A/N I feel like I'm always apologizing for being late, but here I go once again. Sorry guys! Next chapter is with beta, so hopefully everything will go as planned and I'll be on time next week!
Ginny woke up the morning of her birthday alone in bed. She had become so used to waking up feeling safe in Harry's arms that she felt oddly exposed. She hadn't realized how dependent she was becoming on him. It was almost scary.
Ginny felt like there was lead settled in the pit of her stomach when she anticipated what Ron had planned for her birthday celebration that night. She would like nothing more than to just eat dinner with her family and Harry, at the same time, and then just sit around and talk like the old days. But Ginny knew that wasn't in the cards; at least not this year.
"Happy Birthday," Harry said, walking back into the room.
Ginny sat up in bed and smiled. "Thank you. Where have you been?"
Harry sat down on the bed beside her and kissed her forehead. "Seeing what I had in the kitchen to fix for you for breakfast."
"It's a lovely sentiment, but you know I don't have time to eat. Besides, it'd probably look suspicious to Ron if I didn't eat breakfast at the Burrow." Ginny pushed back the covers and looked in surprise at her completely bare legs. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Didn't I wear a pair of shorts to bed last night?"
Harry looked at her puzzled. "I don't know. I know you put on a t-shirt and shorts after the incident with your dress, but I don't remember if you kept them on when we got in bed. I was pretty tired after we, um, spent so long on the couch."
Ginny blushed slightly. "I'm almost positive I wore them to bed as well. This isn't a long enough shirt for me to wear by itself."
"I kind of like you in that shirt by itself," Harry said as he gazed at her legs appreciatively.
Ginny slapped his arm playfully. "That's not the issue! Do you think you had an incident similar to the dress incident while you were sleeping?"
"I don't know," Harry said slowly. "I don't think I've ever had something this nice happen in my sleep before."
"Well, things were pretty intense between us last night," Ginny pointed out.
"But we just slept in here," Harry pointed out. "We left the intense stuff on the couch."
"Harry, we told each other I love you for the first time," Ginny said softly. "You don't get much more intense than that."
Ginny shivered as Harry slowly ran a hand up the outside of one of her bare legs. "I do love you."
Ginny felt like her heart was going to burst from being so happy. "I love you, too." She leaned over and kissed Harry, pulling away before she could lose track of time. "I really do have to go."
"What's the verdict on your shorts?"
"I think that they are now resting in the same place as my new dress. You'll just have to try and make sure your mind is clear before we go to bed."
Harry snorted. "Not bloody likely! You think I'll be able to clear my mind when you're lying in bed next to me?"
Ginny laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before getting out of bed. She began to walk towards the bathroom, swinging her hips for Harry's benefit. "You're just going to have to try harder. I can't have you banishing my clothes all the time! I'll go broke!"
"Merlin, I love you."
Ginny blew Harry a kiss before shutting the bathroom door behind her. She giggled to herself and sat down on the edge of the tub. She could still barely believe that Harry had admitted that he loved her. She brought her hands up to her face and shook her head. She just knew that if Harry Potter could admit he loved someone then Ron could at least try to forgive him, and then they could all start to make up on lost time.
Ginny had stood up and begun to brush her teeth when the bathroom door opened and Harry walked in. He stood behind her at the sink and wrapped his arms around her waist. Ginny felt his hot breath on her neck and she tried her hardest to focus on the simple task of brushing her teeth.
"I've been thinking about it, and I want to come to your birthday thing tonight," Harry whispered in her ear.
"What!" Ginny exclaimed, spitting the contents in her mouth into the sink. "Do you have a death wish?"
"No. I promise I'll stay under the invisibility cloak the whole time… No one will even know I'm there."
"Are you insane?"
"I just don't trust Ron right now. From what you've told me, he really wants to set you up with someone."
Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "Do you not trust me?"
Harry laughed. "No, I want to see firsthand what hex you'll use on Ron when he tries."
"I don't think he'll pull anything tonight. It is, after all, my birthday."
"But you know Ron, he's stubborn. If he thinks you and I are getting too close, he'll try hard to set you up with someone else to knock me out of the picture."
Ginny looked at Harry in disbelief in the mirror. "That's a pretty astute observation."
Harry shrugged. "It's the Dumbledore in me. I tend to have a better understanding of things faster now. Things that I wouldn't have even thought about before have like, five meanings now." Harry turned Ginny around so she was looking him in the eyes. "So, what's the verdict?"
"What are my options?"
"Well, you either arrange a time for me to meet you, or I just show up and you'll have no idea whether I'm there or not," Harry replied grinning.
Ginny groaned. "I'm going to regret this later. Meet me tonight at 6:30. I'll make sure I'm alone in my bedroom."
"Deal!"
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I actually do have to get back to the Burrow before Ron realizes I'm gone."
"Is that all you're wearing?"
"I'm just going back to my bedroom, Harry. I'll change there. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but I'll see you at six thirty tonight."
Harry was smiling like Christmas had come early. "You won't regret this. Bye, Gin. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Ginny apparated back into her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed. She knew that letting Harry come to her birthday celebration was a bad idea, but she didn't think she'd ever be able to refuse him anything. She had waited so long to hear him say that he loved her that she didn't think anything could ruin her day. She just didn't know how she was going to make it until six thirty.
Ginny stood in her bedroom, nervously pacing the floor while fingering the bracelet on her wrist. It was almost six thirty and Harry was due to arrive at any second. She hadn't realized how crucial his timing would be that morning when they made the plans. Ron had just informed her that they were going to leave the Burrow at six forty, so if Harry was late he'd get left behind. Although, Ginny still hadn't decided whether or not she thought that would be a good thing.
There was a crash behind her and Ginny quickly turned around. "Harry!"
Harry was sprawled out on the floor, half underneath her vanity. "Not my most graceful landing," he mumbled.
"Shh!" Ginny hissed. "Ron is right downstairs!"
"So, do you know what the big plans are for tonight, yet?" Harry asked, pulling himself up from the floor. "Blind date?"
Ginny scowled. "All I know is that we're walking to a restaurant in town in about ten minutes. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak and put it on so only his head was showing. "Positive."
"Why?"
Ginny expected Harry to reply with the same cheeky attitude he'd had all day, so she was surprised when she saw genuine sadness in his eyes. "Honestly? I just want to be a part of your family again for one night, even if they don't know I'm there."
Ginny walked over to Harry and wrapped her arms around what she assumed was his waist. "Things will be easier on us one day. I promise."
Harry leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Now let's go see what your big brother has planned for your birthday."
Ginny smiled as she watched Harry's head disappear. She walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs, trying to make her steps as loud as possible so no one would hear Harry walking behind her.
"Happy birthday, Gin Gin!" Fred said as Ginny appeared in the kitchen.
"You're getting on up there," George added.
"Thanks, Fred, George."
"You ready for your big party?"
"Big party?" Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Whoops."
"You really let the cat out of the bag there, Fred," George said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Ginny was about to question them farther when Ron and Charlie walked into the kitchen with their father. "Are you ready to go, Ginny?" Ron asked.
"I think so, considering I don't really know what's going on."
"It's just a ten minute walk to where Padma and the others are waiting for us."
"Padma and the others?" Ginny questioned as she followed Ron out the front door.
"I guess there's no use in hiding from you now," Ron said with a grin. "Padma and I thought that you'd enjoy seeing some of our old school friends, so we rented out the back room at the tavern."
"That sounds great!" Ginny was genuinely excited. Ron's plan actually coincided with something she had wanted to do: get in touch with her other friends again. She wondered who would be there as her brothers chatted around her during the short walk to the tavern. They reached their destination and Ginny was about to enter the restaurant when George pulled her aside.
"Ginny, I have a favor to ask of you," he said quietly.
George looked so tense that Ginny was genuinely concerned for him. "Anything."
George looked around to see if anyone was listening to them as he wrung his hands nervously. "Well, I have a small, well actually a big, announcement to make, and it never seems like it's the right time. We're never all together and when we are it's normally for a funeral or something else equally morbid…"
"Not really the time for announcements," Ginny supplied, trying to make things easier for him.
"Right. And now today, everybody's here and happy, and while I hate to take away from your birthday I don't think I can wait any longer."
Ginny smiled. "Go ahead whenever you feel like its right. I'm just happy that everyone's here."
George pulled Ginny into a hug, nearly squeezing the breath out of her. "Thank you so much! Now let's get you into your party."
Ginny followed George into the party, and after he gave her a quick squeeze on her shoulder he went off to find Katie.
"Everybody, Ginny's here!" Ron called as soon as he spotted her.
"Happy Birthday, Ginny!"
Ginny blushed at all of the attention she was receiving. She had spent so much time the past year trying to blend in to the background that it felt nice to stand out for a change. She looked around the room and noticed Fred, George, Angelina, Katie, Charlie, and Tonks standing at the bar. MJ, Tank and Jeff were seated at a table with her father near the front of the restaurant, and Dean, Lavender, Padma, and Ron were seated at the next one. Luna was standing with Colin Creevey and Zacharias Smith. Neville Longbottom was standing close with Hannah Abbot in one of the corners of the room, and two of Ginny's old roommates, Angela and Karen, were talking with Michael Corner. Seeing so many of her old classmates in the same room was overwhelming for Ginny; not only did it remind her of all the fun they had in school, it also reminded her of how many of their classmates had died.
"Thank you all for coming!" Ginny said when she realized everyone in the room was still looking at her. "I'm sure I'll get to talk to all of you tonight, so I guess everyone just enjoy yourselves and we'll all have a great time!" There were several calls of agreement and the room seemed to move back into action.
Ginny walked over to where Ron was sitting, figuring she should thank him for planning everything before she started mingling. The conversation going on at the table stopped as Ginny took the empty seat next to Dean. "Hi guys."
"Happy Birthday, luv," Dean said, squeezing her thigh under the table.
Ginny tried to discreetly pull Dean's hand off her lap. "Thanks. And thank you, Ron, for doing all of this. It's great!"
Ron grinned. "It was nothing. Besides, Padma here really helped me out." He leaned over and kissed Padma's cheek. Ginny fought to urge to roll her eyes.
"It was nothing," Padma added, taking Ron's hand that was resting on the table. "I love planning this kind of thing. I just hope we didn't leave anyone off the guest list… a boyfriend, perhaps?"
Ginny quickly shook her head and thought of Harry somewhere in the room under his invisibility cloak. "No, I think everyone important is here. How've you been, Lavender?" she asked, tactfully changing the subject.
"Good," she replied with a flip of her hair. "I'm managing Madam Puddifoots, and hopefully she'll sell it to me when she retires in a few years." Lavender quickly glanced over to where the Quidditch players were sitting. "But right now I think I'm going to try and get to know my English National Team better." Lavender excused herself from the table and sauntered over to the next table.
"Luv, you should be dancing on your birthday," Dean said, pulling her up from the table.
"I really should be talking to all my guests," Ginny insisted.
"Nonsense, they just want you to have fun." Just as Dean was trying to wrap his arms around her waist, Ginny heard a loud ripping sound.
"What was that?" she asked.
Dean looked angry enough to kill. "I think someone sent a slashing charm to my pants," he hissed, looking around the room for someone to blame.
"That doesn't sound very likely," Ginny said reasonably.
"Then why did my pants just split?"
"I don't know!" Ginny exclaimed, as Dean turned around to show her the damage. "But you might want to go do something about it," she finished, trying hard not to laugh. Dean stormed away and Ginny looked around the room curiously. "Thanks, Harry," she whispered. Ginny felt someone blow in her ear and she smiled. "This actually may be fun."
"Gin-Gin, are you talking to yourself again?" Fred asked, walking over to her.
"Apparently," she replied with a shrug. "Why aren't you with Angelina?"
"She's talking with MJ." Fred pointed over his shoulder where Angelina was standing with MJ and Lavender. "Can I ask you something?" he asked seriously.
"Why, do you have an announcement, too?" Ginny asked laughing.
"Actually, I wanted a female perspective on something."
"Shoot."
"Is it possible to discover that even though you've been with someone for a long time you're just better off as friends?" he asked nervously.
"It's very possible… Do you think she feels the same way?" Ginny asked quietly.
"I don't know. I mean, she's still my best friend, besides George of course, but I think the spark we once had is gone. All I see her as now is a friend."
"Well then you should probably be talking to her about this, not me. Although, I'm very glad you did come to me. It's nice to share things like this again."
Fred grinned evilly. "If you think this was good, wait until George makes his announcement."
"Can't wait."
"Happy birthday, Ginny," a falsely sweet voice said, while a hand tapped her on the shoulder.
Ginny turned around to be face to face with her old roommates, Karen and Angela. She never actually got along with them; in fact, she thought they hated her, but she assumed Ron and Padma wouldn't have known that when they were sending out the invitations.
"Thank you, and thank you both for coming," she replied, sounding equally sweet.
"We couldn't turn down an invitation to a party thrown by Padma Patil!" Karen answered excitedly. "She works for the Prophet; it'll probably have a write up in the society page!"
"Oh, goody," Ginny said, unable to keep the bitter tone out of her voice. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to figure out the fastest way to excuse herself from the publicity seeking girls.
"Harry Potter isn't coming, is he?" Angela asked. "I know you work with him, and you two used to be inseparable."
"I don't think so." Ginny's eyes shot to where she knew Harry had been standing a few minutes earlier. As if on cue, Neville, who had been walking right behind them, tripped over his own two feet and spilled the two very large mugs of Butterbeer he was carrying all down Angela and Karen's backs.
Neville's eyes widened in horror. "I am so, so sorry."
"You clumsy, blubbering idiot!" Karen yelled.
"Please don't speak to my friend that way!" Ginny yelled back. "It was an accident!"
Angela glared at Ginny. "Let's go try to clean ourselves up." They stalked away, leaving Ginny standing with Neville.
"I really didn't mean to," he insisted.
Ginny laughed. "Don't worry about it; I never did like them. How are you doing?"
"Brilliant, actually. I'm working with Professor Sprout at Hogwarts right now."
"Did I see you talking to Hannah, earlier?"
Neville blushed. "We've been together for almost six months now."
Ginny beamed at him. "That's wonderful!"
Neville smiled at her. "I think it is. You know, it is strange without Harry being here. It feels like we're not whole… Maybe I'm just being silly."
Ginny put her hand on Neville's shoulder. "It doesn't sound silly at all," she replied softly. "You should probably get new drinks and get back to Hannah. It was good talking to you, Neville."
"You, too. And happy birthday, Ginny."
Ginny smiled as she watched Neville walk back to the bar. She hoped that one day she and Harry would look as happy as Neville and Hannah.
"One day," she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear.
Ginny smiled in the direction the voice came from. "I hope so."
"Happy birthday, wee one!"
"Hi MJ, Tank, Jeff," Ginny said, turning around to face the team members. "Have you all been having a good time?"
"Oh yeah, I got your giggly friend's fire place address," MJ replied, grinning.
"She's more Padma's friend than mine," Ginny said laughing. "But she is pretty sweet."
"Sweet enough to put her cleavage in MJ's face," Tank snorted.
"We've missed you," Jeff interrupted, obviously trying to change the subject. "Do you have any idea why they reassigned you this late in the game?"
Ginny shrugged and tried her best to feign innocence. "I think they felt more comfortable keeping me in the office since the attack on Dustin. I know it sounds very old fashioned, but what am I going to do about it? I trust Ron to get the job done."
"He's not nearly as nice to look at," Tank said.
"I should think not! I do wish the whole team was here, though." Ginny noticed that they all looked at their feet uncomfortably. "What? Did the others think they were too good to come to my birthday party or something?"
"It's just that Ron invited us and made us promise not to say anything in front of the other guys," Tank explained. "He was trying to get us all on our own, but…"
"But he couldn't get Jacob or Wesley without Harry," Jeff finished. "I don't blame him, though. It's his sister's birthday and if he wouldn't feel comfortable with Harry here he shouldn't have to invite him."
Ginny unconsciously clenched her teeth. "Of course, we wouldn't want Ron to feel uncomfortable."
"Well, I think I'm going to go see if Angie wants to dance," MJ said awkwardly. "Happy birthday."
Ginny tried to smile and turned to face Tank. "Where's Marissa tonight?"
"At home with the kids. Actually, I'm on the way out myself. I just wanted to stop by to say happy birthday before I headed home."
"I appreciate you coming. Bye, Tank!" Ginny and Jeff waved goodbye as Tank walked out the door. "So, are you having fun?" she asked Jeff.
"It's nice to get to relax for a night. Mason's been a real slave driver lately. I'm actually surprised you've been having a good time."
Ginny looked at Jeff curiously. "Why is that?"
"Because Ron's goal for tonight was to fill the room with as many single men as possible in hopes that you'd hit it off with one. Although I don't think he was expecting some of the guys he invited to bring dates."
Ginny felt mad enough to kill. She glanced over to where Ron was dancing closely with Padma; the sight of them happy together made her want to hex them both. She couldn't believe this was all some elaborate scheme of Ron's to try and keep her away from Harry! She actually thought he was doing it to make her happy.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I just assumed Ron talked to you as much as he talks to me about wanting you to meet someone," Jeff said uncomfortably.
"It's not your fault," Ginny assured him. "Ron can just be a bit of a prat sometimes. He likes to think he knows what's best for everyone."
"Excuse me," George's voice called, amplified over the noise of the room. "I have an announcement to make." Ginny and Jeff both turned to watch George climb on top of a chair so he was towering over the rest of the crowd. "As you all know, my family was hit pretty hard by the war. We lost Mum, Bill, and Percy, and it was very hard for us all, but I realized then that life was short, and that you have to treat each day like it is your last. So a few weeks after the final battle, Katie and I eloped."
There were exclamations and excited whispers spreading throughout the crowd, but Ron could be heard above them all. "Bloody hell!"
George laughed. "It didn't seem right to make a happy announcement while everyone was still in mourning. Katie lost both of her parents, and she was just as scared as I was that we wouldn't get to live long enough to make our love official. We had decided to wait to tell everyone until the timing felt right, but it never did."
Ginny could see how George would think that. The Burrow had been like a funeral home for the last year. Nobody had ever really seemed happy, and the kids who didn't live there avoided going like the plague. She couldn't help but smile as she realized that things really were changing for her family; everyone was starting to be happy again.
Fred reached up and poked George in the side. "Why don't you tell them why you're announcement couldn't wait any longer."
George's face turned pink and he looked down at Katie for approval. When she nodded he addressed the crowd again. "We found out last week that Katie is pregnant."
Applause broke out through the room as people called their congratulations. Seeing that George and Katie were surrounded by well-wishers, Ginny excused herself from Jeff and went to sit down with her father. She smiled at him and held his hand on top of the table.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh I'm fine," Arthur replied, waving his free hand in the air dismissively. "It's your mother who would have been upset about the eloping. Granted, that's one more wedding I won't get to attend, but I understand how they felt. Especially poor Katie… no father to walk her down the aisle. Just don't get any ideas in you're head about eloping; I only have one daughter and I fully intend on walking her down the aisle. Your mother would kill me from her grave if I didn't."
Ginny pulled her father's hand to her face and kissed it. "There is no way I could get married without you being there. I promise."
Arthur chuckled softly. "Well, if I happen to join your mother again before your wedding day, rest assured you shouldn't feel obligated to maintain that promise."
"Gee, Dad, do you really think it'll take me that long to get married?" Ginny asked teasingly. "Because I foresee that you'll be living a very long time."
"No, I don't. Actually, I'm surprised you're not the one announcing your marriage tonight," he replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"Did I miss my chance? Did someone steal your heart away while I wasn't looking?"
Ginny turned around in her chair and forced a smile. "Hey, Zac. Would you like to join us?"
"That'd be lovely," he said as he took the empty seat next to her. "You know, Ron gave me the impression when he invited me that you were on the market. What's this talk about a marriage?"
"Just a joke between my father and me," Ginny replied. "I've been too busy with work to really be looking for a relationship right now."
"Is that so?" Zac asked, cocking an eyebrow. "I've heard you've been all but replaced."
"Ginny's been working a lot more out of the office and out of home," Arthur piped in. "Trust me, she's not stopped working."
Zac grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "Good. Ginny, you do still owe me lunch sometime. I'm traveling with the team for the next several weeks, but you should be busy with the cup anyway. How about after the finals we go out sometime?"
Before Ginny could reply there was a scream coming from where George had been standing. She jumped from her chair and hurried over, her thoughts on Harry. "What's going on?" she asked Katie.
Katie could only laugh and point up towards the ceiling. There were two big, red, tropical looking birds flying around the room. If Ginny had to guess, the birds were somewhat perplexed to be trapped inside the building.
"Should we let them out?" Ginny asked, worried that the birds would disturb her guests.
"No," Katie replied, her voice still shaking with laughter. "Fred… George…"
Ginny realized that the birds weren't perplexed about being in the room, but about being birds. She started to join the others in their laughter. "Who did this?"
"No one knows," a dreamy voice came from behind her.
"Luna," Ginny managed to get out through her giggles. "Did you see what happened?"
Luna looked up thoughtfully and twirled a lock of blonde hair through her fingers. "Well, one minute they were toasting to fertile Weasleys, and the next they were birds. Very magnificent looking birds, though."
"And no one will own up to finally getting the master pranksters?" Ginny asked, looking around the room curiously. Everyone she saw shook their heads no. Harry.
"It's almost like the person was invisible," Luna added, winking at Ginny.
Ginny felt her stomach drop. Luna knew Harry was there, she had to. "Luna, would you like to step outside with me for a bit of fresh air?"
"Certainly." Ginny quickly looked around the room to see if anyone was watching them before leading Luna outside. When they stepped out the door Luna stopped and leaned casually against the building. "I was checking my neck to see if I had developed an infection from the trash bins I had been searching through this afternoon with my compact when I noticed that Harry was standing right beside you. My compact is made of a special mirror that shows invisibility cloaks."
"The thing is, Luna," Ginny began awkwardly, "Harry and I are together, but no one can know until later. It'll cause problems with work and with my family."
"I assumed something like that was the case when I saw how you talked about him before you left for Japan. He looks like he's been having the time of his life tonight."
"He's been helping me," Ginny replied with a smile.
"In that case, my lips are sealed."
"Thank you for not saying anything," Ginny said, breathing a sigh of relief. Harry hadn't been caught by anybody but Luna. "Where'd you get the mirror?"
"It's something I developed myself," Luna replied nonchalantly. "I'm sure the Ministry has its own version or something similar, but I thought it would be much easier searching for rare, invisible creatures if I could see them."
"That's brilliant!" Ginny was truly impressed with her friend's mental prowess. "You know, you really should talk to Fred and George about your mirror. I bet you could make a fortune selling it."
"Well, when they've returned to their human forms I may have to," Luna replied. "Shouldn't you get back to all of your guests?"
"You go ahead; I'll be back in a minute." Luna walked back into the tavern, twirling her hair contemplatively.
"You look lonely," Harry said.
Ginny turned in the direction his voice came from. "Only for you."
"You want to come home with me now, then?"
"You know I wish I could. I'm going to kill Ron." Ginny realized that she had unconsciously clenched her fists and tried to relax her hands.
"Yeah, I heard that. Can't say I'm surprised, though."
"Did you do Dean's pants?" Ginny asked suddenly.
"Yup."
"Neville's drinks?"
"Yup."
"Turn the twins into birds?"
Harry laughed. "You have to admit that was funny."
"Did you change them back?"
"It'll wear off in about an hour."
Ginny leaned back against the wall where Luna had been standing earlier. "I can't believe George is going to be a dad," she mused.
"Definitely didn't see that one coming."
"I can't believe they kept it a secret for this long."
"I was listening to them talking… Fred and Angelina were there," Harry replied.
"I wish I could see you."
"You never know who is watching. Go back to your party; I'm having fun."
Ginny grinned. "I bet you are. Thank you for coming to my rescue in there."
"Anytime, love, anytime."
Ginny walked back into the building and saw that the party was still in full force. She walked over to where Tonks and Charlie were talking to Michael. "Having fun?"
"There you are!" Tonks exclaimed. "I was just telling Charlie how I hadn't gotten to see you all night!"
"Can you believe about George?" Charlie asked. "Mum would have flipped out!"
"She would have calmed down with the news that they were having a baby. The thought of a grandchild would have excited her enough to cover the loss of planning a wedding," Ginny replied.
Charlie wrapped an arm possessively around Tonks's waist. "Well, I'm sure she was there."
"Me too," Ginny replied, smiling sadly.
"Not to change the subject," Michael interrupted, "but Ginny, whenever you're ready to leave just let me know. I'm your escort back to the Burrow."
"Thanks, Michael. I'll probably be heading back in a little bit; I'm starting to get tired."
Michael looked at her with an expression that Ginny couldn't place. "Just let me know." He walked off towards the bar in search of a drink.
"Don't worry, he's not been drinking anything that has alcohol in it," Tonks assured her. She glanced around the room before stepping even closer to Ginny. "I heard you had a big night last night."
"It was brilliant," Ginny whispered. "He told me he loved me."
"Well, I didn't know he was doing that!" Tonks exclaimed.
Ginny quickly shushed her. "I don't think he had been planning on it, but it was perfect."
The three of them ducked as Fred or George swooped down from the ceiling, almost hitting them in the heads. "I think they think we're guilty," Charlie said, watching them circle the room.
"It'll wear off in an hour… but don't ask me how I know that," Ginny said laughing.
"Did you do it?" Tonks asked
Ginny shook her head. "I know who did, but I can't tell you."
"Speaking of telling people things, have you said anything to Ron yet?" Charlie asked.
"Not yet… Things just haven't been right. Besides, I haven't seen him much lately because he's been spending so much time with Padma."
"I know how you feel," Charlie replied winking at her, "but I've lost my girl to a younger man."
"You know that's for work," Tonks said, poking Charlie in the chest. "I'd much rather be spending all my time with you."
"That makes two of us." Charlie leaned in and kissed Tonks softly.
"Right then, I'm just going to go," Ginny said backing away from the couple. She spotted Katie and Angelina sitting at a table and went over to join them. "I never got to congratulate you Katie, what with your husband being turned into a bird and all."
Katie laughed. "Thanks. I hope you're not upset with us that you didn't get to come to the wedding. It really was just the four of us, a spur of the moment thing."
"Too bad you didn't make it a double wedding," Ginny teased. She couldn't help but notice Angelina shudder at the thought. "Are you not ready for married life?"
"I don't think I'll ever be ready for married life with Fred," Angelina replied. "I can't help but see us more as life long friends. Our physical relationship has really dropped off lately, too. We were so hot and heavy for awhile…"
Ginny help up her hand to stop Angelina. "Okay, sister sitting right here. It sounds like you and Fred need to talk."
"I know, I know. I think somewhere along the way we shifted out of the boyfriend/girlfriend phase, just neither one of us recognized it."
One of the birds flew down to the table and Katie stroked it affectionately. "You don't know when my husband will be back to his normal state, do you?"
"How do you know that one is George?" Ginny asked.
"Just a feeling I have," Katie replied as the bird nuzzled its head against her arm.
"Well, my sources tell me that whatever was used on them should wear off in an hour," Ginny said. "But I think I'm going to head home. It's been a long day and I'm exhausted."
"Bye, Ginny!" Katie said.
"And happy birthday!" Angelina added.
Ginny made her way around the room, saying her goodbyes, making sure she found Ron last. She approached where he was standing with Padma, trying to push down her anger.
"Well, I think I'm going to head home," Ginny said, placing her arm on Ron's shoulder to make him aware of her presence.
"Already?" Padma asked. "Well, I had all of your presents sent to the Burrow so you could open them in your own time. Are you sure you want to leave?"
"I'm pretty tired. But thank you so much for doing all of this for me." Ginny turned so her back was to Padma and she was looking Ron squarely in the eyes. "I really want to thank you, Ron, for assuming that I am incapable of getting my own dates. I've heard what your real motivation for this party was, and I'm highly insulted that you care more about keeping me away from Harry than actually planning something for my birthday I'll actually enjoy."
Ginny turned on her heels, leaving a gaping Ron behind her, and walked to the door where Michael was waiting for her. As they began the short walk back to the Burrow Michael was uncharacteristically quiet. "Are you okay?" she finally asked when she couldn't take the silence any more.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"What went wrong with us?"
Ginny was so surprised by the question she almost stopped walking. "We were too competitive for starters. You liked Cho for another. We never got to see each other."
"But you went out with almost all of my dorm mates after me," Michael said. "It was really hard to listen to all of them talk about you."
"Well, you can hardly say I went out with any of them. Maybe one date a piece… Honestly, I probably would have gone out with anyone who asked me that year. I needed a distraction."
"From Harry?"
Ginny nodded. "We never had good timing, and we were both too stubborn to talk to one another about how we felt. It's not like we just suddenly started a relationship. This thing had been a long time coming."
"I see. So, none of those guys you went out with meant anything to you?"
Ginny didn't understand why Michael was having such a hard time grasping the concept. "Not really."
"Did I mean anything to you?"
"Of course!" Ginny exclaimed. "You were my first boyfriend, and we went out for over a year. You definitely meant more to me than those other blokes."
Michael shook his head for reasons Ginny didn't understand. "Well, this is your stop."
Ginny looked at the front door of her childhood home. "Yep. Michael, I hope you work out whatever is bothering you."
"I think I know what I need to do."
"Good night, Michael."
"Night Ginny."
Ginny walked inside the Burrow and was faced with a huge pile of presents. She circled the pile and looked at the card on a big black box with a red bow. Happy Birthday, Luv! Dean. Ginny scowled at the box. She had half a mind to throw it away without even opening it. Dean had been coming onto her again, after she had plainly told him no last time. And him coming onto her was exactly what Ron had wanted!
It made Ginny's blood boil when she thought about the hypocrite Ron had become. All those years he spent threatening her perspective boyfriends, hinting that she and Harry should go out, and now he was trying to throw her at every available guy! She couldn't believe his nerve.
Ginny was sick and tired of everyone else telling her how to live her life. She had been down that road before with Tom Riddle, and she was not about to go through it again. She kicked one of the boxes sitting on the floor and then limped into the kitchen. She fixed a cup of tea to try and calm her nerves.
Ginny stole a quick glance at the family clock to try and place where all of her family was before she headed over to Harry's. She immediately grinned when she saw it; apparently Fred and George had been busy while they had been home that evening. Her father's hand was on home and said snoring, George's was on home and was captioned with snuggling, Fred's was also on home and read exhausted, Charlie's was on out and read dozing, and Ron's was on out and was surprisingly captioned with snogging.
Ginny watched in horror as the descriptions on Ron's hands grew more graphic and detailed. Her own hand was now pointing at home and read disgusted. She turned away from the clock, but all she could think about was what Ron was currently getting up to with Padma. He was living it up with his girlfriend while Ginny was suffering because of his stubborn streak. It was so unfair she wanted to scream. She couldn't think of the last time she had been so angry.
Ginny's world started to go black and she dropped her head on the table. The only thing she could see was images of her childhood with Ron; he pushed her down the stairs when she was four… ripped the head off of her favorite doll when she was six… teased her for having a crush on Harry when she was ten… didn't notice that she wasn't well her entire first year… threatened Michael not to lay a hand on her… removed Harry from her life…
Ginny's body was starting to shake and she could feel the tears streaming down her face. Just as she was starting to have trouble breathing she felt a familiar presence in her mind. The wall that had been standing strong until a few moments ago began to rebuild. An image was being forced through the wall to the front of her mind: Harry said that he loved her before kissing her with all he was worth.
Ginny opened her eyes when she felt a hand on her back. Harry was standing over her, looking very concerned. She could see the invisibility cloak in the corner of the room out of the corner of her eye. She knew Harry was there, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to speak yet.
"Gin, it's okay," Harry said softly as he stroked her back. "I love you, no matter what Ron does."
"It's dangerous for you to be here."
"You needed me, so I came."
"Ron could catch us."
Harry glanced over at the clock. "I think Ron's a little busy right now."
"Ugg." Ginny dropped her head on the table again.
"Finite Incantatem." Ginny looked up and all of the hands on the clock looked like normally did. "Out of curiosity," Harry said, "how has Ron not noticed you're not at home every night?"
Ginny tried to smile. "Dad changed mine to recognize your flat as home as well. That's how he caught me the first time, so he anticipated it might be a problem."
"Smart man. Why don't we go up to your room and you can get comfortable in bed."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You're going to stay here?"
"I think we'll be fine. I just want to take care of you tonight."
Ginny didn't have the strength to argue with him. She let him help her up from the table and up the stairs to her bedroom. They lay down on top of her bed and Ginny relaxed in the safety of Harry's arms.
"I love you, Harry," she whispered as she fought to keep her eyes open.
"Sleep, Gin."
A/N And we have another big chapter coming up next. I had been dreading Ginny's birthday, but it ended up being fun to write. A special thanks to my 700th reviewer today, sorry again for the wait! Hope you enjoyed!