money from it, so please Mrs. Rowling if you read this
don’t sue me. A comment or two would be welcome
though.
Please, if you read, take two minutes to review.
Hermione sat on the blanket watching Ron, Harry and the others chase around the field on their brooms playing Quidditch. She and Harry had been at the Burrow for almost five weeks now. Harry was staying in with Ron, while she and her parents were staying in one of the tents from the trip to the Quidditch World Cup two years ago. The twins, Fred and George were home, along with Charlie and Bill. The four of them were playing as Chasers, two to a side. Ginny and Harry were Seekers with Ron playing goal for one side and their friend Neville playing goal for the other. Neither team was using Beaters as there were not enough players.
Hermione watched Ginny tear off after the Snitch. She was giving Harry all he could handle. Of course Harry had let her use his Firebolt, while he was flying one of the old school brooms that Madam Hootch had sent by owl post for them to use over the summer.
Fred and George had played as Beaters their whole lives, and were no match for Bill and Charlie. But they had Ron to play goal behind them, where Bill and Charlie had to suffer with Neville. All in all the teams were evenly matched and had been playing for hours. Neither team was able to get ahead on goals, while every time Harry looked like he was going to beat Ginny to the Snitch she had been able to knock him off course.
Hermione thought back to her arrival that summer. Dumbledore had sent her an owl with instructions for a spell to use on her parents. It had allowed them to travel by floo powder from their home to the Weasleys'. Her parents had arrived in two different mind sets. Her mother had been absolutely thrilled with the ride. While her father had threatened to disown her if she ever made him do that again. She had been surprised to see that Harry had beaten her there, and very angry when she heard the story of his arrival.
He had not told anyone what he was doing. He had just hopped on the Knight bus and taken it to the Burrow. He had arrived there about three hours after Ron had sent Errol with the invitation.
Mrs. Weasley had been furious with Harry for not waiting for her husband to arrange safe transport for him. It had earned him his first and what he sincerely hoped would be the only tongue lashing he ever got from Ron’s mother.
Ron had told the story, laughing at Harry, and wouldn’t stop teasing him that he looked worse after his mother got done with him than he ever had after an encounter with You-Know-Who. Harry had smiled weakly at Ron’s telling of the tale.
Hermione had told him off too, saying he deserved what he got, and while telling him what happened to Sirius was not his fault. She couldn’t stop herself from asking him if he had learned anything from his experience at the Ministry. She had been afraid he would explode. She prepared for it, could see it happening in his eyes, but then it passed. Harry had simply apologized to her and promised to do better next time.
Hermione had quickly adjusted, saying she was glad to see him. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then told him to bugger off for a while because she needed to talk to Ron.
Ron had jumped at the idea of a surprise birthday party for Harry. In fact, everyone had. Invitations had been sent and tomorrow she was supposed to take Harry to Diagon Alley to shop for his birthday present. It was really just a ploy, so the others could decorate and guests could be snuck in.
Hermione looked back up at the game. She really did love to watch others fly. Then she saw a flash followed by Harry spinning after the Snitch. Ginny responded to Harry’s movement - she was behind but making up ground fast because of the Firebolt.
Ginny had the Snitch itself in sight and was not responding to Harry. She was his equal, and she was brutal too, slamming into Harry to prevent him from closing his fingers around the Snitch. The others had stopped to watch and cheer them on. Hermione could hear Ron yelling.
“Come on Ginny, you can beat him! Wait a minute - he’s on my team! Get her Harry, get her!”
“What a clown,” Hermione snorted.
Ginny bashed into Harry again. His concentration was amazing; any of the others would have been knocked out of the sky. Harry just looped away from her. Going around down and up on her other side, he was back in a position of advantage. Ginny tracked back, continuing to force him off, but never getting a chance to grab the Snitch herself.
Harry seemed unwilling to use the same tactics on Ginny and was paying for it. The Snitch backtracked on them - Harry turned first but the advantage was lost because of Ginny’s better broom. She pulled down on Harry again sending him off course towards a tree, which he had to avoid. This time the Snitch moved to her advantage.
Harry wrenched his broom around, reaching to close his hand around Ginny’s, just after her fingers plucked the Snitch from the air. The game was over. Ginny, Bill, Charlie and Neville had won. They all flew over and collapsed to the ground next to Hermione.
“Come on Ginny, you can beat him,” Harry mocked Ron. “Whose side are you on anyways?” he demanded. Ron grinned stupidly.
“Sorry, Mate, but she is my sister, and sometimes it’s good to see you knocked down a notch or two,” Ron replied jokingly.
“And you,” Harry said, turning on Ginny, “are a dirty player, and are lucky I’m too much of a gentleman to knock the heck out of my best mate’s sister.”
“You’re just mad I won. Besides, you should always play to win. Nothing I did was out of the rules and you know it, and I can take anything you can dish out,” Ginny fired back at him. Harry looked a little shocked, but recovered quickly.
“You’re right,” he said. “You deserved it.” He leaned over to give her a congratulatory hug.
“Thanks,” Ginny said, with a big smile, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Harry turned a deep red. Ginny, suddenly realizing what she had just done, tried to apologize. “Sorry, Harry, I was just excited.”
“It’s ok,” Harry stammered. “What are friends for, if not to embarrass you?”
“That was really fun guys, but I’m starved. Let’s go see if Mum and Mrs. Granger have dinner ready,” Bill said.
“Yeah, and we better go rescue Hermione’s father from dad,” Charlie added. “You know, he’s in heaven getting to talk to your dad about all that Muggle stuff, Hermione.”
“That’s ok; my dad is just as happy finding out about all that wizard and witch stuff so it works out for the best,” Hermione answered.
Trudging back towards the house however, Fred and George were not about to drop the subject of Ginny and Harry. They were marching at the front of the group singing happily.
Ginny and Harry sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Harry and Ginny pulled out their wands, hitting them both with silencing spells. The Ministry had little time for enforcing the abuse of underage magic decree these days. Besides that, the Burrow and about one half square mile of surrounding area were unmappable which made it out of bounds from the decree. Hermione was glad for the silence. She had not been too happy about Ginny’s kiss. And was now not too happy about the way Ginny and Harry were laughing and replaying their chase for the Snitch. Neville had caught up with Bill and Charlie. Hermione could hear him asking them about their work with dragons and the wizarding bank Gringotts.
Its ok, she thought. I get to spend all day with him tomorrow. Ron had fallen in next to her.
“Alright, Hermione?” he asked.
“Oh….yes,” she answered a little too quickly. Ron didn’t catch it though.
“Good,” he said. “I was hoping you could help me with my Potions essay for Snape after dinner tonight.” Hermione looked at him in surprise.
“Sure, Ron, right after dinner,” she replied.
“Thanks, Hermione.”
“Hey, Ron….I’ll race you to the house.” She turned to him smiling.
“You’re a Nutter, you can’t beat me there and you know it.”
“You have to give me a head start,” she said with a not so innocent grin. Ron’s guard went up.
“How much of a….“
“This much.” Hermione stuck the broom she was carrying between his legs tripping him, and then took off running towards the house. Ron untangled himself from the broom and jumped to his feet there was no way he could catch her.
Unless…. he thought. Ron tore off after her on the broom. He flew to the house and hid by the gate to the yard. He could hear Hermione running down the path. He stepped into her way just as she got to the gate. She crashed into him and they both fell to the ground a tangle of arms and legs. She ended up sitting on top of him pointing her wand at his chest.
“You cheated!”
Ron grabbed her wrist and rolled. She wasn’t ready for it, and had no idea that he was so much stronger than she was. He sat on top of her pinning both her arms over her head with one hand and pointing his wand at her with the other.
“So did you.”
Hermione squirmed trying to get away. About all she could do was move her wrist. She aimed her wand at him.
“Wingardium Leviosa!” Ron floated into the air.
“I was just giving myself an even chance,” she said, smiling up at him while twirling him slowly around. Ron struggled to stay upright. He knew he could hit her with a spell to get down, but also knew he never would.
“All right, all right, you win, Hermione. Now will you put me down please?” Hermione lowered her wand setting him back down. Ron eyed her warily.
“I always knew having you mad enough to cast spells at me would be bad,” he said, with a small smile.
“Come on.” Hermione hooked her arm in his. Noticing the others were coming into sight; she could see the twins were still unable to speak. Hermione raised her wand.
“Sonorus! Accio Wands!” she said. Harry and Ginny’s wands flew towards them. Ron reached out and caught them. Then Hermione turned Ron around and started skipping to the house forcing him to skip with her.
She could hear the twins start up again.
“K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
First comes love
Then comes marriage
Then comes Harry with a baby carriage!”
Hermione and Ron stood on the steps waiting for every one to catch up. Ginny and Harry were a little red in the ears.
“Has everyone had enough fun now?” Ginny grumped.
“Well now that you ask,” Fred started.
“We could go on,” George finished. However, they backed down in a hurry noticing that Ginny was again brandishing her wand at them.
Ron and Hermione sat at the table late into the night working on his essay for Professor Snape. What Ron had to begin with had not been badly written. Hermione just helped him to flesh it out.
Ron had hoped, it being summer and all, that Hermione would just give him the information. But true to form, she made him look everything up, only telling him that he had gotten this part wrong and needed to look in this other book, or that he had done a good job on this other part. It had gone on for what at times, Ron thought, felt like forever.
When they first sat down, Hermione had not even started her essay. But by the time Ron had finished his, she had been standing behind him for an hour. She had her hand on his shoulder, reading the words as he put them to the parchment. When he had gotten stuck she would direct him to the right book.
This was when time flew. He had her undivided attention and she was touching him. Ron could have sat there forever and been happy. He had even pretended to be stuck when he knew the answer just to drag out a few more minutes.
Hermione was proud of Ron. He was finally acting responsibly. The paper was excellent, probably his best ever. He really was capable when he wanted to be.
“I think that will be more than good enough for our favorite professor,” she finally said from behind him. Hermione cleaned up her stuff. And then she leaned over to whisper in his ear.
“I need to get to bed Ronald. I have to keep Harry busy all day tomorrow.” She kissed him on the cheek and then walked out to the tent. Ron sat there; he could feel the wetness from her lips on his cheek, and the tingle that was still coursing through him. If he closed his eyes and breathed in deep he could still smell the perfume she wore. If he paid attention to that kind of thing, he would have noticed it was the scent he gave her for Christmas a few years ago.
Harry watched Ron from the corner. He knew his friend had fallen for Hermione, had known for a long time. As smart as she was, he couldn’t believe she had been unable to figure it out. The problem was Ron was too scared to tell her. Not that he blamed him, the few experiences he had had with girls left him in an utter state of confusion.
Harry suspected that Hermione liked Ron too. But again his ability to understand women was not much to be proud of. In fact, he would rather face Voldemort than have to come up with the correct answer to Hermione’s feelings for Ron.
It was getting more difficult, but Harry had managed to master himself and stay out of the way tonight. He had already written his essay and Hermione had looked at it while they were playing Quidditch earlier that day. He planned to make the corrections needed when he got back from Diagon Alley tomorrow. Harry could see that Ron was trying to tell Hermione that he loved her. But it looked like she was going to have to read a little deeper into his actions. He only hoped he could keep his own feelings in check.
“Come on, Mate, let’s get to bed. Tomorrow’s my birthday, and I want to play some Quidditch after Hermione and I get back from shopping.”
Hermione sat down on her bed with her head in her hands. She heard her mother come into the room and felt her sit down on the bed next to her.
“A difficult choice. I can see it’s tearing you up….You know you must choose the one to make you happy, not the one you think you will hurt the least,” her mother said. Hermione sighed.
“I know. Right now my problem is, I think, well, I know I could love them both,” Hermione answered. “Today I thought I would explode from jealousy when Ginny kissed Harry’s cheek and she meant nothing by it. Then I was so filled with joy from Ron’s attention that I completely forgot Harry was even alive. Not to mention that neither one has expressed interest in me yet.” Hermione’s mother shook her head.
“Sometimes, Hermione….you are not nearly as smart as the rest of the world thinks you are.” Hermione didn’t answer. She was confused by her mother's reply. So she sat letting her mother hold her for quite some time.
“You know, Arthur and Molly have filled in many blanks for your father and me. Quite honestly, we’re not sure we can go back to the Muggle world as we have known it to be. We have been told, even though we are not magical; it is possible for us to live in the world that you will be staying in.” Hermione looked up at her mother incredulously.
"We also know about the war with this….Voldemort….That there have been battles. That you yourself have been a part of….Why have you never told us about these things Hermione?” Hermione looked away from her mother.
“Because you could not have been any help. You could only be hurt.”
“Hermione, from this day forward, you must promise me you will include your father and I.” Hermione turned back to her mother an expression of pleading desperation on her face.
“Mum, you cannot even begin to understand what Voldemort can do. You have no defense, and I am barely capable of defending myself. I can’t help you and I can’t stand to lose you or dad.”
“Your father and I have no desire to be protected by you, Hermione. Our only desire is to protect you, and that is something that we can do….Even from this Voldemort. Your Headmaster told us this himself.” Hermione looked at her mother, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“How are you to stay?” she whispered.
“I’m not sure, but your Headmaster has said he will make the arrangements.” Hermione’s mother pulled her into her arms and held her tightly. Hermione snuggled in and fell asleep with her mother running her fingers through her tangled brown hair. She may have been older than her age, but sometimes it felt good to be a little girl again.
Harry woke with a start. Hermione was banging on the door.
“Get up Harry, come on,” she hollered from the hall. Ron rolled over, mumbling.
“Five more minutes, Mum.” Harry laughed at him and got out of bed. He dressed quickly. And started to leave, but couldn’t resist taking out his wand and levitating the water from the pitcher on the night stand over Ron’s sleeping body. Harry left the room, keeping the connection of the spell in tact. Hermione was already eating when he entered the kitchen.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Harry grabbed a piece of toast, shoved it in his mouth and washed it down with a glass of pumpkin juice.
“Ok, let’s go.” Hermione stared at him, as did the others at the table.
“What’s the rush?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you after we get to Diagon Alley. I just want to get out of here before Ron gets up,” Harry replied, as he started dragging her to the fire place.
“Ok, Ok, I’m coming.” Harry stepped into the fire and pulled Hermione with him.
“Wait till I say,” he whispered to her. Harry released his connection to the water that was floating over Ron. A second later he heard a scream, followed by Ron charging down the stairs.
“Harry, if you’re not gone when I get there you’ll be belching slugs for a week!” Ron bellowed.
“Now!” Harry said, just as a soaking wet Ron came into sight.
“Diagon Alley!” Hermione hollered. Throwing the floo powder and with a quick wave, Harry disappeared right after her. Ron’s slug spell blasted into the back of the fireplace.
“Argh, the git!” he yelled, as slugs started to ooze out of the mortar. Ron pointed his wand at the fireplace again. “Repairo!” A few seconds later the slugs stopped. Trumping back up the stairs he passed Ginny.
“What happened to you?”
“Harry.” was all she got for a reply.
Harry slid out of the floo network next to Hermione onto the floor of the Leaky Caldron. This surprised no one, as Harry and Hermione had to jump out of the way of fellow travelers who came out behind them. Harry found himself facing the business end of Hermione’s wand.
“That wasn’t very nice,” she said, her face and voice very stern. Harry didn’t dare move. He knew that unless he was willing to really fight, Hermione would tie him up in knots for a week.
“But, it wouldn’t be right to hex you on your birthday.” Harry smiled at her.
“And, it was really funny,” she snorted, breaking into laughter. “Come on, we need to find you the right gift.”
Harry had been looking forward to this since she first mentioned it. Birthdays for Harry had not been the best of days in the past. His first ten for that matter were entirely forgettable, as that was just what the Dursleys had done.
His 11th birthday had been pretty good. That was the day he found out he was a wizard. Thanks to Hagrid, it was also the first time he had ever had a birthday cake. The next four he had at least received gifts from his friends. But Harry was sixteen today and had never even had a birthday party, so when Hermione said she was taking him to Diagon Alley and buying him what ever he wanted, within reason, he had jumped, before he looked, at the chance.
He had also been dreading it. Sometime before the battle at the Ministry, Harry had started to see Hermione differently. He had been fighting desperately against it, because he knew Ron’s feelings even if Ron didn’t. Harry did not want to betray Ron. He had lost too much in his life to risk losing a friend because he fancied the same girl as Ron did.
Until last night, as long as Ron was around, Harry had had little trouble hiding what he himself was starting to feel towards Hermione. But when he was alone with her, it was then he found himself watching her.
Hermione, while not the most beautiful girl in the world, was very pretty. And Harry was not blinded by looks. He could see into her eyes. And there, he found she had an endless ability to give. That was what he was having more and more trouble resisting.
They spent the day walking and looking at the shops, exploring new ones, finding new things in old ones. They stopped in at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, forgetting that the twins were at the Burrow. They ate lunch together, talking quietly in the booth, sharing the same bench seat instead of sitting opposite each other. Harry was in heaven. It was easily his best birthday ever. After lunch when they walked to Quality Quidditch Supplies she held his arm and Harry thought his heart would burst.
Hermione was enjoying the day as much as Harry. They still had not found the right gift for her to buy, but she was sure he would find what he wanted in the Quidditch shop. She only hoped she could afford it. Hermione trailed along behind Harry. Watching him, his messy black hair that resisted every attempt he made to bring it under control. His emerald green eyes that she thought she could get lost in forever.
What she liked most though, was Harry was kind to everyone. He didn’t pick on people who were different, and he judged everyone the same until their actions said otherwise.
Harry was fawned over by everyone wherever he went. She could feel it now when people looked at the two of them together. She knew what they were thinking.
“It’s him, Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. Who is that ugly girl with him? Why would he pick her when he could have anyone?” But Harry would have none of it. When he looked at her, she felt like the one who mattered, who was famous, the one who was beautiful beyond words.
Harry looked up from the book he was examining and caught her staring at him. He stared back, a silly half grin on his face. Hermione blushed, and then like a light going on in his head his eyes lit up.
“Come on, I need to buy something here, but I figured out what I want for my birthday.”
Hermione heard him ask the shopkeeper how much the Firebolt broom cost. She gasped when she heard the price. He calmly told the shop keeper to package up two of them, and gave him an account number at Gringotts to charge the sale to. The shopkeeper hurried away to get the brooms packaged. Harry had just made a good month into the best month of the year for the owner and he was already trying to figure out what to do with the windfall.
“Harry, what do you need two Firebolts for? You already have one, and how can you afford it?” Hermione asked. Harry turned to Hermione.
“Ginny and Ron are going to be on the house team this year and I want them to be on the best broom possible. That’s why. And how, is Sirius. Hermione, my parents left me more money than I can use and now Sirius has left me ten times that at least. I can’t get Sirius back, but I can spend the money in a manner he would have,” he answered. Hermione felt a lurch in her stomach.
“I know you miss him, and I think he would have been proud of the way you were spending the money,” she replied, hugging him. The shopkeeper returned.
“Ahem--your packages, sir.” Hermione pulled away from Harry reaching up to wipe a tear from his cheek.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll carry them,” she said. “Come on what was that birthday present you wanted?” she asked, hooking her arm in his again and pulling him into the street. Harry led her down the street to a photographers shop.
“I don’t have one single picture of you,” he said. “That’s what I want for my birthday.”
“Oh, Harry, I’m not dressed for pictures. And my hair is horrible. Let me come back another day and get one for you,” she protested. Harry just shook his head and gave her one of those half smiles.
“No, this has been the best birthday of my life, and I want to remember exactly how the person who gave it to me looked,” he insisted. Hermione melted - he had done it again, choosing a birthday present that made her feel like a queen. They ended up getting two taken, one of her alone and one together with him in front and her standing on tiptoes with her chin on his shoulder her arms wrapped around him. Harry had insisted that they be developed in the Muggle fashion.
“Two friends frozen in time,” he said. She bought Harry one of each for his birthday and one of the two of them together for herself. They left the shop loaded with packages. Hermione was sure that everything would be in place for the surprise party by now. It had been easy to keep Harry busy all day. She felt she could have stayed there in Diagon Alley for weeks with him and not gotten bored. As they walked to the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione turned to Harry.
“You better let me go first. Ron is probably waiting to hex you when you re-appear.”
“Good idea, here you take the pictures let me take the brooms,” he replied.
“Give me about thirty seconds or so,” she said, stepping into the fire. “The Burrow,” she cried, releasing the floo powder. Harry followed her about a minute later, sure that he would never experience another day like this again.
It was dark when Harry stepped out of the fire place at the Burrow. Hermione had disappeared. He was just starting to have bad thoughts when he was blinded by one of Fred and Georges’ fireworks.
“SURPRISE!”
“Happy Birthday, Harry!”
A flash went off as someone took his picture. Harry starred around openmouthed. The Weasleys’ kitchen table was piled high with food. There was a giant birthday cake in the middle. There were banners, streamers, and noisemakers everywhere. Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes fireworks were going off at random intervals spelling out 'Happy Birthday!' in the room. And his friends, all of his friends were here.
Ron and all the rest of the Weasleys, Hermione along with her parents, Luna, Neville and his grandmother, members of the Order - there was Tonks and Mad Eye. Over in the corner were the rest of the 6th year Gryffindor boys along with the Quidditch team. Off to the other side were Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Remus Lupin his former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and there, sitting on Hagrid’s shoulder, beaming at him and waving timidly was Dobby. Everyone started singing Happy Birthday to him. Ron came up and pulled him into the room.
“Well come on, Mate, open your presents,” he said.
Harry didn’t know where to begin. He opened gifts, to the cheers of his friends, teachers and family (Were they family?) for what to him seemed like forever.
Yes this is my family, he thought to himself. The party lasted long into the night with more food and butterbeer consumed than would be good for anyone. Finally around 1:00 am people started to go. It was down to Ron, Ginny, their parents, Hermione and her parents and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Lupin.
“Well Harry I’m afraid I really must be going. I have to work tomorrow you know,” said Lupin getting up to leave. Harry went outside with him to say thanks. They stood outside looking at the stars together. Remus put his arm around Harry’s shoulder.
“You know that Sirius left me the house and half of the family fortune.”
“Yes, I do,” Harry replied.
“I miss him terribly, Harry,” Remus said quietly. Harry didn’t answer. “Harry, he also left me custody of you.” Harry looked at Remus. They both had tears in their eyes. They had both lost an important part of themselves when Sirius had died.
“I think for now I will stay here, if that is ok with you?” Harry replied quietly.
“Visit me soon, Harry?”
“Professor Lupin?”
“Yes, Harry?”
“I called Sirius by his first name?”
“I would like that, Harry,” Remus answered giving his shoulder a squeeze.
“Goodnight, Remus.”
“Goodnight, Harry,” Remus replied, and with a loud pop he was gone.
Harry ran into Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore on his way back into the house.
“We must be off too, Harry,” said Dumbledore.
“Thank you for coming Professors,” Harry replied.
“Oh….one other thing, Harry….All those ridiculous educational decrees from last year are no longer in place. You are reinstated, along with Fred and George to the Quidditch team….Though I doubt they will be leaving their joke shop to come back to school.” Harry beamed at the news.
“Thank you, sir, that may be the best gift I have received today.”
“Goodnight and happy birthday, Harry,” they both replied, and with two loud pops they were gone.
Harry went back inside; the others were busy trying to clean up. Suddenly Ron stood up over by the fireplace.
“Hey, Harry, what should I do with these packages of yours?” he asked.
“Give one to Ginny so she can open it. The other is for you,” Harry replied. Ron and Ginny looked at him.
“Don’t argue with me. It’s my birthday remember.” Ron walked over to Ginny.
“Which one do you want?”
“It doesn’t matter, they’re both the same,” Harry said standing next to them. Hermione came up and stood beaming at his side. Ron and Ginny opened the packages together; they looked at each other, their parents, Hermione and last Harry.
“Like them?” Harry asked grinning broadly.
“Harry we can’t take these,” Ginny whispered while longingly looking at the broom.
“Yes you can. You and your family and Hermione are the only family I have ever known.”
“They’re too much," Ron tried to join Ginny’s argument.
“I can spend my money any way I want to. I gave your brothers the money to start their shop and I am giving these to you. Besides, I was getting tired of Ginny beating me to the Snitch on that old school broom. Now we’ll see how good she really is. Oh yeah, we’ll also need them to win the Quidditch title this year. And….I will be highly offended if you refuse them,” Harry finished his speech.
“You’re back on the team?” Ginny asked quietly. Harry nodded his head.
“Dumbledore just told me.” Ron set his broom down and grabbed Harry in bear hug.
“Happy Birthday, Harry.”
“Thanks, Ron.”
Ginny set down her broom down and wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him on the cheek for the second time in as many days.
“Happy Birthday, Big Brother.”
“You’re both welcome.”
Harry could not fall asleep. They had thrown a surprise birthday party for him. And the day with Hermione, he was ready to burst.
Hermione, he thought, sobering slightly. I’m going to have to be careful not to be alone with her very much.
“Harry….” Ron said. “I never saw what Hermione gave you?” Harry flinched but didn’t see any way out of showing Ron the pictures. He sat up and pulled the package out from under his bed and handed it to Ron.
“Go ahead you can open it,” he said, when Ron looked at him. Harry waited nervously, hoping that Ron would not guess, and if he did that he wouldn’t throw him out of his room.
“This is what you asked her for?” Ron asked, looking back up at Harry. Harry nodded.
“I didn’t have one of her.” Ron looked at the picture for a while again. He traced his finger on the glass.
“They don’t move,” he said. It was more of a question.
“No, I wanted them like that,” Harry replied. Ron was quiet for a while.
“I like them this way too.” He handed the pictures back to Harry. Harry started to wrap them up to put under the bed again.
“No, keep them out, Harry.” Harry looked over at Ron who nodded at him.
“On the table,” he indicated. “She didn’t buy them for you to hide.” Harry set the pictures up and sat on his bed looking at them. He was sure Ron knew. Ron may be dumb as far as girls went, but he knew Harry very well. The two of them were almost as close as Fred and George. Harry watched Ron lay back down on his bed.
I don’t have a chance do I? Harry I can live with, just not Krum, Ron thought to himself.
Can you? asked the voice. Ron thought for a while about that.
Yeah I can if I at least try, he replied. If I at least try and she says no then I can live with it.
Well you better hurry up and tell her then, the voice prodded him.
I know, Ron replied. The voice was quiet again.
“Harry, you still awake?”
“Yeah, Ron.”
“I know it’s your birthday present, but if she will let me have one would that be ok with you?”
“Sure thing, Mate, I know she’ll say yes, I’ll even buy it for you.”
“No, I want to buy it myself, Harry. I’ll sell my broom if I have to, both of them, to afford it.” Harry laughed.
“It wasn’t that expensive, Mate.”
“No, but it would be worth it,” Ron replied. Things were quiet for a while again.
“Harry?”
“Yeah, Ron?”
“Promise me that you’ll give me a chance….If you tell her….Don’t let her answer you until I tell her too.” Harry breathed a sigh of relief in his bed.
“Thanks, Ron.”
“I’m not exactly happy about it, Harry.”
“I’m sorry, Ron, I tried to stop it.”
“Do you love her, Harry?”
“If you mean forever like a wife, I don’t know yet, Ron.”
“I do, Harry.”
“I’m sorry, Ron.”
“Just make sure you keep your promise, Harry,” Ron said, and then he rolled over to go to sleep.
“Ron?”
“What?”
“Will you give me a chance too?”
“I guess I have to, don’t I?” Harry closed his eyes and sighed.
At least he didn’t kill us, the voice said to him.
Be quiet, Harry snapped at it. It was a long time before he fell asleep.
Authors note:
A love triangle, don't you hate it?