Nineteen

A/N: Here's chapter two, and, as promised, more Harry/Ginny. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: Still not mine, though I wish it was.

-:-

July 31, 1999

A lot has changed for Harry Potter in the past year. For one, he's moved out of the Burrow, and now lives in his own flat in London. It's rather nice, nothing too fancy, but spacious. It isn't home, not yet, but he has faith that in time, it will be.

He's also gotten a job. He now works in the Ministry of Magic as an Auror. He had shot up in ranks during training, and is now a valuable asset to the Ministry. He's happy with his job. He stops dark wizards, and makes sure that they are given a cell in Azkaban prison, which is now Dementor free. He and Ron work together, along with Draco Malfoy, much to Ron's disgust. Malfoy isn't too bad actually; he had apologized to Harry after the trial for his crimes. He's now trying to repay the world for all the wrongs his family have committed. They're far from friends, and he doesn't think that they ever will be, but they can at least have civilized conversation, and they trust each other enough to have each other's backs during fights.

He still goes to the Burrow every Sunday, and is glad to see the people he thinks of as family. It's where he's going later tonight, actually, to celebrate his nineteenth birthday. This is why he's currently standing in front of his bathroom mirror, trying and failing to get his hair to flatten. He's nervous because it'll be the first time he sees Ginny after she had come home from her last year at Hogwarts last month.

He and Ginny have grown very close in the past year. They wrote each other constantly while she was at school, and had spent most of her Christmas vacation together. When he's around her, he feels lighter, and freer than he ever has. She has become one of his closest friends, and his confidant, now that Ron and Hermione are spending so much of their time together. Ginny has become his go-to for advice, and she's always there for him.

But there's still something missing. Every time he sees Ginny's smile, or hears her laugh, his heart flutters, and he has a hard time concentrating. He's been planning on telling her tonight, at Hermione's urging. He doesn't know if she has feelings for him, but he does know that if he doesn't tell her, he'll regret it. They had had something special, no matter for how short a time and he wants that back more than anything. He misses her, very much. He had come to realize just how much he needs her while she had been at school, and he had felt lost without her, despite her constant owls. Writing just isn't the same as being around her.

Giving up on his hair, he sighs and walks to his fireplace. He picks up the small pot of Floo Powder on the shelf next to it, and throws a hand full into the flames he'd conjured with his wand. Stepping into it, he grimaces and says, "The Burrow." He still hates travelling like this, but it's far better than walking down the streets of London until he could find a place safe from the prying eyes of muggles to apparate. One nauseating trip later, and he is standing in the Weasley's living room. He looks around and grins. It's exactly the same as he has always known it to be, with the cozy chairs, and the knitting sitting next to the fire.

He hears footsteps from the doorway and turns to see Ron walking into the room. He's wearing blue robes that were obviously picked out by Hermione, and has a roll in his hand. "Come on Harry, everyone's waiting in the kitchen. Oh, and Happy Birthday, mate." He then taks a large bite of his roll and gestures towards the kitchen.

He and Ron walk through the house to the kitchen, Ron munching noisily on his dinner roll. Ah, yes, it's good to be back. When they enter the kitchen everyone turns around and shouts, "Happy Birthday, Harry!" His smile grows wider.

Mrs. Weasley bustles forward and gives him a bone-crushing hug. "Harry dear, I'm so glad you could make it. Everyone is here, and Ginny should be down any minute. You look like you could use a nice good meal. Have you been getting enough to eat at that flat of yours?"

"Of course I have Mrs. Weasley. You send food home with me every Sunday."

She smiles fondly at him and walks towards a steaming pot on the stove and begins to stir it with her wand. Hermione smiles and gives him a hug that nearly knocks him flat. ''Harry! Oh, it's so good to see you again! I've been working so much I feel that I hardly get to see you."

It's true. Hermione has been working herself hard at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She's improving the rights for house-elves, along with other creatures who are mistreated. Though she has, at least, stopped calling it S.P.E.W.

"Hello 'Mione, it's wonderful to see you too. And you see me every Sunday when you and Ron come back to the Burrow." He adds with a laugh. She and Ron had gotten a flat together that April. It isn't even that far from his own, but all of them have been too busy with work and life in general to see much of each other aside from Sundays at the Burrow.

"Yes, but we really should get together more. Ronald Weasley, did you sneak a roll? You know that's for dinner!" Hermione walks off to go scold Ron, who has the decency to look sheepish.

Many more greetings and well-wishing's are passed back and forth between the other guests and Harry, and he finds himself forgetting about his nerves. He's talking to Andromeda Tonks about Teddy, who is now two years old and sporting bright purple hair, when he hears a familiar voice. "Happy Birthday, Harry."

Harry turns around and momentarily forgets how to breathe. Standing on the stairs leading to her room is Ginny, and she looks absolutely beautiful. She's wearing a simple dark green summer dress that brings out her bright red hair, which is curled around her shoulders. She has a bright smile on her face, one Harry happily returns.

"Hey Ginny. It's been a while. How are you?" He is struggling to keep his voice level, when he feels like his heart is going to burst out of his ribcage. 'Keep calm' he thinks, 'It's just Ginny. Relax. You've talked to her a thousand times. You just have to wait until the two of you are alone to tell her how you feel. It would definitely be a bad idea to just blurt it out to her in front of her whole family. A very bad idea. Just keep looking at her eyes. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes that make you feel all gooey inside. Okay, maybe you shouldn't look her in the eyes. Her hair, yes that's it. Her bright shiny hair that glistens in the sun, and brings out her fiery personality.

He is so caught up in trying desperately not to act like a complete fool, that he didn't realize she was talking to him. "Harry?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looks at her. "Yeah?"

She peers at him closely, with a small frown on her face. "Are you alright, you seem a bit distracted?" she asks, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine Gin, just a bit busy at work." Which technically isn't a lie. He has been super busy with the Murtav case. Apparently the guy worked with Mundungus Fletcher a while back, and he has somehow managed to get his hands on a really powerful but classified item. He had rolled his eyes over that one. Classified usually means, 'an experiment that we haven't quite figured out yet, that could save the world, but could also blow it up, and would probably be best in the hands of a person who isn't planning on selling it to the highest bidder.' Everyone in the MLE and the Auror Department have been crazy busy lately, trying to find Murtav, but hadn't the foggiest as to where he is, much to Kingsley's displeasure.

That's isn't what was bothering him at the moment, but that is neither here nor there.

Ginny eyes him suspiciously. "Alright then Potter, let's go have dinner," she says as she drags him to where the others have started to gather around the table.

After a delicious dinner, where everyone (Ron) stuffed themselves on Mrs. Weasley's wonderful food, Harry finds himself alone in the kitchen with Ginny, as he helps her put the dishes away, much to Mrs. Weasley's displeasure.

Just tell her. What are you waiting for? A bloody sign? What better chance are you going to get? The two of you are alone now, after all. Isn't that what you have been waiting for? Don't be a coward Potter! But now that the moment is actually here, he feels like he's going to pass out. What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she just wants to be friends? Should he tell her?

Before he can decide whether or not to follow his heart, Ginny breaks in on his thoughts. "So how are you Harry? I mean, this time last year, you were a wreck. Are you doing okay?" She turns to look at him from where she's drying the dishes.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, a sure sign that he's upset. "I suppose. I'm better than I was thankfully. It's still hard, but I finally got my head out my arse. I have you to thank for that, I think." He adds that last bit with a smile.

She smiles back at him, happiness in her eyes. "Well, I'm glad I could help. It wasn't like you were going to do it on your own. It really is nice to be back home. I've missed you."

Now! Say it! Tell her! "Ginny I-"

"Harry, Ginny, we're going open the presents! Come on, we're all waiting for you!"

"Coming!" Ginny shouts back with an eye roll.

Mentally cursing, he follows her back into the living room. Stupid Ronald and his untimely interruptions.

He has to admit, the presents are nice. A jumper and some fudge from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, a nice set of work robes from Bill and Fleur, a hand drawn picture from Teddy and Andromeda, a set of books about famous Aurors from Ron and Hermione, and a set of the newest batch of joke sweets from George and his date, Angelina Johnson. The last present he opens, however, is by far the best. It's a beautiful wooden statue of a stag and a doe, complete with a label naming them, "Prongs and Lily."

With a lump in his throat, he glances up at Ginny, who has a soft, reassuring smile on her face. "I found it in a shop in Hogsmeade, but I had the label made for you. I thought it would look nice in your new flat." She says gently, probably sensing his fragile feelings. Her question about how he is doing makes sense now. She wanted to make sure that he would be able to have this without breaking down.

"It's perfect, Gin. Thank you." He whispers this last part softly.

"That was so thoughtful Ginny." Mrs. Weasley states with a slightly teary smile.

"Brilliant," Ron agrees, the rest of the family echoing his statement.

Ginny beams at them all, pleased.

While he helps clean up the room, he doesn't notice that Ginny disappears. It's after Andromeda and Teddy say goodbye that he finally realizes that she's gone. Glancing around confused, Hermione decides to come to his aid. "Ginny's gone upstairs to her room Harry. I think that she's still awake if you'd like to say give her your thanks."

Give her his- oh. Right. Hermione knows that he is going to tell her tonight. Casting a thankful look at Hermione, he makes for her room. Nervously he knocks on the door, mentally preparing himself. Relax, breathe. Everything's going to be alright. You're not going to screw this up. Oh Merlin, did you really have to eat that onion soup? Your breath stinks!

"Come in!" Right, here we go. Deep breath.

He walks through the door and closes it behind him. "Hey Ginny, can we talk?" Wow, that sounds cliché.

"Of course Harry." She says, looking amused. "What is it?"

"Er-" Real smooth Potter, " What are you doing this weekend?" He's planning on asking her out on a date to a restaurant that Hermione had suggested.

Raising her eyebrows in confusion at the seemingly random question, she answers, "Well, nothing on Saturday, but Seamus Finnegan asked me to go out with him on Sunday."

What!?

"What!?" Let it never be said that Harry Potter never speaks his mind.

She repeats it slowly. "Are you okay? Because I wasn't-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine Ginny. I'm just going to…. Go get some air." Spinning around and ignoring her confused look, he practically runs downstairs and through the front door. Walking towards the front gate, he tries to expel the sick feeling in his stomach. That could have gone better. Why did you run you coward!? You still could have asked!

Oh, yes, and look like a fool? She's moved on!

No, she said she has a date. She's not engaged for Merlin's sake!

Stop arguing with me, you're my subconscious, aren't you supposed to support my decisions?

I would if you weren't being such a bloody fool! Besides, I'm far smarter than you. I make your decisions for you.

Will you just shut up and let me be miserable? Clearly she isn't interested. She's going out with Finnegan of all people. He's not right for her!

As opposed to the man who argues with himself!?

Hey! That's not fair! You started it! Besides- "Harry?"

He starts. While he had been arguing with that extremely annoying voice in his head, he had failed to notice the sound of Ginny coming outside to join him. Three cheers for Auror training. Clearly all that time spent on learning to never let anyone sneak up on you has paid off.

"Yes?"

Ginny frowns. "Are you alright? You left in a hurry. Why did you ask me if I was busy this weekend and then disappear on me?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you were busy. Clearly you are if you have a date with Finnegan." He says bitterly.

"I never said that I was going to go with him."

"But you said-"

"What I said was that he asked me to go on a date. I never said that I agreed." She interrupts with an annoyed look.

"Oh, well, that's good then. I mean, you can still say yes, he's a good guy." He says this very fast, dying to get away. Honestly, he's debating whether or not just disapparating out of there, but something tells him to stay.

"But I don't want to go out with Seamus."

His heart leaps. "You don't?" He tries not to sound too hopeful.

"No, I'm waiting for this other bloke to ask me, if he would like. I would much rather spend the day with him."

Oh.

Heart sinking, he replies, "Oh, well then, that's, that's good I guess."

She stares at him for a moment, and then shakes her head in exasperation.

"What?" He askes, confused. What has he said now?

"Merlin, you really are thick aren't you?" She says with an amused smile.

Growing slightly irritated, he says, "Well I'm sorry if I don't speak girl. What did I do wrong now?"

"Nothing. It would just be nice if you could see what I'm trying to say without me having to spell it out."

"What?"

"Harry, I was talking about you, you thickhead! I've been waiting all night for you to ask me out on a date!"

Well that is unexpected.

"Oh." And really, what else can he say? He can't think straight at the moment. She wants to go with him? She has been waiting for him? His heart starts to race. She still has feelings for him after all.

"What do you mean 'Oh'? Is that all you have to say? I get if you don't want to, I would jus-Mmph!"

This last part is because Harry had grabbed her by the waste and kissed her for all he was worth. He pours every ounce of pent up feelings into the kiss, trying to convey all that he can't say. When he pulls away, they;re both breathing hard. "Ginny?"

"Yes?" She breathes hopefully.

"Will you go on a date with me this weekend?"

She grins delightedly. "Took you long enough! Of course I will Harry." She looks at him for a few moments. "I've missed you." She whispers softly.

"I've missed you too Ginny, more than you can imagine."

She kisses him, softer this time, with emotion. Pulling back she grins slyly. "You should probably go before Mum asks if you want more dessert. She'd send you home with all the food in the house if she could."

He nods and walked out of the gate, practically skipping. "Oh, and Harry?" He turns to look at her. "Don't be late. I expect you to be here by seven. Happy Birthday." She then turns and walks back to the house, hips swaying dramatically.

Harry feels a goofy grin spread across his face.

He's beginning to love his birthdays.

-:-

A/N: So sorry about the wait, this chapter just did not want to be written! I hope this wasn't out of character. I tried to keep all of them like Rowling wrote them. Next up, Harry turns twenty! Happy reading, all. A/N#2: Now edited for grammar mistakes. (3/27/13)

~hawkeyeforever