Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter and I didn't get a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard - darn!

Chapter Eleven: The Birthday Breakup

As Harry crept through the dense woodland he scanned the ground ahead, ears trained for the slightest sound. He heard a rustling in the bushes ahead, so he stepped behind a tree and stood completely still. The bush shook again and Harry watched as a figure began to emerge from behind it. Harry waved his wand, repeating the incantation Stupefy non-verbally. A flash of red light burst from his wand-tip and the figure fell to the ground.

"POTTER!" a voice shouted nearby, as much crashing through the undergrowth announced the arrival of Harry's Auror trainer, Darius Williamson. "Well done, Potter, excellent work. You can re-enervate McEvoy now and we'll go over your evaluation." He stomped off again, his long ponytail swinging behind him.

Harry walked up to the place where Callum McEvoy was lying.

"Re-enervate," said Harry, pointing his wand at the tall, dark-haired man of about twenty-two.

Callum sat up and shook his head dazedly. "Are we done?"

"Yeah," said Harry, holding out his hand to help Callum up. "Let's get out of here – I hate these simulation rooms." They exited into the corridor and walked down to an interview room where Williamson and another trainer, Urquhart, were waiting.

Harry and Callum sat down opposite them, Harry's hands clasped tightly in his lap to control his nervous energy.

Williamson shuffled through his notes and looked up at Harry. "Overall, Potter, you've done very well. Your Stealth and Tracking marks are particularly high, and I've noticed a real improvement in your timing – you aren't rushing into situations quite as hastily as you did when you began the program."

Harry felt his organs resettle back into the right places within his body as Williamson turned to McEvoy.

"McEvoy, you did a great job in your role as the target. This is an important skill to have in a situation where you had to lead a Dark wizard into a trap. Obviously in this situation you were supposed to get caught, but you still placed yourself in a position you could have escaped from in different circumstances." Beside him, the balding and portly senior trainer Urquhart nodded in agreement. Williamson dismissed them both and Harry and Callum walked back through the Auror office to the elevators.

"Gee, I'm glad that's all over," said Callum, punching the down button at the elevator bank.

Harry nodded. "I didn't think my Stealth marks would be high after I almost tripped over that tree root."

"Williamson might not have noticed. He didn't realise the reason I was so loud getting out of that bush was that I got my bootlace tangled on some thorns."

Harry sniggered and stepped into the elevator.

Callum hit the Atrium button. "What have you got on this weekend?"

"Er, it's my birthday, so I'm going around to my mate's place… catch up with some people."

"Sounds good, hope you enjoy yourself. Next week you should come to the Leaky Cauldron with us on Friday night. We do it every week. It's a great way to just, wind down, you know."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Might do." The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the Atrium. Harry headed over to a free fireplace and Callum said goodbye and apparated, Harry assumed, to the Leaky Cauldron for Happy Hour. Harry threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace and green flames burst into the grate. He stepped in and clearly said, "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."

Kreacher and Hermione were waiting for him when he stepped out of the kitchen fireplace in Grimmauld Place: Hermione at the table drinking tea and Kreacher by the open oven, checking the bubbling contents of a large pot inside.

Hermione looked up, smiling. "Hi, Harry. How did your test go?"

Harry shrugged. "Pretty well, I suppose. Ron back yet?"

"No, but Fred and Lee might've taken him for a drink."

Kreacher hurried across the kitchen and bowed to Harry. "Good evening, Master. Can Kreacher get you a drink? Tea, butterbeer or some of the mulled mead from the Three Broomsticks?"

"Thanks, Kreacher, I'll just have pumpkin juice for now." Kreacher nodded and walked off, while Harry sat down at the table next to Hermione.

Hermione fixed him with a meaningful look. "So what happened in your test?"

"It was fine. I had to track one of the third-year students through one of the sim rooms. Williamson said my Stealth and Tracking were good and that my timing had improved."

Hermione beamed. "That's great work, Harry. Ginny will be really pleased for you, that all your long hours of study paid off."

Harry looked at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying that you haven't seen each other much in the last couple of weeks, between Ginny's training and you studying for these tests. I know Ginny has missed you the last couple of days she's had off."

"Yeah, well it was hard for me last week when she was training every second." Harry took a deep breath and a sip of his pumpkin juice that Kreacher had placed in front of him. "It's hard. We've both got pretty full plates right now."

"But that's what being in a relationship is – you've got to make compromises for one another. It takes a lot of work. Ron and I have our problems, but we always set aside one night a week to go out and do something together – just us, no work, no outside problems."

"Yeah, but first I have to find five minutes where we can talk to each other."

"Well, she'll be there at The Burrow for your birthday on Saturday."

Harry nodded and drained his goblet of juice as Ron spun into the fireplace and stumbled as he climbed out. Hermione tutted loudly and stood to help Ron to the table.

The back garden of The Burrow was filled with chatting and laughing people, all eager to help celebrate Harry's nineteenth birthday. Harry drifted from group to group talking to everyone: his friends from Hogwarts, the Ministry, and old Order members. Percy droned to his circle about the many difficulties he had encountered with the Russian Ministry while setting up the Giant Protection Zones, as Harry walked past he heard Luna interrupt Percy and announce that the Russian Ministry was using the Giant Protection Zones to quietly dispose of political opponents. Even as he joked and chatted with his friends, Harry often found himself staring across the lawn at Ginny, thinking about all the things he wanted to say to her.

"Harry," called a gruff voice. Harry turned to his left - it was Hagrid. "Happy Birthday, Harry!" he said, clapping Harry heavily on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Hagrid," said Harry, straightening up and pushing his glasses back up his nose. "How are you?"

"Me? Oh, I'm grand, Harry, grand. I hear your Auror trainin is goin' well."

"Yeah, it's pretty good. Hard work, but I really like it."

"Tha's good, Harry. It's a great thing you're doin' there – you don't even know. I reckon people feel safer, knowin' that your workin' to become an Auror."

Harry looked down at his trainers, not knowing what to say next. "So, er, how are things at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, it's picking up nicely. Numbers were down last year, but Professor McGonagall thinks tha' a lot of the kids who didn' come back last year will come back and repeat." Hagrid paused and looked closely at Harry, "Is everthin' all righ', Harry?"

Harry smiled softly, "Yeah, everything's fine, Hagrid."

"Hagrid!" roared George and Ron, as they lurched over, both holding large mugs of Madam Rosmerta's best mulled mead. She had sent several barrels over for Harry's birthday. Harry took the opportunity to steal away and talk to Ginny. He approached from behind and placed his hand on her hip. When she turned her head toward him, he discreetly jerked his head toward the house. He walked in through the back door walked up to Ginny's bedroom. A minute later, Ginny entered and closed the door behind her. She smiled coyly at Harry. "Last time it was me that cornered you in here."

Harry sighed. "I really wish that was the reason I wanted you to come up here." He sank down onto the edge of Ginny's bed.

Ginny sat down beside him. "What's the matter, Harry?" she asked, holding his hand.

"It's just… what's happening now… the way things are… it's not fair." Harry took a deep breath. "How many times have we seen each other in the last month?"

Ginny looked puzzled. "Er, well, you came to the Albatross game when Gwenog asked me to play with the Harpies, then we, um, I popped over to Grimmauld Place one night, but you were studying so I didn't stay long and, er -"

"Exactly, we've hardly seen each other. I know that you're the girl for me and all I want is to spend the rest of my life with you." Harry could feel his face growing hot and his eyes began to burn. He hadn't expected he would get so choked up. "But right now, the guy you need is the one who'll step back and give you the space and time you need to reach your dream. When you look back on your life, I don't want to be the one that got in the way."

Tears were running down Ginny's face, but she nodded and gave Harry a watery smile. "I know that you're right. Why does this have to be so hard for us?"

"Because if it was easy, we wouldn't have to fight for it and we wouldn't realise how important it is."

Ginny sniffed and wiped her eyes with her bedspread. "Why can't you just be selfish, like other guys." She put her head on Harry's shoulder and put her arms around him. "What am I going to do when I can't talk to you?"

Harry hugged her back. "Don't be silly. We can still see each other and talk to each other. I just think dating would put too much pressure on us."

They sat together on the bed for quite some time, Harry stroking Ginny's back.

"This is the right thing to do, isn't it?" said Ginny, at last. "I mean, we're going to look back on this time in twenty years and know that it was the right thing to do?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I think, that if we're looking back on this time together in twenty years, then obviously it was the right thing to do because we're together and we're happy.

Ginny smiled at Harry and they shared one last gentle kiss.

Thanks to all the wonderful reviewers, I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me what you think. I'm sorry to my fellow Leo (Harry/Ginny) Shippers, but it had to be done, however there will be cave-ins in the break ;-) Should have another chapter up before Christmas. Please review, hope you've enjoyed Chapter 11.