Disclaimer: Own none of HP except the dreams I have that enable me to write stories and the non-existent bubbles that my beta constantly says I don't have.

Hello everybody! Just wanted to give a great big thanks to those that reviewed and stuff. And thanks to my terrific beta as well. Thank yous will be given to reviewers at the end of the next chapter. Read and review!

Chapter dedicated to A Lack of Color who writes such great stories about Harry and Ginny that I have and still enjoy so much. Read her stories if you like Harry and Ginny to the ends of the world, or in her recent story, to Italy. Cheers!

'recap'

Harry looked up and suddenly realized that a very large parcel was tied to the owl's back. He gently removed it and slowly began to open it. What it contained made Harry cry and he started shaking from trying not to laugh. It was one of the most heartfelt things Harry had ever received, it was…

Chapter 3: Of Friends and Fainting

It was a picture of a large black dog running with a tail between its legs as it tried to get past a lawn that had a muggle man who continuously sprayed water from a water hose at the poor dog. Sirius looked like he was still quite young looking. Harry pulled off more of the paper and saw in the corner that his mother and father were laughing as Sirius at he tried yet again to get past the lawn. Harry sat down and looked at the picture, unmoving for what seemed like an hour. He smiled slightly and thought how in his next letter, he'd tell that he had something for Ginny, but would later get it when he arrived at the Burrow when the time seemed right. He sighed contently, put the picture down, and slowly drifted off to sleep, whispering,

"Goodnight Sirius." As he gazed at the brightest star in the night sky from his window, Sirius.

And Harry had the best night's sleep he had had for weeks.

The next morning Harry awoke to the soft caress of sunlight streaming over his face. He turned a bit, and smiled. The dream he had last night was a good one. It was connected to the picture Ginny had given him. He was playing with Sirius, who was in his dog form; around him were all his friends and family, smiling and laughing. It was as if they were celebrating his birthday with him. He slowly sat up and the more he thought about it, the more his face turned into a look of weird concern.

During the whole dream, which Harry noticed was slowly fading away, Ginny seemed unable to join into the festivities with a happy look. Or rather, had an anxious look on her face, mixed with sadness that her smiled betrayed.

'Why is it that Ginny's more in my dreams and stuff?' Harry wondered. 'Maybe I'm supposed to do something that concerns her?' Harry shook his head, and like all arrogant males at his age, forgot about it for a while. Harry vaguely wondered if the Dursleys had even remembered that it was his birthday. He stretched a bit and looked at his clock. 10:30, it read. He gave a strangled sort of yelp, jumped out of bed, quickly got dressed, and descended down the stairs as fast as he could.

While thinking the whole time, 'Great. You've done it now Potter. Your Aunt's going to give you more than and earful and chores to do. Especially on your birthday, you fool.'

He walked cautiously as he entered the kitchen, smelling the delicious faint aroma of food still lingering, he turned his head to the table and was surprised to see the largest breakfast ever seen in the Dursley household. And yet another little surprise was when he took his seat and noticed a small note from his aunt to him which read;

Harry,

Eat the breakfast I made for you, all of it, or else. Just do the dishes and the rest of the day is yours. Your Uncle, Dudley, and I are not going to be home until late. Oh yes, and Happy Birthday.

Yours truly,

Aunt Petunia

Harry couldn't have believed his luck. First the present, then the dream, and now this? It was altogether going to be a very eventful day. Perhaps they would…'No.' Harry thought stupidly. 'There's no reason for them to come. They're probably busy with the Order, or homework.' Harry thought. He had a slight slimmer of hope that he could go with the Weasleys just for today and celebrate his birthday, but then he remembered that they had promised him that they would have a party at the Burrow later for him. He sighed and suspiciously began to eat the wonderful that was made just for him. By the time he had finished his third helping, he had barely even gotten halfway through all the food his aunt had made. And he didn't want to know the 'or else' if he didn't finish the food. He was sure that his aunt would have some way of knowing that he didn't finish the food.

"If only Ron was here," Harry said loudly, lowering his head onto the table. "He always was good for unwanted food, being the pig that he is."

"I heard that." said a voice.

Harry immediately stiffene

d and grabbed hold of his wand. He relaxed when he saw that it was his best friend. He got up and they patted each others backs.

"When did you get here, Ron? Did you bring anyone else? Is everything alright?" Harry said excitedly.

Ron laughed a bit, a slightly mischievious look in his eyes. "I just arrived, everything's fine, and now I'm going leave as soon as-"Ron stopped mid-sentence, saw the said food from earlier, gave a cry of happiness, and tackled the food.

There were tears in his eyes as he nuzzled a muffin before he bit into it. He was already on his second helping before Harry realized as to what just happened and started to laugh. When Ron was on his fifth helping, Harry began to worry. Ron hadn't seemed to have slowed down his pace in eating.

"He really is a pig, isn't he?" Said Hermione, who was leaning in the doorway, her hair seemingly longer and not as bushy.

"Hermione! You're here too? What's going on? Do you know why Ron is like this?" Harry asked, giving Hermione a hug as they sat down on the opposite sides of Ron.

"Well?" Harry said expectantly.

"You see, it's like this. Lately Mrs. Weasley has been so busy with the Order that she hasn't been home lately, and so she left Ginny in charge of cooking. Ginny's an excellent cook and stuff, like her mother, but Ron is another story. He's constantly asking Ginny to make stuff at all time for him to eat at all sorts of hours. Just last night the prat woke up at two in the morning, woke up Ginny, and asked if she'd make him some waffles. Well, Ginny blew up at that! And so she woke me up, told me that she'd be back in the afternoon, and took off from the windowsill on her broom. She looked like she was crying as she left too…" Hermione added as an afterthought.

"Really? So where is she now, and what does that have to do with Ron acting more like a pig?" Asked Harry.

"Just look what happens." Hermione said. She reached over to grab a muffin from the plate the same one that Ron had. He gave her a growl, but when she glared daggers at him, he winced and he gave a puppy look at her. She sighed and let him have the muffin, in which he was devouring happily.

"I see your point," Harry laughed, "but what does this have to do with him eating?"

"Apparently, Ginny hasn't, in Ron's stomach, cooked enough food to satisfy himself. But for me and you, it would have been comfortable. So when he saw all the food you had here, that is why he's acting like he's never seen food in his life." Hermione finished matter of factly.

Harry was about to ask Hermione what he had tried to ask Ron before he decided to help himself to the food, when Ron gave a loud sigh of contentedness. He saw the look on his friends' faces and said, "What?" Both of them shook their heads. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and said, "Let's go."

"But to where?"

"You'll see. But first we have to put this blindfold on." Hermione said, smiling. She took a piece of cloth, took off his glasses, and tied it around his head. Then she and Ron lead Harry to the fireplace and all three cried, "The Burrow!" Harry felt a familiar tug at his navel as he and his friends landed into the living room of the Burrow. He spat out some ash and waited expectantly for them to lead him to wherever he was supposed to be at. Harry reached out for them, but an unfamiliar hand hesitantly touched his. He froze slightly and said, Who's this?"

"It's me, Harry. Now come on and come with me to my room. I've got to show you…something." Ginny dragged Harry up to his room, and him without an seeing capability whatsoever, was getting more and more nervous by they minute. When they were in her room, Ginny let go of Harry's hand for a moment, and Harry felt a slight lost that confused him. He was rewarded when he felt her put something in smooth and long in his hand.

"What's this?" He said.

"Your Firebolt. Now let's go." She said, rather impatiently.

"But how-" Harry was stopped when Ginny said, "Are you going to let me on or not?"

"Uh, well yes. Of course." He stammered.

The broom levitated itself from the ground and Harry got on, feeling thrilled to have his broom back. He heard Ginny get on, and sensed that she felt lost as to what to do next.

"Aren't you going to wrap your arms around me so that you won't fall off?" Harry said questioningly. "Oh! Yes, of course. I was just thinking about something, that's all. And no, I'm not telling you where all this is leading to, Harry." Ginny giggled slightly as she saw Harry pout.

'He's just too much to not poke fun at.' She thought comically. Ginny sighed and breathed in Harry's scent. "If only, if only…" Ginny whispered.

"Did you say something?" Harry asked. "Uh, no. Just fly straight so that we're outside and then-"Ginny was cut off when Harry gave a triumphant whoop, and sped outside. Although he couldn't see, Harry felt more excited than ever to be back on his beloved broom again. He felt Ginny's arms to continue to tighten him, but that only made him want to go faster and do more tricks. Ginny managed at one point, while shaking uncontrollably to take off the blindfold and to look down.

Harry did a somersault as he took it off and he felt something tug at his heart as he saw all his friends at school, the Order members, and the rest of the Weasleys and others cheering him on to come to them and they shouted "Happy Birthday Harry!". He laughed and noticed Ginny had relaxed slightly, yet still was shaking. He brushed it off and sped towards the end of the woods that were near the others. He heard Ginny give a cry of fear, despite her being a Quidditch player, while Harry played a Wronski Feint. He stopped just in time and he and Ginny landed on the ground safely, still out of view of the others.

Ginny refused to let go of Harry and was shaking with tears coming into her eyes. Harry immediately took hold of her and said concernedly, "Ginny? Are you okay?"

"Y-y-yes. That was-was the most thrilling and scariest thing I have ever been through. Thank you." Ginny stuttered, gave a sort of crazed look at Harry, and fainted.

"You're welcome?" Harry said nervously, not thinking for a moment. Harry laid Ginny down on the grass when he saw a little boy come running towards them and started jumping up and down stating that he wanted to be just like Harry one day and ride a broomstick like he did. Then, the boy saw Ginny lying on the ground, bent down, shook her rather hard, and said, "MA'AM! ARE YOU SLEEPING?" Rather loudly into Ginny's ears. Ginny leaped up, fear and pain in her eyes, and quickly fell back down again. Harry started to laugh as the other people were coming, but a glare from Ginny stopped him.

He bent down and helped Ginny to her feet, who was already starting to gain some color back in her face, especially red. Harry led her to Hermione to hold on as he was crushed to death by Mrs. Weasley and the rest of them. He eyed the presents and cakes at the tables with interest, while the Weasley brothers looked at Ginny and asked,

"What happened to you two as you were flying? You looked rather scared, little sister." Said George humorously.

"I WAS NOT!" Ginny yelled defiantly. "I was just a little, nervous that's all."

"Yeah, sure you were. And you weren't holding Harry so tight either." Fred said.

Ginny began to turn a darker red when Bill cut in and said, "If I were you Ginny, I'd get revenge on the person who didn't listen to you in the first place." He chuckled and asked Harry, who was wearing a nervous grin on his face, "What did happen when you two landed?"

"Um, nothing really. Just, um…" Harry stopped, went behind Ginny, who wasn't paying attention to him anymore, and said, "MA'AM! ARE YOU SLEEPING?" Gave a mischievous laugh and took off running, with Ginny hot on his heels saying, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT POTTER!"

Everyone just laughed as the two were running, while the Weasleys were glad to see Ginny finally acting like she used to be before Harry had entered their lives and brought both happiness and pain to them. They all turned around and went back to the party.