Chapter Two “ The Burrow
Harry landed in a heap on the floor of the Weasley’s kitchen, and heard a scream. A flurry of red hair obscured his vision as Mrs. Weasley strangled him in a tight hug.
“Harry! You’re here! Oh, look how skinny you are, would you like something to eat?”
Harry couldn’t help but smile. Even with all that was happening in his life, he always felt right at home at the Burrow.
“Hi, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry said, grinning, as Bill came running down the stairs looking around wildly, holding what appeared to be an ordinary muggle baseball bat.
“Who “ why did you scream, are you alright? Oh! Harry!” Bill dropped the bat looking relieved, and held out his hand to shake Harry’s.
“Hi, Bill!” Harry noticed that Bill’s face was still horribly scarred, and he remembered Bill’s run in with Greyback, the werewolf. Fleur glided gracefully down the stairs after Bill, looking as beautiful as always.
“Oh, Arry! It ezz you! You are in time for zee wedding! It ezz tomorrow!” She beamed with pride, giving Bill a loving kiss on the cheek.
“Oh, yeah!” Harry had forgotten the wedding, but now that he was here, he was sure it would be enjoyable.
There was another rumbling on the stairs, as Hermione and Ron, his ears slightly red, ran grinning towards Harry. After being thrown into a very bushy hug from Hermione, Ron shook his hand enthusiastically.
“Good to see you, mate,” Ron said, sounding much older and more mature than usual. Harry noticed that he gave Hermione the briefest of glances as he spoke.
“You too!” Harry replied, trying to stifle a laugh, “I hope everyone’s ok, Ron. Is it alright if I take my trunk up to your room?”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll come too.” Ron grabbed Hedwig’s cage as Harry dragged the trunk upstairs.
“So,” Harry said with a sideways glance at Ron, “how are things going with Hermione?”
Ron dropped Hedwig’s empty cage, and tripped over it, landing in a heap on the second landing.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ron said, turning bright red again as he picked up the cage. Harry decided not to press the subject.
A beautiful girl with dark red hair had just emerged from a door on Harry’s left. Harry faltered for a moment, and his heart seemed to catch in his throat.
“Hi, Ginny,” Harry said sheepishly. It had only been a month since he had had to break things off with Ginny in order to protect her. Ron seemed to have caught on.
“Harry,” he said, “I’ll bring your trunk up for you.”
He left up the next flight of stairs, leaving Harry and Ginny alone.
“Hi,” Ginny said, not looking at him.
“You know I had to, right?” Harry said feeling slightly embarrassed.
“I know,” Ginny muttered, “but I’ll be going back to Hogwarts next year, I’ll be safe, couldn’t we…” She let her voice trail off, glancing at Harry shyly. Harry had known this would come up.
“I don’t want to take that chance,” he said, “I care about you too much.” Harry finished in barely a whisper.
“Right,” Ginny said softly, “I, um, I’ll go help mum with lunch.” She slumped down the stairs. Harry felt awful, but he knew it was for the best. He suddenly wondered what Dumbledore would say on the subject. What he really need what a female perspective.
As Ron came down the stairs to his bedroom, Harry decided that he didn’t want to talk about his conversation with Ginny, so he fled down the stairs behind her.
When he entered the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was Ginny and Hermione talking in hushed voices in the corner. Harry walked past them to help Mrs. Weasley with lunch.
~*~*~
The next day, Harry was really starting to regret his decision. He noticed every time Ginny tossed back her long hair, every time she laughed, and he missed being able to kiss he. He gave his head a little shake as he heard Ron’s voice.
“Harry, are you listening?”
Harry glanced around at Ron who was standing at the sink of the tiny kitchen.
“We’re going to play Quidditch for a while, want to join us?”
Five minutes later, he, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were having a high-action game of Quidditch. Playing against Ginny, Harry let her catch the snitch before he did.
“You didn’t have to lose on purpose,” she said, even though she was smiling, “I’m a big girl, I can win against you.”
Ron and Hermione past by them talking and laughing together.
“Harry, I miss you,” Ginny said, interrupting his thoughts of his two best friends.
He looked down at her, and stopped walking towards the house, as the rest of the Weasley family and Hermione set up for Bill and Fleur’s evening wedding. Earlier that morning, Charlie arrived to Mrs. Weasley’s bone crushing hug, and when Fred and George apparated into her garden, she was so emotional that she was lecturing as she hugged them tightly, tears running down her face.
“Harry?” Ginny was saying, standing in front of him. He looked into her deep brown eyes.
“Harry, I’ll wait for you. I don’t want to go out with anyone else,” she said softly. Harry knew what she meant.
“Ginny, I don’t know how long it could take to defeat him, or even if I will. I don’t want you to waste your life waiting.” He wanted to kiss her, to hold her and comfort her.
“Harry! Come help us with the chairs!” George was calling him over.
With a last glance and comforting smile at Ginny, Harry went to help set up for the wedding.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW. AFTER AT LEAST FIVE REVIEWS, I'LL UPDATE! THANKS FOR READING!