Chapter 2: The Birthday

Disclaimer: I still don't own it.

"Surprise!"

Harry jumped as the Weasley household, plus Hermione, screamed a birthday surprise for him. He felt the corners of his mouth turn to smile as presents were being passed to him and breakfast was being handed to him.

"We thought you could use a bit of fun, after everything…" Mrs. Weasley said with a grin, her eyes beaming. Of course, Harry had known it was his birthday but he didn't expect a party. He didn't expect anyone to even want to celebrate anymore, after all, most people didn't really have anything to celebrate.

"This present's from all of us, all the Weasleys at least," Ron said, looking extremely proud. Hermione smiled at him and blushed slightly when he turned to look at her. Sometimes he thought his two best friends would never fully realize how much they loved each other. Or at least they wouldn't admit to it.

"I'm sure it's really great, Ron. The best," Harry said as he opened the horribly wrapped gift.

"Now, I know, I usually give a quidditch present but since this is your 17th, we figured we should spice it up a little bit," Ron beamed as Harry finally got the wrapping paper off his present. Inside was what looked like an ordinary cloak, but Ron informed him it was much more.

"It's a protection cloak. Does whatever you need. Acts as a shield, an invisibility cloak, whatever." Harry could tell this had probably cost him a ton of money, a ton of money the Weasleys weren't likely to have just lying around. Harry was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of love for the family, and was then very sad at the idea that he would soon leave the family he could now call his own. Harry pulled Ron into a tight, brotherly hug.

"Thanks, mate. Really means the world to me," he said, seriously considering if crying would deem him stupid or comfortable with his sexuality. He went around to all of the Weasley's, hugging them all and thanking them individually until he got to the youngest red headed family member, Ginny.

"This really means a lot to me, thanks Gin,"

"You're welcome, but it wasn't my idea. It was more Ron, you know, the one you care so much about. I guess the rest of us Weasleys just don't matter as much as your best mate," she said coldly. Immediately, Harry regretted ever breaking up with Ginny. He couldn't see anymore why he wanted to leave her.

Harry sat outside by the willow tree behind the Burrow and wondered what was to become of the people he held so close to his heart. He pictured Ginny, always standing strong and pretending that nothing bothered her in the least. He remembered when he first realized he was in love with her. It was last year, at the beginning of the term and he was running late to dinner. He was just about to leave the common room when he noticed a certain fiery headed girl snuggled by the fireplace, with her smooth arms wrapped around her knees, almost like she was cradling herself. Harry had always considered Ginny to be a friend, but this was the first time he saw her for more than just the little girl he rescued all those years ago in the Chamber of Secrets. He sat next to her and stared into the fire.

"Why aren't you at dinner, Harry? If you don't leave now, Ron may eat the entire contents of the Hogwarts kitchen," Harry turned to look at her and noticed that although she was smiling, she held sadness in her eyes and looked like she had been crying.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously, as he didn't want to upset her further. She turned her face back to the fire and Harry watched as a sad smile formed on her face.

"Nothing in particular, Harry. I just worry sometimes. Guess it comes from growing up with mum always worrying about one of us." She turned to face him again and he saw the brave face she always put on in times of trouble.

"Out of everyone, you must understand how it feels to worry about losing the people you love. It's the kind of thing that torments you, no matter where you are or how happy you seem to be at that very moment. It follows you everywhere, like a ghost. You can't see it, but it's always around you." Harry realized then that the small girl he rescued from the Chamber had long since gone and was replaced by a beautiful woman, whose passion and love had kept her grounded and sane.

"I know how it feels, believe me. I always feel the need to push away those I love in order to protect them, but I guess it doesn't really work out. Everything just keeps getting worse and people around me just keeps dying," he said quietly, secretly hoping she didn't run away from him after hearing that people around him always died. For some reason, he felt the need to be close to her, a need so strong he found it nearly impossible to ignore. Ginny stared hard into his burning, green gaze and smiled slightly.

"Don't you ever think that you can get rid me of, Harry." Ginny said as she pushed the hair out of his face.

"I can't see a reason why I would ever want to."

They both stared back into the fire, but it somehow seemed different than it did before. More alive, perhaps. Harry knew instantly that something had changed and it would never ever be the same. Looking back on that night, sometimes he could swear he saw fireworks in her eyes. Whatever the case, he knew he loved her then and someplace in his heart, he realized that he had always loved her, he was just too blind to see it.

His thoughts went back to the problems at hand and he briefly wondered what Voldemort was planning next. He knew he had to leave soon, before the Death Eaters noticed he was staying there. He was endangering people just by staying at the Burrow, he knew that. It was just so hard to let them go, so hard to leave behind what he knew to be his true home. And then there was Ginny, the person who would be the hardest of them all to leave behind. Why couldn't she understand why he had to leave? How could she possibly think he didn't care for her, out of all people? The thoughts rushed in his head, and he realized he could never forgive himself if he left Ginny, without her knowing how much he loved her. Or even that he loved her at all.

"I can't let it end like this," he said to himself. He pulled himself off the ground and brushed off his trousers. Harry Potter had always been determined, and now was no time to change. Today, he would tell Ginny that he loves her. And always has.

"Harry, dear, are you alright? You sat outside for an awfully long time," Mrs. Weasley said as she tidied up the kitchen. There was always work to be done at the Burrow, especially during the summer.

"I'm great, Mrs. Weasley. Just fantastic," he said while he walked determinedly up the stairs and into Ginny's bedroom.

"Harry! What do you think you're doing, just barging into my room! I could have been naked, I could have been having passionate sex with a quidditch player and you would have just walked in on it all!" Ginny screeched, while Harry tried to think about something other than a naked Ginny.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. And not just for barging in on what could have been a naked version of yourself, but for everything," he said honestly. God, he hoped this worked. He didn't know how much longer he could go on with her being mad at him like this.

Ginny sighed and said, "Listen Harry, I thought it over and I'm sorry I reacted like that. Last year, we never said what we were doing was official and I guess I sort of assumed that it was more than it actually was. I totally understand that you want your best friends by you so you can protect them and care about them."

"Ginny, the reason you aren't coming with me isn't because I don't care about you. You're not coming with me because I care about you more than them. They're my best friends, and losing them would be horrible but losing you would destroy me. The only thing that will keep me going is knowing that you're back here and you're safe and that when I defeat him and when I come home, you will be standing there looking as gorgeous as you look every other day of your life."

Ginny said nothing and Harry started to worry that everything he had said had screwed it up for good.

"Harry, I…" Oh god, I've fucked up. Here she is, going to tell me that she doesn't feel the same way.

"No, it's okay, Gin. I understand," he said slowly, staring at the piece of fuzz he "discovered" on the carpet. Harry looked up and saw how close Ginny really was to him, and suddenly forgot about whatever he was thinking about. She was getting closer, he could feel her warm breath on him now, she was so close their noses were touching.

"I've loved you my entire life…" he murmured, and then the gap between them closed and he was met with the soft lips of Ginny Weasley. Lips he would remember until the day he died.

Today was his birthday. His 17th. And he would never forget the feeling he had at this very moment.