It was only a week later that Harry heard back that his request for home study had been accepted; he was so happy at the prospect of not having to leave Ginny that he felt like celebrating, intending to share his study time with her and helping her when possible, either with potions, charms or whatever. However, since Ron and Hermione's requests had been tendered somewhat later, they hadn't heard anything one way or the other as to whether or not theirs had been granted. Now that they knew Harry would definitely be taking home study courses, they didn't want to return to the school unless absolutely necessary.

Just the same, they still had to go get the necessary textbooks and such for the seventh-year classes; Harry had already planned to take Ginny to Diagon Alley and pay for their school supplies himself. Maybe they could even go to Madam Puddifoot's for a butterbeer while there; he'd have to wait and see on that one, especially if Ron and Hermione happened to be with them.

Maybe he could even buy her a little trinket which would make her think of him whenever she saw it and they didn't happen to be together, like a "mood" necklace or something. He would have preferred to give her a promise ring, but that came under the heading of rushing her, so he regretfully put that on hold for the time being.

As it turned out, Ron and Hermione were turned down and got the regular letters which told them to report to Platform 9¾ at 10 a.m. on September 1 to board the Hogwarts Express for their seventh year. As may be expected, neither of them were pleased, but for their own reasons …but obviously the Powers That Be didn't consider their reasons for wanting home study sufficient to grant them the same privileges they had Harry and Ginny. It would seem strange going without them, but it couldn't be helped. Just the same, once they calmed down, they told them what had happened and admonished both to make sure they kept them up-to-date on how they were doing.

Even at that, they all went together to Diagon Alley to buy the necessary books, Ron and Hermione armed with blank cheques from their parents to cover the cost. Harry was armed with his usual bag of gold, although he had made a substantial with- drawal (substantial for him, at any rate … around one hundred Galleons) from his Gringotts account the previous day to cover the costs of the textbooks and other school materials for himself and Ginny.

It usually cost at least forty Galleons for textbooks and such, although Harry fully expected it to be more this time, at least for him, since this was his final year and the extra books he got covered the subjects he would need to know in order to realize his career goal of being an Auror, such as Occlumency and Legilimency, not to mention Advanced Transfiguration and an updated book on Advanced Potion-Making, as well as the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7.

With Ginny, on the other hand, the extra books she needed involved the various subjects she would need to know to realize her own career goal of being a Healer—Advanced Potion-Making being only one of them. Other books she needed were Magical Healing Techniques, which also covered various spells commonly used to aid in healing wounds, both emotional and physical, and Healing Draughts and Their Effects, to name just two. She also needed the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6 and Confronting the Faceless, the sixth-year DADA textbook.

But even with the cost of books and materials, including sales tax, for both himself and Ginny, Harry had calculated that there would be roughly eighteen to twenty Galleons left over—enough so he could buy her something, be it a mug of butterbeer or a piece of jewelry, if not something else which reflected his feelings for her.

Just the same, both Ron and Hermione had been warned not to be too extravagant in buying non-essentials, so when it was agreed that they all go to Madam Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade for a snack and butterbeer, Harry ended up picking up the tab for everyone. He had frankly hoped that he would have the chance to be alone with Ginny, but now would simply have to make the best of it.

Lady Luck smiled on him, at least to a degree, so that he was near enough to be able to reach out and hold Ginny's hand unobtrusively under the table while his other hand held onto his mug of butterbeer. Even at that, he could have sworn he saw his two friends exchange secretive looks and snigger as they looked in his and Ginny's direction, especially when they believed they had caught them smiling at each other or something.

He would ordinarily have demanded to know just what they thought they were doing, acting like that, but at this point was too enraptured by his nearness to Ginny, his ability to hold her hand and smell her perfume, see her smile and watch her drink her butterbeer, particularly when she tilted her head back to give him a provocative view of her creamy throat, which (next to her lips) he had always loved to kiss, to give it more than passing notice.

He knew it was silly to envy an inanimate object like the mug, but it at least touched her lips, which was more than he was able to do at the moment. If they had been alone, he might have at least attempted to kiss her hand or something. As it was, he had to content himself with what he was already doing.

Upon leaving the tea shop, which also offered other beverages (such as butterbeer), all looked at each other and asked "What did you want to do now?"

"I don't have money enough to do anything else," Ron groused; the rest had to smile at his irritation. "I guess I'll just have to go back to the Burrow and pack my trunk or something."

"What about you, Hermione?" Harry asked. "Gotten your trunk packed yet?"

"Oh yes," she assured him. "Just need to put my books in and make sure Crookshanks is ready."

"Got any money left?" Ginny put in, seeming as hopeful as Harry (although he could have imagined it) that they would actually be left alone.

"Some, but not a lot. I think I'd better hang onto it," she decided.

"Then you're both leaving?" Harry fought not to sound overly hopeful.

"Harry, you're not being very subtle," she threw back. "Yes, I think we're both leaving. Why? Where were you thinking of going?"

"I wanted to show Ginny something," he all but mumbled.

"Such as the most popular location for snogging?" Hermione retorted with a wicked grin.

"Now who's not being subtle?" he shot back, blushing in spite of himself. "No, it's something I saw the other day in a shop window after getting my money and was thinking of buying for her—but didn't want to do it without her approval." He gave Ginny a hopeful look; she smiled and nodded. "Which reminds me—do you think you could take our books back and put them in our rooms? They're too heavy to be lugged around for long."

"I suppose so." Hermione reached for Ginny's bag and Ron for Harry's. "Have a good time, you two …but not too good, because I'll be checking both of you over when you get back!" With that, she and Ron Apparated out of Hogsmeade.