Chapter 6

"So you honestly think I should invite only three quarters of our year?" Harry was exasperated at this point. He and Hermione had been at it for hours. Creating an invite list was more tiring than Harry had expected.

"You really want to invite Malfoy?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Well no, but maybe some more of the...less evil Slytherins. It would be good to expand our horizons, Hermione."

"Our?" The bushy haired teen had very much enjoyed being able to call herself Harry's girlfriend. The past month had been amazing. In between lessons, Hermione had started taking Harry on outings.

Flashback

Their very first outing was to the "downtown area" if one could call it that. Really it was one or two streets that had some shops and a few restaurants. Nothing like London, but this wasn't the muggle Highlands either. The first stop was to a muggle store called Mystic Moon. It was a shop that catered to pagan muggles.

Harry had not been exposed to the muggle world much with the Dursleys. He was astounded that there were muggles who tried to practice magic! Hermione enjoyed showing Harry around the store. After all, when she was young, she would search for any books on magic that she could find. She knew that her bursts of accidental magic were something, but she never thought that the Wizarding World existed. So she tried to find answers in muggle paganism.

There were loose tumbled gems, rose quartz, amethyst, and onyx. There were rings with engravings, necklaces in the shape of the crescent moon, and a lot of incense. There was book after book on various topics such as astral projection, healing with crystals, and using herbs in potions and magic.

"Hermione, are these muggles….brewing potions?" Harry asked in a whisper. Not wanting a muggle to hear the word "muggle".

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "No Harry, most of this stuff is either traditional herbal medicine, think chamomile for sleep, or harmless teas. None of these are actual magic." She couldn't help but think of what the grouchy Potions Master would think if he was here. Snape would probably burn the whole place down!

Behind the counter was the more expensive jewelry. Necklaces, rings, and earrings. While Hermione browsed the books, Harry walked up to the counter and looked through the glass. The items were broken up based on the gem. Harry's eyes were drawn to the sapphires. He saw a placard with words etched on it.

Sapphire

A beautiful stone that is prized for its deep blue hues and a variety of magical uses.

Properties: Wisdom, Intuition, Protection

Birth Month: September

A teardrop necklace caught Harry's eye. It was a sapphire stone surrounded by diamonds. The price tag stated that it was three hundred pounds. Harry thought about it. He had recently changed some of his galleons into pounds and wanted to get his new girlfriend something. Ensuring that Hermione was still busy browsing the muggle magic books, he bought the necklace and had it wrapped in a small box that he slipped into his pocket.

Present Time

Hermione fingered the necklace that hung around her neck. She loved it and had yet to take it off since Harry put it on her. She still thinks paying three hundred pounds for it was ridiculous! And she had stated as such, but Harry did not care about the price, he just wanted to get his girlfriend something.

"Yes, Hermione. Our. We've been best friends for years and now we're a couple. I think it's safe to say we're in this for the long haul, no?"

She blushed. She wanted it to be for the long haul but her insecurities would not allow her to actually think that.

"I hope so, Harry." The teens shared a quick kiss. "Let's get back to the list. Maybe Greengrass and her sister, Zabini, and Davis."

"Great, so we will invite everyone in our year in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor, and those four from Slytherin." Harry wanted to throw a huge party. It'd be his first ever birthday party after all.

"Let's write the invites." Hermione, ever the planner, had brought envelopes, color changing ink, and two quills.

The day of the party dawned with summer rain. The air was pleasantly warm, if not a bit humid, and the rain was comfortably cool. Sirius had rented a banquet hall at a restaurant in Diagon Alley. Harry and Hermione were levitating tables and chairs into place while Sirius was finishing up last minute details with the kitchen staff. He wanted to make sure that there was plenty of treacle tart for his godson.

There was to be a buffet table with all sorts of food on it. Chicken, fish, and beef were on the menu. Side dishes of rice, potatoes, and corn were also present, along with plenty of sweets as well. Treacle tart being the main one on display.

As various students started trickling in, Harry was at the door to greet them. As he said hello to various friends and acquaintances, Ron came in.

Ron and Harry shared a half handshake / half hug that had started to get popular with the older boys at Hogwarts.

"How's it going, mate? Your letters have sounded so boring. Classes this, classes that, and you're surrounded by muggles around your house? Sounds like a nightmare, honestly!" Ron grinned showing Harry that he was mostly joking.

"I think you may be surrounded by more Weasleys than I am surrounded by muggles, Ron. Everytime I come over there's another one!" Harry couldn't help but joke back.

"That was one time! One. Time. My cousin was over with his mum. Just because they had red hair and freckles…yeah okay you got me there, there are a lot of us." The two friends started laughing.

It was at that moment that the Slytherins showed up. Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, and Tracie Davis had all apparently decided to show up at once. Power in numbers and all that.

"Potter, thank you for the invites, unexpected as they were." Blaise had decided to be the de facto leader of their small group.

"You're welcome, all of you. These past few years I have rarely gotten to know anybody outside of my house, and even less Slytherins. I want to expand my horizons." Harry responded with a small smile on his face.

Ron looked quite uncomfortable at this moment. From his earliest days he could remember Bill, and eventually Charlie, Percy, and the twins, come home from Hogwarts and complain about the "evil Slytherins". It had been ingrained in him since he was in nappies. Though, just as he told Harry before they left Hogwarts in June, things have changed and been put in perspective.

"Feel free to grab some food, talk to the others, I think we may get a game of exploding snap going soon, too." Harry ushered the group in. The party was meant to be more of a large hang out session than a true dance party. Did wizards even do dance parties? Of that, Harry wasn't sure.

Later on during the party, Harry was cornered by Blaise, again acting as the de facto slytherin leader.

"Potter." Blaise walked up to Harry. "What's the real reason you invited us? If you expect us to leak you some sort of secret info about Malfoy this year…" Blaise left off the unsaid words that's not happening.

"Blaise, your family is in the Wizengamot right?" Harry returned his question with a question.

"Well, yeah, of course. My great-grandfather is the head of House Zabini. What does that have anything…." Blaise drifted off in realization. "You're going to be Lord Potter soon, aren't you? Merlin's beard, why didn't I put this together before?"

Harry couldn't help but smirk. "So you can see why I invited you four, can't you?"

Blaise gave a smirk of his own. "Yes I can, while none of us will be a Lord or Lady anytime soon, you could at least get friendly with us and be able to use that to your advantage once you get to the Wizengamot. How rather…. Slytherin of you."

If that was supposed to make Harry recoil in horror, it had the opposite effect. "Can I tell you something Blaise?"

"Go for it."

"The hat wanted to place me in Slytherin." Harry enjoyed the shocked look coming from the other boy. "It's true. It told me I would do great in Slytherin and help me on my 'way to greatness', whatever that means. However, Malfoy and I had a….less than pleasant run in while at Diagon Alley and on the Express before our first year even started. Left a bad taste in my mouth."

"If it's any consolation, nobody in the house likes him much either. We present a united front while outside the common room, but inside, he's not well liked. Tolerated because of who his father is, but not well liked at all."

That was news to Harry. If he could use that during the upcoming year to make Malfoy's life less pleasant, that would all but make Harry's year. He would have to talk with Ron and Hermione to see if either of them had any ideas. After exchanging some other small pleasantries, the two parted ways.

It was then time for Harry to open his presents. There had been a long table for everyone to place their gifts on. Harry decided to start from the left and opened up a rectangular package. Inside it was a muggle style safety razor and some blades. The razor itself was gold and had a decent heft to it. Harry read who it was from.

"Thank you, Neville."

"You're welcome. It's not just a regular razor. It has charms on it that keep it heated, make it impossible to nick yourself with, and you never need shaving cream either." Neville told Harry.

"Why isn't there a spell for shaving?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

"Ah, well the last few times various witches or wizards have tried to improve the cutting curse into a shaving charm…Well let's just say they usually ended…bloody." Susan Bones answered with a dark look.

"Ah." was Hermione's only reply.

Harry continued on with his gifts. Amongst the many gifts were, of course, sweets. There were acid pops, sugar quills, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean. There were also ice mice, exploding bon-bons, and a small package of sherbet lemons. Harry could only assume the last one was from Dumbledore, though how it had got there, he wasn't sure.

As he continued down the line, Harry grabbed a package that was suspiciously booked shaped. He looked at Hermione and smirked.

Once unwrapped, he read the labels. There was Magical Properties of Snowy Owls on top, next was Wronski Feint: Too Dangerous for Use?, and the last book was entitled 1001 Magical Dates: Outings to Bring Your Sweetie On.

Hermione blushed and shouted "I did NOT put that in there!" She glared at Sirius and the twins. She knew it must have been one of those three.

"Well, either way. Thank you, 'Mione." and Harry blew her a kiss.

Finally, the last gift to be opened was suspiciously broom shaped. He looked up at Sirius.

"Go on, open it." Sirius smiled.

Harry unraveled it and saw the most beautiful broom he had ever seen. It looked just like his Firebolt but the twigs were flashing scarlet and gold and the engraved writing of Firebolt was sparkling in an unnatural way. The body of the broom itself was a beautiful cherry wood.

Harry also saw a piece of paper laying in the wrappings and picked it up. It read:

To Mr. Harry James Potter

It is our greatest pleasure to produce this one of a kind broom for you. We call it the Firebolt: Gryffindor Edition. May the skies be clear and your catches swift.

Happy Birthday!

Sincerely,

Finnian Skye

Owner, Firebolt Brooms

Harry looked up at Sirius, with slightly damp eyes. "You got them to make a broom, just for me?" He got up and hugged Sirius as tight as he could. This was the best gift he could have ever gotten.

Sirius whispered in his ear during the embrace. "I am so so so sorry I haven't been there for you, Harry. I promise from here on out, I will move Heaven and Earth to get to you if needed. Just call for me and I will be by your side. You're no longer alone." Harry couldn't help but shed a tear at this statement.

As the party started to wind down and guests started to leave, it left Harry, Hermione, and Sirius enjoying the last of the food and drink. Sirius excused himself to take care of the bill and that left just the young couple.

"Did you have a good party, Harry?" Hermione turned to her boyfriend.

"I did, Hermione. I really did. It's been an amazing summer so far." Harry responded.

"I have one more gift for you."

"And what's that?"

Hermione just smiled and leaned in to kiss him. It was a more passionate kiss than the two had shared before. Their lips moving together as they shared kiss after kiss. Nothing like the quick pecks the two had previously been giving each other. Hermione pulled away, breathless.

"Maybe I shouldn't save that just for birthdays anymore."

"I don't think you should." Harry said as he leaned in to kiss again.

A/N: This is the longest chapter yet! I honestly had so much fun writing this chapter. As always, let me know your thoughts!