(no subject)
Author:
carrickorourke
Title: Harry Potter's Eighteenth Birthday
Challenge: Harry's 18th birthday: What will Ginny give him this year?
Rating: PG
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 3500
Warnings: None
Harry Potter’s Eighteenth Birthday
by
Carrick O’Rourke
Harry’s life immediately following the Battle of Hogwarts was like a giant whirlwind of activity and publicity that seemed to continuously changing, pushing and pulling him in multiple directions at once. There were meetings, appearances at special events, and, unfortunately, funerals. But that was not all that had kept Harry busy. There was also Ginny Weasley.
They had found each other soon after Harry had awakened from his sleep following the Battle of Hogwarts and had been with each other as much as possible since. Shortly after Fred Weasley’s funeral, Ron had accompanied Hermione Granger to Australia to retrieve her parents. By the time they returned five days later, they were engaged. Everyone was overjoyed and while they were surprised at how quickly the engagement had come, some of the older people remembered that when Voldemort had been vanquished the first time, there were many unexpected marriages, even among some of the younger witches and wizards. It was as if all of the Wizarding World had breathed a collective sigh of relief and many couples had felt it was safe to marry and begin a new life together.
At the end of the second war and with Voldemort’s unquestioned death, the marrying began again, Hermione and Ron being only one of the many couples. Molly excitedly began helping plan the August wedding and had said repeatedly that this was what she needed to get over Fred’s death. She was not as happy over the next announced engagement.
Perhaps Ron and Hermione’s engagement was the impetus, or maybe it was just that Harry finally saw a life ahead of him and did not want to have one more day without Ginny in it with him. Whatever it was that pushed Harry to propose only a few weeks after the battle, Ginny of course accepted and they both nervously announced their engagement that evening to a kitchen full of stunned and silent Weasleys.
Unfortunately for Harry and Ginny, the stunned silence didn’t last long enough. Molly exploded with "you’re too young" and "it’s out of the question." Ginny protested she wasn’t too young and how after everything that had happened, they didn’t want to wait. Both Molly and Arthur reminded her she still had another year of school and then Molly turned on Harry.
"And I thought you were going to go back and finish the last year you didn’t have, Harry?"
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"Then how do the two of you expect to go back to school if you’re married?"
"Well," Hermione broke in, "you know Professor McGonagall told Ron and me that there will be special housing for married students at Hogwarts . . ."
"Yes," Molly replied through gritted teeth, "well, she also told you it was highly irregular but she would make an exception for you and Ron."
"Yes," Hermione agreed, "she did say it was irregular but it’s not just Ron and me they’re making the student housing for. There are several seventh years getting married who wanted to go back and finish their seventh year since last year was so bad."
"Yes, yes, I know they’ve invited all seventh years back to repeat their last school year because of all of the problems last year. I didn’t know there were other students getting married." Molly didn’t seem pleased at Hermione’s revelation about other married couples returning to school.
Hermione continued explaining, "Yes. And it appears the way Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood are getting on they might even tie the not before the end of the school year. But, this actually isn’t the first time they’ve had married students at Hogwarts. According to Hogwarts, A History, there have been several other times when they allowed students to marry and then continue with their schooling. For example, after the Third Goblin Uprising, so many wizarding families had been killed they encouraged Hogwarts students to marry while still in school so they could . . ."
"Hermione," Ron butted in, "I don’t think my mum gives a hippogryff’s . . ."
"Ron," Molly interrupted him, "that is not the way to speak to your fiancee." Hermione was still glaring at Ron when Molly turned back to Ginny.
"Well, it just doesn’t matter whether or not there is married housing available at Hogwarts because you’re not of age yet. You’re too young to marry and . . ."
"I’m going to be of age in August," Ginny responded defiantly.
"But it doesn’t matter if you’re not yet seventeen," Hermione chimed in. "According to Wizarding Law, as long as the parents give their permission, the bride can be as young as . . ."
Molly rounded on Hermione. "Will you . . ."
"Molly dear," Arthur jumped in, glancing at Hermione whose eyes were wide in shock and lower lip starting to quiver. "Now, Hermione, Molly really didn’t mean anything. She’s just upset."
Hermione gave a brisk nod, got up from the table and, accompanied by Ron, went out the back door into the garden. Percy, George, Bill and Fleur hurriedly got up from the table and started clearing and cleaning the dishes while the Harry, Ginny, and her parents continued to discuss the proposed marriage. After a very long conversation , punctuated by Ginny’s pleadings and Harry’s promises that both he and Ginny would keep up their school work, Molly and Arthur gave their permission to allow Harry and Ginny to marry dependent upon their being allowed to have the same type of arrangements as Ron, Hermione and the other couples.
From that point, Harry’s hectic life became even more so with marriage plans. The wedding was scheduled for the middle of August after Ginny’s seventeenth birthday. After resigning herself to the fact that her only daughter was going to get married, whether she liked it or not, Molly threw herself enthusiastically into Ginny’s wedding preparations. Harry was pleased that Molly and the rest of the family seemed to not only accept the impending marriage but seemed to be pleased Harry would officially be a part of the family. Harry was relieved as he had been staying at the Burrow since the Battle of Hogwarts, and it would have been rather uncomfortable if they had absolutely refused to give their permission.
Much to Harry’s frustration, word of his and Ginny’s impending marriage quickly spread and publications like The Daily Prophet clamored to interview the happy couple and get pictures of Ginny Weasley. Rita Skeeter kept insisting that she should be the one to have an exclusive interview with Harry and Ginny since she had a special relationship with him.
But what horrified Harry was that Ginny and the Weasleys actually agreed to the interview. That is, Hermione agreed to the interview and then talked the Weasleys into it. "It’s better to have her on your side than against you," she commented matter-of-factly one evening as they finished their after-dinner pudding.
"Yes," Harry retorted, "that usually does work, but not with Rita Skeeter."
"But she’s promised to be completely truthful in that biography she’s writing about you."
Harry set his fork down in exasperation. "Hermione, you know its going to make me look as bad as possible. Just look at what she wrote that you, Ron, and I were doing while we were on our own last year." Hermione blushed bright red while several people around the table laughed out loud and Molly gave a disgusted hurrumph.
But that wasn’t all that bothered Harry about the upcoming wedding. He often would just shake his head in disbelief at how the wedding seemed to be growing larger every day. It was decided to have the wedding at the Ministry of Magic so that all the people being invited could attend. Harry had asked once how many people were actually being invited to the wedding and choked on his glass of pumpkin juice when he heard at least a thousand; Ginny had just given him an embarrassed look and shrugged her shoulders. Harry kept reminding himself he loved Ginny and all of this would be over in just a couple of months. Ginny even asked him once or twice if he was sure he really wanted to marry her. He assured her he did but asked half jokingly and half seriously whether she wanted to just elope.
At times Hermione seemed to be more excited about Ginny and Harry’s wedding than her own. As she was visiting the Burrow almost everyday, she often joined in with Molly, Ginny and Fleur discussing decorations, food, entertainment and other arrangements. When Harry commented to Ron about all of the preparations and how big the wedding was getting, Ron just grinned and told Harry he was glad it was him and that their own wedding was going to be nice and small. That didn’t make Harry feel any better.
By the end of July, the wedding plans were complete for both couples. Ron and Hermione were going to have a smaller wedding in the backyard at the Burrow a week after Ginny and Harry’s wedding at the Ministry of Magic. "The Royal Wedding," as George had started calling it, would include the exclusive before the wedding interview with Rita Skeeter, at least a thousand guests at the actual wedding with at least two bands, huge banquet tables filled with food, and plenty of drinks of all types. Harry continued to shake his head in disbelief and more than once he asked Ginny where her parents were getting the money and did they need any money from him. Each time, he was assured it was taken care of.
The night before Harry’s eighteenth birthday, Molly, looking just a little frazzled, came to him and asked if it would be okay to have a quiet dinner with family and perhaps a few other guests, like Hagrid. Harry assured her that would be fine. "I don’t want a fuss. Really, something simple is fine."
"Oh, that’s good, dear." Molly seemed relieved as she hurried off to do another chore. Ginny came into the kitchen carrying laundry.
She set the basket of laundry onto the table and wiped her brow. "Ooh, twelve more days and this bloody laundry job will be a lot easier."
Harry pulled Ginny onto his lap and gave her a long kiss. "Do you want me to magic the basket up the stairs?" Ginny grinned and nodded yes as Harry flicked his wand and the basket sailed up the stairs. There was a cry of surprise and a bang as someone obviously had to jump out of the way of the sailing basket. Ron came pounding down the last flight of stairs.
"Hey, watch it with the basket of laundry. You nearly took my head off." He groaned as he heard Molly call him from another room and unenthusiastically headed in that direction. "Can’t a bloke get any rest?"
After he had left, Ginny looked appraisingly at Harry. "I see you and Ron finished degnoming the garden."
"Yes, awhile ago."
She then asked him, "What do you want for your birthday tomorrow?"
"It doesn’t matter. You don’t need to get me anything fancy. In fact, I wouldn’t mind a repeat of what you gave me last year."
Ginny’s eyes sparkled as she laughed. "Maybe I can do that. But I already have your present. It’s going to be something really special."
Harry grinned back. "Well, then why did you ask me what I wanted for my birthday?"
"Just curious." Ginny gave Harry another kiss and then went up the stairs to finish distributing the laundered clothes.
Harry awoke with a start and sat up in bed wondering what had actually awakened him. He felt the warmth of the sun shining in on him and realized it had to be at least 8:00 in the morning, maybe later. Harry glanced over at Ron’s bed expecting to see him still sleeping and was surprised that Ron was gone.
"Couldn’t even wake me for breakfast on my own birthday," Harry mumbled disgustedly as he pulled on his trousers and t-shirt. He hurried down the stairs from Ron’s room wondering if there would still be any bacon left or if Ron would have already wolfed it all down. As he hurried down the stairs, Harry glanced automatically at Ginny’s door. She had promised him something really special for his birthday and he couldn’t help but wonder just what the present might be.
As Harry descended the last flight of stairs and entered the kitchen, the conversation ceased and all faces turned and looked up at him. There was a round of happy birthdays and good mornings and then Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fleur (who said they had just apparated over for a visit and some breakfast), George, and Ron awkwardly went back to eating as if they had not been having a conversation before Harry’s arrival. He looked around hesitantly and then sat down next to Ron who had a plate full of eggs, bacon, bangers and toast slathered with marmalade.
As Harry dished up some bacon and eggs, he asked where was Ginny and was told she was up in her room with Hermione, who had arrived earlier that morning. Harry gave a disappointed grunt and started eating. Although he was busy eating, he still noticed the others giving each other looks and it obvious to Harry they didn’t want him to know what was going on. This was confirmed when Percy apparated into the kitchen and started to say, "Okay, I have the . . ."
He was interrupted by a chorus of "Harry’s in the kitchen!" Percy turned around and looked at Harry with a wild-eyed expression and then tried to cover up by straightening his glasses and clearing his throat. "Oh, hello, Harry."
As soon as breakfast was over, Harry followed Ron up the stairs. "Okay, Ron, something’s up. What is it?" Ron’s ears turned red as he nonchalantly replied, "What? Nothing’s up."
"Yeah, right," Harry replied dryly. "Come on Ron, am I going to have a surprise birthday party?" Ron just grunted and refused to answer.
As they approached the landing with Ginny’s room, they ran into Ginny and Hermione, both in large, plush bathrobes and with towels wrapped around their hair. They were talking animatedly and giggling. When they saw the boys they grinned. Ron’s face turned bright red as he looked at Hermione and even she flushed as Ginny hurried over to Harry to kiss and wish him a happy birthday. Harry smiled, "I thought you said you had a special birthday present for me." Ginny’s grin widened.
"Oh I do, but you won’t get it until later. Now we’ve got to do our hair and make-up." Hermione pushed her on toward her door and, as they were about to go into her room, Ginny looked back with sparkling eyes. "I love you, Harry."
Harry grabbed his robe, toothbrush, his enchanted razor, and other toiletries and went down to take a shower. By the time he returned to his room, Ron was standing there in the room dressed in fancy new dress robes. Harry practically dropped his toiletries as he stared in disbelief.
"What are you doing?" Ron just grinned. "Look, Ron," Harry continued, "I know we’re going to have a surprise birthday party or something like that, but what are you doing in that get-up? I mean . . . well, I’m sure your mum and dad don’t plan on my birthday party being that formal because if they do . . ."
"Better turn around and look at your bed mate." Ron grinned even wider.
"What is with everyone and their grinning?" Harry muttered as he turned around to his bed, now nicely made. He let out an involuntary gasp as he saw laying neatly on the bed a new set of dress robes. He turned back to the still grinning Ron and asked, "What is going on?"
"We’re getting married, mate!"
"Wha-what?"
"Married. Today. We’re getting married today. Both of us."
"You’re kidding!" Harry practically yelled it. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing and didn’t know if this was a joke George had set Ron up to do or if there really might be some truth to it.
"He’s not kidding." Harry turned instantly at Ginny’s voice and was glad he still had his robe tied together. There stood one of the most beautiful visions on which he had ever laid eyes. Ginny was wearing a long white dress with lace embroidery and her flaming red hair was in curls.
"I, I . . . don’t u-understand," was all Harry could stammer as he continued to look admiringly at Ginny.
"It’s your birthday present," Hermione explained as she too stepped in through the doorway to Ron’s room. She too was dressed in a beautiful white dress. "We’ve been planning this since you two got engaged."
"What?" Harry’s head was swimming; there was too much information coming all at once. "What about that big thing at the Ministry of Magic?"
"That was just a joke, Harry," Ginny laughed. "Does that really sound like my family?
"No, to be honest, I couldn’t believe it," Harry replied with a grin. "I kept wondering who had been polyjuiced to look like your mum."
"Don’t forget about Ginny and me," Hermione laughed. "Oh," she got a wry smile on her face, "and Rita Skeeter is going to be so angry when she finds out that you two got married and there’s not going to be any exclusive story and photos."
The other three started laughing. "You’re not afraid what kind of revenge she’s going to get?" Harry asked after a couple of minutes.
Hermione got a furious look on her face. "What worse could she do after what she accused you, Ron and me doing? That’s why we decided to play her along. Kingsley was in on this and knew we weren’t really going to have the wedding at the Ministry . . ."
"Which," Ron broke in with a nervous note, "I hope you don’t mind if Hermione and I get married at the same time you and Ginny . . ."
"Are you kidding?" Harry grinned, "I can’t think of anything better. I would have suggested it but when you lot started talking about the wedding being at the Ministry, I knew there was no way I could talk Ron into doing it there."
"You said it!" Ron grinned back.
Harry turned back to Ginny. "I’m just surprised your mum is letting you get married while you’re still sixteen."
"Well, as you know, according to Wizarding Law, a young witch can be married as young as . . ." but Hermione was interrupted by Ginny.
"When Hermione and I explained too my mum why we wanted the wedding to be on your birthday, she agreed that a few weeks one way or the other really didn’t matter."
"And she was the one that came up with the idea of saying you were going to get married in the Ministry," Ron chipped in.
"So while you thought we were planning a big, fancy wedding at the Ministry," Hermione explained with relish, "we were secretly planning a simple wedding at the Burrow. There will be family, even Charlie from Romania, also my parents and grandparents, Hagrid, a few other Hogwarts professors, some Order members, and some of our closer friends like Neville, Luna, and some other DA members."
"But we’re still going to have plenty of food," Ron said with enthusiasm. "Hermione’s mum and a few others have been baking all week." All Harry could do was shake his head in amazement at how surprised he was. He had not even imagined something like this happening today.
Now it was Ginny’s turn to sound a little nervous as she looked up anxiously into his eyes. "I hope you don’t mind getting married on your birthday but we thought this way you would finally have a really good birthday."
"I love it," Harry responded honestly. "I’m just . . . amazed."
"There’s one other reason I wanted to get married on your birthday," Ginny explained with a blush of her cheeks but also with fiery passion in her eyes. "I have another special birthday present I want to give you, and the only way I can do that without disappointing my mum and making my brothers want to hex you into next year is for us to get married today."
Harry’s eyes widened at the realization of what exactly she was saying and he gave Ron a nervous glance wondering how he was going to react to his younger sister’s words. Ron, who suddenly seemed very interested in his room’s ceiling, finally glanced at Harry and gave a little shrug. "Hey, you’ll be married. It won’t be my concern anymore."
"You’re right," Hermione remarked as she gave Ron a kiss, "you’ll have other concerns." Ron’s ears again went red as he pulled her into a tight hug.
Harry took a couple of steps over to Ginny and whispered, "Thanks for the best birthday present ever." He then took her into a tight embrace and gave her a very long kiss.
carrickorourke
Title: Harry Potter's Eighteenth Birthday
Challenge: Harry's 18th birthday: What will Ginny give him this year?
Rating: PG
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 3500
Warnings: None
Harry Potter’s Eighteenth Birthday
by
Carrick O’Rourke
Harry’s life immediately following the Battle of Hogwarts was like a giant whirlwind of activity and publicity that seemed to continuously changing, pushing and pulling him in multiple directions at once. There were meetings, appearances at special events, and, unfortunately, funerals. But that was not all that had kept Harry busy. There was also Ginny Weasley.
They had found each other soon after Harry had awakened from his sleep following the Battle of Hogwarts and had been with each other as much as possible since. Shortly after Fred Weasley’s funeral, Ron had accompanied Hermione Granger to Australia to retrieve her parents. By the time they returned five days later, they were engaged. Everyone was overjoyed and while they were surprised at how quickly the engagement had come, some of the older people remembered that when Voldemort had been vanquished the first time, there were many unexpected marriages, even among some of the younger witches and wizards. It was as if all of the Wizarding World had breathed a collective sigh of relief and many couples had felt it was safe to marry and begin a new life together.
At the end of the second war and with Voldemort’s unquestioned death, the marrying began again, Hermione and Ron being only one of the many couples. Molly excitedly began helping plan the August wedding and had said repeatedly that this was what she needed to get over Fred’s death. She was not as happy over the next announced engagement.
Perhaps Ron and Hermione’s engagement was the impetus, or maybe it was just that Harry finally saw a life ahead of him and did not want to have one more day without Ginny in it with him. Whatever it was that pushed Harry to propose only a few weeks after the battle, Ginny of course accepted and they both nervously announced their engagement that evening to a kitchen full of stunned and silent Weasleys.
Unfortunately for Harry and Ginny, the stunned silence didn’t last long enough. Molly exploded with "you’re too young" and "it’s out of the question." Ginny protested she wasn’t too young and how after everything that had happened, they didn’t want to wait. Both Molly and Arthur reminded her she still had another year of school and then Molly turned on Harry.
"And I thought you were going to go back and finish the last year you didn’t have, Harry?"
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"Then how do the two of you expect to go back to school if you’re married?"
"Well," Hermione broke in, "you know Professor McGonagall told Ron and me that there will be special housing for married students at Hogwarts . . ."
"Yes," Molly replied through gritted teeth, "well, she also told you it was highly irregular but she would make an exception for you and Ron."
"Yes," Hermione agreed, "she did say it was irregular but it’s not just Ron and me they’re making the student housing for. There are several seventh years getting married who wanted to go back and finish their seventh year since last year was so bad."
"Yes, yes, I know they’ve invited all seventh years back to repeat their last school year because of all of the problems last year. I didn’t know there were other students getting married." Molly didn’t seem pleased at Hermione’s revelation about other married couples returning to school.
Hermione continued explaining, "Yes. And it appears the way Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood are getting on they might even tie the not before the end of the school year. But, this actually isn’t the first time they’ve had married students at Hogwarts. According to Hogwarts, A History, there have been several other times when they allowed students to marry and then continue with their schooling. For example, after the Third Goblin Uprising, so many wizarding families had been killed they encouraged Hogwarts students to marry while still in school so they could . . ."
"Hermione," Ron butted in, "I don’t think my mum gives a hippogryff’s . . ."
"Ron," Molly interrupted him, "that is not the way to speak to your fiancee." Hermione was still glaring at Ron when Molly turned back to Ginny.
"Well, it just doesn’t matter whether or not there is married housing available at Hogwarts because you’re not of age yet. You’re too young to marry and . . ."
"I’m going to be of age in August," Ginny responded defiantly.
"But it doesn’t matter if you’re not yet seventeen," Hermione chimed in. "According to Wizarding Law, as long as the parents give their permission, the bride can be as young as . . ."
Molly rounded on Hermione. "Will you . . ."
"Molly dear," Arthur jumped in, glancing at Hermione whose eyes were wide in shock and lower lip starting to quiver. "Now, Hermione, Molly really didn’t mean anything. She’s just upset."
Hermione gave a brisk nod, got up from the table and, accompanied by Ron, went out the back door into the garden. Percy, George, Bill and Fleur hurriedly got up from the table and started clearing and cleaning the dishes while the Harry, Ginny, and her parents continued to discuss the proposed marriage. After a very long conversation , punctuated by Ginny’s pleadings and Harry’s promises that both he and Ginny would keep up their school work, Molly and Arthur gave their permission to allow Harry and Ginny to marry dependent upon their being allowed to have the same type of arrangements as Ron, Hermione and the other couples.
From that point, Harry’s hectic life became even more so with marriage plans. The wedding was scheduled for the middle of August after Ginny’s seventeenth birthday. After resigning herself to the fact that her only daughter was going to get married, whether she liked it or not, Molly threw herself enthusiastically into Ginny’s wedding preparations. Harry was pleased that Molly and the rest of the family seemed to not only accept the impending marriage but seemed to be pleased Harry would officially be a part of the family. Harry was relieved as he had been staying at the Burrow since the Battle of Hogwarts, and it would have been rather uncomfortable if they had absolutely refused to give their permission.
Much to Harry’s frustration, word of his and Ginny’s impending marriage quickly spread and publications like The Daily Prophet clamored to interview the happy couple and get pictures of Ginny Weasley. Rita Skeeter kept insisting that she should be the one to have an exclusive interview with Harry and Ginny since she had a special relationship with him.
But what horrified Harry was that Ginny and the Weasleys actually agreed to the interview. That is, Hermione agreed to the interview and then talked the Weasleys into it. "It’s better to have her on your side than against you," she commented matter-of-factly one evening as they finished their after-dinner pudding.
"Yes," Harry retorted, "that usually does work, but not with Rita Skeeter."
"But she’s promised to be completely truthful in that biography she’s writing about you."
Harry set his fork down in exasperation. "Hermione, you know its going to make me look as bad as possible. Just look at what she wrote that you, Ron, and I were doing while we were on our own last year." Hermione blushed bright red while several people around the table laughed out loud and Molly gave a disgusted hurrumph.
But that wasn’t all that bothered Harry about the upcoming wedding. He often would just shake his head in disbelief at how the wedding seemed to be growing larger every day. It was decided to have the wedding at the Ministry of Magic so that all the people being invited could attend. Harry had asked once how many people were actually being invited to the wedding and choked on his glass of pumpkin juice when he heard at least a thousand; Ginny had just given him an embarrassed look and shrugged her shoulders. Harry kept reminding himself he loved Ginny and all of this would be over in just a couple of months. Ginny even asked him once or twice if he was sure he really wanted to marry her. He assured her he did but asked half jokingly and half seriously whether she wanted to just elope.
At times Hermione seemed to be more excited about Ginny and Harry’s wedding than her own. As she was visiting the Burrow almost everyday, she often joined in with Molly, Ginny and Fleur discussing decorations, food, entertainment and other arrangements. When Harry commented to Ron about all of the preparations and how big the wedding was getting, Ron just grinned and told Harry he was glad it was him and that their own wedding was going to be nice and small. That didn’t make Harry feel any better.
By the end of July, the wedding plans were complete for both couples. Ron and Hermione were going to have a smaller wedding in the backyard at the Burrow a week after Ginny and Harry’s wedding at the Ministry of Magic. "The Royal Wedding," as George had started calling it, would include the exclusive before the wedding interview with Rita Skeeter, at least a thousand guests at the actual wedding with at least two bands, huge banquet tables filled with food, and plenty of drinks of all types. Harry continued to shake his head in disbelief and more than once he asked Ginny where her parents were getting the money and did they need any money from him. Each time, he was assured it was taken care of.
The night before Harry’s eighteenth birthday, Molly, looking just a little frazzled, came to him and asked if it would be okay to have a quiet dinner with family and perhaps a few other guests, like Hagrid. Harry assured her that would be fine. "I don’t want a fuss. Really, something simple is fine."
"Oh, that’s good, dear." Molly seemed relieved as she hurried off to do another chore. Ginny came into the kitchen carrying laundry.
She set the basket of laundry onto the table and wiped her brow. "Ooh, twelve more days and this bloody laundry job will be a lot easier."
Harry pulled Ginny onto his lap and gave her a long kiss. "Do you want me to magic the basket up the stairs?" Ginny grinned and nodded yes as Harry flicked his wand and the basket sailed up the stairs. There was a cry of surprise and a bang as someone obviously had to jump out of the way of the sailing basket. Ron came pounding down the last flight of stairs.
"Hey, watch it with the basket of laundry. You nearly took my head off." He groaned as he heard Molly call him from another room and unenthusiastically headed in that direction. "Can’t a bloke get any rest?"
After he had left, Ginny looked appraisingly at Harry. "I see you and Ron finished degnoming the garden."
"Yes, awhile ago."
She then asked him, "What do you want for your birthday tomorrow?"
"It doesn’t matter. You don’t need to get me anything fancy. In fact, I wouldn’t mind a repeat of what you gave me last year."
Ginny’s eyes sparkled as she laughed. "Maybe I can do that. But I already have your present. It’s going to be something really special."
Harry grinned back. "Well, then why did you ask me what I wanted for my birthday?"
"Just curious." Ginny gave Harry another kiss and then went up the stairs to finish distributing the laundered clothes.
Harry awoke with a start and sat up in bed wondering what had actually awakened him. He felt the warmth of the sun shining in on him and realized it had to be at least 8:00 in the morning, maybe later. Harry glanced over at Ron’s bed expecting to see him still sleeping and was surprised that Ron was gone.
"Couldn’t even wake me for breakfast on my own birthday," Harry mumbled disgustedly as he pulled on his trousers and t-shirt. He hurried down the stairs from Ron’s room wondering if there would still be any bacon left or if Ron would have already wolfed it all down. As he hurried down the stairs, Harry glanced automatically at Ginny’s door. She had promised him something really special for his birthday and he couldn’t help but wonder just what the present might be.
As Harry descended the last flight of stairs and entered the kitchen, the conversation ceased and all faces turned and looked up at him. There was a round of happy birthdays and good mornings and then Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fleur (who said they had just apparated over for a visit and some breakfast), George, and Ron awkwardly went back to eating as if they had not been having a conversation before Harry’s arrival. He looked around hesitantly and then sat down next to Ron who had a plate full of eggs, bacon, bangers and toast slathered with marmalade.
As Harry dished up some bacon and eggs, he asked where was Ginny and was told she was up in her room with Hermione, who had arrived earlier that morning. Harry gave a disappointed grunt and started eating. Although he was busy eating, he still noticed the others giving each other looks and it obvious to Harry they didn’t want him to know what was going on. This was confirmed when Percy apparated into the kitchen and started to say, "Okay, I have the . . ."
He was interrupted by a chorus of "Harry’s in the kitchen!" Percy turned around and looked at Harry with a wild-eyed expression and then tried to cover up by straightening his glasses and clearing his throat. "Oh, hello, Harry."
As soon as breakfast was over, Harry followed Ron up the stairs. "Okay, Ron, something’s up. What is it?" Ron’s ears turned red as he nonchalantly replied, "What? Nothing’s up."
"Yeah, right," Harry replied dryly. "Come on Ron, am I going to have a surprise birthday party?" Ron just grunted and refused to answer.
As they approached the landing with Ginny’s room, they ran into Ginny and Hermione, both in large, plush bathrobes and with towels wrapped around their hair. They were talking animatedly and giggling. When they saw the boys they grinned. Ron’s face turned bright red as he looked at Hermione and even she flushed as Ginny hurried over to Harry to kiss and wish him a happy birthday. Harry smiled, "I thought you said you had a special birthday present for me." Ginny’s grin widened.
"Oh I do, but you won’t get it until later. Now we’ve got to do our hair and make-up." Hermione pushed her on toward her door and, as they were about to go into her room, Ginny looked back with sparkling eyes. "I love you, Harry."
Harry grabbed his robe, toothbrush, his enchanted razor, and other toiletries and went down to take a shower. By the time he returned to his room, Ron was standing there in the room dressed in fancy new dress robes. Harry practically dropped his toiletries as he stared in disbelief.
"What are you doing?" Ron just grinned. "Look, Ron," Harry continued, "I know we’re going to have a surprise birthday party or something like that, but what are you doing in that get-up? I mean . . . well, I’m sure your mum and dad don’t plan on my birthday party being that formal because if they do . . ."
"Better turn around and look at your bed mate." Ron grinned even wider.
"What is with everyone and their grinning?" Harry muttered as he turned around to his bed, now nicely made. He let out an involuntary gasp as he saw laying neatly on the bed a new set of dress robes. He turned back to the still grinning Ron and asked, "What is going on?"
"We’re getting married, mate!"
"Wha-what?"
"Married. Today. We’re getting married today. Both of us."
"You’re kidding!" Harry practically yelled it. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing and didn’t know if this was a joke George had set Ron up to do or if there really might be some truth to it.
"He’s not kidding." Harry turned instantly at Ginny’s voice and was glad he still had his robe tied together. There stood one of the most beautiful visions on which he had ever laid eyes. Ginny was wearing a long white dress with lace embroidery and her flaming red hair was in curls.
"I, I . . . don’t u-understand," was all Harry could stammer as he continued to look admiringly at Ginny.
"It’s your birthday present," Hermione explained as she too stepped in through the doorway to Ron’s room. She too was dressed in a beautiful white dress. "We’ve been planning this since you two got engaged."
"What?" Harry’s head was swimming; there was too much information coming all at once. "What about that big thing at the Ministry of Magic?"
"That was just a joke, Harry," Ginny laughed. "Does that really sound like my family?
"No, to be honest, I couldn’t believe it," Harry replied with a grin. "I kept wondering who had been polyjuiced to look like your mum."
"Don’t forget about Ginny and me," Hermione laughed. "Oh," she got a wry smile on her face, "and Rita Skeeter is going to be so angry when she finds out that you two got married and there’s not going to be any exclusive story and photos."
The other three started laughing. "You’re not afraid what kind of revenge she’s going to get?" Harry asked after a couple of minutes.
Hermione got a furious look on her face. "What worse could she do after what she accused you, Ron and me doing? That’s why we decided to play her along. Kingsley was in on this and knew we weren’t really going to have the wedding at the Ministry . . ."
"Which," Ron broke in with a nervous note, "I hope you don’t mind if Hermione and I get married at the same time you and Ginny . . ."
"Are you kidding?" Harry grinned, "I can’t think of anything better. I would have suggested it but when you lot started talking about the wedding being at the Ministry, I knew there was no way I could talk Ron into doing it there."
"You said it!" Ron grinned back.
Harry turned back to Ginny. "I’m just surprised your mum is letting you get married while you’re still sixteen."
"Well, as you know, according to Wizarding Law, a young witch can be married as young as . . ." but Hermione was interrupted by Ginny.
"When Hermione and I explained too my mum why we wanted the wedding to be on your birthday, she agreed that a few weeks one way or the other really didn’t matter."
"And she was the one that came up with the idea of saying you were going to get married in the Ministry," Ron chipped in.
"So while you thought we were planning a big, fancy wedding at the Ministry," Hermione explained with relish, "we were secretly planning a simple wedding at the Burrow. There will be family, even Charlie from Romania, also my parents and grandparents, Hagrid, a few other Hogwarts professors, some Order members, and some of our closer friends like Neville, Luna, and some other DA members."
"But we’re still going to have plenty of food," Ron said with enthusiasm. "Hermione’s mum and a few others have been baking all week." All Harry could do was shake his head in amazement at how surprised he was. He had not even imagined something like this happening today.
Now it was Ginny’s turn to sound a little nervous as she looked up anxiously into his eyes. "I hope you don’t mind getting married on your birthday but we thought this way you would finally have a really good birthday."
"I love it," Harry responded honestly. "I’m just . . . amazed."
"There’s one other reason I wanted to get married on your birthday," Ginny explained with a blush of her cheeks but also with fiery passion in her eyes. "I have another special birthday present I want to give you, and the only way I can do that without disappointing my mum and making my brothers want to hex you into next year is for us to get married today."
Harry’s eyes widened at the realization of what exactly she was saying and he gave Ron a nervous glance wondering how he was going to react to his younger sister’s words. Ron, who suddenly seemed very interested in his room’s ceiling, finally glanced at Harry and gave a little shrug. "Hey, you’ll be married. It won’t be my concern anymore."
"You’re right," Hermione remarked as she gave Ron a kiss, "you’ll have other concerns." Ron’s ears again went red as he pulled her into a tight hug.
Harry took a couple of steps over to Ginny and whispered, "Thanks for the best birthday present ever." He then took her into a tight embrace and gave her a very long kiss.