Chapter 37: ringing in the new year

"Come on Harry. We're going to be late," said Ginny. It was New Years Eve and Harry had received a call from Dudley asking if they wanted to go out with him and April to ring in the new year. They had agreed, but now Ginny stood in the hallway tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Harry to get ready. In the days after they had received the call, Harry had changed his mind several times about meeting his cousin for a night out. He had told her that it was one thing for them to grab a cup of coffee or have dinner but he was afraid that he would drink too much and say something stupid. Ginny had assured him over and over that she would not let that happen but he was still apprehensive.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," said Harry as he emerged from the bedroom, attempting to flatten his hair.

"Your hair is fine. Merlin, sometimes I think you're worse then a woman!"

"I don't know about this Ginny. What if I let something slip about the wizarding world?" said Harry, worry clearly etched on his face.

"Would you just relax? Besides, Ron and Hermione are coming with us. If anyone will let something slip, it'll be Ron," said Ginny, taking him by the hand. "Now come on. We're meeting Ron and Hermione in the alley way down the street from the pub where we're meeting Dudley and April."

Before he could protest any further, she turned on the spot. Harry felt the familiar squeezing feeling of apparition and a moment later they were standing in a dark alley.

"It's about time. I'm freezing my buttocks off!" came a voice to their left.

"Nice to see you too, Ron," said Ginny dryly.

"Sorry Ginny. Are you guys ready? I hope there's food. I'm starving," said Ron.

"Is that all you ever think about?" said Hermione. She moved forward out of the shadows and engulfed both Harry and Ginny in a hug. "Don't worry, Harry. I told Ron to keep his mouth shut about anything that has to do with the wizarding world while we're around the muggles," she added when she noticed the worried look on Harry's face.

"Thanks."

"Merlin. I can't believe you guys don't trust me," said Ron, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hermione blew out a breath in exasperation. "Ron, how many times have I told you? Muggles don't say 'Merlin'."

Ron's face turned red. "Oh, right. Sorry," he said.

"Let's get going. Their probably waiting for us," said Ginny.

Together, the four of them made their way down the street and into the crowded pub they were to meet Dudley and April at. Harry scanned the crowds trying to find his cousin and finally spotted him by the bar, waving his arm in the air to get Harry's attention. They wound their way through the crowd until they reached the bar. Harry shook hands with Dudley and April and started his introductions.

"Dudley, I'm sure you remember my fiancé, Ginny. Ginny this is Dudley's girlfriend, April," he said. The two women shook hands and Ginny gave Dudley a quick hug before Harry continued, "And I don't remember if you remember Ron from that one summer when he, his brothers and father picked me up to spend the summer with them."

"Oh yeah," said Dudley as he shook hands with Ron. "Your brothers were the ones with the candy."

Ron blushed but Dudley turned to Harry and winked. "And this is Ron's girlfriend, Hermione," said Harry. Hermione came forward and shook hands with both Dudley and April.

"What do you guys want to drink?" asked April. "I'll go ahead and order for us. This place tends to get a bit packed."

Ron looked at Harry pleadingly. Apparently with all the lectures Hermione had given him, she had left out a few details.

"A pint sounds good," said Harry, saving his best mate. "Why don't you guys go find us a table? I'll help April with the drinks," he added to Dudley, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. They nodded and made their way through the crowd of people gathered around the bar in search of an open table. Harry then turned his attention to April who was leaning against the bar waiting for their drinks.

"So, how did you meet Dudley?" asked Harry in an attempt to make conversation.

"Actually, I met him here," she said. "We started chatting at the bar and well . . . here we are. How about you and Ginny? How did you two meet?"

Harry inwardly cringed. He hated having to lie to people about himself but he knew he had to stick to the story. "I went to school with her. She's actually Ron's sister. Their family all but adopted me," said Harry.

"Oh. Where did you go to school?" she asked.

Harry particularly hated this question. "It's a co-ed boarding school in Scotland."

"What's it called?" asked April. Harry didn't know what to say. He was saved, however, with the arrival of their drinks. Harry picked up three of the drinks, and careful not to spill them, let the way in the direction he saw the other four go. He found them in the far corner of the pub at the seemingly only available table. He sat the drinks on the table and slid into the chair next to Ginny.

"Harry was just telling me that you four all went to school together. I bet you have loads of stories," said April once she took her seat next to Dudley.

"You have no idea," said Ron as he took a sip of his drink.

"Maybe we'll get to tell them to you sometime," said Ginny. She knew that the only way they would be able to without breaking any laws was if Dudley and April got married. From the way the two of them looked at each other, she had a feeling April would someday know everything.

"So what do you guys do for a living?" asked April, taking a drink.

"I'm in law enforcement, Ginny's in sports," said Harry. He was trying to be as honest as possible without actually giving anything away. He hoped April didn't pick up on how evasive he was really being. He looked across the table to Dudley, who looked just about as nervous as he felt about the situation.

"How about you two?" said April, turning to Ron and Hermione. Luckily, Hermione was the one who answered.

"Ron works at a store his older brother owns and I'm in law," she said.

"How about you?" asked Ginny, turning the attention away from the four of them. Harry shot her a grateful look. He didn't know how much longer he could keep it up.

"Well, right now I'm still attending University. I plan on becoming a teacher," said April.

"That's great. I had considered that avenue but decided I really wanted to study law instead," said Hermione. Soon enough, the two women were deep in conversation, discussing everything from books they've read to classes they've both attended. Harry knew that Hermione had taken a couple of courses at the local muggle University just for something to fill her spare time with.

Soon enough, the evening got fully underway and Harry lost count of the number of drinks he had consumed. Dudley had started a drinking game at one point that he and Ron lost at spectacularly. While the women were engrossed in a conversation, Dudley looked across the table to Harry and slurred, "I told mum and dad I was coming out with you tonight."

Unable to help himself, Harry started to laugh. "I bet that went over well," he said once he caught his breath.

"Dad yelled and mum refused to talk to me," said Dudley, smiling sloppily and shrugging his shoulders. "Don't really care though. Not after the way they treated you when we were kids."

Harry didn't know what to say. The Dudley he knew would never do anything to upset his parents like that. Sure, he'd thrown a fit when he was younger, but that was only to get the things he wanted at the time. He never thought he'd see Dudley defy his parents like this.

"Wow, Big D," said Harry, gaping at his cousin. "Just . . . wow . . ."

"I know I said it before, but I really am sorry. You're a great guy and you didn't deserve the way we treated you," said Dudley, looking down into his half empty drink and refusing to look Harry in the eye.

"It's alright. Really it is," said Harry. "Let's not worry 'bout that right now," he added as he flagged a waitress down and ordered them another round. Once the drinks arrived, Harry cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and held his glass in the air. "To friendship," he said.

"To friendship," chorused the rest of the group. They clinked their glassed together and Harry drank his down in one gulp, cringing some as the amber liquid burned on its way down. He glanced down at his battered watch and noticed that it was 11:55. Only five more minutes until the new year. He allowed himself to think back on the previous year. All the loved ones he lost, the battle he fought, and the love that he found. Ginny, sensing Harry's mood, reached under the table and took him by the hand. He looked up into her eyes and smiled, and in that moment he knew that the new year would truly be the start of the rest of his life. He tightened his hold on Ginny's hand and his smile grew wider when he pulled her to her feet, causing her to laugh out loud as the countdown began throughout the pub.

"Ten, nine, eight . . ."

The rest of the group stood from the table.

"Seven, six, five . . ."

Harry reached up with his free hand and ran fingers through Ginny's hair.

"Four, three, two . . ."

He gently tilted her head to the side.

"One . . ."

Not caring that they were standing in a crowded pub, Harry kissed her. Cheers erupted all around them and confetti was dropped from the ceiling, raining down all around them. But in that moment, it was only the two of them.

Harry could have stayed like that forever, but an excited squeal from Hermione forced him and Ginny apart. They spun around to see Hermione standing with her hands covering her mouth looking down at Ron who was kneeling on one knee and holding a small black velvet box. They saw Hermione nod, apparently speechless and Ron slipped the small diamond ring on her left hand. Ginny immediately rushed forward and engulfed Hermione and then Ron in a fierce hug.

"Didn't see that one coming," said Dudley from Harry's left. In all the commotion, he hadn't seen his cousin approach.

Harry smiled. "It's been a long time in the making."

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