Vendetta

Chapter 13: Discussion/Animagi Study/Ginny's Birthday

It turned out that even the so-called simplified version was just as much over their heads as it was for himself and Hermione, but Harry and Hermione did their best to explain the things they did understand.

But even that much knowledge could only help them at this juncture, especially since Harry had finally gotten a communique from the Ministry (specifically, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement) which told him that the rape trial for Draco had been set for the middle of the following month, August, shortly after Ginny's birthday, in fact, which would make fourteen months since Ginny's attack.

It had taken over a year to reach this point, but Harry and company considered themselves lucky. Most likely the main reason for it was because of all the evidence on their side, but whatever the case, what mattered was that they were finally going to see Draco get what had been coming to him for a long time ... and that day couldn't come soon enough for Harry.

* * * * *

After this the couple discussed the possibility of taking the extra courses which would enable them to become Animagi ... and Ginny found herself agreeable to becoming virtually any animal Harry might choose as long as it meant being with him. She had even heard that hawks mated for life, so if she and Harry had to live in the wild in animal form at some point, she believed that that might be the best choice for the two of them.

Especially the fact that they would be able to fly together--and wouldn't need brooms! However, if what McGonagall, an Animagus herself (she could turn into a cat), had said in her last owl post was true, it would be necessary for them to learn how to feel comfortable in animal form before they could even attempt to live in the wild, and that would take time, weeks if not months, so the pair could only hope that nothing would happen in the next few months or even the next year which would necessitate their going into hiding for any length of time.

They would also need to give their family and friends some way to identify them if they had to find them in animal form; Harry made a mental note to ask McGonagall about that in his next owl post. For the time being, however, he simply wrote and told her to sign them both up for the Advanced Transfiguration class specializing in Animagi transformations into birds and other avian species, at the same time asking her about how to develop distinctive markings or colours which would identify an individual Animagi while in their animal form.

Maybe Harry could be a black hawk and keep his green eyes, and Ginny a red one and keep her brown eyes. They'd have to see about that when the time came. Again, they could take the class via home study and even practice the transformations at home, but the final official registry would have to be done at the Ministry through the Improper Use of Magic Office, which covered Animagi and the registry of same.

Only a relative handful of witches and wizards had managed to master the advanced techniques necessary to become Animagi, but Harry figured if his father and Sirius could do it, so could himself and Ginny. In fact, it would almost have to be tougher to be able to change into a dog or a stag than a bird, so the latter change would be unlikely to be too difficult, as opposed to the former.

In the meantime, however, plans were being made to celebrate Ginny's 16^th birthday; Harry was considering several things as potential gifts for her, including a beefcake photo of himself similar to the one she had given him for his birthday. If he chose that, he would certainly admonish her to keep it hidden, as she had done for the one he had given her, for such things are meant for the eyes of lovers only.

When the day rolled around, this time Harry was the one recruited to keep Ginny busy so she didn't learn what was going on downstairs until the proper time. He still recalled vividly what she had done to keep him busy and vowed to follow her example to the letter. He had pretty much mastered Legilimency by this time and could sense if she even considered trying to listen at the door for any stray sounds, so he made sure to divert her with passionate snogs whenever her thoughts happened to stray in that direction. Even as enjoyable as such interludes were, she soon gained a new understanding of the frustration Harry must have experienced in the same situation when she had so pleasantly (albeit irritatingly) diverted him so many times.

Even at that, Ginny would never forget the way Harry had awakened her on the morning of her birthday with a lingering kiss and tender smile, crooning, "Happy birthday, my so very sweet sixteen." She wasn't aware of it at the time, but he had even discovered a recording of a song with a similar name by a Muggle singer named Neil Sedaka and planned to have it played at some point during the party, maybe even dance with her while it was playing and sing along. Meanwhile, he had his hands full, so to speak, trying to keep her busy until they were called to come down for the party.

* * * * *

It was nearly time for the party when Ginny got restless again and Harry again attempted to divert her via snogging; however, this time, she waved him off. "Don't touch me! I'm sick of waiting!"

"But it's nearly time. You can wait a few more minutes, can't you?"

"As long as it's no more than a 'few more minutes,' " she warned. "Any more, I'm leaving this room, and I'll hex you if you try to stop me!"

Fortunately for Harry, a knock came on the door a short time later; they looked up and found Hermione standing there. "It's time. Come on down."

"Thank Merlin," Ginny groused. On the way down, she told Hermione what she'd threatened to do to Harry if he tried to stop her from leaving her room even one more time ... and the older young woman laughed, prompting a dirty look from Harry in her direction even as he retained hold of Ginny's hand on the way downstairs.

As on Harry's birthday, it was almost too quiet and he suspected that everyone was hiding in the kitchen, just waiting to yell "Surprise" when they opened the door ... and he was right. Molly almost smothered her youngest child in a tight hug and a sound kiss on the cheek, then her brothers who were present basically did the same, even Fred and George. But all the oldest male present, Arthur, did was a simple kiss on the cheek and tender smile in his only daughter's direction. "Happy birthday, baby."

"Thank you, Daddy ... but I must remind you, I'm not a baby any more."

"I'll second that," Harry concurred, slipping a possessive arm around her and squeezing her. "Which reminds me ..." He caught Fred's eye and the latter moved over to the nearby Muggle turntable to place the tone arm needle at the beginning of the 45 rpm disc and turn up the volume so all could hear. Soon the strains of Neil Sedaka's famous 1960s tune filled the room and those present with "significant others" pulled them onto the floor, Harry being the first.

After he had drawn her into his arms and rested his forehead on hers, looking down into her soft brown eyes, his own green eyes soft with love, he began to softly sing. He was no Sinatra, certainly, although he could carry a tune--even at that, the sentiment was what mattered, especially to Ginny. She literally forgot that anyone else was in the world except herself and Harry as they moved and swayed together.

Tonight's the night I've waited for

Because you're not a baby anymore

You've turned into the prettiest girl I've ever seen

Happy birthday, sweet sixteen

What happened to that funny face

My little tomboy now wears satin and lace

I can't believe my eyes, you're just a teenage dream

Happy birthday, sweet sixteen

When you were only six, you played with your big brother

Then when you were ten, you didn't like each other

When you were thirteen, you were my funny valentine

But since you've grown up, your future is sewn up

From now on, you're gonna be mine

So if I should smile with sweet surprise

It's just that you've grown up before my very eyes

You've turned into the prettiest girl I've ever seen

Happy birthday, sweet sixteen

Once the song ended, Harry lifted her face to his and crooned, "I love you, sweet sixteen," then kissed her even as everyone else present cheered and applauded. It took Molly's voice rising over the rest to bring them down to earth, even as Ginny blushed with a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment.

"Come on, you lot! Supper's ready! George, get out of that--that's your sister's birthday cake! Out, I say, before I hex you!" She pointed her wand threateningly in her nineteen-year-old son's direction. George gave her a mock hurt look but moved away from the cake and toward the table, where everyone else was going, including his twin, Fred. Soon everyone was seated at their designated spot and Molly levitated the cake over to the table, setting it down in the centre just as neat as you please.

The one large candle in the centre of the gold, oblong-shaped cake decorated with red roses said "Sweet Sixteen" and its two wicks, one on each end, were lit by the end of Molly's wand. "Happy Birthday, Ginny" was at the foot of the candle in red icing.

"Come on, Mum, I'm hungry," George groused.

"Quiet, George!" Molly scolded. "You'll get some cake soon enough. Just give your sister a chance to blow out her candles, then cut it." George gave a pleading look in Ginny's direction; Molly glared at him and he reluctantly subsided. A moment later she leaned forward and blew out the two flames; everyone smiled and applauded after singing "Happy Birthday."

Upon removing the large candle, Ginny cut the cake with a regular cake knife since Molly had definitively vetoed her first choice, using her wand. Wands were too expensive to use so casually; even looking pleadingly at Harry was no help.

"Sorry, luv, I have to agree with your Mum," he returned with an apologetic smile. "At least for the moment. Once we're married, though, I'll get you a new one. Fair enough?"

Ginny gave him a sour look but said, "I suppose so."

"Come on, luv, smile. It's your birthday!"

"Cut it out, Harry," she scolded, but ended up smiling anyway. Once the cake was cut and everyone was chowing down (that is, after the regular birthday meal had been consumed and the table cleared), especially George--who was currently on his third slice--Harry told the rest of the Weasleys that the rape trial for Draco was scheduled in just a few more days.

"Why didn't you mention it earlier?" Molly groused.

"Didn't want to spoil the party," came the apologetic reply.

"Don't apologise, Harry. It's the best news we've heard in ages. It's just that we'd have liked to have been able to celebrate it along with Ginny's birthday. Have you decided what you're going to say when you're on the stand?"

"For a while, I'll simply let the evidence speak for me ... then I'll take the Veritaserum and testify as to what happened the day of her abduction."

"Can imagine how old Lucius is going to react to that," Arthur commented with a derisive laugh.

"I intend to challenge him to take some himself," Harry declared. "It'll be worth whatever happens just to see the look on his face when I say it in front of the entire courtroom! The best part of the whole thing, though, is that Draco is going to be made to take it. I'm going to love every minute of that, that's for sure. Not to mention seeing him chained to a chair!"

"Who else did you plan to have testify?" Arthur put in.

"Ginny's counselor has said that she's willing to testify, not to mention the Healer who took care of her at St. Mungo's and the one who did the DNA sample analyses, as well as the Muggle doctor. Copies of their reports will also be admitted as evidence for our side."

"Well, you know that most any of us would be willing to serve as character witnesses," Molly assured him.

"I know, but there's a limit to how many can testify," Harry reminded them. "Five at the most, I think."

"But we can still come as observers, can't we?" she persisted.

"I think so; you'll just have to sit in the observers' section."

"When are we supposed to be at the courtroom?" was her next question.

"Nine o'clock Wednesday morning, the 16^th. I was thinking we could all Apparate over there to save time."

"Fine. But now let's get back to the party," Ginny suggested. "Remember, it's still my birthday!"

With that, her birthday presents were given to her--but Fred and George's was the most memorable, something they said she could use to please Harry ... and they gave her the same warning they had given him, not to open it until she intended to use it. Harry still hadn't been able to bring himself to open his present from them, for that matter, although he pretended he had and told them that Ginny had enjoyed it so as not to hurt their feelings.

Ginny was just as aware of their quirky (not to mention bawdy) senses of humour, so she was just as apprehensive as to what it might be. The rest were more innocuous, all in keeping with Ginny's tastes but still within the limited family budget. Except for Harry's, that is; he had already told her that it wasn't something that could be opened in mixed company any more than hers to him could have been. She would have to wait to open it until they got back upstairs to their room.

Again, it was around ten by the time the party broke up and all couples headed for their respective rooms; Ginny couldn't help but wonder what Harry could have gotten her that couldn't be shown in mixed company; wouldn't it be something if it was similar to what she'd gotten for him? That would be great, but she couldn't count on it; she'd just have to wait and see.

They walked into their room and closed the door behind them; behind Ginny's back, Harry sent a nonverbal spell via a pointing of his wand toward the door, effectively locking it ... then moved over to the bedside table, used another nonverbal (and this time wandless) spell to remove the Invisibility Charm he had placed on her present, then picked it up and hid it behind his back before turning around to face her.

"All right, where's my present, Mister? The one you said you couldn't show me in mixed company?"

"Right here," he said, moving one arm to indicate the hidden present. "You just need to hold out your hands and close your eyes."

Ginny sighed in affectionate exasperation, but followed instructions. She felt him place something in her hands, then directed, "Okay, open your eyes."

As it was with Harry, neither could Ginny believe her eyes. "Oh, my gods ..."

"Do you like it?"

"As someone I love very much once said, 'Like it? It's incredible!' "

It was along the same lines as the cheesecake thing she had given Harry, only this one showed him in very form-fitting clothes and giving her a come-hither look over his glasses along with a provocative smile. His sky-blue shirt was undone, not to mention artfully arranged, because most of his chest was visible, and the black hip-hugger jeans clung to his slender, well-built body like a second skin. Dear gods, he positively sizzled !

"When did you have this done?"

"I made an appointment for about a week ago. I had awakened early and you said the night before that you intended to sleep late, so I took a chance and flew off to Hogsmeade to get it done. It was kind of ... embarrassing to have to tell them what I wanted, but it was easier to do when I pretended that you were there smiling at me."

"It's wonderful. I love it. These 'cheesecake' pictures will help a lot whenever we can't be together ... not that neither of us plan on that happening any more than absolutely necessary, of course."

"Especially not for the foreseeable future, anyway," he concurred. "Just the same, I'm glad you liked it. Oh yes, something else I've been meaning to ask you ... you do still want to go through with the classes so we can eventually Transfigure into hawks, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she assured him. "If I'd changed my mind, I'd have told you long before this. Anything else?"

"Just thinking of something to do to close out your birthday," he returned with a sly smile. "How about what we did on my birthday?"

"Are you sure you're up to it? You know it's not for the faint of heart ... or those without a very strong sex drive," she pointed out.

"I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think I was up to it. The question is, will you be up to it?"

Ginny gave him a suspicious look. "Is that a challenge, Mister?"

"Take it as you will," he threw back.

"All right, you're on. Come here, you!" She laughed and held out her arms; Harry couldn't move into them fast enough ... and with that first kiss, a very exhausting (but at the same time, extremely pleasurable) night awaited them.