A Valentine's Day She Will Never Forget
Summary: It's Harry and Ginny's first Valentine's Day as a couple and Harry wants to make it special. What will he do? Will he pull it off? And will he call on dear old Mum or Dad for help?
Harry flipped through the catalog and made a note on which teddy bear, he was going to order. He closed the catalog and tossed it in a pile of the catalog's he had just looked through. Glancing at his list, he winced as he realized the white teddy bear was the only thing on it.
Sighing, he picked up a Honeydukes order form and ordered raspberry truffles. He marked two on the slot for how many and flipped through the Honeydukes catalog. He added the information needed for payment and laid the form to the side, planning on taking to the Owlery once he finished his task.
This was his first Valentine's Day with Ginny and he wanted to make it special. Ginny's favorite flower was roses, it didn't matter the color. He had asked Neville for help in this department and Neville agreed to supply Harry with one single long stem rose.
Ron, who had overheard the conversation, asked Harry, "Why one? I figured you'd give her a bouquet."
"I'm thinking of giving Ginny a rose, corresponding to how many Valentine's Days we're together."
This made the redhead groan. It sounded so romantic and Ron moaned that Hermione may be a little bit jealous. Harry just smiled and left the dorm in search for his redheaded sweetheart.
Harry picked up the jewelry catalog and flipped through the pages until he came to the one he was looking for. It was a rose pendant necklace. He noticed Ginny looking through it, longingly when a friend of hers got the same catalog that Lily got and allowed Ginny to look through it.
Luckily for Harry, the store that the catalog came from had a branch of the store in Hogsmeade and there was a Hogsmeade weekend, coming up that weekend. Harry knew this Hogsmeade weekend was one that Professor Dumbledore had planned for Valentine's Day. Maybe he could get Hermione or one Ginny's friends to distract her while Harry went and got the necklace.
He had some doubts about how well Valentine's Day would go and how well Ginny would like her presents. James had suggested the bear and the candy while Harry came up with the roses himself.
Harry felt like Ginny deserved more than a box of raspberry truffles and a stuffed teddy bear.
Lily had told him when he asked for her opinion, "Ginny will love whatever you get her because it came from you."
Harry gathered the order forms for the teddy bear and for Honeydukes. He left Lily's quarters and headed towards the owlery. He zipped his coat up as he walked down the corridor. The walk to the owlery was long, but Harry had made good time, having done this many times over the last five years.
Hedwig flew down to greet him when he appeared. He reached in his pocket and pulled out some owl treats and offered them to the owl. She nibbled on them before Harry tied the Honeydukes order form to her.
"Here, this goes to Honeydukes."
With a nib at his finger, Hedwig flew off and towards Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. Harry knew he could have gone to the shop and got them, but he decided to order them from the catalog instead. He could add the other part, which was the card when he went to the shop that weekend.
He needed to come up with a plan on distracting Ginny for an hour to allow him to get her present. He thought of who to ask as he walked back to the castle.
"Hey Mate," Ron greeted when Harry approached the front steps.
"Hey. Owlery?" he asked.
"Yeah," Ron breathed. "I ordered Hermione, her favorite candy and then I'm thinking about getting her something else for Valentine's Day."
"Mum has a catalog for that one place in Hogsmeade. I can get it for you and you can look at it." Harry then explained to Ron that he didn't need to order anything. Just take the catalog in with him and they will give it to him.
"Thanks, Harry. That helps me out a lot."
"I'm getting Gin, a necklace from there. Why don't we go together and sent the girls off somewhere for an hour or get someone to distract them for an hour."
"Okay. We'll talk more tonight in the dorm. Thanks, Harry."
"You're welcome."
Harry entered the castle, sighing as he began to warm up. He glanced in the Great Hall and smiled when he saw Ginny sitting at the Gryffindor table. He approached his girlfriend and her friends, sitting at the table, working on their homework, and discussing what happened in class that day.
Harry was behind Ginny when her friend, Kendall, noticed him standing behind Ginny. He motioned for her to keep quiet. He wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Hello beautiful," he whispered.
Ginny looked up at her boyfriend, smiling softly. "Hello, handsome."
They kissed briefly before Harry sat down beside her. "What are you working on?" he asked.
"Charms," Ginny answered. She then told Harry what happened in their Charms class that day. Someone had accidentally hexed Professor Flitwick, causing him to fall off of his stool he was standing on. He wasn't hurt, but he had been sent to the hospital wing to be checked out. Lily said that she wanted to keep him in the hospital wing overnight because he hit his head when he fell to the floor.
"Who would you rather have? Madam Pomfrey or Healer Potter?" Kendall asked Harry.
"Well, considering Healer Potter is my mum, I'll choose her," Harry replied. "And she's not as bad as Madam Pomfrey."
"Really?" Kendall inquired.
"The only time Mum ever threatened to use a sticking charm on someone was Dad when he got hurt last summer."
"I thought there for a second you were going to say she threatened to use a sticking charm on you," Ginny said, taking a drink of tea.
"Mum tends to get in a mood when Dad and I get hurt, so I don't push her."
"What about when you were sick?"
"I tend to stay put when I'm sick," Harry deadpanned.
The conversation shifted to Valentine's Day and the Hogsmeade weekend that weekend. Ginny turned towards Harry, smiling in a way that made Harry nervous.
"Baby, what are you planning for Valentine's Day?"
"It's a surprise, Gin."
Ginny pouted for a moment before turning back to her essay she had been working on.
But was she in for a surprise?
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
The dorm was the one place that Harry and Ron could discuss their plans for Valentine's Day without their girlfriends overhearing. Ron looked through the catalog that Harry had nicked from Lily's bedroom and had found something that he wanted to get for Hermione. He glanced at what Harry was getting Ginny for a minute before looking at the necklace on another page.
"Ginny is going to love the necklace you picked. What else do you have in mind?" Ron asked.
Harry told Ron what his plans were, telling about his idea of having a meal together in private. Ron said he was thinking about doing the same thing.
"Thanks for getting the catalog for me, Mate," Ron said, laying the catalog down on the nightstand.
"You're welcome. I figured you wouldn't want a repeat of her birthday," Harry stated.
Ron didn't remember Hermione's birthday until two days before. The only problem was that he didn't have anything for her. Thankfully, Lily needed to go to Hogsmeade for some potion ingredients and other needs and since she could if she wanted to, she asked Harry to join her for some mother and son time. She had gone on a Sunday and Harry told her Ron's predicament.
She agreed to make a stop at a shop for Harry to pick something up for Ron to give Hermione. Using the communication mirror, Ron told Harry what he was thinking. The first thing Harry told Ron about, Ron said to get it. Harry showed Ron what it was in the mirror and Ron told Harry to get it.
Harry got it and then went to the bookstore where Lily helped him pick out a book that Hermione would like.
Hermione loved the necklace that Ron had gotten her and it was something that Ron could afford. He had paid Harry back when Harry gave him the necklace in the dorm.
"Of course," Ron said. "Thanks again for the help, Mate."
"You're welcome, Ron."
They then moved on to discuss their plans for Saturday, hoping that everything will work out.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Saturday morning came all too soon and Harry and Ron were sitting in the common room, waiting for the girls. They chuckled softly when Hermione went up to the boys' dorm without looking where Harry and Ron were waiting. She didn't get too far until the boys called for her.
"Oi Hermione," they said in unison, not intentionally. Hermione came downstairs and for the first time in a long time, she was speechless. She kept babbling about how they got up so early and why.
Ron silenced her with a kiss.
They walked downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast, sitting together at the Gryffindor table. The post came and with it letters for the group. Hermione's letter from her parents included some money she could exchange for the wizarding the currency. Thankfully, Gringotts had a branch in Hogsmeade for the students to use.
Ron handed everyone their letters from Molly and send Pig down the table to Fred and George for theirs.
"So what are the plans for the day?" Hermione asked. Ron and Harry glanced at each other, wondering if they should tell the girls.
"Um, well, we thought we'd do what we normally do and if there were somewhere you girls wanted to go….." Ron trailed off.
"I need some new tights," Hermione noted. "I don't know anything else I need."
"Find you an outfit for Wednesday," Ron added. "I'm planning something special that night."
Hermione smiled, and nodded, already thinking of some ideas.
"You may want to find you one too, Gin," Harry told his girlfriend.
"I will."
"Harry and I have a small errand we need to go one and we'll join you have that," Ron informed the girls."
"Speaking of the errand, I need to speak to Sirius," Harry said before getting up.
Harry and Ron had stayed after class on Friday to speak with Sirius. They had asked him if he could cover for them if the girls asked if they had done something for him. He had agreed after some persuasion from Harry.
Sirius handed him a slip of paper, which had nothing on it but a note of advice to Harry from James.
"Thank you, Sirius, you are my favorite Godfather. Don't tell Remus I said that. I'll buy you candy if you don't say anything to him."
Sirius chuckled and whispered, "Don't worry, your secret with safe with me."
Harry glanced in Lily's direction. He caught her eye and she crooked her finger in a 'come here' gesture.
He approached his mother and she handed him a sack with his pocket money. "Dad put in a little extra as you requested. What are you getting Ginny?"
Harry told her his plans, quietly and Lily hummed in approval.
"The Witch's Closet is having a sale, pass that information on to the girls. Dad said that we'll be out until Midnight so you'll have my quarters all to yourself."
Harry nodded and motioned with his head towards Sirius and Remus.
"I've threatened Sirius with his life if he were to do something and ruin your night." Then Lily pulled on Harry's shirt and whispered in his ear, "Don't give me a reason not to trust you in my quarters alone with Ginny."
"I won't," Harry promised.
He returned to the Gryffindor table, telling Ron that the plan was a go and passing Lily's message on to the girls. Ginny smiled as she knew that she could find something there for her date night with Harry.
After everyone finished breakfast they joined the line of students going to Hogsmeade. Harry checked his pocket for the catalog and was relieved he still had it.
"Is James on patrol today?" Ginny asked.
"No," Harry replied. Thankfully, he thought.
The line moved and soon they were walking down to the village, hoping the day was a success.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Ah, Mr. Potter, I was wondering when I would be seeing you," the shopkeeper greeted.
"Excuse me?" Harry replied, politely.
The old man pushed his glasses up his nose and realization dawned that he was talking to the wrong Mr. Potter.
"You may hear this a lot, but you look just like your father, except for the eyes, you have…"
"My mother's eyes," Harry finished, his tone friendly. He had heard that all his life.
"What can I help you with, today?" he asked, approaching the counter.
Harry pulled out the catalog and turned it to the page with the necklace he wanted to get Ginny.
"I'm interested in this necklace."
Pushing the glasses up his nose, the shopkeeper looked at it and walked over to where the necklace was resting on a display.
"That's it," Harry said, pointing to the necklace.
"Excellent choice," the old man commented as he opened the case to get out the necklace. He handed it to Harry to look at closer.
Ron came up behind him, having already gotten what he had planned on for Hermione.
"It's more beautiful than the picture," Ron stated. "Ginny will love it."
Harry nodded, hoping he was right. "I think I'm done. How much is this again?"
The shopkeeper said the price, which was cheaper than it was advertised in the catalog. Harry handed the old man the number of galleons and sickles needed to pay for the necklace.
The old man placed the necklace in a box and then placed it in a bag.
"Thank you for coming in, hope you come back again," the old man said as Harry picked up the bag.
"We will, thank you."
Harry and Ron left the store and headed to Honeydukes. Ron knew what he wanted to get Hermione and Harry had some business to take care of.
"May I help you?" the clerk at the counter asked Harry when he approached the counter.
"Yes, I need to add cards to my order." Harry gave her his order information and she nodded, telling him that they got it and that it would be delivered on Valentine's Day in the morning post unless he wanted to change the time of the order to the afternoon. Harry didn't want to change it as the other candy was for Lily and Harry didn't want to chance her not being in the Great Hall when the afternoon post arrived.
"Here are the cards you may choose from."
Harry picked a simple one for Lily and a more romantic one for Ginny. He wrote in them quickly and then handed the card back to the girl, telling her which one they went with.
"I'll add this to Lily Potter's order," the girl said.
"Um, who else ordered candy for her?" Harry asked.
The girl looked at the clipboard before replying, "James Potter."
"Okay."
Harry met Ron at the door and they rushed to the Three Broomsticks to meet the girls. They rushed in the door of the pub and inn and were relieved with they didn't see the girls.
"Hermione and Ginny were checking out behind me," Katie, one of the girls on the Quidditch team informed the boys.
"Thanks, Katie," Harry sighed. They claimed a table in the corner and ordered four Butterbeers with ginger in one and an order of chips.
They made small talk while waiting for the girls to come in. Luckily they didn't have to wait long. The door opened and Hermione and Ginny entered the pub, arms loaded down with bags. Harry and Ron glanced at each other for a second before depositing the bag with their gift in it into another bag, hiding them from the girls.
Ron waved at them when he sat up from leaning over the chair to hide Hermione's present.
"Over here, Hermione."
The girls joined the boys and fell down into the chair beside their respective boyfriends.
"How was the sale?" Harry asked.
"Good," Ginny replied. "I found a dress for Wednesday and I bought me some new jeans and a couple of tops and a new pair of shoes to go with the dress."
"Sounds like you got a lot of stuff," Harry said.
"I did and I bought some things for my hair and new tights."
The conversation shifted to discussing what they wanted to do after they finished lunch. Madam Rosmerta came over to take their order. Once she left, Hermione told Ron about what she had bought at the sale and then told him when he asked if she would show him the dress. She told him that it was a surprise.
"Are you going to tell me any of your plans for Valentine's Day?" Ginny asked.
"Well," Harry began. "I am planning a dinner for two."
"Where?!" she exclaimed, excitedly.
"Mum's quarters. Dad is taking her out and Mum is allowing me to use her quarters. She said something about charming the bedrooms or something."
Ginny chuckled. She knew she couldn't tell Molly as she would get overanxious.
"Okay," she replied.
Madam Rosmerta brought them their lunch, at that time and there was a pause in the conversation before it continued. The girls discussed the latest gossip around school and Hermione telling Ginny, she was a bad influence on her and then asking her about the gossip. Ron and Harry discussed the Quidditch game they had listened to over the wireless the other day in Sirius and Remus's quarters and about the one that was coming up in a few weeks.
"Harry, is your Dad and Sirius going to the match?" Ron asked.
"I think Dad said they would if the Arrows make it to the finals. I'm not sure. Dad is thinking about giving away free tickets to someone in the Auror office for a reward for good work. Sirius is excluded to avoid favoritism and Tonks bowed out as she doesn't like Quidditch."
"I heard your Mum talking about a prank Sirius planned on your parents a long time ago," Ginny said, "What was that about?"
Harry told them about the Valentine's Day prank that Sirius had played on James and Lily when they first started dating. Sirius had gotten word of their special dinner in an unused classroom and he had charmed the silverware, plates, and bowls to dance around the table and then slang food at the couple.
James had figured out who had pranked them and he pranked him back when he went on his next date with his at the time girlfriend, in the same matter they were pranked. Only they charmed the food to be thrown at them.
The image this produced caused the group to burst into peals of laughter, the kind that they would calm down for a minute or two before laughing again.
"I could picture James's face in my mind," Ron said, in between gulfs of laughter.
"I could picture Sirius's," Hermione added when she got a breath.
Once they calmed down, they finished their lunch and the boys went to pay. They met the girls at the door and they headed off in different directions.
Ron and Hermione headed to the bookstore, while Harry and Ginny headed to the joke shop.
Harry smiled as he looked at his girlfriend. She looked back at him with the same smile on her face. He hoped that his plans for Valentine's Day would go off without a hitch.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry was up at the crack of dawn on Wednesday morning. He had showered, dressed, fixed his hair and was waiting in the common room by seven in the morning. Ron joined him thirty minutes later and together they waited for their girlfriends to emerge from the girls' dorm.
"How are we going to top next year?" Ron asked.
Harry shot him a look. "The day just getting started and you're wondering about next year?!" He exclaimed, quietly.
"Just a thought I had," Ron replied.
Harry sighed, scrubbing his face with his hand. "Can we get through today first and then think about next year?" he asked. Ron agreed.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs leading up to the girls' dorm. As one, Harry and Ron leaned over to the right and Ron smiled when he saw Hermione.
"Good morning," she greeted. Ron stood up and met her halfway, kissing her softly in greeting.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Ron said.
"Happy Valentine's Day to you too," Hermione returned. She glanced over Ron's shoulder and told Harry, "Ginny should be down here in a moment. She was fixing her hair when I peeked in on her."
"Thanks. You guys go on. Gin and I will catch up with you."
"Okay." Ron offered his hand to Hermione. She took it and they left the common room, heading down to the Great Hall.
Not long after Ron and Hermione left, Ginny came downstairs. Her hair was pulled back in a half up, half down style. She had applied a small amount of makeup on her face, and she smiled the second her eyes landed on Harry.
Harry stood up from where he was sitting and approached his girlfriend.
"You look beautiful this morning, Gin," he said.
"Thank you." She reached up and cupped the back of his head, lightly pushing him closer to her. Their lips met in a light kiss like they have greeted each other every morning since that October day when Harry asked her to be his girlfriend.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Ginny whispered when they broke apart.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Gin."
Harry offered his hand to her and she took her before they left the common room.
"Are you going to tell me what I could expect today?" Ginny asked as they walked down the stairs.
Harry turned his head towards Ginny, smiling. "I could, but that would ruin the surprise," he replied.
They entered the Great Hall and found Ron and Hermione. They picked a spot across from them and sat down just as more food appeared on the table. As they started to fix their plates, they noticed that the Great Hall had been decorated with pink and red hearts and cupids with arrows.
Ginny glanced down the table, where Fred and George were sitting with their girlfriends. She suspected that they had something to do with the decorations as the Great Hall was only decorated at Christmas, outside of the house banners. She had suspicions that they had something to do with the decorations that were hanging from the ceiling.
The sound of the owls bringing in the day's post made them look up. Harry scanned the ceiling and sighed in relief when he saw the owls from Honeydukes. One flew towards Lily and another flew towards Ginny.
A tawny owl landed in front of Harry with a package, the tag said it was from the company that Harry had ordered the teddy bear for Ginny. A school owl delivered the single red rose.
Harry took the rose from the owl and offered them a piece of bacon. He took the package from the tawny owl and offered him a piece of bacon. Ginny was preoccupied reading the Daily Prophet that had been delivered first before the other post arrived. This gave Harry an opportunity to hide the teddy bear and rose for a second before Ginny saw them.
When Ginny looked up, Harry opened the box and pulled out the teddy bear. He banished the box and sat the teddy bear on the table beside Ginny's plate.
"Baby," Ginny breathed. The owl from Honeydukes landed in front of Ginny, dropping off the candy. "What is all this?"
"Well," Harry drawled out, handing her the rose. "I wanted to do something special for our first Valentine's Day."
Ginny smiled, leaning over and kissed him softly. "Thank you." She took the candy from the owl and handed him a piece of bacon. She opened the small box and seen the raspberry truffles she loved. It was then when she noticed the card. She picked it up and opened it.
Her eyes are as brown as a chocolate river,
Her hair is red as an autumn sunset.
I'm glad she's mine, she's really divine,
The woman who holds my heart.
Happy Valentine's Day, Gin. I love you.
Harry
Ginny smiled, looking from the card to her boyfriend. "You wrote me a poem?" she said.
Harry shrugged. "I tried."
Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry's cheek. "Whatever I did to deserve you, I'm glad I did it," she said. She smelled the rose. "They're my favorite."
"I thought I'd start out with one and then I'll give you a rose corresponding to how many Valentine's Day we spend together."
Some of the girls nearby awed at hearing that and Ginny smiled, kissing him once more. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You're more than welcome."
The other gift Harry had for her could wait for dinner. He would help her get her gifts to Gryffindor tower before heading to his first class.
With Ginny took care of, Harry glanced up to the head table to see how Lily like what he got her.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Lily was discussing the plans for the day with Madam Pomfrey when the post arrived. She was just telling Poppy that she would be leaving the hospital wing early to get ready for her date with James when two owls landed in front of her plate.
She knew one was candy from James. Every year on Valentine's Day he would send her a box of Honeydukes dark chocolate balls. She loved them and James sent them to her every year. She took the one she was from James first and took the other one cautiously.
She opened the card that James had sent her in the post from Oscar and offered the owl a treat.
"Who is the other one from?" Poppy asked.
"I don't know," Lily replied. She picked up the box and placed it in front of her. She decided to read the card first before she looked at the candy. She opened the card and read what was inside.
Happy Valentine's Day to the World's Greatest Mother.
I love you very much.
Love,
Harry.
Lily wiped her eyes from the tears that had sprung up from reading the card. She opened the box and found her favorite truffles.
Someone handed her a handkerchief. "Thank you, Remus," she whispered.
"Harry?" he guessed.
Lily nodded and got up from her chair. She walked towards the Gryffindor table, noticing Harry was talking to Ron. She came up behind him and embraced him in a hug.
"Thank you for the candy, baby. You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to," Harry said.
Lily hugged her son and kissed the side of his head. "I love you too, so very much."
She took a moment after standing up to admire the rose that Harry had given Ginny. Lily then told Ginny that James had given her a rose every year for Valentine's Day, a different color one and corresponding to the amount of years they spent Valentine's Day together. She told them to have a good day together before leaving to go back to the head table.
"It's hard watching them grow up isn't it?" Poppy asked when Lily sat back down.
"Yes, it is," Lily agreed. She watched Harry help Ginny gather her stuff and then kiss him again before they left the Great Hall.
She left the Great Hall not long after her son and headed to her quarters. She waved her wand and cleaned the living room, dining area, and kitchen area before heading to her bedroom. She laid out what she planned on wearing that night and returned to the kitchen.
She checked to make sure that Harry would have everything he needed to make dinner for him and Ginny. When Harry first asked her if he could bring Ginny down to her quarters for a private dinner, she hesitated at first before laying down the only two rules she could think of.
Ginny wasn't allowed in his bedroom and they would need to make it back to Gryffindor tower before curfew. Harry agreed and then Lily asked what he was planning.
He had gotten James in on his plans and he showed up yesterday with the stuff Harry asked for.
James and Lily understood that Harry wanted to make this special for Ginny. He wanted this to be an Valentine's Day to remember.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry stirred the tomato sauce one more time before turning to the pot with the spaghetti in it. The meal was almost done and Harry checked the rolls he had in the oven.
He glanced at the table where Dobby was setting the table. The house elf had asked Harry if there was anything he could help with. Harry asked him to provide the dessert, a chocolate cake and asked if he could help him get the room set up.
"What's with the apron?"
The voice made Harry turn around and he found James standing there, trying to hide a snicker. Harry was wearing Lily pink and white laced apron.
"I'm already dressed and I didn't want to get anything on my clothes," Harry explained. He was dressed in a red button up shirt with black dress pants.
"James, stop pestering the boy," Lily ordered as she came into the sitting room. She was dressed in James's favorite dress. It was black, sleeves to the elbow and a scoop in the back, baring a small part of her back. The dress came to above the knee, showing off Lily's legs, which were covered with black pantyhose. She had on a pair of black heels which made her taller
"You look, beautiful Mum," Harry commented.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
After reviewing the rules once more, James and Lily left for their date. Harry glanced at the clock and started to panic when he saw he had five minutes before he was to meet Ginny in the common room. He looked around, realizing everything was ready. Dobby hadn't left yet and offered to side along Harry to the Fat Lady's portrait to get Harry there quicker. Harry agreed and soon he appeared in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.
Harry said thanks to Dobby and the password to the Fat Lady. He dusted himself off and checked his hair before sitting down in an armchair.
He hadn't sat down long when he heard Ginny coming down from the girls' dorm.
"Wow," Harry said, at seeing his girlfriend. She was wearing the new dress she had bought when they went to Hogsmeade. It was a deep purple dress with black lace. It hugged her body, showing off the curves of her maturing body. The sleeves came down to the elbow, but Ginny had a black sweater over her arm. The dress came just below the knee.
The black low heel shoes sat the outfit off. Her hair was pulled back with some strands around her face.
"Gin, words leave me." Harry paused before he said, "You look beautiful."
Ginny smiled and did a little twirl as Hermione suggested. "I didn't want anything too dressy for this, but Hermione talked me into this one."
"I could see why. It's like the dress was made for you." Harry stood up and offered his hand. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes."
Harry led her down to Lily's quarters. He held the portrait open for Ginny and let her in first. She stopped when she saw the setup. The table was set for two with two plates of spaghetti and meatballs. There was a bottle of chilled sprinkling white grape juice, sitting on the table in the middle between two wine glasses.
"This is beautiful," Ginny said, looking at the table setting. "Does your Mum know about all this?"
"Who do you think helped?" Harry asked her, pointing his wand to the CD player Lily had charmed to work in the castle. Romantic music played softly as Ginny laid her sweater down on the nearby armchair.
When they approached the table, Harry discreetly waved his wand to lower the lights a little and then flicked his wand to the candles.
"This is very romantic. Reminds me of that movie we watched at your house on Christmas break."
"That's what I was going for was romantic."
Harry pulled out her chair for her and then scooted it in for her when she sat down. "It's nice to be just the two of us, isn't it?" she asked as they began to eat.
"It is," Harry agreed. "I don't think we've had a moment just the two of us since we've been dating."
Ginny smiled and added, "I'm glad we're doing this. Having a meal just us."
"Dad gave me the idea, so it's not entirely mine," Harry admitted.
They ate in silence for a moment when Ginny realized something. "Um, who made this?"
"I did," Harry replied.
"You did." Ginny was very surprised. "Harry, you did all of this."
"I did," Harry repeated.
Ginny smiled, shaking her head. "You continue to amaze me."
Harry leaned forward, whispering softly, "the night's not over."
They made some small talk over the remainder of the meal, discussing their relationship and what they were planning on during over the next month and the upcoming Quidditch match in March. They talked about going for a fly after Quidditch practice or to do something together without Ron and Hermione.
"Have I thanked you for showing me the warming charm?" Ginny asked when Harry told her that Angelina had scheduled practice next Thursday after dinner. Ginny would come and watch practice, or rather watch Harry practice. She would wait for Harry before heading back to the castle, so they can walk back together.
"Yes, you have," Harry answered. "I didn't want you to get a chill or a cold for sitting out in the bleachers to watch practice."
"Hermione and I share a blanket. She'll bring hot chocolate for us to keep us warm."
"Next time can you bring enough for Ron and me?" he asked.
"Sure, that shouldn't be a problem."
Ginny then chose that moment to tell Harry that she's thinking about trying out for chaser next year when Angelina and Alicia left Hogwarts.
"We can work on the chaser drills sometime. Even though I'm a seeker, Dad was a chaser." Harry laughed. "He chased Mum more than he did any quaffle, according to Sirius."
Ginny laughed, imaging James chasing Lily as Sirius had said.
"We could that. Have you ever played chaser before?" Ginny asked.
"I have. According to Sirius, I have a good arm. I've played it some when it was just me, Dad, and Sirius. So if need be I could play chaser."
"That's a good thing," she said.
They discussed who they think may get the captain badge. It was between Katie and Harry and Ginny said that if she had to guess she would say, Harry. Harry told her if Professor McGonagall offered, he'd take it.
When they finished the meal, Harry collected the dessert and refilled Ginny's glass.
"Did you make this?" Ginny inquired, pointing to the cake with her fork.
"No, I asked Dobby to make it. He asked what he could do to help and this is what I said."
"It's good, really good."
As they ate dessert, Harry thought about how he was going to give Ginny her present. The different reactions started playing in his head. He stopped himself from thinking of the negative reactions, focusing on the positive reactions.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Ginny's voice broke his thoughts, bringing back to reality.
"Yeah, I'm okay." He picked up his glass and sipped on the sprinkling white grape juice. His mind raced with how he could give Ginny her present and how much he wanted this night to go well. It had to this point and Harry hoped it continued.
He just hoped that Ginny loved her present.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
After dessert, they decided since they had a couple of hours before they needed to be back to Gryffindor tower, they moved to the sitting area.
"This is nice," Ginny murmured, as she snuggled next to Harry on the couch.
"Yes, it is," Harry agreed. He reached in between the pillows and felt the box the necklace was in. His hand wrapped around the box, as he was getting ready to give it to her.
Ginny looked up at him and smiled, kissing the underside of his jaw. "I love you," she said, softly.
"I love you too." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I have something for you." He handed Ginny the box, smiling softly. "Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered.
Ginny turned around, facing Harry. "Baby, what is this?"
"Open it," Harry told her.
Ginny sat up straighter, turning to face Harry. "You've gotten me enough." She untied the ribbon that was tied around the box. "You didn't need to get me anything else."
"I wanted to. Open it," he repeated.
Ginny looked down at the box and opened the lid. She paused when she saw the necklace she had been looking at for a month. She looked up at Harry, momentarily speechless.
"How?" she asked, softly.
"I noticed you looking at it," Harry replied. "I knew that roses were your favorite flower and when you were looking at that and I decided to get it for you."
Ginny picked it, admiring it for a moment before asking Harry to help her put it on. Once it was on her, she walked over to the mirror Lily had hanging on the wall next to the portrait hole, admiring it in the mirror.
"It's beautiful," she murmured. Looking up, she found Harry standing behind her. "Thank you, babe." She turned around, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck. "I love it."
Harry smiled at her, and then kissed her. "I'm glad you do," Harry whispered. "Happy Valentine's Day, Gin."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Harry."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry laid awake later that night thinking about the time he had spent with Ginny. It was nice to spend time alone with her, without Ron and Hermione around or anyone for that matter. He felt that he had made this a Valentine's Day that Ginny will never forget. As a matter of fact, she asked him on their way back to Gryffindor tower, how he was going to top this for next year.
"There's always the Room of Requirement," he told her.
After giving Ginny her present, Ginny gave Harry his Valentine's Day present. It was a book, The History of Puddlemere United. Ginny had seen it in an owl order catalog for the bookstore and asked Lily if Harry had already, considering he was a fan of the Quidditch team. Lily told him he didn't have the history book, but he did have a few of the players' biographies and she said that she heard that a history book was being published and encouraged Ginny to get it.
He thanked her with a deep kiss. They ate another piece of cake with some tea before they cleaned up and headed back to Gryffindor tower. Harry had left a note for James and Lily to feel free to have a slice of cake. He knew James would spend the night at Hogwarts and go to work from there the next morning.
There was no doubt in his mind that James would want to know the details of how dinner went tonight.
He sighed happily, turning over onto his side. He fell asleep, dreaming the beautiful redhead he was lucky to call his.
Happy Valentine's Day.