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CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Harry's Party, Part Two

Seeing Fireworks

Harry felt a light touch on his shoulder. He turned his head.

Ginny stood behind him, smiling widely.

"I thought we'd keep the night on a personal level," she said, draping her arm through his.

"Why did she never tell us she could sing like that?" demanded Ron. Harry smiled at his wide-eyed admiration.

Ginny shrugged. "You never asked."

They listened in astonished pleasure for a minute or two, until a sudden commotion near the patio caused them to look away from Hermione just as the song drew to a close.

"I'm sorry, Molly!" cried a tall girl with fuschia pink hair. She pulled out a wand and muttered a spell, and the shards of glass that littered the floor reassembled into glasses on the table again.

"TONKS!" squealed Ginny, so loudly that Harry thought his head had been pierced through the ears with a sharp instrument.

"GINNY! HARRY! Hello, people! HERMIONE! I heard your voice all the way from the river!"

Tonks charged down the steps, almost falling over Fred and Angelina sitting on the steps. Behind her, chatting with Mrs Weasley, were three very curious looking figures. One of them was an aging man with a bent back and a wooden leg, not to mention an eerie glass eye that swirled hideously in its socket. Beside Mad-Eye, a tall dark-skinned man with sparkling white teeth waved excitably at Harry, almost knocking over the becloaked and befuddled figure on his right hand side.

Tonks talked and talked for what seemed like hours - mostly to Ginny and Hermione - giving Harry the chance to join his godfather and Lupin who had moved to greet the three newcomers.

"Damned tricky business, Sirius," muttered Moody, his eye spinning in agitation.

"Ssh! Keep your voice down, you idiot!" hissed Sirius, casting a quick glance around the garden.

"Don't call me an idiot, boy!"

"Listen," interrupted Lupin, taking a practical command of the situation as usual. "Can the pair of you stop arguing for a minute, please?"

Sirius stared at him. "Remus, for God's sake - "

"Shut UP! Harry's behind you."

Sirius span round and attempted to look innocent. Harry frowned at all five of them.

"OK, what's going on?"

"Nothing!" replied Sirius, in an overly light-hearted tone.

"Don't lie to me," said Harry, grimly. "You lot are plotting something."

"Harry, if we were plotting something we wouldn't be discussing it in the middle of a crowded garden, would we?"

Ginny's enchanted orchestra had begun playing again, and a peal of girlish laughter stole Harry's attention for a moment.

Fleur, Ginny and Hermione were standing in a little group under the lanterns on the patio. In the light of the half moon and the candles along the avenue, the garden had taken on an otherworldly feel. The three laughing girls looked like they had just stepped out of a fantasy painting - one tall and blonde like the elegant Californian models; one petite and dark, her size belying her powerful, tempestuous nature; the other slender and fiery, bright-eyed and perfect in every way -

Determined not to fall into the same trap as he had a few nights earlier, Harry returned his attentions back to his godfather and his co-conspirators. Only Lupin stood there now, the others having made a swift departure while Harry's eyes had been averted.

"Will you explain?" Harry asked, without much hope.

Lupin's emerald eyes shone fiercely in the moonlight, narrowing slightly as he considered his options.

"On the condition that you don't breathe a word to a soul."

Harry nodded.

"There was slightly more to Charlie's attack than met the eye. It was true that he was tracked in the hope of leading Voldemort's followers to The Burrow, where it is well known that a large group of Dumbledore's supporters live, including at the present time, you. The security spells we placed before the attack were sufficient to hide The Burrow not only from the eyes of Muggles, but also Wizards. Did you not wonder why Angelina and Alicia and Lee arrived in the middle of a rainstorm without warning? They had probably been wandering across the area for hours before they found the house. Presumably someone at the Ministry lifted the cover briefly, for some reason or another, allowing them to find the front door."

Harry frowned as he attempted to process the information.

"We have discovered that Charlie was attacked long before he reached The Burrow. He had Apparated from Moscow to London with the rest of us, but there we all split up for different duties. Bill intended to go out into Diagon Alley to replenish supplies. Sirius and I came straight back to Godric's Hollow. The others had various things to attend to, and I supposed, as we all did, that Charlie would wait for his brother before going on to The Burrow. There was no cover for Apparation, so it was going to have to be a broomstick job. Apparently that was what he meant to do, but certain things occurred that made it imperative that he left for home immediately."

"What things?"

"It's hard to explain. Let's just say that the enemy is slightly more clever than we imagined. It was a trick, of course. One Weasley brother would be easier to get rid of than two once he had led them to The Burrow. Luckily for Charlie, they underestimated him. He realised he had been fooled about half way between London and here. He tried to double-back but there were too many of them. He managed to land before he fell, but they were too quick, and he barely got away. God knows how he managed to get as far as the house before he collapsed. I'm amazed he survived at all!"

He paused for a moment, and watched Harry's facial response.

"Why did no-one explain this before?" Harry asked. A rising swell of indignation was threatening to make itself known in no uncertain terms very shortly.

Lupin sighed painfully. Evidently it had been a matter of debate among the Order members which had caused a good deal of dissension.

"Partly because we didn't want to spoil your birthday," he replied. "And partly because of - something else."

Harry raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"All right, listen to me, Harry. You're not going to like this, but I'm afraid that's tough. For a start, until you are back at Hogwarts you are still in danger. Less so than before, but there is still a risk that a similar stunt to the one Charlie suffered could be pulled by the Death Eaters between now and next week when you head back to school. Once you're at Hogwarts, they don't stand a chance in hell of getting at you, so they're going to try whatever they can to get you out of the way beforehand. Do you understand me?"

Harry stared back skeptically. "What about those security spells you strengthened?"

Lupin shook his dark head. "They can stand up to so much, but God knows what they'll try now Charlie has foiled them. That's partly why we're all here tonight. To make sure your night goes according to plan."

Harry felt himself torn between a desire to shake the damned man until his teeth fell out, and a curious desire to laugh. The latter prevailed.

"I appreciate the way you put that," he said, with a smile. "Thanks for being so - um - tactful. I doubt Sirius would have bothered."

Lupin grinned. "He's an idiot, but he means well."

"I know."

They stood in thoughtful silence for a few seconds, until Lupin nodded towards the patio. "They're dancing," he said, his eyes shining mischievously. "Go have fun, Harry. It might be your last chance."

***

It was getting on for midnight, and Harry hadn't had Ginny to himself at all. Not that he had any reason to expect he might, but still -

She was dancing with Sirius in the centre of the space that had been cleared beside the orchestra for that very purpose. It was all Harry could do to keep himself from staring at her as she moved to the music.

"Hey, Harry." Hermione flopped onto the step beside him, brushing loose tendrils of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing, and her eyes were sparkling with unusual fervour.

"How much have you had to drink, 'Mione?" he asked, cheekily.

"Not much! Kingsley is a very fast dancer, and so are the twins! My feet are killing me."

The music changed abruptly to a lugubrious waltz. Harry and Hermione laughed as they watched George and Alicia attempting to jazz up the proceedings by inventing several violent spins and whirls every few steps.

"Haven't they tried to hex the orchestra yet?" whispered Hermione, eyeing the double-bass with suspicion.

"That is an excellent idea, Hermione, thankyou!"

Hermione groaned as she turned to see Fred beaming at her, his wand twirling eagerly in his fingers.

"Don't you dare! Ginny will eat you alive!"

"Who will I eat alive?"

Ginny appeared beside Harry out of nowhere, and settled onto the step next to him.

"Silly question, little sister," said Fred, as he scampered off to find George. Angelina rolled her eyes before following.

"If they do anything, I will personally chain them to the ceiling," Ginny muttered. She raised her hand and beckoned Ron to join them.

"You're being boring, Ron," she declared. "Why don't you dance?"

"Um, well, let's think - possibly because I'm RUBBISH!"

"You're not so bad," acceded Ginny, nudging Hermione slightly under the pretence of shifting her position on the step.

Ron's cheeks took on a pink flush, and he looked everywhere except at Hermione. Ginny smiled at Harry and raised her eyes heavenward.

Harry took the hint, with rather more eagerness than perhaps he ought. Co-incidentally, the hideous waltz music had been replaced by something rather more modern, with a conveniently slow beat.

"Come on, Gin. If Mohammed won't go to the mountain - "

Leaving Ron looking thoroughly confused, and Hermione blushing the colour of raspberries, he took Ginny by the hand and pulled her up to the patio.

He had been waiting all night for an excuse to ask her to dance, but somehow the opportunity never arose. No, that was a lie. He had had dozens of opportunities, but he'd been to damned scared to ask her. Merlin, and he was supposed to be starting military training in less than a fortnight!

She felt deliciously warm as he wrapped an arm round her, and her soft skin moulded perfectly against him. A pair of hands placed themselves at the nape of his neck, and before long her fingers were idly twisting strands of his hair around themselves as she hummed the song that was playing.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked, gazing up at him. The sight of her bright, chocolate eyes reflecting the glow of the lanterns, staring into his with unconcealed trust and affection, gave Harry the sensation of melting bones. He hoped he wasn't blushing, but the light was so dim that she probably wouldn't have noticed anyway.

"Very much so," he replied, trying to control the desire to caress the skin of her bare back with his fingers. She felt like silk, and her scent was intoxicating. Involuntarily, or so he assumed at the time, she moved a little closer, deepening the contact between them. His breath stirred the red hair above her ears, she was so near. He could even feel the occasional pressure of her thigh against his -

I am never, never going to be able to sleep at night ever again.

The music went on for a little longer, with Ginny's head falling gradually against the curve of his shoulder. As the last notes died away, she turned her head to look up at him. At some point during the course of the song, one of her hands had become entwined with one of his, and she showed no inclination to remove it.

Their cunning plan to leave Ron and Hermione alone together forgotten, they wandered slowly, hand in hand, towards the candle-lit avenue.

"It's a beautiful night," she said, softly, as they came to a standstill at a distance from the activity near the patio. He followed her gaze upwards into the sky, glittering with stars, and then returned his eyes to her face.

"Mm," he said, taking a step closer to her.

She smiled dazzlingly. "Do you think he's said anything?"

"Who?"

"Ron, you fool."

She took a step foward, and placed a slender hand on his chest, just below his throat.

"Oh," rasped Harry, letting one of his arms circle her slim waist and draw her against him. "I doubt it."

"Me too."

His head was bending downwards, and she lifted hers to meet him. He let his fingers brush across the small of her back, enjoying the shiver that passed through her at his touch.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," she whispered. Her breath bounced against his lips.

He smiled, and leaned in -

An explosion above them made them jerk their heads upwards in shock. Brilliant colours sparkled and twirled in the sky over the house and garden, raining sparkles over the crowd like flakes of snow. The noise was astonishing.

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments. Her cheeks were deeply flushed.

"Hey, you two!" yelled Ron from the lawn. His expression was thundery, but Hermione's presence just behind him prevented an outcry of indignation and anger. "Get the hell over here NOW!"

Harry saw no way out. He didn't want to leave it like that. He didn't want to let her go.

Dear God! I almost just kissed Ginny Weasley!!