A Summer Night
Her knee length skirt spread across the grass as she plopped herself down under the apple tree, ignoring the dew wetting the parts of her body that touched the ground. She propped herself on her hands, looking up at the sky.
The lights and noise of the Burrow echoed across the empty yard. Her entire family was in there. They were celebrating a birthday. It was the birthday of her brother Ron's best friend, the birthday of the boy who lived , the birthday of the brightest third of the golden trio, the birthday of Harry Potter, the birthday of the boy whom she loved with her entire heart.
She had been celebrating. It was enjoyable. Harry had even hugged her when she gave him his gift. She sighed and brushed her chestnut curls over her shoulder. Harry would always see her as the sister that, through the tragedy of his parent's death, he would never have.
Ginny lay back, allowing her hair to fan out across the ground in a strange symmetry to her skirt. Peering through the branches of the tree, she could see the stars. They shone bright in the summer sky. Her mother had explained to the five-year-old Ginny that true love was like stars. At the time, Ginny had not understood. She had believed that each of the stars represented a love.
Now, she understood. She was not sure if the love she held for Harry was star-worthy. As she lay there wondering this, a shooting star shot across the sky. Staring at it, Ginny decided that, instead of wishing upon the star, she would promise. She would make a promise to herself.
Lying on the dew coated grass at the end of July, sixteen-year-old Ginny Weasley promised herself that she would put her love for Harry Potter behind her. She was certain that she would continue to love him for much longer. She promised herself that she would continue to see other boys and she would move on with her life. She had been waiting for five years and it was time to stop.
Directly, after this wish was made, an ebony-haired boy detached himself from the lights and music of the party. It was his birthday. He had noticed the lovely redheaded girl slip out of the house a few minutes prior and wondered where she had gone.
Noticing the shooting star through the open window, Harry made a promise. His promise was coated in a hope, instead of a wish. Seventeen-year-old Harry Potter promised that whatever was going on between him and Ginny would be resolved that night. His hope was that it would turn out well.
Harry felt a strong love for Ginny. He was afraid to let it show, however. Although he was the boy who lived, he was still a boy and that meant that he also feared rejection. That was without the threat of the family. He knew that he was already like a son to Mrs. Weasley, but he was not sure how Ginny's brothers would react if they knew that he cared for their sister in that way.
Harry shut the front door behind him, scanning his surroundings for Ginny. He spotted her sitting in the orchard, the moonlight reflecting off her hair. Gathering his wit about him, he strode across the lawn.
She sat up in surprise as he plopped himself down beside her. "Harry--? What--?"
He gazed at her. "Ginny, I loved the gift you gave me tonight." She looked at him, confused. The newest edition of Quidditch Through the Ages was good but not that good. He continued, "But, there is something that I would have much rather you given me."
She looked at him, bewildered. What was going on?
He took her chin in his hand and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. It was over almost before it begun and he pulled away, satisfied.
"Thank you for the gift, Ginny."
He began to stand up, but she grabbed his wrist to pull him back down. Catching his lips with hers, she pulled his body closer. Pulling apart, she grinned.
"Happy birthday, Harry."
He smiled and, in that moment, they reached an unspoken agreement. He stood and offered his hand to her. The couple walked, hand in hand, back to the burrow where, upon entering the building they were greeted with the sounds of the on-going party.
Everything was the way they had left it, except for one large exception. Harry grinned at Ginny as she glanced in wonder and awe at their intertwined hands.
a/n: I kinda hate the ending… actually the last half. I had to put it away for a few day s because I was working and I feel as if, in that time, I lost where I wanted the story to go. Oh well.
I hope that you enjoyed it and please review.