As he stared glumly out of the window Harry mentally kicked himself for the tenth time this summer.

'Why?' he thought, scowling into the rainy mist that had descended around Privet Drive, "Why didn't I ask Ron the date of the wedding?"

It had hit Harry the second he had slid into the Dursley's car two weeks ago that he had no idea when his final torturous stay withhis relations would be over. He'd sent Hedwig almost immediately as he stepped into the house, but to his great annoyance she hadn't yet returned- and frankly he was almost ready to pack his trunk and leave without anywhere to go to. Life at the Dursley's, though he could never have thought it, had reached an all time low. Despite how little they knew of the wizarding world,they were in no doubt that Harry was somehow the centre of danger, and had made him pay for it- eager to push him outof the house as soon as possible.

He hadn't told them about...Dumbledore.At the mere thought there was a sharp pain in Harry's stomach and he forced himself to think on something else. It didn't work. In need of a distraction he turned to polish his Firebolt, but had barely glasped the smooth wooden handle when-

CRASH!

Instinctively he clutched his wand, and ducked silently behind his bed, waiting with hundreds of confused thoughts passing through his mind-

'I've got protection' he thought wildly, "Dumbledore-he said- protection...'

"POTTER!" his Uncle bellowed from downstairs. With relief Harry loosened his wand. He doubted even his Uncle would be stupid enough to be indignant at the entrance of a death eater, or worse. The strange thought of Voldemort awkwardly apologising for an abrupt entrance into the Dursley's home made Harry snort with synical laughter, as he now curiously decended the stairs.

A muffled voice could be heard and he leapt down from the last step-

"I've come to collect Harry."

The statement was simple, the manner was calm, but the tone was icy. Daring to hope the familiar voice was who he thought, Harry thrust open the door. With a colossal bounce from his stomach he broke into a grin as Ginny stood, glaring at each Dursley in turn. She twisted her neck at the disturbance of the door opening, and her features softened immediately.

There was a moment where they stared at each other, then his Aunt ruffled haughtily and almost spat "and what are you?" surveying Ginny with the deepest loathing.

Harry's temper twitched and exploded before Ginny had even raised an eyebrow.

" Don't talk to her like she's some kind of animal!I'm warning you. Try one more snide comment and I'll make you wish you hadn't."

Long gone were the days when this kind of comment would have earned him a week in his bedroom. His murderous tone had silenced the Dursley's, but Uncle Vernon's face was a dangerous shade of maroon- amongst the sandy colour of his hair where the fireplace had exploded on Ginny's entrance by Floo powder.

Without a word, a syllable of goodbye, Harry took Ginny's hand, picked up floo powder, threw it visciously into the fire and they said in unison-

"the Burrow!"

It's a tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny chapter but they get longer!