“There’s something to be said for being able to do magic,� Ginny mumbled quietly as she struggled to help clean up the Weasley family kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley turned her head slightly as she let out a soft chuckle at Ginny’s comment.

A few minutes later, Ron came bounding down the stairs. Not seeing Ginny scrubbing the kitchen floor, he rammed himself into her, sending her flying across the kitchen and knocking over a few chairs along the way.

“Sorry, Ginny!� He said as he ran over to her to help her up, “It’s so nice being able to do magic outside of school that I forgot you would still be down here on your hands and knees!�

Ginny scowled at him as she positioned herself upright. Mrs. Weasley came over to examine her and make sure there were no bumps or bruises.

“Mum, I’m fine,� Ginny said as she pulled herself out of her mother’s grip. Mrs. Weasley headed outside mumbling under her breath something about “ungrateful children�.

Ginny turned around to find Ron staring out the kitchen window. “Waiting for an owl from Harry?� She asked.

He turned to look at her. “Yeah. I sent him one earlier this morning. I’m just anxious.�

“Anxious?�

“It’s just…He’s Harry. You know how he is, Gin. I just hope everything’s okay and he’s not struggling to stay alive or anything,� he managed a small smile. Ginny didn’t find it funny.

“You need to lighten up a bit.�

Ginny stared at him for a few seconds before harshly responding, “Ron, people are getting killed every day! Harry, your best friend, at some point will be facing You-Know-Who! And you’re telling me to lighten up! I can’t even go to bed at night without thinking about how some day one of you may not come home!� Tears began to fill her eyes as she pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat down.

Ron looked at her with an expression of mixed emotion. He placed a hand on her back and rubbed it slowly until she had calmed down.

As they both sat in silence, an owl came soaring towards the house. Ron moved over the window quickly to open it.

Hedwig, gracefully landing on the kitchen counter, held out her left leg where a note was attached. Ron opened it hastily.

Dear Ron and the rest of the Weasley family,
I’m doing fine so no need to worry about me. I have to keep this brief, but I look forward to seeing you next week.
--Harry

“Well at least he’s alive,� Ron mumbled. As he went to fold the letter up, Ron noticed Ginny glancing over his shoulder in an attempt to read it.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine,� Ron said as he began to head back upstairs, “You may want to finish cleaning the floor before Mum comes back,� he added.

“You could just do it for me! It would take like 3 seconds!�

“Nah, I enjoy watching you struggle,� Ron smirked.

*******

Harry stared at the pieces of paper spread all over his floor and taped to the walls of his room. He had never felt so occupied in his entire life. He had books strewn about and several letters awaiting replies on his desk.

He took a few deep breaths as he lied down on his bed to try and relax. All he had been thinking about lately was the horcruxes and the journey ahead of him. All the papers in his room were long lists and ideas about objects and places he needed to visit.

There was a knock on his door as his Aunt opened it carefully. Her small, square face was just barely visible in Harry’s dimly lit room.

“We’re going out to an important dinner for Vernon’s business. We should be back in a few hours,� she said and closed the door immediately after she finished speaking.

Harry had to give credit to Petunia; she had been overly nice to him lately. She always told them where they were going and when they were coming back.

She had seemed honestly hurt and distressed when Harry had unwillingly told her that Dumbledore had been killed. It had somehow seemed to worry her. And ever since then, she almost looked after him. She would come up to his room every so often to make sure he was still alive. Harry of course knew that she did all of this without his Uncle ever knowing.

Breathing deeply again, Harry pulled some letters off his desk and began to reread them. He had a few from Ron and Hermione, one from Lupin, and one unopened one from Ginny.

He ran his fingers over his name on the front of the envelope and studied her handwriting. He had received the letter two days ago and found that he did not have the courage to open it up. For someone who is supposed to be pretty brave, you sure aren’t showing it, a voice in Harry’s head told him.

He flipped the envelope over and slowly opened the letter. Before he unfolded the parchment, he tried to push all the thoughts of Ginny out of his head. He had thought about what he had done at the end of the school year for some time, and had come to the conclusion that although it seemed like he had made a mistake, Ginny had understood his reasons perfectly. She didn’t seem to complain.

His eyes scanned the letter carefully and he had to read it four times to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. It was short and sweet, but right to the point.

I love you, Harry.

That was all it said. She didn’t even bother to sign her name.

Harry suddenly felt guilty for not opening the letter sooner because he realized almost immediately that Ginny was probably awaiting some sort of response.

But what was he going to say to her? Harry may have liked Ginny, but love? He couldn’t possibly love her. They hadn’t been going out that long!

But as Harry pulled some blank parchment towards himself, he found that he was at a loss of what to say.

Within two minutes, he had completed his response to her and carefully rolled it up. When Hedwig returned, he planned on sending her right back to the Weasley’s.

********

The next morning, Ginny was woken up by Fred and George, who had made a surprise visit.

“How’s our favorite sister doing?� Fred asked her.

“I’m your only sister,� Ginny countered. She smirked.

Ron was attempting to lift the milk across the kitchen with his wand, but it kept flipping over and milk was spilling everywhere.

“Oh for goodness sake, Ron!� Mrs. Weasley shouted, “You are just like the twins! Just because you are of age does not mean you have to do magic every 5 seconds!�

“Hedwig’s back again?� Ron asked suddenly.

Everyone turned to look out the window. When Ron walked over to detach Harry’s letter, he realized it wasn’t addressed to him.

“Ginny, it’s for you,� he said as everyone turned to look at her.

She blushed faintly as she unrolled the parchment and read the few words Harry had written down. Her eyes scanned the parchment quickly as a scowl took over her face.

“What a git,� she said as she stormed off to her room.

“Did anyone catch what the letter said?� George asked as his eyes traced Ginny's movements upstairs.

Ron had folded his eyebrows close together as if he was thinking hard.

“Yeah, I saw it," he said quietly, " But I don’t understand what it means…�

“Well are you going to tell us? Or are we going to have to jinx you for it?� Fred said as he lifted his wand out of his pocket.

“It said, ‘Thanks’.�

“Surely there must have been more,� Mrs. Weasley said. Of course she had been listening the whole time.

Ron shook his head.

Meanwhile, Ginny had found herself a spot on the floor of her room. Her knees were pressed against her chest as she struggled to hold the tears back. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly as she kept repeating, everything will be okay, everything will be okay, everything will be okay…

Ginny barely managed to pull herself out of bed about a week later. As she sat up in her bed, staring at a wall in her room, she wondered how she had ever put herself in such an awkward position. Nobody had said it would be easy, but nobody had ever said love would be this hard.

Harry was arriving that afternoon, and Ginny had not had any contact with him since his short reply. She had spent most of the past week wondering if she had been too forward—did she make a huge mistake? Her biggest worry was that Harry wouldn’t want to talk to her, or even look at her when he arrived.

There was a knock on the door, and Ginny whispered, “Come in.�

Hermione slowly entered the room and scanned Ginny carefully. When Hermione had arrived two days before, Ginny had confided in her about Harry and the letters. Hermione was a little worried about Ginny, who she hadn’t seen smile the entire time she had been at the Weasley's. With Fleur and Bill’s wedding only a few days away, Hermione knew that she needed to brighten Ginny’s spirits. For all she knew, it could be the last happy time for a while.

“You want to take a walk with me, Ginny? Get some fresh air?� Hermione asked soothingly as she stroked Ginny’s hair.

“Alright,� she mumbled as she stood up and grabbed some clothes out of her closet.

“I’ll meet you downstairs,� Hermione said as she left, closing the door behind her.

Ginny got dressed slowly, taking her time to brush her hair out and pull it back, knowing she would be seeing Harry in a matter of hours.

************

Harry was still gathering his belongings when there was a small knock on the door. Petunia entered, holding a small, old piece of parchment in her hand.

“Now, I know you’re leaving,� she said quietly, checking behind her to make sure no one was coming, “but I feel as if everything needs to be explained. About your mother and our relationship, I mean. I know I didn’t always treat you well, and I do regret some of it.�

Something about Dumbledore’s death had made Petunia go soft. She seemed to honestly care about Harry’s well-being, which was quite a shock for him.

“Ermm, thanks,� he mumbled back, as she handed him a letter and he carefully placed it in his trunk.

And, to Harry’s complete surprise, she stumbled over to him and placed her arms around him. “Do be careful,� she muttered before leaving Harry speechless in his room.

After standing still for what seemed like an hour, Harry gathered the last of his maps and books and placed them safely in his trunk. Harry’s birthday had been the previous day, but he had already forgotten the fact that he could use magic.

Taking one last look at the room he was in, he felt slightly scared as he realized he was leaving his "home" for the rest of the world. It wasn’t until that moment that Harry realized how lucky he was to have a place like this. Even if he wasn’t always treated the best, he still had been able to live here. He had found protection and solace within the walls of the Dursley house on Privet Drive.

He had planned on Apparating, even though he had not taken the official ministry test. These days, so much was going on at the Ministry that there was no time for watching for small infractions in wizarding law.

And with one last look around the room, Harry was gone.

***********

Mrs. Weasley heard laughter from Ron’s room. She pulled off her apron and climbed the stairs until she was standing outside his door. There she saw Harry, tall, handsome, and smiling.

Without even knocking, she burst into the room and wrapped her arms tightly around Harry, “Oh Harry! I’m so glad you survived your aunt and uncle's okay! It’s been so busy here lately, I’m sorry I didn’t have time to write!�

“Mum, when have you ever written Harry?� Ron asked, laughing.

“Oh Ron, times are tough you know!�

And with that, Mrs. Weasley walked back downstairs into the kitchen.

Ron stood there, watching Harry and making sure he seemed alright.

“You know, Ginny’s been in a right state since you wrote to her a week ago…she won’t tell us what it was about though,� Ron managed to say, watching Harry’s facial expression closely.

At the mention of her name, Harry’s heart began to race. He didn’t say anything as he turned himself around to stare out the window. Ron took this as something negative, and sat down on his bed with a loud thump.

Harry was forced to turn and face him again, and knew that Ron expected him to say something.

“It’s nothing,� Harry said. Ron highly doubted it was nothing.

“Anyways,� he said, realizing that Harry was in no mood to discuss Ginny, “Hermione and Ginny should be back soon. They went for a walk a little while ago.�

Was it safe for them to be walking around? Harry thought. He suddenly became extremely worried about Ginny, and no thought of Hermione’s well-being crept into his mind. What if someone tried to take them?

It was as if Ron had read his mind, for he added, “They’re somewhere close by. I saw them sitting under a tree somewhere over there,� he said, pointing towards a giant oak. And sure enough, Harry could make out two figures sitting beneath the limbs of the tree.

Without really thinking what he was doing, Harry hurried out of Ron’s room and outside to the tree where the two girls were seated.

When Ginny saw Harry coming, her heart seemed to skip a few beats. Hermione jumped up and raced over to him, wrapping her arms around him just like Mrs. Weasley had done a few minutes before.

They talked softly for a few minutes before Harry dug up the courage to walk over to Ginny.

It could not have been more awkward.

Neither of them said anything as Harry stood there, staring at his feet with his hands tucked into his pockets. Ron, who had caught up to them, was standing next to Hermione, some 20 feet back. Both of them were watching curiously.

“Err,� Harry said softly.

Ginny looked at up him and quietly squeaked out, “Hi, Harry.�

“I’m good, how are you?� He said, before realizing his mistake. She had never asked how he was. Kicking his feet anxiously, she suppressed a giggle before jumping up from the ground happily.

“It’s good to see you!� She said enthusiastically, running over to him and placing her arms on his shoulders. Ron and Hermione gave each other puzzling looks.

Ginny knew, deep down, that the best thing for her to do was to pretend everything was okay. It's not the end of the world if Harry doesn't love me, she told herself quietly as she strolled off towards the house.

Harry stood completely still, watching Ginny as she walked all the way back to the Weasley house.

Hermione was helping Ginny with the dishes in the kitchen, the two of them laughing loudly at something Ginny had said.

Harry and Ron were sitting at the kitchen table, Ron reading through The Daily Prophet. Harry, on the other hand, was staring at Ginny. He was watching her lips open to laugh and the way her hair glided through the air.

Ron looked up and noticed Harry’s distraction. A small smile spread across his face and he pretended not to notice, directing his attention back to the paper.

Ginny turned around for a second, and her eyes locked with Harry’s, neither of them daring to look away. Ginny had gone silent, and just as Hermione turned around to catch the two of them staring at each other, Harry looked away.

A sullen expression engulfed Ginny’s face and Hermione let out a heavy sigh. The four of them sat in the kitchen for the next 20 minutes in complete silence.

Later that afternoon, Harry was sitting outside in the Weasley’s garden, picking up the annoying little gnomes running around.

Ginny came outside looking for Hermione, but didn’t pretend she hadn’t seen Harry. She walked over towards him slowly, and when she reached him, she plopped herself on the ground next to him.

“How was everything this summer?� She asked casually, trying as hard as she could to make things seem normal.

Taken aback by her calmness, Harry didn’t say anything for a minute. He knew she was trying hard to act like everything was okay.

“It was alright…I mean my Aunt was actually somewhat caring for once,� he said, his eyes never leaving the ground.

“Well you haven’t missed much. Mum has become rather obsessed with keeping the house clean, as so many people will be coming to the wedding next week. She thinks it will help show ‘moral fiber’,� Harry laughed at this, remembering when Dumbledore had awarded him points for this in the Triwizard Tournament.

But the thought of Dumbledore suddenly dampened his happiness, and he stopped picking the ground. He lifted his head up and stared out across the yard, suddenly remembering everything he was going to have to accomplish in the upcoming years.

Ginny knew what was bothering him, and carefully placed her arm on his back trying to calm him down, similar to how Ron had helped her in the previous weeks. These days, it seemed everyone had moments where memories and thoughts of the future overtook them.

“Thanks,� he said after some time. He looked at her this time. Right into her eyes.

Oh, those green eyes! Ginny couldn’t help but stare back at him. She nodded her head slowly and then pushed herself up from the ground.

She started walking away, but turned back and faced Harry.

“Harry…I know how hard all of this is for you. I understand. And I’ll always be right here for you if you ever need me. Will you just remember that?�

Harry nodded and watched as she walked away. He saw her glance back at him right before she re-entered the house.

******

Hermione glanced at Ron, who was busy cleaning out the fireplace.

“Do you know what’s going on between those two?� She said.

“If one more piece of ash flies into my eye, I swear…� Ron muttered angrily.

“Ron, listen to me!� Hermione said, trying desperately to grab his attention.

“Right, yes, sorry. You were saying?� He said, flicking some ash off himself and stepping out of the fireplace.

“Harry. Ginny.�

“Oh, no I don’t know. Harry won’t really tell me what’s bothering him.�

Ginny had told Hermione about the letters, but because she knew Ginny trusted her, she decided against telling Ron about them. But, that didn’t mean she couldn’t fill him in on the situation.

“For starters, I think it’s pretty clear that Ginny and Harry like each other. Harry is just being careful, too careful. Oh Ron, will you listen to me for two minutes!� Hermione bellowed. Ron had stuck his head back into the fireplace, and as a result, was covered in ashes.

“I heard you!� He said, flicking his wand so his clothes were back to normal. “I don’t think there is really much we can do, though.�

“Of course there is!�

“You know, Hermione, you can’t find a solution to everything!� Ron retorted.

“But I have a solution for this! We just need to explain to Harry how important love is in times like these! Don’t you think Dumbledore would want him to be happy?�

“I’m sorry, but I’m not having a love talk with Harry,� Ron laughed, amused at his own joke.

Hermione scowled at him and turned around before shouting, “It’s your fault then if your sister stays completely miserable!�

*******

Harry remained sitting outside the Weasley’s house for the remainder of the day, thoughts of Ginny floating in and out of his mind.

He just couldn’t seem to get her out of his head.

Maybe she’s supposed to be there, something inside told him. He stood up and looked into the kitchen of the house. There she was, sitting at the kitchen table, talking and enjoying herself, just as everyone should.

He debated over the course of the next ten minutes whether or not he should ask if they could just try and be friends for a while. Friends. Nothing more.

And as he walked into the house, he found himself wanting to tell Ginny everything. About the horcruxes, the journey ahead of him, about how he needed her to understand.

“Ginny, can I talk to you for a little while?� He interrupted her and Hermione. Ginny glanced at Hermione first, before looking up at Harry and nodding. Knowing a long night of talking and arguing awaited him, he knew that in the end, it would be worth it.

She was, after all, his greatest source of comfort.

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!

Ginny came down the stairs, her eyes puffy and red, as she took a seat at the kitchen table next to Hermione.



As the tears began to pour again, Hermione patted her gently on the back and spoke in a soothing voice, encouraging her to calm down.



It took another few minutes for her to stop crying, but she kept sniffling as she tried to speak.



“He—I can’t—He doesn’t—understand…too hard…can’t do it…must leave,� Ginny managed through all the hiccups and sniffles she was now stuck with.



“Gin, you need to calm down. I can’t understand you,� Hermione said slowly.


Ginny closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Then she retold everything that had just happened with Harry.





Harry led her up to Ron’s bedroom, where he took a seat in an old rocking chair in the corner.


Ginny plopped herself onto the bed and stared at her hands, not knowing if she was supposed to talk first.


“There—There are some things I think you should know. Some things you need to understand,� Harry mumbled quietly.


Ginny glanced up at him, knowing how important eye contact was. And it wasn’t like she didn’t mind staring at those green eyes.


At this point, he looked up at her too.


“I have so much ahead of me. I have to destroy Voldemort…�


Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but Harry interrupted her.


“I have to do it alone, Ginny.�


She pursed her lips tightly together and looked back down at her hands. No one said anything for a few minutes.


“Harry…I know about everything. Ron and Hermione filled me in…I made them,� she said, her eyes already burning from holding back tears.


“Oh, well…�


“Harry, I want to help!� Ginny blurted out, “Ron and Hermione are going to help you, aren’t they? Why can’t I help you?�


“Ginny, there’s so many things you don’t understand,� he said slowly.


“I understand everything perfectly! What I don’t understand is why you are so desperate to cut me out of your life!�


“I’ve already explained this to you, Ginny! I thought you understood,� he said, frustration growing in his voice. He had never become angry with her before, but the subject was hard for him. This whole conversation was hard for him.


“Harry…don’t you understand? I don’t care if being with you puts me in danger. I want to be with you, I want to make you happy.�


“You already make me happy,� Harry replied, all the anger in his voice had gone. He had a blazing look in his eyes, similar to the one Ginny had given him in the Common Room last year.


“It’s not enough for me to just be friends with you, it’s—it’s too hard now. You’re going to go out there and fight everything, and I want to come.�


“We have to try, Ginny. We have to try and just be friends.� Harry had been planning this conversation in his head all day, and he didn’t understand why it suddenly hurt so much to say this to her. Was he making a mistake?


At this point, Ginny could no longer hold back her tears. She didn’t sob, a few tears just trickled down her cheek. Harry watched them as they formed in her eyes, as they made their way down her cheek, and as they dripped off her face.


“Everything will be okay, Ginny. I promise,� Harry said. He felt stronger now. He had to kill Voldemort. And he was going to do it for Ginny.


She nodded, realizing that she wasn’t going to win. She wanted to be strong, because she knew it would be the only way her and Harry would remain close. If she had to be friends with him to keep him in her life, then she would do it. She got up slowly, opened the door, and closed it behind her.


Harry sat there, rocking back and forth, wondering if he had done the right thing.





When Ginny was done, the tears had stopped and her breathing was normal again. She seemed to be much calmer.


Hermione looked at her carefully, afraid she might break down again. But she didn’t.


“You know what’s funny?� Ginny asked.


Hermione didn’t say anything.


“When Harry asked me to go have a talk, I thought he was going to say he wanted to get back together. But now that I think about it, deep down, I knew that’s never what he wanted. He’s Harry, after all, isn’t he? If fighting Death Eaters and finding Horcruxes is what makes him happy, then that will make me happy, too,� Ginny said courageously. She was surprised at how okay she was with all of this now.


Hermione stared blankly at her, before whispering, “Ginny, you don’t have to be so brave.�


********


It was dark outside by the time Harry had gotten up from the rocking chair and started to make his way down the stairs. He noticed the door to Ginny’s room was closed, and he was thankful she was probably sleeping. He hoped she was sleeping.


He made his way into the kitchen, walking over to a piece of bread he saw on the counter.


“Oh, hi, Harry. It’s just you,� a surprised voice said, as Harry leapt into the air.


“Hermione, you scared me,� Harry said, his heart still racing.


“Couldn’t sleep?� Hermione asked him, a glass of milk sitting in front of her on the kitchen table.


“I didn’t really try,� he said.


They both sat in silence for a minute or two, before he quietly asked, “Erm, Ginny…how is she?�


“She’s actually fine,� Hermione said, looking up at him.


A surprised look overtook his face, before he realized Hermione was watching him carefully. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear that.�


Hermione nodded her head, still staring at him.


If Ron wasn’t going to knock some sense into him, she was at least going to try.


“I think you’re making a mistake,� Hermione said bluntly.


“Yeah…� Harry said. He didn’t really know what to say.


“I mean it, Harry. In times like these, it’s important to be with the people you love,� she said, glancing over at the unusual clock mounted on the wall in the kitchen.


“The people I love are all dead,� Harry said solemnly. “Ginny and I barely went out. We weren’t together that long. I can’t love her,� he said, more to himself than to Hermione. “I don’t love her,� he replied again, after seeing the smirk on Hermione’s face.


“Harry, what is Voldemort’s weakness? His biggest weakness?�


“Well, I’d say he doesn’t have one…especially since he’s split his soul seven times,� Harry said sarcastically.


“Love, Harry. Love,� Hermione said, sounding slightly like Dumbledore.


“During desperate times, people do desperate things. I don’t want to be with Ginny because I know she’ll get hurt. I’m not desperate, and neither is she. If she’s okay with everything, why should I try and mess it all up again?� Harry explained.


Hermione got up from the table and poured the extra milk down the sink.


She turned around and looked at him before heading up the stairs to bed, and quietly said, “You don’t have to be so brave, you know.�


A/N: Don't forget to review!

“Will you two stop bickering?� Mrs. Weasley scolded Ron and Ginny, “There is a lot to be done today and I do not have the tolerance for petty arguments!�

“Sorry, Mum,� Ginny said, picking up some clean dishes and attempting to put them in their correct places. She suddenly felt out of place in the kitchen as she realized she didn’t know where anything belonged.

“I can’t believe Bill and Fleur are getting married tomorrow,� Ron said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

“Ron, what do you think you are doing? There is no time for sitting! Go outside and help Harry string lights! Be productive!� Mrs. Weasley yelled again.

Ron mumbled some things to himself as he pushed open the kitchen door and breathed in the sweet, fresh air.

Harry, of course, was not doing what he was supposed to. Instead of stringing lights, he was sitting at a recently constructed picnic table, picking the petals off flowers.

“I can see you’re enjoying yourself,� Ron said sarcastically, still frowning.

Harry didn’t say anything.

“Harry, is there something wrong?� Ron asked, slightly concerned.

“No, not really. I just keep thinking about everything that has to get done. You know—find all the horcruxes, destroy them. And then I have to defeat Voldemort. It’s just…I don’t know…I--�

“You don’t know if you can do it without Dumbledore?� Ron said as he watched Harry’s expression.

Dumbledore hadn’t exactly been who he was going to say. But instead of changing the subject to Ginny, he just nodded his head and looked across the yard to where a tent had been set up. Ginny was standing on her tip-toes, reaching as high as she could to try and place a string of flowers around the edge of the tent.

Harry watched her struggle for a few minutes, before he left Ron sitting alone on the picnic table.

He strolled across the yard as casually as he could and approached Ginny from the front. She saw him coming, but pretended not to as she tucked her hair behind her ear awkwardly.

“You look like you could use some help,� Harry said.

Ginny and Harry hadn’t really spoken that much since their little talk. They said a few words here and there, but they had yet to have a meaningful conversation. Hermione had gotten annoyed with the two of them yet again, trying to convince them both to push aside their fears and just admit that they wanted to be together. Both Harry and Ginny chose to ignore her advice.

Ginny looked at Harry, their eyes locking, as she handed him a string of flowers. Without using any magic, he reached up and secured the string along the edge.

“Any more?� He asked.

“Erm, no,� Ginny said. The two of them stood in silence, both looking down at their feet.

“How is everything?� Harry asked desperately.

“Good.�

She suddenly turned around and strode away. Harry, who could not have been more aggravated with himself, kicked the ground and walked back towards Ron, who had been watching the whole catastrophe from the picnic table.

Harry and Ron sat at the picnic table for a long time, and not a single word left their lips.

After a while, Harry felt a pair of hands grasp his shoulders. He spun around to see Lupin staring at him, Bill on his other side.

“Harry, how are you?� Lupin asked.

“Could be better,� he replied honestly. He turned to shake hands with Bill, who was just finishing a hug with Ron.

“Harry, now you and I need to have a talk later,� Bill said.

“About what?� Harry asked.

“I think you know,� Bill winked at him and strode over to Ginny, who was running across the tent to leap into his arms.

Ginny and Bill talked quietly for a few minutes as Harry and Ron attempted to string some more lights. After Ginny had gone back inside, Bill strode over to Harry and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him off towards the fields on the other side of the Weasley house.

“Where are we going?� Harry asked, obviously confused.

After walking for a bit longer, Bill stopped and turned to face Harry. “So what is the whole deal with you and my favorite sister?�

“Your only sister,� Harry corrected, avoiding the question.

Bill’s eyes stayed focused on Harry, waiting for an answer.

“I don’t know. I honestly—I don’t know anymore. I’m just so scared she’ll get hurt,� he looked down at the grass, as Bill placed his arm on Harry’s shoulder.

“If there is one person you need to hear this from, it is me. Before I met Fleur, I was happy. I was happy with my job and the way things were working out. I mean, I’ve always had this family and their love had always been enough. So when I met Fleur, and realized how happy I really could be—I just can’t imagine living without that feeling anymore. Being scared comes with being in love.�

“I’m not afraid of being in a relationship,� Harry said softly.

“Then what is it that you’re afraid of?�

“Of losing her! Voldemort is just going to kill her the second he finds out we’re together!�

“What makes you think Ginny wouldn’t be safe and well-protected?�

“Bill, we are talking about Voldemort here. He can kill anyone.�

“He hasn’t killed you yet.�

“It’s been luck! And Dumbledore! And now with Dumbledore gone, no one is safe. If Ginny and I are together, she’ll end up getting hurt. Emotionally and physically. I wouldn’t be able to be there for her like I would want to be. It wouldn’t be fair.� Harry looked solemnly at Bill.

“In the end, the decision is yours, Harry. Not mine, not Ron’s, not Hermione’s. But I do hope you understand this—sometimes, the easy way out isn’t always so easy. And having love in your life can make all the difference in the world.�

And with that, Bill turned and walked away, leaving Harry even more confused than before.

Harry felt as if he was a broken record. He felt as if he kept having to repeat over and over again that he didn’t want Ginny to get hurt. Why does no one understand?

******
Ginny was sitting at a table under the huge white tent that had been set up in the Weasley’s back yard. She was slowly drumming her fingers against the edge of the table, staring at Harry who was twirling his wand around in his hand.

She was trying to replay everything that Harry had said to her in the past few weeks, trying to place herself in his shoes. In a sense, she really did understand why Harry was behaving the way he was. He was, after all, under an extreme amount of pressure. She also understood that Harry didn’t want to lose Ginny like he had lost everyone else, that he wanted to protect her and keep her safe.

The truth was, Ginny didn’t really care. All she knew was that she loved Harry and was willing to do almost anything to be with him.

But after watching him for some time, she couldn’t think of anything that would change his mind. Her frustration began to grow as she realized there was really nothing she could do. Ginny stood up slowly, and began to walk towards him, hoping that one last plea would do the trick.

Harry spotted Ginny and instinctively ran his fingers through his hair.

“If you don’t want to be with me, that’s fine,� Ginny said, her pain showing in her voice. “But I do hope you understand that I am not going to wait for you. It’s now or never.�

Harry stared at her, his eyes completely focused on hers. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Well, of course Harry wanted to be with Ginny…he just wanted it to be after Voldemort was defeated, when everyone would be safe.

“Harry, now or never. What do you say?� Ginny was positive she had him. So positive that she was preparing to leap into his arms the moment he gave in.

Harry though, continued to stare at her, thoughts racing through his mind. He stood up tall, placed his hands on her shoulders, and opened his mouth to speak. No words came out.

Ginny suddenly realized Harry wasn’t going to give in. Tears began to fill her eyes as he looked at her longingly.

“Don’t look at me like that,� Ginny said, the tears slowly leaving her eyes.

“Ginny…� Harry stared at her, not knowing what to say.

But before his words could find him, she glanced at him one last time, before running into the house and out of sight.

“Bloody hell,� Harry said, as he turned around and headed slowly back towards the house.

A/N: Please leave me your thoughts and feelings, favorite parts, and criticisms by leaving a review!

Hermione stood in front of the mirror, fixing her hair. Ginny was sitting on the bed, watching her carefully.

“It looks fine, Hermione.�

“Ginny, are you sure you don’t want me to do your hair?� Hermione said as she turned around to face Ginny.

Ginny didn’t really care what she looked like. She had no one to impress.

Turning around, Ginny looked out the window down to the tent on the Weasley lawn. Harry and Ron were standing around, watching some of the guests make their way to the tent for the reception.

The wedding ceremony had been that morning, and for Ginny, and it had been one of the most painful experiences. Harry had looked as handsome as ever, not that he had even tried. She and Harry were to walk down the aisle arm and arm, but Harry had forced Ron to walk with her instead. This only proved to frustrate Ginny.

It was enough for her to know that Harry was willing to give her up forever. But then for him to not even be brave enough to face her, well that just made her angry.

So there Harry had been, with the perfect opportunity to make things seem normal, and he had passed up the chance. And on top of it, Ginny caught Harry staring at her multiple times during the beautiful ceremony.

Ginny was so unfocused on the wedding that she didn’t even compliment Fleur on her dress. Moving on was proving to be extremely difficult.

So there Ginny sat, staring hopelessly at Harry from her bedroom window.

“Ginny…� Hermione said quietly, after noticing Ginny’s actions.

“Don’t even start,� Ginny said, shifting her gaze back to the room she was sitting in.

“Ginny, the only way you are going to get over this is if you stop paying him so much attention. Stop staring at him and start moving on.�

Ginny shook her head. “If I asked you to move on from Ron, knowing that he loved you but being the stubborn git that he is—�

“Ginny, I understand,� Hermione stopped her.

“No one understands! Not even you! If you knew Ron loved you and just wouldn’t admit it—could you just move on?� Ginny stared at Hermione’s face, waiting for some sort of a reaction.

Hermione stared sadly at Ginny, and shook her head sideways. Hermione did understand after all.

*********

Harry found his table and plopped himself down at the seat. Ron came over a few minutes later and took the chair next to Harry. The reception had already started—people were walking around, and a few were even dancing in the middle. Ginny, Hermione, Bill, and Fleur seemed to be the only ones visibly missing from the mass of people.

There was a girl sitting across from Harry whom he did not know. According to her place card, her name was Shari. There was a boy to the left of Shari who looked remarkably like her, whose name appeared to be Will. Harry watched the brother and sister talk quietly as he glanced around for any sign of Hermione or Ginny.

“We’re not going to have to dance with anyone, are we?� Ron asked Harry, a worried look spreading across his face.

“I don’t think so,� Harry replied, rolling his eyes at Ron.

He suddenly spotted her—Ginny’s blue dress was about knee-length, her hair pulled back nicely. She was simply dressed, but still just as beautiful as ever. Harry swallowed hard as he watched Ginny walk towards their table.

She sure wasn’t going to be a coward about the whole situation. She took the seat between Will and Ron and placed her hands carefully on her lap.

Hermione made her way over to their table a few minutes later, taking the only vacant seat next to Shari and Harry.

“How are you, Harry?� Ginny asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

Harry looked up from his plate, directly into her eyes. “You look lovely, Ginny,� he said calmly.

Ginny blushed a little, before picking up her fork and stabbing it into a piece of fruit.

Bill’s words were still running through his mind. Being scared comes with being in love. Harry knew, deep down, that he was making the biggest mistake of his life. If she sticking to this ultimatum, this now or never, then he wasn’t willing to accept never.

But as Harry sat there, watching her angrily eat and clearly not happy to be in his presence, he realized that saying he needed her now was probably not an option. She wouldn’t accept him now.

“Fleur looks beautiful!� Hermione exclaimed, re-directing his concentration to Bill and Fleur who had just entered the tent.

They looked unbelievably happy, and Harry knew that Ginny was the only one who could make him feel that way.

********
About two hours into the reception, Hermione was getting frustrated with Ron’s refusal to dance.

“Ron, seriously, no one is going to pay attention to you!� She said, trying to address his fears.

“I’m a bad dancer, Hermione! You don’t want to suffer!� He shot back.

“Oh, for god sakes,� Ginny interjected. “Ron, just dance with her so I don’t have to sit here and listen to you two argue.�

Ron nodded his head solemnly and made his way to the dance floor with Hermione. Ginny remained in her seat, staring at Harry, who was pretending not to pay attention to her. They were the only ones left at their table.

Both of them remained silent. Hermione walked over to Harry about 3 songs later, insisting that they share just one dance. Harry agreed without speaking, just nodding his head slowly.

Ginny sat at the table for some time, watching girl after girl dance with Harry. He just kept getting asked. She couldn’t help but think that if they were still together, he wouldn’t be sharing any dance with anyone but her. Jealousy and sadness suddenly overtook her. Before she knew what was happening, tears were pouring down her cheeks. She took one last glance at Harry, before quickly standing up and sprinting out of the tent.

She ran just outside the tent, into their storage shed, where her brothers and her all kept their broomsticks. The tears kept coming uncontrollably, and she sobbed loudly.

Harry, who had seen Ginny sprint out of the tent, followed her. He opened the door to shed to find Ginny sitting on ground, crying. A look of deep sadness spread over his face, as he sat down on the floor next to her.

While carefully rubbing her back, he talked to her in a soothing voice.

“Shhh, everything’s okay…you’re gonna be okay…� he repeated.

Ginny placed her head on Harry’s shoulder as she calmed down. She looked into his eyes, and grabbed his hand tightly. The tears started coming again, and she let out a few sobs.

Harry stroked her hair, trying incredibly hard to soothe her.

After what seemed like hours, but in reality was only ten minutes, Ginny turned to face Harry once again.

“I’m okay,� she said. “I’m going to be okay.�

Harry nodded, knowing that now would be the perfect time to tell her how he really felt. To tell her how much he needed her—how much he loved her.

“Thank you,� Ginny said, trying very hard to be strong. She could sense the tension in air, she knew that Harry’s feelings for her were going to come out sooner or later. She knew he was a volcano waiting to erupt.

Harry looked at Ginny again as she stood up. He didn’t say anything as he watched her walk away.

*************
“Where have you been?� Hermione asked when Ginny had reappeared in the tent.

She didn’t say anything, but Hermione could see the redness in her eyes.

“Oh, Ginny…� she said, suddenly feeling bad for her. “Are you okay?�

She was sick of people asking that. She was sick of people telling her she would be okay. And she was sure sick of saying that she was okay, when she clearly was not.

“I think I’m going to call it an evening,� Ginny said, glancing over at Bill and Fleur who were still dancing wildly in the center of the dance floor.

Hermione looked her over, and nodded her head at her, watching to see where she headed. When Ginny was safely inside the Weasley house, she turned her attention back to Ron, who was throwing his arms wildly about on the dance floor.

“Ron! Do be careful! You’re going to knock someone’s eye out!�

************
Ginny walked up the stairs to her room, thinking hard about what had just happened. Harry had been there for her, and that meant something.

As she pushed open the door to her room, she stared into the darkness. She felt lonely and sad, and knew there was really nothing she could do about it. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed the outline of someone on her bed.

She didn’t scream, or even speak. She just stared. She could spot that body from a mile away if she had to.

Ginny carefully flicked on the light and looked directly at Harry. He smiled at her as she sat down on the bed next to him.

“I have a question for you,� Harry said, still smiling. Ginny couldn’t figure out why he was so happy. She just continued to stare at him.

“I’m sorry about everything,� he said, watching her carefully.

Ginny swallowed hard. “That’s not a question,� she replied, trying to suppress the small amount of happiness that was slowly flowing through her body.

Harry looked at her carefully. “Will you dance with me?�

A/N: Please review!