Harry Potter and the Order of Merlin

by illjwamh

It's the first year After the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry now must decide what to do with a life that is for once truly open before him. He must learn to juggle his education, a burgeoning career, his love life, his friends, and maybe more than a few people who - for good or bad - want a piece of the wizard who took down the Dark Lord.

4. Chapter 4: Birthdays

Chapter 4

Birthdays

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Harry stayed at the Burrow the night before his birthday (he'd not been given any choice in the matter). And so it was that he found himself being shaken awake by Ron the next morning, even though he'd been having a rather pleasant dream about something that had happened in that very house on his last birthday.

'Get up, Harry!' Ron called after smacking his foot for the third time. 'Mum's made breakfast, and no one's allowed to eat until you show up.'

'I should have known this was about food,' Harry grumbled good-naturedly. Nevertheless, he reached for his glasses and sat up. 'What time is it, anyway?'

'Around eight or so,' Ron said. Harry raised his eyebrows.

'Since when do you get up this early?'

'Since I spent a year living in a tent, waking up at the crack of dawn so mad Death Eaters wouldn't find me and kill me in my sleep,' Ron answered dryly. 'I can't believe you're able to have even this much of a lie-in. My brain won't even let me anymore.'

'Huh,' Harry said, thinking about it. It was true that it was easier for him to get up in the mornings now than it ever had been in the past, but he was still able to sleep past sunup when he felt like it. It just so happened he felt like it most days. 'Well, that'll serve you well when we get back to school, I suspect.'

'The silver lining,' Ron remarked, rolling his eyes. 'Now hurry up, the smell of bacon is driving me mad. If I can't be sleeping, I bloody well want to be eating.'

'All right, I'm coming. Just give me a sec, will you?' Harry stumbled around, finding his trousers and a shirt, and performed a quick cleaning charm on his socks before putting them on his feet. All the while Ron was dancing in place like he had to use the loo. When Harry was finally ready, he practically leapt out the door of his attic room.

'Careful there, Ron,' Harry called. 'Wouldn't want to kill yourself falling down the stairs before having a chance to sample that food.'

'Ha, ha,' Ron narrowed his eyes and waited for Harry to catch up. 'Oh, and happy birthday, by the way.'

'Nice to know I rank just below bacon with you.'

'Bloke's gotta have his priorities. And anyway, you're not just below bacon. It's something like bacon, Hermione, quidditch, chess, butterbeer, then you.'

'You put me above Honeydukes?" Harry countered, feigning surprise.

'Well, you are my best mate, after all.' Ron said matter-of-factly. They were passing Ginny's room. The door was ajar and Harry tried to peek inside surreptitiously, but he couldn't tell if she was in there or not. The dream he'd been having before being woken flared back into his consciousness, and it was hard to pay attention to what Ron was saying. The next thing he knew, they were headed into the kitchen and…

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' The entire Weasley family (sans Bill and Charlie) was gathered in the kitchen waiting. Hermione was there too, and even Luna, who must have flooed over at a time when most people would still have been sleeping. He looked to Ron, who had an irritatingly smug look on his face, and then to the others, who were all beaming at him. He opened his mouth to say something (though he was fairly sure he wouldn't have managed more than 'Ga?'), but was interrupted by Ginny wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him in full view of her entire family.

It was a shock, to say the least. Sure she'd kissed him before in front of her mother, and even her father once, but never in front of her brothers and never all of them at once. Luckily (or not, he couldn't decide), she let him go before he had a chance to panic.

'What is this?' Harry asked, flabbergasted.

'Well, a bunch of us were sitting around for breakfast, and thought we'd just yell things at you for no particular reason,' George said. 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' he bellowed.

'It's your birthday party, you dolt,' Ron said, grinning. 'Did you think we all forgot or something?'

'No, I suppose not,' Harry conceded. 'I'm just not used to having birthday parties is all.'

'You had one last year,' Ron pointed out.

'And the year before that,' Ginny added. She had taken hold of his arm and was pulling him toward the breakfast table.

'Okay, I see your point,' Harry conceded, allowing Ginny to force him into a chair while Mrs Weasley passed him a plate piled high with every type of breakfast food he could ever recall eating in his life. 'Still, you didn't have to go to the trouble…'

'Oh, it's no trouble at all, dear!' Mrs Weasley said, waving him off as if he were being ridiculous. 'Now eat up. Ginny and the boys have arranged something else as well and I'm sure they're all dying to get to it.'

The moment Harry dug into his food, the others followed. After a very satisfying meal and a quick clean-up, it was time for another surprise.

'What's this about?' Harry asked as Ron handed him the pot containing the family's supply of floo powder.

'Well, we know how much you hate the press,' Ron explained. 'And they've been getting more and more desperate to get hold of you since you've been avoiding them so much.'

'They've even come round the shop asking after you,' George said. 'And they've been hassling Bill, Percy and Dad at work, too.'

'We figured that since your birthday is common knowledge, they'd be extra desperate today, and we wouldn't put it past them to try something here,' Mr Weasley explained.

'So we're going to go somewhere they won't think to look for you and have the party there,' Ron finished. Harry, who had been aware of none of this, suddenly felt guilty for putting the Weasleys through all that hassle.

'Oh no you don't,' Ginny said all of a sudden. Caught off-guard, Harry gave her a puzzled look. 'I know that face. You were feeling all bad about the press bothering everyone, weren't you? Well you can just stop that right now, because there's no way any of us would have let them bother you after everything that's happened.'

'Besides,' George said, cutting him off before he could even begin to speak, 'they ask after Ron and Hermione almost as often as you, so even if you did talk to them they'd still be irritating everyone.'

'Just let it go, mate,' Ron said, clapping him on the shoulder and chuckling at Harry's feeble attempts to protest. Deciding there wasn't much point in arguing the point further, he followed his friend's advice and held up the pot of powder.

'Where are we going?' he asked.

'That's better,' Ron said. 'Shell Cottage. Bill and Fleur insisted once we figured the press would try to crash anything we did here.' Harry smiled. He liked Bill and Fleur, and would be forever in their debt for harboring he, Ron, and Hermione back in the spring. He was also very fond of Shell Cottage, and was looking forward to spending time there in a stress-free environment. Grabbing a pinch of powder from the pot and then handing it off to Ginny, he called out the name of his destination and stepped into the flames.

Moments later he was accosted by flowing tresses of silvery blonde hair as Fleur embraced him and kissed him on either cheek.

''Arry!' she greeted warmly, flashing her brilliant smile. 'It iz so good to see you! And 'appy birthday!' She moved aside and her husband, Bill, appeared and put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

'Welcome back, Harry,' he said with a smile of his own. 'Hope things are a bit more fun this time around.'

'That makes two of us. Thanks, Bill. Fleur. And not just for having this party today.'

'Not another word about that,' Bill scolded kindly. 'I mean it, Harry. We'd do it again a hundred times and you'd have done it for us, so there's no need to keep going on about it.' Fleur was nodding emphatically, and Harry was spared having to come up with a response by Ginny appearing in the fireplace behind him. He helped her step out and then allowed Fleur to lead the two of them into the house. There were others waiting for them in the sitting room.

'Hagrid!' Harry exclaimed. 'Neville!'

'Happy birthday, Harry!' Hagrid boomed, thumping him on the back and making him stumble a few steps before regaining his balance. Neville's greeting was more reserved – a simple handshake.

'I should be saying the same to you, Neville,' Harry replied to his friend. 'Sorry I couldn't come by yesterday in person.'

'Don't worry about it,' Neville waved him off. 'The Mexican fire cactus you sent made it – thanks a ton, by the way – and I wouldn't have been home anyway.'

'Oh?' Ginny asked, coming over to hug him.

'Big news,' Neville said, letting her go. 'I'll tell you tomorrow; I don't want to steal attention from the party.'

'Don't be ridiculous, Neville,' Harry said. 'It's as much your party as mine as far as I'm concerned. Tell us.'

'All right, then,' Neville said, blushing. 'I've been accepted into the auror program.' There was a pause as Harry let the shock of what he'd just heard sink in. Of course Neville would have a head start on him, having actually been to school the year before. And he couldn't be jealous really, after all Neville had gone through to get to where he was.

'That's brilliant, Neville!' Harry exclaimed at the same time Ginny shrieked with joy and hugged him again.

'What's brilliant?' asked Ron, who had just entered the room with Hermione in tow.

'Neville's going to be an auror!' Ginny cried excitedly.

'What, really?' Ron asked, looking from her to Neville. 'That's fantastic, mate! Well done.'

'Congratulations, Neville,' Hermione said, coming forward to hug him as well. 'I know you'll do excellent, and you'll be able to keep these two idiots in line when they join up next year.' She gestured to Harry and Ron.

Neville laughed nervously. 'Well, I don't know about that,' he said. 'I don't plan to stay with the aurors forever, just until they manage to rebuild the department. And I expect I'll be taking orders from Harry by the time I leave.'

They joked for a few more minutes – enough time for the rest of the family to arrive. Then Harry was informed it was time to open his gifts (he was again given no choice in the matter). From Bill and Fleur he received an odd assortment of mismatched socks – something that got odd stares from the rest of the family but which held great meaning for him. Ron, Hermione and Luna, who had been present those few short months ago at this very house for Dobby's death and burial understood completely, as he knew Bill and Fleur did, and he made sure they knew just how much he appreciated the gift before moving on to the next one.

Neville gave him a book on plant properties and their use in potions ('How else do you think I scraped an A in that N.E.W.T.? I didn't even take the class.'), Hermione gave him one on high-level jinxes and counterjinxes, and Luna gave him what appeared to be her attempt at a replica of Ravenclaw's diadem made from what might well have been old licorice wands.

'I infused it with a wit-sharpening potion before casting the preservation charm,' she said. 'It's nowhere near the power of the original of course, but it might come in handy someday.'

Feeling whimsical, Harry put it on and could not be sure, but thought he felt his brain whirring a bit more than usual.

'Well?' Ginny asked, watching him with a look of restrained amusement. 'Do you feel especially clever?'

'Always, why?' he asked innocently, and everyone had a good laugh before he continued on opening his gifts.

George had given him the usual gamut of Wheezes, Percy another book (Chasing the Dark – An Inside Look at the Life of an Auror by Lancel Lionheart), and from Ron he received a pair of professional-grade seeker's goggles.

'You can charm them to have any prescription you need, they come with a permanent impervious charm, and they'll keep the wind out of your eyes better than your glasses ever could,' Ron informed him.

'That's brilliant, Ron! Thanks,' Harry said, trying them on at once. He had to take them back off so as to read the directions on how to charm them to his prescription, but then put them right back on. 'How do I look?' he asked.

'Very handsome,' Ginny said from his right and kissed his cheek.

'Like a pro,' Ron said, clearly doing his best to ignore Ginny's display of affection in deference to Harry's birthday.

It was Hagrid's turn now, and he stepped forward and handed Harry a folded bit of parchment. 'I was thinkin'', he said. 'I know yeh must miss Hedwig, but I didn' know if yeh were ready yet to get yerself a new owl yet. An' if yeh did, ye'd prolly want ter pick one out for yerself. So tha's a letter to the folks at Magical Menagerie. Yeh can go in there any time yeh like, an' give 'em that letter, and anything yeh buy'll be billed ter me.'

Harry was touched. He remembered all too well that Hagrid had been the one to buy Hedwig for him – his first ever real birthday present – seven years ago that very day. This was the best gift Hagrid could have given him. 'Thanks, Hagrid,' he said. 'It's perfect.' He was, as Hagrid had suggested, not quite ready to replace Hedwig, but he knew he'd need an owl at some point. He tucked the letter into his pocket, and was nearly bowled over by Ginny, who had stood up to retrieve her gift at some point and then bounced down right next to him with a package and exclaimed, 'Me next!'

Harry took it from her, laughing, and she leaned in to kiss his cheek again. As she did, she whispered, 'I'll give you your real present later,' and then pulled back as if she hadn't done anything at all while Harry suddenly found himself having to hide the fact that his blood was now running hot.

He made a big deal out of opening the package, hoping to distract attention from the furious blush that was now surely covering his whole body. No one commented though, and so it was with genuine mirth that he examined Ginny's gift. It was a black T-shirt, upon which appeared to be a yellow cartoon mouse with a lightning bolt for a tail. It was stepping out of a cracked-open red and white ball with a look of triumph on its face, and underneath was written the caption, "I am the CHOSEN ONE!"

Harry burst out laughing. He had no idea where she had found such a thing, or why it even existed, but it was absolutely perfect. He turned it to show everyone else, who all immediately joined in laughing. Ron performed a switching spell that swapped the new shirt with the one he'd been wearing, 'To round out the look with your goggles and diadem,' he said.

'Wherever did you find this?' Hermione asked Ginny once her laughter was under control. Ginny, still laughing herself, had to take a few more seconds before she could respond.

'I saw it in a muggle shop when Ron and I were looking for something for Dad,' she explained. 'It was just too perfect. I had to get it.'

'Absolutely,' agreed Ron. 'What's it supposed to be, though?'

'Haven't the foggiest,' Ginny shrugged. 'I saw the same mouse thing on a couple of other shirts though, so it must be some muggle character that's popular.'

'Amazing what muggles think up,' Mr Weasley said fondly.

'Is its tail actually a bolt of lightning?' Neville asked.

'Looks like it,' George said. 'Maybe they had you in mind when designing this little fellow, Harry.'

'It looks Japanese,' Luna observed. All eyes turned to her.

'What makes you say that?' Bill asked.

'Oh, I don't know,' Luna said. 'Just something about its face.' Harry laughed and shook his head. Knowing Luna, he wouldn't be surprised at all to learn this weird mouse creature actually was Japanese.

'I suppose that's everyone, then,' George announced rather boisterously. 'We should probably get started on that cake.'

'Thanks so much, everyone,' Harry started, but stopped when he noticed that everyone seemed to be suppressing a smile, as though George had just told a rather funny inside joke that he wasn't a part of. Curiously, he turned to look at Mr and Mrs Weasley, who were beaming. Mr Weasley pulled something out from behind his back.

'This one's from all of us, Harry,' he said, indicating his family. 'We're all agreed we should have given it to you years ago, but there's no time like the present, as they say.' He handed Harry a long, rectangular box not much bigger than one of Hagrid's fingers. Harry lifted the top of it to see something long and thin wrapped in a few layers of tissue paper. As he lifted it out, he happened to glance up at the room and see all the Weasleys looking on with barely restrained anticipation. Indeed, Ginny seemed quite beside herself with excitement and could not hide the brilliant grin on her face.

Now positively dripping with curiosity, Harry removed the tissue paper from the box and took from it a flat, curiously shaped metal item. It took him a moment or two to realize what it was, but once he did, he could feel tears threatening to build up behind his eyes, and there was a great lump in his throat.

Sitting in his hands, with the name "Harry" written on it in gold, was a black piece of metal fashioned into the shape of an arrow. The hand of a clock.

Unable to speak, Harry just held the gift up, all too aware that he must be gaping like a fish. Finally, he managed to choke something out. 'Everyone, I…'

'Happy birthday, son,' Mr Weasley said softly. Ginny leaned in and enveloped him in a crushing hug, while Mrs Weasley dabbed tears from the corners of her eyes.

'You've been a part of our family for ages, dear,' she said. 'It's about time our clock started reflecting that.'

'Just as well we waited, really,' Ron said jokingly. 'Harry's would have been pointing straight up for the entire time, most likely. You worry too much as it is, Mum.' She hit him playfully as she continued to smile at Harry.

He himself was still having trouble forming words. He was hugging Ginny back, with no intention of letting go any time soon, and holding the tiny piece of metal in his hand as if it were the world's greatest treasure. It was, really. A sniffle from Hermione managed to jerk him back to his senses, and he choked out, 'Thank you. Really. This is…'

'A long time coming,' George finished for him. 'And not another word about it, clear?' Harry wanted to argue, but could see they weren't going to let him, so he simply said one last word of thanks and let it go.

'We'll put it on the clock when we get back to the Burrow,' Mrs Weasley announced. 'But unless anyone has anything else, shall we move outside?'

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the outdoors and each other's company. A quidditch game was started on the small beach at the base of the cliff that was hidden from muggle view, during which Harry and Ginny, as the two best players, were not allowed to be on the same team. Harry got Ron and Ginny got George, and after that, Neville pointed out, it didn't really make much difference as none of the rest of them were any good.

They had a picnic lunch and cake, played some more quidditch, after which Fleur invited everyone to stay for dinner. By the time they returned to the Burrow, Harry had almost forgotten Ginny had promised to give him another present.

'Let's go for a walk,' she said after everyone had gathered to put Harry's hand on the family clock. George and Percy returned to their own flats, and Ron left to take Hermione home. Mr Weasley had retired to his shed, and evidently Ginny did not trust her mother not to interrupt the two of them when there was no one else in the house to distract her.

'Did you have a good birthday?' Ginny asked, taking his hand once they were on the road headed to the village.

'Brilliant,' Harry said. 'Best one yet, in fact. Except for one thing last year that I think will be hard to top.' He grinned at her and squeezed her hand.

'Well aren't you cheeky?' she teased, smiling back at him. 'Did you forget to take off that diadem Luna gave you?'

'No, actually. Just natural wit.'

'So you've just been keeping it a secret all these years, then?' She bumped him with her hip and dragged him along, off the road and up a hill.

'Not on purpose,' he said. 'I'm actually rather shy, you see. Takes a while for me to warm up to people.' She stopped for a moment and turned to face him, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. Then she slapped his chest playfully.

'Prat.'

He laughed and allowed her to continue leading him to the top of the hill, where there was a single oak tree growing, and from where they could see the Burrow up the road behind them and the village down the road farther on. She sat down at the base of the tree and he plopped down next to her, pulling her into his lap. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, languorously and deeply.

It was the most leisurely kiss they had ever shared, and he was loving every second of it. There could not be any way for life to be better than this – sitting under a tree at sunset on his birthday, kissing Ginny without a care in the world. Neither of them had anywhere to be and there was no one around to bother them or interrupt; they could stay like this for as long as they wanted and no one would care.

By the time they emerged from the dreamy haze the kiss had put them in, the sun had fully set and they were sitting on the hill in the twilight, breathing heavily and holding each other so strongly that no magic could have pulled them apart, and at the same time so gently that either of them may have been made of porcelain. Harry could barely contain the joy he felt. The feel of Ginny in his arms – every part of her fit so perfectly against him, her curves aligning with his body as though she was made just for him – was the greatest sensation in the world.

'I love you, Harry,' she breathed, and a jolt of something like fire and lightning shot through his body, as it did every time she said those words. He kissed her jaw and said them back, and he could feel the shiver his words caused in her, too.

'I think this officially tops last year, then' he said. She laughed and kissed him again, then pulled back ever so slightly.

'That reminds me. I still have something for you,' she said, reaching into her pocket.

'What, better than this?' he asked, half joking, half incredulous.

'Well, perhaps not. But I wanted to give it to you anyway.' She pulled out a small shiny object, and after a moment of hesitation, gingerly handed it to him. Slightly nonplussed, he took it and examined it, and was suddenly even more confused.

'Your captain's badge?' he asked. 'I thought we decided you were going to do that this year.'

'I know we did, but hear me out,' she pleaded, placing her hands on his chest. Still a bit baffled, he nodded for her to go on.

'You said you didn't mind me being captain – and I believe you! – and it was really, really sweet of you, but we both know you're a natural leader, Harry. You wouldn't be able to help yourself. And I'd end up asking you for advice all the time anyway, so this way…' he opened his mouth to argue, but she apparently wasn't finished yet. 'I've already sent a letter to McGonagall and I talked to Hagrid today. I know you're too stubborn to take it since it's already been given to me so I won't even ask, but if you say it's okay, they've both agreed to let us be co-captains.'

Harry closed his mouth on the slew of objections he'd been about to throw out. She'd definitely surprised him with that one. And the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. With two captains, there would always be one to watch and comment while the other was playing, and she could focus especially on the chasers while he concerned himself with the others. Not to mention collaborating on strategy would surely field them with some excellent plays. And there was one other thought that occurred to him: his parents had been Head Boy and Girl together. While that was obviously beyond he and Ginny, being quidditch captain together was something very like that which they could share.

Ginny was still staring at him with those big, pleading eyes she'd mastered for when she really wanted something, and he could tell she was prepared to fight him for this if necessary. He grinned. 'Sounds brilliant,' he said.

Clearly she'd been expecting him to put up a fight, because she gasped and goggled at him for a minute before choking out, 'Really?' At his nod, she squealed in glee and dove into him again, knocking him back into the trunk of the tree. He didn't mind.

'This is going to be so great, Harry!' she cried, still clinging to him.

'Yeah, I think it really is,' he said, hugging her back. 'Though I suppose I ought to give you your badge back. Mine's still around somewhere; I'll dig it out.'

'Oh, don't worry, that is yours,' she said, sitting up again. At his questioning look, she explained, 'I had Ron get it from your trunk yesterday.'

'So he was in on this too, was he? Well, lucky for him I didn't have anything in there he shouldn't see.'

'Oh?' Ginny asked coyly. 'Like what?'

'Er…never mind.' She giggled and snuggled into his chest, and the two sat for a while and watched the stars come out. At one point Harry surreptitiously sent a patronus to Mrs Weasley informing her that they were just down the road and not to worry. It took absolutely no effort whatsoever. Harry was sure that at that moment he could have conjured a hundred of the things.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The next week went by fairly quickly. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione spent a lot of their time at Grimmauld Place. They had grown tired of turning everything into lions, and so began transfiguring snake heads into stag heads, added antlers to things just for fun, and even threw in a few bear-like dogs and a wolf or two. Harry transformed two of the legs of an end table in the drawing room into a full stag, and then on a whim turned the other two into a horse in honor of Ginny's patronus. This turned out to be a stroke of genius, as Ginny was so tremendously pleased that Ron had to excuse himself from the room for twenty minutes.

Things had been going so well, in fact, that they started getting careless. After a full week of peace, Harry and Ginny were finally caught off-guard on the Sunday before her birthday. They'd been on their way back up from the village toward the Burrow when a small group of witches and wizards suddenly accosted them on the road. Harry had his wand out and was halfway to cursing them when he noticed they were all carrying either parchment and quill or cameras.

'Great,' snarled Ginny. She had drawn her wand as well, and unlike Harry, she had yet to put it down. 'Just what we need.'

'Mr Potter, a quick word?' one of the reporters – very bravely, thought Harry, glancing at the murderous expression on his girlfriend's face – stepped forward, quill poised.

'Harry's not talking to reporters today,' Ginny said firmly. 'This is a village road, not a press conference.' She waved her wand and the crowd was forced to part, allowing them to walk through and continue on their way. That didn't stop them from being followed, however, and they were harried all the way back to the Burrow, questions being thrown at them all the way.

'Could you tell us how you survived in the forest?'

'Why did You-Know-Who think he'd finished you?'

'How does it feel to no longer be a marked man?'

'Are you worried about the Death Eaters still at large?'

'What are your opinions on the restoration of the Ministry of Magic?'

'What were you and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named discussing before he was killed?'

Ginny was practically running by the time they reached the house, pulling him along by the hand. She slammed the door, shutting out the clamoring voices and spun around quickly to lock it and seal it shut.

'Honestly!' she huffed. 'You'd think they could give you a moment's peace!' She returned her wand to her pocket and stormed off to the living room, where she began to pace around angrily, ranting and gesticulating wildly. Harry looked on in a mixture of amusement and surprise. 'I mean, Merlin forbid you're not compelled to relive the entire experience day after day! And what's with the continuation of this "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" rubbish? Are we still not allowed to say his name even after he's dead?'

'Ginny, calm down,' Harry said, suppressing a laugh that he knew would not help the situation.

'Why should I?' She shrieked, whirling on him. Despite everything, Harry could not help but admire the way it made her hair fly in a graceful arc behind her. 'The fawning admirers are one thing, but this? These people who haven't done anything but pester you for your entire life show up here when you're minding your own business and expect you to just spill your guts on everything that's happened as if it were no big deal? Like they're entitled? They don't know you! They don't care about you! They just want to sell their damn newspapers!' She was breathing very erratically now, and Harry crossed the room quickly to embrace her.

'It's all right, love,' he said, stroking her back. 'Breathe.' Her indignation on his behalf was incredibly touching, but at this rate she was going to make herself pass out.

'It just makes me so angry,' she said, much quieter now. She snaked out her arms to hug him back and buried her face in his chest. 'You never asked for any of this, and yet you saved everyone in Britain. The least they could do is just leave you alone.' Her voice was cracking, and Harry could tell she was about to cry. This surprised him as much as anything; it took a lot to bring Ginny to tears, though he realized with a start that he'd been thinking that an awful lot lately.

'I hadn't realized my trouble with the press upset you this much,' he said soothingly, kissing the top of her head. 'Rubbish boyfriend I turned out to be, eh?'

'What?' her head jerked up. 'No! Harry, you – ' she noticed his smirk, and seemed to realize he was trying to lighten the mood. She sighed. 'You're a wonderful boyfriend, Harry. Best in the world. It's just…I suppose I didn't realize how much it bothered me, either. And I can't believe it doesn't bother you.'

'It does, a bit,' he admitted. 'I've gotten used to it.'

'You shouldn't have to,' she murmured miserably, once again burying herself in his chest.

'We heard yelling, what's going on?' Came Ron's voice from the kitchen. He and Hermione had apparently just entered from the back yard.

'Reporters out front,' Harry answered matter-of-factly. Ron offered Harry a knowing look as he and Hermione entered the room.

'Did Ginny curse any of them?' he asked with interest. 'She's threatened to.'

'Ron!' Hermione admonished, jerking her head in the obviously upset Ginny's direction. To everyone's surprise though, she laughed.

'I almost did,' she said, still clinging to Harry. 'I suppose it's lucky for them I was more intent on getting Harry away from them.'

'Lucky for them and you,' Hermione said, her lips twitching upward. 'War heroes or not, the Ministry probably wouldn't take very kindly to your going around cursing people.'

'I suppose I will have to answer some questions eventually,' Harry said. 'If nothing else, it'll get them to leave us alone for a spell, and I can understand people wanting to know a few more details about what went on.'

Ron and Hermione merely nodded, while Ginny frowned and gripped him tighter.

'Here's the weird bit, though,' Harry went on. 'One of the questions they asked me out there was what Tom and I were talking about right before he was killed. There had to have been at least a hundred witnesses to that. I know Ginny said she didn't catch most of it, but surely someone must have?'

'Er, about that,' Ron piped up. 'As soon as you started talking about the Elder Wand…I sort of cast a Muffliato around the two of you.' All eyes in the room shot toward him and he looked a little uncomfortable. 'Well, it's like we were saying after we saw Ollivander, isn't it? Probably not the best idea for everybody to know you have that, Harry. Or had it, I suppose, once you put it back where it belongs.' He was of course referring to Dumbledore's tomb, which was to be Harry's first stop after returning to school in September.

'That's very clever, Ron!' Hermione exclaimed, amazed. 'I'd never even thought of that!'

'Me either,' Harry admitted. 'Well done, mate. I suppose I don't need to worry about everyone banging my door down for a duel now.'

'Well, not for that, anyway,' Ron said dryly.

'Good point,' Harry said, turning his head back toward the clamor that could still be heard through the front door. He really did need to do something about that.

'At least they won't be able to bother you in Australia,' said Hermione, following his gaze.

'I wouldn't bet on that,' he replied, shaking his head. 'If I try to disappear on them, they'll be even more determined to track me down. If only there were some way to get them to clear off for a while.'

'Short of actually talking to them, you mean?' Ron asked with a smirk.

'Well naturally. I mean…' Harry trailed off as a thought struck him. It might be crazy, but it might just… 'I've got an idea,' he announced, and moved toward the door.

'Harry?' Hermione questioned. Ginny made to follow him but he waved them all off.

'Trust me,' he told them. 'This will work.' He opened the door and stepped out, quickly closing it again. There stood the crowd of reporters, as close as the wards would allow them, now shouting with renewed vigor at his apparent capitulation to their demands for his attention. He walked forward, doing his best to affect an air of confidence. He managed it at least as well as he had with the goblins, he thought. Their questions rang out at him; more of the same.

'Mr Potter! How is it you survived in the forest?'

'What would you say to the family members of those killed in the battle?'

'Where have you been for the last ten months?'

'How do you justify staying in hiding so long before confronting You-Know-Who?'

'Is it true you have a personal relationship with the interim Minister for Magic?'

'What all did You-Know-Who say to you during your duel?'

Amongst all this, Harry noticed one young reporter standing near the back who had yet to say anything at all. She looked maybe only a few years older than he was; he thought he might recognize her from Hogwarts. She had very curly reddish brown hair tied back in a ponytail, an excess of freckles and glasses almost exactly like his own. She stood holding a quill over a piece of parchment, but did not share the self-assured posture of her peers. Indeed, she looked rather intimidated by the very prospect of being there.

Harry held up his hand for silence, and the crowd immediately complied, their quills poised to take down whatever he was about to say. Instead, he pointed at the young reporter near the back. 'Don't I know you from school?' he asked.

The girl, who was clearly as shocked by Harry addressing her as the rest of them were, looked around for a moment before answering.

'Er…yes, I suppose,' she said. 'We never spoke, but I was three years ahead of you in Ravenclaw. Mallory Thornberry.' The name did not ring a bell, but that was hardly important at the moment.

'Who do you write for, Mallory?' he asked, trying to be as friendly as possible. If she said The Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly he was prepared to ditch his whole plan and go back inside, but instead, to his delight, she replied, 'The Hogsmeade Howler.' Harry had never read the local circulation of Britain's only all-magic village, but he knew plenty of people did, and he furthermore knew they were far less inclined to sensationalize the news to boost subscriptions.

'Brilliant,' Harry said, grinning. 'Do you think you could wait over there for just a moment?' He gestured to a bench on the Burrow's front porch. Clearly puzzled, she made her way over, while Harry turned his attention back to the others, who were beginning to grow restless.

'I know you all want answers – almost as much as I want to be left alone,' he said in a pleasant, joking tone. 'I'm prepared to speak with all of you and answer whatever I can, but there are two conditions. First, no exclusives, so don't even bother to ask. I've already agreed to one and that's all I'm going to do.' This wasn't strictly the truth, but near enough, he reckoned. 'You're all welcome to come to a press conference, where I'll take your questions. I don't know where yet, but I'm sure we can talk Tom into giving us the courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron.

'Second,' he continued, 'I'm leaving on holiday this week. I'll hold the conference when I get back at the end of the month. Anyone who tries to track me or my family down before then won't be welcome. Thank you.' He then turned his back on them and made his way back to the house, where a bewildered Mallory Thornberry was now sitting. He could hear the others behind him, conversing amongst themselves, evidently trying to decide what they should make of his demands. By the time he reached the door, he could hear the first pops signaling their disapparition.

'Wh-what was that all about?' Thornberry asked him. He smiled at her.

'I figured the only way I'd finally get you lot to clear off would be to give you what you were after. On my terms, though.' Harry watched her digest this, then went on. 'So. You didn't ask me any questions before.'

'Well…I didn't think you would hear me,' she said simply. Harry laughed. This confidence thing got easier the longer he kept it up. Strange.

'No, I suppose not. But if you were going to ask me one question…just one…what would it be?'

Thornberry looked him in the eye and he could tell she understood his implication: if she asked the wrong one, it really would be the only one she would get.

'I…I suppose I'd ask you…how were you able to do it? How did you manage to weather all the distrust, all the pressure, everything the Death Eaters and the rest of the wizarding world put on you these last few years, and still find the strength to do what you did?'

Harry smiled, then reached out and opened the front door. 'Come on inside, Miss Thornberry. We'll talk.' He led the flabbergasted young reporter into the Burrow, where they were greeted by the confused stares of Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The four of them spoke to Mallory Thornberry for over an hour, answering her questions and telling her as much as they dared. Thornberry, hardly believing her luck, did not press them when they said they either could not or would not answer something. Well, not overmuch. She was a reporter, after all.

'Are you sure that was wise, Harry?' Hermione asked after the bespectacled reporter left with several full sheaves of parchment under her arm.

'Well, they were never going to leave us alone otherwise, were they?' he said. 'Besides, people do deserve to know something, I suppose. I know I'd want to.' He thought back to the summer before his fifth year, when he had been desperate for any kind of news whatsoever.

'At least they'll be staying away until this press conference of yours, Harry,' said Ron. 'They won't want to risk not being allowed in.'

'And,' Ginny added with a vicious grin, 'now Harry's made sure exactly what kind of questions they're going to ask him at that conference.' She caught Harry's eye and he matched her grin. Trust Ginny to figure that out so quickly, though he was surprised that Hermione hadn't caught on first.

'Of course!' his bushy-haired friend exclaimed. 'They'll be so focused on what we talked about in our interview with Thornberry, wanting follow-ups and clarifications and everything, they won't bother asking their usual type of questions.'

'Blimey!' Ron gasped. 'That's brilliant, Harry! Was that your plan all along?'

'Course it was,' he replied proudly. 'Reckon that gift of Luna's had some lasting effects.' His friends laughed, and they began discussing what the public reaction would be to Thornberry's article, which she had told them was due out at the end of the week.

'Too bad we'll be in Australia by then,' Ron lamented. 'I might actually like to see some of that.'

'It's just as well,' said Hermione. 'We'd be even more in demand than usual for at least the first few days.'

The rest of the day was rather uneventful in comparison, and on Monday they saw almost nothing of Hermione, who was making their final travel arrangements. Tuesday was Ginny's birthday, which was celebrated in much the same way Harry's had been, except that her party was held at the Burrow, and it was a bit more extravagant than his had been due to Ginny coming of age. It was something she made sure everyone was aware of from the moment she woke up, using magic to accomplish absolutely everything, to the point that even George could be heard saying she ought to give it a rest.

'I'd be apparating everywhere too,' she whispered to Harry with a glance in George's direction,' but I don't have a license yet and Mum would kill me.'

'We can go in and take your test later today if you like,' Harry told her. 'I've already told your mum I want to take you out, but if you'd rather just go on a normal date…'

'No, that sounds great!' she interrupted. 'And afterwards we can go wherever we like,' She waggled her eyebrows at him and he chuckled, hoping the flush he could feel creeping up his neck wasn't too obvious.

Ginny's cake (broom-shaped) didn't last long against a horde of Weasleys, and afterward she was inundated with the mountain of traditional coming-of-age gifts. She was the first witch in the family to receive them, so Mrs Weasley was particularly excited. When it came for Harry's gift, he summoned the long package he'd hidden under Ron's bed and presented it to Ginny nervously. Quite aside from it being her seventeenth, this was her first birthday as his girlfriend and he wanted to make a good showing.

Judging by the incredulous, exuberant look on her face, Ginny already had a fair idea of what the package held, and when she tore into it with gusto moments later, her apparent suspicions were confirmed.

'Harry!' she exclaimed jubilantly. In her hand was a brand new, brightly polished maple broomstick with the golden words Nimbus 2100 emblazoned on it. Ginny held it as though it were the International Quiddich Cup itself.

'I was thinking of getting you a Firebolt like mine,' Harry explained as Ginny gazed in rapture at her new broom. 'It is a bit faster after all, but this one has a brand new inertia-dampening charm on it that's supposed to allow for all kinds of new maneuvers that would throw you right off of any other broom. For someone as good as you, you could probably fly circles around even a Firebolt on one of those.'

Ginny's focus shifted from the broom to Harry without so much as a flicker of change in her expression, and she launched herself at him, hugging him fervently.

'I love it!' she squealed, squeezing him tightly even as she gripped the broom in her hand. 'Thank you so much!' She released him and immediately mounted the broom, shooting up into the air over the backyard and zipping around with such tight turns that Harry almost grew nauseous just watching. It was beautiful to watch.

'Quiddich cup's in the bag this year,' Ron commented idly as he too watched his sister defy all laws of motion. 'Between the two of you, the rest of us could probably kip under the stands for the whole match for all you'll be needing us.' Harry laughed as Ginny skidded to a halt in front of them, a look of pure elation adorning her gorgeous face.

'It's brilliant!' She cried, running over to hug Harry again. 'How did you even get one? They aren't due to be released until next month!'

He'd been rather hoping she wouldn't notice that, as the answer was somewhat embarrassing. Nonetheless, he answered. 'Oh, er…I wrote a letter to the Nimbus Broom Company saying I wanted one,' he said. He left out the part about having to fight to be allowed to pay.

'That's it?'

'Signing the letter "Harry Potter" probably didn't hurt,' Ron added with a smirk. Harry shot him a dirty look but didn't say anything.

'Honestly, Ron,' Hermione huffed, shaking her head. 'Have you ever even heard of the word 'tact'?'

They were saved from the awkwardness, as usual, by George. 'About time it worked in your favor for once, Harry,' he said, clapping Harry on the back. Everyone laughed, but Harry didn't miss the shrewd look Ginny shot his way and knew they would be talking about this more as soon as they left for the Ministry that afternoon.

He was right, as it turned out. As soon as they arrived in the atrium, Ginny turned to him, a strange expression on her face.

'Harry,' she started hesitantly. For his part, he had a good idea what was coming, so didn't interrupt. 'About my birthday present. I love it; don't think for a second that I don't. It might just be the best present I've ever gotten. But I don't…what I mean is…don't think that because we're dating you have to buy me a lot of expensive things. You could have gotten me a bunch of flowers from the garden for all I care. I don't care about any of that other stuff. You know that, right?' Her eyes bored into him imploringly, and it struck him that she was afraid he didn't know that. He couldn't help but smile.

'I do know that,' he told her. 'It's one of the things I love most about you, Ginny. But that's not why I got you that broom.' She tilted her head, not fully understanding. 'I bought you that broom because I knew it would make you happy,' he explained. 'I don't have a lot going for me, but everything I do have goes toward that one goal. It's like...If I were a chef, I'd cook for you every day. I still could, if you want, though I can't guarantee you'll like it. If I had any artistic talent, I'd paint you. What I do have is talent on a broom, so I'll fly with you whenever you want. And whether I asked for it or not, I have money and a famous name, so I'm going to buy you things that you like. Not to impress you, because I know it wouldn't, but because I can and it makes you smile. I can't think of any better use for something that otherwise has never really done me any good.' He knew he was rambling by this point, but the look on her face could have lit up a room, and Harry was suddenly sorry they were in public.

'Oh, Harry!' she cried and hugged him again. 'You really are the best boyfriend in the world, you know?' She sniffed and they held each other for a minute or two before they remembered that they had an appointment.

'Good luck!' Harry called after her as she entered the area where apparition tests were administered. She flashed him a smile and a thumbs up and he settled in to wait. About twenty minutes later she came back out, grinning proudly and brandishing her new apparition license.

'Where to now?' he asked her.

'Anywhere we like,' was her answer, and she looped her arm around his as they began to make their way back to the atrium, where they could apparate away.

The rest of the afternoon was spent popping around muggle England on Ginny's request. She wanted to know what muggle teenagers did for fun, and though Harry's experience in that area was severely limited, he at least had a fair idea. They went to a fair and stuffed themselves on sweets, rode the ferris wheel, and all number of other things Mr Weasley would have been beside himself with glee just to observe.

They went to the cinema, which was a new experience for both of them – Harry never having been allowed and Ginny never having heard of such a thing – and watched a film about a Mexican sword fighter dressed in black. Ginny was utterly enthralled by the whole thing and insisted they had to see movies more often. When Harry told her that they could be watched at home on a television, she was beside herself with excitement and insisted they had to buy one for Grimmauld Place.

'We could have movie nights at your house every week!' she declared eagerly. She was particularly interested to learn that this method could be used to watch movies that had long since ceased playing in the cinema. Harry laughed at her enthusiasm, but could not deny that the idea held a certain appeal, and so agreed to shop for a good television as soon as he got a chance.

They ate dinner at a fancy restaurant in London, where they had to confund the maître d' before transfiguring their clothes into "appropriate attire" in order to be seated. After that, they returned to Grimmauld Place, where Ginny attempted her first talking patronus to inform her mother that she would be staying out until the following morning. Harry wasn't sure whether to be excited or uncomfortable.

After a hearty snogging session on the sofa, Harry slowed things down and pulled a small package out of his pocket.

'I, er, got you something else,' he said, handing it over to her. Ginny gasped and took it, looking at him with an unfathomably tender expression. When she tore the paper off and revealed what was inside, she gasped again and gaped at him.

'Harry, it's…it's beautiful,' she said, holding up the glittering jade necklace he'd bought for her. 'I love it.' She smiled and turned it in the light. 'It's the same color as your eyes.'

Harry, who hadn't thought of this, swallowed in embarrassment. 'I, ah, I didn't…I mean, I just knew it was your favorite color,' he explained lamely.

Ginny smirked at him. 'And why do you think that is, Harry?' He jerked as if struck. For some reason, that had never occurred to him at all.

'I dunno,' he said. 'A fondness for pickled toad?' She giggled adorably and swatted his chest.

'Prat.' She leaned in and kissed him. It was like being under the oak tree on the hill all over again. When she pulled away, her eyes were blazing in that way he loved so much. Scrambling for something to say, he blurted out the first thing he could think of.

'It's charmed,' he said. 'I got the idea from your brothers' shield hats. If I'm ever not around and someone tries to get the drop on you…' he was rambling again and he knew it, but thankfully Ginny knew just how to handle him. She put her fingers to his mouth to silence him and scorched him once more with her blazing look.

'Take me to bed, Harry.'

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

That's it for chapter four. Nothing really to add down here. Reviews are gold. And my greatest motivation, I might add.