Ginny had not paid much heed to the start of term feast and felt out of place at Hogwarts. It was so strange to be back. No Ron, no George, no Harry, no Fred. She was extremely thankful Hermione had chosen to come back, but they didn’t know each other that well.

The last episode with George had forced Hermione to spend time with her, as opposed to Ron, and they had had a few interesting moments. Ginny now understood why Harry and Ron were such good friends with Hermione. She had this way about her, even if she were asserting her knowledge, to still make Ginny feel comforted. She wondered if this was how Hermione and Harry had got on when Ron had deserted them last year.

She felt like she was in a sort of trance. She passed many of the places in the school that held mixed memories. She found herself walking around the hallways, passing the Room of Requirement and stopping. It had appeared out of no-where, as it often would, and she couldn’t help herself but go in. She pushed the doors opened and stopped. The room had the same look that she recalled from the final battle. Everything was the same, the chairs and pillows in the same places. She remembered spending time in that room, nervously waiting for someone to bring her news.

She had finally gotten her chance to get away when Harry, Ron and Hermione had needed to use the room to find the final Horcrux. She and Tonks had gotten the chance to defend the school and then all hell broke loose. She shut her eyes tightly trying to push the memories out of her mind. The serene looks on Lupin’s, Tonks’ and Fred’s faces as they were brought into the Great Hall. She couldn’t forget. She had hoped it would be easier being at school, but it wasn’t.

The door to the Room of Requirement was still open and Ginny found herself hurrying through it. She wanted to get away, get away from everything. As she hurried to the doors of the school she heard someone calling her name. She turned abruptly and squinted, trying to make out who was calling to her. Light was pouring through the hallway entrance, blinding her, and she felt a pair of hands grip her shoulders.

‘Ginny! Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick!’ Hermione eked out.

She wrapped her arms around Ginny and pulled her into a warm embrace. She whispered, ‘What’s wrong?’

Ginny shook her head. ‘I can’t…I can’t do this…’

She was crying profusely now, she couldn’t stop the tears. All the horrors she’d witnessed, all the loss she’d seen, were passing before her eyes over and over again. Ginny didn’t know what was happening, but could feel Hermione wrapping her arm around her shoulders and leading her away.

‘You’re going to be fine…this is all just a bit too much,’ Hermione said quietly.

Ginny looked at her friend and could see through her tears that Hermione was upset too. She stopped in the hallway on the way to the Gryffindor common room and stood there looking at Hermione. ‘How can you be so certain?’

Her voice was shaking and she could see Hermione was thinking hard. Hermione took a few deep breathes and uttered, ‘Because things have to be fine. This is Hogwarts.’

It was a simple statement. But as Ginny had already realised, Hermione had a knack for saying the right thing. Ginny took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. ‘I know you’re right…I just…’

Hermione nodded and squeezed Ginny’s arm. ‘I know…Merlin, I know. I wish Ron and Harry were here.’

Ginny nodded and started to walk slowly back to the common room. It had gotten rather late and Ginny could feel the warmth from the locket increasing as she walked. She wondered if Harry was missing her as much as she was missing him.

Hermione lagged behind Ginny for a few steps and Ginny stopped. ‘What?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘Nothing…’

Ginny looked around, realising they were standing in front of the Room of Requirement. She looked around the hallway and looked back at Hermione. Her friend didn’t seem torn by unpleasant memories, she seemed to be smiling.

Ginny walked back to Hermione. ‘I have a feeling I just don’t want to know.’

Hermione grinned. ‘I don’t want to hear it, Ginny. I had to deal with you and Harry all summer!’

Ginny rolled her eyes. ‘It wasn’t that bad. It was wonderful.’

She grinned at Hermione and Hermione burst out laughing. ‘Not from where I was standing! Especially that last dinner where I was forced to watch you two paw at each other.’

Ginny replied, ‘Ha! Like you and Ron were really any better?’

They both started laughing and Ginny felt a sense of calm wash over her. She grabbed Hermione’s arm and pulled her towards the common room. Ginny didn’t feel quite as overwhelmed as she first had. But she had a feeling that being back at school wouldn’t be quite the escape she’d anticipated it to be.

As they entered the very familiar room, Ginny noted the silence that echoed within it. All conversations had stopped as they’d entered. There were many familiar faces there. Lavender Brown was sitting nearby and tried to smile at both Ginny and Hermione. She only managed to turn the corners of her lips up ever so slightly before looking away.

Ginny looked down suddenly, a feeling of foreboding washing over her. Hermione shifted next to her and then walked forward. ‘I know we don’t have classes yet, though they start soon, and as Head Girl, I don’t think you all should stay up too much later.’

A bit of laughter broke out with more chuckles to follow. Hermione turned back to Ginny with a grin as Dean Thomas stepped forward. ‘Come on now, hero, can’t you let us stay up late for one night?’

Hermione turned and looked up at Dean. ‘What kind of Head Girl would I be if I let you do that?’

He grinned at her. ‘The popular kind.’

Ginny looked from Dean to Hermione but didn’t say anything. She saw a few friends she recognised and sat down, beckoning Hermione to join them. She sat quietly listening to people re-tell their stories about their summers. All the stories had similar threads. She hadn’t realised how detached things had gotten at the Burrow and found herself being pulled into the memory of it before things had become so sombre and depressing.

She looked up to see Hermione staring at her intently. Hermione had sat down next to her, picking up a nearby book and raised her eyebrows at her friend. ‘Are you sure you’re feeling alright, Ginny?’

Ginny nodded. ‘You’re worse than my mum! You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine.’

Hermione didn’t argue but stood up slowly. ‘I think you need to get some sleep, Ginny. So do I; I’m heading to bed.’

Ginny nodded and watched as Hermione left. She didn’t realise how comforting Hermione’s presence was and tried to think where Hermione’s room was. As Head Girl she may not be staying in Gryffindor tower. Ginny’s attention was diverted back to Dean and Seamus. They were asking her about her plans for Quidditch, and she had to think back quickly to her conversations with Harry about it. They seemed convinced of her strategies and both retired a little while later.

Ginny found the common room had emptied out not long after Dean and Seamus left, but she didn’t have the energy to move. She leaned back against the arm of the couch she was sitting in and propped her legs up on the opposite arm. She felt exhausted, but everywhere she looked the memories came flooding back.

It was as if the presence of others kept them at bay, but now, now her thoughts were driving through her like rain and she hadn’t anything to shield herself with. She shut her eyes tightly, but could feel the hot tears streaming down her face. She missed them. She missed her doting mother and father. She missed her funny brothers Fred and George. Fred. How could he have left them? How could he have just left her and all of her brothers? She wondered how Ron was doing with George now. She knew it couldn’t be easy

She rubbed her eyes, trying to will the tears to stop, but they wouldn’t. She kept going over the final battle, going over the times with George in the hospital. She kept seeing that crazed look on George’s face when he cursed Harry. She wondered if any of the other students had death attempts after the war as she’d had to deal with.

She heard the stairs creak behind her and sat up abruptly. Hermione had her bathrobe wrapped tightly around her and her arms were crossed. She quickly crossed the room and bent down in front of Ginny. ‘Why aren’t you in bed?’

Ginny shrugged and looked away from Hermione. But Hermione would have none of that and grabbed Ginny’s shoulders and pulled her up on her feet. ‘Come on. You can’t sit here all night.’

Ginny didn’t want to go to bed, but she couldn’t think of anything to say or do to stop Hermione. She let Hermione lead her up a few flights of stairs before stopping and pushing the door open of a room Ginny had never seen before.

The room was sparsely furnished, yet it felt warm and inviting. There was an overstuffed chair in the corner and it was very clean. She waved her wand and Ginny saw a pair of tea cups float to a nearby table. Hermione sat at the table and said, ‘Ginny, you can’t go on like this…talk to me.’

Ginny shook her head, sat down across from her and said quietly, ‘There’s nothing to talk about.’

Hermione glared at her. ‘Stop it, Ginny. This is the second time in as many hours I’ve found you crying.’

‘Can you blame me?’ she replied hotly.

‘I’m not blaming you! I’m trying to help you, if you’ll let me.’ Hermione had a worried look on her face and Ginny immediately felt guilty for snapping at her.

‘I’m sorry, Hermione…I…I don’t know…’ She sipped the tea and felt the warmth soothing her. She looked at Hermione and smiled.

‘I know, I mean, being back here is tough. I can’t imagine what this is like for you.’ Hermione looked at the table quietly.

Ginny sighed. ‘You’re probably going through the same thing.’

Hermione turned away from Ginny. ‘Not the same. I don’t have any brothers or sisters.’

Ginny reached across the table and squeezed Hermione’s hand. ‘Don’t be silly, Hermione. We’ve all lost so much. And you were closer to the battles than anyone…if anything, you should be affected more than me.’

Hermione laughed. ‘Great, then we’ll both be messes this year!’

Ginny smiled at her friend. ‘Thanks…I don’t feel quite as depressed as when we first got here.’

Hermione tried to smile. Ginny continued softly, ‘But it looks like I’ve brought you down with me.’

She smiled consolingly at her friend and Hermione rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers. ‘No, I’m fine. Why don’t you head to your room and get some rest.’

It wasn’t a question. Ginny knew Hermione was telling her to go. She got up slowly and Hermione did the same. She hugged her friend and said, ‘Alright, but send me a Patronus or something if you need some company.’

Hermione nodded and patted Ginny on the back. ‘I think we could both use some rest.’

Ginny nodded and headed up the flights of stairs to the floor where the seventh years lived. All of her roommates were already sound asleep and she quickly changed and got into her bedclothes. She tried to push the memories of the battle out of her mind as she went to bed, but it was to little avail. As she got up the next morning, she felt like she hadn’t slept at all.

She walked in a trance through most of Sunday, seeing Hermione but once. She was instructing the first years how to form proper queues. Ginny passed the assembly with little note and spent most of the day hunched quietly in the corner of the Gryffindor common room.

As the day wore on, Ginny felt more and more tired. She found herself nodding off and heard Dean sit down and say her name. ‘Ginny, you look terrible…’

He chuckled. ‘That came out all wrong. You know you’re gorgeous.’

Ginny raised her eyebrows and smiled. ‘Uh, thanks, Dean.’

He put his hands up quickly. ‘Hey, I know you’re taken. Doesn’t mean I can’t look, right?’

Ginny looked at him curiously and waited for him to continue. He wiped his hands on his pants. ‘What I’m trying to say is I think you need to go sleep in a proper bed or something. When was the last time you slept?’

She looked down, thinking of that stolen afternoon with Harry and sighed. ‘I can’t recall.’

She didn’t feel up to sharing her intimate moments with Harry. Dean grinned. ‘Hermione asked me to check up on you. And as my duty under the orders of our Head Girl, you’d better get some rest.’

Ginny felt something brush up against her legs and looked down to see Crookshanks purring quietly up at her. She sighed and could see Dean was still looking at her intently. The way he was looking at her made her feel very uncomfortable. She got up quickly and reached down to scoop up Crookshanks. ‘I’ll go put Crookshanks back. If you see Hermione, tell her not to worry.’

She hurried out of the common room feeling Dean’s gaze follow her out of sight. She sighed in relief as she made it to Hermione’s room and pushed the door open slowly. She would have expected Hermione to put some sort of charms on the door to keep it locked, but she obviously hadn’t.

Ginny put Crookshanks down, but the cat persisted, rubbing up against her legs and then jumping onto Hermione’s bed. Ginny sighed. ‘What are you on about you barmy cat?’

Crookshanks purred loudly at this and Ginny sighed. Hermione’s bed looked very inviting and she sat on the edge of it. This was no softer than hers, but it felt more comforting than her own. Crookshanks brushed against her back and she reached around to catch him, but he leaped back out of her grasp. She lied down across the bed, trying to grab him, but to no use. She sighed and yawned. Maybe she would just shut her eyes for a moment.

She woke up a few hours later. Someone was rubbing her back gently and she shook her head slowly. The room was completely dark now and she could distantly hear someone talking to her. Crookshanks shifted in front of her and she turned over slowly.

Hermione was looking at her intently, a worried expression crossing her face. ‘Ginny?’

She nodded and rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Hermione, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on your bed.’

Hermione patted Ginny on the arm. ‘Don’t be stupid, I don’t care if you’re sleeping in my bed. I camped out in your room for the last few summers.’

Ginny grinned. ‘Yeah, but you didn’t sleep in my bed.’ Ginny propped herself up on her elbows. ‘What time is it?’

Hermione smiled. ‘You just missed dinner.’

‘I did? I’m not feeling hungry at all,’ Ginny confessed.

‘It doesn’t matter whether you are or not. I asked Winky to bring something up for you, it’ll be here shortly. You’re not skipping any more meals,’ Hermione stated.

Ginny didn’t want to argue and ran her hands through her hair. ‘I must look a fright.’

Hermione giggled and shook her head. ‘Well, just be glad I’m not Harry.’

‘Is it really that bad?’ Ginny asked.

‘Not really, I’ve seen worse.’ Hermione laughed.

Winky Apparated into Hermione’s room with a laden tray and set it on the table Ginny and Hermione had tea on the night before. ‘Miss Granger, as you requested, dinner for you and Miss Weasley.’

Ginny smiled. ‘Thank you, Winky.’

The house elf nodded and Apparated out of the room as quickly as she’d arrived. Ginny got up slowly noticing Crookshanks purring loudly at her. ‘Hermione, is there something you want to tell me about your cat?’

Hermione grinned. ‘No, but did you see that? Not all house elves say Master and Mistress. Just like I told you before! They are very intuitive.’

Ginny shook her head. ‘Hermione, I really think you’re seeing too much into this. Kreacher was just being polite. I don’t think he knows what the future holds.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘I think he does, you’re just not giving him enough credit.’

Ginny sighed and ate slowly. She said through mouthfuls, ‘Really, are you saying that Kreacher knows the future?’

Hermione sat across from her nibbling on some bread. ‘Not the future. But I think he sees something between people that belong together…like you and Harry.’

Hermione was grinning at her and Ginny felt the heat rushing to her face. ‘I know Harry and I are fond of each other…’ She looked down at her plate and continued softly, ‘I don’t know…’

Hermione raised her eyebrows. ‘Ginny, you can’t honestly tell me you don’t think you belong with Harry?’

‘I don’t know, Hermione. I mean…’ she looked up nervously. ‘I have never pictured myself with anyone else. It’s been a long summer…’

Hermione placed her hands evenly on the table. ‘I know this may be untoward for me to say, and it maybe none of my business as well, but Harry doesn’t…he doesn’t think about anyone else the way he thinks about you.’

Ginny looked blankly at Hermione and the older girl continued, ‘I probably shouldn’t say more, but last year…he was missing you so much. And he never wanted to say anything, but I knew.’

Ginny sighed. ‘Thanks…that doesn’t really help me at all, Hermione.’

Hermione laughed. ‘Oh, come on. You know you love him and he loves you!’

Ginny balked. ‘Whoa! Wait a minute; we’re not even close to saying that sort of thing!’

Ginny narrowed her eyes and Hermione shook her head. ‘Fine, fine, but just remember that I’ve told you what you already know.’ Hermione grinned at her and continued, ‘Now it’ll be easier for you and Harry.’

Ginny rolled her eyes. ‘I don’t know about that. He doesn’t talk about how he feels.’

‘No, he doesn’t,’ Hermione acquiesced. ‘But I think if he opens up to anyone, it’ll be you, first and foremost.’

Ginny didn’t look Hermione in the eye as she finished the dinner and Hermione busied herself with school work. Ginny got up slowly and said, ‘Hermione…thanks…for looking after me. I promise, I’ll get it together as classes start.’

Hermione grinned at the mention of classes and said, ‘You and me both, I’m sure.’ Hermione crossed the room and said, ‘Ginny, if you need anything…’

Ginny nodded and embraced Hermione. ‘The same for you, too. Good night.’

Ginny left Hermione in her room and headed slowly up the stairs. She tried to think positively about the new term, but realised she was missing her brothers and Harry, perhaps Harry more than her brothers. She noticed she’d received a note from Harry, but decided she would reply tomorrow morning before she started her first full week of classes.