Chapter 11: Celebrate
July 31, 1998
The moment Harry had arrived at the Burrow was followed by a whirlwind of chaos. He had only a moment to say hello to someone before being swept off again. He was glad that this only lasted half an hour before he finally had a chance to say hello to the people he was most glad to see.
Kiera kissed him on the cheek with a smile and wished him a happy birthday.
"Thanks." He said softly. "Wish Alexis could have made it though."
"Mother assigned her bed rest for a reason Harry. She's still recovering."
"I know." Harry sighed softly, but smiled at her. "At least she's okay."
Kiera smiled back and took his hand. "Come one, you have more people to see."
Harry faked a groan as Kiera dragged him towards a group of people around their age, but smiled when they approached the group. He blinked before smiling widely, recognizing an old face.
"Oliver!" He called, letting go of Keira's hand to approach the scott and the woman with him. "What are you doing here?"
"We're here to celebrate your birthday of course!" Oliver Wood laughed. "By the way, this is Annabeth Horton. She's an on-location Healer. Saved my arse when I fell off my broom during a match and I haven't left her alone since."
Annabeth rolled her eyes, though her cheeks were a light, rosy pink.
"Poor girl." Harry chuckled and shook Annabeth's hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"Like wise."
"And who's this Harry? Last I heard you and Ginny were dating!" Oliver asked, smiling at Kiera.
"Kiera Hale. And yes, she's my girlfriend. Me and Ginny were before the war. Things had changed after the battle." Harry explained, trailing off for a moment.
Kiera patted his hand. "She was hoping to talk to you, by the way."
Harry blinked and looked at her. "Oh." He blinked again and nodded before smiling for a moment before leaving Kiera with Oliver and Annabeth to look for Ginny.
About fifteen minutes later found Harry sitting in the drawing room of the Burrow with Ginny, everyone else outside or in the kitchen on the other side of the ground floor.
"So…what did you want to talk about?" Harry asked, glancing at her.
Ginny looked at him and sighed. "We never really got to talk about us after the war." She pointed out, and suddenly Harry knew exactly where this conversation was going. "And then suddenly you're dating Kiera, of all girls. You didn't even know she existed before the Battle!"
"Ginny I'm sorry, it just happened." Harry said. "I'm truly sorry we never talked before things settled down, but it all just happened so fast. Kiera and I….there's something there. Something that I don't feel between you and me…"
"So what was all that in your sixth year?" Ginny asked, on her feet and pacing. "If there's this thing that you don't feel between us, then why did you even kiss me in the first place?"
"I don't know!" Harry sighed, burying his face in his hands for a moment. "Maybe I was just trying to be protective in a way that I thought was right, but Ginny…you're still important to me."
"Really?" She turned on him, glaring. "And how so? How am I important to you exactly?!"
"You're…you're like Hermione and Alexis." He said, looking away. "When you were dating Dean, I thought I was jealous, but I didn't recognize that maybe it wasn't jealousy. When Alexis and Fred finally started dating, I'd been waiting for it to happen since fourth year, I knew they were meant for each other. Ron and Hermione, anyone could see that coming! I knew with them that there were with who they were meant to be with."
"So you got between me and Dean because you think he's not right for me?"
"I don't know Ginny!" Harry looked at her, feeling sorrow and remorse that he'd done this, confused her like this. "I'm sorry, I am. I never meant to screw anything up for you. There were just….too many mixed signals."
There was silence for a few moments, tension in the air and a part of Harry wouldn't be surprised if she slapped him. Or hexed him. Yeah, she'd most likely hex him.
But then, a bit of tension lifted.
"I'm happy for you Harry, I am. But I'm angry with myself for letting it happen. I should have known something like this would happen. Your life has been crazy since you were a baby, that's not your fault." Ginny paused and sighed, turning her back to Harry. "Kiera came and talked to me, right after the Malfoy trials. She told me that you two were getting close and practically dating. At first I didn't want to believe it but…" She sighed again and looked at him. "You need some sort of normalcy in your life. For most of my life, you've been Harry Potter: Boy Who Lived. I have to admit, part of me held you up to that standard since I've met you. Kiera doesn't care about fame or power or anything. She sees the true person you can be. And that's what you deserve. If she makes you happy, and I can tell that she does, I can live with that. Just please, don't get between me and a date again."
Harry smiled sheepishly. "I won't. Promise."
Ginny smiled softly and shook her head. "Go find you girlfriend. She was convinced I'd bat boogey you."
Harry swallowed nervously suddenly. He hadn't thought about that.
The rest of the day went well. Harry stayed close to Kiera as he opened gifts, ate amongst friends and those he thought of as family, and even flew loops around her during a mock Quidditch game at the Weasley family pitch. Harry's team had won, and it felt great to play with Oliver again.
After cake, most of the party attendees went home, bidding Harry one last Happy Birthday before appariting off. Most of those who stayed were those closer to Harry's own age. Class mates from Hogwarts, Oliver and Annabeth, Luna and Ginny. They'd light a small bonfire a ways from the Burrow, sitting in a circle around it.
Kiera sat between Harry's legs, leaning her back against his chest as everyone told stories. Ron told tall tales of their adventures while hiding and searching for Horcuxes. Oliver told the full story of how he and Annabeth had met, as well of a few different stories of games he'd been in so far. Harry was the most interested in his telling of their last game, against the Falmouth Falcons, and how the Puddlemere seeker wouldn't be able to play this season or the next.
Slowly people started to trickle away from the circle. Harry nodded to Oliver and Annabeth as they left, smiled knowingly when Ron and Hermione headed for the Burrow after a few rounds of hushed whispers, and watched in silence as Ginny left the fire with Dean, possibly to talk.
Before he knew it, it was time to bid Kiera goodbye. He smiled when they reached the end of the path leading away from the Burrow, just a few feet away from being outside of the anti-apparition charms.
"Today was fun." He said softly after kissing her cheek. "The first uninterrupted birthday party I've ever had."
Kiera smiled. "Well I'm glad you liked it."
"You know…I never got a present from you." He pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
Kiera smiled at him and kissed him quick. "You did, you just won't see it until you get home." And with that, she stepped outside of the wards and waved before appirating away.
When Harry finally returned home, a bag full of shrunken presents, he paused just feet from the floo. By the window, perched on a perch that had not been there before, was a small, molted owl with piercing yellow eyes.
Hanging from the perch was a piece of parchment on a string. He grabbed it, slipping it off the end of the perch, and read it as he gently stroked the bird's head.
'Happy Birthday Harry. Treat her well. –Kiera'
So, the reason why this is so late is because, as most fellow college students should know, it's the time for finals. Mine are next week, but all my professors have been laying assignment upon assignment on us these past few weeks, all my free time is spent sleeping. I'm sorry this took so late, it was ready before my schedule became so jam packed, but then again, that was also when the seen with Ginny and Harry wasn't included. I realized that I hadn't addressed the issue there yet, and thought that it would be better to do it now, in this chapter, than when they are at Hogwarts.
Do NOT expect a chapter from me next week, and possibly not the week after. My work schedule will be changing now that the semester is about to end, and my family and I know a lot of people graduating this year, my sister included, so I'm still going to be busy until about the middle of June or so. Thank you for your patience.
