Thursday, July 31th 2003

Harry 23rd birthday

The heat of the day still lay heavy in the air. The sun had already disappeared behind the rooftops of the narrow alley in Muggle London, leaving the sidewalk in the shadows. Voices echoed from the open windows of his favourite pub as Harry Potter pushed the door open, entered the coolish taproom and looked about. The pub was crowded for a Thursday; the loud, raucous buzzing of voices drowned the music from the speakers. Harry wasn't the only one seeking refreshment after a hot summer day.

A smile crossed his face. Today he didn't mind the noise and the many people. He wasn't looking for company, but it was nice not to be alone on his birthday, especially at the end of a stressful working day.

Harry spotted a seat at the far end of the counter, squeezed himself on the bar stool, and nodded to the bartender Tom who instantly poured him a pint of his favourite bitter. Harry ran his fingers through his hair as he watched as Tom wiped off the foam from his pint and placed the glass in front of him.

"Thanks, Tom!" Harry nodded. He took a long sip of the cold drink, and, to his dismay, his thoughts immediately returned to working mode.

He'd spent the last few days collecting evidence of a murder case the Auror Department had classified as an accident. The Aurors didn't like it when private investigators interfered in their work, but Harry tried to do his job and avoided them as much as possible.

Tomorrow morning, he had an appointment with the lawyer who'd hired him. He pulled his diary out of his pocket and leafed through it, nodding when he found the entry.

Friday, August 1, 9 a.m. Granger.

Enough of that. Harry shook his head, trying to push his mind to more pleasant thoughts.

He was looking forward to meeting his godson, Teddy on Saturday to visit the zoo with him. Harry had to laugh as he remembered how Teddy had insisted on flying with him. In the end, he'd promised to take him on a broom ride before they'd pick up his parents, Remus and Tonks to go out for Harry's birthday dinner with the only family he'd left.

Harry emptied his glass and waved to Tom to order another pint.

Irritated by the slightly blurry vision, Harry took off his glasses, pulled an enchanted cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and started to clean them. Narrowing his eyes, he held the glasses against the light and eyed them thoroughly. Satisfied, he put them back on - and froze.

His eyes were on a redheaded young woman sitting at the far end of the counter, playing absently with her empty cider glass. Harry's heart rate quickened as he realized she was watching him.

He couldn't take his eyes off the fiery red hair sparkling in the lamplights illuminating the bar. He was startled out of his reverie as Tom placed his pint in front of him.

"Tom, please bring the red-headed beauty over there another drink." Harry nodded in the direction of the woman. "And tell her I won't accept a refusal."

Surprised by his boldness, Harry smiled at the young woman, who suddenly blushed and averted her eyes.

Harry took advantage of the moment the woman looked away and studied her. Her long red hair fascinated him. It was literally glowing and fit beautifully with her emerald green summer dress. Harry briefly wondered if it was one of those mind-boggling short dresses that were currently in fashion. The image of long never-ending legs shot through his mind. He felt his hands getting clammy. He had to concentrate.

The woman looked over to the entrance, obviously searching for someone. Harry spotted the freckles covering her face that made her look a little rebellious. Her impish smile even supported this impression.

When Tom placed the drink in front of her, the redhead slightly tilted her head and looked over to meet Harry's eyes. She said something to Tom, who responded with a nod.

Harry lifted his glass and sent her an encouraging smile as Tom returned. "She asks what's the reason for this free drink."

"Today is my birthday." Harry couldn't take his eyes off of her. He just hoped he didn't look like an idiot the way he grinned at her. Or that she didn't like being chatted up in a pub.

Tom rolled his eyes. "If she has more questions, you better head over and answer her yourself. Can't play the messenger of love all evening."

Harry bit his lower lip as he watched Tom deliver his answer.

A broad grin spread across Harry's face as he heard the young woman's hearty laughter as she lifted her glass in his direction, giving him an amused smile.

Harry took a sip of his bitter, got up, and made his way over to the woman. The thought of having company on his birthday suddenly felt tempting.

He pushed his way through the crowd in front of the bar when a blonde woman crossed his path and headed for his redhead.

"Hi, Ginny." The blonde hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Hi Luna, there are you." The redhead returned the hug and the kiss on the cheek.

"I'm so sorry for being late," the blonde said. "I needed to proofread an article father wants to publish tomorrow, and it took me longer than I thought."

Harry stood a bit lost next to the scene when the woman, apparently Ginny, noticed him.

Blushing, she looked from Harry to the blonde - Luna was it? - and back to Harry.

"I'm sorry. We have to go." She gave him a lopsided smile. "We're already late." She took one last sip of her cider and placed the almost full glass on the counter. Looking Harry in the eye, she sighed. "Thanks for the drink."

She took her handbag and followed the blonde. Before she disappeared in the crowd, she turned and gave Harry a last smile. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks." Harry looked into her brown eyes, giving her a sad smile. He raised his hand to wave her goodbye as she turned and hurried to the door.

His eyes still fixed on the spot where she'd stood mere seconds before, Harry ran his hands through his hair. Disappointment swept through his body and made him gasp for air. He could not remember ever meeting such a stunning woman. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he'd missed a chance.

Suddenly he felt lonely. The crowd and the noise were not so comforting anymore as it had seemed half an hour ago. Slowly he turned and walked back to his seat at the bar.

"Tom, I think I need a large whiskey. If you please..."

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AN: I know, it's a bit short - but it only sets the scene for the second chapter. Guess when it will be posted.

My thanks go to Tina for her wonderful support in writing this story.