A/N: I know it isn't another chapter of RotC, and I know that's long overdue, but this little plot bunny just wouldn't get out of my head. I don't think it would work to make it into a full story, so for now it is a oneshot. Hopefully this marks the return of my muse for RotC, and I can get more writing done - this was finished in two evenings. (Disclaimer: None of the Potterverse is mine, it all belongs to the wonderful JKR. I'm just playing with it for a bit.)

The Forgotten Day

Saturday 12th August 1995, 13:00

"He got off! He got off! He got off!" Fred, George and Ginny were dancing around the room chanting as Mrs Weasley bustled to prepare food for an impromptu party that evening. Harry had just returned to Grimmauld Place following his disciplinary hearing, and everyone was overjoyed at the result. Well, that wasn't quite true – Mundungus Fletcher had just sneered upon hearing the result, but had quickly left the building, heading out on 'Order business'. Nobody was letting his reaction dampen their spirits though.

Harry wasn't quite as enthusiastic. Something was bothering him. He'd first noticed just after the start of his trial but couldn't quite put his finger on it. And while he was as happy that he could return to Hogwarts as the next bloke, he didn't quite feel up to celebrating. Noisy, boisterous behaviour wasn't conducive to trying to find something hidden in one's mind, after all.

"Harry, come over here a minute." Sirius called across the room. Sighing, Harry reluctantly accepted that he was not going to remember whatever it was for the next few hours, at least. He made his way around the dancing Weasley siblings to the other side of the room, to see what Sirius was looking at.

Saturday 12th August 1995, 23:00

Much later, the party was dying down, with most of the current occupants of the house heading up to bed. Somehow, Sirius had managed to get his hands on a bottle of hundred-year-old Ogden's Old Firewhisky and was now rather drunk, his conversation with Harry having ended some time ago. Remus and Tonks had also left, helping Sirius up to his room. Mrs Weasley just silently thanked Merlin that the alcohol hadn't made it anywhere near the kids.

Of course, that wasn't quite true. Fred and George had managed to get their hands on it, albeit briefly, but that was long enough for some to make its way into both Ron and Hermione's glasses of Butterbeer. As Butterbeer had a slight alcoholic content itself, the two teens hadn't realised and continued drinking it for the rest of the night. Neither were nearly as bad off as Sirius, but they were slightly louder than normal as they made their way upstairs.

Harry rose, and made his way upstairs. He paused on the first floor – he really didn't feel like going to bed just yet. He made his way into the drawing room and sat down, thinking he'd try and remember what it was that had been bothering him since that morning.

Before long, he heard Mr and Mrs Weasley make their way to bed, leaving the house silent. Little light filtered through the curtains from the dim street lamps outside, but Harry didn't mind. If he was less distracted then he was more likely to remember whatever it was.

Saturday 12th August 1995, 23:30

Harry jerked up. He hadn't been completely asleep, but had been heading that way, or so it seemed. Something, however, had startled him back into wakefulness. The door to the drawing room creaked open, and a small figure crept quietly into the room. Closing the door behind themselves, the figure turned the light on, bathing the room in light. Harry let out a light hiss at the sudden brightness, and closed his eyes, trying to become accustomed to it. Slowly, he reopened them, and focused on the person at the door.

"Oh, Harry!" Ginny gasped. "I'm sorry – I didn't know you were in here."

"It's fine." Harry replied. He couldn't help but look at Ginny, in her worn dressing gown, clutching a book to her chest.

"I just wanted to read for a bit, you know?" Ginny asked rhetorically. "I didn't feel like going to sleep quite yet."

"Neither did I." Harry reassured her. "Do you want to join me?" He asked nervously. "I was just thinking – something's been bothering me since this morning."

"Oh. Do you know what it is?" Ginny asked, as she moved over to the other couch and curled up in the corner, propping her book on her knees.

"No – that's the annoying thing. It feels like there's something I should know, but I don't. It started around the same time as my trial, I think."

"You think?"

"Well, I wasn't really paying that much attention." Harry said somewhat defensively. "I was more worried they were going to expel me! And it's been a bit difficult to find some quiet around here this afternoon to just think it through."

"I guess it has." Ginny agreed. "Us Weasleys can get a tad boisterous at times." She smiled at him. "Why don't you carry on thinking, while I read. Maybe it will come to you. If not, we could talk it through?" She asked tentatively. "Maybe I'll be able to help."

"Maybe. I'll just think for now – I'll try to think quietly!" He joked.

"Thanks, but don't worry. This book isn't really that interesting. I only got to bring the books I had at school last year – there wasn't time to pack anymore – so I've already read it a dozen times." Ginny laughed.

They quickly fell into silence, as Harry tried to recall whatever it was that was evading his mind. He knew it was somehow related to the hearing, and also Ginny, it seemed. The feeling had grown more pronounced when she'd entered the room. In fact, curled up like she was proved rather distracting to Harry – his eyes kept getting drawn to her. He turned slightly, and curled in a similar position, allowing him to look away from her without seeming rude. He vowed to consider why Ginny was so distracting later – 'One mystery at a time' he thought to himself.

Sunday 13th August 1995, 00:00

Much later, Harry was roused from his thoughts by the clock striking midnight. For some reason, this also seemed important – albeit not nearly as much as Ginny and the start of his hearing. He heard Ginny stretch on the other sofa.

Harry tried to relate all the prompts he'd had over the last twenty-four hours together in his mind. Suddenly, what he was missing hit him, and he sat up in shock. "Oh Godric, Ginny, I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed.

Ginny looked over at him, closing her book around one finger, a slightly amused look on her face. "What are you sorry for Harry?" She asked, confused.

"I've remembered what it was that I felt I was missing. Oh, I'm such a prat." He got up and quickly made his way over to Ginny, sitting beside her on the couch. She uncurled herself, dropping her legs off the side.

"Well, what were you forgetting?" Ginny asked. She was confused – as far as she knew nothing to do with Harry's trial could cause him the need to apologise to her.

Harry took a deep breath, calming himself. He didn't quite know what the feelings he was experiencing were, but they were definitely making him very nervous. "Happy birthday, Ginny. I'm sorry I'm two days late."

Ginny froze in shock – she had been wondering who would realise first that her birthday had been completely forgotten about. She had assumed it would be her mum. Never in a thousand years would she have expected Harry, who had never given her a second glance before now, to be the first to realise – let alone apologise for it.

"You don't need to apologise Harry. You were much too busy worrying about your trial. I understand."

"I know that's not true." Harry said sadly. "No-one even mentioned it. Even if I was caught up in my own broody feelings since I got here, that's no reason for the rest of your family to ignore you."

"Maybe not, but that's their problem." Ginny said. "Besides, I know they were worried about you too. Okay, I'll admit that I was a little put out at first, but I realised that it would just make matters worse if I were to mention it. I was interested to see who would remember first. I'll admit it – I never expected you to be the first one to realise."

"Still, I'm sorry, Ginny." Harry reiterated. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

Ginny could tell that she wouldn't be able to talk Harry down – he had a stubborn streak to rival her own. "Fine, if you must, but you really don't have to. You mustn't tell anyone though – I don't want them to feel bad."

"But Ginny – they should know." Harry pushed, confused. "I know it would be a few days late – but you'd still get the birthday celebration you deserve if you just tell them."

"No." Ginny insisted, her voice firm. She manoeuvred around to face him. "If they figure it out themselves, then fine, but you're not to tell them." She said firmly. They fell silent for a few minutes.

"How come Bill and Charlie didn't send you anything?" Harry asked suddenly, curious. "They weren't here to be distracted by my trial."

"Oh – I was expecting that. Bill sent a letter just before you got here. He's coming back to England next week, and is visiting Charlie on the way. He said he'd bring my presents from them then, rather than sending another owl – it's a long way for them to fly."

"I guess that's okay then. But I'm still going to make it up to you." Harry promised.

"If you must." Ginny sighed, standing. "I guess we should get to bed." She commented, as Harry stood beside her. "I mean it Harry, I'm really happy you remembered, but remember you mustn't tell anybody else." She gave him a quick hug that left Harry reeling, before darting out of the drawing room and across the hall, into the bedroom she was sharing with Hermione.

"I guess I need to consider those other thoughts now." Harry muttered to himself, as he turned off the drawing room light and made his way upstairs to bed.

Monday 14th August 1995, 15:00

"Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione!" Mrs Weasley called up the stairs. "Can two of you please get started on dusting the drawing room while the other two clean another of the bedrooms on the second floor please?"

Naturally, at hearing the mention of cleaning and chores, Ron started to grumble to himself at the unfairness of having to do everything the muggle way – without magic. Hermione looked to be rather put out with him, however Harry and Ginny both knew nothing was going to change any time soon, so they may as well get on with it.

"I'll go make a start on the drawing room." Ginny said, sadly. It wasn't that she'd been doing anything important, but she was happy to finally be spending time with the other three, and found that that time kept getting cut short by chores, which were plentiful in the House of Black.

"I'll join you, Ginny." Harry quickly announced, eager to spend some more time with her and discover just what it was his thoughts were trying to tell him. The time alone with her would also help him work out the best way to make up for missing her birthday.

Ginny blushed slightly at hearing Harry decide he would help her, rather than Ron, but didn't say anything – after all, who was she to turn down spending some time with her not so secret crush, even if it was just cleaning.

They both left the bedroom Harry and Ron were sharing, heading downstairs to the drawing room and leaving a now arguing Ron and Hermione behind.

"I wonder when they'll stop arguing and actually get around to doing anything." Harry said idly, following Ginny down the stairs. He was finding the way her hair was bouncing down behind her slightly distracting, but pointedly looked over her head so he could continue talking to her.

"My bet's on when dinner starts." Ginny replied, cheekily. "Hermione may be much better than my brother at understanding the need for work, but she'll be way too busy arguing with Ron to remember she should be doing anything. I doubt we'll be speaking to them other than at dinner for the rest of the day." She added, trying not to grin at the thought of having Harry alone for that long, even if he was still ignorant to her feelings for him.

Harry, for his part, noticed the slight excitement in her voice as she finished, but couldn't work out what to make of it. "That does seem likely." He agreed. "I guess we should make a good start on this now. Maybe we'll get some free time this evening. You could teach me to play chess – I'm sure you must be better than me." He said self-deprecatingly.

"I definitely am." Ginny nodded firmly. "You'll be beating Ron in no time if you let me teach you."

"But I thought Ron claimed he'd never lost?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Of course, he does, and its true." Ginny said, affronted. "But I've always refused to play him – I'm definitely the best at chess in the Weasley household." She mock-preened.

"I'm not going to deny the truth of that, even though I've never seen you play." Harry assured her. "I'm way to scared of your bat-bogey hex!" He joked.

"And don't you forget it!" She said cheekily. Then she sighed. "I guess we should get to work then." Both teens turned to opposite walls, and started attacking them with the dusters Mrs Weasley had left by the door.

Monday 14th August 1995, 20:00

Later that evening, Harry and Ginny once again found themselves in the drawing room, with Ginny trying to teach Harry chess. They'd cleaned a reasonable amount of the room earlier, and Ginny's prediction had proved correct – Ron and Hermione had only realised they hadn't got around to their chores when Mrs Weasley's call for dinner interrupted their argument. They were now finished the job they'd been set earlier.

"An important part of playing chess is to always get the good pieces out to the front." Ginny said. "Sure, you need to move a few pawns to begin with, but the quicker you can get the knights, bishops and rooks out there the better. Don't waste time on the pawns, they only really come in useful towards the end."

Harry was trying to pay attention to her tips but kept getting distracted. Her hair kept swishing round her head as she turned between facing him and the board, and he could smell her flowery scent from where she was sitting close to him on the sofa.

"… And you should castle as soon as you can." Ginny said.

"Wait, sorry Ginny. What's castle?" He asked, confused. In four years of playing Ron, this had never been explained to him.

"Castling is when you either move the king to B1 and the rook to C1, or the king to F1 and the rook to E1. It's a special move that can only be made before the rook and the king have made any other moves. Its called castling from muggle chess – their rooks are called castles." Ginny explained. "Did Ron never explain any of this to you?" She asked.

"No – I imagine Ron was glad there was someone else he could beat and didn't want to give me any extra advantage." Harry said.

"Well then, I'll just have to make sure you know all the special rules then. There's a few I know that even Ron doesn't, so if you know everything I do you'll be at a real advantage over him next time you play!" Ginny grinned. Harry once again fell into being distracted by her hair and scent.

Wednesday 16th August 1995, 22:30

A couple of days later, Harry was back in the drawing room. He was finally going to work out what his thoughts about Ginny meant. Since their encounter several nights before, the thoughts had only been building, more niggling at his mind every time he looked at her.

Glancing out the drawing room door, he caught sight of Ginny heading to bed. 'When had it gotten this late?' Harry wondered to himself. Then, a moment later, another thought popped into his head – 'Ginny's really pretty'.

'Wait, what?' Harry thought to himself. He sat up abruptly. 'Since when did I think Ginny was pretty?' he wondered. Suddenly, all those weird thoughts he'd been having fell into place. Those odd, fleeting feelings he'd had whenever she touched him made sense. And they culminated into one main thought, which Harry honestly found a little scary – he fancied Ginny Weasley.

And clearly, it wasn't new. He'd been feeling that way for a while.

It wasn't that he found the thought of liking Ginny as more than a friend scary as such – in fact it was oddly pleasing. No, he was scared about showing feelings to anyone. Growing up where he had meant he had very little basis for emotions, and with Voldemort having returned anyone close to him was put in even more danger than before. He didn't want Ginny to get hurt just because he fancied her.

Thoughts ran around in his mind for much longer, as he tried to consider what he should do. Eventually, he decided to head to bed, happy with the plan he'd come up with for the next afternoon. Whilst it didn't solve most of the issues that had just made themselves present, it would solve the most pressing one – making up for missing Ginny's birthday.

Thursday 17th August 1995, 13:30

Harry pushed back from the kitchen table, having eaten his fill of the wonderful meal Mrs Weasley had once again provided. "I think I'm going to lie down for a bit – have a nap." He said, trying not to seem to eager.

Naturally, Mrs Weasley was round the table in a heartbeat. "Oh, are you feeling okay dear? You do look a bit peaky." She said worried, wringing her hands in her apron.

"I'm fine Mrs Weasley." Harry reassured her. "I'm just a little tired. I'm sure I'll be better after a bit of a rest."

It was clear that Mrs Weasley doubted that, but she let him go without any more fuss. When he reached his room, he quickly grabbed his invisibility cloak, and swinging it around himself, he made his way back down to the front door. From the cabinet in the corridor, he grabbed one of the slips of paper sat on top. No one would notice the pile diminish by one sheet – there were so many there already.

Harry hadn't quite considered how he was going to get outside without anyone noticing the door opening, but that didn't prove to be much of an issue. At that moment, Tonks arrived, tripping over the troll's leg umbrella stand as usual. Having fallen on the floor, her leg was blocking the door from closing, and the crash from the falling piece of furniture had both alerted Mrs Weasley and awoken Mrs Black's portrait.

With Tonks' leg holding the door open, and Mrs Black screaming at the top of her lungs, Harry easily slipped outside with nobody noticing as Mrs Weasley made her way up from the kitchen, brandishing her wand in preparation to silence Mrs Black. "Oh Tonks. Again, really?" He heard her say in despair as she saw what had happened. Just behind him, Tonks managed to get up again, allowing the door to swing shut with him outside.

Stepping down one step, he made sure the invisibility cloak was wrapped firmly around himself as he knew he was now leaving the protective wards around the house. "Dobby!" Harry called quietly, not knowing at all if the excitable house-elf would or even could respond to his call.

CRACK!

Dobby wobbled slightly as he appeared on the step next to Harry, then looked around. Luckily, nobody was in Grimmauld Square at the time, so Dobby hadn't been seen. Harry pulled the hood of his cloak down so that Dobby could see him. The house-elf jumped back slightly in shock.

"Shhh Dobby." Harry said quickly, as he saw him open his mouth. It was promptly shut again. "Look at this." He handed Dobby the slip of paper that would allow him to see number 12 Grimmauld Place. When Dobby had read the sentence, Harry asked "Can you get me inside now Dobby?"

"Yes, Harry Potter sir. Dobby is seeing the house now, he is."

"Good. Can you take me to the second floor bedroom, quietly?"

"Dobby can get yous onto the first floor, but Dobby cannot be finding specific rooms or other floors yet."

"That's enough then. Hopefully nobody will be there."

After another crack, Harry and Dobby appeared in the drawing room – the only room with a front-viewing window Dobby could see through. Luckily, it was still deserted. Harry pulled the hood of his cloak back up, then covered Dobby with the cloak as well. "Follow me." He whispered, making his way back up to the room he shared with Ron. It was deserted. "Is it possible to make it look like I'm in bed, sleeping, Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Dobby can do that." He said, snapping his fingers several times. "Dobby has made yous appear in your bed, and has also added compulsion magics to the room, so anyones looking for yous will find somethings else to do."

"Brilliant Dobby. Now, do you think you could take me to Gringotts please?"

Thursday 17th August 1995, 13:45

Reappearing on the front steps of Gringotts, Harry said "Could you wait here for me please Dobby? I shouldn't be long."

"Dobby is thinking that waiting would be drawing toos much attention. Dobby will go backs to Hogwarts, and when Harry Potter sir is finished he needs only call for Dobby."

"Thanks Dobby. You're a real help." Harry said. "Would it be too much trouble to ask you to disguise me somehow? I need to be seen, but to keep my identity hidden." With a couple of clicks of Dobby's fingers, Harry felt several charms wash over him. "Thank you."

Harry made his way into the bank and queued up at one of the tellers. Luckily, Gringotts wasn't too busy that day as Hogwarts letters had not yet been sent out, so he made it to the goblin at the desk relatively quickly.

The goblin looked up at him strangely, before a certain understanding clouded his features. "Griphook!" He called. Harry had not even said anything. When the goblin Harry recognised from his first trip to the bank arrived, the one at the desk said "Please escort the client to room 3, Griphook."

Confused, Harry followed Griphook through some twisting corridors. "It's nice to see you again Griphook." He said, attempting to be polite.

"It's good to see you again as well, Mr Potter." Griphook's face turned into a sort of grimace, which Harry assumed was meant to actually be a smile.

"You know it's me?" He asked, although somehow he had already known that to be the case.

"Of course, Mr Potter. We goblins pride ourselves not only on client confidentiality, but also knowing our customer."

Shortly, they arrived at a door labelled 'Conference Room 3'. Harry entered and sat down, while Griphook left. Within moments, another goblin arrived and sat down across from Harry.

"Good afternoon, Mr Potter. I am Nagnark. I oversee, among others, the Potter vaults."

"Good afternoon, Nagnark." Harry responded politely. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting this. I had only come to withdraw some money."

"You mean you did not come as a result of the letter we sent you on your 15th birthday?" Nagnark asked, barely concealing his shock.

"What letter? I never received one." Harry said, confused.

"We sent you a letter requesting your presence to go over some important information. Professor Dumbledore *had* indicated that you were currently unavailable, but upon hearing you had arrived I assumed that to be a mistake."

"As I said, I never got a letter. What was it about?"

"As you are the sole surviving member of your family, you may gain access to your family vault upon the arrival of your 15th birthday, as apposed to when you become of age, as would be the case if your parents were alive. It is not quite this simple, as the vault trustee must also agree to this. Even without this agreement, you should still be informed of the contents at this point, just without access being provided."

"I wasn't even aware I had a family vault, let alone who the trustee might be. I only know of the vault I've been using for school supplies."

"That is your trust vault. It was opened to provide for you through Hogwarts, when you would then be able to access your family vault. Upon this access being granted, the trust vault will be dissolved, with all contents being returned to the family vault." Nagnark explained. "As for your trustee, he is Albus Dumbledore. He was appointed by your parents in their will."

"My parents had a will?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Indeed. I can assure you all bequests were carried out as they asked, regardless of any political standings at the time. I can arrange for a copy to be sent to you if you wish." Harry nodded quickly.

"As I said, Nagnark, I never got your letter. I can only assume Dumbledore intercepted it and informed you I would not be able to attend. He has been very eager to keep me locked away this summer. I imagine he does not appreciate the idea of me getting access to my vault."

"In that case, I will dissolve his trustee agreement. Even if he didn't wish to provide permission for you to gain access to your family vault, you were still entitled to learning the contents. Therefore, he has violated the agreement. As the overseer of the Potter vaults, I now give you access to your family vault, to save the need for appointing another trustee."

"Thank you, Nagnark. Will Dumbledore need to be informed of this?" Harry asked.

"Not for a while. The notice of dissolution must be sent within 100 days under Gringotts policy. I will conveniently forget to file it until the end of this period if you wish Mr Potter?"

"Yes please. It would be best for him to not find out I am here today, hence the disguise. I snuck out." Harry admitted, somewhat bashfully. "And please, it's just Harry."

"Certainly, Harry. I will get you a summary of the vault contents, but to do so we must visit the vault in question."

"Is there anything else we need to talk about first? I can't be gone long today, and I do still need to visit my vault anyway."

"Nothing else is urgent. I shall see that another letter is sent with details of any outstanding discussions we must have. As Dumbledore is no longer your trustee, he will no longer need to receive a copy of your letters. Therefore, I doubt this one will be intercepted before you receive it. Let us head down to the vault now then."

Thursday 17th August 1995, 14:15

A short ride in the carts later, and Nagnark and Harry were outside the Potter Family vault.

"Simply press your hand to the door to enter. Take a look around, it will take me a few minutes to arrange for the vault summary." Nagnark instructed.

Harry walked up to the door and pressed his hand to it. Sure enough, the intricately designed metal shimmered and disappeared in front of him, giving him a view of the vault. Harry took a step back and gasped.

Piles of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts filled the centre, while bookshelves lined one wall and chests another. In the back corner, he could see a collection of dusty furniture. He entered, heading towards one of the piles of galleons, intending to collect some money, but something drew him over to one of the chests on the right of the cavern.

Making his way over, Harry saw that a row of five identical chests were neatly arranged. He opened the lid of the first one, and peered inside, shocked. It contained stacks of clothes. Moving onto the second chest, he found several boxes, each containing small items, collectibles and knick-knacks. In the third chest, he found several boxes of jewellery. It wasn't clear who's it was, whether it had been his mum's, grandmother's, or someone else's, but he didn't care. It gave him an insight into his family.

Harry spent several minutes looking through the boxes, until he found a particular item that caught his eye. A golden locket, with an intricate design carved on the front. A small stag was pictured, with tiny emeralds set in the locket as eyes. Next to it, a doe, with red ruby eyes. It was perfect for his purposes, and meant he didn't have to spend a while searching around Diagon Alley. He carefully pocketed the locket, before returning the rest of the items to the chest. He imagined he'd probably want to come back to search through them again, and maybe soon, but it wouldn't make sense to take anything else now – it would draw attention to his unsanctioned trip.

Returning to the piles of coins, Harry scooped a handful into his moneybag, just in case. He didn't know if he'd be able to return before heading back to Hogwarts in September. Sadly, he glanced around. He hoped that soon he'd be able to spend a couple of hours here, looking at everything the vault contained – there appeared to be a lot of history within the cavern, and he couldn't wait to learn more about his family. On his way out, he spotted a Potter family history book on the shelves, and quickly pulled that under his arm as well.

At the entrance, Nagnark was waiting for him. "Here is the summary of the contents of the vault. I suggest you keep that safe. It can be very helpful to know exactly what your vault contains." The goblin handed Harry several sheets of parchment. In fact, Harry realised, several was an understatement. The summary appeared to be almost the size of a small book.

"Thank you Nagnark. Now I'm afraid I must be going. I hope to be back to get a better look around soon." Harry said.

Upon returning to the surface, Harry called Dobby, who was ecstatic to return him to Grimmauld Place and remove the charms that had been set on his bedroom. Harry quickly placed the items he'd brought back from Gringotts in his drawer, and, after thanking Dobby, headed out to find his friends – the length of his nap was starting to look suspicious.

Friday 18th August 1995, 08:00

"Ginny, could you come in here a second please?" Harry asked from the doorway of the drawing room. Ginny had just emerged from the room she was sharing with Hermione on her way to breakfast.

"Sure Harry, but you should know better than to get between a Weasley and food." She quipped, entering the drawing room behind him. "After all, you've been friends with Ron for how long?"

"I know, but Ron's more likely to devour the actual table, even if he's only just eaten. I'm assuming you're a bit more restrained." Harry grinned. "Besides, this shouldn't take long."

"Well, what is it Harry?" He seemed quite nervous, and Ginny wanted to set him at ease.

"I promised I'd make forgetting your birthday up to you Ginny, so here – happy birthday." He said, holding out a small pouch. "I couldn't really wrap it." He admitted, embarrassed. " You said I couldn't tell anyone, and asking for some wrapping paper would have been a dead giveaway, so I had to make do., but…"

Ginny pressed a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him. "You're rambling, Harry." She blushed slightly at having put her finger there and removed it quickly. Harry remained silent. "You really didn't have to get me anything – just the time you've spent with me this last week is more than enough." Ginny continued.

Harry couldn't stay silent. "But I wanted to get you something, Ginny. You deserve it. Especially since most everyone forgot about your birthday in the first place. Go on, open it." Harry urged.

Ginny pulled open the small pouch and peered inside, then gasped. Pulling the locket out, she held it up. "Oh Harry, its beautiful!" She exclaimed. "The designs are so intricate and detailed."

"I looked it up last night – apparently the gems are emeralds and rubies." Harry said. "I didn't know much about it, but when I saw it I knew it would be perfect for you."

"Harry, I can't accept this, it must have cost a fortune." Ginny said.

"Of course you can Ginny. It's a present." Harry replied stubbornly. "Besides, it didn't cost me anything."

"Nothing? Wherever did you find it then?"

"I snuck out yesterday." Harry started nervously. When she didn't appear to be upset at him putting himself in danger, he continued. "I visited Gringotts. Apparently, because I'm fifteen I get access to my family vault – I didn't even know it existed." Harry's voice took on a certain air of melancholy. "I found the locket in there. I don't know who it belonged to originally, but it seemed perfect. It almost felt as if it was calling to me as soon as I entered the vault." Harry continued.

"I can't take something that belonged to your relatives Harry!" Ginny insisted, aghast.

"Yes, you can Ginny." Harry insisted. "I want you to have it. Besides, you can't give it back without hurting my feelings."

That was a low blow. There was no way Ginny was ever going to hurt Harry's feelings, even if he didn't know it. "You're not playing fair Harry." Ginny complained.

"So what?" Harry responded. "It's yours."

"Is there anything in it?" Ginny asked.

"Not yet. There's room for a picture though, so you just need to find one you like and you can easily add it." Harry told her. "Now put it on – I want to see you wearing it." Harry urged her.

"Will you, will you put it on for me?" Ginny asked nervously.

"Of course." Harry gently took the locket from her hands, and Ginny turned, pulling her long fiery hair away from her neck. Harry wrapped the chain around her, and attached the clasp. It was a strangely intimate gesture.

"Thank you." Ginny said, turning back to face him. She sounded slightly breathless.

"You look beautiful in that." Harry said, nervously.

"It is pretty." Ginny agreed, picking up the locket in one hand.

"Not the locket, although it is." Harry corrected. "You are beautiful. The locket just adds to that."

Ginny looked up in surprise. "Do you really mean that Harry?" She asked, unsure.

"Definitely." Harry replied. "I've spent a lot of time this week with my thoughts. What I was trying to work out after my trial was only one thing they've been trying to prompt in my mind. I worked out another as well."

"And what was that?" Ginny asked, not noticing that they'd drawn closer together.

"This." Harry whispered, before lowering his head and pressing his lips gently to hers.

The kiss barely lasted more than a second before Harry drew away, uncertainly. He couldn't believe he'd been so forward – what if she didn't feel the same way? Merlin, she had a boyfriend. What was he doing? Had he just ruined his newfound friendship with her?

Ginny had been surprised by the feel of his lips on hers, and hadn't had a chance to reciprocate before he pulled away. She looked searchingly at him, confused. Why had he pulled away? She decided the only way she was going to get any answers was to just ask him bluntly. "Harry, do you fancy me?"

Harry, surprised at her question, took a moment to respond. "Yes Ginny, I fancy you. Quite a lot, actually. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you – not when you have a boyfriend, and.." Harry was cut off by Ginny pulling his head down to hers again, and pressing her lips against his.

This time, the kiss lasted much longer, neither teen wanting to pull away. Eventually, the need to breathe made itself known, and Harry pulled back. "Ginny?" He asked, confused.

"I fancy you too Harry. I have since I first met you. I've just been waiting for you to notice me."

"I'm sorry I'm so slow, Ginny. I think part of me has always noticed you. My brain's just been a bit slow to catch up. But what about Michael?"

"Michael who? The git decided Cho needed comforting at the end of the year after, you know, Cedric…" Ginny trailed off. At seeing that Harry was going to fall into brooding again, at least at that moment, she continued. "Well, he decided that comforting needed to consist of snogging her. I dumped him the moment his lips touched hers."

"I don't know why he'd want to give you up – the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts!" Harry proclaimed. "But I'm not complaining." He added.

"So where does this leave us?" Ginny questioned.

Harry looked confused for a moment, before her meaning dawned on him. "Oh! Ginny, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, nervously.

"Yes, I will." Ginny said happily, then laughed. "Did you really think I'd say no?" She asked.

"I'm still getting used to the thought that someone as wonderful as you might be interested in me. It's going to take a while to break me of that one, I think." Harry admitted.

"I can think of something so much better to be doing now than talking." Ginny said impishly, eyeing his lips.

"Oh, can you?" Harry said, lowering his mouth back down to hers and losing himself in holding her close, stroking his hands through her hair while his lips danced with hers.

Friday 18th August 1995, 09:00

"That's a pretty locket Ginny." Mrs Weasley commented, once the two teens had made it downstairs for breakfast. They'd been slightly distracted, but Ginny's impatient stomach had soon made itself known.

Ginny looked up, startled. Then she drew the locket into her hand. "Yes, it is. Do you think you could help me find a picture after breakfast, Mum?" Ginny asked.

"Of course, dear. But wherever did you get it? I don't remember seeing it before."

"Oh. Harry gave it to me." Ginny replied, nervously. Harry, sitting next to her, averted his gaze. He really didn't want to be asked any questions that may cause him to break his promise to Ginny.

"But why? You know you shouldn't accept charity, Ginny. Its not right." Mrs Weasley said.

"It's not charity, Mum." Ginny said exasperated. She sighed. "It was a present."

"A present? But it's not your birthday."

"My birthday was last week, Mum." Ginny said, sadly. She hadn't wanted to admit it, but there it was.

"What?" Mrs Weasley said, shocked. She bustled over to a calendar near the kitchen door and traced back the days. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Ginny. I'm so sorry we forgot!" She cried.

"It's okay, Mum. You were all worried for Harry. I didn't want to make matters worse by telling you. Besides, I was interested to see who would remember first." Ginny reassured her.

"It's not okay, Ginny." Mrs Weasley replied. "I can't believe I forgot my baby girl's birthday!" Ginny stiffened at being called a baby, but tried not to let it bother her – her mother was upset enough as it was.

"What did you forget?" Ron asked, yawning, as he sat down heavily at the table.

"We forgot Ginny's birthday, Ron." She said, sadly.

"What?" That admission had woken Ron right up. "I can't believe it. I'm sorry Ginny."

"It's alright, Ron." Ginny said. "As I've tried to tell Mum, we were a bit preoccupied. This is why I didn't want to tell you, Mum." She said, turning. "I didn't want to make you upset."

"You shouldn't worry about that, Ginny. I can't believe I forgot." Shaking herself, Mrs Weasley sat up. "Well, we're just going to have to celebrate it a bit late, that's all. We'll have a grand party this evening, and no chores today, you've definitely earnt the break." She said decisively.

Friday 18th August 1995, 10:30

Harry and Ginny had returned to their sanctuary in the drawing room at the news that they wouldn't need to do any cleaning that day.

"Don't you feel better now that they at least know?" Harry asked, sitting next to Ginny on the couch and cautiously wrapping an arm around her. He knew it was going to take him a while to get used to the idea that he could initiate physical contact.

"Yes, but I still kind of would have preferred it if they didn't. You saw how upset Mum was. I just wish she could have been spared that."

"I know what you mean, but they shouldn't have forgotten about you in the first place. Besides, it was bound to happen when Bill got here anyway – as soon as he turned up with two presents for you the kneazle would have been out of the bag, so to speak." Harry tried to reason with her.

"I know." Ginny said sadly. "I wonder when Bill will be getting here. It should be in the next couple of days."

"Who knows. But I can think of a much better way for us to spend our time in here than talking." Harry said cheekily.

"I bet you can!" Ginny laughed. She turned to face him, and Harry brought his other arm round her as she loosely draped hers over his shoulders and pulled his lips down to hers, losing herself in the sensation that was Harry.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door closing came from downstairs. Not wishing to be caught snogging, The pair separated, and headed back downstairs to see Bill greeting Mrs Weasley in the kitchen.

"So why are you so busy cooking Mum?" Bill asked, confused. "It's still morning!"

"Well, we need a party tonight, so I need to cook lots, and…" Mrs Weasley started crying again.

"Mum?" Bill asked, guiding her into a chair at the table.

Ginny made her presence known. "I told you Mum, it doesn't matter." Th reassurance did little to calm her emotions.

"Ginny! It's great to see you." Bill said, pulling his sister into a hug. "What doesn't matter?" He asked, curious.

"Mum's upset because she forgot my birthday." Ginny reluctantly admitted. She didn't want to bring it up again.

"What?"

"Everyone was so pre-occupied last week that they completely forgot. Harry remembered the night after, but no-one else did until I ended up telling them this morning."

Bill glanced at Harry next to Ginny, but didn't say anything. "Well, I'm not surprised you didn't say anything. You've always been too kind for your own good." Bill joked. "But what made them realise?" He asked.

"When Harry realised, he promised to make it up to me." Ginny explained. "This morning, he gave me this locket." She held it up for her brother to see. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is." Bill agreed. "I'm a bit surprised at your taste, Harry." He said, looking over at the young wizard.

Harry blushed. "When I saw it, I just knew it was perfect for her. I can't explain it more than that."

"It's definitely perfect." Bill agreed. He opened it and saw the empty slot for a picture. "Do you want to go look for a picture now Ginny?" He asked. "I think we should give Mum a little time to calm down." He added. Ginny nodded, and the siblings headed upstairs to look for a picture.

Mrs Weasley looked up at Harry sadly. "How did you remember her birthday Harry?" She asked.

"I don't really know. Something at the start of the trial, I imagine it was Madam Bones announcing the date, prompted something in my mind, then seeing Ginny later built on that, and suddenly I realised what it was. I was embarrassed to realise we'd all missed her birthday because of my trial – I'm definitely not that important."

Mrs Weasley merely nodded idly.

Friday 18th August 1995, 11:30

"What sort of picture are you looking for, Ginny?" Bill asked as they made their way upstairs.

"Oh, I know exactly what picture I want to use, I just need someone who can use magic to duplicate it and shrink it to the right size." Ginny admitted. Entering her room, she moved over to her trunk and rummaged around briefly, looking for the picture she was thinking of.

"Here it is." She announced, holding up a small picture frame. Bill recognised it from her desk at the Burrow, and his eyebrows shot up.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes." Ginny blushed slightly. "Don't tease me, but this picture's always gone everywhere with me. It makes sense that it would go in the locket he gave me." Ginny defended her decision.

"I guess that crush still hasn't gone away then?" Bill asked.

"I told you not to tease me!" Ginny said indignantly.

"I know, but I couldn't help it!" Bill said. "Here, I'll sort out the spells for you."

A couple of seconds later, a copy of the image was nestled in the locket, and a smiling Harry was waving at her. It was a picture she'd got in the summer before her first year, when Mrs Weasley had insisted on taking a picture of Harry as well as all her children. Ginny had managed to stammer through persuading her Mum to duplicate it for her. She smiled at the image, and carefully closed the locket.

Friday 18th August 1995, 20:00

Ginny's impromptu delayed birthday dinner had just finished, and the presents had finished being handed out. She was happy to learn that her family had at least all got her something, even if they had forgotten to actually give them to her. Mr Weasley had been particularly upset when he'd got home from work to find that he'd missed his daughter's birthday and not realised for a week.

"What was your favourite present then?" Ron asked cheekily, getting a smack across the head from Mrs Weasley. "Ow!" He exclaimed.

"Don't ask her that, it's rude." Mrs Weasley admonished him.

Ginny grinned, she'd been expecting her prat of a brother to ask something like that, and knew exactly what she was going to do – kill two birds with one stone. She stood up, pulled Harry out of his seat and pressed her lips firmly against his. Harry stiffened slightly at being in front of her family, but quickly started to return the kiss. Shocked gasps where heard around the kitchen. Ginny pulled back. "Definitely you!" She told Harry happily, and he grinned at his girlfriend in return, ignoring the rest of the Weasley's surrounding him. With Ginny, he knew he had nothing to worry about from her family – she could handle them.

A/N: So, what do you think? I've had so many ideas like this since I started writing RotC, but didn't think I'd be able to leave any at just oneshots. This one just worked though. I don't know what was different about it. It may be continued in the future, but probably not. It definitely won't be until RotC is finished. Although, the following plot from this may be very similar to the year 5 plot in RotC anyway, so who knows? Thanks for reading, and please consider leaving a review!