She woke up the next morning rather suddenly. Somewhere between the state of blissful dreams, and ever approaching consciousness, a thought had struck her;
What was Severus planning for today?
The thought jerked her completely out of sleep, however far from being worried, she found that she was actually excited. Surprises always had that effect on her, and she whistled cheerfully to herself as she pulled on a robe and went into the kitchen to make tea. There was already an owl waiting outside the window, looking very irritated; it's feathers damp with dew.
It was Hermione's owl, bringing her a birthday greeting, ( without music, ) and a delicate looking carrot cake. A few minutes later, greetings began to pour in from her other friends and family. . .the Weasley owls taking up the entire window ledge. She scribbled out the many Thank You messages and sent all of the owls back to their owners; well rewarded for their efforts.
She thought about leaving everything in the jumbled piles on the table, but remembering that Severus was supposed to appear, she gave her entire house a once over with a cleaning spell; which meant that she levitated nearly everything except the new gifts and stuffed into her hall closet; locking and warding the door to prevent the junk from shifting and spilling out into the hall.
She had just finished when she saw Severus' owl tapping at the window. She hurried to open the glass, nearly tripping on her robe in her haste.
" Wear something practical and comfortable. "
Practical and comfortable? That was it? She turned the note over, and even held it up to the light, but there was no clue as to what he was planning. Not even a hint. With a sigh, she dropped the note to the table and informed the owl;
" Well, then I guess I had better be dressing." she gave it a treat and sent it back to it's snarky master.
She found something practical and comfortable in the back of her closet. Muggle clothes that Hermione had given her when they had gone to France. The jeans were a bit more snug about the thighs that she remembered and she had to give them just a tiny bit of a nudge with her wand to get the zipper closed. Not much, just a little bit of a loosening charm.
" No wonder, you've been eating like a pig. . .' she growled at herself.
True, since Severus had been around she had been out to lunch countless times, with either him, or Hermione; and her mother was always dropping by to keep the cupboards stocked with homemade goodies and treats, and they were either beginning to tell around her middle, or someone was ritualistically shrinking her britches behind her back.
She pulled on a lavender blouse, and tied hre hair back with a ribbon. Then she put on a white blouse and left her hair down. Then she tried a blue shirt, with a ponytail. . .then the lavender shirt again with a ponytail. . .then a french-braid and the white shirt.
" I have nothing to wear. " she stated to the mirror.
'' Then don't wear anything." it replied.
She stuck out her tongue at it, and put the purple blouse back on, leaving the french-braid.
" You looked better without the shirt." said the mirror. " And, I see we're gaining weight."
" Don't make me cover you. . ." Ginny muttered.
After a slight application of makeup, she felt a little more presentable; and she and Sevvy-baby, (whom she had almost forgotten until he scratched pleadingly at the side side of the tub) sat down at the table to enjoy a piece of toast and some tea.
After a few minutes, Ginny ws growing bored, and she took out her wand and transfigured Sevvy-baby into a flower, then back. Then she charmed him to grow long black hair. Greasy black hair. . .framing his little violet lizard face. Tracing her wand down is side she spelled out the words;
" Call me Sevvy-baby "
and they appeared in green glittering script. She had just transfigured a pencil into a leash and collar set, when there was a knock at her door.
" Stay here, and don't. . .do anything, okay?" she told Sevvy-baby.
She began slowly un-warding the door, after peering through the spy-hole to make sure it was Severus, and not one of the twins come to give her some new sort of birthday fright.
She threw open the door, and anything that she had planned to say to him on the subject of her birthday gift was lost between her brain and her mouth when she saw his full person.
He was wearing a blue shirt with an overly large white and yellow tropical print splashed across his chest.The yellow was so bright, that it hurt her eyes when the sun shone on it. He also had on white hat, woven of straw, with a wide green band; sunglasses, and in one hand . . .a picnic basket. She had never seen such a spectacle as the formal Professor, looking exactly like a tourist, if one paid no attention to the grim set of his mouth, and the greyish pallor of his skin.
" Wh. ..what are you doing?" she asked, finally, as soon as she remembered to close her gaping mouth.
'' Humiliating myself for you. May I please come in?"
She stepped to the side, and he strode in, taking off the sunglasses as he passed.
" So, are you surprised?" he asked.
Oh yeah. . .incredibly surprised, " she choked down a laugh. " So, umm.. what are we going to do?" she asked.
" We are going on a picnic."
" A picnic! " she exclaimed, clapping her hands, like a young girl.
" May I assume that the idea is pleasing?" he asked.
" I love picnics! " She reached up to hug him, but he held her back.
" Wait a minute. . .where is your other gift?"
" Oh. Sitting on my table. I have been wondering where in your dark imagination did you deduce that a lizard was a suitable replacement for a cat?" she raised a brow.
" What? Don't you like him?'
" I don't know yet. . .he is showing some unusual personality traits."
" Such as?"
She gestured to the table.
" Eccentricity." she said.
It was Snape's turn to gawk as he was confronted by the image of the lizard in his hairstyle.
" That is not funny!" he finally said.
" Sevvy baby liked it."
" Who is Sevvy-oh no! Don't tell me that is what you named him!" Snape groaned.
" He chose it. " she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. He immediately stopped frowning at the lizard and turned his full attention to her mouth, but she pulled back before he could get a good taste.
" So when are we going?" she asked, a little breathlessly.
" Right now. "
" Can I take Sevvy-baby?" she asked, blinking innocently up at him.
" Yes, but if he gets splinched during apparation, I can't be blamed."