* * *
The next few days passed in a haze of tears and sorrow. The Burrow was bursting with emotion, and Harry was aching to get out of the house for a while.
Fred, Lupin, and Tonk's funerals had taken place the previous day. Harry had spoken at all three of them, finding himself choked up each time. He could never remember feeling more heartbroken than the moment he stood in front of his loved one's caskets and saw all the people effected by Voldemort's terror in his last few hours of life. Harry was affected most of all by little Teddy Lupin, sitting silently on his grandmother's lap in the front row. Another orphan who would never truly know what amazing people his parents had been.
The day before, right after the funeral, Hermione had left for Australia to find her parents. She was very worried that something might have happened to them, but she assured everyone that when she got news, she would send word immediately.
Harry got up, trying hard not to wake Ron who was sleeping restlessly in the bed next to him. Harry was, of course, staying in Ron's room at the Burrow since George had needed his room back. "Just like old times," joked Ron. Harry changed into a t-shirt and jeans and left the room.
It was still early so Harry did not expect anyone else to be awake yet. He was therefore surprised to see both Percy and Ginny in the kitchen when he got there.
"Oh Harry, you're up!" Percy declared, spotting Harry standing awkwardly by the door. "Good, Ginny and I were just talking. I have decided to help George at the shop for the time being since I no longer have a job at the Ministry."
"Er, great," Harry mumbled, privately thinking that George would rather work with Lee Jordan or one of his other friends instead of his pompous older brother.
"Well, I'm off to see how things are at the shop. Got to open it back up now that the war is over," Percy announced, –life can’t sit still forever!†He picked up his dragon skin briefcase and marched out the door, leaving Harry and Ginny quite uncomfortably alone.
"Is Percy really going to work with George?" Harry asked Ginny as he sat down at the table.
"Yeah… I wonder how long that is going to last," Ginny replied, a slight smile on her face.
Harry looked down at his hands, folded in his lap and tried to think of something else to say. This had been the first time he had been alone with Ginny since the battle and he wasn’t really sure how to talk to her anymore.
"I've been thinking," Harry started. "I have been intruding on your family for too long, and I think it's about time I found a place of my own. Now that I am done living with the Dursleys, and I am of age. I was thinking of moving into Number Twelve Grimmauld Place-"
"So that's it, is it?" interrupted Ginny rather coolly, her voice rising. "You've got this all planned out, have you? You are just going to pick up and leave me here… AGAIN?"
Harry looked at her in complete shock. "Ginny… I… I had to leave you last time…"
"No, you didn't! You took Ron and Hermione, didn't you? You could have at least told me where you were going, or when you would be coming back, but no…"she shouted in a sarcastic voice, very angry now.
"That's not what happened," Harry broke in, trying his hardest to stay calm.
"Yes, it was. You just dumped me here, not caring at all what happened to me!" There were tears in her eyes now.
"Ginny-" Harry started but Ginny interrupted him again, shouting now.
"And then you come back, and we were all fighting Voldemort. And you just gave yourself over to the Death Eaters! All those lives we were fighting for, and you just decide to take the easy way out and leave us here to die!"
"That's enough!" Harry spoke fiercely, on his feet now too. "I gave myself up because that was the only way to end the war! You don't think that it was hard for me to leave, knowing that I would never be coming back, never be able to see you again-?" He faltered and caught his breath, then continued more calmly, "It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Do you know how much I missed you this past year? Of course I cared about you. I cared for you and your future, more than I did for my own life. I still do."
Ginny stood stunned for a few seconds, then flung herself on Harry and started crying harder than ever. Harry smoothed the back of her head, running his hands through her long red hair.
"I just missed you… so… so much!" she wailed between sobs. "I was so worried I'd never see you again. I thought I saw you dead once. I don't ever want to see that again!"
Harry kissed her gently on the top of her head. She pulled away from him slightly and looked up into his emerald green eyes. Then she grabbed his face and kissed him full on the lips for just a moment. Her eyes widened when she realized what she was doing, and she ran from the room up the stairs. A few seconds later, Harry heard her door slam.
He remained standing in the middle of the kitchen, now stunned himself. After a while, he shook his head to clear it and walked back up towards Ron's room.
On the first floor landing, he saw that Ginny's bedroom door was indeed shut. He sighed and proceeded up to the top floor of the house.
He walked into Ron's room in a slight daze. Ron was, amazingly, still asleep, even though Ginny and Harry had been shouting. Harry smiled slightly; whatever happened, Ron would always be the same loyal person he had met on the Hogwarts Express his first year. Some things never change.
Half an hour later, Harry was finished packing. His rucksack and birthday presents from the previous year were stacked by the door. As he no longer had an owl or broom, his load was a fair amount lighter than usual.
He could hear people moving around in the kitchen. Thinking that it was probably time for breakfast, he started to walk down the stairs.
Sure enough, he had only gone a few steps when he bumped into Mrs. Weasley, who was coming up.
"Oh, Harry dear, breakfast is almost ready. Would you mind waking Ron up for me?" she asked.
Harry nodded and turned to ascend the stairs yet again. He went back into Ron's room and walked over to his best friend.
"Your mum says it's time for breakfast, Ron."
Ron grunted and rolled over, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter, as though he was trying to keep the sleep inside.
"Oi! Wake up!" Harry yelled, thumping Ron on the back.
"Jeez, you don't have to hit me, mate!" Ron muttered groggily, finally sitting up. "What time is it?"
"Almost nine," said Harry, thinking that he really needed to get a move on if he was going to leave for Grimmauld Place today.
Harry waited while Ron got dressed. He wondered how he was going to explain to Ron that he and Ginny might still want a future together. If that was even what she wanted… Harry wasn't even sure himself.
Too Good To Be Fake by way 2 HP obsesed
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer: JK owns Harry Potter, not me! (Though I wish I did!)
Chapter Endnotes: Please Read and Review!