauntered over with a plate and handed it to him.

"Nah, just some pumpkin pasties if you have 'em, thanks, Ange. And if you think that's bad, you should hear how Hermione gets with him: 'I only bathed and changed and nursed you... my baby boy!'" in a pretty good imitation of his sister-in-law.

"Shut it!" came a voice from the roof.

"You shut it, and keep a lookout for your mother!" Harry threw back, trying to sound stern but failing.

Angelina ignored the banter, turning her head to survey the sprawling scene. "How are we gonna get rid of all this?"

"Concealment Charm, as soon as Hugo gives the signal. Then, when the jig is up, we just switch it back again."

"THEY'RE COMING!" Hugo suddenly bellowed from the rooftop. "Uncle George, tell them!"

"We heard you!" Harry called up. Then, sticking two fingers between his lips, he blew a loud whistle. "OK, everyone, huddle up! Hermione and Gin are almost here!"

There was a scramble as the kids tried to get in formation. Harry maintained his best Quidditch Captain voice. "I want roll call in three, two, one! Sound off!"

"Bill."

"Charlie."

"Percy." And on and on it went.

"All right, all right, I know the rest of you are here, now shut up," Harry waved his hand dismissively.

"Dad!"

"What is it, Al?"

"We're supposed to be hiding. Like, now!"

"Shit! OK, everyone, fall inside!"

"Cut the Auror crap, Potter! You're not General Patton!" Charlie chided. Harry flipped him off, as people tried to cram through doors, grandchildren dove through open windows to get inside the Burrow. When the last relative had made it through, Harry slammed the door behind them, Concealed all the decorations, magically summoned a lawn chair and newspaper and fell into it. He just happened to glance back to the house, only to notice that Hugo and George were still stuck on the roof.

"Hughie... get down!" Harry hissed. "George, lie flat, you jackass!"

Hugo and George hit the deck. Seconds later, a familiar blue car rounded the bend and halted just beyond the gate. Harry pushed his glasses down to the bridge of his nose, pretending to read.

"I don't get why we had to take the car, Gin, Apparating's easier..." Hermione's voice wafted towards him across the lawn.

"Hey, love, we're home!" Ginny greeted to her husband.

But Hermione stopped flat, her eyes narrowing. "All right, what's going on?"

"What's what going on?" Harry asked as innocently as he could.

"You're a horrible liar, big brother," Hermione scoffed, using her pet name for Harry. "Where is everyone?"

"NOW!" Harry bellowed.

"SURPRISE!" All the Weasley gang burst through and out of the house, and the decorations re-appeared as they had been programmed to upon hearing the word. "Happy 40th Birthday!"

Hermione gasped, both hands to her mouth as she started to cry.

"Happy Birthday, Mummy!" Hugo cheered, before promptly losing his balance and falling off the roof.

Ron reacted faster than Harry. "Wingardium Leviosa!" and his son floated magically to Earth. Hermione dithered over to him.

"Oh, Hughie, you scared me! What were you doing up there?"

"Keeping a lookout."

"I..." Hermione frowned, then let it go. "Oh, all right." She turned to her husband as he sidled up to her, and gave her a big kiss on the lips.

"Happy Birthday, love."

Hermione beamed. "You did all this for me?"

Ron shrugged. "Harry helped."

"Oi, I did all the planning!" Harry strolled over, kissing Hermione's temple. "Happy Birthday to my children's favorite aunt."

"Favorite, hmm?" Hermione's eyes twinkled, amused.

"James will plead the Fifth. Just don't tell Audrey."

The rain gutters creaked as George swung himself down from the roof, only to be greeted by Ron walloping the earless side of his head.

"Get faster reflexes, git! My son nearly broke his neck!"

"Put it on my tab," George growled dryly. "Cheers, Hermione."

Molly Weasley's voice suddenly echoed over the lawn with Sonorous. "Will everyone please join the birthday girl so we can give her her present?"

Everyone ambled over to around the table, in front of which sat a white screen and projector. "What's all this?" Hermione's brow furrowed.

"A surprise," Harry smiled, patting the space next to him so he could sit by her.

"Harry," Ron came running up to him, where Harry noticed that he was frantically scribbling on a parchment, adding some words in and crossing others out. "Can I go first?"

"No, wait your turn!"

"Not for that! I know why you put me last. It's just... my other gift is ready, and if I wait any longer, I'm gonna lose it!"

Harry smiled warmly. "Go on, get up there, prat!"

Ron bounded to the front. "I have..." he called for silence. "I have a little something extra for my beautiful wife, Hermione." He took out the parchment from the pocket of his robes and unwrapped it. He cleared his throat impressively:

"At 10, we didn't know each other, and I never could suppose

That love at first sight would consist of you saying I had dirt on my nose.

At 20, we were young and in love and I already knew

That my life would be a joke if I didn't spend the rest of it with you.

At 30, we had little babies still squalling in their nappies

That stank real bloody bad whenever Hughie did his..." Ron paused, squinted at the paper. "Crappies."

The grandchildren roared with laughter as Hugo's mouth fell open in indignation, spreading his arms wide. Hermione giggled.

"Oi, Ron! Who taught you how to rhyme?" some adult bellowed from the crowd.

"Sod off, Bill," Ron muttered at his brother. He finished: "And now you're 40 and still with me, and I cannot imagine how..." His voice broke. "I could love you anymore than the way I do right now!"

"Awwwww," everyone chorused as Hermione stood up and rushed into her husband's arms, kissing away his tears.

"That was so sweet," she murmured. "I love you so much! You came up with that just tonight?"

"What are you talking about? He worked on it all month!" Percy cracked.

"Yeah, and it was a lot better than Ginny's one to me," Harry muttered. His wife swatted his arm.

"I wrote that the day before and did a good job!"

"You were eleven," Harry deadpanned. "And a house-elf sang it to me!"

"Ooh, I wanna hear this story!" Lily squealed, bouncing in her seat.

"You most certainly will not!" Ginny scolded her daughter, turning bright red. "Tonight's about your aunt!" So saying, she stood and briskly moved besides the projector. "Now... now we all know it is Weasley tradition on special days to each give one favorite memory about the honored person. Harry magically rigged this projector to play memories we got from our Pensieves. I'll go first. Hermione, my best sister... happy birthday."

And the film began to roll.

The scene showed students gathered in the Room of Requirement, a column of space left between them. Ron and Hermione were in the center, as Ron whispered in her ear, "I'll go easy on you, all right?"

"Thanks, Ronald," Hermione gave an amused smile. The pair squared off, wands at the ready.

"Stupefy!" Hermione snapped. Ron was blasted backwards with a priceless, shocked look on his face, collapsing to the floor.

Surrounded by her girl friends, Hermione giggled flirtatiously, looking back at Ron with genuine affection as Harry helped him to his feet.

"I... I let her do that," Ron explained.

"Sure you did!" present-day George called out.

"Shut it," Harry hissed. "My memory's next!"