I don't own anything. Sorry.

Some of these characters are made up, so I'm making up some cities too. Please don't get technical with me. I know that there is a Decatur in Alabama, so I made one in Tennessee.

ENJOY!

Out. I have to get out. Now. If I don't get out of this house I'm going to explode. Or implode. Either way, it's gonna suck.

I just wish people would just leave me alone. Yes, I know that Harry left for no reason what-so-ever. No note, no letters saying where he was or where he was going, nothing. He left his family, his friends. He left me. I just don't understand.

After the war, he came back to the Burrow and sat in his room for a couple of days. Once he came out, he was fine. Well, he acted as though he were okay. One night I even woke up to him sitting on the edge of my bed. He was brushing the hair out of my eyes and as I reached up to grab his hand, he bent down and gave me a kiss so soft that I still wonder if it really happened. I didn't sleep at all that night because my happiness kept me up. As dawn broke, I ran to his room only to find that he wasn't in there. He had gone. Idiot didn't even let me say goodbye.

It wouldn't have been a goodbye, though. A bad bye. A really bad bye.

So here I sit 2 months later, about to hex my mother into next week. I know she's only doing it because she cares, but really. I need some space. "Ginny you need to eat something" "Are you sure that you are okay? You seem pale." "Ginny are you getting enough sleep? You have circles under your eyes."

She was in the process of handing me some breakfast when I reached my breaking point. "Mum stop it. Stop it right now!" I slam my fists into the table and look sideways at her. Her brave smile couldn't hide what she was really feeling. Hurt. Sad. Rejected. Kind of like how I feel right now.

"I'm sorry. I'm just- just-" I put my head in my hands. "I need some time to think."

"Sweetheart, you've had 2 whole months to think ab-"

I quickly interrupted, "No. I mean away from here. Away from everything that reminds me of H… Just away from home."

I knew it was ridiculous. What kind of daughter was to up and leave her family because some stupid boy broke her heart? I heard my mom pull up a seat beside me at the table. "Well, I have some school friends that live in the States now. They have sons but they have grown and moved out of the house. But I'm sure having a girl around would be a breath of fresh air for them. I could floo them sometime today to see if they'd let you stay. But only if you'd like, of course."

Tears filled my eyes and I lifted my head up to look at her. "Really?"

She nodded. "I know that you are going through a rough time right now. Of course I don't want my baby girl to go gallivanting around the States all by herself, but I have faith in you. I believe that this is for the best, and I love Cara and Sam and I know that they'll treat you like their own."

The gratitude that I have for my mother right now is completely through the roof. After all of this time, she understands. All she needed was for me to ask. The hug that I give her can't possibly convey how incredible I think she is right now. "I love you so much. Thank you."

"Just take care of yourself sweetheart. It's scary out there when you are alone. But I trust you to take care of yourself." And with a wink, she was standing and starting the daily cleaning of the kitchen.

Within two days, all of my clothes were packed into a very small suitcase along with my makeup and Rudy, my stuffed cat. (I don't care how old I am, but Rudy is going with me anywhere.) Cara and Sam Lane reside in Decatur, Tennessee and from what I hear, it's not even a city. It's a "community" as Mum calls it. It's ten minutes til noon and I can hear my mother downstairs rushing me. "Ginny! Hurry up! They are expecting you to arrive soon!"

I meet her downstairs and she begins bombarding me with questions. "Did you pack your toothbrush?" "Do you have enough money to take with you?" "What about a pillow case? You don't want to drool on someone else's pillowcase!" I grab her hands to calm her down.

"I'm gonna be okay. I promise." I can tell that she's about to cry and she pulls me into a hug.

"Be careful darling. I love you too much to not let you do this, but I want you back. Please come back."

I blinked back my own tears and tried not to let my voice give away that I was scared to death of leaving. "I promise I'll be back. I love you." I grabbed some Floo powder from the can, said my destination, and as the green flames engulfed me, I saw my mother waving goodbye. Wow, this is gonna be a lot harder than I thought.

The next thing I know, I'm stumbling out of a fireplace in a very nice hotel. Wait, I think I was supposed to be at a house. I turn around to face the fireplace, and above the mantel is a picture of a family in front of a lake. Okay, so I guess I'm in the right place. But really, what kind of people live in a place this huge? Still in amazement, I continue to look around the room.

"I'm guessing you are Ginny? I think the red hair is a give away." Because of the distraction I didn't hear a woman walk into the room, and I jumped to turn and face her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You look so much like your mom that it's uncanny. I'm Cara. Can I offer you something to eat?"

Cara was quite pretty. With shoulder-length black hair, she didn't look old enough to be my mother's age. Finally able to speak, I shook her hand. "No thanks. Mum fed me before I left."

She laughed. "Yeah, Molly always had a knack for keeping her friends fed while she was at Hogwarts."

I laughed. "She's a great cook." I took another look around the room. "This is an amazing place that you have here."

"Thank you. We decided to add on once the boys moved out. We rent out rooms to witches or wizards that are traveling. I always loved to hear people's stories and the people who stop here have some amazing tales to tell." She got up and started moving towards the door. "Come and I'll show you the room that you'll be staying in."

I grabbed my suitcase and followed her. "Well I don't have much of a story to tell. Just a heartbroken girl looking for an exit."

She turned back and winked at me. "I'm sure you'll have your own story soon enough."

As I wondered what she was talking about, she stopped in front of a door and got a key out, then handed it to me. "This is your room. You are welcome to stay as long as you want or need. The kitchen is open to you whenever you feel hungry and the key opens the front door also in case you get locked out at night. My bedroom is downstairs, the last door on the left. You are welcome to come see me at anytime. Any questions?"

I racked my brain. "Well, what kind of places do you suggest I go around here?"

"Oh there are numerous places you can go around here. If I were you, I'd go sit in the town gazebo tomorrow morning, and from there you'll figure out where to go next. The gazebo is right in front of this house. Just keep walking straight out of this front door and you'll walk right into it."

Okay now I'm really confused. I offered a smile and a thanks. As she began walking down the stairs, I opened the door to my room.

Once the door swung open I stood in the doorway amazed at was my temporary bedroom. A queen-sized bed with a beautiful navy and white comforter was the center of the room. The canopy above the bed was made of fabric so light that you'd be scared it'd fall apart at the slightest touch. A window seat was covered with the same navy and white fabric and the wall next to it was covered in books from the ceiling to the floor. White wooden dressers and vanity tables stood against the wall and a plush navy chair was next to the fireplace. The adjourning bathroom had an antique tub that I can't wait to take a bubble bath in. I am officially in heaven.

After a few hours of soaking and reading a book, I drifted to sleep only to dream of a much happier time in my life.

"Let's elope."

Shock turned my head around so fast that I think I got whiplash. "What?"

"Let's elope."

"Harry are you insane? I mean really? I know you've fallen and hit your head quite a few times, but I didn't think any real damage was done. But now I think that you should go see Madam Pom-"

"Ginny shut up. I love you. I want to be with you forever. Who cares that I'm only 17?" He brushed some hair behind my ear. "Please?"

"If I were even going to consider this option, which I'm not, where would we go? Anywhere around here would recognize us."

"that's why we'd go to the States!" Okay now there really was a stupid look on my face.

"Now hear me out. Have you ever heard of Las Vegas?" I shook my head no and he continued on. "It's a place in the western part of the States where a lot of people go and get married. And for the honeymoon, we can keep traveling towards the west coast and we can hang out on the beach in California all day long. Seriously Ginny. Why not? No one would know us and it's the perfect escape route."

I just laughed at him and put my hand up to cradle his cheek. "Why rush? We have all of our lives to be together."

He smiled and kissed my hand. "You're right. That's why I love you."

"Haha. I'm always right. It's better that you learn early." I winked at him and he gave me that heart-melting smile.

I reach over and hit my alarm clock, feeling disgust flood my body. I hate when dreams like that take over. I feel ambushed. I have that dream a lot. The one where he tells me that he wants to elope. Of course I wanted to marry him. I love the boy. But my mom would have killed me if I had done that. Now I regret telling him no with every fiber of my being. Because only a few days later, he had left for war. Of course he saved the wizarding world, but I lost my world those 3 months. I lost Harry.

I can't sit here and think about him all day long. I need to get out. After a shower and some breakfast, I followed Cara's advice and walked out the gazebo. It was directly in the center of town and had a perfect view of everything in the vicinity. There was some cafés, bookstores, little grocery stores, and even a few diners. I nicked a brochure from the gazebo wall and it said that there was even a movie theater in town. After a few minutes of contemplation, I decided that I'd go to one of the bookstores.

I found one of them on the corner of 2 small streets so I figured that it wouldn't be too busy. As I walked in the door, a tiny bell tinkled above my head. That's quaint. For such a small store, they sure stuffed a lot of books into it. I was walking around in such astonishment that I bumped into someone who was leaving the store. However, instead of muttering an apology, I whipped around to see who it was. I could have sworn it was him. It smelled like him. That "Harry" smell. Even though he seemed completely shocked to see me, it wasn't Harry. Clean-cut brown hair and brown eyes. It was only after a few moments that I convinced myself that it wasn't him I finally told the stranger that I was sorry. That dream has put me on the edge. I can't even pay attention to the book I'm trying to read. I finally give up and decide to go back to my room. It looks like a storm is coming anyway.

Sure enough, I was right. It wasn't long after I got back to the house that I heard thunder rumbling close by. Deciding to make myself a sandwich, I head down to the kitchen. Head down, deep in thought, I ran into someone again as I was coming into the kitchen. I really need to stop doing this. Immediately going into an apology this time, I look up to see Clean-cut Hair Guy. He laughed when he saw me. "Let me guess. You are staying here also?"

"Guilty."

"Unbelievable."

"Why is that?"

"You just have to know me to understand."

Something about him is fishy. Almost familiar. I don't really know why. I feel comfortable with him even though I don't know who he is.

"Oh okay. Well sorry again for running into you. I promise that I'll start watching where I'm going."

"Would you like to go get something to eat?"

His question shocked me. "well, it's raining outside so I don't think that's such a good idea."

"I have an umbrella."

"Well, honestly..um, I'm sorry what's your name?"

"Uh…Tom."

"Okay Tom…I'm here because I'm heartbroken and I needed to get away for a while. Sorry to be blunt, but it's the only way that I knew to tell you."

Is that relief in his eyes? Did he only ask me out because he felt sorry for me? Ugh guys!

"That's okay. Maybe another time when you are guys are on better terms." He winked.

Oh my gosh. That wink. It completely threw me for a loop. I know how stupid that sounds. But it's Harry's wink. The i-love-you-and-no-one-else-can-have-you wink. The just-me-and-you wink. But it's obviously not Harry. Why would Harry be in Tennessee of all places? Ugh I need to get him out of my head. I came here to have a break, not think about him more. I really need to start reading again.

Do you know what I love? I love it when the weather matches my mood. I mean, who wants to cry and be sullen up when the sun is shining in a cloudless sky? So this tornado weather is right up my alley at this point in time. Stormy weather is perfect relaxing weather. Why would anybody be out in this type of weather? It's like a 'stay-home-sick' card. Well, it would be if I had a job. Which reminds me, I need to get one of those.

I lit the fire and once I got the room to a comfortable temperature, I curled up in the overstuffed armchair with the book that I was reading earlier. As I got further and further into the book, I couldn't resist the sleep that was tugging at my eyes. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

Okay. You, the reader, needs to tell me where to go from here. I've reached a rut. I hope you like it, and sorry if it makes no sense. It just popped into my head, and I decided to type it out. Have a great day…and don't forget to review!