Hello everyone!

Chapter 10 here. I realize that it's been a couple of weeks since Harry's birthday, but at least it's in the general area. And, also, the last section is just a bit M, although I think you might not even get it if you're not old enough, anyway. Final note—we're winding down here; there are only two, maybe three more chapters of this fic.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, SiriusObsession, physics chick, DukeBrymin, isigirl, MEL-ODiE-MEL-ODRAMATiC, and xKillthelights. Thanks, everyone!

Here it is, I hope you enjoy :D

xxxxx

"Mrs. Weasley, it's really okay—"

"Nonsense, dear, everyone is already there."

"But—"

"Shut it, Harry," came Ginny's commanding voice. I sighed. I know she's been a bigger part of this than she's let on, and I know that there's no sense in arguing with her.

"Gin—"

"I said, shut it."

I sighed again and turned back toward the fire. Everyone else had already disappeared into it, only Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and I were left.

"Go on, dear," Mrs. Weasley encouraged, "Ginny and I will be right behind you."

Well, I suppose I might as well, now. I mean, they've already gotten everything set up. I took a pinch of powder and tossed it into the flames, then stepped in when they blazed green.

"The Burrow!"

I closed my eyes to guard against the sickening dizziness, and a moment later I felt myself fall onto a wooden floor.

I groaned and picked myself up. Thank Merlin they weren't waiting for me, because that wasn't exactly the best entrance. It occurred to me that I should probably move out of the way while I was dusting myself off, and just in time, too. Ginny stepped out of the fireplace barely a second later.

She gave me a smile. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She didn't give me the chance to object before she waved a wrapped parcel in front of me. "This is for you, but not until later. It's…erm…well, it's not for my brothers or Dad to see, let's leave it at that."

I had a moment to be curious about her blush before she ran off upstairs with it, and Mrs. Weasley arrived with the large box she had been carrying. It was still balanced perfectly, and so was she. Well, I suppose growing up as a pureblooded witch has the advantage of traveling properly in the floo.

"All ready, dear? The party should be ready to start the moment we get out into the garden…"

And for once, it was. I was astounded at the fact that the Weasley household was on schedule. I've never seen that before.

Everyone noticed our presence about two seconds after we walked into the garden, and immediately there were shouts of "Happy Birthday, Harry!" from all sides. I grinned. Even though I didn't want them to go to so much trouble, it's still really fantastic that they did.

I went around, greeting everyone with hugs and looking about the garden that had been transformed into a streamer factory. There was red and gold crepe everywhere, festooning trees, bushes, and hanging suspended from the air. There were floating lanterns, not yet lit since it was barely noon, and a large birthday banner that was shimmering over one side of the table. Ron yanked George over to me, and together they ushered me to a seat that was shaped like a lion.

"George's idea," Ron said into my ear as he pushed me into it. "Most animated I've seen him all day, actually."

I gave George the best smile I could, and he made an attempt to smile back.

Then Ginny reappeared and plopped down on my other side. "Is it time to eat, yet?"

"I dunno," I told her honestly. "I think people are still realizing that I'm here."

And honestly, I think they were. The garden was full of visitors, not just the Weasley clan. Bill and Fleur had brought Victoire, still only about two months old and quite possibly the smallest thing I have ever seen. Andromeda was watching over little Teddy, just barely standing on his own as he peered curiously into Victoire's baby seat. McGonagall was there, as were Flitwick and a few of the other teachers. Fortunately, I haven't spotted Slughorn around yet.

Even Hermione's mum and dad had come, although how they managed I've no idea. I thought you had to be magical to get through the floo.

I settled more comfortably into the chair and was content to simply sit there for the rest of the afternoon when a tawny owl swooped into the clearing and dropped an envelope onto my lap. Not recognizing the neat scrawl on the outside, I slit it open and pulled out the contents.

A birthday day card?

I quickly ran through a list of all the people I knew who weren't in the garden at that very moment. I have to admit, I can't think of any who would send me a birthday card.

Thankfully, most of the guests were busy cooing over Victoire, but Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were watching curiously as I opened the card with my wand at the ready. And then my eyes nearly fell out of my head when I saw the signature.

Dudley? Dudley Dursley had sent me a birthday card?

And how in Merlin's name did it get here by owl?

I read through it quickly and realized that it was, in fact, a birthday card.

Ginny picked up the card and read it aloud.

"To Harry, I hope you have a pleasant birthday." She snorted and turned the card over, looking for more. "Is that all?"

"I reckon so, mate," Ron said, clapping me on the back as he took the card from Ginny and looked it over myself.

"Well, that was friendly," I finally managed, rescuing the card from Hermione's scrutiny.

"Friendly?" Ginny said derisively, "The only way it could have been any less friendly was if he sent a package of bubotuber pus with it."

"Calm down, Ginny," Hermione told her, "it was friendly enough. And at least he thought of your birthday."

"Erm, yeah," I said, still looking at the card and wondering if it was a figment of my imagination. But no, everyone else touched it and Ginny read it herself.

So I put it carefully back into the envelope and banished it to my cot in Ron's room, where it would be safe from everyone's prying eyes.

xxxxx

"Kingsley!" Dad called, clapping him on the shoulder as he led him to the table. "Just in time! Just in time, Molly's about to come out with the cake—ah! There she is, take a seat…"

"Thank you, Arthur," Kingsley said in his booming baritone as he took the proffered seat. I watched him sweep his robes into the chair before turning my attention back to Mum, who by this point was doubtless thinking of a million nasty chores for me to do tomorrow because I haven't really been helping out today.

Oh wait, we're going back to Hogwarts tomorrow—haha! No chores for me!

But anyways, Mum was levitating the cake we had spent all morning making before we left Hogwarts. We even got a handful of house-elves helping us with it because it was so colossal.

It was a giant cake of Hogwarts, made to fill nearly half the small garden table with its turrets and towers. Mum and I had worked all morning with the elves to bake the layers and then glue them together with treacle frosting, not to mention the detail work that we had to do on the outside of the castle. We actually made imprints of bricks all over the grey frosting, as well as shingles on the slanted roofs of the turrets and blue frosted windows. It all had to be done by hand, of course, as it was food. Only the figurines playing quidditch were magic, charmed to fly around the cake shouting 'Happy Birthday, Harry' in minuscule voices.

But Harry's face was worth all the trouble.

He just stared at the cake as everyone sang happy birthday, grinning like a gobsmacked loon. I smiled and threw my arm around him as we all kept singing.

Thankfully, Dad snapped off a few photos of the cake before anyone was allowed to dig into it—because I certainly wanted proof of how much work I had put into it—and then everyone was eating the most delectable birthday cake ever. I challenge anyone in the world to come up with a more delicious cake than one that came from a combined effort between Hogwarts house-elves and my Mum.

"Ooh!" Little Teddy exclaimed in delight, bouncing on Harry's lap and trying to catch the flying figurines. So far he had only managed to swat at them and smack Harry across the face, covering him in frosting.

I giggled at Harry's confused expression.

But he managed to pull it together and help Teddy catch one, at which point the little boy started giggling uncontrollably as the figure tried to fly out of his tiny hands. He kept a vice-grip on it as he brought it to his ear, listened intently for a moment, then turned to Harry.

"It say, appy bird-day uncle arry!" He squealed excitedly, clapping and forgetting that the figure was trying to escape. It did, zooming away to circle the cake, and Teddy began to pout. Harry laughed and caught him another one.

"Everyone," Kingsley said to the crowd that was happily munching on cake, "Arthur and I have an announcement to make."

My head snapped around toward them and I caught a glimpse of Mum beaming with delight. Only little Teddy and Victoire were still cooing through the quiet that had settled over the party.

Dad cleared his throat. "Well, in light of recent developments and such, we have been discussing wizard-muggle relations. And it has been decided that we must do more to improve the Ministry relations with the Muggle Ministry, so I have been promoted to the Head of the Muggle-Relations Department."

Everyone clapped, although Mum clapped the hardest, and there were cheers of "Congratulations, Arthur!" on all sides of the garden.

After a few minutes it became clear that Kingsley was not done, and so another amiable silence settled over the garden in anticipation.

He folded his hands over his chest, prayer-like, before spreading them wide and beginning.

"Everyone here tonight knows Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger on a personal level, meaning that we all understand how difficult it was for them to accomplish what they have. Defeating Voldemort was not only a difficult task, it was nearly impossible. They are not deities—they are our children, and they are our heroes. I realize that this is somewhat redundant and unnecessary, seeing as the three of you were never in it for glory, but I have come tonight to offer you the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Ron gaped, open-mouthed, looking as though he was utterly gobsmacked.

Hermione was beaming as though she had just received an O on a particularly difficult essay.

Harry was simply staring at Kingsley as though he was seeing someone else entirely.

Dead silence reigned in the garden for a few moments as everyone stared at Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and the three of them stared back at Kingsley.

Then Bill let out a mighty whoop, and cheers suddenly burst across the table. I kissed Harry's cheek and threw my arms around him and little Teddy, who was still sitting contentedly on Harry's lap.

xxxxx

There were backslaps and hugs all around the fireplace as people were preparing to leave. Night had fallen hours ago, and, personally, I was about ready to get back to my bed at the top of Gryffindor Tower and sleep until morning.

Although it would be nice if that bed wasn't all the way at the top of Gryffindor Tower.

It would also have been nice if the Hogwarts had adopted the muggle invention of elevators.

I mean, the Ministry has them, why not Hogwarts?

But I kept smiling and saying goodbyes as the guests disappeared, one by one, into the fireplace. Then the Weasleys began to trickle out themselves.

After a few more moments, it was just Ginny and I left in the sitting room, standing by the fire.

"Ladies first?" I asked, gesturing toward the fire.

She shook her head. "I have something for you."

I raised a brow.

"I never gave you your present, remember?"

"Oh, right," I mumbled, running a hand through my hair nervously. "You really didn't have to get me anything, Gin, it was amazing enough to have everyone here—I mean, I didn't even think I would be celebrating—"

"Harry, you really need to learn when to shut it."

I promptly did.

She smiled in approval. "Sit down and I'll be right back. Actually," she decided, cocking her head to the left and thinking about something, "Come upstairs with me."

"Erm, alright?" I mumbled as she grabbed my hand and led me up to her room. In my somewhat exhausted state, it took me a moment to remember the parcel she had been carrying earlier, and then to realize that she must have taken it to her room when she had run off with it.

I stumbled into her room behind her, partially because of her momentum and partially because she had just thrown off my balance by letting go of my hand. Then she pushed me onto her bed.

I sat and stared up at her, expecting her to join me. Instead she just looked at the parcel that was next to me on the bed. She seemed to be deliberating something.

Reaching for the parcel, after all it was my birthday present, I pulled it into my lap and looked up at her. "Am I allowed to open it?"

She bit her lip, still thinking.

"Yes, I suppose."

Erm, alright, not entirely sure what to make of that enthusiastic response.

I quickly yanked away the wrapping and examined the box before pulling off the lid.

Holy Merlin.

Holy Merlin.

"Holy Merlin, Gin," I finally managed to say out loud, not even daring to touch it.

She grinned. "Does that mean you like it?"

"I…erm, well…I mean…Gin, I've never—"

"That makes two of us," she said, not embarrassed at all. I wondered what had gotten into her head. "Shall I try it on?"

I gaped at her.

She laughed. "I'll take that as a 'yes,' Harry Potter."

Grabbing the box from me, and giving me a quick kiss while she was near enough, she walked out of the room.

Or maybe strutted would be a better word.

Oh Merlin. I'm about to see her in that.

And, quite possibly, out of it.

Oh Merlin!

I concentrated on breathing, as it suddenly seemed to be something that I had to think about. I still hadn't managed to calm down when she had come back into the room, and looking at her certainly wasn't helping.

I mean, lingerie!

Red lingerie that set off her fiery hair and made her skin look milky white—oh, she's coming closer.

She smiled and sat in my lap. "Happy birthday, Harry."

I was suddenly aware that my previous exhaustion had entirely disappeared.

xxxxx

I hope you liked it!