Maybe This Time

CHAPTER ONE: ANYTHING BUT A DRESS

`Hello Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,´ said Harry as he entered The Burrow. `I´m so glad to see you!´

`Harry, dear!´ said Molly, hugging Harry. `We are so glad that you could come!´

`You know that this is my favourite place on earth. I would never ever let a chance to stay here pass me by,´ said Harry. He shifted his gaze to Mr. Weasley and then grinned. `And you, Mr. Weasley, I have something for you.´ He took something out of his pocket and then whispered, `Engorgio.´

`What is that?´ asked Arthur, grinning at the bicycle. `How do you use it? What is it for?´

`It´s called a bicycle, in the Muggle World,´ said Harry and then took it outside. He showed them all how to use it and then started riding it on the Weasley´s garden. They all watched in amazement.

`Wicked!´ said Ron, `May I borrow it after?´

`No need,´ said Harry and then took out nine more miniature bicycles from his pocket. He handed one to each person. `It´s a gift from me.´

`Thanks so much, Harry!´ said all the Weasley´s, gratefully.

`Wait a minute,´ said Harry, `Someone´s missing. Where is Ginny? Where´s the birthday girl?´

`The Great Weasley Princess is still sleeping,´ said George, riding his bicycle.

`You know her,´ said Percy, examining his bicycle. `She usually stays in bed until 12:00 noon.´

`I´ll wake her up,´ said Harry, mischievously. He was about to go inside the house when a window flung open, and there, they saw Ginny, stretching. She started to look around and then grinned upon seeing a certain dark-haired boy.

`One, two, three,´ said Fred and then Ginny´s voice was heard.

`Harry!´ she yelled. Harry looked up to her and then started waving his hand wildly. Ginny suddenly felt this indescribable excitement, and then immediately ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. She smiled on the mirror. `He´s here!´´ she thought. `DON´T GO ANYWHERE, POTTER!´

Harry and Ginny have been friends for quite awhile now, and she somehow managed to make everybody believe, except for Hermione, that her crush on The Great Harry Potter was long gone. Through the years, she gained this ability to hide what she´s feeling, which made her capable to act normal in front of him, and led her to be close friends with him.

`Um, I´ll just say hi to her,´ said Harry and then politely excused himself. He went inside the house and then walked towards the stairs. She saw Ginny running down the stairs, looking very excited. `GINNY! NO!´ but before he can even protest, Ginny already jumped on him, which caused him to loose his balance and land flat on the floor with Ginny on top of him. Everybody heard Harry´s cry which caused all of them to go inside the house.

`Harry! You are here!´ said Ginny, hugging him still and pinning him on the floor, not noticing her family.

`Yes,´ said Harry, wincing. He smiled. `I´m here Ginny. I can tell by your actions that you really missed me--´ Harry winked at her.

`Missed you?!´ said Ginny, rolling her eyes. `I sure did,´ she thought but said, `Honestly, Harry. You told me that you won´t be staying this summer. Please keep your feet on the ground--I´m not dumb anymore!´

`Oh so all the girls who fancy me are dumb?´ said Harry, shaking his head. `Poor Hogwarts, then--´ Ginny made a face.

`Harry, get over it,´ said Ron, chuckling at the scene. `She´s not into you, anymore!´ Harry looked at Ron and then back to Ginny, who was grinning at him.

`Well, I would never ever miss your birthday in the world, Gin.´ They smiled at each other.

`AHEM,´ said Mr. Weasley, which made Harry and Ginny look up. `Would you mind if I ask the birthday girl to get off our guest?´ Ginny turned to Harry once again and then grinned.

`Sorry, dad,´ said Ginny, blushing. `I just got carried away.´ She removed her hands from Harry´s neck and then rolled over, while Harry stood up and then offered her his hand. They both brushed their clothes and then looked around.

`Ginny,´ said Harry, `what have you been doing this summer? Too much sleeping, I guess. You look like you gained weight. You are a lot heavi---´

`I DO NOT!´ she shrieked. `Take that back, Potter!´ She was about to chase him, when she heard her mum´s voice.

`Young lady!´ said Molly, `Stop it and let us eat breakfast.´

`I can´t believe it,´ said Percy, `Ginny´s joining us for breakfast--´

`Is it because Harry´s here?´ Fred and George teased. Her former crush on Harry has been a constant teasing on her.

`Yes, Perce! And oh yes! I´m joining you for breakfast because Harry Potter is here and I am oh so in love with him!´ said Ginny, and then jumped on Percy´s back for a ride to the kitchen, while everybody else laughed. `What´s for breakfast, Mum?´ ======================================================

AFTERNOON

`Happy Birthday, Ginny! Happy Birthday, Ginny! Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Ginny!´ They all sang while Ginny stood in front of the huge cake that was baked by her mother.

`And many more!´ added Fred, George, Ron and Harry with a very bad blending of their voices.

`Open my gift first!´ said Hermione, fidgeting. `This is from me and Ron.´

`You better like that, Ginny,´ said Ron, placing an arm around his girlfriend, Hermione. `Mione and I spent the whole day looking for those!´

`Alright!´ said Ginny, grinning. She opened the medium-sized box, wrapped in pink and blue wrapper with smiley faces all over it, and then a blue and a black robe appeared. Her eyes beamed. `Thanks so much, Ron and Hermione!´ Ron and Hermione just looked at each other and then grinned back at Ginny.

`Now, that´s enough,´ said Fred, pretending to look irritated. `What about my gift? Aren´t you going to open it?´

`Oh, sorry Fred!´ said Ginny and then opened the shiny yellow box, which contains Coffee-flavoured Bertie Bott´s Every Flavor Beans, a card and some money, which thrilled Ginny. `Thank you so much!´ George began tapping his foot impatiently. `Oh, sorry, George!´

`Here´s my gift!´ said George and then handed Ginny, a purple box.

`Thanks so much, George!´ said Ginny, upon seeing a whole box of Cherry-flavoured Sugar Quills, Chocolate Frogs and some money.

`Now, move over George,´ said Percy. `Open my gift, Ginny.´ Ginny grinned.

`Thanks so much, Perce!´ said Ginny, upon seeing a purple robe, a card, and some money. She looked at Harry. `How about you, Mister? What did you get for me? Where is my gift? It better--´

`Ginny´s getting really good at this,´ Hermione thought, grinning.

`Don´t worry, Ginny,´ said Harry, interrupting Ginny and handing her two boxes. `I´d never forget any occasion that involves my dear Ginny!´ Ginny laughed.

`What is this?´

`Open it.´ Ginny, teasingly, looked at him and then opened the smaller box first. Inside it was a card and a green robe. Ginny beamed at this and then hugged Harry.

`Taking advantage of Harry, eh!´ Hermione thought, grinning at the scene.

`I also got you a bicycle!´ said Harry, taking out a miniature bicycle from his pocket and then whispered, `Engorgio!´ which caused it to become its actual size. Ginny got all excited once again and started examining it, which caused her to totally forget about the powder blue box. `Hey, you still have one more box to open--´

`Oh yeah!´ said Ginny and then started unwrapping the box. She was laughing all along, but her face changed when she saw a baby blue floral sleeveless dress with matching blue strappy shoes in the box. She frowned. `Uh, what is this?´

`A gorgeous dress and a pair of shoes that goes along with it,´ said Harry, looking unsure and wincing. `Which, in my opinion, would look extremely great on you?´

`Uh, oh,´ thought everybody.

`I know it´s a dress,´ said Ginny, `but I don´t wear dresses. You know I don´t like--´

`Oh, come on, Gin!´ Harry whined. `Why won´t you try wearing a dress then? I bet that you´d look really--´

`I don´t like dresses--and high-heels!´ Harry started eyeing her up and down. She was wearing an over-large shirt which probably belongs to Ron, and a loose shorts that goes down to her knees, which belongs to Ron.

`But you are a girl,´ said Harry. `You must wear them occasionally, just like how we boys are obliged to wear ties!´

`I am not wearing this,´ said Ginny, stubbornly. `I will look like a flower vase!´

`Mione´s wearing a floral dress,´ said Harry, waving his hands in the air. `Does she look like a flower vase to you? No!´

`Well, she´s different. She´s used to dresses. I´m not.´

`Mrs. Weasley? Don´t you think that she´ll look really nice in them?! Mr. Weasley?´

`Sorry, Ginny,´ said Molly and Arthur. `But I would love to see our baby in a dress once in a while...´

`Not you too,´ said Ginny. `I need to get some air and explore my bicycle.´ And then she went outside. Everybody watched her as she left and then to Harry, once she disappeared.

`What?!´ said Harry, shrugging. `Ginny´s 16 years old and whether she likes it or not, she needs to wear a dress sometime. For Merlin´s sake! She was the only girl, during the Yule Ball, to wear pants! Pants?! Don´t you think that she´ll look really nice in a dress?´

`Harry,´ said Fred, `Ginny is a Weasley. Obviously, she looks good and she´ll look good in anything but...´

`Harry,´ said Percy, placing a brotherly arm around him. `You are just wasting your time...´

`And money,´ added Ron.

`That girl is very hard-headed,´ added George, eating his piece of cake.

`Do you have any idea what she does with all the dresses that you´ve bought her?´ said Hermione.

`She hides them at the very back of her closet,´ said Harry, `Whatever happened to her, anyway? I used to see her in dresses when she was younger...´

`She has her reason´s Harry,´ said Hermione, biting her lower lip.

`And what may I know is that?´ said Harry, throwing his hands in the air. `It´s not like she´s a lesbian---that I can prove!´ All Ginny´s brothers´ eye´s widened in shock.

`What a stupid thing to say! Shame on you!´ said George, looking outraged. `Non sense!´

`See?! Ginny is straight!´ said Harry, looking aggravated. `What´s holding her back then? What does she have against dresses?´ He calmed down. `It´s her birthday. I should go and talk to her.´ He walked off, leaving everybody shrugging. `I should apologize.´ ====================================================

`That´s not how you use it,´ said Harry, upon seeing Ginny, turning the pedal with her hands. `Here, let me help you.´ He then held the bicycle and asked Ginny to straddle on the metal of the bicycle and sit on the chair. He held Ginny´s hand and then placed it on the black handle and then placed Ginny´s feet on the pedals.

`I didn´t even know that you were supposed to ride this thing,´ said Ginny. `This is a very small chair, I must say.´ Harry just smiled and then looked at her. `How do you ride it?´

`Keep your foot on the pedal and then start pedaling while I hold this,´ said Harry, holding on the back of the chair. `Come on, you´ll be fine.´ Without hesitation, Ginny began pedaling and then bicycle moved, which made Ginny feel very excited. They began going around the garden, while Harry assisted Ginny. After a few rounds, Harry began to let go, which caused Ginny to lose her balance and fall on the ground.

`Ah!´ she shrieked. Harry immediately came to her side and then helped her.

`I´m sorry. I thought that you were ready. I´m really sorry,´ said Harry, examining Ginny´s knees. `He cares about me,´ Ginny thought and then said, `I´m not riding that thing again.´

`Ginny? Everybody falls on their first time. You are so lucky; you didn´t even get any bruise.´ He sat beside her and then looked at her.

`Those eyes are definitely gorgeous,´ she thought and then said, `Oh, so am I suppose to get a bruise?´ Harry rolled his eyes and then laid on the grass. `Why don´t I just ride this thing again and then fall. Maybe I´ll get a bruise this time and it will make you happy.´

`Look, I´m sorry for giving you another dress,´ he mumbled. `I just think that you´d look really nice in them--Malfoy thinks, as well. We all do--´

`Well, our minds are different. You know very well that I am not into dresses, but you still keep on insisting.´

`Well, you can´t blame me. You used to wear them. I have no idea why you stopped, though.´ Ginny snorted and then looked away. Harry began to sit down and then tickled her on her waist.

`Stop it, Harry!´ she said, now lying on the ground and laughing uncontrollably.

`Only if you tell me that you are not angry with me, anymore.´

`Fine, fine! I´m not! I´m not!´ Harry stopped and then laiddown beside her. She began to catch her breath. `So, I hope that this taught you a lesson.´

`About what?´

`That a dress, as a gift to Ginny, is a big NO NO!´ she said, now sitting up, tilting her head and looking down to him.

`I don´t think so,´ said Harry, grinning. `You´ll never know. Maybe you´ll change your mind someday...´ Ginny just buried her face in her hands and then sighed. But looked up when Draco´s eagle owl dropped a letter and a medium-sized green box.

Dear Ginny,

How are you? Anyway, I am really sorry if I cannot make it there today and stay over the summer. My Aunt isn´t well and insisted that I stay here, instead. I really hope that you are having a marvelous time. Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and may you have more to come!

Draco

PS:

I really hope that you liked my gift. Please tell everybody, especially Harry and Ron, I said Hi. I guess I´ll just see you at Hogsmeade!

More PS:

Ginny, this is Narcissa. If it´s not too much to ask, will you ask your mother to send her Beef Stew recipe to me again? I lost it. Thank you.

`My Aunt is ill,´ said Harry, `Yeah right!´ Ginny hit him, playfully on the back.