Their detention came and went quickly. Harry had hidden the book in a cabinet in the Room of Requirement, safely marking its place with an old bust topped by a gaudy tiara. He was confident that he could find it again if he needed to. Hermione had been smug for days, asserting that she had been right about the Half-Blood Prince all along. She had been so frustrating that even Ginny had refused to speak to her on several occasions.
Saturday dawned bright and clear; perfect weather for their final Quidditch match. Harry jostled Draco jokingly that morning, asking if he would be rooting for his own house or for his friends in Gryffindor. Draco smiled, refusing to answer.
The game was spectacular. The Gryffindor team was the strongest Harry had ever seen it. Ginny scored goal after goal, a howl of praise coming up from the Gryffindor spectators each time. Finally Harry spotted the Snitch hovering near the ground. He dove for it, startling Cho Chang as he zoomed right past her and plucked it out of the air. He tumbled gently to the ground, holding the Snitch and grinning widely as his team members landed around him.
Harry spotted Ginny walking towards him, a look of fierce determination in her eyes. She wrapped her eyes around Harry and, without thinking, he kissed her, right there in view of the entire school. He pulled away as a chorus of whistles and cheers erupted around them.
The party in the Gryffindor common room that night was spectacular. Ron didn't mind the idea of Harry dating his sister, so long as he treated her well. Draco joined the party and stayed long past curfew. He had to borrow Harry's Invisibility Cloak to sneak back to his own dormitory.
It was Luna who discovered Draco's birthday. She told Ginny, who told Hermione, who decided that Draco's coming of age warranted a break from revising and planned a surprise party. At least, that's the story that they told Harry and Ron the evening of June fourth.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Harry complained. "How am I supposed to get him anything now?"
"Tell him that the Wrackspurts delayed it," Luna suggested. "They've been affecting the owls lately you know."
"If you had been listening you would have known already!" Hermione admonished. "He's mentioned it at least twice in class. Besides, Harry, you had Potions with him while we were at the Apparition test. You had to know it was coming soon!"
"How am I supposed to remember things like that when you have us all revising like we're writing our OWLS again?" Ron protested.
"Quiet down!" Ginny exclaimed. "Just tell him that you forgot and you have something on the way. Or just enjoy the party. I'm sure he won't mind either way. Anyways, we couldn't tell you earlier. You're both rubbish at keeping secrets."
"Hey!" Harry protested. "I can keep secrets just fine!"
Ginny gave him an aloof glare. "Our first kiss was in front of the entire school."
Harry shrugged. "So I'm not subtle." He smirked and moved closer to her.
"Oy!" Ron shouted. "Not in front of me!"
"Will you all quiet down and listen?" Hermione glared around the circle. "Like I was trying to say, Draco and I have Ancient Runes together last period. Harry, Ron, you have a free period, so you're going to have to do most of the setting up. Luna and Ginny and I have already made all the arrangements. It's just going to be us and Neville in the Room of Requirement."
"Did you tell Neville before us?" Ron asked, a hurt expression on his face.
"No, it'll be a surprise for him too," Luna answered. "He's even worse at secrets than Harry."
"Anyways," Hermione interjected, "the room is decorated and ready for us. You just have to ask it for a place to celebrate Draco's birthday."
"The thing you two have to remember is the cake," Ginny said. "I asked the house elves to make one for us-"
"I thought we should do it on our own but Ginny insisted," Hermione grimaced.
Luna giggled. "It was the quite the argument. It's too bad you missed it really."
Harry and Ron shared a glance. Knowing Ginny's stubbornness and Hermione's determination when it came to House Elves, they were really quite glad to have missed the argument.
"You just have to pick it up from the kitchens and get it to the Room of Requirement," Ginny continued. "Though you should really try to do it without being seen." Harry nodded; he figured he could just summon Dobby or Kreacher and ask them to bring the cake instead of trying to smuggle it through the castle.
"I'm going to pretend I need something from my dormitory after class." Hermione said. "That way Ginny and Luna will have time to find Neville and get him in before I get there with Draco."
"Hold on," Ron broke in, "What are you going to say to get Draco into the Room of Requirement with you?"
Hermione blushed slightly. "I haven't really thought about that yet. Maybe something about a book, he's usually pretty interested in learning strange things."
"By the way Harry, Luna and I will need to borrow your map." Ginny flashed a smile at her boyfriend. "We'll only have a few minutes to track down Neville, and-"
"Oh, hello Draco!" Luna interrupted, her head poked around the corner. Ginny and Hermione's faces paled.
"Scatter!" Ginny hissed, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him towards the end of the hallway and into an alcove. Ron ran past them as Luna's voice echoed off the wall.
"Oh, I'm heading to the common room too! Why don't we walk together?" After that Harry lost track of the pair as Ginny pulled him into a kiss.
"Wow, the girls sure know how to throw a party." Ron was standing in the room of Requirement surveying the preparations for Draco's birthday. "Look, Butterbeer!" He held up a bottle from the stack in the corner of a table. "They've got plates and napkins and everything. Why haven't they ever thrown a party for either of us?"
"Well my birthday's during the summer," Harry pointed out, "And I'm guessing they think Draco could use a fun time more than you about now." He smirked as he blocked the pillow Ron threw at his face.
"Well, we have half an hour left before the end of the period," Ron said as he checked his watch. "Are we really going to try to smuggle a cake up here?"
"Right," said Harry. "Kreacher! Dobby!"
There was a loud CRACK almost instantly as Dobby appeared, bouncing on his toes in excitement. A second later there was another CRACK and Kreacher appeared, looking surly and unhappy.
"What can Dobby and Kreacher do for the Great Harry Potter?" Dobby asked in excitement.
"Ginny told me that she asked the house elves to make a cake for Draco's birthday," Harry said. "Is it finished?"
Dobby grimaced at Draco's name. Kreacher made a disgusted noise in his throat and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "filthy blood-traitor".
"Yes, the elves has finished it, Harry Potter," Dobby replied.
"Then I would like you and Kreacher to bring it up here," Harry commanded. "And maybe some snacks too." He caught a glimpse of the sneer on Kreacher's face. "Er, Kreacher, you are not to do anything to it," he added quickly. "Nothing harmful, or nasty, or unpleasant. Do you understand?"
"Yes, master," Kreacher glared as he answered. With a CRACK the two elves disappeared. A moment later they returned, Kreacher carrying a ridiculously large cake as Dobby struggled under an unevenly stacked appetizer platter.
"Thanks Dobby, Kreacher," Harry said as he and Ron relieved them of their burdens. "It was a huge help having you here.
"May Kreacher return to the kitchens now?" the old elf asked grumpily.
"Yeah, Kreacher. See you later."
Ron moved a pile of packages off the table to make room for the appetizer tray. "I don't think the girls expected them to make all this. With this much food we won't even have to go to dinner!"
"Yeah," Harry agreed as he glanced at the pile. "That reminds me." He reached into his school bag and pulled a wrapped package out. He tossed it onto the pile of gifts.
Ron glared at him. "How did you get something so quickly?" he demanded.
"Owl post," Harry shrugged. "I put in an order last night. I didn't expect it to get here so soon. Guess I'm lucky."
At the moment the door burst open. Luna ran through first, dragging a confused Neville behind her. Ginny burst through after, clutching the Marauder's Map tightly as she closed the door firmly. "They're just down the hall! Hide quick!"
Harry ducked behind a couch with Neville and Luna. Ginny slid in right behind the door. In desperation Ron crouched behind the table.
"Why are we hiding?" Neville whispered. "And why is there cake?"
"Surprise party," Harry whispered as Ginny shushed everyone.
Harry held his breath as the door cracked open. He could hear Draco's voice on the other side, talking to Hermione. White hair came into view as the door swung open.
"Surprise!"
Draco stood frozen in shock as his eyes roved across the room. With a chuckle Hermione pushed him into the room and closed the door. "Happy birthday Draco!" she exclaimed.
Draco snapped his mouth closed. "You did this for me?" he asked no one in particular as he took in the cake and presents.
"Of course!" Luna bounded across the room and pulled him towards a cluster of chairs around the table. "We couldn't let your seventeenth birthday go uncelebrated!" She pushed Draco into a seat next to the stack of presents.
"Don't look at me," Harry laughed as Draco's astonished gaze settled on him. "The girls did it all. They just told me and Ron about it last night."
"They didn't tell me about it at all," Neville added, "Or else I would've gotten you a present." He shrugged.
"Speaking of presents," Ginny had sauntered over and perched on a loveseat. "You should open them up so we can have cake!"
Draco began to open his presents, thanking his friends copiously for each one. He paused when he reached a package from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"You have no idea how much this means to me," he said quietly as he pulled it open to reveal homemade toffee and a deep blue tie. "I didn't think I'd get to celebrate my birthday with my family again. But I was wrong." A huge grin split his face. "You, all of you, are the best family I could ever have." His glanced around the circle.
Luna leaned over and gave Draco a hug. "The best family is the one you choose."
Everyone jumped as a BANG sounded from the middle of the table. With a grin, Ginny waved her wand, and miniature fireworks emerged from the candles on top of the cake. "I asked Fred and George for the best birthday-related item they had. They created these just for the occasion."
Draco's grin broadened as the fireworks subsided and the candles turned into regular flames. He took a gulp of air and blew them out, at which they exploded into what Ginny assured them was edible glitter.
Unfortunately the party had to end early that evening. Ginny and Luna had an OWL the next morning, and Hermione had begun to get restless and jumpy at the amount of study time she was missing. Laughing happily the group emerged from the Room of Requirement and went their separate ways for the night.
Exams had been over for several days when Harry received Dumbledore's message. He ran off to the Headmaster's office, armed with his wand and his Invisibility Cloak, excited about the prospect of finding the next Horcrux.
