Author's note: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

Hogwarts: Assignment #3, Psychology & Counselling, Task #3: Write about a character honoring/celebrating an important day to them.

Warnings: NA

The Last Day of January

He woke up to Ginny snuggling into him, which wasn't altogether unusual except he could tell by the way she was running her fingers up and down his arms that she was trying to pull him out of his dreams.

"I need you to wake up," she whispered in his ear. "I have to wish you a happy half-birthday before I go to work and tell you what the plan for today is."

"Do I have to be awake for that?" Harry grumbled.

Then he flopped over to face her. Ginny had plucked his glasses off his side table and slipped them on his face before turning on the lamp on her side of the bed. Harry winced in the light.

She sat cross-legged, holding her ankles, and gave him a few seconds to wake up. Honestly, he'd have been lucid a little bit earlier if he weren't focusing on the way that the single lightbulb lit up her freckles. He was also trying to figure out if the Gryffindor sweater she was wearing was hers or if she'd stolen his again.

"Are you lucid?" she checked again.

"Yes, I promise," he said, rubbing his palm against his eyes.

"Alright, well then happy half-birthday," she said leaning forward to kiss him.

"Thanks," he whispered against her lips. He was going to run a hand through her hair and pull her down for another kiss, but she pulled away to sit up again.

"No, Potter, I can't have you getting all stupid again," she said. "Are you paying attention?"

"Yeah," Harry said, pulling up the blanket.

Ginny yanked it down which was absolutely ruthless of her.

"Now you are," Ginny said.

"It's so cold," he complained.

"Alright, well stop whining and you can go back to bed," Ginny said. "Alright, so you've got today off, yes?"

"Yes," Harry said. His voice was still mumbly and gross and sleepy. "But I'm up so early it doesn't feel like it."

"So whiny," Ginny said, clucking her tongue. "Okay, anyways, I have lunch reservations for us so I'll come pick you up at 12:30 because I want it to be a secret. Then I've got tickets to see something that is also going to be a surprise—"

"Is it that Muggle movie I've wanted to see for a while?" Harry said.

"To something that is going to be a surprise," Ginny repeated, shrugging nonchalantly. Still, he'd known her long enough and followed along enough of her kickass plans to be able to tell when he'd guessed correctly. "Anyways, I talked to Andromeda and we can go pick up Teddy tonight, grab some pizza, and bring him home for a sleepover. I'll feed him breakfast and bring him back to her tomorrow morning after you go to work. How's that plan?"

"Ideal," Harry smiled. "It sounds like the best half-birthday yet."

"You've only had five," Ginny scoffed.

"I've had more than that, we've only ever celebrated five," Harry said, reaching out to take her hand and lace their fingers together.

They'd been celebrating half-birthdays since the Battle of Hogwarts, when the rarity of birthdays had become so very and terribly clear. They hadn't stopped and, quite frankly, sometimes Harry liked their private half-birthday celebrations more than his actual birthday. Especially when they started off with kisses this good.

"You'll have many more," Ginny said, bringing their clasped hands to her lips to kiss his knuckles. "Alright, now do you want me to get out of here and get to practise so that you can hibernate again?"

"Best half-birthday ever," Harry repeated, flopping back in his pillow and tugging the covers back up.

Stacked with: MC4A; Shipping Wars; Hogwarts

Individual Challenge(s): Day Out; Convocation; Gryffindor MC (x2); Brush; Winter Wonderland; Seeds; Birthday Surprises; Times to Come; Post Factum; Fluent in Sarcasm; Old Shoes; Themes & Things A (Love); Themes & Things B (Joy); Themes & Things C (Blanket); Themes & Things F (Happy Endings); Ethnic & Present; Rian-Russo Inversion; Hold the Mayo; In a Flash

Word Count: 610

Shipping Wars

Ship (Team): Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley (Red Lions)

List (Prompt): Spring Big List (Shared Blanket)