Harry woke up the morning after the funeral feeling a heaviness he could not fully grasp. Even after discovering the prophecy�s secrets, that pain did not cut him like this. Dumbledore was gone, and he was alone. Alone. The word seemed to echo into the stillness of the dormitory. He would now complete the mission Dumbledore entrusted him with so many months ago. All the numerous invisible bands which connected him to other, once-important matters in his life only last week now lay unraveled at his feet. There was simply no other way. The horcruxes snuck up behind him and stole center stage when he wasn�t looking. But if he was honest with himself, the part of his subconscious which he rarely explored had always recognized that this final journey must be embarked upon alone. Yet, did his words to her yesterday have to be so cruel and unsatisfying?

�I can�t�we can�t�I�ve got things to do alone now�He�ll try and get to me through you�How do you think I�d feel if this was your funeral�and it was my fault�I just wish I�d asked you sooner. We could�ve had ages�months�years maybe��

The memory lingered fresh in his mind, and he silently bit back the anger that urged him to smash something delicate. The true weight of his burden finally seemed to be pressing in on him despite the warm spring day and the coziness of the room. It was like he was slowly suffocating and there was nothing he could do to save himself. Alone�.

In response, he dressed quickly and ran down the spiral staircase and across the Common Room like a man possessed. He hurtled through the Portrait Hole and never looked back. Not even when the Fat Lady cried out, �Way to wake a woman from her sleep, Potter, don�t you have any common decency?�

Common Decency. There was a concept he clearly knew nothing about. The castle slept on as he made his way down to the Great Hall for what he knew would be the last time. Harry took all his well-worn shortcuts and jumped his last trick step, allowing himself only a moment to reflect upon the fact that he hadn�t seen Nearly-Headless Nick or even Peeves along his route.

Just as he began buttering his second slice of toast, Ron and Hermione walked into the Hall with unreadable expressions on their faces.

�Well it looks like it�ll be a good day for the trip back at least,� said Hermione as the two settled down across from him. Harry kept his gaze directed at his plate, but the long wooden table gleamed so luminously that he could see his friend�s faces anyway.

�Yeah, and it�ll be nice to have some company that actually talks to you at your aunt and uncle�s house won�t it?� asked Ron.

Harry managed half a smile and took a sip of pumpkin juice; Hermione let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh.

�Ron, you are the most insensitive hag I�ve ever met! Don�t you even stop and consider how Harry is feeling right now?� exclaimed Hermione.

�Yoont ou el me neways,� Ron answered with his mouth full of egg.

Hermione looked away disgusted, and Ron swallowed before continuing. �Since you�re the expert on feelings and seem to know some big secret you�re just bursting to tell me, why don�t you save us all the trouble and enlighten me with your wisdom?� snapped Ron.

Hermione gazed up at the periwinkle blue sky as though praying for patience, but when she focused her eyes back on her plate again, Harry thought he saw a blush creeping into her face.

�It�s not a secret, but I�m not the one to tell you anyway,� she answered.

�Fine, Harry tell me what�s going on,� he said.

Harry, who was now shooting daggers at Hermione, began chewing very slowly in the hopes of thinking up the right way to phrase his news. He had been dreading this moment since yesterday afternoon; he�d even awoken particularly early to avoid Ron and especially Ginny, whom he hadn�t seen since they had parted ways at the lake.

However, his thoughts continued to remain murky as he desperately fastened useless excuse after excuse together, his stomach knotting when he realized how ridiculous they sounded, even in his head. At last, he settled on the truth. �Well Hermione�s probably mad that you mentioned me not talking to the Dursleys because Ginny and I aren�t speaking at the moment,� he muttered almost indistinctly.

Hermione shot him an apologetic look, but Ron ignored it saying, �What? Why?�

�Because we broke up yesterday after the funeral,� Harry continued heavily.

�Wooah�wait a minute, you broke up with my sister or she broke up with you?� asked a dumbstruck Ron.

�Oh seriously, Ron, does it really matter if�,� but Hermione fell silent at the look on Ron�s face.

�I broke up with her,� said Harry quietly.

�I don�t get it. I thought you two were made for each other. She�s fancied you for ages�and the way you two were�you know�How could you do that?� Ron challenged, and Harry thought there was more than a hint of anger in his voice now.

�Harry doesn�t want Ginny getting hurt or used by You-Know-Who. He knows she could be in danger just by being associated with him,� Hermione said carefully. �He�s got to finish finding and destroying the horcruxes now, and he could be ki-�well�maybe it�s better for them not to be involved,� she whispered lamely, as her eyes began to well up with tears.

�And I bet Ginny ran off and told you all this before she even thought of telling me,� spat Ron, clearly missing the delicacy of the moment.

�Oh don�t blame her, Ron, you haven�t exactly been understanding of relationships this year,� said Hermione.

Ron opened his mouth to retort but Hermione, sensing trouble mounting again, said, �Eat your breakfast both of you, we�ve got a long day ahead of us.� Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed her pick up Ron�s left hand and bring it back down into her lap.
They finished the meal in relative silence until Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Lavender showed up. Lavender sat a good distance away from Ron, who kept his elbow propped up on the table, hand in his hair, to block his view of her. Hermione eyed this with satisfaction, but still scooted in closer to him, whispering something into his ear that immediately turned his ears a bright magenta. Harry, stunned by what was occurring in front of him, was fortunately spared from the worst of the unfolding spectacle by Neville�s probing questions.

�I don�t think I�ll be coming back to Hogwarts next year. I�ve got a lot of things to get done for Dumbledore,� Harry kindly explained to a stunned Neville.

�What have you got to do for Dumbledore?� interrupted Dean curiously, just as Ginny passed by. Dean, nauseatingly enough, seemed very cheered by Harry�s newfound despondency.

A split second later his stomach crashed somewhere around his ankles. Ginny looked suddenly small and fragile, and her eyes screamed of exhaustion and pain. �Damn it! It was all an act yesterday, you git! She�s miserable, and you can�t do a bloody thing about it,� he thought miserably.

“I’m going to speak with her,” said Ron, as he got up and strode down to the other end of the table, a grim expression on his face.

“Come on Harry, let’s take a walk around the lake,” said Hermione. She chewed on her lip and glanced at him nervously. Out of the corner of his eye Harry could see Ron’s long, pale arms flailing around dangerously as he spoke to Ginny, who betrayed no emotion. It was time to go.

Harry nodded, and they exited the Great Hall just as a knot of Hufflepuffs hurried in, talking feverishly in low tones. The sun was bright on their faces as they burst through the heavy doors and into the fresh air. Harry followed a couple of steps behind Hermione as she began to circle the lake. He watched the Giant Squid sun himself and aimlessly kicked a rock into the turquoise water, trying to imagine how this day could have been if Dumbledore was still alive.

“I didn’t want to break up with her you know,” he said after a long silence. “But what if something happens and she gets hurt? Doesn’t Ron get it?”
Hermione sighed and comfortingly rubbed his arm up and down a few times before saying, “There’s a lot of things Ron has a problem grasping the first time. But you have to try to understand that he loves his sister and just wanted to make sure she was all right. He’ll come around. And Ginny will always worry about you. I think you knew that already, and I think you know why.” Harry glanced down at her face sharply, but she maintained her meaningful glare until he had to look away, heat rising to his face. His stomach felt sick all of a sudden.

“Hermione, don‘t you think it‘s a little bit off to be treating a bloke like he‘s four years old?” Harry hissed sarcastically.

“I’m going to let that one go because you’re distraught. But remember, Harry, you’re going win this last fight with my help and…well, with Ron whether you like it or not. I get it though. I know you don’t think I do, but I see how much you want to protect Ginny. And I think it’s really sweet actually. She’ll be waiting for you when this is all over, you’ll see. You two will be happy when we’re done. We‘re going to win. I know it.” Hermione spoke forcefully.

“Yeah? What right do you have to tell her those sorts of things? I know you do, Hermione. Don’t deny it.” She focused intently on the path ahead of her, humming under her breath. “How can you spout out these fantasies of yours without even stopping to think about reality. I think that--” he tried to reach her through sheer volume.

“I know because you’re the one, Harry. It’s that simple. I have faith in you,” she finally yelled out over Harry’s rather colorful language. “Dumbledore gave you an enormous job to focus on. Those horcruxes are the most important weapon you’ve got against Voldemort at the moment. I think you’ve always known you would have to fight the bastard in the end. That prophecy marked you, but you get to make a choice about how you fight back. And Harry, I’m going to help you however I can, and so will Ron, and so will Gin-,”

“There’s no way that-,” Harry began.

“And so will Ginny if you let her,” Hermione interjected stubbornly.

“I would never get Ginny involved in this! Don’t you get it? What kind of a person do you think I am?’’ he exclaimed bitterly. “What about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? what do I say to them? And all of her brothers? There are six, count them Hermione, SIX older brothers. One prat would be petrified with one or two in a good situation. I CAN’T ever risk Ginny’s life like that. I won’t.” he uttered emphatically.

“I didn’t say to risk her life, Harry! All I am saying is that Ginny and Ron are in that castle right now, and they’re hurt. But they will continue to stand by your side no matter what. Do you know what that kind of friendship means? Harry, do you really realize what we would do for you, or do you only see your tangled love life in all of this?”

“Of course I…I mean, I know that you all…” Harry stammered, clearly thrown off by Hermione’s harsh tone, but once again she silenced him.

“I can’t tell you why it’s always you, Harry. And I can’t take away your future, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you walk away from everyone who cares for you. Dumbledore would never have wanted that!” she yelled shrilly. She finally lost every restraint, knowing in the back of her mind that time was running out. Her face was a mixture of exasperation and fear. Harry sighed and let himself dwell on Hermione’s words.

“Ginny will always worry about you…” Ginny had always stood by him, and she was a Weasley after all. But he still didn’t think that he could put her through the unavoidable pain that came with being with him. What was worse, there was no way she’d take him back unless he promised to changed all of his opinions. The entire thing was futile.

So he put it from his mind as he and Hermione stood by the water’s edge and took a long last look at the castle and grounds. His gaze swept across the greenhouses, the gate to Hogsmeade, the Quidditch Pitch, Hagrid’s hut, the Whomping Willow, and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. All his memories came rushing into his consciousness. He remembered what he had said to Dobby once, many years before. “Hogwarts is my home; I have to go back.” Not anymore though, he could never come back. It was over, he had grown up and found himself here, but he had to move on.

At 10:50 a.m. students began filtering down into the Entrance Hall to catch a carriage to Hogsmeade Station. By the time Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived, Professor McGonagall was standing by the massive oak front doors about to speak.



“I know that the last few days have been very trying for us all. The loss of Headmaster Dumbledore was heartless, cruel, and unexpected,” she began.



“However, I do not know if Hogwarts will reopen next year or not. That is for the Board of Governors to decide. Without Dumbledore, Hogwarts will feel less like home, but I know that he would have wanted this school to continue to educate young witches and wizards. Nevertheless, I see no young witches or wizards before me anymore. I see brave and strong individuals who have witnessed far too much for their years. This war will be rough and brutal, but we must win it in the end in order to justify the deaths of such innocent people.” Here she paused and dabbed at her eyes with a lace hanky.



Harry glanced over at Hermione, who was leaning on Ron, his arm around her shoulders. Sighing heavily, he tried to focus on the rest of Professor McGonagall’s speech, but his rapt attention was threatened by the presence of Ginny, whom he could see if he positioned himself perfectly between a thickset Slytherin and a young girl with a ridiculously large hat upon her head.



From the looks of it, Luna was whispering something in Ginny’s ear, and she was shaking her red head fervently. Luna seemed to motion in his general direction, but Ginny continued to stare at Professor McGonagall and no one else, which caused Luna to place a hand on her hip in frustration. As Professor McGonagall’s weary voice battled on through her closing address, Harry thought once that he caught Ginny searching through the crowds discreetly, but a second later, he was sure he had imagined it.



“We shall overcome the terror that looms out in the darkness eventually, and I beg each of you to be alert and courageous until then. You will need to use your shrewdness, bravery, intelligence, and loyalty in this war. For you see, the truth of the matter is, that a bit of Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff resides in us all. Now perhaps we shall see each other in September, but if not, hold on to your memories of this place and each other. I hope for the very best for each of you and your loved ones in these troubled times. It has been my great pleasure, as well as Dumbledore’s, to get to know and hopefully impart some knowledge into everyone here. Goodbye for now, and please no pushing to the carriages!” McGonagall ended her heartfelt words with a small smile and a touch of her usual briskness as the crowd broke out into fresh clapping and crying alike.



Harry had barely paid any attention to the closing address and was still in a daze over Ginny when he heard Ron say, “Let’s get a carriage, then, shall we?” Hermione was looking at him strangely as they began shuffling to the front of the crowd, trying to avoid the blatant stares that by now, the trio was accustomed to receiving.



Just as Harry gained the threshold of the entrance steps, McGonagall spotted him. He did not feel like being further interrogated about his plans or dwelling on the depressing, but he had always respected this aging woman who stood before him, so he allowed her to pull him aside under a torch light.



“Harry, please be careful out there. I know you do not wish to come back even if we do reopen, but that is no reason to be reckless. Dumbledore has entrusted you with some special task, and I respect your privacy in that matter, but for the next ten minutes I am still your teacher, and I order you to stay safe. Nobody wants to see you injured. You’ve dealt with far more than any soul who has walked through these doors, and I just don‘t want you to leave here thinking that every outside threat is one you have to personally defeat. That’s utterly unreasonable. So do be careful, and be good. All right?”



Harry looked determinedly at the floor but nodded just the same. McGonagall drew him into a brief hug and then, seeming to realize where they were, exclaimed, “Well I’m blabbering on, and you’ll miss your carriage. Goodbye, I’ll probably see you with the Order soon.”



Harry looked up into the face of the woman whom he had thought so strict when he was merely eleven, and he saw the warmth behind her eyes with stunning clarity.



“Goodbye Professor, I’ll see you this summer then.” He managed a smile for her and was gone.



Everyone stared out the windows on the way to the station, as though not truly believing that this was the end of their time at Hogwarts. Yet, the thestrals dutifully pulled along the carriages through the misty morning without any hesitation. Ron and Hermione boarded the train in a bit of a rush, and as Harry moved to follow suit, he heard someone stumble and drop something behind him. He turned around to find Ginny on her knees stuffing a few dark robes back into her trunk and snapping it shut. Bending down on instinct to help her haul it onto the train, his hand brushed up against hers, and she leapt back as if shocked. She quickly hoisted up her trunk, gave him a distraught glance, and with a flash of scarlet hair she had disappeared before he had even thought of something to say.



And so, like a dumbstruck fool, he just stood there on the platform, silently cursing himself. “Great Potter, she doesn’t even want to get near you with a ten-foot pole, let alone get back together with you. How could you let this happen?” At that point, what was left of his pride kicked in, and he began to think along a different, more stubborn, vein. “Well…fine…if that’s what she wants, she’ll have it. I’ll leave her alone.”



Putting on a resolute face, Harry helped Ron move the luggage down the aisle and search for an empty compartment. His promise to leave Ginny alone was tested entirely too soon. The only empty seats to be found resided at the back where Ginny had already settled herself with Luna, who still looked uncharacteristically crabby. Harry shook his head, indicating that he’d rather ride on the roof than in there, but Neville had already pushed inside and said hello. His agitation building, Harry followed Ron and Hermione inside, wondering how he could spend the whole afternoon in the company of his ex-girlfriend and live to tell the tale.



After unloading the luggage, Ron and Hermione claimed they had to patrol the corridors for their prefect duty, although nobody seemed to be up to much mischief anymore. They had been overly intrigued by each other lately, more so than they were that night after the Quidditch game, but lost in his own torment, Harry had let it slide. He was simply too tired and uneasy about the upcoming summer to pay the two much mind. If only they had all been more honest about their feelings sooner, before it was too late. “No, don’t think like that. They’ll have a future,” he chastised himself. Stepping into the corridor, one hand pressed against the glass sliding door as the train ricocheted about, Hermione shot Harry a look that clearly said, “Just talk to her.”



With the duo gone, Luna promptly hid herself behind the latest issue of The Quibbler which featured Scrimgeour on the front growling up from headline, “Minister of Magic Fails to Prevent Attack on Hogwarts,” while Neville engaged Ginny in a conversation about the war while trying to hold a squirming Trevor in his fist at the same time. Harry leaned against the cool window in an attempt to relax, but just ended up running his hands through his unruly black hair in frustration. His eyes kept wandering over to Ginny, who was determinedly avoiding him, giving her full and undivided attention to Neville. If this was the right decision, why did it feel so bloody horrible?



-I’m protecting her. It’d be dangerous for her to be with me.

But she already told you she doesn’t care about that.

-Well, she doesn’t fully understand the risks involved.

What about that little Chamber of Secrets escapade? Not to mention fighting the Death Eaters!

-Which is exactly why this can’t continue.

So why don’t you stop watching her?

-Because she’s so beautiful. It must be that hair of hers.

With that hair comes an entire angry family of redheads, remember them?

-I know, and I don’t want to hurt them. The Weasleys are like my family too.

They won’t be like your family when they're arguing over who gets to take the first go at you.

-That’s why I stopped this. I couldn’t put their only daughter in danger.

But she can handle it, her family is in the Order…



On and on the battle raged in Harry’s mind until he thought he might go mad. He was assuming too much, trying to create a relationship in his head when the girl it concerned wouldn’t even glance his way. This was becoming torture.



Suddenly, his thoughts were broken by the cry of “TREVOR!” Neville’s adventurous toad had gotten away from him as usual. The gangling teen jumped to his feet and dashed out of the compartment, following the toad’s croaks down the corridor. A few moments later, Luna gracefully flowed across the aisle to follow him out the door. Apparently, her magazine wasn’t as interesting as usual. This left Harry and Ginny alone in the compartment. Exactly what Harry had been trying desperately to avoid.



He looked at her as the sun glistened on her red locks bringing out the golden strands in them. She was leaning back into her seat staring purposefully at the forgotten magazine next to her knee as the wild scenery flashed by beyond her. Harry got up and moved into the seat across from her, hoping that if he was in direct sight, she wouldn’t be able to ignore him. He was partially right, she threw him a few looks, but they were much more along the lines of contempt than anything else.



“Ginny, I really need to explain-” he began, but she immediately silenced him with one look. Her bright brown eyes were flashing with an anger and hurt that were so intense they seemed to glow. The utter scorn he saw in those eyes almost made him give up.



“No Harry, I need to explain something to you. I didn’t want to upset you yesterday, so I let you break up with me. But I’m a person with feelings too, and I didn’t wait five years for you only to have my heart trampled on. I thought that you understood that I would stand and fight next to you no matter what happened. I thought that you trusted me and cared about me-”



“Ginny I do care-” he tried to plead, but she cut him off.



“I’m not finished yet! I was ready to do anything for you, but I can’t be with somebody who won’t be honest with me. I just can’t stand you trying to protect me anymore. I’m not a child, and I refuse to be treated like one, especially by you. You go on and on about the danger of dating you, but open your eyes! My family is in mortal peril every day with or without you. So don’t flatter yourself by thinking you’re doing the noble thing here. I’ll save you the trouble of saying whatever it was you intended to say. I want you and your arrogant pride out of my life, Harry James Potter!”



With that icy remark she got up and tried to make her way to the door, but Harry was already on his feet. He blocked her pathway, and as the train gave a sudden lurch, she lost her balance and fell back into her seat. Now she was trapped, with him leaning against her only exit. She felt like the little girl in first year again: that helpless, pathetic thing she’d tried so hard to evolve beyond.



If Harry even noticed her frustration, he ignored it and plowed on saying, “Ginny, please listen to me, please. I’m going to explain everything to you, and then if you want you can walk out that door and never look back. But at least let me speak. I think you owe me that much.”



He instantly knew it was the wrong thing to say, for never had Ginny Weasley fixed him with such a glare as she did now. The anger seemed to be radiating hotly from her as she shot to her feet. It was true that he was now much taller than her, but she had a power that made him cower not unlike Mrs. Weasley.



“I DON’T OWE YOU ANYTHING YOU FILTHY, SECRETIVE, EGOCENTRIC IDIOT!” she shrieked.



Then she did something that shocked them both. She drew back her hand and slapped him with full force across his face. He recoiled, stumbling back into his chair. She stood transfixed at her abrupt action. Slowly, he brought his right hand up to his face while her eyes bulged.



“Oh Harry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean too!” she exclaimed, trying to pull away the hand that was protecting his injured cheek, for the other was gripping his neck where a vein was twitching feverishly. He didn’t comply with her efforts to soothe him; he was actually trying to avoid her gaze. He looked like a broken child, and when she got a clear view of his brilliant green eyes glistening slightly, she saw just how deep of a mess she had gotten herself into.



But this was ridiculous. Never again would she fall into the trap set by Harry Potter, even if he screamed for her to give him another chance. He was dangerous, not by choice, but by fate. He would always want to protect her, and thus, leave her in the dark. He would break her heart repeatedly if she let him. She didn’t think she could live like that, no matter what she felt for him. They were hurting each other even now, and she had to put an end to it. She knew that the smart choice was to walk out the door and leave him alone. She could make a clean break of this and forget the boy in front of her ever existed. Well, maybe that was too extreme. She could not forget that he was real, but perhaps, with time, she could forget her own feelings of fragile love. This resolve did not last long as she stared at him. She couldn’t take even one baby step towards her escape. Her gaze was drawn magnetically back to him. It had always been that way, and she simply couldn’t control it.



As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked up at her again, and nodded as if accepting her choice. The full force of his defeat hit her finally. This was unprecedented: Harry Potter never went down without a fight. Yet, here he was, just throwing everything away. Well, the least she could do was hear him out, then leave. Yes. Definitely. Listen, comfort him a little, and then tiptoe out politely.



“Ginny, it’s all right you can leave,” he tried again, and this time she walked over to where he sat and crouched down in front of him.



“No Harry, I think not. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” After her attempt to reassure him, she smiled very softly, and he returned the gesture briefly. Carefully, she removed his hand from his face. A red handprint had quickly sprouted up over his cheek. She took a blue handkerchief from her robe pocket, muttered Aquamenti, and gently pressed the damp handkerchief to his bruise.



“Thanks,” he whispered. Ginny nodded, and when the swelling had begun to go down, she finally looked up into his eyes. In those eyes Ginny saw fear, and maybe she was only imagining it, but also the glimmerings of something more. Did he truly care about her? Why did it matter so much? She sighed again, all the feelings she’d cried out with Hermione on her four-poster the night before came flooding back. Why did they have to go through this? Why was life so difficult? What had she done that had provoked his fiercely independent streak? For that matter, why was he always a target? Couldn’t he be left alone even for one year? She knew her thoughts were selfish and unrealistic, but they were the only truth she had right now. So she made her decision, knowing she could not go back again.



“I’ll listen to whatever you have to tell me Harry,” she said softly.

Settling herself back down across from him, Ginny listened as his slightly hoarse voice slowly washed over her. He spoke of the lost prophecy that Sybil Trelawney had made before his birth, the prophecy which sealed his fate. He talked at length about the power he had that the Dark Lord did not, mentioning quickly and quietly that he would end up being a murderer or being murdered. He left nothing out, including the bit about how Neville could have been the other boy to whom the prophecy referred, as well as how Snape had told half the prophecy to Voldemort after eavesdropping on Trelawney�s job interview. When no words remained to clarify the utter absurdity of it all, he finally looked up from his trainers to see the look of shock and sadness on Ginny�s face.



It had been difficult recounting the past year to her, but it was the only way she could ever understand his final decision. He figured her logic would win out, and that she would leave him alone. Even though he tried to grasp the constant stream of emotion running across her face, he never came close to judging her genuine thoughts.



Minutes passed. Her shock left a lengthy pause in their conversation, and Harry feared nothing more than being misunderstood at a time like this. Why wasn�t she saying anything? Thoughts moving as quickly as hers raced at that moment were not capable of finding an outlet in coherent speech. �Harry, my Harry, is going to have to kill Voldemort or die trying,� she thought to herself. Sick nausea gripped her insides so that she could barely breathe. This was not happening. It couldn�t be true. Never in all of her daydreams and nightmares had such a future presented itself.



At last, Harry, unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, hastily continued. �Ginny, are you all right?� He took the slight jerk of her head as a yes and said, �There�s more: I�ve been having lessons with Dumbledore all year and going into his pensieve. We�ve been looking back at old memories of Voldemort, trying to understand how to kill him. And it turns out that there are seven horcruxes he made. That�s where you can keep a part of your soul after you kill someone�� His exhausted voice battled onward as he explained all that he had seen in Dumbledore�s pensieve and what his new mission entailed.



�I�m so sorry that I didn�t tell you before, but Dumbledore only allowed me to tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy and our lessons, and I didn�t think that I should break that trust. But at least now you know where I was the night Hogwarts was attacked. I hope that you can forgive me,� he ended quietly.



The rattling of the train against the tracks provided the only noise in their small compartment. Ginny, looking more petite and fragile than ever before, got up and stood by the window. She ran her hands through her thick hair and finally pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Turning around and facing him too quickly would prove disastrous. He noticed her clenching and unclenching her fist. The spastic movement brought on a new wave of nerves in the pit of his stomach.



At the sound of her voice his eyes snapped back up to meet hers. �The power you have, it�s love isn�t it?� she asked sadly.



A sort of grimace erupted across Harry�s features, and he blushed noticeably. Of all the things for her to clue into! When he had imagined this conversation in his mind, Ginny flung herself at him and begged him not to go off and duel the darkest wizard of their age. Sure, it was a bit melodramatic but certainly better than talking about the prophecy�s pronouncement of his capacity for love. �Y-Yes, Voldemort doesn�t know what it is to love,� he answered, willing his voice not to crack.



�No I didn�t think he would, but that changes things doesn�t it? I was already forgiving you, and now you spring this on me,� she choked out.



�I-I�m not sure what you mean exactly,� he managed, gazing at her with puzzled trepidation. Many men come to fear the soft, carefully-spoken words which lean towards fairy-tale fantasies spoken by a woman whom they could not fully commit to. For Harry, Ginny�s words were not a trap in the traditional sense. He just did not want to deal with his feelings right now, not deny that he had feelings. And certainly not deny that he had feelings for her. But how long could he play dumb? He didn�t want Ginny running away with herself when he was in no condition to appreciate her sentiments. He tried to speak, but she was faster.



�I mean�oh God, Harry!�.I mean that you have the capability to love, that�s what you�re going to have to use besides the horcruxes to kill him for good in the end, and yet, you�ve been pushing me away from you!� she shrieked.



Harry started to stammer out something to his knees, but Ginny was merciful and spoke over him in a slightly subdued tone.



�It�s just ironic, that�s all. I know you�ve been scared for my safety. I understand that.� He made a move towards her, but she took a small step backwards to the sunlit window.



�I didn�t expect you to fall in love with me or anything, but I�well�I just find it odd now because at any time Malfoy or Snape could have told Voldemort that we were together. We were already playing a risky game. Is that what this was to you, a game? Let�s play with stupid little Ginny�s feelings because she won�t know any better. Let�s use her until we get bored and then throw her into the bin. Was that it Harry? Come on, you can tell me the truth. I can handle it,� said a malicious, taunting voice that he barely recognized.



She wouldn�t cry in front of him. She wouldn�t. It was amazing to think that he could have such an affect over her. He could completely wreck her world, and she allowed him to do it. What a pathetic fool I�ve become, she thought in the deep recesses of her mind, too tired to continue fighting and yet unwilling to surrender.



Harry was both confused angry. What the bloody hell was she talking about? Of course he loved her. This was never a game! It had taken him such a long to figure out his feelings�He�d wasted so much time pining for Cho when they could have been happy together. He was the prat, but not because he was playing games with her. Just because he was slow and screwed up in the feelings department. She was moving to the door. He had to make her understand his intentions. Again he blocked her from leaving, but this time he had pressed her up against the wall by enclosing her wrist in his grip. She let out a gasp of indignation as the train rumbled under a bridge.



�Let me go, Harry!� she cried out.



�Not until you let me say this,� he replied.



He pulled her around to face him, seeing the hurt flood her eyes. He wanted to see them dance and sparkle again. He wanted her to be happy. And most of all, he wanted her to be his�but that was asking too much.



�Ginny, I�ve been trying to protect you because I care about you so much. I never wanted you to be hurt, and I sure as hell wasn�t going to ask you to wait for me. I didn�t think you�d want to be with me anymore if you knew how dangerous my life was about to become. Clearly, I was wrong��



He spoke so quietly that she had to strain to hear him. But at these words, she looked up at him strangely. He was never this candid. She looked directly into his green eyes to judge his sincerity and finally resorted to pulling on her necklace to gain a few seconds of time to respond to this pronouncement. Whatever she said, she had to convey to him how much he had hurt her in a kinder, less violent way than before. Otherwise, the poor prat would never learn anything.



Finally deciding that he was just doing the best that he could with what he knew, she sighed, saying, �Well, I�m glad that you�ve finally realized that I never intended to walk away from you, but I still can�t believe you shut me out like that. she said forecefully.



�What do you mean?� he asked quickly, almost blurring the words.



�I mean that you asked me to stay on the sidelines and be a good girl, and that�s something I just can�t accept. You asked me to be something I�m not. I don�t cry over boys. I don�t stand by and let life happen to me anymore.� He snorted slightly, and she glared up at him. �Don�t you dare make fun of me, Harry! If I didn�t put up a struggle, would you still want me?� she asked.



�Of course I would Gin�� he started.



�No you wouldn�t, because then I�d just be Ron�s little sister again. The girl who stays quiet in the corner and doesn�t speak up for herself. I cried over you Harry, and I�m speaking up for myself now. I do care about you so much, but all this nonsense has been ridiculous. You brought me down to a place where I felt useless. I just wanted you to know that��



Harry couldn�t allow her to continue, it was too painful, �Ginny, it�s not that I didn�t think you could handle being my girlfriend. I just know that I can�t handle it right now. I don�t want to see you targeted by Death Eaters and injured or with your memory gone. And I know I would save you before anyone else, and it could sidetrack me from Voldemort��



�I don�t need to be saved-,� Ginny began, angry that he seemed to be breaking up with her all over again. Why were they simply spinning in circles, playing games with each other?



�I understand that, Ginny. You�re bloody gorgeous and talented, but the answer is still no. We can�t risk it, no matter what either of us feel.�



Yet his actions did not match his words. She found her breath was coming more ragged despite her anger as she felt his hands encircling her waist. �Then what are you doing?� she demanded of him.



�I don�t know� he muttered as he moved ever closer. She could feel herself blushing and was trying to ignore her obvious attraction long enough to say something rational. He was so close that she could smell the faint scent of the unfamiliar spice that often cloaked him. �Look Harry, I�m so sorry that the damn prophecy was ever made, and that you�ve got to kill Voldemort. It isn�t fair, and I don�t know how you deal with all of it without cracking up.� She pushed hard against his chest and he stumbled back two steps. �I�ll help you if you need me, but I don�t think I can be involved with you if you�re going to keep sending out mixed messages.�



�It�s not that I want to-� he tried.



�It doesn�t matter what you intend. I can�t keep up this charade with you. I won�t play these games anymore. It�s exhausting, and it makes me feel horrible� she said more calmly, but she was not meeting his gaze. He drew nearer again. She felt one of his hands on her lower back and the other one rested dangerously low by her hip. He was certainly getting bold in his frustration.



�This isn�t a game, and you know it,� said a voice that barely belonged to Harry.



�Well, whatever it is, you need to take your hands off of me if you still want them attached to your arms� she threatened callously, drawing her wand out of her robe pocket.



At last he backed away from her, nodding as if recognizing stepping over the line. She met his eyes, and quick flashes of memory suddenly shone before her.



A young boy with messy black hair asking her mum how to get onto Platform 9 �� Waking up in the Chamber of Secrets to find him kneeling over her so very pale�Telling him that she had to go to the Yull Ball with Neville and couldn�t go with him�Fighting the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries together�Laughing at the Burrow about Phlegm�Being kissed by him in the very crowded common room after the match�



Stop it, you fool! she shouted internally. It�s over. He just made the decision for you. And with that, her flat voice said �Goodbye, Harry,� and she stalked out of the compartment.



As the door slammed shut behind her, he crumpled into a cushioned seat while the gleaming, scarlet steam engine indifferently raced him towards his darkening fate.