Ginny was starting to get used to these confrontations with Hermione. She loved that Hermione was so loyal to Harry, but was also a little put off that she would defend him so soundly, almost ignoring her concerns. It was hard for Hermione to ever admit she was wrong.

They had gone down to dinner together after the memorial, her parents and all the visitors were long gone. Hagrid was clearing the grounds up and Hermione stepped out of the school to chat with him. Ginny had gotten to know Hagrid better through the Order of the Phoenix and final battle the previous year. She followed close behind.

Hagrid waved as they got closer. ‘’ello you lot!’

Hermione waved and walked forward. ‘Hagrid, I am amazed you were able to get this place to look so different in a few short hours.’

Hagrid beamed. ‘It was a stellar affair wasn’t it?’ He dabbed his eyes and continued, ‘And Hermione, yeh made a wonderful speech. Perfect for the occasion.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Thank you, Hagrid. I was really hard-pressed to come up with something meaningful.’

Hagrid looked over to Ginny and said, ‘And how are you feeling after that attack last week?’

Ginny sighed. ‘Fine, better, much better.’

Hagrid nodded. ‘That was a right foul mess, wasn’t it? I’m glad Professor McGonagall had some more wards put up around the school. Can’t have the school being unsafe!’

Hagrid looked at them knowingly and said in a hushed tone, ‘Yeh both should use more caution. The Prophet’s been publicising your being here. If something were to go awry, I’d never be able to forgive myself.’

Hermione smiled. ‘It looked like Ginny had everything under control that night.’

Hagrid nodded. ‘That she did; you are one powerful witch, Ms. Ginny.’

She smiled up at him. ‘I still can’t believe they got onto the grounds so easily.’

Hagrid nodded grimly. ‘There’s rumour that they’re all rogues now, no policing Azkaban for them. They just hunt for something sweet to taste.’

Ginny sighed. ‘I guess that’s us, isn’t it?’

He nodded. ‘’fraid so. But yeh handled yerself very well in a tight spot, and with at least a dozen Dementors there no less!’

Ginny balked and looked at Hermione. ‘Were there really that many?’

Hermione nodded slowly. ‘Did I not tell you that?’

‘No,’ Ginny replied, rolling her eyes.

Hermione smiled. ‘I’ve only known Harry to have fended off more.’

Hagrid nodded. ‘Learned from the best, you have. Now you two best not be out too late.’

He motioned for them to go back into the school and they reluctantly did so, promising to come see him soon. Hermione led the way back to the common room, most of the students had changed from their nice robes since the morning, but the silence still hung over them.

Dean looked up at Ginny and said, ‘We going to be ready for that match with Slytherin?’

The room seemed to brighten at the prospect of a conversation and Ginny nodded. ‘Absolutely. We’ve got a great team and we just need to get a little practice in.’

There was a collective groan at this and she turned to survey the room. ‘You don’t expect we’ll win if we don’t practice, do you?’

Dean sighed and Seamus put in, ‘But we’ve all got rows and rows of parchment to get in.’

Ginny rolled her eyes. ‘First of all, you didn’t even come out, Seamus, so why are you worried? And second of all, we will always have revisions, but that isn’t going to stop me from winning. Are you saying we’d rather study than win the House cup?’

No one in the room would contradict her and she crossed her arms smugly. ‘That’s what I thought. So I expect the whole team to be on the pitch tomorrow after lunch.’

‘Tomorrow?’ Natalie called out from the other side of the common room. ‘It’s Sunday, we don’t get a day off.’

Ginny laughed. ‘That was today. And by my clock, you have a few more hours before it’s over.’

They didn’t seem overly thrilled, but they didn’t deny her their time either. She set out a few more guidelines before Hermione started to head off to bed. Ginny caught up with her, calling out as she headed up the stairs.

‘Hermione! You’re heading to bed awfully early,’ she commented.

Hermione turned slowly to her. ‘It’s been a long day…to be honest, I’m surprised you’ve any energy at all.’

Ginny sighed. ‘Honestly, I dread being…alone.’

Hermione nodded slowly. ‘We do have to sleep, you know?’

Ginny nodded. As she looked at Hermione, she realised this would be the first time she’d really be alone all day. There had always been the presence of someone around, but as she looked at stairs, she knew she’d have to start thinking about what happened today.

Hermione gave her a curious look and asked, ‘Are you alright?’

She nodded. ‘Yeah, just…thinking.’

Hermione studied her for a few moments and said slowly, ‘I don’t want you to feel like you’re alone, but I’m not sure I can handle any more companionship today.’

Ginny looked at her and asked, ‘Still bothered by that…hug?’

Hermione shook her head and glared at Ginny. ‘I would appreciate it if you didn’t bring that up again.’

Ginny rolled her eyes and smiled playfully at Hermione. ‘I don’t think I have to bring it up at all.’

Hermione turned on her heel, saying, ‘Good night, Ginny.’

Ginny watched as Hermione disappeared out of view. She didn’t want to talk Quidditch anymore. She hadn’t been sleeping well, but she needed the rest. She trudged up the flights of steps to her room, and sighed. Her roommates were all still downstairs, she was alone.

She slowly got ready for bed, feeling the locket warm up for some time before finally returning to a cooler temperature. She tried not to get upset, thinking about her stolen moment with Harry. She couldn’t even control herself. At the time, she was furious that he’d been late, but all she’d wanted was to find some solace in those arms.

She sighed contentedly, thinking of how much she’d missed him and how much he’d clearly missed her. She hoped he wouldn’t send her some detached letter apologising for what happened. She was sure he didn’t mean it. And she guessed the Ministry arranged for it. But did that mean he had already known and hadn’t told her, as with the pictures? Or was he taken by surprise? She didn’t know what to think and fell asleep with the memory of Harry walking away from the Gryffindor common room and embracing him fiercely.

When Ginny awoke the next morning, she felt the same sort of detachment she’d felt the day before. She hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about what had happened. She still felt a deepening sadness at Fred’s death, now more than she had all summer, but she also felt acceptance from it.

George’s demeanour had been her turning point. He seemed better. He was almost his normal self. And the comment he’d made, one of the few things he’d said to her, and about Harry, made her feel better. Percy also seemed to have calmed down as the memorial went on. She wondered how her brothers were doing. She sat down, before heading down to breakfast, and jotted a quick note to Percy. Out of the two there, Percy and Ron; Percy would be the one most likely to respond. Though she knew, if Hermione had owled Ron, he’d probably be honest with her.

Ginny went to the Owlery to send her letter off and found Hermione there. She had knocked on her door earlier, but when she got no response, she left. She raised her eyebrows expectantly and asked, ‘Who are you sending an owl to?’

Hermione jumped at Ginny’s entrance and looked at her seriously. ‘Haven’t been to breakfast yet, have you?’

Another owl inched forward, closer to Ginny, with a letter in its beak. She looked down at it; the owl was unfamiliar to her, but then she recalled, Harry’s owl had been killed the previous year. She pulled the letter out of its beak and saw it was addressed to her. She tied the letter to Percy to a school owl and looked back up at Hermione expectantly.

The latter rolled her eyes and said, ‘Aren’t you going to open your letter?’

Ginny sighed. ‘I’m pretty sure I know what it’s going to say. What are you doing up here?’

Hermione sighed and said, ‘I got a letter early this morning, I thought I’d reply straightaway. But based on your…attitude this morning, perhaps I should change my response.’

Ginny narrowed her eyes and said, ‘Harry sent you a letter, asking about me, again?’

Hermione didn’t deny it. ‘He did. He’s worried about you. He sent you a letter too.’

Ginny shifted the letter from one hand to the other and said, ‘I’m sure Harry is worrying over nothing.’

Hermione shook her head, taking a step forward. ‘We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, haven’t we?’

Ginny nodded and Hermione continued, her eyes blazing, ‘Then why are you lying to me?’

Ginny balked and started to argue, but looked away from Hermione. ‘I’m not lying. I’m just not sure there’s anything to be concerned about.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘I haven’t lied to you; I wish you wouldn’t treat me like I’m just your brother’s girlfriend.’

Ginny glared at Hermione. ‘I have not treated you like you’re ‘just’ anything. I’m tired of arguing with you about Harry.’

Hermione kept her gaze on Ginny and replied, ‘You act like I care about him more than you do. Harry and I are very good friends, but he only wants you. I don’t understand what the confusion is between the two of you.’

Ginny laughed bitterly. ‘I find it hard to believe you don’t understand something.’

Hermione didn’t smile. ‘No, you wouldn’t. You’re too busy being the centre of attention to notice something so innocuous as your boyfriend pouring his heart out to you.’

Ginny raised her eyebrows. ‘Really? When did that happen? I must have been too busy being ‘popular’ to have noticed.’

Hermione started past Ginny. ‘Leave me out of this, both of you. I have had enough.’

Ginny stared as Hermione walked down the stairs at a brisk pace. She narrowed her eyes. Harry shouldn’t be sending Hermione letters about her in the first place. She looked down at the envelope in her hands and sighed. She didn’t want to read it. She’d give anything to have the courage to throw it in the Black Lake, but she couldn’t. She turned it over in her hands once more before breaking the seal and reading the letter.

Ginny,

I can not apologise enough for not being there for you yesterday. I know things have been strained between us and I know I’m almost entirely to blame.I hope you know that there is no one I care for more than you. The only thing I wanted to do yesterday was be there with you, and your family, and help you cope with the tragedy that I helped create.

I’m not going to tell you that Kingsley or Gaunt made me late, as Neville reminded me; it was my choice to obey or disobey. I just hope you can find something to hold onto until I can make this up to you.

You’re always in my thoughts.

Love,
Harry

Ginny sighed. She couldn’t stay angry at him after a letter like that. No matter how gratifying her anger was towards him, he cared about her. She knew he did. All the thoughts and doubts that had haunted her mind disappeared after a second reading.

She sat down on the stairs of the Owlry and felt tears streaming down her face. She wanted nothing more, at that second, then to have him there with her. She knew he didn’t like crying girlfriends, but she needed some comfort. And she bitterly thought back to her closest comfort having stormed off not five minutes previously.

She wiped the tears from her face and took a few deep breaths before heading to the Great Hall. The last thing she wanted was to be seen looking upset. Though, given the previous day’s events, it wouldn’t be surprising. She walked into the Great Hall and noticed the resounding silence. There was hardly a student around. Dennis Creevey was sitting to one end of the Gryffindor table and did not look up as Ginny sat a few seats away. She tried to smile at him, but he turned away from her, pouring over The Daily Prophet.

Ginny knew not to read that rubbish and turned back to her meagre breakfast. She wasn’t feeling hungry at all and knew she had to get back into Hermione’s good graces as well as send Harry a note back. Not to mention the Quidditch practice she’d arranged for later that day. She sighed and ate quickly, trying to get back to her room to write a letter to Harry. She knew she needed to go easier on him. She hated that Hermione was right, as usual. She wondered if she had taken the time to read the letter first if they wouldn’t have argued at all.

She glanced once more at Dennis, but the younger boy didn’t look up. She started to say something, but realised she was not in the best temperament to offer advice. She thought about sitting down again to talk to him, but knew she didn’t have the time. She looked back once more, but saw he was still uninterested in her.

She bounded towards the stairs for the Gryffindor tower. As she got closer, she saw a few of her team-mates hanging about. They all looked up expectantly and Dean chortled, ‘Guess our captain’s gonna be late!’

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, ‘Give me twenty minutes, I’ll be there. Why don’t you all start without me?’

Dean rolled his eyes and said, ‘This could prove interesting.’

Natalie looked slightly nervous and Ginny patted her on the back. ‘Don’t let them scare you, they’re all talk.’

She smiled at her and headed through the portrait door, leaving them on the other side. She saw Hermione sitting near Lavender Brown and knew now was as good a time as any. She sighed and put a hand on Hermione’s arm. ‘Can I talk to you?’

Hermione looked past her as a couple Gryffindor students headed out the door to watch the practice. ‘Looks like you’re already late.’

Ginny lowered her shoulders and said, ‘Two seconds, I promise.’

Hermione stood up slowly, Lavender eyeing them curiously. They took a few steps towards the stairs. Ginny pursed her lips together and said quietly, ‘I’m sorry. You’re right, whatever there is between me and Harry should stay there. It isn’t fair for either of us to put you in the middle. When I write him next, I’ll…I’ll tell him to stop asking you about me.’

Hermione shook her head and said, ‘I’m just a little short-fused too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. You and Harry, you’re so perfect, and yet you both feel the need to argue non-stop.’

Ginny raised her eyebrows. ‘We don’t argue like you and Ron do.’

‘No,’ Hermione acquiesced. ‘But you are both very maddening.’

Ginny laughed. ‘So, you coming to watch us burn up the pitch?’

Hermione sighed. ‘If I could even go another year without having to be subjected to Quidditch…’

Ginny laughed. ‘I’ll be right down.’

Ginny hurried up the stairs and quickly changed into her Quidditch robes. She was already feeling better. She took one last look at the letter Harry had sent her and knew she’d write him a response after the Quidditch practice. She needed to really think about a meaningful response to his letter. She grabbed her gear and bounded back down the stairs, collecting Hermione on her way out.