The sun broke free from the bondage of night in the east and the light spilled over the uninhabited forest. The only sign of life was a seemingly abandoned cabin. Although it was in the early hours of the morning, three teenagers were already dressed and preparing to leave. A boy with dark, messy hair, emerald green eyes, and a famous scar was pulling one of the few pieces of luggage the three had to the main room. Another boy with startling red hair, brown eyes and freckles was scanning the small house for any of their possessions. A girl with curly hair gazed out the window.
“Come on, Hermione, we’ve got to go!”
“Harry,” Hermione answered in a quiet voice, “is that an owl?”
“What?” Harry frowned. In the two weeks that they had been in their secret location, only two owls had visited. This one was not familiar. Who else would be writing them besides Lupin and Molly?
The owl gracefully landed on the windowsill. Ron cautiously walked over to the owl, and two more flew in. Startled, Ron collected the parcels. They were each made of thick yellow parchment and labeled in emerald green ink: Mr. Harry Potter, Miss Hermione Granger, and Mr. Ronald Weasley. All the letters were addressed “the Middle of Nowhere.”
“School letters,” he told them.
“Oh?” Harry had forgotten they were seventh years according to the rest of the wizarding world. “I’m glad they reopened the school,” he said as the owls flew away.
Harry had been isolated for a while now. He had almost let himself forget that there was a real world and that life was going on for many people. His own life had been consumed for the past weeks by the thought of Voldemort. His hours were devoted to preparing to defeat him, planning, and of course, trying not to get killed.
“We’ll have to burn them,” Harry said, shattering the silence. “We can’t leave a trail.”
The floor creaked as Hermione crossed the musty room, moving as if beckoned by the creamy yellow parchment.
“Hermione, what are you doing?” Ron asked gently, “you know we can’t…”
She took the envelope in her hand, and started to open it. Her eyes darted back and forth as she read the pages. Ron walked over and gently forced the papers out of her hand and onto the table.
“Let go,” he murmured gently, “it’s easier if we don’t look at them.”
“I feel like I’m letting go of my future,” Hermione whispered in a broken voice.
“If we don’t do what we have to do, then there will be no future,” Harry said grimly.
“We’ll go back someday, right?” Hermione asked pitifully as Ron started to burn the letters with a burning charm. Her eyes were shining, reflecting the flames’ dance.
“Assuming we’re alive,” Harry thought of the prophecy and of all of the people that had been lost. A pang of guilt and pain crossed his stomach. If most of those people were uninvolved in the war, how high was the chance of death when they were constantly risking their lives? “If we’re lucky,” he said as he gazed into the dying fire.
“Wow, you all are just a bucket of giggles…” a sarcastic voice laughed from behind them. “So, when are we doing this?”
“Ginny!” Ron bellowed.
“How did you find us?” Hermione asked. She had put up every protective ward she had read about and more. How could Ginny have gotten past all of them?
“Mum and Lupin let me go,” she smiled, looking at each of them in turn, triumph crossing her face.
“Ginny,” Harry sighed, “what are you doing here?”
“You really think that you’re leaving and fighting Voldemort without me?”
“Ginny,” Ron said, “we’ve been over this, you know you can’t go. Imagine what would happen if you got captured or killed?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “Imagine what would happen if that happened to one of you? I could never live with the fact that I wasn’t there and that I couldn’t help you.”
“Ginny,” Hermione said, “think about your future, your education!”
“Hermione,” Ginny said, exasperated. “You’re doing the same thing. What’s the difference between us both taking one or two years off from school?”
“There’s a big difference!” Hermione cried indignantly.
“Only one year!” Ginny yelled back. “I’m not the damsel in distress like when I was eleven!”
“Ginny,” Harry interrupted, taking a long step towards her. “Please don’t do this to me. Don’t do this to yourself. You can’t come, I won’t let you.”
“I’m going to ignore that,” Ginny said, with less sweetness in her voice. “You really don’t want me to unleash what’s been bottling up all summer.”
“Don’t start, Ginny!” Ron said in a voice somewhere between demanding and pleading.
“You don’t start!” she growled at him, “so, what’s the plan then?”
“You’re not a part of the plan!” Harry exclaimed.
“Sure,” Ginny said sarcastically, “so tell me what we’re doing.”
Hermione actually started laughing but was quickly silenced by a look from Harry.
“Ginny…” Harry started to shake with frustration. “Stop being stubborn…”
Ginny spun around and went right up to him, inches from his face. “Oh, I’m being stubborn. Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” She paused, her voice was calm but her eyes showed rage. The wind picked up, making her hair flare like fire. “Or do I need to hex you just so you’ll listen to me?”
“You’re in for it now, mate.” Ron said, backing away.
“Ginny,” Hermione said, “Harry, everyone just calm down.”
“Calm down!” Ginny and Harry cried indignantly without bothering to turn around, their eyes still locked on each other.
“Or not…” Hermione whispered.
“Look, Ginny,” Harry said, “we’re really getting nowhere playing this game.”
“Nowhere,” Ginny suddenly said quietly, breaking his gaze and then looking back. “How long have you been nowhere? I don’t mean this house. Has it been weeks or months? What about since Dumbledore, Sirius, Cedric? Have you been nowhere for your entire life? Our entire lives? Harry, I’m tired of nowhere. I’m tired of worry. I want to get somewhere and I want it to be with you.”
“Ginny, I love you too much to put you in danger,” he cried in anguish.
“If you love me so much…” she said tensely. She leaned over and kissed him. Harry kissed her back. Suddenly he forgot about dumping Ginny and about her not going with them. All he knew was that as long as he was with her, he was somewhere.
The tension that had being hanging in the air vanished.
Harry looked over to Hermione and Ron. “She’s coming.”
“Figured that,” Ron said, rolling his eyes.
“So, where are we going now?” Ginny asked.
“Anywhere except nowhere.” Harry said as he smiled at them.
Nowhere by guitarrebelgrl
Chapter Notes: It's my first fanfic so I hope you enjoy it. Please review! I'd like to thank my beta reader, Erin!