Harry Potter and the Rise of the Phoenix

Chapter 11 ~ A Tale of an Owl

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When you are with me
I'm free... I'm careless... I believe...
Above all others we will fly.
This brings tears to my eyes.
My sacrifice.
Creed ~ My Sacrifice
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The past week and a half at Hogwarts had been interesting days. Bryant, Druce, and Althea had moved back, starting up lessons with Harry again. Because Harry's stamina and over-all health wasn't up to Bryant's beatings, the man decided to work on balance and flexibility instead. With the other two, Harry found that he couldn't do heavy spell work for long periods of time. Instead, they worked on memorizing spells, theories, and techniques. For the dueling lessons, Harry watched Thia, Tonks, and Remus duel and then he would comment. The adult sitting out would then point out any things he missed, but shouldn't have.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione joined these classes as well. Harry watched them struggle as he had the first few weeks. Ron took quite well to Bryant and the physical demands of the man's lessons. Hermione loved the lessons with Druce, drinking up the new spells and theories. Ginny was a natural healer, and he was surprised to learn that the feisty redhead had always wanted to be one.

"Someone's got to heal the scrapes and bruises you and Ron are going to get," she told him one day when he asked her about it. Harry personally thought that he'd be lucky to have such a great looking healer.

Harry sat in his bed the night before Ginny's sixteenth birthday about ready to pull his hair out or run at a wall in frustration, possibly even some combination of both. How hard was it to think of a birthday gift? For the past week and a half Harry had thought of little else. How do you top a hand-made necklace and your mum's ring? Not to mention Prongs, who hardly ever left Ginny's side. He just had to start way up high, and not at the bottom where he could work up!

He stood up and walked over to the window. He gazed over the Forbidden Forest, still contemplating what to get such a beautiful witch. She deserved something really special. Slowly, and with little force, Harry banged his forehead on the stone wall next to the window. Maybe he could knock an idea into his head. That would be luck. The door to the room opened and the voices ended abruptly when they saw him. Harry turned around and saw the Weasley boys standing there, not sure what was going on.

"Your sister is hard to shop for," Harry offered as an explanation. The brothers all grinned, but shook their heads.

"Nah, she likes the simple gifts," Bill advised him. "A friend of mine picked up a little statuette of an Egyptian goddess. Ginny loves stone images."

"We got her a new racing broom," Fred said, motioning to his twin.

"She's been complaining about hers for years," George added, rolling his eyes. "This should shut her up."

"Hermione got her some books by a G.R.R. Tolkien," Ron added. "I guess they're some famous muggle book that Ginny started at Hermione's. I got her four tickets to a Harpies' game."

"With a considerable loan from us," George commented.

"I'm going to work it off over Christmas," Ron reminded him angrily. "Don't you dare tell her that I'm broke!"

"Why not?" Bill asked.

"He spent all his gold on a pretty little ring," Fred teased. "His life's dream for season tickets to the Cannon's games down the drain because some girl's got him hook, line, and sinker."

"Shut it," Ron grumbled.

"This isn't helping me," Harry informed them. "And leave Ron alone, at least he has a girlfriend to ask."

"That's below the belt," Fred muttered.

"We're keeping our options open," George added.

"Who are we kidding? We have no options," Fred cried out, and the twins dramatically clung to each other as they pretended to cry over that fact. The room burst into laughter as the twins took flamboyant bows.

"Back to Ginny," Harry finally said, slowly hitting his head against the wall.

"Well, I got her some healing books," Charlie informed him. "So now you know what not to buy her."

"Which helps me how?" Harry asked confused. He rested his head against the stone in defeat.

"It doesn't really," Ron answered.

"She'd love a ring on her left hand," Bill remarked casually. All the brothers watched Harry intently while trying to seem uninterested.

"We're not ready for that," Harry said into the wall, trying to think of anything to give her. "I'm really not ready for that, not to mention she's only sixteen tomorrow and she shouldn't be engaged that young. She needs to make sure she really wants to keep me."

"Good answer," Bill remarked and Harry looked up. He realized that he had just been tested and hadn't even known it. Before anyone could say something more, the door burst open again.

Hermione and Ginny came to a skidding halt. "Harry, can I borrow Hedwig?" Ginny pleaded breathlessly. Hermione glared at the younger girl.

"Sure," Harry answered without a thought. "You know you don't have to ask."

"She could be gone for a while," Hermione informed him. "A month or so."

"Who are you writing to that lives so far away?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"None of your business," Ginny snapped at him. Hermione smiled and went over to hug her boyfriend.

"She's sending a letter to the Harpies, but they're playing in the States this month," Hermione told him.

"You're sending Harry's owl across an ocean?" Bill asked, not believing his ears. "That's a dangerous flight to send someone else's owl on."

"It's fine with me," Harry replied before Ginny could snap at her oldest brother. "Go ahead and send the letter. Hedwig would appreciate the flight."

"What's the matter, Luv?" Ginny asked, tilting her head to the side and contemplating him. She smiled faintly and crossed the room to wrap her arms around his waist.

"Nothing, anymore," he answered brightly before kissing her cheek. "Thanks!"

"Glad to help," Ginny replied slowly, obviously having no clue why he was thanking her. "Let's go, Hermione." The two girls sped out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

"You've got an idea, then?" Charlie asked after recovering from the interruption.

"What do you think my chances are to go shopping in Diagon Alley before Friday night?" he asked instead.

"Better then your chances of going tonight," Bill replied slowly. "Why?"

"'Cause I'm going to pick out an owl for her," Harry answered. "And I'm going to give said owl to her on the date we're going to have Friday night."

"You'll need permission to leave for that too," Charlie reminded him.

"Not if we don't leave Hogwarts," Harry answered, a mischievous grin on his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Time to open gifts?" Ginny asked eagerly the next day.

"I suppose so," Molly answered. The Weasleys, Melissa, Hermione, Harry, Thia, Remus, and Tonks were the only ones in the Gryffindor common room celebrating. Ginny had wanted a small party with those she considered family. After the seemingly traditional cake-eating contest (George won this one with 11 pieces of cake!) it was now time to open the pile of gifts. She opened the ones from her brothers first, starting with Bill and Melissa's and working her way down. She opened the card from Ron last, glaring at him for what she thought was his cheapness. Inside the envelope was a Chudley Cannon bright orange birthday card. Inside of that...

"Merlin, you didn't!" she screeched, jumping up and nearly strangling Ron with a hug. "This is the best game of the year! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Next, she opened a huge box with a small card that said: To a wonderful young woman, given with much love from Thia, Tonks, and Remus. She pulled aside the tissue paper to find a paper doll with three dresses. She looked up at the three adults confused. Tonks was laughing so hard at the look on Ginny's face that Thia had to hold her up. Or maybe it was Thia laughing so hard that Tonks was holding her up... Harry couldn't tell for sure.

"We're going to take you shopping sometime," Remus explained, smiling fondly at the two women. "Or even sometimes, if that's what you want. You get three sets of dress robes, all at once, or you can wait and spread them out. Thia, I think, thinks you should get one now, one at the end of this year and one at the end of your Hogwarts career."

"You--" Ginny stopped, stunned. "You shouldn't have!"

"We should!" Tonks replied with a grin. "It'll be fun. Remus promised me a set for myself, so it's even better!"

"Alright," Ginny said, unsure of accepting such an expensive gift.

"Honestly, Ginny," Thia told her, holding her chin so that Ginny would look her in the eyes. "Did you know that I was pregnant before Sirius was arrested?" Ginny shook her head. "I was, and in the stress that followed that Halloween, I lost the little girl. She'd have been sixteen this coming January. Let me spoil you like I would have spoiled her." Ginny nodded, still stunned by the gift.

"Thank you," she said softly. Next was Hermione's gift of J.R.R. Tolkien's works The Hobbit and Lord of the Ring. Ginny seemed thrilled with this leather bound book and thanked Hermione profusely. Harry felt butterflies in his stomach as she picked up his card.

She looked at the hand made card, a smile gracing her lips. In colorful letters the front said, "Happy birthday, Beautiful!" There were hearts (the horrible shaped ones drawn by him and the perfect ones by Tonks) and flowers (all drawn by Tonks). Ginny opened the card and a small slip of paper fell out. She picked it up and laughed. It read, 'IOU one birthday gift and one candle lit dinner. Our spot, 6:30, this Friday.' She looked over at him and nodded. She turned back to the card and read the small note written inside.

"Read it out loud!" George whined. "Secrets don't make friends."

"I don't want to," Ginny replied; Harry was surprised to see a tear in her eye.

"You have to, it's the rule!" Fred countered, snatching the card out of her hands. He held it out of her reach, helped by his four or five extra inches of height, and read it to himself. Ginny was trying to pull his arm down, jumping up, and clawing at his arm. Fred, for his part, just ignored her. "Aw, that's sweet, Harry."

"Read it out loud," George whined again. Fred cleared is throat dramatically and struck a reading pose. Ginny gave up and walked over to Harry, snuggling under his arm happily.

"'Dearest Gin, I couldn't think of anything to get such a wonderful, beautiful,' ya-da, ya-da, 'heroic, gorgeous,' etc, etc, 'breathtaking, astounding,' jesh Harry, we get it already, 'woman like you. So, I'm sorry, but I'm going to need a few more days to get everything ready, but I promise to fulfill that I.O.U.! Thank you for being you. Harry'."

"How do you do it?" Bill asked. "You had no clue what to give her last night, and still you manage to get a hug and kiss from her." Harry couldn't answer right away, for as Bill pointed out, Ginny was kissing him.

"Compliments and bribes go a long way," Harry replied with a smile. Ginny smiled up at him, her eyes glittering.

"Thank you," she replied. "The gift had better be worth the wait."

"I sure hope so," Harry replied. "You've got your mum's gift left."

"I know," she replied and went over to pick up the box. It was no more then an inch deep, and four by six inches side to side. Tearing off the red and gold wrapping paper, Ginny slipped off the top cover. Carefully unfolding the velvet, she gasped when she saw the necklace inside. "Oh, mum!" she lifted it out slowly, and Harry saw a beautiful silver locket on a chain in her hands. She opened it, gasped, and then started crying in earnest. Harry was at her side in a moment, enveloping her in a hug.

Mrs. Weasley had a tear running down her cheek as well. "I'm sure you remember the Hogsmeade trip in May," she started. "Before I met up with you kids at the twins' shop, your father and I picked the locket out for your birthday. We even had a picture taken so that it would fit. The other picture is the only one I could find with all the boys together. I thought you would like it." Ginny pushed away from Harry and hugged her mother.

"Thank you," she whispered into her mother's shoulder.

"Group hug!" Fred yelled, jumping over the back of a sofa and colliding with the two ladies. George was right behind him, only he tripped over a chair on the way, and stumbled into the three. The other Weasley boys joined with less enthusiasm, but as much love. Finally, Harry, Hermione, Tonks, Thia, and Remus joined in. A muffled voice came from the middle, and Harry knew it was Fred. "This is better. No crying on your birthday, Ginny. It's not allowed."

"Can I breathe?" she asked, and everyone let go with a laugh. "Thank you, all of you," she finally said, not taking her eyes off the picture of her mum and dad. "These gifts are perfect. Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry walked slowly, watching the Weasley children race to the front of Gringott's trying to be the first to touch the door. Charlie, the tallest, beat them all, but Ginny came in a close second. Besides Thia, Tonks, and Shacklebolt, seven Aurors were a part of the day's company, along with several Order members. The four Aurors (including Tonks) who were instructed to protect Ron and Ginny ran along with the group, not letting those two out of their sight. Harry had four Aurors to protect him, Thia and Shacklebolt the only two he knew.

Hermione was chatting animatedly with Professor McGonagall about something, but she kept her voice low so that Harry couldn't hear what it was about. The Professor replied in the same way, only increasing Harry's curiosity. Thia and Mrs. Weasley were going over the day's plans once more. Half the group would go get the new books for the school year, while the other half would get the supplies like quills, ink, and potion ingredients. Harry and Ginny were in different groups so Harry could stop at Eeylops Owl Emporium to buy her an owl. At noon they would meet at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch and then go get new robes.

When they had all finally reached Gringott's, they went into the main lobby of the bank. Wizards and witches stared at the large group; Harry couldn't help but wonder if a less conspicuous guard would have been better. Someone in the crowd caught sight of him and shouted, "It's Harry Potter!" There was a mad push towards him; the Aurors and Order members quickly surrounded him and his friends.

Two Aurors pushed through the crowd to the counters, spoke quietly with a goblin and handed over some keys. They left with another goblin for the crazy ride down to the vaults.

"Harry, can I have your autograph?"

"Will you marry me, Harry?"

"Can you kiss my baby?"

"Just sign this?

"We knew you'd make it back!"

"How are you feeling, Harry?"

"Kiss me!"

"Your autograph!"

"Mr. Potter, sir, would you please sign my coloring book?" Harry looked around for the polite girl and saw her in her father's arms.

"Hermione, have you got a quill?" Harry asked under his breath, smiling at the seven year old.

"If you sign one, you'll have to sign them all," Thia cautioned him.

"She's the only one who said please," Harry responded, taking the quill and reaching out for the coloring book. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"My name's Erica, sir," she replied, handing him her coloring book. He smiled when he saw a Quidditch scene on the front.

"Well, Erica, it is a pleasure to meet someone as polite as you," he said, writing a small note to the little girl. "I hope you stay that way." She smiled at him and he finished off the note with his name. "Stay safe," he told her.

"I will," she told him seriously. "My daddy will protect me."

"I'm sure he will," Harry assured her. He shook the man's hand and they melted back into the crowd.

"He signed an autograph!"

"Sign my hat, Harry!"

"My pay stub, Harry!"

"Just kiss my baby for luck!"

"You can sign my bra, Harry!"

"He better bloody well not," Ginny muttered, causing Harry to turn to face her.

"Can I sign yours?" he teased her quietly. Ginny's eyes twinkled mischievously, before Bill cleared his throat right behind her. Harry smiled nervously at the older, larger brother and turned back around. Ginny circled her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Any day they're not around," she whispered into his ear. Before Harry could respond to that, she told the group, "They're coming." Harry looked past the crowd and saw the two Aurors returning.

"Here, sign this, Harry!"

"Bless my son!"

"Will you marry me?"

"Good to see you alive, son!"

"Let's get out of here," Thia commanded and the group slowly made its way out. Goblin guards aided their effort, keeping the pressing crowd inside the bank. "Everyone knows what they're supposed to do, so go."

Harry's group made their way to the bookstore as quickly as possible. Two Aurors stood guard at the door, scanning the passing shoppers for any threats. Thia and Shacklebolt did a quick walk through of the store, seeing if anyone of a dangerous nature was in the shop already. McGonagall had not sent the seventh years letters yet, but Dumbledore had given them advanced copies of the book lists. Snape handed over the list and the shop clerk hurried to round up the books.

"I wasn't ready for that," Harry told Ron, leaning against the counter.

"Bet that girl was ugly," Ron replied with a laugh.

"Which one? The two that asked me to marry them, the one that told me to kiss her, or the one that said I could sign her bra?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"The whole lot of them," Ron answered, laughing. Harry was laughing when the room started to spin. "You okay?" Harry turned around and rested his head on the counter, taking deep stabilizing breaths.

"Yeah, room just won't stop spinning," Harry muttered. This had happened before, whenever he got overly excited or over expended himself physically.

"If they only knew the true Harry Potter," Ron teased.

"It would save me a lot of trouble," Harry replied. He straightened up and rested his elbows on the counter. Looking at the merchandise behind it he came face to face with a miniature Harry Potter. "You've got to be kidding me!" There was a section of merchandise devoted solely to him.

"Harry Potter plush toy, says 'Down with Voldie' when you push his scar!"

"Harry Potter Posters, collect all 17, one for each year he's been fighting You-Know-Who!"

"The Famous Scar can be yours with this key chain!"

"You thought you had the Harry Potter Chocolate Frog Card, well, you don't! Get the new and improved card, rewritten since his escape from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"

Harry groaned as Ron grabbed one of the key chains. His best friend looked at it closely. "Harry, look at me for a moment." He turned his head and Ron held it up to compare them. "It looks nothing like the real one. You should complain! And the hair on that doll is way too neat. And seriously, you've only been fighting Voldemort for sixteen years; he didn't attack you until you were one. I've read that new card; they just added a line, nothing more than that. The picture is even the same." Harry smiled at him. If Ron could take this with a smile, then Harry was going to do the same.

"I bet the voice is squeaky," he added, pointing at the plush doll. Ron reached across and pushed the scar. It was indeed a squeaky voice that said 'Down with Voldie!'.

"It kind of sounds like Dobby," Ron said thoughtfully. Harry laughed. It did sound a lot like the house elf. "Oh, well, what can you do?"

"Is this all?" the clerk asked before Harry could answer.

"Yes, but we'll need to separate them into three piles," Snape answered. Harry paid for his, Bill paid for the Weasley pile, and Thia came over to pay for Hermione's.

They were walking outside, Bill looking through the bag he was carrying. "What is this?" he asked taking out the key chain.

"I thought Ginny would get a kick out of it," Ron said, shrugging his shoulders. "You didn't see the guy ring it up?" Bill shook his head at his brother as he shoved it back into the bag.

"So how are you going to explain buying a new owl?" Bill asked as they neared the shop.

"I'm buying a new cage," Harry responded. "Hedwig's cage has seen better days. I'll have her owl fly to Hogwarts."

"Good thinking," Thia said, "but Hedwig does need a new cage. It didn't survive the return from Hermione's well."

"I know," Harry replied. "I was going to buy a second one and have someone pretend it was theirs."

"Fair deal," Thia replied.

They entered the store (two Aurors staying outside) and were instantly assaulted by the hooting and flying feathers that filled the store. There were owl cages along every square inch of wall, and stacked precariously in the middle to form aisles. Harry knew magic was the only thing keeping the cages up right. The owls themselves were as varied and different as Harry had known they would be. Harry and Ron started searching through the cages, pointing out different owls. There were owls smaller then Pig, larger then Hedwig, and more stately then Percy's old owl Hermes. Some of the owls were obviously magical, being all sorts of sizes and colors of the rainbow. Others looked normal and would be better off at making trips without being spotted. One small Scop zoomed around its cage faster then Harry had ever seen Pig fly. An owl as large as Crookshanks hooted angrily at the pesky Scop.

"You have thirty minutes, and then we'll have to go," Thia called to them. Harry nodded vaguely, not really listening to her.

There were so many owls! There was a beautiful Ural Owl, white with black and gray feathers striping its front. He leaned closer to look at an Oriental Bay. When it stretched its neck out to get a better look at him, Harry jumped back, startled. It did look Oriental, the brown back and white with small black spots on the front made it look majestic to say the least. The large Stripped Owl's ear feathers amused Ron to no end, and he was still chuckling five minutes after they had left it behind them. There was a magnificent male Snowy Owl, and a Burrowing Owl that kept its eye on Ron, following him until they left the aisle.

"Harry, come check this one's name out," Ron called. Harry hurried over and read the nameplate. 'Female Southern Boobook Owl.' "You got to get that one, just 'cause of the name." Harry laughed looking at the brown with off-white spots. There were white feathers surrounding the dark beak and wrapping part way around its dark yellow eyes.

"No, it isn't the right one," Harry finally said.

"Well, you do know we only have five more minutes, right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I know." A proud Eagle Owl sat next to the Boobook Owl, but Harry wasn't getting Ginny an owl that the Malfoys thought were good enough for them. A few cages to the right and up a ways, sat a huge Great Horned owl. The small Tengmalm's Owl had a comically surprised look caused by its larger than average eyes and face feathers. There were several Pygmy Owls in a row, some even smaller then Pig and on the whole cuter.

"Harry, we've got to go in a minute, make a choice," Thia called. Harry looked at her and nodded, turning back to find the next owl staring deep into his eyes. The odd ashy colored face feathers contrasted beautifully with the reddish-brown feathers of the top of the wings and body. It flapped its wings and Harry saw that they were the same gray color as the face. "Female Ashy-Faced Owl," Harry read the card aloud. He careful pulled the cage out from among the others and carried her to the counter.

"How's this for Hedwig's new cage?" Thia asked, showing the one she had found.

"Perfect," Harry said, counting out the gold needed for the owl and the new cage. "Oh, would you throw in two boxes of owl treats please?" The cashier nodded and she added the price of the treats to the total. "Thank you," he told the lady.

"Have a good day, Mr. Potter," she replied and hurried forward to open the door for them. Once outside, Harry opened the cage and offered his arm for the owl to climb onto. She gazed at him, as if it was beneath her to do so, before hopping out of her cage and onto the extended arm.

"You're a regal bird," Harry complimented her, stroking the beautiful wings. "Would you mind flying to Hogwarts and waiting there for me? You're a birthday surprise and I don't want Ginny to see you yet." The owl hooted once, nipped his ear affectionately, then took off flying north.

"Hagrid and Severus are going to take the books and cages back to Hogwarts," Bill told Ron and Harry. "That way you don't have to carry everything all over creation this afternoon."

"Thanks," Harry said, handing the two men the bags and cages. "Will you be coming back?"

"No," Snape answered. "With everyone back together after lunch, there is no need for so many of us."

"Alright," Harry said. "See you at Hogwarts, Hagrid, Professor."

"Good bye," Hagrid replied. "Keep ou' of trouble."

"Will do," Harry answered. The now smaller group headed towards the Leaky Cauldron, arriving five minutes late. Tonks was waiting for them in the main eating area. When Thia heard her 'report' she laughed and turned to the group.

"They didn't go into the Quidditch shop, so that's where we got held up," she told them. "Of course, we stopped for new cages at Eeylops, but why would we waste thirty minutes there?" She led the way to a private dinning room where Mrs. Weasley gathered Bill, Ron, and Harry into a tight hug.

"I was getting so worried. You're seven minutes late," she informed them. "What if you had been attacked, or captured, and we'd be in here eating. We wouldn't know for half an hour or more!"

"Mum," Bill said, prying his mother's arms off. "You would have known right away, because the Leaky is the closest public Floo point in the area. People would have been swarming to it. Let's eat!" There were hearty agreements from the others and Harry took a seat next to Ginny.

"So, what took you guys so long?" Ginny asked as soon as he was close enough to hear.

"We stopped in the owl shop to get a new cage for Hedwig and Quality Quidditch Supply for no practical reason," Harry answered.

"Mum wouldn't let us stop in there," Ginny complained. "We barely had enough time as it was though."

Lunch was a simple affair of turkey sandwiches. Once done, the group left for Madam Malkin's. Ginny and Tonks were going to get a dress robe each, and the rest of them were getting school robes. Everyone buying robes got fitted and then Thia, Tonks, Ginny, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley (and two other Aurors) were hurried off to the back to look through the dress robes. The guys took seats in chairs along the walls, while the Aurors stayed standing and looking very out of place in the robe shop.

Thirty minutes passed, Ron was snoring in the chair next to Harry, and Fred and George were whispering about skipping out and going to their shop to help Lee Jordan. Harry, himself, was very close to falling asleep as well. Bill was watching the twins closely, and Harry knew they weren't going to get out alive unless the girls were leaving as well. Ten minutes later, Harry leaned his head against the wall and fell asleep.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed shrilly. "Get back here!" Harry jumped up wide awake in a second. He ran into the back, his wand out, closely followed by the Aurors and Weasley brothers. "Put that away, silly, and try on this robe for us!"

"Don't scream like that!" Harry yelled, taking the robe out of her hand roughly and walked into the dressing area. He took a second to calm his racing heart. With a scream like that, Harry had been positive Death Eaters were attacking them. He pulled off his robes and slipped the dress robes on. He stalked out of the changing room, still feeling the adrenaline pumping through out his system.

"Perfect," Ginny purred into his shoulder. She stood behind him, straightening the collar. He looked at the robes for the first time. They were a deep red, so dark the folds of the fabric looked black. Several gold suns were embroidered throughout, catching the light and throwing it back out, making it appear like they were shining. The red and gold made Harry think of Gryffindor. "Perfect," Ginny repeated. She kissed his neck and then stood back from him to get a better view. He turned around and looked at her.

"Have you picked yours out?" he asked, ignoring the appreciative looks from the female store clerks.

"Yep," she said brightly. "Hermione's trying on a pair, right now. I think mum is looking for a pair for Ron as well. Oh, Tonks, those look great!" Ginny hurried past him and helped Tonks with the collar that just wouldn't sit right.

"Do I get to see the robes?" Harry asked, pulling Ginny into a hug.

"Nope," she replied. "But I'm wearing them for tomorrow's date and you can wear these."

"I'm not buying new robes," Harry informed her. "I don't need them."

"Yes, you do," she told him. "Your green ones have to be way too small for you. They fit you when you were fourteen. Anyway, you look way too fit in these not to get them."

"If you say so," Harry replied. "Will it make you happy if I get them?"

"Very much so," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"I'll take 'em," he told the clerk in a husky voice, once the kiss ended.

"Good deal, sir," the clerk answered. "If you'll kindly change back into your regular clothes, I'll fold these away so they don't wrinkle." Harry nodded and changed, he heard Tonks and Ginny squeal over the robes Hermione had on. When he left the stall and looked over at her, she did indeed look stunning in the goldenrod robes.

"Ron will like those," Harry told her.

"Really?" she asked, not believing him.

"Definitely," he said. "They make you look a hundred times more beautiful than you normally look. He'll appreciate that."

"Why's that?" Hermione asked, not sure if that was a compliment or not.

"Because no one believes him when he says he's dating the prettiest girl in our year," Harry replied. "I'd have to agree, though I do have the prettiest girl at Hogwarts." Ginny smiled at him, and Hermione didn't know whether to hit him or hug him.

"Thanks," she said, hugging him.

Twenty minutes later, they were finally able to leave. Everyone attending Hogwarts left with both school robes and dress robes. Hermione wouldn't show Ron what she bought, and had made Harry swear not to tell him. Ginny was still not telling him about hers, but he didn't mind, he'd be seeing them the next evening.

Everyone hurried up to the Gryffindor Common room and sorted through their new stuff for the next year. Harry was thankful to see that the cage for Ginny's owl was upstairs already.

"See you in the morning, Harry," Ginny said, kissing his cheek goodnight.

"Actually," Harry said, grabbing her hand to keep her from running up the stairs. "I won't see you 'til our date. Don't forget, 6:30, and wait for me to let you in. 'Night, Gin."

"'Night," she said, pouting. Harry smiled at her and carried his bags up the stairs and into the dorm.

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It was perfect! Harry had spent all day physically getting the Room of Requirement to look exactly like he wanted it to. Sure, he could have required the room to look just like it did now, but what fun was that? He did cheat a bit with the tree and the far away horizon, but for everything near and close, he had done the work himself.

He spun around as he heard the door click open. "Ginny," he scolded, obstructing her view and pushing her back into the hallway. "I told you to wait."

"It's 6:35!" she teased. "You know I can't wait!" Harry smiled and held her out at arms' length. She blushed as he looked her over, admiring the robes and the witch in them.

"You're beautiful," he finally got out. "Stunning!" She was the most gorgeous girl in the world and she was going out with him! He couldn't believe it! Her robes were a deep, dark blueish-purple with silver stars scattered throughout. "Night and day, huh?" She giggled and tried to push past him. "Not so fast, blindfold first."

"Come on, I saw it," Ginny complained. "It was beautiful."

"Yeah, you may have ruined the surprise, but you still have to play by my rules," he countered, wrapping the fabric around her face, careful not to mess up her hair. "You are unbelievably stunning, Miss Weasley," he whispered in her ear, nibbling it slightly. She smiled and took his hand trustingly.

He opened the door and led her under the tree, careful to keep their robes from catching fire. Turning her around to face the ocean, he carefully pulled the knot undone and watched her look around. She was extraordinarily elegant in her new robes, and damn sexy to boot! The fabric clung to every curve of her body, showing off some that he didn't want any other guy to look at. As she turned slowly on the spot, taking in the sights and sounds of their spot on this special 'night,' Harry received a wonderful 360 degree view of the only woman he loved more than everything else he loved piled together in one lump sum.

"It's amazing, Luv," she replied.

"You are amazing," he replied, causing her to blush again. He looked around, past her, at his handiwork. Candles of every shape, size, and color surrounded them, giving off all sorts of fragrances, colors, and sounds. Some shot stars from the wick, others had the soft aroma of freshly baked cookies, and still others glowed purple. Thanks to the Room, small white candles lit the end of every branch of the huge oak tree that they stood under. It was impossible to walk, there were so many candles so close together. That is, except for the path from the door to where they stood.

"You planning on leaving any time soon?" he asked her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"No, why?" she asked in return leaning her head against his shoulder.

"'Cause I'm getting rid of the door and pathway," he told her, and with a simple thought they were gone.

"If my brothers knew you had kidnapped me in such a way," she teased him, "they'd have your hide." Harry laughed with her.

"Actually, Bill is up in the tree, Ron and Charlie are on a platform just below the surface of the cliff, and the twins," he tried to finish, but was laughing too hard at Ginny's dumbstruck look. "I'm only joking. I just got the standard, 'Do anything inappropriate with my sister, I'll kill you' talk from them. I'm actually used to it now."

"Did they really give you a hard time?" Ginny asked, letting him lead her over to a small table under the tree.

"No," Harry replied. "I think they trust us to make the right choices, whatever they may be." They started eating the meal Dobby had prepared. They talked of inconsequential things, just enjoying one another's company. Once they were done eating, he led her to the edge of the cliff and they peered over. Far below, candles flickered while far above the stars twinkled in response as though reflected in a mirror. A trail down to the water appeared and they strolled down hand in hand. A few minutes later they were on the sand, shoes off, and chasing each other by the surf.

Harry laughed harder then he had in months, his eyes slowly losing their haunted look. He chased after Ginny as often as she chased him, playing a game of tag that only lovers understood. Catching her one last time, they stumbled and fell to the sand kissing. Sometime later, she jumped off of him, glaring at the ocean.

"I bet my brothers paid you to chaperone," she yelled at the waves as she held out her wet robes. Harry sat up, laughing at the disheveled and angry woman.

"You really are cute when you're angry," he told her impishly. She laughed. "Come here, please?" he asked, opening his arms wide for a hug.

"Let's walk," Ginny said, shaking her head. "I don't want my robes to get wet again."

"They'll be in the same condition as they were when you entered," Harry assured her. "Only something that was brought into the Room can do damage, like the food or the candles around the tree. The Room itself causes no damage."

"We still need to talk, so let's walk" Ginny assured him, pulling him up beside her. He laced his fingers through hers and started walking down the beach with her.

Ginny looked over at Harry. He seemed younger, as if he was really seventeen and not an old man. His eyes shined as brightly as the candles and stars, and a smile lit up his face. There was something about Harry Potter that made her happy from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Yet there was something about him that could make her so depressed or worried or... angry. Some combination of the three really, it wasn't one or the other, but all of them at once.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked her. She caught sight of their entwined fingers and smiled. A year ago, she had been heart broken about Dean cheating on her and pining away for Harry.

"What do you think we need to talk about?" Ginny countered. She knew what she wanted to talk about, but him first.

"I don't know," he replied. They walked in silence, the waves providing the only sound on the beach. "Why were you angry with me the Saturday after my birthday?" he finally asked.

"Why did you kick me out?" she countered once more.

"I wanted to think alone," Harry answered at once.

"Then why didn't you kick Ron out?" she asked. "Why couldn't you talk to me?" That was the problem and she knew it. But did he?

He looked at her startled. He hadn't, but now that she mentioned it... "I--I don't know," he replied. "I didn't want to talk to Ron. He--he just wouldn't let me kick him out... Something about it being his room as well. I don't know, but it made sense at the time."

"The bathroom connected the two rooms making them one and the same?" Ginny asked and Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, Hermione used that on me when I wouldn't let her in."

"I'm sorry, Gin," he said softly. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm so confused, and listening to people try to help me only confuses me more. It's just nice, thinking by ones self."

"Harry, when have I ever not let you just talk?" she asked hurt. "I'm here to listen to you, I always have been."

"I know..." Harry said before trailing off. She stopped and looked him in the face. It was older again, something was bothering him. It was the something that was keeping them apart.

"You know what?" she asked, trying to figure out what was wrong, what she had done wrong.

"I know nothing," Harry replied angrily, releasing her hand to run his through his hair. He turned to face the water and Ginny stood off to his left. A wind picked up, and dark, billowing clouds started to form along the horizon to their right.

"I know I was this close to killing you, Gin," he replied, holding the fingers of his left hand millimeters apart. "And knowing that tears me up inside. It shouldn't be so bad, because, after all, I didn't kill you. The only problem is I have killed you hundreds of times in my nightmares. I dream that I kill you over and over again, and it scares me. How can I protect you, if the person I need to protect you from is me? And then there's Him. He knows how much you mean to me. If you died... I couldn't keep fighting without you. Maybe until I got revenge, but I wouldn't play by the rules. It would turn me dark. Every time we spend time alone, I wonder what would happen if the person I was seeking revenge against was myself? Ginny, you mean too much to me! It's not a weakness, but it's dangerous. Did Ron tell you about Mary?"

Ginny closed her eyes, thinking about what her brother had told her. She nodded her head, knowing how much that little girl's death was affecting Harry. Then she realized two things he had said. One, he dreamed that he had killed her and two, she meant too much to him. What the bloody hell did that mean?

"He killed her so slowly and so deliberately and in such a way to cause as much pain as possible," Harry continued, rubbing at his face with his hands. "What would He do to you or Ron or Hermione or anyone else? Someone who had shown me more kindness and love than that little girl? Ginny, I didn't come back to watch the killing. I want this over with, so that I can move on and heal. Learn to really live and love. Not have to worry about how loving me puts those around me in more danger than they would have been if they didn't."

"Do you really think that matters to us?" she asked him.

"But it matters to me!" he yelled, and thunder boomed across from the distant clouds. "You all matter to me! If I lost you... Death would be a welcomed relief."

"Would you really give up?" Ginny asked him, startled. Rain fell, from clouds that seconds before had been miles away, but now were overhead. Harry ran his fingers through his hair, mumbling to himself. "Luv?" She wrapped him in a hug and was surprised when he clung to her. Seconds later he was kissing her as if his very life depended on it. They broke away and Ginny looked into his tortured emerald green eyes.

Something wasn't right. This wasn't right. And her brand new robes were getting soaked. They would catch a cold if they stayed out in this for long.

"Let's quit while we're ahead," she yelled over the thunder and the pounding rain. "Come on! Come back to the common room! You're going to get sick!" She tugged on his arm, but he wouldn't budge. "Fine, you stay and think but I'm going to go dry out in front of the fire. Come and join me when you're ready!"

A path appeared in the rock face and she climbed it quickly. At the top she looked at the lone figure of Harry standing by the ocean's edge. She turned and ran to the door, requiring the room to give her her shoes. Pushing open the door, she jammed one of them in the doorway. He wasn't keeping others out!

She ran through the halls of Hogwarts, skidding to a halt in the Griffindor common room. What should have been soaking wet robes, were perfectly dry and sand free. Harry had been right, the robes would be fine. But what about them?

"Ronald, go get your butt in the Room of Requirement and get Harry to talk to you!" she shouted at her brother, tears in her eyes. Ignoring the questioning gaze of the others, she raced to her dorm room and locked the door with a spell Hermione didn't know. Throwing the other shoe out the window, she threw her body onto the bed and cried herself to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry climbed the pathway slowly after he was sure Ginny was gone. What had she meant, quit while they were ahead? Had she just meant the date, the talk, or something else? Surely she didn't mean break up! No, of course she didn't. She had told him to come back to the common room and curl up with her in front of the fire!

Ginny's owl flew out of the tree, hooting at him forlornly. Harry had the distinct impression that she knew that the woman he had spent the evening with was her new mistress and keeper. He hadn't gotten a chance to give her to Ginny. He had been planning on presenting the bird to her when they had come back up here, but obviously that hadn't happened. Pulling their new notebook out, Harry attached it to the owl's leg.

"There, girl, take that up to Ginny," he told the owl. He walked over to the door, smiling when he realized she had propped it open with her shoe. Opening it farther, he let the owl fly into the corridor. Bending down, he picked up the shoe and held it in his hand. The door clicked shut as he walked to the edge of the cliff. He stopped three large steps away and thought over the evening's victories and losses. On the whole, the losses overshadowed everything. Taking one-step back, Harry ran at the edge and threw the shoe as hard and far as he could.