A/N: In case you missed it in the summary, this story is the sequel to my other fic Going Through the Motions, which means that with the release of HBP this fic is now AU. This story will not contain anything that happened in HBP in order to correspond with the events in Going Through the Motions. In order to understand what's going on in this fic it would be a good idea to read that story first.

Chapter One

"Damn it, Ron, that's not going to work!" Harry yelled at his friend.

"Harry, trust me, I know what I'm doing," Ron responded, without sparing him a glance.

"What you're doing is going to get yourself killed. You can't go out the main entrance. If you're seen – "

"Shut up, you're going to make me lose my concentration and then I will die," snapped an annoyed Ron.

Harry fell back against the couch with a frustrated sigh. If Ron wasn't going to take his advice, that was just fine – he could be the one to play the level all over again. It had already taken them three days to get this far and as the character Ron was controlling emerged from the building, getting shot at within seconds, he groaned and closed his eyes. When Ron's groans of disappointment didn't follow his own, he opened his eyes. The scoring for the level was displaying across the telley.

He looked at Ron in complete shock. "You beat it?"

"Of course I did," he answered back, smacking Harry hard in the arm. "You need to have a little faith, mate."

"You cheated," Harry stated, understanding finally dawning on him.

Ron looked insulted. "It's not my fault I've gotten better at this game then you."

Harry continued to stare suspiciously at him.

"All right fine, I had a little help," he admitted. "I got Hermione to take me to the muggle library and use one of those machines with a net to figure out a way to beat this."

"The Internet," Harry corrected, shaking his head and smiling. "I can't believe Hermione looked up cheat codes for you."

"She was just so excited I wanted to go she didn't ask why. When she found out she went on about wasting her Saturday afternoon on something that isn't even real."

"It's not real," a new voice sounded. "And it's going to make you both stupid with all the time you've been spending on it." Hermione looked at the open case on the floor and sighed. "Max Payne, again? Honestly, I think you two need to see some sort of therapist or something with the line of work you're in and then spending all your free time killing people for fun in a game."

"You're just upset 'cause we haven't asked you to join us," said Ron. "Harry and I figured if you were that horrible at chess there was no way we were letting you near this."

Hermione decided then she was not going to allow herself to be dragged into another argument with them about the importance of having a Sony PlayStation around the house. She had never really understood Harry's need to buy himself one of those muggle gaming consoles. It just seemed really important to him for some reason. Ron had been just as confused by it, until Harry had got him to try it out one day. He was completely fascinated with all the things that could be done by just pressing a few buttons and without the aid of any magic. Now, he was just as mad about it as Harry. Though how they managed to find time for it with all the hours they spent training and patrolling was beyond her.

"Don't you think we should get going, Ron? I think we've kept Remus waiting long enough."

"What? Oh, yeah, we should go back," he said, catching the pointed look she was sending him.

Harry burst out laughing and his friends regarded him strangely. "You two are pathetic," he said, still laughing. "I know you want me to come with you because you're having some sort of a party for me."

"We are not," Hermione lied horribly. "Remus just wants to give you your birthday present."

"Right," he said not believing her for a second. "And no one else is there waiting for us to arrive?"

"No," she said firmly. She knew big celebrations weren't the sort of thing Harry enjoyed, but this would be the first year he wouldn't have to spend his birthday with his horrible relatives. That was why she had readily agreed when Mrs. Weasley had suggested they throw him a party. The only problem was getting him to Lupin's house without arousing any suspicion as to their true intentions.

"Let's get going then," she said to them both. Judging by Harry's earlier reaction, he didn't seem too put out over the idea of a party, and even if he was opposed to it that was too bad. Harry deserved to have at least one memorable birthday.

Harry's fireplace had its own private floo system that was only connected to the fireplace in the Lupin living room. Moody, along with several other Order members had set it up themselves. As far as Moody was concerned it was impossible for anyone to tap into the network and use it to get to Harry's. As with Lupin's house, there were also wards set up around it to prevent anyone from apparating inside.

Hermione went first, making sure before she left that Ron would go next. When they both made it to Lupin's, they stood around waiting for Harry to show up.

She was starting to think he wasn't coming when a ball of green flame erupted in the fireplace before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Harry stepped out, brushing the soot off his clothes. When he was done adjusting his glasses, he looked around to see practically everyone he knew standing in the room around him. Fred and George stood off to one side with Tonks, Lupin, and Bill while Ron and Hermione had moved back to stand with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. Lupin was the first to approach Harry.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," he said, his face lit up with a smile as he gave the young man a quick hug.

Mrs. Weasley was next, though her hug seemed to last a lot longer. "Arthur wanted me to wish you a happy birthday for him," she was saying. "He had to go into work this morning. But it's nothing you need to worry about," she assured him.

The activity of Voldemort's followers had increased in the last few weeks, making Harry wonder if that was why Mr. Weasley had to go in to the Ministry on a Sunday. But the Ministry was such a disarray these days, thanks to the mess Fudge had left it in when he had been replaced, Arthur Weasley was spending day and night there trying to sort through it all.

"I made lunch, Harry. Do you want to eat first before you open your gifts?"

He nodded appreciatively. He had always been amazed at Mrs. Weasley's culinary skills, but hadn't learned to fully appreciate them until he had started living on his own. Most nights he was too exhausted from Auror training to do little more than make himself a sandwich or eat whatever happened to be in his fridge. He knew whatever Molly Weasley had made would be a hundred times better then what he had been living off of lately.

They tucked in to lunch outside where the sky was clear and the air warm. With a twinge of guilt Harry realized he hadn't made much effort to come by and see Lupin since he moved out. He had just been so busy, and usually Ron and Hermione would just stop by that there wasn't a reason for him to visit frequently. If he was honest with himself he was also making a point of not being around Ginny for too long. She had said happy birthday to him and given him a gift, but that had been the extent of their interactions that day so far. As he watched her from where she sat across from him, talking with Hermione, he realized their interactions had been few and far between since their encounter at the party the twins had thrown for Mr. Weasley back in June. He supposed it was probably better this way. She looked happy and she didn't need him around wrecking that.

When lunch was out of the way he started opening the last of his gifts. Fred and George gave him an authentic professional Quidditch league jersey. It was identical to the one he had seen in Quality Quidditch Supplies and had balked at the price tag. He tried refusing the gift but the twins would hear none of it. George said it was the least they could to for the financial founder of their business.

Lupin had got him a set of extremely rare first edition Defense Against the Dark Arts books, published in 1775. Even Tonks had gotten him something. It was a pouch that transfigured itself to match his belt, so he could put anything in it he might need while out on Auror patrol.

While Mrs. Weasley went inside to get dessert ready, Hermione and Ginny had started talking animatedly amongst themselves as they had for most of the meal.

"Care to let the rest of us in on the big secret?" He said to them.

"It's nothing really," Ginny said, even as she was saying it she couldn't keep a straight face and actually had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Hermione wasn't much better off.

Ron sighed in annoyance. "See what I have to put up with?" He said to Harry. "All the giggling and the whispering in secret – it's driving me mad. Sometimes I think I'm living with Lavender and Parvati."

Harry could actually hear Hermione stomping on Ron's foot it was so loud.

"Shit, Hermione, that hurt," he complained, reaching down to rub his sore foot.

"Language, Ron," Ginny scolded before Hermione could even open her mouth.

Harry was starting to see what Ron meant. He felt sorry for his friend, but if Ron could survive growing up in a house with eight other people, surely he could surely handle Hermione and Ginny together.

The girls were now looking at something passed them. Both he and Ron turned in their chairs to see who it was they were watching. Lupin and Tonks were standing on the back porch alone together, talking quietly.

"Are you going to tell us why you keep looking at them?" Said Ron in exasperation.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ginny said to her brother.

"No, it's not," Ron growled.

Harry felt inclined to agree with him.

Ginny just rolled her eyes, while Hermione said in a patient voice, "you wouldn't understand."

"What's not to understand?"

"Forget it, Ron," Hermione said to him.

"Maybe we should go for a walk," Ginny said to Harry, standing up. "Before they really get going."

Harry, who never enjoyed being caught in the middle of his friends arguments, walked away with Ginny. Ron and Hermione were so caught up in their bickering he didn't think they even noticed him and Ginny leave.

"It should be safe to go back in a few minutes," Ginny told him. "I don't even think they really fight anymore. I think it's all an act."

"An act for what?" He asked, before changing his mind and saying, "never mind, I don't want to know."

Ginny just smiled and they kept on walking until they made it to the side of the house away from the festivities.

"Do you mind telling me what that was all about back there?" He was referring to the secret conversation she and Hermione had been having while spying on Lupin and Tonks.

"Hermione and I think Remus and Tonks have certain feelings for one another," she filled Harry in.

"Tonks and Lupin?" Harry said in disbelief.

"Well she does come by a lot and it can't just be to check on us. Plus Remus acts different when she's around."

"Different, how?" He couldn't recall his old professor acting any different around Tonks then he did the rest of them.

She shrugged. "He acts kind of distant."

"It all makes sense now," Harry said feigning serious.

She swatted at his arm. "Just watch them the next time they're in a room together, okay?"

He still didn't believe what Ginny was telling him. Then again, Lupin had always been a very private person. He tended to keep his most personal feelings closely guarded.

"Do you want to head back now?" She asked him.

He figured they should. Mrs. Weasley would undoubtedly be back out soon with the cake, but suddenly the thought that he and Ginny were alone together, overrode his normal rational thinking. Instead of answering her, he said, "I never thanked you for the gift."

"Oh, that. It wasn't anything special," she said dismissively.

"It meant something to me," he said, his voice low as he closed the distance between them.

Ginny knew what was going to happen, but she did nothing to stop it. She knew what Harry wanted the moment something in his voice changed. But something was causing him to hesitate as his lips hovered just above hers. With her conscience screaming at her, she made the first move and covered his mouth with her own. That seemed to drag Harry out of his indecisive state. He kissed her back fiercely, one hand holding on to the side of the house, while the other gripped her waist. He didn't know what it was but he seemed to have no control when he was around her. He should have pushed her away, afraid that someone would catch them, but he didn't care about any of that. All that mattered was being as close to Ginny as he could get.

"We should head back," she murmured, arching her neck to give Harry better access.

"We should," he agreed, moving his head back up and capturing her lips in a fervent kiss.

When he found his hands running up the front of her shirt, he had to force himself to stop while he still had the resolve to do so. He tore his lips from hers and attempted to put a safe distance between them, but his feet were rooted to the spot. Ginny didn't seem to want to move either, making the situation all the more complicated.

When his breathing was finally under control he took a step back from her. "I'm sorry, Gin."

"Are you going to say that after every time you kiss me?" She teased, taking a step towards him.

He closed his eyes, willing himself to find that same control that had allowed him to stop in the first place. But if she kissed him again, he didn't think he would be able to stop this time. It just wasn't natural the uncontrollable lust he felt whenever he was around her.

Fortunately for him, Ginny didn't do anything. When he couldn't give her an answer, she started walking away from him heading in the direction of the backyard. He watched her go, running a shaky hand through his hair, wondering just what the hell happened to him every time he was in close proximity to Ginny Weasley.