Ginny didn�t want to deal with the note her brother had left her that morning. But the longer she ignored it, the more it popped into her brain that she should do something about it.

�Weasley, are you going to open that one of these days so I know if you�re going or not?�

Ginny looked up at Dex and frowned. �What do you mean?�

Dex reached into his own desk drawer and pulled out a similar looking note. He waved it across the space in between their two desks.

�Your brother sent me one too. I want to know if I should bother going home to change or not.�

�I wasn�t aware your attendance to things hinged on me being there.�

Dex rolled his eyes. �Well, unfortunately, they do. So get with it. I want to know if I should meet the world famous Harry Potter tonight or just bump into him in the hall like any other nonchalant, yet still in awe, self-respecting wizard would do.�

Ginny felt her heart beat faster. But of course, they�re having a welcome home party, aren�t they?

Before Ginny could make a decision, there was a knock on the door. Oh, Merlin! Neville!, she thought to herself. She hid the envelope in her robe, choosing to ignore the bemused expression on Dex�s face.

�Come in,� she called out.

The door opened and of course, it was Neville. Exactly on time for their lunch date.

�Hi Ginny. Hi Dex,� Neville beamed at the pair of them. �Are you ready, love?�

�Yes, I am. Just a moment,� Ginny ignored Dex�s eyes and stood up quickly, knocking over a group of folders on her desk. �Blast!�

Neville bent down to help her and Ginny suddenly felt very unreasonable.

�No, I can do it, Neville. Just... give them to me,� she said more harshly then she meant to, because Neville looked at her strangely.

�Sure, Gin. Just trying to help.�

As Ginny stayed on the floor, scooping the papers up, Dex spoke.

�You�ll have to forgive our Miss Weasley this morning, Neville. She�s cranky because I keep bothering her about this party her brother is throwing.�

Ginny froze and continued looking down at the floor. Oh, Merlin, please don�t mention it�s for Harry. Please, please.

�Oh you mean the party for Harry? I just assumed we were going, aren�t we Ginny?�

Ginny looked up at Neville, the blood rushing to her face.

�Ron... sent you a letter too?�

Neville smiled. �Yeah, I got it this morning, I didn�t know Harry was coming back. It�ll be good to see him, won�t it?�

Ginny nodded her head numbly and stood up. She handed the folder to Dex.

�Straighten these up for me Dex, would you?�

Something in her face must have warned him not to make a joke, because he simply nodded his head.

�Come on, Neville. Let�s go get something to eat. We�ll be at the Leaky Cauldron, Dex. In case you need me.�

Before Dex could reply, she was out the door, making Neville rush to keep up with her.

Dex stared down at the papers in his hands and wondered what had just happened. It was unlike Ginny to become un-nerved at anything and yet the mention of Harry Potter had her knocking things over and blushing as bright as strawberry.

Well, that�s that, he thought to himself. I�m definitely going to that party now. Any man that could make Ginny Weasley nervous was definitely worth checking out in his book.

�We don�t have to go, you know.�

This was the tenth time Ginny had offered this line to Neville, but he didn�t seem to be getting the hint.

�Nonsense, I�m excited to see Harry, aren�t you? It�s been a long time. And Ron�s note said he was trying to get the old crowd together to welcome him home. It�ll be good to see everyone. Susan�s going.�

Ginny raised her eyebrow. Susan Bones had been working on Neville�s summer greenhouse project with him and always seemed to be around lately. If Neville were anyone else other than Neville, Ginny�s warning bells might have been going off.

Still, Neville did blush slightly when he saw her look. �I spoke to her this morning, we were discussing some more plants to get in.�

�She�s helping you a great deal, isn�t she? I never knew Susan liked Herbology so much.�

Neville nodded. �Yeah, she loves it like I do. It�ll be great when she joins the staff at Hogwarts. It�ll be nice to have someone around that knows the difference between a Galangal root and a Myrtle seed...�

Neville continued on and Ginny tuned him out. Her eyes had strayed to the door, where she could have sworn that she had just seen her brother and Hermione.

�Excuse me for a second, Neville, I think I just saw Ron and Hermione come in. Mind if I go say hello?�

Neville turned around and looked at the door. �No, go ask them to join us. I could ask Hermione a few things about Valerian root.�

Ginny got up and made her way to the entrance of the pub. Ron was bending his head in Hermione�s direction, saying something that made her laugh and push his hand away. Ginny cleared her throat.

�Ahem. Hi, you two. Taking a break from work, Hermione? However has my brother convinced you to do that? Come join Neville and me, we�re back there.�

Hermione turned her head and her eyes were wide with surprise. She flicked a look over to where Ginny indicated and gave a feeble smile. She and Ron exchanged odd looks.

�What�s wrong? We don�t bite,� Ginny said laughing. �I mean, I can�t promise Neville won�t talk your ear off about plants or anything, but it�s hardly cause for such a reaction. Or did you two want to be alone?�

Ron smiled, but looked away, his eyes going over Ginny�s head.

�Well, see... Ginny... we�d love to eat with you two, but...well, it�s not just the two of us for lunch-�

�Yeah... you�ll have to make room for three instead of two,� a voice said behind her and Ginny felt a shiver go down her back. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and then turned around to face Harry.

�Hi, Ginny.�

In all of her life, Ginny Weasley had never felt time stand still, had never thought it possible. But for that one moment, that one fraction in time of when her eyes met his, she would have believed anything was possible. She was aware only of the sound of her heart, and the simple intake of her breath. Everything else was gone. They could have been standing in the middle of the Quidditch World Cup, with England winning for all she heard, and she swore she saw a lifetime in his eyes. The eyes that reminded her of fresh sweet grass and the deepest part of the forest. The eyes that made something tighten deep within her.

But then she blinked and it was over, and the sounds and smells of the Leaky Cauldron came back to her. Her senses felt overwhelmed and she teetered forward, Harry�s arm reaching out to catch her.

�Are you alright?� he asked her, his voice soft and concerned.

�I�m... fine. Thank you,� but Ginny felt remorse when he took his hand away and she shook her head. Level yourself, you ninny. It�s just Harry.

�Harry!� Neville�s voice rang out across the pub and a few heads turned towards him as he approached.

�Bless my soul! It�s really you. We were just talking about you, weren�t we Ginny? She didn�t want to go to your party! �

Harry smiled at Neville and started to shake the other man�s hand, which Neville pushed aside and pulled him into a hug instead. When Harry pulled away he shot a bemused expression at her.

�What party would this be then?�

�Neville! It was supposed to be a surprise!� hissed Ron.

Neville turned a bit pink. �Oh... sorry. Sorry. I was just happy to see him. Oh dear, I�ve gone and done it now, haven�t I?�

�Oh nonsense, Neville. He was bound to find out anyway, Ron. Weren�t you Harry?� Hermione said, taking charge of the situation. She brushed past Ginny and flashed her a kind smile. Hermione took the lead and led Neville and Harry back in the direction of the table.

Ginny felt queasy and unable to move. She felt Ron beside her and looked up at her brother.

�Think you can handle sitting through a tense meal where Neville talks too much and Hermione bosses everyone around?�

Ginny shook her head, unable to find her voice.

Ron grimaced. �Yeah, me either. Nothing for it though. Come on sis, let�s not keep them waiting. Harry might start think he�s had an affect on you.�

Ginny laughed despite herself and grabbed the arm, Ron offered her. When they got to the booth, she noticed that Hermione had placed herself in between Ginny�s seat and Neville�s, which left Harry sitting at the table directly across from her.

Luckily Harry didn�t look at her as she sat down, or she may have stumbled. Get it together, stop acting like a schoolgirl, for goodness sake, she thought angrily to herself. She stared at the table as the others put their orders in and realized suddenly that Neville was speaking to her.

�... don�t you think so, Ginny?�

�I�m sorry, I didn�t hear the question?�

�I said Harry looks handsome with his new glasses, doesn�t he?�

Ginny felt her skin begin to heat as her eyes flicked up and then down again. Why is Neville being so damn friendly to him? Doesn�t he know any better?

Ginny mumbled something under her breath and Neville frowned. He opened up his mouth, but Hermione sneezed suddenly, causing a great disturbance as she knocked over the butterbear Ron had just received.

�Aww... Hermione! I just got that. I didn�t even get a taste. And all over my robes too. Thanks a lot-�

�Oh Ron, just use your wand and clean it, for heaven�s sake. You can buy another butterbeer. Stop being a baby.�

�I�ll go get you another drink, Ron,� Neville said and he got up and went towards the bar.

As Ron and Hermione fussed over the spilt drink, Ginny let her eyes look up again and she watched as Harry laughed at Ron. He felt her eyes on him and turned his head to look at her. His smile was kind and she knew her skin was probably turning as red as one of the beets from her Mum�s garden. But somehow she found her voice.

�I do like your new glasses, Harry. They�re quite... modern.�

Harry grinned at her. �Thanks. I like your hair, you�re keeping it shorter these days.�

Ginny�s hand went self-consciously to her head. �Yeah, I... I like it this length. It... stays out of the way.�

�It�s really... becoming,� Harry said thoughtfully, his eyes moving over her, �but then I always did think you had a face that shouldn�t be hidden by too much hair. It really brings out the beauty of your eyes.�

Ginny was saved by replying as Neville came back to the table with Ron�s new drink. She looked away from Harry and willed her heart to stop doing flip-flops.

Ginny�s hand strayed unconsciously to the stone around her neck and she felt the shape of it through its protective pouch. She had a feeling that to get through this meal, she�d need all the grounding she could get.