26th December 2005

"You heading somewhere, Harry?" Remus Lupin's voice was heard through the prince's chamber.

Harry straightened his tie before looking up at Remus and shrugging.

"I'm guessing that's my mum's question and not yours, true?" the emerald-eyed man asked with a laugh as he looked back at the mirror he was standing in front of.

Remus chuckled.

"Not really," the werewolf confessed. "I'll admit that she was moaning about you not letting her know where you were going, but she didn't put me up to questioning you, I swear."

Harry turned around and smiled at his father's friend, who took a few steps forward and sat on the closest sofa. Remus looked up at Harry with a mixture of admiration and pride.

"Do I look good?" Harry asked the man, turning around to face him.

Remus smiled. "Of course you do, Harry; thought I would recommend asking Sirius, he's always followed fashion better than me."

They both chuckled slightly.

"So," Remus continued. "Are you going to see Ginny?"

Harry sighed as he nodded slowly. "But don't tell Mum, ok? I don't want her to meddle in this."

Remus shrugged but nodded, indicating that he wouldn't say a word.

"You're quite taken with her, aren't you?" Remus asked him with a strange knowing smile on his face.

Harry just smiled back at him.

"Nymphadora seems to think you'll be head over arse in love with her in no time…"

After that, Harry was quiet for a second. Ginny was outstanding, she was passionate and she brought out the best in him; but he wasn't stupid, Harry was no normal boy and that meant that truly falling for Ginny could, and would, bring up many problems.

"We'll deal with that if we get there, ok?" Harry told Remus kindly.

Remus shook his head. "I know the girl, Harry. She reminds me so much of Dora at times…she's stubborn and independent and she can, and will, always stand up for herself. And, yet, she also reminds me of Molly Weasley, who is nurturing and patient…she even reminds me of Lily a little…"

Harry looked up. "She reminds you of Mum?" he asked him, surprised.

Remus chuckled. "Yeah...Ginny, well, she's got that thing your mum's always had...you know, that thing when she just knows about life because she just does..."

Harry smiled as he nodded, looking absently at a window that showed the snow that was falling outside. "She does have that, doesn't she? I think it's one of things I most like about her; it's like she's lived thousands of years but she doesn't show off about it...she just talks in this way that makes you see the wisdom..."

Remus smiled back at the 25-year-old.

"Exactly," he said. "So, Harry, I don't think it's a matter of 'if' you fall for her, but more like, when you fall for her."

Harry sighed as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

"I don't like this one bit, Squirt," Charlie announced to the empty living room as his only sister finished getting ready in her room.

The girl in question responded with a shout. "I'll regret it all my life if I don't go!"

Charlie shook his head. "You might regret it all your life if you do go. What does it matter if you don't go...you said it yourself...the possibilities of a relationship with this guy are completely nonexistent."

Ginny sighed from her room. "I know that, Charles! But I feel that I need to go; it's like that feeling I got when I used to steal your brooms...I knew it was the right thing to do!"

Charlie chuckled darkly. "Cheeky little midget..." he muttered under his breath, getting hit by a cushion a second later.

"I heard that, Charlie!"

Charlie got ready to hit his sister back, but stopped when he saw her. The little snitch had put her hair up in a weird complicated bun and was wearing a black halter dress that reached mid-thigh, leaving her shoulders and most of her legs, that looked far too long and, exceptuating a black pair of stilettos, completely bare.

The older sibling frowned. "You do realise we're in December, don't you?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows at the red-head. "And?"

Charlie ran a hand through his long hair. "Well, I was simply trying to state that you are going to freeze to death if you go out there like this."

Ginny sent him a glare.

"I'm wearing my green robes on top of this, you git," Ginny told her brother off.

"Then," Charlie started. "What's the point in wearing something underneath that has less material than a swimsuit? If you're going to be wearing your robes, wear some warn and comfortable stuff underneath them."

Ginny smirked. "Well, I don't think I'll be needing the robes all night."

Charlie's jaw fell up. "W-What do you...?"

Ginny laughed out load.

"Chill out, big brother," she patted his back as she laughed. "I only meant that there'll be plenty of heating charms around the 'Elegant Hippogriff'."

Charlie's jaw fell once again. "That's where he's taking you?"

Ginny shrugged. "Yeah...Hermione told me it's a posh restaurant; it's not my type of thing but..."

"God, Gin-Gin...'posh' is an understatement, the 'Elegant Hippogriff' is the most snobbish thing that I have ever seen...you know, five forks, ten spoons, four glasses..."

Ginny bit her lip. "And how is it that you know so much about this place?"

Charlie laughed. "Remember Martha Melton? The girl I dated for a bit before leaving for Romania?"

"The snob that used to make horrible comments about my 'orange' hair and how I would grow up to resent it..."

Charlie laughed once again. "Yeah...I broke up with her at that restaurant."

Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Squirt...We...Us Weasleys; we're not made for that kind of thing, we don't belong in that world."

Ginny sighed. "That's for me to decide, don't you think?"

Charlie nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, it is, but it's my duty to warn you...you're heading into a territory that you cannot survive in and, even worst...If the prince spends more time with you he'll fall for you, Ginny."

"You don't know that..."

Charlie smiled sympathetically. "You're my little sister, I've watched guy after guy fawn over you without you even noticing. If tonight goes well, the prince will fall in love with you, there's no doubt in my mind about that."

Ginny tried to say something, but Charlie stopped her.

"That's why I'm begging you not to go...you'll break both your hearts if you continue with this ridiculous nonsense!"

Ginny shook her head. "I'm going, Charlie...like I told you, it's just one of these times that I know what I'm supposed to do... And what I'm supposed to do is meet up with Harry, tonight. I'm sure of it..."

Charlie shrugged. "If you say so, Gin..."

Ginny had to laugh when she saw Harry pacing inside the restaurant.

Looking around her, she realized that Charlie had been right, this place was as posh as it could get; however, just by looking back at Harry, she could get her mind off any other problem and concentrate only on him.

"Miss Weasley?" A voice whispered close to her ear.

Ginny jumped slightly but soon saw that the speaker was one of the waiters.

"The prince is waiting for you, Miss..." the man smiled politely, leading her to the back of the restaurant. At this, Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Why aren't we going in through the front door?" she asked quickly, not really caring if she was being intrusive. She looked back at the window and saw that Harry now remained still, looking at the door that Ginny supposed she would be entering from. She looked around her one more time before following the man, who was leading her towards the room where Harry was.

Ginny couldn't shake of the feeling that was taking a hold of her; it was like everything in her head was telling her to walk away. She looked down at her high heels, which clicked gently on the beautiful stone pavement illuminated by the fairy lights that floated around her and, suddenly, she knew that this was not the place she was supposed to be.

She looked up and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a certain Prince of Wales staring back at her with a shy smile on his face.

"Miss, are you coming?" the man that was accompanying her asked as she stopped.

Ginny silently looked back up at Harry and shook her head gently, asking for forgiveness. She hated to do this, but now she saw that Charlie had been right, this could not, would not, end well; Harry Potter was one of the most important wizards on the earth, she was just a humble, popular, Quiddich player, who knew nothing about protocol or royalty.

"Please tell the prince that..." she started not knowing too well what it was that she was supposed to say. Somehow, a second later, she knew. "Tell him that...Maybe in another life."

Before she finished the sentence, Ginny turned around, not wanting to be witness of Harry's face when he saw she was leaving. And so she started to walk away, ignoring some wizards that were standing in line, waiting to be seated, and were pointing at her, obviously having recognised her as the red flash; she chuck her hands into her pockets and hid her neck and chin into the top of her green cloak as she took off, crossing quickly the beautiful metal gates that gave entrance to the Elegant Hippogriff.

What she wasn't expecting, however, was the snowflakes that started falling upon her fiery red hair, since it wasn't supposed to start snowing again until the New Year was in. And yet, this new development didn't annoy Ginny, instead it had the opposite effect; a small smile replaced the frown and the girl stopped dead in her tracks and looked up into the beautiful dark London sky, where tiny snowflakes replaced the stars that could only be seen from the countryside. The feeling of the frozen tears that the sky was detaching itself of made Ginny look around again, now finding a quiet and almost lonely street that suited her a lot more than any posh restaurant. And yet, instead of feeling relieved that she seemed to have made the right decision, she suddenly wanted nothing more than to see Harry and tell him to dance with her underneath the snow, no matter how corny and girlish that might sound.

She was so immersed in her thoughts that she did not notice she was now being watched.

"I wish you'd like me as much as you seem to like the snow," Harry Potter's voice spoke up making Ginny turn around quickly, almost losing her balance on the slippery pavement.

The prince's hair was once again all over the place and filled with white snowflakes, and he looked incredibly handsome with a black robe and his green eyes staring right through Ginny. The red-haired girl gulped slightly and looked down at the ground, knowing that she was going to have to make use of her Gryffindor courage and take care of this 'problem' once and for all.

"Happy Christmas," Ginny told him, somehow not finding any other words to start saying what she needed to say.

Harry ran a cold hand through his hair and, as much as Ginny wanted him not to, ignored her strange greeting. "What do you...? Why did you leave?"

Ginny couldn't bring herself to lie to him; it would be of no use anyway, she had to affront this situation, so she looked up into his outstanding eyes and told him that it couldn't be. "I'm not this kind of girl...I can't do this...I don't do twenty-spoon restaurants...I don't want them..."

The prince looked a little confused for a second but seemed to understand. "So, then...let's go somewhere else! I don't even like this place that much, I just thought you might think it...well, I don't know...maybe I screwed up a little." Harry told her, taking a step closer. He didn't want her to leave; he had been looking towards having a proper date with her since he had met her. He raised his hand and tucked a strand of Ginny's hair behind her ear.

Ginny closed her eyes slowly, trying to concentrate. "I can't...I can't do this, Harry, we can't do this. What's the point? Seriously, this is going nowhere..."

Harry went even closer to her, so that her chin was touching his chest and his arms could surround her perfectly.

"I'm not good with this, Ginny... But please, this can go anywhere you want it to go, we can go wherever you want us to go, but don't leave me hanging...I've been waiting for this since I met you at that bloody party...Merlin! I've been waiting for this since I first saw you fly at that match."

Ginny couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her mouth. "Harry...You chose the Elegant Hippogriff for us to have a first date? Does that not show that this is a terrible idea? Does it not show that we don't fit at all? "

Harry chuckled slightly and pushed her into him softly, tightening his hold on her back. "It shows me that I've always been a bit of a clotpole when it comes to these kinds of things, and it only tells me that I obviously need to spend more time with you so that these things don't happen again."

Ginny buried her face in his chest and laughed silently. "You really are going to convince me, aren't you?"

"Well," Harry told her. "I didn't come here to freeze my arse off, that's for sure..."

Ginny laughed and took a hold of his hand.

"Anywhere I want to go?" Ginny asked him with a devilish smile.

Harry sent her a smile that made her heart melt. "I'm probably going to regret it, but, yes, anywhere you want to go..."

"Mum would never believe I've been here," the prince spoke silently into Ginny's ear.

The two of them were sitting on a pair of chairs that looked like animals as they heard children run around their table happily.

Ginny laughed at the comment. "My dad went crazy when I brought him here. D...A friend of mine used to bring me back when I had just left Hogwarts, and the truth is I fell in love with it. It's noisy and all over the place, but it reminds me of The Burrow, my house, and I love to see how Muggles can make magic without being able to actually use real wand magic...I mean, well, do you get me?"

Harry smiled. "Yes...completely. But, I don't think you...I've been dying to go to this place since forever..."

Ginny raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of the coke they'd just put on the table. "I didn't think you would have heard of the place."

Harry laughed. "Believe it or not, my dad asked my mum to marry her in a Rainforest Cafe."

Ginny's jaw dropped slightly, making Harry laugh a little more.

"My dad was exiled to America during Voldemort's reign, and after Hogwarts my mum went there with him, making my farfar and mormor, my grandparents, completely crazy. The entrance to the wizarding community where they lived was through the toilet of a commercial centre, which later became the toilet of a Rainforest Cafe and my mum used to go into the Muggle world at least once a day to phone my grandparents and then my dad and she would always have a drink at the cafe...and one day he popped the question, as they would say."

Ginny laughed. "And you've never been to one before?"

Harry nodded. "In theory, yes, I was taken there before coming back to England, but I was only three months old, so I don't remember the details..."

They both laughed heavily as the waiter came by and took their order.

"When Mum found out they were making one in Britain she went crazy, but there hasn't been an opportunity for the five of us to get together long enough and my mum doesn't want to come without the whole family...I don't know, she's like, she does things that make no sense, but in the end there's a hidden meaning that we all end up understanding, she's special that way," Harry explained with a sweet smile on his face.

"Merlin," Ginny laughed. "You're such a mummy's boy...I can tell..."

Harry laughed as well as he agreed with a nod. "I am; there's no point in denying...I get on worst with my dad, my mum is a bit of a control freak sometimes, but she tries her best to think of my happiness..."

Ginny shuffled a little and sat even closer to him in the booth they were sharing.

"So, then? Does all this mean that I chose the right place? Even if there is a waterfall right behind us, a fake giraffe that's trying to drink out of my coke and they've given us crayons instead of a fork?" Ginny asked him with a huge smile.

Harry turned slightly to look at her better, taking her left hand in his right. "You have the greatest taste that I've ever known..."

Ginny hit him playfully. "I'm sure you've known people with far greater tastes than mine, prince..."

Harry frowned at the use of the title but decided to ignore it as he leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. "Maybe you're right, since you nearly avoided this tonight..."

Ginny shook her head. "Everyone's allowed to make mistakes, especially if you have someone looking out for you who will make you see reason..."

Harry opened his mouth but shut it again when the waitress came around with two bowls of chicken nuggets.

"So, let me recap," Harry spoke up as they both sat at the bar of the muggle pub with a drink each. "Your birthday is on the 11th of august..."

"11 days after yours," Ginny added with a laugh as she looked down at their unused hands, which were intertwined.

"Your mum is a housewife and your dad is the famous and crazy Arthur Weasley, who controls most of the Muggle department at the Ministry and is only subordinated to James Ronaldson. You lost both your uncles in the war, but you didn't get to know them at all. You're the youngest of seven and your brothers are Bill, Charlie, Percy, the famous Weasley Twins, Fred and George, and Ron, Hermione's wife...but you had already told me that, and you're an aunt to 5 great kids and you have three sisters-in-law. Your best subject at Hogwarts was DADA, only second to Quiddich and well...if we're going to let it all out, you have an ex-husband called Dean Thomas, who went to Hogwarts with you." Harry let it all out making Ginny smile at him.

"And I also have an ex-boyfriend who you got a little confused about," she told him with a mixture of jokes and a little anger.

Harry shook his head. "It was a real mistake; you don't know how much I regret being such an idiot...I was really just trying to be smooth, to impress you..."

Ginny separated her hand from his and took it to his chest. "I'm afraid to say smooth isn't your best quality, Potter...And, I have to say, it seems unfair that you know so much about me, but all I know about you is what I've read in papers and text books."

Harry put his hand on her back and brought her closer. "Let's get out of here and I'll tell you everything you want to know, Weasley."

Ginny couldn't help but smile. "You're on, Potter, you're on..."

"Are you sure you're not hot? Maybe I've gone overboard with the warming charms." Harry asked Ginny as they both sat in the middle of Hyde Park. The two of them had occupied a tiny hill, dominated by a huge London Plane; the famous tree was nothing short of outstanding.

Ginny shook her head as she comfortably fell into Harry's embrace. "Truthfully, I'm tempted to take off my robe, but my outfit would scare all the Muggles looking by, they'd think I was freezing to death. It's truly unfair how you wizards have proper Muggle clothes for this kind of weather and us witches can only wear robes or dresses."

Harry laughed, looking up and thinking how he'd done a pretty good job with his spells, it was amazing for it to feel like summer while snow fell around them. "Take off your robe if you like, I cast a disillusionment charm before; no one will be seeing us anytime soon."

Ginny smiled and looked back to face him as she started taking her coat off. "I'll try not to take that the wrong way, Harry, but why would you want no one to see us?"

"You are aware that I'm also known in the Muggle world, aren't you? I've had a know-me-not spell on me for the whole night, but if my mum hears I've used it she'll go crazy, so I decided not to risk it any longer..."

Ginny started at him in surprise as he helped her take her coat off. "You'll have to teach me that one. But, before, please explain how it is that Muggles know you too?"

However, when Ginny turned towards him to get an answer, she found him staring at her dumbfounded, looking at her long pale legs.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You alright, mighty prince?" she asked him sarcastically as she took off her heels and tucked her legs underneath her, leaning against Harry, who was in turn leaning against the tree and still looking at her as if she'd grown another head. "Harry!" she shouted at him, playfully hitting him on the leg.

The prince finally seamed to regain himself and looked back at Ginny. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "You just...I don't know, I didn't think you'd look like this underneath your robes...you look outstanding..."

Ginny smiled as she looked at him with a tender smile. "You might not be smooth, Harry...but you sure know how to charm a girl..."

Harry smiled. "It's easy to charm you," he told her sincerely. "When we're together...I can understand you perfectly; however, when we're apart I obviously screw up a bit more."

They both laughed and Harry tightened his hold on her.

"Anyway, what was it you were saying?" he asked her kindly.

Ginny thought for a second. "Oh...just asking you how come Muggles know you, I would think for you it'd be like me...only recognised in the wizarding world of Britain..."

Harry shook his head. "It's not like I'm that well known, at least not in Britain, but you have to realize I'm not only the Wizarding Prince of Wales, I'm also the grandson of the Muggle King of Norway, so...I also appear in Muggle tabloids."

Ginny laughed. "I should have probably realized that...You are pretty important, aren't you, Harry?"

Harry pulled her slightly more into him and leaned his head on her shoulder. "I would much rather be a farmer, trust me..."

Ginny giggled uncharacteristically. "A farmer?" she asked him. "Really, a magical one or a Muggle one?"

Harry's eyes rested on hers and they both sat there for a few seconds just looking at each other. "You might not believe it, but I'd much rather be a Muggle one...manual working has always been something I do to relax, I find it takes all anger and stress out of my body and puts it into doing a good job."

Ginny turned her torso completely so that she was looking straight at Harry. She was trying to figure him out, figure out how he could be so special, so amazing...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry asked her.

Ginny shrugged. "I'm trying to find an instruction book that goes with you...you're a special kind of man, Harry Potter."

Harry took her hands in his and went closer to her, so that their foreheads were touching.

"It's not hard to understand me," he told her. "And the instructions book comes included in me...all you have to say is 'next' and I'll lead you..."

Ginny looked at him with a cheeky smile.

"So, if I say 'next', I-

But her speech was cut short when Harry leaned even more into her and placed his lips firmly against hers, giving her a feeling that she hadn't felt in ages.

All that Harry could not say through words, he could say through kisses. The way he touched her hair, and caressed her lips with his own, pulling her into him in a way she hadn't truly experienced before.

He pulled back with a smile with his hand still tangled in her hair, which she had let down half-way through the night.

Ginny shook her head while she bit her lip. "We are both asking for trouble, you know it, right?"

Harry untangled his hand from her hair and he leaned down again, to kiss her cheek sweetly.

"I like you a lot, Gin..." Harry spoke up, using a nickname he had been dying to use for her.

"It still means a lot of trouble, Harry...I'm not sure it's what I need right now, as mean and horrible as that may sound," she told him, trying her best to show him that her heart was telling something else completely.

Harry looked away and stood up, handing her his hand so that she could get up. Once she was up, standing on her barefoot, almost a head smaller than him, Harry spoke again.

"What do you see?" he asked her, looking around the famous British park.

Ginny shrugged. "Snow falling around us?" she asked, but Harry gestured for her to keep on going. "A beautiful white park, Christmas lights everywhere, families and couples passing by, probably going to the ice-skating rink that's around the corner..."

Harry the grabbed both of their robes, which were thrown down on the floor and, took out his wand as he handed Ginny her robe.

"Can you transfigure it into a coat for a little while?" Harry asked her as he himself transfigured his.

Ginny nodded and did the same. Harry, meanwhile, conjured two pairs of black gloves and one woolly winter hat; then, he gave a pair of gloves and the hat to Ginny and, once she had placed them on her, he took her hand and led her down the hill, away from the disillusionment charm.

"What are we doing, Harry?" Ginny asked him but, instead of an answer, she got another fantastic kiss from Harry.

This time it was a little different, since they were both standing. He was leaning down and had a hand tightly pressing against her back, pushing her into him. Ginny couldn't help her hands, as they wandered towards Harry's messy hair, which was quickly becoming white with snow.

Harry pulled back once again.

"You and I are a normal boy and a girl, who are enjoying a night out on our Christmas Holidays, in a beautiful park where we are getting frozen to death..." Harry explained.

Ginny tried to smile, but she couldn't bring herself too. She was happier than she could remember ever being, she couldn't remember having ever had as much fun as tonight, but she had a funny feeling that this was going to hurt her a lot.

"Ginny," Harry begged. "Try, please...can't we just have fun, get to really know each other? We can even be only friends if you like; I mean it..."

And, just like that, when Harry's gorgeous green eyes stared right at her, she suddenly knew that she didn't have an option. This would most possible end in disaster, but now she knew that she'd have to see it end, because she was in for the ride. So, just like that, Ginny brought Harry's head down to meet hers and kissed him forcefully, with as much emotion as she could, trying to send him the message that she had come to realize.

As she pulled back, Harry was left with a goofy smile on his face.

"That's not what friends do, Gin..."

Ginny put her arms around Harry's neck and spoke up.

"I know, Harry, I know..."

And just like that, a young handsome couple, she with bright red hair showing underneath a black hat and he with messy black locks, highlighted by the snow resting upon it, stood in the middle of Hyde Park, oblivious to the rest of the world as they kissed and hugged and embarked on a new adventure that would surely change their lives forever.

THE END

Haha, only kidding...sorry, couldn't help the temptation.

No, no, there's still a while to go and I hope you'll continue to be on for the rest of the way.

Can't promise a thing, but I will try to write as soon as I possibly can. Remember to review and I'll reply, where you'll be the first to know when the new chapter is coming and you'll get a preview of it.