AN: I know you all hate me right? Well I read DH(twice mind you) and ended up with complete writers block. My beautifully written outline was complete garbage! I had to edit and such so that I could at least sort of be in sync with DH. So yes this now has spoilers in it with my own special twist.

Happy Birthday Ginny

Harry awoke slightly before dawn. He tried not to move too much as he reached over for his glasses. Looking up at the ceiling he wished for the many aches and pains in his tired body to disappear. He had been at what they had named "Moody Boot Camp" for a little over a week. Alaster Moody and company were trying to cram 12 months of Auror training into Harry, Ron, and Hermione preparing them for the final battle with Voldemort.

It had all happened very quickly. Harry and Ginny thought they had a little over a week with each other before he was going to head off with Ron and Hermione. One evening Moody, Lupin, and McGonagall showed up at the Burrow around midnight informing everyone that the Order of the Phoenix had decided that it was in their best interest to assist Harry in any way possible. They understood that he had a mission from Dumbledore that he could not reveal, the Order wanted to ensure that he was ready for anything.

They were now sleeping in wizard tents at some remote camp. They were woken before dawn each day to cram in hours of charm work, transfiguration, defensive spells and dueling. Harry's brain was so full he thought his head would explode if he learned one more hex or curse.

The dueling was where the aches and pains came from, hour after hour of exhausting drills and obstacle courses. He knew how bad he hurt, he could only imagine about Ron and Hermione.

As he lay there all Harry could think about was the look on Ginny's tear stained face as he released her and walked away into the darkness toward the apparition site, he had never really seen her cry before. That was over a week ago. Today he was determined to convince Moody to let him go to the Burrow. It was Ginny's sixteenth birthday. He and Moody had already had it out several times about the visit. Moody insisted that it was too much of a risk.

He heard the others stir in their camp beds. Ron groaned loudly "Bloody Hell, somebody please kill me" then sat up and practically crawled out of bed. "I think my bruises have bruises."

Moody strolled in the tent and nudged Harry with his cane. "Wakey, wakey Potter. If you insist on breaking training to go visit your girlfriend were going to double our efforts today. I have a few lovely surprises just for you." Then Harry heard him mumble under his breath as he walked into the kitchen. "I can't believe the Order is letting him go! Girlfriend! Why doesn't he just go and invite the dark lord to tea and biscuits."

As they sat at the table eating their breakfast Harry adjusted the icepack on his shoulder. He really didn't think he could survive much more this. Then he looked over and saw his friends with similar ice packs. They were all in pretty rough shape. He gritted his teeth and dug further into his own perseverance. This was his burden. Ron and Hermione were not tied to it like he was. They were not named in the prophesy. Yet each day the endured the same grueling work out. He could not have asked for two better friends.

Ron looked sheepishly over at Hermione. "I really am sorry. It was an accident, really."

Hermione was still sporting a nasty black eye. Unfortunately Mrs. Weasley was not there to fix it.

"I know Ronald," she said icily. Ron gulped and looked down into his eggs. She used his full name, he really was in trouble. Harry was actually lucky that Ginny wasn't involved in this torture. Even the happiest of couples would fight in these circumstances, and he and Hermione bickered on good days.

That days training was as rigorous as Moody had promised. Harry found himself sporting new bruises on his ribs from an especially nasty hex.

He got ready and met everyone in the living room area of the tent. Ron and Hermione were already waiting for him. They were just as excited to get away from "Sergeant" Moody and to see the family. Lupin would be escorting them and Tonks was going to be meeting him there.

Per Moody's orders the group had to apparate several times to throw off any clues or trackers. They even wore the invisibility cloak just to be sure.

They arrived at the Burrow and quickly made their way into the secure area of the Fidelity charm. Ahead they could see the lights in the kitchen and living room. Though they were not expected, the group knew that everyone would be home celebrating Ginny's birthday. Moody had insisted that their visit remain a complete secret.

Lupin was the first through the door. "Happy Birthday Ginny" he said as he greeted her enthusiastically.

"Remus" said Mr. Weasley "What a pleasant surprise. So glad you could join us for the celebration."

"Thank you for the warm welcome. I of course did not come empty handed." He moved to the side to reveal Ron and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley cried in delight as she rushed forward and embraced her son and his girlfriend.

Ginny looked expectantly at the door.

Harry barely got one foot across the threshold when he was attacked by his very excited girlfriend. She jumped up into his arms hugged him tightly, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Surprised, but happy Harry wrapped his arms around her and returned her enthusiastic kiss. His body was screaming in pain from the treacherous work out it had received but he just didn't care. All the pain in the world was worth this very moment.

"Well now that we know that Ginny has gotten what she wanted for her birthday, let the party begin" said Bill as he raised his glass in welcome.

Harry was tempted to carry Ginny out of the kitchen and down to the sofa in the basement. Her incredibly soft lips were driving him wild. He still was amazed that she was his girlfriend again. He didn't know what he had done to deserve her but he was extremely grateful. When he was with her all of his troubles suddenly didn't seem that bad, and for him that was saying a lot.

Mrs. Weasley had seen quite enough. The young couple was still "occupied" on the front step and people were starting to get a bit antsy. "Hem, hem. Uh, Ginny dear, why don't you let Harry come up for some air."

Harry lowered Ginny to the floor. His face was bright red with embarrassment. He had actually forgotten about everyone else in the room.

Ginny on the other hand was far from embarrassed. She just smiled at her mum and hugged Harry tight. "We'll just go have a seat and catch up a bit." She said with a smile.

"Remember your manners young lady" called Mrs. Weasley after her.

As Harry settled himself on the sofa Ginny surprised him by sitting in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you" she whispered "this is the best present I could have ever hoped for."

He smiled down at her and tightened his embrace. "Well, then I guess you don't want what's in the wrapped package I brought."

Ginny's eyes lit up. "A present, for me?" she started digging in his pockets to search for it. "Where is it?" she asked as she continued to search.

Harry's eyes glazed over a bit. It had been over a week since they had been together and her nimble hands, though innocent, were starting to do amazing things to him. "Uh, Gin. Not that I am not completely enjoying your means of search." He smiled down at her and gave her a light kiss. "But you need to be a little more patient. You can have it after cake otherwise your mum will hex me."

Ginny pouted, which Harry found to be incredibly sexy. Plus she was sitting on his lap and had started caressing the hair on the back of his neck, which she knew drove him crazy.

"Uh, Gin" he whispered "you really need to not do that right now."

She giggled "you mean that is not your wand in your pocket?"

"Uh, no. Definitely not" he grimaced as he tried to adjust her in his lap which actually made it worse.

"Will you please try not to wiggle so much" he practically pleaded.

"What you mean like this?" she asked as she snuggled even closer and started to nibble on his neck and ear.

Harry literally started seeing stars and almost blacked out. Seeing that they were in the middle of the living room and surrounded by family and friends, it was neither the time nor the place.

Luckily his saving grace came when Mrs. Weasley called everyone in for dinner. He still had to perform a bit of a concealment charm on his lower extremities. Nothing but an extremely cold shower and a 10 k run was going to help him now.

Later after dinner they were back on the sofa while everyone else was in the kitchen finishing their coffee and cake. Harry handed Ginny a small beautifully wrapped box.

"Oh, it's just lovely" she gushed as she tried to take her time unwrapping it.

Ginny opened the box to reveal a delicate gold necklace with a brilliant green stone pendant. "Harry it's beautiful."

"I thought it looked like a snitch so I knew you would like it" he said as he fastened the clasp around her neck "and I know how much you like green."

Sure enough as Ginny looked closer she saw that the emerald was cut into a perfect sphere with thinly spun gold wrapped around it to resemble enclosed wings. It did look like a snitch. The green was reminiscent of Harry's eyes.

"Can we go for a walk?" she asked as she got up and offered him her hand.

Lupin caught them just as they were about to leave. "Remember Harry, stay within the boundaries."

"Thank you Remus. I think I hear Moody telling me that in my sleep. He shouts it at us so much." And with that they were out the door.

They settled themselves down on a blanket along the shore of the pond.

"Would you like your other present now?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"Oh definitely" purred Ginny as she wrapped herself around him.

"Wow you are a nymph aren't you!" he teased. "Actually Gin I bought you something else."

"What?" she asked in disbelief as she reached up to touch the beautiful necklace he had just given her.

"I just couldn't resist. I saw this and I knew you had to have it." Harry reached into his pocket, pulled out another package. He pointed his wand at it and said "engorgio" to bring it back to its correct size.

She untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Beneath the tissue paper she spotted a sleek black handle.

"No, it can't be" she exclaimed as she lifted the Firebolt from its wrappings.

"Harry, it's your broom, won't you need it?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I still have mine" he answered trying to keep a straight face.

"You mean?" she asked.

"Look at the handle" he said quietly.

She looked down, engraved on the handle in a beautiful gold script read Ginny's Firebolt.

"It's new?" she asked in amazement, she had never owned a new broom.

"I ordered through their catalog. Somehow Hedwig got it to me and it arrived just in time. I gave it a bit of a test run a few days ago. Ron was on mine. I think yours is a bit faster. They must have made some slight improvements since mine was made. It was a prototype after all. Yours has a much sharper turning radius, if that's possible. You can practically turn in a complete circle while still going about 150 kph.

Ginny was still in shock. Harry's was the only other Firebolt she had ever seen. Now they each had one, his and hers. Professional Quidditch players were the only people who rode Firebolts, not sixteen year old witches. Ginny gently placed the broom back into its box so not to damage it. She knew very well that it had all types of protective charms. It could survive a hurricane and still not have a scratch.

She flung herself at Harry prepared to snog him to within and inch of his sanity.

An hour later they were still lying on the blanket by the pond. Harry looked down at the Auburn haired vixen in his arms. "My God, you could kill a weaker man!" he exclaimed.

She smiled wickedly "and yet we still haven't…"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Yah, I know, can you imagine what that's going to be like?"

Before he could finish his statement Ginny interrupted him. "I do" she giggled "frequently." She gave him an impish smile "I am now sixteen you know."

His eyes grew wide at her candor.

"Do you think we are ready?" she asked with a nervous smile, suddenly she wasn't feeling so confident.

Harry saw the trepidation in her eyes. "Gin, I've waited seventeen years. I can wait as long as you need. We're waiting for each other remember? We both need to be ready."

She smiled and gently kissed him. "You are wonderful to me you know that."

"Well, it's nice that you think so at least" he said,

Suddenly she looked very frustrated.

"What? I know that look."

"It's just so unfair. Why is there so much pressure on a girl to keep her virginity when at the same time they harass a guy who hasn't lost his?"

"Well, personally I think most guys exaggerate a bit because there is no way half the guys at Hogwarts have lost theirs if none of the girls have."

Ginny laughed. "Oh, I know a few girls who were all too happy to loose theirs."

Harry seemed surprised by this. "Well I certainly didn't know any of them."

Ginny lightly smacked him on the arm.

"You know, not that I ever tried or wanted to…" he stumbled.

Ginny kissed him "you are so cute when you are confused."

Suddenly they heard Hermione and Ron calling for them.

"Harry, Ginny!" yelled Ron. "It's time to go. If we don't get back soon Moody's going to come after us. I hope you can hear me because I am not daring to walk any further. I so don't want to get the same surprise that Dad got the other day."

Hermione cut in "Ronald, I told you not to say anything!"

"Oh hell Hermione, Ginny told you, Harry told me. They both know we both know."

"Well you don't have to rub it in" she scolded.

"Hey like I said, walking in on my best mate shagging my little sister is on the top of my "Things I Never Want to See" list. Right up there with seeing my Aunt Muriel starkers" he said as he gave a violent shudder.

"Ew, yuck Ronald!" she yelled as she herself gave a shutter.

"Give us a minute will you. We'll be right out" yelled Harry.

"See what did I tell you" gloated Ron.

The couple walked out a few minutes later. Ron saw Harry check to see if Ginny's shirt was on correctly, then kiss the top of her head.

"Bloody hell Harry, did you have to do that in front of me!" grumbled a disgusted Ron.

"What" said Harry "I just kissed the top of her head."

"No, before that you checked to make sure her shirt was on right."

Ginny giggled "so I guess I shouldn't tell you that my knickers are in his back pocket?"

Harry instinctively reached back and checked.

"Oh hell mate, did you have to check? I thought she was kidding" said Ron as he stomped off toward the house.

Harry just shrugged and smiled. He couldn't believe he had checked either, but the look on Ron's face was priceless.

The goodbye was difficult for both of them. They were not sure when they would see each other again. Moody's training would be done soon and then the trio would be off in search of the Horcruxes.

Harry and Ginny had come to a painful decision. It would be best if they had limited contact from this point forward. They would remain a couple, but at a distance. There was no reason to add fuel to the fire. Death Eaters were on the look out for Harry and they would use any means to bring him in to their master, including using Ginny as bait.

Harry explained to her that Voldemort would actually find pleasure in killing her in front of him. Death was a toy he used to his advantage. He cared for no one. The fact that Harry was in love with her would only heighten Voldemort's sick pleasure.

Later after he had climbed into bed he took out a picture she had given him earlier that night. It was from his birthday celebration. They were sitting on a bench out in the garden beaming at the camera. He watched as she looked down at the rings on their entwined hands then smiled warmly and kissed him on his cheek. His memories of her would have to last him quite a while. He locked them away in a safe place to be sure that even Voldemort could not reach them.

AN: Feeding the Author does make her type faster!