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It was Ginny's sixteenth birthday. She had never been unhappier on any other day.
Ten days had passed since Bill and Fleur's wedding. The house felt so empty now. Bill, Charlie, Percy, the twins, Ron, Hermione…everyone was gone.
Harry was gone. He had celebrated almost every one of her birthdays for the last years with her.
This was supposed to be her birthday. Her day. She was supposed to get whatever she wanted. She didn't want to spend it alone. She took out a small scrapbook from her trunk and flipped through it like she did on every birthday. Ginny didn't keep a diary but this scrapbook was a record of her favourite memories, and with time, what kind of memory she classified as a favourite also changed. She blushed at the first few pages. When she had been younger, she had been rather…obsessed with Harry. Every news article and photo of him she could find was in the album. She came to a photo of Harry blushing fiercely as a fat Cupid sat on his knees, plucking a harp. Colin had taken that photo. She had embarrassed Harry more than herself that day. She smiled sadly at a more recent picture of herself and Harry sitting under the beech tree by the lake, fingers just barely touching.
Ginny had always been strong and sensible. They were traits she had acquired from living with six brothers who teased her all through her childhood. But she would never admit that she had a soft spot for romance.
Just a few months ago, she had let herself dream. She had been looking forward to the next February. She had dreamed up exactly how Valentine's Day would go. Harry would ask her out to Hogsmeade in that shy, quiet way of his. He would turn up right on time and blush the minute he saw her. They would hold hands and stroll down the grounds, talking about nothing important. They would bypass Madam Puddifoot's completely, laughing about their experiences in the nauseating little shop. She would buy him Chocolate Frogs in Honeydukes. She knew he liked them just for the cards. He wanted to know so much about the Wizarding world. They'd spend a while in Zonko's and Spintwitches before finally heading to the Three Broomsticks. They would be just like any other couple having a nice time. He would give her the perfect present and tell her he loved her and –
Ginny shook her head violently. This was no time to think of such things. There was a war going on. She was supposed to be a tough, independent leader, not some lovesick teenager.
But it was her birthday.
Why couldn't You-Know-Who have attacked tomorrow? He had ruined all the plans she'd had for her the day. "Another reason to kill him," she muttered savagely.
She had been dreaming of this day since her eleventh birthday. Of course, she'd grown up. She hadn't given much thought to such silly things for quite a few years. But ever since she and Harry had started going out – something she'd thought would only ever be a childhood dream – she'd started to feel more like her eleven year old self every time she thought about him.
She had imagined this day to be special. Balloons and streamers all over the kitchen, a nice big cake with blue frosting, candles in the same shade of green as Harry's eyes, a table piled high with presents, the topmost being Harry's…she'd had every detail planned out. She would have worn that dress Fleur had bought her. She hated dresses but she would have made an exception. If nothing else, she definitely trusted Fleur's taste in clothes.
She shook her head again. What was wrong with her? She'd never been so…so…girly before. There was no time to waste building castles in the air! Harry was out there trying to save innocent people. What right did she have to complain about him not being there for her birthday? She should be planning how to help the fighters from Hogwarts. She had to be brave and tough. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She couldn't spend her time dreaming about the Boy-Who-Lived. She couldn't spend her time dreaming about fairytale endings. After all, they'd be lucky to have an ending at all!
But she was tired of being strong for everyone. She wanted to dream. She didn't want to fight in a war. There was no happiness, no smiling or laughing, no joking around anymore. There seemed like there was nothing that was worth fighting for any longer. She didn't want to know that she or someone she loved could die at any moment. She was tired of worrying about everyone. She wanted someone else to worry about her, to take care of her. She just wanted to be a normal teenager hoping to celebrate her birthday with the perfect guy. She wanted to be given red roses, hearts and chocolate and jewelry like every girl, deep inside, did. She wanted Harry to blow out the candles with her and grin sheepishly as he handed her a badly wrapped present and shared a piece of cake with her. She wanted to have a normal sixteenth birthday!
"Ginny?" Fred and George opened her door. "May we come in?"
"You never ask," Ginny said.
Fred smiled. "Yeah, but now you're all grown up. We would be violating your privacy."
"Plus, we haven't forgotten the Bat Bogey Hex from the last time we barged in without knocking," added George. They sat down on either side of her.
"Can you believe she's sixteen, George?" Fred asked, eyeing his sister critically. "Still seems like a midget in a ratty blue nightgown to me."
"Yeah, she's just a little runt pretending to be all grown up."
Ginny punched them both. "No teasing on birthdays," she said sternly although she couldn't contain a small smile.
Fred sighed, rubbing his arm where she'd punched him. "No, you're obviously still the same fierce Ginny." He smiled fondly at her. "It seems like just yesterday you were calling us in to check for monsters under your bed."
"You convinced Ron to hide under my bed the next night, if I remember correctly." Ginny giggled. "Poor thing, he got pummeled by my pillows!"
The twins chortled. "Well we managed to raise one of you to be daring at any rate," shrugged George. "You used to love cookies. We used to sneak into the kitchen with Charlie every night to steal some, remember?"
Ginny smiled at the memory of standing on Charlie's shoulders so she could grab a few cookies from the jar on the high shelf.
"You loved fairytales too. "You always wanted to be the Prince or the Brave Knight. You always thought they were more fun." Fred ruffled her hair.
"I liked being the Princess sometimes too," Ginny murmured.
"That's true," George looked nostalgic. "You had to grow up sometime. We used to forget you were a girl quite often. You were always so spunky and independent, but every night, you used to be a shy, scared little girl coming to her brothers to help her sleep."
The twins looked at her, identical sad smiles on their faces. "Now you can take care of yourself. You don't need to snuggle in with us when the wind makes creepy noises or the branches rub against your window," Fred said softly. "You're not our baby sister anymore."
"Why are you two so sentimental today?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Because," said George, "you don't need us around anymore. You're this fierce, smart, daring woman now. You're no longer the little girl we could cuddle and protect. You're just as capable of protecting yourself now as anyone else. We miss that little Ginny."
"I wish I didn't have to be fierce or smart or daring. I wish this war had never happened! I often wonder what life would have been like without it. My whole adolescence is being ruined by a psychopath. I just wish life had been normal!" Ginny burst out.
"You've always been fierce and daring, Ginny. You would have been like this even if there wasn't a war," Fred told her gently.
"What about smart?"
"Well…"
Ginny hit him.
"There, you see? You won't stand for any nonsense," George pointed out. "You wouldn't have been any different, war or not."
"I just sometimes feel like there's no point. There's no point because no matter how brave I am, it doesn't seem like it'll help anyone. No one believes I can help. I don't believe I can help. I'm just a hindrance to everyone…even Harry," she sighed.
"That's not true. Everyone knows Harry's only trying to take care of you and protect you by leaving you behind," Fred assured her. "He's actually the reason we're here, by the way."
"Harry figured you'd be a little down on your birthday with no one around to celebrate it. That's why he left you a little present to cheer you up," George said.
Fred pulled out a little box, wrapped in silver. Ginny took it and ripped the paper off quickly. She lifted the lid, eager to see what Harry had got her and –
"OUCH!"
Fred and George rolled around with laughter as she emerged from the smoke, sporting a beautiful black eye. She threw the box with the punching telescope at Fred, glaring at both of them. She couldn't help joining in the laughter herself – once she'd finished screaming and thumping them both, of course.
Fred pulled out a second box wrapped in red and gold once they all stopped laughing. "Harry really did leave you a present. Come down once you're done." The twins ruffled her hair affectionately once more and left.
Ginny smiled at the Snitch – patterned paper covering the box. She unwrapped it delicately. Harry was definitely getting better at gift-wrapping. A letter lay on top of an old photograph inside. She smiled nostalgically at the photo. Percy was at the extreme left and seemed to be lecturing the twins who were rolling their eyes, both wearing pattern-changing party hats. Her dad was about to cut a cake with eleven candles stuck in it while she held his hand. The twins were on her other side, then Ron who was staring at the cake, evidently hungry. On his other side, almost at the edge of the picture was Harry. He looked hesitant, unsure; almost as if such family events were new to him. She knew why Harry had sent her this picture. It brought back a very sweet memory…
Mrs. Weasley lowered the camera. Harry, dear, why don't you cut the cake with Ginny? You never got a party this year, why don't you share with her?"
Harry looked startled. "Oh no, this is her birthday. I wouldn't want to –"
"Don't be silly dear. Ginny, do you mind Harry sharing?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
Ginny managed to shake her head. Did she mind? She would give anything for good, great Harry Potter to stand beside her and cut the cake with her right then!
Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry between her husband and daughter. "Go on, blow out the candles," she said.
Ginny took a deep breath. "Make a wish," Harry whispered. She looked at him, confused. "It's a Muggle tradition. If you make a wish when you blow out your birthday candles, it'll come true," he explained. She nodded, too shy for words. She took a deep breath again and wished that someday, Harry Potter would really like her. She blew out the candles in one breath. AS she picked up the knife, Harry placed his hand over hers. Ginny blushed scarlet but he smiled reassuringly at her, guiding her small hand to the cake.
Minutes later, the balloons over their heads burst, spraying confetti over the all. Fred and George got everyone to spread icing all over Ginny's face. Finally, they all settled around the house with plates of cake.
"You look nice," commented Harry, joining Ginny at the kitchen table. Ginny wiped some of the cream off her face. "Welcome to life with annoying older brothers," she said. She promptly blushed as Harry grinned at her again.
He poked her nose, adding another spot of icing to it. "Happy birthday. I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything. Thanks for letting me share it," he said, looking rather shy himself.
She smiled back and nodded. "I hope your wish comes true," he said, going over to join Ron.
Oh how she wished it would too.
Ginny turned her attention to the letter.
Dear Ginny,
Happy birthday! I bet you thought I'd forget or be all noble and ignore it to keep you safe, didn't you? I probably shouldn't be writing this. It could lead the Death Eaters to capture you, but it's your sixteenth. It's special.
Ron and I found that photo in his room. You could barely talk to me back then. Look at you now, arguing with me and bossing me around! You're so wonderful, Ginny. You're tough, brave, clever and independent, but I also know you better than that. I know that sometimes, you want to stop being all those amazing qualities. I know that you sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a regular teenager without being so close to the war. I know the softer, vulnerable side of you Ginny. I know that you secretly enjoy the romance, the sweet smiles and small gestures that make your day. I know that, to you, those special moments are the background music in your life: you like having them around, but not overwhelmingly so.
I miss those moments. (Thank Merlin Ron's not reading this!)
I miss being the boy who's best friend, brother and your Chosen One all rolled into one. (Ginny rolled her eyes at the little pun). I miss being the only guy for whom you've danced across the room singing 'A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love' while holding an old scrapbook covered with little pink hearts. (Don't kill me, I wasn't spying! I was walking past your room three summers ago and your door was ajar.) The thing is, Ginny, I know you. I know both sides of you. I know that as strong an exterior you put up, you're hurting inside. But every time you feel everything's going wrong, remember that I believe in you. I believe you're the best Gryffindor I know.
I hope you like the necklace. I found it in my Gringotts vault so I don't know whose it was. But I hope it reminds you to have courage and faith. Don't lose faith Ginny. I think that if you wish for something hard enough and believe in it sincerely enough, it'll come true. Things may not be great at the moment, but it'll all work out, one way or another. Even if I don't make it alive, I want you to know that I'm going to be there, holding your hand and helping you, just like I helped you cut your cake five years ago.
Have a great day, Ginny. Make your moments worth living in. Go on now; don't worry about everything that's going on. Today, just be a regular girl and blow out your candles. I wish I was that candle flame. Then you would blow me away. Yeah, I should probably leave the jokes to Fred and George…
So go on and be the breath of joy and fresh air your family needs right now.
Harry
P.S: Don't forget to make a wish.
Ginny brushed away her tears and looked back into the box. Under the photograph was a necklace with a Gryffindor lion pendant, rubies set into its eyes. On both sides, "Esse Interpidus" was etched.
"Be fearless," she whispered. Harry was right, she couldn't lose faith. She clasped it around her neck, smiled and ran downstairs, pausing by her dresser to pick up two special cookies.
"Oh there you are, Ginny. I was just about to call you," her mother said. Ginny looked around the kitchen, awestruck. It was covered in balloons and streamers just like she'd wanted. Everyone wore party hats and big grins. On the table stood a big cake, sixteen candles stuck into it.
"What's all this?" she asked.
Bill grinned, plopping a hat onto her head. "It was the twins' idea. We figured we could all do with something to celebrate."
Her father hugged her. "And what better cause for celebration than my little girl's sweet sixteen? You didn't think we'd forgotten, did you? You're growing up so fast." He looked a little teary.
"Get a grip dad," she laughed. "Thanks," she whispered to Fred and George who were wearing pattern-changing hats as her mother lit the candles on the cake. A mischievous twinkle came to her eyes as she pulled out two special cookies from her pocket. "A token of my appreciation." She handed them each a cookie.
The twins stood on either side of her, biting into the treats. She prepared to blow out the candles.
Make a wish.
Ginny closed her eyes. Her previous birthday wish had come true after all. Maybe this one would too. All she had to do was believe. "I wish I get to spend many more birthdays with Harry," she thought earnestly. She took a deep breath…
In the following months, whenever anyone needed a little cheering up, a little hope that happiness could really exist in those troubled times, they looked at the newest photo on the Weasley mantelpiece. Ginny was blowing out sixteen candles, on hand holding back her hair and the other restraining a lion pendant dangling from her neck, her eye mysteriously black and blue. A broad grin stretched across her face as Bill and her parents laughed uproariously. Bill was clutching his sides, Mr. Weasley's hat was askew and Mrs. Weasley looked like she had hiccups as they all laughed at the two big canaries tweeting at each other from either side of Ginny, pattern-changing hats perched precariously on their heads.
It was enough to make them smile, even if for just a minute and know that joy was not lost. You just had to make your moments worth living in.
How was it? Please review and let me know :)
I think that Ginny would have had her moments of weakness somewhere in DH. There are a lot of stories out there where she's always brave and staunch and stoic but I think that people forget what she was like in the first couple of books. She was shy and reserved around Harry and that aspect of her personality couldn't just have disappeared altogether when she grew up. She was just sixteen, after all. She would have wanted some special moments, she would have wondered what it felt like to just be a teenager and she must have felt, at some point, that the war wasn't worth it if it meant everyone she loved was going to be in danger all the time. Basic instinct would have been to want to shut out all the sorrow and worry...That's what I was trying to base this on.
Sorry if it didn't really flow very well, especially the part with Fred and George. I was trying to lighten the tone of the story, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make it very good. Basically, they were trying to remind Ginny that she is a Gryffindor and that there are people who worry about her too, she's not alone.
This is for Morning Lilies' Photo Album Competition. The photo was the one Harry gave her as a present.
