A/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed again!

Chapter nine

            "Hey." Harry smirked.

            Hermione rushed to him and gave him an enormous hug. After she released him, she squealed, "We didn't know you were coming now! You should've at least warned us."

            "Well I decided to surprise you guys instead." Harry grinned. He ran his hands through his long, shaggy, black hair.

            "Oi Harry!" Ron greeted. His eyes were wide open with excitement. "Good thing you came when you did. Your birthday's in two days so I guess this is a good time to come."

            Harry nodded. "What's that?" He pointed at the bag that Hermione was carrying.

            "Oh – uh – I just decided to read up a bit on the famous witches of the past centuries." Hermione lied.

            Harry rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you're still doing school work."

            "This isn't school work! It's a leisurely activity!" Hermione insisted. The trio laughed and headed to the backyard.

            "Care for some Quidditch?" Ron asked Harry. He fetched his broom and held an ordinary rubber ball on his hand. "We can get Hermione to hex this or something for us so it can fly around."

            "Sure. I brought my broom along with me. I'll go and get it."  Harry headed back into the house and retrieved his broom. It was leaning against the fireplace, looking as attractive as it did when he first got it. However, whenever he looked at the broom, it reminded him of Sirius and the fact that he was gone. He often blamed himself for it, but he knew that his godfather wouldn't want him moping all the time. He grabbed his broom when something burst out of the fireplace.

            The 'thing' fell on Harry, causing him to fall backwards on the floor.

            "Sorry about that! Are you alright?"  A girl's voice asked.

            "I – I'm fine. Are you?" Harry replied. He looked up and his eyes landed on a pair of bright blue eyes that stared at him with a mixture of surprise, embarrassment and confusion.

            The girl's eyes widened and she quickly got off him and dusted her clothes. What a perfect way to greet him! She thought, feeling angry at herself. She picked up a big, brown paper bag off the floor and decided to walk away because she was far too ashamed to converse with the young man.

            "You didn't answer my question. Are you alright?"

            "She stopped in her tracks and said, "y-yes. I'm fine. I – I have to go to my room. Excuse me." She ran upstairs, hiding her face from the boy she had been trying to force out of her thoughts for weeks. She shut the door and jumped on her bed. This is just great! She thought.

            Harry was left there, standing. He had some dust on his shirt but he didn't bother removing it. He was still in shock. He hadn't expected to see Ginny again like that. He knew he would have to talk to her somehow. He couldn't avoid her forever. But he certainly didn't expect to bump into her while she came out of a fireplace. He picked up his broom from the floor and went outside. Ron and Hermione were Eskimo kissing under a tree. He felt somewhat jealous and angry about this. It wasn't fair! He thought. Why does he have to deal with all this pain while his two best friends were there, all happy and carefree?

            "Ahem." He coughed loudly as he approached them.

            Ron quickly got up with the ball held tightly in his hands. "Hermione already jinxed it for us while you were gone. Are you ready?"

            Harry nodded.

            "We can play more after if Fred and George come home early." Ron told him. He gazed at Harry's dusty shirt. "What happened to you? Why are you all dirty?"

            "Uh…what?" Harry denied. He looked away from Ron and Hermione.

            "Why are you all dirty?" Hermione repeated.

            "Oh…" Harry stared at his shirt. "I fell in the fireplace while getting my broom. I kind of tripped." Harry answered. That wasn't exactly a lie…

            "Right." Ron looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Does Harry really think he's THAT stupid? The two boys flew up in the air and merely tossed the ball around. Hermione watched for a bit, but later found it boring and went back in the house. Molly was already preparing dinner and Hermione decided to help her.

            "Mrs. Weasley, is Ginny back yet?" She asked.

            "Oh yes I saw her come out of the fireplace. She crashed into Harry when he was getting his broom." Molly told her. "It was quite a sight. She was blushing so hard but she handled the situation pretty well. She's up in her room, you can see her if you want. Don't tell her I saw what happened though."

            Hermione nodded and ran upstairs. So that's why Harry had dust on him…she thought. She opened the door and found Ginny lying on her bed.

            "I'm really stupid Hermione." Ginny said. "I fell on him while coming out of the fireplace. I think I scared him…"

            Hermione put the book she bought on a table. "He looked dazed when he came back to the backyard. He and Ron are going to play Quidditch. You should join them."

            "What? No!" Ginny declined. "I don't want to see him. I'm never coming out of this room."

            "Oh yes you are. I'll make you." Hermione answered. "Besides, you'll get hungry and you'll have to go to the bathroom sooner or later."

            Ginny didn't answer.

            "Oh come on Gin! Don't tell me you're staying up here for Harry's party too!" Hermione pleaded. No reply. She sighed and said, "Well I guess I'll go back downstairs." She knew Ginny wanted to be alone.

            "Sorry Herm. It's not you. I just need some time alone." Ginny apologized.

            "I understand." Hermione replied.

            "Thanks." Ginny said gratefully.

            Hermione closed the door and went back to the backyard. She found Fred, George and Lee (who surprisingly returned) playing with three different balls (that were hexed).

            "Hey Herm!" Fred greeted. "Can you call Ginny for us? Ask her if she wants to play."

            "She's sleeping." Hermione told them. She saw Harry's face turn into a look of disappointment.

            "Oh. Too bad!" Fred said as he passed the ball to George.

            "Well I guess she won't mind that I'm using her broom." Lee commented. Ginny had gotten a new broom in her 5th year for her birthday. It was a Comet 7000.

            "Do you wanna play?" George asked Hermione.

            "No it's ok. I'll watch." Hermione said. She sat under the tree again and watched Ron catch a ball and throw another one. He was certainly fit and muscular because of Quidditch. She smiled and gazed at him dreamily. His face was slightly pink and sweat beads were forming on his forehead. His dark red hair was shining in the sun and his eyes were full of concentration. Just then, Hermione felt something hard hit her on the head, causing her to become unconscious.